Mannochmore 2010 Malts of Scotland c. MoS20008

 

 

 

55,6°

Distillery : Mannochmore - Speyside

Bourbon Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Malts of Scotland

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

The German trading company Malts of Scotland was created in 2005 by Thomas Ewers. They launched this Mannochmore in 2020, and it created a bit of a fuss, because Serge Valentin scored it 90, saying it reminded him some lovely Rosebanks, a legendary closed distillery. A lot of people were surprised of that verdict, and the bottling was brought to the fore, which it didn't necessarily deserved. In reaction, other influencers wanted to give it a low rating, and this gave rise to a controversy, which seems pointless today, four years later. It is time to rediscover this beautiful bottling, without worrying about all that. It is a set of 299 bottles, apparently 9 years old, but I'm not sure about that. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Woody lemon, a touch of caramel and treacle, solvent that gives some fullness, a certain chalky minerality, and yellow fruits, plums, bananas, pineapple. Some vanilla in the background. On the palate, liquid honey, candied lemon, with cereal touches of barley, wheat and puffed rice. Light spices, mentholated notes. Vegetal hints. The finish is fairly clean, well-crafted, but with just the right amount of power, Haribo bananas, vanilla liqueur, damp bark, dill, limoncello.

 

In Short, 

I couldn't say if it looks like Rosebank, as I've never tasted it. But in any case, it's very good. Without being exceptional, the profile is original, both gourmand and with a certain complexity, bringing out some flavours rarely found elsewhere. The release price was quite right, and even today it can be bought without too many sacrifices at auction. I suggest buying it occasionally if you are a fan of the profile.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listeed While Sipping :

 

                                           Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - The Bed Song

Miltonduff 1998 Monologue A Whisky Anthology 21 yo

 

 

 

49,7°

Distillery : Miltonduff - Speyside 

Bourbon Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Chapter7

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

Chapter 7 is an award-winning independent whisky bottler founded by Selim Evin, a whisky enthusiast, in 2014. They are focusing on Single Cask Scotch and Small Batch Blended Malt Bottlings. Theur wide range A Whisky Anthology is divided in four sections : Prologue, Monologue, Anecdote and Chronicle. It's a very literary project. This one is a pure product from Speyside, raised in a Bourbon Hogshead for 21 years. Only 238 bottles were put on sale. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

At first cereal-like, then lemony with a touch of iodine, the fruits come into play next, mirabelle plums, greengages, bananas, conference pears, and with the addition of water it becomes more vegetal, tall herbs, bay leaves, acorns, bamboo and reeds. The whole is very well balanced, light but subtle and complex. The palate is smoother, with crushed grapes, exotic fruits, papaya, mango and a dash of vanilla. The spices are rather light, leading to a perfectly measured finish, not explosive but very long, woody, with hints of charcoal and roots. Nutmeg, cola.

 

In Short, 

I don't know this distillery at all, so all I can say is that it's very well made, with a very interesting and pleasant nose that unfolds in three stages, a discreet and subtle palate typical of Speyside, and a nice, long finish. Today, 4 years after its release, it is no longer really available, but then the price was rather attractive. Let's keep an eye out for other similar bottlings.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Blick Bassy - LoBa

Chichibu 2015 Collection Foundations 8 yo c. 4334

 

 

 

63,3°

Distillery : Chichibu - Japan

1sr Fill Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Almost Unpeated 

Released on the precise date of 10 July 2024, this Chichibu has a special meaning because it was bottled by Jean-Marc Bellier, a very important and endearing figure at La Maison du Whisky who, as I understand it, retired on that date. More than a gift, it's a totem, a testimony to Jean-Marc's exceptional contribution to the world of whisky, in France and elsewhere. Incidentally, it's also a rather rare Chichibu, matured for 8 years in a 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, distributed in just 165 bottles.

Let's Taste It : 

The contribution of the Bourbon barrel is very well integrated: candied lemon, vanilla cream, papaya, pineapple, with saline and floral touches. It's mellow, egg custard, fruity, crushed pear and bursting with heather honey. On the palate, it's woodier and spicier, with brioche, marzipan and coconut. It's quite peppery, but also softened by the influence of Bourbon. The finish is long and explosive, but also unctuous, with melting butter on farmhouse bread, young pine, warm chestnuts, a dash of liquorice, earthy hints, and melting caramel.

In Short, 

I'm not a big fan of Chichibu, but this is without doubt the best I've tasted. The others lacked that touch of genius that is so abundant in this one. Oh my God, the price had escaped me! It's quite outrageous, and therefore reserved for a very wealthy elite. That said, I'm sure it will soon be available at auction at slightly more affordable prices. Or not.

