The GlenAllachie 2008 Abbey Whisky 10 yo

 

 

 

66,2°

Distillery : The GlenAllachie - Speyside

Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Abbey Whisky

Limited Edition 

Single Cask

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength 

Totally Unpeated

GlenAllachie's independent bottlings are not that common. So it's a pleasure to see this one, distilled in 2008 and aged in a single sherry cask, released in 150 bottles. Founded in 2008, Abbey Whisky is a British online shop. Building on their success, they have created a number of bottlings themselves, around twenty in ten years. This one is not the best known, but it has sold well.

Let's Taste It : 

Nougat cream, toffee, speculoos. Waffles with vergeoise filling. Hazelnuts. A touch of iodine in the background. A few golden cereals. Very sweet and a little earthy. It's alcoholic though, with a degree like this, it would be surprising if it weren't. And a hint of smoke. On the palate, the alcohol is well integrated, with vanilla, then spices, cumin, pepper and nutmeg. Then the alcohol kicks in, and it's very powerful, like a horse running away. Then it calms down and becomes warm. Malty, balanced. Of course, the finish makes you break out in a cold sweat. It's explosive, but quite long, with hints of wheat and barley. This is the countryside. Hay. Rye bread.

 

In Short, 

Gosh, what a finish! You can feel it go through. But the palate is also very tasty. The nose is a little below par, intense but lacking in complexity. Overall, this is a very good whisky, quite original and pastry-like. I recommend adding water to taste it, otherwise it will burn. The price is quite right, but it is out of stock everywhere.

Score : 88

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

  

                                           Kevin Morby - Harlem  River

Talisker Dark Storm

 

 

 

45,8°

Distillery : Talisker - Islands

Heavily Charred Ex-Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Traveil Retail Edition 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2013

Peated around 22 ppm

Launched in 2013 at the same time as its big brother the Storm, this Dark Storm is said to be reserved for travel retail, but can be found everywhere. Talisker has always used toasted casks for its maturation, but these are 'heavily' burnt, and apparently more peaty. It is indeed possible that the burning brings out the peat flavour, but it is unlikely that they have produced a new whisky that is peatier than usual. Rumour has it that this whisky will be made from casks aged between 3 and 25 years. Don't get carried away, the 25 YO has to be present in very small proportions, it's like Port Ellen in the Big Peat.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

First, a little coal and pepper. These barrels must have been well burnt. Then iodine. Black fruits, berries, blueberries. Evanescent smoke, topped with vanilla. Rather austere. The distillery's hallmarks are vague, but there nonetheless. Heather, salt. After a while, quince jelly, which makes it a little more approachable. The palate is better, with lemon, light vanilla and ripe white plums. Then the spices rise. It's solid, the distillery is recognisable, with a little relief. The finish returns to quince, it's earthy too, sunny. Slight bittersweet aftertaste. Sweet and sour sauce. White gooseberries.

 

In Short, 

I was a little disappointed by the nose, which is light. The rest is more interesting, but this shy nose is, for me, prohibitive. Even the Skye has a nose with more character. Although on the whole this whisky is more than decent, even likeable and robust, I would not recommend buying it, unless you have lost your sense of smell, in which case it will seem about as worthwhile as the 10 year old.

Score : 84  

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping:

 

                                           Joe Bonamassa - Going Down

Line Up #10 : Longrow, an exploration

 Thursday 10 February 2022.

