DuckDrams

Blind sample review (2cl)

⚡Experience

Nose: stone fruits (peach), cloudberry; coffee; grassy, earthy peat; some coastal minerality. Warm, sweet peat on the palate, with a heather note and a juicy finish, with just a hint of ash.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: My kind of peaty stuff, more ‘elemental’ than medicinal/industrial. A strongly felt W&E mark! I’d be very surprised if this is not from Islay. I’d guess a Kilchoman in some uncommon cask (a lighter-colour fortified wine perhaps; could also be a Laga, Caol Ila, Port Charlotte (but from the latter two I’m missing some citrus and seaweed) or Stoisha. Well, that’s about half the Islays… but with decreasing probability. No great age, maybe around 10yo.

After reveal: Hey, I wasn’t too far off. Uncommon wine cask, check. Islay, check. Caol Ila was in my top three distillery guesses.

As I side note: I had this dram in my bunk bed on a night train to Stockholm!

Sample review (2cl)

⚡Experience

Complex and delicate nose, with a decidedly minerally character (coastal sands, riesling), some fruity elements (lemon, conference pears, Turkish delight), subtle dry wood, and a whiff of matchstick smoke. The palate has an oily texture, is rather dry, and very flavoursome. It easily accommodating the noticabely high alcohol. I get notes of papaya, winegums, rubber and fleeting smokiness. Long-lasting juicy oak in the finish à la old bourbon cask.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: Delightful whisky, I could tell from first sip this is a favourite, surely something I’ve had before. 2cl was way too little to savour this gem. I’ll stick my neck out and say this is Clynelish. Not a very waxy one, but the coastal minerality, the subtly smokey-but-not-quite-peaty notes, the lemony or even briney aspect — it all points this way. Probably around 20 years old, bourbon cask, maybe 55%. Now, Benrinnes also isn’t outside the realm of possibility. Cambus? Didn’t get any feeling that I’m dealing with a grain here, but my mind wouldn’t shatter if it were, because many aspects of the profile fit Cambus. But enough with the cowardly second guessing — my gut says Clynelish!

After reveal: Haha, it’s a Jura! The distillery that I’ve been most invested in for the last months, ironically. Ok, so my guess was off, and hindsight is 20-20 (as the Yankees say for some reason), but the kind of ‘blooming’ smokiness on the palate brought my mind immediately to Jura when I had this dram, but somehow the impression didn’t stick. A general feeling of familiarity did, however. I’d say it’s less tobacco-y and herbal, and perhaps more fresh and bright, than the really old Juras I’ve had recently; perhaps this is why I dismissed the thought. The unusual Rivesaltes cask is potentially a confounding factor.

Looking at WhiskyBase, people are rather unenthusiastic about this bottle, with a rather low score of 82 and some. Does it make me somewhat uncomfortable differing from the consensus? Yes, but the beauty of the blind test is that I got to form my own opinion without my conformity bias playing tricks on me. (Granted, knowing that the drams from this calendar are supposed to be very high-end on average one can get rather fanciful when it comes to guessing). On the other hand, I think maybe many people just don’t like the general character on offer here, which is a ‘dirty’ whisky. Someone also pointed out vegetable broth notes that I didn’t go for. I was about to write burned fat, or stale butter, but it didn’t make it into the description before I’d finished the dram, so I left it out.

I’m quite likely to buy a bottle, and see how my enjoyment of this actually holds up over time. No chance I’d have considered buying this bottle just knowing the score and the specs (young and weird cask finish).

Sample review (2cl)

⚡Experience

Transposing the term ‘muscle wine’ into whisky — this is a muscle whisky! Rancio-cious Cognac, prunes, brown sugar, sherry vinegar, loads of leather and old wood. The palate is as bold as the nose – no softspoken 40% gentlemen here, no – there is plenty of vigour, although one wonders if the dry spices and wood are not getting too much the upper hand of the flavour prodile here: quite drying, acidic, spicy, and meaty, with some more specific flavour notes including passion fruit curd, mild tobacco, and cardboard (not the specific off-note I often mention, though). Old-fashioned sherry-style dram. Some blood-orange in the finish.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: Yes, yes, yes, I get it, you spent a very long time in an oak cask. Too long? Well, it’s complex and interesting, but not so very balanced, in my opinion. I’m guessing a 40yo blend, and involvement of sherry casks is a given. ABV just shy of 50%.

