Hakushu Peated Spanish Oak Kogei Collection

Hakushu Peated Spanish Oak Kogei Collection

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, roast beef, sea salt, damson jam, strawberries, artificial grape flavour, chocolate, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, thickens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peat, smoke, honey, strawberries, sea salt, artificial grape flavour, chocolate, pencil erasers, hints of tyre rubber. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, smoke, pencil erasers, roast beef, artificial grape flavour, peanuts. 

Comments: 

Gently peated, fruity (with a flavour of Fanta Grape), and quite meaty. I haven’t had a Hakushu for a while, theyre not easy to come by in this part of the world. This one was very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Yamazaki Peated Malt Spanish Oak Kogei Collection

Yamazaki Peated Malt Spanish Oak Kogei Collection

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Dark Amber gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, coffee, peat, smoke, tobacco leaf, raisins, toast, sea salt, walnut skins. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Sea salt, tyre rubber, coffee, roast chicken, raisins, tobacco leaf, walnut skins. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, chocolate, coffee, walnut skins, smoke. 

Comments: 

This was pricey, but it’s got the bitter sweet, fragrant, meaty notes that I like in Yamazaki. This is supposed to be fairly young, but it reminds me of some of the older Yamazakis I’ve had.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours

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

Nose: Lemon zest, peppermint, chocolate, smoke, peat, sea salt, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Peppermint, lemon zest, smoke, tyre rubber, peat, malted grains, chocolate, sea salt, hints of oats. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, chocolate, black pepper, lemon zest, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Ardbeg is smoky chocolate to me, but this one has a big hit of peppermint and lemon. It’s also slightly salty, and that enhances the other flavours. A very good dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Compass Box Myths and Legends I (Balblair)

Compass Box Myths and Legends I (Balblair)

Myths and Legends, Compass Box
Single malt - North Highlands
Pale yellow 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, cream, white wine, apricots, honey, white pepper, hints of Demerara sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Green tea, white wine, apricots, honey, pears, malted grains, gooseberries. 
Finish: Short. Green tea, pears, honey, gooseberries, white wine. 

Comments: 

Fruity and creamy, quite sweet with a light acidity. Almost like white wine and deliciously quaffable. Smooth and slippery, especially down the throat. A dangerous session dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardmore 13yo 2009 Reserve Casks Parcel No 11

Ardmore 13yo 2009 Reserve Casks Parcel No 11

Single Malts of Scotland, Elixir Distillers
Single malt - Speyside
Pale lemon
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, apricots, toast, smoke, golden syrup, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, static, mouth coating, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Apricots, honey, smoke, peat, coffee, white grapes, dark chocolate, ginseng, hints of oakum. 
Finish: Long. Wet stones, peat, toast, golden syrup, hints of apricots. 

Comments: 

Fruity and chocolatey, but it’s all coated in a thickish layer of gentle peat. It’s very close to the surface, almost like licking the peat. Quite delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenburgie 29yo 1984/2014

Glenburgie 29yo 1985/2014

Single Cask, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold 
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Camphor, toffee, wet stones, peaches, white grapes, honey, chocolate, hints of roast chicken. With water, wet stones, roast chicken, chocolate, hints of camphor. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, mouth coating, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, camphor, damson jam, gooseberries, chocolate, wet stones, cola nuts, malted grains. With water, peaches, gooseberries, chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Chocolate, cola nuts, camphor, damson jam, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Cask 95/36/10. Chocolatey, toffee-laden and meaty whisky, on the tongue more fruit comes to the fore. Cola nuts make an appearance at the back of the throat, and again on the finish. Very impressive dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenburgie 29yo 1980/2009

Glenburgie 29yo 1980/2009

Glen Cawdor, Samaroli
Single malt - Speyside
Pale sunshine yellow
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, honey, camphor, white grapes, white pepper, fresh baked bread, hints of carbolic soap. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, mouth coating, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, white grapes, peaches, starfruit, camphor, black tea, ginseng, hints of carbolic soap. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, black tea, camphor, raisins, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 14510. Very gentle smokiness, overlaying some white fruit, mostly starfruit and peaches. Turns bitter on the tongue, feels very close to the whisky. A delicious dram

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS G16 Rare Release (Glasgow 6yo 2016/2023)

SMWS G16 Rare Release (Glasgow 6yo 2016/2023)

2023, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Amber gold 
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Shortcrust pastry, aluminium foil, butter, fresh baked bread, sea salt, plums, white grapes, hints of roast chicken. With water, fresh baked bread, damson jam, roast chicken. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Fresh baked bread, shortcrust pastry, damson jam, prunes, butter, raisins, hints of ginseng. With water, fresh baked bread, damson jam, prunes, hints of fresh cut grass. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, sea salt, fresh baked bread, black pepper, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Unusual grain whisky from Glasgow distillery. It’s buttery and redolent with dried plums and damsons. Complex for its young age, and bottled at a decent strength. Pleasing and pleasurable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Hom Mali Rice Whiskey

Hom Mali Rice Whiskey

Official bottling
Single grain - North Singapore
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Magic marker, white grapes, honey, sea salt, brioche, hints of butter. 
Mouthfeel: Cool, static, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Rice husks, toffee, honey, blueberry jam, butterscotch, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Short. Rice husks, butterscotch, blueberry jam, sea salt, honey. 

Comments: 

A milder version of the cask strength, with some additional bready notes. It’s got the fruitiness and the gentle peppery spice, but a lot of the muscular spirity power has dissipated. I think around 45% would be a good strength. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Hom Mali Rice Whiskey (Cask Strength)

Hom Mali Rice Whiskey (Cask Strength)

Official bottling
Single grain - North Singapore
Amber
68% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, blueberries, cooked rice, sea salt, wet stones, magic marker, pears. With water, caramel, pear drops, watermelons, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loosens, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Rice husks, wheat germ, cooked rice, sea salt, magic marker, pears, white grapes, hints of toffee. With water, rice husks, cooked rice, pear drops, honey. 
Finish: Medium. Magic marker, toffee, honey, rice husks. 

Comments: 

Rice whisky is still new to me, and this is a Singaporean version. It tastes of rice, unsurprisingly, but the wood aging has imparted notes of fruit and toffee. Very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.