The BenRiach 2007 Cask Bottling Peated Rum Cask 11 yo

 

 

 

59,5°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside 

Rum Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Among the no fewer than 17 expressions on offer in Batch 15 of the Single Cask Bottlings, this one is aged in a single rum cask, and has produced 151 bottles. To my knowledge, this is the first time a rum cask has been used in the Single Cask Bottlings (and also the last), but this type of maturation has often been used by BenRiach in the Wood Finish Series, a limited edition range that was produced between 2006 and 2017.

Let's Taste It : 

Spring peat, floral, with young wood, and of course the influence of rum barrels, cane sugar, vanilla, bamboo. Fresh iodine, damp earth, a few barely dug-up vegetables. Liquid honey, fresh milk. On the palate, like a vanilla custard at first, whipped cream, then the spices come out, quite strong, pepper, cumin. Juniper, violets. The finish is long and powerful, but a little harsh, woody, coaly, slightly citrusy, lemon and grapefruit. Crushed hazelnuts.

 

In Short, 

There was something wrong with the sample, which clearly smelt of petrol. But by airing it out and cutting it with water, I was able to rediscover the qualities of the beverage, which gradually overcame the unpleasant smell. I wasn't expecting much, as rum casks aren't my favourite, I have to admit that it was worse than expected. Still, the finish is very good, if a little aggressive, and the rum brings a certain freshness that goes well with the distillery's woodland profile.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Agnes Obel - The Curse

BenRiach 2007 Cask Edition Pedro Ximénez Puncheon 13 yo

 

 

 

56,2°

Distillery : The BenRiach - Speyside

Pedro Ximénez Puncheon 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

 

 

 

After a profusion of Single Cask bottlings of all kinds these last few years, it seems that the distillery has calmed down a little, proposing 'only' 7 different Cask Edition for 2021. One of these has been aged for 13 years in a Pedro Ximénez Puncheon cask, and 664 copies have been produced. Curiously, it is reserved for the French market. Good, there will be more for us.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very soft, very tender sherry, with that lovely sweetness typical of Pedro Ximénez. It works every time. Leather, caramel, quinces, dried grapes, chestnuts. Light peat in the background, rather rough, rustic. A little earthy, coaly. Asphalt, or rather cement, a bit of glue. Beetroot, eggplant. Very syrupy, liquorish palate, banana, then genoise, pastry cream, spices, cumin, paprika, nutmeg, saffron. Coal in the background. Still a slightly earthy and vegetable taste, with roots. Slightly vinous too. The finish is very long, racy and quite multi-faceted, with wood, but also caramel, cooked fruits, ploughed earth, brown coal. Smoked ham, a good slice of speck. With lingonberry jam. Fruit cake.

 

In Short, 

An excellent product, my favourite I've tasted so far from BenRiach, but I have to admit that I have a weakness for PX ageing, when it's done well, and that's the case here. The sherry influence is important, but doesn't close the door on the distillery's hallmarks, which makes for a nice marriage. The peat is fairly light and doesn't spoil anything, on the contrary. It is still easy to find, at a rather excessive price, but it is a Single Cask after all.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping  :

  

                                          Sigur Ros - Olsen Olsen

Glengoyne 21 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands

1st Fill European Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2007

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

At Glengoyne, they only distil 6 litres a minute. Their motto is "Unhurried since 1833". Similarly, their casks are prepared for 6 years before being filled with the precious juice. Suffice it to say that the preparation of this 21-year-old, aged exclusively in European sherry casks, took a longer time. This is the top of the regular range, and its oldest expression after the 10 Years Old. It has since been joined by the 12, 18, Legacy Series and Cask Strength.

Let's Taste It : 

Exotic wood, just varnished. Beautiful charcoal fullness. Nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts. Dried grapes. After a while the Sherry takes flight, Christmas pudding, caramelised tart tatin, scoop of vanilla ice cream, cinnamon. You can feel the caress of the warm air that has malted the barley for hours. Some exotic fruits, kiwi, lychee. Quince jam. Coconut. Really good on the palate, still nutty, with apricot, slight acidity, spices, paprika, saffron, nutmeg. Prickly pears. Very woody finish, really long, with hints of tinder and Armenian paper. Chocolate and coffee. Chicory. Dry earth and oily charcoal. Maté.