After reveal: Really fun, I remember when this bottle came onto the market. I wondered if I should perhaps buy one as investment. But then I thought, Imperial is known and appreciated for its floral style that shines in bourbon cask. A really old sherry expression might be too cask dominated. I think this assessment was quite correct. At least tonight, it didn’t quite come together for me, even thought the elements where mostly speaking to a high quality. The alcohol is really high, yet I thought it was even below 50%, so really well integrated. Very happy I got to try this.

Sample review (2cl)

⚡Experience

A predominantly floral impression on the nose (tulips, grass, a little soil), also generous amounts of fruit (pineapple, coconut), subtler notes of sandalwood and oak, and light dessert notes (white chocolate, rice pudding, vanilla). Just a little bit boozy. Becomes slightly more minerally with water. Elegant palate, nicely mouthcoating; sweet, savoury, salty find flawless balance, with a little push of a boozy/fusile quality. Floral honey, tropical fruits, fluffy pastries; very much in line with the nose. A long, clean, and very pleasant finish.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: An absolutely excellent and clean whisky, without any flaws whatsoever. As this is really my style of whisky, I am getting hard to impress, though. There is perhaps somewhat of a lack of clear signature or identity here, and I decided against a ❤️ when I thought of the many very memorable whiskies of this style I’ve had.

I’ll be very surprised if this is not a single malt, and most probably one from Speyside. A dozen or so distilleries all seem like plausible candidates. The cask I’d say is ex-bourbon, or maybe a refill of anything that’s a white spirit or wine cask without much dominance. Age is tricky, as anything between 15-25 could result in this floral and clean profile, not betraying too much of either wood or youthful spirit. I’ll have a guess and say 21, as the legs and mouthcoating quality hint towards a long but slow maturation. Alcohol maybe around 54%.

After reveal: So, correct on type, region, cask; a little off on ABV, and totally off on age. Just speculating, it is maybe the impact of fresh bourbon cask finish that is bringing some of the oilier qualities that I mistook for age? In hindsight, I should have adjusted down my age guess (and up my ABV guess) from the slight booziness, and the relative lack of complexity, despite the great balance. Since this is very expensive calendar, there’s also a bias of expecting very old/expensive drams. But some are less special, to reserve some budget for the really premium ones, such as the Imperial.

Blind sample review (2cl)

⚡Experience

Very rich, with raisins, dates, balsamic vinegar, ripe banana. A decent amount of woody notes, especially resin, and an autumnal / vegetal quality (mushrooms, cooked vegetables). Intensely flavourful, spicy and drying, with strong alcohol. Flavours of Jaffa cake (chocolate, orange, sponge cake), ginger ale, oatmeal, and a vague hint of smoke.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: Look, it’s a fun whisky because it’s bold. But it’s not really my style. It feels like a heavy cask influence is doing most of the talking, and the spirit behind it is quite ‘hot’. I think this is a grain whisky finished in a sherry cask, or other wine cask, in which case I’d say 25yo. Not impossible that it’s a malt, but then it tastes quite young, maybe around 10yo. Alcohol closer to 60% than 50%.

After reveal: So it is a malt, after all: Glen Moray, a distillery I don’t hold in very high regard. I’ve visited it and we got a very generous tasting experience, with free reign to try half a dozen expressions. I just think the spirit is quite anaemic, and the casks do most of the work. And I’m not generally that into cask-driven experiences anymore. The autumnal / vegetal part of the nose, and the oatmealy taste, made me think this could be a grain whisky mostly drowned by the cask. To be honest, I’ve not had that much grain that I feel very comfortable identifying it blindly (although I do know to look for a gluey note). On WB many people mention a sulphury profile for this GM. Needless to say, not a recommended buy. It’s not bad, but it has some flaws.

Sample review

⚡Experience

The alcohol is strong on the nose. Buttery, sherried aromas (toasted bread, carrot cake, coffee) that also tend towards the sour, with some fruits (overripe pineapple, dried apricot, mandarin). Rather generic, sherried and sweet palate, fortunately less vinegary than the nose. Very strong alcohol, and needs a lot of water, then achieves a velvety texture, but the flavours do not pop, and there’s a touch of cardboard.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: Does not do much for me. Offers little beyond a generic and not entirely well-executed sherry profile. The high ABV is a distraction more than a flavour-boost.

In my estimation, we are dealing with a single cask of a relatively young whisky (maybe 8yo), closer to 60%, probably sherry finish. Have a feeling this is going to be something overhyped.

