The Eagle Has (Finally) Landed? Arran 17 Year Old

Here at Caskstrength, we have a distinct soft spot for the Arran distillery. 

Back in 2011, when we decided to embark on our epic journey into the A-Z of Whisk(e)y, we began with A for Arran- a particularly fine 14 year old expression in our opinion, which quickly sold out.  

The Arran itself was deliciously light in character, full of orchard fruit, caramel malt and zest. When looking at the range of Arrans available We wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 10 year old to anyone looking to experience a single malt for the very first time (a steal at around £30) and the 14 year old continues to develop the distinctly fruity softness to another degree. 

In fact, we came to associate Arran with the flavours of summer, despite there being a host of other more robust offerings including a host of sherry and wine finishes available, alongside the lighted peated Machrie Moor and the spicy, slightly spirity Devil's Punch Bowl. 

The distillery's newest offering, a 17 year old, is the oldest expression to date (continuing the countdown to next year's 18 year old, after the official release of a 16 year old last year) and marks another turning point in the its very own spirited journey.  But rather than focus on the full fat, buttery rich sweetness of first fill bourbon to give all those lovely light summery notes, this release is made up from sherry hogsheads.    

So where does it fit into the canon of current releases?

Well, the good(ish) news is that it isn't a million miles from any of the previous ones...

Arran - 17 Year Old -  46% - RRP £65

Nose: Undeniably sweet from the get go, with a clean malty cereal note, tangy orange zest, a hint of golden syrup, some hazelnuts and a little liquorice. It isn't the most complex 17 year old you're likely to encounter and shares a lot of the hallmarks with the distillery's younger expressions.  

Palate: Slightly sharp initially, but with a return of the orange zest, a little spiced sugar syrup, more chopped nuts, fragrant marzipan and green apple. Given time, the orchard fruits we have come to expect develop with soft white peaches and pears coming to the fore. Again, it isn't the boldest palate you'll encounter, but it is certainly in-keeping with the Arran we have grown to love.

Finish: Slightly short, with lingering chopped hazelnuts and a touch of liquorice.  

Overall: Anyone hanging on for Arran's ascent into the realms of deep, dark complexity will be sorely disappointed. But in our opinion, that is unlikely to happen any time soon. The distillery has set its stall out as a characteristically light, easy drinking whisky and, wait for it... they have easily achieved this again with the 17 year old. For the price, you are getting a very dependable and well made whisky (given the cost of the numerous No Age Statement whiskies out there).  It may lack the bold touches other distilleries achieve at this age but with spring definitely joyfully bounding around like a puppy full of penny sweets, whiskies like this most certainly come into their own.  

The Twelve Drams Of Christmas - Part One

Thursday last week was a VERY special day for Mrs Caskstrength. At 8.30am, she ran downstairs, heading straight for the kitchen, where, perched on the bread bin, lay a Malteasers Advent Calendar. The first of December had arrived, thus signifying the start of a very long month for me....

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas as much as the small boy sat comfortably on santa's lap, waiting for my present. It's just that advent calendars tend to be a little bit tedious.

One idea we had some months ago at Caskstrength was to have a whisky advent calendar; every day, post a brand new post about our favourite whiskies for the festive season. But we soon realised that this was particularly time consuming and frankly, we didn't want to be chained to the computer, when there's chocolate to eat, mulled wine to glug and ice skates to be donned.

So here is an abbreviated version. Consider it part one of our Twelve Drams Of Christmas.

But rather than make our own suggestions, we've asked a few friends and fellow imbibers to give us theirs... and here's the first!

The First Dram Of Christmas - Charley Boorman

Our first festive dram suggestion is from a particularly rugged chap, known to many as the king of adventuring on two wheels... Mr Charley Boorman.

As well as previously seeking thrills on his beloved motorbikes with Ewan McGregor and recently traversing the world by any means, Charley is a big whisky fan and last month, we caught up with him to discuss drams and the spirit of adventure - i.e. a decent, gentleman-sized dram on a mountain side!! You can read the full interview in issue 99 of Whisky Magazine, but for now, here's Charley's tip on the best festive whisky...

"When it comes to a cracking festive dram, I would recommend Talisker 10yo for Christmas. I love its peaty flavour, which reminds me of burning peat on the fire at home in Ireland."

