Ben Nevis 1997 East Village Whisky Bottled for the 5th Anniversary of Whisky Maniac 26 yo

 

 

 

49,7°

Distillery : Ben Nevis - Highlands

Refill Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By East Village Whisky Company

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

This Ben Nevis was produced in the golden era, between 1996 and 1998, so it's bound to be something very good. Bottled to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Whisky Maniac, the site that sells, exclusively I believe, bottles of East Village Whisky Company, it's the product of a special occasion. The cask used is a Refill Sherry Butt, so we can only hope that the distillate is not too distorted by the wood. 490 bottles were put on sale.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A light woodiness with warm chestnuts, chocolate chips, spring cereals, egg yolk, quince purée, tarte Tatin, a good dose of cinnamon, butterscotch, an ounce of exotic fruit in the background, pineapple, papaya, guava, passion fruit. Vaporous smoke tinged with peat. On the palate, it's nectar, rosewater, lychee, orgeat syrup, very light vanilla, and spices full of character, pepper and cumin. Malty, cereal notes. A few clumps of peat. Very long finish, just the right amount of power, kola nut, spritz, vanilla bean, wood and soft caramel, very slight bitterness, fermented barley. Egg mochi. Rice cake.

 

In Short, 

At first, it's a very good Ben Nevis, weighed down by a Sherry that's not too invasive, then it becomes exotic, even Far Eastern, without leaving the world of whisky at all. The malt and cereals are very much in evidence. A long journey, while remaining true to its roots. That said, I was expecting a bit more from this one, given the distillery's reputation, especially when distillation took place at that time. But it's still an excellent whisky, sold at the normal market price, which is to say rather expensive.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           The End of The Ocean - We Always Think There is Going to Be More Time

Bruichladdich 2012 East Village Whisky 11 yo

 

 

 

52,7°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay

Red Bordeaux Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By East Village Whisky Company 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Among the recent bottlings from the East Village Whisky Company is this Bruichladdich, aged for 11 years in a red wine cask from the Bordeaux region of France. Only 49 bottles are on sale, so it's a very limited edition. East Village Whisky Company is a German bottler owned by Peter Ostendorf. In fact, Ostendorf means East Village in German, so we have the origin of this bottler's name.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The wine barrel has taken over from the rest, fermented pomegranate seeds, watermelon, cherries in brandy, orange marmalade, wine jam. It's slightly acidic, even sour. Mon Chéri chocolate. Milk fermented with redcurrant juice. Very damp exotic wood. On the palate, it's still a little acidic, grapefruit, blood oranges, a drop of raspberry coulis, fairly powerful spices, pepper and cumin. The finish is quite long, rich, but also acidic, acerola, wood and caramel, passion fruit and quetsches.

 

In Short, 

The wine cask completely destroyed the identity of the whisky, and even turned it into something quite original, very fruity, certainly acidic, but quite well balanced. At first, I didn't like it at all, but after a few days of oxidation, the whisky became balanced and pleasant. It's certainly one of those young, very fruity wines, and the fruit has imprinted itself so much on the whisky that the identity of the liquid was lost. Let's say it's an experimental whisky, which will only appeal to lovers of fully-aged wine casks, because it's not a finish, which is quite rare. Nevertheless, this whisky has its qualities, particularly on the finish, I don't regret to have tasted it, at least I will remember it.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Fire! - She Owned His Voice

Macduff 2011 East Village Whisky 10 yo 65,2°

 

 

 

65,2°

Distillery : Macduff - Highlands

Sherry Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By East Village Whisky Company

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

I'm still exploring some samples from East Village Whisky Company, a German bottler founded in 2017 by Peter Ostendorf, and this Macduff caught my eye. Aged for 10 years in a Hogshead Sherry, it filled 118 bottles. But what intrigued me was the alcohol content: 65.2°. Is the alcohol well integrated? Does this strength translate into a great intensity of flavour? In short, it makes you want to taste it. So I'm going for it. Not to be confused with another Macduff of the same age and distilled in the same year, which can also be found in this bottler's catalogue. As the cask numbers are not available, I differentiate them with the alcohol content. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The Sherry is intense, with lots of red fruits, blueberries, blackcurrants, acerola, fermented watermelon juice. Slightly burnt wood, earthy notes and liquorice. Cherry clafoutis, blackberry jam, apricot liqueur. Green tomato dough fritters. On the palate, it's syrupy, redcurrants, pomegranate, raspberry coulis, intense spices, nutmeg, hazelnut. The finish is as long as it is explosive, a real shrapnel bomb, salted butter caramel, antesite, melted butter, mahogany, a zest of lemon. Celeriac.

 

In Short, 

It's pretty much what you'd expect. The cask is of good quality, giving a fairly intense Sherry Bomb with rich, varied flavours. The alcohol is fairly well integrated, but it's best to drink another whisky beforehand to prepare the palate. The finish is obviously very powerful, but also very long and deep, which is really the main quality of this whisky. The palate is a little lighter, and the youth of the product is noticeable. They should have waited a few years before bottling, but the alcohol content would have gone down. You can still find a few bottles on Whisky-maniac, a German website that I often visit. If you're a fan of Sherry Bomb, it's worth a try. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Ezra Collective - God Gave Me Feet for Dancing

Tobermory 1996 East Village Whisky 25 yo

 

 

 

51,3°

Distillery : Tobermory - Islands 

Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By East Village Whisky Company 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

East Village Whisky Company is a German Bottler that appeared in 2017. Peter Ostendorf is the founder and owner. Today we discover this company with this 25-year-old Tobermory aged in a Hogshead, of which only 242 bottles were released.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Semi-salted butter melting in a pan, with a drop of olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon. Meringue, whipped cream, beeswax, royal jelly. A sprinkle of lime. Tarte Tatin, a pinch of cinnamon. The lemon is increasingly pulpy, becoming grapefruit, even pineapple, papaya, kumquat. On the palate, it's more mineral, chalk, lychee, some cereals, it's herbal, then the spices come through, pepper and cumin. The finish is long and powerful, very lemony, still mineral, with juicy pears, then it dries out towards the end. Slightly woody and gently bitter. Endive salad.

 

In Short, 

I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed, it's a very good bottling of course, but given the age and the ageing, I was expecting something exceptional. I really liked the nose and the finish, but it was on the palate that I found it a little light. The wood has influenced the whisky too much, and there's a slight bitterness on the palate, which comes through better on the finish, but which distorts the liquid a little overall. It's a shame, and at this price, these are flaws that are annoying. 

Score : 89 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Moving Mountains - Ghosts

Tobermory The Cooper's Choice Sherry Bomb

 

 

 

57°

Distillery : Tobermory - Islands

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By The Vintage Malt Whisky C° Ltd

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2019

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Back in 2017, a couple of Sherry Bombs had already been released in this range, The Cooper's Choice, they were from Glenrothes at the time. And in 2019, one last cask was bottled under this Sherry Bomb name, but this time it was a Tobermory. The age is not given, and to me that means the liquid is young, less than 10 years old. Whiskybase says it's 16 years old, but I don't believe that for a second. On the other hand, it doesn't say on the bottle, but it's quite possible that it's Cask Strength, as some bloggers claim. It's rare to come across a Single Cask that's not aged, and I have to admit that I'm wondering about the consistency of the project. According to some rumours, distillation took place in 2013, so the juice is 6 years old. 360 bottles came out of the cask. 

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Lumpy, almost acidic sherry, redcurrant purée, pomegranate, prickly pear, lacquered wood, freshly tanned leather, turpentine, mercurochrome, red fruit coulis, blackcurrants and blackberries, fermented apricots, cloves, ginger, nutmeg. Melted butter with a good dose of viandox. On the palate, it's much more pulpy, there's raspberry, watermelon, passion fruit, pineapple, goat's milk, a little honey, then intense spices, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg. Cough syrup, soy sauce. Powerful finish, caramel and earth, fresh fig, mellow wood, more ginger, slightly overcooked toasts, bitter orange jam. Green tomatoes.

 

In Short, 

It's a very intense Sherry and a bit acidic, as you'd expect. The juice seems a bit young to me, I think 6 years is a likely age. Why didn't they let it age a bit more? It would certainly have been better, and the price would have seemed less disproportionate. As for now, I think it's expensive for what it is. The character of the distillery is impossible to detect, to be reserved for Sherry fans. 

Score : 88  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Sloen & Swan Porter - If We Meet Again Somehow

Springbank 2010 Local Barley 10 yo

 

 

 

55,6°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

Oloroso Sherry Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 12 ppm

 

 

 

This is the 6th bottling in the Local Barley series since it was relaunched in 2016. The bottling was made at the end of 2020 for a release in early 2021. 8,500 bottles were filled, and this time only Oloroso Sherry casks were used. This is the only time that the ageing is 100% Sherry with a Local Barley. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Unctuous sherry, very chocolaty with an ounce of ground coffee, noble wood, somewhat exotic, dates, dried figs and bananas, fermented grapes. Cereals are in the background, fresh, wet hay, just-cut wheat. Honey biscuits, sunflower oil. Exotic fruits, bananas, papayas, a hint of peat. It's silky on the palate, rosewater, passion fruit, melting caramel, then lively spices, accompanied by citrus fruits, grapefruit, kumquat. The finish is very long and powerful just as it should be, liquorish, woody, tinder, black tea, olives, muscat grapes, gingerbread, set with candied fruit. Nutmeg, cinnamon.

 

In Short, 

It's excellent, the Sherry is very intense, but it leaves a bit of room for the distillery's markers. That said, it's one of the best-rated Local Barleys, and I'm not sure it's my favourite. I prefer it when there's a balance between Sherry and Bourbon. As for the price, it's now astronomical, and totally out of line. The release price was acceptable, but speculation has taken its toll on this wonderful bottling. 

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Tom JJ - All Your Love

Littlemill 1976 250th Anniversary 45 yo

 

 

 

40,8°

Distillery : Littlemill - Lowlands

American Oak Cask and 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead Finish

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

If the distillery had not closed its doors for good in 1994, it would have celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2022. The Loch Lomond group, which now owns all the remaining casks of Littlemill, was keen to celebrate this anniversary, even if it is more of a commemoration. It's an opportunity to release this 45 year old, at the time the oldest Littlemill ever produced. It was succeeded last year by a 47-year-old. It spent almost 45 years in an American oak cask, before being finished for 6 months in a 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead. And 250 bottles are on sale, at an eye-watering price. Each bottle comes with a box featuring an original photograph by Stephan Sappert, an artist who works exclusively with 19th-century materials. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Typically Littlemill nose, blood oranges and orchard fruits, yellow apples, juicy pears, peaches, herbaceous notes, laurel and honeysuckle, warm chestnuts, forest berries, rough bark. Vanilla, of course, acacia honey, a lime zest, grapefruit, reeds, a few vegetables, leeks, medlars, turnips. Delicately floral notes. On the palate, it's silky, smooth, balanced, close to perfection. Litchis, rosewater, exotic fruit, melon, apricots, but behind that, chocolate, honey, almond milk, and very discreet spices, nutmeg, cinnamon. The finish is long, but not very powerful, with lots of hazelnuts and cashew nuts, parsley, noble wood, notes of coffee, earth, charcoal. 

 

In Short, 

It's really excellent, intense and original. I thought it was a very typical Littlemill, but with a few hints of Sherry, blood oranges, chocolate and honey, hazelnuts. The finish, on the other hand, seemed relatively weak, but I'd tasted a number of much stronger whiskies before, so I think if I tasted it on its own, as I should, it would be much more enjoyable. The price is, of course, outrageous, this is not a whisky made to be drunk, but for speculators to have fun with. Nonetheless, it's really very good. 

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                           Joseph Haydn - Symphony n°49 in F minor "La Passione"

Tobermory 2008 A Single Cask Collection : Coasts & Shores 16 yo

 

 

 

54,9°

Distillery : Tobermory - Islands

Bourbon Hogshead and Oloroso Sherry Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Berry Bros. & Rudd

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

There are around 25 bottlings in the Coasts & Shores series, which is designed to highlight the coastal character of distilleries, often located close to the sea. Here we have a Tobermory, which certainly took a few years to finish in an Oloroso Sherry cask. Will the influence of Sherry obliterate the costal character of the distillery? We shall see. 446 bottles have been released for sale. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Quite dry sherry, redcurrants and pomegranate, then it becomes more pulpy, red plums and grapes, cherry clafoutis, raspberry coulis, lovely woodiness, elastic leather, quince jam, gingerbread. It's silky on the palate, soya milk and red fruit, egg yolk, morello cherries, some spices, candied rhubarb. Long finish, close to explosion but not quite, soft bark, mahogany, nutmeg, pudding, stuffed figs, dried dates, apricots, liquorice, squid ink, candied cherry. Cashew nuts.  

 

In Short, 

So, it's a superb Sherry Bomb, but there's none of the distillery's costal character, which is already discreet, even in a Bourbon bottling. The Sherry is intense, very present, and I don't think anyone could identify any other elements. That said, it's really well made, it's not sickening, there's no sulphur, it's very fresh Sherry, and if I only had one Sherry-finished bottling, I wouldn't mind it being this one. The price is pretty attractive, and I'd recommend buying it for those who like the profile, but there's not much left, so you'll have to hurry. 

Score : 89 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :  

 

                                           Rəhman Məmmədli - Dervish