Speyside
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Smith’s Glenlivet 1974 Rare Vintage
Christmasy, woody and a somewhat crystalline or purified essential oil flavours with tannic red fruits. Definitely one for red wine lovers! 86/100 Continue reading
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Glen Grant 1954 Rare Vintage
An astonishingly good dram from Gordon & MacPhail. There is a very nice balance to this dram that makes it all so sublime. At first it is a little closed and overpolished wood or toffee but starts to melt in… Continue reading
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Kininvie 17 Years Old 1996 Batch 1
Like Monkey Shoulder with the good bits taken out, there is something really quite disappointing about this expression and I think it is complete lack of character. Even the attempted cask maturation to create balance has just rendered this a… Continue reading
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Benriach 42 Year Old 1971 Single Cask
An interesting expression but perhaps a little over-oaked. A nice depth of fruits can be found but there is a lot of oak wood and herbality to it that for me didn’t complement the fruit but rather overshadowed the sweeter… Continue reading
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Glenfarclas 40 Years Old
Slightly over-oaked and verging on the extreme side of chocolate even for a chocaholic like myself. Gone were the honeyed notes and zestiness of the oranges and in come coffee grounds and the herbality of advanced oak wood ageing. Still… Continue reading
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Glenfarclas 30 Years Old
As a sherry-fan (and even sherry-bomb fan) I have to admit this comes pretty close to perfection. Wickedly indulgent in flavours and beautifully presented I find it difficult to find flaw in this expression. Easy to see how this won… Continue reading
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Glenfarclas 25 Years Old
Starting with the 25 year old I noticed a pronounced aged/oaky wood character over say the 15 or 17 year old versions (though perhaps not the 21 – I may need to revisit). A beautiful creamy milk chocolate was the… Continue reading
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Benromach 35 Years Old
This expression is still surprisingly fresh considering its age. There is a depth of wood and fruit here belying its long time in a first fill sherry cask yet the orange oil tastes like it is fresh out of the… Continue reading
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Glenlivet 16 Years Old Nadurra
Quite spicy but in a really good way. Reminded me of gingerbread and cake. In fact a multitude of sweets and desserts appear in my tasting notes as I chewed my way through the sweetness in this expression. The proof… Continue reading
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Speyside 21 Years Old 1993 Distiller’s Art
Just beautiful, very fruity on the nose but more malty and nutty on the palate. I’m guessing Oloroso sherry cask but who cares what it was matured in – this is good! 89/100 Continue reading
The Whiskyphiles 