Garrison Brothers 2015

Garrison Brothers 2015

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Texas
Amber, hints of red
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, sea salt, cookie dough, honey, milk chocolate, hints of molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Milk chocolate, sea salt, vanilla, toffee, Demerara sugar, black tea, tablet. 
Finish: Long. Tablet, vanilla, sea salt, toffee, milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

Chocolatey and sweet, lots of vanilla notes. But there’s something slightly savoury underneath that goes very well with all that sweetness. Luscious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Debt Collector Whisky 100 Proof

Debt Collector Whisky 100 Proof

Official bottling
Single blend - London
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Magic marker, vanilla, black pepper, honey, fresh baked bread, bananas, hints of brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, black pepper, fresh baked bread, brown paper, red grapes, cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Black pepper, brown paper, fresh baked bread, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

English whisky made in a bourbon style. Rather sweet and raisiny, and there’s a lot of bread and cereal notes. Still, it has the bourbon sweetness and light banana flavour.

Verdict:

I like this.

MB Roland Straight Corn Whiskey

MB Roland Straight Corn Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Bright gold
53.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Magic marker, soor ploom sweets, damson jam, pear drops, raisins, red grapes, honey. With water, peanuts, raisins, hints of molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, expands, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Magic marker, pear drops, peanuts, damson jam, honey, hints of oats. With water, oats, pear drops, honey, peanuts, hints of Demerara sugar. 
Finish: Long. Corn syrup, honey, damson jam, pear drops. 

Comments: 

Estery, lots of dried plum notes. Also very sweet, such that it reminds me of soor ploom sweets. It builds to a long finish, but that’s really quite sweet with not much k the way of other flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

Frey Ranch Farm Strength Uncut Batch 10

Frey Ranch Farm Strength Uncut Batch 10

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Nevada
Amber
61.14% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, cucumbers, vanilla, white grapes, pear drops, raisins, hints of strawberry jam. With water, cucumbers, fresh cut grass, ink. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, expands, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cucumbers, mangoes, raisins, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cookie dough, vanilla, hints of ginger. With water, fresh cut grass, strawberry jam, black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Cookie dough, vanilla, black pepper, raisins. 

Comments: 

Fruity and creamy, with an estery overtone. The high strength makes this rather intense. Water brings out some more jammy notes and grassiness. Takes water well, be generous.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Roughstock Spring Wheat

Roughstock Spring Wheat

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Montana
Green gold 
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, white wine, malted grains, ink, pear drops, hints of lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour. Pear drops, fresh cut grass, malted grains, ink, lemon zest, vanilla. 
Finish: Short. Pear drops, lemon zest, vanilla, fresh baked bread, hints of new plastic. 

Comments: 

Light, lemony, with delicate flavours. But they aren’t very well defined, they almost seem to merge into one another. There’s also a slight hint of plastic on the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Charbay Hops Whisky Release R5

Charbay Hops Whisky Release R5

Official bottling
Single malt - California
Amber gold
49.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, elderflower, raisins, edelweiss, malted grains, magic marker, nutmeg, apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Elderflower, vanilla, malted grains, magic marker, pear drops, gooseberries, white grapes. 
Finish: Short. Elderflower, vanilla, edelweiss, pear drops, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

Floral, delicate and fruity, with very marked alpine flowers notes. It’s subtle whisky, rewards introspection. The nose is lovely and the taste is fleeting. Superbly well constructed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

High Coast Quercus IV

High Coast Quercus IV

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ångermanland 
Orange gold
50.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, magic marker, gooseberries, apple juice, sandalwood, honey, hints of malted grains. With water, honey, sandalwood, vanilla, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Magic marker, gooseberries, sandalwood, apple juice, cardamom, black pepper, honey, hints of sandalwood. With water, honey, sandalwood. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, sandalwood, black pepper, cardamom. 

Comments: 

Swedish whisky aged in Mizunara oak, but grown in Mongolia, not Japan. Fruity and sweet, more of that cardamom note, but there’s a herbal, incense note that pervades the whisky. Rather fascinating.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

High Coast Hav

High Coast Hav

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ångermanland
Golden
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, sea salt, malted grains, smoke, cloves, cardamom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Malted grains, peat, raisins, leather, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, honey. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, vanilla, leather, peat, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Honeyed, but with a savoury herbal edge. It’s mostly cardamom that is the spice note, which I think is fairly unusual. It builds to a short intense finish that’s malty and slightly smoky. 

Verdict:

I like this.

High Coast Älv

High Coast Älv

Official bottling

Single malt - Ångermanland
Pale silver
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Limes, malted grains, white grapes, lemon zest, walnuts, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sour. Malted grains, limes, lemon zest, sea salt, vanilla, lavender, honey, hints of nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Limes, lavender, honey, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Swedish whisky made in the style of Japanese whisky. Very well defined flavours - limes, white grapes and malt - and very gentle and fruity. Rather good, although personally I think Japanese whisky is more robust.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Togouchi Sake Cask Finish

Togouchi Sake Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single blend - Chūgoku
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, orange peel, white grapes, mint, malted grains, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cooked rice, magic marker, mint, malted grains, vanilla, pears, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Cooked rice, orange peel, molasses, magic marker. 

Comments: 

Well, sake casks do impart some rice notes. Also there’s vanilla and fruit, and some estery notes that remind me f magic marker. The malt still shines through.

Verdict:

I like this.