Masthouse Single Estate Vintage 2018

Masthouse Single Estate Vintage 2018

Official bottling
Single pot still - Kent
Golden

45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green apples, lemon zest, honey, white grapes, cinnamon, wet stones, clay dust. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Magic marker, pear drops, green apples, lemon zest, wet stones, clay dust, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, pear drops, lemon zest, hints of wet stones. 

Comments: 

Quite an unusual pot still whisky. That bristliness is still there by its overlaid with tart notes of green apples and lemon zest, and something earthy and flinty - clay dust and wet stones. Interesting dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bluegrass Distillers Blue Corn High Rye

Bluegrass Distillers Blue Corn High Rye

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber red
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cough syrup, corn syrup, cola nuts, brown paper, oak chips, honey, hints of black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, astringent, thickens. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Black pepper, honey, corn syrup, cola nuts, leather, cherries, hints of sawdust. 
Finish: Medium. Cola nuts, cherries, cough syrup, honey, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Quite sweet and luscious, as a whisky with a high corn content would be expected to do. Some light spiciness from the rye but it’s not as prominent as one would expect.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 69.3 (Glen Albyn 16yo 1978/1994)

SMWS 69.3 (Glen Albyn 16yo 1978/1994)

1994, SMWS
Single malt - North Highlands
Straw
64.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, malted grains, fresh cut grass, cream, elderflower, hints of roast chicken. With water, honey, white pepper, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, lemon zest, cream, elderflower, honey, grapefruit, hints of vanilla. With water, elderflower, malted grains, honey, lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Elderflower, honey, lemon zest, cream, hints of vanilla. 

Comments: 

Malty and citrusy, with a floral elderflower note (I find this to be quite unusual). There’s a slightly meatiness to it as well, especially prominent given the high strength. Water brings out more of that floral elderflower note.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Hakushu 1991/2005 Suntory Furudaru Shiage

Hakushu 1991/2005 Suntory Furudaru Shiage

Official bottling 

Single malt - Chūbu
Amber red
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, black pepper, leather, rancio, camphor, caramel, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black pepper, raisins, honey, cherries, leather, burnt sugar, sandalwood, hints of smoke.
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, cherries, honey, leather, hints of soot. 

Comments: 

Highly complex and sweet, loads of warming spices and dried fruit. A little thin on the mouthfeel but that just makes it easier to drink. Probably the youngest “old-style” sherried whisky that I’ve had.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dallas Dhu 17yo 1970/1987

Dallas Dhu 17yo 1970/1987

Sestante
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
58.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeydew melons, honey, cinnamon, malted grains, white pepper, hints of green pepper, hints of camphor. With water, honeydew melons, fresh cut grass, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honeydew melons, white pepper, fresh cut grass, honey, lemon zest, hints of camphor. With water, magic marker, camphor, leather, honey, honeydew melons. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, malted grains, honey, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Fruity and complex, lots of melon and honey notes. Water brings out some grassiness and citrus, and eventually some herbal bitterness. This is perfectly layered and constructed, an alluring, mouth watering whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 29yo 1994+1996

Balvenie “Blended Malt Whisky” 29yo 1994+1996

Decadent Drinks
Teaspooned malt - Speyside 
Amber
53% ABV
Dram

Nose: Beeswax, cola nuts, honeycomb, malted grains, honey, foam shrimp, gooseberries. With water, honey, white pepper, sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cola nuts, beeswax, honeycomb, gooseberries, nectarines, greengages, lemon zest. With water, nectarines, honey, beeswax. 
Finish: Long. Honey, greengages, sandalwood, nectarines. 

Comments: 

Very waxy, plenty of peach. If you’d asked me to taste blind I’d have said this was Clynelish and not Balvenie. But that’s what it is, and there’s some notes of greengageS that hint a little bit at its origins.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Braeval 16yo 2010

Braeval 16yo 2010

Little Brown Dog Spirits
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
57.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, peaches, honey, cloves, caramel, hints of carrot cake. With water, honey, peaches, malted grains. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, mouth coating, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, orange peel, honey, peaches, malted grains, vanilla, hints of cinnamon. With water, honey, orange peel, cinnamon, hints of malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Cloves, cinnamon, peaches, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Malty and sweet Braeval, with plenty of peach and nectarine notes. Quite a spicy whisky, and water brings out more orange and cinnamon.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aultmore 15yo 2010/2026

Aultmore 15yo 2010/2026

Chorlton Whisky
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, white chocolate, foam shrimp, malted grains, white pepper, vitamin C tablets, fresh cut grass. With water, lemon zest, nectarines, white pepper, fresh cut grass. 

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, nectarines, clementines, malted grains, honey, white pepper, photocopy paper, vitamin C tablets. With water, malted grains, fresh cut grass, foam shrimp, clementines. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, photocopy paper, vitamin C tablets, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Quite citrusy and peppery, with a thick heavy body that sits on the tongue. Water brings out some malty sweetness, some additional grassiness to cut the ought h citrus.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Auchentoshan 20yo

Auchentoshan 20yo

Whisky Craft, Solasta Holdings
Single malt - Lowlands
Yellow gold 
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, lemon zest, lemon curd, cream, magic marker, green tea, malted grains, hints of brown paper. With water, fresh cut grass, lemon curd, malted grains, ume. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, astringent, slightly chalky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Green tea, lemon zest, marmalade, dried apricots, fresh cut grass, white pepper, hints of chalk. With water, fresh cut grass, green tea, ume, leather.
Finish: Medium. Lemon curd, marmalade, fresh cut grass, cinnamon, hints of dried apricots. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and bright, lots of grassy notes with pepper. Slightly chalky (both in body and on the tongue). Water burns out more grassy florals, with fermented ume.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Westland 9yo

Westland 9yo

The Whisky Trail, Elixir Distillers
Single bourbon - Washington
Amber
56.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, roast pork, honey, magic marker, dried apricots, marmalade, hints of surgical spirit. With water, sandalwood, leather, dried apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, marmalade, surgical spirit, leather, honey, cloves, sandalwood. With water, sandalwood, lemon zest, surgical spirit, marmalade. 
Finish: Short. Sandalwood, lemon zest, cloves, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Rather herbal and floral for bourbon. Plenty of jammy notes too (not raisins or blackcurrant). Quite unusual, in that it’s still spirity after 9 years. Water brings out some more citrus.

Verdict:

I like this.