St Kilian Judas Priest British Steel

St Kilian Judas Priest British Steel

Official bottling
Single malt - Bavaria
Golden
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, magic marker, leather, white pepper, dunnage, hints of farmyard. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens slightly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Orange peel, malted grains, surgical spirit, fresh baked bread, elderflower, thyme, dunnage, hints of farmyard. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, surgical spirit, thyme, white pepper, dunnage. 

Comments: 

Quite floral and sweet but also with a funky, fermented slightly metallic note. It’s also quite estery and spirity. As with other drams from this distillery, there’s the bones of something potentially great there, but for its lack of balance.

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.

St Kilian 2017 Handfill

St Kilian 2017 Handfill

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bavaria
Bright gold

46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, pears, charcoal ash, smoke, tobacco leaf, peat, hints of rubber bands. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Charcoal ash, apples, vanilla, lemon zest, smoke, tobacco leaf, peat, menthol. 
Finish: Long. Menthol, tobacco leaf, charcoal ash, smoke. 

Comments: 

Quite an ashy finish, but laden with fruit and herbal flavours. There’s some lemony pears in there but it’s really fairly peated and smoky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Hardenberg Club Straight Rye Whiskey

Hardenberg Club Straight Rye Whiskey

Official bottling
Single rye - Lower Saxony
Amber
42.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, fresh cut grass, tarragon, black pepper, honey, strawberry jam, hints of black pepper, hints of cucumbers. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Orange juice, honey, black pepper, fresh baked bread, tarragon, cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, strawberry jam, fresh cut grass, tarragon, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Grassy and light, quite unlike other ryes I’ve tried. Lots of orange notes, and plenty of tarragon, an unusual whisky tasting note for me. It fades to a good jammy herbal finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stork Club 5yo 2019/2024

Stork Club 5yo 2019/2024

#13, The Heart Cut
Single rye - Brandenburg
Amber
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, black pepper, rye bread, coffee, dark chocolate, sea salt. With water, roses, photocopy paper, white grapes, coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Coffee, dark chocolate, rye bread, honeysuckle, fresh cut grass, hints of black pepper. With water, coffee, photocopy paper, fresh cut grass. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, dark chocolate, photocopy paper, honeysuckle. 

Comments: 

Sweet and honeyed, with lots of dark chocolate and earthy coffee. It’s extremely fragrant, like a freshly made espresso. There’s a herbal element to it, something grassy and sweet underneath. Lovely dram, the Heart Cut releases are always good.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Slyrs Marsala Cask Finish

Slyrs Marsala Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Bavaria
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White wine, malted grains, lemon juice, vanilla, bubble gum, acetone, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon juice, pear drops, magic marker, white wine, pink peppercorns, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Pear drops, acetone, vanilla, bubble gum. 

Comments: 

Not quite sure this is all malt, but I’m not familiar with the German rules, if they exist at all. It’s quite estery, almost nail varnish like. On top of that, it’s quite spicy and feinty too.

Verdict:

I like this.

St Kilian Peated

St Kilian Peated

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bavaria
Golden 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, peat, driftwood smoke, wet stones, roast beef, leather, soot, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Peat, malted grains, wet stones, soot, leather, mint, lemon sweets, honey, driftwood smoke, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, soot, honey, lemon sweets, hints of yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Very sooty and peaty, but with saline citrus notes. This reminds me of a young Lagavulin, but with some creamy lactic flavours that combine well with the peat and smoke, albeit it’s not Jura-esque.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Emperor’s Way 4yo Batch 1

Emperor’s Way 4yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Bavaria
Bright amber
54.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, leather, sherry, red grapes, peat, farmyard, autumn leaves, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, wet stones, honey, pears, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, smoke, farmyard, pears, red grapes, autumn leaves, petrichor, hints of charcoal ash. With water, peat, smoke, red grapes, wet stones. 
Finish: Long. Petrichor, autumn leaves, smoke, farmyard, honey. 

Comments: 

Peated whisky from Hammerschmiede distillery, which also makes Elsburn. It’s sherried, lots of sweet notes with layers of complexity. It’s also reminiscent of a farm after rain, but not in an unpleasant way. Quite tasty. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

St Kilian 5yo Batch 1

St Kilian 5yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Bavaria
Amber pink
53.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, malted grains, lemon zest, raisins, cocoa nibs, sea salt, hints of garlic. With water, raisins, brown paper, cocoa nibs, hints of garlic. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, warm, airy. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Hoppy beer, black pepper, raisins, malted grains, yoghurt, brown paper, hints of garlic. With water, black pepper, sea salt, oak chips, hints of garlic. 
Finish: Long. Hoppy beer, sea salt, brown paper, raisins, hints of garlic. 

Comments: 

Spicy and malty, but with a slightly strange garlicky edge. It’s pervasive, making the whisky savoury sweet. A very unusual combination of flavours that I’ve never had before. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Destillerie Ralf Hauer 4yo Batch 1

Destillerie Ralf Hauer 4yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Rhineland-Palatinate
Golden, hints of pink
64.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, white spirit, white grapes, sultanas, cream, hints of yoghurt, hints of white chocolate. With water, white pepper, sea salt, yoghurt, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White pepper, lemon zest, white grapes, sultanas, coffee, toast, white spirit. With water, malted grains, white spirit, sultanas, hints of yoghurt, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, white chocolate, toast, cream, hints of yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Spicy and intense, with big sweet notes. On the tongue some bitterness appears. Water expands the spicy and feinty notes, bringing out some sourness that cuts through the alcohol.

