Ardbeg Supernova 5th Release 2019

Ardbeg Supernova 5th Release 2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Golden
53.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, honey, hints of peach. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Leather, smoke, peat, honey, white chocolate, white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, smoke, white pepper, honey, peach. 

Comments: 

An interesting Ardbeg, this isn't as 'classic' as the first release. It's white chocolate instead of dark chocolate, and there's a nice peppery bite on the tongue as well. On the nose, heaps of vanilla ice cream and fruit underneath the smoke and peat. Glorious - I think I like it better than Supernova 2009.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Benriach 18yo Latada

Benriach 18yo Latada

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, bacon, red grapes, honey, black tea, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, warm, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Driftwood smoke, bacon, peat, red grapes, black tea, vanilla, hints of toast. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, black tea, ginseng, raisins. 

Comments: 

One of a trio of peated 18yo Benriachs. Thanks Simo for the dram. It's really nice, smoky, meaty, yet sherried and bittersweet. It's 'simple', in the sense that the layers of flavour are very clear and you don't need to work very hard to taste this. Easy to taste, nose and enjoy when you're talking.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Banff 22yo 1980/2003

Banff 22yo 1980/2003

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bacon, white grapes, honeydew melon, smoke, cucumber, hints of raisins 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, smoke, white grapes, honeydew melon, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, honeydew melon, winter melon, smoke, cloves, raisins. 

Comments: 

Cask 2915. This is a meaty Speyside, with more than a little hint of smoke, and a layer of fermentation on the tongue. Other than that, it's loaded with fruity esters and spice. This older style always brings a smile to my face, there's not a lot of this left, and I've been really lucky to taste this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenlossie 25yo Batch 5

Glenlossie 25yo Batch 5

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
44.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Candle wax, lemon zest, winter melon, cucumber, cedar, hints of white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Black tea, malted grains, toast, cucumber, candle wax, hints of ginseng. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, candle wax, peanuts, lemon zest, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Not your usual Speyside. It's quite robust, waxy, quite vegetal, even woody. There's not a lot of sweet notes here, instead it's largely bitter and surprisingly tart. There's also some dust, and fermentation. Quite special.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Mortlach 17yo 2002/2019

Mortlach 17yo 2002/2019

The Hidden Spirits Whisky Company
Single malt - Speyside
Pale silver
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange zest, lemon zest, white grapes, honey, vanilla, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, cloves, orange juice, malted grains, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, malted grains, cloves, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask ref MR 219. Thanks Andrea for the sample. No water needed, this whisky is just a symphony of fruit, cereal and spice. It's warming and bright, perfect for a cold winter's evening. Also probably perfect for a warm summer's evening, in fact perfect at any time. Andrea thinks Hidden Spirits are the new Samaroli, based on the quality of this cask, I have to agree.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Cotswolds Peated Cask Batch 01/2019

Cotswolds Peated Cask Batch 01/2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Warwickshire
Light gold
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, honeydew melon, cream, peat, pear juice, hints of smoke, hints of white grapes. With water, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White grapes, honeydew melon, white raisins, peat, leather, smoke, black tea, hints of new plastic. With water, leather, peat, white raisins, vanilla, hints of lemon juice. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, milk, lemon juice, leather, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

This whisky is wild, the flavour profile feels jumbled, disordered, with the flavours not distinct and changing. Yet somehow it works well, the fruit fades to peat which fades to bitterness, which fades from the palate. I really do like this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2019

Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2019

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon and Macphail
Single malt - Islay
Amber rose
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, red grapes, honey, peat, leather, smoke, blackcurrant, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Red grapes, liquorice, honey, smoke, peat, leather, quince jelly, ginseng. 
Finish: Medium. Ginseng, red grapes, blackcurrant, raisins. 

Comments: 

Batch 19/013. Sherried Caol Ila, bottled at higher than expected strength as part of the Connoisseur's Choice range. I like the newer expressions, they appear to have been selected for complexity and robust flavour. This one has a lot of sherry influence, but this is subservient to the peaty, smokey, savoury Caol Ila. Lots of bitter and liquorice notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

1792 Full Proof

1792 Full Proof

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
62.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, butter, vanilla, brown paper, orange peel, condensed milk, hints of miso. With water, saltier, raisins, honey, vanilla, miso. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Butter, toffee, brown paper, cinnamon, orange peel, black tea. With water, butterscotch, sea salt, miso, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Sea salt, miso, butter, raisins, caramel. 

