The Singleton of Glendullan 14 year old, Diageo Special Releases 2023

If there is a Diageo distillery towards which I have as little curiosity in as Glenkinchie, it would be Glendullan. Even among the "Singleton" distilleries, it places last. Its single malt always tastes like a blend to my palate, and not one of the good blends. Perhaps one of Ye Olde Rare Malts will change my mind someday, but right now all I have is this 2023 Diageo Special Release.

The good news is that the whisky has an age statement. The bad news is that it has a wine cask finish. The better-than-bad news is that the wine was a Chardonnay from Burgundy. The vins blancs from Bourgogne are among my favorite grape products in the world. Can the vin salvage the usquebaugh???

Distillery: Glendullan

Owner: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Dufftown)

Age: minimum 14 years

Bottling year: 2023

Maturation: Unknown primary maturation, though probably some sort of American oak vessel. Finished in Chardonnay de Bourgogne French oak casks.
Outturn: ?????

Alcohol by Volume: 55.0%

Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is all over the place. Oddly, the first note is not French Chardonnay, but ultra-buttery American Chardonnay, a thing I avoid like......well......Glendullan. Green herbs, mint leaves. angel food cake, and plaster arrive next. After 20+ minutes it de-ages, reading like new make, kirschwasser, pears, and a sprinkle of yeast. The palate fares better, starting with oranges, fresh ginger, and toasted almonds, with cotton candy and plastic bottle brandy in the background. It finishes sweeter with apples, pears, ginger powder, and brown sugar.

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

Different nose now: anise + fennel seed + oregano + caramel. The palate has become VERY sweet, like ginger candy, ginger ale, and lemon candy. It finishes with ginger candy and dried apricots.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is best Glendullan I've tried, but then again all the others were C-grade and D-grade malts. The nose is strange, but sometimes in a good way. The palate is more reliable, but only when neat. Overall, it reads younger than its age statement, and its incongruous casketry doesn't do it too many favors. But, still, it tastes good, and that counts for something. (For another take, Mr. Opinions liked this much more than I did. Our samples came from the same bottle split, so perhaps something went slightly sideways with my pour?)

Availability - Still available, at least in Europe
Pricing - $120-$200
Rating - 80 (neat only)

Glenkinchie 27 year old, Diageo Special Releases 2023

I'm not sure why I went in on a split of six of last year's Special Releases, but I did! I'm in the process of trying them all this week, so the reviews will be sprinkled over the next three weeks, starting with the oldest one first.

Glenkinchie is not my whisky jam. The 12yo is so-so, the Distillers Edition is drinkable, and the old 10yo is sub-mediocre. But.......a 27 year old 'kinchie in refill casks does indeed catch my attention. Its fellow Lowlanders, Bladnoch and Auchentoshan, take to age quite well, so I hope Glenkinchie follows suit.

Distillery: Glenkinchie

Owner: Diageo

Region: Lowlands (Eastern)

Age: minimum 27 years

Bottling year: 2023

Maturation: refill American & European oak barrels and butts
Outturn: ?????

Alcohol by Volume: 58.3%

Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose has a simple but powerful mix of carrot cake, almond extract, orange candy, dried mango, and wet stones. Possibly more complex, the palate starts off with guava, apricots, orange bitters, and hint of grapefruit, perfectly balancing sweet and tart. There are hints of pepper and sawdust in the background, but they never intrude on the fruits. The sweet & tart carries over into the long finish that includes a wee mango highlight at the end.

Not going to water this down too much...

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

The nose gets a little quirky, in a good way, with more florals, muskier (tropical) fruit, something ferment-y, and a whiff of mushrooms. Bright, tart citrus starts the palate off, followed by baked apricots, clover honey, and cayenne pepper. It finishes with limes, peaches, and flowers.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Dear Reader, a great modern Glenkinchie exists! It'll set you back $400+, but bottles remain on shelves, so it can be yours if you have the 🦌s. The fruitiness hits all the right spots, the oak influence is in a decent place, and the whisky is easily drinkable for 58%abv. It's not the deepest 27yo whisky one can find, but it is an expressive and very tasty surprise!