Talisker 10 Years Old - 45.8%

Nose: A monsterous mixture of hot chilli, carbolic soap, malt and cracked black pepper.

Palate: Hot, warming and peaty, with more chilli, pepper and nutty smokiness.

Finish: Drying, with a lingering note of hot smoke and some dried fruits.

A great start from Mr Boorman here. Stay tuned for our next recommendation from someone a little bit further afield!

2 (Exactly-The-Same-But) Very Different Bruichladdichs

As we move seamlessly into Autumn, we're feeling increasingly chipper about the next few months in the run up to Christmas. Whisky it seems is really firing on all cylinders internationally and domestically, thanks to the success of programmes like Mad Men, there is definitely a halo effect surrounding the cool aspect of our favourite spirit.

It's never been busier for whisky tastings either. Caskstrength have been out and about across the UK - and in a couple of cases abroad, meeting folks, drinking and hopefully converting new drinkers to our wicked ways.

Just over a week ago, Both Joel and myself find our in very different climates indeed. Mr Harrison was over on Islay sampling the brand new bottling of Bruichladdich 10yo, whereas I was boarding a ferry to the continent with one third of Master Of Malt (the irrepressible Mr Ben Ellefsen)

Our destination was Maltstock, a genuine whisky festival, set in the wonderful (less-than-rolling) countryside of Nijmegen, Holland. Ben and myself had been asked to present a masterclass on Closed Distilleries and we were raring to go - whiskies, amusing slideshow and the back up plan of a revealing dance, should the talk go badly.

Despite missing our initial ferry, hitting traffic pretty much all the way through Belgium and Holland, we arrived 12 minutes before the talk was due to start, calmly set up and kicked off with a set of 5 cracking bottlings from closed distilleries:

1. Littlemill 1990 (a Murray McDavid 18yo bottling)

2. Glenlochy 1980 (Signatory 30yo bottling)

3. Tamnavulin 1981 (Master Of Malt 16yo bottling) - Yeah, ok so the distillery has re-opened, but it was closed when this was bottled.

4. Caperdonich 1972 (Duncan Taylor 38yo bottling)

And finally, a wonderful Hanyu 23yo.

In anybody's book, that's gotta be a decent lineup, right?

Needless to say that the tasting kicked off, right good an' proper and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. Hell, I even managed to get a laugh, when comparing the imaginary re-opening of a closed distillery to the feeling of watching the A-Team in your 30's (no matter how much you want it to be, it just isn't the 'same')

A goldmine of Silverseals and one of the tables full of brown booty...

After catching up with Mr Billy Abbott (who was presenting Speciality Drinks' brand new Elements Of Islay range) we visited the 'Gathering' area - a little outdoor quad, surrounded by chairs, benches and, most importantly, four large tables with what can only be described as a burgeoning plethora of sensational whiskies- probably a good 200 different bottlings, generously donated by attendees. Mind Blowing Whiskies. At this point, I hadn't been drinking, but try saying this mouthful of superlatives after a few drams and it probably translates roughly as: plugghenbughsgedgh suughphr whiskies.

I think this is where a distinction must be drawn. In actual fact, not a single person I saw over-indulged in the incredible treasure trove on offer. I was trying to imagine if this sort of set up would work in London, Manchester, Glasgow or for that matter, anywhere in the UK. It just wouldn't.

Anyway, I chose a few different bits and bobs, that immediately caught my attention:

A 1.5L bottle of White Horse, from the early 1980's. Apparently this was purchased for the absolutely incredible price of 30 Euros... Come on! that's insane.

I absolutely adore trying whiskies like this. They taste like time capsules and highlight just how good a lot of these blends actually are... and indeed were. Think a wash of creamy fudge, peat, paraffin lamps, cream soda and sponge cake all colliding with buttery shortcake, caramel sauce and wet cotton wool.

A 1974 Highland Park First Cask Bottling. Slightly tired, but classic old HP smoke and fruit notes, mixing with some sweet marzipan notes.

finally- and thanks to Mr Abbott - a sneak preview of one of the Whisky Show's undoubted forthcoming highlights; A rare Lochside single blend from 1964. Just how does a whisky become this fruity? It is exactly like drinking a glass of tropical fruit juice. Absolutely superb and unique.

But one dram that also caught my eye was an old bottling of Bruichladdich 10yo.

