Longmorn 22 yo 1969 / 1991 Intertrade 61% vs Longmorn 23 yo 1969 / 1993 Gordon & Macphail #3721 and 5297 61.2%
Longmorn 22 yo 1969 / 1991 Intertrade 61% Liquefied summer dreams. Honey, apricots, sweet cinnamon and warm nutmeg. The ripest oranges in the sun, cantaloupe, golden raisins, so wondrously fruity … Continue reading
Caol Ila 19 yo 1974 / 1994 Signatory #12459 61.1% vs Caol Ila 1981 / 1996 Gordon & Macphail #2081-2086 63.4%
Caol Ila 19 yo 1974 / 1994 Signatory #12459 61.1%As expected, it’s one of those Caol Ilas, a potion of pristine power, crystal clear, diamond edged, narrow and incisive but … Continue reading
Clynelish 24 yo 1988 / 2013 Hepburn’s Resolution 48.8% vs Clynelish 12 yo 1989 / 2001 Gordon & Macphail #3248 57.9%
Clynelish 24 yo 1988 / 2013 Hepburn’s Resolution 48.8% An interesting Japan only bottle. Well Japan dreams of Clynelish it seems, with molten wax and hot cream slathered over bare … Continue reading
Bowmore 25 yo Blackadder 1973 / 1998 Blackadder #3174 51.2% vs Bowmore 20yo 1976 / 1996 Signatory 3548/49 52.6%
Bowmore 25 yo Blackadder 1973 / 1998 Blackadder #3174 51.2% Well it’s certainly not fruity. But it’s got hot engine room, blackened rags heavy with grime and salt spray on … Continue reading
Balblair 1975 / 2012 2nd Release 46% vs Balblair 10 yo Gordon & Macphail 100 proof
Balblair 1975 / 2012 2nd Release 46%Not quite the fruit explosion I hoped for, but wait a minute, it speaks like an old time highlander. Austere, with cold paraffin, chalk … Continue reading
Convalmore 24 yo 1978 /2003 Rare Malts 59.4% vs Convalmore 40 yo 1977 / 2017 Cadenhead 56.8%
Convalmore 24 yo 1978 /2003 Rare Malts 59.4% Bitter orange peels, zesty vibrant and aromatic. Tart yellow fruit, acidic juice and honey mixed in a tall glass. Bright mimosa and … Continue reading
Lochside 29 yo 1981 / 2010 The Perfect Dram 51.1% vs Lochside 31 yo 1966 / 1998 Silent Stills #3910 57.7%
Lochside 29 yo 1981 / 2010 The Perfect Dram 51.1% Yes yes and yes. It swirls languidly like a unctuous reduction of olive oil, chalk and tropical fruit puree. While … Continue reading
Royal Brackla 16 yo Zenith 57% vs Royal Brackla 17 yo Intertrade 63.9%~bottled 1987
Royal Brackla 16 yo Zenith 57%As much wax as a Clynelish, colour me enthralled. Gritty gravel and granny’s old sewing machines. Plenty of poached yellow fruit in honey water on … Continue reading
Laphroaig 30 yo 43% ~ early 2000s vs Lagavulin 30 yo 1976 / 2006 52.6%
Laphroaig 30 yo 43% ~ early 2000s Yes, as deeply tarry and anaerobic as peat comes, with a real old earthy funk. Old workbenches with a veneer of saturated grease … Continue reading
Highland Park 13 yo 2006 for Simplywhisky Singapore #1646 64.7% vs Highland Park 30 yo 1989 / 2019 Gordon & Macphail 19/003 51.1%
Highland Park 13 yo 2006 for Simplywhisky Singapore #1646 64.7% Great news, it’s a moderately sherried Highland Park, with just about enough of everything to be an all round pleaser, … Continue reading
Pulteney 13 yo 1967 / 1980 Cadenhead 46% vs Laphroaig 21 yo Cadenhead for Sestante 52.1% ‘White Label’
Pulteney 13 yo 1967 / 1980 Cadenhead 46% Might have said it before but Pulteney is great. Here we have dry earth, some hot coals and also an overripe fruitiness … Continue reading
Ben Nevis 21 yo 1996 / 2018 Whisky Doris #2028 52.2% vs Ben Nevis 21 yo Private Bottling #1407 48.8%
Ben Nevis 21 yo 1996 / 2018 Whisky Doris #2028 52.2%Full of culinary aromas that border on mustiness. Cold fry pans sitting unwashed on stained hobs sticky with grease. Firewood … Continue reading
Glen Ord 40 yo 1965 Royal Mile Whiskies 40.1% vs Glenury Royal 24 yo 1973 / 1997 Signatory #6851 53.7%
Glen Ord 40 yo 1965 Royal Mile Whiskies 40.1%The kind of magic one looks for in these old ones. Old lumps of beeswax, dusty pollen, a bit of amaretto and … Continue reading
