Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Glenglassaugh 1967 Manager’s Legacy Walter Grant Review

Leave a reply

Glenglassaugh 1967 Manager’s Legacy Walter GrantIMG_6413

40.4% abv

Score:  92.5/100

 

Time to give some long overdue attention to one of Speyside’s more interesting distilleries as it works its way slowly back into the mainstream.

Glenglassaugh, as you may or may not know, has only been back in production for about 5 or 6 years as of 2014.  The distillery had been mothballed in the mid-80s and sat in dreamy silence for years before being bought out by the Swedish Scaent Group and reopened in 2008.  This was destined to be a short-lived tenure, however, as the distillery was subsequently scooped up by BenRiach in 2013.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  We’re not speaking of BenRiach-era Glenglassaugh right now, so let’s get back to the Swedes for a bit…

Apparently at the time of the initial Scaent purchase in ’08 there were fewer than 400 casks sitting in repose in the Glenglassaugh warehouses.  As you can imagine, 400 casks doesn’t stretch very far.  Almost like starting from scratch, to be honest.

So…there are two ways for a distillery to get the dollars (pounds) flowing again when they’re burdened with this state of affairs.  One…they can release young, unripe spirit in order to drive the collectors apeshit hoarding the revived distillery’s first releases.  Or two…they can pillage a cask or three from that 400 barrel inventory and release these wizened old drams for astronomical prices under the marketing guise of age and scarcity.

And what did the Scaent group do with Glenglassaugh?  Why, both, of course.  First there was the three year old revival, which was followed hard on the heels by Evolution, and now we’re on the eve of the distillery’s latest offering, Torfa.  We’ll come to these latter two young’uns a little later on, but for now let’s sip something old and rare from the pre-shutdown days.  Namely the Manager’s Legacy Walter Grant bottling.

So…who is Walter Grant, and why is his name on a bottle of whisky?  Grant was the distillery manager for Glenglassaugh up until the time of its 1986 mothballing.  As a tribute to Grant’s time at the helm, Glenglassaugh picked one hell of a cask to bear his name.  This little gem, released in 2010, is a 43 year old whisky matured in a refill sherry hogshead, and to be honest…this is one heck of a legacy to leave behind.  If only it had been a little bigger in terms of abv, but…that 40.4% abv tells me they just barely saved this one.  As you know, anything less than 40% can no longer be considered ‘whisky’.  Nick of time, baby.  Nick of time.

Nose:  Oh, man…island paradise.  This is a tropical fruit heaven.  Pineapple.  Peach.  Cherry.  Pepper.  Some latex and oak, typical of older cask influence.  Eucalyptus.  Bubblegum.  Faint spice pantry…maybe faded cinnamon.  Light smoke note.  Wax.  Astounding, really.  Please excuse my crassness, but…this is actually a fucking phenomenal nose.

Palate:  A little ‘thin’ on the delivery.  Fruits are still alive and sassy, but then die and bitter out a touch.  Pleasantly drying.  Firm oak notes, with some very toasted wood influence.  Cacao.  Dry cinnamon stick.  Burnt marshmallow.  Vaguely floral.  It’s a shame the abv is so low.  No fault, unless we want to blame the angels, but it’s heartbreaking to see a whisky that should rightfully score in the mid 90s, coming in so much lower due to very little horsepower.

Thoughts:  Let’s get beyond the lightweight nature.  This is still a really great dram.  The olfactory experience alone makes it worthwhile.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat

Balvenie Single Barrel 12 y.o. Bourbon Cask (Cask #12806) Review

6 Replies

Balvenie Single Barrel 12 y.o. Bourbon Cask041 (Cask #12806)

47.8% abv

Score:  87.5/100

 

Here’s an odd little Balvenie.  Much more ‘naked’ than what we typically see from this Speyside juggernaut of a distillery.  This is kinda like peaking behind the curtain and seeing what’s really at the heart of it all…a Wizard Of Oz sorta deal, if you will.

Balvenie generally typifies almost all that bores me in the big distilleries.  Whiskies of low strength, forced color and generic profiles.  Credit where credit is due, however, Balvenie have been upping the ante in recent years with a couple of rather tasty 17 year olds of various cask finishes or maturations; not to mention the near-universally lauded Tun 1401 series.  Sadly I’ve yet to try the latter, but if the fates are kind we’ll get there eventually.

Balvenie is most often characterized by a rather hefty sherry influence (or occasionally some rum finishing…or Port…or Madeira…).  This 12 y.o. Single Barrel, affording an opportunity to see what the whisky was like under the influence of nothing more than a first fill bourbon barrel, was irresistable to the curious whisky nerd in me.  Fortunately, there was more than sated curiosity that came of drinking this one.  It’s actually a very decent dram.  I think I prefer this to any of the other young Balvenie I’ve tried to date.

I should note:  The Single Barrel range is a series of releases, wherein each cask yields around 300 bottles.  And while it may be single cask, it is not cask strength.  All of the releases in this series are hitting the shelves at 47.8%.  Hmmmm.  Wonder what the rationale is for that particular bottling strength.  No complaints here.  We like it just fine that way.

Nose:  Floral notes.  A lot of vanilla, as I’d sort of expected.  Some licorice.  Play dough.  A little bit of pink bubblegum (bazooka joe?).  Almond-heavy Indian sweets.  A light dusting of cinnamon.  A bit of lemon and some barley sugar notes carry through.  Sweet, clean and creamy.

Palate:  Sweet and pure.  Vanilla iced sugar cookies.  Orange.  Very dessert-like.  An easy drinker, to be sure, and VERY out of character for Balvenie.  Closer to an Auchentoshan in a lot if ways.  Very clean wood.  Some apple too.

Thoughts:  This was a fun one.  It’s great to see a distillery not only release an expression that veers off from its recognized profile, but release a really good expression that strays from the beaten path.  It shows the multi-dimensionality (is that a word?) they’re capable of.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Springbank 21 (2005) Review

21 Replies

Springbank 21 (2005)barry's place pics 021

46% abv

Score:  93.5/100

 

Among our wee conspicuous circles here in Calgary this particular Springbank is held in very high esteem.

Long before the current (and seemingly never-ending) whisky boom, Campbeltown’s iconic Springbank distillery was producing brilliant single malt whisky that was seeing the inside of a bottle at all ages from 10 years through 50 years.  The malts that constituted some of their more middle-aged drams were unquestionably composed of whiskies from multiple vintages and eras.  However, instead of pacing themselves – putting out rarified old malts year upon year – Springbank pulled the ‘virgin special’, blew their load too early, and had to spend some time recovering and building up stores for a while.  In other words…they ran the warehouses dry of older whiskies to bottle.

This particular 2005 version of Springbank 21 was the last of its kind until 2012, when the 21 year old made its (semi)triumphant return.  Having tried both the 2012 and 2013 editions, I can unequivocally say that they’re not even close to recapturing the magic.  Those are good whiskies in their own right, but this one…this ’05…is utterly mindboggling in its stunning array of sweet meets mild peat.  Fingers crossed they can one day recreate this gem.

In late 2o12 I found a bottle of this release in the Cadenhead shop in Campbeltown, just steps from the distillery, but by that point – seven years after bottling – the retail price was hovering around the £400 mark.  Admittedly, that’s a little beyond what I’m willing to pay for a whisky of this age.  I must concede, however, I did debate it, and I’m still not sure I made the right decision in leaving it behind.  I don’t own a bottle of the 21, but I must find a way to get one.  In fact…I have offered a good friend of mine a certain part of my anatomy in exchange for one of his bottles.  Steep price, yes…but the whisky in the jar-o…priceless.

Nose:  First things first…there’s the most beautiful thread of smoke woven through this whisky, like the central spoke around which all else is adorned.  Pineapple.  Some other tropical notes bring a neat tang; mango and orange are loudest.  Scones with cinnamon.  Some tartness from an assumed sherry influence; almost Wine Gum-like.  Raisin, grape and chocolate.  Paint and paraffin.  Maybe a touch of leather.  I keep coming back to that smoked tropical character though.  Magic.

Palate:  That smoky mature note is right up front, instantly cementing this as a classic in my books.  The tropical fruit notes meet some tart dried fruit, all in perfect balance.  Toasted oak.  An exciting rollercoaster of development.  There is a great Brazilian steakhouse locally that serves grilled caramelized pineapple.  This makes me think of that.  Again on the tangy orange fruits.

Thoughts:  Unquestionably bearing the hallmarks of a single malt built on a wide spectrum of mature casks.  Without knowing anything as fact, I would bet heavily there are some whiskies much older than 21 in here.  This is one of my all-time favorite drams.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Glenmorangie Finealta Review

1 Reply

Glenmorangie Finealta239

46% abv

Score:  88/100

 

Glenmorangie are fairly reknowned for experimentation and creativity.  Interestingly enough though, through all of their artful concoctions, they don’t often fiddle around with peat.  This ‘Private Edition’ release, Finealta, is as exception to that unwritten rule.

Call it a mental block, if you will, but my mind immediately leaps to Ardmore or BenRiach when I think of mainland peated whiskies.  Certainly not to Glenmorangie.  However, whether through lightning in a bottle or adeptness at practice, Glenmorangie have managed to craft a rather remarkable dram.  Great mix of sweet and savoury here.  I imagine this is what it would be like to nose Glenmorangie 18 next to someone drinking lapsang souchong tea beneath the breeze-driven puffs from a smokestack.  Or somehting to that effect.

Either way, the mix of cask play and a very atypical profile for this Highland distillery make for a fun ride, and one of the most immediately endearing and interesting Glenmo’s in quite some while.  Like far too many great drams of late though…sadly, this is also a limited edition expression.  If you can find one, grab it if for no other reasons than seeing the morphology this light and estery spirit is capable of.  Chameleonic, really.

Nose:  Earthy with some salty play-dough.  More peat than expected, but not huge by any means.  Leather and horse blankets.  Slightly ashy.  Orange and pear.  Rather more farmy than expected.  Cinnamon and mint.  The peat influence is massive by no means, but pleasantly over-arching.

Palate:  Ashy and smoky again.  All of those farmy notes coming through here too.  Flinty and mineral-rich.  Peppery.  Wet rock.  Some wine notes.  Lemon rind with orange influence.  Like a drying tea in terms of effect, if not flavour.  Decent, if not quite synchronized, connection between nose and palate.

Thoughts:  Neat, if unexpected nose.  A quirky offering that outshone most other Glenmorangie releases in a recent expansive tasting we held locally.  Definitely a top three pick from the men of Tain.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Deanston Virgin Oak Review

14 Replies

Deanston Virgin Oak016

46.3% abv

Score:  78/100

 

It was bound to happen.  If for no other reason than that I have no moral qualms with receiving samples for review.  So long as the reviewer is utterly transparent about it and the resultant review is not so obviously biased as to call into question anyone’s integrity or motivations…so be it.

A few weeks back I was contacted by a representative for the good folks at Burn Stewart.  The email was polite, articulate and not even remotely as ‘staged’ as most of the whisky-related email I usually get flooded with, asking me if I’d care to call them on the heels of their latest award in order to speak with ‘so-and-so’, or please post ‘this’ or if I want to hear more about ‘that’.  In other words…this email was refreshingly straight forward and literate, and I have to add that this tack was hugely appreciated.  In return I agreed to sample and share a few words on the Deanston Virgin Oak, though I cautioned that “I’m always happy to try new whiskies, with all of the usual caveats that I have to write them up as I feel they deserve (good, bad or indifferent) and that I have to cite that it was an industry-provided sample.” (exact words)  The reply I got was as cordial as the first contact.  A week or so later I had a sample in hand.  For the sake of disclosure, let me add that this was a 700ml sample (read: full bottle). 

Anyway…let’s get into it…

I approached this malt with mixed feelings.  On the one hand…I was excited to try something new from the stables of Burn Stewart, and Deanston was certainly that (think I’ve only tried one other).  On the other hand…I’m generally not a fan of virgin oak-matured whisky.  I tend to find it often unbalanced, leaning too heavily on spice and vanilla, at the expense of complexity and all the benefits that time generally instills.  Virgin oak casks are very lively.  It’s very easy to over-oak even at a young age.

I’m happy to say we haven’t overcooked this one.  In fact we may have gone too far in the other direction.  I think this one could have happily simmered away a little longer…albeit perhaps shifted into a slightly less active barrel.  This is a very clean and estery spirit that has a world of potential.  It’s just not fully realized in what I assume here is a rather youthful drink (the inherent dangers of NAS bottlings are that I’m always gonna assume the worst and trust to my senses to guide me).  Off the cork it’s a little rough, but given a few minutes in the glass it opens up nicely and some of the more volatile elements dissipate, leaving more fruit and soft baking notes.  Again…so much potential. 

