Independently Bottled Single Malts | Various ABV

Choosing our own adventures.

They say it’s hard to change habits. We’ve all heard the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Well, as an old(-ish) dog myself, I couldn’t disagree more.

Sure, as we get older, certain habits become hard-wired, but there are lots of little ways we all continue to change our ways. I am convinced the reason why we often do not notice is that these changes are gradual, coming in tiny increments, and therefore go unnoticed. Until one day you stop, look back at how you behaved months ago and realise you have indeed learned a new trick.

Looking at my whisky notes, I went through one of these late realisations recently. I try to take tasting notes of the whiskies I taste whenever I can. Sometimes in full Dramface style, others just quick scribbles. Looking back at them in my notebook, I realised there has been a significant shift in what I chose to drink over the past months. I realised I have tasted mostly from a limited selection of distilleries since Christmas. A huge change compared to my previous notes, jumping around from distillery to distillery like a crazed flea.

As I mentioned in my Arran 10 Old Particular piece, I was in a sort of whisky frenzy: buying out of FOMO and curiosity, with a net result of the number of bottles in my collection outstripping my consumption by a very wide margin. Part of it was definitely caused by a desire to catch up and make up for ‘time lost’. Wanting to speed up learning about whisky has certainly been a big part of it all. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised I have always been like that, searching perennially for the next new and exciting thing in my personal interests.

It is a trait I see in many of the whisky friends I have met over the past couple of years. We may say we are promiscuous buyers of whisky, justifying our buying patterns as a “stick it to the man” attitude towards those multinationals mistreating our favourite distilleries. But more often than not, I wonder if what really motivates us is that we are driven by curiosity, by a desire to discover new bottles, but also to share experiences with others, even those who may be thousands of kilometres away from us - like a quick read of Dramface comments would quickly demonstrate.

Discovering something new is something that, to put it simply, makes me feel happy. The startlement, followed by fascination, of a new little discovery, is one of my constant pleasures in life. It’s inevitable that this translates into my whisky experiences.

Yet, as stimulating as the constant curiosity for the new is, it is starting to become a bit exhausting. Trying to tick every distillery in the Malt Whisky Yearbook is a marathon I am not sure I want to run anymore. Instead of following the main track, I feel like losing myself down the side paths. I’ve started to crave taking more time with those distilleries that have lit a spark of excitement. Especially those which are a little under the radar, as much as that can even be possible.

In a way, it all takes me back to one of my favourite book genres as a child, those “choose your own adventure” books, especially the Dungeons and Dragons Endless Quest series (I am definitely dating myself here). These allowed you to replay the same story, starting from a fixed narrative beginning, but reaching different outcomes each time based on your choices. Not sure if those books are still around, but I hope they are. They were a great way to stimulate my imagination and thinking.

And if you think about it, whisky is a perfect “choose your own adventure” playground. Tons of side adventures await us. These days we can mostly thank Independent Bottlers for enabling that. All those different single casks, small batches, diverse maturations and finishes at varying ages create an almost infinite opportunity for exploration. Stay and explore a branch of your personal whisky journey (appropriate in this case) as much as you want. And if you decide to move on, nothing stops you from circling back from the start and revisiting a part of the story which is dear to your heart.

I realise that was a long-winded way to say that you will probably be seeing more Hughie reviews focusing on a limited bunch of distilleries this year. I’ll be following my own branches of this common “choose your own whisky adventure” game we are all part of… unless something new really catches my attention.

And we never really know when that bug may strike again.

Review 1/2

Aultmore 13yo, High Spirits Collection 2011, My Whisky Route Series, Natural colour, Non-chill filtered, Cask Strength, Single cask, 56.4% ABV
€65 (£58) paid, limited availability

One of the distilleries I’ve found myself grabbing often from my shelf recently is Aultmore. I have developed, certainly if not a love, a serious infatuation for this distillery whose output is a key component in Dewar’s blends. And. as such, a brand that Bacardi seems, frustratingly, to promote as little as possible.

