Glendalough 13 Years Review - Bushmills 16 Years Review - Teeling Small Batch Review

“Ireland Special”

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 country like today or with specific bottlers, regions 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. Today's special will look at 3 Irish Whiskeys. Enjoy!

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Whisky Review # 689

Country: Ireland

Distillery: Cooley 

Brand: Glendalough

Type: Single Malt Whiskey 
Age: 13 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%

Maturation: Apparently First-Fill Bourbon casks 

Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 75-100 (February 2018)     

Buying Advice: 😒 Too expensive for what it offers. 

Colour: Light Golden (Uncoloured or Perhaps lightly Coloured)

Nose: There's a first waft of Varnish or Thinner but it decreases over time so be sure to give this Glendalough enough time in the glass. I must admit that I most likely wouldn't have identified this as a Single Malt in a Blind tasting as I get a distinct Cereals Aroma. Some First-Fill casks are clearly recognisable via lots of Vanilla and Cinnamon. I also find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Porridge, Grass, Straw, Resin, Apple Pie with Nuts, Lemon, Tangerine, Tinned Pineapple, Milk, Fresh Herbs, Mint and hints of Clove and Banana Ice Cream. Most of these Aromas are quite muted. The Nose is quite similar to the 7 Years. Perhaps a bit less Edgy and not quite as Fruity. The Alcohol is still noticeable despite the 13 years in the casks.

Palate: Bitter-Sweet and a little Unfinished. The similarities to the 7 years are quite remarkable. I find Malted Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, Heather-Honey, Hay, Grass, Vanilla, Varnish, Nuts, Pear, Banana, Lemon, Grapefruit, Seville Oranges, Charred Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Herbal Tea and a hint of Chocolate.     

Finish: Short, slightly Bitter and quite Hot and Spicy. Again, the Alcohol is quite present. I find Varnish, Thinner, Cereals, Vanilla, Caramel, Charred New Oak, Lemon, Grapefruit, Grass, Pear, Apple, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, a few Mineral and Metallic notes and hints of Tinned Pineapple and Milk Chocolate. Again, quite similar to the 7 Years. The extra six years of cask time didn't do a whole lot extra to the Spirit. I wonder if all casks used were in fact First-Fill.  

Rating: 80.5      

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

Conclusion:

Quite disappointing really. At this price-level you would expect a better quality product. I'm not sure if it's the Spirit or the casks or both but there are quite a few weird off-notes to be found. The 13 Years is also remarkably comparable to its younger sister, the 7 years. So I would suspect that at least a part of the casks was not very active. I'm not really a big fan of most of the Irish Whiskeys as I consider them to be blend when compared to Scottish Malts. There are some exceptions of course like the Bushmills 21 Years but this Glendalough 13 Years just doesn't work for me, certainly not at his price level.

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Whisky Review # 690

Country: Ireland

Distillery: Bushmills

Brand: Bushmills

Type: Single Malt Whiskey
Age: 16 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%

Maturation: Bourbon and Oloroso casks with 6-9 months Port Wine Finish  

Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 90-110 (February 2018)     

Buying Advice: 😐 Good if you like Port Wine. I prefer the 21 Years! 

Colour: Golden Amber with shades of Red (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Quite a difference with the Glendalough as could be expected of course given the totally different maturation process. The Sweetness of the Oloroso and Port casks is quite overwhelming. In the 21 Years I found more balance between Spirit and casks. Still, if you love Whisky, Sherry, Port Wine and Madeira you're gonna love this Bushmills 16. I find Dark Red Fruit like Berries, Cherries and Red Grapes. I also detect Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Maple Syrup, Dried Fruit like Apricot, Apple and Banana, Papaya Cream with Cassis, Dusty Road, Orange Flavoured Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, light Menthol and hints of Tobacco, Marzipan and Espresso. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. As the ABV is clearly too low for a Whiskey of this age, you actually get the feeling you are Nosing a Fortified wine. I clearly miss a bit of balance here. 

Palate: The delivery is way too Thin as a result of the low ABV. The Fortified Wine influence remains very strong. From time to time It reminds me of older Bourbon as well. I find Malted Barley, Toast, Vanilla, Dark Red Berries, Toffee, Dark Chocolate, Rum Soaked Sultanas and Raisins, Red Wine, Nuts, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Grapefruit Juice, Licorice, Tobacco and Herbal Tea.         

