Dalmunach 9yo 2016/2025

Dalmunach 9yo 2016/2025

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, white wine, lemon zest, white pepper, yoghurt, vanilla, hints of sour cream. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. White wine, sour cream, cashews, yoghurt, malted grains, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Yoghurt, vanilla, white pepper, white wine. 

Comments: 

Casks 364523, 364524, 364525. Stripped back whisky, a bit of a lactic note but also plenty of fragrant citrusy and winey notes too. There’s some nuttiness and pepperiness especially on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Miltonduff 16yo 2007/2024

Miltonduff 16yo 2007/2024

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Pink
54.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raspberry jam, wheat germ, malted grains, black pepper, honey, cloves, hints of violets. With water, honey, malted grains, hints of violets. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, slippery, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Wheatgerm, raspberry jam, cherries, honey, hints of cinnamon. With water, black pepper, malted grains, raspberry jam. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, wheatgerm, malted grains, hoppy beer, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 369584. Sweet and fruity, but laden with plenty of cream and malt. Water brings out a peppery spiciness. I think this is a PX cask, a decent marriage of whisky and wine.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Spey 10yo 2011/2022

Glen Spey 10yo 2011/2022

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
46% ABV

Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, gooseberries, white grapes, yoghurt, malted grains, white pepper, hints of sour cream. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon juice, peaches, cinder toffee, malted grains, vanilla, fresh cut grass, white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Cinder toffee, lemon juice, fresh cut grass, gooseberries, hints of sour cream. 

Comments: 

Casks 801625 and 801626. Lactic whisky, lots of fruity notes, but those are under a thick layer of sour cream. It’s grassy and green as well, especially on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Strathmill 12yo 2011/2024

Strathmill 12yo 2011/2024

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber
58.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, pear drops, rhubarb and custard sweets, apples, cloves, shortcrust pastry. With water, white pepper, apples, malted grains, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, apricot jam, apples, cloves, cinnamon, brown paper, hints of shortcrust pastry. With water, brown paper, raisins, cocoa nibs, cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, cloves, white pepper, apples. 

Comments: 

Cask 367496. A great big intensely appley Strathmill. It’s almost fizzes in the mouth, and ends up almost tasting like apple pie. A very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Finglassie 6yo 2017/2023

Finglassie 6yo 2017/2023

James Eadie
Single malt - Lowlands
Silvery gold
57.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yeast, yoghurt, peat, honey, lemon zest, green apples, hints of smoked bacon. With water, chillies, green apples, honey, peat, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Yoghurt, green apples, petrichor, tarry rope, honey, white grapes, smoke. With water, tarry rope, peat, honey, white grapes. 
Finish: Short. Tarry rope, green apples, peat, petrichor, hints of smoked bacon. 

Comments: 

Cask 156. This is peated Inchdairnie. I’ve never had the unpeated version. This one is yeasty and lactic, with a strong note of green apples, alongside other white fruit. Promising.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glendullan 12yo 2009/2022

Glendullan 12yo 2009/2022

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
52.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green apples, orange juice, vanilla, fresh baked bread, shortbread, butterscotch, hints of toffee. With water, cinder toffee, orange juice, vanilla, hints of toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Shortbread, fresh baked bread, malted grains, toffee, butterscotch, maple syrup, hints of coffee. With water, toffee, maple syrup, shortbread, butterscotch. 

Finish: Long. Malted grains, orange juice, butterscotch, fresh baked bread, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

Cask 306085. Malty and sweet, with biscuity shortbread notes. There’s a little complexity here, but not too much. Probably needs a bit more aging. Decent dram, nevertheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

Royal Brackla 9yo 2013/2023

Royal Brackla 9yo 2013/2023

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold

46% ABV

Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, lemon sweets, raspberries, peaches, apricots, honey, hints of white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon sweets, apricots, coffee, nutmeg, green tea, malted grains, hints of cinder toffee. 
Finish: Short. Nutmeg, cinder toffee, malted grains, yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Casks 1596, 302353 and 302355. Quite tart and citrusy, but also with a slightly caramelised smoky edge. Bright and refreshing, and characteristic of youngish whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Mannochmore 13yo 2008/2021 (Milroy’s Exclusive)

Mannochmore 13yo 2008/2021 (Milroy’s Exclusive)

James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark amber
52.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, cinnamon, brown paper, black tea, black pepper, hints of cloves. With water, fresh baked bread, orange peel, chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, raisins, fruitcake, orange peel, black pepper, hints of cloves. With water, chocolate, sea salt, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Orange peel, black pepper, fruitcake, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Cask 362236. Classic, well-sherried Speyside, but it’s a little bit too much cask and too little distillate for me. Lots of nice fruity flavours, and more than a little spice. Good Christmas dram, but it’s spring...

Verdict:

I like this.

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Single Cask, James Eadie
Single grain - Lowlands
Chinese tea
55.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, raisins, marzipan, salt caramel, cloves. With water, candied orange peel, desiccated coconut, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, raisins, cloves, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, sea salt. With water, salt caramel, desiccated coconut, raisins, vanilla.  
Finish: Long. Black tea, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, leather, raisins. 

Comments: 

Cask 48094. Old grain whisky, always quietly impressive. At cask strength the grain notes aren’t very noticeable, plenty of chocolate and salt and fruit. With water the cask influence fades a little, and the vanilla and coconut notes from the grain spirit start to appear. This is delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dailuaine 11yo 2007/2018

Dailuaine 11yo 2007/2018

Small Batch, James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
54.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, lychees, vanilla, orange peel, strawberries, raisins. With water, fresh baked bread, marmalade, hints of hay. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, thickens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cinnamon, orange peel, apple juice, honey, lychees, hints of black tea. With water, fresh baked bread, marmalade. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, red grapes, raisins, strawberries. 

Comments: 

Cask 310570, PX sherry finish. Very spicy and sweet, lots of lychees and other fruit, tapering to a tannic finish. Opens up with water, turns cereally, but very jammy. Excellent stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Benrinnes 13yo 2005/2019

Benrinnes 13yo 2005/2019

Small Batch, James Eadie
Single malt - Speyside
Rose gold
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, raisins, chocolate, shortbread, tablet, vanilla, hints of roses. With water, toast, tablet, white pepper, hints of olive oil. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Toast, tablet, raisins, vanilla, orange peel, roses, hints of gooseberries. With water, turns salty, toast, white pepper, olive oil. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla, raisins, fresh baked bread, red grapes, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Cask 307046. Matured in a Malmsey Madeira cask, like a Blair Athol I had from the same bottler not so long ago. However, the flavour profile is extremely different - this one has some winey, grapey notes, but it's primarily chocolate, biscuity, even spicy, and savoury, at least when some water is added. Highly complex, very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Blair Athol 11yo 2007/2019

Blair Athol 11yo 2007/2019

Small Batch, James Eadie
Single malt - Central Highlands
Light amber
58.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, sandalwood, white grapes, brown paper, orange peel, hints of bacon. With water, orange peel, vanilla, orange blossom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, slightly watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peanuts, black tea, sweet peas, sandalwood, cinnamon, orange peel, coffee, red grapes. With water, sweeter, honey, coffee, orange peel, red grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, red grapes, coffee, back tea, chocolate, raisins, hints of honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 3886, matured in Malmsey Madeira casks. It's sweet, mouth coating and unctuous, full of red fruits and spicy Christmassy notes as you'd expect, but there's also something meaty and more-ish here. It's lovely whisky, really sweet and intense, but not overwhelmingly so.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.