Glenfarclas 1966-2010, 43yo, 42.9% – The Ultimate

Posted on 23 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Well, technically I can’t call this Glenfarclas, since the label states ‘Mystery Speyside’. On the other hand, when something like that is on the label everybody knows what’s going on.

Usually, if you order a bottle like this, on the receipt it states Glenfarclas although it’s not allowed to be on the label. I bought this one in a shop so no confirmation there, but still.

Anyway it’s ancient, 1966 is when my mom turned eleven and it was still 15 years before I was born. I’m not kidding if it is the very oldest whisky in my collection. Also, the bottle is nearing it’s end so on this Friday’s bottoms up, this will probably be one of the highlights. Might as well get it over with…

Sniff:
It’s very gentle on the nose with a bit of malt, some timid fruitiness with some old apples, dried peaches and some lychee I think. There’s a hint of spices too with some ginger, cinnamon and oak. The wood is present, but far from powerful. Very different to the other Glenfarclas 1966 I had.

Sip:
The palate is gentle at first, but displays a nice bite after a few seconds. Even for less than 43%, but still at cask strengths. More spicy than fruity, cinnamon, ginger, and quite some oak here. A lot more woody that means. Its not too sweet, with some bitterness.

Swallow:
The finish is very long, with still the spiciness being the biggest influence. The fruitiness is completely gone now, but there’s a lot of flavour.

This is a delicious whisky. I had forgotten how much I like the subtle flavours it displays. It does have trouble keeping up in any line-up unless it’s first up. Most whiskies have more impact than this one, so it’s one to do early, and make sure the guys you’re tasting it with know what to expect. Else it might be slightly underwhelming, but that would be a false result.

Awesome stuff, back in 2010 it was also affordable at some 140 euros.

Glenfarclas 1966-2010, 43yo, 42.9%, cask 3336, The Ultimate by Van Wees, sold out.

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GlenDronach 21 Parliament, 48%

Posted on 23 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I’m starting to be a right GlenDronach addict. Quite weird for someone who generally says he prefers bourbon casks. Also, I’ve never really tasted those really old and expensive ones. Usually I stall around the early nineties and everything older than that is out of my budgetary league.

This, of course, is a standard bottling, like the Revival and Allardice. I love those too, by the way. Contrary to most people I know I prefer the Allardice over the Revival. I’m not sure if this tops that one either.

The benefit of regular bottlings, at least for GlenDronach is that they are reasonably affordable. Back in 2011 I bought this for 75 euro. I love that. A 21 year old, for that kind of money made me rather thrilled. Also, I had tasted it before spending money and that made me really, really want it.

Sniff:
The tiniest bit of bitterness and acidity are on the first sniff. After that it becomes much more sweet and fruity. The sherry is big, of course, and also gives hints of polished leather, apart from the dried fruits and spiced cake.

Sip:
Here, the 48% is noticable. It actually tastes slightly sharper than I’m used to in not-cask-strength bottlings. Dried fruit, plums. Leather, baking spices with cinnamon and cloves mostly. Maybe a touch of ginger. Very rich and thick.

Swallow:
The finish does all these flavours in overdrive. The fruit is a lot more prominent, but veers towards baked fruits. It’s long, and rich, and lovely.

As I suggested in the before the actual tasting notes, this is a lovely dram. I love the complexity, the slightly strange flavours of bitterness and slight acidity.

Take the price in account and you’ve got a winner. It hasn’t gotten more expensive over the last couple of years, which is a very strange thing.

GlenDronach 21 Parliament, 48%, 75 euro at Whiskybase. I’m skipping the image for now, since working from an ipad is utter shite for that.

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Kilchoman Inaugural Release, 2009, 3yo, 46%

Posted on 21 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I’ve had this bottle ever since it came out and I even opened it rather quickly after I bought it. Strangely, I opened it to give someone else a sample and never tasted it myself. Kind of silly, but there’s a time for everything.

When this one came out I took it on myself to start ‘collecting’ Kilchoman. That was until they started releasing dozens of bottles per year and they all tasted fairly alike. I did end up buying the winter 2009, spring 2010, summer 2010 bottlings, and Whisky Import Nederland‘s first single cask. By now, I’ve sold the first two seasonal ones for a bit of profit, and mostly because I didn’t find them all that interesting after I tasted them elsewhere. The summer 2010 I kept since that was the first one from a bourbon cask, which I prefer.

Of course, this happened because in the beginning I was enthusiastic about Kilchoman, as I probably will be about Gartbreck when it comes on steam, and the new Skye distillery in a couple of years too.

