Caol Ila 31yo 1988/2020

Caol Ila 31yo 1988/2020

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Islay
Golden, hints of silver
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, fresh baked bread, leather, white pepper, dunnage, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Smoke, sour cream, honey, white pepper, orange peel, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, orange peel, lemon juice, cinnamon, dunnage. 

Comments: 

An atypical Caol Ila, and not just for its age. It’s a little bit lactic, alongside the obligatory smoke and peat, but the lemon sweet and soy sauce notes are not there (or if they are, they’re quite faint). It’s quite salty though, and it made me realise that Caol Ila normally tastes of umami rather than just salt. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardmore 26yo 1995/2021

Ardmore 26yo 1995/2021

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden, hints of copper
52.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, roast pork, vanilla, peat, sea salt, caramel. With water, cream, smoke, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, warm, slippery. 

Tasting:  Bitter salty. Sea salt, vanilla, white pepper, smoke, peat, fresh cut grass, hints of roast pork. With water, sweeter, vanilla, cream, caramel, smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Bitter, cocoa powder, fresh cut grass, peat, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

This is a perfectly acceptable Ardmore, but when tasting it I was struck by the difference between bottle aging and no bottle aging for certain whiskies. Now I like old bottle effect, but a long time in the bottle allows flavours to merge, becoming less well defined. It’s not necessarily so good for lighter whiskies, but for peated drams, it makes the peat gentler and allows other notes to surface. This is decent whisky but a little (ok, a lot) time in glass would make it a great whisky, polishing off some of those slightly harsh smoky medicinal flavours. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Highland Park 19yo 1999/2018 Spiritual Home 1st Release

Highland Park 19yo 1999/2018 Spiritual Home 1st Release 

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Islands
Straw
54.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, chocolate, leather, pine, shredded wheat, hints of white pepper. With water, lemon zest, white pepper, nutmeg, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Chocolate, fresh baked bread, vanilla, lemon sweets, leather, hints of toast. With water, more bitter, fresh baked bread, toast, leather, lemon sweets. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, shredded wheat, lemon sweets, toast, hints of aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Not a usual Highland Park. This one is surprisingly bready and cereally, and the hint of smokiness on the tongue creates an impression of warm buttered toast. There’s a little bit of sweetness in it, but not too much. Quite good. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Convalmore 26yo 1984/2010

Convalmore 26yo 1984/2010

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 
Straw
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, lemon zest, honey, green tea, wildflowers. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, expands, cool.  
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, honey, vanilla, pears, green tea, fresh cut grass, hints of lemon curd, hints of leather.
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, lemon curd, wildflowers, honey, hints of leather. 

Comments: 

Floral and gentle, with no discernible old bottle effect, this whisky is highly drinkable. Lots of flowers and lemon, perhaps a smidgen of vanilla. I would have said this was Imperial rather than Convalmore, there’s little to no peat on the tongue (maybe just a whisper on the finish). 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balmenach 19yo 1973/1992

Balmenach 19yo 1973/1992

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 
Bright amber 
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, orange peel, vitamin C tablets, bovril, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loosens slightly, tingly.  
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Bovril, honey, white pepper, black tea, orange peel, sage, hints of cardamom. 
Finish: Long. Vitamin C tablets, orange peel, honey, cardamom, hints of bovril. 

Comments: 

Meaty, fruity and spicy, this whisky is unbalanced - gloriously so. There’s heaps of rich beefiness, jus or gravy or bovril, overlaid by fizzy vitamin C tablets and orange peel, plus some slightly rancid socks, in the best possible way. Odd, but utterly delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Imperial 24yo 1996/2021

Imperial 24yo 1996/2021

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 

Amber
56.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, black tea, raisins, ginger, white pepper, hints of chocolate. With water, leather, sea salt, dried blueberries, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, hot, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, chocolate, raisins, cinnamon, white pepper, ginger, dried blueberries. With water, dried blueberries, ginger, sea salt, chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, white pepper, cinnamon, chocolate, dried blueberries. 

