Caol Ila 9yo, 2010-2020, 52.3% – Signatory Vintage for Kirsch Import

Posted on 27 August 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

To say there have been an epic amount of single cask Caol Ila between the age of 5 and 15 the last couple of years is an understatement. I don’t a single bottler has been skipped, unless they didn’t want it.

Normally that means that these Caol Ila bottlings are at least somewhat affordable. Not a lot of time has gone by since distillation, so not much has evaporated and not much warehouse space was occupied.

And then there’s this one. Heavily sherried, which always is an influx on the price, but there were still almost 600 bottles from the cask. And yet, it clocks in at, hold on to your butts, € 135.

It’s a nine year old Caol Ila, folks. At one hundred and thirty five euros.

I was the lucky recipient of a sample of it from Longmorn Brother GvB, and decided to review it not too long after. Actually, I think I drank the sample the very same day.

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Very typical young Islay from a fresh sherry cask. The sherry smells a bit like it was from a seasoned cask without much time given to properly integrate. The whisky itself brings a lot of smoky diesel fumes. Engine smoke, grease, but also sea weed and marram grass. Pretty young indeed.

Sip:
The palate is pretty sharp, with a lot of edgy oak, a hint of glue and lots of rather fresh smoke. It’s coastal with hints of brine and sea weed, with spicy sherry and chili pepper. The sherry also brings a slightly bitter fruity flavor along with it. After a few seconds it starts getting a bit of a fatty texture, which is surprising, and interesting.

Swallow:
The finish has two different aspects. There’s a sherry’d ashy bit that stays in the front of your mouth, and a more woody, warming side that goes down warmly. A very strange combination of things. It’s a bit charcoal like with hints of engine smoke and grease.

Well. It’s nowhere near bad, but it’s also not good enough for the price. It shows a nice layer of thick sherry, and the coastal character of Caol Ila has not been lost. Those are very good things.

However, it does feel like the sherry from the cask and the whisky in the cask haven’t integrated very well. It’s more like they were just put together in the glass as an experiment.

So, I’m not a fan of this and would recommend that if you’re to spend this much money on a bottle, to get a different one. You can get a very nice Caol Ila for half the money.

82/100

Caol Ila 09/2010 – 01/2020, 9 years old, Refill Sherry Butt #316625, 52.3%. Available in Germany and in the secondary market.

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Ledaig 1995-2020, 24yo, 46.4% – WhiskyNerds

Posted on 26 August 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It seems that a lot of bottlers are getting their hands on casks of Ledaig lately. And contrary to what was happening almost a decade ago, these casks aren’t shit.

There were great ones by The Whisky Kingdom/Duckhammers and The Whisky Agency in recent months, and now one by the WhiskyNerds joins the fray. Not too surprising, because I think there’s some similarity in where they source their casks from.

This one is 25 years old, which is a very decent age. It would mean that the peat smoke scents and flavors have diminished somewhat over the years in oak. Let’s find out what’s what!

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Very crisp and wintry. A cold breeze on a beach. Some mossy notes too, as well as bonfire notes. A whiff of basil and menthol in the background. A lot less oak than I expected after 25 years in it.

Sip:
The palate is very gentle too, albeit quite dry. The dryness brings some sensation of heat, and dustiness. Sawdust, mossy oak, with some vanilla after a while. Lightly smoky, with some barley sugar sweetness. Grass and leafy herbs.

Swallow:
The finish goes slightly more hot, with some black pepper, with vanilla and barley sugar. Pear drops, moss, a small whiff of smoke.

So, this is a bit of a weird one. As in, normally I love older peated whiskies since the peat is far more integrated than in most 10 year old ones. However, in this case the peat has gone down so much that I had to remind myself of it being there at all. It’s not obvious anymore.

Bram, one of the WhiskyNerds said that that is so because it’s ‘sophisticated’, and while that may be true (or not, it’s quite subjective of course), I kind of miss it.

