Springbank 15yo, 46%

I have always been a huge fan of Springbank ever since the days of the cracking 21yos that were so exceptionally affordable. Oh those were the days.



The current 15 year old I believe is predominately sherry casks and should make for a cracker of a dram. So let's try it.



Nose: Rich toffee caramel, warm oranges and oily. Also a little bit nutty maybe walnut? Certainly a big dram. touch of blackcurrant and a little salty.

Taste: Unmistakably Springbank, hint of smoke, a little woody and then that sherry notes builds up. Slightly coastal and a lot of oiliness. A really chewy dram - quite clawing in the mouth.

Finish: Quite salty, and a little bit drying. caramel and chocolate - like a slightly melted mars bar! A little bit drying.

Comment: I like this a lot - I really do but the slightly clawing note maybe just knocks it down from being a must try! Actually give this ten minutes in the glass and it is a must try!

Score: 90/100

Loch Fyne Whiskies - £41.35
Royal Mile Whiskies - £43.50
Single Malts Direct - £46.99
The Whisky Exchange - £41.49

Karuizawa 1971 Cask 6878 64.1%

There is more and more good quality Japanese whiskies coming on the market these days thanks in many ways to the guys at the Number One Drinks Company I hope that they keep up the good work. This one is an old one at an amazing strength for its age 64.1%

For a good review of the distillery check out the excellent Nonjatta site

Anyway lets try it.

Nose: Big rich sherry nose, warm leather, cinnamon, and a touch of metallic fruits (like when making Jam). There is almost a hint of smoke as well - the alcohol does hit you if you breath in too sharply. Water opens this up a lot and gives more of the smoked cheese note and also a faint hint of a farmyard - but in a good organic kind of way.

Taste: Lots of prickly alcohol, and then smoked cheese and marmalade. At full strength this is hot! Quite a bit of sandalwood. With water it is softer and the smoke becomes a bit more pronounced and more like wood smoke.

Finish: Long and spicy with a touch of incense sticks. Becomes more like clove studded oranges with more cinnamon once water is added.

Comment: What a dram! Not one you would drink a lot of on one sitting but full of character and definately worth seeking out if you can find it!

Score: 90/100

For a superior review check out Dave Brooms and Gavin Smiths

Ardmore 12yo 100th Anniversary

This whisky was bottled in 1998/99 in time for Ardmore to celebrate its 100th anniversary. This was about the time that I started really getting into whisky and this was always a favourite of mine at the time so when I saw an open bottle I thought that it would be a good idea to try it again properly and see if it was as good as I remembered - or thought I rememered!

Nose: Sweet, slightly meaty - almost a touch sickly but in a good way...hmmm. A hint of peat, citrus and sherried notes.

Taste: Rich, nice balance between sherry and peat. rich mouth coating with a hint of milk chocolate.

Finish: Clawing sherry and soft peat smoke lingers for some time with the sherry notes building.

Comment: So glad I still like this as was worried it wouldn't be as good as I remembered it was. This is a cracker if it was bottled at a higher strength than 40% then it could have been an all time stunner!

Score: 90/100

Lonach Caperdonich 1968

Got a bottle of this from the whisky shop in Dufftown, have to say that I am always a huge fan of underdog whiskies such as Caperdonich, Scapa, Miltonduff, Glenallachie and the likes so I was
I couldn't resist when I saw this bottle on the shelf,

Caperdonich 37-1968 40,3% Lonach Label

Nose: Lots of fruitiness - apples and other stewed fruits.
Taste: Touch of oak, oranges and more grassy appley notes.
Finish: Light and freshing and a little oakiness.
Comment: A very refreshing whisky - very fresh with just a touch of oak showing its elderly years.
Score 90/100

Scores extra points for the fact that it was only £53.00 a bottle a bargain for a cracking whisky especially one this old. Would definately say you should try this - but I also say you should try all Caperdonichs!

Macallan 1979 Gran Reserva

Cracked open a bottle of this tonight - this was the original gran reserva bottling all of the first fill sherry casks and was bottled in 1997. Now I have a theory that off all the recent vintages of Macallan 1979 was one of the best years (although prior vintages were far superior - however for all the Macallan Gran Reserva bottlings I feel that the 1979 bottling was far better than the 1980 and 1981 bottling). This bottling has now been stopped by Macallan - probably due to the fact that they don't have enough sherry casks!! Ok so maybe that's just me being skeptical.

Anyway I am a big fan of sherry cask whisky but feel that the Gran Reserva is just on the level of as big sherry as you can go without the whisky being over powered by the sherry. Anyway well here goes the tasting notes!

Nose: Intense Sherry, bitter chocolate,meaty with an oily orange back ground and marzipan.
Taste: Again rich sherry, lots of heavy fruits figs and dates very oily and coating.
Finish: Very long and lingering, oily and with a long dry finish that leaves a real richness in the mouth.
Comment: If you like sherry cask whiskies then you will love this - just wish that they had bottled this at a minimum of 46% it could have been a really huge whisky but at 40% it is only big.
Score: 90/100 could have been a lot higher if it had been bottled at 46%