A multi cask bottling from the independent bottlers who are closely affiliated with Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, a limited edition bottled without the addition of coloring or chill filtration. The nose is light, fragrant and fruity with a back bone of wine notes that are quite sweet (honey and heather, light vanilla). Very clean and pleasant, some later arrival of malt. The taste is strong at first with banana, pear, oranges and sweet wine notes (think of a light sherry) followed by malt, oak,  rich dried tree fruits, in particular dried apples followed by a hint of peat smoke. Very delicious. The finish is a follow on of the fruit, malt & mild peat smoke, the whole effect carries on for some while. After a short while sweet malt becomes the predominate characteristic. Very nice. Well balanced without any off notes. A pleasure; Bourbon/Viognier, finishing that works.

Score 85 Points
http://www.murray-mcdavid.com/

The new ‘sharp shoulder’ bottle style from the famed Isle distillery Bowmore, 15 year old and finished in sherry casks. The nose is typical of Bowmore; peat smoke intermingled with rich fruits (raisins, dried plums & apricots) and hints of chocolate followed by a slight maritime aroma. The peat smoke is not over whelming. Some slight hints of burnt caramel. The taste is quite mild but warming and while there is sweet smoke it is also very earthy (think damp earth after a heavy rain). Copper, like tasting a penny when you were a child, coffee and chocolate. The finish is quite long and presents coffee & chocolate, some heather (a hint of perfume), oranges, malt and the earthy smokiness followed by very dry malt.

C$84 or £43

Score 88 Points

Available worldwide and at http://www.lfw.co.uk/

One of two in the series, the other being matured in Oloroso sherry wood. This bottling is limited to 6,000 bottles from full term maturation in sherry wood. Manzanilla is a bone dry style of fino sherry from the Atlantic port of Sanlucar de Barrameda and Manzanilla means ‘little apple’. The nose is fruity (raisins & apricots) and sherried with a background of butter and vanilla toffee. The taste is strong at first and sherried with huge sweetness & banana with a back ground that is slightly meaty & oaky. Hints of cold tea, pine resin & very dry. Oddly the sherry aspect is not the dominate characteristic. The finish is very long and quickly shows malt and a mildly waxy woodiness and then very dry with hints of Lapsang Souchong tea. A nice dram indeed.

Very interesting.

C$89

Score 83 points

http://www.bruichladdich.com/

Part of the Classic Malts Distillers Edition range from Diageo who own a large number of distilleries in Scotland (an around the world). This sample has been ‘double matured’ once in an unspecified wood for the bulk of maturation and then finished for a short period in ‘Old Muscat cask-wood’. The nose is quite delicate with warm brown sugar, antique cabinets (inside), orange, fruit cake, cocoa cola, and cold tea. Very pleasant however not a ‘big’ dram. Further wood aromas. The taste is quite woody and delicate, again not a big dram. One to savour. There is also light tobacco, leather and dried rich fruits (apricots, pears, raisins etcetera). The finish is once again delicate and rich. The finish does not swerve off in one direction, it’s a steady path featuring the characteristics previously described. Good balance between nose, taste and finish. The sweet cold tea returns and is quite pleasant. A slight hint of aspartame towards the very end.

£43 at The Whisky Exchange http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

and C$85 in Canada

Score 82 points

A bonus, a 5th tasting note from the series of Four Days of Tobermory.

A single cask bottling from Dewar Rattray, the independent bottler, without the addition of artificial colour or chill- filtration. Why can’t everybody do it this way?? The nose is very sweet, vanilla, oak, pear, mild oranges, oak, light butter and an ever so slight hint of peat smoke. There is also a very slight back round aroma that is meaty and a very slight hint of damp card board that fades in and out. Despite the high alcohol the sweetness continues to build with time. With water some green notes pop up; malt, freshly cut hay and the sample becomes very sweet. Very fragrant, but not perfumed, heather, juniper, mint? Also wood notes, quite spicy. The taste is sweet and very malty and quite strong, loads of brown sugar, vanilla, honey and dried fruits. A back ground taste of the damp card board. Also very strong. With water the sweetness jumps out along with gentle malt, honey, tobacco, stewed apricots and toffee. The finish is very malty and sweet and chewy. The green notes have vanished however the gentle peat smoke has returned. After a few minutes the finish turns quite dry and continues with dry chewy malt. Not a dull mouth feel. Vibrant.

Actually it’s a very tasty whisky. C$125

Score 86 Points

Visit Tobermory Distillery at http://www.tobermorymalt.com/

The 4th in the series of “The Four Days of Tobermory”

G&M Ledaig 18yo

Ledaig 18yo 1990/2008 (43%, G&M Connoisseurs Choice, Refill sherry)

This bottling was the Loch Fyne Whiskies bottling of the year for 2008;

This year was a more difficult decision. It was whittled down from either Ardmore OB or An Cnoc 16 to Ledaig CC 1990. All three are worthy of the accolade but the Ledaig wins on unusualness of taste and the unexpected suggestion. The better sell of the three, our customers are very happy with it.

This distillery is now named Tobermory but it was originally called Ledaig and now their peated out put is called Ledaig. The nose is a little stronger than anticipated for a 43% bottling; sharp, a slight bit of cheese and loads of lemon and sharp varnish aromas followed by oak and a wood workers shop but not in an over whelming sense. Sweet wine notes, very pleasant without any smoke. The taste is at first blush a little smokey which builds in the mouth, sweetness and citrus and more smoke with a back ground layer of oak. The flavour only improves with time and is quite complex with smoldering smokiness intertwined with sweet wine notes and then some slight bitterness in the back ground, like a good dark chocolate. Later oily development. The finish is very malty with the previous noted wine notes, the smoke dissipates quite rapidly and then it’s wave after wave of malt and a slight green tinge like asparagus however only a tinge; nothing to become alarmed about.

£29 (Somebody is having a laugh; an 18yo of this quality for this low price!)

Score 87 Points

Visit Tobermory Distillery at http://www.tobermorymalt.com/index.php

and Loch Fyne Whiskies at http://www.lfw.co.uk/

The third of four in Four Days of Tobermory.

The name of Whisky Galore is linked to the famous tale of how a group of Scottish islanders raided a shipwreck for its consignment of 24,000 cases of whisky. Whisky Galore is owned by Duncan Taylor, the independent bottler. Tobermory distillery is located on the Isle of Mull on the West coast of Scotland. The nose of green malt, cut grass, green peas, light solvent, varnish and some banana.  With water the nose opens somewhat and reveals malty white wine notes with some wood notes in the background. The taste is quite strong and warming with malt, barley and a slight hint of a rich cheese (although this later is not unpleasant) there is further white wine notes with a slight fizzy sweet background. With water there is a dramatic change with more malt and bourbon notes along with some oak and a slight pine or resin. The finish is quite long and is very malty with white wine layered in however there is no further evidence of the rich cheese notes.

C$90

Score 80 Points

http://www.thewhiskygalore.com http://www.tobermorymalt.com/index.php

Day Two of Four in the ‘Four Days of Tobermory’.

A multi cask bottling from the independent bottler Murray McDavid and without the addition of caramel for colouring or chill filtration. The nose is heathery and malty, buttery, sherried but still slight closed. A little hand warming reveals more sweetness and just the slightest hint of smoke plus some oak. Black tea (cold). The taste is sweet with a back ground of malt, chocolate, fruit and then further malt. Some heavier notes of cured tobacco before it has been lit. The finish is straight forward; fruit (berries, plump raisins, dried apricots) and chewy dry malt and cocoa. The ever slightest of palm oil at the very end of the finish.

Actually quite a pleasant dram.

C$70

Score 83 points

Visit Tobermory Distillery http://www.tobermorymalt.com/index.php

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

The first tasting note in four days of Tobermory Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The official bottling of Tobermory from the Isle of Mull in a dumpy green bottle with a white stenciled label. The nose …hmm slightly off track here; varnish, wax, damp canvas, acetone and wet dog. Fighting for attention are some sweet sherry notes intermingled with malt and marmalade but the damp canvas and wet dog are the dominate aromas. Oddly hand warming brings forth a pleasant sweet richness followed by warm white wine (think of the aroma of wine splashed into a cooking pot). With water there is immediate improvement revealing malt, summer fruit, oak and gentle pine resin; the off notes are very much muted. The taste is a surprise over the initial bad news on the nose, it’s warming and sweet with malt, marmalade, apricots and a slight hint of smoke (very faint) along with the resin.
The finish is quite long and unusual with a slightly bitter almond and coating mouth feel. Oily, resinous, varnish, oak and honey. Quite different. After a few minutes the malt is all that’s left.

This has actually improved quite a bit from what I remember of this single malt from a number of years ago. Some disconnect between the nose (which show some flaws) and the taste and finish. Most definitely needs water however lacks balance; like a three legged hippo (but fun to watch & all over the shop).

Score 75

£23 at https://www.lfw.co.uk/ 

Tobermory Distillery http://www.tobermorymalt.com/

Tobermory 10 Year Old Official Bottling

An independent bottling from the famed Elgin based company Gordon & MacPhail featuring the single malt scotch whisky of a mothballed distillery. The cask(s) were a refill sherry hogshead and bottled at 43%. The nose is both very green and positively reeks of banana skins and not a significant amount of anything else. After a few minutes it becomes sweeter with some sherry notes. With water there are some hints of cask and wet bung cloth, very light sherry and fruit. The taste is at first mildly buttery followed by a sweet meatiness and fruit; pear, apricot, raisins and muted banana. Quite pleasant. With water it’s much as described however the mouth feel is a little more subtle and it has lost the meatiness. The finish is a good mixture of malt and sweet sherry with a back bone of malt, oak and sweetness. Intriguingly a hint of smoke at the very tail end of the finish.

Overall a very nice dram.

Score 82 points.

http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/