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Macallan 12 years old Sherry Oak Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , The Macallan

“Stunning sherry monster! Lovely! From really good oloroso casks.”

89
Macallan 12 year Sherry Oak
Deliciously smooth, with rich dried fruits and sherry, balanced with wood smoke and spice. Described by Paul Pacult, the renowned international whisky writer, in his book Kindred Spirits as: "simply the best 12 Year Old single malt around".

This dram has a tawny-like color.

Nose (90): strong. sweet, peaches, oloroso, dates, dark chocolate, floral.

Palate (90): oily, powerful. sweet, honey, peaches, wood, vanilla, oloroso, nuts. A huge influence of the sherry cask. Rather good.

Finish (88): very long. floral, nuts, dark chocolate.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Macallan 12 year Sherry Oak with 89 points over 100.

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The Balvenie 30 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Balvenie

“It is a real pity it is so expensive, because it is an awesome whisky.”

93
Balvenie 30 year
Drawing on more than three decades experience our Malt Master David Stewart has created the Balvenie Thirty from a selection of the finest vintage casks laid down during his early years at the Balvenie Distillery.

A marriage of Balvenie aged in traditional whisky oak casks and European oak sherry casks. Thirty is a rich and mellow single malt with unusual depth and complexity.

Very expensive, elitist, deluxe, yeah, it is simply the best Balvenie I have ever tried. Save for this one!

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (93): strong. candies, vanilla, wood, nuts, citrus, floral. It is a mystic experience to nose how the honey present in younger Balvenies turns into candies on this granma. Delicious.

Palate (94): oily, viscous, powerful. candies, wood, spices, honey, floral, citrus, nuts.

Finish (93): very long. floral, honey, vanilla, peaches, wood.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Balvenie 30 year with 93 points over 100.

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The Balvenie 17 years old Rum Cask Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Balvenie
86
Balvenie 17 year Rum Cask
This Balvenie offering was matured for 17 years in casks which previously held Jamaican rum.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (84): strong. molasses, citrus, a little vanilla, floral.

Palate (88): smooth, oily, powerful. honey, peaches, wood, spices, incense, floral, sugar cane.

Finish (87): longer than average. floral, brown sugar, cinnamon.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Balvenie 17 year Rum Cask with 86 points over 100.

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The Balvenie 17 years old Madeira Cask Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , The Balvenie

“Incredible taste. The Madeira wine cask does a great job on the whisky.”

91
Balvenie 17 year Madeira Cask
Part of Balvenie's group of six limited edition cask finished 17 years old single malts.

This Balvenie whisky was initially matured in traditional oak casks before a finish in Madeira fortified wine casks.

The finish does a great work on this whisky delivering a torrent of sweet fruits and spices. I love it.

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (89): strong. peaches, a little raisins, a little honey, vanilla, cocoa, citrus.

Palate (92): smooth, oily, powerful. peaches, wood, spices, tobacco, cocoa. It is not exactly peaches taste, but a torrent of fruit, wood and spices altogether.

Finish (91): long. honey, citrus, floral, raisins, wood.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Balvenie 17 year Madeira Cask with 91 points over 100.

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The Balvenie 15 years old Single Barrel Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , The Balvenie

“Where have you been all these years?! A reason to live!”

92
Balvenie 15 year Single Barrel
The Balvenie Single Barrel Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a 15 year old single malt which is drawn from a single bourbon cask of a single distillation.

Each cask forms a limited edition of hand-numbered bottles - there will be a maximum of 350 bottles from any one cask - so each bottle is unique and unrepeatable.

Each cask is subtly different, however, The Balvenie Malt Master selects for bottling only those casks that have the essential characteristics of The Balvenie Single Barrel - particularly honey, vanilla and oaky notes.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (92): strong. biscuits, honey, vanilla, a little cinnamon.

Palate (93): oily, powerful. peaches, honey, wood, tobacco, vanilla, a little nuts. Very good taste.

Finish (90): very long. peaches, wood, honey, tobacco.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Balvenie 15 year Single Barrel with 92 points over 100.

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The Balvenie 12 years old Signature Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , The Balvenie

“Excellent nose with a great taste. Just a 6% more of alcohol, or ejem bottled at cask strength and this would have been "my" whisky for the rest of my life.”

91
Balvenie 12 year Signature
This 12 year old Balvenie was released in 2008 and was launched to replace the 10 year old Founders Reserve.

This bottling was aged in first fill bourbon barrels, refill casks and sherry butts.

Balvenie Signature is a small batch version of Doublewood with have additional been matured in bourbon casks. Rather good whisky by it is missing a bit more alcohol...

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (93): strong. biscuits, honey, vanilla, citrus, floral.

Palate (90): smooth. fruity, candies, honey, vanilla, floral, citrus. Bottled at cask strength this would have been a crack.

Finish (89): long. floral, citrus, honey.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Balvenie 12 year Signature with 91 points over 100.

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The Balvenie 12 years old Doublewood Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , The Balvenie

“Lovely sherried whisky with a nice amount of nuts and biscuits in its nose. I have really enjoyed this one.”

91
Balvenie 12 year Doublewood
The Balvenie Doublewood Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a 12 year old single malt which gains its distinctive character from being matured in two woods.

During its period of maturation The Balvenie Doublewood is transferred from a traditional oak whisky cask to a first fill Spanish oak sherry cask.

Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt - the traditional casks, having previously held bourbon, soften and add character, whilst the sherry wood brings depth and fullness of flavor.

This is the most basic bottle from Balvenie and still awesome!
TODO: Check if strength is 40% or 0%

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (91): more than average. nuts, honey, citrus, toffee, biscuits. Smells like a fino sherried matured whisky. Very nice nose.

Palate (91): powerful, oily. honey, floral, citrus, nuts, wood, spices.

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

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Balvenie 12 year Doublewood with 91 points over 100.

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Inchgower 36 years old Single Cask by Master of Malt Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Inchgower

“Oh my my! Balsamic whisky! Think of this Inchgower as liquid Fisherman\'s Friend ”

92
Inchgower 36 year Single Cask Master of Malt
A single cask Inchgower aged for a whopping 36 years in a refill hogshead!

This was distilled on the 16th September 1974 and bottled on the 9th June 2011 by Master of Malt at cask strength.

Absolutely stunning and cracking value for money!

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (91): powerful. candies, floral, menthol, honey, vanilla, malt, wood.

Palate (93): oily, powerful. floral, menthol, iodine, honey, citrus, spices.

Finish (93): very long. menthol, honey, citrus, candies.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Inchgower 36 year Single Cask Master of Malt with 92 points over 100.

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Nikka Yoichi 15 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Yoichi
89
Nikka Yoichi 15 year
'Sheer brilliance. An absolute must for anyone who regards himself a whisky connoisseur. 9.5/10' Jim Murray in Whisky Magazine, Dec 2000.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (89): strong. floral, vanilla, salt, a little wood.

Palate (88): smooth, oily, powerful. floral, sweet, malt, salt, smoke, spices.

Finish (89): long. salt, honey, pears.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Nikka Yoichi 15 year with 89 points over 100.

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Nikka Yoichi 12 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Yoichi

“This whisky grows in the glass. Just give it five minutes on the glass and enjoy it. The best whisky of the Yoichi range.”

91
Nikka Yoichi 12 year
The pot stills of the Yoichi distillery are still directly heated, proffering hot spots in the stills, which in turn gives the whisky some wonderful sweet, rich notes. This is one of the richest 12 year old drams I've ever had!

This japanese single malt whisky is perhaps the best whisky in the Yoichi range. If you enjoyed this one, give a try to Yoichi 10 years old

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (92): strong. peaches, vanilla, honey, wood, citrus, a little peat, a little iodine, seaweed.

Palate (92): oily, powerful. peaches, wood, honey, spices, a little cloves, banana.

Finish (90): very long. honey, smoke, wood, vanilla.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Nikka Yoichi 12 year with 91 points over 100.

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