Best Shot Whisky Reviews

Linkwood 1997 (Brachadair)

“Raspberry Beret”

Whisky Review # 1039

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speysde

Brand: Linkwood 1997

Bottled By: Brachadair, Belgium in October 2016 - 120 Bottles - Cask # 10646

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky

Age: 19 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 52.6% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Hogshead

Chill Filtration: No

Price Average: US$ 140 (Oktober 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good

Buying Advice: 👍 Very Fruity Bourbon-Matured Speyside Malt

Color:

Pale White Wine/Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Please give this Linkwood some time in the glass before nosing and avoid to nose in the middle of your glass. The Nose is quite Fruity and not very Oaky leading me to the conclusion that Cask # 10646 was not a very active one. Besides Fruit you will also find quite a few Malty, Yeasty and Grassy notes. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Yeast, Grass and Straw, Banana Ice-Cream, Green Apple, Pear, Strawberry-Flavored Yogurt, Fruit Flavored Candies like Peach, Lemon, Melon and Pineapple, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Bread, Dough, Caramel, Sugared Almonds, Nougat, Marzipan, Dusty Oak, Earth, Fresh Herbs, Orange, Raspberry, Mint and light Licorice.

Palate:

Oily, Waxy, quite Fruity and Bitter-Sweet-Sour. The Alcohol remains noticeable but other than that it's quite agreeable.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Wax, Vanilla, Sugared Almonds, Grass & Straw, Strawberry and Raspberry flavored Yogurt, Fruit Flavored Candies (Lemon, Melon, Pineapple, Green Apple, Orange), Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Caramel, Papaya Cream, Bounty Bars, Butter, Floral Soap, Dusty Oak, Ginger, Cloves, Menthol, Aniseed, Cardamom and Licorice.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and quite Fruity. Some Sour notes as well. The Alcohol bites a little bit towards the Medium Dry end. I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Grass & Straw, Wax, Fruit-Flavored Candies (Melon, Green Apple, Lemon & Orange), Limoncello, Strawberry-flavored Yogurt, Floral Soap, Grapefruit Juice, Raspberry, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol, Aniseed and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Linkwood although it diminishes the Heat of course. I prefer it neat though.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Linkwood distillery is located in Elgin & was founded in 1821 by Peter Brown. Their Spirit has always been an important part of many Blended Whiskies. The only official core bottling is the 12 Year old Flora and Fauna. There are many independent bottlings around like the one I am reviewing today. The average production amounts to around 4 million litres per year. Linkwood is owned by the Diageo Group.

I can understand that the Fruity distillery-character attracts the makers of Blends like Bell's, Haig and White Horse. It's a pity though that almost all of the Linkwood production is destined for these Blends. In my opinion it's authentic enough to be able to shine as a Single Malt as well, especially when paired to first class Ex-Bourbon casks. Because I do feel that the cask used for this Brachadair expression could have been a bit more active. Nevertheless I will certainly be on the look-out for other independent Linkwood Malts.

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende Oktober 31, 2024

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2025

“If You Care About Single Malts and Trees you will only buy this book on the Wonderful World of Whisky”

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2025

As you all know the purpose of Best Shot Whisky Reviews is to give my personal opinion on Whiskies from all around the world. As it's important to maintain my independent position, I'm not engaged in any commercial activity. But, as I have done over the last 11 years, I would like to make an exception to be able to share with you the 20th edition of The Malt Whisky Yearbook by Ingvar Ronde that has been released every year since 2005.

As always, the Malt Year Book is packed with highly interesting stories, this time amongst others about the changes in the Whisky market in the 20 years since this book was first published, Fermentation, modern Irish Whiskey, Evaporation, the Whisky Booms and Changes on Islay. The writers include Ian Wisniewski, Kristiane Sherry, Charles MacLean, Gavin D. Smith, Nick Morgan and Mark Jennings.

The most important part of the book remains the detailed description of Scottish Distilleries and more compact presentations about Single Malt Whisky Distilleries in the rest of the world. All in all, a total of 874 Malt distilleries are presented with updated facts.

And there's much more such as a new item called "With an Ear to the Ground" viewing the industry from the consumer side, a presentation of 150 of the best Whisky Shops in the world, a comprehensive summary of the past whisky year and an entire chapter about the world's most important independent bottlers.