Over the past couple of weeks it has been softening a bit in the bottle as it oxidizes, but I can tell it won’t be enough to take it up any more than a point or two.  I’ll keep ya posted.

Oh yeah…one final note:  Un-chill filtered and bottled over 46%…nice.  Very nice.  We like what Burn Stewart are doing.

Nose:  Too young.  Slightly feinty.  Crème brulee.  White bread.  Cinnamon.  Ginger.  Pepper and dust.  A little bit of orange and lemon.  Oaky, yes…but clean cereals too.  Both creamy and tangy.  So many pleasant notes, but they haven’t had quite enough time to fully realize.  Throw this whisky in a refill hoggy for a few more years and I imagine we’d get something special.

Palate:  A lot of cereal and woody notes.  Very young-ish and spirit-y.  Peppery and still kinda bite-y.  Some grassy notes coming through.  More vanilla.  Soft pudding (tapioca? vanilla?).  Pleasant enough really.  Not there yet, but you can definitely see quality inherent in this one.

Thoughts:  Like an under-ripe banana, this one wasn’t quite ready to be picked yet.  Not nearly as bourbon-esque as I’d feared either, which is a good thing.

Now that I’ve firmly scored myself out of further industry-provided samples…let’s keep moving on.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Talisker 35 y.o. Review

Leave a reply

Talisker 35 y.o.038

54.6% abv

Score:  94/100

 

Here it is.  The well-respected patriarch of the Talisker family.  You may have read others waxing poetically about this one elsewhere online, and they were absolutely justified in doing so.  There’s simply no two ways about it…this is utterly spectacular whisky.

Talisker, much like many of the Diageo brands, has maintained a rather limited range of  expressions for several years now, and even those select few variants that did hit the shelves were often not destined for all markets.  Here in Canada, for example, we’ve been privy only to the 10 y.o. and the Distiller’s Edition.  I’ve had to go south to the US for the 18 year, and the 57° North – up until about two months ago – forget it.  Fingers are still crossed for the Port Ruighe and Storm.

As you may have read here, an opportunity recently arose to taste a brilliant range of very special older Talisker expressions.  These bottles were sourced from far and wide, put aside over the years and uncorked only when the proper occasion arose.  Needless to say, a whisky such as this 35 year old is one that definitely deserves an occasion.  This is a very special dram.  And to the gent who poured it for me…thank you, sir.

Diageo managed only 3,090 bottles from this mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.  The spirit was born in 1977, and bottled in 2012.  So…’70s distillate from a mix of casks…at great age and hefty strength.  What would that lead you to expect?  Personally, I was looking for a whisky with a touch of mellowed peat and smoke, emerging tropicals and a faded peppery note that more often than not defines Talisker.  Interestingly enough, what I got was exactly that.  But the stunning balance and clarity of delivery was the true surprise.  A once in a lifetime whisky.

(Tasting notes from a previous session, wherein this was one of 9 great Talisker releases)

Nose:  Absolutely redolent of fruit.  Like Five Alive fruit juice.  Citrus notes…almost tropical.  Pears in syrup.  A touch of pineapple.  Mild pepper (that Talisker fingerprint is well-faded by this age though).  The sexiest of restrained smoke.  White chocolate.  A beautiful ‘old whisky’ note that almost defies description.  Some mild farmy notes.  And yes…peat.

Palate:  A lot of fruit again.  Some melons this time as well.  Citrus.  The arrival is creamy, but vibrant and tangy with some orange and milk chocolate right up front.  Ginger and pepper prickle and lead into the peat and pepper we expect.  Smoother than silk though.  Absolutely beautiful.

Thoughts:  This is simply magic.  The nose is absolutely ‘to die for’ and the palate is austere, refined and sublime.  One of the all time great whiskies, not just from Talisker, but from any distillery.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Big Peat Cask Strength Review

Leave a reply

Big Peat Cask Strength008

57.1% abv

Score:  85/100

 

I’d initially planned to post this in December, when the subject matter would have been a little more topical, but…as always…other stuff always seemed to take precedent.

