Chorlton – Glentauchers 8 year 61.2%

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Double trouble or twice charmed? In the case of Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague April 2023 releases, spoiler alert! Both this Glentauchers 8 year and the Glentauchers 14 year were marvelous – in different ways.

Glentauchers 8 year (2023) 61.2% 291 Bottles

  • Nose – Oh yum! Sticky toffee pudding, jammy, a voluminous dessert, small tight berries packed with tart and sweet, joined by pineapple, then buttery chocolate eclairs, apple sauce with cinnamon
  • Palate – Very full and robust! Dark plum skins, so intoxicating and delicious, rich chocolate cream, then black forrest cake, then juicy ripe berries – especially the delightful red currents we get in Germany, incredibly satisfying… is that a wee bit of nut butter or hazelnut cream? Mixed in with loads of sweet spices
  • Finish – Long, strong, and rewarding… even a bit savoury rather then back to sweet towards the end
  • Water – If it is even possible, fruitier?1 Like a candy shop from red licorice to gumdrops to candied orange peel

Overall we found this lively and colourful… practically addictive in its exuberance. There is no subtle shyness here…. this 8 year is proud to flaunt its sherry influences! There is a quixotic charm, and though it is on the edge of being overwhelming, it is simply too good to resist.

I tasted it over two evenings – the first which was a friendly evening February – there was little doubt this was the “hit” of the evening. However the next time around, my companions preferred the gentler and more genteel qualities of the Glentauchers 14 year. Both are frankly fabulous – just in different ways.

From Chorlton, we have the following description and tasting notes:

Next up we have an 8-year-old Glentauchers matured in a first-fill sherry hogshead*. Another sherried Glentauchers, you say? Well, yes, as this one’s such a fun contrast.

The nose starts with chocolate cream, hazelnut nougat, butterscotch and overripe banana, then heads in a distinctly savoury direction with veg stock cubes, dried mushrooms, parsley stalks and OK Sauce. Little hints of old tool shed, liquorice, and coal tar. It’s big and boisterous, and very changeable as it breathes or when water is added (prunes, kejap manis and cocoa powder in that case, since you ask).

The palate has a thick texture, starting on chocolate cornflake cakes, fudge and café crème then developing on a mix of jammy red fruits (redcurrant jelly? cherry jam?) and umami-ness (walnuts, bouquet garnis, BBQ meat, sesame paste). With water it’s softer, with banana wine, Cadbury’s Mini Rolls, chocolate orange and ginger.

Where the 14yo is elegant and collected, the 8yo is lairy and talkative. You do still get that sense of fruity Glentauchers spirit at the heart though. This cask produced 291 bottles at 61.2% and they are available for £59.50 each.

* – just for full transparency: this cask sprung a leak and had to be housed for a short time before bottling in a refill hogshead.

I purchased this from WhiskyBase for a mark-up to open in Nurnberg one fine evening in February 2024.

Here are a few more from La Nouvelle Vague series:

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Chorlton – Glentauchers 14 year 61.6%

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Sometimes waiting isn’t easy. That was very much the case with this Glentauchers 14 year, which was bottled in April 2023 but waited patiently until February 2024 to be opened in Nurnberg together with its younger cousin – the Glentauchers 8 year.

Knowing from the official tasting notes that the younger would be more robust, we began with the older expression.

Glentauchers 14 year (2023) 61.6% 610 Bottles

  • Nose – Oh my! Creme brulee, creamy French vanilla ice cream, yellow plums, loads going on – from brandy to sticky toffee pudding to crunchy lemon drop candies, then a sweet bread like fresh piping hot brioche… whilst there were many different elements, all were restrained and elegant not forceful
  • Palate – A bit of spice to start (no surprise at 61.16%!), however, it quickly settled into a nuanced and surprisingly delicate palate, honey, smooth and immensely satisfying we found a “rum topf” dimension – a kind of rummy fruit compote to which seasonal  fruits and berries such as strawberries, Johanisbeer, red currents and more are added over the year to be then enjoyed after boiling down to create an intense flavourful, also a resinous quality
  • Finish – What a lovely long lingering finish… retaining the fruity dessert qualities
  • Water – Yes please! So many more lovely things come forward. Joining the fruit and berry compote is a delightful red licorice, kumquats, all drenched in delicious honey
  • Revisit – Much later in the evening we returned… It reminded me of angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream! The citrus twist was more pronounced. Others found ground nutmeg, ginger, and more sweet spices

Overall it was impossible not to be enchanted by this elegant and refined whisky. We simply fell in love with BOTH the Glentauchers 14 year or 8 year – tough to decide if one was preferred over the other – however with the first tasting fresh from the closed bottle, the “consumption vote” favoured the sherried younger dram. In a later evening, the 14 year was vastly preferred for its classic elegant styling. Just goes to show mood and company make a difference. All I know is that I’m happy a bit remains to be enjoyed another day!

