It has no age statement, but from what I understand, its matured for at least ten years in classic ex-bourbon barrels and “rare” — whatever that means — ex-Manzanilla casks (an extremely dry sherry).

Make sure to check out the two other Ardbegs I reviewed today: Blasda and Galileo.

Facts

Nose

Maybe a bit salty, but not so peaty at first. Cherries, plums, brown sugar and walnuts. A bit lemony. Tobacco, vanilla and marzipan.

Mouth

Surprisingly punchy on the palate. Smoke and ash. Very salty, the Manzanilla comes really through now. Walnuts, cherries and lemons, followed by pepper, burned caramel, licorice and wood polish. A bit of tobacco. Gets pretty bitter and oaky towards the end.

Finish

Long. Spicy and dry. Smoke, peat ash and lemon salts. Caramel.

Thoughts

Pretty wood driven, the spirit has not much to say. Maybe a bit too Ardbeg-unlike for the purists, but I like it!

Score: very good and highly recommended (89 / 100)

This 12 year old expression was matured in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and some ex-Marsala casks from Sicily.

Facts

Nose

Sweet and creamy, but not that peaty for an Ardbeg. Hot chocolate with whipped cream. Pineapples, bananas and lemons. Pencil shavings. Hints of vanilla and popcorn.

Mouth

A bit all over the place. Peaty and zesty, but also dry and fruity. Peaches, tea leaves, pepper, lemons and apricots. A few walnuts, too.

Finish

Long, dry and spicy. Peat smoke with hints of fruits and salt.

Thoughts

The nose is great, but the palate is kinda weird. Not in a bad way, it’s just a bit inconsistent in my opinion. That said, I like the general sweetness of this expression, although I guess it’s a bit too sweet for the Ardbeg purists.

Score: good but not exceptional (86 / 100)

The first one for today is the Ardbeg Blasda, which is Gaelic for “sweet and delicious”. Only 8ppm (in the spirit), chill-filtered, bottled at 40% ABV… Well, it’s never a good thing to judge a whisky by its label, but this doesn’t sound really Ardbeg-like to me.

Facts

Nose

Light, very light indeed. Surprisingly some peat smoke and ash, very little but more than expected. Rather fruity with green apples, fresh lemons and some kiwis. Small hints of salty caramel and vanilla.

Mouth

A tad more smokey and ashy now, but not a lot. All the fruits are back plus some peaches and lemon zest.

Finish

Short and fruity. Pretty lemony with hints of peat smoke.

Thoughts

Yeah…not really sweet, but definitely not un-tasty. A decent enough dram for summer I guess, but nothing special in my books. I’m simply not a big fan of this lighter than usual style.

Score: average but worth a try (80 / 100)

Single Cask Seasons is a bottling series from independent bottler Signatory Vintage for Kirsch Whisky Import. The goal of this series is to find a whisky that matches the season of the year. This time they bottled a 11 year old Bunnahabhain, matured in a 1st Fill Sherry Butt.

Facts

Nose

Very lovely and unbelievable fruity. Cherries, oranges, peaches, raspberries and frosted strawberries, followed by caramel, hints of mint and some freshly chopped nuts, maybe hazelnuts. No smoke, but a very light maritime touch. Warm marzipan and a bit of vanilla.

Taste

Unexpected punchy and intense. Cherries, plums and spicy vanilla. A bit oaky and peppery. Cooked oranges and cherry tobacco. Seaweed and sea salt. Some smoke, but really just a tiny bit.

Finish

Long and warm. Hints of smoke, sweet fruits and salt. Pipe tobacco, citrus and wood.

Overall

A very fine young Bunnahabhain from a good sherry butt — intense, punchy and wonderful fruity. Well worth the money (70€)!

Score: very good and highly recommended (90 / 100)

Last year’s Laphroaig 2001 Feis Ile Bottling was absolutely outstanding, so I have high expectations for this one.

Facts

Nose

Surprisingly mineral and salty (sea salt), with a good portion of peat and sweetish vanilla flavored smoke. Peaches, alongside other orchard fruits. Hints of cacao powder and smoked ham. Maybe some wild berries.

Taste

Lots of sweet barley at first, followed by chili chocolate and frosted orange peel. Gets more chocolaty, reminds me quite a bit of a thick chocolate drink now. Ends on notes of green apples.

Finish

Long. The peat smoke comes back. Malty and slightly spicy with fruity sweetness. A little bit chocolaty, too.

