Tag: glendronach

Whisky 2020 – 1-5

Kicking off for 2020. For reference ^ is half a star.

1 – Glenlossie 22 Years 1997 by Maltbarn no. 117 bourbon cask
Nose is full of apricots and glacé ginger on top of a vanilla pound cake, layers of strawberry jam and hints of juniper.

Palate is dense with whipped cream, spice and salt. Reminds me of Ben Nevis with grassy notes, but was expecting more stone fruit.

Dried muscats and prunes on the finish

**^

2 – Old Pulteney 1983 American & Spanish Oak Casks 46%
Deep and brooding, loads of dried dark fruits like prunes and dates, lifted by orange zest. A clear but not unpleasant metallic and varnish element. With some time liquorice and chocolate. Surprisingly a few hints of watermelon and green plums.

Palate salty butter, sea spray, bitter caramel, tea tannins and almond shells. Quite layered and complex for a 46% whisky. Apple snow with a lick of cream leads to hay and malt.

Finish is lovely notes of tobacco, cream and candied apple.

****

3 – Craigellachie 2008 10 years by Battlehill, sherry cask finish no. 759000943
Ok super interesting Maggi chicken 2 minute noodles, butterscotch, prunes and wonderfully dusty.

Palate is intense dried prunes and figs. Fino sherry liveliness that lovely maritime and apple note. Slight ashiness.

The finish is long and fills your lungs, rubber, spice and terrariums.

****

4 – Glendronach 1992 26 years port pipe cask no. 5896 49.3%
Steel, zinc, metallic in the most wonderful way. Nail varnish, cocoa and orange zest, cloves, anise and plastic. Ice coffee mixed with melted butter!!! This nose just keeps giving – prunes and sun warmed plums. This is a glorious nose.

Palate was cooling initially and then really clear black fruit sweetness hits. Some interesting dry bones, black berry vines, nori butter flavours. Finally super nutty – caramelised pecans and walnuts.

Great finish of walnuts cooked in salty brown butter.

**** (mainly for the nose)

5 – Glendronach 2006 13 years Oloroso puncheon cask no. 3359 56.7%
Wow what a nose – cream, caramelised stone fruit, beautiful apricots and peaches, toasted brioche with mascarpone and hot toffee.

Palate has beautiful stone fruit and berries, some great toasty notes. Imagine brioche (again) with tinned pears cream and clove.

Finish is sweet and buttery… berry sweetness mixed with metallic elements not overwhelming at all but long and extremely pleasant.

****^

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Whisky 2019 – 74-79, Glendronach tasting

74 – GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 3
I really loved the simple nose a cross between a lemon eggy pudding and tiramisu.

Great sweet jasmine tea and fig on the palate leading to white peaches and cocoa, green almonds.

The finish has loads of cream and stewed fruit.

***

75 – GlenDronach Single Cask Oloroso #392 1993 26yo for The Whisky List
The nose was woody with loads of dried dark fruit, an interesting but not unpleasant plasticine note, candle wax and finally the Glendronach hallmark orange zest.

Sweet and nutty on the palate, some expressive stone fruit and orange zest, flinty stones and pencil shavings, great umami with dried mushrooms and coffee grounds. Was looking for maple syrup and caramel but was very muted there.

The finish was a bit muted for with old apples and nuts.
****

76 – GlendDronach Grandeur Batch 10 27yo
A real spritely nose with apricots with loads honey, and cake, cake and more cake.

Initial sweetness and a citrus zip, followed by spiced stewed stone fruit with cream. Later on the palate the sharpness of passionfruit with some sun drenched sultanas.

The passionfruit returns for the finish almost a passionfruit pavlova with loads of cream served with a glass of cola

****

77 – GlenDronach Single Cask Maderia #4761 1995 19yo for Whisk-E
The nose has great depth and complexity, hold on to your hats for this! Like I’ve shoved my face into a chiffon cake. Eating prunes and dates dipped in candle wax from a balsa wood box while taking a stroll through a rose garden.

A super sweet syrupy palate to begin with. Prunes and figs, sponge cake, peanut butter and honey sandwiches stuffed with orange zest and pencil shavings.

The finish is friendly prune cake made by my grand mother with day old cream and butter.

****

78 – Glendronach 12 (2011 bottling whisky would be from before the 1996 closing)

Nose: Pencil shavings, waxy and stone fruit

Palate: Pencil shavings, orange zest, figs, cocoa, flinty and honey

Finish: Flinty rocks and honey, dusty.

***

79 – Glendronach Handfilled distilled 05/06/92 bottled 27/02/19 58.9%
Dark, black, brooding… it looks like motor oil.