What did David have to say? The following is an extract from his email…

Back to more familiar terrain! This is a 14-year-old Glentauchers matured in a refill sherry butt

I don’t generally experience synaesthesia, but those nose on this is very “yellow” – I get buttery brioche, good panettone (try the naturally-leavened one that Pollen do at Christmas if you ever get the chance), soft marzipan, peaches and yellow plums, banana yoghurt and honey. In the background is a little chalky earthiness and chocolate biscuit.

The palate is honeyed, with crème pât (I can’t get my mind out of the cake shop), stone fruits and lemon. The development is malty, with flapjacks, chocolate brownies, then sweet black tea and (very distinct) golden sultanas in the aftertaste. Adding water amps up the zestiness, with tangerine, yellow flowers, pear cake and lemon drops popping up.

Very elegant and cakey, this, with the refill sherry adding a gentle richness to the underlying fruity spirit. The butt produced 610 bottles at 61.1% and they are available for £79.50 each.

Part of Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague series from April 2023, I purchased this directly from Chorlton, which rested initially in London before I had a chance to bring it to Deutschland.

Here are a few more from La Nouvelle Vague series:

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Denmark’s Fary Lochan Tasting Treat!

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Sometimes you discover something unexpected. Something distinct. Something that may even defy description yet still finds its place in your mind as something worthy of remembering. This was exactly my experience with my first taste of Fary Lochan in London – thanks to That Boutique-y Whisky Co! This was followed up by an equally remarkable bottle opened as part of an evening exploring European drams.

So when a fellow enthusiast offered to share some samples, I was delighted! And what an experience!

It was a typical February evening in Nurnberg – cold, rainy, and frankly miserable. Exactly the kind of weather that encourages cocooning at home, not venturing out. However, my tasting companion braved the weather to join me from Bamberg in exploring this quintet:

  • Fary Lochan 5 year (2012/2017) Rum No. 1, 64.7%
  • Fary Lochan 6 year (2016/2022) Moscatel Finish, Batch 5, 62.1%
  • Fary Lochan 7 year (2014/2021) Olorosso 60.3% (Single Cask by Liquid Madness)
  • The Nordic “Vindoga” Sherry Casks #2 (Fary Lochan, Mosgaard, Smogen, High Coast, Myken, Teerenpeli) 59.7% (Berry Bro’s & Rudd)
  • Fary Lochan 7 year (2015/2023) Peat & Port No. 1, 60.9%

What makes this whisky unique is how its smoke comes from nettles – inspired by nettle-smoked cheese from Funen.

Our journey began with the Rum cask…

Fary Lochan 5 year (2012/2017) Rum No. 1, 64.7% ~Eur 199. 639 bottles

  • Colour – Very pale straw
  • Nose – Light spice, freshly sawed pine wood, honey, sea grass, herbal, as it opened, there was a hint of fruits – pear and apple – which grew the more time spent in the glass
  • Palate – Warming, pine sol, some black peppercorns, distinctive and yet also a bit subdued – which is not necessarily a bad thing!
  • Finish – Carries through then disappears
  • Water – Makes it much more bitter and the distinctive element is a bit lost… the aromas still have herbal elements, chased by vanilla

It was a good start – a well-chosen beginning as it was more subtle and restrained than our next offerings.

What more do we know? It matured for approximately four years in ex-bourbon casks before being finished for another year in rum casks.

We carried on with a revisit of the dram which prompted this evening!

