Tag: LCBO

Bowmore Vault Edition First Release – Atlantic Sea Salt

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Bowmore Vault Edition First Release – Atlantic Sea Salt

“The Vault Editions from Bowmore is a four-part series of whiskies that highlight one characteristic of the distillery’s style. The first release is named Atlantic Sea Salt and focuses on Bowmore’s maritime style, while displaying its classic smoky and fruity nature.”

Region: Islay
ABV: 51.5%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

Colour: Straw

Nose: Vanilla, cherry, cotton candy, earthy peat, wood smoke, brine, tissue paper, crystallised honey, hint of citrus peel.

Palate: Vanilla, cherry, apple, pear, sweet malt biscuit, salt, earthy.

Finish: Medium+ finish, sweet peat, salted caramel.

Score: 85/100

 

Bowmore apparently is discontinuing (or already discontinued?) their age-stated Tempest and Laimrig release. This is their follow up, not as salty as the name would suggest but rather well balanced, with nice complexity and very oily and smooth on the palate. On the sweet side, with loads of vanilla and fruits, can tell lots of first-fill bourbon cask used here. Rather pleasant, but I prefer the Laimrig 15 over this.

Tomatin 1990 25 Year Old Single Cask (2496) for LCBO

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Tomatin 1990 25 Year Old Single Cask (2496)

Bottle for the LCBO here in Ontario, Canada.

 

Region: Highland
ABV: 51.4%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask No.: 2496
Cask Type: “Full maturation in traditional oak hogshead” Assuming Bourbon.
Distilled 14th February, 1990, Bottled 07th March 2016.

 

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Wax, honey, peach, cereal, citrus, malt, black tea.

Palate: Oak, malt, melon, cereal, mineral.

Finish: Medium finish, oaky.

Score: 79/100

 

Nothing much to write home about, not much complexity, probably a refill cask. At $600CAD a bottle, I feel sorry for those who bought a bottle. Price doesn’t affect my scoring but damn this was boring.

Glendronach 1995 18 Year Old Tawny Port Pipe (Cask 5959)

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Glendronach 1995 18 Year Old Tawny Port Pipe (Cask 5959)

 

Region: Highland
ABV: 53.6%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Number: 5959
Cask Type: Tawny Port Pipe

 

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Sharp burst of ethanol, which died down after an hour. Strawberry, cantaloupe, pepper, caramel, ginger, roasted peanuts, lemon candy, hint of floral note.

Palate: Strawberry gum, ginger, pepper, sweet malt, orange peel, mineral.

Finish: Medium finish, mineral/metallic, cherry cough syrup, ginger.

Score: 85/100

 

Rather interesting dram, the nose was really filled with pungent ethanol at first, after it opened up, revealed a nice mix of fruit and spice, the strawberry note reminds me of the Tomatin 14 Portwood. On the palate it stays true to the nose, but towards the finish it revealed more spice and oddly some mineral notes, which threw off the balance. Overall I am glad to try this dram, very good experience!

Auchentoshan 1999 17 Year Old Cadenhead

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Auchentoshan 1999 17 Year Old Cadenhead

 

Region: Lowland
ABV: 55.5%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Bourbon Hogshead

 

Colour: Straw

Nose: Biscotti, grass, almond chocolate, oily, citrus, toasted oak, faint steamed garlic.

Palate: Oily, honey, vanilla, stone fruits, grass, metallic, nuts, mineral.

Finish: Medium+ finish, rubber, mineral, pepper, oak.

Score: 86/100

Rather interesting experience, completely different from the OB I’ve experienced. Loads of nutty and grassy notes, less fruity than expected. Solid but not my style. Very glad to have tried this.

Teeling Single Malt

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Teeling Single Malt

 

Region: Ireland
ABV: 46%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Light gold

Nose: Icing sugar, green apple, honey, vanilla, light citrus, floral, yeast.

Palate: Honey, ethanol, vanilla, ripe banana, apple skin, malt, white pepper.

Finish:Long finish, malt, oak, white pepper, mineral water.

Score: 79/100

I bought this bottle after reading it contains some 23 year old malt, and they finish the whiskies in 5 different casks (Sherry, Port, Maderia, White Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon). Was disappointed on how little wine influence is present, since this isn’t very complex. Rather simple dram, light fruits and sweet vanilla malt. The finish kinda killed it with the mineral note, WHERE DID THE FRUIT GO?

Longrow Peated

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Longrow Peated

 

Region: Campbeltown
ABV: 46%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Straw

Nose: Apple, cream corn, citrus, buttery peat, sweet oily malt, grass, green sapling.

Palate: Brine, honey, peat, grape, apple.

Finish: Long finish, brine, smoke.

Score: 80/100

Having tried the Longrow 10, this was quite disappointing, rather basic and simple, would vouch for the Bunnahabhain Ceobanach for the same price.

Glendronach Peated

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Glendronach Peated

Region: Highland
ABV: 46%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

Colour: Pale straw

Nose: Sweet corn, raisins, citrus, vanilla, sweet peat, rubber, vegetal.

Palate: Wood smoke, cream corn, butter, faint sherry, pepper.

Finish: Medium+ finish, butter, mild peat.

Score: 81/100

Interesting offering from Glendronach, I was told prior to 2002, all Glendronach were lightly peated due to their method of drying the barley.

BenRiach 10 Unpeated

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BenRiach 10 Unpeated

 

Region: Speyside
ABV: 43%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Grape candy, apple, orange, grapefruit, honey, vanilla, milk chocolate.

Palate: Red apple skin, honey, tree sapling, malt, citrus.

Finish: Medium- finish, sweet malt, apple.

Score: 76/100

Quite decent entry level malt from BenRiach, very fruity, but rather simple. Great dram for summer time.

Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 55, 57 Comparison Review

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Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 55, 57 Comparison Review

Batch 55

Region: Speyside
ABV: 60.9%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Old Gold

Nose: Vanilla, chocolate, perfume, dried fruits, cinnamon, Christmas cake, raisins, orange peel, nuts.

Palate: Malt, honey, chocolate powder, oak, orange peel, candied apple, cinnamon, ginger.

Finish: Long finish, oak, cinnamon, clove, salt, pepper.

Score: 88/100

Dropped by a point from last time I reviewed side by side with the batch 53, as my experience of whisky have gone up.

Batch 57

Region: Speyside
ABV: 60.7%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Old gold, but a shade lighter than 55.

Nose: Raisins, cinnamon, ginger, menthol, touch of mineral water, oily chocolate, orange zests, damp oak.

Palate: Clove, cinnamon, ginger, nuts, oak, damp tobacco, chocolate, orange peel.

Finish: Long finish, malt, oily oak, more baking spice.

Score: 86/100

The 55 and 57 are quite different, and 55 still remains my favourite in the 52-57 range. While the 55 and 57 are both very rounded, the 55 appears to have more sherry influence, and more of that dried fruit and chocolate character that I prefer, the 57 seems to be on the earthy, mineral side, while having a dialed down sherry bombness. Interestingly the 57 also a shade lighter than the 55, could this be a batch of younger malts?

Aultmore 22 Year Old (SMWS 73.69 – Dark Side Eclipsed by Sweet Joys)

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Aultmore 22 Year Old (SMWS 73.69 – Dark Side Eclipsed by Sweet Joys)

I was suggested to review before looking up the distillery code and cask info, which is what I would be doing below!

[The info will be filled up after my tasting notes]

Region: Speyside
ABV: 52.9%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

Colour: Light gold

Nose: Right off the bat, sherry cask! Strawberry jam, orange peel, red cherry, raisin, toffee, glazed roast duck (is this the roast duck dram? That I’ve read about?), cocoa powder, oak, baking spice.

Palate: Strawberry jam, sweet malt, cereal, nuts, espresso, ginger, cola.

Finish: Long and spicy, ginger, pepper, oak tannins, mineral water.

Score: 87/100

My guess: 18-20 Year old, refill sherry cask, Speyside/Highland malt?
After looking up: Aultmore 22Y, 52.9%, Refill sherry butt.