1x351 - whisky review 288 - requested whisky reviews and 3 big questions

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1x352 - whisky review 289 - Old Parr 12yo Scotch

. . . after an unpromising first impression, a growingly complex and rewarding Blended Scotch of character and substance.

1x353 - whisky review 290 - Naked Famous Grouse

. . . naked by name, but not by smell and taste experience, a very modern and 'engineered' Scotch.

1x354 - whisky review 291 - Johnnie Walker Double Black

. . . the standard Black Label with extra wood-sweet and dollops of decent smokiness. A variation on the theme that will work in Bars but will never top the excellent Green Label.

1x355 - whisky review 292 - Gin

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1x356 - whisky review 293 - Introducing Young Islay Malts

. . . with increased demand and limited supply, Distillers are marketing younger aged whiskies as 'special releases' some are special, some are most certainly NOT ! I offer advice on choosing.

1x357 - whisky review 294 - Caol Ila Moch

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1x358 - whisky review 295 - Kilchoman Sherry Cask 2012

. . . a substantial fresh-sherry raw-peat monster from Islay's only Independent Distillery.

1x359 - whisky review 296 - Laphroaig Cairdeas (55%)

. . . . about as powerfully flavoured a whisky as you can buy, not just a peat monster, a BIG Angry peat monster.

1x360 - whisky review 297 - St Georges American Malt Whisky

. . . way out west, they're giving Scotch a Californian twist with a young Single Malt which represents character and quality in the arena of World whiskies. Should get better too over the next few years.

1x361 - whisky review 298 - Sullivan's Cove Bourbon cask (60% vol:)

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1x362 - whisky review 299 - Three Ships 10yo African Malt Whisky

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1x363 - Absinthe (whisky review 300)

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1x364 - whisky review 301 - Cigar advice

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1x365 - whisky review 302 - Whisky & pipe smoking

. . . excellent for smoking versatility, variety and whisky-company, a traditional smoking pipe is hard to beat . . .

1x366 - whisky review 303 - Bankrowburn

. . . quite simply the rarest Independent bottling of Springbank EVER and due to 'provinance' now the most expensive bottle of Whisky in the World ... ever ! . . .

1x367 - whisky review 304 - Yoichi 15yo Japanese Malt

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1x368 - whisky review 305 - Hakushu 'heavily peated' @ 48%

. . . an unusual version of Japanese Malt being similar to some scotch peated whiskies like Ardmore. . . . .It is young tasting and different.

1x369 - whisky review 306 - Karuizawa 1990 @ 56.1 %

. . . rather expensive, collector's gold-dust Malt from Japan, hyped up by the fact that the Distillery is deceased ! For the drinker, this is a good sherry monster and not too refined.

1x370 - whisky review 307 - vintage whisky advice with Angus

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1x371 - whisky review 308 - marking and writing on whisky bottles

. . . some practical advice on marking, signing or just writing messages on bottles and bottle labels, every little bit of advice can lead to greater wisdom eventually.

1x372 - whisky review 309 - Deanston 12yo

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1x373 - whisky review 310 - Tobermory 10yo @ 46.3%vol

. . . only five years ago, the bargain-basement Malt in the British supermarkets, but now is completely re-born as an interesting, quality, craft malt.

1x374 - whisky review 311 - Your Solera Bottle

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1x375 - whisky review 312 - Bell's Decanter Advice

. . . arguably the most un-collectable collectable whisky at the auction houses.

1x376 - whisky review 313 - Crawfords 3 Star

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1x377 - whisky review 314 - create your own Whisky Liqueur

. . . it's easier than you might think, and the results can be excellent.

1x378 - whisky review 315 - AD Rattray's 19yo malt-blend Batch No: 1

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1x379 - whisky review 316 - Blue Hanger Blended Malt (Edition 6)

. . . another good example of a malt-blend which offers better value for money for a canny whisky drinker.

