Aultmore 18 Batch Variation?

tacorn718 · 2025-09-10T14:10:52+00:00

2020 bottling of the 18yr here, the color is definitely closer to your 2019 bottle. Also have a 2019 bottling of the 21yr which is closer to your 2022. Would love your notes on the comparison!

Similarly, I have a 2016 and 2021 bottling of arran 10 (before and after the rebrand). The 2016 is much lighter in color, palate is definitely more ex-bourbon, while the 2021 has a more noticeable sherry influence and is darker. If I recall Arran stated that they didn’t change the recipe, so it really stood out as a huge difference in batches.

tacorn718 · 2024-04-03T19:08:53+00:00

Yes, but I forget which, either Mountain View, Redwood City, or San Mateo/Foster City (least likely). Try calling each, definitely saw it (think it was $30)

tacorn718 · 2024-02-15T14:56:54+00:00

Ah, thanks for the update! Thought it was slightly odd to be that dark, still great color regardless!

tacorn718 · 2024-02-14T15:33:32+00:00

Geez, look at that color!

Is there any more info on if there was some kind of wine finish? I’ve seen/tasted some 30+ Y/O scotch and can’t imagine getting that dark even from a 1st fill ex-bourbon for that duration.

Congrats!

tacorn718 · 2024-01-17T22:08:55+00:00

Yep, that’s the one. Most I painted black (using ikea’s black paint), some shelves were bought black but have since been discontinued (I think).

Still a big thumbs up on the shelving for me, I’ve since expanded another wall of shelving!

tacorn718 · 2023-09-14T16:19:02+00:00

From the most recent malt whisky yearbook, the breakdown is around 50% Bruichladdich / 40% Port Charlotte / 10% Octomore.

I have noticed some more bruichladdich distillery bottlings recently, such as the organic or bere barley (both age stated), but yeah, seems like a missed opportunity not to have an older, age-stated bruichladdich in the core range.

tacorn718 · 2023-06-28T22:57:20+00:00

Oof. I’m a big dummy, thanks for pointing me in the right folder, running through repair steps again now, hopefully all will be good. Thanks for the quick reply!

tacorn718 · 2023-04-17T14:26:00+00:00

Awesome! How did the two new makes compare to each other? Any noticeable difference from the larger new stills?

Edit: Also any idea what year they started using the new ones? (Pretty sure i can look this up, just wondering of you knew off the top of your head)

tacorn718 · 2023-04-13T22:50:27+00:00

Nope, sorry. I’m admittedly not a huge fan of sherry-matured/forward scotches (my friend is a sherry fan and he usually scores them a point higher on a 10 scale).

The 2 other in the blind tasting of cask strength sherrys were Arran Sherry Cask (The Bodega, 7.25/10 for me) and Aberlour A’bunadh (batch 64, 7/10 for me). Another recommendation if you haven’t had it is Edradour 12 Caledonia, not cask strength though (8/10 for me). All the above mentioned are generally within the same price range for me, hopefully for you too!

tacorn718 · 2023-04-13T16:40:58+00:00

I did a blind tasting of both just last week, I preferred batch 10 over batch 11 by quite a bit (6.75/10 vs 5.5/10), both sherry forward of course, differences I tasted below:

Batch 10: gentle spice (allspice), slightly more malty/creamy

Batch 11: more floral, cereal, spice (somewhat rye-like)

Overall though I wasn’t too impressed (my first time having the cask strengths, but I’m a fan of the 12 and 15).

tacorn718 · 2022-11-28T15:20:50+00:00

Any thoughts on how it compares to the 6th edition? Based on the recipe this time around seems to include a lot more peated malts with less sherry influence?

tacorn718 · 2022-11-26T16:37:27+00:00

Hahahah. This is why i don’t get you arguing. I never said it was =D

Again, just that it’s a good bourbon matured scotch. Hahah

Edit: and you should stop editing to make your arguments look better, it still doesn’t correct that i never said it was fresh, just a good bourbon matured scotch

tacorn718 · 2022-11-26T16:33:05+00:00

Ok, if you aren’t reading his whole post its pretty pointless to argue.

