Avon Distilleries 9yo 2016/2025

Avon Distilleries 9yo 2016/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Blend
Amber gold
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nectarines, honeydew melons, white pepper, cloves, honey, leather, hints of cinnamon. With water, pear drops, surgical spirit, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Nectarines, honeydew melons, honey, leather, pear drops, cloves, farmyard, dunnage. With water, cloves, leather, dunnage. 
Finish: Medium. Dunnage, cloves, nectarines, honeydew melons. 

Comments: 

Blended whisky, apparently, but I suspect it’s teaspooned something. Clynelish? Not waxy enough. Anyway it’s rather fruity with a slightly dirty, farmyardy edge. Water brings out some more of that slightly mouldy funk.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arran 11yo 2013/2026

Arran 11yo 2013/2026

Eldym Bottling Expressions, Lachlan Gillies
Single malt - Islands
Dark amber red
59.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, pears, white grapes, wet stones, orange peel, black pepper, thyme. With water, raisins, mint, wet stones, thyme, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, honey, cream, orange peel, black pepper, pears, black tea, hints of aluminium foil. With water, pears, honey, orange peel, black pepper. 
Finish: Short. Aluminium foil, black pepper, ginseng, black tea, honey. 

Comments: 

Really amazing whisky, especially for its age. Lots and lots of sweet honeyed notes, with a metallic edge especially on the tongue. Water brings out a peppery spiciness, which remains on the finish, which is short, intense and bitter.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Teaninich 13yo 2012/2025

Teaninich 13yo 2012/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - North Highlands
Golden
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Dried apricots, pencil lead, wet stones, ice cream soda, dried mangoes, hints of white pepper. With water, magic marker, wet stones, pencil lead, dried mangoes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens slightly, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Dried mangoes, wet stones, pencil l dead, white pepper, gooseberries, white grapes, hints of nutmeg. With water, cream, lemon zest, orange peel, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, nutmeg, gooseberries, dried apricots, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Fruity and feinty, lots of interesting layered dried fruit, but not very estery. That is, until water is added, and then the pear drops / magic marker notes come out. Very good indeed, even for a Teaninich.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kimchangsoo Gimpo First Edition 2024

Kimchangsoo Gimpo First Edition 2024

Official bottling
Single malt - Gyeonggi
Amber copper
50.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Copper kettles, aluminium foil, black tea, smoke, raisins, sandalwood, ume, hints of prunes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Raisins, ume, prunes, apricots, black tea, roast chicken, sandalwood, aluminium foil, black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Copper kettles, black tea, sandalwood, apricots, hints of farmyard. 

Comments: 

Very flavourful, and quite the sherry bomb. Well blended with plenty of balance, but also with distinct flavours, int is case apricots, ume and copper. Very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Filiers 10yo Sherry Oak Matured

Filiers 10yo Sherry Oak Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - East Flanders
Copper brown

43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, dunnage, black pepper, raisins, oak chips, sandalwood, hints of pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, mouth coating, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, black pepper, rye bread, dunnage, dark chocolate, oak chips. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, rye bread, dark chocolate, black pepper, dunnage. 

Comments: 

Quite sweet, but with a peppery rye note that doesn’t quite work with the rest of the sweet sherry notes. Still, quite an interesting whisky, as Belgium whiskies tend for be.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured

Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Dark amber bronze
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Figs, raisins, brown paper, black tea, dark chocolate, cooked rice, dates, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, figs, butterscotch, black teac peat, smoke, dates, hints of dark chocolate, hints of sea salt. 
Finish: Long. Autumn leaves, dates, butterscotch, smoke, hints of fish sauce. 

Comments: 

A rather good Kilchoman, plenty of sweet notes complementing the distillery character of gentle smoke and dates. There’s some earthiness as well, especially on the finish. Excellent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

John Crabbie Peated Virgin Oak Cask Matured

John Crabbie Peated Virgin Oak Cask Matured

John Crabbie
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, vanilla, oak chips, peat, smoke, sour cream, hints of farmyard. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla, peat, smoke, raisins, dried apricots, cream, hints of sour cream. 
Finish: Long. Oak chips, smoke, soot, peat, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Quite harshly peated, but underneath there’s a gentle, light, slightly oily distillate with notes of vanilla and apricots. Decent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Debt Collector Moonshine Cask Aged 2yo

Debt Collector Moonshine Cask Aged 2yo

Official bottling
Single malt - London
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coconut cream, honey, malted grains, vanilla, golden syrup, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Blackcurrant cordial, malted grains, white pepper, golden syrup, raisins, hints of saffron. 
Finish: Medium. Golden syrup, vanilla, coconut cream, white pepper, hints of oak chips. 

Comments: 

More Ribena-like than its unaged cousin, quite coconutty too. Lots of sweeter flavours from the wood, even though it’s been in the cask a relatively short time. Starting to taste woody.

Verdict:

I like this.

Debt Collector Moonshine Unaged

Debt Collector Moonshine Unaged

Official bottling 
Single malt - London
Colourless
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, lemons, new plastic, sea salt, fresh baked bread, hints of sour cream. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, white pepper, sour cream, lemons, new plastic, hints of saffron. 
Finish: Medium. Lemons, sour cream, white pepper, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Quite malty, but plenty of citrusy notes, including a slightly prickly plasticky one. A little herbal too, there’s a touch of saffron on the tongue. A bit unbalanced.

Verdict:

I like this.

Spirit of North Scotland 48yo 1973

Spirit of North Scotland 48yo 1973

Bartels Whisky
Single grain - Lowlands
Amber brown
25% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, burnt sugar, oak chips, malted grains, ice cream soda, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, static, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Caramel, coconut cream, oak chips, burnt sugar, pear drops, magic marker, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, vanilla, pear drops, ice cream soda, hints of oak chips. 

Comments: 

Quite woody, but in this case the low strength works in its favour. It’s not whisky of course, just spirit drink, but it’s taken on quite a lot of the wood flavours. Very interesting indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.