Compass Box Magic Cask 2020

Compass Box Magic Cask 2020

Compass Box 

Vatted malt
White wine
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White wine, wet stones, white grapes, winter melon, sultanas, lemon zest, hints of pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, tingly.  
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon zest, yoghurt, white wine, white grapes, pears, vanilla sponge. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, sultanas, lemon zest, hints of cream. 

Comments: 

92% Imperial, and 8% Aberlour, according to the bottle notes. There’s certainly a lot of Imperial in this, lots of fruit and cream. It was rather like a very high proof white wine, quite refreshing. I wonder what this would be like diluted to wine strength, around 15-17%, it would probably hold up against good wines. Unfortunately I did not have enough to try it. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lakes Whisky Maker’s Edition Colheita

Lakes Whisky Maker’s Edition Colheita

Official bottling 
Single malt - Cumbria
Amber rose
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, strawberries, red grapes, grape soda, cocoa nibs, hints of fresh baked bread.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, mouth coating, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberries, shortbread, cocoa nibs, vanilla sponge, sea salt, toast, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Damson jam, strawberries, toast, hints of marmalade.  

Comments: 

No water for this, there’s plenty of delicious sweet fruit here. And the Colheita finish adds strawberries and cocoa. I really enjoyed this, a masterful finish from a great whisky maker. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

 

Lakes Whisky Maker’s Reserve No 3

Lakes Whisky Maker’s Reserve No 3

Official bottling
Single malt - Cumbria
Amber
54% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, cucumber, raisins, sultanas, black tea, shortcrust pastry. With water, raisins, cucumber, marmalade, hints of sulphur.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, shortcrust pastry, sultanas, damson jam, orange peel. With water, chocolate, damson jam, marmalade, fresh baked bread.  
Finish: Short. Black tea, marmalade, vanilla sponge, raisins.  

Comments: 

Clearly a sibling of the No 2, lots of the same marmalade, pastry and damson jam notes. But this one is more vegetal, and so a little more refreshing. There’s also a bit of tannins on the finish, and it’s more subtle at the lower ABV than the No 2. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Lakes Whisky Maker’s Reserve No 2

Lakes Whisky Maker’s Reserve No 2

Official bottling
Single malt - Cumbria 
Copper brown
60.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, croissants, shortcrust pastry, vanilla, sea salt, blackberry jam, marmalade, hints of mint. With water, marmalade, red grapes, vanilla, fresh baked bread.  
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, tingly, astringent.  
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Blackberries, blackcurrant cordial, red grapes, damson jam, croissants. With water, marmalade, raisins, red grapes. 
Finish: Short. Blackcurrant cordial, damson jam, marmalade, hints of mint. 

Comments: 

Like eating a croissant stuffed with a mince pie. It’s a masterpiece of sherry aging and finishing, heaps of fruit, especially Ribena with mint on top. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Mortlach Wee Witchie 12yo

Mortlach Wee Witchie 12yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
43.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, cola nuts, marmalade, tobacco leaf, raisins, hints of apple juice. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, apple juice, raisins, vanilla sponge, malted grains, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Finish: Short. Cola nuts, lime soda, marmalade, malted grains.  

Comments: 

Malty and jammy, I found this whisky to be a bit atypical of Mortlach. There’s a punch, almost a meatiness that Mortlach has, which isn’t much in evidence here. Instead, there’s a beery base note with lots of fruit and cereal on top. It was very interesting indeed. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic Batch 2

Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic Batch 2

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber, hints of red
44% ABV
Dram

Nose: Dried cranberries, chocolate, honey cake, vanilla, red grapes, hints of pomegranate molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, static, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Honey cake, pomegranate molasses, orange peel, chocolate, hints of coffee, hints of walnuts. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, orange peel, coffee, walnuts, dried cranberries. 

Comments: 

Sweet, fruity and luscious Glenglassaugh. Lots of sherried influence here, I enjoyed it, but thought that the wood masked the spirit. Can’t quite tell if the underlying whisky was good, bad or indifferent. But it was probably good. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Lagavulin 20yo Feis Ile 2020

Lagavulin 20yo Feis Ile 2020

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Amber gold
54% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, sea salt, leather, driftwood smoke, peat, pears, hints of cucumber. With water, sweeter, orange peel, honey, hints of ginger. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, mouth coating.  
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Leather, driftwood smoke, fresh baked bread, honey, peanuts, pears, peat. With water, vanilla, oats, honey, orange peel, white grapes.
Finish: Long. Black tea, peanuts, pears, driftwood smoke, white grapes. 

Comments: 

This is glorious. Typical Lagavulin dry, salty smoke, but over a base of sweet fruity, luscious whisky. Opens up with a touch of water, turning cereally and a little spicy. Excellent, well-aged dram. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lakes Cask Sample 2

Lakes Cask Sample 2 (possibly Lakes Quatrefoil Hope)

Official bottling
Single malt - Cumbria
Dark gold 
59% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pear drops, damson jam. With water, marmalade, grape soda, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, astringent, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Pear drops, damson jam, nutmeg, grape soda, cinnamon, fresh baked bread, cocoa nibs, hints of roast chicken. With water, grape soda, sea salt, marmalade, roast chicken.
Finish: Medium. Damson jam, nutmeg, cocoa nibs, raisins, hints of roast chicken. 

Comments: 

Another unknown sample, which I think might just possibly be the Quatrefoil Hope. This has a deeper, more savoury flavour than its sibling, same sherry monster fruit notes, but with sea salt and a meatiness thrown in. Good with a touch of water (and I don’t say that about many whiskies). 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Lakes Cask Sample 1

Lakes Cask Sample 1 (possibly Lakes Quatrefoil Collection Faith)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Cumbria
Amber
56.5% ABV?
Dram

Nose: Cinnamon, leather, vanilla ice cream, raisins, dried apricots, marmalade. With water, orange peel, brown sugar, pears.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, drying, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cinnamon, leather, Scottish tablet, shortbread, raisins, vanilla sponge, marmalade, hints of white chocolate. With water, slightly bitter, pears, black tea, hints of cucumber. 
Finish: Long. Shortbread, raisins, crumpets, butter, vanilla sponge. 

Comments: 

I wasn’t told what this was, but in terms of the official bottlings that the Lakes distillery has released, the cask aging and ABV seems closest to the Quatrefoil Faith. Anyway, it’s masterful sherry aging, lots of delicious fruit notes, but also more than a hint of cereal. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Johnett Whisky 8yo 2011/2019

Johnett Whisky 8yo 2011/2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Zug
Amber
44% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Orange peel, fennel, white grapes, malted barley, fresh cut grass, leather.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh cut grass, fennel, orange peel, fresh baked bread, cloves, hints of oregano, hints of sulphur.
Finish: Medium. Fresh cut grass, oregano, fresh baked bread, hints of vanilla. 

Comments: 

Swiss whisky, apparently named after the distiller, John Etter. Anyway, it’s rather good, with a unique herbaceous note that reminds me of something between fennel and oregano, with perhaps a hint of sage thrown in. The distillery normally makes eau de vie, and perhaps there was a little left over in the still pipes...

Verdict:

I like this.