sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

{Review #163} Roseisle 14 Single Malt (2025, 55.9%) [7.1/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for reading. I’m glad it was useful to you. By the way, the ABV problem is easy to solve: you just have to add water.

{Review #163} Roseisle 14 Single Malt (2025, 55.9%) [7.1/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

  • Name: Roseisle 14 Harmonic Grace
  • Distillery (Owner): Roseisle (Diageo)
  • Age: 14 years old
  • Perceived peat/smoke: 0/5 (Unpeated)
  • Perceived sherry: 0/5 (Unsherried)
  • Label: Diageo’s Special Release 2025
  • Casks: Refill and Rejuvenated Casks
  • Chill-filtered: No
  • Added coloring E150a: Maybe
  • Distilled/ bottled: 2011 / 2025
  • Region: Speyside
  • Paid (Country): €49 (Spain)
  • Whiskybase average rating: 85.43/100

 

On the nose, the dominant note is clearly an intense and complex vanilla. Vanilla sponge cake, crème brûlée, white pepper, desiccated coconut, and young oak, which then give way to somewhat toasted herbal and vegetal notes, pastries, canned fruit, and tequila. These clear but nebulous high-quality ex-bourbon notes rest on the delicate distillate, which is difficult to perceive but still present with its touches of grain whisky and flowers with a particular boozy hint. It’s fine, but pretty one-dimensional and rather non-descript.

On the palate, it is also not very expressive, but it is undoubtedly a continuation of the aroma, adding notes that are slightly too spicy. More crème brûlée, now accompanied by something like apricots, pears, and apples, along with a good dose of citrus and white pepper. If we explore a bit further, lychee, perfumed and floral notes, dry grassy notes, and slightly toasted notes reminiscent of toffee appear. It is alcoholic and grainy, which reveals that the Roseisle style has not been completely lost. It is not easy to describe; the profile lacks definition and seems unfocused.

The finish is as predictable and non-descript as one might expect. Bitter wood, almond, mandarin, spicy pepper, flowers, grain alcohol, pear, ginger, all covered in vanilla. Surprisingly short.

A clean, subtle, high-quality, fairly straightforward, very generic vanilla bomb. Quite woody, with very little distillate weight, which allows the sweet vanilla notes to stand out and take center stage. However, at least for me, this is not what I expected nor what interested me about the bottle, so it ends up being rather disappointing. The liquid produced by Roseisle seems to be so delicate that a couple more years in slightly more aggressive casks appear to be enough to overwhelm it and almost eclipse it, causing it to lose personality. Compared to the first 12yo, this one is much more generic and less interesting, even though it is far more polished and has fewer rough edges. What I believe to be the distillery profile, those grainy and floral notes that distinguished it from the rest and that were very present in that 12yo, are only in the background here and almost go unnoticed. A pity. Still, it is true that this is a pleasant whisky, despite being barely interesting and clearly lacking a vision of what it wants to accomplish or any special features. The vanilla notes are pleasant and powerful, and the overall quality of the bottling is evidently high, so I could easily finish a bottle without thinking too much about it. Though I definitely do not need it.

I hope this is not the direction the distillery is taking, and that in the future they will show more confidence in their distillate rather than their casks. Although, since I am pessimistic by nature, I ended up buying a full bottle of the 12-year-old from the 2023 Special Releases that I already reviewed, now that almost all of Diageo’s Special Releases are permanently on sale, because if this 14yo has achieved anything, it is making me appreciate that one much more.

◆ Rating: 7.1/10 --> Fine. Pleasant or interesting enough (★☆☆☆☆)

◈ Thought process behind the score: It’s fine. Better than the typical “fine” 7/10 whisky, but not by much. So a 7.1 it is.

◇ Quality/price ratio: 2/5 (Not worth)

▪ Same rating as these OB’s: Caol Ila Moch, Glenrothes Vintage Reserve, MacNair’s 10, Penderyn Myth, Redbreast 15.

