Gordon + Macphail Connoisseurs Choice – Glendullan, Glenburgie, Caol Ila

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Carissa Hickling

We continued our whisky explorations at the Gordon & Macphail stand at Paris Whisky Live, switching gears from their DIscover to Connoisseur Choice range with:

Glendullan 12 year (2009 / 2022) 45% (approx Eur 100)
Glenburgie 26 year (1995/2022) 1st fill Sherry Puncheon #6349, 56.8% (approx Eur 250)
Caol Ila 25 year (1996/2022) 1st fill Sherry Butt #16074, 59.2% (approx Eur 350)

Glendullan 12 year (2009 / 2022) 45% 3245 Bottles.

Nose – A burst of berries – sweet and inviting
Palate – Strong berry flavours – mostly raspberries with some cassis
Finish – Nice sweet and sour cherry plus berry finish

What more do we know? The bottle states that this whisky had its initial maturation in a refilled bourbon barrel, finished in Cote Rotie cask for 3 years. It must be the red wine that brought such distinctive berry flavours to the fore – my tasting notes are merely variations on a berry theme! Their official tasting notes share a bit more with:

Dried strawberry aromas give way to roasted peanuts and crystallised violet. Rasperry compote flavours combine with liquorice and red apple. A medium-bodied finish with citrus and red berries.

Glenburgie 26 year (1995/2022) 1st fill Sherry Puncheon # 6349, 56.8% 564 Bottles.

Nose – Beautiful elegant pear, lovely sherry elements, some marmalade
Palate – Gorgeous! Lovely balanced palate, complex, nuanced, fruity, yet at the same time “heavy” and nutty
Finish – Again – stunning! Full fruit flavours, long, strong with hint of spice

I’m already partial to this Speyside distillery – with Glenburgie fixed in my mind as the “Downton Abbey” of whiskies – something that harkens back to an earlier era, still with some character and spunk but overlaid with a summery elegance. Everything that I love about Glenburgie was evident here – its age merely augmenting all the elements I’ve grown to love.

What more do we know? The label indicates this was a single cask 1st fill Sherry Puncheon – clearly responsible for the full flavours found in this impressive whisky. Their official tasting notes state:

Sweet raisin aromas combine with orange peel and fruitcake. Sultana flavours emerge alongside pepper and toasted hazelnuts. A full finish with spice.

Caol Ila 25 year (1996/2022) 1st fill Sherry Butt #16074, 59.2% 555 bottles

Nose – Cured meat, bacon, bonfire, sweet, heavy maple
Palate – A proper “campfire” dram – all those meaty aromas and sweet maple combine
Finish – An incredibly sweet peat feat! Some chilli chased by sweet cinnamon
Water – Whilst I only had a small sample, I added a drop. Wow! Brings such balance to every element – fabulous!

I was careful in my tasting order – sampling all the non-peated whiskies before turning first to the Discovery Range Caol Ila then this Connoisseurs Choice single cask. It made for a nice progression with this 25 year old being absolutely spectacular. Well worth sampling if you have the chance.

The official tasting notes are a great reflection of what to expect:

Raspberry compote aromas give way to festive spices and smoke. Cured meat flavours complement summer fruit and orange peel. A full finish with black pepper and bonfire embers.

Well done Gordon & Macphail with all three! None of the Connoisseurs Choice expressions disappointed and I appreciated that they kept two vintage single casks for the “main floor”, not just featuring such rare whiskies in the VIP section.

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Paris Whisky Live – Gordon + Macphail Discovery Tomatin, Miltonduff, Caol Ila

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Carissa Hickling

In early 2021, I decided to start acquiring some bottles for future tasting sessions and thought it was past time to pick up a few of Gordon & Macphail’s Discovery range of affordable “entry” drams. I picked a Glenrothes & Miltonduff. They have waited patiently in Germany for the right opportunity – either to taste with others there or bring home to India.

