Baron Otard VSOP (40%, +/- 2016)

We’ll continue with Cognac today, it’s a family owned house, said to be around 8 years old, mixture of Grande and Petite Champagne, let’s see how it compares with Frapin VSOP we had few weeks ago.

Colour: amber +3.

Nose: little closed initially, pear drops, apricot, orange peel, floral notes, also tobacco, tar, it has a better concentration than the Frapin, very enjoyable.

Taste: light, vanilla syrup, honey, sweet tropical fruit (apricot, oranges), pipe tobacco, earth, oak, pleasant, little watery but pleasant.

Finish: medium long, honey, grass and fresh oak.

Comments: simple, enjoyable, it has a similar profile to Frapin but it’s rounder, it has more fruit and it’s not as oaky as the Frapin, that’s worth extra two points in my book, about 81 points.

Cognac

January 5, 2017

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Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros (45%, +/- 2014)

We’ve had quite a few Havana Clubs already, this one is triple barrel aged (whatever that means), it looks to be finished in quarter casks, said to be about 10 years old and bottled at 45%, let’s see how it compares to the 7 year old..

Color: amber +3.

Nose: grass, vanilla, oak, burnt sugar, orange peel, tobacco, cigar smoke, cooking spice, not the most complex nose but it’s very pleasant, more expressive and a touch sweeter than the 7 YO.

Taste: good mouthfeel, full bodied, grass, coffee beans, raisins, peaches, apricot, orange marmalade, brown sugar, milk chocolate, leather, some wood bitterness.

Finish: long, wood sap, coffee, tinned fruit.

Comments: definitely a sipping rum, not too much sugar, quite a bit of wood though, I like it better than the HC7, might be the work of the small casks but it seems older, about 84 points.

Rum

January 4, 2017

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Plantation Trinidad 2001 (42%, +/- 2016)

Plantation is a company belonging to Ferrand cognac house, they are sourcing their rums from different makers around Caribbean and bottling these under the Plantation brand, this one is a column still rum from Trinidad, molasses based, I really like the detailed info they provide about their rums btw, aged in ex bourbon and finished in cognac casks.

Color: amber +2.

Nose: molasses, coffee liqueur, vanilla, raisins, dried fruit, orange marmalade, some mild smoke, not that complex but very pleasant.

Taste: light, quite sweet, again molasses, coffee, orange marmalade, marzipan, coconut maybe, some vegetal notes, wood bitterness, rather straightforward but it works.

Finish: long, sweet, tinned fruit, grass, wood sap.

Comments: simple, pleasant, rather sweet but not overly so, the oak is maybe a little too obvious for my liking, I think the Mount Gay XO little better, about 79 points.

Rum

December 29, 2016

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Mount Gay Extra Old (43%, +/- 2016)

We’ll be having few rums now starting with the Mount Gay Extra Old, it’s probably the best known Barbados rum and known to sponsor many sailing competitions, owned by Remy Cointreau, the XO is said to be around 8 years old, mainly double pot distillates (says so on their web page) aged in ex-bourbon.

Colour: amber +3.

Nose: molasses, beeswax, vanilla, bananas, pineapple, orange marmalade, coffee liqueur, raisins, dates, cedar wood, furniture polish, very fruity and not overly sweet, very pleasant.

Taste: again molasses, vanilla, ripe tropical fruit, apricot, bananas, raisins, almonds, very nice profile, getting very oaky, lots of wood sap.

Finish: long, vanilla, grass, wood bitterness.

Comments: it’s a British style rum, not too sweet, expressive nose, very nice profile, the bitter finish takes a little getting used to, I like it so much better than the sweet ones I’ve had (Zacapa, Pyrat, etc), I probably like it a little better than my goto rum Havana Club 7 (however it’s also 2,5 times the price), about 80 points.

Rum

December 27, 2016

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Port Charlotte PC11 (59,5%, +/- 2013)

Port Charlotte is heavily peated Bruichladdich, this one is 7th annual release in the Port Charlotte PC series, it’s 11 years old, uses only Scottish barley, 40 ppm peating levels, natural color, non-chill filtered, mixture of ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks and available in travel retail, it’s also bottled at 59,5%!

Colour: amber +2.

Nose: beeswax, coastal sea air, sherry sweetness, dried fruit, it might be the high strength but it doesn’t seem very peaty, coffee notes, wet dog, dry peat smoke, really well balanced, so much going on, truly an amazing nose, I like it so much better than the Octomore (having them side by side).

Taste: big whisky, sweetness, tar, not feeling the strength too much, an obvious sherry influence, raisins, almonds, walnuts, coffee liqueur, chocolate, medicinal, some fish oil, good complexity, super profile and great delivery.

Finish: long, iodine, jalapeno peppers, creme brulee.

Comments: an amazing whisky, it’s not cheap but it really delivers, needs water, about 89 points, I liked it much better than the Octomore I had few weeks ago.

 

Whisky

December 11, 2016

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Lagavulin 16 (43%, +/- 2015)

Lagavulin is one of the two Diageo distilleries on Islay with the other being Caol Ila, the 16 year old is usually highly rated, it’s also uncommon these days for the distillery to have it’s entry expression 16 years old, it’s aged on mainland Scotland though (not on Islay).

