Fahrenheit 173 - Whisky Ratings
| Whisky | Age/ Vintage | Origin | Richness | Peat/ smoke | Sherry influence | Rating | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardbeg (Sign) 53.7% cask 575 |  | 1967 28 | Islay | 92 | Rich, sherried, peaty and somehow "dark" nose; wonderful, balanced palate with rich sherry and an "old", mild peatiness | ||||
| Bruichladdich (Sign) 52.7% | | 1970 30 | Islay | 6 | 2 | 0 | 92 | Very nice nose with vanilla and light fruity notes (melon/kiwi); wonderful palate that develops richer fruit notes (peach/apricot), also peat and oak; the finish disappoints, however | |
| Dallas Dhu (Sign) 48.5% | | 1975 32 | Speyside | 5 | 1 | 0 | 91 | Very nice fragrant nose with notes of apricot, clementine and vanilla; fruity palate with crème brûlée, vanilla and a note of peat, develops peppermint and a little oak; all in all mild and beautifully balanced | |
| Glenlochy (Sign) 53.1% cask 3021 | | 1980 31 | W Highland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 91 | The nose is quiet at first and takes a while to open up but turns out to be rather wonderful with vanilla and tropical fruits, also oak and malt. Light, sweet and smooth palate with vanilla and citrus. Develops oak and a note of mint. Balanced and very nice. Oaky finish with notes of malt and butter but it's mostly oaky and a bit dull (disappointing after the lovely nose and palate). | |
| BenRiach (Sign) 49.0% cask 5501 | | 1985 23 | Speyside | 3 | 0 | 0 | 90 | Fruity, very nice nose with citrus, apricot and melon, also custard and a little oak; very nice palate: sweet and fruity (fruity candy) with fresh oak shavings providing structure - it's light, restrained and beautifully balanced; the finish is oaky yet rather nice | |
| Bladnoch (Sign) 54.8% cask 283 | | 1974 25 | Lowland | 7 | 1 | 5 | 90 | Sherried, very nice nose with dried fruits, orange marmalade, oak and a little peat; rich, big palate - fruity and zesty with orange, apricot, honey and oak; oaky finish with a note of citrus; all in all bouncy and entertaining, very nice and more-ish | |
| Glenlivet (Sign) 55.1% cask 5719 | | 1975 28 | Speyside | 8 | 0 | 8? | 89 | Very nice nose with rich notes of sherry, oak and tropical fruit; complex, oaky, spicy palate with a dry sherry character and a minty note | |
| Glenlivet (Sign) 53.9% cask 5720 | | 1975 29 | Speyside | 0 | 8 | 89 | Wonderful nose with lots of (nice!) sherry; complex, oaky palate with a note of vanilla | ||
| Inverleven (Sign) 48.7% | | 1977 34 | Lowland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 89 | Fragrant, fruity nose with notes of apple, pear and melon, also vanilla and oak shavings. Amazingly fresh for a 34 y.o. Fresh, sweet, fruity palate with notes of mint and citrus. Drying, develops oak. The finish is oaky (but not overly so) and spicy with a note of gingerbread. Very nice. All in all balanced and more-ish. Very fresh for its age. | |
| BenRiach (Sign) 56.3% cask 7217 | | 1975 28 | Speyside | 88 | Nice, light fruitiness on the nose; very nice fruity palate (mango?), also spicy, balanced, complex with a hint of peat | ||||
| Braeval 57.5% (Sign) | | 1998 12 | Speyside | 5 | 0 | 0 | 88 | Fragrant, fruity, slightly floral nose. Notes of citrus, oak shavings and vanilla. Very nice! Sweet, fresh palate with honey and a little oak. Zesty and nicely balanced. Fruity, oaky, very nice finish with a note of mint. All in all clean, fresh and very drinkable. | |
| Glen Albyn (Sign) 53.1% | | 1981 28 | N Highland | 6 | 1 | 3 | 88 | Very nice nose with dried fruits, gingerbread, orange and a note of peat; rich, complex palate with a very nice balance between sweetness and spiciness | |
