Category: Tasting notes

Glenfarclas Family Cask 1978 46.3%

Matured for 26 years in a refill hogshead, cask number 590, bottled 26.05.2011.

Nose: Dry wood and wood varnish. Hints of rum-raisin. Water emphasises the raisins a bit, and I get fruit compote associations, but the overwehlming impression is of wood.

Palate: Oaky bitterness, wood and bitter, dark chocolate. No noticeable change with water added.

Comments: Too woody. Though the same age (maturation-wise) than the 1980, the oak has been slightly more active here and has taken over, flattening the taste profile. It’s not bad-tasting, just boring.

Thanks to Geir Tore for the sample.

Glenfarclas Family Cask 1980 50.1%

Cask number 1942. Distilled 29.02.1980, bottled 28.02.2007, 26 years, from a refill sherry butt.

Nose: Slightly bitter wood, alchohol-drenched cherries in dark chocolate. Does not change notably with water, other than acquiring a slight orange peel note.

Palate: More wood, less fruit. Varnished wooden bench. The varnish approaches acetone with water, but the water also adds something fruity, possibly banana.

Comments: Approaching the “too woody” age. It’s still drinkable, but I’d have bottled it earlier.

Thanks to Geir Tore for the sample.

Glenfarclas Family Cask 1985 46.3%

Distilled 02.09.1985, bottled 28.02.2007, matured in a refill sherry hogshead, cask number 2826.

Nose: The immediate impression is wood, but then I find tart, dark plums and dark chocolate. After some time in the glass it offers up sweeter fruits; ripe cherries and also a hint of marzipan. With water the fruit tends towards orange marmelade with a hint of aniseed. Even later I find apple compote.

Palate: Plum in Madeira, rum-soaked cherries; fruit in spirits, that is… and dark chocolate. Candied oranges, too, and wood, but in no way overwhelming wood. The palate is rounded off with water and gets more of a milk chocolate character.

Comments: Dessert. The clear favourite of the three vintages I’m tasting this evening. Its oaky character makes its age obvious, but the oak has not yet overwhelmed the spirit, and the whisky may be at its peak, at least as far as “the preserves shelf in the pantry”, there is fruit conserved in any number of ways here.

Thanks to Geir Tore for the sample.

Highland Park 21 years 40%

100 % ex-sherry American oak, 20 % first fill.

Martin og HP 21 år.
Martin og HP 21 år.

Nose: Cinnamon, menthol, almost like Tiger Balm. Some flowery notes; heather. Light smoke, more fruit (apples and pears) after some time in the glass.

Palate: Spicy, fruit flowers, honey, oak and vanilla, a light metallic note.

Comments: A bit much at full strength (even if it’s only at 40%), I’d have liked some water. A whisky I’d like to sit down properly and get in depth with at some point.

Highland Park Drakkar 40%

15-20 % first fill european ex-sherry casks.

IMG_2195

Nose: (Somewhat sweaty) milk chocolate. Tendencies towards rubber that fade after a while. Hint of smoke, dried apricots, oak, lightly minty.

Palate: Very oily, some ashes, some rather sharp wood (bitter notes).

Comments: Gets better after a while in the glass. A little too sharp/bitter on the finish, but the nose is really good once that rubber fades.

Ardbeg 1998 11 years Dun Bheagan 56.2%

From a barrel with cask number 1782, June 1998-2010.

ardbeg_11_dunbheaganNose: Clementine peel, especially the white part, quite sweet malt, grist (a lot of flour), leather sofas. With water the grist solidifies into whole barley and I get some lemon as well.

Palate: Asphalt dust, cold smoke and coal.

Comments: Yummy. Very nice mix of grains/grist and smoke.

ardbeg_11_dunbheagan2

Glenglassaugh Torfa 50%

glenglassaugh_torfaNose: Smoked fudge. With water it develops into smoked cardboard box.

Palate: Foam banana sweets dusted with sugar that have spent som time in the smoke oven (or perhaps the kiln).

Comments: As a peatfreak I naturally like this. However it’s not complex enough, neither is it THAT good, so I wouldn’t consider buying a bottle. But if you’re offering I’ll have another dram.