For the complete list of tasting notes, please click here.
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Glendronach 15 YO Revival, 46%, OB, B: 2009. Price: Colour: Amber Nose: Very nice and round sherry nose, with some maltiness and light spring flowers notes, as well as a touch of smoke. Harmonious. Taste: Juicy malt, slightly peaty, very round and fruity, on orange, tangerine, papaya, then it becomes spicier, slightly rubbery and on wild berries. The finish is long, the attack a bit dry, with some rubbery notes, blue and red berries, orange and tangerine. General Impression: A very good whisky, well balanced, harmonious and from high quality sherry casks. More fruity and slightly more rubbery than the old 15 YO 40%. Rating: 15/20 |
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Royal Lochnagar 1996 Distiller's Edition Moscatel Finish, OB, 40%, B: 2008, Batch RL/96-8S. Price: Colour: Old gold. Nose: Soft, spicy, farmy, on cardamom, with strong nutmeg flavours, as well as some sweeet, sugary and winey flavours. Taste: Sweet and sugary, with a creamy-buttery texture, on grape juice, cardamom, with a touch of curry, tangerine and some orange. The finish is medium, creamy-buttery, slightly spicy, on cardamom, with some winey and nutty flavours. General Impression: A correct whisky, rather smooth and sweet, without too much personality. I personally prefer the original version. Rating: 12/20
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Cragganmore 14 YO, OB, 47.5%, 4987 bottles. Price: 
Colour: Old gold-amber.
Nose: Very nice sherry nose, on plums, grapes, coconut, mango and guava, very smooth and malty. Showing a surprising maturity.
Taste: Malty, round, smooth, on orange skin, grape juice, heather, leather and some toffee. The finish is medium, sweet, malty, slightly sugary and leaving a pleasant impression.
General Impression: A very good Cragganmore with a creamy sherry influence. Very pleasant.
Rating: 16/20
Cragganmore 29 YO 1973, OB, 52.5%, 6000 bottles. Price: 
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: Floral, light, malty, on roses and other end-spring garden flowers, marzipan, and almond. Diluted, it becomes fruity.
Taste: Smooth, floral, fragrant, on juicy malt, butter scotch, and with a hint of peat. Subtle. The finish is short to medium, malty, fresh, light, and slightly dry.
General Impression: A very pleasant Cragganmore, maybe a bit thin.
Rating: 15/20
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Old Pulteney Pipefest 2009 Basel Swiss Exceptional Cask 1st Release, 14 YO, OB, 61.2%, D: 1995, B:2009, cask 2971, 240 bottles. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Fresh, clean, salty, maritime, on toffee, with some diesel smoke and seashells. Taste: Rich, very spicy (peppery), salty, intense, clean, almost explosive, on toffee and grilled seaweeds. The finish is long, very strong (spicy and peppery), salty, intense, clean, slightly bitter, dry, maritime, on vanilla, smoke, toffee, and grilled seaweeds. General Impression: A very nice pick for the Pipe and Drums Festival 2009 in Basel. Lucky Swiss. Rating: 16/20
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Old Pulteney 1991, 15 YO, OB, 55%. Price: 
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Fresh, floral, maritime, slightly smoky, on vanilla with some nice roundness.
Taste: Light, fresh, very floral, slightly salty, on vanilla, with some toffee. The finish is light, salty, fresh, very floral, and on seashells.
General Impression: A nice clean and fresh Old Pulteney, with some pears.
Rating: 13/20 FP:C2
Old Pulteney 1961, Gordon & MacPhail, 40%, Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Humic, rich, floral, slightly smoky, maritime, on seaweeds, and some toffee.
Taste: Slightly soapy, smooth, slightly salty, citric and bitter, on orange, grapefruit, with some Mirabelle. The finish is medium, slightly bitter, maritime, smoky and on Mirabelle jam.
General Impression: A pleasant and very Old Pulteney, lacking maybe some punch.
Rating: 12/20 FP:D2
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Glenlivet 1968 Peerless, 40 YO, Duncan Taylor, 42.3%, B: 2008, Cask 2834.160 bottles. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Light, floral, on lime blossom tea, juicy malt, with some fruitiness. Rather thin. Taste: Quite bitter, spicy, woody, citric, a bit rough, oaky, smoky and on toffee. The finish is medium, dry, woody, floral, spring flowers, bananas and liquorice root. General Impression: Part of the new Perless collection, this 40 YO whisky is a correct Glenlivet, but the age is present and not so complex. Rating: 12/20
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Glenlivet 2.73, 16 YO, SMWS, 52%, D: 1992, 254 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Very rich and smooth, intense and fruity, on vanilla, banana, coconut and peach. Most pleasant.
