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“Because you can't buy happiness... but you can buy whisky and that's pretty much the same thing”

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Stories from December, 2010

Knappogue Castle 1994 Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Knappogue Castle
80
Knappogue Castle 1994
There’s a new Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey hitting the shelves. This one is a 1994 vintage and it’s limited to 1,000 individually numbered, hand-signed bottles.
TODO: Check if strength is 40% or 48%

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (80): inexistent. light, sweet barley, mango, banana, some vanilla, a bit sherry. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (84): . hot, sweet for a second and then dry, wood, vanilla, grass and dry again. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (76): no finish. floral and vanilla, a little sweet and some wood. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Knappogue Castle 1994 with 80 points over 100.

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Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Cooley
89
Tyrconnell Irish Whiskey
The Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish whiskey is characterised by its elegant and balanced taste profile.

It retains the smooth, sweet taste normally associated with Irish whiskey but with its own distinctive character. The result is Tyrconnell's beautiful fresh, malty, fruity bouquet, smooth sweet taste and delicate dry finish.

One of the most celebrated Irish whiskeys ever produced winning a gold medal at the Great Taste Awards in 2009 , gold medal & best in class at the IWSC 2009.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. grain, malt, fruit: grapes, some sherry. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (92): . sweet, honey, wood, vanilla, something toasted, hot. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. grapes, sweet, spices: pepper. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Tyrconnell Irish Whiskey with 89 points over 100.

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Locke's 8 year old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Cooley
84
Locke's 8 year
An 8 year old single malt whiskey from the Cooley distillery. Locke's is a very malty Irish blend.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (80): inexistent. barley, fruit, peach and cherries, a little honey, peat. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (88): . sweet, wood, honey, fruit: peach, mango, tropical fruits and barley. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (84): no finish. honey, vanilla and barley. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Locke's 8 year with 84 points over 100.

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Bushmills Malt 10 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Old Bushmills
79
Bushmills Malt 10 year
A product of the world's oldest licensed distillery. Bushmills single malt Irish Whiskey is the original single malt whiskey from Ireland. With an intriguing aroma and well-balanced flavour, Bushmills Malt is a delightfully delicate malt and uncomplicated whiskey crafted from 100% malted barley. Its style is mellow and light, and a time tested drying process assures that the taste of the malt shines through.

All the malt used in the mash is dried in closed kilns devoid of peat, preventing it from absorbing the fire's smokiness while retaining the malt's distinctive, authentic character and exceptionally clean taste. Bushmills Malt has a sweet spicy aroma with overtones of Oloroso sherry, vanilla and honey.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (76): inexistent. many corn, grain, a little sweetness, grass, pineapple, raisins. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (76): . sweet, honey, wood. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (84): no finish. some wood and honey. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Bushmills Malt 10 year with 79 points over 100.

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Jameson 12 years old Special Reserve Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Jameson
83
Jameson 12 year Special Reserve
Jameson 12 Year Old Special Reserve, with its robust full bodied flavour, is a warm welcoming handshake into the Reserves whiskey family. Originally known as '1780' after the year of foundation of the Jameson distillery in Dublin's Bow Street, it was renamed in 2002 to reflect its minimum 12 years of maturing in bourbon and most delectably in oloroso sherry casks.

With its infusion of pot still with sherry casks, these brush strokes of distilling artistry make it the best known and most popular aged Jameson Reserve for any discerning palate.

Jameson 12 Year Old Special Reserve is a whiskey of great character with complex flavours of toasted wood, spice and sherry that are superbly mellowed. Its exquisite taste celebrates the enduring heritage of great Jameson whiskeys which began in 1780.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (80): inexistent. grain, barley, fruit, grapes. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (84): . sweet, wood, grapes, honey and vanilla. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (84): no finish. vanilla and honey. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Jameson 12 year Special Reserve with 83 points over 100.

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Tullamore Dew Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Tullamore Dew
73
Tullamore Dew Blend
Tullamore Dew is the original blend known the world over for its smooth and gentle flavour. This mild blended whiskey has spicy, lemony and malty notes with charred wood undertones giving a soft, buttery, rounded flavour that lingers in the mouth.

