Tag: 1995 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

January 18, 2020January 18, 2020

Tasting: Benrinnes 1995 24yo by Cadenhead’s

Is it just me or is there really quite a bit of Indie-bottled Benrinnes floating around on the shelves these days? At least Cadenhead’s seem to have bottled quite a few of them recently. I’m certainly not complaining as I’m usually quite partial to a drop from the stills of the distillery nestled at the foot of the mountain it was named after (well, more of a pimple to us Austrians…). During the 2016 Speyside Whisky Festival I had booked an event that was supposed to contain a tour of this distillery – sadly this never happened because apparently Diageo was unable to find anyone to do the tour, which seemed really strange at the time and was a pity, but hey…
Anyway, this is about the whisky – at 24 years this was made back in the day when they still did a somewhat whacky partial triple distillation. Yeah, you read that right. Don’t ask me to explain it…

Dram data:
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: November 2019
Age: 24
Limitation: 216 bottles
Cask: Bourbon Hogshead
Alcohol: 49,4%
uncoloured / not chill filtered
Whiskybase link

October 10, 2016

Tasting: North Highland 1995 18 yo undisclosed Single Malt by Svenska Eldvatten

Dram data:
Distillery: undisclosed
Bottler: Svenska Eldvatten
Distilled: 3.1995
Bottled: 10.2013
Age: 18
Limitation: 428
Casks: Single Cask
Alcohol: 561%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

We are getting very close to the 200th whisky review here at MaltKlaus’ headquarters, so let’s find something mysterious in the sample pile… An undisclosed Highland malt, perhaps? Yes, this should do nicely!

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber with a golden sheen
The nose leaves no doubt: sherry cask at work here! Probably European oak, too. On the first contact we’ve got a mixture of fresh lemon with peel, a drop of lime, melissa and mint on the one hand and dried plums, fresh figs, a handful of dates on the other. It’s balanced out with a whiff of wet autumn forest, spent cloves, a cinnamon stick used for three consecutive brews of mulled wine (red wine!) and the smell of walking past an oriental spice shop. A very nice balance between distillery character and cask, still on the light side. Continue reading “Tasting: North Highland 1995 18 yo undisclosed Single Malt by Svenska Eldvatten”

March 9, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glen Spey 1995 20 yo by Cadenhead’s – 2015 Club bottling

Dram data:
Distillery: Glen Spey-Glenlivet
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: 2015
Age: 20 years
Limitation: 180 bottles
Casks: Ex-Sherry hogshead
Alcohol: 52,7%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: dark forest honey
It’s been ages since my last whisky review – the cold ruined my nose and palate for quite a while. In the glass today is one of my most anticipated bottles of the year – the “free” bottle from Cadenhead’s club which you get when you trade in a full stamp card (i.e. for buying six bottles of whisky from them). Great deal and it’s always a big mystery what the surprise bottle is going to be. For last year’s bottling, which arrived here in Austria in February 2016, they chose a sherry hogshead (!) from a rather obscure Speyside distillery. So let’s check it out!
The rather gentle nose is that of a well-aged (probably first fill) proper dry Sherry (Olorosoor Fino? – i.e. not overly sweet cream sherry) European oak sherry cask. Slightly dry sherry notes and wood spices (sandalwood, cinnamon, star anise) up front, met by what remains of a clean, slightly citrus-laden distillate. When I first tasted it I had lightly vegetal notes too – I think I can attribute those to my cold, I can’t find them anymore. Continue reading “Tasting: Glen Spey 1995 20 yo by Cadenhead’s – 2015 Club bottling”

January 13, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Caol Ila 1995 20 yo by Cadenhead’s

Dram data:
Distillery: Caol Ila
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: 10.2015
Age: 20 years
Limitation: 564 bottles
Casks: Butt
Alcohol: 57.7%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: white wine
Seems like yesterday since I last tasted a refill-Butt 20-ish Caol Ila. I was very fond of the last one so there’s certainly no harm in trying another! The nose is… rather gentle and delicate, actually. Very little alcohol despite nearly 58% ABV with a light and delicate peat smoke – almost a Bowmore-ish flowery note (burning lavender and violets?). Slightly damp cotton candy, diluted honey, almost faded Italian orange blossoms, citrus juice with bits and peel, an oak board in a florist’s shop and highland honey so faint you’re wondering if the bees made it through the summer. Continue reading “Tasting: Caol Ila 1995 20 yo by Cadenhead’s”

December 8, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #8: Strathmill 1995 19 yo by Cadenhead’s

Dram data:
Distillery: Strathmill
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: 10.2015
Age: 19 years
Limitation: 264 bottles
Casks: ex-bourbon / ex-Chateau Lafitte since 2009
Alcohol: 55.1%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: honey
The nose is… different on first sniff. Slightly alcoholic and summer fruits (strawberries). Is this some sort of finishing? Doesn’t say on the miniature so let’s check online. Ah yes, there you have it, matured in a Chateau Lafitte (sic!) red-wine cask since 2009 (roughly six years). Thought as much. Thank god the wine finish isn’t overdone, it is still a light spirit from most likely an initial x-fill bourbon cask kindly nudged into a different direction without killing it. Now that’s established we can go back to nosing, shall we?
Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #8: Strathmill 1995 19 yo by Cadenhead’s”

August 24, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Ben Nevis 17yo 1995 – 2013 for Whisky Circle Pinzgau

Dram data:
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Carn Mor, bottled for Whisky Circle Pinzgau
Distilled: 23.11.1995
Bottled: 11.08.2013
Age: 17 years
Limitation: 192 bottles
Casks: Sherry Hogshead #965
Alcohol: 51,8%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: wood honey
On the first sniff the nose immediately reminds me of the smell in the local shoemaker’s shop when I was a kid – fresh leather and sweet, dark candy as treats for the kids. A pleasant mixture of leather and old carpeted floors stained with ripe old Oloroso sherry, paired with a lush, dark fruit puree background sweetness, blackcurrant, over-ripe strawberries, oranges, dark chocolate with hot peppers and ginger bits. Continue reading “Tasting: Ben Nevis 17yo 1995 – 2013 for Whisky Circle Pinzgau”

January 18, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Clynelish 1995 16y by Kintra

Dram data:
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Kintra
Distilled: 12.1995
Bottled: 11.2012
Age: 16
Limitation: 90 bottles
Casks: Refill Sherry Butt 2156
Alcohol: 53,7%
Unchillfiltered, natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: straw
The nose immediately reminds me of medicine. Well, some might actually call whisky medicine… A spicy, herbal, peppery mixture. Continue reading “Tasting: Clynelish 1995 16y by Kintra”

January 6, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Speyside 1995 18y by Cadenhead’s

Dram data:
Distillery: Speyside
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: July 2014
Age: 18
Limitation: 738 bottles
Casks: 1 Sherry butt & 1 hogshead
Alcohol: 62,8%
Unchillfiltered, natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: Red gold / light amber
The nose is… overwhelming at first. Yes, the alcohol is definitely noticeable. Sweet cough lozenges, caramellised ginger sticks, orange oil, rubber, wood spices and dark fruit puree in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Speyside 1995 18y by Cadenhead’s”