Tamdhu 30 yo

Tamdhu 30 yo

The Macphail's Collection, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Mahogany
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, plums, orange peel, sherry, honey, red wine.
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, plums, hops, red wine, orange peel, hints of oats.
Finish: Long. Red wine, plums, hops.

Comments:

Bitter sweet on the tongue again, but this time the bitter dominates the sweet. A glorious sherried nose, reminds me once again of the very best brandy. Or, in this case, port. Dessert for grownups.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Spey 12 yo 1995/2008

Glen Spey 12 yo 1995/2008

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

Nose: Butter, oats, lemons, walnuts, leather, hints of peat, hints of peanuts.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warm, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Walnuts, butter, lemons, leather, peat, new plastic, peanuts, hints of roses.
Finish: Short. Leather, new plastic, lemons, hints of roses.

Comments:

Bitter sweet on the tongue, after a very fragrant, sweet nose. Not much grassy character, like Glen Spey is supposed to have, but there's a chemical whiff of new plastic. It's not unpleasant, almost floral. Quite drinkable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Knockando 12 yo

Knockando 12 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, butter, chocolate, honey, vanilla, plums, prunes, hints of redcurrants.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, slightly tingly.
Tasting: Sweet. Chocolate, raisins, honey, prunes, apples, hints of cinnamon, hints of redcurrants.
Finish: Short. Peanuts, chocolate, apples, honey, prunes.

Comments:

A refreshingly sweet and fruity whisky. A very decent dessert wine, with slight tart notes on the nose and on the tongue. Not very unusual flavours, but very well made.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Mhor 32 yo 1975/2008

Glen Mhor 32 yo 1975/2008

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, peat, peaches, oranges, apples, passionfruit, chocolate, hints of limes.
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peaches, passionfruit, apples, limes, bread, hints of oats.
Finish: Long. Oats, oranges, coffee, chocolate.

Comments:

Rounded and sweet, mouth-filling, exactly like a good, red Merlot wine. There is a cereally bite on the tongue that gives the whisky extra body. The finish tops it all - fragrant, slightly bitter, with waves of chocolate and coffee. Excellent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glendronach 15 yo Revival

Glendronach 15 yo Revival

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, leather, brine, toffee, coffee, sherry, hints of rum.
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, static, watery.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Raisins, sherry, oranges, lemons, honey, coffee, caramel, hints of brine, hints of leather.
Finish: Short. Honey, oranges, raisins, brown paper, brine.

Comments:

Matured in oloroso sherry casks, and named the Revival, as it is meant to be the resurrection of a much-loved sherry monster bottling, discontinued under the previous ownership. It's sweet with sharp hints of brine and citrus, very smooth and drinkable. Sherry monsters can be too sweet, this one is almost perfect. It doesn't quite reach the heights of old sherried Glen Grant, where the whisky could almost be mistaken for brandy, but it's very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Tullibardine 14 yo 1992/2006

Tullibardine 14 yo 1992/2006

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Buttercups
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Raisins, salt caramel, oranges, lemon zest, walnuts, roast pork, hints of leather, hints of violets.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, slightly tingly.
Tasting: Salty sour. Oranges, lemon zest, leather, cooked rice, walnuts, hints of violets.
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, cooked rice, walnut skins, salt caramel.

Comments:

Lots of subtle hints of grains, so faint that I'm not sure if I imagined most of them. There is one that's quite obvious, and unique - cooked rice, with a slight ferment that reminds me of sake. Good whisky, quite salty on the nose and again on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenury Royal 22 yo 1984/2007

Glenury Royal 22 yo 1984/2007

Rare & Old, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, oak, salted peanuts, tar, peat, leather, apples, hints of caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peanuts, leather, peat, apples, limes, caramel, hints of molasses.
Finish: Medium. Limes, apples, leather, chillies.

Comments:

Sour, but redolent of sweet, heavy fruit, leathery peat and old caramelised sugar. A strange combination, at once unctuous and a little harsh. Very decadent - like Shanghai in the 1920s, a'la Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Macphunn 18 yo Cask 1

The Macphunn 18 yo Cask 1The Macphunn, Macphunn
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber
56.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sherry, red grapes, orange peel, grilled beef, raisins, hints of brown paper.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, thickens, warm.
Tasting: Sweet. Honey, sherry, raisins, red grapes, black tea, brown paper, orange peel, hints of plums.
Finish: Long. Brown paper, sherry, raisins.

