Springbank 13 yo 1998
(46%, Duncan Taylor NC2 2011)

Nose: settles nicely on sweet, almost marmalade aromas (peach jam, oranges, plums, even strawberries) while also displaying a maritime character of salty seawater. Some apple and ginger. Hints of yeast. Simple but nice enough. Mouth: curiously fruity. It’s a kind of a fruit compote but I have difficulty describing it. Orange syrup. Yellow raisins. Rhubarb jam? Overripe tangerine or figs? Melon sweets? Molasses? Many question marks but it’s actually quite enjoyable. Reminds me of certain Sauternes / Moscatel finishes. Again a salty / bitter twist and hints of sticky sweet toffee. Finish: not too long, with the sweet fruits having the last word. Hints of ginger again with a faint bitterness.

Much sweeter and rounder than most recent official Springbanks. A sweet wine finish that’s in fact not a wine finish? Worth trying. Around € 60. Available from Whisky-Doris among others.

Score: 82/100

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

Port Ellen 26 yo 1983 (54,6%, Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare 2010, cask #674, 282 btl.)

Nose: hey! Even better than I remembered it. Relatively soft sooty and smokey notes with hints of cured meat. A bunch of sweet notes as well: chocolate ganache, praline and Black Forest gateau! Fruity cherry / mixed red fruits jam. Hints of tobacco with a very delicate medicinal touch. Warm precious wood like rosewood and sandalwood. Few of the sharp / austere notes that you find in other Port Ellen. When compared to Port Ellen PE1 for example, it becomes clear how extremely luscious this is. Just excellent. Mouth: sweet peat and ashes mixed with rounder notes again (cocoa, sweet almonds, berries, figs). A hint of peppermint. Slowly drying towards tobacco. Finish: very long, drier and a little peppery.

An extraordinary Port Ellen with an almost perfect sherried style. If you liked PE1, then you’ll love this. Around € 190. I’ve spent some time trying to find it, but it seems to be sold out.

Score: 93/100

Now there’s a limited Special Reserve. It doesn’t mention an age.

Black Bull ‘Special Reserve No. 1’
(46,6%, Duncan Taylor 2011, 978 btl.)

Nose: quite rich with hay and a light bread crust, mixed with a nice coconut / vanilla / banana combination that is so typical for grain whisky. Some nutty aromas (sweet almonds). Oranges. Cinnamon. Honey. Everything is wrapped in elegant old oak. Great balance with an emphasis on the malt contents. Mouth: dry start, joined by slightly bitter notes before moving towards sweeter, fruitier notes. Honey, yellow raisins, a little toffee. Vanilla again. But there’s always a slightly bitter edge of cereals, oak and orange zest. Finish: quite long, with mocha and honey as well as drier spices.

Another great Black Bull, with plenty of elements that are more typical to (old) malts than to regular blends. Probably a “compact” blend of only a few casks, usually they are very good. Probably around € 120, expected in stores soon.

Score: 86/100

As a matter of fact, the Duncan Taylor casks are so good that Glenrothes decided to buy back a whole bunch of casks. Does it mean there’s a very expensive official release planned in the near future?

This is slightly darker whisky than yesterday’s Glenrothes 1968 by Malts of Scotland.

Glenrothes 41 yo 1968 (43%, Duncan Taylor 2010, cask #9974, 139 btl.)

Nose: this one is much more biscuity than the Malts of Scotland version. More vanilla custard, great white chocolate notes and something caramelly. Over time it smells like a chocolate store really. Lovely dusty elements. The same kind of freshly sawn oak. Then back to gooseberries and apricots, pineapple, honey, even some volatile strawberry notes. Slightly wider and more complex than the other. Mouth: creamy, with the same kind of sweet / fruity vs. sour / oaky combination. Thicker and creamier than the Malts of Scotland, despite the slightly lower strength. Soft fruits (oranges, mango) and soft spices (cinnamon, cardamom). Custard with caramel. Finish: long and sweet, half spicy / half citrusy with apples and hints of aniseed.

A great cask, no doubt, showing both fresh fruits and warmer vanilla / chocolate notes. The thicker structure seems to hide the oak influence more. More expensive though: around € 260.

Score: 89/100

Last February, a Caperdonich 1969 cask #3250 was bottled, as well as the Caperdonich 1972 cask #7460 we’re reviewing here. Earlier this week, cask #7440 was bottled (53,6% as well).

Caperdonich 38 yo 1972 (53,6%,
Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare 2011,
cask #7460, 160 btl.)

