Clynelish 1983 OMC, 23 YO, Douglas Laing, B: 2006, 50%, cask 1354, 303 bottles, Price: 
Colour: Old gold-amber
Nose: Waxy, very mellow, complex, slightly fruity, maritime, on shoe polish, honey, and some old peat.
Taste: Smooth, mellow, creamy, smoky, on orange, lemon, mango, melon, dry hemp rope and peat. Complex. The finish is slightly bitter, mellow, round on dry hemp rope, peat smoke, and mango.
General Impression: A very fine Clynelish, close to some product of the East coast of Islay, with its hemp rope flavours and good load of peat, but with a touch of sweetness.
Rating: 18/20 
Clynelish 1972, 34 YO, Single Malts of Scotland, 50.5%, B: 2007, Casks 20156/24651, 409 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Waxy, peaty, clean, quite round, fruity, on melon, guava, mango and papaya.
Taste: Creamy-oily, moderately peated (dry peat), with a light spiciness, and very fruity (mango, papaya, and passion fruits). Nicely balanced. The finish is clean, waxy, very fruity, with some bitter peat smoke. Smooth and quite long.
General Impression: A very pleasant old Clynelish, very fruity and sweet.
Rating: 16/20
Glencadam 1990, 16 YO, Dewar Rattray, 59.7%, B: 2007, cask 5980, 271 bottles. Price: 
Colour: Straw
Nose: Floral, smooth, very malty, fruity (dry apricots). Very pleasant and quite intense.
Taste: Oaky, spicy, smoky (wet tobacco leaves), on juicy malt and toffee. Diluted, it becomes creamier and more on lemon. The finish is of medium length, thick, very malty, some dry-bitterness, and on bitter toffee. Diluted, it becomes creamier and loses its bitterness.
General Impression; A very malty whisky, which improves with water.
Rating: 15/20
Caol Ila 1982, 25 YO, First Cask, 60.8%, B: 2007, Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Floral (lilac), fruity (apples and some mango), peaty, round, mellow, and slightly maritime.
Taste: Peaty, fruity (melon, guava, and passion fruits), salty, maritime, sweet, very slightly bitter, some roasted nuts and floral notes (violet (the garden one)). Diluted, it is mainly on a balance of bitterness and pineapples. The finish is of medium length, round, fruity, creamy, peaty, and on bitter toffee.
General Impression: A very good Caol Ila, round and mellow, with a surprising fruitiness if you let it breath. Very pleasant and definitely worth a try!
Rating: 17/20
Old Pulteney 1977, 28 YO, Duncan Taylor, 58.6%, B: 2005, cask 3077, 204 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Very coastal (sea breeze, salt, iodine, and kelp), with some floral, honey, and soja bean sauce notes. Quite mellow. Diluted, it becomes more floral.
Taste: Extremely salty, fruity (peach and cooked apples), spicy (peppery), nicely oaky, on iodine, with some peat, smoke, vanilla, and fudge. Nice mouth coating texture. The finish is long, maritime, on freshly fished fish and sea shells, with some honey sweetness.
General Impression: An excellent Old Pulteney, punchy, with a nice mix of strong coastal flavours and sweetness.
Rating: 17/20
Clynelish 1996 Sherry, 10 YO, Single Malts of Scotland (SMOS), 59.6%, B: 2007, cask 2428, 666 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold
Nose: Peaty, maritime, meaty, very maritime, very salty, round, on dry kelp and resting sea water. The maritime flavours are extremely strong, with some old wet rubber. Diluted, it becomes more on drying sea vegetation.
Nose: Dry, peaty, very salty, iodine, on dry seaweed and wet rubber. Diluted, it becomes creamy-waxy, with some oranges. The finish is waxy, bitter, on dry peat, freshly burnt rubber, and grapefruit. Clean and short. Diluted, it becomes a bit winey.
General Impression: The nose is very peculiar and gives me the impression of being on a beach in Scotland with the seaweeds drying in the sun. Very interesting and surprisingly complex for its age.
Rating: 14/20
Mortlach 1991, 15 YO, Adelphi, 57.5%, B: 2007, cask 5947. Price:
Colour: Old gold-amber
Nose: Light, very floral, on pollen, clean malt, with some tangerine. Intense.
Taste: Spicy, slightly salty, on oranges, tangerine, sweet malt and some cinnamon. The sherry is present, but as much as the colour, mixed with some round peat smoke. The finish is clean, round, malty, spicy, on molasses, burnt sugar, rubber and bitter toffee.
General Impression: A nice Mortlach, quite spicy, with a nice integration of the sherry.
Rating: 16/20
Linkwood 1990, 16 YO, Adelphi, 49.3%, B: 2007, cask 9733. Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Perfumed, floral, fresh, very fruity, round, sweet, on mango, guava, passion fruits, tangerine, with some discreet round peat and some rose water.
Taste: Malty, creamy, slighty peaty-smoky, on ginger, rose water, orange, tangerine, passion fruit, vanilla fudge and milk chocolate. Diluted, it becomes more bitter and on coffee. The finish is smooth, sweet, creamy, on cream fudge, with of lots of tangerine and some banana.
General Impression: A very nice fruitiness and complexity characterize this smooth whisky and can be drunk easily without water. Would have score better is the flavours were more pronounced.
