Yamazaki 18 Years Old is released in 1994, 10 years after the success of Yamazaki 12 year old. It was received with much anticipation by the industry. This legendary whisky is a classic and up till today, it is highly praised for its complexity and flavours. Yamazaki 18 years old has received numerous awards, but the most prominent ones are a gold award in the World Whiskies Awards in both 2014 and 2016 as well as Best Japanese Single Malt in 2015.

The price and rarity of Yamazaki 18 years old has steadily increased with the number of awards it won. It is no longer a bottle that you can easily find in duty-free stores, not even in Japan. You can find it on the secondary markets, but at a crazy price.

Awards

(1) San Francisco World Spirit Compeition 2005 – Double Gold
(2) International Spirit Challenge 2007 – Gold
(3) World Whiskies Awards 2014 – Gold for Japanese Single Malt 13 – 20 years
(4) World Whiskies Awards 2015 – Best Japanese Single Malt
(5) World Whiskies Awards 2016 – Gold for Japanese Single Malt 13 – 20 years

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Copper
ABV: 43%

Nose: Rich fruit cake on Christmas Day comes to mind as you take in the nose. Raisins, apples and cinnamon sticks coupled with dried dates are mixed with woody oakiness, some sulphur and a pleasant smokiness. (17 points)

Palate: Smooth and mellow, with strong raisins and red fruits on the palate before the oakiness and smoke comes in to balance it off. Hint of a rich, sinful chocolate cakes comes in towards the end. A perfect mix of sweet and spice. (17 points)

Body: It is a well rounded whisky that is rich and flavourful. The smooth velvety feel in the mouth feesl luxurious. (30 points)

Finish: Long, lingering finish of a luxuriously rich chocolate cake, raisins, light peat and some wood. (16 points)

Total Grade: 80 points

Comments:
Geek Flora: “I love the Yamazaki 18 years old because of its rich fruity notes. The hints of chocolate adds appeal. Even the wood and light peat is pleasant. Nonetheless, it is still another whisky that I can live without, especially when the price  has risen considerably since it started bagging numerous awards.”

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We have kept the rarest whisky as the last bottle from The Single Cask Masterclass. The Glenrothes 19 Years Old is a dark sherry whisky – generally considered as an expensive and hard to find whisky in the industry due to the lack of sherry casks. Bottled at cask strength in Speyside, Scotland, it is also a single malt Scotch. There is only 86 bottles produced because the guys behind The Single Cask has only bought 60 litres of this whisky (roughly about 10% of a whole cask). Imagine how unique this is! Moreover, this bottle is not for sale. You can only taste it if you head over to The Single Cask for a dram or two.

This dark sherry is from Glenrothes. The oldest distillery in Speyside, it was founded in 1775 and is still a functioning distillery today. It is owned by the Edrington Group today. The distillery started out as a blending house, supplying both the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. They use mainly bourbon casks, but kept some special sherry casks as well. 50 of these special sherry casks was released by Glenrothes in late 2016 for purchase, and that is how The Single Cask got their hands on this!

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark Red Sherry
ABV: 58%

Nose: Aeration of minimum 30 minutes is needed. After 30 minutes: sherried notes of rich Christmas fruit cake engulfs the nose completely, with no other companions. 40 minutes later: dark stone cherries start to develop, pushing the fruit cake to the background. 50 minutes and counting: the oaky notes start coming out, softening the overpowering sweetness. Now the dark stone cherries complement the rich Christmas fruit cake to present a pleasant sweetness that feels really pleasant. (17 points)

Palate: Rich dark sherry, dark fruits like red grapes and berries fills the palate like a Christmas fruit cake in a glass. Black pepper, nutmeg and clove stay in the background with hints of spices but overpowered by the sweetness. Paired with a 70% dark chocolate, the palate changes. Sweetness is reduced to allow the spices to come out. Nutmeg is especially pronounced after the chocolate pairing. (17 points)

Body: Well-balanced whisky that needs a lot of aeration. The nose, palate and finish of dark fruits and Christmas fruit cake is exceptional. (33 points)

Finish: Very long finish with dark fruits and Christmas fruit cake leading the way from the start to the end. Tingles of spices accompanied at the side of the palate, making it a very pleasant finish. (16 points)

Total Grade: 83 points

Comments:
Geek Choc: “It is a little too sweet for my liking (I prefer the Islay peats) but it is a pleasant and well-balanced drink. Due to its exclusivity and uniqueness, I would recommend that you go for a try to judge it for yourself.”

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The Tobermory 22 Years Old is an exclusive single malt Scotch whisky bottled by The Single Cask at cask strength. With only 86 bottles available in the market, this whisky is special. The Tobermory distillery is located on the Island of Mor, and to make this whisky, they employed a very special technique. The distillery obtained ex-sherry butts to make this whisky, but instead of using the ex-sherry butts directly, they sent it to a cooperage, had them scraped the inside of the cask, recharred them and put in white sherry. After some time, they removed the white sherry and put in the new spirit and matured it for 22 years. They literally created a whisky out of a second fill sherry butt.

