Saint Magnus in Hoorn

2011/09/22 vandaag is de Earl Haakon geariveerd, kijk hier
Earl Magnus Editions

A series of three limited bottlings, the Earl Magnus Editions celebrate the Viking history and Nordic heritage of Orkney.

Highland Park was established by Magnus Eunson in 1798. Eunson, like many Orcadians, was named after the remarkable Earl Magnus of Orkney. St. Magnus Cathedral was built in the 12th century in his honour and dominates Kirkwall to this day.

The packaging for the three editions is based upon an original Highland Park bottling dating from around 1870. The bottle has been carefully recreated, complete with flaws and defects consistent with those of the original. The 19th century label featured a depiction of Earl Magnus from an ancient stained glass window. The beauty of the label, inspired by the original, can be appreciated with its simple presentation in an etched wooden box.

The three editions are:
Earl Magnus… released November 2009
Saint Magnus… released September 2010
Earl Haakon… to be released 2011

Saint Magnus

Released in September 2010, this bottling celebrates Saint Magnus, one of the six canonized Norsemen born in the 11th and 12th centuries when the Orkney Islands belonged to Norway. He is described in Orkneyinga Saga as “a man of extraordinary distinction, tall, with a fine, intelligent look about him. He was a man of strict virtue, successful in war, wise, eloquent, generous and magnanimous, open-handed with money and sound with advice, and altogether the most popular of men.”

Saint Magnus was a man of peace, contemplation and scholarly learning; spiritual intensity is more a feature of Magnus’ Saga than violence and cruelty. It is a life story of Christian devotion and forgiveness, qualities that are not usually associated with the Vikings, and includes the healing of the sick, crippled, blind and insane. Saint Magnus was murdered by his treacherous cousin Haakon and was canonized only 20 years later

Bottled at a natural strength of 55% abv, this limited edition 12 year old is drawn from casks laid down in 1998 and earlier years. Only 11,994 bottles are available.

Tasting Notes

Appearance:Copper toned honey, clear and bright.

Nose:At natural strength there is terrific intensity with classic dried fruits and honey sweetness. Thereafter glorious notes of cinnamon, dried apple and hints of exotic fruits emerge, followed by a whiff of aromatic smoke

Palate:Immediately intense and rich, the whisky lingers on the palate emphasizing the perfect balance between sweetness and aromatic smoke.

Finish:Long and gently smoky.
Bron: http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/
Te koop bij de Mitra Slijter in Hoorn

Macallan sherry cask strength 10 years

The Macallan Speyside Malt is een veelvuldige winnaar van proeverijen en vaak een der beste single malts ter wereld genoemd. Macallan is een doelbewust traditioneel gedreven distilleerderij, met ongewoon kleine ketels en nadrukkelijke sherry-rijping in droge oloroso-vaten, die in hun geheel uit Spanje verscheept worden. De sherry-rijping en de constante kwaliteit zijn het handelsmerk van The Macallan. Er zijn meer whisky's met een zware sherry stijl, maar geen daarvan heeft het speciale profiel van The Macallan: de combinatie van sherry, moutigheid, lichte rokerigheid, bloeiende krent en Calvados-accenten, met de eigen opvallende droogheid, rondheid en diepte. Het is een malt met grote, moedige en zuivere accenten van aroma en afdronk.
Proefnotitie
Kleur: rood mahonie. Neus: fraaie aroma’s van sherry, gedroogd fruit met chocolade, vanille en kruidige tonen van het hout. Smaak: rijk, goed in balans en zacht met aroma’s van vruchtencake, vanille en volle rokerige tonen van het hout. De afdronk is lang met zachte tonen van gedroogd fruit, sherry, zachte boter en aangename kruidigheid.

Helaas zijn we uitverkocht,m aar ik kan via collega's nog wel iets regelen.

Ardbeg Supernova 2010

Sinds 25 juni is hij bij de Mitra in Hoorn te koop: de nieuwe Ardbeg 2010. Alleen voor degenen die hem zelf komen ophalen. Beperkte voorraad en OP = OP

Review:
The Whisky Tasting Club has tasted the new Supernova going on sale next week. Dominic was sent a sample. Dominic says:

"Ardbeg Supernova is significantly different to the first bottling but an absolute stunner all the same. It’s a train track whisky, with one rail massively peated, peppery and hot, and the other fudge-like, soft and with banana toffee notes. At a hefty 60.1% ABV it warrants sipping without water but explodes in to a complex oral rainbow with a touch of water. Quite wonderful."

Tony bought a bottle at the festival, he says "hmmm, peaty and very strong, my favorite. I have to say though, at £82 its very expensive, damn you collectors!"

Update 27 september 2010

Van een collega heb ik nog wat flessen onvangen en de importeur vertelde mij dat het een waar collector's item is.