Laphroaig 21yo 1990 (48,4%, Whiskysite.nl 2011, selected by The Whiskyman, bourbon hogshead, 60 btl.)

Nose: quite aromatic. It’s definitely peaty and smoky (hints of bacon) but there’s a nice layer of banana, gooseberries and vanilla to make it a little rounder. Similar to the Laphroaig 1990 by Malts of Scotland in that respect. Nice lemon candy. Some seaweed in the background. Balanced nose. Mouth: sweet and citrusy. More emphasis on the smoke now (smoked fish). Hints of liquorice and antiseptic. Some briny notes as well. Again good fun. Finish: very long, smoky, citrusy.

It’s complex and certainly up there with the other great Laphroaig 1990 we’ve seen in the past few months. Around € 120. They also have a sample for you to try.

Score: 89/100

This Imperial 1990 is part of the Romantique series by The Whisky Agency. Unique labels again. I’m expecting high quality based on the reputation of many Imperial 1990 casks bottled by Duncan Taylor.

Imperial 21 yo 1990 (52,7%, The Whisky Agency ‘Romantique’ 2011, ex-bourbon hogshead, 233 btl.)

Nose: sweet with juicy butter pears, pineapple candy and plenty of vanilla powder. Crème anglaise, some white chocolate as well. Marzipan and roasted almonds. Apples with cinnamon. Quite thick. Mouth: big bodied with similar aromas. Sweet and slightly sticky fruits (orange marmalade, ripe pear) with pleasant spices (light pepper, cinnamon). Balanced oak. Generous dashes of honey. Apple pie. Finish: medium long, still the same profile of fruit pie, honey and spices.

A thick and juicy Imperial with buttery vanilla and spices from the oak. Not much evolution but very enjoyable. Around € 105.

Score: 88/100

Macallan 21 yo 1990  (51,5%, Malts of Scotland 2011, Fino sherry hogshead #1135, 254 btl.)

Nose: again quite aromatic, but drier and flatter and a little less fresh (airing helps). It lacks the sparkling raspberry and juicy fruits (still some apples though). Instead there are plenty of spices and herbs (pepper, nutmeg, aniseed, thyme) as well as some vegetal, earthy and leathery elements. Faint meaty notes (oxo). Some hay. Less classic I would say. Mouth: the roasted notes are more prominent here, they even suggest plain smoke. More oak as well. Heather. Again lots of spices, with bags of pepper and nutmeg. Bitter notes towards the end. Finish: medium long, dry and spicy, with hints of bitter chocolate.

This one is less to my liking, as it plays the card of pepper and dry herbs without having the juicy fruitiness to balance it. Around € 120.

Score: 81/100

Macallan 21 yo 1990 (49,1%,
Malts of Scotland 2011, Oloroso sherry hogshead #1134, 184 btl.)

Nose: very aromatic, nicely sweet and balanced with the sherry. Apples and stewed fruits. Caramel. Rum & raisins, raspberry liqueur. Still some of the original malt underneath the sherry. A fine layer of fresh herbs. Tiny bits of menthol. All of this rounded by some polished oak. Very nice. Mouth: sets off with plenty of bittersweet spices and herbs. Quite peppery and gingery. Roasted nuts. Liquorice and coffee. Some oak. With all this bitterness and herbalness, it takes a while before the dried fruits are noticeable again and it’s never really rounded anyway. Finish: medium long, rather dry with cocoa notes and spices.

I really liked the nose, but on the palate the spicy theme gets a little strong. Let’s find out how it compares to the Fino. Around € 120.

Score: 86/100

GlenDronach 20 yo 1990 (50,1%, OB 2011,
PX sherry puncheon #1032, 728 btl.)

Nose: this one seems a bit duller and flatter than the 1989. It has more typical, sticky Pedro Ximénez elements with dried fruits and moscovado sugar. Dark polished wood. Some leather. Thick and jammy (blackberry or plum jam). Mouth: sweet cocoa flavours. Almonds and honey. Red fruit candy. Plums. Different types of jam again. Spices are quite delicate, and there’s not a lot of wood. Some sweet tobacco. Sweetness all over actually. Finish: still quite sweet and rounded, medium long.

This 1990 may be a more coherent package than the 1989, but you have to like a sweet and sticky malt. Rather faultless but slightly overdone for me. Around € 120.

Score: 84/100

Tamdhu 21 yo 1990 (48,1%, Liquid Sun 2011, sherry butt, 312 btl.)