Colour: amber +3, rather dark, not sure if it’s sherried or all colorant.

Nose: dense, tar, peat smoke, sweet pipe tobacco, licorice, black tea, salt, sulphur, iodine, nice complexity, sherry notes, sweetness, caramel, dried fruit, elegant, refined, very well balanced, quite amazing, it’s a peated whisky alright but there’s so much going on.

Taste: big, pungent, full bodied, there’s salt, peat smoke, orange liqueur, sherry notes, dried fruit, it’s oily, thick, malt sweetness, starting to get drier, black pepper, wood smoke, again it’s really rather amazing.

Finish: long, salt, licorice, black tea, dates, oak, cigarette smoke.

Comments: probably the best entry level whisky there is these days, the peat doesn’t dominate on any level, very well balanced, has such a nice body, texture, mouthfeel, works so well on so many levels, about 89 points.

Whisky

December 2, 2016

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Talisker 57 North (57,8%, +/- 2014)

Another expression of Talisker today, this time it’s the 57 North, it’s 57,8%, bourbon re-fill casks, non-age statement, we will be having it side by side with the 10 year old.

Colour: amber +2.

Nose: intense, vanilla, smoke, pepper, fruit sweetness, antiseptic, rubber, kelp, shellfish, brine, very similar to the 10 year old, it’s sweeter, it’s also edgier, probably quite a bit younger (might also be the strength), 10 year old is rounder and has more complexity, the two share lots of similarities though.

Taste: big, intense, full bodied, honey, sweet ripe tropical fruit, then ginger, black pepper, wet concrete, rubber, brine, peat, it’s rather drinkable even at 57%, adding a little water doesn’t change the profile too much, really enjoying this.

Finish: very long, copper, vanilla, dry oak, ginger, smoke.

Comments: very very good, it is a bit nervous and doesn’t quite have the polish of the 10 year old, when given a choice I’d probably take the 10, it’s still fantastic nevertheless, about 87 points.

Whisky

December 1, 2016

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Talisker 10 (45,8%, +/- 2014)

Talisker is located on the Isle of Skye, it’s mildly peated at about 20 ppm and the 10 years old is often regarded as one of the best entry-level whiskies made in Scotland today, owned by Diageo.

Colour: amber +2.

Nose: intense, wonderful sweetness, toffee, apple, pepper, antiseptic, seaweed, very coastal, mineral, some mild peat smoke, very nice complexity, beautiful nose.

Taste: big, powerful, full bodied, starts sweet, malt, apricots, bananas, ginger, black pepper, engine oil, peat, earth, again good complexity, very enjoyable.

Finish: long, ginger, salt, malt sweetness, engine oil, very very good.

Comments: one of my favorite entry level expressions, great value as well, about 88 points.

 

 

Whisky

November 21, 2016

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Octomore 6.02_167 (58,2%, 2013)

My first time tasting Octomore which is said to be the most heavily peated whisky in the world, it’s made by Bruichladdich and is named after a farm near the distillery, this expression is 167 ppm, natural colour, non chill-filtered, cask strength, travel retail, matured in Limousin oak (cognac casks) and said to be 5 years old, Bruichladdich is owned by Remy Cointreau.

Colour: amber +2.

Nose: intense, concentrated, iodine, phenols, peat smoke, coastal notes, something vegetal, jalapeno peppers, the cask influence is obvious with fruit sweetness, honey, sultanas, raisins, the peat is actually not that apparent, it is obviously peated but I’d say that Laphroaig actually seems peatier, adding water makes it sweeter and brings out strawberries and almonds, really enjoying this nose.

Taste: it’s a dense, big whisky, oily mouthfeel, again the peat smoke is obvious but it’s on the background, fruit sweetness, marmalade, vanilla, sultanas, raisins, honey, pepper, much more smoke now, phenols, pure coal,  antiseptic.

Finish: long, dry smoke, some cereals, almonds, wood bitterness.

Comments: when I read it’s the peatiest whisky in the world and thought about the ppm count then I guess I was expecting something extreme, it’s not, it’s just a beautiful whisky, the peat is more obvious in Laphroaig for example for me personally, the cask influence is strong but it works well, and it needs water, talking about this not being very peated I got a reality check by tasting Caol Ila 12 after this (I might have confused it with a pear lemonade 🙂 about 86 points.

Whisky

November 16, 2016

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Caol Ila Distillers Edition 2002/2014 (43%, 2014)

The DE is the exact same age and same strength as the regular Caol Ila 12, it’s just finished in Moscatel casks, Moscatel is a fortified wine from Portugal, I’ve not tasted it myself but I imagine it could be similar to port?

Colour: amber +1.

Nose: intense, antiseptic, bandages, iodine, the wine is rather subtle, some sweetness, sultanas, raisins, maybe some tropical fruit, it seems sweeter and not as peaty as the 12 (although I’m pretty sure they have the same ppm), and the marine notes are missing, very well done, really enjoying it.

Taste: rather light, sultanas, dried fruit, toffee like sweetness, vegetal notes, agave, antiseptic, iodine, starts sweet and getting drier and smokier, dry peat smoke.

Finish: medium long, intense smoke, rubber, tar, some sharpness.

Comments: very good whisky, I think I prefer the non-finished version, about 84 points.

Whisky

November 11, 2016

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