Tag: arran

Whisky 2021 – 14-18

14 – Glen Grant 1995 24yr by The Whiskyfind “The Drunken Cat” Bourbon Hogshead #119469

Nose is super floral, rose hip syrup, milk chocolate and vanilla pods. It’s quite densely packed on the nose. Pink bubblegum.

Palate is pink flowers, pink jelly, grassy, citrus fruit, grapes and nutty.

Finish continues with the pink flowers, it has a lovely toasty note, melted butter and some vanilla.

4/5 Stars

15 – Tormore 1992 27yrs by The Whiskyfind for The Mash Tun, Bourbon Hogshead #101154

Nose is really waxy and fake banana flavouring, burnt banana bread with a lick of old butter.

Palate is reminiscent of 1970s whisky with an initial hit of tobacco. Elegant and pretty with bright fruit, green figs and fig leaf.

Finish has slight saltiness and more green figs, and hint of milk chocolate.

4/5 Stars

16 – Glenrothes 1987 32yr by The Whiskyfind for The Mash Tun, Hogshead #9980

Nose is mainly ginger ale but has good apricot notes with salty caramel, salted lemons and black tea.

Palate is hot and spicy. The flavour of cloves, cola and sarsaparilla. Feels like it is too old.

Finish is grassy and salty with cream and woody tannins.

3/5 Stars

17 – Arran 2012 7yr for The Mash Tun’s 16th anniversary, 1st fill sherry #12/2768

Nose is smoked paprika, dates, medicinal honey, honey ham chips. Flambéd Xmas pudding. Cola.

Palate is initially dark fruits followed by some refreshing flinty/minerality. Honey dipped orange pith.

Finish is steely, sweet and stony. There is some good orange zest notes in there.

4/5 stars

18 – Clynelish 1999 21yr for The Whisky Exchange & The Mash Tun sherry butt #305054

Nose is honey, cream and wax. With some slight rubberiness. Maraschino cherries and rich dark dried fruit.

Palate is big and powerful. More dark fruit! Honey and loads of citrus and stone fruit. Some really balanced and integrated cask influence. It’s good.

Finish is musky and sweet almost like fresh cut strawberries. The sherry shines with bruised apples, salty and woody notes.

4.5/5 Stars

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Whisky 2021 – 4-9

4 – Glenallachie 2009 10yo Sauternes Barrel cask no. 3727 58.9%

Nose is very Sauternes with honey and blossoms. Hand cream, salt, freshly cut pink lady apples dusted with brown sugar.

Palate is quite hot, flinty, gun powder and rubbery. its got honey and caramel but it’s a bit disappointing Mr Walker for you.

Finish liquorice, fennel salt and burnt caramel. Hints of cream.

3/5 Stars

5 – Glenallachie 2005 15yo Madeira Barrel cask no. 3756 60.7%

Nose is orange, almond cake mix, burnt vanilla cream and brown sugar. It’s got a super pleasant dried apricot note.

Palate is hay, cream… wow lots of cream. Nutty and sweet apricots. Orange zest and cake mix.

Finish is unsurprisingly is cream.

4/5 Stars

6 – Arran 2002 17yo by TWA 49.2%

Nose honey, hay, intense fruit sweetness… fun fruit sweetness if I may. Eggy pudding.

Palate isn’t this a Ben Nevis? Eggy pudding, citrus, apricot, grape vine and plum cake. Nutty.

Finish is fake plum flavouring, date pips and slightly tannic.

4/5 Stars

7 – Ben Nevis 1996 23yo by TWA 47.6%

Nose is super waxy!!! Orange zest and brine. Honey and hay. Coffee and chlorine?!

Palate is savoury and waxy. Reminds me of burnt brioche. Green pineapple, olive brine.

Finish is (still) sharp acidic green fruit topped with cream. A bit spicy.

