Things I Really Drink: Tamdhu 14 year old 2007 Distiller's Art

I'm ending 2024 with a happy whisky story since much of the world, online and off, can be particularly joyless right now.

OHLQ, the state of Ohio's liquor control agency, decided to take the leap into single cask scotch whisky in 2022. They'd been bringing in hoards of American whiskey single barrels, but never anything from the Scot Land. Then, with little hubbub, single sherry casks of Blair Athol, Craigellachie, and Tamdhu from Distiller's Art (a branch of Langside Distillers, which itself is a limb Douglas Laing & Co., a successful independent bottler of Scotch whisky) materialized on the shelves. Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, the bottle prices were prohibitive to the point that even those of us who've been begging Ohio to get in the game weren't buying the stuff.

But, like other state-run liquor agencies, OHLQ often offers clearance prices on products when it's time to empty the shelves to make room for other inventory. So we all waited. And waited. And waited. And then this fall, Last Call happened. Prices for these whiskies dropped below $100. The Doctors Springbank and I chose to split a bottle of the Tamdhu cask. I picked it up at the shop, brought it to the Doctors' house, and we each poured ourselves a glass.

I've spoken previously about the magical It Factor, "the eternally mysterious, inexplicable, undefinable "YES" quality." After the first sip, we all looked at each other. The Tamdhu had It. So much so, that this cheapskate immediately said he'd buy another bottle. The Doctors, NOT cheapskates, agreed to do the same. We drove directly to the liquor store upon finishing that first glass, and each bought our own bottles.

It was a discovery! A whisky deal for a whisky gem. The global whisky marketplace seemed to have banned the possibility for the forseeable future, and I lived in the middle of American whiskey country. This should have been the last place in the First World (outside of certain Orthodox religious areas) for the this old magic to occur. And yet, it happened. I hadn't had this feeling for nearly a decade, and here I was sharing it with friends.

I'm happy to report, several months later, the whisky still works.

Distillery: Tamdhu
Ownership: Ian Macleod Distillers
Region: Speyside (Central)

Bottler: Langside Distillers

Range: Distiller's Art
Age: 14 years old (Apr 2007 - 2022)
Maturation: Sherry butt

Outturn: 582 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 61.8%
(from the bottle referenced above)

NEAT

One immediately notices that there's a lot going on in the nose. It's very nutty and briny, with some dunnage funk, and a hint of toasted seaweed. Fresh cherries, dried raspberries, and a whiff of dark chocolate linger beneath. The palate is tangy, tart, and nutty, with equal hints of sweet and savory. There are walnuts, Brazil nuts, oranges, grapefruits, and Luxardo cherries over a base of nutmeg and cloves. It's neither hot, nor tannic. Gently (yes at 61.8%abv) sweet and tart, the finish dishes out dried apricots, dried blueberries, and nutmeg.

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

The nose has soften prettily, revealing orange blossoms, orange creamsicles, lime candy, marzipan, and ocean breezes. The palate is savorier and saltier, less sweet. Actual oloroso, Manuka honey, brightly tart limes, and some almost-peat phenolics. It finishes with lemons, limes, honey, walnuts, and almonds.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

If you chose to skip the above novel, I'll summarize it here. This Tamdhu is excellent. It is complex, it is delicious, it is honed yet a little dirty. It reaches back into my whisky past and reminds me of what I like about sherry cask whisky. It has It, and really I can't ask for more. I'll see you next year.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - dropped from $164 to $98
Rating - 90

Scapa 14 year old 2008 Distillery Reserve Collection, cask 623

After reviewing two old fashioned, diluted Scapas, I am now going to dig into a new fashioned very high-ABV Scapa. Part of Pernod's long-running Distillery Reserve Collection (of which I still have never acquired a bottle), this nearly coffee-colored whiskey appears to be a sherried beast, though hopefully there will be some complexity to it. I advance with pipette in hand...

Distillery: Scapa

Ownership: Pernod Ricard (via Chivas Brothers)

Region: Isle of Orkney

Range: The Distillery Reserve Collection

Age: 14 years (21 March 2008 - 28 March 2022)

Maturation: 1st fill sherry butt

Cask #: 623

Outturn: 828 500mL bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 63.2%

Chillfiltered? No

e150a? No

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts well, with Cherry Coke, shoe polish, and marzipan. 15 minutes in, dried cherries and mulled wine appear, followed by beef stock and baklava, thirty minutes later. The palate is So. Damned. Hot. It tastes of grapes, anise, lime juice, and burning. Took a while to find the finish, thanks to my numbed tongue. But I eventually found oloroso and tart citrus.

Water please...

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

On the nose there are grapes and cherries, juices and jams, and a dose of Chambord. The palate feels thicker and is more approachable. It's very sweet, with Luxardo cherry syrup, oak spice, and oranges. It finishes tangy, tannic, and sweet.

More...

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

The nose shows cinnamon, cocoa powder, and toffee up top, almonds and brine underneath. The palate's becalmed sweetness makes way for more nuts, salt, and tartness. Ginger and in-season cherries also appear. That ginger+cherry note mixes with PX in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Firstly, this isn't my preferred whisky style. Featureless spirit smothered by an aggressive cask, and bottled at an unpalatable strength, doesn't do it for me, but the style has been very prevalent on the market for several years now. So, people like it. You may like it, if you is people.

After my first sip of this stuff, I brought over another high-powered sherried beast that I actually like, and because its palate was very nuanced (and tasty), it whupped this Scapa. And I think I'll review that whisky next.

As for this Scapa, the nose registers well at all strengths. Water does rescue the palate, and further dilution may improve it more. But at no point does it set itself apart from hundreds (or thousands) of other distilleries casks bottled in the 2020s. Approach at your own risk.

Availability - Sold out?
Pricing - £90
Rating - 83 (with water)

Scapa 19 year old 1989 Mackillop's Choice

I miss seeing Mackillop's Choice single cask bottlings perched atop a retailer's whisky shelves, with their simple brown labels with black and red text. Lorne Mackillop somehow got his mitts on six different 1989 Scapa casks, and even bottled one — today's whisky — for The States. It's another 43%abv from the other Orkney distillery...

Distillery: Scapa

Ownership: Pernod Ricard (via Chivas Brothers)

Region: Isle of Orkney

Bottler: Mackillop's Choice

Age: 19 years (1989 - 2008)

Maturation: ???

