Lochside 24yo 1981/2005

Lochside 24yo 1981/2005

Jewels of Scotland, Lombard
Single malt - East Highlands
Yellow gold 

50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, lemon juice, brass polish, aluminium foil, gooseberries, hints of nectarines. With water, cream, lemon zest, leather, hints of tablet. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, mouth coating, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Honey, malted grains, gooseberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, hints of shortbread, hints of nectarines. With water, leather, shortbread, lemon zest, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, hoppy beer, lemon zest, honey. 

Comments: 

Sweet and fruity, not very much old bottle effect. With water, it opens up, becoming deliciously creamy without any lactic notes. There’s a good strong note of malt under all of this. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lochside 18yo 1991/2010

Lochside 18yo 1991/2010

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - East Highlands
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ripe peaches, violets, honey, lemons, hints of brass polish. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, slightly watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Honey, peaches, toast, fried bananas, caramel, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Fried bananas, peaches, toast, honey. 

Comments: 

Oof, this whisky tastes like I'm standing in a peach orchard in Spain. The peach notes are strong, almost overripe, with fragrant smoke, toast, and caramelised fruit. It's delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Lochside 1964 46 yo Single Barrel

Lochside 1964 46 yo Single Barrel

Rare Old, The Whisky Exchange
Single blend - East Highlands
Copper
42.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, bubblegum, roses, oranges, pomeloes.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, slippery, airy.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, bubblegum, roses, vanilla, pomeloes, hints of black tea.
Finish: Medium. Pomeloes, roses, bubblegum, black tea.

Comments:

This is a combination of grain whisky and malt whisky, aged together in the same cask. A very unusual style. The grain is very apparent, but the citrusy fresh notes of the malt come through sure enough. There's a slightly astringent bite on the end. Not hugely complex despite the long aging, I think the grain masks many notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lochside 17 yo 1981/1998

Lochside 17 yo 1981/1998

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - East Highlands
Light amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, orange peel, molasses, vanilla, butter, milk. With water, more oranges, strawberries, plums begin to appear.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, airy, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet. Orange peel, black tea, molasses, vanilla, pomeloes, milk, hints of chillies. With water, sweeter, fruitier, plums, strawberries.
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, pomeloes, black tea, molasses.

Comments:

Light and tasty, easy drinking with a cool citrus bite. Pomeloes are hard to come by in the UK, and it was a pleasant surprise to taste them in this whisky. It's the closed distilleries that make the tastiest stuff!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.