March 2010

Cardhu 12 yo, late 1970s bottling

March 19, 2010

A rather light-bodied malt, the herbal note is really quite strange and frankly a bit off-putting for me. – Score: 73/100

Croftengea 2003/2007 Sherry Butt

March 18, 2010
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Remarkably smooth and yet very complex for a 4 yo. The unusual taste takes a while getting used to but is not unpleasant. Interestingly strange. – Score: 82/100

Cameronbridge 1978/2008 Duncan Taylor

March 17, 2010

After 29 years, the grain has lost all of its roughness and metamorphosed into a delightful and rich fruity dram. Just marvellous. – Score: 92/100

Glenmorangie Lasanta

March 16, 2010
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Very smooth and fruity, perhaps a tad on the sweet side. Enjoyable but not overly complex. – Score: 82/100

The Macallan Ice Ball Serve – Cool or Chilly?

March 16, 2010
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The Macallan officially launched their new “Ice Ball Serve” machine yesterday, a heavy brass device that can mold chunks of ice into spherical shape. It basically is a branded adaption of a Japanese invention already on the market.

Loch Dhu 10 yo

March 15, 2010
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While the nose is not too unpleasant – albeit a bit wierd – the taste pulls it down enormously. It tastes more like herbal bitter as Fernet Branca than like a whisky. To put it short: Crap. – Score: 15/100

Glenugie 1982/2008 Douglas Laing

March 14, 2010

A very nice fruity dram, creamy and rich in flavour. The amount of spice is just about right. – Score: 88/100

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

March 12, 2010
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Some prefer it over the Rollercoaster, but I think it has a certain lack of oomph that is not really made up by greater complexity or better balance. Still very good though, mind you. – Score: 86/100

No Tasting Note: Mortlach 70 yo

March 12, 2010
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Regular readers will know that I usually don’t comment on each an every new whisky bottle on the market. But with the newly released Mortlach 70yo by Gordon & MacPhail I will make an exception for three reasons.

Ardbeg Rollercoaster

March 11, 2010
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The Rollercoaster received slightly mixed reviews, but I really like it. The vatting of 10 vintages gives is an astonishing complexity. – Score: 90/100

Glencadam 1991/2006 C&S Dram Collection

March 10, 2010

Nice and well balanced, much more complex than the very pale colour suggests. – Score: 84/100

Connect to the Whisky Rating Page on Facebook

March 10, 2010

Yesterday I openend the Whisky Rating page on Facebook. In the first day only, already more than 50 people became a fan of the page. A stunning number that I wouldn’t have expected, although I had sent out some invitations to my existing Facebook friends.

Suntory Yamazaki 12 yo

March 9, 2010
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A delicately balanced mix of fruit, smoke and spice. Sophisticated but still not too complex for casual sipping. Very good. – Score: 85/100

Royal Brackla 1992/2005 Cadenhead

March 8, 2010

A straightforward but quite enjoyable bourbon cask whisky. – Score: 82/100

Mannochmore 1992/2006 Cadenhead

March 6, 2010

This is sherry gone crazy, just too much of it in my opinion. The chemical nose puts me off as well. But I am sure some will love this dram. – Score: 75/100

Ardmore 1993/2005 Douglas Laing

March 5, 2010

A bit similar to the Benriach Heavily Peated, but doesn’t quite reach it. Still a very nice peated Speysider, though. – Score: 84/100

Allt-Á-Bhainne 1995/2006 James MacArthur

March 4, 2010

A very light-bodied malt, might be suitable as an aperitive but has not much to offer overall. Needs much water to overcome the sharpness of the spirit. – Score: 72/100

Longrow 10yo 100 Proof

March 3, 2010
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Most enjoyable and suprisingly little peat. In a blind test I might have guessed “Cask strength Hazelburn” because is has that typical spicy orange profile. – Score: 88/100

New Poll: Your Opinion on Blended Scotch

March 3, 2010

I would be very interested in your position on blends. Do you avoid them like the devil avoids holy water? Or do you actually like blended whisky?

Poll Results: Your Favourite Place to Buy Whisky

March 3, 2010

The 14 votes cast are not really good to do any statistics, but still they show a trend:

1. Online shop: 7 votes
2. Specialist whisky retailer offline: 3 votes
3. Wine/spirits retailer offline: 3 votes
4. Online auctions: 1 vote

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