Wow! An unexpected surprise as this seems to be much older than stated

Nose: Toffee and fresh fruit

Palate: Syrupy, sweet

Finish: Amazing! Spice, oak, and a bit of smoke

Terms

abv: Alcohol By Volume

ncf: Non-Chill Filtered

ncs: Natural Cask Strength

nas: No age statement

November 2008

Bruichladdich Blacker Still 20yr 50.7% abv 

The name comes from a belief that the blacker the still the better the whisky. I’d agree with that given this one. Big nose, big flavor, big finish!

Nose: Sweet, sherry, leather

Palate: Sherry, syrupy, spice

Finish: Toffee, long

December 2008

Talisker 20yr 62%  Limited Edition ncs 

What a superb whisky. As Jim Murray put it “I have been tasting Talisker for 28 years. Miss this and your life will be incomplete.”

Nose: Peat, slight smoke, oak tannins

Palate: Rich, peaty, malty elements, fruit sweetness

Finish: Spicy, warm, lingering, wonderful complexity

February 2009

Brora 30yr 2008 release 56.4%

One not to miss. Complex and Amazing!

Nose: Peat, smoky malt, iodine, fruity notes. Beautiful

Palate: Slightly sweet, tobacco, oily, big warming hit.

Finish: Long and warming, peaty, with a bit of salt on the tail.

April 2009

Highland Park 30yr 48%

Most heavily peated malt out there @ 131 ppm

Nose: Peat...........

Palate: Peat............

Finish:Peat..............

Need I say more.

March 2009

Dalwhinnie 1973 29yr 57.8%

Pure bliss!

Nose: Fruity, honeyed, hints of oak, vanilla

Palate: Spicy, oak tannins, fruitiness

Finish: Medium, warming, refreshing, spice on the tail.

Wonderful!

May 2009

Bruichladdich Octomore 5yr 63.5% abv

Superb!!!!!

Nose: Great deep burnt
orange color. Brown spice, tar, tobacco, toffee, anise. Very complex

Palate: Robust, rich, roasted nuts, toffee, dried fruit.

Finish: dried fruit, peppery, everlasting.

Pick of the month archives

A pure gem. True to form of a great Speysider

Nose: Complex mix of fruit and spices

Palate: Deep, rich, warm, smooth with fruit, chocolate

Finish: Long and rewarding with lingering complex notes of fruit and chocolate

July 2009

Glenfarclas 30yr 43% abv
Speyside

A peat rating of 100ppm

Nose: Deep earthy peat, smokey coal tar

Palate: darkest chocolate, briny, spicy

Finish: long, gristy

June 2009

Ardbeg “Supernova” nas 58.9%
Islay

Very complex and much more going on there than I can pick up. Just gets better with every sip. One not to miss.

Nose: Wine, dried fruit, dark chocolate, spice

Palate: Port, stewed fruit, chocolate pudding, spice

Finish: Long, spice, apricots

August 2009

Ben Nevis 1997 10yr Port Wood Finish 46%

Surprising for a not well known distillery, wish there were more.

Nose: Sherry and toffee, sweet

Palate: Candied fruit, spice, sherried, very complex

Finish: medium with a bit of spice

September 2009

Mortlach 16yr 43% abv (Flora & Fauna) Speyside

WOW!

Nose: Peat, sweet heather, smoke, grassy

Palate: instant peat, smoke, leathery, very warming

Finish: smoldering peat fire, dark chocolate, cooked raisins, but not sweet, long.

October 2009

Kilchoman Inaugural Release 3yr 46%  Islay

Hello Mr Peaty!

Not for the weak  o’peat.

Bruichladdich PC6 6yr  61.6%
Islay

Nose: The Best - you just have to experience this for yourself

Palate: Sweet, sherry, peat - great balance

Finish: Long, makes you want to take your time with this one

November 2009

Bruichladdich PC6 6yr  61.6%
Islay

This is our first tasting of a Port Ellen and one not to be missed. When is the next?

Nose: Peaty and grassy

Palate: Fruitcake, citrus

Finish: Long and spicy

Overall much more complex than shown - a real treat!

December 2009

Port Ellen 1982 25yr 46%
Islay

Very intense palate and big finish

Nose: Sherried with orange and dried fruit

Palate: Very rounded and depth of flavor with a follow through from the nose with late chocolate notes

Finish: Spicey & long

March 2010

Glenmorangie Signet nas 46%
Highland

Superb!

Nose: Citrus and vanilla with fresh oak

Palate: Creamy and very sherried with a sweet, rich mouthfeel

Finish: Very long a spicy with dark toffee noted on the tai

July 2010

Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX nas 46% Highlands

Wonderful!

Nose: Smokey with a nice sherry hit and chocolate

Palate: Full-bodied and chewy (in a nice way), stewed fruits moving into some smoke

Finish: Sherry and smoke working nicely with some oak and dark chocolate on the tail.

August 2010

Ben Nevis 25yr Cask Strength 56%

Nice complexity!

Nose: Toffee with some malty sweetness, smoke, sherry

Palate: Sherry, creamy, and a bit earthly.

Finish: Nice medium long finish and a bit dry

Some nice stuff going on here. I think this needs some additional tasting!!

March 2011

Bladnoch Sherry Butt 2610 16yr 55%
Lowland

The best ever!

Nose: So rich and spicy, with stewed fruits, chocolate, smoke, a bit of cinnamon, lemony citrus. Just amazing! I think I nosed this for at least 5 minutes before tasting.

Palate: Sweet with some dark toffee notes, dark chocolate, more honey sweetness, citrus (orange), and smoke. Very smooth and well balanced.

Finish: The supreme finish, elegant, rich, long, and smokey. Out of this world.

Comment: Great job Highland Park. And a special thanks again to Doug, Tom, and Chris.

May 2011

Highland Park 40 yr 48.3% abv
Orkney

What a treat!

June 2011

Balvenie Tun 1401 nas 48.1%

Speyside

One not to miss!

Nose: Wonderful Balvenie honey and oak notes with fruit, raisins

Palate: Sweet & smokey with that peat coming through nicely but not what you might expect

Finish: Medium and dry with oak, late smoke, and a little spice

November 2011

Balvenie Peated Cask 17yr 43% abv   Speyside

Big & Beefy!

Nose: Peat smoke right up front followed quickly by spice, a bit fruity in the middle with charcoal, BBQ, and chocolate on the tail

Palate: Big & sweet with that spice hitting you right away, drying with some late vanilla

Finish: Long & sweet with vanilla, smoke, leather, dry

May 2012

Ardbeg Alligator Untamed Release nas 51.2% abv   Islay

Sept 2012

Highland Park Thor 16yr 52.1% Orkney

A Whisky Christmas!

Nose:  Nice citrus and light peat, some smoke, and then butterscotch & caramel

Palate: Ginger and spice and everything nice with honey, then nutmeg, and a little smoke.

Finish: Sweet again with honey and still a little spice, late smoke and peat.

Comment; The perfect Christmas dram. Makes me want some wassail

February 2013 Pick!

Ben Nevis 45yr 50.8% abv

Highland

If you can find a bottle, grab it!

Nose: Musty sherry oak cask showing it’s age, burnt sugar and then sweet cooked fruits, and a bit spicy on the tail

Palate: Very rich & creamy sherry palate with stewed plums & raisins followed by some chocolate notes, then pepper.

Finish: Long and rewarding, with the stewed fruits, the spice tailing off slowly.

Comment: Just beautiful!