Diageo Special Releases 2024 [Tasted #685 - 692]

A belated Happy New Year! What better way to get into the 2025 swing of things than with Diageo's "Special Releases" set (from uh, 2024, LOL). This year I'm trying something new with some quick-fire IG reel video reviews (the first here) which may well continue throughout 2025, but for those who like our lengthier written reviews, they'll continue too. Read on...

For those unfamiliar with Diageo’s Special Releases, they've been around since 2001, but have become somewhat different in recent years. Longer term whisky fans will recall the series being focused on well-aged examples of popular Diageo malts and grains, some from closed distilleries. However as the demand, scarcity (and of course price) for those rose - especially Brora and Port Ellen - Diageo took them out of the Special Releases in 2018 and put them into other series (like Prima & Ultima) and some one-off releases (like Port Ellen Gemini & Brora Triptych).

Hendy and I have covered Special Releases for a while now, having seen this evolution first hand (see our 2016, 2018/2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 articles), and at times we've even been lucky enough to try the rarer malts that are no longer in Special Releases, like this 41yo Port Ellen and this 40yo Brora. Despite the changes, we always get a thrill from new Special Releases, and it's always fun to see well-known (and not so well-known) whiskies in a new light.

So, what do we have in the 2024 lineup? 

8 whiskies, all from operational distilleries, spanning 8-21yo (and one NAS). We have mainstays of the collection (like Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength and more recently, Talisker 8yo) but some more unusual releases too, like a 21yo Benrinnes, the second ever release of Roseisle, and an unpeated Caol Ila!

(We even have a dram finished in "stone spun" casks, and no I had no idea what they were either...)

Let’s get into them…

Roseisle 12yo "Origami Kite II" (Diageo Special Releases 2024) (55.6% ABV, Single Malt, 12yo, Speyside, Scotland, $1,080HKD / £112.50)
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To be honest this was probably the one that interested me the most last year, as the inaugural release from this Speyside distillery that only opened in 2010. It didn’t disappoint (quality-wise) so I’m eager to see how this second release fares, especially as it shares age and cask types in common with 2023’s. I really appreciate that despite the focus of the range, Diageo have kept this one simple without fancy cask finishes.

Colour: Light honey.

Nose: Honied spice, slight hints of white pepper with a vanilla creaminess.

Palate: Consistent with the nose, with spice at the front of the palate, followed by a creamy sweet vanilla noteat the back. Very subtle tropical hints - mango mostly.

Finish: Med to long finish with notes of vanilla cream.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100 (Martin). Strong showing, like last year.

The Singleton of Glen Ord 14yo "Autumnal Walk" (Diageo Special Releases 2024) (54.7% ABV, Single Malt, 14yo, Highlands, Scotland, $1,215HKD / £110)
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Not everyone knows this, but Singleton is actually a brand rather than a distillery, and there are a few distilleries (Dufftown, Ord, Glendullan) sold under the label. Of the 3 Ord (which this is) is my favourite, with some amazing releases in the past (especially the 16yo Manager’s Dram). This one saw maturation in ex-Bourbon, ex-wine and refill casks with Pyrenean and Spanish Oak cask ends.

Colour: Orange marmalade.

Nose: Candied orange peel, stone fruits (pear mostly) and some hints of strawberry.

Palate: Retains the fruity confectionary notes of the palate, alongside some woodspice and sweet ginger.

Finish: Long, with subtle oak tannins and citrus.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100 (Martin). 

Oban 10yo "Coastal Orchard" (Diageo Special Releases 2024) (58% ABV, Single Malt, 10yo, Highlands, Scotland, $890HKD / £108.33)
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From the first whisky distillery I ever visited! Part finished in new, freshly-charred Oloroso-seasoned American oak barrels and bottled at 58%.

Colour: Amber gold.

Nose: Slight cereal spice, with apricot hints. Breakfast in a glass!

Palate: The spice and apricot from the nose follows, with a more rounded, creamy mouthfeel with hints of custard, slight oak, and berry spice. I didn't find much sherry influence, despite the use of Oloroso-seasoned casks.

Finish: Oak spice.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 86/100 (Martin). Breakfast dram.

Mortlach “Midnight Dusk” (Diageo Special Releases 2024) (57.5% ABV, Single Malt, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $1,980HKD / £208.33)
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The only NAS in the lineup, this Mortlach deviates from the usual heavy, meatier, darker nature with a lighter, more youthful spirit, thanks to finishing in both red and white Italian wine casks. 

