Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age:  10 years
Abv:  43%
Natural colour

Bottle Notes
“Only ever matured in the finest oak casks, our signature TEN YEARS OLD single malt delivers delicate forest fruits and creamy malt, a touch of smoke and rich, lasting sherry notes.”

Nose
A bit of a buttery malt (okay, creamy, like the bottle says).  Berry fruits – blueberry, mild blackberry, mild raspberry.  Smoke is elusive – the barest hint, a light and sporadic brush every now and then.  However, it does become more noticeable much later in the dram.  I get the occasional sense of leather.

Palate
Full with malt, and the berry sweetness waves from a distance.  Overall a sweet mouthful. Later sips continue to deliver a full mouth feel and a fruit and berry sweetness.  As with the nose, the smoke becomes a bit of a presence near the end.

Finish
The sweetness lingers, leaving threads of a butterscotch candy.  An oily mouthfeel is pleasant, but does not seem to carry the flavours.

Final Thoughts
I picked this up on a yellow tag sale, and overall it hasn’t been a stand-out.  It’s fine, politely pleasant.  However, it doesn’t shine in any one area, and it doesn’t pull my attention when I peruse the shelf for a dram.  I haven’t had an unpleasant dram yet, but also not had a dram of note.  As I tasted tonight, it seemed like the initial (light) strength of the malt and berries faded over time, and then there was a smoky character that came through.  But overall, quite light in nose and palate.  Primarily sweet (slight) and a decent mouthfeel.  The natural color is actually pretty striking, a solid, glinting copper.

Deerstalker Limited Release
Speyside Single Malt scotch whisky
Age: 20 years 1 month
Distilled:  8 Dec 1994
Bottled:  7 Jan 2015
Distillery: Braeval
Cask number: 159164
Bottle number: 34 of 276
Matured in ex-bourbon barrel
Unchill filtered, natural colour
48% abv

We’re going back to the well in this, the first edition of my Revisited series!  The tasting notes I post here are always for a point in time – that particular tasting of that particular dram, on that particular evening.  I thought it would be interesting to revisit some whiskies, see if time, air or palate maturity changes my experience at all.

I think it is fitting to start with this Deerstalker Ltd Release 20yo – a whisky that hasn’t garnered any favours with me.  I opened this bottle in May 2020.  Coming up on two years old, the bottle is currently just under half full.  My original tasting note is from October 2020, so let’s see if a year or so changes my experience!

Nose
Light, malty, fruity.  A slight acidity – perhaps a citrus note?  Yes, lemon or young orange rind.  Perhaps some tart blackberry notes.  Mostly pleasant tonight, but faint.  The lead notes are malt and a slightly acidic citrus.  Overall, definitely enjoying the first nosing.  I start to catch some faint toffee notes, and can eventually pull forth a Werther’s hard candy.  Later in the dram, the sweet fruits continue to press forth, and I get more berry sweetness.  It continues to delight, and it seems to have grown stronger.  Near the end now, the malt has become infused with spices – vanilla, black pepper.

Palate
Fruity, almonds.  An oily grab on the tongue, coating with a light sweetness.  As the dram progresses, the profile remains consistent, but a bit of a harsh streak of alcohol starts to appear.  Faint though, and not off putting.  On later sips, I start to think maybe not an alcohol note, but some dimension of the almond – a bit bitter perhaps, but some of that nutty profile right behind it.  Still with the berry sweetness (faint but stronger in later sips).

Finish
Carries on with the palate, quite a lovely, sweet fade.  There’s a burn in my chest from the first sip, I think speaks to the spirity nature of this one.  The oily mouthfeel really keeps the sweetness lingering for quite some time, a very decent, long finish.  Later in the dram, the finish seems to be getting even better – it lingers on, and on.  

Final Thoughts
What a difference a year and a half makes.  Tonight this whisky was challenging, and delicate, but with care it was quite an enjoyable experience.  The subtleness I noted from before is still present, but the character seemed to grow in strength as the dram progressed.  The alcohol profile I noted before seemed very muted, barely present at all in fact.  I was able to pick out many lovely notes, and there was even a slight evolution of the dram as it progressed, which I always enjoy.

I’m very glad I didn’t give up on this one and just finish off the bottle as a mixer.  I’ll keep the rest of it on the shelf and maybe crack it open in another year or two, in the RE-revisited series.

