Tomintoul 27 yo

Tomintoul 27 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Smoky amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, caramel, orange peel, leather, driftwood, lemon zest, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, cool, loose.
Tasting: Bitter. Orange peel, vanilla, leather, driftwood, peat, honey.
Finish: Short. Lemons, vanilla, driftwood, orange peel.

Comments:

Light, cool and refreshing. This is unusual in something so old. There's a lot of vanilla flavour from the long wood aging, but this does not overpower the slight salty, bitter flavour components such as driftwood and orange peel. Pleasant and drinkable.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 14.17 (Talisker 20 yo 1989/2009)

SMWS 14.17 (Talisker 20 yo 1989/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Islands
Pale gold
52.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, coconuts, heather honey, sea salt, seaweed, hints of orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, watery, loosens.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Heather honey, sea salt, seaweed, raisins, orange peel, hints of peat .
Finish: Medium. Coconuts, raisins, heather honey.

Comments:

A great salty seaweedy Talisker, very different from the somewhat sweet, smoky official bottlings. There's just a glimmer of smoke in this, with a lot of peat and salt. The orangey characteristics that appear as marmalade in the official bottlings comes through here as orange peel.

Verdict:

I like this.

Drumguish Single Highland Malt

Drumguish Single Highland Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale copper
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, cinnamon, orange peel, milk, vanilla, hints of banana, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, raisins, cloves, cinnamon, orange blossom honey, milk, hints of leather, hints of peat.
Finish: Short. Raisins, vanilla, chocolate, aluminum foil.

Comments:

A strangely named official bottling from the strangely named Speyside distillery. Anyway, it's very drinkable, if a little middle of the road. Slightly unpleasant metallic edge to the finish, but the nose and the taste are very pleasant, light and sweet indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Springbank 15 yo

Springbank 15 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Rose copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, raisins, tobacco leaf, smoke, molasses, cotton sheets, hints of wool.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, loose, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter. Apples, honey, vanilla, tar, limes, tobacco leaf, smoke, walnuts, hints of wool.
Finish: Long. Walnuts, tobacco, lime juice.

Comments:

Surprisingly smoky and powerful. Develops in the glass, revealing a fruity character overlaid by tar and limes. Water doesn't mellow this whisky at all.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glendronach 18 yo Allardice

Glendronach 18 yo Allardice

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, honey, vanilla, sea salt, tobacco leaf, dried apricots, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Chocolate, raisins, vanilla, honey, dried apricots, tobacco leaf, red wine, hints of leather.
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, orange peel, vanilla, honey, hints of lime.

Comments:

Spicy, complex and sweet. Lots of heavy sherry character, but with an astringent citric bite lurking in the mouth and especially in the finish. It's a perfect Christmas whisky. Brilliantly made.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Braes of Glenlivet 32 yo 1975/2007

Braes of Glenlivet 32 yo 1975/2007

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Light gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, leather, hoppy beer, oats, peat, hints of buttered popcorn.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loose, watery, tingly, cool.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, leather, chillies, hoppy beer, oats, peat, engine exhaust, vanilla, honey.
Finish: Medium. Hoppy beer, honey, engine exhaust, hints of leather.

Comments:

Bitter and robust, with huge bursts of peaty, chemical flavours - engine exhaust (very unusual) and leather (rather more common). Pleasant spicy notes that manifest mostly as vanilla and beery hops. Good and strong, best with food.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 120.4 (Hakushu 18 yo 1990/2009)

SMWS 120.4 (Hakushu 18 yo 1990/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - West Honshu
Dark amber
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, raisins, sherry, roast chicken, roast pork, cedar, hints of leather. With water, meatier, saltier.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, oily, astringent, slippery.
Tasting: Sweet. Cedar, peanuts, raisins, roast chicken, roast pork, plums, red wine. With water, meaty, takes on some element of raw, bloody beef.
Finish: Medium. Raisins, roast pork, plums.

Comments:

Sweet, sherried, and very meaty. There's a robustness to this whisky, something that brings to mind barbecue and ripping into dripping chunks of seared meat. Water accentuates this, removing the strong sandalwood, incense-y element, and bringing out something irony and bloody. Unusual, and very enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Compass Box Hedonism Maximus

Compass Box Hedonism Maximus

Vatted grain, Compass Box
Vatted grain - Invergordon, Cameronbridge
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, orange peel, bananas, peaches, butter, lemons.
Mouthfeel: Light body, ethereal, watery.
Tasting: Sweet. Bananas, butter, orange peel, peaches, hints of cream, hints of lemons.
Finish: Short. Bananas, peaches, orange peel, vanilla.

Comments:

A special Hedonism, another vatted grain whisky, this time a combination of Cameronbridge and Invergordon. I think this one is clearly more fruity (and more bourbony) than the "normal" Hedonism. Still light, soft and round, perhaps a little too much so.

Verdict:

I like this.

Compass Box Lady Luck

Compass Box Lady Luck

Vatted malt, Compass Box
Vatted malt - Caol Ila Imperial
Pale orange gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tobacco, leather, soy sauce, raisins, pears, butter, smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loose, ethereal.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Melted butter, leather, soy sauce, pears, butterscotch, smoke, hints of peat.
Finish: Pears, butter, smoke, leather.

Comments:

A limited bottling, named Lady Luck after the providential way in which it was discovered. 2 old Caol Ilas (1980, 1984) vatted with a 1995 Imperial. It's smoky, buttery, sweet and salty, yet light, loose and ethereal. Or more precisely, unreal - I didn't think whisky this light could pack such a flavourful impact.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Compass Box Peat Monster Reserve

Compass Box Peat Monster Reserve

Vatted malt, Compass Box
Vatted malt - Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Ardmore
Pale green
48.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, leather, tobacco leaf, chocolate, soy sauce. With water, chocolate, raisins.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, smooth, volatile.
Tasting: Salty sweet. Smoke, peat, leather, walnuts, chocolate, soy sauce. With water, saltier, hints of coffee.
Finish: Long. White wines, smoke, peat, walnut skins.

Comments:

Deliciously like Ardbeg. They sell this in massive bottles greater than 1 litre - I can see why. Excellent peaty whisky, with the Ardmore tempering a big wodge of smoke and peat.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.