Bowmore 17 year old 2002 Blackadder, cask 20199

After Monday's 1989 Bowmore, I thought I should review a more recent Blackadder Bowmore, one that some of you at home may have seen. Distilled during the very fine Bowmore era of 1999-2002 (specifically, 2002), the whisky was bottled just last year----

Oops, I should have offered a trigger warning there. Are you okay?

I'll try to keep my expectations under control, but I do adore ex-bourbon single casks of Bowmore from this period.

Distillery: Bowmore
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Independent Bottler: Blackadder
Range: Raw Cask
Age: 17 years (2002 to 15 October 2019)
Maturation: Hogshead
Cask number: 20199
Outturn: 308
Alcohol by Volume: 53.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose is a bit on the lean side. Some farmy smoke, pine needles and butter arrive first. Then, slowly, grapefruit, citronella candles and peach ice cream make their appearances. Time to use the "A" word. The austere palate starts off with stones, grains and pine needles. Bitter smoke rolls up into the midground. It's very salty and spirity, almost like a 7yo rather than a 17yo. The finish has more character than the palate, adding menthol and lemons to the bitter smoke.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose gains a nice seaside/harbor note to go with the grapefruits, lemons and dirty stones. The palate is "slightly" a lot of things, mostly in balance: slightly sharp, slightly peppery, slightly salty, slightly sweet and slightly bitter. That harbor note rolls after a while, adding some character. Again the finish proves to be more interesting, leaning heavier on the salt while adding a lychee candy note.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
While this is probably a technically flawless thing, with its lean style and great nose, I found the palate somewhat uninspired. Again. Could my expectations have influenced my experience? Or could the excellence of its sparring partner (arriving on Friday) have given me a different perspective than had I tried this whisky alone? For a more positive review, see that of My Annoying Opinions who reviewed the same whisky from the same bottle two weeks ago. He found more going on in the palate than I did, therein lies the difference in our scores.

Availability - Probably sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 85

Bowmore 21 year old 1989 Blackadder, cask 12861

It's been more than two years since I reviewed an independently bottled Bowmore. I shall end this blog's longest indie Bowmore drought ever with a trio of single casks this week, starting with one that was distilled at the end of the difficult Bowmore period, call it what you will. By the time the late '80s arrived, some of the more troubling distillate notes were in the past. I hope that's the case with this one. I'm cool with flowers blossoms, floral soap and floral perfume not so much.

Here's the data:

NEAT

So used to the bold peat on recent Bowmore indie casks, I am surprised by the mildness of the peat on this whisky's nose. Flowers and fruits read much louder: think cantaloupe, yellow plums and white nectarines. In the background, a quirky Loch Lomond-style funk merges well with a molasses note. The palate begins very hot and very sweet with some vegetal peat on the side. There's a mix of shouga sembei (Japanese ginger cookies) and mint candy up front, hints of caramel and cherry cola in the background. A new note develops after a while, a curious old-blend-like thing that I can only attempt to describe as ink, mold and paper. A sweet smoke appears in the finish, followed by charred veg and toasted oak spices.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp per 30mL whisky

Quite some variety in the nose now. Vegetal peat smoke, lemon candy, carpet, leather and baby poop. The palate also meanders all over the place. At first it's a blend of candy canes, ginger cookies and peanut butter. Then there's this note, it tastes like I'm licking the label, and it sort of takes over everything. Luckily it doesn't carry too far into the finish, rather we're back to the mint, smoke and pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Despite the whisky being quite hot at full power, I do not recommend diluting it to 46%abv because all cohesion is shattered and things start getting strange. And not in a fun way. When neat, the whisky seems to stay close to the spirit, with cask interference held to a minimum. As noted by Ganga in the comments section on my most recent FWP post, the floral notes here are (thankfully) of actual flower blossoms, not soap. And that prevents the nose from dropping to wacky bad from its wacky goodness. The neat palate is unmemorable aside from the inky, moldy note, and the finish is a bit plain and short. This cask is most notable for being a relatively successful Bowmore from this period, with the italics on "relatively".

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 83 (but keep it neat!)

Caol Ila 14 year old 2005 Chieftain's, cask 302361

I've been snooping around online and can find very little about this whisky. It's almost as if all the bottles were bought up and are now collecting dust in everyone's oh-my-god-a-new-thing cabinet. It's a 14 year old single cask Caol Ila that was actually released in America last year. Other than an occasional K&L conquest, this country doesn't get double-digit-aged single cask Caol Ilas on the reg anymore. Thank you, Ian MacLeod, for letting one escape across the Atlantic.

Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay
Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Ian McLeod
Range: Chieftain's
Age: 14 years (March 2005 - August 2019)
Maturation: Hogshead
Cask #: 302361
Bottles: 218
Alcohol by Volume: 55.9%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? No
(from a purchased sample)

NEAT
A flawless nose. Gosh, I miss Caol Ila. Anyway: seaweedy smoke, roasted almonds, Canadian bacon and hot tar. Brown sugar in the middle. Fresh apricots, yellow plums and apple skins in the background. Massive peat in the palate, like CI+. But it's not all peat. Tart apples, sweet apples, fennel, lime juice and horseradish hold steady in the smoke. Silky texture, too. It finishes with an excellent sweet/smoky balance. Then limes, salt, stones and horseradish.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
How is it possible that the nose is peatier and stinkier? It's in the Ledaig/PC/Croftengea zone. Beyond the black smoke lies damp soil, mushrooms, plums and cherries. Bitter herbs and bitter cocoa lead the muscular palate, followed by horseradish and heavy smoke. But just as one starts to stagger from the wallop, sweet oranges rise up to tickle the palate. It finishes with earth, roots, herbs and oranges.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
A list of thoughts:

1. Awesome.
2. Y'all have been keeping this a secret from the rest of us, haven't you? Y'all.
3. The Ledaig/PC/Croftengea zone is a good place to be. If this isn't the peatiest Caol Ila I've ever had, it has to be in the top three.
4. Despite the whisky's youthful character, there are no mezcal notes, which I appreciate. At first it was fun to find mezcal notes in baby peated whiskies, but after the fourth or fifth time that note appeared I found myself just wanting some mezcal rather than underaged scotch.
5. This whisky's price was silly because of The Tariff, right?

Availability - Scarce
Pricing - $180-$190
Rating - 89

Glenburgie 16 year old 1998 Chieftain's, cask 5006 (my bottle)

This is the Glenburgie that got me into Glenburgie. Like Monday's Fettercairn, I tried this whisky during the previous Chieftain's blog blast almost five years ago. And like the Fettercairn I had enjoyed many pours of it preceding its review. While the Fettercairn brings power and complexity, this Glenburgie is a mellow drinker, due to both its ABV and style. This pour is from the upper third of the bottle below.

Distillery: Glenburgie
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Owners: Pernod Ricard
Independent Bottler: Ian McLeod
Range: Chieftain's
Age: 16 years (November 1998 - October 2015)
Maturation: Hogshead
Cask #: 5006
Bottles: 230
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? No
(from my bottle)

NEAT
The nose begins with barley, celery and loads of anise. It also shows some light grassiness and vegetable broth. Wasabi and Red Hots candy. The palate is malty malty malty. There's also kiwi juice and watermelon juice. Green grapes and mint leaves. Butterscotch and a slight mineral edge. Malt leads the finish as well, with little bits of watermelon, cantaloupe and a jalapeño bite.

I never add water to this, but what the hell.

DILUTED TO ~40%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30ml whisky
Hmmm. Funkier, muskier fruit appears in the nose, along with manuka honey. Sesame crunch and pickled ginger. The palate has become bitterer. Though there's more vanilla and butterscotch, the fruits hold strong: apricots, limes, sweet apples and roses (not a fruit). It finishes with roses, limes, a maraschino cherry and a hint of toasted oak.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Wow, maybe I should have been diluting this stuff the whole time. Though non-Western notes existed in the neat nose, at 40%abv it moves further East. I apologize for that sentence. Neat or diluted the palate is fruity, malty and concerningly easygoing. I try not to use the word "recommend" in this blog because this whisky shit is expensive, but if you can still find a bottle of this for $90 or less, it's not the worst thing to have.

Availability - Unsure. These could still be out there, somewhere.
Pricing - $90-$100 was its original price
Rating - 87

Braeval 23 year old 1996 Chieftain's, cask 111109

It's fair to say I'm a fan of bourbon cask Braevals. It's the summery honey and fruit style that gets me every time. If Pernod Ricard ever committed to a regular Braes range, it would probably become A Thing. For like five minutes. Despite this bottle's hefty price tag, I did consider blindly buying a bottle, instead I'll settle for a split.

Distillery: Braeval
Ownership: Pernod Ricard
Region: Speyside (Banffshire)
Independent Bottler: Ian McLeod
Range: Chieftain's
Age: 23 years old (July 1996 - August 2019)
Maturation: bourbon barrel
Cask number: 111109
Outturn: 209 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 53.1%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
Orange creamsicles, rose blossoms, cloves, nutmeg and chocolate malt read loudest the nose, with hints of strawberry Bubble Yum and vanilla bean in the background. The palate starts off with malt, honey, sweet shisha and apricot jam. Lots of apricot jam. Then raspberries, yuzu and fruity cinnamon. Great tart/sweet balance. It finishes with honey, lemons, apricot jam, toasted grains and a hint of smoked vanilla bean.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose becomes even brighter! Lots of citrus peels, minty ice cream and brown sugar. A little bit of tapioca pudding, dunnage and that green plant which is still illegal in Ohio. And I don't mean broccoli. Or do I? Though the palate is full of peach ice cream, butterscotch pudding and fruity cinnamon it's not too sweet. There are some tart lemons, a gentle smokiness around the edges, maybe some nectarines in the back. The finish is all lemons, nectarines and butterscotch.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I could drink this stuff all day, so it's probably a good thing I have only a sample of it. It would be a great summer pour. Or any season really. Though this Braeval delivers neither complexity nor the longest of finishes, I'd bet most Speyside distilleries would love to capture this style. Just radiant fruity fun.

