GlenAllachie 12, 2008-2021, PX Hogshead 847, 54.1% – OB for Passion for Whisky

Posted on 1 June 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This limited edition GlenAllachie was released a couple of months ago by Passion for Whisky, and to nobody’s surprise it sold out rather quickly. I was conscious enough to order a bottle in time, and of course it was bottle-shared.

Image from Whiskybase

I recently finished my sample and wrote tasting notes for it. Honestly, I went in a bit apprehensive. This color after only 12 years suggests that the cask has completely eradicated the spirit itself and with PX, that generaly results in a rather sweet and simple dram. Not bad, but not overly complex either.

Sniff:
It’s sweet and spicy from the start, with quite some oak influence. Slightly minty with a hint of cigars. The oak isn’t a surprise, the minty note is.

Sip:
The palate continues with the hints of cigars and dried fruits. Dates, plums, figs. Also the minty note, although it’s more menthol like now. Oak and some pepper.

Swallow:
The finish is a bit more round than the palate was. A bit more oak but also a hint of barley, mind and dried fruit.

Well, the good thing is that I really love the note of cigars and mint. I didn’t expect those and they make for a more interesting whisky to say the least. On the other hand, the cask has mostly overpowered the spirit, only the finish shows a bit of barley to me.

It still is a really good whisky, but it is a bit simple. Gorgeous color though!

86/100

By now only available in the secondary market.

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Longmorn 17, 2002, Bourbon Cask, 53.9% – SMWS (7.239, Lemon curd bread-and-butter pudding)

Posted on 31 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Well, at least this time around the name of the whisky has something to do with flavors that make any sense. So I cound that as a win!

Image from Whiskybase

Other than that we’re talking about a bourbon matured Longmorn here. Of course it’s not on the label, but that information is very easy to come by with things like Google. What’s interesting is that Longmorn is venturing into the bourbon casks more and more. It used to be one of those distilleries who was well known for their tremendous sherry matured whiskies, but in recent years bourbon casks have become far more common. And that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Sniff:
Lots of tropical fruit. Papaya, mango, peach. Vanilla sponge cake, some straw. Quite intense for the abv (blenders glass doesn’t help with that).

Sip:
Dry and fruity, with some sharp oak. Tropical with some dry hay and barley notes. Almost a bit of rum fruitiness. Papaya, tinned peaches, vanilla.

Swallow:
The finish is gentle and stays very fruity, very modern Longmorn. Not very long, though.

Strangely, I’m getting more fruit than I expected from a whisky named after bread and butter pudding. To me it’s a bit more tropical than I expected, which isn’t a bad thing of course. A good whisky, but not spectacular.

87/100

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Glentauchers 23, 1996-2019, Barrel 3969, 51.9% – Whiskydudes

Posted on 28 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It’s one of those rare bottlings with a million sub-labels. This one is from the ‘Playful Proverbs’ series. It’s labeled ‘Do Not Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth’. It’s bottled for the 10th anniversary of Het Whisky Forum, by Whiskydudes.

This last bit, Whiskydudes, apparently is a Dutch group of people bottlings some whiskies. There are five releases now, of which this Glentauchers is one.

Now, I approached this with a bit of apprehension, since I’m generally not a huge fan of Glentauchers. I had also completely missed this bottling, since it’s from Het Whisky Forum and I’ve not visited that website in several years.

Image from Whiskybase

Anyway, decent age, bourbon cask, single cask for a group of people who know what’s what. Let’s dive in!

Sniff:
Big and bold on the nose, lots of heavy malty scents. Fresh apple pie, Dutch butter cake and some apple peels.

Sip:
The palate is big too, quite typical for the Glentauchers I know. Lots of barley and quite some oak too. Oak shavings, wholemeal bread and dried apples.

Swallow:
On the finish there’s a lot of warm, leathery funkiness. Quite long, with some vanilla and apple, and some cake batter.

The clunkiness is quite typical for Glentauchers, and while I generally like some weirdness in a dram, Glentauchers just doesn’t seem to work for me, on average. This one is no different.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fine dram and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it’s not my style of whisky.

