Filey Bay First Release

Filey Bay First Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Yorkshire
Silvery gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White wine, wet stones, pear drops, vanilla, white grapes, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White wine, ink, wet stones, malted grains, peanuts, lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, rye bread, wet stones, white wine. 

Comments: 

A new distillery, releasing its first official bottling - there are few more exciting events for a whisky enthusiast. This is from the Spirit of Yorkshire distillery. It's minerally, almost fortified, yet with delicate fruit and hearty cereal. I found it very promising indeed, it's young of course, but there's a fair bit of complexity there.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Aberfeldy 21yo (launched 2015)

Aberfeldy 21yo (launched 2015)

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cola nuts, raisins, ice cream soda, peanuts, hints of jasmine tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Cookie dough, vanilla, salt caramel, raisins, jasmine, hints of milk chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Jasmine tea, peanuts, dried apples, hints of cloves. 

Comments: 

Rather gentle for a 21yo, but there's plenty of sweet notes - dried fruits, spice, even some floral notes. I think it's a little too washed out for me, the notes aren't particularly intense. But it's a nice dram even so.

Verdict:

I like this.

Isfjord Whisky #2

Isfjord Whisky #2

Official bottling
Single malt - Hovedstaden
Dark gold
42% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, raspberries, heather, peat, smoke, petrichor, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, chunky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Heather, fresh baked bread, cookie dough, apple juice, peat, smoke. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, peat, dark chocolate, hints of raspberries. 

Comments: 

A young Danish whisky from around Copenhagen. This expression is the peated version, there is also an unpeated one. It's rather gentle peat and smoke, the underlying spirit is quite sweet, even spicy. Excellent rich mouthfeel too. Very promising dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Method and Madness Hungarian Oak

Method and Madness Hungarian Oak

Official bottling
Single malt - Southern Ireland
Golden, tinge of green
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toasted coconut, treacle, cinnamon, melon, vanilla, hints of brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cinnamon, treacle, walnut skins, butterscotch, brown sugar, vanilla fudge. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, cinnamon, treacle, hints of white grapes. 

Comments: 

There's a lot of toastiness here - the whisky is redolent with warm flavours, coconut, butterscotch, treacle, lots of things that have browned or otherwise undergone Maillard reactions. It's also, somehow, surprisingly light, and that's how I identify it as an Irish whiskey.

Verdict:

I like this.

Tamdhu-Glenlivet 22yo 1991/2014

Tamdhu-Glenlivet 22yo 1991/2014

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Amber rose
57% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Strawberries, red grapes, raisins, dried apricots, white peaches, hints of milk chocolate. With water, white peaches, cedar, cinnamon, papaya. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, astringent, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Red grapes, cream, vanilla, red grapes, walnut skins, white peaches, hints of allspice. With water, allspice, cinnamon, papaya, dark chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, milk chocolate, cream, hints of dried apricots. 

Comments: 

Fruity, highly fragrant and quite spicy, this whisky is complex and intense, especially at cask strength. There's a lot of wood influence in this, and I must have a miniature filled from the dregs of the bottle, because there's a a fair bit of sediment in it. It's delicious, the type of intense sweet, Speyside that I enjoy very much.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold

Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Golden honey
43% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Honey, cinnamon, blackcurrant cordial, honeycomb, hints of orange blossom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, turns airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Walnut skins, vanilla, honeycomb, orange blossom, dark chocolate, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Honeycomb, orange blossom, blackcurrant cordial, vanilla, hints of peaches. 

Comments: 

This whisky is meant to be tried straight from the freezer, but I think it's actually better at room temperature. There's the distinctive honeyed Dalwhinnie character, and additional layered notes of chocolate, orange blossom, and something very much like leather. It's delicious, and, whilst I normally think 40% ABV is a little weak, in this instance it's quite appropriate. The whisky is extremely easy drinking and gentle, and lovely when relaxing in this awful lockdown.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Milk and Honey Young Single Malt

Milk and Honey Young Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Tel Aviv
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, smoke, leather, charcoal powder, raisins, hints of cardamom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens, warming. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Raisins, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge, charcoal powder, eat, orange peel, applesauce. 
Finish: Short. Peanuts, leather, orange peel, vanilla sponge. 

Comments: 

It might be that this dram is less than 3 years old, as the word 'whisky' is suspiciously absent from the label. Oddly peaty and leathery on the nose, there's also an ashy hint of charcoal. It's sweeter on the tongue, even fruity, but the ashy charcoal note is still there. Very interesting indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Royal Brackla 19yo 1991/2011

Royal Brackla 19yo 1991/2011

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Cola nuts, raisins, malted grains, cloves, cream, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, syrupy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla cream, orange peel, raisins, winter melon, sponge cake, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla cream, black tea, orange peel, winter melon. 

Comments: 

A nice gentle Royal Brackla, spicy, at a very nice strength. Lots of fruit notes, and baked goods notes, as well a very nice mouthfeel indeed, almost luxurious. Somehow, whisky doesn't come like this anymore.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Balvenie 17yo Doublewood

Balvenie 17yo Doublewood

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale amber
43% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Ginger, red grapes, cloves, marmalade, Horlicks, hints of chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, turns syrupy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, marmalade, cloves, chocolate, Horlicks, honey, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, raisins, vanilla sponge, orange peel. 

Comments: 

I've had the younger version, many years ago. This is sort of 'classic' Balvenie, lots of orange in it, but also some interested malted notes. Is 17 much better than 12? Well, the additional 5 years of aging does add some complexity.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Mhor 16yo 1979/1995

Glen Mhor 16yo 1979/1995

Cask, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Dark orange gold
66.7% ABV
Half bottle

Nose: Leather, pears, cucumber, butter, honey, hints of sea salt, hints of smoke. With water, white pepper, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, astringent, spirity. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Gooseberries, white grapes, greengages, sea salt, soy sauce, leather, hints of smoke With water, allspice, white pepper, white grapes, fresh cut grass. 
Finish: Long. Cucumber, greengages, ginger, cinnamon, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Finally cracked this bottle open, it's been sitting in my cupboard for a good decade or so. It probably wasn't a magnificent whisky when it was bottled, but time plus rarity value has really made a difference. It's fresh and fruity, quite light, plenty of green and white stone fruit. There's also a lot of old bottle effect, leathery, savoury rancio that covers quite a spicy finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.