Tullamore Dew is also widely acclaimed by whiskey connoisseurs; in 2005, it won a much-prized trophy at the International Spirits Challenge, the highest accolade in the drinks industry. The trophy was one of only four awarded to over 700 drinks products entered by companies all over the world.
TODO: Check if size is 70cl or 100cl
TODO: Check if strength is 40% or 43%

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (68): inexistent. alcohol, vanilla, cherries and honey. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (76): . light. grain, sweet, honey. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (76): no finish. grain and honey. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Tullamore Dew Blend with 73 points over 100.

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Bushmills Black Bush Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Old Bushmills
77
Bushmills Black Bush
Black Bush Special Irish Whiskey is a rich, dark, 80-proof blend from the world's oldest licensed distillery, "Old Bushmills" distillery in County Antrim, Ireland.
It is comprised almost entirely of single malt whiskey, making it a choice selection of deluxe whiskey aficionados.

Malt whiskey that becomes Black Bush is aged up to eleven years in selection sherry-seasoned oak casks before being blended with a small portion of a special single grain whiskey to enhance the independant, non-conformist character of the malt. The malt used in the mash derives its clean taste from the deliberate absence of peat used in the malted barley drying process.

All of the Irish whiskey distilleries kiln-dry their malt in a heat-fired, not peat-fired, oven. This drying process lets the clean, clear taste of the malt and barley shine through. The combination is then returned to the cask for "marrying." As the whiskeys mellow together, the uniquely rounded bouquet, rich amber hue and distinctive taste of Black Bush is born.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (68): inexistent. grain, sweet, somegrain, fruity, apple. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (88): . grain and vanilla. it is not a sweet whiskey. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (76): no finish. grain. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Bushmills Black Bush with 77 points over 100.

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Jameson Irish whiskey Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Jameson
77
Jameson
Jameson is carefully distilled 3 times from the finest barley and crystal clear water and matured for long years in oak casks to produce an exceptionally smooth whiskey.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (72): inexistent. barley, malt sweetness, vanilla, alcohol, fruity. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (84): . vanilla, honey, grain. it is moderately hot. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (76): no finish. honey and barley, sweet. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Jameson with 77 points over 100.

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Ireland: Home of Whiskey

By Miguel in Featured

Irish countryside

Irish whiskey is the whisky made in Ireland. The land where whisky production started is now recovering of a long journey in the dark. And they are here to stay. Big distillers like Jameson and Bushmills release from time to time little jewels and Cooley, although a young distillery, has won many awards and trophies so far.

Introducing Water of life

Coast of IrelandThe name is an anglicisation of the ancient gaelic term uisce beatha that literally means water of life. It is believed to be one of the first distillate drinks made in Europe dating to mid 12th century. The art of distilling was introduced into Europe by missionary irish monks who probably learn it from arabs that used it to create medicines and parfums

Oldest license to distil whisky

Old Bushmills claims to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world since graining a license from James I in 1608, although whisky production didn’t started until late 18th century. In fact, it was Sir Thomas Philips the governor in Ulster who got the monopoly to make whisky from James I and from here Bushmills draw its founding. ( Thanks to Anders Gjörling for the correction )

How Irish whisky is done

Old Bushmills Distillery
All irish whiskey is distilled three times, peat is rarely used on the malting process and usually has a high proportion of unmalted barley. These facts makes irish whiskey lighter, smoother and more grainy than Scotch. Irish whiskey is distilled through column stills and pot stills. Although it is still possible to find some pure pot stills whiskeys.

Existing distilleries

Ireland has now only four distilleries, of the almost thousands of stills that there were at late 19th century.
Each distillery provides a good amount of different whiskeys profiles:
Midleton distillery

New Midleton distillery

Mammoth Irish Distillers Company, IDC, distillery at Cork.
Produces Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Midleton, Redbreast, Greenspot and other whiskies.

Old Bushmills Distillery

Produces Bushmills whisky.

Cooley

Produces Connemara, only irish peated whisky, Kilbeggan, Michael Collins, Tyrconnell

Independent brands

There are also many brands like: Tullamore Dew, The irishman, Knappogue Castle, etc.

Historical evolution of Irish whiskey

Good old Jameson with ice
Irish pot stills are bigger than scottish ones and they put more emphasis on the process and the casks than in the skills of the Master Blender.

Illegal distilling

The imposition of an excise tax in 1661 had the same effect as it did in Scotland, with the immediate production of poteen, an irish kind of newmake. The excise tax didn’t slow down the growth of the industry and by the end of the 18th century there were two thousands stills in operation in Ireland.

