Ardbeg Dolce

Ardbeg Dolce

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Golden bronze
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, dried apricots, pears, smoke, peat, golden syrup, driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty bitter. Peat, driftwood smoke, pears, lemon zest, golden syrup, nutmeg, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Golden syrup, oakum, sea salt, peat, smoke. 

Comments: 

Salty, bitter but not as sweet as regular Ardbeg. It’s missing the chocolatey note that I find, instead it’s got golden syrup and nutmeg, rather like smoky bread and butter pudding. Absolutely delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kurayoshi Pure Malt

Kurayoshi Pure Malt

Matsui Shuzou 
Blend
Pale gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mushrooms, yoghurt, malted grains, brown sugar, dark chocolate, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Dark chocolate, leather, malted grains, mushrooms, yoghurt, lemon zest, cinnamon, hints of sea salt. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, raisins, dark chocolate, leather. 

Comments: 

Quite lactic and tart with earthy mushrooms and bitter dark chocolate. A very simple, straightforward dram, as befits an entry level dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

London Distillery Company Embarque

London Distillery Company Embarque

Official bottling
Single malt - London 
Amber brown 
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raspberry jam, malted grains, fresh baked bread, chocolate, hints of rye bread, hints of black pepper. With water, roast chicken, black pepper, hints of new plastic. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, rye bread, raspberry jam, golden syrup, black pepper, hints of new plastic. With water, malted grains, rye bread, hints of new plastic. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, dark chocolate, malted grains, rye bread, hints of new plastic. 

Comments: 

Quite jammy and sweet. The distillery character seems to be a peppery, spicy distillate with feinty mid palate notes. This expression has a long fragrant, slightly bitter finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Prakaan Tribura Series Double Cask

Prakaan Tribura Series Double Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Kamphaeng Phet
Light amber 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, surgical spirit, malted grains, dried apricots, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, raisins, honey, coffee, malted grains, Demerara sugar, lychees, hints of dried apricots. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, Demerara sugar, malted grains, coffee, hints of black pepper. 

Comments: 

Quite a sweet dram, lots of dried fruit and brown sugar, but with a spirity edge that young, tropically aged whiskies sometimes get. It builds to a nice long spicy finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ki One Unicorn

Ki One Unicorn

Official bottling 
Single malt - Gyeonggi
Copper gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mushrooms, smoke, autumn leaves, lemon zest, pear drops, cinnamon, hay. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Smoke, autumn leaves, hay, peat, pear drops, lemon sherbet, vitamin C tablets, orange peel, photocopy paper, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Lemon sherbet, photocopy paper, hay, autumn leaves. 

Comments: 

Earthy and a little grassy, with plenty of smoke and peat. There’s also some citrus sweetness, and a little chalkiness. Plenty of other feinty notes too, especially on the tongue. There is no template for Korean peated whisky, but this could become one.

Verdict:

I like this.

Yamazakura Kuyuri Peated Blended

Yamazakura Kuyuri Peated Blended

Official bottling
Single blend - Tōhoku
Pale gold

46% ABV

Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, menthol, raisins, mint, malted grains, barley sugar, hints of yoghurt. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, warm, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Menthol, smoke, germolene, peat, honey, barley sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg. 
Finish: Medium. Apricots, menthol, honey, smoke, malted grains. 

Comments: 

I’d guess only the malt part of this is peated. There’s some quite sophisticated notes here - apricots, menthol, and plenty of malty sweetness too. A very pleasant dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Langatun 6yo 2016/2022 Madeira Cask

Langatun 6yo 2016/2022 Madeira Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Bern
Amber
49.12% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, black tea, fresh baked bread, coffee, orange peel, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Fresh baked bread, sea salt, raisins, honey, golden syrup, milk chocolate, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, milk chocolate, golden syrup, white pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Lots of dried fruit from the wine cask, with plenty of cereal notes too. A little pepper on the tongue. The finish is glorious - plenty of chocolate and golden syrup, with a fragrant, slightly bitter coffee note.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Prakaan Tribura Series Peated Malt

Prakaan Tribura Series Peated Malt

Official bottling

Single malt - Kamphaeng Phet 
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Soot, creosote, smoke, peat, lemon zest, roast beef, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, static, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Sea salt, roast beef, peat, smoke, golden syrup, malted grains, germolene, hints of rose water, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Smoke, malted grains, creosote, peat, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

A decently peated malt, made with what I think is Scottish peat. Lots of medicinal notes, and it’s rather saline. But there’s plenty of sweetness underlying it - golden syrup, some rose and even some lemon.

Verdict:

I like this.

London Distillery Company Yesteryear 6yo (bottled 2025)

London Distillery Company Yesteryear 6yo (bottled 2025)

Official bottling
Single rye - London
Amber brown
52.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blackcurrant cordial, dried apricots, dried pears, dried blueberries, raisins, black pepper, cloves, hints of farmyard. With water, strawberry jam, dried apricots, magic marker, hints of black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, volatile, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Blackcurrant cordial, dried pears, dried apricots, black pepper, brown paper, golden syrup, cloves, hints of orange juice. With water, pear drops, magic marker, black pepper, dried apricots. 
Finish: Medium. Dried pears, brown paper, golden syrup, orange juice, dried apricots. 

Comments: 

London rye whisky! The obligatory black pepper note is present but it’s overlaid with heaps of other things. Ribena, golden syrup, sweet dried fruit and even cloves. Water brings out estery chemical notes.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ki One Eagle

Ki One Eagle

Official bottling
Single malt - Gyeonggi
Amber gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, orange peel, vitamin C tablets, grapefruit, sandalwood, white grapes, clay dust, hints of parchment paper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, astringent, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Orange juice, orange peel, lemon zest, grapefruit, vitamin C tablets, apricot jam, gentian, fresh cut grass, clay dust. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, gentian, ginseng, fresh cut grass, clay dust, apricot jam. 

Comments: 

Slightly dusty and mineral, but with heaps of fruity flavours. Lots of something chalky and fizzy, like vitamin C tablets. It then builds to a bitter fragrant finish.

Verdict:

I like this.