Nose: very close to the 1972 bottled by Whisky Agency, which is currently my benchmark Caperdonich. Furniture polish and oak (which fades out over time) with tangerine, yellow plums, oranges and a little mango. Very juicy, a tad more citrusy than the TWA version. Maybe a bit more spices: cinnamon and mint, a little pepper. Vanilla. Slightly less beehive notes, although there’s certainly some wax and honey involved. Again very attractive with great depth. Mouth: assertive and punchy. Initially there’s a certain sharpness from the oak but over time it gets smoother. Very fruity: apricots, fig marmalade, honey. Plenty of spices (pepper, mint, cloves) and a faint bitter note from the oak. Finish: ginger and liquorice, mixed with honey.

Another wonderful Caperdonich! One point less for having a slightly less unique nose, but on the other hand this is priced well below the TWA version. Around € 140 which makes it quite a bargain. It seems most of the allocation went to Germany.

Score: 93/100

In case you haven’t noticed already, there’s now a Facebook page for Whiskynotes.be. Head over there if you’re interested in “informal” notes and early suggestions before they appear on the blog.

As you know, the Lonach series by Duncan Taylor blends one or more underproof casks with stronger sister casks to reach the required 40% limit. As the result is still cask strength, it’s much richer than a cask that has been diluted to the same 40%.

Miltonduff 37 yo 1971 
(40%, Duncan Taylor Lonach 2008)

Nose: beautiful round Speyside elements. Very sophisticated. Big vanilla, some very sweet pineapple, banana and lovely hints of marshmallows! Some honey. Orange gums and cinnamon. Polished oak. Mouth: light but not too soft. Again quite a sweet profile with yellow apples and citrus candy. Pollen and honey. A fair amount of spices from the oak (soft pepper, cinnamon). Some sawdust towards the end. Finish: medium long, on barley sugars, oranges and oak.

This Miltonduff is simply a succulent Speyside whisky. It’s a bit reticent maybe, but very warm and I adore those marshmallow notes! If only
I could find a bottle somewhere. It was around
€ 120 at the time.

Score: 92/100

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

Ardbeg 15 yo 1993 (58,9%, Duncan Taylor 2009, cask #1724, 292 btl.)

Nose: nice combo of heavy smoke notes and floral elements. Soot and coal with a few farmy notes (stronger when you add water). Heavy peat. Brunt heather. A few marine notes (brine, tarry rope). Rough like most official Ardbegs lately and a little mono-dimensional. Mouth: oily, very very peaty, dry and ashy. Sea brine and lemon. Rather grassy as well. An independent Supernova, so it seems. A little sweeter in the aftertaste, especially when you add water. Finish: long, peaty, fading on salty liquorice.

Intense Ardbeg. Recommended for those who liked the Supernova and are looking for a single cask variation on the theme. Don’t expect major complexity though. Around € 95 at the time. Now sold out.

Score: 85/100

Glenrothes 35 yo 1970 (43,5%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld 2006, cask #10574, 162 btl.)

Nose: instant fruitiness, with banana, apricot, passion fruits and pineapple. Plenty of youth here. Some green notes (mint, herbs) and spices (cinnamon, vanilla). A little honey. Mouth: gentle attack but not too soft. I get some almonds and fruits, together with oak and spices. Pine resin. Faint hints of sweet gingerbread. Banana. Powdered sugar and a hint of cocoa. Less superb than on the nose, and a tad less complex than sister casks. Finish: long, with apricot marmalade and sweet lemonade.

These old Glenrothes are really recommended, although they are slowly reaching their limits. Keeping them in the cask much longer will cause some of them to drop below the minimum strength (like the Glenrothes 1969 in the Lonach series) or become too woody. Around € 125 at the time. Now difficult to find, but keep your eyes open for similar releases.

Score: 90/100

Lonach is a series by Duncan Taylor that blends underproof casks (below 40% alcohol) with higher strength casks to make sure the result can still be called whisky. Although they have a lower strength, most of them are still very full and flavoursome.

Caperdonich 39 yo 1969 (42,2%, Duncan Taylor Lonach 2008)

Nose: instantly more herbal than I expected. The usual tropical fruits are certainly present (mango, pineapple), but they are mixed with sour apples and some mint. Big hints of chamomile. Heather honey. A little grapefruit. Vanilla. Will we ever be disappointed by an old Caperdonich? Mouth: hmmm, it’s very oaky although not too dry. Minty / woody / grassy, some nutmeg but not much more, I’m afraid. The fruit is reduced to a vague sweetness. Finish: not too long, slightly tannic, showing some aniseed.

This is not a bad malt, not at all, but because of the lower strength and the age, the oak is relatively loud. There’s better Caperdonich to be found. Around € 100 at the time but difficult to find now.

