Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 47.5%ABV
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Morrison Distillers
Official website: www.carnmorwhisky.co.uk
Today, I propose a small aromatic tour, with four whiskies from four different distilleries, all belonging to the Strictly Limited series from the independent bottler Càrn Mòr.
The order is strictly alphabetical.
Càrn Mòr Fettercairn 2011 10yo Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Origin: Highlands (Scotland)
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon barrels
Average price: € 65.00
I’ll start with a Fettercairn from ex-Bourbon casks distilled in 2011 and bottled exactly 10 years later in 1,244 bottles, which are still available. The house style is slightly earthy and dirty. I have fond memories of a single cask Fettercairn bottled a few years ago by Andrea Morisco, but that was ex-Sherry.
Let’s see how this one goes.
Tasting Notes
The colour is straw yellow.
The nose, as a whole, evokes a fairy-tale image (or one from an advert): a sparkling kitchen where a grandmother is garnishing a freshly baked tart with fresh fruit (yellow apple and pear), adding a sprinkling of nutmeg. Next to the tart is an open bag of vanilla sugar, while primroses and violets spread their sweet scent from the open window sill. Beautiful, isn’t it?! As the minutes pass, the note of vanilla sugar transforms into actual vanilla, growing significantly in tone.
On the palate, grandma is preparing another dessert with plenty of custard and white fruit preserved in alcohol. And since cakes are not enough, rum babas are also ready. Meringue and nougat complete a delicious and high-calorie sensory experience.
The medium-length finish sums up grandma’s work with shortcrust pastry and custard, with a hint of lemon zest. White pepper dries the mouth and closes the finish.
Review: Far from being dirty, this is a sweet whisky, which, given its spring-like lightness and drinkability, is perfect as a daily dram, and even more.
Vote: 86/100
Càrn Mòr Glenrothes 2007 13yo Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Ageing casks: Ex-Sherry butts
Average price: € 65.00
The second whisky is a Glenrothes from ex-sherry casks that were not exactly exhausted, judging by the colour. Distilled in 2007, it was bottled in 2020 in 1,628 bottles, which are already a little harder to find than the previous Fettercairn. Glenrothes is a distillery with a fragrant and sweet style, rather inconsistent in terms of popularity here on the blog.
Tasting Notes
The colour is dark amber.
The nose offers a full-bodied sherried symphony. Notes particularly of nuts, on one hand, and yellow orange and caramel on the other, with robust pepper and nutmeg spices enlivening the whole. A daring hint of leather precedes the perception of a distinct scent of seasoned wood, which gives the whole a touch of austerity. An impression somewhere between sweet and balsamic leads straight to Brooklyn chewing gum. Caffelatte and apricot complete an aromatic picture that is even more varied than expected.
On the palate, caramel dominates in terms of intensity throughout the drink, with hints of raisins, milk chocolate and yellow orange, recurring markers in sherry maturation. In the mouth, the whisky is smooth and welcoming, at times even velvety, and carries a sprinkling of pepper that is perfectly in tune with the rest. Cocoa powder and seasoned wood blend effortlessly into the overall harmony.
The medium-length finish combines pepper, wood and yellow orange in just the right measure, with caramel lingering on the palate to tantalise the taste buds before the next sip.
Review: A textbook sherried whisky that may not be the most original in terms of sensory experience, but which possesses exemplary solidity for its genre, confirming the educational vocation, in the best sense of the term, of many of the bottlings in this Càrn Mòr series.
Vote: 87/100
Càrn Mòr Tobermory 2008 13yo Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Origin: Isle of Mull (Scotland)
Ageing casks: Finished in new casks
Average price: € 75.00
I move on to the Isle of Mull with a Tobermory distilled in 2008, which has the distinctive feature of having been finished in new casks before being bottled, after a total of 13 years of ageing, in 1,554 bottles, which are also almost impossible to find. I am very curious to see whether Tobermory’s distinctive island style will find allies or enemies in the dangerous new casks.
Tasting Notes
The colour is light amber.
The nose bounces between citrus notes of orange peel and mandarin and spicy hints of white pepper and cloves, with aromatic traces inherited from the finish of polished light wood and fresh resin. A more intense impression of orange cream accompanies a more subtle one of vanilla cream.
On the palate, the presence of polished wood is predominant, with yellow orange pulp, an unmistakable caramelised depth and a sprinkling of pepper in the background. Orange zest and a touch of vanilla complete the picture.
Consistent with the profile outlined, the medium-length finish is both spicy (pepper and cloves) and citrusy (yellow orange).
Review: The appeal of new oak is personal (for what it’s worth, I’m not crazy about it), but if you want to understand its influence, this whisky is perfect. The judgement, therefore, is even more debatable than usual.
Vote: 84/100
Càrn Mòr Williamson 2013 9yo Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon hogsheads
Average price: € 75.00
And I’ll finish with a Laphroaig under a pseudonym from classic ex-Bourbon casks. Nine years of ageing starting in 2013 for a whisky, produced in 1,798 bottles that are difficult to find today.
Will Laphroaig’s unmistakable voice find its best expression in this ageing process?
Tasting Notes
The colour is straw yellow.
The nose screams Laphroaig: a marine-medicinal tangle of seaweed and iodine, salty accents and hints of disinfectant, with streaks of charcoal and grilled fish, not to mention a generous sprinkling of pepper. On a shortbread base, there are clear hints of coffee powder, yellow apple, toffee and fudge, with a balsamic note of liquorice that grows stronger as the minutes pass.
The palate also speaks the aromatic language of Laphroaig with hints of seaweed and charcoal, and vigorous undertones of black pepper and smoked salt. There is a somewhat surprising hint of dark chocolate, while once again the liquorice dries and refreshes.
The finish combines charcoal, shortbread and liquorice in a peppery roundelay of medium-long persistence.
Reviews: A Laphroaig that is much more expressive than many OBs. Maturation in refill casks and the unusual alcohol content give the distillate the opportunity to show its most authentic, wild and overwhelming nature, like the sea from which it seems to originate.
Vote: 87/100