For me, it all goes back to the first encounter with the original 12 year old. A bottling that, unfortunately, Bacardi seems to have limited to selected markets: finding one in Europe has become almost impossible. Which is a real shame, as it is one of the great under-the-radar everyday bottles: fully aged in bourbon casks, light and clean, but still complex on the nose and rich on the palate. And, best of all for me, with a characteristic herbaceous note, more hay than grass, sometimes even verging on a touch of pine resin, which gives a boost of complexity to the otherwise clean spirit.

Shame on Bacardi for not making that 12-year-old more available, but one more reason for me to turn to our trusted providers of ignored and mistreated distillery spirits… my friendly neighbourhood Independent Bottlers; and in today’s case, the first bottle truly fits that description, being a bottling of the Italian IB High Spirits Collection.

I have been looking to pick up some Italian Independent Bottlers for a while. Everyone’s mind probably goes to Samaroli at this point, but the prices those bottles demand are outside my “normal” purchasing range. I may still decide to gift myself one at some stage, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon. But there is more to Italian IBs than Samaroli.

In Samaroli’s heyday, other Italian IBs gained a similar strong reputation. Names like Moon Import, Sestante and Intertrade. The successor of Intertrade is Hidden Spirits Collection; a bottler I had been keeping an eye out for.

The name might be very familiar to some. But I suspect many, like me until a couple of years ago, will not have heard of them before. Far from me to be able to provide a comprehensive history of this brand, but let me provide at least a small introduction. The man behind both brands, Fernando ‘Nadi’ Fiori, probably deserves as much recognition as Silvano Samaroli.

Fiori’s foray in independent bottling started in the early 1980’s, bolstered by his friendship with Gordon & McPhail’s George Urquhart. He originally started bottling under his own name and then under Intertrade (in partnership with the Tutarello brothers) became renowned for some iconic releases in the 1980’s. Intertrade eventually stopped operations. Fiori continued to bottle whisky under his new label, High Spirits Collection, founded around the turn of the century.

In the past few years, High Spirits’ output has slowed noticeably. So it took me a bit longer than I was hoping for to finally get my hands on one of Fiori’s bottles. When Hidden Spirits released its new “My Whisky Route” series, dedicated to Nadi’s trips through Scotland and depicting some of his favourite bars and pubs on the labels, I decided to take a punt. Without any feedback from fellow whisky fans or having sampled any, and with very little detail on cask type, I decided to trust Mr Fiori’s reputation and pick a couple of bottles from distilleries I wanted to explore more, including this Aultmore.

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*A summer walk in the countryside*

Nose

I have rarely experienced synesthesia when tasting whisky (I am definitely no Mark Watt), but nosing this one flashes colours rather than recognisable aromas. A ton of aquamarine and greens on yellow with a touch of burnt sienna. Don’t ask me what it means; it’s all in my head. And as such, not very helpful to you as a reader, so let me go back to more relatable tasting notes.

The main body of the aromas is sweet, citrusy and slightly earthy. Like a bag of barley sugars; honey and lemon drops while walking on a dusty pebbly country road. Then tons of herbal notes. Cut grass, dry straw and dried wildflowers. The smell of a field warmed by the summer sun. And right in the background, there is a touch of savouriness - beef broth, which acts just like MSG as an enhancer rather than a distracting note, and a bit of oak.

Adding water doesn’t change the nose terribly but adds more baked goods notes, pastry crust specifically, biscuits, barley chaff; and enhances the honey and citrus notes. Still very nice, but the colours are gone, and I miss them.

Palate

The texture is rich and, before adding any water, it feels a touch hot. Flavour-wise, it starts spicy with a lot of cinnamon and a little Jalapeño before it goes to more toasted, herbal and grain-driven flavours. Dark baked shortcut biscuits - toasty but not burnt. Candied verbena. A little straw. Pears in golden syrup, the ubiquitous and unavoidable vanilla. Some very silky oak tannins. The finish is long, sweet, herbal and slightly oaky, closing slightly dry on the palate. Even more than on the nose, the palate hits a fine balance between sweetness and herbal and bitter notes, which makes this a very moreish whisky.

I played around a little bit with water to find what worked best for me with this one. Too much and the complexity of taste is quickly diluted out, but just half a teaspoon works wonders, toning down that initial heat and leaving the rest of the flavours intact.

