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So after reviewing the Virgin Oak finish, today I review the Sauternes finish. Sauternes is a sweet desert french wine made with grapes that have been infected by “noble rot” that partially turns the grape into a raisin.

So after a delicious Virgin (oak), my hopes on this one are high.

“Umm... I really don't like the finish. If you like PX Glendronach this one may be worth trying by yourself ”

87

70cl / 46% / Distillery Bottling - Released in summer 2010, this 14yo Glendronach has been finished in Premier Cru Sauternes barrels after initial maturation in European oak. Sauternes finishes can work very well (the 16yo version from Glendronach's sister distillery Benriach is a case in point), so high hopes for this.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (88): more than average. honey, fruits, citrus, spices, plums, vanilla.

Palate (87): smooth, oily. honey, fruits, wood, cocoa, spices, citrus.

Finish (87): longer than average. honey, cocoa, wood.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glendronach 14 Year Old / Sauternes Finish Speyside Whisky with 87 points over 100.

Miguel says…

Do you like Parliament? Not the same thing but something similar, not a bad whisky but I don’t like the way the finish play on the whisky.

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Ok, Christmas is just a memory far away and New Year eve is still echoing on your head because of that nasty stuff you drank… but keep your hopes up. There is whisky beyond J&B or Johnnie Walker. You many know that I am really a man of single malt whisky, after so many blended disappointments…

But these are ten blended whiskies that really make believe!

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Another cracking dram from the Signatory stand at The Whisky Show. The Balmenach distillery isn’t seen everyday on the shops’ shelves and that it is because most of it ends up as blended whisky.

“Such greatness in this whisky! I bought one bottle of it. I couldn't resist”

92

A single cask bottling of 1988 vintage Balmenach, hand picked by The Whisky Exchange and bottled by Signatory at 25 years of age. The distillery very rarely produces an official bottling, as most of the production is used for the owner's, Inver House, range of blended whiskies.

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (91): more than average. honey, wood, spices, cloves, vanilla, candies, floral.

Palate (93): powerful, oily. honey, spices, candies, liquorice, apples, pears, citrus.

Finish (92): longer than average. honey, spices, floral.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Balmenach 1988 / 25 Year Old / Cask #1132/ Signatory for TWE Speyside Whisky with 92 points over 100.

Well… already said it I love it so much that I bought one bottle. Well invested money.

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I am a big fan of Glendronach whiskies, I love their 15 years old whisky and their single casks, and I really love the fact they are not assholes rising and rising the price of their good stuff ( although the single casks are expensive ).

So today I review a Glendronach 14 years old finished in Virgin Oak. What the hell is Virgin oak? Let me explain it briefly… whisky is aged usually in oak casks, those casks that has contained before other liquids like wine, bourbon or cognacs, are usually charred in the inside to help them impart more flavour to the spirit… but virgin oak casks are just that casks that have never contained anything.

Enough smalltalk… the whisky

“Damn fantastic whisky! I love their sherried expressions but this one, being completely different, is even nicer!”

90

70cl / 46% / Distillery Bottling - A special edition Glendronach, matured initially in re-charred puncheons befroe finishing ina small batch of American virgin oak casks, which have imparted abundant toasty oak, coconut and tropical fruit aromas and flavours to the final blend.

This dram has a fino-like color.

Nose (90): more than average. honey, malt, citrus, vanilla, spices, flowers.

Palate (90): powerful, oily. honey, spices, citrus, vanilla, pepper, liquorice, wood.

Finish (90): longer than average. honey, wood, vanilla.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glendronach 14 Year Old / Virgin Oak Finish Speyside Whisky with 90 points over 100.

Miguel says

Of the Glendronach Finished range that I tasted this one is the cheapest and my favorite :)

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As winter comes every year, so does Lagavulin with their Pedro Ximenez finished whisky. I love PX wines but I really don’t like (at all) most of the PX finished whiskies that I have tasted ( except a few really old Glendronach that I am thinking about now ).

So let’s review this 2013 Lagavulin DE…

“That's a better thing ( than last year Laga )... here the finish is more subtle and does a better whisky in my opinion”

90

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (90): more than average. honey, spices, peat, citrus, cinnamon, vanilla.

