Aberfeldy 12 (40%, OB, Dewar's - as experienced in 2005 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Herbal & spicy, then 'sweet & sour' like a Chinese sauce. Fruits emerge, followed by organics. Some leather & smoke.
Palate: Harsh & rough mouth feel at first, that's too bad. Hint of salt liquorice. Orange lemonade in the finish? Underwhelming.
Verdict: 80 points - a standard expression that has been quietly improving over the years. The nose is the real charmer here.

Most of the 'A' distilleries in Scotland (Aberfeldy, Aberlour, Ardbeg, Arran and Auchentoshan) have a nice portfolio of official bottlings available for the the discerning whisky connoisseur. The distilleries that (so far) lack a range of widely available official bottlings are Allt-A-Bhainne, Ardmore, Auchroisk and Aultmore. Check out matrix or monitor for our scores for expressions from these relatively 'obscure' distilleries in Scotland. Most of those expressions were released by various independent bottlers.

Aberfeldy 21 (40%, OB, Dewar's - as experienced in 2006 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: The nose is very fresh, quite grainy in a very nice way and rather fragrant. The style is similar to the 12 years old.
Palate: Round & fresh, with beautiful oaky notes and lots of salty caramel. Liquorice too, with a most enjoyable dry finish.
Verdict: 85 points - Not too complex but nicely balanced. A very good Sunday malt for… er… blend drinkers!

Aberlour A'bunadh (59.6%, OB, Batch #15, No age statement - as experienced in 2006 by Craig Daniels, Australia)
Nose: Deep sherry, caramel and gravy - slightly meaty with toffee and mint. A classic example of rich sherry treatment.
Palate: Superb rich syruppy palate with balsamic note - tastes like a sherry or other wine barrel should in the finish.
Verdict: 90 points - I sampled batch #15 for the Malt Maniacs Awards 2006 and considered it gold medal material.

Aberlour 10 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: A comfortable feel with sweet onion & chervil. Vanilla, liquorice, eucalyptus oil. A farmy edge, peppered orange skin.
Palate: This is a tad shy now. Some farmy malts, white pepper and a strange burn. Perhaps also some Chartreuse. Cookies.
Verdict: 81 points - Finish: A bit too short. Slightly vegetal, liquorice and a bit salty. Water makes it more approachable.

Aberlour 16 Double Cask Matured (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Aaaah... Rich, sherried and fruity. Sweet. Smoke and organics. Spices. Coffee? Soy sauce? Burnt caramel?
Palate: Dry with a candy sweetness. Fruity with a hint of mint. Cool finish. Chewy with a very pleasant toffee character.
Verdict: 84 points - Feistier and more complex than the 12yo version. Benefits considerably from a little breathing.

Ardbeg Uigeadail (54.2%, OB, No age statement - as experienced in 2006 by Thomas Lipka, Germany)
Nose: Needs a little time. Peaty but not overwhelmingly so. Later some nutty & marzipan notes, even cream-like (Bailey's).
Palate: Smoky, malty sweetness, fruity-lemony, green apple. Finish is disappointing. Weird soapy and bitter off-notes.
Verdict: 85 points - This was my fourth Uigedail and the worst! The 2003, 2004 and 2005 versions were significantly better.

Ardbeg 10 (46%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Rather soft at first nosing, buttery, soaked grain, porridge & smoke. Wet stones, kelp, iodine. Fresh apples after that.
Palate: Starts slightly prickly (green apples, herbs liqueur, pepper) but gets softer (apple compote, smoked tea) and salty.
Verdict: 86 points - A sure bet. The finish is not too long but very lemony and salty, with a little un-sugared green tea.

Arran 100 Proof (57%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: A tad mouldy. Damp, rotten oak, damp cotton, vanilla, hints on lemon skin, pineapple jam. Candle wax & leather.
Palate: Quite bitter, some mouldy grapefruit, white pepper, damp cotton, drying oak. Gets a gritty mouth feel. Tannic oak.
Verdict: 82 points - I like the finish with white pepper, green oak, a tad vegetal, chicorice, fading away with white pepper.

