Highland Park Valknut

I’ve said it before that I’m not put off by the marketing aesthetic chosen by Highland Park. When they announced this series and it was one peatier than their typical expressions, it seemed a like a good one to explore. I reviewed Valkyrie ages ago, and here I am finally getting to this one.

Highland Park Valknut, Island (Orkney) Single Malt, 46.8% ABV

Minutia: Matured for some amount of time in Sherry casks and bottled in 2018, the second of three in the Viking Legend series. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnished; 1.1.

Nose: Fruit, nut, Sherry (really quick). Leather later. Eventually a “wet”, musty aroma.

Taste: Smoke, spice, citrus custard/creamsicle/orange-vanilla soft serve (but not as sweet as that actual product).

Finish: Earth. Smoke, chocolate, oak/char. Long.

Quite nice. It’s distinctly different but similar to Valkyrie. It does feel like the next step in that line. Hopefully there’s a shorter latency between this and Valfather than Valkyrie to this one, as I’m really looking forward to it, and if the trend continues, I’ll like that one more.

Score: 84

Musical Evocation: Borknagar – “The Eye of Oden”

Port Charlotte MC:01

I’m always interested in at least trying these experimental releases from Port Charlotte. If I could I’d have them all, but not many (if any) make it over here to the States (around me, anyway), so when I see a sample available I go for it.

Port Charlotte MC:01, Islay Single Malt, 56.3% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2009, 48% matured in French oak casks for 6 years, 52% in American whiskey casks, then put together and matured in Sicilian Marsala casks for 2 years, bottled ultimately after 9 years of maturation on January 16, 2019. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Tawny; 1.4.

Nose: Hammy, smoky. A sweetness trying to break through. After a bit in the glass it does in the form of some vanilla/cream and red fruit with spices.

Taste: Thick. Heat/spice. Orange.

Finish: Warm smoke. Salt. Intensity is short-lived, but the more subtle salt and smoke linger long.

A really strong whisky. Hopefully they continue to make it. If I find myself in a travel shop that has it I’ll definitely be getting a bottle. Between this and CC:01 I am really enjoying this Exploratory Cask series, and I’m looking forward to getting whatever ones I can.

Score: 91

Musical Evocation: Lana Del Rey – “Gods and Monsters”

Kilkerran 11 2009 Cadenhead's

I picked this up at an auction for probably far more than it would warrant at the actual shop, but this stuff goes fast and I don’t even have access to it in the States. I was curious about checking out some IB Kilkerran, particulary a Cadenhead’s bottling as it’s the same owner.

Kilkerran 11, 2009 Vintage, Cadenhead's Authentic Collection, Campbeltown Single Malt, 56.5% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2009 and matured in a bourbon barrel for 11 years and bottled in spring 2021 yielding 204 bottles. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Amber; 0.7.

Nose: Malt, unscented wax, a bit antiseptic, actually some of the tangerine the tin notes mention. Some vanilla later.

Taste: Fruity, a kick, honey. Sour malt.

Finish: Honey and nutty. Tropical fruit melee. Salty. Long. A maltiness lingers on after the rest.

While it’s not my favorite Kilkerran, it does quite nicely given my preference for smoky flavors. I’ve grown to appreciate maltiness more, and this has that to some extent throughout, which I quite enjoyed. I was a bigger fan of the fruit, though, they were fun.

Score: 83

Musical Evocation: Lisa Hannigan – “Roads” (live Portishead cover)

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.HBR “A horcrux in fiendfyre”

Since I did the 10 sister cask reviews, I thought it would be fun to throw about a dram’s worth of each into a bottle, let it sit for a bit, and review it as a single malt of 10 casks.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.HBR, Islay Single Malt, ~60% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on Octover 17, 2013 and matured in the variety of casks mentioned in reviews #241-250 for 6 or 7 years, blended together by me, and I put it in the Heavily Peated flavor profile and named it “A horcrux in fiendfyre”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Deep copper; 1.0.

Nose: Dough, spice, char, must. Slight fruit.

Taste: Hot, woody, honey.

Finish: Charred meat, salt, burnt nuts. Long.

This worked out better than expected, but not as well as I’d hoped. Despite being all peated Bunnahabhain, there were times where I felt “This is like quintessential ___.” That blank was filled in with Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg at separate times. I’ve not yet decided if I’ll drink it now and again, or let it sit a while longer, or maybe use it as the base for a solera bottle, but I’ll be happy enough with any of those realities.