Availability - A few dozen US and European specialists
Pricing - $350-$450
Rating - 88

Things I Really Drink: Bushmills 10 year old Sherry Cask Finish single malt

I've spent years complaining about the distilleries that bury their high-quality spirit under the maximum amount of dilution allowed by law. Recently, I decided to be a little more constructive by actually buying a 46+% abv age-stated whisk(e)y when one of said distilleries gets around to releasing one. So I bought Glenlivet's 12yo Illicit Still last year, and I sprung for Bushmills's 10yo Sherry Cask Finish this year.

Bushmills has been a bit of mystery to me ever since I started this blog. Every member of their standard single malt range is bottled at 40%abv, even the 21 year old. As a result, these whiskies are consumable but forgettable. But venture beyond the OBs, and one finds some excellent Bushmills. One doesn't even have to chase the spectacular late '80s single indie casks, emptying out the 401k in the process. The 46%abv Knappogue Castle releases can be great on their own.

So when I saw a 46%abv 10-year-old Travel Retail OB selling for about $55 (for 1 liter!) on European retailer sites, I was interested indeed. It was just my luck that Paris's CDG airport has an extensive whisk(e)y selection in their duty free shop, and among some very interesting bottles sat Bushmills 10 year old Sherry Cask Finish.

In Ohio, the standard 40%abv 10yo bottling is $57 with tax, for 750mL. At the airport the 46%abv 10yo was $52, for 1000mL. When my Math Brain and my Hedonist Brain shake (brain) hands, I'm helpless. So I returned to the states with a bottle. I brought it to my new house, and then opened it after the move ended two weeks later. And now I'm finally sitting down to review the thing:

Distillery: Old Bushmills
Owner: Casa Cuervo
Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Type: Single Malt
Distillations: Three
Age: at least 10 years old
Maturation: ex-bourbon casks for the primary maturation, then a sherry cask secondary maturation
Exclusive to: Travel Retail
Bottling year: 2023
Bottling code: L3 137 IB 001 9:16
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? probably not
e150a added? probably
(from my bottle)

NEAT

The nose develops over time. It starts with a good malt note, some almond extract, dried cherries, and a hint of lime. After 20 minutes, it picks up some pipe tobacco and anise. By the 40-minute mark, Granny Smith apples, brine, and wet sheep have arrived. The palate is creamy, salty, and peppery, with a little bit of American oak, but more decent dry Oloroso. Walnuts, raw almonds, and a hint of marzipan appear next, followed by bright citrus. It's never aggressively sweet. It has a toasty, nutty finish, with almond extract, tart citrus, and cassia bark.

DILUTED to ~40%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

The 40% issue arrives right on cue. The whiskey has shed most of the nose's characteristics, leaving only American oak, oranges, pineapples, and flowers. The palate is much sweeter and woodier. More peppercorns and vanilla. It finishes with vanilla and dried cloves.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Were my Whisky Attention Deficit Disorder not so aggressive, I would have "daily drinkers". And if I had a daily drinker for the past five weeks, it would be Bushmills 10 year old Sherry Cask single malt. The nose has actual angles and corners, while the palate offers non-generic sherry notes. The finish could be better, but it's not a tannin blast, which I appreciate. The whiskey isn't that deep of a thinker, but it is a very decent drinker. Dropping it to the standard Bushmills 40%abv level wrecks it, so leave it alone!

I wish I could encourage Casa Cuervo to bring this to The States, but it's easy to see them doubling the $/mL to $80 for a 750mL bottle. So if you're out there somewhere traveling and you don't want to break the bank at Duty Free and you want a Big bottle of sturdy, sherried Irish malt, this is......probably your only option.

