The best tastings often occur when you don't plan them :) dropped in on my friend's apartment only for an hour, 4 hours spent instead but it was just great...
Glenglassaugh 30 yo bottled 2015 44.8% - if I'm not mistaken, Glenglassaugh is the only active distillery that has been silent for more than a half of its lifetime. Founded in 1873 it was silent in 1908 - 1931, then in 1936 - 1960, in 1986 it was stopped again and started working after it was bought in 2008 by Scaent Group who managed to obtain stocks of mature Glenglassaugh whisky from Edrington. That's how they were able to launch 21 yo, 30 yo and 40 yo releases.
But let's talk about the whisky itself. The nose is a brilliant mixture of delicate sherry notes, old wood and tobacco leaves. Some fresh wet grass also. Mouth is peppery, oily and fruity. Lots of spices there. Finish is a bit weaker than mouth, though if you find your food pairing it will also be brilliant. I liked GG 30 combined with brie. At this price (below EUR 300) it's highly recommended malt. Tell Santa you were a good boy :)
Score: 23.5 22.5 22 23, 91/100!
Braes of Glenlivet 22 yo 1994/2016 Maltbarn 51.7% - tasted this one already on Whisky Dram 2016, but repetition is the mother of learning. Distillery is now owned by Chivas Brothers and can boast of being the highest in Scotland - 355 m above sea level. Braes of Glenlivet has never been released as a distillery single malt, even independent bottlings are quite rare.
The nose is both bitter and sweet, lovely grass and sagebrush notes, vanilla and lemon pie. Mouth is dense, grassy and creamy. Oak influence is also there. Finish is long and spicy. I love this style. Reminds me of Littlemill 21 yo, quite similar mixture of sweetness, bitterness and creaminess.
Score = 23 23 22 22, 90/100!
Fettercairn 35 yo Ukrainian Whisky Connoisseurs Club's Choice 53.5% - single cask bottling for local Whisky Club. It was really a pleasant discovery on Whisky Dram. Time for retasting has come :)
The first thing to impress me was its mellowness. The strength is actually a bit higher than in Braes but I wouldn't believe it's higher than 46% if I didn't have the bottle in front of me. Really smooth.
Nose: herbs, honey, tropical fruits, black currants, waxiness, sweetness, exotic oils. I want this nose to last forever...
Taste: really big mouth feel, wax, spices, old oak.
Finish: long and a bit astringent, you might find there ambergris, Buddhistic temple and delicious currant bitterness.
Overall: truly great malt, willing to add 0.5 points to the finish, let it be 23.5 with general score of 94.5/100. Which is very personal of course :)
Score = 24 23 23.5 24, 94.5/100!
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