🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Blended/Vatted Malts, 13 tasted, H2H, for what it is worth the 1979 Berry's although listed as a blend on the label, I am not alone in thinking it is actually really a vatted malt. Blended Malt 1979 39 year 53.3% cask 4 Berry Brothers (for RMW) WB ID 116204 – 91/92/92 The Fiddichside 1981 31 year 47.5% Murray Mcdavid WB ID 181799 – 87/88/90 Johnnie Walker Green Label 2016 40% WB ID 162279 – 87/88/87 Highland Fusilier 15 year All Malt 40% square bottle G&M WB ID 35030 – 86/87/88 Creations 25 year Cadenhead Triple Malt (Islay)46% WB ID 200899 – 86/87/88 Johnnie Walker Odyssey Rare Triple Malt 40% 2013 WB ID 69245 – 88/87/85 Epitome Maltbarn 1993 24 year 53.1% sherry cask WB ID 118603 – 86/86/88 Hazelwood 20 year 40% Centennial Reserve Kininvie WB ID 155967 – 85/88/86 Hedges & Butler Royal Malt 40% Vatted Highland Malt WB ID 90122 – 86/87/86 The exceptional Malt 43% 2016 Sutcliffe & Sons WB ID 85824 – 86/87/86 Scallywag 13 year 46% 2017 sherry cask Douglas Laing WB ID 95803 – 85/86/86 The Story of the Spaniard 43% 2018 Compass Box WB ID 116617 – 85/84/85 Collectivium 28 year 57.3% Special Release WB ID 99744 – 85/83/83

Symphony The Special Releases from Diageo is something to look forward to every year. Last year, this Collectivum XXVIII was the surprise in the line-up in my book. It is a blended malt of all 28 operational distilleries that Diageo owns. Allow me to list them for you: Auchroisk, Benrinnes, Blair Athol, Caol Ila, Cardhu, Clynelish, Cragganmore, Dailuaine, Dalwhinnie, Dufftown, Glendullan, Glen Elgin, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie, Glen Ord, Glen Spey, Inchgower, Knockando, Lagavulin, Linkwood, Mannochmore, Mortlach, Oban, Roseisle, Royal Lochnagar, Strathmill, Talisker and Teaninich. Did you see Roseisle in the list? No releases of this distillery are currently available. Just sayin’. Lovely aromatic, almost tropical (maybe even Irish) nose on apples, pears, peaches, pineapple and blueberries. Turkish Delight, coffee grounds, leather and old books for depth. A lovely waxiness that implies that quite some Clynelish (or maybe even Brora) went into the mix. Fresh oak – that gives a soft spiciness – precedes some cinnamon and a lot of ginger. Lovely hint of peat and hay. This is complex! It tickles the tongue without burning, despite the high alcohol percentage. Apples and lemon zest come first, followed closely by loads of ginger and white pepper. Walnuts and cedar wood kick in. Becomes fairly sweet, but thanks to something of a dusty basement that sweetness is under control. Furniture polish, aniseed and quinine. I like it! The finish is wonderfully long, perfectly bitter and waxy (there is the Clynelish again) and drying. A feisty lemon zest and truckload of liquorice (and a touch of smoke) in the finale. This is a symphony, created by the instruments known as single malts. I do not know who the conductor (read: master blender) was, but he deserves a medal. Around 150 EUR, but worth it!

Desperately needs water, otherwise it's too sharp and spicy. Once properly diluted, however, you get a creamy-sweet yet still spicy-strong malt that manages to showcase the maritime/mineral and smoky elements of Diageo's coastal distilleries, like Clynelish, Oban, Talisker, Caol Ila and Lagavulin, without sacrificing the rounder, mellower, smoother sides of the other components. Also gets progressively better the more air is in the bottle.

Powerful, edged blend that knows how to score with its aroma spectrum and the power behind it, comes to meet me.

A wonderfully powerful but still palatable and balanced blend. Unfortunately a bit expensive.