Arran 10 (46%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Robert Karlsson, Sweden)
Nose: Easy-going fruitiness and some traces of vanilla. Quite light and dry, yet you can feel the alcohol. An uncut feeling.
Palate: Balanced with the nose. Easy-going, light, malty and a little sweetness too. A little on the anonymous side.
Verdict: 79 points - Light, not too complex, perhaps something for the summer time? Other maniacs liked it better.

Auchentoshan Three Wood (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Smoky & sweet like burnt caramel with a 'bourbon' superficiality. Evolving sherried & fruity tones - too little too late.
Palate: Off kilter. Sweet & smoky like the nose, but with a sourish dissonant. Odd mouth feel. Long, dry and smoky finish.
Verdict: 71 points - and batch variation raises its ugly head again. An earlier bottle I tried was far better integrated.

Auchentoshan 10 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Delicate, flowery, slightly perfumy. Alas, some lavender notes which increase with exposure to air.
Palate: Very delicate. Slight vanilla, flowers, chamomile, and a sweet malt. Same lavender notes (FWP?) on the palate.
Verdict: 79 points - Without the off-beat lavender notes, it would be a perfect malt for ladies and delicate palates.

A

Auchentoshan Select (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Very grainy. Light, somewhat fragrant (eau de Cologne). No fruity notes except, perhaps, a little pear.
Palate: Smooth and slightly sugary. Notes of wood. Medium, grainy finish. (But Olivier & Davin liked this one better.)
Verdict: 69 points - We really are in blend territory here, but some blended whiskies are better than this one...

An Cnoc 10 (40%, OB, Knockdhu distillery - as experienced in 2005 by Davin de Kergommeaux, Canada)
Nose: Rich and oily, sherry, heavy fruit esters, grain and malt. Rich sherry, mild nose tickle, quite heavy on the dark fruits.
Palate: Sweet, sherried, nice xmas spices, some wood tannins, but they're nice. Some hot spices, a touch of oakiness.
Verdict: 84 points - this mundane malt surprised me more than most at the Malt Maniacs Awards 2005. Still solid bronze.

Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist (46%, OB, Distilled 1990 - as experienced by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: A polished Islay malt. Light and pleasant peat in the nose with more organics later on. It grew on me over time.
Palate: Dry and leathery on the palate - a smoker's whisky? It needs time but it's worth the wait.
Verdict: 86 points - Not quite the stunner that the 10yo and 17yo were on arrival, but still a great dram.

Exceptional. We don't hand out many of these ultra-solid 'thumbs up' signs these days, but
when we do it is with good reason. This pictograph is reserved for the very rare whiskies that earn
a score in the 90's while still being reasonably priced. Sometimes a malt with a very 'friendly' price
and an average score in the upper 80's earns this badge of honour as well - ever so rarely, though.

Very Good. The 'supergreen' badges are exceptionally rare (especially because we take the
price of a bottle or a dram into account as well), but there are still plenty of solid green badges to
go around. This pictograph can be translated as 'highly recommendable'; the range of very good
whiskies with reasonable prices attached - or just plain 'good' whiskies with 'very' good prices. 

Good. This green 'good' badge should not be confused with an 'average' malt. For the purpose
of this MaltMenu we felt that we should focus on the whiskies we could recommend during a night
out with some friends in a whisky bar. So, even though this is the middle of our scale on this page
it is most certainly not the 'middle of the scale' when it comes to the full range of malt whiskies.

Average. We didn't call ourselves 'malt maniacs' for nothing - we are 'mad about malt whisky'.
One of the consequences is that we tend to score a typical malt whisky higher than a typical blend
or grain whisky - although there ARE exceptions to this rule. With so many interesting 'green' malts
on our list, these whiskies could wait until another time (like when you want to 'visit' all distilleries).

Poor. Few things are as personal as taste, so you might enjoy a whisky that we deemed 'poor'.
It should also be noted that the 'batch variation' phenomenon can play a role here. Some batches
of the Bowmore 'Darkest' seem to be perfectly OK, but others are not just 'inferior' - they're BAD.
There's no reason to take any chances with so many excellent alternatives on the shelves.

Balblair Elements (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Light and grassy, with notes of fresh mushrooms and fresh cereals. Quite clean and enjoyable.
Palate: Fruit syrup, pear juice, and a bit of salt on the tongue. Medium long and fruity finish.
Verdict: 80 points - A simple, but very enjoyable malt (but most other maniacs didn't quite enjoy it as much as I did.)

