Taranty (Glencadam) 15-year-old

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Like the Cawdordew I posted about yesterday, this is another curiously named malt by ‘The Whisky Connoisseur’ bottlers. I did a hunt for ‘Taranty’ and there’s a Taranty Fair in Brechin, where we find the Glencadam distillery and the source of this bottle. That makes sense. I then attempted to find out the meaning of the word ‘taranty’ and from the number of geneology links I got it appears to be a surname with origins in France. That suggests that the Taranty Fair was started by someone called Taranty, which also makes sense. As for the whisky itself, stopping writing this and drinking it makes complete sense!

Tomintoul 2000

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

This miniature was specially bottled for ‘The Whisky Castle’ which is a whisky shop in, you’ll never guess…..Tomintoul! So it seems sensible that they asked their local distillery to make some souvenir millennium bottles for their shop.

I’ve been on The Whisky Castle website before when looking to buy online but they’re not the most competitive when it comes to price. That’s one of the problems with having the added overhead of owning premises. But I imagine if I was visiting Tomintoul I’d pop in for a quick look and come out laiden with purchases. Here’s a link to their YouTube video <click here>.

This whisky nearly caught me out. I was about to classify it as a single malt when I read the label again and saw ‘pure malt’ which is one of the former ways of saying ‘blend’. The principal blends from Tomintoul are Dundee and Parker’s, neither of which I’ve ever drunk or have in my collection, so I wont be able to compare this mini with them, yet!

Cawdordew (Royal Brackla) 18-year-old

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

I must never become a collector of whisky miniatures! This bottle of Cawdordew is a perfect example of the frustration all 5cl collectors must have. This was one of several strangely named bottles up for auction where the distillery of origin was on the listing but not printed anywhere on the bottle. It seems that a private bottling company called ‘The Whisky Connoisseur’ decided to release different distillery whiskies under names of their choice, and it’s hard to find accurate information about this anywhere. Google led me to a miniature collector who thinks they have the full list but finishes it by asking to be contacted if anyone knows of any more. I’d love to know when these cute little bottles were first released and for how long but that’s too deep a question for Google to answer. I found a link to ‘The Whisky Connoisseur’ website only to be taken off to a company selling ‘house and home’ products with no mention of whisky. And I can’t find a book about miniatures either. Aaaarrrghhh!!!

Update – since my link to the full list is now dead, here it is from my archives showing The Whisky Connoisseur names and their associated distilleries:

Aberlogie – Macallan
Auchenhame – Tamdhu
Auchenlone – Glenburgie
Aucindoun – Mortlach
Auld Land Syne – Dalmore
Balcarron – Dailuaine
Barstruie – Balblair
Beinaigen – Glenburgie
Blythe & Merry – Balvenie
Braemoray – Glenrothes
Brodgar – Highland Park
Burns The Poet – Linkwood
Caskieben – Glen Garioch
Cawdordew – Royal Brackla
Corryhabbie – Balvenie
Corshelloch – Dufftown
Craigardle – Blair Athol
Cromdale – Benrinnes
Cullicudden – Dalmore
Drumbowie – Craigellachie
Dunnottar – Glenury Royal
Edina – Linkwood
Fall of Fyers – Linkwood
Glen Quaich – Aberfeldy
Highland Mary – Blair Athol
Honest Tam – Balvenie
Largiemeanoch – Bowmore
Lossieburn – Glenlossie
Miltonhaugh – Balmenach
Ochterglen – Glenturret
Pluscarden – Miltonduff
Red Rose – Old Pulteney
Rhinnesdhu – Glenfarclas
Rosscanich – Teaninich
Scots Wha Hae – Blair Athol
Skerridhu – Scapa
Slochmor – Tomatin
Spyniemor – Linkwood
Strathblair – Glenfiddich
Taranty – Glencadam
Tarracroy – Aultmore
The Alloway – Tomatin
The Annan – Tomatin
The Auchtertyre – Dailuaine
The Auld Brig – Old Pulteney
The Banks O’Doon – Dailuaine
The Ellisland – Old Pulteney
The Friars Carse – Dailuaine
The Kenmore – Balmenach
The Lincluden – Balmenach
The Lochmaben – Tomatin
The Tarbolton – Dalmore
The Twa Brigs – Tomatin
Tullichmhor – Glenlivet
Whalligoe – Old Pulteney

Linkwood 100 Proof

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Ratings:
84/100 – Malt Maniacs (from one reviewer – here)

What can I say, I’m a sucker for anything in a tartan box! And this is number 4 in my Linkwood collection. A no-age-statement miniature from the 1980s, it’s a strong one at 57%. Being a Gordon & MacPhail bottling I’m expecting it to be good quality, and the one review I found backs this assumption up with 84/100.

Mannochmore 1977 16-year-old

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Ratings:
87.33/100 – Whiskybase (average from 3 member votes)
84/100 – Malt Maniacs (from one reviewer – here)

After posting about a bottle of Dallas Dhu from 1971 we now have another miniature but this time from a distillery that was founded in 1971, Mannochmore. This example by the independent bottler Cadenhead’s was distilled in 1977 and bottled in February 1994. With a cask strength of 61% it’s going to pack quite a punch.

