Edradour Caledonia 12
A very weighty dram, with big fruit-bomb sherry, a thick mouthfeel, and a barrage of cooked fruit flavors. It feels like a 50%-plus ABV whisky on the tongue, and even has some of the elements of good cask-strength sherry bombs.
Category: Reviews
Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist
Like Willy Wonka’s Three-Course-Dinner Gum you get a salty, nutty appetizer, a main course of roasted barbecue pork, a dessert of roasted peaches, a cup of chocolatey coffee and an after-dinner mint! Amazing. I suggest keeping an eye out for a lonely bottle at a bar or a sample to bum off a friend. It’s an experience.
Amrut ‘Intermediate Sherry Matured’
Very different from sherry-finished Scotches I’ve had – the fruitiness is subdued and suggests dried rather than jammed dark fruits. This leaves a difficult-to-describe combination of wood extracts, dried herb flavors, and rancio. There is certainly more here to discover, and I think the play off of standard Amrut flavors is successful. Definitely a whisky to ponder.
Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky
If I were weathering a snowstorm at the South Pole, I’d sure like to have several cases of this stashed under my cabin. Or better yet, under my bed! Eminently Highlander, with loads of honey and sticky-sweet candied fruits, a touch of smoke, a hint of rubber, and lots of flavor.
Great King Street “Artist’s Blend”
John Glaser has set himself a mission: To bring good blended scotch whisky back to the masses. This stuff is awesome, and it makes me very optimistic about the future of blends. You could, of course, use this for cocktails – but I like it straight up. It’s that good.
Wemyss Malts: The Spice King
Wemyss Malts has a line of romantically-named blended malts in ages 5, 8, and 12 years old. Each includes a ‘key ingredient’ to define its character and justify its name, as well as up to 16 other malts. I tried The Spice King (spices courtesy of a heavy dose of Talisker) at tonight’s K&L Wednesday spirits tasting in Redwood City, CA.
Isle of Skye (8 year)
Isle of Skye, despite the name, is a blended scotch containing whisky from several areas of Scotland. Indeed, a proportion of Talisker is represented, as well as a blend of gentler Speyside malts, some Island malt, and some grain whisky. According to the bottler the youngest whisky is 8 years old but the blend contains some “much older” whisky. The blend is aged in an ex-bourbon barrel and bottled at 43% ABV.
The Macallan (18 year)
Sherry all the way. The fruit here is bright and juicy. Truly a classic dram, which continues to be excellent.
Finlaggan Old Reserve
Finlaggan is a conundrum. Bottles from the Finlaggan brand contain a single malt from an Islay distillery. The company keeps a very tight lid on the identity of its source, breaking silence only to insist that Finlaggan does now, always has, and always will contain whisky from the same distillery.
Talisker (18 year)
The peat flavors that made Islay famous for their intensity here instead get equal billing with sturdy oak and lusciously sweet malt. I could wish a little less bitterness on the tail end, but this is totally Talisker, and substantially more smooth and finessed than the 10 year-old.