Taste: Sweet, on juicy malt, slightly smoky, rich, ripe fruits, with some vanilla and toffee. The finish is long, rich, smooth, fruity, slightly spicy, creamy, on peach, passion fruit and vanilla.
General Impression: A very good and flawless Glenlivet, rich, spicy, fruity and definitely worth trying.
Rating: 17/20 FP: D4
Glenlivet Valentino Zagatti’s personal choice, 50 years of collecting whisky, 18 YO, High Spirits,46%, D: 1990, B: 2008. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Floral, quite thick, on caramel, burnt sugar, with some coffee and vanilla.
Taste: Peaty, spicy, slightly mineral, fruity (peach and apricot), smoky, farmy, and on grapefruit. The finish is medium to long, slightly citric, smoky, fruity and peaty.
General Impression: A rather citric Glenlivet, maybe not typical for this distillery, but just different and quite pleasant.
Rating: 15/20 FP: C5
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Glencadam 25 YO, OB, 46%, D: 1983, B: 2008, cask 1002. Prix: Colour: Amber Nose: On leather, tannins, lots of mild spices, on beeswax, tangerine, orange, with some floral and nutty flavours. Taste: Smooth, slightly peppery, on mild spices, with a lot of oranges, tangerine and fudge. Diluted, it becomes more on blueberry jam and walnut infusion. The finish is long, spicy, peppery, on orange and tangerine. General Impression: The best Glencadam that I have tasted so far, from an excellent sherry cask, without the rubbery or bitter notes associated with heavily sherried whiskies. Rating: 17/20 |
Ardbeg 1972 OMC, 29 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2001, 234 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Beautiful and intense peat smoke, very maritime, clean, mineral, with a nice sweetness (pear drops), on seaweed and spearmint.
Taste: Peaty, salty to very salty, mineral, slightly tarry, maritime (strong seaweed flavours), on iodine, peat smoke, grilled bread, and TCP. The finish is never ending and beautiful, on peat smoke, seafood and seaweed, TCP, spearmint with quite some sweetness.
General Impression: A beautiful Ardbeg from the early 1970s and as good as you might expect. Delicious and with a very very long finish!
Rating: 19/20
Ardbeg 1975 OMC, 27 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2002, 198 b., Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: Nicely oaky, fresh, complex, maritime, peaty, on mint, spearmint, tangerine, iodine and disinfectant. Quite heavy.
Taste: Slightly soapy and bitter, peaty, maritime, salty to very salty, on seaweed and bonfire smoke. The finish is dry, slightly rubbery, salty, long, on cocoa and fudge.
General Impression: A nicely balanced Ardbeg, with a long finish and combined with a pleasant cocoa influence.
Rating: 17/20
Ardbeg Committee Reserve, OB, 55.3%, B: 2002, 3000 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Peaty, smoky, maritime, salty, slightly tarry and floral (minty), on iodine/disinfectant and cresol.
Taste: Salty, very maritime, citric, peaty, smoky, slightly tarry, fresh, floral, oaky, on seaweed, with a slight fruitiness and sweetness. The finish is long, peaty, maritime, oaky, smoky and on fudge.
General Impression: An excellent Ardbeg resulting from the vatting of casks aged between 10 and 30 years. Lots of character. Thank you Jean-Marie P.
Rating: 18/20 FP: B8
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Ardbeg 1973 OMC, 27 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2000, 240 b. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Maritime, salty, peaty, on cresole, TCP, spearmint, with some floral and malty undertones. Rounder, but more complex than the 1972 OMC. Taste: Dry to very dry, peaty, salty, tarry, on grilled bread, toffee, cocoa, almond, seaweed and some grassy-floral notes. Complex. Diluted, it becomes slightly bitter. The finish is long to very long, on cresole, disinfectant, peat smoke, seawater and seaweed. General Impression: An excellent intense and complex Ardbeg, with the typical subtelty of the old Ardbegs. Rating: 18/20 |
Ardbeg 1974 Connoisseur Choice, 29 YO, Gordon & MacPhail, 43%, B: 2003. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Quite sweet and round, maritime, peaty, slightly floral, on smoked fish, peat smoke, toffee and cocoa.
