Royal Lochnagar 30, 1974-2004, 56.2% – Rare Malts

Posted on 23 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

And once again, I managed to find a bridge between one week and the next. This week we’re switching to the Highlands instead of Speyside. We do so through last week’s review of a Benromach from the Rare Malts series, into a Royal Lochnagar in the same labelling.

So, yet another bottling from quite some years ago. This one was bottled in 2004, almost 19 years ago (it was bottled in April). And once again, a 30 year old whisky bottled at 56.2% ABV is quite a high octane dram for the age. Never say the Rare Malts weren’t consistent in that regard!

Image from The Whisky Exchange

Now, I don’t know much about Royal Lochnagar distillery. For some reason it’s one that I never paid much attention to unless someone gave me a sample for whatever reason. Their official bottlings are always bit under the radar, with only a 12 year old being their core range and the occasional special release from Diageo.

Surprisingly, I had another rather old one (from 1973, to be precise) last year, which happened to be the second mention of the distillery on my blog. In 12.5 years… A rare malt indeed.

Sniff:
It smells like the alcoholic version of a distillery’s mill room. Lots of dusty barley and cast iron. A tad minerally, and a hint of old bottle effect. Rather crisp, all in all.

Sip:
A fairly gentle arrival, but with a bit of a crisp bite. Green apples, iron filings, lots of dry grist and barley stores. There’s a bit of oak too, as well as a white peppery heat.

Swallow:
The finish shows a little bit more of the OBE. Although it’s pretty intense, most flavors are quite light. Apples, grapes, iron. Some oak and old, dusty barley.

Much like the other one it focuses heavily on the core ingredients of single malt whisky. There’s oak and barley, and all other notes play second fiddle to those. Surprisingly, this happens without being boring or dull, and makes for quite an interesting whisky with those minor notes really making the experience. Unfortunately, I can’t really compare to modern and younger Lochnagars because I’ve not tried them. So far, the old ones are pretty awesome!

88/100

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Benromach 19, 1978-1998, 63.8% – Rare Malts

Posted on 20 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This is one of these whiskies that I’ve seen on shelves at shops like The Old Pipe, ages ago. Back then Benromach wasn’t a popular distillery so I didn’t really have it on my radar, but either palates have changed or ‘I’ve grown’, which ever is more likely.

Benromach is now one of the more interesting Speyside distilleries for me. It’s generally known for a rather old fashioned character and a stunning 10 year old ‘entry level whisky’. This Rare Malts is from way before that. From before Gordon & MacPhail reinvented the distillery and the brand, back when Diageo reigned in the Forres distillery.

If anything, the Rare Malts are known for both high quality, and high alcohol, although back then they didn’t instantly sell out. How things have changed!

Image from Whiskybase

Let’s see if this oldie is any good. Reviews on Whiskybase aren’t great, but I try to not let that influence my tasting notes and final ranking.

Sniff:
Decidedly old-fashioned, with Benromach already being an old-fashioned style distillery. Funky, with some yeast, lots of steeped barley and a good helping of oak. Good quality oak, I might add. Some dried mango and apricot, a whiff of tobacco.

Sip:
Another gentle arrival, but this one quickly builds up to some chilli heat. Not too much, though. Some dryness starts coming through, with oak, leather, barley. Flavors of funky dried fruit come through, the too-old stuff. Leathery tobacco leaves, dried mango, papaya and apricot.

Swallow:
The finish goes full on for the ‘old style’ stuff. Much more funky than before with yeasty, overripe fruit and leathery tobacco leaves.

What a dram! If this would have been the regular quality level of what Benromach turned out before they shut down, I really don’t get why that ever happened. It does what Benromach does very well, with a slightly clunky spectrum of scents and flavors. It does work so well, though!

91/100

Currently available for € 700…

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Glen Elgin 12, 1985-1997, 56.4% – SMWS (85.9)

Posted on 19 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I double checked the label to see whether or not I missed something. There’s no weird nonsensical name on it, which, I thought, was the SMWS’s schtick from the start. Apparently that’s something from later iterations of rebranding.

Anyway, a 12 year old Glen Elgin, from yonder year. I kind of like Glen Elgin when done well. Of course, that goes for every whisky, but with Glen Elgin there can be something quite unique and delicious about it. It’s more of a ‘highland style’ whisky than a lot of other Speysiders, it steers away from sweeter notes and is slightly more foresty and crisp. If done well.

Image from Whiskybase

I’ve also had Glen Elgins that were so thin and flavorless that you almost start thinking it was matured in stainless steel. Anyway, let’s see where this one takes us!

Sniff:
Lots of grassy notes. Green malt, hay, freshly cut grass. Gentle oak and dried herbs. Pear peels, lychee, wild peaches.

