Flavour tag: Orchard fruits | Tasting Notes

95

Clynelish 10yo Special Release 2023

We’ve been very lucky to have sampled the Diageo Special Releases from the past three years. And everytime the beautiful packed samples arrive, we speculate about which one will earn the title of our favourite. When the Clynelish name appears, it automatically rises to the top of our speculative...

88

Glen Scotia Double Cask Rum Finish

I (Dennis) really enjoy indulging in a glass of rum from time to time. Especially now that we occasionally come across different types and flavours. Even though my love for whisky reigns supreme, I thought it would be fun to explore the best of both worlds. So, I arranged...

84

Balblair 12yo

Today, we’re revisiting an old friend with a new face – the Balblair 12. If you’ve been following our whisky adventures, you may remember our previous encounters with Balblair’s 1999 3rd Release and the 1989 3rd Release. Both were delightful in their own right, but thanks to De Monnik...

89

Talisker X Parley: ‘Wilder Seas’

A week ago, we were delighted to receive this handsome bottle of whisky. And not just any whisky, but a product of an inspiring collaboration between Talisker and Parley for the Oceans, an organization dedicated to the preservation of our world’s oceans. The result is the Talisker X Parley:...

86

The Glenturret 10yo Peat Smoked 2022

During a live tasting hosted by @monnikdranken in the heart of Twente at the beginning of this year, we got to taste peated Glenturret new make. It was such a good spirit, that I wouldn’t mind them bottling this as is. I couldn’t get enough of it really. A...

86

Cardhu 16yo Special Release 2022

Whenever we get tired looking for easter eggs, we get a little bit naughty and wonder what more the Easter bunny has to offer. We must say, every year it’s at it again. This year it surprised us with this absolute beauty, the Cardhu 16 years old, part of...

85

Glenmorangie 12yo Palo Cortado Finish 2022

Just look at this bottle, isn’t it like the Easter Bunny painted the label himself? Hate it or love it, as far as Easter dram are concerned, Glenmorangie delivered. This whisky has finished on rare Palo Cortado sherry casks. It’s hard to go wrong with these casks, no question....

90

Teeling Renaissance Series 5

What do we have here? It seems we have stumbled upon something quite special during an online tasting – the Teeling Renaissance series 5. And not just any bottle, mind you. It’s an 18 years old one that has been finished on ex-Calvados casks, after an initial maturation on...

99

Littlemill 45 years 1976 – 2022 – 250th Anniversary

We already considered ourselves lucky for being provided multiple opportunities to taste whiskies we never tried before. But this tops it all: a taste of a Littlemill 45yo 1967-2022. Bottled for what should’ve been their 250th Anniversary, if the distillery would still exist. I’m 32 years old myself, and...

79

The Gauldrons by Douglas Laing

It is a stormy night in October, going on a walk in the forest during these conditions isn’t one of your best ideas but you are determined to keep going, you are not a quitter! As conditions are getting worse you eventually need to seek shelter and you notice...

83

Mac-Talla Strata 15yo by Morrison

It’s been 1,5 years since we got introduced to Morrison’s Mac-Talla. A series of independently bottled Islay malt(s) that reflect the Morrison’s family’s ties with Islay. One of the best places to be, if you ask us. This 15 years old Mac-Talla Strata is a single malt bottling of...

89

The Epicurean Glasgow Edition by Douglas Laing

Meet the Epicurean, traveling from town to town, storyteller at heart. Charming and a little bit cheeky. We meet him for the second time already. As the night settles he pours us a dram of his own blend of malts. And then he starts telling… He’s full of stories...

80

anCnoc 12yo

Once again @monnikdranken delivered something on our doorstep we haven’t tasted before. After all those years you might expect that we have had most of the core ranges in our whisky collection but we’re glad to say we have not. We’re working on it though. You see, this anCnoc...

85

Smokehead Twisted Stout

Smokehead’s newest release brings us back to our time on Islay. At the table of the Ardview Inn at Port Ellen to be specific. At the end of a long day of travelling from distillery to distillery and tasting wonderful whiskies, drenched in peaty flavours, there was only one...

84

Glengoyne Legacy Series Chapter 3

We live in a time where we almost can’t escape our busy lives anymore, our family, friends and work are begging for our attention, sometimes one by one, but often these three are fighting to get what they deserve at the same time. It is hard to prioritize every...

88

Ben Nevis 2015 6yo by Roger’s Whisky Company

We’re an absolute sucker for Ben Nevis malts, so I’m glad a couple of our favourite indies do an expression from time to time. It’s an instant buy for us! The one we have right here is a banger by Roger’s Whisky Company. Just look at that label for...

95

Clynelish & Ardbeg 1996-2021 25yo Horizon Sunset & Horizon Nightfall by My Name is Whisky

At the @whiskyconsutants.nl HQ, we like to broaden our horizons every now and then and luckily we happen to have friends in very, very powerful places. For example, Simon Paul and Francesca Murat from @mynameiswhisky_official who has been extremely kind to us in the past and once again provided...

86

The Glenturret 12yo

We tend to have nice and cosy drams in our collection, which we can pour any moment of the day. If you know us better, you’ll say that the type of whisky doesn’t matter for us to take in, but we simply (and sadly) can not live on Ardbeg,...