How interesting... Here I am, over in mainland Europe, drinking a very old Bruichladdich 10yo and there is Joel, over on Islay at exactly the same time, drinking a brand new Bruichladdich 10yo.

So here we go... Old vs New.

Bruichladdich 10 Year Old - 40% - Bottled... 90's?? Anyone please feel free to chip in here

Nose: Wow. Very fruity, with delicate smoke swathes and classic Trebor Refreshers sweets. Not what I expected at all.

Palate: Wet cardboard, fruit salad sweets and some sweet maltiness. Very different to the large majority of Bruichladdich bottlings I have tried previously. A faint waft of peat pops in at the end and most welcome it is too.

Finish: Butterscotch notes and sweet shortbread notes.

Overall: Surprising. Very low peating levels have given this an almost unrecognisable character. Sure, the bottle has probably been open a little while, but I enjoyed this. It won't blow every 'laddich fan away, but these old bottlings are worth seeking out if you can find them- purely for interest value. - check out the latest Scotch Whisky Auction, as one is a current lot.

So there we have it, a promising start from the old style bottling. Over to our Islay correspondent for an update on the brand new bottling... Motty, sorry Harrison:

That's right Ridley. You join me on a windswept Saturday afternoon on Islay, spiritual home of whisky and the place where men are men, where bleak is chic and where a 'spade' is most definitely called a 'shiel'.

The Bruichladdich teamsheet today reads like a catalogue of Brazillian rap stars- WMD, 3D3 and Black Arts up front in the formidable 'prong formation', Ugly Betty & Octomore on the wings, the power duo of Rocks and Waves in solid defence, with the recent signing X4+1 in goal. The controversial striker, Port Charlotte remains on the bench and captaining the side today is the powerhouse - (Big) Jimmy McEwan, under the watchful eye of the Turquoise Terrors' veteran coach, Mark 'Never-A-Rainy-Day' Reynier.

A lot has been made of this team and like a mighty falling oak, they're able to change direction in a second. Now, there is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures. For a new Bruichladdich 10 year old now awaits...

Bruichladdich – 'The Laddie 10 Year Old' – 46% abv

Nose: The light and delicate nose gives off subtle tones of crème brulee, fresh lemon cheese cake dusted with icing sugar and some seaside notes. This is the Islay equivalent of a stick of brighton rock. You hear the seagulls squawking as the aromas hit your nose.

Palate: The first impression is of Scottish tablet with a creamy undertone and some superb sugary notes, which are in no way sickly. Gingerbread and sweet tea are the headline flavours. Very well balanced with some boiled sweets and heathery tones. You know this is an Islay whisky, but not because of the peat. There is a real personality about the palate, but it is not overwhelming; to say this is easy to drink would be an understatement of gigantic proportions.

Finish: The finish is where the wood influence kicks in, with some spices, more vanilla and the gingerbread, carrying on though in a delicate way.

Overall: Well, what can we say? This is seriously one of the best entry-level Islay whiskies on the market and will appeal to those who don'’t have a huge appetite for peat. This whisky could become a flagship bottling not just for Bruichladdich, who need some stability behind their releases, but for the island as a whole.

Big words eh. Try it for yourself and let us know what you think...

Many thanks to Maltstock for putting on such a terrific event and we'll see you again next year. Anyone thinking of running a whisky event should certainly see how its really done. For another view, check out Ben's blog post on the weekend.

A First Class (Ship)ment

Since our birthday shenanigans, we've been investigating a few international whiskies that a few of you may not have had a chance to try yet. Our first hails all the way from the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, South Africa. The recent World Whisky Awards highlighted just how revered this distillery has become, with their Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish winning the category of Best Rest Of World Blended Whisky.

The distillery is to be found in the foothills of the Bains Kloof Pass on the banks of the Berg River in Wellington and their current expressions include a 5yo blend and the Bourbon cask finish. Recently, James Sedgwick distilled South Africa's first single grain whisky too, so hopefully we'll be seeing that heading to our shores soon.

I recently popped into Milroy's in Soho and the Three Ships 10yo single malt caught my eye, so I grabbed a bottle. Apparently this bottling is a limited edition, so probably worth seeing if your local retailer can locate it for you.