Under British rule, Ireland whiskey production was export oriented and it outsold scotch whisky in most markets because of its lighter body. Over four hundred brands of Irish whiskey were sold in the USA in the late 19th century.

Fall down

The fall down of the Irish distilling industry can be explained by several facts.

Blended whisky

Ireland distillers were slow to respond to the rise of blended scotch whisky that was a lot of lighter than single malts, targeting the same market that irish whiskey were ruling then.

Prohibition in USA

The Prohibition Era in the USA hurt exports tremendously and most of the small distillers had to close its doors. The others were not ready to anticipate the Repeal and were caught short of supplies, making easy for blended scotch to take their markets.

Great depression

Great depression, trade embargoes between newly independent Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the WWII caused further havoc among the remaining distillers.

Big unification

In 1966 three remaining distilling companies – Powers, Jameson and Cork – merged into a single company, Irish Distillers Company. Just six years later Bushmills joined IDC and all the distilleries of the island was under a single company hands.

Three years later, in 1975, following the great rules of the market, to reduce costs and improve efficiency, a new mammoth distillery was built at Midleton, in Cork and all the production of irish whiskey was transfered there.

Fortunately, in 1989, Cooley Distillery started producing malt and grain whiskey ( and of a great quality by the way ) breaking the monopoly of whiskey production in Ireland.

Irish whisky frommy collection

Here are some bottles from my collection of Irish whisky. Some of them has tasting notes.

Jameson


Cooley


Old Bushmills distillery


Tullamore Dew



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December order ( 2 of 4 )

By Miguel in Orders

Hoo! Hoo! Hooo! I am a step nearer to leave the world empty of whisky. A good order from The Whisky Exchange arrived today.

December order 2 of 4

This order is mainly composed of whisky from everywhere but Scotland :)

It is still to come, three special bottles more and a full box of miniatures from Master of Malt Drinks by the Dram range. I hope they are not under a ton of snow right now :)


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Easy way of tasting whisky: Learn fragances, aromas

By Miguel in News , Featured

Whisky is a drink with a very powerful flavor and nose. Lots of fragances and aromas can be found in it. Learn what to expect.

Like wine, nosing is a big part of drinking whisky. The nose tells us about what is about to come before we drink the whisky and it is together with the taste and the finish of the whisky what distinguish a good whisky of a great one.

Nosing whisky can be a bit hard at the beginning until you get used to the alcohol in the nose. At first it will burn you and make your eyes tear, but on the end you will find one of the most rewarding experiences.

But, where do these aromas came from?

Fermentation

Glenfiddich Washback label
The type of barley, the kind of malt, the yeast used, how much the whisky ferment, at which temperature. All of it will give a different character to the beer.

Distillation

Stills
The type and shape of the stills is considered of vital importance of the final aromas and flavor of the whisky.
Pot stills usually impart more flavor than column stills. And between pot stills, the taller one create lighter spirits while the shortest ones create a more dense new make.

Maturation

Mortlach Barrel Sherry Oak Cask
Finally, the way the whisky matures impart a great amount of flavor to the whisky.
The type of wood used in the barrel: american, spanish, french, japanese oaks.
The size of the barrels, the bigger the slower the maturation and so the less flavor impart the wood to the whisky.
The temperature and humidity of the warehouses, extreme climates mature the whisky faster than softer ones. Additionally, the hotter the place the faster the whisky evaporate from the casks, this is known as angel’s share. While in Scotland it is around 2%-3% of the total of the cask, in Spain it lose 3% annually and Amrut has created its oldest whisky, Amrut Double Cask, at seven years old when the cask had already lost 60% of its content!.

Types of fragances and aromas

So, what kind of aromas can be found?

Nosing skills are placed in the right hemisphere of our brain, while talking is on the left one. Nosing is so a creative process, everyone can nose, all of you, unless you have a medical problem can nose. If you think about it you will find that you can nose but it is really hard to say what you are nosing, you can even remember an aroma but it is impossible to explain it with words. Don’t panic! We are done that way, it is a feature, you need to workaround it.

I classify aromas in blocks to help me find what I am nosing:

Sweet aromas

It is usually the first thing you will nose on a whisky.
Think of sweet:
- Honey
- Candies
- Toffee
- Sugar

Smell and think what it remind you more of?

