Dalrymple 13yo 2011/2024

Dalrymple 13yo 2011/2024

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark amber
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, malted grains, strawberry jam, white pepper, hay, raisins. With water, honey, raisins, strawberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, volatile, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Vanilla, malted grains, honey, hay, white pepper, strawberry jam, pandan, papayas. With water, honey, raisins, strawberry jam. 
Finish: Short. Honey, malted grains, pandan, hay. 

Comments: 

Herbal and sweet, lots of honey and grassy notes. Water brings out more sweet notes including an intensely jammy note. This is teaspooned Ailsa Bay.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lowlands Distillery (Dalrymple) 10yo 2013/2023

Lowlands Distillery (Dalrymple) 10yo 2013/2023

Release 03, Tri Carragh
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark gold 
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, yoghurt, toffee, green tea, nutmeg, white pepper, golden syrup. With water, lemon juice, green tea, honey, cinder toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Apple juice, yoghurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, golden syrup, malted grains. With water, yoghurt, green tea, lemon juice, golden syrup. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, lemon juice, golden syrup, apple juice. 

Comments: 

This is Ailsa Bay. It’s lactic, slightly yeasty, and sweet. I much preferred the OBs. This one is a little light and spirity, and despite the high ABV, isn’t very complex. Water brings out additional sweetness and some floral / herbal notes, but the yoghurt doesn’t help.

Verdict:

I like this.

Drumblade 10yo 2008/2019

Drumblade 10yo 2008/2019

Dimensions, Duncan Taylor
Teaspooned malt - Lowlands
Green gold
54.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, yoghurt, brass polish, honey, golden syrup, overripe figs, hints of white pepper. With water, barley sugar, lemon sweets, malted grains, olive oil, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, expands, loosens. 

Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon sweets, pineapples, golden syrup, white pepper, gingerbread, hints of butterscotch. With water, lemon sweets, olive oil, malted grains, hints f tomato purée. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon sweets, yoghurt, pineapples, white pepper, hints of peaches. 

Comments: 

Cask 14900062. Drumblade is teaspooned Alisa Bay. It’s got a sweet, slightly peppery flavour, like olive oil. Water brings this note forward. It’s also got heaps of citrus. Quite tasty, and rather unique.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke

Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale amber
48.9% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Honey, autumn leaves, woodsmoke, peaches, salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, tingly, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Woodsmoke, leather, pears, white grapes, black tea. 
Finish: Medium. Salt caramel, leather, raisins, pears, woodsmoke. 

Comments: 

Well, it says Sweet Smoke on the bottle, and Sweet Smoke is what you get. There's a gentle, somewhat dry smoke, layered over all sorts of stone fruit. There's also a savoury undertone. I really enjoyed this bottle, it's an easy drinker, slipping down so smoothly and easily. We'd drunk a third of the bottle before we noticed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ailsa Bay Single Malt

Ailsa Bay Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Copper gold
48.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, lemon juice, pears, sea salt, honeydew melons, peanuts. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, syrupy, slightly chewy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, pears, honeydew melons, peat, smoked ham, hints of woodsmoke. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, pears, lemon juice, hints of raisins. 

Comments: 

A peated Lowland whisky, and one from the new Ailsa Bay distillery, no less. Delicate and floral, there's plenty of fruit in this. The peat introduces more robust notes of leather, and infuses the whisky with a meatiness that's really unusual.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.