Mannochmore 22 year old 1997 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 12098

Yeah, I agree, there aren't enough Mannochmore reviews on this site. But I'm fresh outta The Mann after today. There are probably another dozen unsung distilleries that I'm short on. But let us embrace what we've got, or at least what I've got, and that is a sherry cask Mannochmore with age on it. I don't know when this circumstance will come around again, so cheers!

Distillery: Mannochmore    

Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Lossie)

Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Range: Connoisseurs Choice - Cask Strength

Age: 22 years (1997 - Feb 2020)

Maturation: first fill sherry butt

Cask #: 12098

Outturn: 490 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 55.8%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

It's not a sherry bomb despite two decades in a first-fill cask. Dried cherries and a hint of gunpowder are present at the nose's start, but there are also pears, cloves and hint of ocean air just underneath. By the 30-minute mark, cherry pie and figs have taken over with a whiff of smoke supplanting the gunpowder. The nose shifts nicely once the whisky is reduced to 50%abv, showing black walnuts, clay, barley and apricots.

What a start to the palate: dry nutty sherry, pan fried herbs, concrete and apple skins. Oranges, honey and mint float through the midground, while an earthy smoky note hides in the back. At 50%abv, it's all dried herbs, oranges, limes and a slight industrial note.

It finishes with mint, honey, limes, some earthy funk and a subtle bitter herbal bite. Simpler at 50%abv, the finish holds limes and a touch of dusty smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is a great whisky for a rainy autumn night. Or, you know, any night really. But Autumn is my favorite whisky season, and it has arrived. The leaves are dying beautifully, the rain lulls at night, and my ratty old sweatshirts get more comfortable every year.

Back to the whisky. Apparently there are two labels for this cask. One says "First Refill" the other says "First Fill". It reads like the former, like a second fill. The cask is still present, but gently so. I also appreciate that it works well with or without water. The bottles are still relatively available (as of today) throughout Western Europe because the whisky isn't heavily sherried nor is its hue particularly dark. And it's Mannochmore.

Availability - At a few dozen European retailers
Pricing - €140-€175

Rating - 89

Mannochmore 12 year old 2008 Watt Whisky

Two years ago Mark Watt left Director of Sales position with Cadenhead to start his own independent bottling company. Officially dubbed Campbeltown Whisky Company Ltd., the company's first brand/range has been Watt Whisky. They did not come flying out of the gate with a 30+ year old Ardbeg, instead they have offered up some familiar names (Caol Ila, "Orkney" and Arran) as well as less-seen ones (Macduff, Glen Elgin and Allt-a-Bhainne) at modest ages and prices. All but a few are over 10 years old, and most are under €100.

According to the back label of today's single malt, Watt had a pair of Mannochmore hoggies that he elected to finish together in a single brandy (cognac, per Serge) butt for three months. Some of you know that butts are big (heh), so between the limited oak contact, the reuse of cognac casks and the limited finish time, I wonder if the point was more to marry the whiskies rather than flavor them. Lemme find out...

Not pictured: the whisky

Distillery: Mannochmore    

Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Lossie)

Independent Bottler: Campbeltown Whisky Company Ltd

Range: Watt Whisky

Age: 12 years (2008 - 2020)

Maturation: two hogsheads finished for a 3 months in a cognac butt

Outturn: 663 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.8%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

In its first few sniffs, two layers dominate the nose: salty + savory and caramel + white chocolate. It slowly gains notes of grass, chives, mint candy and orange peel-infused rubber cement (for my huffers out there). It mellows out when diluted to 46%, with herbal and grassy notes slinking around a lot of toasted oak spices.

The palate is sweet, mineral and peppery. It's a little tannic but not too bad. Lemon juice and champagne vinegar in the background. At the 30-minute mark it picks up something reminiscent of a cinnamon-ginger amezaiku candy that my daughters enjoyed recently. Like Monday's Mannochmore, it flattens out when reduced to 46%abv. It's simple and sweet with sharp edges. Some grass, some caramel, some black pepper.