 

 

 

 

A bit of history (those who are familiar with it can skip this part)

To my knowledge, the illustrious Springbank distillery was the first to add a second name to its arsenal. It was in 1973 and the new brand was named Longrow, after an old distillery in the region. However, it is not known when the first bottles were marketed.
The barley used to make Longrow is dried for 48 hours over a peat fire, followed by double distillation, and the liquid is released with a ppm of around 55. The idea was to show that it was possible to produce a whisky on the Main Land with as much peat as on Islay. The gamble paid off.
Interestingly, it is only to produce Longrow that the distillery's stills are heated with coal, in the old-fashioned way. Springbank is the only distillery never to have used cold filtration, let alone colouring.
Although increasingly popular, Longrow remains a quasi-confidential brand, with only 150 casks produced each year. It was independent bottler Silvano Samaroli who helped bring it to the attention of the experts, buying most of the original casks and making an excellent bargain. The 2,000 or so bottles he subsequently produced from these casks in the 1980s are now legendary, selling for several thousand euros each.
Today, only 4 bottlings are produced on a regular basis: the Longrow Peated, which is the only one in Springbank's Core Range, the Red, an annual limited edition in cask strength and finished in wine casks, the 18-year-old and the 21-year-old. There used to be a 10-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 100° Proof version, but these have all disappeared.

                                           The distillery courtyard on Open Day 2019

The Line Up Project

The idea, of course, is to provide an exhaustive snapshot of the Longrow phenomenon. To do this, I have put together the official range, with the exception of the 21 year old, which I found disappointing. But it would be incomplete if I didn't add one of the Society Bottlings, which the distillery makes every year and reserves exclusively for subscribers to the Springbank Society. Some sumptuous Longrow have been released in this way. I should also mention the independent bottler Cadenhead, which has been owned by Springbank for 50 years, and which offers a few rarities from time to time.

The Tasting

Longrow Peated : Quite heavy peat, rustic, cheesy, sun-drenched cereals, vanilla, icing sugar. Slight minerality, nice fullness. A little sweetness, genoise, chantilly. Malt, woody lemon. Quite smooth and vanilla-flavoured, full-bodied but controlled finish, charcoal, lemon zest. Score: 86

Longrow 18 yo 2018 : Exotic fruits, fresh iodine, cane sugar. Sweet almonds. Herbaceous hints, brown sugar melting in a hot toddy. Toasted cereals, gingerbread, dry earth. Juicy fruits, plums and pears. Very soft on the palate, then some spices rise, but it's very well balanced. Vanilla, lemonade, icing sugar, almond milk. Bread crust. Very long, smooth, almost creamy finish. Hazelnuts, sandalwood. Score: 90

Longrow 1994 Cadenhead's Cask Strength Authentic Collection 25 yo : Almonds and cereals, wisps of smoke, soot and ash, a few hints of the barn typical of Springbank, icing sugar, genoise, coffee éclair, gingerbread, candied fruits. On the palate, peach juice, orgeat, then the spices rise. Honey, cereals, vanilla, sandalwood. Extremely long finish, ranging from powerful to sweet, very malty, a bit of lemon, nuts, wheat, dry earth. Score : 91

Longrow Red 10 yo 2020 : Thick, slimy, gooey red fruits. A hint of iodine, light smoke, wood in a damp forest. Blackcurrants, blackberries, tannins, sulphur, gooseberries. Pleasant on the palate, with raspberries and blueberries. Spices that fade after a while. Quite explosive finish, but slow anyway, still with red fruits. Score : 89

Longrow 2007 Society Bottling : Almonds and honey, elderberry juice. Candied lemon, malted cereals. Fine, grainy smoke. Iced sugar, iodine freshness. Herbaceous hints. Soft, smooth palate, rosewater, slightly malty, spices not too strong, paprika, cumin. Powerful, long, cerealy finish, wheat, barley, cowshed. Buttery biscuit. Score: 90

 

 

 

                                                    The distillery warehouses.

 

What I gain from it

• Honestly, Longrow alone would make a great distillery. But that's only a third of Springbank. That just goes to show the variety and complexity of this truly unique distillery.
  
• The profile is close to that of Springbank, and at the same time it is specific. Cereals and hay, a hint of iodine, dry earth - that's what it has in common with the rest of the distillery. Almonds, gingerbread and icing sugar are really specific to Longrow.
  
