Our Whiskys ISLAY. Smokehead. Caol Ila. Caol Ila Cask. Bunnahabhain. As we get it single

Transcription

1 Our Whiskys ISLAY Smokehead Aimed at the modern drinker. The whisky is as traditional as it is possible to get. It is a heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky of the highest quality. Unsurprisingly, Smokehead offers wood smoke on the nose, along with smoked fish, black treacle and bubblegum notes. Huge on the palate, smoked haddock, Germolene and fruit gums are present, while freshly-ground black pepper develops in the finish. Caol Ila Caol Ila is considered to be one of the lighter of the Islays. Medium-bodied with a rounded flavour. Pale in colour with a greenish tinge. This malt has a peaty nose, with distinct floral notes. It is described as tasting slighty of seaweed/iodine, lightly medicinal, smoky, salty, sweet with a dry peppery finish. Caol Ila Cask The nose, very complex, is marked by peat on a floral background and some remote smoke hints. The palate is rather complex too, and the peat, the smoke and the salt are mixed with some ripe fruit notes. The long and pleasant finish ends on malt and smoke, after some strong nut hints. Bunnahabhain The nose is rather fresh and seems to be made from a mis of malt, hay and yeast. Slightly bitter notes, mixes of yeast, walnut and citrus. The finish is lingering and warm, and the pleasant notes from the nose and mouth are confirmed. As we get it single Extremely smoky & peaty on the nose & even more so on the palate. Smooth creamy palate with water.

2 SPEYSIDE Tomatin 12 year old Elegant and airy with a big smooth texture, a true delight for discerning whisky drinkers, Tomatin is carefully matured in tradtional oak barrels to produce the lightly peated, delicate flavour. The palate is rewarded with a unique combination of attractive flavours a balance of apples, pears and malt, with a gentle hint of nuttiness enhanced by the subtle use of sherry wood. The result is a wonderfully rich and elegant taste producing a long and satisfying finish. Glen Elgin Light to medium bodied, malty, fruity, honey, heather, oranges, touch of spice. A finish of vanilla, spice and malt. Cragganmore An apperance of coppertoned full gold. First impression is of fresh fruits. Refreshing and sweet. Vanilla and fruit brandy. Buttery. Diluted dram is dryer with a slight wooden aroma. Complex. Light to medium but very firm and smooth. Easy going, semi sweet with a wide range of fruits. Dried fruits, floral notes, butter, oak and leather. Finis Cragganmore 12 Year Old The nose was rather smoky and complex at the fourth tasting, with clear hints of citrus fruit. The taste in the palate is influenced by smoke on the background, and is rather salted, which is characteristic of whiskies from more Northern or closer to the sea areas. A nice finish, and an excellent whisky. Antiquary 12 Year Old (Blended Whisky from Speyside, Highlands and Lowlands) At the heart of The Antiquary is a very high malt to grain ratio of the finest malts from Speyside and Highland distilleries. Their complex, classical and fruity flavours are balanced by Lowland malt, which adds gentleness to the profile. Thus is the geographical spectrum of Scotland s whisky industry captured in a single bottle of The Antiquary. The subtle fruitiness contains a hint of apples. The outstanding smoothness, depth of flavour and long aftertaste is the result of exceptionally high malt content. Glenlossie Ripe fruit and cut grass make this nose a nice whole, fresh and perfumed. In the palate, the same very pleasant fruity impression. Not really complex this whisky is highly drinkable, especially because of the contrast between the fruity smoothness and some discrete peppery notes. A long and fresh finish. Cragganmore A rather fresh nose, with hints of hazelnut, grass and a touch of acidity. In the palate, a great complexity, a great sweetness with a touch of bitterness, walnut taste. The finish develops on malt, and is very smooth, despite the relative high degree of alcohol and is exceptionally long and pleasant.

