Ledaig 12yo 2007/2019

Ledaig 12yo 2007/2019

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Islands
Amber
48.4% ABV
Tiny taste

Nose: Peat, leather, dried apricots, raisins, red grapes, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, warm, slightly slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, dried apricots, orange peel, smoky bacon, driftwood, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Long. Dried apricots, smoky bacon, brown paper, leather, hints of black tea. 

Comments: 

Cask DL13707. Delicious, lots of dried fruit and smoke, but undeniably under proof. I think Ledaig is best when it's cask strength, north of 50%, and this expression is a little below that. Still, it's good, it's just not as great as I've come to expect from Tobermory's peated juice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Mackmyra Gront Te

Mackmyra Gront Te

Official bottling
Single malt - Gastrikland
Pale amber
46.1% ABV
Tiny taste

Nose: Peppermint, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla, green tea, hints of raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, warming, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, green tea, apple juice, vanilla, cinnamon, hints of pine. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, pine, apple juice green tea. 

Comments: 

This is an interesting cask finished Mackmyra. The sherry cask that aged this was seasoned with an infusion of green tea leaves in sherry. I cadged this off a little sample bottle (thanks Eddie) and I was blown away. Very nice, highly complex, and it's picked up the green tea flavour that the cask seasoning was meant to achieve.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Balmenach 13yo 2004/2018

Balmenach 13yo 2004/2018

Hidden Spirits Whisky Co
Single malt - Speyside
Dark yellow
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, pear drops, vanilla, orange peel. With water, lemon zest, cotton sheets, lemon sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, static, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon juice, lime juice, green tea, green apples, vanilla, hints of cinnamon. With water, sweeter, lemon zest, fresh baked bread, Battenberg cake. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, vanilla, pear drops, green apples. 

Comments: 

Cask BL418. Another gem from Hidden Spirits, and yes, I killed the bottle. It's pretty sour, lots of tart things, with some spicy notes. It opens up well with water, turning sweeter, and slightly herbal, a particular fragrance that I associate with freshly laundered cotton sheets. Very nice whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Springbank 21yo 1993/2015

Springbank 21yo 1993/2015

Brothers' Reserve, Lockett Bros
Single malt - Campbeltown
Sunshine yellow
49.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peanuts, lemon zest, almonds, honey, dried limes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Leather, petrol exhaust, lemon juice, honey, lime zest, hints of pear drops. 
Finish: Medium. Lime zest, almonds, honey, pear drops. 

Comments: 

Indie Springbank, bottled by a whisky / wine shop in North Berwick. This is surprisingly lively, I tend to associate older Springbank with deeper flavours, less citrus, more red fruit. But this one retains the huge citrus notes, ethers, and the slightly burnt hydrocarbon sweetness that I associate with young Springbank.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Teaninich 12yo 2006/2019

Teaninich 12yo 2006/2019

Hidden Spirits Whisky Co
Single malt - North Highlands
Silvery
51.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, barley sugar, leather, honeydew melons, rhubarb and custard sweets, pears, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, cool, static. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon sweets, rhubarb and custard sweets, white grapes, pears, hints of barley sugar. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, pear drops, lemon sweets, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Cask TH619. My second expression from this Italian bottler, and I was very impressed - the whiskies this bloke (and it is, I think, a very small operation) manages to find are very good indeed. This one is sweet with lots of citrus and fruit notes, and an intense tannic bite on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Strathmill 20yo 1997/2017

Strathmill 20yo 1997/2017

Mackillop's Choice, Angus Dundee Distillers
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, malted grains, raisins, cinnamon, orange peel, candle wax. With water, raisins, salt caramel, chocolate, red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, airy, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cocoa powder, candle wax, orange juice, cinnamon, butterscotch, raisins, hints of black tea. With water, sweeter, black tea, vanilla, honey, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Cinnamon, raisins, vanilla, hints of cloves. 

Comments: 

Cask 4112. I've never had a Mackillop's Choice until now, and I have to say that it did not disappoint. It was sweet, a little waxy, and very spicy. Lots of lingering spice notes, and a little hook of citrus at the end, just teasing, on the tongue. Very nice whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Nikka Pure Malt Red

Nikka Pure Malt Red

Official bottling
Blended malt
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, malted grains, barley sugar, orange peel, hints of raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily, chunky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, white pepper, barley sugar, vanilla raisins, hints of cola nuts. 
Finish: Short. Cola nuts, raisins, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

This expression, too, is being discontinued. So I decided to say goodbye to an old friend. It's sweet and full of barley, but also has a little spicy edge. It's really good value whisky, clear and distinctive flavours, and if any bottles survive the next twenty years, the old bottle effect will make it amazing.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bunnahabhain 28yo 1990/2019

Bunnahabhain 28yo 1990/2019

Single Malts of Scotland, Specialty Drinks Ltd
Single malt - Islay
Pale gold
44.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: White chocolate, vanilla, peat, condensed milk, smoked bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, cool, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla, white chocolate, leather, honey, condensed milk, peat, ginseng, fresh cut grass, hints of rubber. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, black tea, fresh cut grass, vanilla, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 7727. Thanks Eddie for the dram. This aged Bunnahabhain is special. It's chocolatey and buttery, like the best Ardbegs, but the peat is gentle, and there's very little smoke. There's something slightly chemical on the tongue, but it isn't harsh. It's really complex - many many layers, lots of flavour notes - and it all fades to a slightly bitter, herbal finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Nikka Pure Malt Black

Nikka Pure Malt Black

Official bottling
Blended malt
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, condensed milk, raisins, green tea, caramel, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, butterscotch, sea salt, leather, honey, overripe damsons. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, raisins, sea salt, caramel, leather. 

