Whisky-news.com Tasting Notes

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10Mar 2008

Bowmore 7 YO Feis Ile 2007, OB, 57.1%, Price:
Colour: Red
Nose: Clean, rich, malty, salty, spicy, high grade rubber, nice, soft and clean peat, and smoke fish. The nose is very pleasantly balanced.
Taste: Salty to very salty, peaty, smoky, on strong rucola aromas, clean rubber with a transient aroma of burnt sugar and rubber, and dry and smoked fish. The finish is quite long, clean, round and malty, on peat smoke, toffee and strong rucola aromas.
General Impression: A clean and very nice Bowmore, with the peat merging nicely with the sherry influence. A nice catch!
Rating: 17/20

08Mar 2008

Glen Ord 30 YO, OB, 58.7%, B: 2005, 6000 b. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Light, fresh, floral, fragrant, on geranium and with a slight smokiness.
Taste: Spicy, oaky, citric, bitter, slightly soapy, fresh, and malty, on toffee and butterscotch. The finish is medium, creamy, slightly smoky, malty, on cereals and toffee. Diluted, it becomes smoother and more oaky, without being tannic.
General Impression: A good and clean whisky, but not striking. The finish is pleasantly smooth.
Rating: 13/20

06Mar 2008

Bowmore 18 YO, OB, B: 2007, 43%. Price:

Colour: Gold- old gold
Nose: Intense sea influence, quite strong sherry notes, a bit spirity, with some round peat smoke.
Taste: Thin, peaty, on pineapple, some mango and a touch of bitter toffee. The finish was rather short, thin, clean, on sherry and toffee.
General Impression: The whisky started on a very nice, but falls apart when you start to swallow it. It is very clean, but too thin to my taste. Would benefit from some extra strength.
Rating: 12/20

03Mar 2008

Bowmore 1988 (3.118), 15 YO, SMWS, B: 2005, 55.6%, 299 b. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Yeasty, peaty, meaty, quite dry, fresh, maritime and slightly floral. Diluted, it becomes tarry, gristy and the peat even drier. Seems very young and immature.
Taste: Malty, spicy, on dry bread and peat, smoked venison, sausages, partially cooked pasta and some citric note. The finish is of medium length, dry, very bitter (cachous candies), peaty, and on very bitter gentian and partially cooked pastas.
General Impression: I tasted this whisky without knowing its age and I thought it was a 7-8 years whisky, rough, peaty and immature. The finish is unpleasantly bitter and this cask was all but flawless.
Rating: 08/20

01Mar 2008

Bowmore 25 YO Ceramic decanter "sea gulls", OB, 43% . Price:
Colour: Gold- old gold
Nose: Sweet peat smoke, exotic fruits, some pollen and honey, lime tree aromas and some saltiness.
Taste: Juicy malt, slightly peaty, on exotic fruits, candied fruits, some tobacco smoke, toffee (carambar) and grilled sausages (“cervelas”). The finish is of medium length, smooth, smoky, on nice and round peat smoke and juicy malt.
General Impression: A very smooth Bowmore, lacking some punch. A bit weak.
Rating: 14/20

27Feb 2008

Bowmore 1982 sherry, 23 YO, Signatory, 50.7%, cask 91605, 308 b. Price:
Colour: Old gold-Amber
Nose: Soft peat, some honey, floral (heather, lavender) and a touch of apricots.
Taste: Sweet, salty, soapy, spicy, rubbery, with some oranges and on cardboard. The finish is medium, peaty, on round sherry and rubber, with some fruitiness (apricots and peach).
General Impression: A quite special Bowmore, unbalanced, rubbery and soapy.
Rating: 12/20

25Feb 2008

Bowmore 15 YO Darkest, OB, B: 2007, 43%. Price:
Colour: Dark amber
Nose: Round, smooth, on sherry, round peat, seaweed, pears, plums and vanilla.
Taste: Smooth, malty, peaty, and very round, clean, on iodine, toffee and fudge. Diluted, it becomes more peaty and very salty. The finish is round, long, creamy, on fudge, peat smoke, and exotic fruits (pineapples).
General Impression: A good whisky, nice nose and finish, but the body is a bit thin. The Bowmore Darkest bottled since 2007 is now matured for 3 years in Oloroso casks.
Rating: 14/20

