SMWS 66.26 (Ardmore 23 yo 1985/2008)

SMWS 66.26 (Ardmore 23 yo 1985/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pink gold
52.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Walnuts, smoke, soy sauce, bitter sweet caramel, sea salt.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Smoke, cigars, walnuts, lemons, orange peel, demerara sugar, hints of peat.
Finish: Short. Woody, bitter, hints of orange peel.

Comments:

Very smoky for a Speyside. And yet, almost a little too sweet. Still, there's a fair amount of orange peel and other citrus fruit that marries well with the peat and smoke. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 124.1 (Miyagikyo 16 yo 1988/2005)

SMWS 124.1 (Miyagikyo 16 yo 1988/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - West Honshu
Bronze
59.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, cognac, rubber bands, butter, hints of peat, hints of hazelnut.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, warm, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Apples, peanuts, pears, magic marker, turmeric, hints of lemon juice.
Finish: Long. Spicy, cayenne pepper, salty.

Comments:

I'm beginning to get some of the differences between Japanese whiskey and Scotch. Japanese whisky, to me, has a little more saltiness, married with fruit, like ume, the Japanese salted plums. Scotch is a little more diverse. This Miyagikyo has a great dealt of fruitiness, the requisite salt, plus something quite earthy and pungent - turmeric, maybe. Very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.

Port Ellen 25 yo 1982/2008

Port Ellen 25 yo 1982/2008

Independent bottling, Dormant Distillery Co
Single malt - Islay
Golden
57.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, lemons, oranges, black pepper, hints of kippers.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily, thickens.
Tasting: Sour. Smoke, peat, kippers, leather, lemons, peanuts, sea salt, custard, honey.
Finish: Short. Smoke, peanuts, lemons, leather.

Comments:

Very nice indeed. So good that there's no need to add water. Lots of the leathery, fishy character that is says Port Ellen to me. Great mouth feel too. There's not much of this left, have to enjoy whatever I can get!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Brora 26 yo 1981/2007

Brora 26 yo 1981/2007 Signatory Cask Strength

Cask Strength, Signatory
Single malt - North Highlands
Mahogany
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, sherry, rubber bands, cognac, strawberry, coriander.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, oily.
Tasting: Sweet. Oak, vanilla, oranges, raisins, coriander, rubber bands. With water, it gets more fruity - oranges, mainly. Also stronger notes of coriander and some hints of peat.
Finish: Long. Cayenne pepper, black pepper, vanilla.

Comments:

Cask #1520, 391 bottles. A little too much wood in the taste, although the nose was fantastic. Lots of fruit if you look for it, and it's quite peppery and spicy, differentiating it from the very nice aged Glen Grants I've had. It was a little underwhelming though, because of what came before it.

Verdict:

I like this.

St Magdalene 32 yo 1975/2008

St Magdalene 32 yo 1975/2008

Distillery Labels, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coca cola, raisins, orange peel, lemons, oat bread, hints of soy sauce.
Mouthfeel: Light body, oily, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Peanuts, hazelnuts, sherry, prunes, apples, pears, oranges, hints of peat, hints of smoke.
Finish: Long. Coca cola, leather, raisins.

Comments:

Best dram of the night! So good I didn't want to ruin it with water. I loved the slightly biting, very slightly minty coca cola notes, unique in my experience. Fruity and robust without being overpowering, even a little bit of smoke. Not your usual Lowlands whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dallas Dhu 26 yo 1979/2006

Dallas Dhu 26 yo 1979/2006 Chieftain's Choice

Chieftain's Choice, Ian Macleod
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ginger, white chocolate, soy sauce, strawberries, vanilla, tobacco leaf.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily.
Tasting: Sweet. Cigars, tobacco leaf, ginger, raisins, coriander, orange peel, apples, pears.
Finish: Long. Smoke, molasses, soy sauce, apples.

Comments:

Cask #90721, 348 bottles. The rum finish lends ginger and chocolate to the whisky. It also tastes vaguely of tobacco, quite Cuban. Very tasty indeed, but it took me a while to get into this. I decided against buying the remaining half bottle, as I think I prefer the unfinished Dallas Dhus.

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 9 yo "Battlehill"

Imperial 9 yo "Battlehill"

Battlehill, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside
Light amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, magic marker, soy sauce, apples, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemons, pears, raspberries, strawberries, hints of rose. With water, more rose, sweeter notes, more floral.
Finish: Short. Rose, pears, peanuts.

Comments:

Decent dram, if a bit young and spirity. Mellowed with water, lots of fruit and rose. My first Imperial - I like.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rosebank 12 yo Flora & Fauna

Rosebank 12 yo Flora & Fauna

Flora & Fauna, official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Straw
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, raisins, lavender, lemons, oat bread, sponge cake, caramel.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, slightly oily.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemons, brass polish, strawberries, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Long. Tingly, lemon peel, coconut sweets.

Comments:

Had this at a Royal Mile Whiskies tasting, with the theme "Silent Stills". Light and lovely, although sweeter than I expected. Less lemony and bold than the unofficial Rosebanks. I really like this. They shouldn't have closed this distillery! I believe the bottle was release #12.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Mortlach 15 yo

Mortlach 15 yo

Distillery Labels, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Amber, tinge of rose
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Hazelnuts, vanilla, malt beer, banana, pineapple, hints of sherry.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly watery, thickens quickly.
Tasting: Sweet. Lemon peel, pineapple, banana, vanilla, cotton candy.
Finish: Short. Peanut skin, bitter sweet.

Comments:

This was a bottle that I bought for a friend, on recommendation from the staff at La Maison du Whisky in Paris. It was exactly what they said it would be - fruity, pineappley and sweet. Good introductory bottle. Very enjoyable indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 103.13 (Royal Lochnagar 18 yo 1986/2005)

SMWS 103.13 (Royal Lochnagar 18 yo 1986/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - East Highlands
Pale gold
55.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, cloves, cinnamon, soy sauce, roast chicken, oat bread, raisins.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, volatile.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Raisins, candied winter melon, toast, brown paper, hints of peat, hints of dates, hints of lo han guo.
Finish: Long. Sour, winter melon, oat bread.

Comments:

I got the last dram in this bottle - it was a bin end, sitting on the bar, going for cheap. It's got some of the oat bread notes that characterise Royal Lochnagar for me, but allied with sweet fruit, almost herbal, and sumptuous roast chicken notes. Not a suitable one to end a tasting session normally, but it was a lucky find.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.