Score: 80

Kilchoman 5 2006 SMWS 129.1 "A Smoky, Peachy, Yoghurt of Loveliness"

I was bidding in an auction a few months ago and this happened to come up. Kilchoman IBs are rather rare (as far as I know only a handful of casks have been released by other bottlers, and about half of them were SMWS casks from about ten years ago) so I bid on it, and while it cost a pretty penny, I ended up getting it for much less than what X.1 bottles can go for, particularly from favored distilleries. Anyway, while it tanks the value of the bottle, that’s not why whisky is made so I opened it up and here are my notes.

Kilchoman 5, 2006 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 129.1, Islay Single Malt, 60.2% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on June 28, 2006 and matured in a 1st-fill bourbon barrel for 5 years yielding 235 bottles. This bottle predates the creation of their flavor profiles and was named “A Smoky, Peachy, Yoghurt of Loveliness”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Deep gold; 0.8.

Nose: Damn. A minty, stingy (related to stinging, not cheap), salty, medicinal smoke. Snuff. Some kind of candy, maybe mixed up with incense. Could smell this forever.

Taste: Intense. Spice (cayenne), vanilla, medicinal/anise (like one of those lozenges that reminds me of a Rollo or whatever that disc candy is that nobody wanted on Halloween). You can find some peach in there.

Finish: Long. Oaky smoke, a floral note. Tobacco on the back end.

Damn, what a shame this was the first Kilchoman cask the SMWS released. It’s one of the more enjoyable whiskies I’ve had the pleasure of tasting and a lot of the X.1s end up unopened as collector’s items. It’s one of those drams that remind you what made you fall for whisky in the first place. Way more going on than a 5 year old should have.

Score: 93

Musical Evocation: Meat Loaf feat. Marion Raven – “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”

Bunnahabhain 7 2013 SMWS 10.213 "A slice of peat-heaven"

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 7, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.213, Islay Single Malt, 60.5% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured a 2nd fill Oloroso Sherry butt for 7 years yielding 577 bottles. This is part of the Heavily Peated flavor profile named “A slice of peat-heaven”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Old gold amber, 0.6.5.

Nose: Ashy smoke/charcoal.

Taste: Embers, grill char. Something sweet hiding there.

Finish: Smoke, hint of salt. A used pipe. Medium-long.

Really quite nice. It’s not complex, but it is focused on what it offers and does it well.

Score: 87

Musical Evocation: Iron Maiden – “Heaven Can Wait”

Bunnahabhain 7 2013 SMWS 10.211 "War and peat"

 

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 7, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.211, Islay Single Malt, 59.9% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 5 years and then a 2nd fill Oloroso hogshead yielding 269 bottles. This is part of the Heavily Peated flavor profile named “War and peat”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Amber, 0.7.

Nose: Smoke with some punch to it (like what vinegar has).

Taste: Salt/beach smoke. Thick, briny.

Finish: Salty broth. Chocolate wafer.

This is ok. There are some really interesting elements in there and I’d love to have seen more.

Score: 82

Musical Evocation: Burzum – “War”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.202 "Flirting with the devil"

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently. 

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.202, Islay Single Malt, 60.3% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 5 years and then a HTMC refill hogshead yielding 268 bottles. This is part of the Peated flavor profile named “Flirting with the devil”. Neat in a glencairn.

Color: Amber, 0.7.

Nose: Smoke, sweet something (it’s very much like ice cream after a while), light citrus.

Taste: Smoky, salty, savory, hot.

Finish: Big smoke. Fade to woody smoke. Long.

Really interesting, at first the nose felt like it would carry the dram, but it quickly came down to earth. But then on the finish it blasted off even higher. A nice experience of a dram.

Score: 88

Musical Evocation: Cobra Strike – “The 13th Scroll”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.201 "Panel-punch of peat-smoke"

 

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.201, Islay Single Malt, 60.2% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 5 years and then a 2nd-fill Moscatel hogshead for the duration yielding 304 bottles. This is part of the Peated flavor profile named “Panel-punch of peat-smoke”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Pale gold, 0.3.

Nose: Cookie, spicy mustard, smoke, meat, char.

Taste: Really sweet and easy. Gets slightly spiced. Salty.

Finish: A sweet tone to the smoke. Like a sweet wood burning.

This was very nice, but I wish it stayed meatier like on the nose. Had it, and easy home run.

Score: 90

Musical Evocation: Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – “Iron Fist”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.200 "Tuscan drunken chestnuts"/"The storm-tossed sea"

 

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.200, Islay Single Malt, 60.3% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 5 years and then a 2nd-fill charred red wine barrique for the duration yielding 285 bottles. This is part of the Peated flavor profile named “The storm-tossed sea”. It was renamed due to TTB nonsense, and that is the name of the 750ml bottle released for the United States which I have. The name of the whisky for 700ml markets is “Tuscan drunken chestnuts.” Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnished, 1.1.