24Feb 2008

Laphroaig 1988 Rum Finish OMC, 19 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2007, Ref 3804, 324 b. Price:
Colour: Pale yellow.
Nose: Lots of seaweed and maritime influence, tarry, sweet and smooth, on peat smoke, then it becomes more mineral, on cold ashes and medicinal flavours.
Taste: Dry, peaty, salty, sugary, smoky, tarry, maritime and some pineapple. The finish is short, peaty, sugary, on seaweed and salted liquorice.
General Impression: A sweet and sugary Laphroaig, less peated than usual. Not bad, but rather too “docile” for me.
Rating: 13/20

20Feb 2008

Linlithgow (St-Magdalene) 1982, 25 YO, Murray McDavid, 49.1%, B: 2007, 1000 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Fresh, light, soft, grassy, very floral, on sweet apple and pear.
Taste: Very sweet and fruity, malty, on pear, apple, orange and honey, with a nice oakyness. The finish is medium, malty, with a hint of smoke and toffee, on soft and sweet fruits, with some mint tea.
General Impression: An excellent Lowlander, with a nice and sweet oakiness, while still being fresh and light.
Rating: 17/20

18Feb 2008

Glen Garioch 1967, 32 YO, The Bottlers, B: 1999, 56.1%, cask 644. Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Waxy, mineral, clean peat smoke and malt, fruity (orange and tangerine), floral (heather) and on honey. Diluted, it becomes fruitier on citrus fruits.
Taste: Peaty, mineral, smoky, slightly salty, on juicy malt, orange, orange skin, tangerine, toffee and forest honey. The finish is long to very long, clean, peaty, mineral, juicy, waxy, on orange, bitter lemon and some light toffee notes.
General Impression: The Glen Garioch distilled before the end of the 1970s were more peated than the current version. This is one is quite heavily peated, with waxy and fruity notes, reminding one of some old Clynelishes. I really enjoyed this one!
Rating: 19/20

14 Feb 2008

Ardmore 1980, 18 YO, James McArthur, 51.4%, B: 1998, Cask 3005 Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Heavily peated, clean, on cold ashes and smoke, light fruity notes (pears). With time, it becomes more floral.
Taste: Peaty, smoky, meaty, fruity (peach and pear), on bitter-toffee, liquorice, and burnt sugar. The finish is of medium length, clean, peaty, tarry, and on liquorice.
General Impression: A heavily peated Ardmore, clean, mineral and nicely complex. I enjoyed it very much and was very close to be scored better.
Rating: 17/20

11 Feb 2008

Mortlach 1990, 16 YO, MacKillops, 46% Price:
Colour: Old gold-amber
Nose: On round peat, burnt sugar, sweet malt, rubber and smoke. Intense and rich.
Taste: Spicy, malty, rubbery, on orange flavours, pollen, and burnt sugar. The finish is long, quite rubbery and matches the taste.
General Impression: A very good Mortlach, full of life.
Rating: 16/20

07 Feb 2008

Mortlach 1968 Private Collection, Gordon & MacPhail, 45%, Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Heavily sherried, deep, rich, complex, on plums, toffee, grapes, berries, with some vegetal condiment (Maggi) and floral notes. The nose is superb.
Taste: Thick, quite bitter, salty, resinous, rubbery, on sherry, orange, tangerine, and burnt sugar. The finish is extremely bitter, rubbery, dry, tannic, on sherry, and bitter toffee.
General Impression: The nose is superb, but then it gets far to bitter and tannic for me. Thank you Alain M.
Rating: 13/20

04 Feb 2008

Mortlach 1989, 15 YO, Dun Eideann, 43%. Price:
Colour: Pale yellow
Nose: Yeasty, grassy, malty, on drying flowers, muesli, with some hay and apples.
Taste: Dry, slightly smoky and floral, malty, on muesli, cream fudge and a good dose of vanilla. The finish is short, clean, malty, slightly bitter and winey.
General Impression: Fresh, young and malty.
Rating: 10/20

01 Feb 2008

Lochside 1966, 40 YO, Signatory, 54.4%, cask 9536, 213 bottles. Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Starts on sweet fruits and some old round peat smoke, minerals and some cold ashes.
Taste: Spicy, salty, smoky, sweet-sugary, bold, with some round peat, on candied orange, delights, pineapple, honey and other sweet-sugary fruits. The finish is medium, bold, smoky, on round peat smoke, honey, delights and some candied fruits.
General Impression: A nice sweet and honeyed whisky, very pleasant but not very complex, and heavier than most Lochside.
Rating: 16/20

