Langatun 5yo Batch 3

Langatun 5yo Batch 3

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt

Single malt - Bern
Sunshine yellow 
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Wet stones, diesel exhaust, toffee, salt caramel, tyre rubber, menthol, lemon juice. With water, autumn leaves, tyre rubber, lemon juice. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, slightly oily, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Diesel exhaust, tyre rubber, new plastic, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate, ginseng, hints of apricots. With water, diesel exhaust, autumn leaves, apricots. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, cocoa nibs, tyre rubber, hints of apricots. 

Comments: 

Starts out flinty and earthy, but soon turns sulphurous. Lots of dark chocolate and cocoa notes abound. I’ve not quite gotten to grips with Langatun, but this is quite pleasant.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kingsbarns 6yo 2015 Bourbon Barrel Cask #1510255

Kingsbarns 6yo 2015 Bourbon Barrel Cask #1510255

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Silvery gold
60.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, malted grains, fresh baked bread, cream, barley sugar, hints of nutmeg. With water, malted grains, honey, lemon juice, hints of condensed milk. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon juice, honey, malted grains, barley sugar, sultanas, nutmeg, hints of condensed milk. With water, malted grains, green tea, honey, hints of ginseng. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, barley sugar, lemon juice, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 1510255, of course. It’s lactic, but still quite sweet. Some citrus notes offset the yoghurty note that tips a little bit towards baby sick. Still young at 6yo, but promising. A 10 or 15 yo release from this distillery would be very interesting indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 53.318 (Caol Ila 11yo 2008/2020)

SMWS 53.318 (Caol Ila 11yo 2008/2020)

2020, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
Pale pink gold
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Roast pork, soy sauce, driftwood smoke, cedar, peat, lemon juice, heather, hints of honey. With water, honey, germolene, driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty bitter. Soy sauce, heather, malted grains, lemon juice, charcoal ash, driftwood smoke, peat, hints of fresh baked bread. With water, lemon juice, malted grains, driftwood smoke, peat. 
Finish: Medium. Charcoal ash, roast pork, lemon juice, driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

Quite smoky, and sweet for a Caol Ila. There’s some lovely meaty notes too, together with floral heather. Quite tasty and complex, especially for a whisky just 11 years old.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Craigellachie 27yo 1973/2000

Craigellachie 27yo 1973/2000

Vintage Hallmark, Hallmark of St James

Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold 
50.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, malted grains, marmalade, sarsaparilla, raisins, orange peel, cloves, cocoa nibs. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, cool, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Orange peel, fresh baked bread, cocoa nibs, chocolate, butterscotch, raisins, apricot jam, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, chocolate, coffee, raisins, nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Quite savoury for a Craigellachie. Lots of fruit and butterscotch, and plenty of cocoa as well. It tastes quite old too, flavours blending well into each other. Really quite luscious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS 9.181 (Glen Grant 24yo 1996/2020)

SMWS 9.181 (Glen Grant 24yo 1996/2020)

2020, SMWS

Single malt - Speyside 
Bronze 
49.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, toffee, cocoa nibs, honey, milk chocolate, nutmeg, cloves, marshmallows. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cocoa nibs, milk chocolate, raisins, damson jam, black tea, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, fresh baked bread . 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, fresh baked bread, raisins, cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Sweet and chocolatey, lots of beautiful sherried notes, well layered, distinct and balanced. Lovely and well-aged, it was a real pleasure to drink this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Sandebud 6yo

The Sandebud 6yo

Adelphi

 Vatted malt - Multi-country

Amber 

58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, germolene, orange peel, salt caramel, leather, cedar, hints of smoke. With water, orange peel, toast, roast pork, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Leather, peat, orange peel, germolene, nutmeg, sea salt, cinnamon, cedar, smoke. With water, toast, germolene, orange peel, photocopy paper. 
Finish: Long. Germolene, photocopy paper, smoke, leather, peat. 

Comments: 

A blend of Ardnamurchan and High Coast. Meaty, smoky, woody and fruity, it’s a good melding of complex malts with personality. Water brings out some spicy and feinty notes that complement the smokiness. Quite delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Starward Tawny Cask 2018/2022

Starward Tawny Cask 2018/2022

Official bottling 
Single malt - Victoria
Dark copper
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, strawberry jam, damson jam, milk chocolate, croissants, cinnamon, hints of cloves. With water, orange peel, raisins, damson jam, croissants, hints of butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Strawberry jam, croissants, cloves, orange peel, honey, cherries. With water, salt caramel, orange peel, strawberry jam, cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, milk chocolate, raisins, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious, this is more complex than your usual port cask finish. Lots of bread and butter, salt caramel and candied orange peel. Very enjoyable of an evening.

Verdict:

I like this.

Wolfburn 10yo

Wolfburn 10yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Highlands
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, cream, strawberry jam, tyre rubber, marmalade, brown sugar, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Marmalade, brown sugar, rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon juice, toffee, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, brown sugar, tyre rubber, honey. 

Comments: 

The flagship OB from Wolfburn! It’s lactic, creamy and slightly sulphurous. Plenty of citrus and sweet notes as well, but the robust sulphur is evident still. Decent.

Verdict:

I like this.

Old Pulteney 8yo 100 Proof

Old Pulteney 8yo 100 Proof

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Highlands
Pale copper
57.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, kiwifruit, passionfruit, greengages, clay dust, white grapes, hints of candle wax. With water, kiwifruit, honey, candle wax, greengages. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, magic marker, greengages, clay dust, lemon zest, pomeloes, candle wax. With water, honey, passionfruit, candle wax, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Clay dust, lemon zest, candle wax, greengages. 

Comments: 

Lots of white and green fruits, alongside a waxy, sweet, citrusy character. It’s quite an old bottle, so tastes quite dusty and spicy. Luscious, bottled at an almost perfect ABV.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

High Glen 3yo Batch 1

High Glen 3yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Graubünden
Golden, hints of pink
46.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, sandalwood, nutmeg, damson jam, malted grains, clay dust, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, loosens, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Marshmallows, vanilla, sandalwood, nutmeg, honey, clay dust, kiwifruit, hints of brown paper. 
Finish: Medium. Sandalwood, nutmeg, orange peel, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Spicy and woody, but with a fruity edge. It tastes dusty despite its young age, and can sometimes be almost gritty. I’ve never understood who a liquid can feel that way, but it must be a strong flavour association that’s tricking my poor brain. It then builds to a spicy, feinty finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.