Rowan's Creek 13 yo 1989/2002

Rowan's Creek 13 yo 1989/2002

Willett
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Dark amber
50.05% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Brown paper, bananas, cream, strawberries, pears, magic marker, hints of pine.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, thickens, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet. Brown paper, cream, strawberries, chillies, pine, red wine, hints of mint.
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, red wine, mint, chillies.

Comments:

I've a slight suspicion that this wasn't distilled at the Willett distillery, and instead was just bottled by the Kentucky Distillers' Co, but I can't confirm that. Nevertheless, they've produced a very sherry-sweet, brandy-rich bourbon. Loaded with hints of strawberries and pears, winey richness and lots of spice, especially in the finish. The bottle says 12 years old, but the distilling date and the bottling date are definitely 13 years apart.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Tomatin 19 yo 1988/2007

Tomatin 19 yo 1988/2007

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

Nose: Strawberries, vanilla, honey, orange juice, grape jelly, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, smooth, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sour. Strawberries, honey, orange juice, grape jelly, cream, orange blossom, hints of leather, hints of peat.
Finish: Short. Orange juice, vanilla, honey.

Comments:

Floral and fruity, with an interesting flavour element of fake grape flavour - the stuff used to flavour grape sweets. Unexpectedly tart on the tongue too, despite the strong overtones of honey and strawberries.

Verdict:

I like this.

Benromach Traditional

Benromach Traditional

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Straw
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Peanuts, lemons, vanilla, jasmine, peat, honey, cream, milk, malty beer.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, watery, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Malty beer, milk, cream, jasmine, honey, vanilla, hints of peat, hints of lemons.
Finish: Medium. Peat, peanuts, milk, jasmine.

Comments:

Light and floral (are all Benromach whiskies like this?), with some subtle creamy notes, plus an overlay of peat. That is a slight distraction - I think the whisky would be more tasty and attractive without it. Very pleasant to drink though, very good for the current hot weather.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glendullan-Glenlivet 12 yo 1996/2008

Glendullan-Glenlivet 12 yo 1996/2008

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Pale green
58.2% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Lemons, wet stones, peanuts, malty beer, brine, prunes, hints of raisins.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemons, malty beer, wet stones, orange peel, chillies, cream, raisins, hints of yoghurt.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, raisins, wet stones, malty beer.

Comments:

Sweet salty at first, then loses the briney taste and becomes more tart upon sitting for a little while. Retains a chalky, flinty feel throughout, which disappears once water is added (shame!). Pleasant drinking, needs no water despite the high strength.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenturret 20 yo 1987/2008

Glenturret 20 yo 1987/2008

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Central Highlands
Lemon yellow
51.6% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Leather, brine, iodine, peanuts, pineapple, palm sugar. With water, loses its saltiness, becomes more tart - lemons, hints of green apple appear.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, slippery, loose.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Vanilla, peanuts, iodine, pineapple, leather, brine, honey, hints of palm sugar. With water, less salty, more sour - lemons and more pineapple appear.
Finish: Long. Palm sugar, leather, vanilla, pineapple.

Comments:

Quite salty straight out of the bottle, but loses this. Not just with the addition of water either - left alone for a while, the whisky develops, becoming tarter and more acidic. The leathery briney notes soften to lemons and pineapple. Something that requires concentration and patience.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 95.11 (Auchroisk 19 yo 1990/2010)

SMWS 95.11 (Auchroisk 19 yo 1990/2010)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
58.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange peel, marmalade, red wine, flint, molasses, hints of honey.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens.
Tasting: Sweet. Orange peel, marmalade, red wine, flint, brown paper, molasses, black pepper, hints of raspberry jam.
Finish: Long. Tingly, marmalade, raspberry jam, black pepper.

Comments:

A sweet and spicy sherried Speyside. Shows some minerally characteristics on the nose and on the tongue, which make it very pleasant indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 46.20 (Glenlossie 17 yo 1992/2010)

SMWS 46.20 (Glenlossie 17 yo 1992/2010)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
52.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, ginger, vanilla, lemon sweets, sherbet, chillies, hints of white pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, fizzy, loosens.
Tasting: Sour. Lemon sweets, sherbet, ginger, vanilla, orange juice, hints of grapefruit, hints of chillies.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, lemon sweets, ginger.

Comments:

This whisky reminds me of lemony Rosebank - it has the hard, tart, 'brassy' flavour that I associate with that distillery. However, there's an intense spicy gingery element to it, which sets it apart from all the Rosebanks I've ever had.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 84.12 (Glendullan 12 yo 1997/2010)

SMWS 84.12 (Glendullan 12 yo 1997/2010)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
59.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, jasmine, grass, peaches, vanilla, butterscotch, hints of elderflower. With water, less fruity and sweeter, cereally and cakey, lots of vanilla and butterscotch.
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, loose, ethereal.
Tasting: Sweet sour. White grapes, raisins, grass, jasmine, elderflower, butter, hints of peaches, hints of black tea. With water, sweeter, vanilla, butterscotch, sponge cake.
Finish: Long. Peaches, white grapes, jasmine, chillies.

Comments:

Fragrant and delightful, relaxing and fun to drink. I drank this whisky while feeling slightly stressed out and down, but cheered up quickly! Fruity and delicate, yet complex.

Verdict:

I like this.

Tamnavulin 1966 Forrester

Tamnavulin 1966 Forrester

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Mahogany
52.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, brown paper, plums, roses, toast, marmalade, chillies.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, mouth coating, syrupy.
Tasting: Sweet. Brown paper, plums, marmalade, pineapples, toast, hints of chillies.
Finish: Long. Toast, raisins, marmalade, orange juice, chillies.

Comments:

35 years old, bottled 2001, cask #3807 yielding 472 bottles. Sweet, intense, almost brandy-like. There's a lot of sherry in here, and I'm not sure that there's a lot of whisky left! Still, very, very enjoyable indeed - fruity, spicy, with a little bit of burnt cereally toast to remind me I'm drinking whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Auchroisk 12 yo 1993/2006

Auchroisk 12 yo 1993/2006

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

Nose: Raisins, brine, lemon zest, pears, magic marker, hints of camphor.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Pears, peanuts, raisins, flint, lemon zest, hints of plums, hints of camphor.
Finish: Pears, lemon zest, flint, walnut skins, camphor.

Comments:

Fruity, yet bitter. The bitterness isn't just the full rounded tempered bitterness of lemon zest. There's a slightly unpleasant harsh chemical bitterness, that is also a little spicy. It runs all the way through the whisky, making it harder to drink. Not the most pleasant of drams.

Verdict:

Not bad.