However, naturally, I’ve been rather curious and so was happy to have a chance to try one of them at Paris Whisky Live! On my 2nd day, we whetted our tasting appetite with a few French drams then made our way to the Gordon & Macphail stand and kicked off our explorations with this trio…

As shared with the London Whisky Show, the Discovery line was created for a place to begin your discovery of whisky at a reasonable price point, with colour-coded expressions to help guide the approach… In Paris we tried:

Green for ex-bourbon casks – Tomatin (2009/2021) 43% (approx Eur 44)
Purple for ex-sherry casks – Miltonduff 10 year 43% (approx Eur 55)
Grey/off-white for smokey/peaty – Caol Ila 13 year 43% (approx Eur 55)

We followed the suggested order: ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and then peaty….

Tomatin (2009/2021) 43%

Nose – Light and classic ex-bourbon style, fresh green apple, pears, vanilla cream
Palate – Keeps on the same light, fruity and happy vein, oaky, more vanilla
Finish – Gentle – fruity, floral, honey

A rather nice example of ex-bourbon…. call it a perfect aperitif.

What about the sherry expression? We sampled the Miltonduff 10 year 43%

Nose – Fruity, orange, woodsy, citrus
Palate – Medium-bodied, tasty buttery caramel, marmalade, cinnamon
Finish – More of that yummy marmalade

A nice Speyside and I will very much enjoy revisiting it and discovering more when eventually the Gordon & Macphail Discovery range is opened up at home!

Curious to know more? Check out what Gordon & Macphail have to say here.

As for the peaty, they chose a classic Caol Ila 13 year 43%:

Nose – Fab peat, banana, sweet grass, maple bacon, cured sweetmeats
Palate – Soft, completely peaty, fruity
Finish – Long sweet and smoky

Now, this is a “proper” Caol Ila – what fun! You can also find out more about this expression from Gordon & Macphail’s whisky archive here.

What a nice way to whet our appetite for Gordon & Macphail’s Connoisseurs Choice range – which was our next stop!

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Paris Whisky Live 2022 – VIP Antipodes Caperdonich, Mortlach + Glenfarclas

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Carissa Hickling

Paris Whisky Live was chock full of a dizzying array of offerings – particularly in the VIP section. With such crowds too, it sometimes was a bit of a “get what you can, when you can!” type scenario.

With the Caperdonic & Mortlach, my scant tasting notes didn’t even capture which “Antipode” they were featured… just the photos let on that both were in the 20 year range…

Dubbed “Glen Grant 2”, Caperdonich was founded by J & J Grant around 18978 next to the main Glen Grant distillery. Shut only a few years later in 1902, it was primarily used to supply parts to its sibling across the road. That all changed in 1965 when it was rebuilt by Glenlivet, updating its name to Caperdonic, and resuming production. Changing hands a few times, it stopped production in 2002 and then was demolished just 10 years later. You can read more here.

So what about this particular cask, bottled by Signatory for La Maison du Whisky?

Caperdonic 22 year (6 July 2000 / 5 Aug 2022) Hogshead Cask #29480 57.6%

Colour – Copper
Nose – Quite shy initially, then increasingly fruity
Palate – Interesting spice, a touch nutty
Finish – Gently faded away

A good example of the fruity, nutty character Caperdonich is known for… what a treat.

I then moved on to another exclusive La Maison du Whisky bottling – this time for their “Chapter VII” series…

Mortlach (2012/2022) 58.1%

Colour – Brilliant ruby
Nose – Sherry and ” boom!” intense and unmistakable sherry aromas
Palate – Again – dark rich and heavy sherry influences, veering into rum raisins
Finish – Continued in the same vein

What a sherry bomb! Heavy and showing every bit of its age – in a good way!

Like all experiences at a whisky festival, this was just a quick “sniff” and “swish” so please treat these tasting notes as superficial impressions! More of a starting point than a well-informed review.

Glenfarclas 10 year “Family Cask” (17 May 2012 / 20 May 2022) Sherry Hogshead #2504 60.9% (LMdW) 300 Bottles

I hope I can be forgiven for just a few scribbles for this next whisky – from the reliable Glenfarclas family stable – my notes literally state only:

Classic sherry nose, nice spicy sherry on the palate – lively and bursting with character.

Check out more interesting experiences from Whisky Live Paris here.

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“Character of Islay” – Ardbeg, Octomore

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

You thought we were done with Atom Brands? No chance! I simply had to go back to explore their “Character of Islay” range! From their Stories of Wind & Wave series, there were two distinct offerings.

