December 2011

Lochside 46 yo 1964 Single Blend TWE

December 31, 2011
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The perfect fruit bomb. Fabulous, simply fabulous. This is my favourite dram of 2011. – Rating: 94/100

Calvados Couperne VSOP

December 30, 2011

At the price of a standard blended whisky, this calvados offers a very decent value. With a rather typical and taste profile it does not have to fear its more expensive competitors. – Rating: 81/100

Banff 1975/2010 A.D. Rattray

December 28, 2011

A bit lacklustre at the beginning, some drops of water bring out a nice set of flavours. But this is not a bargain dram. – Rating: 85/100

Clynelish 28 yo 1982 Single Malts of Scotland

December 21, 2011
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Thoroughly enjoyable, both fresh and youthful as well as old and refined; this Clynelish is a very fine and typical aged expression of this distillery. – Rating: 88/100

Glen Garioch 40 yo 1971 for TWE

December 20, 2011
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A great old-fashioned dram with a surprising amount of peat smoke. Very, smooth, gentle and perfectly balanced. They don’t make them like this anymore… – Rating: 92/100

Glenrothes 1998/2009 Murray McDavid

December 19, 2011

Not quite as sweet as one would expect from a sweet wine finish, this is quite an enjoyable dram. A nice amount of spice complements the fruity flavours. – Rating: 85/100

Glenlivet 1995/2011 Signatory

December 17, 2011
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A rather rich sherry dram with already quite a bit of wood for its age. The finish could be a little longer, though. – Rating: 84/100

Bruichladdich 10 yo – The Laddie Ten

December 16, 2011
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Both nose and palate of the new Laddie flagship are so packed with flavours that it’s difficult to point out single aromas. There is a ‘coastal’ element that clearly sets it apart from the old expressions. Brilliant! – Rating: 90/100

Drinking or Investing? – Revisiting An Old Question

December 15, 2011

The age-old debate about what should be done with whisky has recently be been regurgitated once again. I feel compelled to throw in my tuppence here because I feel both views make up the two sides of a coin.

Glenlochy 1974/1987 Sestante

December 14, 2011

This is strong stuff, and the addition of water is recommended. It offers quite a lot of nice flavours but is a bit too spicy for my taste. – Rating: 82/100

Aberlour 14 yo Duncan Taylor NC2

December 13, 2011

The very fresh and enjoyable nose is countered by a rather disappointing palate. The finish is not very convincing either. Not the best casks went into this bottling. – Rating: 73/100

Bowmore 1995/2010 Whisky-Fässle

December 12, 2011

This rather typical Bowmore has only a slight sherry influence, probably from a refill cask. All flavour elements are very well balanced and make it a highly anjoyable malt. – Rating: 88/100

Rumbullion! – Spiced Rum

December 11, 2011
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This is a proper spice bomb, not immediately recognizable as rum. The makers mention just a ‘hint’ of cardamom, but for me this is the most dominant aroma. It’s actually quite enjoyable, if you expect rather a liqueur than a real rum. – Rating: 81/100

Caperdonich 1972/2011 Malts of Scotland

December 10, 2011

A very intensive Caperdonich with a rather dominant spiciness. Usually I am not a big fan of that, but here it is not disturbing – Rating: 87/100

Glengoyne 1973/2010 Malts of Scotland

December 9, 2011

Rich and creamy, sweet and fruity, and a little spicy: There is a lot to discover in this excellent old malt. – Rating: 89/100

Elements of Islay Bn1 – Bunnahabhain

December 7, 2011
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This heavily peated Bunnahabhain is quite unusual for the distillery, but it can well compete with the usual suspects. Its oily mouthfeel makes it stand out. – Rating: 86/100

Glen Scotia 1972/2010 Malts of Scotland

December 6, 2011

A very fine dram, old and richly flavoured. The price tag is quite steep, though – Rating: 86/100

Glenlivet 1977/2010 The Whisky Cask

December 4, 2011

This is a typical Glenlivet with all trademark flavour elements. The cask influence after 33 years is not disturbing, but just at the perfect level to make it a high class dram. – Rating: 90/100

Master of Malt 30 yo Speyside 4th Edition

December 3, 2011
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A very nice sherry dram indeed, offering a lot of flavours to hunt down. The bottlers could have been a bit more generous with the ABV, though. – Rating: 87/100

Elements of Islay Br2 – Bruichladdich

December 2, 2011
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A nice malt, typical for the unpeated Bruichladdich house style, perhaps a bit on the spicy side. – Rating: 84/100