| Glenlochy (Sign) 55.3% cask 2827 | | 1980 25 | W Highland | 4 | 0 | 0 | 88 | Malt, honey and orange on the nose. Rather oaky with oak shavings, also a bit sour. Not entirely balanced. The palate is at first sweet and zesty with citrus and honey, then malty and oaky with a note of mint. Light and rather nice. Lovely finish with oak and a refreshing citrus note. In the end spicy with notes of gingerbread and mint. All in all quite nice and more-ish but a little splintered. | |
| Laphroaig (Sign) 61% | | 1992 13 | Islay | 88 | A rich, musty peatiness, also fruity and cereally; very peaty yet balanced with a very nice finish | ||||
| St. Magdalene (Sign) 48.1% | | 1975 28 | Lowland | 4 | 1? | 88 | Peaty, musty and a little sweet nose; peaty, musty palate with contrasting light notes of apples and citrus fruit | ||
| Brackla, Royal (Sign) | | 1975 24 | Highland | 4 | 0? | 7 | 87 | Mild and balanced with a wonderful, light sherry taste | |
| Caol Ila (Sign) 58.2% | | 1979 25 | Islay | 87 | Very nice palate with a very nice peaty/fruity balance; the finish is spicy, almost fiery and a little disappointing | ||||
| Craigellachie 60.0% (Sign) | | 2002 8 | Speyside | 6 | 0 | 6 | 87 | Complex, unusual yet nice nose with honey, caramelized sugar and spices (spiced rum). Also citrus. Sweet palate with dried fruits, a bit like a Spanish brandy. Drying, develops notes of oak and honey. Very nice balance between sweet fruits and spicy oak. Nice oaky, fruity finish. All in all unusual but unusually good for an 8 y.o. | |
| Glenlochy (Sign) 52.8% | | 1980 29 | W Highland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 87 | Fragrant, very fruity, very nice nose with orange, lemon, crème brûlée and vanilla, also oak; sweet, fruity palate with citrus and peppermint, develops oak; oaky, spicy finish | |
| Glentauchers 56.0% (Sign) | | 1981 30 | Speyside | 5 | 0 | 4 | 87 | Nose: Honey, orange marmalade, peppermint and a little oak. Palate: Fresh, sweet and smooth with orange and oak. Develops spices. Finish: Oak and citrus. Overall: It's amazingly fresh for a 30 y.o. with surprisingly little oak. It doesn't have much of a sherry character either but it's balanced, very nice and very drinkable. | |
| Kinclaith (Sign) 52.3% | | 1975 26 | Lowland | 6 | 0 | 7 | 87 | Very nice, sweet and fruity nose; rich, fruity palate with wonderful sherry notes but they fade into the disappointing finish | |
| St. Magdalene (Sign) 48.7% | | 1975 29 | Lowland | 87 | Light, grassy, slightly peaty nose; richer palate, fresh, fruity, spicy and even a little fiery, develops a very nice fruitiness | ||||
| Caol Ila (Sign) 62.5% | | 1981 20 | Islay | 86 | Peaty, fruity (apples) nose (possibly a hint of rubber); light, quite peaty palate with a very nice finish | ||||
| Glen Grant (Sign) 59% cask 7119 | | 1990 | Speyside | 6 | 0 | 3 | 86 | Nice nose with tropical fruits; nice, fruity palate, also spicy and a little fiery | |
| Glencadam (Sign) 57.6% | | 1989 19 | E Highland | 6 | 0 | 4 | 86 | Very nice nose with dried fruits and orange marmalade, also a note of gingerbread; nice, rich, sweet palate, also spicy; hot, spicy, slightly disappointing finish | |
| Imperial (Sign) 58.3% | | 1982 27 | Speyside | 7 | 0 | 3 | 86 | Orange marmalade, apricot and lemon on the nose but also a note of sulphur (but adding water tames it a little); sweet, balanced palate with orange, develops oak, gingerbread, white pepper and some heat; nice spicy, oaky finish with a note of basil | |
| Lagavulin (Sign) 58.4% | | 5 | Islay | 7 | 9 | 0 | 86 | Very peaty and quite sweet palate with fresh, vibrant flavours; wonderful, very peaty finish (holds its own against malts twice its age!) | |
| Laphroaig (Sign) 46% | | 1988 15 | Islay | 7 | 8-9 | 6? | 86 | Fruity, cereally, rich, powerful, earthy and very peaty | |
