Paul John Brilliance & Single Cask #2868 Reviews

Hi everyone,

Two from Paul John today, the first, very average and the second, very special.

I have to admit, I don’t know too much about the distillery itself and I haven’t tried enough from these guys and Amrut so I’ll try and make an effort to try more.

Paul John Brilliance 46%

Colour: Light Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: A malty one. Pastry, malt, cardamom, turmeric, toasted oak, toasted brown bread. It has the unfortunate combo of being both young and spirity but also overly woody. New oak planks, alcohol.

Taste: Soft arrival but quite spicy, spirit, oak planks, cardamom, clove, coriander, then malt, a little pastry, then more spices into the finish.

Finish: Medium length. More sweet with a caramel/toffee thing.

Batch 01 2014, bottle directly from India.

65/100

 

Paul John Unpeated Single Cask 2868 59.4%

Colour: Dark Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Corn! Very American in style but with more complexity than most Bourbon's can pull off. Corn on the cob complete with melting butter, very dry oak, complex spice and dried flowers, soft lavender, woody.

Taste: Rich and intense, buttery, then more dry oak before being more creamy, nice complexity again, coriander and cumin spice, honey and chocolate powder.

Finish: Long length. Buttery with firm oak, some spice stays.

A single cask for Germany. Softer with water but not as good. I like the power and mouthfeel at full strength. Many thanks to my main man Shilton for recommending and pouring this one.

85/100

Distillery: Paul John

Average Score: 72.5

Distillery Rankings: 43rd/ 66 places

Up/Down: 53>43 (Up 10)

Thanks for reading!

Indian Reviews #5-#6

Whisky Network Review #771-#772

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Bowmore SMWS 3.2 & 3.228 (1976 & 1987) Reviews

Hi everyone,

Today I have two very, very exciting whiskies. I’m a big fan of old Bowmore. Proper good Bowmore is a sight and smell and taste experience to behold. I’d had my eye on a very special one in Limburg, part of a singular collection that Angus MacRaild (of Whiskyfun) brought along. He was an incredibly generous guy for pouring this first one for me.

The second is another generous pour, this time coming from Reddit user xile_ You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman. Many thanks.

 

Bowmore 1976 SMWS 3.2 58%

Colour: Dark Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Musky, heathery, awesomely earthy, leather and plenty of tobacco, more Springbank-esque actually.

Taste: Soft, heather, earthy, chocolate, oily and powerful smoke, old school, graphite.

Finish: Long length. Powerful, earthy, tobacco,

Nov 76-Feb 84. Historic whisky. The second cask from the third distillery that the SMWS ever bottled! I didn’t get too long with this as you can see from comparing to the notes below but it was well worth appreciating for the short time I had it.

88/100

226 casks of Bowmore later…

Bowmore 1987 3.228 46.0%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Heady and sweet. There's definitely a floral perfumed aspect to it but not overwhelming. The Sherry comes through as fresh orange, malting floor smell, peat is still quite intense too which is a big plus, hot coals, parma violets, fig cake and sticky toffee pudding too, nutmeg and brazil nuts with cinnamon back there too. A complex one you could smell for hours and still find new things. Singed heather, orange marmalade and leather after a bit, giving off more of a Highland Park vibe. Oh and a little meatiness too.

Taste: Sweet hit to start, lovely orange marmalade, orange chewing gum, oily texture, then more smoke with some parma violet and then, yep, more and more of it (Ah, so THATS the famous FWP). Here it actually fits quite well as the freshness is balancing the Sherry. Eventually the malty smoke pulls up and into the finish but never quite beats the parma violets.

Finish: Long length. More parma violets, more smoke, more malt, more orange then some dark chocolate, fig and nice black coffee.

Great whisky despite the lower strength and the FWP. The cask has done a fantastic job here and I don't find it over the hill, too floral or too weak.

89/100

Distillery: Bowmore

Average Score: 79.3

Distillery Ranking: 14th/ 65 places

Up/Down: 17>14 (Up 3)

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #646-#647

Whisky Network reviews #769-#770

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Ledaig 20 Sestante (Bot. early 90's) Review

Hi everyone,

Despite Ledaig being the favourite whisky of this particular reviewer, a Ledaig has yet to enter the 90 Club…

Until today.

