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.

Copperworks Colour Cask (Colour Sherry Finish)

Copperworks Colour Cask (Colour Sherry Cask)

Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Mahogany red 
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, dark chocolate, dunnage, raisins, sea salt, malted grains, white grapes, cloves, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, mouth coating, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, white grapes, gooseberries, damson jam, dark chocolate, ink, dried apricots, cream. 
Finish: Long. Dried apricots, coffee, white grapes, dark chocolate, hints of dunnage. 

Comments: 

Beautiful colour, but the sherry notes are also well integrated with dark chocolate and dried apricots especially prominent  there’s an interesting hint of dunnage and dust, both on the nose and the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Le Breuil Oloroso Finish

Le Breuil Oloroso Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Normandy 
Light amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, candied orange peel, raisins, damson jam, clotted cream, red grapes, hints of dark chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Dark chocolate, malted grains, menthol, dried apples, candied orange peel, damson jam, raisins, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Menthol, camphor, fresh baked bread, raisins, dried apples. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and laden with notes of dried fruit. Lots of creamy notes too, as well as a nip of dark chocolate. It builds to a lovely long mentholated finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Busker Single Malt Small Batch No 1

The Busker Single Malt Small Batch No 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Leinster
Amber brown 
46.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, fresh baked bread, orange peel, white pepper, cinnamon, hints of grapefruit. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, raspberry jam, fresh baked bread, malted grains, red grapes, raisins, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, raspberry jam, malted grains, cinnamon, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Orangey, lots of malted grains and raisins. Quite spicy too, with plenty of cinnamon and white pepper. The finish isn’t so long, but brings more of the jammy cooked fruit notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Busker Single Grain

The Busker Single Grain

Official bottling
Single grain - Leinster
Golden
44.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, vanilla, desiccated coconut, orange peel, nutmeg, toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, volatile, tingly.
Tasting:  Sweet. Toffee, caramel, black pepper, menthol, nutmeg, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Toffee, orange peel, vanilla, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Quite a simple, straightforward whisky, with toffee, caramel, and grain whisky note if desiccated coconut. Plenty of vanilla and brown paper as well, flavours I usually associate with bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this.