Alas like the others, at Whisky Live Paris it was a mere sniff and swish, so forgive the brief impressions… That’s the beauty and danger of festival offerings…

Ardbeg 15 year (2004) 54.9% Bottle 012

Nose – Robust character, proper peat with smoked meats, something herbal too
Palate – A delicious meaty treat, peppery
Finish – Long and strong

Can I just say – yum! This came at the close of my 1st day and was definitely the direction to wind up a fabulous day of tasting adventures. Particularly as it came after the Lagg masterclass where I was well primed for something peaty!

If you want this for yourself, may need to track it down at a fest as it seems to be sold out! However, it was once available for Approx GBP 315.

Octomore 9 year (2011) 50% Bottle 140

Nose – Fruit forward then heat, sea breeze, and vanilla cream
Palate – Burst of flavour – peat and then shifts quickly to fruity sweet, then more peat and sweet
Finish – Fab all the way through the finish

I wasn’t alone in becoming a fan of this dram. A well-known Parisian chocolatier pronounced this the specific whisky he wants to use for his next single malt singular chocolate. Oh la la!

What a wonderful opportunity to try this powerful yet eminently quaffable dram from Bruichladdich. It may be tricky to find, however, it once retailed for GBP 187.

What a fabulous way to wind up my exploration of Atom Brands:

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Darkness Sherry – Mortlach, Blair Athol, Cambus

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

At Paris Whisky Live 2022, the VIP section had an area dedicated to Atom Brands – best known for That Boutique-y Whisky Company which was celebrating its 10th anniversary! However, they also featured their Darkness range of intensely sherried whiskies.

Is it OK if I confess to being a bit confused about their new “Darkness” range? After all, That Boutique-y already has their well-known Whiskies, Gin, and now also rum… so why not build a twist on this? Nope! True to form, they don’t do the predictable.. instead created a completely new brand for intensely sherry whiskies – both limited edition vintage and then another line which are matured for only 8 years.

As they explain, their approach for their Limited Editions is:

Finished in Octave Casks that may have held any type of sherry wine, our Head of Whisky explores specific finishes (Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Pedro Ximenez, Moscatel or Manzanilla) chosen for their ability to enhance individual distillery characteristics.

These are unrepeatable releases that have each undertaken Darkness’ signature liquid transformation in tiny octave sherry casks.

As always, what matters most is what is in the glass! On offer in Paris was:

Mortlach 20 year 49% (Darkness) EUR 171 for 500ml
Blair Athol 18 year 49.4% (Darkness) EUR 105 for 500ml
Cambus 29 year 45.7% (Darkness) EUR 145 for 500ml

As it was just a sniff and swish, please forgive the light impressions… however enough to hope there will be future opportunities to explore further!

So… where did I begin? With the Mortlach naturally!

Mortlach 20 year 49%

Nose – A burst of flavours! Loads of sweet dry fruits, chocolate
Palate – Amazingly rich. Gorgeous and delicious – nothing shy about this Mortlach!
Finish – Resinous and rewarding, mocha

If this Mortlach was any indication, calling this an “intense” range was spot on! Stunning and well worth exploring. A mighty and most enjoyable Mortlach malt.

I then moved on to the Blair Athol….

Blair Athol 18 year 49.4%

Nose – Oh my! Also quite the sherry bomb! Strong sherry elements – dark fruits, nutty
Palate – Yum! Superb. Figs and nuts, like an indulgent chocolate bar
Finish – Fruity, caramel

A clear stamp of Olorosso sherry! And frankly, simply delicious.

And last but certainly not least, an aged grain from the closed Cambus distillery.

Cambus 29 year 45.7%

Nose – Initially quite shy, then opened up to a lovely fruit basket
Palate – Complex, creamy, subtly sweet
Finish – Soft finish

After the incredibly robust Mortlach and Blair Athol, it was quite a shift to this Cambus. However, once my senses adjusted to something softer and gentler, could appreciate the lovely nuanced character.

What an interesting trio! Whilst I miss the fun That Boutique-y Whisky Company labels can appreciate the quality of the liquid in the Darkness bottles!

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TBWC 10th Anniversary – A funky Ben Nevis 25 year

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

I have to admit, Ben Nevis isn’t typically my preferred style of whisky, however, there was no way I would pass up a recommendation from Dave Worthington! Or miss trying a 10th Anniversary dram from That Boutique-y Whisky Company after the absolutely stunning 45 year Grain blend or the delightful Clynelish.