Outturn: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

Chillfiltered? ???

e150a? ???

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose arrives more vividly than expected, full of apples, lemon juice, barley, and yeast up top; strawberry candy, watermelon Jolly Ranchers, and cantaloupe on the bottom.

Marshmallows, butterscotch, and lemon lollipops greet the palate first, followed by grapefruit pith and tart cherries. Dunnage and pencil shavings linger underneath.

It finishes tarter than the palate, with tart citrus and berries up front, and maraschino cherries behind.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Another pleasant, gentle drinker with very little oak intrusion. This one is more moreish than yesterday's G&M 10yo; more memorable, too. Again, there's no complexity in this Scapa, but it's hard to carp when the whisky is so soft and tasty. Now I'm getting interested in this distillery.

Availability - Sold out long ago
Pricing - ???
Rating - 85

Scapa 10 year old Gordon & MacPhail licensed bottling

Scapa, the other Orkney, has never seen the light of day on this site. My interaction with that distillery's single malt has been limited to the official (and defunct) 14 and 16 year olds, two very underwhelming whiskies. Luckily(?) I've uncovered three very different Scapa samples in my whisky room. At best, this will be a grand discovery of another good-but-scarce malt. At worst, it'll be another sort of discovery, one that teaches me that I haven't been missing much. I anticipate this experience will fall somewhere in between.

The series starts on the mellow side of things with Gordon & MacPhail's non-vintage licensed bottling of Scapa 10-year-old. It's good to see that G&M bottled it at 43%abv, rather than 40%. More about the whisky, I do not know, other than that my sample is from a bottle that was filled at least nine years ago, and it was an American release.

pic source

Distillery: Scapa

Ownership: Pernod Ricard (via Chivas Brothers)

Region: Isle of Orkney

Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Age: minimum 10 years

Maturation: ???

Outturn: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

Chillfiltered? Probably

e150a? Probably

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

A pretty layer of fresh apricots. dried pineapple, orange candy, and anise sits atop the nose. Malt, oak spice, and wet stones mix together underneath. 

The straightforward, mildly sweet palate is all lemon, milk chocolate, malt and vanilla.

A soapy moment appears in the finish, then disappears by the third sip, thankfully. Limes, tart oranges, and vanilla remain.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Between its bright nose and solid palate, and considering my bleak expectations, this whisky is a fun surprise. It's a very easy drinker, a background whisky, and could be from any one of scores of distilleries. I'm not sure if bottling it at a higher ABV would have done much to elevate it further, so I'll take it as it is. Overall, it's a promising start.

Availability - Sold out, probably?
Pricing - ??
Rating - 81

Two sibling casks of Old Rhosdhu 1990 by Nectar of the Daily Drams

I reviewed my own bottle of 29 year old Old Rhosdhu a few days ago, and found it to be a solid B grade whisky, no more, no less. That 1993 had two competitors lined up for its tasting: today's two 1990 Old Rhosdhus (possibly "Black Rose" in English). Daily Dram releases usually don't list the cask type, cask number, nor outturn, which is inconveniently odd these days. But they do have a history of good casks, so I was happy to chase down these two sibling cask samples. The 29 year old comes from my friend, Secret Agent Man, and 30 year old arrived via a bottle split. Going into the tasting, I had no idea what to expect.

Old Rhosdhu 29 year old 1990  The Nectar of the Daily Drams 49.6%abv	Old Rhosdhu 30 year old 1990  The Nectar of the Daily Drams 47.3%abv
Fermenting apples and fresh barley arrive first in the nose, followed by kirschwasser, anise, and floral hint. After 30 minutes, Granny Smith apple peels, cherry juice, and a touch of Loch Lomond funk show up.	It noses very young: new make, yeast, and kirschwasser. Then come pretzels, honey, pilsner, a hint of smoke, and LOTS of flowers.
The palate offers strawberries, pears, flowers, and burnt plastic. It gains lemon and mineral notes with time.	That burnt plastic note appears in this palate as well, but now it's wrapped in mango and lemons. Roses, cayenne pepper, and some curious phenols. It gets tangier and sweeter with time in the glass.
It finishes with lemon candy, peppery heat, and a bit of perfume.	The finish goes suddenly bland, nondescript. It's sweet, tangy, floral, and kinda short.
Comments: This one has a great sniffer, but the palate, and certainly the finish, cannot match it. Certainly its own creature, this Old Rhosdhu reads half its age. And, yes, the fruits are the best part!	Comments: Even odder than the 29yo, this 30 feels like it's ⅓ the stated age. It's also the rare whisky whose palate far surpasses its nose, while the finish's fall off is the most disappointing part. Had all the elements matched the initial flavor, this would be nearing a 90-point whisky.
Rating: 84	Rating: 83

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Both inert vessels (hogsheads?) let the spirit do all the walking and talking, which can be a good thing. But there were times, for both whiskies, when there wasn't a whole lot of there there, especially in the finishes. The finish is the weakest part of my own bottle of 29 year old Old Rhosdhu as well. Could this have something to do with the spirit's unusual (1.5x?) distillation process? Does the Black Rose need four or five decades to wake up, much like a single grain? I don't know, but this particular style of Loch Lomond whisky doesn't inspire me to search much further.

Things I Really Drink: Old Rhosdhu 29 year old 1993 WhiskySponge, Ed. 67

It's been ages since I dropped a TIRD on this blog, and now the time is right!

What is "Rhosdhu", really? TWE says it means "rose" in Gaelic, but dhu means "dark" or "black". So perhaps it's "black rose". It is also the name given to two types of whiskies produced at Loch Lomond Distillery. Old Rhosdhu was an unpeated malt whisky that was "1.5 times distilled, as it took a spirit cut from the wash still," and was discontinued in 2000. The new Rhosdhu, a grain whisky made from 100% malted barley, was first distilled in 2007.

1980s and '90s standard Loch Lomond can be impressively foul with a Taco Bell dumpster note leading the nose and palate. So why on Earth did I buy a '90s distilled Loch Lomond product? Because I had it as part of a blind tasting and found it fabulous. Some whiskies have IT, the eternally mysterious, inexplicable, undefinable "YES" quality. This Old Rhosdhu had "IT", so I bought it, and then opened the bottle for my birthday in August. Now I shall review the whisky, knowing its name.

