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Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 378: Wolfburn Private Cask 2017/540 for Tom Haseldonckx

In February 2019 I tried this whisky before it could be named as such. The cask was filled in November 2017, so it would take at least until November 2020 before it was worthy of the name. Tom Haseldonckx, owner of this private cask #540, did not want to risk any Brexit entanglements and had it bottled and shipped before year’s end. So it is a youngling, which could not be helped. That does not stop us from enjoying this, however. I will keep some water handy, for it’s at cask strength.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 379: Big T 1960 vs 2000s

Big T is a blend with Tomatin as its fingerprint malt. Today I’ll put a release from the 1960s head-to-head with a recent release. It will not come as a surprise that they are very different.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 380: Glentoshan 5 Year Old Pure Malt

Glentoshan? What? Yup. This Pure Malt from the 1970s appeared as Glentoshan on the Italian market. Glen Grant was the most popular malt – and is still very popular – so then-owners of Auchentoshan decided to launch their triple distilled malt with ‘Glen’ in the name. It worked. Glentoshan sold very well. Some cases were recently discovered in an Italian basement and I was able to secure 6 bottles. But would it still be tasty? The screwcap was tight, the tax seal in perfect condition and the fill level was in the upper neck. Very well preserved, I say, so hopes are high.

Happy Star Wars Day, Mark! May the Fourth be with you!

What he said...

@Nozinan, it was an intergalactic foreshadowing of events to soon thereafter unfold; the masks, the masks, the masks....

@Victor @Nozinan Thanks, you guys! :-)

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 381: Glasgow 1770 Release No 1 – Triple Distilled

The Glasgow Distillery Company was founded in 2014 and can be found about 1.5 kilometers to the west of the city center. It takes its name from the old Glasgow Distillery that was operational near Dundashill from 1770 until the early 20th Century. While their single malt was maturing, they created cashflow by releasing sourced malts under the Prometheus banner as well as produce the Makar Gin, G52 Vodka, Banditti Club Rum and Malt Riot Blended Malt. But now their own Glasgow 1770 Single Malt is ready. The first release is triple distilled.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 382: Auchentoshan 26 Year Old Darkness Master of Malt

Darkness is a series from Master of Malt in which the whisky is finished for at least three months in small sherry octave casks. In their own words: ‘subtlety, poise and elegance have no place here.’ The small casks obviously mean there is a lot of contact between the spirit and the wood. Let me do the test with my favorite Lowlander that matured for no less than 26 years on a bourbon cask before hibernation some three months on the small sherry cask.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 383: Lindores 1494 Inaugural Release

Obviously the Lindores Abbey Distillery enjoys the reputation of the historically important location, the abbey which is considered by many to be the spiritual home of whisky, where Friar John Cor was ordered by King James IV to produce ‘aqua vitae from eight bols malt’. In 2013 a distillery was built on site and in 2017 the first distillated tricked from the stills. In the third week of April 2021 a friendly courier delivered my package with the long awaited Inaugural Release. I’m member 0701, chosen because it’s my birthday.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 384: Coal Ila 6 Year Old 2013 Charred Wine Hogshead

The Nectar, Belgian importer, selected this so-called Charred Wine Hogshead from the stables of Signatory, near Pitlochry. It was filled in June 2013 with spirit from my favorite Islay distillery and bottled in September 2019. This young, powerful Coal Ila is hence only 6 years old. The ABV makes me wonder if I should have some water handy.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 385: Caol Ila 9 Year Old 2010 WhiskySponge

We know WhiskySponge mostly from the wonderfully satrical blog in which he truly mocks everyone in the world of whisky. It comes as no surprise that the inimitable strong man behind the blog – my friend Angus McRaild – finally brings whisky to the market himself. And the labels are fantastic: each and every one a hilarious cartoon. In the case of this young Caol Ila we see the Jedi Lord Sponge attacking an X-Wing piloted by an individual named Dave Bowman. If you have no idea what this is all about, nae worries. If, like me, you do, then you might, like me – certainly after reading the tasting notes on the back label – wet yourself a little bit with laughter. But for now, let’s focus on the contents of the bottle: a 9 years old Caol Ila.