Fary Lochan 6 year (2016/2022) Moscatel Finish, Batch 5, 62.1% ~Eur 125

  • Colour – Bright gold with darker hints of amber
  • Nose – Sour cherry, apple sauce, nuts and a unique herbal element
  • Palate – Wonderfully full, delicious and so well rounded, sweet herbal, balanced, yet with a distinctive element
  • Finish – Yum! A delicious spice that lingers… stays and stays and stays…

Overall we could best describe this expression as like being enveloped by a warm comforting blanket. The revisit of this dram cemented our positive opinion! With that elusive yet very distinctive “Fary Lochan” element!

Next, we turned to the sherry Olorosso single-cask bottled Liquid Madness…

Fary Lochan 7 year (2014/2021) Olorosso 60.3% (Single Cask by Liquid Madness) ~Eur 90

  • Colour – Deep amber
  • Nose – Clear unmistakable sherry stamp, also some red wine tannins, rich mocha, freshly shaved wood combined with smoked herbs, licorice, sour fruits
  • Palate – A darker, heavier flavour than the Moscatel finish, has depth and substance, a wonderful mouthfeel, burnt toast with marmite, dry and curious, some fruits that were a bit hard to exactly pinpoint, yet worked!
  • Finish – Smoke
  • Revisit – After some time we returned to our near-empty glasses – Delicious chilli chocolate

We remarked that this is the kind of “reward” whisky after a hard day. The Olorosso certainly had more in common with the Moscatel than the Rum finish, however, amped up in the best possible way. And if you didn’t catch it from the description, we really liked it!

Our next choice was a completely different direction with a blend!

The Nordic “Vindoga” Sherry Casks #2 59.7% Blend of Fary Lochan, Mosgaard, Smogen, High Coast, Myken, Teerenpeli (bottled by Berry Bro’s & Rudd)

  • Colour – Dark coffee with a ruby-red glow
  • Nose – Oh my! A lot of competing elements! Fruits & berries, nuts & peat. Very active – jumping all over. From Mocha to molasses, dried berries, sour
  • Palate – Power packed – again lots going on. Different voices vying for attention. Sherry, more of that mocha, spice, intense
  • Finish – Linges with chocolate raisins and nuts

Where to begin with this one? There are so many different dimensions – more a cacophony than harmony. And yet unmistakably interesting. Just a few drops go a long way!

We closed with the peated expression… knowing that typically what works best for tasting orders is sweet before peat!

Fary Lochan 7 year (2015/2023) Peat & Port No. 1, 60.9%

  • Colour – Bright rose gold
  • Nose – Sour apples with a dusting of cinnamon, ripe cherries, a herbal quality to the smoke – like sweet grass?
  • Palate – Deceptively soft at first then a bonfire! Full flavoured, fruit and peat, jam and chocolate, salted nuts. By the 3rd sip, it started to settle down with the port and peat interplay dancing around the palate
  • Finish – Keeps going…

Hiding behind all the most pronounced features was that distinctive Fary Lochan element. Perhaps it was because this was such a departure, however, it didn’t quite “click” with us the way the others did. Still very interesting to try and perhaps needed more time and quantity in the glass to really open up. That is the danger of sharing samples sometimes! Never enough to get the full feel.

Can I just say – wow! It was absolutely remarkable to further explore this very distinctive Danish distillery offerings. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it so remarkable – however, there is just something completely unique. For us, both the Olorosso and Moscatel finish stood out as clear winners!

HUGE thank you to Barley Mania for kindly sharing some precious drops of your Fary Lochan collection! I can indeed see why it has captivated you! And now us too!

What about other whiskies sampled from Denmark

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Surprise me: Glendronach vs Glen Scotia

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Our Nurnberg’s International Whisky group kicked off 2024 with a “Surprise me!” evening – which began with a whisky from the Lowlands, then a pair of Irish whiskies, then closed with a battle of the Glens! The whisky choices were a mystery to all but the contributors, decisions around order were proposed by the contributors too. Whilst it was a bit random, it all came together rather well!

Glendronach 12 year (2018) 43%

  • Nose – From the 1st whiff there was zero doubt this was a robust sherry matured whisky! Plummy, rummy raisins, dates, some leather… Frankly, it was soooooooo delicious!
  • Palate – Spicy, more of that leather, lots of dark fruits, some dark bitter chocolate, all the elements of a black forest cake – a quality one that isn’t overly sweet
  • Finish – Mocha

What a treat! It was complex, well-rounded, and utterly astounding how much flavour and aromas are possible with a mere 43% ABV. Everything was in perfect balance – the kind of whisky you want to curl up and enjoy over a long evening.