Score : 90

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Balthvs - Ojos Verdes

Ben Nevis 1997 The Single Malts of Scotland 22 yo

 

 

 

58,4°

Distillery : Ben Nevis - Highlands

Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Eixir Distillers 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2019

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Almost Unpeated

This Ben Nevis aged in a single Sherry Butt yielded 540 bottles. It is part of a set of 4 bottlings from the same year released between 2018 and 2021 by the Singh brothers, all aged in Sherry casks. This is the second. It's not entirely clear whether it's Cask Strength, the website does state that this range is bottled at ‘optimum strength’, not Cask Strength.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Walnuts and peanuts coated in caramel, plums and prunes, dates, raisins and dried apricots, figs, quinces, a few gooseberries here and there, all with a lovely mellow woodiness, patent leather, chocolatey spices, blood oranges sprinkled with cinnamon. Coffee éclair. It's relatively dirty, with a discreet touch of rancio and sulphur. On the palate, thick acacia honey, vanilla milk shake, roasted almonds, exotic spices, saffron and cardamom, star anise, vergeoise, soya milk. Long, explosive finish, liquorice and grey tobacco, thyme and rosemary, mentholated, herbaceous, earthy hints. Peppery barley sugar, French toast, orange jam with a touch of bitterness, ginger.

 

In Short, 

Let's be clear, this is an exceptional Ben Nevis, not my favourite, but not far off. It comes from the distillery's golden years, when every distillation yielded something wonderful, and the Sherry is beautifully integrated. As for the price, that's another story unfortunately. When it first came out it was still acceptable, but now it's really high. I suppose we should be grateful that there are still a few available.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Hermanos Gutiérrez - Hijos del Sol

Knappogue Castle 1997 Ex-Libris Wind of Spices 24 yo

 

 

 

54,4°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Ireland

Sherry Cask 

Independent Bottling 

By La Maison du Whisky

Limired Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

I'm still not sure about the provenance of this one, but some well-informed people have told me it's Bushmills, and that would make sense. Irish Distillers, which has been part of Pernod Ricard since 1988, sold Bushmills to Diageo in 2005. As a result, they can no longer use the Bushmills name, but they certainly have some old Bushmills casks hidden away in their warehouses. So they need to find another name to market these casks. And that's exactly what happened in 2021, when Irish Distillers bought the Knappogue Castle brand. That same year, five old vintages, 25 years and older, were launched by La Maison du Whisky, under the Knappogue Castle name. And the following year, there were three, including this one, aged for 24 years in a single Sherry cask. There was nothing after that, perhaps because they only had those eight casks. 526 bottles were put on sale. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The sherry comes to the fore, red fruits with runny pulp, cherries, blueberries, gooseberries, with pastry notes, pie crust, cake cream. Pan-fried beetroot, roasted figs, spices, thyme, rosemary. Dark chocolate and coffee. Behind, you can detect a few cereals, but it's very light. On the palate, damsons and other red plums, old wood, chocolate and coffee become more prominent, but combined with blackberry jam and blood oranges, the spices are somewhat forgotten in all this. The finish is long, rich and explosive, with coffee now omnipresent, cocoa grounds, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, dates, prunes, brown tobacco.

 

In Short, 

Of course, you have to like Sherry, but it's still an excellent product, wonderfully well made. You can recognise Ireland with its cereal intensity, but above all it's Sherry. You can still find a few bottles on certain websites, but the price is very high, so not everyone has rushed out to buy it. If you can afford it, you won't regret your purchase.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Rod Stewart - I Don't Want To Talk About It

Ardnahoe Inaugural Release 5 yo

 

 

 

50°

Distillery : Ardnahoe - Islay

80% Ex-Bourbon and 20% Ex-Oloroso Sherry Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 40 ppm 