Distillery: Loch Lomond

Style: Old Rhosdhu

Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company

Region: Highlands (Western)

Bottler: Decadent Drinks

Range: WhiskySponge

Age: 29 years old (1993 - 2022)

Maturation: refill hogshead

Outturn: 328 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.1%

(from the top third of my bottle)

NEAT

Ooooh, the nose starts with moss and mango, with oats and blossoms in the background. Donut glaze and apple cider appear after 30 minutes, followed by barley(!) and yuzu juice. The warm, dusty palate leads with dunnage, honey, and lime zest. Honeydew and oranges fill the midground, while hints of pastry and industrial funk whisper in the back. It finishes tartly, think limes and oranges. More honey and barley than ol' tannins.

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

The nose shifts a bit towards the apples and oats, with jasmine buds and bananas in the foreground as well. Things get quirkier once the cologne, rye bread, and old oak notes develop. The palate is sweet, yet slightly astringent. More oak. and maybe some sandalwood, too. Pears, caramel, rye bread crust, and pencil shavings arise once the whisky has been aired out for another 20 minutes. It finishes tart and tannic, with minor notes of metal and Werther's candies.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

"IT" seems to have abandoned my bottle, though I still like the whisky. Angus & Co. proofed the cask down to 57.1%abv — which explains the high bottle count — and I do think it's more vibrant at that strength than at 46%. At 57.1% it feels closer to the grain. At 46% the wood starts to take over. The neat nose is utterly lovely, while the palate has just a hint of Loch Lomond weirdness, which works well here. Overall it's more of a thinker than a drinker, which makes one wonder if it'll take on other characteristics towards the bottom of the bottle. I'll report back if it does...

Availability - A few bottles may still exist in Europe
Pricing - it maybe be north of £300 now, though I got it on sale for £220

Rating - 86

GlenAllachie 15 year old 2006, cask 4786 for SBWAS

For all my griping about Glenallachie's underwhelming official bottlings, I have not reviewed one of their single sherry casks, which are the GAs that get the most attention. In the interest of science, I will now try one of them, an oloroso puncheon selected by the Sherry Bomb Whisky Appreciation Society. This also the oldie of this Glenallachie run, a 15 year old. 🙄 So it goes.

pic source

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: 15 years old (27 March 2006 to April 2021)

Maturation: Oloroso puncheon

Outturn: 680 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 59.1%

Bottled for: Sherry Bomb Whisky Appreciation Society

Chillfiltered: No

Colorant added: No

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

No oloroso in sight on the nose, rather it's a loud cocktail of port and crème de cassis. Pink cotton candy and raspberry jam. Maple syrup, caramel, and black peppercorns. The palate follows a similar path, with raspberry fruit leather, dried cherries, and sakura candy up front, and spicy oak in the back. It finishes all raspberries, cayenne, and roses, slightly less sweet than the palate.

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

The nose covers similar territory, with untoasted raspberry Pop Tarts dipped in Chambord, toasted oak, and blossoms. Again, port on the palate. Raspberry jam, tart blackberries, and strawberry candy. More sweet than tangy. It finishes similar to the palate, though with a dose of vanilla sneaking in.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This seems like a whisky that was created for people who like neither malt spirit nor actual oloroso. But that doesn't mean that someone who likes those two things cannot enjoy this single malt. It just reads like a high strength mix of Chambord, crème de cassis, ruby port, and raspberry syrup. It's a delightful dessert liqueur that'll work for any season. But where's the sherry and where's the whisky?

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 83

Glenallachie 10 year old 2008 for Abbey Whisky

Online retailer Abbey Whisky has selected 20+ whiskies to sell solely through their shop over the past 12 years. Today's Glenallachie is the youngest of their age-stated exclusives, and by far the most poisonous, at 66.2%abv. That alcohol level puts this 10yo into the top five of the hottest scotches I've ever tried. Like the 9yo 2008 I reviewed the other day, this whisky rumbles in at an ABV higher than the distillery's actual filling strength. Was this due to a hot warehouse or an unusual filling strength? Or a little from column A, and a little from column B? The 9yo turned out to be better than I'd expected, so I will keep my mind (and liver) open to the possibilities here.

Distillery: Glenallachie
Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd
Region: Speyside (Aberlour)
Bottler: Abbey Whisky
Age: 10 years old (2008 - 2019)
Maturation: Sherry butt
Outturn: 150 bottles (a butt split? LOL?)
Alcohol by Volume: 66.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Yep, hot nose. It's all new make, kirschwasser, and maraschino cherry for a while. Then hints of leather and beef broth appear, followed by brine and yeast. In contrast, the palate burns less than I expected. It's sweet and plummy, with bits of almond, cherry, caramel, and barley mixing well. It finishes with the almond, cherry, and caramel.

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 2 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is all yeast, brine, golden raisin, and barley eau de vie. The palate shifts towards dried cherry, dried currant, black raisin, and black peppercorn. The finish is full of dried fruit and a hint of plum.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Again, I am pleasantly surprised, especially by the palate which outperforms the nose. The ever-present spirit just starts to merge with the cask here, and I'm left wondering what would have happened if the whisky was given more time to mature, perhaps in a mellower location. This Glenallachie seems like it could have been fabulous at some point down the road. Instead it's a pretty good young whisky that flashes plenty of potential.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - £75
Rating - 83

Glenallachie 9 year old 2008 SMWS 107.13

I'm going to pause the Glenallachie OB reviews to try a pair of 2008 flame throwers from the indies. Both were aged in Oloroso butts, and were probably sibling casks at some point. The first one is a 9 year old single cask torch bottled by SMWS for the 2018 Spirit of Speyside Festival. Being that the distillery's filling strength is 63.5%abv, I'm guessing that a hot & humid warehouse corner resulted in the 9yo's 65%abv. Or the spirit went into the cask at a higher strength than usual. No matter what, I have water on hand.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 9 years old (26 Aug 2008 - 2018)

Maturation: refill Oloroso butt

Cask #: 107.13, "Andalusian gazpacho"

Outturn: 624 bottles

Bottled for: Spirit of Speyside Festival 2018

Alcohol by Volume: 65.0%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The lively nose leads with a lot of chocolate up front, and cherry juice and dried currants right behind. It picks up hints of leather and pipe tobacco after 15 minutes. At ~30 minutes, new notes of amaretto and Twizzlers appear. The palate is indeed warm, but approachable and sweet, with crème de cassis, cherry macarons, Twizzlers, and cinnamon. Its finish matches the palate to a T, though it does numb the tongue a little.

