Aberlour A'bunadh Alba Batch 007

 

 

 

58,9°

Distillery : Aberlour - Speyside

Ex-Bourbon Barrels 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Everyone knows the Aberlour A'bunadh, which have been around since 1998 and have over 80 batches of intense Sherry Bombs. But the A'bunadh Alba are much more recent, the first dates from 2018, and they are aged exclusively in Bourbon casks. After Sherry Bombs and Peat Bombs, perhaps Aberlour has invented Bourbon Bombs? I'm joking, but it's an excellent initiative, at the rate of one or two Batches a year, we're now waiting for the 10th Batch, but the one I was able to taste was Batch 007, released in early 2023.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's quite unctuous, hazelnuts, a dash of vanilla, white fruits, mirabelle plums, green apples, juicy pears. Some toasted cereals, chestnut leaves, young but already varnished wood, warm bread, just out of the oven. A certain country freshness. On the palate, the alcohol makes itself felt a little, but it remains solid: shortbread biscuits, cat's tongues, wood varnish, various fruit pulps, apricots, white plums, mashed banana. Fairly powerful spices, but no less so than the finish, which is explosive but not very long, roasted nuts, birch bark, earthy notes, pheasant meat, melon.

 

In Short, 

I thought it was a great success, very well done. It gives everything that a Cask Strength Bourbon bottling can give. Of course, it's quite young, but there's character and creaminess, a certain complexity too, and length on the palate. The price, on the other hand, is a little exaggerated, I think you'll have to wait for a promotion.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Delta Sleep - Figure in the Dark

Orkney (HP) 2010 100 Proof Edition #38 14 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : Highland Park - Islands

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt and Bourbon Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

This is already the 4th bottling from Highland Park in the 100 Proof range, launched barely 16 months ago. As is almost always the case, it is aged mainly in Sherry casks, and the number of bottles produced is not specified, although it is known to be very large.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Red fruit purée, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, blueberries, light ashy peat, pieces of lignite, melting dark chocolate, hot caramel, dates, well ripened apricots. A floral touch, some heather, semi-salted butter, wood and molasses, sesame. On the palate, peaches, honey, mandarins, then fairly strong spices, cumin, nutmeg. Rather long finish, with a certain character, chocolate crumble, cinnamon, damp earth, soft caramel, sandalwood. Chewing tobacco, cashews.

 

In Short, 

The Sherry is a little more prominent than on the other two editions I tasted, and on the palate it's a little clear. It's still a good product, there's a nice apricot fragrance on the nose, and the finish is well done, but I find that it's the least good of the Orney 100 Proofs that I know of. But if you can't find another one, you might as well take this one, the distillery's character is clearly detectable, and the value for money is still very good.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Sleep Party People - Things Will Disappear Like Tears in the Rain

Hellyers Road 2003 Collection Foundations 21 yo

 

 

 

62,4°

Distillery : Hellyers Road - Australia

1st Fill American Oak Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated  

It's one of the oldest bottlings to come out of Australia, and indeed the southern hemisphere. Hellyers Road is a distillery that has been operating in Tasmania since 1999, and is proud of its artisanal character. The fermentation takes 65 hours, and the distillation 72 hours, which is a long time. This cask was selected by La Maison du Whisky to be part of the Collection Foundations on the occasion of the Whisky Live Paris 2024, and filled just 150 bottles. The alcohol content is incredibly high for a 21-year-old whisky, so the environment must have been very dry.

Let's Taste It : 

Fruit paste, candied fruit, rose loukoum, there's a lovely explosion of fruit on the nose, but it remains very sweet, slightly citrusy, grapefruit, clementine, and even floral. At the same time, it's very cerealy and sandy, dried cereals in a desert climate, all coated with a good vanilla bean, almond paste, coconut crumbs and acacia honey. A zest of lime. On the palate, the noble wood is laid bare with ginger and vanilla custard, ripe peaches and mashed banana. Fine herbs, thyme, rosemary, parsley, a stick of liquorice and very well-integrated spices, nutmeg, saffron. The finish is powerful and long, hazelnuts, puffed rice and damp sand. The fruit becomes white, grape, mirabelle plum, and a return of almonds and ginger.

