Celebrate! Nearly present time and the whisky world is fully engaged. The Whisky Exchange’s final tasting of the year is, for the first time, a tasting to decide which of TWE’s staff’s favourite sub-£50 drams are the best. All of these are sub-50, single malts, no cask strengths, readily available.
We tasted these blind but here’s what they were:
- Glencadam 15 year old
- Glenmorangie 10 year old original
- Benromach 10 year old
- Balvenie Doublewood 12 year old
- Tamdhu 10 year old
- Glenfarclas 15 year old
- Kilchoman Machir Bay
- Lagavulin 16 year old
While we voted, we tasted a ninth – Glengoyne 1990.
Here’s my tasting notes, in tasting order. All of my notes and ratings are as tasted blind.
Nose – fresh sherry, a little floral perfume, small tropical note, some wax
Body – Sweet, then harsh bitterness, no mid-range
Finish – More spice, wood, then nothing.
What's not good about it: No midrange, no finish.
What’s good about it: Beautiful nose.
Glenmorangie 10 year old original, 40% B⊖
Nose – Very light, some sherry, elderflower. Faint tropical nose but not much there. Bit musty.
Body – Very light, just bitterness, some sweetness first though.
Finish – Actually reasonably long, but not on much. The initial sweetness fades immediately and you’re left with long bitterness.
What's not good about it: Almost nothing there. Questioning if this is really whisky.
What’s good about it: Nose is acceptable.
Nose – Light peat, some new wellington boots. Underneath, fine orchard fruit, red apple, a little aniseed. Very pleasant, quite light with wet cardboard.
Body – Wet cardboard, fresh, rolling, nice integration.
Finish – Well integrated tannins Medium finish – quite fine.
What's not good about it: Bit light, not a blockbuster.
What’s good about it: Soft peat, balance is good.
Balvenie Doublewood 12 year old, 40% B+
Nose – Fresh but sour, underneath some deep fruit but a little musky and faint. Then a sherried note – slightly muted but pleasant.
Body – Rich wood, but then fades. Sweetness is still there.
Finish – Short but balanced.
Nose – sherried, some peat, lots of structure. Sourness is a little unbalanced, a little rotting apple present. Underneath, some toffee and malted wood.
Body – Rich, spicy, pepper, but short – then…
Finish – Just an after image of apples and raisins. Bitterness.
What's not good about it: Disappointing ending but holds balance.
What’s good about it: Great arrival.
Glenfarclas 15 year old, 46% A+
Nose – Like calvados, loads of apple. Sweet, sour, undertow of wax and wood.
Body – Sweet malt, rich, balanced, delightful, back with the apple.
Finish – Medium, balanced, very sweet but loads of malt and structure.
I thought this was Arran.
What's not good about it: Nose isn’t very whisky like!
What’s good about it: Lovely palate, good integration.
Nose – Fresh, balanced, lovely fruit, loads of peat but really easy going and beautifully done.
Body – Harsher peat arrival, not as classy as the nose but still has lovely fruit.
Finish – Not massive but pleasant – has a lovely lingering peat note.
I thought this was Ardbeg.
Nose – Rich with orchard fruit. Some sugared BBQ. A little peat whisky soaked raisin.
Body – Rich fruit.
Finish – Long, balanced, beautiful, some bitterness at the end.
I thought this was Bowmore.
Glengoyne 1990 / 19 Year Old / The Whisky Exchange, 59.6%, A+
Nose – Ripe apple, fresh, rich fruit, sour but underneath the waxy fruit/waxy apple. With water – more buttery, caramel and that funny plastic blow-up bubble stuff you used to get in metal glue tubes.
Body – Deep, rich, raisin and apple with sechuan pepper. Lemongrass. With water, more richness, well balanced, quite lovely.
Finish – Long, great integration, good oils.
At the end we had to vote for first and second place – I voted Glenfarclas as first, and Lagavulin second (I was debating with Kilchoman in the top two though).
The results across what was probably 50 people was a landslide for Lagavulin and Glenfarclas, so truly the peoples’ choice.
The Whisky Exchange People’s Vote 2013 winner is:
Glenfarclas 15 year old
In people’s order the whiskies were:
- Glenfarclas 15 year old
- Lagavulin 16 year old
- Kilchoman Machir Bay
- Tamdhu 10 year old
- Joint fifth Balvenie Doublewood 12 year old, Benromach 10 year old, Glencadam 15 year old
- Last, Glenmorangie 10 year old original
Happy xmas 
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