Longmorn 30yo

Longmorn 30yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber red 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, golden syrup, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, clotted cream, wet stones. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Clotted cream, raisins, cloves, nutmeg, golden syrup, butter, barley sugar, wet stones, hints of molasses. 
Finish: Medium. Nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, raisins, hints of molasses. 

Comments: 

A gentle, sweet, syrupy dram. The bitterness is that of molasses and slightly burnt caramel, but the predominant notes are creamy golden syrup, and buttery barley sugar. Very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caperdonich 13yo 1968

Caperdonich 13yo 1968

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

Nose: Wet stones, raisins, orange peel, dried pineapples, black pepper, honey, sandalwood, hints of lohan fruit. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, dried pineapples, dried apples, cloves, honey, black pepper, hints of lohan fruit, hints of farmyard. 
Finish: Medium. Cloves, honey, dried pineapples, raisins, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Minerally, with a bitter herbal edge, very prominent on the tongue. But under that there is a classic dried pineapple note, which I’ve found in a number of Caperdonich. There’s a bit of farmyardy tang at the end.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Grant 1948

Glen Grant 1948

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, lohan fruit, leather, sandalwood, roast chicken, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, sandalwood, white pepper, black pepper, cumin, roast chicken, lohan fruit, smoke. 
Finish: Long. Smoke, leather, black pepper, orange peel, lohan fruit. 

Comments: 

Bitter sweet, with the bitter note being quite herbal, almost savoury. Not the most complex whisky, but very well layered with distinct flavours. It builds to a long, very smoky finish. It was a privilege to try this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Grant 5yo 1974 (OB for Italy)

Glen Grant 5yo 1974 (OB for Italy)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Very pale yellow
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, lemon zest, sandalwood, sea salt, malted grains, white grapes, hints of yeast extract. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Lemon zest, yeast extract, roast chicken, sea salt, starfruit, pears, white pepper, hints of gunpowder. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, sea salt, white pepper, malted grains, hints of roast chicken. 

Comments: 

Gentle and light, but with a citrusy, savoury edge. There’s a roast chicken note which starts to take over on the tongue, and et the very end, something flinty, minerally and sulphurous. Superb old whisky

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Tomatin 13yo 2010/2023

Tomatin 13yo 2010/2023

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Bronze gold 
50.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, elderflower, wet stones, honey, sea salt, fresh baked bread, hints of coffee. With water, sandalwood, fresh baked bread, leather, lemon sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, honey, elderflower, nectarines, coffee, leather, hints of lemon sweets. With water, fresh baked bread, lemon sweets, elderflower, coffee. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, grapefruit, nectarines, leather. 

Comments: 

Floral and rich, but also minerally. Lots of cereal notes underneath, and water brings out more floral notes with a robust bitterness. Rather good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Green River Kentucky Straight Rye DSP-KY-10

Green River Kentucky Straight Rye DSP-KY-10

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber gold
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peppermint, brown paper, popcorn, toffee, blackcurrant cordial, hints of black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peppermint, toffee, vanilla, cream, brown paper, popcorn, fresh baked bread, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Short. Black pepper, popcorn, vanilla, cream, blackcurrant cordial. 

Comments: 

Quite minty with lots of popcorn notes. The latter is not unusual for rye, but the former is. There’s plenty of cereal and bread too, which keeps it interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.

Raasay 4yo 2021/2025 Marsala Cask

Raasay 4yo 2021/2025 Marsala Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Dark gold, hints of amber

50.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, cinnamon, honey, gooseberries, white grapes, dried apricots, toffee, hints of smoke. With water, menthol, dried apricots, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cinnamon, apples, smoke, dried apricots, leather, sourdough bread, toffee, vanilla, peat, smoke. With water, smoke, peat, leather, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. Peat, smoke, charcoal ash, apples, dried apricots. 

Comments: 

Sometimes sweet wine finishes clash with peat but for this whisky they are quite well integrated. The sweet notes are prominent on the nose and especially near, and once water is added the smoke comes to the fore.

Verdict:

I like this.

