From the category archives:

Highlands

Glencadam 1991/2006 C&S Dram Collection

by Oliver Klimek on March 10, 2010

Bourbon Hogshead 4751 – 58.4%


My Tasting Notes:

Color: Water with a yellow tint
Nose:Mostly vanilla, with a hint of lemon and a tiny whiff of smoke
Palate: Nuts and vanilla, lemon, a bit of orange, ginger
Finish: Long, dry and minimally smoky
Overall: Nice and well balanced, much more complex than the very pale colour suggests.

Score: 84/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

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User Rating:
Rating: 8.0/10 (1 vote cast)

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Royal Brackla 1992/2005 Cadenhead

by Oliver Klimek on March 8, 2010

Bourbon Barrel – 59%


My Tasting Notes:

Color: Bright gold
Nose: Honey, vanilla, apples, a hint of lemon
Palate: More honey and vanilla, lemon zest, a mild spiciness that grows by adding water
Finish: Medium long and quite dry
Overall: A straightforward but quite enjoyable bourbon cask whisky.

Score: 82/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

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User Rating:
Rating: 5.5/10 (2 votes cast)

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Macduff 1990/2009 Whisky Doris

by Oliver Klimek on February 18, 2010

Sherry Hogshead 1422 – 55.7%


My Tasting Notes:

Color: Amber
Nose: Big, dried figs ,cocoa, raisins, a whiff of vinegar
Palate: Quite herbal, nuts, caramel, cassis, figs, some chili
Finish: Long and  spicy
Overall: Needs time and water to open up. Great nose, but the palate is too herbal for my taste, and even with quite a lot of water it is pretty “hot”.

Score: 74/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

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User Rating:
Rating: 7.0/10 (1 vote cast)

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Glenrothes Kirsch 07/1990 – 02/2000

by Oliver Klimek on February 17, 2010

43%


My Tasting Notes:

Nose: Honey, vanilla, fresh grapes, a bit spirity
Palate: Honey, raisins, a bit like rum, caramel, spirity
Finish: Rather long and fruity
Overall: Quite enjoyable, but the youthful spirit character is a bit too dominant

Score: 80/100No price/value information as this is a collector’s bottle

Side note: “Kirsch” is only the bottler’s name. No cherries were harmed in creating this whisky!

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User Rating:
Rating: 8.0/10 (1 vote cast)

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Glengoyne 12 yo Cask Strength

by Oliver Klimek on February 8, 2010

Buy at the Whisky Exchange

57.2%


My Tasting Notes:

Color: Dark gold
Nose: Not very strong, raisins, citrus, a hint of tea
Palate: Cocoa, caramel, faint oranges, quite spicy
Finish: Medium long, spicy
Overall: The wood spicyness is a bit too dominant for my taste, it takes quite a bit of water to soften it down. But still quite a nice dram.

Score: 81/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

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User Rating:
Rating: 9.0/10 (2 votes cast)

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Glenmorangie Signet

by Oliver Klimek on February 7, 2010

Buy at the Whisky Exchange

The new flagship malt from Glenmorangie – 46%


My Tasting Notes:

Nose: Ripe fruit, chocolate, exotic spices
Palate: Coffee, chocolate, dark berries, ginger, orange zest, cinnamon
Finish: Long and spicy
Overall: A very good malt, well-balanced, full-bodied and very complex. But I think the price is a bit too much on the expensive side.

Score: 87/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

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User Rating:
Rating: 8.7/10 (3 votes cast)

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Royal Lochnagar 12 yo

by Oliver Klimek on January 31, 2010


Buy at the Whisky Exchange


40%


My Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla, apples, citrus fruit, a slight hint of smoke
Palate: Vanilla, nuts, slightly spicy, just a faint fruitiness
Finish: Medium long, mostly vanilla, minimally smoky
Overall: The nose is quite pleasant, but the palate lacks complexity and is a bit bland.

Score: 72/100 – Price Tag $$$$$ – Value for your Money $$$$$

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User Rating:
Rating: 7.0/10 (1 vote cast)

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Lochside 1981/1996 Gordon & McPhail

by Oliver Klimek on December 19, 2009

40%


My Tasting Notes:

Nose: Apples, raspberries, minimal smoke
Palate: Caramel, apple, a bit of aniseed.
Finish: Long, with a sweet fruitiness
Overall: Very complex and well-balanced, perhaps a bit watery due to the bottling strength of 40%.

Score: 89/100 – No price information as this is a collector’s bottle


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User Rating:
Rating: 9.0/10 (1 vote cast)

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Glen Garioch 8 yo from the 1980s

by Oliver Klimek on December 13, 2009

43%


My Tasting Notes:

Nose: Quite floral, citrus fruit and a bit of malt
Palate: A floral punch for the first few seconds, then caramel, malt and citrus notes appear
Finish: Medium long
Overall: A very interesting older young whisky. A youthful edge combined with  the complexity and smoothness of “Golden Promise” barley.

Score: 86/100 – This is a collector’s bottle, expect to pay €150 or more for the bottle now 

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User Rating:
Rating: 8.0/10 (1 vote cast)

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Clynelish 10 yo James MacArthur

by Oliver Klimek on November 25, 2009

ca. 2002 – 59.8%


My Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla, honey, some wax, minimally smoky
Palate: Vanilla, grapes, treacle, quite a bit of pepper
Finish: Long, spicy treacle
Overall: Very enjoyable with a good balance between sweetness and spice

Score: 87/100 – No price information as this is a collector’s bottle


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User Rating:
Rating: 9.0/10 (1 vote cast)

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