Millburn 41yo 1974/2015

Millburn 41yo 1974/2015

Rare Old, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, camphor, salt caramel, orange peel, cloves, leather, hints of damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Camphor, leather, cloves, fresh cut grass, orange peel, bananas, pineapples, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Camphor, leather, bananas, cloves, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Cask RO/16/03. This is more like it - herbal camphor, lots of spices and fruit, with a slightly smoky edge. This has been lovingly aged, and is still complex and bright.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 1974

Millburn 1974

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeycomb, leather, orange peel, dandelions, golden syrup, fresh cut grass, salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Clay dust, leather, orange peel, toffee, honeycomb, photocopy paper, hints of tutti frutti, hints of dandelions. 
Finish: Short. Dandelions, smoke, orange peel, honeycomb, leather. 

Comments: 

Not the finest example of Millburn, but nice enough. It’s quite overwhelmed by old bottle effect, the lovely grassy fruit notes are quite faint and light. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Masthouse Pot and Column Distilled

Masthouse Pot and Column Distilled 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Kent
White wine
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, lemon sweets, photocopy paper, white wine, kiwifruit, hints of pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Pear drops, kiwifruit, lemon sweets, rhubarb and custard sweets, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon sweets, malted grains, honey, pear drops. 

Comments: 

Estery, slightly thin stuff, but it’s nice on the tongue. There’s something that is reminiscent of Rosebank here, and it’s quite promising. Perhaps in a decade or so we’ll see what this distillery can truly do.

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Triagoz

Armorik Triagoz

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, green tea, sandalwood, smoke, fresh cut grass, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, loosens, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Fresh cut grass, tobacco leaf, honey, vanilla, green tea, coffee, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Coffee, green tea, malted grains, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Distilled in 2013. It’s got great complexity, and a big heap of cereal as a backbone. Lots of herbal, bitter notes dance on the tongue. Great stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Carpathian Single Malt Commandaria Cask (bottled 2022)

Carpathian Single Malt Commandaria Cask (bottled 2022)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Sud-Muntenia
Buttercups
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, malted grains, tobacco leaf, red grapes, raisins, rosemary, hints of overripe peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Mint, rosemary, red grapes, tobacco leaf, leather, musk, hints of new plastic. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, tobacco leaf, leather, photocopy paper, hints of new plastic. 

Comments: 

Cask 3738. Quite herbal now, less sweet than its cognac cask matured sister. Lots of leathery tobacco notes and a bitter finish. Very interesting stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

North British 30yo 1992/2022

North British 30yo 1992/2022

Fruitful Spirits
Single grain - Lowlands
Bright gold
42.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, raisins, orange peel, peaches, photocopy paper, oatmeal, balsamic vinegar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Desiccated coconut, oatmeal, orange peel, pear drops, kiwifruit, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Oatmeal, vanilla, peaches, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Barrel 67633. Estery stuff, this - lots of fruity, lightly sweet notes, with some cereally complexity behind it. It’s still bright and light, even after 30 years.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dunville’s PX Cask Strength (Cask 1644)

Dunville’s PX Cask Strength (Cask 1644)

Dunville’s 
Single malt - unknown
Dark amber 
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, raisins, red grapes, damson jam, black pepper, butterscotch, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, airy, loosens, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, coffee, dark chocolate, honey, orange peel, damson jam, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Butterscotch, honey, black pepper, coffee, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

This is excellent stuff from Dunville’s. The spirit takes the cask well, it’s well integrated with the cask influence but still retains some character. Very sweet, with bitter accents, and quite enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dunville’s 20yo Oloroso Cask

Dunville’s 20yo Oloroso Cask

Dunville’s 
Single malt - unknown 
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, toffee, apple juice, raisins, malted grains, vanilla, hints of butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Toffee, honey, raisins, apple juice, white grapes, white pepper, photocopy paper, butterscotch. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, butterscotch, honey, toffee. 

Comments: 

Excellent and flavoursome, lots of toffee, honey and spice. It’s probably Cooley distillate, but it’s not common knowledge, so it’s a mystery malt for me. Can’t wait for these guys to bottle the juice from their Echlinville distillery.

Verdict:

I like this.

Carpathian Single Malt Cognac Cask

Carpathian Single Malt Cognac Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Sud-Muntenia
Bright copper gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cotton candy, honey, marmalade, strawberry jam, white pepper, hints of roses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loosens, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cotton candy, malted grains, photocopy paper, white pepper, honey, marmalade. 
Finish: Short. Photocopy paper, malted grains, cotton candy, jasmine, hints of roses. 

