East London Liquor Co Radikon Merlot

East London Liquor Co Radikon Merlot

Official bottling
Single malt - London
Orange brown 
47.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, malted grains, vanilla, honey, plums, strawberry jam, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, orange juice, lemon zest, damson jam, strawberry jam, cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Damson jam, malted grains, barley sugar, orange juice. 

Comments: 

Cask 485. Orangey and sweet sour, there are some clear hints of the wine cask finish. Lots of damson jam notes especially on the tongue and the finish. On the nose it’s plums.

Verdict:

I like this.

New Riff 4yo 2021/2025

New Riff 4yo 2021/2025

#22, The Heart Cut
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber brown
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Walnuts, toffee, coffee, molasses, cough mixture, cherries. With water, walnuts, toffee, molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, volatile, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Mint, cherries, cough mixture, blackcurrant cordial, walnuts, marmalade, hints of coffee. With water, cherries, vanilla, cough mixture, popcorn. 
Finish: Medium. Cough mixture, walnuts, cherries, marmalade. 

Comments: 

Love me a new Heart Cut when they come out. This one is like walnut praline, with lots of mint and cough mixture on the tongue. It’s quite intense, not much of the brown paper note that so many bourbons have.

Verdict:

I like this.

The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, smoke, raisins, honey, lemon sweets, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Lemon sweets, raisins, coffee, autumn leaves, smoke, germolene, peat. 
Finish: Long. Autumn leaves, smoke, peat, germolene. 

Comments: 

Smoky and peaty, some medicinal antiseptic notes. There’s also an earthiness that is quite prominent in the tongue. Plenty of salty lemon sweets, a bit like some Caol Ilas.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ludlow Cider Brandy Cask

Ludlow Cider Brandy Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Shropshire 
Dark gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, mushrooms, malted grains, fresh cut grass, coffee, lemon sweets. With water, apples, toffee, lemon sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, oily, syrupy, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Molasses, apples, cinnamon, lemon sweets, toffee, vanilla, caramel. With water, apples, malted grains, caramel. 
Finish: Medium. Toffee, apples, cloves, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Some slightly odd mushroom notes at the first nose, but these pass to reveal toffee apples and cinnamon flavours on the tongue. It’s a nicely bodied whisky too, oily and substantial without being too heavy.

Verdict:

I like this.

Wireworks Port Wine LBV

Wireworks Port Wine LBV

Official bottling 
Single malt - Derbyshire 
Orange gold
53.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange juice, malted grains, vanilla, strawberry jam, white chocolate, honey. With water, orange juice, malted grains, dried apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, volatile, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, orange juice, white chocolate, black tea, red grapes, honey, golden syrup. With water, dried apricots, malted grains, honey. 
Finish: Medium. Golden syrup, malted grains, orange juice, white chocolate. 

Comments: 

Fruity, sweet and rich, lots of buttery white chocolate notes. It enriches everything up to and including the finish. Water brings out pleasing notes of dried apricots.

Verdict:

I like this.

Adnams 9yo Sauternes Finish

Adnams 9yo Sauternes Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Copper orange
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, raisins, pear drops, magic marker, molasses, carrots, cinnamon, hints of mushrooms. With water, magic marker, applesauce, carrots, coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Magic marker, pear drops, orange blossom, coffee, molasses, cloves, peaches, hints of carrots. With water, pear drops, applesauce, cloves, cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Golden syrup, molasses, pear drops, cloves, hints of carrots. 

Comments: 

This whisky tastes like carrot cake, plenty of that sweet vegetal note with lots of pear drops and various other estery flavours. Water brings out more spice notes.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Masthouse Distillery Exclusive

Masthouse Distillery Exclusive

Official bottling
Single malt - Kent
Orange amber
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, nori, black pepper, malted grains, rye bread, rubber bands, hints of new plastic. With water, new plastic, rye bread, hints of rubber bands. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, hot, evaporates quickly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, cooked rice, black pepper, nori, rye bread, honey, hints of strawberry jam. With water, cooked rice, raisins, nori, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Long. Cooked rice, honey, raisins, strawberry jam. 

Comments: 

Quite a lot of rye-like spice, with a plasticky note. Might be my sample bottle (which would be a shame) but somehow I don’t think so. I’ve encountered the same note before in Masthouse whisky.  I must say I like the cereally starchy note that comes out when you add water.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arbikie Highland Rye 1794 The Peated

Arbikie Highland Rye 1794 The Peated

Official bottling
Single rye - East Highlands
Dark gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, lemon zest, black pepper, rye bread, coriander, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Vanilla, lemon zest, black tea, black pepper, coriander, smoke, sea salt, peat. 
Finish: Short. Peat, smoke, black pepper, coriander, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Quite herbal, plenty of that peppery rye note, but also married to peat, smoke, lemons and rye bread. Quite balanced, peated rye whisky definitely works. More please.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arbikie Highland Rye 1794 The PX

Arbikie Highland Rye 1794 The PX

Official bottling
Single rye - East Highlands
Dark amber 
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, turpentine, raisins, pear drops, rye bread, orange blossom, hints of pine needles. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, mouth coating, expands. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Turpentine, rye bread, orange blossom, sea salt, marmalade, honey, vanilla, black pepper. 
Finish: Short. Orange blossom, black pepper, sea salt, rye bread. 

Comments: 

Quite a chemical tasting whisky, the spicy rye note has been transmuted to oily turpentine and maybe some pine. It’s surprisingly salty, lots of rye bread and sea salt come to the fore in the mouth.

Verdict:

I like this.

Pokeno Discovery

Pokeno Discovery

Official bottling
Single malt - Waikato
Amber pink
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, roses, nashi pears, malted grains, molasses, coffee, hints of burnt sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, slightly volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Strawberry jam, raspberry jam, honey, wine gums, molasses, hints of burnt sugar. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, molasses, cloves, coffee. 

Comments: 

Very jammy but also laden with bitter, caramelly notes. The two (berry jam and bitter notes) clash a little, they fight for supremacy on the tongue. Who wins is a little dependent on what you had before.

Verdict:

I like this.