Missouri Ridge Bourbon Single Barrel

Missouri Ridge Bourbon Single Barrel

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Missouri
Amber
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, raisins, orange peel, vanilla, custard, black tea, hints of pears. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, vanilla, honey, fresh baked bread, pear drops. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, brown paper, orange peel, vanilla, custard. 

Comments: 

Not your usual bourbon. In fact I might have called it a malt, had I tasted it blind. There's a little hint of brown paper on the finish, but the rest of it is sweet, chockfull of vanilla, and even some pears. Very nice stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Tobermory 24yo

Tobermory 24yo

Chorlton Whisky
Single malt - Islands
Dark amber
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, lemon zest, peat, raisins, honey, fresh cut grass, hints of key lime. With water, sea salt, caramel, ink, hints of smoke
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slightly oily, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon zest, raisins, fresh cut grass, coconut, green tea, hints of butterscotch. With water, salty, caramel, ink, hints of iron filings. 
Finish: Medium. Butterscotch, green tea, lemon zest, leather, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

A massive, bold, brash Islands whisky from indie bottler Chorlton Whisky. Not one I'm familiar with, but this is a great start, and I intend to seek out more expressions. This one is peaty, sweet, and herbal to start with, plenty of citrus too. Water (and time) changes it, it turns salty, sweet, and even slightly metallic.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dailuaine 11yo 2007/2018

Dailuaine 11yo 2007/2018

Small Batch, James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
54.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, lychees, vanilla, orange peel, strawberries, raisins. With water, fresh baked bread, marmalade, hints of hay. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, thickens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cinnamon, orange peel, apple juice, honey, lychees, hints of black tea. With water, fresh baked bread, marmalade. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, red grapes, raisins, strawberries. 

Comments: 

Cask 310570, PX sherry finish. Very spicy and sweet, lots of lychees and other fruit, tapering to a tannic finish. Opens up with water, turns cereally, but very jammy. Excellent stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hudson's Manhattan Rye

Hudson's Manhattan Rye

Official bottling
Single rye - New York
Amber red
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nutmeg, raisins, red grapes, cloves, damson jam, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Brown paper, raisins, cloves, sea salt, lemon juice, soor ploom sweets. 
Finish: Short. Cloves, nutmeg, raisins, soor ploom sweets. 

Comments: 

While enjoying this in New York (a little local flavour), I was surprised to find out it was available in the UK. Oh well. It's decent whisky, quite spicy as you'd expect from a rye, and very sweet and sour. Nice soor ploom sweets on the nose and finish. It's been years since I had one.

Verdict:

I like this.

Garrison Brothers Single Barrel

Garrison Brothers Single Barrel

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Texas
Amber
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, butterscotch, cardamom, vanilla, cooked rice, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loosens, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, butterscotch, vanilla, brown paper, hints of iron filings. 
Finish: Medium. Rolled oats, fresh baked bread, honey, brown paper. 

Comments: 

An interesting bourbon, from Texas. Quite spicy, with a cereally bite on the nose, that morphs quite quickly to rolled oats on the tongue and into the finish. There's quite a lot of classic bourbon brown paper notes too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Peg Leg Porker 8yo

Peg Leg Porker 8yo

Peg Leg Porker
Single bourbon - Tennessee
Dark amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Corn syrup, pear drops, fig jam, brown paper, hints of lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sticky, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Vanilla, corn syrup, lemon zest, rice pudding, hints of chocolate. 
Finish: Short. Coffee, vanilla, chocolate, rice pudding. 

Comments: 

An independent bottling of what consensus says is George Dickel. I tend to agree, it's got quite a few interesting notes, which means it's not Jack Daniel. There's plenty of sweet jammy stuff on the nose, and a cereally bite on the tongue which lasts till the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bruichladdich 11yo 2007/2018 Rivesaltes Finish

Bruichladdich 11yo 2007/2018 Rivesaltes Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Amber red
62.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, red grapes, raisins, roast ham, peat, chocolate, brioche. With water, red grapes, fried eggs, toast. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, warming, astringent, sticky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Red grapes, raisins, peanuts, leather, chocolate, fresh baked bread. With water, fried eggs, leather, red wine, more chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Mint, lemons, red grapes, raisins, chocolate. 

Comments: 

Cask 1310, bottled for the Laddie Crew. Lovely winey notes, obviously from the cask finish, but there's peat, roast ham, and some nice soft bready notes. Lots of leather on the tongue, even chocolate. With water, it opens up, becomes quite sulphury, lots of fried eggs, even raw egg yolk. Wild, interesting whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1993/2018

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1993/2018

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bagels, cherry blossom, honey, passionfruit, lemon zest, hints of papaya. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly astringent, warm, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Passion fruit, pineapples, lemon zest, black tea, vanilla, hints of honey. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, malted grains, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

Intense and floral, and also very bready whisky. Like having a continental breakfast, only with bagels instead of croissants. And passionfruit instead of apples. I guess not like a continental breakfast at all... anyway, it's very tropical, plenty of malt and cereal too. Lovely stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenlochy 22yo 1977/1999

Glenlochy 22yo 1977/1999

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - West Highlands
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, leather, black tea, brass polish, butter, honey, dried apples, hints of rhubarb and custard. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, turns syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, butter, black tea, leather, mint, hints of dried apples. 
Finish: Long. Mint, raisins, peanuts, honey, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Very lucky to be able to taste this old Glenlochy, distilled before I was born. It's gentle and subtle, not intense like other old whiskies, lots of brassy, fruity and buttery notes. There's something tannic hidden among the sweetness. And such a long, long finish. Not that much old bottle effect - the celery is very light, there's much more leather and old books.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Benromach Sherry Cask Peat Smoked

Benromach Sherry Cask Peat Smoked

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Chinese tea
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, leather, red grapes, candied orange, hints of honey. With water, red grapes, strawberries, more candied orange. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, oily, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, smoke, honey, peanuts, orange peel, cloves, hints of red grapes. With water, sweeter, honey, raisins, candied orange, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Honey, red grapes, raisins, smoke, hints of peanuts. 

Comments: 

8yo 2010 / 2018. Doesn't mess around - peated, sherry cask. Plenty of leather, peat and smoke, plenty of classic sherry notes. With water, it's even sweeter and spicier. A beautifully complex dram to end the night on.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Cardrona Single Malt Just Hatched Solera

Cardrona Single Malt Just Hatched Solera

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Golden
64.4% ABV
Tiny taste 

Nose: Lemon zest, malted grains, vanilla, jasmine tea, hints of pomeloes, hints of soy sauce. With water, lemon juice, raisins, jasmine, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon zest, rolled oats, jasmine tea, vanilla, cornflakes, hints of fresh baked bread. With water, bitter sweet, lemon juice, honey, orange peel, hints of carrot juice, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, apples, fresh baked bread, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

3 years old, from a country that doesn't produce a lot of whisky. This youngling is citrusy and cereally, with some nice floral fragrances as well. With water, it sweetens up, with a vegetal hint in the background. There's a lot of promise here, and I'd love to taste more of this, but I'd probably let it age a bit more. Thanks Katie for the taste.

Verdict:

I like this.

Tomintoul 15yo Portwood Finish Batch 2

Tomintoul 15yo Portwood Finish Batch 2

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, rolled oats, brown butter, burnt toffee, vanilla, hints of hops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, vanilla, lemon zest, strawberry jam, honey, butterscotch, hints of pears. 
Finish: Short. Toast, malted grains, honey, strawberry jam, hints of pears. 

Comments: 

Doesn't quite taste like a port cask finish - lacks the obvious red grape and red wine notes. But there's plenty to find here - burnt toffee, some sweet red fruit, buttery, almost savoury, and something green and sharp on the nose. Good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Benrinnes 13yo 2005/2019

Benrinnes 13yo 2005/2019

Small Batch, James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Rose gold
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, raisins, chocolate, shortbread, tablet, vanilla, hints of roses. With water, toast, tablet, white pepper, hints of olive oil. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Toast, tablet, raisins, vanilla, orange peel, roses, hints of gooseberries. With water, turns salty, toast, white pepper, olive oil. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla, raisins, fresh baked bread, red grapes, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 307046. Matured in a Malmsey Madeira cask, like a Blair Athol I had from the same bottler not so long ago. However, the flavour profile is extremely different - this one has some winey, grapey notes, but it's primarily chocolate, biscuity, even spicy, and savoury, at least when some water is added. Highly complex, very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Benriach 21yo

Benriach 21yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, lemon juice, rhubarb and custard sweets, vanilla, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, hints of cardamom. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, raisins, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

This expression, presumably unpeated, is bright and citrusy. Not much apple, which I tend to associate with Benriach, but plenty of spicy notes - primarily cinnamon and cardamom. Nice stuff, but I think I was too far gone to appreciate it more. Thanks Eddie for the taste.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kavalan Sherry Oak

Kavalan Sherry Oak

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Amber red
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, red wine, honeycomb, jasmine tea, pear drops, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, slightly astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Red grapes, lohan fruit, honey, caramel, vanilla, raisins, toffee, orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Jasmine tea, raisins, marmalade, caramel. 

Comments: 

Well, this is more 'classic' Kavalan - rich, intense, sherried, fruity, and very, very sweet. It's not unpleasant, and I know many people like this whisky style, but I feel it obscures the more interesting notes in a particular spirit. Nice, but I liked the other, less sweet expressions better.

Verdict:

I like this.

Benriach 22yo Peated (2nd Edition)

Benriach 22yo Peated (2nd Edition)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, wood smoke, toast, raisins, leather, black tea, lemon zest, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens, turns watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, black tea, raisins, honey, orange peel, hints of wood smoke. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, lemon zest, leather, smoke, raisins. 