Colour: Yellow gold.

Nose: Youthful and grassy, with noticeable new oak.

Palate: Simple and straightforward, with stone fruits and subtle salty smoke, followed by apple, pineapple and salted caramel

Finish: Long with a slight oak astringency.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 86/100 (Martin). I always enjoy seeing whiskies presented in a different light, but if I’m honest I don’t see nearly $2,00HKD worth of value in this one...

Benrinnes 21yo “Grand Crescendo” (Diageo Special Releases 2024) (55.4% ABV, Single Malt, 21yo, Speyside, Scotland, $3,625HKD / £283.33)
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The oldest and most expensive in the line up, Speyside’s Benrinnes has (as far as I’m aware) only featured in Special Releases twice since the start, also last time in a 21yo in 2014 with a heavy sherry influence. This time around it’s been matured in a mix of American and European Oak wine casks, interestingly with a finish that’s longer than the original maturation (13yrs vs 8yrs).

Colour: Dark orange gold.

Nose: Subtle, understated and elegant. Nutty hints, berry hints and some toffee.

Palate: Soft, elegant but still powerful. Sherry notes are there, but they're subtle, slowly growing. Cherries, baked pie crust, hints of strawberry.

Finish: Long, baked cherry pie.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Martin). Probably my top pick of the lineup this year (just edging out the Roseisle).

Caol Ila 11yo “Ambrosial Feast” (Diageo Special Releases 2024) (% ABV, Single Malt, 11yo, Islay, Scotland, $820HKD)

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As many of my whisky mates have heard me say, I reckon Caol Ila is one of the most versatile spirits out there. It can be delicious under 10yo, fantastic in its mid to late teens, beautiful in its 20s, and so on (and don’t get me started on early 1980s…beautiful spirit). What’s most interesting about this 11yo release however is it’s a rarely-seen unpeated Caol Ila! It’s not the first time we’ve seen one (there was one in 2015 and if I’m not mistaken, 2018 too) but it’s certainly not common, and for me is probably the most interesting “twist” we see in the lineup this year.

Colour: Yellow gold.

Nose: Oranges, pear, mango with an underlying nuttiness.

Palate: Less fruity than the nose, more hazelnut icecream, honey and oak (but with subtle hints of mango from the nose)

Finish: Long, with slight oak tannins

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100 (Martin).

Talisker 8yo “Tidal Churn” (Diageo Special Releases 2024) (58.7% ABV, Single Malt, 8yo, Islands, Scotland, $780HKD / £75)

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I’m always excited to try a new young Talker, mostly because the 8yo from 2018’s Special Releases still holds the title of best young Talisker I’ve ever tried - and probably best 8yo whisky I’ve ever tried! If you ever come across a bottle, do yourself a favour and try it - you won’t be disappointed. With that lofty benchmark set, we have this year’s 8yo which is said to be finished in “stone-spun” casks. Yep...."stone-spun". I like to think I’m pretty au fait with whisky terminology, but that was a new one for me. As best I can tell, it’s a method of decharring a cask using stones and water. Ok...

Colour: Straw

Nose: Saline, coastal, very slight peat but of a coastal/maritime nature, not iodine or BBQ-esque.

Palate: More peat than the nose suggests, with brine, nutty salted fish, and some noticeable camfourwood.

Finish: Medium in length, with strong salinity.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 86/100 (Martin). 

Lagavulin 12yo “Fireside Tails”(Diageo Special Releases 2024) (57.4% ABV, Single Malt, 12yo, Islay, Scotland, $1,250HKD / £129.17)
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The mainstay of the special releases - Lagavulin’s famed 12yo Cask Strength. One of the most consistent and enjoyable releases of the lineup in my opinion, this year’s release is back to more traditional cask types (1st fill ex-Bourbon, refill hoggies and refill European Oak butts) rather than the past two years which saw Virgin Oak and even ex-Añejo tequila casks.

Colour: Light yellow gold.

Nose: Fruity campfire smoke - apples, pears (toasted), bonfire smoke.

Palate: Creamy, salted BBQ notes - think a salted caramel or vanilla tart with a campfire-toasted crust.

Finish: Long, fruit smoke with a drying spice.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Martin). The classic Laga 12 CS rarely disappoints, and this one continues that trend.

