Ben Nevis 16yo – Abbey Whisky / The Rare Casks – 55%“Distilled in 1997 and aged for 16 years in a single sherry hogshead, the whisky has been bottled at natural cask strength and only 96 bottles have been filled and made available.
The whisky has been bottled in its natural form, at full cask strength, 55% vol, without chill filtering or colour additives.”
Read on for my tasting notes…
My drambassador’s trip to Glen GariochNow, where do I start? I’m no article writer and my brain isn’t what it once was… So I reckon we’ll just walk through my packed couple of days and randomly jump from one bit to another, how does that sound? Good, I’m glad you agree. You’ll probably get bored reading mind you, but give it a go eh?
Glencadam 22yo – Abbey Whisky / The Rare Casks – 55.3%Distilled in 1991 and aged in a refill bourbon cask for 22 years.
Having previously been mothballed, the distillery was brought back to life in 2003 and is the only existing distillery in the region of Angus.
“The dram possesses a distinct haze which hints at the true rustic character you would expect from a cask strength malt bottled in its truest natural form, without chill filtering or colour additives.”
Read on for my tasting notes…
The Arran Malt 17 Year Old – 46% OBArran 17 Year Old is the last release in a trilogy counting down to the launch of the 18 year old in 2015.
The oldest official bottling from the distillery at the time of release. It’s made from un-peated malted barley and matured in the finest ex-sherry casks giving it a unique and distinctive flavour.
Colour: Full golden, fairly rich.
Lord Elcho – New NAS Blended Scotch from Wemyss Malts(see update below…)
“Wemyss Malts is taking its second step into the world of Blended Scotch by adding a non-aged version of Lord Elcho to its range.
Lord Elcho 15yo was launched in 2012 and we are delighted to be adding another member of the family.
The nose on the new whisky is fresh and lively, with notes of fruit salad and fragrant wood shavings. The palate is full and soft, with waves of chewy caramel and a warm spiciness. Its finish is dry and long, with hints of crushed nuts.”
On to my quick wee review…
Auchentoshan – ‘Lemon Zest’ 1998/2013 (15yo) – Wemyss Malts – 46%Wemyss released five new single casks in April ’14, for details head here. However, on to the review of another one of those releases…
Colour: Light straw, good and natural.
Nose: That Auchentoshan farminess (I have no better description!) I often find is here, but not too strongly. It’s malty, light and zesty, and a definite lemony hint.
Palate: A slight upfront spiciness, which then dies off to be more gentle at which point the lemony zesty thing comes through.
Bunnahabhain – ‘The Bosun’s Dram’ 1997/2013 (16yo) – Wemyss Malts – 46%Wemyss released five new single casks in April ’14, for details head here. However, on to the review of one of those releases!
Colour: Full golden.
Nose: Earthy and slightly salty yet there’s a gentle peat smoke with malty hay tones.
Palate: Earthy salty peat! Pinch of spices and some crushed late summer berries.
(Keep an eye on the blog for reviews of two of these releases coming very soon!)
Edinburgh based boutique Spirits Company Wemyss Malts is delighted to announce the release of a new parcel of single cask single malt Scotch whiskies.
Each cask is a celebration of the unique and contrasting appeals of the different Scotch whisky regions and the latest release covers three of the regions: from Islay, Highlands, and Lowlands.
SWB | Somerset Whisky Blog 