Linkwood 1997 (Brachadair)

“Raspberry Beret” 

Whisky Review # 1039

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: Linkwood 1997

Bottled By: Brachadair, Belgium in October 2016 - 120 Bottles - Cask # 10646

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky

Age: 19 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 52.6% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Hogshead

Chill Filtration: No 

Price Average: US$ 140 (Oktober 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good

Buying Advice: 👍 Very Fruity Bourbon-Matured Speyside Malt

Color:

Pale White Wine/Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Please give this Linkwood some time in the glass before nosing and avoid to nose in the middle of your glass. The Nose is quite Fruity and not very Oaky leading me to the conclusion that Cask # 10646 was not a very active one. Besides Fruit you will also find quite a few Malty, Yeasty and Grassy notes. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Yeast, Grass and Straw, Banana Ice-Cream, Green Apple, Pear, Strawberry-Flavored Yogurt, Fruit Flavored Candies like Peach, Lemon, Melon and Pineapple, Cinnamon and Ginger.   

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Bread, Dough, Caramel, Sugared Almonds, Nougat, Marzipan, Dusty Oak, Earth, Fresh Herbs, Orange, Raspberry, Mint and light Licorice.    

Palate:

Oily, Waxy, quite Fruity and Bitter-Sweet-Sour. The Alcohol remains noticeable but other than that it's quite agreeable.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Wax, Vanilla, Sugared Almonds,  Grass & Straw, Strawberry and Raspberry flavored Yogurt, Fruit Flavored Candies (Lemon, Melon, Pineapple, Green Apple, Orange), Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Caramel, Papaya Cream, Bounty Bars, Butter, Floral Soap, Dusty Oak, Ginger, Cloves, Menthol, Aniseed, Cardamom and Licorice.   

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and quite Fruity. Some Sour notes as well. The Alcohol bites a little bit towards the Medium Dry end. I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Grass & Straw, Wax, Fruit-Flavored Candies (Melon, Green Apple, Lemon & Orange), Limoncello, Strawberry-flavored Yogurt,  Floral Soap, Grapefruit Juice, Raspberry, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol, Aniseed and Licorice.  

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Linkwood although it diminishes the Heat of course. I prefer it neat though.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2) 

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7.5 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is  8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

 

Conclusion:

The Linkwood distillery is located in Elgin & was founded in 1821 by Peter Brown. Their Spirit has always been an important part of many Blended Whiskies. The only official core bottling is the 12 Year old Flora and Fauna. There are many independent bottlings around like the one I am reviewing today. The average production amounts to around 4 million litres per year. Linkwood is owned by the Diageo Group.

I can understand that the Fruity distillery-character attracts the makers of Blends like Bell's, Haig and White Horse. It's a pity though that almost all of the Linkwood production is destined for these Blends. In my opinion it's authentic enough to be able to shine as a Single Malt as well, especially when paired to first class Ex-Bourbon casks. Because I do feel that the cask used for this Brachadair expression could have been a bit more active. Nevertheless I will certainly be on the look-out for other independent Linkwood Malts.

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                   Oktober 31, 2024

Strathmill 2006 (Signatory Vintage)

“Dark Side of the Malt”

Whisky Review # 1037

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: Strathmill 2006 - Distilled on 24-10-2006

Bottled By: Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky Company on 12-11-2020

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 7 - 689 Bottles

Age: 14 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 61% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Sherry Butts with 11 Months Fresh Sherry Butt Finish

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 100-115 (October 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay
Buying Advice: 😐 Oloroso fans will love it but it's a bit one-sided for me

Colour: Mahogany/Brown (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The ABV is very high so I would advise you to refrain from Nosing in the middle of your glass. The Sherry influence is strong as was to be expected. This Strathmill is loaded with Dark and Earthy notes. It's quite Sweet with a few Sour notes in the background. I detect a bit of Sulphur as well. I'm also not too fond of the Varnish and New Oak notes. There are lots of notes and hints to be found but I would not rate the Nose as complex as practically all Aromas are linked to Sherry.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Resin, Dried Fruit like Plums, Raisins, Figs and Prunes, Dark Berries & Cherries, Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Orange, Grass and Straw, Musty (New) Oak, Varnish, Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg and Mint.

    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Nougat, Floral Perfume, Red Apple, Lemon, Cassis Liqueur, Dusty Earth, Sour Grapefruit, Dried Herbs, Tobacco, Rubber, Gas Station, Leather, Ginger, Cardamon and Cinnamon.

