Malt Fascination

Bowmore 9, 2014-2023, Refill Barrel DL 17953, 57.7% – Douglas Laing Old Particular for Gall & Gall

Posted on 26 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Generally, I am 100% unaware of what Gall & Gall, the largest chain of bottle shops in The Netherlands is doing. They tend to be insanely expensive with their whisky unless they’re discounting. Also, the offers on their website generally don’t translate to what they actually have available in shops.

So, when they had a single cask Bowmore available from a rather renowned bottler I was quite surprised. Luckily, someone in the MaltFascination bottle-share club was paying more attention, and they managed to snag one. Surprisingly, a 9 year old cask strength Bowmore at € 85 is quite acceptable, so the surprises kept piling up.

Sniff:
This seems to be doing what Bowmore does best. Crisp lemon, a whiff of vanilla. Ashy smoke and shammy leather. Still quite youthful, but not spirity.

Sip:
The palate is rather hot, more so that I’d expect for the 57.7%. Heaps of white pepper, some oak and a bit of lemon. No vanilla sweetness here, but there is of course some smokiness. It’s rather dry, but I think that’s mostly the heat.

Swallow:
The finish shows a bit more lemon, olive oil, salty smoke. The slight leathery note from the nose is back too. Quite a long and intense finish.

Slightly one dimensional, but that dimension happens to be very tasty. I guess this might have benefited from a few more years in oak. Then again, if you have any experience with younger Bowmore from bourbon casks, this one will definitely not disappoint! A solid pick from Douglas Laing / Gall & Gall and it’s still available too. At least, according to the website.

87/100

Posted in Bowmore | Tagged 2014, Bourbon Cask, Bowmore, Douglas Laing, Gall & Gall, Islay, Old Particular, Scotch, Single Malt | 3 Comments

Longrow 8, Distillery Open Day 2023, Oloroso Cask, 54.9%

Posted on 21 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It seems like my buddy Erik ‘Elixir’ has become my trusted supplier of Springbank samples. Even though Tom van Engelen went to Campbeltown last month there were no shares from that distillery. There was a Cadenhead’s Islay bottling, so it’s partially forgiven.

Anyway, Springbank’s Open Day last year, during the Campbeltown Malts Festival saw the release of this Oloroso cask Longrow. Peat and Sherry from Campbeltown sounds like something I would enjoy, so the choice to get a sample when it was offered was quickly made.

Sniff:
The elevated ABV mutes the peat and smoke a little bit. It’s a sherry cask, but not an overly powerful one. The massive spirit stands up very well, with coastal salinity, the typical Campbeltown funkiness (funkytown?), and a hint of almonds.

Sip:
The palate is quite strong, more so than expected. Feisty with lots of coastal notes and a beach bonfire. Straw, marram grass, smoke and a slight flint note. There’s a hint of leather in the background too.

Swallow:
The finish keeps that bite, but there’s a bit of a pastry sweetness in the mix too. The sherry brings a little bit of dried fruit. Apricots and apples.

I always find it surprising that such young whisky can have such a layered palate and can seemingly be quite mature. Of course, with all the knowledge learned and applied over the last couple of decades in the distilling industry this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but this is more like the old fashioned version of that. Back when things were awesome after a decade. This one is no exception to that.

Lovely, slightly muted sherry notes. Coastal notes too. And of course the typical smokiness to round it all off. At € 100 for a 35cl bottle it’s not exactly cheap, but which whisky from Campbeltown is, nowadays…

88/100

Posted in Longrow, Springbank | Tagged Campbeltown, Campbeltown Mal, Campbeltown Malts Festival, Longrow, Sherry Cask, Single Malt, Springbank, Springbank Open Day, Whiskey, Whisky | Leave a comment

Highland Single Malt 22, 1996-2023, Refill Bourbon Vatting Cask CD1-18, 54.7% – C. Dully Selection

Posted on 20 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I had, until recently, never heard of the C. Dully Selection, but it turns out to be a bottler from Switzerland. They’re trying to supply their friends and customers with old fashioned styles of whisky. The likes of which are harder and harder to find.

Apparently they’ve already bottled quite a few Scotch whiskies, but also Bourbon, Cognac and Pineau des Charentes. It sounds interesting, and I never regret finding bottlers like this. Of course, the proof will be in the pudding and since this is my first bottling it might give me an idea of what they are releasing but it’s not proof of a ‘house style’ yet. Sample size n=1 is not really significant.

This ‘Highland Single Malt’ is from Clynelish. I don’t know where that knowledge comes from but it doesn’t seem to be a secret. It being from Clynelish, and it being from 1996 AND from a refill bourbon cask makes me really excited to try this. Serge, from Whiskyfun tried it and rated it 90 points. This made me even more excited about it, so let’s just dive in!