Having said that, this is still a very cracking dram, which upholds the WhiskyNerds reputation nicely.

89/100

Ledaig 1995-2020, 24 years old, Hogshead #128, 46.4%. Available at The Old Pipe for € 240

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Secret Speyside 1994-2020, 26yo, 48.1% – WhiskyNerds

Posted on 23 August 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Little over a week ago the newest releases by WhiskyNerds were released. This time it’s a secret speyside and a Ledaig. Secret Speyside if often Glenfarclas, but as with most of these releases, a lot is based on assumption.

In this case it has the respectable age of 26 years old, and it was 1994 when it came out. The same year Kurt Cobain died, and since that’s over a quarter century old, I realize I am fucking old.

As with most (not all) WhiskyNerds bottlings, it immediately sold out and is now only to be found in the secondary market with almost a hundred bucks on top of the initial price.

Let’s just see what’s what and decide whether it’s likely this is Glenfarclas. But keep in mind, my skills at recognizing distilleries is hilariously bad.

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
A warm and bitter old scent, with stewed fruits, baking spices and smoldering embers in a hearth. Some shoe polish, moldy apples, wet corks, dunnage warehouses. Beeswax, honey and a whiff of pine needles.

Sip:
The palate is very gentle, but quite dry. After a few seconds there’s a bit of oaky warmth. There’s stewed orchard fruits with hints of cinnamon. Corks, dunnage warehouses again. Nice and warming, very old fashioned with old oak. Warm apple compote, hints of vanilla.

Swallow:
The finish is a lot more waxy than it was before. Beeswax, candle wax, honey. Very gentle, with some oak, stewed apples again. A little less funky, and a little less ‘old fashioned’.

Well, honestly, this is just great. It’s got great complexity and the combination of the waxiness, with the honey and stewed apples is great. I love the old fashioned scents of a dunnage warehouse with these old, moldy casks and wet soil.

That Glenfarclas question then: It could very well be. I think I’ve had whiskies from there that tastes somewhat like this, but not a lot. There might have been other distilleries that produce stuff that can rise to this level too. So, as always, not a clue.

91/100

Secret Speyside 26yo, 01/1994 – 03/2020, Hogshead, 48.1%, available for € 245 in the secondary market

Thanks to WhiskyNerds for the sample!

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Ben Nevis 1996-2020, 23yo, 47.6% – The Whisky Agency

Posted on 10 August 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The short hiatus of two weeks can mean only a few things. In this case it was all positive: summer holiday!

This also gave me some time to finish some awesome samples and bottles I had sitting on the shelves here, and this Ben Nevis was one of them. How’s that for camping whisky?

The whisky under inspection came out around the same time as the rather awesome one by WhiskyNerds. Upon first inspection this one seemed a little more fruity than the other one, and the WhiskyNerds version was a bit more purist, with a little more focus on the distillate.

Let’s see how it holds up under closer inspection:

Sniff:
Barley, yellow fruit, oak, a minor note of minerals. Slate, granite. Apple, pear, white grape. Coconut and straw. Some twiglike bitterness, and greenery. Tree leaves, grass, heather, moss.

Sip:
Very spirit driven with even a bit of alcohol sweetness. Quite green like on the nose, moss, heather, grapes, apple. Some bitterness too.

Swallow:
The finish continous down the previously chosen path, with lots of spirit based notes. Quite heavy with heather and some hessian.

It’s an immensely complex whisky with lots of flavors happening at the same time. The baseline of the cask bottled by WhiskyNerds is present, with lots of spirit driven notes, mellowed by a lot of time in oak. However, as indicated before, this one is a little more fruity, and that gives it a slight difference to the one bottled by Bram and Floris. I can’t say this one’s better though. Just different.

91/100

Ben Nevis 1996-2020, 23 years old, Hogshead, 47.6%. It sold out instantly, but of course it’s now available through some bottle-flipper for £ 360.