Palate:

On the Palate this Strathmill feels Younger than its Stated Age. The Alcohol is very strong and makes the Tasting a bit of a Rough ride. The Palate is a mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes and is quite Dry.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Treacle, Demerara Sugar, Dried Fruit like Apricots, Raisins, Figs and Plums, Dark Red Fruit, Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Grass and Straw, Resin, Dusty Earth, Dark Espresso, Wood Polish, Oak, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cloves and Pepper.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Nougat, Red Apple, Sour Cherries, Cassis Liqueur, Tobacco, Leather, Floral Perfume, Wet Pebbles, Grapefruit, Orange, Rum, Licorice, Aniseed, Ginger, Cinnamon and Menthol.

Finish:

Middle-Long and mainly Sweet. Developing Bitter and Sour notes towards the very Dry end. The Alcohol is quite strong. I find Malted Barley, Caramel, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Treacle, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Figs and Plums, Sour Dark Cherries, Cassis Liqueur, Orange, Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Strong Black Tea/Espresso, Resin, Dusty Earth, Oak, Tobacco, Leather, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves & Cinnamon. After a while your mouth feels like you've been licking an Ashtray. And the Varnish is back as well.

Drinking Advice:

Adding Water is a must in this case. The Alcohol is simply too strong. The Water not only controls the Alcohol but also enhances the Fruit on the Nose. Some nice Nectarine and Apricot notes are revealed this way. On the Palate the Spirit gets more approachable. The Finish gets more Oak, Spices and additional Bitterness. In this case however I strongly advise you to add Water. Thanks to the added Water I have increased the final Rating with 0.5 points.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course and I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: A challenge due to the very high ABV. 

Conclusion:

The Strathmill distillery was founded in 1891 in Keith and is a part of the Diageo group since 1997. Almost all of the production of around 2 million litres is used for the J&B and Spey Royal Blends. Unfortunately for Diageo the demand for the J&B Blend has declined over the years and it can be expected that the distillery will focus a bit more on Single Malts as well in the future. For the time being the only official bottling is the 12 Year old Flora & Fauna. In 2014 a 25 Year old Special limited release was launched.

The 14 Years I am reviewing today is part of the Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection. It's not a bad Single Malt but it's super heavy on the (Oloroso) Sherry. That's great if you like that of course but to me it's a bit one-sided. And then there's the very high ABV. I can take a bit of heat but in this case it's really just too strong. It needs added water to enjoy. To sum it up, some people will love this Strathmill and others won't. Have a good look at the Aroma and Flavour profile to make sure you would go for a full bottle of this Dark Side of the Malt.👹

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                    October 17, 2024

Caol Ila 2009 (James Eadie)

"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”

Whisky Review # 1034

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Islay

Brand: Caol Ila 2009 - Distilled: 28-10-2009

Bottled By: James Eadie in 2021 - Exclusive Selection for The Netherlands

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 358023 - 367 Bottles

Age: 11 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 56.6% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Cask with 7 months Finish (Refill Palo Cortado Hogshead)
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 90-105 (September 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay

Buying Advice: 👍 Very pleasant Young and slightly Hot Islay Malt

Color:

Yellow Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Pleasant, Light and relatively Young Coastal peated Malt. All the usual Aromas are present. They are mainly Sweet, Fruity, Vegetal and Mineral. A few Musty & Sour notes as well. I almost always like Caol Ila & on the Nose this James Eadie seems to be no exception. The Alcohol does not interfere with the Nosing procedures.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Cold Campfire Smoke, Wet Coastal Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Brine, Iodine, Yeast, Straw and Grass, Bacon and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon & Herbs, Green Apple, Pear, Banana, Charred Oak, Nutmeg and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Burnt Heather, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Brown Sugar, Wet Sand & Paper, Dusty Track, Musty Dunnage, Farmyard, Cooked Vegetables, Sour Grapefruit and Seville  Orange, Tobacco, Leather, Gas Station, Apricot Jam, Cinnamon & Licorice. A hint of Strong Cheese.