The result of this unique method is a whisky with a light golden hue instead of a dark red that is typical of a sherry cask. It is nonetheless a whisky made from ex-sherry butts, making it special in its own ways.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Light Golden
ABV: 59.1%

Nose: White pepper rushes into the nose with hints of flint and gunpowder with fruity sweetness at the background. After aeration of 10 minutes, the fruity sweetness comes forward to soften the spiciness of the whisky. (15 points)

Palate: The fruity sweetness greets the palate for a very short while before the peppery spice commands a complete takeover. The spice tingles and burns the tongue slightly but not in an unpleasant way. I had a chance to taste this whisky again after 1.5 months and the palate changes significantly. Now, the entry is brine, pepper and sweet fruits. The spice no longer overwhelms but mix nicely with the slightly salty notes and sweet fruits. It becomes very pleasant indeed! (17 points)

Body: Generally a balanced whisky that sorts itself out nicely between sweetness and spice. Might be a little spicy for some but those who like a strongly flavoured whisky should like the whisky. (33 points)

Finish: Unique, long and dry finish with some spiciness to lead the way. Fruity sweetness takes over the spice and after some time, hints of bitter oranges can be felt at the tip of the tongue. (17 points)

Total Grade: 82 points

Comments:

Geek Flora: “Overly spicy for my liking but I do like the finish of the Tobermory. I find the unique long finish pleasant even with the spiciness leading the way because it is softened by the sweetness towards the end. I must say that I like the bitter oranges that came in right at the end.” – 13 August 2017

Geek Flora: “It has been 1.5 months since I last tried the Tobermory 22 Years Old and I had a chance to taste it again in the masterclass collaboration between TSC and Whisky Butler. The change in the palate of the whisky is amazing! I like the whisky more now. The brine, pepper and sweet fruits mix really well now, and the balance is just fantastic!” – 30 September 2017

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Rum is of course, very different from whisky and it might not sit well with whisky lovers, especially those who are Scotch fans. The Diamond Rum 12 Years Old is bottled at 57% but the original cask strength of this rum is a crazy 71%! Shocking for whisky fans perhaps, but this is a rum that is worth exploring. It needs some time for aeration, allowing the air to mix with the alcohol so that the flavours and characteristics of the rum can fully be developed for enjoyment. Every 10 minutes of aeration creates something new in the rum.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark Red
ABV: 57%

Nose: At the first nose, you can only think of brand new sticky tape or perhaps nail polish remover. The sticky acidity is high and it burns your nose with it. As you allow it to aerate, some whiffs of cane sugar float in, followed by molasses towards the end. (15 points)

Palate: Acetone engulfs the mouth immediately; the tingle of spiciness hits right after the acids begins to fade. Rock sugar sweetness comes after, with hints of lemons and oranges. Rock sugar overwhelms the citrus zest soon after and sweetness is all you get. Aeration after 10 minutes will bring you new flavours. Now, cane sugar takes centre stage, and the rum becomes even sweeter, reducing the acetone into the background. The citrus notes become stronger and sit well together with the cane sugar. (17 points)

Body: A relatively well-balanced rum that is sweet acid. With such high ABV, it is reasonable to have the burn. The cane sugar softens the acidity and makes the rum a relatively easy drink.  (34 points)

Finish: The finish was short at first, with the sweetness evaporating almost immediately after you swallow. After aeration, the finish becomes longer, the citrus and cane sugar lingers for a while. (15 points)

Total Grade: 81 points

Comments:
Geek Choc: “The overpowering spiciness overwhelms me almost immediately. The waves of acidity further burn the tongue and throat to prevent further enjoyment for me at the first try. However, after patiently waiting for the aeration to take place, the rum becomes more pleasant as the sweetness gets stronger and I acknowledge that it can be a pleasant drink for some. For me, I just prefer whisky.”

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The Macallan No. 6 is the second highest tier of the Macallan 1824 Master Series, and also the last to be released in early 2015. Its rarity only second to the Macallan M, the No. 6 is highly valued and considered to be a highly desirable expression in the Macallan 1824 Master Series.

The Macallan No. 6 combine the art of Bob Dalgarno, Macallan’s Master Distiller, and the talented craftmen of Lalique, the makers of exquisite crystal decanters. The result – an amazing whisky encaused in a stunning, most stylish crystal decanter make with the finest materials.

This rich and complex whisky expression is matured in first fill sherry seasoned oak casks that were handcrafted by the master craftmen of Jerez de la Frontera, the cooperage that creates exclusive sherried Spanish oak casks. All the casks that were used in this expression were ordered from this single cooperage in order to create a whisky that is unique and rich in flavour and character. The result is the perfect balance of the quality and character of a classic Macallan.

Here’s a video from Edrington Group on the Macallan No. 6

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Spanish Sunset
ABV: 43%

Nose: Raisins, figs and dates march right in at the first sniff, while sultana and toffee apples add texture and depth to this whisky. The flavours of raisins are dominates – dark and rich with great viscosity. Ginger and cinnamon dances at the edges gently. The ginger is slightly dry but the cinnamon is soft. The complexity of the nose is further enhanced by dark chocolate, slightly bitter-sweet but not overpowering as sweet vanilla lingers in the background to complete the sweet profile. (16 points)

Palate: Taste just like a rich and sumptuous fruit cake with raisins, dates, figs, apple, sultana and orange. Ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and the hints of clove follows after while the velvety oak notes softly mix into the palate. (15 points)

Body: Comforting and luxurious, the whisky envelopes you like a warm blanket. Well-balanced and full of character, the No. 6 feels just like family. (30 points)

Finish: A long and full finish that is like no other, it is silky smooth and rich. (15 points)

Total Grade: 76 points

Comments:
Geek Flora: “Its almost feminine character connects with me immediately, bringing to mind a warm security blanket. Well-balanced between sweet and spice, this whisky is a frisky lady. Definitely something that you would like to pick up if you have the means to!”

 

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