SMWS 93.35 (Glen Scotia 17 yo 1981/2008)

SMWS 93.35 (Glen Scotia 17 yo 1981/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Golden
58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rubber, smoke, new plastic, vanilla, honey, toffee, burnt sugar, hints of peaches. With water, sweeter, marmalade, more peaches.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slightly oily, a little watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet. Burnt sugar, brass polish, rubber, smoke, raisins, honey, peaches, hints of vanilla, hints of orange peel. With water, sweeter, creme brulee, marmalade, peaches.
Finish: Medium. Burnt sugar, walnut skins, orange peel.

Comments:

Sweet and sensual, like munching peaches while sitting in the sun. This doesn't taste like Glen Scotia much, except at the very beginning when there's a strong hit of phenols and smoke. Ultimately this is sweet fruity whisky struggling to get out of a Campbeltown cloak.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 9.47 (Glen Grant 24 yo 1984/2009)

SMWS 9.47 (Glen Grant 24 yo 1984/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Butter gold
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coca cola, butter, brown paper, smoked ham, dried apricots, hints of dried apples, hints of raisins.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily, thickens.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Coca cola, butter, dried apricots, dried apples, vanilla, honey, smoked ham.
Finish: Short. Faint, vanilla, dried apples, hints of brown paper.

Comments:

Voluptuous and big (flavour-wise), with a teasing oily mouthfeel. Lots of dried fruit, like the good, aged, sherried Glen Grants out there. I think this was a bourbon cask though. Slow-aging whisky, but at its peak.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 69.11 (Glen Albyn 27 yo 1979/2006)

SMWS 69.11 (Glen Albyn 27 yo 1979/2006)

SMWS, 2006
Single malt - North Highlands
Light gold
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Hazelnuts, lemon zest, orange peel, white wine, condensed milk, hints of peat. With water, vanilla, raisins.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, static.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Peat, leather, hazelnuts, lemon zest, white wine, photocopy paper, hints of orange peel, hints of smoke. With water, vanilla, raisins, hints of peaches.
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, leather, lemon zest, hazelnuts, peat.

Comments:

Unusual for a non-Islay whisky - peaty, even slightly smoky, with a lively lemony lilt. It becomes more familiar with a dribble of water though, fruitier and sweeter. An odd whisky surely, I get the feeling this was rushed out of the door because it was approaching its sell-by date.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 29.75 (Laphroaig 18 yo 1990/2009)

SMWS 29.75 (Laphroaig 18 yo 1990/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
Light amber
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, cinnamon, bacon, smoke, peat, honey, apples, hints of raisins, hints of nutmeg.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, astringent, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter. Smoke, peat, leather, bacon, cinnamon, honey, apples, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Short. Apples, smoke, peat, driftwood.

Comments:

Dry and astringent mouthfeel, absolutely no sweet elements on the tongue (although there are pleasant fruity flavours making their way up through the nose). An uncompromising Laphroaig, hard to understand, takes no prisoners.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 26.57 (Clynelish 24 yo 1984/2008)

SMWS 26.57 (Clynelish 24 yo 1984/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - North Highlands
Bright gold
55.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, peaches, honey, orange peel, brass polish, biscuits, hints of marzipan.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, fades quickly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peaches, vanilla, lemon sweets, brass polish, biscuits, honey, orange peel, hints of toffee.
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, peaches, lemon sweets.

Comments:

Classic Clynelish. Chock full of delicious peach and biscuit notes, underpinned by a river of acacia honey. This is whisky that is the equivalent of any Brora out there. Clynelish rarely reaches these heights, unfortunately, but when it does, well, it's very very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Speyburn 10 yo

Speyburn 10 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Butter
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coconut, peat, raisins, olive oil, peaches, hints of smoke, hints of apples.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, tingly .
Tasting: Sweet. Coconut, peat, raisins, apples, vanilla, golden syrup, hints of smoke.
Finish: Medium. Raisins, golden syrup, coconut, olive oil.

Comments:

Now this whisky has a strange combination of flavours. There's coconut, and something slightly peppery yet sour smooth, very like olive oil. Overlaying that is a whole cloud of sweet fruity notes that screams Speyside whisky. I could drink more of this, purely for research purposes, you understand...