In Short, 

It's absolutely marvellous, and above all it's highly original, truly remarkable in its character and personality. The age adds great complexity, but in no way detracts from the liveliness of the flavours. For this reason, I think it's a little masterpiece in its own way, everything is very well done, there are no real faults even if the palate is slightly below the rest. The price is unfortunately very high, but it's a rare product, so you'll have to wait for a promotion.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Troels Hammer - Botswana Girl

Amrut 2017 Collection Foundations Ex-Oloroso Peated 6 yo

 

 

 

60°

Distillery : Amrut - India 

Oloroso Sherry Cask 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Lightly Peated

 

 

 

As well as having produced India's first Single Malt Whisky, the Amrut group is constantly experimenting and launching new bottlings. Although only 0.25% of their alcohol production is Single Malt Whisky, some bottlings are real curiosities, like this one, aged for 6 years and 11 months in a single Oloroso Sherry cask, for a total of 462 bottles. As whisky ages two to three times faster in India, with more than half the cask having disappeared at a rate of 11% of angels' share per year, this is a truly exceptional product.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Beautiful fullness from the oloroso, combined with ash and a bewitching, slightly dry smoke. It's unctuous, fragrant leather, red berries and dried fruits, apricots, raspberries, figs, dates, redcurrants. Exotic wood, cinnamon. It's velvety and elegant on the palate, despite hints of soot and charcoal, with intense fruit, quinces, forest berries, lively spices, nutmeg and cloves. Long and heady finish, fried bacon, red fruit coulis, charcoal. Heather honey, crushed peanuts. A slight herbal touch.

 

In Short, 

It's some of the best stuff you'll find from Amrut, the age is right, and the Oloroso Sherry cask is of good quality, all in all it makes a very good product. However, I find it a little lacking in character and personality. As for the price, I find it astronomical for what it is.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Blood Cultures Set it on Fire

Bimber 2019 Collection Foundations

 

 

 

58,5°

Distillery : Bimber - England

Moscatel Sherry Cask 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 50 ppm

Bimber is a London distillery created in 2015. Their barley is sourced from Warminster Maltings, England's oldest malting plant, located close to the distillery. The liquid is left to ferment for 7 days, which is a long time. Bimber is therefore a distillery that claims to be artisanal, in an ultra-industrial environment. This one has been selected by La Maison du Whisky to form part of the Collection Foundations. It is the contents of a Moscatel Sherry cask, and has filled 301 bottles. The whisky is only 4 to 5 years old, and is peaty, which sometimes happens at Bimber. Usually with this distillery, the peat content of the barley is 50 ppm, and 14.5 ppm in the glass. But these are the usual measurements and I don't know if they are the same with this cask.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very fresh white fruit, pomade, industrial glue, light peat, grainy and ashy, then the sherry makes itself felt, blood oranges, honey and dried leather, saffron, paprika, cinnamon, tomatoes, raspberries and a few floral fragrances. On the palate, dried fruit, figs, raisins, apricots, it's quite honeyed, but also tarry, with the dust of light peat and fleshy spices, cloves, nutmeg. The finish is long and powerful, the charcoal is thick, but gives way to exotic fruits, coconut, banana, pineapple. A pinch of salt, a medicinal touch.

 

In Short, 

Very elegant, but also slightly acidic, this whisky is complex and very original. I enjoyed it, especially the finish. It's a very interesting product, but the price seems very high to me, I'm well aware that artisanal production increases costs tenfold, but it shouldn't be exaggerated.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Diamonds - Beautiful Dark

Rampur 2016 Single Cask Foundations 8 yo

 

 

 

57,5°

Distillery : Rampur - India

1st Fill American Bourbon Barrel 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Rampur is owned by Radico Khaitan Ltd, it's a distillery established in the town of the same name in 1943, but it has only been producing whisky since the early 2010s. This one is a very limited edition of 135 bottles, undoubtedly one of the rare Single Casks from this distillery. The maturation process is very straightforward, allowing us to discover the character of this distillate.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Fragrant bark, melting caramel, very ripe apricot, orange marmalade with a hint of clove, fruit paste, warm floral fragrances, roses, tulips, it's fleshy and lush, red curry, a few drops of raspberry, treacle. It's very syrupy on the palate, rose loukoum, exotic fruit coulis, banana, mango, sesame nougat, soft-boiled egg, calissons, pastry cream. The spices are discreet but shimmering. Long, honeyed finish, puffed rice, brown tobacco, liquorice, damp roots, warm chestnuts.