The nose is quite restrained with dried and dusty coconut but with some time with loads of fat raisins almost like Madeira and peanut butter on toast. Menthol and spearmint appear and after about 30 minutes in the glass real maple syrup on flapjacks.

The palate is packed with cocoa and dark dark dried fruit (dates, figs and prunes) but has relief from red apple skin tannins. Prunes reappears leading to honey, salted butter and finally pencil shavings.

A strong leather and chocolate glazed almond finish.

****

Whisky 2018 – 115-119

115 – Bruichladdich 8 Years Maltbarn 2009 Lafite Cask
Nose – Honey, chlorine, salt, lemon balm, raspberry lollies
Palate – honey, lemon zest, sulphur, waxy vanilla pods
Finish – salt and a lick a peat, brown sugar, honey on crumpets

116 – Cadenhead blend bottled for Whisky and Alement 56.5%
Nose – apricots, bitter chocolate, leather, tobacco box
Palate – honey, salt, butter, marshmallow,
Finish – vanilla cream and salty butter

117 – Glenrothes 2006 by Wilson and Morgan casks 6160-61-62
Nose – leather, flinty, manuka honey
Palate – honey, prunes, salty butter, Xmas cake,
Finish – slight rubbery note, prune, dates, sulfur

118 – Glendronach 1995 for the Whisky Exchange PX Cask 4028 55.4%
Nose – plum jam, marshmallow, toasted hazelnuts, stewed apricots
Palate – sarsaparilla, cream, woody, light honey and butter
Finish – red wine tannins, woody

119 – Konigsmann Whisky Mortlach 1997 Cask 10092 Bourbon Cask 2015
Nose – tobacco, cream, kiwi fruit, weak green pepper and cream
Palate – eating tobacco, salt, cream, smoke(?), cream, rock melon
Finish – drying white wine tannins, malt cake, chewy

Whisky 2018 – 105-111 – Shinanoya Tasting

Massive Shinanoya whisky tasting thanks to the Elysian in Melbourne. Some real cracking drams, the Coopers Choice wasn’t on the tasting, just felt like an extra.

105 – DOUGLAS LAING OP CRAIGELLACHIE 1995 SHERRY BUTT 20YO 700ml 59%
Nose – rubber, chocolate, mint, dust, honey, red wine cask
Palate – brown sugar, roasted almonds, hay, sherry, dark caramel, musk, caramelized apples
Finish – musk, brown sugar, cream

106 – DUNCAN TAYLOR DIMENSIONS LAPHROAIG 1997 HOGSHEAD – 18YO 700ml 52.8%
Nose – ham and pineapple pizza, custard, oysters, barnyard
Palate – leaves, nuts, green sticks, honey, butter, roasted garlic
Finish – medicinal, glue, salt

107 – GLENDRONACH 1995 PX SHERRY PUNCHEON #4029- 20YO 700ml 55.2%
Nose – heavy brown sugar, dried apricots and peaches, old butter, green pepper, tobacco
Palate – caramel fudge, brown sugar, musk sticks, manuka honey, salt
Finish – melted butter and caramel sauce

108 – HUNTER LAING OMC BOWMORE 2001 REFILL HOGSHEAD – 13YO 700ml 57.3%
Nose – honey, old leaves, glue, yeasty dough, rosemary crackers, lemon pith
Palate – tropical fruit, kiwi fruit, ash, medicinal, minerals
Finish – heather, salty, burnt matches

109 – BERRY BROS RETRO LABEL CLYNELISH 1997 HOGSHEAD – 17YO 700ml 47.1%
Nose – honey, aspirin, mandarin zest, passion fruit jelly, granita biscuits, waxy
Palate – fruity, waxy, red frogs, apricots, pear juice, chicos, peaches, honey
Finish – grapefruit pith, salt, slight smoked ham

110 – KILCHOMAN 2009-2015 OLOROSO SHERRY BUTT FOR SHIMAJI PEN – 5YO 700ml 59.9
Nose – corn chips, smoked fish, barn yard, pickled onions, honey, dusty, lemon zest
Palate – honey, great mouth feel, ashy, pepper, sushi rice, blown out candle
Finish – old apples, pencil shavings, chlorine, melted cheese

111 – The Coopers Choice 1995 Benrinnes port finished 18 years cask 9547
Nose – cream, tropical fruit, toast and honey, wax, apples, raspberries, rock melon
Palate – waxy, chewy, fennel, cream, apricots, egg whites
Finish – salt, cream, old apples, slight woody,