Comments: 

Nikka are discontinuing this, although I don't know why. Perhaps there was more aged whisky in this blend than people thought. In any case, it was a good idea to try it while there was still some available. It's lightly peated, lots of sweet notes, and some umami somewhere as well. Quite an enjoyable dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Hakushu 18yo

Hakushu 18yo

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Copper
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, sultanas, pine needles, tinned peaches, honeydew melons. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, cool, slightly watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Pine needles, white grapes, birch wood, tinned peaches, autumn leaves, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, green tea, marmalade, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

An old Hakushu expression, now discontinued. I missed it the first time around, and was lucky to find some again. It's characteristically herbal, alpine even, allied with lots of fruit notes. Perhaps a bit understrength - I would have appreciated a higher ABV. But a real treat even so.

Verdict:

I like this.

Auchentoshan 21yo 1997/2019

Auchentoshan 21yo 1997/2019

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale gold
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, buttered toast, honey, sea salt, vanilla fudge. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loosens, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Orange curd, honey, white grapes, vanilla fudge, butterscotch, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, marmalade, vanilla, honey, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask DL13130. This is a gentle, buttery, fruity dram, like a warm, satisfying hug. It's sort of like the ultimate Auchentoshan, even if it's got a few individual characteristics. I always found Auchentoshan to have more citrus, less jam. But this is excellent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

King's County Barrel Strength Bourbon (Batch 12A)

King's County Barrel Strength Bourbon (Batch 12A)

Official bottling
Single bourbon - New York
Amber red
63.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, vanilla, coconut, strawberry jam, brown paper, hints of cocoa. With water, cinnamon, honey, brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberry jam, brown paper, bananas, chocolate, rye bread, butterscotch. With water, sweet, pear drops, bananas, hints of apple juice. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked rye bread, chocolate, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

Intensely sweet and fragrant bourbon. Plenty of jammy notes when neat, including some chocolate. With water, it turns more fruity, with pear drops, apples and honey. I like the spirit from this distillery. While young, it's quite complex and intense, all the better for being bottled at cask strength. I hope they age the stuff a bit more, it's got some real potential.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Irish Single Malt 15yo 2002/2019

Irish Single Malt 15yo 2002/2019

Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Unknown
Silvery gold
57.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Overripe mangoes, guava, white grapes, lemon zest, autumn leaves. With water, pear drops, fresh baked bread, vanilla, butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Chillies, guava, white grapes, green tea, lemon zest, ginseng. With water, bitter, ginseng, butterscotch, pear drops. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, green tea, walnuts, overripe mangoes. 

Comments: 

Cask 346. I can't be sure which distillery this is from - my guess is Bushmills, but it also has characteristics from Midleton - but I was intrigued by the age statement. My guess is that it spent 15 years in a bourbon cask, and an additional year or two in steel tubs. Anyway, it's redolent of tropical fruit, with many 'green' characteristics. With water something bitter emerges, like ginseng, and walnuts skins.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask (Cask S100211007A)

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask (Cask S100211007A)

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Mahogany
57.1% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Red grapes, strawberries, raisins, cashews, vanilla, grape toffee, black tea. With water, cashews, raisins, cloves, hints of peanuts. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, oily, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, honey, gingerbread, dried apricots, grape toffee, walnuts, cloves, hints of cinnamon. With water, honey, raisins, cloves, black tea. 
Finish: Long. Cloves, raisins, pomegranate molasses, dried apricots. 

Comments: 

Cask S10021007A. I occasionally find Kavalan over-sweet, even over-sherried, but there's enough complexity in this whisky to offset the sherry sweetness. It's oily, slightly dusty, and very heavily spiced. There's a rather magnificent, drawn out, pomegranate molasses note in the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

An Cnoc Peated Limited Edition

An Cnoc Peated Limited Edition

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Chinese tea
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, raisins, brown paper, marmalade, peanuts, cashews. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Raisins, toffee, peanuts, cashews, pears, leather, hints of walnuts. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, mint, leather, walnuts. 

Comments: 

Peated Speyside whisky can be hit or miss. Or hit, and miss, in this case. There's a decent level of peat, leather notes, nuts, but I'm unsure as to what the underlying spirit tastes like. It's sweet for sure, marmalade and pears are present, but it's a bit unbalanced.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Glenrothes 12yo 2006/2019

Glenrothes 12yo 2006/2019

Founder's Collection, Whisky Baron
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, vanilla, red grapes, chocolate, cinnamon, hints of orange curd. With water, black tea, raisins, autumn leaves, hints of wet stones. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Sticky toffee pudding, vanilla fudge, orange curd, raisins, black tea. With water, wet stones, raisins, black tea, autumn leaves. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, raisins, vanilla fudge, chocolate. 

Comments: 

Cask 6147. The whisky is cloudy, a sign of the intense flavours within. There is a lot of sweet stuff, as you'd expect from a sherry butt, but there's more. There's something earthy, even tannic, which I'm told is characteristic of Glenrothes (I guess that's plausible. I don't believe I've had enough Glenrothes to know :)).

Verdict:

I like this.