 

In Short, 

It's very interesting, it has its own identity, its own character, the typicality of its country. It's exotic, suave, languorous, with colourful flavours. It's very original, of course, but I don't know if it will appeal to everyone. As for the price, it's too high for my liking.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Elephabt Stine - The Imajinary, NAmeless Everybody in the World

Springbank 2011 Local Barley 10 yo

 

 

 

51,6°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

100% Bourbon Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 12 ppm

 

 

 

This is the 7th edition of Local Barley since the range was resurrected in 2016. The first range included much older bottlings launched between 1988 and 2001, and is now legendary.  The new range, launched in 2016, is made up of rather younger bottlings, between 8 and 16 years old, often 10 years old. This one is one of the 4 Local Barley 10 year olds, and one of the 2 to have matured entirely in Bourbon casks, the other being an 11 year old released in 2017. This is a large-scale limited edition, with 15,000 bottles on sale.

Let's Taste It : 

Some straw, with a little earth on top, hints of stable, hay, whitewash, candied lemon, juicy pineapple, beeswax, floral notes, primrose, sunflower, a whiff of airy iodine, banana Frécinette, lime blossom, wild flower honey. Semi-salted butter, starting to melt. Mirabelle plums. IIt's clearer on the palate, lemon, vanilla, egg custard, caramel, treacle, cloves, cumin, lychees. Long, generous finish, icing sugar, white grapes, vanilla ice cream, then rough wood, very slight touch of bitterness. Endives, celery. Brussels sprouts.

 

In Short, 

With the 100% Bourbon Casks maturation, we have the very essence of Springbank's identity, the notes of barn, hay and rough wood, with a dash of iodine. That's why I really liked this one, it offers the Springbank character in all its authenticity. Once again, you have to realise that these Local Barleys are extraordinary, even revolutionary in the world of whisky. It's the paradox of local production in a hyper-industrial environment. Obviously, this kind of initiative comes at a high price, and fascinates the public. As a result, the last remaining copies of this legend are selling at an outrageous price.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Giles Corey - No One is Ever Going to Want Me

Port Charlotte 2004 Rest & Be Thankful Rare Collection Collection Foundations 2024 19 yo

 

 

 

59,1°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay

Oloroso Sherry Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co.

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 40 ppm

 

 

 

Port Charlotte bottlings over 18 years old are rare, with fewer than 30 in existence today. It was under the direction of Jim McEwan and Mark Reynier that the first casks of Port Charlotte were distilled in 2001, and the first bottling was launched in 2006. 18 years later, it's fair to say that Port Charlotte is a central part of the distillery. This one was launched at the Whisky Live Paris event, as part of the Collection Foundations created by La Maison du Whisky, and reserved for the French market. 250 bottles were released to the world.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, wisps of Sherry settle delicately, ebony wood, brown sugar, charcoal and soot, cooked mushrooms, brown tobacco, fig jam, cinnamon, earthy notes, roasted nuts, melting caramel, ashes in the fireplace, melon, quinces and medlars, dried bananas. Iodine and sea spray, seaweed. On the palate, the same impression as on the nose, it's thick, deep, woody, but also very fruity and supple, with a serious layer of peat in the background, accompanied by some mineral elements, graphite, quartz, candied cherries, blueberry tart, lemon zest, baked apples, meringue, not excessive but intense spices, cloves, black pepper. Very long and explosive finish, charcoal, earth, incense stick, slice of bacon, crushed red fruit, blackberries, redcurrants. Toasted hazelnuts.

 

In Short, 

Another excellent product, it's on a par with this one, which is still on my must-have list. This one is a little less fruity, not much exotic fruit, but deeper and earthier, woody, melting caramel and perfectly integrated peat. It's a masterpiece, and the worst thing is that it's still available to buy, but at an exuberant price. I'm waiting for a promotion worthy of the name.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Helllight - As Daylight Fades

Port Charlotte 2007 Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co. 15 yo

 

 

 

57,7°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay 

Sherry Butt 

Independent Bottling 

By Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co. 