30 Jan 2008

Bruichladdich 1964 Cask Strength, 28 YO, Gordon & MacPhail, B. 1993, 50.6%, casks 3670-2. Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Round peat smoke, ripe fruits (guava and mango), some resinous and beewax flavours and with a sea breeze influence. Smooth. Diluted, it becomes fruitier.
Taste: Spicy (ginger), salty, round peat, smoky, on oranges, old polished and sandal wood, with some tarry notes. The finish is quite long, smoky, smooth, oily, on round peat, tropical fruits (mango, papaya and some melon) as well as orange.
General Impression: This is an excellent old Bruichladdich and it suggests that the Bruichladdich whiskies were more peated during the 1960s than now and this whisky reminds of the whiskies produced in the distillery on the other side of the Loch Indaal during that period.
Rating: 18/20

27 Jan 2008

Auchentoshan 1991 16 YO Limited Edition, OB, 53.7%, B:2007 Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Spirity, light, rough, grassy, on dry flowers and vanilla. Diluted, it becomes smoother, rounder, on vanilla and liquid soap with lemon flavours.
Taste: Citric, salty, bitter, buttery, on dry cereal biscuits, nuts, lemon, chocolate and cardboard. Quite rough. The influence of first-fill bourbon is pronouced. Diluted, it becomes more on unripe pears. The finish is short, malty, rough, dry, on toffee and roasted nuts.
General Impression: A quite special Auchentoshan, rather woody.
Rating: 10/20

25 Jan 2008

Auchentoshan 21 YO, OB, 43%, B: 2007 Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Malty, fruity (pear and peach), soft, fresh and floral, on hay and lemon. Diluted, the lemon flavours are more intense.
Taste: Soft, creamy, on bitter toffee and hay. The finish is short, malty, on bitter toffee, roasted coffee beans and a zest of lemon.
General Impression: A good Lowlander, soft and round.
Rating: 11/20

23 Jan 2008

Limited Edition Single Highland Malt (Glenfarclas) 1965, 40 YO, Scott’s selection, 48.5%, B: 2005, Price:
Colour: Old gold- amber
Nose: Floral, on very nice round sherry notes, old leather, beeswax, heather, orange, tangerine, and home made fudge. Very nice and flawless.
Taste: Slightly woody, floral, spicy (herbs and pepper), slightly salty, on toffee, orange, and tangerine. Very smooth. The finish is velvety, oily-creamy, on orange, tangerine, and fudge.
General Impression: An excellent Single Highland Malt (Glenfarclas), smooth and complex.
Rating: 17/20

21 Jan 2008

Glenfarclas 1994 Family cask, OB, 59.6%, B: 2007. Cask 2935. Price:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Spicy (powdered spices), lots of plumps, on honey, blood orange, wood furniture and some berries. Slightly rubbery-sulphury and quite floral. Complex.
Taste: Malty, juicy, smooth, spicy (salt and pepper), slightly tannic, a bit spirity, on grapes, rubber, plums and blackcurrant. The finish is rubbery, malty, round, tannic, on old furniture, grapes and blackcurrant.

General Impression: The sherry influence is very strong, with some rubber, but this Glenfarclas is otherwise very elegant and rather complex for its age. Although the recommended retail price (RRP) for this bottle was £80, but some retailers were (are) selling it for £115!

Rating: 15/20

17 Jan 2008

Glenugie 1977, 28 YO, Signatory, 45.54%, Cask 5594. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Fresh, malty, on straw, grapefruit, flowers and some lime. Lighter and more citric than the PDA.
Taste: Malty, dry, floral, on vanilla, toffee, Turkish delights and quite fresh. Some gentian bitterness. Diluted, it becomes lighter and fresher, on freshly cut grass and some lemon. The finish is medium, light, fresh, grassy and on toffee.
General Impression: A good fresh and floral Glenugie, with some Lowlander flavours. Rating: 16/20

14 Jan 2008

BenRiach 1984 Richly Peated Port Finish, 22 YO, OB, 54.2%, B: 2007, cask 4049, 264 b. Price:
Colour: Old gold
Nose: Heavily peated, clean, on peat reek, grilled bread, with a touch of sweetness. Intense and pleasant.
Taste: Sweet, very malty, on grilled bread, peat smoke, and some grapes. Quite sweet. The finish is long, sweet, winey-peaty, and on grilled bread.
General Impression: The Port finish influence is moderate, but more pronounced in the finish. It works well with this heavily peated BenRiach, but better undiluted.

