Dew of Ben Nevis 12yo (40%, OB, +/-2009)

A famous name in the world of Scottish blends and one has to presume, this blend contains a good amount of Ben Nevis (Ben Nevis is a wee mountain)single malt. From the Ben Nevis (the distillery is located in Fort William on the west coast of Scotland) distillery website;  This whisky is so rich in malt content that many people think of it as a malt whisky. As part of his whisky Tasting evenings our Danish importer has in the past conducted ‘blind’ tastings using our “12 Years Old Deluxe” blend and having the audience compare it with some of our larger competitors more famous blends, of the same vintage. The tide of opinion favoured the Ben Nevis whisky each time this challenge was tried. This product sells particularly well in our Visitors’ Centre and also on the internet with many orders being repeats. This product gained a gold medal from Monde in 2000.

The nose is not very forth coming at first and it takes some hand warming to bring out malt and fruit with some wood notes hovering in the background. The official notes are correct; it does not nose like a blend, it’s not a huge collection of aromas but they are pleasant. After a while in the glass and the hand it opens up further and it increasingly pleasant. Warm birthday cake, toffee, mild hints of orange and bees wax. The taste is malty and sweet and really, really very nice. Wow! There’s a temptation to start drinking and abandon the tasting notes altogether. There’s a solid back bone to the sweet malt notes of wood and tobacco (but not over whelming). This all very good. The finish is warming, fragrant and long with the spicy oak notes riding the crest of the wave before being over taken by the malt and the sweetness at the very end.

Richard Joynson at Loch Fyne Whiskies is correct “Good value deluxe dramming, buy two”.

£22

Score 85 points

Clynelish 14yo (46%, Duthies, Sherry Cask, +/-2009)

Robert W. Duthie was the nephew of William Cadenhead and he ran the company after the passing of Mr. Cadenhead in 1904.  Cadenhead’s recently re-established the brand. Bottled at 46% without chill filtration or the addition of colouring.

Deep Demerara sugar on the nose tinged with sherry & lemon, there is also some malt, vanilla and toffee, all in all a very sweet sherried collection of aromas. After some time in the glass some more of the malt emerges from behind the sweetness however it is very much lemon (verging on sourness) malt. After some further time the sweetness comes back. Both are good but the sweetness is better. The taste is warming and leathery tobacco like at first followed by some sweetness and sherry, then some malt. Happily the taste does not descend into sourness. The taste is nice and solid with the malt, leathery tobacco red cedar and sherry all nicely doing their jobs. The finish is malty followed by the lemon once more and backed by the leathery tobacco which gives the whisky a really good back bone. The finish is big, long and is delicious. Lemony too.

This is very good whisky and it’s brilliant to see a sherry cask not polluted by the dreaded sulphur.

C$92

Score 88 Points

Mortlach 70yo 1938/2008 (46.1%, “Generations”, Gordon & MacPhail, 2010)

The nose is delightful, gentle fruit, plump raisins, fruit cake, light bees wax, sherry and Christmas cake. Old cabinets and wooden musical instruments. All very well integrated along with the ‘antique’ aromas one often associates with more juvenile whiskies, say in their early 30’s. One is apt to think it noses much younger than its age however a reference point is lacking since this is the first 70yo single malt! The taste is very nice, warming, mouth filling, sweet and sour, some sherry and then some dry oak however it is not overly oaked, just perfect. There is also some spice and gentle leather. There are also some earthy moments tinged with spice. The finish is very long and warming with some sweetness followed by some slightly sour cherries and then some really great moments of cocoa and an ever so slight hint of mocha. After a few minutes some malt makes an appearance as well as some of the raisins. The finish is very, very long which is nice.

Well, what a fine dram and most definitely well worth the wait. This whisky is still alive, most definitely not over oaked and complex with all the notes that one associates with older quality drams. Very reminiscent of fine Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings in the 30 to 38 year range.

Start saving……..

£10,000.00

Score 92 Points

http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/mortlach70/

Old Pulteney 30yo (44%, OB, +/-2009)

It is somewhat rare to see any old bottlings of Old Pulteney sporting the official distillery livery. The 21yo/1983 and the 17yo spring to mind however this is a note worthy exception and bottled without chill filtration or the addition of colour. Bravo!

