Two new bottle shares!

I’ve been doing bottle shares since forever, and recently I started a group on Facebook (hidden and such) for the usual suspects of them. Those guys get first crack since they’re participating a lot and also because they’re in The Netherlands. That’s just making things easier for me.

The following two didn’t fill up there, so now’s the chance for everybody else to join in the fun!

Bottle share: Compass Box Flaming Heart Anniversary Edition and Compass Box ‘This is not a Luxury Whisky’.

‘This is not a Luxury Whisky’ is a blended whisky from Compass Box, and the next in line of their rather awesome blends (remember The Lost Blend and The General?). In this case it’s a whisky made up of:

  • 79% 19 year old malt whisky aged in first fill Sherry butts from the Glen Ord Distillery
  • 10.1% 40 year old grain whisky from the Strathclyde distillery,
  • 6.9% 40 year old grain whisky from the Girvan distillery and
  • 4% 30 year old malt whisky from the Caol Ila distillery.

It is bottled at 53.1%.

‘Flaming Heart’ is one of their usual suspects but this one is slightly more luxurious since it’s the anniversary edition. They’ve already released some other anniversary editions but this is the newest and the first I’m actually going to do a bottle-share of. This one is made up of:

  • 27.1% of 30 year old and 38.5% 14 year old Caol Ila whisky
  • 24.1% of 20 year old whisky from Clynelish
  • 10.3% of undisclosed Highland whisky aged in ‘French Oak hybrid casks’

It is bottled at 48.9%

5 cl of this bottle share will cost € 30, 10 cl will cost € 60 and so on.

If there’s enough enthusiasm I might also do the other Anniversary editions, but first have to get this going.

Currently there’s 40cl available.

Bottle share: Willett whiskey

I’ve always been enthused by Willett whiskey. They used to have ancient ryes available but those have all gone and go for astronomical prices in auction. So, we’re down to the younger branches of the family.

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This bottle-share will consist of the following:

Willett 2yo Rye (own distillate) op 55.4%
Willett 2yo Rye (own distillate) op 54.9%
Willett 6yo Rye op 58.7%
Willett 8yo Rye op 58.8%
Willett 7yo XCF op 51.7%

Own distillate means that they’ve distilled this themselves. The brand never went away, but the distillery was shut down for a long time. They’ve been firing the still for a couple of years now and the two year olds are from themselves. The others are from MGP in Indiana.

The XCF is an Exploratory Cask Finish, in this case a French Curacao cask. Curacao is a liqueur made of Laraha fruit (a citrus fruit native to Curacao). This is the expensive one in the list.

5cl of these costs € 40, 10cl is a tad cheaper at € 75

Currently there’s 50cl available

Let’s hear it!

Full disclosure:

Prices are calculated as follows. I order the bottles and the total amount of that is split by 12 or 13 (so I get my sample of either 10cl or 5cl for free). I then add a couple bucks for the bottles. Packaging is included in the price.

Why do I get my stuff for free? Because I organize this, obviously. There’s a lot of work involved in sampling, labeling, going through the post office. It also counts as a fee for those who bail after participating. Unfortunately that happens and can be a drain on funds in some cases.

Posted in - American Whiskey, - Blended Malt, - Blended Whisky, - Bottle share | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Maltstock 2015 – Saturday

I was going to say that Maltstock days begin with the most awesome breakfast ever. However, this one started with a massive headache. Not overly surprising, but most unwelcome for sure. Rehydration starts.

Then came breakfast. For a couple of years Wullie Macmorland of Hielander in Alkmaar has organized this and it’s awesome. I simply love the Scottish breakfast and this guy sure knows what he’s doing. As I was agreeing multiple times with everybody around me, this is one of the main reasons for coming to Maltstock. No kidding.

I nicked Gal's picture

I nicked Gal‘s picture

After breakfast it’s time for the ‘detox walk’. It should be named ‘retox’ instead, since Highland Park organizes it and that means that, apart from walking for an hour or so, you also get to try a couple of drams. In this case the Highland Park 10 and Highland Park 25. There might have been another one but I can’t remember which one.