Whisky 2018 – 97-99

97 – Glendronach 2004 PX Puncheon Cask 5523 12 Years
Nose – wood polish, chocolate mousse, chicos, melted butter, dried peaches, fresh apricot
Palate – hot, woody, vegetal, melted butter, brown sugar, pastry, slight gunpowder
Finish – coffee, cream, dried fruit, coconut

98 – SMWS 50.85 (Bladnoch) “Conversations with my son”
Nose – marzipan, lemon drizzle cake, fruit tingles, grilled pineapple
Palate – raw yeasty dough, burnt chocolate cake, apricots, tropical fruit
Finish – super creamy, green vines, salt

99 – Glendronach 2002 PX Puncheon Cask 1504 14 Years
Nose – roasted almonds, cocoa, glacé apricots, cream, formic acid, cloves
Palate – pound cake, caramel, dried figs, prunes, cloves, sarsaparilla
Finish – cream, wine tannins, coffee grounds, grape juice

Whisky 2017 – 197-203 – The Society Bar, Tokyo

Great set of whiskies to finish my trip in Japan and hit 200. The staff at The Society Bar took good care of us. The Linkwood SMWS definitely one of the best this year.

198 – SMWS 3.268 (Bowmore) Lady beachcomber’s dram 1995 20 years
Yeasty, bread, sea salt, caramels, juicy stone fruit, sponge cake, liquorice, strawberry and apricot jam, cherries. Green leaves, chocolate, chilli, old lace, lavender, cakes, sea water, rocks in a fire, chocolate mousse, dashi.

199 – SMWS 96.9 (Glendronach) Icy – Chill 2007, 8 Years
Cream, peanut butter caramels, roses, peanut brittle, with water candied apples, grilled pineapples. Yoghurt, almonds, green vines, with water loads of cakey notes, vanilla, hints of rubber, clove and leather.

200 – SMWS 39.102 (Linkwood) Rum-soaked black cherries 23 years *
Crushed ants, woody, maraschino cherries. Such a gentle dram, buttery, cake, sweet fruit like glacé apricots, pencil shavings, honey, salt, butter, old butter and sherry. The finish is forever – apples, cloves, melted butter and crisps.

201 – Ichiro’s Malt Single Cask 706 2010, 4 Years – bottled for Modern Malt Whisky Market in Osaka
Weet-box with milk and honey, medicinal, caramel, lemon butter, pound cake, glacé orange peel. Grains, multigrain bread, salted butter, wicker chairs, burnt butter with walnuts.

202 – Blackadder Ichiro’s Malt Cask 2630 PX Cask June 2010 6 Years
Apples, chocolate cake, sarsaparilla, cloves, old butter, crushed ants, dried apricots. Cloves, cake mix, passionfruit vines, chocolate and herbs.

203 – Ichiro’s Malt The Peated 2015, Distilled 2011
Medicinal, malt, chocolate, caramel, cheesecake, metallic, stewed apricots. Charcoal, heather, leather, soot, fruit dipped in caramel, lantana, candles blown out on a birthday cake.

Whisky 2017 – 166-171 – The Gresham, Brisbane

Back in Brisbane for work and I took the opportunity to visit The Gresham again. Fun place, not up to the standard of Mebourne’s biggies but a solid selection. The Octomore 7.3 was excellent! 

166 – Signatory Glenturret 1987 Hogshead Cask 374 50.1%
Short bread, preserved lemons, leather, caramel, Marion’s fruit buns, jelly fruits. Herbaceous, peaches, apricots, butter, cream, salt, tobacco, menthol, hobnobs, milk chocolate.

167 – SMWS 46.32 Glenlossie “Summertime and the whisky is easy” 1992 22 years
Toffees, Madeira cake, kiwi fruit, pineapple daiquiri, malty, macadamias, soapy, bubbling bicarb. Disappointing and confused on the palate the butter hits after a strange bitter note, stone fruits, sulfur, shortbread, slight iced coffee.

168 – Glendronach 2003 PX Puncheon Cask 4034
Wood shavings, marshmallows, pineapple upsidedown cake, lemon butter, chicos, peanut brittle and ozone. Whipped cream, wood, leather, salt, roasted peanuts, rose petals, melted butter, hazelnuts, loads of Manzanilla, weak raspberry cordial, still young and fresh, slightly dusty and green almonds, chestnut cake.

169 – Glendronach Peated
Cream, apples, band aids, imperial leather soap. A really pleasant dram fruity (peaches and apples) and friendly, some oaky and buttery notes and a touch of flinty smoke. Pretty simple but easy drinking.

170 – Ardbeg Kelpie
Heather, leather, cream, caps, salt, pink pepper corns, honey, plastic toys, ham on rye, apple snow. Earthy and leafy, flint, coals in a cold fire, cream, Guinness – better on the nose.

