Caol Ila 2009 North Star Cask Series 011 11 yo

 

 

 

58,2°

Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay 

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By North Star Spirits 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 35 ppm

North Star Spirits is a company founded in 2016 by Iain Croucher. About 3 times a year, among other things, they release a Single Cask Range of 4 to 9 bottlings, unchillfiltered, uncoloured and cask strength. Needless to say, these outings are of great interest to enthusiasts. This one comes from the Single Cask Range 11, it is an 11-year-old Caol Ila, distilled in September 2009 and bottled in October 2020. 410 bottles were put on sale and quickly sold out.

 

Let's Taste It : 

Smoke and oil. But it drifts towards liquorice, so it's very nice. Iodine in the background. Apple crumble, cinnamon. A spoonful of honey. Cream of chestnuts, blueberries. Gas oil and fuel oil. In the mouth, the balance is perfect between, on the one hand a heavy and sticky peat, and on the other fruits and chocolate. Raisin and black cherry pudding. Spices are part of the game, nutmeg, cumin, brown pepper. Always that liquorice that could be motor oil, or that motor oil that looks like liquorice. Hot asphalt. Long and deep finish, we dive into a soggy earth, coal, but also cola, heather, humus. Cocoa powder and tobacco. Marzipan.

 

In Short, 

Frankly, it's excellent. I am familiar with the Caol Ila and Sherry combination, and this is one of the best I have tasted. We go very far in the liquorice, the oily, but also the red fruits, I thought of Uigeadail of the best years. In addition, when it was released, the price was really interesting. Now that it's sold out, obviously that's another matter, but I'm going to keep a close eye on this bottler's next releases from now on.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Deliluh - Amulet

Kornog 2006 Single Cask Berry Bros. & Rudd

 

 

 

50,9°

Distillery : Celtic Whisky Distillerie - France

Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Berry Bros. & Rudd

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 50 ppm 

The prestigious and venerable Berry Bros. & Rudd deigns to take an interest in a vulgar French wihsky, from a recent distillery founded in 1999 and which has only been producing peated juice since 2009 under the name of Kornog. For the creator of the distillery, Jean Donnay, it is the consecration. Perhaps being acquired by Maison Villevert in 2020 has something to do with this great news for French whisky. This company with a capital of 75 million euros certainly has a perfectly oiled marketing department. Whatever, it is deserved, and for the occasion the distillery provided its oldest cask to date, 16 years old, matured in a single Bourbon barrel, which gave only 152 copies. The age of the product is not mentioned on the bottle, but it is indicated 16 yo on several respectable sales sites.

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A soft peat but nonetheless quite present, some grassy hints, well integrated iodine, I would swear to be on Islay. But I'm not, and it's really well done, because it's quite fruity by the way, very balanced. But it's not a monster of complexity either. On the palate, beautiful vanilla sweetness, a little bit sweetness, soft spices, towards a relatively robust but not quite long finish. Burnt wood, liquorice, undergrowth, chestnut leaves. It's quite smooth despite the peat, it goes down very well, drizzle of vanilla, pineapple and citrus, but without bitterness, discreet spices, cloves, ginger, long and fairly robust finish, damp earth, martime notes, lemony touches. Discreet smoke. Almonds, cashews.

 

In Short, 

It is undoubtedly among the best in France under the name of Whisky. And that's not bad at all, actually. It competes with some very good Islay. The official peat level is 50 ppm, but this was at the time of distillation, and after 16 years it has become more subtle, the equivalent of around 30 ppm. So it's well balanced, because the fruits are there. I think of a good Bowmore, a less peated Bunnahabhain, or a Kilkerran. These are compliments for me because these are distilleries that I particularly like. On the other hand, with exceptional bottling, exceptional price, and there I must say that it is too expensive for what it is, a bit like everything that is good in French whisky. I know that the crafting prices are not the same in France and in Scotland, but the quality-price ratio is not there, it is regrettable.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine - Annihilation

Mortlach 2012 Notable Age Statements 10 yo

 

 

 

