I invited the two Johns over for a tasting since they had me over for the previous samplings of whisk(e)y. If I remember correctly, I only took notes on the ones John senior brought. We had ourselves a fine time with the Water of Life that evening. It turned out to be Campbeltown, the once smallest distillery in Scotland and something from my cousins in Taiwan. (Not literally my cousins.)
*Kavalan Oloroso Sherry Oak (NAS)46% ABV
Taiwanese distillery with first release in December 2008.
-smelled bourbon, rubbery
-tasted smoky oak w/rubber
-w/water smelled cinnamon w/oak
-tasted smoke, oaky w/touch sweet sherry
Trailed quickly to oak bitter!
*Edradour Caledonia 12yr 46% ABV
Once the smallest distillery in Scotland
-smelled cinnamon bun
-tasted sweet dessert bun, pepper w/floral
-trailed sweet oak
-w/water smelled cookie dough
-tasted oak w/sweet dessert
-trailed light oak slowly
Taiwanese distillery with first release in December 2008.
-smelled bourbon, rubbery
-tasted smoky oak w/rubber
-w/water smelled cinnamon w/oak
-tasted smoke, oaky w/touch sweet sherry
Trailed quickly to oak bitter!
*Edradour Caledonia 12yr 46% ABV
Once the smallest distillery in Scotland
-smelled cinnamon bun
-tasted sweet dessert bun, pepper w/floral
-trailed sweet oak
-w/water smelled cookie dough
-tasted oak w/sweet dessert
-trailed light oak slowly
Forgot to take a pic while tasting. *Springbank Hazelburn 14yr 49.3% ABV
Finished in Oloroso cask
-smelled bacon/cooked meat with cinnamon dessert
-tasted cinnamon bun w/pepper
-trailed quickly!
-w/water smelled butterscotch, sweet cookie
-tasted floral pepper
-trailed sweet cookie quickly!
From sweet to peppery oak to sweet again. This whisky was back and forth. Water definitely opened it up though. Unless, that is, you wanted to stay with the cooked meat flavor.
Finished in Oloroso cask
-smelled bacon/cooked meat with cinnamon dessert
-tasted cinnamon bun w/pepper
-trailed quickly!
-w/water smelled butterscotch, sweet cookie
-tasted floral pepper
-trailed sweet cookie quickly!
From sweet to peppery oak to sweet again. This whisky was back and forth. Water definitely opened it up though. Unless, that is, you wanted to stay with the cooked meat flavor.
John, Jr. in the background. *Kilkerran Single Cask 15yr 51.5% ABV
Oloroso cask finished
-smelled sourdough cookie with slight oak
-tasted smoke/oak
-w/water smelled caramel
-tasted caramel, sherry, grape
-w/slight oak trailed quickly sweet
Wow! Water brought out the sweetness in this one. It went from sourdough cookie sweet to caramel, sherry, grape.
This is the sister distillery to Springbank. The actual name is the Glengyle distillery but their expressions are bottled under the Kilkerran brand to avoid confusion with the same named blended malt Highland whisky. Also Springbank resurrected Glengyle to bring the number of operating producers in Campbeltown to three – the minimum number required by the government to be considered a whisky region. Hence the distinction of Campbeltown being its own Whisky Region in Scotland.
Oloroso cask finished
-smelled sourdough cookie with slight oak
-tasted smoke/oak
-w/water smelled caramel
-tasted caramel, sherry, grape
-w/slight oak trailed quickly sweet
Wow! Water brought out the sweetness in this one. It went from sourdough cookie sweet to caramel, sherry, grape.
This is the sister distillery to Springbank. The actual name is the Glengyle distillery but their expressions are bottled under the Kilkerran brand to avoid confusion with the same named blended malt Highland whisky. Also Springbank resurrected Glengyle to bring the number of operating producers in Campbeltown to three – the minimum number required by the government to be considered a whisky region. Hence the distinction of Campbeltown being its own Whisky Region in Scotland.
*Laphroaig LORE (NAS) 48% ABV
A mixture of stocks from 7-21 yrs and varying from quarter cask to bourbon and Oloroso butts
-smelled peaty, boot leather
-tasted peat, leathery smoke and trailed quickly
-w/water smelled sweet grassy
-tasted smoke, pepper, bitter oak
-trailed quickly
Whatever sweetness the water opened on the nose, it was lost in the peat. I like peat. It was just overpowering in this one for any other smells/tastes. Having tasted 4 before this, my taste buds may have been fried, especially considering Springbank and Kilkerran were the two previous ones.
A mixture of stocks from 7-21 yrs and varying from quarter cask to bourbon and Oloroso butts
-smelled peaty, boot leather
-tasted peat, leathery smoke and trailed quickly
-w/water smelled sweet grassy
-tasted smoke, pepper, bitter oak
-trailed quickly
Whatever sweetness the water opened on the nose, it was lost in the peat. I like peat. It was just overpowering in this one for any other smells/tastes. Having tasted 4 before this, my taste buds may have been fried, especially considering Springbank and Kilkerran were the two previous ones.
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