Cadenhead Small Batch Strathclyde 1989
$152.74
We've seen a crazy cool run of mature grain whiskies over the past couple of years, but unfortunately only a couple of those have been from the Lowland monster, Strathclyde. This grain distillery pumps out about 40 million litres of spirit each year, but nearly all of it is destined for the blenders market. Ironic to be so scarce, when the production numbers dwarf almost every other distillery in Scotland.
This 28 year old came from the fortuituous marriage of two ex-bourbon barrels, and yielded a mere 360 bottles worldwide.
55.8% abv
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Vanilla pods, earthy, mustiness, dunnage, cream cheese, butterscotch
Palate: Hard boil sweets, biscuity, honey oats, nutty, caramac
Finish: Shortbread, vanilla ice cream, fruit pastil
Cadenhead Small Batch Ledaig 1997
$209.99
Gone!
Bottled at 52.8% after 20 years in a Hogshead. Only 6 bottles came to KWM!
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: smoked kippers, role map herring, coastal flavours, crushed sea salt.
Palate: peanut butter, apple smoked, tea leaves, cooked fruits, tannins.
Finish: sooty, pebbly, smoked herring, smoked cheese, toasted barley.
Old & Rare Port Ellen Sherry
$3,999.99
Only 3 bottles of the Old & Rare Port Ellen 1983 have come to KWM. Bottled 56.8% after 33 Year in a Sherry Butt. 174 Total Bottles
Producer Tasting Note: “This golden whisky has a nose with notes of smoke, sweet peat and lemon. The palate is sweet and spicy with peat, oranges, gentle smoke, and liquorice. The finish is medium length with a lingering wisp of smoke.”
Port Ellen 32 Year
$5,099.99
The 12th Annual Release of Port Ellen was a 32 Year, matured in American & European Oak Casks. Bottled at 52.4%.
95pts Whisky Fun
"Colour: pale gold. Nose: as expected, this older baby is less in your face and, to be honest, much more complex and subtle. I’m glad we had the monsters before, that stresses even more to which extend the new one is complex. The first aromas are pretty similar (tar and such) but many tinier notes do develop over time, especially all what comes from ageing coastal peat, that is to say camphor, putty, plasticine, almonds, old coal stove, shellfish (our beloved whelks), old motor oil, waxed papers, ink, chimney ashes, seaweed… No need to say that this nose is brilliant. With water: same. It was already complex and so it remains. Mouth: I’d say the difference with the younger ones isn’t as big as on the nose, it’s still a potent, almost pungent whisky, with absolutely no signs of fatigue although again, it’s rather more complex. So once again, it’s the sappy/resinous part that grew bigger, with more camphor again, cough syrup, wax… It’s also very lemony and briny again, this should go extremely well with (the most expensive) oysters. With water: sadly, it’s great. I wrote sadly because it’s so expensive – as Pete and Jack said, many good friends can’t afford to show their good taste anymore. Anyway, there are more tropical fruits than in any earlier expressions, we’re starting to experience what can be found in old Laphroaigs, for example. Or in last year’s release, by the way. Superb! Finish: long, complex, chiselled, almondy, liquoricy, tarry, salty and, again, a little tropical. Lemons and grapefruits. Comments: mixed feelings, because of the prices. Just like last year’s release, it’s fabulous whisky, no doubt whatsoever, but it’s very sad that, as I said, some friends who really know their whisky won’t be able to buy it anymore. The worst problem is that, contrarily to what some seem to believe, there aren’t that many whiskies in this style anymore that are both as superb AND significantly cheaper in my opinion. Unless you’re good at self-persuasion… Or manage to unearth some great oldies here and there. Sob sob sob… SGP:457 - 95 points."
Port Ellen 37 Year 51%
$5,399.99
Port Ellen 37 Year 55.2%
$5,399.99
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 7.184
$112.49
HANDBAGS AND HOOKAHS
This 12 year old Speysider comes in at 61% after maturing in a 1st fill barrel.
Flavour profile: Spicy & dry.
Outturn: 187 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "The nose caught one of us sniffing a lady’s handbag (leather, cigarette packet, perfume, Polo mints) while another was in a Hookah Bar sucking fruity tobacco through a shisha pipe. The palate had the flavours of tropical fruit salad (mango, pineapple, papaya, apricot) and hints of Southern Comfort, new leather and woody spice. The reduced nose had perfumed tobacco, honeysuckle and minty notes, but was mainly sweet and fruity – corn candies, cherry-flavoured sweets and upside-down pineapple cake. The reduced palate was tart and dry (more fruit skins than fruit) with peppery arugula leaves, aniseed, tobacco and clove notes warming the finish."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.129
$149.99
A ROUND TRIP JOURNEY
This 9 year old from Islay comes in at 60.1% after maturing in a refill barrel.
Flavour profile: Peated.
Outturn: 199 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "We were greeted by a sweet smoky aroma that reminded us of an antique wooden cigar box or a well-used leather pipe and tobacco pouch which was followed by cumin, chili and sumac spiced sweet chunky potato wedges. The taste neat was intense, salty, sweet and smoky like grilled Espetos sardines ‘Malaga style’, skewered on a wooden stick sprinkled with rock salt standing vertically in the - now comes the Islay version - peat fuelled barbecue. Water not only toned it down but on the palate transformed it almost back to the sweet smoke of the beginning; vanilla custard with peat smoked roasted blueberries."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 35.199
$121.99
SPICY, CHERRY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
This 8 year old Speysider was matured in a 1st fill barrel and comes in at 59.5%
Flavour profile: Sweet & spicy
Outturn: 214 bottles
Panel's tasting note: "An array of sweet citric aromas greeted the Panel, described as a hot cup of ginger root tea with lemon and mint, a warm, moist and crunchy lemon drizzle dessert tray and a cinnamon pineapple upside-down cake. Plenty of spicy sweetness on the palate neat like eating spicy cherry chocolate brownies made with plenty of cinnamon and a touch of cayenne pepper as well as grilled pineapple with rum and lime-ginger syrup. Diluted, the impression was of a carpenter’s workshop with plenty of waxed wood notes whilst a lot more mellow to taste; buttermilk bran rusks dipped into a coconut milk hot chocolate."