Finish: Middle-Long and Very Sweet. Some Bitter and Sour Fortified Wine notes towards the Dry end. I find Sweet Barley, Heather-Honey, Dark Red Berries, Port Wine, Orange-Flavoured Bitter Chocolate, Rum, Nuts and Dried Fruit, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Licorice, Menthol, Herbal Tea, Creme de Cassis and hints of Tobacco, old Dusty Leather, Resin, Struck Matches and Strong Espresso.        

Rating: 82.5     

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

Conclusion:

Like the 21 Years, the Bushmills 16 Years suffers from the ridiculously low ABV. They both easily deserve 46%. The 16 Years has one other major flaw when compared to the 21. It misses balance. The Oloroso, and, even more so, the Port pipes take total control over the Spirit. It's not at all a bad Single Malt and Fortified Wine lovers should certainly have a go at it. But for me it's a little over the top. I'll stick to the 21 Years if I want to drink a well-matured and balanced Bushmills.

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Whisky Review # 691

Country: Ireland

Produced by: The Teeling Whiskey Company
Distillery: Cooley

Brand: Teeling Small Batch (Bottled 2015)

Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%

Maturation: Refill Bourbon casks with Rum Cask Finish

Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 35-45 (February 2018)     

Buying Advice: 😒 Not a sipping Whiskey. Suited for mixing.

Colour: Golden (Possibly lightly Coloured)

Nose: Be sure to give this Teeling sufficient air time to get rid of strong initial wafts of Alcohol and Thinner/Nail Polish Remover. The Grain Alcohol is clearly noticeable despite the slightly higher (35%) Malt content of this Blend. I get lots of (Tropical) Fruit Aromas but they are more artificial like in Candies. I find Pear, Apple, Pineapple, Mango and Blackberry. I also get Toast and Margarine, Icing Sugar, Vanilla, Toasted Cereals, Refill Oak, Grass, Straw, Nuts, Dusty Road, Orange Peel, Resin, Dried Fruit like Apricot and Raisin, Lemon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Grapefruit Juice, Young White Rum and a few Floral notes. Moist of these Aromas are mere hints. The main drivers are Grain Alcohol and Fruit Candy.

Palate: Young, Thin and Sugary Sweet. Almost like Young White Rum. I find Toasted Cereals, Grain Alcohol, Candies with Artificial Fruit Flavours, Apple-Vinegar, Grapefruit Juice, Lemon, Caramel, Vanilla, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Paint Thinner, Grass, Straw, Refill Oak, Resin and Herbal Tea.       

Finish: Middle-Long and Sugary Sweet. More Bitter - and Herbal notes towards the Dry end. A light Alcohol bite. I find Toasted Cereals, Grain Alcohol, Caramel, Lemon, Seville Orange, Candies with Artificial Fruit Flavours, Refill Oak, Cider, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Cinnamon, Grass, Paint Thinner and Vanilla.   

Rating: 77.5      

Nose: 20 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5     

Conclusion:

I understand this Blend has a 35/65 Malt to Grain Proportion. I'm pretty sure that Corn is part of the Mash bill. After around 6 years of maturation the Malt and Grain Whiskeys are married and then finished for another 6 months or so in Ex-Rum casks from Central America. I'm not impressed by this Teeling. It often feels like a Young White Rum and it's totally dominated by Grain Alcohol and Candies with Artificial (Tropical) Fruit Flavours. Not good enough as a Sipping Whiskey. This is for Mixing Purposes only. To end up on a positive note: The Bottle, Label and Packaging are really nice!
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Drinking Advice:

Due to the fact that I merely had small samples at my disposal, I only Nosed and Tasted these three Irish Whiskeys neat. As most of you know by now, I'm not a particular fan of Irish Whiskey in general although I did taste a few very nice ones. I'm sorry to say that the three expressions tasted today were not able to change my general opinion in this respect.

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 22, 2018

Cooley Distillery

Glenmorangie Bacalta Review

“Crossing the Lines”

Whisky Review # 688

Country: Scotland

Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Glenmorangie Bacalta (Private Edition range) 

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Bourbon casks with Madeira Finish 
Chill Filtration: No     
Price Range: US Dollars 85-110 (February 2018). 
Buying Advice: 😏 Interesting for Liqueurs - and Fortified Wine lovers!   

