Single Cask Seasons is a bottling series from independent bottler Signatory Vintage for German whisky importer Kirsch Import. The goal of this series is to find a whisky that matches the season of the year.

As for the pricing… around 100€  for a 14 years old expression? A bit ambitious if you ask me, especially because the excellent Clynelish 1996 (Spring 2015) did cost only 90€. Where is it all going to end?

Facts

Nose

Smoky but not that peaty. Notes of medicine and iodine. Pretty dry with dried logs, dried cloves and dried oranges. Some fruits, most notable smoked banana chips. Very slight traces of sherry and vinegar in the background. A bit of lavender perfume, too. Gets sweeter with some time in the glass.

Taste

Vibrant and warm but way, way less sweet than expected. Smoked cough syrup, and then sherry, sherry and even more sherry. Sugared citrus peels and sweet oranges. Gets drier towards the end with dried oak and old leather.

Finish

Medium with a fruity sweetness. Ember and charcoal.

Overall

Very yummy although the taste is completely different than the nose would suggest.

Score: good but not exceptional (86 / 100)

Sample provided by spiritscorner.eu

I really liked the first two bottlings (Albarzia and Dunder) in the series, although both were not up to my (admittedly high) expectations. Maybe third time’s the charm.

Facts

BenRiach 18 Years Old Latada

Nose

At first, pretty “camping-like”, if you know what I mean: campfire smoke, mossy stones, grass and wet leaves. Gets more fruitier with some time. Overripe melons, white grapes and pears. Also raspberries candies and marzipan. Some herbs. Hints of vanilla, leather and… iodine? Never had this in a non-Islay before. Interesting. Great nose, everything works well together.

Taste

Dry smoke with earthy and peaty undertones. Honeyed bananas, dried fruits and bitter citrus fruits, grapefruits perhaps. Some charred oak in the back. Pretty good but quite different than the nose would suggest.

Finish

Long with lots of dry smoke. Dried citrus fruits and tea leaves. A bit weak compared to the rest.

Overall

The best of the series for me. Highly pleasant, but it needs time to grow on you. It’s just too bad that the finish is a bit weak, because otherwise the score would be even higher!

Score: 88 / 100

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

Maybe it’s just me, but when I first heard that they were releasing a peated expression, I was not like “Oh yes! A peated non-age-statement expression from GlenDronach! That’s exactly what I was waiting for!” Why not stick to what you do best, big sherried whiskies? Oh well, it seems like every distillery has to make all sort of different stuff nowadays. What was that again with “terroir matters?”

Facts

GlenDronach Peated

Nose

Warm wood smoke — warm, welcoming and very gentle. Mashed red apples, roasted marshmallows and vanilla toffee, rounded by notes of heather honey and coconut shell. Perhaps some citrus fruits in the back.

Taste

Sweet, very sweet indeed. Vanilla marshmallows with hints of floral honey, followed by a whiff of white pepper. The wood smoke comes back, still very gentle and subtle.

Finish

Medium and sweet. Lingering wood smoke, barley sugar and lemons.

Overall

This is an undemanding and agreeable expression. I will give it that. But it’s nothing special in the sense of that it could come from (nearly) any other distillery out there. It’s neither a peat monster, nor a sherry monster and has nothing really to do with what GlenDronach usual does. Not bad by any means, just not really needed.

 Score: 82 / 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

Now, it’s time for  the fourth of the pack: Port Charlotte 2003. Only 180 bottles available for 90€ a pop.

Facts

Port Charlotte 2003 (for Whic Whiskycircle)

Nose

Sweet smoked bacon, dipped in lots of sweet BBQ sauce. Gets a bit spicier with green pepper and vanilla beans. The whole is rounded off by mountain peach and kiwi.

Taste

Strong and warming. A very pleasant balance between hot pepper and sweet nougat. Then limes and vanilla honey come along. The peated smoke is noticeable but not overpowering. In fact, it’s very well integrated. Dark chocolate, candied almonds and walnuts make an appearance at the end.