4/5 Stars

8 – Tobermory/Ledaig 1995 25yo by TWA 48.5%

Nose is waxy and lemon zest, fresh cut pineapple, pineapple upside down cake

Palate waxy, green peaches and pineapple, lemon zest, vanilla biscuits, grape vines and cream.

Finish is green fruit, spice, cream and spice. Maybe chocolate mousse.

4/5 Stars

9 – Bunnahabhain 2013 by The Whisky Jury ex Oloroso 53.2%

Nose is chlorine and Cheetos, clear raisin and date sugars. Band-aids and fritz?! (That’s Bologna for my US friends)

Palate is capsicum and cheese pizza, rocks and slightly ashy.

Finish is more Cheetos, rocks and fritz.

4/5 Stars

Whisky 2020 – 37-39 – The Whisky Bar KL, Malaysia

37 – SMWS 27.111 (Springbank) A coal bucket full of marshmallows

Nose unmistakably Springbank. Earthy, tobacco funk with a lattice of sweetness, leather and brandy snaps, dusty, roses

Palate sweet but not cloying, a heavy spirit. Leather bound books, orchard fruits. More fruit with water, start seeing beautiful waxiness, stone fruit and peanut brittle.

Finish charcoal dust, bitter almonds, salty, candied apple.

****^

38 – Arran Angels Reserve 1996 18 years 51.1%

Nose is typical butter cake, apricots, brandy snaps, buttered toast with that metallic note. Also there is some menthol… with time in the glass it became waxy.

Palate apricot crumble with melty vanilla icecream – truly delicious. Some interesting waxy, ice coffee, and hay notes.

Finish green grass, coffee cream and saltiness

****

39 – Hazelburn 2003, 13 years Oloroso cask bottles March 2017

Nose fruit cake, buttered fruit toast, campbeltown funk

Palate is honey joys, fruit cake, bruised apples, wooden shelves, dried cranberries

Finish cigars and Xmas pud

****

Whisk 2019 – 25-28

25 – Arran 2000 14 years single bourbon cask for The Whisky Exchange cask 2000/1106
Nose: apricots, honey, butter, almonds, tropicals, brandy snaps

Palate: super sweet, burnt toffee, shortbread, passionfruit vine, toasted coconut

Finish: pavlova with cream and green pineapple, salty

****

26 – Hazelburn 2007 Springbank Society 10 Years Sauternes Cask
Nose: baking spices, honey, pear, funky wood, chocolate, prunes, wholemeal donuts with strawberry jam

Palate: Honey, pear, ashes, cream, Christmas spice

Finish: pear, wood, rubber

****

27 – Springbank 2009 “Cage Bottle” Warehouse 15 Rotation 76
Nose: milk chocolate, chocolate milk, freeze dried strawberries, dried pineapple

Palate: Honey, coffee, cream, green pineapple, ashy rocks, chocolate dipped pineapple

Finish: chocolate, cream for days, praline

*****

28 – Campbelltown 4 Years by North Star Series 005 (Kilkerren and Springbank)
Nose: marshmallow, cream, lemon balm, fake mango pudding

Palate: biscuit, cream, lemon zest, apples, mango Weiss bars, custard, dry spice

Finish: fruit and cream, melted butter

****

Whisky 2019 – 4-5

4 – Old Pulteney 1994 bottled 2007 by G&M Sauternes Wood Finish cask 06/125 1-5

Nose: Fairly simple honey, dust, lemon balm, sulfur

Palate: sweet and hollow to begin giving way to loads of cream, apricot danish, elegant stone fruits, walking through a lavender farm, passionfruit vines

Finish: cream, salted butter, bitter almonds and a slight waft of matches.

