Showing posts with label 17 Years. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 17 Years. Show all posts

Glen Elgin 1995 Anam Na H-Alba Review


“Too Hot Ta Trot”

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glen Elgin 1995 (Anam Na H-Alba - The Soul of Scotland Series)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 17 Years
ABV: 58.1 %
Sample provided by Thomas from Germany. Many Thanks!

Colour: Golden Grain

Nose: The Alcohol is quite strong so it is really necessary to give this Glen Elgin enough time in the glass to open up. The Nose is Sweet and Floral with some Spicy undertones. I find Heather Honey, Citrus, Bourbon, light Vanilla, Toffee, Cereals, Butter Kekse, slightly Sour Green Apples, Canned Pineapple, Charred Oak, Old Book Shelves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper and Cardamom. The Oak is quite present and so is the Alcohol. On the Nose this Glen Elgin only reluctantly shows its personality.

Palate: Very strong Delivery thanks to the high ABV. It's too strong in fact and quite Hot. On the Palate I find this Glen Elgin to be Bitter-Sweet, Woody, Waxy and quite Spicy with Charred Oak, Heather Honey, Malt, Hay, Orange Peel, Grapefruit Juice, Mandarin, Tropical Fruit Mix, Toffee, Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon, Menthol, Pepper, Cardamom, Bourbon and some Cocoa Powder.    

Finish: Quite Long, Woody, Bitter-Sweet and quite Dry in the end with Charred Oak, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Brown Sugar, Bourbon, Toffee, Pepper, Cinnamon, Menthol and a sprinkle of Salt. 


I added a little Water and on the Nose the Alcohol calms down of course.  The Barley, Vanilla and slightly Sour Apples become quite dominant. On the Palate the Citrus and Spices take over but the Finish gets a little Weaker. You can certainly add some Water but despite the high ABV its added value is limited.

Rating: 82

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Glen Elgin Distillery on a Winter's Day

General Remarks: This Glen Elgin 17 Years Single Cask Whisky was distilled on the 7th of November 1995 and was bottled at Cask Strength on the 26th of November 2012 by Indie Whisky bottler Anam Na H-Alba from the town of Oberhausen in Germany. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead with Cask # 1663. This Glen Elgin is not Chill-Filtered and naturally coloured. The Bottles were sold at around US$ 75 a piece, relatively cheap for a Single Malt of this age (August 2015). It might be hard to find though! At Anam Na H-Alba it has been sold out for quite a while in the meantime!

The Glen Elgin distillery is located 4 miles south of Elgin in the village of Fogwatt close to the A 941. It was founded in 1898 by James Carle and William Simpson. It had its ups and downs but was finally bought by DCL in 1930. Today it's part of the Diageo Group and became one of their Classic Malts range in 2005. The 12 years is the Standard bottling but most of Glen Elgin's production is used in Blends like White Horse and Bell's. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is my first Glen Elgin. Therefore I have never tasted the young Spirit. The fact that most of it is used for simple Blends like White Horse and Bell's might indicate that it doesn't have a very strong own personality. That would explain the fact that after 17 Years of Ex-Bourbon Cask the Wood really came to dominate the Spirit. That might appeal to people who appreciate Old and Woody Bourbons but I found it a rather overwhelming experience. Not bad mind you but I felt like Forrest Gump or Woody Allen when I tasted this Glen Elgin. If you like this Aroma and Flavour Profile however, you might want to give it a try if you can find it as it's very reasonably priced for a Single Malt of this age.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 13, 2015

Caol Ila 1995 (Anam Na H-Alba) Review


“Very Nice and Mature Islay Whisky”

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay 
Brand: Caol Ila 1995 (Anam Na H-Alba)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 17 Years
ABV: 51.4 %
Sample provided by Tom from Germany. Many thanks!

Colour: Golden Straw

Nose: Lovely Sweet Peat, Cold Campfire Smoke, Ashes, Wet Grass, Salted Butter, Diesel Oil, light Iodine, Shell Fish, light Menthol, light Rubber, Vanilla, Sugar, Sweet Barley, Dried Herbs, Barnyard, Lemon-Pepper, Milk Fat and some Fruity notes. Difficult to say but think of Pineapple and Banana. Nice combo of Sweet and Peat. I like it! The Alcohol is quite present so you need to feel your way around it.


Taste: Sweet Peat, Cold Smoke, Tar, Ashes, Sweet Barley, slightly Bitter Oak, light Honey, light Vanilla, Lemon-Pepper, Salt, Apple Vinegar, Caramel, Aniseed and light Metallic notes.  

Finish: Long, Dry and Bitter Sweet with Peat, Cigar Ashes, Espresso Coffee, Sweet Barley, Salt, Lemon-Pepper, Menthol and Mineral tones.  

This Caol Ila accepts a little Water but as usual I prefer it neat. 

Rating: 89

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 22.5


General Remarks: The Caol Ila Distillery was founded in 1846 and is located close to Port Askaig on Islay. It was bought by DCL in 1927 and through some mergers is now part of Diageo. The distillery was completely rebuilt in 1974 and only one old Warehouse reminds us of former days. Traditionally, Caol Ila is an important component of Blends like Johnnie Walker, Bell's and White Horse. But during the last 10 years Diageo has made great efforts to position the Distillery as a Single Malt as well. The Caol Ila I'm reviewing today was distilled in 1995, matured for 17 years in a Bourbon Hogshead and was bottled in February 2013 by Indie bottler Anam Na H-Alba from Germany. Around 150 bottles went to the market and I was lucky enough to get a sample. This Single Cask is not Chill-Filtered, does not contain E-150 and was bottled at Cask Strength. The Bottles were sold at around US$ 105 a piece.

