Clément Gaillard
Yamazaki 1993 The Cask Heavily Peated Malt
62%, 70cl, 2008, White Oak Puncheon #3Q70047, 52-W-18-5, Ohmi Aging Cellar
473 bottles
This whisky is a real curiosity. The Yamazaki distillery isn’t really known for its peat, an element more commonly associated with its older sister Hakushu, which has released a number of very popular “Heavily Peated” versions. And yet the combination offered by this bottling for The Cask range is an absolute winner and sees Yamazaki’s rich, unctuous and fruity character paired with an assertive and medicinal peat. As a whole, the ensemble has great character and I regret never having tasted another Yamazaki like it.
63%, 70 cl, 2008, Recharred Butt #80283, Warehouse No.23
302 bottles
I have to admit that I am particularly fond of this Miyagikyo, which seems in some ways to have two sides to it. In one, we are swept up in the fruity and almost rich notes that take us to the world of confectionery with fruit cheeses (quince, apricot), salted butter caramel and spice bread. In the other, we find far more woody, dry and peppery notes accompanied by a smoky, salty peat that leaves a long-lasting and pleasantly bitter imprint on the palate. A deeply complex whisky that constantly exceeds the expectations of those lucky enough to taste it.
48.1%, 70cl, 2012
1,566 bottles
Of all the Brora Annual Releases, this version—which we are lucky enough to have a bottle of at the Golden Promise—particularly caught my eye. With balance and grace, it develops with a combination of citrus fruit—without the sharpness (lemon, bitter orange), exotic fruit (mango), and ointments and other pommades that reveal vegetal (aniseed, mint, eucalyptus) and camphoric notes. This is all seasoned with a hint of smoke, as is often the case for Brora vintages, such as 1972 and 1977. A perfect example of what this now sadly closed distillery was, until very recently, capable of.
62%, 70cl, 2002, Sherry Cask
9,000 bottles
Peat is rarely paired with sherry, and even more rarely is the combination a success. But when it is, it is nothing short of miraculous! This is the feat beautifully achieved in this Talisker, which is full of nuance despite its undeniable power, revealing a discreet but decisive sherry influence that brings notes of cured meat (pastirma) and aromatic herbs (thyme, rosemary). Where this Talisker really comes into its own, however, is in its ability to avoid being overpowered by the cask, allowing us to enjoy its delicious salty, smoky (angelica, vetiver) and peppery notes.
Salvatore Mannino
Caperdonich 34 Year Old 1972 Duncan Taylor
53.4%, 70cl, #6707, For La Maison du Whisky
210 bottles
Nicknamed “Glen Grant No. 2” when it first opened—because it was created to support its illustrious neighbour Glen Grant—this distillery closed for the first time following the Pattison financial crash that shook the Scottish whisky industry in 1902. It was only when it reopened in 1965 that it took the name Caperdonich. After being mothballed in 2002, it was permanently closed and dismantled in 2010. I love the freshness of this version bottled in 2007 exclusively for La Maison du Whisky. The aroma palette repeatedly evokes the colour white, with lilac, lily of the valley, anemone, milk and almond ice cream, and nectarine notes, all sprinkled with grey pepper. The flavour palette, too, brings the same hue to mind, with pepper, ready to bake bread dough, and flowers, pepped up with a light herbaceous bitterness (root) and a hint of peat. Outstanding freshness and elegance!
59.8%, 70cl, First Fill Bourbon
12,990 bottles
This unpeated version released in 2006 was the first of a long series, and the distillery has released a cask strength bottling without its peaty, smoky garb every year since. In fact, although it is better known for its typical Islay profile, Caol Ila began producing an unpeated spirit for use in blends in the 1980s. This version proves the malt’s charm does not come solely from its peat and maintains its resolutely marine character. The nose is lively, herbaceous and peppered with notes of lime zest and spices (fresh ginger). It then becomes richer, revealing freshly baked bread and salted butter caramel. The palate is rich, oily, and confirms the notes found on the nose. Herbaceous, iodine, mineral and incredibly fresh... an unmistakably coastal whisky! Takes very well to a dash of water.
53.7%, 70 cl
1,323 bottles
At midnight on 22 November 2011, the term “vatted malt”, which had been in use since the 19th century, became illegal in Scotland and was replaced by the term “blended malt”. The founder of the Compass Box blending company, John Glaser—already something of a troublemaker in the industry—decided, with the help of his friend Sukhinder Singh, to release this Last Vatted Malt (a Last Vatted Grain was also released) just a few minutes before the clock struck 12, sounding the death knell on the vatted malt. A blend of two venerable whiskies, one from Speyside, the other from Islay, this “Vatted Malt” marked the end of the chapter with brio, revealing a rich and dense nose interwoven with notes of dried fruit (plum, date, raisin), musk and aged leather. The smoke is wonderfully well-balanced. The palate confirms the density of the nose, and we move to the hearth of a peat fire, enjoying a Christmas pudding and Bordeaux cannelés. The finish is long, smoky and spicy.
Port Ellen 24 Year Old 1978 2nd release
59.35%, 70 cl
12,000 bottles
This cult distillery—which was mothballed in 1983 and closed definitively (or so we thought) in 1987—needs no introduction. With the announcement of its reopening, an event that has nonetheless been delayed by the public health crisis, a new chapter is soon to begin for its many fans who have always dreamed of a renaissance. From 2001 until 2017, Diageo released a cask strength bottling every year named Special Release. This version is the second in the series (released in 2002) and one of my favourites. The nose is very fresh and the peat initially quite tame. It brings to mind freshly cut grass after the morning dew. Menthol and camphor notes open the medicinal register that precedes a beautiful minerality. Peat then begins to take centre-stage. Allowed to breathe, fruit slowly but surely appears (lychee). The palate is lively, generous and oily. The herbaceous character is confirmed with sleet and seaside notes that pave the way for the peat’s arrival. The finish is long, salty and spicy. A whisky that seems to take us on a journey along the coastal road between the distillery and the port of the same name... A true glass of heart-warming nostalgia!