At Limburg, there’s a stupid amount of crazy insane whisky to try. Pretty sure a 1920 Rosebank was part of the mega collection opened without a second thought. Shared with us all.

Me, unable to spend mega-bucks on pre-war Rosebank, spied a redish Ledaig sitting across the aisle from my stand. When it was a little quieter, I wandered over for a look. Only 40%? Nah, I’ll pass.

But it nagged at me. Only 10 Euros, maybe I’ll try it anyway… So the next day I went back. Glad I did.

 

Ledaig Tobermory 20 Sestante 40%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Soft sweet old school Sherry, honey, no peat really but almost old Macallan-like, some florals, perfect cask I think, old leather, rich, dark tobacco. A little smoke starting to reveal itself, chimney soot. Old Highland Park notes now too, funky earthiness and old herb box coming through. Complex stuff.

Taste: Sweet, very old school Sherry, builds without lacking a single trace of power despite the low strength! Oily, malty, not much smoke but dark tobacco, rich, cherry, some soot now, orange, blood orange, white pepper, funky oak, honey, long and complex development. Heather too. More smoke as it opens up.

Finish: Medium/Long length. A beautiful finish that fills you with hope for all whiskykind! Emotional, a little more smoke, more oak with dark chocolate, some coffee, dry oak and cherry.

Such a surprise as I didn't think the strength would manage it! Bottled in the early 90's and possibly distilled in 1971ish. Apparently this is quite a rare one with the castle label.

90/100

Distillery: Tobermory

Average Score: 80.2

Distillery Ranking: 9th/ 66 places

Up/Down: Stayed the same

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #645

Whisky Network Review #768

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Benromach 30 & 35 Reviews

Hi everyone,

Benromach being closed from 1983 to 1998 presents a bit of problem for Gordon & MacPhail, as they don’t really have any older whisky and what they do have is much, much older. The style would also be different as G&M put in some new smaller stills, giving a different character.

But they have released some of the stuff from the early 80’s including these little gems. The price isn’t toooo ridiculous really, considering that Bladnoch released a 29 year old for £5000 recently…

Benromach 35 43%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Deep Sherry, earthy leather, chocolate, praline, sweet stewed fruit, very balanced, polished wood, antique shop, chocolate shop.

Taste: Soft and structured, acidic red apple, oak, recedes and comes back, ash, praline, fudge, very acidic orange juice.

Finish: Medium length. Many chocolates and fudges, creamy.

I have actually tried this before, but only very briefly from a shot glass. The red apple is bit too acidic on the taste. This is great stuff but I feel like its just a tad over the hill. Let’s try and fix that by turning back time 5 years…

83/100

 

Benromach 30 (Old Bottling) 43%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Lighter and fresher than the new 35 but the same mould. Fresh acidic red apple, very good Sherry casks, dark chocolate, great balance.

Taste: Sweet, soft, honey, lacking power for one brief moment then chocolate, velvety oak, Sherry, raisin, leather, salty, wonderful dried cherry. Oak into the finish.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Tingling on the tongue, lots of acidic red apple, then praline.

Fantastic stuff, better than the new 35 although it's probably the same batch of casks. The equal of the 1980 G&M I had a while back. It was probably a lot cheaper too…

87/100

Distillery: Benromach

Average Score: 77.9

Distillery Ranking: 19th/ 65 places

Up/Down: 29>19 (Up 10)

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #643-#644

Whisky Network Reviews #766-#767

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Kavalan Concertmaster, Solist Bourbon & Vinho Barrique Reviews

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not being active recently, been on holiday and life’s been busy buying a house and all.

In the meantime I have more Kavalan to get me to 10 and get that sweet, sweet flag I’ve been chasing!

Kavalan Concertmaster 40%

Colour: Dark Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Quite dense, rich dried fruit- Raisin, plum, fig, grape and cream.

Taste: Sharp at first then creamy and fruity, quite dense again with fig and plum then oak developing and going into the finish.

Finish: Medium length. Oaky.

Finished in port barrels. Amazingly rich for 40%.

72/100

Kavalan Solist Bourbon 57.8%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Fresh and fruity. Alcohol burn, lemon, vanilla, mango, a little spice.

