Login“Because you can't buy happiness... but you can buy whisky and that's pretty much the same thing”
Read stories about Tasting of A Wardrobe of Whisky blog.
You can read here older articles posted in A Wardrobe of Whisky since 2009.
The articles are sorted by publication date. You can either browse here, check the featured articles section
or use the search bar on the top of this page.
“Oh my! Such peat explosion! A great Ardbeg that is even better than some of the distillery cask strength expressions.”
92
A 1993 vintage from Ardbeg bottled as part of Murray McDavid's Mission series, collecting together some of the rarer and more interesting casks that they have hiding in their warehouse.
This Ardbeg single malt whisky was matured for 18 years in a bourbon cask selected by Jim McEwan before bottling in 2011 at Bruichladdich.
This dram has a fino-like color.
Nose (93): more than average.
peat, honey, citrus, some vanilla, spices, sea.
“Very good Laphroaig but the old batch-less cask strength whisky was better.”
91
The third release of Laphroaig's riotously popular small batch editions of their famed ten years old cask strength Islay single malt. No doubt this will be as big a hit as the previous editions - this is an expression that never disappoints.
There is a previous batch-less expression of the Laphroaig 10 years old Cask Strength that is better in my opinion to this one. Try it if you can.
This dram has a amber-like color.
Nose (89): average.
peat, honey, iodine, citrus, floral.
Very closed nose
Palate (92): powerful, oily.
peat, iodine, honey, citrus, vanilla, spices, apples.
A superb Laphroaig with everything you come to expect from them.
Finish (91): longer than average.
peat, honey, citrus, iodine, seaweed.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Laphroaig 10 Year Old Cask Strength / Batch 003 / Bot.2011 Islay Whisky with 91 points over 100.
Buy this bottle at
Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:
“Great Aultmore with just a few off notes of new make on the nose.”
90
A 9 year old Aultmore, bottled for Douglas Laing'sOld Malt Cask range.
This was selected for its spicy sweetness, which the bottlers wanted for it to be the ultimate cigar malt - a whisky destined for pairing with a cigar.
A nice light sherried whisky. A good one even if you don't smoke.
This dram has a amber-like color.
Nose (89): more than average.
honey, toffee, peach, vanilla, citrus, floral.
A few notes of new make on a rather good nose.
“Great whisky! Very malty. Great without ambitions.”
90
An Cnoc (formerly Knockdhu) is a top-quality proponent of the non-sherried Speyside style, showing polished malt and a delicious spiciness throughout a warm, complex palate and lasting finish.
This Speyside single malt whisky is deliciously malty. It is a whisky that achieve greatness without ambition. Really lovely.
If you enjoyed this AnCnoc 12 years old, you should try the 16 years old
This dram has a gold-like color.
Nose (89): more than average.
honey, malt, vanilla, pears, citrus.
Quite good, like whisky should smell.
“Adorable vanilla and toffee aromas on this non age statement whisky from Highland Park”
90
Originally released in March 2011, Highland Park Leif Erikson was originally a travel retail exclusive.
In celebration of Erikson's trip to the New World this Highland Park single malt without age statement is made up of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, all made from American oak.
This dram has a gold-like color.
Nose (90): more than average.
toffee, floral, malt, vanilla, spices.
“Awesome Laphroaig! Heaven tastes like this whisky!”
92
Original cask strengthLaphroaig is bottled at natural distillery strength with all the depth of genuine taste and texture normally associated with sampling whisky at source.
Matured in seasoned oak barrels, charred before filling to impart a slight sweet vanilla nuttiness. Original Cask Strength Laphroaig is barrier-filtered only, to remove the small char particles present. However cask strength is non chilled filtered. This means you will enjoy Laphroaig exactly as we made it.
One of my readers asked me what I thought about Jack Daniel’s range. Eh! Wait, don’t reply yet. Let me write the article!
The answer was easy but I decided to take the hard way and actually taste the whiskey.
The short conclusion is that Jack Daniel’s whiskeys isn’t as bad as you think. Sponsored reply. Just joking, the stuff is a bit below the mean bourbon scores and slightly overpriced, but as I said whiskeys as the Jack Daniel’s Single barrel are in fact a nice experience.
Let’s see the range.
Jack Daniel's Tennesse Whiskey
“Not as bad as I remember. Blind tasting it I would have said that it was a fair bourbon with a weak nose.”
84
Perhaps America's best known whiskey, Jack Daniel's hails from Tennessee and it best known for its smooth flavor.
Jack Daniel's is always charcoal mellowed and aged in proprietary white oak barrels for a rich amber color, distinctive flavor and finish.
If you like this whiskey you definitively need to move up to something more interesting like Wild Turkey or Buffalo Trace
This dram has a cooper-like color.
Nose (83): more than average.
corn, spices, honey, floral, vanilla.
Slightly alcoholic nose. Not unpleasant but it is there.
“Slightly less powerful than Jack Daniel's. It is more fruity and spicy”
83
This is a softer, more round, Jack Daniel's whiskey, that is the direct result of charcoal-mellowing the whiskey twice, before and after the aging process.
It is more expensive that the standard Jack Daniel, so my suggestion is that if you love this, you should taste something like Blanton's Single Barrel
This dram has a amber-like color.
Nose (82): average.
corn, vanilla, honey, pineapple, wood.
“Without being a great bourbon, this whiskey is by far the best option in the Jack Daniel's range”
86
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel is always found in the upper most parts of the barrelhouse - they like to call this the 'Penthouse'. Because every barrel is different and in various locations in the barrel houses no two barrels are the same. Those barrels usually portrait the best and most intense flavors of toasted oak, vanilla and caramel.
This Jack Daniel's whiskey is a hell better than the standard Jack Daniels bottling but the price step is quite important to dismiss it. I recommend you to give a try to something like Buffalo Trace so you see what you are drinking.
This dram has a cooper-like color.
Nose (85): more than average.
corn, varnish, vanilla, honey, spices, pepper.
More polished than the others two and slightly older.
“Promising whisky from Glenglassaugh. Looking forward to see what a few years more can do on this one.”
82
The Glenglassaugh Distillery was mothballed from 1986 until 2008 and this the first whisky to be made from spirit distilled at the distillery since it reopened.
It was matured in a mixture of first and refill bourbon casks before a final 6 months finishing in first fill oloroso sherry butts.
It already shows the character that made this distillery so nice but in my opinion it needs yet a few years more on the cask.
This dram has a amber-like color.
Nose (81): more than average.
floral, honey, meat stock, spices.
A bit newmake-like for my taste... erm... my nose.
Palate (83): smooth.
honey, nuts, floral wood, spices, cocoa.
A bit young, it still needs to round itself.
Finish (83): longer than average.
honey, floral, spices.
So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glenglassaugh Revival with 82 points over 100.
Buy this bottle at
Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:
It was around three months ago that Oliver Klimet, the Malt Maniac behind Dramming.com blog was looking for 20 persons to join a blind tasting game proposal.
Read about the wildest blind-stick tasting that I have done. Lots of surprises and the winner just scored 32 of 125 possible points.
“Great Dalmore whisky that could have been mindblowing awesome have it been bottled at 46% instead of 40%.”
90
Produced by Dalmore with the object of raising up to £400k for a quartet of beautiful Scottish fishing rivers.
Like the rest of the Rivers Collection the Tay Dram has been produced from quality bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks and at least £4 per bottle sold will go to the Tay Foundation that protects and conserves the river.
If you enjoyed this awesome Dalmore single malt, you should try one of the Aberlour a'bunadh whiskies, for example, batch 35.
This dram has a cooper-like color.
Nose (91): more than average.
honey, citrus, nuts, apples, vanilla, wood, spices.
Really nice nose.
Share your thoughts! 
Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £175.00
Buy on The Drink Shop for £29.20
Buy on Master of Malt for £33.34
Buy on Drink Supermarket for £40.49