Sniff:
An absolutely gorgeous combination of apples and candle wax. Honey and lichen, slightly warming with a hint of vanilla and tree bark. Wood mulch, pastry cream, apple crumble. The waxiness is very much present, as well as notes of gorse and honey.

Sip:
The palate brings quite a punch. There’s a lot of peppery heat but it might have been more fiery when it wasn’t this waxy. Candles, leather, waxy apples. The sweetness of apples too, with a note of honey and hay. Some vanilla and pastry too.

Swallow:
The finish initially ramps up the heat before settling down. When it does, there’s a little bit of dryness, lots of apple and pear too. The finish is really long, with the wax and sweet apple lingering longest.

This is about as ‘Clynelish’ as Clynelish gets. Of course, there’s a bit of vanilla in there to disclose that it’s a more modern approach than the mid eighties-and-before style but there’s no harm in that in this case.

It’s a tremendously delicious whisky that showcases the rich waxiness of the distillery very well. And let’s be honest, that’s what we’re all about with Clynelish.

90/100

Posted in - News and Announcements, Clynelish, Undisclosed | Tagged 1996, Bourbon Cask, Brora, C. Dully Selection, Clynelish, Highlands, Scotch, Single Malt, Undisclosed Distillery, Whiskey, Whisky | 1 Comment

Balcones Single Malt, 2yo, Rum Cask Finish batch SMR20-1, 62%

Posted on 19 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Aged at least 35 months in oak, according to the label. Why they wouldn’t leave it for a couple more days and bottle it as a 3 year old is a bit baffling, but still.

Again, one of these bottlings that I got for bottle-sharing and a tasting during Covid, and I only recently finished. It is starting to become a theme that I only review bottles of whisky at the moment they’re empty.

I was under the impression this was bottled for The Netherlands, but I see no proof for that on the label, or on Whiskybase. I might have this bottling confused with another one. Anyway, Texan single malt. Quite young but aging works differently in the climate there, compared to Scotland.

Sniff:
At first the nose is fairly timid and gentle. There’s a significant sweetness that holds the middle between Bourbon and Rum (and yes, I know it’s a Single Malt). Corn, dry oak, a whiff of caramel.

Sip:
The palate has a syrupy texture, but after a couple of seconds the chili peppery heat kicks in. Some very dry oak, and a hint of corn on the cob (not buttery). A hint of dried peach is present too.

Swallow:
The finish leaves a bit of a hot sensation, and doesn’t mellow too quickly at all. It leaves you similar to eating some hot sambal or sriracha, but it’s not pushing it too far. There’s a bit of a woody dryness, and a sweetness not unlike peaches and corn.

It’s quite nice and even though it’s hot it’s quite drinkable. However, there don’t seem to be too many layers to be peeled back for new flavors. What you get on the arrival is what you get.

85/100

Posted in Balcones | Tagged Balcones, Rum Cask, Texas, USA, Waco, Whiskey, Whisky | Leave a comment

Bruichladdich 13, 2009-2023, First Fill Bourbon Barrel 3618, 60.8% – Whiskybase

Posted on 16 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

So, last year Whiskybase released this Bruichladdich and since it is a Bruichladdich from a bourbon cask I wanted it. Of course, I should have gotten two, but on the other hand I keep wanting to try new stuff, not in the last place because of wanting to have new material to write about.

Anyway, 220k bottles in the base, give or take a couple duplicates. That’s quite something in the time they’ve been at it. I’m gladly contributing here and there when I find something that’s not on there yet, but of course that’s very, very marginal.

Let’s just dive in. I guess by now Bruichladdich doesn’t need too much explanation, apart from remarking again that it’s one of my favorite distilleries if they use proper casks.

Sniff:
A very typical Bruichladdich of the modern variety. Quite barley driven, but rather heavy on the nose. Hay, marram grass, some lemon cream too.

Sip:
The palate packs a bit of a punch, which isn’t too surprising with this clocking in at over 60%. It’s dry with hazelnuts, hay, some oak and barley. There’s some unripe lemons, grass and some coastal notes too.

Swallow:
The finish still has quite some white pepper heat and dry oak shavings. Hazelnuts and straw. Some slightly more green notes too, apple and ferns. Hay, straw, grass. Something coastal too.

Even modern Bruichladdich has something very old fashioned about it. Unless they tinker too much with weird casks (although there have been some epic ones in that category as well, as last weekend’s Dramfool bottling proved). This one fits my palate very well and I think this is a great cask pick. I love the slight funkiness and the coastal notes, and the fact that the ABV is out there but not overly so.

88/100

Unfortunately, only available in the secondary market starting at some € 160 at the time of writing.

