I’m always surprised that ‘new’ releases from Whisky AGE turn out to be bottled in 2024 or even 2023. Then again, it must take some time before bottles are delivered in Taiwan, and then a bit longer before samples reach Europe again.
Today we’re having some of the most recent Whisky AGE releases, but also a few that go back longer. Most of them are middle-aged whisky from lesser known distillers. Some of these bottles are still available, better check with the Whisky AGE distributors.
Jura 16 yo 2006 (54,2%, Whisky AGE 2023, bourbon barrel #8001643, 214 btl.)
Nose: a green and fairly mossy start, along with dried grass and stony hints. Hints of porridge, lemon juice and lime peelings, maybe a hint of rhubarb. A bit of weissbeer. Mustard, earthy notes, freshly cut herbs and metal polish too. Not very classic, but nothing overly funky either.
Mouth: more funky now, with plenty of sunflower oil, more mustard and plenty of waxes and paraffin. Then white pepper, an almost peaty and rubbery side and a good dose of bitter extracts. Salty walnuts and grapefruits too. Also a floral, almost perfumed element and some tannins.
Finish: medium, quite austere, with some zesty bitterness, pepper, paraffin and a slightly medicinal edge.
A difficult dram, starting rather clean but picking up funky flavours along the way. Quite representative for the distillery, but only for grown-ups, I’d say.
Pulteney 16 yo 2007 (55,3%, Whisky AGE 2023, bourbon barrel #700732, 217 btl.)
Nose: a similar clean / austere side, albeit more approachable. More rhubarb, green apple, lemon peels and kiwi. Green walnuts. Then decidedly coastal, on sea air, chalk, ink and herbs. Aperitif style.
Mouth: lemons and grapefruits, both the juice and the peels. The citrus mixes with grassy notes, some green tea and a similar bitter edge, maybe gentian. Some chalk. Turns out Jura and Wick are closer than I thought. Very zesty and dry, with some earthy turmeric as well.
Finish: medium, on salty notes, ale, a bit of herbal bitters and green eau-de-vies.
It seems they have a sweet spot for these austere drams in Taiwan. The whisky itself is all but sweet though, and requires the right mindset. Very refreshing though, in a way. Score: 86/100
Glentauchers 15 yo 2009 (54,6%, Whisky AGE 2024, first fill bourbon barrel #800647, 233 btl.)
Nose: here the summery, fruity side comes out. Still a bit green, but more on peaches, green melons, green apples and light honey, with some vanilla underneath. Hints of gardenia and honeysuckle. Fresh almonds and a subtle combination of ginger and nutmeg.
Mouth: bright and inviting. More lime, green apple, pear sweetness and light vanilla custard. Just a hint of white pepper and green tea, adding some spicy heat. A bit of raw malt as well. Then hints of nutmeg, lemon zest and shortbread in the background.
Finish: medium, with green tea, aniseed, drops of limoncello and a bit more zesty notes.
More (orchard) fruit here, although still adding some of that greener, zestier character that we also found in the first two. We’re definitely onto the preferences of this bottler. Score: 86/100
Craigellachie 15 yo 2009 (54,2%, Whisky AGE 2024, ex-Caol Ila hogshead #305228, 283 btl.)
Nose: the Caol Ila is easy to notice. Fresh lemon and lime, along with some unripe pineapple. Light smoke arrives early, along with some roasted nuts and black pepper. There’s also a mild mineral side of sunflower oil and graphite.
Mouth: now the ashy smoke is taking the lead – gently, but obvious. In fact it becomes hard to distinguish the original distillery. Lemons, hints of hay and grass? Then also cardamom, subtle leafy notes and crushed mint.
Finish: medium, on a combination of grapefruits and ashes.
Not a bad idea, this. The Caol Ila leaves a noticeable footprint, adding ashy notes to a decent base spirit. It is the most interesting whisky in this session, which mostly had tough drams, I must add. Score: 87/100