The tasting took place in hospitable Double Whisky located in Poltava, Ukraine.
Actually we had 2 events: Maltbarn tasting and celebration of Vladimir and Oleg birthdays, so after main tasting we had small bonus program.
Maltbarn line-up:
Ireland 27 yo 1989/2016 Maltbarn №63 45.5% - 211 bottles released, ex-bourbon cask.
Nose: sweet and fruity, vanilla and cream, all kinds of boiled fruits, tiny dustiness, gets better and better with time.
Taste: tropical fruits with hint of maltiness.
Finish: medium long, a bit dry with wonderful layer of wet grass reminding of Littlemill.
Overall: we had heated discussion with guys about this one, I can't say I'm fan of Irish style, maybe a bit too sweet for me, though I must admit that it's a nice whiskey :)
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Fettercairn 29 yo 1989/2017 Maltbarn №75 48.9% - 154 bottles released, ex-bourbon cask.
Nose: dry, slightly mineral, some mashy and malty notes (strange for its age), hint of lime. Gets worse with time.
Taste: oily and powerful with some coal dust.
Finish: at first not so evident but it comes after a short pause.
Overall: first impression was about 85/100, but the nose and taste got worse with time, so I go down to 83/100, which is also not a bad mark at all.
Score = 20 21 21 21, 83/100!
Blair Athol 28 yo 1988/2016 Maltbarn №66 49.6% - 111 bottles released, ex-bourbon cask.
Nose: initially dry, then lots of red and black berries come. Citrus fruits and sweet barley.
Taste: creamy, fruity with hints of malted barley, coal and citrus.
Finish: long, dry on citrus, barley and spices.
Overall: balanced malt showing distillery typical notes.
Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!
Tobermory 22 yo 1994/2016 Maltbarn №71 53.4% - 153 bottles released, ex-bourbon cask.
Nose: typical industrial notes (traffic fumes, hot asphalt) and saltiness of islands.
Taste: bursting, mineral and salty, very powerful one.
Finish: long, salty and warming.
Overall: the most powerful taste so far, the nose is a bit weaker than in Blair Athol, though both of them are very well made and get similar score.
Score = 21.5 22.5 22 22, 88/100!
Inchgower 35 yo 1980/2016 Maltbarn №59 51.4% - 48 (!) bottles released, should be quarter of a cask I presume.
Nose: the age is here - dark roasted nuts, camphor, honey, mint, fir resin. Splendid.
Taste: oily, oranges, limes and different peppers.
Finish: long, fresh, hints of mint, grapefruits and resin.
Overall: that's what we call honorably aged gentleman malt.
Score = 23 23 23 23, 92/100!
Speyside 43 yo 1973/2016 Maltbarn №70 47.7% - 149 bottles released, sherry cask.
Nose: creamy, tons of soft spices and pickled cucumbers, precious wood notes, beeswax and pollen.
Taste: sweet and silky, lots of ripe yellow fruits, oak and soft spices.
Finish: long one with noticeable oakiness and honey. Very enjoyable.
Overall: checking my notes shows that I liked Speyside 41 yo a bit more, though they should be compared together to be honest.
Score = 23 22 23 23, 91/100!
Paragon Very Old Maltbarn №67 51.4% - blended malt, 204 bottles released, sherry cask maturation.
Nose: lots of sherry indeed, sweet, some raisins and tobacco.
Taste: sweet one on tobacco and oranges.
Finish: quite long, earthy, tobacco and oranges again.
Overall: an interesting malt despite its peculiar combination of earthy and sherry tones, I advise to have sample before buying a bottle.
Score = 21 21 21 21, 84/100!
That was the main part of the event and after an hour of rest we had kind of bonus program:
Clynelish 21 yo 1990/2012 DT Dimensions cask#3229 51.4% - 161 bottle released.
Nose: usual notes of wax, apples, salt and grapes.
Taste: powerful and salty, apples and wax.
Finish: long, warming, spicy and a bit biting.
Overall: seems a bit younger than 21 yo, though very good Clynelish anyway.
Score = 21.5 22 21.5 22, 87/100!
Glen Garioch 25 yo 1989/2014 TWA Early Flying 50.3% - 246 bottles released, refill hogshead.
Nose: nutty, whiffs of smoke, mint and grass, yellow apples and melons.
Taste: oily and mineral, tobacco leaves and grass. Very unusual.
Finish: dry, earthy and spicy, dark pu erhs and old grass.
Overall: very interesting style that can rarely be met, will seek for a bottle.
Score = 22 23 22 22, 89/100!
Dailuaine 31 yo 1982/2013 TWA Reflections 51.3% - 225 bottles released, refill hogshead.
Nose: unexpected traces of alcohol, though gets better after 10 min, cream, beeswax and grass.
Taste: powerful, good structure, bursts out with malted barley, grass, wax and some mint.
Finish: long, malty, waxy and peppery.
Overall: rare guest which is always interesting to taste.
Score = 20 23 22 22, 87/100!
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