Verdict:

I like this.

Longrow 1995 10 yo

Longrow 1995 10 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Silvery gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, maple syrup, honey, orange peel, toffee, hints of smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens quickly, egg white consistency.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Peat, smoke, maple syrup, toffee, raisins, orange peel, burnt sugar.
Finish: Medium. Smoke, peat, maple syrup.

Comments:

Candy in a smoke house! I don't know where the usual Springbank lamb's wool notes have gone, but in their place there's a sweet, slightly bitter, raft of flavours reminiscent of cooked sugar - burnt sugar, maple syrup, toffee etc etc. Very pleasant indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Knob Creek 9 yo

Knob Creek 9 yo

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, bananas, honey, melons, vanilla, hints of peaches. With water, white grapes, more peaches.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet. Chillies, bananas, honey, melons, peaches, hints of toffee, hints of golden syrup. With water, white grapes, corn syrup, more peaches.
Finish: Long. Brown paper, chillies, toffee, melons.

Comments:

Bourbons tend, to my palate, to be very estery, with loads of banana and brown paper flavours. There's a lot of that in this one, but there's something more. Melon flavours are esters too, and those are present in great quantity here. The bourbon is sweet, with an engaging spicy hint on the tongue.

Verdict:

I like this.

Jura Elements (Water) 1989

Jura Elements (Water) 1989

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Amber
49.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, vanilla, winter melon, vanilla, pine, honey, hints of golden syrup, hints of coconut.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, loosens, cool.
Tasting: Sweet. Winter melon, vanilla, honey, golden syrup, hints of brown paper, hints of walnut skins.
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, brown paper, winter melon.

Comments:

For an expression styled "Water", the whisky doesn't actually need any water! There are few hints of its Jura origin, with some pine present only in the nose. The floral chemical notes have been transmuted to something resembling winter melon (not too sweet, harsher than say honeydew melons). Interesting Jura.

Verdict:

I like this.

Blair Athol Distillery

Blair Athol Distillery
Perth Road
Pitlochry
Perthshire PH16 5LY

Central Highlands, Scotland - Active

Flavour profile

Blair Athol is a whisky where a simple core is hidden under a veneer of complex flavours. The core consists of something leathery, maybe slightly bitter and hoppy. I suppose where I say "leather" I really mean light peat. The tannic scent that infuses Blair Athol whisky (for me) isn't really strong enough to count as peat, certainly not the full-fledged peat one gets in Islay whiskies. Instead, it's gentle, subtle, a little whiffy, like the inside of a new car, or a leather wallet.

This is further leavened and hidden by a citric tang. In different Blair Athols I've found that this can take several different guises (orange juice and lemon juice, as well as peaches). There are several other sweet fruity notes, among them vanilla and raisins, that also soften the leathery flavours.


All the Blair Athols I've tasted so far are here.

Blair Athol 12 yo Flora & Fauna - good
Blair Athol 12 yo 1993/2006 - very good
Blair Athol 12 yo 1993/2005 - good
Blair Athol 13 yo 1993/2006 - ok

Distillery history

Blair Athol was founded in 1798, as Aldour distillery, by John Stewart and Robert Robertson. The distillery was renamed Blair Athol in 1825 by Robertson. It eventually passed to Alexander Connacher & Co, to Peter Mackenzie & Company, which eventually became part of Arthur Bell & Sons, which in turn became part of Guinness and thence Diageo. The distillery was silent in 1832 (possibly until 1860) and again from 1931 to 1949.

Besides the 12 yo Flora & Fauna expression, there aren't many other official bottlings. Diageo released a 27 yo cask strength malt, distilled in 1975, as part of its Rare Malts series in 2003. The whisky is a major component of Bell's (but of course!).