There are official bottlings available (well, a few of them semi-official) for a dozen 'B' distilleries; Balblair, Balvenie, Ben Nevis, Benriach, Benrinnes, Benromach, Bladnoch, Blair Athol, Bowmore, Brora, Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain. We couldn't find any proper OB's from Banff or Braes of Glenlivet (Braeval) and none of us has tried the 'Flora & Fauna' Balmenach in a decade.
Keep in mind that this MaltMenu only shows a tiny selection of the malts we tried - see the matrix for more expressions.

Balblair 16 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Davin de Kergommeaux, Canada)
Nose: Honey, esters, a bit heavy, a bit sharp, sherry and a hint of licorice, pipe tobacco, some nose tickle, ether.
Palate: Sweet, wood tannins right off from the beginning, quite hot and spicy, some alcohol, brown sugar.
Verdict: 77 points - but that's notably lower than the average score of 81 points at the MM Awards 2005.

Balvenie 10 Founders Reserve (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Rich on bananas, honey and chewing gum. Pleasant, and not cloyingly sweet. Some wax, honey and propolis.
Palate: Sweet, honeyed, with flowers and hints of licorice. A bit of nuttiness, too. Dried fruits, like in Glenfiddich or Glenlivet.
Verdict: 80 points - Enjoyable, not challenging, delicate but tasty and not wimpy. No 'universal approval' among maniacs.

Balvenie 12 DoubleWood (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Fresh & nicely sherried. Lost of honey, caramel and vanilla. Sweet wine. Hints of oak and pepper. Some gingerbread.
Palate: Sweet and creamy attack. Quite some wine, apple compote, honey, a dash of white pepper. Rather long finish.
Verdict: 83 points - It's nice, rather sweet and flawless. Appears much bolder than what I'd have expected at 40%.

Balvenie 21 Port Wood (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Robert Karlsson, Sweden)
Nose: Very nice ripe almost exotic fruitiness. Apricots? Sweet and winey. Are those wild strawberries? Must be a first.
Palate: The excellent fruity domination is still there. That alongside the mellow, jellyish and simply lovely sweetness.
Verdict: 89 points - Very recommendable, a little higher ABV would probably make this an absolute stunner.

Ben Nevis 10 (46%, OB - as experienced in 2003 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Rich with a hint of oil. Furniture polish. A little fruity - gooseberry? Some pepper & spices. Hint of oil. Nutty.
Taste: Toffeeish. Malty, sweetish & smoky. Slightly dusty. Strong dark chocolate. Orange peel in the dry finish. Eucalyptus?
Verdict: 78 points - Not unlike 'Frangelico' liqueur. (Please note that these notes are not very up-to-date.)

Benriach 10 'Curiositas' (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Krishna Nukala, India)
Nose: Peat and syrup, Vitamin B complex, sweet licorice, organics in the rear. Almost like an Islay whisky, but different.
Palate: Again the peat reminding me of one of the distilleries on the South shore of beautiful Islay. Organics finish.
Verdict: 90 points - the first gold medal stuff I found at the MM Awards 2006 but the others voted mostly bronze.

Benriach 16 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: A very grainy and vegetal start, not too bold I must say. Lots of porridge; some bold notes of freshly mown lawn.
Palate: Very grainy and herbal again, and a little oomphier. Some cake and caramel, something rummy towards the finish.
Verdict: 78 points - Not bad at all but maybe a little weak in fact. Other maniacs liked it a little better than I did.

Benriach 25 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Fruity with a sourish undercurrent. Balsamico... Hints on sweat, quince. A tad gritty. Onion chutney, dry oak, honey.
Palate: Somewhat closed, peppery malts, orange skin, brown bread. Water freshens up a bit. The fruit stands out more.
Verdict: 82 points - not that great for a 25yo. Finish has some licorice, leather, waxy orange skin, malts, subtle black pepper.

Benrinnes 15 (43%, OB, Flora & Fauna series - as experienced in 2004 by Robert Karlsson, Sweden)
Nose: Quite full nose of almost saturated sweetness. A little syrupy and perhaps even burnt sugar.
Palate: Very round. Raisin and some other fruits below the sweetness. A bit unpleasant from the burnt sugar (E150?).
Verdict: 78 points - but I need to point out that most other maniacs gave earlier batches a higher score than I did.

