Littlemill 24 yo 1988 ‘Sympathy for the Whisky’ (54,2%, The Whiskyman 2012, 159 btl.)

Nose: you know the kind of cheesecake with a layer of lemon marmalade on top? This is the liquid version. Really, it’s packed with citrus fruits, more specifically all sorts of candied citrus zests. Closest to yuzu or ugli I’d say, kind of a greenish citrus aroma with some orange aromas. There’s no citrus sourness though, it’s really candied and sort of pastry-like. Some hints of bergamot oil as well. Mouth: still this wonderful combo of refreshing citrus fruits (more tangerine now) and candied sweetness, although this is now balanced by a very soft bitterness and gentle spices from the oak. Superbly focused. Finish: medium long, mostly sweet with the same underlying soft spiciness.

I’m quite sure nobody has ever tasted anything like this, even if you’ve tried all other Littlemill on the market. It’s totally unique, very attractive and easily drinkable. On the other hand, it’s not complex – I’d even say we’re getting into the territory of cask-strength Grand Marnier here. Around € 120. Recommended.

Score: 87/100

Please pay even less attention to my score than in other reviews. Complexity is a key element in my scoring and this whisky doesn’t really fit that criterion. Nonetheless there’s a good chance you will absolutely adore it (as I do). Be sure to try it yourself and make up your own mind.

La Maison du Whisky

I suppose all these single casks will be quite limited.

Miyagikyo 23 yo 1988
(57%, OB 2011, cask #92414)

Nose: exotic fruits (ripe pineapple, banana) and mirabelles come out first, together with cigar boxes. Then a lot of vanilla, sawdust and beeswax. Hints of eucalyptus and white pepper. Lusciously warm. Mouth: punchy with a fine layer of oak. Still quite creamy and fruity at first (blackcurrant, apricot, plums, hints of Turkish delight) but quickly developing on spices (vanilla, pepper, light ginger). A slightly sharp peatiness as well. Light grassy / leathery notes in the end. Finish: long, spicy with vanilla and light peat. Again these notes of oak shavings.

A very fine Japanese malt, with traces of peat and some very prominent new oak notes. Exclusively available from La Maison du Whisky but I’ve noticed a few bottles are on their way to Holland as well. Around € 145.

Score: 88/100

Glenrothes 23 yo 1988 (48,9%, Liquid Treasures 2011, ex-bourbon hogshead)

Nose: sweet start on buttercups, dandelions and a fair dash of honey. Some sweet oranges and a moscatel aroma. Baked apples. Hints of vanilla and caramel. Nice combination of sweet fruits and flowers. Mouth: sweet and creamy, with malt cookies, vanilla and quite a lot of honey again. Orange marmalade. Fruit cake. Evolves on soft spices (cinnamon, subtle pepper). Finish: medium long, with the same malty / honeyed character.

Quite a typical Glenrothes (albeit without sherry). Rounded, sweet with soft spices. Available from eSpirits. Around € 90.

Score: 85/100

This Isle of Jura 1988 was bottled from a bourbon cask, although the colour could easily trick you into thinking it was a sherry cask. The final bottling in the Romantique series.

Isle of Jura 23 yo 1988 (52,9%, The Whisky Agency ‘Romantique’ 2011, ex-bourbon hogshead, 201 btl.)

Nose: nicely aromatic. There are ripe fruity notes (oranges, berries) but overall it’s fairly dry, heathery and nutty and it shows a distinct coastal character. Very gentle peat, traces of iodine and light camphor. Hints of tobacco, leather and dried herbs. Cocoa. Great surprise. Mouth: good weight, starting on a herbal sweetness. Lovely old peat and smoke in the background. Light pepper. Faint medicinal elements again. Balances nicely with rounded chocolate, dried oranges and soft spices. Finish: long, drier and earthier, with oranges, cocoa and soft oak.

