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“Like chewing an Habano cigar! Powerfully intense whisky from Craganmore distillery”
90
A full-strength Cragganmore 1997 bottled in 2009 from a single sherry cask by Diageo for their Manager's Choice series.
A marvelous cask strength Speyside whisky but Diageo clearly missed the goal when the marketing deparment set the price for the Managers' Choice range.
Awfully expensive.
This dram has a gold-like color.
Nose (90): more than average.
honey, floral, fruits, spices, apples, plums, vanilla.
Palate (91): smooth, powerful, oily.
honey, spices, floral, some tobacco, vanilla, wood.
Very intense with lots of tobacco leaves taste.
Finish (90): longer than average.
honey, tobacco, vanilla.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Cragganmore 1997 Managers Choice with 90 points over 100.
A secret recipe cocktail created by the genius minds at Master of Malt.
This cocktail was created in occasion of this Leap year and Master of Malt organized a contest for guessing with five ingredients are used in the recipe.
The winner will be also entitled to name the cocktail when it is released to the public.
Awesome drink.
This dram has a amber-like color.
Nose (88): average.
gin, honey, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom.
Very nice nose.
Palate (90): smooth, oily.
honey, ginger, cinnamon, gin, rosemary, red hot peppers, wood.
Finish (89): longer than average.
ginger, honey, floral.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Secret Leap Year Cocktail with 89 points over 100.
“Nice overwhelming Oloroso whisky. The first sherry monster I am really scared of”
89
The Glendronach “Parliament” both complements Glendronach core range and continues the great GlenDronach tradition of offering fruit-laden intensity in its single malts.
This Speyside whisky matured in a combination of the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.
This is a stunning single malt whisky from this Speyside distillery with a massive sherry flavor. Only for sherry-heads.
This dram has a old oak-like color.
Nose (89): more than average.
floral, citrus, nuts, leather, wood.
Master of Malt has given me the chance of tasting the oldest Glenfarclas whisky to date, an outstanding 58 years old single cask cask strength single malt whisky choosen by an elitist tasting panel: Serge Valentin, key member of the internationally renowned Malt Maniacs, Master of Malt’s Sales Director Ben, Michal Kowalski of investment company Wealth Solutions and George Grant, of Glenfarclas.
The cask is a Spanish sherry cask filled on 20 November 1953. The angels have been greedy – after 58 years of slow maturation in Glenfarclas’ traditional Highland Dunnage warehouses, the 1953 cask yielded just 400 bottles, that’s around 280 litres of a cask of between 500 to 600 litres, so around half the cask has been lost to the angels. :)
How old is it? This whisky was distilled in 1953. For me the date is unfathomable.
My parents wasn’t even born in 1953.
My country was just starting to recover from a civil war that set it to ruins and the whole world was healing from the 2nd World War. And the grandfather of George Grant was distilling this whisky as his father and his grandfather before him had done for years in a small distillery on the North of Scotland.
I have to say I have been waiting for days to taste this one. And today, my first holiday day is the chosen date!
“Maybe the best Glenfarclas I have had? An awesome single malt whisky as every Glenfarclas whiskies are.”
93
The oldest released Glenfarclas single malt whisky bottled to date.
This stunning single malt has been chosen by a panel of experts, between whom you can find Serge Valentin and George Grant, from the oldest casks that distillery had available by Wealth Solutions in collaboration with Master of Malt.
Only 400 bottles at cask strength has result after 58 years of ageing in a Spanish sherry oak cask.
This dram has a tawny-like color.
Nose (93): more than average.
candies, eucalyptus, wood, spices, candies, flowers, cinnamon.
Like a marvelous wooden box full of violets candies! Really complex and evolving.
Palate (92): powerful, oily.
honey, nuts, wood, spices, figs, flowers, cinnamon, cocoa.
So intense whisky! It is almost smoke on the palate.
Finish (93): long.
honey, wood, flowers, citrus.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glenfarclas 1953 - 58 Years Old with 93 points over 100.
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The oldest and most expensive bottle of my collection, even if this one has never been available for sale. I like this whisky, not that I see myself drinking this single malt but I like it.
I plan doing a vertical tasting of Glenfarclas in the following weeks and this whisky will have an honor place there for sure.
“Lovely as always. You can't go wrong with an Aberlour A'bunadh”
90
Aberlour A'bunadh is a cask strength Speyside single malt whisky that is released by the distillery in small batches each with a slightly different profile but all on the sherry monsters style.
“Deliciously sweet peat from one of the lost distilleries of the Scottish Highlands: Brora”
91
The 8th release of Diageo's revered Brora 30 years old is, in our opinion, one of the greats. Gorgeous fruit, with much less emphasis on smoke & peat this time.
