Here’s my official short description as printed on the label:

Fruit cocktail with tangerine, candied pineapple and a sprinkling of strawberry marshmallows. Warming vanilla and delicate heather honey.

BenRiach 32 yo 1979 (47,3%, OB for
Asta Morris 2012, refill bourbon barrel
#8507, 192 btl.)

Nose: starts on a fruit cocktail of tangerine, green banana and gooseberries. Grows sweeter with a luscious layer of candied pineapple and papaya cubes. Quite some creamy vanilla and honey. After some time it even shows strawberry marshmallows – love that! All this sugary elegance is balanced by delicate heathery notes and sprinkles of freshly sawn oak. Ambrosial stuff really with a little more vanilla than most other 1970s BenRiach. Mouth: creamy mouthfeel. The same kind of sweet fruitiness (apricot jam, banana and more citrus now) with a candied coating (honeysuckle). A nice pineapple / coconut combo as well, and hints of vanilla pudding. It shows gentle spices from the oak but the fruits are much stronger. Lovely profile. Finish: long and smooth with plenty of sweet citrus.

Compared to the 1977, this is more candied (but certainly less so than the 1978), with more vanilla and less polished oak. If the 1977 is spring then this is summer. Excellent whisky and a worthy end of the 1970s series. Bring on the 1980s, Bert!

Score: 92/100

Glen Grant 36 yo 1975 (50,7%, The Whisky Agency ‘Fungi’ 2011, bourbon cask, 127 btl.)

Nose: leathery and spicy with some herbal touches. Very minty as well. Not exactly what I expected, although there are nice traces of warm oak and honey in the background. Oranges. Not bad, but hardly any tropical fruits or jammy notes. Mouth: rather creamy, half fruity, half spicy. Now there’s quite some apricot and citrus but they’re slightly overpowered by oak, ginger, nutmeg and herbal teas. Slightly bitter notes as well. Not as luscious as the 1972 expressions. Finish: more oak and spices (pepper, nutmeg) as well as a little apple.

Phew, my banker will be glad to hear this isn’t yet another stellar old Glen Grant. By no means a bad whisky though, just much more focused on oak and spices than my favourite (sherried) Glen Grant expressions from the same bottler. Around € 170.

Score: 86/100

Glenfiddich

The recently launched 2012 edition is presented in the new, bulkier Glenfiddich bottle and a larger box. It’s probably also a new batch of casks but for now we’re trying the old 2010/2011 edition.

Glenfiddich 21 yo
(40%, OB 2010, Caribbean rum finish)

Nose: a very pleasant nose packed with fruits: fresh oranges, pineapple candy… Typical banana aromas as well, but well integrated. Like tropical fruit chewing gum. Hints of vanilla and toffee. Nice, but 21 years old really? Mouth: quite soft, very smooth. It takes a while before the oak hits in and it regains some punch. Sweet barley. Plenty of spices (ginger, cinnamon, mint) – in the end it becomes rather oaky. Hints of leather. Finish: medium length, gentle with oranges and warming spices.

I enjoyed the nose, which benefits from the rum without overdoing it. On the palate it’s strangely soft (ditch the 40% for higher end bottlings, guys!) and oaky at the same time. Mixed bag. Around € 90. The 2012 version seems a little more expensive.

Score: 82/100

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

It will be used to release low-yield bottlings from old casks with a high angel’s share (hence the name). To let as much people as possible enjoy these casks, they’ve chosen a 35 cl. bottle with a similar shape as their full size bottles. I think it’s an excellent idea, it allows you to try more whiskies for the same budget, or experience something that would have been out of your reach in a standard bottle. True, we’ve seen a similar idea before, but I’m hoping it will really gain a foothold now!

Note that the yields can be extremely low. This particular release (from an undisclosed distillery founded in 1836) only has 55 (half) bottles! Given the low numbers of bottles, not every release will be sold in each country.

In this first batch, Belgium will see a Glen Elgin 1975 apart from the 41 years old Glenfarclas seen below. I’ve also noticed a Glenrothes 1970, Tomatin 1966 and Glenlossie 1975 in German shops.

“1836” 1970 (53,5%, Malts of Scotland  ‘Angel’s Choice’ 2011, sherry cask MoS 11025, 55 btl., 35 cl.)

Nose: a deeply fruity kind of sherry. Sultanas, figs and quinces but also juicy raspberry jam and grenadine. Everything’s coated by some very refined oak varnish, mint and old roses. Great. Whiffs of herbal tea and aniseed. Fudge. Also a soft smoky note and a clean matchstick note, but very much in the background. Very high class, especially the fresh fruits make it stand out. Mouth: rather sweet attack on strawberries and blood oranges. Kirsch. Fruit cake. Quickly overtaken by drier notes: different kinds of herbs as well as liquorice and hints of cough syrup. Oak as well. A tad rounder with a few drops of water. Finish: long, rather dry, minty and slightly resinous with echoes of chocolate and fruity notes.

Great deeply sherried Glenfarclas with a juiciness that’s certainly above average. Around € 140 for this half bottle.

Score: 91/100

Since I’ve tried a nice Glenburgie 1988 Duncan Taylor and the Glenburgie 1997 Asta Morris, I’m on the lookout for other versions.

Glenburgie 11 yo 1998 (43%, Dun Bheagan 2010, cask #4980 + 4983, 642 btl.)

Nose: starts a little undefined and overly malty, but after a few minutes it becomes nicely rounded with plenty of vanilla and some toffee sweetness. Apple, lemon candy, sugar cane, Frosties… Also hints of buttercups and some waxy notes. Tiny hints of marshmallows after fifteen minutes. Excellent development for such a young malt. Mouth: sweet and malty again, with some sweet citrus, apple and gooseberry flavours. Fresh oak and gentle spices (vanilla up front, but ginger as well). Some cocoa. Slightly less wide than the nose, but still nothing to complain about. Finish: medium long, spices from the oak and a little toffee.

Another well-made Glenburgie. These youngsters are really nice and offer excellent value for money. Around € 40. Thanks Mars.

Score: 86/100

Strathmill 37 yo 1974 (44,5%, Archives 2011, bourbon hogshead #1231, 180 btl.)

Nose: very fruity and honeyed, although maybe a tad less thick and buttery. Big hints of sweet orange juice. A little pineapple, less banana this time. Some vanilla cake. Over time it also shows some softly herbal, “green” notes and mint. Mouth: still fruity but again it’s less warm with more sourish and slightly bitter fruits (oranges, tangerine). Hints of green tea. More oak spices as well (especially ginger). Finish: medium long on oranges and lemons. Hints of tea with some warming oak.

It may be less stellar than its sister cask by The Nectar of the Daily Drams, but on its own it’s still a great dram from an otherwise underrated distillery. Around € 170.

Score: 90/100

Tormore 16 yo 1995 (53,4%, Whisky-Doris 2011, bourbon hogshead #20213, 132 btl., In memoriam Horst Manthée)

Nose: a mixture of youngish, fruity sweetness (pear drops, apple juice, oranges, pineapple) with buttery malt and a little vanilla. Soft pepper dust. Water makes it a little more grassy. Mouth: fairly thick. Sweet and fruity again (apricot, orange marmalade, citrus candy) with a big dash of honey. Some toffee. Then it grows spicier (mainly pepper again, maybe even a little mustard cress). Finish: long, sweet and peppery.

A nice profile, very sweet and very spicy at the same time. Pleasantly vibrant. Around € 70.

Score: 85/100

This Longmorn 1965 was bottled for Limburg (home of The Whisky Fair and The Whisky Agency) by Gordon & MacPhail, which is no surprise as they practically own the complete stock of old Longmorn.

Longmorn 46 yo 1965 (51,8%, Gordon & MacPhail for Limburg 2011, Book of Kells, first fill sherry butt #370)

Nose: oh how great is this. A mixture of the best sherry fruits (fig jam, apricots, raspberries), all kinds of waxes (polished sandalwood, leather polish, tiny notes of oil paint and varnish), surprisingly exotic all-spice and subtle oak. Hints of eucalyptus. It shows elements of both old cognac and old rums. Just exquisite. Mouth: very punchy and so fruity again. Figs, raisins, apples with cinnamon, blood oranges… Herbal honey. Leather. Mint. Pleasantly oaky with a chocolate dryness towards the end. Finish: very long, not too dry with cinnamon, cocoa and menthol.

One of my favourite sherried Longmorns already. Impressive freshness at such an age. Recommended, even though the price will probably prevent you from rushing to the nearest whisky shop. Around € 370.

Score: 93/100

Duncan Taylor had a few similar releases (cask range #70xx), it wouldn’t surprise me if they were related.

Glen Moray 36 yo 1973 (53,1%,
The Whisky Agency ‘Perfect Dram’ 2010,
joint bottling with Three Rivers Tokyo,
bourbon hogshead, 301 btl.)

Nose: stewed fruits (apricots, prunes) with tropical touches (mango, melon, coconut). A lot of vanilla and oak, or rather oak polish, which gives this one a bit of a bourbon profile, maybe even a Japanese oak character. Beehive notes (honey, wax) and spices (cinnamon, mint). Mouth: again oaky with bags of spices (cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, nutmeg). Fruity notes like plums and oranges. Hints of coconut and pineapple. Sweet malt. Some leathery touches. Finish: long and vibrant with oranges and spices.

A little water takes away the harshness of the oak and releases its full potential of nice fruits, wax and spices. A nice surprise with a slightly exotic character.
Around € 170, but we’re too late now…

Score: 90/100

Tomintoul 39 yo 1972 (45,7%, The Whisky Agency ‘Perfect Dram’ 2011, ex-bourbon cask, 116 btl.)

Nose: different from the 1967/1968’s, thicker and warmer. Lots of beehive notes (honey, beeswax) with buttery touches. The fruitiness is very ripe: melon, papaya. A nice layer of spicy, polished oak as well. Buttercups. A tiny hint of menthol. Mouth: good attack considering the age. Still sweet and rounded, fruity (plums, melon) and honeyed. Then the oak becomes louder, with mint, some nutmeg and liquorice. A slight bitterness / herbalness in the end. Finish: medium long, not too dry but nicely spicy and minty.

These old Tomintouls are really enjoyable but beware if you don’t like oak in the foreground of your whisky. A nice variation on what we saw from 1967 and 1968. Around € 180.

Score: 88/100

Longmorn 43 yo 1967 (52,6%, G&M for Japan Import System 2010, Book of Kells, refill sherry butt #753, 393 btl.)

Nose: big, powerful, old sherry. Rum & raisins, plums, dried figs as well as fresher raspberry. Whiffs of menthol and oak polish. Leather. Milk chocolat. Some gentle smoke in the background. Mouth: beautiful balance of dark sherry notes (cherry liqueur, dark chocolate, bitter almonds), dark caramel, roasted nuts and fruits (sour cherries, raspberry). Big hints of coffee powder. A little verbena. Cinnamon and nutmeg. A salty note as well (liquorice). Some tannins. Finish: very long, on dried fruits and salty oak.

Very heavy sherry with obvious oak but no astringent woodiness! Completely different from the other 1967, but equally great nectar in my opinon. Thanks again, Johannes! Around € 350 in auctions.

Score: 92/100

Longmorn 42 yo 1967 (53,1%, G&M for Japan Import System 2009, Book of Kells, refill sherry hogshead #3342, 162 btl.)

Nose: elegant nose on honey, stewed fruits and dried flowers. Hints of incense and waxed oak. Dried apricots and nuts. Very ripe oranges and quinces. Tropical notes such as papaya and guava. Whiffs of eucalyptus and mint. Leather as well. Softer than some 1970’s Longmorns but just as complex. Great so far. Mouth: nicely fruity (citrus, pear, apricot jam) with a fair amount of warm oak. Pepper and liquorice. Develops on pink grapefruit with a hint of ginger. A tad less complex than on the nose but quite wonderful. Finish: long, with the same aromas.

Although the wood has its say after 42 years, this is another lovely Longmorn, Thanks Johannes! Around € 350 in auctions.

Score: 92/100

Tomatin 35 yo 1976 (51,4%, The Whisky Agency ‘Moody Lions’ 2011, refill sherry, 313 btl.)

Nose: close to the sister version by Liquid Sun as it starts on faint herbal / nutty notes and oak polish before bringing out the typical fruity notes like apricots, mango, berries, melons… Stewed fruits with honey and mint. Mouth: thick and beautifully sherried with plenty of fruits. Mango, peaches, berries, pink grapefruit… in a jammy / liqueur-like way. Getting more herbal and oaky towards the end with a lovely tropical aftertaste. Finish: long, still quite fruity but more oaky and spicy now with a gentle bitterness in the very end.

Another tasty Tomatin 1976, though maybe not my favourite expression (not as wide, slightly less fruits, slightly more oak). The price went up 20% compared to the Liquid Sun version: around € 180.

Score: 89/100

Glenallachie 39 yo 1973 (50,4%, The Whisky Agency ‘Moody Lions’ 2011, ex-bourbon cask, 218 btl.)

Nose: fresh and fruity, but I’m missing some of the more uncommon notes which I loved in the MoS version (like strawberry or muscat grapes). Here it’s more focused on pears and apples. It also shows more grassy / leafy notes (could be just the higher alcohol). Soft waxiness. Water brings out some floral notes. Mouth: slightly hot with rather more oak. Again some leafy notes to accompany the otherwise sweet fruit cake, apple and almond flavours. Fairly dry in the end with a noticeable bitterness. Finish: long and dry with vanilla, apples and malt.

Funny how two whiskies can be so closely related with virtually the same flavour descriptors, yet this one lacks part of the magic of the MoS version. Bringing it down to more or less the same strength doesn’t quite fix it. Don’t get me wrong though – this is still very good stuff. Around € 175.

Score: 88/100

The distillery is owned and operated by independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail. It’s small (only 2 employees) and had a history of ups and downs – between 1983 and 1998 it was closed altogether.

This 1977, bottled for the Belgian importer Premium Spirits, is pre-G&M distillation, made with equipment that has been replaced in the 1990’s.

Benromach 34 yo 1977 (48%, OB for Premium Spirits Belgium 2011, refill American hogshead #1470, 249 btl.)

Nose: elegant nose on raisins and honey with some polished furniture. Jammy, juicy fruits (peach, pear, melon) and some floral notes. Notes of honeysuckle. Distant hints of library dust, cinnamon and vanilla. Fresh and attractive, although not very complex. Mouth: smooth, fruity start (citrus, peach again) with some waxy notes – not as sweet as the nose suggested. Barley. Evolving quickly on spices from the oak (ginger and pepper). Roasted notes, even a vague hint of smoke. Finish: medium long, on natural caramel and a herbal touch of oak.

A nice surprise. Not much to complain although it’s not exactly unique. G&M is probably not doing enough to promote Benromach, this deserves some praise. Around € 165.

Score: 88/100

Glen Grant 39 yo 1972 (48%, Whisky-Doris 2011, sherry hogshead #11395, 163 btl.)

Nose: This one has less alcohol and indeed it starts more like the Spirits in the Sky version with water. It seems more open – it doesn’t have as much cherry notes but its fruitiness is wider, like a red fruit compote with tropical touches in the background. Leather again. Maybe a little more spices and cocoa. Mouth: smoother but just as fruity and intense. Plums, blackberries, figs, all present. Extra raspberry (nice). Develops on cocoa, almost completely on chocolate in the end. Pretty much perfect strength and nicely supported by the spices without being oaky. Finish: long, sweet. Spices and chocolate.