1x380 - whisky review 317 (1_2) - Greenfields 5yo Pure Malt Whisky from 1960's

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1x381 - whisky review 317 (2_2) - concluding review of Greenfield's 1960's Scotch

. . . the delight of some old bottles of spirits is in the complex detail of smell and taste after one opens the bottle after many years of being sealed.

1x382 - whisky review 318 - Maxime Trijol XO Cognac

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1x383 - whisky review 319 - Cadenhead's Maison Guerbe cask Cognac 8yo

. . . . quite simply a hidden gem of the spirits world.

1x384 - whisky review 320 - Clos Martin Armagnac (folle blanche) 1986

a well aged modern-tasting quality Armagnac well worth the effort of tasting and helped by about 25years of sensitive maturation.

1x385 - whisky review 321 - Darroze 40yo Terroire Cask Armagnac

very big quality nose followed by a very complex quality taste. . . . simply a rare experience.

1x386 - whisky review 322 - Springbank Rundlets & Kilderkins

. . . essentially Springbank's quartercask maturation using smaller than usual casks to mature the spirit faster. With this version, it works producing a chameleon, complex ten year old whisky which seems older and more mature.

1x387 - whisky review 323 - Royal Salute 21yo Scotch

. . . a very good example of a 'presentation' whisky where the smell and flavour are designed to suggest rather than impose an consumer experience.

1x388 - whisky review 324 - Glenfiddich 12yo Scotch re-reviewed

. . . a timely return to one of the most recognisable of Scotch malts which shows signs of quality improvement . . .

1x389 - whisky review 325 - Laphroaig 1998 12yo BB&R (Indi: bottling)

As some 'batch discrepancies' appear with some official bottlings by Distilleries, always worth checking the on-line review circuit for Independent bottling options. Some bottlings are poor, however real stars can also be found.

1x390 - whisky review 326 - Bladnoch 20yo @ 46%

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1x391 - whisky review 327 - Octomore 05_1

. . . at 169 ppm, this is regarded as the most heavily peated Scotch whisky ever produced. The peating level does not translate into phenolic power of flavour but rather phenolic complexity.

1x392 - whisky review 328 - Paul John Malt Whisky

. . . a very good example of the growing diversity of quality malt whisky from across the World.

1x393 - whisky review 329 - whisky of the year 2012

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1x394 - whisky review 330 - GlenDronach 1993 19yo Single Cask 487

. . . a very good 'craft produced' sherry-matured single malt scotch, proving oloroso is not always sugar-sweet confectionary.

1x395 - whisky review 331 - Sherry and Whisky

. . . some varied information on how sherry relates to sherry-matured whiskies.

1x396 - whisky review 332 - Longmorn 30yo (Gordon & Macphail)

. . . a very substantial Independent bottling of a hard-to-find Speyside classic by the name of Longmorn, the blenders must-have malt.

1x397 - whisky review 333 - Chivas Regal 18yo

. . . for such a large volume blend this is decent quality with several malts showing well in the mix.

1x398 - whisky review 334 - Johnnie Walker Swing

. . . a less well known JW blend which is increasingly the best JW option of flavour-chasers.

1x399 - whisky review 335 (1_2) - Buchanans 12yo

. . . this trad-blend took me by surprise with it's quality. Great complexity for the age and readily available in South America.

1x400 - whisky review 335 (2_2) - Buchanans 12yo revisited

an update on whisky review 335 (1/2) providing new information and a fresh story relating to the previous review.

1x402 - whisky review 337 - Introducing Three Dead Distilleries

. . . a trip into a scotch sub-culture of dead/demolished/mothballed Distilleries, and there are plenty of them out there.

1x403 - whisky review 338 - Rosebank 14yo Signatory

. . . . a dead-distillery (more realistic than the nicer sounding "silent stills") which offers a great flavour range, but carries a bit too much 'heat' from poor distillation.

1x404 - whisky review 339 - Brora 23 yo Signatory 46%

. . . a less familiar version of what is now a 'cult' distillery. If they ever revive Brora the purchase premiums will probably be rather like Lagavulin.

