Glen Ord 2012 The Nectar of the Daily Drams Signatory Vintage 11 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Glen Ord - Highlands

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel 

Independent Bottling 

By Daily Dram & Signatory Vintage 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

This is the second bottling produced jointly by Daily Dram and Signatory Vintage. Basically, the Belgians took what they liked from Mr Symington's warehouses. And here we have a Glen Ord matured in a single Bourbon Barrel, aged for 11 years. Unfortunately, there are no details on the number of bottles obtained. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's very fruity, orchard fruits, white peaches, Conference pears, juicy apples, but also a lovely mellowness, egg custard, brioche, butter biscuits, filled with caramel. Creamy vanilla, a few citrus fruits, but more grapefruit than lemon. Very well balanced overall. On the palate, the fruit is more candied, like chewy sweets, with a pinch of icing sugar, and rather discreet spices. The finish is fairly long but not interminable either, shortbread biscuits, braised chestnuts, a slice of lime and lemon tart. 

 

In Short, 

Glen Ord is a distillery that I like more and more, and here I found the nose and palate really close to perfection. The finish on the other hand is fine, but lacks a little power and length. It's a successful bottling, but it could have been really impressive with a slightly higher alcohol content. The price was attractive, but it's not really available any more, so you'll have to be smart to find the last bottles in stock at a reasonable price. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Olya Sonica - Let Me In

Miltonduff 2011 The Nectar of the Daily Drams Signatory Vintage 12 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Miltonduff - Speyside

1st Fill Sherry Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Daily Dram & Signatory Vintage

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

They have so much stock at Signatory Vintage that they're sharing it with their friends. First, they let La Maison du Whisky rummage around and come back with the Artist range, but now they're also welcoming Daily Dram colleagues into their homes, and letting them take off with a cask or two. This one is a Miltonduff aged in a single first-fill Sherry cask for 12 years. I don't know how many bottles were produced. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is very fresh and mellow, egg custard, brioche, roasted nuts, dates, butter-filled shortbread biscuits, grapes of all colours, golden tobacco, thick honey, a few redcurrants, a mint leaf, waxed wood. On the palate, it's even fruitier, figs, medlars, red apples and blackberry jelly. Brown sugar, soft caramel, some light spices, dark chocolate, dried sultanas. Quite a long finish, very correct, dried fruits, elastic leather, the tobacco turns brown, a few vegetal notes, a grain of coffee. 

 

In Short, 

The Sherry is not too overpowering, the character of the distillery is recognisable, and the whole is satisfying, with a slight complexity and a nice freshness. I would have preferred a higher alcohol content, however. The price is not really attractive, so I suggest waiting for a promotion. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Sally Dige - Sow the Path

Ireland 2001 The Nectar of the Daily Drams 22 yo Orange Label

 

 

 

53,4°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Ireland

Independent Bottling 

By Daily Dram

Limited Edition 

SingleCask

Bottled in 2023

Cask Strength

Slightly Peated 

Daily Dram is a Belgian trading company founded in 2008 by the gentlemen from The Nectar, a large spirits import company. In 2015, they released an Ireland 1991 with the Virgin Mary drawn on the label, which caused quite a stir. Eight years later, they're at it again, with a trilogy of three new bottlings of Irish Whiskey, each 22 years old, featuring a portrait of a woman who bears a strong resemblance with the Virgin Mary. We really don't know much about these three expressions. Nothing about cold filtration, colouring or the number of bottles produced. Nothing about the original distillery, but it may well be Cooley, when it was still owned by John Teeling. Each one has its own colour, and that's how you distinguish them. The only one I was able to taste was orange.

Let's Taste It : 

Lots of cereals, wheat, barley, millet, it's mellow, with vanilla custard, cinnamon, a floral touch and waxed wood. Grated nutmeg, yellow fruits. Light peat in the background, earthy and stony. Some exotic fruits. Beeswax. Silky on the palate, very liquid honey, green apple, ethereal cereals. Spices combine with a touch of caramel, clove, benzoin and green pepper. Long, woody finish with hints of genoise and marzipan, gingerbread, hazelnut, ripe mirabelle plum, banana. Pastry cream.

In Short, 

Many rare qualities, including a superb finish, a beautiful, very Irish nose, and honey on the palate. This is a very fine bottling, which will delight connoisseurs. Unfortunately, it's sold out everywhere, we don't wonder why.

Score : 90

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Half Moon Run - 9Beat

Clynelish 1995 The Nectar of The Daily Dram 26 yo c. 2487

 

 

 

56,2°

Distillery : Clynelish - Highlands

Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Daily Dram

Limited Edition 

Single Cask

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 8 ppm

 

 

 

Jan Broekmans is the architect of the Daily Dram trading company, founded in 2008. He is a reference in the world of whisky, beacuse he is organised the Spirits in the Sky fair since 2007, and he founded the spirits import and distribution company The Nectar in 2006. This 26-year-old Clynelish was aged entirely in a single Sherry Butt, presumably a Pedro Ximénez, before being bottled and then sold about a year ago. The number of copies produced is not known.

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Deep and intense sherry, which crushes the distillate a bit. It's woody, with red fruits, berries, blackberries, leather, heather. Forest undergrowth. Humus and black earth. Almost charcoaled. Pencil lead. Vegetal hints, chlorophyll, holly leaves. On the palate, it's smooth, hazelnuts, but of course the sherry rises once again, cherry clafoutis, damson pie, light sweetness and spices, clove, cardamom, ginger. Fairly powerful finish, but not too much, coal and cola, wood and lignite, blackcurrant.

 

In Short,

It's a very good Sherry, but I didn't find the distillery markers. This is still a high value Whisky, but given the price I'm not sure I would recommend buying. It's also expensive because it's a Clynelish, but if you don't find the fundamentals of Clynelish there, I don't see the point.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Natalia Lafourcade - Tu Si Sabes Quererme

Secret Islay Distillery 2007 The Nectar 15 Years 14 yo

 

 

 

52,7°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay 

Monbazillac Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By Daily Dram 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

In 2006, Jan Broekmans founded The Nectar, an import and distribution company for top-of-the-range spirits in Belgium. The business went from strength to strength. In 2007, the Spirits in the Sky spirits exhibition was launched, followed in 2008 by the independent Daily Dram bottling range, which is now highly reputed. To celebrate the company's 15th anniversary, Daily Dram is launching a series of very attractive bottlings, including this Secret Islay Distillery, aged in a single cask of Monbazillac, a sweet white wine produced in the Dordogne. It is not mentioned how many bottles were produced.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Mild smoke that gradually becomes overpowering. Whipped cream and vanilla. Lemon candy. It's earthy, rocky. Pebbles, ashtray. Then the fruits show the tip of their nose. With the addition of water, they come into their own. White plums, mirabelles, bananas, lychees, liquid honey. Grapefruit pulp and orange zest. A hint of iodine and clay. Liquorish, spicy palate, a bit dry in the background. Very ripe pears, white grapes, prickly pears. A fistful of nails. Paprika, ginger, cola. Powerful, grainy, juicy, woody, sandy finish. Charcoal, chalk, asphalt at the end, with a few greengages.

 

In Short, 

Rumour has it that it's Laphroaig, and I think it is. The profile is quite recognisable. It's very good, you can feel the tension between peat, asphalt and nails on the one hand, and sweet white fruits on the other. After a few months of opening, this whisky, which was a little austere, has opened up completely, and it's wonderfully bewitching. I pity you if you don't have it at home. 

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

   

                                          Alexander Hacke & Danielle de Picciotto - Awake