Glencadam 8 year old 2011 SMWS 82.23

Time for a baby Glencadam! Today's whisky was pulled from a second fill bourbon barrel before its first decade was done, and the color is sort of pinot gris, so maybe this will provide a better glimpse into the spirit and solve the smoky mystery. Or it'll burn my face with its 63.5%abv. Only one way to find out!

Distillery: Glencadam
Owner: Angus Dundee Distillers

Region: Eastern Highlands

Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 8 years (16 Mar 2011 - 2019)

Maturation: second-fill bourbon barrel
Cask #: 82.23

Outturn: 235 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 63.5% 🔥🔥🔥

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is very purdy. Roses, flower kiss candy and lemon juice appear first. Then cucumber, dandelion(?), dried apricots, soil and mint candy. Some vanilla-scented soap in the background. Smells beer-like at times, and never reads too hot. The palate doesn't burn too badly either. It's a little sweet, a little floral, and a little yeasty. Some bubblegum and ginger beer, with mild bitterness in the background. Its finish reads similar to the palate: Roses, grassy, yeast, sugar, gentle bitterness and a peppery bite.

Hosing it down:

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 2¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Gets a little weird here, with the nose firing off notes of mustard, dried grass, dried flowers, sugar and peach candy. The palate simplifies, resulting in flowers, barley and herbal bitterness. It finishes with roses, mint and sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Another SMWS release that hits close to its cask name, "Petals and peaches". And it's not bad for such a young high-ABV malt. (Mr. Opinions likes it even more than I do!) I should have matched this up with last Friday's 8yo Glentauchers to see how they played off each other. The Glencadam does not solve the outstanding phenolic mystery, instead reading more like its reportedly floral newmake. Rarely will I say this about such a heater, but I prefer it at full power.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was around €60
Rating - 82

Glencadam 15 year old

I wish there were more opportunities to try Glencadam's single malt. It's neither a highly desired distillery, nor is it frequently bottled by the indies. And rarely have I heard anyone say, "Hey, who wants in on the new Glencadam?"

Though I adored my two bottles of the Brechin distillery's malt, it's been eight years since I reviewed the official 21yo (which I bought right after the post). Over the past two years, I've consumed at least 1/3 of a bottle's worth of samples of the current official 15 year old — spending nearly as much as an actual 700mL bottle of the stuff — trying to sort out the whisky. My palate has almost always picked up some sort of peat, or nearly-peat, notes on Glencadam even though the distillery allegedly uses unpeated malt. The mystery remains unsolved. Here's my last sample of the 15:

Distillery: Glencadam
Owner: Angus Dundee Distillers

Region: Eastern Highlands

Age: minimum 15 years

Maturation: bourbon casks

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltration? No
e150a? No

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Barley, funky honey, almond extract and Cow Tales candy fill the nose's foreground. A heavy industrial (without being peaty) note sits in the middle. Orange zest and orange blossoms sit in the back. More barley and yeast notes arrive with time, as do bits of toasted coconut and sharp cheddar.

I find both peppery smoke and charred chile skin notes in the palate. It's impressively devoid of sweetness, with sharp grapefruit and tart green grapes in the midground, and plenty of grassiness in the background.

It finishes slightly earthy, with tart citrus and the charred chiles.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Still can't crack it. It probably isn't peated, but something is going on with the spirit that reads smoke-like. That contributes towards making the all-bourbon-cask whisky more interesting than other more famous Glens, and it has that great 46%/nc/ncf presentation. Whether you're ordering from in Europe, or buying it here in The States, its price isn't terrible. But I'm not sure I'm going chase down a bottle of my own. Might just have to try it again. 🙂

Availability - many specialty whisky retailers around the world
Pricing - $70-$85 (USA); $60-$70 (Europe) 
Rating - 85

