We also needed a 'special' section to highlight some of the interesting independent bottlings we encounter every now & then.
They're not included in the regular MaltMenu because they tend to be single cask bottlings, which means that no more than a
few hundred bottles were ever made. That means that the chances of you encountering one in a bar (or a store) are minimal.
Nevertheless, some are special enough to either actively hunt down or avoid like the plague. Since the 'specials' on a regular
menu are supposed to be refreshed regularly, I felt it might be useful to include a few independent bottlings in the list as well.
 
In the long months between the annual Malt Maniacs Awards competitions, this is the place to check for fresh malt material.
This list contains only two dozen malt whiskies - more recommendable malts can be found in the mAlmanac on Malt Madness.
More news on this later...

A few seconds after I proudly thought to myself that I had finished the MaltMenu I realised that it would never be really finished.
Apart from the dreaded phenomenon of batch variation, there are also long term 'trends' when it comes to character and quality.
Differences between various batches are unavoidable - and they are usual minimal. However, some show significant differences.
When I decided to give the Bowmore Darkest another try in 2007 I stumbled across a very nice batch. Nothing overly spectacular
(80 points), but at least an enjoyable and even recommendable dram - miles away from my previous encounter that tasted like
vase water in an ashtray after a fairly nice start. I felt that changes (for better or for worse) should be highlighted on our site.

Longmorn 15yo (45%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland) - OLD BOTTLING
Nose: Malty and a little spirity at first, followed by a long fruity development (citrus into late fruits) after a few minutes.
Palate: Excellent mouth feel at 45%. Big, sweet, malty burn. They managed to keep this expression on track for a decade.
Verdict: 81 points - this has been a dependable, affordable favourite since the mid-1990's. A great multi-purpose dram.

Longmorn 16yo (48%, OB - as experienced in 2007 by Serge Valentin, France) - NEW BOTTLING
Nose: Spirity, oaky and very green at first sniff. Green apples, not too ripe kiwis, lime, grapefruits, green tea. Shoe polish.
Palate: quite strong, very lemony and oaky, fizzy, green… Not complex at all but quite acidic. Sauvignon blanc, anyone?
Verdict: 79 points - Curiously austere for a flagship bottling, but I sort of like its straightforwardness. Big price increase.

Port Ellen 27yo 1978/2006 '6th Release' (54.2%, OB, 4560 Bts. - as experienced by Robert Karlsson)
Nouse: Weird. Iodine and dryish fruits alongside each other. Very fresh and pure malt. Leather and loads of peat.
Palate: Iodine, with peat and smoke making this one quite medicinal. Some hints of dried fruits at the very end, oily.
Verdict: 91 points - almost enough for the very brightest green, but the price is relatively unfriendly for a 27yo.

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength (60%, OB, no age statement - as experienced in 2007 by Bert Bruyneel, Belgium)
Nose: nice sherry, slightly nutty, some cardboard, a true fruit basket.
Palate: starts peppery & rather dry, beautiful sherry experience, a slight nuttiness which evolutes to the fruit basket.
Verdict: 88 points - This one is the result of a great piece of vatting. A stunner too with a price of +/- € 48,-.

Macallan 8yo 'Fine Oak' (40%, OB, circa 2006, Italy - as experienced in 2007 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Not shy at all, starting on lots of apple juice and cider, with hints of mint and getting then much grainier and mashier.
Palate: The attack is pretty nice (nice caramel and toasted brioche) but it's then very weak and almost falls apart.
Verdict: 70 points - no middle and a very short finish, with just these tannins. It's extremely harmless to say the least.

Benriach 15yo 'Madeira Wood Finish' (45%, OB - as experienced in 2007 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Nice notes of fresh walnuts and vanilla fudge. Less yeasty than the Dark Rum version. Quite some raisins.
Palate: Dried papayas and bananas, coffee-flavoured toffee, cappuccino… Maybe a little sweetish now, less dry than expected.
Verdict: 79 points - madeira is the finishing I usually like best (or dislike less) and this is no exception. Simply quaffable.