Posted in Bruichladdich | Tagged 2009, Bourbon Cask, Bruichladdich, Islay, Whisky, Whiskybase | 1 Comment

Gjoleid 10, bottled in 2020, Bourbon Barrels, 47.3%

Posted on 14 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This post is going to be a study in being way off. Last year MvZ gave me a few samples without any labels on them, apart from a number. This was the first one. I had zero information to go by, not even an ABV if I remember correctly.

Knowing MvZ, it could be anything since he loves old Single Malts, Irish from yonder year and he’s quite a bourbon buff too. So, even that did not help in the slightest.

I tried the whiskies blind, as said. And be prepared to be surprised by both the surprising quality of this dram, and me making a complete ass of myself.

Gjoleid is a brand distilled by Arcus Distillery in Hagan, Norway. And the whisky they produce isn’t even a single malt. It’s more like Norwegian bourbon if you’d have to compare to anything.

Sniff:
Old whisky with lots of gentle fruity, there’s notes of peanut too. Peaches and apricots. Some dry spices too, but all is rather gentle and layered. Dry Fino cask like things too.

Sip:
Dry with a bit of a woody bite with a hint of white pepper. Dried yellow fruits with a quite dry texture too. It becomes a bit more sweet with pastry notes.

Swallow:
A long finish, lots of dried peaches, apricot, soft oak and hints of corky tree bark. Slightly nutty, beautiful.

So, a minor side note is that I tried it from a sample bottle instead of a complete bottle. That *could* be an excuse for some of it.

But, having said that. This is a tremendous whisky. That the Norsemen are up to something I had already noticed with Berry’s Norse Casks and their Miken whisky. This one tastes like fino sherry matured Speyside from decades ago, while it’s only a ten year old whisky from regular old bourbon barrels. Amazing, and I wouldn’t mind having a bottle of this at all!

I am very curious to try this again, if only just to see how much of an idiot I am or whether it holds up to further inspection…

89/100

Posted in - Grain Whisky, - World Whisky, Arcus Distillery, Gjoleid | Tagged Arcus Distillery, Bourbon Cask, Gjoleid, Norway, Whiskey, Whisky | 2 Comments

Teaninich 11, 2010-2022, Ex-Stout Barrel, 53.9% – Thompson Brothers

Posted on 13 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Whisky from beer casks always peeks my interest. I’m not entirely sure why, because on average, the experiences have not been great. The IPA cask from Chichibu was a very welcome exception and still a stellar dram.

When this ‘Phil and Simon Thompson’ bottling made its way from Dornoch to The Netherlands, I got one for sharing. In part because I didn’t want to end up with 70cl of a whisky that I’m not going to drink with vigor. Also in part because I buy way too much whisky and wouldn’t be able to afford it all without ‘sharing’ samples.

The beer cask came from Black Isle brewery just south of Dornoch, and the brewery produces quite a few of very drinkable ales. I don’t think I have any experience with any of the barrel aged versions, but I wouldn’t shy away from trying any of their brews again. Preferable in Drumnadrochit or so.

Sniff:
Very spirity and young with a bit of vanilla. There’s some oak and a slight acidic note. It smells like a whisky matured in a rather lazy cask.

Sip:
The palate is a tad sharp, with white pepper and straw. Quite dry, a slight acidic note again. Not a lot of different notes are popping up.

Swallow:
More of the same, although there’s a hoppy flavor happening now.

The beer cask is not overly noticeable in a very clear way. I suspect the slight acidity to be gotten from the ale, which sometimes can have a bit of a tart flavor as well. Other than that, it’s a rather typical Teaninich. In my experience that distillery is often not greatly impressive but there are some absolutely awesome exceptions. This, unfortunately, is not one of them.

80/100

Posted in Teaninich | Tagged 2010, Beer cask, Dornoch, Highlands, Phil and Simon Thompson, Phil Thompson, review, Scotch, Simon Thompson, Single Malt, Teaninich, Thompson Bros, Whiskey, Whisky | Leave a comment

Hielander Whisky Festival 2024

Posted on 12 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Today’s post is going to be a quick photo dump of last Saturday’s afternoon session at the Hielander Whisky Festival. Last year we skipped it due to a family weekend in the Ardennes, but this year we went back to a trusted Saturday event in February.

This year was the 12th edition, and I think I’ve been to 9 of them, if not 10. The only times I skipped were last year, and the time when my mother in law was having chemo-therapy. The last one made sense because I always visit the festival with my father-in-law and brothers-in-law (or is it brother-in-laws?).

A surprisingly fruity Bladnoch. Awesome!