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Teaninich 20, 1999-2019, 49.7% – Michiel Wigman

Posted on 28 July 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This was the first bottling I got that was done by Michiel Wigman. Mr. Springbank, the embodiment of Dutch Whisky Connection, to me at least. To see a Teaninich bottled was something of a surprise, since it’s not a distillery that you see often, and new bottlers tend to go for stuff that’s easily available.

Of course, there’s a bit of street-cred to uphold if you attach your name to it, and it has to sit comfortably in what you’ve been selling as ‘your palate’ for more than a decade.

Anyway, Teaninich. 20 years old. Mostly blending fodder, but occasionally there’s a good single cask. Like this one.

Sniff:
Rather intense on the nose with slightly sweet notes of barley, and brioche. It takes a little while before it starts opening up but there are some green notes of grass and moss. It stays a little meadowy, if that is a thing. Barley, grass, some dirt, a tad dry too.

Sip:
The palate is rather gentle and light. Very consistent with the nose, but with the addition of black pepper. Barley, straw, grass, some oak. Some pear and white grapes. A dry texture, with some coarseness.

Swallow:
The finish is very consistent with the palate. A nice balance between the spirity notes of grass and moss, with the cask influence of light orchard fruits. Not overly long.

This whisky seems to have hit the sweet spot between maturation and spirit. Neither the cask nor the distillate trumps the other, and that is pretty awesome. It’s a very gentle whisky, which I think wouldn’t shine as bright on a festival than it does on its own. But this is a very, very good whisky. Highly recommended

90/100

Teaninich 20 years old, 11/1999 – 12/2019, 49.7%, ‘They Inspired I’ by Michiel Wigman. Available for € 162 through Dutch Whisky Connection.

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De Whiskykoning’s Summer Whisky Tasting, 2020 edition

Posted on 24 July 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Rob Stevens, proprietor of Whiskyslijterij De Koning hosts four seasonally themed tastings each year. As in, there are four themes, but there are way more tastings. He can only fit 11 people in his tasting room, so there’s three tastings per opened bottle, and then there’s always the regular and the slightly more luxurious XL tasting per season.

Spring used to be a Lowlands themed tasting, but with the limited availability in the last few years grain whisky was added to that one. It might change when Annandale and Falkirk and what have you become more readily available.

Autumn is based around the Highlands and Campbeltown. I’m hoping there’s a tasting set available for that one after the summer holidays as well. It is an annual feast of glorious drams, if past results are anything to go by.

Then there’s winter. Obviously that’s an Islay theme. I generally book an entire tasting every year with some friends. Normally that’s a pretty awesome tasting as well, although the diversity within Islay’s releases that are also at least somewhat affordable it getting more and more limited each year.

Then there’s this summer tasting. The one region we’ve not mentioned yet is Speyside. And with its typical style of fruity whiskies, I think it fits the season well. So, when a tasting set became available, contrary to joining the tasting, I got myself a set and was in for a treat.

Glenburgie 21, Gordon & MacPhail, 43%

Sniff:
Barley and honey, and a lot of oak. A hint of matches, some light wood spices. American oak, cinnamon, maybe some apricot jam.

Sip:
Very gentle but with an edge of prickling black pepper. Oak, sawdust, a tad hot with chili pepper. Apricot jam and matchsticks. Cinnamon, some ginger.

Swallow:
The finish continues in the same vein, with a lot of wood driven flavors. I’m getting a hint of vanilla, but it’s tiny.

Lovely, complex and old fashioned. There’s a lot happening here and it shows some really lovely maturity. Spices, wood, some sweet summer fruits. A cracker.

89/100

Craigellachie 2010, 9yo, Red Wine Barrique, Càrn Mòr, 50%

Sniff:
Light, quite crisp, some aniseed, some fruit. Also some minerals, iron, slate, apples. Hints of raspberries, strawberries puree.

Sip:
Slightly hot due to the alcohol. Quite thin on the palate. Peppers, berries and jam, a bit of scone like pastry and dryness.