Overall

Maybe a bit too spicy and raw on the palate, but besides that, this is another well selected Feis Ile bottling from Douglas Laing. It’s definitely worth the price (about 150€) if you don’t mind to pay a Feis Ile premium. That said, I liked last year’s Laphroaig a lot more, but maybe that’s because I prefer Laphroaig over Bowmore in general. Anyways, if you are lucky to find a bottle, go ahead and buy one. You will not reget it!

Score: very good and highly recommended (89 / 100)

But now back to the Benromach 35 Years Old. It has no vintage year on the label, but since this bottling just came out, the casks were laid down either in 1980 or 1981, which was only a few years before Benromach closed (1983) and way before Gordon & MacPhail acquired the distillery and brought it back to life (1993-1998).

Facts

Nose

Super complex and very lovely, although I expected more sherry. No complaints though. Starts with pleasant beehive notes (wax, warm honey) and progresses with cooked kiwis, apple juice and orange zest marmalade. A little cinnamon for good measure. Then something leathery, a old leather couch perhaps.

Taste

Bitter sweet harmony with a fruity touch. Cigar tobacco, cooked bananas and baked red apples with nutmeg and cinnamon, complemented by hints of lemon zest and cacao powder. Delicate touches of cracked pepper corns and toasted oak are lingering in the background.

Finish

Long. Cacao powder, sweet tobacco and bitter orange oil, followed by oak and a bit of mint.

Overall

Funny enough, this expression feels more “modern” than some of the way younger Benromachs I reviewed last week. However, its freshness is what surprised me the most considering the three and a half decades in first-fill sherry casks. That said, this is a dangerously good and delightfully malt, although I’m not a big fan of bottling a whisky this old at anything but cask strength.

Score: very good and highly recommended (90 / 100)

Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

In order to create their ‘Peat Smoke’ expression, Benromach uses heavily peated barley instead of the medium peated barley (12ppm) they usual use to give their whisky that special pre-1960’s Speyside character. According to whiskybase, the barley for this release had a peat level of 62ppm, which puts the Benromach Peat Smoke 2006 in the same league as some of the Islay Single Malts as far as the peatiness goes — at least on paper.

Facts

Nose

Peaty but not that smoky if that makes sense. Besides that, pretty much everything you would expect from a 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel: sweet vanilla, white honey, bananas, lemon cream cake and peaches. Nice, but everything is a bit too light.

Taste

Bonfire and somewhat stronger peat. Bitter oranges, mealy apples, grapefruit and nectarines.

Finish

Rather long and sweetish with peat, ash and citrus peels.

Overall

Not bad, but nothing to write home about either. It’s light and fresh, but lacks any real depth.

Score: good but not exceptional (82 / 100)

Before we start, make sure to also check out my other reviews from today: Benromach Organic 2008, Benromach Hermitage 2005 and Benromach Château Cissac 2006.

Facts

Nose

A bit of an old barn — sun dried wood, hey and dust. Then red berries, dried orange peels, vanilla and nougat chocolate. A whiff of cinnamon. Very little smoke.

Taste

Fat, oily and again, very little smoke. More red berries. Caramel, lemon zest and wood. A bit peppery.

Finish

Medium, dry earth and a bit spicy. Cinnamon, citrus zest, dried oak and sweet tobacco.

Overall

Solid, but I’m not sure if spirit and cask complement each other well or not. This is definitely my least favorite from Benromach’s Wood Finish Series. That said, maybe Benromach isn’t really meant for wine fishes in general.

Score: good but not exceptional (81 / 100)

Facts

Nose

Watermelon and red apples, alongside hints of dark berries. Orange zest with cinnamon. Wood smoke, motor oil and diesel, followed by vanilla, caramel chocolate and creamy oak.

Taste

Rather sweet with creamy smoke. Ripe red apples, lemon zest, dark chocolate and a sip of honeyed espresso. A bit peppery. Herbs and a few slices of ginger. Malt.

Finish 

Medium and peppery. Lots of cinnamon. Dark honey and coffee. A puff of smoke.

Overall

I’m sorry to say this, but I find this expression rather bland. Not bad, just not very inspiring, either.

Score: good but not exceptional (82 / 100)

Facts

Nose

Very complex. Red apples and red berries alongside hints of zesty lemons and gooseberries. Notable smoke with a medicinal touch. A little bit of vanilla and cinnamon in the back.

Taste

Intense with a good balance of sweet fruits and strong spices. Oranges, wild berries, milk chocolate and blossom honey, as well as wood and cinnamon. Notable peat smoke, again with a light medicinal touch.

Finish

Long. Ash and old smoke. Mint and oranges. Hints of oak.

Overall

Very complex with a good balance of peat smoke, fruit and spice. One of the better examples of a good made red wine finish.

Score: good but not exceptional (85 / 100)