Glenlossie 24 year old 1993 Cadenhead single cask

The Glens continue with Glenlossie, Mannochmore's older sibling, and another one of Diageo's malt-for-blends machines. It's often found in Johnnie Walker and Haig recipes, but very rarely as its own single malt. The spirit has a (theoretically) soft grassy and fruity style, which is a plus for my palate. Today's whisky spent 24 years in a hogshead and has an unoaked Chardonnay hue, so I'm cautiously optimistic here...

pic from whiskybase

Distillery: Glenlossie
Ownership: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Cadenhead

Range: Single Cask

Age: 24 years (1993 - Oct 2018)

Maturation: hogshead
Outturn: 240 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 53.6%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Sure enough, the nose has fruits. Apples, pears, apricots and cantelope, to be more specific. Pilsner and butterscotch. Wet grass after the rain and a hint of ocean brine. Hay, apricots, orange juice and a sprinkle of salt start the palate, followed by cantelope, barley, burlap, honey and late harvest sauvignon blanc. It finishes with a nice simple combination of honey, apricots, melons and salt.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

On the nose, it reads like Glenfiddich's cousin with its pears and grass. Ginger, orange candy and heather arrive later on. Mildly grassy, sweet and tart, the palate holds onto the melons, citrus and pears; and that's exactly how it finishes.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This single quality hoggie held onto the spirit notes almost halfway into the third decade of maturation without leaving the whisky raw or hot, resulting in my favorite Glenlossie so far. This could be a great spring or summer whisky, especially thanks to the lovely nose. I preferred it undiluted, but perhaps a little more or less water could bring out an even cleaner style. Hopefully there are more Glenlossie casks like this!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 88

Glentauchers 8 year old 2010 SMWS 63.58

Tuesday brought my first Glenglassaugh review, Friday now presents my first Glentauchers post, albeit not of a 39 year old whisky. Nor even a 9 year old whisky. But I gotta start somewhere.

Quietly celebrating its 125th birthday this year, Glentauchers distillery passed in and out of James Buchanan & Co's hands until it wound up at DCL-SMD-UD for 74 years. It then went to Allied for 16 years before being added to Pernod Ricard's portfolio. It survived seven years in mothballs during scotch's dark days in the '80s, coming out on the other side as one of the main malts in Ballantine's blended whisky.

Now it's time to chase today's history lesson with some scotch.

Distillery: Glentauchers

Owner: Pernod Ricard

Region: Speyside (Moray)

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 8 years (22 Sep 2010 - 2019)

Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel

Cask#: 63.58, "Dental damage"

Outturn: 258 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 56.1%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Juicy Fruit gum, yeast and mint extract arrive first in the nose, followed by oatmeal topped with brown sugar and bananas. Bits of grapefruit and pine linger. The Juicy Fruit morphs into Big League Chew. The malty, sweet palate leans heavily on lemon candy and orange candy, with some yeasty wort in the background. Lots of oranges and a little bit of barley in the very sweet finish.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Limoncello and bitter lemon soda meet malt and confectioner's sugar in the nose. Some herbal bitterness now appears in the palate but sugar rules the day. Plenty of malt can be found from start to finish, along with confectioner's sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

"Dental damage" may be the most accurate cask name SMWS has ever issued. This is one of the sweetest whiskies I've ever tried, yet it remains appealing, like a piece of hard candy when a mouth needs a quick sugar hit. Drinkers with bigger sweet teeth may like this Glentauchers even more, but I do think it's an appealing take on partially-baked whisky.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was around €50
Rating - 84

Things I Really Drink: Glenmorangie 18 year old (versus Glenmorangie 18 year old)

Bottled in a comically heavy glass weapon, and secured within a giant casket, Glenmorangie 18 year old posses the name Extremely Rare, the silliest sub-appellation since Mortlach Rare Old. But the 18 year old whisky has been reliable in the past, so I bought a 2021 bottling of the stuff and have since consumed the amber fluid that looks superfluous within its packaging:

Not only did I save a few ounces of the EXTREMELY RARE Glenmo, but I also unearthed a pre-2007 mini of the old 18 year old:

So you're getting a twofer here. One TIRD and a Taste Off.