It finishes sweet and peppery with minor notes of lemon and cassia bark in the background. It's all grass and citrus at 46%abv.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

One can see why the Watts gave this whisky a secondary maturation. It's pretty close to a blendy malt, and was probably more so before the butt action. (Sorry. Like the whisky I am also 12 years old today.) It's all okay, and the nose was very good, but after a while it cowered in the shadow of Monday's Mannochmore. Would a longer finish have helped?

Availability - It might still be available in Europe
Pricing - ???

Rating - 82

Mannochmore 10 year old 2001 SMWS 64.31

I spilled half of this sample on my pants, chair and carpet. So of course it turned out to be (SPOILER ALERT) good whisky. Out of the 1600+ pours I've set out for this blog, somehow I've spilled only two. That is eerie. I'm a complete klutz, and alcohol does not sharpen hand-eye coordination. So I should have upended at least two hundred full glasses by now. Whisky's gods, spirits, kami, prophets, divinities, and brand reps must be watching over me.

Also, it's Mannochmore Week on Diving for Pearls.

Distillery: Mannochmore    

Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Lossie)

Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 10 years (April 2001 - 2012)

Maturation: first fill bourbon barrel

Cask#: 64.31

Cask "name": "A stunner for its age"

Outturn: 237 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 61.9%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose is a mix of pretty things. Oranges and paprika. Mango and roses. Vanilla, white chocolate and shortbread. It gets simpler and hotter when reduced to 46%abv, focusing on rosewater, lemon candy and white chocolate.

The palate starts out malty, almost chocolatey. Clementines, limes and flower blossoms ride through the middle- to background, with the tartness balancing out the sweetness. It loses its mojo at 46%abv, where it's just minerals, pepper and sweet malt.

It finishes with sweet and tart citrus, from lemon candy to grapefruit. A little bit malty in the background as well. At 46%abv, the finish matches the diluted palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though far from a "stunner", this Mannochmore was a lot of fun, with its maltiness and fruitiness as highlights. It came from an interesting cask, a stingy one considering the outturn and ABV. It wouldn't let go of its contents. With vanilla already present in the whisky's nose, ten years may have been its best bottling point. Though I'm not usually a fan of >60%ABVs, the strength works well here, and I prefer it at full power. I regret having shared this with the carpet.

Availability - ???
Pricing - ???

Rating - 86 (neat)

Ursa Major III 13 year old 2006 Scotch Universe

The full name of this one is Ursa Major III - 158° U.2.1 1843.1" TS, which is kind of dorky and a pain in the ass, but I also adore it. Scotch Universe has gone Full Fuck It Mode and named all of its 110+ whiskies after celestial bodies. Then they added in some coding to out-nonsense the SMWS, while also disclosing whisky info.

In this instance:
158 = Months of maturation
U = Unpeated
2 = Sherry cask (allegedly)
1 = First Fill
1843 = the year Morangie distillery's license was obtained
1 = Highlands (allegedly)
TS = tough shit Teaspooned

Here's the label from the official site:

And here's my sample bottle, obtained via a bottle split:

Distillery: Glenmorangie
Ownership: LVMH
Region: Northern Highlands
Bottler: Scotch Universe
Age: 13 years (2006 - 2020)
Maturation: first-fill Oloroso hogshead
Cask #: 158° U.2.1 1843.1" TS
Alcohol by Volume: 61.5%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose leads with apricot jam, cardamom, cookie dough and a dab of Elmer's glue. Then some maple fudge, and more plums than prunes. It gets even louder when reduced to 50%abv. Dates, dates and more dates in the foreground, with red bean paste and maple syrup in the background.

Cherry Coke and a whiff of earthy smoke. That's how the palate begins. It's also grapey, but in an armagnac way, as opposed to sherry. It's sweet, but never too sticky, and has plenty of lemons in the backgound. It's also very easy to drink considering its poison level. At 50%abv, its sweetness (cherry cola and dates), bitterness (raw cacao) and tartness (lemon zest) stay well aligned.

Sweet citrus and semisweet chocolate highlight the warm finish. My written notes for the diluted 50%abv version start with "sherry bomb-ish", which......I'm sorry. But I do also mention bitter coffee, PX and a hint of dates.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This was so much more enjoyable than I had expected. If it is "sherry bomb-ish" (sorry, again), it's not of the generic sort, but is instead a mix of fruits and sweets (gotta love those dates!), with an occasional grungy touch. It certainly beats the tar out of most of the official limited editions.

