Tag: single malt

Glenfarclas 30 years 43%

Nose: Fruity, red currant and melon, cinnamon, vanilla and oak, but the oak is quite muted. With water I find dark chocolate and cherries, but also fresh apples.

Palate: More oak on the palate. A bit of chewing on sauna planks. Also some apricot jam and orange marmelade. With water it develops a bit of oaky bitterness and singed caramel sauce.

Comments: Lovely nose, just a tad too woody on the palate to make the “very drinkable” segment. A nice dram, in any case.

Another sample I cannot remember the origin for, thanks to whoever it may concern.

Bowmore White Sands 17 years 43%

Nose: Raspberry sweets, bonfire smoke and blackcurrant bush. More spice on the nose with water, but also malt. Ginger snap bisquits.

Palate: Fruity smoke. Peat smoke, tropical fruits, raspberries. Cold rock and singed wood on the finish. With water the malt makes its appearance, and I am reminded of cherry pie.

Comments: A successful combination of fruits and smoke. I will definitely purchase one as a session whisky on a suitable occasion.

Thanks go to Geir Tore for the sample.

Balvenie 1974 25 years 46.9%

Cask number 3209.

balvenie25

Nose: The first impression is fruity and flowery. Vanilla, tinned fruit salad, cedar wood and dry oaky bitterness follows. Water brings out apple pie with cinnamon, a pie with a somewhat soggy crust.

Palate: Banana and oak, clear malty notes. Dry oakish bitterness on the palate as well. Water doesn’t make much difference, the oak turns greener. The finish has something reminicent of calvados.

Comments: Quite nice, but doesn’t quite make the grade. I can’t help think price/performance. It’s nice, yes, but not THAT nice. My main gripe is with the dry oaky bitterness permeating the whole. But would I go for a second dram if offered?  You betcha.

Thanks to Geir Tore for the sample and the picture.

Arran 1996-2011 sherry cask 54.1%

Cask number 1973, distilled 11.12.1996, bottled 31.03.2011.

arran_sherryask1973

Nose: Apple compote with cinnamon, dark chocolate, fragrant roses. A little water adds mint, orange peel, jasmine and lemon.

Palate: Oak and apple peel, honey, black pepper and dark chocolate. More chocolate with water, orange marmelade and bay leaf.

Comments: Yet another stunning sherry cask from Arran. Confirms the rule that these are a steal at almost any price (this particular cask has not been available in Norway, but those that have have been just as good).

Thanks to Bjørn for the taster.

Old Pulteney 1990 21 years Cadenhead’s 56.7%

Bottled June 2012.

pulteney_cadenheads

Nose: Marsipan covered in a thin layer of dark chocolate. Fruit tree. More fruity with water, tinned fruit coctail with mint and chocolate chips.

Palate: Plum in Madeira, dark chocolate, a little After Eight. Maltiness shows up with water, also oak and a hint of pepper.

Kommentar: Quite simply really, really good.

Rare Ayrshire 1975 35 years Signatory Cask Strength 45.5%

Distilled 21.02.1975, bottled 05.08.2010, matured in an ex-bourbon cask with cask number 553.

It’s an open secret that Signatory’s Rare Ayrshire contains single malt from Ladyburn, but they are not allowed to state so on the label.

rareayrshire

Nose: Shortbread, honey. With water I get tart apples and after a while vanilla and sherbet powder.

Palate: Fruity oak, maltiness. More apple pie with water.

Comments: Not bad at all, though less complex than I could wish for.

Highland Park 1990 16 years Signatory 56.1%

Distilled 13.12.1990, bottled 12.06.2007, from cask number 15688. 1st fill sherry butt.

highlandpark1990sampleNose: Quite closed. A little vanilla and baked pears. Water brings out smoke, orange peel and white flowers.

Palate: The smoke may be hiding on the nose, but is obvious on the palate; cold bonfire. Also freshly baked wholemeal bread with honey. With water the smoke turns chalky, and I find flower nectar and honeydew melon.

Comments: First a note on the colour. It’s not obvious from the picture, but this is hardly darker than the average white wine. What’s up with that? 1st fill sherry should normally be much more visible. And the nose and palate have no very obvious sherry notes, either. If you buy this because you like sherry bombs you will be bitterly disappointed.

But otherwise: What’s not to like? A really, really nice Highland Park cask Signatory have got their hands on, even if it seems to be mislabeled.

Another sample I have forgotten the origin of. I really need to create a better system for samples!

Old Pulteney 1983 58.7%

Bottled January 2003, cask number 6182.

pulteney1983sample

Nose: Barbequed marshmallows, oak, vanilla, plum jam. With water it develops malty notes, both shortbread and digestives, “Kornmo” with real butter and brown cheese. There are also red apples and a hint of honey.

Palate: Sweet pears, light oaky bitterness. With water it develops a cloying sweetness, possibly marshmallows again, but over the top. Not unpleasant in itself, but a feeling that it might become too much very quickly. There is also some juniper wood and sweet apples.

Comments: Obviously needs water to tame the strength. More interesting nose than palate, but despite the lack of hyperbole I am actually pretty sold on this. I’m a little sad that I only have a sample, and since I can’t remember who I got it from I don’t know whose cupboard to raid, it might have been Morten..

Glenmorangie 10 years 40%

This is the old standard bottling of Glenmorangie, pre-LVMH.

Nose: Red currants and orange, vanilla and a light oaky perfume. No noticable evolution with water.

Palate: Sauna and fruit. A bit more spicy with water.

Comments: A perfectly decent entry level bottling. Easy to like and drink, and uncomplicated.