B

Ballechin #1 2003/2006 (46%, OB Signatory OB, 6000 Bts. - as experienced by Johannes v/d Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Young & farmy & quite harsh at first. A little bit in the 'Deanston' school of whisky? Not for everybody, but I like it.
Palate: Watery start on the palate - quickly sweetening out and becoming peatier. Cattle feed? Lovely organics.
Verdict: 85 points - once again time wielded its magic - the more time I spent with it the more it grew on me.

Benromach Traditional (40%, OB, No age statement - as experienced in 2004 by Johannes van den Heuvel)
Nose: Light & smooth at first, growing a little grainier after a few seconds. Creamy. Oil? Granny Smith? Spicy. Superficial.
Palate: Weak start, becoming sweeter and a little nutty. Smooth and slick. Over time I got apples, mint, smoke & liquorice.
Verdict: 75 points - Gone too soon. It's quite slick (and improves with time), but for my tastes it's a tad too 'MOTR'...

Benromach Organic (40%, OB, No age statement - as experienced in 2006 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Oh, different' indeed. Oak, hot milk, vanilla, muesli, cereals, tapioca, apple juice, cooked pasta, semolina, nutmeg.
Palate: Rather sweet, lots of tapioca or semolina spiced up with nutmeg as well as some enjoyable toasty, malty notes.
Verdict: 85 points - Unusual indeed and certainly enjoyable – not only for its difference. Not all maniacs loved it though.

Benromach 18 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2003 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Soft maltiness with late fruits, honey & organics. Honey? Water melon? Then sweeter with more citrus. Soap?
Palate: Rather weak start, but then a solid sweet & fruity centre livens things up. Smoke? Doesn't respond well to oxygen.
Verdict: 78 points - a tad disappointing given its age, but we should keep in mind that these were all 'pre-G&M' old stocks.

Bladnoch 13 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Robert Karlsson, Sweden)
Nose: A kind malt. Perhaps too kind. Some hay, a little bit of citrus and malt.
Palate: Light summer malt. The quite simple malt dominates. Quite fresh with the citrusy notes. 
Verdict: 79 points - Nothing wrong with it but not really exciting either. Instead of a Heineken on a hot summer day?

Blair Athol 12 (43%, OB, Flora & Fauna series - as experienced in 2004 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Slightly smoky sweetness. Sweet and sour? Ginger? Red wine? A great nose but it needs a minute to open up.
Palate: Sweet and fruity. A soft start slowly develops into a prolonged explosion. Doesn't respond well to water.
Verdict: 79 points - Nothing really wrong here, but not special enough to warrant a score in the 80's.

Bowmore Darkest (40%, OB - as experienced in 2007 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Just like previous batches, malt, sherry, smoke and some peat are the most obvious components in the nose.
Palate: Much better than previous batches, but still lingering hints of soap and detergent. Astringent aftertaste.
Verdict: 80 points - even though this batch could have earned it a 'green' seal of approval, batch variation keeps it down.

Bowmore 15 Mariner (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: One of the best, most distintive young Bowmores. Like the 12yo, but with more character, saltier and peatier.
Palate: Big, quite powerful, almost Laphroaigish. Licorice, peat, salt and a pleasantly woody and spicy background.
Verdict: 85 points - Laphroaig might be cheaper, but this Bowmore is the best in the "under 20 years old" range.

Brora 30 (40%, OB, ABV may vary between batches - as experienced in 2006 by Thomas Lipka, Germany)
Nose: Aaah, the nose of old Ardbeg! Cowstable, lightly fruity, gently oily, perfect harmony, maybe even a tad too reluctant.
Palate: This one has it all; excellent interplay of soft peat, malty sweetness, a hint of burned marmalade toast & fruitiness.
Verdict: 93 points - Holy cow! Davin calls this 'Mouthgasmic!'. Enhanced by a peppery note that would make Talisker proud.

Bruichladdich 12 (40%, OB, Second Edition - as experienced in 2006 by Craig Daniels, Australia)
Nose: Melon, powder, stone dust, charcoal, vanilla cream, hint of watery smoke. Perhaps a trace of licorice?
Palate: Tart fruit acid in palate chargrilled pineapple and grapefruit. Charred fruit & metallic rainwater in finish.
Verdict: 79 points - Michel felt that the sharpness could indicate a Port finish. No further comments from Down Under.