Availability - Alemania (which is either Germany or beer craziness or both)
Pricing - €85

Rating - 87

Westport 16 year old 2005 Single Cask Nation, cask 2112

Monday's Westport Glenmorangie was from a refill hoggie, while today's is from a 2nd fill Oloroso butt. It has quite some color to it, so either the cask was re-seasoned and/or a bit charred. But the real news here is that I am writing about a whisky that was released this year. My sincerest apologies for reviewing something that may almost be of current interest. 

Distillery: Glenmorangie
Ownership: LVMH
Region: Northern Highlands
Bottler: Single Cask Nation
Age: 16 years (March 2005 - May 2021)
Maturation: second-fill Oloroso butt
Cask #: 2112
Outturn: 577 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50.6%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

In its first burst the nose shows oats and bulgur, as well as plum wine and strawberry bubblegum. It gradually settles into a nice combination of toasted barley, orange peel and cassis. Once the whisky is reduced to 43%abv, there's a good middle ground of toasted grains and toasted oak, then nutty sherry and canned peaches. Very pretty.

The palate starts with citrus and malt, and some raw nuts in the background. It adds almond cookies and lime candy without ever getting too sweet. A little bit of toasted oak and cayenne in there as well. Things go the wrong direction once diluted to 43%abv, as sugar and bitter oak take over. Keep it neat.

It finishes with oranges, limes, cayenne and a dab of honey. See the palate note regarding the 43%abv level.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I really enjoyed this one. It's not very complex, but it's a great drinker at full strength, big and friendly with just enough oak, never getting boring. It almost reads like a muscular version of the very good official 18yo. It's 50% more expensive than the 18, which is understandable since this is a single cask, but I'm still in no mood to dish out $150+ for a 16 year old whisky. If that is no problem for you, you can do a lot worse at this price.

Availability - The States
Pricing - $150 - $175

Rating - 87 (neat only)

Westport 24 year old 1996 Thompson Brothers, cask 2502

I don't take the whole teaspooned-whisky thing seriously. For instance, Westport is Glenmorangie. I don't care what other distillery's teaspoon of single was added to the cask, its influence (and quantity) is infinitesimal compared to the wine in the casks of Glenmorangie's official releases. The indie bottlers have my sympathies for this enforced goofy antiquated charade.

Since I've tried all the official Glenmos I would ever care to try, and have settled on the 18yo and 25yo as my favorites, it's time for me to review a few independently bottled single casks of the Northern Highlands distillery. So I have trio of IBs for this week, and I'll go in reverse — oldest to youngest — starting with today's bottling from the Thompson Bros of Dornoch.

Distillery: Glenmorangie
Ownership: LVMH
Region: Northern Highlands
Bottler: Thompson Brothers
Age: 24 years (1996 - 2020)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask #: 2502
Outturn: 193 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50.9%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Tree bark, metal, vanilla, grass and apricots appear first in the quirky nose. It gradually picks up notes of cheap plastic toys and burnt coconut. There's something very "grain whisky" about this. Maybe it's the coconut? Well, a lot more coconut shows up once the whisky is reduced to 43%abv, like Coconut City (a.k.a. Invergordon). A slight nectarine note appears as well, which is good news.

The palate is much different and, in my opinion, much better. The woody and grain whisky notes have been replaced by a strong maltiness and tangy citrus (oranges and lemons), along with fresh cilantro and serrano chiles. Plantains sit in the background. At 43%abv, it's still malty and a bit grassy, with floral and bitter citrus notes arriving later.

It finishes sweeter than the palate, with rooty bitterness and lemons around the edges. At 43%abv, it finishes with malt and bitter citrus.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

The Whiskybase community is over the moon about this whisky, but I am not. Though the nose was unusual, it wasn't on the positive side of unusual. As I'd mentioned, it was like some scrambled Invergordon of indeterminate age. But the palate was pretty darn good and moderately complex. The vast gulf between the styles and qualities of the nose and palate makes this a difficult whisky to sort out. But I'll err on the side of flavor because whisky is for drinkin'.

