Lochlea First Release

Lochlea First Release 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: New plastic, lemon sweets, vanilla, barley sugar, honey, dried pears. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon sweets, marshmallows, lime cordial, barley sugar, dried pears, fresh baked bread, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, lime cordial, vanilla, white pepper. 

Comments: 

A gentle yet complex dram. A very promising first release from Lochlea, heaped with dried pears and lime cordial, and a whisper of a spicy edge in the finish. I liked this, and would drink more from this distillery (not something I always say).

Verdict:

I like this.

Thompson Brothers 5yo Blended Scotch Whisky

Thompson Brothers 5yo Blended Scotch Whisky

Thompson Bros
Blended malt
Dirty amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange peel, red grapes, milk chocolate, black tea, hints of manuka honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, hot, turns airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Milk chocolate, red grapes, raisins, orange peel, vanilla, manuka honey, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Milk chocolate, cinnamon, orange peel, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Rather milky and sweet, a lovely young blend from the Thompsons. Very refreshing and pleasant, although I’m not sure that it was the best final dram of the evening.

Verdict:

I like this.

Drumshanbo 2021 Galanta Release

Drumshanbo 2021 Galanta Release 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Connacht 
Bright gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tinned peaches, dried apricots, starfruit, lemon zest, honey, applesauce, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Tinned peaches, applesauce, malted grains, black tea, white grapes, honey, dried apricots, cherries. 
Finish: Long. Dried apricots, black tea, applesauce, cinnamon, hints of cherries. 

Comments: 

Very fruity and light. Quite Irish in character - well, mouthfeel, at least - but also quite intense. Lots of spice and malt, I’m very interested to try more releases from the Shed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Svach’s Old Well Whisky 2nd Release

Svach’s Old Well Whisky 2nd Release 

Official bottling 
Single malt - South Bohemia
Amber
42.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, raspberries, stale beer, overripe plums, fresh baked bread, hints of strawberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loosens slightly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peaches, lemon zest, barley sugar, fresh baked bread, overripe plums, cola nuts, kiwifruit, hints of stale beer. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, strawberry jam, kiwifruit, barley sugar, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

Czech whisky, what a treat! I regret not trying the Hammerhead releases when I had a chance. Let me remedy it. This release from Svach distillery is fruity and quite intense, lots of jammy notes, rather good. Recommended as a pleasant surprise.

Verdict:

I like this.

Singleton of Dufftown 18yo

Singleton of Dufftown 18yo 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber copper
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, salt caramel, dark chocolate, cloves, tyre rubber, fresh baked bread, hints of muesli. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, slightly astringent, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, honey, salt caramel, cola nuts, fresh baked bread, dark chocolate, black tea, muesli. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, orange peel, salt caramel, cola nuts, hints of muesli. 

Comments: 

Lots of typical caramel and toffee notes, this time with an edge of salt and creamy, oaty muesli. I find official Dufftowns quite sweet and toffee-like, even a little over-oaked, but this one has some more complexity underneath that. Nice stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Teaninich 12yo 2009/2021

Teaninich 12yo 2009/2021

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - North Highlands 
Straw
54.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, fresh cut grass, sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, hints of pineapples. With water, sweeter, toffee, cinnamon, fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cinnamon, lemon zest, oats, barley sugar, fresh cut grass, black tea, hints of sour cream. With water, sweeter, barley sugar, toffee, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Oats, sour cream, cola nuts, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Quite a cereally Teaninich, not much of the usual grass or tropical fruit. There’s some spiciness, and lactic sourness, and something distressingly oaty, almost like dish soap.

Verdict:

I like this.

Balvenie Tun 1858 Batch 5

Balvenie Tun 1858 Batch 5

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, raisins, fresh cut grass, orange peel, vanilla, honey, blackcurrant cordial. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, thickens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, vanilla, raisins, honey, orange peel, stale beer, candied ginseng, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Long. Candied ginseng, orange peel, black pepper, honey, caramel. 

Comments: 

A Taiwan exclusive. It’s malty and rather heavy, unlike the lighter, floral Balvenies I’ve had in this tasting session. There’s some feinty malty flavours here, and it fades to a long sweet spicy finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 8

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 8

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale amber
50.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, sea salt, lemon zest, orange peel, black pepper, candied ginseng, hints of seaweed. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, warm, expands slightly, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Toffee, salt caramel, orange peel, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, hints of seaweed. 
Finish: Long. Cinnamon, strawberry jam, cloves, black pepper, toffee. 

Comments: 

Another aspect of Balvenie, this time caramelly and sweet. Lots of spices too, this time heading towards pepper and nutmeg. There’s a savoury edge as well, but the Balvenie orange is present, just presented alongside other flavours.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 1

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
47.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, leather, lemon zest, orange blossom, honeydew melons, pineapples, sea salt, acacia honey, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Leather, lemon zest, sea salt, bananas, orange blossom, soursop, pineapples, white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, orange blossom, acacia honey, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

This is a legendary (at least for me) bottling, one that I’ve been trying to track down for a long time. It’s a little like the 1974 Signatory, less orange and more leather and honeydew. It’s hugely complex, lots of casks went into this, creating hints of spice and lots of other tropical fruit.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Balvenie 25yo Rare Marriages

Balvenie 25yo Rare Marriages 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Manuka honey, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sandalwood, damson jam, hints of clay dust. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Barley sugar, raisins, damson jam, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh baked bread, sandalwood, leather, clay dust. 
Finish: Medium. Barley sugar, fresh baked bread, raisins, clay dust, manuka honey. 

Comments: 

Again that lovely spiced honey note, alongside lots of damson jam. There’s a bit more malty cereal in this one though - plenty of bready notes, with sweet barley sugar. Utterly lovely.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.