Stork Club 5yo 2019/2024

Stork Club 5yo 2019/2024

#13, The Heart Cut
Single rye - Brandenburg
Amber
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, black pepper, rye bread, coffee, dark chocolate, sea salt. With water, roses, photocopy paper, white grapes, coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Coffee, dark chocolate, rye bread, honeysuckle, fresh cut grass, hints of black pepper. With water, coffee, photocopy paper, fresh cut grass. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, dark chocolate, photocopy paper, honeysuckle. 

Comments: 

Sweet and honeyed, with lots of dark chocolate and earthy coffee. It’s extremely fragrant, like a freshly made espresso. There’s a herbal element to it, something grassy and sweet underneath. Lovely dram, the Heart Cut releases are always good.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Scotia 12yo The Mermaid Release No 1

Glen Scotia 12yo The Mermaid Release No 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber copper
54.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelon rind, cucumbers, sea salt, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, toffee. With water, raisins, white pepper, mace, molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Watermelon rind, red grapes, raisins, cinnamon, sea salt, pears, hints of molasses. With water, raisins, cucumber, mace, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Red grapes, cucumbers, mace, pears. 

Comments: 

Herbal and grassy, but with a sweet molasses-laden edge. Water brings out raisins and mace, not something too common these days in whisky. Very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cotswolds 7yo 2017/2024

Cotswolds 7yo 2017/2024

Single Cask, Nickolls & Perks
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Mahogany 
59.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, cotton candy, pomegranate molasses, raisins, malted grains, honey, red wine, hints of red grapes. With water, honey, cotton candy, golden syrup, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, tingly. 

Tasting:  Sweet. Honey, raisins, pomegranate molasses, raisins, black pepper, black tea, hints of coffee. With water, apple juice, pomegranate molasses, raisins, honey. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, pomegranate molasses, honey, raisins, Demerara sugar. 

Comments: 

Cask 1355. Sweet and spicy, lots of fruit and herbal notes. There’s plenty of pomegranate molasses, black pepper and even coffee. Water brings out notes of apple and cotton candy. What a delicious dram!

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lindores Abbey Friar John Cor Chapter II

Lindores Abbey Friar John Cor Chapter II

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Sunshine yellow
60.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, vanilla, apricots, white grapes, malted grains, lemon sweets, hints of coriander. With water, apricots, vanilla, white grapes, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, oily, warm, static. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, peaches, white grapes, white pepper, lemon zest, hints of coriander. 
Finish: Medium. Wet stones, white pepper, apricots, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Fruity and herbal, with a satisfying, thick and heavy mouthfeel. Water brings out even more fruitiness, and makes it sweeter. Lots of feinty minerally notes on the finish round it off.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Invergordon 30yo 1994/2024

Invergordon 30yo 1994/2024

Capella, North Star Spirits
Single grain - North Highlands
Golden, hints of copper
50% ABV

Dram

Nose: Vanilla, toffee, desiccated coconut, sandalwood, wheat beer, hints of photocopy paper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Toffee, sea salt, salt caramel, wheat beer, raisins, dates, photocopy paper, hints of cooked rice.
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, toffee, salt caramel, dates. 

Comments: 

Very much like sticky toffee pudding, with some feinty notes underneath all that caramel. Quite intense, rich and deep, more on the salty rather than the sweet side.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glendalough Single Cask Calvados Finish

Glendalough Single Cask Calvados Finish

Official bottling
Single pot still - Leinster
Amber gold
42% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cotton sheets, photocopy paper, apples, rye bread, pear drops, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, astringent, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Pear drops, rye bread, white pepper, apples, golden syrup, honey, vanilla. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, golden syrup, pear drops, apples. 

Comments: 

Feinty and loose, some fruity esters appear (that’s the Calvados cask). It’s fades to a short but intense malty, sweet finish. Enjoyable dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Slyrs Marsala Cask Finish

Slyrs Marsala Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Bavaria
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White wine, malted grains, lemon juice, vanilla, bubble gum, acetone, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon juice, pear drops, magic marker, white wine, pink peppercorns, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Pear drops, acetone, vanilla, bubble gum. 

Comments: 

Not quite sure this is all malt, but I’m not familiar with the German rules, if they exist at all. It’s quite estery, almost nail varnish like. On top of that, it’s quite spicy and feinty too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Godawan PX Sherry Cask Edition Series 01

Godawan PX Sherry Cask Edition Series 01

Official bottling
Single malt - Rajasthan
Amber brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, raisins, chocolate, malted grains, damson jam, dried blueberries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, airy, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, vanilla, raisins, bananas, chocolate, pecans, brown butter, hints of walnut skins. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, strawberry jam, black pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Batch 5/24. Sweet and rich, lots of fruit of course, but there’s also nuttiness (pecans, in this case) and also brown butter. Very well finished whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Waterford Hook Head 1.1

Waterford Hook Head 1.1

Official bottling
Single malt - Munster
Amber gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, cinder toffee, yoghurt, lemon zest, autumn leaves, hints of mushrooms. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, airy, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sour. Yoghurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, autumn leaves, caramel, burnt sugar, hints of toast. 
Finish: Medium. Autumn leaves, yoghurt, lemon zest, burnt sugar, hints of mushrooms. 

Comments: 

Quite lactic and earthy, but with a deep, smoky toffee note. Bottled at 50% as with most Waterfords, so I never quite know whether to add water or not. For this one I decided not to, as I enjoyed the richness of that toffee note. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Teeling Blackpitts Big Smoke Cask Strength

Teeling Blackpitts Big Smoke Cask Strength

Official bottling
Single malt - Leinster
Dark gold, hints of orange
56.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, smoke, orange blossom, dark chocolate, soot, strawberry jam. With water, autumn leaves, peat, soot. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Orange blossom, lemon zest, smoke, peat, rubber bands, soot, diesel exhaust. With water, peat, rubber bands, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Diesel exhaust, dark chocolate, coffee, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Sooty and intense, but also floral. The orange blossom note merges quite with the diesel exhaust note, and overlays a not unpleasant, rubbery, slightly sulphurous flavour. Complex and interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.