Here are the details:

Distillery: Glenmorangie
Ownership: Louis Vuitton Moet-Hennessy (the accents and umlauts are on a smoke break)
Region: Highlands (Northern)
Age: at least 18 years
Maturation: 70% spent 18 years in American oak + 30% with 15 years in American oak & 3 years in oloroso casks
Alcohol by Volume: 43%
Chill-filtered? Yes
e150a? Yes

And here is the:

Tain Twain

Glenmorangie 18 year old bottled 2021	Glenmorangie 18 year old bottled pre-2007
The nose starts off with apples, cinnamon, saline and minerals, with lemon zest and concrete in the background. Hints of vanilla, roses and circus peanuts arise after a while. The fresh apples turn baked as well, with some brown sugar sprinkled on top.	Farm, yeast, pears and mead in the nose, reminding me of yesterday's 39yo Glenglassaugh. Slightly leafy as well, with a hint of white peaches. After 30 minutes it gains toasted almonds, pineapple and papaya.
A decent blend of tart and bitter, mixed with toasted oak and tobacco, arrives in the early palate. Lemons, citrons and green bananas later. It gets oakier with time.	Some OBE-esque dust and metal shows up in the palate, but it remains beneath the lemons, chile oil and toffee.
It finishes with sweet citrus, bitter citrus and vanilla, though it never gets too tannic.	The finish keeps the lemons and chiles, while also finding a hint of coal smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

The older 18's nose was, by far, the highlight of the night. In fact it had me pondering if I had enough stupid money to track down a 700/750mL bottle. While the palate did not (could not?) match the sniffer, it did offer a sensory connection to the current bottling. They felt related there. The older version comes out on top due to its lighter oak and touch of something peated, in addition to the super nose. The 2021 batch reads perfectly produced for a contemporary palate, thanks to its citrus, vanilla, and determination not to rankle. So the blending team hit the mark, but also created something that's forgotten as soon as the glass is empty. Consider that before buying a bottle.

On one final note, I would like to thank LVMH for designing the perfect sized burial box for my daughters' stuffed animals. There is currently a closed-casket service underway for one unfortunate critter, or maybe seven. But never fear, they will walk again.

RATINGS:
Glenmorangie 18 year old Extremely Rare (2021) - 84

Glenmorangie 18 year old (pre-2007) - 87

Glenglassaugh 39 year old 1972, cask 2896

Glenglassaugh distillery's NAS official bottlings never inspire my palate, with the peated Torfa being damned near unpleasant. I don't understand why they haven't aspired to something better, or at least age-stated, in the fourteen years since their stills restarted. As a result, this site's first Glenglassaugh will be a 39 year old single cask distilled during the Highland Distillers era. Andrea Caminneci selected it for the German market from official Glenglassaugh casks ten years ago, when people could still do that sort of thing. It's a real heater for its age, 57.5%abv!

Serge and Ruben both gave this cask a score of 93 points, which to the online world is essentially the word of God, so my heresy will be confirmed if I grade it higher or lower. Cheers!

Distillery: Glenglassaugh

Distilled by: Highland Distillers
Current Owner: Brown-Forman

Region: Eastern Highlands (Banffshire)

Age: 39 years (1972 - 2012)

Maturation: refill sherry butt

Cask#: 2896

Outturn: 516 bottles

Exclusive to: Germany
Alcohol by Volume: 57.5%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

First gear: One of the waxiest noses I've come across, with farm, beach and old calvados filling in every corner. Second gear: Chalk, yuzu, lime and pear up top; toffee and wood spice underneath. Third gear: lychee and more wax.

Dunnage, salt, toasted nuts and mead arrive first in the palate, followed by tart cherries, yuzu, coal and fried plantains, getting sweeter with time.