Availability - Travel retail and some European retailers
Pricing - $50-$60, depending on exchange rate, for 1 liter
Rating - 85 (neat only)

1975 25yo Aberfeldy versus 1993 25yo Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy? Yeah, Aberfeldy. I've never sought out samples from this Speysider because its indie bottlings are relatively rare, official bottlings are usually 40%abv, and it's the main malt for Dewar's White Label, one of the least inspiring blends in the business for at least 15 years.

Diving for Pearls is now tripling its total Aberfeldy review count with these two samples that got mixed up in the D4P Aberlour sample section. Both whiskies come from 25-year-old single sherry casks bottled by two indie grandpas, Cadenhead and Gordon & MacPhail. I have no idea what to expect from these, so here I go...

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Distillery: Aberfeldy
Current ownership: Bacardi

Ownership in 1975: Distillers Company Limited
Region: Speyside (Perthshire)

Bottler: Cadenhead

Range: Authentic Collection

Age: 25 years (1975 - July 2001)

Maturation: sherry hogshead

Outturn: 228 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is weird and fun. It's a swirl of orange blossom, lemon peel, fresh ginger, apple candy, and a lot of saline. The palate is very fruity with a mix of citrus peels and cherry things (black cherry juice, tart cherries, cherry hard candies, etc.). There's also some old school industrial greasiness to it. The finish summarizes the palate's elements: cherry candy, bitter citrus peel, and that industrial edge.

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

It's as if the nose gains focus. There's one layer of almonds, crème brûlée, and lemons; and another layer of ocean and metals. The palate has become earthy and very herbal, with a striking wormwood bitterness. Tart cherries and fresh plums play around the edges. It finishes with marzipan, cherry juice, and bitter citrus.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is an old-fashioned whisky in that it feels completely unproduced and unpolished. It's dirtier and stranger than contemporary Aberfeldy, in all the best ways. The slight dilution works wonders, bringing the fruits and powerful herbal sides together. Inspiring whisky.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 90

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Yes, a 90-point Aberfeldy. How about the 1993?

Distillery: Aberfeldy
Current ownership: Bacardi

Ownership in 1993: United Distillers
Region: Speyside (Perthshire)

Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Range: Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength

Age: 25 years (6 June 1993 - 21 June 2018)

Maturation: first-fill sherry puncheon

Cask #: 4054

Outturn: 444 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 58.8%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is rich and woody in a modern style, but still very good. Walnuts and chocolate. Bourbon-y char and maple syrup. Dates, orange peel, white gummy bears, and baked peaches. Meanwhile, the palate goes another direction. Musty old oak in the dunnage. Gentle baking spices, shortbread cookies, dried apricots, oranges, and a quiet pepperiness. It finishes simply with dried apricot, lemons, and a sprinkle of oak spice.

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

The nose has shifted to dunnage, dates, dark chocolate, and cloves. The palate keeps the musty dusty note and light pepperiness, while introducing mint leaves and dates. All of this stays on through the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Oh my, this one is great, too. THAT, I did not expect. Dunnage and dates will get me every time, and the fruit never leaves. The nose had me worried at first, but patience and the palate won out. Though the 1975 cask won, it wasn't by much. Congrats to those who've captured their own bottle of this 1993. What else is Aberfeldy hiding or burying?

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

One bourbon cask Aberlour, One sherry cask Aberlour

I've never been a fan of Aberlour's house sherried style, preferring independently-bottled ex-bourbon cask versions. So if you never see another A'bunadh here, don't be shocked. I do have a sample of a distillery exclusive sherried thing, and I'm not sure why I do, but it presents an opportunity to try it alongside an indie single hoggie.

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First up, the Indie Aberlour. Possibly the oldest Aberlour I've tried from this distillery, this cask was bottled up after 26 years by a company that has a grand total of two whiskies in Whiskybase, so it's sort of an unknown quantity, which I like.

Distillery: Aberlour
Ownership: Pernod Ricard
Region: Speyside (Banffshire)

Bottler: Houston Bottling & Co-Pack

Range: Cooper's Gold

Age: 26 years (1989-2015)

Maturation: hogshead

Cask #: 11040

Outturn: 274 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 51.1%
(Courtesy of My Annoying Opinions. Thank you, sir!)