Palate:

A pleasant albeit slightly Hot mix of Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Sour and Coastal notes. A few more years in the cask and, as a consequence, a lower ABV could have made this a great Whisky. It's still quite good though and thoroughly enjoyable.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Yeast, Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Iodine, Grass and Straw, Bacon, Fish and Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon & Herbs, Green Apple, Pear, Charred Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Burnt Heather, Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Dusty Track, Wet Sand & Stones, Almonds, Tobacco, Dairy, Dried Fruit like Apricots and Raisins, Papaya Cream with Creme de Cassis, Sour Grapefruit and Seville Orange, Nutmeg, Mint, Aniseed, Licorice, Caffe Latte and Leather.

Finish:

Middle-Long and slightly Hot. Sweet at first but with developing Sour & light Bitter notes towards the Dry end. Its relative Youth is more noticeable now and so is the Alcohol. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Buttered Toast, Burnt Heather, Tar, Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Cigar Ashes, Brine, Iodine, Grass & Straw, Bacon, Fish and Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon & Herbs, Dusty Track, Green Apple, Sour Citrus Fruit, Charred Oak, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mint, Aniseed, Ginger, Licorice, Milk Chocolate and Metal.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and although it does not improve the Nose, it will get you more Fruit on the Palate. But it also alters the Coastal profile of this Caol Ila. I prefer it neat but you can certainly experiment with a little Water.

Rating: 8 (********)

Nose: 8 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is  8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

 

Conclusion:

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 finally became part of Diageo. The distillery was 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 15 years Diageo has made great efforts to position the Distillery as a Single Malt as well. Caol Ila is really beautifully located alongside the strait between the islands of Islay and Jura. The Core range includes the 12, 18 and 25 Years, the Distiller's Edition as well as the NAS Moch. We thoroughly enjoyed both our visits to the distillery in 2014 and 2017 respectively despite the fact that you're not allowed to take pictures. Caol Ila is certainly one of my favorite distilleries and Single Malts.

Caol Ila has become one of my favorite distilleries and this 11 Year old expression by James Eadie does not disappoint. It's still a bit Young and Rough around the edges but quite enjoyable. The Sherry Finish adds just enough Sweetness. If you like Young and peated Islay Whisky you can't go wrong with this one!

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                              September 26, 2024

Blair Athol 2007 (Signatory Vintage)

“That Don’t Impress Me Much”

Whisky Review # 1025

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Southern Highlands

Brand: Blair Athol - Distilled: 07-09-2007

Bottled By: Signatory Vintage SWC Ltd, Pitlochry on 19-01-2022

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 1 - Bottle # 509 of 670

Age: 14 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 54.3% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Hogsheads with 35 months Finish in Fresh Sherry Butt
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!

Average Price: US$ 125 (June 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Rather expensive for what it offers

Buying Advice: 😑 Try a sample first before buying a full bottle

Color:

Golden (Natural Color) - The Sherry Butt did not provide a lot of extra color

Nose:

Please give this Blair Athol enough time in the glass before Nosing and don't nose in the middle of the glass to avoid the initial wafts of Alcohol. The Nose is a Grassy, Fruity and slightly Acidic mix of Sweet & Sour notes. The influence of the Sherry cask Finish is limited. There's a slight edgy "unfinished" feel to the Nose.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Butter Biscuits, Vanilla, Grass, Orange, Mandarin, Nectarine, Slightly Sour Berries, Cherries & Yellow Plums, Milk Chocolate,  Dusty casks in a Dunnage Warehouse, Cinnamon, Mint and Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caramel, Honey, Wax, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Bananas and Figs, Green Apples & Unripe Pears and Bananas, Lemon, Nuts, Fresh Herbs, Acetone, Pork Sausages & Cloves.

Palate:

The slightly Edgy and "Raw" impression remains on the Palate presenting a mix of Bitter, Sweet, Sour & Dusty notes. Dry as well. Spirit & Casks have somehow not managed to produce a sophisticated end product. Something is just not there but it's not easy to pinpoint the problem. I believe that the casks are the main issue in this case.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Slightly Sour Berries, Cherries and Yellow Plums, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Licorice and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Apples, Nuts, Tangerine, Banana, Milk Chocolate, Pork, Herbal Tea, Ginger, Aniseed and Mint.

Finish:

Middle-Long with Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. The Bitterness increases towards the rather Dry end. Still Fruity (Citrusy) but also more Herbal and Spicy at this point with Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Orange, Grapefruit and Lemon, Mixed Dried Fruit and Nuts, slightly Sour Berries, Cherries & Yellow Plums, Banana, Milk Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Pork, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Aniseed, Mint and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the size of the sample I only tasted this Blair Athol neat.

