Port Ellen Douglas of Drumlanrig
$224.99
SOLD OUT!
85pts Serge of www.whiskyfun.org
A wonderful label that makes me think of a Soviet officer’s cap – personal pathos I guess! Colour: straw. Nose: a crisp, clean lemony Port Ellen, medium peated at first nosing, evolving towards notes of fresh oysters and butter, then fresh almonds, grass and a little nutmeg, getting just a tad paraffiny and papery (wet newspaper). Whiffs of ginger tonic, gin fizz… Little wood influence it seems, a rather gentle and soft Port Ellen. No sherry that I can smell. After fifteen minutes: more burnt caramel. Mouth: good, compact, lemony and peaty at the attack, drops a bit in the middle (a little cardboard), takes off again towards the end (lemon marmalade and ginger) and ends up on something such as lemon-flavoured marzipan. Something slightly dusty/chalky. Finish: rather long and quite lemony, with some salt. Comments: a Port Ellen of good quality, no more, no less. Not a big one.
Signatory Bowmore 1972 36 Year
$571.49
I call this whisky the poor man's Black Bowmore, and although it doesn't quite match the Blacks legendary palate, at 1/9th the price it comes damn close. My tasting note: Nose: marmalade, chewy toffee, chocolate-walnut fudge, smoky raisins and burnt dark fruits and soft dry peat; Palate: rich, sweet and chewy, more burnt fruits, milk chocolate and dry heathery peat; there is some tropical fruit here but its drier and not as moist as that with the Black; Finish, drying, sweet, fruity milk chocolate and some clean salty smoke.
Duthies Caol Ila 13 Year
$78.74
Duthies Copper Stills is a new range of independently bottled whiskies from WM Cadenhead, Scotland's oldest independent bottler. The whiskies are all bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering. Nose: Smoked mussels; malty; dry burning kindling; smoked ham; kelp. Palate: Extremely dry with an excellent balance of malt, peat and smoke and some zesty notes. A dry lingering finish.
Duthies Auchentoshan 19 Year
$97.64
Duthies Copper Stills is a new range of independently bottled whiskies from WM Cadenhead, Scotland's oldest independent bottler. The whiskies are all bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering. Nose: Perfumed; malty sweetness; creme brulee; honey and vanilla notes with hints of apples. Palate: A very rich creamy texture, sweet and mouth coating. Very smooth with a dry lingering finish.
Duthies Glen Scotia 17 Year
$91.79
Duthies Copper Stills is a new range of independently bottled whiskies from WM Cadenhead, Scotland's oldest independent bottler. The whiskies are all bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering. Nose: Vanilla yogurt, creme caramel, and pears with hints of white rum. Palate: Fruity (peaches and pears), malty, marzipan and very smooth. Caramelised walnuts & dried fruits.
Kilkerran "Work In Progress" #3
$59.84
Glengyle has been rebuilt and reopened by the folks at Springbank distillery in Campbeltown after an 80 year silence. They can't call the distillery's product Glengyle because there is a blend by that name, so it has been named Kilkerran after a stunning nearby church. Official Tasting Notes Nose: An initial burst of perfume leads you into a sweet, fruity and eventually spicy aroma. Palate: Cloves, more fruits sweetness. Still a Work in Progress, this whisky is already lively, zesty and full of flavour. Finish: The sweetness lasts all the way to the finish as vanilla flavours linger on your tongue.
Dalmore Gran Reserva
$73.34
Gold Bowmore 1964
$7,739.99
"Surprisingly lively on the nose for its age. A complex array of fruit (tangerine, sultana, pink grapefruit, papaya, and the general overall citrus DNA that you'll find in old Bowmores), with balancing notes of honey and vanilla. A hint of damp smoke and coconut. Just like with Black Bowmore, this is a texturally soothing whisky on the palate, which continues to evolve in waves�first the sweet honey, coating vanilla, and lively fruit, then turning quite visceral, with juicy oak, damp earth, deep peat smoke, and charcoal, followed by another wave of fruit (this time, dried fruit), finishing off with subtle charred oak and roasted nuts. This whisky is better than White Bowmore, and it falls just short of Black Bowmore (which I rated 97), because it's just a bit softer and less vibrant on the palate." John Hansel Malt Advocate
Bowmore Tempest Cask Strength
$73.79
This whisky has been matured exclusively in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks. The Tempest was created to embody the rugged stormy nature of Islay and it has done that. Earthy smoke and brine water, notes of crème brulée with orange blossom with butter cream. Palate: Bursts of citrus, lemons and orange with the distinct peaty Islay character and a sea salt tang. Finish: Long, lingering yet clean and fresh.