Cù Bòcan
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age:  NAS
Abv:  40%
Non-chill filtered

The Cù Bòcan is an expression from Tomatin distillery.  I’ve had the Tomatin 12 and not been overly fond of that, but this bottle has a very cool lore, awesome graphics, and was on sale when I picked it up – a trifecta no matter the liquid within!

Bottle Notes
Light smoke intertwined with rich citrus and exotic spices.  Non-chill filtered.

Nose
Light smoke, just like the bottle says.  Quite nice, really.  It’s a gentle, wafty smoke that really doesn’t play a lead role – great supporting character.  Grapefruit rind, and lots of juicy citrus bouncing about the glass.  There is an occasional appearance of dusty malt, hints of wood and hay.  The citrus really does keep coming back and grabbing your attention.  It’s kind of an awesome nose, really.  Makes me anticipate a big grapefruit palate.  Hints of ginger as the dram progresses.

Palate
Sweet citrus, orange with lemon, I do get there with the grapefruit.  The smoke may be there – very low and background but a bit of a rounding agent I think.  The small spike of spirit here and there.  The occasional bitterness from a citrus rind comes forth – I don’t particularly care for that bit, but it is in line with the overall experience at least.  As with the nose, later sips bring a spiciness.

Finish
Nice oily finish, drags the citrus sweet along for quite a while.  Again, the smoke skootches along the bottom of the flavours, but keeps lightly brushing them.

Final Thoughts
The nose is the best part of this dram.  The smoke is most present there, but it continues to wind its way through the palate and finish.  It’s quite awesome, really.  Definitely a citrus-forward dram, but there are some layers, and some dynamism and complexity.

I’ve had this bottle for almost a year, early drams felt more spirit-forward.  The past few sips, and tonight’s tasting, have been quite lovely experiences.  The smoke is solid in the early going, the citrus is consistent, and the spiciness comes in like Act II, changing things up ever so gently.

The lore centers around a ghost hound on the moors (the Cù Bòcan), seen rarely and always disappearing in a cloud of inky blue smoke.  The box itself is awesome, and the bottle is mostly clear with white lettering and graphics.  I do love that story aspect, so when paired with an increasingly enjoyable dram – this is a thumbs up!

The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age:  NAS
Abv:  40%

The Glenlivet line has quite a few expressions, the Caribbean Reserve is a relatively new one.  I haven’t sampled many of their line – this, and the Founders Reserve.  This was a road-trip addition that sounded like it would be a fun comparison to the Founders Reserve.

Bottle Notes
Sweet & tropical notes.  Selectively finished in barrels that held Caribbean Rum.

Nose
Soft, blended fruits.  A basket of … berries, actually.  Hints of blueberry, sweet raspberry.  A nice dusty malt coating.  Sharpening the focus I start down the tropics trail.  Mmm, melon, a hint of pineapple.  The semi-raw skin of a plantain.  So, definitely with the tropics in mind, my nose picks out those lovely sweet melon and exotic fruits.  On a more casual approach, I first get a gentle basket of fruit and berries – light fruits like apple, pear.  There is a certain note that crops up now and then that is like a soft, worn leather.  

Palate
Lots of sweetness.  Not sugary, but semi-ripened fruit.  Threads of a darker fruit – figs, raisins.  Spots of citrus on later sips – big orange, and a sense of tropical fruit salad.  On occasion I’m getting a spirity hit, but not overwhelming, and not omnipresent.  The dominant experience here is fruit, and it dances amongst apple, berries, and tropical.

Finish
The palate carries through, nicely.  Sparkles of sweetness fade with a gentle tingle.  A slowly descending warmth.

Final Thoughts
I like it.  It’s not a whisky that wows me, it’s not one I reach for when I peruse the cabinet, but in an unhurried moment, this dram pours nicely, is a lightly dynamic nose, consistent palate, and decent, clean finish.  When I picture the comparison with Founders Reserve, it’s a nice counterpoint – similar in smoothness and dusty malt level, but leans more to the lighter, fruity and berry with tropical influences.  The Founders Reserve tends more to the darker fruits, but with the same signature malt and smooth experience.

I’m not much of a mixologist, but I picture this being a great base for some sort of whisky cocktail, where the tropical fruit notes might be accented by fruit juices and some crushed ice.

The Glenlivet line seems to come and go quite frequently here at the local NSLC shops.  A nod to its widespread popularity, perhaps.  This one is not available at the moment, but I expect to see it again some time.

