Scottish Whisky

Springbank 15 Year Old

/ / Campbeltown, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Springbank 15 Year Old
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$135-$150
Website
Springbank 15 Year

What the Distillery Says

Like a storm gathering off the Kintyre coast, our 15-year-old Springbank is dark and ominous, yet delicious. Best enjoyed after dinner or with your favourite cigar, this is a true classic.

Nose: Demerara sugar, dark chocolate, Christmas cake, almonds, toffee, oak.
Palate: Creamy, raisins, dark chocolate, figs, marzipan, brazil nuts and vanilla.
Finish: Oak and sherry notes sustain and mingle with hints of leather.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Thick and rich sherry bomb, dark fruit with oak, graham cracker, toffee, caramel, leather, molasses, wisps of sea air with just a hint of sulfur.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, fruity with graham cracker and bitter chocolate, butterscotch, nutty earthiness with some soft pepper and baking spices, clove.
Finish:  Long and drying with vanilla, smoke and dark fruits.
Comments:  A solid Springbank for sure! Rich and intense, this has everything I love in a Springbank. Some water tamps the oak and brings the chocolate and toffee out of the shadows of the dark fruit – but don’t mistake that this drinks beautifully neat!

Rating: Must Try

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Lagavulin Offerman Edition 2 Guinness Cask Finish

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Lagavulin Offerman Edition 2 Guinness Cask Finish
11 Year Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$80-$100
Website
Lagavulin Offerman Edition Guinness Cask

What the Bottle Says

“I have travelled the world and sampled many attempts at pleasing nectars, but it is solely this distillation on Islay; a tiny, charismatic Scottish isle, that has claimed my palate,
Yea, and my heart into the bargain.”
Nick Offerman
TASTING NOTES
PALATE: A glorious adventure in ‘sweet peat’ through the combination of the intense peat and charred wood notes of Lagavulin with the roasted coffee, dark chocolate and sweet caramel notes from the Guinness casks.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet peat with sea air, hint of Guinness stout, ashy with leather, a hint of dried fruits with chocolate.
Palate:  Creamy and sweet with vanilla bean, chocolate, some tropical fruit notes of mango and dried pineapple, underlying peat smoke.
Finish:  Moderately long with sea salt, chocolate malt and pepper with peat.
Comments: This is delicious! Classic Lagavulin profile, but the Guinness really adds a lovely dimension without taking center stage. The 4 month finishing in former Guinness Beer Casks from the Open Gate Brewery in Maryland seems to have struck that right balance. I enjoyed the first Offerman Edition, and like this one even more (note that these were sampled months apart – just getting the reviews posted in close proximity!). If I have any complaint, it is that Lagavulin doesn’t acknowledge this fine dram on their web-site (their site in general leaves much to be desired, although if I wasn’t looking for content for a review – probably wouldn’t care!) If you’re a fan of Lagavulin, I’d absolutely seek this one out.

Rating: Must Try

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Lagavulin Offerman Edition Aged 11 Years

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Lagavulin Offerman Edition Aged 11 Years
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$100
Website
Lagavulin Offerman Edition Aged 11 Years

What the Bottle Says

“I have travelled the world and sampled many attempts at pleasing nectars, but it is solely this distillation on Islay; a tiny, charismatic Scottish isle, that has claimed my palate,
Yea, and my heart into the bargain.”
Nick Offerman

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat, sea air, smoked fish, iodine, creosote and tar with fruit notes tucked underneath.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, sweet with treacle, butterscotch, peat, gentle spices, fruit and honey with peat smoke.
Finish:  Moderately long with honey and peat.
Comments:  The nose is fairly dry and acrid, like a peat fire on the coast, with some fruit notes that you have to work to find. Then the palate comes out sweetly swinging! After a couple of passes on this one, I thought to myself “Wow – I’m not sure if I might not like this as much as Lagavulin 16 yr.” I wish I had done that earlier, as I only had enough to do two blind side-by-side comparisons. In both I thought they were very similar, and I picked both as better than the other. While I’d love to have a more clear winner, the fact that this gave Lagavulin 16 a run for its money is high praise in my book. And if you are a Lagavulin fan, I think this is priced to where you’ve got to try it for yourself.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Unnamed Orkney 2006 14 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Unnamed Orkney 2006 14 Year
Signatory Vintage The Un-chillfiltered Collection
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$100
Website
Unnamed Orkney 14 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottle Says

AGED: 14 years
DISTILLED ON: February 14, 2006
BOTTLE ON: September 25, 2020
MATURED IN: a Refill Butt
VATTING CASK NO: DRU 17/A65 #7
BOTTLE NO: 643
Un-chillfiltered | Natural Colour

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sherried dark fruit, raw honey, toffee, grilled peaches, smoky, spent matchsticks and sea mist.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, savory sherry notes, allspice, honey, raisins, subtle peat and a bit of pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long, wet with dark fruits and trailing pepper spice.
Comments:  If I had to guess (which is all I can do), I’d peg this as Highland Park – which seems like a safe bet since there’s only two distilleries on Orkney (the other being Scapa, which I’m not familiar with). But it definitely reminds me of Highland Park, although a refill butt so less sherry intensity. This is also lighter in color than Highland Park 12 yr. I really like how this dram clouds up with some water, which also tamps down the sherry notes on the palate and brings out more island notes.

Rating: Stands Out

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Glen Grant 1997 13 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Glen Grant 1997 13 Year
Signatory Cask Strength Collection
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

59.3% ABV
$100
Website
Glen Grant 1997 13 Yr Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottler Says

AGED: 13 years
DISTILLED ON: March 1997
BOTTLE ON: February 2010
MATURED IN: Hogshead
CASK NO: 38886
BOTTLE NO: of 291

Glen Grant Distillery, built in 1840 by brothers, John and James Grant, is located in the heart of Speyside. The distillery is now the world’s second-largest single malt whiskey brand.

TASTE NOTES
COLOR: Light amber
NOSE: White grapes, a fresh apple tart and ripe pears
TASTE: Similar to the nose, with hints of vanilla, oak and white pepper.
FINISH: Medium, white pepper spice

What Gary Says

Nose:  Buttered yeast roll, honey, malty, pears, apricots, subtle earthiness with heather.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel but tart and sharp, canned pears with fruit salad and freshly cracked pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with pepper spice and pears.
Comments:  This has a sour/tart note to it that reminds me a bit of sour fruit gummy candies. It clouds up nicely with a bit of water, reflecting the non-chill filtration (although it doesn’t state that on the label from what I can tell). I’m not familiar with Glen Grant, but this doesn’t leave me with seeking out more specifically. Any one cask might be just that (a one off), but I think the folks at Signatory do a pretty good job so can’t help but think that this isn’t a fair representation of Glen Grant (albeit at higher proof).

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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