Port Charlotte MRC:01 2010 Review

Hi everyone,

Well, r/Scotch has reached 100,000 subscribes! I just wanna let each and every one of you know that I love you all and think that you are amazing despite knowing little or nothing about you and essentially you’re all strangers. We share the same passion though. The passion for repeatedly emptying our wallets, often to our detriment.

This community is so great and has grown a huge amount since I started reviewing here. I am hugely privileged to be a small part of it and I hope that I can continue to contribute my bit.

Think I’m going to get to #1000 reviews then do some more of my Let’s Talk series but for now I’ve got an intense beast of a whisky…

Port Charlotte MRC:01 59.7%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Meaty, red berries, good sulphur, cream soda, cranberry, red grape, dirty orange. Big nose with plenty going on but not particularly balanced.

Water: Softer, more orange, more sulphur, better balanced now.

Taste: Big! Brutally powerful and intense, almost overwhelmingly so. Spicy, smoky, mineral, red grape, orange, black pepper, not too wine-y though, quite dry but not really balanced out.

Water: Buttery, oily, then very dry with wood and spices.

Finish: Long length. Powerful, spices, smoke, pretty brutish here.

Distilled 2010, bottled at 7yo and from 100% Scottish barley. Finished in red wine casks from a certain famous Bordeaux  producer.

Anyone want their palate steamrolled? Really good but doesn't do it for me as its seems like just a wall of brutal power which doesn’t do wonders for the balance. Still, I can imagine some people absolutely loving this one.

77/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #815

Whisky Network Review #971

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Ledaig & Wine: 2007 Pomerol, 2003 Amarone & 2008 Moscatel Reviews

Hi everyone,

Back to a favourite of mine…

Ledaig and wine should work, its worked before with the G&M Hermitage. It should bring out the meat and unami notes, melding with the smoke. For some reason though, it doesn’t always work and here’s two good examples with red wine and one with Moscatel because why the hell not.

More Ledaig on the way too…

Ledaig 2007 Chieftain’s Pomerol Finish 58%

Colour: Orangey-Redish

Body: Full

Nose: Don’t remember being impressed on first nosing but this is better. Ledaig through and through, meaty, pickled lime from the curry house, Ardbeggian notes, a lighter note if vanilla and soft floral oak.

Water: More funky, more of the floral oak and vanilla, some cheese? Moments of wet cardboard?

Taste: Soft arrival with lime juice and then big spices, cinnamon, clove, coriander, some sharp oak, then peppery meat, strong black tea, some vanilla. Lacking the oily mouthfeel of other Ledaigs.

Water: More intense arrival, much more of the wine, sugary with much less spice to it, more balanced and paced development but a sharp cherry note.

Finish: Long length. Powerful but not quite balanced with more curry paste, lime and spices.

June 2007-April 2018. Doesn’t quite hit the right notes. One of those whiskies that should pull all the right punches and doesn’t.

76/100

 

Ledaig 2003 Anam na h-Alba Amarone Finish 58.3%

Colour: Pinkish

Body: Full

Nose: Smoked fruit gums (if there were such a thing), earthy peat but a tad thin like the Chieftain’s Pomerol, small red berries, grapefruit and pomegranate.

Taste: Intense then soft, red berries, a little sour, orange, peat building up, earthy and mineral, granite, pomegranate, pickled lime.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Black pepper spice and raspberry fruit gums.

Bottled 2018 at 15yo, not sure how long the finishing was. This is very similar to the Cheiftain's Pomerol actually. A little thin for a Ledaig and not balanced with the wine like the G&M Hermitage. No meaty notes too!

76/100

 

Ledaig 2008 The Maltman 57.1%

Colour: Straw

Body: Full

Nose: A natural, musky Ledaig with a layer of green grape, slightly floral, butter, white pepper, sooty smoke.

Taste: Great arrival, crystallised lemon peel, lovely oils, sweet grape then buttery Ledaig smoke, more minerals and peat build. A subtle floral note hiding away in there.

Finish: Medium length. The peat goes quite quick but leaves soft florals, soft oak and a little spice.

Bottled 2018 at 10yo. A 4 month Moscatel finish. Interesting although it hasn't had a massive effect, leaving the spirit quite natural.