Bruichladdich 20 (40%, OB, different batches - as experienced in 2005 by Davin de Kergommeaux, Canada)
Nose: Wood and wood spices, some sweetness, ether, xmas spice, heavy dark fruit, hint of nose tickle, kiwi, sour fruit.
Palate: Nice and sweet, brown sugar, some hot spice, a bit of nice tannin, warm & spicey, some wood.
Verdict: 84 points - which was a few points higher than the average score at the MM Awards 2005.

Bunnahabhain 12 (40%, OB, 2nd Edition - as experienced in 2006 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Banana peel, acetone. Quite salty and coastal. Paint thinner and some malty sweetness.
Palate: Sweet, delicate but not wimpy. Nutty, reminiscent of kids' sugar candies. Slighlty flowery (camomille).
Verdict: 81 points - Delicate and sweet, not exciting but still very interesting and a big improvement on earlier versions.

Bunnahabhain 25 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Almost youthful. Sweet and slightly sour (cooked apples), dandelion, old wood, fudge, with also something metallic.
Palate: Sweet & sour attack. Notes of sangria, orange honey, Chinese sauce for dim-sums. Roasted nuts & old sweet wine.
Verdict: 80 points - It's quite malty (Ovomaltine) and gets more and more toffeeish with time. Lots of 'cooked' coffee as well.

Bowmore 12yo (40%, OB - as experienced in 2007 by Serge Valentin, France) 
Nose: Flinty and very, very coastal, medium-peaty. Passion fruits, oranges and mangos like in some much older versions.
Palate: Ah yes, this is excellent. Perfect 'medium' peatiness, lots of salt, notes of candied oranges, vanilla fudge…
Verdict: 85 points - huge progress when compared with earlier batches – Bowmore 12 is truly back as far as I can tell. Bravo!

Caol Ila Cask Strength (55%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: A big punch, yet not a smack-in-you-face malt. Tar & smoke (garden bonfire), green malt & hay. Peppery & spicy (clove).
Palate: Quite 'creamy'. Smoke, peat, apple, pepper… Very maritime (salty), even if this one hasn't been matured near the see.
Verdict: 88 points - Not too complex but very, very nice. Great compactness and boldness. A perfect hipflask malt for Sundays.

There's not that much to tell about the 'C' distilleries, so I'll use this space to point out something important.
In some cases there appears to be a discrepancy between the pictograph at the right and the score and 'verdict'.
That's all it is - appearances. In some cases the maniac that provided the tasting notes and individual score felt a little
differently about a malt than 'the average maniac'. If this is the case, it is usually mentioned together with the 'verdict'.

Caol Ila 12 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Lovely peat! Light and transparent with organics. Leather. Brine. There's a fruity sweetness as well.
Palate: Oy, not quite as powerful as I'd expected. Watery start, then sweet and peaty. More powerful after a few seconds.
Verdict: 84 points - Quite pleasant on the palate after all. A big peaty burn - but just a little too 'flat' and short perhaps.

Caol Ila 18 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: A "darker" and woodier tone than the other expressions, but still fresh and with minty notes.
Palate: Rhummy, peaty but not excessively. Very well balanced with lots of malty sweetness and wood to match. Licorice.
Verdict: 89 points - but the average score from all maniacs is 84 points. Coupled with the higher price, not quite 'thumbs up'.

Cardhu 12 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2007 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Cardhu has always been a 'soft spoken' malt (and briefly a vatted malt). A gentle, malty and 'MOTR' nose. Honey?
Palate: Malty and again MOTR. Like earlier (malt) batches is turns a tad too bitter and flat towards the finish for me.
Verdict: 72 points - but I should add that this was sampled on a relatively bad nose day. Will try to confirm a.s.a.p..

Clynelish 14 (46%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Orangey notes growing bigger & bigger. Very nice, even if a little simple. None of the 'coastal' notes, nor any smoke.
Palate: Light & clean. Orange zest, vanilla, tannins. Less feinty than before. Medium long finish, orange zest & pepper.
Verdict: 84 points - the same score as the average on the monitor at the moment. Coupled with the nice price: 'thumbs up'.

