The Busker Single Malt Small Batch No 1

The Busker Single Malt Small Batch No 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Leinster
Amber brown 
46.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, fresh baked bread, orange peel, white pepper, cinnamon, hints of grapefruit. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, raspberry jam, fresh baked bread, malted grains, red grapes, raisins, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, raspberry jam, malted grains, cinnamon, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Orangey, lots of malted grains and raisins. Quite spicy too, with plenty of cinnamon and white pepper. The finish isn’t so long, but brings more of the jammy cooked fruit notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Busker Single Grain

The Busker Single Grain

Official bottling
Single grain - Leinster
Golden
44.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, vanilla, desiccated coconut, orange peel, nutmeg, toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, volatile, tingly.
Tasting:  Sweet. Toffee, caramel, black pepper, menthol, nutmeg, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Toffee, orange peel, vanilla, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Quite a simple, straightforward whisky, with toffee, caramel, and grain whisky note if desiccated coconut. Plenty of vanilla and brown paper as well, flavours I usually associate with bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bladnoch Talia

Bladnoch Talia

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark yellow gold
45.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nectarines, magic marker, clay dust, malted grains, fresh cut grass, white pepper, glue. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Nectarines, lemon zest, honey, fresh cut grass, white pepper, nutmeg, pears, hints of apricots. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, apricots, white pepper, honey, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Dusty and old, lots of stone fruit, honey, esters and white pepper. Beautiful sweet sour finish, with plenty of barley maltiness and more stone fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Spey 16yo 2008/2024

Glen Spey 16y 2008/2024

The Single Cask
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
58.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, nectarines, malted grains, orange peel, white pepper, hints of smoke. With water, malted grains, pear, nectarines. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White pepper, smoke, germolene, tobacco leaf, nectarines, white wine, orange peel. With water, coffee, peat, smoke, germolene. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, smoke, nectarines, white wine. 

Comments: 

Cask 801879. Ex-Islay cask, peppery but also orangey, full of stone fruit? And quite sweet. Water brings out more bitterness, with peat, smoke and coffee. It’s a nice long semi-sweet finish too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Ord 11yo

Glen Ord 11yo

Soho Selection, Milroys of Soho
Single malt - North Highlands
Golden
56.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, apricots, lemon zest, sultanas, hoppy beer, honey, malted grains. With water, malted grains, apricots, peaches, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Wet stones, coffee, lemon zest, sultanas, malted grains, chicory, dark chocolate. With water, peaches, apricots, hints of sultanas. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, chicory, malted grains, lemon zest, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Minerally with heaps of stone fruit. There’s a bitter note here is that I interpret as coffee and chicory, and water brings out even more stone fruit and much more sweetness. Good minerally finish too.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Black Fox Single Grain Tritticosecale

Black Fox Single Grain Tritticosecale 

Official bottling
Single grain - Saskatchewan
Amber red 
48.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, red grapes, blackberries, vanilla, desiccated coconut, sandalwood, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, mouth coating, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Brown paper, desiccated coconut, raisins, pear drops, rye bread, black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, rye bread, black pepper, raisins. 

Comments: 

High rye flavour. The grain is a rye-wheat hybrid, and brings the usual black pepper notes. There’s also some creamy cereal, with plenty of grain whisky coconut flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glendalough Pot Still Virgin Irish Oak Batch 2

Glendalough Pot Still Virgin Oak Batch 2

Official bottling
Single pot still - Leinster
Dark gold

43% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, malted grains, lemon zest, yuzu, cream, hints of white wine. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Photocopy paper, malted grains, lemon zest, sea salt, yoghurt, white wine, hints of yuzu. 
Finish: Short. Sea salt, lemon zest, malted grains, white pepper, yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Quite tart and lactic, which is to me a characteristic of pot still whisky. Lost of fruity citrus notes along the edges which emphasise the sour flavours. The finish is brief, intense and a little minerally.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Cheshire Single Malt

The Cheshire Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Cheshire
Amber

46% ABV

Dram

Nose: Hoppy beer, malted grains, cream, shredded wheat, white pepper, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Hoppy beer, shredded wheat, raisins, white pepper, orange peel, hints of gentian, hints of nectarines. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, malted grains, orange peel, nectarines. 

Comments: 

Beery and loaded with stone fruit. There’s plenty of malty goodness with a pinch of white pepper. Still rather bitter with mountainous herbs. This might take some water well, although I didn’t try.

Verdict:

I like this.

Akashi 5yo Red Wine Cask

Akashi 5yo Red Wine Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Kansai
Amber red
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, wet stones, raisins, pears, apples, red grapes, dried blueberries. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, tingly, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, cloves, oak chips, damson jam, camphor, apples, hints of dried blueberries. 
Finish: Medium. Camphor, apples, pears, oak chips, cloves. 

Comments: 

Active cask that masks most of the notes from the distillate. Jammy red fruit flavours, with a bitter herbal note of camphor. Was on the fence as to whether to add water but in the end didn’t.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aberfeldy 20yo 1999 Handfill Cask

Aberfeldy 20yo 1999 Handfill Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Dark amber red 
60.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, camphor, roast beef, raisins, black tea, damson jam, cloves. With water, roast beef, cloves, molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, hot, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Coffee, camphor, roast beef, damson jam, clay dust, cloves, red grapes. With water, damson jam, dried apricots, raisins, clay dust, oak chips. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, clay dust, roast beef, red grapes. 

Comments: 

Meaty, winey, lots of jammy notes and warming spices. Water brings out a little dustiness and more dried fruit notes, but also makes the wood more prominent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.