White Oak Akashi Meisei

White Oak Akashi Meisei

Official bottling
Single blend - West Honshu
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, coffee, malted grains, honey, hints of red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, mouth coating, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Coffee, red grapes, vanilla, blueberries, hints of candied orange . 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, coffee, candied oranges, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Another offering from the Eigashima distillery, replacing an earlier expression that may (or may not) have had some non-grain spirit in it. This is all grain. It's decent, savoury and fruit-perfumed, nice mouthfeel too. There's a teensy hint of chinotto in the finish too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Balcones True Blue 100 Proof

Balcones True Blue 100 Proof 

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Texas
Dark amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cookie dough, chocolate chips, sandalwood, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loose, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Chocolate chips, raisins, cloves, vanilla, cream, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, raisins, cloves, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Robust, aggressive and forward, this whiskey is sweet yet laden with spicy notes. It starts to turn bitter on the tongue, then fades to spicy yet again. It's brilliant, and hits flavour profiles from Japan, Scotland and even India. But no - it's American!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glencadam 21 yo

Glencadam 21 yo 

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Sunshine yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, vanilla, white grapes, cream, hints of chamomile. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, fuzzy, loose. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, lemon zest, orange juice, cream, white chocolate. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, chamomile, vanilla, hints of green tea. 

Comments: 

Gentle and fruity, tastes young despite its decent age. Sweet, turns slightly more robust and creamy after holding it in the mouth for a while. Then it fades away to a fruity, herbal, slightly tannic finish. This is one whisky where I feel adding water would definitely destroy the complexity.

Verdict:

I like this.

Willett's Pot Still Reserve Single Barrel

Willett's Pot Still Reserve Single Barrel

Willett 
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, raisins, peanuts, candy floss, white pepper, hints of caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Caramel, brown paper, bananas, candy floss, golden syrup, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Short. Caramel, brown paper, treacle, hints of chocolate. 

Comments: 

Wow, this is nice! Not only is this bourbon chock-full of the usual bananary notes, it's got some characteristics of a well sherried whisky - raisins, candy floss and even some slightly spicy white pepper. Very nice offering from the somewhat fictional Willett distillery.

Verdict:

I like this.

Craigellachie 8 yo 2006/2015

Craigellachie 8 yo 2006/2015

Strictly Limited, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brass polish, raisins, white grapes, apples, chocolate, hints of coffee . 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, astringent, tingly . 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, white grapes, coffee, apples, walnuts, hints of driftwood. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, olive oil, driftwood, apples. 

Comments: 

Oof. Nice and complex, many flavours warring with each other. Quite tannic, with the bitter notes jarring slightly with the sweet estery fruit. Maybe it's meant to be this way, balance is not always good. I approve.

Verdict:

I like this.

Millstone 12 yo Sherry Cask Matured

Millstone 12 yo Sherry Cask Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - North Brabant
Dark amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, sandalwood, raisins, leather, black tea, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, leather, pomeloes, raisins, chocolate, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, raisins, sandalwood, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

Nicely sherried whisky. It's chocolatey, leathery, and more than a little fruity. Quite fragrant, slightly Japanese in character. It isn't, of course, it's Dutch, but the sherry cask influence is generous and flavourful without being overwhelming. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lost Distilleries Blend Batch #7

Lost Distilleries Blend Batch #7

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Blended malt
Gold, tinge of copper
49.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brass polish, lemon juice, hay, soy sauce, hints of leather, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, chewy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Leather, lemon juice, raisins, pears, black tea, hints of soy sauce. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, raisins, pears, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

I liked Batch #6, and this one lives up to that standard. Somewhat like a young Rosebank, maybe vatted with a little Yamazaki (what I wouldn't give to try that vatting!), this is really fragrant with savoury umami notes. Great nutty finish too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Compass Box Peat Monster

Compass Box Peat Monster

Compass Box
Blended malt
White wine
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, lemons, orange peel, peat, smoke, hints of mint. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, loose, refreshing. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemons, oranges, peat, smoke, hazelnuts, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, hazelnuts, smoke, hints of brass polish. 

Comments: 

Worthy successor to the old Peat Monster Reserve. A fair bit more tart, and definitely a lot more nutty, than its predecessor. Good stuff, this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Girvan 50 yo 1964/2015 (cask 2)

Girvan 50 yo 1964/2015 (cask 2)

Vintage Cask Collection, AD Rattray
Single grain - Lowlands
Gold, tinge of pink
46.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, blackcurrant cordial, iron filings, brass polish, honey, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Raisins, white grapes, vanilla, honey, lemon zest, hints of rice krispies . 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, white grapes, blackcurrant cordial, hints of cotton candy. 

Comments: 

Ok, this is a real treat. As I grow older, whiskies older than I am are rarer and rarer. I'm pleased to report that this one is very good indeed. I like the fruity, slightly bitter notes - no bright, brassy estery notes here. It's been very well aged, and there's plenty of cereally notes on the back of the tongue and on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky

Michel Couvreur
Blended malt
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, leather, raisins, lemon zest, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, thickens, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Black tea, leather, lemon zest, pine needles, coffee, hints of dark chocolate . 
Finish: Long. Black tea, lemon zest, wood polish, coffee, hints of pine needles. 

Comments: 

Nice blend, not too sweet. Pleasantly tannic and astringent, fragrant pine and slightly bitter coffee notes. Good stuff, tastes aged, even though I believe this is about 12 years old or so.

Verdict:

I like this.