Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Bunnahabhain 8 y.o. MacPhail’s Collection Review

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Bunnahabhain 8 y.o. MacPhail’s Collection

43% abv

Score:  78/100

 

What the hell have we here?  One of the oddest Bunnahabhains I’ve ever encountered, to be sure.  If you told me this was a Lowlander I’d believe you.  If you handed this to me blind and suggested it was an Islay malt, I’d likely look for the men with the butterfly nets.  This in and of itself kinda speaks volumes as to the footprint Bunnahabhain leaves.  The distillery’s reputation is almost a non-reputation.  Shame, really.  Bunna releases some damn fine whiskies.  Especially in recent years under the ownership of Burn Stewart.

Here, of course, we’re not speaking of a Burn Stewart release, but instead of an independent bottling by Gordon & MacPhail.  A freakishly young one at that.  Eight years old and absolutely no pretense of playing ‘grown up’.  I sort of dig it though.  It’s neat to try such a young naked Bunnahabhain.

This one is lively and light.  The oak is still screaming like mad at this age.  Vanilla is skipping along hand in hand, as to be expected from such a young dram still obviously under the influence of a very vocal cask.  Spiced bread dough straight from an old country kitchen.  Rather typical Bunnahabhain pear.  Floral notes, ginger, pepper and cinnamon.  Finally…salt water taffee.

Thin and decidedly lacking any real personality on the palate.  Not bad, but…just not much to speak of.  Oak and tart green fruit.  Again…I would never peg this as a Bunnahabhain.

To be honest…a little too little of anything special going on to really sink your teeth into and love.  But I do rather like it anyway.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Bunnahabhain 30 y.o. Old Malt Cask Review

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Bunnahabhain 30 y.o. Old Malt Cask

50% abv

Score:  91/100

 

1978-2009 in wood.  One of 566 bottles.

This is the oldest Bunnahabhain I’ve tried to date.  Interestingly enough, the profile is almost exactly what I would expect from an old Bunna.  It’s almost uncanny, especially considering this is an independent release.

Admittedly I have a bit of a soft spot for Bunnahabhain.  On an island renowned for its peat and smoke monsters, Bunnahabhain is the soft-spoken gentle giant.  Quiet of tread, yet decidedly assured.  This immediately endears me to a malt that stands on its own merit, and not on the back of a profile that just so happens to tickle my tastebuds (that of beefy peat and billowy smoke).

This old Islay gent gives us a nose of stewed fruits and a wee bit of smoke.  Some creamy caramel and sweet old sherry notes.  Mincemeat tarts and dry rye bread.  Rich liqueur-soaked pears.  ‘Age’, as much as that is actually a flavor note in and of itself.  This borders on being a beautiful nose, really something special, but in the end only toes the line.

On the palate…a little skunky.  Bitterness blocks the fruits that are bouncing around and trying desperately to peek over it’s shoulder.  Not nearly as sweet as the nose hints at.  Sharp dates and currants.  Still good, but sadly…a letdown.

I think locally this retailed for about $200CA.  Absolutely worthwhile.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Macallan 12 y.o. Sherry Oak Review

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Macallan 12 y.o. Sherry Oak

40% abv

Score:  86.5/100

 

Admittedly I am a little hard on Macallan.  One of the most revered distilleries in Scotland, with one of the most storied reputations, and…one of the highest price points.  These factors make it impossible not to expect a damn good whisky from Speyside’s iconic Macallan.  Oh yeah…and it struts about under the title of “THE Macallan”.

I must say first and foremost that this is a great nosing whisky.  If you need something to practice scent dissection with, this is your dram.  Chock full of bold and assertive notes, none of which is buried so deep that peeling them out becomes a chore.

A wallop of heavy-handed sherry right out front.  Mild milk chocolate with orange, nutmeg and almond (or marzipan).  Slightly floral and fudgy.  Dark caramel with a wee sour green apple tang.  Some vanilla, a little smokiness, some woods and a bit of distant maltiness.  With this many individual strands it creates quite an interesting pastiche in the end, but somehow it works.

