robust body and a heavier peat influence more redolent of the whisky produced on the island in days gone by.

Unfortunately, this bottling comes without an age statement, but at least it has very detailed information about the type of casks used:

And even though I usually don’t pay too much attention to the packaging, I really really love this one. Seriously, I think it’s just great, although it’s part of the reason why this bottling is priced the way it is (about 120€ to 140€ on release).

Facts

Arran Smugglers’ Series Vol. I ‘The Illicit Stills’

© Isle of Arran Distillers

Nose

A bit youngish, but all in all pleasant and rounded. The alcohol is well integrated. Some sweetish peat smoke right off the bat, not too heavy, just a hint. A complex fruitiness emerges with notes of plums, sweet oranges, dried fruits and strawberry yogurt. Next come notes of vanilla, sponge cake, roasted almonds in white chocolate and charred oak, followed by coastal elements.

Taste

Full-bodied, strong and very intense. Red and yellow plums as well as sweet red fruits are finely balanced by a mix of white pepper, dying embers and ash. Peach flavored green tea and sweet white grapes come along. Gets pretty spicy and oaky towards the end.

Finish

Long with lots of peat smoke and wood fire ash. Dried apricots and citrus tea, joined by maritime notes.

Overall

I think the peat and the port are both too loud and cover a bit too much of the distillery character. That being said, I really enjoyed The Illicit Stills overall. It’s a full-bodied, pleasantly intense Arran, although it’s missing that little something extra in my opinion.

Score: 85 / 100

By the way, a bothy is a is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge (thanks wikipedia!). So either “bothy” has also another meaning I am not aware of or I don’t fully understand what this has to do with whisky. May it as it be, it’s time to taste.

Facts

Arran ‘The Bothy’ Quarter Cask (Batch 1)

Nose

Very rich. Lots of vanilla and warm caramel, balanced by all kinds of tropical fruits: canned pineapples, dried coconuts, unripe bananas and green mangoes. Hints of cinnamon and orange blossom, followed by sweet malt, dusty sandalwood and citrus candles.

Taste

Creamy and fresh. A thrilling balance between sweet citrus fruits and spicy elements of pepper, chili and ginger. Fresh pineapples and green apples emerge, together with hints of vanilla and bitter oak.

Finish

Medium with a dry bitterness. Oak and dried flowers combined with a whiff of citrus fruits and peaches.

Overall

I really like The Bothy, although it has some youngish elements in it. Either that, or the maturation in the quarter casks was a bit too long. Anyways, overall another really good expression from Arran, especially when you like the combination of lovely exotic fruits and strong spices.

Score: 86 / 100

Neist Point (Source: commons.wikipedia.org)

Neist Point Lighthouse (Source: commons.wikimedia.org, Attribution: John Allan)

Such a beautiful looking place! Anyways, let’s see what Talisker respectively Diageo has to say about the Talisker Neist Point, which I am paraphrasing:

Using some of the distillery’s rarest and smoothest stocks, Talisker Neist Point has a more ‘elegant’ and ‘smooth’ character, showcasing the broader flavor range and complexity of this award-wining island malt.

Now this made me chuckle, because probably the last thing I personally want from a Talisker is “smoothness”. But it gets even better. Because in case you were wondering why this bottling comes without an age statement but with a pretty hefty price tag (the RRP is £115 / $179 / €147), here is the answer:

Research shows that duty-free whisky purchasers are more concerned with taste (and smoothness), than age or price.

I think that this is a very oversimplified, if not downright ridiculous, generalization, although I am not your average duty-free whisky purchaser for sure. I mean yes, if you would ask me “Yo Chris, what’s the most important to you: taste, age or price?”, my answer would be probably: “To me, the taste is the most important thing without a doubt, because if I don’t enjoy the whisky in front of me, age and price don’t mean a thing. BUT age isn’t just a number for me, especially if you want me to pay a lot of money for your whisky. So if you want to go further down that NAS route with a new luxury bottling in order to become the most sold single malt whisky in the duty-free sector, give me at least a little bit more to work with.”

Facts

Talisker Neist Point

Nose

Soft, smooth and pretty fruity at first. Apples, pears and white peaches with custard, alongside caramelized cherries and soft touches of oranges and bananas. Then a BBQ party at the beach: sea salt, bonfire, embers and ashes, barbecued salmon and smoked oysters. The only thing I am really missing is the signature peppery touch.

Taste

Initially very soft and sweet, with only a light peated smokiness. A delicate balance between caramel with sea salt and black pepper corns. The spiciness gets less after a while and makes place for apples, apricots and oranges, together with vanilla pods and some cinnamon. Gets creamier towards the end.

Finish

Long. Soft and warming with a honeyed sweetness. Lingering coal smoked joined by dark chocolate and some wood ashes. And yes, there is also a tiny bit of pepper, but no real ‘chili catch’.

Overall

Much to my surprise, I have to admit, that the Talisker Neist Point, though grossly overpriced, is indeed very good! Could be more edgy for my taste, but I really liked the smooth, appealing, harmonic and elegant character of this expression.

Score: 87 / 100

The third (and last) one for today is a Tobermory, distilled in 1995, matured in a bourbon barrel for 20 years and afterwards bottled at cask strength. Only 132 bottles available for 95€ a pop.

Facts

Tobermory 1995 (for Whic Whiskycircle)

Nose

Vanilla mousse and lemon sherbet with raspberries. A whiff of cinnamon followed by almonds and sweet woodruff. Then wet grass and fresh polished cedar wood appear.

Taste

Strong entrance with pink grapefruit, pepper and burned caramel. The grapefruits gain the upper hand and it gets more sour. Some green walnuts in the background.