They also did some kind of smuggling game in which we had to find ‘hidden’ bottles of Highland Park 10. I found two. It won me a way too large t-shirt and a set of cuff links. I might have to start wearing proper shirts because of it. (Big shout out to Highland Park!)

The afternoon was spent trying whiskies that people brought, eating sandwiches, drinking lots and lots of water and general merrymaking with a lot of whisky friends. Oh, and there was also a few masterclasses. William Grant and Sons. Kevin Abrook hosted it and he’s brand manager for the innovation brands. That means no Glenfiddich and Balvenie, but Girvan, Ladyburn, Kininvie and Ailsa Bay. There was also a blended whisky from the Rare Cask Reserve series. I hadn’t heard from it but it went straight to the wish list. More on this masterclass later.

I nicked Ansgar's picture

I nicked Ansgar‘s picture

Niels Viveen hosted a masterclass on Mars Whisky from Japan. It was interesting with a lot of not-commercial info on the brand, which was a nice change of pace. Almost right after this the barbecue dinner started. Or in this case, barbequeue, but it wasn’t too bad. I got some food in before I had to run to get to the Masterclass of Billy Abbott for The Whisky Exchange. Well, actually is was a Single Malts of Scotland masterclass. That too was fun.

At night it was more barbecue. A lot of drams here and there. Lots of chatting and meeting old and new friends. The campfire was ‘last’, which means that after that I didn’t have anything planned. It was hosted by Highland Park (again) and where it used to be a sort of stand-up comedy with a dram or two, it now was a full blown whisky tasting. Highland Park ‘Ambassador’s Cask’, 15 and 18 came by. Then there was a Highland Park Vintage 1979 Ambassador’s Cask 4 at 56.1%. Now that was a dram!

Of course, more booze was had after, but I stuck to beers. I had been all whisky’d out.

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Maltstock 2015 – Friday

So, Maltstock is over for another year. This weekend was riddled with beer and whisky from about 2pm on Friday, to 2am on Sunday morning/Saturday night. I wisely kept off the booze the rest of Sunday.

I was allotted three masterclasses: Douglas Laing, William Grant and Sons, and finally Mars Whisky. In the end I had way more whisky than expected in semi official setup, since Saturday morning’s ‘detox walk’ ended up being a ‘retox walk’ instead (thanks to Highland Park). Also, I ended up going to Billy Abbott’s masterclass for The Whisky Exchange too, since my buddy TT wasn’t feeling up to it. And there was the midnight campfire with a bunch of Highland Park whiskies again.

I’ll start the write up with some general comments and reflections of Friday. Saturday will follow tomorrow. I’ve not yet decided whether or not to do a full write up of the masterclasses since I might also do that in De Kiln (our club magazine).

Friday

Anyway, Friday was an early riser for the Maltstock trip. I picked up TT and Gal Granov (of Whisky Israel fame). Of course, Gal’s luggage was delayed before it hit the belt. Then we waited for one of his friends who rented a car. Things went slowly so far.

After getting about an hour and a half delay in hitting the road we drove to Sint Oedenrode to visit The Old Pipe. One of my favorite whisky shops when I still lived in Den Bosch. I hadn’t been there for five years or so and by visiting it again I realized I should get that one on the regular list again.

About 10% of what's available

About 10% of what’s available

The shop is awesome. Booze-boner awesome. They have everything they can get from Adelphi, they have boat loads of The Whisky Agency, Ultimate, Creative Whisky Company and many, many others. Also a lot of older stuff that’s just a big surprise that it’s still out there.

Of course, I went in with every intention of not buying anything, but in a little speck of heaven that’s just impossible. I got a bottle of Willett 2yo (their own distillate) and a Ledaig 18. I also set up an upcoming bottle share of Willett whiskey (2x 2yo, 4yo, 8yo and XCF, keep an eye on Facebook). My buddies bought some stuff as well, of course.

After that it was time for pancakes next to the Maltstock venue. We met up with loads of usual suspects and some new folks too. Double bacon pancakes and Westmalle Dubbel for the win!

