ABV: 50,1 %
Origin: Sweden
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.
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Additional information
This whisky is aged for 4,5 years in new french oak, ex-red wine, ex-oloroso sherry and ex-stout casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried is no. 417/977.
ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
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 sweet and slightly dusty layer of honey, vanilla and sweet liquorice. Underneath there’s a small basket of green apples and pears. There’s a hint of mint floating around on top. It becomes fruitier with time in the glass. The whole thing is quite delicate and it feels somewhat brittle. In this case that makes it all the more interesting because it still feels very three-dimensional. This is a simple yet absolutely fantastic nose.
Mouth: It starts way more punchy than the nose suggest. At first there’s a spicy kick and a rich maltiness. The fruits are still very much in focus and have switched places with the sweet honey and vanilla. In the background there’s a nice touch of bitterness which makes the whole thing fill up the entire palate. It’s still very dusty and the whole thing is extremely rich. The fruits start to change and turns more towards ripe apples after a few seconds.
Finish: It starts out with a continuation of the spicy overlay. It now feels like freshly ground pepper. The sweet and fruity character is continuing on the same path as before; The fruits ripen and move forward while the sweetness moves back a bit more. It still has a malty core and the gentle bitterness is still creating a background layer without increasing in intensity. The oakiness comes fashionably late and when it does it sort of emerge from the bitter notes in the back. It’s a nice and slightly savory oakiness with a small hint of ham and hazelnuts. This is an absolutely fantastic whisky which has a great journey from start to finish. Not all whiskies need big bold flavours to impress.
Additional information
This linkwood was distilled in 2007 and was aged for 12 years in 4 hogsheads by indipendent bottler Elixir Distillers. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Canada
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and unpleasant. There’s a big bucket of harsh young spirit together with artificial bittersweet notes of vanillin and aspartam all sitting in the middle. The butterscotch notes are pungeant and the whole thing is very unpleasant on the nose.
Mouth: It starts out with a dense unpleasant vanillin and artificial sweetness. The whole thing feels like it’s clinging to every surface of the mouth. In the background there’s a bitterness coming from a not so interesting oakiness. The harsh grain spirit is still very much present at this point.
Finish: There’s an immidiate surge of the clingy sweet butterscothy flavours and the bitter oakiness. It stays in the mouth for a long finish, which in this case isn’t a good thing. This is a very bad whisky which should not be consumed neat.
Additional information
This canadian blend was first released with the name ”Black Label” but that was changed to Black Velvet in the late 40’s. It’s a blend of corn, rye and barley, mixed before going into small toasted casks.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Ireland
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and quite gin-like. There’s prominent notes of both pine and juniper. Behind that, toffee and vanilla are contending with a substancial layer of harsh grain spirit, some liquorice root and a metallic note.
Mouth: It starts out much sweeter than on the nose. It’s sort of a simple raw processed sugar sweetness but with time it shifts towards a honey note. The pine is still in the mix together with vanilla and toffee. It still has a backbone of harsh grain spirit with a slight metallic note to it. It’s mild but shows a little spicyness on the toungue.
Finish: Vanilla, toffee and an artificially sweet aspartam-like note take point together with pine and a slightly bitter oakiness. There’s still unpleasant grain spirit baseline that clings to the mouth. When the oak finally gets to be alone it actually turns out to be quite nice with a hint of assorted fruits suddenly coming through. This is not a good whisky, but the late finish makes it bearable.
Additional information
This blended irish whisky contains ~66 % grain and ~33 % malt spirit. It’s aged in first fill american bourbon barrels and then finished in double charred #5 barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is butterscotch and fruits. A thin layer of red apples and green pears sit on top of a base of butterscotch and vanilla. It’s quite young and ethanol driven. The butterscotch note is very prominent and keeps on growing with time in the glass. A fresh citrus perfumey note is filling the gaps between the other flavours. This is very straight forward on the nose.
Mouth: It starts out with the butterscotch up front and it feels very ”boozy” and young. A bitter tang switches the fruitiness from apples and pears to lemon peel and grapefruits. The oakiness comes in early and it’s somewhat astringent. It’s not as sweet as on the nose. Far in the back there are hints of assorted flowers.
