Year 2018 highlights!

It would be 3-rd time I sit down and sum up what malts impressed me the most during the year. 3 categories as usual, let's go...

Trio of Lagavulins: Lag 12 57.8% (bottled 2018), Lag Jazz Fest 2016 54.5% and Lag Jazz Fest 2015 55.4%

Home video tasting tonight.

Whisky felling #12. New Year Ardbegs: Ardbeg 1991 MoM 50.6%, Ardbeg 1991 WFY 50%, Ardbeg 1990 Airigh Nam Beist 46% and Ardbeg Lord of the Isles 25 yo 46%

Idea of this session was trying older Ardbegs, so we put three Ardbegs from 1990s and one Ardbeg from 1970s (I wish we had more of them, but this stuff is too costy)... 

Whisky felling #11. Independent Bunnas: Bunnahabhain 34 yo 1980/2014 Specialty Drinks 46.6%, Bunnahabhain 30 yo 1987/2017 Maltbarn #68 48.7%, Bunnahabhain 30 yo HL Kinship 2018 52.8%, Bunnahabhain 40 yo 1973/2013 the Whiskyman 48.5%, Bunnahabhain 42 yo Monnier Trading 1968/2010 43.8% and two more prize bottles.

Last year we were doing tasting dedicated to official Bunnas from 1960s, this year we decided to explore different (though respectable) ages and vintages from different bottlers. 

Valerii birthday and line of rarest malts: Glen Flagler 1972 Silents Stills, Coleburn 1983 Silent Stills, Hillside 1971 Silent Stills, Glencadam 1972 Silent Stills, Linkwood 1987 Cadenhead, Linkwood 1972 GM, Ben Nevis 21 yo (1996) PST, Old Pulteney 32 yo (1985) cask #202, Glendronach 25 yo Grandeur Batch #8, Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1988/2016 AC, Bunnahabhain 45 yo 1968/2013 Samaroli, Port Ellen 1975/1998 Silents Stills and Laphroaig 27 yo

Every time in September we go to banya visit Valerii whisky and birthday party :) 

Whisky felling #10. Whist without a forfeit or Great blind tasting: Benriach 1976 cask #529 44.2%, Highland Park 30 yo (round bottle) 48.1%, Talisker 35 yo 54.6% and Port Ellen 9-th release 57.7%

I've had idea of a blind tasting for quite a while, enjoying your malt in a glass without being distracted by its price, age, score or whatever. 

TGIF tasting: Linkwood 21 yo 1989/2010 DL OMC 50.0%, Macallan 21 yo 1993/2015 HSC 46%, Glenrothes 20 yo 1996/2017 HSC 46%, Glen Garioch 23 yo 1990/2013 TWA with Nectar 51.5%, Ben Nevis 25 yo 1984/2010 54.0% and finally Mortlach 50 yo 1957/2007 GM Private Collection 43.5%

One of those lovely Friday evenings with Sergii. 

Old and rare selection: Bunnahabhain 34 yo 1980/2014 Silver Seal cask #84 46.6%, Glen Scotia 22 yo 1992/2014 Silver Seal cask #38 57.6%, Caol Ila 31 yo 1981/2012 SS cask 2930 54.2%, Tomatin 28 yo 1982/2010 cask #92 57.0%

One of those splendid tastings with Sergii in Whisky Corner.

Whisky felling #9. Big malts from Littlemill: Littlemill 1989/2014 TWA Liquid Library 48.7%, Litllemill 1990/2017 Archives cask #32 53.8%, Littlemill 1990/2014 Maltbarn #28 50.6%, Littlemill 1991/2014 TWA Early Flying 48.0% and Littlemill 1984/2016 Whiskymax cask #3899 48.5%

Summer is really good time to have some lowlanders :)

Some old & rare selection: Mackenzie very rare 20 yo 43%, Tomatin 19 yo 1974/2004 Cooper's choice 43%, Dailuaine 21 yo 1992/2013 cask #3128 for Barmetro 54.8%, Laphroaig 19 yo 1995/2015 Life is a Circus 46%, Caol Ila 25 yo 1982/2007 SS 46%

Diving into old and mainly Italian releases with Sergii Kryvko at our usual Whisky Corner location.

Signatory CS collection: Longmorn 15 yo 2002 57.4%, Clynelish 21 yo 1995 55.5%, Ben Nevis 26 yo 1991 57.3%, Strathmill 21 yo 1996 57.9%, Tormore 28 yo 1988 49.7%, Inchmurrin 24 yo 1993 52.4%, Fettercairn 28 yo 1988 51.4%, Blair Athol 29 yo 1988 54.0%

Set of CS bottlings, why not after all?.. 

Lagavulin DE vertical tasting: standard 16 yo, DE 1998/2014 lgv 4/503, DE 1997/2013 lgv 4/502, DE 1995/2013 lgv 4/501, DE 1996/2012 lgv 4/500, DE 1995/2011 lgv 4/499, DE 1991/2007 lgv 4/495 and finally quite ancient DE 1981/2000 lgv 4/465

Long-awaited tasting to be shared with Andrii Rubtsov and Valerii Minialkoff. 

Exploring Campbelltown: Longrow Peated 46%, Kilkerran 8 yo 55.7%, Longrow 11 yo Red Cabernet Franc 55.9%, Springbank 12 yo CS batch #16 56.3%, Springbank 18 yo 46% and Springbank 10 yo 2007/2017 Local Barley 57.3%

We'll taste tonight 2 of 3 Campbelltown working distilleries: Springbank and Glengyle. 