Spices

There are many kind of spices but you won’t usually find curry on Whisky!.
Some of the things easier to find are:
- Vanilla
- Sherry wine
- Nuts, almonds, walnut, chestnut
- Cocoa, chocolate
- Liquorice
- Salt, sea
- Ginger
- Hickory
- Mint
- Tea
- Cloves
- Juniper
- Coffee
- Pepper

Wood

On whiskies, usually the older they are the more woody flavor they have.

Peat

Peat a dead vegetation that died covered in mud. Not very romantic, not fuel-efficient but seems that there is a lot of it in Scotland. If a whisky is peated you will smell that for sure. It is a profile that not most of the people enjoy on the other hand.
- Smoke
- Bacon
- Toast
- Iodine
- Seaweed

Malt

On whisky it is easy to find aromas of what it one was; beer.
- Barley
- Biscuits
- Bread
- Corn

Fruity and floral

Fruits are usually sweet, so keep thinking, sweet like what?
- Cherry
- Raisin
- Citrus, lemon, lime, orange
- Banana
- Figs
- Apple
- Pears
- Apricot
- Flowers

Conclusion

As you see there are many things that are not hard to find at whisky.
But the most important thing that you have to know when you nose whisky is to have fun. Just try to find things and don’t get obsessed by what others says. Most of times, you will coincide on the basic profiles.


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Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Cooley
88
Connemara
Connemara produce a peated Irish single malt, named for the area in Ireland.

Distilled at Cooley distillery in Cork, Ireland. The last of the independent irish distilleries before it was bought by Beam Global.

Connemara is a peated whisky, not in the style of Islay peat monsters but more like the Japanese Hakushu. Smoky and slightly peated with an awesome amount of fruits. It won't disappoint you.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. sweet, fruity, spicy, peat, citrus, tropical fruits: mango, chocolate. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (88): . sweet malt, wood, grain and cereals, a bit vanilla. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. fruity, mango, wood. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Connemara with 88 points over 100.

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Laphroaig 10 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Laphroaig
92
Laphroaig 10 year
Laphroaig 10 Year Old is an all-malt Scotch Whisky from the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland. Laphroaig, pronounced "La-froyg", is a Gaelic word meaning "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay".

In making Laphroaig, malted barley is dried over a peat fire. The smoke from this peat, found only on Islay, gives Laphroaig its particularly rich flavour.

Laphroaig is the best selling Islay single malt in the world and not without reason! Great whisky.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. peat, iodine, salt, a little sweetness malt. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . sweet, many peat, barley, some peat. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (92): no finish. many peat and sea. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Laphroaig 10 year with 92 points over 100.

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December order ( 1 of 4 )

By Miguel in Orders

Order December Master of Malt

Busy month!. I am “throwing the house out of the window” spending beyond usual, but what the hell! It is Christmas. That and the fact that UK is increasing their VAT from 17.5% to 20% on Jan, 1 and I think there is something about increasing alcohol taxes too.

So this order, is from Master of Malt, with some bottles that I wanted and lots of samples.

The full size bottles are:

And the samples:

  • Aberlour a’Bunadh Batch 29 3cl Sample
  • Ballantines 17 Year Old 3cl Sample
  • Bruichladdich 17 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Sherry 3cl Sample
  • Cambus 18 Year Old 1991 – Cask Strength Collection (Signatory) 3cl Sample
  • Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Rich Oak 3cl Sample
  • Miyagikyou 12 Year Old 3cl Sample
  • North British 1997 12 Year Old (Signatory) 3cl Sample
  • Sazerac Straight Rye 3cl Sample
  • The Macallan 18 Year Old 3cl Sample
  • Yoichi 10 Year Old 3cl Sample
  • Yoichi 12 Year Old 3cl Sample
  • Yoichi 15 Year Old 3cl Sample

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DYC: Spanish oldest whisky distillery

By Miguel in Featured , DYC

Destilerias Y Crianza del Whisky is the result of a man’s determination: Nicomedes Garcia, to create a whisky with the highest standards of the scotch whisky but with a reasonable price. Fifty years later, DYC is the best selling whisky in Spain and they are entering the market of the single malts.

distillery dyc

Humble origins

DYC stands for Destilerias y Crianza del Whisky ( distilling and maturation of whisky ) and it is an enterprise created in 1958 by Nicomedes Garcia Gomez. He started working on his father’s humble distillery of liquours at Valverde del Majano in Segovia, creating in 1919, with just only 18 years, Anis Castellana.