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose stays vivid, while changing its colors: blueberries, dried currants, vanilla fudge, dark chocolate, shoe polish, and a hint of toasted oak spice. The palate stays sweet, but with new notes. It's slightly rummy and gingery, with cinnamon rolls, raspberries, and oak spices registering loudly. It finishes with dried blueberries, fresh ginger, and toffee.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This may be the first ≥65%abv baby whisky that I've thoroughly enjoyed. The nose's vibrancy never lets slip any raw ethyl notes, while packing in piles of character. Sure it's a dessert whisky, but the palate appealed to this non-sweet-tooth. I'm not sure what SMWS could have done with this cask other than to shift it to nearly neutral hoggies, or just bottle it like they did. Any more time in this "refill" sherry butt would have driven the whisky over the edge. Now, onto an even hotter cask...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - less than €100
Rating - 85

GlenAllachie 10 year old Cask Strength, batch 7

Of all the Walker-era Glenallachies that I've tried, the Cask Strength batches are the ones I've struggled with the most. For instance, I found batch 1 and batch 5 to be C or C+ whiskies at best. In both instances, the new/virgin American oak wrecked any coherence or balance that the malts might have otherwise possessed. But, due to an interest in being somewhat thorough, mixed with a barely hidden whisky masochism, I've decided to give another batch a try. Behold, Batch 7.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: minimum 10 years old

Maturation: Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, virgin oak, and Rioja casks

Outturn: 66,000 bottles

Bottled: February 2022

Alcohol by Volume: 56.8%

Chillfiltered: No

Colorant added: No

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Chocolate-covered dried currants and almond butter arrive first in the nose, followed by anise and black raisins. With time, it gets slightly beefy, and the anise moves to the front. Lots of PX in the palate, as well as a decent balance of bitter and sweet. It's chocolatey with plenty of almonds. Tart cranberries, raw walnuts, and a mossy hint appear after 30 minutes or so. It finishes slightly earthy and quite tangy, never sweet, with some raw cranberries and raw almonds lingering in the back.

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

The nose shifts pleasantly to cherry coke, orange oil, kiwi candy, and almond extract. Tart berries and semi-sweet chocolate gradually shifts towards tart citrus and milk chocolate in the sweeter palate. It finishes tart, tangy, and sweet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Well, well. I have found a GlenAllachie I like. This CS batch hasn't had the time to become a deep, complex single malt, but it's very approachable and pleasurable. Macallan and Dalmore fans would probably like it too. The nose improves with water, but the palate may be best when neat. And if you have a bottle of the stuff, you'll have time to find your preferred drinking strength. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here a bit stunned that there's an official 'Allachie that I wouldn't mind drinking again.

Availability - (multiple batches) Whisky specialist retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - (multiple batches) US: $95-$120; Europe: $50-$90
Rating - (this batch) 85

Revisiting GlenAllachie 12 year old (2020)

Five years ago, I tried a batch of 12 year old Glenallachie and found it to be a better whisky than the 18yo, but it wasn't more than a B- malt. I'm going to try the 12 again, since I know this sample's actual bottling year. This official expression is less of a cask hodgepodge than the 8yo, as wine casks have yet to be invited to this party. I hope that has resulted in a better constructed whisky.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: minimum 12 years old

Maturation: PX, oloroso, and virgin oak casks

Bottling code: L 02 12 20
Bottling year: 2020

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Chillfiltration? No

Colorant? No

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose begins with Granny Smith apples dipped in almond butter. In fact, there are a lot of apples in here. Quieter notes of florals, lime, and split lumber spread around the edges. Vanilla and moss show up at the 30-minute mark, then the vanilla pushes directly to the front.

The palate arrives silkily (a word?) with fudge, toasted coconut, whipped cream, and pears. Cinnamon and vanilla fill out the mid- and background. Most of these characteristics never come together.

It finishes drier than the palate with some dry oloroso to go with milk chocolate, blueberry jam, and vanilla.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Again, this whisky is less than the sum of its parts because the parts remain separate. American oak feels like the guilty party here as it leads the way throughout, never attempting to be a team player. But like the similarly-priced 8yo, the 12 has a pleasant nose and a comfortable ignorable palate that would suit casual drinking. This one gets the slight edge with its thick mouthfeel and occasional bright fruits. Alas, this gets the highest grade of any official GlenAllachie so far.

Availability - Whisky specialist retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - US: $65-$85; Europe: $35-$70
Rating - 82

GlenAllachie 8 year old (2022)

Glenallachie is but a baby distillery, born in 1967, younger than some of you handsome readers. Despite its limited existence, it has already been closed and reopened, while seeing a quartet of owners. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson, and Co., a branch of Newcastle Breweries. Newcastle then sent the brand over to Invergordon Distillers in 1985, where it stayed all of four years. Pernod Ricard bought it in 1989 and kept it until 2017 when, for the facility's semicentennial, Glenallachie was purchased by a group including former Glendronach Magician, Billy Walker.

For its first 50 years (or 48, because it was closed for two), Glenallachie's malt was used primarily for its owners' blends, but since 2017 the market has seen shipping containers full of its official single malts. Because the company has also bottled many dark-colored single sherry casks, the single malt has gained quite a fanbase, a group of which I am not a member. Walker's persistence in using new oak in most(?) of Glenallachie's standard releases has resulted in products that aren't suited to my palate. But since I like to pretend that I have an open mind, I will try six Glenallachies (including one retry) over the next two weeks.

First appearing on the market in 2022, the Glenallachie 8-year-old was distilled by Pernod Ricard, but then blended by the new company. And by "blended", I mean it includes PX, Oloroso, new oak casks, and wine barriques. Sort of a Long Island Iced Tea approach to a single malt.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: minimum 8 years old

Maturation: PX, oloroso, virgin oak casks, and wine barriques
Bottling year: 2022

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Chillfiltration? No

Colorant? No

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

A whiff of comfy extracts, like almond, vanilla, and maple hit the nose first, followed by grape jam, toffee, dried cranberries, and almond butter.

The palate comes in sweet with a bit of wine separation. It settles into cherry syrup, black raisins, and root beer candies, with a slight peppery tannic bite in the background.

