Crabbie 30 yo John Crabbie 48.6% (allegedly Macallan) vs Glengoyne 40 yo Single Malts of Scotland 56.8%
I am sure I am not alone in preferring this shot of the old Macallan to the shrine to commercialism that is the new distillery.
Crabbie 30 yo John Crabbie 48.6% ~ bottled 2018 (allegedly Macallan)
A single cask. And by this nose, refill I think. Soft and plush with lots of jammy tones, a tangy glazed maraschino, cocoa powder on confections, allpice and black pepper, and soaked tea leaves – so a little prickly with tannins as well. The spirit is nicely rounded off with good maturation but still keeps its structure tight. Toasty cereal and malty elements remain. Juicy red berries. Some dry cardboard on the tongue, black ink and quite some spicy and burnt sort of oak tannins starting to show. It’s all there but done with the panache of middle management civil service. So tick tock check the box but a little boring. A solid 86 pts.
Glengoyne 40 yo Single Malts of Scotland 56.8% ~ bottled 2017
So, Whisky Exchange. Yup avalanche of rich dried fruit as expected, all sorts of purples and viscous fruit juice. A wall of raspberry and dark chocolate bricks. Lots of thick black tea, enough to power a construction crew. Soot, snubbed candles, charred wood and tar. Not quite into soy sauce territories yet though. Caramelised sugar left just a moment too long on the stove. Liquorice sticks, stripped and dried out bark. Goopy resin-covered twigs. On the tongue it maintains an enveloping richness and shows off a dry cinnamon and dessert spices dustiness with little leafy notes. Very delicately tiptoeing the line on oak tannins so it’s heavy yes but not yet blocky or unbalanced. Very good one. 90 pts.
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- Linkwood 29 yo 1989 / 2019 SMWS 39.180 51% vs Linkwood 11 yo 2007 / 2019 SMWS 39.176 58%
- Strathisla 1967 / 2004 Duncan Taylor 45.9% vs Strathisla 1965 James MacArthur 51.7%
- Lagavulin 12 yo Carpano Import 43% vs Lagavulin 15 yo ceramic decanter 45%
- Eastern Highland 1975 / 1988 Samaroli Fragments of Scotland 50% (Glen Garioch) vs Glen Garioch 17 yo 1975 James MacArthur’s 54.2%
- Bowmore 10 yo Devil’s Cask Batch 1 56.9% vs Bowmore 10 yo Devils Cask Batch 2 56.3%
- Dalmore 10 yo 2006 46% vs Tomintoul 25 yo 40% ~2014 bottling vs Mackmyra Moments Ledin 48%
- Mortlach 21 yo 1957 / 1978 Cadenhead dumpy 80 proof vs Mortlach 22 yo 1969 / 1969 Cadenhead dumpy 50.5%
- Ledaig 20 yo 1972 James MacArthur 53.8% vs Ledaig 21 yo 1972 James MacArthur 54.2% vs Ledaig 18 yo James MacArthur 54.4% vs Ledaig 18 yo James MacArthur 55.2% vs Ledaig 23 yo 1972 for LMdW 51.9%
- Aberlour 30 yo 1963 James MacArthur 55.2% vs Aberfeldy 17 yo 2002 / 2019 Distillery Special #20019 54.9%