Lagavulin 12yo Special Release 2019 56.5% vs Pulteney 12yo 2008 / 2020 Nectar 57.5%
In memory of those who went before their time. Pulteney 12yo 2008 / 2020 Nectar 57.5% I have questions on where the production of this unspeakably underrated malt goes, seeing … Continue reading
Millburn 18 yo 1978 / 1997 Gordon & MacPhail #3166 65.6%
Millburn 18 yo 1978 / 1997 Gordon & MacPhail #3166 65.6%I can count the number of Millburn experts with all the fingers on my feet. I know pitifully little myself, … Continue reading
Craigduff 40 yo 1973 / 2013 Signatory #2516 49.6% vs Ardmore 1991 / 2006 Gordon & Macphail #6158/59/60 57.9%
Craigduff 40 yo 1973 / 2013 Signatory #2516 49.6% What you get when you lightly peat an otherwise funky fruity malt. Warm honey and hay, spilt beer and wet cement, … Continue reading
Ledaig ‘Limited Edition for the Year 2000’ 42% vs Ledaig 1975 / 1995 Blackadder #65 56.5%
Ledaig ‘Limited Edition for the Year 2000’ 42% An unusual one. Zippy salt air, fresh seawater complete with seaweed. Newly pulled nets, fresh catch and fennel. Very seagoing. Now smoking … Continue reading
Laphroaig 1994 / 2016 Malts of Scotland #16032 49.6% vs Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength Red Stripe 55.7%
Laphroaig 1994 / 2016 Malts of Scotland #16032 49.6% Right on the money for 90s Laphroaig, I suppose we could call it a classic style now. Hefty proportions, with a … Continue reading
Glenugie 31 yo 1966 / 1998 Signatory #5082 53.9% vs Emerald Isle 26 yo 1989 Specialty Drinks #16244 59.2%
Glenugie 31 yo 1966 / 1998 Signatory #5082 53.9% A viscous salve vivid with glints of machine oil, industrial putty, factory floor, turpenic resins, dry bark, cough syrup and jujubes. … Continue reading
Mortlach 22 yo 1997 / 2019 ‘Dedicate to G.D’Ambrosio’ My Name is Whisky Selection 56.9% vs Ardmore 22 yo 1998 / 2020 Catawiki #7508092 49.2%
Mortlach 22 yo 1997 / 2019 ‘Dedicate to G.D’Ambrosio’ My Name is Whisky Selection 56.9% A gift from Signor D’Ambrosio, thank you Sir! Here we find a perfect example of … Continue reading
Springbank 10 yo 1977 / 1987 Sutti Import 57% 75 cl vs Springbank 33 yo 1970 / 2004 The Whisky Fair #2964 47.9%
Springbank 10 yo 1977 / 1987 Sutti Import 57% 75 cl Tense with a measured golden power. Nose it for an immediate bullseye: A woody, barky petitgrain followed by hot … Continue reading
Nanyang Peninsula Collection: Orkney Single Malt 22 yo 1999 / 2022 Nanyang Whisky 52.6% vs Ben Nevis 23 yo 1998 / 2022 Nanyang Whisky 54.1% Islay Single Malt 30 yo 1990 / 2022 51.3%
Orkney Single Malt 22 yo 1999 / 2022 Nanyang Whisky 52.6% Quite a dominant malty-cereal chord despite the advanced wood. It smells like hulled grains and toasted oatcakes with plenty … Continue reading
Ardbeg 15 yo 1973 / 1989 Signatory #4902 46% vs Ardbeg 16 yo 1974 / 1991 SMWS 33.11 56%
Ardbeg 15 yo 1973 / 1989 Signatory #4902 46% Hear, hear. Glorious whisky is glorious, even if watered down to 46%. And this Ardbeg is one of them. A particularly … Continue reading
Pittyvaich 14 yo James Macarthur’s bottled 1991 54.4% vs Highland Park 18 yo 1972 / 1991 Signatory #9017 56%
Pittyvaich 14 yo James Macarthur’s bottled 1991 54.4% So distilled circa 1977. Right so.. it’s quite an extreme one. Concentrated with a pungent and thick oil, vegetal and sour, like … Continue reading
Glenlivet 8 yo Gordon & Macphail 100 proof vs Glen Calder 100 proof / 57% ‘From The Glenlivet District’
Glenlivet 8 yo Gordon & Macphail 100 proofThere are many iterations of this particular label, and in varying shades of red. From what I can tell this appears to be … Continue reading
Talisker 16 yo 1979 / 1995 Cadenhead 62.8% vs Talisker 13 yo 1979 James MacArthur’s 64.9%
Talisker 16 yo 1979 / 1995 Cadenhead 62.8% Very few malts approach this sort of purity. This is as pristine and seagoing as it gets. A scalpel of cold salt, … Continue reading
