Glenlossie 8yo 2017/2026

Glenlossie 8yo 2017/2026

Octave, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden 
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, white chocolate, elderflower, malted grains, magic marker, honey, vanilla. With water, cream, magic marker, pears, surgical spirit. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White chocolate, magic marker, pears, elderflower, cream, honey, hints of malted grains. With water, cream, pears, elderflower, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, orange peel, burnt sugar, elderflower. 

Comments: 

Floral and caramelly, and outstanding dram. Lots of spirity, feinty notes appear once water is added. But there’s an intrinsic sweetness and richness to this, quite like white chocolate.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenlossie 10yo 2013/2023

Glenlossie 10yo 2013/2023

Small Batch, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Speyside 
Orange gold

46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, vanilla, green apples, honeycomb, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of cedar. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Cookie dough, sandalwood, white pepper, honeycomb, malted grains, cedar. 
Finish: Medium. Green apples, ginseng, malted grains, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Very drinkable appley ‘Lossie. It’s honeyed as well, with plenty of fragrant woody notes. The finish creates a bit more complexity, but otherwise very straightforward.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenlossie 33yo 1984/2018

Glenlossie 33yo 1984/2018

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark amber
56.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, sandalwood, clay dust, raisins, damson jam, white grapes, hints of white pepper. With water, leather, sea salt, orange peel, raisins, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Clay dust, damson jam, white grapes, jasmine, sandalwood, cinnamon, honey, hints of condensed milk. With water, milk chocolate, jasmine, damson jam, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. Honey, cinnamon, milk chocolate, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Cask 2533. Superb whisky - dusty and floral, replete with sweet woody herbal notes. Lots of chocolate and jam, fills the mouth pleasantly and easily. A joy to drink.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenlossie 27yo 1993/2021

Glenlossie 27yo 1993/2021

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Copper
54.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, fresh cut grass, barley sugar, strawberries, marmalade. With water, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, fresh baked bread. 

Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, astringent, expands.  
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, barley sugar, vanilla, marmalade, green tea. With water, honey, fresh baked bread, orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Barley sugar, vanilla, fresh cut grass, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 3650. Rather mild and grassy, but with some nice marmalade notes. It’s decent, but I’d expected more for its age and also the reputation of the bottler. 

Verdict:

I like this.

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.

Glenlossie 24yo 1995/2019

Glenlossie 24yo 1995/2019

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
53.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, peaches, raisins, damson jam, hints of leather. With water, driftwood, sea salt, peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Peaches, orange peel, white grapes, leather, vanilla, hints of cotton sheets. With water, more savoury, orange peel, peaches, sea salt, sawdust. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, peaches, orange peel, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Cask 1325. Lots of peaches in this one, along with other fruit. But it's oddly salty, with a slight umami savour. With water, it opens up a bit, but is still heavy on the peach, and also the salt. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenlossie 25yo Batch 5

Glenlossie 25yo Batch 5

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
44.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Candle wax, lemon zest, winter melon, cucumber, cedar, hints of white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Black tea, malted grains, toast, cucumber, candle wax, hints of ginseng. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, candle wax, peanuts, lemon zest, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Not your usual Speyside. It's quite robust, waxy, quite vegetal, even woody. There's not a lot of sweet notes here, instead it's largely bitter and surprisingly tart. There's also some dust, and fermentation. Quite special.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenlossie 24yo 1992/2017

Glenlossie 24yo 1992/2017

Unchillfiltered, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
56.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeydew melon, honey, rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon zest, hints of lavender. With water, lemon thyme, lemons, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honeydew melon, white grapes, peaches, honey, lemon zest, hints of lavender. With water, sweeter, fresh baked bread, honey, lemon thyme. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, gooseberries, lemon zest, hints of lavender. 