The very long finish has toasty nuts and spices, honey, menthol, yuzu, lime, fried plantains and a hint of coal smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

How does one bottle Torfa, Evolution and Revival knowing this is the quality of malt that came before? Yes, those whiskies are ~3 years old, while cask 2896 is 39, but......almost a decade and a half have passed since the distillery reopened. How dark is that shadow?

While the 39's palate and finish are very good, the nose makes the world go quiet. Quality refill sherry butts continue to be the magical vessel. I spent a very long time with this pour, and I recommend that anyone who possesses a bottle of this whisky does the same.

Availability - Secondary markets
Pricing - ?
Rating - 91

The Night of 7 Mini Manhattan Cocktails

There has been less and less scotch at Columbus Scotch Night. Scotch whisky's availability and pricing have been going opposite directions in the US, and the Ohio market favors American whiskey. We also like to push the occasional Armagnac or Cognac night, and those always sell out.

Working together, my friends Mr. NO and Secret Agent Man curated a Rye Blind night last Monday. Seven half-ounce drops of different American ryes, labelled A through G, were poured for the group. Six were between $20 and $35, and a seventh originally sold for nearly $200. No one, other than Mr. NO, knew which was which. Interestingly, one of those whiskies turned out to be the favorite for 70% of the group.

I didn't take part in the tasting, and I wasn't much help in my edutainment role, because I was exhausted from the day. Also, as I've referenced in previous posts, my alcohol tolerance isn't what it used to be. So I took the samples home.

What to do with those seven samples? Manhattan Night for me! Seven mini Manhattan cocktails with identical recipes would be matched side by side. Part of me hoped that they would not all be awesome so I could spill a few out and not have a bad evening. Also I didn't want to be tempted to buy seven bottles of rye.

The recipe was simple: 2:1 ratio of rye to Carpano Antica, two dashes of Angostura bitters, two drops of Luxardo cherry syrup. These were the tools:

As a wiser, balder man than I once said, in the future: Engage.

The Manhattans

Manhattan from Rye A - Stellar balance of peppery spice, fruit and sugar. Would buy!

Rating: ★★★★ (out of five)

Manhattan from Rye B - Flat. Bland, yet harsh. It tastes plastic-bottle-whiskey cheap.

Rating: ★½

Manhattan from Rye C - Some really good heft to it. Spice leads the way. Probably the best finish.

Rating: ★★★½

Manhattan from Rye D - Well, it's different than the rest. Nuts, metal, flowers, a cherry lollipop too. Weird overall.

Rating: ★★½

Manhattan from Rye E - Clean, but light. Lowest ABV of the bunch? A little bit of spice and a slight vegetal note.

Rating: ★★½

Manhattan from Rye F - Also a bit strange as it has a strong cologne note. Balance is otherwise decent enough.

Rating: ★★½

Manhattan from Rye G - Easy drinking, right-down-the-middle balance. This would be a great Manhattan rye for a restaurant or bar.

Rating: ★★★

Okay. Ready for the reveal?

. . . . .

. . . . .

Ranked Reveal! With Notes!

#1 - Rye A - ★★★★ - Elijah Craig Rye, 47%abv, $33 in Ohio.

Yes! My bottle of this stuff has already been consumed, but I saved a sample so I owe the world a post about it. 

#2 - Rye C - ★★★½ - Kentucky Owl 11 year old ye, batch 1, 55.3%abv, was $189

This was the clear winner during the event, when people sipped their ryes neatly. I can confirm its bottle smelled good. Also, I'm somewhat relieved that it didn't place first during my tasting because its secondary market price is brutal.

#3 - Rye G - ★★★ - Rittenhouse BIB, 50%abv, $27

Thank goodness Ritt BIB still works. My last couple of bottles were subpar, but that was a half decade ago. As I said in my notes, this would be a great Manhattan rye for a restaurant or bar.

