Kategoriarkiv: Scotland

Highlands, Independent bottlers, Staile Uisge

Staile Uisge – The Drum

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sour and young. At first, there’s a big basket of lemons and a splash of vinegar. There’s also green grapes and a white wine aura surrounding everything. In the background there is a honey and vanilla sweetness, but it’s very discreet. This is very fresh and the sourness is the main character throughout. It becomes sweeter with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out a bit watery and then it becomes very sweet and malty. There are vanilla and honey notes as well as sweet liquorice all mixed up in the center. The white wine notes are still in there but the lemons are now reciding in the background. It needs time in the mouth to reach its potential and when it does it’s actually pretty rich and tasty.

Finish: It starts out with the sweet liquorice and the lemon notes return to the front. It’s not as sweet anymore and there’s not much happening in the finish. The liquorice stays all the way through and an anonymous and rather flat oakiness appears for a short time, but it disappears rather quick. This is a nice whisky for its price, but it feels a bit incomplete and ambigous.

Additional information
Staile Uisge is a brand of the swedish independent bottler Granqvist Beverage House. The Drum is a NAS whisky sourced from an undisclosed highland distillery.

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Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet 21 YO – Archive

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. At first there’s a fruitiness with apples and pears up front. Beneath there’s a sweeter layer with honey, vanilla and fresh red fruits. There’s also cinnamon and a hint of marzipan. With some time in the glass it becomes floral and perfumey. A top layer of black liquorice start to form and becomes more pronounced over time. This is a very pleasant nose but it’s feels younger than its age.

Mouth: The first impact is honey sweet and malty. The fruitiness is now oranges and overripe red berries and it is not as fruity as on the nose. There are feint notes of dust and old books in the back. A hint of lemon comes through on the sides. There is also black liquorice coming through and a bitterness builds up in the back which merges with the oranges to give hints of peel. It’s very rich and full bodied.

Finish: It starts out mild and sweet once again. Honey and vanilla sits in the middle together with a fruitiness still leaning towards oranges and ripe berries. The maltiness moves forward with time and it sticks around when the oakiness starts to come through. It’s a very nice oakiness with hints of nuts and a thin coffee bitterness. The finish is very long and very rewarding. Overall it feels somewhat younger than its age and it lacks some complexity, but it’s still a great whisky and it offers a lot of flavours.

Additional information
The Glenlivet 21 YO is aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. There are both american and european oak casks used. Since it’s created in batches made by selected casks the content varies over time. This bottle is drawn from batch 1016P.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nàdurra – First Fill American White Oak Casks

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ABV: 60.3 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first impact the high ABV hits the nose. When it settles there’s a sweet mix of honey and vanilla together with a slight hint of fruits. With time in the glass it becomes fruitier though, and it’s a green apples and pears kind of fruitiness. There’s also a hint of cinnamon somewhere in the middle. It’s quite young and the distillate is very much the main focus of the presentation, even though good casks are used.

Mouth: It starts out with honey and ripe red apples. It’s got a thick maltiness and there’s a beer note coming through. The vanilla is still in there and there’s a nice oakiness shining through every once and a while. The ABV makes it quite spicy, but it takes a while for it to really bite back. It’s oily and it’s got a savory note sitting in the back. This gives it a great texture and a nice depth.

Finish: The high ABV shoots by but soon leaves place for the sweet and fruity flavours once again. It’s the same flavours as before with vanilla, honey, a beer note and the ripe red apples. The oily texture and the savory note is still in there. The oak arrives late, but it is a fresh and nice oakiness. The pear notes return in the background in the late finish. This is a young powerhouse. It’s well made and has a lot of flavours to offer.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in first fill ex-bourbon sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch FF0717.

Ian Macleod Distillers, MacLeod’s (Speyside), Speyside

Macleod’s 8 YO Speyside

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a bright fruitiness with citrus fruits and raspberries sitting on top of a darker fruitiness with plums and prunes. There is a malty funkiness in the background and there is a small note of hay somewhere in the center. It gets sweeter with time in the glass and that reveals honey, vanilla and just a hint of sweet liquorice. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat, with just a sweetness and a white bread note. The honey arrives pretty early as well as a bitter note. There is way less fruitiness compared to the nose. A small hint of lemons and maybe a thin layer of tropical fruits do come through, but it goes rather fast towards the oakiness. The liquorice comes through if it’s kept in the mouth for a good amount of time.

