Macallan Triple Cask 18yo (2019 release)

Macallan Triple Cask 18yo (2019 release)

Official bottling

Single malt - Speyside 
Sunshine gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, sea salt, malted grains, honey, dried apricots, treacle.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Chocolate, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge, salt caramel. 
Finish: Short. Dried apricots, lemon zest, vanilla sponge, honey. 

Comments: 

18 years is normally the sweet spot for whisky, at least for me, so I was looking forward to tasting this sherry monster. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations. There’s honey and chocolate of course, allied to a malty nose, but it seemed a bit thin. Bottling this at 46% or even north of 50%, may have helped, although I understand the lack of interest in a very woody, high strength whisky. 

Verdict:

Not bad. 

Macallan Whisky Maker’s Edition

Macallan Whisky Maker’s Edition 

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
42.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, dried apricots, burning matches, fresh baked bread, vanilla.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, sticky, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, chocolate, hazelnuts, vanilla, orange peel, raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, coffee, hazelnuts, dried apricots, hints of wet stones. 

Comments: 

My first official Macallan in a while. I started my whisky journey with Macallan, and at the time, it was clearly good enough to launch me into a hobby that is now well into its second decade. This one gave me hints of that experience, with some nutty chocolate alongside dried fruit. But the low ABV made it a little disappointing. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019

Single Cask, James Eadie
Single grain - Lowlands
Chinese tea
55.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, raisins, marzipan, salt caramel, cloves. With water, candied orange peel, desiccated coconut, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, raisins, cloves, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, sea salt. With water, salt caramel, desiccated coconut, raisins, vanilla.  
Finish: Long. Black tea, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, leather, raisins. 

Comments: 

Cask 48094. Old grain whisky, always quietly impressive. At cask strength the grain notes aren’t very noticeable, plenty of chocolate and salt and fruit. With water the cask influence fades a little, and the vanilla and coconut notes from the grain spirit start to appear. This is delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Tullibardine 20yo

Tullibardine 20yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oats, malted grains, barley sugar, honey, orange peel, hints of white grapes.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, orange peel, white grapes, barley sugar, oats, hints of chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, dark chocolate, orange peel, honey.  

Comments: 

I think this has been discontinued. It’s well constructed, malty and spirity, honeyed fruit with chocolate. It wears its age lightly, I would have pegged this at nearer 12 years old rather than 20. For all that, I enjoyed it very much. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kura The Whisky Rum Cask Finish

Kura the Whisky Rum Cask Finish

Kura the Whisky
Blended malt
Pale gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoke, peanuts, sour cream, orange peel, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peanuts, orange peel, cherries, vanilla, smoke, peat, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Cherries, orange peel, raisins, walnuts. 

Comments: 

I was under the impression that this whisky (and its sibling which I tasted some months ago) was single malt / single blend by the awamori distillery Helios. However, a little bit more investigation revealed that it’s actually Scotch, perhaps blended with a little Japanese malt, and aged and finished in Japan. It’s quite pleasant - sweet and smoky, with cereal overtones - but I can’t help wondering what an awamori maker could bring to the world of whisky. It should be more interesting than this. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Inchgower 10yo 2009/2020

Inchgower 10yo 2009/2020

The Hidden Spirits Whisky Company
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale straw
52.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, cola nuts, malted grains, blueberries, cotton sheets, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, syrupy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, blueberries, sea salt, candied orange peel, preserved lemons, cola nuts. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, preserved lemons, malted grains, vanilla, hints of candied orange peel.

Comments: 

I like Hidden Spirits, nearly every one of their bottlings that I’ve been lucky enough to try has been excellent. This one is too, lots of malty, spirity notes, with salty citrus and vanilla. Well aged, released at what might be the perfect time. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Port Charlotte 10yo

Port Charlotte 10yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay 
Straw
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, pomegranate molasses, sea salt, orange peel, hints of lemon zest, hints of seaweed. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Lemon zest, salt caramel, smoke, peat, seaweed, walnuts. 
Finish: Short. Pomegranate molasses, lemon zest, salt caramel, walnuts, hints of sour cream. 

Comments: 

The first regular age statement Port Charlotte bottling. I’m a little late to tasting this, but I was pleasantly surprised at the ABV of 50%. It’s very generous and it made the drinking of this whisky very pleasurable. Heaps of savoury smoke over sweet things. Not too much of the kippery note that I sometimes find in Port Charlottes and Octomores. They’ve chosen to make this gentle rather than interesting. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glendullan 10yo 2010/2020

Glendullan 10yo 2010/2020

Whisky Broker
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, malted grains, barley sugar, quinces, fresh cut grass, sage, hints of fennel. With water, honey, lemon sweets, coffee.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, honey, barley sugar, lemon zest, quinces, fresh baked bread, hints of walnuts. With water, coffee, lemon zest, oats, fresh baked bread.
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, fresh baked bread, sage, quinces, walnuts. 

Comments: 

Cask 46. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a Glendullan, and I’ve never had a whisky from this bottler. It’s a good start / restart - the whisky is fresh and bright, with good mouthfeel and lots of fruit and cereal notes. There is also a nice herbal undertone, creating good complexity.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caledonian 33yo 1982/2016

Caledonian 33yo 1982/2016

Single Cask Series, Master of Malt
Single grain - Lowlands
Golden yellow
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, corn syrup, orange peel, fennel, caramel, hints of aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, fresh baked bread, orange peel, honeycomb, orange juice. 
Finish: Long. Corn syrup, orange peel, rye, vanilla, pear drops, hints of fennel. 

Comments: 

Cask 1254. Old grain whisky, as usual tends to taste fresher and brighter than malt of an equivalent age. This one has a great deal of cereal notes, with sweeter, aromatic fruit and some fennel tops. Lovely. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

New Zealand Double Wood Small Batch 18yo (TWE Exclusive)

New Zealand Double Wood Small Batch 18yo (TWE Exclusive)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Otago
Red, tinge of amber
57.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Creamed coconut, vanilla, raisins, raspberry jam, pruneaux, grape soda, cinnamon, hints of orange peel. With water, pear drops, damson jam, grapes soda. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent.  
Tasting:  Sweet. Cinnamon, cloves, fresh baked bread, creamed coconut, raisins, dark chocolate, vanilla ice cream, hints of grape soda. With water, raisins, candied orange peel, damson jam. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, raisins, cloves, dark chocolate, grape soda, vanilla ice cream.  

Comments: 

Hugely complex dram, much more brandy like than its older sibling, also from TWE. It was quite aromatic, maybe tasting as if it had a little grain whisky in it (although the label says single malt). Excellent whisky to see the new year in with. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.