Sherry gems of Speyside. One more summer tasting with Kiev malt band: Sergii, Valerii, Alex and Andrii. The idea was to take different sherried speysiders from small to large.
Glendronach 15 yo Revival 46% - nominated for "benchmark of a tasting" we'd compare all next samples with despite the fact it's not Speyside. Production of this 15 yo was stopped in 2015 (allegededly till 2018). Excellent complex malt with all shades of sherry in the nose (up to prunes and mushrooms!), palate is sweet and sherried with touches of wood, chocolate, coffee (you can state here 50 more tastes relating to sherry and will be right). The only thing that can be disappointing - you should pour it and drink it, after 40 min in a glass it fades away. Score = 88/100!
Longmorn 17 yo 1996/2013 van Wees the Ultimate 60.8% - you won't meet Longmorn as a single malt on every shelf, the bottler is also qute rare, 17 years in a sherry cask, almost 61%, nominated for "riddle of a tasting". The first thought - "oh my goodness, how strong it is!". Maybe we shouldn't have taken it as the 2-nd sample. Got a bit frustrated about the nose at first, though after 30 min in a glass it really opened up: aroma shifted towards coffee and leather, palate was strong and sherried with very long woody finish. The score is 88/100 after long speculation, though maybe I should taste it once more, quite a few of my comrades give it 90+.
Update 26.04.2017:
Nose: the same coffee, leather, raisins, spices, perhaps some fresh mint note and blooming oranges after some time.
Taste: dense and powerful arrival on leather, sherry, chocolate and coffee. Very big!
Finish: utterly long, tannic and salty, dry wood and chocolate, oranges and raisins with some fresh menthol note afterwards. Just great.
Overall: now I agree with those who scored it higher... "Great malt" mark, 90/100!
Score: 22 23 23 22, 90/100!
Update 26.04.2017:
Nose: the same coffee, leather, raisins, spices, perhaps some fresh mint note and blooming oranges after some time.
Taste: dense and powerful arrival on leather, sherry, chocolate and coffee. Very big!
Finish: utterly long, tannic and salty, dry wood and chocolate, oranges and raisins with some fresh menthol note afterwards. Just great.
Overall: now I agree with those who scored it higher... "Great malt" mark, 90/100!
Score: 22 23 23 22, 90/100!
Knockando 25 yo 1985/2011 Special Release 43% - let it be "hope of a tasting", I've never tasted Knockando to be impressed of. The nose is very good: swetness, demerara sugar and figs. Palate and finish are weaker. Better than regular line-up, but worse than we expected. Nevertheless it's a nice malt, 86/100!
Glenlivet 37 yo 1974/2011 GM 43% - blend of bourbon and sherry casks, the most aged malt today, nominated for "intrigue of a tasting"! Nose... the most suitable word is "well-bred", oak, honey, wet grass, berries and flowers in a very delicate mixture. Palate is nice with touches of oak, spices and orange peels, long oaky and spicy finish and excellent balance. A sort of whisky you can sip just for pleasure and also you can take it for thinking, it adjusts to your mood. You can't go wrong wit old Glenlivet. Score = 90/100!
Caperdonich 35 yo 1977/2013 Cadenhead 50.2% - nominated for "masterpiece of a tasting", complicated meaty whisky to think over. Score = 90/100!
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