Ardmore 20 yo 1992 ‘Peat fighting man’
(49,9%, The Whiskyman 2012, 146 btl.)

Nose: starts earthy, mineral and slightly sooty but after a while this is nicely balanced by rounder, fruity notes. Seville oranges. The longer you wait, the more it becomes (tropically) fruity, with great papaya / banana notes. Some oils, maybe even a hint of diesel. All very lovely and perfectly integrated. Mouth: very smooth with sweet smoke, peat (subtle peat, think old Ardbeg) and yellow apple. Almonds. After that, there’s clearly a hint of pink grapefruit and again some tropical hints of passion fruit. Some coastal notes as well. Very nice. Finish: long, rather sweet again. Almonds and soft smoke.

It seems some of these Ardmores show potential to bring back some old-style Ardbeg / Brora with balanced peat and a nice fruitiness. This one’s my favourite so far, but be sure to give it enough time to unfold its complexity. Around € 85. On its way to stores.

Score: 90/100

Following the tradition of their colleagues from The Whisky Agency, they’re now using different themes for the labels. This Bruichladdich 1991 is part of the second series “Seabirds” – the first series was “Boats”, the third and latest series is “Lighthouses”.

Bruichladdich 20 yo 1991 (50%, Liquid Treasures ‘Seabirds’ 2011, bourbon hogshead)

Nose: clean, punchy barley with quite a moderate fruitiness (peach and apple). A few grassy notes. Hints of porridge. Some nice waxy touches as well as a coastal, briney veil. Quite naked, not a lot of cask influence. Mouth: fruitier now, with peach, pear, apple and lots of lemon peel. It quickly turns to a slightly sharp spiciness (white pepper, mustard, ginger). Pleasantly salty with the sweet fruits somewhere in the background. Finish: medium long, quite zesty.

As natural as it gets, very much to-the-point. Nicely coastal as well, but the lack of cask influence makes it feel younger than it actually is. Available from eSpirits, around € 90.

Score: 84/100

It was presented at the Lindores Whisky Fest last weekend and I heard some discussions about the price. Many people wondered how a 20 year-old whisky could be worth € 225, but remember sherried Ardbegs are thinly scattered. Douglas Laing released a 1991 refill cask earlier this year and that was rather scandalously priced at € 450. So yes, it is expensive but relatively cheap at the same time. Ardbeg is not selling casks to independent bottlers any more, so I’m afraid the times of affordable medium-aged sherry cask Ardbegs are now officially over!

Ardbeg 20 yo 1991 (48,4%, Malts of Scotland for Hotel Bero 2011, sherry hogshead #MoS 11003, 240 btl.)

Nose: balanced nose with excellent notes of old ashes and tar on the one hand and rounded, chocolaty notes on the other hand. Sweet almonds and rhubarb compote. Figs. Lovely tobacco leaves. Old leather. Relatively soft iodine and hints of camphor. Complex, not extremely big (which is a good thing – it’s not over-sherried nor over-peated) and quite brilliant. Mouth: starts rich and oily with sweet peat smoke. Again some almonds, now mixed with dried fruits and lemon drops. Some herbal notes. The smoke grows stronger, the soft tar shows up again. No brute forces here, it’s all about integrating the different flavours. Finish: long on dried fruits and smoke with a softly coastal edge.

The sherry complements the whisky very well, and the harmonious qualities might actually justify the price in my opinion. Available at the Hotel Bero for € 225.

Score: 91/100

I tasted this one at the Whisky Festival in Gent a couple of years ago and since I didn’t write down any notes at that time, I really wanted to taste it again.

BenRiach 20 yo (43%, OB 2009)

Nose: something of a potpourri: orange, pear, peach, pineapple candy, berries. Some lavender. White chocolate. Bourbon wood. Vanilla. Something dusty and farmy, but very nice. Also light peat and subtle smoke. Mouth: vanilla and honey. Malt. Tobacco. Slightly vegetal and acidic, but pleasant. Getting spicier after a while. Finish on melon and vanilla. Overall sweet but with some bitter oranges. Light smoke.

Compared to the BenRiach 16y, this one is more complex, with less caramel toffee and more fruit. More punch as well. It really stands out from the rest of the core range. It’s the most expensive but by far the best value for money. Around € 65.

Score: 87/100

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

North British 20 yo 1991 (55,8%, Master of Malt 2011, first fill bourbon, 244 btl.)

Nose: rather warm at first with plenty of vanilla and fresh oak shavings. Soft white chocolate / very light mocha notes in the background. Sweet and thick. After some time it seems to loose some of its vanilla creaminess and it gets a little sharper, with traces of grass and Nivea cream that I found before in much older North British. Mouth: very sweet and quite surprising. Big notes of Pisang Ambon (banana liqueur) and Malibu (coconut liqueur). Very thick and almost sticky. Sweet corn. Pineapple syrup. Butterscotch. A burst of pepper and ginger in the end. Finish: not too long, still extremely sweet with some spirity notes and an oaky / spicy edge.

