Last tasting in 2016 was including the best malts we've met during this year. And also some new expressions bottled exclusively for UWCC and Whisky Corner.
Mortlach 19 yo 1997/2017 bottled for UWCC 55.1% - special bottling for Ukrainian Whisky Connoisseurs Club, it should be mentioned that half of the initial spirit matured in bourbon cask was left for additional maturation in sherry cask and the next year we'll be able to compare both of them. Nose: meaty and tad sulphury. Hints of coffee and grapes. Is it really bourbon cask?! Taste: dense, powerful and spicy. Very clean. Finish: long, spicy and sharp, umami layer after 15 seconds. Mortlach fans should definitely try it. Score = 22 21 22 21, 86/100!
Tamdhu 25 yo 43% - Speyside oldie bottled in 2006. Nose: very gentle, sweet dried fruits, nuts, plums, tobacco leaves and chocolate. Taste: lemonade :) nice but lacking some power. Finish: a bit short and weak I dare to say, though please note that Tamdhu was the only 43% malt today and it was really tough competition for it. Score = 23 21 20 21, 85/100!
Glendronach 2004/2016 hand-filled cask #5520 58.3% - quite unique bottle hand-filled from the cask at the distillery. Nose: young sherry monster, sherry and nuts rule this ball :) Taste: lots of currants and other ripe red and black berries. Finish: long and powerful. Certainly a must for sherry cask afficionados. Score = 22 23 21 22, 88/100!
Linkwood 24 yo 1989/2014 Cadenhead Claret Wine cask finish 52.8% - Linkwood and wine, will they suit together?.. Nose: had to warm and sniff it out, aroma is not so furious as in previous sample. Nevertheless it's fruity and creamy with hints of red fruits (claret cask influence?..). Typical varnish is absent. Taste: much more powerful than the nose, nicely chiselled. Finish: long and assertive, salted butter. Score = 21 21 22 21, 85/100!
Bunnahabhain 32 yo 1978/2011 Murray McDavid Mission 52.3% - oh these nice old days, when you were able to buy 30+ yo Bunna for EUR 200... This one has been matured both in port and sherry casks which should bring intrigue. Nose: sweet with sherry and tobacco notes. Nuts, fruit pie, gentle smoke, old oak and some vegetables after a while. Taste: spicy and winy, here you get more port influence. Finish: fresh on mint and spices with a teaspoon of smoke. Adore Bunnas for this gentle smokiness! Score = 22 22 23 23, 90/100!
Glenfiddich 33 yo 1973/2006 Vintage reserve cask #9875 46.5% - New year surpise from one of club members. Being bottled in 2006 it's vanishingly rare and utterly expensive Glenfiddich. Nose: noble and well-bred. Precious wood, sun-dried pears, eastern spices. Taste: floral and fruity. Finish: quite long bringing new and new layers of spices, precious wood and cigar box. I'd prefer to have it solo some evening, this baby needs attention and time. Score = 22 21 23 23, 89/100! Most likely I would have gone for more if tasted separately.
Highland Park 26 yo 1989/2016 Adelphi cask 3006 47.2% - sometimes these bourbon cask matured independendent HP bottlings can be very good. Nose: creamy and grassy, lots of flowers, blooming meadow after rain but it's still not too hot. Taste: gentle, grassy, maybe a very distant hint of smoke. Finish: spicy, heathery, green leaves of currants (love this!), umami layer, just gorgeous. Beautiful Highland park, absence of typical sherry influence made it delightfully delicate. Score = 23 22 23 23, 91/100!
Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival 2015 55.4% - matured both in American and European oak casks. Since 2015 they stopped indicating distillation year on Islay Jazz bottles, rumoured blend of 12 yo bourbon casks and 18 yo sherry casks sounds plausible. Nose: bacon, sea, seaweed and different sea eatable stuff served with salt, lemon and pepper. Taste: sweet, salty and peppery at the same time. I don't know how they do it. Finish: long and salty. Score = 23 23 22 23, 91/100!