• Longrow peat is very pleasant, not as intense as Islayers, but softer, more pearly, a little dusty, with fine gravel. With age, it becomes bewitching, more swaying, almost vinous. Deep, like the old Highland Park. It's a special kind of peat, found nowhere else.
  
• I think the 18yo is really great, better than the Springbank one in my opinion. The Peated is very good, honest and satisfying. I'm more circumspect about the Red, I'm not sure that Longrow's farm peat goes well with wine casks. But there must be some very good ones out there. Rare editions are magical. As you can see, the notes are rather high, Longrow really is a choice morsel.
  

 

 

                                                         a still from the distillery

 

 

Conclusion

We tend to think of Springbank as the essential Springbank, but I'm beginning to wonder if I don't prefer Longrow. I was really pleased with this tasting, and will now be looking more closely at new releases from this brand.
Unfortunately, I'm not the only one. Springbank's only fault is its success, which is increasingly endemic. Over the last few years, prices have started to soar. It has to be said that this is a family distillery that doesn't stock much. Springbank is becoming a luxury product in the same way as Macallan or Ardbeg, and this time it's really not their fault. Just reward for a job well done, but the problem is that we're going to have to go deep into debt to catch the next bottlings.

The BenRiach 2008 Cask Bottling Peated Port Cask 9 yo c. 2048

 

 

 

61,7°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Port Pipe

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

 

 

 

In 2004, the distillery launched its first batch of Single Cask Bottling, at the time 4 bottlings with different maturities, all in Single Cask. 15 years later, Batch 15 offers 17 different expressions. And all in Single Cask, please. The youngest of these 17 variations is this one, a peated 9-year-old aged in Port. 858 bottles have been released. I've only written Cask Bottling in the title because, for Batch 15, that's what it says on the bottle. I would have liked to know the peat content, especially as it seems to be quite high.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Right away, the sweetness of the Port, smooth as silk, fruity with damsons and black fruits. Coal, thick smoke, a forest fire in the distance. It goes well with the distillery's woodland profile, vegetables still beaded with earth, pumpkin, courgette, eggplant. Rhubarb. The Port is a little syrupy and woody. Gooseberries and cranberries. Amarena. The peat is quite grimy, earthy, with quicklime and mould. Asphalt, tarmac, tyre tracks on tarmac. On the palate, it's liqueur, very round, wrapped in plum and blueberry, then the spices gradually rise until they become quite strong, paprika, cumin, saffron, the peat comes behind, pretty powerful, damp, vegetal, mucky. Dutch black tobacco jokes, clearing the throat. Old wood. Very long finish, lignite, humus, deep earth, bitter roots. A cocoa bean. A hint of liquorice.

 

In Short, 

Whatever people may say, at BenRiach they don't play around with peat. Nothing to do with those so-called peaty expressions that remain very soft at 18 ppm. This bottling has nothing to envy of those from Islay with the highest peat concentration, but it reminds me more of the more rural Ledaig. The peat is nicely smoky and earthy, and enhances the fruity port and the distillery's more discreet hallmarks. This is very good work. You can still find a few bottles at a good price if you look around, frankly you wouldn't be wasting your money.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Calexico - Stray

The GlenAllachie 12 yo

46°

Distillery : The GlenAllachie - Speyside

Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso and Virgin Oak Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range

Single Malt

Launched in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

Billy Walker bought the distillery in 2017 from Pernod Ricard, set up a consortium with the help of a few friends, and the following year this 12-year-old was launched. It was an immediate success. Today, people are surprised to learn that the distillery and this expression are so new, it feels like they are as renowned as a Glenfarclas.

Let's Taste It : 

Liquorice, dried banana, fig, which go well with raspberry and blackberry. In the background, it's a little earthy, black and damp, rich. Cherry, gooseberry and a hint of iodine. Old wood, a little soft. Varnish. A whiff of smoke. Blueberries, hazelnuts. Jam. Very fruity on the palate, almost acidic, all the red fruits you can imagine. Noble wood, cherry or chestnut. Minty freshness. Damsons. Some spices, but very light, paprika, saffron. It's velvety, almost hushed. Blackcurrant. The finish is a bit short, but good, first coaly, woody, then vinous, bittersweet. Tinder. More hazelnuts and blackcurrants. Strawberry gum.