Swallow:
A short finish that is pretty fruity, red forest fruits, with some old oak.

It’s pretty typical for a wine cask. The fruitiness forces itself on the whisky, but the underlying spirit is young and rather uninteresting. Also typical for a wine cask: I just don’t like it that much.

79/100

Glenallachie 15y, 46%

Sniff:
Very typical of sherry matured whiskies with both some fruity scents and some spices. Rather complex, with a hint of bitterness. Hazulnuts, oranges, yeast paste, clove and oak.

Sip:
The palate is rather robust with orange pith, hazelnuts and lots of oak. Wood spices like clove and cinnamon, with sawdust and marmalade.

Swallow:
The finish is largely the same, full, intense and long.

What stands out most is the lack of sweetness. Normally, modern sherry cask matured whiskies show a lot of sweetness and not a lot of integration between the cask and the spirit. This one does that differently and it’s all the better for it.

87/100


Mortlach 20y, Cowie’s Blue Seal, 43,4%

Sniff:
It starts with immensely dry notes of hessian, oak, dusty barley and grist, sawdust and chaff.

Sip:
The palate is quite light, with hints of coconut and lemon, lots of oak. But also hints of paper and cardboard. Extremely old fashioned.

Swallow:
The finish is a little bit more fruity. However, it’s mostly dry, with cardboard, sawdust and oak.

While this might sound strange, this is awesome. It shows a lot of old fashioned whisky notes that you don’t encounter all that often nowadays. I can imagine that the weird distilling regime has something to do with it.

At the moment of tasting I didn’t know this was the Mortlach, and I wouldn’t have guessed it, since the typical meaty notes that this distillery normally shows aren’t there. However, it’s a cracker!

89/100


Glen Moray 21y, Portwood Finish, 46,3%

Sniff:
This one starts with some hints of marinated beef, barbecued steak with oak. Somehow, eggy. Straw, peach and plums too.

Sip:
The palate is a tad more fierce than I expected, very dry and shows quite some oak. Again there’s beef and charcoal, charred bits of barbecue meat. Slightly bitter notes too.

Swallow:
The finish is quite long, with dried fruits, oak and some raisin like sweetness.

At the time of tasting I guessed this was the Mortlach, for beefy reasons. However, it turns out to be a very weird Glen Moray. I like it quite a bit and it seems it’s the amped up version of the 25 year old Port Wood from several years ago. Having said that, I’m not really getting the port influence all that much. There’s some fruit and sweetness, but that could easily have come from a sherry cask.

87/100


Inchgower 22y, 1997-2020, 59.7%, Signatory

Sniff:
The nose is massive and strong, but very closed. There’s barley and some dried apple with and coconut husk. I’m not getting much else.

Sip:
The palate shows the very high ABV and a lot of notes like apple, barley, apple skins.

Swallow:
The finish is very simple and very straight forward. It doesn’t add anything that wasn’t there before.

Initially I expected to really like this one. I generally like Inchgower and it does have a good age to it. However, I found this one to be very boring and very closed. A whisky that makes you work too hard for it to show its flavors and complexity, if there is any.

80/100

If I keep up the ‘buy a bottle after a tasting’ shtick’, I wouldn’t know which one to pick between the Glenburgie and the Mortlach. I like them both equally with the Glenburgie showing a bit more layers and complexity, while the Mortlach shows more old fashioned flavors that are more of a rarity nowadays. Of course, the Mortlach is much more expensive, which makes the decision for me.

All of these whiskies are available at Whiskyslijterij De Koning:

Posted in Craigellachie, Glen Moray, Glenallachie, Glenburgie, Inchgower, Mortlach | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Secret Speyside 1993-2020, 47.7% – Michiel Wigman

Posted on 22 July 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The fourth (or third, depending on how you look at it) of Michiel Wigman’s own whisky bottlings. Anyway, it was part of the second batch of two whiskies.

