Helsinki Rum Cask Rye Whiskey Release #14

Helsinki Rum Cask Rye Whiskey Release #14

Official bottling
Single rye - Southern Finland
Orange gold 
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pine, bananas, pear drops, honey, cinnamon, black pepper, hints of jasmine. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, static, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, bananas, pears, black pepper, rye bread, mangoes, hints of jasmine.  
Finish: Short. Pine, rye bread, honey, white grapes. 

Comments: 

A sweet and fragrant rye, the rum cask appears to have imparted notes of tropical fruit and flowers. It’s gentle and light, a very decent sipping whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenury Royal Rare Malts 23yo 1971/1994

Glenury Royal Rare Malts 23yo 1971/1994

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber red
61% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, bananas, pears, honey, oranges, leather, hints of watermelon. With water, watermelon, lemon zest, hints of nutmeg.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Leather, cinnamon, pears, apples, honey, vanilla, hints of ginger. With water, tobacco leaf, leather, lemon zest, watermelon, ginger. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, tobacco leaf, ginger, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Dram #1,500, has to be a special one! I chose a Glenury Royal sample that I’d been saving. It’s chock full of old bottle effect, alongside the fruitiness and sweet spiciness that Glenury Royal has. It’s very drinkable, as with most in the Rare Malts range, needs just a smidgen of water. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Torabhaig Legacy Series 2017 Inaugural Release

Torabhaig Legacy Series 2017 Inaugural Release

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Pale silvery gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, apples, vanilla, lemon sherbet, hints of butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, warms slightly, airy.  
Tasting:  Salty sour. Leather, peat, smoke, scallops, apples, lemon zest, black pepper, hints of artificial grape flavour. 
Finish: Long. Lemon sherbet, vanilla, peat, sea salt, hints of liquorice, hints of apricots. 

Comments: 

This is the inaugural release from the new Torabhaig distillery on Skye. It’s quite good - delicate, bright, reasonable level of complexity, and spicy. This is good competition for Talisker, and I look forward to older expressions.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Linkwood 12yo 2008/2021

Linkwood 12yo 2008/2021

Strictly Limited, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber, hints of red
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, red grapes, honey, dried apples, black tea, hints of mint. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, honey, dried apples, barley sugar, malted grains, hints of mint, hints of dried apricots. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, dried apricots, orange juice, mint, raisins. 

Comments: 

Another youngish Linkwood, this time quite heavily sherried (PX cask finish). It’s really quite sweet, lots of dried fruit, and the herbal grassiness manifests as a faint minty flavour throughout.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5yo

Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5yo 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay 
Dark gold
47.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, dried apricots, sea salt, pear drops, orange peel, tobacco leaf.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Orange peel, tobacco leaf, dried apricots, smoke, vanilla, peat, hints of salt caramel. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, lemon sherbet, smoke, peat. 

Comments: 

The newest addition to the Ardbeg range of age statement expressions, this whisky is wild and unbalanced, lots of sweet, sour and bitter going on. But somehow, it works - the bitter smoke goes well with the citrus and vanilla. There’s not a lot of chocolate in this Ardbeg, but there’s a herbal note that I sometimes find in other, older bottlings. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Arran 25yo

Arran 25yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Dark amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, candied orange peel, nutmeg, manuka honey, chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, thickens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Fresh baked bread, chocolate, dried apricots, manuka honey, raisins, candied orange peel, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Long. Chocolate, sea salt, candied orange peel, dried apricots, nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Well sherried Arran, sweet with more than a hint of the sea. Lots of cereal notes wreathed through with honey and dried orange peel, this whisky is very sweet. It’s a great official expression. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glencadam 26yo 1989/2015

Glencadam 26yo 1989/2015

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - East Highlands 
Bright gold
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, butter, malted grains, candle wax, brass polish, rhubarb and custard sweets. With water, lemon zest, leather, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon juice, lemon zest, malted grains, fresh baked bread, rhubarb and custard sweets, barley sugar. With water, sweeter, barley sugar, rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, oatcakes, vanilla, walnuts, hints of ginseng. 

Comments: 

Bright and citrusy, this whisky tastes younger than it is, yet carries quite a deep complexity. The flavours are well defined and intense, and taper to a cereally, bitter finish. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Cradle Mountain from the Small Concern distillery 21yo 1996/2017

Cradle Mountain from the Small Concern distillery 21yo 1996/2017

Individual Cask, WM Cadenhead 
Single malt - Tasmania 
Pink gold
56.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, peanut butter, raisins, chocolate, hints of mint, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, white grapes, soursop, peanuts. 
Mouthfeel: Medium, tingly, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peanut butter, white grapes, chocolate, butterscotch, hints of mangoes. With water, peanuts, white grapes, pear drops, soursop. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, peanut butter, vanilla, hints of white grapes. 

Comments: 

I was very lucky to find this. There’s only about 7 casks from this distillery - it was a short lived project which made distillate exclusively for Cadenheads, although they’re reopening a new distillery on the site. The whisky is a lot like peanut butter M&Ms, mixed with some notes of tropical fruits. Utterly delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glentauchers 22yo 1997/2020

Glentauchers 22yo 1997/2020

Renaissance, Whisky Baron
Single malt - Speyside 
Teak, hints of green
48.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apricots, honeydew melons, dried apples, orange peel, barley sugar, hints of fresh cut grass.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honeydew melons, orange peel, apricots, peaches, leather hints of vanilla. 

Finish: Short. Peaches, black tea, leather, honey, apricots. 

Comments: 

Cask 3884. This whisky was a strange colour, brownish, with a dirty green cast, almost like pond water. But don’t let it put you off, it’s magnificent. Lots of fruit and sweet notes, and a leathery, almost peaty note that makes it great. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aberfeldy 22yo 1996/2018

Aberfeldy 22yo 1996/2018

Malts Festival, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Central Highlands
Straw
52.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, barley sugar, lemon zest, watermelon rind, white grapes, hints of green apples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, tingly, slightly slippery.  
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Green apples, white grapes, malted grains, leather, fresh baked bread, hops, hints of watermelon rind. 
Finish: Medium. Hops, walnuts, vanilla, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Surprisingly malty and floral. There’s a vegetal note that reminds me of watermelon rind, or perhaps sweet pickled cucumbers. It all tapers to a bitter finish. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.