Rating: 15/20
Ardmore Heavily Peated 1994, 12 YO, SMOS, 58.6%. B: 2006, cask 58005, 286 bottles. Price:
Colour: Pale yellow
Nose: Sweet (new make-like), floral, grassy, peaty, and on pollen. With time, it becomes more peaty and cleaner. Seems quite young.
Taste: Dry, heavily peated, very spicy (salty), on hemp rope, liquorice root, dry smoke. The floral notes come through after some while, with aromas of freshly baked bread. The finish is short, clean, peaty and dry.
General Impression: Another Alternative to the heavily peated Islay whiskies, with more floral influence.
Rating: 15/20
Miltonduff 1980, 26 YO, Dewar Rattray, 48%, B: 2006, cask 12502, 132 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Malty, very mellow, some light summer flowers flavours, on melon, ripe apricots and lemon grass. Nicely oaky.
Taste: Floral (violet),malty, nicely oaky, oily, slightly creamy, on lemon, apricots, melon, and marzipan, with some round peat smoke. The finish is long, clean, very mellow, on lemon and marzipan.
General Impression: Very mellow, smooth, fruity and nicely balanced. From an often underrated distillery.
Rating: 17/20
Caol Ila 1984, 22 YO, Jack & Jack (JWWW), 51%, B: 2006, Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Dry, peaty, clean to very clean, smoky, on hemp rope, iodine and slightly maritime. Diluted, it becomes slightly more floral.
Taste: Dry, peaty to very peaty, spicy, on dry hemp rope and pear. With time, it becomes quite mellow. The finish is of medium length to long, dry, peaty, salty, slighty bitter (gentian) and clean.
General Impression: Not overly complex, but a good peaty Caol Ila.
Rating: 16/20
Highland Park 1981 Scottish Castle, 25 YO, JWWW, 52.8%, cask 6064, Price:
Colour: Pale gold
Nose: Peaty, smoky, iodine, very maritime, dry, on dry fish and with some slight heather notes.
Taste: Salty to very salty, maritime, on dry hemp rope, peaty, on kelp, smoke, smoked fish, iodine, with some lemon, pear drops and honey. The finish is lingering, smoky, with some hemp rope, lemon, and honey.
General Impression: A very good Highland Park, but surprisingly smoky and peaty, and dryer than usual.
Rating: 17/20
Talisker 12 YO, OB, 45.8%, B: 2007, Price: 
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Smooth, maritime, slightly peaty, on iodine and toffee.
Taste: Peated, maritime, smooth, creamy, round, on dry kelp, ashes, dry hemp rope, and lemon. The finish is short, clean, smooth, creamy and slightly peated.
General Impression: A surprisingly smooth Talisker, with spiciness and peat tamed by the smooth sherry. This was a limited edition of 21,500 bottles and limited to some countries.
Rating: 13/20
Port Ellen 1982 Sherry, 24 YO, Dewar Rattray, 58.2%, cask 2463, 467 bottles, Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Very maritime, on sea kelp, nice round peat smoke, slightly mineral and floral (some lavender).
Taste: Maritime, clean, spicy (herbes de Provence), on plumps, grapes, hemp rope, dried kelp and nice rubber. The finish is round, rubbery, smooth, salty, peaty and on dried kelp.
General Impression: A very good and well balanced Port Ellen, with a nice and good rubbery flavour. Mellow.
Rating: 16/20
Glenlivet (The) Nadurra, 16 YO, OB, 59.7%, B: 2007, batch 0407C, Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: On porridge, bourbon (oaky), and vanilla. Dry-sawdusty.
Taste: Creamy, spicy (ginger), on cereals, corn, and sawdust, with some apricots. The finish is short, creamy, quite spicy, and on toffee.
General Impression: A quite good whisky, a bit sharp. The Nadurra is a Glenlivet with whisky matured exclusively in first fill casks
Rating: 11/10
Inchgower 1974, 31 YO, Berry Bros & Rudd, 46%. Price:
Colour: Straw- gold
Nose: Very creamy, malty, maritime, slightly earthy, some bitter smoke and ginger.
Taste: Salty, maritime, creamy, very fruity, on lychees, melon, and some apricots. The finish is short, clean, and slightly smoky.
General Impression: A good creamy and maritime Inchgower, with a good dose of sweet fruits.
Rating: 15/20
Longmorn 1992, Berry Bros & Rudd, 46%, B: 2006, casks 62849/50 Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Very floral (fresh and young violets), oaky, on vanilla, camomille, honey. Light and fragrant.
Taste: Very creamy, smooth, malty, slightly salty, on bitter toffee, apricots, peach, some melon, and with a hint of berries. Nicely balanced, The finish is malty, creamy, smooth, with some bitter smoke and toffee.
General Impression: A rather expressive Longmorn, very floral and creamy.
Rating: 15/20
Aultmore 1989 Special Reserve, Gordon & McPhail, 56.4%, B. 2003, cask 715, 367 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Smooth, sweet, fruity (peach), malty, very round, and on tobacco leaves.
Taste: Smoky, peppery, fruity (lots of pineapples), creamy, and slightly spicy. The finish is on fudge, slightly bitter toffee, and pineapple. Oily and slightly rubbery.
General Impression: A smooth and mellow Aultmore, with a good dose of fruitiness.
