Hogshead 758 – 51.2%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Medium gold
Nose: Candied pineapple, mango, vanilla, hints of liquorice and pepper, only a light whiff of smoke.
Palate: Very mild peat with faint hints of bacon, a rich mix of tropical fruits, butterscotch, liquorice and nutmeg.
Finish: Long, fruity and slightly smoky.
Overall: The peat has almost completely transformed into fruity aromas after 30 years. The wood influence is surprisingly gentle – very delicious.

Rating: 88/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012 where it won a silver medal, re-tasted for notes

Cask 39 – 44.2%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark amber
Nose: Orange marmalade, dried apricots, polished wood, honey, vanilla, creme brulee, cinnamon.
Palate: Treacle, vanilla, apricots, orange zest, cinnamon, hints of cloves and pepper.
Finish: Medium long, sweet and slightly fruity.
Overall: While the nose of this old grain is truly delightful, it fails to fully satisfy on the palate. The sweetness is quite dominant, though the wood is kept under control.

Rating: 83/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012 where it won a silver medal, re-tasted for notes

Sauternes cask – 46%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Pale straw
Nose: Gentle smoke, tinned pineapple, lemon zest, vanilla, hints of ginger and nutmeg.
Palate: Mild peat, honey, lemon zest, hints of banana, vanilla, hints of liquorice and ginger.
Finish: Long, mild and slighly spicy.
Overall: A remarkably gentle peated dram that does not slap your face but offers an intriguing mix of flavours.

Rating: 85/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Buy Kornog Tauarc’h Pevared 12BC at The Whisky Exchange

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012 where it won a bronze medal, re-tasted for notes

46%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Bright amber
Nose: Porridge, grapefruit, grapes, fermented wash, hints of vanilla and pepper.
Palate: Sweet grapes, raspberries, grapefruit, vanilla, caramel, hints of nutmeg and pepper.
Finish: Medium long, fruity and slighly spicy.
Overall: The nose is rather immature, but on the palate this young whisky is quite enjoyable.

Rating: 76/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Buy Glenglassaugh Revival at The Whisky Exchange

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012, re-tasted for notes

60%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark amber
Nose: Prunes, dates, Amarena cherries, waxed leather, cigar box, chocolate toffee, cinmmon.
Palate: Brandy-soaked Christmas cake, orange zest, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of cardamom.
Finish: Rather long, fruity and slighly spicy.
Overall: Very rich sherry flavours carress nose and palate and give you a feeling of laid-back luxury, only the finish is not quite on par.

Rating: 88/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Buy Glenfarclas 105 20 yo at Master of Malt

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012 where it won a silver medal, re-tasted for notes

Sherry butt 960005 – 57.3%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Bright copper
Nose: Light smoke, hints of smoked ham, raisins, charries, leather, dark chocolate, nutmeg and cardamom.
Palate: Gentle peat, cherries, raisins, orange zest, dark cocolate, hints of tobacco, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish: Long, dry and smoky.
Overall: A wonderful combination of peat and sherry. It is dry but not too woody and feels older than it actually is.

Rating: 91/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012 where it won a silver medal, re-tasted for notes

Today has been declared World Whisky Day by an Aberdeen student. Originally I was determined to refrain from any further comments in the light of what has already been written about this day. But having read the Huffington Post article called Whisky: Made in Scotland, Enjoyed Everywhere by David Robertson rendered my decision obsolete.

This article speaks of whisky as if Scotland was the only country where whisky is made. “Whisky is Scotland’s gift to the world, and World Whisky Day is the day to celebrate it.” is the synopsis of this piece. I beg your pardon? What about Canada, Ireland, the USA, India, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, South Africa and all the other whisky-making nations? What about world whisky on World Whisky Day?

Blair Bowman’s weird idea to turn World Whisky Day into a Scottish public holiday perfectly fits that scotocentric perception of the whisky world. It does not take much brain power to realize how skewed this world view is. Or is World Whisky Day perhaps really just a vehicle for the initiator to hook up with the Scotch whisky industry?

At the end of the article David Robertson is not ashamed to repeat his whisky investment mantra in a badly concealed attempt to use the Huffington Post as advertising platform for his whisky investment company.

As if we needed a final proof that World Whisky Day is all about commerce.

43%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark amber
Nose: Raisins, raspberries, fudge, hints of wood polish, cassia, hints of nutmeg.
Palate: Sweet raisins, orange zest, raspberry jelly beans, dark caramel, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish: Short, fruity and spicy.
Overall: The fruit flavours taste a bit artificial and the finish is one of the shortest I have experienced in a single malt, but for the rather cheap price it is okay-ish and a step up from the Springwood.

Rating: 74/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

First fill sherry butt 8657 – 46%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark amber
Nose: Raisins, figs, toffee, struck matches, cinnamon and cardamom.
Palate: Sweet raisins, baba au rhum, milk chocolate, mixed exotic spiced and a touch of sulphur.
Finish: Long, fruity and slightly spicy.
Overall: Without a doubt this is a divisive dram. For me the sulphur is just the right amount to add depth, but your mileage may vary.

Rating: 88/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012 where it won a bronze medal, re-tasted for notes

Hogshead 20148 – 46%

My Tasting Notes:

Colour: Straw
Nose: Wood smoke, cough syrup, pineapple, lemon, vanilla, liquorice, hints of pepper.
Palate: Peat, pineapple, liquorice, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and black pepper.
Finish: Not very long, sweet and smoky.
Overall: The nose and the first seconds on the palate are really nice but the flavours quickly fade away into a nondescript peaty sweetness.

Rating: 80/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

Scored blind for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2012 where it won a bronze medal, re-tasted for notes