Our good friend ‘Peat’ has had a makeover as Santa Clause for the packaging of this cask strength version of our beloved Big Peat from Douglas Laing.  This expression is colloquially referred to as ‘Big Peat Santa’ around here, and event now is readily available if you’re on the hunt.  You won’t have to hunt hard either.  This whisky is instantly recognizable for its graphics, if not its flavour profile this time ’round.

Wait.  What?  Is this the Big Peat we’ve been singing the praises of for a few years now?  Not really, I’m afraid.  The differences are not simply in the horsepower and nuance either, but are woven throughout the DNA of the whisky.  I hate to say it, but this is not even recognizable under the same name as its weaker strength brother.  But maybe it’s all in how you view it.  Maybe I should look at this one differently.  Maybe it’s supposed to be more a variation on a theme than a full strength realization. 

It’s a rare occasion when I’ll take the lower strength dram when there is a beefier offering at hand.  Call it ‘flavour greed’, not alcoholism, if you don’t mind.  Which brings us back to why I’d opt for the standard edition over this…the flavour is simply richer in the mainstay release.

The color this time is as gentle as white wine.  The smoke, though still big, is thinner…less billowy.  The whisky seems less oily and textured.  Where I could pick up on echoes of Port Ellen in the regular bottling, it is absolutely lost in here.  The notes of maturity that surprised in the other bottling are here replaced by younger, underdeveloped tones. 

Don’t get me wrong.  This is still a good dram.  It’s just not nearly as good as what you can find in regular Big Peat.

Nose:  Almond.  Iodine.  Salt and pepper.  Peat.  Smoke.  More chocolate.  More fruit here than on the standard edition.  Orange.  Mixed fruit juices.  Sunflower seeds.  Rubber…like bicycle tires.  Maybe a touch of cola.  Lacks the immediate charm of the original versions at 46%.  Boasts a few feinty notes too, from either very young whisky or a poor middle cut, I’d guess.

Palate:  Smoky and peaty.  Wow…this is a big, fiery young dram.  Some prickly chilis.  Lime.  Pepper, salt and very fresh lively ginger.  Coffee and bitter dark chocolate.  Citrus again.  Very naked actually.  Devolves into wood splinters, dry cocoa, apple skins.

Thoughts:  Still a good dram, but nowhere near the ‘take you by surprise’ charm of the regular edition.  If you’re a fan of the youthful flaming peat bogs, and you love ’em big and pointy as hell (and a l’il bit young), this is your dram.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Big Peat Review

Leave a reply

Big Peat031

46% abv

Score:  89.5/100

 

Let’s talk about marketing savvy.  Big Peat.  A blended malt (vatted malt, damn it!) built from Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Port Ellen.  Hmmm…can you imagine just what exactly the ratios of each of those component malts are in this snazzy l’il dram?  Maybe something along the lines of 85% Caol Ila, 10% Bowmore, 4.95% Ardbeg and 0.05% Port Ellen.  Just a guess. 

My skepticism regarding the addition of Port Ellen is one I imagine to be shared by many out there.  Let’s face it…even the lowest quality casks of Port Ellen are fetching disgusting sums.  Do you really think any company (in this case Douglas Laing) is going to just vat away something that can net hundreds per bottle?  Not so sure.  Either way, this four ingredient recipe is enough to make even the most jaded Islay-phile light up like a little kid at Christmas time.

Big Peat is a unique offering from Douglas Laing, and one which speaks volumes about the blender’s art.  Having four such distinct voices come together in this kind of harmony is magic.   Big kudos to whomever owns the nose that pulled this all together.

And as for ‘Big Peat’ himself…that grizzled and windswept old bastard on the label and I…we’re pretty tight.  We’ve spent several great nights together, including one magical evening in Islay’s best whisky bar, just off Loch Indaal.  A bro-mance made in heaven (or at least Islay). 

All joking aside, don’t be fooled by the rather less than serious packaging.  The cartoon-ery hides a sophistication and quality that are impressive. 

Nose:  The nose alone kinda blows away the early cynicism I may have had.  There are definite Caol Ila notes, but there really ARE notes of mid-20s-ish Port Ellen.  Reminiscent of some of the Douglas Laing OMC expressions in particular.  Maybe I was wrong.  Ardbeg…yeah, I think I’m getting that.  Bowmore…not so sure I’m picking up any notes of Bowmore.  Citrus, smoke and rubber.  Ash.  Salt and pepper.  Soil.  Peat.  A touch of leather.  Briny.  Some chocolate.  A touch of natural caramel.  Iodine.  Faint Lapsang Souchong tea.  Great balance.