Ben Nevis 25 year (2022) Batch #16 55.8% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 260 for 500ml

Nose – Mineraly, salted chocolate, then some fruity elements, then shifting to cheese with a dash of balsamic
Palate – Spicy and robust, meaty, more of that balsamic, a touch of tobacco
Finish – Nice peppery finish

Dave described this as a “dirty Ben Nevis – in a good way!” And I would have to agree. Well worth trying… very interesting.

What do the folks at That Boutique-y Whisky Co have to say?

One of the few remaining truly “old-style” producers in Scotland, Ben Nevis has arguably never been as fashionable as it is now, with certain vintages (including this 1996 example) earning devout cult followings.

And the official tasting notes? Entertaining and spot on!

Nose – Overripe oranges on the turn, waxy shoe polish, a little sour apple juice too. Hints of rancio, dried fruits, and balsamic. Funky!
Palate – Big, and meaty. Balsamic glaze, dried fruits, leather, tobacco, slightly earthy, waxy, and black pepper. Ooh dirty!! Classic ’96 Ben Nevis!

About the label?

Our label artist Emily Chappell has taken cues from our long-standing Ben Nevis label that features a chap atop Ben Nevis (mountain), looking at Ben Nevis (distillery), drinking Ben Nevis (whisky) and holding Ben Nevis (bottle, featuring the scene again on its label). Here, it’s just the mountain itself in a glass, raised in (Ben’s?) hand for a 10th birthday “cheers”

Their brilliant cheeky “That Boutique-y Whisky Company” 10th Anniversary special drams were also joined by:

Clynelish 25 year (2022) Batch #11 47.1% (TBWC 10th Anniversary)
Blended Grain #1 45 year (2022) Batch #3 44.2% (TBWC 10th Anniversary)

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TBWC 10th Anniversary – The cheeky Clynelish 25 year

Posted on December 18, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

At Paris Whisky Live 2022, Atom Brands VIP section had a trio of very special whiskies bottled in celebration of their 10th anniversary! Starting with the remarkable 45-year-old Blended Grain, I next moved on to this cheeky Clynelish!

Clynelish 25 year (2022) Batch #11 47.1% (TBWC 10th Anniversary)

Nose – Such a treat in the glass! Orchard fruits, waxy with light salted caramel. Yum!
Palate – Light, lovely and softly tropical, with some cheeky tang and more of that waxy element, some salt topping up the sweet
Finish – Fruity finish

My immediate reaction on the 1st sniff was “I’m in love!” Fully appreciating this style is right up my preferred whisky style. Summery, classic and nuanced, it was pure delight. Something worthy and special for a celebration.

What more do we know? Here is what the fab folks over at TBwC have to say:

Come on now, it’s our 10th birthday, let’s pull out all the stops! Here is a treat we’ve been nurturing in our warehouses for years, a birthday celebration-worthy 25 yo Clynelish (Cline-leash)

Clear worts and long ferments start the process, while distillation involves maximising copper conversation creating an irreplaceable spirit character for the blender. As a result, the majority of Clynelish production is used for blends, mainly Johnnie Walker Gold Label but also as a backbone in the wider range of JW as well as Buchanan’s

As for the official tasting notes? Here you go:

Nose – Waxy plasticine notes immediately! Green apples and butterscotch. Salty coastal notes follow, with hints of pineapple too.
Palate – Exceptional! Waxy pineapples and tangerines, in brine. Tart apples and a hint of walnut oil. Very classy!

Remarkably, it is still available… if you just happen to have GBP 380 lying around for 500ml.

Their brilliant cheeky “That Boutique-y Whisky Company” 10th Anniversary special drams also included:

Ben Nevis 25 year (2022) Batch #16 55.8% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 260 for 500ml
Blended Grain #1 45 year (2022) Batch #3 44.2% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 190 for 500ml

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TBWC 10th Anniversary – Wow! 45 year Grain Blend

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

Birthdays can be brilliant good fun! At Paris Whisky Live 2022, That Boutique-y Whisky Company did this in style! It was also SUCH a treat to catch up with That Boutique-y Dave at the stand. I will fully confess to happily monopolizing some of his time whilst exploring their birthday treats!