Verdict:

I like this.

Slyrs 51

Slyrs 51

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bavaria
Bright gold
51% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, green tea, orange peel, apples, hints of mushrooms. With water, apples, orange peel, honey, mushrooms. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Pink peppercorns, orange peel, autumn leaves, mushrooms, honey, molasses, hints of raisins. With water, molasses, orange peel, honey, hints of grapefruit. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, orange peel, honey, hints of pink peppercorns. 

Comments: 

Quite spicy and herbal, with an earthy undertone so obvious, it’s almost and overtone. Opens up nicely with water, becomes more earthy and savoury. Unusual stuff, and quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Elsburn 7yo Batch 3

Elsburn 7yo Batch 3

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Bavaria 
Amber
48.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sourdough bread, raisins, coffee, leather, pears, caramel, toasted coconut, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Brown paper, coffee, toasted coconut, caramel, pears, nutmeg, dark chocolate, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, coffee, golden syrup, vanilla, hints of cinder toffee. 

Comments: 

Starts our yeasty and bready, but soon turns sweet and caramelly. There’s something that’s not quite malty in this - brown paper and toasted coconut suggest some corn - but it’s got a good level of sweetness and flavour intensity.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stork Club Straight Rye Whiskey

Stork Club Straight Rye Whiskey

Official bottling
Single rye - Brandenburg
Bright gold
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, sea salt, leather, camphor, black tea, black pepper, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Camphor, black tea, raisins, cough syrup, corn syrup, honey, cloves. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, blackcurrant cordial, cough syrup, black pepper. 

Comments: 

I’ve had the higher ABV version, and it was far better. This one is a little thin, light mouthfeel, less sweet but with the herbal notes intact. In fact it now tastes slightly medicinal, and not like its higher strength brother.

Verdict:

I like this.

Slyrs 3yo Batch 3

Slyrs 3yo Batch 3

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Bavaria
Amber, hints of green 
52.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, wet stones, sandalwood, pencil led, lemon zest, malted grains, hints of hoppy beer. With water, vanilla custard, lemon sweets, brown paper, pencil lead. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, oily, slightly sticky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, damson jam, vanilla custard, wet stones, candied oranges, sandalwood, pencil lead. With water, lemon zest, lemon sweets, vanilla custard, pencil lead. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla custard, white pepper, lemon zest, candied oranges. 

Comments: 

Gorgeously flinty and mineral, this whisky is complex and sweet. There is plenty of citrus and jam notes, which works well with the thick oily mouthfeel. It all builds to a long sweet, spicy finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Elsburn 3yo Batch 2

Elsburn 3yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt 
Single malt - Bavaria
Orange brown
48.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, cinder toffee, orange peel, molasses, dark chocolate, malted grains, hints of hoppy beer. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, oily, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, cinder toffee, dark chocolate, malted grains, fresh baked bread, coffee, hints of charcoal ash. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, cinder toffee, fresh baked bread, raisins, hints of orange peel. 

Comments: 

I’ve tended to score German whiskies quite highly, and I was rather impressed by this one. It’s young, no doubt, but it’s got a good malty spine and is toffee-sweet. A little longer in a cask would probably have made it even better.

Verdict:

I like this.

Slyrs 3yo Batch 1

Slyrs 3yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Bavaria
Copper gold
52.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, mushrooms, autumn leaves, brass polish, pineapples, bananas, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, pineapples, peaches, overripe mangoes, hints of brass polish. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, thickens slightly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon sweets, pineapples, mushrooms, overripe mangoes, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge. With water, vanilla, pineapples, peaches, honey, hints of brass polish, hints of toast. 

Finish: Medium. Fresh cut grass, overripe mangoes, vanilla sponge, muesli, hints of toast. 

Comments: 

This whisky starts out earthy, fragrant and savoury, but that evaporated rather quickly, leaving fruity sweet notes behind. With water, it opens up, revealing heaps of cereal and feinty notes. Pleasantly surprising.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Beverbach Sherry Finish (2018 Release)

Beverbach Sherry Finish (2018 Release)

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

Nose: Black pepper, white grapes, caraway, rye bread, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, cool, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Rye bread, white grapes, white chocolate, vanilla, nectarine conserves, hints of guava. 
Finish: Medium. Caraway, black pepper, lemon zest, black tea. 

Comments: 

A German whisky, from a distillery more known for its vodka. It's gloriously unbalanced, with very spicy rye notes of black pepper and caraway on the nose. These melt away and become sweet fruity, chocolate swirled jam on the the tongue, with an earthy hint of rye bread. It's all very sherry monster (despite the pale colour) but then it fades to that spicy, lemony finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stork Club Straight Rye (Cask Strength)

Stork Club Straight Rye (Cask Strength)

Official bottling
Single rye - Brandenburg
Amber
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, coffee, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, polenta, hints of chillies. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, sticky, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, vanilla, malted grains, cinnamon, polenta, hints of camphor. 
Finish: Short. Chillies, cinnamon, fresh baked bread, honey, hints of nutmeg. 

Comments: 

There's a beauty to this rye whiskey, made in a country that one wouldn't normally associate with the stuff, yet grows some of the best grain around. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy, and the legs are broad and obvious. There's plenty of spice and flavour in the whiskey, as befits a good rye, and there's a herbal fragrance that reminds me of corn and camphor. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.