I tasted this one blind. A Nice dram, if I may say. I really thought it would be an islands dram, With Highland Park as a primary Guess. Cheers

- a good blended malt - but the individual distilleries are no longer recognizable or tasteable - but as a special edition and for the age rather something disappointing - for 130 pounds or about 180 € rather too expensive, I would rather don't buy (to drink it)

Very nice experience this dram for me. Price is probably a bit too high but I like this dram a lot. Not enough for 90 points but good 89 from myself.

A good woody-grain whiskey, softened by sweetness and herbs, is not rich in a variety of derivatives, making up for in power and density. And it seems that everything, but ... after a while, a wonderful transformation of the malt begins to take place - it becomes a chameleon changing before your eyes, a wild number of derivatives emerges, everything is in semitones, there is no dominant, very interesting, but you have to wait and be attentive. Respect to Diaggio blenders, all this is welded together, there is no feeling of twitching and confusion, not a masterpiece, of course, but very good

A complex blend that results in a predominantly sherry profile with quite a significant over-melted finish. The phenolic part here is more likely to be due to the old Talisker spirits in the taste. An excellent whiskey with bright oakiness and even excessive woodiness. 22 23 22 22

I don't figure the price of a bottle into my score, but were this blend priced around 30 euros less, I would have bought a bottle or a case. It's quite an achievement to use all Diageo's malt distilleries to produce something coherent that actually kind of tastes like the average of what they own, although of course some malts may have been added by the cask while others rather by the pipette, who knows. Tasted with Ben Nevis cask 1368 (91 pts.), Glen Elgin 23yo 1995 Cadenhead 50,6% (88), Glengoyne 28yo Brass Spirit Safe (90), and Caol Ila 25yo 1979-2005 (90). Thank you for the sample, GIORGOS!

As a whiskey connoisseur, there is actually no way around this bottle. I think if someone has mastered the craft so that he can conjure up an acceptable quality from 28 different distilleries, that is already upper class. So it was a compulsory round for me to test it even if I'm not a smoky guy. Someone who doesn't care about that should leave it. There are better bottles for this money.

malty, bourbon casks, sweet vanilla, some traces of peat, salty, some lightly smoked bacon, than some fresh fruits, some apples. finish is all right and all the aromas mingle well. Only had one fine dram of this one but that was quite fine!

In the nose still interesting, on the palate then absolutely average without special features. You look for smoke in vain. Too bad, the mass of different barrels rather blurs the subtleties and does not bring the expected complexity. The alcohol is poorly integrated and disturbs the palate.

This was interesting, i get a lot going in on the nose, the taste simplifies the sweet and light peat, finish is dry yet sweet

Nose: it starts with a very rich nose, which also reveals Sherry influence, a few light and dark fruits (applesauce + blackberry jam), coffee cream, toffee, waxed leather saddle, mushrooms. On the second nose then plays a subtle peat smoke note with pure, some sea salt and lime abrasion come to even a little fresh mint can be found Taste: creamy mouthfeel, which can be rolled right over the tongue, first malt, then some smoke and a great Pfeffrigkeit, which reminds of Talisker, in addition to toffee and orange peel Finish: long and dry, here too the talc pepper, caramel, light woodiness to the end, the spice, forest soil and hazelnut shells brings with it Water: Actually, one thinks of it: "He does not need water." But half a teaspoon opens the malt and brings in the nose again a distinct caramel sweetness, wax and citrus are stronger. This is an Olympic swimmer, the water is doing him very well. No, he really needs it to really shine Conclusion: I have been watching the price policy in the Special Releases for some years with skepticism, nevertheless, I always try to try some of the bottlings, but were the last few years also always really good and sometimes affordable things with it. At this Diageo has done everything right. A Bomb Blended Malt, here the Blendmaster once pulled all the stops of their skills and composed a beautiful Vat. The only drawback is perhaps the finish, behind the back he is a bit one-dimensional, but the overall performance should not diminish. Which malts stand out? I recognize Clynlish and Talisker, but of course that's totally advised. For me definitely a real highlight - 90 points

a great release from diageo, rich and full bodied, well balanced fruitiness, wax, brine and earth (Clynelish + Talisker)

