Allt-a-Bhainne 17yo 2008/2025

Allt-a-Bhainne 17yo 2008/2025

Vintage Sherry Reserve, Milroys of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Amber copper red
62.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, strawberry jam, clay dust, black tea, malted grains, black pepper, orange peel. With water, raisins, cola nuts, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberry jam, fresh baked bread, shortcrust pastry, black pepper, raisins, orange peel, malted grains. With water, strawberry jam, orange peel, cola nuts. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, shortcrust pastry, black pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Cask 80900249. Sweet and laden with heaps of dried fruit, and a tangy cola taste. It’s also a little dusty, something that is reminiscent of old style sherried whiskies. With water brings out a tinge of black pepper.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 16yo 2008/2025

Allt-a-Bhainne 16yo 2008/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
64% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rhubarb and custard sweets, white grapes, vanilla sponge, orange peel, raisins. With water, rhubarb and custard sweets, orange peel, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, astringent, volatile. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, custard, vanilla sponge, orange peel, leather, farmyard. With water, damson jam, raisins, rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Finish: Long. Farmyard, menthol, custard, blackcurrant cordial. 

Comments: 

Very fruity, and at a strength that is scarily drinkable. Lots of leather too. And a wild gaminess that reminds me of a farm. Water brings out sweetness and a little pepper.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 27yo 1995/2023

Allt-a-Bhainne 27yo 1995/2023

Vintage Speyside Reserve, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Golden brown
52.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Aluminium foil, shortcrust pastry, cinnamon, apples, magic marker, parchment paper, acetone. With water, ginger, acetone, shortcrust pastry. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, static, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, shortcrust pastry, aluminium foil, black tea, apples, magic marker, honey, white pepper. With water, ginger, apples, toast. 
Finish: Short. Aluminium foil, magic marker, malted grains, white pepper, apples. 

Comments: 

Papery and buttery, with notes of acetone (very estery). There’s plenty of apples too. Water brings out notes of ginger and more pastry. A complex and layered dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Allt-a-Bhainne 7yo 2016/2024

Allt-a-Bhainne 7yo 2016/2024

Connoisseur’s Dram, DH Global Imports
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark brown
61.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, walnuts, sea salt, black pepper, raisins, cloves. With water, raisins, ink, iron filings. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, sea salt, olive brine, walnuts, vanilla, hazelnuts, honey, raisins. With water, vanilla, ink, honey, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, walnuts, black pepper, honey. 

Comments: 

Heavily sherried whisky, with notes of raisins, and hazelnuts. The oloroso cask has conferred slightly savoury notes, with sea salt and olive brine, and they pair well with the sweet honey and dried fruit. With water, it turns slightly metallic.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Allt-a-Bhainne 24yo 1997/2021

Allt-a-Bhainne 24yo 1997/2021

Stiúbhart, Stewart Whisky Company
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
44.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Grapefruit, fresh cut grass, birch bark, lemon juice, green apples, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cream, fresh cut grass, birch bark, green apples, vanilla, hints of peaches. 
Finish: Medium. Green apples, lemon juice, peaches, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Cask 300678. Tart and creamy, lots of herbal notes on the nose. There’s quite a lot of peppery prickle, especially on the finish. It’s quite a decent whisky, with some unusual notes, but would have expected a bit more complexity for its age.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1995/2021

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1995/2021

Mission Gold, Murray McDavid
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
44.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, red grapes, raisins, cloves, strawberries, white pepper, hints of watermelons. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Barley sugar, red grapes, honeycomb, milk chocolate, strawberries, vanilla, white pepper, hints of watermelons. 
Finish: Medium. Red grapes, barley sugar, milk chocolate, raisins, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

Cask 187841. Lovely sweet Speyside, lots of fruit and chocolate. Some vegetal spiciness peeks out from under the fruity shroud, especially in the finish. Bright and tasty, a fitting end to a good session.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Allt-a-Bhainne 14yo 2005/2020

Allt-a-Bhainne 14yo 2005/2020

Infrequent Flyers, Alistair Walker
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cotton sheets, leather, brass polish, pineapples, vanilla, sandalwood. With water, leather, sour cream, vanilla, hints of pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Fresh baked bread, brass polish, vanilla, lemon zest, pineapples, white grapes, honey. With water, fresh baked bread, pineapples, cotton sheets, hints of sour cream. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, vanilla, cotton sheets, honey. 

