Millburn 41yo 1974/2015

Millburn 41yo 1974/2015

Rare Old, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, camphor, salt caramel, orange peel, cloves, leather, hints of damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Camphor, leather, cloves, fresh cut grass, orange peel, bananas, pineapples, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Camphor, leather, bananas, cloves, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Cask RO/16/03. This is more like it - herbal camphor, lots of spices and fruit, with a slightly smoky edge. This has been lovingly aged, and is still complex and bright.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 1974

Millburn 1974

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeycomb, leather, orange peel, dandelions, golden syrup, fresh cut grass, salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Clay dust, leather, orange peel, toffee, honeycomb, photocopy paper, hints of tutti frutti, hints of dandelions. 
Finish: Short. Dandelions, smoke, orange peel, honeycomb, leather. 

Comments: 

Not the finest example of Millburn, but nice enough. It’s quite overwhelmed by old bottle effect, the lovely grassy fruit notes are quite faint and light. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Masthouse Pot and Column Distilled

Masthouse Pot and Column Distilled 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Kent
White wine
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, lemon sweets, photocopy paper, white wine, kiwifruit, hints of pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Pear drops, kiwifruit, lemon sweets, rhubarb and custard sweets, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon sweets, malted grains, honey, pear drops. 

Comments: 

Estery, slightly thin stuff, but it’s nice on the tongue. There’s something that is reminiscent of Rosebank here, and it’s quite promising. Perhaps in a decade or so we’ll see what this distillery can truly do.

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Triagoz

Armorik Triagoz

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, green tea, sandalwood, smoke, fresh cut grass, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, loosens, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Fresh cut grass, tobacco leaf, honey, vanilla, green tea, coffee, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Coffee, green tea, malted grains, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Distilled in 2013. It’s got great complexity, and a big heap of cereal as a backbone. Lots of herbal, bitter notes dance on the tongue. Great stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Carpathian Single Malt Commandaria Cask (bottled 2022)

Carpathian Single Malt Commandaria Cask (bottled 2022)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Sud-Muntenia
Buttercups
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, malted grains, tobacco leaf, red grapes, raisins, rosemary, hints of overripe peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Mint, rosemary, red grapes, tobacco leaf, leather, musk, hints of new plastic. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, tobacco leaf, leather, photocopy paper, hints of new plastic. 

Comments: 

Cask 3738. Quite herbal now, less sweet than its cognac cask matured sister. Lots of leathery tobacco notes and a bitter finish. Very interesting stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

North British 30yo 1992/2022

North British 30yo 1992/2022

Fruitful Spirits
Single grain - Lowlands
Bright gold
42.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, raisins, orange peel, peaches, photocopy paper, oatmeal, balsamic vinegar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Desiccated coconut, oatmeal, orange peel, pear drops, kiwifruit, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Oatmeal, vanilla, peaches, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Barrel 67633. Estery stuff, this - lots of fruity, lightly sweet notes, with some cereally complexity behind it. It’s still bright and light, even after 30 years.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dunville’s PX Cask Strength (Cask 1644)

Dunville’s PX Cask Strength (Cask 1644)

Dunville’s 
Single malt - unknown
Dark amber 
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, raisins, red grapes, damson jam, black pepper, butterscotch, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, airy, loosens, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, coffee, dark chocolate, honey, orange peel, damson jam, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Butterscotch, honey, black pepper, coffee, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

This is excellent stuff from Dunville’s. The spirit takes the cask well, it’s well integrated with the cask influence but still retains some character. Very sweet, with bitter accents, and quite enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dunville’s 20yo Oloroso Cask

Dunville’s 20yo Oloroso Cask

Dunville’s 
Single malt - unknown 
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, toffee, apple juice, raisins, malted grains, vanilla, hints of butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Toffee, honey, raisins, apple juice, white grapes, white pepper, photocopy paper, butterscotch. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, butterscotch, honey, toffee. 

Comments: 

Excellent and flavoursome, lots of toffee, honey and spice. It’s probably Cooley distillate, but it’s not common knowledge, so it’s a mystery malt for me. Can’t wait for these guys to bottle the juice from their Echlinville distillery.

Verdict:

I like this.

Carpathian Single Malt Cognac Cask

Carpathian Single Malt Cognac Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Sud-Muntenia
Bright copper gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cotton candy, honey, marmalade, strawberry jam, white pepper, hints of roses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loosens, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cotton candy, malted grains, photocopy paper, white pepper, honey, marmalade. 
Finish: Short. Photocopy paper, malted grains, cotton candy, jasmine, hints of roses. 

Comments: 

Cask 3838. Rather sweet, almost sugary, in its intensity. It’s always an extremely interesting experience to try a single malt from a new country. I can already see points of difference that intrigue me. Quite promising. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Westland American Oak Single Malt

Westland American Oak Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Washington
Amber bronze
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Clay dust, orange juice, sandalwood, vanilla, grapefruit, marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Orange juice, sandalwood, chillies, marmalade, grapefruit, autumn leaves, hints of peanuts. 
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, grapefruit, autumn leaves, chillies, hints of sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and slightly nutty American whisky. It’s not so well integrated though, there’s an earthiness that jars a little with the bright citrus notes. Some herbal fragrance on the tongue too.

Verdict:

I like this.