Idea to meet occurred quite unexpectedly, so I checked the samples I have in stock and we selected trio of old Silver Seals + official Tomatin as a dessert.
Bunnahabhain 34 yo 1980/2014 Silver Seal cask #84 46.6% - 270 bottles released.
Nose: lollipops, vanilla, honey, oranges and apple pie.
Taste: dense, lots of fruits and hint of oak.
Finish: medium-long, quite dry.
Overall: pleasant and very drinkable Bunna, actually you might expect more complexity from 34 yo malt, but it's very good nonetheless.
Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!
Nose: lollipops, vanilla, honey, oranges and apple pie.
Taste: dense, lots of fruits and hint of oak.
Finish: medium-long, quite dry.
Overall: pleasant and very drinkable Bunna, actually you might expect more complexity from 34 yo malt, but it's very good nonetheless.
Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!
Glen Scotia 22 yo 1992/2014 Silver Seal cask #38 57.6% - 225 bottles released.
Nose: tons of dried fruits, burning firewood, damp earth, pears, sweet pipe tobacco and whiffs of coffee.
Taste: sweet, dense, oily, lots of oranges and raisins.
Finish: long, dry, tobacco, sweet raisins and oak.
Overall: stunning malt, Campbelltown profile + lots of sherry influence.
Score = 23 23 23 23, 92/100!
Nose: tons of dried fruits, burning firewood, damp earth, pears, sweet pipe tobacco and whiffs of coffee.
Taste: sweet, dense, oily, lots of oranges and raisins.
Finish: long, dry, tobacco, sweet raisins and oak.
Overall: stunning malt, Campbelltown profile + lots of sherry influence.
Score = 23 23 23 23, 92/100!
Caol Ila 31 yo 1981/2012 Silver Seal cask 2930 54.2% - 256 bottles released.
Nose: ashes, apples, sea stuff and liquorice. The substances you often meet in older Caol Ilas.
Taste: oily, salty and lemony.
Finish: fresh burst of lemons, oily fish, menthol and liquorice. Amazing.
Overall: another example of how good can be aged Caol Ila.
Score = 22.5 22.5 23 23, 91/100!
Nose: ashes, apples, sea stuff and liquorice. The substances you often meet in older Caol Ilas.
Taste: oily, salty and lemony.
Finish: fresh burst of lemons, oily fish, menthol and liquorice. Amazing.
Overall: another example of how good can be aged Caol Ila.
Score = 22.5 22.5 23 23, 91/100!
Tomatin 28 yo 1982/2010 cask #92 57.0% - 560 bottles released, that should have been large butt :)
Nose: whiffs of alcohol at first, lots of oak, hints of varnish and sulphur, then cocoa, honey, oranges, anise and mint.
Taste: powerful, tannic, chocolate and bags of bitter oranges.
Finish: long with lots of spices and exotic oils, cloves and nutmeg.
Overall: not an easy malt at all, when just opened it was so spirity and tannic, that I was ready for 84/100 score. After it oxidized for a few weeks in half-opened bottle and was trasferred in sample where it spent another 6 months it became MUCH better. High strength needs time, once again I learned this.
Score = 21.5 23 23 22.5, 90/100!
Nose: whiffs of alcohol at first, lots of oak, hints of varnish and sulphur, then cocoa, honey, oranges, anise and mint.
Taste: powerful, tannic, chocolate and bags of bitter oranges.
Finish: long with lots of spices and exotic oils, cloves and nutmeg.
Overall: not an easy malt at all, when just opened it was so spirity and tannic, that I was ready for 84/100 score. After it oxidized for a few weeks in half-opened bottle and was trasferred in sample where it spent another 6 months it became MUCH better. High strength needs time, once again I learned this.
Score = 21.5 23 23 22.5, 90/100!
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