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Kilchoman Winter 2010 Release Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Kilchoman

“True Islay Character!”

90
Kilchoman Winter Release 2010
The 5th general release bottling from Islay's farm distillery. Another small batch release for Winter 2010. Matured for over 3 years in fresh bourbon barrels.

This dram has a white wine-like color.

Nose (90): strong. peat, grass, pears, citrus.

Palate (91): oily, powerful. peat, sweet, malt, citrus, floral.

Finish (90): long. peat, floral, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Kilchoman Winter Release 2010 with 90 points over 100.

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Thomas H Handy Straight Rye Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Buffalo Trace

“A great rye. The finish is really long, it keeps echoing for hours. A bit of water may be sensible though.”

89
Thomas H Handy Straight Rye Bot. 2010
The 2010 release of the stunning rye whisky, Thomas H Handy. Bottled at cask strength, this are very well aged and have loads of complexity.

This dram has a mahogany-like color.

Nose (88): more than average. floral, roses, vanilla, corn, melon. The alcohol hurts a bit the nose so take care but overall light and floral.

Palate (91): light, powerful. floral, corn, vanilla, wood, floral, pepper, bread.

Finish (89): very long. floral, corn, vanilla, bread.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Thomas H Handy Straight Rye Bot. 2010 with 89 points over 100.

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Smokehead 18 years old Extra Black Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Smokehead

“Looks definitively older than the other two expressions of Smokehead and older than 18 years old. A nice old Islay malt for a fair price.”

90
Smokehead 18 year Extra Black
A longer-aged edition of Smokehead, the popular mystery Islay Single Malt bottled by Ian McLeod Distillers. This Extra Black expression is 18 years old.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (90): average. honey, floral, candies, peat, wood.

Palate (90): oily. peat, honey, citrus, wood, spices, cocoa.

Finish (89): average. peat, candies.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Smokehead 18 year Extra Black with 90 points over 100.

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Sheep Dip Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Sheep Dip

“Excellent nose.”

89
Sheep Dip
A great whisky made from 16 malt whiskies aged from 8 to 21 years. Jim Murray describes Sheep Dip as "young and sprightly". Great retro packaging too. The only thing is, the picture of the sheep on the bottle doesn't actually look like a sheep, it actually looks like an angry spaniel with horns.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (91): strong. Fruits, honey, vanilla, tobacco, wood.

Palate (88): light. fruits, wood, floral, honey, a littlevanilla.

Finish (87): longer than average. floral, wood, a bitcocoa.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Sheep Dip with 89 points over 100.

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Kilchoman Spring 2011 Release Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Kilchoman

“All Kilchoman are strongly peated but this one also has a lovely cereal nose”

90
Kilchoman Spring Release 2011
The Spring 2011 release of Kilchoman is here and the early reviews have been excellent, so we can't wait to try it!

This is the sixth official release of Kilchoman and is a vatting of three year old and four year old whisky from first fill and refill bourbon casks.

This dram has a white wine-like color.

Nose (91): more than average. toffee, peat, citrus, grass, barley, spices, vanilla.

Palate (89): powerful. honey, peat, citrus, vanilla, pepper.

Finish (89): longer than average. peat, honey, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Kilchoman Spring Release 2011 with 90 points over 100.

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Big Peat Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Big Peat

“Excellent nose but a bit dry taste for my palate.”

90
Big Peat
Douglas Laing's Big Peat is a Blended (as we have to call them now) Islay malt containing spirit from Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and, shockingly, Port Ellen. Not as full-on as the name might suggest, but with pedigree like that at this price Big Peat is a nailed-on winner. Picked up the top prize in its category at the World Whisky Awards 2010.

This dram has a fino-like color.

Nose (94): strong. peat, floral, earthy, coffee.

Palate (89): dry, oily, powerful. floral, peat, floral, espresso, citrus.

Finish (88): long. floral, peat, wood.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Big Peat with 90 points over 100.

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Glen Garioch 1994 Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Glen Garioch

The Glen Garioch 1994 limited edition is only the 3rd special addition to the Glen Garioch single malt range.

1994 Garioch Bottle

“What a great nose! Awesome! A lovely nose and a good taste with an interesting floral finish.”

90
Glen Garioch 1994
This Glen Garioch small batch whisky is done using peated barley from their own maltings prior to the distillery being mothballed temporarily in 1995.

This is the latest in a range of delicious small batch offerings from Glen Garioch. And it has been bottled at cask strength
Many thanks to Glen Garioch Distillery for the sample of this stunning whisky.

This dram has a white wine-like color.

Nose (94): strong. sweet, biscuits, vanilla, honey, fruits.

Palate (89): dry, oily. malt, peaches, floral, vanilla, spices, cocoa, wood.

Finish (88): long. floral, spices, pepper.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glen Garioch 1994 with 90 points over 100.

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Arran Caskstrength and Carry On Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Arran

“A bit light on the nose but then the taste converts it into a awesome whisky.”

89
Arran Caskstrength and Carry On
The first ever whisky to be bottled by a blog! This was bottled in May 2011 to mark the 3rd birthday of the renowned Caskstrength.net. Caskstrength.net was founded in early 2008 by two former rival A&R men, who joined forces to share their passion for whisky with the world. Since its inception the blog has grown massively, as the two now regularly travel around the world to write about whisky

This dram has a fino-like color.

Nose (88): more than average. floral, honey, vanilla, lemon, malt, wood.

Palate (90): smooth, oily, powerful. fruitsm floral, candies, vanilla, a littlewood, peaches, pears.

Finish (89): very long. candies, floral, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Arran Caskstrength and Carry On with 89 points over 100.

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Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Buffalo Trace

“Good bourbon. One of the best noses I remember on Bourbons of this price range. I can't recommend you this enough.”

90
Eagle Rare Single Barrel
Buffalo Trace, who makes this 10 year old whisky, was named Distiller of the Year by Whiskey Magazine in 2005 and 2007 and by the Wine Enthusiast in 2006.

Paul Pacult of the The Spirit Journal gave it four stars and said: "Easily one of the most tactile yet assertive and expressive bourbons I've tasted in the last two years; fasten your seatbelts."

This dram has a tawny-like color.

Nose (92): strong. corn, vanilla. Perfect bourbon nose!. You can't get anything cleaner.

Palate (90): light, smooth, powerful. corn, honey, vanilla, floral, bananas.

Finish (88): long. vanilla, floral.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Eagle Rare Single Barrel with 90 points over 100.

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Smokehead Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Smokehead

“Nice secret single malt whisky, almost sure it is a Caol Ila with some bold spices notes.”

89
Smokehead
A un-named single malt from Ian Macleod Distillers, with a big South Islay style. "Its like a cannonball!" say the producers. We like it very much, some of our staff loving it. Great value, attractively packaged, and with all that muscly brawn of a young Islay malt.

This dram has a fino-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. smoke, honey, wood, spices, citrus.

Palate (89): powerful, oily. peat, honey, citrus, wood, spices.

Finish (90): longer than average. peat, spices.

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

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