Showing posts with label 21 Years. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 21 Years. Show all posts

Cragganmore 1989 Review


“A Crisp Summer Dram”

Country: Scotland 
Region: Speyside
Brand: Cragganmore 1989 (Mo Or Release # 27)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age:  21 Years
ABV: 46%
Date: 08/06/2014

Colour: Chardonnay

Nose: It's hard to believe I'm tasting a 21 year old Single Malt! The Nose is very Malty, Floral and Fresh and the Wood influence is very restrained. I find Juicy Toasted Sweet Barley, Grass, Straw, Heather, light Honey, Wet Stone, light Vanilla, Lemon, Orange or Grapefruit, light Coconut, Pear Drops and Herbs. Quite uncomplicated really. The Alcohol is nicely integrated.

The Lauter Mash Tun at Cragganmore!

Palate: Slightly more Edgy than the soft Nose would indicate. Quite Citrusy as well with Lemon, Orange and Grapefruit. As on the Nose I find relatively little Cask influence. Only light Oak, light Vanilla and light Spices. I do find quite a lot of Mint, as well as some Marzipan, Toffee, light Honey, Heather, Herbs and Malt.  

The Wash Backs at Cragganmore!

Finish: Middle-Long, Sweet and Sour with Grass, Citrus (mainly Lemon), Herbs, Mint, light Licorice, Oak, light Nutmeg and light Pepper.

The Stills at Cragganmore!

Added Water does not improve this Cragganmore. Enjoy it neat!

Rating: 84.5

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

Warehouses at Cragganmore!

General Remarks: The Cragganmore Distillery is located in the Spey Valley close to the A 95. It was founded in 1869 by John Smith. Today it is owned by Diageo and lots of Cragganmore go into Blends like Old Parr and White Horse. The Single Malt I'm tasting today is a Single Cask Expression from The Whisky Talker/Mo Or (Gaelic for My Gold). It was distilled on the 14th of November, 1989 and bottled on the 14th of March, 2011. The whisky matured in a Bourbon Hogshead (Cask # 2840). A total of 395 bottles was reserved for the Mo Or Collection. It's priced at around 135 US Dollars per 50 Cl bottle. The Whisky Talker is an Independent Bottler from the Netherlands.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I had expected a complicated Single Malt considering 21 years of Cask time. But instead I find a relatively light, fresh, crisp Summer Dram with lots of Floral tones, Herbs (Mint) and Citrus. Excellent choice for an Aperitif on a warm Summer day. A bit expensive though!

Part of the Distillery Complex!

The Cragganmore Distillery.

Some Data: The Cragganmore Distillery is located in Ballindalloch, Moray, not far from Glenfarclas. It was founded in 1869 by John Smith. Nowadays it is owned by Diageo. Lots of Cragganmore spirit disappear in Blends like Old Parr, Haig and White Horse. It was also one of the 4 Single Malts in the late JW Green. The Distillery possesses a large stainless steel Mash Tun, 6 Wash Backs (Oregon Pine) and two pairs of Wash/Spirit Stills. In 2013 they produced 2,2 million litres. Cragganmore means Big Rock. The water for the distillery is sourced from the nearby Corries Springs. The Distillery is open from April to October (Monday - Friday 10.00 to 16.00). There are 3 Tours, the Standard Tour at 4 pounds, the Premium tour at 8 pounds and the Connoisseurs tour at 16 pounds.

Cragganmore Visitor Centre!

We visited Cragganmore on Friday May 23, 2014. It was raining cats and dogs. We opted for the Standard Tour and were lucky! We were the only two visitors at that time and got ourselves a private Tour. Our hostess was knowledgeable but had a bit of an Off-Day that included regular yawning caused (in her own words) by temperature changes. 

Inside a Warehouse at Cragganmore!

We did have the chance however to talk a bit to the Warehouse chap and make a few pictures. We also enjoyed a pleasant Tasting session in a very cosy old room. The drams included the 12 Years and the Port Finished DE. 

A " Cosy" Tasting Session!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 June 2014

Poit Dhubh 21 Years Review



Country: Scotland 
Brand: Poit Dhubh
Bottler: Praban Na Linne Ltd. 
Type: Blended Malt Whisky
Age:  21 Years
ABV:  43 %
Date: 02/06/2014

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Robust and Quite Mature. The Oak is reminiscent of Cognac or Rum casks. I find Oloroso Sherry, light vegetable Peat, Malt, Vanilla, Toast, Brown Sugar, Orange Marmalade, Sugared Almonds, Dried Apricot, Figs, light Honey and other Floral tones, Old Leather Chairs that have just been polished, light Spices and a pinch of Salt. Most probably a mix of Speyside Malts with some Talisker and/or Highland Malt adding strength. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. Powerful, Heavy, slightly Intoxicating Nose.

Palate: Bitter-Sweet with Caramel, Orange, Perfumed Honey, Oloroso, light Peat, Oak, Vanilla, Pepper, Cinnamon, Dried Fruits, Nuts, Licorice, Cognac and a sprinkle of Salt.

Finish: Middle Long with Oak, Chili Pepper, light Peat, Vanilla, light Cinnamon, Malt, Citrus and Licorice.

I added a bit of Water and on the Nose the Honey, Citrus and Floral tones are enhanced. Palate and Finish accept a few drops but be careful as it waters down easily. I advise you to try it both neat and with some drops of Water.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21- Overall: 21.5


General Remarks: Poit Dhubh (Gaelic for Black Pot or Illicit Still) is Blended Malt Whisky, partly matured in Ex-Sherry Casks. Poit Dhubh 21 years was released in 1991. The Brand Poit Dhubh as such was introduced in 1982 and is Non Chill-Filtered since 1992. The 21 year expression costs around 100 US Dollars. It is bottled by Praban Na Linne Ltd, located on the Isle of Skye (Hebrides) and founded in 1976 by Sir Iain Noble. It's still a family-owned company. There are also 8 - and 12 year old versions of the Poit Dhubh.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: A quality Blend as of course it should be given its peppery price. The Nose is Heavy and Perfumed, full of Oak, Vanilla and Citrus. Nice Oloroso touch. Nicely integrated Alcohol. A bit too much Oak, Perfume and Licorice on the Palate for my taste but if you like that flavour profile you should give this Blend a chance. A bit of Water helps to open it up but waters it down at the same time. An ABV of 46% would have been more adequate in this respect. Still, it's a powerful step forwards when compared to the 12 years!

Jan van den Ende                                                               June, 2014



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Hello everybody,

Something I almost forgot!! During my trip to Scotland, Best Shot Whisky Reviews reached 1 million page views. I followed the last views on my brother in law's I- Pad to be sure I could identify Page View nr. 1.000.000. It happened on the 19th of May around 5 o' clock in the afternoon UK time. Unfortunately I don't know the name of the person but I do know he or she visits the site from time to time and hails from Evanston, Illinois in the USA. On that particular 19th of May he or she was searching on Google for a Review on the Glenfarclas 25 Years and was referred to Best Shot Whisky Reviews. If you think you're the one, please make yourself known to me. You can either leave a comment or send me an e-mail on janende@uol.com.br. Look forward to hear from you. 
Best Shot Whisky Reviews enjoys some 1.500 page views per day on average and that's amazing. A big thanks to all of you for that!

Cheers!

Jan