Availability - Probably sold out
Pricing - ???

Rating - 82

Three sherry cask Blair Athols over 20 years old

There's a Blair Athol scarcity on these pages as well, so I decided to pack THREE into one post. Sort of a Lighting Round, but Diving for Pearls style, which means TL;DR. Let's fire it up!

#1

Blair Athol 20 year old 1995 Old Malt Cask

Sherry butt HL12149, 50%abv

The nose beings with an almost phenolic intense burst of raw nuts, followed by orange peels and a dingy industrial note. Grapefruit and mango fill the background. It gets maltier once diluted to 46%abv, and picks up little bits of fudge and ocean. The orange peel and mango remains.

Sweet citrus and pink peppercorns start the palate. Raw almonds and black walnuts arrive next, followed by grapefruits and limes. The nose's industrial note shows up once the whisky is reduced to 46%abv. It also has a great mix of sweet and tart with grapefruits, dates and orange pixy stix.

Plums, grapefruit and Rainier cherries in the finish! At 46%, the finish matches the palate.

I enjoyed this Blair Athol so much more than I'd expected. The fruits and nuts were near perfect, and there was neither heavy oak nor generic dried fruit notes. It's a charmer with or without water. This is a bottle I wish I had bought five years ago.

Rating - 90

#2

Blair Athol 26 year old 1988 Signatory for K&L Wine Merchants

Refill sherry butt 6844, 54.3%abv

The nose has two sides that meet well. Rye seeds, eucalyptus, gooey toffee and very old wood. And guava juice, figs, grapefruit and fern leaves. Reduced to 46%abv, it moves towards antiques and fabrics. Then stones, minerals and grapefruit.

The palate matches the nose well. There are grapefruits, figs, black walnuts, oranges and black raisins. It gets sweeter with time, while also picking up an oaky zing. At 46%abv, golden raisins and black raisins take the foreground, with eucalyptus and toasted oak in the background.

Oranges, figs, carob and a hint of drying tannins make up the finish. At 46%abv, it's mostly raisins and pepper with a bit of tannin.

Though the oak is much more present here than on the 20yo, I like the whisky quite a bit. The nose is fantastic diluted or not. I prefer the palate and finish at full strength because the oak seems more in check. Beware, My Annoying Opinions and I both like this K&L single cask. And it's way too late for us to get in on the old price.

Rating - 89

#3

Blair Athol 25 year old 1988 Signatory

Wine-treated butt 6789, 59.0%abv

(Okay, it's not officially a sherry cask. It's possible that this cask was seasoned with a fortified wine, like sherry, rather than having that stuff mature in the cask before dumping. So it's more descriptive, yet more vague than "Sherry Butt".)

Once braving the nose's alcohol burn, one can find toasted walnuts, toasted pine nuts and LOTS of gunpowder. There's leather, dusty upholstery, fig and vanilla extract further back. Diluting to 46%abv pushes the sulphur even further forward. Beef stock, cherry soda, fig and vanilla fill out the rest.

The palate has less sulphur than the nose. It's more of a gunpowder and pepper seasoning. It has has some sweetness from dried cherries and dried cranberries; then some old bourbony oak, rubber and leather. It gets more metallic at 46%abv, while also developing tart citrus notes. Grains and paper linger in the background.

Cherry syrup, salt and rubber in the finish. It finishes sweet, peppery, tannic and tangy at 46%abv.

While this may have been a serviceable whisky on its own (for non-sulphurphobes), this Blair Athol got its ass handed to it firmly by the previous two. The aggressive "wine-treated" vessel kept everything from merging well. But I did enjoy the nose very much even with the gunpowder.

Rating - 81

Those results were the opposite of what I'd expected: 123 rather than 321. And I didn't anticipate handing out an 89 or 90. So the tasting was a win! And as exciting as the thought of Signatory keeping its 1988 Blair Athols aging for more than 30 years may be, I think 25 is already pushing things a bit. Of course that depends on the cask. More refills please!