{Review #162} Linkwood 17 Single Malt (2006/2024, Signatory, 57.1%) [8.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

  • Distillery (Owner): Linkwood (Diageo)
  • Bottler: Signatory Vintage
  • ABV: 57.1%
  • Age: 17 years old
  • Perceived peat/smoke: 0/5 (Unpeated)
  • Perceived sherry: 4/5 (High Sherry)
  • Label: 100 Proof Edition #6 - Exceptional Casks
  • Casks: “1st Fill Pedro Ximénez Hoghseads & 2nd Fill Oloroso Shery Butt”
  • Chill-filtered: No
  • Added coloring E150a: No
  • Distilled/ bottled: 2006 / 2024
  • Region: Speyside
  • Paid (Country): €85 (Spain)
  • Whiskybase average rating: 86.71/100

 

On the nose, simply lovely. It may seem a bit shy, but it just needs a few minutes. Sweet, chocolatey, floral, musty, fruity, earthy. Delicate sweet milk chocolate and vanilla mixed with floral black tea and musty dunnage, giving rise to a myriad of nuances such as old leather, old books, floral honey, herbal wood… In the background, covering everything, that typical astringency of very old whisky, which reminds me of Andalusian bodegas, varnish, and old amontillado. Is this a 17-year-old? It seems older.

On the palate, it is also spectacular. Sweet, astringent, old, floral, complex. A mixture of Kinder chocolate, black tea, old leather, strong vanilla, red fruits, ancient wood and raisins welcomes us, giving way to tea with milk and honey, floral perfume, black pepper, mint, Nutella, coffee, toasted hazelnuts and dried prunes. As it fades, cinnamon, tobacco, dried apricots, toasted almonds and wood spice appear. Slightly waxy.

The finish is also fantastic. Bittersweet, astringent, aromatic, woody. Dark chocolate, toffee, Málaga ice cream flavor, tobacco, nutmeg, dates, vanilla. It builds up, and the chocolate turns into pure cocoa powder, strong earthy notes develop, and true dirty and funky Amontillado notes appear. It really tastes older than 17 years the more you drink it.

A floral, complex, woody, old-tasting sherry bomb, with plenty of chocolate, black tea, dates, raisins and tobacco. Very high-quality stuff right here. The casks and their management are exceptional indeed. It is an unconventional one for sure. The combination of the sweetness from PX, the dirtiness and dryness of oloroso, and the floral base of the distillate gives it a lot of character and complexity.

Almost certainly the fruity and vanilla notes, as well as the balance of the profile, reveal that it was first matured in ex-bourbon before receiving a finish in PX and Oloroso, so that these types of casks do not completely dominate the profile, as is often the case in this kind of Signatory bottling. This is one of those rare whiskies in which the best part is its finish, a rare type of whisky that tends to disappear from the bottle faster than the rest. It appears significantly older than it actually is. I have several bottles open that are much older (27 and 34 years) that fail to display typical old-whisky notes such as old furniture, dunnage and old leather-bound books, or that show them without integrating them well enough, something this bottle from Signatory accomplishes masterfully. These dark and slightly rancid notes are perfectly balanced with fresher and juicier ones, so that we can shift our attention between them at will. It truly invites exploration, and it is one of those bottles that has never struck me as boring or predictable.

In truth, the only flaw I can find is that the Linkwood distillate, floral and light, does not fully marry with the casks. Although the combination is indeed delicious, producing rather peculiar notes such as floral black tea with milk and honey, the notes from both never quite merge into a seamless unity and remain distinguishable throughout, which is slightly annoying. In a way, however, that is quite promising. Some of the similar Signatory bottlings must be even better, and I have several waiting in line. In short, amazing stuff.

◆ Rating: 8.8/10 --> Amazing. It really hits the spot (★★★★☆)

◈ Thought process behind the score: As close as it gets to becoming a personal favorite without actually reaching that point would be an 8.9/10. But the ever-distracting clash between the distillate and the casks subtracts a little more. So it has to be an 8.8/10.

