Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 24yo

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 24yo

Orphan Barrel

Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Hazelnuts, walnuts, oak chips, toffee, cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, astringent, cool.
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Hazelnuts, walnuts, chocolate, maple syrup, brown paper, fresh baked bread, cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Brown paper, hazelnuts, fresh baked bread, chocolate, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

Nutty and chocolatey, but with heaps of wood. There are savoury edges to this whisky, and some complexity commensurate with its age. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Weller Full Proof (for Melody Whisky Bar)

Weller Full Proof (for Melody Whisky Bar)

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber gold
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cranberry juice, fresh baked bread, orange peel, walnuts, raisins, hints of cooked rice. With water, cream, raisins, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cranberry juice, orange peel, walnuts, raisins, sandalwood, brown sugar, hints of parchment paper. With water, brown sugar, raisins, blackcurrant cordial, cream. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, fresh baked bread, salt caramel, orange peel, hints of strawberry jam. 

Comments: 

Rich, fruity, lots of feinty parchment notes that tickle the palate. Brown sugar sweetness vies with creamy, fragrant blackcurrants. Water brings out even more sweetness. Sticky and luscious.

Verdict:

I like this.

Old Fitzgerald 1849 8yo 1987

Old Fitzgerald 1849 8yo 1987

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cotton sheets, raisins, popcorn, brown butter, dates, toffee, hints of black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Brown butter, popcorn, toffee, blackcurrant cordial, clay dust, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, walnuts, clay dust, cloves, popcorn. 

Comments: 

Sweet, rich and intense, well aged with whiffs of dust and walnuts, yet not took cloying. I enjoyed the savoury nutty notes on the tongue, like drinking liquid popcorn soaked in Ribena. An excellent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Peerless Rye Whiskey Absinthe Barrel Finish

Peerless Rye Whiskey Absinthe Barrel Finish

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber gold
55.85% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mint, white chocolate, burnt sugar, wormwood, vanilla, white pepper. With water, anise, lemon juice, white pepper, grapefruit. 

Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Fennel, wormwood, white chocolate, anise, white pepper, hints of mint. With water, mint, anise, lemon juice, malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, wormwood, fennel, anise, malted grains. 

Comments: 

A very unusual finish, but the wood has overtaken the whisky. It tastes of mint and white chocolate, with a huge layer of anise. Interesting and different.

Verdict:

Not bad. 

Longrow 100 Proof

Longrow 100 Proof

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Bright gold
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, white grapes, yoghurt, orange peel, honey, smoke, white pepper, hints of cloves. With water, white pepper, orange peel, peat, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White grapes, white pepper, peat, smoke, autumn leaves, grapefruit, malted grains, hints of petrol exhaust. With water, white pepper, petrol exhaust, white grapes, peat. 
Finish: Long. Petrol exhaust, autumn leaves, white pepper, soot. 

Comments: 

Slightly lactic, but it’s got the characteristic motor exhaust note, and plenty of peat and soot. Water brings out more fruity and a peppery spiciness. I don’t always get to try a new whisky from Springbank distillery, quite pleased with this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aultmore 15yo 2009/2024

Aultmore 15yo 2009/2024

Hogshead Imports
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry laces, cream, cherry blossom, parchment, salt caramel, hints of toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, volatile. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Salt caramel, toffee, dates, raisins, parchment, black tea, hints of cherry blossom. 
Finish: Medium. Salt caramel, raisins, malted grains, dates. 

Comments: 

Sherried and sweet, with a nice floral, slightly papery top note. It’s sticky toffee pudding on the tongue, together with more of that floral sweetness. A very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bernheim Original 7yo Small Batch

Bernheim Original 7yo Small Batch

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber brown 
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, brown paper, caramel, chocolate, golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, expands, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Brown paper, caramel, desiccated coconut, walnut skins, cola nuts, milk. 
Finish: Medium. Milk, golden syrup, walnut skins, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Easy drinking, session bourbon, with some interesting lactic notes. It’s creamy and rich, pleasant to drink and at a reasonable strength too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Scapa 28yo 1993/2022 Distillery Exclusive

Scapa 28yo 1993/2022 Distillery Exclusive

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Sunshine yellow
57.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, peaches, winter melons, lemon zest, icing sugar, cinnamon. With water, raisins, honey, mangoes, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Mangoes, peaches, lemon zest, peat, sea salt, cinnamon, white pepper, hints of malted grains. With water, lemon zest, icing sugar, sandalwood, hints of peat. 
Finish: Long. Lemon juice, icing sugar, cinnamon, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and fruity, and with a dusty sweet note that reminds me of icing sugar. Water brings out spicy herbal fragrances, almost perfumed, but also peat. An excellent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

The Hearach Batch 1.8

The Hearach Batch 1.8

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Golden bronze
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, sultanas, smoke, tyre rubber, olive brine, lemon juice. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Soot, smoke, white grapes, sultanas, pencil erasers, olive brine, walnut skins, hints of diesel exhaust. 
Finish: Long. Soot, diesel exhaust, peat, smoke, sultanas. 

Comments: 

Sooty and smoky, yet fruity with savoury notes. It’s well integrated and delicately layered, excellent for its young age, and one of the first releases from this distillery.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Arran 21st Anniversary Limited Edition

Arran 21st Anniversary Limited Edition

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Amber bronze
52.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Magic marker, pears, eucalyptus, menthol, raisins, malted grains, sea salt, hints of soot. With water, fresh baked bread, menthol, camphor, hints of pencil lead. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, mouth coating, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Pears, eucalyptus, camphor, menthol, raisins, dried apricots, black tea, sea salt. With water, fresh baked bread, dried apricots, menthol. 
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, camphor, black tea, eucalyptus. 

Comments: 

Quite herbal, with refreshing notes of menthol and eucalyptus, like liniment. But it’s also sweet and savoury, and water brings out dried fruit and cereally notes. Complex, layered, delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.