Limited Edtion 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 40 ppm

 

 

 

As former representatives of Bruichladdich, the creators of Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co. have always beautiful casks from this distillery. Here we have a Port Charlotte aged 15 years, which has been bathed in a Sherry Butt, resulting in 864 bottles.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Fresh and airy peat on the nose, fleshy and vegetal. Dark chocolate with coffee beans, roasted nuts, soft toffee, blueberries and blackberries, muscat grapes, leather, brown tobacco, blood oranges, candied cherries, sandalwood, and a tiny hint of iodine in the background. On the palate, the fruit is heavier and thicker, barely hindered by the peat. It's typical of the distillery, with exotic fruits and chocolate, a few maritime notes, a campfire in the countryside, redcurrants, beetroot, citrus zest, heather, it's even almost vinous. Well-integrated spices, pepper, cloves, nutmeg. The peat returns in the finish, with a good layer of ash, fragrant bark, stuffed figs, then it becomes herbaceous, even medicinal, hazelnuts, floor wax, liquorice, clove, a drop of grapefruit.

 

In Short, 

Excellent Port Charlotte, where the peat is not omnipresent at all, giving way to a deluge of fruit and chocolate, liquorice, sandalwood and spices. In other words, everything you need. I'm sorry I didn't buy it when I had the chance, but now it's completely sold out and can only be found at auction for top dollar.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Mammùt - Salt

Benrinnes 2009 Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co. 14 yo

 

 

 

54,1° 

Distillery : BEnrinnes - Speyside 

Ex-Sherry Butt 

Independent Bottling 

By Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co. 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Rest & Be Tahnkful Whisky was established in 2012, and in their 13 years of existence they've bottled barely 20 casks from Speyside. It's not their speciality, but they do it when they get the chance. Here we have a Benrinnes, distillery which will celebrate its bicentenary next year, and which is well suited to Sherry. And it's just as well, because the cask used here is a Sherry cask, some even say Oloroso. 577 bottles are produced.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :   

The nose is fresh and airy at first, then the Sherry character comes through, with candied fruit, dried fruit, red fruit coulis, leather, dried meat, varnished wood, cinnamon, dark chocolate. Some cereal and earthy notes in the background. Bark. On the palate, there's also orchard fruit, apples, pears and peaches, but otherwise the red fruits are still there, fresh tobacco leaves, light coffee, macchiato, salted butter caramel, pancakes with maple syrup, not very remarkable spices, cloves, black pepper. Quite a long finish, raisins, vanilla bean, heather earth, full-fat pudding, melting chocolate.

In Short, 

Not bad at all. The Sherry is very pronounced, but it's not a Sherry Bomb for me, there's plenty of nuance and subtlety, and you can feel the character of the distillery in the background. That said, it's very Sherry, I must admit, and it will appeal to fans of that profile. The price varies from site to site, so be careful.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                          Schema - Sorrow

Finglassie 2017 Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co. 6 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : InchDairnie - Lowlands

Islay Whisky Casks, Jamaican Rum Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co. 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Medium Peated  

Some time ago I had the opportunity to taste some Strathenry, the unpeated version from InchDairnie, a young distillery in the Lowlands that opened in 2015, and I liked it. Here we have a Finglassie, the peated version. I wrote Medium Peated because it didn't seem to me that the peat was strong, no more than 25 ppm and maybe less, but I wasn't given any indication of that. To reinforce the peaty character, the distillate was matured in casks that had previously contained Islay whisky, before being finished in Jamaican Rum casks. 3720 bottles have been released for sale.

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is quite airy and mineral, with a slight medicinal touch. Slightly damp smoke. Sleet, roasted cereals, slate and quartz. Soon enough, tropical fruits join the dance: pineapple, candied lemons, mashed banana. Cane sugar, a hint of vanilla. On the palate, orange blossom, puffed rice, birch bark and a slice of bacon. The spices are softened by the influence of Rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. The finish is fairly long, but remains conventional, fresh, full of lime, a few notes of sea spray and iodine, a pinch of salt.

In Short, 

It's nice, fairly well done. In principle, I'm not at all a fan of Rum cask ageing, but here it works. That said, I'm not crazy about it either, you just have a good time. You can still find it at a decent price on certain websites.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Black Market Karma - Adoration

Springbank 2016 Local Barley 8 yo

 

 

 

58,1°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

50% Bourbon, 50% Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 12 ppm

 

 

 

The 10th Local Barley launched by Springbank is also one of the youngest. Just 8 years old, while the very first, released in 2016, was 16 years old, an age we haven't seen since. The upside is that this may calm speculators. The maturation is more interesting, as it is split equally between Sherry and Bourbon casks. The Sherry should therefore predominate, but not by much. 13500 bottles went on sale, disappearing as quickly as they appeared.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Sweet smoke, slightly lemony, brown sugar. Heather honey. After a while, it becomes velvety, with ginger, pecans, exotic wood, egg custard, floral notes, beeswax. Prickly pear, papaya, braised pineapple. Tiger balm. On the palate, it's very smooth, candied bananas, apricots, mandarins, honey biscuits, then powerful spices, cloves, cumin, nutmeg. The finish is explosive and relatively long, charcoal, sun-gilded cereals, breadcrumbs, a lemon zest, cashew nuts.

