The Balvenie Single Barrel is a 15 year old single malt which is drawn from a single traditional oak whisky cask of a single distillation. Whilst each cask is subtly different, The Balvenie Malt Master selects only those casks which have the essential characteristics of The Balvenie Single Barrel, particularly honey, vanilla and oaky notes. Each bottling forms a limited edition of no more than 350 hand-numbered bottles - so each bottle is unique and unrepeatable.
A blend of soft, fruity malt whiskeys on a bed of rich, sweet grain whiskeys. All whiskeys aged in first-fill American oak casks to yield the trademark Compass Box style: soft, rich, vanilla-tinged, delicious.
Off-dry malted barley and light toffee smells greet the olfactory sense along with flowery fragrances of heather, rose petal and pine. Entry features sweet grain and candied apricot tastes; the midpalate is mellow, malty, fruity (white raisins, apricots) and sophisticated. Ends on a buttery note. Remains the Speyside benchmark.
Score: 90-95. November 15, 2008.
First whiffs pick up scents of fresh pineapple, cedar, and paraffin; later sniffings detect subtle notes of baked pear and sweet oak. Palate entry features a firm, moderately oily, and velvety texture; by midpalate, integrated flavors of ripe peach, pear drops and bran delight the taste buds. Finish is extended, semisweet and coconut-like. Replaces the 12-year-old French Oak Finish. Best Buy.
Score: 90-95. February 01, 2005.
Glenmorangie Original is an inviting single malt whisky, acclaimed and appreciated by luxury spirit drinkers around the world. The original expression of Glenmorangie's elegant, floral spirit that is renowned the world over for exquisite finesse and alluring complexity, The Original is the intriguing marriage of delicate spirit and long, slow maturation. The taste characteristics from the first-fill bourbon casks that permeates the majority of the aged spirit, coupled with the increased proportion of our 'designer casks' (made from slow-growth, air-dried American oak from the Ozark Mountains of Missouri), results in a delicious spirit that enhances the relaxed and convivial mood of the group by igniting the senses. The Original is, quite simply, the most delicate and deliciously complex single malt whisky in the world.
Stately aroma reminds me of butter- cream candies; further air contact reveals deeper scents of melon, white raisins, dried yellow plums and fudge. Entry is honey-sweet, ripe and fruity (dried yellow fruits, banana, pineapple, pear); midpalate is long, satiny, honeyed, eggy, fruity and balanced. Concludes on notes of Sherry, apricot, white raisins and light toffee.
Glenmorangie's Quinta Ruban is a velvety-textured single malt whisky for confident, colorful, dynamic luxury spirit drinkers who like to take the lead. Maturation in ruby port pipes develops the Quinta Ruban into a voluptuously smooth spirit with a complex balance of sweet and dry flavours that engage the entire palate and envelope it in an intriguing balance of smooth velvet and crisp, cooling textures.
From its smoky, caramel and vanilla aroma to its creamy, honeyed taste, this supremely mellow Scotch whisky finishes with a light and lingering spiciness. It's unique character comes from an alchemic blending of 15 whiskies, each aged at least 18 years, at the heart of which is Clynelish, the rare Highland malt whisky made from spring water that flows over veins of pure gold.
Its fresh and distinctive flavor is created by blending only the finest single malt whiskies, rather than grains. Each of these mature malts has been specially selected for the intensity of its flavors and aromas. Four signature malts, each bringing its own character, provide the key taste influences. Talisker introduces power and depth, with pepper and oak exploding on the palate. Linkwood brings a whole garden of fruit and woody aromas, touching it with finesse. At the heart is Cragganmore, with its exceptional malty sweetness and delicate aromas. And the sweetly floral, gently smoked and very maritime Caol Ila gives the Green Label its intensity and complexity.
The additional oak influence creates a soft sweetness and velvety feel when first tasted, then the intense peatiness so unique to Laphroaig, comes bursting through. The finish is very long and alternates between the sweetness and the peat.
A hint of peat smoke, combined with a salty maritime flavour. Citrus orangey notes are also present in both the nose and on the palate, and the sweeter honeyed notes give our malt a smooth silky finish.