Finish: It starts out with vanilla and honey and with the darker, sweeter fruit notes. It then, via a malty note, trancends into an undefinable tropical fruitiness connected to the upcoming oak flavours. It’s a very nice oakiness that feels fresh and fruity. The dark fruitiness creates a backdrop for the final part, in which a nice oaky flavour stays in the back of the palate. This is a good whisky, but it feels a little thin at times, especially at first impact on the palate.

Additional information
This is a single malt from an undisclosed Speyside distillery. It’s released by the independent bottler Ian Macleod Distillers.

Queen Margot, Unspecified

Queen Margot 3 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is butterscotch and liquorice. The first thing to come through is a rather unpleasant cloud of badly aged grain spirit. When the nose gets used to it the butterscotch and liquorice start to shine through. There are notes of overripe fruits and honey too. All the notes feel artificial and overshadowed by the grain spirit.

Mouth: It starts out with the same butterscotch and badly aged grain spirit as on the nose. It takes a while for the liquorice to penetrate the other flavours. There is a vague sign of sherry casks being in the mix, but they are just contributing to the butterscotch and not a fruitiness. It’s quite bitter and not in a good way. It doesn’t promote swallowing.

Finish: The artificial butterscotch and the grain spirit still dominate. It soon switches over to a bland and bitter oakiness. The finish is not too long, which is a good thing. This should only be used as a mixer and not consumed neat. Kudos for the bold age statement though.

Additional information
This blend is bottled by Wallace & Young Distillers Co. and the content is not disclosed. It’s sold by the supermarket chain Lidl.

Deanston, Highlands

Deanston Virgin Oak

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ABV: 46,3 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and spirity. At first there’s a vanilla and honey oakiness and a clean young distillate coming through. There’s a green apple note but it’s very feint and it sits in the center together with an equally thin toffee note. After some time in the glass there are notes of lemongrass and liquorice appearing. This is not a complex nor especially interesting nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a honey sweetness and a fresh maltiness. There’s a toffee layer and a tang of sour lemon on the sides. The oak is ever so present and gives it a nice fresh frame. It’s got some ABV spiciness together with a mix of kitchen spices and a hint of cinnamon. It doesn’t hide its young spirit, but it’s a clean and well made distillate.

Finish: The toffee and the maltiness is first to come through and the lemon sourness is still covering the sides. After a second or two the oak completely takes over. It’s still a very fresh woodshop oakiness. It becomes slightly astringent down the line. When the oak flavours start to subside the maltiness returns once again and gives it a beer like finish. This is a rowdy, young and unapologetic whisky. It’s not complex, but it covers some ground by being well made and nicely presented.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in american ex-borubon casks for an undislosed amount of time and then finished in virgin oak casks for 6-9 months. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Fettercairn, Highlands

Fettercairn 12 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and floral. At first it comes through as very low key and everything seems to be a bit distant. There’s a thin layer of butterscotch and heather. It’s a very clean nose and after a few minutes in the glass there’s a lemon note starting to emerge, but even the lemon sourness is not daring to take the main stage. It get’s more floral with time. This is a quite thin, but nice nose.

Mouth: It starts out much more flavourful than on the nose. A big bucket of butterscotch with a floral touch to it, with scents of assorted wild flowers. There’s lemon, some vanilla and a dusty oakiness peeking through. There’s a gentle spicyness on the tip of the toungue. After a while, a nice malty note appears in the center of it all.

Finish: A honey sweetness flares up and then it turns into the same butterscotch as before. There’s a nice gentle spiciness. The main character persists and still just sticks to the mellow floral and lemon character until the oak arrives. It’s a dry oakiness with a savory note and a walnut nuttiness. The finish is quite nice. This is too mild and it’s rather uninteresting until the finish. It’s a decent background sipper and ought to be a great gateway whisky for beginners.

Additional information
This 12 YO standard expression was first released in August 2018. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon casks.