Fettercairn 35 yo vintage 1978 bottled for UWCC 53.5% - already tasted it here, here and here. Great thing about this malt is discovering new and new notes on every tasting. This time it was pink grapefruit and peach in the nose. Fears of Lagavulin domination remained greatly exaggerated :) Tonight score = 24 23 24 24, 95/100! Need to retaste it with some heavy-weight champion...
Conclusions: great New Year tasting, nice surprise bottle from one of the members, final personal ranking as follows:
1. Fettercairn 35 yo
2. Lagavulin 2015 Islay Jazz
3. Highland Park 26 yo Adelphi
4. Bunnahabhain 32 yo Murray McDavid
5. Glenfiddich 1973 Vintage reserve cask
Tamdhu 25 yo 43% - Speyside oldie bottled in 2006. Nose: very gentle, sweet dried fruits, nuts, plums, tobacco leaves and chocolate. Taste: lemonade :) nice but lacking some power. Finish: a bit short and weak I dare to say, though please note that Tamdhu was the only 43% malt today and it was really tough competition for it. Score = 23 21 20 21, 85/100!
Glendronach 2004/2016 hand-filled cask #5520 58.3% - quite unique bottle hand-filled from the cask at the distillery. Nose: young sherry monster, sherry and nuts rule this ball :) Taste: lots of currants and other ripe red and black berries. Finish: long and powerful. Certainly a must for sherry cask afficionados. Score = 22 23 21 22, 88/100!
Linkwood 24 yo 1989/2014 Cadenhead Claret Wine cask finish 52.8% - Linkwood and wine, will they suit together?.. Nose: had to warm and sniff it out, aroma is not so furious as in previous sample. Nevertheless it's fruity and creamy with hints of red fruits (claret cask influence?..). Typical varnish is absent. Taste: much more powerful than the nose, nicely chiselled. Finish: long and assertive, salted butter. Score = 21 21 22 21, 85/100!
Bunnahabhain 32 yo 1978/2011 Murray McDavid Mission 52.3% - oh these nice old days, when you were able to buy 30+ yo Bunna for EUR 200... This one has been matured both in port and sherry casks which should bring intrigue. Nose: sweet with sherry and tobacco notes. Nuts, fruit pie, gentle smoke, old oak and some vegetables after a while. Taste: spicy and winy, here you get more port influence. Finish: fresh on mint and spices with a teaspoon of smoke. Adore Bunnas for this gentle smokiness! Score = 22 22 23 23, 90/100!
Highland Park 26 yo 1989/2016 Adelphi cask 3006 47.2% - sometimes these bourbon cask matured independendent HP bottlings can be very good. Nose: creamy and grassy, lots of flowers, blooming meadow after rain but it's still not too hot. Taste: gentle, grassy, maybe a very distant hint of smoke. Finish: spicy, heathery, green leaves of currants (love this!), umami layer, just gorgeous. Beautiful Highland park, absence of typical sherry influence made it delightfully delicate. Score = 23 22 23 23, 91/100!
Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival 2015 55.4% - matured both in American and European oak casks. Since 2015 they stopped indicating distillation year on Islay Jazz bottles, rumoured blend of 12 yo bourbon casks and 18 yo sherry casks sounds plausible. Nose: bacon, sea, seaweed and different sea eatable stuff served with salt, lemon and pepper. Taste: sweet, salty and peppery at the same time. I don't know how they do it. Finish: long and salty. Score = 23 23 22 23, 91/100!
Fettercairn 35 yo vintage 1978 bottled for UWCC 53.5% - already tasted it here, here and here. Great thing about this malt is discovering new and new notes on every tasting. This time it was pink grapefruit and peach in the nose. Fears of Lagavulin domination remained greatly exaggerated :) Tonight score = 24 23 24 24, 95/100! Need to retaste it with some heavy-weight champion...
Conclusions: great New Year tasting, nice surprise bottle from one of the members, final personal ranking as follows:
1. Fettercairn 35 yo
2. Lagavulin 2015 Islay Jazz
3. Highland Park 26 yo Adelphi
4. Bunnahabhain 32 yo Murray McDavid
5. Glenfiddich 1973 Vintage reserve cask
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