Rating: 7 (*******)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 6.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

 

Conclusion:

Blair Athol was founded in Pitlochry (Pertshire) in 1798 by John Stewart & Robert Robertson, initially under the name Aldour. Only in 1825 did it receive its current name. It was mothballed in 1932 and bought by Arthur Bell & Sons, a family owned Blender. Production restarted in 1949 and from then on and until today Blair Athol became the heart of Bell's Blended Whisky. Eventually, the distillery, via take-overs, became part of Diageo. Only very few Single Malts are launched from time to time by Blair Athol so we mostly depend on independent bottlers in this respect. The only regular official bottling is the 12 Years Flora & Fauna. Blair Athol currently produces around 2.8 million litres of Alcohol per year.

I'm not impressed by this Signatory take on Blair Athol. I think the casks are to blame for this lackluster impression as the spirit itself seems Fruity enough. But somehow the marriage does not work and there's this constant feeling of a half-finished product. It's quite Sour and Acid as well and the Alcohol is never far away. I'm glad I had a sample to try and I would urge you to do the same before buying a full bottle of this Blair Athol.

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                         June 27,2024

Allt-A-Bhainne 2000 (Signatory Vintage)

“The Dark Side of the Malt”

Whisky Review # 1023

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: Allt-A-Bhainne - Distilled: 26-07-2000

Bottled By: Signatory Vintage SWC Ltd, Pitlochry on 28-11-2022

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 9 - Bottle # 183 of 689

Age: 22 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 52.3% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Hogshead with 27 months Finish in Fresh Sherry Butt
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!

Average Price: US$ 220 (June 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay considering the long maturation

Buying Advice: 👍 if you are a true fan of heavy Sherried malts

Color:

Darkest Amber/Brown (Natural Colour) - One of the darkest Malts I've reviewed

Nose:

Be sure to give this Allt-A-Bhainne sufficient time in the glass before Nosing as it opens up slowly. This Allt-A-Bhainne looks and smells Dark and Mature, almost like a Liqueur. It's a classic Sweet Sherry Nose with lots of Dried and Fresh Fruit, Nuts and Caramel. Pretty straight-forward.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Honey, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Dates, Figs, Plums and Apricots, Dark Red Berries & Cherries, Wax, Orange-flavored Dark Chocolate, Oak, Mixed Nuts, Dusty Earth, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mint and Menthol.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Butterscotch, Buttered Toast, Marzipan, Nougat, Brandy, Strawberries and Cream, Dried Herbs, Leather, Tobacco, Cloves and Ginger.

Palate:

The delivery is less compact than you would expect and the Alcohol is noticeable. The Bitter-Sweet Palate basically follows the Nose with all the characteristic Sherry flavors. A few nice Salty and Sour notes. It's well-made but it lacks excitement.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Demerara Sugar, Salted Caramel, Dried Fruit like Plums, Sultanas, Figs & Dates, Dark Red Berries & Cherries, Wax, Orange-flavored Dark Chocolate, Mixed Nuts, Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Leather, Menthol and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Molasses, Toffee, Buttery Puff-Pastry filled with Apricots, Marzipan, Dusty Earth, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger and Tobacco.

        

Finish:

Quite Long with lingering Oak and Spices. A mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. It's rather Dry as well. I find Sweet Barley, Brown Sugar, Syrup, Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Plums, Sultanas and Dates, Dark Red Berries and Cherries, Wax, Orange-flavored Dark Chocolate, Mixed Nuts, Strong Espresso, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Cardamom, Salt, Tobacco, Licorice and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol. It also makes this Single Malt less intense and easier to drink. Better try it out both ways.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 8 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good but unsurprising.

 

Conclusion:

Allt-a-Bhainne was founded in 1975 by Chivas Brothers, basically as a supplier of Malt for their Blends, principally 100 Pipers. It was mothballed between October 2002 and May 2005. A distillery range of Single Malts does not exist so we have to look at Independent Bottlers. It's a very large distillery with two pairs of stills that produce over 4 million litres per year.

This Allt-A-Bhainne is well-made and quite suitable as an after-dinner Malt. It's a typical sherried Speysider/Highlander in the style of Glenfarclas/GlenDronach but darker. But I also found it a bit too straight-forward and "simple" to really impress. Maybe also a bit Over-Sherried if that's a word. Only for true fans of this type of Whisky.