It finishes with the black raisins and cherry syrup up front, and peppery, tangy notes in the back.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though the whisky is a bit discombobulated, it's not a total mess. It has an enjoyable nose, and the palate works as a casual, background thing. Nothing sets it apart from other official sherried whiskies, since so many of them have also not been afforded the time to let their ingredients merge into a coordinated experience. This is just a whole lotta words that mean: this whisky is okay.

Availability - Whisky specialist retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - US: $60-$80; Europe: $35-$60
Rating - 81

Glen Garioch 29 year old 1968, cask 617

Your eyes are not deceiving you. This is a 1968 official single cask Glen Garioch. I've never had any 1960s Glen Gariochs, though I have heard they possess considerable quality. At the time of this whisky's creation, the distillery was run by DCL. In true DCL fashion, the owners promptly mothballed the facility. In the late 1990s, the new owner, Suntory, approved the release of some of Garioch's old sherried hogsheads. Today's pour comes from one of those casks.

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Ownership at time of distillation: Distillers Company Limited
Ownership at time of bottling: Suntory Holdings Limited
Region: Eastern Highlands
Age: 29 years old (27 April 1968 - 1997)
Maturation: sherry hogshead
Cask:  617
Alcohol by Volume: 55.4%
(From a bottle split. Thank you, PT!)

NOTES

This has one of the earthiest noses I've ever experienced. Layers of plum, cocoa powder, dunnage, and dried mango form around the earth. Fresh cigars, dried cherries, dried currants, and a sherry drier than oloroso join all the other notes by the 45-minute mark.

Oh goodness, the palate. Smoked wormwood, soil, dunnage, and black coffee with a cinnamon roll arrives first. Then baking chocolate and menthol. And then plums, blueberries, and charred chiles. The smoke, bitterness, and sweetness keep each other from overwhelming the palate.

The long finish is earthy and bitter up front with sweet citrus and berries appearing next, followed by lime and cayenne.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is powerful, relentless, lovely whisky. I sat with it — or it sat with me — for over an hour, and it never mellowed, never faded. My notes only scratch the surface of this whisky's complexity, as I was so taken by its style. There are no contemporary single malts to which I can compare this, because the spirit and vessels were different then. It was the perfect pour for this season's first snowy night.

Availability - Maybe secondary?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 93

Glen Garioch 29 year old 1988 Thompson Brothers

Phil and Simon Thompson continue to live the dream up in Dornoch: running a distiller, picking quality single casks from around Scotland, and chillin' in one of the best whisky bars in the world. (I should probably just do a Thompson week in 2025. Hell, I also need to go to Dornoch whenever I return to Scotland.) I have here a sample from a Glen Garioch refill hoggie that may have been split into two releases, with two pretty labels, in 2018. Distilled before the distillery was closed (1995) and reopened (1997), back when a touch of peated malt was used, this whisky had almost three full decades in oak. The fact that the Bros pulled the cask nine days before its 30th birthday, when they could have probably doubled the price, is also much appreciated.

Distillery: Glen Garioch

Owner: Beam Suntory

Region: Eastern Highlands

Independent Bottler: Thompson Brothers

Age: 29 years (5 Dec 1988 - 26 Nov 2018)

Maturation: refill hogshead

Outturn: 161 bottles (across two releases)?

Alcohol by Volume: 46.2%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

It starts off with a nice toasty note on the nose, toasted grains, toasted nuts, and toasted oak. The fruits follow: grapefruit, kiwi juice, and peach candy. Around the 45-minute mark, dried apricots, gentle florals, and a hint of rye bread arise.

The palate is very dry, so tannic that it's almost smoky. And I don't mind it because sweetness (toffee and mint candy), bitter citrus, a hint of kiln balance it out. Dried apricots also appear after a while, as do some savory herbs.

It finishes sweeter, with gentle peppery tannins. Oranges, mint leaves, coconut cream, and metal provide character.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Yes, it's tannic and I don't hate it. Complexity (you know, the sort that comes from actual time) saves the day. Its ABV right on target as well and doesn't have me wondering why the angels were so damned thirsty. And its price wasn't that horrifying. Good on ya if you scored a bottle!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - £235
Rating - 87

Glen Garioch 10 year old 2012 Cadenhead, Fino Sherry

Glen Garioch made its last appearance on Diving for Pearls as a septet of 2003 SMWS bottlings, 18 months ago. There were at least three gems in that series, which is a much better batting average than most of my clusters have offered. No, I don't have any other 2003 SMWS casks from this Eastern Highlands distillery. But a trio of Gariochs from three different decades are calling my name right now.

Though whisky retailers have hundreds (if not thousands) of single casks of Scottish single malt distilled in 2012 or later, I've tried less than a dozen of them, largely because most of those I've consumed have been mediocre. But I like Cadenhead, fino, and Glen Garioch, so I took part in a bottle split of today's cask. Now it's time to find out if those parts came together.

(pic source)

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Eastern Highlands

Independent Bottler: Cadenhead
Age: 10 years (2012 - Autumn 2022)
Maturation: Fino sherry cask (maybe a hoggie)
Outturn: 318 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Wow, the nose begins with notes of actual dry fino, like raw walnuts, raw pecans, and saline. It gets fruitier with time, offering plums, apricots, lemon blossoms, watermelon Jolly Ranchers, and cinnamon. The palate arrives MUCH sweeter than expected. I'm getting marshmallows, lemon hard candies, cinnamon red hots, and green grapes, with raw new make resting beneath. The finish is even more sugary, with lemon and cinnamon candies, and slightly tangy grapes.

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

New make and candy on the nose. Cinnamon red hots, rock candy, and yeast. The palate remains sweet, with more bitterness and peppercorns. Hints of roses and metal in the background. It finishes very sugary and floral.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I can only write "sugary" so many times. This is one of the sweetest scotches I have ever tried, and I'm at loss as to why Cadenhead chose to release it as is. Perhaps it was briefly finished in the fino cask and the original hogshead was a 4th fill. My palate preferences reflect my soul, bitter and occasionally spicy. This whisky's flavor does not fit my palate, but the (neat) nose is lovely, which rescues this whisky from descending into the C+ zone. This confection may suit other drinkers' faces, but I think it wasn't done baking.