With the reveal, our whisky contributor shared how this expression was likely one of the last Glendronach 12-year expressions from the period steered by Billy Walker before his move to GlenAllachie.

We then moved on to our last whisky of the evening. Our whisky contributor kept quiet about the details until the reveal… just that it was something “special” he had picked up.

Glen Scotia 10 year (2013-2023) 1st fill Ruby Port Finish 46% (Whisky.de Clubflasche) ~Eur 60

  • Nose – What is that? Peat? It had a nice toasty element, fresh oats, salted nuts, a maritime breeze, mushrooms with an earthy forest dimension, and then something faintly floral
  • Palate – Rounded and well balanced, more of those nuts – almonds? Vanilla and sweet spices, warming like a fuzzy blanket
  • Finish – Long with a hint of chocolate chased by berries

Overall we pronounced it a great “rough weather” whisky. The kind of dram for when it is cold and stormy outside – and all you want to do is remain cozy inside. Or something bracing and warming after a rainy hike in a forest – yes that IS a thing!

The surprise was that it was a peaty whisky. Why? Our whisky contributor tends to prefer unpeated sherry drams. However, he shared that it came as a special “club” bottle for joining Whisky.de. As the peat was subtle and not medicinal, he found that it had started to grow on him.

What more do we know about the whisky? The casks include 1st fill ex-bourbon hogshead, finish in 1st fill Ruby Port hogshead, refill bourbon cask. Interesting.

And that concluded our evening of surprises! For most, the Green Spot and last two stood out.

Curious to learn more about the other drams sampled? Check out the other whiskies from our “Surprise Me” evening:

If you are curious to join one of our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events – just find us on Meetup!

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Surprise me: Ireland’s Green Spot vs Tullamore D.E.W.

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Bring a few whisky folks together with no rules on what bottle to bring beyond “Surprise me!“…. let’s just say there are bound to be some “hits” along with a “miss” or two! We tasted blind and, curiously, ended up with a pair from Ireland!

First up was a fabulous opportunity to revisit Green Spot!

Green Spot 40%

  • Nose – Fruity! Mostly banana, sunshine on apples and pears, friendly and warm.. as it opened it shifted from ripe bananas to green banana peel, then was replaced by a crisp granny smith, waxy then finally floral – lovely!
  • Palate – Apple custard, mangosteens, very smooth, sweet, quite light yet still had substance – think vanilla cake with pudding chased by light spice, some toast, and oak
  • Finish – Light yet long, a hint of nuts
  • Return – After trying the others, we came back – a delightful perfume danced around the near-empty glass!

We really liked this one! Teasingly before the reveal, small insights were shared, Such as though without an age statement, it is generally known to be 7-10 years. Then it was matured in a mix of new and refilled bourbon casks and then finished in Sherry casks.

My initial guess was Green Spot but was confused as it sounded like this was a new player… With the reveal, we could clarify this is far from the case as the Mitchel family has been in the bonding business since the 1800s. As for the “Spots“, the story goes:

The Mitchells matured their whiskey in casks under the streets of Dublin in their network of underground cellars. When their fortified wine casks were filled exclusively with Jameson spirit from the old Bow St. Distillery, they were marked with a daub or ‘spot’ of paint which identified how long the barrels would be matured for. Blue for 7 years, Green for 10 years, Yellow for 12 years and Red for 15 years—hence the name Spot Whiskey.

For my part, it was truly a delight to revisit the Green Spot. An unexpected treat!

We moved on to the next mystery dram – another Irish whisky – this time from Tullamore D.E.W.

Tullamore D.E.W. 40% 

  • Nose – Harsh, sour apple juice or apple sauce… we waited to see if a bit of time in the glass would help reveal more – nope! At best, maybe some honey and cinnamon joined the sour mash, with a hint of salt
  • Palate – Burning when it hits, yet at the same time thin and weak, perhaps some plum?
  • Finish – Bitter nuts
  • Water – Added just in case it made a difference…. nope!

Yikes! What a contrast from the Green Spot! It was not complex… not terribly appealing. Truth be told, we didn’t know what to make of it. With our water experiment, I learned a new German word “schlimmbesserung” roughly explained as an attempt to improve which actually makes it worse!

