Bimber Virgin Cask No 91

Bimber Virgin Cask No 91

Official bottling 
Single malt - London
Amber
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, red grapes, camphor, black pepper, apricot jam, cloves, hints of applesauce. With water, malted grains, cola nuts, oatcakes, red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, expands, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Red grapes, oatcakes, camphor, wheat beer, apricot jam, cloves, chocolate. With water, apricot jam, malted grains, cola nuts, red grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Wheat beer, cloves, applesauce, molasses. 

Comments: 

Fruity and malty, lots of spicy notes. There’s more than a whiff of Coca Cola. Water expands the range of flavours, strengthening that Coca Cola note. Rather good, but not as good as Bimber can be.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenfarclas 25yo

Glenfarclas 25yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Light amber 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red grapes, apricot jam, cotton sheets, mangoes, pomegranates, hints of photocopy paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, mouth coating, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Red grapes, cotton sheets, honey, mangoes, pomegranates, milk chocolate, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Red grapes, raisins, honey, milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

Well integrated whisky, lots of chocolate and raisins, high with a feinty edge. Fruit becomes more prominent on the tongue. I’d have liked more complexity, it’s quite straightforward for a 25yo whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Sunshine yellow
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, white grapes, sea salt, apple juice, lemon zest, malted grains, hints of cornflakes. With water, magic marker, cornflakes, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Sultanas, gooseberries, apple juice, peach preserves, malted grains, hints of white pepper. With water, peach preserves, magic marker, green tea. 
Finish: Long. White pepper, malted grains, peach preserves, apple juice. 

Comments: 

Fruity, redolent with notes of peach, apple and white pepper. A rather good example of wine cask finishing, but Tokaji is closer to port than it is to wine. I rather enjoyed this dram. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenury Royal 40yo 1973/2014

Glenury Royal 40yo 1973/2014

Jewels of Scotland, Lombard 
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, malted grains, green tea, aluminium foil, leather, peaches, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, hoppy beer, green tea, peaches, honey, vanilla, aluminium foil, white grapes, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Short. Ginseng, green tea, hoppy beer, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Cask 6867. Really lovely old whisky - it’s honeyed and sweet, some feintiness provides some relief from the waves of sweetness. There’s a massive hit of malt in the mid-palate, and surprisingly, it cuts off rather quickly on the finish. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS 58.53 (Strathisla 14yo 2008/2023)

SMWS 58.53 (Strathisla 14yo 2008/2023)

2023, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Dandelions
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, coffee, white pepper, malted grains, dark chocolate, brass polish, aluminium foil. With water, coffee, dark chocolate, aluminium foil, lemon zest, hints of autumn leaves. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, warm, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Brass polish, dark chocolate, coffee, rhubarb and custard sweets, sea salt, lemon zest, apricot jam. With water, hoppy beer, malted grains, lemon zest, coffee, hints of aluminium foil. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, malted grains, dark chocolate, rhubarb and custard sweets. 

Comments: 

Not a distillery I know well, but this whisky is rather good. Lots of fragrant, feinty and slightly savoury notes on the nose, which turns malty, rich and chocolatey on the tongue.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cragganmore 29yo 1973/2003 (Special Releases 2003)

Cragganmore 29yo 1973/2003 (Special Releases 2003)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
52.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Papayas, nectarines, pineapples, malted grains, magic marker, pear drops. With water, papayas, leather, celery salt, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, expands, turns airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Hoppy beer, malted grains, leather, celery salt, nectarines, magic marker, ginseng, vanilla. With water, ginseng, hoppy beer, cookie dough, nectarines. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, hoppy beer, ginseng, pineapples. 

Comments: 

Lovely old bottle effect in this dram. It’s fruity, lots of white and tropical fruit, before the powerful malty spine comes through. Throughout there are flecks of celery salt and leather, the classic old bottle effect. Rather delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Akkeshi 3yo 2018/2023

Akkeshi 3yo 2018/2023

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Hokkaido
Amber rose 
57.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, yoghurt, tyre rubber, germolene, hints of vanilla, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets. With water, tyre rubber, charcoal ash, vanilla, driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Leather, vanilla, tyre rubber, driftwood smoke, lemon curd, charcoal ash, sour cream, hints of yoghurt. With water, driftwood smoke, strawberries, vanilla, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon curd, driftwood smoke, charcoal ash, leather, peat. 

Comments: 

Cask 1011. Akkeshi is meant to replicate Lagavulin, and I must say they’ve done a very good job. I tasted this alongside a dram of Lagavulin 16yo, and the only thing missing was the seaweed notes, and slight additional tartness. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Nikka The Grain Whisky

Nikka The Grain Whisky

Nikka
Blended malt
Amber red
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, wheat beer, lemon zest, oatcakes, digestive biscuits, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberry jam, oatcakes, raisins, wheat beer, apricot jam, golden syrup, hints of sunflower seeds. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, apricot jam, strawberry jam, golden syrup. 

Comments: 

A blend of old distillates from Nishinomiya (closed), Moji (closed), Satsumatsukasa (closed) and Miyagikyo (open). A very interesting whisky, many layers of complexity. It’s largely cereal and fruit, with a rather savoury nose. Very enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Yoichi Aromatic Yeast 2022

Yoichi Aromatic Yeast 2022

Official bottling
Single malt - Hokkaido
Pale gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeydew melons, papayas, cream, white grapes, bubble gum, hints of mint, hints of bananas. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, bubble gum, wheat beer, white grapes, gooseberries, lemon curd, toast, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Papayas, honeydew melons, wheat beer, malted grains, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Fruity and slightly lactic on the nose, this dram turns malty on the tongue. Lots of sweet notes abound, with a whisper of smoke in the mouth as well as on the finish. Quite lovely.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast 2022

Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast 2022

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Golden 
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Photocopy paper, brass polish, lemon zest, malted grains, peaches, white grapes, jackfruit. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peaches, white grapes, gooseberries, malted grains, hoppy beer, lemon zest, hints of artificial grape flavour. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, hoppy beer, malted grains, gooseberries, hints of artificial grape flavour. 

Comments: 

This whisky starts out feinty, but quickly progresses to fruity and malty flavours. It’s quite sweet, and has an excellent level of complexity, yet each flavour note is as clear as a bell.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.