A great surprise indeed. I would have sworn there are traces of old-style sherried Islay whisky in here. A recent jewel coming from Jura, was anyone expecting this? Well priced as well: around € 110. Highly recommended.

Score: 91/100

A sister cask #11242 was bottled last year by Duncan Taylor, but I couldn’t find it outside of Japan. This cask #11239 is available in Europe.

Glenburgie 22 yo 1988
(57,3%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld 2011,
cask  #11239, 233 btl.)

Nose: nice and sweet, with yellow orchard fruits (yellow plums, apple compote, quinces) and traces of tropical fruits (mango) and pineapple sweets. Some vanilla and faint nutty notes. Several kinds of honey. Mouth: very sweet again, with a nice vanilla / coconut combo, pineapple syrup, mango sweets… very jammy. Sweet almond paste. Some creamy mocha and toffee towards the end. Finish: long, sweet and sugary. Again traces of tropical fruits.

Quite a lovely Glenburgie, with a sweet profile that’s referring to grain whisky at times. The tropical fruitiness (which made me think of much older BenRiach) and vanilla makes it hugely drinkable and easy to enjoy. Excellent value for money – around € 75.

Score: 87/100

This 20 years old 1988 vintage is a mixture of four Miyagikyo whisky styles, with different peating levels and different cask types (recharred casks, remade casks and a sherry butt).

Nikka Miyagikyo 1988 (50%, OB 2008, 1500 btl.)

Nose: nice and sensual, with lots of apricots and vanilla. Yellow plums. Slightly exotic. Furniture polish and beeswax. Gooseberries. A little frangipane. It shows elements of 1970’s Glen Grant, or 1972 Glengoyne, or 1970 Glen Keith. Good enough, right? Plus, there’s the softest hint of peat in the background. Mouth: starts on peppery wood, with slightly more pronounced peat. Leather. Overall rather sweet, with dried fruits (plums again) and a kind of bubblegummy / synthetic fruitiness. Evolves on a cheapish lychee liqueur (not as bad as it sounds, really). Finish: quite long, on dried apricots and old furniture.

A great nose with a slightly less appealing palate. Overall very nice, with a unique all-round profile among Japanese whiskies (subtle sherry, subtle peat, exotic fruits). Around
€ 215, still a few bottles available.

Score: 87/100

http://www.dewarrattray.com/

Mid 2010 they were re-introduced in Belgium with a slightly different name: A.D. Rattray. Time to re-discover them – we’ll start with a 21 years old Tomatin distilled 1st of June 1988. Sister cask #1087 was bottled in 2009.

Tomatin 21 yo 1988 (55,2%, A.D. Rattray 2010, cask #1088, 213 btl.)

Nose: really sweet up front. Very fruity. Also a hint of grass and hay, but it fades quickly (and comes back with some water). Not the tropical fruits we expect from a 1970’s Tomatin, more like stewed fruits. Apricot. Apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Developing on oak spices (nutmeg, cinnamon). Mouth: oily and spicy attack. Quite some fruits again, now dried rather than fresh fruit. Vanilla. Nutmeg, ginger and soft pepper taking the lead. Water softens the spices and makes place for the fruits: butter pears, yellow raisins, mango crumble. Finish: long and spicy, with some herbal tea and oranges.

A solid Tomatin, full of fruits and spices. Water adds an extra dimension, so be sure to play around with it. Well priced: around € 80.

Score: 86/100

This sherry butt was bottled by No.1 Drinks in their Noh series – in two parts. A smaller part (200 bottles) had already been bottled for Full Proof Europe in Holland featuring… well… another type of butt on the label. Sister casks #9305 and #9307 have also been bottled for Full Proof.

Hanyu 21 yo 1988 (55,6%, No.1 Drinks 2009, sherry butt #9306, 625 btl.)