Posted in - Festival, - Grain Whisky, Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Ballechin, Ballindalloch, BenRiach, Benrinnes, Bladnoch, Blair Athol, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Craigellachie, Dailuaine, Edradour, Glenrothes, Invergordon, Linkwood, Longmorn, Longrow, Macallan, Macduff, Mannochmore, Mortlach, Old Pulteney, Royal Brackla, Strathmill | Tagged Alkmaar, Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Ballindalloch, BenRiach, Benrinnes, Berry Brothers and Rudd, Blackadder, Bladnoch, Bourbon Cask, Bruichladdich, Cadenhead, Campbeltown, Cask Noir, Craigellachie, Dailuaine, Dram Mor, Dramfool, Finn Thomson, Grain Whisky, Hielander, Hielander Whisky Festival, Highlands, Ichiro's Malt, Invergordon, Islay, Islay House, Le Gus't, Linkwood, Longmorn, Longrow, Lowlands, Maltbarn, Mannochmore, Michiel Wigman, Mortlach, Old Pulteney, Scott's Selection, Sherry Cask, Speyside, Strathmill, The Maltman, The Nectar of the Daily Drams, The Single Cask, The Warehouse Collection, TnT Casks, Ultimate, Wine cask | Leave a comment

Bowmore 17, 2004-2021, Refill Ex-Guyanese Rum Barrel, 56% – SMWS 3.326 (En Garde!)

Posted on 8 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Right. A French name on a Scottish whisky with a Guyanese rum finish, with that name coming from a sport that is said to originate from Egypt. Is SMWS trying to be more inclusive, because if that’s the case they’re succeeding. Although, with the naming conventions at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, I doubt people put much stock in their names.

I tried this Bowmore a while ago with my buddy JPH, as we try to keep some ‘quarterly advents’ going after trying some advent calendars together and really liking it. This was part of a night of Bowmores, all from SMWS and around the same age. The others will follow at another time.

Sniff:
Lemon drizzle cake and a light smokiness. More or less exactly what you expect from a Bowmore of this kind. The rum cask adds a funkiness that’s not normally there. Cloying overripe fruit sweetness, but not out of balance. Mango, papaya, toasted oak.

Sip:
The palate arrives rather gently for a 56% first dram of the evening, but there’s some black pepper that gives a bit of bite after that. The sweetness keeps the heat in check, and the smokiness is pushed really far back for a Bowmore. Again ripe tropical fruits with some oak. Mango, papaya, candied lemon. A hint of baking spices in cinnamon and clove.

Swallow:
The finish veers back to more traditional Bowmore, albeit a bit on the sweeter side of things. More ripe tropical fruit, and some lemon. A hint of shammy leather, papaya, mango, oak and peat smoke. Not a very long finish.

If it was a bit less sweet, it would have scored higher. The rum makes itself really known and it is slightly less Bowmore-y because of it. Having said that, ‘scoring higher’ sounds negative, but it still is a very good whisky at a price level that is on the low side for Bowmore of this age, at the time of writing. A very fine dram indeed!

88/100

Available in the secondary market for € 250

Posted in Bowmore | Tagged 2004, Bourbon Cask, Bowmore, Islay, Rum Cask, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, SMWS | 1 Comment

Arran Arranach, bottled from 2022 and 2023, 56.3% – Hand Bottled at the Distillery

Posted on 7 February 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The Arranach is a cask thingy happening at Arran distillery on the island of the same name. Back when I was there in early 2022 I don’t think these wee bottles were available. There were several distillery only bottlings, but not the 20cl ones.

Of course, since Brexit had started kicking in for a couple of months, so bringing the bottles home with me was not an options. Unfortunately, since there was a rather stunning bourbon cask available that we had during the tasting.

This one, then. It’s a PX cask, without any official information on its age. There is a ‘2013’ scribbled on the label on Whiskybase, so this is about 9 years old.

Sniff:
Very modern with an oak forward arrival on the nose. Apple wood, apples in general, porridge too. It focuses more on barley after a little while.

Sip:
The palate is quite gentle, for a 56% dram that is. Barley and porridge, with a bit of honey and caster sugar. Baked apples, a whiff of cinnamon. Very Arran-y.

Swallow:
The finish is, again, very modern with some cask engineering flavors. The sherry shows itself as a very wine-y flavor here.

This is a typical Arran, both for the distillery style, the age and the flavors that have popped up during maturation. That is fortunate if it is in your wheelhouse. If it’s not, you might want to skip any and all Arran sherry casks. As for me, I think they’re quite tasty, but they’re not overly special since they’re so ubiquitous.

So, yes, a tasty dram. There’s no doubt about that. But I probably would have gone for a bourbon cask if I had the choice.

86/100

Posted in Arran | Tagged 2013, Arran, Distillery Only, Hand bottled, Islands, Isle of Arran, Lochranza, Sherry Cask | Leave a comment

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