78/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #737-#739

Whisky Network Reviews #875-#877

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Caol Ila 2004 Hermitage G&M & 1991 Cooper's Choice Reviews

Hi everyone,

We’ve got some Caol Ila today. It’s the largest distillery on Islay, pumping out the good stuff for them to cram into Johnnie Walker. But sometimes there’s too much of it, or they don’t need it, or it doesn’t fit into the flavour profile or a company has filling contracts for it.

So they sell it. Quite a bit of it actually, because they can afford to and because they can. So if you see a mystery Islay, there normally isn’t a huge amount of mystery behind it and its Caol Ila. And remember, Caol Ila is hugely versatile and can taste like Laphroaig or Lagavulin if it wants to. So, some sneaky people imply that it’s a more prestigious distillery but most industry insiders know exactly what it is…

These aren’t those mystery’s though. Nope. These are clearly labelled and deliciously matured by two good indie bottlers that seem to know what they’re doing.

Caol Ila 2004 Hermitage Finish 45%

Colour: Redish Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Memories of the Ledaig Hermitage but less intense, funky, meaty smoke, herbal notes and creamy raspberry.

Taste: Soft, sweet, little smoke but red berries, cranberry, some herbal notes in there, the red wine has really softened it actually. Some peppery spice.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Very little here, small berries, a little more smoke than the palate.

3 year Hermitage finish was perhaps a little too long? Not enough to Caol Ila to it and the wine has really shot the finish.

70/100

 

Caol Ila 1991 Cooper's Choice 46%

Colour: Straw

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Old Laphroaig, tropical fruit and dusty peat with sooty undertones, mango and lemon, quite soft, there's a little biscuit. Quite quiet as old Caol Ila often is at first. Some more maritime notes as it opens up with dried seaweed and more oak then also floral notes.

Taste: Soft and textured, lovely oily malt, lemon and some pineapple, then cinnamon, very old Laphroaig-like, sooty, nice strength, excellent balance. Florals underneath with dry oak, Parma Violets, almost old Bowmore like as it develops.

Finish: Long length. Lots of soot, much more earthy with creamy heather and some slight medicinal notes.

Refill butt, bottled 2016 at 25yo. Wonderful example of older Caol Ila and, as I said, when it wants to, Caol Ila can taste like any of the other Islay distilleries.

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #709-#710

Whisky Network Reviews #846-#847

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Kilchoman Sauternes Finish, Rum Finish & Machir Bay Cask Strength Reviews

Hi everyone,

Kilchoman have been putting out some new whiskies that I’ve been trying to try as I’m quite a big fan of the distillery and what they put out.

So I’ve got some small batch stuff they released this year for your enjoyment and salivation.

Kilchoman Sauternes Finish 50%

Colour: Yellow-y Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Classically Kilchoman, smoky and sweet, slightly sugary, white sugar, stone fruit, fresh plum, a little funky and sugary candies, Mezcal.

Taste: Mineral arrival, then soft with sea salt and lime, little actual smoke, creamy sweetness, then more minerals come in with lots of smoke.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Peaty and mineral, the smoke really takes over, very little sweetness by this point.

The latest of the Kilchoman small batch releases and unusual in that it’s a finish rather than a full maturation as all the others have been. Nice but doesn't quite pull off the smoke and sweetness together. Here it’s one or the other.

74/100

 

Kilchoman Small Batch Rum Finish 56.2%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Oh so fruity, fresh fruit and peat smoke, kiwi, lime juice and cigarette smoke, PUB LIFE memories, complete with sticky floors, literally smells like a night out. Nougart candy note and banana now too.

Taste: Soft arrival, great transition into white sugar, kiwi, tropical and smoky, quite soft for cask strength, the classic mineral notes coming in now.

Finish: Short/Medium length. More smoke kicks up here, more mineral, some hard candy- candy cane.

4 casks, 2x 2011 & 2x 2012 bottled in late 2018 for the German market. Great unique nose but the taste is a bit out of kilter and lacking some staying power. Was quite excited by this as I hadn’t seen any other Kilchoman from Rum casks… Hypefully (intentional spelling) more of this to come.

77/100

 

Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength 59.8%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Very smoky, very mineral, very intense, cutting lemon citrus and creamy vanilla.

Water: Opens up with time, more creamy biscuit and vanilla blending with the smoke. More citrus and lemon too.

Taste: BIG, malty, lemon juice, mineral notes building. Powerful but lacking in the complexity department.

Water: Tequila, lime, sugar and salt, smoke. Better balanced and opens up.

Finish: Short length. Creamy with vanilla and biscuit and some smoke but it’s gone far too quick.

