Coleburn 29yo 1970/1999

Coleburn 29yo 1970/1999

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, brass polish, vitamin C tablets, fresh cut grass, orange juice. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Orange juice, brass polish, wet stones, vitamin C tablets, leather, fresh cut grass, white chocolate, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Medium. White chocolate, brass polish, leather, lemon zest, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Very different from the previous dram, this one is still citrusy but has a bit more of a herbal character. There’s quite a lot of white chocolate, and feinty notes appear after a little while. A dram to contemplate.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Coleburn 34yo 1967/2002

Coleburn 34yo 1967/2002

Old and Rare Platinum Selection, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Buttercups
50.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, lemon zest, cream soda, vanilla, leather, celery salt, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, malted grains, gooseberries, cream soda. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White chocolate, leather, papayas, cream soda, celery salt, gooseberries, malted grains, hints of cloves. With water, malted grains, leather, gooseberries, photocopy paper. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, cream soda, cloves, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Excellent old Speyside whisky, like gooseberry cream soda. Lots of feinty notes appear with a few drops of water, and the old bottle effect comes through. Utterly delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Kyrö 4yo 2018/2023

Kyrö 4yo 2018/2023

#3, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Southern Finland 
Dark amber
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, black pepper, rye bread, vanilla, honey, cloves, white grapes. With water, blackcurrant cordial, black pepper, rye bread, parchment. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Strawberry jam, white grapes, gooseberries, parchment, black pepper, honey. With water, black tea, parchment, coffee, strawberry jam. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, parchment, wet stones, black pepper, coffee. 

Comments: 

Very jammy for a Kyrö, but the dry parchment and bready notes are also much in evidence. There’s plenty of spice, and with water it turns bitter and tannic. A chameleon of a whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Lochlea Ploughing Edition Second Crop

Lochlea Ploughing Edition Second Crop

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale green gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, coffee, driftwood smoke, green apples, vanilla, lemon zest, hints of germolene. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, loosens, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Driftwood smoke, germolene, leather, vanilla, lemon zest, green apples, rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of wet stones. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, leather, ginseng, lemon zest, driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

Remarkably smoky, I believe this has been aged in an ex-Islay cask. There’s a lot of flavour in this, tart fruit overlaid with smoke and flinty stone. Rather good.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arran 8yo 2014/2022

Arran 8yo 2014/2022

Provenance, Douglas Laing 
Single malt - Islands
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Wet stones, butterscotch, butter, vanilla, apples, shortcrust pastry, hints of white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Green apples, butter, wet stones, cinnamon, vanilla, malted grains, hints of lemon zest, hints of fried eggs. 
Finish: Medium. Green apples, vanilla, malted grains, ginseng. 

Comments: 

Nice, appley, malty whisky, but the Island character is a little muted. There’s some sea salt somewhere, and some sulphurous fried egg, but it’s sour and fruity really.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Auchentoshan 8yo 2015/2023

Auchentoshan 8yo 2015/2023

Provenance, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Lowlands
Green gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green apples, almonds, passionfruit, vanilla sponge, honey, hints of ginger. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Almonds, passionfruit, barley sugar, green apples, malted grains, green tea, hints of vanilla sponge. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, barley sugar, malted grains, ginger. 

Comments: 

Tart and light, lots of nice green apple notes. It’s got a bit of a tannic note hovering in the back, but this fades to sweet barley sugar on the finish. Rather pleasant.

Verdict:

I like this.

Westward 5yo 2018/2023

Westward 5yo 2018/2023

#7, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Oregon
Dark gold
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vitamin C tablets, orange peel, raisins, lemon zest, almonds, passionfruit, brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Oatcakes, passionfruit, almonds, raisins, brown paper, cedar, lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, oatcakes, cedar, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Rather salty and citrusy, with a slightly astringent and metallic tinge. Nevertheless it’s got a lot of flavour for something that is just 5 years old. Thins out to a bit of wood on the finish, but that doesn’t hurt it at all.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Westward Pinot Noir Cask

Westward Pinot Noir Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Oregon
Amber gold 
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red grapes, honey, sandalwood, cedar, wet stones, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Brown paper, raisins, white pepper, red grapes, oatcakes, cedar, digestive biscuits. 
Finish: Medium. Oatcakes, white pepper, wet stones, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Quite intense and flavourful, lots of sweet notes with a nice cereally biscuity spine. It fades to a flinty, bitter finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Convalmore 13yo 1969

Convalmore 13yo 1969

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail

Single malt - Speyside
Chinese tea
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cocoa nibs, honey, papayas, butterscotch, pineapples, raisins, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, tingly. 

Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Papayas, gooseberries, leather, butterscotch, white pepper, raisins, honey. 
Finish: Short. Butterscotch, cocoa nibs, coffee, raisins, papayas. 

Comments: 

Old and dusty, almost chalky. But it doesn’t taste of chalk, instead there’s plenty of tropical fruit, and a fragrant finish. A very good, very old, very rare dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Convalmore 39yo 1975/2015

Convalmore 39yo 1975/2015

Rare Old, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
48.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, papayas, honey, candied oranges, winter melons, green tea, cocoa nibs. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loosens, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, papayas, candied oranges, coffee, mint, malted grains, green tea, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, honey, papayas, leather, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask RO/15/06. Speyside with a difference - lots of tropical fruit, followed by fragrant, bitter coffee and cool mint on the tongue. Long intense malty finish too. Utterly amazing dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.