Bowmore 36 yo 1969 / 2006 Duncan Taylor #6090 44% vs Bowmore 16 yo 1984 / 2000 Samaroli #61930 45%
Bowmore 36 yo 1969 / 2006 Duncan Taylor #6090 44% We’ve got those lovely tropical fruit hues, but regretfully it isn’t immense though make no mistake, the whole is still … Continue reading
Longmorn 1972 / 2005 Munchner Whisky-Festival 57.3% vs Longmorn 1973 / 2011 Gordon & Macphail #3228 for Whiskyfair Limburg 58%
Longmorn 1972 / 2005 Munchner Whisky-Festival 57.3% Is it fair to expect love for an old Longmorn? Expectations met. A delightful nose, Eden at harvest, slathered in bursting orange and … Continue reading
Milroy’s trio: Clynelish 23 yo 1997 / 2021 Milroy’s #12359 53.3% vs Ben Nevis 25 yo 1996 / 2021 Milroy’s #20 47.6% vs Springbank 28 yo 1992 / 2021 Milroy’s #185 50.9%
Check out our pals Friends With Drams, they’ve got good whisky. Clynelish 23 yo 1997 / 2021 Milroy’s #12359 53.3% The sort of Clynelish that’s big on oak, so we … Continue reading
Ardbeg ‘Over 10 years old’ for Scoma by Cadenhead 58.5%
A gem from the Whiskyfair Limburg 2022. Note the unique label and font for this series. Needless to say, it is phenomenonally rare to see one open. Here we get … Continue reading
Glen Elgin 25 yo 1995 / 2021 Signatory #3270 52.3% vs Glen Elgin 12 yo 2008 / 2020 The Whisky Exchange #805343 55.8%
Glen Elgin 25 yo 1995 / 2021 Signatory #3270 52.3% Full of that ripe orchard fruit character that Glen Elgin seems to be blessed with. Ripe pears and stonefruit are … Continue reading
Craigellachie 23 yo 1989 / 2014 SMWS 44.59 ‘Lime marinated grilled chicken’ 51.4% vs Teaninich 21 yo 1999 / 2021 Maltbarn 48.8%
Craigellachie 23 yo 1989 / 2014 SMWS 44.59 ‘Lime marinated grilled chicken’ 51.4% Craigellachie is, to me, in the same weight category as Ben Nevis and Mortlach, but consequentially I … Continue reading
Oban 24 yo 1989 / 2013 #748 47.8% vs Oban 12 yo Special Release 2021 56.2%
Oban 24 yo 1989 / 2013 #748 47.8% A naked Oban, with character shining though the glass. Light honey, a single green kiwi, toasted oatcakes and naked cereals. Unsurprisingly, a … Continue reading
Bruichladdich 21 yo 1964 / 1986 Intertrade 51.8% vs Bruichladdich 15 yo 1969 / 1985 Intertrade 54%
Bruichladdich 21 yo 1964 / 1986 Intertrade 51.8% Heavily fruit, in oily brown tones on the verge of ferment, presents a dense nose. The musky fruit, like overripe honeydew, buoys … Continue reading
Scapa 16 yo 1980 / 1996 Signatory #12085-86 43% vs Highland Park 27 yo 1984 / 2011 Whisky Agency 52.5%
Scapa 16 yo 1980 / 1996 Signatory #12085-86 43% The ideal comparison would have been the 25yo 1980 special release but for the reasons that follow, this turns out to … Continue reading
Caol Ila 1979 / 2010 Prenzlow Portfolio Collection #5294 57.9% vs Caol Ila 20 yo 1981 / 2001 Wilson & Morgan #276 59.2%
Caol Ila 1979 / 2010 Prenzlow Portfolio Collection #5294 57.9% Feels like the fire of wild youth has dissipated to a warm salty glow. Warm pastry from wood fired ovens. … Continue reading
Knappogue Castle 25 yo 1996 / 2021 LMdW #5629 ‘The Remarkable Rocket’ 53.1% vs Knappogue Castle 27 yo 1994 / 2021 LMdW #888139 ‘The Happy Prince’ 50.3% vs Knappogue Castle 25 yo 1995 / 2021 LMdW #888892 ‘The Devoted Friend’ 50.9%
Knappogue Castle 25 yo 1996 / 2021 LMdW #5629 ‘The Remarkable Rocket’ 53.1% vs Knappogue Castle 27 yo 1994 / 2021 LMdW #888139 ‘The Happy Prince’ 50.3% vs Knappogue Castle … Continue reading
Benriach 12 yo 1969 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 40% vs Benriach 36 yo 1976 / 2012 #963 for The Whisky Agency 49.6%
Benriach 12 yo 1969 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 40% Fruit in succulent tropical hues of reds and oranges, hazily spread over stony earth and hay like a worked field … Continue reading