| North British (Sign) 50.7% | | 1963 45 | Grain/ Scotland | 7 | 0 | 0 | 86 | Huge, fragrant nose with vanilla, caramelized sugar and lemon candy - rum-like and very nice but there's also a note of solvent; fruity palate with mango and citrus but also dry and fairly oaky | |
| Dufftown (Sign) 58.1% | | 1984 25 | Speyside | 7 | 0 | 8 | 85 | Complex, rather nice nose - very sherried with prunes, figs, gingerbread and oak (reminiscent of a Spanish brandy); rich, sherried palate, at first sweet then drying; fairly oaky but very dry finish | |
| Inverleven (Sign) 52.2% | | 1977 27 | Lowland | 84 | Light, quiet yet nice nose with notes of fruit and herbs; the palate adds spices and a hint of peat; clean, mild and quite nice yet unremarkable | ||||
| Glendronach (Sign) 56% | | 1970 1990 | E Highland | 8 | 83 | Rich, fruity nose with a hint of peppermint; rich, fruity and spicy palate; somewhat one-dimensional and a bit too spicy for my taste | |||
| Mosstowie (Sign) 46.7% | | 1979 29 | Speyside | 7 | 0 | 0 | 83 | Nice fruity nose with orange and vanilla; the palate is rich and sweet, nice at first but unfortunately it grows very spicy and oaky; dry, oaky, disappointing finish | |
| Allt-a-Bhainne 55.6% (Sign) | | 1991 19 | Speyside | 6 | 0 | 0 | 82 | Citrus and oak on the nose, unfortunately also a note of perfumed soap. Rich, sweet, quite fruity palate with citrus, oak and malt - much nicer than the nose. Oak and vanilla on the finish. The perfume returns, but only faintly this time. A note of mint at the end. | |
| Ben Wyvis (Sign) 51% cask 685 | | 1968 31 | N Highland | 6 | 0 | 0 | 82 | On the nose it has nice notes of green fruits, vanilla and oak but also a strange, disturbing metallic/acidic note; the palate is nicer: sweet and fairly rich with notes of citrus, vanilla and peppermint, develops oak; nice minty, oaky finish (thanks for the sample, Lukas!) | |
| Braeval (Sign) 59% | | 1979 16 | Speyside | 7 | 0 | 7 | 82 | Rich and quite sherried, yet balanced with a nice, buttery finish | |
| Brora 'Silent Stills' (Sign) | | 1983 18 | N Highland | 6 | 7 | 0 | 82 | Slightly strange nose; quite smoky palate; a bit rough and not very balanced | |
| Caol Ila (Sign) 58.5% | | 1981 20 | Islay | 3 | 7 | 0? | 82 | Mild yet quite peaty, balanced with a very nice finish (but perhaps a bit bland) | |
| Caperdonich (Sign) 43.5% cask 3335 | | 1970 38 | Speyside | 6 | 0 | 1 | 82 | Unusual yet fairly nice nose with oak, linseed oil and note of vanilla (the oaky character is similar to a Spanish brandy); rich, dry, nutty palate, very oaky and rather dry but saved by a nice note of peppermint; dry, spicy, disappointing finish with mostly oak but also a note of gingerbread; verdict: it's spent too long in the wood | |
| Tormore 49.7% (Sign) | | 1992 18 | Speyside | 5 | 0 | 0 | 82 | Fruity nose with citrus and oak. Orange marmalade. Nice yet slightly earthy. Sweet palate with malt, honey and citrus. Unfortunately also a little musty. Develops a dull oaky note. Quite oaky finish but - again - dull. (A little overaged, I suspect.) | |
| Caol Ila (Sign) 46% | | 1989 12 | Islay | 6 | 8 | 1 | 81 | At first musty and a little disappointing with notes of burnt rubber but develops a lighter, flowery and much nicer taste and a very nice finish | |
| Caol Ila (Sign) | | 1989 11 | Islay | 7 | 7 | 0 | 80 | At first a bit strange with a burnt aroma, then sweet, quite peaty with a very nice, surprisingly light and a tad fruity finish | |
| Glen Scotia (Sign) | | 1991 9 | Campb. | 5 | 2 | 0 | 69 | Interesting nose with sawdust and hints of wood smoke and smoked fish; sweet palate with a note of capers | |
| Edradour (Sign) 51.2% | | 1976 24 | Highland | 4 | 0 | 2 | 40 | Liquid soap? Car wash liquid? At any rate, there's no chance of mistaking it for a whisky (hmm, maybe I can use it as an after shave?) |
Last modified on 20-Jun-2014. 2180298 accesses since 16-Nov-2000.