Tamdhu 14yo 2008/2022

Tamdhu 14yo 2008/2022

Cut Your Wolf Loose, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
60.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, damson jam, orange peel, cloves, milk chocolate, strawberry jam, malted grains. With water, strawberry jam, orange peel, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, damson jam, black pepper, honey, milk chocolate, brown paper, strawberry jam. With water, coffee, milk chocolate, brown paper, damson jam. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, honey, oats, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Very sweet, sherried dram, lots of strawberry jam and damson jam. Water brings out a chocolate note, with coffee and nore sweet jammy stuff. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Speyburn 15yo 2008/2024

Speyburn 15yo 2008/2024

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Straw
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, vanilla, orange peel, white grapes, edelweiss, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Pears, yoghurt, white pepper, white grapes, cream, strawberry jam, edelweiss, hints of orange blossom. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, cream, pears, orange blossom. 

Comments: 

Very fruity whisky, lots of pears and grapes. Also a mount floral note, like white flowers or edelweiss. No need for water, this just slipped down.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

New Riff Single Barrel B16-3518

New Riff Single Barrel B16-3518

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber gold
52.15% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, rye bread, leather, vanilla, photocopy paper, dried apples, hints of dark chocolate. With water, black pepper, vanilla, coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Black pepper, cherries, honey, cough syrup, cooked rice, dried apples, dark chocolate. With water, sea salt, rye bread, coffee. 
Finish: Short. Dark chocolate, cherries, honey, black pepper. 

Comments: 

A rather sweet rye, but with that black pepper spiciness. Water brings out more of the rye cereal flavour, and a coffee bitterness. Other than that, lots of dried apple notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Old Forester Straight Bourbon

Old Forester Straight Bourbon

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Light amber 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cooked rice, honey, molasses, bananas, vanilla, oak chips. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Molasses, oak chips, bananas, honey, vanilla, dark chocolate. 
Finish: Short. Coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, molasses. 

Comments: 

A straightforward bourbon, lots of vanilla and banana notes. On the tongue, it’s a little more bitter than usual perhaps, and that bitterness continues onto the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland Colere 3rd Edition

Westland Colere 3rd Edition

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Dark green gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Preserved lemons, heather, hay, fresh cut grass, malted grains, honeydew melons, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Preserved lemons, hay, fresh cut grass, honey, malted grains, peaches, hints of honeydew melons. 
Finish: Short. Hay, lemon zest, honey, malted grains, peaches. 

Comments: 

Grassy with lots of citrus and honey. A mild, slightly savoury distillate, and it’s stripped back with only a little wood influence. Very interesting indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arlett Single Malt Tourbe

Arlett Single Malt Tourbe

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Pale gold
43% ABV

Dram

Nose: Mangoes, smoke, leather, lemon zest, photocopy paper, autumn leaves, nutmeg, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Germolene, autumn leaves, peaches, mangoes, orange peel, nutmeg, cloves, gauze bandages, hints of charcoal ash. 
Finish: Medium. Gauze bandages, germolene, autumn leaves, mangoes, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Medicinal peat, with feinty, slightly chemical flavours. There’s also leather, and earthiness, but also tropical fruit and spice. A very interesting whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arlett Finition Barbados Rhum Cask

Arlett Finition Barbados Rhum Cask

Official bottling

Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Pale orange gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, photocopy paper, peaches, white pepper, nectarines, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Mangoes, peaches, nectarines, bananas, Demerara sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, hints of pineapples. 
Finish: Short. Mangoes, bananas, Demerara sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

This whisky is well made, with the funky rum and tropical fruit flavours very clearly defined. Lots of peaches and nectarines as well. One of the best rum casks I’ve had.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aberfeldy 17yo 2001/2018 Single Cask Handfill

Aberfeldy 17yo 2001/2018

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Golden
54.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, orange peel, cherries, roast chicken, malts grains, menthol, hints of eucalyptus. With water, damson jam, cherries, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Leather, menthol, eucalyptus, roast chicken, raisins, orange peel, fresh baked bread, damson jam. With water, fresh baked bread, menthol, damson jam. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, autumn leaves, roast chicken, raisins. 

Comments: 

A rich, herbal Aberfeldy, lots of leather and orange peel. It’s sherried, of course, so lots of raisins and jam too, but there’s a nice meaty savouriness especially on the finish. Lovely.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aberfeldy 25yo Sherry Cask Finish

Aberfeldy 25yo Sherry Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber orange
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, raisins, pruneaux, rose water, fresh baked bread, cloves, hints of violets. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, oily, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, raisins, pruneaux, rose water, cherries, damson jam, hints of violets, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, pruneaux, raisins, orange peel, cloves. 

Comments: 

Fragrant and floral, lots of sweet winey notes, it’s almost like an armagnac. No need for water, it’s utterly delicious as it is. It builds to a long bready finish, and only then does it remind me of whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Girvan 19yo 2002/2022

Girvan 19yo 2002/2022

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single grain - Lowlands
Amber
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, sandalwood, vanilla, oak chips, lemon zest, hints of smoke, hints of gooseberries. With water, oak chips, molasses, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, corn syrup, white pepper, oak chips, malted grains, popcorn, lemon zest. With water, vanilla, lemon zest, popcorn. 
Finish: Medium. Photocopy paper, sandalwood, popcorn, toffee, hints of desiccated coconut. 

Comments: 

Cask DL 16487. Floral and woody, with plenty of popcorn, and perhaps a touch of smoke. Water brings out more vanilla, more wood and even more popcorn. Decent dram. 

Verdict:

I like this.