Finish

Long and drying. Cinnamon gum, nutmeg and gingerbread.

Overall

Yeah, this Tobermory works for me pretty well.

Score: 83 / 100

Sample provided by whic.de

Facts

Tobermory 1994 (Wilson & Morgan ‘Barrel Selection’)

Nose

Ah yes, undoubtedly a Tobermory. Minerals, earth, forest floor and wet leaves. Also malt and hints of citrus fruits. Nuts, caramelized raisins and unpopped popcorn.

Taste

Full-bodied, creamy and buttery with a slightly spicy punch. The sherry is more noticeable now. Dried Oranges, raisins, figs and nuts. Vanilla and lots of honey in the background.

Finish

Very long. Warming and spicy.

Overall

The sherry influence is rather subtle but adds the little something extra. One of the more approachable Tobermory bottlings I had so far.

Score: 83 / 100

The Arran 18 Years Old Limited Edition was really good, so let’s see if this bottling can hold up against it.

Facts

Arran 1996 (Simply Good Whisky by Kirsch)

Nose

Sweet with a slightly alcoholic, yet not necessarily unpleasant, note. A big, fat honeydew melon together with red apples, oranges and grapes. Lemon cake, spicy vanilla and cacao powder. Some dusty oak and sawdust in the back.

Taste

More sweetness. Starts with a strong honey note, which gets pushed away by pepper, ginger and vanilla fairly quickly. Following this, sugared lime juice, cola fizz lollies and a bit of chocolate emerge. No indications of the cask strength though.

Finish

Long with a lot of oak. Walnuts. A whiff of pepper and dried fruits.

Overall

Fantastic in the nose and really diverse on the palate. A more than just simply good Arran!

Score: 87 / 100

I have yet to taste a older Ledaig, but I could image that the spirit really benefits from some more years in a cask. With that being said, I was a little more than just skeptical about today’s Ledaig 2008/2015 from Signatory Vintage’s ‘The Un-Chillfiltered Collection’ given its young age of 7 years.

But little did I know that my skepticism was completely unfounded.

Facts

Ledaig 2008/2015 ‘The Un-Chillfiltered Collection’ (Signatory Vintage)

Nose

A delicate triumvirate of cold coal smoke, smoked beef and a whiff of iodine. Followed by vanilla and a few lemon drops. Roasted cocoa beans, filter coffee and dark wild berries in the back. There is also something that reminds me of furniture polish.

Taste

Starts with a lot of chocolate, followed by rose pepper and dark fruits. Again filter coffee. Not as much smokiness as in the nose. Only hints of cold and dry smoke.

Finish

Medium with a slightly dryness and touches of spices. Ends with dark berries.

Overall

What a pleasant surprise! A really nice dram despite the young age. Very balanced from start to finish and way smoother than expected.

Score: 86 / 100

Sample provided by whic.de

The Scapa 2001 was distilled at a time when the distillery was run by the staff from Highland Park, albeit only a few weeks per year. Funny enough, there has been available an official 14 year old between 2004 and 2008, which was then replaced by a 16 year old, which is in turn now replaced by a new 14 year old.

Gordon & MacPhail’s bottling series Distillery Labels stems from the time when they released more or less official bottlings for several distilleries.

Facts

Scapa 2001 (Gordon & MacPhail ‘Distillery Labels’)

Nose

Rather light and fruity. Green apples and green pears. Honeydew. Vanilla toffee. Developing hints of cold coal smoke in the back.

Taste

Creamy and sweet. Tropical fruits followed by pink grapefruits. Then some chili pepper kicks in. A trace of ash.

Finish

Long and creamy. Again pretty spicy. Mangoes and papayas. Cigar ash.

Overall

Pleasant and easy to sip. A nice mix of sweetness, fruitiness and chili spiciness on the palate.

Score: 86 / 100

Sample provided by whic.de

Facts

Highland Park 1995 (Gordon & MacPhail) – Exclusively bottled for German Fans of Single Malt Whisky 2015 #3

Nose

Fresh, fruity and almost sour. Not what I did expect but compelling nonetheless. Green apples, pear juice, mangoes, sweet oranges and candied lime zest with a cooling note of peppermint and menthol. A bit woody around the edges with spruce wood and pine cone. Hints of vanilla infused honey and caramel in the back.

Taste

Sweet and creamy. Bananas covered in bitter chocolate and honeydew bites. Balanced by white pepper and salted butter.

Finish

Long and creamy. At first dry oak until the trademark Highland Park heather-smoke kicks in.

Overall

Well balanced but not boring at all. The fruitiness caught me by surprise, but in a good way.

Score: 88 / 100

Sample and picture provided by Kirsch Import

The peaty Ledaigs are meant to represent the distillery’s original style and the distillery itself was named Ledaig for some of the time. Now, I am anything but fluent in Gaelic, but from what I know, the correct pronunciation of Ledaig is even on the Isle of Mull not without controversy. Whatever the case, the name translates to ‘safe haven’ in English.

Facts

Ledaig 10 Years Old

Nose

Cold coal smoke, slightly burned rubber and a whiff of iodine. There is something sweet-sour in the background which reminds of lemons and sweet balsamic vinegar.

Taste

Oily with spicy toasted oak and cold ash. Followed by freshly ground black pepper and red chili peppers. Burns on the tongue. The spiciness fades away with some time and lemon drizzle cake comes to light.

Finish

Long. Again cold ash. Paired with white pepper and salt water.

Overall

This single malt is hasty, wild and not afraid to show that. A bit too rough for my taste but I find this in-your-face-attitude rather refreshing.

Score: 82 / 100