Finish: A very uneventful first impact is soon replaced by the same butterscotch note as before. It almost tastes like a cheap blended scotch in the early stages of the finish. There is some apples in there, but they are overrun by everything else. After a few seconds the oak arrives and it’s a fantastic oakiness with peaches, plum kernels and a fresh juicy oak flavour. It lingers for a while and it’s by far the best part of the experience.
Additional information
This is a blend with 8 Speyside single malts matured in different cask varieties included. They are married together in american ex-bourbon oak barrels before bottling. It’s made in association with the Copper Dog Pub in the Craigellachie Hotel.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruits and ethanol. At first there’s a mix of apples and pears with a vanilla coating. They are covered by a big cloud of ethanol. It takes a minute of two before it settles in the glass and become a little less spirity. When it does settle it becomes round and malty with hints of honey and sweet liquorice. There is a sour note coming through in the background. The fruits are still the main focal point through the nosing. This is a half-decent nose.
Mouth: It starts out with a sweet honey and vanilla layer sitting on top of the same fruits as on the nose. The background delivers quite a hefty and rather unpleasant bitterness coming through together with a prickly oakiness. It’s quite metallic to the taste and the ethanol cloud is still hovering over everything else.
Finish: A big surge of the unpleasant bitterness pops up before the oakiness pushes through. The fruitiness is much fresher here and it’s more like pears and assorted tropical fruits. It’s a nice fruitiness, but it is overrun by the bitter notes and the oak. The late finish is all about a mix of the oak and the fruits. There is a sharp metallic note and the ethanol makes itself known even in the long run. This is a budget whisky and it tastes exactly like the presets. It’s not too bad, but the corners cut are hard to ignore.
Additional information
This was launced in 2015 as the new entry level of Glenlivet’s core range. It’s aged for the most part in american first fill ex-bourbon casks.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is harsh and slightly unpleasant. It starts out with a very heavy and rough dose of the grain spirit. When it settles it turns over to malt and a feint butterscotch character. It’s also got a metallic smell to it. It’s basically one-dimensional and doesn’t produce any other detectable aromas. This is a bad nose.
Mouth: It starts out very sweet and mild with the slightly bitter and artificial butterscotch note up front. It still leans heavily towards the unpleasant grain spirit. There is a slight hint of dried out grey oak planks in the background.
Finish: An immidiate drop in flavour makes everything just disappear. All that’s left is the dry and bitter oakiness and a taste of the ethanol. This is not a good whisky and it shouldn’t be consumed neat. The entire thing is a bit muted and the whole is not very protruding, which makes it a good choice for mixing; If hiding the whisky flavours is the goal.
Additional information
The Cluny brand is owned by Whyte & McKay. It’s supposed to contain up to 30 different malt and grain whiskies from Scotland.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Sample in queue. Tasting notes pending.
See the queue here.
(Scribbles)
Nose: Pears and green apples, vanilla, malt, very friendly, citrus fruits.
Mouth: Honey, malt, dusty, no spicy notes, a bit thin and boring.
Finish: Bitter oak, astringent. A bit unpleasant after a while. A coffee note can be found in the midst of the bitterness.
Additional information
The Spey Cascade is a whisky matured in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Canada
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is thin and a bit unpleasant. Not much can be found except a note of harsh grain spirit and a weird artificial combination of sugar and vanilla (I would say vanillin and aspartam). This smells as cheap as the price tells you it should.
Mouth: It starts out very watery and quite bitter. The artificial sweet note is in there together with some juniper and anis. A tiny amount of spicyness on the tip of the toungue and maybe a hint of citrus fruits both show up after a few seconds.
Finish: A muted butterscotch note comes through within the artificial sweet flavour. There’s a small amount of bitter oak, anis, liquorice root and some dusty corn notes. There’s some astringency in the end and the oak reappears after the other flavours die down. This is an overall bad and unpleasant whisky. It should not be consumed neat and frankly, not as a mixer either.
Additional information
There’s not too much information on this canadian blended whisky. It’s aged 36 months and made from a mix of corn, rye, wheat and barley.
ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first there’s a mix of honey, oak and kitchen spices. A young spirity note is initially very protruding, but then it moves back and settles behind the main flavours. After a few seconds a citrus fruitiness moves forward and it sort of morphs into oranges and clementines. There’s a pine note sitting in the back, which doesn’t help. The whole very much reflects the pretences of this whisky very well.