Availability - As with the previous two Chieftain's, there are probably several bottles of this whisky on retailer shelves out there somewhere in America.
Pricing - $185-$225 (Can I wish this down to $125?)
Rating - 88

Teaninich 20 year old 1999 Chieftain's, cask 302865

Not only is this my first second Teaninich review, but it's the first time I've ever spelled the distillery's name correctly on the first try! Teaninininininch is one of those Diageo-owned malts that the big D hoards for its blends, so we rarely see even an indie bottle of it here in The States. This barrel, part of what may be Chieftain's final single cask bottling runs, also has a sibling cask #302864 in Europe. And, pretty remarkably, they've both mostly sold out, so I'm thankful to have gotten my claws on a bottle split.

Distillery: Teaninich
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Ownership: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Ian McLeod
Range: Chieftain's
Age: 20 years old (March 1999 - August 2019)
Maturation: bourbon barrel
Cask number: 302865
Outturn: 152 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 56.2%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
It has a fascinating nose. There are veggies on the top: with cucumber skins, wheatgrass, vegetable broth and charred bell pepper skins. And flowers and fruits on the bottom: lilac and yellow plums. And it works, somehow. The palate stays close to this style. Flower petals, cucumber skins and an herbal bitterness arrive first. Peach skins, lemon-infused olive oil and a hint of metal follow later. One can almost chew the peach skins and cucumber skins as they arrive so boldly. It finishes bitter, tart and vegetal with smaller notes of peppercorns and metal.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1⅓ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Wow! The nose actually intensifies, with the bell peppers and wheatgrass taking over, the blossoms and peaches in the background, and hints of salty broth and dunnage here and there. The palate's vegetal note remains, but with more minerals and metals. Hints of flowers and plums around the edges. Flowers, plums and pepper in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The late scotchwhisky.com said that Teaninich's spirit has "a fragrant exotic grassiness," and that element is alive and well in this bottling, providing a distinctive experience. Plaudits to Chieftain's for bottling a low-oak whisky with this level of organic zing. I really enjoyed these two ounces, but I can't imagine getting too far into a full bottle before being worn out. Whether this style is divisive or not, it's great to have this in the whisky world. If you've had this whisky too, let me know in the comments what you thought of it. For me, tomorrow's (Wednesday's) whisky had the clear edge.

Availability - There may be a few bottles still floating around at American retailers
Pricing - $200-$225 (which is actually much cheaper than its sibling cask)
Rating - 85 (maybe, I dunno)

Fettercairn 19 year old 1996 Chieftain's, cask 91131 (my bottle)

I regret to say I may starting this five-part Chieftain's week with a whisky the others can't match. On the other hand I'm happy that a Fettercairn could be the peak of a whisky week. This Fettercairn conquered my other Chieftain's series almost five(!) years ago. Such was its quality that I bought two bottles and got in on a bottle split of a third. My review pour comes from a first bottle sample. Here's the second, unopened, bottle:

Complete with casket

Distillery: Fettercairn
Region: Eastern Highlands
Owner: Emperador Distillers Inc
Independent Bottler: Ian McLeod
Range: Chieftain's
Age: 19 years (September 1996 - October 2015)
Maturation: Oloroso cask finish
Cask number: 91131
Outturn: 474 bottles 
Alcohol by Volume: 57.4%
Chillfiltered: No
Colored: No
(from my bottle, bottom third)

NEAT
The color is much lighter than the picture leads on. The nose seamlessly spins and merges a plentitude of characteristics. There's toasted barley and dark chocolate. Here's some soil, machine shop and befouled hay. Then cherry lollipops, candy corn and apple pie. How about fresh cherries and guava juice? Yes 'm. The palate shows off a very nutty sherry, full of walnuts and raw almonds. It's also earthy and rooty, and loaded with baking chocolate and hay. Hints of baking spices and bitter herbs rest below. Fruits sneak out into the finish; think tart limes, dried apricots and dried cherries. The roots, rocks, bitter herbs and raw almonds remain, now joined by jolt of Thai chiles.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Dried apricots and dried pineapple slices appear in the nose, followed by toffee, roasted almonds, chalk, clay and something "dirty" though I'm not convinced it's cask sulfur. Now diluted, the palate has become snugglier, with apples, pineapples, pink peppercorns, almonds and dark chocolate. The finish matches the palate, adding a peppery glow.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
When I reviewed this whisky five years ago, I had no idea it was the result of an Oloroso finish, thinking it'd had a full maturation in a stellar example of that type of sherry cask. I'm still fascinated by caliber of its cask integration. In fact I'd take this whisky over ~95% of the full-term sherried whiskies I've ever tried. Though I compared this whisky to a few other distilleries in the first review, after 30+ ounces of experience I see this Fettercairn as Ben Nevis's sibling. It can certainly compete with some of those lovely 1991 Signatories. That's some good company.

Availability - There may be a few bottles still floating around at American retailers
Pricing - $125-$150
Rating - 90