The nose is very pleasing right away light fruit, chocolate, delicate marmalade with oak and ever so gentle leather woven into the background. There are also hints of warm lychee (right off the tree & not store bought), sweet malt and old musical instruments. It’s a collection of aromas that are well integrated and would be the envy of many whiskies. The more time it spends in the glass, the more that is revealed and the delicate aromas are a delight. The taste is gentle with a initial mild flash of peat reek quickly over taken by the malt, fruit and the oak/leather notes followed by some additional gentle sweetness that silkily binds it all together. This is simply delicious. The finish is gentle, warming and long while cycling through the afore mentioned descriptors. The middle finish delivers an excellent bitter oak chocolate mocha moment that is divine. After a short while some really excellent malt pops up followed by some of the fruit and fades away in oaky dryness.

Oooff…what an excellent dram.

£245 at the Whisky Exchange

Score 90 Points

Whisky Intelligence has received a sumptuos media pack from the kind people at Gordon & MacPhail which includes a sample! A tasting note to follow, hopefully by Monday…..

http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/mortlach70/

Glen Grant 16yo 1992/2008 (46%, OB, ‘Cellar Reserve’)

In 2005 Gruppo Campari of Italy purchased Glen Grant distillery from Chivas Brothers. There website is some what out of date……

Can you create the perfect Glen Grant cocktail?

We’re looking for a cocktail recipe that best reflects Glen Grant’s style. As you probably know, we’re big fans of the unconventional and distinctive, yet at the same time, we like things clear and uncomplicated, just like our whisky. Inspired?

The winner will receive a trip to Scotland and the Glen Grant distillery in the picturesque Speyside region, including flights, accommodation and car hire. Competition closes August 31, 2007.

A some what closed nose that at first resembles a dry white wine however some hand warming brings out some sugar dusted fruit and some hints of smoke followed by malt dust, oak aromas and heather. The aromas are very pleasing, clean and vibrant.  After some time in the glass the aromas change to reveal more of the malt and gentle oak. It’s a nice nose. The taste is nicely Speyside with some initial malt and sweetness that is quickly over taken by gentle leather and tobacco, bananas, light clove and fresh cut lumber. Some really good malt makes another appearance. This is really nice, not overly complex but just nice. The finish is warming, gentle, a tussle between the malt and the oak and then a really good moment of bitter sweet that gives way to sweetness. The finish is quite long and vibrant and ends mildly oaky a long time later. Some green malty notes pop up after about 8 minutes.

Nice nice.

£46

Score 82 Points

Visit www.glengrant.com and enter the cocktail comp…oh whatever.

Springbank Vintage 8yo 2001/2009 (55.3%, OB, Batch No.1)

2001 Vintage, Small Casks (50 & 100 litres) ABV 55.3% Availability of 6000 bottles, a new vintage bottling from Springbank of single malts matured in small casks which matured the spirit more quickly.

The nose is strong and fragrant at first followed by some oak notes and fruit as well as cut grass, light brine and warm bees wax. The aromas are very pleasant however one would be hard pressed to identify this as a Springbank. None the less it still good (so far). The more time it spends in the glass the more it opens up and changes with the spicy sweet oak notes coming to the fore. There is also an increase in the greenish notes and the late arrival of lemon. With water the aromas remain much the same however there is an increased sweetness as well as the arrival of damp leather. After some moments the sample calms down somewhat. The undiluted taste is warming, sweet, malty (think of warmed brown sugar and rolled oats) along with the lemon, malt and the leather. Quite delicious. With water it is much sweeter and not so aggressive but still very nice. In the later moments the Springbank characteristic finally pops up its head to look around (like a gopher). The finish is much like the taste and after some moments the leather and malt tussle however the oak swats both aside and wins in the end. The lemon is merely lurking in the background keep its head down out of the line of fire. It’s quite long and very active.

An excellent dram but in some regards it is not much like a Springbank but in other regards it is. Confusing but a good dram so what the hell, why worry.

C$86

Score 85 points

Double Barrel 8yo (46%, Douglas Laing, Macallan & Laphroaig, 2009)

A “Blended Malt Scotch Whisky” or what was once known as a vatted malt, the product of two (in this case) distilleries mixed together. Something unusual from Douglas Laing and bottled with no chill filtration and at 46% ABV, Laphroaig and Macallan together! The nose is citrusy and honeyed with a backing of peat and malt as well as some oaky spiciness. There is also a vanilla buttery quality that over a short while gives way to the peat smoke, brine and some more of the malt. It’s a pleasant collection of aromas that work well together. The taste is sweet, malty and peated but in a nice way, the peat is stronger than one would anticipate from the nose and is a bit of a shock but it’s not out of balance or over whelming,; it works. After a short while the malt comes from behind the peat and it’s honeyed. Very nice. The finish is herbaceous, of malted barley and the peat reek and this really does bring back memories of Islay whiskies. In this respect the immediate finish is more Islay than Speyside however. The peated finish is quite nice, one has to presume that the Macallan brings the malt to the party. After a few minutes the peat gives way to the malt. They take turns, how polite. A few minutes later there is some really deep coal smoke and creosote.

A nice dram and interesting to try. A bit of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but in a really nice way.

C$90

Score 81 Points

Kilchoman NAS (46%, OB, Autumn 2009 Release)

The second release from the smallest distillery on Islay; Kilchoman and as a bonus bottled at 46%, non chill filtered & natural color.  They seem to be doing everything correctly right out of the gate. The nose is firstly of creamy peat smoke, cocoa, a slight hint of a bonfire and a hint of iodine. The cocoa brings it all together and the over all effect is very nice. After a few minutes in the glass there are some vague maritime notes; more seashore than open ocean but nothing that would make you want to throw in some Coca-cola to cover things up. The taste is at first on the sweetish side but quickly turns to lemon sherbet peat smoke and cocoa and remains some what citrus in character along with the some dryness and the cocoa and the ever present peat smoke. Very, very rich. Also malt and toast. All in all very good. The finish is malty and peated and once again our old friend cocoa makes an appearance. The finish is vibrant and very flavorful and extremely loooong.  After a few minutes the finish is slightly bitter.

Another enjoyable dram from Kilchoman. Keep up the good work.

C$89

Score 84 points

Visit Kilchoman Distillery at http://www.kilchomandistillery.com/

Ardbeg 1998/2008 ‘Renaissance’ (55.9%, OB) Lot L8 121 02:35 4ML

From the bottle “Distilled 1998 – Final Release Bottle 2008” “This stunning ARDBEG, first released in 2004, now concludes the ‘Young Ardbeg Series’ where we have followed the ‘path to peaty maturity’. Available in limited quantities at 10 years old, it reflects the full spectrum of depth and complexity that makes ARDBEG…ARDBEG!”

(The line up, all distilled in 1998, Very Young bottled 2004, Still Young bottled 2006 and Almost There bottled in 2008).

Renaissance, one of the few bottling from this distillery that has an age statement, but wait! While it says 1998-2008 it actually does not have an age statement; true to the current distillery practice. The nose is very herbaceous and some what green at first followed by some quite sweet and honeyed peat smoke. The wood notes are fragrant (think of juniper or even a red cedar). There is also some slight hints of menthol and Dettol and some burnt twigs. Despite this odd collection of descriptors the sweetness and the peat smoke make a nice contribution which brings it together. With water the peat reek is very dominating and comes crashing out of the glass, it’s a dramatic change and will be welcomed by peat heads that crave extreme peat reek. Ominously there is an every so slight hint of soapiness hovering in the back ground. The taste undiluted is very pleasant and strong! There is lots of peat reek, sweetness, liquorice and it’s warming but not much else. With water the taste is much better with more character beyond the peat reek and sweetness. Now there are spicy oak notes, some citrus and even some unsweetened cocoa. The juniper and red cedar are still present and the herbaceous notes from the initial nosing have calmed down. The finish is quite big, mild damp ash followed by pleasant moments of sweetness and the peat reek and the lumber notes. Loads of peat that carries on forever along with a large dollop of bitterness. After a number of minutes the finish levels off and is quite pleasant.

“We’ve Arrived!”  The “Mission Accomplished!” statement of the whisky world one is forced to conclude.

£54.99 at the Whisky Exchange

78 Points