So there you have it, 8 drams from 8 different distilleries. A big thanks to MHDHK for setting aside a tasting kit for us.

Cheers,

Martin.

Glenmorangie "A Tale of Tokyo" [Tasted #656]

Glenmorangie’s recently dropped their latest release - “A Tale of Tokyo”, the fourth in the “Tale of” series which continues to explore the magic of Dr Bill Lumsden’s experimentations, initially popularised by the “Private Edition” series. The series kicked of with "A Tale of Cake" (tasting notes), then moved onto "A Tale of Winter", then last year's "A Tale of the Forest" (tasting notes).

This time Dr Bill has gotten his hands on some Mizunara casks (not an easy task), to explore the influence the fascinating and unique wood has on Glenmo’s spirit, in honour of one of his favourite places (I mean, can you blame him? Japan is a whisky lovers’ playground!)

Says Dr Bill:


“I partly matured a proportion of Glenmorangie spirit in rare Japanese mizunara oak casks, which I’ve been curious to experiment with for some time. The influence of this wood is incredibly complex and unusual; it required balance and softening with Glenmorangie matured in bourbon and sherry casks, and the result is a dram as full of delicious sensory contrasts as a trip to Tokyo.”

 

So...was this a Mizunara bomb like my all-time favourite Mizunara-matured whisky (or its close runner-up), a Mizunara-non-event like a certain blended Scotch with a turquoise label, or somewhere in between? Read on...

Glenmorangie "A Tale of Tokyo" (46% ABV, Single Malt, NAS, Highlands Scotland, $980HKD / AU pricing TBC / £63.29)
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Colour: Orange gold

Nose: Sharp, fresh oak, pencil shavings, orange flambé, flamed orange peel, and some vanilla.

Palate: Youthful and light, with citrus and oak spice, then hints of sandalwood, and some slight floral / herbal notes. Light throughout, with some honey and mandarin towards the end. With some time in glass (and later some airspace in the bottle) the mandarin becomes a bit sweeter, a bit more prominent.

Finish: Medium in length, with a slight oak astringency towards the end. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100 (Martin). A perfectly enjoyable dram, and another successful attempt at matching up trademark Glenmorangie notes with something a bit left-field. Personally though (and I think I'm in the minority here) I preferred last year's "A Tale of the Forest" (tasting notes).

Thanks to Glenmorangie & Flare Communications for the review bottle.

Cheers,

Martin.

Diageo Special Releases 2022 [Tasted #628 - 635]

It's that time of the year when Diageo unveils its annual Special Releases, albeit for us down under, it's a six-month delay from our northern hemisphere brethren.

Diageo has unveiled its annual Special Releases for 2022, which continue with the mythical theme similar to last year’s special releases. The 2022 series dubbed ‘Elusive Expressions’ sees Illustrator Ken Taylor back again, this time joined by a fellow visual artist, Kevin Tong. Ken Taylor was the Illustrator behind last year’s Fable theme illustrations.

While this year’s theme may be similar to last year’s, the lineup for the 2022 Special Releases is slightly different to last year’s. The 2022 Special Releases see Cameronbridge feature as part of the lineup as well as many familiar distilleries.

When the sample set arrived, Marto was in town and we decided that it would be heaps of fun to split the sample do a joint tasting and combine our notes. While there are some clear favourites amongst us, it was fun to compare the notes for the eight whiskies from the 2022 series. Though, from the entire series, there was one distillery that came out on top.

Here we go...

Cardhu

An interesting Cardhu 16yo, 56%, finished in Jamaican Rum casks. A$299

Martin: Pear, apple and hints of peach on the nose are complimented by a slight herbal note. On the palate, some subtle strawberries & cream notes along with hints of oak, following through to the long finish. 90.

Hendy: Tropical notes on the nose with some mango, and pineapple. Some hints of apples and stone fruits. The palate is soft and creamy, with loads more apples with some strawberries added. The spices appear gradually and slowly evolve into a nice milky chocolate finish. 91.

Oban

Oban 10yo, 57.1%, finished in ex-sherry and amontillado-seasoned casks. A$179.99

Martin: A herbal grassiness and slight saline smoked note on the nose, followed by a fairly simple, slightly salted beef note with underlying red berry notes. A long and warming finish with residual oak to the end. 87.

