Review Archives - Page 4 of 16 - More drams, less drama

Two Port Ellen and Coldorak in front of Port Ellen Distillery

Port Ellen 7th & 12th Release

11th October 202311th October 2023Coldorak

Port Ellen distillery, located on the southern coast of the Isle of Islay in Scotland, is a renowned name in the world of Scotch whisky. Established in 1824 by Alexander Ker Mackay, the distillery gained prominence for its distinctive single malt whiskies. Situated in the village of Port Ellen, the distillery operated for nearly 160 years before closing its doors in 1983. Despite its closure, Port Ellen whiskies continue to be highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors due to their complex flavours, limited availability and the hype generated by very good reviews from a few famous whisky blogs. The distillery’s iconic whitewashed buildings and traditional pagoda roof are emblematic of Scotland’s whisky-making heritage. Despite being silent for 40 years, the distillery is being resurrected, as I could see in July with construction still being done, and a beautiful looking still room almost ready to produce whisky again. Whilst it will be years before we can try the ‘new generation’ Port Ellen whisky, let’s try two Special Releases both distilled in 1979: the Port Ellen 7th and 12th Release. We reviewed two different Port Ellen (including a 1979) before on these pages, with different results, so let’s see how those 1979 do.

Turntable Spirits Blends

1st October 20236th October 2023Coldorak

I had the chance to be invited a few days ago to a Turntable Spirits tweet tasting, allowing me to taste the first three blends released by this new blending company. Turntable Spirits is a brand new blending house founded by two brothers, with transparency about the contents of their blends. Brexit made my participation to Tweet Tastings complicated to say the least, but thanks to Steve Rush, I was able to join this one. Before we start, let’s say on the record (laughs appreciated) that I received as part of this Tweet Tasting three generous samples for free, but that doesn’t have an influence on my reviews.

Caol Ila 22 and 24-year-old

27th September 202313th October 2023Coldorak

In the east of Scotland’s famous peated whisky-producing region’s lies a distillery that has long been revered for its commitment to crafting exceptional Scotch whisky – Caol Ila. Nestled on the rugged shores of the Isle of Islay near Port Askaig, one of the two ferry terminals bringing thousands of visitors to Islay every year, this iconic distillery has been a beacon of peaty excellence for close to two centuries. Close, but not quite two full centuries have passed since our exploration, as we try a 24-year-old whisky released in 2021 in commemoration of their 175th Anniversary. We’ll compare it to the 22-year-old released for Fèis Ìle Festival in 2019.

Old Rhosdhu 1990 Les Grands Alambics (2020)

17th August 202317th August 2023Coldorak

Following the Secret Speyside 1994, another bottling from Les Grands Alambics found its way to our glass – an Old Rhosdhu 1990. Back in the ’70s through the ’90s, Old Rhosdhu was distilled using their straight-neck pot stills (for further insights, refer to our review of a Croftengea, also bottled by LGA). It’s worth noting that Rhosdhu presently denotes their single grain whisky range, a departure from its historical identity. However, for now, let’s return to the 1990s with this Old Rhosdhu 1990.

Secret Speyside 1994 Les Grands Alambics

12th August 202312th August 2023Coldorak

We’ve previously reviewed just a single whisky from the French off-licence and independent bottler, Les Grands Alambics – a delightful Croftengea. It seems fitting to rectify that by exploring more of their offerings. Operating from Chambéry in Savoie, France (situated to the east of Lyon and south of Geneva), their independent bottlings fall into two prominent lines: one inspired by jazz, and another themed around birds. In today’s review, we delve into a 1994 Secret Speyside that Les Grands Alambics bottled as part of their bird series back in 2020.

Canadian Club 40-year-old and Chronicles 42-year-old review

Canadian Club 40 & 42-year-old

25th July 202313th October 2023Coldorak

In the past, we’ve examined a couple of old Canadian Club whiskies. Yet, their age was determined by the distillation year rather than their actual (unknown) aging period. However, in recent times, Canadian Club has been introducing an array of progressively older releases each year. It all began with a 40-year-old age statement in 2017, and from that point on, each annual release would add another year to its age. Today, we’ll be reviewing two expressions, remarkable by their age statement: the Canadian Club 40-year-old and 42-year-old whiskies.

SMWS May 2023 Virtual Festival

21st June 202320th June 2023Coldorak

The month of May brings with it a vibrant whisky festival season, and the SMWS (Scotch Malt Whisky Society) takes advantage of this occasion by releasing special small batches specifically crafted for these festivals. These unique releases feature larger quantities compared to their usual single casks. To ensure that a multitude of whisky enthusiasts can savour these expressions, the SMWS organises a virtual whisky tasting event. They offer a festival pack containing five samples, which participants can enjoy alongside SMWS ambassadors during an online session. Now, let’s explore the selection of five drams that the SMWS has chosen for their May 2023 Virtual Festival.

A Loch Lomond Verticale

5th June 20235th June 2023Coldorak

We previously provided a technical introduction to Loch Lomond distillery while reviewing a superb Croftengea whisky from Les Grands Alambics, a French bottler and shop. As mentioned earlier, Loch Lomond is a remarkably versatile distillery employing various types of stills, including pot stills, straight-neck “Lomond” stills, and both short and tall column stills. This diverse array of stills enables them to produce a wide range of malt and grain whisky profiles, providing Master Blender Michael Henry with an extensive palette to work with. While our exploration of Loch Lomond single malts may be limited to affordable options, we shall proceed with a vertical tasting of Henry’s creations nonetheless.

Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Straight Rye Whiskey

Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye

30th May 202331st May 2023Coldorak

In the past, Maryland played a significant role in rye whiskey production in the United States. Before the era of Prohibition, the state was home to 44 distilleries, with 13 of them situated in Baltimore. Unfortunately, many of these distilleries were unable to recover from the impact of Prohibition. However, in 1936, Maryland was still able to produce 14.1 million gallons of rye whiskey. Some of the distilleries that managed to reopen during World War II shifted their focus to ethanol production. After the war, only a few distilleries resumed the production of rye whiskey. Fast forward to 2015, and Sagamore Spirit company initiated the construction of a 22,000-square-foot distillery in Baltimore’s Port Covington neighbourhood. This marked one of the first distillery establishments in Maryland since the era of Prohibition. Sagamore Spirit only produces rye whisky, and we’re reviewing today the Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Straight Rye Whiskey.

Yoichi 10yo (2022) vs 12yo (2015)

11th April 202311th April 2023Coldorak

In 2015, Nikka declared that due to the depletion of their aged stocks, the renowned Nikka’s peated single malt aged versions, namely the Yoichi 10, 12, 15, and 20-year-old, would no longer be available. They were then substituted with a non-age statement version referred to as simply ‘Yoichi single malt’ (we reviewed it here). However, Nikka made an announcement last year that the Yoichi 10-year-old would be making a comeback. It was scheduled to be released at the distillery in July 2022, and globally in Japan in November. As a result, we can now try out the new Yoichi 10-year-old 2022 and compare it with the 12-year-old, which was last bottled in 2015. Unfortunately, I do not possess the old 10 to make a more in-depth comparison.