NEAT

The nose starts off bright and fresh, with lemon peel, Fuji apples, anise, and cilantro. Hints of oats and vanilla extract appear later in the background. The palate is mildly sweet with a lot of toasted oak up front. Bitter herbs and earth meet a slight but persistent metallic note. It finishes herbal and metallic, with hints of peppercorns and hay.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ½-¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

A very different nose now, with mint toothpaste, orange bubblegum, wood polish, and unripe peaches. It's woodier on the palate, more tannic and acidic, with a lemon vinaigrette note in the back. It finishes tangy, acidic, minty, and woody.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though its color is as light as straw, the whisky has been overtaken by American oak to the point that it's missing the honeyed fruits that I seek out in bourbon cask Aberlours. The nose is great at times when a few fruits win the battle, but the whisky doesn't swim particularly well, especially on the palate. It's not a bad sipper when neat, but it's never particularly memorable.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 84 (neat only)

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Now, the official sherry creature, bottled in March 2022 as a distillery exclusive. It seems to be part of a big batch with a the bottle outturn in the thousands.

Distillery: Aberlour

Ownership: Pernod Ricard

Region: Speyside (Banffshire)

Age: at least 11 years old (bottled 03.2022)

Maturation: Oloroso casks

Outturn: ???? bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 49.4%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Good start here on the nose. Walnuts, brine, dried cherries, Fig Newtons, and a hint of tar mix together well. Quieter notes of dried apples and new leather float around. It all gets fudgier with time. Almonds, hops, and very tangy citrus fill the palate's foreground. It gets much sweeter and bitterer with time. Mint candy, mixed nuts, and tannin finish it off.

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

The nose loses its uniqueness, taking on black raisins, marzipan, golden raisins, carob, and a minor floral note. The palate is nothing but cinnamon syrup, stale nuts, and bitter bitter bitter oak. It finishes the same way.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Aside the bitter oak, there's nothing really wrong with this whisky. But there's also not much that's really right about it, with the neat nose being the lone exception. On the whole, it feels generic, interchangeable with scores of other distilleries' large batch sherry cask releases. Thus it fits in with the OB Aberlour style that doesn't offer much that can't be had elsewhere.

Availability - Might still be around...
Pricing - ???
Rating - 80

The new place, and two 1993 Glendronachs

I exist in the new place. "Exist", not "am settled". How does one make one's house one's own? Everything here smells of the three dirty Frenchies (the dogs) that had previously run the place, but less so than it did last week. The whisky room is almost done in the basement, though I haven't yet decided how to decorate it, aside from bottles. I watched The Ninth Configuration and First Spaceship on Venus one night, far past my bedtime. And on Sunday night, I made scallops with cuttlefish ink pasta and sautéed spinach, and nailed it so much better than I should have that I must have borrowed the soul of Olivia Tiedemann for 30 minutes. Meanwhile I keep splitting logs awkwardly in the backyard until I can't see through the sweat in my eyes. Now I just need to assemble this IKEA couch, whose boxes watch me from across the room. I'm almost home.

Now it's time to try to get the whisky posts back on schedule. I will try my best, but no promises, life is crazy.

It's been 4.5 years since I last reviewed a Glendronach, so I've decided that now's a good time to open up these samples of two 1993 'Dronachs that were both distilled on March 19th of that year.

Glendronach 25 year old 1993, sherry butt #658 for The Whisky Barrel, 59.3%abv

NEAT

There are dusty books and old leather on the nose. Then carob, and a fruit cake loaded with figs and dried cherries. It offers a sense memory of what Macallan used to smell like 15 years ago. The palate is VERY hot. Dunnage, newspaper ink, sea salt, and a whiff of smoke wait beneath the heat. It gets sweeter, while picking up some oranges after 45 minutes. It finishes inky, salty, and sweet, with lingering notes of almond extract and dusty old oak.