 

In Short, 

As usual, it's excellent, here we have a lot of beeswax, with a very slight medicinal touch, and fruits of all kinds, especially exotic. The only tiny reservation: the finish is explosive, very powerful, but not extremely long. All in all, this is a very high quality bottling, a must-have on your shelves, if it weren't to be taken over by the nasty speculators who spoil the pleasure of buying it.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Porridge Radio - Machine Starts to Sing

Mac-Talla Pedro Ximénez Fèis Ile 2023

 

 

 

54,6°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay

Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks 

Independent Bottling 

By Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Heavily Peated

 

 

 

The Morrison family launched the Mac-Talla brand in 2021. At the time, as they were the former owners of the Bowmore distillery, many assumed that Mac-Talla actually came from Bowmore, and it certainly did. But the Brand Ambassador confirmed to me that several distilleries were involved, so it could just as easily be Caol Ila, by far the largest distillery on the island, or another. In any case, what we have here is a limited edition bottling whose contents have been aged entirely in Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, for a period that remains a mystery. It has been launched on the occasion of Fèis Ile 2023, a music and whisky festival held every May on the island of Islay.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Round and slightly coppery nose, the Sherry does its job, dried fruits, dates, figs, bananas, tanned leather, varnished wood, then the peat rises, ashen, full of soot, liquorice, melted chocolate. Red fruits in the background, redcurrants, raspberries. A drop of treacle. Brown sugar, peanut butter. On the palate, it's young, slightly watery, fruit paste, soft caramel, fudge, rather unruly spices, cloves, cumin, black pepper. Powerful, coal-like, liquoriced finish, but not long enough, dark chocolate chips, dry earth.

 

In Short, 

In my opinion, this is Caol Ila, the peat seems too strong to be Bowmore, and I recognise the ashy, sooty profile of Caol Ila with Sherry. The nose and finish are very good, especially the nose, which is very round and velvety, but the palate is a little pale, the product is undoubtedly very young, which is a shame. But it's still a good thing that's not stupid to buy, even if, personally, I find it a little expensive.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Komodrag & The Mounodor - Stone in the Field

Glen Spey 2015 100 Proof Edition #37 9 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : Glen Spey - Speyside

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butts

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Exploring the 100 Proof range, inaugurated at the beginning of 2024, also means discovering little-known distilleries such as this one, almost all of whose production goes into blends, including the infamous J&B. The time has come to do justice to this distillery by realising its potential, perhaps on the occasion of this bottling, 9 years old and matured in 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butts. This is a limited edition, but the number of bottles produced is very large.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Woody sherry, varnished wood and dried fruit, dates and apricots, brown sugar, cinnamon. A tiny touch of smoke certainly from the charred cask. Quite round, with a lovely caramelised sweetness. Nougatine. It's less interesting on the palate, a little light, molasses, prunes, dried figs, a hint of bitterness, then spices, cloves, pepper, cumin. Pears and quinces. The finish is long and rather powerful, with charcoal balls, wood shavings, toffee, liquorice sticks and sultanas.

In Short, 

I liked the nose, which is quite nuanced, and the finish, which is very correct, but on the palate it's not the same, it's too clear, which is a shame. So I'll give it a good mark, because on the whole it's a good whisky, but such a mouthful makes me say that no, it's not worth buying. If only because there are better products in the same range at the same price.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Hannah Peel - Silk Road

Macallan 1991 Artist #14 Rothes Glen Over 30 yo

 

 

 

55,2°

Distillery : The Macallan - Speyside

Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By La Maison du Whisky

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfitered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This is undoubtedly the most talked-about bottle in the Artist #14 range, released on the occasion of the Whisky Live Paris 2024. It's a Macallan that is at least 32 years old, which makes it extremely rare - only 94 bottles have come out of cask. On the other hand, it was aged in a Bourbon Barrel, which is original, given that Macallan has made Sherry its tradition.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very velvety on the nose, with fruit paste, but also fresh fruit which adds a lovely fullness, mirabelle plums, ripe pears, white peaches. Intense honeyed notes, fermented berries, orange marmalade, quince jam, sprinkled with cinnamon, curry. On the palate, vanilla bean, sultanas, some exotic fruit, bananas, prickly pears, then well-integrated but lively spices, cloves, nutmeg. Very long finish, full of liquorice and ginger, damp roots, some cereals, barley, millet, bark, puffed rice, egg yolk.