Availability - Probably sold out
Pricing - €75
Rating - 81

Taste Off! Ardbeg Seventeen - Old versus New

Soon after purchasing Ardbeg distillery in 1997, Glenmorangie Plc released a 17 year old version of this Islay whisky to the then-tiny single malt market. The distillery had been closed from 1981 to 1987 by Hiram Walker, so the chillfiltered 40%abv expression had a very limited future. In fact, if one does some complex math, one will realize the batches bottled from 1999 to 2004 (its final year) were older than 17 years. After 2004, the Airigh Nam Beist briefly offered enthusiasts a standard release older than the Ten, otherwise everyone would have to wait until 2019 for a consistent teenage Ardbeg, the 19yo.

In 2023, Doc Bill Lumsden and his Ardbeg crew conjured up a new limited 17, in honor of the defunct whisky. Because the old Hiram Walker distillate was less peaty than the current spirit, the Glenmo/LVMH blenders mixed some unpeated(!) 17yo Ardbeg in with the peated 17yo stuff. Then, in an unusual maneuver for the brand, the resulting whisky was chillfiltered and reduced to 40%abv.

I am grateful to have very recently gotten in on a bottle split of both the old and new 17s. And here they are, quietly resting in stemmed receptacles:

Old one on the left
Lighter new one on the right
Side by side at night

Ardbeg 17 year old Hiram Walker spirit released 1997-2004 40%abv	Ardbeg 17 year old LVMH spirit released 2023 40%abv
A mix of charred things (beef and wheat toast) and fruit things (apple butter and raspberries) fills the nose, with milder notes of oysters, burlap, and metal in the background.	The nose is pretty loud, on-brand. Manure, seaweed, and soil form the top layer. Calvados and old sweat in the middle. Pound cake and snickerdoodles in the back.
The palate has multiple gears! First up: mild kiln smoke, Rose's grenadine, and vanilla frosting. Second gear (at 30 mins): Taffy, grapefruit juice, and a hint of bitter pith. Then, at the 45 minute mark: a sturdy savoriness.	Though the palate is very salty, it's much less peaty than any other current Ardbeg. Brown sugar, chlorine, mint extract, and a slight bitterness develop over time.
The kiln note sticks around through the finish, followed by orange pixy stix, lemon juice, and a subtle herbal bitterness. Good length.	"Ardbeg Ten Lite" is my first finish note, followed by, "cigarette ash to go with the chimney soot". A bit of minty toothpaste, too. Good length.
Comments: This is a great drinker, especially when you're in no mood to quaff peat and heat. Thought there's a little bit of complexity present, it's not intellectual stuff. I could use another belt of this.	Comments: It is louder and simpler than the old version, and there's really no way to get around that with the contemporary spirit. But there's a pleasant simplicity to it, and the nose is very good.
Rating: 87	Rating: 83

WORDS WORDS WORDS

As you may have heard from other bloggers, "old" Ardbeg can be fabulous. Yes, I'm sure ye olde Seventeen could have been dynamite with no chillfiltration and less dilution, but it still shines in its actual form. The new 17 was better than I had expected. Many of the distillery's annual WTF releases and the merely-good current Uigeadail have warped my view of Ardbeg. (Maybe I should stick to their bourbon cask stuff going forward?) If Dr. Bill ever decides to tinker (read: lower) Ardbeg's peat levels, I'd certainly be interested in seeing where that would lead. That's the best part of the new 17, it teases possibilities.

Concluding the Teaninich Cluster

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Ah, finally a quiet night here at home. Autumn is finally falling. I've fashioned a hot dinner just for me — tofu is best when cooked in bacon fat, just sayin' — and have a glass off orange wine from the Allan commune at hand. I can finally take a look back at this long Teaninich cluster.

Going into this cluster I thought I was about to find my new favorite hush-hush distillery. Previous experiences were very good, and no one (including Diageo) talks about the distillery. But now that the cluster has completed, while I did find the whiskies pretty darned good, I'm not convinced enough to buy a Teaninich bottle blindly. As long as the whisky remains bright and sweet it starts to blend in with many other Highlands and Speyside distilleries, thus its role in actual Diageo blends. When it tilts a little darker, I'm smitten, but that didn't happen often in this series.

Out of 16 whiskies, 14 graded in the 80s, 2 in the 70s. Here's the list:

These average out 84.2, a low B. The whiskies under 20 years, whiskies within most of our price ranges, have a mean of 82.8, a B-.

The market is flooded with B- whiskies, which wouldn't be a tragedy if prices plateaued at some point. A very experienced whisky geek once declared, "Life is too short for 85-point whisky." And though he has a good point, I'd amend it to, "Life is too short to buy full bottles of 85-point whisky, pending one's budget." Of course I want the 35yo Signatory, but its price tag averages about $700.

My favorite cluster members under the age of the 20 were bottled seven and fifteen years ago. Of the <20yo Teaninichs bottled in this decade, I don't think I'd try them again, let alone buy a whole bottle.

This is not a terrible situation for fans like me, folks who already have more bottles than we can consume. As prices inflate, we have to curate. We can lower our standards or raise them. I always encourage the latter, both to hold producers accountable (macro) and to fill each of our cabinets with delicious drinks (micro).

This was fun, Teaninich! Keep filling up the blends that keep this industry alive.

Teaninich 40 year old 1973 Old & Rare, Platinum Selection

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Yes, the cluster's final Teaninich survived 40 years in oak, specifically a "Sherry Hogshead", though I'm betting on at least one re-racking in its lifetime. It's neither some brittle 40.2%abv thing, nor a 62%abv wunderfreak, nor is it coffee-colored (despite the photo below), all of which bodes well for this single malt. This sample has been staring at me for eight weeks, so it's time to release it from its prison.

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Independent Bottler: Hunter Laing
Series: Old & Rare
Age: 40 years old (December 1973 - October 2014)
Maturation: Sherry Hogshead
Outturn: 229 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 48.9%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Its nose's first note is a burst of sugar, but that recedes revealing nutty oloroso, orange peel, and cloves. Almonds and walnuts eventually take over the foreground, with apricots and earthy molasses in the middle, and yuzu in the background.

LOTS of sandalwood in the early palate, with some cherry juice and musty dusty dunnage playing second fiddle. After 30 minutes, an old rye whiskey spiciness sneaks in along with toffee, marzipan, and pipe tobacco. Apples, oranges, and limes arrive at the hour mark. Though there's plenty of wood present, the palate never gets bitter or drying.

