.laphroaig - a.d. rattray - cask# 4096

On our travels through Scotland in 2013, we diverted our route to the Bladnoch distillery, so we would drive past A.D. Ratray's Whisky Experience, near Kirkoswald. A nice little place, where one can enjoy a guided tasting, browse around in the little shop with their ever changing selection, or empty one of the casks into your own bottle. That last part is exactly what we did and one of the bottles would be a 375ml Laphroaig.

.clynelish - 1995 - 17yo - yves boode

45,2% abv, €65, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour, single cask

Nose: sweet, vanilla, fruits, unripe apples, sour white grapes
Palate: sour grapes, white pepper, that's it really...
Finish: sour grapes, short, thankfully short
Mark: +++++

Conclusion: Not the best Clynelish I have ever tasted. She is "a bit" sour that overpowers the normally gentle and fruity character of the distillery. My statement that you can not go wrong with a Clynelish is herewith negated.

More info: whisky shop Yves Boode has - together with importer Bresser and Timmer - imported a series of whiskies bottled by A.D Rattray. This series, called The Specialists' Choice. All of these are single casks, natural colour and non-chill filtered.

Distilled in 1995, matured in a refill ex-Bourbon cask, bottled in 2013 into 285 bottles.

.glenlossie - 1992 - 2013

56,7% abv, €100, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural color

Nose: sweet, vanilla, sharp, fresh fruits, citrus, lime, oranges, tangerines, pineapples, cranberries, raspberries, brambles
Palate: sharp, sweet, buttery-fat, vanilla, sugar, citrus, oranges, red fruit, cherries, strawberries, brambles
Finish: gentle, vanilla, sweet, strong, medium-long
Mark: +++++

Conclusion: Very nice. She had quite a bite at first, but mellowed after a while into a well stocked fruit basket, where the gentle soft fruits have the upper hand.

More info: "self-bottled" (self-labeled would be more correct) at A.D. Rattray's Whisky Experience in Ayrshire, on our way to the Bladnoch distillery. It has been distilled somewhere in 1992 and was hand bottled on the 8th of June 2013, from cask #3440, that was - if I remember correctly, a refill bourbon barrel. Also, I forgot to make a proper picture, so you'll have to make do with a phone-picture that was taken during a whisky-dinner, where we paired it with a fantastic chocolate mousse - a great combination. More on the whisky-dinner will come soon.

Glenlossie is one of the many distilleries owned by Diageo, that is rarely found as a single malt. As far as I have done my homework right, there has only been one official distillery bottling, all other bottlings have to be sourced via independent bottlers.
I am a bit sad this bottle is empty.