 

In Short, 

It's incredibly good, I must say, with that velvety smoothness typical of the distillery, and a very wide range of flavours. On the other hand, the price is astronomical, and at that price I prefer a Brora or a Port Ellen. You rarely have the opportunity to buy at that price, and if you do, you take something else. As proof, the product is still available for sale today, more than six months after its launch.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Albert Cummings - Lonely Bad

Glenlossie 2012 100 Proof Edition #35 12 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : Glenlossie - Speyside

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt and Bourbon Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The 100 Proof range is growing with new bottlings, soon to reach fifty in less than two years. Here we have a 12-year-old Glenlossie, aged in a blend of Bourbon Hogshead and Oloroso Sherry Cask. Glenlossie is a little-known distillery, neighbouring Mannochmore, and almost all its production goes into blends, so this bottling is an opportunity to get to know it a little better.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very rich sherry, very woody, roasted nuts, olives, varnish, dried fruits, apricots, quinces, dates. Dark chocolate, coffee beans, and even an ounce of smoke that certainly comes from the toasted casks. Herbaceous notes, baked apples, prunes. On the palate, cinnamon, cereals, apricot and orange jam, it's still very woody, with coffee and spices, cloves, cumin, nutmeg. Fairly long finish, not so explosive, charcoal, more wood, caramel, brown tobacco, a mint leaf. Crushed banana.

 

In Short, 

I don't find this bottling very successful. Despite the presence of Bourbon Hogshead, the Sherry is very present and somewhat overwhelms the distillate. Fortunately, there's no bitterness or sulphur, but there's still a lot of wood, leather and dried fruit. That's why I don't find it very interesting. It's good, but not remarkable or full of character. Admittedly, the price is low, but I don't see the point of owning this sort of thing. Whether the quality improves with aeration remains to be seen, though.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Juliet By Night - Heretics

Caol Ila 2012 Hidden Spirits Classic Version 12 yo

 

 

 

48°

Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay

Refill Bourbon Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 35 ppm

 

 

 

This Classic Version range from Hidden Spirits offers demanding Daily Drams that reflect the identity of the distillery or the region. Most of the time, the whisky is reduced to 48° and aged in a cask that will have little influence, in this case a Refill Bourbon Cask. This Caol Ila is therefore an opportunity to rediscover the distillery. The number of bottles produced is unknown.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's pure Caol Ila, with iodine, sea breeze, limestone, sea spray, seaweed, fish, and also a very grimy smoke, tyre, rubber, liquorice. A dash of vanilla, lemon zest and even a few mirabelle plums. Dust, pebble beach. Quartz, slate. The palate is fruitier, the peat more discreet, Île flottante with its custard, almond milk, meringue, a hint of pineapple. Lively spices, pepper, nutmeg. A powerful finish, with the peat returning in force, thick, solid, earthy and mineral, sandstone, chalk, white chocolate, sultanas, cashew nuts and crushed peanuts.

 

In Short, 

An excellent Caol Ila, which I really enjoyed. The typicity is incredible, and there's also a lovely complexity. Honestly, I've rarely enjoyed such a Caol Ila, and I've tasted a lot of them. It's still a reduced 12 year old, of course, but it's much better than you'd expect. The price seems fair, but it's hard to find.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Night in Athens - Words Unspoken

Croftengea 2017 Hidden Spirits A Year Long Celebration 6 yo

 

 

 

50,4°

Distillery : Loch Lomond - Highlands

Bourbon Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits  

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated from 40 to 55 ppm 

I'd forgotten there was a fourth bottling in the A Year Long Celebration series, in honour of 11 years of Hidden Spirits, an Italian bottler founded in 2013 by Andrea Ferrari. I'm going to try and list all the brands to come out of the Loch Lomond distillery. There are the unpeated ones: Loch Lomond, Old Rhosdhu, Inchmurrin, and the peated: Inchmoam, Inchfad and Croftengea. Each whisky is produced differently. Croftengea is the most heavily peated, double distilled in straight-neck stills, in the same way as Inchmurrin, except that Inchmurrin is not peated. This Croftengea doesn't seem to be one of the most peaty, it must be around 40/45 ppm, and it was aged in a single Bourbon cask for only 6 years. I don't know how many bottles were produced.

