Here are the latest releases from Adelphi - most where previewed at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in May. This is the first bottlings from Adelphi which have been processed through there own bottling line at their new warehouse - getting even more independent. This should mean that they can be more fleet of foot going forward so except more releases and more frequent.
This whisky is from a refill bourbon hogshead which produced 179 bottles. Lots of baked apples and apple pie notes show the quality of this aged Speyside.
This whisky is from a first fill sherry cask which produced 632 bottles. A big sherried whisky with lots of dark chocolate and toffees with a hint of match boxes.
This whisky is a refill bourbon hogshead which produced 247 bottles. It's all about a biscuit tin in a sweet shop with the door open to a summer day in the Highlands.
This whisky is from a refill bourbon hogshead which produced just 113 bottles. It's like an English country village of the 1950's probably in the Cotswolds - the country church, the sweet shop, the green grocers, coal fires and the village school.
The fifth annual Whisky Shop Dufftown challenge for Independent Bottlers was run during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival this last weekend. With more entries than ever before it was a hotly fought contest. Entries came from Adelphi, Duncan Taylor, Douglas Laing, Wemyss, The Creative Whisky Company and Gordon & MacPhail. This remains one of the few whisky competitions where the result is decided by the public and from all of the entries.
In the Speyside Category the overall winner was a Gordon & MacPhail Longmorn 30 Years Old which also took the prize for the best whisky over 18 years old in this category. The runner up was an Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1990 20 Years Old. The winner of the best Speyside 18 years old or under was a Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 15 Years Old.
In the Rest of Whisky category the overall winner was a Duncan Taylor Octave Cameronbridge 1978 31 Years Old which also took the prize for the best whisky over 18 years old in this category. The runner up was an Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1979 31 Years Old. The winner of the best Rest of Whisky 18 years old or under was an Exclusive Malts Macduff 2000 10 Years Old (from The Creative Whisky Company).
Sherry cask whiskies faired very well again this year but it is excellent to see a grain winning and also David Stirk winning a prize in the first year he has entered. Only 1 of the 19 whiskies entered did not have anyone voting for it as their favourite which underlines that peoples tastes are different and there is a whisky for everyone.
The winner of the best tasting note was from Canada. Her favourite whisky was the winning Cameronbridge and the tasting note was:
Nose - Very sweet. Like a warm summers afternoon on a terrace.
Taste - Quite strong. Like a burly Highlander - rough but gentle.
Finish - Like the Highlander had his way with me.
Some other quotes from the winner’s tasting notes: "Mushy. Like a mid-Eighteenth century gentleman", "Warm yet tingling down the centre of my tongue. The tingly feeling of being in love" and "Bananas. Tanning lotion sizzling of the six pack of a golden tanned volleyball player (or Brazilian pool cleaner)". But our favourite note was from another entry, “Finish: Couldn’tâ€.
Not tasting notes Charlie MacLean might write but certainly one that appealed to our judging panel. I personally feel Erika's mind may have been on something different to whisky and possibly a new judging panel next year! Congratulations Erika, a bottle of the Cameronbridge is on its way to you.
Thank you to the companies that entered the competition and all those people that tasted the whisky and cast their vote.
The full list of entries:
Wemyss Benrinnes 1996 "Ginger Compote"
Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 15
Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Glen Elgin 1996 14 Years Old
Duncan Taylor NC2 Balmenach 2000 9 Years Old
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Mortlach 1997 13 Years Old
Gordon & MacPhail Longmorn 30
Adelphi Linkwood 1984 26 Years Old (#5266)
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Tamnavulin 1989 21 Years Old
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1990 20 Years Old
Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Caol Ila 1997 11 Years Old
Adelphi Breath of Islay 1999 11 Years Old (#5882)
Exclusive Malts Macduff 2000 10 Years Old
Duncan Taylor Auld Reekie 10 Years Old
Douglas Laing Big Peat
Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Royal Brackla 1991 19 Years Old
Wemyss Dalmore "Mocha Spice" 1990
Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1979 31 Years Old (#8893)
Duncan Taylor Octave Cameronbridge 1978 31 Years Old
Douglas Laing Clan Denny Grain Girvan 1990 20 Years Old
Distilled on 27 March 1964, Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Longmorn was matured in cask number 1534 – a First Fill Sherry Hogshead. Bottled at cask strength (51.9% ABV), 46 years later in summer 2010, just 164 bottles are available for purchase. This single malt is rich and complex with dark chocolate, treacle, marzipan and aniseed aromas wrapped with a resinous, sherried character. The palate delivers sherry wood, mulled fruits and a subtle smoky edge.
