Single malt: some independent bottlers

[mickblueeyes]

Here are some reviews for independent bottlings (non-distillery bottlings) of single malt scotch. Unless otherwise indicated, all reviews are for Hart Brothers bottlings.

Glen Albyn 22yr 86°

Nose: Flowers.

Palate: Highland style, light peat, soft heather

Finish: light toffee.

Rating: 7

Braes of Glenlivet 1977, 20 yrs, 86°

Nose: Light vanilla,

Palate: honey fried bananas, toffee, oak

Finish: gingery and spicy

Rating: 6

Royal Brackla 18 yr, 1979, 86°

Nose: Tarry

Palate: oily, honey

Finish: very hot

Rating: 3

Highland Park 25 yr, 86°

Nose: Carrot cake

Palate: honey, oloroso sherry, brazil nuts,

Finish: slightly spicy with orange zest and soft charcoal

Rating: 9

Loch Lomond 10 yr, 86°

Nose: Light peat, salty

Palate: honey, oily, medicinal

Finish: slightly hot, very fresh, short

Rating: 5+

Mortlach 17 yr, 1980, 86°

Nose: Light sherry, peat, smoke

Palate: honey, estery sweet

Finish: short

Rating: 5

Balmenach 18 yr, 1979, 86°

Nose: Herbal, flowers, peat, smoke

Palate: malty, nutty, creamy

Finish: short

Rating: 4+

Linkwood Sherry cask, 11 yr

Nose: buttered popcorn, roses,

Palate: explosive, pears, plethora of ripe fruit, cooked veggies (avacado?)

Finish: Expansive, lingering, hint of nutty sweetness.

Rating: 8+

Glen Grant 31 yr, 1969, 90.2°

Nose: Toffee and oranges, creamy, chocolate

Palate: light sherry, buttery, creamy

Finish: Cinnamon, balanced finish

Rating: 8

Caledonian Selection Talisker 1979, 21 yr, 97.6°

Nose: sea air, brine, gently pungent, smoke

Palate: Hint of smoke, coffee and milk, distinct spice

Finish: toffee and white pepper

Rating: 7

Caledonian Selection Macallan 26 yr, 1974, 102.6°

Nose: Sherry and oak

Palate: silky, creamy, sherry, oak

Finish: Hint of spice on the finish

Rating: 8+

Caledonian Selection Caperdonach 31 yr, 1970, 104.6°

Nose: creamy, dried fruit, honey, baked apples

Palate: buttery, caramelized oranges, butterscotch

Finish: touch of spice, very long and rich

Rating: 8+

Glenturret 25 yr, 107.6°

Nose: distinctly light, honey

Palate: perfumy, floral

Finish: long finish

Rating: 6

Clynelish 15 yr, 1984, 108.2

Nose: toffee, charred oak

Palate: restrained seaweed, creamy, soft brine, pepper

Finish: continuance of black pepper, soft fruit and coffee (Irish coffee?)

Rating: 8+

Mortlach 24 yr, 109.8°

Nose: mixed grains

Palate: oatmeal cookies, copper

Finish: Spicy, buttery

Rating: 5

Dalmore 12 yr, 110.0°, 1987

Nose: herbs and honey

Palate: citrusy, herbal, honey

Finish: spicy, hot

Rating: 4

Caledonian Selection Laphroaig 20 yr, 1981, 110.6°

Nose: Phenol, tar, sulfur

Palate: Estery sweetness, seaweed, full mouthfeel

Finish: big, peaty, subtly sweet

Rating: 8

Highland Park 10 yr, 1988, 115.2°

Nose: subtle peat and brine, honey

Palate: creamy, full-bodied, tropical fruit

Finish: slightly sweet and smoky

Rating: 8+

Longmorn 25 yr (sherry and bourbon cask), 110.0°

Nose: bourbon-esque, caramel, raisins, spice

Palate: Subdued fruit, cooked raisins (almost pruny), molasses

Finish: slight spice, reminiscent of cake

Rating: 8

[mickblueeyes]

For those of you that may not be up on what an independent bottling is, here is a little info from a post I made on another BBS.

An independent bottler purchases casks from a distiller and then ages them under their own conditions.

For instance, just about everything Macallan puts out is aged in sherry. Ever wonder what it would taste like without sherry aging?

What about Glenlivet, which is one of the most watery scotches I have tasted? One of the best scotches I have ever had was a 25 yr old independent bottling of Glenlivet at cask strength aged in sherry, not just finished in sherry.

The point is this: Independent bottling allows for different expressions to be created that aren't in the distillery's normal line up. Distillery's have budgets and don't do a great deal of experimentation. They do some experimentation, but not a lot.

Have you ever tasted a whiskey and thought "this needs another 3-4 years in the barrel"? That is what independent bottlers do.

Independent bottlers try different finishes, lengths of aging, type of barrels used for aging and the final benefit of most independent bottlings is that they are limited to 300-400 bottles, cask strength and not chill filtered.

Some of the better independent bottlers:

http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/

http://www.hartbrothers.co.uk/

http://www.murray-mcdavid.com/

http://www.smwsa.com/

http://www.thewhiskygalore.com/

http://www.scotchwhisky.net/ (general scotch info)

Signatory (someone let me know if you can find their website)

So, to reiterate:

Benefits:

1. cask strength vs. distillery strength

2. various finishes

3. various barrels for aging

4. non filtered

5. varying ages

6. limited editions

Disadvantages:

1. The experiment could turn out to be garbage (as is evident by some ratings)

2. Can be pretty expensive (the above listed scotches come to about 5K)