This arrival is large, oaky and tannic.  Big sherry and dark red fruits.  Across-the-room smoke and a fairly unremarkable ebb and fade.  Somewhat middle-of-the-road in terms of viscosity, but that suits this whisky, as it isn’t necessary here to douse the taste buds to pick out the strong flavors.  Not uncharming though, in its own way.

Not a bad drink, this one simply lacks the charisma I’d expect a Macallan to possess.  An early evening sipper with a Steinbeck novel in hand.

         

– Reviewed by:  Curt

-Photo:  Curt

Bruichladdich Rocks Review

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Bruichladdich Rocks

46% abv

Score:  83/100

 

I’m not sure how a whisky is ‘designed’ to be taken with ice, but that is the spin Bruichladdich has put on ‘Rocks’.  What was different in the engineering of this malt that makes it work against the scientific principles that suggest that a whisky will ‘close up’ by adding ice?  Hm…curiouser and curiouser.

Anyway…moving on.  Regular readers will know by now that my humble thoughts and tasting notes are quite purist.  There is no ‘with water’ or ‘without water’ delineation.  There is no mixing to concoct a cocktail.  There is certainly nowhere on ATW where I suggest you should use ice in whisky.

Irrespective of what Jim McEwan’s (bless ‘im, I love the man) intent was for Rocks, we’ll be going at ‘er in the purest sense possible; room temperature whisky, nosing glass, with a slight agitation of the spirit and proper nosing techniques.  I kind of look at it the same way I look at a well-written song.  You know a song is rock solid when you can jam away at it in all different styles and interpretations and it still sounds good.  If Rocks is a well-made dram, it won’t need ice to make it better.

(Note to self:  “Careful, now, careful…don’t twist an ankle climbing down off your soapbox”)

Fortunately, Bruichladdich has a really good base spirit to work with.  What comes off the stills at Loch Indaal’s rebellious distillery, infamous for its teal/turquoise, is a charming buttery, fruit-rich spirit that is extremely versatile.

Nose…

Young and scrappy, but not bad at all.  Some oxidation works wonders here.  A little chocolate, a little wine.  Some gooseberry and wildflower.  Kinda jammy, and fairly sweet and floral.  Yeasty and peppery.

Palate…

Grapes, pepper and oak.  Mildly tannic and drying.  Pleasant and easy to drink, with a bittersweet barley finish.

I quite came round to this one after a little initial warming-to period.  None too shabby for a young drink.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Mortlach 70 Review

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Gordon & MacPhail Generations Mortlach 70

46.1% abv

Score:  94.5/100

 

Things like this aren’t supposed to happen.  Not here.  Not to me.

Last week a serendipitous meeting with Andy Dunn, representing Gordon & MacPhail, led to a series of conversations regarding the possibility of a feature article on the already legendary Mortlach 70 year old.  I was hoping to take some photos, put together some details and let the Great Northwest know that Calgary was now in possession of the world’s oldest bottled whisky.  In all honesty, I was also hoping to be able to nose this revered old chap and write up a partial review (partial, as I had no expectations of actually tasting it), as I mentioned to Andy.  Brazen to even ask, I suppose.  Andy not only graciously agreed to the shoot and nosing, he said something that sounded conspicuously like “I’ll let you taste it”.  My stunned ears could not quite comprehend this, and my belief was held in suspense ’til the following day.

Fast forward several hours and I found myself in a back room of one of my favorite whisky shops in the company of this wizened old dram, snapping photos and being…well…stunned, to be frank.

All Things Whisky is both proud and humbled to be able to offer up tasting notes on the world’s oldest whisky.

In a further nod to the fates…this 70 year old whisky is ATW’s 70th review.

