Auchroisk Bourbon Finish Quarter Cask

Auchroisk Bourbon Finish Quarter Cask

Cask Craft, Murray McDavid
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale gold
44.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, yoghurt, fresh cut grass, cinder toffee, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cinder toffee, white pepper, sage, fresh cut grass, hints of smoke. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, cinder toffee, white pepper, sage, fresh cut grass, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Cinder toffee, lemon zest, sage, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Cask BBN-02. Lightly smoky, a lot of toffee and herbal notes. I like stripped back bourbon casks sometimes, but more often than not, they tend to drive home how integral good wood is to good whisky. This one is ok, but could be better. .

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Keith 27yo 1993/2021

Glen Keith 27yo 1993/2021

Mission Gold Limited Release, Murray McDavid 
Single malt - Speyside 
Bronze gold 
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, honey, gingerbread, golden syrup, sandalwood, walnuts. With water, orange peel, sandalwood, hoppy beer, clay dust. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, honey, golden syrup, salted caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, gingerbread, hints of orange peel. With water, cinnamon, white pepper, gingerbread, hoppy beer, hints of clay dust. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, orange peel, golden syrup, salted caramel, walnuts. 

Comments: 

Cask 82838/39. Very complex and well defined, it’s toffee gingerbread in a glass! It also has some welcome spicy and dusty notes, which always makes a whisky taste old (although it may not be). Tasty indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ledaig 18yo 2001/2019

Ledaig 18yo 2001/2019

Benchmark - Limited Release, Murray McDavid 
Single malt - Islands
Orange gold
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, yoghurt, milk powder, red grapes, marmalade, hazelnuts, peat, tobacco leaf, hints of smoke. With water, pears, lemon zest, raisins, iodine. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, expands, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Yoghurt, milk chocolate, hazelnuts, tobacco leaf, smoke, peanut butter, red grapes, iodine, hints of black pepper. With water, smoke, peanut butter, pears, iodine. 
Finish: Long. Peat, smoke, brass polish, iodine. 

Comments: 

Cask 800065. Quite unbalanced, but not bold. Some lactic notes offset by peanut butter and a little fruit. With water the smoke comes forward. Can’t say this was brilliant, had to work hard to get past the slightly chemical notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Girvan 10yo 2010/2021

Girvan 10yo 2010/2021

Select Grain, Murray McDavid
Single grain - Lowlands
Buttercups
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, vanilla, honey, caramel, cornflakes, hints of chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cornflakes, green tea, honey, vanilla, caramel, hints of nutmeg, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Long. Caramel, nutmeg, cornflakes, apples, vanilla, honey. 

Comments: 

I don’t normally like young grain whisky, but this is rather good. Decent level of complexity, even some spicy, and it’s got a touch of luxurious unctuous mouth feel. Very pleasant indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1995/2021

Allt-a-Bhainne 25yo 1995/2021

Mission Gold, Murray McDavid
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
44.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, red grapes, raisins, cloves, strawberries, white pepper, hints of watermelons. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Barley sugar, red grapes, honeycomb, milk chocolate, strawberries, vanilla, white pepper, hints of watermelons. 
Finish: Medium. Red grapes, barley sugar, milk chocolate, raisins, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

Cask 187841. Lovely sweet Speyside, lots of fruit and chocolate. Some vegetal spiciness peeks out from under the fruity shroud, especially in the finish. Bright and tasty, a fitting end to a good session.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Craigellachie 8yo 2008/2016

Craigellachie 8yo 2008/2016

Benchmark, Murray McDavid
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber gold
46% ABV
Bottle 

Nose: Molasses, pineapples, butter, orange peel, tyre rubber, fried eggs, hints of toast. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, oily, slippery, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fried eggs, tyre rubber, honey, butter, sour cream, pineapples, orange peel, hints of plums. 
Finish: Medium. Pineapples, damson jam, raisins, tyre rubber, hints of molasses. 

Comments: 

Cask 6001855 and Cask 600855. A typical run cask finished whisky in some ways, there’s a strong flavour of molasses and tyre rubber, which is not unpleasant. The Craigellachie pineapple is there underneath, intensifying slightly in the finish to damson jam and raisins. Overall a decent bottle. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Teaninich 33yo 1973/2006

Teaninich 33yo 1973/2006

Mission Cask Strength, Murray McDavid
Single malt - North Highlands
Dandelion 
55.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, jackfruit, leather, tobacco leaf, pear drops, hints of white grapes. With water, cucumbers, fresh cut grass, white grapes.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns airy, slightly fizzy, astringent. 
Tasting: Sour bitter. Tobacco leaf, white grapes, leather, green tea, cucumbers, butterscotch, hints of jackfruit. With water, cucumbers, fresh cut grass, winter melon, green tea, malted grains. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, cucumbers, menthol, leather. 

Comments: 

Lingering, and complex. There’s some jackfruit fermentedness to this whisky, sweet and funky. Neat, that is. Water opens it up, creating a more herbaceous, floral set of top notes. Lovely and delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.