Taste: Peaty, smoky, vegetal, maritime, sweet, salty, oaky, on seaweed, toffee and tobacco smoke. The finish is long, dry, maritime, peaty, salty, tarry, oaky, on cresole and cocoa.
General Impression: A very good Ardbeg, mellow and quite pleasant although it was bottled at 43%. Some caramel was added?
Rating: 17/20
Ardbeg 1991 OMC Rum finish, 15 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2006, 378 bottles. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Sweet, floral, young, fresh, peaty, sugary, clean and maritime. Diluted, it becomes more mineral, cleaner and on cold ashes.
Taste: Dry to very dry, peaty, citric to very citric, salty, very maritime, slightly bitter, on diesel smoke, with the rum finish coming at the end (pineapple and lemon). The finish is short, dry, oaky, sugary, peaty, quite sweet, on fudge and spearmint.
General Impression: The Rum contributes to a pleasant sweetness to this fresh Ardbeg, which tasted quite young.
Rating: 15/20
Port Ellen 1982 Sherry, 24 YO, La Part des Anges, B: 2007, 58.7%, cask 359. Price:
Colour: Old gold-amber.
Nose: Very nice combination of round peat, smoke and sherry. Floral, maritime, peaty and on sea breeze.
Taste: Very peaty, smoky, spicy, farmy, maritime, slightly mineral, with some hemp rope flavours, menthol, camphor and oranges. Very complex. The finish is very long, salty, maritime, slightly rubbery and dry, on round peat, dry kelp and some grilled bread.
General Impression: An excellent Port Ellen, nicely peated, with a sherry influence pleasantly integrated. Probably one of the most peated Port Ellen from the 1980s. Thank you Alain.
Rating: 18/20
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Port Ellen 1974, Gordon & MacPhail, 40%, B: 1980s, Price: Colour: Old gold-amber Nose: Very peaty, tarry, maritime, slightly farmy, on diesel smoke and seaweed. Quite Austere and mineral. Taste: Very salty and maritime (sea water), very peaty, smoky, tarry, slightly sweet (tangerine), on seaweeds and tobacco leaves. The finish is long, dry, smoky, bitter, tarry and mineral. General Impression: I had the chance to taste previously a few Port Ellen from that period and I found them significantly more peated than the later distillations (1978 and onwards). This one is no exception and it is rather austere and mineral, a style I appreciate. Rating: 18/20 |
Port Ellen 1982 Sherry wood, 25 YO, The Whiskyfair, B: 2007, 53.6%, 509 bottles. Price:
Colour: Pale yellow
Nose: Quite spirity and young, light, clean, peaty, on grilled bread and disinfectant (alcohol) flavours. Smells like new make.
Taste: Spirity, immature, peaty, on dry hemp rope. Tastes like new make. The finish is dry to very dry, clean, short, on grilled bread and peat.
General Impression: If you wondered what the Port Ellen new make might have tasted, then you should go for this one. With respect to the sherry influence, I haven’t detected it. Otherwise, it is not feinty.
Rating: 09/20 
Port Ellen 1982, 26 YO, Signatory, 49.4%, B: 2008, cask 1682. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Round, oaky, slightly farmy, peaty, quite strongly maritime, with some mineral and cold ashes flavours.
Taste: Very salty and spicy, on liquorice root, tar, peat, cold ashes and a pleasant bitterness. The finish is medium to long, dry to very dry, peaty, mineral, bitter and slightly farmy.
General Impression: An excellent old Port Ellen, dry and very intense.
Rating: 17/20 FP: B7
Tormore 1989 OMC, 15 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2004, 175 b. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Very floral (soft), malty, on heather, with some caramel and a hint of smoke.
Taste: Floral, soapy, quite hot, on tobacco leaves, with some spiciness, on camomile. Quite rough. The finish is smooth, oaky, slightly fruity, with a nice spiciness.
General impression: The nose is close and quite unremarkable, but starts to open in the mouth, peaking in the finish.
Rating: 10/20 FP: E2
Tormore 1995 Exclusive Malts, 1995, 10 YO, David Stirk, 50.1%, B: 2006. Price:
Colour: Light gold
Taste: Fresh, floral, smoky, malty, on toffee.
Mouth: Very floral, oaky, smoky, grassy, on fudge, on pipe smoke and green leaves. The finish is medium, sweet, clean, malty, round.
General impression: A nice and clean whisky, maybe not the most complex, but very enjoyable.
Rating: 14/20 FP: D3
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