Kilchoman Inaugural Release 2009. Image from Whiskybase

Kilchoman Inaugural Release 2009. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Fairly sweet with a lot of American oak influence. Slightly fruity with quite a bit of vanilla. Gentle, especially for a three year old. Rather peaty, but not overly so. Definetly Islay style with heather and salt.

Sip:
Slightly malty with vanilla and wood spices. Again, peaty with salt. A bit medicinal too, with heather and other Islay-like flowers (That means stuff that can survive in windswept areas without trees, near the sea).

Swallow:
The finish is pretty long but not overly complex. It takes the most prominent flavours of the palate and repeats that. So, slightly spicy, vanilla, heather, salt, peat.

It isn’t the most interesting dram. It’s also not the most complex. What it is, however, is very drinkable, and incredibly well made. Especially for a three year old to be this well rounded and tasty is a feat worthy of kudos.

Kilchoman Inaugural Release, 2009, 3yo, 46%.

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Sazerac 18, 45%, 2013 edition

Posted on 20 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

If you’re anything of a bourbon nut, you know to be on the lookout for the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Well, if you have money that is. The five whiskies that come out every autumn are far from cheap and, especially when/if they come to Europe, very rare as well.

I’ve done a bottle-share with these bottles a couple of years ago, but since then the prices have gone up even more to about € 140 per bottle. That, times five, makes for a big chunk out of my annual budget and something I’m not willing to sacrifice.

What also doesn’t help is the knowledge that in the good ol’ US of A these bottles are about half as expensive. That somehow doesn’t sit well with me.

Now, the Sazerac. Sazerac is ‘the’ cocktail from New Orleans, it is also a company that is Buffalo Trace’s owner. They named it after the cocktail since they are trying to capitalize on the generally positive and prohibition like associations with it. Good choice. It’s easy to remember and at least there’s two tasty drinks with that same name!

Sazerac 18

Sazerac 18

Sniff:
Except for some rye spices I mostly get cocoa and banana at first. Grilled banana too. After a couple of minutes the spices increase and give the scent of cinnamon and oak. Some hazelnut and cloves.

Sip:
Sweet, spicy and dry, like a lot of rye whiskies. It’s pretty sharp with black pepper and pink peppercorns. The sweetness has quite some influence and becomes rather oaky.

Swallow:
The finish is sweet and gently spicy too. The spices are king here and there is not that much else going on.

While everything about this whiskey is great, I can’t shake the feeling that I liked the previous bottle of this that I had better. The nose on this one is stunning as ever but I think the palate has somewhat less depth.

Still, while € 140 is a shitload of money to spend on booze, there aren’t many rye whiskies around that can top this, if any. The gentleness works very well and makes this a rather approachable dram. There is enough depth left to give the more experienced drinker something to discover for a long time.

Sazerac 18, 45%, 2013 edition. Sold out.

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Bowmore Laimrig, 53.7%, 15yo, 2012 edition

Posted on 19 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Bowmore Laimrig. Another whisky named after something you can see from the distillery. In this case the pier. Of course in Gaelic.

Personally, I don’t really care for all the Gaelic names for whiskies, but on the other hand, any name is as good as any. In this case at least it has something to do with the distillery or its environment.

The Laimrig is, as far as I can see, the sherried counterpart to the younger Tempest. They are released in batches with similar, but varying flavours. A while ago there was a bit of a ruckus on Twitter about this. Apparently, everybody wanted to have this bottle, so when it popped up I bought one. Again, to share with someone else to keep costs down. Half a bottle is enough to really get to know a whisky, I think.

Anyway, I’m glad some distilleries aren’t making a massive deal about still having sherry casks and releasing the whisky that comes from it. Contrary to many releases this doesn’t cost hundreds of Euros, still has some age to it and is bottled at cask strength. Way to go Bowmore!

Bowmore Laimrig, 15yo. Image from Whiskybase

Bowmore Laimrig, 15yo. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
While the peat isn’t overwhelming right away, it, in combination with a big dollop of sherry make for a very intense nose. It does mellow after a couple of minutes, and leaves room for sherry scents, fruity and sweet. A bit of wood and the smoke of course. Not too much of that.

Sip:
Again, really intense at first. Smooth after that, although it’s still cask strength. Sweet, with the syrup of mixed tinned fruit. Some red fruits too. Oak, slightly peaty with this going towards some medicinal flavours. Also, rather salty.

Swallow:
The finish doesn’t have that intensity at first, but goes right towards the tasty bit. It’s long with sherry, stewed strawberry, peaches. A whiff of peat, not more.

This is another very tasty Bowmore. They’ve been upping their game over the last couple of years. While I still don’t like the 1980s bottlings that are still coming out (the ones I’ve tried, at least), their younger whiskies are awesome. Usually fair priced too.