Comments: 

A cereally and fruity whisky, with intense pineapples and cotton sheets (fresh laundry!) notes. Water brings out a little funk, along with a lot of vanilla and leather. It’s quite intense and well constructed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Allt-a-Bhainne 22yo 1995/2018

Allt-a-Bhainne 22yo 1995/2018

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
51.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, ink, barley sugar, malted grains, honey, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh cut grass, malted grains, vanilla, barley sugar, toast, peaches, hints of wood smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, honey, vanilla, hints of woodsmoke. 

Comments: 

Cask DL12474. A rare distillery, with a rare age too. Quite fruity, a little toastiness, almost a whisper of woodsmoke. It was complex, yet light, really refreshing on a rather warm day. Highly enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1993/2018

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1993/2018

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bagels, cherry blossom, honey, passionfruit, lemon zest, hints of papaya. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly astringent, warm, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Passion fruit, pineapples, lemon zest, black tea, vanilla, hints of honey. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, malted grains, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

Intense and floral, and also very bready whisky. Like having a continental breakfast, only with bagels instead of croissants. And passionfruit instead of apples. I guess not like a continental breakfast at all... anyway, it's very tropical, plenty of malt and cereal too. Lovely stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne Batch 1

Allt-a-Bhainne Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Speyside
Sunshine yellow 
49.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green apples, cotton sheets, cinnamon, sandalwood, brass polish, lemon juice. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour. Green apples, lemon juice, malted grains, fresh baked bread, hints of cream. 
Finish: Short. Green apples, lemon juice, brass polish, hints of ginseng. 

Comments: 

Tart, rounded and full flavoured. There's a cereally note underneath the lemon and green apples that's really, really tasty. Excellent independent bottling from the chaps at Master of Malt.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 18 yo 1996/2014

Allt-a-Bhainne 18 yo 1996/2014

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Gold, tinge of silver
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, malted grains, leather, sea salt, hints of crispy bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loose, a little airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Leather, apples, orange peel, lemon zest, cream, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Cream, vanilla, raisins, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask ref 10825. Not your usual Speyside. The delicate sweet flavours are not so obvious here, instead there's savoury leather, plenty of creamy, milky notes, and ever-present lemon zest. It's great though, the higher strength creates all this complexity, and it's really drinkable, almost scarily so.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 18 yo 1996/2014

Allt-a-Bhainne 18 yo 1996/2014

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Lemon yellow
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange juice, lemon zest, brass polish, green tea, hints of cocoa. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, chunky, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sour. Peaches, chocolate, green tea, lemon zest, hints of honey. 
Finish: Short. Cookie dough, vanilla, raisins, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 10370. A chameleon whisky, citrusy and fresh on the nose, with just a hint of chocolate. Then on the tongue it becomes sour and fruity, slightly tannic. Once swallowed, the finish is different yet again - sweet and vanilla-laden.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 16 yo 1985/2001

Allt-a-Bhainne 16 yo 1985/2001

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Silvery gold
50% ABV
Mini

Nose: Leather, maple syrup, hazelnuts, cedar, vanilla, plums, hints of wood smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, expands, loosens.
Tasting: Bitter. Hazelnuts, walnuts, maple syrup, vanilla, leather, peat, cedar, lemons, hints of wood smoke.
Finish: Long. Lemons, leather, maple syrup, walnuts.

Comments:

Peaty and bitter, with light whiffs of maple syrup and lemons opening up the cloud of phenols. This is very unlike the usual Speyside make. I find it hard to enjoy this, because there's no flavour underpinning the peat. Instead, it's the peat underpinning other flavours.

Verdict:

Not bad.