Whisky review : Glenfiddich ''Rich Oak'' 14 years old bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : Glenfiddich ''Rich Oak'' 14 years old bottled @ 40%

-Classic Glenfiddich bottling
-40%...sad....so sad
-New American and Spanish Oak

Colour: bright gold-copperish, medium bodied, a tad oily.

Nose: Fresh cut apples, candied apples, hot metallic-spices-Sherry notes, like a Chilean wine, mineral oils (reminds of me a Vinia Tondonia Cosecha 1995), some kind of light ointment, 

Mouth: Boom...spicy wood notes, very mineral, the metallic-ointement-creamy notes...so interesting ! unlike any Glenfiddich I've had (12 - 15 - 18). Very fresh, intense minerals notes, touches of spices, creamy green apples, peaches, apricot. Quite impressive I must say. Coats the mouth and develops this mineral-oak flavour...

Finish:  gets back to metal, but something very natural and raw, mineral notes, creamy fruits notes, acidic oak, perhaps wood sap (that might just the ''new wood'' coming through). Yet

A for the taste and quite possibly my favourite Glenfiddich out there.
A+ for the price. I paid 59.95$ (LCBO) for this, which I consider to be a superb whisky and thus a great investment.
B+ for the presentation. Yeah Yeah triangular.... 

Whisky review : Highland Park 10 years old bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : Highland Park 10 years old bottled @ 40%

-Limited international release
-Bottled 2 years younger

Colour: Light gold, straw, light bodied, juicy.

Nose: very nice citrus / orange notes, sweet floral notes, very mouth watering indeed, candied fruits, touches of sherry spices. Very mild inviting nose.

Mouth: Soft, chili, lots of fruity sweet notes, quickly wants to turn to ether notes - and partially goes there. Stays on fruits, light orange jam, but again perhaps a bit short lived in the mouth. I tried it with water and I feel it does not benefit from it.

Finish: They wrote ''light smoke'' finish...From my point of view there is not smoke whatsoever here. You get a short re-flux of the candied fruits notes, marmalade, light floral perfume, barley sugar.


B+ for the taste. Great initial taste. The only shortcoming would be the ''dies-to-quickly''. Regardless, it's a great younger malt and I would choose it over the HP12 anytime. This one is more straightforward and fun to drink.
A- for price. I got it for 59,95$ (LCBO). It's not available at the SAQ, yet. Still, for 60$ it's a good purchase for any novice drinker or anyone looking to try a different style of HP.
B++ for the packaging. All too similar to me. Furthermore, as the their master distiller states ''colour comes only with the wood here''....then why not simply write it on the label ? It gets confusing....

Whisky review : Three Ships Premium Whisky (Blend of South African and Scotch) 5 years old bottled @ 43%

Whisky review : Three Ships Premium Whisky (Blend of South African and Scotch) 5 years old bottled @ 43%

-1st South African

-Bottled at 43%

-Great price

Colour: bright gold, a bit on the dark side, oily with long legs

Nose:  very light white smoke, broken coffee grain, sweet notes, some kind of sour pepper...a bit weird here. (water) brings out sweet white smoke and more peat...similar to a light Lap.

Mouth: light peat, bitter-hot notes, bitterness of the bitter-melon or either some roasted grain but not like the Conn, eucalyptus, a bit harsh on the sides. Good on arrival but shows some kind of immaturity. (water) Much more interesting. Very light and settled, gentle peat and touches of ashes...yet those bitter notes are still present.

Finish: those bitter notes are lingering a bit and left us wondering : where is the peat now ? Gone. The smoke resurfaces but....its not booming for sure.

A for the price. For 39.99 (LCBO), it's an affordable exotic whisky that any club can try and compare to other Scotches or other world whiskies. However, For young blend, I would still go for a the Islay Mist 8 years old : it does not ''lurk'' smoke but expresses it.

B- for the taste. It's good but not that good. I suppose the 10 years old is more mature in terms of flavour.

D for the presentation. Cheap Chivas Style...no really appealing.

Whisky review : Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC10 (Heavily Peated) bottled @ 46%

Whisky review : Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC10 (Heavily Peated) bottled @ 46%

-40ppm..so no sure we can say Heavily peated
-Natural colouring
-No filtration

Colour: Light cassonade brown (raw sugar), oilier than the peat project was.

Nose: spicy peat, sweet peat...touches of bourbon sweetness, very nice fragrant peat/sweetness going on, very juicy yet misty and somehow dense, you can feel that this malt, behind its gentleness (in peat) will punch you in the mouth !

Mouth: And punch it did. rubbery peat effect, caramel, malt sugar, spicy touches, alternate between peat/sweet notes/spicy notes while you roll it in your mouth, very nice effect indeed ! Feels aggressive at first but it's quite interesting. Water brings a light ''wet tar'', bitter/sweet notes and dry caramel bonbon. Great PC which has a superb peat-sweet balance. Highly recommended.

Finish: lingering spices, peat, light smoke, rubber, touches of milk chocolate lurking....

A for taste. Peat-sweet-spices in a very nice balance....what else ?
A for the price. for 69$ (SAQ) it's a great priced malt. However, I'm not sure the stocks will last long.
A for the presentation, Yet again, I do enjoy the sober/clean look of B.

Whisky review : Lagavulin 12 years old (2012) bottled @ 56.1%

Whisky review : Lagavulin 12 years old (2012) bottled @ 56.1%

-What is there to say ? It's the Lag 12 !

Colour: very pale, medium oily body, short legs.

Nose: strong spirit, heavy yet gentle peat, white smoke, creamy chocolate milk, toasted oak wood, light sweet/floral notes lurking on the sides, incredible nose. Once you let it settle in the glass, you notice the spirit goes away and the nice heavy peat/ light white ashes/smoke comes. Simply great !

Mouth: Mist of peat and white smoke, creamy sweet notes, covers then expands into a cloud of light white pungent peat smoke. A few medicinal notes as well. Regardless of its ABV, it can easily be drunk neat, that's how well seated this malt is. Water brings out a light rubber, burnt grain, peat, light wet ashes, more white smoke. This is one that any peat fan ought to try.

Finish: Long lingering peat, high smoke, yet so well balanced....

A for price. Considering it was purchased for 82$ (NYC), it's almost perfect. However, it tops 116,25$ (SAQ) and 129,95$ (LCBO)...need I say more ? Fail.
A+ for the taste. So heavy yet balanced and gentle....incredible malt.
B for the presentation. We would like to have more information on the label (if it is indeed a small batch, why no cask number ? or bottle number ? / what is the PPM of this malt ?)

Whisky review: Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2006 bottled @ 50%

Whisky review: Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2006 bottled @ 50%

-5 years old
-Natural colouring
-Non chill filtering
-Higher strength

Colour: light honey yellow, light bodied, very bright and clean

Nose: apricot, candied fruits, old wood, dusty oak, creamy barley sugar, malt sugar, very fresh, fruity and inviting.

Mouth: Very strong initial impact, lots of candied fruits, wax tubes with juice in it (old candy), chili pepper, milk strawberry candies, candied chili. Very nice unpeated malt indeed, but fades a bit too quickly. Water brings more fruit notes and candied apricots.

Finish: sweet and chili spiciness. However, it remains quite short.

B+ for the taste, very nice initial/mouth. However, the finish is yet to be found.
B+ for the price. at 70$ (SAQ) its great value considering its characteristics.
A for the presentation. Clean tubing very sober yet sophisticated. I do enjoy B's bottling.