The price of this one is something to be on the look-out for, since it can vary wildly (from € 90 to € 120 or so). Either way, it’s worth it. I like this stuff. I like Bowmore. I recently did a count and in my collection it’s only second to Springbank in population. The distance is very dependent on whether or not you also count Hazelburn and Longrow.

Anyway, highly recommeded, this dram!

Bowmore Laimrig, 53.7%, 15yo, 2012 edition. € 85 at The Bonding Dram.

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Karuizawa 1984, #3663, 56.8% – Speciality Drinks Ltd.

Posted on 18 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

As most people who friended me on Facebook will probably have realized I got ‘my’ bottle of Karuizawa 1984 in yesterday. I say ‘my’ in a reserved way, since I am the one who got it, but it actually is seven people who bought it. 10cl each.

Not very strange if you realize that, with shipping included, this thing costs around € 400. It’s the most expensive bottle I ever bought, but with all the rising prices not the most expensive one in my collection (but the difference isn’t that big).

I’m not going to go into the process of obtaining this bottle with the allocation scheme, since I just put in an article to our club magazine about that. Maybe later.

Anyway, Karuizawa is one of my favourite distilleries, as are many. Unfortunately, in the last four years or so the prices have soared. When I got a couple of bottles around 2008 to 2010 they used to cost around € 125 for a 30 year old one. Now, you can’t get a 15 year old one for that money. The 30 year olds come in like this one, at more than three times that amount.

Karuizawa 1984

Karuizawa 1984

Sniff:
A lot of bitter oak at first. Incredibly woody, like almost all popular Japanese whisky there’s a lot of focus on oak. I think I get a faint whiff of smoke too, but I’m not sure. The sherry influence is clear too, slight tart and astringent. I’m thinking rancio too. There’s a hint of mint or menthol to keep a bit of a fresh note too. Old casks, dunnage warehouses, hard dirt floors. Stunning.

Sip:
It’s not too sharp. Unlike many other Japanese whiskies around this age, this doesn’t come in kicking around 60% or more. It’s a more normal ABV, which is clear right off the bat. The nose was a bit sweeter, but the bitterness is here too. Oak, fruit and fruit stones like peach, apricots, dates stones.

Swallow:
The finish is long but not infinite. It mellows quickly with more fruit than before. Peach, nectarine, blood orange. The woodiness is toned down a bit here but there is some tobacco that I didn’t notice before.

This is an extremely good whisky. It’s one of my favourite Karuizawas instantly. I’m not really counting the 1964 one since that is not comparable to anything I’ve ever tried. The depth is incredible and it has a lot of flavours to offer.

I’m really glad I went for this, even though it’s way above my budget. I’ll probably have to put in a couple of quiet months and drink more from what I already have bought over the years and finish some bottles.

After drinking it, an hour later or so and also the next morning, the glass smells very ashy. So my guess is there’s a bit of smoke going on after all. Surprising.

Karuizawa 1984, cask #3663, First Fill Sherry Cask, OB bottled for Speciality Drinks Ltd. It’s for sale at The Rare Malt for € 768

Thanks to Ansgar, David, Gal, Franck, Ben and Steve for participating and making this possible!

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Highland Park 21, 47.5%

Posted on 17 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I was able to pick up this bottle some years ago, before they went down to 40%, so way before they went back up to 47.5%. My sister went somewhere through duty free and called which bottle to bring. This one it was. So, thanks sis!

Anyway, I like Highland Park. A lot. At least, there are a few bottlings nowadays that I can’t be bothered with. Most of the Warrior series that I’ve tried weren’t very impressive, but I haven’t tried the top end. I wasn’t very impressed with Thor either, but I did really like Loki.

So, while it used to be a distillery that I would buy bottles of blindly, currently I prefer to try before I buy. This one is from the previous of those periods.

Highland Park 21. 47.5%. Image from Whiskybase

Highland Park 21. 47.5%. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Right off the bat there’s a slight oaky bitterness, so I am sold. Some spices and a hint of peat as well. Some sherry influence with peaches and plums. The spices are leaning towards cloves, cinnamon sticks and oak.

Sip:
Quite a lot of punch at first, but calms down right after. Spicy again, with oak. There’s a bitterness and a dryness that come with that oak. There’s a gentle fruit sweetness, with some red fruits in the background.

Swallow:
The finish is very much Highland Park, with very complex flavours. Actually, more or less all food groups are present, except for proteins I think. Spices, fruits, malt, oak, smoke. The lot.

This is a delicious whisky. I’m not sure what happened with later versions that had different ABVs, but this one hits a home run. I really like the gentle whiff of peat, with all those spices and hint of fruit as well. Absolutely gorgeous.