Double bacon pancake

Double bacon pancake

Maltstock opened at four. We went in, dropped off our bags and put our contribution for the sharing table out on, well, the sharing table. Then we had some drams while shaking hands with folks we hadn’t seen in ages. It was good. I didn’t even try to take pictures of what I had. I also don’t remember.

In between pizzas it was time for Jan Beckers’ masterclass for Douglas Laing (more on that soon). When the Maltstock folks emailed that there would a pizza and a half for each, I thought they had seriously overestimated our guts. They didn’t. That stuff filled like paper, after this much booze.

At night it was time for the whisky quiz in which I didn’t do particularly well. No prize this time, but it was good fun and I got to meet some new people again. I hung around with Kevin Abrook from William Grants and Sons, who would be hosting the masterclass the next day. Also a couple of Germans I didn’t know (David and Isabella). We had gin tonics. We shouldn’t have.

I think I tucked in just before 2am. I was getting drunk and I didn’t want to ruin the Saturday so I stopped just in time.

In short: It was awesome. I had great booze. I met great folks.

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Bunnahabhain 6yo, 2007-2014, 61.4% – SMWS (10.77, Beware of the Monster)

It’s been a while since I reviewed a random SMWS sample, but this one came up in a grab from my sample box, and I should get through them eventually.

Does that indicate that I didn’t really feel like reviewing this? Maybe. I didn’t have anything against it either. Also, I only had a tiny bit of information from the label (the number indicating the distillery), so I went at it rather blind. No age, no ABV, no cask type or anything given.

Bunnahabhain is a bit of a mixed bag nowadays. I really like the old ones where they went for the more mellow style of Islay whiskies and I, generally, am not a huge fan of all the heavily peated stuff that comes out.

Image nicked from Reddit

Image nicked from Reddit

Sniff:
The nose is very light and malty. Young and a bit salty. It’s really sharp with a tiny bit of sweetness. Some tangerine, lemon. Lots of malt, in the shortbread kind of way.

Sip:
The palate is tingling and sharp. Some oak, a lot of malt and that citrus note is back again too. Some lychee and a bit more sweetness than on the nose. Slightly salty again but with lots and lots of alcohol.

Swallow:
The finish is quite different with flint and even a bit of an asphalt flavor. Malty and sweet with some light fruits.

I wasn’t thrilled with this one. It lacks depth and every bit of complexity. With so much alcohol going on (which you don’t need on the label to figure out) it’s hard to find anything except malt. Mind, I don’t have anything against malty whiskies, but this one shows just that.

After finding out it’s a young and strong one it makes sense. Six and a bit years is just not enough (normally, I know there are exceptions) to pick up a lot of depth and interestingness.

I think it’s a shame that this is getting more and more regular nowadays. I see a lot of bottlers out there releasing really young whiskies of which you can see they didn’t pick up much from the cask. The color, as with this one, is almost like water. On the nose you get mostly alcohol and the malty sweetness of spirit.

Technically nothing is wrong with this dram, but I’m glad I didn’t pick up a bottle of it.

Bunnahabhain 6yo, 2007-2014, 61.4%, Refill bourbon hogshead, SMWS (10.77, Beware of the Monster)

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Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, 64.5%, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2009

The popularity of bourbon, rye and American whiskey in general has driven up prices massively. Especially on this side of the pond price tags are far less interesting than a couple of years ago.

This is partially done by exporters and importers and the like. It also doesn’t help that any limited edition of any American whiskey doesn’t really have to be exported at the moment. I think all American distilleries, especially the big ones, can easily sell all their product stateside.

The direct result of that is that I’m not trying as many of the awesome releases as I’d like. Barely ever do I see a Buffalo Trace Antique, a limited edition Four Roses and other rare bottles being available at an acceptable price, or even a sample that I think makes sense.

Big was my surprise when I found this one sitting in the back of my cupboard. A sample I had gotten from EL, who also organizes our club’s annual Blind Tasting Competition. It must have sat there for at least four years, maybe longer. Bad sample management by my, with a nice result now.