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Good

Conclusion: Very good Islay Spirit. On the Nose, the combination of Sweet and Peat is nicely done. I like young peated Islay a lot as it's Dirty and Rough. But I really love the combination of Mature Peat and Sweet tones you'll find in longer matured peated Islay whiskies. This Caol Ila could have scored even higher but for a few small details. There's a slight Bitterness of the Oak on the Palate and in the Finish and I found a very light Metallic off-note on the Palate. Still, this is a very nice Islay Whisky and I wouldn't mind at all having a full bottle of this Caol Ila in my cabinet. If you find it, buy it. You won't regret it!

Jan van den Ende                                                                March 18, 2015

A Splendid Speyside Surprise Review


“She’s a Mystery To Me” 

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside  
Brand: A Splendid Speyside Surprise (The Soul of Scotland Series)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 17 Years
ABV: 48.5 %
Sample provided by Thomas from Germany. Many Thanks!

Colour: Golden

Nose: Alternate Fruity and Floral tones. Be sure to give this Malt some time to breathe. I find Malt, Butterscotch, Toffee, Buttered Toast, Honey, Brown Sugar, Dried Fruits, Heather, Grandma's Fragrant Soap, Sherry, a hint of Sulphur, light Vanilla, Canned Pineapple in Syrup, Dusty Road, Wood, light Cinnamon, light Clove, Nuts and Espresso. It's all pretty Delicate despite the quite strong Alcohol that's still around. A bit Musty as well.

Palate: Here the Sherry is much more present. I find Nuts and Raisins, Honey, Toffee, Orange, Canned Peaches in Syrup, Brown Sugar, slightly Bitter Oak, Musty Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Pepper and Licorice.

Finish: Middle Long and Bitter Sweet with slightly Bitter Orange, Berries, Bitter Oak, Toffee, Hazelnuts, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Mint and Licorice. Quite Dry in the end.


The Splendid Speyside Surprise does not improve with added Water. It gets very Sweet and Malty. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 84.5 

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21 

River Spey (Photo Credit: Rene Ramon)

General Remarks: The Splendid Speyside Surprise was distilled in 1995. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Cask and was bottled in 2012 for Anam Na H-Alba, the Independent Whisky bottler from Oberhausen in GermanyThis Single Malt Single Cask Whisky is Uncoloured and Non Chill-Filtered. It was sold at roughly 75 US Dollars per bottle. I'm not sure it's still around! 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: A nice but not perfect Speysider. Quite Fruity, Floral, Delicate and a bit Musty on the Nose. More Robust on the Palate with Sherry and lots of Herbs, Spices and Oak. Personally I believe this rather delicate Spirit has overstayed its time in the Cask a bit. Perhaps 15 Years would have been quite sufficient. It's not easy to identify the Distillery that produced this Spirit. If pressed, I would say that the Sherry and the Earthy, Dusty Feeling would point in the direction of Aberlour or Glenfarclas. But my guess is as good as yours. If you have any info on the matter, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Jan van den Ende                                                         December 15, 2014

Tobermory 17 Years Review



“Tobermory-Lemon”

Country: Scotland
Region: Highland - Islands - Mull
Brand: Tobermory 1995 (Anam Na H-Alba - "The Soul of Scotland" series)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 17 Years
ABV: 55.2 %
Date: 27/06/2014
Sample provided by Thomas from Germany. Many Thanks!

Colour: Pale White Wine

Nose: Please give it some time to open up. My first impressions are lots of Malt and Cereals as well as Mint, Lemon, Grass, Earth, Oak, Nuts, slightly Burnt Toast with Butter and Cooked Vegetables in Salted Water. After a while I find light Vanilla, light Spices, light Toffee, light Honey and some Fruit Candies. Medium Sweet. The Alcohol is strong and not fully integrated.

Taste: Strong, Fruity and Spicy delivery with Lemon, Mandarin, Malt, Oak, light Vanilla, Nuts and White Pepper.

Finish: Middle-Long, Hot, slightly Bitter-Sweet and quite Dry in the end with some Pineapple, Pear, Lemon, Menthol, White Pepper and a sprinkle of Salt.

I added a little Water and that softens up the Nose. Quite some Lemon like in Swiss Lemonade. Some Pear as well. The Malt remains quite present. Palate and Finish do not change a lot altogether. It just becomes easier to drink this Tobermory. 

Rating: 82.5

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 20.5


General Remarks: This Tobermory 17 Years Single Cask was distilled on the 6th of June 1995 and bottled on the 31th of January 2013 by Independent Whisky bottler Anam Na H-Alba from the town of Oberhausen in Germany. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead with Cask # 698 . Only 282 bottles went to the market and I was lucky enough to get a sample. This Tobermory is non Chill-Filtered, naturally coloured and was bottled at Cask Strength. The Bottles were sold at around US$ 75 a piece.

The Tobermory Distillery is located on the Hebridean Island of Mull. It was formerly named Ledaig and was founded in 1798 by John Sinclair. Nowadays it is owned by Distell Group Ltd from South Africa. The Distillery produces unpeated Malt under the name Tobermory and peated Malt under the old Distillery name Ledaig. The whisky is mainly used in blends like Black Bottle and Scottish Leader.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: Considering the Flavour and Aroma profile, this Tobermory with its uncomplicated Fruity, Malty, Lemony aspects is a nice simple Summer Dram. However, I would argue that Summer Drams (Aperitifs in general) benefit from a lower ABV and less years in the Cask. Less Alcohol, less Heat and more Fruit. Nevertheless, this Tobermory-Lemon is well-crafted and I wouldn't say no if I was offered a dram!

Jan van den Ende                                                               June 2014