Knockdhu 11yo 2012/2023

Knockdhu 11yo 2012/2023

Single Cask, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
58.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, green apples, white grapes, honey, magic marker, rhubarb and custard sweets. With water, green apples, magic marker, wet stones, hints of brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Green apples, yoghurt, rhubarb and custard sweets, pear drops, honey, gooseberries, hints of malted grains. With water, wet stones, salt caramel, brown paper, green apples. 
Finish: Short. Yoghurt, malted grains, rhubarb and custard sweets, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Cask 7127. Very estery, lots of fruity, almost acetone notes. There’s some feinty notes as well, especially with a bit of water. The finish is surprisingly abrupt, cuts off after a wave of rhubarb and custard.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenlossie 10yo 2013/2023

Glenlossie 10yo 2013/2023

Small Batch, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Speyside 
Orange gold

46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, vanilla, green apples, honeycomb, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of cedar. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Cookie dough, sandalwood, white pepper, honeycomb, malted grains, cedar. 
Finish: Medium. Green apples, ginseng, malted grains, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Very drinkable appley ‘Lossie. It’s honeyed as well, with plenty of fragrant woody notes. The finish creates a bit more complexity, but otherwise very straightforward.

Verdict:

I like this.

Benromach 15yo

Benromach 15yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, raisins, black pepper, blackberries, orange peel, sandalwood, hints of smoke. 

Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, white wine, black pepper, blackberries, marmalade, chocolate, coffee, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Blackberries, raisins, white wine, cloves, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Fruity and jammy, lots of chocolate and something bitter - probably coffee. There’s spicy notes too, of the sort I normally associate with rye, so that’s black pepper. It’s excellent whisky, certainly one of the best 15yo whiskies I’ve had in a while.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cotswolds 5yo 2018/2023

Cotswolds 5yo 2018/2023

#06, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Warwickshire 
Amber red 
54.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, caramel, strawberry laces, oatcakes, aluminium foil, pears. With water, strawberry laces, apple juice, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Apple juice, caramel, oatcakes, cola nuts, red grapes, butterscotch, hints of aluminium foil. With water, black pepper, oatcakes, cocoa nibs, apple juice. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, cola nuts, oatcakes, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Intense and fruity, lots of sweet notes but also a tartness that you get from malic acid and red grapes. It’s feinty too, and complex. Water dissolves some of the tart notes and brings out even more fruitiness. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Convalmore 36yo 1977/2013 (2013 Special Releases)

Convalmore 36yo 1977/2013 (2013 Special Releases)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Light amber 
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, malted grains, camphor, aluminium foil, mangoes, papayas, hints of passionfruit. With water, raisins, passionfruit, oatcakes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, volatile, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, camphor, papayas, honey, mangoes, peaches, ginseng, hints of black tea. With water, malted grains, peaches, honey, black tea. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, pencil lead, oatcakes, raisins, photocopy paper. 

Comments: 

Lots of tropical fruit, but also a tart floral note that I identify as passionfruit. Again that herbaceous bitter note underneath, but this time the finish is flinty and feinty rather that fruity and fragrant.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Convalmore 32yo 1984/2017 (2017 Special Releases)

Convalmore 32yo 1984/2017 (2017 Special Releases)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
48.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, peaches, malted grains, honey, vanilla ice cream, white pepper, hints of camphor. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, turns syrupy, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla ice cream, mangoes, peaches, camphor, ginseng, malted grains, cream, hints of condensed milk. 
Finish: Long. Honeydew melons, cream, peaches, malted grains, hints of camphor. 

Comments: 

More old Convalmore, lots of tropical fruit and a deep, intense, bitter and herbaceous note. A long fruity finish of melons and peaches, but overlaid on a big malty spine. Very good indeed .

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS 35.247 (Glen Moray 11yo 2008/2019)

SMWS 35.247 (Glen Moray 11yo 2008/2019)

2019, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber bronze

65% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, almonds, walnut skins, cinnamon, cloves, apple juice, dates, toffee. With water, raisins, white pepper, aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cream, raisins, walnut skins, cedar, toffee, white pepper, dates, cocoa nibs. With water, raisins, cream, brown paper, honey. 
Finish: Long. Cream, cocoa nibs, cloves, raisins, dates. 

Comments: 

Sherried Speyside, very classic, very high in ABV. Lots of bitter notes offset the sweet, and there’s a good sherried nuttiness that pervades the whole dram. Stands out among a crowded pack.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Belgrove Rye 3yo

Belgrove Rye 3yo

Bonded International Series, Killowen bottler 
Single rye - Tasmania
Amber, hints of red
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ume, oatcakes, new plastic, white pepper, cumin, photocopy paper, aluminium foil. With water, sea salt, damson jam, aluminium foil, ume.  
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Aluminium foil, camphor, mace, cumin, photocopy paper, damson jam, ume. With water, leather, aluminium foil, Chinese angelica, sea salt. 
Finish: Long. White pepper, cumin, damson jam, ume, mace. 

Comments: 

Sweet, peppery and feinty. This is the Tasmanian whisky dried with sheep dung. It’s not as farmyardy as the previous Belgrove I had, but it’s quite spicy and savoury. Unusual and highly enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Braeval 9yo Batch 5

Braeval 9yo Batch 5

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dark chocolate, honey, vanilla, molasses, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon. With water, honey, molasses, dark chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, mouth coating, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Molasses, dark chocolate, honey, vanilla, roast pork, black pepper, cocoa nibs, black tea, hints of sea salt. With water, raisins, cream, damson jam, molasses, dark chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Mint, black pepper, dark chocolate, sea salt, hints of roast pork. 

Comments: 

Sherried Braeval, lots of spicy sweet notes. Particularly molasses, deep, dark and a little bitter. Water brings in more jammy notes, and a little cream. Enjoyable dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Daftmill 12yo 2011/2023 Summer Batch Release

Daftmill 12yo 2011/2023 Summer Batch Release

Official bottling

Single malt - Lowlands
Amber pink
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tea tree oil, peaches, pineapples, passionfruit, mangoes, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens slightly, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Green tea, white pepper, peaches, passionfruit, white pepper, cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. White pepper, peaches, tea tree oil, mangoes. 

Comments: 

Very fruity, slightly grassy Daftmill. The herbal character of earlier releases isn’t there so much anymore, it’s been replaced by gentle, restrained fruit. It’s more stone fruit than tropical fruit now too.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.