In Short, 

A beautiful expression. It's not just another sherry-dominated bottling. It really has an identity. It's very velvety, rather soft and deep. The nose is balanced and complex, and the palate is a real success. On the other hand, I have a bit of a problem with the influence of the virgin casks. It gives a slightly bitter taste, especially on the finish. Overall, it's about the same level as a GlenDronach 12 year old, with a bit more punch and a better palate.

Score : 87

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          US3 - Cantaloop

Longrow Red 10 yo 2020

 

 

 

52,5°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

Ex-Bourbon Barrels and De Toren Refill Malbec Barriques Finish

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 55 ppm

 

 

 

Springbank launched the Red range in 2012. These are Longrow aged in double maturation, first in Bourbon casks, then finished for several years in wine casks. The result has proved popular with enthusiasts, and now a new limited edition is created every year, except 2016, with a different finish each time. This one, bottled at the end of 2020 and on sale in 2021, is the 9th. The casks used for the finish contained Malbec wine from the South African company De Toren. 10,000 bottles were produced.

Let's Taste It : 

Thick, viscous liqueur with hints of candied cherries, amarena and cranberries. Fermented, cooked wine. Cough syrup. With the addition of water, it becomes woody, amber, with a whiff of smoke. Red fruits, gooseberry, blackcurrant, blackberry. A good slice of soot. Slightly sulphurous. Tannins, cinnamon. On the palate, very pleasant, raspberry, cherry, tamarind, then spices, pepper, cumin, paprika, it's warm, a pinch of nutmeg, black bark, humus. A bit of sweetness, with jam filling and doughnut. Even the finish is bursting with red fruits, quite long, a little too much blackcurrants and strawberry ice cream. Nutmeg again, almost bitter. Tinder wood.

 

In Short, 

It's very well made, with a tasty finish and delicious on the palate, although I found it to be strong on red fruits. The nose is a little acidic, and despite its complexity I found it too rich. Normally I like finishes in wine casks, but here I thought it was overdone. Probably Malbec, which is a very powerful grape variety used for Cahors wine, is a bit too strong for me. Others will certainly find it to their taste.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Steve Hackett - Shadow of the Hierophant

Longrow 1994 Cadenhead's Authentic Collection Cask Strength 25 yo

 

 

 

52,1°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

Refill Bourbon Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By William Cadenhead Limited

Limited Edition 

Single Cask

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 55 ppm

William Cadenhead was a small grocer from Aberdeen who had the strange idea of producing his own bottlings of whisky. It was in 1842 that one of the oldest commercial companies was born. In 1972, after 130 years of independence, it was bought by the Mitchell family, owners of the Springbank distillery. So the bottling we are talking about here is not really independent. In 1991, the Authentic Collection was launched, bringing together the finest whiskies to be found in Cadenhead's huge century-old warehouses. This Longrow was kept for 25 years in a single Bourbon Hogshead, and divided into 186 bottles.

Let's Taste It : 

Full-bodied from the start, with a hint of malt and cereals. Braised vanilla. A few puffs of smoke, clouds of ash. A roaring fire, crackling logs, the smell of soot on the hot stone. Hay, barn, Springbank brand, but it's very intense. It's like candied hay. Lemon zest on whipped cream. Loose soil, good for ploughing. The sun on the ears of wheat. Walnuts, baked chestnuts. Gingerbread, pine bark. Juicy pears. Starch. On the palate, peach juice, spices, pepper, cumin, nutmeg, vanilla pod. After the fire of the spices, it becomes sweet, woody, cereal-like, honeyed. Almonds, calissons d'Aix. Barley sugar. The finish is powerful at first, with nutmeg and paprika, then calms down, gradually soft and very long. Malt, straw, vanilla milk, lemon pulp. Pecan nuts.