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age:  10 years
Abv:  46%
Non Chill-filtered

Bottle Notes
Sea spray.  Tarry rope.  Immense smoky intensity.

Nose
Sea soaked bog peat, a richly aroma’d, intense and powerful noseful.  The thing I love about an early dram of Ardbeg 10 is the swamp of peat, then the billows of smoke, then the lovely, balanced marriage between the two.  Even though they temper with time in the glass, they hold strong, and distinct.  A layer of sweet orchard fruit starts to bubble through the smoky curtain.  

Palate
A wash of peat and smoke, but the chorus of sweet apple and pear come charging in behind.  Tendrils of smoke crawl about the palate, but the apple freshness keeps a sweet, lovely tone to the whole.

Finish
Mostly a sweet, lingering, fading song, with even fainter echoes of peat, smoke.  

Final Thoughts
In our early whisky days a few years back, Ardbeg 10 charged about our meager inventory with a bullish, smoky, peat laden swagger.  Oh boy, you want smoke?  Try this one!  Then one day, while enjoying a dram during a tasting night, the smoky curtain suddenly parted for me, and I looked in wonder upon a pristine orchard bursting with fresh apples and pears.  The sweetness that was hitherto hidden, was suddenly revealed, in full, bright, glorious wonder.  I was amazed by this sudden insight, and have enjoyed this whisky immensely ever since.

There is a tart sweetness that pokes through the peat and smoke in such a balanced, noticeable way, and it promises a wonder on the tongue that has yet to disappoint.  To this day, I still point at this one as my favourite whisky, the one that I would pick if I had but one bottle to have on my shelf.  It led me to other Ardbeg expressions (Wee Beastie, An Oa), and while I love the Ardbeg character in those, and appreciate their uniqueness, I still come back to the 10 as my dram of choice.  Perhaps it’s because it was the first, and one of the first whiskies I had a lightbulb moment with.

Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Via Kilbeggan Co Distilling
Age:  NAS
Abv:  40%

Bottle Notes
Nothing of note on the canister, and nothing at all on the bottle itself.

Nose
Quite a striking and lovely peat and smoke pair to open the dram.  Quite lovely, and for me, very reminiscent of Ledaig 10yo.  Some creamy vanilla undertones, perhaps a sprinkling of fruity goodness.  The smoke starts to settle in to something more… not quite stale, but like it is smoke that is embedded in wood staves.  So, maybe a smoky wood sensation.  Not free floating smoke on the wind, but a cold wooden smoke.  The peat continues, punching here and there, with a wet bog coating. With time a custardy fruit starts to rise.  This is nice, a changing nose with only a short time in the glass.

Palate
Quite a hit of smoke to start.  Then a very subtle, light mouthful.  Very light, smooth, but the peat and smoke seem to offer a bit of a bite to the sip.  Creamy mouthfeel on later sips – very much so.  But the taste remains light, slightly spirity.  Some streaks of vanilla, the creamy mouthfeel may be saving the taste for me.  Without it, it does come across as light and thin.  Sometimes comes in with the custardy vanilla, making the sip fairly nice.  A fair departure from the nose, to be sure.

Finish
Lightly alcoholic, very faint fruitiness.  Some of the smoke char perhaps – it’s all quite light.  Faint lines of vanilla, the creamy mouthfeel carries over a bit on the finish.

Final Thoughts
To be honest, I have very little experience with Irish Whiskies.  Jameson would be about the only one I could say yes, I remember that one.  And my memory isn’t fond – I’ve found it to be thin, spirity, and in need of not only ice, but a mixer as well.  I was intrigued by this one – a peated Irish Whiskey!?  I was fortunate enough to sample before I bought, at West Side Spirits and the opening peat and smoke was enough to convince me it was worth a try.

It has been an interesting bottle for the shelf, and when Ledaig 10 was extinct, I did feel it was a not-bad substitute.  However, once the peat and smoke start to fade in the glass, I’m brought back to my Jameson experiences, and it’s just not a profile that I get excited about, or enjoy.  Now that I see Ledaig 10 on the shelves again here in NS, I can’t see me putting this one back on the roster once it’s gone.

