Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2020

Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2020

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Islay
Straw
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, buttered toast, peanuts, marmalade, tinned peaches, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Buttered toast, peaches, golden syrup, peanuts, hints of leather, hints of pears. 
Finish: Long. Tinned peaches, leather, peanuts, hints of peat, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask DL13823. I was a little sad - this is probably the last dram I'm going to drink in a bar for a while. But it was a worthy one - practically unpeated, lots of fruit notes, even buttered toast. The peat is very gentle and mild, almost unnoticeable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenlossie 24yo 1995/2019

Glenlossie 24yo 1995/2019

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
53.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, peaches, raisins, damson jam, hints of leather. With water, driftwood, sea salt, peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Peaches, orange peel, white grapes, leather, vanilla, hints of cotton sheets. With water, more savoury, orange peel, peaches, sea salt, sawdust. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, peaches, orange peel, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Cask 1325. Lots of peaches in this one, along with other fruit. But it's oddly salty, with a slight umami savour. With water, it opens up a bit, but is still heavy on the peach, and also the salt. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aultmore 8yo 2008/2017

Aultmore 8yo 2008/2017

The Octave, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside
Brass
53.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, barley sugar, brass polish, vanilla, hints of kiwifruit. With water, sandalwood, cinnamon, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon sweets, soursop, green tea, barley sugar, white grapes, hints of vanilla. With water, more lemon sweets, white grapes, dust. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, black pepper, white grapes, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Excellent cask strength Aultmore, lots of barley sugar, which to me is the typical note for this distillery (also many other distilleries in Speyside!). With water, it loosens, and more fruit notes appear. I really enjoyed this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Paul John Christmas Edition 2019

Paul John Christmas Edition 2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Goa
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla sponge, red grapes, black tea, leather, raisins, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, slippery, loose. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, red grapes, vanilla sponge, cacao nibs, raisins, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Short. Magic marker, pear drops, red grapes, raisins, cacao nibs. 

Comments: 

Well, it certainly does what it says on the label. Christmas spice, something bitter sweet, lots of chocolate and raisins. Rather young, but I think the cask strength might be very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenburgie 11yo 2008/2019

Glenburgie 11yo 2008/2019

Hepburn's Choice, Langside Distillers
Single malt - Speyside
Orange pink
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, stroopwafel, chocolate, butterscotch, camphor. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Oranges, chocolate, red grapes, vanilla, raisins, butterscotch, hints of walnuts. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla sponge, red grapes, burnt sugar, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

This is a lovely young Glenburgie, bright, fruity and sweet. Lots of alluring dessert notes, and a slightly bitter hint of burnt sugar at the end, like the top on a creme brulee. Very refreshing, and a great starter dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardbeg Supernova Committee Release 2014

Ardbeg Supernova Committee Release 2014

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Silvery gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, smoke, white chocolate, vanilla ice cream, sandalwood, cinnamon. With water, melons, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Peat, leather, white chocolate, apple juice, milk chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, orange juice, lemon zest. With water, peat, cigar smoke, vanilla ice cream, melons. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, smoke, tobacco leaf, milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

A chameleon of a Supernova. This is chocolatey and sweet underneath that peat and smoke, but there's also fruit and spice. With water, it whiffs of peat and smoke, but the sweetness is still there, even more chocolatey. Magnificent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Springbank Local Barley 9yo (2018 Release)

Springbank Local Barley 9yo (2018 Release)

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Yellow gold
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Petrol exhaust, clay, peanuts, melons, honey, white grapes, hints of condensed milk. With water, sweeter, mangoes, pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, watery, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Petrol exhaust, white grapes, peaches, condensed milk, clay, black tea. With water, sweeter, mangoes, pineapples, white grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, clay, honey, peaches. 

Comments: 

Springbank's Local Barley series is one of a very few expressions that really represents the distillery. You can't get more local than this, and it's quite characteristic of Springbank. This one has the earthy, petrol notes of Springbank, married to lots of tropical fruit. It's excellent with a touch of water.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

JJ Corry Blended Malt "The Birdie" (for Milroy's of Soho and the Proofing Room)

JJ Corry Blended Malt "The Birdie" (for Milroy's of Soho and the Proofing Room)

Blended malt
Bright gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, vanilla, white grapes, quince, hints of limes, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, thickens, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, limes, honey, kalamansi, green tea, bitter orange. 
Finish: Short. Limes, honey, bitter orange, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Heavily citrusy, quite well layered, and sweet sour. This is really good whisky, and I'm very impressed by these JJ Corry bespoke bottlings.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Aberlour 9yo 2009/2018

Aberlour 9yo 2009/2018

Bottled during AISH trip, Whisky Advisors Ltd
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
57.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, black tea, red grapes, black pepper, walnuts, coffee. With water, fresh baked bread, coffee, raisins, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, red grapes, camphor, vanilla, coffee, hints of walnut skins. With water, chocolate, black tea, fresh baked bread, more raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, dark chocolate, red grapes, vanilla, walnuts. 

Comments: 

Cask 150027. This is a very niche bottling, I believe bottled for a specific group on a trip. It's quite heavily sherried, perhaps it would have qualified for a batch of A'bunadh. It's impressive, lots of red grapes, but the highlight is a strong camphor note, and something quite bitter in the finish - dark chocolate certainly, even walnut skins.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glengoyne Cask Strength (Batch 7)

Glengoyne Cask Strength (Batch 7)

Official bottling
Single malt - Sout Highlands
Green gold
58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, raisins, lime curd, fresh cut grass, chocolate, honey. With water, butterscotch, lemon juice, honey, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, lemon juice, fresh baked bread, vanilla, sponge, chocolate, raisins. With water, chocolate, raisins, rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon juice. 
Finish: Long. Chocolate, mint, vanilla sponge, fresh baked bread, lime curd. 

Comments: 

Not quite your usual Glengoyne, I've gotten very used to those chocolate covered raisin notes, which were present in the very first Glengoyne I ever had. This one still has those chocolate covered raisins, but these are muted behind fruit, some tartness, and even some tannic black tea.

Verdict:

I like this.