The House of Coquerel cherishes a solid belief: that a great Calvados is above all a great cidre and therefore masters all the production process of its Calvados. In the perpetual quest […]
Calvados Coquerel release inaugural Singulier Calvados range with a Bourbon Barrel finished Calvados
Caol Ila 2008 Post-Octave (52.8%, Duncan Taylor, 2018)
Caol Ila 2008 Post-Octave whisky review: Again a very different experience, lots has moved around in this whisky when compared to the pre-octave and a heap of spices added, although here they are less distracting than the Highalnd Park Post-Octave. A lot more burnt, but dry burnt rather than over-caramelised sugars. Although the same score I prefer the Pre-Octave Caol Ila. 86/100
Caol Ila 2008 Pre-Octave (53.1%, Duncan Taylor, 2018)
Caol Ila 2008 Pre-Octave whisky review: A lovely vanilla and ashen Caol Ila, for a 10 year old this has developed a lot of subtleties that make it simply wonderful, ever-evolving on the palate gently introducing new flavours and aromas – not overpowering. Yum! 86/100
Fresh duo of Glenglassaugh octaves released
Glenglassaugh Distillery, standing at the edge of the beautiful Sandend Bay on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland, has released Batch 2 of its Octave cask expressions, Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic and Peated. […]
Famed street artist Felipe Pantone partners with Ballantine’s for True Music Series
Europe’s No. 1 Scotch whisky and the world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky, has this month announced Felipe Pantone as the latest True Music Series collaborator following previous partnerships with beatboxer, Reeps One and graphic designers Leif […]
Mind Bending Handmade Glassware from Stuck in Glass
A whisky glass with a difference! While most of my tasting is performed with fairly standard glassware, occasionally I like to sit back, relax and drink whisky just for the sheer pleasure […]
Highland Park 2003 Post-Octave (50.7%, Duncan Taylor, 2018)
Highland Park 2003 Post-Octave whisky review: Having taken an already superb whisky and finished it for presumably only a short period (of all the samples this appeared to have the least difference/increase in colour), sadly there is too much spice on the initial palate for me and I struggled to decide whether I liked this one more or less than the Pre-Octave sample. I guess I was hoping for more here which didn’t come but this is still undeniably a good whisky. 87/100
Highland Park 2003 Pre-Octave (50.9%, Duncan Taylor, 2018)
Highland Park 2003 Pre-Octave whisky review: A simply beautiful Highland Park expression, the bourbon cask has imparted a delicious sweet creamy vanilla to counter the herbal smoke, surprisingly I didn’t pick out much malt but it is there all along adding a lovely weight to this dram. A purists dream this one. 87/100
Bunnahabhain 2008 Post-Octave (52.8%, Duncan Taylor, 2018)
Bunnahabhain 2008 Post-Octave whisky review: A massive improvement again on the original cask, some of the spices still carry through but appear mostly on the finish here. 83/100
Bunnahabhain 2008 Pre-Octave (53.2%, Duncan Taylor, 2018)
Bunnahabhain 2008 Pre-Octave whisky review: Initially pleasant, this dram develops spirity spice and sourness all over, a few drops of water calmed it down a little but salted & sour oak wood prevail. After a lot more water, creamy vanilla. 72/100
