Kilchoman ’Loch Gorm’ (Batch 2 – 2014) 46% ABV

Friends! Yesterday something really nice happened to SamuelWhisky! A package of no less than seven samples arrived in my mail-box. The package was sent from from Clydesdale which is one of Swedens top importer and seller of whisk(e)y (and more beverages). I’m very honoured to be able to taste and to review such quality whiskies as those of the Clydesdale portfolio consisting of brands such as Berry Bross & Rudd, Blackadder/Blackadder Raw Cask, Douglas Laing & Co. to name just a few.

Today I will taste another brand that Clydesdale take care of, namely Kilchoman and their 2nd release of the ’Loch Gorm’! It has enjoyed it’s full maturation in fresh Oloroso sherry butts as stated on the Kilchoman website. It was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2014. It is available basically world wide and was released in the beginning of April. 

For Swedish fans it will be available on the 2nd of June at the state monopoly, so you can probably imagine that it’s once again a great feeling to try a whisky such as this one before it hits the market (at least in Sweden). Okey, let’s try it! J

Nose:

The peat is in the center, and oooh, believe me this is a really kind of ”farmy” style of peat. Not ”rough” peat but very sort of out there, I’d really describe it as smoky (wet logs on the fire) and it is not often or in many peated style whiskies that I refer to peat as being smoky, but this one sure is! With regards to sherry influence on the nose, I wouldn’t really say that it is extreme, it isn’t really at the center of the attention, but maybe it’s reasonable to think that this should make an appearence more on the palate (?) On the contrary to sherry influence I’d say that we have more stuff on the bourbon side of things, something citrusy, very very acidulous in the very highest register and continuing on into a very salt fragrance… There is of course a touch of alcohol there (sort of like in matured de luxe tequila) but not as much as you could expect from a five year old… all in all on the nose, intriguing!

Palate:

Ooooh, very very very smoky and peppery style of peat! but before that, on the very tip of the tounge, we actually get some really salty influences indeed, almost salt licorice or even in combo with sea salt. The sherry influences I wouldn’t really say appear, at least not in terms of dried figs or raisins or so, but if it is there it is there in terms of something chocolate-ish. After the salt we do move on into a bit of rubber/burnt rubber and leather, how leather may taste I don’t know ; ) Anyway, the combo of rubber/leather/smoke soon becomes medium-dry in the mouthfeel, and yet again I’d say we are on the bourbon side of things, such as quite dry lemon-peel… The things going on in my mouth when I taste this one is really nice, the developement is quite intriguing and I have a hard time accepting that this is only five years old! And when it comes to the smoke style of peat, this is a real cracker!

Once again, a big thanks to the nice people at Clydesdale for sending me this sample! Sláinte!

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Connemara 8yo (for Sweden only) 46% ABV!

Friends! As you know I am a bit of  a big fan of Connemara (Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey)! Some people even call me a Connemara Ambassador J So today, a big moment for me has come!

In October 2009, what is now known as Kilbeggan Distilling Co. (and back then as Cooley Distillery), released an 8yo Connemara for Sweden only. It had been matured in firstfill bourbon casks and was limited to 9000 bottles. The thing is that this bottling was actually released before their first ’Small Batch’ release (the Connemara sherry finish) consisting of 20.000 bottles worldwide, so this release for Sweden was a truly once-off small batch in the true sence of the concept. Now, back in those days I tried this expression a lot but I never did any tasting note of it, so I’m very happy to do that now!

My friend Magnus was very kind to sell me an unopened bottle of this beauty which I was planning to open in order to finally do a tasting note, but then, even more recently a new found friend, Mikael, sold me a sample, and that sample arrived in the mail-box TODAY! J Sooo, let’s try!

Nose:

Aaah! Soo soft and creamy on the nose, mixed with a ”green” kind of mellow peat. Beneath that layer we have a mixture of different exotic fruits, mostly in focus though is freshly opened, almost overripe, passion fruit. On the fruity side the citric-winter-apple influences are most evident of all. Now this is precisely what I love so much about Connemara, the green almost forrest-y moss-y peat mixed with the fruity-ness… Absolutely beautiful… Now that I think about it the creamy thing in the first layer could also of course be explained as vanilla, or vanilla infused whipped cream or something dreamy like that J There is also a touch of marzipan or lightly roasted almondflakes, but this is very faint and quite far away. Okey, let’s have a taste!

Palate:

Mmm, nice… not at all how I remebered the palate from when I tried it (but that was years ago so no wonder)… Now on the palate, all of that excotic stuff and the apples are not as evident. There’s rather more focus on the vanilla cream, a soft but highly present peaty-ness and then what I almost always find in different Connemaras, the cacao or almost milk chocolate. You can barely notice the 46% ABV, I mean you do feel it as more than 40 but I think of it as more like 43, for me meaning that there is balance here… Actually, a thing that I have never thougth about in Connemara comes to mind, there is a very very tiny slight Cognac-ness in there, at least in this 8yo, something from the fruityness in these bourbon casks and the vanilla. Or is it the forest/moss elements that make me think of Cognac? Sort of Grönstedts ’VSOP Monopol’ (the Blue one)? Well, I don’t know but I really do like it. 