I preferred the normal Machir Bay I tried back in 2014. This was released as part of the European Tour 2018.

73/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #706-#708

Whisky Network Reviews #843-#845

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Glen Moray Cider Cask & 1998 Cadenhead's Reviews

Hi everyone,

Glen Moray is one of those distilleries that keeps on experimenting, thanks to a handy ownership by Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey who own a load of winerys.

Unrelated to that, I tried an amazing cider from Thistly Cross matured in Glen Moray whisky barrels. Maybe one of my favourite ciders ever actually. It was really good.

Anyway, it seems some of those barrels have come back the other way and finished off this UK exclusive.

Are cider casks legal as per the SWA?

No idea. Some have been told off for using Calvados casks before, SMWS used a gin cask and got a smack and, of course, Diageo were barred from using Tequila barrels…

And because I’m me, I’ve got an indie too!

 

Glen Moray Cider Cask 46.3%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Fresh and fruity, tonnes of green apple and pear esters, intense sour green apple chewy sweets, more and more of the cider as it develops.

Taste: Soft arrival, sour green apple, some red apple, some vanilla hard candies, Werther's Originals, caramel, quite creamy then becoming drier into the finish.

Finish: Medium length. More toffee and caramel here with an oaky kick very late.

UK exclusive, 2000 bottles. An interesting one to try. Not exactly sure that the cider has done a lot though.

73/100

Glen Moray 1998 Cadenhead's 55.5%

Colour: Straw

Body: Light

Nose: Light nose. Some malt, a little pineapple, very fresh and very very clean, some pastry and vanilla, a little grass maybe, hessian. Ethanol.

Taste: Soft and light, some grass up front then more fruity with pineapple and lemon, green apple, then malt, a little earthy perhaps, ginger and black pepper spice.

Finish: Medium length. Some chocolate and oak, quite dry here with a little green apple.

I guessed this was a 10yo Balblair! Not exactly what you'd expect from a 19yo but consistent with what Cadenhead's do from Moray.

71/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #697-#698

Whisky Network Reviews #833-#834

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Tobermory 15 Marsala Finish Review & Feints

Hi everyone,

Let’s talk about ‘Feints’ for just a second. Only one, because that’s all I can spare.

Think for a moment about the ‘cut’ of the spirit. In the second distillation of a Scotch whisky, there is normally a cut taken. Head, heart & tail which is really foreshots, heart and feints, I call beginning, middle and end. It is the split between what you take and what you don’t. What is your whisky and what is recycled endlessly into oblivion.

How large the cut depends on the distillery and the equipment. Macallan revel in the fact that they take a very small cut of spirit. Laphroaig has a really long foreshots cut, like 40 minutes or something crazy. While some have as little as 5 minutes. And others, like Octomore at Bruichladdich, take as much of the heart into the feints as possible to get certain flavours.

The reason they do this is that the foreshots contains a lot of methanol and ethanol. So they can’t use it but it needs to be recycled to save the alcohol. Equally, towards the end of the distillation, the spirit drops in abv and more heavy oils (called fusel oils) start to come into the spirit. This is the feints.

The feints can contain certain things you want in the whisky, like phenols that give you that wonderful smoky flavour to many of the Islay whiskies. Equally, too much feints will give you a ‘feinty’ flavour to the whisky. If you’ve ever worked in a distillery, as I’ve been lucky enough to, you’ll know when you get home you absolutely reek of feints. They are very aromatic, and not in a particularly pleasant way, although the actual aroma is difficult to describe. They are often said to smell of weird things that shouldn’t belong in whisky: mushroom, fishy and cheesy.

Why am I telling you all this? Because Tobermory is the king of the feints!

 

Tobermory 15 Marsala finish 56.2%

Colour: Light amber

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Funky and a bit odd, leather, an old pantry with cheeses and cured meats, funky, green apple, lemon citrus. Interesting nose, but won’t be everyone’s thing.

Taste: Soft and then quickly spicy, gingerbread, black pepper, white pepper, liquorice, cumin, pretty complex spices coming through.

Finish: Long. Oaky, malt chocolate, very dry with a little orange and much more cumin.

A really good one for the lesser Ledaig-ling. Showing off the interesting and well done version of Feinty.

80/100

Distillery: Tobermory

Average Score: 80.0

Distillery Ranking: 9th/ 60 places

Up/Down: N/a

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #626

Whisky Network Review #744

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?