Rocktown Four Grain Sour Mash

Rocktown Four Grain Sour Mash

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Arkansas
Amber brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, acetone, malted grains, ink, lemon zest, black pepper, hints of cotton sheets. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Black pepper, cornflakes, malted grains, acetone, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, hints of cotton sheets.
Finish: Short. Acetone, black pepper, pear drops, fresh cut grass, hints of cotton sheets. 

Comments: 

Quite fruity and plenty of the black pepper note that is characteristic of the. Plenty of grassy and herbal notes too, especially on the tongue. The finish is quite short, but with the same estery notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dry Fly Cask Strength Straight Wheat

Dry Fly Cask Strength Straight Wheat

Official bottling
Single grain - Washington

Orange gold
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, nail varnish, hoppy beer, shredded wheat, white pepper, honey. With water, white pepper, honey, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Shredded wheat, white pepper, honey, nail varnish, hints of cornflakes. With water, nail varnish, white pepper, lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Shredded wheat, ink, white pepper, nutmeg, apricots. 

Comments: 

Estery, volatile and fruity. Not very balanced for sure, but there is an interesting cereally note with plenty of peppery spice, especially once water is added. It ends in a short fruity finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Hudson Four Grain Bourbon

Hudson Four Grain Bourbon

Official bottling
Single bourbon - New York
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, foam shrimp, pear drops, mangoes, apple juice, cloves, hints of pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Strawberry jam, pear drops, surgical spirit, malted grains, cloves, hints of pineapples. 
Finish: Short. Ink, surgical spirit, pineapples, cloves. 

Comments: 

I think this sample was spoilt. A lovely fruity nose promised a lot, but on the tongue it was insipid and even bland. It’s such a pity, if it had matched the nose it would have been glorious.

Verdict:

Not bad

Yellowstone Hand Selected 2024 Release (Cognac and Brandy Cask Finish)

Yellowstone Hand Selected 2024 Release (Cognac and Brandy Cask Finish)

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky 
Amber
50.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cooked rice, popcorn, corn syrup, prunes, pears, white pepper, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Popcorn, cooked rice, corn syrup, vanilla, brown paper, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Prunes, popcorn, vanilla, corn syrup. 

Comments: 

Quite cereally, lots of sweet dried fruit notes and a fair bit of spices. No water, it’s quite drinkable and doesn’t even seem to have much of an alcohol burn.

Verdict:

I like this.

Yellowstone Rum Cask Finish

Yellowstone Rum Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Dark gold

50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Prunes, pear drops, ink, cooked rice, vanilla, cola nuts. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 

Tasting:  Salty sweet. Cooked rice, ink, popcorn, vanilla, tarragon, prunes, pear drops, star anise, hints of molasses. 
Finish: Medium. Cola nuts, cooked rice, tarragon, star anise. 

Comments: 

A rather odd rum cask, lots of herbal notes but without much of that deep caramelly flavour. It’s instead popcorn y, with star anise and tarragon.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Heart Cut Barley

Heart Cut Barley

The Heart Cut
Blended malt
Amber, hints of red
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinnamon, new plastic, strawberry jam, cream, vanilla, raspberries, hints of nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Strawberry jam, raspberries, cinnamon, orange peel, orange blossom, vanilla, black pepper. 
Finish: Short. Black pepper, orange blossom, raspberries, honey, strawberry jam. 

Comments: 

An English blend, and like anything from the Heart Cut, very flavour forward and intense. Lots of jammy notes, but also floral orange blossom and black pepper. Quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Pulteney 11yo

Pulteney 11yo

Cask and Crust, Cask Trade
Single malt - North Highlands
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Wet stones, sour cream, lemon zest, yoghurt, white pepper, ginseng. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, oily, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Wet stones, petrichor, lemon zest, white pepper, gentian, coffee, hints of sour cream. 
Finish: Medium. Gentian, coffee, petrichor, vanilla, hints of wet stones. 

Comments: 

Cask 504182. Lots of coastal minerally notes, with an earthy after-the-rain top note. It’s rather light and airy with a lactic tang at the end. Quite bitter.

Verdict:

I like this.

Blair Athol 25yo 1975/2000

Blair Athol 25yo 1975/2000

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Central Highlands
Pale orange gold
49.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, wet stones, ink, molasses, lemon zest, orange peel, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Molasses, wet stones, orange peel, lemon zest, cream, iron filings, hints of mangoes. 
Finish: Long. Molasses, cream, gentian, wet stones, hints of iron filings. 

Comments: 

Quite lactic, with minerally notes all throughout. But there’s also oranges and lemjns and hints of tropical fruit. The finish is surprisingly bitter and minerally, with a burnt sugar sweetness.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Blair Athol 29yo 1989/2019

Blair Athol 29yo 1989/2019

Cask Strength Collection, Signatory Vintage
Single malt - Central Highlands
Pale gold, hints of pink
50.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, mangoes, white pepper, wet stones, creamy lemon zest, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Malted grains, wet stones, lemon zesty ginseng, cream, white pepper, coffee. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, cream, gentian, white pepper, mangoes. 

Comments: 

Cask 3427. A beautiful fruity and minerally nose, but on the tongue, it’s surprisingly bitter and peppery. Lots of herbal bitterness that lingers onto the finish, alongside gentle peppery spice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cooley 17yo Batch 1

Cooley 17yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Leinster
Straw
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, white wine, sour cream, white grapes, ink, nail varnish, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, oily. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Yoghurt, sour cream, white grapes, raisins, mangoes, nail varnish, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, coffee, molasses, nail varnish, yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Quite lactic, with tropical fruit and plenty of maltiness. Even on the tongue the lactic note persists. The finish is quite short but intense, with a bitter, watery edge.

Verdict:

I like this.