#4 - Rye D - ★★½ - Wild Turkey 101 Rye, 50.5%abv, $25

I expected this to rate higher as it's always been a go-to for my cabinet. Not sure what caused the odd notes.

#5 - Rye F - ★★½ - Old Forester Rye, 50%abv, $23

Another one I'd expected to rate higher, as I've been championing it since I first tried it. There's an unopened bottle in my cabinet. It'll be the next rye I open.

#6 - Rye E - ★★½ - Sazerac Rye, 45%abv, $30

I've never been the biggest fan of baby Saz. It works but doesn't thrill, especially for actual Sazerac cocktails. And I sorta guessed the ABV situation correctly.

#7 - Rye B - ★½ - George Dickel Rye, 45%abv, $22

The most filtered of the bunch, Dickel stood out from the group, and not in a good way, or even an acceptable way. I was probably generous in my rating. It was like I'd made my cocktail with Kessler or Fleischman's Preferred. Mr. NO said, "That Dickel is just garbage."

Final Thoughts, in list form

• This was a sticky mess. That's how you get ants.
• I dumped half of D, F, E and B, partially for safety (D, F, E), partially for bleh (B).
• Dickel Fail
• I'm looking forward to my next bottle of Elijah Craig rye, and will give Rittenhouse another chance.
• WT101 and Old Forester require further study.
• Congrats to everyone who picked up a bottle of Kentucky Owl rye, batch 1, when it first came out. I hope you drank it!
• Thank you to Mr. NO and Secret Agent Man for curating this tasting!

Glen Elgin 10 year old 2007 SMWS 85.49

Though I've had no more than a handful of Glen Elgin single malts, I've yet to have a whisky from this Lossie distillery that I actually enjoy. Even the official 12 year old, whose review was pulled from this blog before posting because I thought the sample was ruined, is not something I'm interested in sipping again, even after three tries. I'm not one to hold grudges (a lie), so I hope this SMWS cask wins me over (a truth).

Distillery: Glen Elgin
Owner: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Lossie)

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 10 years (25 Oct 2007 - 2018)

Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel

Cask#: 85.49

Outturn: 222 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 60.9%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is HOT, raw and slightly malty. Flower kiss candy, wet leaves and confectioner's sugar float in vodka. The hot, sweet and floral palate gradually allows minor notes of metal and oranges to escape. It finishes with sweet and tangy citrus, woody ash and ethanol.

DILUTED to ~46%, or 2 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Flowers join the flower kiss candy in the nose, followed by coconut, vanilla and barrel char. The palate begins with something floral and a lot of woody bitterness, followed by orange pixy stix and saline. Gets very sweet, like a sugar-doped rum. It finishes with barrel char, orange candy, and that sugared-up rum note.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

As you can guess, this Glen Elgin did not win me over, but that's due less to the spirit and more to the barrel itself. It's a capital "C" Craft whisky, hot AF yet oaky AF. This was a difficult sample to finish, which is a shame since the similarly aged SMWS Dailuaine from last week was quite good. An uneven start for the Glens this week.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ?
Rating - 74

Glen Spey 20 year old Cadenhead Small Batch

I know nothing about this Glen Spey-Glenlivet bottling, as there isn't much about it online. It's one of those rectangular small batch Cadenhead bottlings that was released in the US a few years ago. This series tends to offer pretty reliable single malts, while Glen Spey's quality varies broadly.

(And no, I have no commentary regarding the recent announcement regarding Cadenhead shop closures, since I don't know the full story, thought it does seem like single malt gets more difficult to purchase with each passing year.)

Onto the review!