Whisky Statistics, Best Whisky Web Sites (including Best Shot Whisky Reviews 😃), Distilleries per Owner, Closed Distilleries & New Distilleries and Maps complete this Book that also contains more than 500 color photos and over 200 Tasting Notes.

Year after year, this book not only manages to inform you in depth about the Malt distilleries all over the world but it also gives you solid background info that gives you an idea of the state of today's Whisky market. That's basically all you need if you want to buy one book on Whisky. And that applies to both Whisky enthusiasts and people that work in the Whisky industry.

On top of that, this book is certainly not expensive for what it offers (US$ 21) and is sold in Whisky Shops, International Book Stores, Distillery Visitor Centers and of course at the editor's website:

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2025

I wish you lots of fun with the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2025!

Cheers! 🥃

Jan

Caol Ila 2010 (La Maison du Whisky)

“Fantasy Islay”

Whisky Review # 1038

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Islay

Brand: Caol Ila 2010

Bottled By: LMDW (La Maison du Whisky) in 2021 - Artist Collective # 5.3

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: 3 Refill Ex-Sherry Butts - 2139 Bottles
Sample provided by Maurico from Brazil. Many Thanks!

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 110-140 (Oktober 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Borderline okay

Buying Advice: 👍 Very interesting and different Caol Ila. Worth the try!

Color:

Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Make sure to give this Caol Ila some time in the glass before Nosing as initially it is a little Dirty (think Ledaig). There's some Sulphur around as well. I don't think I would recognize this as Caol Ila in a blind tasting. The Sherry cask influence is obvious and dominates the Spirit somewhat. On the Nose you will get a Dusty and Young mix of Sweet and Bitter notes with some Salty and Sour notes as well in the background. The Smoke and Hospital notes are there but not in an overpowering way. Various Fruity notes as well. Not bad but quite different from your average Caol Ila. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Cold Smoke, Dirty Earth (Peat), Ashes, Iodine and Hospital, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums and Apricots, Dark Berries and Cherries, Orange, Fish and Bacon on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon and Herbs, Dusty Oak, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Toffee, Vanilla, Resin, Nuts, Nectarine, Pear, Wet Rocks and Sand, Sulphur, Varnish, Leather, Tobacco, Copper Coins, Dark Cocoa, Soy Sauce, Mango, Petrol/Oil and Pepper.

Palate:

Young, Bitter-Sweet and a little on the Thin side but quite agreeable despite a few Dirty notes. It's not mainstream stuff and that's a good thing!

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Cold Smoke, Dirty Peat, Ashes, Hospital, Fish and Bacon on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon and Herbs, Resin, Dried Fruit like Plums, Dates, Apricots and Prunes, Dark Berries and Cherries, Orange, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Tar, Pepper, Nutmeg and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Wax, Nuts, Leather, Tobacco, Grapefruit, Nectarine, Pear, Burnt Matches, Burnt Herbs, Mango, Cinnamon, Ginger and Aniseed.

Finish:

Young & a little Thin despite the adequate ABV. It's Sweet at first but some Bitter and Burnt notes appear towards the Dry end. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, slightly Burnt Bacon on the BBQ, Cold Smoke, Dirty Peat, Ashes, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums & Apricots, Burnt Herbs, Dark Chocolate, Tobacco, Leather, Resin, Dusty Oak, Espresso, Gas Station, Soap, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mango, Hospital, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Aniseed and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Caol Ila.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Caol Ila Distillery was founded in 1846 and is located close to Port Askaig on Islay. It was bought by DCL in 1927 and through some mergers finally became part of Diageo. The distillery was rebuilt in 1974 and only one old Warehouse reminds us of former days. Traditionally, Caol Ila is an important component of Blends like Johnnie Walker, Bell's and White Horse. But during the last 15 years Diageo has made great efforts to position the Distillery as a Single Malt as well. Caol Ila is really beautifully located alongside the strait between the islands of Islay and Jura. The Core range includes the 12, 18 and 25 Years, the Distiller's Edition as well as the NAS Moch. We thoroughly enjoyed both our visits to the distillery in 2014 and 2017 respectively despite the fact that you're not allowed to take pictures. Caol Ila is certainly one of my favorite distilleries and Single Malts.

