Laphroaig 10 Year Sherry Oak

 

The newest expression from venerable Laphroaig, this is the regular 10 year that's been finished for the last 12-18 months in Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at a nice hefty 48%. No word on the box about coloring and filtration, but I think both can be presumed. So how does it stack up against the regular 10 year, or the more expensive sherry expressions from Laphroaig?

Bunnahabhain 12 Year (Second Take)

 

According to my records, I last reviewed this hallmark Islay dram a long, long seven years ago. And after recently sampling a wild, bold, brave 6 year Bunnahabhain from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, I became curious about their main, core spirit. 

What IS Bunnahabhain? Is it the richly savory Toiteach A Dha? The soft, sweet, chocolatey Stiuireadair? One of the wild independent bottlings I've had? Perhaps the true Islay chameleon isn't Caol Ila, as everyone always says, but Bunnahabhain - a high quality spirit that plays well in every environment. 

Bunnahabhain 6 Year (SMWS 10.200 "The Storm-Tossed Sea")

 

Another 6 year independent bottling of Bunnahabhain with an unusual cask finish from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS). The last one I tried, "Maritime Marshmallows" was finished in a re-toasted cask; I found it surprisingly savory, with notes of olives and soy sauce and only hints of the classic marshmallow flavor you get from toasted oak. 

Glen Scotia 8 Year (SMWS 93.149 "Pleasingly Idiosyncratic")

 

Ah, another lightly peated Glen Scotia from the vaults of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS). The last one, "Members Remember Embers" was a little unusual, featuring notes of sweet medicinal peat, ethereal ash, and light fruit, along with hints of stranger things like fresh gauze, breakfast sausage, and lavender. It was very interesting, and these days "very interesting" is the name of my game.

Smokehead High Voltage Islay Single Malt (NAS)

 

I've been curious about Smokehead for a while, but only recently was I able to source any in the DC area. An unnamed, no age statement single malt from bottler Ian Macleod, it's from Islay, it's young, and at 58% it's very punchy. No idea about the casking, but it doesn't taste sherried to me at all. Likely ex-bourbon, maybe even 2nd fill. The core spirit overwhelms the wood influence, that's for sure. It's pretty much a mystery all the way around - although internet sources variously say it's either a young (~6 year) Ardbeg, or a young unsherried Lagavulin. Others have even guessed it's Caol Ila. My money is on Ardbeg. 

Octomore 7.4

 

This is actually an older review that I meant to post back in 2018 or so, but it got lost in the shuffle. I came across it yesterday while organizing - Bruichladdich's Octomore 7.4. 

Octomore is the highly experimental super-peated (167 ppm, compared against Ardbeg's ~50-55 ppm) imprint of Bruichladdich, and 7.4 was bottled in virgin oak (!) for a somewhat complicated term of 7 years. Complicated because some of the spirit was aged for a short while in ex-bourbon and ex-French oak as well, hence the slightly older age - most Octomore is 5 years old. Bottled at 61.2%. How was it?

Dailuaine 7 Year (Old Particular)

 

The 200th bottle reviewed! 

One of my very favorite underdogs of the single malt universe: Speyside's Dailuaine, which has a wonderful juiciness about it, specifically a mouth-watering watermelon note that is hard to resist. So when I found this 7 year expression from Douglas Laing's independent bottler Old Particular, I didn't resist - I bought it right up. Matured in a single sherry butt for seven years, bottled at 48.4%, and in craft presentation. How is it??

200th Post Spectacular!!!

This is the 200th post of this lo-fi blog, which warrants some kind of small celebration. Since 2014, I've reviewed 199 bottles of Scotch, which averages to roughly one every other week, although some months are more active than others; it also doesn't account for samples. Sometimes I put the blog down to concentrate on other things; other times, Scotch is life. 

Glen Ord 8 Year (Exclusive Malts)

 

Exclusive Malts was an independent bottler that, sadly, no longer exists. One of their releases was known as the "Exclusive Region," where they released an unnamed single malt generally related to the main whisky regions of Scotland: Islay, Speyside, Highland, Peated Highland, Single Grain. 

Port Charlotte OLC:01 2010

 

It's fair to say, at this point, that I love Bruichladdich. They are so clean, so crisp, the flavors are so warm and wonderful. Their Bere Barley 2010 is my whisky-of-the-year so far. I could drink it all day and night (and have!). So when my friend Rob Martin gave me a dram of the Port Charlotte (heavily peated Bruichladdich imprint) OLC:01 2010, I was ecstatic. 

Glen Grant 15 Year

 

Another new one to me - Glen Grant, a Speyside distillery that has the distinction of being the biggest selling Scotch whisky in Italy! It's owned by Campari. This is their 15 year, bottled at a luscious, beautiful 50% ABV, spending all its time in ex-bourbon casks. 50%! I am so delighted. Let's get right into it...

Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve (NAS)

 

Another nod of thanks to Rob Martin for supplying me with this sample of the new Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve, the no-age-statement rum-cask-finished variant of Glenlivet. Bottled at 40% (c'mon Glenlivet!), probably colored, probably chill filtered. I am not a giant fan of rum finished whiskies, but I'm willing to give this a fair shake. Let's see how it does. 

Aberlour 12 Year (Classic Cask)

I quite like Aberlour's core flavors (orchards and orchards of rich fruit), and I absolutely love their monster sherry bomb Abunadh. But I've never had an independent bottling of their spirit until now (thanks to Rob Martin for the bottle). This comes from bottler The Classic Cask, and is aged 12 years in an "oak hogshead." Unsure if this implies ex-bourbon or ex-sherry. Bottled at 43%. 

Campbeltown Loch Blended Scotch Whisky

 

This is a blend of Springbank and Longrow whiskies, from Campbeltown distillery Springbank, bottled at 40%, and priced aggressively. I love Springbank, and have never once had a bad pour from any of their offerings. Supposedly this is aged about 5 years. Let's get right down to it: 

Glendullan 15 Year

 

I have never had anything by Diageo-owned Speyside distillery Glendullan, which they place under their "Singleton" umbrella, and aim squarely at the United States market - and so I'm most curious to try this 15 year expression. Glendullan is most often found as part of blends like Old Parr and William's. Coming in at a rather tepid 40% ABV, mostly ex-bourbon, a little bit ex-French oak. Probably colored, probably chill-filtered. How is Glendullan?

Craigellachie 12 Year (SMWS 44.133 "The Dram of the Falling Leaves")

 

I loved the previous Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling of Craigellachie so much, I bought the next one they released as well. This one is aged 12 years in ex-bourbon, bottled at 57% ABV, craft presentation, and named "The Dram of the Falling Leaves." Let's see how it stacks up against the previous bottle I tried, "The Pink Lady Makes Pastry." 

Inchmurrin 13 Year (SMWS 122.66 "Dark and Flaming")

 

This was one of those Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) bottlings that I just couldn't pass up - a Loch Lomond (under their Inchmurrin imprint) aged for 11 years in ex-bourbon casks and then ... drumroll please ... another 2 years in a new oak heavy char #4 "alligator" casks. It is pretty unusual to find a #4 in scotch in general (more common in bourbon), let alone in an independent bottling like this. I simply had to try it. Bottled at a very stiff 64.4%, in typical craft presentation, nicknamed "Dark and Flaming." Let's see what alligator char does to a typically sweet, vanilla-forward spirit...

BenRiach "The Smoky Twelve" 12 Year

 

BenRiach is one of those curious cases where I had an independent bottling before I ever had the official distillery offering. And the independent bottling, from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, was fantastic ... so I'm making amends. This is the lightly peated 12 year, named "The Smoky Twelve," and tripled-casked - ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and - most intriguingly - ex-Marsala. Bottled at 46%, natural color, and I think un-chill filtered. 

Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2010

 

Being a fan of Bruichladdich, and having recently enjoyed a few of their offerings, I jumped at the chance to get this Bere Barley 2010. Bere is an ancient six-row type of grain that is little used anymore, and this particular crop of bere comes from the Orkney Islands. Aged for 8 years, unpeated, all ex-bourbon casks, bottled at 50% (everyone should do this), and in craft presentation (no color, no chill filtration). How does the bere stack up against the Islay barley?

anCnoc Cutter (NAS)

 

According to my blog history, I haven't had anCnoc since ... 2014! Seven years, too long for this Highland single malt. Pronounced "an-nock" (I feel every lead-in for this distillery must start with that wild name, right?), this is a discontinued part of their peated line. The current expression, I think, is called "Peatheart," which is pretty good. I really want to try the also-discontinued Flaughter, but can't find it near me for a decent price. This however, I got for a steal. Peated to 20.5 ppm, non-chill filtered, uncolored, appears to be ex-bourbon, and bottled at 46%. Here we go: 

Laphroaig Quarter Cask (2nd Take)

 

Laphroaig's Quarter Cask is aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon casks, then transferred to quarter casks - which, just as they sound like, are casks a quarter the size of a normal cask - for about 7 months. Making this quite a young whisky indeed, but also a powerful, muscular one... yet not without nuance. Bottled at a very pleasing 48%, barrier filtered but not chill filtered, and colored with E150 (!?), let's see how it does 7 years after my last review...