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Allt Dour, a burn running through the distillery grounds
Washbacks: Eight. Four, stainless steel, two 25,000 litres, two 30,000 litres, and four, larch, 18,000 litres
Wash stills: Two, normal neck, 13,000 litres
Spirit stills: Two, normal neck, 11,500 litres
Spirit still Lyne arm: Slightly descending
Production per year: over 1,000,000 litres

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo

SMWS 39.61 (Linkwood 11 yo 1996/2007)

SMWS 39.61 (Linkwood 11 yo 1996/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale copper
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, strawberries, bubble gum, apples, raisins, hints of leather. With water, pears, magic marker.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily, warm, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, strawberries, apples, black tea, raisins, hints of leather. With water, pears, magic marker, hints of olive oil.
Finish: Medium. Black tea, apples, strawberries.

Comments:

Sweetly perfumed, if a little odd with water. This whisky actually tastes stronger, once a little water is dribbled in. I associate impressions of strength with a higher solvent-y scent - in this case, the acetone present in magic marker, which bursts out of the whisky upon addition of water. Interesting stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 27.74 (Springbank 12 yo 1996/2008)

SMWS 27.74 (Springbank 12 yo 1996/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Pale brown
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Soap, smoke, hazelnuts, smoked ham, wool, molasses, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, loose, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Smoke, lemon sweets, molasses, hazelnuts, smoked ham, wool, soap, hints of kiwifruit.
Finish: Medium. Soap, wool, smoke.

Comments:

Smoky, with big huge meaty notes. Lambs wool and soap may not be to everyone's taste, but they definitely signify Springbank. This whisky also has a sweet bite to it, like a very good, thick, dark rum.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 18.26 (Inchgower 23 yo 1985/2008)

SMWS 18.26 (Inchgower 23 yo 1985/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Copper penny
48.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, vanilla, condensed milk, raspberries, orange peel, hints of new plastic, hints of rubber.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, cool, then tingly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oranges, lemons, orange peel, condensed milk, vanilla, raspberries, brown paper, new plastic.
Finish: Short. Brown paper, orange peel, condensed milk.

Comments:

Reminds me of Marks & Spencer's victoria sponge! Cakey and jammy, lots of cream somewhere in the middle. This whisky would make an unusual but satisfying dessert, or even a digestif. Not too sweet, but that makes it all the better.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dailuaine 13 yo 1991/2005

Dailuaine 13 yo 1991/2005

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Yellow gold
43% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Raisins, lemons, orange peel, magic marker, brass polish, grass, hay, daisies.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, cool, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemons, orange peel, honey, grass, hay, magic marker, brass polish, hops.
Finish: Medium. Cream, lemons, walnut skins, hops, honey.

Comments:

Rather bitter, and slightly tart. Set against that, there are many strong whiffs of sweet fruity flavours. An odd whisky, tingly and prickly on the tongue, yet cool and refreshing. No good with water, but yet tastes stronger than it actually is. A dram of many contradictions.

Verdict:

I like this.

Brora 20 yo 1982/2002

Brora 20 yo 1982/2002

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - North Highlands
Bright gold
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Lemons, leather, peaches, raisins, peat, hints of kiwi fruit.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool.
Tasting: Sweet. Lemons, brown paper, peat, rubber bands, leather, peaches, oranges, hints of brass polish.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, brass polish, peaches.

Comments:

This is a pleasant surprise! Very refreshing, yet punchy with peat, leather and loads of fruit. There's a peachy hint that's reminiscent of very ripe nectarines, which goes nicely with a citrus bite. This could be stronger, but it's almost perfect.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 80.5 (Glen Spey 20 yo 1985/2005)

SMWS 80.5 (Glen Spey 20 yo 1985/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Silvery gold
52.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, toast, butter, antiseptic, hints of marzipan, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, slightly tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oranges, vanilla, honey, butter, marzipan, burnt sugar, brown paper, sherry.
Finish: Medium. Chillies, burnt sugar, honey, vanilla.

Comments:

Sherry?! Where does this come from? The whisky is from a refill hoggie! It's definitely there though. This whisky is confusing - there's a bitter burnt sugar edge to it, with sharp poky elements of antiseptic and chillies, but swimming in sweet soft notes like honey, butter and vanilla.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 38.16 (Caperdonich 12 yo 1994/2006)

SMWS 38.16 (Caperdonich 12 yo 1994/2006)

2006, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Molasses, dried coconut, lemon sweets, roast pork, bacon, honey, hints of smoke. With water, sweeter, hints of burnt rubber.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Bacon, molasses, raisins, honey, glace cherries, hints of smoke. With water, sweeter, burnt sugar.
Finish: Long. Burnt sugar, honey, roast pork.