Glentaucers, Speyside

Ballantine’s Glentaucers 15 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and very fruity. At first there’s a big citrusy explosion with lemons and oranges. When it settles a background of vanilla and honey reveals itself. There’s a black liquorice layer somewhere in between and a maltiness which is really helping everything along. This is a very clean and simple fruit bomb. It’s nice and mellow, without ever being boring.

Mouth: It starts out with a toffee note and a dusty maltiness. The fruits are not as protruding as on the nose and it’s now leaning more towards the black liquorice note. There’s a lemon sourness in the background though. The oakiness shows through after a few seconds and it has a nutty character. There is a spicyness which gives the whole thing enough power and intensity to give it a nice mouthfeel.

Finish: The fruitiness returns and it’s back to lemons and oranges, with a bit of the peels too. The oak comes very early and the maltiness is tagging along. The black liquorice is still creating the same middle layer as before. Just about every flavour follows along down the road. Hazelnuts and oranges are the flavours left when all else disappear. This is a fruity fanfare and it brings a lot of flavour to the table even though it has got low ABV.

Additional information
This is a single malt from one of the distilleries that makes whisky for the Ballantine’s finest blend. The casks used is not disclosed. This is series No. 003.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nádurra – Peated Whisky Cask Finish

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ABV: 62.0 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet fruits and mild peat. At first there’s a mild bonfire smoke on the edges of the glass and a cardboardy note in the center. The high ABV creates an intense, yet rounded, cooling effect, but even though it sits up front it doesn’t hide everything else. There are red baked apples, vanilla and a hint of butterscotch. There’s also a lemon sourness coming through from the back. This is a pleasant nose that comes with a youthness and a big punch.

Mouth: It starts out honey sweet and the peat is still creating a surrounding circle out on the edges. The peat is much more present in taste than on the nose and it’s more of a hay and dry soil peatiness at this point. The power of the high ABV is there but it’s not as powerful as the number suggests. There’s a maltiness combined with vanilla and a complex, deep note that’s leaning towards overripe apples.

Finish: A lemon note, a spicy cloud and a maltiness really pushes through from the start and it takes a while for it to settle. When it finally lets other flavours through it reinstates the outer circle of peat and the vanilla and butterscotch in the center. The oak does come through, but it takes a long time for it to show up. It’s a pretty anonomous oakiness and it’s not especially interesting. The peat lingers after everything else have died down. This is a young powerhouse with a lack of clear direction. It’s still a tasty dram in its own right though.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in casks which previously held peated whisky for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch PW1016.

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Campbeltown, Private Cask, Springbank

Springbank 19 YO – Lyrik (Fresh Sherry Hogshead)

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ABV: 47.5 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is cooling mint and dark fruitiness. The first thing to come through is an extremely dark layer of sherry with a minty overtone. It’s a big chunk of black liquorice and raisins with surrounding notes of fresh oranges and a hint of lemon. In the dead center the oily/rubbery Springbank signature shines through. It gets fruitier and fresher with time in the glass. The darker notes sort of slip to the sides to make room for the rest. There’s also a clear trace of the oakiness in the background. This is a nice, complex nose.

Mouth: At first there’s a hefty dark fruitiness coming through, but the oranges is soon pushing the black liquorice and the raisins to the sides. The oily rubbery note is still sitting in the center and the age is now present as a dusty, old leather chair. It takes a few seconds for the peat to show up but when it arrives, it lands on the egdes with the dark sherry notes. The oakiness is still in the back and it feels fresh but there is a tiny speck of dust on it. With time the lemon note increases in intensity.

Finish: It starts out quite hot and it takes a while for the other flavours to come through. First to come through are the oranges and after those the black liquorice and raisins notes arrive. They are not as pronounced as before though. The peat is taking a step forward as well as the oakiness. The old leather chair comes back in the late finish together with the lemon. There’s also a hint of tobacco leaves. A tiny espresso note creates a bitter tang in the end. This is a great sherry bomb through and through.

Additional information
This is a bottling of Springbank drawn from a private fresh sherry hogshead from 2001. This was bottled in 2020.