 

In Short, 

No need to dither, it's a killer. Probably the best Longrow has to offer, with beautifully integrated peat, the distillery's hallmarks at their best, and an explosion of fruits on the palate. I'd advise you not to ask about the price, you'll go into syncope.

Score : 92

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil

Line Up #9 : Highland Park, The Independent Bottlings

2 February 2022. 

The Line Up Project

This tasting follows on from the previous one, Line Up #7 : Highland Park, an exploration, where I came to the conclusion that most of Highland Park's original bottlings aren't really worth buying. So I went looking for independent bottlings. This distillery has a profile that appeals to me, with a good dose of iodine, heather, light peat, honey, exotic fruits, character - in short, everything you need. Unfortunately, it doesn't always offer the best value for money, and the cold filtration process erases its most interesting characteristics. With independent bottlers, there is no cold filtration, no reduction to 40° alcohol, and sometimes peat is quite present, much to my delight. We'll see what different profiles we can find, and if Highland Park becomes less frustrating with the big names in the trade.

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to explore the regular range, in the hope of finally finding an original bottling that will suit my taste buds.

The Tasting

Highland Park 12 yo Viking Honour :I still haven't finished my bottle of 12 year old, so this is an excellent opportunity to come back to it, and it's an honest Entry Dram. That said, I don't think I'll be buying another.  

The nose is pleasant but a little watery. Iodine, heather, vanilla, exotic fruits. Tidal, foamy. Dried pineapple, citrus. A hint of peat in the background. On the palate, light, spicy, fruity, balanced, a little earthy, nutmeg, tobacco, hazelnut. Short but pleasant finish, charcoal and earth. Score: 84

Highland Park 1966 The Whisky Fair 38 yo : A piece of history with this anthology bottled by Duncan Taylor in 2005. It reveals the old profile of the distillery, only slightly different. Above all, everything is much more intense and balanced. A real little paradise.

Candied pineapple, fresh vanilla. Honey toast. All supported by iodine. Papaya, prickly pears. Earthy peat. Iced lemon. Suave, soft, slightly watery palate, rosewater, light spices, cascade of fruits. Very long, powerful finish, cola, paprika, nutmeg, sandalwood. Score: 90

Highland Park Dragon Legend : I'm giving it a go with a sample of this new NAS, released in 2017, which I've heard good things about. It's said to be a little more peaty and robust than the average among the distillery's original bottlings. Well, I won't hold the suspense any longer, it's a disappointment.

A little more peat, but very pleasant fruits. Lemon pulp, Armenian paper, dried banana, iodine. Genoise. A little sweet. Still fruity on the palate, lemon and vanilla, light spices, full-bodied. Strong finish, quite long, but a little bland. Water ice. Score: 84

Orkney Islands 2002 Berry Bros. & Rudd 15 yo  : This bottle is one of my favourites. It's been with me for three years, and now I'm drinking the last drops. I particularly like the characteristic peat from Hobbister Moor, which is very present here.

The nose is very ashy and peaty; you're wading through the peatland and rolling around in the soot. All this with a frank iodine note, slightly damp earth, humus, tall grass and heather. A shade of fruits. Complex, woody and spicy on the palate, with a hint of aniseed and honeysuckle. Powerful, long finish, heather, cola, wine lees, charcoal. Score : 91

Orkney 2000 Thompson Bros. 19 yo : The Thompson brothers are very well-known independent bottlers these days. I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about them. With a 19 year old, you should be delighted.  

It's fruity, lemon, pineapple, papaya, a little iodine, fresh, tidal, foamy. A touch of peat and a medicinal touch. The palate is a little spicier, with vanilla, prickly pear and coconut. The finish is long and powerful, spicy, wine lees, chestnut cream, banana. Score: 90

Highland Park 2006 Connoiseurs Choice Cask Strength 14 yo : Gordon & MacPhail is another very reputable bottler, the Connoiseurs Choice range is one of their best, so I'm hoping for something satisfying.  

