Fettercairn Fasque

Fettercairn Fasque

Official bottling (Tesco exclusive)
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber Copper
42% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red fruits, bananas, chocolate, vanilla, hints of nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, loosens on the tongue. 
Tasting: Sweet. Bananas, red fruits, vanilla, chocolate, toffee, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Sweet, vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon. 

Comments:

This is a Tesco exclusive bottling. Fettercairn was a favourite of an old gentleman who was a kind and gentle chap. This is the first Christmas without him. Great tasting, decent value on Christmas offer at Tesco. I especially like the spicy notes that seem to spark in the mouth and in the finish.


Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Crown Royal Canadian Blended

Crown Royal Canadian Blended

Official bottling
Blended malt
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, cardboard, brown paper, black pepper, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loose, watery. 
Tasting: Sweet sour. Bananas, brown paper, orange peel, vanilla, cardboard. 
Finish: Short. Sour, vanilla, cardboard. 

Comments: 

Reminds me of bourbon (which it is, really), and a poor one at that. Cardboard all over the place. Marginally better than the previous blend.

Verdict:

Not bad.

King of Scots

King of Scots

Official bottling
Blended malt 
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marker pens, cereal, cardboard, rope, grass. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, smooth, loose. 
Tasting: Salty. Oranges, pears, cardboard, grass, hints of oats. 
Finish: Short. Bitter, oats, grass, rope. 

Comments:

Strange-tasting sort of blend. Quite salty on first taste, but that evaporates to something more herbal. Shame about the cardboard - that sort of note really kills a whisky.

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS G7.3 (Girvan 27 yo 1984/2012)

SMWS G7.3 (Girvan 27 yo 1984/2012)

2012, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Golden
59.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla ice cream, popcorn, bananas, baked potatoes, hints of rope. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, oily, smooth, mouth coating. 
Tasting: Sweet sour. Bananas, leather, popcorn, vanilla, cardboard, white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, cardboard, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Starts out promisingly, with lots of tasty fruity fragrant notes, but then fades into a slightly unpleasant welter of rope and leather. Normally I find leathery notes to be a tasty sign of nice aging, but here it tastes somewhat musty.
 

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 128.3 (Penderyn 5 yo 2006/2012)

SMWS 128.3 (Penderyn 5 yo 2006/2012)

2012, SMWSSingle malt - South Wales
Straw
61.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, raspberries, chestnut puree, chocolate, cherries. With water, pineapple, starfruit.

Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, foamy, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Chocolate, chestnut puree, raspberries, bananas, condensed milk. With water, vanilla, more milk.

Finish: Short. Chocolate, bananas, condensed milk, cherries. 

Comments: 

Yum yum! Very nice indeed. Surprisingly complex for its age. Penderyn always seems to be fruity. More of the same please, Welsh Whisky!

 Verdict:

 I like this a lot.

Glenglassaugh Fledgeling XB

Glenglassaugh Fledgeling XB

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Very pale gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, white wine, wheat, orange peel. With water, more wheat, hay.

Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, smooth, tingly.

Tasting: Sour. Oranges, bananas, wheat, hints of vanilla. With water, grassy, hay. 

Finish: Medium. Bananas, vanilla, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Not really whisky yet of course, this is just 1 year aged spirit. But quite fragrant and pleasant for all that. Good tangy flavours, strong hint of banana (like bourbon) with some nice orange peel in the background. Takes a little water, opens up and becomes quite grassy, slightly sweeter perhaps.

Verdict:  

I like this.

SMWS 73.44 (Aultmore 30 yo 1982/2011)

SMWS 73.44 (Aultmore 30 yo 1982/2011)

2011, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Red gold
53.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, oak, hints of raspberries.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, mouth coating.

Tasting: Sweet. Oak, raisins, raspberries, chocolate, hints of chillies. 

Finish: Long. Chocolate, raspberries, orange peel.

Comments:

I found some old tasting notes. What the heck, might as well put them up!


This one was near to hand when I wanted something sherried and sweet, just a nice pre-Christmas treat. It did its job, but it didn't nearly taste its age. Adequate, but not really satisfying.

Verdict: 

Not bad

SMWS G5.3 (Invergordon 18 yo 1993/2011)

SMWS G5.3 (Invergordon 18 yo 1993/2011)

2011, SMWS
Single grain - North Highlands
Copper
65.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, raisins, marmalade, sesame seeds, oak, dried coconut, peaches, prunes, bananas. With water, lemons, cranberries, dried limes.
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, tingly, hot, loose.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, raisins, marmalade, peaches, dried coconut, dried limes, cranberries, bananas. With water, more sour, peaches, brown paper, lemon juice.
Finish: Long. Marmalade, prunes, vanilla, bananas.

Comments:

Very sweet on the tongue, almost something I'd associate with bourbon or rum. Water brings out some tarter notes, this takes splashes of water as opposed to drips. Very complex, and eye-wateringly strong!

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 99.13 (Glenugie 31 yo 1980/2011)

SMWS 99.13 (Glenugie 31 yo 1980/2011)

2011, SMWS
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark gold
48.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, molasses, quince jam, pineapple, tobacco leaf, orange peel. With water, sweeter, strawberries, peaches.
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loose.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Quince jam, orange peel, tobacco leaf, molasses, leather, charcoal. With water, peaches, salt.
Finish: Long. Orange peel, quince jam, pineapple, charcoal.

Comments:

I won't pass up old Glenugie easily (is there any other type?). Very fruity, lots of sweet savoury descriptors, but there are weird bitter notes in the taste and the finish. They don't detract from what is a pretty complex whisky though. Maybe this should have been bottled a little earlier?

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS G8.1 (Cambus 1989/2011 21 yo)

SMWS G8.1 (Cambus 1989/2011 21 yo)

2011, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Straw
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pine, vanilla, strawberries, lychees, hints of cherries.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sticky, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Pine, strawberries, raisins, melons, hay, hints of freshly mown grass.
Finish: Long. Bitter, black tea, pine, melons, strawberries.

Comments:

Starts promisingly, with a nice barrage of sweet fragrant fruit. First surprise - it's quite heavy! Pleasant on the tongue too, with vegetal grassy notes and pine coming to the fore. But the finish is bitter and tough, obscures the nice fruity flavours. Shame.

Verdict:

Not bad.