Sip:
Quite mature, lots of white pepper and a massive dryness. Crisp apples, pear skins, lychee, wild peach. Some oak and fresh grass.

Swallow:
A very old fashioned finish with white fruit and lots of grassy notes again. Slightly sweet, towards the end.

Initially there were mostly grassy notes. That’s fine but not the style I’m looking for. As in, I like those notes, but not if it is only those. Luckily, there were some light fruits added to the mix as well. And good ones at that! Lots of good flavors happening here with lychees and wild peaches.

Of course, this is a bottle you have to get in auction, it being released 25 years ago and such…

88/100

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Mannochmore 10, 1998-2009, Bodega Sherry European Oak Cask, 59.1% – The Manager’s Choice

Posted on 18 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

These Manager’s Choice whiskies are as hilarious as they are expensive. Back when this series of 27 different bottlings was released by Diageo, they just sat on shelves. At least, most of them. The ones that did sell were the Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Talisker and Clynelish. The Oban did move a little bit too, but the other ones just sat there.

When they came out they were all priced around € 200 and up. For more or less ten year old whisky that was insane. Utterly ridiculous, was the consent, and even when a large Dutch whisky shop priced them down to € 140 it took ages for them to sell out.

Of course, with prices and popularity of whisky ever on the increase, things have since gone up in regards to price, but this Mannochmore is still available in at least 3 different shops in The Netherlands.

Things just weren’t as special as they thought they were, and prices are not just a random guess. Apparently, there is a maximum that even whisky fanatics are willing to part with.

I got a sample of this one last week from SJ. I’m not entirely sure when he bought this, but I bet it’s been ages. I’m also not entirely sure to why he initially bought this, but the way it was presented showed me it was more of a gimmick at some point than anything else.

Image from The Whisky Exchange

Sniff:
Lots of sherry, right away. Lots of sweet dried fruits in a very PX-y way. Dates, figs, peaches and a whiff of orange. Not much distillery character to be found, or is that typical of Mannochmore?

Sip:
The palate is surprisingly dry, and arrives quite gently. After 20 or so seconds it starts intensifying very quickly, though. Dark dried fruits, oak, chocolate oranges, raisins.

Swallow:
The finish really shows a lot of sherry. Some warmth of the high ABV lingers, but it could just as well be amped up PX.

Apart from the sherry cask, not a lot is happening. Of course, Mannochmore is usually used in blended whiskies and therefore isn’t normally the most characterful of malts, but this is on another level of ‘cask driven’. Having said that, it is a rather tasty drink, with lots of lovely dried fruit, and other sherry notes. It’s just that it tastes more like amped up sherry than whisky.

85/100

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Glenburgie 27, 1995-2022, Hogshead 6668, 57.7% – Signatory Vintage for Wu Dram Clan

Posted on 17 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The last of the three bottlings for Wu Dram Clan’s third anniversary. I wonder whether they picked three because there’s three of them, or because they’re three years old. If it’s the latter, we’re in for some interesting follow up anniversaries!

Anyway, Glenburgie 1995, which is a pretty awesome vintage for the already popular Speyside distillery. They tend to be gentle and fruity with lots of lighter fruity notes in the bourbon cask matured ones. This one, even though it’s 27 years old, is still at 57.7% ABV, which is quite a lot for such an age.

Let’s just find out and dive in!

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
The nose has, right after pouring the sample, a surprisingly light combination of orchard fruits and a chemical scent. A bit like nail polish remover, or maybe some glue. The chemical notes dissipate quickly and give way to straw and barley. It’s almost like old St. Magdalene or some Rosebank whiskies, in how lightly fruity and floral it is. Floral as in meadows and slightly green.

Sip:
Dry and slightly sharp with peppery heat (white pepper at that), orchard fruits with apples, white grapes, unripe pears. Behind that rather classical and mature fruitiness there are hints of barley and straw. After a few seconds it becomes a bit more rich with more notes of pastry and baked apples instead of the fresh ones.

Swallow:
The finish is slightly green, but not young at all. Moss and leafy greens. Apples and pears, slight notes of pastry and a whiff of vanilla.

This is a very traditional Glenburgie on one hand, with lovely fruity notes and a not too powerful cask influence. It shows quite a bit of depth and develops nicely in the glass.

What is interesting is that it has some old fashioned lowlands whisky characteristics on top of it. Compared to this one, most Glenburgies I’ve had are slightly more sweet and a bit less floral. The meadow-y scents and flavors give it a bit of a St. Magdalene thing, and that’s very interesting, and quite good on top of that!

89/100

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Caperdonich 22, 2000-2022, Hogshead 29490, 55.2% – Signatory Vintage for Wu Dram Clan

Posted on 16 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I looked through my tasting notes but I doubt I can do a ‘Closed Distilleries’ theme week now. I guess it will be Speyside then! That’s an easy one with half the Scottish distilleries being there.