Distillery: Glen Spey
Owner: Diageo
Region: Speyside (Rothes)
Independent Bottler: Cadenhead
Range: Small Batch
Age: 20 years (???? - ????)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: ??? bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 59.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A lot of stuff going on in the nose, but without any development. Almond butter, flowers, chlorine and Cynar sit up front; orange oil, vanilla bean and ash drift beneath. The simple palate starts with sweet citrus and ginger candy. Hay and miso arrive later, along with (maybe?) some ash. The citrus gets tarter in the finish, and the miso remains, but raw heat is the loudest note.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose brightens up, with the flowers turning into white peaches, and the citrus merging with toasted oak. Hints of caramel and grassiness fill the edges. The palate goes the other direction, turning bitter, peppery, salty, and tangy but without the fruit. It finishes tart, salty and acidic.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This almost reads like one dead refill cask + one active first fill barrel, as these "small batches" tend to contain 1-3 casks. Both sorta raw and sorta oaky. The nose works better when diluted, but the palate tastes better when neat. I'd probably prefer it neat, though the ash notes are strange. Not sure if I'm motivated to find out anything else about this whisky.

Availability - perhaps still around in America?
Pricing - ?
Rating - 79

Glen Moray 25 year old 1994 SMWS 35.275

How about some Glenz? I'm going to review nine Glens over the next three weeks, with only one of them being a Sexy Glen (no, not Glenn Frey; note his two Ns). Each week will have the usual three reviews, the oldest of the trio first, the youngest last.

Though I've reviewed only three Glen Moray single malts on the blog so far, I tend to like the whisky, especially the now retired official 10yo Chardonnay Cask. This 25 year old indie may be the oldest Glen Moray I've had, which is fun, but it appears to have spent its entire life in a first-fill toasted hogshead, which is......interesting.

Distillery: Glen Moray
Owner: La Martiniquaise
Region: Speyside (Elgin)

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 25 years (24 Nov 1994 - 2020)

Maturation: first-fill toasted hogshead

Cask#: 35.275

Outturn: 180 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 59.6%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Dessert whisky. Cinnamon toffee pudding, crème brûlée, candy corn and tobacco leaf arrive first in the nose. Touches of mint leaf, ginger powder, soil and dunnage provide depth. The palate is a bit warm and spicy, definitely a winter pour, but not brutal, highlighted by gently sweet citrus, toasted cashews, a bit of MGP rye whisky and cinnamon raisin bread. That cinnamon raisin bread leads the finish, with subtler notes of lemons, cloves and toasted cashews.

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or ~1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The neat nose's characteristics have intensified. The spices are quite lovely, and it's rich like an even older malt at times. Mango and peach sneak in. Bright citrus moves to the front of the palate, spices (cinnamon, clove, ginger powder) to the middle. A little more mint. The fruit's tartness keeps the sweetness in check. It finishes with limes, ground cloves, dried mint and a hint of ginger.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Um, this is pretty darned good. If this is how whisky ages in a toasted hoggie, then I wish the industry would lean into The Toast, rather than virgin char bombs. Even though this cask was toasted, I do think this would appeal to American whisky fans, specifically rye geeks. Those spices! Does the Glen Moray spirit have any influence here? I don't know. But it took well to its vessel.

Keep in mind, this isn't Neu Whisky (though maybe Neu! Whisky?) because many wine / fortified wine casks are toasted rather than charred. Just picture those casks with the wine removed. To me, it worked very well this time.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was around $300 upon release
Rating - 89

Dailuaine 34 year old 1980, Special Release 2015

I'm getting quite fond of Dailuaine, and will once again implore Diageo to add it to The Classic Malts (or the secondary group, The Classic Malt Rejects; I'm looking at you, Cardhu). The Flora & Fauna (the tertiary tier) edition is one of the best of the F&Fs. Meanwhile the distillery cranks out 5 million liters of alcohol annually, and nearly all of it goes into The Big D's blends, especially Johnnie Walker. Every once in a while they pull a whoopsie by releasing an official Dailuaine, like today's 34 year old, which was hatched before the distillery's own maltings were retired, and spent its entire maturation time in refill bourbon casks. It's time to see how it held up against yesterday's excellent 30yo.

