Emperor’s Way 4yo Batch 1

Emperor’s Way 4yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Bavaria
Bright amber
54.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, leather, sherry, red grapes, peat, farmyard, autumn leaves, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, wet stones, honey, pears, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, smoke, farmyard, pears, red grapes, autumn leaves, petrichor, hints of charcoal ash. With water, peat, smoke, red grapes, wet stones. 
Finish: Long. Petrichor, autumn leaves, smoke, farmyard, honey. 

Comments: 

Peated whisky from Hammerschmiede distillery, which also makes Elsburn. It’s sherried, lots of sweet notes with layers of complexity. It’s also reminiscent of a farm after rain, but not in an unpleasant way. Quite tasty. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dornoch 6yo 2017/2023

Dornoch 6yo 2017/2023

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Bright gold
59.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Nectarines, peaches, malted grains, pencil lead, wet stones, parchment, magic marker, hints of smoke. With water, Chinese angelica, nectarines, sandalwood, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, warm, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Candle wax, sandalwood, cedar, wet stones, magic marker, parchment, peaches, hints of smoke. With water, Chinese angelica, cedar, peaches, hints of camphor. 
Finish: Short. Peaches, magic marker, malted grains, sandalwood, Chinese angelica. 

Comments: 

Cask 27. Fruity like the other Dornochs I’ve had. Lots of complexity, aided by the high ABV. There’s a lot of wax and herbaceous bitterness here, along with wood and feinty notes. Excellent and delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Black Friday 2023 (Glenkinchie 15yo)

Black Friday 2023 (Glenkinchie 2023)

Black Friday, Specialty Drinks Ltd
Single malt - Lowlands
Bright gold
54.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Hoppy beer, peaches, honey, nectarines, pear drops, hints of pineapples. With water, magic marker, pineapples, peaches, white grapes. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peaches, honey, pineapples, malted grains, magic marker, oatcakes, hints of coffee. With water, honey, hoppy beer, peaches, ginseng. 
Finish: Short. Magic marker, nectarines, malted grains, coffee, hints of ginseng. 

Comments: 

The Whisky Exchange Black Friday dram for last year - it’s a Glenkinchie. Rich and rounded, lots of full fruity notes, over a very strong malty spine. Exactly the sort of whisky I love. It’s got a layer of bitterness too, which ups the complexity even more.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Flaming Heart 2022 Edition

Flaming Heart 2022 Edition

Compass Box

Blended malt
Golden, hints of copper
48.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pencil lead, wet stones, smoked bacon, dark chocolate, raisins, apricots, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, cool, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Peat, smoke, raisins, apricots, white grapes, gooseberries, tarry rope, hints of brown butter. 
Finish: Medium. Charcoal ash, tarry rope, apricots, smoked bacon, peat. 

Comments: 

A very complex blend, the full recipe is available on the Compass Box website. It’s fruity, feinty, flinty and smoky. Lots of complex layers, that starts out fruity and ends smoky and peaty.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Linkwood 26yo 1975/2002 Rare Malts

Linkwood 26yo 1975/2002 Rare Malts

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Dark golden bronze
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, lemon sweets, rhubarb and custard sweets, dark chocolate, sandalwood, camphor, pears, hints of white pepper. With water, dark chocolate, malted grains, leather, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, mouth coating, volatile, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Malted grains, dark chocolate, white grapes, camphor, sandalwood, leather, pears, celery salt. With water, white grapes, dark chocolate, camphor, pears. 
Finish: Long. Pears, gooseberries, lemon sweets, dark chocolate, celery salt. 

Comments: 

Super sweet, savoury and herbal Linkwood. The only Rare Malts Linkwood ever bottled. It’s magnificent, with pears, bitterish dark chocolate and a big heap of old bottle effect.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Brown Bear’s Medved

Brown Bear’s Medved

Official bottling 
Single malt - Carniola
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Plums, lemon zest, cream, red grapes, brown sugar, hints of cough syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Cough syrup, damson jam, brown sugar, yoghurt, corn syrup, hints of new plastic. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, corn syrup, malted grains, plums. 

Comments: 

Batch B02/2022. Sweet fruity floral plum again, this seems to be a characteristic of Slovenian whisky. Slightly raw notes accompany the plum, like new plastic and lactic yoghurt. Interesting dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Barton 1792 2016/2023 Single Barrel #206 Royal Mile Whiskies Exclusive

Barton 1792 2016/2023 Single Barrel #206 Royal Mile Whiskies Exclusive

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber brown
62.5% ABV

Dram

Nose: Brown paper, honey, vanilla, molasses, chocolate, sandalwood, pencil lead. With water, cherries, honey, vanilla, cookie dough. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Cough syrup, cherries, molasses, brown paper, chocolate, pencil lead, hints of wet stones. With water, cough syrup, blackcurrant cordial, cookie dough. 
Finish: Long. Wet stones, cough syrup, honey, pencil lead. 

Comments: 

Barrel 206. This is lovely, lots of bitter sweet notes, and feinty metallic notes as well. Water brings fruitiness, some herbaceous notes and long notes of vanilla and cookie dough. Delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Deanston 15yo Tequila Cask

Deanston 15yo Tequila Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber gold
52.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, olive brine, white pepper, yoghurt, honey, hints of agave. With water, honey, orange juice, white pepper, hints of agave. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. White pepper, smoke, leather, honey, lemon zest, cream, oatcakes, hints of sea salt. With water, leather, peat, oatcakes, lemon zest, yoghurt. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, oatcakes, olive brine, yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Savoury Deanston, something quite unusual. There’s the obligatory hints of agave of course, but it’s harsher, not quite as well integrated as I would like. Lots of malt and grain evident as well. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Stauning Høst

Stauning Host

Official bottling
Single blend - Midtjylland
Pale amber
40.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bubble gum, black pepper, oatcakes, autumn leaves, gooseberries, hints of tutti frutti. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Oatcakes, gooseberries, lemon zest, apple juice, black pepper, cedar. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, bubble gum, oatcakes, aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Rye, malt and grain all blended together from Stauning, at a surprisingly low ABV. It’s peppery but still loaded with sweet grain flavours, with a woody and feinty finish. Again surprisingly, I quite like the bubble gum here.

Verdict:

I like this.

Elements of Islay Cask Edit, Bourbon and Sherry Cask

Elements of Islay Cask Edit, Bourbon and Sherry Cask

Elements of Islay, Specialty Drinks Ltd
Blended malt
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Carbolic soap, white grapes, leather, honey, apple juice, lemon sweets, peat. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White grapes, leather, lemon sweets, smoke, peat, carbolic soap, white pepper, camphor. 
Finish: Medium. Camphor, oak chips, leather, carbolic soap, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Nicely fruity yet peated dram, lots of antiseptic notes, with leather and white pepper. The antiseptic notes linger a long time, from the tongue through to the finish. 

Verdict:

I like this.