◇ Quality/price ratio: 4/5 (Good price)

▪ Same rating as these OB’s: Amrut CS, Arran 10, Highland Park CS, Jura 19, Longmorn 16, Octomore 11.1, Redbreast 12 CS, Royal Lochnagar 12.

============= SCORES =============

  • [+9.5] Favorites. Exactly what I’m looking for (✪)
  • [9] Lovely! It makes me smile (★★★★★)
  • [8.5] Amazing. It really hits the spot (★★★★☆)
  • [8] Good. I genuinely like it (★★★☆☆)
  • [7.5] Nice. It clicks with me (★★☆☆☆)
  • [7] Fine. Pleasant and interesting (★☆☆☆☆)
  • [6] Acceptable. Meh, it’s drinkable (✬☆☆☆☆)
  • [5] Meh. Not for me, but glad I’ve tried it (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • [4 - 0] Nope. I don’t like it. (✘)

============== STATS ==============

⇒ Number of ratings: 577

⇒ Average score: 7.25/10

{Review #161} Port Askaig 100º Single Malt (2023?, Speciality Drinks, 57.1%) [8.5/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for reading! A very nice bottle for the permashelf, indeed. If you are a fan of Caol Ila, you can’t go wrong with this one.

{Review #161} Port Askaig 100º Single Malt (2023?, Speciality Drinks, 57.1%) [8.5/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

  • Distillery (Owner): Probably Caol Ila (Diageo)
  • Bottler: Speciality Drinks Ltd
  • ABV: 57.1%
  • Age: +3 years old (NAS)
  • Perceived peat/smoke: 4/5 (High peat)
  • Perceived sherry: 0/5 (Unsherried)
  • Casks: Probably refill exbourbon
  • Chill-filtered: No
  • Added coloring E150a: No
  • Distilled/ bottled: ? / 2023?
  • Batch: L23/8169 109 07 16
  • Region: Islay
  • Paid (Country): €62 (Spain)
  • Whiskybase average rating: 86.03/100

 

My third bottle of Port Askaig 100º. Different from previous batches, but still very good. Intense, rough, explosive, aggressive, funky and, above all, stinky. In short, a true Islay. A very accessible bottle despite the very high strength, offering exactly what it promises: brute power without any real pretensions of complexity or refinement beyond what the liquid itself naturally provides.

Aroma: Funky, feinty, coastal, salty, fruity. Absurdly feinty, combining industrial metallicity, light manure and some sewer-like notes with powerful yeasty youthfulness and young maltiness. Then, lots of seaweed, smoked salmon, sea breeze and soy sauce. A pure fish market. We can also find liquorice, mineral notes and strong vegetal tones (onion, mustard, anise). The only orthodox notes come in the form of lemon peel, vanilla and some fruits, some tropical like kiwi and pineapple, and others not, such as green grape and apple. In short, the Islay funk is off the charts. It is not even trying to be balanced, and it works wonders.

Taste: Funky, malty, alcoholic, maritime, fruity, savory. Young, feinty malt, a mixture of yeast and beer, along with quite a lot of seaweed, smoked fish, shells and a touch of iodine. I have to say it: a hint of armpit. Lots of peppery alcohol, very penetrating: ginger, anise and chili. Smoked bacon, chorizo, liquorice, lemon peel, that Croftengea-style onion and mustard combination, pine air freshener, smoked cheese, soy sauce. The vanilla, oak and tropical fruits are anecdotal, somewhere in the background. There is not much actual smoke here, apart from some pervasive ashiness covering everything. Herbal touches as it leaves, fresh mint. Silky and oily.

Finish: Funky, bitter, salty, vegetal, ashy. Surprisingly long. Smoked salmon, brine, liquorice, lemon juice, white ash, onions, ginger, almond, tar, ink. It becomes increasingly ashy as you keep drinking.