Distillery: Dailuaine
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Speyside (Central)
Series: Special Releases 2015
Age: 34 years (1980 - 2015)
Maturation: refill American oak casks
Outturn: 2952 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Nose - Picture a cheese plate without the cheese. Walnuts, dried apricots, fig jam, maybe a few smoked almonds. Then there's honeycomb, broken stones, pear skins, old boots and dunnage.

Palate - Thick and heavy texture. Citrons, oranges and Assam. Raspberry jam, sage and a hint of bacon. Lemons and dunnage.

Finish - Minerally smoke, lemons and honey, with hints of savoriness and bitterness.

Careful with that water, Kravitz...

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or > ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Nose - Roses, mango juice and broken stones. Romantic!

Palate - Assam now steeped a little longer, served with a berry tart and toasted almonds.

Finish - Honey, lemons, smoked almonds and earth.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Another beautiful Dailuaine. The lovely match between this and SMWS's 30yo from 1988 turned into one of the best Taste Offs of the year. I'd rather not pick a favorite, but this one sings with or without dilution. Some masterful cask management from Diageo here, as I've seen from many of their elder Special Releases. And as with any gem, please open your bottle and share!

Availability - Still at some European shops
Pricing - still in the three-digit range thanks to exchange rates
Rating - 91

Dailuaine 30 year old 1988 SMWS 41.118

Staying with Dailuaine, staying with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, but jumping back to 1988 with this 30 year old whisky. This will be the oldest Dailuaine I've reviewed up to this point, and it has a very drinkable ABV, but its maturation could be problematic depending on that second cask...

Distillery: Dailuaine
Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Central)

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Series: The Vaults Collection

Age: 30 years (28 Sept 1988 - 2019)

Maturation: 27 years in a bourbon hoggie, then three years in a first-fill PX hoggie

Cask#: 41.118

Outturn: 244 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 49.2%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The perky nose is loaded with fruit candies of the apple, strawberry and watermelon sort. Dried pineapple too. Some ginger powder, baked pears, saline. Shortbread with toffee chips. The palate starts with dates, incense and a whiff of pipe tobacco. Toasted marshmallow, graham crackers, sweet oranges and pineapple juice fill the middle. Chalk and lemongrass dot the background. It catches a second wind after 45 minutes as it gains stewed berries, tart lemons and more tobacco. A basket of fruits in the finish! Pineapples, kiwis and lemons, with a pinch of horseradish bitterness.

With reluctance, I add a little water:

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Baked apple and honey arrive first in the nose, followed by dates, shortbread, pineapple and toasted oak. The palate is still fruity and floral after all this time, especially on the citrus side. Tobacco and tea tannin provide some angles. Fewer zesty fruits in the finish, more baking spice and dates.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I adore this whisky. The secondary maturation added some character, but didn't drive the whisky away from its ultra fruity spirit. Any more time in either cask would probably have been too much, so kudos to whomever at SMWS was in charge of the cask management here. Adding water didn't break the whisky, but I preferred it at its reasonable full strength, where the palate offers multiple levels of development, and the damned thing smells gorgeous. If only it had a proper Dailuaine sparring partner......

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was £305 upon release in 2019
Rating - 91

Dailuaine 12 year old 2007 Old Particular for K&L Wine Merchants

This week's first Dailuaine came from a refill bourbon barrel. The second comes from a refill sherry butt. They're of a similar age and vintage, so I tasted them side-by-side. SMWS versus D. Laing. Barrel versus butt.