This bottling was recently made available by Wu Dram Clan to celebrate their third anniversary. It’s one of three, with the Unnamed Islay from earlier this month as one, and an upcoming Glenburgie as the other counterpart to this Caperdonich.

Caperdonich is a distillery that’s been closed since 2002, and bottlings have recently begun to be increasingly expensive. Honestly, with this clocking in just under € 400 it’s not even that ‘out there’.

Originally also known as Glen Grant II, it’s kind of obvious what the distillery’s purpose was. Things weren’t meant to be after little over a hundred years and the place closed down. After some wheeling and dealing one pair of the stills were sold to The Owl Distillery near Liège in Belgium and have been installed there since 2013. The other pair of still is intended to be installed in the Falkirk Distillery.

Image from Whiskybase

Anyway, the whisky then! Let’s find out!

Sniff:
Quite rich. A combination of lighter notes of dried fruit, and heavier notes of straw and oak. A slight garlic-y note, somehow. I don’t think I ever had that before… Apricot jam, mango chutney. Quite a lot of oak, even for a 22 year old whisky.

Sip:
The palate is a very interesting combination of big oaky notes on one end, and a rather spirity approach on the other. There’s not much in the middle, strangely. Quite a lot of sweetness, of peaches and apricots mostly. A very minor note of minerals and iron.

Swallow:
The finish is back to that spirit again. Lots of newmake notes, this must have been some intense spirit when it came of the still! Apricots, with stone, oak, iron.

Well, to say this is an interesting whisky would be an understatement. Generally I’ve found myself to not be the greatest fan of ‘younger’ Caperdonich, but this one is very good. It’s also really cool to have all these weird combinations of notes. Of richer dried fruit and minerally iron, of lots of oak and a strange note of garlic. Really cool stuff!

88/100

Available in The Netherlands at Passie voor Whisky

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Balcones 4, 2017-2021, American Oak Barrel 16993, 63.6% – Archives

Posted on 13 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer
Image from Mountain States Wholesale Nursery

It’s not often that a four year old whisky scores richly above 88 points on Whiskybase, but this one does. It’s 28 votes, so not the most in the world, but not insignificant either.

This Texas single malt whisky was released late last year at Whiskybase, and contrary to their other Balcones releases, this time I was able to pick one up before it sold out. I believe the previous release lasted all of twelve minutes on the website when it came out.

Balcones is a fairly unique distillery in Waco, Texas. They’ve been making all kinds of whiskies and sometimes other spirits too. Luckily for us, their products are relatively easy to come by in The Netherlands, because what they’re doing is pretty interesting.

Young single malts that pack a lot of punch. Bourbons and ryes that we shouldn’t dismiss either. Sometimes their whisky gets smoked over scrub oak, which gives it a whole other dimension. All in all, good stuff, ever since the Brimstone was announced.

Let’s see if this one can live up to both Balcones’ and Archives’ reputation!

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
This is a bold whiskey on the nose. There’s some really intense notes of oak, tree bark, beef jerky. Is that mesquite? It reminds me of the mesquite chunk I sometimes use for barbecue. Notes of barbecue too, charry beef.

Sip:
I find the palate surprisingly smooth for a 63.6% drink. Of course, there’s some bite, but far less than you’d expect. After a minute or so, some more alcohol heat shows up. There’s dark chocolate with raisins, and some rum macerated plums too.

Swallow:
The finish is dry with lots of barbecue char, beef and oak. There’s a nice lingering tinge, with some dry notes and richness. The finish has those same raisin, rum and chocolate notes too.

This is a big whiskey. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical when Whiskybase/Archives started bottling Balcones, but this is something else! A very interesting whisky that does familiar things, but in a rather unique way. So it really takes single malt whisky for a spin! I’m keeping my eye on future releases like this…

So yes, yes it does live up to expectations. And then some!

89/100

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Glen Moray 13, 2007-2021, Barrel 5952, 58.8% – Archives

Posted on 12 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Glen Moray, to me, is pretty much a blank canvas. As in, the spirit is very gentle and sweet and gives a lot of play room for the cask to interact with the spirit. Unfortunately, that also means there are quite a few bottlings available where you just get to taste the cask, because it can so easily overpower the whisky itself.

Image from Whiskybase

On the other hand, when the cask is rather gentle on the spirit, and given enough time for a proper maturation, it can also be very, very good whisky. I remember some SMWS bottlings from a decade or so ago at 30 to 35 years old that were absolutely stunning. The only reason I didn’t get myself one when in Edinburgh, was that at the checkout my credit card acted up and wouldn’t properly handle the payment.

This one, from Archives (it is ‘Archives week’ after all) came out a year and a half ago. I seem to remember it being one of those strange releases that were not really mentioned on the website and you had to dig for it a little bit, but with some effort I managed to snag up a bottle.

Sniff:
Quite some vanilla with lots of pastry notes. Quite cask driven, which isn’t unfamiliar for Glen Moray. Roasted sesame seeds, pastry cream, tinned pineapple juice and toast.

Sip:
Slightly more hot here, with a woody, dry heat. Vanilla, some cinnamon buns, baked apple, pastry cream.

Swallow:
Here you notice the heat of the ABV a lot more than on the nose and palate. A whiff of apple, on a rather long finish.

The cask really had influence on the spirit, obviously. That’s so with every proper whisky, but in this case it pushed into the pastry direction quite forcefully. However, with the high ABV and it not being too old it still holds some balance with the fruity spirit of Glen Moray. Good stuff!

87/100

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Highland Malt Whisky 11, 2010-2022, Barrel 2534, 58.1% – Whiskybase Gathering 2022

Posted on 11 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It is a public secret that this whisky is an 11 year old Clynelish. Not always do you get to know which distillery a ‘secret <enter region here>’ whisky is from, but in this case, Whiskybase didn’t really hide it.

The release was done at last year’s Whiskybase Gathering. An awesome whisky festival that I can almost never visit due to it always happening in autumn break, when we are travelling or are celebrating my daughter’s birthday. Or both. Maybe this year…

Image from Whiskybase

Clynelish is known for being a rather great distillery, although they seem to peek at certain vintages. 2010 is starting to look like another really good one with Boogieman / Passie voor Whisky’s release from 2020 being in that batch too. I had some others along the way that really had their perks too.

Sniff:
Quite spirity with lots of green malt, moss and fresh grass. There is some wet tree bark, fresh oak shavings, and a bit of heather. In the background there’s a bit of candle wax too.

Sip:
Very sharp and quite dry. The sharpness is ‘youth’, white pepper and fresh oak. Strangely the texture is rather syrupy. There’s some sweetness from the alcohol with a hint of rotting hay.

Swallow:
The finish mellows quickly but stays youthfull. Syrupy with hints of oak, moss and some cloudy apple juice.

Of course this isn’t an old whisky, but even for its 11 years of aging, it tastes rather young. The focus is still very much on the spirit, which isn’t necessarily bad of course. In this case it just really shows that it was either a very tired cask, or just lazy wood. I guess this could have scored higher with a couple more years of aging, but I guess we’ll never know.

All in all, it *does* show the cleanliness of Clynelish’s spirit, and that too is interesting to taste. I’m just not sure if I’d buy this over the official entry level 14 years old.

86/100

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Cooley 20, 2002-2022, Barrel 2215, 57.1% – Whiskybase

Posted on 10 January 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

For every 10,000 bottles added to Whiskybase, they try to release a single cask whisky. Most of them are very interesting and rather decently priced. This one, bottled for the 200,000th addition, was a bit on the expensive side of things, but with 20 year old Irish whisky there’s not much else you expect.

I though to review this Irish one right after the Bruichladdich, since Northern Ireland can sometimes be seen from Islay, on a clear day. Another segue from one review to another. Look at me being conceptual.

Even though I instantly bought this bottle without waiting to see if anyone wanted samples (which is the normal procedure at MaltFascination HQ), I was a little bit apprehensive. Irish whisky has gotten ridiculously popular ever since independent bottlers started releasing insanely high quality, older whiskies about a decade or so ago.

However, I’m not a huge fan of all of them. Quite a few of these bottlings have that typical ‘Irish’ note of wine gums and a candy like chemical sweetness. I’m not a fan of that, but I was willing to take the gamble with this one.

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Gently fruity with fresh peaches, wild peaches, nectarine. Ever so slightly wine-gummy. Hints of digestive biscuits, and a whiff of menthol.

Sip:
The palate is surprisingly dry for an Irish whisky! Lots of oak shavings, straw, biscuits. But also more fruity than on the nose. Some white pepper goes with the peaches and nectarines. White grapes and apples too.

Swallow:
The finish has a bit of lingering dryness, but becomes a bit more sweet too. Straw, white and yellow stone fruits.

Luckily, the wine gums were kept in check. A strange thing I realized is that in the four months or so that the bottle had been open it started of way more fruity than it ended up after oxidizing slightly because of the oxygen in the bottle. It was apples and pears and star fruit galore, initially. After a few months it changed a little bit.

Still, there’s a lot of fruitiness left, just a little bit less than initially. It’s a very well balanced dram with interesting notes of white fruit and not too much sweetness indeed! Currently it is available in the Whiskybase Marketplace for € 340, which I think is too much. The original price of € 235 is acceptable in the current climate, but the decline in fruitiness did tick it down a point or two.

88/100

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