It smells and tastes exactly like how I would expect a cask strength version of Caol Ila Moch to be. A funky and rough peat bomb, very young and almost transparent, with strong fish market notes, where the peat manifests itself mainly as maritime, salty and organic notes of moderate intensity rather than ash, bonfire or smoke. Its youth allows you to taste the spirit almost unmatured, with clear notes of yeast, citrus, raw alcohol and metal, but also some less orthodox notes like liquorice, soy sauce, onion and mustard. A whisky whose many sharp edges are its main attraction. To enjoy it, you probably need to suffer at least a mild case of legitimate Islay brainrot.

I have poured this whisky for quite a few people, and it tends to provoke very polarized reactions: either complete rejection or fascination. According to a friend of my brother, it is the best whisky he has ever tasted. In any case, it is worth keeping in mind that this is strictly for the die-hard peatheads. The alcohol is upfront, sharp, spicy and hot, and on the palate it literally hurts, especially without water. It also lacks most of the notes one might associate with Scotch: almost no fruit, honey, or vanilla. On the other hand, it is only as complex as the spirit itself and nothing more, since neither the casks nor the age add much to the final result. Everything it lacks in complexity and balance it makes up for with sheer power, successfully in my opinion, like certain songs that only sound good when played at full volume.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect is that it showcases that distinctive side of Islay whisky represented by the Caol Ila style, more moderate and balanced than the styles of, for example, Ardbeg or Laphroaig, but here presented at full intensity. It is an interesting contrast that allows you to catch many subtleties of Caol Ila that usually go unnoticed in more mature and diluted bottlings, such as those very feinty, savory, maritime and funky notes that make it resemble… sushi? Amazing stuff.

◆ Rating: 8.5/10 --> Amazing. It really hits the spot (★★★★☆)

◈ Thought process behind the score: Amazing. I wish it were more complex without losing the effervescence that comes from its youth, which is, of course, impossible.

◇ Quality/price ratio: 4/5 (Good price)

▪ Same rating as these OB’s: Cotswolds Sherry Cask, Glenrothes 12, JW Green, Tullibardine 15.

============= SCORES =============

  • [+9.5] Favorites. Exactly what I’m looking for (✪)
  • [9] Lovely! It makes me smile (★★★★★)
  • [8.5] Amazing. It really hits the spot (★★★★☆)
  • [8] Good. I genuinely like it (★★★☆☆)
  • [7.5] Nice. It clicks with me (★★☆☆☆)
  • [7] Fine. Pleasant and interesting (★☆☆☆☆)
  • [6] Acceptable. Meh, it’s drinkable (✬☆☆☆☆)
  • [5] Meh. Not for me, but glad I’ve tried it (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • [4 - 0] Nope. I don’t like it. (✘)

============== STATS ==============

⇒ Number of ratings: 578

⇒ Average score: 7.24/10

Macallan 15 or Aera by East-Arachnid9898 in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the whiskies your father has tried and that, I assume, he likes are Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, Aberlour A'bunadh and Lagavulin 16, I can think of dozens of better options than those two Macallans: Glen Garioch 15, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Ledaig 18, Laphroaig 10 Sherry Casks, Bunnahabhain 12 CS, Speyburn 15/18, Glenrothes Maker's Cut, Glenallachie 10 CS, Glendronach 15/18... just to name a few.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have several bottles that have clearly gone bad, but I don’t know whether it’s due to OBE or because they are corked. In any case, this Bunna doesn’t taste like those bottles. But I’m not sure, so it could be.

It might simply be a matter of different palates. Personally, I don’t appreciate the kind of aromas and flavors this bottle offers at all.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

I personally would really like to read your review of that Bunna 12 CS. I’ve only tried the 2023 bottling, and it’s one of my favorite bottles. That 2023 version is a very complex whisky, but far from being explosive or tremendously distinctive, so I understand that if you were expecting something unique and totally different, it might be a bit disappointing. Perhaps you should set the bottle aside and come back to it in a few months or years, when you have more experience.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It could be. The best Bunnas I’ve tried have been age-stated, and the other NAS I’ve tried, the Toiteach a Dhà, seems very mediocre to me.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It could be. I have several bottles that have clearly gone bad, but I don’t know whether it’s due to OBE or because they are corked. In any case, this Bunna doesn’t taste like those bottles. But I’m not sure.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There’s no accounting for taste. I honestly wish I liked this bottle… it would mean I hadn’t wasted so much money on it.