Nicomedes was a bussinessman and started all kind of things like a bus company, a marketing agency, a ships company. But he started making whisky just by bad luck.

A bad luck strike

In 1929 a batch of Mahou beer was rejected by a client because it was faulty. So instead of dropping the beer, he distilled it and stored in oak butts. After three years he gave a try to the potion and he realized that it wasn’t that bad at all, so he spent all the war drinking that whisky and started up the interest in distilling whisky.

Inspiration

Pot stills at DYC
In 1955, after being travelling around Scotland he talked with some friends and they founded a whisky destillery at Palazuelos de Eresma on the place where the old Marques del Arco’s mill was standing. The place was choosen for the great quality of the water supply from the river Eresma, the good climate for whisky maturation so near the sierra de Gredos and the near supply of good quality barley from the fields of Castilla.

Success

The first distillation started in February of 1959 after having fought to change the law that forbid distillation of malt in Spain. It wasn’t till 1963 when the firsts bottles were made available to consumers.

The DYC distillery includes the distilling factory, a bottling plant and a warehouse for maturation.

DYC began to grow exponentially and by 1987 its sales stock up to 40 million € and owned the 46% of the spanish market. DYC even bought a scottish distillery, Lochside, to secure an extra supply of whisky to create their blends.

In 1989 DYC was sold to Pedro Domecq group and at a later time sold again to Beam Global.

The process

bodegas dyc
DYC uses a double distillation process similar to scotch whisky. The mash is distilled in pot stills made with the same techniques than scottish ones.

For the grain distillation, that is done in Valverde del Majano, DYC uses a column still. The grain is mainly corn.

Later whisky is usually matured in american oak barrels of 190 litres that contained bourbon before. The angel’s share is around 3%.

Malt whisky is later blended with grain whisky prior to bottling. Bottling is also done at Valverde del Majano on the distillery plant.

DYC has now two plants in Segovia, with around 100 workers and produce annually around 2.3 million litres.

DYC whisky bottles



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Arran 12 years old Single Cask Master of Malt Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Arran

“ A whisky to taste at least once in your life. A masterpiece from Arran choosen by the chaps at Master of Malt. Thanks a lot.”

95
Arran 12 years old Single Cask Master of Malt
From Master of Malt's Single Cask Series, a single cask natural cask strength Array whisky.

A Briny, Citrussy Malt - absolutely delicious.
This is a truly enveloping whisky from the Isle of Arran.

Perhaps one of the best Arran whiskies I have ever tasted.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (96): inexistent. fruity, strawberries, honey, wood. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . hot on the mouth, fruits, barley, wood, vanilla, honey, sweet. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (92): no finish. some honey, vanilla and barley sweetness. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Arran 12 years old Single Cask Master of Malt with 95 points over 100.

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Kilbeggan Finest Irish Whiskey Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Cooley

“Nice light irish whiskey with lots of floral notes.”

82
Kilbeggan
Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey first appeared as a John Locke's brand over 100 years ago and was sold successfully until Locke's distillery ceased production in the 1950's.

Locke's distillery is the oldest continuously licensed whiskey distillery in the world dating back to 1757.

This whiskey is now distilled by Cooley who recently released a version of this whiskey distilled at the Kilbeggan distillery.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (79): average. honey, vanilla, floral, mint, toffee.

Palate (85): light, smooth. honey, malt, wood, pears, spices, floral.

Finish (83): average. peat, floral, honey, spices.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Kilbeggan with 82 points over 100.

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Power's Irish Whiskey Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Power
67
Power's Gold Label
This blend was introduced in 1791 by John Power & Sons, originally a pure pot still whiskey, now a triple distilled blend of malt and grain whiskeys.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (56): inexistent. alcohol, sweet, vanilla and barley.. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (72): . vanilla, a little sweetness, grain and barley.. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (72): no finish. hot, but short. woody. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Power's Gold Label with 67 points over 100.