Colour: Light Golden (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: This is very Sweet. The influence of the Madeira casks is very strong. This Bacalta sits in the vast No Man's Land between Whisky and Liqueur or Fortified Wine. Your Nose is welcomed by loads of Sweet Dried Fruit like Dates, Raisins and Apricots, all soaked in Rum or Liqueur. All this Sweetness can't hide the fact that we are talking about a relatively Young Glenmorangie Spirit. I know that the Finish took 2 years but I would guess that the Spirit matured in Bourbon casks for 6-8 Years maximum. As a result the Alcohol is quite present. In addition to the Above mentioned Aromas I also find Sweet Barley, Caramel, Buttered Toast, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Bounty Candy Bars, Sugared Almonds, Plum Jam, Sweet Apple, Banana, Hay, Orange, Dusty Road, Cinnamon, light Menthol, light Licorice and a hint of Green Tobacco. It's not bad but not quite my thing either!

Palate: The delivery is a little Thin despite the adequate ABV. It's mostly Sweet with a few Sour, Herbal and Spicy notes. The Alcohol is quite present again I'm afraid. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Toffee, Caramel, Heather-Honey, Milk Chocolate, The Dried Fruit from the Nose, Sugared Almonds, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Menthol, Licorice, Sugared Orange Peel, Banana, Charred Oak, Dusty Road, Dried Herbs and hints of Papaya Cream, Green Tobacco and Nail Polish Remover.   

Finish: Middle-Long, Sweet, Sour and Dry with an increasing Bitterness towards the end. The Alcohol bite is noticeable. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Toffee, Caramel, Banana, Apple, Nectarine, Sugared Orange Peel, Nuts, Heather-Honey, Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove, Licorice, Menthol, Cinnamon, Fortified Wine and hints of Black Espresso and Nail Polish Remover.  

Drinking Advice:

The Bacalta does not improve with added Water. 

Rating: 83   

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

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The production at this Tain based Distillery started in November 1849. By the end of the 1930's the McDonald family took control of Glenmorangie. They only sold the distillery to Vuitton/Moet Hennessy in 2004. Since 1994, Glenmorangie has been very actively experimenting with different Wood Finishes. The current core range includes the Original 10 Years, the 18 years, the Signet and three 12 Year old Wood Finishes i.e. the Quinta Ruban (Port), the Lasanta (Sherry) and the Nectar d' Or (Sauternes). In the last years however, Glenmorangie launched a large number of Special editions and Travel Retail specials. Currently, around 5,5 million litres of Spirit are produced. We visited the distillery in May 2017. The whole place looks impeccable and the Still House (Cathedral), VC and Shop are a true feast to the eye. It's almost a bit too polished for my taste. It's really the complete opposite of a visit to Springbank in Campbeltown. And, to be honest, I prefer the latter!

The Bacalta (Gaelic for Baked) is one of the latest additions to the Glenmorangie Private Edition Range. It was launched in 2017 as were the Astar and the Pride. It is the first Single Malt of this Distillery that was finished in sun-baked Malmsey Madeira casks.

Visit May 2017

🍷  The Spirit:  

The distillery operates six pairs of Stills, beautifully lined up in the Cathedral Still House. The Lyne arms are partly straight or with a slightly upwards angle. The stills are the tallest ones in Scotland. They produce a Sweet, light-bodied spirit with Floral, Nutty and Citrus notes. Water is sourced from the Tarlogie Spring.

🌲  The Wood:

The Spirit for the Bacalta first matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. We don't know for how long but my guess would be 6-8 years. The Finish is very special indeed. The casks were made of slow-growth, air seasoned American White Oak. The casks were heavily charred and then transported to Madeira where they were seasoned with Malmsey, the sweetest and best-liked Madeira. The casks were then stored in the rafter of vineyards. This way, the warmth of the sun matures the wine inside. After a few years the casks were shipped to Scotland and the Spirit matured a further 2 years in these casks.

Drinking Experience: Interesting.

Conclusion: There are no laws that prescribe what exact type of wooden casks should or should not be used for the maturation/finishing of Whisky. History has shown that Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks usually give the best results. But it is logical and commendable that distilleries are always looking for innovations in this respect. And Glenmorangie has always been very active in this field. And there are times this works out quite well. The Port Finished Quinta Ruban and the Sauternes finished Nectar d' Or are highly successful and are part of the core range of the Distillery. In my opinion this kind of finishing generally works when the Finish adds an extra touch to the original distillery character. It does not work as far as I'm concerned when the Finish takes total control and leaves the Spirit in the No Man's Land between Whisky, Liqueur and Fortified Wine. I believe the latter is the case with the Bacalta. There are interesting Aromas and Flavours, I won't deny that. And many people might like the Sweetness. But to me it's just a young Glenmorangie, totally controlled by Madeira sweetness. I think Glenmorangie crossed the thin line with the Bacalta. I will eat my French Fries with Mayonnaise or Tomato Ketchup or Mustard or Spicy Curry. But not with Whipped Cream!