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Peated AnCnoc – ’tushkar’ 15ppm, 46% ABV

Ok friends and followers, it’s time for something really exciting, cause today I will try one of the three new peated whiskies from AnCnoc! Here in Sweden AnCnocs peaty side was unveiled on the 8th of April in Stockholm.

The three whiskies are named after traditional peat-cutting tools, namely ’rutter’, ’flaughter’ and finally ’tushkar’. Now what is so special about them (besides the fact that AnCnoc normally don’t release their peated stock of whisky) is that the ppm stated on each version is measssured after maturation. So, from what I understand, 15ppm after maturation should mean about 45ppm in the malt before destillation.

As you understand, these three whiskies are NAS (no age statements) but as far as I have learned the youngest whisky in the compositions are 8yo. They have been matured in bourbon casks.

Now, ’tushkar’ which I will try today was released exclusively for Sweden a couple of days ago. ’rutter’ and ’flaughter’ which I will try later on is available basically worldwide and can be ordered for example from here. A big thanks to David of Berntson Brands for the sample which I received during the Gothenburg Beer and Whisky festival! Ok, let’s go!

Nose:

OMG it’s spooky! This really resembles Connemara (the only peated Irish whiskey)! The profile of the peat is soo similar I can’t belive I’m not nosing a Connemara. The peat is quite ”green” if you know what I mean, almost forest-like. There is also some excotic fruits such as passion-fruit but mainly going towards summer apples and in some way flambéed lemon slices (lemon zest). The peat is soft and tempting. Now, from what I know Connemara is 15-20ppm before maturation and as I wrote AnCnoc ’tushkar’ is supposed to be 15ppm after maturation so, even though they are completely different whiskies, AnCnoc ’tushkar’ should have a bigger peat on the mouth which could be really nice so let’s try it! J

Palate:

Oh yeah! There is a really big peat here friends. Especially compared to the what the nose promised. It’s not at all as soft on the peat on the palate as it was on the nose! This is really good! Don’t expect any island or sea salty-ness though, there is some salty-ness but mixed up with quite some touches of cacao, also in that sense reminding me of Connemara. The citric elements on the nose does not really follow through on the palate but the ”green” influences and the kind of forest/earthyness does. Really nice peaty-ness here friends and a good complement to the Islay-esque whiskies in your cabinets!

To sum up:

Well done fellas of the AnCnoc distillery, and well done also to release a whisky exclusive to Sweden! A big thanks again to David for the sample! Sláinte!

p.s I just compared ’tushkar’ to the Connemara Original and they really do resemble each other in character, tushkar is more peaty on the palate though and Connemara is more forest-y, round and soft in the peat…

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’Svenska Eldvatten’ – West Islay 2003 Heavily Peated

Okay friends and followers! It’s finally time for me to try the coming release from ’Svenska Eldvatten’ (Swedish Firewaters)! Once again Peter and Tommy were very nice and gave me yet another sample, this time I met them when working for Laphroaig during the Gothenburg Beer and Whiskyfestival.

This whisky, which will be released in Sweden tomorrow at the state monopoly, is very special: It’s a ”West Islay” Heavily Peated Single Malt Single Rhum Cask. Hmm, I wonder… what might ”West Islay” be? And Heavily Peated?, hmm…. ; ) Anyway this is a 10yo and this is fully-matured in a rhum cask. The number of the cask is 882 and it gave 120 bottles and landed at 60,8% ABV! Sounds exciting right?! Let’s try!

Nose:

Very peaty! and smoky actually (which is something I rarely think about peated whiskies)! Vanilla is also very evident, but of the peat and the vanilla the peat is definitely in the foreground. Burnt wood mixed with rhum-raisin-vanilla-ice cream comes just after that when I nose closer to the glass… We also have whiffs of citrus, not really clementine but rather satsumas-peel. It does not seem that strong on the alcohol but 60,8% ABV should be a real punch on the palate, when I get there that is, cause I could nose this one forever J Actually I’d say, when I think about it that there is a real struggle going on here between the peat and the rhum. I haven’t really tried any fully rhum-matured peated whiskies so this will be exciting, ok, let’s go!

Palate:

Serioulsly guys, this is so d*mn good!! A very salty peat actually, but still soft if you know what I mean, soft vanilla almost vanilla and whipped cream… I would say that the rhum-influence in this whisky really takes it’s time to appear (which in my opinion can be a quite good thing). The mouthfeel really makes my mouth water A LOT for the, say, first five to six seconds but then it gets dry quite fast, not overly dry. On the aftertaste, which builds up slowly we have rhum-soaked raisins and a quite burnt peaty-ness. Waiting it out the peat is there the longest. Very special this one!

A big thanks once again to Peter and Tommy for the sample! Their whiskies and rhums are available at Master of Malt.

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Laphroaig ’Vickys' Choice’ single cask no. 5171, 59,8% ABV

Friends and followers alike, it’s time for something really special! A cask sample of Laphroaig! The weekend before last I did the Gothenburg Beer and Whisky festival, working for Edrington in their booth and mainly taking care of Laphroaig and Connemara. It is an honour to work with such great people as the Edrington crew! When the festival started to move towards the end I was very lucky indeed to receive from Vicky a small bottle containing a cask sample!

