Buffalo Trace, Kentucky

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is vanilla and brown sugar. After a few seconds the sweetness is joined by a hint of seashore and some salted caramel. There’s cinnamon and a fruit candy note, but they are sitting behind the sweetness. The oak is sitting even further back creating a nice backdrop. A thin veil of menthol lays on top of all the other flavours. It’s a very subtle and laid back nose.

Mouth: It starts out mild and somewhat salty. A nice fruitiness with apples and cherries comes through and takes over. There’s a pine note sitting somewhere in the middle bringing it down a little. Sweet liquorice and vanilla are slowly moving forward and creates a bridge over to the oak. It’s a nice oakiness but it never really pushes through.

Finish: A small burst of mint is followed by the fruitiness, again with apples and cherries. Vanilla, sweet liquorice and brown sugar fills the palate before the oakiness comes through. It’s a dusty, dry oak with a tiny astringency and a chalky texture. This is a very easy, well-rounded and balanced sipper.

Additional information
This is made from Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1, which is believed to be a low rye one, but they don’t disclose the proportions. It’s said to be aged between 8-10 years. The proof varies between countries.

Heaven Hill, Kentucky

Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very mild and sweet. The first thing to come through is a dusty layer. It sits on top of a mix of brown sugar, cinnamon and cherries. There’s an immidiate oakiness that really comes through from the start. Vanilla resides in the back and a caramel note sort of comes and goes. This is a sweet, low-proof, standard bourbon.

Mouth: It’s very watery. A tiny touch of spicyness sits alone before a bitter note is first to break the silence. When the other flavours arrive, they’re not as sweet as on the nose and it becomes a bit astringent and dry. The oakiness is really coming through hard and the sweet and fruity notes are taking a step back. The cinnamon is also less prominent but still noticable.

Finish: A small peppermint freshness pass by before the bitter note returns. The oakiness is now up front and the whole thing is even less sweet than before. A swift visit from the sweetness and fruitiness do occur, but the very pronounced, dry oakiness returns and takes over again. It becomes very chalky in the late finish. This really lacks some power. It seems like it should be a good recommendation for people who want to get into bourbon.

Additional information
This straight bourbon is aged for about 4 years. The mash bill contains 78 % corn, 12 % rye and 10 % barley.

Kentucky, Maker’s Mark, USA

Maker’s Mark

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ABV: 45 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and very fruity. There are cherries and green apples drizzled with cinnamon, honey and vanilla. A layer of peppermint and nail polish remover sits on top of the sweet and fruity center. There’s also an earthy side to it with some dry soil and dust. A nice toffee sweetness starts to come through after some time in the glass as well as a newly cut oak note.

Mouth: It starts out mild for a second or two, then a peppery spicyness comes rusning in. It never really moves all the way to the front though, it just sort of stops and makes way for all the other flavours. The cherries, apples and honey really stand out as well as the earthy dry soil note. A lightly bitter oak note starts to make itself noticed after a while but it stays as an outer layer surrounding the fruity, sweet center.

Finish: A eucalyptus freshness and a peppery note together create the feeling of a breath mint before the sweetness kicks in. It’s very fruity and it still has a layer of dry soil in the back. When the oak takes over it brings a big a nice vanilla note as well. It’s a very fresh oakiness with almost no astringency to it, even after a few sips. This makes it a very easy sipper and it’s easy to go back for another dram.

Additional information
This straight bourbon is double distilled and aged up to 6,5 years in new american oak barrels with a number 3 char. The mash bill is made up from 70 % corn, 16 % wheat and 14 % barley. The barrels are rotated during the aging process.

Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Einar

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islands
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 sweet round layer of honey and vanilla surrounding a core of fresh red berries. Underneath a mild and herbaceous peatiness creates a backdrop. There’s also a fresh peach and sour lemon freshness somewhere within. Cinnamon, oak and black liquorice are all in there as well. It becomes sweeter over time. This is a good nose but it feels a bit thin and shallow with the peatiness not really connecting to the other flavours.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat, but soon there’s a honey and butterscotch note arriving together with a leathery and smoky peatiness and a mild black pepper spicyness. The fruitiness is sent to the back and the liquorice and honey notes are up front. There’s a nice gritty background flavour with oak, rubber and a hint of sulfur. This creates a much needed layer of complexity. The fruitiness comes back together with vanilla notes after a while.