On October 15th, 1938 a first fill sherry hogshead, cask number 2656, was filled at the Mortlach distillery in Dufftown.  I don’t think anyone could have possibly imagined the contents of this cask would lay undisturbed as 70 years of tumultuous world history unfolded, only to become history itself.  In spectacular tribute and to celebrate this whisky’s 70th birthday, it was decanted into 54 70cl bottles and 162 20 cl bottles.  As you can imagine, these are available at somewhat of a premium on the market.  This history-making botting was done under the Gordon & MacPhail Generations line.  The idea behind ‘Generations’ is to release whisky laid down by one generation and bottled by its successor.  In the case of the Mortlach 70, this whisky actually spans three generations.

Detailed history of this G&M Mortlach has been available far and wide for some time now (including a great video here, and an ATW feature inthe works) so we’ll cut it a little short and share a few notes on ATW’s personal impressions, ’cause let’s face it…sadly there are not likely to be too many people writing up tasting notes on this one.

The nose:

Simply unbelievable.  Never in a million years (or maybe just 70) would I ever guess this whisky to be the age it boasts.  While mature in every manner expected, it sparkles with vibrancy and life.  Think of films you’ve seen where make-up is used to age a character, but the youthful eyes are always a dead give-away in spite of the costumer’s best efforts.  Mellow…but dynamic.

The oak, which one would expect to not only dominate at this age but absolutely decimate the other notes, is certainly a defining character, but in an elegant and refined way.  The biggest surprise was how gorgeously smoky this whisky is.  Not the peat smoke we’ve come to recognize; instead more like tendrils of rich camp fire smoke.  The fruits are ancient and fruitcake-like in their bold intensity.  Mostly prune or fig.  The other standard fruitcake notes are omnipresent as well; caramelized sugars bring a rum-like edge and are topped with an almond/marzipan creaminess.  Finally, there is a rubbery or waxy note which is an absolute defining character of this Mortlach.

The palate:

Again the oak arrives with an understated smokiness and a dusty maturity.  Sweet caramels and mild vanilla are the initial charm, while the more seductive dry figgyness (could that be a word?) sneaks all over the place leaving its mark.  God…I salivate at the memory.  When the glass is finally dry (and your eyes moist, knowing you’ll likely never taste it again), the finish fades, warm and familiar.  All pleasant but not overly long.  Well…not long enough anyway.  You simply won’t want to let it go.

Sigh.  Gone.  It is staggering that this whisky is so perfectly intact after 70 years.  I’m truly in awe.  Is it the best whisky I’ve tasted?  No.  Not quite.  One of them?  You bet.  These flavors may never be duplicated, and to have sampled this whisky is a fulfillment I can hardly explain.

You simply could not ask more of a 70 year old whisky.

Keep checking the site here.  I am waiting on a few more details, at which point ATW will post a lengthier piece on Gordon & MacPhail’s legendary Mortlach.

One final word…thanks again, Andy.  This is one of those things I’ll remember for a lifetime.  You gave that to me.  Slainte.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Review

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Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70

45.9% abv

 

Score:  92/100

 

I’ve been at sixes and sevens with a respected mate of mine as to how good this whisky is (or isn’t).  I contest ‘winner’.  He accedes ‘not bad’.  Damning with faint praise, really, when one considers the magnitude of the malt we are debating.  This is the second in Gordon & MacPhail’s Generations line, a 1940 Glenlivet.  Following hard on the heels of last year’s spectacular 1938 Mortlach, this ‘Livet is again a case study in dispelling all preconceptions of inevitable over-oaking of whisky when left too long in the barrel.  How the hell can something sit in wood for 70 years without coming out tasting like bitter wood chips?  Mind-boggling.

The argument said mate puts forth is that simply surviving this long does not a good malt make.  He is, of course, absolutely correct.  Where he takes the low road and I take the high ( ;)  ) is in regards to the inherent quality of this wizened old whisky.  I stand behind it…this is a really damn good whisky.

