Auchentoshan 20yo

Auchentoshan 20yo

Whisky Craft, Solasta Holdings
Single malt - Lowlands
Yellow gold 
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, lemon zest, lemon curd, cream, magic marker, green tea, malted grains, hints of brown paper. With water, fresh cut grass, lemon curd, malted grains, ume. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, astringent, slightly chalky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Green tea, lemon zest, marmalade, dried apricots, fresh cut grass, white pepper, hints of chalk. With water, fresh cut grass, green tea, ume, leather.
Finish: Medium. Lemon curd, marmalade, fresh cut grass, cinnamon, hints of dried apricots. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and bright, lots of grassy notes with pepper. Slightly chalky (both in body and on the tongue). Water burns out more grassy florals, with fermented ume.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lindores Abbey 5yo 2021/2026

Lindores Abbey 5yo 2021/2026

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber red 
55.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Prunes, strawberries, raspberries, raisins, dunnage, leather, red grapes, hints of cloves. With water, malted grains, raisins, strawberries, hints of dunnage. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, raspberries, strawberries, leather, photocopy paper, white pepper, cloves. With water, raisins, strawberries, malted grains, cloves. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, red grapes, leather, raspberries. 

Comments: 

Sherry cask of course, rather sweet and malty despite all that the raisin and dried fruit characteristics are prominent, with some feinty notes too. With water, it turns spicy and sweet again.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bonnington 3yo 2021/2025

Bonnington 3yo 2021/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, surgical spirit, green tea, lemon zest, hints of sea salt. With water, leather, lemon zest, green tea, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Green tea, smoke, peat, sandalwood, soot, surgical spirit, leather, hints of vitamin C tablets. With water, smoke, peat, green tea, hints of vitamin C tablets. 
Finish: Smoke. Peat, smoke, sandalwood, green tea, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Quite sooty and spirity, but underneath that thick layer of peaty industrial mess, there’s something floral and citrusy. It was a little too spirity for me to really like it, but decent dram nonetheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kingsbarns Coaltown

Kingsbarns Coaltown

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, peat, soot, limes, lemons, hints of malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, expands, tingly.
Tasting:  Bitter. Peat, soot, limes, honey, lemons, farmyard, pear drops, malted grains, sea salt. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, soot, lemons, sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Quite sooty, but under all that smoke and ash there’s plenty of citrus and something perfumy, maybe sandalwood. Quite fragrant but it’s all buried under that thicken industrial coat.

Verdict:

I like this.

John Crabbie Peated Virgin Oak Cask Matured

John Crabbie Peated Virgin Oak Cask Matured

John Crabbie
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, vanilla, oak chips, peat, smoke, sour cream, hints of farmyard. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla, peat, smoke, raisins, dried apricots, cream, hints of sour cream. 
Finish: Long. Oak chips, smoke, soot, peat, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Quite harshly peated, but underneath there’s a gentle, light, slightly oily distillate with notes of vanilla and apricots. Decent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Spirit of North Scotland 48yo 1973

Spirit of North Scotland 48yo 1973

Bartels Whisky
Single grain - Lowlands
Amber brown
25% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, burnt sugar, oak chips, malted grains, ice cream soda, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, static, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Caramel, coconut cream, oak chips, burnt sugar, pear drops, magic marker, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. White pepper, vanilla, pear drops, ice cream soda, hints of oak chips. 

Comments: 

Quite woody, but in this case the low strength works in its favour. It’s not whisky of course, just spirit drink, but it’s taken on quite a lot of the wood flavours. Very interesting indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Edradour 12yo Oloroso Batch #7

Edradour 12yo Oloroso Batch #7

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark amber red 
59% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk chocolate, cream, vanilla, raisins, strawberry jam, honey, hints of black pepper. With water, milk chocolate, honey, vanilla, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, loosens, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Milk chocolate, cream, vanilla, raisins, black tea, brown paper, hints of toast, hints of charcoal ash. With water, milk chocolate, honey, vanilla, raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Cream, raisins, black tea, toast. 

Comments: 

Rich and luscious, lots of chocolate and vanilla notes. There’s also plenty of dried fruit and a hint of sootiness. A very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

North British 43yo 1982/2025

North British 43yo 1982/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark copper
52.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, raisins, golden syrup, nutmeg, vanilla, cream, brown paper, cola nuts. With water, cream, cola nuts, cough syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, cream, cough mixture, brown paper, cola nuts, milk chocolate, vanilla. With water, vanilla, coconut cream, raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, brown paper, raisins, cream. 

Comments: 

Cask 25537. Lots of sweet sticky notes, creamy and milky (but not lactic!). Water brings out a note of coconut cream, and accentuates the chocolate. Lovely old grain whisky

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Inverleven 31yo 1977/2008

Inverleven 31yo 1977/2008

Cask Strength, Signatory
Single malt - Lowlands
Light amber
47.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, pencil lead, wet stones, raisins, white grapes, honey, hints of plums. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Camphor, wet stones, raisins, honey, lohan fruit, pencil lead, orange peel, pears. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, pears, pencil lead, lohan fruit, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 3606. Leathery and minerally with bitter herbal accents. Very Chinese - lots of oriental fruit and the requisite orange and pear. Plenty of honey as well, it’s quite sweet. A very good dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lochlea Overtone

Lochlea Overtone

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber gold
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, honey, malted grains, white chocolate, nectarines, fresh cut grass, grapefruit. With water, peaches, nectarines, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Hoppy beer, malted grains, fresh cut grass, grapefruit, jalapeños, nectarines, honey, lemon zest. With water, hoppy beer, peaches, nectarines, black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Jalapeños, grapefruit, black pepper, malted grains, hoppy beer. 

