Glenglassaugh 21yo 46%

Was delighted to see Glenglassaugh reopening in November last year have had some really cracking whiskies from their in the past - a particular favourite was the 1973Family Silver bottling that came out a good few years ago. Anyway I know I am way behind the times in trying this but got the chnace to try the 21yo so here goes.

Nose: sweet, lemony, a little bit dry. Limeade, grape skins, peaches, green apples and faint raw mince!

Taste: quite drying, wet pencil shavings, a touch sour, more green notes coming through. Almost seems a little spirity but not - hints of stainless steel.

Finish: a touch of crayons (waxy) quite sour and again more metalic notes.

Comment: nice nose taste let's it down though. May need to retry a fresh sample some day but at this price unlikely to run out and buy a bottle.

Score: 80 / 100

For alternative reviews try, Whiskyfun or Whisky Pages

Price Checker

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Aberlour 15yo Sherry Finish

According to the Aberlour website this was initially matured in Bourbon and sherry casks before being finished in "selected" sherry casks! I am sure that I heard a rumour that this was being discontinued so let's try it while I still can!

Nose: Quite closed, sweet and creamy then an oakiness fights through the inititial sherry notes. Given time a little meaty and a faint hint of sulphur - but not unpleasant and also a touch of ginger.

Taste: Rich sherry fruitiness, then drying meaty oranges - more an image of a flavour than an actual flavour! Becomes a little dull after initial fruitiness.

Finish: Lingering flat lemon sherbet and soft musty custard creams.

Comment: Promised a lot but then failled to deliver and rather faded out in quite a dull way!

Score 80/100

Glenrothes 1985 43%

Glenrothes is usually a big favourite of mine and it is good to see that they are begining to push this more - thanks to the help of Ronnie Red Socks and Company making it in their own words "the fastest growing single malt!"

The 1985 is described on the label by John Ramsay as being "Rich, Creamy, Dried Fruit" in Character. This bottle was distilled on 21/7/1985 and Approved on 31/5/05 making it just shy of 20 years old. Well enough yapping lets see how it tastes!

Nose: Sweet, caramelly and a little perfumed. A mixture of citrus and dried fruits.

Taste: Rich, a little touch of orange notes and almost a little bit plasticy? Maybe some dried appricots in there and a little bit of sherbert.

Finish: Short and a little bit air freshener!

Comment: Actually a decent whisky but perhaps I was expecting a little bit too much.

Score: 80/100

I would like to say is that I will always push Glenrothes as it is one of The Great Speysiders. however I would say that they are beginning to take the piss a bit with some of there prices on there older vintages (all of which I would love to try) but on costs I will stick with the Independent bottlers for the old stuff. Check the prices on The Whisky Exchange Distillery bottling 30yo £249.00 - Gordon & Macphails 30yo - £67.99 and Duncan Taylor 1969 at £85.00.

Then again somebody must be paying these prices!

Caol Ila 8yo Unpeated Style - 59.8%

I had heard of this "Highland Style" Caol Ila for some time so was glad to see that Diageo decided to release it in this cask strength form.

So here goes!

Nose: Sweet, creamy lots of vanilla and hints of unripe berries. Very creamy indeed like very rich cream sauce - this could go cracking with a steak! - or maybe i am just hungry! Also a touch of custard creams!

Taste: Not as fresh as the nose - a little bit dusty! doesn't taste like its cask strength - obvious creamy notes and a touch woody - i added a little water and there is a slight metallic taste with a touch of lemon bon-bons

Finish: Long, drying a touch coastalish and not much else!

Comments: Maybe I expected to much from this I must remember it is only an 8yo - but then I love Caol Ila's young 7-12yo I find are cracking ages, however the peating must just add that extra dimension that makes Caol Ila one of my favourite whiskies.

Score: A disappointing 80/100 would have loved this to have tasted as it nosed.

Longmorn 16 - nice packaging?

Well got a quick sniff of the new Longmorn 16yo tonight. Was looking forward to this but the reality is you are paying £50 for a 16yo at 48% abv no sorry you are paying £50 for a bit of extra metal, leather and a fancy box - what ever floats your boat I suppose! Anyway on to the tasting I will try and not let the hideous price increase and my love of the 15yo cloud my judgement too much.



Nose: quite a bit of perfume and a dryness comes out beyond the typical toffeeish Longmorn.



Taste: orange sherbert, touch woody and a little musty. More citrus notes.



Finish: funny - and not ha ha! Dry wood and more dusty sherbert notes. Ok but dissapointing.



Comment: maybe I am tasting this in a negative frame of mind. All in all not bad but not great - buy the 15 while you still can.





Score: 80/100

Glenfiddich 12yo

Glenfiddich 12yo

I came across a mini of Glenfiddich 12yo that I have had lying around on my desk for several months now and thought hang on I'll give it a try tonight. Generally speaking Glenfiddich doesnt get much recognition as a single malt amongst "Connoisseur " - God I hate that word, but I will give it a go very open mindedly, I am one of those people who actually have a lot of time for Glenfiddich if it weren't for them would we have all of the great single malts we have today.

Here goes:

Nose: Light, grassy and a little bit malty, definate dry grassy with perhaps a faint hint of peppermint.
Taste: Dryness comes through, along with sweet grassy malty notes. Hint of citrus but in a slightly sour way.
Finish: Slightly sour, but not unpleasant, fairly short length nothing too complex.
Comment: Overall a descent malt, can see why it sells so well, easy enough to drink but with very little complexities to it. A decent session malt I think that this is a lot better than the old non-age statement malt - an everyday drinker but not for me everyday but for those with less access a good entry level malt.

It is when writing this that it made me laugh just how different this site is to the site that inspired me www.whiskyfun.com where as I am tasting Glenfiddich 12yo and the likes Serge is on Bruichladdich 1970, Bunnahabhain 1977 and Longmorn 1964. Fair play to him I can only live in hope.
Score: 80/100