Hendy: The nose is quite fruity, apples, berries and grapes. Spices kick on the palate followed by the apples, and pears. The palate evolves with some chocolate mixed with some berries and pepper. The finish is long and warming and similar to Marto's note, quite an oaky finish. 90.

Clynelish

An unusual 12yo Clynelish, 58.5% ABV, matured in refill American Oak, then finished in PX/Oloroso seasoned casks. A$350

Martin: Baked apple pie with vanilla on the nose. Things are a bit more robust on the palate, with more of the expected notes from a sherry finish - nuttiness, a robust toffee note, some red berries and a hint of red apple. A long finish, slightly drying at the end. 90.

Hendy: Stewed apples and vanilla custard flows through the nose. You can also smell a hint of apple turnovers. The palate is fulsome and viscous, with apples, and raisins coming through from the apple turnover. There are some peppermint spices that follow. The finish is nice and round with remnants of white pepper spice and a layer of chocolate. 90.

Singleton of Glen Ord

A 15yo The Singleton of Glen Ord, 54.2% ABV, aged in refill American and European Oak, then double matured in wine-seasoned casks. This was one of my highlights from the 2022 series. A$199

Martin: The rich, robust but fruity nose is a welcome departure from the rest of the range tasted so far. Raspberries and strawberries, and after time some green apple. On the palate, cranberries and raisins are coated in milk chocolate, leading to a long and consistent finish. 91.

Hendy: Nice and fruity, raspberries, oranges, and stone fruits. The palate is soft at first and the spices gradually build. The fruits have come out again, apples, raspberries and stoned fruits. The spices remain for some time, into a somewhat long finish with a nice milk chocolate undertone. 92.

Mortlach

A rich and fruity NAS Mortlach, 57.8% ABV, finished in Tawny Port, Red Muscat and Virgin Oak casks. A$425

Martin: Rich and expressive on the nose, I wouldn't call it 'meaty', but it's definitely 'robust'. A well-polished palate that suggests some age, set against the backdrop of spicy, drying red fruit notes on the palate, and long, lingering raspberry on the finish. 90.

Hendy: Rich and fruity, baked apple pie with apple bits, and some glazed cherries on a warm baked loaf cake. The palate is quite welcoming with rich spices, more of the stewed apples from the apple pie, some berries and salted caramel brittle. The nutmeg and pepper spices continue to build and gradually disappear leaving an oaky, berry finish. 91.

Talisker

Talisker 11-Year-Old, 55.1% ABV, matured in first-fill ex-bourbon, refill, and wine-seasoned casks. A$199

Martin: Youthful saline smoke on the nose, leading to slightly herbal salted beef notes with a slight medicinal salinity. The palate follows the nose, with the herbal, grassy, saline smoke notes. The finish is long but a little thin, leading to residual dry smoke notes. 88.

Hendy: Quite briney and full of sud, dry seaweed amongst bonfire smoke. There are some subtle herbal notes as well on the nose. The palate is sweet but quite simple. There is some apple and cinnamon with very light nutmeg spice. The finish is slightly herbaceous and oaky but does linger for a while. 89.

Lagavulin

A 12yo Lagavulin, 57.3% ABV, matured in virgin oak casks and our smokiest reserves. A$229.99

Martin: A classic and thankfully, this one doesn't disappoint. Whilst the nose is lighter than you might expect (albeit with classic Lagavulin DNA still showing through). On the palate, things come to life, with briney Islay peat and complex chocolate orange amidst seaspray-soaked ropes. A long and smoked citrus finish rounds things out. 91.

Hendy: Earthy and Briny. The nose reeks of sea brine and salted fish. There are remnants of bonfire smoke by the beach. The palate is quite distinct to the nose, the sweetness of toffee green apple comes through with some milk chocolate. There is also some mulchy earth with black pepper spices and oak notes. The finish is quite tarry, there is an earthy oaky undertone but overall, the sweetness of the milk chocolate remains. 91.

Cameronbridge

For the first time ever, Cameronbridge 26yo single grain whisky, 56.2%ABV, finished in refill American oak. A$599.99

Martin: Citrus tea notes on the nose give way to a more drying, but rich palate with notes of stone fruits (pear, apple, peach) and drying oak. I found the finish reasonably short, with those stone fruit notes carrying through to the end. 88.

Hendy: Sweet milk chocolate, some nougat and toffee apple on the nose. The palate is equally as creamy, milky - milk chocolate. Some Ribena juice gradually follows followed with mint spices and shortbread. The finish is minty and oaky and the milky notes continue for some while. 90.