79

Spearhead Single Grain Scotch Whisky

Some while ago we touched briefly on the incredible variation that the Loch Lomond Distillery is able to offer with their three types of stills. And while we may be acquainted with the distillery by now, Spearhead Single Grain Scotch Whisky didn’t ring a bell, until we received this...

87

Cardhu 14yo Diageo Special Release 2021

Let’s be honest, Diageo knows what they’re doing when it comes to marketing. We received an incredible package a while ago, containing samples of all of the 2021 Special Release expressions. It is safe to say that we were speechless, and that’s a rare thing. This Cardhu 14 years...

86

Old Pulteney 12yo

We can’t deny it any longer, autumn has definitely arrived here in the Netherlands. Leaves are falling, rain is pouring from dawn to dusk and the temperature is dropping massively day by day. We get a little sad every year when summer ends but these weather conditions make us...

87

Glen Moray 10yo 2008-2019 #5584 Adelphi

My first ever single malt was a Glen Moray 12yo. And it was a great start. Years later I still enjoy a Moray from time to time. They are dangerously drinkable though. Sometimes you just need that little punch. And that’s where this 10yo Glen Moray by Adelphi comes...

90

Ben Nevis 22yo 1992 WM Cadenhead Small Batch

There’s two types of Ben Nevis: good and better. At least, as far as I’ve discovered. So what mostly remains, is the price factor. I bought this particular Ben Nevis two years ago for around €220,-. Normally I won’t risk it without tasting it first, but considering it’s a...

85

Smokehead Islay Single malt

From a lot of whisky worldwide, you can not see what is hiding inside. The looks of the bottle doesn’t give anything away about the character of the dram. This Ian Mcleod’s Smokehead clearly isn’t one of those, one glance at the frightening exterior gives you an idea of...

84

Eaglesburn Distillery 2017-2021 Double Wood

Living under the smoke of Arnhem, how could we not have tasted the whisky that was founded in Arnhem by Bart Joosten? He might have thought the same, because he kindly sent us a bottle of the 2017-2021 Eaglesburn single malt, that had matured on bourbon casks, topped off...

83

Linkwood 12yo 2008-2021 by Càrn Mòr

Lately, Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers are doing an extraordinary job when it comes to releasing interesting expressions. We sometimes suspect them to be a fly on our wall when we are talking about which releases we would like to see because sooner or later they’ll end up on our...

85

Caol Ila 12yo 2008-2021 by Single Note

At the beginning of this year, we’ve covered a wonderfully sherried 5yo expression of Caol Ila by the fairly new Dutch bottler Single Note. Now they’re back with another Caol Ila, but this time it’s 12yo and has been matured on fresh bourbon barrels. We like the sound of...

97

Bunnahabhain 28yo ‘Untold Riches’ by Wemyss Malts

Back in february we bought this stunner of a Bunnahabhain by Wemyss Malts. We liked it so much, that we forgot to meticulously write down our notes. Instead, we sat back and relaxed. And that for many times after our initial purchase. Now the bottle is already half empty,...

80

Timorous Beastie by Douglas Laing

To a Mouse Hey little creature, What are you doing up there? So small, but fierce and brave, And definitely not scared. Timorous Beastie, I’m truly sorry Man’s dominion, has broken Nature’s social union. I know you have been scared for many, many years, because of what the awful...

94

Ben Nevis 1998 17yo by Claxton’s

In our quest for the most delicious bottle, there are no certainties. Every whisky you buy, is some kind of guess. A quick taste before you pull out your wallet is great, but sometimes a dram falls short, just because it’s not the right moment and/or your palate isn’t...

89

Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength Batch 011

It happens every now and then that we really dig a dram, but it lacks a bit of a punch. The whisky could be even better when it is bottled on a somewhat higher abv, but certainly not every bottle has a cask strength version, which is something we...

88

Tomatin 2008 12yo Rivesaltes Casks

Last month, we got the opportunity to take part on the live tasting for the launch of The French Collection by Tomatin. As a fan of Tomatin, we were thrilled! The French Collection is a four part series, the whisky is distilled in 2008 and has initially matured on...

83

The Epicurean by Douglas Laing

The Epicurean is a connoisseur of the arts of life and the refinements of sensual pleasures, especially when it comes to good food and drinks. We didn’t know there was a word for something we feel so deeply, until the Epicurean set a foot on our doorstep. The Epicurean...

94

Àlainn 27 Year Old 1989 – The Vatting by Murray McDavid

What we have here is a very special and dangerously drinkable Islay blended malt by Murray McDavid. A vatting of Bowmore and Laphroaig from 1989, having matured for at least 27 years. My guess, based on the taste, is that it’s predominantly Bowmore, there are some hints of Laphroaig,...

87

Cù Bòcan Creation #2

Last in line during this Cù Bòcan week, is the Creation #2. If you talk about experimental maturations and finishes, you’ve got to see this one. A regular virgin European oak (16%) in combination with a Japanese Shochu cask (84%). This might be interesting! To be completely honest with...

84

Glenglassaugh Torfa

When I talk about my go to whiskies, I often forget to mention Glenglassaugh. Quite wrongly so, because their Evolution is the one I keep returning to as an example of a well crafted bourbon matured whisky. It’s the dram I take to make my palate ready for a...