Nose: heavy sherry with lots of dates, roasted nuts and chocolate notes. Rum & raisins. Prune jam. Soft meaty hints but nothing dirty here. Burnt sugar. Oranges. Similar to the Tamdhu 1990 by Malts of Scotland. Mouth: a thick mixture of sweet notes (syrup, moscovado sugar, dried fruits) and more savoury notes (herbs, slightly bitter chocolate, cinchona). Some eucalyptus and liquorice. Cocoa and roasted chestnuts. Obviously some wood as well (how else would it get this colour, right?). Finish: long, bittersweet with liquorice and dark coffee. Slowly drying.

Very heavy sherry, a bit too much for my taste actually and better suited for the winter time. On the other hand, it’s quite flawless and I’m sure it’s spot-on for markets with lots of sherry lovers. Around € 80.

Score: 86/100

Laphroaig 20 yo 1990 (47,3%, Whisky-Doris 2011, bourbon hogshead #10873, 225 btl.)

Nose: a more buttery version again, with some cake and soft vanilla underneath the coastal / medicinal notes. Even a farmy edge that I didn’t find in the other releases. Nice. But mind you, differences are subtle. Mouth: a tad softer due to the lesser strength. Briny, with sweet peat and smoked fish. Almonds. Definitely rounder and sweeter than the Private Stock. A hint of cocoa. Finish: long, smoky and salty with a marzipan coating.

All these 1990’s are similar and it will be down to your personaly preference if you were to pick a favourite. Personally I like a little sweetness to counter the coastal austerity. This one has a perfect drinking strength of course, so no need to fiddle with water. Around € 110 – now sold out.

Score: 90/100

ps/ All these similar Laphroaigs, whether they are 1990 or 1998 or 2000, are getting a little boring. Laphroaig is one of these distilleries with a high quality in general combined with a very small deviation.

I wonder if it’s a good thing for independent bottler to release so many nearly identical casks at the same time? Personally I haven’t bought any of them, simply because I never get the feeling of a unique opportunity. If I’d wish to buy one tomorrow, I think I wouldn’t have difficulty finding similar quality again.

We’ll compare it to the Laphroaig 1990 by Malts of Scotland, bottled earlier this year and one of my favourite 1990’s so far. Tomorrow we’ll match it to another bottling.

Laphroaig 21 yo 1990 (55,9%, The Whisky Agency & The Whisky Exchange ‘Private Stock’ 2011, bourbon hogshead, 264 btl.)

Nose: starts very similar, with maritime hints (seaweed, oysters) and smoke. It evolves to a fresher profile though, with more lemon and almost none of the banana / cake / vanilla notes of the MoS version. More classical we’d say. Some green apple. Almonds. Soft medicinal notes in the background. Very clean overall. Mouth: quite dry, with oily elements, smoke, iodine and lemon. A pinch of salt. Liquorice. Slightly leafy towards the end. Balancing citrus. Definitely less sweet and rounded than the one from MoS, and more focused on coastal elements. Finish: long and dry, with salty notes, lemon zest and liquorice.

I’ve always had the impression ‘Private Stock’ was kind of a premium label within the TWA releases. While this Laphroaig is very good, I’m missing kind of a “wow” factor compared to other 1990’s even from the same bottler. Anyway the price is the same as before and the quality is certainly up there, so maybe I’m just confused by the label. Around € 120.

Score: 89/100

This cask is part of the new Malts of Scotland releases.

Tamdhu 20 yo 1990
(49,8%, Malts of Scotland 2011,
sherry butt #8119, 209 btl.)

Nose: a profile that’s similar to the Tamdhu 1989 Liquid Treasures. Lots of rum & raisins again. A little gunpowder and flints. More and darker chocolate, something of burnt sugar as well. It doesn’t have the slightly sour notes of balsamico. Dates. A few gamey notes. Roasted nuts. Mouth: sweet with smoky undertones. Raisins, prunes and dates. Roasted almonds. Big sherry. A nice dark chocolate bitterness. Then back to muscovado sweetness and light pepper. Some liquorice. Finish: long, marked by sherry and mocha with a nice dryness.

High power sherry. Very similar to the Liquid Treasures bottling, equally nice altogether, differences will come down to personal preferences. Around € 80.

Score: 86/100

Laphroaig 20 yo 1990 (52,6%, Malts of Scotland 2011, bourbon hogshead #2229, 178 btl.)

Nose: smoky and maritime again, but more aromatic compared to the Whisky Agency release. The fruity banana is much bigger and there’s less antiseptic to be found. Definitely rounder, even a bit floral. Lime instead of lemon. Vanilla. A little marzipan and praline. Hints of graphite. Beautiful and balanced, excellent Laphroaig. Mouth: a smoky and peppery attack, which gets rounder. Lemon sweets. Peat blast. Marzipan. A pinch of salt and brine. A little mint as well, which is a nice touch. Finish: long with a nice balance of dry smoke, brine and sweet lemon juice.