This whisky was distilled on 1 November 1966 and matured in a Refill Sherry Hogshead (cask number 3687). Bottled in August 2010 at 45% ABV, only 139 bottles have been released for sale. Glen Mhor 1966 is bright gold in colour, with sweet, toffee aromas laced with herbal notes of menthol, eucalyptus and bracken. Toasted oak and vanilla flavours arrive on the palate.
There's nothing better than a good dram. Unless it's one with a great story and celebrating the stars of whisky. Distillery bottling Glenglassaugh The Manager's Legacy Release No 1 - Jim Cryle 1974. The first in a series of four bottlings to celebrate the achievements and influences of Glenglassaugh distillery managers during the period 1964 – 1986. A single cask bottling at natural strength, without colouring or chill-filtration. The Jim Cryle release is limited to 200 individually numbered bottles from a refill sherry hogshead filled in 1974 during Jim’s time in charge.
The brand new Kilchoman is now in stock and will be available to try during The Autumn Speyside Festival 2010.
This release is from 100% Bourbon casks. By far the most refined release so far. In no way is this a hard hitting 3 year old from Islay but that's what it is. It's much better behaved than that and a real pleasure to drink,
Nose: A pleasing balance of sweet ash and some tar. Definite notes of pear drops, vanilla essence, candid lemon and rock salt - packs of Starburst on the bonfire.
Taste: Sweet, smoke and spiced fruits in 3 very defined waves.
Finish: Quite dry. Peat smoke, cloves and hot chills spices which last for a long time.
With the help of our inside man at Duncan Taylor we were able to liberate a small amount of Caperdonich from a single ex-Bourbon cask saving it from being Octaved. It certainly didn't need it! This is one of the best Caperdonich's I've had showing all the complexity of a well aged whisky from a Bourbon cask.
During the last few weeks a liberation tunnel was dug into the warehouses of Duncan Taylor while our inside man tunnelled out. He could occasionally be seen walking around the Duncan Taylor warehouse scattering the soil from the tunnel onto the warehouse fall. When challenged by the Duncan Taylor guards he cleverly claimed to be creating a traditional dunnage style warehouse. Genius!
When we finally got the whisky out it was a fast motorbike ride (well trip in the van) and a stunning leap over the Deveron to avoid the boarder patrols and get the whisky to Dufftown.
Nose: Tropical fruits - mango, pineapple, banana and peaches with pencils, wood shavings, tablet and toffee wrappers. A tropical fruit salad in a wooden bowl.
Taste: Citrus, candied lemon and then the more tropical notes re-emerge with more mango and banana. Also a little salt and pepper.
Finish: Intense tropical notes with a spicy kick. Reminiscent of a Pineapple Daiquiri.
Some exciting new wood finishes in from GlenDronach and BenRiach. These are all limited releases and there aren't very many of each. They are all in the shop and ready to go:
The dessert wine has influenced this whisky well and the tasting notes have a lot of pudding notes. There's cream, cherries, raisins and custard. An all-you-can-eat dessert buffet of a whisky.
The new wood has given all those vibrant sweet tropical notes to this whisky including banana and coconut along with toasted and nutty aromas. A really vibrant whisky.
Tropical and summer fruits come through on this one with the Moscatel finish: peaches, apricots, melons and pineapple. There's also a nuttiness with figs and raisins. A very well balanced dram.
The port notes are clearly present with figs, dates, pears and apples and a touch of aniseed. The age of the base whisky is also clearly present. Full of distinguished character.
This whisky has a real flower garden set of aromas to it which must have come from the Rioja. These are complemented by vanilla, cream and oak notes resulting in a very fragrant whisky.
Lots of cocoa, berry fruits and crème-brule are the dominant notes from this whisky. There's also an underlying toasted oak backbone. Quite a weighty whisky.
These are all great additions to each range but let's hope there aren't too many more to come!
We now have in stock 6 of the Glendronach single cask whiskies from their second release. They are all stunners and all from sherry casks. In short supply so get them while you can!!!
The most complex Glen Moray I have ever had. Well worth the money. You could contemplate the world with this dram but also enjoy it on a warm sunny day in the garden.