The finish goes through a few shifts. First up, toffee and almonds. Later, oranges and zingy ginger powder. After an hour or so, tobacco smoke floats up.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Kudos to the Hunter Laing crew for the cask management on this one. The oak registers gracefully, never, um, lumbering. Quite smitten by the palate and thinking this was a 90+ pointer, I tried it next to my Bunnahabhain '80, but the Teaninich just couldn't defeat it. However, this oldie is a comfy old critter, especially once the tobacco and smoke notes appear, and a fitting way to end the cluster. Now it's time for me to step back to see if I gleaned anything from consuming 16 Teaninichs...

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ????
Rating - 89

Teaninich 27 year old 1972 Rare Malts

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Yesterday brought a 1972 Rare Malts Teaninich. Today also brings a 1972 Rare Malts Teaninich. This one's casks must have been part of the same Swedish sauna parcel as yesterday's 23yo release, as this one flexes 64.2%abv at 27 years of age. The 23 needed some water to open up the palate, though the nose was spot on at full strength. Honestly, I've never had 27-year-old rocket fuel before, so I don't know what to expect.

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Range: Rare Malts
Age: 27 years old (1972 - October 2000)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: ???? bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 64.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A very cuddly nose: shortbread biscuits, sugar cookies, pound cake, apricots, and a hint of molasses. The real heat is in the palate. It registers hot, tangy, and sweet, with lots of oranges and cinnamon. The finish mostly matches the palate, though it adds a little salt.

A wee touch of water...

DILUTED to 100 UK proof, or 57.1%abv

The nose shifts slightly towards butterscotch chips, confectioner's sugar, and ocean air. Meanwhile, the palate opens up. It balances sweetness and minerals well. Lime lollies and orange popsicles. Perhaps a touch of dunnage in there too. The finish seems longer here, all oranges candies and lime candies.

Going to soften it up a little more...

DILUTED to 100 US proof, or 50%abv

Oh, I like where the nose is going with its apricots, sugar cookies, and dunnage funk. Barley takes front seat in the palate, with lemon cake and orange cranberry scones in the midground. Again, the finish matches the palate, though it adds some bitterness to balance the sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Like the 23, this 27yo isn't the most complex whisky in this cluster, but it tastes delicious and smells intoxicating (sorry, that was an actual hand-written note). The nose works with or without water, but the palate needs some dilution to reveal its best sides. I don't know if anyone, two decades ago, spent time with a bottle of this stuff, experimenting to find its peak ABV. Perhaps there's a 90+ point whisky hidden in there. Or maybe it's just a very good drink.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ????
Rating - 88

Teaninich 23 year old 1972 Rare Malts

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Time to go back to 1972 for ye olden Teaninich; or rather 1996, which is when United Distillers (proto-Diageo) bottled this absolute firewater for their Rare Malts range. I'm not sure what casks this whisky was aged in, nor how many, but its hue is quite light. One must assume there was a Swedish sauna onsite because this creature registers hotter than filling strength after 23 years. In my experience, the Rare Malts are usually of very high quality, so lemme see how this Tea be.

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Range: Rare Malts
Age: 23 years old (1972 - 1996)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: ???? bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 64.95%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's very noseable, and for that I'm grateful. Ocean water, peaches, lemon, and shortbread find their way out of the glass first. After 30+ minutes, agave nectar and prosecco appear, with hints of roses and burlap in the background. The palate is obviously hot as hell. It's also very malty, with almonds and tart plums in the back. It finishes tart and nutty.

A little bit of water...

DILUTED to 100 UK proof, or 57.1%abv

Gingerbread joins the shortbread in the nose, followed by orange candy, lemon bars, and whiff of something industrial. On the palate, there's baked peaches with lemon juice and sea salt, then tart apples and malt. It finishes with sweet peach pie and tangy applesauce.

A little more water...

DILUTED to 100 US proof, or 50%abv

The nose gets simpler, with barley, lemons, peaches, and the ocean. The palate gets leaner too. Barley and brown sugar, limes and minerals. Still with a good length, the finish is all malt and limes.

And now I'm out of whisky.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Nearly 30 bottle years did not calm the burn, though the whisky was somewhat approachable at full power. The nose was excellent and the palate showed promise. Dilution seemed to limit the nose, rather than open it up, or maybe I needed more water (and whisky). Conversely, water helps the palate out, cooling it off and revealing the fruits. Though the whisky's complexity doesn't impress much, the hardy vibrant barley notes are lovely after 23 years. Now how about another 1972...

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Teaninich 35 year old 1983 Signatory, cask 8070

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

For its 30th anniversary, SMWS bottled yesterday's 1983 Teaninich. Signatory Vintage bottled today's 1983 Teaninich for its own 30th birthday. It was only appropriate to try the two whiskies side-by-side. This 35 year old is a rarity for this cluster in that it came from an actual sherry butt. The cask has a very high outturn, which makes one wonder if this was re-casked at some point within its last decade. It also punches in at 57.5%abv, which is some hot stuff for a 35yo single malt. Yesterday's '83 went heavy on the oak, what about today's '83?

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Age: 35 years old (7 Dec 1983 - 12 Dec 2018)
Maturation: Refill sherry butt
Cask number: 8070
Outturn: 575 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 57.5%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Though the nose has a mix of mango and citronella that nearly matches yesterday's 29yo, the similarity ends there. Cherry compote, Frosted Flakes, Macintosh apples, and basil leaf fill out the sniffer, with quieter notes of blossoms and charred veg lingering behind. The fascinating palate starts with old cognac, sweet apples, tart oranges, and peach nectar. Cherry compote and lemon juice arrive after 40+ minutes. The lack of tannin is startling. It finishes sweet and tart, with limes, clementines, cherries, and nectarines.

I'm being careful with the water for this oldie...

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

The nose becomes more metallic, and toasted oak makes a few cameos. Peaches and shortbread float through the midground. There's more wood spice in the palate now; more lemons as well. Orange candy, vanilla, and a hint of wood smoke make up the rest. The finish is shorter and sweeter, with dusty oak and lemon candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Keep this one neat, and it's a near gem. Serge loves it, as does the Whiskybase community, and I can see why. It's lit up with fruits, but something sort of smoky lingers beneath (perhaps like the official 17?), providing some welcome angles and depth. Were that darker note a little bolder, this would be a 90+-point malt. It's still terrific as is though, especially with the lack of clumsy oak, and ranks as my favorite whisky from this cluster so far. Will any of the next three Teaninichs unseat it???

