Highland Park 16 Years Review

“Another Storm in a Tea Cup”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highlands-Islands-Orkney

Brand: Highland Park

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 16 Years

ABV: 40% 

Colour: Deep Gold/Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: The Refill Sherry Cask influence is clear and I immediately pick up Dried Fruits like Apricot, Raisins and Sultanas as well as assorted Nuts. On the Nose, this HP is mainly Sweet and a bit on the Light side. It's a pity that most of these Travel Retail expressions are bottled at 40%. I also find Banana Bread, Sweet Apples, Fresh Pastry, German Butter Biscuits (Butterkekse), Heather Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Sugared Orange Peel, light Oak, light Aniseed and a distant note of Varnish. Behind it all a Thin web of Vegetable Peat and Campfire Smoke has been woven. The Alcohol is not completely integrated. Although I find various Aromas, most of them are mere hints. Cereals, Dried Fruits and Honey are the main drivers. On the Nose, I find this Highland Park Thin and Underdeveloped for a 16 Year old Single Malt.      

Palate: Bitter Sweet and on the Thin Side. Single Malts of this age really deserve to be bottled at, at least, 43%. I find Malted Barley, Heather Honey, Dried Fruit, Vanilla, Salted Nuts, Orange, Grass, Herbal Tea, light Licorice, light Pepper, light Ginger, light Cinnamon, light Smoke and Peat and slightly Sour Red Grapes.     

Finish: Rather Short, mostly Sweet but with a light Acidity. I find Dry Earth, Grass and Straw, Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Honey, Dried Fruit, Orange Liqueur, light Pepper, light Aniseed, light Licorice, light Cinnamon, Oak, slightly Sour Red Grapes Jam and Smoke of a distant Campfire.

With added Water I find more Cereals and Honey on the Nose. Palate and Finish become too weak for my taste. Better sip it neat. 

Rating: 82 

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

General Remarks: Highland Park was founded in 1798 and is located on the Orkney Isles off the North-East coast of Scotland. The distillery uses local Orcadian Peat, that mostly consists of Heather and other Plants. Highland Park matures most of its spirits in Ex-Sherry casks from both Spanish and, curiously, American Oak. Highland Park is one the very few remaining distilleries that malts around 30% of its Barley needs on their own malting floor. The HP 16 years is not part of the core range and was created exclusively for the Travel Retail Market in October 2005. Back in 2012 I tasted another 16 Year Old HP Travel Retail expression. That was a Vintage 1994 however that was bottled in 2010. I found that one quite disappointing by the way. The HP 16 I'm reviewing today won't be easy to find in the meantime. Expects prices way over 100 US Dollars (April 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good but Indifferent.

Conclusion: I usually like Single Malts that have matured for 16 Years but I must admit I find this Highland Park to be unimpressive. I blame indifferent Cask Management and an insufficient ABV. More and more I find Travel Retail expressions to be rather weak versions of similar Standard Distillery Bottlings. This is a general observation on my part and certainly not limited to Highland Park. If you like HP and I'm sure many do as it's a very easy going Whisky, you are better off with the regular 12, 15 or 18 years depending on your taste and cash flow. This 16 Year old unfortunately does not do justice to the HP Spirit.   

Jan van den Ende                                                                     April 25, 2016

Laphroaig 15 Years Review (Bottled Around 1985)

“Great Old Laphroaig”

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Laphroaig

Type: Single Malt Whisky 

Age: 15 Years (Bottled Around 1985)

ABV: 43 %

Sample provided by Marcus from Germany. Many Thanks!

