Aberargie Inaugural Release

Aberargie Inaugural Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber
48.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange peel, malted grains, honeycomb, orange blossom, red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, mouth coating, slightly volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honeycomb, orange blossom, malted grains, marshmallows, foam shrimp, strawberry sweets, hints of cream. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, malted grains, marshmallows, strawberry sweets. 

Comments: 

Sweet, malty and robust, definitely not a 3 year old. They’ve done the right thing by waiting to release something older. Very promising and flavourful.

Verdict:

I like this.

Old Bakery Small Batch for Gerry’s of Soho

Old Bakery Small Batch for Gerry’s of Soho

Official bottling
Single malt - London
Dark gold
60.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, white grapes, white chocolate, vanilla, magic marker, nail varnish. With water, vanilla, cooked rice, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon zest, white grapes, magic marker, white pepper, fresh cut grass, hints of dried apricots. With water, vanilla, cooked rice, pear drops, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, vanilla, white pepper, magic marker. 

Comments: 

Quite a light whisky, lots of estery notes, which must also come from the rum cask finish. It’s quite cereally under all that sweetness. Water brings out more esters and more cereal, although it becomes less sweet.

Verdict:

I like this.

Macaloney’s Peat Project Portuguese Red Wine STR Barrique

Macaloney’s Peat Project Portuguese Red Wine Barrique

Official bottling
Single malt - British Columbia
Amber copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, peat, germolene, nutmeg, tobacco leaf, orange peel, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, smoke, germolene, orange peel, peaches, malted grains, honey, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Germolene, peat, autumn leaves, honey, hints of orange peel. 

Comments: 

Interesting dram, made with sugar kelp. It is quite peaty - medicinal peat - and has a nice underlying sweetness that must come from the Portuguese red wine cask. Decent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Convalmore 30yo 1962/1993

Convalmore 30yo 1962/1993

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenheads
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pencil lead, blackcurrant cordial, cherries, honey, malted grains, hay, vanilla, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, vanilla, pencil lead, wet stones, honey, leather, brown sugar, hints of cherries, hints of dark chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, honey, leather, brown sugar, cherries. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious, rich malty sugary notes. There’s Black Forest cake (cherries and dark chocolate) in this, if I’m any judge. Alongside there’s also some minerality and leather. A very good dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenlochy 38yo 1965/2003

Glenlochy 38yo 1965/2003

Old and Rare, Douglas Laing
Single malt - West Highlands
Amber orange
42.3% ABV

Dram

Nose: Magic marker, pandan, orange peel, malted grains, molasses, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Magic marker, molasses, barley sugar, malted grains, black tea, heather, pandan, hints of candle wax. 
Finish: Long. Heather, hay, black tea, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Rather herbal and grassy, not as many saline notes as I’d expect given what I found in other Glenlochies. No water, it’s a bit low in strength and rather drinkable as is.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aultmore 37yo 1985/2023 Exceptional Cask

Aultmore 37yo 1985/2023 Exceptional Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside

Amber
42.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pencil lead, wet stones, malted grains, sandalwood, honey, toffee, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Hoppy beer, malted grains, pencil lead, burlap, white pepper, wet stones, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Medium. Brass polish, white pepper, burlap, pencil lead, honey. 

Comments: 

Certainly an exceptional cask, and there’s a lot of feintiness - beery notes, some musty dunnage and burlap, alongside minerality and floral fragrance. Layered and complex.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Brora 19yo 1981/2000

Brora 19yo 1981/2000

The Bottlers
Single malt - North Highlands
Amber
60.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, leather, lemon sweets, lemon zest, sea salt, menthol, honey. With water, menthol, cloves, lohan fruit, candied lemons. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Menthol, honey, wet stones, petrol exhaust, lemon sweets, cloves, orange juice, lohan fruit, hints of candied lemons. With water, lemon sweets, cloves, wet stones, candied lemons. 
Finish: Long. Wet stones, pear drops, leather, lemon sweets, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 1077. Lemony and saline, lots of leather and even some sense of petrol exhaust for smokiness. Quite lovely. Beautiful old menthol and mineral notes too. Always a pleasure to have a Brora.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Jura vatting - 1960s and 30yo

Jura vatting - 1960s and 30yo

Personal vatting
Single malt - Islands
Orange brown 
About 45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green tea, pencil lead, barley sugar, malted grains, honey, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Pencil lead, barley sugar, malted grains,  white pepper, black tea, cloves, milk chocolate. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, black tea, pencil lead, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

A vatting of several 1960s Jura and a 30yo, done at a tasting. Quite feinty and little of that lactic note that seems to characterise Jura for me. Not as good as the sum of its parts.

Verdict:

I like this.

Balvenie 46yo 1968/2016 DCS Compendium Chapter 1

Balvenie 46yo 1968/2016 DCS Compendium Chapter 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber brown
45.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, white flowers, lemon zest, molasses, pear drops, blackcurrant cordial, cherries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, cool, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Blackcurrant cordial, black pepper, lemon zest, pear drops, cloves, hints of dark chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, pear drops, magic marker, dark chocolate, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 7293. Sweet and luscious, lots of complexity with pear drops and dark chocolate. Also highly floral on the nose. Absolutely excellent. I think this may be the most expensive dram I’ve ever drank.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

St Magdalene 39yo 1982/2021

St Magdalene 39yo 1982/2021

Private Collection, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
54.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, honey, marigolds, malted grains, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. With water, honey, lemon zest, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, candle wax, nutmeg, malted grains, pears, gooseberries, cream, golden syrup. With water, honey, gooseberries, barley sugar, lemon zest.
Finish: Short. Icing sugar, golden syrup, gooseberries, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 2094. Superb. Complex, layered with that lovely delicate malty, honeyed St Magdalene note. Lots of gooseberry fool on the tongue too. Delicious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.