Nantou 5yo Batch 2

Nantou 5yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Golden 
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, photocopy paper, peat, smoke, lemon zest, pears, hints of smoky bacon. With water, smoky bacon, pears, peanuts, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, expands, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Charcoal ash, peat, honey, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, smoke, hints of brass polish. With water, charcoal ash, smoky bacon, pears, peat. 
Finish: Medium. Charcoal ash, smoke, lemon zest, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Peated Nantou, unusual and a treat. It’s ashy and meaty, some feinty and herbal notes are evident under that smoky cloak. It all fades to an ashy, intensely bitter finish. Intriguing.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Nantou Omar Orange Brandy Barrel Finished

Nantou Omar Orange Brandy Barrel Finished

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Pale orange 
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, lemon zest, malted grains, hoppy beer, manuka honey, white pepper, hints of peaches. With water, manuka honey, orange peel, lemon zest, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, thickens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, manuka honey, fresh baked bread, ink, magic marker, malted grains, white pepper, hints of peaches. With water, malted grains, ink, fresh baked bread, oatcakes. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, ink, malted grains, white pepper, hints of marmalade. 

Comments: 

My last sample of Omar quirky finishes. This isn’t as orangey as you might think, instead there’s a complex honeyed sweetness, and a slightly chemical estery undertone. Drinkable and pleasant.

Verdict:

I like this.

Nantou Omar Lychee Liqueur Barrel Finished

Nantou Omar Lychee Liqueur Barrel Finished 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan 
Bright orange gold
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, malted grains, leather, raisins, raspberry jam, tobacco leaf, sea salt, hints of roast pork. With water, marmalade, honey, raspberry jam, malted grains, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Raspberry jam, lychees, sea salt, marmalade, green tea, raisins, honey, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, lychees, raspberry jam, marmalade, black tea, pear drops. 
Finish: Short. Marmalade, raspberry jam, lychees, honey, hints of roast pork. 

Comments: 

Cask 21090565, 569, 567. Not as lychee forward as I thought it would be. Instead, there’s a lot of jam and sweet honey, and herbal tobacco. Lychee notes appear almost as an afterthought. Still, quite interesting and eminently drinkable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Nantou Omar Plum Liqueur Barrel Finish (Cask Strength)

Nantou Omar Plum Liqueur Barrel Finish (Cask Strength)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Orange gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, orange peel, umeshu, strawberries, damson jam, cloves, fresh baked bread, hints of sea salt. With water, umeshu, orange peel, cloves, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Damson jam, umeshu, cloves, fresh baked bread, black pepper, sea salt, hints of fish sauce, hints of chocolate. With water, chocolate, cloves, orange peel, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Long. Damson jam, brown paper, black pepper, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Casks 11110162, 11110183, 11110224. Intensely flavoured, probably due to the maturation and finishing in warmer temperatures. It veers towards sickly sweet though, although there are some savoury notes underneath if you try hard. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Nantou Omar Black Queen Wine Finish

Nantou Omar Black Queen Wine Finish

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Red bronze
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dried strawberries, orange peel, sandalwood, sea salt, coffee, mint, milk chocolate. With water, orange peel, strawberry laces, pomegranates. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Violets, milk chocolate, raisins, rye bread, sea salt, vanilla sponge, black tea, coffee, hints of artificial grape flavour. With water, cinnamon, black tea, gas, violets, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Rye bread, milk chocolate, artificial grape flavour, hints of gas. 

Comments: 

Complicated and intense. This is quite an unusual wine cask finished whisky, lots of floral and winey notes, but also cereally and feinty. It rewards introspection, which is exactly what I want, most of the time.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Omar Single Malt (Sherry Cask)

Omar Single Malt (Sherry Cask)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan

Amber gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, fresh baked bread, apple juice, prunes, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, slippery, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Fresh baked bread, raisins, apple juice, cloves, orange peel, hints of plums. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, fresh baked bread, orange peel, prunes. 

Comments: 

Discontinued version of Nantou’s standard sherried malt. It’s quite lovely, with deep intense notes of dried fruity and chocolate, with some nice cereal underpinning it. It’s probably only around 5 years old, but aged in a warmer climate, so tastes more intense than some 10 year old Scotches.

Verdict:

I like this.

Omar Single Malt (Bourbon Cask)

Omar Single Malt (Bourbon Cask)

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Amber
46% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Raisins, chocolate, vanilla, honey, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Chocolate, raisins, pears, walnuts, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, raisins, chocolate, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Now discontinued, this is the original entry level bottling from Nantou distillery, bourbon cask finish. It didn't get good reviews while it was being produced, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's chocolatey and earthy on the tongue, with lots of sweet fruity notes throughout. Highly drinkable NAS whisky, bottled at a decent strength.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Yushan Single Malt Bourbon Cask

Yushan Single Malt Bourbon Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, fried eggs, honey, malted grains, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, watery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, white grapes, white chocolate, coffee, fried eggs, lemon juice. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, white grapes, honey, fried eggs, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

A light, fresh, summery whisky, but strangely, retains some sulphurous character more often found in sherried whiskies. Maybe it's a characteristic of the distillate. That mildly confusing note aside, there's plenty to like here - fresh lemon juice, white chocolate, and gentle bitter coffee. I think I prefer this to the sister sherried bottling.

Verdict:

I like this.

Yushan Signature Sherry Cask

Yushan Signature Sherry Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, winter melon, dark chocolate, orange peel, lemon zest, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slightly oily, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, walnuts, coffee, red grapes, dark chocolate, lemon zest, dried pears. 
Finish: Medium. Winter melon, orange peel, lemon zest, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

A malt from Nantou, the elusive Taiwanese distillery, although maybe not so elusive now. This is a replacement for the old Omar series. It's surprisingly lightly coloured for a sherry finished whisky, but there's no mistaking the sherry influence. Winter melon, dark chocolate, it's more subtle than the Kavalans.

Verdict:

I like this.