Caol Ila 12yo 1992/2005 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, C#1830, 388 Bts., D10/’92 B05/’05)

Another single cask bottling by Douglas Laing & Co, without chill filtration and ‘no colouring’ and from a refill hogshead. The nose reveals good peat smoke, burnt twigs, hints of Dettol and iodine. So far it’s an Islay lovers delight. There is also cocoa, wafts of a lumber yard (think of piles of saw dust and freshly cut cedar), malt dust, sweet vanilla and some hints of junipers. Nice and solid. The taste is a crescendo of peat smoke backed by the juniper and then the sweetness along with some apples, the burnt twigs an then some more peat smoke. Excellent! Some water creates whirls and eddies in the glass and changes the whisky some; smoother and sweeter but the peat smoke is still the dominate characteristic and it’s very good. A little water goes a long way and improves it quite a bit. The finish is creamy at first, peated and then wood spice along with Fry’s unsweetened cocoa and then the creaminess once again. It is big, long and warming. There is loads of peat smoke for those that want it. After nearly 10 minutes the finish is still quite evident but has now changed to elastoplast bandages. 

A cracker of a Caol Ila and shows the brilliance of a refill hogs head and peat smoke.

Score 88 points

Many thanks for the sample Rich!

Benriach 15yo Dark Rum Wood Finish (46%, OB, +/-2008)

A BenRiach finished in dark rum barrels, unpeated, non chill filtered, natural colour and bottled at a higher strength of 46%. The nose is vibrant, clean with hints of grapefruit, honey and some light freshly cut grass.  The taste has more depth than one would expect from the nose and then becomes very honeyed backed by some good weight and malt. After a few moments in the mouth it opens up and presents a much larger profile but the rum is now showing its influence to great effect. This is working well. The finish is thick, fruity and powerful (bit not overly so) along with the honeyed sweetness and some really good moments of malt and cocoa. It is also very long and mouth smackingly good.

The finishing has added some layers of flavour, it works out very well.

$83

Score 86 points

Visit BenRiach Distillery at http://www.benriachdistillery.co.uk/

BenRiach 12yo (40%, OB, +/-2008)

In 2004 Billy Walker and his consortium bought the BenRiach Distillery from Pernod-Ricard and they’ve not looked back. The 12 year old is new to the market from 2004 and on the nose is clean, fragrant and malty. The combination of the fragrant heather and malt is a delight, there are also wood notes intermingled with fruit (light tinned fruit salad). Everything is working in harmony here and not a lick of peat in sight. The taste is superb, malty, fruity, feathered and honeyed followed by some really good oak notes (hints of leather and tobacco; toasted but unlit), the two later are very delicate and don’t over whelm. A late delivery of some cocoa. The finish is warming, very long and a reflection of the taste with the addition of some really meaty malt. After a short while it becomes dry but with loads and loads of flavour. After 10 minutes the malt is still rumbling on…

This should be on everybody’s top 20 list. It’s also nice to see a single malt stand on its own, without any finishing. This is the older bottling with the distillery depicted in a greeny/gold color and not in the current graphic in red. It’s not surprising that the distillery has developed such a following in such a short time.

$50

Score 88 points

http://www.benriachdistillery.co.uk/

Compass Box Bo Age Statement Oak Cross (43%, OB, +/-2009)

From the Compass Box Website;

We call this malt whisky Oak Cross because it offers the best characteristics of both American and French oak aging. A rich, medium-bodied malt whisky, Oak Cross combines vanilla characters from American oak and spicy, clove-like characters from French oak.

Innovative New Oak Casks

We work with a small mill in France that produces some of the highest quality cooperage oak in the world. It was our work with this mill that led us to experimenting with secondary maturation of malt whiskies in casks fitted with new French oak heads. This is something no one else in Scotland does. The result is malt whisky with more character and complexity. We use this technique on about 50% of the malt whisky in Oak Cross and it results in a superior finished product.

The Signature Range from Compass Box

Oak Cross is part of the Signature Range from Compass Box. The three Scotch whiskies in this range offer the spectrum of Scotch whisky style, from the delicate, sweet character of Asyla, to the rich, spicy, malty character of Oak Cross, to the peaty-smoky character of Peat Monster. Each is made from casks chosen individually, cask-by-cask, to ensure perfect maturity. The casks are combined according to recipe and returned to wood for “marrying” up to 12 months before bottling. Steps like these enhance complexity, flavour integration and soft mouth feel. Extra steps, but we think they’re worth it.