****

5 – Arran 1998, 20 Years for The Mash Tun 14th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel cask 618 53.1%

Nose: Musky, waxy fruit, peanuts and chocolate, chlorine, marshmallow, old whisky

Palate: Huge cream and salt, complex with green pineapple and passionfruit vine, grapefruit pith, terrarium, sour cherries, coffee,

Finish: Lime zest and fruity, pavlova, whipped cream, cream, dried apricots

****

Whisky 2018 – 71

I bought this bottle on my last trip to Japan. I’ve had it open since January and didn’t think that much of it; it felt hot and one dimensional. How a couple of months open has changed it – noteworthy even.

71 – Arran Private Cask “The Arran First Vintage 1995” for Malt House Islay 21 Years Sherry Hogshead 49.6%
Nose – almonds, flourless orange cake, egg whites, burnt butter, pandanus
Palate – liquorice, cake mix, dried citrus, lantana, apricot jam, maraschino cherries, peach ice tea
Finish – boozy cream, salt, sugary ice tea tannins, rock candy

Whisky 2018 – 1-4

What a set of drams to start the year with.

1 – The Ultimate Imperial 1995 20 Years sherry hogshead cask 50240
Nose: Bananas, yeast, rose hip jelly, wax,
Palate: Wax, honey, slight pepper, cucumber sandwiches, juniper, grilled peaches, cream, honey dew
Finish: Juicy, dried pineapple, apple jelly, cream, apple seeds

2 – Arran James McTaggart 10 Years 2007
Nose: hazel nuts, snickers bars, citrus, coconuts, wax, bananas foster, apricots
Palate: cream, crushed ants, dried stone fruit, still a bit young, toasted brioche, peach and hand cream
Finish: loads of cream, wine tannins, salt

3 – Old Malt Cask Doulas Laing & Co 1974 Talisker bottled 2000
Nose: Pencil shavings, candle wax, clear fruit, clear medicinal, egg yolks, prosciutto fat, brown sugar
Palate: camp fire, stewed apples, ice coffee, wax, bbq jackfruit, crispy bacon, seaside, caramels
Finish: huge length, juicy, herbal, cream, wax, just keeps giving

4 – Jack Wiebers Arran 18 Years Cask 2038
Nose: brown sugar, leather, musk, honey comb, sweet pickled onions, old whisky, strawberry jam taken too far, maple syrup
Palate: caramel dipped apricots, tobacco, bitter chocolate, leather, salt
Finish: tannic, yoghurt, chewy

Whisky 2017 – 130-135 – Balvenie Tasting

Huge tasting on at the Elysian. Alex Moores from Dark Valley brought back some very good hand drawn single cask bottles from Balvenie. Alex and I shared a few other drams afterwards. 

130 – Balvenie 13yo ex-bourbon barrel matured, cask #2022, 61.7%
Ice cream on warm pine apple pudding, red apple skin, choc-banana muffins. Super huge raspberry, choc-banana muffins, loads of vanilla cream, gooseberry, leather, dried apple.

131 – Balvenie 14yo ex-bourbon barrel matured, cask #13330, 53.2%
Fruit tingles, lemon and coconut cake, vanilla cream, strawberry jam. Great mouth feel, short bread, toasted coconut, strawberries, loads of cream, wood shavings, green herbs.

132 – Balvenie 14yo ex-sherry butt matured, cask #2378, 62.7%
Roasted corn cobs, treacle, crushed cloves, roasted almonds, peanut brittle, marshmallow, Earl grey tea cream. Woody, beef jus, rubber, peanut brittle, caramel taken too far, hazelnuts, Musk sticks, mushroom pate, tea tannins.


133 – The Whisky Find and The Mash Tun Craigellachie 1990 Cask 5401
Candle wax, soft gooey French cheese, dried apple, rock melon skin, caramel, fruit sherbet bombs, lemon butter. Bees wax, coconut, rock melon, coffee, strawberries, flowers, nasturtiums, caramels, salt.


134 – The Whisky Agency 2003 13 Years JD for Bistro Inn, The Elysian Whisky Bar and Drunken Master Bar
Butter soaked toast, crushed ants, tomatoes, rhubarb and whipped cream. Butter, cultured butter, cream, formic acid, cinnamon toast, dusty, raw almonds.