With the reveal, we learned it was the Tullamore D.E.W. core expression – which is a blend of grain, malt, and pot still whisky. Produced by Grant & Sons, it is reputed to be the 2nd largest-selling Irish whisky in the world – behind Jameson. One has to wonder if the popularity has more to do with affordability (only Eur 14) than other factors…

Like many Irish whiskies, it was once a distillery but then, for many years it was a brand – with the liquid coming from Middleton. However, in 2014, The Grant & Sons folks built a new distillery near the old Tullamore distillery. So presumably some of the whiskey we tried came from the Tullamore distillery.

Can’t say they won any new fans with us. We were reminded that sometimes you win, and sometimes not!

So what did we try in our “Surprise Me” evening?

If you are curious to join one of our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events – just find us on Meetup!

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Surprise me: Lowland’s Auchentoshan 12 year 40%

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Our first dram in our “Surprise me!” evening was from the Scottish Lowlands – the entry-level Auchentoshan 12 year. We knew nothing about what we were sampling as the bottle was covered. Only that the contributor thought it would be a good place to begin our evening…

Auchentoshan 12 year 40%

  • Colour – Amber (however we later learned it was likely enhanced)
  • Nose – Wood, some sherry elements then they disappeared. Some vanilla, apricot pits, plums, subtle with some brown sugar sweetness… as it opened a hint of citrus which evolved into a lemon pineapple
  • Palate – Nutty, with a sharpness, some more of that wood coming through, one described it as “feinty” (not a good thing) and another as “straightforward”, some tannins and a dry spice
  • Finish – Not much to be found, on the bitter side

Overall we pronounced it not a bad place to begin our journey. With the reveal, several folks remarked on having mixed experiences with this lowland distillery.

Our whisky contributor had high expectations – particularly as it was touted as being unique for its triple distill approach – til a few of us started to explain it isn’t alone… And whilst it didn’t add anything significant to our whisky adventures, it was good to revisit a standard.

However, our contributor was a tad disappointed in her purchase. So when she wanted to be sure her next bottle was true to her palate preference, we went on a tasting quest to find something JUST right!

Which is all part of a whisky explorer’s path!

And what about my previous Auchentoshan explorations? They have fallen into two categories:

So what else did we try in our “Surprise Me” evening?

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Surprise me!

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Let’s be honest folks, we are influenced by brand, by past experience… our brains like putting things into easy-to-interpret boxes. Take the packaging and pre-conceived notions away, and one has to work all that much harder to understand – in this case – what lies in our whisky glass.

This was the genesis of our first session Nurnberg’s International Whisky of 2024 with a fun approach – called “Surprise me!” so named as participants brought a covered bottle, revealing the details only after trying. We had no guidelines, no theme, no notion of what would show up!

So what did we try?

Curious to know more? Click the above links to learn more…

Without any planning, it was interesting to see how there was nary a Scottish Speyside or Islay in the mix!

If you are curious to join one of our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events – just find us on Meetup!

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Whisky Auctions

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When I first moved to Germany, the fabulous Malt Maniac – Krishna Nakula – requested to use my address to ship a couple bottles from whisky auctions. This is how we had an opportunity to try a remarkable Hedges & Butler 21 year!

I am a total neophyte when it comes to Whisky Online Auctions… however, being based in Germany has a massive advantage over other parts of the world with a couple accessible options that readily deliver to Germany.

So one fine weekend, I decided to take the plunge! My approach was a bit random:

  • Target one possible “big” purchase – from a favourite distillery and my birth year
  • Then put bids in for a few different bottles that were within what I considered a reasonable range 
  • And then stopped… you could call it a call it “spray & pray” approach! After making my original bid, I committed to myself to simply let others outbid me and see what remained at the end

Are you as curious as I am about the results? Well, I can’t believe it! I bid for 18 bottles expecting to get maybe 2 or 3… instead, it was ZERO. Despite my having the highest bid on two at the time of the auction closing – both of which were terrific deals. Hmm…. This doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the process. 

However, I decided to try again… this time had slightly better success however again missed out on the ones I REALLY was keen on. My conclusion? Perhaps a “spray and pray” approach isn’t the way to go if attempting such an activity again!

What did I snag instead?

Ardnamurchan AD / 4.21:03 46.8% 700ml O.B.