Nose: spicy notes to start with: Christmas cake, a bit of menthol and other medicinal things, a bit of incense. Deep fruity notes as well: cherries, plums, raisins. Hints of smoked meat (cecina). Also a few whiffs of matchsticks but much less than comparable Karuizawa bottlings for example. Some resinous notes and roasted almonds as well. Quite complex. Mouth: intense with typical dried fruits, sultanas and lots of tobacco. Black cherries. Cinnamon and ginger. Liquorice. Certainly woody, but not too dry. A little chilli pepper. Finish: long and peppery with a dry herbal touch.

An impressive Hanyu, showing a large range of intense flavours while at the same time remaining very drinkable. Around € 160.

Score: 90/100

19.44 is the 44th cask of Glen Garioch (distillery n°19) by SMWS.

Glen Garioch 20 yo 1988 ‘Old Grandad Whisky’ (53,4%, SMWS 2009, 19.44, 251 btl.)

Nose: sweet start with a winey touch. Rum / raisins. Dried apricots. Strawberries with white chocolate. Vanilla. The ‘old granddad’ should come from notes of tobacco and leather. The hints of pipe tobacco are certainly there but the leather is less detectable. Very nice overall, although there are also some savoury / herbal notes (cup-a-soup powder with whiffs of sweet mustard) that I found a bit distracting. Mouth: candied start, growing surprisingly floral. Lots of flowery notes, in the direction of lavender and geraniums (both of which I don’t like). A bit too close to perfumy notes for my taste. Lots of toffee. Again some tobacco. Finish: rather short with toffee and pine wood.

Quite an unusual dram. Strawberry notes are not very common and the combination with herbal notes is strange but interesting. I was a bit disappointed by the flowery profile on the palate. Around € 90.

Score: 81/100

BenRiach 20 yo 1988 (54,3%, OB 2009, Gaja Barolo finish, cask #4424, 322 btl.)

Nose: red fruit marmalade. Nice hints of tangerine. Milk chocolate and toffee. Figs. Hints of old roses and honeysuckle. Very fragrant and fresh. The finish works surprisingly well here. Mouth: the fruits and the chocolate keep lingering. Toffee and natural caramel. Underneath, there’s a slightly sweet / sour vinosity and a toasted edge. Slightly drying finish. Not very long. The grapes stay strong.

The nose was a positive surprise with a successful wine treatment. On the palate, it’s a little too straightforward and slightly vinous. Still available at around € 85.

Score: 84/100

This Benrinnes 1988 was matured in a bourbon hogshead for 21 years.

Benrinnes 21yo 1988 (46,3%, Malts of Scotland 2009, cask #888, 175 btl.)

Nose: sugared cereals (Frosties) and green apples. Temporary hints of new-make (artificial banana) although that’s quite odd for a 21 year-old… Hints of wet hay. Getting slightly fruitier over time (oranges, pears). Milk chocolate.  Mouth: more depth now. The sweet fruits are still there, the peat is bigger and rounded off with some smoke. Sweet almonds. Quite spicy (mostly white pepper). Hints of ginger and tonic. Finish: drier, still hints of smoke and peat. Some bitter cloves.

This Benrinnes is an unusual malt and I find it difficult to pin down. It shares some characteristics with Lowlands whisky and there are hardly any flavours that clearly pop out of the malty centre. Not really my type of whisky but interesting to try. Around € 95.

Score: 80/100

Karuizawa 1988 
(59,8%, OB 2006, cask #3397)

Nose: reminds me of dead treas covered with moss. Oaky but in a rather un-fresh way, I love that! Rather bourbonny in that sense. Sherried fruitiness as well (raspberry, spicy apple cake), very mature nose. Mouth: quite hot without water. Meaty sherry. Ginger, apple cake again, a bit of cinnamon. Maltier and sweeter towards the end.  Finish: medium length, spicy (cloves) and dry.

Interesting how the Japanese know how to pick some of the best sherry casks. The nose would make you think it’s a bit older, but then it shows the powerful freshness on the palate. Very good. Around € 100 if you can still find it.

Thanks for the sample, Dirk! Score: 87/100