Comments: 

Cask 3838. Rather sweet, almost sugary, in its intensity. It’s always an extremely interesting experience to try a single malt from a new country. I can already see points of difference that intrigue me. Quite promising. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland American Oak Single Malt

Westland American Oak Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Washington
Amber bronze
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Clay dust, orange juice, sandalwood, vanilla, grapefruit, marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Orange juice, sandalwood, chillies, marmalade, grapefruit, autumn leaves, hints of peanuts. 
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, grapefruit, autumn leaves, chillies, hints of sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and slightly nutty American whisky. It’s not so well integrated though, there’s an earthiness that jars a little with the bright citrus notes. Some herbal fragrance on the tongue too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment (Experimental Series 05)

Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment (Experimental Series 05)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Rose gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, honey, Calvados, lemon zest, overripe peaches, white pepper, hints of pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour. Apple juice, honey, Calvados, cinnamon, white pepper, toast, fresh cut grass, hints of pineapples. 
Finish: Short. Pineapples, toast, autumn leaves, honey. 

Comments: 

Finished in Somerset apple brandy casks. Quite appley, but also tart and spicy. Wish it was bottled at a higher strength. Turns out I like apple brandy finishes. Who knew?

Verdict:

I like this.

Thy 4yo 2016/2020 Distillery Edition Casks 61+62

Thy 4yo 2016/2020 Distillery Edition Casks 61+62

Official bottling 
Single malt - Nordjylland 
Amber
61.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, brass polish, vanilla, white pepper, fresh cut grass, clay dust, honey. With water, fresh cut grass, clay dust, sea salt, brass polish. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, expands, thickens. 
Tasting:  Salty bitter. Tobacco leaf, brass polish, brown paper, clay dust, orange peel, honey, cedar, black pepper. With water, clay dust, honey, cedar, hints of tarragon. 
Finish: Long. Oak chips, cedar, tobacco leaf, clay dust, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Vatting of casks 61 and 62. Quite woody, almost like chewing on a cedar stick. A dusty, slightly polished one. A herbal whisky of great strength, it’s quite strong on the tongue in terms of ABV.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Albyn 26yo 1978/2004

Glen Albyn 26yo 1978/2004

Finest Collection, Hart Brothers
Single malt - North Highlands
Bronze gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, fresh cut grass, honey, ginseng, kiwifruit, camphor, orange peel, hints of thyme. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, sticky, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Fresh cut grass, photocopy paper, camphor, kiwifruit, starfruit, honey, black pepper, hints of thyme, hints of jasmine. 
Finish: Long. Leather, mint, photocopy paper, black pepper, honey. 

Comments: 

Lots of old bottle effect, leathery, salty, feinty and fruity. It’s got a herbal edge, and is quite interesting because of that. The floral, slightly soapy finish detracts a little bit.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Frysk Hynder Red Wine Cask 3yo 2008/2012

Frysk Hynder Red Wine Cask 3yo 2008/2012

Official bottling 
Single malt - Friesland
Dark gold, hints of red
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, raspberries, yoghurt, cream, starfruit, cinder toffee, hints of blackcurrant cordial. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raspberries, cream, cinder toffee, orange peel, green tea, honey, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, malted grains, strawberries, starfruit. 

Comments: 

Cask 151. Creamy, lactic and quite sweet. It’s got some tannic notes on the tongue, and a good malty backbone. It’s interesting stuff from a distillery in a country that doesn’t always make whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Milk and Honey Apex Pomegranate Wine Cask Batch 008

Milk and Honey Apex Pomegranate Wine Cask Batch 008

Official bottling 
Single malt - Tel Aviv
Dark copper
59.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, cloves, honey, cinnamon, golden syrup, pomegranate molasses, hints of damson jam. With water, orange peel, cinnamon, toast, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cloves, orange peel, pomegranate molasses, strawberries, damson jam, dark chocolate. With water, toast, dark chocolate, strawberries, damson jam. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, strawberries, damson jam, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Quite intense and sweet, lots of spice and spirity sweetness. Complex despite its young age. Lots of fruit which fades to a salty, bitter finish. Surprisingly good.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Tullibardine 1993/2021

Tullibardine 1993/2021

Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Speyside
Light bronze
48.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, apples, clay dust, toast, cinnamon, hints of nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, watery, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon sweets, pears, toast, fresh cut grass, vitamin C tablets, white pepper, nutmeg. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon sweets, nutmeg, toast, cinnamon, hints of ginseng. 

Comments: 

Cask 954. This whisky has a dusty note, as if one were blowing the dust off a bottle. There’s some chalkiness to it, which I identify as vitamin C tablets. Complex and interesting stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Fontagard Single Malt PNDC 9918-9

Fontagard Single Malt PNDC 9918-9

Official bottling 
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Pale green gold
44% ABV
Dram

Nose: Seaweed, fresh cut grass, pears, new plastic, overripe peaches, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Seaweed, fresh cut grass, lemon zest, thyme, peaches, new plastic, white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Thyme, peaches, lemon zest, seaweed. 

Comments: 

Young, around 3 years old, and it shows. Some interesting kelp seaweed notes give way to estery new plastic notes on the nose. On the tongue it has more of the same, although with a bit more grassy freshness. French whisky divides opinion.

Verdict:

Not bad. 

