Month: December 2016

Whisky 2016 – Favourites of 2016

179 Whiskies done this year. Here are my top 5 in no particular order. 

89 – Spencer Collings & Co The Founders Release
Brown sugar, dark toffee, honey comb, sarsaparilla, marshmallow, vanilla. Honey, toffee, caramel, dark malt cake. Stunning heavy whisky.

102 – Ben Nevis The Whisky Agency 2013 1995 18 Years
Old leather, cake mix, almonds, green herbs, hazelnuts, as it opens up more and more cake mix – it is stunning. Slow to start but this amazingly long cake mix thing which lasts and lasts, apricot jam in a cake.

109 – Springbank 12 1990s bottling
Christmas cake, dusty and fruity, brandy, brown sugar, salty butter, rose hips, egg white, apricot . Huge butter, caramel and rubber, coffee, apricot delight, passion fruit. Brilliant.

136 – The Whisky Agency Ben Nevis 17 Years 1996 for The Mash Tun
Sweat (in a good way), caramel, salt, marmalade, creme brûlée, honey ice cream, baked potatoes. Tropical fruit, ice coffee, salt, butter in coffee, egg custard. Wonderful.

150 – 2 of 3 Heartwood
Chocolate mousse, cocoa, stewed apple, toasted malt, rose petals, flat coke, egg custard, pancakes with maple syrup and ice cream. Toasted malt, roasted corn, sarsaparilla, brown butter, raspberry soda, milk coffee. Wonderful.

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Whisky 2016 – 175-179

175 – Old Masters Burnside (Balvenie) 2007 Bourbon Cask 86
New make, honey, salt, slight butter and strawberry jam on white bread, caramel slice, coconut, Seville oranges. Hot caramel and apricot jam, cream, tobacco.

176 – Signatory Edradour for La Maison Du Whisky 2005 Oloroso Sherry Butt Cask 19
Musk, rubber, wood, sugar, maple syrup, glue. Dusty and beef bones, sugar, slight flinty and ashy note.

177 – Chapter 7 Miltonduff 2008 6 Years
Buttery, maple, honey. Charcoal, wood, honey, honey, honey, lpg, salt, butter, cherries, leather

178 – Cooper’s Choice Glen Keith 1993 Madeira Cask finish, Cask 9153
Black bananas, pancakes, peaches, rock melon, chocolate, yeast. Lollies and stone fruit, kiwi fruit, butter and cream, brown bread, beer,

179 – The First Editions Glenburgie 1998
Wax, stone fruit, apples, musk, orange zest. Green tea, peaches, tropical fruits, butter, apricot jam.

Whisky 2o16 – 171-174

171 – Old Malt Cask 1997 Auchentoshan for The Mashtun
Malt, clover, lemon zest, cocoa, hand cream, slight gluey note. Sweet and milky like condensed milk, salty, milk chocolate, cream, cold butter, cloves

172 – Gordon & MacPhail Glenturret 2004 for Gilles Club Australia
Gravy, beef, maple syrup, leather and cigars. Sarsaparilla, butter, brown sugar, cloves, salt, heavy and friendly.

173 – Ichiro’s Malt ‘Malt Dream Cask’ 2008 Cask 200 Bourbon Barrel
Vanilla cake, strawberry jam, green grass, flat coke, cream. Pineapple, brown sugar, malt, salt, tropical fruits, cream, wonderful long finish, cloves, melted butter, fruit cake fried in butter.

174 – Bowmore Voyage Port Cask Bottle 0143
Toffee, properly good bacon, salt, garden peas with mint. Caramels, roses, salt, licorice, musk, salt, medicinal, tansy cakes.

Whisky 2016 – 165-170

165 – Asta Morris Ben Nevis 1996 19 Years Cask AM043
Pancakes, pine resin, stewed fruit, chocolate. Apricot jam, herbaceous, salted butter, pineapple upside down cake, mint.

