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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

The Trojan 25 yo 1990/2016 Exile Casks

April 1, 2016
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Wood spices dominate but the fruit is always present. This whisky benefits from some water and needs a little time to open up. – Rating: 85/100

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

Amrut Spectrum

February 17, 2016

This maturation experiment was successful. The whisky is densely flavoured and very robust while still being elegant. – 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

Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary

January 9, 2016
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A very well composed blended malt with a delicate balance of aromas. It is a very elegant whisky with many interesting flavours. – Rating: 87/100

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

Mortlach 15 yo Gordon & MacPhail

December 2, 2015
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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

Singleton of Glen Ord “Signature”

November 16, 2015

This would be a very nice daily dram if the palate did not feel so watery. The profile is a bit middle-of-the-road but not unpleasant. – Rating: 79/100

Balmenach 26 yo 1988/2015 Signatory for TWE

November 3, 2015
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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

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

Glenlivet 33 yo 1981/2015 Signatory for TWE

October 16, 2015
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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

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

Clynelish 18 yo 1996/2015 Signatory for TWE

August 29, 2015
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Even though this is a refill cask the sherry influence is still quite strong. It’s a solid whisky but does not show very much of the Clynelish distillery character. – Rating: 85/100

Millstone Rye Whisky 2007/2014 for Usquebaugh Society

August 12, 2015

Mind you, this is a good tasting whisky, but am not sure if it was the right decison to put it into the cask at 46% ABV. There is almost no reserve for adding water, and overall it is too mild for what I expect of a rye. It feels more like a bourbon at the lower end of the “high rye” spectrum. – Rating: 83/100

Glen Garioch 1990/2015 Usquebaugh Society

August 9, 2015

A richly flavoured Glen Garioch that is very typical of older expressions of this distillery. It is quite spicy but not overwhelmingly so. – Rating: 87/100

Hibiki Japanese Harmony

July 23, 2015
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Grainy sweetness dominates this blend. The fruity and floral notes are in balance but the spiciness feels very youthful. The nose is much better than the palate. – Rating: 79/100

Springbank 12 yo Green

May 21, 2015
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The lack of sherry influence makes this a slightly unusual Springbank but the pedigree always is clear. It does feel as if something is missing though. – Rating: 83/100

Tomatin Cask Strength

May 19, 2015
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This is quite a bit on the spicy side, and the wood spices fight a little with the creamy fruitiness of the base whisky for dominance here. Not bad overall but the balance could be better. – Rating: 84/100

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