Palate:  Citric and smoky.  Like cask strength Caol Ila, with a little more roundness.  Great arrival.  Much peppery punch.  Salt licorice.  Touch of lime zest.  Just vaguely farmy…or maybe just hay.

Thoughts:  Incredibly well integrated.  Incredibly well made.  This is a helluva dram for the price.  If you cannae afford the big guns from Islay in their single malt incarnations…grab a bottle of Big Peat.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Totally Talisker Tasting

5 Replies

Totally Talisker Tasting

On May 23rd of 1905 a young right fielder by the name of Archibald Wright “Moonlight” Graham was called up from the minors to report to the New York Giants.  He rode the bench watching the action until the 29th of June in the same year when, in the bottom of the 8th inning, he was sent out to play deep right, replacing outfielder George Browne.  He closed out the game without having touched the ball or swung a bat, and sadly…that 1 1/2 innings would be the entire extent of Graham’s baseball career.

If this story sounds suspiciously familiar, it’s because it is the very tale that W.P. Kinsella immortalized in his beautiful pastoral ‘Shoeless Joe’ and later became the basis for the blockbuster film ‘Field Of Dreams’.

As the story goes (and this is truth; a great tale of life being better than fiction), Graham went on to become a small town doctor in Chisholm, Minnesota, ultimately affecting the lives of countless people and in the process ultimately becoming a much beloved figure.

Graham never regretted his chosen path in life, but it’s important to note that before the fates stepped in and gently nudged him in this direction, he did step up to the plate when his chance came.  And he did make the most of what was offered.

On the 8th of March, 2014 the major league ‘Gang Of Four’ organized a home run tasting of rare and beautiful Talisker OBs.  Unfortunately the team were down one man, effectively making them a ‘Gang Of Three’.  With their own missing ‘George Browne’, if you will, they had to call up another ‘Moonlight Graham’ of sorts.  That ‘Moonlight Graham’ was yours truly.

 

011

 

My inning and a half in the majors was as memorable as you can imagine.  The company was great…the malts were unforgettable…and the laughs came easy.  All in all, a great event with the G4 (minus one, plus a half). 

The tasting notes below are primarily my own, but when you’re in a roomful of educated whisky enthusiasts nosing and tasting together, with everyone chipping in their notes and suggestions, you’re bound to be influenced.  Not only influenced, but helped along.  So let’s just say that these notes are very healthily propped up by the noses and palates of my three unnamed compadres.

For those interested in a little more detail, I’ll be posting proper individual reviews, with scores, of each of these whiskies in the coming days.  With no further ado…

 

Talisker 20 y.o. 2003

1982/2003     58.8% abv     12,000 bottles     Refill bourbon casks

Nose:  Whoa!  What have we here?  Brora?  Longrow?  Nope.  It is indeed Talisker, but wow, what a variant.  Peppery and farmy.  Some smoke and peat, to be sure.  Notes of eucalyptus and spruce.  Damp hay.  Crabapple tartness.  Salt black licorice.  Lots of spice.  Salted caramel.

Palate:  Earthy and peaty.  Pepper and licorice.  Very salty.  Notes of damp hay and sour apple.  Almost a wine-like note towards the back end as well.  Finishes with long and pleasant oak overtones.

Thoughts:  Very Brora-like.  Surprising as hell.  There was some concern about the quality of cork that came out of this one, but if this is a flawed bottle (and I’m not sayin’ it is), I’m ok with this kind of blemish.  Way better nose than palate, I should add.

 

Talisker 25 y.o. 2005

57.2% abv     15,600 bottles     Refill American and European oak

Nose:  Very creamy.  Whiffs of smoke and subdued peat.  Some neat ‘toasted’ notes as well.  Maybe peach.  Soft cream pie.  Pear and pepper.  Lemon and salt.  Mature notes of old books and such.

Palate:  The arrival and early delivery are creamy as hell.  Crème brûlée-ish almost.  Pepper and peat.  Fruit syrup.  Salt and licorice.  Some seriously amped peppered pear and apple notes.  Very big and alive.