Cheers

Hendy (and Marto)

Thank you to Diageo and Example for sending us the Diageo Special Releases 2022 Collection kit for us to spend some time with.

More Malternatives - Super old Armagnac and Cognac from Wu Dram Clan [Tasted #514 - 517]

If it seems like there's been a bit less content here over the past year, it's true, but it's also partly because there's more going up on our Facebook page, and especially our Instagram. The site hasn't been forgotten (far from it), but more timely content will typically be found over on our Instagram account @TimeforWhisky (if you already follow us, thanks! If not, give us a follow - there might even be some prize giveaways soon).

One of the things I love about Instagram is the whisky community - and how a simple like, comment or story reply can spawn a great friendship, or the discovery of something entirely new...which is exactly how I discovered Wu Dram Clan (@wudramclan.official), an "Independent bottler of high quality single malt whisky, cognac, armagnac & gin" run by two blokes from Germany and one from Japan. 

I think it was an Instagram story I'd posted of Wu Dram Clan's 1967 Vallein Tercinier (a stunner I'd tried at the excellent House Welley Bar), which prompted Boris (aka @the.whiskyking, Lagavulin collector-extraordinaire and half of the German side of Wu Dram Clan) to reach out about a few more brandy releases they had coming up, and kindly offer to send me a few samples. Next thing I know, I had 3 generous samples of the following:

 

Just a casual ~58yo Armagnac Chateau de Gaube 1962/2020, a ~54yo Armagnac Aurian 1966/2020 and a ~41yo Armagnac Aurian 1979/2020! Whilst my Armagnac knowledge is well behind my whisky knowledge, I always welcome the opportunity for further education, and this seemed like a good way to do it...

Armagnac Chateau de Gaube 1962/2020 (48.6% ABV, ~58yo, Ténarèze, One of 144 bottles)
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Colour: Orange copper.

Nose: Fruity and musty, with some cereal notes. Intriguing. Old leather-bound books but with an undertone of overripe mango. A slight hint of sulphur, marmalade and coffee beans. 

Palate: Slight sulphur at first, but then more old leather and oak. Rainins, almonds, and a slightly "farmy" funk.

Finish: Long, old oak and vintage books, with a residual nuttiness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100.


Armagnac Aurian 1966/2020 (53% ABV, ~54yo, Armagnac, $2,880HKD / AU pricing not available)
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Colour: Coffee-copper.

Nose: Fresh, floral and esther-y (nail polish), followed by a sherbet sweetness. With water came berries, lemon and after time, caramel-coated apples. 

Palate: Big on the esthers, initially, followed by nuts and pine needles. With water, some caramel apples.

Finish: Long, meaty and creamy. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100. Suggest giving it a bit of time for the initial esthers to dissipate. Unique, but enjoyable.

Armagnac Aurian 1979/2020 (49.6% ABV, ~41yo, Armagnac, $1,980HKD / AU pricing not available)
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Colour: Red coffee-copper.

Nose: A bit more youthful compared to the others - red fruits with slight esthers, and with water, an intriguing grassy herbaceous note. 

Palate: Strong oak influence - wood varnish, leather, and bitter orange. With water, a lot more sweetness with jelly babies (green and yellow!) and lemon.

Finish: Short to medium in length, with oak and some orange peel towards the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 86/100. 

Thanks to the generosity of a friend in the HK whisky community, I also recently had the pleasure of sampling another Wu Dram Clan cognac - their 1962 58yo "Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet" bottled at 40.4%.

Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet 1962/2020 (40.4% ABV, ~58yo, Cognac)
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Colour: Dark copper orange.

Nose: Huge berries and an underlying earthiness/mustiness.  Camphour wood, acetone, milk chocolate and cocoa. 

Palate: Camphour, resin, varnish, then pineapple and peach! Chocolate-coated strawberrries, big mik chocolate and finally some big raspberry notes.

Finish: Long and slightly tropical, with peach, and dark bitter chocolate.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. So much going on here. Great stuff.

A huge thanks to Boris (aka @the.whiskyking) and Wu Dram Clan for the samples - if you're looking for a fun and delicious Malternative, definitely give these some consideration (if you can still find them). Remember too that old, vintage brandy isn't (yet) priced anywhere near old, vintage Scotch...so get in while you can!

