Showing posts with label Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review. Show all posts

Glentauchers 1991 (Gordon & MacPhail) Review - Glentauchers 1996 17 Years (Douglas Laing) Review - Glenlossie 1992 20 Years (Whisky Mercenary) Review - Tomintoul Peaty Tang Review


“Speyside Special # 2”

Introduction:

Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. I usually buy these in Holland and sometimes in Germany or the UK. Sometimes I receive samples from friends or readers or independent bottlers. In only two cases I received a few samples directly from distilleries. When planning my reviews for the coming months I always try to give attention to all Scottish Whisky regions as well as other Whisky/Whiskey/Bourbon producing regions all over the world with special attention to the USA, Ireland and Japan. And last but not least the blends. At the request of many readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will deal with a specific region like today or with specific bottlers, countries or distilleries. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate on the Whisky and won't go into details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review four lesser known Speyside Single Malts. Enjoy!
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Whisky Review # 732

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glentauchers 1991
Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin - Bottled in 2007
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age:  16 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mostly Refill Ex-Bourbon casks. A bit of Sherry Wood perhaps.
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 40-50  (May 2018)
Buying Advice: 😐 Not really bad but utterly forgettable.

Colour:

Yellow Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Sweet, Thin, Floral, Grassy, Yeasty and slightly Herbal. A touch of Peat/Smoke.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Toffee, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Dried Fruit like Raisin, Banana and Pineapple, Yeast, Grass, Orange Peel and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Floral Perfume, Melon, Lemon, Gooseberry, White Wine, Wet Leaves, Refill Oak, Apple and Peat/Smoke.


Palate:

Light, Sweet, Slightly Thin, Floral, Fruity, Yeasty and Herbal. The Palate follows the Nose.

Main Flavours

Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Caramel, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Orange Peel, Apple, Dried Fruit, Walnuts, Pepper, Cinnamon and Refill Oak.   

Supportive Flavour Accents

Floral Soap, Peach, Melon, Lemon, Red Grapes, Gooseberry, Bounty Candy Bars, Nutmeg, Ginger and Aniseed.

Finish:

Middle-Long and slightly Thin. Sweet at first but increasingly Bitter towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Vanilla, Green Apple, Orange Zest, Grapefruit, Lemon, Nuts, Dried Herbs, Grass, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Ashes, Refill Oak and Dirty Earth. A light Metallic off-note.

Drinking Advice:

This Glentauchers does not improve with added Water. More Metal in the Finish. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 80

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

Drinking Experience:

Okay.

Conclusion:

The Glentauchers distillery was founded in 1897 and is located in Mulben near Keith. Since 2005 it is owned by Chivas Regal (Pernod Ricard). In 2017 a 15 Years Old Single Cask Edition was launched. But almost all Spirit is used for the Chivas Regal and Ballantine's Blends. And for the occasional Indie expressions of course. The Gordon & MacPhail bottling I am tasting today was distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2007.

The 16 Year Old Glentauchers 1991 by Gordon & MacPhail is not a bad Single Malt but it doesn't offer any excitement. A higher ABV and a little more Sherry Wood contact might have lifted it up a bit. As it stands, it's utterly forgettable. I can see why this Spirit is mostly used in Blends. Based on this expression I find it not interesting enough to consider as a sipping Single Malt. Let's see if the Douglas Laing expression can change my mind!


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Whisky Review # 733

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glentauchers 1996
Bottled By: Douglas Laing (Old Particular Series) - Bottled 2013
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask # DL10064 - 288 Bottles
Age: 17 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.6% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 90-100 (May 2018). - Discontinued
Buying Advice: 😀 Light, Fresh & Clean. Summer Whisky!   

Colour:

Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Quite Light and Clean. Based on Colour and Nose it's safe to assume that there has been little interaction between Spirit and Wood in the seventeen years of maturation. The Nose is Sweet and kind of Buttery. Some Floral and Herbal elements as well.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Toffee, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Yeast, Grass, Orange and Lemon Juice, Apple, Pear, Cinnamon and Refill Oak.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Meadow Flowers, Dried Herbs, Butterscotch, Pineapple, Caffe Latte, Walnuts, Pepper and Ginger.


