Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength

Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown

Amber copper
56.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, green tea, fresh cut grass, leather, sandalwood, hints of peat. With water, lemon zest, toast, germolene, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, tingly.  
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Fresh baked bread, honey, leather, fresh cut grass, sea salt, toast, germolene, hints of lemon zest, hints of peat. With water, sea salt, honey, germolene, peat. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, germolene, toast, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Quite complex, the higher strength really intensifies the peaty, leathery, antiseptic notes. There’s a lot of sweetness here too, honey and a bit of citrus. Very nice indeed. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Cameronbridge 25yo 1992/2017 (TWE Exclusive)

Cameronbridge 25yo 1992/2017 (TWE Exclusive)

Creative Whisky Company
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark amber
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, raisins, dark chocolate, candied orange peel, tutti frutti, hints of jasmine. With water, black tea, salted caramel, raisins, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, turns airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, dark chocolate, tutti frutti, vanilla, pear drops, cinnamon, hints of candied orange peel. With water, salted caramel, raisins, orange peel, red grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, orange peel, fresh baked bread, vanilla, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Sweet and spicy, this grain is also luscious and rich. The mouthfeel is excellent, almost malty, but there’s a not a lot of cereal in the flavours. There’s quite a lot of complexity, with spices wreathed through it.

Verdict:

I like this.

Oxford Artisan 3yo Batch 1

Oxford Artisan 3yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single grain - Oxfordshire 
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cornflakes, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, black pepper, damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Cornflakes, sea salt, oats, orange peel, black pepper, damson jam, hints of chocolate. 

Finish: Long. Sea salt, fresh baked bread, cinnamon, butter. 

Comments: 

Sweet and robust, with intense flavours that belie its young age. It’s a little salty, which accentuates the richness of the spirit. Very enjoyable. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Macduff 20yo 1997/2017

Macduff 20yo 1997/2017

Samaroli
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, vanilla ice cream, fresh baked bread, raisins, cocoa nibs, hints of black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, turns syrupy, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Marmalade, raisins, cocoa nibs, dried orange peel, oats, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, cocoa nibs, marmalade, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 5869. Quite rich and sweet, lots of robust chocolate underneath the fruit. There’s a little bit of citrus and cereal as well, quite wonderful whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenlossie 12yo 2009/2021

Glenlossie 12yo 2009/2021

Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark amber, hints of red
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, honey, bubble gum, marmalade, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Barley sugar, vanilla, dark chocolate, raisins, bubble gum, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, strawberries, marmalade, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Fruity and sweet, but very estery. It’s almost fake fruit flavours, with a tannic edge. Lots of cereal underpins the whisky, and it’s quite pleasant. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Benrinnes 12yo 2008/2021

Benrinnes 12yo 2008/2021

Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Light copper
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ink, raisins, plums, carrot cake, cocoa nibs, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Damson jam, vanilla, cocoa nibs, marzipan, fresh baked bread, hints of apple skins. 
Finish: Long. Marzipan, fresh baked bread, rolled oats, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Fruity and spicy, with a bitter cocoa bite. It’s light but lingers long on the tongue. Not tropical fruits as one might get with young Benrinnes, instead damson jam and apples. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Bladnoch 16yo 1980/1997

Bladnoch 16yo 1980/1997

First Cask, The Malt Whisky Circle 
Single malt - Lowlands 
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapples, cream, fresh cut grass, brown sugar, hints of apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Pineapples, leather, raisins, barley sugar, winter melon, hints of white grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Sunflower seeds, raisins, white grapes, pineapples, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 89/591/12. Sweet sour and fruity, like eating pineapple upside down cake huge amounts of old bottle effect, there’s a leather strap or two baked into that cake! There’s a herbal, seedy finish as well. Gorgeous.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Bimber Selfridges Exclusive (Oloroso Sherry Cask)

Bimber Selfridges Exclusive (Oloroso Sherry Cask)

Official bottling 
Single malt - London
Amber, hints of pink 
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, black tea, grass, honey, white pepper, hints of peaches. With water, honey, raisins, barley sugar, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, raisins, peaches, white pepper, vanilla, fresh baked bread. With water, black tea, brown paper, raisins, barley sugar, hints of toast. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, white pepper, vanilla, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Cask 544/7/67. Characteristically fruity, with the sherry cask enhancing the flavours with a chocolate note. Lots of grain ass well, particularly with water. Excellent and well defined. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Caledonian 30yo 1987/2018

Caledonian 30yo 1987/2018

Closed Distilleries, WM Cadenheads 
Single grain - Lowlands
Bright gold
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, oats, coconut cream, sea salt, butterscotch, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Vanilla, oats, orange peel, butterscotch, toffee, hints of sea salt, hints of caraway. 
Finish: Medium. Toffee, vanilla, sea salt, caramel, hints of caraway. 

Comments: 

This is clearly grain whisky, but it does feel that there’s more than a touch of malt in it. Lots of orangey fruit notes, and some spiciness. There’s a depth that is lacking in younger grains, and it’s intensified by the heavy luxurious mouthfeel. Excellent stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Braes of Glenlivet 25yo 1994/2019

Braes of Glenlivet 25yo 1994/2019

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, coconut cream, toffee, white grapes, sea salt, hints of toast. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, cool, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Coconut cream, honey, black tea, vanilla, sea salt, hints of orange peel, hints of toast. 
Finish: Medium. Toffee, vanilla, orange peel, toast. 

Comments: 

Quite a briny dram, but that’s overlaid with heaps of coconut and a little vanilla. I would have said this was a grain whisky. Just goes to show how much I know. I’m afraid the complexity deriving from age was not really there, but it was an interesting dram nonetheless.

Verdict:

I like this.