Cambus 32yo 1989/2022
Caskshare
Single grain - Lowlands
Dark gold
Around 45% ABV
Dram
Nose: Cream, sandalwood, cedar, pears, fresh cut grass, popcorn, salted caramel.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, slippery.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Popcorn, salted caramel, lemon zest, cream, vanilla, cedar, butter, hints of black tea.
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, vanilla, cream, butter, sea salt, hints of salted caramel.
Comments:
Cask 41752. Buttery old grain, utterly delicious and comfortingly straightforward. Heaps of popcorn and salted caramel, just the type of grain whisky I like. Yummy.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Thursday, 28 July 2022
Raasay 45 months Peated Cask Sample, Virgin Chinkapin Oak Cask
Raasay 45 months Peated Cask Sample, Virgin Chinkapin Oak Cask
Caskshare
Single malt - Islands
Amber
Around 55% ABV
Dram
Nose: Leather, mint, fresh cut grass, raisins, sage, orange peel, white pepper, smoke. With water, pears, pencil erasers, white pepper, hints of dark chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Mint, fresh cut grass, orange peel, sage, smoke, dark chocolate, white pepper, sea salt, hints of roast chicken. With water, dark chocolate, pears, pencil erasers, smoke.
Finish: Medium. White pepper, smoke, leather, dark chocolate, hints of roast chicken.
Comments:
This is actually whisky, unlike the previous 2 cask samples I had from Raasay. It’s fruity and spicy, lots of interesting flavours imparted by the virgin oak cask. Some slightly sulphurous notes too, but ‘good’ sulphur rather than unpleasant sulphur. Water opens it right up, creating a smoky, chocolatey dram.
Verdict:
I like this.
Caskshare
Single malt - Islands
Amber
Around 55% ABV
Dram
Nose: Leather, mint, fresh cut grass, raisins, sage, orange peel, white pepper, smoke. With water, pears, pencil erasers, white pepper, hints of dark chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Mint, fresh cut grass, orange peel, sage, smoke, dark chocolate, white pepper, sea salt, hints of roast chicken. With water, dark chocolate, pears, pencil erasers, smoke.
Finish: Medium. White pepper, smoke, leather, dark chocolate, hints of roast chicken.
Comments:
This is actually whisky, unlike the previous 2 cask samples I had from Raasay. It’s fruity and spicy, lots of interesting flavours imparted by the virgin oak cask. Some slightly sulphurous notes too, but ‘good’ sulphur rather than unpleasant sulphur. Water opens it right up, creating a smoky, chocolatey dram.
Verdict:
I like this.
Tuesday, 26 July 2022
Glen Grant 24yo 1998/2022
Glen Grant 24yo 1998/2022
Monologue, Chapter 7
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
51.1% ABV
Dram
Nose: Vanilla, rose petals, artificial grape flavour, white grapes, honey, jasmine, malted grains, cream.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, mouth coating, warm.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Rose petals, vanilla, caramel, cream, malted grains, honey, jasmine, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Medium. Cream, caramel, honey, jasmine, orange peel.
Comments:
Cask 6454. Floral and sweet, lots of cereal notes as well. Certain estery flavours on the nose don’t quite make it to the tongue, unfortunately. Beautiful finish though, a highly enjoyable dram. Thank you Andrea!
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Monologue, Chapter 7
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
51.1% ABV
Dram
Nose: Vanilla, rose petals, artificial grape flavour, white grapes, honey, jasmine, malted grains, cream.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, mouth coating, warm.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Rose petals, vanilla, caramel, cream, malted grains, honey, jasmine, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Medium. Cream, caramel, honey, jasmine, orange peel.
Comments:
Cask 6454. Floral and sweet, lots of cereal notes as well. Certain estery flavours on the nose don’t quite make it to the tongue, unfortunately. Beautiful finish though, a highly enjoyable dram. Thank you Andrea!
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Yamazaki Spanish Oak 2022 Edition
Yamazaki Spanish Oak 2022 Edition
Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Mahogany red
48% ABV
Dram
Nose: Cream, nutmeg, raisins, dark chocolate, vanilla, orange peel, hints of toast.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, expands.
Tasting: Bitter. Black tea, raisins, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate, coffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, hints of black pepper.
Finish: Medium. Black tea, black pepper, coffee, dark chocolate.
Comments:
The first Yamazaki I’ve tasted in 7 years, a function of the insane prices and the rarity of the whisky itself. Lots of winey sweet notes, highly sherried whisky. Clean, well-defined and complex flavour notes, with a nice bitter finish. Excellent stuff.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Mahogany red
48% ABV
Dram
Nose: Cream, nutmeg, raisins, dark chocolate, vanilla, orange peel, hints of toast.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, expands.
Tasting: Bitter. Black tea, raisins, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate, coffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, hints of black pepper.
Finish: Medium. Black tea, black pepper, coffee, dark chocolate.
Comments:
The first Yamazaki I’ve tasted in 7 years, a function of the insane prices and the rarity of the whisky itself. Lots of winey sweet notes, highly sherried whisky. Clean, well-defined and complex flavour notes, with a nice bitter finish. Excellent stuff.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Westland Garryanna 5th Edition
Westland Garryanna 5th Edition
Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Dark gold, hints of copper
50% ABV
Dram
Nose: Malted grains, smoke, leather, peat, burning leaves, honey, cedar, hints of orange peel, hints of golden syrup.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, warm.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Malted grains, golden syrup, Chinese angelica, orange peel, black tea, smoke, leather, hints of tobacco leaf.
Finish: Long. Chinese angelica, tobacco leaf, leather, strawberries, golden syrup, cedar.
Comments:
Herbal and woody, lots of bitter flavours that meld very well together. There’s more than a little smoke as well, very pleasant and well constructed. This is excellent whisky, in an unusual style.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Official bottling
Single malt - Washington
Dark gold, hints of copper
50% ABV
Dram
Nose: Malted grains, smoke, leather, peat, burning leaves, honey, cedar, hints of orange peel, hints of golden syrup.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, warm.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Malted grains, golden syrup, Chinese angelica, orange peel, black tea, smoke, leather, hints of tobacco leaf.
Finish: Long. Chinese angelica, tobacco leaf, leather, strawberries, golden syrup, cedar.
Comments:
Herbal and woody, lots of bitter flavours that meld very well together. There’s more than a little smoke as well, very pleasant and well constructed. This is excellent whisky, in an unusual style.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Bimber Port Cask (bottled for Nickolls & Perks)
Bimber Port Cask (bottled for Nickolls & Perks)
Official bottling
Single malt - London
Amber red
58.7% ABV
Dram
Nose: Coconut cream, red grapes, raisins, chocolate, vanilla custard, buttered toast, hints of peanuts. With water, coconut cream, raisins, buttered toast.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, strawberries, vanilla, orange peel, buttered toast, malted grains, milk powder, hints of cloves. With water, black tea, buttered toast, strawberries, milk chocolate.
Finish: Short. Malted grains, orange peel, buttered toast, cinnamon, cloves.
Comments:
Cask 40. Biscuity and buttery, lots of delicious winey flavours. The ABV is a little bit in your face for such a young whisky. Lots of nutty notes on the nose that fade on the tongue.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Official bottling
Single malt - London
Amber red
58.7% ABV
Dram
Nose: Coconut cream, red grapes, raisins, chocolate, vanilla custard, buttered toast, hints of peanuts. With water, coconut cream, raisins, buttered toast.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, strawberries, vanilla, orange peel, buttered toast, malted grains, milk powder, hints of cloves. With water, black tea, buttered toast, strawberries, milk chocolate.
Finish: Short. Malted grains, orange peel, buttered toast, cinnamon, cloves.
Comments:
Cask 40. Biscuity and buttery, lots of delicious winey flavours. The ABV is a little bit in your face for such a young whisky. Lots of nutty notes on the nose that fade on the tongue.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Daftmill 15yo 2007/2022 (Nickolls & Perks Exclusive)
Daftmill 15yo 2007/2022 (Nickolls & Perks Exclusive)
Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
58.7% ABV
Dram
Nose: Peaches, honeysuckle, lemon zest, cloves, cinnamon, apple juice, hints of shortcrust pastry. With water, vanilla, cloves, peaches, apple juice.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet. Peaches, honeysuckle, apple juice, cider vinegar, vanilla, black tea, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. With water, malted grains, stale beer, cloves, honeysuckle, peaches.
Finish: Medium. Coffee, nutmeg, cloves, black tea, hints of vinegar.
Comments:
Cask 039/2007. Lovely honeyed, fruity Daftmill, peaches and honey, but lacks the herbal edge the other Daftmills I’ve tried have. Left alone for a long time, it develops notes of vanilla and rose water. Stunning.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Dram
Nose: Peaches, honeysuckle, lemon zest, cloves, cinnamon, apple juice, hints of shortcrust pastry. With water, vanilla, cloves, peaches, apple juice.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet. Peaches, honeysuckle, apple juice, cider vinegar, vanilla, black tea, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. With water, malted grains, stale beer, cloves, honeysuckle, peaches.
Finish: Medium. Coffee, nutmeg, cloves, black tea, hints of vinegar.