Unfortunately a bitter disappointment. Blending means more than pouring it together, it doesn't let any character emerge, a bit like a vegetable broth that has turned too thin

Aroma: Sharper scent, which will not surprise you. Gray woody, varnished. Citruses, especially grapefruit, straw, vanilla, malt, apricots, strawberries and light cloves. (84 b) Taste: The first impression on the tongue is quite rich, compared to the standard scent. Malt, vanilla, pineapple, apricot, spice, wood. With water pepper and even more foolish, but somewhat pleasantly spicy. (86 b) Summary: I had a half-hour sample that I tasted two-wheeler, while I compared it directly with Cardhu 21, which I liked more. Blended malt whiskey is definitely unusual and is interesting by its composition but its own taste and smell are not as interesting. But I like to use the possibilities of tasting. Points: 85

↑↑↑↑ Click show in original language When I drink it, I really feel very self-doubt. Why spend the exorbitant price on those single malts? The blended malt is really delicious too. If the single malt does not have its own winery characteristics and characteristics to meet the individual needs of lovers, it may not be able to beat this type of blended, because it is really delicious. Plump, rich, pleasing, full, pleasing.

A very unusual whiskey: at first it seems to be nothing special, but then a crazy carousel of taste and aroma begins!

It’s a very interesting blended malt from Diageo. It combines spirits from all 28 scotland distilleries by Diageo. Very balanced notes of fresh fruits, flowers, dried fruits, old leather, a little bit perfume on nose, peat smoke appears after 20 minutes in glass. Furniture polish, spices, dried fruits, leather and oak notes on taste. Long finish starts with spices, and goes with oak, vanilla, pepper, dried fruits notes.

the Clynelish is strong with this one// as for the rest.. it’s like the Babel tower.. crashing under it’s own weight and ambition..

Before all the single malt hype, being a blender was an honorable job. The person who made this blend has definitely done credit to his profession, very aromatic and complex, fruity-creamy, fudge, syrup, jasmine tea, more formal notes, oily, warm spiciness, some smokiness in the back, very pleasant oak note . After adding some water, more oily and waxy notes emerge, combined with red fruits, beeswax and butterscotch. The nose reveals Glen Ord, Clynelish and some other Speyside malts. taste 87 Spicy and oily, herbs, on the palate, very dry, then sweetness emerges. Red chili, dark chocolate, barley sugar, a little salty. On the palate it reveals Clynelish, Talisker and more highland malt. Very intense and . departure 88 Very long and dry. Spicy, herbal, earthy, caramel syrup, black pepper, a little sooty and smoky, some bitterness. The finale reveals Islay and Island Malts.

It has a feeling of all the ingredients being thrown together, but it's a pretty good blend among the wines.

Interesting multi-layered whisky. Hats off to the master blender who created this release. Fruity sweetness with many smoky variations.

My first impressions are good, to retest soon as this dram seems complex. Very happy to have been able to taste it.

It is so stiff that even if you have a lot of airing, it is inconvenient to drink,no personality

This is a fantastically lovely blended malt. One of the best I have tasted. When you consider that there are 28 malt whiskies blended together, you have to admit that it is a very well-executed blending job. The result has lots of aroma and flavor, and at the same time it is in really good balance.

A showy product from Diageo. It's complicated to smell, but it's more common

Busy, but really, really tasty. The heavy funkiness was a pleasant surprise. There’s a certain elegance in the heaviness though. I might have guessed that this was an older Springbank, or maybe even a Brora. There were definitely elements that reminded me of both of those distilleries. Super good. Nose: Ooh, there’s some age to this one. There’s definitely a lot going on. I got the sherry fruit first: mild, but rich and dark. Fig, raisin, date, and apricot. Next came the peat smoke, which I suppose comes from Lagavulin, Talisker and Caol Ila. I tried to look. for the individual signatures of those distilleries, but couldn’t find anything concrete. Black pepper, old punky wood, old warehouse, and a bit of a ripe-pear funk. A bit of salt, seaweed, and some cheese. Honey and caramel lie underneath everything. Palate: Oily and full texture. Earthy-sweet arrival, with orange peel, brown sugar, musty earth, and buttered dark bread. Develops into something dark, woody, and peaty. Black pepper and hot chili, with savory wood spices and cedar smoke. Dark toffee right in the middle. Coffee, black tea, dark chocolate, and mild leather. Earthy and mushroomy, with a touch of lemon on the back end. Finish: Deep and musty. Black tea, turning into sweeter milk tea. Foresty cedar. Grape must and fig. Sweetens up, but the peat and pepper do linger. Lemon, orange, rose, chocolate biscuits, and malt. A touch of seaweed and rubber on the back.