Mouth: It starts out a bit bitter with the wood notes, both oak and pine, in front of everything. After a few seconds a savory, meaty note starts to emerge from behind, and it does so together with black liquorice and an overripe fruitiness. The honey is still in there and a vanilla note sits behind everything else. The bright citrus notes are not present at first, but a thin lemon note do come through after a while.
Finish: The oakiness fills the entire palate and even though the savory note and the honey sits in the center they are soon overshadowed by an extremely fresh oakiness. It’s basically planed, new oak. There’s a young green note coming through which isn’t all that pleasant and the young spirity note is still in there. The thin citrus note remains just that and the oranges arrive once again in the late finish. It becomes astringent over time. This is young and fresh, and it has an array of nice and not so nice flavours. It’s interesting for what it is.
Additional information
This release is a certified organic whisky aged in virgin american oak casks for approximately 6 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is dried fruits and sweet vanilla. At first there’s a mix of dried apricots and berries taking point. Beneath there’s a thick layer of vanilla, oak and honey. There’s also some darker fruits in there with some raisins and fresh plums. A tiny hint of seaweed can be detected but it sort of comes and goes. A sprinkle of cardemum and cinnamon on top makes this a very round and welcoming nose.
Mouth: It starts out mild and sweet. A spicyness is first to make itself known and shortly everything else follow. It’s still the same mix of dried and dark fruits and berries. The age really comes through with a middle layer of dusty oakiness and bitter liquorice. There’s an outer layer with lemon peel and coconut. The cardemum and cinnamon is still present and they create a thin veil above everything else. It’s not as sweet as on the nose and the vanilla notes are very low key.
Finish: It starts with a warm spicyness and vanilla. The fruitiness is now in the background and in the front there’s a nice coffee and walnuts bitterness coming from a spicy and dusty oakiness. When it starts to subside the fruitiness comes through once again, but now it’s leaning more towards the lemon peel and the dried fruit mix and not so much of the darker notes are left. This is a great whisky which produces a lot of interesting things, even though it feels a bit like it’s a ”in the middle of the ex-sherried scotches” road. The age really helps it along.
Additional information
The 17 YO was originally intended to be a travel retail exclusive mainly for the asian market. It’s aged in ex-Oloroso casks for the entire aging period. It has natural colour.
ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and mild peat. At first there’s a warm campfire smokiness together with raisins, red berries and vanilla cream. The oakiness is detectable from the start and it sits nicely in the sweet center core together with black liquorice. The sherry notes increase in intensity with time in the glass and after a minute or two the different elements feel very balanced. There’s a Bassett’s allsorts kind of sweet, fruity and liquorice candy-like quality to it.
Mouth: It starts out with a herbaceous peatiness. It’s quite savory and it’s got a nice texture to it, even though it’s very mild. There’s soot and dark fruits in the center. After a second or two some sour red berries come through as well as a fresh, but slightly bitter oakiness. There’s black coffee and a dusty layer sitting on top of the oak. There is a sweeter side to it with some vanilla, honey and coconut, but it’s not as sweet nor as balanced as on the nose.
Finish: A quick spicyness pass by and then it immidiately moves back towards the black coffee bitterness and the darker sherry notes. There’s still a savory note in there. The peat has moved out towards the edges and it’s still quite herbaceous, but the campfire smoke has returned. After a while a tropical fruitiness start to emerge in the middle of it all and it also brings a lemon sourness with it. It takes a while for the oakiness to show up, but when it does, it stays for a long finish together with the peat and the fruitiness. This is a great whisky with a lot of possibility for exploration. It could have been fantastic with a higher ABV presentation.
Additional information
This 10 YO is aged in a mix of 80 % ex-bourbon barrels and 20 % ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 9 years and then married together in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The malt has a ppm value of 10-12.
ABV: 46 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is bright and fresh. At first there’s a big bowl of lemons next to a burning woodfire. The character is lively and young and in this case, that’s a good thing. There’s vanilla and cream and, besides the lemons, a hint of green apples. The base is earthy with a base of dry soil. This isn’t very complex or interesting, but it is a very nice nose.
Mouth: At first there’s a dry earthy peatiness and a sweet honey baseline. It is a bit ”cardboardy” behind everything and it it still is young and lively. When the first impact settles the warm campfire peatiness returns together with the green apples and lemons. The vanilla and the cream notes can be found somewhere in the back, but it takes a few seconds before they arrive.
Finish: A peppermint cloud slowly passes by, but it soon turns into a young spirity note before the dry earthy peatiness takes over once again. The fruitiness is still in there with mainly lemons. The flavour profile is very consistant from nose to finish. The oakiness do come through but it’s not especially interesting. This is a very stringent whisky and that makes it a bit uneventful. A high ppm level doesn’t automatically make it interesting. It’s a nice enough experience overall.
Additional information
This peated release from Benromach was distilled in 2004 and aged in refill american hogsheads for an undisclosed amount of time. The malt has a ppm value of 53.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. At first there’s a honey sweetness and a maltiness on top and some fresh fruits in the back. There’s a lemon freshness surrounding everything and when the fruits start to move forward they reveal both oranges and apples. There’s a sprinkle of cinnamon and a vanilla creaminess appearing after a while. This is very pleasant and easy to nose.
Mouth: It starts out sweet and slightly dusty. A mix of honey, vanilla and malt creates a thick top layer. It’s a dense character, which contrasts the fresher aromas on the nose. The fruitiness is now leaning towards orange peel with the bitterness intertwined with both peel and the oak, which is coming through from behind. The cinnamon is still in there givning the whole a desserty overtone.
Finish: It starts out with a quick visit from a mild minty cloud and then returns to being sweet and malty with an orange peel fruitiness. It’s once again a bit more fresh and some yellow juicy pears appear together with the citrus fruits just before the oakiness arrive. It’s a nice enough oakiness with a savory note coming along for the ride. The oakiness doesn’t stay for too long and the late finish is just orange peel and a sprinkle of dust. This is a good whisky without any bells and whistles. You get what you see; A nice 12 YO speysider.
Additional information
This is the entry level expression in Glen Moray’s Elgin Heritage series. It’s matured for the full period in american ex-bourbon barrels.
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 vanilla covering everything up. After a while there’s a soft core of berries and honey appearing. It’s a bit young and spirity, but the whole thing is very laid back. There’s a hint of cinnamon and it evolves towards being floral and a bit perfumey. This is a bit too mild and reclusive on the nose.
Mouth: It starts out with quite a hefty flavour rush compared to the nose. It’s liqeuer-soaked raisins, vanilla cream and black coffee. There’s hops and malt in a surrounding layer and the whole thing feels a bit ”hot”. The cinnamon is still in there. There is a touch of honey but the sweetness mainly comes from the port finish. It feels somewhat undecisive on what to bring to the table.
Finish: A spicy flare comes and goes before it returns to the sweetness and malt. There is a beer quality to the main flavour and it’s accompanied by oak and a fruity, floral aura. It doesn’t take very long for it to become oaky. It’s a nice oakiness with a slightly nutty quality to it. The black coffee note is still in there as well as the vanilla. This is a nice whisky with a bit of blemishes here and there.
Additional information
This expression was released in 2014. It’s first aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 8 months in ex-Tawny Port casks before being bottled. It’s aged for 7-8 years.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and floral. At first there are unripe sour green apples and vanilla. There’s a thin maltiness coming from behind and an ethanol cloud on top. There’s a perfumey lemongrass aura surrounding everything and that’s what creates the floral notes. It almost smells like a scented soap. It gets sweeter and maltier with time and honey starts to show after a few minutes. It’s a nice enough nose but it’s not complex or especially interesting.
Mouth: It starts out with a surge of sweetness and then it turns very bitter with oak and malt as main flavours. It’s a bit unpleasant. There is a slight spiciness building up and the fruity and floral notes are still detectable, but the oak and the malt together with the bitterness beat them to the punch. The ethanol cloud is still circling around everything else. The vanilla and honey sweetness has taken a step back and it’s now just a part of the background.
Finish: It starts out where it left off without anything exiting happening in between. It’s still sweet, the ethanol cloud is still there and it’s still bitter from the oak. The maltiness is a bit toned down though. The fruitiness is still in the background and subsides fairly quick in the finish. All that is left in the mouth afterwards is an unpleasant oaky bitterness. This is not a bad whisky, there are just too many corners cut along the way.
Additional information
The Major’s Reserve is the entry level whisky in Glen Grant’s core range. There’s not much information about the content except that it’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and ethanol driven. At first there’s a cloud of ethanol coming from the grain spirit together with mild vanillin and some fresh fruits. There’s sweet honey and just a hint of a floral note coming through, as well as some seaweed. The nose is quite monotone and not that interesting, but it’s alright for a cheap blend.