Comments:
Cask 039/2007. Lovely honeyed, fruity Daftmill, peaches and honey, but lacks the herbal edge the other Daftmills I’ve tried have. Left alone for a long time, it develops notes of vanilla and rose water. Stunning.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Saturday, 23 July 2022
Raasay 33 months Cask Sample, Woodford Reserve Rye Cask
Raasay 33 months Cask Sample, Woodford Reserve Rye Cask
Caskshare
Single malt - Islands
Pale green gold
Around 60% ABV
Dram
Nose: Yoghurt, cream, lemon zest, cumin, sea salt, white pepper. With water, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, white pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Yoghurt, sourdough bread, cumin, lemon zest, sea salt, white pepper. With water, lemon zest, orange peel, fresh cut grass, white pepper.
Finish: Medium. Caraway seed, cumin, lemon zest, hints of orange peel.
Comments:
Age matters, as does the cask, I suppose. This whisky is spicy, lots of warming spices such as cumin and pepper, alongside some lemony tartness. A few more years will see this right.
Verdict:
I like this.
Caskshare
Single malt - Islands
Pale green gold
Around 60% ABV
Dram
Nose: Yoghurt, cream, lemon zest, cumin, sea salt, white pepper. With water, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, white pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Yoghurt, sourdough bread, cumin, lemon zest, sea salt, white pepper. With water, lemon zest, orange peel, fresh cut grass, white pepper.
Finish: Medium. Caraway seed, cumin, lemon zest, hints of orange peel.
Comments:
Age matters, as does the cask, I suppose. This whisky is spicy, lots of warming spices such as cumin and pepper, alongside some lemony tartness. A few more years will see this right.
Verdict:
I like this.
Raasay 17 months Peated Cask Sample, Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Cask
Raasay 17 months Peated Cask Sample, Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Cask
Caskshare
Single malt - Islands
Pink, hints of orange
Around 60% ABV
Dram
Nose: Malted grains, oat porridge, surgical spirit, popcorn, red grapes, pomegranate molasses, new plastic. With water, orange peel, peaches, red grapes, lemon curd.
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, expands, hot.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Smoke, peat, pomegranate molasses, new plastic, orange peel, red grapes. With water, new plastic, peaches, lemon curd, smoke.
Finish: Long. New plastic, smoke, leather, oat porridge, hints of surgical spirit.
Comments:
Very alcoholic, not much else in terms of flavour, at least on the surface. Delving a bit reveals some nice windy notes, but also a heap of new plastic bags. I would say there are some promising features, but it needs a lot of aging.
Verdict:
I like this.
Caskshare
Single malt - Islands
Pink, hints of orange
Around 60% ABV
Dram
Nose: Malted grains, oat porridge, surgical spirit, popcorn, red grapes, pomegranate molasses, new plastic. With water, orange peel, peaches, red grapes, lemon curd.
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, expands, hot.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Smoke, peat, pomegranate molasses, new plastic, orange peel, red grapes. With water, new plastic, peaches, lemon curd, smoke.
Finish: Long. New plastic, smoke, leather, oat porridge, hints of surgical spirit.
Comments:
Very alcoholic, not much else in terms of flavour, at least on the surface. Delving a bit reveals some nice windy notes, but also a heap of new plastic bags. I would say there are some promising features, but it needs a lot of aging.
Verdict:
I like this.
Wednesday, 20 July 2022
Longmorn 13yo 2009/2022
Longmorn 13yo 2009/2022
Strictly Limited, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden, hints of pink
47.5% ABV
Dram
Nose: Vanilla, cornflakes, popcorn, dulce de leche, white pepper, hints of lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, expands slightly.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Orange peel, cornflakes, dulce de leche, butterscotch, popcorn, caramel, raisins, hints of nutmeg.
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, butterscotch, dulce de leche, milk, hints of white pepper.
Comments:
A lovely little Longmorn, lots of milk and caramel, but not overly lactic. It tastes almost exactly like a sweet, highly buttered popcorn. There are some other notes as well, orange peel and a little white pepper, but these don’t detract at all. Delicious.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
Strictly Limited, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden, hints of pink
47.5% ABV
Dram
Nose: Vanilla, cornflakes, popcorn, dulce de leche, white pepper, hints of lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, expands slightly.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Orange peel, cornflakes, dulce de leche, butterscotch, popcorn, caramel, raisins, hints of nutmeg.
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, butterscotch, dulce de leche, milk, hints of white pepper.
Comments:
A lovely little Longmorn, lots of milk and caramel, but not overly lactic. It tastes almost exactly like a sweet, highly buttered popcorn. There are some other notes as well, orange peel and a little white pepper, but these don’t detract at all. Delicious.
Verdict:
I like this a lot.
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