Another of these secret distilleries that are so popular currently, with every bottler doing them someway or another. Not that I’m complaining, although in general the ‘the name is not on it so it’s a lot cheaper’ tendency of a few years ago seems to have passed completely.

Anyway, any secret Speyside veers directly in the direction of Glenfarclas, but I’m not sure about that. At least not 100%, since it’s not certain that it’s not either.

Contrary to the bourbon cask used for the Teaninich and the Croftengea, this is from a sherry cask. I had to look it up since I missed the first on with Winston Churchill on the label, but that’s from a sherry cask too. Is it a thing to have ‘secret’ distilleries from sherry casks nowadays?

Image from Dutch Whisky Connection

Sniff:
Pretty fierce for the ABV and the age. Lots of dried fruit, but on the bitter edge. Not a very sweet sherry’d whisky. Almonds, dates with stones, apricots. Some flint and brimstone, even a hint of unripe banana.

Sip:
The palate is slightly dry, and not hot at all. A very gentle dram, with quite a lot of soft wood notes, dried fruit and some nuts. Hazelnuts, some milk chocolate, apricots and dates. The bitterness is still present, and only highlights the lack of sweetness.

Swallow:
A very gentle finish, that lingers quite long with slightly spicy sherry, and hints of dried fruit. Peaches, apricots and raisins.

I love that this is a not-sweet sherry whisky. That would have been the easy choice, but instead there’s added depth because of the lack of that direction. It gives room to gentle notes of fruit, nuts and wood.

In a recent interview Michiel Wigman said that they’re not making whiskies like they used to, but his palate is formed by these drams. As you can very well see at his stand if whisky festival ever become a thing again. This one fits in that register. It’s not one of those modern whiskies with too much sweetness and the wood forced onto it. A great selection!

90/100

Secret Speyside 1993-2020, They Inspired I, by Michiel Wigman, 47.7%. Still available through Dutch Whisky Connection for € 174

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Bruichladdich 16, 2003-2020, 51.7% – Malts of Scotland

Posted on 20 July 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Over the years I have developed a soft spot for Bruichladdich. Especially ‘normal’ Bruichladdich.

Normal Bruichladdich without the heaps of peat from Octomore and, to a lesser extent, Port Charlotte.

Normal Bruichladdich without the exponential amount of weird casks used over the years. Normal bourbon and sherry casks that show the spirit as well as the maturation.

Then, when a sixteen year old version is released by respectable bottler ‘Malts of Scotland’, my interest peaked a little bit. Especially since it ‘only’ cost € 90.

I was planning on buying a bottle when we had to buy a new car, months ahead of schedule, a new washing machine out of the blue, and there were some other setbacks. So the bottle was never bought. Luckily, RvB bought one and was willing to sell me a sample. Good times!

What I also like is that this has a rather timid amount of alcohol for a not-so-old bourbon cask. It’s rather close to the (to me) ideal 50%, actually.

Image by Van Zuylen

Sniff:
It starts off slightly floral, with even a whiff of soap. That’s a tad scary, but it shifts quickly into lots of malt. Barley is the name of the game. There’s some coastal salinity, oak and earthy charcoal. Wet blue clay too.

Sip:
The palate is a bit more hot than I expected. It’s dry as well, and dusty. Quite some wood and sawdust, with again the wet clay. Straw, charcoal and earthy.

Swallow:
The finish carries on the malt driven focus of the nose and palate, with the very earthy style this whisky displays.

I was a bit scared with the hint of soap on the nose, but that evaporated very quickly. The rest is a very malt driven distillate, which is not too surprising if you know they’re also doing Islay Barley and Bere Barley releases.

The fact that it was aged properly, and then that it’s available at a very decent price makes me a happy camper!