Cheers,
Martin.

Dalmore "King Alexander III" [Tasted #509]

One last post for the sh*t of a year that's been 2020....

Whilst I've tried at least one incredible Dalmore in the past 18 or so months on this blog (sadly, a 1 of 1 bottle which sold for £108,000, leaving me zero chance of trying it again), it's been many years since I'd visited the core range - not since 2015, in fact, when Master Blender Richard Patterson came to town.

To change that, I was recently (and very kindly) sent an unprompted bottle of Dalmore King Alexander III, part of the distillery's core lineup which I'd originally tried back in 2015, and about which I'd said at the time:

"The Dalmore King Alexander III, as Richard explained, is finished in a whopping 6 different casks (Port, Madeira, Marsala, Cabernet Sauvignon, Small Batch Bourbon and Matuselm Oloroso) and is designed to give rich plummy characteristics. Despite not carrying an age statement, King Alexander III is typically 20 years old, at 40% "because that's how I wanted it" (Richard's words)"

It's always fun to revisit drams after several years, as both palates and whisky batches can change. So without further ado...one final dram for 2020.

Dalmore "King Alexander III" (40% ABV, NAS, Highlands, Scotland, $1,580HKD / £159.85 / $300AUD)

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Colour: Bright red copper.

Nose: Earthy at first (damp grass, moss) giving rise to ripe strawberries and then floral, potpourri notes.

Palate: Very muted. Spiced initially, then vanilla bean, walnuts, some oak spice and slight tannins, Mandarin and grapefruit notes with an underlying damp moss earthiness...but it feels like the ABV could do with a decent increase - it really is a very subtle palate (some might say "smooth", one friend called it "watery"). Perhaps though, that's more a reflection on the number of cask-strength drams I've tried since 2015 - which would likely number in the thousands.

Finish: Medium to long in length, with spiced apple cider notes and residual oak.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100. A nice pleasant dram and one I think would make a great introductory dram for someone just getting into whisky, or concerned about high-ABV spirits, as it's genuinely one of the subtlest drams I've had in recent memory. There's quite a lot going on in terms of different flavours, but for me, I think I prefer Dalmore when it's from one or two types of casks (say, ex-Port or ex-Sherry), rather than the "assemblage" we have here.

A big thanks to Telford HK for the bottle tasted here.

Cheers,

Martin.

Whiskies & More, Timeless & Tasty and 3 delicious single casks from Laphroaig, Glentauchers and Ardmore (Tasted #407 - #409)

Whisky fans in Hong Kong would find it hard not to notice the proliferation of new whisky shops these days - it seems like every week there's a new one, opened by a passionate whisky lover (or group of whisky lovers), and on the whole it's a great thing for the whisky scene.

Whiskies & More however are a little different. Part shop, part distributor, part whisky events coordinator, W&M and their online shop, Timeless & Tasty are run by passionate whisky lover Hil, someone for whom I have massive respect, having come from the same industry I work in (not whisky - this is just a hobby for me) and switching it up to run a successful business in whisky.

Not only that, but Whiskies & More  also arrange some of the most epic whisky tastings in Hong Kong (like when they brought the guys from WM Cadenhead out for a tasting of 6 whiskies, straight from the still maturing casks, including 3 closed distilleries!)

The list of brands Whiskies & More distributes includes a number of hugely-respected independent bottlers (Asta Morris, AD Rattray, Elements of Islay, WM Cadenhead, Blackadder), well-loved OBs (Arran, High Coast, others) and even my favourite Cognac Vallein Tercinier (aka the cognac for malt lovers). The fact that Whiskies & More so regularly bring out guests from these brands for regular masterclasses in HK (like Bert from Asta Morris) is a testament to the relationships Hil has built in a short space of time.

To try out some of the range, Hil recently gave me a few samples from three of W&M's brands, all of relatively young ages, and all proof that "age is but a number":

• THE SINGLE MALTS OF SCOTLAND – AIRD MHOR 8 YEARS 
• AD RATTRAY CASK COLLECTION – WILLIAMSON 6 YEARS - bottled for Whiskies & More to celebrate World Whisky Day 2017.
• ASTA MORRIS – GLENTAUCHERS 8 YEARS - bottled for the One Year anniversary of Whiskies & More.

Asta Morris Glentauchers 2009-2017 (52.5% ABV, 8yo, Speyside, Scotland, 1 of 90 bottles, $995HKD)

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Colour: Orange-brown gold.

