Millstone 12 yo Sherry Cask Matured

Millstone 12 yo Sherry Cask Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - North Brabant
Dark amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, sandalwood, raisins, leather, black tea, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, leather, pomeloes, raisins, chocolate, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, raisins, sandalwood, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

Nicely sherried whisky. It's chocolatey, leathery, and more than a little fruity. Quite fragrant, slightly Japanese in character. It isn't, of course, it's Dutch, but the sherry cask influence is generous and flavourful without being overwhelming. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lost Distilleries Blend Batch #7

Lost Distilleries Blend Batch #7

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Blended malt
Gold, tinge of copper
49.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brass polish, lemon juice, hay, soy sauce, hints of leather, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, chewy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Leather, lemon juice, raisins, pears, black tea, hints of soy sauce. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, raisins, pears, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

I liked Batch #6, and this one lives up to that standard. Somewhat like a young Rosebank, maybe vatted with a little Yamazaki (what I wouldn't give to try that vatting!), this is really fragrant with savoury umami notes. Great nutty finish too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Compass Box Peat Monster

Compass Box Peat Monster

Compass Box
Blended malt
White wine
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, lemons, orange peel, peat, smoke, hints of mint. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, loose, refreshing. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemons, oranges, peat, smoke, hazelnuts, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, hazelnuts, smoke, hints of brass polish. 

Comments: 

Worthy successor to the old Peat Monster Reserve. A fair bit more tart, and definitely a lot more nutty, than its predecessor. Good stuff, this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Girvan 50 yo 1964/2015 (cask 2)

Girvan 50 yo 1964/2015 (cask 2)

Vintage Cask Collection, AD Rattray
Single grain - Lowlands
Gold, tinge of pink
46.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, blackcurrant cordial, iron filings, brass polish, honey, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Raisins, white grapes, vanilla, honey, lemon zest, hints of rice krispies . 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, white grapes, blackcurrant cordial, hints of cotton candy. 

Comments: 

Ok, this is a real treat. As I grow older, whiskies older than I am are rarer and rarer. I'm pleased to report that this one is very good indeed. I like the fruity, slightly bitter notes - no bright, brassy estery notes here. It's been very well aged, and there's plenty of cereally notes on the back of the tongue and on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky

Michel Couvreur
Blended malt
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, leather, raisins, lemon zest, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, thickens, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Black tea, leather, lemon zest, pine needles, coffee, hints of dark chocolate . 
Finish: Long. Black tea, lemon zest, wood polish, coffee, hints of pine needles. 

Comments: 

Nice blend, not too sweet. Pleasantly tannic and astringent, fragrant pine and slightly bitter coffee notes. Good stuff, tastes aged, even though I believe this is about 12 years old or so.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Breton Rare 10 yo

Glen Breton Rare 10 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Nova Scotia
Silvery sunshine
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Hazelnuts, orange peel, tobacco leaf, maple syrup, hints of brass polish. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, thickens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Hazelnuts, sea salt, tobacco leaf, maple syrup, raisins, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Tobacco leaf, maple syrup, leather, orange peel. 

Comments: 

My first whisky from the famous Glenora distillery in Canada. It's different, citrusy without being tart, syrupy without being sweet. There are bitter nutty notes, mixed in with some strangely unpeaty sea salt. Enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dunedin Doublewood 15 yo

Dunedin Doublewood 15 yo

Official bottling
Single blend - Otago
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mint, raisins, coffee, dark chocolate, dried strawberries, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, sticky, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, cream, dried strawberries, chocolate, red grapes, sandalwood. 
Finish: Long. Cream, mint, coffee, red grapes. 

Comments: 

Willowbank whisky! Surprisingly salty, with a nice unctuous mouthfeel. Very sweet nevertheless, but also complex and fragrant. Nice minty notes on the nose and the finish. Very enjoyable indeed. Good whisky from a closed distillery.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Millstone 10 yo American Oak

Millstone 10 yo American Oak

Official bottling
Single malt - North Brabant
Copper
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, brass polish, lemon thyme, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Red grapes, lemon zest, vanilla, rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, red grapes, ginseng, lemon thyme. 

Comments: 

Refreshing and lush, this tastes very like a young Rosebank (not that there's a lot of that stuff around these days). It's spicy and grapey, which some stinging on the tongue that's also reminiscent of a rye whiskey. Great stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Alberta Rye Dark Batch

Alberta Rye Dark Batch

Official bottling
Single rye - Alberta
Amber, tinge of purple
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, toffee, cinnamon, lohan fruit, charcoal, cotton candy. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, loosens. 
Tasting: Sweet. Red grapes, lohan fruit, charcoal, prunes, black tea, hints of cotton candy. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, red grapes, black tea, leather, prunes. 

Comments: 

OK, Canadian whiskey is weird. This is rye spirit distilled at Alberta Distillers in Calgary, but it's adulterated with some bourbon and a little sherry. But it's still 91% single rye, honest. It's fruity and dark, with a cooked, slightly charred note that I interpret as the herbal lohan fruit soup I used to get as a child. Nice stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

George Dickel No 8

George Dickel No 8

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Tennessee
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, cinnamon, brown paper, sugar cane, coconut, hints of lemon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, slippery, slightly chewy. 
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Bananas, peanuts, cinnamon, toffee, sugar cane, walnut skins. 
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, peanuts, bananas, lemon peel. 

Comments: 

Hmm. An unusual bourbon (ok, sorry, Tennessee whiskey), it's got a burnt sugar taste that reminds me very much of rum. It's got heaps of bitter notes as well, along with the normal bananas and toffee. I quite enjoyed this.

Verdict:

I like this.