After reveal: Whitlaw — that’s the independent bottlers code for HIghland park. Indeed, 8 years old, 58.6%, and sherry. Feels good to be on the money! To guess the distillery would’ve been difficult since I’ve had very little Highland Park.

Sample review

⚡Experience

A complex nose, with malt and floral honey, tropical fruit and beeswax, and subtle cedar wood and heather. Just a touch of matchstick. Sweet, oily, and flavoursome palate; honey, apple punsch, candied fruits, macadamia nuts. Pleasing, creamy, and bourbon-y finish.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: The nose is fabulous, with the floral, herbal and fruity combining harmoniously and elegantly. Excellent! Close to a ❤️ but I’ll stay on the conservative side.

As for guessing the whisky: its’s neither very old or very young. Between 15-22 years old seems likely to me. See, it could be an older one in are refill casks, or a younger one in a fresher one; I think bourbon in either case, but quite possibly a white wine finish or some such funny business. I think the alcohol is relatively strong, say 56%, without it feeling boozy. Island or Highland origin, I’d say Arran is a good guess. As a backup, Glen Garioch, but that’d be surprising given the low availability of older ones from bourbon cask.

After reveal: Interesting! I’m usually sceptic of cask finishes, but here it seem to me that it’s made the whisky wise beyond it’s years. Although I got some things wrong, I’m quite delighted to have picked up on the white wine finish.

Sample review

⚡Experience

A wonderful compote of different ripe and juicy fruits (peach, pear, pineapple, strawberry) with a cocoa dusting and custard. Some minerality, like a good white wine, and delicate notes of wood (cedar). Really juicy palate, delivering the promise of the nose; sweet and oily, with a touch of salt. There is very light sulphur note that to me (despite being somewhat sensitive) actually elevates the experience by adding a savouriness and fullness. Drinks very well neat; water draws out a little smoke. The alcohol is very well integrated. Satisfying juicy and fruity finish that coats the mouth and persist for a long time.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: First-class whisky that is. To me this is very probably a slow-matured and old single malt whisky from a gentle sherry cask. I’d guess 25yo and upward (shall we say 33?) in a refill sherry cask, or perhaps a marriage of bourbon and sherry. Certainly no sherry overcoat here, but the (very mild) sulphur suggests to me that sherry was involved. I’m reminded of Bunnahabhain 25yo, similarly old Glenfarclas, and Tamdhu. I think around 50% ABV. I’d really like to be totally wrong, and this is a young, affordable whisky that I don’t need to hesitate buying some bottles of!

After reveal: Cool! I’ve had my eyes on this bottle, and I’ve seen it with various levels of discounts into the €150-200 range, but had no reason to take a chance with such an expensive bottle.

Sure, my tasting notes scream bourbon cask, but I thought a subtle sherry influence might be there, and I don’t think my reasoning was silly.

Sample review (2cl)

⚡Experience

A dozen associations on the theme of rich and sweet: fruit leather, coca cola, sticky brown sugar, butterscotch, PX sherry. Also cigar box, some dried herbs (thyme) and varnish of some sort. The palate is unsurprisingly rich and sweet, but maybe a bit too boozy neat. Takes water well, though. Flavours of chocolate cake with forest fruit coulis, etc, maybe a hint of natural rubber.

💡Thoughts

Before reveal: Speaking of sherry overcoat in the previous sample — here is a textbook example. There’s no telling what distillery this is from, because it’s almost all about the cask. The flavours are pleasant, there is no off-note (sulphur is a common culprit). This is indeed a quality representative of a certain (somewhat controversial) style: the modern sherry bomb. I used to be enamoured with this tyle 5-6 years ago, but now it rarely gets me excited. Still, impossible not to dislike for me, if executed without direct flaws.

Brings my mind to certain Highland style whiskies like Glendronach, Glengoyne, and Aberlour. Probably 8-12 years old, touching on 60%, and the cask is without a shadow of a doubt sherry, but more specifically it has to be PX.

I’m somehow reminded of a cartoon goat chewing tobacco (was it in Pluto or Tom & Jerry?) and how, as a kid, I imagined it would taste.

After reveal: Ah, quite unexpected. First, it’s a grain whisky, from none other than Cambus. That entails different reference for guessing age. Broadly speaking, a 30yo grain whisky can be compared to ~15yo malt whisky, since grain spirit is much less complex and needs longer time and more cask influence to become interesting. I’ve already mentioned I’m not expert at distinguishing the taste of grain and malt blindly, but here I might be forgiven because I really feel the casks is overriding the spirit character altogether.