Comments:

Sweet salty, with big delicious meaty notes. Very appetising, if a little odd with water. This is a whisky that gets the juices flowing just before dinner. Something to appreciate before a large steak!

Verdict:

I like this.

Littlemill 10 yo 1990/2001

Littlemill 10 yo 1990/2001

Signatory Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Lowlands
Very pale green
43% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Leather, lemons, hints of raisins, sea salt, plums, hints of grass.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly astringent, turns watery.
Tasting: Salty sour. Leather, lemons, grass, plums, mint, hints of honey, hints of raisins.
Finish: Short. Mint, grass, lemons, honey.

Comments:

Cask #2958. Very light and sour, with a strong element of sea salt. Smells strongly of leather, but not quite peat, with a very light, short, refreshing finish. This reminds me of Moroccan preserved lemons, where the lemon is steeped in salt for weeks, then served up as a condiment with sprigs of mint. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Blair Athol 13 yo 1993/2006

Blair Athol 13 yo 1993/2006

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Central Highlands
White wine
43% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Leather, lemon juice, lemons, coca cola, orange juice, bananas, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sour. Lemons, vanilla, honey, leather, lemon juice, orange juice, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Tart, lemon juice, leather, orange juice, vanilla.

Comments:

This whisky is surprisingly sour. It's tartness is mouth-puckering, and there's a strange sour aftertaste left on the lips. That said, there are some sweet fragrant notes that appear on the tongue, particularly honey and vanilla. A strangely fresh-tasting dram.

Verdict:

Not bad.

William Grant's Family Reserve

William Grant's Family Reserve

Official bottling
Blended malt
Dark gold
43% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Lemons, quinces, kiwi fruit, leather, pears, hints of orange peel, hints of burnt sugar.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Burnt sugar, salt caramel, lemons, quince, leather, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Medium. Burnt sugar, lemons, leather, salt caramel.

Comments:

This is an older bottling (around 1999), and slightly higher strength at 43%. Today's bottlings of this expression are 40%. Apparently this contains 25% WG distilleries (Balvenie, Kininvie and Glenfiddich) and up to 22 other whiskies in total. It is mostly pleasant both on the nose and on the tongue, but there's a slightly acrid hint of burnt sugar wreathed all around the fruity, slightly peaty elements. It's drinkable, but not great. I hope the later bottlings of this are better.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Benriach Distillery

Benriach Distillery
Longmorn
Elgin
Morayshire IV30 8SJ

Speyside, Scotland - Active

Flavour profile

Well, there it is. The 3 major flavour elements in Benriach whisky - bananas, lemons and peat. The peat, of course, is from the two peated whiskies that Benriach distillery produces (Curiositas and Authenticus), but all the whiskies display light notes of bananas and tangy lemons. The banana flavour is very unlike the sweet, intense banana notes one finds in bourbon. In Benriach whisky, it's light but flavourful, ethereal and silky.

The light banana flavours are in lockstep with tangy lemon, sometimes so tart that it tastes like lemon juice rather than the fruit itself. There's occasionally some bitterness that so often goes with lemon in whisky, but in this case I've caught it as white wine rather than lemon zest. The whole combination is rather refreshing.


All the Benriachs I've tasted so far are here.

Benriach 16 yo - good
Benriach 12 yo - good
Benriach 10 yo Curiositas - good
Benriach 21 yo Authenticus - good

Distillery history

Founded by the owner of Longmorn, John Duff and Co, in 1897. It changed hands several times, from John Duff to the Longmorn Distillery Company, then to the Glenlivet Distillers Ltd, then to Seagram, then to Chivas Regal (together with its sister distillery, Longmorn). When Pernod Ricard bought Chivas, Benriach was sold to a South African concern, Intra Trading. The distillery was silent from 1900-1965 (but not the maltings), in 1999 and from 2002 to 2004.