Colour: Golden Sunlight

Nose: Very nice and well-balanced. I believe the spirit matured in a mix of Ex- Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks. On the Nose this Laphroaig is mostly sweet and well-rounded. The Peat is there but in a very subtle way. It merely enhances the other Aromas. If you were looking for a Peat Monster, look elsewhere! I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Sherry, Dried Fruit, Nuts, light Peat, light Smoke, light Iodine, light Medicinal notes, Straw, Wet Stone, Milk Chocolate, Flavoured Pipe Tobacco, Orange, Grapefruit, Apple, Tropical Fruit Mix, Mint and Salt. Traces of Leather, Tar, Floral Soap and smoked Meat. The Alcohol is perfectly integrated. I nosed this Laphroaig for over half an hour and found quite some traces of Aromas. Still, it isn't overly complicated. Just very Pleasant and Soothing. I could smell this for hours! 

Palate: Medium Sweet but a little on the Light Side. This Spirit deserves an ABV of 46%. I find Malt, light Sweet Peat, light Smoke, light Tar, light Iodine, light Sherry,  Nuts, Caramel, Espresso, Straw, Charred Oak, Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Green Tea, Fresh Herbs, light Cinnamon, Licorice, Pepper, Salt and Nutmeg.   

Finish: Quite long and simply delicious. A little Dry and Salty towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, light Peat, light Smoke, light Soot, light Ashes, Chocolate, Vanilla-Flavoured Pipe Tobacco, light Sherry, Espresso, Salty Licorice, Charred Oak, a little Pepper and a hint of Nutmeg. 

Due to the fact that I only had a small sample at my disposal, I merely tasted this Laphroaig neat.

Rating: 89

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

The Bottle That Provided The Sample!

General Remarks: Laphroaig was founded in 1815 by Donald and Alexander Johnston. Nowadays the shares are hold by Beam Inc. It's located in Port Ellen and uses Water from the Kilbride Dam. The 15 years was first released in the 80's but was discontinued around 2010 when it was replaced by the 18 years. A limited edition of the 15 years was launched in 2015 to celebrate 200 Years Laphroaig. The (recent) 15 years is still for sale in places at an average price of around 150 US Dollars. But depending on where you live, this price could be higher. You might find some Laphroaig 15 bottled around 1985 in auctions. You can expect prices in the range of 700 US Dollars or more (April 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Good 

Conclusion: I wasn't a Whisky drinker in the 80's and after having tasted this Laphroaig I thoroughly regret that. Because this is good stuff! I know it's a cliche to say that they don't make them like this anymore but in fact they don't so what can I do. The first thing that comes to mind when describing this Single Malt is Balance. I love it when subtle Peat, Smoke, Maritime and Mineral notes support the other Flavours and Aromas without being dominant. It's the type of Whisky I like the most. I basically only have one complaint about this Whisky. It should have been bottled at around 46%. Because it is a bit on the Thin side on the Palate, especially for a Laphroaig. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this Single Malt and it sails straight into my Top 10 so far. I wished I had a couple of bottles lying around. Unfortunately that's not the case. Once again a big thanks to Marcus for sending me the sample. Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       April 7, 2016

Glen Garioch 1990 (Archives) Review

“You’re Not The One That I Want”

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland (Eastern)

Brand: Glen Garioch 1990 (Whiskybase First Release Archives)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 21 Years

ABV: 54%

Colour: Pale White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose: Malty, Lemony, Dusty and a little Salty. I find Malt, lightly Buttered Toast, Cereals, Heather-Honey, Cooked Vegetables, Toffee, light Vanilla, Wet Paper, Wet Straw, Charred Oak, Green Grapes, Green Apple, Lemon, very light Peat, Herbs, light Leather, Nuts, Mint-Chocolate, Aniseed, light Pepper, Cardamom, Ginger and Salt. The Alcohol is relatively strong and not fully integrated. 
  

Palate: Strong Delivery. The Alcohol, Wood and Spices are very present. On the Palate this Glen Garioch is Bitter-Sweet and a bit Edgy. It could certainly do with more Fruity Flavours. I find Malt, Cereals, Nuts, Wax, Caramel, Lemon, Plums,
Strong Bitter Tea, Green Apple, light Vanilla, very light Peat, Pepper, Cloves, Salt, Licorice, Aniseed, Ginger and hints of Leather and Wet Sand.  