Thoughts:  Great dialogue between the nose and palate.  Exceptional ‘young’ old Talisker.

 

005

Talisker 25 y.o. 2008

54.2% abv     6,708 bottles     Refill American and European oak

Nose:  Pepper.  Briny seaside notes.  Smoked oysters in oil.  And a touch of smoke, in general.  Grassy and herbal.  Chocolate and honey…kinda like a Toblerone, I guess.  Honeydew melon and cantaloupe.  Citrus.  Graham cracker crust.  Paint/latex.

Palate:  Great arrival.  Peaty, peppery and perfectly Talisker.  Granny smith apple and lemon juice.  Some licorice.  Nice firm oak notes.  This one is a stayer.  Hangs around for eons.

Thoughts:  Another absolutely great Talisker, but I prefer the ’05 edition to this ’08.  Now just need to try any in between…

 

Talisker 27 y.o. 1985

1985/2013     56.1% abv     3,000 bottles     Refill American oak

Nose:  Creamy caramel, with some beautiful fruits.  Primarily of the orange-ish tropical variety.  Roman Nougat candy.  Pepper.  Brine and shellfish.  Those beautiful old wax/paint/latex notes that define great old whiskies.  Orange and other citrus notes.  Wood smoke.  Mild peat.  A faint touch of rubber at the back end as it develops.

Palate:  Some rather farmy notes.  Coffee with dark chocolate.  Orange and lemon.  Salt and pepper, as we’d expect.  Not just pepper though, but some chili as well.  Peat.  Not quite as fruity as the nose promises, but

Thoughts:  A beautiful old gem.  A mate couldn’t get over how ‘Maritime’ this was, and indeed it says so right on the bottle.  I can’t help but agree.  This is a great age for Talisker.

 

029

Talisker 30 y.o. 2009

53.1% abv     3,000 bottles     Refill American and European oak

Nose:  Peaches.  Buckets of peaches.  Smoke, but very soft.  Chocolate of three kinds: white, dark and milk.  Pepper, of course…this is Talisker, after all.  Salt.  This is very soft and restrained on the peat notes.  Great fruits here.  Kinda like canned fruit cocktail, cherries n’ all.

Palate:  Starts off creamy, but dries out fairly quickly.  Never hits the depths of tannic dry-mouth, but definitely leaves the sides of the mouth a little puckered.  Much salt and pepper.  The fruits are still here.  Melon and some borderline tropical notes.  The peach is less prevalent, but still there and very pleasant.

Thoughts:  A beautiful old salty dog of a Talisker.  Not quite as great as the 2010 edition, but hey…we’re talking single point differences.  In short…exceptional.

 

Talisker 30 y.o. 2010

57.3% abv     2,958 bottles     Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry refill casks

Nose:  Soft white fruits.  A heaping helping of peaches.  Fruit cocktail.  Just a hint of strawberry.  Beyond the fruits there are notes of smoke, peat and pepper, of course.  Latex and wax and old book aromas show the age of this one.  More soft fruits.  Clean white fluor-y notes.  Beautiful light spices.  Rather soft and friendly.  Love it.

Palate:  Wow…what a delivery.  All the promises made by the nose are kept by the palate.  Dark cacao and white chocolate bring an initial softness.  Then we move into pepper, ginger and chili.  Citrus and mild licorice notes.  Salty toffee.  Oak and fresh hay.

Thoughts:  Incredible harmony.  One of the top three Talisker I’ve ever met.

038

Talisker 35 y.o. 2012

1977/2012     54.6% abv     3,090 bottles     Refill ex-bourbon American oak and ex-sherry European oak casks

Nose:  Absolutely redolent of fruit.  Like Five Alive fruit juice.  Citrus notes…almost tropical.  Pears in syrup.  A touch of pineapple.  Mild pepper (that Talisker fingerprint is well-faded by this age though).  The sexiest of restrained smoke.  White chocolate.  A beautiful ‘old whisky’ note that almost defies description.  Some mild farmy notes.  And yes…peat.

Palate:  A lot of fruit again.  Some melons this time as well.  Citrus.  The arrival is creamy, but vibrant and tangy with some orange and milk chocolate right up front.  Ginger and pepper prickle and lead into the peat and pepper we expect.  Smoother than silk though.  Absolutely beautiful.

