Adelphi Mortlach 1993 56.1%
$449.99
One of a pair of 25 year old 1993 Mortlach casks acquired by a distillery from a private owner. 385 bottles from a Refill Hogshead cask, No. 4466.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: Marocan marmalade and salted butter on rough wholegrain bread; sticky toffee pudding with treacle sauce; maple toffee and Scottish tablet; plum and fig jam as well as Jujubes and soft leather.
Palate: round, fruity and spicy with a firm base of candied fruits, smooth leather and crisp spices; earthy dunnage warehouse notes, dark bakers chocolate, espresso bean and salty Dutch licorice; classic meaty-subtlely sulphurry Mortlach tones and some late tobacco.
Finish: long, sherried and spicy; classic Mortlach: big fruits, leather and chocolate with late tobacco.
Comment: spicier than the sister cask, but just as fruity; a lovely rounded Morlach.
Producer's Tasting Note
"Good beading, from a refill Sherry Hogshead. Rich mahogany in colour.
"On the nose: buttery scrambled egg on a brioche bun; Treacle and a touch of balsamic vinegar glaze. After a while, the nose develops further – roast beef jus remaining in the roasting tin with a subtle hint of rowan jelly. Tannic and fruity to taste (fresh brambles).
"With water, becomes sweeter. Thornton’s treacle toffee. Sweetness is mirrored on the palate with Werther’s Originals fudge."
Cadenhead Blended Scotch Whisky 20 Year
$129.99
1 Per Customer!
The first release was awesome, the second is supposed to be too. I haven’t tried it yet, and I can’t find an official tasting notes, but Batch 2 scored 89pts on ScotchWhisky.com. We only have enough for one bottle per person. Distilleries Used: Glenrothes, Benrinnes, Strathclyde. 89pts Scotch Whisky.com.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: treacle, dark chocolate fudge, firm leather and maple syrup; old school sherry, candied fruits, Armagnac and mom's Christmas cake soaked with rum.
Palate: big, rich and fruity with layers of spice; old school sherry, candied fruits, Christmas cake and sticky toffee pudding with treacle sauce; chewy Panada brand licorice, but also saltier Dutch varieties; candied ginger and cinnamon hearts; more sweet dark chocolate, maple syrup, leather and a touch fruity tobacco.
Finish: long, coating and rich; more fruits, leather, spices and chocolate.
Comment: this one really needed a day open up, it is much more expressive than when I first sampled it the day before; this is an unabashed sherry bomb, I would challenger anyone tasting it blind to identify it as a blend; for the age, price and style this is crushable... a shame only 30 bottles are coming to Canada!
Scotch Whisky.com Review 89pts
Nose: Super-ripe, rich and sweet. Cherry cola, chocolate ganache, Seville orange and sweet ginger develop into muscovado sugar, plump raisin and a hint of clove. Things dry ever so slightly in time but continue to head toward a hot, buttered, Demerara rum. Water adds sweetened coffee and a slightly more savoury quality, but ‘slightly’ is the operative word.
Palate: As you might expect, a very soft delivery, with a thick, plush texture: old roses, red velvet cake and a jam-like sweetness (damson, mulberry and sloe). Although things remain sweet when it’s diluted, there’s also some black cherry, cassis and finally a little (and much-needed) grip.
Finish: Lush.
Conclusion: Completely the opposite of the Scapa expression – and equally some might not go for this heart-on-the-sleeve richness. It might not have massive complexity, but by goodness it’s a good glass.
Adelphi Nightcap Gift Pack Release 6
$124.99
A set of 4 100ml wax sealed single malts, one each from the Highlands, Speyside, Islay and Orkney.
In This Edition
- Breath of the Highlands 2005 - 59.6% - 12 Year - Producer Tasting Note: "Rich gold, from a 1st fill American oak barrel, After Eights and Liquorice Allsorts with melon balls and polished decking (very slight maritime influence). Nut brittle and crème brulée lifted by a grind of white pepper on the finish."
- Breath of the Speyside 2006 - 58.3% - 11 Year - Producer Tasting Note: "Dark amber, from an active Spanish oak sherry butt, toffee-coated red apples, chewy fudge and chocolate brownies. Sweet and zesty with more fudge and slight fruit peel."
- Breath of the Isles 2007 - 58.3% - 11 Year - Producer Tasting Note: "Deep gold with excellent beading, from 2 ex-Sherry hogsheads, initially sweet with Werther’s Originals, Caramac bars, and a trace of smoke. Vanilla, star anise and blackcurrant in the background with a rich smoked meat and honey palate, and a hint of salt."
- Breath of Islay 2010 - 56.9% - 8 Year - Producer Tasting Note: "Autumn gold with good beading, drawn from a 1st fill American oak barrel. Carbolic soap, smoked cheese and burnt coconut biscuits next to the swimming pool. Rich mouth texture with bonfire smoke, a classic Caol Ila sweet/savoury balance and sooty finish."