Cragganmore 12 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Red fruits, dry sherry and a slightly sour vegetal and flowery character.
Palate: Dry, winey, not as rich and luscious as some sherried Speysiders. A bit thin, too. Crisp and malty.
Verdict: 80 points - Very refined, but perhaps a little too subtle and restrained.

Cragganmore Distiller's Edition (40%, OB, Port finish - as experienced by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Ripe strawberries, pear, salted licorice and lightly malty.
Palate: bit malty and some hints of Port, somewhat musty red fruits. Finish: Licorice, malty and some caramel
Verdict: 83 points - A very approachable malt.

C

Convalmore 28yo 1977/2005 (57.9%, OB, 3900 Bts. - as experienced by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Heavy & fruity, but little 'definition' at first. Rapidly growing spiciness, organics and complexity. Almost ike a liqueur.
Palate: A surprising pinch of peat on the palate in between the sherry and fruits. Lots of improvement with time.
Verdict: 87 points - and if I were one to factor in the effects of a great 'retro' label it might even be 88 points..

Connemara (40%, OB, Peated single malt, Ireland - as experienced by Luc Timmermans, Belgium)
Nose: Fairly simple sweet, malted barley, some wet grain, warm bread with a touch of peach, nice but simple.
Palate: A bit weak on the palate, you get the malted barley, the grain, the bread, warm peaches a whiff of pepper.
Verdict: 80 points - nice but fairly simple. An ok dram, but simple.

Dalmore Cigar Malt (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Lots of dried fruits (apricots, plums), some slight woodiness and dark chocolate. Rich and sherried, very rounded.
Palate: Rich but not aggressive or particularly powerful. Bitter coffee, orange, chestnuts, almonds. Sweet and delicately smoky.
Verdict: 75 points - Initially intriguing, then increasingly "artificial" and unconvincing for me. But 5 maniacs gave it 'thumbs up'.

As far as the 'D' distilleries are concerned; we haven't listed Dallas Dhu. With some stretching of the imagination some bottlings by Gordon & MacPhail could be considered semi-official bottlings, but since those were all 'vintage' bottlings the chances of finding a specific version we also tried are slim. In the past there also used to be a 10 years old official bottling from the Dufftown distillery, but that seems to have disappeared from the shelves as well. If it's still around, we'll taste it.

Dalmore 12 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Very smooth and rounded. Sweet sherry, very syrupy. Hints of dust, dried orange, milk chocolate.
Palate: Very smooth, sweet and enjoyable. A little sugarish. Herbal tea, sherry, Mirabelle jam. Nice finish on cooked apricot.
Verdict: 80 points - So sweet, even a little 'decadent'. A 'simple Highlander' (in a good way) that won't offend many.

Dalmore 21 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Johannes van den Heuvel)
Nose: Sweet and malty without any 'rough edges'. Touches of sherry but not too much. A good, mainstream malt.
Palate: Here it doesn't really act like a 21yo. Nice but certainly not spectacular. Smooth & malty with a bittersweet finish.
Verdict: 81 points - it's a very nice whisky, but the character is very much like the 12yo (unlike the price). Not much 'BFYB'.

Dalwhinnie 15 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Sweet, malty, full of honey and camomille, but also a very faint echo of smokiness.
Palate: Again, sweet but surprisingly smoky: not peat smoke, rather like burning wood. Vanilla, white chocolate, quite rich.
Verdict: 76 points - Subtle and interesting, but not particularly striking. Worth some repeated visits, though.

Dalwhinnie Distiller's Edition (40%, OB, Double Matured - as experienced in 2006 by Mark Gillespie, USA)
Nose: Warm and musky with tobacco and leathery notes.
Palate: Strong on the front of the tongue with notes of chili peppers and a hint of honey and vanilla leading to a short finish.
Verdict: 83 points - (This is for the '2005' expression.) No additional comments so far.

Deanston 12 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Sulphury at the start, but given enough time you'll be rewarded with organics, currants, red apple and subtle lime skin.
Palate: Very subtle sourish malts. Also some red apple again, apple pie. With time tending to more lager-like notes.
Verdict: 69 points - Behaving more like high proof lager than malt whisky. However: other maniacs like the improvement!

