Whisky review : Isle of Arran Port Cask Finish bottled @ 50%

Whisky review : Isle of Arran Port Cask Finish bottled @ 50%

-Yet another Arran !
-Great cask finish here yet again

Colour: very dark, reddish-copper, pale wine. medium bodied

Nose: Caramel, port, wet tobacco leaves, dry-sweet port wine, captain black gold, quite spirity at first, dry grapes, old grape juice, touches of chocolate.

Mouth: very complex ! Caramel that turns to Port and spices, tobacco, ether, tawny, cinnamon, pepper. With water it focuses on Port characters. Very fine malt indeed.

Finish: lingering tobacco, touches of sherry, sweet, pepper, oranges.


A for the taste. Excellent whisky. The Arrans are really something to look for and this one is the same.

A for the price for 68$ (SAQ) I'm considering buying one myself !
A for the presentation. Great presentation with all the info needed on the label.

- Whisky tasting event ;
-Arran Bourbon Cask
-Arran Sherry Cask
-Arran Port Cask

Excellent night !

Whisky review : Bowmore 18years old bottled @ 43%

Whisky review : Bowmore 18years old bottled @ 43%

-same old bottling
-only 43%...commercial...commercial...

Colour: dark coppery tones....half cask half caramel ?, oily, very long legs.

Nose: sweet caramel, lurking peat, light ashes, old cave humidity, wet rocks, ether, liquor sweet, cigarette touches. Very interesting nose here.

Mouth: Peat, turns to ''aerial'' brine stuck in a old-style-rock-sandy-basement, medicinal oils, beer hop, touches of smokes, peated caramel, distant misty ashes-smoke shadow.....

Finish: hope, bitter tea notes, peat, caramel, butched cigar in beer....yeah sounds weird...but is interesting !

B++ for the taste.
D for the price. Goes for 147$ (SAQ) or 126.95 (LCBO)..need I say more ? No No No. Above 90$...I would refuse just to look at it.
B for presentation. Same bottling...where is the charm ?

*Retaste Octobre 10 2013*

Colour : Heavy sherry cask influence

Nose: sweet peat, cave moss, wet wood, more touches of peat, wood dust, sweet notes

Mouth: humid peat in a mossy cave, sherry spices, herbs, cut and wet grass, peat, touches of brine. A very steady malt for sure.

Finish: light lingering peat, bitter notes as well.

A remark here : this was a freshly opened bottle, hence, the tasting notes may be off as the spirit sometimes need to oxidize a bit.


B+ for the taste. Same old...
D for the price.
C+ for presentation...please change the label at least !

Whisky review : Glenmorangie ''Nectar d'Or' 12 years old' bottled @ 46%

Whisky review : Glenmorangie ''Nectar d'Or' 12 years old' bottled @ 46%

-Another Glen !
-46%
-Finished in Sauternes Casks

Colour: Bight gold, oily

Nose : wet straw, bee wax, honey, lots of fruits, sweet dairy wax, candied ginger, deep white honeyish, touches of  floral notes.

Mouth: rich sweet, sweet wines, tingly honey notes, high palate experience, creamy, mouth covering, touches of coconut, warming ginger. After adding a touch of water, it simply disintegrates...hence I would suggest to drink it neat. In this way, it is perhaps a bit ''robust'' on the side, you will feel it might be a bit over the edge. Hence a 15 years old version would be interesting.

Finish: creamy vanilla, sweet notes, more fruits.

B for the taste. It's a nice malt for sure. However, I enjoyed the 10 years old version just as much.
C for the taste. At 86.75$ (SAQ) and 89.3$ (LCBO)...why buy ? You can get the nice 10 years old for 64 ish dollars. This is a try before buy malt.
A for presentation. Very nice golden label.

Whisky review: Port Charlotte ''the Peat project'' bottled at 46%

Whisky review: Port Charlotte ''the Peat project'' bottled at 46%

-40ppm
-No colouring
-Not chill-filtered
-Says ''heavily peated"" but can't be compared to the Peat Smoke at 53ppm

Colour: golden, bright. No colouring here.

Nose: hard to grasp, not easy to ''discover'' at first. salt notes, sherry spices, light smoke, bitter notes, distant peat

Mouth: peat, light peat, vegetal, pepper, salt water, bitter caramel, very nice , lingering sweetness and peat. chewy bitter notes, with pepper and then salt water, surrounded by peat...a very gentle one.

Finish: lingering light and soft peat, touches of salt, caramel, brine, soft and gentle. Exquisite.

A for the taste. Could be more peated but it creates a nice balance between vegetal and peat followed by pepper.
A+ for presentation. Nice bottling
B for the price. Unexpected events rendered this bottle to 86$. It's ok. However, considering it's NAS, it's too pricey. Regardless, this is not available at SAQ not LCBO for the time being. 