Rating: 17/20

11 Jan 2008

Bruichladdich 18 YO, OB, 46%, B: 2007 Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold
Nose: Soft, malty, with some influence of light sweet wine, raspberries and strawberries. Nice. Diluted, it becomes more floral.
Taste: Very sweet and sugary, malty, slightly spicy (curry), salty and winey, with strawberries and vanilla aromas. Diluted, it becomes unpleasantly winey. The finish is medium-long, sweet and sour, malty, on sweet wine, vanilla and toffee.
General Impression: A nice Bruichladdich, soft and sweet, with a finish (“ACE”) in pinot noir working quite well, but it could have been better if not ACEd.
Rating: 13/20

09 Jan 2008

BenRiach 12 YO, OB, 40%, B: 2006 Price:
Colour: Sraw-gold
Nose: Fresh, fruity (pineapple), some light peat smoke, grassy and floral notes. Smells like a field in May.
Taste: Fruity (pineapple and melon), smoky (tobbaco), malty, bitter and on liquorice root. The finish is of medium length, syrupy, fruity, smoky, slightly bitter and grassy, even earthy. Quite thick.
General Impression: A pleasant dram, clean, round, with some smokiness, perfect for a nice summer evening.

Rating: 13/20

07 Jan 2008

Glenugie 1977, 29 YO, La Part des Anges, 49.6%, cask 360444. Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold
Nose: Oaky, vanilla, malty, on old books and flowers, toffee, Turkish delights, and grapefruit. Complex. Diluted, it becomes smoother, dryer (straw and dry flowers), and more on molasses.
Taste: Malty, spirity, oaky, smoky (cigar box) and on lavender, with some discreet fruitiness. Diluted, it becomes smoother, on gentian and grapefruit, and remains slightly tannic. The finish is short, malty, toffee and with the scent of a cigar box.
General Impression: A good and rather smoky Glenugie.

Rating: 15/20

03 Jan 2008

Ardbeg 7 YO, JWWW, 53.3%, D: 2000, B: 2007, cask 40158, 267 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Sweet, peaty, malty, maritime, tarry, clean, rich and on disinfectant.
Taste: Very peaty, spicy, oaky, maritime, smoky, slightly mineral, on iodine and some disinfectant. Very good! The finish is medium, peaty, smoky, salty, maritime and round.
General Impression: I would not have minded a longer finish, but I won’t complain about this very good “still young” Ardbeg, full of punch.
Rating: 16/20

Ardbeg Still Young 2000, 7 YO, Single malts of Scotland, 62.2%, B: 2007. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Bland in comparison to the JWWW. It seems younger, less peaty, rounder, and less maritime, but with some dry herb/hay aromas.
Taste: Very salty, maritime, slightly soapy and quite harsh. The finish is dry, salty, maritime, peaty, rough and quite long.
General Impression: A good Ardbeg, with a pleasant finish, but it suffers from the comparison with the JWWW.
Rating: 14/20

01 Jan 2008

Clynelish 1970 OMC Sherry finish, Douglas Laing, 48.4%, B: 2001, 186 b. Price:
Colour: Colour: Gold
Nose: Peaty, mineral, maritime, clean, with some grapefruit and a whiff of sherry influence.
Taste: Salty to very salty, in seaweed, sea water, old peat, ashes and some citric influence. The finish is long and starts on dry tobacco smoke before becoming more on grapefruit, old peat smoke and some mineral influence.
General Impression: A very maritime, clean and peaty Clynelish, with the most discreet sherry influence.
Rating: 17/20

Clynelish 1971 OMC, 36 YO, Douglas Laing, 44.6%, B: 2007, Ref #3912. 191 b.,Price:
Colour: Pale yellow-straw.
Nose: A quite intense, mineral, peaty and maritime Clyenlish, more intense than other Clynelish from the Old Malt Cask serie from the same period, with a discreet but sweet fruity influence.
Taste: Nicely mineral, peaty, maritime, with some nice and sweet fruity influence, which reminds me of the old Clynelish 5 YO from the 1970s. The finish is long to very long, waxy, fruity, mineral and peaty. Diluted, it becomes smokier.
General Impression: An excellent old Clynelish, better than the other Clynelish tasted in this session.
Rating: 18/20

Clynelish 1971 OMC, 30 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2002, 272 b. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Peaty, mineral, on cigars ashes and with a lot of fruitiness (pineapple, melon and papaya), with vanilla flavours developing with time.
Taste: Quite creamy, fruity, citric, peaty, with sea tang, a quite big smokiness, grapefruit, mango and papaya. The finish is long, waxy-fruity, citric, peaty, maritime and slightly mineral.
General Impression: This Clynelish is a mix between the clean peaty and mineral Clynelish (Brora-like) and the hyperfruity Clynelish from the 1970s. This balance of flavours is not too much to my liking.
Rating: 16/20