Tag: toronto

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.

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.

Benrinnes 13 Year Old 1998 (Cask: 6868) A.D. Rattray Cask Collection

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Region: Speyside
ABV: 56.8%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask type: Sherry Butt

One of 270 Bottles

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Amber

Nose: Raisins, prunes, dried dates, vanilla, pine, oak, hint of nutmeg.

Palate: A bit hot on the palate. Strawberry, cherry syrup, red fruit jam sweetness, touch of minty coolness, dark chocolate, oak, pepper, ginger, oak.

Finish: Long lingering finish, pepper, ginger, oak, mineral.

Score: 88/100

Very surprising for a 13 year old, certainly got some heat on the palate. Surprising amount of oak influence, I am almost certain it was a PX Sherry cask due to how syrupy it was on the nose. Rather complex on the palate at the same time a bit dry, getting spicy towards the end. Overall a very good cask, and very reasonably priced.

Macallan 15 1992 Murray McDavid

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Macallan 15 1992 Murray McDavid

Bottled for Chateau Louis in Edmonton, AB, Canada

Region: Speyside
ABV: 46%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Refill Sherry

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Gold

Nose: Touch of pungent ethanol, cocoa, orange peel, baking spice, ginger, icing sugar, apple, light strawberry note.

Palate: Malt, oak , touch of caramel, cocoa powder, ginger, pepper, mineral.

Finish: Long, lingering malt, oak, and pepper.

Score: 77/100

Overall kind of disappointed, perhaps the refill sherry cask isn’t doing the justice, was hoping for a slightly bumped up Macallan 12 with extra proof and un-chill-filtered. The nose is a bit pungent for 46%, not too bad got some basic sherry notes. The palate is rather simple, more malty and oaky than sherry.

Whisky Review – anCnoc Flaughter

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anCnoc Flaughter [Link]

Region: Highland

ABV: 46%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Pale Straw

Nose: Peat, Smoke, Fruits, Pear, Apple, hints of sweetness.

Palate: Peat, Malt, Oaky, Pear, Decent thickness in the mouth, a bit like a candy, no alcohol burn.

Finish: Peat, Smoky on the exhale, lingers on for some time along with the pear.

Score: 83/100

After doing some research on Reddit and asking for people’s opinion, I landed on this slightly peated dram as my gateway to peat. Peated to only 14.8ppm, initially peat and smoke on the nose, then kicks in the pear notes. I love the fruity pear notes in this whisky along with the peat and smoke, it strikes a really good balance along with a nice long finish. Apparently they used the flaughter to remove the top layer of the peat so it’s not earthy and medicinal. This is excellent for people like me who are used to Speyside and Highland whisky, the peat adds a nice depth to this not overly complex whisky. Looking forward to other anCnoc whiskies, and the world of peat ahead of me.