Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

Official bottling
Single rye - Tennessee
Amber
60.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Golden syrup, bananas, magic marker, caramel, fresh baked bread, hints of chocolate. With water, malted grains, raisins, icing sugar, hints of bananas. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, volatile, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Golden syrup, malted grains, toffee, oak chips, caramel, chocolate, hints of fresh baked bread. With water, raisins, blackcurrant cordial, fresh baked bread, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, fresh baked bread, chocolate, malted grains, hints of chocolate. 

Comments: 

Sweet and gentle, lots of salted caramel and blackcurrant notes. It’s an intense but short finish - plenty of chocolate! Water brings out more blackcurrant, almost making it like cough mixture.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Springbank 100 Proof 5yo

Springbank 100 Proof 5yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Golden 
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, golden syrup, Demerara sugar, malted grains, nutmeg, leather, lemon zest, hints of vanilla. With water, lemon sweets, apple juice, golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lohan fruit, white pepper, orange blossom, apple juice, golden syrup, autumn leaves, hints of leather. With water, lemon sweets, apple juice, leather, hints of petrol exhaust. 
Finish: Short. Autumn leaves, apple juice, lohan fruit, lemon zest, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Quite citrusy, drinkable despite the ABV. There’s the classic Springbank earthiness and petrol fumes, but it’s also sweet and fruity. Rather good as is normally the case with this distillery.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Craigellachie 16yo 2008/2024

Craigellachie 16yo 2008/2024

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber
66.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honeydew melons, black pepper, black tea, fresh baked bread, raisins, hints of chocolate. With water, orange peel, raisins, malted grains, fresh baked bread. 

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, coffee, honey, raisins, Demerara sugar, black tea, black pepper, hints of sulphur, hints of gunpowder. With water, malted grains, raisins, orange peel, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, coffee, chocolate, black tea, hints of Demerara sugar. 

Comments: 

Sweet and sticky, even at this massive ABV. Water dilutes the intensity to an acceptable level, making it malty and orangey. A very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glendronach 12yo Sherry Cask Matured

Glendronach 12yo Sherry Cask Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, strawberry jam, cloves, foam shrimp, malted grains, hints of aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, golden syrup, malted grains, raisins, black pepper, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Short. Cocoa nibs, fresh baked bread, golden syrup, black pepper, hints of cloves. 

Comments: 

Fruity and sweet, with a good level of richness, but there’s plenty of malt here. It’s also spicy, especially on the finish. Great example of sherry matured whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aber Falls Madeira Cask

Aber Falls Madeira Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - North Wales
Amber orange
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, strawberry jam, hay, lemon verbena, foam shrimp, marshmallows, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, tingly, expands.
Tasting:  Sweet. Foam shrimp, strawberry jam, vanilla, hay, cream, marmalade, cloves, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Golden syrup, marmalade, strawberry jam, white pepper, sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Jammy and sweet, but also with some herbal grassiness. Lots of that artificial sweet flavour that I associate with foam shrimp. Plenty of orange notes too. A rather nice whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Akashi Blue Label

Akashi Blue Label

Official bottling
Single malt - West Honshu
Amber gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, orange peel, clay dust, lemon zest, peaches, hints of camphor. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, volatile, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Sandalwood, fresh cut grass, sage, lemon zest, peaches, hay, hints of clay dust. 
Finish: Short. Demerara sugar, orange peel, hay, fresh cut grass, hints of peaches. 

Comments: 

Quite herbal but sweet and light, with intense peachy notes on the back palate. It also has some grassiness on the finish. A very interesting and layered dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Goalong Single Malt Bourbon Cask

Goalong Single Malt Bourbon Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Hunan
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, roast chicken, leather, lemon zest, vanilla, pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, cinnamon, lemon zest, leather, apple juice, pineapples, hints of cream. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, cream, vanilla, icing sugar. 

Comments: 

Rather lactic but has a nice note of pineapples and icing sugar. Not that sweet, but tastes malty and rich. A rather decent dram, and only my second Chinese whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kingsbarns Doocot

Kingsbarns Doocot

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Copper gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, white pepper, raisins, caramel, orange peel, apples, hints of molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, white pepper, apples, vanilla, nutmeg, hints of molasses. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, pear drops, acetone, white pepper. 

Comments: 

A little raw, lots of burnt sugar type notes - molasses, caramel etc - but underneath that there’s light spice and apples. A short finish with some estery pear drops.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bardstown Bourbon Company x West Virginia Great Barrel Company Blended Rye Whiskey

Bardstown Bourbon Company x West Virginia Great Barrel Company Blended Rye Whiskey

Collaborative Series
Blend
Amber red
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butterscotch, vanilla, toffee, orange peel, bananas, cream, hints of cinnamon. With water, orange peel, toffee, vanilla, cream. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Oak chips, cinnamon, orange peel, raisins, mint, butterscotch, toffee, blackcurrant cordial. With water, cream, vanilla, Demerara sugar, orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, vanilla, toffee, cloves, black pepper, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Woody and rich, lots of warm spices - cinnamon predominates. But there’s also mint and black pepper. It’s well flavoured with great big sweet notes. Great whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Sakurao 4yo 2019/2023 for Whisky Magazine

Sakurao 4yo 2019/2023 for Whisky Magazine

Official bottling
Single malt - Chūgoku
Amber gold
51.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cloves, malted grains, raisins, oak chips, dark chocolate, sandalwood, coffee. With water, cocoa nibs, coffee, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Sandalwood, raisins, coffee, dark chocolate, cream, vanilla, toffee, honey, marmalade. With water, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, white pepper, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Marmalade, cream, vanilla, chocolate, cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Cask 5276. Quite deeply sherried, lots of chocolate and raisins. There’s also sandalwood and vanilla, and water being sour pepper and more cloves. Young, slightly woody whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.