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 19, 2017

Visit May 2017

Glencadam 15 Years Review

“Room For Improvement” 

Whisky Review # 687

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands

Brand: Glencadam 

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 15 Years 

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Bourbon casks  
Chill Filtration: No      
Price Range: Around US$ 60 (February 2018). 
Buying Advice: 😐 Price Quality ratio is okay. Misses the Wow factor.   

Colour: Light Golden (Natural Colour)

Nose: Quite clean and unpretentious. Not a whole lot going on. I'm pretty sure that Refill Bourbon casks were used for maturation. I don't detect off-notes but the Alcohol is noticeable. I find Malted Cereals, Toast and Margarine, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Salted Caramel, Toasted Nuts, Fresh Dough, Wood Pellets, Hay, Grass, Green Apple, Strawberry Jam, slightly Sour Citrus (Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon), Oak Char, Dusty Sand Road, Mint/Menthol, Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove and light Pepper.     

Palate: The delivery is a little Thin despite the adequate ABV. The Alcohol is too present here as well. Other than that it's all pretty clean and straight-forward without any surprises. I find Sweet Malted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Oak Char, Bounty Candy Bars, Green Apples, slightly Sour Citrus (Grapefruit, Lemon and Orange), Grass, Hay, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Clove, Herbal Tea, Menthol and again this hint of Strawberry - or Raspberry Jam.

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter Sweet. The Bitterness increases towards the Dry end. The Alcohol burns a bit but the sensation is not too bad. A Metallic off-note is noticeable as well. I find Sweet Malted Cereals, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Oak Char, Grapefruit Juice, Bitter Oranges, Lemon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Menthol, Cinnamon, Resin and hints of Caffe Latte, Strawberry Jam and Cassis Liqueur.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and the Nose becomes very Grassy. On the Palate and in the Finish the Alcohol retreats somewhat but Menthol and Wood Spice become pretty dominant. You can add a few drops if you like but personally I prefer to sip it neat.  

Rating: 82.5    

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

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The Glencadam Distillery is located in Brechin (Angus) close to the (small) river Esk. The Distillery was built in 1825. Since 1954 it was subsequently owned by Hiram Walker and Allied Lyons and was mainly used in Blends like Ballantine's, Teacher's and Cream of the Barley. It was mothballed in 2000 and things looked bad until Angus Dundee Distillers bought it in 2003 and brought it back to Single Malt status although it's still used in many Blends as well (Parker's, Dundee, Angus). Glencadam calls its whisky "The Rather Delicate Highland Malt". They currently produce 1,3 million litres per year. The current core range includes the Origin 1825, the 10, 13, 15, 21 and 25 Years. The distillery has sufficient old stocks to be able to offer a wide range of vintage Single Malts. 

The Glencadam 15 was first released in 2005 but a redesigned 46% expression was launched in 2008 and that's the one I'm tasting today.

🍷  The Spirit:  

Glencadam operates one pair of stills with Lyne arms that run upwards at an angle of 15 degrees producing a medium-bodied, medium Sweet, Fruity, Creamy and Nutty Spirit. The Water is sourced from Springs in the Unthank Hills.

🌲  The Wood:

The Glencadam 15 Years matured in (mostly refill) Ex-Bourbon casks. 

Drinking Experience: Good but not very interesting.

Conclusion: The Glencadam 15 is a pretty straightforward, no non-sense Single Malt with a good Price/Quality ratio. It does have a few flaws though and in my opinion they are caused by indifferent cask management. I miss the rich Aromas and Flavours that good Bourbon casks can bring. The basics are there but in a  sort of muted way. Another issue is the Alcohol that is too present everywhere but especially in the Finish. I also don't care for the slight Metallic off-note in that department. Glencadam is certainly going in the right direction. They do not add Caramel and all Single Malts are non Chill-Filtered. The ABV is adequate as well. Glencadam has a long history of producing Spirit for Blended Whisky. We all know that cask management is not a big issue there. But if you really want to conquer a lasting place in the Single Malt market the cask choice does become very important. As it stands today, the Glencadam 15 Years is an alright Single Malt but nothing special. There's certainly room for improvement. The Fruity Glencadam Spirit deserves it!