Sweet, slightly macerated fruits, ethereal iodine, mountain honey. Suave on the palate, then spices, honeyed vanilla. Quite a long finish, not quite powerful, cola, earth. Score: 88

The Druids 2009 Orkney Spirit III 9 yo : Michel Reick is an absolute reference when it comes to independent bottlings in Germany. He alone owns 4 trading companies. He has also launched a series of 5 famous Orkney Spirits, all from Highland Park of course. This is the third.  

First fruits, iodine and a cloud of dry peat. Pineapple, birch bark, date. With the addition of water, the peat expands, becoming smoky, iodised, earthy and ashy. On the palate, sweet spices, a suave woodiness and some fruits. The finish is rather violent but deep, with cola, earth and heather. Foresty. Score: 89

Highland Park Cask Strength Release N°2  : Finally, a copy of the distillery's very recent Cask Strength edition, an original bottling. Needless to say, having already been disappointed, I hesitated to buy it.  

A touch of sherry, pine needles, peat and heather. Ferns, humus, dried fruits. Hazelnuts, iodine, sand and dry earth. Quince, apricot, rhubarb and ginger on the palate. Not so light spices. Quite a long finish, with forest, charcoal, earth and saffron. Score : 89

 

 

 

What I gain from it

• First of all, Alleluyah, I've found an original bottling to my taste! The Highland Park Cask Strength Release N°2 is perfect, warm, woody, with good peat and a light touch of Sherry. The price is reasonable and the character is very present. I'd definitely recommend it.
  
• On the other hand, the rest of the official range still doesn't fulfil my specifications. Too light on the palate, short finish, not enough alcohol, high price - in short, disappointing, despite a nose that's still enticing.
  
• The independent bottlers offer something much more exciting. Unfortunately the price is there, you have to make sacrifices when you like it. Gordon & MacPhail disappointed me a little, but I liked all the others. I particularly recommend Berry Bros. & Rudd and Thompson Bros., the two best for marketing Highland Park, it seems.
  
• Even with the independents, the profile remains very consistent and easily recognisable. Exotic fruits combined with vanilla and lemon, light but very distinctive peat, very ashy and earthy, honey, heather, spices that add character, and a fine, fairly charred finish. When Sherry casks are used, it is to give body to the whole, with some dried fruit. There's none of that overpowering Sherry that wouldn't suit the subtlety of the distillery's flavours.
  

 

 

                                           The surroundings of the distillery

 

 

Conclusion

Is it possible to find what you're looking for in Highland Park? Yes, but you need to be patient. When it comes to original bottlings, only the Cask Strength Release will please you. When it comes to independent bottlings, you also have to be careful. Some are too expensive for what they are, while others are a little disappointing. Ask around and, if possible, taste before you buy. But don't be discouraged, because with a bit of luck, you'll be able to find the profile that suits you and that will delight your evenings. 

 

                                         The coast of the main island of Orkney

Octomore 2005 Ten Years Second Limited Release

 

 

 

57,3°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay

1st Filled Bourbon and Grenache Blanc Casks

Original Bottling

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2016

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 167 ppm 

 

 

 

Every two years, a new edition of the Octomore Ten Years is launched. This second edition came out in 2016. It is partially aged in barrels of white grenache, a dry white wine from the province of Barcelona in Spain. 18,000 bottles have been released.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Beautiful fullness, with damp peat, juicy fruits, muddy earth. Winey, sweet hints, genoise, amarena cherry, gooey liqueur. Pineapple, still-hard pear, oak leaves, liquorice. Chlorophyll. Fine ash, still smoking. Iodine spiked with ginger. Candied vanilla. Very suave on the palate, like silk, herbaceous freshness, a few spices, nutmeg and pepper, brown tobacco, full body, exotic fruits, banana, passion fruit, acerola. The finish is very long and quite explosive, with dates and figs,