Palate:

Good delivery. Adequate ABV. The Wood is more noticeable at this point. Sweet, Fruity, Floral and Herbal.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Butter Biscuits, Demerara Sugar, Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mint, Pepper, Aniseed, Vanilla and Dried Herbs.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Grass, Cinnamon, Menthol, Caffe Latte and Cocoa Powder.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Sweet at first but with a few Bitter, Sour and Tannic notes towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Vanilla, Caramel, Walnuts, Caffe Latte, Dried Herbs, Lemon, Grapefruit, Apple, Refill Oak, Grass, Pepper, Ginger, Mint and Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the small size of the Sample I only enjoyed this Glentauchers Neat. I don't think it needs added Water.

Rating: 83 

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

Drinking Experience:

Good 

Conclusion:

I like this Glentauchers expression better. It's Light and Clean and does not present any off-notes. It's a natural aperitif Single Malt in the style of Glen Grant. It's also quite consistent and well-balanced from Nose to Finish. The ABV is spot on. It can't be cheap of course after 17 years in the cask. The only minor  observation would be indeed about the cask. A quite introvert piece of wood if you ask me! A few bottles of this Single Cask Malt might still be available on the Internet. Better hurry though if you like the Aroma/Flavour profile! 


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Whisky Review # 734

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glenlossie 1992
Bottled By: The Whisky Mercenary (Jurgen Vromans)
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Bottled in 2012 - 144 bottles
Age: 20 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 57% (Cask Strength)
Maturation:Refill Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 90 (May 2018).
Buying Advice: 😀 Interesting Malt. The 10 Years F&F has the better P/Q ratio.

Colour:

Chardonnay (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Light for a 20 Year Old. The Refill Oak is noticeable. Sweet, Sour & Musty notes alternate each other. Quite Floral, Grassy, Waxy and Green.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Coconut, Grass, Straw, Coconut, Refill Oak, Mint, Green Apple, Pear and Lemon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Floral Soap, Heather Honey, Pineapple, Gooseberries, White Wine, Dusty Road, Dairy, Pepper, Cloves and Ginger.


Palate:

Strong, slightly Hot Delivery. On the Palate, this Glenlossie is Fruity and Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour notes for balance. It's the best part of this Single Malt in my opinion.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Nectarine, Apple, Grapefruit Juice, Lemon, Orange Zest, Refill Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.   

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Pineapple, Coconut, White Grapes, Plum Jam, Aniseed and Herbal Tea.     

Finish:

Middle-Long, slightly Hot and Bitter-Sweet. Dry towards the end. The Oak and Spices take control. A bit of a Rubber/PVC Pipe off-note. I find Toasted Cereals, Refill Oak, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Apple, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol, Citrus and Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and more (Exotic) Fruit develops on the Nose and on the Palate. Especially Papaya. If you like your whisky a little less Edgy and more Friendly, please add a few drops. I liked it both ways.

Rating: 82.5   

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

Drinking Experience:

Good

Conclusion:

The Glenlossie Distillery is located in Birnie close to Elgin. It was founded in 1876 and belongs to the Diageo Group. Most of the annual output of 2 million litres is destined for Blends like Haig and Dimple. The only official Single Malt is the 10 Year old.

This 20 Year old Glenlossie follows the 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna Official Bottling that I reviewed earlier. But the extra 10 years in the cask naturally increase the influence of Wood and Wood Spices. It's a pity that most Glenlossie Spirit is destined for the Blended Whisky market. It's sufficiently interesting as a Single Malt, especially on the Palate. A 20 Year old Single Malt can't be cheap of course so if you like the Aroma/Flavour profile of this Glenlossie you might consider having a go at the 10 Year Flora & Fauna before trying out other expressions. So far I'm pleasantly surprised by the Glenlossie Malts. They deserve a bit more attention!

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Whisky Review # 735

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Tomintoul "With a Peaty Tang" (Around 55 ppm)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 35-45 (May 2018).
Buying Advice: 😒 Not my style. Give it a try if you like very young Islay!

