Glen Garioch 1992 Berry Bros & Rudd for Switzerland Review

Hi everyone,

Off notes are funny things right?

They can come out of nowhere for no reason seemingly. You can get weird notes coming from the spirit, cask or even bottling. Although, in most cases it’s going to be one of the first two. Bruichladdich for instance is known for its lactic, baby sick note. Tobermory is well known on r/Scotch for smelling of butthole. Springbank can be all kinds of funky too. Those examples it tends to be the spirit that you’re getting those notes from.

Sometimes though, you get option two. Where a random cask has picked up something funky and brought it through into the spirit. For me, this was one of those. Luckily, it’s restricted to the nose and luckily this is an exclusive bottling that you aren’t really going to see outside Switzerland.

In any case, I’ve always wanted to try older Glen Garioch (and now I want to try even older Glen Garioch) because the further back you go, reportedly, the peatier it was…

 

Glen Garioch 1992 Berry Bros & Rudd for Switzerland 56%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Cheesy. Weirdly cheesy, like Parmesan cheese. Other than that it's quite austere, slight chalk, slight lemon, slight orange. Just shadows though, can't really pin them down.

Taste: Very soft then oily then chalky and dry, then lovely sharp lemon and orange juice, you really feel the acidity (in a good way). Great development of flavours.

Finish: Long length. Soft oils, good oak, a sooty thing going on. Nice.

Bottled 2015 at 22 years old. Almost like an old Springbank apart from the cheese on the nose. The taste and finish on this are great, just that nose lets it down.

78/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #504

Whisky Network Review #580

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Smokehead NAS & 18 Reviews

Hi everyone,

Two mystery malts today from Ian Macleod. They own Glengoyne and Tamdhu distilleries, as well as being independent bottlers for stuff like this.

Smokehead is an Islay single malt, and people love to try and guess which one. There’s only a few viable options but it’s a little more tricky to distinguish than you’d think I think. A reason distilleries will sometimes sell off casks is because they don’t fit the normal profile of the distillery and they can’t use them. So, that means that these could be quite a different style to the normal distillery profile, making it harder to guess.

Realistically I think there’s only four options: Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Caol Ila. To get the style of peatiness. I think the clue is the secrecy. They would be able to put Caol Ila on the label if it was Caol Ila. Unless it’s a play to make it seem like one of the others (getting a higher price), while actually being Caol Ila…

Smokehead 43%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Peat smoke as expected but quite floral. A meaty note with some burnt hay, damp hay, damp earth, some sweetness with lemon and burnt vanilla pod. A cooling note after a bit with creaminess and more vanilla.

Taste: Ethereal to start then sweet and a little fruity with lemon, then swelling peat going very farmy (settles a little with time) with lots of earth, peat bog, wet hay, WET DOG??!, grass and a little soot. A mint note after a bit with herbal oak and bitterness coming through into the finish.

Finish: Medium length. Drying oak with earthy soot.

The wet dog note is interesting. Never had that in a whisky before, even though Serge mentions it quite a lot.

69/100

Smokehead 18 46%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Petrol, oily, slightly medicinal with iodine, mineral, sea splashed rocks, some banana but not really tropical like an older Laphroaig.

Taste: Soft arrival, builds with mineral and iodine notes, medicinal then more petrol rags and banana. Not quite Caroni-esque but similar in style to The Antiquary 35 I just reviewed.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Oils coat then go. Some petrol.

Shame about the finish being quite short. Funny that my last review, The Antiquary 35, had these petrol-y notes too. I did wash out my glass! Promise!

I was expecting this to be Ardbeg and have that lime juice note, but actually it could very well be any of the others. Cool packaging too!

81/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #502-#503

Whisky Network Review #578-#579

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

The Antiquary 35 Review [Swiss Army Man]

Hi everyone,

Now back to your regularly scheduled program. Me tasting my way through a Switzerland trade event.

The last one before the special 500th Scotch review was a Tomatin, but Tomatin also own a blended whisky brand: The Antiquary. Which I hadn’t really heard of before visiting the distillery and seeing some of the bottles there.

But this 35 is special. It’s a higher strength and the price is pretty reasonable compared to Chivas Regal or Johnnie Walker at that age.

 

The Antiquary 35 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Beautiful nose. I first tried Caroni at Whisky Live Paris and this nose really reminds me of the 21yo 100 proof. Caroni-esque banana, a whiff of Diesel fumes, old oils, oily oak and red apple.

Taste: Soft, almost lacks power to start then kicks with Caroni like Jamacian rum notes of over ripe banana, petrol rags, soft oak, red apple and white pepper. Great balance and really interesting flavours.

Finish: Long length. Great. More petrol, over ripe banana and spice. Great length to it too. Oh, and spiced orange.

Huge thumbs up for this. Best blend I've tried so far. Those petrol notes are delicious and really interesting. Caroni casks maybe? Who knows.

87/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #501

Whisky Network Review #577

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Brora 35 2013 & Port Ellen TBWC Batch 5: Scotch Review #500!

Hi everyone,

Today’s the big day. 500 Scotch reviews later and I am to be crowned (On Reddit you get a crown next to your username at 500 Scotch reviews). Is there a ceremony? With like candles and priests, some kind of creepy ritual maybe? A whisky sacrifice, where someone pours 1945 Macallan over my head?