When they launched, there was a huge spike in interest and demand. One of my regrets from the Whisky Show 2023 was not spending time exploring the Ardnamurchan range on offer. So I decided to rectify it by acquiring a bottle – if possible.

All I knew was that it was matured in 65% bourbon and 35% sherry casks, this 50.50 mix of peated and unpeated spirit is the third release in Ardnamurchan`s AD series. Presumably, the 4.21 means it was bottled in April 2021 and “:03” means the 3rd release.

Tasting notes were limited to: A saline and candied citrus peel profile on the nose is followed by honeyed crisp fruit on the palate.

I purchased from WhiskyAuction.com in January 2024 for Eur 38 plus fees & shipping for approx Eur 48. This expression can still be tracked down with a range of prices from Eur 65 to GBP 100. 

Aultmore 9 year (Autumn 2000 / Spring 2010) Provenance Cask No 6211 46.8% (700ml Douglas McGibbon & Co. Ltd)

Next up was an Aultmore… Here, I have to be completely honest, I was swayed by memories of a much earlier young cask strength Aultmore.

I purchased it for Eur 46 plus fees & shipping for approx Eur 57. As with all my bids, I knew I wasn’t getting a brilliant deal, but it was within a comfortable range.

Glenkinchie 10 year 43% 200ml O.B.

The last was a Lowland malt – more of an impulse bid, not really thinking I would be successful. I will admit to knowing little about this expression beyond it originally being released in 1987 as a standard expression through the 1990s, since replaced by the 12 year.

I purchased it Eur 21 plus fees & shipping for approx Eur 27. In hindsight, this was probably a bit steep for a 200 ml bottle. 

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A birthday quest – Blends, Edradour and GlenAllachie

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There we were on a quest to find an interesting whisky worthy of a birthday self-present. My tasting companion is in her early days of whisky discovery… enough to know peaty drams are out, prefers something smooth with a bit of complexity, veering more towards sherry casks or finishes than purely ex-bourbon matured.

Taking this as a place to begin, I opened up an advent calendar and sorted the 24 bottles into categories with a suggested shortlist. We then checked that the whisky to be sampled is still possible to purchase, then began our quest in earnest!

As our proposed next tasting group theme was “Not your ordinary blend“, I suggested we start with a pair of blends from Berry Bro’s & Rudd with their Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Speyside and Sherry cask.

Then to test the waters of something a bit outside the comfort zone, we had the Edradour 10 year – a core expression from this small traditional Highland distillery.

We closed with a pair of unpeated drams from GlenAllachie – specifically the standard 15-year expression then a special Cuvee Cask Finish from 2009.

What did we think?

Whilst we knew we would shift more into a sherry vein, it is always good to begin with a bit of palate calibration – in this case the affordable Blended Speyside – before venturing into the Blended Sherry.

Berry Bro’s & Rudd Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 44.2% (~Eur 36)

  • Nose – Initially quite fruity, then shifted into a distinctly metallic quality combined with fruits like tinned peaches. Vanilla bounced forward before fading away. As the whisky warmed in the glass, it shifted to apple cider, a touch of ginger, melons, and some light cereals drizzled with honey
  • Palate – Light spice, malty, the apple element carries through – like  apple sauce with sweet spices
  • Finish – Lightly bitter that sweetens into honey

Overall it was a satisfying way to begin our tasting. It would make a mighty fine calibration dram – an affordable, light Speyside dram without any major fuss.

Berry Bro’s & Rudd Sherry Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 44.2% (~Eur 36)

  • Nose – Shy at first, then reveals a lovely chocolate mocha, a touch of salted caramel, some marmalade
  • Palate – Much less shy than the nose! Some bold sherry influences, joined by burnt caramel, bitter orange
  • Finish – A touch spicy then runs off quickly

In this case, it was quite mild and nuanced on the nose, then more robust on the palate. In some ways, it reminded me of a young Glenrothes combined with other elements. Again, for a sherry introduction, not such a bad way to begin. However we both knew neither were going to be the ONE.

