Lochlea Overtone

Lochlea Overtone

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber gold
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, honey, malted grains, white chocolate, nectarines, fresh cut grass, grapefruit. With water, peaches, nectarines, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Hoppy beer, malted grains, fresh cut grass, grapefruit, jalapeños, nectarines, honey, lemon zest. With water, hoppy beer, peaches, nectarines, black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Jalapeños, grapefruit, black pepper, malted grains, hoppy beer. 

Comments: 

Beery and rich, with lots of stone fruit and spicy, grassy jalapeños. I like the combination of flavours, very Mexican. Water brings out some peppery spiciness and even more strobe fruit.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask

Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Virginia
Yellow gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, pears, orange juice, malted grains, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon zest, hints of cream. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cucumbers, pears, lemon zest, honey, malted grains, white pepper, hints of nutmeg. 

Finish: Short. Malted grains, white pepper, barley sugar, honey, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Delicate and fragrant whisky, lots of herbal, fruity notes. Plenty of barley sugar as well, which befits a good stripped back bourbon cask. This is the sort of whisky I like.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Wilderness Trail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond

Wilderness Trail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond

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

Nose: Pineapples, barley sugar, corn syrup, brown paper, vanilla, caramel, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, evaporates, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, caramel, pear drops, brown sugar, corn syrup, barley sugar, hints of evaporated milk. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, caramel, black pepper, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Quite strong ABV wise (or at least it tastes that way). It’s quite sweet with plenty of cereal notes coming through, with creaminess and also a hint of savoury coffee notes. Good peppery finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark copper
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelons, raisins, white grapes, honeydew melons, applesauce, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pear drops, malted grains, white grapes, honey, honeydew melons, nutmeg, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, white grapes, grapefruit, white pepper, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Fruity with plenty of spice. The cask influence is strong on this one, but perhaps that’s a good thing for such a young whisky. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teaninich 13yo 2011/2024

Teaninich 13yo 2011/2024

Glaschu Spirits Co
Single malt - North Highlands
Amber copper
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, tobacco leaf, apricots, menthol, camphor, orange peel, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, sandalwood, camphor, raisins, nutmeg, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Oak chips, nutmeg, malted grains, raisins. 

Comments: 

Plenty of stone fruit but also a lot of bitter herbal notes such as camphor. Nutmeg is prominent, especially in the finish as is a smoky oakiness. Quite tasty whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kinahan’s Small Batch Irish Whiskey (bottled 2022)

Kinahan’s Small Batch Irish Whiskey (bottled 2022)

Kinahan’s 
Blend
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, peaches, apricots, cream, malted grains, vanilla, hints of yoghurt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour. Malted grains, peaches, cream, sour cream, white pepper, vanilla, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Long. Lemons, vanilla, malted grains, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Lactic and tart, but also laden with lots of stone fruit and vanilla. The finish is long and citrusy. Plenty of sweet maltiness. Rather tasty.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Foundry Clockface Three Grain Whiskey

The Foundry Clockface Three Grain Whiskey

Official bottling
Single blend - Kent
Amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanut butter, milk chocolate, molasses, vanilla, photocopy paper, black pepper, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, cool, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peanut butter, oak chips, black pepper, vanilla, icing sugar, molasses, hints of leather. 
Finish: Short. Molasses, vanilla, toffee, black pepper. 

Comments: 

A well constructed whisky, lots of peanut butter and chocolate despite the virgin oak cask. It’s also bitter, mostly burnt sugar and molasses. The finish is short but intense, as might be expected for such a young whiskey.

Verdict:

I like this.

Whistler PX I Love You

Whistler PX I Love You

Official bottling 
Single malt - Leinster
Amber red 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, leather, red grapes, milk chocolate, fresh baked bread, pumpernickel, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Strawberry jam, malted grains, pumpernickel, vanilla, brown sugar, leather, hints of farmyard. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, brown sugar, leather, malted grains, coffee. 

Comments: 

Very sweet whisky, it must have been an active cask. It tastes like strawberry jam on toast, with more intense bready notes with a leathery back note. Quite a good exhibition of wood influence.

Verdict:

I like this.

West Midlands Inaugural Release - First Fill Bourbon

West Midlands Inaugural Release - First Fill Bourbon

Official bottling
Single malt - Staffordshire
Pale dusty gold
52.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, gooseberries, nail varnish, lemon zest, sour cream, hints of yoghurt, hints of rye bread. With water, nail varnish, gooseberries, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Black pepper, rye bread, nail varnish, sour cream, fresh baked bread, lemon zest, hints of apricots. With water, nail varnish, black pepper, white grapes, hints of sultanas. 
Finish: Medium. Nail varnish, fresh baked bread, black pepper, nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Quite peppery with a big heap of cereal notes, alongside citrus and a bit of stone fruit. Quite stripped back, definitely tasting the distillate here. Water brings out more esters and pepperiness.

Verdict:

I like this.

West Midlands Inaugural Release - The Matriarch

West Midlands Inaugural Release - The Matriarch

Official bottling
Single malt - Staffordshire 
Dark gold
51.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, rye bread, malted grains, sour cream, nail varnish, magic marker, hints of lemon juice. With water, nail varnish, raisins, lemon juice. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Raisins, camphor, lemon juice, nail varnish, black pepper, oat bran. With water, malted grains, nail varnish, lemon juice. 
Finish: Long. Nail varnish, magic marker, lemon zest, oat bran, hints of peaches. 

Comments: 

Tart, lemony and a bit lactic. It’s definitely an inaugural release, with cereal notes and some pepperiness as well. Water also brings out more estery flavours as well as more lemon.

Verdict:

I like this.