Rating: 14/20
Scapa 1993, 13 YO, Douglas Laing OMC, 50%, B: 2006, cask 1375, 348 b. Price:
Colour: Pale yellow
Nose: Light, fresh, grassy, malty, clean, creamy, on heather and honey, with a zest of lemon.
Taste: Oily-malty, clean, light, fresh, with a slight smokiness, on lemon, oranges and some toffee. Diluted, the citrus aromas are more pronounced. The finish is of medium length, slightly bitter (grapefruit), malty, and on lemon.
General Impression: A charming Scapa, full of freshness. Perfect as for the aperitif in summer time. It resembles the old 12 YO OB.
Rating: 15/20
Bunnahabhain 1991 Special Reserve, 15 YO, Gordon & MacPhail, 55.8%, B: 2006, cask 15072, 300 bottles. Price: N/C.
Colour: Old gold- amber
Nose: Malty, grassy, quite fruity (oranges, melon, and papaya), round, very sweet and with some honey.
Taste: Malty, salty, maritime, intense, spicy (pepper and chilli), with a whiff of peat smoke, fruity (pineapple and pink grapefruit). The finish is clean, round, very malty, slightly rubbery, of medium length, with a light fruitiness and some oranges at the end.
General Impression: A very good Bunnahbhain, close to the Scott’s selection, but more intense and spicy.
Rating: 16/20
Bunnahabhain 1984, Scott’s selection, 57.5%, B: 2003, Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Malty, grassy, with drying flowers, heather, and very discreet fruity notes. Relatively dry.
Taste: Salty, very malty, fruity (papaya, mango, pineapples), honey sweetness and a touch of peat smoke. Complex and subtle. The finish is of medium length, sweet, very fruity, with a whiff of smoke.
General Impression: A very good whisky that would have scored better is the flavours were more intense. Although it is rather weak, it stands water very well.
Rating: 14/20
Knockando 1980, 26 YO, Duncan Taylor, 46%, B: 2007, cask 1912, 268 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Malty, fruity, sweet, on marzipan, pears, apples, and with some cinnamon.
Taste: Juicy, spicy, on bitter toffee, exotic fruits (Lychees, mango, and papaya), apples and pear. The finish is of medium length, slightly smoky, round, clean, and on butter scotch.
General Impression: Knockando bottled by independent bottles are seldomly seen, and this nice is very pleasant, with a sweet fruitiness.
Rating: 15/20
Dallas Dhu 1981, 24 YO, Duncan Taylor, 58.3%, B: 2005, cask 387, 523 bottles, Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Malty, gristy, creamy, smoky, slightly floral, and on toffee.
Taste: Malty, round, spicy (ginger), on butter scotch, slightly salty, and on bitter smoke.
Finish: Rubbery, malty, bitter to very bitter, and dry. The finish is of medium length.
General Impression: A quite bitter version of the Dallas Dhu, a bit harsh to my taste.
Rating: 11/20
Glenglassaugh 1986 Sherry, 21YO, Dewar Rattray, 53.4%, B: 2007, cask 162, 399 bottles. Price:
Colour: Old gold – amber
Nose: Lots of sherry, malty, on vegetal condiment (“Maggi”), porridge, and oranges.
Taste: Lots of toffee, fudge, somewhat bitter, malty and on fresh rubber. The finish is rubbery, bitter, short, in rucola, burnt tyre, and on toffee.
General Impression: Not really my style, but if you don’t mind rubbery whiskies, this is smooth and easy to drink.
Rating: 12/20
North Port 1980, 24 YO, Scott’s selection, B: 2004, 58%, Price:
Colour: gold
Nose: Fresh, light, very floral (violet), some smoke, and slightly maritime.
Taste: Very salty, malty, smoky, maritime, floral (violet) and butter scotch. The finish is long, round, smoky, on bitter toffee and some roasted coffee beans.
General impression: Definitely coastal, the balance of flavours is somewhat destabilizing, but I really enjoyed the personality of this North Port.
Rating: 17/20
Dailuaine 1974, 31 YO, Berry Bros & Rudd, 46%, B: 2005, cask 111/2. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Smoky, some round peat smoke, fruity (melon), rich and quite intense.
Taste: Spicy, very salty, maritime, a bit aggressive on the palate, on dry peat smoke, smoked fish and sea food. The finish is long, dry, salty, smoky, and maritime.
General Impression: Very maritime, salty, with a strong “fishy” influence and very different from the original bottlings, with a mixture of sweetness and fruitiness.
Rating: 15/20
Strathclyde 1965, 42 YO, First Cask, 41.1%, B: 2007, cask 84883/4, 155 b., Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Very smooth, and mellow, on corn, apricot, peach and some cream fudge. Subtle.
Taste: Smooth, mellow, full-bodied, slightly spicy, on corn, peach, apricot, strawberries and some vanilla fudge. The finish is slightly spicy, smooth, on apricots and corn.
General Impression: A very good grain whisky, subtle, very smooth and without any roughness.
Rating: 15/20
North of Scotland 1973, 32 YO, Scott’s selection, 45%, B: 2005 Price:
Colour: Straw-gold
Nose: Quite light, on cereals, porridge, vanilla fudge, and with some light apricot and peach flavours.
Taste: Fresh, light, on cereals, porridge, apricots, with slight notes of green and freshly cut grass. The finish is short, clean, on cereals, vanilla, and fudge.