North Star Glentauchers 9 Year
$111.99
Only 6 bottles coming to KWM of this 10 year old Glentauchers matured in a Refill Hogshead and finished in a Bordeaux Barrique. Bottled at 59.2%.
Producer's Tasting Note
Nose: a busy sommellier's apron & rosehips.
Palate: McCowan's Highland Toffee.
Finish: a decent desert wine washed down with a crispy creme brulee.
North Star Caol Ila 12 Year
$137.99
Only 6 bottles are coming to KWM of this Caol Ila single cask. Filled in to a Refill Hogshead cask in 2006 and bottled in 2018 at 48.5%. Only 6 bottles are coming to KWM, so it is limited to 1 bottle per customer.
Producer's Tasting Note
Nose: the reek of peat on repeat.
Palate: dry smoke with Polly Pastilles.
Finish: flumes from a second hand culverin.
North Star Speyside Star 12 Year
$71.99
A mystery single malt, reputedly from the Benrinnes Distillery. Bottled at 50% from a Single Shery Butt.
North Star Highland Star 11 Year
$71.99
This is an 11 year old single cask of reputedly Teaninich, bottled at 50%.
Producers Tasting Notes
Nose: Hay, greengages, a whiff of peat swiftly enveloped by coffee-dipped pastries.
Palate: Orange peel, caramel and almond. Still slightly grassy at points. A flinty touch or two here and there.
Finish: Grist, apricot and milk chocolate.
84pts Whisky Fun
"What’s fun with this series is that, while the distilleries remain technically anonymous, the labels provide the necessary latitude and longitude co-ordinates to find out. In the case of this wee bottling, google maps informs us that the whisky almost certainly comes from Tea.... Colour: white wine. Nose: straw, bailed hay, cider apples, pears, sooty porridge, chalk and things like river water and moss. No nonsense, rather pure malt whisky that does indeed bring to mind the ‘idea’ of ‘Highland’ malt whisky. Even if the concept of regions is a little daft these days (while indeed the concept of terroir is on the rise). With a little time there’s various lovely notes of herbs, lemon rind, greenery and petrichor. With water: chalk, aspirin, citric, malt bins, dry cereals, plain toast - perhaps a little more chiseled and mineral. Mouth: sharp, flinty, lemony, yeasty, bready and rather lively. Full of olive oil, hints of pineapple and other fruit syrups, cornbread and some white flowers and pebbles. With water: green apples now, lemon zest again, more chalky, crushed aspirin notes, bay leaf, trodden bracken and other such greenery. A slightly ascendant earthiness. Finish: good length, rather on oatmeal, dried cereals, baking soda, dried mixed herbs and a light pepperiness. Some watercress in the aftertaste. Comments: A very solid and natural wee dram and a great, young example of this particular make. Good hipflask material."
North Star Island Star 11 Year
$71.99
Just 12 bottles of this indepedently bottled Scapa are coming to KWM. Bottled at 10 years of age and 50% after matruing in a Refill Hogshead.
87pts @Whisky Fun
"This one hails from Orkney. Specifically from Mrs Cameron’s house which lies exactly between Highland Park and Scapa. At the time of writing she doesn’t yet have a visitor centre. Colour: gold. Nose: I get cooking oils and fresh breads to begin with. Then it moves more in the direction of mint julep, lighter coastal qualities and things like juniper, nettles and beach pebbles. Gets more coastal and evocative with time. There’s also hints of sweeter things like lemon barley water and barley sugar. With water: some lemony fruitiness, olive oil, poppy seeds, sponge cake mix and barley broth. Mouth: kiln air, sooty coal scuttles (I eat them regularly), heather ale, green pepper, herbal ointments, dried lavender and seaweed in miso broth. Some salted butter and chives as well. With water: a curious initial note of white chocolate then more toasted bread notes, salt and pepper, smoked herbs and umami paste. Finish: medium length and perfectly dry, crisp and full of heather and cereal notes. Comments: I suspect we’ve all got a pretty good idea which direction Mrs Cameron’s house is facing..."
North Star Islay Star 11 Year
$75.99
A 12 year old Caol Ila... supposedly, this is a mystery malt! Bottled at 50% and 11 years of age from a single Refill Hogshead.
88pts Whisky Fun
"This one hails from the Port Askaig region of Islay. Colour: straw. Nose: pretty textbook stuff. Shellfish, seawater, yeasty sourdough, white flowers, lemon juice, fish sauce, wood ashes. A touch of good malt vinegar on salty chips. With water: more ashes, more beach pebbles, some sheep wool, a wee hint of blue cheese and bandages. Mouth: great arrival! A soft, peaty oil slick. Lots of ash, brine, green olives, sea water, medical embrocations, black pepper, hot grist and lime juice on fresh oysters. It’s very hard to find fault with this make at this age and cask type. With water: dried seaweed, tarry rope, lemon infused oil, barley sugar, smoked German dark beers, smoky bacon fries and some good plain peat smoke. Finish: long and all on kiln smoke, anchovies, pine resins, cured meats, salted fish and newspaper ash. Comments: “Westering home and a song in the a...” etc, etc... "