Cask #339 was a first fill sherry butt casked in 1940 with Glenlivet new make spirit.  After sitting in the warehouses at the Glenlivet distillery for 40 years, Gordon & MacPhail acquired the barrel on the 10th of June, 1980.  The decision to leave this whisky in wood was a brilliant one.  A further 30 years passed while this cask lay biding its time in the hallowed halls of the G&M warehouses.  What was finally decanted for 2011 was another fountain-of-youth miracle from Gordon & MacPhail.  One hundred 70cl and one hundred and seventy five 20cl bottles saw the light of day this year, with a further hundred or so held for 2012.

It is hard not to note, as well, that at 70 years, and with an evaporation loss of about 2/3 of the cask, this spirit was still a respectable 45.9% abv.  Again…astounding.  I would have expected this to have been well below bottling strength by this age.

The years are worn proudly in the way of candlewax, char, warm leather and deep smoky oak notes.  Soft toffee and melting chocolate are forefront.  There is a surprising spice that runs perfectly in step alongside threads of orange.  Muted berry, vanilla bean and creamy caramel meat smoke round out the profile.  The ultimate triumph here is how restrained the wood really is.  This whisky may not be too far from the tipping point but at 70 years old it still has not reached the point of being over-oaked.

The palate is rubbery and waxy, rich in a kerosene smokiness.  It is oily and mouthcoating, with fruits still alive against all odds.  The development is slow and comfortable.  Waxy wood notes linger and tart fruit skins recede slowly through the fade.  The finish is long, mature and incredibly drying.  I should add…when the dram is done, the empty glass has a unique character all its own…a charming sweet smoky caramel.

This is a malt that takes me away to lakeside cabins in the fall…Canadian autumns and early snows.

That G&M has been able to release two 70 year old whiskies in the past year or so, speaks volumes about their warehouses.  When asked recently about further releases in this Generations range, Michael Urquhart neatly sidestepped, confirming only that this is indeed a range.  Short answer…yes…the G&M stores hold more mindblowing malts in varying stages of age-defying suspended animation.

Is this as good as last year’s Mortlach?  Nae.  Is it good though?  Undoubtedly.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Tomintoul 12 y.o. Oloroso Review

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Tomintoul 12 y.o. Oloroso

40% abv

Score:  87.5/100

 

Tomintoul.  Not a distillery we’ve seen much from in Canada.  Recently a few expressions docked on this side of the pond and made their way from the waterside to my landlocked neighborhood here in Calgary.  Hopefully this is a full-on emmigration experience and not a once over trip.  Gotta be honest, this was a really, really pleasant surprise.

The most lively and spriteful of Oloroso sherry casks have spent about 18 months rounding off the initial period of bourbon maturation for this youthful Speyside malt, giving it a Peter Pan ‘forever young’ type of vivacity.  Neat.

Oloroso almost seems a cheat to me.  It is so sweet and tangy that it immediately adds a level of playfulness to a spirit often thought of as a stuffy old boy’s club kind of drink.  PX is a little like a dessert wine.  Manzanilla can be a wee bit tart still and drying.  But Oloroso…Oloroso is more like a cherry popsicle on a hot summer’s day.  Sweet…juicy…refreshing.  The only problem I have with it is that I always find myself wondering how  decent the base spirit is before this sherry finish sweetens it all out.

Nose:

Sweet, sweet oloroso.  Fruity as hell.  Home-y notes of hot cross buns.  Sugary raisin, crunchy berry and oranges.  Cherry lollipop.  This was exceptional sherry casking.  Not a faulty cask anywhere to be found here.

Arrives with a sweet juicy flare and big pleasant tingle.  Juicy as hell and had my mouth watering straight off.  For a young whisky…this is really damn good.  It loses a little on the finish, but everything that came before more than makes up for it.

Scores an extra point or so for how vibrant and balanced this is at this age.  At 21…I fear to think

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Amrut Portonova Review

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Amrut Portonova

62.1% abv

Score:  92/100

 

What the hell are they doing in Bangalore?  Really?  This whisky is simply stunning.  So good, in fact, I question whether there may be something dark and clandestine at work.  Something akin to that crossroads meet where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil.

