Single Malt Lover!

Tamdhu 40% NAS (40%, OB)

Found in s small shop called, 歐美酒坊 in Tainan, it seems has enented Taiwan for over one year.  Quite simple speyside style, sweet, fruity.  Yellow color.  Not too surprising, but very easy drinking.  A value choice.  This malt was used in Famous Grouse as the base malt.  Score: 72.

Craggamore 14yo 18.4.1989/23.6.2003 (57.3%, Signatory, Cask#971, 317.b, dumpty bottle)

Very nice dram, typiecal house style but in high alc. volume, Craggamore lovers may want to try this one.  Score 82. This bottle was also found in 歐美酒坊, they got four new singatory dumpy bottle from 吉珍屋.  The other three are Glenturrent, Highland Park.  I am more interested at the 1992 Sherried Highland Park, and the 1977 Refill Butt Highland Park.  Rifill Butt indicate it's a sherry cask, but they don't use sherry because the color is light yellow.  Very interesting.

Tamdhu 34yo 06.1968/11.2002 (40.1%, Peerless, Cask#4104, 188b.)

Bruichladdich 37yo 1966/2003(40.5%, Peerless, Cask#202, 190b.)

Golden, Beautiful nose, even better than the 1969 Peerless bottle.  Tropical Fruit, Flower, Weak body.  Score: 86.

Glen Grant 1970/2001 (55%, Berry's Bros. Cask#1035)

Dark red.  Heavily sherried.  Nutty.  Strong body.  opened for 2 years.  still very nice dram.  Score: 90.

Light Yellow color.  Not very clear legs.  Strong in flavor.  Lot bubbles, but disappears very soon.  Sea, salt, lots flowers, heather.  Robust, taste like a 10yo malt.  Too strong.  almost detroy your feel.  Adding water doesn't brings out new flavor, quite simple.  But definitely taste better.  Probably will be goo to add water.  An average malt, but a value choice.  Score: 75

Bowmore 33yo 1968/2001 (46.2%, Signatory Vintage, Cask#1431, 218b

Taste again, after opened for two weeks, this bottle doesn't perform better.  I am still wondering why this one performs different with my memory.

Anyway, beautiful peatiness combines a little bit seaweed.  Too much old wood, a little bit nutty.  General speaking, an above average malt. Dropped a little bit to Score 85.

The Macallan 10yo Cask Strength (57.2%, OB, 1Liter)

The shop keeper told me this is the third time they have OB cask strength in hand, the alc.% is a little bit lower than previous two.  Customers said previous two taste better.  I don't know, this is the first time I try the famous OB cask strength.  This one is the UK version, which means it is not the whold red label.  It has only red strip at the side.  Taste quite good, reminds me the Macallan standand several years ago.  Score: 88.

I first tasted the two samples on Aug. 22 (Sunday), I have to admit that it may not be a good idea to taste blind samples after your team lost the game.  Ha Ha! Good excuse!  

As I didn't get them right, I tasted them again this afternoon.  Severe typhoon is hitting Taiwan right now. The whole city has been shut down the second day.

Blind sample one:

Quite sweet nose.  Must contains lots sherry.  a little honey, mellow, nutty(adding water).  Must be a speyside.  around 43%, feeling old but some robust touch.  Can it be a NAS malt? Maybe very little peat.  Some familiar feeling? Like Dalmore?  And the answer is : Strathisla 26yo 1967/1994 (40%, G&M) What? I know it's familiar but I didn't taste any Strathisla inside.  Re-taste today.  Not too much different than last time.  I guess I won't put money on this bottle.  It's easy drinking, but it's not performs like an old bottle. Score: 76.

Blind sample two:

Smoking Islay NAS (55%, Blackadder, Cask#2003/06)

Finished my last drop of the bottle. This vetted malt is actually a single cast bottling.  However, was dropped for one bottle of other distillery product to prevent being bottled as a single malt.  Though, never being confirmed by the bottler.  I believe it should be a Laphroaig.  A real monster.  Guess at around 12 YO.  Score 89.

Buffalo Trace

Bourbon. Not yet introduced to Taiwan, brought back by shop owner's friend.  I like it, either by desigh or by taste. Score: 88.

Glenmorangie 28yo 1975/2004 Tain L'Hermitage Finish (46%, OB)

Quite good one! Smooth and elegant.  Layered flavor. Strange, this one sold at 10% higher than Sauternes finish. I wondered fi they mis-labeled the price. Score: 88.

Glenmorangie 21yo 1981 Sauternes Finish (54.6%, OB)

Brora 24yo 1977/2001 (56.1%, Rare Malt)

Getting better each time.  I love it. Score: 90.

Longmorn 20yo 1981/2001 (50%, Old Malt Cask, 570b. Sherry Cask)

If not stated on the label, you can hardly taste the sherry! Not so Longmorn, but still quite malty! Some smoke, some tropical fruit. Finished with some Nutty!

I send two samples in blind to Brian and Stephen.  None of them get Longmorn right.  But both get the YO very close.  nosing are both close to me. 

Score: 76 (Brian: 79, Stephen: 91)

Got two blind samples from Brian today. 

Sample 1. (Light color)

Color: Golden.  At the time pour it out, I immediately smell something familar.  Must be Islay.  I thought it was Laphroaig at first.  But didn't found the signature Iodine nose.  Weak legs indicate it's a young malt.  Later cofirmed by taste and concentrate on the front tongue, young but strong. I think ist' around 10 to 12 yo.  Shake it, 3 rims of bubbles.  I guess it's around 50 to 55% Alc.  Start nosing:  Sulfer, Sour Malt? Oak.  Quite strange, hardly can smell any fruit.  Can't be Caol Ila as I didn't found any sweet at all.  A little bit lke the Bunnahabain 10yo OB, but not really.  I thought it would be an IB bad Laphroaig.  But after drink them all, nose the glass again.  Wait a miniute, there is something familar.  Ardbeg.  Yes, it's Ardbeg.  and it reminds me again the Uigeadail I tasted when I visited Ardbeg back in May.  This bottle hasn't introduce to Taiwan and seems they have no plan to import. Conclude it all: Islay, Ardbeg 10yo 53% (Is that Uigeadial?) And the answer is : Yes. Ardbeg Uigeadial (54.2%, OB) Score 80.