Colour:

Pale Gold/Chardonnay (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Young, a little Thin and Sweet. The New Make Spirit is still noticeable. Quite a bit of Smoke with a few Fruity, Floral and Medicinal Aromas.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Burnt Toast, Yeast, Dough, Cold Smoke, Ashes, Straw, Iodine, Dirty Earth, Caramel, Green Apple, Raw Fish and Meat and Dried Herbs.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Pear, Banana, Floral Soap, Burnt Plants, Refill Oak, Cardboard, Nutshells, Pine, Dusty Shelves, Cappuccino and PVC Pipes.


Palate:

Young, Thin and Hot. Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Cold Smoke, Dirty Earth, Ashes, Tar, Iodine, Toasted Refill Oak, Caramel, Dried Herbs, Green Apple, Lemon, Smoked Meat, Pepper, Ginger and Cocoa Powder.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Salted Nuts, Pear, PVC Pipes, Iron, Floral Soap, Aniseed, Licorice and Artificially Flavoured Candies.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and quite Hot. A few Sour and Salty notes as well towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Cold Smoke, Dry Earth, Straw, Burnt Grass, Ashes, Wet Newspaper, Toasted Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Iodine, Lemon, Plastic, Iron, Licorice, Stale Espresso, Raw Fish and Meat, Grapefruit, Green Apple and Artificially Flavoured Candies.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water totally kills this Single Malt.

Rating: 78

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience:

Okay. Too Young and Too Hot.

Conclusion:

Tomintoul is a relatively young distillery that was founded in 1965. It is located in Ballindalloch and is owned since 2000 by Angus Dundee Distillers. Substantial quantities of the Tomintoul Spirit are used in Blends like Dundee, Big Ben and Scottish Royal. The "With a Peaty Tang" was released in 2008 and forms the peated output of Tomintoul alongside Old Ballantruan.

This Tomintoul is a close imitation of a very young Islay. Ardbeg comes to mind. As most of you will know I love well matured Islay Malts but I'm not very keen on these very young peated malts. It's almost like drinking peated Barley Water or Wash. I also get too many off-notes like Plastic, Metal and Burnt Plants. If you like this kind of Whisky you should certainly give this Tomintoul a chance as an alternative to young Islay Malts. But personally I won't come near the Peaty Tang anytime soon. Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      May 28, 2018

Glenmorangie Signet Review


“Sweet Like Chocolate”

Whisky Review # 731

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands 
Brand: Glenmorangie Signet 
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS 
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Refill Bourbon, Virgin Oak, Oloroso Wood and Red Wine Barrels   
Chill Filtration: No     
Price Range: US$ 150-170 (May 2018).
Buying Advice: 😐 Very Nice Malt if you like the specific Aroma/Flavour profile. A bit too one-sided for my personal taste.

Colour

Mahogany (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

The Signet is a NAS Whisky but on the Nose you immediately get the feeling that some mature Spirit and good casks were used. It's quite Sweet and Fruity and the influence of Virgin casks, Sherry Wood and Red Wine is noticeable. 

Main Aromas:

Toasted Malt, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Figs, Blackcurrants and Plums, Red Grapes, Orange Peel, Banana, Toasted Nuts, Milk Chocolate, Roasted Coffee Beans and Cinnamon.        

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caramel, Golden Syrup, Tinned Pineapple, Bourbon, Tobacco, Floral Perfume, Ginger, Fresh Mint and Oak.       


Palate:

Quite Sweet but with a few Bitter and Sour notes as well. The Oak is noticeable by now. Quite Dry, Nutty and Tannic.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Malt, Vanilla, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Dried Fruit like Blackcurrants, Rum Soaked Raisins & Sultanas, Blackcurrant Preserve, Citrus Peel, Grapefruit, Roasted Nuts, Roasted Coffee Beans, Dark Chocolate and Cinnamon.             

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Golden Syrup, Toffee, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Menthol/Aniseed, Charred Oak, Tobacco and Licorice.   