 

In Short,

I was disappointed, especially by the nose, which lacked a little complexity and intensity, especially compared to the 18-year-old. That said, the palate and finish make up for it a little, though not enough for me to recommend buying it. In any case, it has become very difficult to find, and the price makes you smile.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Hania Rani - Glass

Talisker 8 yo Special Release 2021

 

 

 

59,7°

Distillery : Talisker - Islands 

Heavily Peated Ex-Bourbon Refill Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 22 ppm

 

 

 

From 2001 to 2014, Talisker offered specific bottlings for Diageo Special Releases every year (except 2011), but they were very old, from 20 to 35 years old, and especially 25 years old. This annual delivery resumed in 2018, but for much younger editions, 8 years old, except in 2019 when we were rewarded with a magnificent 15 years old. This year we have a juice distilled in 2012, having matured in second-fill Bourbon casks, which received a heavily peated Whisky for their previous fill. This beautiful baby, which promises to have character, has been dubbed The Rogue Seafury, but I haven't put that in the title, as it's written on the back of the box.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Salty breeze. Sea spray lashes the face, foam licks the boots. Tons of iodine. A hint of lemon vanilla. Beautiful smoky peat, but also very maritime. Heather, lichen, mossy grass. Sea water. Kelp, seaweed. Oysters, bottarga, whelks. Crab meat. With the addition of water, it's even more costal, very intense. On the palate, the same profile, barrels of kelp, foam, seaweed, seawater. Then come the spices. Lump roe, sea urchins, brine. The finish crushes everything in its path, very long, still very marinated and briny. A strong wave crashes against the coast, wiping the beach. A pinch of sand. Coal. Oak leaves, wood.

 

In Short, 

It's exactly the sort of thing I love. Certainly well peated, but above all very costal, which enhances the distillate without abusing the influence of the casks. Frankly, I'm not sure I'd have recognised a Talisker if I'd tasted it blind, it's much more iodised than usual. In any case, I like it a lot, and the price is decent. If you're an enthusiast, you should snap it up without further ado.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Television - Marquee Moon

Aerolite Lyndsay 10 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay 

Bourbon Barrels and Spanish Sherry Quarter Casks

Independent Bottling 

By The Character of Islay Whisky Company 

Core Range

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2019

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured 

 

 

 

Atom Brands is a major company that owns the Master of Malt online shop and The Boutique-y Whisky trading company. In 2019, they launched a second trading company, The Character of Islay Whisky Company, specifically dedicated to the development of this island dubbed the Mecca of whisky. And their first bottling is this one, a 10-year-old from a secret distillery on the island, Aerolite Lyndsay being an anagram for Ten Year Old Islay. Maturation is 70% in bourbon casks, 25% in Spanish sherry casks and 5% in 'mystery' casks. Beautiful transparency.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Thick, misty peat. Granite. Behind, a rather sweet hint of vanilla. Vanilla custard, icing sugar. Wide wisps of fatty smoke. Tide, seaweed, a dash of brine. Iodine. Fresh breeze on a beach in the Baltic Sea. Coarse salt. Dust. Pepper. Graphite. Suave on the palate, the vanilla is back, still sweet, with a few spices, cumin, nutmeg, chives. A metallic note, iron filings. Green olives. Gravelly finish, charcoal, dry earth, rather long and quite powerful. Liquorice.

 

In Short, 

Overall, it's not bad at all, it's even a little more than that. If the nose seems conventional and lacks intensity, the finish seems pleasant, not so short and tasty. But it's still a little austere. I'm thinking of a peaty Bunnahabhain, or perhaps a slightly rustic Bowmore. First released as a limited edition, it's now a regular range product, very easy to find, at a decent price. Why not try it?

Score : 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Sufjan Stevens - Should Have Known Better

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.