Sample 2. (Dark color)

Color: Dark Red.  Very dark color, almost black.  You know even by color it's fresh sherry cask.  I haven't tasted anything in this dark color.  Heavyly sherried even taste a little bit plum, reminds me the Aberlour a'bunadh immediately.  Must be Speyside for sure.  Talk about heavily sherried speyside, Longmorn somes to my mind,  but it tasted quite balanced, can't be Longmorn.  Beauitful legs, must over 20yo.  Later confirmed by tasting.  Last long.  Nose: Plum, Chocolate, Honey, Fruit.  Quite solid body, finish long.  Forget to check the Alc.%, by tasting it seems like a little bit under 50%.  Could it be Mortlack?  G&M seems has quite some old sherried Mortlack, but I've never tasted sherried Mortlach before.  So take a guess, I think it's:  Speyside, Aberlour 20yo 48%.  And the answer is : Longmorn 30yo 1973/2003 (56%, Millinnium Malt, Fresh Sherry Cask#3978)   Score: 88.  Not too surprising, but I think I should review Longmorn again.  Many people like it a lot, maybe there are quite some good Longmorn  waiting for me.  And it confirms again it's very difficult to guess the Alc% only by tasting. BTW, Millinnium Malt seems to be a specially label by Duncan Tayler.  Probably specially bottled for a Taiwanese distributor.  I'll try to find more information.

Today's dram:

Old Rhosdhu 24yo 1979/2004 (46%, Murray McDavid, Mission III, 290/498b.)

Still feeling this one is the best in Mission III, I wonder why MMCD didn't put this one into competition?  A lowland star!

Very hot today! Had some white wine this afternoon.  Still feel hot.! All Scotch on the rocks!

Today's drams:

1.) Springbank 10yo (46%,OB, new bottle)

2.) Port Ellen 23yo 1978/2001 (62.2%, Provenance summer/summer, Select by John Milroy)

3.) Brora 24yo 1977/2001 (56.1%, Rare Malt)

Today's Drams:
1.) Clynelish 20yo 1983/2004 (46%, MMCD, 498b., Mission III)
2.) Brora 24yo 1977/2001 (56.1%, Rare Malt)

Finished my last drop of the MMCD Clynelish.

This bottle just won several IWSC and ISC awards. It seems MMCD has quite some Clynelish casks. I wondered why I didn't taste any when I was there.

The Springbank Cuvee 1965&1993/2004 (46%, Murray McDavid, Marriage of Fresh Sherry 1965 and Bourbon 1993, Cask#MM0406, 736/1224b.)

Received two bottles today. Can't wait to taste it.  The label indicate it was the last award winning 1965 bottling.  As far as I remember, I gave that one a 91 high score. Will the Jim's magic appear again in this marriage bottleing?

Quite dark color, almost golden brown. I heard that it contains the last cask of 1965 MMCD had.  Thus a reasonable guess the ratial is 1:3. 

Nose is quite sweet, sherry influence. Clear Maltiness , Citrus Fruit.  A little bit Chacolate.  Adding water bring out more fruitiness.

Taste: Smooth, Oil, Short, Fruity. 

Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, New bottle)

Color: Light Yellow.  Very fruity, very sweet, not honey style, more like, suger.  Even a little bit like Balvenie 10yo.  Taste smooth but strong. Generally speaking still a very good malt.  Score 85.

Note: Not exactly the same as I remember.  But to be honestly.  Last 10yo OB I had was still a tall bottle.  But I didn't write down the taisting note that time. 

Samples provides from Bird and Stephen. Thanks!

Springbank 10yo 100proof (57%, bottled in 2004)

Color: Golden.  Fresh Maltiness,  At the first impression, very sweet and maltiness.  Orangy like malt. Young, robust, stong.  Front toung.  Very young.  not even feel like 10yo, even younger.  Sneaky, stange, should not have caremel.  but really very similar.  Adding water feel more orange, sneaky as usual.  Score. 80.

Spingbank 12yo Bourbon Wood 1991/2004 (58.5%, OB, 1796b. Hogshead/Barrel)

This is a very stange wood expression.  My friends asked me, what is Bourbon finish?  Hogshead/Barrel speaks all.  But what if Barrel/Barrel????? I can only say this is something to cheat you.  Rum and Port means something, Sherry and Bourbon not really.  But to tell the truth, I still bought two bottles. Only because I am not really satisfied by recently OB bottles.  I think wood expressions should performs better.  As expected, about the same alc.% as the 100 proof, this one is much better.  Clear nosing but layer comes out.  a little bit Hather, stange.  Smooth, oil, young, but a very nice signature Springbank. Score: 86.

Attendants: Kingfisher, Brian, Stephen

Two Springbank samples from Michiel Wigman.  Thanks! Michiel.

Three blinds from Kingfisher.

Springbank 30yo Limited Edition (46%, OB)

Color: Dark Brown.  Heavy Sherried.  Very sweet even has a little bit caremal fell.  Chocolate, Smoke, Light Fruit, Orange.  Silky Smooth, takes a while to come back to fill the mouth.  Though heavy sherried, balanced quite well.  Adding water brings out more fruit.  But personally I like drink straight.  Score 90. (S: 93, B:90)