Talisker 44yo Forests of the Deep

Talisker 44yo Forests of the Deep

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Amber
49.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, blue cheese, leather, raisins, damson jam, chocolate, brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Raisins, orange peel, malted grains, damson jam, camphor, oolong tea, chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, chocolate, camphor, oolong tea, blue cheese. 

Comments: 

Really sweet and savoury, a throwback to Talisker of the late 2000s. There are some floral, slightly tannic notes that remind me of the best oolong tea. Magnificent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Talisker 1974 Golden Eagle

Talisker 1974 Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle label, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Islands
Bronze
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ginseng, camphor, white grapes, roast chicken, white pepper, cinder toffee, hints of butterscotch. With water, white grapes, honey, butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Toffee, petrol exhaust, smoke, camphor, roast chicken, cinder toffee, butterscotch, Chinese angelica. With water, smoke, camphor, white grapes, honey, butterscotch. 
Finish: Long. Leather, roast chicken, smoke, Chinese angelica. 

Comments: 

A really good dram that I’ve been chasing for some time. It’s meaty and rich, bitter and herbal, with some smoky petrol flavours. I’m really happy I got the chance to taste this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Undisclosed Indiana Rye 4yo 2018/2022

Undisclosed Indiana Rye 4yo 2018/2022

Individual Cask, WM Cadenheads
Single rye - Indiana 
Copper amber 
56.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, pear drops, black pepper, lemon zest, oats, orange peel, hints of strawberry jam. With water, marmalade, pear drops, damson jam, hints of magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, mouth coating, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Marmalade, pear drops, blackberries, damson jam, orange peel, black pepper. With water, oats, marmalade, pear drops, magic marker. 
Finish: Medium. Oats, malted grains, black pepper, chillies, marmalade. 

Comments: 

This is, of course, MGP. It’s jammy and orangey, very intense for the age. Plenty of esters on the tongue and the finish too. An excellent dram, very good value for money.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 19yo The Manager’s Dram (bottled 1995)

Oban 19yo The Manager’s Dram (bottled 1995)

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Yellow bronze
59.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mint, chalk, honey, camphor, gooseberries, malted grains, fresh cut grass. With water, leather, roast chicken, honey, gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Honey, camphor, gooseberries, leather, celery salt, strawberries, hints of yoghurt. With water, leather, honey, chalk, gooseberries. 
Finish: Long. Leather, gooseberries, strawberries, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Bitter and herbal on the nose, and more than a little grassy. Once on the tongue it turns sweeter, with a bit of old bottle effect. Water brings out even more sweetness, and fruity notes too. Very decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Oban 8yo 2000/2009 The Manager’s Choice

Oban 8yo 2000/2009 The Manager’s Choice

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Light amber
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, gooseberries, camphor, fresh cut grass, dark chocolate, blueberry jam. With water, dark chocolate, gooseberries, blueberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, volatile, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Roast chicken, camphor, leather, parchment, dark chocolate, blueberry jam. With water, camphor, chocolate, hay, blueberry jam. 
Finish: Long. Parchment, toffee, leather, camphor. 

Comments: 

Cask 1186. Herbal, even a teensy bit smoky, but mostly laden with jam and chocolate. On the tongue it’s quite meaty, and water creates more jam and even floral notes. Very nice whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dingle Single Malt

Dingle Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Munster
Bright yellow
46.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Photocopy paper, vitamin C tablets, lemon juice, sandalwood, pears, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Vitamin C tablets, malted grains, pears, fresh baked bread, white pepper, leather. 
Finish: Medium. Oats, fresh baked bread, pears, magic marker, honey. 

Comments: 

Finally, a Dingle core bottling. It’s rather tart, there’s a gritty citric taste that reminds me of Berocca tablets, but there’s also malt and cereals, with an estery edge. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Killowen 3yo 2020/2024 Barantuil Kult Blackberry Rum Finish

Killowen 3yo 2020/2024 Barantuil Kult Blackberry Rum Finish

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ulster
Very pale yellow
61.12% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blackberries, malted grains, cloves, strawberry jam, cola nuts, hints of black pepper. With water, cola nuts, marmalade, white grapes, ume. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cola nuts, blackberries, leather, strawberry jam, sarsaparilla, black pepper, malted grains. With water, ume, blackberries, watermelon rind. 
Finish: Medium. Cola nuts, coffee, sarsaparilla, leather. 

Comments: 

Sweet and malty, lots of herbal and jammy notes that pop in the mouth. The high ABV is slightly off-putting, but adding water helps a lot. The ume note appears instantly with a few drops of water.

Verdict:

I like this.

Oxford Heritage Corn Whisky

Oxford Heritage Corn Whisky

Official bottling
Single corn - Oxfordshire
Chinese tea
50.44% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, corn syrup, toffee, butterscotch, strawberries, honey, hints of cloves. With water, sandalwood, brown paper, honey, popcorn. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, mouth coating, airy, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Toffee, butterscotch, popcorn, brown paper, honey, cinnamon. With water, sandalwood, brown paper, photocopy paper. 
Finish: Short. Coffee, toffee, butterscotch, popcorn. 

Comments: 

Sweet and buttery, lots of sugar from the corn. Water opens it up, revealing a spicy freshness that, if this were malt, would be the feinty bits.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dalmunach 7yo Batch 1

Dalmunach 7yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Speyside
Pale pink
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, lemon zest, cream, malted grains, tyre rubber, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Butterscotch, lemon zest, cream, yoghurt, malted grains, cinder toffee, hints of tyre rubber. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, fresh cut grass, butterscotch, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Lactic and tart, lots of sour notes, then builds to a sulphurous crescendo. The sulphur is shot through with caramelly sweetness on the tongue, tasting very much like burnt toffee.

Verdict:

I like this.

Yuza Spring in Japan

Yuza Spring in Japan

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Honshu
Amber
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, cream, malted grains, cherry blossom, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, raspberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, strawberries, cream, raspberries, meringue, hints of cherry blossom. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, cherry blossom, raspberries, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Malty and floral, with a big whiff of cherry blossom. Of course, that what the label says! It’s complex and layered, lots of interesting notes to get to know. A very good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.