Score: 84/100

Glencraig 35 yo 1974 (42,4%, Duncan Taylor RotR 2009, cask #2922)

Nose: waxy and fruity. A combination that I like. Some oak polish. There’s also a faint hint of glue. Apples and orange flowers. Butter and oil. Some cedar wood. A few flinty notes as well. It seems younger than it actually is but it’s really nice and smooth. Mouth: very candied. Pear drops, pineapple candy. Yellow apples. Lemon juice with a lot of sugar. Some coconut. Sweet and attractive but not very complex. Many apples again. Some cinnamon and varnished oak. Finish: more or less the same. Medium length. Hints of sweet liquorice.

A whisky lemonade with a few notes that are more commonly found in old grain whisky. Interesting, pleasant and highly drinkable but lacking complexity for its age. Around € 150.

Score: 84/100

Glen Grant 39 yo 1970 (49,1%, Duncan Taylor 2009, cask #3492)

Nose: excellent fruitiness, very warm and sensual. Melon, yellow plums. Quite honeyed with frangipane notes. Gooseberries. Exotic mango. Baked banana. A lot of vanilla. It also shows waxy / solventy notes. Great! Great! Mouth: hmm, a slight overdose of oak now, although the same punchy fruit basket is still there. Hints of vanilla cake. Nutmeg, mint, soft pepper. Very spicy although not too tannic. I prefer it neat, because the fruits are a bit drowned with water. Finish: medium length on drying warm oak.

These old Glen Grants… will we ever get enough of them? This is a great cask again, although on the palate it’s a bit heavy on spicy oak. Anyway the nose is stunning. Well priced: around € 130, but probably sold out in most places.

Score: 91/100

Duncan Taylor & Co

The company was founded in 1938 and two years ago, they celebrated their 70th Anniversary with a special Anniversary Malt. It’s a vatting of 1967 whisky distilled at Glenfarclas and Highland Park, the personal favourites of the company.

Duncan Taylor 70th Anniversary Malt 41 yo 1967 (46,3%, Duncan Taylor 2008, 375 btl.)

Nose: it starts like a fruity old Speysider but it soon gets pretty special. There are hints of camphor and clear notes of old wax and dusty churches. I guess this is where the HP starts talking. Lots of heather, some honey and (shy) peat. Quite a lot of mint mixed with other spices (pepper and nutmeg). Then it goes back to fruity notes, with apricot marmalade, oranges and apples. Lovely pastry and almonds come out when you warm it up a little. What a wonderful marriage of two distinctive distilleries. Mouth: very dry and slightly mineral, with camphor, cloves, a bit of pine resin… Hints of lemon balm and stone fruit but I’m missing a bit of a sweet coating to round it off at the edges. More HP than Glenfarclas on the palate I guess. Finish: warm and dry with woody notes and ginger.

What an excellent birthday present! Be sure to try this one if you have a chance. Still available in some places – around € 140.

Score: 92/100

Glenesk 25 yo 1983 (55,7%, Duncan Taylor 2009, sherry cask #4931, 294 btl.)

Nose: very rubbery and huge notes of Maggi (herbal extract for making soup). Chicken stock. Dried peas. Muesli. Hay. Ferns? Very organic. A bit of sulphur as well. Water brings out hints of wet cardboard and other moist things. Mouth: pungent and very herbal. Lots of pine resin. Big pepper. Bitter orange peel. Espresso. Dark tea. Hints of salty butter. A few drops of water add chocolaty sherry notes, but not enough to really sparkle through. Finish: spicy, mashy and grassy.

I don’t think I’ve ever come across something like this. I’m not sure what to think of it. It’s quite harsh and certainly not my definition of an enjoyable dram. I hope one day I’ll find a Glenesk that I really like… Around € 110.

Score: 65/100

Black Bull 40 yo (40,2%, 
Duncan Taylor 2010, batch #1)

Nose: starts fresh on vanilla and grapefruit. A complete fruit basket unfolds: zesty orange, pineapple, apple. Quite a lot of beeswax and honey. Lovely hints of peppermint / eucalyptus which really lift this dram. Nice integration of oak. Incredibly refined. Mouth: a creamy texture with loads of vanilla again. More hints of dried fruits now (raisins, dry apricots). More spicy oak as well, but perfectly acceptable. Hints of liquorice. Feeling very mild, even slightly weak maybe, it doesn’t seem to linger long. Finish: medium length. There’s a faint grassiness mixed with vanilla and coconut. Returns to grapefruit. Very clean.

This is a delicious piece of blending art at an amazingly low price compared to 40 year-old single malts or other premium blends such as White & Mackay 40yo. Still I had the feeling it’s a bit on the tame side. I prefer the 30 year old version for having more punch and more sherry influence. Around € 170.

