peaty

Ardbeg Dark Cove General Edition

June 1, 2016
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The nose is exactly as I remember it from the Committee Edition, but on the palate it seems to be fruitier. I do like this version more in spite of the lower strength. – Rating: 87/100

Bowmore 1997/2015 Wemyss “Shellfish Platter”

May 16, 2016
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A typical midle-aged Bowmore of solid quality. This was bottled just in time before the wood influence became too powerful. – Rating: 86/100

Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Edition

March 15, 2016
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This has been dubbed “darkest Ardbeg ever”, but it’s not even as dark as my Uigeadail. Wood spices dominate, and there is a mild fruitiness. A solid release, but it can not beat good batches of Uigeadail. – Rating: 85/100

Elements of Islay “Peat”

February 23, 2016
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Young peat monsters have been very popular for a while, and this is a very solid contender. – Rating: 87/100

Octomore 7.4 7 yo Virgin Oak

February 5, 2016
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The virgin oak has left a massive imprint on the spirit, so despite the many wonderful flavours present in this whisky the tannic bitterness is a bit much for my taste. – Rating: 84/100

Elements of Islay Pl3

January 4, 2016
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Yet again this not so secret Islay distillery delivers a powerful and spicy whisky. This thick, almost oily elixir can be savoured by the drop. – Rating: 89/100

Port Askaig 100 Proof

December 22, 2015
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A solid young peat monster for those who like this type of whisky. It is pleasant enough without having remarkable properties. – Rating: 86/100

Port Askaig 16 yo

November 24, 2015
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The nose of this is very intriguing but the palate does not quite live up to the promise. The sweetness is overwhelming and despite the solid ABV the mouthfeel is a bit watery. – Rating: 82/100

Caol Ila 31 yo 1983/2015 Signatory for TWE

November 11, 2015
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There is hardly any peatiness left in this old Caol Ila, it all has transformed into fruity aromas. The cask was a bit too generous to the angels, though. – Rating: 85/100

Octomore 7.3 Islay Barley 5 yo

October 19, 2015
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The very high peating level is obvious on nose on palate but there is also the nice fruitiness that is typical for Bruichladdich. You can taste its youth but it works well. – Rating: 86/100

Ardbeg Supernova 2015

September 14, 2015
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Surprisingly fruity and civilised despite the 100 ppm phenol level of the malted barley. This does not feel like a peat monster at all, the fruitiness almost makes you forget the peat. – Rating: 87/100

Laphroaig 16 yo 1998/2015 Signatory for TWE

September 2, 2015
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Sherry cask Laphroaigs are hard to come by, and this reflects in the price. This is an excellent example that has a stronger peat punch than you would expect. – Rating: 90/100

Elements of Islay Lp6

August 5, 2015
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This is a bit fruitier then the official Cask Strength bottling but it still focuses on the strong medicinal distillery character. The website says “moreish”, and I agree. – Rating: 87/100

Elements of Islay Bw5

August 3, 2015
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Tropical fruits galore are the backbone of this whisky, the peat is only in the background. This is excellent, if only the bottles were bigger… – Rating: 88/100

Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength Batch 007

June 5, 2015
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After my recent disappointment with the current regular 10 yo I am happy to report that Laphroaig is back to old (cask) strength here. It may not be the most complex of batches, but it perfectly captures what has gone missing in so many recent bottlings of this distillery – Rating: 88/100

Ardbeg Perpetuum

May 18, 2015
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This is probably the most typically “Ardbeg” of the recent special releases, very straightforward in a way, but noticeably sweeter than for example the 10 year old. – Rating: 87/100

Laphroaig Highgrove 1999/2013 Cask 5162

May 16, 2015

Quite an exceptional cask that has an amazing fruitiness already at a relatively young age, but the typical Laphroaig DNA is always present. – Rating: 91/100

Port Ellen 1982/2013 Malts of Scotland

May 10, 2015

While the nose is fantastic and incredibly complex, the wood has already begun to take over the palate. It still is a very good whisky but not quite good enough to break the 90 point barrier. – Rating: 89/100

Bowmore 1995/2014 Wemyss “The Rockpool”

May 6, 2015
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One of the best non-classic Bowmores I have tasted. It is very rich and thick and benefits from a bit of water. – Rating: 89/100

Talisker Skye

April 27, 2015
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The nose of this is really nice but palate and finish can not keep the promise. I had trouble to recognize this as a Talisker. – Rating: 82/100

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