Three Ships - 10yo single malt whisky - 43% - 75cl

Nose: A very alluring soft and aged peat gently wafts in first, almost reminiscent of a lightly peated Ardbeg. Behind that, is a stewed rhubarb note, a hint of sweet candifloss and a wave of dry oakiness.

Palate: The initial sip is sweet and fragrant, rather like a sweetened Earl Grey tea, creamy cereal, soft red summer fruits and chocolate covered hazelnuts. The peat is again gentle, this time similar to my old favourite - Talisker 18yo, which is high praise indeed. It doesn't have as much depth as this Syke heavyweight, but it is a very passable and drinkable.

Finish: Sweetness lingers and the cereal notes coat the tongue along with the soft peat for a pleasingly lengthy finish.

Overall: What a little corker. Cost wise, this comes in at a fairly weighty £45, which for a 10yo is fairly expensive. But nonetheless a very easy drinking and approachable whisky from South Africa's finest. Think Spring Bok as opposed to Springbank!!

Arran Adventure - Part 1

A visit to a new distillery always fills us with such trepidation and excitement. What are we to expect? Do they do things differently? And more importantly, what will we get to try??

Well earlier this week, us Caskstrengthers got a superb opportunity to visit The Arran Distillery , whose new operation is now in the full swing of things. We say new, despite the fact that they have been up and running since 1995, but this is of course a mere infancy, when compared to the more established west coast island distilleries, or neighbouring Campbeltown.

Our initial expectations of Arran were fairly limited, as we began the first leg of our trip on the train up to Glasgow. Both Joel and I had tried the Founder's Reserve bottling, produced in 2001, which was very youthful tasting indeed and didn't really give many solid indications of where the single malt was heading. In fact, this was one of the very first reviews we had ever done for Caskstrength, back in March 2008!

We also had a small sample of some new make spirit from 1995, blessed with a highly fruity/floral aroma. But our hosts, our good friend Andy Hogan, Arran's North American Brand Ambassador and Distillery Manager James MacTaggart had lined up a tasting of the most recent bottlings from the distillery's core range; the 10yo and brand new 14yo, as well as some superb single cask expressions and a rare treat- the 15yo Anniversary bottling, produced for this year's open day.

Arriving at the distillery, one is immediately taken with the truly beautiful scenery, which surrounds the site. Goat Fell and Brodick Castle are right on the doorstep, so anyone who enjoys the real Scottish outdoors should plan a trip, taking in the distillery on the way. It is also possible to take a walk up to Loch na Davie, the distillery's water source, but as time was tight on this visit, we made tentative plans to return soon, dressed in full gorse-proof tweeds and heavy brogues.

With the sun blazing down on our outdoor tasting table, we got stuck into some scrumptious dramming...and boy, were we in for a shock...

The overall house style of the distillery is one of a light, fruity and vanillery aroma, with a salty undertone using a mixture of predominantly fresh bourbon casks and sherry hoggies/butts. Our first gleaming glass was the standard 10yo, which proved to be anything but 'standard'.

Isle Of Arran - 10 yo – (50% refill sherry 25% fresh sherry 25% fresh bourbon) 46%

Nose: Light and zesty, fruit sherbet, vanilla custard, absolutely no nose prickle. With water, the fruitiness (fresh crisp green apples) comes through in abundance.

Palate: Sherry makes itself apparent, a hint of dry vermouth, but still maintaining the vanilla sweetness. Some gentle spices, mix with a gentle maltiness.

Finish: Very fresh, green beans and more light notes. Some salted capers with water.

Overall: Absolutely wonderful. Light, and perfectly summery. Although this shares a lot with the classic Lowland style of whisky making it is refreshingly different, giving Arran its own regionality. (£32)

Next up- the brand new 14yo release, which was so new, the distillery shop was still waiting for its allocation!!

Isle of Arran - 14yo – 46%

Nose: Summer pudding!! Fresh strawberries, mint, malty bread, raspberries, and vanilla. Given time, some banana toffee and fresh apricots emerge. With water, even more vanilla custard.

Palate: A rich mouthfeel, Crème Brulee, licorice, a little pepper, but backed up by the fresh fruit.

Finish: Slightly salty/briney, but then back into the fruits – hints of green banana and a little creaminess. Surprisingly lengthy for a light style.