Availability - Might still be available in Continental Europe
Pricing - €600 to €800 w/VAT
Rating - 89 (neat only)

Teaninich 29 year old 1983 SMWS 59.46

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

I promised "considerably older" Teaninichs in my last Teaninich Cluster post, and thus it begins here with a 29 year old 1983 single hogshead bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society for their 30th Anniversary outturn. Back in 1983 there was a Teaninich "A" and a Teaninich "B" distillery on site. SMWS doesn't specific which one this cask came from, though I don't know if any indie bottlers ever had that inside information. This specific Teaninich was dubbed "Jellybean dream", and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad omen...

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 29 years old (8 November 1983 - 2013)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask number: 59.46, "Jellybean dream"
Outturn: 194 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 52.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts off very pretty and promising with mangoes, apricots, rosewater, and amaretto. Pencil shavings and aloe appear after 30 minutes and remain somewhere in the middle, while a citronella candle burns in the background. On the other side of things, the palate is intensely woody, loaded with lumber and barrel char. All bitter and peppery. Tart limes, vanilla, tobacco, and Midori liqueur never fully break into the foreground. The tannin-loaded finish numbs the tongue, with cardboard, limes, serrano chiles, and Midori liqueur occasionally peeking through.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or >¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose takes a curious turn towards maple syrup, cantaloupe, candied orange peel, barrel char, and jalapeños. But, thankfully, the palate has been rescued, with more limes and oranges, less tobacco, fewer chiles, and a splash of coconut milk. It finishes like caipirinha before the cachaça is added, all limes muddled with sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Dilution saves the whisky! The neat palate and finish are, frankly, not good. Any balance or complexity has been beaten to death with 2x4s, which is a shame because the nose hints at something excellent within. Dropping the ABV down to 46% awakens the fruits, and brings some depth to the oak notes, lifting a C-grade gremlin to a B-grade sipper. Still, this whisky was probably much more fun when it was 10 years younger, just like me!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 84 (Diluted only. It's in the 70s when neat.)

Bea's Birthday Booze: Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 5

David Stewart's Tun 1401 series scrambled my whisky brain. Eleven-ish years ago, I had the opportunity to try three of the Tun 1401 batches, and I almost stopped reviewing whisky as a result. The quality of each batch was so stratospheric that I questioned all of my whisky ratings up to that point. It was Tim (a.k.a. Mr. Scotch and Ice Cream) who encouraged me to keep going, to absorb the Tun encounters into my overall whisky experience. So I took the sensei's advice and here I am so many years later.

In 2017, my Batch 3 review ended with a mere 91-point score, which could get me kneecapped in some whisky circles. Today I will review Batch 5. While not as lauded as some of the other batches (I'm looking at you #3), it is still a Tun 1401. As per a now-404ed official page, its ingredients were...

"......4 sherry butts distilled in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975 and 5 American oak casks from 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1991......"

...which makes one of the batches with the highest ratio of sherry casks. Had the mix not included the 1991, Batch 5 would have been a 36 or 37 year old whisky. Having received the full details on a different batch's casks, I have no doubt that at least one of the 40+ year old casks in #5 had dropped below 40%abv. That's not a problem for me if the end result is delicious.

pic source

Distillery: Balvenie

Ownership: William Grant & Sons
Region: Speyside (Dufftown)

Age and Maturation: see notes above

Outturn: 2862 700mL bottles
Release Year: 2012

Exclusive to: Europe

Alcohol by Volume: 50.1%

(from a purchased sample)

NOTES

The nose begins with old musty casks in a damp dunnage, ocean brine, raw hazelnuts, and raw walnuts. Figs, eucalyptus, and very dark chocolate materialize after 30 minutes. Hints of guava and toffee arrive near the 45 minute-mark.

The palate starts off much more savory and salty than I'd expected. Very dry sherry, like manzanilla perhaps? Dunnage, tart limes, and jalapeño oil fill the middle. And in the back, surprising notes of tar and kiln keep returning.

It finishes with a note-perfect mix of citrus (grapefruit and blood orange) and sea salt, with Brazil nuts and kiln smoke lingering even longer.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

No dilution for this one. Sorry folks. This was bottled at an excellent drinking strength, and I've gleefully taken advantage of that. Because I find myself preferring the Amontillado and Manzanilla side of the sherry spectrum, this batch hits all the right spots on the palate. Figs + guava + dunnage on the nose? Yes.

At the end of this long day, I've paired this Tun with my beloved 33yo Bunnahabhain, and the experience has made for a lovely personal celebration of my younger daughter's birthday. Though I'm sorry to say the Tun 1509s just can't compete with the 1401s, I do hope Balvenie's current and future blenders can catch the Stewart magic someday. Having pristine 37 year old casks on hand would probably help.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ????
Rating - 91

Bea's Birthday Booze: Seventieth Anniversary Malt 41 year old 1967 Duncan Taylor

Duncan Taylor & Company registered their cask brokerage business in 1938, and after passing from Scottish to American to Scottish ownership, they celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2008. To mark the occasion, their blenders created a vatted malt from two casks of 1967 vintage single malt, one from Glenfarclas and the other from Highland Park. At full strength, that combination turned out 375 bottles of 46.3%abv whisky. During a lovely quiet Taste Off this week, that 41 year old malt served as the aperitif to the Port Ellen that I reviewed on Wednesday.

Distilleries: Glenfarclas and Highland Park
Regions: Speyside and Orkney
Bottler: Duncan Taylor

Type: Blended Malt
Age: 41 years old (1967 - 2008)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: 375 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 46.3%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose starts with a mix of rope, brine, apple skins, and lemon cake in the front; barley, cinnamon, and rye bread in the back. After 40+ minutes, the whisky develops subtler notes pear juice, guava juice, and musty old cask.

Menthol, black walnuts, and toasty oak greet the palate first, followed by raw almonds, mint leaf, Good & Plenty candies, and tart apples.

The finish registers sweeter than the palate with sugary apples, apricots, and Good & Plenty. Bitter tobacco, bitter chocolate, and iron appear in later sips.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A very modest whisky to bottle for the occasion, this 41yo is so gentle next to the 25yo Port Ellen, reading even lighter than its ABV, that I cannot bring myself to dilute it any further. I have a feeling that one of these casks was getting woody, while the other still offered a bit of youth, because those two sides separate here and there throughout the tasting. But it would still be a very nice everyday drinker, as one can appreciate the whisky's lack of bombast.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86