166 – Cooper’s Choice Ben Nevis 1996 Port Cask Cask9152
Honey and salted butter on crumpets, rose petals, leather, flinty, maple syrup, gooseberries and cream. Musk lollies, salt, maple syrup loads of apple syrup, light maple syrup.

167 – Blackadder Black Snake V9-1st Blended First Venom
Woody and heady, a galvanized fence, stewed stone fruit, nori, maple syrup, leather and wood polish. Wonderful mouthful, heavily, honey, cream, sarsaparilla, cake spices, vanilla.

168 – Eld Vatten Aberlour 2009 PX Hogshead Cask SE064
Chicos, wood, grapes, meaty and spices, red apple, dried apricots, metallic. Slightly rubbery, cherries, melted salted butter, medicine, maple syrup, sweet paprika.

169 – Eld Vatten Glentauchers 2008 Sherry Butt SE065
Maple syrup, slated corn chips, chicos, wood polish, white pepper. Melted butter, salt, cloves, water (I know that is weird) maybe ozone?!?!, honey, toffee.

170 – Gordon & Macphail Clynelish 2001
Rubber, match heads, marmalade, apricot jam. Egg nog, salt, licorice, white chocolate.

Whisky 2016 – 162-164 The Elysian Bar opening

Some dear friends of mine Kelvin and Yao have opened The Elysian Bar about 2 minutes walk from my house. It is most excellent – I am sure I will have many a happy night there. Congrats guys!

162 – Ben Nevis 16 1997 by Maltbarn
Apricots, meringue, caramels, strawberry mousse. Stewed apricots, vanilla cream, pepper, Xmas spices, marmalade.

163 – Macduff 25 Years The Whisky Barrel
Overripe bananas, salted caramel, maple syrup. Egg whites, cream, coffee

164 – Tormore 29 Fighting Fish Jack Weibers
Woody pancakes with banana, buttered walnuts, retsina, chocolate. Egg custard, peaches, white chocolate, licorice.

And… I had these two but didnt take notes so they don’t count for the year but I wanted to boast. Both were sensational drops. 
Tormore 1988 27 years
Nikka 2001 Single Cask (120449)


Whisky 2016 – 152-161 Kilchoman Tasting

152 – Kilchoman Bourbon (Buffalo Trace) Cask Sample 2006
Autumn leaves, glue, white pepper, stewed apple, caramel. Mulch, salt, slight medicinal hit, vanilla, tinned peaches, potato chips.

153 – Kilchoman Cask Strength Quarter Cask
Caramel, leaves, salt, hand cream, apple pie. Beautifully medicinal and sweetness, chestnut honey, green herbs, nori and salty potato chips.

154 – Kilchoman 100% Islay 5th Edition
Yeasty, red apple, over proved dough, cloves. Young, saplings, nice sweetness, slight spicy note and peaches.

155 – Kilchoman 2008 Vintage
Cheese pizza with tomato, stone fruit, custard, strawberries. Salty, brown sugar, licorice, potato crisps, slight cocoa.

156 – Kilchoman Machir Bay
Leather, leaves, green bananas, sweat (but not in a bad way). Honey dew melon, slight smoke, key lime pie.

157 – Kilchoman Sauternes (d’Yquem) Cask
Yeast, lemon zest, brown sugar, caramel, peanuts, rubber, light fruit sweetness. Peanuts, black tea, toasty caramel, peanut brittle.

158 – Kilchoman Madeira Cask
Rubber, brown sugar, thick caramel, sarsaparilla, leather. Choc mint ice cream, cinnamon chewing gum, vanilla, woody, coffee.

159 – Kilchoman Olorosso Cask Sample 2011
Preserved lemon, vino cotto, marshmallow, grilled pineapple. Chinese BBQ pork, rubber, salt, meringue, menthol.

160 – Kilchoman Loch Gorm 6 years
Flinty, coal, rubber, match heads, gas. Salty, brown sticks. Not really a fan.

161 – Kilchoman Sanaig
Marshmallow, rosehips, salt, leaves, gooseberry. Leaves, salt, caramel, rock melon skin, done toasty note, slight cream.