Whisky Ramblings 386: Chaos Batch #1 North Star Spirits

Name-wise this is very apt considering what North Star Spirits already bottled with Spica, Vega and Sirius. All of them are references to the galaxy. Chaos was, after all, what came after the Big Bang. In this case it’s a whisky composed with three casks of Caol Ila. Two PX hogsheads that were put to sleep in 2010 and a refill hogshead that was filled in 2009. After vatting they yielded no less than 1.200 bottles of single malt at 50%.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 387: Secret Speyside 31 Year Old 1989 Asta Morris

Asta Morris has finally released a new whisky, the first in 2021. It’s a belter! No less than 31 years of age and in new livery to boot. This Heritage is a Speyside malt from an undisclosed distillery. It can be found somewhat halfway between the Mackessack Park and the Rothes Golf Club. You do the math.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 388: Bimber 2016 Oloroso Cask Batch #3

This is only my second encounter with this young distillery from London and the first one was very pleasant. This Oloroso cask was one of the highlights in my online tasting ‘New Kids on the Block’ and in this rambling you can find out why.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 389: Glenrothes 24 Year Old 1996 The Barrel Barron

The new Dutch independent bottler The Barrel Baron has just released his second bottling. I’m proud to say that I was asked to taste it before the cask selection was made and like to think my appraisal had something to do with it. The label is also a nice sequel to the previous release’s, which I also enjoyed a lot. This was is equally good! It’s a single cask – a sherry butt – on which the spirit of Glenrothes has slept for just over a quarter century.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 390: Caol Ila 3 Year Old 2018 ‘One Day Old’ The Whisky Jury

The Whisky Jury – a Belgian independent bottler – has spoiled us in the past with lovely single casks. For the 14th release he selected a first fill quarter cask that was filled with Coal Ila spirit on the 9th February 2018 and bottled on the 10th February 2021. Hence the funny tagline ‘one day old’. Only 152 bottles were available at the very fair price of 49 EUR and hence they flew off the shelves. I feel lucky that I was able to get me a bottle.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 391: Passionate about Pittyvaich

I recently hosted a unique online masterclass in which all six of the official releases from this closed distillery were presented, from the 12 years old in the Fauna & Flora series to all five Diageo Special Releases: 20 years old, 25 years old, 28 years old, 29 years old and 30 years old. This 25 years old was definitely grand, bottled at cask strength. So sit back and relax and pour yourself something tasty. Enjoy.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 392: Springbank 23 Year Old 1996 Private Bottling

I was fortunate to try this Private Bottling a few weeks ago in a fabulous tasting with Michiel Wigman and Jeroen Koetsier. So once it became available to the public, I hurried to secure a bottle. Brace yourself, for it’s a belter as the logo – reminiscent of the son of Krypton – suggests. ‘Nuff said.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 393: Secret Highland 10 Year Old 2010 Liquid Art

Oh, look, the boys and girls from Liquid Art have selected their next cask and this time it is one from the Highlands. And while they are not at liberty to divulge whence it came, I can tell you that the Brora Golf Club is just a 20 minute stroll away from the warehouse where this cask was laid down.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 394: Eaglesburn 3 Year Old 2017 Double Wood

Eaglesburn, the Dutch micro distillery run by the good natured Bart Joosten, has released a Double Wood. This whisky, distilled on 13th October 2017, matured on a ex-bourbon cask and was then finished in virgin oak. As Bart is wont to do, he bottled it at 47% in 20cl bottles – in this case on 27th April 2021.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 395: Glenkinchie 2007 Distillers Edition

