Akashi White Oak Blended

Akashi White Oak Blended

Official bottling 
Single blend - East Honshu
Light gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, photocopy paper, steamed rice, cotton sheets, hints of lavender, hints of peach.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, slippery.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Green tea, white grapes, steamed rice, cotton sheets, hints of lavender.
Finish: Short. Green tea, white grapes, peaches, cotton sheets.

Comments:

OK, this is very unusual. In fact, it doesn't even taste like whisky. And there's a good reason for this, because this is a blend of single malt from Eigashima distillery, distilled molasses spirit (isn't this rum?) from the same distillery, and possibly a smidgen of non-Japanese grain whisky. It's not really whisky by the usual definition. It is light, fresh, mild and gentle, with pleasant notes of freshly laundered cotton sheets, green tea, and steamed rice. I really like this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Kawasaki 33 yo 1976/2009

Kawasaki 33 yo 1976/2009

Ichiro's Choice, Number One Drinks Co
Single grain - East Honshu
Amber, tinge of red
65.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, pears, magic marker, vanilla, lemon zest, honey, red grapes. With water, pears disappear, lots of magic marker, bananas.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, turns slippery.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Oranges, magic marker, lemon zest, honey, red grapes, dried cranberries, hints of pears. With water, sweeter, lots of magic marker, hints of oats.
Finish: Short. Oranges, lemon zest, pears, dried cranberries.

Comments:

Wow! Like a punch in the mouth, incredibly fruity and spicy. The sherry cask complements the spice of the grain whisky really well. With water, it opens up, tastes slightly chemical, like pear drop sweets. Very, very tasty indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hakushu Distiller's Reserve

Hakushu Distiller's Reserve

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Honshu
Gold, tinge of green
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cucumber, mint, leather, lemon zest, pomeloes, hints of grass.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, turns to water.
Tasting: Sour salty. Mint, cucumber, grapefruit, orange peel, leather, grass, hints of lemon.
Finish: Short. Salted plums, lemon zest, cucumber, grapefruit.

Comments:

Apparently blended from whiskies not less than 8 years old. So, very young, but quite flavourful nevertheless. It tastes... green? Like a mojito, but with savoury leatheriness and plummy, sweet-salty notes. Very good.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Karuizawa 1990/2012 Cask #679

Karuizawa 1990/2012 Cask #679

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Honshu
Dark amber
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, blackcurrants, vanilla, dried cherries, leather, cloves, hints of sandalwood. With water, less spicy, more malted grains, hints of oats.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens in the mouth, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Raisins, chocolate, cloves, blackcurrants, vanilla, leather, hints of sandalwood. With water, saltier, leather, hints of smoke.
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, blackcurrants, leather, hints of sandalwood.

Comments:

Not your usual Karuizawa. Instead of full-on, winey, vinous red grapes, this whisky has a savoury, slightly leathery (rancio?) undertone throughout. With water, it opens up, becoming saltier and even slightly smoky. Tricksy, but a real treat.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Auchroisk 16 yo 1989/2006

Auchroisk 16 yo 1989/2006

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Beeswax
58.8% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Bananas, cream, custard, vanilla, leather, mint, hints of prunes. With water, sweeter, cookie dough, raisins, grilled pork, more leather.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, tingly.
Tasting: Salty. Bananas, lemon zest, prunes, apples, leather, vanilla, hints of cream, hints of bubblegum. With water, raisins, grilled pork, more leather.
Finish: Long. Leather, peanuts, lemon zest, prunes. With water, more lemony, fresh, hints of pine.

Comments:

Fruity and strong, almost bites the tongue when drunk neat. Opens up a great deal with a dribble of water, meatier and saltier, almost like good pork with a sweet sauce on top. Apparently, this whisky was aged in first fill sherry casks, although judging by the colour I'd have thought it would have been refill. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS G7.2 (Girvan 27 yo 1984/2011)

SMWS G7.2 (Girvan 27 yo 1984/2011)

2011, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Brass
60.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, raisins, cream, honey, fresh bread, popcorn, hints of salt caramel. With water, fresher, pears, marshmallows.
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, evaporates quickly.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Lemons, raisins, honey, salt caramel, popcorn, vanilla, hints of cherries, hints of sandalwood. With water, saltier, peanuts, vanilla, more sandalwood.
Finish: Long. Salt caramel, lemon zest, honey, vanilla.

Comments:

Incredibly fragrant neat, and a little hard to drink. Upon adding a little water, it opens up a bit, but remains confusing. The diluted nose is sweet, airy flavours of pears, marshmallows and cream, but in the mouth, it is salty and nutty and covered in sandalwood. Interesting grain.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 71.38 (Glenburgie 27 yo 1985/2012)

SMWS 71.38 (Glenburgie 27 yo 1985/2012)

2012, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Bright yellow
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, peaches, raisins, oranges, clementine peel, hints of lemons, hints of leather. With water, sweeter, pears, magic marker, hints of sour cream.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, expands in the mouth.
Tasting: Sour. Apples, peaches, oranges, clementine peel, hints of bananas, hints of lemons. With water, sweeter, pears, sour cream, hints of Cheddar cheese.
Finish: Medium. Leather, lemons, oranges, peaches.

Comments:

Fruity and spicy, this whisky is wound through with something fermented and sour. It's not unpleasant though, rather, it's leathery, and even slightly cheesy. I don't get loads of cheese as per the regulation tasting notes, instead it's quite gentle, even creamy.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glendronach 21 yo Parliament

Glendronach 21 yo Parliament

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
48% ABV 
Sampler

Nose: Raisins, chocolate, honey, oranges, lemon zest, dried apricots, brown sugar.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, mouth coating, chewy.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, oranges, chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla, cookie dough, hints of burnt sugar.
Finish: Long. Oranges, chocolate, cookie dough, vanilla, hints of burnt sugar.