General Impression: Not overly complex, but fresh and surprisingly light for a grain whisky. Seems quite young.
Rating: 13/20
Tomatin 1976 Old Train Line serie, 30 YO, Jack Wiebers, 55%, B: 2007, cask 2261. Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Smooth, very slightly earthy, some light summer flowers, on exotic fruits (melon, mango, and papaya) and apricots. Sweet.
Taste: Extremely fruity and sweet (apricot and peach), some light peat smoke and earthiness. Surprisingly fruity and full bodied. The finish is long, fruity, and slightly syrupy, on apricot and melon.
General Impression: An excellent Tomatin, very fruity, well balance, and with a good consistence. A top-class Tomatin.
Rating: 17/20
Caperdonich 1980, 26 YO, First Cask, 56.8%, B: 2006, cask 7346 Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Very nice, smooth, complex, on apricots, peach, and sweet fruits. Strong cereal flavours.
Taste: Peppery, very mellow, fruity, on cereals, apricots, and some melon. The finish is long, on cream fudge, apricot, melon. Very smooth.
General Impression: Probably the finest Caperdonich I have tried so far. Subtle, rich, and complex.
Rating: 17/20
Littlemill 1984, 20 YO, Scott’s selection, 61.3%, B: 2004. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Light, fresh, grassy, with some drying grass, camomille, and a zest of lemon.
Taste: Dry attack, on lemon, lemongrass, with some light exotic fruits (passion fruits). The finish is medium long, clean, malty, on lemon, with some toffee at the end. Fresh and rich.
General Impression: A real Lowlander, light, grass, with the freshness enhanced by the lemon.
Rating: 14/20
Clynelish 14 YO , OB, 46%, B:2005 Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Maritime, smoky, iodine, fragrance and tropical wood.
Taste: Seaweed, sea water and smoke. The finish is relatively short, on malt and violet, smoky and slightly bitter.
General Impression: A nice and very maritime malt.
Rating: 13/20
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Brora 1981, 25 YO, Signatory, 60.1%, B:2007, cask 1519, 276 b. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Quite spirity, some nice sherry flavours, floral-perfumy, spicy and maritime influence. Taste: Sweet and juicy to start, then gets very spicy and salty, some smokiness and tobacco. Quite simple. The finish is quite short, dry, smoky and on liquorice, with some sweet fruitiness on the back. |
Rating: 15/20
Speyside Single Malt 1966 (Glenfarclas), 40 YO, The Whiskyfair, B: 2007, 52.4%, 150 bottles. Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Resinous, waxy, on very old wood furniture, beewax, oranges , some spice, dark chocolate and roasted coffee beans. Diluted, some menthol-eucalyptus aromas are released.
Taste: Oily, woody-spicy, tannic to very tannic, on oranges, old leather and soja sauce. Tired. The finish is long, dry, tannic, on sawdust, bitter coffee and on a soja-ginger mix.
General Impression: Too old, too tannic, too coffee-like and too dusty for me.
Rating: 08/20
Speyside Single Malt 1965 (Glenfarclas), 41 YO, The Whiskyfair, B: 2007, 53.5%, 150 bottles. Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: What a difference with the sister 40 YO bottling! Lots of floral notes, fresh, intense, malty, with traces of old peat smoke, some oranges and top class toffee, and a very nice sherry nose, like one would expect from an old sherry matured whisky. Complex and excellent!
Taste: Nicely oily, spicy, lots of ripe oranges, on black berries and toffee, with some pleasant roasted coffee beans. Complex and multi-layered. The finish is oily, quite thick and long, on grapes, coffee, caramel and some peat smoke.
General impression: between the two bottlings from the same distillery, bottled during the same period, the result might be very different. This cask gave a very pleasant whisky, with a nice sherry influence and a lot of character. Excellent.
Rating: 18/20
Glencadam 1974, 32 YO, The Whiskyfair, B: 2007, 57.3%, 355 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Very nicely floral, creamy, malty, on home-made fudges, tropical fruits (guava), and with a nice and round sherry influence. Diluted, gets creamier, more on fudge and toffee and gains some extra lemon flavours.
Taste: Malty, slightly smoky, with a light spiciness and milk chocolate aroma, on vanilla, peach, apricots, melon and guava. Diluted, it becomes creamier and more on chocolate. The finish is of medium length, clean, round, very malty, fruity (melon) and creamy.
General Impression: A very smooth, mellow and malty whisky, pleasant to drink and it becomes even better with some water.
Rating: 15/20
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Benriach Authenticus, 21 YO, OB, B: 2006, 46%. Price: Colour: Pale yellow-gold Nose: Starts on nice fruity notes (pear and cooked apples), nice old peat with some maritime influence. Smooth and quite complex. Needs some time for the peat to reach its maximum intensity. Taste: Very peaty, smoky, salty, quite round and mellow, fruity (apples, pear and some mango) with a nice smooth maltiness. The finish is very smooth, oily, on round peat and smoke, and with a nice juicy maltiness. |
Rating: 17/20
Macallan 10 YO Sherry, 40%, OB, B: 2006 Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Orange peel, soft and round peat, apples and honey.
Taste: Smoky, peaty, dry, slightly rubbery, malty and oaky, then on oranges and some toffee. The finish is short, dry, bitter, on blood oranges, butterscotch and apples. Clean and slightly spicy. Diluted, gets dry and bitter.