We don’t know. Only one other has worn the crown so far, and it’s an honour to be the second!

I actually tasted these two whiskies last Christmas as my actual 500th whiskies tasted (in total) and bought the samples way back to make sure I’d be able to actually taste some Brora and Port Ellen before they become extinct… Although now they’re going to be resurrected and I’ve tried others now anyway.

I could give you a long essay on the distilleries, why they closed or what I think of them reopening. Or I could chat about how amazing this community is and what it means to me. But I think you guys and girls know that and instead, I’m going to just get to my notes and leave you with that.

Brora 35 1977 Special Releases 2013 49.9%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Immediately more intense than the 2016 release. Waxy, sea salt, crystallised fruit, dried mango, dried pineapple, complex spices and oak, nutmeg, a little cinnamon, some white pepper. More smoke making itself noticeable, old Talisker style smoke with oily pepper, maritime echoes, perfumed oak. Worn leather, dusty fruitiness, old books, old paper. Continues developing, one minute more fruity, then more smoky, then more oaky. Layered and complex.

Taste: Clean arrival, amazing immaculate development with crystallised fruit, mango, pineapple, cinnamon, nutmeg and tingling spices, oak making itself known, oily, waxy mouthfeel, keeps developing, more smoke coming in, Talisker-esque, white pepper, perfumed smoke. Really great balance, although the oak is speaking quite loudly.

Finish: Long length. A kick of soot, dry oak, tingling spices, marine echoes, sea salt, dried mango. Mouth watering goes on and on.

Much better than the 2016 38yo. Really reminds me of 30yo Talisker.

90/100

Port Ellen TBWC Batch 5 47.1%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: The unique perfumed Port Ellen smoke, more intense than the Rare Malt though, black liquorice, cracked black pepper, salty smoked haddock, lemon sherbet, lemon drizzle cake, the oak is pretty seamless. Slightly earthy, malt,

Taste: Soft arrival, builds slowly with perfumed smoke, tingling spices, intensely drying oak, old leather, then goes very marine, smoked fish, mackerel?, lemon sherbet. Much more smoky into the finish with oily black pepper and a good blast of soot. Still quite intensely peaty.

Finish: Long length. Ash, soot, spices and dry oak. Lemon sherbet continues.

Not as complex as the Brora, but just as good. Not quite up to the excellent Batch 6 though.

90/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #499-#500

Whisky Network Review #575-#576

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Tomatin 2000 Sherry Finish 35cl Review [Swiss Army Man]

Hi everyone,

Tomatin is a lovely distillery, well worth a visit, up near Inverness. I did a tour there earlier in the year and had some really impressive whiskies there.

This particular one comes in a pack with a half bottle of this and a half bottle of Oloroso Sherry that they used for finishing the whisky in. Arran then went and stole this idea recently and that review is coming up.

How’s this one though?

Tomatin 2000 Sherry Finish 57.9%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Sherry and heather, some spice, a little rubber and a little chocolate.

Taste: A bit spicy, restrained sherry. Lacking complexity though.

Finish: Medium length. A bit spirity actually, spicy too.

A bit all over the place, despite being a single cask and cask strength, which is a shame. I like the label though!

69/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #498

Whisky Network Review #574

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Kilkerran 2004 Rum Cask Sample Review [Swiss Army Man]

Hi everyone,

Got a sample here now from Campbeltown’s newest, oldest distillery (as they style it).

No chance of getting a’hold of this as it’s a cask sample to show off what they can do (and boy, does it!)

This particular cask was matured in a Rum barrel for 12 years and then moved into a neutral oak barrel (because oxidation is nine tenths of the law) until this sample was taken (I assume this is still maturing away).

Kilkerran 2004 Rum Cask Sample 60%approx.

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Wonderfully herbal, spice/herb box, thyme, green peppercorns and rosemary. It’s like stepping into a spice cupboard and herb garden all in one.

Taste: Lovely arrival, chalky, sooty, austere, lemon, increasingly dry, some orange peel, then thyme. More Springbank-y on the taste, similar style anyway.

Finish: Long length. Great transition into more herbal territory, thyme and green peppercorns.

Great stuff, can’t wait to try more Kilkerran, especially as it gets a bit older (imagine an 18yo! shivers) I think it’s going to be fantastic stuff.

84/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #497

Whisky Network Review #573

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Glengoyne 21 Review [Swiss Army Man]

Hi everyone,

So after being in York it was straight off to Switzerland (Yeah, I’m a busy guy) for a trade only tasting, which gave me a chance to try a load of whiskies.

First up was an older Glengoyne I’d been curious about, already having tried the 25 last year.

In other news, I’m heading to The Hague in The Netherlands for the whisky festival there. Head by the Penderyn stand to say hi, if I’m not running around tasting whisky that is…

 

Glengoyne 21 43%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Christmas cake, raisin, rich, lovely spices. Marzipan and cherry.

Taste: Quite dry, Christmas cake, raisin, red grape, orange, OAK.

Finish: Long length. Dry, cherry and oak.

I almost prefer this to the 25, and with price factored in, I would buy this over that. Which surprised me.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #496

Whisky Network Review #572

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?