Nikka 'Pure Malt Black' (43%, OB, Btl. +/- 2006, 50cl - as experienced in 2007 by Bert Bruyneel, Belgium) 
Nose: A typical Nikka nose, nice citrus but also some fresh oaky notes, subtile hints of peat.
Palate: Smooth and a little oily, peat is more present on the palate, orange zest, hits of vanilla: Nice long and warming finish.
Verdict: 86 points - Great balanced dram, nothing wrong with this one … yes, the Japs are coming. Good price; +/- € 35.

Caol Ila 1993/2006 Distiller's Edition (43%, OB - as experienced in 2007 by Johannes van den Heuvel)
Nose: Light, sweet and slightly dusty. More 'veggy' than 'peaty'. And then the wine finish overpowers everything else.
Palate: Ooops.... Yes, there's peat here, but it's weak at first. It picks up, though. I got a nice touch of salted liquorice.
Verdict: 81 points - nothing wrong if you need a clean alternative for a limpy Bowmore, but a 'classic' it ain't.

Tobermory 32yo 1972/2005 (49.5%, OB, Brown/Purple Label - as experienced by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Whoah! Old, dusty and musty drawers, wood furniture (pine), wood polish/wax, ancient leather book covers?
Palate: Oaky, tannic, bitterish… but never astringent or unbalanced. Lots of bitter licorice, Petrus Boonekamp liqueur.
Verdict: 93 points - If you like sweet, clean malts… stay away! This is a dark, brooding, moody old beast - but not brutal.

Aberlour A'bunadh Batch #20 (60,5%, OB, Bottled +/- 2007 - as experienced by Johannes van den Heuvel)
Nose: Sweetness & dark fruits. Some nuts and polished wood as well. Excellent sherry profile. Right up my alley...
Taste: Very hot. Sweet fruits. Raisins. Hint of eucalyptus? Not overly woody in the finish. In fact, it's perfectly balanced!
Verdict: 90 points - finally a batch that can match the very first one from the 1990's. Almost tastes like a cognac.

Cardhu 22yo 1982/2005 (57.8%, OB, 3600 Bts. - as experienced in 2006 by Craig Daniels, Australia)
Nose: Sour fruit, some wood, fruit tingles, some charry notes and some savoury dough nose gets more sonorous.
Palate: Lemon pith and chewy oak in palate. Bitter melon, metal and a hint of honey.
Verdict: 79 points - but I was one of only four jurors not to nominate it for a medal in the MM Awards 2006...

And that's the list of 'specials' so far.
I'll add more bottlings soon, both new expressions and recent batches of old favorites.
For now you'll have to browse through the E-pistles in the archive for other recommendations for
decent drams. Or you could check out the complete MaltMenu of course. If you have a few hours to
spare, check out the Malt Maniacs Matrix and the Malt Maniacs Monitor for many more single malts.
 
Alternatively, Malt Madness or WhiskyFun (updated daily) should offer many more notes...
And if you want to get involved in the madness, why not join the Malt Maniacs & Friends group?
It's free, it's fun - and you might get to participate in a few interesting 'ask an anorak' discussions.

Sweet drams,

Johannes van den Heuvel
Editor Malt Madness / Malt Maniacs
 

Tomintoul 40yo 1966/2006 (45.8%, The Whisky Fair - as experienced by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Fruity candy. Raspberries? Here's a malt that 'shakes its tailfeather'. A BEAUTIFUL nose that keeps surprising. Farmy?
Palate: Sweet fruits again. Surprisingly fresh for such an old whisky. Fairly short finish, but very good mouth feel for a 40yo.
Verdict: 91 points - which is an average of a nasal score in the upper 90's (!!!) and a palate that scores around 83 points.

Imperial 12yo 'NC2' 1994/2007 (46%, Duncan Taylor - as experienced in 2007 by Bert Bruyneel, Belgium)
Nose: Some banana notes, malty, estery, waxy, straw.
Palate: Spicy and initially dry to get more oily, clean, salty, a nice & complex development. Very nice & warm finish.
Verdict: 87 points - this is a stunner in any sense of the word.... Price around 35 Euro's.