Finish:

Middle-Long and mainly Bitter Sweet. A few Sour notes as well. Quite Dry and Tannic in the final stages. The Wood is more present as well. I find Malt, Dried Fruit like Plums, Sultanas and Blackcurrants, Toffee, Vanilla, Hazelnuts, Dark Chocolate, Citrus Peel, Grapefruit, Herbs, Menthol, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Aniseed, Licorice, Strong Espresso, Ripe Banana, Red Wine and Tobacco.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and Milk Chocolate, Caffe Latte and Peach Jam develop. A hint of Bounty Candy Bars as well. On the Palate and in the Finish Wood and Wood Spice start to dominate. A little Rubber and/or PVC Pipes as well. I think the Nose improves with a little Water but the same does not apply for Palate and Finish. Still, you can certainly experiment with a few drops here and there. 

Rating: 86 

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


Drinking Experience:

Good.

Conclusion:

The Signet was launched in 2008. It is made with two different types of Barley i.e. around 20% of Malted "Chocolate" Barley that is normally used for Stout Beer production and 80% of Roasted Single Estate Cadboll Barley that has been dried at a higher temperature and deeply roasted. A mixture of Refill Bourbon casks, Virgin Oak, Sherry casks and Red Wine Barrels are used to mature the Signet. And although it's a NAS Whisky it is said to contain some 35-40 Years old Glenmorangie Spirit as well. The name Signet originates from the Hilton of Cadboll Stone, a work of Art dating back to around 800 AD that can be found around 15 km southeast of Tain, close to the Glenmorangie distillery.

The Signet is a designed Whisky made by Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie's Master of Whisky Creation. The roasted Barley, the special casks and the use of some very old Glenmorangie Spirit give the Signet a very specific Aroma and Flavour profile, dominated by Dried Fruits, Nuts, Chocolate, Wood and Wood Spices. As such it will surely be appreciated by Sherry, Port And other Fortified Wine fans. A great Christmas after dinner Whisky to be enjoyed with good Dark Chocolate, Coffee and perhaps a cigar. Would I buy a full bottle? No. I think it's a very nice and well-made Single Malt but it's a bit of a one trick pony without too much complexity, depth and balance.   


The Pictures were taken during our visit to Glenmorangie in May 2017

Jura Elixir 12 Years Review - Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd Edition Review - Port Askaig 100 Proof Review


Introduction:

Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. I usually buy these in Holland and sometimes in Germany or the UK. Sometimes I receive samples from friends or readers or independent bottlers. In only two cases I received a few samples directly from distilleries. When planning my reviews I always try to give attention to all Scottish Whisky regions as well as most of the other Whisky/Whiskey/Bourbon producing regions all over the world with special attention to the USA, Ireland and Japan. And last but not least the blends. At the request of many readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will review specific distilleries or take a look at specific bottlers, countries, regions or Blends. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate more on the Whisky and won't go into details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In today's Distillery-Special I will review a mixed bag of three Islay/Jura Single Malts.

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Whisky Review # 726

Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands - Islands - Jura
Brand: Jura Elixir
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: White Oak Bourbon Casks (10 Years) and Oloroso Casks (2 Years)
Chill Filtration: Yes           
Price Range: US$ 50-60 (May 2018).
Buying Advice: 😐 Price/Quality Ratio is okay. Jura fans should try it out!

Colour

Copper with shades of Orange (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Sweet and Fruity with a few Bitter and Sour notes for balance. The Sherry Cask is clearly noticeable. I don't find the Cooked Vegetables note that I encounter so often in NAS Jura Malts. I'm not the biggest fan of Jura Noses but this is not too bad.

Main Aromas:

Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Butterscotch, Dairy/Caffe Latte, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Bananas and Dates, Plum Liqueur, Toasted Almonds, Seville Oranges, Slightly Sour Grapes, Nuts, Cloves and Dark Chocolate.  
      
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Marzipan, Nougat, Apple, Pineapple, Sherry, Fresh Herbs, Musty Oak, Cinnamon, Ginger, Dough, Straw, Earth and Tobacco. A very distant Peat fire.


