Writers Tears

Region: Ireland

ABV: 40%

E150: Yes

Chill-filtered: Yes

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Green apples, pears, citrus, sweet perfumy floral notes, vanilla, sweet malt, honey, spice.
Really sweet and fruity nose, don’t detect much ethanol.

Palate: Really easy going on the palate, more green apples and pear notes, vanilla, light hint of oak, pepper.
Not much complexity on the palate, but it’s really easy going, no alcohol burn at all, everything you expected from the nose.

Finish: Medium length, citrus, tingling spicy finish, very end touch of meaty/metallic note.
Again, not impactful, easy going on the finish. Nice touch of spice kicks in, good for introduction to whiskey.

Score: 78/100

Entry level Irish whiskey, very good for beginner, well balanced overall. Falls short on the palate due to the watery 40% ABV, want to get my hands on the cask strength sometime in the future.

Bladnoch 12 Year Old 1987 Gordon & MacPhail

Region: Lowland

ABV: 58.7%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Straw

Nose: Honey, floral, grassy, caramel, citrus, hint of oak.
Very basic lowland notes, not the sweet fruity whisky I was expecting, rather well balanced with a nice grassy note that adds a bit of character.

Palate: Malt, roasted barley, brown sugar, touch of mineral water, caramel, light fruits, toffee.
Interesting roasted barley-type note detected, pleasant surprise, nice caramel sweetness, not much fruit going on but it’s there.

Finish: Medium+ length, oak tannins, pepper, malt, ginger, and a touch of mineral water.
A bit dry on the finish, and spicy.

Score: 82/100

Rather interesting dram, had some interesting notes going for it, nothing bold, and not complex. Being CS probably helped a lot here, can imagine this being really bland if it’s watered down to 43-46%.

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Clynelish 21 Year Old 1983 Dun Bheagan

Region: Highland

ABV: 56.9%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Light Straw

Nose: Smoke, candle wax, ash, honey, lemon.
Interesting touch of smoke on the nose, but rather simple.

Palate: Sugar, malt, liquorice, malt, citrus, oak.
Very distinctive sugary note, sweet, but yet again, not too complex.

Finish: Medium length, pepper, oak, smoke, earthy.
Some earthiness came out in the finish, and the smoke reappeared again.

Score: 80/100

Haven’t had too many Clynelish before, the smoke is a nice touch, but then there aren’t too much going on for it. The sugar note is very pronounced on the palate, was hoping for a more complex Clynleish, but this one is on the simple side.

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Mortlach 12 Year Old 1989 Murray McDavid

Region: Speyside

ABV: 46%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Amber

Nose: Raisins, sherry, vinegar, mild pool water, honey, apple, brine.
Something smells off on the nose, maybe the glass isn’t clean?

Palate: Mineral, some sort of funk, damped oak, barn yard-like, sugar, chocolate, spices.

Finish: Long finish, mineral, funk.

Score: 76/100

Feels like something is off, maybe the glass isn’t clean, or the whisky is off.

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Scapa 10 Year Old Signatory

Region: Island

ABV: 43%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Light Straw

Nose: Malt, floral, green apples, grape, touch of brine, light caramel, lemon candy.
Sweet and fruity nose, with nice touch of floral aspect, much better than the 2 Scapa I have come across (Skiren and 16).

Palate: Milk chocolate, malt, light fruits, vanilla.
Rather simple notes on the palate, kind of remind me of a cake.

Finish: Medium finish, syrup, malt, lemon candy, pepper.
Syrupy finish with a touch of peppery note. Rather nice.

Score: 81/100

Definitely better than the OB Scapa from my previous experience, I wish to try more IB Scapa and in cask strength to see what they’ve got.

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Longrow 10

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 46%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Straw
Nose: Surprisingly light on the peat, sweet malt, sugar, spice, chocolate, candied cherry, vanilla, citrus.
I was told this was peated to 55ppm, Ardbeg level, but the nose doesn’t suggest that.

