General theme of this tasting would be sea and its influence on malts.
Before travelling to Islay we'll have Clynelish as a warm-up dram:
Clynelish 14 yo 1995/2010 The Whisky Agency 48.0% - matured in ex-bourbon hogshead.
Nose: didn't understand this one, quite flat for me. Apples, grass and wax, but everything is very quiet. Perhaps the bottle was opened too long before sampling.
Taste: much better it is, lemons, grass, touch of wax and minerals.
Finish: medium-long, spicy and grassy.
Overall: except for the lacking nose it is quite good.
Score = 20 22 21 20, 83/100!
Bowmore 13 yo 2001/2014 The Whisky Agency 50.9% - joint botlling with Three Rivers Tokyo.
Nose: fresh and sweet with notes of bakery, vanilla, seaweed and peat.
Taste: sweet and smoky with citrus layer. No ash, but hopefully I'll find it in Caol Ila :)
Finish: medium-long, spicy and peaty. Tad less convincing than the taste or nose but still good.
Overall: clean and fresh Bowmore, very nice one.
Score = 22 22 21 22, 87/100!
Caol Ila 19 yo 1992/2011 The Whisky Agency 50.5% - matured in ex-bourbon barrel.
Nose: ashes, smoke and sea. Classic.
Taste: powerful arrival on salted lemon and oily smoked fish, yeah!
Finish: long and peaty with ash, salt and citrus notes.
Overall: I do like this distillery and this style :)
Score = 22 23 22 22, 89/100!
Islay 14 yo 1994/2008 The Daily Dram 53.1% - rumoured to be Lagavulin inside.
Nose: sea air and seaweed rule the ball. Actually that's what we explore today.
Taste: oily and thick, smoky seaweed reinforced by salty lemon, we need more taste soldiers, Sir!
Finish: long one relying on seaweed and peat again.
Overall: lovely Lagavulin of the sea, by the sea and for the sea people.
Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!
Laphroaig 15 yo 1998/2013 The Whisky Agency 52.7% - refill hogshead used here.
Nose: austere and sharp, sea water and seeweed again (quite popular today, eh?) with lovely antiseptic medicinal accent (would you prefer Laphroaigacy plate instead of Pharmacy?).
Taste: huge burst of smoked kippers, seaweed and lemon decorated with liquorice, camphor and white pepper.
Finish: long, salty and peppery.
Overall: beautiful Laphroaig, even more convincing in the aftertaste than Caol Ila 19 yo, let it be + 1 point.
Score = 22 23 23 22, 90/100!
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