Caol Ila 2011 The Un-Chillfiltered Collection 11 yo c. 8+9

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay

Hogsheads and Madeira Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 35 ppm

 

 

 

This one, after 8 years spent in two simple Hogsheads, ended his journey in barrels of Madeira Wine, a sweet natural wine produced in the archipelago of the same name. The finish took 38 months, which is considerable. 960 bottles were produced, it must have been two large Hogsheads.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Thick smoke laden with soot, but coated in candied cherries. Like cotton candy. Earthy peat dripping with oil, but iridescent with liquorice. Peaches, pears, mirabelle plums. A salty touch, mineral notes, but very discreet. On the palate, it is round, mellow, molasses, salted butter caramel, mountain honey, lemon zest, creamy vanilla, and a layer of peat, but not so thick. Cloves, nutmeg. Rather long finish, explosive, charcoal and dried fruits, grapes, dates, varnished wood, roasted nuts, peanuts.

 

In Short, 

This distillery never disappoints. Here, it’s a very beautiful marriage between a thick and voluptuous smoke, and sweet fruits, tangy candies. On the other hand, we lose a bit of the costal character of the distillate. The price is a bit high, but you won’t be disappointed, that’s exactly what it says. 

Score : 87+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Soft Vein - All We've Known of Heaven

Aultmore 2012 Whiskybase 13 yo

 

 

 

62,3°

Distillery : Aultmore - Speyside

Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Whiskybase.com

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Whiskybase is an essential site for any whisky lover. In 2025, they celebrated their 260,000 referenced bottles with this lovely 13-year-old Aultmore. Today, we are approaching 300,000 bottles referenced, only a year later. Few details about this Aultmore, we only know that there are 294 bottles on sale, and the aging was done in a Hogshead with probably some Sherry staves. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is a little light but very nice, cereals, nougat, nuts, apricots and greengages, varnished wood, cinnamon, hay, mirabelle plums, vanilla, almond paste, various citrus fruits, grapefruit, lime. On the palate, it’s rustic, yellow fruits, candied grapes, dried fruit, young wood, spices, brown sugar, already quite full-bodied. Obviously powerful finish, not extremely long, but woody, creamy, lemony, herbaceous. Melted chocolate, hazelnuts, pastry cream, quince jam. 

 

In Short, 

The interest of this one lies in its power, such a level of alcohol is not so common. It makes a good finish, which is better maybe softened by a few drops of water. But what also interested me was the fact that I discovered an Aultmore without full aging in Sherry, which is relatively rare. But it’s a bit too oaky for my taste, it’s still a good whisky nevertheless, a little rustic, with character. The price is frankly interesting, given the age. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             The Velveteers - Moonchild

A Tennessee Distillery 2016 Non-Venomous Snakes 9 yo

 

 

 

55,8°

Distillery Officially Unknown - USA

Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Archives 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask Rye Whiskey

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Tennessee is known to be one of the most iconic states for whiskey production, it boasts numerous distilleries. That’s why trying to guess which distillery it is really here seems very difficult. But rumours indicate that it is a well-known distillery. In any case, for a Whiskey of this type, 9 years is a beautiful age, the aging is all that there is more classic, it promises a nice tasting. 212 bottles are for sale. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It is fruity and has a beautiful thick molasses, grilled corn, whole tobacco leaves, juicy quince, generous orange zest, and granular cereals. Maple syrup, peanut butter, cedar apples, brown sugar. Flambéed bananas. On the palate, apricot jam, chocolate cream, gingerbread, liquid caramel, vanilla bean. Earthy notes with rather strong spices, cloves and cumin. Rather long finish, some herbaceous and vaguely coal-like notes, but especially cream of corn, barley sugar, liquorice stick, peppermint, toasted wheat. 