The Glenkinchie distillery has been renovated and since October 2020 has been turned into the Lowland Home of Johnnie Walker. This Lowlander is one of the fingerprint malts in that famous blend. Today I will try this so-called Distillers Edition, in which the malt has gotten a second maturation. In the case of Glenkinchie this is on a Amontillado sherry cask.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 396: Dalwhinnie 2002 Distillers Edition

The Distillers Edition is a series from Diageo in which they offer up their classic malts with a second maturation on a different type of cask. In the case of Dalwhinnie, which is old Gallic for ‘a meeting place’, this is an oloroso sherry cask. This is the release from 2019, so a distillate from 2004.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 397: Cragganmore 2007 Distillers Edition

There isn't all that much of single malt from Cragganmore on the market. The core range exists of the classic 14 years old and this yearly repeated Distillers Edition. But apart from some special releases we are done here. That has everything to do with the fact that most of this malt goes into some of the world's best sold blends, Johnnie Walker Green Label mostly. What is not widely known, is that Cragganmore actually uses mildly peated barely! Indeed, I kid you not. This Distillers Edition, distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2019, got its second maturation on port casks.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 398: Oban 2005 Distillers Edition

Oban is one of Scotland's oldest distilleries, founded in 1794, but also one of the smallest with an output of a mere 650,000 litres per year. This has everything to do with the location of course, which makes that there is no room for expansion. This also means that there is a very limited core range: the classic 14 years old, the NAS expression Little Bay that was launched in 2015 and this Distillers Edition. For Oban it means that the second maturation took place on Montilla Fino sherry casks. This one is distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2019.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 399: Caol Ila 2007 Distillers Edition

While the Distillers Editions from Diageo may vary from year to year, as far as I can ascertain Caol Ila has been part of the series many times, appearing for the first time in 2006 (so a distillate from 1993). It's quite the malt. And those of you who follow my blog a little bit, know that I have a soft spot for Caol Ila. The cask used for the second maturation of this Caol Ila was prepared with Moscatel, a wine from the Muscat grape. This is a distillate from 2007 and bottled in 2019. It ended up in the top three of almost everyone who joined my online master class which I hosted in March.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 400: Lagavulin 2003 & 2005 Distillers Editions head-to-head

Lagavulin is sometimes described as the ‘Aristocrat of Islay’. This whisky is so popular that the distillery sometimes has to cope with stock shortages. It is, by the way, the Lagavulin Distillers Edition, of which I have tried the most expressions. Seven so far and today I will put the 8th and 9th head-to-head.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 401: Eddu Brocéliande

Eddu is produced by the French Distillerie des Menhirs in Brittany. Founded in 1986, but whisky distilling only started in 1998. As Eddu is actually the Britton word for buckwheat, you’ll realize we’re tasting a grain whisky. Brocéliande is the name of the enchanted forest from the Arthur legends, about an hour’s drive from the distillery. Merlin is rumored to be buried there. Anyway… the whisky first matured five years on casks from the Limousin region before being finished on Breton oak made from trees from the enchanted forest.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 402: Three Ships 12 Year Old 2007 Master Distiller’s Private Collection

Three Ships is a South-African whisky from the Distell group. That explains the ABV, for they bottle Deanston, Bunnahabhain and Tobermory/Ledaig also at this strength, which makes chillfiltration superfluous. Next to this single malt, they also have Bain’s Cape Mountain Grain whisky. But this Three Ships is a single malt and the 12 years old is currently the flagship (see what I did there?) release.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 403: Westward Pinot Noir Casks

An Amercan single malt whiskey. Not something you come across every day. I got to know this distiller thanks to an online World Whisky Tour tasting a few months ago. A single malt from Oregon, that in itself sounds very interesting. Distilled from locally grown barley and matured in a climate with hot dry summers and cold wet winters, allowing for maximum interaction between the spirit and the wood. They currently have three expressions: their American single malt and then one finished on Stout Casks and one finished on Pinot Noir Casks from Suzor Wines. I quite like the first one and the last one is now in my glass. Beautiful bottle too.