Score: 85/100

Duncan Taylor has a whole series of 1970/1972/1974 Glen Grant casks, and a lot of the subsequent numbers (#16569 up to #16582) have already been bottled (but apparently none of the 1974′s are as good as the excellent 1972’s and 1970’s).

Glen Grant 35 yo 1974 (55,2%, Duncan Taylor 2009 for The Nectar, cask #16582, 168 btl.)

Nose: a bit shy at first, it needs some hand warmth to show its full potential. Fruity of course, with tangerine, lemon, apples… Rich honey and a bit of marzipan. A nice oakiness. Not as much oak polish as in the Glen Grant 1972 for The Whisky Fair, as far as I can remember. Mouth: cooked fruits with hints of vanilla. Less tropical than I expected. Honey. Marmalade. Significantly more spicy than on the nose with the oakiness becoming very noticeable (but still within limits). Finish: rather long, drying with lots of spices.

This Glen Grant 1974 is not as great as I hoped it would be. It’s very good however, and based on reviews of its sister casks, I think this is the best of the series. It turns out 1974 was a slightly lesser year than 1972 or 1970 for this distillery maybe? Around € 130.

Score: 86/100

ps/ The box contains an error. The bottle says “cask 16582″ but the certificate says “cask 16882″.

Glen Grant from the beginning of the 1970’s can be outstanding. This one is 36 years old and bottled for the German Whisky Fair.

Glen Grant 36 yo 1972 (56,3%, Duncan Taylor 2009 for The Whisky Fair, sherry cask, 209 btl.)

Nose: an exotic fruit basket. Tangerine and kumquat followed by mango, fresh figs. Ripe gooseberries. Dried apricots. Superbly candied, with hints of honeysuckle. Whiffs of vanilla (crême patissiere). Not unlike a Bowmore from the late 1960’s. Very round and polished, but it’s not all fruity because there are subtle undertones of oak polish and coal smoke, even something that reminds me of gas. Mouth: still very fruity (lots of grapefruit now, tangerine, passion fruit, papaya). Much more wood than on the nose which gives it a drier, slightly bitter profile. Still really exotic. Cake with honey. Chocolate. Very refined sherry. Finish: medium length, on oak polish, tangerine and the lightest hint of mint.

Around € 150 at the time, but sold out soon after the publication of the Malt Maniacs Awards. Quite a lot of wood (not surprisingly) but very very good!

Score: 92/100

ps/ It’s safe to say all of the Malt Maniacs Gold medal winners are stunning whiskies (we didn’t think otherwise of course). This Glen Grant and the Yoichi are top of the bill for me, with the Yoichi being the nicest surprise. Also, these two turn out to be the cheapest of the pack. Woohoo!

Strathclyde 27yo 1980 (58,2%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld 2007, cask #1496)

Nose: lots of varnish / paint notes. Not unpleasant but too harsh maybe. Some hints of toasted oak and a little mocha. Tropical fruits as well, but they’re burried somewhere deep inside. Too bad, because the balance is a bit gone. Some mint. Mouth: very very strong and equally strange. Heavy alcohol, an overload of wood resin, then some grains… quite ethereal on the whole with hints of after shave. Rum, burnt cake. Honey maybe? Water doesn’t do any good either. Finish: quite long but a bit too alcoholic and bitter.

I’ve never had this kind of experience with grain whisky. Way too much focus on the varnish notes and the alcohol. Still available in some shops. Around € 80. You’re warned though!

Score: 58/100

Lonach is a series of bottlings by Duncan Taylor meant for “under proof casks” i.e. casks of which the alcohol volume dropped below (or just above) the limit of 40%. The usual remedy is to mix two casks in order to obtain a final volume of more than 40%.

Glenrothes 39yo 1969 
(42,7%, Duncan Taylor Lonach 2008)

Nose: very fruity, tropical even. Ripe apricots, tangerines, oranges. A fruit basket in a great mix with creamy vanilla. Not weak at all. Subtle hints of wax, almonds and white pepper. Wonderful notes of guimauves (marshmallow candy). Mouth: this is where you notice the lower alcohol volume. A subdued start, although it picks up very well. Again very fruity (orange marmalade). Honey. Vanilla. Perfect oak influence now, with spices (nutmeg, pepper) and a bit of tannins. Finish: not too long, but fruity and spicy in a near-perfect balance.

As Bert told me the other day, there’s a huge difference between a cask strength whisky of 43% and a higher strength whisky that has been diluted to 43%. He’s absolutely right. This is wonderful old whisky, aromatic, complex and perfectly gentle. One of my best Glenrothes ever. Still to be found in some places. Around € 140. Thanks Bert!

Score: 92/100