Strathisla 18 yo 1974 / 1992 Gordon & Macphail #2206 + 2207 57.8% vs Strathisla 36 yo 1967 / 2003 Gordon & MacPhail Bar Metro 35th Anniversary #2063 54.3%
Strathisla 18 yo 1974 / 1992 Gordon & MacPhail #2206 + 2207 57.8% A meaty and ever lightly sulphurous sherry here. Not my thing. Vague mushroom notes, umami, black pepper, … Continue reading
Rosebank 15 yo for Peck Milano by Zenith Italia 50% vs Rosebank 21 yo 1978 / 2000 Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask 336 bottles 50%
Rosebank 15 yo for Peck Milano by Zenith Italia 50% Peck is an upmarket restaurant and food emporium, evidently they like whisky as well. No indication when this was distilled … Continue reading
Islay Oct 1976 / Oct 1989 Society of Scotch Malt Connoisseurs #H2 59% vs Highland (Northern) Aug 1974 / Sept 1988 Society of Scotch Malt Connoisseurs #C13 63%
Islay Oct 1976 / Oct 1989 Society of Scotch Malt Connoisseurs #H2 59% I find pronounced coastal and peat driven characteristics, and a sharp saline edge. Not a muscular peat, … Continue reading
Glen Garioch 1975 Coilltean Samaroli 57% vs Glen Garioch 18 1978 / 1997 #4768, 10601-5, 10950-4 59.4%
Glen Garioch 1975 Coilltean Samaroli 57% Immensely peaty with abyssal depth. Thin smoke from burning grass, dried leaves, mossy branches and roots, straw, on what must be a bed of … Continue reading
Clynelish 21 yo 1997 The Malt Affair and The Auld Alliance 49.9% vs Clynelish 27 yo 1994 / 2021 Gleann Mor Rare Find for Royal Mile Whiskies 50.1%
Clynelish 21 yo 1997 The Malt Affair and The Auld Alliance 49.9% Everything in its place. Cold wax, honey, rubbed granite, drops of petrol, snapped twigs, one sooty smear, the … Continue reading
Highland Park 12 yo Ferraretto Import ~ circa 1979 ‘Gradi 43% Idrati 75 cl’ vs Highland park 8yo Gordon & Macphail 100 proof
Highland Park 12 yo Ferraretto Import ~ circa 1979 ‘Gradi 43% Idrati 75 cl’ An old glory. Subtle mix of discrete but well executed sherry and peat elements. Peat smoke. … Continue reading
Longmorn 37 yo 1973 / 2011 Whisky Agency 58% vs Benriach 17 yo 1978 / 1995 Cadenhead 59.7%
Longmorn 37 yo 1973 / 2011 Whisky Agency 58% Yellow plums, ripe but tart, a prickly mass of dessert spice and genteel drawing rooms of dark leather and oaken panels. … Continue reading
Clynelish Distiller’s Edition 1992 / 2007 Cl-Br:170-2g 46% Vs Clynelish 17 yo Managers Dram 61.8% ~ bottled 1998
So two sherried Clynelish. I’ve always preferred ex bourbon Clybelish but I keep an open mind: Clynelish Distiller’s Edition 1992 / 2007 Cl-Br:170-2g 46% Unmistakable warm wax and honey, cruising … Continue reading
Bowmore 25 yo 1990 / 2015 Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co #185076 53.7% vs Bowmore 21 yo 1995 / 2016 Master of Malt 54.7%
Bowmore 25 yo 1990 / 2015 Rest & Be Thankful Whisky Co #185076 53.7% Now while the heart of it is fruity, it’s firmly in the tart citric camp, so … Continue reading
Glendullan 12 yo Macdonald Greenlees 47% ~ Importato Da Ditta Manzuoli vs Glenfarclas 28 yo 1970 / 1999 Cadenhead 55.9%
Glendullan 12 yo Macdonald Greenlees 47% ~ Importato Da Ditta Manzuoli, late 80s Quite a full nose, but is that the cask? Right, a veneer of sulphur that clear but … Continue reading
Linkwood 15 Gordon & Macphail 100 proof/57% vs Mortlach Gordon & Macphail 100 proof/57%
Linkwood 15 Gordon & Macphail 100 proof / 57% Loads of dry exotic wood notes. Top grade black pepper, cedar, blackwood, teak oil, birch and myrrh. Just dry dry dry. … Continue reading
Benrinnes 20 yo 1995 / 2016 Signatory #5894 49.6% vs Benrinnes 21 yo Special Release 2014 56.9%
Benrinnes 20 yo 1995 / 2016 Signatory #5894 49.6% This house believe that Benrinnes significantly improved in the 90s. Sunny yellow hues of sweet honey, baked shortcrust, yellow stonefruit, tinned … Continue reading
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