Thoughts:  This is simply magic.  The nose is absolutely ‘to die for’ and the palate is austere, refined and sublime.  One of the all time great whiskies, not just from Talisker, but from any distillery.

 

Talisker 20 y.o. 2002

1981/2002     62% abv     9,000 bottles     Sherry casks

Nose:  Crème caramel.  Pepper and mocha.  Smoke.  Sweet and syrupy.  Salted caramel.  A neat barbecue note, from the sweetness of the sherry mingling with the peppery peat.  Touch of rubber.  Dark rich fruits (cherry, blackberry, etc) in dark chocolate.  Peaty and smoky.  Some lemon and salt too.

Palate:  Oily and viscous.  Barbecue notes again.  Red ju-jubes.  Charred honey ham skin.  Peat, pepper, smoke and salt.  A lot of vibrant red fruits.  The delivery is like velvet.  There is no way I’d ever peg this as boasting an abv of 62%.  Gorgeous drink with a looooooooong finish.

Thoughts:  Amazing.  Stunning really.  Right in my wheelhouse.  If only this were still readily available.  I’d be doing my utmost to stock up.  This is a ‘wow’ whisky.

 

Talisker 57° North 2013

57% abv     Refill American oak

Thoughts:  This was thrown in at the end, simply because someone wanted to try it.  Sadly, I can’t put scores or tasting notes here on this last one.  We realized too late that it was grossly out of its league in this hall of fame company.  I’m sure it was likely a good drink, but…until I taste it in relative stead, I simply can’t speak to it.  I’ll come back to this one at some point in the future.

 

Sincere thanks to the G4 for the invite to this one.  I know they prefer to maintain their anonymity, and I will repect that, but suffice it to say they are all true gentlemen.  Cheers for a memorable occasion, gents! 

 

– Words:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Review

3 Replies

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban221

46% abv

Score:  83/100

 

Quinta Ruban is the port finished variant in the Glenmorangie core range.  For this lovely pink-hued l’il honey, Dr. Bill Lumsden and co. have taken their 10 year old Glenmorangie and re-casked it into port pipes for a couple extra years.  This additional step serves to knock back some of the creamy vanilla and orange notes a step or two and brings forth a rather bold, albeit very ‘manufactured’, fruitiness.

As always, the big question with whiskies like this is whether or not the extra maturation actually enhances the drink or if well enough should have been left alone.  I’m a bit of a purist at heart, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have 1) an insatiable sense of curiosity and 2) an open mind if it actually works.  In point of fact Quinta Ruban does work if you like bold sweetness.  It’s a well put together dram with a fairly singular profile.  Having said that…it really doesn’t work for me.

I can’t help but think that maybe 6 months or so is really all that is needed to sweeten this up a tick instead of letting it stew for two full cycles ’round the sun.  Glenmorangie, in its more naked state, is a light and pure whisky, owing much to the incredible degree of reflux in their towering stills, so why weigh it down with the heavy cloakings of fortified wine?  Six months would have been an enhancement, much like a simple diamond necklace against the throat of a beautiful woman.  Two years is more like the gaudy tonnage of gold rope chains ’round the neck of Mr. T.  Hope this makes some sort of sense.  Elegance through restraint.

I concede it’s always fun to try the variants, but at the end of the day…I’ll take the Glenmorangie Original 10 y.o. over this bad boy any day of the week.  Quinta Ruban gets passing grades, but not a lot more.

Nose:  Cinnamon.  Jam or jelly, sugared fruit notes.  Orange…maybe blood orange.  Shortbread.  Passion fruit with lemon.  Almost a cotton candy note in here.  Very fruity, but in a synthetic fruit kinda way.  Danishes with jammy fruit filling.  Butter cream.  Maybe raspberry coulis.  Some florals as well.

Palate:  Not as overtly pleasant as the nose, but quite alright.  Very sweet, but it dries out the inner cheeks and back of the tongue in relatively short order.  Quite wine rich.  Kinda plummy.  A touch of ginger.

Thoughts:  All in all, a little too sweet for my liking, but that doesn’t mean a bad dram.  Contrarily, it’s nice enough and would likely be a good gateway drink between the world of wines and the world of spirits.  Ultimately though – if you’re considering a bottle from the extra-matured Glenmorangie range – stick with the Nectar D’Or.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt