Yoichi 12 yo

Yoichi 12 yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Hokkaido
Golden
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, leather, shortbread, cookie dough, milk, cream, hints of raisins.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, watery, loose.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Vanilla, leather, smoke, cookie dough, milk, cream, raisins, fresh baked bread.
Finish: Short. Sweet, raisins, leather, smoke, milk.

Comments:

Sweet, fragrant, even milky - but smoky too. And it's only sweet on the nose. On the tongue, it's really quite different. A hard whisky to appreciate, can't say I liked this very much. Unlike the usual Yoichis.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Ichiro's Malt Four of Diamonds (Hanyu 11 yo 2000/2011)

Ichiro's Malt Four of Diamonds (Hanyu 11 yo 2000/2011)

Official bottling
Single malt - East Honshu
Amber
56.9% ABV 
Dram

Nose: Raisins, malted grains, old leather, red wine, brown paper, sandalwood, red grapes. With water, more raisins, cookie dough, vanilla, dried apricots.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, chewy, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, red grapes, red wine, old leather, carrot cake, brown paper, hints of mint. With water, sweeter, vanilla, cookie dough.
Finish: Medium. Brown paper, red grapes, raisins, hints of carrot cake.

Comments:

Whisky of high strength, aged in sweet wine casks, a style that I like very much. This one is fruity and fragrant, perhaps a tad sulphuric undiluted. But with water, it opens up and turns more complex, with strong notes of cinnamon and spice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glencadam 15 yo (OB 2013)

Glencadam 15 yo (OB 2013)

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Highlands
Straw 
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Vanilla, lemon juice, cough mixture, hibiscus, dried cherries, hints of chillies.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, slippery, turns water.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Vanilla, dried cherries, apricots, orange peel, hibiscus, hints of leather.
Finish: Short. Vanilla, apricots, lemon juice, hints of smoked ham.

Comments:

Hmm. Very different from its pre-2008 cousin, in almost all respects. The colour and mouthfeel are different, and this is very much lighter whisky. It is less savoury, less chewy, instead being light, sweet, and ever so floral. I associate that note with hibiscus water. Nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Mackmyra Brukswhisky

Mackmyra Brukswhisky

Official bottling 
Single malt - Gastrikland
Pale straw 
41.4% ABV 
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, vanilla, bananas, cookie dough, lemon zest, hints of juniper.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, slippery, static.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Vanilla, lemon zest, cookie dough, malted grains, limes, hints of leather.
Finish: Medium. Ginseng, cookie dough, limes, vanilla.

Comments:

Light, pale, with the merest hint of juniper, and a robust bitter finish. This whisky is taglined 'The Swedish Whisky', but I reckon it tastes more of the Lowlands. It's fruity and light, and you'd never know it was Swedish unless you read the label. Nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Penderyn Sherrywood

Penderyn Sherrywood

Official bottling 
Single malt - South Wales
Dark gold
46% ABV 
Sampler

Nose: Chocolate, plums, chillies, old leather, orange peel, salt caramel, vanilla, red grapes.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, turns syrupy, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet. Red grapes, raisins, old leather, chocolate, salt caramel, vanilla, orange peel, hints of chillies.
Finish: Short. Red grapes, salt caramel, orange peel, old leather, hints of chillies.

Comments:

Young, light whisky, heavily sherried. Good, complex, interesting nose, although the sherry influence is slightly overpowering on the tongue. There's a lot in here, nice notes of orange peel, floral chillies without the spiciness, savoury old leather. Pretty good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Inchmurrin 12 yo

Inchmurrin 12 yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - South Highlands
Amber gold
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Salt caramel, orange peel, honey, pears, lemons, orange blossom, hints of leather.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Orange peel, orange blossom, lemons, salt caramel, peanuts, hints of leather, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, salt caramel, lemon zest, hints of ginseng.