The Glenrothes 12yo
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12yo
Abv: 40%
(tasting note from May 7, 2021)

Bottle Notes
“Vanilla melon and cinnamon
Matured only in sherry seasoned oak Casks and bottled at natural colour.“

Nose
Fairly Malty on first approach. The air quickly brings it to a nice gentle fruity bouquet. Juicy melon ball, some hints of spirit in there. There is a simple, approachable pleasantness here that I admit I have not yet experienced in my previous drams. Hints of the wood start to creep in at the edges, but still a solid core of fruit. I daresay a barest hint of that Speyside bubblegum that I have been detecting more and more in various whiskies. It is pleasant, but not overly complex or evolving, and nothing particularly standout with it. But nice, nonetheless.

After a sip, malt comes back strongly to the nose. Some wisps of dry hay appear near the end of the dram. I also start to note citrus – orange, faint tropical.

Palate
Sweet and lightly fruity, a tickling burn but a nice one. It is light, fleeting.

It is quite smooth in the mouth, nary a hint of harshness, but still a tingle of spirit. Quite an easy swallow. But there is so little to explore here, a gently swell of sweetness and spice, quickly departs. Some grassy notes coming on the last sip.

Finish
Sweetness and slight spice quickly fade. Vanilla lingers. It is quite short, the whole experience from sip to finish lasts barely longer than the time it takes to hit the belly.

Final Thoughts
I became enchanted with The Glenrothes line when I stumbled my way in with the yellow tag Glenrothes Vintage 2001. That was a remarkable and spectacular dram, and it drove me to the Select Reserve and then this 12yo. Neither of those lived up to the 2001, but they’ve had their moments. The Select Reserve became a delightfully super sweet dram, but I’ll say this 12yo never really made it beyond the decent dram ranking, for me. For the price, it is not one I’d get again, nor recommend. There are other Speyside expressions that offer a better experience at a lower price tag, in my opinion. At this price of mid-$70, we’re close enough to some real winners. And at the same price, the Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban 14yo is thrice the experience.

The Glenrothes Vintage 2001
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
43% abv
Distilled May 25, 2001
Approved Jun 16, 2012
Bottled in 2015
(tasting note from Feb 9, 2021)

This is a lovely whisky. It’s been on the shelf and open for 10 months, and now near the end, I believe the last few drams have changed notably. I make some retro comments at the end, but for this almost-empty-bottle tasting notes:

Bottle notes
“Sweet oaky vanilla, black cherries, soft spices.“

Nose
An almost burnt cereal note to start. That maltiness up front, unexpected based on previous drams. Some strident alcohol notes, dancing with a wooden oak. Some rich fruitiness comes on as the air works on the dram. A drier malt now, but the alcohol strength still clings.

With more time, the alcohol notes fade. Wood, malt and faint hint of fruit carry the rest of the dram through to the end.

Palate
Oh, very nice. Creamy, rich, a few bursts of fire followed by full flavour fruit. Hints of a custard or pastry perhaps. A pleasant change from the initial nose.

Then, more rich and vibrant dark fruits, but with a thread and undertow of malt, something very dry.

Last large sip, the fruitiness has faded, and a strong, dry – dare I say musty? – malt or hay fills my mouth. Not unpleasant… But not pleasant, either. Quite the journey tonight.

Finish
Lingering, oily, creamy. Fading gentle fruit, barest whiff of wood or malt. Nice.

The mouthfeel is lovely and continues with later sips, but the malt thread carries on to the finish now.

Final Thoughts
Well, that was an interesting experience. The Glenrothes 2001 has been a solid top shelf whisky in the cabinet since the opening in April 2020. However, the last few samples in the last couple of months, haven’t been quite the same. In 2020 this bottle delivered a consistently rich, flavourful, fruity experience – like JW Green without the smoke, as Bruce described it. Recently, and tonight, much of that character seemed gone. Definitely had a lovely sip tonight, but the nose never got to it’s peak of last year, and the taste had shining moments, but also some strangely muted and almost off-putting notes. Similarly with the finish.

Some learnings for me here – do a proper tasting within a few months of opening, and before the bottle is half done. I see the changes in these whiskies now, and the sweet spot does seem to be a month after opening, with 3/4 or more still in the bottle. Granted, there have been some exceptions – the Lagavulin 8 was well over a year old when I finished it, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single dram, to the last drop. Perhaps the Speysides are more sensitive to the air in the bottle and time.

Regardless, I will still remember The Glenrothes Vintage 2001 with fondness, as it was a yellow tag find that delivered more than its share of value even at full price.