Scotland in a glass

It's quite complex, but not very drinkable.

Collectivum XXVII has quite a lot going on – as you might expect from its 28 distillery-wide provenance – but once its been treated with the proper respect in terms of resting and dilution it holds up extremely well. All of the Diageo Special Releases are bottled at cask strength – it’s simply part of the brand proposition - but this is one where the high proof does the liquid few favours. Once the ABV is reduced it’s a very well composed whisky offering depth of flavour, complexity and balance. https://www.thedramble.com/tastings/blend/collectivum-xviii-special-releases-2017/

It's a decisive blended malt whisky.

Old gold hue, lighter than expected. Solid, calm, characterful, not a "noisy" kind of whisky. Splendid and decently complex notes.

cinnamon, vanilla, berries, citrus, nuts, dried fruits, tobacco, candy shop, leather - very multilayered yet incredibly complex whisky. After 2 years I still have an amazing memories about it.

Restrained yet complex and balanced. Yeast, mushrooms, oatmeal, raw wood, tree resin, smoke, tobacco, fallen leaves, cinnamon, almond, vanilla, rotten banana, pear, old strawberry, feijoa, bubblegum.

Nose: The aroma is deep, rich, powerful, yet delicate and gentle. Floral, apple peel, honeycomb wax, soft pastry with apple jam, strawberry jam, canned pineapple, tanned leather, ginger, white pepper, treated board. There is a subtle earthiness in the background. Palate: the taste is bright, slightly burning, peppery. The second sip is perceived calmer, more delicately. Here come vanilla, meadow flowers, honey, white pepper, ginger, muesli with nuts and candied fruits, lemon zest, pleasant tannins Finish: Warming, peppery-zesty, with white pepper, ginger, malty sweetness and tobacco leaf astringency Balance: As a result of Diageo's experiment, we have received an interesting, original drink with an intriguing and promising nose, offering a kaleidoscope of aromas and nuances. Unfortunately, the taste and aftertaste turned out to be a little simpler, apparently not only aged spirits were used in the blend. Overall, we have an interesting, complex, lively old-style whiskey in the style of Speyside, a worthy example of N23, P22, F22, B22

A very well made blend. The fortress is almost not felt.

It's stupid but it works How did they do that?

Taste: medium bouquet, German. Orange note, alcohol very well integrated, slightly waxy, beautiful wood spice, which is buffered by a rather sweetish base tone, smoke only completely hidden in the base, light leather tone, subtle dustiness, with water dtl. yellow fruity and sweeter, ripe pear, still dense, slightly throaty, quite complex Taste: medium body, alcohol again well integrated, dark coffee, woody spice is present, long aftertaste with a slightly woody bitter note, warming and mouth-filling, also with water again a dtl. Leather note, nutty, medium to long finish Color: light amber, medium WR, clear Conclusion: Blending 28 distillates is certainly an art - and the result can be seen and tasted .... The fact that the individual distilleries can no longer be isolated (at least by me) can also be assessed positively - only the waxiness is left infer a not inconsiderable proportion of Clynelish. Whether the offer is worth 150 euros remains a matter of discussion - unfortunately, for me with this tariff there is no re-purchase

This whisky is a blend of whiskies from all 28 single malt distilleries that were operating under Diageo at the time, which is quite interesting. It has smoky, honey, waxy, and fruity notes, and considering the current price, it's a very pleasant drink.

Tasty. I can catch Diageo's malts. and it's very balanced! It's 57.3% ABV but I can't notice alcohol. Nice. I will consider repurchasing.

Nice