Finish: The black pepper returns in small sprinkles as the finish starts with an otherwise flat array of sweetness and mild peat. There are still red berries within but they are now darker. There are raisins and overripe plums peeking through. The gritty background notes return and they stay behind together with vanilla and butterscotch when the oakiness starts to build up. The oakiness is a nice mix of fresh and dry oak and it’s got a nice spicy character. There’s also a small nutty side to it. This is a very good whisky but it really lacks some power.

Additional information
The Highland Park Einar was released as a travel retail exclusive in 2011. The ppm is 20 and it’s aged in both american and european Oloroso sherry seasoned oak casks. It has natural colour.

Four Roses, Kentucky

Four Roses Single Barrel

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is liquid candy cane. At first there’s a minty cloud sitting on top of vanilla and liquorice. In the background there is a dusty oak note. There is a honey sweetness and a vague hint of cherries. After a few minutes a hint of cinnamon emerges and mixes with the mint. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a bitterness and a honey sweetness. The candy cane is gone and it’s much more leaning towards anis, liquorice and kitchen spices. The vague cherry note moves forward after a few seconds, but never creates a fruity experience. There’s almost a medicinal side to it and it’s very different from the nose.

Finish: A cloud of peppermint goes by and when it settles a bitter oakiness immidiatly takes over. The peppermint stays in the back throughout the finish. It’s still got a herbal character with kitchen spices and anis. The thin fruity cherry note arrives in the late finish together with the oakiness. The finish is not sweet at all and it becomes slightly astringent in the end. This is a great bourbon with an interesting journey from nose to finish.

Additional information
This straight bourbon is aged for a minimum of 8 years. The bottle is filled from barrel 4-1H stored in warehouse LE. The mashbill consists of 60 % corn, 35 % rye and 5 % barley.

Four Roses, Kentucky

Four Roses Small Batch

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ABV: 45 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is milk chocolate and dusty corn. At first, the dusty corn and vanilla powder take up the main part of the nose. When it settles a milk chocolate note starts to create an outer layer. Then cherries, together with a hint of nail polish remover, start to compete with the corn and vanilla in the center. There is a Brown sugar sweetness and the fresh oakiness is creating a nice foundation. After some time in the glass the rye notes come alive and anise and black liquorice comes through. This is a mild and pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out vanilla sweet and it takes a while before the dusty corn returns. It’s less fruity than on the nose and the chocolate and nail polish remover is gone. The oak is still fresh, but the whole thing becomes slightly astringent. The anise note slowly but steadily increase with time in the mouth. The sweetness is now leaning more towards honey.

Finish: It’s a very mild and sweet start. The flavours almost immidiatley move aside to give room for the oak. The dusty corn, vanilla and the cherries return and create an overlay to the oakiness. The oak is very fresh and it seems to pick up the rye notes somewhere along the way and in the late finish there’s anise and black liquorice tagging along. This is a very easy sipper. It’s a bit too sweet at times, and it could do with a bigger impact.

Additional information
This is a mix of 4 out of the 10 recipies used by Four Roses. There’s 2 yeast strains and 2 mashbills used to create the variety. 2 of the mashbills contain 75 % corn, 20 % rye and 5 % barley, and the other 2 contain 60 % corn, 35 % rye and 5 % barley. It’s aged for at least 5 years.

Deveron, Highlands, MacDuff

The Deveron 12 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruits and soft toffee. There’s a bright fresh fruitiness with apples, pears, green grapes and just a slight hint of grapefruits. It rests on a base of toffee and/or butterscotch. Vanilla and honey is in there, but they are just fillers in between the other flavours. The whole thing is covered in a thin aura of eucalyptus.

Mouth: It starts out very mild but quickly turns to a sour lemon and a small spicy note. Butterscotch comes rolling in and it brings some oakiness along. The fruitiness is a long way back and it’s not as bright as on the nose. The oakiness and the butterscotch are divided equally and it makes it a bit bland. It turns more towards honey as time passes in the glass. This is a bit disappointing compared to the nose.

Finish: It sort of just disappears. After a few seconds the eucalyptos note returns and the oakiness comes through again. The oakiness is nice and there’s no astringency. There’s a thin note of walnuts and a touch of anise coming through. After a while the butterscotch and honey start to make themselves noticed and it somewhat changes character. In the end, there’s a chalk note covering the oak. This is very mild and an easy sipper.