Thomson Whisky Manuka Smoke

Thomson Whisky Manuka Smoke

Official bottling 
Single malt - Auckland
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, honey, roast beef, lemon sweets, cucumbers, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, smoke, honey, pears, white pepper, hints of lemon sweets. 
Finish: Medium. Smoke, cucumbers, pears, malted grains, honey, hints of cooked rice. 

Comments: 

Sweet and honeyed, but with a layer of gentle smoke. It’s not peaty earthy smoke either, but proper campfire smoke. A decent cereally sweet finish too. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Amrut Neidhal

Amrut Neidhal

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bangalore 
Light amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoke, orange peel, soor ploom sweets, mint, honey, fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, oily, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Orange peel, leather, soor ploom sweets, fresh cut grass, smoke, lemon zest, hints of mint. 
Finish: Long. Mint, white pepper, smoke, honey, hints of orange peel. 

Comments: 

Pleasantly smoky, yet fruity Amrut. It’s got a bitter note that’s quite pervasive, but it presents a solid spine for the fruitier notes to play off. Nice long, slightly herbal finish, too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Port Charlotte 16yo 2005/2022

Port Charlotte 16yo 2005/2022

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Islay
Bright gold, hints of pink
57.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoked bacon, apple juice, peaches, malted grains, hints of honey. With water, toast, leather, honey, black pudding. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Charcoal ash, leather, smoked bacon, quinine, malted grains, honey, apple juice, hints of jasmine. With water, toast, honey, smoke, black pudding. 
Finish: Long. Quinine, leather, smoked bacon, honey, hints of jasmine. 

Comments: 

A very meaty and iron-rich whisky, almost black pudding like. It’s also pleasantly bitter and luscious. Almost always get great stuff from the Thompsons.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Scotia 8yo 2013/2022 Campbeltown Malts Festival

Glen Scotia 8yo 2013/2022

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown 
Dark gold
56.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoke, green apples, farmyard, white chocolate, lemon zest. With water, leather, white chocolate, honey, green apples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Leather, smoke, peat, charcoal ash, cooked rice, green apples, lemon zest, pears. With water, green apples, smoke, honey, cooked rice, hints of pear drops. 
Finish: Long. Cooked rice, green apples, smoke, mint. 

Comments: 

Great, peaty, smoky, appley dram! It’s savoury and a tad bitter, with ashy smoke and green apples on the tongue. A little water brings out sweet cereal that complements the smoke.

Verdict:

I like this.

Waldviertler Original Rye Whiskey

Waldviertler Original Rye Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single rye - Niederösterreich 
Golden
41% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, persimmons, honey, sourdough bread, black pepper, cough syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Peaches, brown paper, cough syrup, sourdough bread, golden syrup, hints of cardboard. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, rye bread, coffee, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Austrian rye whisky. It’s quite fruity and mild, not super peppery like some other ryes. There’s a slight hint of cardboard on the tongue, which detracts a little from the complexity of the fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teerenpeli 5yo Batch 1

Teerenpeli 5yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Southern Finland
Amber
47.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla ice cream, malted grains, golden syrup, orange juice, marzipan, hints of damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla ice cream, damson jam, pomegranate molasses, orange juice, cream, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, dark chocolate, damson jam, vanilla ice cream. 

Comments: 

Very sweet, creamy dram. Highly sherried too, lots of fruit and classic sherry notes. I found this delicious, but others might think it’s too sweet. Classy stuff from Finland.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Banff 38yo 1975/2013

Banff 38yo 1975/2013

Tantalus, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold 
49.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, bananas, meringues, peaches, fresh cut grass, white chocolate, dark chocolate, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Leather, celery, peaches, pineapples, vanilla, bananas, hints of tobacco leaf. 

Finish: Long. White chocolate, dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, leather, meringues. 

Comments: 

Cask 1028. Lovely old Banff, lots of old bottle effect. It’s so leathery the fruity notes are somewhat obscured. But they still come through, and there’s also a lovely white chocolate note, followed by bitter dark chocolate. Very nice, just the sort of old dram I love.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

North British 30yo 1992/2022

North British 30yo 1992/2022

Thompson Brothers
Single grains - Lowlands
Pale gold 
43.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oatcakes, vanilla, honey, sea salt, molasses, cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, orange peel, cinnamon, honey, oatcakes, cornflakes, sea salt, hints of brown paper. 
Finish: Long. Cinnamon, coffee, cornflakes, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

Delicious old grain from Phil and Simon Thompson. It’s if salty sweetness, but bitter and complex, like fruity old molasses. Great complexity and spice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dartmoor Bordeaux Red Wine Cask

Dartmoor Bordeaux Red Wine Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Devon
Straw, hints of pink
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, plums, sourdough bread, raisins, sesame seeds, malted grains, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon juice, sesame seeds, malted grains, sourdough bread, molasses, pencil erasers, dark chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, lemon juice, sourdough bread, molasses. 

Comments: 

Slightly acrid. The red wine cask has not integrated well with the spirit, something that tends to happen with younger whiskies. There’s some tart, sulphurous notes, but they don’t sing with the other flavours very well.

Verdict:

I like this.