There are loads of official bottlings - 12, 16 and 20 years old, the peated Curiositas and Authenticus and several limited editions. The whisky used to go into Chivas Regal, I suppose Chivas still has some older casks it mixes into its blends. It also goes into Clan Murray and Something Special.

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Springs on site
Washbacks: Eight, stainless steel
Wash stills: Two, long normal neck
Spirit stills: Two, long normal neck
Spirit still Lyne arm: ??
Production per year: 2,000,000 litres

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo

WL Weller 12 yo

WL Weller 12 yo

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Dark amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, vanilla, apples, bananas, cream, cornflakes, leather, hints of peaches.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slightly foamy.
Tasting: Sweet. Brown paper, vanilla, apples, bananas, cornflakes, marzipan, caramel, leather, hints of peaches.
Finish: Short. Walnut skins, vanilla, photocopy paper, cream, cornflakes.

Comments:

Milky, rich, sweet bourbon. This is what I've come to expect from Buffalo Trace! It tastes just like before Christmas - at present wrapping time. Very celebratory.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 97.17 (Littlemill 19 yo 1990/2009)

SMWS 97.17 (Littlemill 19 yo 1990/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
Ginger gold
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coca cola, vanilla, honey, strawberries, grass, hints of marzipan.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, oily, a little hot.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, coca cola, strawberries, grass, lemon zest, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Long. Grass, lemon zest, vanilla.

Comments:

Sweet and luscious, nice sharp bite in the taste. This whisky would be great on ice, it tastes just like a coke float! Perfect for those hot summer days (like today).

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 36.43 (Benrinnes 9 yo 1999/2009)

SMWS 36.43 (Benrinnes 9 yo 1999/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Yellow gold
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, lemons, honey, new plastic, salt, hints of mint, hints of leather. With water, more peaches, figs, tamarind.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, thickens.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Tobacco, mint, peaches, lemons, mint, liquorice, tamarind, hints of salt caramel. With water, more peaches, figs, saltier.
Finish: Long. Honey, mint, peaches.

Comments:

Lip-smacking, a little tart and drying in the mouth. Nice fruity elements, particularly the tamarind, which is intense and very unusual. I also like the lemons and peaches. Surprisingly not sweet at all.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 35.27 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2009)

SMWS 35.27 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden, tinge of orange
58.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, burnt sugar, caramel, raisins, marshmallows, quinces, hints of brown paper.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, turns watery.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Brown paper, burnt sugar, vanilla, raisins, quinces, hints of liquorice.
Finish: Medium. Brown paper, quinces, vanilla.

Comments:

This whisky was titled "Floating Turtles over Lynchburg" by the SMWS. There are some slight hints of brown paper and burnt sugar, which does bring to mind Old No 7. You don't often get marshmallows and quinces in bourbon though!

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenfiddich 18 yo Ancient Reserve

Glenfiddich 18 yo Ancient Reserve

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, raisins, peanuts, condensed milk, vanilla, chillies, leather,orange peel, hints of pear.
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Salty. Condensed milk, salt caramel, popcorn, chillies, raisins, peat, hints of leather, hints of pears.
Finish: Medium. Peat, walnut skins, pears, leather.

Comments:

This doesn't taste much like your usual Glenfiddich. Quite peaty, salty, and spicy. There's a lot of savoury notes and not a lot of fruity sweet notes. The Glenfiddich pear is very faint, and the usual accompanying magic marker notes absent.

Verdict:

I like this.

Benriach Authenticus 21 yo

Benriach Authenticus 21 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Peat, smoke, leather, lemons, milk, oranges, hints of bananas.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, static, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Sour. Peat, leather, lemons, peanuts, milk, smoke, hints of oranges.
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, peat, lemons, leather.

Comments:

Cool and refreshing, tastes younger than it is. Slightly harsh on the tongue. The peat and smoke combine well with the fruity elements, but there's precious little hint of Benriach's characteristic light banana notes. Slightly bitter finish, but there's some interesting things going on here.

Verdict:

I like this.