Benrinnes 44yo 1979/2023

Benrinnes 44yo 1979/2023

Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
42.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Kiwifruit, starfruit, candle wax, lemons, sandalwood, fresh cut grass, honey, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Starfruit, candle wax, white pepper, fresh cut grass, Buddha palm fruit, peppermints, cotton sheets. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh cut grass, Buddha palm fruit, peppermint, cotton sheets, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Cask 62. Quite a vegetal Speyside, with big notes of peppermint, grass and Buddha palm fruit. There’s also something that reminds me of fresh laundry, or rather scented laundry detergent. A very interesting whisky that wears its age lightly.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Old Vatted Talisker (1910s blend)

Old Vatted Talisker (1910s blend)

GF Heublein & Co
Blend
Golden brown 
c35% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tarry rope, peat, menthol, cough mixture, lychees, wood smoke, autumn leaves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, charcoal ash, honey, menthol, lychees, watermelon rind, cardamom, autumn leaves. 
Finish: Short. Menthol, cardamom, white pepper, charcoal ash. 

Comments: 

Smoky, tarry, but surprisingly delicate and floral. There notes of lychees and watermelon rind, that are still obvious beneath the layer of ash and smoke. It’s now quite a low ABV, in the mid to low 30s, but it still packs quite a punch. Remarkable whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Milroys Heavily Peated Virgin Oak Batch VO1

Milroys Heavily Peated Virgin Oak Batch VO1

Heavily Peated, Milroys of Soho
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, peat, smoke, dark chocolate, peaches, pear drops, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Smoke, pears, dark chocolate, lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt, peanuts, hints of malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, lemons, limes, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Peated Lowlands whisky from Bonnington. It’s quite gentle on the back palate and the finish, would probably has been quite intense at cask strength. Rather citrusy.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Storyteller Bourbon Batch 1 5yo

The Storyteller Bourbon Batch 1 5yo

The Story Of
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
54.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cooked rice, vanilla, malted grains, brown paper, white pepper, caramel. With water, malted grains, vanilla, brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, malted grains, brown paper, honey, caramel, hints of nutmeg. With water, honey, white pepper, dried apricots, nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, nutmeg, brown paper, honey, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Bardstown distilled. Rather cereally, but also with many malty toasty vanilla and caramel notes. Water brings out some more pepper and dried apricot notes. Dried apricots seem to be a theme.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Bootzamon Wheated Bourbon Batch 1

The Bootzamon Wheated Bourbon Batch 1

The Story Of
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber brown
56.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Popcorn, dried apricots, white pepper, honey, damson jam, hints of cloves. With water, popcorn, dried apricots, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, evaporates, mouth coating, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. White pepper, vanilla, honey, ink, pear drops, hints of damson jam. With water, popcorn, dried apricots. 
Finish: Medium. Pear drops, damson jam, vanilla, honey, dried apricots. 

Comments: 

Bardstown distilled. Quite cereally, with notes of buttered popcorn. Cask strength and high intensity, makes it hard to discern the layers of flavours. Water brings out more dried apricots and pepper. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Roggenwolf Rye Batch 1 6yo

The Roggenwolf Rye Batch 1 6yo

The Story Of
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber copper
63.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Eucalyptus, strawberry jam, black pepper, peppermint, vanilla, lavender, foam shrimp, cream. With water, dried apricots, cream, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, volatile, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Strawberry jam, foam shrimp, black pepper, eucalyptus, dried apricots, vanilla, honey. With water, dried apricots, eucalyptus, black pepper, honey. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, rye bread, dried apricots, honey. 

Comments: 

Bardstown distilled. A herbal, peppery rye, with a strong eucalyptus note. It’s also sweet and jammy with notes of foam shrimp and strawberry jam. Water brings out even more eucalyptus.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Whistler Mosaic Marsala Cask

The Whistler Mosaic Marsala Cask

Official bottling 
Single grain - Leinster
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, peaches, ice cream soda, desiccated coconut, hints of nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Desiccated coconut, raspberry jam, vanilla, honey, cola nuts, cloves, nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, molasses, honey, cola nuts, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Fruity and fragrant, lots of honeyed notes and plenty of ja. The Marsala cask sweetens what is already quite a delicate and sweet whisky. I’d have gone a little gentler with the wood but it’s a decent dram nonetheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

East London Liquor Co Radikon Merlot

East London Liquor Co Radikon Merlot

Official bottling
Single malt - London
Orange brown 
47.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, malted grains, vanilla, honey, plums, strawberry jam, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, orange juice, lemon zest, damson jam, strawberry jam, cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Damson jam, malted grains, barley sugar, orange juice. 

Comments: 

Cask 485. Orangey and sweet sour, there are some clear hints of the wine cask finish. Lots of damson jam notes especially on the tongue and the finish. On the nose it’s plums.

Verdict:

I like this.

New Riff 4yo 2021/2025

New Riff 4yo 2021/2025

#22, The Heart Cut
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber brown
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Walnuts, toffee, coffee, molasses, cough mixture, cherries. With water, walnuts, toffee, molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, volatile, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Mint, cherries, cough mixture, blackcurrant cordial, walnuts, marmalade, hints of coffee. With water, cherries, vanilla, cough mixture, popcorn. 
Finish: Medium. Cough mixture, walnuts, cherries, marmalade. 

Comments: 

Love me a new Heart Cut when they come out. This one is like walnut praline, with lots of mint and cough mixture on the tongue. It’s quite intense, not much of the brown paper note that so many bourbons have.

Verdict:

I like this.

The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, smoke, raisins, honey, lemon sweets, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Lemon sweets, raisins, coffee, autumn leaves, smoke, germolene, peat. 
Finish: Long. Autumn leaves, smoke, peat, germolene. 

Comments: 

Smoky and peaty, some medicinal antiseptic notes. There’s also an earthiness that is quite prominent in the tongue. Plenty of salty lemon sweets, a bit like some Caol Ilas.

Verdict:

I like this.