General Impression: A very nice sherried whisky, clean, with a nice flavour profile and balance. Good maturation.
Rating: 15/20
Macallan 12 YO Sherry, 43%, OB, B: 2006 Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Lots of honey, apples, hay, floral notes (lavender), slightly spicy, round, tannic and faint orange notes. With a few drops of water, gets rounder, more full and on grapes.
Taste: Oaky, dry, smoky (tobacco leaves), dry malt, a bit of cardboard. Dry and bitter. Diluted, gets unpleasantly bitter. The finish is short, quite smoky, dry and bitter with a rubbery flavour at the end.
General Impression: Dry, bitter and surprisingly disappointing in comparison to the 10 YO.
Rating: 09/20
Macallan 12 YO Fine Oak, 43%, OB, B: 2006 Price:
Colour: old gold-amber
Nose: Very floral, oaky, fresh and light, on apples and green malt. Diluted, gets more on vanilla and cream fudge.
Taste: Round maltiness, quite juicy, on apple, cinnamon, some spicyness (ginger/pepper) and smokiness, as well as a touch of liquorice. The finish is quite round, slightly smoky and winey, on orange and with some exotic fruits. The finish is of medium length.
General Impression: It shows more subtlety than the sherry version and offers a nice maltiness and freshness.
Rating: 15/20
Macallan 18 YO Fine Oak, OB, 43% B: 2006 Price:
Colour: Old gold-amber
Nose: Nice fruitiness (pineapple, tangerine, cooked apples), floral (like a forest after a rain shower), some cinnamon, a touch of vanilla and butterscotch. Nice and complex, multilayered. A few drops of water render the nose rounder and reinforces the vanilla flavour.
Taste: Very sweet and round, on cinnamon, smoke, fudge, orange, cooked pineapple, some spiciness (curry), butterscotch and vanilla. Rich, round, and pleasant. With a few drops of water, it becomes more tannic.
General Impression: A very nice, complex, rich, and harmonious Macallan.
Rating: 17/20
Macallan 25 YO Fine Oak, OB, 43% B: 2006 Price:
Colour: Old gold- amber
Nose: Starts on window cleaning product, then it develops on apples, cinnamon, some oranges, a touch of rubber, then on honey and heather. Very round.
Needs a few minutes to open.
Taste: Tannic, faint and fragile if you take a small sip. Otherwise, the body is full, tannic, on orange, old leather and some butterscotch. The sherry influence is strong. This whisky is slightly bitter, on toffee and it is complex. The finish is rather short, on leather, orange, some peat and smoke.
General Impression: Old and tannic, with some complexity, but would have benefited from a few extra %ABV for more expression of its complexity and flavour profile.
Rating: 13/20
Macallan 30 YO Sherry, OB, 43%, B: 2004 Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Quite oaky (resinous), full and round sherry, fruity (orange and tangerine), old leather, old polished wood and a touch of peat. Rich and complex.
Body: Lots of oranges, dry at the start, nice and strong sherry influence, a touch of peat and juicy malt. Very complex and multi-layered. The finish is full and round, dominated by the sherry and nicely accompaigned by wax, orange, liquorice root and a whiff of smoke. Finish of medium length.
General Impression: Sit on a sofa, gets a sip and savour it! A very nicely balanced, rich and complex whisky. This is the old version, which was sold in a blue wooden box.
Rating: 18/20
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Aberlour Warehouse n°1 1st fill sherry, 13 YO, OB, D: May 1992, B: Nov. 2005, 58.6%, cask 1349. Price: Colour: Amber-red Nose: Very floral (violet), honey, malt, slight rubber notes. Clean. Diluted, it becomes rounder, more clean, on old leather and fudge. Very nice. Taste: Nice and rich sherry taste, on old leather, ripe oranges and sweet malt. Very spicy (peppery), clean, smooth, nicely balanced. The finish is round and bold, smoky and slightly peaty, spicy, on old leather and sherry. |
Rating: 18/20
Aberlour 16 Double cask matured, OB, 43%, B: 2005, Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Floral (heather), rich honey, rose water, light orange notes and a quite strong sherry influence. Diluted, it gets lighter, more spirity, and on toffee.
Taste: A bit dry, oaky, on honey. Round and bitter. The finish is short, dry, bitter, on liquorice and toffee.
General Impression: In comparison to the 10 YO, it shows some extra complexity, at the cost of being dryer and more bitter.
Rating: 11/20
Aberlour Warehouse n°1 Bourbon, OB, 13 YO, 59.3% D: 1993, B: nov. 2005 Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: Very floral (violet), spirity, some honey, freshly crushed cereal. Diluted, it becomes smoother and rounder, on honey and flavours gets ever more pronounced.
Taste: Vanilla, floral (violet, lavender and heather), honey, and some smoke. Clean and round. Diluted, it becomes dryer, spicer (pepper) and nutty. The finish is short, round, clean, round, malty, and slightly creamy. Diluted, it becomes smokier (on tobacco) and spicier.
General Impression: A bit dull at cask strength, it really opens up with a few drops of water. Rich, complex, with a sweet mix of honey and pepper.
