Bonnington 3yo 2021/2025

Bonnington 3yo 2021/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, surgical spirit, green tea, lemon zest, hints of sea salt. With water, leather, lemon zest, green tea, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Green tea, smoke, peat, sandalwood, soot, surgical spirit, leather, hints of vitamin C tablets. With water, smoke, peat, green tea, hints of vitamin C tablets. 
Finish: Smoke. Peat, smoke, sandalwood, green tea, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Quite sooty and spirity, but underneath that thick layer of peaty industrial mess, there’s something floral and citrusy. It was a little too spirity for me to really like it, but decent dram nonetheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

John Crabbie Peated Virgin Oak Cask Matured

John Crabbie Peated Virgin Oak Cask Matured

John Crabbie
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, vanilla, oak chips, peat, smoke, sour cream, hints of farmyard. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla, peat, smoke, raisins, dried apricots, cream, hints of sour cream. 
Finish: Long. Oak chips, smoke, soot, peat, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Quite harshly peated, but underneath there’s a gentle, light, slightly oily distillate with notes of vanilla and apricots. Decent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark copper
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelons, raisins, white grapes, honeydew melons, applesauce, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pear drops, malted grains, white grapes, honey, honeydew melons, nutmeg, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, white grapes, grapefruit, white pepper, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Fruity with plenty of spice. The cask influence is strong on this one, but perhaps that’s a good thing for such a young whisky. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Milroys Heavily Peated Virgin Oak Batch VO1

Milroys Heavily Peated Virgin Oak Batch VO1

Heavily Peated, Milroys of Soho
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, peat, smoke, dark chocolate, peaches, pear drops, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Smoke, pears, dark chocolate, lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt, peanuts, hints of malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, lemons, limes, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Peated Lowlands whisky from Bonnington. It’s quite gentle on the back palate and the finish, would probably has been quite intense at cask strength. Rather citrusy.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bonnington PX Sherry Cask

Bonnington PX Sherry Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden, hints of red 
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Autumn leaves, roast beef, raisins, honey, salt caramel, cocoa nibs, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Red grapes, raisins, cocoa nibs, strawberry jam, blackcurrant cordial, smoke, peat, hints of tyre rubber. 
Finish: Medium. Strawberry jam, blackcurrant cordial, raisins, peat, smoke. 

Comments: 

Highly sherried, but the core notes of the distillate seem to be smoke, peat and sulphur. These show through quite easily, and I wonder if the whisky should have spent longer in the cask. Interesting dram nevertheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bonnington First Release 2020/2023

Bonnington First Release 2020/2023

Fruitful Spirits
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
64.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, leather, sandalwood, driftwood smoke, autumn leaves, honey. With water, sea salt, autumn leaves, sandalwood, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty bitter. Smoke, new plastic, autumn leaves, honey, black tea, ginseng, petrichor. With water, new plastic, black tea, petrichor. 
Finish: Medium. New plastic, sandalwood, petrichor, nutmeg, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Quite peaty and smoky, lots of earthy notes underlying that peat. There’s some tannic notes, and a little honey that provides some relief. The one problem I have with this dram is that it turns a little plasticky.

Verdict:

I like this.