Kanosuke 3yo 2018/2022

Kanosuke 3yo 2018/2022

Ghost Series, Hideo Yamaoka
Single malt - Kyushu
Pale gold
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, peaches, apricots, mint, sultanas, dried guava, gooseberries, hints of camphor. With water, sultanas, dried guava, lemon juice, hints of camphor. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, hot, astringent. 

Tasting:  Sour sweet. Magic marker, photocopy paper, dried guava, sandalwood, peaches, apricots, white pepper, hints of rosewood. With water, malted grains, dried guava, lemon juice, hints of rosewood. 
Finish: Long. Dried guava, magic marker, rosewood, sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Fruity and jammy, lots of tropical fruit and estery notes. There’s a deep, woody floral fragrance as well, rosewood, a note I’ve never encountered in whisky before. Delicious stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Mackmyra 8yo Green Tea and Amontillado Cask

Mackmyra 8yo Green Tea and Amontillado Cask

Permutations Series 2, Fib Whisky
Single malt - Gastrikland
Copper gold
45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, gooseberries, cinder toffee, dates, hibiscus, pine needles, hints of cloudberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, mouth coating, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cloudberries, gooseberries, peaches, mulberries, vanilla, cream, barley sugar, strawberry jam, hints of pine needles. 
Finish: Short. Cinder toffee, hibiscus, vanilla, cream, hints of mulberries. 

Comments: 

Tastes like a dry, complex, alcoholic fruit tea. There’s barley here too, and some of that pine needle flavour, that accentuates the herbal tea aspect. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Banff 18yo 1980/1998

Banff 18yo 1980/1998

Chieftain’s Choice, Ian Macleod
Single malt - Speyside
Light copper
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, barley sugar, malted grains, leather, celery salt, photocopy paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, slightly oily, mouth coating.
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Apple juice, soot, barley sugar, malted grains, leather, lemon zest, white pepper, gooseberries. 
Finish: Medium. Tar, soot, photocopy paper, apple juice, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Appley and very feinty, with a big heap of old bottle effect. It layers up to a surprisingly smoky, tarry finish. Still complex and distinct after all these years. There can’t be much Banff left in the world.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Makers Mark 12yo Cellar Aged 2024

Makers Mark 12yo Cellar Aged 2024

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber red
59.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, chocolate, wet stones, pencil lead, coffee, black pepper. With water, raisins, damson jam, ink. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Bananas, damson jam, chocolate, peanuts, pencil lead, cough syrup, black pepper, sea salt. With water, ink, damson jam, raisins, blackcurrant cordial. 
Finish: Medium. Cough syrup, blackcurrant cordial, peanuts, chocolate. 

Comments: 

Rather sweet and minerally, lots of jammy notes, with graphite and wet stones making it interesting. The strength helps, creating complexity.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Two Stacks Polaris 3.1 5yo Cab Franc Ice Wine Finish

Two Stacks Polaris 3.1 5yo Cab Franc Ice Wine Finish

Polaris, Two Stacks
Single malt - Leinster
Bronze gold
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, yoghurt, blue cheese, petrol exhaust, peat, tyre rubber, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, tyre rubber, soot, peat. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Petrol exhaust, raisins, apple juice, blue cheese, tobacco leaf, honey, peat, smoke, tarry rope. With water, apple juice, soot, tarry rope. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, soot, tyre rubber, apple juice. 

Comments: 

Well, I’m dubious about sweet wine finishes of peated whisky this menus odd, notes of blue cheese and tobacco appear, but they’re covered in a thick layer of soot and petrol. It’s fine.

Verdict:

I like this.

Masthouse Single Cask No 137

Masthouse Single Cask No 137

Official bottling
Single malt - Kent
Amber brown
56.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blueberries, bananas, raisins, mint, tarragon, black tea, toffee. With water, mint, coffee, raisins, toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, mint, tarragon, blueberries, cough syrup, malted grains, raisins, coffee. With water, malted grains, raisins, cough syrup, oats. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, raisins, toffee, hints of oats. 

Comments: 

Fruity and herbal, quite a heavy spirit. Tarragon and blueberries, two quite unusual tasting notes, appear, especially on the tongue. Water loosens it, bringing out the barley.

Verdict:

I like this.

Roseisle 12yo (2024 Special Releases)

Roseisle 12yo (2024 Special Releases)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Yellow gold
55.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, white grapes, magic marker, malted grains, raisins, honey, wet stones, hints of white pepper. With water, yoghurt, white grapes, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, cool, astringent.
Tasting:  Sour. White grapes, lemon zest, barley sugar, magic marker, malted grains, green tea, fresh baked bread. With water, honey, barley sugar, white grapes, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, wet stones, pencil erasers, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Fragrant, estery and feinty, lots of dried fruity notes. On the tongue, tannins and esters abound, and the whole is wreathed through with a little lactic sourness. Interesting dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teaninich 45yo 1975/2021

Teaninich 45yo 1975/2021

Highland Laird, Bartels Rawlings International
Single malt - North Highlands
Amber gold
49.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pencil lead, honey, wet stones, bananas, dates, kiwifruit, dried mangoes, pomegranate molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating, turns syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pencil lead, dried mangoes, honey, fresh baked bread, pomegranate molasses, dates, vanilla sponge, cream. 
Finish: Long. Dried mangoes, pencil lead, wet stones, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge. 

Comments: 

Cask 14796. Fruity and complex, lots of luscious cooked and dried fruit notes. But there’s a sharp, almost metallic, hit of pencil lead, and flinty stone. It tastes mouth puckering, even though it really isn’t. Excellent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

VAT 69 (1970s bottling)

VAT 69 (1970s bottling)

Diageo
Blended malt
Pale gold 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, toffee, sausages, baked beans, candle wax, hints of lemon juice. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Candle wax, toffee, smoke, baked beans, fresh baked bread, hints of tyre rubber. 
Finish: Short. Toffee, fresh baked bread, candle wax, smoke, honey. 

Comments: 

Bitter but fragrant, lots of complexity, including some unique sausages and baked beans notes! It turns sulphurous at the back of the tongue, and waxy on the finish. Can’t beat old blends.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Spring Bay Tawny Cask

Spring Bay Tawny Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Tasmania
Amber red
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, cloves, raisins, cherries, brown paper, damson jam, hints of chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, turns oily, turns syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Red grapes, toffee, cherries, damson jam, oats, fresh baked bread, white pepper, hints of chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Cherries, toffee, damson jam, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Matured in Australian fortified wine casks, lots of cherry cordial and maybe something Ribena-like. It’s sweet and young, and takes the cask influence well. Good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.