Shenk’s Homestead 2024 Release

Shenk’s Homestead 2024 Release

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Dark amber
45.6% ABV

Dram

Nose: Honey, cream, yoghurt, vanilla, cinnamon, fresh baked bread, milk chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Brown paper, dried cherries, cream, honey, cinnamon, raisins, milk chocolate. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, brown paper, black tea, cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Sweet and creamy, a little less complex than the 2023 version. There are some interesting dried cherries notes on the tongue, but this is an easy drinker, not taxing at all.

Verdict:

I like this.

Port Dundas 21yo 2000/2022

Port Dundas 21yo 2000/2022

Fragrant Drops, The Marble Cask Co
Single grain - South Highlands
Amber
62.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla ice cream, coconut cream, milk chocolate, nutmeg, raisins, honey. With water, oats, magic marker, sea salt, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, hot, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, milk chocolate, raisins, honey, desiccated coconut, oats, hints of white pepper. With water, oats, fresh baked bread, white pepper. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, milk chocolate, oats, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Cask 305291. Fudgy honey and ice cream, lots of cereal and a little salt. It’s luscious, but bottled at too high a strength. Port Dundas seems to come into its own around 20 years old, and the older bottles are starting to appear.

Verdict:

I like this.

Knockdhu 18yo

Knockdhu 18yo

Chorlton Whisky
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, honey, lemon zest, sarsaparilla, fresh cut grass, leather. With water, honey, fresh cut grass, vitamin C tablets. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon zest, peat, smoke, germolene, vitamin C tablets, fresh cut grass, grapefruit. With water, leather, peat, grapefruit, germolene. 
Finish: Medium. Germolene, lemon zest, grapefruit, vitamin C tablets. 

Comments: 

Peated An Cnoc, it’s got a fruity bitterness that’s quite unusual. Grapefruit, honey, grassiness and a baking soda bitter note that reminds me of vitamin C tablets.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 157.2 (Warenghem 7yo 2016/2024)

SMWS 157.2 (Warenghem 7yo 2016/2024)

2024, SMWS
Single malt - Brittany
Amber
61.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, fresh cut grass, hay, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, hints of brown paper. With water, coffee, toffee, cinnamon, chillies. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, cinnamon, black tea, hay, raisins, leather, toffee, hints of damson jam. With water, coffee, chocolate, toffee, cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, hay, brown paper, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Very sweet and grassy, lots of cinnamon notes. These become more prominent with water, and combine with coffee and chocolate too. A very active cask, which obscures the best characteristics of the distillery though.

Verdict:

I like this.

Oban Private Cask 1989/2013

Oban Private Cask 1989/2013

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands 
Yellow bronze
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Aluminium foil, honey, lemon zest, wet stones, gooseberries, white grapes, smoke, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Gooseberries, white grapes, winter melons, smoke, honey, wet stones, malted grains, dark chocolate, hints of peat. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, coffee, dark chocolate, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Minerally yet fruity, this has some age in it and good interaction with the cask. There’s plenty of chocolate bad coffee, especially on the finish. Very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 14yo 200th Anniversary Special Edition

Oban 14yo 200th Anniversary Special Edition 

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Yellow gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, pears, honey, white pepper, applesauce, cinnamon, hints of toast. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Pears, gooseberries, white grapes, malted grains, cinnamon, vanilla custard, smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Smoke, vanilla custard, white pepper, gooseberries. 

Comments: 

Fruity and intense, more intense than the regular Oban 14. Lots of custard notes, and the smoke is also more prominent. This is really great stuff, showcases the distillery character.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Peerless Small Batch Rye

Peerless Small Batch Rye

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber 
55.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cooked rice, brown paper, black pepper, tobacco leaf, honey, cloves, strawberry jam, hints of chocolate. With water, brown paper, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cocoa nibs, brown paper, cooked rice, strawberry jam, mint, vanilla, black pepper. With water, brown paper, cocoa nibs, black pepper, cloves. 
Finish: Medium. Cocoa nibs, mint, brown paper, cookie dough, cooked rice. 

Comments: 

Slightly unbalanced, lots of cereal and black pepper, as you’d expect from a rye whisky. But it’s not very sweet, there are some jammy notes but they’re buried deep.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 19.43 (Glen Garioch 19yo 1988/2008)

SMWS 19.43 (Glen Garioch 1988/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - East Highlands 
Golden, hints of pink
53.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, cream, candle wax, hay, fresh cut grass, camphor, hints of turmeric. With water, raisins, blueberry jam, honey, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, warm, astringent. 

Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Blueberry jam, hay, fresh cut grass, camphor, mustard, gooseberries, hints of cocoa nibs. With water, mustard, applesauce, blueberry jam, cinnamon, honey. 
Finish: Short. Camphor, candle wax, hay, gooseberries, applesauce, hints of cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Creamy and herbal, and water brings out a lot of fruit. It’s got a bitterness on the tongue that is almost mouth puckering. It’s layered and complex though, with clear delineation between flavours. Very good whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 10yo Single Highland Malt

Glen Garioch 10yo Single Highland Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber gold

40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, hay, fresh cut grass, tobacco leaf, camphor, mustard, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, raisins, camphor, mustard, wet stones, hay, black tea, hints of cloves, hints of turmeric. 
Finish: Short. Wet stones, candle wax, black tea, hay, hints of turneric. 

Comments: 

An old official bottling from the 90s. It’s more intense than today’s OBs, tastes like there’s more older spirit in it.  The grassy herbal character is more evident here than in the current OBs too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Sullivan’s Cove 14yo 2006/2020 for 10th Anniversary of Casa de Vinos

Sullivan’s Cove 14yo 2006/2020 for 10th Anniversary of Casa de Vinos

Official bottling
Single malt - Tasmania
Copper 
56.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, leather, dried pears, dried pineapples, white tea, roses, kiwifruit, malted grains, hints of oats. With water, parchment, dried pears, kiwifruit. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Parchment, photocopy paper, dried pears, white tea, honey, malted grains, raisins, dried pears. With water, leather, dried pears, parchment, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, cookie dough, honey, dried pears, raisins. 

Comments: 

A very doughy whisky, lots of feinty parchment paper notes, but it’s also laden with dried fruit and tannins. It’s gentle and rich though, not mouth puckering.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenburgie 40yo 1963/2003

Glenburgie 40yo 1963/2003

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Light amber 
56.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, pencil lead, desiccated coconut, cream, raisins, cloves, dates, white pepper. With water, desiccated coconut, pomegranate molasses, honey, hints of gunpowder. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, desiccated coconut, dried cherries, dried cranberries, honey, dates, cream, white pepper. With water, raisins, pomegranate molasses, desiccated coconut, dried cranberries. 
Finish: Long. Pencil lead, leather, white grapes, honey, hints of gunpowder. 

Comments: 

Sweet and sherried, but with an odd tang of coconut, a flavour I associate more with grain whisky. There’s heaps of dried fruit, and water opens that up even more, as notes of pomegranate molasses begin to appear.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenburgie 32yo 1988/2020

Glenburgie 32yo 1988/2020

Old and Rare, Hunter Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold, hints of pink
43.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, papayas, starfruit, white grapes, wet stones, leather, honey, hints of sulphur. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, thickens slightly, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, pencil lead, papayas, starfruit, cinnamon, white grapes, coffee, cream, vanilla. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, white grapes, pencil lead, starfruit, honey, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Very complex and layered, big hits of honey and tropical fruit, with a long minerally finish. A really excellent whisky that showcases the power of wood aging in a low temperature environment.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

A Speyside distillery 17yo

A Speyside distillery 17yo

Chorlton Whisky

Single malt - Speyside 
Mahogany
55.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, chocolate, raspberry jam, treacle, vanilla, cream. With water, cream, raspberry jam, vanilla, shortbread. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, vanilla, honey, Demerara sugar, raspberry jam, meringues, cloves, nutmeg, sandalwood. With water, shortbread, black tea, malted grains, vanilla. 
Finish: Medium. Raspberry jam, cloves, meringues, cream, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Now this is a sherry bomb. Lots of classic jammy sugary notes, but water brings out buttery shortbread and some floral sandalwood. A very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

White Peak 4yo 2020/2024

White Peak 4yo 2020/2024

#10, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Derbyshire
Copper
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, roast chicken, chicken stock, honey, peanuts, leather, raisins, cloves. With water, vitamin C tablets, cloves, black tea, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Roast chicken, chicken stock, vitamin C tablets, lemon zest, cloves, nutmeg, smoke, orange juice. With water, chicken stock, nutmeg, honey, hints of strawberry jam. 
Finish: Medium. Vitamin C tablets, smoke, cloves, nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Peated, with a great meaty feel, lots of roast chicken notes water increases the savouriness, and bring in jammy notes with smoke and cloves. Impressively layered.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

