Omar Single Malt (Bourbon Cask)

Omar Single Malt (Bourbon Cask)

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Amber
46% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Raisins, chocolate, vanilla, honey, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Chocolate, raisins, pears, walnuts, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, raisins, chocolate, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Now discontinued, this is the original entry level bottling from Nantou distillery, bourbon cask finish. It didn't get good reviews while it was being produced, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's chocolatey and earthy on the tongue, with lots of sweet fruity notes throughout. Highly drinkable NAS whisky, bottled at a decent strength.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke

Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale amber
48.9% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Honey, autumn leaves, woodsmoke, peaches, salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, tingly, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Woodsmoke, leather, pears, white grapes, black tea. 
Finish: Medium. Salt caramel, leather, raisins, pears, woodsmoke. 

Comments: 

Well, it says Sweet Smoke on the bottle, and Sweet Smoke is what you get. There's a gentle, somewhat dry smoke, layered over all sorts of stone fruit. There's also a savoury undertone. I really enjoyed this bottle, it's an easy drinker, slipping down so smoothly and easily. We'd drunk a third of the bottle before we noticed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Deanston 19yo 1999/2019 Muscat Cask Finish

Deanston 19yo 1999/2019 Muscat Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Copper gold
55.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, gooseberries, honey, honeydew melons, burnt sugar. With water, lemon zest, toffee apples, nectarines. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, thickens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Nectarines, gooseberries, white grapes, pomegranate molasses, butterscotch, hints of vanilla sponge. With water, hay, fresh baked bread, burnt sugar, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. White grapes, vanilla sponge, toffee apples, hints of pomegranate molasses. 

Comments: 

Sweet, intense, highly fruity neat, this is a very enjoyable whisky. I normally wouldn't use the adjective 'smooth' to describe a whisky, but it is indeed smooth in mouthfeel, slipping down easily despite the high strength. With water it loosens up, turning slightly tart, with lots of cereal and floral notes. Excellent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Roughstock Montana Pure Malt Whiskey

Roughstock Montana Pure Malt Whiskey

Official bottling
Single malt - Montana
Pale amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, vanilla, popcorn, hazelnuts, buttermilk, hints of pine. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Popcorn, butter, vanilla, salt caramel, butterscotch, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Long. Buttermilk, butterscotch, fresh baked bread, popcorn. 

Comments: 

Very cereally, lots of bread, popcorn, even hazelnuts, and something woody as well. Plenty of sweet notes too. I'm reasonably sure this is not all barley, so 'Pure malt' is something of a misnomer. But it doesn't really matter - it's very good whisky, despite the lack of an age statement.

Verdict:

I like this.

Filey Bay Second Release

Filey Bay Second Release

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

Nose: Chestnut purée, green apples, malted grains, walnuts, lemon zest, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Green apples, sea salt, malted grains, lemon zest, wet stones, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, lemon zest, walnuts, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Fruity and sweet on the nose, lots of nuts, but is overtaken by salty, wet stones on a pebble beach, once on the tongue. Lovely cereal notes too. It's less peaty than its brother expression (the first release), but it's no less delicious.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Breton Rare 19yo

Glen Breton Rare 19yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Nova Scotia
Bronze
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Gooseberries, white grapes, pear drops, lemon zest, fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. White grapes, lemon zest, honey, cedar, Parma violets. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh cut grass, pear drops, Parma violets, chocolate. 

Comments: 

My second whisky from the Canadian distillery set up to make single malt. An interesting nose, lots of fruit, fading to something grassy. On the tongue though, it's woody and sweet, with an intense, almost overpowering note of Parma violets. In fact it almost drowns out everything else. The finish is also herbal like the nose, but has plenty of Parma violets also.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Beverbach Sherry Finish (2018 Release)

Beverbach Sherry Finish (2018 Release)

Official bottling
Single malt - Lower Saxony
Pale green gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, white grapes, caraway, rye bread, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, cool, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Rye bread, white grapes, white chocolate, vanilla, nectarine conserves, hints of guava. 
Finish: Medium. Caraway, black pepper, lemon zest, black tea. 

Comments: 

A German whisky, from a distillery more known for its vodka. It's gloriously unbalanced, with very spicy rye notes of black pepper and caraway on the nose. These melt away and become sweet fruity, chocolate swirled jam on the the tongue, with an earthy hint of rye bread. It's all very sherry monster (despite the pale colour) but then it fades to that spicy, lemony finish.

Verdict:

I like this.