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, Dusty, Mineral and Woody. Quite Dry towards the end. The Alcohol is a bit Fiery. I find Sweet Barley, Caramel, Strong Tea, Espresso, Heather-Honey, Green Apple, Citrus (Lemon and Orange), Dry Earth, very light Peat and Ashes, Wet Stone, Charred Oak, light Menthol, Licorice, Herbs, Pepper, Salt and Cloves. A very distant hint of Smoked Meat.   

I only had a small sample at my disposal. Not enough to try it both neat and with added Water.  

Rating: 81

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

General Remarks: The Glen Garioch Distillery is located in Aberdeenshire and was founded in 1797 by John and Alexander Manson. Nowadays it is owned by Morison Bowmore Distillers, part of the Japanese Suntory Group. The Glen Garioch Single Cask we are tasting today was distilled on the 28th of December 1990 and bottled at Cask Strength by Independent Bottler Whiskybase, located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the 5th of January 2011. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead with Cask # 252 out of which 267 bottles were reserved for Whiskybase. The whisky is not chill-filtered. It was sold at around 80 US Dollars but it will be very difficult to find at this point in time.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Conclusion: I must admit this Glen Garioch is not at all my style. It's quite Musty and I miss Fresh Fruity notes. The Wood, Spice and Alcohol are very dominant this way. To be honest, I believe the Spirit has overstayed its time in the cask. I also feel the ABV is a bit too strong for this Spirit. All in all I found this Tasting Session quite disappointing. I'm glad I didn't buy a full bottle! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                       April 4, 2016

Springbank 15 Years Review

“Older But Not Wiser”

Country: Scotland

Brand: Springbank

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Campbeltown

Age: 15 Years

Alcohol: 46%

Colour: Light Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose: Sweet, Fruity, Floral, Waxy and a bit Musty. I detect a very light Sulphur note but it's nothing serious. It's not really an overwhelming Nose and the Alcohol is quite present. I find slightly Burnt Toast, Toasted Cereals, Sawdust, Straw, Salted Nuts, Brown Sugar, Toffee, Tobacco, light Leather, Green Apple, Papaya, light Pineapple, Dried Fruit (Raisins and Apricot), Citrus, light Honey, Syrup, Starch, Wet Cardboard, Varnish and light Spices. Most of the Aromas are mere hints. In the background I find a very light Earthy Peat. On the Nose, the 15 Years is not really my kind of thing. I liked the 10 Years a lot better.    

Palate: Here, the Mild Smoke, Dry Peat and Sulphur are more noticeable. On the Palate, this Springbank is Bitter Sweet, slightly Sour and Spicy with Toasted Barley, Nuts, Cereals, Lemon, Grapefruit Juice, Papaya, Melon, light Leather, Tobacco, Dried Fruit, Oak, Ashes, Dried Herbs, Aniseed, Menthol, Pepper, light Licorice and Nutmeg. Again, the Alcohol is quite present.   

Finish: Bitter-Sweet, slightly Sour, Nutty, Spicy and Dry with Malt, Nuts, Cocoa Powder, light Peat and Smoke, Tobacco, light Ashes, light Leather, Salt, Pepper, Cardamom, Oak, Alcohol, Dried Herbs, Menthol and Licorice.

Rating: 83

Nose: 20.5 – Taste: 21 – Finish: 20.5 – Overall: 21 

I added a couple of drops of water and the Nose becomes Fruity and Floral. On the Palate, Oak, Peat Smoke, Malt, Fruit and Spices are a bit more Balanced. The Finish becomes Short and Boring. Still, there's room to play with a little Water.

