Filey Bay First Release

Filey Bay First Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Yorkshire
Silvery gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White wine, wet stones, pear drops, vanilla, white grapes, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White wine, ink, wet stones, malted grains, peanuts, lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, rye bread, wet stones, white wine. 

Comments: 

A new distillery, releasing its first official bottling - there are few more exciting events for a whisky enthusiast. This is from the Spirit of Yorkshire distillery. It's minerally, almost fortified, yet with delicate fruit and hearty cereal. I found it very promising indeed, it's young of course, but there's a fair bit of complexity there.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Aberfeldy 21yo

Aberfeldy 21yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cola nuts, raisins, ice cream soda, peanuts, hints of jasmine tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Cookie dough, vanilla, salt caramel, raisins, jasmine, hints of milk chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Jasmine tea, peanuts, dried apples, hints of cloves. 

Comments: 

Rather gentle for a 21yo, but there's plenty of sweet notes - dried fruits, spice, even some floral notes. I think it's a little too washed out for me, the notes aren't particularly intense. But it's a nice dram even so.

Verdict:

I like this.

Isfjord Whisky #2

Isfjord Whisky #2

Official bottling
Single malt - Hovedstaden
Dark gold
42% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, raspberries, heather, peat, smoke, petrichor, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, chunky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Heather, fresh baked bread, cookie dough, apple juice, peat, smoke. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, peat, dark chocolate, hints of raspberries. 

Comments: 

A young Danish whisky from around Copenhagen. This expression is the peated version, there is also an unpeated one. It's rather gentle peat and smoke, the underlying spirit is quite sweet, even spicy. Excellent rich mouthfeel too. Very promising dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Method and Madness Hungarian Oak

Method and Madness Hungarian Oak

Official bottling
Single malt - Southern Ireland
Golden, tinge of green
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toasted coconut, treacle, cinnamon, melon, vanilla, hints of brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cinnamon, treacle, walnut skins, butterscotch, brown sugar, vanilla fudge. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, cinnamon, treacle, hints of white grapes. 

Comments: 

There's a lot of toastiness here - the whisky is redolent with warm flavours, coconut, butterscotch, treacle, lots of things that have browned or otherwise undergone Maillard reactions. It's also, somehow, surprisingly light, and that's how I identify it as an Irish whiskey.

Verdict:

I like this.