Tamdhu 14yo 2008/2022

Tamdhu 14yo 2008/2022

Cut Your Wolf Loose, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
60.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, damson jam, orange peel, cloves, milk chocolate, strawberry jam, malted grains. With water, strawberry jam, orange peel, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, damson jam, black pepper, honey, milk chocolate, brown paper, strawberry jam. With water, coffee, milk chocolate, brown paper, damson jam. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, honey, oats, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Very sweet, sherried dram, lots of strawberry jam and damson jam. Water brings out a chocolate note, with coffee and nore sweet jammy stuff. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardbeg 14yo 2008/2023

Ardbeg 14yo 2008/2023

Cut Your Wolf Loose, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Islay
Amber
63.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, orange peel, pears, lemon zest, golden syrup, hints of dark chocolate. With water, smoke, dark chocolate, orange peel, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, smoke, honey, toffee, pears, raisins, molasses. With water, smoke, leather, dark chocolate, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Pears, smoke, golden syrup, leather, hints of peat. 

Comments: 

Lovely Ardbeg from the famous Brighton bar. It’s sweet and chocolatey, quite quintessentially Ardbeg for me. There’s other stuff - bitter dark molasses, fragrant cloves - that make this very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Irish Single Malt 15yo 2002/2019

Irish Single Malt 15yo 2002/2019

Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Unknown
Silvery gold
57.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Overripe mangoes, guava, white grapes, lemon zest, autumn leaves. With water, pear drops, fresh baked bread, vanilla, butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Chillies, guava, white grapes, green tea, lemon zest, ginseng. With water, bitter, ginseng, butterscotch, pear drops. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, green tea, walnuts, overripe mangoes. 

Comments: 

Cask 346. I can't be sure which distillery this is from - my guess is Bushmills, but it also has characteristics from Midleton - but I was intrigued by the age statement. My guess is that it spent 15 years in a bourbon cask, and an additional year or two in steel tubs. Anyway, it's redolent of tropical fruit, with many 'green' characteristics. With water something bitter emerges, like ginseng, and walnuts skins.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Orkney 14yo 2004/2019

Orkney 14yo 2004/2019

Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Islands
Dark gold
58.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, peat, honey, cinnamon, sandalwood, leather, hints of driftwood smoke. With water, honey, peat, orange juice. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, volatile, hot. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Sea salt, honey, cinnamon, driftwood smoke, leather, hints of marmite. With water, sweeter, hay, orange zest, honey. 
Finish: Long. Peat, honey, leather, lemon zest, hints of marmite. 

Comments: 

Cask 18. I think this is most definitely Highland Park. I recognise the leathery, sweet honey notes. This is rather salty on the tongue, the smoke is dry and laden with marine flavours. There is something yeasty on the tongue too. With water, it relaxes, becoming sweeter and more herbal. Another magnificent expression from this remarkable bottler.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Tomatin 11yo

Tomatin 11yo

Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, peanuts, lemon juice, lemon zest, acacia honey, hints of white grapes. With water, condensed milk, sour cream, tobacco leaf, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Ink, pear drops, peanuts, lemon juice, lemon zest, acacia honey, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, more sour, sour cream, leather, vanilla. 
Finish: Medium. Tobacco leaf, black tea, iron filings, lemon juice. 

Comments: 

Cask 453. I'm very impressed with the Artful Dodger releases. All the ones I've tried have been intense, full of flavour, and it's not hard to see why - the whiskies are cloudy, full of fat and flavour compounds, especially if you add water. This one is no exception - it's citrusy and sweet, until you add water, then it turns leathery, even sour.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Clynelish 20yo 1997/2018

Clynelish 20yo 1997/2018

Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Woolf Sung
Single malt - North Highlands
Golden
55.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, honey, ginger, candle wax, hints of cardamom, hints of brass polish. With water, toast, star fruit, orange peel.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, oily, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Toast, ginger, candle wax, lemon zest, hay, hints of cardamom. With water, guava, lemon juice, hints of roses. 
Finish: Long. Honey, brass polish, cinnamon, toast. 

Comments: 

Cask 6526. This whisky is the closest I've ever tasted to the 'perfect' Clynelish that I construct in my head, the most emblematic of the distillery's character. It's very, very good indeed. With water, it becomes more unusual, expanding into tropical fruits and citrus.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenturret 23yo 1994/2018

Glenturret 23yo 1994/2018

Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber red
50.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, peat, leather, dried apples, pomegranate molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Toast, shortbread, dried apples, pomegranate molasses, leather. 
Finish: Long. Dried apples, lemon zest, leather, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 618, apparently a Pedro Ximenez octave. This isn't a sherry bomb in the true sense of the term, there's plenty of other flavours that make this whisky oh-so glorious. Waves of leather, gentle peat, toasty smoke mingle with sweet dried apples and sweet-tart pomegranate molasses. I was tasting this whisky the next day.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Strathclyde 27yo 1990/2018

Strathclyde 27yo 1990/2018

Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Woolf Sung
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark gold
51.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, green apples, lemon zest, brass polish, hints of blackcurrant. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Coconut cream, green apples, vanilla, lemon zest, candy floss. 
Finish: Medium. Coconut cream, candy floss, green apples, vanilla, hints of caramel. 

Comments: 

Cask 110035. Very sweet and coconutty, but full of flavour and body. This is a whisky that drags me into a flavour memory, eating candy floss at a fair as an 8 year old, alongside sweet-salty coconut candy. Wonderful stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.