The whisky in the sample had been used in Vicky and Martins tasting with the creative name ’Battle of the Isles’ putting different Laphroaigs head to head with different Highland Parks. Since I was working all day long it was not possible for me to attend the tasting and so I needed some additional info on the whisky from Vicky. This is what she answered in an e-mail to me today: 

”First fill Makers Mark bourbon cask - Bottled Dec 2013 - Casked 1999 [= 14years old]. The cask number reflects the number of cask filled in that year. The cask is now empty but was used for sampling out of as well as the small bottles that you have. As part of our Distiller's Ware and Water to Whisky program. The Cask was matured in a rack warehouse and was stowed on the top stow. All matured on Islay”.

As you can see in the photos, this whisky has not had a bit of filtration! Sounds very nice don’t you think?! Well let’s try it then!

Nose:

The 1989 17yo for Feis Ile comes back to mind… Mmm… hard to explain, I really want to at the same time as I want to enjoy the moment! ☺ Anyway, loads of really soft vanilla in combination with an extremely soft peaty-ness. In fact I’ve never felt so soft peat in a Laphroaig before. The fantastic/interesting thing is that it is a peaty-ness that goes toward burnt wood slowly moving on into orange chocolate and in the distant we have sweet lemon curd and creme brulee. This combo of vanilla, peat/burnt wood and citrusfruit scents seem to go on forever. With my nose deep in the glass there is not a hint of too much strength/alcohol. I have to nose really deep to experience it as ”high strength”… Oooh my mouth is watering soo bad, it’s time to taste!

Palate:

OMG! Very sweet, almost sugary, for the first half of a second and then BOOM! I never thought it would be that explosive! After the first quite extreme hit of salt and strong peat, it actually moves over into watermelon, grapefruit and orange zest (!) which is a first-time combo for me when it comes to whisky. It almost feels like oranges have been in the cask together with the whisky, a lá limoncello or something like that… ☺ Incredible… There is also some kind om mint, there’s definitely cacao. Everything, a part from the first hit, is veeery smooth and intertwined. Then slowly or gradually getting more and more dry in my mouth, freakishly dry actually, all along the tounge and up the roof of the mouth. The aftertaste sees the burnt wood from the nose coming back, then becoming more and more faint, some touches of ”sweet” ashes (whatever that might taste like) and slowly closing off on leather and vanilla sweetness… Absolutely beautiful! 

Thank you Vicky! I’m so grateful for this sample, It will last a long time… Or will it?! ☺

Balblair ’Vintage 1997’ (3rd release) 46% ABV

Friends, it’s time for a premiere! I will for the first time do a tasting note of a whisky from Balblair! During this years Linköping Whisky Expo I was very lucky to receive a sample from my good friend, and Balblair-expert, Evert who is helping out Berntson Brands at different festivals all over Sweden. So a big thanks to Evert!

Balblair is a Highland distillery that was founded in 1790. Now the special thing about Balblair is that in 2007 they started to release their whisky in vintages only: ”Every bottle of Balblair captures the essence of its Vintage year, the year in which it was distilled and laid down in casks”, is what we can understand from the Balblair website.

According to Evert, this 1997 Balblair vintage was released 2013 and is the 3rd release of vintage 1997, not the 2nd release, which is a missunderstanding not to be trusted. It has been matured in 2ndfill bourbon casks. Okey, let’s see what’s on the nose!

Nose:

Oooh! Nice! This is an excellent example of a whisky with sooo much varieties of summer-apples on the nose! Almost even very much like nosing an ”un-ripe”, sunwarmed pear… amazing stuff. That said, the nose is also very citric, almost reminding me of fresh rhubarb. It should be impossible not to get a mouth that waters when nosing this☺Below that layer we definitely have a soft vanilla, and below that there is vanilla custard. Trying to go even deeper we have sort of a more calm composition of different kinds of sweetness, hard to explain but something like sugar syrup, fudge, very very faint almondpaste and even some watermelon in combo with, belive it or not, honeydew melon. Mmm… absolutely beatiful… 

Palate: 

Soft and starts off mostly on a citric sort of sweetness, zesty. More moving towards the sugar syrup and watermelon-/honeydew melon-ish sweetness though than that of the apples, pears and rhubarb that was on the nose. Quite fast after the sweet and citric introduction we get some really nice crushed almonds moving on into almondpaste, moving quite fast, say a second or so, into a bit of dryness, not really herby, but a somehow ”green dryness”, maybe a maltyness. Smacking my mouth and really tasting the aftertaste, here comes the apples, in form of apple peel and a quite dry apple/pear cider, almost somewhere in the background astrakhan apple or distant calvados. Waiting even longer, believe it or not a faint faint touch of liqourice. 

To sum up:

This Balblair was really interesting to try, classic bourbon matured whisky but uncommon in the way that ist’s very vibrant and very much alive. I give you a heartwarming recommendation to try it. Older Balblair should probably be exciting too, even just to see if they are as vibrant as this one! 

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