Glenrothes 1995 Artist #12 Over 25 yo

 

 

 

55,5°

Distillery : Glenrothes - Speyside

1st Fill Sherry Butt 

Independent Bottling 

By La Maison du Whisky 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

As part of the 12th release in the Artist range launched in 2011 by La Maison du Whisky, this Glenrothes at least 26 years old is intriguing. Aged in a 1st Fill Sherry Butt, it provided 448 bottles and was included in the Antipodes collection, which is a selection of bottlings showcased by La Maison du Whisky at Whisky Live Paris 2022. It doesn't appear to be a Cask Strength, as it's labelled as such on only one website, and the others are silent, so I've deduced that it isn't, as at such a high alcohol content, a slight reduction is possible.The artwork featured on the label, as on all the Artist bottlings, is entitled Il Giardino segreto della Giapponese, and is produced by Gesine Arps, a German artist. But she lives in Italy.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The Sherry is obviously present, but very balanced, rich and unctuous, with everything you need in a good Sherry, chocolate, red and dried fruits, blood orange, thick caramel, a few notes of cinnamon and ginger, an ounce of rancio. On the palate, it's more nuanced, the Sherry is there, but more vinous, blueberries and blackberries, heather, and in the background we find cereals and coffee. The spices are measured. The finish is long, well-crafted, very fruity with grapes of all colours, tannins, ginger, earth and sandalwood. Brown tobacco.

 

In Short, 

A very fine Sherry, very well balanced but lacking a hint of originality and complexity for my taste. It's very well made, though, and will delight fans of the genre, but the price is so ridiculously high that I wouldn't recommend buying it.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Lucky Lloyd - I Feel the Pain

Ledaig 2005 S Spirits Shop' Selection

 

 

 

55,3°

Distillery : Tobermory - Islands

Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Spirits Shop' Selection 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 37 ppm 

A properly peated Ledaig, matured in a simple Hogshead, this is the kind of stuff I like. 293 bottles are ready to be sold. Taiwanese company Spirits Shop' Selection founded in 2014 is responsible for this package. Unfortunately, we have very little information about this bottling, the photo below is the only one I have, taken by me it doesn't allow you to read the cask number.

Let's Taste It : 

Grainy peat, thick smoke, tin, burnt plastic, medicinal touch, ether, gas oil, gravel, mineral character, quartz, silica, a few fruits behind, chasselas grapes, Conference pear, a dash of vanilla, a zest of lemon. On the palate, a good layer of peat and dust, which blends well with the white and even exotic fruits, lychee, banana, but there are already shards of charcoal, lively spices, and then comes the finish, full of soot and pudding, fig, dark chocolate, coffee, tar, black earth, mud puddles.

In Short, 

A Ledaig equal to itself, a little more mineral than usual, where the fruit shaves the walls alongside much bolder fragrances, coal, tar, dirty peat and others. Only fans of the profile can appreciate this blend, and so much the better, as there will be more for anyone who dares to drink it. The problem is that this bottle is nowhere to be found.

Score : 90

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Sinclair Noire - Bone Orchard

Bunnahabhain 1991 S Spirits Shop' Selection c. 5385

 

 

 

50,4°

Distillery : Bunnahabhain - Islay

Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Spirits Shop' Selection

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

This Bunnahabhain is at least 31 years old and has spent all this time in a simple Hogshead, allowing the distillate to find its full expression. 169 bottles were made, much to our delight. Spirits Shop' Selection is a Taiwanese company founded in 2014 by Dong Fang Ming, and until recently they were distributed in Europe by Sansibar.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A fresh and salty breeze, a few notes of iodine, and the fruits are behind, vanilla, mirabelle, banana, white plum, lychee, brioche bread, speculoos, buttered toast, with semi-salted butter of course. Crushed walnuts, shortbread biscuits, sultanas and figs. It's well-crafted on the palate, where fruit has pride of place, apricot purée, dates, quinces, medlars, noble old wood with a fine layer of varnish, touches of pastry, vergeoise, fresh cream, nougatine. The spices are rather discreet, but rise slowly. The finish is long and violent, ginger, cardamom, before plunging into earth with an ounce of chocolate and caramel, black tea, charcoal.

