SMWS 66.28 (Ardmore 10 yo 1998/2008)

SMWS 66.28 (Ardmore 10 yo 1998/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramelised peanuts, raisins, milk chocolate, cornflakes, vanilla, rotting meat, hints of marijuana, hints of sea salt.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, a little volatile.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Leather, cornflakes, marijuana, milk chocolate, rubber, hints of rare steak, hints of smoke.
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, cookie dough, leather.

Comments:

Smells like the inside of an Amsterdam cafe, with chocolate brownies, cereal and pot... In the mouth, the chocolate mutates to leather, with a little smoke, but the pot notes still dominate the taste. Very unusual!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 50.37 (Bladnoch 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 50.37 (Bladnoch 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
Pink gold
60.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marzipan, brass polish, rhubarb, lemon sweets, hints of lime, hints of meringue.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly astringent, watery.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemon sweets, lime, vanilla, rhubarb, hints of almonds, hints of caramel, hints of broccoli.
Finish: Short. Astringent, peanuts, lemons, rhubarb.

Comments:

Tart, fruity, and slightly vegetal. Light and watery, with a slight bite on the tongue (battery acid? It's too nice to be that). A little nutty, but mostly tart. Rhubarb tart? Exactly that in more ways than one.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 30.59 (Glenrothes 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 30.59 (Glenrothes 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
White wine
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brass polish, lemons, toffee, salt caramel, vanilla, hints of aluminium foil.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, metallic, astringent, thickens.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Lemons, dark chocolate, walnut skins, bitter gourd, hints of vanilla, hints of aluminium foil.
Finish: Bitter walnut skins, orange peel.

Comments:

A little bit too metallic to be tasty. Very unusual Glenrothes, very unusual whisky for that matter. Other than the pervasive aluminium foil notes, it's bitter, hinting at being sweet, but never gets there.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Campbeltown Loch NAS

Campbeltown Loch NAS

Official bottling
Blend
White wine
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Brass polish, kippers, lamb's wool, plums, butter, peat, hints of coal smoke, malted beer.
Mouthfeel: Light body watery, loosens up fast.
Tasting: Sour. Peat, lemons, plums, butter, kippers, mint, hints of vanilla, hints of smoke.
Finish: Long. Chillies, mint, smoke, hints of lemons.

Comments:

Oh, this has a lot of Springbank in it, loads of lamb's wool, wreathed in a little coal smoke. Even plummy notes. But it's tempered with lemons and mint, with a hint of spiciness in the finish. I wish this was stronger.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 37.43 (Cragganmore 15 yo 1993/2008)

SMWS 37.43 (Cragganmore 15 yo 1993/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Red rose
60.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, plums, coca cola, demerara sugar, hints of raisins, hints of apples. With water, gets more chocolatey, more apples.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, turns slightly watery.
Tasting: Sweet. Plums, coca cola, roast ham, cloves, cinnamon, raisins, hints of rum, hints of chocolate. With water, gets sweeter, more chocolate, stewed plums
Finish: Long. Sweet, plums, coca cola.

Comments:

A little like cherry coke perhaps? Or Nigella Lawson's coke-braised ham? Quite interesting, without water. Once the water is added it becomes more familiar, with more chocolate and fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 29.70 (Laphroaig 11 yo 1996/2008)

SMWS 29.70 (Laphroaig 11 yo 1996/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
White wine
56.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, seaweed, apples, peat, smoke, wood, hints of lemons.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Smoke, peat, apples, pears, lemons, peanuts, sea salt, seaweed, hints of vanilla.
Finish: Long. Smoke, tobacco leaf, apples.

Comments:

Makes me think of hard, crunchy smoked red apples! Very maritime, although the salt is curiously missing on the palate - it's hard to describe, ghostly briney notes are the best that I can do. The appley notes mask quite a lot of other flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 121.24 (Arran 5 yo 2002/2008)

SMWS 121.24 (Arran 5 yo 2002/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Islands
Amber
61.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, vanilla, apples, orange peel, rubber, salt caramel, hints of sulphur.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Chillies, butter, tablet, rum and raisin, salt caramel, orange peel, hints of peat.
Finish: Long. Sweet, sherry, toffee, rubber.

Comments:

Wow. Surprisingly drinkable at this strength, needs no water at all! Very sweet, a bit rough around the edges, but loaded with spice and fruit. Reminds me of very good Caribbean rum, with just a hint of peat prodding me into remembering that this is Scotch.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 10.63 (Bunnahabhain 11 yo 1997/2008)

SMWS 10.63 (Bunnahabhain 11 yo 1997/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
White gold
56.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, vanilla, hazelnuts, toffee, oranges, hints of smoke, hints of grilled beef. With water, nose turns medicinal, sweeter, with cinnamon and hints of cough mixture.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns milky, thickens fast.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Peat, smoke, raisins, hazelnuts, orange peel, toffee, hints of cinnamon, hints of vinegar. With water, turns sweeter, lemons, oranges and toffee appear.
Finish: Long. Smoke, peat, orange peel, tobacco leaf.

Comments:

Very peaty for a Bunnahabhain! The peat obscures quite a lot, although it isn't unpleasant. This whisky is excellent with water, as it opens up to reveal a lot of fruity, sweet, pungent notes. very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 77.16 (Glen Ord 21 yo 1987/2008)

SMWS 77.16 (Glen Ord 21 yo 1987/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - North Highlands
Pale gold
55.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Violets, rhubarb, lemon sweets, cinnamon, sausages, hints of orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, tingly.
Tasting: Sour. Toffee, lemons, cinnamon, orange peel, hints of pear, hints of smoke.
Finish: Short. Warm, toffee, salt.

Comments:

A little meaty and sour, with some interesting spicing going on. But not a particularly pleasant whisky, although not unpleasant either. I found it a little hard to get excited about. But it's not bad.

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 27.72 (Springbank 12 yo 1996/2008)

SMWS 27.72 (Springbank 12 yo 1996/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Sunny gold
57.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, green apple, peat, kippers, caramel, hints of raspberries.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loose, watery around the edges.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Caramel, lemons, green apples, peat, kippers, wool, hints of rhubarb, hints of smoke.
Finish: Medium. Sour, caramel, raspberries.

Comments:

Quite a fruity Springbank, despite the typical kippers, peat and wool coming through. A little tart for my taste, with rhubarb (compote?) and green apples quite abundant. Pretty enjoyable - and quite interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.