The Dregs

I have bought my fair share of bottles on a whim, out of curiosity, without any chance to try before you buy and without any feedback from whisky mates. My success rate is, to be kind, average at best. I have had a few disappointments, some successes, but mostly good-not-great bottles. Bottles you would find here on Dramface with a score of 5 or 6. However, I’m really glad I took a punt on this bottle. This Aultmore might be a contender for my best unprompted find to date.

I would have loved a little more information on the cask type used, but the tasting notes are fully in the ex-Bourbon camp. My only real qualm is the spicy heat of the distillate on the palate, nothing a little water doesn’t fix though.

This is not a whisky that shouts loudly, and as such, it would be easy to pass over. My first few drams were nice but not particularly impressive and I got a bit hung up on that heat on the palate. It was my fault entirely. I was too impatient and didn’t take the time to sit with this, giving it the focus it deserved.

Approaching it again, free of other worries, even for just a short time, it started revealing layers of aroma and flavour. And that Aultmore character I love in the original 12 year old, but pumped up to eleven in terms of richness, balanced by those dry grass and flower notes for contrast.

Between the colours, aroma and taste, it has an experiential quality to it - it leaves the feeling of a walk in the countryside on a warm summer day. One of life’s small, unexceptional pleasures. Not something memorable because of the excitement it generates; rather something tranquil, warming and pleasing, even with the slightly ragged alcoholic edges - a pleasant moment in itself that just leaves you with a smile. You may not remember it tomorrow, when something new or exciting crosses your path, but at some point, you’ll think of that moment with a soft smile of appreciation.

Score: 7/10

Review 2/2

Aultmore 10yo, Signatory Vintage 2011, Refill Sherry Butt, Cask 305609, Bottled in 2022 for Kirsch Import, Natural colour, Non-chill filtered, Cask Strength, 57.3% ABV
€80 (£70) paid, limited availability

When I started picking from a few possible Aultmore bottles in my collection to compare to the High Spirits, I decided to choose something which would act as a contrast to the ex-Bourbon expression with a different cask take. But really, something that would satisfy my curiosity to see if the spirit character would still emerge through the Sherry cask influence.

I could have picked one of the Signatory 100º Proof Exceptional Casks series expressions, matured in first-fill Oloroso casks, but I have to confess that, as much as I love the price and general quality, they have occasionally been a bit too cask-forward for me. On top of that, the more refill Sherry expressions I taste, the more I notice I often prefer them over their first-fill counterparts.

If my first bottle was a bet, albeit one backed by the reputation of the bottler, this Germany-exclusive Signatory Vintage Aultmore was something I had tried before, thanks to a German whisky friend. Peter and I stumbled into each other in one of the many online communities where like-minded folks like us end up congregating. Even if we have only ever met online, he is someone I immediately took a liking to.

Like many of the “best” people in our wider community, he’s a passionate whisky aficionado who welcomes newcomers with open arms and encouragement. For the past two years, he’s been the force behind a small-scale Advent calendar, which has been one of the winter whisky highlights for a small bunch of whisky geeks across several European countries.

This Signatory was part of our 2024 Advent calendar. It was one of my standout drams, just a smidgen below my almost ex aequo winners: Ardnamurchan’s Paul Launois (liked by most of the group) and a very funky, heavily peated and sherried Millstone (which completely split the crowd). Even without taking the crown, the first impression from the sample I tasted intrigued me and was enough to convince me to order a bottle when I stumbled upon one a couple of months later.

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*A flirty take on sherry cask Aultmore*

Nose

Flirty is not a word I often associate with whisky, but it seems completely appropriate for this Signatory Vintage Aultmore.

The refill sherry Aultmore combo somehow brings out a blast of sweet, candy-like aromas, which are kept in check by some refreshing green herbal notes, one of Aultmore’s signature notes. To start, I get mostly sweetness: light caramel, candied almonds. With just a few minutes in the glass, it turns into a mix of strawberry and orange-flavoured taffy. There are even light honey and milk chocolate notes, which add to the confectionery feel. That sweetness could almost be too much, but there is a punch of green herbaceous notes, freshly cut hay mostly, and some refreshing spice, cardamom and fresh crushed ginger, which balance things off. The Sherry is very toned down, but right at the back, there is a bit of raisin, and baking spices.