Water: More classic Scotch style. Caramel, toffee, oaky spice,

Taste: Cooling creamy arrival, building spice, fresh fruit, juicy mango, melon, vanilla, cooling menthol and mint, then more lemon, lemon sherbet, quite zesty into the finish.

Water: Almost quite dull arrival, builds more slowly with plain oak planks and oaky spice, ginger.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Lemon zest and some plain oak, oak planks.

B090901025A. There's nothing special about this one really. Interesting to see as we all know Kavalan does well in intense casks.

67/100

Kavalan Vinho Barrique 57.8%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Odd in a good way, burnt BBQ sauce, hot coals, big juicy fig note, plum and blueberry, honey glaze.

Taste: Dry, hot coals, strangely mineral then big balanced fruit followed by plenty of spice, fig, plum, cumin and coriander, nutmeg, vintage Port, big oak.

Finish: Long length. More vintage Port, some spice, big Bourbon-like caramel.

2012-2016. Big stuff, if a little odd.

79/100

Distillery: Kavalan

Average Score: 72.2

Distillery Ranking: 44th/ 66 places

Up/Down: 45>44 (Up 1)

Thanks for reading!

Taiwanese Reviews #8-#10

Whisky Network Review #763-#765

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Carn Mor x4: Glen Keith 1988, Mannochmore 1990, Invergordon 1987 & Glen Garioch 1990 Reviews

Hi everyone,

Four whiskies today, all from the recently repackaged range Carn Mor from Morrison & Mackay. I quite liked the old packaging too, with the sideways labels that you couldn’t really read but oh well. I’ve tried a few of these now and they are always very good-great with the standout being the Chariman’s Legacy Bowmore.

These samples were very generously poured for me by all round legend Graeme Mackay at Limburg whisky fair.

Glen Keith 1988 Carn Mor 40.1%

Colour: Gold

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Fruity and musky, aromatic, very fresh fruit, melon and pineapple, fruit salad, lots of 'super' pear, green apple, old wood.

Taste: Very soft and a little weak at first then builds with tonnes of oak, dry, dry chalk, dried apple, dried pear, then old wood.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Dried pear, some green apple, then soft milk chocolate.

Very good whisky but a little over the hill IMO. Don’t know if the original spirit character just wasn’t strong enough to stand up to that long a maturation. And then the strength was a little low, giving it less body.

76/100

 

Mannochmore 1990 Carn Mor 42.5%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Really very freshly fruity and tropical, melon, watermelon, green apple, pear, white pepper, lightly floral.

Taste: Very fresh and very tropical then spicy ginger, dry oak, spice box, slightly grassy, melon, some hot cinnamon.

Finish: Short length. A little tropical but dies off, a bit mouthwatering with green apple.

Bottled 2018 at 27yo. Much the same story again, very fresh old whisky but just lost a little too much.
EDIT: Tried again more recently and liked it a little better. Got more perfumed and floral notes which I think would bump the score up. (Original score: 75)

77/100

 

Invergordon 1987 Carn Mor 43.4%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Lovely old grain! Banana! Creamy, vanilla, double cream, yellow apple. No trace of ethanol, or clean alcohol.

Taste: Very soft then banana, very creamy mouthfeel, some oak but not too much at all, some white chocolate, white grape and white florals like Lily.

Finish: Medium/Long length. More double cream, banana, some very soft oak.

Bottled 2017 at 30yo. Definitely one of the best grains I've tried. It is starting to become my official standpoint that Grain whisky is best at around 30 years… More research needed…

79/100

 

Glen Garioch 1990 Carn Mor 50.6%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Nice balance of buttery tropical fruit, creamy, dried mango, dried banana, whipped cream, very lightly smoky, green grape, banana split.

Taste: Soft, natural, green grape, banana split, lemon peel, soft smoke, quite dry, some leather then creamy with banana, some soot.

Finish: Long length. A burst of banana then dry oak, green grape.

Bottled 2017 at 27yo. Very nice style to this you wouldn't find with many other whiskies, and with a bit more heft than the other three here. Best GG I've tried so far.

83/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #639-#642

Whisky Network Reviews #759-#762

Updated Distillery Rankings

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?