D

Dailuaine 16 (40%, OB, Flora & Fauna series - as experienced by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Sherry. A hint of smoke. Grassy after a while. Not unlike the F&F Benrinnes in style, but toned down a notch.
Palate: Sherry sweetness. Woody. A bit malty. Fruitier over time. Smoke. Oak & sherry in the finish; caramel sweetness as well.
Verdict: 80 points - but that score doesn't really reflect the great development over time! A big pleasant burn on the palate.

E

The only 'E' distillery on our list is Edradour - and the only bottling they produced that qualifies for this list of 'bar malts' is the standard 10yo expression. Batch variation has always been very strong in Edradour and the new owner Andrew Symington has turned that weakness into a strength by releasing a massive amount of single cask bottlings of Edradour.
Needless to say, batch variation can be expected there, so it's not a 'problem' anymore...

Edradour 10 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: All the good Edradour stuff... baby vomit, sour milk, fudge & citrus all with peppery overtones. Some people love it!
Palate: A tad feinty. Lavender, glaced cookies and some spicy oak. After some time it settles down with malts and tea biscuits.
Verdict: 62 points - Okay, some like it, some not... All I want to say: it's a 'must-try', to form an opinion on this infamous malt.

F

If 'Old Fettercairn' hadn't recently decided to change the name on their bottles to 'Fettercairn' we wouldn't have had any bottlings to list here. Fortunately they did, so here we have at least one. We'll look at the Fettercairn range again in the future to determine if other expressions could qualify for this list of standard, affordable and available 'bar malts'.
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Fettercairn 12 (40%, OB, a.k.a. 'Old' Fettercairn - as experienced in 2006 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Apples, rubber, rancio sherry and notes on card board.
Palate: The cardboard continues, brown bread, some caramel. Not my cup of tea. Finish: Malty, dusty, out of focus.
Verdict: 68 points - I think my score says enough.

Glen Moray 12 (40%, OB, wine mellowed - as experienced in 2004 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Grassy and honeyed, getting feinty and buttery. Develops on sweetish notes.
Palate: Quite weak, on grass and liquorice. Short finish. Hard to imagine Glen Moray & Ardbeg belong to the same group.
Verdict: 72 points - Stuart Thompson was at Glen Moray before he went to Islay's south shore to succeed so brilliantly...

Glen Moray 16 Chenin Blanc (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Fresh, apple, mandarin peel, some notes on digestives, tarte tartin and subtle notes of licorice.
Palate: Malty, mandarin, notes on cake dough, some salmiak and a faint spicy feel. Totally non-offensive.
Verdict: 74 points - the finish: A tad spicy gets neutral then and develops malts. Actually quite refreshing.

Glen Ord 12 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Davin de Kergommeaux, Canada)
Nose: Typical grassy, grainy malt. Hints of citrus notes with a little smoke in the background.
Palate: A bit creamy – nice slippery mouthfeel. Sweet malt, petrol, some dry grain, some citrus with burnt sugar. Peat smoke?
Verdict: 79 points - A good all-rounder. Readily available but slowly being replaced by Singleton of Glen Ord.

Glen Spey 12 (40%, OB, Flora & Fauna series - as experienced in 2006 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Very malty and citrussy. Mandarin peel. Faint liquorice, sweat and traces of sulphur. Malts, more green and vegetal.
Palate: Quite light and simple. Malty start, oaths, jumpy oak, hints on sulphur and white pepper. Then oily and syrupy sweet.
Verdict: 74 points - Finish: Flimsy and vegetal. Sappy malts, vanilla and quite some oak that gets a bit sharp.

Glenturret 10 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Fairly sweet with lemon, oil and fish. This replaced the 12yo OB from the 1990's which was similar in style.
Palate: It started smooth on the palate but grew quite gritty and dry over time. Some wood and spices.
Verdict: 70 points - but that's considerably lower than the average score on the matrix (75 points).

Glencadam 15 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Fairly light, yet is has enough on offer. Red apple, some black pepper, pastry, burnt sugar, apricots, anchor butter.
Palate: Seems thin in comparison to the nose. Waxy malts, subtle orange peel, some dried fruits, the sweeter kind of olive oil.
Verdict: 83 points - Enjoyable malt indeed. A tad peppery finish, waxy malts, a leafy feel but not too green in this case.