This Laphroaig 1990 may be marginally less powerful, but it gains balance and complexity, which makes it more to my personal preference than yesterday’s Whisky Agency version. Recommended indeed. Well priced as well: around € 110.

Score: 90/100

Laphroaig 20 yo 1990 (56,3%, The Whisky Agency ‘Perfect Dram’ with Bresser & Timmer 2011, ex-bourbon, 237 btl.)

Nose: quite peaty and smokey, exceptionally high on maritime notes (seaweed, smoked fish). Antiseptic notes. Some wax / fat. Wet gravel and mineral notes. Quite dry and grassy, the expected lemon juice and almonds are present, as well as some banana, but the dominating layer is certainly the maritime smokiness. Intense. Mouth: assertive, oily and coastal. Big smoke with lemon, evolving to drier lemon zest. Salted fish. Sweet almonds and other nutty flavours. Hints of burnt grass and seaweed again. Finish: very long and deeply smoky / peaty. Getting even drier, with liquorice notes.

A very big and maritime Laphroaig. Smoky, powerful and flawless. What’s not to like? Around € 120.

Score: 88/100

Glencadam is an Eastern Highlands distillery located in the town of Brechin. After some periods of whisky crisis, it is the last remaining distillery in the area. It’s a smart distillery, renovated in 1959 and now mainly producing whisky for blenders.

Glencadam 20 yo 1990 (58,1%, A.D. Rattray 2011, bourbon cask 5987, 290 btl.)

Nose: a sweet and fragrant nose. A nice coconut / vanilla combo with some kind of strawberry ice cream aroma. Frosted cereals. Some apricot notes. Stewed fruits. Almonds. Soft oak and pencil shavings with some white pepper. Really nice, especially if you like ‘modern’ whisky. Mouth: starts fruity and sweet but it evolves on big spices (ginger, nutmeg, pepper). Green banana. Pears. Cream pudding. Toasted oats. Finish: medium length, spicy, with liquorice, toffee, plenty of oak and a bitter herbal edge.

This is a modern-style Glencadam, probably the result of clever wood management. If you like whisky with a Virgin Oak character and punchy spices, this one is for you. Around € 60.

Score: 85/100

Bladnoch 20 yo 1990 
(52,4%, OB 2010, cask #136)

Nose: fragrant and light, with some fresh grass, cut apples and a few floral notes. Some vanilla and honey. After a while, it seems to gets ‘older’ with notes of hay and something like stone dust. Mouth: sweet and nicely punchy, with the same flavours now backed up by spices (pepper, cloves) and oak. Big notes of lemons. Grapefruits. Slightly synthetic in its fruitiness I think, which turns into perfumy / soapy notes, especially when you add some water. Returns to dried grass before getting slightly bitter and herbal. Finish: bittersweet, spicy and a little perfumy. Quite long.

Very sippable and lively. A little mono-dimensional with a slightly disturbing perfumy touch but the price makes up for part of these problems. Around € 55. Sold out but a new 20yo single cask is available. Thanks for the sample swap, Stuart.

Score: 82/100

Laphroaig 20 yo 1990
(52,8%, Nectar of the Daily Drams 2010)

Nose: a fragrant Laphroaig with a nice peppery side (Szechuan) and a medicinal / herbal side (menthol, antiseptic). Faint fruity notes in the background, with sweet smoke and some farmy notes / wet dogs. I’m picking up notes of green tomatoes as well. With water the farminess grows stronger while it also turns to lemons. Nice – well balanced (read: not very peaty) on the nose. Mouth: slightly kippery, then growing more medicinal for a few moments but sweeter as well, with sugared lemon juice. After that, there’s a late burst of peat with some liquorice and pepper again (chilli). Finish: long, quite rounded with sweet smoke and soft hints of green peppers in the end.

Laphroaig of this age shows a little less peat on the nose, but still displays it with full power on the palate. I like the balance of this all-rounder. Limited availability. Around € 125.

Score: 87/100

Glenfarclas 1990 Family Cask (56,5%, OB 2010, cask #5095, 459 btl.)

Nose: great sherry power. Plenty of thick sherry, dark rum & raisins, demerara sugar, cherry liqueur. Some toffee and nutty notes. Very juicy and much richer than I expected from a 1990 cask. Water makes it more fragrant with hints of polished wood and apples with cinnamon. Mouth: again juicy, lively and full of flavour. Loads of oranges, dried fruits and plums. The oak comes marching in as well, which makes it drier and a bit herbal towards the finish. Water hardly changes it - an extra hint of mocha maybe. Finish: long and drying on oranges, spices and tannins.