58,5°

Distillery : Mortlach - Speyside

Refill Bourbon Hogshead and Fresh Sherrywood Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Launched in the middle of the pandemic in 2020, the trading company Decadent Drinks, founded by Angus McRaild and Iain McClune, has not gone unnoticed. Its first range, The Whisky Sponge, is among those that fans snapped up with frenzy. The second, Equinox & Solstice, caused less interest, but the third, Notable Age Statements, left to make the worst skeptics drool. The baby we have here is the 4th release in the range, after a 30 year old Blend, a Ben Nevis and a 58 year old Armagnac (delicious, by the way). This is what Angus himself calls a "Sherry Bomb", and yet it spent the first 8 years of its maturation in Bourbon refill barrels. It was only for two years of finishing that it was plunged into a cask which seems to be Oloroso (but not sure). The result was released on the market with an undetermined number of bottles.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Cherry and gooseerries, cranberries perhaps, and a hint of blackcurrant. Leather, damp earth, nuts, it's intense, but also full-bodied, well wooded, a pinch of charcoal and varnish. Nice breadth, but it's not too intrusive. Some spices. On the palate, orange marmalade, raspberry coulis, walnuts and almonds. Bacon sizzles on the pan. Ginger and rubber, cardamom, nutmeg, paprika. Nice finish, coffee and tobacco, heather and ferns, cola, light maple syrup.

 

In Short, 

Yes, ok, it's pretty tough in Sherry, but I've seen worse. This one is neither sticky, nor acidic, nor even sulphurous. And so much the better. It is drunk quite calmly, and with a certain pleasure. I recommend the purchase for enthusiasts, knowing that the price in France is a bit discouraging.

Score : 88 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Mexfutura - Balas Negras

Jura 1989 Cask Strength Collection 26 yo c. 30739 & 30740

 

 

 

57,6°

Distillery : Isle of Jura - Islands

Bourbon Barrels

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2016

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

 

 

 

Independent bottlings from the island of Jura are relatively rare, so thanks to the company founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington, Signatory Vintage. This is a blend of two Bourbon barrels aged for 26 years and 10 months, before being revealed to the public in the form of 308 bottles.

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Beautiful minerality, the peat is quite light, vaporous, it flourishes with great finesse. Lemon coulis, candied fruit, but it remains very balanced. A knob of whipped cream. Elegant woodiness, with a bit of varnish. On the palate, it's almost sparkling, delicate, slightly calcareous in the background, rye bread, rich but not invasive spices, pepper, paprika, cumin. Long finish, powerful, robust, almonds, genoise. Milk with orgeat syrup. Sesame seeds.

In Short, 

It's quite simple, but very subtle. I liked it, and it must be said that it is very different from the original range. I don't find the usual markers at all (mashed apricots, slightly acidic lemon), and especially I don't find the flaws. It looks like a good Scapa, or even a Highland Park, it's mineral and balanced. But beware, contrary to what the label says, the peat is light, 20 ppm at most, probably less. The price may seem a little exaggerated, but it's still a 26 year old, and it shows a different side of Isle of Jura, a much more pleasant one. I conclude that this is a distillery with real potential, which is still very poorly exploited.

Score : 89

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           RVG - Nothing Really Changes

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

Aberlour 2002 Single Cask Selection 18 yo c. 2575

 

 

 

62,6°

Distillery : Aberlour - Speyside

1st Fill Sherry Hogshead

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

At Aberlour, the Single Cask Selections are the best. For the past twenty years, they have brought together around a hundred casks, aged in warehouse No. 1 of the distillery, and bottled without having been modified in any way. Here we have an 18 year old, distilled in 2002, and reserved to La Maison du Whisky, that's where it would be sold exclusively. 252 bottles were filled, and of course it is a Sherry cask, as it is most of the time.

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Rich and deep sherry, very balanced, a bit round. The red fruits are sweet, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, but also gooseberries, it is a real basket. Woody depth, I find myself in a very dense forest, with ferns, heather, wet bark, everything you need. Rich, black earth, smoky hints. On the palate, it is very successful, we have a Sherry that is not at all sickening, on the contrary it can be drunk easily, on marzipan, liquorice, various red fruits again, some cola seeds, cocoa powder, raspberry coulis. Nutmeg and hazelnuts to give a nice fullness. Long finish, powerful and friendly, it envelops the mouth without burning it, rich spices, earth and charcoal, fruits in retro-olfaction.