88/100

Bruichladdich 16, 2003-2020, Bourbon Barrel MoS 20014, 51.7%, Malts of Scotland. Available for € 90 at Van Zuylen

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Tobermory 25 1994-2020, Refill Sherry Butt, 50.9% – Kintra Whisky / Whisky Mercenary

Posted on 18 July 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It’s been a while since either The Whisky Mercenary or Kintra Whisky (respectively from Belgium and The Netherlands) bottled a cask of whisky. Now they show up with a 25 year old Tobermory, which they split.

Nowadays a pretty rare thing to have a bottling from Tobermory without it being a Ledaig, so this is not one of these heavily peated dram that have proven popular lately.

Officially this is from a refill sherry butt, but I would have believed it if it was from a bourbon cask. The wood influences are very timid and give much room to the spirit to properly shine, without this being just about dried fruits and baking spices.

Tasting notes then!

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Coastal and earthy, with some straw and oak and grass. Some salinity, maritime as the cool kids call it. Mossy creeks, with quite some green oak.

Sip:
It has some bite from the alcohol at first, but in general it is rather mellow. Some dried lemon, with straw, dirt. It’s quite coastal again, with hints of brine and sand. Some fresh oak, sawdust. Dried orange, with hints of clove.

Swallow:
The finish is warming and woody. Quite mature, without being tired. Straw, brine, sand, dirt, wood. Dried apple towards the end.

Strangely, there’s virtually no spiciness, and I’m not getting many fruity notes either. Despite that, it’s a very lovely dram. It has some significant maturity and character. Unfortunately, I have not tried many non-Ledaig Tobermories lately, and therefore it’s hard to compare it to others. However, I do really like this one.

Also available in Belgium

As said, I would have believed it if I was told this was from a bourbon cask. The ‘refill’ bit is surely true. There isn’t much sherry left, I reckon. Another added benefit is that this is available for ‘a mere’ € 130 (an upwards), which is a steal for a 25 year old single cask whisky nowadays!

I’m considering buying this, because I plan to visit the Isle of Mull next year, and I like to be prepared and drink on-theme.

88/100

Tobermory 1994-2020, 25yo, Refill Sherry Butt 5013, 50.9%

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De Whiskykoning’s American Whiskey Tasting, 2020 edition

Posted on 17 July 2020 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Every year there are lots of thematic tastings at Whiskyslijterij De Koning. I always try to participate in some, but it’s a logistical nightmare to get back home later at night. Sometimes the trip back takes three hours with lots of waits at train stations. Not something to look forward to, to be honest.

Now, with this entire COVID-19 stuff happening, these tastings have moved online, with some Youtube introductions and sample sets for peaceful tasting at home. With this, I decided to catch up a little bit, since I had to cancel some tastings there over the last year for various reasons.

The American Whiskey Tasting was the first online tasting, and the Summer Whisky Tasting (Speyside themed) is the second. A review for that second tasting will follow shortly.

But, American Whiskey. Interesting to see if I am truly ‘bourboned out’. For some reason I didn’t feel the urge to try any American whiskeys over the last couple of years. I had some samples I went through, but I think I had some rather boring samples, since all were pretty middle of road bourbons. Nothing better to test the assumptions of no longer caring than trying again. So I did. Here’s the results.

Woodford Reserve Straight Wheat Whiskey, 45.2%

Sniff:
Spicy and fresh on the nose, with some woody and minty notes. Some minerals and corn, and gets warmer after a few seconds. It never gets overly sweet, as some American whiskeys do.

Sip:
It tastes rather young with quite a grain forward spirity palate. There’s spiciness, with some Granny Smith apples. Quite dry with woody and peppery notes too. Dried mint leaves, some other herbs.

Swallow:
The finish shows even more spiciness and wood flavors. It’s suddenly rather cask driven, but not in a bothering way. It’s what you expect from when new make spirit hits the fresh oak. Dry and spicy, with some lovely flavors of black pepper, mint, other wood spices and dry corn kernels.

Rather complex and something quite different than I was expecting. Much more spicy without the pepper character of rye. Good stuff!