This is not a complex grain whisky but it’s interesting as it lacks some typical grain flavours but also shows a few less common elements. Around € 52.

Score: 82/100

Cragganmore 20 yo 1991 (54,2%, Master of Malt 2011, refill hogshead, 274 btl.)

Nose: fresh and invigorating, almost a benchmark for middle-aged Speyside whisky. Juicy fruits (apples, peaches, oranges) with sweet malty notes and mint. More and more floral notes developing. A spicy layer, mineral notes and freshly cut oak add some depth. Typical and very good. Mouth: starts on vanilla. Sweet and fruity (apples and citrus again, hints of pineapple) which develops into zesty notes. Then it grows towards grassy notes, with quite some oak spices, ginger, tonic and finally a lemony twist with a faint suggestion of flowery soap. A bit hot and tangy, not as easy-going as the nose suggested. Finish: lengthy, on aniseed and citrus. Drying green tea in the very end.

Releasing a Cragganmore is not a common thing, and this particular cask had a few tricks up its sleeves: a mineral aperitif‑style nose and bursts of spices and citrus zest on the palate. A 20 year-old for less than € 60, nice.

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.

Laphroaig 20 yo 1991 (53,3%, Liquid Sun 2011, sherry hogshead, 279 btl.)

Nose: impressive notes of tar and smoked meats: cecina de Léon, grison, barbecued streaky (pork belly)… nicely mixed with muted medicinal notes and gouache paint. Coal smoke. Quite sweet as well, with tobacco and some dried fruits. Blackberry jam? Nice balance. Water brings the spices out. Mouth: again very smoky and ashy, with burnt toast and plenty of liquorice, a little pepper and salt. Then the sherry comes through, still showing sweet notes of ripe dark fruits (cassis especially) and chocolate. Nice tobacco notes and espresso. Finish: long, drier, smoky and a bit salty with a little coffee. And back to the smoked bacon.

As I said, sherried Laphroaig can be really good. This one has quite an excellent combination of deep smoke and dark fruits. Recommended. Too bad the rarity makes the price heavier than I hoped for… Around € 150.

Score: 90/100

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

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

PX grapes are dried in the sun instead of being pressed immediately. This transforms them into raisins with less liquid and more sugar. Alcohol needs to be added, otherwise the PX most won’t ferment. The end result is thick and sweet and full of flavour. Be sure to try a PX wine if you have the chance, it’s really unique. 

GlenDronach 20 yo 1989 (53,2%, OB 2010, Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon #3315, 522 btl.)

Nose: another clean sherry cask, this time much more fragrant with bigger hints of balsamic vinegar and syrup. Great leathery notes and something of oak polish / paint thinner (a great addition actually) which reminds me of some bourbons. Oranges, prunes and dates. Raspberries. Baked apple pie with rum & raisins. Pencil shavings. Very expressive, with more obvious wood influence than the 1991 cask. Water makes it lighter with fresh red berries. Mouth: really different! Dark and sweet – it’s easy to recognize the viscous character of Pedro Ximenez sherry. Raisins, chewy figs and caramelized sugar. Lots of nuts as well (hazelnuts, walnuts, roasted almonds, mocha). Deep and slightly overweight if you know what I mean. Finish: long on raisins, chocolate and mocha. Getting dry and slightly bitter in the end.

I’d recommend this one if you want to try something different. It’s quite massive and intense, just like the type of sherry it was matured in. Not for beginners I would say. Water helps to find the balance. Around € 100.

Score: 89/100

Have a look at the 2009 batch of single casks if you wish to compare.

GlenDronach 20 yo 1990 (57,9%,
OB 2010, oloroso sherry butt #2621, 
546 btl.)

Nose: quite a fragrant kind of sherry. Hints of sweet honey and oak polish. Red mosto (grape juice) and sour oranges. After that, a very classy nuttiness starts to grow stronger (walnuts, some roasted coffee beans, almonds). Evolves on dark chocolate. There are undertones of matchsticks as well, but they’re actually quite nice and seem to come and go (with some water they simply disappear). Some mint. Hints of leather. Quite complex! Mouth: starts fruity (figs, dates) with hints of cherry liqueur. Again (clean) matchstick notes. Old oranges. Nice mocha and chocolate truffle. A few drops of water highlights walnuts and almonds. Finish: nice finale on coffee and nuts. Quite long.

This GlenDronach 1990 has multiple personalities. It shows a typical nutty sherry but also fresh fruits and hints of matchsticks that we associate with some Karuizawas. I like it, also because it’s interesting to play around with water. Around € 100.

Score: 86/100