Palate: Candied cherry, salt, pepper, light peat, apple, citrus, caramel, touch of red fruits.
Again, expecting lots of smoke (coming from only having Longrow RED Australian Shiraz before), this is nothing like that on the peat front. Rather delightful.

Finish: Medium-long finish, metallic, peat, earthy funk, touch of sweetness.

Score: 82/100

Had a lot of expectation from Longrow having only tried their Red series. This is rather mild on the peat, well balanced on the fruit and sweetness. Quite enjoyable. However, I do prefer the Springbank 10.

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Caol Ila 11 Year Old 1984 Signatory

Region: Islay

ABV: 43%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Light Straw

Nose: Initially loads and loads of vanilla, lots of brine, light ashy peat, apple, citrus.
WOW! The wave after wave of vanilla caught me off guard! Unlike the Caol Ila CS, I didn’t get much of that smoked meat note from it, perhaps it’s all covered under the vanilla.

Palate: Ashy peat, tangerines, oak, mineral, malt.
Rather simple on the palate, much like the nose, perhaps the 43% killed it.

Finish: Medium finish, light peat, ash.

Score: 82/100

Wish it had more going on, the CS Caol Ila I’ve had before kinda ruined it for me.

Mortlach Distillery is nicknamed “The Beast of Dufftown”, let’s see what they’ve got.

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Mortlach Rare Old

 

Region: Speyside

ABV: 43.4%

E150: Yes

Chill-filtered: Yes

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Gold-Amber

Nose: Honey, apple, pear, toffee, malt, melons, touch of spice. Very nice and sweet nose.

Palate: Apples, honey, malt, pepper, cinnamon, oranges, vegetal note, mineral water, touch of smoke. Not sure where the smoke came from, fairly sure this is unpeated.

Finish: Short finish, mineral, oak spice, pepper, touch of bitterness.

Score: 77/100

Started off with a somewhat promising sweet nose of a typical speyside, the palate and finish was a letdown.

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SMWS 76.94 – Totally Flavoursome
Mortlach 26 Year Old 1986

Region: Speyside

ABV:59.4%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Cask Type: Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead

 

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Gold

Nose: Lots of oak up front, vanilla, floral perfume, honey, acetone, tobacco, orange lollipop, malt, faint hint of leather note.

Palate: Oranges followed by huge wave of malt, ginger, pepper, oak, citrus, dough, more orange notes, light fruits, peach, hint of coffee.

Finish: Lingering spicy finish, ginger, pepper, chili pepper, oak.

Score: 90/100

While the Rare Old is no good, the SMWS 76.94 is completely different beast. Loaded with spices, lots of oak influence, and quite a lot of malt on the palate. Bold flavours throughout, very complex on the plate, and a pleasant spicy finish.

Amrut 4-Way Review – Intermediate Sherry, Single Cask PX for SAQ, Spectrum, Single Cask Virgin Oak.

A bit of a rush review, trying to get this out before 2016 ends!

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Amrut Intermediate Sherry

“The spirit for Intermediate Sherry Matured starts life in a mix of ex-bourbon and virgin oak casks. It is then transferred to sherry casks for a period before going back into bourbon casks to complete its maturation.”

Region: India

ABV: 50%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Gold

Nose: Typical sherry nose, not too intense, with sharp ethanol. Malt, oak, honey, orange peel, sweet red berries, sherry spice, touch of vanilla and light fruits notes.

Palate: Amrut malt, oak, cinnamon, pepper, minty/herbal-ish spice, ginger, red berries, touch of vanilla and light fruits.

Finish: Medium-long finish, malt, oak, red fruits, pepper, warming spices.

Score: 85/100

Quite decent, also quite young, I think the bourbon cask notes gives me the sense of youthfulness. Some interesting notes on the palate, rather “tamed” for a CS Amrut.

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Amrut Spectrum

“A first in the world of whisky, aged initially for three years in bourbon barrels, Amrut Spectrum was finished for a further three-and-a-half years in a unique cask. Made with staves from a combination of five different types of wood: new oak from America, France and Spain, along with ex-oloroso- and ex-Pedro-Ximenez sherry.”

Region: India

ABV: 50%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Amber

Nose: Very pleasant nose, lots of sweet red fruits, dried plums, cherries, raisins, strawberries! Red fruit festival! Accompanied by chocolate, molasses, touch of caramel and oak. Touch of herbal/metallic note, very light.

Palate: Stewed red fruits, herbal note, oak, some tropical fruits, apples too. Leather, nutmeg, cacao, cinnamon, and some nutty notes.
Spicy on the entry and near the finish, lots of red fruits and some tropical fruits kicked in, perhaps the “blended barrel” is working it’s magic! Getting the sweetness of PX and the spiciness of Oloroso sherry cask!

Finish: Long finish, lingering spices, chocolate, touch of bitter oak, pepper, and caramel sweetness.

Score: 91/100

Running low on time! Very complex dram! Very well defined and layered, more and more notes comes out as you go, it’s like a classical music piece!

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Amrut Single Cask #3516 PX for SAQ Bottle 030/090

Bottled for SAQ, in Quebec, Canada.

Region: India

ABV: 62.8%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Cask Type: PX-Sherry

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Gold-0.5

Nose: Pleasant sherry bomb nose, stewed red fruits, oak, touch of caramel, orange peel, sherry spice, tobacco.

Palate: More of the stewed red fruits, malt, along with raisings, dried dates, vanilla, pepper, oak, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a touch of herbal note.

Finish: Lingering finish, cinnamon, pepper, touch of bitter oak, red fruits, cacao.

Score: 88/100

Very well balanced dram, lots going on, running low on time, gets some nice sweetness from the PX along with good amount of spiciness to balance it out. Touch of bitterness in the very end, didn’t bother me much.

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Amrut Peated Single Cask #891 Virgin Oak for KWM – 1 of 96 Bottles

Bottled for Kensington Wine Market in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Region: India

ABV: 60%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Strong caramel, vanilla, oak; Along with sweet berries and oak spice.
Very powerful nose, aged for over 6 years in virgin oak, not so much in terms of complexity but the notes are bold.

Palate: Dry, strong oak on the plate, pepper, caramel, bitter oak, malt, tannic, pepper.
Lots and lots of oak influence, dry and tannic on the palate, sucks the water out of your mouth.

Finish: Long finish, lingering malt and oak spice.

Score: 87/100

Really powerful and bold, would’ve been a 90 if it wasn’t so dry and the strong bitter oak didn’t kick it. But it was to be expected for aging in such a hot climate for 6+ years.

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Spectrum > SC PX > Virgin Butt > Intermediate Sherry

 

Four Roses Single Barrel OESF selected by Tippins Market in Ann Arbor, MI.

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Region: Kentucky, Warehouse No. JE, Barrel No. 31-4N

Mashbill: 75% Corn/20% Rye/5% Malted Barley

ABV: 60.5%

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: A tiny bit of sharp ethanol, vanilla, oak, caramel, Christmas mint candy, brown sugar.
Everything is well balanced, wouldn’t have guessed the 60.5% ABV from the nose, nothing overpowering on the nose, rather tamed, would’ve expected a more intense nose.

Palate: Really different from the regular FR Single Barrel, mint candy, caramel, slightly dry on the palate, touch of pepper, touch of oak, dark chocolate.
I was expecting some sort of oak bomb, but I was greeted by a very well-constructed flavour profile.

Finish: Medium-long finish, pepper, earthy, oak, minty sugar, touch of bitter oak at the very end.
Rather nice finish, the bitter oak wasn’t in a bad way, rounds things off nicely.

Score: 87/100

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A rather surprising dram, coming from single malt whisky, I find the regular Four Roses Single Barrel (45%) to be okay at best, but this is a completely different beast! It is well balanced, the flavour is very pleasant, and I get the surprise of finding the minty notes! Most of the bourbon I’ve tried are rather “generic” in terms of nose and flavour, but this stands out from the crowd.