1x405 - whisky review 340 - Dallas Dhu 24yo (Cadenhead)

. . . a scotch which comes from a small speyside Distillery which is now a non-productive museum. Shame really, such a wasted resource and employment opportunity.

1x406 - whisky review 341 - Benriach 12yo 'Horizons'

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1x407 - whisky review 342 - Dalmore 21yo (Signatory)

. . . not an official bottling of Dalmore, this Independent bottling is non-chillfiltered, naturally coloured and cask strength, so it's just more naturally presented than standard official bottlings.

1x408 - whisky review 343 - Tomatin Decades

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1x409 - whisky review 344 - Information on Whisky Maturation and Finishing

February 27, 2013

. . . a broad grey area of whisky production which includes additional-maturation, double-maturation, secondary-maturation, 'finishing, 'ACE'ing' and any other style of cask-swap designed to add flavour to whisky.

1x410 - whisky review 345 - Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

March 3, 2013

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1x411 - whisky review 346 - Greenore 8yo Irish Grain Whiskey

March 6, 2013

. . . . an Irish corn whiskey from Cooley Distilleries column still which tastes like no other corn whiskey I have ever tasted, ...

1x412 - whisky review 347 - Powers 'Johns Lane' Pot Still Whiskey

March 10, 2013

. . . a recent addition to the growing family of Irish Trad : Pot Still Whiskies.

1x413 - whisky review 348 - Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey

March 13, 2013

. . . a rare Independent bottling of Bushmills which shows a drier, more bitter and interesting style from this Distillery.

1x414 - whisky review 349 - Dunvilles VR Irish Whisky (circa 1930)

March 17, 2013

. . . a rather rare antique Irish whisky from the 1930s' or earlier ! . . .

1x415 - whisky review 350 - Springbank 18yo

March 20, 2013

. . . a well-presented malt which shows all the benefits of 46% vol, natural colour and non chill-filtration.

1x416 - whisky review 351 - Cardhu 12yo Single Malt & Pure Malt

March 24, 2013

. . . revisiting a whisky scandal from 2003.

1x417 - whisky review 352 - An Cnoc 16yo

March 27, 2013

1x418 - whisky review 353 - Scapa 14yo

March 31, 2013

1x419 - review 353/2 - Time for Tea and Bloodhound SSC

April 3, 2013

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1x420 - whisky review 354 - Imperial single malt (D.T. 19yo @ 53.1%)

April 7, 2013

. . . rarer than Port Ellen, more obscure than Scapa, more 'mothballed' than producing, this is Scotland's most elusive producing Distillery.

1x421 - whisky review 355 (1_3) - Advanced Whisky Masterclass - Smell Sense

April 10, 2013

. . . the most in-depth whisky masterclass on the internet, taking awareness to the next level.

1x422 - whisky review 355 (2/3) - Advanced Whisky Masterclass - Form

April 14, 2013

. . . a fresh perspective is observed regarding isolating the behaviour of whisky as a vehicle for flavours.

1x423 - whisky review 355 (3/3) - Advanced Whisky Masterclass - Alcohol

April 17, 2013

. . . whisky advanced masterclass third part all about alcohol in Space, time and chemical property.

1x424 - whisky review 356 - Aberlour A'bunadh Batch 42 (Re-reviewed)

April 21, 2013

. . . a visit (after four years) to WhiskyReview 3 with an assessment of how this malt has faired from Batch 18 to Batch 42.

1x425 - whisky review 357 - Glenfiddich 15yo Distillery Edition

April 24, 2013

. . . a contemporary version of Glenfiddich reflecting the demand for non-chillfiltered cask strength single malts.

1x426 - whisky review 358 - Aberlour 10yo

April 28, 2013

. . . after a less than compelling start this really settles down in the glass as a very decent malt experience.

1x427 - whisky review 359 - Ardbeg Uigeadail re-reviewed

. . . a return visit after about four years to reviewing a classic modern single malt.