 

In Short, 

An excellent Bunnahabhain dominated by Bourbon doesn't come along very often, and you should make the most of it when you find one. Bunnahabhain is more often in Sherry casks, so here, as well as originality, we have the real character of the distillery, which is mostly altered by Sherry. And it's magnificent in my opinion, very fruity with a maritime touch, but also earthy, pastry and chocolate hints. Unfortunately, there's no indication of how to find this bottle, or what price to pay.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           The Black Heart Procession - A Cry for Love

Jura 1989 S Spirits Shop' Selection

 

 

 

47°

Distillery : Isle of Jura - Islands

Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Spirits Shop' Selection 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This offspring of the Isle of Jura distillery spent at least 33 years in a Hogshead before being released to the public. 259 bottles were filled. Spirits Shop' Selection is a Taiwanese company founded in 2014, looking for a new distributor in Europe after parting ways with Sansibar.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Salty nose, light dash of vanilla, sea breeze, breadcrumbs, candied apricots, white peach. Evanescent cereals, floral touches, sesame, puffed rice, toasted wheat, lilac. Toasted walnuts. On the palate, the cereals are more present, muesli, buttered bread, treacle, pho soup. Very light and varied spices. Very long, sparkling finish, an ounce of charcoal, a pinch of pepper, baked apples, not quite ripe pear, shortbread biscuits, raw chestnuts, millet. And the salt comes back at the very end.

 

In Short, 

An excellent Jura, without doubt one of the best I've drunk, if not the best. The maritime character is very noticeable, with a nice balance of yellow and orange fruits, cereals and nuts. I think it's the best this distillery has to offer. It is extremely regrettable that there is no way of getting hold of this bottle, nor of getting an idea of the price.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Lea Thomas - We Must Be In Love

Blended Scotch Whisky 1969 S Spirits Shop' Selection Bonnington Scotch Whisky

 

 

 

41°

Distilleries Officially Unknown - Scotland

Bourbon Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Spirits Shop' Selection

Limited Edition 

Blended Whisky

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

A great deal of mystery surrounds this Blended Whisky distilled in 1969. It is subtitled Bonnington Scotch Whisky, which is rather curious, as no distillery named Bonnington was operating in 1969. There is one today, but it began operations in 2020. There was another in the 19th century, famous for being the first to use a Coffey Still, but it closed in 1853. That said, the premises of the former Bonnington distillery are still used today as warehouses. This is probably where the cask of Blended Whisky was found. That's what the demonstrator said, but she didn't specify that it was the Bonnington warehouses. Since these warehouses belong to Diageo, it's logical to assume that the distilleries used in this Blended also belong to Diageo. But that's all we know. 219 bottles were put up for sale.

Let's Taste It : 

Once again, it's very old school, but with some original fragrances, crushed almonds, liquid honey, cereal bar, white fruit and vanilla, with a few floral and petrol notes. Buttered bread, exotic fruits, pineapple, banana. It's very balanced, but with a slight tension. On the palate, woody fruit, exotic wood, heart of palm, apricots, quinces, medlars, sultanas. Candied figs, very discreet spices, black tea. Very long but not very deep finish, frangipane, crème pâtissière, brown sugar, nougatine, another dash of vanilla. Shortbread biscuits.

In Short, 

The nose is exceptional, but the palate is less interesting, and the finish is very good, but nothing more. In any case, it was a fine experience, which I would have liked to explore a little further. It's not every day you come across a juice that's at least 53 years old. Especially as this one is nowhere to be found, and I have no idea what the price is, which must be very high.

Score : 89

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Boz Scaggs - Lowdown

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 1965 S Spirits Shop' Selection c. 57

 

 

 

45,1°

Distilleries Officially Unknown - Scotland

Sherry Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Spirits Shop' Selection

Limited Edition

Blended Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

A piece of antiquity this monster of nobility, released by the Taiwanese company founded in 2014. Where did they find this cask? It's a mystery. In any case, the angels had enough left over to fill 80 bottles. So the age is at least 57 years, and, although it's a Blended Malt, the blend was aged in a single Sherry cask. It's the oldest whisky I've ever drunk. I specify the cask number, because there's another one, the 58, which produced 76 bottles, distilled in the same year, but I didn't have access to that one.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's very old school, with a rustic balance, but also fragrances that reflect the age of the beast, naphthalene, ether, old parchment. Then the fruits make their way through, and it's a festival, the Sherry is perfectly integrated, blueberry tart, morello cherries, fermented prunes. On the palate, it's still very fruity, blackberries, bilberries and a few redcurrants, with noble old wood and venerable spices. The finish is magnificent, never-ending, almonds, solid honey, egg yolk, woody charcoal, dry earth, hot chestnuts.

 

In Short, 

This is a whisky marked by time, old-fashioned, but also very expressive. The nose is marvellous, and the finish magnificent, despite the low alcohol content. It's a real blessing to be able to taste this kind of pinnacle of human gastronomy. I wish I could have enjoyed it a little more. But this stuff is nowhere to be found, and the price would have been devastating anyway.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Mel Powell All-Stars - After You've Gone

Tomatin 2008 S Spirits Shop' Selection

 

 

 

63,8°

Distillery : Tomatin - Highlands

Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Spirits Shop' Selection

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This bottle is very mysterious because, apart from the photo I took myself, I have no indication of its existence. Unfortunately, the photo is of poor quality, and the cask number is illegible. But it's a Sherry Butt, which yielded 620 bottles. What happened to them? I don't know, and it's a shame, because a 15-year-old Sherry Butt Tomatin is always interesting.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is marked by Sherry, with a slight lack of balance. More fresh than dried fruits, yellow plum, custard, thick honey, raw egg yolk, not too ripe banana. Some exotic fruits, but very discreet, pineapple and papaya. A fresh iodine note adds a little fullness. On the palate, the fruit becomes woody and a little drier, with dates, quinces and fermented plums. Not very remarkable spices. The finish is quite powerful and long, but not as violent as I'd expected, it's quite well integrated. Shortbread biscuits, leather, light tobacco. Tinder leaf.

 

In Short, 

It's not quite successful, but it's still very good. The profile of the distillery is not very recognisable, well, I'm not an expert on this distillery either. The palate is good, and the finish is excellent. This is a quite remarkable bottling, and I'd like to know where all these bottles went. 

Score : 89

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Erika Lewis & The Lonesome Dolls - Running Wild

Springbank 2010 Local Barley 13 yo

 

 

 

54,1°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

60% Bourbon Barrels, 40% Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 12 ppm

 

 

 

If my notes are anything to go by, this is the 9th edition of Springbank Local Barley, leaving aside those from the 1990s which were of a different standard. In keeping with tradition, it is made from Belgravia barley grown at Glencraigs Farm, 2.4 miles from the distillery, and has undergone a maturation process that does not alter the distillate, in which the Bourbon dominates. 8,400 bottles have been released, which is far too few for the frenetic demand.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Buttered bread and hay, sunflower oil, honey sweets. A fairly powerful, creamy lemon, tempered by evanescent vanilla, a few mineral notes, a pinch of salt and light, elegant smoke. Plump yellow plums, ripe banana. Welcome floral hints. On the palate, it's again quite lemony, but also beeswax, liquid honey, green apples, fairly powerful spices, cumin and cloves. Grainy, toasted cereals. All this is rather rustic. Pleasant, long finish, with restrained explosiveness, charcoal, muddy, earthy notes, grape pips, almonds in the shell, wild herbs. Marzipan.

 

In Short, 

This one didn't seem to me to be as good as the others, a little less balanced on the nose and less tasty on the palate. On the other hand, the finish is very good. It has a mineral, evanescent and floral edge that I liked. It's obviously a challenge to get your hands on it, a quest that only the most passionate enthusiasts will accept. Failing that, you have to be prepared to pay an astronomical price at auction.

Score : 89 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Heart - Crazy On You