The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, smoke, raisins, honey, lemon sweets, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Lemon sweets, raisins, coffee, autumn leaves, smoke, germolene, peat. 
Finish: Long. Autumn leaves, smoke, peat, germolene. 

Comments: 

Smoky and peaty, some medicinal antiseptic notes. There’s also an earthiness that is quite prominent in the tongue. Plenty of salty lemon sweets, a bit like some Caol Ilas.

Verdict:

I like this.

Adnams 9yo Sauternes Finish

Adnams 9yo Sauternes Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Copper orange
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, raisins, pear drops, magic marker, molasses, carrots, cinnamon, hints of mushrooms. With water, magic marker, applesauce, carrots, coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Magic marker, pear drops, orange blossom, coffee, molasses, cloves, peaches, hints of carrots. With water, pear drops, applesauce, cloves, cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Golden syrup, molasses, pear drops, cloves, hints of carrots. 

Comments: 

This whisky tastes like carrot cake, plenty of that sweet vegetal note with lots of pear drops and various other estery flavours. Water brings out more spice notes.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Adnams 7yo Distiller’s Choice Special Edition 2014

Adnams 7yo Distiller’s Choice Special Edition 2014

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber
57.15% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, fresh cut grass, white pepper, rye bread, lemon juice, hints of gooseberries. With water, lemon juice, fresh cut grass, hints of roast chicken. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, hot, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sour. Mint, anise, fresh cut grass, rye bread, lemon juice, apples, hints of malted grains. With water, anise, rye bread, sourdough bread, hints of toffee. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, anise, sourdough bread, apples. 

Comments: 

Complex and volatile, lots of notes spark to life and fade quickly. What seems to hang around is anise, apples, lemons and some rye bread. Water brings out even more cereal and bread notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Adnams 9yo

Adnams 9yo

Explorers Series, Whiskyside
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber 
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, new plastic, rye bread, nutmeg, white pepper, hints of white wine. With water, sea salt, sourdough bread, cinnamon, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Peaches, black pepper, white grapes, rye bread, new plastic, malted grains, hints of yoghurt. With water, black pepper, sea salt, new plastic, yoghurt, hints of lemon thyme. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, white grapes, white wine, new plastic, lemon thyme. 

Comments: 

Funky and slightly plasticky, but lots of rye and pepper notes. It’s the oldest Adnams I’ve ever had, and it’s a lot more flavourful than the others. Interesting dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Adnams 8yo Batch 2

Adnams 8yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - East Anglia
Bright gold 
50.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, vanilla, white grapes, brass polish, photocopy paper, rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Vanilla, lemon zest, black pepper, photocopy paper, oak chips, golden syrup, dark chocolate, leather, hints of cocoa nibs. 
Finish: Long. Oak chips, toast, leather, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Tart, brassy and woody. There’s some sweet notes and some dentist notes, but overall it’s less malty than I’d have expected a whisky from a beer brewer to be. Decent dram nonetheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George’s Distiller’s Elect 2014

St George’s Distiller’s Elect 2014

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Anglia
Orange yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dark chocolate, lemon zest, hay, leather, cloves, wet stones. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, dark chocolate, magic marker, malted grains, leather, wet stones, hints of nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, cloves, wet stones, magic marker, hints of coal gas. 

Comments: 

Straightforward malt, with a little bit of old bottle effect. Very drinkable and approachable, a pleasant, delicious dram. My first St George’s in several years. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Adnams 7yo Batch 1

Adnams 7yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt 
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red grapes, honey, sandalwood, white pepper, sea salt, rolled oats. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, raisins, white pepper, rolled oats, aluminium foil, greengages. 
Finish: Short. Honey, malted grains, raisins, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Quite malty, which is fitting, since the distillery is based in a brewery. Lots of fruit and cereal, with a slightly metallic edge, but this is malt, not grain, so it’s quite robust rather than delicate. Tasty.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George’s Chapter 9

