Asama is a vatting of 1999 and 2000 Karuizawa , bottled by Number One Drinks around 2012. In the same period, The Whisky Exchange bottled two Spirit of Asama expressions, all composed with some of the remaining sherry butts from the final vintages of Karuizawa. Apparently they didn’t believe in additional maturation, or simply wanted to release something affordable.

Karuizawa Asama was first available in Sweden en then also in the rest of Europe. They were priced quite reasonably back then, but of course they’re now reaching crazy prices.

Karuizawa Asama 1999 + 2000 (46%, OB 2012)

Nose:...

Margadale is a nickname for peated Bunnahabhain . Independently bottled Moine if you like. This Margadale Ma1 is the first of its kind in the Elements of Islay series and was aged in first-fill bourbon casks.

Margadale Ma1 (54,2%, Elements of Islay 2016, 50 cl)

Nose: briny, almost pickled jalapeño at first. A zesty lemon and salt combo. Then walnuts and sweet grasses. Plenty of charcoal and ashes, in a nicely aromatic way. Peppery hints and some vanilla in the back. Mouth: powerful and creamy, with a slight pear and almond sweetness, grassy notes and lots of peat...

Compass Box Spice Tree Extravanganza is a special edition which celebrates the tenth anniversary of the original blended malt The Spice Tree (which was banned by the SWA for using oak staves inside the cask). It is a reinterpretation, made with older components and a significant portion of sherry-cask aged Maltwhisky. Perhaps there’s some Sessile oak barrel ends trickery as well. Compass Box says it’s richer and more elegant. Bottled at 46%, not sure how limited it will be exactly.

Also planned for this autumn is Compass Box 3 Year Old Deluxe, a very funny and mischievous blended Maltwhisky that is...

Instead of the yearly general release, Springbank is currently releasing single cask versions of its Springbank 21 Year Old , bottled at cask strength. Different countries selected their own cask so you’ll need a worldwide network if you wish to acquire the whole series.

The UK has a large Oloroso butt at 49,6%. The Netherlands have a smaller Oloroso hogshead (48%). In Belgium the importer The Nectar also selected an Oloroso hogshead.

Springbank 21 yo (48,2%, OB for Belgium 2016, Oloroso hogshead, 342 btl.)

Nose: quite round, with some vanilla and subtle fruits (apricots, juicy pear, blueberries). Starts...

Hazelburn is the triple distilled, unpeated whisky from Springbank distillery that was first made in 1997. Presented in 2009, Hazelburn 12 Year Old is (at least partly) matured in sherry casks and currently the oldest expression (next to the Hazelburn 10 Years).

Hazelburn 12 yo (46%, OB +/- 2016)

Nose: quite pungent at first. Clean, with a slightly sharp edge. Lots of orange zest, lemons and some briney notes. Golden raisins in the background. Walnuts and leather. A little sunflower oil and a hint of cigar boxes. Mouth: starts spicy / grassy and rather coastal again. Malty notes,...

This bottling of 24 years old Ardbeg was done by Cadenhead for their Italian importer Sestante . This is generally believed to be 1965 distillation (another 20-bottle Cadenhead release 1965 24yo exists with the same strength).

Ardbeg 24 yo 1965 (54,4%, Cadenhead for Sestante Italy +/- 1990, dumpy white label)

Nose: very complex. There’s light peat, camphor, sweet peppermint and metal polish. Some leathery and medicinal notes. The fresh minty side is something that seems lost in modern Ardbeg. Forest floors. Hints of vague sweetness in the background. Lime. Smoked tea. The tiniest hint of incense? Excellent profile,...

More grain whisky from the excellent batch of Invergordon 1972 casks that recently hit the market. This has just been bottled by Maltbarn .

Invergordon 44yo 1972 (49,0%, Maltbarn 2016, bourbon cask, 121 btl.)

Nose: perfectly smooth, which is not always the case with grains. Lovely bourbon-like oak and corn syrup, including a bit of modelling glue. Lots of coconut cream and vanilla. Honey and creamy marzipan. Lemon sponge. Dried apricots and touches of tropical fruits. Mouth: warm, rummy flavours and a lovely texture. Vanilla and leather. Mango and a mixed fruit stew. Ripe banana and pear. Coconut...

As long as they keep releasing these undisclosed Irish single malts , I will try to review each and every one of them. Whisky-Doris has two 1991’s in the Nose Art series: cask #8231 that is clearly peated and this cask #8533 that is… well.. I don’t know.

Irish single malt 1991 (48,5%, Whisky-Doris ‘Nose Art’ 2015, bourbon barrel #8533, 161 btl.)

Nose: a fruit bomb. Bags of papayas, nectarines and tinned pineapples. Whitecurrant and white grapes. Butter pears. Nicely candied. After a while a fresher, mentholated fresh side turns up. It’s a narrow profile majbe, but I...

Not much whisky news this week.

A label for a new Tullibardine The Murray was seen in the TTB database. The Murray clan is the house that ruled the lands of Atholl in Perthshire, mainly in Abercairney and Tullibardine. William Murray was the Marquess of Tullibardine and apparently the distillery is planning a whole series called The Marquess Collection .

This expression is a 2004 vintage, bottled at cask strength 56,1%. Based on the aromas (vanilla, spice, sweet barley) we can assume ex-bourbon maturation.

Douglas Laing launched Big Peat Edinburgh Edition . This limited edition of the blended...

Laphroaig Brodir Batch 002, NAS, 48 % I never got around to tasting the first batch of Brodir, but now the time has come to taste the follow-up at least. So the Laphroaig Brodir Batch 002 is a European Travel Exclusive. It is a No Age Statement (NAS) expression, like many others, fro Laphroaig. Now I […]...

Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira

Release: juli 2016 Price: $74 Proof: 103 Availability: “Very Limited” Style: Single Malt Scotch

Need to know: This Islay Single Malt Scotch is fully matured in bourbon barrels, then married together before a second maturation in Madeira seasoned casks.

Whisky Advocate says: The last incarnation of Cairdeas reviewed proved “youthful, vibrant, and thumping.” It should be interesting to see what Madeira imparts to this annual release, in terms of complementing Laphroaig’s characteristic peat and smoke. Don’t miss the full Buying Guide review and rating in Whisky Advocate , Fall 2016. Subscribe now.

Kilchoman Bourbon Barrel ImpEx...