I don’t have a favourite, both are equally great in my opinion. The lower strength certainly isn’t a downside and it’s 10% cheaper as well. Recommended. Around € 190. Available from Whisky-Doris.

Score: 92/100

Glen Grant 39 yo 1972 (53,2%,
The Whisky Agency ‘Perfect Dram’ 2011, ex-sherry cask, 119 btl.)

Nose: big big notes of cherries (dark cherries as well as Portuguese Ginjinha liqueur made from Morello cherries). Lots of dried fruits like figs. Bramble and plums. Dark honey. Precious woods and hints of leather and eucalyptus. Heaps of oriental spices as well (which blend into a kind of incense profile). A drop of water brings out beehive notes and makes the fruits a little more tropical. Just great. Mouth: more oak in the attack, but quickly the fruits take over. Still plenty of cherry notes, plums and mixed red fruit jam, this time combining nicely with a chocolate coating. Fruit cake. Finish: long and elegant, fading on Mon Cherie and soft spices.

This Glen Grant 1972 is clearly more sherried than the MM Awards winning Glen Grant 1972/2009 by Duncan Taylor or any other (mostly refill sherry) expressions of GG72. The oak is well controlled. A real beauty. Recommended. Around € 210.

Score: 92/100

Merry Xmas everyone!

The other bottling is a 14 years old Bowmore 1997. I’ll review that one later.

Aberlour 16 yo 1994 (46%, Whisky Import Belux & The Bonding Dram 2011, bourbon hogshead #8825, 279 btl.)

Nose: fresh and aromatic with a pleasant rounded fruitiness. Big notes of apples and juicy pears. Hints of peach and vanilla. Frosties. Also soft spicy notes and gentle oak. Typical bourbon matured whisky, maybe a little younger than its actual age suggests. Mouth: creamy vanilla with a little caramel sweetness and honey. Again quite juicy with peach jam, apple compote and fresh mint. A sweet malty core again, punched up by some pepper and liquorice. Rather simple but very enjoyable. Finish: medium long on clean oak and vanilla.

This is a straightforward but well-made Aberlour, excellent as a daily dram. Sold for € 60 of which € 5 is donated to the anti-cancer campaign “Kom op tegen Kanker”.

Score: 84/100

Blackadder is a British / Swedish bottler founded by Robin Tucek. Although there isn’t much fuss about it, and although their websites are hugely outdated, it seems they’re still steadily working to find interesting whisky. Other labels like Clydesdale, Riverstown and Smoking Islay are also part of this company.

The Raw Cask series is interesting because they leave all the residues and sediments in there – most bottles are full of toasted oak flakes at the bottom. They claim it’s the best way to ensure a maximum amount of natural oils, fats and flavour. I’m not sure the effect is noticeable, but it’s a nice feature.

Banff 34 yo 1966 (52,3%, Blackadder Raw Cask 2001, sherry butt #3438, 539 btl.)

Nose: amazing how old Banff often manages to boast such a unique (and often quirky) nose. Tobacco leaves, a little turpentine, beeswax… very nice oak polish (rather than actual wood). Underneath is a nice fruitiness (apricot, yellow raisins) and plenty of warm vanilla. Some buttery notes and wood spices. Mouth: more sappy oak now, albeit again the varnished type. Very spicy with ginger and nutmeg. Vanilla as well. Quickly drying towards the end, with a sharpness of mustard seeds. Sure, this has some loud oak but not the tannic kind. Finish: dry, with apple skin, soft ginger and oak.

There’s always a certain unsexy sharpness to Banff and this is no different. On the nose the oak polish is definitely an asset, on the palate it might be a little too much to be a real stunner. Now virtually impossible to find. Many thanks Joeri.

Score: 88/100