Comments: 

Fruity and full bodied, the cask strength makes this whisky complex and inviting. Lots of dried blueberry notes, alongside some spicy ginger. Luscious, although not what one expects from Imperial (lighter, and perhaps a little more herbal rather than fruity). 

Verdict:

I like this.

Tormore 24yo 1995/2019

Tormore 24yo 1995/2019

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
56.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Roast pork, honey, red grapes, butterscotch, stewed raspberries, hints of chocolate. With water, sandalwood, honey, chocolate, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sticky, hot, astringent.  
Tasting:  Sweet. Vanilla, red grapes, stewed raspberries, chocolate, cinnamon, mace, raisins. With water, black tea, sea salt, stewed raspberries. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, red grapes, roast pork, cinnamon, hints of mint. 

Comments: 

Sweetly sherried with a meaty undernote, this whisky could well be a Mortlach. But it isn’t, it’s got a nice hit of cinnamon and mace, especially on the tongue. A beautiful mid-session dram. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Teaninich 20yo 1983/2003

Teaninich 20yo 1983/2003

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - North Highlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pound cake, marzipan, orange peel, leather, cedar, vanilla, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Leather, vanilla, honey, marzipan, lohan fruit, black tea, smoke, sea salt. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, honey, smoke, orange peel, sea salt, cedar. 

Comments: 

Lovely Teaninich, fruity with a whisper of peat, and quite a bit of old bottle effect. There’s a spicy, woody note that I recall appears in the best Japanese whiskies. This isn’t Japanese, but it ranks among the best.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Littlemill 21yo 1991/2012

Littlemill 21yo 1991/2012

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden, hints of green
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Dried mangoes, lemon sweets, fresh cut grass, starfruit, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, thickens, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Dried mangoes, barley sugar, fresh cut grass, starfruit, lemon sweets, leather, toast. 
Finish: Long. Starfruit, leather, toast, lemon sweets, honey. 

Comments: 

Lots of delicious tropical fruit flavours, and perhaps a smidgen of old bottle effect. The leathery, slightly savoury finish is a delight. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Linkwood 26yo 1990/2017

Linkwood 26yo 1990/2017

Dimensions, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
45.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, lemon sweets, chocolate, leather, peanut butter. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, mouth coating.  
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Chocolate, lemon sweets, fresh baked bread, greengages, barley sugar, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Finish: Short. Lemon sweets, fresh baked bread, barley sugar, honey, toffee.  

Comments: 

Cask 5046. This whisky is like chocolate covered toffee greengages. I did argue with Marco and a fellow patron as to whether it was apples rather than greengages, but we had to agree to disagree in the end! Very pleasant indeed. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenlossie 27yo 1993/2021

Glenlossie 27yo 1993/2021

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Copper
54.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, fresh cut grass, barley sugar, strawberries, marmalade. With water, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, fresh baked bread. 

Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, astringent, expands.  
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, barley sugar, vanilla, marmalade, green tea. With water, honey, fresh baked bread, orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Barley sugar, vanilla, fresh cut grass, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 3650. Rather mild and grassy, but with some nice marmalade notes. It’s decent, but I’d expected more for its age and also the reputation of the bottler. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Garioch 9yo 2011/2021

Glen Garioch 9yo 2011/2021

Carn Mor
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark gold
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, red grapes, sandalwood, toast, blueberries, hints of soy sauce. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, astringent, thickens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, toast, leather, honey, red grapes, blueberries. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, red grapes, barley sugar, toast, hints of blueberries. 

Comments: 

Sweet and rich, lots of fruit over cereal notes. Pleasantly alluring, I particularly like the blueberry notes. Quite the sherried whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardmore 10yo 2009/2018

Ardmore 10yo 2009/2018

Provenance, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside 
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, orange peel, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, smoke, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens slightly, sticky, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon zest, sea salt, orange peel, fresh cut grass, smoke, oats, hints of rosemary. 
Finish: Short. Smoke, honey, orange peel, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Cask 13540. I like my Ardmore more heavily peated than not and this one is quite characteristic of that distillery profile. Lots of fruit, a little herbal top note, and plenty of smoke and leather. This sort of whisky gains a bit of complexity as it ages, but at 10 years old it’s perfectly fine. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Tormore 9yo 2011/2021

Tormore 9yo 2011/2021

Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
White wine
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoke, peat, toast, cream, black tea, hints of greengages. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Honey, greengages, smoke, peat, leather, fresh baked bread, cream, hints of tar. 
Finish: Long. Smoke, fresh baked bread, cream, tar, peat. 

