Speyside

Aberlour 16 yo Cask 4738 for TWE

May 12, 2016
Thumbnail image for Aberlour 16 yo Cask 4738 for TWE

This is quite dry when enjoyed neat, but with a splash of water the full gamut of sherry flavours begins to resonate. Excellent. – Rating: 89/100

Glenfarclas 2000/2013 Cask Strength Premium Edition

April 18, 2016
Thumbnail image for Glenfarclas 2000/2013 Cask Strength Premium Edition

Nice nose, weak palate and finish. As it happens all too often. – Rating: 81/100

Kininvie 17 And 23 Compared

April 10, 2016
Thumbnail image for Kininvie 17 And 23 Compared

This weekend I had the opportunity to taste the Kininvie single malt for the first time. Together with my two whisky friends Klaus and Keith we tasted the 17 yo and the 23 yo bottlings.

Mortlach 18 yo

March 13, 2016
Thumbnail image for Mortlach 18 yo

Even though the nose is rather timid to open up, it is still the best aspect of this whisky. The palate lacks flavour and the finish lacks length. – Rating: 81/100

Ardmore 22 yo 1993/2015 G&M for Whisky-Online

February 11, 2016
Thumbnail image for Ardmore 22 yo 1993/2015 G&M for Whisky-Online

The herbal peatiness makes for quite an unusual whisky style with the wood remaining very much in the background. It tastes quite odd on the first sip but it grows on you and greatly benefits from a splash of water. – Rating: 86/100

Glen Grant 60 yo 1950/2010 Gordon & MacPhail

January 17, 2016
Thumbnail image for Glen Grant 60 yo 1950/2010 Gordon & MacPhail

The nose is simply wonderful, but on the palate the wood dominates just a bit too much, also the 40% ABV results in rather watery mouthfeel. – Rating: 86/100

Glenfarclas Springs

December 28, 2015
Thumbnail image for Glenfarclas Springs

Defenders of the No Age Statement concept say “It’s not about age, it’s about maturity”. They are right. But there is no maturity in this whisky. I can not remember tasting a weaker Glenfarclas. – Rating: 73/100

Mortlach 15 yo Gordon & MacPhail

December 2, 2015
Thumbnail image for Mortlach 15 yo Gordon & MacPhail

This long time semi-official bottling of Mortlach has the typical meatiness that has gone lost a bit in the new Diageo series. It’s not the most complex of drams but a very solid benchmark for this distillery – Rating: 86/100

Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve

November 30, 2015
Thumbnail image for Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve

The nose is actually quite nice but the palate is a disappointment. While the generic flavours of this whisky will not offend anyone, its lack of maturity makes it difficult to like. – Rating: 69/100

Glen Grant 65 yo 1950/2015 G&M For Wealth Solutions

November 6, 2015

There is remarkably little wood influence for a whisky of this age. After some time to open up, there are a lot of fruity flavours to discover, the overall character is very delicate and refined. – Rating: 90/100

Balmenach 26 yo 1988/2015 Signatory for TWE

November 3, 2015
Thumbnail image for Balmenach 26 yo 1988/2015 Signatory for TWE

You don’t find Balmenachs very often which is a bit of a shame. This is a very fine expression with a deliciously waxy mouthfeel. – Rating: 86/100

Glenlivet 33 yo 1981/2015 Signatory for TWE

October 16, 2015
Thumbnail image for Glenlivet 33 yo 1981/2015 Signatory for TWE

There is only a mild sherry influence which allows the distillery character to shine through. Despite being slightly tannic on the palate, it is a very fine and well-balanced expression. – Rating: 87/100

Cardhu 21 yo

September 23, 2015
Thumbnail image for Cardhu 21 yo

Quite a pleasant dram with nice fruity flavours, but from an older whisky at this price (£175) I expect a little more. – Rating: 83/100

Glenlivet 33 yo 1981/2015 Signatory for TWE

July 25, 2015
Thumbnail image for Glenlivet 33 yo 1981/2015 Signatory for TWE

The pleasantly fruity sherry aromas have a hard time fighting a multitude of wood spices. A whisky for oak lovers. – Rating: 83/100

Tamdhu 25 yo 1984/2010 Whisky Doris

May 26, 2015

A very good Tamdhu, creamy and fruity with just the perfect dose of wood spice. The mid-twenties are the sweet spot of this disillery, in my opinion. – Rating: 87/100

Cragganmore 12 – Old And New Head To Head

May 9, 2015
Thumbnail image for Cragganmore 12 – Old And New Head To Head

At the Limburg Whisky Fair I had the opportunity to buy a sample of an old Gragganmore 12 Italian import bottle, probably from the 1970s. Let’s compare it to the current expression in a head to head tasting:

Glenfarclas Heritage

May 1, 2015

Yes, everything in this cheap whisky is “light”, “slight”, “vague” and “indifferent”. It is flawless but also featureless. Skip, unless you want to try to convert a vodka drinker to whisky. – Rating: 75/100

Benromach 10 yo 100 Proof

April 28, 2015
Thumbnail image for Benromach 10 yo 100 Proof

Everything is very well put together in this whisky. It is round and strong but still delicate with perfect balance of all elements. This is Scotch whisky as it should be. – Rating: 87/100

Benrinnes 2001/2014 Wemyss “Rhubarb Royale”

April 22, 2015
Thumbnail image for Benrinnes 2001/2014 Wemyss “Rhubarb Royale”

A very nice fruity dram, surprisingly light for what you would expect from Benrinnes but richly flavoured anyway. – Rating: 86/100

Glen Spey 1996/2009 Manager’s Choice

April 10, 2015
Thumbnail image for Glen Spey 1996/2009 Manager’s Choice

The good news: It is the best Glen Spey I have ever tasted. The bad news: It is not more than a generic nice refill bourbon whisky and at £200 it is no wonder that it is still on the shelves after 5 years. – Rating: 83/100

← Previous Entries