Author Archives: Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer
Blind Tasting Competition 12 – Strathisla 15, 40% – Gordon & MacPhail
Woohoo! I got some points. Not too many, but at least I went up two spots to 41. It kind of makes me cry that I am this happy with such a lousy score, but all is better than nothing … Continue reading
Posted in Bladnoch, Strathisla
Tagged Bladnoch, Blind Tasting Competition, Gordon & MacPhail, Lowlands, Speyside, Strathisla, Usquebaugh Society
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Blind Tasting Competition 9 – BenRiach 21 Authenticus, 46%
Another post to catch up on the one left missing. Unfortunately, I didn’t taste this one before I spotted what it was on our little forum at http://www.levenswater.nl. I only tasted the Authenticus years ago after seeing it in The … Continue reading
Posted in BenRiach
Tagged Authenticus, BenRiach, Blind Tasting Competition, Peated, Speyside, Usquebaugh Society
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Blind Tasting Competition 11 – Arran, 9yo, 2002-2011, 61.3% – SMWS
This time I did fill in my guess for the day, and I was hoping to start catching up with a bit of points here and there. Unfortunately, today is not the day that that is happening. Maybe it never … Continue reading
Posted in Arran, Longmorn
Tagged Arran, Blind Tasting Competition, Islands, Lochranza, Longmorn, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, SMWS, The Ultimate, Usquebaugh Society
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Blind Tasting Competition 8 – Ben Nevis 15, 1996-2012, 51.7%
Catching up! I already wrote the tasting notes below so I could easily publish them from my holiday address, and then I forgot all about it. That must mean the weekend has been good, right? The drawback is that I … Continue reading
Posted in Ben Nevis
Tagged Ben Nevis, Blind Tasting Competition, Fort William, Highlands, Usquebaugh Society
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Blind Tasting Competition 10 – Deanston Distillery Only, 20yo, Lepanto Brandy Cask finish, 57.4%
That’s a mouth full, as was the whisky. I’m sorry for not posting anything for a couple of days. I have been away for the weekend and I thought I had tasted ahead, but missed the deadline. I also counted … Continue reading
Posted in Deanston, GlenDronach
Tagged Blind Tasting Competition, Deanston, Distillery Only, GlenDronach, Highlands, Lepanto Brandy, Usquebaugh Society
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Blind Tasting Competition 7 – Inverleven 24yo, 1987-2012, 49.5% – Cadenhead’s Closed Distilleries
Inverleven. Is that a distillery that anyone ever thinks about? “I wish I had another bottle of Inverleven to try”. “This Inverleven has gone up in price recently”. I don’t think so. This one, to my tasting notes and palate … Continue reading
Blind Tasting Competition 6 – Balvenie Triple Cask 16yo, 40%
Another day, another random guess. I found this whisky particularly generic. Without being disrespectful, that usually sends me to Speyside, especially since there is quite a lot of sherry casks being filled around there. Some distilleries thrive on that (Glenfarclas … Continue reading
Posted in Balvenie
Tagged Balvenie, Blind Tasting Competition, Glen Grant, Speyside, Usquebaugh Society
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Blind Tasting Competition 5 – Kilkerran Work in Progress 5, 9yo, Sherry Wood
A whisky I reviewed only a few weeks ago. I wasn’t overly thrilled back then but for some reason I liked it even less this time. Sniff: Heavy and cloying with hints of cheese and quite a bit of oak. … Continue reading
Posted in Glengyle, Kilkerran
Tagged Blind Tasting Competition, Campbeltown, Glengyle, Kilkerran, Springbank, Triple Distilled, Usquebaugh Society
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Blind Tasting Competition 4 – Talisker 18, 45.8%
Talisker, Talisker, Talisker. I didn’t even consider it yesterday. I found a peaty dram that didn’t taste Islay enough to be from Islay, so it had to be Longrow. It had some ‘ocean’ flavours in it, so a dead giveaway. … Continue reading
Posted in Talisker
Tagged Blind Tasting Competition, Islands, Skye, Talisker, Usquebaugh Society
10 Comments
Blind Tasting Competition 3 – Mortlach 18yo, 55.2%, 1994-2012 – Malts of Scotland
Day three, on which I got another nice 40 points. For the age this time. I had that spot on. The distillery guess was another massive failure and a regrettable one. Why regrettable? At some point during yesterday I imagined … Continue reading
Posted in Mortlach
Tagged Blind Tasting Competition, Campbeltown, Malts of Scotland, Mortlach, Speyside, Springbank, Usquebaugh Society
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Malt Fascination 