86/100

Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 42%

Sniff:
Popcorn and candyfloss. Rather sweet, but still quite light. Some youthful sharpness, with hints of slate and hazelnuts. Nutella, with corn syrup.

Sip:
The palate is surprisingly dry, with oak and dry baking spices. Some clove and nutmeg. Cocoa, hazelnuts, corky in texture. A minor hint of warmth from some chili peppers. After a while I start getting hints of orange juice.

Swallow:
The finish has some more orange, but also the pithy notes of orange peel. Oak, sawdust and nuts. There’s sweetness, but it’s not very powerful.

Strangely, this is getting boring very quickly. It’s interesting that it’s labeled as a bourbon instead of a Tennessee whiskey.

80/100

Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon, 10yo, 46%

Sniff:
This has a lot of weird fumes. I’m getting diesel and paint, and lead. Backed up by some vanilla and corn, but very weird. Very funky.

Sip:
The palate is very dry, with lots of sawdust and cork. Quite sweet with a lot of corn syrup. The funkiness is pushed back a little bit, because of the dryness. Some heat after a while. Almost like shammy leather.

Swallow:
The finish is a continuation of the palate. Some funk, but mostly heat and corn and syrup.

I like the weirdness for a bit, but wouldn’t want a bottle of this. When the weirdness passes there is not much left that’s interesting.

78/100

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey, 55%

Sniff:
Dry, with bitter notes of husks and some nuttiness. Autumn leaves, cigars, some menthol too.

Sip:
It’s very hot on the palate. Massive chili peppers. Some corn sweetness, again very autumnal. Lots of oak, nuts, leaves, baking spices.

Swallow:
The finish is a tad more classical bourbon, albeit not sweet at all. Complex, with lots of different flavors, some bitterness.

Now we’re talking! This one packs a punch, and not just because of the high ABV. There’s a lot of flavors going on, and a lot of complexity because of it. I may have ordered a bottle of this!

88/100

I.W. Harper 15yo Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Sniff:
Lots of oak, with some charcoal. Quite closed on the nose. Some vegetables, quite a green scent. Corn, but not overly sweet due to the high age.

Sip:
The bitterness is quite strong on this one. It adds a certain sharpness. There’s berries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries. Oak, corn, pepper.

Swallow:
Gentle and warming, lots of oak, some bitterness and some leafy herbs.

A bit too wooded, in my opinion. I find that this is a common problem for old(er) bourbons. The wood gets so much time to thwart the whiskey that the original character doesn’t really stand out anymore. So, while this is certainly a tasty bourbon, it is a bit generic.

85/100

James E. Pepper Straight Rye Barrel Proof 57.3%

Sniff:
Light and minty with lots of spices. Shoe polish and rye bread. Quite some oak too. Licorice, schoolkrijt (A Dutch licorice with aniseed and peppermint).

Sip:
Insanely dry and very hot. Dry spices, rye, oak, straw. Lots of mint, menthol, dusty. Grapefruit.

Swallow:
The finish has minty grapefruit flavor too. Some bread and spices, with lots of grains.

Very good, especially towards the finish. This one is a very tasty whiskey again. Might I prefer rye to the sweeter bourbon?

86/100

So, I rediscovered that I really do enjoy these different whiskeys. As it turns out, I find the older bourbons a bit too generic with the wood taking over and leaving a fairly common base of flavors from the spirit. This I do not find interesting.

Luckily, there still is a lot to discover on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I do fear for some of the gimmicky younger stuff that is just too weird and maybe too far diverged from ‘whiskey’.

My favorite, by some distance, is the Pikesville Rye. That is an absolute cracker! Highly recommended!

All of these whiskeys are available at Whiskyslijterij De Koning:

Posted in - American Whiskey, - Bourbon, - Rye Whiskey, - Wheat Whiskey, Heaven's Door, I. W. Harper, James E. Pepper, Pikesville, Woodford Reserve, Yellow Rose | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments