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. 

I'm sorry in advance because I put down not so many notes and will try to recall what we felt. Line-up as follows:

Linkwood 21 yo 1989/2010 DL OMC cask #DL 6302 50.0% - 484 bottles released.

Nose: pickled cucumbers, lightest varnish and citrus.

Taste: light and elegant.

Finish: spicy, tad salty and oaky.

Overall: good balance and very pleasant malt to drink without any flaws. 

Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!

Macallan 21 yo 1993/2015 HSC Life is a Circus 46% - aged in a refill hogshead.

Nose: reminds of of bourbon cask matured Macallan we tasted a few years ago, lots of melon here, apples, cucumbers and other green vegetables.

Taste: rich and powerful despite its strength.

Finish: long one, a bit salty and waxy (which reminds of Clynelish this time) with nice touch of spiciness. 

Score = 22 22.5 22.5 22, 89/100!

Glenrothes 20 yo 1996/2017 HSC Life is a Circus 46% - no indication about type of barrel on a label.

Nose: fresh and floral, though I liked Macallan nose a bit more.

Taste: sweet and fruity.

Finish: medium-long.

Overall: nice malt indeed, though Macallan was tad better in every component. Can't believe I'm saying that :) 

Score = 21.5 22 21.5 22, 87/100!

Glen Garioch 23 yo 1990/2013 TWA with Nectar 51.5% - matured in a refill hogshead, 272 bottles released.

Nose: mineral, salty rocks, some apples and pears, wet ropes, quite unusual but I like it.

Taste: powerful on salt, citrus and even granite. If you're interested how it tastes try licking wet pebbles somewhere in the northern Scotland :)

Finish: long one, sea water with slices of lemon.

Overall: I presume impression will depend on your taste, those who're up to drier and mineral malts will adore it.

Score = 22 22.5 22.5 22, 90/100!

Ben Nevis 25 yo 1984/2010 casks #3008/3046 54.0% - sort of double matured whisky, firstly, bourbon barrels had been used under the ownership of Long John International. Then, 13 years later in 1998 such casks were vatted and transferred to sherry puncheons by the current Japanese owners Nikka for another 12 years of maturation.

Nose: stunningly rich and dense starting on bee venom and developing to range of coffees and syrups. 

Taste: dense and mineral. 

Finish: eternally long, mineral, waxy, travels from center of a tongue to the sides and sits there for ages.

Overall: pure magic condensed in a bottle. 

Score = 23 23 24 23, 93/100!

and one for the road: 

Mortlach 50 yo 1957/2007 GM Private Collection casks #585+586 43.5% - 514 bottles released.

Nose: stunningly fresh for 50 years in a cask, granite rocks, dry herbs, whiffs of balsamico, cold black tea, pine resins, tobacco and leather...

Taste: quite thick but I'd love it has more strength. Delightful nevertheless, lots of raisins, old leather and touch of oak.

Finish: very long, gets drier and oakier and stays with you for ages.

Overall: I guess that 50 years are just enough for Mortlach to lose its sulphur notes :) If seriously - that is a gem that is almost impossible to get these days. 

Score = 24.5 23 24 24, 95.5/100!