Highland Park 21, 47.5%. This old version is about € 125 now at Whiskysite.nl

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Hielander Whisky Festival

Posted on 15 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Some highlights:

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Ledaig 7yo, 2005, 62.8% – Archives, Fishes of Samoa

Posted on 14 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

First things first.

  • I have no experience with Ledaig from the 1970s.
  • I do have some experience with Ledaig from the last 20 years or so.
  • I do not like those whiskies.

Every time I try one I hope that it’ll change my mind about the brand. I’ve tried several on different ages, ABVs, cask types, all parameters have been checked. So far, some have been interesting, some have been utterly terrible, none have been great.

I’ve checked with all posts on the blog here, and apparently I had a Berry’s Own Selection bottling that I rated with four stars back in the day when I still rated things. It might have been a rather good one, but I can’t remember it (unlike some others, which I rated with anything from 0 to 2 stars).

Of course, this is heavily opinionated since there are plenty of folks who really enjoy them. It also helps that they are generally fairly cheap to get hold of. Another indicator is that this is the only sample I got from Whiskybase of a bottling that is sold out.

Ledaig 2005 Archives. Image from Whiskybase

Ledaig 2005 Archives. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Young and clean, with boat loads of peat. Slightly fishy but sweet nonetheless. It does have a touch of fruit, I’m thinking peach. The plant thingy I found in the Glenrothes of yesterday is here too, but it veers towards moss more than anything else. Moss covering rocks in a small creek or so. Some heather too.

Sip:
It’s very sharp and rather bitter too. The 62.8% alcohol explains the sharpness of course. It does have that small creek flavour here too, it tastes a bit ‘wet’ or watery. Some chili peppers, moss, heather and other plants. A small hint of sulphur like in cooked vegetables. The sharpness doesn’t ease much.

Swallow:
The finish is exactly the same as the flavour. Maybe slightly more spicy, but not by much.

Let’s put my summary of this dram in a politically correct way first: If you generally like Ledaig, you’ll love this one too. It has all aspects of the whisky neatly covered, including it’s price.

Slightly less politically correct: I found this another unconvincing Ledaig. It’s definitely not a bad whisky, but the peat/sulphur combination just puts me off. It’s the same with, for example, BenRiach Authenticus.

So, after all is said and done, this is a whisky that will appeal to many but not to me. I just can’t seem to get the hang of drams like this.

Ledaig 7yo, 2005, 62.8%, Archives for Whiskybase, Fishes of Samoa series. Sold out now but used to cost about € 45.

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Glenrothes 1988, 53% – Archives, Fishes of Samoa

Posted on 13 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Two more Archives samples to review. This is the second to last. I didn’t pick an order, I just randomly grabbed a sample from my bin. Of course, I selected the Archives first, since those were supplied by a company, and not by friends. I always try to do those first, since I got those for marketing purposes.

That, however, does not mean I am going to give a biased review. At least not biased because of the sample being a commercial one. I think everyone is biased, mostly because they have favourite distilleries or bottlers. I generally tend to be positive about Clynelish, Lagavulin, Rosebank and some others.

Anyway, a rather pale looking Glenrothes. Glenrothes is a distillery I am generally biased about too, but in a more negative way. Their official bottlings have never been able to charm me and therefore I have never spent a dime on the brand. I did, however, taste a couple of indie Glenrothes (from young to old) that were pretty awesome. They can make great whisky, but for some reason they water it down to it being rather bland, in general.

Glenrothes 1988 Archives. Image from Whiskybase

Glenrothes 1988 Archives. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
A bit held back at first, with lots of soft and gentle oak. Very malty too, especially for the brand and age. Some vanilla and some wood spices. Leaves. I get a rather green scent of it, like when you’re in a greenhouse, without the humidity. Bourbon cask?

Sip:
Pretty sharp, and the greenness is here again. Oak, with a touch of bitterness too, barley, chaff, and some spices. It all fits nicely together.

Swallow:
Again, the plant flavours are here. Lots of malt and green malt. The finish isn’t too long but does get a bit sweeter towards the end. Like puff pastry with baked sugar on top.

After looking up this dram on Whiskybase, I found it is from a refill sherry hogshead. So, not a bourbon cask but American oak nonetheless. Because of that I think this is a very interesting Glenrothes. Not entirely up my alley, but very nice to give a try. The leafiness combined with a sweetness and sugar in the background works rather well.

I’m not as fond of this one as I was with the previous two, the Bunnahabhain and Deanston, but I wouldn’t regret having bought this bottle on a whim. Plus, for a 1988 single cask, it’s ridiculously cheap!

Glenrothes, 1988, 53%, Archives for Whiskybase, Fishes of Samoa series. € 87.50 at Whiskybase.

Sample provided by the guys at Whiskybase. Thanks mates!

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