General Remarks: The Campbeltown region is the most southerly point on the west coast of Scotland. Today only three distilleries remain in the area namely Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia. Springbank is the only distillery left in Scotland that malts all its Barley. The whisky is distilled 2,5 times. The distillery also produces Hazelburn and Longrow. The latter two each represent around 10% of the production. A lot of Springbank Spirit is used for the Campbeltown Loch Blend. The core range of the distillery includes the 10,15,18 and 21 Years as well as a 12-Year-Old CS. The average price of the 15 Years is around 80 US Dollars but it can get as high as 140 US Dollars depending on where you live. It matures in Ex-Oloroso Sherry Casks and is not Chill-Filtered. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: I bought this Miniature bottle a couple of years ago. Most likely it was bottled in 2006/2007. The impression I have is that quite a lot of Refill Casks were used to mature this 15 Years. The Sherry notes are there but they are not very clear. I must admit I had high hopes when I started the Tasting Session, as I really liked the 10 Years that I reviewed some years ago. But I'm quite disappointed to be honest. Five extra years in refill casks didn't serve the Spirit well. I find the 15 Years to be lacking in confidence and I miss balance as well. It's a bit of an expensive weird mixed bag of Sweet, Bitter and Sour. As such I can't really recommend it. I'm sure there are quite a lot of people who will like this expression as Springbank has got some cult status worldwide. But I'll stick with the 10 Years for the time being! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                   March 3, 2016

Glentauchers 2005 Dewar Rattray Review

“Ground Control to Major Tom”

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside 

Brand: Glentauchers 2005 (Bottler - Dewar Rattray)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 8 Years

ABV: 46%

Colour: Golden Sunlight (Natural Colour)

Nose: The Ex-Sherry cask can't quite obscure the fact that there's a relatively Young Whisky in the glass. Nevertheless, the Puncheon left its marks and I find Dried Fruits, Orange Marmalade, Pancakes with Golden Syrup, Toasted Nuts, Toasted Barley, German Butter Biscuits (Butterkekse), Vanilla, Caramel, Toffee, Cocoa, Plums, Flowery Perfume and hints of Yeast and Herbal Tea. On the Nose this Glentauchers is mostly Sweet. Given its age, the Alcohol is reasonably well integrated.     

Taste: Slightly Thin delivery despite the adequate ABV. On the Palate, this Malt is Young and Bitter-Sweet with Toasted Barley, Toasted Nuts, Dried Fruit, Oak, Vanilla, Toffee, Treacle, Grapefruit Juice, Orange Marmalade, Pepper, Nutmeg Cinnamon and Dusty Road. Some Herbs and Chocolate as well as a light Metallic off-note. The Alcohol is more present here.     

Finish: Bitter-Sweet at first. Slightly Bitter, Metallic and Dry towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, Raisins, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Grapefruit Juice, light Oak, Dried Herbs, light Pepper, Cardamom, Mint, Licorice and Nutmeg and a touch of Bitter Chocolate. 

I only had a very small sample so I just Nosed and Tasted it neat.

Rating: 81.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20- Finish: 20 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: The Single Cask Glentauchers I'm tasting today was distilled on the 16th of September 2005. It matured in a Sherry Puncheon with Cask # 900389 and was bottled by Indie Bottler Dewar Rattray for The Specialists' Choice (NL) on the 17th of September 2013. It was not Chill-Filtered before bottling. It might be hard to find but it was for sale at around 60 US Dollars last time I saw it.

The Glentauchers Distillery was founded in 1897 by James Buchanan and W.P. Lowrie. Today it is owned by Chivas (Pernod-Ricard). At this moment, almost all of the spirit is used in Blends like Chivas and, especially, Ballantine's. As far as I know, no Distillery Bottlings are available at the moment.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good 

Conclusion: Although the Nose is not bad, this Glentauchers is not quite my thing. Despite the influence of the Sherry Cask, I find this Single Malt to be Young, Nervous and slightly Acid. On the Palate it lacks balance mainly because of the absence of more Fruity notes. I'm not too fond of the Bitterness as well and I could easily do without the light Metallic Off-Note. If you like the Aroma and Flavour profile you could give it a try but I have launched this Glentauchers into space. Maybe Major Tom can wrap it up in his Tin Can and sell it as a Spaceside Single Malt to some Aliens.

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 4, 2016