Single Malt Lover!

Balvenie 30YO (47.%, OB)

Said to celebrate Master David Steward's 30 years work in Balvenie.  Some information said there is only 2 casks available for the the vatting.  I read it through the label very carefully, but did not find any evidence to proof it.  Only limited realease on the label, but not the total bottling numbers.  Color: Yellowish Brown.  Nose, singature honeyish.  Very smooth, some back ground flower, but domanant cirrus fruit.  Lot's sherry influence, but very pleasant and enjoyable.  Palate: sweet, smooth, cholate, very complex.  Finish: long, mild, warming.  Adding water get more chocolate feel.  If only by straight, wait for a while, you's get more fruity feel.  And the one I liks most is the silky feel.  It comes to me that people believe Balvene is the most smooth single malt in the world.  A winner.  Score: 90.  I believe you'll ask if it is true.  Well, this is not the one you get the strong personally.  But silky smoothly is also a personalty.  Think about that, howmany single malt can let you feel the smoothly.  That's Balvenie. And, it looks like I am the first one in Taiwan to taste it.  Even 5 seconds before their brand manager.

The comparision of this bottle. Notes has posted earlier. Just doing a comparison taste.

Glenfarlas 105 (60%, OB, old lable)

With more caremel.  Score: 82.

Glenfarlas 105 (60%, OB, new lable)

Almost no caremel.  And from the distillery sales manager: this one is now un-chill-filtered. I can actully feel more venella nose and creaming fell.  The sweet comes from the malt itself.  I also suspect it has more re-fill sheery cask.  No wonder it nose mucht better.  I am glad to see another distillery recognize the importance of un-chill-filtered.  Even my wife can tell the difference. Score: 88. This one also won the ban-for-your-ass award 2004 of Malt Maniacs.   Excellant job.

Taiwan Single Malt Tasting Club 2^nd Meeting.  Our topic this time is the hard to find distilleries.

Allt-A-Bhainne 17yo (43%, Dun Bheagan, Cask#28943/28944, Hogshead)

Golden Yellow, Malty, Nutty, A little bit peaty.  Citrus, Honey.  Very thin body.  No finish.  Some bitter feeling last for a long time: Score:74.  (Brian:70, Bird: C, Rubinstein:72, Muder: 70, Richard:68, BrianChen: 73, Gerry: 75, David: 77, Ben: 70)

Bruichladdich  NAS 3D The Peat Proposal  (46%, OB, 12,000b.)

Peaty Malty Fruity, I like it.  Score: 87.

Bruichladdich 20yo 2nd Edition Flirtation (46%, OB, Mourvedre finish)

Not so pink, but color varies in different position. Wine, Fruity. dry finish. complex. Score: 86.

Taste some Whisky Galore sample at their Taiwan agent. No cask and age detail, will be available later this year.

Glen Elgin 1991 (46%, Whisky Galore)

perfect speyside nose.  too weak in palate.  But still my favorate today.  Score: 86.

Rosebank 1990 (46%, Whisky Galore)

Simple lowland, but not bad.  Score: 82.

Glengoyne 10yo 40% OB
Standard Low Land Style, Score: 75.

Glengoyne 17yo 43% OB
Very beautiful Malt nose.  Fresh, Storng, littel fruity.  Solid body, very surprising one. better than 21yo ob.  Score: 82.

My friend Richard told me, "Kingfisher, I noticed that you haven't tried this malt, trust me, you'll be surprised by the quality.  Indeed, I can't believe the PERFECT speyside nose I got at the first impression.

Banff 24yo 1976/2001 (53.7%, Blackadder Natural Strength, Cask#2247, 256b. Hogshead)

I got this sample from Richard, they have no plan to introduce to Taiwan, a special sample for me.  Golden color, my favorite.  Nice legs, Great Speyside nose.  Fruity, malty, some orange, some flower.  Freshing but quite deep and thick.  I would say this is almost close to perfect if only judge by nosing.  A little bit weak in pallet, not to complex and certainly not as good in finish.  However, still Finished long and mature.  Adding water does not bring out new flavor but seems help in taste.  Score: 86.  Too bad, I thought I could give it 90 at the first impression.

Macallan-Glenlivet 20yo 1980/2001 (46%, Kingsbury's, Cask#16453, Sherry Butt)

Kingsbury's is a very rare and seems focused on some old sherry butt bottles.  Un-confirmed information said this is a special lable bottled by Murray McDavid for their Japanese importer.  Color: Brown.  Lot's sherry, chocolate, vanella, tropical fruit, very little smoke.  Quite Oil and powerful.  Creaming.  I actully opened this bottled earlier this month.  And by now, without notice, already 2/3 bottle gone.  I think I quite enjoyed this one.  Though, I would say it's not a very typical Sherry Macallan.  Score: 88.

Some very nice samples to share with Stephen.

Springbank 14yo (46.7%, SMWS, No.#27.52, Port Pipe)

Brown to Red color.  Port Sweet, Citrus, Mint, Dry.  Finished port like.  Suger.  Could be one of the best port finish I had before.  Second to Balvenie 21yo.  And one thing further, it create a very unique taste, nothing like other port finsih.  Score: 84. (S: 84)

Springbank 25yo Limited Edition (46%, OB)

Brown color.  Sherry, flowerish.  Very nice balanced nose.  Freshing.  Strong, finisled quite long and mature.  A little bit salty at the end, but not sea.  Very oil, even adding water, still an outstanding malt.  A winner, no doubt.  Score: 92. (S: 93)

Several new samples tasted:

Dufftown 19yo 1982/2001 (43%, Cooper's Choice, Cask#9281/8, 1181b., Sherry Cask.)

Second time taste.  Even worse.  Score: 70.