Here we have another young(ish) Amrut (but fear not…they all are), strutting its coat of many colors, and once more…dazzling the senses of  everyone I know that has tried it.  Possibly none moreso than yours truly.

What I wouldn’t give to taste the Amrut New Make spirit.  The skeleton of this distillery’s whisky shows through in every expression they release.  That tells me that the spirit itself, irrespective of any cask/maturation influence, is where the heart of Amrut lies.  If anyone can get a bit of this newborn liquid into my hands, I will be infinitely grateful.

Now…at an average of six years (according to the international face of Amrut, Ashok Chokalingam, as mentioned on Scotchnoob), the Portonova is again smashing preconceptions in the ‘older is better’ debate.  This is mature sooooooo far beyond its years.  Having said that, the temperate Indian environment certainly forces a new philosophy on aging.  I’m pretty sure anything left in situ in the Amrut warehouse would be nothing but cask dust by the time it reached the dozen or so years that generally characterizes a ‘young’ Scottish malt.

The nose boasts the most spectacular melange of spices.  Truly this is a flavor profile unlike anything I have ever encountered.  The closest to this deep dark mysterious note I’ve ever found (excepting other Amrut’s) would be in the Yamazaki 18.  Orange and a complex figginess (not quite) meets the richest of Swiss milk chocolate.  Dark over-ripe fruits, juicy and foreign.  Sweet soft crumbly sugar cookies and something infinitely creamy.  Yes…even at 62.1%.  Port?  Ummm…ok.  I’ll take your work for it, though this is not truly port-ish.  A few others have mentioned raspberries.  Hmmm…I can see it.

A delivery of pure warm melted chocolate and foreign spice.  freshly shaved orange zest.  Biscuity (or raisin scone perhaps).  Perfect balance and a marvelous explosion on the tongue.

These guys simply play at another level.  I find myself nearly tongue-tied by this distillery, and have since the first time I tasted the Fusion.  Never have I had such trouble wrapping my head around whisky.  What comes out of India leaves me as flabbergasted as the folks outside of Wonka’s great factory.  Delights not found from any other producer.

Barring possibly Ardbeg, there is not a better distillery on earth.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Bunnahabhain 18 y.o. Review

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Bunnahabhain 18 y.o.139

46.3% abv

Score:  91.5/100

 

No beating around the bush.

I adore this whisky.  Where the old Bunna 18 seemed somehow flat and lifeless, this is vibrant and sparkling.  It is not only incredibly relevant, but a welcome addition to the Islay malt stable, something I think Bunnahabhain has struggled with in recent years.  Most whisky drinkers, when asked about Islay malts, will wax poetic about Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Lagavulin.  Others may think of the rebellious Bruichladdich or fledgling Kilchoman.  Not many immediately think of Bunnahabhain, the island’s most lightly-peated offering.

Bunnahabhain has never been bad, it has simply been overshadowed and under-hyped.  My personal approach to Bunna was that if I was going to spend money on an unpeated (or lightly peated) whisky, there were far better ‘bang-for-your-buck’ drams on the market.  Bunna has kicked that approach out the window with its recent facelift.

Here is the 18 year old expression, non-chill-filtered, and bottled at a perfectly suited 46.3% abv.

Though I believe all whiskies should be served up in this manner, it holds particularly true for the older vintages, which need the oomph of a higher alcohol content to let all of those sexy flavor notes and subtle complexities carry a little more heft.  Bunna 18 is a prime example of this theory.  Older than it’s years and just starting to show that waxy age, this is a malt that is unquestionably Islay, but unmistakeably unique.

The nose is smoke and sherry.  Ashy peat.  Pear and sweet banana cream.  Some sort of orchard fruit.  Honey and vanilla.  Stunning interplay at work here.