W.I. tasting note:

The nose is dusty malt, heathery, light chocolate followed by some hints of wine. It is very clean yet ripe and full at the same time, the aromas concentrate with a little hand warming, there are hints of the spice island in the back ground, again a rich clean nose. The taste is smooth, honeyed, malty, heathery and warming. It is slightly shy at first but grows in the mouth, a really good collection of flavours. The finish is malt, with loads of Fry’s cocoa, the heathery notes and more oak spice and quite dry toward the very end. It is also quite long and never wavers…

It’s good.

Score 85 points

C$58

Visit Compass Box at  http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/

Compass Box NAS Peat Monster (46%, OB, +/-2009)

From John Glaser, Whiskymaker:

Complex and Multilayered

A malt whisky for real peat heads, and for lovers of complex, multilayered whiskies. What makes it fit into the Compass Box house style is the balance of richness and subtle sweetness that the old casks of Ardmore provide to the smoky-peaty Islay malts. This is the great benefit of combining single malts from different distilleries. We are not limited to the produce of one distillery. Like a wine maker blending grape varieties, we can create layers of complexity. And, as of late 2007, we’re introducing even more complexity by adding some south shore Islay malt to enhance the peatiness and earthiness. As with all our whiskies, several months of marrying before bottling allow the flavours of each of the whiskies to knit together.

Peat Monster is part of the Signature Range from Compass Box. Each is made from casks chosen individually, cask-by-cask, to ensure perfect maturity. The casks are combined according to recipe and returned to wood for “marrying” up to 12 months before bottling. Steps like these enhance complexity, flavour integration and soft mouth feel. Extra steps, but we think they’re worth it.

For those who love big, rich smoky-peaty malt whiskies, this is your whisky. Peat Monster combines very smoky and peaty whiskies from the island of Islay with rich, medium-peated Speyside whisky. The result is a balanced, very drinkable peaty malt.

www.compassboxwhisky.com

W.I. tasting note;

The nose is of peat smoke right off, no prisoners, no malt, oak just a charge up the face and into the head. After a moment to gather the senses there is now earthiness and sweetness in the form of milk chocolate (think of the aromas of a chocolate bar that has been accidentally left in the sun); altogether it is vey nice. The taste is malty, peated along with some oak spice and dry cocoa (not the sun enhanced milk chocolate) and some hints of fruit (tinned & not berries) and a hint of heather which floats in and out. Again this is very good and very drinkable. The finish is of bbq’d pork rind, more of the chocolate oak, dryness, some hints of sweetness and some gentle peat that carries on for quite some time. At the tail end of the finish there is  the sudden arrival of a little bit of orange to mix with the chocolate and peat; like an Islay Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

C$58

Score 87 points

Glenfarclas 38yo 1965/2004 (61.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 1.110)

An older Glenfarclas bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society; Glenfarclas was the very first distillery to be bottled by the Society. And additional point of interest is the very high alcohol percentage of this whisky, considering the age. The nose is fruity (tinned fruit salad in syrup, lychee, marmalade and slightly sour cherries), the other side of the coin from Christmas cake, macerated raisins etcetera. From the ‘wood’ side of the house there is bees wax (warmed), delicate oak, cold unsweetened tea, walnut shells, cocoa, vanilla and hints of resin. Sensational. With water it changes and becomes oily and the above mentioned descriptors pull together to form a united front along with coconut matting backed by buttered popcorn. Most definitely buttered popcorn. Antique cabinets. The taste undiluted is strong, concentrated and very dry. A hasty retreat is called for and a switch to the diluted sample; dramatically more gentle (with only a small amount of water), fruity and oily, cocoa etcetera. No appearance of the popcorn and now more earthy and syrupy. Star burst moments of fleeting dark chocolate. The finish is very large and quite excellent, still quite dry but not overly so, but with cocoa, the fruit and vanilla and raisins. The finish has ‘legs’ and is very long and very, very enjoyable. It is like a swirling ocean mist, always changing. Really big moments of oak and then not…

A dram for quiet contemplation by the fire; remain P.M. or go? Best wait until the morning.

£100 +/-

Score 91

For your opportunity to sample whiskies such as this visit the Society at www.smws.co.uk and join!

Bunnahabhain 25yo (43%, OB, +/- 2009)

The oldest commonly & currently available of the official bottlings and bottled ‘Mit Farbstoff Zuckerkulor’ or caramel coloring. Hmm. The nose is gentle and pleasant along with cherries, some apricot, hints of sherry, hints of malt and oak spice. A very nice collection of aromas. There is also further wood notes and some brine. All in all very nice. The taste is gentle at first but it quickly grows to reveal brine, gentle leather & tobacco, bacon (!), fruit, lots of malt and honey along with the hints of sherry. The wood notes change quite quickly to become dark chocolate. It’s lovely. The finish is subtle, oaked and then honeyed with the brine making a showing and then after a moment or two the malty oak makes a final push and wins in the end. The finish is actually quite long for such a gentle whisky and very pleasant.