86/100

Available from Dramtime for € 91.50

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Bowmore 17, 2002-2020, 1st Fill Oloroso Hogshead TWB1010, 54.6% – The Whisky Barrel

Posted on 27 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I have no idea how someone would come up to bottle a cask of Islay whisky to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the moonlanding, but I’m glad they did. With this being a 2002 vintage, I think this is more-or-less from the same era of distillate as the Devil’s Casks from a couple of years ago.

The color is tremendous and is generally not something I care about, but when something looks more like strong espresso than whisky, it tends to get some attention.

I was lucky enough that SJ (a whisky buddy) was kind enough to share a sample from his bottle, and I recently sat down to properly assess it (as far as I’m qualified to assess something, and call it ‘properly’…).

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
This is old fashioned sherry and peat. There are hints of fruit and spices and leather, as well as smoke and brine and tar. A delicious combination of all that you would want from a whisky like this. Some mocha later on, and sandy beaches as well.

Sip:
There’s more heat on the arrival than I expected, to be honest. While it’s not a bad thing I wouldn’t mind a bit more gentleness. Apart from that it’s the expected dry sherry with loads of ground baking spices like cinnamon and clove, nutmeg even. There’s also ground coffee and sawdust. Leather and some dates.

Swallow:
The finish is a little bit more fruity than the palate with more dates and prunes and even some cherries. Very dark with even a hint of bitter chocolate on top of the mocha.

This is glorious! I thought Bowmore wasn’t about producing stuff like this anymore, it’s a profile that hasn’t shown up in a few years. However, when you find something like this it’s enough to make you giddy!

And I accept that this whisky is probably not for everyone, since I know some people who would consider this to be too much of a good thing. Too much sherry, like chewing a bit of the whisky’s cask. However, once in a while, when done right, I absolutely love this.

91/100

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Braeval 30, 1989, Bourbon Hogshead, 50.4% – SMWS (113.34, Magically Mediterranean)

Posted on 26 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer
Image from SMWS

It’s been quite a while since an SMWS bottling crossed my path. I’ve not been a member since 2015 and even though they’re marketing nicely and I always get a bit giddy when I see the rather cool bottles, I just can’t bring myself to pay for the right/chance to buy bottles.

What also doesnt help is that they’re generally not that affordable anymore. A decade ago prices of SMWS bottlings were pretty low compared to similar releases by other bottlers, but I don’t think that’s still the case. Of course, this is rather subjective, but still.

Then TD (a whisky buddy) gave me a sample of this on a recent ‘let’s meet up and exchange massive amounts of tiny vials of whisky’ morning. Interesting stuff because A: it’s old, and B: it’s from a rather obscure distillery. I’m game!

Sniff:
Very light with hints of apple, dried maracuja and some vanilla. There’s some oak, salinity and hay.

Sip:
A gentle arrival with some woody bite after a few seconds. There’s vanilla, apple sauce, pear, salinity and hay again.

Swallow:
The finish is a bit warmer than the palate, and slightly less sweet. Still, mostly apple, pear and hay.

Braeval is one of those distilleries which product gets used in blends for the most part. In this case, it’s pretty clear why. There’s not a lot going on, but what is there is fairly simple but tasty. I can imagine adding some complexity with other whiskies can really add to a dram like this.

Having said that, this is nice and interesting. But in the end it’s a bit too simple and straight forward.

87/100

Available at the SMWS for € 260 (see what I mean by not being too affordable?)

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Glenfarclas 15, 52.1% – OB for The Netherlands

Posted on 25 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Contrary to yesterday, today’s whisky does state that it actually is Glenfarclas. It’s also not teaspooned, matured in refill and first fill casks and not nearly as dark.

It is, however, 4% stronger in alcohol content. Still not a huge belter or anything, but I like that ‘we’ got a cask strength release from Glenfarclas.

Image from Whiskybase

Let’s just dive in, since I have zero inspiration for more rambling beforehand!

