Read stories about Tasting of A Wardrobe of Whisky blog.

Sayonara baby! Another photo of Japanese whisky, all of them closed *sniff*, this time from the Nikka Yoichi distillery with bottles from 10yo to the 1990 Single Cask bottling. Yoichi 10 years old was the first Japanese whisky I had and one of the first single malts I drank, so it fires in me nice memories of old times…

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 let’s crack them open, in a figurative way… and let’s review them.

Read the full story »

Share your thoughts! comments written.

A few days ago I reviewed this year Lagavulin Distillers Edition and today I do the same with the last year, 2012 in case you were wondering ( vodka does these kind of things ), Lagavulin.

“Personally I think this is the kind of finish that spoils a good whisky... but on the other hand I don't like PX finished... so decide on your own. It could have been better without the finish”

88

Lagavulin 1995 Distillers Edition Islay single malt Scotch whiskey. Pedro Ximenez cask double matured limited release.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (87): more than average. peat, chocolate, wood, citrus, salt, spices. Where is my Lagavulin?! Give it back!

Palate (90): light, smooth. peat, honey, cinnamon, wood, citrus, cocoa, leather.

Finish (88): longer than average. peat, wood, cocoa beans.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Lagavulin 1996 Distillers Edition with 88 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:

• Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £120.00

Miguel says…

This is the kind of stuff that I don’t enjoy that much. I really love Lagavulin but this one feels like spoiled by the finish… and don’t get me wrong… it is a 88 over 100, it is a good whisky but I have the feeling that it could have been so much better…

On the other hand… if you enjoy PX finished whiskies, this one is really powerfully flavoured.

Share your thoughts! comments written.

You can’t drink enough Signatory whisky… this Caol Ila almost 30 years old was fantastic but… ooops… let me show you the tasting note first.

“It is a Caol Ila with very little peat muscle and almost no sherry influence ( it says sherry cask aged ). It is quite good but I have tasted better old Caol Ila whiskies”

91

A sherry cask bottling of 1984 vintage Caol Ila, hand picked by The Whisky Exchange and bottled by Signatory at 29 years of age. Peated whisky from sherry casks can be exceptional, such as this example.

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (91): more than average. flowers, peat, honey, spices, vanilla, candies.

Palate (91): powerful, oily. honey, peat, earth, citrus, spices, floral.

Finish (90): longer than average. floral, spices, wood.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Caol Ila 1984 / 29 Year Old/ Sherry #2758/ Signatory for TWE Islay Whisky with 91 points over 100.

As I was telling you the whisky is fantastic but the price isn’t that interesting. £150 for a 30 years old independent bottle is too much for me… but you have deeper pockets than mine it certainly worth it.

Share your thoughts! comments written.

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.

Share your thoughts! comments written.

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.

Share your thoughts! comments written.

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 :)

Share your thoughts! comments written.

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.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:

• Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £99.95

Miguel says…

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

Share your thoughts! comments written.

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.

Share your thoughts! comments written.

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 :)

Share your thoughts! comments written.

– 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! )…

Read the full story »

Share your thoughts! comments written.