Comments:

Sweet and strong, with something burnt, or at least cooked, at the very edge. Muffins? Fruit cake? Cotton candy passed through a candle flame? Sweet sherried Speyside, this is delicious. You don't need smoke or peat for good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Octomore 5 yo 05.1

Octomore 5 yo 05.1

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay
Gold, tinge of pink
59.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, plums, honeydew melon, lemon zest, hints of car exhaust. With water, limes, lemons, more honeydew.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Peat, smoke, honeydew melon, lemon zest, vanilla, hints of car exhaust. With water, sweeter, way more lemons, limes honeydew.
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, chillies, plums, honeydew melons. With water, fresher, slightly sweet, lemons.

Comments:

OK, I know there are peat freaks who will love this, but seriously, too much peat is too much of a good thing in my opinion. It's hard to get to the bottom of this whisky. I suppose it's a testament as to how good it is that I can taste anything at all behind that wall of smoke and peat. Still, it's complex and alluring, and very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kornog Taouarc'h Kentan 13 BC

Kornog Taouarc'h Kentan 13 BC

Official bottling
Single malt - Brittany
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, orange juice, salt caramel, grapefruits, black pepper, hints of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, turns watery.
Tasting: Bitter. Peat, smoke, orange juice, salt caramel, grapefruit, vanilla, bitter gourd.
Finish: Short. Peat, black pepper, bitter gourd, grapefruit.

Comments:

Whisky... from France! Well, Bretons are Celtic too. Anyway, this is a salty, tart, smoky, peaty concoction, with lots of fragrant bitterness. Bitterness is a flavour too, not something to be avoided. This whisky is well layered and very enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenfarclas 105

Glenfarclas 105

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
60% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Bananas, raisins, sherry, strawberry jam, pears, maraschino cherries, hints of allspice. With water, cloves, ginseng, orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, static, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, sherry, pears, maraschino cherries, allspice, hints of cloves. With water, more bitter, orange peel, cookie dough, vanilla.
Finish: Medium. Chillies, strawberry jam, orange peel, hints of cloves.

Comments:

This is the quintessential Glenfarclas. I checked back on previous Glenfarclas tasting notes and just about every descriptor I wrote down in those is present here. It's also amazingly good value for cask strength whisky. Beautiful legs too, although it doesn't feel too thick in the mouth.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Knockando 25 yo 1985/2011

Knockando 25 yo 1985/2011

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Dark red
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, red wine, raisins, plums, black pepper, dried cranberries.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, static.
Tasting: Sweet. Red grapes, raisins, plums, apricots, black pepper, dried cranberries, hints of cucumber.
Finish: Short. Honey, cucumber, raisins, plums, red grapes.

Comments:

Matured in first fill sherry casks, and it shows. Grapes, fresh and dried and vinous, spiced up with black pepper and perhaps a hint of cucumber. Reminds me - somehow - of a good vermouth, fruity botanical flavours in a gentle red wine sleeve.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Bladnoch 20 yo

Bladnoch 20 yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale green
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, grass, hay, lemon zest, vanilla, custard, hints of leather, hints of brown paper.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, watery, tingly.
Tasting: Sour. Honey, grass, lemon zest, vanilla, custard, hints of white grapes, hints of leather.
Finish: Medium. Bitter ginseng, lemon zest, white grapes, honey.

Comments:

Light, sweet and fragrant on the nose and on the tongue. But once swallowed, the finish hits like a freight train - bitter ginseng, not unpleasant, but with fruity grapey notes. Quite unusual, I don't often find ginseng in whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Coleburn 16 yo 1983/2000

Coleburn 16 yo 1983/2000

Silent Stills, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
57.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cream, lemons, cinnamon, orange zest, hints of grapefruit. With water, roses, limes, hints of pineapple.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, grapefruit, lemons, hints of oats, hints of milk. With water, sweeter, limes, roses.
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, cinnamon, grapefruit, orange zest. With water, hints of limes, hints of leather.

Comments:

Bright and citrusy, but with a salty, almost cereally undertone. Adding water opens the whisky up a lot, with even more fragrant citrus notes appearing, and something floral, rather rosy. Finishes with bitter sweet flavours. Very tasty and refreshing.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Esk 14 yo 1982/1994

Glen Esk 14 yo 1982/1994

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk chocolate, pears, green apples, cloves, ginger, hints of leather, hints of grilled lamb.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery round the edges, static.
Tasting: Sweet. Green apples, pears, milk chocolate, cloves, mint, hints of leather, hints of prunes.
Finish: Medium. Green apples, mint, ginger, pears, hints of leather, hints of grilled lamb.

Comments:

Interesting whisky from another closed distillery. This one is sweet smelling, fragrant and tart (but not tasting tart), yet underpinned by something savoury and almost meaty. Grilled lamb? Certainly reminds me of a kebab shop.

Verdict:

I like this.

Braeval 12 yo 1996/2009

Braeval 12 yo 1996/2009

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
50% ABV
Mini

Nose: Oranges, pears, plums, malted grains, cinnamon, hints of leather, hints of marmite. With water, saltier, hazelnuts, honey, more marmite.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, turns watery in the mouth.
Tasting: Sweet. Cinnamon, leather, oranges, plums, honey, pears, hints of chillies, hints of marmite. With water, honey, vanilla, malted grains.
Finish: Long. Chillies, oranges, plums, hints of cinnamon, hints of marmite.

Comments:

Young and fresh, the 50% strength makes for a fruity, spicy, slightly salty whisky. I think this is one you either hate or you love, like (yes) marmite. With water, it mellows into something sweeter, lots of honey and vanilla. I'm undecided whether I like it better with or without water.

Verdict:

I like this.