St George’s Chapter 9

Official bottling 
Single malt - Norfolk
Golden
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Orange peel, fresh cut grass, hay, leather, peat, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, thickens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Orange peel, peanuts, leather, smoke, hay, honey, hints of custard. 
Finish: Medium. Oranges, peanuts, germolene, honey, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Casks 266, 267, 268, 181. It’s got a bit of fruitiness under a fairly heavy blanket of peat. There’s also a nuttiness that I associate with distillate from St George’s. This is an early example of the make though, that has been sitting in my cupboard for a while. Tasty. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Adnams Triple Malt Whiskey

Adnams Triple Malt Whiskey

Official bottling
Single blend - East Anglia
Bright gold
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinnamon, bananas, green tea, peaches, hints of papayas. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Brown paper, papayas, magic marker, honey, bananas, hints of green tea. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, bananas, cinnamon, pears. 

Comments: 

A blend of wheat, barley and oat spirit. It's not quite as spicy and lively as rye, but it's got huge fruit notes, with some tannic hints that make all the difference. Not your usual grain, not your usual blend either.

Verdict:

I like this.

Adnams Single Malt No 1 (2015)

Adnams Single Malt No 1 (2015)

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, lemon zest, orange peel, brass polish, grapefruit, hints of cucumber. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, slightly astringent, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon zest, brass polish, grapefruit, green tea, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Short. Pears, lemon zest, white grapes, hints of brass polish. 

Comments: 

More English whisky! Tart and slightly bitter, immensely citrusy. It's not a whisky for all moods, maybe a hot day where one desires something refreshing, and perhaps the first whisky one drinks after a stressful day. I certainly knew that I wouldn't be drinking this one on holiday.

Verdict:

I like this (but sometimes).

St George's Distillery Chapter 11

St George's Distillery Chapter 11

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
White wine
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, prunes, lemon zest, walnuts, raisins, hints of white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, thick, viscous. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Peat, smoke, wood ash, white grapes, lemon zest, walnuts. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, wood ash, prunes, hints of pear. 

Comments: 

Heavily peated expression from St George's distillery. This one is full of fatty acids, it's thick and lemony on the tongue, and bitter - not the floral bitterness that I sometimes find, and associate with ginseng, but a mouth puckering tannic bitterness that's a bit rarer. Walnut skins, very thick black tea, that sort of thing. Glorious fruity finish too. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George's Distillery Chapter 7

St George's Distillery Chapter 7

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Buttercups
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Leather, lemon juice, ink, black tea, grapefruit, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Cream, vanilla, lemon juice, grapefruit, leather, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, grapefruit, leather, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Apparently, this is sherry cask and unpeated. But no, there's heaps of leather, and it doesn't taste very sweet at all. In fact, it's rather tart and just a teensy weensy bit salty. Bitter too, like eating grapefruit pith. Still, very decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George's Distillery Chapter 6

St George's Distillery Chapter 6

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Very pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Limes, vanilla, bubblegum, peaches, oranges, oats.
Mouthfeel: Light body, smooth, watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, oranges, oats, limes, kumquats, hints of peaches, hints of coconut.
Finish: Medium. Oats, coconut, vanilla, peaches.

Comments:

Hmm... young, quite citrusy, but loaded with a rather strong cereally note. Not unpleasant, and the finish is rather different. A very interesting whisky, am looking forward to hunting down the older, better aged versions. The Sassenachs can make whisky too!

Verdict:

I like this.

St George's Distillery Queen's Diamond Jubilee Bottling

St George's Distillery Queen's Diamond Jubilee Bottling

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Anglia
Dandelion
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, apples, oak, butter, hints of banana, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, expands, turns watery. 
Tasting: Sweet salty. Oranges, apples, milk, butter, hints of caramel, hints of banana. 
Finish: Medium. Apples, milk, caramel, hints of banana. 

Comments: 

My first English whisky! This was bottled to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It is gentle and sweet, with a slight savoury undertone. A little musty, with a milky hint of what is almost yoghurt. A little young and one dimensional, perhaps.

Verdict:

I like this.