NdW 48|16: SMWS, Port Askaig, Tomintoul, Edradour, Arran

Die SMWS hat die Weihnachtsabfüllungen vorgestellt. Bei Port Askaig (Kunstname) ist ein neuer 8-jähriger dazugekommen. Tomintoul bringt vier neue Abfüllungen auf den deutschen Markt. Edradour eine Mischung mit der getorften Variante und Arran einen Jubiläums-Malt.

• SMWS Dezember Outturn, 14 Abfüllungen, CS
• Port Askaig, Islay Single Malt Whisky, 8yo, 45.8%
• Tomintoul, Tlàth, 40.0%, UVP 31,99 EUR
• Tomintoul, 15yo, Portwood, 46.0%, ncf, nca, UVP 95,99 EUR
• Tomintoul, 25yo, 43.0%, UVP 319,99 EUR
• Tomintoul, Five Decades, 50.0%, UVP 369,99 EUR
• Edradour-Ballechin-Cuvée, 8yo, 46%, ncf, nca, UVP 59,50 EUR
• Arran, 21st Anniversary Limited Ed., 52.6%, 5.988 Flaschen, 150.- GBP

ncf = no chill-filtration (keine Kältefiltration), nca = no color added (ohne Zusatz von Zuckerkulör), CS = Cask Strength (Fassstärke)