135 – The Arran 21st Anniversary Edition – Ex-Olorosso Cask
Cream, metallic apricots, toffee, chocolate, pouch tobacco, peanut brittle, hazelnut paste. Tobacco, apricots, green grass, cream, tinned pineapple, hazelnut butter.

Whisky 2017 – 114-117

Once again the Whisky Gods were smiling on me. Yao from The Elysian opened a bottle of Munro’s King of Kings that his parents pulled from their cellar and gave to him. Such an interesting dram – old whisky seems to be a lot more herbaceous to my palate. Not a lot of info out there about this one, except to say James Munro also ran Dalwhinnie in the early 1900s. 

114 – Arran Bourbon Cask 1999 54.8% 2015 Release Cask 78
Pineapple, rock melon skins, apricots, chocolate mousse, passiona. Cream, passionfruit skins, apricot, tea tannins, green apricots, butter, almonds, red skins, raspberries.

115 – Maltman Aultmore 7 Years Port Cask 2008 Cask 100
Honey, crumpets, dark chocolate, musk sticks, pine glue, hot brown butter, menthol, strawberry jam on white bread with butter. Peach ice tea, butter, banana, coffee cream, slight cheese cake, rock melon with vanilla cream.

116 – Munro’s King of Kings Rare Old De Luxe
Wax, soy sauce, ginger, ginseng, heather, leather. Initially really light but wax, caramel, herbaceous, tobacco, old dusty chocolate. Didn’t have much time with this dram as it was a small dram as a gift once the bottle was opened. Old and unique.

117 – Glenfarclas Family Cask for Shinanoya 10 years Cask 5695
Old tropical fruit, musk, grilled pineapple, roasted peaches, milk chocolate, old wood. Cocoa, dusty, orange rind, soy sauce, fruit tingles, bubble gum and vanilla pods.

Whisky 2017 – 64-72 – Heartwood tasting

64 – Redlands newmake
Apples, rock melon, lemon zest, pepper, juniper, cucumber. Roses, apple skin, aniseed, green strawberries.

65 – Adams Distillery 12 weeks old young make
Menthol cigarettes, mint leaves, musk lollies, brown sugar. Prunes, proper smoked bacon, coal, pepper, salt, Japanese black sugar candy.

66 – Belgrove oat whisky
Dust, stones, barnyard, perfume, musk, menthol. Glue, boot polish, brown sugar, butter almonds, pickled onions (but not in a bad way).

67 – Heartwood 3 of 3
Caramel, musk, brown sugar, lemons, prunes, chocolates, stewed apple, ice coffee, old butter. Heavy, kangaroo poo, leather, beef stock, dusty, soy sauce, coffee grounds, tomato paste.

68 – Heartwood We are twisted cousins (Lark)
Prunes, raisins, pastry, strawberry and mango, pine needles, pastis. Menthol, dust, raisins, eucalyptus, slightly medicinal.

69 – Heartwood Beagle 4
Soy sauce, raisins, creme patisserie, stewed apples, beef stock. Raisins, prune, musk, salt, soy sauce, marshmallow, tomato salad.

70 – Heartwood Calm before the storm
Deep malt, soy, deep sweet Asian beef cheeks, huge chocolate, glue, turps, burnt pineapple. Glacé lemon, beef consume, leather, soy sauce, bitter dark chocolate, pine needles.

71 – Arran Madeira Cask
Gas, apricots, a malted chocolate, some sulfur and rubber, acetone, ants trapped in strawberry jam, marshmallow. Brandy snaps, some vanilla, roasted peanuts, old strawberries, zatar, mellows over time – the slightly bitter finish doesn’t help.

72 – G&M Glenturret 2002
Butter, cherries, licorice, toffee, fairy floss. Bit weak, grapes, toffee apples, slight cloves.