Would you pay £150 for a Glendronach 15 years old?

What the hell! July already?! Well, I was supposed to write about this WTS 2013-03 session almost two months ago, but as the poet says there is no harm on delaying if the whisky is good.

As usual, Whisky Tasting Sessions is a set of six whiskies that Jean Marie Putz chooses himself and tasted blindly by us. Just a number on each sample so you can identify it and most of the times they are not sorted in any proper way. But as always, it is a pleasure to test my senses against them.

This session has a great dram that I really love and it has been really fun to discover what it was. Usually between strange independent bottlings of bizarre distilleries there is a jewel or two, like a 38 years old Bunnahabhain that really surprise you. Such is the case…

1^st Dram. Bowmore 16 years old Sherry Finish Wilson & Morgan

“Sherry and peat! Maybe a Bunna? Maybe Caol Ila? Not bad at all”

89

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (88): more than average. honey, citrus, nuts, leather, peat. Looks like 15 to 18 years old.

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

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

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this WTS 2013-03 1 with 89 points over 100.

2^nd Dram. Glenturret 34 years old Master of Malt

“This one is interesting... maybe 10 years old? Looks like a refill sherry cask”

89

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. honey, spices, vanilla, citrus, peaches.

Palate (90): powerful, oily. honey, citrus, spices, wood, pepper, fruits, peaches.

Finish (89): longer than average. honey, wood, fruits.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glenturret 34 years old Single Cask Series with 89 points over 100.

3^rd Dram. Dalmore 16 years old L’esprit Whisky

“Lots of raisins on this whisky. I like it. It really looks like a soft PX turned into whisky”

89

This dram has a fino-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. honey, vanilla, malt, citrus. anCnoc? Simple, sweet, malty

Palate (89): powerful, oily. honey, raisins, citrus, vanilla, spices. Looks like 8 to 12 years old and maybe bottled at 40%

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

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this WTS 2013-03 3 with 89 points over 100.

4^th Dram. Arran 16 years old Master of Malt

“Quite powerful and fruity, maybe a Balblair? I have mixed feelings about this whisky”

89

This dram has a white wine-like color.

Nose (87): more than average. honey, citrus, floral, spices, fruits, peaches, cherries.

Palate (90): powerful, oily. honey, fruits, citrus, spices, cinnamon, wood.

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

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Arran 16 Year Old - Single Cask (Master of Malt) with 89 points over 100.

5^th Dram. Glendronach 15 years old Revival

“Great sherry dram! Love it!”

91

Glendronach Revival is the culmination of nearly a year's hard work by the distillery's new owners, who have done such a marvellous job at Benriach.

This Oloroso-matured Revival single malt whisky has already received a whopping 92 points from the highly-esteemed Serge Valentin at Whiskyfun, who compared it to Macallan Gran Reserva!

One of the best sherried whiskies I have had the pleasure of drinking. Run! Buy one!

This dram has a tawny-like color.

Nose (91): more than average. honey, nuts, citrus, leather, spices, cinnamon. Good sherry nose!

Palate (92): powerful, oily. honey, nuts, citrus, spices, leather. Maybe 40% and 15yo.

Finish (91): longer than average. honey, leather.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glendronach 15 year Revival with 91 points over 100.

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6^th Dram. Benriach 1991 Bourbon Cask Malts of Scotland

“It is a quite interesting whisky with lots of spices and wood. I like it but no clue about what it can be”

89

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. honey, citrus, spices, vanilla, cinnamon.

Palate (90): smooth, powerful. honey, citrus, spices, wood, smoke, fruits.

Finish (89): average. honey, spices, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this WTS 2013-03 6 with 89 points over 100.

Miguel says…

Hahaha! Glendronach Revival! I swear it smells like one of the best sherried whiskies I have had… well in fact I now remember I ordered three bottles of it a few years ago, two for me as Macallan replacers and one for a friend that also loved Macallan 18 years old. Simply spectacular and affordable whisky.

By the way, yes, I would have paid £150 for it :) Good that I stocked when it was still barely over £30

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