Sniff:
The nose starts slightly feinty, with notes of mold and soil and old wood. Dunnage warehouses, with hints of mushrooms and spices. Old fruit and lots of oak.

Sip:
On the palate I get dry oak, porous and corky. Like rotting wood, or mulch. There’s notes of fruit with a bitter and spicy hint. Red chili, plum stones and sticky dates.

Swallow:
The finish brings hints of orange, out of the blue. It adds a bit to the bitterness that was already there, because it’s mostly pithy notes.

This is quite an interesting whisky, to be honest. It does feel a bit inconsistent between the nose, palate and finish, but absolutely not bad. I like the dunnage and moldy notes, and wouldn’t have disliked more of that on the palate. I also would have liked for the orange notes to show up earlier.

All in all it is a bit inconsistent and all over the place for a higher mark, but I wouldn’t regret having bought a bottle. I didn’t, I only got myself a sample of this.

86/100

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Family Silver, 1st Fill Oloroso Cask 4630, 44% – Cooper’s Choice

Posted on 24 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I bought a sizeable sample of this whisky upon being told this is Glenfarclas. Of course, with it being a blended malt, it’s most likely teaspooned, but there’s no guarantee it’s Glenfarclas. It could very well be, but where all undisclosed Speyside whiskies were once said to be ‘Farclas, that no longer holds true.

Image from Whiskybase

I’ve also seen comments of this being Macallan, but at 19 years old and actually affordable to mere mortals, that seems unlikely. Balvenie is also an option, but technically so are a lot of other Speyside distilleries.

Let’s just stick to ‘we don’t know’ for this one and just enjoy the booze!

Sniff:
With a color like this there’s no surprise to this offering huge sherry notes. There’s a slight spicy edge with cinnamon, clove and black pepper. Hints of sawdust, balsamic vinegar and stewed strawberries.

Sip:
Quite peppery, more so than I expected. Black pepper and some chilis, too. Baking spices and some bitter notes like almonds and cherry stones. Cherries, strawberries and that note of balsamic vinegar.

Swallow:
The finish is long and gentle, more focus on the red fruits and less so on the bitter notes.

It’s nice that Cooper’s Choice decided to bottle this at 44%. There’s a trend going on that everything seems to be bottled at high octane levels because that’s what’s cool. However, there’s so much more to be discovered when there’s a bit less focus on the alcohol.

I like the red fruits and balsamic notes. There’s no vineger like acidity, it’s more like a balsamic reduction. All in all rather good whisky, with lots of flavors.

88/100

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Foursquare Sagacity, 12yo, Madeira cask, 48%

Posted on 21 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I’m not following the rum industry in any way, shape or form, but it turns out they’re finishing their drinks in different casks too! This Foursquare bottling was matured in bourbon barrels first (no surprise there) before it was finished in a Madeira cask.

Image from Zeewijck

Now, contrary to the recent Springbank review, I won’t be able to define whether or not the spirit is overpowered by the casks used, since I don’t know how ‘regular’ Foursquare tastes. That might be hard to figure out since every bottling they put out seems to be special in some way.

Anyway, I got this bottle a few months ago after Serge gave it 90 points on Whiskyfun. It suddenly sold out but I was just in time to snag up the last bottle at Drinks & Gifts, and use it for a tasting. Contrary to all other bottles used in that tasting, I kept this one to myself and finished it over the last couple of months.

Sniff:
Warm and summery with lots of ripe tropical fruits. A layer of richness with oak and molasses, golden syrup and burnt sugar. Baked banana, papaya, mango.

Sip:
The palate is intense, with a bit of peppery heat. The richness fills that up nicely, with lots of oaky spices, sweet molasses and a slight bitter touch of burnt sugar. Still quite syrupy and fruity, more roasted mango and grilled banana.

Swallow:
The finish is mellow and sweet. Long and intense with fruit, spices, oak and molasses. Some dryness to boot.

Even though I’ve written rum tasting notes before I barely think I’m doing this justice. There’s a lot happening and I know there’s more to discovered or defined, which I’ve not been able to pin down or describe at all. However, even with my limited rum-palate, this is epic stuff and utterly delicious.