Additional information
This is an expression from the MacDuff Distillery released in 2015 as a part of Dewar’s ”Last Great Malts of Scotland” series. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels”.

Islands, Isle of Raasay

Isle of Raasay Inaugural Release 2020 – Limited Edition

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ABV: 52 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a layer of herbacous peat and darker red berries with a bottom note of vanilla and honey. It feels very rich and lively. The top note is very sharp and pointy. When it settles it becomes brighter with fresh berries and citrus fruits with a soft layer of mint on top. The peat falls back and moves out towards the edges. This is a nice and interesting nose which lacks some depth, but that’s not too much of a bother.

Mouth: It starts out very oaky, sharp and pointy. The peat is creating an outer layer and the core is malty and has a very beer-like quality to it. There’s a pine note as well as red berries and a weird saltiness within. There’s also a bitter side to it which comes through with time. It’s astringent and sort of attacks the palate with all the flavours at the same time. This means it becomes sort of overwhelming and not all that pleasant on the palate.

Finish: The ABV spicyness flares up and creates a nice peppery overtone. It then reverts to oak and pine together with astringent sour red berries and a hint of vanilla. It doesn’t have a sweet base anymore and the peat is slowly subsiding. The ”beery” maltiness stays in the core for a good while before the wood takes over. It still feels like a mix of pine and oak a long way down the line which isn’t all that great. This is a decent whisky with some nice flavours but it feels like it’s undecesive and all over the place. That makes it a bit hard to access.

Additional information
This is the first legal whisky from the distillery. It’s aged in ex-Tennessee whisky barrels and finished in first fill ex-Bourdeaux red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. This is bottle number 301/7500.

Speyside, Tomintoul

Tomintoul 16 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very sweet and juicy. At first there’s a thick layer of vanilla, honey and sweet liquorice sitting on top of sweet oranges, clementines, heather and cinnamon. Behind those sits a backdrop of fragrant oak. There’s also a tiny hint of dill somewhere in the far distance. It’s a rich and very welcoming nose with very accessible aromas.

Mouth: It starts out a bit mild but with a hefty dose of black liquorice, together with black coffee and malt. It’s filled with mild kitchen spices and the age is coming through as a dusty oakiness spreading out over the palate. It’s still very honey sweet and the oakiness keeps increasing in intensity. It’s somewhat astingent. The sweet juicy citrus fruits have taken a step back, but they are still present in the background.

Finish: It starts out uneventful and it just seems like it continues seemlessly. The fruitiness moves forward a bit and the oranges and clementines are now joined by some assorted tropical fruits. The sweetness still has a big roll, but it starts to tone down and move out towards the edges. The oakiness is there all the way from the beginning and it’s a very nice, dusty oakiness intertwined with the tropical fruits and some sweet liquorice. This is a good whisky which is a bit too watered down, yet produces some nice flavours.

Additional information
Tomintoul is owned by Angus Dundee Distillers and is known as ”The Gentle Dram”. This is aged for 16 years in american white oak ex-bourbon barrels.

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Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nàdurra – Oloroso Matured

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ABV: 60.2 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and spicy. Chili and black liquorice sit on top of a quite young and lively distillate. Raisins, dades and tobacco creep up along the inside of the glass. The longer it sits the sweeter it gets with notes of Amaretto, honey and a touch of vanilla. A tiny hint of green apples is in there somewhere. This is very powerful with great cask influence.

Mouth: At first there’s a tobacco note and a hefty ABV spicyness. After a few seconds some dried fruits come through together with a quite nice bitterness. There are still notes of raisins, dades and a now prominent honey sweetness. There’s a toffee note in the background. It feels more mature than on the nose and there’s some dustiness on top.

Finish: A strong menthol cloud goes by and it’s start out with quite low key flavours. After a few seconds the bitterness returns together with muted notes of the Oloroso with liquorice, raisins and honey up front. It takes quite the long time before some oakiness appear. It’s a very laid back oakiness that never picks up speed. It’s a short finish that is somewhat disappointing. It’s still a great dram overall.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch OL0818.