3 Benrinnes The sherryish nose is pleasantly complex. In the palate, some malted after taste, mixed with sherry hints goes though quantity of tastes, amongst which a kind of prunes jam (quetsch). A rather pleasant and complex bottle. A very nice bottle. Linkwood The nose is pleasantly fruity and reveals some spicy fragrances. Citrus fruit and hits of smoke. In the palate, a nice mix of malty and fruity notes with some hints of sweet citrus fruit (ripe orange). A touch of nut on the background. The finish is quite long, first smooth and marked by nutty bitterness, and develops rather quick on alcohol whiffs before getting smoother again after a while. Tormore The colour is amber, and the nose detects slightly smoky hints. Warm sherry and vanilla aromas with a touch of caramel. The taste is rich and complex, malty and slightly peaty, and the finish is long, recalling sherry, oak and smoke. Longmorn The colour is gold, the nose rather sweet and full is fruity (peach, exotic fruits) no a slightly woody and vanilla background. The palate detects some peat hints and some nice fruity touches. The finish is marked by barley and yeast (beer) with a kind of sweet bitterness. Knockando The colour is pale gold with greenish glints. The nose evokes the cereal with some herbal hints and is rather simple. The palate confirms the nose with a poor body and a short finish slightly fruity... Glendullan Nice floral nose, pleasantly and discretely perfumed. Pear hints are present too. Nice spring impression, freshness and friendly smells. A great smoothness in the palate, and the fruity impression of the nose are detected in the mouth too. Strathisla This malt is part of the Heritage Selection collection. The colour is gold with amber glints, the nose is light and marked by the wood and sherry. The palate is full and dry, but rather pleasant. The finish, on fruit, is of an average length. A classical single malt, where the mouth dominates the nose. Inchgower A very clear floral nose, (undergrowth flowers), discrete exotic fruit hints and a touch of sherry make a very interesting introduction fot this whisky which seems to be very nice and complex from the very first nosing. In the palate, a very pleasant impression of sherry, mixed to clear but not boring woody hints. But finally the sherry keeps dominating the whole. A nice finish, well balanced and perfumed, going from walnut to liquorice. A lingering and warm finish. An excellent surprise.

4 Royal Brackla Fresh fruit and cut grass at the first nosing. Anyway a nice freshness, even if the nose is rather discrete. A pleasant impression of pear spirit in the mouth, with some acid notes giving it a nice freshness. An excellent aperitif whisky. The finish is in the same mood as nose and mouth. A pleasant drink. Glen Elgin The nose detects very slight smoke hints on a malted background. The slightly acid malt dominates the impression in the palate. Here also, some smoke hints are present. A classical Speyside with some citrus fruit touches. A rather long finish and quite a nice but dry taste completes the whole. This bottle confirms the high level of quality of the Fauna & Flora series. Glenfiddich The nose recognizes immediately a slightly malted Speyside. A little Speyside, without surprises. This first impression is confirmed in the mouth. No flavour explosion as in some other malts from the same region. A good little whisky. The finish is short. This malt is probably the best seller world around. Longmorn A quite clear nose, with fruit and vanilla hints, and some light tangerine hints mixed with almonds. In the palate, nice aromas, allying the taste of malted barley with some slightly acid touches and fruit hints. The finish is relatively short with some kind of bitter touches on the background. Strathmill The rather fresh nose reveals malt with some slightly acid (citrus fruit) hints, on a fruity background. In the palate, the taste develops on ripe fruit notes (pear) with some smoke and citrus touches on the background where malt remains present as well. A very nice woody finish, quite long. HIGHLANDS Dalwhinnie 1990 Distillers Edition (Central Highlands) Sweet & grainy, smells like a blend. It moves in an oilier direction for a while. Western Highlands Give it time, though - it becomes spicier with just a hint of organics after some breathing. As we get it (Central Highlands) Unique and quirky single malt whiskies made in the old fashioned way. Slight floral & heathery notes with an aroma of fresh, dry pinewood & the appearance of grapefruit with water. OBAN (Western Highlands) The colour is deep yellow. The nose, light, refined and balances is marked by spices (pepper), citrus fruits and light woody and smoky hints. The palate is smooth and develops on peat with a smoky, malty finish with exotic fruit touches. A good malt, balanced and smooth.

