Year 2019 highlights!

Let's continue good tradition of choosing the best malts of the year...

Whisky felling #19: Bunnahabhain glory: indies vs officials. Bunnahabhain 1980 37 yo NSS 44.4%, Bunnahabhain 1973 40 yo Acla 46.2%, Bunnahabhain 1973 40 yo Archives 50.6%, Bunnahabhain 1971 35 yo 125-th Anniversary 44.9% and Bunnahabhain 1968 34 yo 43.5%

We've already set up great tradition to have cool Bunnahabhain tasting each autumn.

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...

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 :) 

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.

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).

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...

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. 

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 :) 

Year 2017 highlights!

Last year we've established the tradition to summarize the results of each year and name the best ones in 3 categories. So let's proceed to what the year 2017 brought us... 

Samaroli tasting: Allt-a-Bhainne 1995, Braeval 1994, Glenburgie 1995, Mortlach 1997, Bunnahabhain 1988 and Bunnahabhain 1989

These were mainly Coilltean releases, though in any case Samaroli bottles are worth trying. 

Small session of samples: Glendronach CS batch #4 54.7%, Invergordon 46 yo 1966/2012 DR 51.9%, Bunnahabnain 11 yo PX finish distillery only 54.6% and Bunnahabhain 11 yo Rubha A' Mhail 57.4%

That would be random selection of samples I've tried recently. Just to dot the i's. 

Whisky felling #7. Bunnas from 60-s: Bunna 12 yo 43% (bottled in 70s), Bunna 1963/1997, Bunna 1965/2001 Feis Isle and Bunna 1968 Auld Acquaintance.

All hands on deck!..

Post #100 and .... Bunnahabhain 40 yo 41.7%!

I've decided to celebrate post #100 with something really special. Actually that would be post #101, but who cares, one of them was a summary of year 2016 highlights, so it doesn't count. 

Another Friday evening: Bunnahabhain 12 yo (bottled in 90s), Dallas Dhu 1981 DT, Tomatin 30 yo, Imperial 1995 SV, Linkwood 31 yo Chairman Stock

Tonight we'll have a couple of 30 yo malts together with young Bunna from 90s. 

Bunnahabhain 30 yo 1987/2017 Maltbarn №68 bottled for Bootleggers 48.7%

As you might now that is special release for (but not limited to) Ukrainian whisky aficionados bottled by well-known and much appreciated German bottler. At the last these babies arrived :)

Another Friday: Glendronach 2002 single cask, Bunnahabhain 25 yo Artist #3, Glen Garioch 21 yo Mba

Why not taste some new malts on Friday evening?.. That was rhetorical question of course :) 

Two mystic drams: Bunnahabhain Moine Feis Isle 2009 58.4% and St Magdalene IM 1982/2009 55%

We're continuing playing "guess what's in your glass" game, this time we have a couple of drams. 

Murray McDavid - Ukrainian Whisky Connoisseurs Club #115

March tasting was dedicated to Murray McDavid bottlings.