Diluting it slightly with a touch of water tones down the candy-like sweetness. The Sherry cask becomes more recognisable, but still playing in the background. What really pops is the herbal character now matched by a lot of apple, pear and peach. Less flirty, but no less seductive.

Palate

I love the mouthfeel on this one, truly mouthcoating, free from edges but still warm from the 57%+ ABV. It is close to being syrupy. There are more of those “traditional” Sherry aromas here than on the nose: some nuttiness, hazelnuts and a little walnut, spice, especially ginger and cloves, and a hint of treacle. But rather than the lead, these are backup singers.

The core is sweeter and more herbal. Caramel, a lot of white orchard fruit, hay, and even a light spritz of a fresh floral perfume. There is some oakiness, well integrated, adding just a hint of bitterness, but not taking away from the overall feeling of a rich and succulent dram.

The finish is slightly letting this down. Not in a major way, but it is less expressive and doesn’t keep up with the nose and palate. It is medium in length, slightly nutty and herbal, with more noticeable malt notes and cinnamon and ginger spice. It ends quite tannic and drying.

Water oddly turns the mouthfeel a bit more jagged and significantly more spicy, but also reveals the malty backbone of the spirit; biscuity and grainy and still herbal. While interesting, this is one I much prefer undiluted.

The Dregs

If you have read some of my previous reviews here on Dramface, you might have noticed I tend to like malts which offer character, complexity and contrast in spades. Usually this translates into a preference for boastful spirits: if they’re funky too - even better, you know, those with a lot to say. But I do love the other end of the spectrum, the soft, elegant drams where the complexity is there if you just slow down and listen.

This Signatory Vintage hits, surprisingly, very close to the first camp. It is rich, complex and definitely has something flirtatiously seductive at first taste. It is anything but shy. Yet it does not do so by obliterating the essence of Aultmore’s spirit. The character of the distillery, with those dry herbaceous notes, is still fully recognisable. Using a refill Sherry butt was an inspired decision: it adds to the richness without overpowering the spirit. Unlike some of the 100º Proof series bottlings, especially those from more delicate spirits aged in first-fill Sherry included in the early run of releases, this is not finished into submission by the cask.

Why am I scoring it “only a 7” then? Besides the obvious retort that 7 is a bloody good score, please and thank you, the reason is related to how often I want to reach out for this Aultmore. Which is not too often. Even with Aultmore’s herbal character keeping the sweetness in check, that candy-like character is quite marked and too much after a while. A little of this Signatory Aultmore now and then is plenty. The disclaimer is that I say this as someone who does not love sweetness in my whisky too much, so your personal mileage might vary for the better if you have a sweeter tooth than mine.

Score: 7/10

The Final Dregs

Coming to the close of this pair of reviews, I return to my initial point. Choosing the latest releases is a lot of fun, but there is so much to explore out there. It really is our “choose your own adventure” story to build, not better or worse than anyone else’s - I have never seen it as a competition. More than anything, it is about trusting your own taste and seeing where that takes you.

And for me that meant comparing these two Aultmore bottles. Tasting bottles from the same distillery side by side is one of the geeky pleasures we all indulge in, and maybe one of the reasons why many of us inevitably end up orbiting around Independent Bottlers rather than official releases. I am pretty sure I’m stating the obvious here, but bear with me, I got here late, and I am trying to catch up.

So what did I take from it that maybe I hadn’t fully realised before? Not unlike a person with a strong identity who adapts to different environments without changing the behaviours that define them, a quality spirit will shine and transform itself based on the cask without losing its character in the hands of expert bottlers. Even when the base spirit might not be a powerful and immediately recognisable one, like in Aultmore’s case. It can be elegant, like the High Spirits Collection, or even take on a gaudy expression while retaining that trademark herbaceous note.

You know what the best and worst part of this is? Despite my promise to buy less whisky this year, now I need more Aultmore bottles to follow my own particular chosen branch of adventure.

Any excuse goes, right?

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HC

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