171 – Bruichladdich Octomore 7.3
Caramel toffees, plasticine, Eaton mess, smoke, wood glue, fake Parmesan, milk chocolate, leafy. Quite dry and smokey, bacon and HP sauce sandwich, dried apple rings, sulfur, salt, cream, tea tannins, burning leather and bracken.

Whisky 2017 – 139-141 – Baxters Inn, Sydney

Traveling for work again. Had a chance to finally get to Baxters Inn in Sydney. Some great whisky there but these places like Boiler Maker house in Melbourne and The Gresham in Brisbane only ever are really able to cater to the whisky nerd when it is quiet. I had a good chat to some of the staff before the throngs arrived and saw some of their lovely older bottlings in their whisky room but it’s a busy busy drinking barn – difficult to enjoy a dram. 

How good is old Bowmore! 

139 – Littlemill 1988 Cask 57 25 Years Berry Bros
Shortbread, cream, vanilla, plastic, new make. Fresh apricots in caramel sauce with ice cream, passionfruit vine, hand cream, salt.


140 – Bowmore 17 (1990s bottling)
Honey, fruitcake, salt, hay, barnyard, chocolate milk, band-aids, dusty butter. Honey, salt, raisins, bandaids, green peppercorns, clover, hazelnuts, pencil shavings. 


141 – Glendronach Olorosso Sherry Butt Cask 76, 1992 23 years
Bubblegum, rhubarb, swimming in melted butter, mushrooms, dates, hazelnuts butter, brown sugar. Chocolate, buttter, wood, salt – a little underpowered for a single cask Glendronach. Eventually  butter, crushed ants and flapjacks on the finish. Great nose but a disappointing Glendronach single cask. 

Whisky 2017 – 111-113 – The Gresham, Brisbane

So in Brisbane for work. Always trying to find whisky bars and discover The Gresham an SMWS bar. Had a great time and the staff were quite knowledge. Not really a quiet bar but still a good selection with some 2015 SMWS bottlings that are long gone. 

111 – SMWS 9.83 Tiger balm, limoncello and scented candles (Glen Grant)
Raw peanuts, spring onions, lemon zest, tinned pineapple, nail polish remover, vanilla and apricot crumble. Zingy totally understand the limoncello and tiger balm, over fried garlic, green onions (in a good way – first time I’ve thought that), with time cocoa, old butter and dusty.

112 – Glendronach 1992 24 years olorosso butt cask 226 %58.4%
Match heads, old apples, caramel, pepper, rhubarb compote, dust, roasted shallots, balsamic reduction. Wow so deep and heavy, soy sauce caramel, dusty, old apples, mushroom funk, gravox, cocoa, melted butter, red apple skin, caramel.

113 – Glendronach 1989 26 years olorosso butt cask 2662 54.5%
Apricot jam, caramel, Granny Smith apples, pound cake, really good tomatoes, pound cake. Tobacco, chocolate, weeds, plastics, dust, savory, old apples, slightly funky, old leather, shaving cream, flint, burnt onions, tarte tatin.

Whisky 2017 – 52-57 – Back In Melbourne

52 – The Whisky Agency Casa De Vinos Ben Nevis 17 Years 2016
Honey, salted butter, golden syrup, kiwifruit, pear nectar. Chocolate mousse, orange segments, salt, green herbs, grilled pineapple, vanilla pudding, green grass.


53 – Glen Garioch for Shinanoya Ginza 21st Anniversary Bourbon Barrel 657 15 Years
Egg nog, flat Coke, vanilla, pine, hazelnuts, rose petals. Musk, white pepper, sarsaparilla, crushed ants, vanilla, slight sulphur.


54 – Adelphi Longmorn 28 Years 1985
Slight motor oil, grilled pineapple, green tomatoes, black jellybeans. Malty bread with butter, green herbs, grilled pineapple, salt.

55 – The Exclusive Grains Port Dundas 1991 25 years Cask 50412
Salami, honey, lemon zest, roasted quails with salt and pepper sauce, soy sauce. Tropical fruit, oily fish, green garlic shoots.


56 – Distilleries Collection Miltonduff 17 Years 1996
Glue, honey, salty butter, caramel, dried peaches and pears. Dry cake mix, vanishes away to nothing, caramel and bitter herbs.

57 – Glendronach 2003 for Sansibar Cask 4630 PX Cask
Dried apricots, pancakes with butter, glacé lemon, orange syrup, cocoa, pencil shavings. Stewed apricots, Xmas spice, dark chocolate, sultanas, vanilla, orange blossom water, sarsaparilla and malt.