 

In Short, 

Let's be clear, this is one of the best Sherries I've had. Among those which are unpeated, of course. It's really rich and at the same time balanced, that is to say that nothing stands out excessively, it's neither too sweet nor too syrupy, nor excessively fruity. In a word, it's perfect. There's everything I love about Sherry, and nothing too much. In addition, the alcohol is superbly integrated, which is a feat with such a high rate. The problem, however, is the price, which is quite stratospheric. But hey, it's to be savoured, we don't buy or drink these things at the slightest opportunity. It's too intense to be an everyday dram.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Cande y Paulo - The Thrill is Gone

Macallan 2000 Speymalt c. 1774

 

 

 

56,6°

Distillery : The Macallan - Speyside

1st Fill Sherry Cask

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & McPhail 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The relationship is strong between Macallan and Gordon & McPhail, at the time of the Great Depression and the Second World War, the independent bottler never broke its contracts with the distillery, even if the demand fell, as many distilleries were closing. Once this challenging time has passed, these gentlemen of Macallan knew how to be grateful, by giving their rescuers direct access to their casks, without restriction. This is how the Speymalt range was born, entirely dedicated to the single Macallan distillery, today one of the most expensive on the market. This bottling was distilled in 2000 and aged for 20 years in a Sherry cask. The age is not mentioned on the label, but auction sites confirm it is 20 yo. 236 bottles were produced.

Let's Taste It : 

Intense sherry, sticky, elegant oak, on tinder, sandalwood, raspberry coulis, forest undergrowth, and behind it is robust, structured, varnished, it's a typical distillery nose, but a bit too rich for my taste. Very well done nonetheless. On the palate, almost Haribo candy, strawberry cake, with a good big ladleful of pastry cream, blood orange, blueberry and blackcurrant, a hint of vanilla, well-tuned spices, nutmeg, pepper, clove. Very long and vigorous finish, charcoal and earth, dark chocolate, return of red fruits, with varnished noble wood, ferns, heather.

 

In Short,

For once, it's a tad too Sherry for me, and yet I'm a fan of this type of maturation. I don't know what went wrong, it is true that there were a lot of Sherry aged Whiskys that night, and maybe I ended up being saturated. It seemed too rich, too sweet, too sticky, with a little rancio. But I guess others will love it, and anyway it's still high level. So much the better, because the price is also excessive, and it takes a lot of love to bring such a sum into line.

Score : 89 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Mabe Fratti - Desde el Cielo

Glenfarclas 2003 The Family Casks Selection II by Le Gus't 9 yo

 

 

 

56,8°

Distillery : Glenfarclas - Speyside

First Fill Sherry Cask

Original Bottling

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2013

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The Famuly Casks are the little sweets from Glenfarclas. Apparently since 2006, we are entitled to about thirty expressions a year, all in Single Cask, and often of a venerable age, sometimes more than 50 years old. Here, it's a young weakling, only 9 years old, but the occasion is special, because it is a cask selected by Le Gus't, then a young French bottler who made his second selection there. The bottling is nevertheless considered original, but it would be sold exclusively at the boutique of Amaury Markey, the creator of this new brand. 316 bottles were sold.

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Woody Sherry, the wood is damp, almost spongy, the Sherry is intense, on the raspberry coulis, candied cherries and blueberries, forest berries. Various spices, cinnamon and saffron, some vegetal and earthy hints, ferns and humus. On the palate, it is thick and syrupy, red fruits, wild strawberries, gooseberries. It's deep, almost charcoaled. Liquorice and ginger. Long, very spicy, explosive finish, with some exotic fragrances, dark chocolate filled with almonds.

 

In Short, 

Pure Glenfarclas, intense, fruity, deep, very Sherry. And it's so pleasant. There is a Mon Chéri Chocolate special touch in it, but without it being sickening. It is rich in flavours and nuances. As for the price, it was frankly reasonable at the time of its release, but it was in 2013. It has changed a lot since then, especially since the beast is sold out, you have to rummage on the secondary market.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           The National - About Today