Comments: 

Peated bourbon cask Tormore. Quite fruity and rich, with a lot of smoke and leather. There’s a tarry medicinal background note that lets this whisky compare with the Islays. Rather good. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Royal Brackla 14yo 2007/2021 Christmas Edition

Royal Brackla 14yo 2007/2021 Christmas Edition

Single Cask, Berry Brothers & Rudd
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
50.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, grapefruit, lemon zest, white grapes, marzipan, hints of pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cream, orange peel, barley sugar, white grapes, vanilla, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, lemon zest, marzipan, white grapes, hints of caramel. 

Comments: 

Cask 03086. Not very Christmassy! But I suppose it doesn’t have to be. It’s fruity alright, but there’s a spicy edge to this as well as a tanginess reminiscent of white grapes. Pleasant nonetheless. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Ord 8yo 2012/2021

Glen Ord 8yo 2012/2021

Carn Mor 
Single malt - North Highlands 
Pale gold 
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, barley sugar, vanilla, cardamom, caramel, hints of liquorice. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Barley sugar, sea salt, vanilla, cardamom, fresh baked bread, iron filings, hints of marzipan. 
Finish: Short. Green tea, fresh baked bread, iron filings, hints of liquorice. 

Comments: 

Cereally and sweet, the highland peat character is gentle and faint, manifesting itself mainly in a savoury edge on the tongue, and perhaps a slightly meaty metallic note. Lovely. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Elgin 13yo 2007/2021

Glen Elgin 13yo 2007/2021

Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Mahogany
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Barley sugar, black tea, fresh baked bread, vanilla ice cream, hints of brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, orange peel, fresh baked bread, vanilla ice cream, hints of marzipan, hints of shortbread. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, fresh baked bread, orange peel, shortbread. 

Comments: 

Sherried, but quite a lot of distillate character shines through. Cereally and fragrant, with some delicious fruit. Whisky doesn’t have to be old to taste nice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Paul John Nirvana

Paul John Nirvana

Official bottling 
Single malt - Goa
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, orange peel, caramel, honey, strawberries, hints of raspberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, slightly tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon zest, fresh baked bread, honey, caramel, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, caramel, barley sugar, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Fruity and light, lovely and sweet. The same could be said of many Paul John whiskies. It’s a very consistent distillate. Unfortunately this one isn’t as smashing as the Mithuna, but it’s decent of an evening.

Verdict:

I like this.

Makers Mark Cask Strength

Makers Mark Cask Strength

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber, hints of red
55.05% ABV
Dram

Nose: Corn syrup, honey, fresh baked bread, polenta, vanilla, golden syrup. With water, vanilla ice cream, sandalwood, corn syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, orange peel, golden syrup, polenta, vanilla, hints of black tea. With water, vanilla ice cream, fresh baked bread, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla ice cream, corn syrup, orange peel, hints of golden syrup. 

Comments: 

Batch 20-01. This is a blast from the past, I used to really like Makers Mark before I started drinking whisky seriously. It’s still sweet and laden with vanilla, this time larded with a huge amount of corn cereal flavour. Pleasant enough.

Verdict:

I like this.

Amrut Port Pipe Peated

Amrut Port Pipe Peated

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bangalore
Amber red 
62.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, red grapes, leather, germolene, mint, hints of smoke. With water, honey, strawberries, red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, peat, sage, strawberries, red grapes, smoke, hints of mint. With water, smoke, tar, red grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Toast, leather, fresh cut grass, peat. 

Comments: 

Cask 2713. Peaty and herbal, with quite a lot of red fruit. I’m not sure where the light citrusy notes are, probably lost in the port finishing. Quite confusing, one of the rare instances where a gentler strength might bring out the best in the whisky. Pleasant nevertheless.

Verdict:

I like this.