Tag: toronto whisky society

Whisky Review – Compass Box Enlightenment

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Compass Box Enlightenment

Region: Speyside & Highland
ABV: 46%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type:
– 48.2% Clynelish (First Fill American standard barrel)

– 36.7% Glentauchers (First Fill American standard barrel)

– 10.8% Balblair (First Fill American standard barrel)

– 4.3% Mortlach (Rejuvenated American standard barrel)

 

Colour: Straw

Nose: Pineapple, green apple, mango, banana, caramel, vanilla, citrus

Palate: Vanilla, pineapple, ginger, grassy, peach, almond bitterness, icing sugar

Finish: Medium+, wood, topical fruit

Score: 83/100

A rather nice blend of malt from Compass Box. Tropical fruits and caramel to greet the nose, with a nice balance of vanilla and citrus undertone. The palate also carries over the tropical fruit, but introduced some grassiness, and bitter almond notes. Followed by a woody, fruity finish. This would work perfectly well as a summer dram. Great deal of fruit and decent complexity.

 

Whisky Review – Craigellachie 23

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Craigellachie 23

 

Region: Speyside
ABV: 46%
E150: Yes
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: N/A

 

Colour: Gold

Nose: Dried Fruits, melon candy, malt biscuit, mineral water, peach, honey, leather

Palate: Melon, malt, strawberry, vegetal, almond, lemon peel

Finish: Medium finish, citrus, mineral, baking spice

Score: 82/100

Was poured extra afterwards for a better review experience. I would call this a very inoffensive, fruit and malt centric single malt. Nice weave of stone fruits and tropical fruits, honey on the nose. The palate kicks in with a nice sweet wave of fruit, with touch of grassy vegetal notes, not much complexity. Touch of spicy heat towards the end. I would’ve thought it was a much younger malt at around 15 year mark. Given the current price, definitely a no-go for me.

Whisky Review – Benromach 10 100 Proof

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Benromach 10 100 Proof

-Tasted Blind

Region: Speyside
ABV: 57%
E150: Yes
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: N/A

 

Colour: Gold

Nose: Malty, dired apricot, raw walnut, hints of red fruits, lemon peel, floral, touch of caramel

Palate: Heat, pepper, stewed red fruits, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, mineral

Finish: Long finish, cherry syrup, pepper, mineral water

Score: 85/100

Guess: 10-12 year old, cask strength 55-60% ABV Sherry cask Speyside. My guess was pretty close, just can’t nail down a distillery. Solid complexity, and much better than Benromach 10, nice blend of nuts, fruits, and spice throughout, the mineral finish wasn’t a big fan of, but overall a solid whisky.

Wine Review – Clarendon Hills Liandra Syrah 2006

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Clarendon Hills “Liandra” Syrah 2006 [Clarendon Hills] [Wine-Searcher]

Country: Australia
Region: Clarendon
Grape: Syrah/Shiraz
ABV: 16%

Colour: Dark purple core, lighter on the rim.

Nose: Ripe black fruits (blueberry, blackberry, plum, blackcurrant jam), chocolate, raisin, bacon fat, touch of herbal, spice.

Palate: Full bodied, medium acidity, medium well-integrated smooth tannins. Plum, blackberry, metallic (iron), vanilla, clove, pepper.

Finish: Long finish, lingering metallic and spicy notes. Well-integrated alcohol.

Score: 87/100

The wine is showing very well, all the components fully integrated with one and other.

The nose was very intense, with concentrated black fruits, chocolate, raisin, bacon fat, a touch of herbal tone that I associate with aged Syrah/Shiraz, and touch of pepper. The nose overall is very balanced, allowing each component to shine through the waves of black fruits, showing a great deal of complexity.

Moving onto the taste, a wonderfully aged, full bodied Syrah. Despite the 16% alcohol, it is very well integrated, drinking more like a 14-14.5%. Aside from the abundance of black fruits, there is this metallic, iron note showing throughout the palate, with a touch of vanilla, clove, and pepper forming a long and lingering finish.

This is a very good wine, with some unusual note going on (the metallic note on the palate), overall a very pleasant tasting experience. The wine is ready, drink before 2020.

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!

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.

Bowmore 18 Year Old, SMWS 3.270 (18 Year Old “Surf ‘n turf in a camel’s saddle bag”)

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Bowmore 18 Year Old

Region: Islay
ABV: 43%
E150: Yes
Chill-filtered: Yes

 

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Amber

Nose: Caramel, brine, raspberry, light peat, citrus, floral, creamy corn.

Palate: Peat, oak, vanilla, creamy corn, light ash, red fruits, touch mineral.

Finish: Short finish, oak, earth, mineral water, cough syrup, touch of spice.

Score: 80/100

Surprisingly decent, had the 12 before and wasn’t a fan. Although I enjoy their Tempest and Laimrig. The finish is definitely the weak point, just as I was about to detect more flavour, it just disappears all together. I blame the 43% ABV.

Bowmore 18 Year Old 1997 (SMWS 3.270 “Surf ‘n turf in a camel’s saddle bag”)

Region: Islay
ABV: 55.8%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask type: Refill Sherry Butt

 

Container: Glencairn Neat

Colour: Amber

Nose: Strawberry, raisins, Chinese plum sauce, caramel, ash, faint rubber, leather, cocoa.

Palate: Ash, peat, black tea, ginger, caramel, apple skin, plums.

Finish: Long finish, smoke, oak, baking spice, red fruits, touch of mineral during in the end.

Score: 87/100

Rather different from the Bowmore I’ve tried, the sherry cask is shining through, while maintaining balance with the ashy peat, sweetness along with ash and spice. Looking forward to try out more Bowmore IB in the future!

Not a fair game for the OB 18 Year Old, the 3.270 is miles ahead in terms of complexity and presentation, probably should’ve reviewed them separately.