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King Robert II, Unspecified

King Robert II

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very metallic with an unpleasant butterscotch up front. There’s a very harsh grain spirit coming through and the young distillate is very cardboardy. There’s a very unpleasant smell of a public urinal in the background. There’s some vanilla in the mix making it slightly more bearable. A strange note of burnt plywood appear with time in the glass.

Mouth: Still very metallic. The butterscotch is accompanied by toffee, vanilla and a tiny spice note. It’s flat in taste and the butterscotch is clinging to the mouth. There’s a bitterness coming through but it seems not to be connected to any specific flavour. With some imagination there’s a lemon note to be found in the back. It’s not as unpleasant in the taste as on the nose. There’s no oak notes present yet.

Finish: It starts out kind of bland and watery. The Butterscotch is still clinging to the mouth. There’s a tiny oak note finally appearing, but it’s flat and the entire thing sort of crumbles like a house of cards. In the end there’s just the metallic note left. This should not be consumed neat or on the rocks. I would use it as a mixer only.

Additional information
The brand was created in 1968 and it’s a blend made by Ian MacLeod Distillers. It’s stated that this blend uses older malts to give it a robust taste, but it’s not stated how old and which ones.

Campbeltown, Private Cask, Springbank

Springbank 12 YO – Poesi (Fresh Sherry Hogshead)

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ABV: 51.4 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is deep, dark overripe fruits. The thick sherry layer is covering everything at first. It’s overripe plums, black liquorice and liqeuer-soaked raisins. There’s an overlay of menthol which gives a balance to the darkness. After a while it becomes possible to break through to the other flavours that’s been hiding in the back. A nice fresh citrus fruitiness peeks through together with a note of rubber and oil. This is a powerful but slightly unbalanced nose.

Mouth: It’s starts out sweet with a powerful spicyness and a sour note in the back. A coconut note flashes by before it’s back to the dark fruits and black liquorice, with the fresh fruits breaking through slightly. There’s a bitter espresso note in the background. A small layer of vanilla and a dust spread out over the palate. The oily rubbery note is still in there and the peatiness is now slightly detectable on the outside layer, but still struggling to break through the dark fruitiness.

Finish: The menthol note spreads out and soon leave room for a hefty bitterness tied to the darker notes. The overripe plums and liqeuer-soaked raisins move towards the edges and leaves the center for a lemon note and an oakiness with espresso and just a hint of hazelnuts. The coconut note returns for a second or two before the peat finally shows up in the late finish. The peat and the rubbery note stays for a very long and rewarding finish. This is an over the top sherry bomb with a complex heart. It feels a little hot and unbalanced, but it still is a great dram overall.

Additional information
This is a bottling of Springbank drawn from a private fresh sherry hogshead from 2001. This was bottled in 2013.

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Islands, Talisker

Talisker 18 YO

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ABV: 45.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mellow peat and fresh fruits. At first, there’s an array of fruits sitting inside a circle of gentle peat. It’s oranges and grapefruits side by side with ripe apples, dried apricots and just a hint of overripe plums. The peatiness is a warm, burning bonfire, but it’s out in the distance and not very protruding. The whole thing is kept together with vanilla and oak. With time in the glass it gets fruitier. There is a coastal, salty note but it’s buried deep within. It feels a bit fresher than its age and it’s a very nice, complex nose.

Mouth: It starts out quite mild and sweet but after a few seconds the flavours start rushing in. The fruitiness is now leaning heavily towards grapefruits and dried apricots with just a hint of raisins. The peat is creating a thin oily outside layer. In the dead center there’s a dusty oak note. It’s spicy but it’s a slow build up, which makes it easy to handle throughout. The oakiness seems to be connected to a malty beer note. It becomes sweeter and with time in the glass brings a honey note aswell.

Finish: It starts out quite spicy with a nice transition of flavours from before. It’s still grapefruits and apricots with a hint of darker notes and the peat is still creating the oily outside layer. The coastal note becomes more clear in the late finish, as well as the dusty oakiness, which fits nicely together with the bitterness coming from the grapefruits. The malty beer returns in the late finish as a nice little surprise. The late finish leaves a hint of peat and lemons. This is a complex dram with a lot to offer.