Palate:

The Delivery is a bit on the Thin side. There is also a 46% expression on the market so by all means look for that one if you like the general Aroma/Flavour profile of this Elixir. The Sherry cask is even more noticeable by now. The Elixir is basically Sweet on the Palate but I do find a few Bitter and Sour notes as well.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Apple, Plum Jam, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Caffe Latte, Seville Orange, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg and Cloves.       

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Sherry, Musty Oak, Grapefruit, Lemon, Pineapple, Honey, Tobacco, Licorice, Aniseed, Mint, Earth, Rubber/Plastic, Honey and Peat/Smoke.     

Finish:

Middle-Long and mostly Sweet. A light Bitterness and also a slight Metallic off-note towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Toasted Barley, Caramel, Toffee, Dried Fruit and Nuts, Plum Jam, Yeast, Dried and Fresh Herbs (Mint), Cocoa Powder, Honey, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Nutmeg, Salt, Sherry, Grapefruit, Seville Orange and hints of Peat/Smoke and Aniseed.


Drinking Advice:

Added Water makes the Elixir too Thin in my opinion. Smoke/Peat and Orange develop. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 82.5 

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

Drinking Experience:

Good.

Conclusion:

The Elixir 12 Years was released in 2012. An Elixir is a magical/medicinal potion that gives life to those who need it. Well that's a great description for Whisky I would say. It was released in 2012.

You don't have to wake me up for a dram of Jura in the middle of the night but I will say that the Elixir is one of the more agreeable Single Malts of this island distillery that I have tasted so far. No Cooked Rotten Vegetables or Baby Vomit this time around. The 2 Year Sherry Cask Finish is clearly noticeable and Dried Fruits and Nuts are all over the place. There's hardly any Peat or Smoke around so Peat lovers should look elsewhere. But if you are a Jura fan, you should give the Elixir a chance, also considering that the P/Q ratio is quite reasonable. Let's drive to the ferry now and go to Islay!



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Whisky Review # 727

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Kilchoman 100% Islay - 2nd Edition - Bottled 2012
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (3-4 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks (Mix of First-Fill and Second-Fill)
Chill Filtration: No 
Price Range: Around US$ 75-120 (May 2018). Large price differences!
Buying Advice: 😒 It's not bad but way too expensive for such a Young Malt. 

Colour

Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Light, Young, Fruity and Mostly Sweet. A few Sour notes as well. The Peat and Smoke are quite subdued, certainly when compared to other young Islay Malts. The Alcohol is noticeable of course. It's not unpleasant but you need to be into very Young Single Malt to appreciate it. 

Main Aromas:

Slightly Burnt Toast, Toasted Barley, Soft Sweet Peat, Straw mixed with Horse Manure, Salted Peanuts, Gooseberries, Lemon, Pepper and Cinnamon.     

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Varnish, Iodine, Ashes, Wet Grass, Salted Fish, Vanilla, Dairy, Pear Drops, Green Apples, Coconut Milk and Mint.


Palate:

Very Young and Nervous. The Peat is more noticeable by now. On the Palate the 100% Islay is mostly Bitter-Sweet. I find a few Sour, Acidic and Salty notes as well.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Sweet Peat, light Smoke, Ashes, Soot, Salted Peanuts, Green Banana, Lemon, Bitter Grapefruit Juice, Pineapple, Green Apple, Alcohol, Grass, Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Gasoline, Licorice, Aniseed, Caffe Latte, Dried Herbs, Tobacco, Coconut Milk, Green Apples and Oak Char.       

Finish:

Middle-Long and mostly Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour notes as well towards the Dry end. I pick up a few Metallic off-notes here. I also find Toasted Barley, Soft Peat, Wet Rock, Iodine, light Smoke, Ashes, Soot, Farmyard, Vanilla, Lemon, Green Banana, Pepper, Salt, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Bitter Grapefruit Juice, Milk, Alcohol, Gasoline and Grass.


Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and Cereals, Straw and Peat develop on the Nose. More Peat and Smoke on the Palate and in the Finish as well. Visions of Bitter Lemon (the Softdrink) as well. I suggest to experiment with a few drops at a time.