Let's Taste It : 

Very mineral nose, with limestone and quartz, gypsum, slate. Peat and grit, earthy smoke. Lemon notes in the background, vanilla ointment, coconut, white chocolate. Fresh iodine, some sea spray. On the palate, it's oily, a thick layer of peat, charcoal balls, roots, but also almond milk, very ripe pears, cloves and grey pepper. Quite a long finish, quite worthy, charcoal-like, woody, dark chocolate, coffee, forest berries, ginger, bark, chestnuts in their husks, humus. 

 

In Short, 

It's not bad at all, with good earthy peat, but also mineral, typical of the Highlands, and I also found a few hints of costal, which would come from the islands. It's a little Peat Bomb, with character and an original personality, albeit a little young. The price is too high in my opinion, you can find just as good for less, but Peat Bombs from the Highlands are rare after all.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Golden Apes - The Highest Point

Campbeltown 2016 Hidden Spirits Classic Version 8 yo

 

 

 

48°

Distilleries : Glen Scotia, Springbank - Campbeltown 

Refill Bourbon Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits 

Limited Edition 

Blended Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Almost Unpeated 

 

 

 

The Classic Version range offers some interesting daily drams from Hidden Spirits, an independent Italian bottler established in 2013. These are original and reduced bottlings, so easier to drink. Here we have a Blended Malt from Campbeltown, Andrea Ferrari himself told me it was 90% Glen Scotia and 10% Springbank. This mix has grown for 8 years in the same Refill Bourbon Cask, to finally give us this little thing. Unfortunately, we don't know how many bottles were made. A previous edition of the same Blend was released in 2022, with some success.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very successful nose, very Campbeltown, costal with honey and brioche, coarse sea salt, iodised freshness, vanilla fragrances, a zest of lemon, some exotic fruit, sea spray, seafood, seaweed, a light layer of limestone and genoise. Icing sugar, meringue. On the palate, it's a little light but pleasant, with lemonade, citrus fruit, orange blossom, hints of papaya, kumquat, salted butter caramel and well-integrated spices. Very long finish, quite powerful given the alcohol content, shortbread biscuits, pinch of aniseed, floral notes, peanuts, cashew nuts, sultanas.

 

In Short, 

Incredible quality for a Blended Malt, great character despite the reduction, I'm really surprised by the high standard of this bottling. It's typically Campbeltown, with a real personality and beautiful fruity nuances. It's sometimes overpriced, but if you look hard enough, you'll find some very interesting special offers. Anyone who loves the profile should get one.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Throwing Muses - Pearl

Ledaig 2011 Hidden Spirits Selected by Aqua Vitae 11 yo

 

 

 

51,9°

Distillery : Tobermory - Islands

Bourbon Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits  

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 37 ppm

 

 

 

The latest Ledaig to be launched by Hidden Spirits, an Italian bottler established in 2013, is this one, aged for 11 years in a Hogshead, and specially selected by Aqua Vitae, a Taiwanese sales site. 198 bottles were produced from this cask.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Thick smoke, full of ash and sleet. Coal, peat fog, I almost feel like coughing. Dirty minerals, salt and oil, dust, oysters full of limestone, clams, whelks. Pebbles and quartz. After a while, chocolate, medlars, prunes, braised nuts. Fresh iodine, white melon. On the palate, it is silky, full-bodied, fresh and mineral, slightly metallic, then the spices impose their law, nutmeg, cumin, cloves. The finish is long and not too violent, lychees, chestnuts and lignite blocks, caramelised wood, liquorice.

 

In Short, 

This is an excellent Ledaig, as Hidden Spirits knows how to make them. First there's a wall of ashy and mineral peat, which after a while gives way to a delicate and fruity distillate. A magnificent contrast. More than a year after its release, it's not available anywhere, so if you're lucky enough to come across it, don't hesitate.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           We Lost the Sea - A Dance With Death