Additional information
The Talisker 18 YO is aged in both american ex-bourbon barrels and european ex-sherry casks. There not much information other than that to be found.

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Talisman, Unspecified

The Talisman

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet malt and butterscotch. At first there’s a heavy layer of grain spirit with a base of vanilla and butterscotch. There’s a feint hay note in the background. With time in the glass a sweet maltiness builds up. There’s an unpleasant note somewhere in the middle which seem to come from within the grain spirit. It also seems like there are ex-sherry casks in the mix because there are overripe berry notes buried deep within. This is an overly sweet nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and it sort of prickles the toungue. The butterscotch comes marching in and it is accompanied with the maltiness and the unpleasant grain spirit note. The small hay note sits around the edges and it’s now clear that it’s coming from peat. This outer layer works itself inwards and actually makes it an okay experience after a while. The oakiness do come through here, but it’s quite anonomous and uninteresting with a bland bitterness to it.

Finish: Vanilla and just a feint hint of raisins pass by before it becomes a fight between the unpleasant grain spirit and the bland, bitter oakiness. All the flavours die down quickly and all that’s left is a mild cloud of ethanol and a hint of butterscotch. The peaty hay note return in the late finish as a thin outer layer. The finish is by far worst part of an otherwise decent put together cheap blend.

Additional information
The Talisman is made by J&W Hardie, which is owned by Tomatin. It contains 25 malt whiskies that make up 40 % of the blend. The other 60 % consists of 4 grain whiskies. 1 % of the blend is an unnamed islay malt. The youngest component is 5 YO.

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Dundee, Unspecified

For Peat’s Sake

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very vanilla heavy with an artificial butterscotch note attached to it. There’s a wet peatiness surrounding everything, which kind of masks the unpleasant harsh young grain spirit notes. There’s still a cardboardy smell coming through though. There’s a lack of depth and it’s not promoting a wider search for things within.

Mouth: It’s just watery and bland. The main focus is still on the vanilla and an unpleasant sweetness is now added. The butterscotch is still there. A small fruit note briefly passes by and the peaty touch is there, but more subtle than on the nose. After a few sips the peatiness is nowhere to be found. There’s also a metallic note coming through.

Finish: There’s an increase of the already heavy vanilla from the start and a slight spicyness shows up. The whole thing then basically collapses leaving just a tanniny oak and some scattered peat notes. The butterscotch reappears and clings to the mouth and together with a metallic note makes the finish rather unpleasant.

Additional information
This is made by Angus Dundee Distillers. They tell a story about a maltman nicknamed Mr. Peat, who shuffled way too much peat into the Kiln, and thus created a heavily peated whisky. The content is not disclosed, but the company owns two single malt distilleries, which probably contributes to the taste. Those are Tomintoul and Glencadam.

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Bell’s, Unspecified

Bell’s Blended Scotch Whisky

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This Is sweet and unpleasant. A mix of harsh grain spirit and menthol fight with butterscotch and vanilla for the attention. A hint of baked red apples and pie crust come through after some time in the glass, but it remains one-dimensional and shallow.

Mouth: Watery at first then the overly sweet butterscotch note comes marching in. There’s a hint of fruitiness behind the unpleasant harshness. A tanniny oakiness slowly builds up. It’s very bitter, but not in a good way. The vanilla notes is kind of surrounding everything in a thin outer layer.

Finish: Everything except the oak and the harshness dies quite quickly and things just end in an unpleasant oakiness. There are traces left of butterscotch and vanilla, but they just kind of make the bitterness worse. There are hints of good things within, but they are well hidden.

Additional information
Bell’s consists of malts from the islands as well as speyside. Blair Athol, Dufftown, Glenkinchie, Caol Ila and Inchgower are identified as parts of the whole.

High Commissioner, Unspecified

High Commissioner

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 4
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is overly sweet and metallic. The first thing to hit the nose is the grain spirit. After that, it’s butterscotch with a sharp metallic smell to it. Around the edges there’s a hint of peat and a fruity and floral layer sits just inside. It’s hard to pinpoint, but there is a thin note of clementines. In the background there is a wall of cardboard shining through. This is somewhat unpleasant on the nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a sharp bittness and a huge chunk of butterscotch. The peat is still sitting in an outer layer, but it’s not as noticable as on the nose. The fruity and floral notes are still detectable, but they are further back. With time there’s a honey/vanilla note emerging. It still very metallic and the grain spirit is dominating.