Nose: Spirity and fruity at first, with some varnish and sultanas, and a slight peppery note. After a few drops of water, some Vegemite and barbecued meat.

Palate: Rich and sweetly sherried - more sultanas, a nuttyness, pear notes and some red fruits.

Finish: Long, with some light tannins, sugar-coated sultanas, dried apricots and pears.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. A simple yet surprisingly moreish dram.

The Single Malts of Scotland Aird Mhor (Ardmore) 2009-2018 (59.4% ABV, 8yo, Highlands, Scotland, 1 of 123 bottles $850HKD)

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Colour: Straw

Nose: Spiced fruit, cinnamon eggnog. Hints of peppery smoke.

Palate: Similar to the nose, with more cinnamon and more pronounced peat smoke, followed by some flamed orange peel, cardamom and Christmas cake.

Finish: Long, with smoky-sweet stone fruits at the very end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100. From an ex-Laphy barrel, I learned afterwards!

AD Rattray Williamson (Laphroaig) 2011-2017 (61.3% ABV, 6yo, Islay, Scotland, 1 of 96 bottles $850HKD)

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Colour: Light straw.

Nose: Big campfire peat smoke with some stone fruit notes, and slightly medicinal notes (but not an "iodine bomb").

Palate: Hugely mouth-coating. Spicy peat, meaty, oily, some tobacco and leather, then some toasted bread, apricot jam and some barbecue smoke.

Finish: Medium to long in length, sweet with caramel notes and just a hint of smoke.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100.


With Christmas around the corner,  W&M's shop Timeless & Tasty would be worth a look for anyone looking to buy a whisky present (it can be for yourself - we won't tell), as would the above three whiskies.


Cheers,
Martin.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte range re-launch party in Singapore (Tasted #396 - 399)

Bruichladdich is a distillery I've liked for a long time, but it's also a distillery I've respected for a long time. That's not to say I don't respect other distilleries, but Bruichladdich's whisky has just always struck me as incredibly honest whisky. It doesn't hide behind caramel colouring, or chill-filtration. It's bottled at (at least) 50%. As a distillery, Bruichladdich are also incredibly transparent.

...and they make incredibly good and varied whisky - from the standard "Laddie" to the peated Port Charlotte, to the super-peated Octomore and the fun stuff like Black Art and Micro Provenance ranges.

All of which made it pretty easy to say yes when Rémy Cointreau contacted me recently, asking if I wanted to join them in Singapore for the (re)launch of the Port Charlotte range. Fast forward 6 weeks, and I find myself, on a surprisingly mild Singapore night, standing in the middle of an industrial space...

The invitation listed the venue as "Cargo39", which I assumed was some cool new bar in a popular part of Singapore, but no, it turns out "Cargo39" is an actual cargo dock / shipping yard (which frankly is so much cooler).

The #WeAreIslay balloon made it clear I was in the right area, and after a few minutes of mindlessly wandering around an empty loading dock, I found my way to the venue.

(Turns out, Cargo39 is in Tanjong Pagar Distripark - a popular art / performance / venue / F&B space, utilising converted warehouse space. Not dissimilar to some of the warehouses around HK's Wong Chuk Hang.)

One look at the voucher provided on arrival suggested guests were in for a good night, filled with all the good things in life...

First though, I headed to the G&T Station (Bruichladdich make a great gin, y'see) where Citizen Farm had set up a botanical station and were talking guests through different mints, herbs and leaves to garnish their gin & tonics (the locally-grown Apple Mint suited the Botanist's 22 botanicals very well).

"Local" was to be a theme for the night - with stations set up around the room serving delicious goods from local providors - cheese (from The Cheese Ark), chocolate (from DemoChoco), burgers and oysters (from Jam & Co) and even a taste of home, with beer / boilermakers by Young Master Ales.

Of course, we were all there for whisky, and there was no disappointment on that front, with the "Rare Dram" bar front and centre serving all manner of Bruichladdichs from the standard Laddie right up to Octomore OBA, and the full "Rare Cask" series (not to mention a number of rare distillery-only releases).

Everyone was allowed one free Rare Dram (more if they were lucky...) and the prices for others were pretty reasonable - Bere Barley 2008 for $10SGD, Black Art 5.1 for $30SGD, with the rarest drams (Octomore OBA, Rare Cask series and Yellow Submarine) at $50SGD.