The Art on the Label was created by Loren Klein. I must admit I'm not familiar with the work of this Artist but the Label looks nice.

I don't think these slightly Dirty & Sulfury Ex-Sherry casks are the best vessels for the Caol Ila Spirit but the result is nevertheless interesting. I find that Caol Ila almost never really disappoints. So while this 2010 LMDW is not among my most favorite Caol Ila malts it's still good enough to recommend to those who like young peated Islay Malt with a slightly Dirty Sherried twist.

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende Oktober 24, 2024

Strathmill 2006 (Signatory Vintage)

“Dark Side of the Malt”

Whisky Review # 1037

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: Strathmill 2006 - Distilled on 24-10-2006

Bottled By: Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky Company on 12-11-2020

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 7 - 689 Bottles

Age: 14 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 61% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Sherry Butts with 11 Months Fresh Sherry Butt Finish

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 100-115 (October 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay
Buying Advice: 😐 Oloroso fans will love it but it's a bit one-sided for me

Colour: Mahogany/Brown (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The ABV is very high so I would advise you to refrain from Nosing in the middle of your glass. The Sherry influence is strong as was to be expected. This Strathmill is loaded with Dark and Earthy notes. It's quite Sweet with a few Sour notes in the background. I detect a bit of Sulphur as well. I'm also not too fond of the Varnish and New Oak notes. There are lots of notes and hints to be found but I would not rate the Nose as complex as practically all Aromas are linked to Sherry.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Resin, Dried Fruit like Plums, Raisins, Figs and Prunes, Dark Berries & Cherries, Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Orange, Grass and Straw, Musty (New) Oak, Varnish, Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Nougat, Floral Perfume, Red Apple, Lemon, Cassis Liqueur, Dusty Earth, Sour Grapefruit, Dried Herbs, Tobacco, Rubber, Gas Station, Leather, Ginger, Cardamon and Cinnamon.

Palate:

On the Palate this Strathmill feels Younger than its Stated Age. The Alcohol is very strong and makes the Tasting a bit of a Rough ride. The Palate is a mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes and is quite Dry.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Treacle, Demerara Sugar, Dried Fruit like Apricots, Raisins, Figs and Plums, Dark Red Fruit, Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Grass and Straw, Resin, Dusty Earth, Dark Espresso, Wood Polish, Oak, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cloves and Pepper.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Nougat, Red Apple, Sour Cherries, Cassis Liqueur, Tobacco, Leather, Floral Perfume, Wet Pebbles, Grapefruit, Orange, Rum, Licorice, Aniseed, Ginger, Cinnamon and Menthol.

Finish:

Middle-Long and mainly Sweet. Developing Bitter and Sour notes towards the very Dry end. The Alcohol is quite strong. I find Malted Barley, Caramel, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Treacle, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Figs and Plums, Sour Dark Cherries, Cassis Liqueur, Orange, Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Strong Black Tea/Espresso, Resin, Dusty Earth, Oak, Tobacco, Leather, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves & Cinnamon. After a while your mouth feels like you've been licking an Ashtray. And the Varnish is back as well.

Drinking Advice:

Adding Water is a must in this case. The Alcohol is simply too strong. The Water not only controls the Alcohol but also enhances the Fruit on the Nose. Some nice Nectarine and Apricot notes are revealed this way. On the Palate the Spirit gets more approachable. The Finish gets more Oak, Spices and additional Bitterness. In this case however I strongly advise you to add Water. Thanks to the added Water I have increased the final Rating with 0.5 points.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course and I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: A challenge due to the very high ABV.

Conclusion:

The Strathmill distillery was founded in 1891 in Keith and is a part of the Diageo group since 1997. Almost all of the production of around 2 million litres is used for the J&B and Spey Royal Blends. Unfortunately for Diageo the demand for the J&B Blend has declined over the years and it can be expected that the distillery will focus a bit more on Single Malts as well in the future. For the time being the only official bottling is the 12 Year old Flora & Fauna. In 2014 a 25 Year old Special limited release was launched.

The 14 Years I am reviewing today is part of the Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection. It's not a bad Single Malt but it's super heavy on the (Oloroso) Sherry. That's great if you like that of course but to me it's a bit one-sided. And then there's the very high ABV. I can take a bit of heat but in this case it's really just too strong. It needs added water to enjoy. To sum it up, some people will love this Strathmill and others won't. Have a good look at the Aroma and Flavour profile to make sure you would go for a full bottle of this Dark Side of the Malt.👹

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende October 17, 2024

Teaninich 1999

“Ticket to the Tropics”

Whisky Review # 1036

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Teaninich 1999

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Diageo Special Release - 5352 Bottles

Age: 17 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 55.9%
Maturation: Refill American Oak Hogsheads and perhaps some Sherry Butts

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 200-300 (October 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😒 Pretty stiff for a relatively unknown distillery
Buying Advice: 😐 It's not bad but really expensive

Colour: Light Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Please avoid nosing in the middle of the glass as the Alcohol is relatively strong. It is pretty Light and Fresh for a 17 year old Single Malt. This Teaninich presents a slightly Hot, Dry and Medium-Sweet mix of Fruity, Floral and Cereal notes. Not bad but a little unpretentious.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Toast & Margarine, Vanilla, Dough, Grass & Straw, Orange, Lemon, Mandarin, Pear, Melon, Banana, Floral Perfume, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Honey, Salted Caramel, Wax, Grapefruit, Apple, Nectarine, Pineapple, Nuts and Nutshells, Dairy, Wet Rocks/Paper, Dusty Track, Marzipan, Ginger, Mint and hints of Tobacco, Leather and Varnish. After 15 minutes of Nosing I thought I got some Apricot-filled Puff-Pastry but it vanished quickly.

Palate:

I kinda like the Waxy mouthfeel although it's a little on the Thin side. The Palate is a Fruity mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. Quite Dry and slightly Hot.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Grass and Straw, Wax, Orange, Mandarin, Lemon, Green Herbs & Vegetables, Candy with Tropical Fruit Flavour (Pineapple, Banana, Papaya, Nectarine), Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Dough, Dusty Track, Grapefruit, Gooseberry, Nuts, Banana, Green Apple, Pear, Wet Stones, Herbal Tea, Tobacco, Ginger and Mint.

Finish:

Middle-Long and very Dry. It's a mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes with a bit of Salt as well. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Green Herbs and Vegetables, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Gooseberries, Green Apple & Pear, Banana, Nectarine, Nuts, Dusty Track, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Licorice and Acetone. A light Alcohol Burn in the end.

Drinking Advice:

A little Water helps to battle the Heat of course but it does not improve the Aroma and Flavour profile of this Teaninich. Despite the Alcohol I prefer it neat.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Teaninich distillery was founded in 1817 by Captain Hugh Monro just south of the village of Alness. In 1933 DCL bought the distillery and subsequent mergers & take-overs brought it under the wings of the Diageo Group. The Spirit is mainly used in the Johnnie Walker Blends. There are some exceptions. In 1992, the 10 Year Old I'm reviewing today was introduced as part of the Flora & Fauna Series. Flora & Fauna has been discontinued in the meantime and it gets harder and harder to find this expression. The Limited Edition that I'm reviewing today was launched in 2017 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the distillery. Teaninich is the 3rd largest Diageo distillery and produces over 10 million litres per year.

If you like Citrus Fruit and Tropical Fruit Cocktails you will certainly enjoy this Malt although it is very Dry and slightly Hot. It has a mind of his own and that's rare these days. It's a pity that it's so expensive. People should be able to get to know this relatively unknown distillery, as far as Single Malts are concerned, at a more accessible price level. Because Teaninich certainly has Single Malt potential and I can also see the value of the Fruity Spirit in Blended Whiskies. But at this price level this knowledge will not reach a broad public and that's a pity.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende October 10, 2024

About this site

There are a lot of people writing about whisky. There are few people that write independent reviews. If you have to believe the first category, there are only excellent whiskies. That just is not true. There are a lot of excellent whiskies yes. As there should be because whisky today is expensive! But there is a lot of indifferent product and some stuff is just not good enough. There is a clear need for independent reviewers. I am one of them. I have nothing to do with the industry. I don't sell anything. I don't have the perfect Palate. My opinion is as good as yours! I just taste whiskies and tell you what I think about them. That's all.