Scottish Whisky

Tomatin 12 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Tomatin 12 Year
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$37 – $40
Website
Tomatin 12 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

The Tomatin 12 Year Old is smooth and silky, having been matured in traditional Scotch Whisky, ex-Bourbon and ex-Spanish Sherry casks.

Aroma: A complex bouquet contains rich malt and fruity aromas.
Palate: The palate is rewarded with a unique combination of attractive flavours – a balance of stewed apples, pears, malt, with a gentle hint of some nuttiness.
Finish: Smooth, sweet and very satisfying

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruitcake with warm caramel sauce, raisins, baking spices, sugar cookies, raw almonds, pecans.
Palate:  Creamy and fruity with raisins, pears, spongecake with a caramel drizzle, almonds, gentle pepper spice with notes of pecan pie.
Finish:  Moderate in length, damp with malty fruit.
Comments:  A quite pleasant single malt – nicely balanced. Note that this is not sherry ‘matured’ – just ‘finished’ which allows the malt to really shine on its own (not that I don’t enjoy sherry matured single malts!) For the money, I think this is a great value..

Rating: Stands Out/Great Value

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Cambus 29 Year Old Single Grain

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Single Grain /

Cambus 29 Year Old
Single Grain Scotch Whisky

Comparing Different Barrels From Different Independent Bottlers

$100 (each, duh)

Why Compare Two Different Independent Bottlings?

Both are Cambus 29 year Old, cask strength, distilled in 1988.  No way I was going to review them without satisfying my own curiosity by doing a side-by-side!  Plus – trying to differentiate two reviews in the table of contents for ‘Cambus 29 Year Old’ felt a bit silly.  Oh – and having just put this template together for the Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Rye, felt I might as well get more mileage out of it!

The Bottle Details

The Sovereign

 

Cambus 29 Year Old Single Grain

Old Particular

 

Cambus 29yr Old Particular

Picked By
Selected by and bottled exclusively for K&L WinesSpecially Selected for K&L Wines
ABV
44.6%46.9%
Distilled
September 1988September 1988
Bottled
July 2018September 2017
Age
29 Years, 10 Months29 Years
Cask Type
Refill HogsheadRefill Hogshead
Bottles
266281
Additional Notes
Cask Ref: HL15269
Non chill-filtered, Natural Colour
Natural Cask Strength		Cask Ref DL12138
No Chill Filtration, No Colouring
Natural Cask Strength
Tasting Notes
A fragrant nose of sandalwood, coconut, toffee and vanilla.
More toffee on the palate along with fruity notes of orange, apple and papaya.
A gentle, satisfying, medium length finish rounds things off.		Nose: Opens with a delicate and fresh quality with a hint of lime
Palate: Gentle spice then moving to vanilla toffee and sweet cereals
Finish: Distinct spices which warm gently, and lightly burnt sugar

What Gary Says

The Sovereign
Old Particular
Nose:Butter cream frosting, canned peaches and pears, subtle oak, hint of mandarin orange, ginger, heather.Butter cream frosting, subtle caramel sauce, touch of pears and limes, sandalwood, heather.
Palate:Sweet and fruity, a bit of toffee before cinnamon and pepper break in, butterscotch, honey.Rich mouthfeel, sweet with gentle fruit notes, rich toffee and butterscotch before spice notes kick in, bringing cinnamon with a soft pepper spice followed by honey.
Finish:Moderately long with honey and a herbal dryness.Long and wet with lingering spice notes and brown sugar.
Comments:A nice well aged single grain. Not the mouthfeel I had hoped for given its age, but a lovely dram none the less.  Single grain Scotch whisky is quite a bit more delicate than single malt.  Don’t expect a 29 yr old single grain to be like a 29 yr old single malt – it almost certainly won’t be (in fact the word “single” and the country of origin may be about all they have in common). It isn’t my favorite genre of whisky, but I can appreciate it for what it is.  And in the case of this bottle – dangerously drinkable!In the glass this was the darker of the two pours (not “dark” by any stretch, but The Sovereign had more of a faint yellow tint where this tends more towards golden).  This was a tad more rich on both the nose and the mouthfeel of the palate, and also had a longer finish.  Very similar for sure – the differences are pretty nuanced.  I personally preferred this one of the two, but not by a wide enough margin to bump the rating to a “Must Try”.
Rating:
Stands Out
Stands Out

 

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Longrow 18 Year

/ / Campbeltown, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Longrow 18 Year
Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$180 – $200
Website
Longrow 18 year old

What the Distillery Says

Dark and slightly mysterious, our 18-year-old Longrow has a complex nose that unearths a peaty aroma reminiscent of dunnage warehouses.

Nose: A complex nose: Sweet fruits, citrus, peaches and orange zest at first before a gentle earthy peaty aroma reveals itself.
Palate: Rich and very, very tasty. Well balanced. Dark chocolate, creamy coffee and gingerbread to the fore, followed by rhubarb and vanilla custard.
Finish: Long and sweet, a hint of typical Longrow peat smoke combined with more chocolate and some dried fruits.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Thick, rich sherry, barbecue brisket, subtle peat, plums, poached pears, orange, vanilla, worn leather, oak, pipe tobacco smoke.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with vanilla cream, grilled peaches, peat, sherry, cocoa, walnuts, pepper and allspice.
Finish:  Long with a nutty note of plums and peat smoke.
Comments:  A really lovely dram! Beautifully balanced with peat, fruit, smoke and a bit of spice. Reading their tasting notes and taking another sip – I do get coffee with a fair dose of cream now. This is a limited bottling, so a price of $200 isn’t unreasonable. Sure, there are some whiskies for less dough that I like as well (maybe even better), but not many. For a single malt, this has the complexity and balance of the better blends (if tasting blind, I would have wondered if maybe this was a Compass Box offering without any Clynelish in the mix). Thanks to Paul for the sample of this really delightful dram!

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Laphroaig An Cuan Mòr

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Laphroaig An Cuan Mòr
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

48% ABV
$100
Website
Laphroaig An Cuan Mòr

What the Distillery Says

Inspired by the Atlanta upon which the Laphroaig distillery sits, An Cuan Mòr (“Big Ocean”) is composed from a selection of many casks – each batch hand-selected for its exceptional flavour by our Master Distiller.

All have been matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels in Warehouse No. 1 – just a stone’s throw from breaking waves. This whisky is then carefully re-casked and left to sleep in the finest European Oak. The result is an extraordinary fusion of flavours, from the unmistakable peat of our spirits, to the soft and spicy caramel tones of the American wood, to the big, rich “burnt apricot and raisin” notes that European oak is so famous for. Any cloudiness when mixed with water is normal for a whisky that hasn’t been chill-filtered.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat smoke, medicinal, iodine, smoked brisket brushed barbecue sauce and a healthy dose of sea salt, bit of baked goods – a yeasty bread.
Palate:  Sweet, peat with fruit notes, pears, apples, touch of honey before a peaty pepper bite kicks in.
Finish:  Moderately long with peat smoke and subtle fruit.
Comments:  Laphroaig always stands out for me. This has a nice, golden color with a touch of copper – and I like the meaty notes on the nose. Another travel retail exclusive that doesn’t appear to be available currently.  Nothing off putting, but not my favorite from Laphroaig.

Rating: Stands Out

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Aberlour Casg Annamh

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Aberlour Casg Annamh
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

48% ABV
$60 – $70
Website
Aberlour Casg Annamh

What the Distillery Says

Translating as ‘Rare Cask’ in Gaelic, Casg Annamh is created from a limited number of carefully selected casks. These Spanish oak Oloroso Sherry casks/butts have a significant influence on the non-chill filtered liquid and perfectly complement Aberlour’s distillate flavour, bringing sweet and rich notes. Casg Annamh is a distinctively rich Single Malt providing adventurous malt lovers with the ideal introduction to Sherry cask matured whiskies.

Nose: Rich and sweet with fruity notes of tangy orange, glazed cherries, raisins and a hint of ginger.
Palate: Sweet and fruity flavours of apple and cinnamon crumble and ripe peaches balanced with spicy notes of liquorice and cloves.
Finish: Long and rich. Fruity with a touch of dry spice.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Oak, dark fruit, dates, cherries, caramel, spice, hint of dark chocolate, smokey, subtle sulfur note.
Palate:  Rich and sweet before sharpening with spice, caramel, honey over dark fruit, black cherries, bit of orange.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with oak and spice.
Comments:  A tad dry for my liking, and something about the sulfur notes I get with Aberlour just don’t land in my wheelhouse. If you’re a fan of Aberlour, this is probably right up your alley, but for me was closer to middle of the road.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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