Before long a few familiar faces showed up - namely good whisky mates Andrew (@whiskyhobo) and Christopher (@kanpaikev) from Indonesia Whisky Research Society (soon to be hosting Indonesia's first Whisky Live), and Singapore's Loh Chin Hui aka @whisky uncle. After sharing a dram or two of the distillery-only "The Laddie" Valinch 32, it was time to start the official tasting.

Brand Ambassador Chloe Wood welcomed guests, explaining that we'd be tasting four Port Charlotte drams, with a guided tasting led by none other than Bruichladdich Head Distiller Adam Hannett, video conferenced in all the way from Islay. This was impressive for two reasons - 1) Islay Internet is said to be notoriously dodgy; and 2) Adam couldn't hear anything happening in Singapore, yet managed to almost time his interjection after each dram perfectly.

I managed to spend a good amount of time with each dram, appreciating both the similarities and differences between the range...

Port Charlotte 10 (50% ABV, 10 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, £50 (AU and HK pricing TBC))
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Containing only Scottish Barley, and peated to 40ppm. Matured in a combination of 1st fill ex-Bourbon, 2nd fill ex-Bourbon and 2nd fill ex-French wine casks.
Colour: Golden straw
Nose: Sweet vanilla smoke initially, over time, tangy BBQ sauce and vanilla cream pie. A strange combination...that works very well.
Palate: BBQ-charred lemon wedges, then some big berry notes coming through - strawberry and raspberries. Plenty of salt-air peat - balanced well with the fruitier notes.
Finish: Follows the palate - long sweet lemon citrus smoke.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 91/100. I sat on this for a while and it got better and better. An impressive dram, especially considering the price.


Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2011 (50% ABV,  6-7 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, £60 (AU and HK pricing TBC))
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Showcasing truly local barley. 15 years ago no-one was growing Barley on Islay, now there are 18 farms!
Colour: Yellow gold.
Nose: Lots of vanilla and some citrus, and then some peach. Some slightly plastic notes that aren't offputting, but do differentiate this from the PC10. Spirit is more noticeable.
Palate: Meatier, more spirity than the 10. Lots of lemon zest and orange peel. More spritely and youthful than the 10. It'd be very interesting to try this at 10 years old.
Finish: Longer and hotter than the 10, with residual lemon zest smoke.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 88/100.

Port Charlotte MRC:01 2010 (59.2% ABV,  7-8 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, Pricing TBC)
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75% ex-Bourbon, 25% ex-wine cask. Finished for 1 year in French red wine casks.
Colour: Golden orange
Nose: Well this is different! Vegemite. Rye bread. Some slight hints of matchheads. Big, meaty. Beefstock.
Palate: More match heads / sulphur notes (not offputting). A lot more fruit starts to show - red berries mostly.
Finish: Long, sweet smoke and oak tannins at the very end.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 87/100.


Port Charlotte MC:01 2009 (56.3% ABV,  8-9 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, Pricing TBC)
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Finished in ex-Marsala casks for 18 months. Not yet bottled at the time of tasting, but intended to replace the current Global Travel Retail Cognac-finished expression.
Colour: Bright orange gold.
Nose: Lovely. Dry rub, paprika, very malty. Some berry notes start to show afer time.
Palate: Huge, rich oily mouth feel. Cherry cream pie. First fruit, then a big whack of sweet smoke.
Finish: Long, slightly tannic but at the very end, sweet Crème brûlée.
Rating (on Martin's very non-scientific scale): 90/100.

With the tasting over (and Adam no doubt finally able to enjoy his lunch), a few of us wandered over to check out the games on offer, including "Speak like a Scot", "Ring Toss" and "Blind Tasting". With rare drams on offer for winners, and Bruichladdich keyrings on offer for everyone else, everyone was a winner really.

Finishing the night with a dram of 1984/32 from the Rare Cask Series, then an Octomore OBA and the latest 1991 Yellow Submarine was a pretty incredible way to cap off what was, in all honesty, one of the most fun and well-run whisky parties I'd attended in ages.

The new range continues everything I like about Bruichladdich, and shows they're not afraid to go a little bit left-field either (just look at the new bottle design). A humungous thanks must go to Rémy Cointreau and Bruichladdich, who not only invited me to the event, but provided flights and accommodation too.

Cheers,
Martin.