Image from Whiskybase

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
It takes a while before it opens up. I could have added water but I was being lazy, so I just waited a little bit. When it starts going you get heaps of rye. There’s a lot of that, but it’s not overly heavy. Quite light, even though almost two thirds of this is alcohol. Crisp and fresh rye, some pine and mint. Leafy herbs with a light hint of pepper. Almost no oak, but quite a lot of grains. Slightly meaty after a while.

Sip:
The palate brings a lot of alcohol (imagine my surprise…) but it’s not ridiculously sharp. Chili pepper, rye, grainy and very spicy. Thyme, rosemary, mint, pine, quite crisp. A light, oaky sweetness and a small hint of bitterness later on.

Swallow:
The finish focuses on the rye again, with some thyme but in general it’s a bit less spicy. Sweeter with more oak.

This is a very, very impressive whiskey. The first time I tried a Thomas H. Handy I wasn’t too impressed compared to some of the other Antiques. Of course, each edition is slightly different and that makes for a shift in the individual rankings. This one, however, is awesome.

It packs a punch, sure, but it’s justified. The flavor that high ABV brings is simply insane. So much rye with so much spiciness. Not a big focus on the oak, I think that would have lessened this one a little bit. I wish I could afford stuff like this nowadays!

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, 64.5% (129 proof), new white oak barrel, 7 years old, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2009. Currently estimated at € 465

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Palm Ridge Reserve, 45%

Florida Farm Distillers is a small distillery in Umatilla, Florida. They’ve been distilling their own whiskey for a couple of years now.

They’re not overly forthcoming with information and only talk about ‘making’ the whiskey on their site, not about distilling it. By some pictures under the photos tab I assume they distill it since they do own a still. Although, making 500 barrels of whiskey in such a tiny still might be challenging.

It is mentioned they mature their whiskey in small casks, so that might explain the still vs production size. Anyway, I don’t have any reason to not trust them other than there are a lot of clown out there who tell you one thing but mean another, as we’ve seen somewhat recently with Templeton Rye.

Their Palm Ridge Reserve whiskey is their core product and they mature it in small casks with orange and oak wood shavings. I haven’t had a whiskey with orange shavings before, so that’s interesting. Of course Jim Murray thinks they’re one of the best things since sliced bread and rated this stuff at 94.5 points. But we all know what to do with his scores, right?

Sniff:
It’s very young (less than one year old, actually) and spirity. Quite unrefined and raw. A lot of alcohol on the nose with sharp oak scents. A bit oily with citrus, like the fatty feeling you sometimes get from an orange skin. A lot of sweet citrus and a lot of spicy rye. Some peppermint.

Sip:
The palate is still quite sharp, mostly from not being in oak for a long time. Lots of orange here. Sweet and bitter with some oak too. Oily, corn syrup, rye spices. Thick and syrupy and almost liqueur like after a while. But with a lot of alcohol.

Swallow:
The finish mellows quickly but it’s sweet with hints of caramel. Orange syrup, thick and oily and quite long.

Since you’re probably reading this for an honest opinion, let’s get it out. It’s an interesting dram, but it’s never very good. It doesn’t convince me that orange shavings is the way to go for a whiskey, although it’s not as bad as to avoid it either.

There’s quite a bit going on and even though it’s unrefined and raw (a bit like FEW’s bourbon and rye, although that was a lot better) it does show some depth. I’m quite curious to know where this is going if you leave it in oak for a few more years, or even half a year or so.

The orange actually works nice with the spices. It’s bringing that oily feel and orangy flavor that works nicely with the spices from the, I think, high rye mash. So, interesting.

Palm Ridge Reserve, batch DSPFL 15011, 45%. Less than one year old and $ 54 at Broudys

Thanks to RL for the sample!

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Nikka Yoichi 20 years old, 52%

I’ve reviewed this whisky in the past when I went to a tasting of a bunch of Japanese whiskies at De Whiskykoning. Then I found some interesting notes, but I thought it was time for a do over. Also, I like getting drams of stuff like this.

Yoichi has never let me down as far as I can remember, although the 10 year old isn’t all that. The 15 year old is an impressive dram, although I don’t think the current price hikes are in line with the quality of the booze anymore. It’s a shame but I think prices will eventually come down when the next hype announces itself or the Asian market switches back to cognac or finds something else to splurge on.

