Kilbeggan Double Distilled 11yo

Kilbeggan Double Distilled 11yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Leinster
Amber gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, lemon sweets, malted grains, green apples, fresh cut grass, hints of yoghurt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, static, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Green apples, malted grains, peaches, fresh cut grass, white grapes, honey, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Green apples, nutmeg, white grapes, cinnamon, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Tart and light, lots of volatility, which brings evaporating notes of green apples, grass and white grapes. No water, it’s too light, but it’s quite intense on the tongue with a little spiciness.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lochlea 7yo

Lochlea 7yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nectarines, pears, malted grains, honey, green tea, lemon zest, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Pears, nectarines, fresh cut grass, malted grains, green tea, lemon zest, nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Pears, nectarines, malted grains, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Complex and fruity, lots of zesty citrus and stone fruit. There’s some grassy tannins as well, like a good green tea. The finish is short and quite intense. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glendronach 15yo Sherry Cask Matured

Glendronach 15yo Sherry Cask Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, chocolate, raisins, honey, leather, black pepper, hints of farmyard. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, mouth coating, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Chocolate, raisins, malted grains, black pepper, brown paper, hints of farmyard. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, black tea, black pepper, raisins. 

Comments: 

Exactly what you’d expect, sweet and raisiny, with an interesting little kick of something farmyardy on the tongue and nose. It’s a nice chocolatey, slightly bitter finish too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Blair Athol 27yo 1975/2003 Rare Malts

Blair Athol 27yo 1975/2003 Rare Malts

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber copper
54.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, papayas, dates, cream, peaches, hints of smoke. With water, leather, papayas, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, cola nuts, dates, cream, papayas, white pepper, hints of smoke. With water, leather, papayas, raisins, dates. 
Finish: Long. Hoppy beer, papayas, aluminium foil, dates, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Lots of dried fruit, even the tropical fruit notes are reminiscent of the dried preserved version rather than the fresh. Water brings out a meaty leathery note, almost giving it more body. A lovely whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Blair Athol 29yo 1988/2017

Blair Athol 29yo 1988/2017

No Tie Required, The Whisky Agency
Single malt - Central Highlands
Golden
51.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, white pepper, wet stones, peaches, cream, hints of aluminium foil. With water, lemons, peaches, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Wet stones, chalk, malted grains, cream, barley sugar, white pepper, lemon zest, hints of pears. With water, malted grains, wet stones, lemons, white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Cream, barley sugar, wet stones, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Quite a sweet dram, but there’s some complex earthiness, almost a chalky minerally flavour along with the malty notes. Water brings out the maltiness along with a citrus zing.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Bowmore 1992

Bowmore 1992

Caledonian Selection, Liquid Gold
Single malt - Islay
Bright gold
62% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, pineapples, lemon sweets, autumn leaves, burning leaves, hints of charcoal ash. With water, burning leaves, pear drops, pineapples, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, oily, thick, hot. 

Tasting:  Sour sweet. Pineapples, pear drops, lemon sweets, smoke, charcoal ash, peat, tarry rope. With water, peat, charcoal ash, lemon sweets, hints of peanuts. 
Finish: Long. Honey, smoke, pineapples, pears, peat. 

Comments: 

Smoked barbecued fruit, something I always find in 90s and 00s Bowmore. Lots of ashy smoke too, like it’s been left on the barbecue too long. Water brings out more ashiness. A perfect Burns Night dram. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Holyrood 3yo 2021/2025

Holyrood 3yo 2021/2025

Single Cask, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark gold
53.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, malted grains, orange peel, nutmeg, photocopy paper, brown paper, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, orange peel, lemon curd, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Green tea, peaches, photocopy paper, brown paper, sandalwood, nutmeg, fresh baked bread. With water, photocopy paper, peaches, lemon curd, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, nutmeg, sandalwood, cornflakes, hints of nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Cask 12150. Quite citrusy and weighty, lots of layered flavours with a good degree of intensity. Water brings out a dry paperiness and more lemon curd, as well as stone fruit. A good dram, a fine example of young whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Eden Mill 2018 Release

Eden Mill 2018 Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber gold
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, raisins, lohan fruit, sea salt, nutmeg, cloves, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Honey, raisins, chocolate, lohan fruit, raspberry jam, cloves, tobacco leaf. 
Finish: Medium. Lohan fruit, raisins, cloves, chocolate, cream, tobacco leaf. 

Comments: 

Light and refreshing, lots of fruit notes. Typically early release whisky, flavoured with sherry casks for sweetness and maximum appeal. A decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Circumstance 3yo Inaugural Grain Whisky

Circumstance 3yo Inaugural Grain Whisky

Official bottling 
Single grain - Bristol
Pale orange gold
42.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, sandalwood, molasses, cream, vanilla, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, tingly, slightly warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Fresh baked bread, honey, raisins, orange peel, vanilla, brown paper, cinnamon, hints of leather. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, honey, fresh baked bread, raisins. 

Comments: 

1:11:129:37 - not quite sure what these codes mean. Last number is number of months in cask perhaps. It’s cereally and rather sweet, young, fresh and intense. Quite a nice dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Reservoir Wheat 2yo Batch 1

Reservoir Wheat 2yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single grain - Virginia
Amber
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nectarines, strawberries, honey, green tea, photocopy paper, hints of condensed milk. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Green tea, nectarines, honey, lemon zest, white pepper, chamomile, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, chamomile, nectarines, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Fruity, lots of herbal notes, but they’re quite gentle and mostly in the background. No water required, I felt that would kill some of these gentle background notes. A rather short finish.

Verdict:

I like this.