Vintage 2011 Archives - The Distillates

Tag: Vintage 2011

Shane

Lheraud Petite Champagne 2011 Cask Sample #? @ 44%

Nose: Sauternes, limestone, crisp salmon skin, wheat grass.

Palate: Amazing gentle sweetness, agave nectar, honey dew melon juice, roasted almonds, browned butter. The earthiness of cascara tea without any tannins. almost reminds me of a late harvest wine the way it lands. It’s incredibly simple, but what a beautiful note.

Rating: 7 / 10 – it’s so strange how the nose and palate differ yet align. The nose has funk I notice but doesn’t overwhelm on the palate like the 2002. The sip is lovely. Just lovely. And for a good price this is an easy sipper any day but I might not pay a Lheraud premium for it. It lacks complexity, but It’s what I would give non drinkers in a tiny shot after a large meal any day in place of the traditional honey rum served here in the canaries.

Tasting Note

Shane

Edradour 10 Year 2011 cask 429 Sherry Butt 47% by Signatory

Nose: Toasted almonds, dried figs, cherries

Palate: Coffee, dried cherries, chicory, delicate

Rating: 5 / 10 – nicely rounded and the most delicate edradour I’ve tried

Tasting Note

Glenallachie 2011 9 Year Port Pipe #7858 59.1% Franconian Edition 2021 Germany

Nose: Sugar frosting, grape jolly rancher

Palate: Strong bazooka joes grape gum, mild sulfur note.

Rating: 4 / 10 – meh

Tasting Note

Shane

Rhinns 11 Years 2011/2023 59.3% for Svenska Eldvatten

Nose: Cinnamon honey stick, warm cinnamon roll, salt sea air, distant neighbors chimney with dry maple

Palate: Sea salt and toffee, chai spices, celery salt

Rating: 6 / 10 – quite nice frankly, but need to try it on a fresh palate.

Tasting Note

Shane

Aberlour 2011/2021 10 Year Ruby Port for Cadenheads 55.7%

Nose: Blackberry, cedar, flat coke

Palate: Blackberry cobbler, pink peppercorn, plums, cranberry jam, sour cola bottles

Rating: 6 / 10 – this is totally my jam at first, but then it dropped a tiny touch. But what a fun mix.

Tasting Note

Longrow 18 Year Bottled 2011 46%

Nose: Buttercream frosting, clementines, lemon, minerality, orange blossom water, packing tape, wax

Palate: Honey, green peppercorns, cornflakes, oily with subtle peat which nicely balances with the fruitiness and sweetness. Slightly astringent towards the end with grassy, barnyard notes.

Rating: 6 / 10 – a simpler Longrow 18 from the initial we tried, but still has a nice balance between fruit, sweet, and peat.

Tasting Note

Shane

2011/2022 Motoko Rice Shochu 35% ABV (Miyazaki)

Nose: Cumin and chili powder on first sniff and exposure, mushroom, kafir lime leaf, goat yogurt funk, then starts to go sweeter, rice pudding, hints of wet limestone.

Palate: Intense limestone, green mexican chillies and tomatillo, dried lime peel, shitake mushrooms

Rating: 5 / 10 – glad to try it

Tasting Note

Shane

Bruichladdich 2011 Bere Barley 10 Year 50%

Nose: Herbal, lemon verbena tea with honey

Palate: Pot de creme, yerba mate.

Rating: 5 / 10 – My father, who isn’t a spirit drinker declared it quite approachable. Zero complaints, and zero shits. Another whiskey for me to forget.

Tasting Note

Glenallachie 2011 10 Year #4531 61.6% for Denmark Batch #3

Nose: Astringent, light touch of urinal cake (sounds worse than it is), wood, dusty

Palate: Consistent with nose, cabinet spices, butterscotch, finish is heavy on the wood and astringent

Rating: 5 / 10

Tasting Note

Shane

Bruichladdich 11 Year 2011 Jim McEwan Signature Collection 5.1 Cask #2477 59.0%

Nose: Classic bourbon cask. animal crackers, vanilla pudding, light anise vibes.

Palate: A bright sweetness. Pot de creme, hints of caramel, grapefruit peel.

Rating: 5 / 10 – delicate finely balanced bourbon matured laddie. yawn.

Tasting Note

Shane

Octomore 11 Year 2011/2022 61.0% 150.2 PPM Cask #4556 BourbonJim McEwan Signature Collection 5.3

Nose: Grilled leeks, bergamot, dark bread fruit nut loaf, cinnamon / nutmeg

Palate: Cinnamon sticks, marzipan, citrus white tea, bay leaf and bbw smoke

Rating: 7 / 10 unbelievably soft for an Octomore .. or it’s my 5th dram.