First sips…

Wow, what a mouthful.  You can feel the oily tentacles exploring every oral crevice.  This is a gooey, chewy malt full of smoke, sherried honey oak and a complex tapestry of spritely fruits.   This is maturity and youthful zest in perfect harmony.  Kinda like a mix tape (showing my age here) with the odd classic sprinkled in amongst a hatful of new indie bands.

The finish is thick and solid and lingers.  Lovely.

There is something quirky and odd about this one.  Something akin to a distinguished old man wandering the halls of a nursing home with his ass hanging out the back of his dressing gown.  Bearing both age and zip, this Lazarus act is one of the whisky sphere’s greatest miracles in recent years.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Port Ellen 9th Release Review

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Port Ellen 9th Release070

57.7% abv

Score:  92.5/100

I  waited many a long day to both taste and review a Port Ellen. In  point of fact I actually turned down an opportunity to taste this expression a  while back simply because I had already beaten up on my palate earlier that eve  with a few other Islay malts. It just seemed like a waste. Put simply, Port Ellen is a malt that deserves undivided attention and an unbiased palate. Its pedigree, value (subjective or otherwise) and reputation demand respect.

That being said…this also insinuates a lot of pressure and expectation on PE to deliver and be exceptional. Is it? Well…

At this point I can’t even pretend to hide my bias. I have a junkie’s  weakness for Islay malts. Peat is like a vice. Or more accurately, the smoky heft and majesty of these medicinal malts is like a vice. All eight of Islay’s working distilleries have produced whiskies that have charmed the socks off of me. Now let’s look at a dram from a distillery no longer producing.

Amid the economic tumult of the early 80s (1983, to be exact), Port Ellen was the most heartbreaking of casualties. A distillery that simply fell victim to surplus, as United Distillers elected to retain Caol Ila and Lagavulin and let the doors swing shut on Port Ellen forever. Oftentimes when a distillery is closed the possibility of the phoenix act is still a reality. The distillery may lay dormant, mothballed, as time marches on, awaiting a new owner with deeper pockets and bigger dreams. Port Ellen, unfortunately, is history. The distillery that  once produced Islay’s most cult and collectible spirit is now a maltings that supplies malted barley to the island’s operational distilleries.

Fortunately, stocks of Port Ellen are still to be found. Oft released as indie  bottlings at neutered abv’s, it is a treat to see releases like the Diageo Port Ellens. In this particular case we are looking at a 30 year old whisky at a still  impressive 57.7%. This presentation allows us to see Port Ellen in  all ‘er glory.  And she is lovely.

The nose is typical of Islay. There is a somewhat fragile and ephemeral quality here. Slightly surprising when you consider bottling strength. A most trusted friend (the incomparable Maltmonster) suggested the closest one would get to a Port  Ellen would be Caol Ila. I see where he was coming from. The same delicacy I’ve noted in regards to that malt is to be found here as well.

Nose: Melon. Jolly Ranchers. Briny seaside fire. Light waves of  chocolate. A hint of something still fresh that adds to that fragility. Almost like a faded eucalyptus. There is a sexy maturity at play here. Age becomes almost a note in and of  itself. Citrus. The peat and smoke are soft, but grow with time. Slightly rubbery. Candy notes. Syrupy white fruits. Berries (someone said blackberries?)

Palate: Here is the peat that was subdued on the nose. Lime zest. A neat sweetness. Bubblegum, almost? Herbal, yet spicy. Lapsang souchong tea as it develops. Ash and tar. Smoke is all over the palate. Rubbery wax. Licorice at the back end until it finally ebbs into that tart peaty green apple skin familiarity.

Thoughts: Sweet, but the palate explodes with smoke. Somewhat bittersweet to drink this piece of history, as I’ve acknowledged before. On the one hand, fortunate to have experienced it. On the other…well…when it’s  gone…it’s really gone. Did it live up to my (high) expectations? Indeed.  Here is the hype of Port Ellen vindicated.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt