One of the evenings that whisky afficionado can recall till the end of the life: Charles MacLean, beautiful malts and gorgeous music.
I beg thy pardon, but due to quite unexpected necessity to help with interpreting I put down very short notes, so this time you'll get the briefs :)
Glefarclas 21 yo 43% - warm-up dram, can't tell exact bottle code, but should have been released recently.
Nose: quite sulphury, burnt matches and all that stuff which I don't like. Light alcohol note at the beginning. Raisins and sultanas afterwards.
Taste: relatively sharp and spicy, wouldn't guess it spent 21 year in a cask.
Finish: again we have burnt matches and dark sherry notes (coffee and chocolate).
Overall: definitely not my style of whisky, which is very personal of course. If you like Mortlach for instance, then you should enjoy this Glenfarclas also.
Score = 19 20 20 20, 79/100!
Nose: quite sulphury, burnt matches and all that stuff which I don't like. Light alcohol note at the beginning. Raisins and sultanas afterwards.
Taste: relatively sharp and spicy, wouldn't guess it spent 21 year in a cask.
Finish: again we have burnt matches and dark sherry notes (coffee and chocolate).
Overall: definitely not my style of whisky, which is very personal of course. If you like Mortlach for instance, then you should enjoy this Glenfarclas also.
Score = 19 20 20 20, 79/100!
Carsebridge 29 yo 1979/2008 cask #33033 DT Rare Auld 54.9% - 255 bottles produced, most likely American oak cask was used.
Nose: sweet and creamy. Vanilla, coconut and some bakery (apple pie).
Taste: sweet and creamy, tropical fruits, with water little saltiness emerges.
Finish: quite short though pleasant. Vanilla cream.
Overall: well, that is tasty and utterly drinkable single grain, not so complex and lingering as single malt of the same age, but anyway worth trying.
Score = 21.5 21.5 20 21, 84/100!
Nose: sweet and creamy. Vanilla, coconut and some bakery (apple pie).
Taste: sweet and creamy, tropical fruits, with water little saltiness emerges.
Finish: quite short though pleasant. Vanilla cream.
Overall: well, that is tasty and utterly drinkable single grain, not so complex and lingering as single malt of the same age, but anyway worth trying.
Score = 21.5 21.5 20 21, 84/100!
Cameronbridge 29 yo 1979/2008 cask #46 DT Rare Auld 50.3% - 258 bottles released, most likely American oak cask was used.
Nose: sweet and fruity. Vanilla ice-cream and coconut.
Taste: mainly sweet and creamy, previous one was tad more complex on a palate.
Finish: relatively short, though tad longer than in the previous sample. Dry oak.
Overall: the same as in the previous sample, pleasant, drinkable and worth trying.
Score = 21 20 21 21, 83/100!
Nose: sweet and fruity. Vanilla ice-cream and coconut.
Taste: mainly sweet and creamy, previous one was tad more complex on a palate.
Finish: relatively short, though tad longer than in the previous sample. Dry oak.
Overall: the same as in the previous sample, pleasant, drinkable and worth trying.
Score = 21 20 21 21, 83/100!
Imperial 18 yo 1990/2008 cask #359 DT Rare Auld 53.1% - 176 bottles released, most likely American oak cask was used.
Nose: vanilla, sweet milk and some oak.
Taste: sweet and fruity, lots of sugar and oak.
Finish: long, sweet, sugary and spicy.
Overall: sweet and seducing.
Score = 22 21 22 21, 86/100!
Nose: vanilla, sweet milk and some oak.
Taste: sweet and fruity, lots of sugar and oak.
Finish: long, sweet, sugary and spicy.
Overall: sweet and seducing.
Score = 22 21 22 21, 86/100!
Inverleven 28 yo 1979/2008 cask #5667 DT Rarest of the Rare 57.0% - 178 bottles produced, most likely American oak cask was used.
Nose: oily, dusty, citrus fruits, light metallic note, that's not what you can expect from a lowlander actually :)
Taste: oily and strong, creamy and grassy.
Finish: medium-long developing from sweetness to dryness.
Overall: it doesn't taste like a light and clean lowland malt, but anyway it is interesting and to some extent funny.
Score = 21 21 21 21, 84/100!
Nose: oily, dusty, citrus fruits, light metallic note, that's not what you can expect from a lowlander actually :)
Taste: oily and strong, creamy and grassy.
Finish: medium-long developing from sweetness to dryness.
Overall: it doesn't taste like a light and clean lowland malt, but anyway it is interesting and to some extent funny.
Score = 21 21 21 21, 84/100!
Old Pulteney 18 yo 1990/2007 cask #4932 for Corvin 57.1% - 148 bottles released.
Nose: mineral, salty, subdued fruitiness underneath (pears and apples), grass and flowers.
Taste: powerful, mineral, salt is everywhere. Ginger and fruits.
Finish: pronounced and warming, stays with you for ages.
