August 2010

Whisky People #1 – Serge Valentin

August 31, 2010
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Place of Residence: Turckheim, France
Profession: Advertising agency
Whisky Involvement: Ratings, Tasting Notes, Malt Manaic

Coming up on draming.com: Whisky People

August 30, 2010
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I think it is about time to distill an idea that has been mashing and fermenting in my mind for many months now. The idea was born for a project called Whisky People. It is an open ended series of portraits of … surprise… whisky people.

Glen Moray 22 yo SMWS 35.29

August 29, 2010

A nice spicy and fruity dram which I find rather enjoyable. But that piece of tabloid level SMWS lyrics is just over the top. – Rating: 83/100

Quo Vadis Kilbeggan?

August 28, 2010
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As some of you might remember, I was absolutely delighted by the very reasonably priced Irish Kilbeggan. Now I found out that it has changed not only from the looks.

Comparing Three Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength

August 27, 2010
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I was lucky enough to secure samples of batches 001 and 002 of the new bottlings. And I happen to have an open bottle of the now obsolete 55.7% red stripe CS on my shelf. Time to pour three wee drams and hunt down the differences.

Glen Breton 10 yo Ice Wine Barrel

August 26, 2010

The unusual maturation in an ice wine barrel results in a gorgeous whisky that does not have to hide behind its cousins from Sctotland. With malts like that, this Canadian distillery can proudly bear the Glen in its name! – Rating: 86/100

Why Cheap Whisky Cannot Be Good

August 25, 2010
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Let’s take a closer look at cheap whisky. I don’t mean Jonnie Walker or Ballantine’s but the really cheap bottles you find on the bottom shelf of your local supermarket selling for single-digit prices.

Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX

August 24, 2010
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This malt is rich, creamy and fruity with a lot of flavours to explore. Although I quite like it, I miss that little extre something that is hard to grasp. – Rating: 83/100

Glengoyne 17 yo

August 23, 2010
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The taste reminds me of German Bratapfel, an oven baked apple with a filling of nuts, raisins and spices that is usually served around Christmas. Quite complex and quite enjoyable. – Rating: 84/100

Clynelish 14 yo

August 22, 2010
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Overall: This malt has a very pleasant nose. The palate is quite complex but it would be even better with a little less wood influence. – Rating: 81/100

Glenfarclas Vintage 1989/2002

August 17, 2010

A very complex and richly flavoured malt but the finish does not quite live up to other Glenfarclasses I have tried. But that’s just complaining on a very high level because it is still a very good whisky. – Rating: 86/100

Miltonduff 12 yo 1980s bottling

August 16, 2010

This is a very enjoyable vintage whisky. Rich and creamy but not overpowering, and still very fresh after all those years. – Rating: 85/100

Glendullan 12 yo Flora & Fauna

August 15, 2010
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A light bodied and quite pleasant malt. The complexity is not very obvious but it is there and you have to give the dram several minutes to open up. – Rating: 83/100

Whisky Myths Debunked #4 – Single Casks Rule

August 15, 2010
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For many afficionados, the ultimate way of enjoying their whisky is from single cask bottlings. But we have to keep in mind that no two casks are alike, even if they are from the same source and are stored next to each other in the same warehouse.

Bowmore 11 yo “Vom Fass”

August 14, 2010

At a higher botttling strength this unusual bourbon cask Bowmore could really excel. At 40% it can only be described as decent. What a pity. – Rating: 81/100

Macduff 27 yo “Vom Fass”

August 13, 2010

It is a shame that this fine whisky was watered down to 40%. It has a very intetesting character but the watery mouthfeel is just too dominant. – Rating: 83/100

Laphroaig Cairdeas Feis Ile 2010

August 11, 2010

Not as medicinal as the reular expressions in favour of a nice citrus fruitiness. The 2010 Cairdeas is a bit unusual but very enjoyable nonetheless. – Rating: 87/100

Caol Ila Cask Strength

August 10, 2010
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Even though it has no age statement, the Caol Ila CS is a significant step up in quality from the regular 12 yo. Very complex with a slight sweetness that works very well together with the peat. – Rating: 86/100

Glen Elgin 1984/2010 Bladnoch Forum

August 2, 2010

Rather similar to the 25 year TheWhiskyCask bottling, but it has given a bit too much alcohol to the angels. But this is still a quite enjoyable dram. – Rating: 82/100

Glen Elgin 1984/2009 TheWhiskyCask

August 1, 2010

Very fruity but also with a nice amount of aromatic spices. This is an excellent dram full of flavours, and it’s the perfect compainon for relaxing on a mild summer evening. – Rating: 87/100