Coleburn 38yo 1981/2019

Coleburn 38yo 1981/2019

Private Collection, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Mahogany 
55.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, white grapes, persimmons, leather, magic marker, pear drops, papayas. With water, fresh cut grass, magic marker, raisins, chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Green tea, fresh cut grass, persimmons, white grapes, magic marker, pear drops, leather, photocopy paper. With water, fresh cut grass, magic marker, raisins, pear drops. 
Finish: Long. Papayas, persimmons, white grapes, pear drops. 

Comments: 

Sweet, luscious, rich and satisfying, this is a very special dram. It’s fruity and estery, showing its age but is still lively and spritely. Water peps it up a bit, showing even more fruit and esters. Delicious and unusual.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. D

Coleburn 17yo 1978/1995

Coleburn 17yo 1978/1995

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cotton sheets, cola nuts, malted grains, damson jam, white peaches, sultanas, white pepper. With water, malted grains, mint, camphor, damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, hot. 
Tasting: Sweet salty. Cola nuts, balsamic vinegar, caramelised onions, white peaches, sultanas, cocoa nibs, white pepper, hints of damson jam. With water, damson jam, cocoa nibs, white peaches, sultanas, cola nuts. 

Finish: Long. Balsamic vinegar, white pepper, sultanas, dark chocolate, hints of damson jam. 

Comments: 

Rather sweet and fruity at first, then it falls apart into sour savoury notes, caramelised onions in balsamic vinegar. It’s almost a rancio note, very interesting old bottle effect. It’s a long, sweet sour lingering feel on the tongue and on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Coleburn 26yo 1983/2009

Coleburn 26yo 1983/2009

Fossils, The Whisky Agency
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold, hints of pink
49.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: White peaches, malted grains, guavas, sandalwood, vanilla, brass polish, white pepper, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, oily, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Soor ploom sweets, malted grains, white peaches, camphor, sandalwood, tamarind, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Brass polish, white peaches, guavas, tamarind, sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Fruity, tangy and malty whisky. Very pleasant mouthfeel, thick, almost chewy. On the tongue lots of floral spicy notes appear, with a nice little peppery bite at the end. Delicious stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Coleburn 29yo 1970/1999

Coleburn 29yo 1970/1999

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, brass polish, vitamin C tablets, fresh cut grass, orange juice. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Orange juice, brass polish, wet stones, vitamin C tablets, leather, fresh cut grass, white chocolate, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Medium. White chocolate, brass polish, leather, lemon zest, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Very different from the previous dram, this one is still citrusy but has a bit more of a herbal character. There’s quite a lot of white chocolate, and feinty notes appear after a little while. A dram to contemplate.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Coleburn 34yo 1967/2002

Coleburn 34yo 1967/2002

Old and Rare Platinum Selection, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Buttercups
50.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, lemon zest, cream soda, vanilla, leather, celery salt, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, malted grains, gooseberries, cream soda. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White chocolate, leather, papayas, cream soda, celery salt, gooseberries, malted grains, hints of cloves. With water, malted grains, leather, gooseberries, photocopy paper. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, cream soda, cloves, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Excellent old Speyside whisky, like gooseberry cream soda. Lots of feinty notes appear with a few drops of water, and the old bottle effect comes through. Utterly delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Coleburn 19yo 1981/2001

Coleburn 19yo 1981/2001

Unchillfiltered, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside

Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, milk chocolate, orange peel, wet stones, cream, butterscotch, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, thickens, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pineapples, papayas, cream, white pepper, sandalwood, malted grains, butterscotch, milk chocolate, raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, wet stones, raisins, butterscotch, milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

More chocolatey and milky than its sister bottle, the tropical fruit notes are less in evidence here. But that fragrant wood is here too, this time chocolate and butterscotch covered. Very nice whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Coleburn 1981/2008

Coleburn 1981/2008

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Green gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Papayas, honey, pineapples, camphor, sandalwood, clay dust, wet stones. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens, slightly syrupy.
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cookie dough, leather, clay dust, wet stones, pineapples, white pepper, honey, gooseberries.
Finish: Medium. Wet stones, malted grains, leather, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Tastes old, lots of old bottle effect alongside the fruity Coleburn notes. There’s a woody undertone too that’s really appealing. Lovely old whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Coleburn 41yo 1972/2013

Coleburn 41yo 1972/2013

Rare Old, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blueberries, pineapple sweets, leather, cucumbers, orange peel, shortcrust pastry, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, expands, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, peat, pineapple sweets, sage, fresh cut grass, lemon zest, hints of shortcrust pastry. 
Finish: Long. Leather, peat, blueberries, pineapple sweets, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Cask RO/13/06. Lovely jammy pineapple notes, together with heaps of leathery peat. Also buttery shortcrust pastry. The peat is gentle, almost kissing the fruit, and there’s some fresh grassiness to perk it all up. There’s no such thing as the perfect dram, but this isn’t too far off. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Coleburn 34yo 1981/2015

Coleburn 34yo 1981/2015

Rare Old, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk, honey, prunes, malted grains, red grapes, fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, watery, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, honey, hay, prunes, fresh baked bread, peaches, hints of plums. 
Finish: Long. Hay, peaches, dried apricots, hints of cucumber. 

Comments: 

This is delicious. How many more chances will I have to taste an old Coleburn? Can't be many more I wager. Anyway, I savoured every moment. It's so old it's herbal and floral, overlaid with heaps of sweet fruit. It was a glorious crown to an epic tasting session.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Coleburn 16 yo 1983/2000

Coleburn 16 yo 1983/2000

Silent Stills, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
57.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cream, lemons, cinnamon, orange zest, hints of grapefruit. With water, roses, limes, hints of pineapple.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, grapefruit, lemons, hints of oats, hints of milk. With water, sweeter, limes, roses.
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, cinnamon, grapefruit, orange zest. With water, hints of limes, hints of leather.

Comments:

Bright and citrusy, but with a salty, almost cereally undertone. Adding water opens the whisky up a lot, with even more fragrant citrus notes appearing, and something floral, rather rosy. Finishes with bitter sweet flavours. Very tasty and refreshing.

Verdict:

I like this.

Coleburn 21 yo 1979/2000 Rare Malts

Coleburn 21 yo 1979/2000 Rare Malts

Rare Malts, official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
59.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, white grapes, molasses, pineapples, coconut cream, apple juice, hints of limes. With water, sweeter, notes of honey, orange peel appear.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Apple juice, pineapples, coconut cream, white grapes, walnuts, black tea. With water, sweeter, notes of honey, molasses, orange peel appear.
Finish: Long. Walnuts, black tea, apple juice.

Comments:

Coleburn single malt is as rare as hen's teeth, but I was lucky enough to find two in a single session! This one is thick and fruity, like a pina colada, except that it fades to bitterness, slightly tannic, at the end. Great indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Coleburn 24 yo 1972/1996

Coleburn 24 yo 1972/1996

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapples, roses, apple juice, honey, cloves, leather, limes, hints of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Pineapples, roses, apple juice, plums, limes, honey, cloves.
Finish: Short. Pineapples, plums, limes, cloves.

Comments:

A drink fit for the gods! Tastes very much like mead, perhaps a little less heavy on the honey, and loads more fruit. Extremely good whisky, delicious as an aperitif.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.