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Paddy Old Irish Whiskey Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Cork
76
Paddy
Paddy Old Irish Whiskey has been produced since 1779 by the Cork Distillers Company, Paddy owes its name to a well known company salesman, Paddy Flaherty, who spread the reputation of this remarkable whiskey well beyond the coasts of Ireland. The triple distillation process of this particularly smooth whiskey uses only the finest barley and the purest water from Ireland's lush countryside. Long years spent maturing in Oak Casks gives Paddy its final incomparable flavour. Enjoy it straight, on the rocks or with a mixer.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (60): inexistent. alcohol, vanilla, sweetness, a little grain. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (88): . sweet, vanilla, grain like in bourbon.. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (80): no finish. vanilla, nuts and wood. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Paddy with 76 points over 100.

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Port Ellen 6th Release of Islay Collection Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Port Ellen
95
Port Ellen 6th release 27 year
The six release of this awesome Islay single malt whisky, Port Ellen.

Bottled as a 27 year old and at cask strength, this Port Ellen is one of the last whiskies form this rare and defunct Islay distillery. Aged in American Oak and European Oak refill casks filled in 1978. Limited to 4560 bottles.

If you like peated whiskies this is something you must try, despite its price.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (92): inexistent. sweet, fruits, peat. really hot. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . hot, salt, peat, wood, sweet malt, cake and berries. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (96): no finish. long, peat and cake, sweetness. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Port Ellen 6th release 27 year with 95 points over 100.

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Lagavulin 16 years old of Islay Collection Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Lagavulin

“ It is a great whisky. A whisky that make other whisky taste less like whisky: peat, sweet, aromatic, enigmatic. The Rolls Roice of whisky but just for under 50€. Just don’t add water to it or you will regret.”

95
Lagavulin 16 year
Full amber in color with adominant sherry nose. Full-bodied yet smooth. The dryness is offset by the sweetness of the sherry character. Salty notes and a huge powerful peaty finish.

Lagavulin 16 years old is perhaps the best daily dram single malt whisky out there. You will not find anything so good for that price, as long as you like peat in your whisky.

A connoisseur's malt, and with consistently high marks from Michael Jackson.

If you have the chance, try the 12 years old expression that has been aged exclusively in bourbon barrels. Simply delicious.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (96): inexistent. sweet peat, floral, vanilla, cherries and berries, oak. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (96): . sweet, oak, peat. hot, oily, complex. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (92): no finish. long, peat and sweet. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Lagavulin 16 year with 95 points over 100.

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Lagavulin 12 years old Special Release of Islay Collection Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Lagavulin
89
Lagavulin 12 year Special Reserve
This 12 year old natural cask-strength Lagavulin comes from a whitewashed jumble of buildings by the sea on Islay's rocky southern shore, just a mile away from Laphroaig

It's pungent smoky and maritime aromas and taste are best appreciated with two parts still water to one part whisky. Any cloudiness is normal in an unfiltered cask strength malt.

If you want to know how Lagavulin tastes without any sherry, this is your answer. Simple pure peat muscle. I love it!

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (92): inexistent. fruity, sweet, malt, floral, peat. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (88): . hot! sweet, oak, fruity, peat. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. looong, peat and wood and somesweet. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Lagavulin 12 year Special Reserve with 89 points over 100.

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Caol Ila 18 years old of Islay Collection Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Caol Ila
83
Caol Ila 18 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Extra ageing has calmed the impact of the phenols, with the peat arriving on the palate late, and tempered by smooth oak. A very mellow, mature Islay malt.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (84): inexistent. fruity, melon, a little peat, malt sweetness,a bit wood and salt. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (80): . sweet and fruity, pears. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (84): no finish. long, peaty and hot. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Caol Ila 18 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky with 83 points over 100.

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Caol Ila 12 years old of Islay Collection Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Caol Ila
88
Caol Ila 12 year
Caol Ila lacks as single malt of the exposure and praise it has as a tool for whisky blenders.

It is a medium weight, but still packing plenty of potent phenols, this is a refined, powerful dram with a compensating oiliness. A balanced, peaty beauty.

If you like Caol Ila you should try Ardbeg Uigeidail.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (92): inexistent. sweet, honey, vanilla, peat, floral, citrus, salt, iodine, peat. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (88): . sweet and peaty, salty. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (84): no finish. peat , vanilla, sweet. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Caol Ila 12 year with 88 points over 100.

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