Octomore 140 parts per million!

I know this is a pointless post as most places have probably already sold out of this second batch of Octomore. They say it is peated to 140 ppm this really must be rocket fuel! At what stage does the peating level become so much that it akes no difference but it just over powers everything!

What my real concern is that can a 5 year old whisky really justify a £80.00 price tag. Obviously as places like royal mile whiskies have already sold out then surely it can. But say a Bunna 5yo came out or a Benromach or any other distillery for that fact bar maybe Ardbeg everybody would be up in arms about the price.

Anyway rant over.

Speyburn 10yo 40%

Two posts in a day! I must lie down!!! Speyburn is a stunning distillery nestled in the valley just out side the not so pretty combination plant in the village of Rothes, so how does the whisky stand up!

Nose: Hard boiled sweets - old fashioned ones! Green apples. Touches of lemon and flour?

Taste: Fairly thin, dried apricots and a little hot.

Finish: A touch of spice, not really much else.

Comment: Sorry but pretty average. I have tried some older Speyburns that I like but nothing about this really appeals to me!

Score: 75/100

Balblair 1997 43%

Not been on here for a while so thought that I should get the finger out and add some new notes - so here goes!

Nose: Sweet, lots of vanilla, creme brulee and hard toffee. Brown sugar and a touch of icing sugar. Some lime and Kiwis coming through and hints of shortbread - (Deans Shortbread)

Taste: A little fresh wood, vanilla warm toffos. Becomes more grassy with water.

Finish: A little bit drying, then a bit of that citrusy kiwi notes coming through.

Comment: A decent summer dram, I actually quite like this. Decent drinking whisky.

Score 87/100

Compass Box Hedonism 43%

It was announced today that Compass Box Hedonism had won best grain whisky in the world for the second year running at the world whisky awards - hosted by whisky magazine. So congratulations to them, however always being one to point out trivial points - should they have really won it? I am lead to believe that the WWA is only open to official bottlers so as an type of (and a very good one at that) independent bottler are they really eligible! Who cares! Their whisky is always good!

Nose: Very sweet, bags of vanilla. Sweet wood, pencil shavings and a hint of honey!

Taste: Again very sweet, lots of oak influence but very balanced. very creamy! A little bit of hay and cheap yellow vanilla ice cream! A hint of white chocolate.

Finish: A fairly short finish but very very soft. A hint of peach yoghurt and soft vanilla.

Comment: I find this whisky to be dangerously drinkable! On a warm summers evening this would be perfect outdoor sipping whisky. Perhaps a little one dimensional but then that is me being over picky! Great whisky.

Score: 89/100

Darlings Hits Drinkers Again - Duty on Whisky up 2%

I have not got the official figures from Mr Darling yet as to what the new duty rate will be but it says in several sources that it is to rise by 2%. Yet again hitting the whisky drinker in the pocket! All in all though most of this is psychologically damaging than actually financial for serious whisky consumers.

At present duty on spirits is £22.20 per litre of alcohol. 2% on this would increase the duty to £22.64 per litre of pure alcohol. So for a standard bottle of whisky 70cl x 40% Abv the duty will rise from £6.22 to £6.34 per bottle an increase of £0.12 per bottle. By the time you add VAT and say a retailers mark up this will equate to say £0.21.

So even if you were buy 1 bottle of whisky a week this will only see you out of pocket by £10.92!

So yes the budget is a pain in the arse and will cost us money but it is not as bad as people think. Many people think the price of the whole bottle will go up by 2% and that is where budget increases can be dangerous!

Laphroaig 15 No More

Just saw on Scotchwhisky.net that Laphroaig 15 year is no more and is going to be replaced by an 18 year old. I hope that this is at a resonable price some of the recent special releases from Laphroaig have been just too high for my price bracket.

On the other hand if you see some of the 15 year old grab it while you can - only 65 bottles left according to their press release!

Black Bull 30 Year Old Blended Whisky 50%

Those good people at Duncan Taylor sent me a wee sample of there new bottling so I thought that I best try it. Hint hint to anyone else that would like to send me stuff please email me at petelamb1970@aol.co.uk Well you got to try!

Any the Black Bull is 50% ABV and is a mixture of 50% malt whisky and 50% grain whisky. The whisky was married together shortly after distillation and then married together for 30 years in sherry butts. I am not sure how well Red Bull will take to them promoting a brand called Black Bull though!

Anyway lets try it and see what I think:

Nose: Warming, sherry, orange, hint of treacle toffee, stewed fruits and bizarely corned beef. Also flat warm cherry coke.

Taste: Big sherry, touch of oak some aniseed and cinammon. Becomes creamier with time. Doesn't taste 50% ABV. Definate chocolate notes (maybe cause I am just getting over easter eggs!).

Finish: A real mixture, slighty drying almost salty, becoming more creamy and a little bit spicy.

Comment: I like this a lot! The grain just adds a cracking creaminess that tames the the sherry. An ever changing dram one to take your time over.

Score: 92/100