Bottled by Signatory Vintage as part of their fascinating cask strength collection (49.9%), it is always exciting to sample a whisky that will never be repeated as the distillery is simply now closed. Opened in 1799 and followed by a tumultuous history, Carsebridge was closed in 1983 and is now demolished. An obscure Lowland single grain in a refill sherry butt, this ghost wasn’t raved over by the club for any extraordinary complexity or surprise, but was surely appreciated as a 1-in-169 bottle privilege in which to partake. An easy drinker. It was available until recently in Alberta for $515 CAD.
I have no complaints about any Auchentosan I’ve tried, usually not a whisky that makes you go Wow, but consistent in quality. This 15 year-old is a bit of a different bird as it was bottled by Distiller’s Art from a refill Hogshead. At 48% ABV, it is pretty mild.
The nose is sweet honey and has hints of fresh grassy fields. The palate delivers a pepper spice, albeit mild and short, with hints of salt and mild citrus. The finish has a nice short burn that doesn’t linger.
Definitely a bottle you could sit around and keep pouring out on a summer night. Once again, Auchentoshan does not disappoint with a consistent and well manicured dram. $182 sourced from the LCBO in 2020 – Chad N.
The nose reminds me of walking into a well maintained Century Home, this whisky is from a first fill Hogshead. Wood comes though on the nose, as well as floral notes and black liquorice.
The first sip definitely reminds me of black liquorice candies and maybe a tiny hint of pepper. It makes my throat feel like it’s been washed in chloraseptic spray, which isn’t actually a bad thing. It has a mild finish, with ginger, and is slightly warming but not overpowering.
A pretty decent whisky, maybe not perfect for my personal palate, but different than anything else I’ve tried before and enjoyable. Not something I’d sit down and drink more than one of, but a nice bottle to share with a fellow whisky enthusiast. 54.4ABV. $200 and sourced from Alberta – Chad N.
A limited edition peated whisky from Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull, released under the Ledaig name. Generally referred to as “classic Ledaig” across many reviews, this whisky highlights several layers of smoky sherry with a peppery kick, as well as hints of red fruit and chocolate. 55.7% ABV.
A lovely, rich whisky from this popular Islay distillery. Often called the “benchmark” for all other Islay offerings. Smoky and dry, its heavy peat reputation does not mask some complex flavours, with a surprising sweetness and hint of vanilla. Everyone seems to taste something different. A go-to for big peat lovers worldwide. 42.9% ABV and a very reasonable $144.95 at the LCBO.
Finished in a Pedro Ximinez cask, this dram is both a peat and sherry bomb. Lots of dried fruit amongst the smoke. Warm and inviting, bold and unapologetic. 43% ABV, distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2017. $159.95 at the LCBO.
When a bottle of Bunnahabhain 18 became available to us, it was a no-brainer to snap it up. I first sampled this whisky at Spirit of Toronto in 2016 and it stood out as one of my favourites of the evening. With sherry notes that do not overwhelm, it comes across as complex and warm, a touch oily and nutty. Delicious. [Some online critiques mention batch variation for this particular whisky…quality certainly wasn’t an issue with this specific bottle, but an interesting note to keep an eye out for as this will be repeat buy!]
This bottling is the 10th in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition Series (and I understand it is the last of the series). It is bitter-sweet in taste, with mild vanilla and citrus flavours and woody-earthy tones. The highlight of this whisky is the claim that the distillery used wild yeast grown on their own local barley, creating a creamy, “old-style” feel. Some criticism is the casks utilized in aging killed the complexity of the yeast, leaving a fairly simple tasting whisky with too much wood on the palate. A beautiful deep gold colour, it looks lovely on the shelf. “Allta” is Scots Gaelic for “wild”.
The Club’s second selection from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Coded as their fifth bottling from Loch Lomond Distillery (Highand Region), this 17 year-old whisky certainly lived up to its name by the reaction of members, ranging from “Not for me thanks” to “Interesting…?” to “Pass me another!”. Some odd tasting notes including Chinese Chrysanthemum tea, basmati rice and cactus juice liqueur are noted by the SMWS on the bottle….we didn’t taste much of these flavours, but certainly had an interesting time trying! An enjoyable 1-time bottle.
This Campbeltown whisky obtained at the LCBO was finished in a heavy-char barrel, but is a very easy drinker for cask strength (54.2%). A fairly sweet flavour, with definite vanilla. Mildly smoky. A drink to enjoy on a warm summer night. $98.80 and sold out. This whisky was paired with an SMWS bottling for the Club’s first ever virtual meeting – a result of COVID-19.