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

The nose has become fruitier, nuttier, more herbal, with plenty of kiwi, lychee, walnuts, and Brazil nuts. Dark chocolate, dark berries, and fresh tobacco fill the palate. It has a nice bitterness too, a little bit of ink, and grapefruit juice. Bitter citrus, dunnage, and dried cherries finish it off.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though Glendronach is/was practicing undisclosed re-racking, as per My Annoying Opinions excellent post from 10(!!) years ago, I don't think they did that with #658. The whisky reads as old or older than its age statement. No new oak, nor incongruous extra-wet cask notes here. The nose is excellent neat or diluted, though the palate works better for me when the ABV is reduced. Though this isn't my preferred single malt style, I can't deny that this cask was a gem.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ????
Rating - 90

Very dark stuff

Glendronach 24 year old 1993, sherry butt #652 for Abbey Whisky, 60.6%abv

NEAT

The nose begins with dunnage and very old wood, pulled pork and medjool dates. That's followed by dark chocolate, cherry juice, oak spice, and sage smoke. The palate is actually less hot than 658's. It's dusty, savory, and slightly tart. Smoky soy sauce and yesterday's cigar. Little bits of newspaper ink and berry sweetness. It finishes sweeter and tangier, while holding onto the dusty and savory notes. Plenty of old wood stays on the tongue.

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

Orange peel, fruity cinnamon, and milkier chocolate arrive in the nose first, followed by almond extract, cherry juice, and watermelon candy. The palate gets leaner, with raw almonds and walnuts. Tart lemons at first then lemon candy later. The oak takes over in the finish, all bitter and dusty with a hint of sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This one also feels as old or older than the label says, which doesn't happen much anymore. The smoky notes are fascinating and work very well, it's too bad the dilution washes them away. Harsh oak notes knock this one down a little, threatening to throw it all out of balance, and I found myself going back to cask 658 more frequently. But it's a Big whisky no matter what.

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

Mathilda Malt: Laphroaig 18 year old 1998 cask 700040, Hand-filled at the Distillery

Two life chapters ago, I attended the Laphroaig Water to Whisky Experience and LOVED it. (The distillery no longer offers that experience, though the more expensive "Uisge" tour seems similar.) The WOWE ended with a 250mL bottling from one of three different casks on offer. Two casks were good, one was terrific.

I uncorked my wee bottle last year, and now all that's left is 60mL and a single bud vase.

Distillery: Laphroaig

Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Southern Islay

Bottler: Me! (at the distillery)
Age: 18 years (1998-2016)
Maturation: sherry butt

Alcohol by Volume: 59.3%

(from my bottle)

I'm going to consume all 60mL for this tasting which will probably send me straight to bed afterwards. To change things up, I'm going to taste/nose the whisky diluted first.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or < 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Grilled pineapple and pork ribs greet the nose first, followed by citronella and a very briny peat. Apricots and almond extract linger behind, and a Hampton-style diesel note materializes after 30 minutes. The palate starts sooty and salty, with oranges, smoked figs, and Thai chiles quickly emerging. Thai basil and more sea salt fills in the background. Slightly sweeter than the palate, the finish features the Thai chiles and Thai basil up front, with apricots and salty smoke in the distance.

NEAT

Peaches, pears, apricots, roses, honeydew, almond butter, and citronella meet savory smoke and oysters in the nose. The palate begins savory, smoky, and sweet, with sea salt and fresh ginger in the background. It takes on Mexican chocolate and a mineral note after 30+ minutes. It finishes with sweet citrus, ginger, Mexican chocolate, and smoked almonds.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A massive whisky, even when diluted, this Laphroaig somehow thumps one's senses while also being very moreish. The possibly-refill cask adds a little treat here and there, but mostly lets the spirit roar. It's not exactly the desired pour when the night simmers at 30ºC — it's more at home on a 3ºC evening — but I expected as much. It's a hardy style that the distillery should focus on now, as they keep venturing further away from bourbon casks.

Availability - All gone
Pricing - None
Rating - 89