SMWS 91.19 (Dufftown 20 yo 1985/2005)

SMWS 91.19 (Dufftown 20 yo 1985/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale yellow
56.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Figs, white grapes, butter, vanilla, marzipan, rubber, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, warm.
Tasting: Bitter. Figs, white grapes, butter, vanilla, sponge cake, rubber, new plastic, peat, hints of cedar.
Finish: Short. Vanilla, new plastic, white grapes.

Comments:

Fruity, almondy and fresh on the nose. It started out quite promising. However, there were harsh overtones of rubber and new plastic (the unpleasant sort - like visiting a chemical factory) on the tongue. A little disappointing.

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 72.19 (Miltonduff 20 yo 1988/2008)

SMWS 72.19 (Miltonduff 20 yo 1988/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
57.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, lemons, butter, brown paper, vanilla, egg yolk, hints of smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, warm, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, lemons, butter, egg yolk, vanilla, tarry rope, hints of smoke, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Soot, smoke, tar, walnut skins.

Comments:

The nose betrays little sign of what is to come - a milky, sweet, smoky, peaty rush of flavours that overwhelms the palate. Very big surprise on the tongue. I wasn't prepared for this, but it was delicious.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 38.15 (Caperdonich 28 yo 1976/2005)

SMWS 38.15 (Caperdonich 28 yo 1976/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale copper
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, lemon sweets, grass, smoke, pineapple, guava, hints of green apple.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, smooth, loosens.
Tasting: Sour bitter. Lemon sweets, figs, pineapples, green apples, smoke, hints of hazelnuts.
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, pineapples, smoke.

Comments:

A plethora of smoky fruits, among them curiosities such as pineapples and green apples. An amazing, fruity, smoky dram. Great pleasure to drink.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glendronach 12 yo Original

Glendronach 12 yo Original

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, brown sugar, molasses, plums, oak, hints of peaches.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, wet.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, honey, molasses, butter, vanilla, oak, plums, cherries, hints of truffle.
Finish: Medium. Walnuts, raisins, cherries, oak.

Comments:

Musty, fruity and dense. This is new-style Glendronach, a reboot of the old flagship bottling. Very oaky, like a slightly dry, less rounded Merlot, with lots of sweet and buttery overtones. Slight bitterness in the finish. Pretty good.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 46.19 (Glenlossie 16 yo 1992/2009)

SMWS 46.19 (Glenlossie 16 yo 1992/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale yellow
52.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, peanuts, condensed milk, butter, white wine, lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, tingly, volatile.
Tasting: Sour. Lemons, lemon zest, vanilla, white wine, peanuts, hints of white grapes, hints of bananas.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, banana, white grapes, white wine.

Comments:

So tingly it's almost fizzy. Whisky isn't carbonated of course, so this feels (and tastes) very much like flat champagne. The similarities don't end there - despite the cask strength, it feels quite light, very drinkable, and quite dry. Got to be careful with this one.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 35.32 (Glen Moray 34 yo 1975/2009)

SMWS 35.32 (Glen Moray 34 yo 1975/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Bright amber
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Jasmine, red wine, cinnamon, blackcurrants, raisins, maraschino cherries, hints of butter. With water, vanilla, condensed milk.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, slightly astringent, warms up. With water, loosens.
Tasting: Sweet. Blackcurrants, raisins, maraschino cherries, orange peel, cinnamon, red wine, hints of jasmine. With water, sweeter, vanilla, condensed milk, orange peel.
Finish: Long. Bitter melon, cinnamon, red wine, soot. With water, soot disappears, more raisins, blackcurrants.

Comments:

Old, and rare. Quite a chameleon, especially once water is added. It's strong, sweet and smoky, even sooty, but once water is added the sooty, ashy element melts away to become even more fruit - blackcurrants and raisins predominate. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 19.42 (Glen Garioch 19 yo 1988/2009)

SMWS 19.42 (Glen Garioch 19 yo 1988/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - East Highlands
Copper
52.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Walnuts, sponge cake, smoke, caramel, vanilla, mint, hints of prunes. With water, raisins, plums, more vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, thickens, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Walnuts, butter, sponge cake, vanilla, mint, prunes, hints of smoke, hints of butterscotch. Changes with water, more prunes, plums, raisins, black tea.
Finish: Short. Smoke, prunes, butterscotch, mint, vanilla.

Comments:

Quite light and ethereal. Tastes quite different, and easier on the palate, once water is added. Very fruity, but the hint of smoke tempers this. More smoky on the finish, and sweeter too. Drinkable.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 119.10 (Yamazaki 19 yo 1989/2009)

SMWS 119.10 (Yamazaki 19 yo 1989/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - West Honshu
Dirty brown
62.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, palm sugar, cocoa, caramel, burnt rubber, rum, orange peel, hints of wood smoke, hints of roast pork.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, astringent, volatile.
Tasting: Sweet. Raisins, burnt rubber, orange peel, dark chocolate, roast pork, caramel, palm sugar.
Finish: Long. Palm sugar, cocoa, wood smoke, burnt rubber.

Comments:

Mmmm. Lovely sherried Yamazaki, tastes old but really isn't. I wonder where this one aged. Anyway, it's sweet with a chemical undercurrent, and a savoury meatiness that's almost textural. Very good indeed, as good as the official 18 yo that won so many awards. I might get a bottle of this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Millburn 21 yo 1971/1993

Millburn 21 yo 1971/1993

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Orange gold
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Lemons, gooseberries, peaches, leather, menthol, oats, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, smooth, loosens.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peaches, lemons, gooseberries, orange peel, leather, sherry, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Gooseberries, peat, lemons, walnuts.

Comments:

A rare find, this. The distillery has been silent since 1985, and this bottling very hard to find. Sweet and unctuous, with a peaty tang that isn't too dense. The fruit is very in-your-face, and the whisky is quite sweet. Lovely. I wish I had more.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Tomatin 12 yo

Tomatin 12 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, bananas, flint, wheat, leather, dried cherries.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warms, slippery.
Tasting: Sour. Lemons, bananas, flint, leather, dried cherries, hints of plums, hints of fermented fruit.
Finish: Medium. Wheat, flint, lemons, bananas.

Comments:

Sour, yet fruity. There's a strong estery whiff of bananas, followed by a sweetish sickly scent of fermented fruit, maybe plums. It smells like what you make before you distil it into eau-de-vie. And it tastes like it too. Strange, but not unpleasant, such whiskies rarely are.

Verdict:

I like this.