Comments:

Lightly peated whisky made at Loch Lomond's famous Lomond stills. This is very floral and sweet, with a tart edge. The peat adds a little salt and savoury note. Nutty in the finish, very enjoyable. Easy sipping whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Chichibu 3 yo 2009/2012 Floor Malted

Chichibu 3 yo 2009/2012 Floor Malted

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Pale yellow
50.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk chocolate, coffee, mint, milk, plums, rhubarb compote, hints of seaweed. With water, smoked ham, hints of cedar wood.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, slippery, airy.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Milk chocolate, coffee, seaweed, plums, rhubarb compote, apples, hints of brown paper. With water, slightly sweeter, saltier, more coffee, smoked ham.
Finish: Medium. Coffee, milk chocolate, seaweed, apples.

Comments:

Needs a bit of water to open up, but possesses a depth of flavour that belies its young age. Fruity, slightly salty, yet no hint of peat or leather. A very interesting, unusual whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hanyu 2000/2012 Whisky Talk

Hanyu 2000/2012 Whisky Talk

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Golden
60.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, vanilla, malted grains, plums, dark chocolate, hints of hay. With water, hay, mint, more chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, static, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, hay, plums, malted grains, coffee, milk, hints of cola nuts. With water, hay, mint, hints of salt caramel.
Finish: Medium. Coffee, milk, dark chocolate, hay.

Comments:

Dark, rich and chocolatey, almost like a good stout. Even the mouthfeel fits. I really enjoyed this, and with water, even more. Can't be many of these Hanyus left in the world, better try them before they go.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glengoyne distillery

Glengoyne distillery
Dumgoyne, by Killearn
Stirling G63 9LB

South Highlands - Scotland, active

Flavour profile

Well, there it is - chocolate, peanuts and raisins. These flavours dominate Glengoyne whisky to the extent that I often think of chocolate-covered peanuts and raisins, the kind one can get in cinemas, or perhaps at Christmas. Glengoyne doesn't taste cheap at all though - it's sweet, unctuous and flavourful, to the point where I think it's the sort of whisky one indulges in as a luxury. Perhaps, indeed at Christmas.

These sweet, fruity, nutty notes are probably the result of the casks - official Glengoyne bottlings use a lot of sherried whisky, while the two independent bottlings that I've had appear to be aged in port pipes. There is no peat - Glengoyne of course advertises its whisky as completely unpeated. Nevertheless I've detected some odd leather notes in one or two Glengoyne bottlings, so it does exist.

Glengoyne 17 yo was one of the first whiskies I ever tasted, and the distillery's output remains a great introduction into the world of dramming and the related world of single malt whisky. I've often thought about putting together a Glengoyne tasting. Maybe one day...

All the Glengoynes I have tasted so far are here.

SMWS 123.5 - good
SMWS 123.3 - very good
Glengoyne 21 yo - good
Glengoyne 10 yo - good
Glengoyne 17 yo - very good

Distillery history

This distillery sits so southerly that it's practically in the Lowlands. In fact, I believe some of its grounds technically sit across the Highland line. I've decided that it needs a special designation in my categories, so I've simply called this malt 'South Highlands'. The distillery markets itself as the only distillery in Scotland to eschew peat entirely. Flavourwise this is certainly true, and one can taste it, but I'm not really sure.

Glengoyne distillery was founded in 1833 by one George Connell, and was first named Burnfoot of Dumgoyne. The distillery passed through the hands of several private owners till it ended up in the hands of Lang Brothers Ltd by 1876. Lang Brothers Ltd eventually became part of the Edrington Group. The group refurbished the distillery in 1967, adding an additional still. The Edrington Group sold the distillery to Ian Macleod & Co in 2003.

There are 4 single malts in the entry-level range - the 10 yo, the 17 yo, the 21 yo, and a new 15 yo that I haven't tasted yet (but I will!). There are also a host of other special releases, like the Teapot Dram, which are harder to find. There are a few indie bottlings around though.

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Blairgar Burn
Washbacks: Six, Oregon pine, 19,000 litres each
Wash stills: One, reflux bowl neck, 16,520 litres.
Spirit stills: Two, reflux bowl neck, 5,000 litres
Spirit still Lyne arm: slightly descending
Production per year: 1,200,000 litres

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo