Auchroisk 10yo

Auchroisk 10yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, lemon zest, oats, vanilla, hints of rhubarb crumble. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, thickens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Lemon zest, vanilla, apple juice, fresh baked bread, rhubarb crumble. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, plum jam, lemon zest, oats. 

Comments: 

Flora and Fauna bottling. This is more heavy going whisky, it's a bit young even at 10 years old. It's as if the flavours are still sharp edged and slightly harsh, maybe they need a little longer to meld together better.

Verdict:

I like this.

Imperial 28yo 1989/2018

Imperial 28yo 1989/2018

Celebration of the Cask, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
42.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, lemon juice, brass polish, meringue, key lime pie. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warming, loosens, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, lemon juice, short crust pastry, lime juice, hints of marzipan. 
Finish: Medium. Lime juice, marzipan, vanilla, hints of pears. 

Comments: 

Bottle 021/201, cask 1675. This whisky is fresh, light and floral, despite its age. It's highly complex with plenty of luscious cereally and citrus notes, at times bringing to mind a key lime pie. This is excellent whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Minor Case Rye Whiskey (Sherry Cask Finished)

Minor Case Rye Whiskey (Sherry Cask Finished)

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, cloves, bananas, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slightly astringent, turns slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Bananas, raisins, cloves, orange peel, honey, strawberries, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Long. Chillies, vanilla, strawberries, orange peel. 

Comments: 

A young rye whiskey, perhaps slightly overwhelmed by the sherry influence. Still, it's not quite a sherry bomb. There's cloves, orange peel, plenty of vanilla, and these notes are still sharp and clear.

Verdict:

I like this.

Heaven Hill 16yo 2001/2017

Heaven Hill 16yo 2001/2017

Malts of Scotland
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber rose
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, strawberries, plums, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slightly astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, strawberries, bananas, plums, cinnamon, honey. 
Finish: Long. Brown paper, black tea, honey, cinnamon, plums. 

Comments: 

Cask 17024, bottle 95/199. This is rather sweet, but the long aging has added complexity to the bourbon. There's plenty of cinnamon and tannic notes, with the usual bourbony flavours of bananas and brown paper quite attenuated.

Verdict:

I like this.

Laphroaig Cairdeas Fino Cask

Laphroaig Cairdeas Fino Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Amber
51.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, raisins, smoke, peat, plums, hints of bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, honey, leather, sea salt, peat, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Honey, plums, bacon, hints of sea salt. 

Comments: 

From peated Speyside to sherried Islay! This one is not too sweet, the smoke and leathery peat are not overshadowed by the sweet honey. Each element is quite distinct, and the sweetness seems to give the leathery notes a meaty, robust edge.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Balvenie 14yo Peat Week 2003

Balvenie 14yo Peat Week 2003

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
48.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, honey, leather, peat, orange juice, hints of malted grains 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slippery, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Honey, lemon zest, orange juice, smoke, leather, peat, hints of chillies. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, orange juice, peat, hints of chillies. 

Comments: 

Much like a hot toddy made with Islay whisky, it's chockfull of citrus and smoky leathery goodness. Peated Speyside whiskies may seem like a gimmick, but every now and then someone manages to create one where the floral delicacy of Speyside whisky isn't overpowered by the smokiness.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Stauning Young Rye (3yo 2013/2017)

Stauning Young Rye (3yo 2013/2017)

Official bottling
Single rye - Midtjylland
Dark copper
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sour plums, vanilla, plums, apple juice, raisins, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: light body, astringent, tingly, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Cinnamon, cloves, dried apples, plums, raisins, brown paper, hints of pineapples. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, honey, cinnamon, hints of sour plums. 

Comments: 

Young rye whiskey from Denmark. It's not obviously rye spirit on first taste, being rather fruity and sweet. But then it develops, and the spicy notes come to the fore - lots of cinnamon and cloves, like apple pie and all things nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Kaos

Stauning Kaos

Official bottling
Single malt - Midtjylland
Dark gold
47.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Crem, green tea, sour plums, brown paper, oats, hints of rye bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sour. Brown paper, honey, cinnamon, oats, rye bread, hints of lemon. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon juice, honey, rye bread, oats. 

Comments: 

Danish whisky! It's a vatting of two casks, distilled in 2013 and 2014, bottled in 2017. Rather bready and cereally, like sitting in a flour mill. Underneath that, there's a soft sweetness, rather like a young bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glendalough 7yo Black Pitts Porter Finish

Glendalough 7 yo Black Pitts Porter Finish

Glendalough
Single malt - Central Ireland
Copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, cream, marshmallows, cloves, brown paper, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens immediately, turns watery, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Pears, green tea, peanuts, peaches, cloves, hints of marshmallows. 
Finish: Medium. Cloves, magic marker, pears, hints of pineapples. 

Comments: 

Another Cooley, bottled by Glendalough distillery while their single malt matures. It's been finished in porter casks, and seems to have picked up a rich, unctuous mouthfeel. There's a lot of spice in this, quite unusual in an Irish whiskey. Tasty.

Verdict:

I like this.

Snuffed Candle (Aberfeldy 15yo 1999/2014)

Snuffed Candle (Aberfeldy 15yo 1999/2014)

Single Cask, Wemyss Malts
Single malt - Central Highlands
Bright gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Beer, beeswax, apples, leather, lemon zest, pears, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pears, apples, honeydew melons, leather, lemon zest, hints of beeswax. 
Finish: Medium. Mint, honeydew melons, lemon zest, brass polish. 

Comments: 

Silky and smooth, this sweet sour bold tasting Highlander was delicious on a sticky warm summer night. There's precious little smoke though, perhaps it should be renamed 'Candle', as it's not really been snuffed.

Verdict:

I like this.