Glen Wyvis 6yo 2018/2024

Glen Wyvis 6yo 2018/2024

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Amber
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red grapes, honey, lohan fruit, cloves, black tea, hints of molasses. With water, menthol, raisins, eucalyptus. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, evaporates, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, lohan fruit, cloves, menthol, damson jam, orange peel, hints of cinnamon. With water, menthol, damson jam, eucalyptus. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, menthol, raisins, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 59. A well sherried whisky, plenty of the sweet red fruit notes you’d expect, but also plenty of complexity like black tea, menthol and cloves. Surprisingly layered for such a young dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dalmunach 9yo 2016/2025

Dalmunach 9yo 2016/2025

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, white wine, lemon zest, white pepper, yoghurt, vanilla, hints of sour cream. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. White wine, sour cream, cashews, yoghurt, malted grains, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Yoghurt, vanilla, white pepper, white wine. 

Comments: 

Casks 364523, 364524, 364525. Stripped back whisky, a bit of a lactic note but also plenty of fragrant citrusy and winey notes too. There’s some nuttiness and pepperiness especially on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Brenne Special Edition (Pineau de Charentes Finish)

Brenne Special Edition (Pineau de Charentes Finish)

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Dark yellow gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Artificial grape flavour, sultanas, cream, artificial melon flavour, honeydew melons, bubble gum. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Artificial melon flavour, mint, sultanas, white wine, icing sugar, white pepper, bubble gum. 
Finish: Medium. Bubble gum, icing sugar, sultanas, raspberries, artificial grape flavour. 

Comments: 

Floral and fragrant, definitely an improvement on previous bottlings. Tastes rather like melon Ramune, the Japanese soft drink, especially at this low ABV.

Verdict:

I like this.

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.