Nose: Meaty smoke, some leather and citrus in there, perhaps leather oiled with a citrus-based product.

Taste: Thick, sweet, some spice.

Finish: Tobacco, wood, smoke.

This is really very nice. I love the meaty notes and the tobacco that comes in there.

Score: 91

Musical Evocation: I – “The Storm I Ride”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.198 "Peat fire in a storm"

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.198, Islay Single Malt, 61% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 4 years and then a 2nd-fill ex-Moscatel hogshead for the duration yielding 301 bottles. This is part of the Peated flavor profile named “Peat fire in a storm”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Deep gold, 0.8.

Nose: Spicy mustard, smoky kielbasa. Some maritime-ness.

Taste: Spicy and sweet over the smoke, plus some beach.

Finish: Nothing new, medium-long.

Quite nice, though it slightly failed to live up to what for me were high expectations set with the nose.

Score: 86

Musical Evocation: Wolfchant – “A Pagan Storm”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.196 "Smoky harbour fish supper"

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.196, Islay Single Malt, 61.3% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 5 years and then a 2nd-fill French oak barrique for the duration yielding 302 bottles. This is part of the Peated flavor profile named “Smoky harbour fish supper”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Amber, 0.7.

Nose: Fish, salt, barbecue sauce, grilled corn tortilla.

Taste: Much like the nose, smoky fish. Spices/heat, too, a bit.

Finish: Similar to the taste, add in some oak. Long.

This was ok but left me wanting a little bit. I wonder if I’d have liked it more as a fan of seafood. It’s not like it tasted fishy and put me off, I just wonder if I could have liked it more.

Score: 80

Musical Evocation: Cthulhus Scorn - “Chapter III The Harbor”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.195 " Shiver me timbers"

 

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.195, Islay Single Malt, 59.8% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 4 years and then in a heavy toast medium char refill hogshead for the duration yielding 288 bottles exclusive to the French market for The Gathering. This is part of the Peated flavor profile named “Shiver me timbers”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Amontillado Sherry, 0.9.

Nose: There’s a sweetness to the smoke, but it’s still big smoke. Some salt, too. Tobacco, leather.

Taste: Spicy, prickly, leather, meat.

Finish: Smoke that goes salty. Long.

It’s strong in your mouth, but still nice. Particularly the nose keeps the interest going.

Score: 86

Musical Evocation: Alestorm – “Wolves of the Sea”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.194 "Maritime marshmallows"

Here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.194, Islay Single Malt, 58.5% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in a re-charred hogshead for 6 years yielding 211 bottles. This is part of the Heavily Peated flavor profile named “Maritime marshmallows”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Russet, Muscat, 1.3.

Nose: Various apple. A touch of banana and tropical fruit. Marshmallow/sugars, which defines itself more over time.

Taste: Smoky before herbal, wood, fruits. Salt, too.

Finish: Smoke, earth. These come in after a fruity flash (berry family) on the swallow.

Quite nice if imperfect. The nose was the highlight again.

Score: 88

Musical Evocation: Buckethead - “Marshmallow”

Bunnahabhain 6 2013 SMWS 10.193 "Simply peat"/"Purest peat"

Initially I earmarked some Bunnahabhain sister casks for a side by side. Between making that decision and now, it started with 3 or 4, grew to 5, then to 6, I gave it a “Devil’s Drams” theme (6 casks, 6 years old, 6 maturation styles), but then it just kept going. I’ve acquired a bunch more and I feel it got a bit too unwieldy for a single side by side post (also kind of tough to side by side so many drams), so I’ve decided to just post them all independently as a series. So, here and forthcoming are each of my reviews of the Bunnahabhains I have acquired from the same distillation conducted independently.

Bunnahabhain 6, 2013 Vintage, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 10.193, Islay Single Malt, 60.1% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 17, 2013 and matured in a re-charred hogshead for 6 years yielding 256 bottles. This is part of the Heavily Peated flavor profile named “Purest peat”. It was renamed due to TTB nonsense for the 750ml bottle released for the United States which was renamed as “Simply peat”. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Deep gold, 0.8.

Nose: Smoke, seaweed, a fleeting sweetness.

Taste: Earthy, salty, mineral. Smoky/charred wood after. Potent.

Finish: Mineral, dry/woody, a bit of char/ash, some savory element. Long.

This is decent but not spectacular. The nose is the best part, I’ll be trying this with water in the future as I think that would help with the taste and finish being held back a tiny bit.

Score: 85

Musical Evocation: Mayhem – “Pure Fucking Armageddon”