One has to wonder what it would be like at 46%, Unchillfiltered and without ‘Mit Farbstoff Zuckerkulor’ but even with it is a very good dram.

C$265

Score 86

Te Bheag NAS Nan Eilean (40%, IB, +/-2009)

Te Bheag ‘Connoisseurs Blend Gaelic Whisky’ or blended scotch whisky. Non Flitre and Te Bheag is pronounced “Chey Vek” and means “A Wee Dram”. Enough bumpf. The nose is honeyed and smokey along with dried fruit (apricots, pears and apples) along with some dark chocolate and oak spice. The collection of aromas are very well integrated and VERY good. The gentle subtle smoke and chocolate tie everything together very nicely. The more time it spends in the glass the better is becomes. The taste is once again honeyed along with some green notes and some smoke as well as some other grains and brown sugar. After a short period it becomes very dry and oaky. This is nice. There is also some more of the fruit and vanilla. All in all a very good collection of flavours. The finish is not overly strong but a good reflection of the taste but slightly different from the nose but no matter, it’s all good. The finish is quite long and the chocolate malt takes over towards the end. Fruiter rather than dry at this point. Correction; the finish is very long and continues to be good.

What a nice dram, one to share with friends by the fire along with some good conversation.

C$37

http://www.gaelicwhisky.com/

Ben Nevis 25yo (56%, OB, C#98/51/1, 628 Bottles, Distilled 12/1984 Bottled 01/2010)

Ben Nevis Distillery established in 1825, is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. The distillery is nestled at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, which has a summit elevation of 4’406 feet above sea level. This imposing mountain provides an impressive background to a traditional Scottish craft. (From the website http://www.bennevisdistillery.com )

This sample was filled into freshly dumped bourbon barrels on the 20th of December 1984 and continued to mature in these casks for 14 years until on the 14th October 1998 the whisky was vatted and transferred into freshly dumped sherry butts. Maturation continued in these casks until this a particular cask was bottled in early January 2010 as a 25 year old. (From the wee neck booklet on the bottle).

The nose is closed at first but quickly opens up with rich tinned fruit, Christmas cake, warmed raisins and fruit cake backed by light varnish, hints of clove, oak notes and Demerara sugar. As you may surmise from the descriptors the nose is very rich, after a few minutes there is a hint of fennel lurking in the back ground along with an equally vague hint of burlap along with more of the oak. The more time it spends in the glass the more it evolves so it’s best to nip this in the bud and have a taste other wise we’ll be at this all day. There is strong (which is good)  bursts of sherry richness and huge dry oak and lashing of Fry’s cocoa and then a creaminess followed by light Marzipan, cold black unsweetened tea, more sherry and dryness. Oh my, what a complex wonderful dram. The finish is warming, long and sweet at first followed by the really excellent cocoa and the dryness. Think of old musical instruments and antique furniture shops and quality. After a number of minutes some malt makes a late appearance.

Impressive. Indeed, Ben Nevis is special. (Beware of palate failure; your palate must be tip top, no heavy meals, garlic, blue cheee or sheep’s brains, this is a delicate whisky with a big public persona that really isn’t if you take the meaning).

Score 89 points

http://www.bennevisdistillery.com/

https://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2010/04/ben-nevis-25yo-single-cask-at-single-malts-direct-scotch-whisky-news/ for further information and it’s priced at £78.99

Longrow 10yo (46%, OB, +/-2009)

Springbank Distillery produces three styles of malt whisky; Springbank, mildly peated and 2.5 times distilled; Hazelburn, unpeated and 3 times distilled and Longrow, 2 times distilled and heavily peated. All variations are unadulterated by colouring or chill filtration. The nose reveals toffeed peat smoke, malt, some fragrant heathery notes and light bees wax (warm), a distant lumber yard along with some warm bread. The peat smoke is not over powering and the over all is impression is pleasant and inviting. The taste is strong, malty, leathery (lightly), peated and fragrant and is much like the nose. There is also some really nice dark chocolate and a lovely toffeed sweetness and more malt. It’s very nice. The finish is malty, oaky (oak spice), with some fruit (not too big) and peaty but once again it’s not out of balance with the other descriptors and does not dominate. The finish is very long and warming. Malt trumps at the very end.

Another good dram from Springbank

Score 84 points

Visit Springbank at http://www.springbankwhisky.com/