Overall: Another cracker, with more sweet fruity goodness. This bottling highlights just how well the whisky is maturing. Stay tuned for an 18yo in the future!! (£38)

After a couple of cask samples including a single cask sherry bottling, (much drier, but still retaining that wonderful fresh fruit and vanilla) and a Calvados cask (baked apples, butter and spice... think Tarte Tatin) it was time to sample the distillery's prized Anniversary bottling. And after the 2 previous drams, our expectations were running high! The casks used to produce this bottling were 3 of the very first casks in the distillery's inventory, specially selected by James for their exceptional balance.

Isle Of Arran - 15yo Anniversary bottling– 600 bottles from a vatting of 3, 1^st fill Bourbon casks– 51.4% – (Heaven Hill Casks) - Released at the 2010 Arran Distillery open day

Nose: Pannacotta time! A sensational vanilla and summer fruits nose. Absolutely beautiful. Fresh, vibrant, yet with incredible balance. With water, a hint of waxiness (ala Clynelish, but not as huge) and a peppery rye note. Clearly, the casks which went into this bottling were absolutely top draw indeed.

Palate: Rich, malty, very complex, the bourbon influence is devastatingly apparent. Cinnamon, coconut, that wonderful vanilla, mint and then some milk chocolate.

Finish: The fruit and fresh bourbon notes give a spiciness which lingers for a few minutes. This is 'second dram stuff', without a doubt!!

Overall: If you can, get a bottle of this now- there are only a handful left, but it is undoubtedly a landmark bottling for the distillery- some of the oldest casks of the distillery stocks have gone into this and it is a true time capsule for the rise and rise of Arran's wonderful whisky making. (Only available from the distillery in person, or via mail order here) (£95)

Part 2 of our Arran trip will be posted shortly, where we got a chance to see the distillery at work, as well as a behind-the-scenes tour of the warehouses and the faint whiff of a familiar friend at work...

the final fling...

Well folks, here we have it. The last post in our series of 'Special' releases from Diageo.

Perhaps it's too early to reflect on a year gone by, but our hearts and minds are probably drawn back to Islay and the wonderful 10 days in May we spent on this glorious island, sun shining, wanting to be no where else than here, with a great whisky in hand. (Feis Ile, we thank you)

Islay has that unique thing- it can beguile and amaze you in the time it takes to uncork a bottle of scotch. Grown men and women in safe, happy and stable lifestyles have suddenly thought differently about their future when they've seen the view from Port Ellen when the sun sets. For us, that is the essence that should be bottled... surely an impossible task??

Islay aside, some of these whiskies have been stunning. The Talisker 25 and 30 were sublime, despite their premium price. But our final flight needs no real introduction. Palate wise, they might be from within a few miles from each other, but what they represent is vastly different. To sample an unpeated, young Caol Ila next to the oldest official release of Port Ellen might seem like madness. It probably is, but that's what the island represents right now- a celebration of flavour profiles which are so extreme, they surely need to be tasted side by side!

Caol Ila - 10 Year Old - Unpeated - 1998 - a whopping 65.8%-

Nose: Ok, this is ridiculously strong, but bear with it. We tried this in all manner of ways to see what would draw the best from within. Neat: Hints of white chocolate, sponge cake and very sweet butter candy. With a few drops of water: The chocolate notes intensify, with vanilla and fudge notes in abundance. Adding a little more water- and the spirit gives up its grasp and the true potential comes alive- hints of the fairground- toffee apples, candy floss and coal fired Wurlitzer pipe organs. (Ok, that was a joke, but there is certainly a coal note in here) Given more time in the glass and those massive fairground buckets of 'pick 'n mix' seem to spring out at you- it's sweet, slightly fruity and fresh as a daisy.

Palate: Crystal clear distillery character, with lemon, cereal, rich chocolate, sherbert and sponge-cake sweetness. It's fairly 'do or die' on the palate- an explosion of fresh flavours and then it's gone.

Finish: The creamy white chocolate notes continue, after the rest has subsided, but afterwards, it's zesty, fresh and lightweight as you would have expected.

Overall: Well, this takes all that the previous 8 yo unpeated can give and smashes it out the park. I don't know how they do it, but this is Caol Ila on a totally different plain. Almost like a different distillery- but yet, still totally Islay. We were scratching our heads after this one- A great young whisky from Islay, but something completely different aside...You tell us!!