Anyway, the 20 year old has always been an expensive dram. Back in the days of semi normality it was € 200 per bottle or so. How I now wish to have bought one! Currently this baby sits at a measly € 700 in shops.

I’ve checked some auction results. Things are going crazy there too. Nikka recently announced they’re removing all the ages whiskies from the market in favor of NAS stuff because of demand. The previous auction at whiskyauction.com that held Yoichi 20 was in April, before this announcement. Then Yoichi 20 went for about € 215. Now, since the announcement it’s already at € 535 and that auction is still running!

Image from Whiskybase

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
It’s a big, heavy and complex whisky. There are some savory notes with lots of spices. Quite some smoke, but no peat on the nose. Lots of oak, some fruit, hard to pin down. It’s really good and really ‘something else’, oak, furniture polish, sandal wood, flint and sweet plums.

Sip:
The palate is remarkably gentle, but does bring a prickle. The flint is present here too, again with lots of oak. Very typically Japanese. Sweet, a hint of sulfur (in a really good way), matches. Basalt, leather and polish.

Swallow:
The finish is very consistent with the palate but has a slightly heavier focus on the savory notes I got on the nose. In my previous review of this I called that soup spices, and I see why I did that.

This is a damn awesome whisky. Let is be said. I truly regret not getting it when I had the chance until half a year ago or so. I might have to keep my eyes open in smaller liquor shops that haven’t updated their prices yet (like ever…).

The nose is awesome and the palate fits it well without being exactly the same. That makes for some interesting discovery and development. It’s very complex, but not in a demanding way that makes it a taster’s whisky instead of one you can also just drink. I like that. Although it’s off the beaten path enough so you simply notice it’s different than anything you’ve had so far.

If you can get this or try it somewhere, do so. Heavily recommended!

Yoichi 20, 52%, available for some € 700 in shops in Japan. Check Whiskybase

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Glen Keith 1995-2014, 19yo, 56.3% – Chivas Brothers, CS Edition

With Glen Keith it’s always a bit of a guess whether you’ll find the bottles in a web shop’s closed distilleries section or not. Technically, it’s not a closed distillery any more, but the sales that come from that term are so nice!

Anyway, there’ve been quite a few nice Glen Keiths over the years. Their top year seems to have been 1970 (this and this), but those bottles have all come and gone by now. Now most of what’s released is much younger, but the ones from the early nineties seem to be doing very well for themselves too.

I got a sample of this in a recent swap and in a ‘random grab from my sample box’ I picked up this and I tried it.

Sniff:
Barley and caramel at first, then oak is added. Strangely, I also get some rubber, like old Allstars sneakers. The caramel starts taking over after that, but there’s suddenly also some fried banana, toasted oak and a very light salinity.

Sip:
The palate offers sweet grains with quite some focus on the alcohol. Sharp and dry. The caramel is back too, with oak, sweetness and toasted oak again. Some banana but not much other fruits.

Swallow:
The finish continues down the same path. Barley, lots of sweetness, almost to a cloying level now. Banana, roasted grains (like muesli). Caramel and some raisins.

It’s a bit of a strange one. I think it has all that’s needed to be a truly good dram, but it never pulls it off.

On the whole it’s slightly too sweet and the oak is just oak. The banana is slightly too cloying and there’s not much else going on that warrants me being more enthusiastic.

I know it scores high on Whiskybase, but it’s just not my style of dram. Or so it seems…

Glen Keith 1995-2014, 19yo, 56.3%, batch GK 19 002. Available at the Whisky Exchange for £ 54 (for 50cl)

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Lagavulin 10, 2005-2015, 58.3% – Gleann Mór (A Rare Find)

Lagavulin is, like Talisker and Oban, not a distillery you see a lot of in the independent whisky scene. At least, it’s there, but the name of the distillery generally isn’t on the label.

This one is different since it proudly states it’s provenance, and when it was announced little over a month ago or so, I immediately bought a couple. One for sharing, one for later. Not sure why since this probably isn’t one of those obscure bottles that’s going to be highly sought after. Mostly because there were only 60 bottles (!) and it didn’t get a lot of press. Probably because it sold out in a couple of minutes.

Anyway, indie Lagavulin. From Gleann Mór, a bottler I don’t know much about but they seem to have some pretty awesome stuff in their selection. Glenturret 25, Arran 18, Caol Ila 30. Unfortunately they’re pretty expensive and I don’t know enough about their average level to say whether that’s justified or not.

Sniff:
Well, it’s young and spirity. Not in an ‘almost gin’ like way, but it sure is young. Some oak and a lot of peat and smoke. Heather and slate. Basalt, salt, sand, brine. Some straw too. Mostly very coastal.

Sip:
The palate is less fierce than I expected after the nose and shows some strength, but also a budding maturity. Dry, salty and smoky. Peat and heather, quite earthy too with hints of straw and vanilla.

Swallow:
The finish is an explosion. It’s sharp, and not very long but all flavors come back again, with a vengeance. A bit more vanilla and oak than before, but the fierceness, smoke and peat are back in full swing.

It’s funny, in a way. Because it’s a single cask it’s not going to be as balanced as, say, the annual 12 year old Cask Strength release that Diageo does. It does, however, taste a lot like it.

So, what we have here is a slightly unbalanced (the focus is really heavy on the smoke and coastal notes) whisky that tastes a lot like the annual 12 year old, but is younger and more expensive. Tricky to ‘judge’ that. I did like this dram though, quite a lot actually.

Not too surprising since I have a really big soft spot for the Lagavulin 12 that’s going to arrive again soon.

So, summarizing. I like this whisky a lot. I won’t say I love it but I’m far from disappointed with it, at its given price. I’ve had worse for more. And you can expect to pay a premium for an indie Lagavulin that actually states the name of the distillery.

So, kudos to Gleann Mór for releasing this. I’m happy with my booze! Keep on bringing it!

Lagavulin 10, 01/2005 – 06/2015, 58.3% – Gleann Mór (A Rare Find). Sold out but it went for £ 100.

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Glenburgie 1983-2012, 28yo, 54.3% – Signatory Cask Strength for The Nectar

Another wee bottle share I did a little while ago. There are a couple of groups on Facebook in which you can sell your own bottles and this one popped up in there a little while ago. I decided to buy it since it was affordable and started a share right away.

It didn’t take long to fill up since whisky of this age doesn’t come around that often, and especially not at ‘just’ € 140 for a bottle. Samples were made and shipped and then I just had to find a moment to drink a dram of what I had left.

Most of Glenburgie’s spirit goes towards blenders, Ballantine’s uses a lot of it. There aren’t many official bottlings, but there’s quite a few independents out there.

Image from Whiskybase

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
It start with rich, old whisky right away. It seems heavy on the first sniff but quickly becomes a lot lighter and more fresh. Very old fashioned with hints of cinnamon and oak. Some sweet citrus, blood orange without any bitterness. Mint, Granny Smith apples. It even becomes a bit cocoa like later on.

Sip:
The palate is slightly tingling and dry, but quite big for a twenty-eight year old. Mint and oak with a light fruitiness. Some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Pear, star apple and sweet citrus.

Swallow:
Full and rich, without being heavy. There’s fruit, oak, spices. Mint, citrus, very consistent with the palate.

Well, the guy I bought it from should not have sold this I think. This is a dram to be enjoyed and it is awesome. Really, really awesome. I now think I shouldn’t have shared it either. My 10 cl will go fast, most likely.

The complexity is great, without being very demanding. There’s a lot to discover and all flavors are nice and contribute to each other, even though at first sight they might be conflicting a little bit (mint and citrus…)

I don’t think I  can tell you enough how good this is. It just ticks all my boxes for great whisky with all flavors that are going on. I think I might keep an eye out for oldies like this, from Glenburgie. Luckily it’s not a very popular distillery so prices might be acceptable.

Glenburgie 28, 26/10/1983 – 09/10/2012, Hogshead, 54.3% – Signatory Cask Strength collection for The Nectar Belgium. Available at Crombé for € 158

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