84/100 on Malt Maniacs is a very good score but over 87/100 on Whiskybase is excellent. A member leaves these following tasting notes:

Nose: an old style “fat” whisky, probably bottle maturation added a good share of nice flavours. The sherry is well rounded and not too dominating.
Taste: rich as well and the body is mouth-coating, very nice.
Finish: medium but very enjoyable.

Someone comments, “it needs water to open up (no wonder given its 61% abv). Without water it is rather closed, uninspiring and hot. But adding a good measure of water unfolds a real “refill sherry” beauty of the past.  There are some traces of sulphur, but not intimidating and in the end (I never thought I would ever say this) almost enjoyable. All in all a nice dram to sip during cold winter nights – it keeps you warm and in a good mood.”

Dallas Dhu 1971

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Ratings:
90.5/100 – Whiskybase (average from 4 member votes)

When I started collecting whisky in July of this year, in the first video I watched of Ralfy on YouTube he mentioned Dallas Dhu. “Dallas Who?!” I thought. Up until then my knowledge of whisky had been limited to the common stuff you find in supermarkets, off licences and bars. I’d never seen a bottle of Dallas Dhu anywhere! What didn’t help matters was that Dallas Dhu closed in 1983. I guess when J.R. was shot in 1980 the writing was on the wall for the distillery! 😉

Ralfy had whet my apetite so I went looking for a bottle and practically fainted at the price. Nevertheless I had a dream that one day I’d get myself a bottle, not thinking I’d manage it before the year was out. Ah, the joy of miniatures and the wonders of auctions!

Looking for reviews of this bottle I ran into a snag. Yes, there is a similar big bottle of Gordon & MacPhail Dallas Dhu 1971 out there but it quite clearly states on the bottom of the neck that these were bottled in 1994. There’s no such label on my version. Perhaps it fell off?

Further research revealed that Gordon & MacPhail bottles use codes printed on the back of the main label which identifies the year of bottling. An article on this can be found here. I looked through the glass of my miniature and discovered IB/BDG which stands for 1992. This allowed me to find the corresponding review on Whiskybase, albeit for the full 70cl version. 90.5/100 is a fantastic score so I’m looking forward to tasting it.

Imperial 1970

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Ratings:
79/100 – Whiskybase (from 1 member vote)

I don’t often wish I was 18 again but when it comes to buying whisky that was distilled in the year of one’s birth, it’s cheaper to be younger rather than older. I bought this bottle of Imperial in my first ever whisky auction, so I was excited to see several whiskies that were casked in the year of my birth (1970). I was winning 3 until gradually the prices went up and up until I was left with this Imperial. I’m certainly not complaining. I was after an example of Imperial for my collection.

Since my collection is focused on getting single malt examples from every active distillery in Scotland, it might seem odd to want an Imperial given the distillery hasn’t been used for 15 years and was demolished this year. Well, the owners, Chivas Brothers, have announced plans to build a new distillery on the site of the old one. Although I’ve not heard any confirmation of this, there’s a good chance they’ll call it ‘Imperial’. And with that I’ll have an early example of a now reopened distillery!

In an attempt to find a review of this bottling I discovered that Gordon & MacPhail also did a 1970 version with a brown label. Someone gave it a low rating during a tasting so I’m glad I don’t have that one! I also found this different version on Hard To Find Whisky for £40 for a miniature. I only paid £8 for mine, so I think I’ll be doing more auctions in the future!

Glen Grant-Glenlivet 16-year-old

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Ratings:
91/100 – Whiskyfun (see 2nd bottle reviewed here)

I bought this bottle without having seen a review so I was delighted to find it got 91/100 on Whiskyfun during a tasting in 2008. This bottle is from the 1980s and dates back to when ‘Glenlivet’ was still being attached to the name of Glen Grant. What I love the most is that this mini proudly states on the label that it was bottled by Wm. Cadenhead, 18 Golden Square, Aberdeen, which is my home town. I tend to associate Golden Square with lawyers, banks, going to the auction house or heading to the music hall. But if we’re talking whisky The Grill bar isn’t too far away, with its vast whisky list to sip your way through. I wonder if they have a Glen Grant-Glenlivet?!

White Horse Glen Elgin (Japanese Release)

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

I’ve not been able to find any reviews of this somewhat obscure release but I found a 75cl bottle for sale at Royal Mile Whisky, Edinburgh, for £175. Reading around the internet it seems that the White Horse blend (of which the Glen Elgin malt forms a part) is very popular in Japan. In an attempt to make the Japanese aware of the Glen Elgin ingredient the distillery released this miniature, and bigger bottles, onto the Japanese market.

Whisky-online say of this malt: “An old, now discontinued bottling of Glen Elgin done for duty free and selected foreign markets. This was markedly more resinous and phenolic than most other official Glen Elgin bottlings.”

Hard To Find Whisky are selling this same miniature for £11.95. It cost me £3.50 at auction, so even with commission and its share of the postage I’ve done pretty well. Not that I consider it an investment. I’m drinking it! 🙂

Glendronach 12-year-old ‘Original’

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Ratings:
86.5/100 – Whisky Bible 2013
89/100 – Ralfy, of www.ralfy.com
Review: – Ralfy – Glendronach 12yo Original – YouTube