Knockando, Speyside

Knockando 21 YO – Master Reserve (Vintage 1990)

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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 ripe fruits and dusty vanilla. At first it’s all about ripe red apples, ripe bananas and thick vanilla custard. The age is showing through with a dusty layer sitting on top of all the main flavours. A touch of oak together with marzipan and a maltiness makes this a very rich overall experience. After a while it becomes floral with heather as the main contributor. There’s also a thin layer of fruitiness coming through from the ex-sherry casks. It’s a brighter note with red berries but also a touch of raisins. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: The start is very musty, dusty and just a touch spicy. A somewhat unexpected asparagus note comes first and is soon joined by a thick maltiness and dusty old bookshelves. After a few seconds honey, anise and a muted fruitiness arrives. It’s not as fruity and not as floral as the nose. Ripe apples are still the main fruity element. The oak starts to shine through and it’s got a character of old, grey wooden planks that’s been sitting in the rain.

Finish: It starts out with the same asparagus note, but soon changes towards the fruitiness and the floral notes again. Heather, ripe apples, honey, anise and the old dusty notes linger for a while before it moves towards the oakiness. It’s still the grey oak planks. There’s a small bitter tone coming through, but it fits perfectly within the oakiness. It seems like the fruitiness adapts to it and switches towards grapefruits and orange peel after a while. The finish is very long and very pleasing to the palate. This is a well made whisky. It’s great, but not fantastic.

Additional information
This Knockando 21 YO was bottled in 2014, which actually makes it 23/24 years old. It’s aged in a combination of ex-sherry casks and american ex-bourbon barrels.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie 18 YO – Extremely Rare

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a very nice lemon freshness with vanilla, honey and a maltiness coming through from behind. Floral notes with a very ”hoppy” feel to them join the lemon in creating a very bright character. A small hint of red berries and a thin veil of cinnamon appear after a while in the glass. This is a very approachable nose.

Mouth: At first, there’s a creamy toffee with a spicy touch. It shows some age with a dusty layer and notes of old bookshelves. The base is still malty with honey and vanilla and the whole thing is a touch dry. The taste is not as bright as on the nose, but after a few seconds tropical fruits appear and they bring back the citrus fruits as well. The slight bitter notes coming from the oakiness steer it towards grapefruits. The oak itself is very nice and sits just right in between the other flavours.

Finish: It’s still lemon fresh with a creamy toffee base. The oak comes through fast and brings back a big bucket of assorted tropical fruits and grapefruits, lemon and a tutti frutti candy note. The oakiness is very nice and clear. A coffee note peeks through in the late finish. This is a well made comfort whisky.

Additional information
This 18 YO is a part of Glenmorangie’s prestige range. It’s aged for 15 years in american ex-bourbon barrels. Then it’s separated and about 30 % is moved to ex-Oloroso sherry casks while the rest remains in the ex-bourbon barrels. After three more years, the distillates are married back together and bottled.

Caperdonich, Speyside

Caperdonich 18 YO – Peated

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a thin layer of honey, heather and vanilla with a base note of leathery peatiness. There are also notes of hay and tobacco. It’s very aromatic and with time a layer of friendly green fruits start to appear. A small hint of black liquorice is also floating around inside. The peat sort of mellows out over time. This is a nice nose and everything is very mild but it’s still not flat and boring.

Mouth: It starts out with heather, honey and vanilla up front and a lemon note in the back. It soon turns very astringent, dry and bitter almost to the point where it’s unbearable to keep it in the mouth. It feels a bit ”hot” too. The peat is creating an outer layer and it’s a grassy and herbaceous peatiness. The leather and tobacco notes are now separated from the peatiness and is sitting in the center telling a tale of age. There’s still a green and fresh fruitiness floating around within.

Finish: It starts out with chili spicyness together with a rush of the fresh fruitiness and the heather. It soon turns astringent, dry and bitter once again which overshadows most of the finish. The peat is there, as well as the leather notes in the center. The oakiness is coming through but it’s hard to categorize due to the astringency mixed with the peat. This is an interesting experience, but it’s not the greatest of whiskies. There are nice flavours but they are hidden behind an array of bad sensations.

Additional information
This 18 YO is part of Pernod Ricard’s ”Secret Speyside collection” . It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. Caperdonich is a closed distillery.

Macallan, Speyside

The Macallan Amber

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and vanilla. At first there’s a thick layer of dark fruitiness with raisins, plums and liqeuer-soaked cherries together with a vanilla coating. There are also a fresher fruitiness within, as well as a hint of cinnamon. The sherry notes feel like a lid on top of the distillate. They do grow more three-dimensional and darker with time in the glass. There are hints of oak peeking through at times. There is also a heavy sweetness coming through and it feels very connected to the dark fruitiness. This is a nice nose, but it feels somewhat divided into two parts.

