Part 3 of Reviews from The Auld Alliance Singapore
Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Few whisky institutions came up as often as the Auld Alliance when I told people I was returning to Singapore for a spell. The bar had long been on my list of places to pop in, but the stars had never entirely aligned. I made sure it was on the schedule for this visit and met up with a whisky friend, though he might identify more as a rum head, for a visit.
The staff was amiable, and our whisky friend was immensely helpful in navigating all the possibilities while pointing out and ensuring we did not miss any of the absolute highlights. I ticked off a few distilleries I had never tried before and could have chased even more had I wanted. We did not do an organized flight during this visit. Still, we tried to slowly crescendo through cask, abv, and flavor intensity during the evening. The reviews are split between the three below that I spent the least time with and four more single reviews of bottles that received more focused attention.
Between the people and the whisky, the Auld Alliance was magical.
Distillery: Laphroaig
Bottler: Thompson Brothers
Region: Scotland/Islay Single Malt
ABV: 52.3%. Cask strength.
Age: 31 years. Distilled in 1989. Bottled in 2021.
Cask type: Refill Barrel.
Price: $16/15 at The Auld Alliance Singapore
Nose: Maritime, beach grass on the dunes, sea shell collections, clean with a slight musty grassy decay, driftwood, palm fronds, tatami mats, roasted sesame, subtle apple.
Palate: Medium-bodied, clean and coastal, herbs with subtle tobacco and menthol, salted unagi over charcoal, citrus, driftwood, hints of vanilla and lemongrass, tatami mats.
Finish: Medium-length with sweet citrus and salt.
Mental Image: Sunny Day the Sea
Conclusion: I had heard excellent things about the trio of mystery Islay malts that the Thompson Brothers bottled for the Auld Alliance. I was curious how they compared to the trio bottled for K&L and the handful of others I have tried. There is something charming about old Laphroaig, especially when its coastal iodine and pungency soften to dried palm fronds and the pleasant minerality of sea shells. I was told the bottle was quite a bit farmier when it was first opened, while only hints of that mustiness remained, primarily on the nose.
While the other whiskies we tried at the Auld Alliance overshadowed this one, it was no slouch. I enjoyed the clean, straightforward maritime profile and thought it stood out nicely against the other epic pours of the evening. It might even be one of the best of these ’89-91 Laphroaig. If I had more time, I would have loved to revisit and try the whole lineup, including the 1990 and 1991 vintages; I imagine they were all of a similar quality.
Final Score: 87.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 