West Midlands Inaugural Release Caribbean Rum Cask

West Midlands Inaugural Release Caribbean Rum Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Staffordshire 
Pale green
53.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: New plastic, raisins, orange peel, malted grains, molasses. With water, damson jam, plums, raisins, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, evaporates, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cooked rice, plums, damson jam, molasses, fresh baked bread, orange peel, white pepper. With water, new plastic, molasses, plums, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Short. Yoghurt, plums, damson jam, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Lots of sweet fruit but the slightly plasticky note that characterises rum casks is ever present. Water brings out a lactic tang, which offsets the bitter molasses and fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Beverbach Tri-Cask

Beverbach Tri-Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lower Saxony
Pale yellow gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dark chocolate, malted grains, dried cranberries, vanilla, coffee, hints of farmyard. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, dried cranberries, lemon juice, dark chocolate, nutmeg, vanilla, hints of new plastic. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, lemon juice, raisins, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

Clearly one of the casks is sherried, and it’s quite well constructed with lots of typical chocolate, nuts and dried fruit notes. There’s also some citrusy tartness hiding underneath.

Verdict:

I like this.

Jack Daniel Triple Mash

Jack Daniel Triple Mash

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Tennessee
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, milk chocolate, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cough mixture, brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, expands, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Milk chocolate, honey, fresh baked bread, cream, cough mixture, hints of rye bread. 
Finish: Short. Cream, milk chocolate, honey, brown sugar. 

Comments: 

Sweet and chocolatey, a cut above the regular JD. There’s a bit of rye in this, oddly, and it makes for a slightly jarring note on the tongue.

Verdict:

I like this.

Thompson Brothers Lowries Reserve

Thompson Brothers Lowries Reserve

Thompson Bros
Blend
Copper gold
45.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, molasses, vanilla, tablet, petrol exhaust, hints of milk chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, static, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Molasses, tablet, orange peel, raisins, icing sugar, leather, hints of milk chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Icing sugar, leather, orange peel, raisins, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Sweet blend, with hints of bitterness that never really quite come to pass. There are some whispers of more industrial whisky but they’re drowned in orange peel and icing sugar.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bruichladdich 10yo Old Skool

Bruichladdich 10yo Old Skool

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Dark gold 

50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, cream, malted grains, barley sugar, white pepper, hints of pencil erasers. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon zest, yoghurt, white pepper, fresh baked bread, sea salt, hints of rolled oats. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, yoghurt, cream, white pepper, rolled oats. 

Comments: 

Quite lactic, although doesn’t have the butyric note that Bruichladdich sometimes has. Quite lemony too, plenty of salty cereal. Not too peated, in fact it’s quite hard to discern.

Verdict:

I like this.

Filey Bay Porter Cask #2

Filey Bay Porter Cask #2

Official bottling
Single malt - Yorkshire 
Amber gold
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, wet stones, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge, orange peel. With water, white pepper, strawberry sweets, marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Marmalade, fresh baked bread, strawberry sweets, wet stones, pencil lead, hints of ginger. With water, marmalade, strawberry sweets, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Ginger, marmalade, orange peel, raisins, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Laden with marmalade and strawberry notes. It’s got a deep sweetness that must come from the beer, not a lot of woody notes. Also quite minerally and flinty, which seems to be a characteristic of this distillery.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Goalong Single Malt

Goalong Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Hunan
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, malted grains, white pepper, lime zest, raisins, dried pears. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Bananas, limes, vanilla, white pepper, icing sugar, hints of dried pineapples. 
Finish: Short. Limes, lime zest, vanilla, cream, icing sugar. 

Comments: 

Citrusy, plenty of banana and vanilla. It’s a light approachable whisky with lots of rich notes packed into a life mouth feel. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Chuan Handfill (bottled 2004)

The Chuan Handfill (bottled 2024)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Sichuan
Amber 
60.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lohan fruit, raisins, marzipan, orange peel, lemon sweets, coffee, nectarines, hints of strawberry sweets. With water, orange peel, menthol, hints of marzipan. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, volatile, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, strawberry sweets, nectarines, camphor, white pepper, raisins, papayas, hints of coffee. With water, raisins, nectarines, strawberry sweets. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, camphor, white pepper, lohan fruit, hints of nectarines. 