Comments: 

I like bourbon from 1792 generally. It's reminiscent of Pappy, in terms of its complexity and sweet notes, but it's also got more layers, and for a fraction of the price. The layer below the sweetness in this whisky is saline with more than a hint of umami, it's like a sweet savoury hug.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ledaig 21yo

Ledaig 21yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Amber red
52.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, strawberries, peat, oolong tea, lemon zest, smoke, hints of marmalade. With water, preserved lemons, sea salt, peat, hints of raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, cool, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, oolong tea, marmalade, lemon zest, smoked bacon, hints of dried peaches. With water, salty, preserved lemons, raisins, red grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, smoke, marmalade, dried peaches. 

Comments: 

There's a lot in here to unpack. Firstly, there's the obligatory peat and smoke. Underneath that, there's heaps of jammy notes, oolong tea (floral yet tannic), and something meaty which combines oh-so-well with that smoke. Definitely a last one of the night sort of whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Croftengea 12yo 2006/2018

Croftengea 12yo 2006/2018

Cooper's Choice, The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Single malt - South Highlands
Golden
51% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, tobacco leaf, smoke, cream, malted grains, hints of toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, airy, slightly slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Raisins, walnut skins, toffee, honey, preserved lemons, chocolate, smoke, cream, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, toffee, chocolate, smoke, hints of condensed milk. 

Comments: 

Peated Loch Lomond, something quite hard to find nowadays. This one is bitter and uncompromising, with a thick layer of smoke, peat, and walnut skins over chocolate, preserved citrus and dairy. It's intense, not many whiskies can follow this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

St Magdalene 15yo 1980/1995

St Magdalene 15yo 1980/1995

Centenary Reserve, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Pink gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, strawberries, tobacco leaf, fresh cut grass, jasmine tea, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, turns watery, slightly warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Strawberries, fresh cut grass, kiwi fruit, lemon zest, hints of coffee, hints of cucumber. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, lemon zest, Coca Cola, tobacco leaf, chocolate, hints of peat. 

Comments: 

A rare find, this St Magdalene marries subtle tobacco notes with some gentle peat and fruit. It's quite intense for a young whisky, and there's certainly some notes of old bottle effect. I really enjoyed this, St Magdalene is light, gentle, and old - not a common combination.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Japanese Blended Whisky #1 21yo Batch 2

Japanese Blended Whisky #1 21yo Batch 2

Official bottling
Blend
Bronze gold
47.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cedar, cotton sheets, honey, hazelnuts, pears, hints of chillies. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, thickens slightly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cotton sheets, cedar, honey, peanuts, orange peel, pears, hints of chillies. 
Finish: Short. Peanuts, black tea, vanilla, honey, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Quite intensely flavoured for a Japanese whisky, lots of fruit, floral and woody notes. There's also something like freshly laundered sheets - quite comforting, really. It fades to a brief, intense finish, with a hint of bitterness.

Verdict:

I like this.

New Zealand 29yo 1988/2017 (TWE Exclusive)

New Zealand 29yo 1988/2017 (TWE Exclusive)

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Amber
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ink, dried pears, milk chocolate, honey, walnuts, red grapes, hints of marmalade. With water, red grapes, raisins, damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, walnuts, milk chocolate, condensed milk, honey, hints of red grapes. With water, sweeter, raisins, honey, vanilla, damson jam. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, milk chocolate, marmalade, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

There's nothing like old whisky, especially old sherry bombs. This one is chocolatey, full of dried fruit and some metallic iron notes. With water, it turns jammy, tasting of autumnal damsons, and becomes wonderfully sweet.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Chichibu 2011/2018 Cask 3537

Chichibu 2011/2018 Cask 3537

Official bottling
Single malt - East Honshu
Dark copper
59.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, tobacco leaf, raisins, damson jam, bubble gum, orange peel, hints of dried pears. With water, rolled oats, dark chocolate, fresh baked bread, hay. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, airy, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, rolled oats, tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, sea salt, brown butter. With water, bubble gum, orange peel, lemon zest, hints of peaches. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, dark chocolate, brown butter, vanilla liqueur. 

Comments: 

A sister cask to the one I tried at the Whisky Show, this dram is uplifting, complex and slightly saline. Water opens it up magnificently, bringing fruit, some grassy, herbal notes, and even some tutti frutti bubble gum.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Benrinnes 10yo 2009/2019

Benrinnes 10yo 2009/2019

Strictly Limited, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rambutans, sticky toffee pudding, candied pineapple, orange peel, hints of condensed milk. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, sticky, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Rambutans, candied pineapple, strawberry jam, vanilla sponge, black tea, hints of butterscotch. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, orange peel, butterscotch, walnuts. 

Comments: 

This Benrinnes is young, but highly complex, and very fruity. I particularly like the sweet tropical fruit, and the quick fade to a nice fruity finish. I've never tried this particular series of expressions, they seem to be pitched a bit lower than Celebration of the Cask.

Verdict:

I like this.