Scotland: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making and tasting

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Received samples

English translation

Taste Still

Ben Nevis

Taste Still 58,3%
1990

Bruichladdich Coopers Choice
See distillery description Ben Nevis

The nose is quite discrete, betwen fruity and floral. Some peach and mango hints, with a general impression of sweetness which emerge from the whole. After a while, coconut hints seem to be clearly present.

In the palate, a pleasant mix of bitterness and smoothness, very amazing. Bitter exotic fruits, making room for a malty sweetness. The percentage of alcohol does not hinder at all. Smoothness and complexity characterize this malt.

A rather long finish, where the memory of this sweet-bitter mix continues for minutes. A nice surprise
18/20

Blair Athol

Taste Still 46% 1993-2005

Blair Athol tste still 46
See distillery descriptioon Blair Athol

A nice clear nose, with nice malted barley notes and dry hay hiding some fruity hints, very pleasant despite their relative discretion.

The mouth is quite similar to the nose, pleasantly complex and dominated by a malted sweetness and light hints of exotic fruits and a touch of cashew nut.

The finish is quite pleasant and relatively long. No surprise, it exactly prolongs the nose and the palate. A very nice balance
18/20

Taste Still 55.7% 1993-2005

Blair Athol Taste Still 55.7%
See distillery descriptioon Blair Athol

The nose is dominated by nice cereal notes and discrete sherry hints. Very discrete musty touches of wood enhance the nose pleasure. It is quite different from the 46% bottling.

The mouth is first clearly bitter, before developing on sweeter malty, nearly sugared notes. A very pleasant creamy, voluptuous mouth after while, contrasting with the first impression. Rather complex, pleasant whisky.

The finish is lingering, marked by a malted sweetness with some memories of quite present wood.
18/20

Bowmore

Taste Still1968
41,5%
(Duncan Taylor for Taste still)

Bowmore 1987 Taste Still
See distillery description Bowmore

A really amazing nose, full of flowers on a peaty background and some smoky hints. Unusual freshness. Some cut grass behind the flowers. A perfect balance between all this nose components.

In the mouth, first a great dryness, some alcohol (despite the relatively low percentage of alcohol), followed by a bitterness developing to more sweetness as the time runs away. Some wood, but we are far from the exuberance of ths nose.

A nice finish, rather long, bitter. The time seems to have been more generous for the nose than for the mouth is this case.
18/20

Taste Still 54,7%
1982

Bowmore 1982 Taste Still
See distillery description Bowmore

A very nice nose. Very complex, between fresh and dry fruit, between apple and hazelnut. An nice presence.

Discrete smoke on the background. Very clean. In the mouth, the violet taste, so typical of Bowmore's production for years is present in this whisky, together with some dryness.

The finish is rather bitter, on violet too. Lingering, but dry, and however pretty pleasant.
18/20

Clynelish Taste Still Verviers Festival bottling
See distillery description: Clynelish

The nose presents first some nice fruity notes besides hints of cut grass, and after a while, some clear gentian whiffs appear, behind a light veil of smoke. Anyway, a very fresh nose. No aggressiveness neither.
This announces quite an interesting whisky. In the palate, a nice acidity, rich in nuances, perfectly in the mood of the nose, with however some unwanted tinglings.
The finish is smooth and lingering, nicely perfumed, fruit hints and some discrete nutty notes.

18/20

Caol Ila

Taste Still 57,4%
1979

Caol Ila Coopers Choice
See distillery description Caol Ila

The first nose is very medicinal, a bit unusual for a Caol Ila. But very soon fruity smells develope giving it a nice freshness on a background of peaty smoke. The nose is a bit tingling.

In the palate, the first thing one denote si a delicate peaty smoke, followed by woody hints and it further developes on chocolate notes. A very nicely complex mouth.

The lingering finish is somewhere beteen the malt and the chocolate, with a slight bitterness, nutty hints. A very high level bottle.
19/20

Glenfarclas

Old Speyside 46,6%

Glenfarclas Old Speyside
See distillery description: Glenfarclas

 

to be tasted

 

Glenrothes

Taste Still 41,8%
1970

Inchgower Coopers Choice
See distillery description : Glenrothes

The nose is rather discrete, and amzingly fresh for a whisky of that age. Cut grass and fruits (pear, melen). A very light touch of bitterness.

The mouth is slighty more bitter than nose let expect, quite complex, with an evolution from hazelnut to malt, through discrete fruity hints.

The finish is lingering, and fine woody hints are slightly dominent. A nice contrast between the nose, the mouth and the finish. A good bottle.
18/20

Macduff

Taste Still 54,4%
1969

Macduff 1969 Taste still
See distillery description : Macduff

An impressive nose, mixing sweet malty notes to a kind of light woody bitterness, and a touch of smoke. This announces a nice complexity. The nose is really promising.
In the palate, a wonderful miw of nuts and green apples, a hint of mint and a touch of exotic fruits. Very nice structure in the mouth.
The finish is relatively short and gets its very pleasant character from the nice mix of sweetness and bitterness. A very nice bottle.
19/20

A very pleasant even if rather discrete smell of wet wood behind a kind of smoke veil. Voluptuous with notes of vanilla and a touch of mushrooms.
In the palate, the first impression is very dry, but it develops  quickly on maltier notes before going on on citrus hints accompanying a general pleasant woody impression. The mouth gets more and more oily whit the time.
The finish is remarkable, not very long but very pleasant with its mix of woody and fruity hints
19/20

Strathisla

Taste Still 44,5%
1967

Strathisla 1967 Taste StillSee distillery description : Strathisla

A very clear nose, very fresh: cut grass, and a slight smell of plum.
A very nice palate, extremely fresh, fruity, with a mix of exotic fruits, pineapple, banana, and a sweet malty background. Very few bitterness for a whisky having spent 40 years in a wooden cask.
The finish is rather long, and parodoxically the expected woody hints expected in the mouth appear now, even if they remain discrete. A long development on moka or coffee notes..
19/20

What a nice nose. Very nice combination of smells perfectly balanced. Flowers, brewer's yeast, malt and a touch of grapefruit are just some of them. Spicy hints also.
The mouth is slightly down the nose, and very soon some woody/chocolate hints appear. From the first dry impression, the palate gets quickly oily. Very balanced and nuanced whole.
The finishy il long and pleasant, with no hint of alcohol. Just malty happiness with discrete hints of walnut. The finish is paradoxically richer than the mouth was.
19/20
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