Ledaig 12yo 2007/2020

Ledaig 12yo 2007/2020

Hidden Spirits Whisky Company
Single malt - Islands
Pale gold
52.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, burning plastic, lemon zest, white grapes, hints of cedar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, slippery, loose. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Smoke, peat, lemon zest, white grapes, marzipan, hints of yoghurt.

Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, peat, smoke, cedar, egg whites. 

Comments: 

Cask LG0720. Here’s a non meaty Ledaig, less bacon than some smoked butter and cream. Lots of wood as well for some reason, so it still smells somewhat like a barbecue. There’s something sulphurous in the finish too. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Ledaig 7yo 2011/2019

Ledaig 7yo 2011/2019

Signatory, Unchillfiltered 
Single malt - Islands
Golden
60.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bacon, apple juice, lemon zest, Germolene, burning plastic, hints of white grapes. With water, carrot cake, sultanas, smoky.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, astringent, loosens.  
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Apple juice, lemon juice, white grapes, smoke, bacon, ginseng. With water, tart, smoke, lemon juice, green apples.
Finish: Medium. Ginseng, leather, peat, smoke, lemon juice.

Comments: 

Cask 15. Quite medicinal and meaty, a little like frying bacon, although there’s something chemical underneath, although not in an unpleasant way. It’s quite classic Ledaig, smoky, peaty and quite appetising. I quite often feel hungry after drinking Tobermory and Ledaig. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Chichibu 7yo 2012/2019 (bottled for Selfridges)

Chichibu 7yo 2012/2019 (bottled for Selfridges)

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Amber
62% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, orange peel, peat, peanuts, malted grains, hints of smoke. With water, lemon and lime, hints of baked apples.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, astringent, tannic. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Orange peel, coffee, ginseng, peanuts, smoke, hints of raisins. With water, lemon zest, white grapes, sweeter. 
Finish: Medium. Ginseng, walnut skins, smoke, peat. 

Comments: 

A magnificently smoky, peaty, bitter Chichibu. The high ABV makes it palate destroying, but in a good way. Lots of sweet notes underneath all that leather and smoke. This is a bit bonkers, but very enjoyable indeed. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Sonoma Distilling Co Rye Whiskey

Sonoma Distilling Co Rye Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single rye - California 
Amber gold
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, raisins, camphor, black pepper, fresh baked bread, butterscotch, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slightly astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, butterscotch, cocoa powder, orange peel, hints of caraway. 
Finish: Medium. Cocoa powder, coffee, black pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

This is a nice little rye whiskey. Lots of peppery spice as you’d expect, but there are also some interesting butter notes. Decent complexity despite the young age. The oak aging seems to have added some bitter citrus as well. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Highland Park 1967/1991

Highland Park 1967/1991

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Amber gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Camphor, sandalwood, leather, honey, orange peel, peat, Parma violets, ink. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loose, slippery.  
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Smoke, peat, Parma violets, leather, ink, hints of tobacco leaf.
Finish: Long. Black tea, ink, camphor, smoke, leather, honey.

Comments: 

This is an old official bottling. Very floral and smoky, much more so than today’s OBs, but also laden with heaps of old bottle effect. There’s something metallic and robust about this whisky, a note that I associate more with porter or stout. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Grant 37yo 1974/2012

Glen Grant 37yo 1974/2012

Berry Brothers and Rudd
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dried figs, plums, prunes, leather, butterscotch, dusty. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loose, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Prunes, leather, peanuts, raisins, cloves, black tea, dusty.
Finish: Long. Dried figs, cloves, tobacco leaf, prunes, raisins.

Comments: 

Cask 7646. A lovely old sherry monster, this whisky is dusty, spicy and figgy, very very sweet and complex. It was like drinking a very old Armagnac, which isn’t surprising at all. My favourite of the night. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Benriach 29yo 1976/2006

Benriach 29yo 1976/2006

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Silver
54.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Camphor, leather, white grapes, cinnamon, hints of lime zest, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, loosens slightly.  
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, camphor, mangoes, limes, raisins, apples, tobacco leaf. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, fresh baked bread, leather, mint, hints of tobacco leaf. 

Comments: 

Cask 9441. A very floral, fruity and herbal Benriach. There’s a tinge of old bottle effect here, alongside a lot of age. There is some peat, but it’s very gentle and mellow. Lovely, lovely whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Clynelish Select Reserve 2015 Release (2nd Edition)

Clynelish Select Reserve 2015 Release (2nd Edition)

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Highlands
Pale gold
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh cut grass, beeswax, hints of cream. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, loosens, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, beeswax, seaweed, green tea, white grapes, hints of petrol exhaust. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, white grapes, green tea, hints of toffee apples.

Comments: 

An unusual Clynelish, it’s an official bottling but not as you might know it. There’s not a lot of waxiness, although there’s plenty of the usual lemon sweets. But there’s an underlying savoury note that’s interesting, not something that I’ve tasted before. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Mancarella Highland Single Malt 36yo 1983/2019

Mancarella Highland Single Malt 36yo 1983/2019

Dino Mancarella
Single malt - Unknown
Golden
47.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Salt caramel, raisins, fresh baked bread, apples, honey, cream. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loosens, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Lemon zest, apples, raisins, butterscotch, honey, hints of ginger.  
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, ginger, honey, salt caramel, cream. 

Comments: 

Delightful stuff. Blind tastings are always interesting, tests your knowledge of whisky and challenges your previously unconscious perceptions. Discussing this malt, it was thought to either be Clynelish or Tomatin. My money is on Tomatin, it doesn’t have Clynelish’s characteristic waxiness, but it does have some appley flavours that I’ve found in some Tomatins, particularly older ones. But, Tomatin is not a Highland distillery!

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Tormore 33yo 1984/2017

Tormore 33yo 1984/2017

Authentic Collection, Wm Cadenheads
Single malt - Speyside
Pale amber
51.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, white grapes, marzipan, vanilla, pineapples.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, olive oil, pineapples, honey, peaches, hints of fresh baked bread.
Finish: Long. Pineapples, peaches, honey, olive oil, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Not quite a stunning whisky, but very good indeed. Lacks old bottle effect perhaps? This should be very good in about 15 years, but we opened it (shame). There’s a whisper of oiliness to this, if not quite in the texture, then in the slightly bitter note on the tongue and on the nose. 

Verdict:

I like this.