Rating: 81.5   

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

Drinking Experience:

Okay. Much too Young for my taste. 

Conclusion:

Kilchoman opened in 2005 so it's understandable that they have released scores of Young Whisky so far. This farm distillery is very committed to do as much as possible of their production process on Islay. That's exactly the idea behind the 100% Islay series that was launched for the first time in 2011. Everything was done on Islay from growing barley, malting, distilling, maturation to bottling. A very nice initiative indeed!

There's nothing really wrong with this Kilchoman except for the fact that it's way too Young and Edgy. I did prefer the 6th Edition that I reviewed earlier but in general they have the same common problems. They are too Young and way too expensive for their age, 100% Islay or not. So if you like young Kilchoman I advise you to go for the Machir Bay instead. It might not be 100% Islay but it's a solid Young Kilchoman at a more agreeable price level.



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Whisky Review # 728

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Port Askaig 100 Proof
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 57.1% (Around Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks 
Chill Filtration: No          
Price Range: US$ 50-65 (May 2018).
Buying Advice: 😃 Good P/Q ratio. Nice Day-to-Day Young Islay Malt.

Colour

Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Light, Young and a little Edgy. The Oak influence is hardly noticeable. This Malt could be anywhere between 5 and 10 Years in my opinion. The Alcohol is there of course but not in an all too aggressive way. Most of the Aromas mentioned below are mere hints and suggestions. Barley, Peat, Apple and some Mineral and Coastal notes are the main drivers. The Nose is the weakest part of this Malt.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Toast, Earthy Peat, Straw, Grass, Cold Smoke, Wet Rocks and Sand, Lemon, Green Apple, Cinnamon and Herbs.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Iodine, Soot, Salted Nuts, Tobacco, Rubber, Raw Meat, Cheese, Fish/Shellfish on the BBQ, Floral Soap and Milk Chocolate.


Palate:

Good Delivery. The Alcohol is strong of course but it doesn't really bother me. The Creamy Palate is much more expressive than the Nose. Much Sweeter as well. It still feels relatively Young though.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Sweet Earthy Peat, Cold Smoke, Soot, Ashes, Rubber, Charred Oak, Salted Caramel, Wet Rocks, Green Apple, Lemon, Salted Fish/Shellfish on the BBQ, Raw Meat/Ham, Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Straw, Grass, Floral Soap, Tobacco, Licorice, Caffe Latte, Hazelnut-Chocolate, Cloves and Mustard.

Finish:

Medium-Long, Young, Bitter-Sweet, Meaty, Creamy and Dry towards the end. I find Toasted Cereals, Sweet Peat, Cold Smoke, Ashes, Soot, Brine, Iodine, Band-Aid, Rubber, Charred Oak, Salted Fish/Shellfish on the BBQ, Raw Beef, Salted Caramel, Green Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Honey, Tobacco, Licorice and Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate.


Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and Peat, Soot and Lemon develop on the Nose. Palate and Finish get very Spicy with developing Chili Pepper, Menthol and Aniseed. I prefer to sip it neat but it's certainly interesting to add a few drops!   

Rating: 84.5    

Nose: 20.5- Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 21 

Drinking Experience:

Good

Conclusion:

Caol Ila is the distillery closest to Port Askaig so it's more than reasonable to suggest that the Port Askaig 100 Proof was distilled there. The US readers might wonder why 100 Proof does not translate to an ABV of 50% but that's because Port Askaig used the old English Proof calculation for Whisky. They did that as to show that this Single Malt resembles old-school Islay Whisky.

This Port Askaig has two faces really. The Nose is very introvert and doesn't show its hand. It's only on the Palate and in the Finish that this Port Askaig starts to shine. If you like Young but not too Young Islay Whisky you can go for this Port Askaig, even more so when you consider the very reasonable P/Q ratio. When Young Islay is concerned I usually prefer the Vintage Distillery Bottlings. But I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by this Port Askaig. A pity that the Nose is not very expressive. But otherwise it's a nice alternative if you're looking for a reasonably priced peated daily dram!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     May 10, 2018



The pictures were taken during our visits to these distilleries in May 2014 and May 2017.