Since 'Glen' starts with the letter 'G' this is the largest section of the MaltMenu - despite the fact that many of those 'Glens'
(for example Glenallachie and Glen Spey) are quite obscure and don't have an official bottling on the shelves. You should be
able to find independent bottlings from most of these distilleries (although Glencraig & Glen Flagler could prove to be difficult.
Check out the monitor if you've already tried most of the 'standard' material on this page and are seeking a new challenge.

Glen Deveron 10 (40%, OB, MacDuff distillery, various vintages - as experienced by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Lots of grainy notes, porridge, oats. A little metallic and papery, dusty, rather milky and chalky. Rather enjoyable.
Palate: Hugely grainy & cardboardy - and that's all. Not bad but very simple. The finish is quite long, but always the same.
Verdict: 72 points - Porridge from Porridge's. Extreme porridge? We're in 'near-blend' territories here.

Glendronach 12 'Original' (40%, OB - as experienced in 2004 by Serge Valentin, France)
Nose: Very milky, lots of broiled cereals. No traces of sherry that I can smell. Gets quite oaky, nutty and buttery.
Palate: hot pastry, praline and dried fruits. Not very complex. Medium finish, on grainy notes and vanilla fudge.
Verdict: 78 points - Nothing special, I'd say...

Glen Elgin 12 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2003 by Johannes van den Heuvel, Holland)
Nose: Not a lot of character - malty and quite fruity. Opens up a little after 10 minutes. A fairly dull ride altogether.
Palate: Smooth but very restrained. If you like your malts neutral, this is your thing but on a bad nose day it's not for me.
Verdict: 65 points - but I should add right away that most maniacs disagree. The average score on the monitor is 79 points!

Glenfarclas 105 (60%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Luca Chichizola, Italy)
Nose: Dry, sour, winey, intensely alcoholic. With some water, you can release a nutty fruitiness.
Palate: Burning, sour & full of very dry sherry even with lots of water! Crispy maltiness, winey character & a metallic finish.
Verdict: 85 points - The big bad boy from Speyside: dry sherry galore, and a brutal and uncompromising character.

Glenfarclas 15 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Orange peel, vanilla, oily feel over it, quite sweet. Some water brings out faint saw dust, some raw peanuts & almonds.
Palate: Peppered orange peel, malts, hints on eucalyptus. The oil from the nose. Finish: Citrus, vanilla, black pepper, oak.
Verdict: 83 points - which, it should be added, is three or four points below the 'maniacal' average of 86 on the matrix.

Glenfarclas 21 (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Luc Timmermans, Belgium)
Nose: Nice delicate sweet, bread yeast, mash, cold lager, yellow flowers, brown apple & pineapple skin. Oaky, leathery notes.
Palate: Sweet creamy strong taste, bread crumbs soaked in sweet wine with some trappist beer (foam) notes underneath.
Verdict: 79 points - Long, sweet finish with a touch of bitterness holding it together, nice development with just enough wood.

Glenfiddich 12 Special Reserve (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Davin de Kergommeaux, Canada)
Nose: Malty, grass, hints of spirit, bare hints of pickles, sweetness hints of rum and butter
Palate: Sweet, caramel, nice hot spices, pepper, a bit grassy, hints of molasses, fudge, nice rich tertiary sugars.
Verdict: 84 points - but the average score at the MM Awards 2005 was 81 points. Just a little too perfect?

Glenfiddich 15 Solera Reserve (40%, OB - as experienced in 2005 by Michel van Meersbergen, Holland)
Nose: Shy malts and red apple. hints on cinnamon, sulphur, sweet, wet oak emerging, Apple pie. Sourish sherry wood.
Palate: Soft vanilla, apple pie continues, as does the cinnamon, Finish: Flimsy malts, sourish oak, apple syrup, white pepper.
Verdict: 84 points - which I admit is fairly generous compared to the average of 80 points from the maniacs.

Glenfiddich 21 Gran Reserva (40%, OB - as experienced in 2006 by Davin de Kergommeaux, Canada)
Nose: Malt, candied oranges, orange, other sweet fruits, sherry, pear.
Palate: Sweet and watery, some warm spices, gets nice and hot, just hints of wood.
Verdict: 74 points - that's below the maniacal average score on the matrix, but it's still overpriced IMHO.