Fettercairn 13yo (50%, Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask, Refill Hogs Head, C# 1327, 289 Bts., Distilled 03/91 Bottled 01/05)

An independent bottling of Fettercairn by Douglas Laing & Company under their Old Malt Cask label at 50%ABV, no chill filtration and no colouring. The undiluted nose is strong, mildly spicy (spicy wood notes) along with some cereals (barley and malt) and some sweetness. There is also the faintest hint of some pungent aromas hovering in the back ground along with some green notes; green peas. The diluted nose is much sweeter; honey and orange along with some faint warm bees wax. The undiluted taste is warming with a really solid sweet taste followed some malt and then some chocolate and a hint of the honey once again. It’s quite nice. The undiluted taste is cu gentler and very sweet along with the malt and the chocolate. There are also faint hints of leather and cured but not lit tobacco but these are secondary notes and not unpleasant or over whelming. The finish is mildly malty and sweet quickly followed by the spicy oak notes, the green peas and the hint of orange. It’s quite long and very good, the malt wins through in the end, along with the sweetness.

Happily there are no off notes and a dramatic departure from some of the older and younger official bottlings.

US$82 at Binny’s

Score 87 Points

Visit Douglas Laing at http://www.douglaslaing.com/

Glenallachie 11yo 1989/2001 (61.7%, Cadenhead’s, Bourbon HHD, 312 Bts.)

Another independent bottling however this time from the respected company of William Cadenhead of Campbeltown, Argyll and part of the same company that owns Springbank distillery and Glengyle Distillery. A nice dark golden hue and thick fat slow legs, the nose is quite strong, loads of alcohol, some sweetness and hints of spicy oak, after a short while in the glass some vey good vanilla, cocoa and bourbon notes come to the fore. With more and more time in the glass these only increase and these notes are very pleasant. So far so good. Diluted the aromas expand significantly to reveal fruit and then there’s a dash back to the undiluted nose of cocoa, fruit (tinned fruit salad in syrup) along with the spicy oak notes and hints of green malt. The undiluted nose is more fragrant and sweet and the diluted is more oaky and syrupy.  The taste undiluted is strong with bees wax, sweet syrup, mild tobacco, hints of malt and chocolate, lychee, light Hessian and finally some oaky spiciness. Delicious. Diluted it’s much mellower and sweet with mild oak notes and then the fruit and vanilla, the oak pops up a little at the end and it is still delicious. The finish is sweet at first followed by some vanilla and oak followed by the dry malt and then some sweet dessert wine and oak and spice. A brilliant blending of the spicy oak, fruit and vanilla. The finish is very long…..and very good.

What a grand dram. Find a bottle if you can! This is really good whisky.

Score 88 Points

US$80 at Binny’s

Classic of Islay 21yo (46%, Vintage Malt Whisky Company)

From the Vintage Malt Whisky Company comes the ‘Classic of Islay’ 21yyear old at 46% and no further information. The nose is at first vegetable, green and slightly malty, this is soon over taken by sweetness and some very light peat reek, hints of banana followed by toffee. After some time in the glass it settles down and honey and the gentle peat reek are apparent. The taste is smooth and honeyed followed by some light chocolate malt and the gentle peat reek. The peat reek continues to grow and is then intermingled with dry malt, the chocolate and some vanilla followed by even more chocolate vanilla peat reek. Delicious. The finish is warming and smooth with an excellent dry bitter chocolate moment and the ever present gentle peat reek. The finish goes along for quite a while and it is quite excellent and in the final moments is of the dry chocolate malt. After some further time there is also butter popcorn and some really good malt, like chewing on some straight from the kiln.

Stunning stuff despite the distillery of origin being a mystery; Kildalton coast of Islay if one had to guess.

Score 88

$80 at Binny’s Chicago

http://www.vintagemaltwhisky.com/

Bruichladdich 19yo 1989/2009 (51.1%, ‘Black Art’, 6000 Bts.)

In a black bottle which bears a striking resemblance to the famed Bruichladdich Blacker Still and once the first dram is poured the resemblance comes to a shocking end; the colour is bright reddish pink. Quite unlike most scotch whiskies or any whiskies in fact. Anybody who can speak about whisky, these days it seems, is always banging on that colour isn’t important. Time to change your tune and stare at the shocking reddish pink and have a little think about how this happened. The fact sheets talk about bourbon barrels used for maturation but then gooe silent on the subject. Black Art indeed. The nose is at first a little closed but reveals some good malt, brown sugar sweetness, strawberry jam and some fruity sweetness. After a few minutes in the glass the nose changes to reveal some Balsamic vinegar however this is pleasant and does not detract. There is also some spicy wood notes. With water the nose opens to reveal more malt, the various fruit and some brine? The undiluted taste is somewhat different from the nose; warming, some fruit at first and then some mild grapefruit and then in the later stages some more wood notes and malt. An odd collection of flavours to say the least and all in all very unusual but malty. The diluted taste is certainly more drinkable and is somewhat more in the vein of a ‘normal’ whisky (which one suspects was NOT the goal here) with more fruit and dry oaky wood notes. The finish is malty at first followed by some quick flash of fruit and then the spicy oaky wood notes which becomes quite dry rather quickly. The malt seems to grow as does the fruit however the malt is the stronger of the two.

Huh. What a curious whisky; it seems to work however and is quite tasty and after a few minutes it does remind of a good quality Highlander and quite malty.

C$135

Score 84 Points

http://www.bruichladdich.com/

Allt A’Bhainne 15yo 1992 (46%, MMcD, Bourbon, 350 Bts., +/-2007)

An independent bottling of a Speyside single malt that was matured in Bourbon barrels and unusually for a Speyside single malt it was bottled on Islay at Bruichladdich distillery. The nose is mildly pungent and sweet at the same time, with banana and mildly vegetative, followed by an aroma that has not been encountered in a long time; bubble gum. After some nosing is it ascertained that water is needed, this brings out some pleasant malty notes and a meaty back ground along with some heather and brown sugar. The taste is slightly unremarkable at first but good followed by a brief period of Bovril followed by some good malt that the Bovril soon banishes. There are also some wood notes (varnish, spice and burnt cake) and a mild soapiness. Curious. The finish is at first of hard boiled eggs just out of the shell followed by some struggling malt and tobacco (raw, before it is smoked) and some sourness. The finish is quite long and mildly industrial along with the soapiness.

Different and saved by the malt.

C$115

Score 77

http://www.murray-mcdavid.com/

Port Ellen 23yo 1982/2005 (46%, Douglas Laing Provenance, C#1754, Sherry, D04/’84 B05/’05)

An independent bottling of Port Ellen by Douglas Laing Provenance matured in sherry casks and bottled at their preferred strength of 46%. The nose if of brown sugar, Demerara and heather, brine, peat reek; at the very last a hint of bandages (the cotton rolled ones, not the sticky plasters) as one sometimes encounter in Laphroaig. This s very nice so far. The taste is again sweet and peaty, not overly so but just enough, there is also some slight sourness like sour Skittles backed by some good sherry. There is also some chocolaty oak and the most ever slight hint of mustiness that floats in and out. The finish is at first quite musty and vegetal that turns to pungent and is mildly unpleasant which then changes to the chocolaty oak and some diesel. There is also some damp hessian and then for the first time some malt pops up. Some definite unhappiness in the first moments of the finish; bits of good and bits that make one go hhmmm. After a few minutes there is some really good malt and the finish has become quite malty and very dry.

Score 83

C$225

Visit Douglas Laing at http://www.douglaslaing.com/

Port Ellen 25yo 1982/2007 (57%, Signatory CS, refill sherry butt, C#2847, 417 Bts.,D11/’82 B12/’07)

A cask strength single cask bottling of Port Ellen distilled in 1982 and bottled in 2007 at 57% and from a refill butt. A heavy bottle and tin too. The nose is peat reek; burnt toast, deep, deep coal smoke, light roofing tar and slightly pungent; Bovril. There is also some sweetness, huge black pepper and fruit however it is still very much of peat reek. A few drops of water only increases the peat reek and brings out an oiliness along with a fragrant leaf mould. This last bit is slightly distracting but after a minute or two it settles down. The undiluted taste is again of the burnt toast and lashings of peat and coal smoke along with a sudden stab of clean red cedar. A peat monster to be sure and strong. With water the taste is somewhat milder but still very peat reek; there seems to be a theme here. Again the red cedar makes an appearance along with some very light lavender and a tiny hint of curry. The finish is at first sweet and then the peat reek smashes its way into the room and then eases off and becomes smoked dry oak and oddly some peanut butter. The diluted sample is simply sweeter and fruiter but is still very peat smoke-ish. Once again the very light floral notes arrives at the very end.

A grand Port Ellen.

C$250

90 Points

Whyte & MacKay 30yo (40%, OB, +/- 2009)

The Best Blended Whisky at the International Spirit’s Challenge 2009 and on the 26th of November it will also be receiving the William Grant Independence Trophy for Best Blended Scotch Whisky. Let’s see what all the fuss is about (splendid packaging too!). The nose is at first quite closed but after a minute is opens up very nicely with dark dried fruit (think of raisins, prunes and black currents), some further sweetness, oaky dry notes, leather and Christmas cake. After a few minutes is evolves some more revealing cocoa and coffee. A nose of an aged single malt interestingly. The taste quite gentle at first and very earthy, think of a damp earth floor followed by some sweetness wonderfully intermingled with the leather, warm brown sugar and dry oakiness. There is also some of the Christmas cake along with some brown sugar and some slight hints of malt. What a lovely taste. After a short while some bitter chocolate arrives and it’s still quite lovely. The finish is warming, long and goes from sweet to dry to tobacco and back to dry along with the dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa. Some new information; the finish is actually exceedingly long and is superb.

Two Awards? If Whisky Intelligence gave Awards this whisky would earn a third.

C$275

Score 91 Points

http://www.whyteandmackay.co.uk/

Auchroisk 15yo 1992/2007 (46%, MMcD, Bourbon/Syrah, 2050 Bts.)

An independent bottling of a Speyside single malt that was first matured in Bourbon barrels and then finished in Guigal Cotes Rotie Syrah casks for an undetermined amount of time which one has to presume is the explanation for the deep red colouring. And unusually for a Speyside single malt it was bottled on Islay at Bruichladdich distillery. The nose is both meaty (think of Marmite) and floral (think of heather, mint) along with a good back bone of sweetness along with some vanilla. There is a very slight hint of mustiness hovering, wraith like, in the distant back ground. After a few minutes mushed peas pop up, unexpectedly. The taste is dry, and mildly sour at first but quickly opens up with a wonderful sweetness backed by Marmite and black pepper. After a short while the taste becomes creamy and slightly reminiscent of roses, coconut and the very slightest hint of a wet dog sneaking into the room. Bananas pop up briefly along with candied banana.  The finish is malty, mouth smacking and a revisit of the wet dog and the Marmite. After a number of minutes it becomes quite dry and malty after the wine influence has dropped off. Spicy also and after a few minutes there is loads of black pepper and a faint mustiness.

Despite the collection of odd descriptors it’s actually good.

C$115

Score 79 Points

Visit Murray McDavid at http://www.murray-mcdavid.com/

example of bottle & box

A single grain scotch whisky aged 42 years in oak casks and bottled on Islay by Bruichladdich and selected by Jim McEwan. A nice clean nose that at first is very much like a high quality Canadian rye whisky.  Further investigation reveals clean grains, herbs and fruit along with heather, gentle pot-pouri and further grain. The taste is very sweet and quite simply delicious and is backed up by some really brilliant oak and vanilla. This is simply stunning. This is also like some samples of Canadian whisky from the late 1950’s. The similarities between Scottish grain and Canadian rye whisky is both eerie and wondrous. The later stages of the taste bring forth more sweet grain and bitter chocolate and more oak; magic. The finish charges off to being oaky dry with the sweetness chasing along just behind. It is very long and straight like a rail; it never waivers from the sweetness and the oak.

Brilliant.

C$450

Score 93 Points

http://www.bruichladdich.com/celticheartland.htm