Springbank K&L Excl. Sovereign, 22yo, 1995/2018

Rating37.5/40
OriginScotland, Campbeltown
DistillerySpringbank
OwnerMitchell Family
DistilledDecember 1995
BottlerHunter Laing & Company
SeriesThe Sovereign
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt Whisky
CaskRefill Hogshead HL15295
BottledMay 2018
Bottles108
Strength52.5% (105 Proof)
RetailerK&L Wine Merchants

I have not acquired this one for myself but thanks to a generous friend (thanks IFLS!) I’ve been lucky enough to get to try this amazing whisky. There was a reason I had not purchased it myself. It’s just not what I usually go for. And, while being right about that evaluation, I was also utterly wrong about not getting any of it. File this one under R for regret. What a stunning expression of Springbank!

Nose: Linen sheets, still warm, fresh out of the dryer after having been washed with meadow flower scented detergent. The pages of old, heavily used books that haven’t pulled out of a tightly packed shelf in a long time. Lemon zest arches far above a slow river of mild honey. My only complaint is that I desperately want to turn up the volume. (8.5/10)

Palate: Can you extract liquid from the pages of an old book? It’s very dry, almost dusty, but underneath all of it there is that quiet slow river of honey again, which at the end, subsumes all the other stuff, except the bright flurry of dust above it all, sparkling in the light of a reading lamp. This is not at all in my general ballpark. But, holy crap, it is amazing! A whisky to stay with, pay attention to, sink into like when one is getting lost in the stories found inside an old, well-read book. (9.5/10)

Finish: At first, after coming back up from the mysterious depths of this book, there is just this coating of honey, left behind by that river. My tongue is rough from all the dry, ancient paper. There is gentle yet deep and rich, dusty smoke permeating my throat and chest. And then, for a time, the lemon zest shows up again, albeit in a rehydrated form of blended lemon zest and juice. Just wonderful. After a long time a single fruit emerges under the roof of my palate and it is… a plum! (10/10)

Balance: This is… so unexpected. None of this is what I typically look for. It is not loud but it is powerful.  Best enjoyed alone. Let this envelope you and permeate you undisturbed and in silence. I suspect one might miss most or all it has to offer if surrounded by a crowd. Wow. (9.5 /10)

Aberlour, Old Particular K&L Exclusive, 25yo 1995/2020

Rating34.7/40
OriginScotland, Central Speyside
DistilleryAberlour
OwnerPernod Ricard via Chivas Brothers
DistilledMay 1995
BottlerDouglas Laing & Co.
SeriesOld Particular
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt
CaskRefill Hogshead DL14246
BottledAugust 2020
Bottles211
Strength58.4% (116.8 Proof)
RetailerK&L Wine Merchants

Independent bottlings of Aberlour single malts are less common than those of other distilleries. Even more atypical is the absence of any sherry aging or finishing. As such this particular release represents a wonderful opportunity to experience the true heart of Aberlour’s spirit, laid bare, undecorated and without the fanfare of, say, an explosive A’Bunadh. Not that those aren’t great. Don’t get me wrong.

Nose: A mild spring breeze, carrying the scent of high quality hard orange candy, wafts along a linen sheet, just out of the wash and still minty fresh, hung out to dry on a pale bleached wooden rack in the early sun. A light breeze is all there is though. It never grows bigger or bolder than that even if one covers the glass. The only noticeable change is that, over time, the minty notes gradually morph into citrus ones, mostly fresh cut lemons. (7.5/10)

Palate: Oh, wow… damn… what??? The nose did *not* give that away. Like at all. Kaboom! This took the mild sunlit spring breeze of the nose and turned it into a glorious spectacle of a psychedelic spring storm, as if you’re experiencing all the same things while on mushrooms. Rich, flavorful, assertive, it overwhelms your unsuspecting senses. The orange candy is still there. So is the citric acid. So is the bright light. But all of it has been dialed up to 11 without losing any of its internal balance. Amazing… (9.5/10)

Finish: After that cosmic cataclysm of a palate the finish requires conscious effort just to remember there is one and to register its presence with your senses. On any other whisky it would be a grand finish but here it can barely make itself heard over the ringing echoes of the palate in my mind. Not as much warmth spreading through the chest as one might expect from a whisky of this strength. Most of the whisky’s heat seems to want to form a glow at the  top and back of the throat. The orange candy theme steadily continues and ultimately settles into a lasting, pleasant coating. (8.5/10)

Balance: What a palate! But make sure to sit and focus on the finish as well. It takes time to assert itself but inevitably it will. And it’s worth the wait. This is good. Very good. Which is a good thing because this bottle ain’t exactly cheap. (9.2/10)

Mortlach Faultline K&L Exclusive, 22yo, 1995/2017

Mortlach Faultline 1995/2017, 22yo, close-up
Rating30/40
OriginScotland, Speyside, Dufftown
DistilleryMortlach
OwnerDiageo
Distilled1995
BottlerAlexander Murray & Co
SeriesFaultline
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt Whisky
CaskFirst Fill Sherry Butt #7301
BottledDecember 4th, 2017
Strength53.3% (106.6 proof)
RetailerK&L Wine Merchants
Price$120 (Sold Out)

Nose: Oranges, flowers mingle in minty heat. Water drops it to faint notes of a wet leaf-covered ground. (8/10)

Palate: Hot orange-flavored hard candy. Water dials fruitiness up to 11 and spreads everything out wide. (7/10)

Finish: Astringent wood and unripe, acidic oranges. (8/10)

Balance: Somewhat unbalanced. Adding water, while nicely boosting the palate, messes with the bookends in rather disappointing ways. The heat on this one definitely requires warming up ones palate with something else first. (7/10)

Bowmore Sovereign K&L Excl., 22yo, 1995/2017

Bowmore Sovereign K&L Exclusive, 1995/2017, 22yo, close-up
Rating30/40
OriginScotland, Islay, Loch Indaal
DistilleryBowmore
Owner Suntory Holdings via Beam Suntory via Morrison Bowmore Distillers
DistilledMay 1995
BottlerHunter Laing & Co.
SeriesSovereign
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt Whisky
CaskRefill Hogshead #HL13035
BottledAugust 2017
Bottles256
Strength51.8% (103.6 proof)
RetailerK&L Wine Merchants

Nose: Fresh cut plums polished with shoe wax. Someone is eating milk chocolate in the distance. (8/10)

Palate: Bowmore-ish right off the start. Hot. Someone said “coffee” while I was tasting it and, boom!, there it is. (8/10)

Finish: Waiting for the finish… surely it must be coming soon!… but so far all I got is just a bit of a burn on the tongue. Hey! Moving my tongue hither and to does kick up a few splashes of nice flavors. But if I stop moving they instantly disappear again. Strange one, this one. (7/10)

Balance: Not too shabby in the front but just a bit weird in the back. (7/10)