Mouth: It starts out with lemon in the back and assorted dry fruits up front. After a few seconds it shifts and turns towards a darker character with ripe blackberries and bitter black coffee notes in the back. It turns even darker with time and it’s not as sweet as on the nose. The vanilla and cinnamon are still in there together with a hint of toffee but they are subdued by the dark fruits and black coffee. It’s very mild and even though it’s flavourful it’s not producing any hard impact on the palate.

Finish: It starts out with a quick minty fresh sweep before the dark fruits and black coffee notes return. The vanilla and cinnamon is now really pushed back and that leaves room for the oakiness to emerge from within the coffee notes. It’s a nice oakiness which matches the profile very well. The contribution to the coffee notes aside it doesn’t deliver any other specific characteristics. The lemon note returns in the late finish which isn’t all too suitable. This is a good whisky which has a couple of flaws when scrutinized, but it’s still a nice and easy sipper.

Additional information
Amber is a part of Macallan’s 1824 series. It’s aged in a combination of refill ex-sherry american oak casks and first fill spanish ex-sherry casks. It contains whiskies from 8-18 years old.

Jim Beam, Kentucky

Jim Beam Original

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is powdered hard fruit candies and vanilla oak. At first, a vanilla and honey sweetness creates a layer up front. After a second or two a minty freshness emerges together with a dusty fruitiness with apples and cherries. It stays this way for a while, but patience rewards the nose with some caramel and a fresh oakiness. This is a mild and slightly uninteresting nose.

Mouth: At first, it’s dusty sweet corn and vanilla. The fruitiness arrives in increments, but it’s still apples and cherries. There’s a background layer of anise, dried herbs and a tiny hint of dill pickle. After a few seconds the oakiness completely takes over. It’s an extremely fresh oakiness, like newly planed wood.

Finish: The finish starts with a brief reaquaintance with the vanilla, honey and the fruitiness before it moves directly into the oakiness. There’s now a small bitter note piercing through, but it’s still the same oakiness as before. The vanilla comes through as sort of an umbrella sitting over the oak. This is a very mild middle of the road bourbon. There’s nothing especially offensive and nothing really interesting happening, but it still works as a go-to cheap bourbon.

Additional information
This is the best selling bourbon in the world. Beam Suntory won’t reveal the mash bill but it’s said to be 77 % corn, 13 % rye and 10 % malted barley. It’s aged for 4 years in new charred american oak barrels.

Bergslagen, Engelbrekt, Sweden

Engelbrekt

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Sweden
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first there’s a thin layer of honey, vanilla and toffee sitting on top of a fruity and ethanol driven background. There are apples and coconuts as well as floral and oaky notes floating around within. With time the sweetness increase in intensity which is much needed to balance out the young distillate. This is a nice but very spirit driven nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a quite noticable distillate and when the sweetness arrives it resides out on the edges. The fruity and floral notes are in there but it feels like they’re pushed away. The same goes for the toffee as well. There’s a hint of coconut left and it’s connected to a fresh oakiness which also comes with a bitterness in the tail end. There’s lemon and a metallic note in the back. The toffee notes move forward with time though and somewhat covers the young distillate.

Finish: There’s a nice spicyness passing through at the start of the finish. When it settles the distillate takes over once again. The apples return for a quick visit. The toffee flavour return as well and leads way into the oakiness. It’s a nutty and fresh oak with a lot of character. The late finish is certainly the best part of the journey. This is a young and spirit driven whisky which has some nice notes, but it really could do with a couple of more years in a cask.

Additional information
Engelbrekt is aged for at least 5 years in ex-bourbon hogsheads and then finished in virgin oak barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is rich and sweet. At first there’s a honey and white chocolate sweetness covering a large part of the impact. There’s a thin floral layer floating on top and a hint of citrus fruits in the back. There’s also an eucalyptus note within as well as an almond nuttiness. It becomes sweeter with time and vanilla and sweet liquorice start to move up towards the edges. This is a great and rich nose with a lot of different things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a powerful impact of honey, malt and eucalyptus. The core is surrounded by citrus zest and white chocolate. There’s a hint of tropical fruits floating around within as well. It’s somewhat astringent and the oakiness is peeking through every now and then. The liquorice shifts and moves towards the background. It feels very rich and textured. It’s not as floral and as on the nose.