 

In Short, 

As is often the case, an excellent Octomore. The ageing in white wine casks reminds me of the 6.2, aged in Limousin brandy casks, or the 10.2, aged in Sauternes casks. However, the finish is slightly below some purely destructive Octomores. It's still a Batch to enjoy, and if you've got a few hundred euros to spare, this is a good idea to get rid of it nicely.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           Triptykon - Aurorae

Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength Batch 014

 

 

 

58,6°

Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay 

Ex-Bourbon Barrels 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 43 ppm

 

 

 

I think this is the first year we've seen two different batches of Laphroaig's famous 10 yo Cask Strength, just 5 months apart. What's the rush? Perhaps it's the last word from the distillery's director, Mr John Campbell, before he retires? Or simply the continuation of a recipe that has been going on since 2009 and even before, in the days of Green Stripe and Red Stripe. Whatever the case, it's just in time for our Christmas shopping, and the price has gone up a little compared with usual, so inflation shouldn't become systematic.

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Nails. We're chewing on scrap metal, in the middle of car wrecks. And now the peat is rising. It's like a tidal wave sweeping us away. And instead of drowning, we find ourselves in the cool, on the beach, lulled by a gentle sea breeze. Dried fruits, prunes, apricots, bananas. Filthy and charred peat. Soot, motor oil, gas oil. Shards of rusty metal. Saline fillet. Light medicinal touch. Initially very saline on the palate, then fruity, juicy pear, finally the spices rise, pepper, nutmeg and ginger. Ether, medicinal solution. Quite a long finish, still very medicinal, earthy, coaly, bandages, mercurochrome, chlorine, disinfectant. At the end it turns into salt crystals, sea water, enamel, damp sand. Shaving foam.

 

In Short,

What a pleasure to get back to basics. It's been too long since I was seduced by the recent Sherry bottlings, I'd forgotten what it was like to have a Laphie aged in a good old bourbon cask. And it's completely insane. Dirty, peaty, iodised, medicinal as hell. I'm pleased to see that Laphroaig has lost none of its radical brutality, combining flavours that would be horrible anywhere else. Let's hope it lasts a long time. In the meantime, let's take advantage of the fact that this bottling is not yet totally unaffordable to get one or more copies without delay.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           The Legendary Pink Dots - City of Needles

Octomore 2009 Ten Years Diàlogos Fourth Limited Release

 

 

 

54,3°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay 

Virgin Oak, 1st and 2d Fill Ex-American Whiskey Casks from Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Jack Daniel's

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 208 ppm

 

 

 

The 4th edition of Octomore 10 Year Old is made up of 77 casks, 46 of which are first-fill American whisky, 15 of which are first-fill American whisky for 6 years, then 4 years in second-fill casks, and finally 16 which combine virgin casks and first-fill and second-fill casks of American whisky. A total of 12,000 copies have been bottled. The barley used is Scottish Optic.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Iodine, fresh young wood, varnish. Zest of lemon, vanilla bean. Heather, pine needles. Peat takes time to rise, on dry earth, leafy bush, sand. Citrus fruits. Grapefruit, mandarin. Crunchy biscuit, Petit Beurre, gingerbread, wheat germ. A hint of smoke. Cereal on the palate, slightly dry and vanilla-flavoured. Spices, nutmeg, pepper, ginger. Quite intense. Long, coal-like, earthy finish, dry bread, barley, compacted herbs. A little heartbreaking, throat-clearing, powerful. Peach pit, chocolate powder.

 

In Short, 

I'm a little disappointed by this Octomore which, because of its age, loses some of its power. What's more, maturing almost exclusively in American whisky casks has led to a lack of complexity. It's still very good, but when you look at the price, you expect better.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Lestened While Sipping :

                                            Justin Johnston - Rumblestrippin'