Arran 10yo 'NC2' 1996/2007 (46%, Duncan Taylor - as experienced in 2007 by Bert Bruyneel, Belgium)
Nose: Mineral notes, malty sweet, sligtly peppery, very clean and grassy.
Palate: Oily and rather smooth, evoluating to slightly peppery, mineral notes are quiet dominant, remains very clean.
Verdict: 85 points - a nice appetizer, very clean and pleasant Arran. Price around 38 Euro's in Belgium.

Glengoyne 1994/2007 (46%, OB, Rum, C# 90939, 378 bts. - as experienced by Davin de Kergommeaux)
Nose: Butterscotch, very strong caramel, rum and butter, quite one dimensional at first, but smells great.
Palate: Sweet, caramelly, creamy, nice and hot, quite unusual, I quite like this. Best and most obvious rum cask I've had.
Verdict: 86 points - curiously they had a cask strength rum cask last year from cask #9039.

Dalmore 14yo 1992/2006 (62%, Cadenhead's, 306 Bts. - as experienced by Davin de Kergommeaux)
Nose: Candy, milk chocolate, dry hay, straw, very grassy and a bit grainy.
Palate: Quite sweet, lots of malt, nice burn, gets some dry grass and dry firewood, develops lots of cigar box flavours.
Verdict: 86 points - fairly complex woody sweetness on the palate, vaguest hints of vanilla.

Glenkinchie 19yo 1987/2007 (54.8%, Cadenhead's, 234 Bts. - as experienced by Michel van Meersbergen)
Nose: Quite sweet from the start. Vanilla pods, red apple and develops notes on rosted onion. Licorice and dry hay.
Palate: At first a bit vomitty followed by vanilla, some sharpish oak, apple kernels, almonds. Water brings out green notes.
Verdict: 79 points - enjoyable Glenkinchie, but no further comments to make it memorable.

Bladnoch 18yo 1989/2007 (47.8%, Cadenhead's, 156 Bts. - as experienced by Michel van Meersbergen)
Nose: Sour. Something went wrong... Loads of lemon and lime skin, varnish, glue, over-ripe melon, pickles and ghurkins.
Palate: Quite perfumed but it stays at an enjoyable level. Prune jam, some lemon skin and chemical vanilla essence.
Verdict: 67 points - The perfumy notes continue in the finish which fades away with notes of white beer. Weird nose....

Dallas Dhu 27yo 1979/2007 (59.2%, Cadenhead's Chairman Stock, 198 Bts. - by Michel van Meersbergen)
Nose: Waxy, pollen, pumpkin seeds, turpentine. Very classic old Speyside feel. Peach, mango and subtle lilacs.
Palate: Peach, malts, lilicas, pollen, very subtle soap. Goes on with hints of lychee.
Verdict: 92 points - Velvetty and silky mouth feel. Excellent Dallas Dhu.

Yamazaki 12yo (43%, OB, 75cl bottle, Screw cap, age on neck - as experienced by Krishna Nukala, India)
Nose: Fresh oak immediately on nose, Nutty, oriental spices, mainly cloves?
Palate: Toasted cereals, veru sharp on palate, after some time rounding off. Finish Not much body, hot peppers.
Verdict: 82 points - I think it is not pricey and can afforded by a budget pocket.

Port Ellen 23yo 1983/2007 (56.7%, DL Platinum for Whisky Fair, 150 Bts. - as experienced by Johannes)
Nose: Whoah! The nose is extremely rich at first, but doesn't betray its peaty heritage. Burnt coffee? Meaty. Fabulous...
Palate: Very peaty and salty, but with a sweet undercurrent that ties everything together. A delayed 'Ardbeg' punch.
Verdict: 93 points - one of the very best Port Ellens I've ever tried. No need to add a drop of water....

Caperdonich 39yo 1968/2008 (56%, Duncan Taylor, C# 2608 - as experienced by Bert Bruyneel)
Nose: Nice old nose, a pinch of woodiness, dry leather, some vanilla.
Palate: Spicy and some cream, slightly alcoholic, vanilla, malty sweet. Enjoy a full crafty old Speyside finish.
Verdict: 90 points - Still very punchy and fresh to be a 39yo whisky..