Comments: 

Cask 3449. Dramming this whisky is like standing in a Provence meadow munching on fruit and rhubarb crumble. It's subtle and forceful at the same time, with plenty of multi-layered flavours. Glorious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenlossie 10 yo Flora & Fauna

Glenlossie 10 yo Flora & Fauna

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, raisins, cream, white grapes, pears, hints of white chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, loose, slightly watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malt biscuits, white grapes, white chocolate, pears, milk, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, white grapes, milk, hints of pears. 

Comments: 

A nice gentle Speysider, fruity and a little rich. Tastes like Glenlivet in some ways, but it's also clearly not Glenlivet. It's chocolatey, slightly malty, with notes of white grapes that also remind me of Penderyn. It's a chameleon, this one.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 46.21 (Glenlossie 11 yo 2002/2013)

SMWS 46.21 (Glenlossie 11 yo 2002/2013)

2013, SMWS
Single malt - SpeysidePale gold
60.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, orange peel, caramel, butterscotch, lemon zest.With water, pepper, maple syrup.

Mouthfeel: Light body, thin, loose, spicy, watery. 
Tasting: Sweet. Chocolate, orange peel, cayenne pepper, popcorn, oak. With water, sweeter, hints of bacon and maple syrup.

Finish: Long. Chocolate, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Quite Christmassy at the beginning, with lots of lovely sweet, spicy notes.Then, with water, morphs into a little bit of a McDonalds' breakfast - bacon and maple syrup, on hotcakes. This one is a bit of a chameleon.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 46.20 (Glenlossie 17 yo 1992/2010)

SMWS 46.20 (Glenlossie 17 yo 1992/2010)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
52.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, ginger, vanilla, lemon sweets, sherbet, chillies, hints of white pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, fizzy, loosens.
Tasting: Sour. Lemon sweets, sherbet, ginger, vanilla, orange juice, hints of grapefruit, hints of chillies.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, lemon sweets, ginger.

Comments:

This whisky reminds me of lemony Rosebank - it has the hard, tart, 'brassy' flavour that I associate with that distillery. However, there's an intense spicy gingery element to it, which sets it apart from all the Rosebanks I've ever had.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 46.12 (Glenlossie 27 yo 1978/2006)

SMWS 46.12 (Glenlossie 27 yo 1978/2006)

2006, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber orange
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, coconut, pine, mint, marzipan, hints of leather.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slipper, astringent, thickens.
Tasting: Sour. Lemons, orange peel, coconut, pine, mint, hints of mayonnaise, hints of leather.
Finish: Medium. Butter, pine, coconut, orange peel.

Comments:

Tart, leathery, smells a little like a new car. Not very meaty, although the tag line promised roast pork! Reminds me more of cake and sweet desserty things...

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 46.19 (Glenlossie 16 yo 1992/2009)

SMWS 46.19 (Glenlossie 16 yo 1992/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale yellow
52.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, peanuts, condensed milk, butter, white wine, lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, tingly, volatile.
Tasting: Sour. Lemons, lemon zest, vanilla, white wine, peanuts, hints of white grapes, hints of bananas.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, banana, white grapes, white wine.

Comments:

So tingly it's almost fizzy. Whisky isn't carbonated of course, so this feels (and tastes) very much like flat champagne. The similarities don't end there - despite the cask strength, it feels quite light, very drinkable, and quite dry. Got to be careful with this one.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 46.11 (Glenlossie 27 yo 1978/2006)

SMWS 46.11 (Glenlossie 27 yo 1978/2006)

2006, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
54.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marzipan, bread, vanilla, honey, malty beer, lemons, hints of cornflakes, hints of caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, thickens, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Vanilla, honey, lemons, cornflakes, plums, apples, hints of barley sugar.
Finish: Short. Vanilla, plums, barley sugar, caramel.

Comments:

Quite strong. This whisky is hard work, with the alcohol obscuring a number of the flavour notes. Not particularly satisfying. Unfortunately water doesn't help much, even when I added a little drop. The flavours slip away too easily.

Verdict:

Not bad.