Mouth: It starts out a bit watery but soon there’s a nice fruity and malty core. There’s a grain spirit note surrounding the core and it’s somewhat metallic, but it’s not overpowering and doesn’t really make it taste too bad. There’s a nutty oakiness on the edges and a slightly bitter note somewhere on the inside. The core produces ripe red apples, vanilla and a hint of sweet liquorice.
Finish: It starts out surprisingly malty and the fruitiness and sweetness are intact with honey and ripe apples. The grain spirit slowly builds up and when it’s on the top of the curve it’s somewhat unpleasant, but still not too bad. The oak comes through once again and it’s still a nice, nutty oakiness. The sweet liquorice lingers in the mouth in the late finish. It feels slightly better than the standard cheap blend.
Additional information
This blend has been around since 1923 and is owned by Berry Brothers & Rudd. The content isn’t disclosed but the base is said to be whisky from The Glenrothes Distillery.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is a big bucket of butterscotch. Behind that massive wall there are notes of vanilla and a layer of harsh grain spirit. There’s a metallic note in the back together with a small hint of salted peanuts. It’s very mild and easy on the nose.
Mouth: Very mild start, again with the massive butterscotch and vanilla flavours. There’s an aspartam sweetness and a bitterness both sitting in the back. There’s still a metallic layer coating the mouth and notes of the harsh grain spirit is still coming through the pretty butterscotch. This is very one-dimensional.
Finish: The Butterscotch and vanilla dominates from the start, but they are soon replaced by a dry, very bitter oakiness. It’s not a very pleasant oakiness and the bitterness clashes with the remaining butterscotch note. The metallic layer is still coating the mouth long after everything else disappeared. This is drinkable neat but should be used as a mixer.
Additional information
The Lauder’s brand was created in 1836 and the origin of this blend goes back as far as 1815. The only information about the content is that it’s made from a blend of Highland, Lowland and Speyside whiskies.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is badly aged grainspirit and butterscotch. At first, there’s a piercing metallic sweetness and a hint of vanilla. After a few seconds it switches towards butterscotch. With some Imagination, there are some coastal notes in the background with seaweed and ocean air, but overall this is just unpleasant.
Mouth: It starts out flat and sweet and after a while the butterscotch builds up and takes over. The unpleasant grain spirit notes are still in there, but they have taken a step back. There’s no coastal notes here at all but there is a hint of the oak coming through. There is a small glimmer of ripe fruits in the background, but it’s in no way helping this along. This is one-dimensional, and it’s not a good dimension.
Finish: It starts out with the metallic note up front and once again the butterscotch note comes out thick and pertruding. The oakiness is a bit late, but when it comes it’s actually not that bad. It’s got a nutty side to it, close to walnuts. This is not a whisky to be used as a neat pour. This should only be used as a mixer.
Additional information
Produced for the swedish market and blended by a swedish blender, Folke Anderson, known for making Grönstedts cognac. According to the official representatives it contains some islay malt and a lot of the content is sherry matured.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is grainy and sweet. At first there’s a thick layer of badly aged grain spirit and an aspartame sweetness. There’s also a black liquorice note and just a tiny hint of heather, and, with some imagination, a hint of fruits. With time in the glass vanilla starts to come forward. This helps it along a little, but it’s basically just very unpleasant and sharp.
Mouth: It starts out very watery and after a second or two the grain spirit start to come through which isn’t a good thing. It comes with some vanilla, liquorice and honey notes, but mostly with a not-so-good bitterness. There is still a tiny hint of fruits and heather, but it’s buried deep within the unpleasantries.
Finish: A small surge of vanilla sweetness pass by on the way to a very flat and boring oakiness. The vanilla hangs on, but it’s just creating a thin veil above the bitter oak. The finish is rather short which in this case is a good thing. This is one of the worst scotch blends I’ve ever tasted and should not be had neat, nor be used as a mixer. In fact, it should only be used as a last resort kind of drink.
Additional information
The Family Reserve contains a lot of different whiskies and is based on single grain whisky from Girvan. It is aged in virgin oak, american ex-bourbon oak, and refill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It’s made by William Grant & Sons.
William’s Whisky Database 