Rating: 14/20
Aberlour A’Bunadh Batch 14, OB, 59.5%, B: 2006. Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Very nice and round sherry nose, on orange, tangerine and grapes. Sweet, clean, floral and slightly grassy. Diluted, the flavours fade very quickly and move more on toffee.
Taste: Creamy, very round, spicy, on grapes. It is also smoky and on nice sweet malt. Very sherried and clean. Diluted, gets very malty, juicy and citric. The finish is very spicy (peppery), on liquorice, smoke (tobacco) and slightly rubbery. The finish is of medium length.
General Impression: Not overly complex, but very nice, round and very sherried whisky. It leaves a very pleasant mouthfeel.
Rating: 16/20
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Longmorn 15 YO, OB, 45%, B: 2006, Price: Colour: Old gold. Nose: Barley, floral notes (violet), perfumy, salty. Slightly oily-waxy. Diluted, it gets rounder and on cream fudge. Taste: Smoky, bitter, malty, floral (violet), perfumy and on freshly cut grass. Big and rich, salty to very salty, with very strong violet perfumy notes. With time, it moves more on prunes, sweet barley and smoke. Diluted, it gets more bitter and on violets. The finish is intense, long, peppery, salty, on floral notes, bitter dark chocolate, bitter toffee, then more on malty-cereals notes with a hint of tangerine. |
Rating: 16/20
Longmorn 1976 sherry, 30 YO, MacKillops, 54.3%, B:2006, Cask 5879. Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Pineapples, berries (brambleberries), nice oakyiness, fruity (pineapples, melon and passion fruits). Rich, fresh and with a superb fruitiness. Diluted, notes of apples are perceived.
Taste: Smooth and mellow, slightly spicy (white pepper), slight pleasant oakyness, berries (strawberries and brambleberries) and fruity (melon and passion fruits). The finish is of medium length, dry at the start, then very fruity (melon and papaya) and on berries.
General Impression: A delicious Longmorn from a re-fill sherry cask, fresh and extremely fruity, with a pleasant mouth feel and not as heavy as some old Longmorns from first-fill sherry casks.
Rating: 19/20
Longmorn 1971, 28 YO, Scott’s selection, B:1999, 57.8%. Price:
Colour: Dark amber-brown
Nose: Rich and full nose, intense, round and smooth sherry, with oranges, leather, berries (Blackcurrant, brambleberries), with a lot of finesse. Diluted, gets more floral, on violets.
Taste: Very floral, dry oaky spiciness, old leather and some toffee. Rich, full and complex. The finish is long and lingering, thick, oily, on fudge and berries, leather and with a light bitterness.
General Impression: A very sherry Longmorn, full of character and of personality, with a lot of finesse.
Rating: 18/20
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Longmorn (SMWS 7.25), 35 YO, SMWS, D: 1968, B: 2004, 51.7%, 421 bottles. Price: Colour: Amber-red Nose: Rich and old sherry, floral notes (violet). Surprisingly floral for its age. Dark rum, brandy and berries (blackberries). After a few minutes of aeration, gets very fresh and more floral, with toffee notes. Taste: Spicy (pepper and salt), floral (violet and gentiana), toffee , blackcurrant, strawberries and smoke. Diluted, gets smokier and with cloves.The finish is slightly oily and syrupy, but very spicy and floral, with a long development and on a “cream fudge” feel, with some blackberries and blackcurrants at the end. |
General Impression: a big and venerable sherried Longmorn, showing at the same time young and fresh floral notes. Complex.
Rating: 18/20
Longmorn (SMWS 7.32), 16 YO, SMWS, D:1988, 54.8%, 264 bottles, Price:
Colour: Straw-gold
Nose: Extremely perfumy, on violet, lilac and lily of the valley, then comes nice smooth woody influence (vanilla, coconut), light toffee and sweet barley, as well as light fruity flavours (tangerine). Diluted, the floral notes are rounder and lighter.
Taste: Slightly smoky, quite light, coastal and round, with a quite intense malty-cereal influence and floral notes developing on citric aromas. Diluted, it gets more coastal and spicy (white pepper). The finish is long, round, smoky and deliciously sweet (cream fudge), with light floral notes and some grapes. Diluted, the finish is more on tobacco quid.
General Impression: A charming and flawless Longmorn.
Rating: 17/20
Longmorn 1972, 29 YO, G&M, 46%, B: 2001 Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Intense sherry influence, mint, old leather and furniture, some very old peat fire and berries (blackberries).
Taste: Sweet barley, blackcurrant, blackberries, raspberries, leather, old pet, prunes and sherry (brandy). Very complex and pleasant. There are also aromas of tangerine, orange and violet. The finish is long to very long, flora, malty, on bitter-dry sherry and toffee, finishing on blackcurrant juice.
General Impression: A very sherried and complex Longmorn with a strong berries influence on the palate. An excellent whisky, although the first signs of age start to come. It was bottled exclusively for La Maison du Whisky (MdW).
Rating: 17/20
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Caol Ila 1984 sherry, 22 YO, Whiskyfair, B: 2007, 55.9% Price: Colour: Old gold Nose: Peat, smoke, dried kelp, grilled bread and charcoal. Taste: Dry, heavily peated, citric, sea salt, kelp, smoked fish, some diesel, pink grapefruit, oranges and rye bread. Diluted, the “dry hemp rope” flavour of Caol Ila comes through. The finish is oily, nicely peaty, spicy (vegetamine), on dried cereals and dark chocolate with bits of orange. The finish was quite long. General Impression: A very nice Caol Ila with a discreet sherry influence. Not a peat monster, but nicely complex. |
Rating: 17/20
Royal Brackla 1979, 25 YO, Strathblair Collection 2, 46%, Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold
Nose: Nice and clean sherry nose, fruity (tangerine and melon), a drop of summer honey and soft maltiness. Subtle. Diluted, it gets more fruity and gains additional flavours (apple).