E

Edradour 10 year 40% (~Eur 46)

  • Nose – Curious. We were initially greeted by a distinctive medicinal aroma, like red plastic pills or a tincture, it then shifted into some cherry, dried fruits, walnuts that began as cracked straight from the shell, then shifted into roasted and candied walnuts
  • Palate – Interesting. There was some spice and oak from an ex-bourbon cask, there was also typical sherry elements too with sweet spices, orange and dried fruits, however it didn’t stand out
  • Finish – Just an extension of the palate – light sweet spices and oak

It took a bit of time for the medicinal quality to shift, but that made all the difference. For my tasting companion, this was a helpful opportunity to confirm this isn’t the direction she wants to explore further for her special birthday dram.

As context, I shared how most of the Edradour’s that I’ve enjoyed most have been limited expressions – such as their 15 year Fairy Flag. I also noted that they have a peated expression under the brand Ballechin – we had a sample included in the advent calendar which I had set aside. Somehow their standard expressions – this 10 year old and its 12 year old cousin – Caledonia – tend to be overlooked.

GlenAllachie 15 year 46% (~Eur 72)

  • Nose – Caramel, sweet spices, raisins and plums, chocolate milk
  • Palate – Full-bodied and fabulous! Tropical fruits, mocha, orange peel and butterscotch, hazelnuts, silky smooth
  • Finish – A lovely finish with vanilla oak and a touch of cinnamon
  • Water – Whilst not needed, if you are looking forward to a more approachable version, then definately add!

Now we are talking! Clearly leaning towards the Sherry side, this expression is the kind of dram you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy… It doesn’t need to be center stage, instead makes the perfect accompaniment to a friendly evening.

GlenAllachie (2009/2011) Olorosso, Chinquapin and Grattamacco Tuscan Red Cuvee Cask Finish 55.9% (~Eur 72 – 110, though apparently originally for Eur 60+)

  • Nose – It started with vanilla and marshmallows, then shifted to dark grape peels and red wine tannins, further joined by brazil nut and raisins, subtle and intriguing, it continued to evolve in the glass over time. There was a lovely perfume – a white flower that we struggled to pinpoint – perhaps clematis? Much later, there was fresh sawdust, buttered toast, then bourbon vanilla ice cream, perhaps even a whiff of sea breeze
  • Palate – A lot was going on! There was an effervescent quality – clearly active with a combination of caramel, wine tannins, red licorice, and nuts joined by chocolate
  • Finish – Shifted between lightly bitter to spice to honeyed sweetness
  • Water – A touch of water opens it up further in a rather nice way

No light-hearted easy-going dram here. This is one that both expects and deserves attention. Ex-Sherry Olorros casks are combined with whisky matured in Chinquapin Oak (Quercus Muehlenbergii) – whilst not specifically disclosed – one would presume virgin oak, before being finished in red wine. It makes for an interesting interplay between the different elements. Whilst I’m often a bit skeptical of red wine finishes, this one works as the wine finish was a subtle rather than dominant addition.

What more do we know? The reason it was featured in the 2022 Kirsch Advent calendar is that originally it was bottled specifically for Kirsh imports with 3,000 bottles.

What was the verdict? Track down the GlenAllachie 2009 if possible… and if not, my sense was that the GlenAllachie 15-year would make for a good backup.

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Sherry Battle! Aberlour 16 year + Arran Sherry

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The battle of the Sherries came about one relaxed evening in London. We were gearing up for the Whisky Show 2023, and my host pulled out two of his favourite drams. Both sherry, both quality and still available at a reasonably accessible price point. He wanted to see which reigned supreme. Spoiler alert – both for different reasons!

  • Arran Sherry 55.8%  – Sherry meets bannoffie pie! Drunken raisins, salted caramel… Smooth with dark fruits, and sweet spices… long strong finish
  • Aberlour 16 year 40% – You would think it would be gentle at a mere 40%, however, don’t let that fool you! Full of all the wonderful sherry influenced fruits, Christmasy spices then on the palate ginger and chocolate. Yum.

For those not familiar, Aberlour is known for its consistent use of ex-Olorosso sherry casks… until they recently launched their Alba line.

Whereas Arran, from Lochranza Distillery, regularly uses a range of casks – from Bourbon to Port, from Amarone to Sauternes, and of course Sherry!

As we sampled them side by side, we reflected on how each revels in the sherry cask, with the Aberlour a bit heavier despite it being 40% and the Arran more nuanced and lively, not surprising given its cask strength.

I missed making detailed notes however simply remembered how much we enjoy both whiskies. Each would go well in any whisky cabinet.

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