Age 16 Years Archives - The Distillates

Tag: Age 16 Years

Glendronach 1993 16 Year #538 Oloroso Sherry Butt 61% for Whisky Live Tokyo Japan

Nose: Mushrooms, chocolate, muscovado sugar, strawberry balsamic reduction, pomegranate, luxardo cherries, dr pepper rib sauce, white pepper

Palate: Star of anise, cloves, strawberry balsamic all the way

Rating: 9 / 10 – hot damn this is something special. Complex and decadent. Also important note, there is a #538 Glendronach 1995 PX 19 Year Old. How they have the same cask number with an oloroso and a px baffles me. But be careful when you shop and check the full details before assuming you just wont a favorite bottle at auction.

Tasting Note

Shane

Bruichladdich Feis Ile 16 year 2006/2023 Rockindaal 2.1 Bourbon & Sauternes Cask 50%

Nose: Chardonnay grapes, unripe white peaches, honeycomb, cinnamon simple syrup, copper, penny, rye, tonic

Palate: Ginger chews, quinine, white peach tea, grapes

Rating: 6 / 10 – a really simple lovely pour. Nice balance of fruit and spice.

Tasting Note

Uitvlugt 1999 16 Year 51.9% for Kill Devil

Nose: All of the sweets! Jordan almonds, confectioners sugar, orange honey blossom, scotch tape, grapefruit rind.

Palate: Scotch tape, concentrated citrus peel, white tea, big sip you get some notes of lychee, oak forward and peppery, chewing on a #2 and getting licks of pencil lead, and drinks on the bitter side, like a wheat grass shot

Rating: 5 / 10 – fun but too bitter for today

Tasting Note

Glenallachie 2004 16 Year #4457 PX Puncheon 56.4%

Nose: Cherry cola vibe, super glue.

Palate: Coffee beans, leather, strong wood but integrated fairly well, hints of the cherry cola on the nose

Rating: 5 / 10

Tasting Note

Ardbeg 1994 16 year 57% for Cadenhead’s

Nose: Apricot, smoke

Palate: Raw kale, charcoal, iodine and bandaids.

Rating: 4 (Ryan) 5 (Shane) / 10

Tasting Note

Glenallachie 16 Year 2004 Virgin Oak Barrel Cask #6179 55.1% For Whiskyklubben Slainte Sweden

Nose: Real ripe fruitalicious, juicy fruit gum. Angel food cake and fresh made whipped cream. Christmas pudding. Nice backbone of oak standing up to the fruit, cabinet spices, black peppercorn, fresh coriander, nutmeg, cardamom which tiptoes to chai.

Palate: Oaky bubble gum, new product coming at ya! A one two punch. Big oak, with big spices. I happen to like that so bring it. Still a touch bitter.

Rating: 5 / 10 – I like oak. But no depth and no complexity. I genuinely want to like this more, but the finish has a sour note that is hard to chill with.

Tasting Note

Shane

Savanna 2003 16 Year Collection Métissage Maputo Cask #988 64.2%

Nose: First instinct is masala. Or some kind of wine cask. But I then doubt myself. Which is frankly a reflection of my week. Shit got heavy enough I started baking during calls. Embraced the call of thick moist banana bread. I added espresso grounds, dark chocolate nibs and a big old dollop of a high ester beast. And folded in greek yogurt. This is probably one of the more restrained noses and it has a dry grass and high wood note that isn’t my jam.

Palate: Astringent, young grape eau de vie notes. I could almost believe this is an older armagnac that lost its way and went flat, but then the sweetness layers in. A bit of oaky chew, but not the spice cabinet. Hints of herbal and bitter forest mushrooms. Damn dude, I don’t love this.

Rating: 4 / 10 – Ohh I looked it up and it’s a Darroze finish. Wish they shared what domaine. Mostly so I know what not to send as a finishing cask. But it does have that bitter herbality I often find in some of the older Darroze bottlings which I try to avoid.

Tasting Note

Glenallachie 16 Year Present Edition 50th Anniversary Billy Walker 48%

Nose: Smores, bottom of the tray of burnt ends, Kouign-amann.

Palate: Floral, tart cherrie tart. Ryan gets subtle sour note on the finish but I do not. I love the mouthfeel

Rating: 5 / 10

Tasting Note

Shane

Ardbeg 16 Year 2006 / 2022 “Redbag #1” 2006 Hogshead

Nose: Homemade fruit leather, bright tannins. Tomatoes on the vine, talcum powder. Oiled brown paper.

Palate: Cherry pot brownies. copper penny. salted cod, dusty wood

Rating: 7 / 10 – what a transformation from last years cask sample. This has a nice deep flavor profile.