Comments: 

The classic fruity Benriach notes have ripened, and deepened, into raisins, and orange honey. The smoke and peat are quite obvious, and are well integrated with the rest of the flavour profile. The smoke is rather gentle, woody and toasty on the nose, turning to mere hints on the palate. Good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kavalan Podium

Kavalan Podium

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, raisins, butterscotch, marmalade, golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, thickens, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, vanilla, raisins, marmalade, quince jelly, black tea. 
Finish: Short. Quince jelly, raisins, marmalade, hints of chocolate. 

Comments: 

Finished in a combination of sherry refill casks and virgin casks. I think this is really good whisky, over the years, I've concluded that I tend to find Kavalan overly sweet and sherried, and a lighter, less intense finish showcases the spirit a bit better. This expression is sweet, but has interesting complex notes of fruit, and slightly bitter notes of tea and chocolate. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Cattle Creep 1st Release

Cattle Creep 1st Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Northamptonshire
Olive
42.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cardamom, lemons, thyme, lavender, coriander, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Lemons, lavender, sea salt, coriander, ginseng, cumin, hints of wolfberries. 
Finish: Medium. Sea salt, cumin, lemon zest, grapefruit, lavender. 

Comments: 

Many thanks to Tim for the sample. There's a lot of herbal flavours here, so much that I thought I was drinking something aged or finished in a Chartreuse cask. Plenty of lavender and cumin, laced with coriander, and bitter notes that waver between grapefruit and ginseng. But it turned out to be a young (3 years old, 2015/2018) English single malt.

Verdict:

I like this.

Tamdhu 15yo

Tamdhu 15yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, orange peel, cardamom, raisins, lemon zest, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sticky, mouth coating, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Coffee, pears, lemon zest, chocolate, orange peel, hints of vanilla, hints of oats. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, dark chocolate, cardamom, raisins. 

Comments: 

A lovely, sticky, sweet sherried dram. There are plenty of fruit notes, and cereally ones, but best of all, there's a heap of bitter chocolate, spice and coffee. A nice example of the art of sherrying whisky. A little goes a long way.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenmorangie Spios

Glenmorangie Spios

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rye bread, raisins, jasmine tea, vanilla, honey, hints of brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, airy, loose. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Rye bread, raisins, maraschino cherries, brown paper, black tea. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, ginseng, raisins, orange peel. 

Comments: 

This is like drinking rye bread in liquid form, maybe soaked in tea. There are some other sweet notes, but the rye flavour predominates. Of course, it's a Glenmorangie finishing project that used rye whisky casks. It's unusual, and I like unusual whisky, but I wouldn't really drink this more than once or twice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Brora 20yo 1982/2003

Brora 20yo 1982/2003

Chieftains, Ian MacLeod Distillers
Single malt - North Highlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Papaya, wet dog, raisins, salt caramel, autumn leaves after rain, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, mouth coating, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Papaya, smoke, sea salt, apples, vanilla, fresh baked bread, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Smoke, lemon zest, honey, leather, hints of fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Cask 1195. It's nice to have a Brora, although it gets harder to find and more expensive to buy with each passing year. This one is unusual, heaps of tropical fruit (not like Brora), some earthy funk on the nose (more like Brora) and some farmyardy wet dog (hmm, not sure) on the nose. On the tongue, this shifts to sweet salty smoky goodness - lots of fruit, cereal and leather. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Auchroisk 9yo 2009/2019

Auchroisk 9yo 2009/2019

Hepburn's Choice, Langside Distillers
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, sour cream, red grapes, white pepper, lemon zest, hints of cream. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, oily, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, vanilla, cookie dough, strawberries, hints of cream. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, rolled oats, cookie dough, cream, vanilla. 

Comments: 

This whisky is sweet and luscious. It tastes like strawberries and cream (even slightly soured cream), with cookie dough. There's a cereally note in the background as well, like rolled oats. The combination of flavours is highly unusual, and very enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kavalan Single Malt Port Cask

Kavalan Single Malt Port Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Pale red
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, artificial grape flavour, fresh baked bread, orange peel, honey, pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, static, loose. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Red grapes, raisins, artificial grape flavour, pineapples, lemon zest, strawberries, hints of rolled oats. 
Finish: Long. Apple juice, lemon zest, raisins, pineapples, hints of strawberries. 

Comments: 

This isn't over-intense like many other Kavalan wine-wood finished expressions. There's a lot of artificial grape flavour, which may not sound great, but is a flavour note I enjoy very much. It was something I loved as a child, and this whisky brought back many wonderful memories. I loved it.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glengoyne 18yo

Glengoyne 18yo

Official bottling
Single malt - South Highlands
Amber red
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk chocolate, raisins, red grapes, vanilla, honey, hints of black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, raisins, butterscotch, vanilla, coffee, cream, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, cream, red grapes, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

I was struck by the similarity to the old 17yo official bottling, then by a different similarity to the 15yo official bottling. In the end, this is somewhere in between, luscious and sweet, very chocolatey, and raisiny, but less sweet than the older expressions. There's a great bitter note, like a very rich dark chocolate, or excellent espresso.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.