 

In Short, 

A classic Tennesse Whiskey, very thick, farmy and fruity, everything you need to please the cowboy. I’m not an expert in this field, but I found it very good, quite complex and of a nice depth. I thought it wasn’t very loaded with coal, so maybe it’s not Jack Daniel’s. But honestly, I have no idea. The price is of course a bit high for what it is, but it’s a relatively rare product in Europe. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Lost Dog Street Band - Ballad of a Borken Man

Teeling Master's Blender Batch

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Teeling - Ireland

American Oak Ex-Bourbon Casks and French Red Wine Finish

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Pot Still

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Apparently, at Teeling, they want to try every possible finish. Here, on a Single Pot Still aged in Bourbon barrels, a finish in red wine barrels, notably Bordeaux, has been added. The bottling was designed specifically for the French market, let’s see if it’s a nice gift or not. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The red wine is intense, stewed fruits, candied cherries, currant berries, all generously sprinkled with cinnamon. Café stretto, chicory, licorice. Beautiful wooded framework, light touches of earth and coal. On the palate, blueberry pie, blackberry confit, but also creamy vanilla, yellow peaches, honey and a few tannins. Cloves, nutmeg. Fair finish, chewing tobacco, toasted bark, roasted hazelnuts. A variety of cereals is felt. Muesli. Grape seeds, almonds. 

 

In Short, 

Honestly, I liked it, except that the finish is a bit tight and on the palate, it's a bit watery. But above all, the problem is that you don’t feel anything from the distillate. Only a few cereals on the finish. In summary, it’s pleasant, but neither a monster of complexity nor flavors full of character. 

Score : 84

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             La Maisnie Hellequin - Hieronymus

Highland Park 2005 Whiskyland Chapter Sixteen 20 yo

 

 

 

55,5°

Distillery : Highland Park - Islands

Refill and 1st Fill Sherry Hogsheads 

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

It’s rare that a Whiskyland Chapter isn’t a Single Cask, but it happens. As in this case, where we are dealing with the blending of a Refill Hogshead distilled in 1997 and a 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead distilled in 2005. Which means that one part of the product is 20 years old, but the other is 28. Moreover, Sherry should be measured under these conditions, and enrich the distillate rather than dominate it. 332 bottles came out of this marriage. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Nose old school Sherry, very balanced, with a light granular peat, gravel and smoke, heather and cereals. Dried apricots, blood oranges, leather and hay, caramelized nuts. Discreet iodine, some sea spray. Waxy lemon, floral honey, melted butter, a square of dark chocolate. On the palate, it is smooth, silky, very elegant woodiness, toasted fruits, mirabelles and greengages, brown tobacco, dried figs, liquorice, then a layer of moist peat. Cloves, a pinch of pepper. Finally a very long finish, just powerful enough, sandalwood, cooked mushrooms, soy sauce, wood shavings soaked in onion jam. 

 

In Short, 

Superb Highland Park where the sherry and distillate offer a magnificent balance, with some nuances of Bourbon. I have a soft spot for this distillery and I can say that here it’s perfect, there is everything a fan can dream of. The price is unfortunately very high, but I have to say that it’s understandable. 

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Maia and the Squires - 451 

Teeling Sommelier Selection Alentejo Wine Casks

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Teeling - Ireland

Ex-Bourbon Barrels and Portuguese Alentejo White Wine Finish

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Blended Whiskey 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This Sommelier Selection series has been in existence for a few years now. This batch is the 6th, bottled in 2024 and released for sale the following year. Batch 7 has been released since then. I already tasted Batch 3, which I had found not bad, it was finished in Amarone wine. This Batch 6 raises a slight suspicion, as white wine sometimes gives acidity in the barrels. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Yellow fruits, mineral notes, some cereals, vanilla, mirabelles and grapes, greengage and quinces. Pinch of salt, which fails to hide a slight acidity, granite and gypsum, muesli bursting with caramel, tall herbs. On the palate, it goes well, but it’s a bit light, apples, pears and other orchard fruits, chlorophyll, angelica, custard cream, honey drops. Discreet spices. Quite long finish, almost sparkling, bread dough, dark tobacco, chocolate filled with nuts. Quite a bit of lemon at the end. Malted biscuits. 

 

In Short, 

It's decent, though a bit off on the palate, but I don't understand the purpose of this series. The character of the wine doesn’t work with this Blended Whiskey, so the marriage can only be a bit messy. The wine itself was certainly good, the whiskey is not bad, but the two together seem to contradict each other. Maybe with a less cereal, more floral distillate, it would have been fine. But that’s just my feeling, maybe I missed something. 

Score : 83

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             The xx - I Dare You 

Bruichladdich 2005 Old Islay 20 yo

 

 

 

53°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 1st Fill Sauternes Barrique and 2d Fill Sherry Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This series "Island Hopping" is starting to reveal a few gems. After the Ledaig 20 years old and the Bunnahabhain 21 years old, here is a Bruichladdich 20 years old. Even more, it was the subject of a small experiment. It is the blending of two casks, a Bourbon barrel distilled in 2002, and a Sauternes barrique distilled in 2005. But, a little more than a year before the bottling, they transferred the liquid into a 2d Fill Sherry Butt, but not just any one. The one that contained the very first chapter of the Whiskyland series. It’s a 26-year-old Springbank. The result cannot fail to interest me, and I am very happy to have been able to take my share from one of the 200 bottles available. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Sherry is quite present all the same, warm leather, candied apricots, blood oranges, caramelized currants. Then, it is probably the Sauternes that brings more yellow fruits, melon, pineapple, white grapes. But also creamy vanilla and lemon zest. The whole is rather balanced, with a generous pinch of salt and iodine. On the palate, it is woody, solid, grainy, even farmy, but still a misty and deep sherry. Umami, candied fruits, pastry cream, measured spices. Long and powerful finish, fresh figs, blond tobacco, chocolate pralines, filled with hazelnuts. Liquorice stick, almond milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

 

In Short, 

It’s really interesting, even bluffing. We find the influence of three different casks, Bourbon, Sauternes, and the finish in Sherry. But without the character of the distillate being overlooked either. Really very original, a work of goldsmith. On the other hand, I don’t agree at all with the price, which is very high for a 20-year-old. 

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Red and the Rabbits - Redhead Deadhead

Teeling Small Batch Series Santa Teresa Limited Edition

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Teeling - Ireland

Ex-Bourbon Barrels and Ex-Rum from Santa Teresa in Venezuela Finish

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Blended Whiskey

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The Small Batch is Teeling’s flagship product. Few people know this, but it is always finished in rum casks. However, this one is a limited edition, finished in rum casks from the Santa Teresa solera in Venezuela. In fact, it’s part of an exchange, the Santa Teresa solera has also released a rum aged in Irish whisky casks. For the original Teeling Small Batch, the finishing process lasted six months, I assume it’s the same for this one. However, there’s no mention of why the Venezuelan rum is better than the Nicaraguan rum used for the original. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The rum appears to be of a certain quality,  beetroot, caramel and honey, molasses, refined sugar with essence, dark chocolate, coconut flakes, lychees, macerated almonds, metallic undertones, raisins, figs. On the palate, it is slightly oily, coconut oil, waves of vanilla, almond paste, egg custard, pineapple in syrup, peach melba, light spices. A decent, almost long finish, crumble dusted with cinnamon, vanilla pod, clove, crème fraîche. Egg yolk, coconut pearls. Cereals. 

 

In Short, 

Yes, it’s a bit better than Teeling’s previous rum-cask-aged things. But I struggle with this sort of ageing, it’s too sweet for my taste, it masks the grain notes, which are the fundamental flavour of whisky, and it rarely results in a lovely finish. That’s somewhat the case here, despite a decent nose and an almost interesting finish. Not much to get excited about, though. 

Score : 83

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             All Tvvins - Darkest Ocean