Comments:

A mystery malt, bottled by the owner of the Creggan's Hotel in Argyll. It's a single cask Speyside (I reckon it's Glenfarclas), matured in a sherry butt. Very nice indeed - complex, tannic, fruity and just a little meaty. Brilliant sherried whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Update 24 July 2014:

Someone (well, an auction site) has finally come out and admitted this is sherried Glenfarclas. I gather there's a bit of a question mark over this particular cask, but it's almost certainly from that distillery.

SMWS 54.28 (Aberlour 13 yo 1996/2009)

SMWS 54.28 (Aberlour 13 yo 1996/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden brown
60.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, sherry, rubber, chocolate, rolled oats, ginger, caramel, hints of curry leaf.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Sherry, chocolate, rubber, grilled beef, rolled oats, curry leaf, hints of onions.
Finish: Medium. Onions, chocolate, honey, oranges.

Comments:

Lots of savoury flavours, despite the sherry influence. While this was a refill butt, there was probably quite a bit of sherry left in it. Very eclectic. Water destroys the complexity and variety, reducing it to a single sweet dimension.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 18.28 (Inchgower 24 yo 1985/2009)

SMWS 18.28 (Inchgower 24 yo 1985/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapple, limes, apples, oranges, roses, plums, chocolate, raisins, tobacco leaf.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, a little volatile.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Cinnamon, limes, sea salt, pineapples, apples, plums, tobacco leaf, walnuts.
Finish: Long. Light, faint, chillies, pineapples, walnuts.

Comments:

Laden with exotic fruit and spice, this whisky is quite unusual. There's a great deal of complexity underlying the initial sweetness. Very wholesome.

Verdict:

I like this.

Pittyvaich 14 yo 1993/2007

Pittyvaich 14 yo 1993/2007

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

Nose: Raisins, malty beer, lemon zest, leather, hazelnuts, hints of cedar .
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, cool, thickens.
Tasting: Sour salty. Raisins, malty beer, leather, lemon zest, peanuts, sea salt, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, lemons, leather.

Comments:

Surprisingly peaty, yet very light indeed. There are strong whiffs of leather and sea salt that suggest more of an Oban or Old Pulteney. Great underpinnings of lemon zest recall Rosebank. Very pleasant indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Convalmore 23 yo 1984/2008

Convalmore 23 yo 1984/2008

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Light amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, lavender, cotton sheets, butter, raisins, chillies, walnuts, peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loose, static.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Lemon zest, lavender, chillies, walnut skins, orange peel, hints of butter.
Finish: Long. Lavender, vanilla, lemon zest, chillies.

Comments:

Very light and citrusy, and a great floral overlay. There's even something very reminiscent of freshly laundered cotton sheets in the nose. It's like climbing into bed after a long day.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dewar's White Label

Dewar's White Label

Official bottling
Blended malt
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, raisins, cream, butter, toffee, oak, vanilla, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Orange peel, raisins, walnuts, toffee, vanilla, cream, peat.
Finish: Medium. Walnuts, vanilla, cream, warm.

Comments:

Easy sipping, easy drinking whisky. Nice after a long day, although not when one wants ice. Pretty sweet and fruity, and the hint of peat rounds it off nicely.

Verdict:

I like this.

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Official bottling
Blended malt
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, peat, caramel, orange peel, smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, cool.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Peat, orange peel, lemons, raisins, hints of smoke.
Finish: Short. Peat, orange peel, walnuts.

Comments:

Simple whisky, great in its simplicity. A classic. Pretty good neat, but really comes into its own with ice and soda.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Cutty Sark Blended Malt Whisky

Cutty Sark Blended Malt Whisky

Official bottling
Blended malt
Yellow gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rock sugar, caramel, toffee, marmalade, burnt sugar, oranges, butterscotch, hints of fried eggs.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Caramel, fried eggs, oranges, walnuts, hints of butterscotch.
Finish: Long. Bitter, burnt sugar, fried eggs.

Comments:

Over-caramelised whisky. The whiff of burnt sugar is very strong, perhaps even slightly unpleasant. There is a hard edge of fried egg, like the crisp brown bits where the hot fat meets the egg white.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Glenmorangie Astar

Glenmorangie Astar

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Dark gold
57.1% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Vanilla, sponge cake, lemon zest, chocolate, cinnamon, biscuit, hints of wood smoke. With water, smokier, biscuitier, sweeter.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, volatile.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, sponge cake, biscuit, chocolate, elderflower, cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of smoke. With water, biscuit, sweeter, brown paper, hints of smoke.
Finish: Long. Biscuit, chillies, vanilla, chocolate.

Comments:

Bottled in American oak barrels at cask strength. Very spicy and welcoming, the epitome of oak aging. Probably better than the Glengoyne 17 yo. I drank most of this on a beach in Greece. It was delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.