Taste: Sweet, creamy, fruity (oranges and tangerine), some sweet spiciness and a hint of peat smoke. Clean. The finish is rather short, but clean and flawless, on soft malt and with some tangerine fruitiness.
General Impression: The sherry is nicely fused with the clean, softy maltiness and fruitiness of this whisky, to give a nice finesse.
Rating: 16/20
Clynelish 1990 Sherry puncheon, Strathblair Collection 2, 46%, Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: The nose is quite impressive, on lavender, nice rubbery notes, sea breeze, grapes (red wine). It needs a few minutes for the round delicate peat smoke to come through. Diluted, the nose gets on lemongrass and freshly baked lemon pie.
Taste: Dry, spicy, peaty, strongly maritime, sweet peat smoke. Smooth and very pleasant, with some notes of wine and eucalyptus. The finish is of moderate length, sweet, round and malty.
General Impression: A surprising Clynelish, very round and smooth. Flawless and very elegant, with an excellent quality price ratio.
Rating: 16/20
Mortlach 1980, 20 YO, Strathblair collection, 40%, Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Soft, light, floral, camomile, malt, pollen and some honey.
Taste: Bitter and salty attack, then sweet maltiness and bitter smoke, with some oaky-dryness. The finish is short, quite dry and bitter, with a rubbery touch.
General Impression: The contrast between the soft malty floral note with the bitter palate is quite unexpected. Strong personality for that Mortlach.
Rating: 13/20
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Benriach 1976, 29 YO, Signatory, 54.6%, cask 9441, Price: Colour: Gold-old gold Nose: Quite close at full strength and needs time to release nice round and soft peated flavours. The nose is on sweet fruits (riped peach and mango) and a zest of kiwi. After a few minutes, the fruitness expands as well as the pleasant oakiness. Diluted, it gets more on cooked apples, pears, a hint of hay and spices, with a touch of salt. |
General Impression: A very nice Benriach, wth the fruitiness in harmony with the peat.
Rating: 17/20
Isle of Jura 1988, 15 YO, Strathblair Collection 2, 46%, Price:
Colour: Straw-gold
Nose: Very malty, grassy, sweet hay, very light peat and some light floral notes.
Taste: Salty, smoky, spicy, lightly peated, wet tobacco, malty, a bit bitter. The finish is malty, bitter-sweet, with some gentian. The finish is long and smoky.
General Impression: A pleasant whisky for the aperitif, with a nice maltiness, but quite smoky with a sweet-bitter taste.
Rating: 12/20
Bowmore 1993, 9 YO, Strathblair Collection, 44%, Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Very peaty nose, sea breeze, with a surprising fruitiness (pineapples) and a round maltiness on the background. Diluted, gets very fragrant and floral.
Taste: Very peaty, maritime, fruity (pineapples), grapes, tar and dry smoke. The finish is quite short, peaty, salty, smoky with a lot a salt liquorice and some aniseed.
General Impression: A relatively young Bowmore, peaty but with a surprising fruitiness, making it sweeter than you would expect.
Rating: 15/20
Littlemill 1965 OMC, 36 YO, 47.4%, Douglas Laing, Price:
Colour: Straw-pale gold
Nose: Soft oak, sweet fruits, pear, with some grassy flavours on the background. Coming from an old, very good oak cask. Needs some time to open. With water, the hay and grassy flavours are enhanced.
Taste: Vanilla, soft oak, grapes, slightly winey, some medium-dry grass and smoke. Complex. With some water, the taste changes completely. It then gets dry to very dry, on hay and smoke. The finish is relatively short, on bitter-earthy smoke, with some tropical fruits,
General Impression: A very good Littlemill, with a nice sweetness. The transformation after the adjunction of a few drops of water is very impressive.
Rating: 16/20
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Laphroaig 1989 Feis Ile 2007, 17 YO, OB, B:2007, 50.3%, 4000 bottles. Price: Colour: Old gold Nose: Very mellow, strong maritime influence, sea shells, hemp rope, whiffs of diesel oil and tar, slightly tannic undertones. Rich and peaty. Taste: Mellow, salty, sea shells, kelp, dry peat smoke, some lemon peel, vanilla and burnt toffee. The finish is quite long, mellow, on lemon and oranges, quite maritime, on iodine and hemp rope. General Impression: A peaty and very mellow Laphroaig, very different from the 1987 OB. |
Rating: 17/20
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Bunnahabhain 16 YO Feis Ile 2007, OB, B:1981, 54%, 190 bottles. Price: Colour: Amber Nose: Cream sherry, butter scotch and fudge, sweet sunbathed barley, some plums, heather and honey. Taste: Full bodied, intense sherry, plumps, some berries. A sherry monster with a smooth and silky texture. A pleasure in the mouth. The finish is spicy, long, on sherry, leather and sweet malt. General Impression: An excellent Bunnahabhain, with a lot of sherry influence, without rubbery notes. Give us more malts like this one! |
Rating: 18/20
Isle of Jura Dalmé-evans, 19 YO, OB, 59.9%, D: 1988, Cask1792, Price:
Colour: Amber-red
Nose: Malty, on hay, oranges, spices and vanilla. Very smooth.