Finish: At first there’s just the taste of young grain spirit together with the butterscotch clining to the mouth. After a second or two, the oak takes over. It’s grey oak planks with a speck of dust on them. A hint of hazelnuts can be found with some imagination. It’s still very metallic and there’s also a hint of bitter lemon shining through. The peat is not present at all in the finish. This tastes like the cheap blend it is.

Additional information
The High Commissioner brand is owned by the Loch Lomond group. The content of this blended whisky is not disclosed.

Dundee, Unspecified

The Dundee Finest Blended Whisky

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and grainy. At first the grain spirit really hits the nose. It’s harsh and a bit unpleasant. After a few seconds vanilla and butterscotch build up. The sweetness coming through feels somewhat like a generic artificial sweetener. A feint smell of seashore and a metallic note both reside far away in the back.

Mouth: It starts out very watery with a metallic note as the only thing coming through for a second or two. After this it becomes very grain heavy with a clingy butterscotch, a hint of bitter oak and a soft vanilla base, which actually isn’t too bad. There’s a hint of sweet liquorice surrounding the edges. This is quite unpleasant.

Finish: A big hit of the butterscotch and vanilla soon disappears and a very bitter oak together with the grain spirit take over. There’s not much more to be found. This should be used as a mixer and not be consumed neat. It’s a cheap blend and that really shines through.

Additional information
This is made by Angus Dundee Distillers. The content is not disclosed, but the company owns two single malt distilleries, which probably contributes to the taste. Those are Tomintoul and Glencadam.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 25 YO

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is tropical fruits and leathery peat. The smoke is dry and feels like it’s coming from a hot, burning campfire. Within the smoke the age shows with old leather and dusty old books. It’s a sherry driven nose with dark fruits, such as raisins, dades and ripe plums, liquor soaked cherries, sugar and liquorice. There’s also a big bowl of tropical fruits coming through, with mangos, pineapple and peaches.

Mouth: It’s a mild and very fruity start with all the tropical and dark ripe fruits creating a very nice mix. There’s leather and dust, but the smoke notes are otherwise toned down. A maritime feel is lurking in the back (which mainly brings a hint of saltiness). A spicyness comes through after a couple of seconds.

Finish: The tropical fruits are dominating, which makes it feel younger than its age. It’s very vibrant and it takes a while, but when the oak finally shows up it’s like old grey planks that bring quite bitter notes with walnuts, espresso and toasted coconuts. It’s dusty and astringent. The smoke is still in there, but toned down as a nice base flavour throughout the experience.

Additional information
This 25 YO expression of Bowmore sits at the top end of the distillery’s core range. It’s aged in both american ex-bourbon oak barrels and european ex-sherry casks.

Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 11 YO – Local Barley 2nd Edition

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ABV: 53,1 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and complex. It’s vanilla heavy with honey and some ripe red apples in the back. The signature Springbank rubbery note is clearly sitting in the dead center of everything. Sweet liquorice comes through as the cask influence becomes more dense. There’s a touch of dry soil and just a tiny hint of peat. It’s milder than the ABV suggest.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and spicy. The rubbery note comes through together with a heavy dustiness and the vanilla and honey sweetness. The liquorice becomes really pronounced with time in the glass. After a second or two it turns to the bitter side, but the oak never really pushes through. Green apples and green grapes sits in the back and the peat is still in there, but very subtle.

Finish: A burst of ABV spicyness goes by before it returns to sweet honey and sweet liquorice. The rubber note is now toned down a bit. There’s a lemon note in the back. Then the oak starts to roll in and it’s a very nice, fresh oakiness with just a hint of bitterness. The peat peeks through in the late finish. This is a great dram overall, but not the best Springbank has to offer.

Additional information
This is the 2nd release in a 5 part series. The first release was a 16 YO. This whisky is distilled 2.5 times and it’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels.

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