Noah's Mill 15 yo 1987/2002

Noah's Mill 15 yo 1987/2002

Willett
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
57.15% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Banana, magic marker, wet stones, cinnamon, palm sugar, brown paper, hints of soy sauce.
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, thickens, turns sticky.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Banana, sandalwood, soy sauce, honey, orange peel, cinnamon, mint.
Finish: Long. Banana, honey, cinnamon, pears, mint.

Comments:

Bittersweet, more so than most bourbons, with a savoury note. Fragrant, fruity and slightly herby. From the supposedly defunct Willett distillery, and very very tasty indeed. I wish my health allowed me to drink more.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glen Keith 14 yo 1993/2007

Glen Keith 14 yo 1993/2007

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Raisins, custard, honey, vanilla, orange peel, cream.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, raisins, honey, sponge cake, cream, orange peel.
Finish: Medium. Walnuts, honey, vanilla, hints of apples.

Comments:

Wow, with around 3 weeks off from drinking whisky, it's a real pleasure to hold the glass in my hand and inhale the fumes again. I chose a nice easy Speyside, and it tasted very good initially. However, on reflection it's a bit too mild, and there aren't many interesting flavours in there. Very pleasurable none the less.

Verdict:

I like this.

All good things come to an end...

... but not drinking whisky. Instead, this hobby will have to diminish, and not so much take a back seat as get relegated to the attic.

After 3 solid years of drinking plenty of good, great and incredible whisky, I've had to slow down quite a lot. Doctor's advice, apparently my poor liver wasn't quite up to it. Mrs Red Hare and Little Red Hare are quite keen for me to stay healthy, and they come first, of course.

So this means several things for this blog and my whisky drinking life:

• Fewer tasting notes each month. Very many fewer.
  
• More selective choices of whiskies. Eventually anyway - I have an existing sample collection to work through.
• Dramming sessions with friends will become (no, stay!) rare. Truth be told, since Little Red Hare arrived, I've been able to dram my way through precisely one evening. But what an evening it was!
• More than ever, I appreciate that whisky is a luxury, and life's too short to waste on bad or mediocre stuff. Henceforth if a dram or bottle doesn't meet the pleasure standard, it goes into the bin (or the kitchen shelf for cooking).

Hopefully, with these measures, I'll be able to extend enjoyment of this great hobby for a few more years. If you're reading this blog regularly (yes, all 3 of you), please be patient - I'll put up some tasting notes every month, if not quite as often as before.

Highland Park 16 yo

Highland Park 16 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Straw
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Smoke, custard, honey, peat, orange peel, chocolate, hints of guava.
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, warm, airy.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Smoke, peat, orange peel, guava, honey, melon, hints of chocolate.
Finish: Short. Lemon juice, peat, orange peel, honey.

Comments:

A wonderful whisky. This is only available at travel retail, and is very much like the great 18 yo official bottling. However, it is less heavy on the tongue, and also less salty. It hits all the right spots though, with lots of honey, tropical fruit, smoke and peat.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch

Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch

Official bottling
Blended malt
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, lemon juice, peaches, peat, strawberries, brass polish, hints of mushrooms.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loose.
Tasting: Sour. Lemon juice, orange juice, vanilla, peat, toffee, hints of mushrooms.
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, vanilla, orange juice, peat.

Comments:

Interestingly tart, with dark whiffs of fungi. Some fruit is present in this whisky, but it's sour citrusy fruits. Quite an unusual blend, although quite tasty, and great with ice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Johnnie Walker Red Label

Johnnie Walker Red Label

Official bottling
Blended malt
Orange
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, egg custard, raisins, diesel exhaust, toffee, new plastic, peanuts, hints of lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, slippery, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Vanilla, egg custard, peat, leather, raisins, new plastic, hints of lemon juice.
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, diesel exhaust, raisins.

Comments:

I suppose that the hint of smoke in the nose and the taste is done on purpose, with the idea of making a sweeter version of Black Label. Unfortunately it deteriorates somewhat into diesel exhaust and new plastic. Drinkable.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Nikka Yoichi Single Cask 1987/2009

Nikka Yoichi Single Cask 1987/2009

Official bottling
Single malt - Hokkaido
Amber red
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cedar, tarragon, orange juice, red grapes, mushrooms, chillies, honey, peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loose, watery, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet. Cedar, tarragon, orange peel, chillies, honey, red grapes, raisins, brown paper.
Finish: Long. Oranges, chillies, raisins.

Comments:

The barman at the Curio Parlour's Nikka Whisky Bar mentioned that this was the only bottle in Europe. I feel privileged! Unusual fungal and spice notes in the nose, quickly followed by familiar honey and red grapes. The cedar and tarragon last into the tasting, but then disappear. Excellent whisky, absolutely delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Miyagikyo 15 yo

Miyagikyo 15 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - East Honshu
Amber gold
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, honey, blueberries, peaches, vanilla, lemon juice, hints of roses.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, blueberries, lemon juice, peaches, roses, apples, hints of pears.
Finish: Medium. Roses, apples, vanilla, blueberries.

Comments:

Light and ethereal, remarkably rounded and tasty. Floral and spice notes predominate, but there's a lot of fruit in here. Easy drinking, scarily easy. This is one whisky where a bottle will disappear quickly among friends.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Yoichi 20 yo

Yoichi 20 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Hokkaido
Amber
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, red grapes, peat, orange peel, strawberries, toffee, raspberries, peanuts, honey, hints of smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, slippery, loose.
Tasting: Sweet. Strawberries, red grapes, raspberries, peanuts, leather, vanilla, honey, brown paper, hints of peach.
Finish: Long. Chillies, leather, honey, strawberries.

Comments:

Like burgundy, smooth, round and light - on first nosing and tasting at least. After a while, the caramel, toffee and peanut notes begin to predominate, bringing to mind caramel peanuts at a fairground. Delicious

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 77.19 (Glen Ord 22 yo 1987/2010)

SMWS 77.19 (Glen Ord 22 yo 1987/2010)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - North Highlands
Butter
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, butter, cedar, chillies, milk, cream, pears, hints of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, gritty, slightly fizzy.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, lemon sweets, apples, cedar, butter, pears, cream, hints of peaches.
Finish: Long. Apples, butter, pears, cedar.

Comments:

Deliciously fruity and dry. Tastes like a cider, or perhaps perry, that hasn't been as fermented as English cider normally is. There are nice sweet creamy, milky, buttery notes as well, which round out the whisky and give it some body.

Verdict:

I like this.