5 Clynelish (Northern Highlands) A delightful spicy and perfumed nose, with some floral and malty hints, the whole beeing very fresh and rather complex. A great complexity in the palate as well, whit some slight citrus hints, on a honey background with peat ant delicious spices. A finish developing on honey hints, than some more bitter and salted touches. A very nice whisky. Royal Lochnagar (Eastern Highlands) A very nice nose, full of fruit hints, pears, apples, bananas. Quite a nice freshness. Some cut grass too. A light veil of smoke. In the palate, the same pleasure with some slight domination of cut grass, a kind of acid freshness. Some hints of walnut as well. The finish is pleasantly long and fresh, also with some nice acidity. Blair Athol (Central Highlands) A nice clear nose, with nice malted barley notes and dry hay hiding some fruity hints, very pleasant despite their relative discretion. The mouth is quite similar to the nose, pleasantly complex and dominated by a malted sweetness and light hints of exotic fruits and a touch of cashew nut. The finish is quite pleasant and relatively long. No surprise, it exactly prolongs the nose and the palate. A very nice balance. Teaninich (Northern Highlands) Quite a smooth nose where bee wax hints hide partially very complex notes consisting of malted sweetness and citrus acidity, the whole in a perfect balance. Some salt and remote sea spray enhance the pleasure of nosing this whisky. In the palate, a kind of freshness and a nice complexity, with notes from malt to nut, nicely subtle whit no hinder at all from the high percentage of alcohol. The finish is rather long and very smooth. Hits of hazelnut and cashew nut put the finishing touch to the pleasure. Glen Ord (Northern Highlands) The nose is surprisingly peppery with sherry hints behind some nice malty flavours. In the mouth, the first impression is rather discrete, but the taste develops quickly on more complex, still peppery and malty fragrances with sherry touches on the background. The finish is rather long, spicy and smoothly malted. This bottle seems to get better and better. Glenturret (Central Highlands) Colour is deep yellow (straw). The nose is fresh and refined and marked by almond, citrus fruits and malted barley. The light palate confirms the nose, with a hint of peat. The short finish is discrete. A nice malt for classic whisky lovers. Glengoyne 10 years Unlike most other single malts Glengoyne has been preserving the essence of its flavour for decades by using air-dried barley rather than barley dried using harsh peat smoke. The result is a more subtle, complex whisky in which all of the delicate flavours are freely allowed to express themselves.

6 LOWLANDS Glenkinchie 12 years A rather sweet nose with honey, mslt and ripe fruits hints. Near the honey and the fruits, some slightly acid notes are present as well as a touch of nuts at the end. The finish is relatively short and the smooth notes of mouth and nose remain discretely. Glenkinchie Deep gold in colour, soft and delicate aroma, with grassy and slightly sweet, fruity notes. Light bodied, smooth and malty with a touch of peat. Western Highlands Bladnoch The Lowland whiskies are not famous for their complexity, but this bottle is the exception to the rule. All the sweetness of a Lowland, with its hints of cut grass allied to the strength of a raced whisky leaves a delicious impression in the mouth for a while. Rosebank Quite a fresh nose, smelling like a green apple lost in a haystack. The mouth is first marked by citrus acidity, but develops quickly on fruity notes. A kind of bitterness (nut) comes along too. The finish is relatively short, both warm and fresh. SKYE Talisker Another beautifully malt from the Isles. Without the predominance of the smoke as Islay whisky use to be marked by, this whisky form the Isle of Skye has conserved the marine and peaty character. A great pleasure from the very first contact. The nose detects a marine freshness, and the palate confirms this. A great complexity of fragrances makes it an exceptional malt.

7 JURA Superstition The first thing that hits you about the nose is an orange blossom fragrance combined with a underlying smokey peatiness. Its aromatic with subtle floural qualities to it, not overpowering though. Nutty biscuits and the lingering air of a continental sweet shop. Its feathery and light on the palate, then the complex flavours come in with a richness like toasted nuts. The finish is long and smooth as a sweetness hits you with touches of orange peel. Hints of a French dessert wine and then back to the smoke, like a campfire dying down. It really stands out. ORKNEY Scapa The rather discrete nose is clearly on the fruits, peach, pear or melon, with some floral hints and a touch of honey. In the palate, the presence of honey remains, mixed with a kind of bitterness. A kind of watery feeling probably due to the percentage of alcohol. A touch of acidity, a touch of smoke and a touch of malt. Highland Park Hints of yeast and nice freshness characterize the very first nose. Then, some more complex notes appear, a kind of mix of wood and plum jam. In the palate, a mix of pleasant slightly bitter notes and hints of malt and a touch of honey. Nice balance, but quite a linear whisky. The finish is rather long but rather plain too, even if some nice peppery notes are clearly present. And this impression of spiced malt persists for a while. The six Isles blended Malt The hefty Orkney asserts itself with a powerful sweet malty smokey taste but still allowing the salt and iodine of the Islay whisky through. This is a subtle blend which has an initial smooth satin taste on the tongue but is so light it doesn t linger on the palate as long as west coast single malts. Deceptively light, and so easy to drink, this one creeps up on you unlike the big hitters.