Clynelish trio: 1995 Maltbarn #54 49.9%, 1995 Whisky-Fassle 52.7% and 1995 Speciality Drinks cask #10193 57.5%

After falling in love with Clynelish 21 yo Maltbarn distilled in 1995 I decided to have one day a few more Clynelish samples distilled the same year, maybe that is its golden year to be compared with 1972 for Tobermory or 1975 for Benriach?.. 

UWCC #126 and range of Bunnahabhains: Bunna 12 yo Small batch 46.3%, Bunna 13 yo Rattray 57.7%, Bunna 1989/2014 HB 51.4%, Bunna 1989/2016 Dram Senior 40.3%, Bunna 1990/2017 Wemyss 46%, Bunna 30 yo 1987/2017 Maltbarn 48.7% and Bunna 40 yo 1975/2015 DL XOP 51%

So the theme of Ukrainian Whisky Connoisseurs Club April gathering was exploring Bunnahabhain distillery (mainly through independent bottlings).

Random session: Glenfiddich 8 yo Pure malt 43%, Justerini & Brooks 20 yo 75 proof and Glenfarclas 40 yo 46%

Quite bizarre trio, but why not after all?.. 

Mega Maltbarn set: Ireland 14 yo, Linkwood 16 yo, Dailuaine 18 yo, Braes of Glenlivet 19 yo, Ben Nevis 19 yo, Invergordon 27 yo, Tobermory 22 yo, Glenburgie 23 yo, Fettercairn 29 yo, Blair Athol 28 yo, Invergordon 44 yo, Inchgower 38 yo, Bunnahabhain 40 yo, Glen Grant 40 yo and Macduff 32 yo UD

A friend of mine Sergii visited Maltbarn tasting in Belgium and brought quite a selection of Maltbarn samples that are difficult to get nowadays...

UWCC #124 and bunch of closed distilleries: Littlemill 1988/2008 HB 46%, Glen Keith 1993/2009 GM 46%, Lochside 1991/2001 GM 43%, Imperial 1994/2012 GM 43%, Pittyvaich 1993/2011 GM 43%, Convalmore 1984/2010 GM 43%, Port Ellen 1982/2010 GM 43%

I wasn't able to attend the meeting of UWCC (Ukrainian Whisky Connoisseurs Club), but set of samples was waiting for me in Whisky Corner. 

Jim McEwan and Stewart Laing evening: Glen Scotia 20 yo 1991/2011 MM 57.6%, Bruichladdich 30 yo 1973/2003 40.2%, Bruichladdich 32 yo DNA 1977/2010 47.4%, Glenlivet 33 yo 1977/2010 Celtic Heartlands 47.7%, Springbank 24 yo 1993/2017 Edition Spirits 53.3%, Bowmore 22 yo Moonlight 43%, Ardbeg 26 yo HL the Kinship 49.7%

The whiskies themselves were stunning, but the possibility to chat with some of the most respected men in the industry was even more stunning!

Trio of young Islays from Maltbarn: Bunnahabhain 05 yo SV selected by Maltbarn #84 61.9%, Port Charlotte 08 yo Mba #81 57.6% and Bruichladdich 09 yo Mba #80 53.4%

We had 3 aged Taliskers recently, let's try 3 young Islay malts from a trusted bottler. 

Trio of Taliskers: 25 yo 45.8% (bottled 2015), 25 yo 57.8% (bottled 2004) and 20 yo 1981/2002 62.0%

We stumbled across sample of a legendary sherried Talisker 20 yo 1981/2002, so small vertical tasting became quite inevitable. 

Three Highland Parks: SC 2007/2017 for Munich airport, 15 yo SMWS 4.234 Sundowner dram and 15 yo SMWS 4.238 Surrender your soul

Trio of new HP samples arrived, let it be idea of tonight's mini-tasting. 

Pre-Christmas session with Alexander: a pair of indie Port Ellens, Bunnahabhain 1976 Celtic Heartlands and 5 CS Sprinbanks: 12 yo CS (batches from 12 to 15) + Local Barley 11 yo 2006/2017

Three gorgeous malts as a starter and five Sprigbanks in a row afterwards, stay tuned :) 

Ukrainian Whisky Connoisseur's Club tasting #105 tasting: Dalwhinnie Triple matured 48%, Mortlach 11 yo 2002/2013 Whiskies Of Scotland 54.8%, Mortlach 17 yo 1997/2014 Whiskies Of Scotland 54.8%, GlenDronach 12 yo Manager's cask choice 58.3%, Aberlour 15 yo distillery only bottling 53.7%, Aberlour 16 yo (bottled 2015) distillery only bottling 56.5%, Longmorn 18 yo 1996/2014 Whiskies Of Scotland 52.5%, Glen Moray 20 yo 1994/2014 Whiskies Of Scotland 46%, Strathisla 25 yo 1988/2014 CS 53.2%

My dear readers! Awfully sorry for fewer posts in 2017, actually I've got plenty of notes saved in my phone but not published yet, will try to catch up during this winter :) This very tasting took place in 2016 and was dedicated to Speyside and in particular the malts that are hardly available anywhere except for the distilleries.