cask strength

North British 50 yo 1962/2012 Adelphi

May 21, 2013

While the nose of this old grain is truly delightful, it fails to fully satisfy on the palate. The sweetness is quite dominant, though the wood is kept under control. – Rating: 83/100

Glenfarclas 105 20 yo

May 19, 2013

Very rich sherry flavours carress nose and palate and give you a feeling of laid-back luxury, only the finish is not quite on par. – Rating: 88/100

Bowmore 15 yo 1996/2011 Wilson & Morgan

May 19, 2013

A wonderful combination of peat and sherry. It is dry but not too woody and feels older than it actually is. – Rating: 91/100

Glenesk 28 yo 1983/2012 Blackadder

May 13, 2013

Some very nice elements can be found here, especially on the nose, but the palate feels a bit incoherent. – Rating: 84/100

Balmenach 32 yo 1979/2012 Maltbarn

May 12, 2013

It has a nice old-style touch to it but the driness combined with the spices covers the lovely fruit aromas quite a bit. – Rating: 86/100

Glen Grant 58 yo 1953 Gordon & McPhail

May 7, 2013

After the massive nose, the palate feels rather shy and lacking the complexity you would expect from a whisky of this age. Still a very fine dram but not outstanding. – Rating: 87/100

Longrow Red 11 yo

May 7, 2013

The wine influence is bold, and you can see it in the colour. But it works surprisingly well. – Rating: 86/100

Lagavulin 12 yo Cask Strength 2011 Release

May 6, 2013

This is a bit unusual in a way that it feels rather naked compared to the standard releases. It is not particularly complex but smoothness and sippability are outstanding, even undiluted. – Rating: 88/100

Glen Moray 21 yo 1990/2012 Single Cask Collection

May 6, 2013

If you give this dram some time and a few drops of water, the initial shyness is soon forgotten. Delicate fruitiness paired with robust spice – Rating: 88/100

Clynelish 23 yo 1989/2012 The Perfect Dram

April 28, 2013

The famous Clynelish waxiness is prominently featured in this wonderful malt, a perfect dram from the Brora successor. – Rating: 91/100

Bunnahabhain 6 yo 2005/2012 Riverstown

April 28, 2013

This uncommon heavily peated Bunnahabhain is also unusually sweet, in fact a bit too sweet for my taste. – Rating: 79/100

Aberfeldy Unravel

April 27, 2013

After a rather strong initial sherry punch the aromas fade away rather quickly. It feels young and a bit unbalanced, though not unpleasant. – Rating: 78/100

Glen Scotia 20 yo 1991/2012 Wilson & Morgan

April 27, 2013

There is an unusual amount of spices in this sherried malt, the fruit is almost in the background. It is quite dry but still pleasant on the palate. – Rating: 85/100

Glendronach 40 yo 1972/2012 Cask 713

April 25, 2013

A divine combination of sherry flavours is somewhat compromised by a very dry and tannic mouthfeel. It was high time this was bottled. – Rating: 90/100