Single Malt Scotch Tasters of
Tasting
Notes - 2009 Home
Talisker 30, 50.7%ABV, Natural Cask Strength, Limited Edition No. 2398/2958, bottled in 2007
| Color: |
Golden honey and amber with highlights of straw and brass. |
| Nose: |
A whiff of smoke embedded with lovely caramel, citrus, peat, cream, and flowery notes. |
| Flavor: |
Spicy, peaty, and smoky smooth with aspects of oak, heather, sweet, citrus, and seaside notes. |
| Finish: |
Long, complex, peaty, sweet |
| Brief Comment: |
A refined thoroughbred of a Talisker. Does it get any better?. |
| Score: |
95 |
Balvenie 15 Single Barrel 47.8%ABV
| Color: |
Golden amber. |
| Nose: |
Very inviting buttery sweet honey caramel with aspects of floral and malt. |
| Flavor: |
Creamy sweet and smooth with the accompaniment of spicy and strong wood
and oaky notes. |
| Finish: |
Quite long and complex with slight pungent undertones of bitter and tart heat |
| Brief Comment: |
A wonderful Balvenie expression. |
| Score: |
88 |
Hazelburn 12, 46%ABV, Triple distilled
| Color: |
Rich mahogany with traces of honey smeared copper. |
| Nose: |
Syrupy caramel and citrus with elements of spice, cream, and sweet. |
| Flavor: |
Sweet complex cream. Citrus and pungent elements of coffee, oak, and pepper. |
| Finish: |
Quite long and sweet |
| Brief Comment: |
Very nice worthwhile dram----- enhanced with water. |
| Score: |
85 |
Edradour Ballechin, 46%ABV
| Color: |
Honey amber |
| Nose: |
Your head is enclosed in a chunk of peat. Smoke and the sweetness of taffy, vanilla, and butterscotch. |
| Flavor: |
Very smoky with oak, spice, and sweet aspects. |
| Finish: |
Somewhere between medium and never endingly long. Peat, smoke, spice, with some bitterness. |
| Brief Comment: |
A powerful, pungent, peaty, prankster! |
| Score: |
83 |
Aberlour 16
| Color: |
Amber and mahogany with lemony highlights. |
| Nose: |
Very sweet with equal elements of grass, sherry, vanilla, and caramel. |
| Flavor: |
Sherry with pungent, oak and salt. Detectable discordant elements of harshness, motor oil, and iron and tannin. |
| Finish: |
Medium to short and quite sweet.. |
| Brief Comment: |
A decent drinkable dram but thin and lacking mystery. |
| Score: |
75 |
Balvenie 17 New American Oak
| Color: |
Golden amber with hints of honey and mahogany. |
| Nose: |
Distant sweet caramel with citrus and spice. Hints of syrup, heather, and roses. |
| Flavor: |
Creamy sweet and buttery smooth. Delivers an elegant punch with charcoal and earthy tones. |
| Finish: |
Quite long and spicy. Has lots of character with elements of complex cream. |
| Brief Comment: |
A fulsome but round pleasure with gusto. |
| Score: |
87 |
Glenury 20 year
50%ABV, cask 3049, bottle 46 of 244
| Color: |
Very pale yellow straw and white wine |
| Nose: |
Very sweet, floral, and citrus having significant cereal and salt components |
| Flavor: |
Lemony citrus with complex equal elements of tangy pungency, sweet honey, peppery peppermint, and spice |
| Finish: |
Quite long with spicy touches of salt, pepper, nut, and salt |
| Brief Comment: |
Ranged from “Wow ----how could they shutter this distillery?” to a nice dram but not spectacular---- lacking the characteristics of the truly greats. |
| Score: |
88 |
Tomintoul 16
| Color: |
Amber with orange highlights |
| Nose: |
Elusively sweet with very faint other elements. Fleeting. |
| Flavor: |
Slightly salty, bitter, and pungent. Nutty with a brief hot sauce moment. |
| Finish: |
Medium long with a slightly strange spicy peppery cinnamon hit. |
| Brief Comment: |
OK decent dram. |
| Score: |
75 |
Singleton of Glendullan 12
| Color: |
Honey and brown sugar |
| Nose: |
Strong vanilla with equal contributions of floral, sweet, and musty. |
| Flavor: |
Definite syrupy sweetness and creamy |
| Finish: |
Medium length an element of bitter sweet spice |
| Brief Comment: |
Enjoyable and drinkable, but ultimately average. |
| Score: |
79 |