I Hope This Ben Nevis Tastes Good

I Hope This Ben Nevis Tastes Good

Special Reserve, The Whisky Exchange 
Single malt - West Highlands
Dark gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, tyre rubber, toffee, raisins, hints of smoke, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens slightly, slightly slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Malted grains, honey, tyre rubber, walnut skins, black tea, hints of fried eggs. 

Finish: Long. Raisins, black tea, vanilla, honey, hints of fried eggs. 

Comments: 

Thanks Andrea and Jason. This is a limited edition bottling from the Whisky Exchange. Quite bitter, but clean and well constructed. The flavours are well defined, if a bit sulphurous. Rather unusual and indeed enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 23yo (for the Whisky Show 2019)

Imperial 23yo (for the Whisky Show 2019)

Show bottling, The Whisky Exchange
Single malt - Speyside
Pale green
45.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, honey, lime zest, green tea, white grapes, hints of jasmine. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loosens, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, jasmine, lemon zest, nectarines, kiwi fruit, green tea. 
Finish: Long. Jasmine, kiwi fruit, white grapes, honey, green tea. 

Comments: 

An odd tasting Imperial. I can normally find plenty of lemon zest in Imperial, but this one has plenty of floral notes too, and stone fruit in abundance. There's also a tannic fragrance that I interpret as green tea. It's very refreshing whisky, and somehow, a palate cleanser.

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.