Comments: 

A rather good Chinese whisky, plenty of sweet and nutty notes with herbal bitterness. Water brings out more stone fruit sweetness with menthol on the nose. Surprisingly good.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Inverleven 31yo 1977/2008

Inverleven 31yo 1977/2008

Cask Strength, Signatory
Single malt - Lowlands
Light amber
47.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, pencil lead, wet stones, raisins, white grapes, honey, hints of plums. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Camphor, wet stones, raisins, honey, lohan fruit, pencil lead, orange peel, pears. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, pears, pencil lead, lohan fruit, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 3606. Leathery and minerally with bitter herbal accents. Very Chinese - lots of oriental fruit and the requisite orange and pear. Plenty of honey as well, it’s quite sweet. A very good dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

North Port 15yo 1974/1989 Very Rare

North Port 15yo 1974/1989 Very Rare

Sestante
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark yellow
66.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, peaches, sandalwood, magic marker, fresh baked bread, lemon sweets, peppermint, hints of malted grains. With water, olive oil, lemon sweets, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peaches, sandalwood, olive oil, clay dust, dunnage, malted grains, lemon sweets, hints of papayas. With water, olive oil, lemon sweets, peppermint.
Finish: Long. Malted grains, papayas, sandalwood, olive oil, dunnage. 

Comments: 

Superb whisky, perfectly drinkable at this high strength. Plenty of stone fruit and ily dunnage, with lemon sweets and peppermint. Water brings out a bitter olive oil note and more lemon sweets.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

West Midlands Inaugural Release - Bourbon Quarter Cask

West Midlands Inaugural Release - Bourbon Quarter Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Staffordshire
Amber gold
53.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rye bread, new plastic, black pepper, malted grains, ink, raisins, hints of cinnamon. With water, new plastic, cinnamon, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Rye bread, raisins, hoppy beer, malted grains, black pepper, ink, butter, hints of barley sugar. With water, fresh baked bread, black pepper, barley sugar.
Finish: Short. Barley sugar, ink, raisins, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Quite lactic and chemical, which seems to be a character of this distillery. The cask imparts sweetness and some nice dried fruit, even raisiny notes. Water brings out more pepperiness and sweetness.

Verdict:

I like this.

Puni Gold

Puni Gold

Official bottling
Single malt - Alto-Adige
Pale yellow
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, vanilla, pencil lead, malted grains, nutmeg, peaches, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Malted grains, white pepper, vanilla, barley sugar, pencil lead, cream. 
Finish: Short. Barley sugar, malted grains, pencil lead, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Quite minerally and delicate, lots of gentle spices and barley sweetness. It’s a young, light whisky, but a well made one. The flinty pencil lead notes bring body and interest.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Scapegrace Anthem

Scapegrace Anthem

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Amber, hints of copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green apples, malted grains, white pepper, Leon zest, dark chocolate, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Green apples, pears, peat, soot, lemon zest, dark chocolate, malted grains, hints of smoke.
Finish: Long. Smoke, dark chocolate, soot, pears. 

Comments: 

Smoky and fruity, plenty of green fruit and a bitter note that keeps evolving. Moving from dark chocolate, to bitter lemon zest, to smoke and soot.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lochlea Overtone

Lochlea Overtone

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber gold
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, honey, malted grains, white chocolate, nectarines, fresh cut grass, grapefruit. With water, peaches, nectarines, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Hoppy beer, malted grains, fresh cut grass, grapefruit, jalapeños, nectarines, honey, lemon zest. With water, hoppy beer, peaches, nectarines, black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Jalapeños, grapefruit, black pepper, malted grains, hoppy beer. 

Comments: 

Beery and rich, with lots of stone fruit and spicy, grassy jalapeños. I like the combination of flavours, very Mexican. Water brings out some peppery spiciness and even more strobe fruit.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask

Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Virginia
Yellow gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, pears, orange juice, malted grains, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon zest, hints of cream. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cucumbers, pears, lemon zest, honey, malted grains, white pepper, hints of nutmeg. 

Finish: Short. Malted grains, white pepper, barley sugar, honey, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Delicate and fragrant whisky, lots of herbal, fruity notes. Plenty of barley sugar as well, which befits a good stripped back bourbon cask. This is the sort of whisky I like.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Wilderness Trail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond

Wilderness Trail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapples, barley sugar, corn syrup, brown paper, vanilla, caramel, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, evaporates, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, caramel, pear drops, brown sugar, corn syrup, barley sugar, hints of evaporated milk. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, caramel, black pepper, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Quite strong ABV wise (or at least it tastes that way). It’s quite sweet with plenty of cereal notes coming through, with creaminess and also a hint of savoury coffee notes. Good peppery finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark copper
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelons, raisins, white grapes, honeydew melons, applesauce, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pear drops, malted grains, white grapes, honey, honeydew melons, nutmeg, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, white grapes, grapefruit, white pepper, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Fruity with plenty of spice. The cask influence is strong on this one, but perhaps that’s a good thing for such a young whisky. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.