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                         June 6, 2024

Highland Park 2006 (Gordon & MacPhail)

“The Old Fashioned Way”

Whisky Review # 1022

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Highlands - Islands - Orkney

Brand: Highland Park

Matured and Bottled By: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin - Connoisseurs Choice Series

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 4269 - 588 Bottles

Age: 14 Years - Distilled: 22-06-2006 - Bottled: 28-08-2020

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 60.1% (Cask Strength)
Maturation : Refill Sherry Puncheon
Chill Filtration: No

Average Price: US$ 150 (May 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 It's expensive but it does perform

Buying Advice: 👍 If you're into Dirty Malts like Springbank or Ledaig

Color:

Golden Amber (Natural Color)

Nose:

Surprisingly timid despite the high ABV. Quite Dirty as well when compared to the clean mainstream Distillery bottlings. Bits of Sulphur and Phosphorus. The Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated. This HP does not give away its treasures easily so be sure to give it some time in the glass before nosing. You will be rewarded with a Mix of Floral, Fruity, Spicy and Mineral notes with some Coastal influences and some Smoke, Meat and Peat in the background.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Wax, Honey, Meat and Shell-Fish on the BBC with a sprinkle of Lemon & Sea Salt, Grass, Campfire Smoke, Dirty Earth, Green Apple, Charred Oak, Garam Masala, Curry, Fresh Coriander and Cocoa Powder.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanillas, Smoked Ham, Chalk, Spent Matches, Heather, Wet Rocks, Iodine, Mint, White Bread with Banana and Peanut Butter, Homemade Dried Fruit/Nuts Energy Bars, Aniseed, Cinnamon and hints of Leather, Tobacco and Petrol.

 

Palate:

Much stronger than the Nose would suggest. The Alcohol is certainly noticeable by now. The Palate is Bitter-Sweet and quite Dry and there's a Mineral and slightly Acid feel to it. This is no mainstream Viking HP. Lots of Spices and Herbs as well.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Fudge/Caramel, Grass, Campfire Smoke, Dirty Peat, Chalk, Green Apple, Lemon, Wet Rocks, Charred Oak, Dried Herbs, Garam Masala, Curry, Pepper, Ginger and Strawberry Jam.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Buttered Toast, Toffee, Banana Bread, Dried Fruit like Sultanas & Figs, Orange-Flavored Dark Chocolate, Menthol and Licorice.

Finish:

Quite Long and Dry. The Alcohol is quite noticeable at this point. There's a Dirty almost old-fashioned feel to this HP. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Burnt Heather, Campfire Smoke, Dirty Earth, Tar, Soot, Salted Fudge, Smoked Ham, Grass, Green Apple, White Bread and Strawberries, Charred Oak, Banana Bread, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Indian Spices, Pepper, Aniseed, Menthol and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol of course. Nose & Palate do not change all that much but the Finish gets loads of Oak, Spices and Menthol. In this case I would advise you to try it both ways.

Rating: 8 (********)

Nose: 8 - Taste: 8.5 - Finish: 8

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Interesting and Good

Conclusion:

The distillery was founded in 1798 by David Robertson. It is located in the small town of Kirkwall on the isle of Orkney. Orkney is still quite strongly influenced by its Viking past & the distillery has increasingly used this past as a rather successful marketing tool. Highland Park currently produces around 2.5 million litres of Alcohol & is owned since 1997 by the Edrington Group. The core range basically consists of the 12 (Viking Honour), the 15 (Viking Heart), the 18 (Viking Pride), the 21, 25, 30 and 40 years, Cask Strength and Dragon Legend.

We visited Highland Park in May 2019 and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit despite the terrible weather. Orkney is a special place and I understand the tradition and the bond with the Viking ancestors. It's such a pity that the distillery regularly distorts this picture with mediocre, expensive "Cult" Single Malts based on that theme.

This was quite an interesting Tasting experience. Gordon & MacPhail almost never let me down. In this case they show us how Highland Park Malt could and maybe should taste. The distillery seems to be more focused on the mainstream Viking market and probably would not dare to scare off their mainstream followers with a Dirty old fashioned Malt like this. But Gordon & MacPhail can and they deliver. I understand that this expression is not for everyone and it would not sell millions of bottles. But if you like distilleries like Springbank, Glen Scotia and Tobermory you will certainly appreciate this version of a dirty Highland Park. It can't be cheap of course but it's worth the money. As a rule, most distilleries don't make this type of Whisky anymore. And that's a pity!

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                        May 30, 2024