DeinWhisky.de released quite a lot of shop exclusives in 2024. We investigate three releases from different bottlers: Bowmore 2013 (Douglas Laing), Ledaig 2008 (Malts of Scotland) and heavily peated Moine 2012 (The Whisky Jury).
Bowmore 10 yo 2013 (58,4%, Douglas Laing Old Particular for DeinWhisky.de 2024, refill barrel ref. 18397, 240 btl.)
Nose: initially a smoky note that is louder than expected, with an underpinning of coffee and brown sugar. Mineral ashes, green pepper and newspaper ink. Then it develops fruity notes, like peach and tangerine. Light salty touches and a hint of butter biscuits as well.
Mouth: oily, salty and peaty again, with layers of mango and grilled pineapple underneath. Yellow apple and creamy guava. Firmly maritime, with a minty edge, which works well alongside the lightly tropical fruits. Some pepper and salt, as well as a mild woody note (aniseed).
Finish: long and markedly salty. Still a faint hint of coffee beans, with oak and smoky notes.
A very good young Bowmore. The typical fruitiness of the old expressions is already present, but it is still coupled to plenty of smoke and oak spice. A clean bourbon cask works wonder for Bowmore. Too late to buy this one, I believe.
Ledaig 2008 (56,2%, Malts of Scotland for DeinWhisky.de 2024, PX sherry hogshead, 281 btl.)
Nose: balanced warming smoke again, this time with a slightly farmy touch, petrol and hints of car workshops. The mild funk reminds me of some Jamaican rum too. Then a bit of sheep wool, blood orange, pine needles and a hint of tobacco.
Mouth: powerful smoke, with a coastal side and well balanced PX fruit. Hints of cassis and cherry candy. More tobacco, sea breeze, candied citrus and a hint of honey. Then the metallic Ledaig touch comes out. Light cocoa, brine and mild antiseptics too.
Finish: long, slightly more angular. Hints of burnt rubber and bacon, with bittersweet herbs.
Another good choice. Interesting funk on the nose and a very civilised PX cask. Right, also sold out. Score: 88/100
Bunnahabhain Moine 2012 (56,8%, The Whisky Jury for DeinWhisky.de 2024, first-fill Oloroso cask #09003, 340 btl.)
Nose: instant pleasure. Lots of cigar boxes with dark chocolate notes and lovely hints of old, dusty drawers. Then hints of cecina meat from Spain, charcoal, dried herbs and mint, lots of pipe tobacco and some raisins. It’s a dry style of peat with a dry style of sherry, which works really well. Just a few red berries. In fact it reminds me of a few (rare) heavily sherried Port Ellens that we had in the era of Pe1.
Mouth: really good again. Warm campfire smoke (more towards Lagavulin now), with walnuts, herbs and a subtle salty edge. Slightly more sweetness now, raisins and raspberry jam. Some oily / maritime notes too, alongside Cola sweets, tobacco leaves and earthy hints. Just a little coffee in the end.
Finish: long, warm and smoky, with black peppercorns, dark caramel and a sweet-sour-salt combination.
Overall a fairly wild Moine, with deep savoury smoke coupled to a few salty and pickled notes. A lovely warm Islay character. With a couple of years in the bottle it will certainly break the 90 point limit. This one is still available from DeinWhisky.de. Score: 89/100