Suntory Hibiki 17 yo

Suntory Hibiki 17 yo

Official bottling
Blended malt
Golden brown
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Soy sauce, raisins, oatcake, apricots, cucumber, hazelnuts, hints of peat, hints of sea salt.
Mouthfeel: Light body, water, expands.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Malty beer, apricots, raisins, hazelnuts, soy sauce, butter.
Finish: Medium. Butter, apricots.

Comments:

Mmm... flavour explosion! Very fruity, with some soy sauce notes that create a savoury counterpoint, overlaid with butter. If there is a weakness it's the finish, which is a little short and slightly too buttery. Great whisky, I don't care if it's a blend.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Blair Athol 12 yo 1993/2005

Blair Athol 12 yo 1993/2005

Provenance, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Central Highlands
Golden yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, peaches, leather, orange peel, rosehips, malty beer, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Coffee, leather, malty beer, raisins, walnut skins, white grapes, peaches.
Finish: Long. Coffee, raisins, leather, walnut skins.

Comments:

Sweet and fruity. Nice notes of coffee in the taste and finish, with walnut skins to provide and accentuate some bitterness. Could do with a little more strength, then it would really taste like rum and raisin...

Verdict:

I like this.

Braeval 8 yo

Braeval 8 yo

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

Nose: Vanilla, barley sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, christmas pudding, cookie dough, hints of orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens in the mouth, egg white.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Coffee, orange peel, cinnamon, vanilla, cookie dough.
Finish: Short. Coffee, vanilla, orange peel.

Comments:

Lousy packaging - the bottle started leaking before I got home! The smell was glorious though, Christmas pudding, all manner of sweet spice and orange peel, and even a little chocolate chip cookie. The nose however promised more than the taste delivered. The mouthfeel and taste gave away how young this whisky was.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 44.38 (Craigellachie 9 yo 1999/2008)

SMWS 44.38 (Craigellachie 9 yo 1999/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pink gold
61.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, butter, toffee, honey, honeycomb, raisins, treacle.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, very loose.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Apples, chocolate, vanilla, butter, raisins, oak.
Finish: Medium. Oak, chocolate, vanilla, apples.

Comments:

Sweet, some fruit, a little like fruit cake with some wine on the side. Not particularly interesting, slightly too appley. Not objectionable though. Not my type of mouthfeel. 26 November wasn't a good night for whisky.

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 35.25 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2008)

SMWS 35.25 (Glen Moray 10 yo 1998/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pink gold
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, butter, smoked ham, toffee, raisins, Brazil nuts, hints of apples.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, volatile, thickens in the mouth.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, mint, vanilla, honey, hints of peat, hints of butter.
Finish: Short. Salty, Brazil nuts, orange peel.

Comments:

You can have too much of a good thing I suppose. There's a really interesting whisky lurking inside this, but it's hidden in folds and layers of Brazil nut. I like Brazil nuts as much as the next man, but having to scrape through to find sweet, fruity and meaty notes underneath is a little frustrating. Shame.

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 122.17 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 122.17 (Loch Lomond "Croftengea" 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - South Highlands
Light gold
58.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, tar, salt ham, smoked chicken, butter, apples, hints of coal.
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, hot, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Smoke, apples, raisins, smoked chicken, soy sauce, butter, hints of lime.
Finish: Long. Smoky, coal, smoked chicken.

Comments:

Peated Loch Lomond (hence branded Croftengea) made in Lomond stills. Tastes a little like roast chicken that sat too long in a coal fire. The hints of lime make me think of Thai food - perhaps a little like pad thai perhaps? Interesting, and quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 7.38 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

SMWS 7.38 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Mahogany
52.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sherry, coriander, oak, vanilla, apples, orange peel, hints of black pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, thickens slightly in the mouth, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Coriander, chilli pepper, rubber bands, apples, marmalade, hints of brown paper.
Finish: Long. Red grapes, warm, salty.

Comments:

The oldest whisky I've tasted so far (and, given the credit crunch, the oldest whisky I'm likely to taste for a while). Sherry cask matured, with a tang of coriander seed that differentiates it from the best sherried Glen Grants. Very tasty, and unique.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Nikka Whisky from the Barrel

Nikka Whisky from the Barrel

Official bottling
Blended malt
Amber
51.4% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Banana, vanilla, oak, pineapple, camphor, apple, hints of orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily, thickens in the mouth.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Musk, camphor, banana, apples, melon, peat, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Long. Warm, chillies, vanilla.

Comments:

I'm not sure whether or not this is a blend or a vatted malt. The soft fruity oaky notes make me plump for the former. But there's a lot of robust stuff under the soft cloak - camphor, hints of chillies, and the muscular olive oil-like mouthfeel. My bottle (it only comes in half litres) gave me great pleasure.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Yamazaki 18 yo

Yamazaki 18 yo

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

Nose: Peat, raisins, orange peel, custard, cloves, marmalade, grilled pork.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, expands in the mouth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peat, orange peel, walnuts, sherry, raisins, bitter melon, black pepper.
Finish: Long. Oranges, bitter melon, peat, ginseng.

Comments:

Voted best whisky in the world in 2008. Even at low strength the spiciness comes through, and there's excellent variety - I almost wrote down coriander seed and cardamom, but realised that they were ghost notes, not even hints. It's not that easy to describe this whisky. Excellent char siu in the nose, reminiscent of five spice powder perhaps?

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 78.39 (Ben Nevis 10 yo 1997/2008)

SMWS 78.39 (Ben Nevis 10 yo 1997/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - West Highlands
Amber red
54.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, custard, leather, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, dry, astringent, tannic.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Oat porridge, dried cranberries, raisins, black tea, mulled wine, hints of citrus.
Finish: Long. Dry, citrus, vanilla, coca cola.

Comments:

For something so young, this has excellent depth of flavour - almost like an aged Glen Grant. Except there's a lot more fruit, and hints of cereal, tea and coca cola. Loaded with leather and butter in the nose too. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.