Next up: Lagavulin 12 yo makes a welcome 9th return... deep down, Joel and I were probably waiting for this one with the most anticipation...

Lagavulin - 12 year old - 9th release - 57.9% -

Nose- Smoke of course, hints of iodine and seaweed, followed by soft butter thrown on to fresh pasta. There is a real 'airiness' about the nose; light but full of flavours, vanilla pods and a hint of thyme. The smoke dissipates into carbolic soap notes but it's exactly where you want it to be and is unmistakably young Lagavulin.

Palate- So smooth and easy to drink for something at 59.9%. It sits beautifully in the mouth with peat smoke, combining with cooked apples with sugar. No spices though, as you might expect from cooking apples. Hints of pear. A note of vanilla pipe tobacco (for those of you who may dabble) and again you're in unmistakable laga territory. Superb and fantastically balanced young whisky.

Finish: Medium in length, but the peat keeps coming at you.

Overall: One of the cheapest of the 'Special Releases' but clearly one of the most sought after drams on offer from Islay at the moment. We may well be biased, but we defy anyone to find holes in this. Great drinking, young peated whisky at caskstrength. Surely about as good as it gets.

Our final dram of the night and what a way to go out.... 30 year old Port Ellen. Just think about that for a second. The distillery that has probably come to define the mystique and magic of Islay just turned out a 30 year old whisky, despite being closed in 1983. Joel actually stammered as he was passed his dram of this. For him, a special year is upon us. Welcome to the 30 club, chaps!!

Port Ellen - 9th Release- 30 years old - 1979- 57.7%

Nose: Very light smoke- delicate and rounded. A hint of blue cheese, some rubbery notes (like primary school plimsolls) and some feint medicinal notes. You could easily lose yourself in this for hours. A wonderfully expressive nose, not too over complex but with enough going on to keep the nostrils busy!

Palate: Initially sweet (brown sugar) and then a big hit of smoke. The American oak (as opposed to European) hasn't smothered the spirit and has allowed the natural spices to develop and the sweetness to come to the fore. A lovely oily and thick mouthfeel is the prize.

Finish: Long and fantastic, with the smoky notes subsiding into lingering sweetness.

Overall: A very solid performance from Port Ellen. It must be getting harder and harder to find great casks of PE that haven't over-aged, but the 9th release shines as brightly as the others. It's a bit like the David Beckham of whisky: How long can they keep pulling out top draw performances like this for? At some stage it has to end... :(

Little Gem

If you're anything like me, there will be a touch of the Del Boy about you. Let's be honest, whisky is not the cheapest hobby in the world. And finding interesting drams to do notes on, and to expand ones palate, can be a battle that only mastercard win. Scouring pubs for long lost bottles on shelves can sometimes lead to a gold mine (my personal favs include St Magdalene 1979 Rare Malt for £2.50 a dram in a hotel in Liverpool, Laphroaig 30 for £3 a dram in a bar in Brighton and an old Port Ellen for £3 a shot in a hotel in Warrington...) while indie off licences and supermarkets can herald the odd gem here and there (£120 for a Port Ellen 3rd Release last year, in Waitrose anyone??). However, while wandering through Oxford's Flea Market last week I spied a wee bottle of something that would cost me over 150 sheets to buy a full bottle of now-a-days: a late 1970's mini bottling of the Balvenie Founders Reserve (early Cognac Style Bottle), advertised for £3. THREE QUID! Far too expensive for a flea market, so yours truly got it for a shiny new TWO POUND COIN. Homeward bound and off came the top for the following tasting notes:

Balvenie 10 Years Old - Founders Reserve - Late 1970's Cognac Style Bottle - 40% - 50ml

Nose: Very soft fudge, brown sugar, mint and basil. Old wax jackets.

Palate: Flap-jack (honey and oats baked together with sultanas), eversuch a slight hint of smoke (not peat, but wood smoke) and a hit of dark chocolate.

Finish: That spearmint again with a touch of chillies, rounding a decent length for a 40% vol.

Overall: This is beautiful, this dram. Damn the bottle size! Very easy to drink, very rounded and the big hit of spearmint that runs throughout is backed by just a hint of smoke and then all that oaty goodness! My guess is that it contains much less sherry than current Balvenie bottlings. I'd be buying this as a staple for the home if it was under £35 a bottle, which it probably was when it came out.

NOTE: Picture coming soon.