Ardmore 30yo 1987/2018

Ardmore 30yo 1987/2018

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Golden, hints of amber
47.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeycomb, raisins, leather, marmalade, strawberry jam, farmyard, beef broth, hints of tyre rubber. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Marmalade, leather, winter melon, peat, raisins, tobacco leaf, hints of Chinese angelica. 
Finish: Long. Honeycomb, raisins, Chinese angelica, tobacco leaf, hints of beef broth. 

Comments: 

Beautiful bitter sweet old Ardmore. The leathery peat is evident, and there’s a huge amount of old Chinese herbs in the tongue. Surprisingly savoury, both on the nose and on the finish. Such a treat.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenglassaugh 30yo (bottled 2019)

Glenglassaugh 30yo (bottled 2019)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
42% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, red wine, damson jam, sandalwood, oak, honeysuckle, honey, bitter orange. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, expands, slippery, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Oak, raisins, honeysuckle, bitter orange, damson jam, black pepper, black tea, red grapes, hints of leather. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, damson jam, black pepper, raisins, hints of dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

Quite a classic old sherried dram. Spicy edges of black pepper perk it up a bit, and the jammy chocolatey notes are comforting. A very good nose that’s quite alluring, even if on the tongue it doesn’t quite live up to the promise.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cameronbridge 30yo 1990/2020

Cameronbridge 30yo 1990/2020

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single grain - Lowlands
Bright gold
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Almond butter, limes, lemon zest, popcorn, vanilla cream, hints of toffee, hints of orange liqueur. With water, oats, vanilla cream, pencil erasers. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, hot, oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla cream, pencil erasers, almond butter, toffee, lemon zest, hints of orange liqueur. With water, sweeter, vanilla cream, toffee, milk chocolate, pencil erasers. 
Finish: Medium. Oats, orange liqueur, limes, popcorn, hints of pencil erasers. 

Comments: 

A slightly atypical old grain. It’s not very sweet, instead it’s for some sulphury, rubbery notes, citrus, and a heap of nut butter. It opens up with water, turning cereally and chocolatey.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ballantine’s 30yo

Ballantine’s 30yo

Chivas Brothers
Blended malt
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, orange peel, white grapes, pear drops, ink, coffee, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, leather, lemon sweets, ink, honey. 
Finish: Long. Barley sugar, dark chocolate, orange peel, leather. 

Comments: 

Lots of bitter sweetness in this blend. It’s very gentle, and perhaps doesn’t taste its age. But there’s a bitter sweet depth to it, lots of leather and dark chocolate. Very nice, I love old blends.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lochlea First Release

Lochlea First Release 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: New plastic, lemon sweets, vanilla, barley sugar, honey, dried pears. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon sweets, marshmallows, lime cordial, barley sugar, dried pears, fresh baked bread, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, lime cordial, vanilla, white pepper. 

Comments: 

A gentle yet complex dram. A very promising first release from Lochlea, heaped with dried pears and lime cordial, and a whisper of a spicy edge in the finish. I liked this, and would drink more from this distillery (not something I always say).

Verdict:

I like this.

Thompson Brothers 5yo Blended Scotch Whisky

Thompson Brothers 5yo Blended Scotch Whisky

Thompson Bros
Blended malt
Dirty amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange peel, red grapes, milk chocolate, black tea, hints of manuka honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, hot, turns airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Milk chocolate, red grapes, raisins, orange peel, vanilla, manuka honey, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Milk chocolate, cinnamon, orange peel, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Rather milky and sweet, a lovely young blend from the Thompsons. Very refreshing and pleasant, although I’m not sure that it was the best final dram of the evening.

Verdict:

I like this.

Drumshanbo 2021 Galanta Release

Drumshanbo 2021 Galanta Release 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Connacht 
Bright gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tinned peaches, dried apricots, starfruit, lemon zest, honey, applesauce, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Tinned peaches, applesauce, malted grains, black tea, white grapes, honey, dried apricots, cherries. 
Finish: Long. Dried apricots, black tea, applesauce, cinnamon, hints of cherries. 

Comments: 

Very fruity and light. Quite Irish in character - well, mouthfeel, at least - but also quite intense. Lots of spice and malt, I’m very interested to try more releases from the Shed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Svach’s Old Well Whisky 2nd Release

Svach’s Old Well Whisky 2nd Release 

Official bottling 
Single malt - South Bohemia
Amber
42.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, raspberries, stale beer, overripe plums, fresh baked bread, hints of strawberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loosens slightly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peaches, lemon zest, barley sugar, fresh baked bread, overripe plums, cola nuts, kiwifruit, hints of stale beer. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, strawberry jam, kiwifruit, barley sugar, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

Czech whisky, what a treat! I regret not trying the Hammerhead releases when I had a chance. Let me remedy it. This release from Svach distillery is fruity and quite intense, lots of jammy notes, rather good. Recommended as a pleasant surprise.

Verdict:

I like this.

Singleton of Dufftown 18yo

Singleton of Dufftown 18yo 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber copper
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, salt caramel, dark chocolate, cloves, tyre rubber, fresh baked bread, hints of muesli. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, slightly astringent, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, honey, salt caramel, cola nuts, fresh baked bread, dark chocolate, black tea, muesli. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, orange peel, salt caramel, cola nuts, hints of muesli. 

Comments: 

Lots of typical caramel and toffee notes, this time with an edge of salt and creamy, oaty muesli. I find official Dufftowns quite sweet and toffee-like, even a little over-oaked, but this one has some more complexity underneath that. Nice stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teaninich 12yo 2009/2021

Teaninich 12yo 2009/2021

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - North Highlands 
Straw
54.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, fresh cut grass, sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, hints of pineapples. With water, sweeter, toffee, cinnamon, fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cinnamon, lemon zest, oats, barley sugar, fresh cut grass, black tea, hints of sour cream. With water, sweeter, barley sugar, toffee, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Oats, sour cream, cola nuts, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Quite a cereally Teaninich, not much of the usual grass or tropical fruit. There’s some spiciness, and lactic sourness, and something distressingly oaty, almost like dish soap.

Verdict:

I like this.