Finish: The eucalyptus is spreading out over the palate and gives it a nice cooling effect. The citrus and tropical fruitiness are close behind as well as the white chocolate, honey and vanilla notes. The liquorice is still in there but it’s more subdued. The oakiness comes through quite late but when it does it’s a very nice nutty oakiness with a white chocolate coating. This is a fantastic dessert whisky. It’s very sweet but it still gives away a lot of different flavours to balance it out.

Additional information
This is part of the Glenmorangie Extra Matured series. It’s aged for 10 years in american ex-bourbon barrels and finished in french ex-sauternes wine casks for 2 additional years. It’s discontinued and replaced with a no age statement whisky with the same same.

Glendullan, Singleton, Speyside

The Singleton of Glendullan Select – Game of Thrones House Tully

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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 layer of red apples surrounded by vanilla and oak. There’s a brighter lemon note floating around somewhere within. There’s a maltiness, and with time also a butterscotch note, slowly moving forward. It stays somewhere behind and then merges with the other flavours. This is a nice, straight forward nose. It is mild and a bit uneventful though.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat for a short moment and then starts with the maltiness, vanilla and butterscotch on top. It soon starts to spread out and become more textured which is a very nice and surprising transition. There’s a hint of sweet liquorice coming through as well as the red apples although they tend to lean more towards being ripe at this point. The butterscotch note seems to move back and then stay as a baseline throughout.

Finish: It starts out with a boost of the fresher fruitiness with a top note of mild menthol. It soon mellows out and return the same flavour profile as before. The finish is quite long, first with the ripe apples, vanilla and maltiness then with a quite nice fresh oakiness. This is a decent whisky with some nice flavours muted down to suit the inexperienced palate.

Additional information
This whisky is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. There’s not much more information to be found about this GoT release.

Finland, Teerenpeli

Teerenpeli Distiller’s Choice – Karhi (Batch 3)

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Finland
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and slightly thin. At first there’s a vanilla and honey sweetness together with a ”Beery” malt and hops vibe. The distillate shines through very clearly. There are notes of charred oak and a very thin layer of assorted fruits sitting on top of everything. There’s also a hint of menthol hovering above everything. This is a nice nose but there’s no transitions or shifts which make it feel a bit uneventful.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and malty with a hint of lemon in the back. There’s a spicyness slowly making its way forward over time. The beer notes are still in there as well as the fruitiness, but it’s a more ripe and dark set of fruits, yet there’s a small lemon note coming through from the back. The charred oak is still in there as well. The honey and vanilla sweetness is residing on the edges and it’s not as sweet as on the nose. It still doesn’t really change much over time.

Finish: There’s not much happening from the start and the spicy side is not making any attempts to be in focus. The ripe fruitiness moves to the back and creates almost a savory note. There’s still a hint of lemon left. The maltiness is almost completely gone and it soon shifts towards a very nice and aromatic oakiness which fills most of the center space. It mixes well with the fruitiness. The finish is very nice and it stays for a long rewarding finish. This is a good whisky which is a bit uneventful and slightly thin, but it offers nice flavours and a great oaky finish.

Additional information
The Karhi is first aged for 5-7 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for about a year in ex-Madeira casks. The bottle tried is 1167/1353.

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Ireland, Jameson

Jameson Black Barrel

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a sweet core with a spicy oak cloud surrounding it. There are notes coming through with rye, charcoal and liquorice. When it starts to settle there are grain spirit, vanilla, toffee and honey starting to shine through in the background. It’s a very mild nose with few changes over time. It’s a bit boring but good enough to not be off-putting.

Mouth: It starts out quite flat with notes of banana, honey, bread and red apples. It is quite sour in the background and it’s very different from the nose. There is also a metallic note intertwined with the sourness. The longer it stays in the mouth the more it becomes flat. It does muster up a spicy side though, which is very much needed to keep it alive. It becomes slightly astringent after a few sips.

Finish: The spicy oak flares up and the red apples start to come through once again. It’s still spicy and a bit astringent but within there’s just a pretty flat and boring array of grains, apples, toffee and a hint of play-doh. The oakiness is present but surprisingly anonomous. It’s mostly the apple and banana notes which sets the tone for the late finish. When everything die down the metallic notes in the back return and leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth. This is not the greatest of whiskies. It’s quite boring and uneventful but it should work very well for people new to whisky.

Additional information
The black barrel is aged in re-charred ex-bourbon barrels somewhere between 8 and 16 years. The distillate is triple distilled.

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