Whisky review : Ardbeg Blasda bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : Ardbeg Blasda bottled @ 40%

-8ppm peat....vs. 24 for the 10 y/o
-the least peated expression of Ardbeg

Colour: very light, very light straw, oily

Nose: Sweet, very sweet, touches of peat, creamy ashes, soft chocolate, caramel lurking behind, fruits, very settled, peppermint

Mouth :soft, fresh, more of end of palate here, peat, cocoa powder, light peat, lots of finesse, light medicinal oils...very light and velvety

Finish: touches of spices, vanilla, peat

E for price. at 136$ (SAQ) it's a complete rip off.
B+ for presentation...Nice bottling, clear glass and design decal on it. But it shows who's the new owner...LV
C- for the taste. Too light...and dies quickly...not sure it should be label as a ''Ardbeg''....

*update*
-Sadly enough I was reminded that this is not even a ''Single'' malt...it's blended malt with Ardbeg and Glen Moray...That is quite embarrassing for Ardbeg ! Just a sad Malt....probably the saddest of the Arbegs. 

Whisky review : Ledaig Connoisseurs Choice 1993, bottled in 2010 - 17 years old. Bottled @ 43%

Whisky review : Ledaig Connoisseurs Choice 1993, bottled in 2010 - 17 years old. Bottled @ 43%

-1st Ledaig
-2nd bottling from Tobermory

Colour : bright gold, oily.

Nose: Caramel, soft creamy caramel, less intense yet smells like the Bun 12....

Mouth: very very light...touches of fruits, oranges, spices....yet disappear quickly...

Finish: DOA - dead on arrival.

B- for the price. 78$ (SAQ) is normal considering the age. However, tastewise...waste of money.
C- for the taste...flat and sad.
B for presentation. Same old CC packaging.

Whisky review : Tobermory 15 years Old Old Malt Cask - 1995 - bottled @ 50%

Whisky review : Tobermory 15 years Old Old Malt Cask - 1995 - bottled @ 50%

-1st Tobermory

Colour: very pale, medium bodied...no caramel here

Nose : light caramel, straw, mineral, salt touches, light sand

Mouth: Floral, spicy, fruity, chili oil, wet straw. Water turns this malt into more floral notes, spicy notes, ether, salted notes, very hot apples

Finish: light caramel, orange touches, floral.

B for the taste. It's a good malt, but not one I would go back to...it's a ''ok'' single malt.
D for the price. At 115$ (SAQ), this is way too much for what it is...
A for presentation. Clean presentation, lots of information

Whisky review : Benromach ''Peat Smoke'' dist.2004 bot.2012, 53ppm bottled @ 46%

Whisky review : Benromach ''Peat Smoke'' dist.2004 bot.2012, 53ppm bottled @ 46%

-Natural colouring
-Non chill-filtered
-bottled at 46%
-1st filled bourbon cask

Colour: very pale, gold, light straw

Nose: light peat, smoke, white smoke, sweet notes, light spices.

Mouth: peat, medicinal oil, light ash, smoke, chili, more peat, fresh smoke. With water, it turns to the classic wet tar, peat, very light and soft, smooth peat, very nice. Very close to Ardbeg in terms of palate. Not as mature and ''fine'' yet...a great alternative to the pricey Islay malt.

Finish: lingering peat and smoke, sticky peat...tar, touches of herbs and oil..just slowly fading. very good indeed.

A for the price. at 64,5 (SAQ), simply a great purchase. Still a tad young but the taste is great.
A for the taste. For any Islay fan, it a great Malt. Great peat and smokes touches. Recommended for any peat lover. 
A for presentation. Metal tubing and very good looking label. Simple and clean.

Whisky review : The Glenlivet Nadurra ''Natural'' 16 years old Cask Strength bottled @ 54.3%, Batch 0512T

Whisky review : The Glenlivet Nadurra ''Natural'' 16 years old Cask Strength bottled @ 54.3%, Batch 0512T

-Non chill-filtered
-Cask Strength
 -Trying in pairing with the other Nadurra (bottled at 48%)

Colour: Light apple juice, gold. medium bodied, a tad oily.

Nose: very fruity, very fresh, apples, mashed fruits, bee wax, toasted oak, dense yet not all over the place.

Mouth: lots of fruits and floral notes, wood, chili, very high phenol that turn around light green apples, sweet notes, barley. A very delicious and mouth watering whisky. Water makes it more light, more on sweet notes, fruits, yellow flowers, touches of oak, lingering barley and fruits.

Finish: toasted oak, some bitter apples notes, wax, honey, vanilla, lingering sweetness....

B++. Great mouth and palate....yet the finish is not wonderful.
A- for the price. Can be bought at 83$ (LCBO) or 81$ (SAQ). Great bottle at a very reasonable price. Recommended
A for presentation. Wrapped bottled, nice bottling, lots of information on it, just how we like it.