Glenburgie 32yo 1988/2020

Glenburgie 32yo 1988/2020

Old and Rare, Hunter Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold, hints of pink
43.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, papayas, starfruit, white grapes, wet stones, leather, honey, hints of sulphur. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, thickens slightly, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, pencil lead, papayas, starfruit, cinnamon, white grapes, coffee, cream, vanilla. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, white grapes, pencil lead, starfruit, honey, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Very complex and layered, big hits of honey and tropical fruit, with a long minerally finish. A really excellent whisky that showcases the power of wood aging in a low temperature environment.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

A Speyside distillery 17yo

A Speyside distillery 17yo

Chorlton Whisky

Single malt - Speyside 
Mahogany
55.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, chocolate, raspberry jam, treacle, vanilla, cream. With water, cream, raspberry jam, vanilla, shortbread. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, vanilla, honey, Demerara sugar, raspberry jam, meringues, cloves, nutmeg, sandalwood. With water, shortbread, black tea, malted grains, vanilla. 
Finish: Medium. Raspberry jam, cloves, meringues, cream, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Now this is a sherry bomb. Lots of classic jammy sugary notes, but water brings out buttery shortbread and some floral sandalwood. A very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

White Peak 4yo 2020/2024

White Peak 4yo 2020/2024

#10, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Derbyshire
Copper
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, roast chicken, chicken stock, honey, peanuts, leather, raisins, cloves. With water, vitamin C tablets, cloves, black tea, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Roast chicken, chicken stock, vitamin C tablets, lemon zest, cloves, nutmeg, smoke, orange juice. With water, chicken stock, nutmeg, honey, hints of strawberry jam. 
Finish: Medium. Vitamin C tablets, smoke, cloves, nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Peated, with a great meaty feel, lots of roast chicken notes water increases the savouriness, and bring in jammy notes with smoke and cloves. Impressively layered.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

JJ Corry Irish Whiskey

JJ Corry Irish Whiskey

#11, The Heart Cut
Blended malt
Dark gold 
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, apricots, vanilla, raisins, copper pipes, aluminium foil, black tea. With water, strawberry jam, cream, shortcrust pastry. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Aluminium foil, copper pipes, chocolate, black tea, raisins, apricot jam. With water, strawberry jam, shortcrust pastry, cream, brown paper. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, sandalwood, apricot jam, aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Four casks blended together, one of which is a pajarette cask (a first for me). It’s not a sherry bomb though, it’s delicate and complex, with plenty of feinty notes that prickle the nose. Lovely stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cardhu 14yo (2021 Special Releases)

Cardhu 14yo (2021 Special Releases)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold 
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, sandalwood, honey, cherries, marigolds, vanilla, hints of orange peel. With water, malted grains, sandalwood, honey, cherries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cream, vanilla, cherries, marigolds, malted grains, white pepper, orange peel. With water, vanilla, cream, cherries, peaches. 
Finish: Short. Orange peel, white pepper, malted grains, honey, hints of cherries. 

Comments: 

Floral and fragrant, lots of honey, lots of stone fruit. Very intense on the top layer, but the finish is brief, although powerful. Water brings out more cream and vanilla.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenglassaugh 12yo Soho Selection

Glenglassaugh 12yo Soho Selection

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, cloves, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, brown paper, black tea. With water, cream, sourdough bread, chocolate, hazelnuts. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, loosens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, vanilla, honey, chocolate, dates, raisins, cinnamon, oats. With water, cream, chocolate, hazelnuts, honey. 
Finish: Long. Cinnamon, oats, cloves, cream. 

Comments: 

Tastes like Nutella, but also with plenty of malt and cereal. Water brings the cereal to the fore, the chocolate recedes and it tastes more like hazelnuts too. A good, seasonal sherried dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve

Ichiro’s Malt Mizunara Wood Reserve

Ichiro’s Malt
Blended malt
Amber
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, milk powder, nutmeg, malted grains, vanilla, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, astringent, loosens slightly. 

Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Aluminium foil, milk powder, nutmeg, malted grains, chocolate, brown paper, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Cocoa nibs, cinnamon, raisins, aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious blend, lots of chocolate and raisin notes. There’s a feinty edge, metallic, like chewing on aluminium foil, that’s present on the nose and the tongue. A very tasty blend.

Verdict:

I like this.

Waterford Organic Gaia 2.1

Waterford Organic Gaia 2.1

Official bottling 
Single malt - Munster
Pale copper
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, malted grains, mushrooms, pineapples, orange peel, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Cookie dough, malted grains, pears, pineapples, orange peel, honey, hints of shortcrust pastry. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, toffee, honey. 

Comments: 

Waterford usually smells like mushrooms when it’s first out of the bottle. It’s not something I’m a particular fan of, but after a while it fades to reveal toasty, vanilla and fruity, with a hint of pastry. It then moves to short and slightly weak finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardmore 14yo 2010/2024

Ardmore 14yo 2010/2024

Saltire Rare Malt Whisky Co
Single malt - Speyside
Golden 
58.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Farmyard, malted grains, pear, roast beef, smoke, cream, lemon zest, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Peat, peanuts, lemon zest, smoke, cream, autumn leaves, magic marker, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Short. Peat, rye bread, yoghurt, lemon zest, hints of peanuts. 

Comments: 

Meaty and organic, lots of whiffs of the peat, not so much the smoke. Underneath that, there’s a estery core, very much like pear drops. There’s a hint of lactic note as well, before it gets very peppery and malty at the end.

Verdict:

I like this.

Fruitful Spirits 21yo Blended Whisky

Fruitful Spirits 21yo Blended Whisky

Fruitful Spirits
Blended malt
Amber bronze

45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, brown paper, green tea, vanilla, desiccated coconut, shortcrust pastry. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Brown paper, desiccated coconut, green tea, sea salt, nutmeg, strawberry jam, sourdough bread. 
Finish: Medium. Toast, malted grains, sourdough bread, shortcrust pastry. 

Comments: 

Decent blend, toasty and malty but with a very obvious grain component. There’s a bourbon-like brown paper note, with jam and spice accompanying it.

Verdict:

I like this.