It's sure to be one of this year's small events in the world of whisky: Ardnahoe is finally releasing its first Single Malt, after more than 5 years of waiting. It is to the credit of the team who run the distillery that they have waited 5 years, rather than launching very young juices full of flaws. But the owners are the Hunter Laing group, who are already well known in the whisky trade, and their company gives them the funds to produce the best whisky possible. I've read here and there that the number of bottles put up for sale is enormous, 70,000, but some also say 20,000. So we can't be sure of anything, but the figure is significant in any case. The maturation comes from an interesting blending, no cold filtration, a respectable peat content, all the conditions are there for us to enjoy.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Quite fine smoky peat, clear and iodised, ethereal, fresh, maritime, with bourbonnesque hints, mirabelle plums and lychees, Chasselas grapes. After a while, it becomes more citrusy, but without acidity, with a very slight salty minerality. Pineapple, kumquat, but also a few astringent notes, wet dog, fish scales, limestone, so that it's not too smooth. Sweet and peppery on the palate, rose liqueur, a dash of lemon, a good dose of peat and spice, a touch of woody bitterness. This bitterness becomes creamier on the finish, like a confit of asparagus, prickly pear, prawn crisps, it's powerful, even a little too aggressive. On the other hand, it's very long, young wood, raw chestnuts, granola, maple syrup, cola.

 

In Short, 

I think the nose is very good, especially given the age of the spirit. It's not entirely complex, but it's nuanced and subtle. On the palate, it's well done too, the pepper is just a little strong, and I'm not fond of that little touch of bitterness. The finish is long and powerful, it's really successfull for a 5 year old, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid if someone had told me it was twice as old. I'm really impressed. As for the price, it's high, but that's normal, the distillery has to recoup its costs.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Thurston Moore - Sans Limites

Armorik Maître de Chai

 

 

 

50°

Distillery : Warenghem - France

French and Portuguese Wine, Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and Virgin French Oak Barrels

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

For this limited edition of 2,500 bottles, the distillery gave total freedom to its Maître de Chai Erwan Lefebvre, who decided to blend about ten very different casks: two 1st Fill Casks of Savennières wine, a dry white wine from the Pays de la Loire region, filled in 2015 and 2017, a 1st Fill cask of Pineau des Charentes, a sweet wine produced partly with cognac, filled in 2018, one 1st Fill Cask of Banyuls, a sweet natural wine from the Pyrenees, filled in 2019, a 1st Fill cask of Portuguese Vinho, filled in 2017,, 2 Barrels of Bourbon, one Refill, the other 1st Fill, filled in 2009 and 2012, two 1st Fill casks of Oloroso Sherry casks filled in 2014, one made from Spanish oak, the other from american oak, and finally a French virgin oak cask filled in 2017. So, the result is aged between 4 and 13 years and should give a wide range of flavours.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is a little imperfect, a mixture of alcohol, cheese and dried herbs. Pear and other orchard fruits, slight minty freshness. Pinch of salt. A drop of honey. Something mineral, between gravel and slate, or quartz. Palate initially mellow, egg custard, then spicy, peppery, with a slight thickness, bunches of grapes, plums. The finish is of medium length, a little scratchy on the glottis, small explosion, then red fruits which pass quickly, light woodiness, and finally marine fragrances, foam, fish, and caramel.

 

In Short, 

I have the feeling that there are too many different casks, which cancels out certain flavours, a bit like putting too much spice in a dish. As is often the case with French whisky, there's a lot of audacity here, an appetite for experimentation, but it's not very successful. What remains is something mineral and fruity that is quite pleasant to drink, but with some notable flaws. The price is fairly high, but acceptable if you go to the right places.

Score : 84

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Francis Cabrel - C'est écrit

Port Charlotte 2004 18 yo

 

 

 

54,3°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay

74% Refill Sherry and 26% Refill French Oak Wine Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 40 ppm  

Released at the beginning of 2024, only on the distillery's website, this Port Charlotte is presented as the oldest ever sold. This is probably true, as I've never seen one over 17 years old before. It was aged in Sherry and French wine casks. 6000 bottles were put on sale.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Strong and deep smoke, but quickly coated in vinous hints, burnt wood, dried banana, lots of liquorice, tinder leaf, red plum, forest berries, damp earth, forest undergrowth, muscat grapes, red currants. damsons. Blueberry cake. Hot toffee. Liquorish palate, a fruity touch, prunes, black cherries, and the influence of wood behind, very light spices, cumin and nutmeg. Finish in a slow explosion, woody and deep, thick layer of peat, dried apricots, more liquorice. Dark chocolate, coffee grounds.

 

In Short, 

At first, I was a little disappointed, but after a few weeks of airing, the full scope of the product becomes apparent. It reminds me of the 10 Year Old, but more subtle and woody, more powerful too. You dive into chocolate, liquorice and peat, nd never come out again. It's bewitching. As for the price, it's rather high, so you'll have to grit your teeth, but if you're a true lover of the distillery like me, you won't be counting. The bottle is still available on the distillery's website, and elsewhere, but at a higher price.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Birdeatsbaby - Better Man