Overall: very good Highland malt, pity I haven't put down more notes.
Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!
Nose: mineral, salty, subdued fruitiness underneath (pears and apples), grass and flowers.
Taste: powerful, mineral, salt is everywhere. Ginger and fruits.
Finish: pronounced and warming, stays with you for ages.
Overall: very good Highland malt, pity I haven't put down more notes.
Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!
Mosstowie 33 yo 1975/2008 cask #5817 DT Rarest of the Rare 47.7% - 198 bottles released.
Nose: elegant, light and sweet, fruity and grassy. Should be influence of Lomond stills I presume.
Taste: sweet, fruity and oily, tongue coating. Tinned peaches.
Finish: long, green and yellow fruits in a salad plate with pinch of spices on top.
Overall: very clean and fruity though with enough power on a palate. Let it be today's winner.
Score = 23 22 23 22, 90/100!
Nose: elegant, light and sweet, fruity and grassy. Should be influence of Lomond stills I presume.
Taste: sweet, fruity and oily, tongue coating. Tinned peaches.
Finish: long, green and yellow fruits in a salad plate with pinch of spices on top.
Overall: very clean and fruity though with enough power on a palate. Let it be today's winner.
Score = 23 22 23 22, 90/100!
Glenlivet 37 yo 1970/2007 cask #2018 DT Rare Auld 51.0% - 163 bottles released.
Nose: mellow and rounded, grapes skin, dried apples and fresh pineapple. Light varnish notes.
Taste: warming, spicy and oaky. Hints of liсorice and dill.
Finish: long, well-aged and well-bred.
Overall: everything's ok, though the wood itself is tad too obvious here. Perhaps bottling it 2-3 years earlier would be rather an option.
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Caperdonich 1968/2007 GM 46% - matured in refill sherry butts.
Nose: fruity, tiny touch of sherry-driven sulphur, honey sweetness, oranges, slight waxiness. The whole is light and pleasant.
Taste: malty, sweet, spicy. Citrus fruits (oranges) and touch of resin.
Finish: long, smooth and oily with hint of oak.
Overall: frankly speaking I was expecting a bit more from this one, though anyway it's good. But mind the price.
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Nose: mellow and rounded, grapes skin, dried apples and fresh pineapple. Light varnish notes.
Taste: warming, spicy and oaky. Hints of liсorice and dill.
Finish: long, well-aged and well-bred.
Overall: everything's ok, though the wood itself is tad too obvious here. Perhaps bottling it 2-3 years earlier would be rather an option.
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Caperdonich 1968/2007 GM 46% - matured in refill sherry butts.
Nose: fruity, tiny touch of sherry-driven sulphur, honey sweetness, oranges, slight waxiness. The whole is light and pleasant.
Taste: malty, sweet, spicy. Citrus fruits (oranges) and touch of resin.
Finish: long, smooth and oily with hint of oak.
Overall: frankly speaking I was expecting a bit more from this one, though anyway it's good. But mind the price.
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Miltonduff 1968/2005 GM Rare vintage 40% - the colour makes us think of sherry casks influence.
Nose: lots of caramel, pine resin, coffee.
Taste: quite big for that strength, nuts, oak and mint.
Finish: long one on fresh herbs, eucalyptus and soft spices, let it be Christmas pie.
Overall: Miltonduff at this age delivers unique experience of what Chivas Regal could have been transformed to :)
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Nose: lots of caramel, pine resin, coffee.
Taste: quite big for that strength, nuts, oak and mint.
Finish: long one on fresh herbs, eucalyptus and soft spices, let it be Christmas pie.
Overall: Miltonduff at this age delivers unique experience of what Chivas Regal could have been transformed to :)
Score = 22 21 22 22, 87/100!
Strathisla 30 yo GM 43% - first & refill sherry casks were used as you might guess from colour.
Nose: classy one, old leather, hint of gunpowder, raisins and prunes, overripe plums et cetera, et cetera what you can expect from generous sherry casks.
Taste: mellow, sweet, then dry, slightly tannic, notes of black coffee, bitter chocolate and dry figs.
Finish: long, warming, soft spices and warm oak, dark fruits and again coffee and bitter chocolate.
Overall: great malt, fans of heavy sherry would score it even more I guess.
Score = 23 21.5 22.5 22, 89/100!
Some more photos and videos:
Nose: classy one, old leather, hint of gunpowder, raisins and prunes, overripe plums et cetera, et cetera what you can expect from generous sherry casks.
Taste: mellow, sweet, then dry, slightly tannic, notes of black coffee, bitter chocolate and dry figs.
Finish: long, warming, soft spices and warm oak, dark fruits and again coffee and bitter chocolate.
Overall: great malt, fans of heavy sherry would score it even more I guess.
Score = 23 21.5 22.5 22, 89/100!
Some more photos and videos:
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| Author's signature makes this book even more unique :) |
And finally a small film:
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