Tasting Notes und weitere Infos

SMWS

• 35.147 Spicy Sweet Sensation, 21yo, 270 Flaschen, 55.3% – Glen Moray (Set)
  Sweet cinnamon buns, sticky toffee pudding, heather honey on toasted sweet bread, spiced molasses cookies, maple syrup and dark chocolate dipped cherries were just some of the descriptors given to this extraordinary sample but wait until you have tried it. WOW! What wonderfully sensual spicy sweet heat, like eating cinnamon honey popcorn with the addition of chilli and five-spice powder, giving it a real explosion of flavour. A tiny drop of water and aromas of honey hickory spare ribs and brown-sugar topped pork with the grand finale being a traditional cake from Madeira called Bolo de Mel.
  1st Fill Toasted Oak Ex-bourbon Hogshead / Speyside Lossie
• 48.79 ‘caught Red Handed’, 11yo, 168 Flaschen, 56.8% – Balmenach (Set)
  Initially we felt like a kid in a sweetshop; jars of flying saucers, cherry lips, fruit pastilles, gummi bears and candy corn – in which one of those would you be ‘caught with your hand in’? With time, fresh ripe red apples but also toffee apples arrived. To taste, back at the sweetshop; fried eggs and white mice before banana crepes with chocolate hazelnut sauce took over. Diluted we moved to the florist’s and bought a bouquet of hyacinths with some aromatic seasonal foliage and herbs, and on the palate vibrant, sweet and perfumed like a potpourri of late summer flowers.
  1st Fill Ex-bourbon Barrel / Speyside Spey
• 54.43 Fresh and fruity frolics, 9yo, 228 Flaschen, 59.5% – Aberlour (Set)
  The nose of this whisky is divine. It’s incredibly relaxing, moreish and heady. Luscious green grass, a bunch of freshly picked freesias and freshly laundered linens. To taste it’s zesty and fresh – peppermint, strawberry jam and lemon tarte awaken your senses. If it’s a little too spritely for you, add a few drops of water and release soft notes of apples and pears. Cream and chocolate appear on the finish.
  Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel / Region: Speyside Spey
• 64.87 Rays Of Sunshine, 12yo, 222 Flaschen, 59.2% – Mannochmore (Set)
  Initially it felt like an early morning walk through a pine forest with the dew glittering in the first rays of sunshine, and when we got home the smell of mint tea, freshly cut apple slices, warm buttered croissants with strawberry jam and pain au chocolat made it a perfect start to the day. Once we sat down for breakfast there was more; tropical fruit juice, sugar coated corn flakes and a fluffy ‘Pineapple Sunshine’ cake. Diluted, a German Eiskaffee; vanilla ice cream, strong coffee and plenty of sweetened whipped cream and the taste was like rose Turkish delight and pancakes with gum syrup.
  1st Fill Ex-bourbon Barrel / Speyside Lossie
• 41.87 Punchy perfumed peach and plum, 11yo, 192 Flaschen, 59.3% – Dailuaine (Set)
  This whisky is rich, succulent and fruity. On the nose it’s freshness is invigorating! Pineapple chunks paired with lemon drizzle cake. To taste it’s perfumed and even more fruity – lots of peach, plums and lime. Grassy, herbal notes follow. With a few drops of water it’s much fresher on the nose, with pine trees and freshly squeezed lime juice. To taste it turns into sherbet lemons, liquorice and a hint of warming honeyed flavours.
  Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel / Region: Speyside Spey
• 44.75 Sticky blossom and spice, 12yo, 210 Flaschen, 55.9% – Craigellachie (Set)
  On the nose its blossom trees, toffee apples and elderflower cordial. Warm buttered crumpetswith runny honey follow. To taste it’s hotter than imagined but warming and rich. It’s sticky and mouth-coating – reminding me of sweet, cooling cough sweets. A little water brings out caramel on the nose, milk chocolate and ginger. To taste it’s much softer and tamer.
  Cask: Virgin oak hogshead, heavy toast/medium char / Region: Speyside Spey
• 36.105 Herbal Delights, 13yo, 198 Flaschen, 55.8% – Benrinnes (Set)
  Herbal aromas dominated the nose neat such as thyme, sage, oregano and coriander but there was also a fresher element of spearmint and peppermint as well as a floral dimension of geraniums and honeysuckle. Juicy and fruity on the palate neat, with fruit pastilles, wine gums, raspberry ice cream, lemon coconut shortbread and strawberry iced tea. Water added roasted carrots seasoned with parsley and thyme and a mixed herb salad with pomegranate and pistachios. The taste was still juicy like a fresh fruit salad with honey, mint and lime but a surprisingly dry finish like that of brut Champagne.
  1st Fill Ex-bourbon Barrel / Speyside Spey
• 85.44 Have your cake and eat it, 10yo, 234 Flaschen, 59.4% – Glen Elgin (Set)
  This whisky was made for Christmas! On the nose it releases sultanas, candied orange, dark chocolate, brown sugar and nutmeg. To taste coconut, peppermint and toffee appear. A little water brings out rich oaky notes. The finish is long, buttery finish is more savoury than expected but a welcome surprise after the intense sweetness.
  Date Distilled: 22 June 2006 / Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel / Region: Speyside Lossie
• 3.274 Crab Sticks And Foam Shrimps, 20yo, 216 Flaschen, 53.1% – Bowmore (Set)
  We were on the machair, our canvas tent successfully erected, overlooking the Atlantic
  Ocean with rolling waves breaking on the beach whilst eating crab sticks, foam shrimps,
  warm cloudberry jam on salty crackers and drinking Cannon ball green tea. Later we started making supper; roast cod with Tabasco, monk fish wrapped in pancetta and key lime pie. Then, interrupted by the rain, we went back inside. Listening to the sound of falling raindrops on the tent we had further snacks of prawn crackers and roasted seasoned seaweed before we decided to go to a restaurant, ordering prawn cocktail with Mary Rose sauce and raspberry cranachan
  Refill Ex-bourbon Hogshead / Islay
• 7.157 Cleopatra meets Robin Hood, 12yo, 186 Flaschen, 60.9% – Longmorn (Set)
  With a name like ‘Cleopatra meets Robin Hood’ you can only have high hopes for this whisky. I did and it didn’t disappoint. On the nose it’s like almond croissants combined with wooden chests. To taste it’s hot, like chilli powder sprinkled over roasted root vegetables. There’s a sweetness there too – the almonds return but this time they’re more like a rich almond spread. Water made it creamier while releasing more warming spices.
  Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel / Region: Speyside Lossie
• 33.134 Peat roasted pig Hawaiian style, 8yo, 648 Flaschen, 60.9%, 110.- GBP – Ardbeg
  On the nose I’m met with coffee liquor, hog roast, banana, sweet chestnuts and extra salty pork scratchings. To taste it’s sweet, smoky and very salty! It still manages to be very drinkable and there’s a lovely chewy toffee taste to it on the finish. A little water mellows it only slightly. This is the perfect whisky to accompany a feast.
  Cask: Second Fill Ex-bourbon Butt / Region: Islay
• 44.75 Sticky Blossom And Spice, 12yo, 210 Flaschen, 55.9% – Craigellachie
  Patience will be rewarded as after a short wait the whisky blossomed with a sweet and nose tingling exuberance, bountiful with ripe red apples, sticky wine gums, elder flower and honey on toasted crumpets. The palate, although initially hot, was juicy, sticky and herbal with a delicious mouth-coating texture like cough sweets, melted salted butter and soft toffee. Water released a softness of autumnal leaves, sweet caramel, leather and a pleasing spiciness of cloves and pickled ginger. After spending 11 years in an ex-Bourbon hogshead this whisky was transferred into a virgin oak hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.
  Virgin Oak Hogshead / Speyside Spey
• RW1.1 Simply supermassive, 3yo, 96 Flaschen, 61.8%, 68.90 GBP – Rye aus Chicago
  It’s very exciting to have a chance to try the Society’s very first bottling of a Rye whisky – RW1.1. On the nose it’s a box of praline and caramel milk chocolates, porridge, maple syrup and brown sugar. A burst of spice appears on the palate – orange zest, chilli hear and mint. A little water brings out toffee popcorn, baked grapefruit and a creaminess. A soft heathery flavour is a wonderful finish.
  Cask: New charred oak / Region: Chicago
• 72.50 A Nomad’s tent, 31yo, 210 Flaschen, 54.4%, 215.- GBP – Miltonduff
  This whisky deserves some time so no matter how tempted you are, don’t rush it. On the nose there’s Turkish Delight, baked plums drizzled in honey, fresh mango, passionfruit and brown sugar. To taste it’s spicy with lots of liquorice, clove and cinnamon. Toffee, honey and dark chocolate follow, lending a decadent feel to the whisky. A drop or two of water is all you need to bring out citrus and intense sugar – like Scottish tablet and glazed donuts. To taste the spice remains but the finish becomes longer and all the more rewarding.
  Cask: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead / Region: Speyside Lossie

Darüber hinaus noch ein Bourbon und ein Cognac.

Port Askaig

Port Askaig ist keine Destillerie auf Islay. Aber der Inhalt stammt von einer der Islay Destillerien. Port Askaig ist der nördliche Hafen von Islay in dessen näheren Umgebung sowohl Caol Ila wie auch Bunnahabhain liegen. Eine offizielle Aussage, woher der kommt, gibt es nicht.

Offizielle Notes: „In der Nase fruchtig mit Zitrusnoten und dem Islay-Rauch, der zunehmend mit der Zeit in den Vordergrund tritt. Am Gaumen überaus weich, leicht und mit den tollen Torfnoten. Der Rauch vermischt sich mit den Zitrusnoten. Cremig und ausbalanciert. Im Abgang verbleibt der Rauch und der Nachhall wird angenehm süß.“

Tomintoul Tlàth

Die handverlesene Kollektion besteht aus Whiskys verschieden gereiften Alters in erstklassigen amerikanischen Bourbon-Fässern. Der außergewöhnliche Name “Tlàth” – Tlah ausgesprochen – ist das gälische Wort für “weich, sanft”. Tomintoul Tlàth ist ein leichter, angenehmer Malt mit feinen Toffeenoten und süßer Vanille, Spuren von frischen Minzblättern und Zitronenzeste, Muskat und getoasteter Vanille.

Tomintoul 15yo, Portwood

Nach der Reifung in ehemaligen Bourbon-Fässern erhielt dieser Single Malt sein Finish für drei Jahre in per Hand ausgewählten Portweinfässern, den sogenannten „Port Pipes“. Dieser Prozess der Veredelung verleiht dem Whisky raffinierte Eigenschaften, vor allem Noten von der fruchtigen Portwein-Süße. Das Finish am Gaumen ist voll und reichhaltig mit nachhaltigen Noten von Kräutern, Gewürzen und Nüssen gepaart mit einer Toffee-Süße. Der Whisky wird ohne Kältefiltrierung und ungefärbt mit 46% abgefüllt. Jede der Flaschen ist nummeriert.

Tomintoul, 25yo

Der 25 YO besteht aus einer Auswahl der besten Bourbon-Fässer mit einem Alter von mindestens 25 Jahren. Der Single Malt zeichnet sich durch seine weichen und cremige Toffee-Töne in der Nase und am Gaumen mit einem Hauch von Butterscotch aus. Jim Murray zeichnete diese Abfüllung in der Whisky Bible 2017 mit 95 Punkten als „Superstar Whisky“ aus.

Tomintoul Five Decades

Dieser einzigartige Single Malt Whisky wurde zur Erinnerung an das 50-jährige Jubiläum der Tomintoul Distillery entworfen. Die limitierte Edition wurde geschaffen um die 50-jährige Handwerkskunst der Destillerie zu repräsentieren. Süße Toffee-Töne und sehr weich am Gaumen mit würzigen Noten im Finish. Präsentiert wird der Whisky im edlen Glasdekanter und ist mit zum Jubiläum passenden 50% abgefüllt.

Arran

This limited release is made up of a selection of ex-Sherry Hogsheads from the first three years of production at the Isle of Arran Distillery.

• Nose: Tropical notes of mango mix with wax polish and red apple sweetness.
• Palate: Pears, honey and European oak character. A hint of basil, black pepper
  spice and dark chocolate. Citrus fruits appear with water.
• Finish: Long and warming with ginger, lemongrass and a hint of marzipan.