Finish

Long and warming with a slight dryness. Ash and again dark chocolate.

Overall

Not a classic peat monster, but I have no problem with that. The smoke is very well integrated and enhances the other flavors perfectly. 

Score: 86 / 100

Sample provided by whic.de

Facts

Laphroaig 1994 (Ian MacLeod Chieftain’s )

Nose

A little bit of medicine, iodine and ash smoke. Therefore a lot of vanilla. Green apples and coconuts followed by more fruits. Honeyed seaweed.

Taste

Sweet. Peaty ash and seaweed seasoned with rose pepper. Followed by nougat caramel, lemons, and candyfloss. Ends with firewood and licorice.

Finish

Long. Smooth and sweet. Herbs. A bit of cold smoke.

Overall

Very good, but everything is a bit too gentle and tamed for my taste.

Score: 88 / 100

The Laphroaig 21 Years Old 200th Anniversary Edition to the Friends of Laphroaig members by ballot, but now anyone can order it on the Laphroaig website. Why? Well, I guess that this has something to do with the price –  £99 for a half bottle isn’t exactly cheap.

Facts

Laphroaig 21 Years Old 200th Anniversary Edition

Nose

Very sweet with all the aromas you expect from a first-fill bourbon cask. Sweet medicinal smoke accompanied by vanilla and white honey. Oranges, sugared grapefruits and lemon slices. Hints of mint.

Taste

Sweet and smokey. Dried seaweed seasoned with sea salt. Grilled pineapples pieces in BBQ sauce. Followed by more citrus fruits and ginger.

Finish

Medium, but vanishes way too quickly. Hints of rose pepper and salt. Honeyed ash and citrus fruits.

Overall

A very elegant and mature Laphroaig. I am not the biggest fan of this citrus fruity profile but I have to acknowledge its well-balanced complexity. So overall a very good expression but not as good as I had hopped for.

Score: 89 / 100

The 2015 bottling is produced from of our finest floor malting’s malt, distilled using only the smaller stills and fully matured in our famous No1 warehouse, right by the sea. Cairdeas 2015 is therefore John’s [Master Distiller John Campbell] interpretation of how Laphroaig would have been produced at the distillery 200 years ago.

Sounds very promising!

Facts

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 200th Anniversary Edition

Nose

Barbecuing at the beach – very salty sea air mixed with campfire smoke. Not much medicine and iodine. Hints of vanilla honey and caramel toffee. All kinds of citrus fruits like lemons, limes and oranges. Mint leaves. Backed apples wrapped in bacon.

Taste

Creamy and full-bodied. Again very salty. Sweet ashes. Hints of rose pepper and herbs. Vanilla, chocolate and citrus fruits. Gets pretty flat after a short while.

Finish

Medium. A bit spicy but overall very mild. Sweet smoke with a citrus touch.

Overall

A very good Laphroaig, although a bit too progressive for my taste. The nose is a real highlight and while the rest is more than just fine, it is just not as good.

Score: 89 / 100

The Laphroaig Cairdeas 2014 got a double maturation both in bourbon barrels and in Amontillado seasoned hogsheads.

Facts

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2014

Nose

Laphroaig’s signature medical, iodine and minerals notes embedded in a muddy sweetness. Lots of oranges accompanied by hints of cinnamon, lemon zest, vanilla tobacco and cooling mint. A smouldering barbecue as well as BBQ sauce. A bit sharp (read alcoholic) around the edges.

Taste

Smooth and sweet. Medicine and iodine with a whiff of peaty ashes and tar. Again lots of juicy, sweet oranges followed by apricots, sugared lemon zest and vanilla honey. Gets a bit dryer towards the end.

Finish

Long. Sweet and mild with a a good portion of gentle smoke. Coffee with a lot of sugar. Vanilla pods with a few peppercorns in between.

Overall

Outstanding. What else can I say? The casks are working very, very well together resulting in a wonderful sweet fruitiness which you don’t find in other Laphroaigs. Very smooth and balanced with a rewarding complexity.

Score: 92 / 100