JJ Corry Irish Whiskey

JJ Corry Irish Whiskey

#11, The Heart Cut
Blended malt
Dark gold 
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, apricots, vanilla, raisins, copper pipes, aluminium foil, black tea. With water, strawberry jam, cream, shortcrust pastry. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Aluminium foil, copper pipes, chocolate, black tea, raisins, apricot jam. With water, strawberry jam, shortcrust pastry, cream, brown paper. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, sandalwood, apricot jam, aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Four casks blended together, one of which is a pajarette cask (a first for me). It’s not a sherry bomb though, it’s delicate and complex, with plenty of feinty notes that prickle the nose. Lovely stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cardhu 14yo (2021 Special Releases)

Cardhu 14yo (2021 Special Releases)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold 
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, sandalwood, honey, cherries, marigolds, vanilla, hints of orange peel. With water, malted grains, sandalwood, honey, cherries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cream, vanilla, cherries, marigolds, malted grains, white pepper, orange peel. With water, vanilla, cream, cherries, peaches. 
Finish: Short. Orange peel, white pepper, malted grains, honey, hints of cherries. 

Comments: 

Floral and fragrant, lots of honey, lots of stone fruit. Very intense on the top layer, but the finish is brief, although powerful. Water brings out more cream and vanilla.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenglassaugh 12yo Soho Selection

Glenglassaugh 12yo Soho Selection

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, cloves, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, brown paper, black tea. With water, cream, sourdough bread, chocolate, hazelnuts. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, loosens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, vanilla, honey, chocolate, dates, raisins, cinnamon, oats. With water, cream, chocolate, hazelnuts, honey. 
Finish: Long. Cinnamon, oats, cloves, cream. 

Comments: 

Tastes like Nutella, but also with plenty of malt and cereal. Water brings the cereal to the fore, the chocolate recedes and it tastes more like hazelnuts too. A good, seasonal sherried dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve

Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve

Ichiro’s Malt
Blended malt
Amber
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, milk powder, nutmeg, malted grains, vanilla, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, astringent, loosens slightly. 

Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Aluminium foil, milk powder, nutmeg, malted grains, chocolate, brown paper, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Cocoa nibs, cinnamon, raisins, aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious blend, lots of chocolate and raisin notes. There’s a feinty edge, metallic, like chewing on aluminium foil, that’s present on the nose and the tongue. A very tasty blend.

Verdict:

I like this.

Waterford Organic Gaia 2.1

Waterford Organic Gaia 2.1

Official bottling 
Single malt - Munster
Pale copper
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, malted grains, mushrooms, pineapples, orange peel, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Cookie dough, malted grains, pears, pineapples, orange peel, honey, hints of shortcrust pastry. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, toffee, honey. 

Comments: 

Waterford usually smells like mushrooms when it’s first out of the bottle. It’s not something I’m a particular fan of, but after a while it fades to reveal toasty, vanilla and fruity, with a hint of pastry. It then moves to short and slightly weak finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardmore 14yo 2010/2024

Ardmore 14yo 2010/2024

Saltire Rare Malt Whisky Co
Single malt - Speyside
Golden 
58.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Farmyard, malted grains, pear, roast beef, smoke, cream, lemon zest, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Peat, peanuts, lemon zest, smoke, cream, autumn leaves, magic marker, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Short. Peat, rye bread, yoghurt, lemon zest, hints of peanuts. 

Comments: 

Meaty and organic, lots of whiffs of the peat, not so much the smoke. Underneath that, there’s a estery core, very much like pear drops. There’s a hint of lactic note as well, before it gets very peppery and malty at the end.

Verdict:

I like this.

Fruitful Spirits 21yo Blended Whisky

Fruitful Spirits 21yo Blended Whisky

Fruitful Spirits
Blended malt
Amber bronze

45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, brown paper, green tea, vanilla, desiccated coconut, shortcrust pastry. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Brown paper, desiccated coconut, green tea, sea salt, nutmeg, strawberry jam, sourdough bread. 
Finish: Medium. Toast, malted grains, sourdough bread, shortcrust pastry. 

Comments: 

Decent blend, toasty and malty but with a very obvious grain component. There’s a bourbon-like brown paper note, with jam and spice accompanying it.

Verdict:

I like this.