It also helps that it’s not bottled at 60% or so, but at a very nice and easy sailing 48, which seems to be spot on for my preference anyway.

Luckily, this is ‘Mark XI’, which suggests there will be more in the future. If so, I hope to be in time for one because this is just great stuff!

90/100

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Ledaig 11, 2009-2020, Hogshead 700510, 58.9% – Whiskybase

Posted on 20 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Another 10,000 unique bottles were added to Whiskybase, so there had to be another single cask bottling. This time around, they picked a Ledaig, or a peated Tobermory, from a bourbon cask.

Generally, as the last couple of years have proven, Ledaig is a force to be reckoned with. Interestingly, that doesn’t seem to translate to Tobermory being that too. With this being ‘just’ 11 years old, it wasn’t too expensive and it didn’t take long for the bottle-share to fill up.

Image from Whiskybase

My own sample was emptied a week or so ago, when I wrote my notes. I wasn’t in a rush since this whisky didn’t need more exposure. As with most things from Archives and/or Whiskybase, it sells out rather quickly. Of course, the bottle is now available in the secondary market at not-too-inflated a price. It’s only about € 20 over the initial retail price, and with Whiskybase taking 8%, the sellers aren’t making any profit, I guess.

Sniff:
A beach bonfire of peat initially, with lots of peatsmoke and brine. Barbecued apples, notes of tar and fish. Very, VERY, coastal. Slightly oily, with engine grease and some diesel. Also straw, marram grass.

Sip:
Bone dry, with salty coastal notes, oaky sharpness. Chalk, vanilla and oak planks.

Swallow:
The finish carries on down the same vein. Salty, briny, tarry, lots of smoke, grass and straw.

This seems to be the quintessential coastal whisky. And while it does lack in complexity, it does make up for it by being so ridiculously focused on these coastal notes.

I like that it’s a bit dirty. There’s some engine oil and diesel happening. There’s tar and fish. There’s still enough to be discovered, if you manage to wrap your head around the almost 60% ABV.

87/100

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Starward Fortis, Batch 2, Australian Red Wine Barrels, 50%

Posted on 19 May 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Normally I would start a post like this with something like ‘generally I try to avoid wine casks’, but with The Duchess and Michiel Wigman releasing good ones recently, that doesn’t seem to be true anymore.

I bought this bottle a couple of months ago in a discount, mostly for use in an upcoming tasting I was hosting. Another part of the bottle went to some shared samples and there was still plenty left to get a good impression of it.

Last week I finished the last sip at said tasting, and in the afternoon before it I decided it was time to finally write a review of the whisky.

It’s one of my first Australian whiskies, although I’ve had some left and right. I never got around to reviewing any of them on my blog. This has mostly to do with low-ish expectations and, since we’re half a planet away, fairly high prices. And when something got a high score somewhere it instantly sold out at too high a price still. So, no, there wasn’t much to go by.

Image from Whiskybase

Then, for some reason, I did buy this. NAS, wine cask, not much info to go by, still sixty Euros a bottle. And how did it work out?

Sniff:
Initially there are lots of wine like tannins and quite a lot of oak notes. These are quickly followed by some red fruits. Cherries, blackberries. Some almonds for a minor bitter note too. The tannins are quite intense, more so than I remembered from previous dram from the bottle. After a little while I also get some notes of butterscotch and chocolate.

Sip:
The palate is very dry and tannic as well. The bitter notes are slightly exaggerated compared to the nose, but the fruity notes are present as well. Blue grapes, blackberries, cherries.

Swallow:
The finish is largely the same as the palate as the very dry and tannic notes linger most. Bitter almonds, cherries, blackberries.

It’s a bit of a weird one. There’s not much notes of ‘whisky’ in it, and the fruity notes are very wine-like. Almost like it’s some kind of distilled wine or a brandy of some kind. However, it’s quite drinkable and since I rather like bitter notes in whisky, I’m not all against it. Although I don’t think I’ll quickly buy another bottle.

84/100

Available here for € 69

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