January 2013

Karuizawa 1984/2012 Number One Drinks

January 5, 2013

‘Elixir’ would probably best describe this thick concoction. There is a great richness of ‘dark’ flavours, the vinegar notes are a bit too strong for a 90 rating. – Rating: 88/100

Royal Lochnagar 10 yo 2002/2012 Milroy’s

January 5, 2013

The tasting notes may read worse than the dram actually is, but the butyric and bitter aromas are not particularly pleasant. – Rating: 74/100

Why Peated Whiskies Get Higher Scores

January 4, 2013

A closer look at an interesting phenomenon.

Blackadder Peat Reek 13 yo

January 4, 2013

This whisky is aptly named. It’s all about peat here, mainly on the nose but also on the palate. The other aromas only act as ‘garnish’ but this works surprsingly well. – Rating: 86/100

Wemyss Bunnahabhain 15 yo “Driftwood”

January 4, 2013

Despite the rather strong peat the underlying flavours are rather subtle, the nose has a nice freshness. This feels a bit younger than it actually is. – Rating: 84/100

Talisker Distillers Edition 2000

January 3, 2013

The sherry remains rather in the background, only to underline the famous smoky spiciness of the Talisker spirit. Quite different from the fantastic 1999 vintage. Rating: 87/100

Aberfeldy 12 yo (revisited)

January 3, 2013

A very nice daily dram with a faint hint of what some might call ‘coastal’, overall it is quite subtle but very enjoyable. – Rating: 82/100

The Whisky Year 2012 In The Rear-View Mirror

January 2, 2013

Looking back at 2012, it was quite a turbulent year in the whisky business, particularly in the second half. Lots of things have happened, so it is worthwhile to take a break and reflect some of the major milestones.