Bunnahabhain 18 Year
$129.99
Bunnahabhain is often refered to as the Gentle Giant of Islay given that it is the least peaty of all Islay whiskies. Distillery Tasting Note: This beautiful golden spirit's nose releases honeyed nuts and a slightly sea-induced salty tang. Rich toffee and leathery oak aromas can be sensed upon further inspection. The palate is influenced by mellow sherried nuts and shavings of the finest natural oak wood.
Stronachie 18 Year
$102.99
A recreation of a long lost distillery's single malt. Sourced from the Benrinnes distillery, from whom we see very few bottlings (including independents), Matured in Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry and bottled at 46%.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: very doughy and creamy, fruit flan and freshly peeled green bananas; soft and floral with gentle malt and juicy Mandarin oranges; white chocolate and beeswax candles.
Palate: round, creamy, fruity and malty with building spice; the floral tones are still there with a very faint edge of oak; the American oak has left the whisky with loads of cream, vanilla and more waxy honey; the sherry has added to this a touch of leather, crisp spice and some darker fruits; more fruit flan, green bananas and some pineapple.
Finish: big honeyed and malty, it lasts long with the fruits slowly and quietly reemerging and the oak pulls back.
Comment: good value for an 18 year old single malt, especially a pleasant one!
Benriach Solstice 15 Year
$87.29
My Tasting Note: Nose: Shropshire blue cheese leaps out immediately on the nose; musty old oak, chocolate sauce, heather honey, moist tobacco and sweet fragrant smoke; the effect is like going into a dunnage warehouse at Bowmore or Lagavulin and being overwhelmed with the aromas of damp earth, musty oak, salt and the sweet nectar of maturing whisky; Palate: living up to the glorious aromas on the nose the palate is bombarded with heavy peat, smoke and a medicinal tinge; rum raisins and chocolate cake take a stand against the finest Dominican cigar smoke; massively earthy there are undertones of liquid honey and vanilla ice cream, but they must struggle to be heard over the brutish peat; Finish: big and very smoky, the after taste is that of a fine cigar mingled with unsweetened dark chocolate; the finish is long and smoky with a somewhat medicinal tinge.
Kilchoman Winter 2010
$71.09
My Tasting Notes: Nose: vanilla custard and fresh crème, lemon meringue pie, oily peat, clean wood smoke and pine scented furniture polish; Palate: white chocolate Hershey's kisses, raspberry eau de vie, vanilla icing, oily peat, brackish smoke, minty vegetal notes and heathery earth; Finish: drying with salty smoke, some pipe tobacco and white chocolate liqueur; long, lush and creamy!
Old Pulteney 17
$134.99
The 21 may have gotten 97.5pts and a World Whisky of the Year nod in the Bible, but the 17 scored 95pts and in my opinion is generally better! "Long with near perfect balance between the vanillas and delicate honeys."
Highland Park St.Magnus 12 Year
$157.49
Signatory Benriach 43.9% 1966
$700.19
BenRiach distillery only opperated for 2 years before it closed 1900. This '66 bottling is from the 1st year of renewed production, and therefore one of the oldest vintage bottlings of BenRiach available. My Tasting Note: "Nose: creamy with tropical fruit, toffees and Demerara sugars; peaches, bananas, and guava; coconut cream icing, almond paste and Strawberry puff candies; Palate: creamy and decadent with sweet toasted oak, more barley sugars and ripe peaches; honeyed and floral with roasted almonds, strawberry licorice and late hot spice; Finish: ; cooked honey, ripe peaches and fresh cream finish things off."
Signatory Bowmore 43.2% 1970
$1,023.29
Distilled: 24/09/1970. Bottled 24/09/2010. My Tasting Note:
Signatory Bowmore 51.5% 1970
$1,024.19
Distilled: 24/09/1970. Bottled 24/09/2010.