Distillery 291 3yo Batch 3

Distillery 291 3yo Batch 3

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single rye - Colorado
Dark amber red
67.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, desiccated coconut, red grapes, brown paper, honeycomb, orange peel. With water, honeycomb, damson jam, artificial grape flavour, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, hot, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Damson jam, malted grains, cream, red grapes, artificial grape flavour, honeycomb, hints of oak chips. With water, sea salt, strawberry jam, artificial grape flavour, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Artificial grape flavour, black pepper, honeycomb, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Oof, the cask totally influences this. Honeyed, lots of strawberry and damson jam notes, but also that tang of Fanta grape. Luscious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Garioch 33yo 1978/2012 for Milroy’s of Soho

Glen Garioch 33yo 1978/2012 for Milroy’s of Soho

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark gold
58.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, white grapes, digestive biscuits, leather, honey, gooseberries, hints of cream. With water, honey, malted grains, coffee, hints of digestive biscuits. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Toffee, dark chocolate, white pepper, leather, white grapes, gooseberries, coffee, malted grains. With water, honey, white grapes, malted grains, coffee. 
Finish: Long. Gooseberries, honey, coffee, toffee, hints of mustard. 

Comments: 

Cask 10999. Sweet with big bitter notes that come in waves. Water brings out the malty sweetness, less fruity, but still the bitter fragrant notes that taste like coffee. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Garioch 41yo 1978/2020 Handfilled Cask 11002

Glen Garioch 41yo 1978/2020

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Golden brown
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, mustard, photocopy paper, orange peel, honey, oolong tea, turmeric. With water, honey, chocolate, damson jam, turmeric. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, toffee, orange peel, honey, turmeric, mustard, tobacco leaf. With water, leather, damson jam, tobacco leaf, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. White grapes, orange peel, mustard, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 11002. Fruity and bitter sweet, lots of layered complex notes, it’s a rich and rounded whisky. There’s that characteristic mustard and pungent turmeric note on the nose. Lovely whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Belgian Owl 36 months First Fill Bourbon Cask

Belgian Owl 36 months First Fill Bourbon Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Liège
Pale yellow 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, leather, shoe polish, malted grains, white pepper, oak chips, honey, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour. Fried eggs, shoe polish, malted grains, fresh cut grass, lemon zest, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Short. Oak chips, leather, cream, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Quite gritty and chemical, almost tarry. Smoke is ever present but not too acrid. There’s herbal, sometimes sulphurous notes as well. Odd but interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardnahoe Infinite Loch

Ardnahoe Infinite Loch

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Buttercups
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanut butter, driftwood smoke, peat, tobacco leaf, fresh cut grass, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peanut butter, peat, driftwood smoke, cloves, chocolate, butter, hints of red grapes. 
Finish: Short. Smoke, leather, peat, peanut butter, honey. 

Comments: 

Smoky and herbal, lots of nutty notes in the background. Cloves make an appearance, but it’s not easy to discern under all that smoke. A complex, layered dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Floki 3yo Single Cask Barrel 20

Floki 3yo Single Cask Barrel 20

Official bottling
Single malt - Capital Region
Yellow gold 
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, cream, photocopy paper, parchment, leather, white grapes, malted grains, hints of cinder toffee.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Cinder toffee, smoke, white grapes, yoghurt, parchment, malted grains, diesel exhaust, hints of lemon juice. 
Finish: Long. Soot, yoghurt, cream, diesel exhaust. 

Comments: 

Barrel 20. Quite smoky, lots of bittersweet toffee notes. There’s that parchment and photocopy paper again. Also a lot of hydrocarbon smoke, sweetish on the nose.

Verdict:

I like this.

Floki 3yo Double Wood Reserve 2019

Floki 3yo Double Wood Reserve 2019

Official bottling 
Single malt - Capital Region
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, pencil erasers, white pepper, gooseberries, leather, parchment. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour. Pencil erasers, gooseberries, parchment, photocopy paper, rye bread, malted grains, hints of leather. 
Finish: Short. Parchment, green tea, leather, pencil erasers. 

Comments: 

Cask Floki SM2 and Cask Birch 2. Very feinty and odd, lots of slightly sulphurous notes and a lot of parchment and penci erasers. Sour and slightly tannic too. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Mhor 10yo 1978/1989

Glen Mhor 10yo 1978/1989

Intertrade
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
65.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, fresh cut grass, pear drops, lemon juice, sandalwood, white grapes, gooseberries. With water, oats, farmyard, sandalwood, pear drops, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, airy. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Magic marker, pear drops, marmalade, lemon juice, malted grains, farmyard, white pepper, hints of white grapes. With water, magic marker, pear drops, white pepper, lemon juice. 
Finish: Long. Magic marker, pear drops, lemon juice, farmyard. 

Comments: 

Very estery, lots of pear drop and magic marker notes. The acetone soon morphs into gooseberries and sandalwood. Water brings out some cereal and even some farmyard notes.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Matsui Sakura Cask

The Matsui Sakura Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu 
Very pale gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, malted grains, honey, cream, white pepper, orange peel, hints of cherry blossom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cinder toffee, honey, malted grains, orange peel, cherry blossom, white grapes, hints of peaches. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, honey, white pepper, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Slightly lactic at the beginning on the nose, but it soon changes to cream, honey, white pepper and cherry blossom. Very Japanese, very delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenburgie 36yo 1980/2017

Glenburgie 36yo 1980/2017

Old and Rare Platinum, Hunter Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Yellow gold
47.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, white grapes, gooseberries, dark chocolate, pencil lead, hints of coconut cream. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, gooseberries, peaches, pencil lead, leather, white pepper, hints of coconut cream. 
Finish: Short. Chocolate, coconut cream, gooseberries, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Feinty and sweet, with tangy side notes of gooseberries and sour peaches. It’s a little flat on the finish, but that’s after a lot of fireworks going on in the mouth. A very, very nice dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.