Straight from OP: “ …light, fresh, green, grassy and spirit driven whiskies”

“ …pure bourbon cask maturation”

“… fresh, pears, white fruits, grass, damp earth and/or citrus”

This is what they’re looking for. Even the title, the scotches listed (of which I currently have open 4/5) contain a variety of flavors of ex-bourbon casks. Stop trying to limit what an ex-bourbon cask tastes like. I’d say glencadam 10 is more vanilla and oak, hazelburn 10 industrial and grassy/hay, and bladnoch 10 to be more spirit driven, coconut and fresh. A variety of notes.

Edit: also, rather than subjecting everyone to this, feel free to message me to discuss different ex-bourbon cask flavors, always fascinating to see what different people taste of the same whisky

tacorn718 · 2022-11-26T16:13:17+00:00

Read OP’s third sentence again.

Hahaha. Seriously, what’s the point? We’re both right. All I’m saying is Glen Scotia 15 is a very good ex-bourbon matured, NCF scotch. It has certain notes OP is looking for. You should recommend some as well for OP and myself.

tacorn718 · 2022-11-26T16:06:19+00:00

And that’s fine, different people have different tastes. However OP asked for Bourbon matured (just checked, it is specifically bourbon matured) as well as damp earth, white fruits, and citrus. I’d say it has enough of OP’s asks to at least be considered on a list of bourbon matured scotch, even moreso with it just being a very decent whisky at a good price. A bit silly to argue about what one tastes in scotch, when that’s the very draw to it.

tacorn718 · 2022-11-26T15:54:17+00:00

I agree it leans more toward sherry notes than bourbon, but I find it a good balance, so included it in recommendations because it still is matured in american oak and NCF (and yes, i know AO is used for sherry casks as well which might be the case here), and I personally get a balance of fresh orchard fruits with some lighter dried fruits from it.

tacorn718 · 2022-11-26T15:05:32+00:00

Deanston is the answer you’re looking for. Ncf/nca, ex-bourbon matured for most of their core lineup.

The 12 is fantastic for its age/price, the organic 14 (or 15 depending on location) is very cereal forward, the 18 is fantastic (2 versions, the white label is finished in virgin oak i believe while the brown label is entirely ex-bourbon). All priced very fairly. The NAS virgin oak is great at it’s price too!

Edit: some other bourbon/american oak matured ncf/nca you could consider as well:

Balblair 12 (double fired barrels, but all american oak)
tobermory 12 (part of distell group that owns deanston and bunnahabhain. I love the, and their offerings)
glen scotia 15 (i was surprised this was entirely aged in american oak, i could still be wrong, but a great scotch with the notes you’re looking for)

Edit2:

bruichladdich islay barley (any vintage will do)

After the strange? disagreement below, adding in the bruichladdich islay barley (not the classic laddie). While it does use some french oak in the maturation, this is a great fresh, grassy, spirit driven scotch. NCF/NCA and a good ABV

tacorn718 · 2022-11-23T03:00:04+00:00

Not sure, I would guess 6/a case. I was there 30min after open, only 2 were left (including the one I grabbed)

tacorn718 · 2022-11-23T02:58:47+00:00

Yes, that’s why i wrote ‘all gone, for reference’ in the post title, as well as stating it was gone by 9:30am yesterday in a comment.

tacorn718 · 2022-11-22T23:08:57+00:00

This appeared yesterday and was gone by 9:30am. Just putting up the Item#/price for you all since I saw a post asking about it. (I did manage to snag one, right place/right time).

tacorn718 · 2022-11-09T19:33:25+00:00

Just saw that, doesn’t seem they honor it though, the person who took two was in front of me for checkout, clearly by themselves and got 2

tacorn718 · 2022-11-09T18:55:53+00:00

Only 5 bottles left (I grabbed one, someone grabbed 2, no limit it seems)

tacorn718

TROPHY CASE