Inchgower 29 yo 1982 (53,9%, Master of Malt 2011, refill hogshead, 190 btl.)

Nose: initially fairly malty with quite some spicy notes and waxy overtones. There’s a very nice sweetness of plums and berries (think cassis / blueberry and gooseberries) which makes it stand out. Hints of gingerbread. Also notes of vanilla ice cream. Hints of garden herbs as well, even something of… sweet cucumber? This may sound bizarre but it’s quite a unique and interesting nose. Mouth: again a strangely attractive combination of vanilla cream, toffee, nuts and a faint hint of wet paper. Nice enough though. Then back to blueberries with brown sugar and cocoa. Finally some spicy oak with a hint of resin. Finish: medium long, with cocoa / praline up front.

A whirlpool of uncommon flavours and a slightly quirky result, just like to the Inchgower 1982’s I’ve had before (by Malts of Scotland and Whisky-Doris). Maybe not the complex old style of the 1974 but still very interesting and good fun to drink. Around € 85. Available here.

Score: 87/100

Undisclosed Speyside distillery 30 yo (40%, Master of Malt 2011, 4th Edition)

Nose: nicely aromatic despite the low strength. Very juicy, with honeyed malt, vanilla and baked apples. Some dried fruits (plenty of raisins) and spices (cinnamon, soft cloves). Orange peel. Mouth: sweet start on honey and soaked raisins. Caramelized apple again. Sweet almonds. Hints of tobacco and a little wood resin. Finish: still rather honeyed with something of roasted nuts. A tad drier in the very end.

A rich and really juicy sherry bottling. Something in between the heavily sherried 2nd edition and the malty / more bourbonny 3rd edition. Too bad they’re still holding on to the 40% strength. Available from Master of Malt. Around € 115 – good pricing again.

Score: 87/100

Master of Malt is supporting this charity by the release of a 9 years old Glenfarclas (the youngest we’ve tried so far), distilled in September 2002 and taken from two oloroso hogsheads. It will go on sale today.

Glenfarclas 9 yo 2002 (53%, OB for Master of Malt 2011, oloroso hogsheads #2659 & 2662)

Nose: clean, rich sherry with plenty of rum & raisins, raspberry jam and kirschy notes. Some spicy chocolate. Oranges and red grapes. Hints of almond liqueur. A very juicy (and slightly more balanced) version of Glenfarclas 105. Mouth: in that same tradition of the 105. Deep sherry with dark sugar and raisins all over. Plums. Gets spicy (cardamom, pepper) with a savoury and lightly herbal (even salty) touch. Finish: baked pear with caramelized sugar, dried orange and a fair amount of oak.

Maybe these casks were pre-destined for the 105, but they turned out to be better than average? The result is very nice indeed. Around € 45 of which around € 11 will be donated to Movember. Please note that both Master of Malt and Glenfarclas are working at cost price on this project. Great initiative.

Score: 87/100

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

Dalmore 14 yo 1996
(55,5%, Master of Malt 2011)

Nose: sweet with intense barley aromas. Some porridge. Malt. Apples and pears. Punchy spices: pepper with a hint of mint and ginger. After a while hints of gravel show up, and a vague smokiness in the distance which helps the neutral, youngish and slightly spirity nose to stand out a little. Mouth: pretty light and not as sweet as I thought. There are sugary notes but they are countered by spirity notes (pear liqueur, plum eau-de-vie) and a slightly bitter grassiness. Lemon zest and tonic. Again pepper. Finish: medium long, balancing between fruity notes and zesty bitterness.

A young Dalmore that’s natural and not very typical for the distillery in my opinion. On the MoM website it says “sherry cask”… are they sure about that? I can’t figure out why they’ve selected this one. Available from Master of Malt for around € 52.

Score: 78/100

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

A couple of weeks ago, the blogger’s blends were available from Master of Malt for around € 35 (a set of 10x 3cl samples, but already sold out). We were supposed to judge them and vote for the best result. The winning blend will be released in full bottles.

A great idea, although I suggest to rethink their selection of bloggers next time… (just kidding)

By now I’ve tried all ten. It doesn’t make much sense to review them in depth, we wouldn’t know who to congratulate anyway. Therefore, I’ve used a three star ranking for nose and palate and not my usual scoring. The price mentioned will be the price of a full bottle, in case it wins the competition.

• A – £ 48 (*****)
  N: fruit, spices, pleasant oak and subtle smoke
  T: spicy, round sweetness, vanilla
• B – £ 36 (**)
  N: toast, raisins and slightly dirty sherry
  T: artificially sweet, toffee, dried fruits
• C – £ 68 (***)
  N: grains, soft sherry, distant smoke
  T: spicy, fruity, faint ashes
• D – £ 40 (****)
  N: dried fruits and caramel, faint smoke
  T: dried fruits, smoke, slightly harsh
• E – £ 43 (***)
  N: citrus, nuts, honey and and grains
  T: neutral, grains, sweet
• F – £ 37 (***)
  N: caramelized apples, honey, cinnamon
  T: lots of grains, toffee, artifically sweet
• G – £ 40 (*)
  N: toffee, fruits, cereals, hay
  T: grassy, sharp grains, toffee
• H – £ 52 (***)
  N: pastry sweetness, vanilla, toffee
  T: slightly shy, neutral, soft spices
• I – £ 55 (*****)
  N: tar, sweet bacon and smoke
  T: peat, rather dry, Coal Ila-esk, pepper
• J – £ 40 (**)
  N: toffee, dried fruits
  T: shy, soft chocolate, slightly chemical

I was surprised by the relatively small deviation. They’re pretty similar to other blends on the market and pretty similar to each other (only one of them has peat in the foreground for instance). The details that set them apart are fairly small, so I can imagine the sample comparison is pretty boring for inexperienced tasters. My girlfriend would probably say most of them are the same whisky. Because of this, I felt I had to exaggerate my scores a litte.

Also, it’s clear that the price isn’t always an indication of quality. The most expensive blend (C) comes out in the middle of the pack and some of the cheapest blends (especially D and F) are very well made. My favourites (A + I) are among the more expensive blends though.

For me, (A) stands out because of its punchy spices and fresh oak while maintaining a nice all-round character. And (I) stands out for nicely integrating peaty / smoky elements. (D) is the well-priced all-rounder (some sherry, some smoke) in my top-3.

Update: it turns out blend I won the contest. It comes as no surprise that the most typically Islay style won, but it has to be said it was a well-composed and enticing blend!

Undisclosed Speyside distillery 30 yo 
(40%, Master of Malt 2009, 3rd edition)

Nose: a classic bourbon matured profile with truckloads of honey and some lovely fruits (melon, apricot, ripe banana, papaya). Big big vanilla (coming close to actual bourbon at times) and hints of cinnamon. Sugared almonds. Warm oaky notes and wax are easy to notice, but the nose is not tired at all. Great nose. Mouth: a spicy attack, but it seems to fall flat soon after the arrival. Much more oak now, a bit too much even. Pine resin and nutmeg. Hints of grapefruit but overall not nearly as fruity as the nose made me expect. Finish: a bit undefined, with dry oak and subtle fruits.

The glorious nose and the woody palate reminded me of another undisclosed Speysider by Thosop. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came from the same distillery. Don’t get me wrong, I could sniff this all day and it’s certainly nice enough to justify the price tag (about € 125). Available from Master of Malt.

Score: 85/100

Master of Malt Speyside 50 yo
(40%, Master of Malt 2009)

Nose: great nose, fruity and spicy. Apricot pie and yellow raisins. Oranges. Heather honey. Vanilla and a little cellulose varnish. Woody notes and pine needles as well, but actually less than expected for such an old malt. Some mint. Cinnamon. A lovely touch of candle wax and even engine oil. Quite excellent. Mouth: ah, here’s the wood. Immediately spicy with nutmeg and cloves. Quite phenolic as well which is a nice addition. Some chocolate. Hints of tea and olive oil. Getting quite tannic. Maybe a few extra degrees would have balanced it better? Finish: rather short, spicy and not too dry.

A stunning nose with beautiful fruit and smooth signs of age. On the palate it misses some punch, which means there’s more emphasis on the wood than on the fruits. Very nice. Around € 290 which is a lot of money but still relatively cheap considering the age.

Score: 91/100

ps/ Master of Malt now offers 3cl samples of more than 60 whiskies, including this 50 years old Speysider.

Undisclosed Speyside distillery 40 yo
(40%, Master of Malt 2008)

Nose: big notes of dates and dried figs. Oak polish. Sour notes of red fruits (redcurrant, raspberry) and tangerine. Hints of sherry vinegar that work quite well. There’s also a great nuttiness in the background. The whole is a bit sharp but very entertaining. I hope I can be just as vibrant at the age of 40. Impressive. Mouth: fruity start, good attack but the fruity notes can’t keep up very long. The oak comes rolling in and takes over the whole mouthfeel. Tannic and resinous. Again some notes of vinegar. Finish: long, nutty and fruity. The oak is less prominent. Hints of dark chocolate.

Good stuff but a malt of ups and downs. The nose is very nice, the palate is disturbed by the oak and in the finish the battle between fruit and wood seems to end in a draw. Around € 160.

Score: 87/100

Undisclosed Speyside distillery 30 yo
(40%, Master of Malt 2008, 2nd edition)

Nose: deep oloroso sherry influence, but very playful at the same time. Big notes of pear frangipane (not sure if that type of cake is known all over the world, but it’s delicious). Raisins. Honey and demerara sugar. Whiffs of furniture polish and pine resin. A drop of water brings out red candy. Some superb sherry at work here. Mouth: not the most powerful attack, but very creamy. Starting on pine resin and evolving on dark chocolate. Mon Cheri. Very fresh considering its age. Dried plums and figs. Orange skin. Spicy fruitcake. More oranges when you add water, but it quickly gets watery. Finish: medium length, warm and nutty with hints of cloves.

A stunning nose on this Speyside sherry bottling. It slows down on the palate, but on the other hand it’s very smooth. Too bad there’s no version at 46%, it could have been truly heavenly. If I were to place a bet, I would say Glenfarclas. Perfect for sherry lovers. Around € 120.

Score: 90/100

When I see the combination of Bowmore and 1980’s, an alarm goes off inside my head. You can expect all sorts of things from that period, with lavender soap and eau de cologne probably being the worst. Have a look at this Bowmore 1983/2008 by Douglas Laing if you don’t know what I’m talking about. On the other hand, this 26 years old Bowmore was matured in a refill sherry hogshead, and I don’t think I’ve had many 1980’s vintages from that type of cask.

Bowmore 26 yo 1982
(53,4%, Master of Malt 2009, 195 btl.)

Nose: hmmm… what’s this? It’s not soapy Bowmore, but it’s not like their regular stuff either. Very candied, with some marshmallow and cherry fruit gums. Hey, I like this, although it’s still faintly floral and I wouldn’t possibly recognize this as a Bowmore. Soft vanilla / white chocolate underneath. With a drop of water it becomes very lightly peaty and quite grassy. Mouth: very sweet attack. Violet candy appears, balancing on the edge between fruity notes and hints of lavender. But it never crosses the line. Citrus. Some peat in the background, with whiffs of cinnamon. Finish: still quite candied, with vanilla and just a hint of peat.

Ever wondered how a Bowmore lollipop would taste like? Once you get over the prejudices, this is very enjoyable. And I never thought I would write that about a 1982 Bowmore. In any case unique. Around € 120.

Score: 85/100

This cask strength bottling is the third or fourth Tamnavulin release in the Master of Malt series.

Tamnavulin 16 yo (55%, Master of Malt 2008)

Nose: malty start with grapey accents. Some pears. Becomes significantly more flowery and sweeter after breathing. Vanilla. There’s also a vegetal side to it, like raw cabbage. That may seem strange, but it’s very enjoyable. Mouth: punchy attack. Starts very sweet but grows maltier. Apples and pears. Nice oak. Hints of pineapple sweets and violets. Lemon squash. Some notes of lavender. Getting slightly spirity and even perfumy in the end, but nothing too bad. More or less the same with water. Finish: long, grainy and very sugary. Loads of honey with hints of oranges.

Interesting Tamnavulin. It shows a few uncommon flavours, although it’s not overly complex. Maybe not my style of dram, but still quite nice, certainly if you have a sweet tooth. Around € 70.

Score: 81/100

I’ve tasted a 40% version of this single cask Arran, but the release currently being sold by Master of Malt is cask strength (55%). I’m not sure both are from the same cask.

Arran 12 yo (40%, Master of Malt 2008)

Nose: there’s a great maritime wave up front, that I’ve never experienced with Arran (a light sea breeze). It even hints towards farmy notes (yummie) that you can find in some Connemara, while at the same time integrating superb fruity notes like kiwi and lychee. All sorts of overripe fruits really. Marshmallows. Hints of spices in the background. With water some waxy vanilla emerges. On the nose one the most interesting Arran I’ve had. Mouth: the marshmallows evolve into rosewater lokum (Turkish delight, the candy invented by confectioner Haci Bekir). These fragrant notes take over the whole profile, up to the point where I wonder if I’m drinking whisky or alcoholic rosewater. Very uncommon but really enjoyable, alhough you could argue the complexity is very low. With water some notes of sweet pears appear, with added hints of citrus and barley. Finish: not too long. Still quite fragrant, even slightly perfumy.

Funny how a malt with a complex nose can have such a mono-dimensional palate. Anyway, the nose is great and the taste has a truly unique character. Haci Bekir would have loved this! Around € 50.

Score: 86/100

This Tomatin was bottled at cask strength, but there’s also a version at 40%.

Tomatin 19 yo 1989 (57,6%, Master of Malt 2008)

Nose: very nice indeed. An entertaining battle between citrus (lots of oranges) and fresh oak. It seems like it has been aged in a very active cask, because it reminds me of Glenmorangie / BenRiach in virgin oak casks. On one hand, the spices (cinnamon) give it a lot of depth with a prickly edge, but on the other hand some flowery notes and soft vanilla give it a soothing feminine side. Water brings forward some tropical notes (mango? coconut?). Really good. Mouth: again very punchy. No shortage of oak, but enough fruity notes as well (pears, slightly bittersweet grapefruit). Hints of spices (ginger). Citrus. Towards the end it gets a herbal edge. Water emphasises the wood (maybe a tad too much?) and the herbal notes. Finish: long, on liquorice and nutmeg.

Fry is right, this Tomatin is a solid Master of Malt release. The only remark would be that it underscores the wood quite strongly and slightly overpowers the fruity notes. Recommended.

Score: 86/100

Master of Malt

Apart from their catalogue of regular whisky brands, they also have their own range of independent Master of Malt bottlings. Most of them are highly rated in the latest Whisky Bibles, which made me eager to review a selection of their offerings.

I’ll be reviewing five Master of Malt bottlings: a Bowmore, Arran, Tomatin,  Tamnavulin and an undisclosed Speysider. In the meantime, have a look at their online shop.