This one takes the intense profile of Glenfarclas 105 and develops it a bit further, with quite some added oak but still an impressive balance. Juicy oloroso and plenty of punch at cask strength. Be prepared
for a heavy price tag though: around € 170.
A special treat for the holidays? 

Score: 89/100

Signatory Vintage released a series of similar casks in the past. They seem to have a significant stock of Ardmore 1990 and 1992.

Ardmore 20 yo 1990 (61,6%, Signatory Vintage 2010, cask #30118, 355 btl.)

Nose: pungent, clean peat, without medicinal notes, as often with peated Speysiders. Earthy notes of dry hay, heather and chalk. Some vanilla and apple. A bit herbal as well. Mouth: starts quite salty and peaty with cereal notes and liquorice. A floral touch as well which clearly marks this as non-Islay again. Then gaining a bit of sweetness with almonds and heather honey. Hints of bread crust. Finish: clean, bittersweet with some iodine.

Heavily peated in a very clean way. An alternative to Islay whiskies that doesn’t make me wild –
I would have guessed it was much younger.
Around € 70.

Score: 80/100

Rosebank 19 yo 1990 (50%, Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask 2009, 444 btl., DL ref. 5082)

Nose: fresh, honey-sprinkled barley. Light, citrusy and floral. Whiffs of pollen and gentle beeswax. Hints of lavender as well (not soapy though). Lovely gooseberry and a few herbal accents to add depth. Enticing. Mouth: sweet and creamy, with generous honey. Fruit marmalade. In a second wave, there are spices (cinnamon, light pepper) and again a waxy edge. Fades to milk chocolate and herbs. Finish: warming hints of spicy oak. Slowly drying.

This Rosebank doesn’t seem 20 years old, it’s very clean and sweet. Maybe not the most complex whisky, but perfectly faultless. Around € 100.

Score: 85/100

Isle of Jura 18 yo 1990 (52,4%, Duncan Taylor 2009, cask #6401, 312 btl.)

Nose: a flintly / mineral profile, but much sweeter than the sharper flintiness as found in some Highlands whisky. Despite the sweetness it’s not really fruity (hints of citrus and apple candy maybe). Also a dusty maltiness with some soaked cereals and soft smoke. A little pepper. Not very sexy but interesting nonetheless. Mouth: develops on the same notes: first sweet notes (pear drops, ), then spicy malt and grains and finally a big wave of grassy and earthy notes. The grassy notes are rather sharp, rather bitter. Water highlights the sugary components. Finish: medium length, with a distinct leafy bitterness.

While the nose was quite positive, it took a nosedive in the palate and finish. Still available in some places. Around € 70.

Score: 78/100

This is an ex-bourbon single cask that can only be acquired by hand-filling your bottle at the distillery. I’ve heard it’s still available. The cask was filled on 30/10/1990 so it will soon be a
20 year-old.

Old Pulteney 19 yo 1990 (57,4%, OB 2010,
cask #5253, distillery only)

Nose: an elegant combination of maritime notes (sea air, salt flakes, wet beach) and honeyed citrus. It balances between dry aromas (manzanilla style) and a sweet, lovely fruitiness with hints of coconut. I also get some vanilla cake and whiffs of freshly sawn wood. A great combination really. Mouth: powerful attack, very dry and a little earthy now, with notes of herbal tea. Quite some spicy notes (ginger, liquorice). A minimal fruity side (coconut and honey). A tad bitter. Also hints of peat. Water rounds it off and makes it sweeter. Finish: dry and herbal with a salty edge. Medium long.

A dry and maritime malt – recommended if you like Manzanilla sherry. Not very complex but it harmonizes nicely and has plenty of character. Around € 90.

Score: 87/100

ps/ Not really whisky-related, just sponsored by Old Pulteney “The genuine maritime malt”: the Row to the Pole expedition.

Karuizawa 19 yo 1990 (60%, OB for Whisky Live 10th Anniversary 2009,  sherry butt #6446)

Nose: starts quite fresh and aromatic but also more winey than older vintages. A few bourbonny notes with vanilla and almonds. Orange liqueur. Mint and cinnamon. Water brings out apples with cinnamon and oak shavings, plus a few flowery notes (geranium). Very good - much less extreme than most older, legendary Karuizawa. Mouth: powerful attack. Fruity (oranges, white cherries). Big gingery notes and a little pepper. More malty notes than older Karuizawa. With water: more spices, more oak but overall a bit thinner, a lot of the fruity flavours seem to be drowned. Finish: long, slightly oaky. Still based around the spices.

This Karuizawa has less explosive sherry influence than we’re used to – its style reminds me of the Karuizawa 1988 cask #3397. It’s firm and enjoyable, but less complex. For me one of the lesser bottles from this distillery but that’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s still very good.

Score: 85/100