Comments: 

Beery and rich, with lots of stone fruit and spicy, grassy jalapeños. I like the combination of flavours, very Mexican. Water brings out some peppery spiciness and even more strobe fruit.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Bonnington Muscat Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark copper
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelons, raisins, white grapes, honeydew melons, applesauce, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pear drops, malted grains, white grapes, honey, honeydew melons, nutmeg, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, white grapes, grapefruit, white pepper, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Fruity with plenty of spice. The cask influence is strong on this one, but perhaps that’s a good thing for such a young whisky. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bladnoch Talia

Bladnoch Talia

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark yellow gold
45.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nectarines, magic marker, clay dust, malted grains, fresh cut grass, white pepper, glue. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Nectarines, lemon zest, honey, fresh cut grass, white pepper, nutmeg, pears, hints of apricots. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, apricots, white pepper, honey, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Dusty and old, lots of stone fruit, honey, esters and white pepper. Beautiful sweet sour finish, with plenty of barley maltiness and more stone fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

St Magdalene 39yo 1982/2021

St Magdalene 39yo 1982/2021

Private Collection, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
54.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, honey, marigolds, malted grains, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. With water, honey, lemon zest, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, candle wax, nutmeg, malted grains, pears, gooseberries, cream, golden syrup. With water, honey, gooseberries, barley sugar, lemon zest.
Finish: Short. Icing sugar, golden syrup, gooseberries, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask 2094. Superb. Complex, layered with that lovely delicate malty, honeyed St Magdalene note. Lots of gooseberry fool on the tongue too. Delicious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Milroys Heavily Peated Virgin Oak Batch VO1

Milroys Heavily Peated Virgin Oak Batch VO1

Heavily Peated, Milroys of Soho
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, peat, smoke, dark chocolate, peaches, pear drops, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Smoke, pears, dark chocolate, lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt, peanuts, hints of malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, lemons, limes, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Peated Lowlands whisky from Bonnington. It’s quite gentle on the back palate and the finish, would probably has been quite intense at cask strength. Rather citrusy.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lochlea 7yo

Lochlea 7yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nectarines, pears, malted grains, honey, green tea, lemon zest, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Pears, nectarines, fresh cut grass, malted grains, green tea, lemon zest, nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Pears, nectarines, malted grains, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Complex and fruity, lots of zesty citrus and stone fruit. There’s some grassy tannins as well, like a good green tea. The finish is short and quite intense. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Holyrood 3yo 2021/2025

Holyrood 3yo 2021/2025

Single Cask, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark gold
53.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, malted grains, orange peel, nutmeg, photocopy paper, brown paper, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, orange peel, lemon curd, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Green tea, peaches, photocopy paper, brown paper, sandalwood, nutmeg, fresh baked bread. With water, photocopy paper, peaches, lemon curd, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, nutmeg, sandalwood, cornflakes, hints of nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Cask 12150. Quite citrusy and weighty, lots of layered flavours with a good degree of intensity. Water brings out a dry paperiness and more lemon curd, as well as stone fruit. A good dram, a fine example of young whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Eden Mill 2018 Release

Eden Mill 2018 Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber gold
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, raisins, lohan fruit, sea salt, nutmeg, cloves, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Honey, raisins, chocolate, lohan fruit, raspberry jam, cloves, tobacco leaf. 
Finish: Medium. Lohan fruit, raisins, cloves, chocolate, cream, tobacco leaf. 

Comments: 

Light and refreshing, lots of fruit notes. Typically early release whisky, flavoured with sherry casks for sweetness and maximum appeal. A decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Girvan 19yo 2002/2022

Girvan 19yo 2002/2022

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single grain - Lowlands
Amber
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, sandalwood, vanilla, oak chips, lemon zest, hints of smoke, hints of gooseberries. With water, oak chips, molasses, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, corn syrup, white pepper, oak chips, malted grains, popcorn, lemon zest. With water, vanilla, lemon zest, popcorn. 
Finish: Medium. Photocopy paper, sandalwood, popcorn, toffee, hints of desiccated coconut. 

Comments: 

Cask DL 16487. Floral and woody, with plenty of popcorn, and perhaps a touch of smoke. Water brings out more vanilla, more wood and even more popcorn. Decent dram. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Kingsbarns Doocot

Kingsbarns Doocot

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Copper gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, white pepper, raisins, caramel, orange peel, apples, hints of molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, white pepper, apples, vanilla, nutmeg, hints of molasses. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, pear drops, acetone, white pepper. 

Comments: 

A little raw, lots of burnt sugar type notes - molasses, caramel etc - but underneath that there’s light spice and apples. A short finish with some estery pear drops.

Verdict:

I like this.

Inchdairnie 4yo 2020/2025

Inchdairnie 4yo 2020/2025

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale gold
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, photocopy paper, pencil erasers, pear drops, yoghurt, malted grains, cinnamon, fresh baked bread. With water, olive brine, tyre rubber, lemon zest, new plastic. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, volatile, loosens. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Lemon zest, fresh baked bread, malted grains, peat, tyre rubber, hints of white pepper. With water, lemon zest, olive brine, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Short. Soot, peat, smoke, tyre rubber, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Cask 744. Citrusy and malty with some earthy sulphur wreathed over it. Water brings out something savoury, like olive brine, while retaining the citrus and malt flavours..

Verdict:

I like this.