Distillery: Dailuaine
Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Central)

Independent Bottler: Douglas Laing

Range: Old Particular

Age: 12 years (March 2007 - 19 August 2019)

Maturation: refill sherry butt

Cask#: DL 13293

Outturn: 573 bottles

Exclusive to: K&L Wine Merchants
Alcohol by Volume: 57.6%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts off with a mix of toffee, raw nuts, ocean and a hint of smoke. Citron, baked apple with cinnamon and the anticipated flower blossom touch fill the mid- and background. Notes of golden raisins and toasted oak build with time. Fudge, golden raisins and dried blueberries rule the palate, with black raisins and dried currants lingering beneath. It finishes with a blend of dried currants and golden raisins. Hints of salt and prunes appear later on.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Baked apples and fresh apple peels meet with hay and golden raisins in the rustic nose. The palate picks up more bitterness and more honey. Maybe some tart citrus too. Good mouthfeel. It gets a bit sour and peppery on the finish, with some bright lemons in the background.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though the 10yo SMWS and this 12yo OP are close in quality, and I can see how one could rate the 12 higher, I enjoyed the crisp, fruity and floral 10 more. That one held closer to the bright spirit, while this one has more oomph and age to it. For a rosier take on this 12, please see the review by K&L's most boisterous enthusiast, Mr. Opinions himself.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - $65 upon release
Rating - 83

Dailuaine 10 year old 2008 SMWS 41.116

I'm not sure why there aren't more Dailuaine reviews on this site. The spirit has a very pleasant floral note, even into its teenage years. No, not perfume, but actual flower blossoms. Of course, I haven't actually had a Dailuaine in six years, so I have no idea how this week's quartet of reviews will play out. It begins with youngest of the four...

Distillery: Dailuaine
Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Central)

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 10 years (9 April 2008 - 2018)

Maturation: refill bourbon barrel

Cask#: 41.116

Outturn: 218 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 61.3%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Huzzah, the florals are there in the nose, alongside oranges, limoncello, confectioner's sugar and raspberries. Very pretty. The palate begins worty and yeasty, almost smoky. Salt and brown sugar. Lemons and roses. It finishes hot and sweet, with plenty of citrus and salt as well.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 2 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose reads fresh and clean, with lemon zest, fresh cherries and mint candy up front, wort in the back. Orange blossoms and roses mix with a hint of herbal bitterness in the gently sweet palate. It finishes with simple sweet citrus and that whiff of bitter herbs.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though this whisky reads younger than its age statement it works well as a spring or summer pour, especially when diluted. It's a simple cuddly youth, not a violent one. I like this approach, and probably would have enjoyed a bottle of this Dailuaine, quite a bit.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - around $70 when released
Rating - 84

Balmenach 33 year old 1988 WhiskySponge

Sorry, this post arrives two days late. Life keeps blasting aside things I'd rather be doing. My alcohol consumption has dropped a bit too, as I navigate through compounding stressors. But I'm here now to close out my Balmenach week with a WhiskySponge release that has some real age on it.

Distillery: Balmenach

Ownership at time of distillation: United Distillers (proto-Diageo)

Region: Speyside (Moray)

Bottler: WhiskySponge
Series: No. 51

Age: 33 years old (1988-2022)
Maturation: refill hoggie

Outturn: 211 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Quite a bit of oak on the nose, though it works well alongside the lemons and guavas. Some saline and wax. Honeyed pastry and Twizzlers. There's also a slight medicinal tilt to it. The palate reads hotter than the ABV. Oak and grains. Pepper and bitterness. Hints of sea salt and lemon candy. But no development after 45 minutes. It finishes bitterly and peppery, with a little bit of earth and mouth-drying tannin.

I didn't anticipate diluting this one, but...

DILUTED to ~43%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Less oak on the nose, more oranges and dried herbs. Some citronella and talcum powder. Beeswax. The palate is also less oaky, or at least the wood offers more spice than bitterness now. It's still plenty peppery and salty, with some tart oranges in the background. Less bitterness in the finish, more citrus.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My opinion of this whisky does not groove with that of the Whiskybase community. The oak on the palate read out of control when the whisky was neat. Thankfully, dilution helped matters. Still, it was flatter and less balanced in the mouth than I'd expected. The excellent nose was on a very different plane, too bad the rest didn't match it.

Availability - ???
Pricing - ???
Rating - 83 (diluted only)