Blended Grain #1 45 year (2022) Batch #3 44.2% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 190 for 500ml

Nose – Buttery and creamy, subtle warm fruits (white peach?), warm vanilla custard
Palate – Wonderful mouthfeel, smooth and sweet… lightly fruity and fabulous, confection
Finish – More soft vanilla and cream

I had no idea what to expect…. and was blown away. It was absolutely delicious!

I’ve had only a few whiskies above 40 years and this was my first experience with a grain blend of such a vintage. To add to the unique and “once in a lifetime” element is this blend is from two closed distilleries: North of Scotland and Carsebridge.

North of Scotland was a Lowland grain distillery in production only from 1958 to 1980. In its short 22 year history it was “thought to be one of the more flavoursome grain whiskies” with higher congeners in the spirit cut.

Whereas Carsebridge (aka Scottish Grain Distillers) can trace its history back to the 1790s, converted in 1852 to a grain distillery, in its heydey possibly the largest Lowland grain producer. Closing its doors in 1983, increasingly rare aged releases can still be found.

What more do we know? Here is what the folks at TBwC have to say in their official tasting notes:

Nose – Gentle, with vanilla, white chocolate and a touch of coconut,. Fresh sawdust, tinned peaches. Icing sugar.
Palate – Fresh and fruity. Kiwis, blood oranges, a touch of mango. Jaffa cakes, vanilla and soft oak tannins. Delicious, like only old grains can be!

And would I agree? You betcha! What a fabulous experience to taste this piece of history.

Their brilliant cheeky “That Boutique-y Whisky Company” 10th Anniversary special drams:

Ben Nevis 25 year (2022) Batch #16 55.8% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 260 for 500ml
Clynelish 25 year (2022) Batch #11 47.1% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 380 for 500ml

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Paris Whisky Live 2022 – ATOM Brands

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

My Paris Whisky Live 2022 VIP wanderings moved on to Atom Brands section – with their “fan favourite” That Boutique-y Whisky Company 10th anniversary selections then the newer Darkness range of intensely sherried whiskies.

Their brilliant cheeky “That Boutique-y Whisky Company” 10th Anniversary special drams:

Ben Nevis 25 year (2022) Batch #16 55.8% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 260 for 500ml
Clynelish 25 year (2022) Batch #11 47.1% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 380 for 500ml
Blended Grain #1 45 year (2022) Batch #3 44.2% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 190 for 500ml

From their new “Darkness” range, dedicated to intensely sherry whiskies, I tried:

Mortlach 20 year 49% (Darkness) EUR 171 for 500ml
Blair Athol 18 year 49.4% (Darkness) EUR 105 for 500ml
Cambus 29 year 45.7% (Darkness) EUR 145 for 500ml

As for their peaty whiskies? I knew it was too early in the day for me to explore, however, my lovely tasting companion and her exceptional chocolatier friend dipped into the smokey side and were raving about the Octomore!

Which inspired me to return just before leaving to check out the “Character of Islay” duo:

Ardbeg 15 year (2004) 54.9% (Character of Islay) GBP 315
Octomore 9 year (2011) 50% (Character of Islay) GBP 187

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Paris Whisky Live 2022 – Valinch + Mallet

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

What fun! Another independent bottler! This time via friends from Italy – Davide Romano and Fabio Ermoli – who founded Valinch & Mallet in 2015. I was tipped off that these guys were a “must-visit” at Paris Whisky Live 2022‘s VIP section… and while I only sampled two whiskies would certainly take more time to explore more the next opportunity!

I asked Fabio for guidance – something classic and unpeated…. he immediately knew to direct my attention to the Linkwood and Knockdu / anCnoc. What did I find with a light sniff and swish?

Linkwood 11 year (2010/2022) Sherry Cask #134 53.4% (Valinch + Mallet) 550 Bottles

Colour – Glowing amber
Nose – Remarkably heavy nose, wood
Palate – Burst of flowers, then juicy fruits, heavy and spicy hot
Finish – Sweet and sustained

This was no light, sprightly stroll in the park, it was a full-flavoured fruity, floral frolic in a hot summer garden. Nothing shy or subdued, just sheer summery exuberance bursting from the glass.