Brora distillery is now closed and these are part of the last remaining stocks that Diageo releases yearly. Brora sunset began with the building of Clynelish just in front of them.
This scotch whisky has been bottled at cask strength.
This dram has a fino-like color.
Nose (92): more than average.
peat, honey, floral, vanilla, wood, spices.
Islay is an island in the west of Scotland that produce a style of single malts that you either love or hate: peated whiskies.
(Photo on top of one of the Jura Pups looking south overseeing the Isle of Islay by Gregor Haslinger)
You may wonder why such an small island have so many distilleries and I hope this article enlighten you and share with us the passion for peated whiskies.
I have tasted already many of the whiskies created at Islay but I really wanted to taste them all in a row so I can compare them side by side. I hate when I taste blindly a whisky and I can’t decide if it is a Caol Ila( most are ) or an Ardbeg.
So come with me in this trip around Islay in nine drams. Oh man! I am sure you can smell the smoke from there.
“This Dalwhinnie is Nutella whisky. It tastes of nuts and halzenuts. Very good dram”
91
Bottled for Diageo's Manager's Choice series, this single cask Dalwhinnie 1992 is a deliciously biscuity dram, with crisp malty notes and hints of cinnamon and lemon curd. A class act.
A marvelous cask strength highlands whisky but Diageo clearly missed the goal when the marketing deparment set the price for the Managers' Choice range.
Finish (90): longer than average.
honey, floral, spices.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Dalwhinnie 1992 Managers' Choice Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky with 91 points over 100.
“First Abhainn Dearg single malt. Promising whisky in a few years but right now is very immature ”
78
A little piece of whisky history here - the first legal single malt whisky made at the Abhainn Dearg (Red River) distillery in Uig on the Outer Hebridean Isle of Lewis.
Established in 2008, Abhainn Dearg is the most westerly distillery in Scotland.
And they have just released their single malt at a incredible retail price of £150. Looks like they are targeting their single malt to collectors instead of drinkers.
It isn't a bad whisky but it has still a long way to mature in the cask until it is a good one.
This dram has a white wine-like color.
Nose (75): more than average.
floral, fruits.
Very newmake even after 3 years.
Palate (79): dry, powerful.
many floral, honey, spices, pepper.
Slightly sharp. Maybe a few years more on the cask?
Finish (79): longer than average.
floral, licorice, spices.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Abhainn Dearg 2008 / First Bottling Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky with 78 points over 100.
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“Not bad at all for a Chivas whisky. I hope they didn't f*** it on the new version they released a few years ago”
87
The premium whisky from Chivas Regal Bros, this 18 years old blended scotch whisky has an important part of Laphroaig in the mix.
Premium aged mix of some of Scotland's finest whiskies with an above-average proportion of malt and an extended ageing period producing a truly fine blend.
There is a supermarket brand in Spain that is breaking the market by selling quality products at almost half the price of their competition: Mercadona.
Their technique consists on stocking only one store brand and just another brand at best for most products they have on the store so they have from bread, yogurts, ham, beer and of course scotch at prices that make other supermarkets looks like Harrods!
Well, to the point, they sold a brand of “scotch” whisky called John Cor, yep, the name of the monk who is know for the first written record of distillation of aqua vitae. The bottle of this whisky doesn’t say scotch at all now that I am reading at home and in fact it isn’t a scotch one as it is bottled at Spain… is it Scotch? Is is spanish? Fifty fifty. It is misleading at least because if it is spanish whisky all the label is written in english that not many people is able to understand here in Spain beyond the usual english words as “Sol”, “Paella” and “Playa”
Probably the malt whisky inside this come from Scotland and the rest of the grain whisky is from Jerez which has a strong tradition of distilling alcohol for brandies.
Well, what all the buzz is about? Well, Mercadona sells the 70cl bottle of this John Cor whisky for 4.85€, that are about £3.90. Yep! That’s less than four pounds for a full bottle of blended whisky.
You should know the fact that Spanish Taxes on alcohol are 2.7€ on a full bottle so the price of the whisky and the glass bottle is 2€ in fact. Can you get anything cheaper?
I have been told lots of time that it was a good whisky, that it was awesome for the price and all that bullshit. So I thought about tasting it, anyway I pay up to £30 for a 3cl sample… I can afford 4€ for a full bottle…
So here is the tasting note. Zero expectations before tasting it.
“Not that I was expecting a lot from this John Cor, but I expected a bit more. It is great for cleaning glass by the way”
78
Scotch blended whisky bottled in Spain.
John Cor is the name of the friar who recorded the first known written reference to a batch of Scotch Whisky on June 1, 1494.
“To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae VIII bolls of malt.” — Exchequer Rolls 1494–95, Vol x, p. 487.
This dram has a fino-like color.
Nose (79): average.
toffee, vanilla, floral, alcohol.
Lots of toffee and not much more here. Smells almost like caramel vodka.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this John Cor with 78 points over 100.
Maybe with ice and cola it is awesome, but doing it in the same way I do with the rest of whiskies John Cor is a mediocre blended whisky at best… unless you are really budget-constrained you should be drinking something better… afford yourself a luxury whisky such as DYC instead and do a favor to your liver.
Don’t worry for the rest of the bottle! It works great for cleaning glasses.
I need some new presentation cards and I am thinking about using Moo for it. I have already seen some Moo cards and although they are very expensive the quality is great. I will order a few and show you the results.
“The Highlands peat monster. Enormous Brora whisky!”
91
The latest Brora 30 years old is a very welcome return to form. Big and brooding, with a firm peppery, tweedy character and hints of coffee and dark chocolate.
Brora distillery is now closed and these are part of the last remaining stocks that Diageo releases yearly. Brora sunset began with the building of Clynelish just in front of them.
This scotch whisky has been bottled at cask strength.
This dram has a gold-like color.
Nose (91): more than average.
peat, wood, fruits, apricot, vanilla, floral.
“First class Glen Grant! Invest in yourself with this whisky.”
91
A very well-aged Glen Grant single malt whisky.
This was aged for 34 years in a refill hogshead before bottling in November of 2009 by Douglas Laing. A release of 278 bottles, distilled in April 1975.
A great example of what the Speyside style can achieve when aged in a traditional cask.
This dram has a amber-like color.
Nose (92): more than average.
honey, candies, floral, vanilla, spices, cinnamon.
Lovely! This is what you can expect from such old whisky.
“Interesting peated whisky from Compass Box. A bit over-spicy but nice.”
86
A miniature of the departed Eleuthera vatted malt from Compass Box.
This blended malt whisky is the father of Compass Box Peat Monster, a blend of Highland and Islay Single Malt Scotch whiskies that create this interesting dram.
This dram has a white wine-like color.
Nose (82): average.
a little peat, honey, spices, citrus, floral, wood.
“Quite an experience. Not sure what kind of sherry had the cask before because it was left just the slightlest aromas of nuts and powder. Boom Glen Grant!”
90
A beautifully dark whisky from Glen Grant bottled by Signatory.
This scotch whisky was distilled on the 17th March 1969 and matured for 40 years in a single cask, a fresh Oloroso sherry hogshead number 2016.
This single malt whisky was bottled at cask strength on the 14th September 2009. There are just 188 bottles of this!
A nice example of nice sulphured whisky. Excellent Glen Grant.
This dram has a old oak-like color.
Nose (89): average.
candies, spices, nuts, pepper, citrus, floral.
“Woody and like dust at first but then turns into a marvelous candies and flowers. Highly recommended. ”
90
A very limited release edition Auchentoshan 1975.
This has been aged for thirty-five years in bourbon casks before bottling. Just 500 bottles of this have been released, and the whisky is described as having a butterscotch and rum& raisin toffee character.
Marvelous candies and floral aromas in this Lowlands single malt whisky.
This dram has a amber-like color.
Nose (91): average.
candies, floral, vanilla, citrus, cinnamon, wood.
“Scrumptious floral whisky. Mourn with me this tragic loss”
89
A 31 year old Speysider, this was distilled at Miltonduff on the 18th May 1979, it was aged for 31 years in a single hogshead, before bottling by Signatory on the 24th November 2010. A release of 188 bottles.
Mosstowie is whisky distilled at Miltonduff from malted barley, but in column stills! Which by today standards would rule it out as single malt scotch whisky.
This dram has a gold-like color.
Nose (86): average.
floral, honey, candies, nutmeg, vanilla.
Smells like PEZ candies. Interesting.
“Uaagh! Added to my list of whisky I should avoid”
79
A Signatory bottling of Glenisla, an experimental malt whisky distilled at Glen Keith using lightly peated malt and distilled heavily peated water. Slightly mad and very rare.
This dram has a gold-like color.
Nose (79): more than average.
honey, many floral, pepperoni .
Very floral and then really strange. I swear it smells of saucisson. Unpleasant.
“Epic whisky! The sweetest raisins that I have ever had. The best Highland Park whisky I have tried”
93
A stunning Highland Park 30 years old bottled at high strength, over 48% abv.
This single malt whisky from this Orkney distillery has a good amount of sherry casks used on it. It portraits also the awesome heather theme present on most Highland Park scotches.
Definitively a whisky to drink if you can afford it. If that's not the situation, you would do well checking the 25 years old
This dram has a tawny-like color.
Nose (94): more than average.
honey, raisins, floral, spices, cinnamon.
Lovely! Sweet raisins.
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