Palate (90): light, smooth. peat, cocoa, honey, spices, pepper, salt, vanilla, winey, citrus.

Finish (90): longer than average. peat, salt, cocoa.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Lagavulin 1997 Pedro Ximénez Finish - Distillers Edition with 90 points over 100.

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Miguel says…

Aye! Nice whisky. I still prefer the 16 years old… but this one is quite nice.

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After Jim Murray named Ealanta Best Whisky of the World in 2013, I knew I were going to have problems sourcing the new release of Glenmorangie, Companta. As I trust Jim no more, I wanted to taste Companta on my own before buying because the price wasn’t really that interesting and I usually don’t enjoy Glenmorangie whiskies…

So I got the sample and now the time to taste it, and here is my review.

“Not a fan of Glenmorangie but this is quite a sensational whisky that unfortunatelly fly off the shelves bought by people who will never taste it. A pity”

90

This dram has a tawny-like color.

Nose (92): more than average. honey, fruits, pinneapple, pears, wood, vanilla, plums, toffee.

Palate (89): powerful, oily. honey, wood, cocoa, citrus, fruits, plums, apples, vanilla.

Finish (90): longer than average. fruits, wood, cocoa.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glenmorangie Companta Private Edition with 90 points over 100.

Miguel says…

Umm, a really nice whisky. And these are words from a man that dislike both Glenmo whiskies and sweet wines finishes. I really regret not having bought one.

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Well, after knowing about it in November I launched myself into buying one bottle because the price wasn’t that bad for a 33 years old whisky ( although a big part of it is 40 years old ). But it haven’t been till now that I have come to taste it ( damn you LEGO! ).

So here is my review of the General, another awesome blend by Compass Box.

“Oh. My. God. Lovely whisky. Imagine an old ( and I mean OLD! ) malt whisky blended aged in bourbon or refill casks with a hint of old ( OLD! I mean ) rye whiskey. All my thumbs up”

92

A 2013 release, Compass Box's The General is made from two parcels of blended scotch whisky, both of which were blended at a young age and then left to mature in the cask. At the time of bottling one was 33 years old and the other 40. Aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, this is soft but with an incredible complexity.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (92): more than average. honey, flowers, dust, wood, orange zest, vanilla, spices.

Palate (92): powerful, oily. honey, flowers, wood, citrus, spices, liquorice, cloves, fruits. I swear I have taste something like this before.

Finish (92): longer than average. spices, fruits, honey.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Compass Box The General Blended Scotch Whisky with 92 points over 100.

Miguel says…

Would I buy it again? Definitively. Now that I read the description of the bottle I have noticed that it wasn’t as sherried as Glenfarclas 40yo even if it comes from a sherry cask. Anyway… do yourself a favour and get one :)

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– Look mum! There is a gazillion pounds on the floor.
– Nice, go and get one Octomore bottle, try to buy some glasses with the rest of the money.

I love peated whiskies, I love Ardbeg, I love Laphroaig, I love Lagavuling and I love Octomore, but for Christ’s sake… who is pricing it?! What do you want from me?! I can afford maybe one very special bottle at £100, maybe two, but if you plan to release 2-3 per year and each one is more and more expensive… well… you will end up with something like this photo.

8 bottles of Octomore and all of them closes. Most fuckers persons are buying them to speculate and sell later for a nice profit margin. That’s quite a sad finish for a whisky…

Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

So, stand up! Let’s honour them in such a way that people cry not when you open the bottle but when you finish it!

To the whiskies, gentlemen ( and laddies! )…

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Just to be fair… I tasted these whiskies three month ago and I have been waiting to write this article until I can secure a bottle of one of them. Most of you know that I love Amrut whiskies but these single casks are really fantastic.

Since I tasted my first Amrut three years ago each one I have drank has impressed me in one way or another, their peated malt, their cask strength, their strange cask managements. Also I have to say that I love the way the bottles look.

But about the whiskies… i tasted three Amrut single cask… you guessed it… at TWE Whisky Show 2013.

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There are three mythical distilleries on the south of Islay: Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin. I don’t know if it is the terroir, the water, the air, the peat, but their whiskies are among the heaviest peated drams on the world and they are deliciously great. And best thing of all is that you can afford them.

Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

Enough wording. I am anxious to taste this…

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You need powerful reasons for drinking Jack Daniel’s and this chick gives you two powerful reasons to do it.

Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

Speaking about Jack Daniel’s, I would seriously prefer to have my liver ripped with a spoon that drinking two whole litres of it… but what kind of nonsenses have ever men done for women.

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Do you know I love newmake, don’t you? I am just kidding. I really hate most of them… so rustic, herbal, raw… I would put them all for 20 years in wooden casks. So, I really have no clue what the f#&$ I was thinking about when I decided to taste this spirit. As it is not three years old, it can’t be called whisky. Bruichladdich did also a X4+3 although I haven’t tasted myself.

So let’s review this. The sooner we end the better.

“Uaagh! It is a newmake that tastes like an awful just distilled newmake... who would have imagined it...”

60

Bruichladdich X4 has been distilled four times, reaching 92%, before being bottled at a reduced 50% without ageing (which is why it can't be called whisky).

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (61): more than average. floral, citrus, alcohol, vomit, potato.

Palate (60): powerful, oily. floral, herbs, citrus.

Finish (60): longer than average. citrus, herbs.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Bruichladdich X4 with 60 points over 100.

Miguel says…

I really see no point in this except damn curiosity. You better drink grappa than this stuff.

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When I knew that the guys behind CaskStrength.net were doing a blend together with Cutty Sark for the C letter of the alphabet of whisky I decided I must have that bottle. I am seriously lagging in tasting whisky but finally came the moment to review this dram.

You all know that I am not a fan of blended whiskies, I can only stand Chivas 21 or Blue Label between others… but never truly enjoyed a Cutty Sark… so let’s cross fingers and let’s review this whisky.

“So is this what happens when you don't spoil a blend with water? Simply fantastic!”

90

Bottled at 51.4% (UK 90 Proof) this release coincides with the 90th anniversary of the Cutty Sark brand and just 500 hand-signed bottles will be available exclusively from Master of Malt.

This dram has a fino-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. toffee, vanilla, citrus, floral. Delicious. Very well done.

Palate (90): powerful, oily. toffee, citrus, wood, spices, cinnamon, liquorice, plums.

Finish (90): longer than average. toffee, liquorice, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Caskstrength and Carry On (Cutty Sark) with 90 points over 100.

Miguel says…

This is an awesome whisky! Really other blenders should really start releasing special limited releases *wink* of their whiskies at cask strength. It is so much better than the original Cutty Sark. Good work!

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You all know that I have a kind of passion for collecting rare whiskies from all around the world, so when I knew about this South Africa grain whisky I decided that it was a chance I couldn’t miss… and now it has come the time to taste it.

“It is a fantastic grain whisky for the price. I am really looking forward to taste this one with ten years more”

87

Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky – produced in Wellington and named after the man who built the first road there – has actually been on the market for the past year, but has just returned triumphant from major drinks competitions in the UK, where it took a gold medal and best-in-class citation at the 2010 International Wine and Spirits Competition and a silver at the 2010 International Spirits Competition.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (84): average. honey, corn, citrus, vanilla, wood. Slightly young but quite promising.

Palate (89): light, smooth. honey, corn, vanilla, liquorice, citrus, salt, wood, cinnamon.

Finish (88): average. honey, vanilla, cinnamon.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky with 87 points over 100.

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Miguel says…

Quite nice and it had a really good price. I really look forward to see an older version of this whisky that could be quite sensational. Have you taste this one? How old would you say it is?

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A few years ago, the Scotch Whisky Association or SWA for friends, decided to ban the term vatted whisky to refer to the result of blending different single malt whiskies into a vat and bottling that. They said that blended malt whisky was a better term and it won’t cause confusion on the buyers with blended whisky. #bullshit

Most people were whining about it, but Compass Box saw here a real money opportunity and launched to bottle what would be the very last vatted malt, and as a surprising extra, the last vatted grain.

Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

So far I haven’t been disappointed with any Compass Box whisky, so I bought these two with my eyes closed. Let’s review them.

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Aye! You have money, and you want people to notice, to know, to envy you. What do you do? Well… you realize that you are not so fucking rich, so you go and buy a bottle of this expensive Chivas. Chivas 25 years old.

Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

Let me review it and then I share with you my opinion.

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