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 15, 2018

Talisker Distillers Edition 2000 Review

“When Speyside Meets Skye”

Whisky Review # 686

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands - Islands - Skye

Brand: Talisker Distillers Edition 2000 

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 11 Years (Bottled in 2011)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 45.8%
Maturation: Bourbons casks with Oloroso Finish. 
Chill Filtration: Yes      
Price Range: US$ 180-250 (February 2018). 
Buying Advice: 😐 Neutral. Good Malt but quite expensive right now.  

Colour: Chestnut/Dark Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: I was expecting a Talisker 10 with a bit of Sherry influence but that's not the case. My first impression is a bag of mixed Sweet Dried Fruit. They are all there, the Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots, Apples, Figs and Prunes. The Sherry casks must have been quite active. I also find Salted Caramel, Barley Sugar, Toffee, Brown Sugar, Sugared Almonds, Orange Marmalade and Vanilla. It is a Talisker of course so I also find Bonfire Smoke, Wet Earth, Wet Rocks, Ashes, Dusty Old Books, Iodine, Diesel and Soot. But all these notes are muted unlike in the 10 years. On the Nose, this DE is quite Sweet but there are a few slightly Sour Red Wine notes as well. If you take your time you might also find traces of Leather, Licorice, Aniseed, Cinnamon, (Lemon) Pepper, Mint, Coffee Beans (Not Roasted), Olive Oil, Floral Soap and Tobacco. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. There's a lot to discover on the Nose of this Talisker if you take your time. But somehow I feel that the Amoroso casks might have absorbed a bit too much of the original Talisker distillery character. It would be interesting to see how this Single Malt would smell and taste after a reduced Sherry Finish of say six months.

Visit May 2017

Palate: The delivery is good thanks to the adequate ABV. On the Palate and in the Finish I find more balance between the Distillery character and the Sherry. On the Palate this Talisker is mainly Bitter-Sweet with a few slightly Sour Red Wine notes as well. I find Sweet Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Orange Marmalade, Dried Fruits and Nuts like Raisins, Sultanas, Plums, Apples and Almonds, Lemon, light Campfire Smoke, Earthy Peat, Ashes, Iodine, Soot, Charred Oak, Leather, Herbal Tea, Clove, Pepper, Cinnamon, Licorice and hints of Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup, Espresso and Mustard Seeds.   

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet with a nice Jalapeno blast towards the Dry end. I also find Sweet Malted Barley, Toffee, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Apple-Raisin Pie, light Campfire Smoke, Sweet Earthy Peat, Ashes, Soot, Salted Fish, Diesel, Dark Chocolate and Bacon. Some Citrus, Charred Oak, Leather, Menthol, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Dried Herbs and Licorice. Hints of Espresso and Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup.     

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and on the Nose you get something like Burnt Oranges. Both Palate and Finish accept a few drops if you like. Don't overdo it as you will get a little Plastic on the Finish. As usual, I prefer to sip it neat. 

Rating: 85.5    

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

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The distillery is located in Carbost on the Isle of Skye and was founded in 1830. The current owners are Diageo. Despite the remote location, Talisker receives lots of visitors and the Shop and VC were recently refurnished. We visited the distillery in May this year and it was crowded! We didn't like the Tour a lot. You are not allowed to take pictures and mill and casks can only be seen behind glass. You can't get very close to the stills as well. It was nice to have a close look at the wooden worm tubs outside. The subsequent Tasting was really nice though and we spend almost an hour in a separate room tasting six different Taliskers. If you're on Skye you should certainly pay Talisker a visit.

This Distillers Edition was produced in 2000 and bottled in 2011.

Tasting during Visit May 2017

🍷  The Spirit:  

Talisker operates two wash stills and three spirit stills. The Lyne arms of the wash stills make a peculiar U bend that increases the contact of the spirit with the copper. The fermentation time is long. The stills produce a lightly peated full-bodied Spicy and Peppery Whisky. The Water is sourced from the Springs on Cnoc Nan Speirag just above the distillery.

Visit May 2017

🌲  The Wood:

The Spirit for this 2000 DE matured for 10 years in Bourbon casks before being finished for one year in Amoroso casks. Amoroso is a sweetened Oloroso Sherry. 

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion: The Talisker DE 2000 is a good Single Malt. To me, the Sherry is a little too present on the Nose but many people might actually like that. On the Palate and in the Finish there's more balance between Sherry cask and Talisker character. I would never say no if someone would offer me a glass of the 2000 Talisker Distiller's Edition. On the other hand there's nothing that beats the 10 Years if you want Wild & Exciting and the 18 Years if you're into Silky pleasure. I would be totally happy if Talisker would only produce these two classics. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 12, 2018

Visit May 2017