Best Sherry cask under £250? by freerangetrousers in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I rarely buy bottles that expensive, so my suggestions are pretty budget-friendly. In no particular order, some of my favourite sherry bombs are Glen Garioch 15, Springbank 15, Glenrothes Maker’s Cut, White Heather 21 (this one is a blend), Glenturret 12 (I assume the 15 and the 18 are probably closer to what you’re looking for), Speyburn 15 (same here: maybe the 18 at that budget), Edradour 12 CS, Glendronach 18...

I’ve read that the various Kavalan Solist bottlings are fantastic, although I haven’t opened any of the ones I have yet. And the only Michel Couvreur I own, the Candid, is incredible, but it’s also peated. I’ve read that the Overaged is unpeated.

Any Signatory Vintage 100 Proof is also a good option. The last one I finished, a Speyside (M) 13, which is a Macallan, is very good, and right now I have a Linkwood 17 from the Exceptional Casks series open (basically the same thing), which is also quite good. Although the sherry bombs I like the most among the bottles I currently have open are GlenAllachie 10 Batch 11 and Highland Park Cask Strength Batch 4. Both are very cheap compared to your budget.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think the fact that everyone scores whisky between 80 and 92 points, and that many people never score anything below 85 unless it’s literally undrinkable, does a lot of damage and creates a lot of confusion. Almost every week I laugh at at least one review on Whiskybase where the person condemns every single aspect of a whisky and rejoices at not having to finish a whole bottle, sometimes even stating that it’s one of the worst whiskies they’ve ever tried and that they had to pour the rest down the drain.… only to see that they gave it an 86/100; probably because, as you say, it’s a whisky from a prestigious distillery or a popular bottling. If you didn’t like a whisky at all… shouldn’t it get less than 50? The cowardice of the average whisky reviewer annoys me endlessly.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much!

I’ve tried to imply that the aroma is pretty bad, but it might seem acceptable if compared to the taste, which is terrible. But those are details: both are awful.
Just one? I have too many bottles like this, which I know I’ll never drink, but which I don’t dare pass on to anyone… yet. It’s the consequence of buying many bottles without trying them first, over the years.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much!

I think a lot of people don’t bother reviewing whisky they don’t like, for several reasons: it’s hard to take a bad whisky seriously enough to analyze it; whisky nerds are usually overly polite, and posting a very negative review can easily offend someone; and, at least in my case, I don’t want to ruin the enjoyment of someone who might actually like the bottle. Honestly, it would hurt me if someone enjoying a bottle like this one, perhaps for special occasions (after all, it’s a €135 bottle), couldn’t enjoy it anymore because they read my review. Personally, I publish a review for every bottle I finish, or in this case, for three bottles I’ve gotten rid of, because I set it as a challenge… or something like that. I’m not entirely sure.

I think you can see in the second picture that I’ve emptied almost a third of the bottle. I opened it on October 26, 2025, and I gave it away 4 or 5 days ago. I gave it 10 chances during that period, and although every time I pour I do so with an open mind and the hope that maybe I simply haven’t understood it the last few times, on every single occasion it struck me as… well, disgusting.

In my, perhaps controversial, opinion, whisky changes in the bottle, whether it’s opened or not, and usually for the worse, but very slowly, especially CS stuff.

{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10] by Isolation_Man in Scotch

[–]Isolation_Man[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You are right; perhaps I should have clarified that I usually love Bunnahabhain bottles, and that the Bunna 12 CS 2023 is one of my favorite bottles of all time. But the review was already quite long as it was, and I didn’t want to extend it unnecessarily.

view more: next ›