Glenglassaugh 1973 The Family Silver (40%, OB)

Sample from Bird.  Said to be collectors' item, many people didn't know it's actually an OB.  Yellow to Brown color.  Thick legs, seems too much water.  Very standard old speyside burbon cask nose.  Fruity, sweet.  Maybe a little bit sherry cask but should be little.  Nice and smooth taste, finished weak.  Adding water has more malty and nutty feel.  Generally speaking, not bad.  Score: 80.

Highland Park 1988/2003 (57.3%, Sprirt of the Isles, Cask#706)

Second time taste.  Sample from Rubinstein.  Kind of weak in nose.  Good in Palate.  Seems better than the first time.  should be almost 80.  I think this is a very good value choice.  only USD25.00 per bottle.  Score 78.  A little bit higher than last time.

Scapa 25yo 1974/2000 (50%, OMC, 524b.)

Sample from Bird.  Thanks!  Brown color.  Is it sherry Cask? Beautiful legs.  Very easy to tell it's shrry influence.  But not that strong.  Sherry, sweet, fruity.  A very intersting stange taste in palate.  Is it peanut? Finished long and mature.  Very nice Scapa.  Adding water seems too weak. Score: 86.

Bunnahabhain 1979 (57%, James MacArthu's, Miniature)

After reading Johannes report on the Bowmore sample, I decided to re-taste again, along with some samples from my friends.

Bowmore 35yo 1968/2003 (42.05%, Peerless, Cask#1424, 201b.)

I gave it 90 at the Bowmore 1968 tasting.  Johannes got the sample from me and only gave it 49 bacause it disappear too soon.  I decide to taste it again.  The only conclusion: yes it disappear comparing soon by nosing but after taste it, the nose comes out again.  And I waited for 10 mins. and found not too different.  Maybe it's the sample bottle problem.  I don't know.  I think I'll take another sample and send to Johannes again.  Score: 88.  A little bit lower than the first time.

Macleod's Islay 8yo 40%

The second time to taste it.  Face to face with the Lagavulin 1987 Distiller Edition.  I can almost 100% sure this one is the Lagavulin.  By nosing, almost the same distilleriry charactor.  Except the 1987 DE has some sweet sherry nose.  However, again, the palate is too weak and creat some unbelievable drop.  Score :78.  A little bit higher than last time.  I still think this one is a value choice.

Rosebank12yo 1991/2003 (43%, Blackadder Aberdeen Label, Cask#236))

Very light yellow color.  Malty, a little bit mint.  Very strong buring nose.  little fruit.  Oily.  Taste thin and dry.  Finished short.  Generally speaking a very nice and strong Lowland malt.  Score: 80.

Glenkinchie 1986 Distillers Edition (43%, Cask#G/273-7-D, Amontillodo Cask wood, Double Mature)

Brown color.  Again, bruning nose, strong.  Sherry, Peat? Mint, Sulfer, Tropical fruit.  Medium Body.  Smooth but some storng feeling.  I think I smell some 豆花?  Quite oil.  Become malty after adding some water.  As an Lowland malt, this is quite nice and drinkable.  A little bit better than Rosebank 12yo.  Score: 81.

Macallan 1990/2003 (57.5%, Spirit of the Isles, 600b.)

Spirit of the Isles appear in Taiwan maket around one year ago.  Not very expensive, but has some famous first class distilleries.  I have taste some of them but I've never buy one.  This one was sold at a comparing low price.  Light Yellow.  Some speyside hint but almost can't feel it's a Macallan.  Not too strong, either.(Just open.) The only thing I can be sure is that it is a speyside single malt.  Score: 72.

Macallan 1986/2004 (54.8%, Scott's Sel.)

Very nice bourbon Macallan. Though, kind of simple, but still a nice dram.  Score: 83.

Macallan 1978/1999 (40%, G&M Speymalt)

Dufftown 19yo 1982/2001 (43%, Cooper's Choice, Cask#19281/82, 1181b., Sherry Cask)

This sample was provide by my friend Bird.  Just in time to compare with the Chieftain's choice 12yo bottle. Dark Brown color.  Heavily sherried for sure.  Plum, nutty, a little bit honey and malty.  Finished weak.  Robust.   It is quite stange the tow Dufftown bottling are qutie robust.  Is it the Dufftown distillery charactor?  Not very Speyside. Adding water does not perform better.  I think the Chieftain's choice is better.  Score: 74.

Clenfarclas NAS 105 Cask Strength (60%, OB)

Sample provided provided by my friend murder.  Nice legs. Balanced sherry influence.  Strong, simple.  Some fruit, coming from bourbon? Nice dram.  Score: 82.

Bowmore NAS Darkest (43%, OB)

Had these one at our Bruichladdich tasting, also brought by Steve, but forget to write down.  Still quite nice sherry Islay.  And truly quite peated.  Score: 81.

Bowmore 17yo (43%, OB)

Steve also agreed this one is very "sea".  Probably the best below 20yos.  Score:83.

Mortlach 15yo (40%, G&M)

Better than I remembered.  Balanced and firm. Score: 80.

Springbank 35yo 1968 (46%, Berry's Bro.)

Dark brown.  Clear Springbank house style with a hint of sherry.  Finished long and smooth.  Quite some malt.  Score: 88.

Five samples from Cognac House! (Sent by Murray McDavid)  Shared with Stephen.

Auchentoshan 10yo 1992 (46%, MMCD)

Light Yellow.  Beautiful nose. Fresh fruit, citurs, a little bit flower. honey?  Thin body.  finish extreming long. Score: 82. (Stephen: 81)

Longmorn 14yo 1990 (46%, MMCD)

Light yellow, simple, strong body.  like cider? Score: 71. (Stephen: 70)