Taste: Spicy, nicely rubbery, malty, some smoke and old leather. The finish was very rubbery, long, malty, on oranges and smooth.
General Impression: this malt was matured in a bourbon cask and was finished in an Oloroso Cask. It is a good example of the Isle of Jura malts, with a very smooth but very rubbery sherry influence. Of note, for the abv, the numbers of 59.98%, 52% and 60.3% were indicated on the Isle of Jura website.
Rating: 16/20
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Caol Ila 2007 at Distillery, OB, 58.4%, 2000 bottles, Price: Colour: Gold-old gold Nose: Smoked fish, dry peat, hemp rope and with some sherry sweetness. Very intense. Taste: Dry, very peaty, grilled bread, iodine, tar, kelp, smoked fish and bacon, with some lime. The finish is very long, with some bitter rubber notes, toffee, and smoked fish. Very peaty. General Impression: A very peaty Caol Ila, full of punch, with the sherry adding some complexity. |
Rating: 17/20
Bruichladdich Ghostship 1991 valinch, 16 YO, OB, 54.5%, cask 525 Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Winey, floral, bitter, soft barley and lime tree.
Taste: Spicy, tannic, woody, bitter to very bitter, dry and on toffee. The finish is of medium length, dry, woody and on lime tree.
General Impression: Have seen better whiskies. The wood is not ghostly in this valinch.
Rating: 09/20
Bruichladdich Legacy 6 (VI), 34 YO, OB, 41%, 1704 bottles Price:
Colour: Old Gold
Nose: Very smooth, thin, and dominated by pear flavours.
Taste: On vanilla, malt, and exotic fruits (mango and passion fruits), very smooth and extremely pleasant. The finish is short, light and fruity (on passion fruits) and very smooth.
General Impression: An excellent Bruichladdich, but thinner than the Bruichladdich vintage 1970 OB.
Rating: 17/20
Bruichladdich 1984 Redder Still, 23 YO, OB, 4000 bottles, 50% Price N.A.
Colour: Red
Nose: Very winey (red wine), some nice maltiness, woody and light, but very pleasant fruity notes (mango and guava).
Taste: Quite light, some spiciness and strawberries, but a whisky which is dominated by the red wine aromas. The finish is of medium length extremely winey (red Bordeaux wine).
General Impression: Finished in Château Latour Pommerol wine casks, the whisky is completely dominated by the wine and tasted more wine than whisky. The nose was very good and showed some nice fruitiness and should have been bottled “non-aced”.
Rating: 09/20
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Port Charlotte First Cut valinch, OB, 5YO, B: 2007, 61.5% 950 bottles. Price: Colour: Red gold Nose: Intense and nice peat, smoky, with some vanilla and a good roundness. Palate: Smooth, heavily peated, some nice fruitiness and floral notes, burnt sugar, coffee beans, some saw dust and a slightly winey whisky. The finish is of medium length, heavily peated, smooth, winey and on burnt sugar and coffee beans. General Impression: A very pleasant Port Charlotte, in the same league as the PC5, but more heavy-winey. |
Bruichladdich 15 YO Duke of Edinburgh, OB, B:2007, 54%, 1500 bottles, Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Very sweet, white grapes, melon, mango and some floral notes, quite juicy.
Taste: Sweet and juicy, some white wine bitterness and acidity, then comes the fruitiness (mango, melon and guyana). The finish is of medium length, dry and winey at the start, then on bitter-sweet tones with some smoke.
General Impression:
A good, sweet and fruity Bruichladdich, with a quite strong wine influence. Diluted, it gets even more winey. Very drinkable.
Rating: 16/20
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Lagavulin 1993, 14 YO, OB, B: 2007, 56.5%, Cask 4893, 708 bottles, Price: Colour: Straw Nose: Light, fresh, on cereals, light floral fragrance, peat, some diesel and hemp rope flavours. Diluted, it gets more on TCP, diesel and hemp. Taste: Light, peaty, rubbery-plastic, salty, smoky, on gentian, bitter toffee and liquorice root. Very clean and fresh. Takes some time for the peat and the tar to develop. The finish was long, light, slightly oily, malty, on liquorice root, with a long and clean peat smoke. |
Rating: 17/20
Lagavulin 21 YO, OB, B: 2007, Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Heavy peat smoke with a lot of depth, some iodine, kelp, old book flavours, with citric and fruity undertones. Complex and beautiful to nose. Diluted, gets more on lemon and toffee notes.
Taste: Smooth and slightly oily, very peaty, tarry, on toffee, fudge and dark chocolate, with some light tangerine notes. Diluted, gets more on toffee, lemon and tangerine. The finish was very long, with a never ending intense peat smoke and ashes, some tangerine. Light old rubber and cream fudge also noted.
General Impression: The 21 YO will be released by the end of the year (around October). If the quality of the final product will match this cask sample, the bottles will disappear very quickly. An excellent Lagavulin with one of the best peat smoke aromas I have ever tasted.
Rating: 19/20
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