ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky is made by Beam Suntory. It’s main malt character comes from the Ardmore Distillery.
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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and grainy. At first there’s a vanilla and butterscotch center with a big, unpleasant grain spirit layer surrounding it. It’s very ethanol forward despite its low ABV. It’s metallic and spirity which takes center stage. There’s a feint aura of a public urinal somewhere within. There’s not much of a fruitiness to be found, maybe a hint of baked apples. This is a bad nose which most certainly doesn’t promote the next steps of the journey.
Mouth: It starts out with a shell of very unpleasant ethanol forward grain spirit with a vanilla center part within. In the back there’s a bad bitterness and a metallic note. In the center the baked apple comes through after a few seconds. There’s a malty bisquit note within as well. It’s flat but not watery and there is a thin peppery note coming through for those who are brave enough to wait.
Finish: For a second or two it’s just the bad grain spirit notes which show up. The vanilla, butterscotch and red apples do appear but everything breaks down fast and leaves a very bitter and bad oakiness behind. The metallic notes in the back does shift slightly towards a lemon note but it’s barely noticable. This is a bad whisky. It’s on the cheapest end of the spectrum and rightly so. It should not be comsumed, at least not neat.
Additional information
This whisky is a blend of fifteen unnamed malts and grain whiskies from the highlands, lowlands and Speyside.
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ABV: 45 %
Origin: Japan
Type: Single Grain
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.
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Additional information
This whisky was released in 2012z It’s made from mostly corn. It was aged in a mix of rebuilt, recharred and refill ex-bourbon barrels. The distillate comes from Miyagikyo. The content is said to be ~8-12 years old.
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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ethanol driven. At first there’s a mix of generic sweetness, fresh fruits and mint. Underneath lies a very unpleasant note of ethanol. It’s very shiny and metallic. There are some perfumey notes floating around within. The fresh fruits increase in intensity and it’s an apple and pear mix. The sweetness moves closer towards butterscotch and vanilla but never really gets there. The minty freshness on top stays the same throughout and a slight hint of oak and cooking spices are added after a while. This is not the greatest nose in the world and it’s a bit thin overall.
Mouth: It starts out with a very flat and round sweet butterscotch note and some baked red apples but soon it becomes very bitter and unpleasant. It’s still ethanol driven and it feels very poorly made. There’s a layer of oakiness surrounding everything but that just creates a frame to the bad overall picture. The oakiness increases in intensity and becomes a fresher oak which just makes the whole weird and more unpleasant. There are still spices and a metallic note within.
Finish: A surge in oak spices gives the transition a boost but it soon reverts to a flat character. A hint of black pepper stays behind though. The sweet butterscotch and apple note returns but soon crumbles and leaves the ethanol note and a bitter oakiness in the back together with a metallic note. There’s a fresh sawdust oakiness up front. The longer the finish lasts, the more of the fresh oakiness comes through. The finish becomes way overoaked with maybe just a hint of smoke. This is a really bad whisky and the virgin oak somehow just adds to the misery.
Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of virgin oak, heavily charred american oak and ex-bourbon barrels.
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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 oaky and sweet. At first there’s a massive new oak layer sitting on top of a harsh grain spirit note. The oakiness feels prickly and has a piney smell to it. After a few seconds a middle layer starts to form with a vanilla and butterscotch sweetness. There’s also a whiff of peat somewhere within. There’s a fresh lemon fruitiness in the back but it’s easily mistaken for a metallic note. With time the sweet layer expands a bit which is much needed to balance out the oak. This is not the greatest nose, not even in the budget blend catergory.
Mouth: It starts out with the same prickly and piney oakiness creating a thick layer around the palate. On the inside all the other flavours fight for attention. There’s still a sweet vanilla/butterscotch note as well as a thin peatiness. There’s also a thin flowery note floating around on top and the lemon is still found in the back. The grain spirit is very subdued and the background consists of a nice gritty layer with a hint of rubber and sulfur.
Finish: The oakiness flares up to another level and becomes truly unpleasant at first. The peatiness can’t compete with the oak so it just becomes a background noise. The sweet layer and the floral note has disappeared and all that’s left is a dry woodshop oakiness with the pine notes still within. This is a bad whisky which is way over-oaked (on purpose probably) to create the illusion of a spicy and flavourful whisky to use in drinks and cocktails.
Additional information
This whisky is said to contain several islay and Speyside malts. The grain spirit part comes from the lowlands. Bunnahabhain is mentioned as the main islay malt in this blend.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is butterscotch and peat. At first there’s a whiff of peat sitting on top of a clingy butterscotch note. There’s a metallic vanilla attached to it. The peat is leaning towards a coastal character with seaweed and a pinch of salt. After some time a fruity layer comes though somewhere in between the peat and the butterscotch. It’s a generic fruitiness and can’t attached to a specific fruit. This is a decent nose for a cheap blend with the grain spirit toned down by the peat.
Mouth: It starts out with a surge of fruitiness with a quite peaty outside layer with medicinal iodine as well as burning hay. The fruitiness still feels generic, but it fits rather nicely together with the peat. After a few seconds the clingy butterscotch and the metallic vanilla comes through. It stays in the center and never really pushes forward which is a good thing. It becomes a bit ”chalky” as well. A bit of black pepper spicyness shows up for those who wait.
Finish: It takes a second or two before any flavour shows up. It starts from the outside with the peatiness and then the fruitiness. The metallic note is much clearer than before and when the butterscotch arrives it becomes a bit unpleasant. The oakiness comes late and when it does, it feels like it’s rescuing the last part of the finish. It’s not the most characterful oak, but it’s good enough. This is a decent blend which is slightly better than its peers.
Additional information
This whisky was originally made with whiskies from Laphroaig, GlenGrant and Glenlivet by Ian Hunter in the 1920’s. What goes into the whisky today is not revealed except that Laphroaig is in the mix.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is harsh, sweet and grain spirit heavy. A massive vanilla note dominantes together with what could be described as rubbing alcohol. The sweetness is just generic white sugar-like. There’s no fruitiness nor oak. There’s a hint of cardboard coming from behind. It’s one-dimensional and lacks both depth and complexity on the nose.
Mouth: It starts out very watery with just a touch of sweetness. The vanilla continously move forward and a tiny spicyness appears on the tip of the toungue. A bitterness builds up in the back. The grain spirit is very pronounced and ”boozy”. It’s not a very nice mouthfeel.
Finish: The harsh grain spirit flare up and soon gets replaced with vanilla once again. It quickly switches over to a very bitter and somewhat unpleasant oakiness. The oakiness stays for a pretty long finish, which in this case isn’t a good thing. This is a bad whisky and it should not be consumed neat.
Additional information
The Golden Shoe/Golden Goal whiskies are released as limited editions for soccer championships. The content is not disclosed, but it’s bottled by Schwarze & Schlichte Markenvertreib GmbH & Co. KG.
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: Germany
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is anise and cough syryp. At first there are heavy anise and liquorice root notes. The grain spirit is sitting on top and creates a thin layer of butterscotch. After a few seconds a hint of raisins and red berries comes through, but they are feint and almost disappears in the heavy liquorice. The sweet notes are dark like molasses and the entire thing kind of smells like a cough syryp. This is not an especially nice nose.
Mouth: Vanilla and the heavy liquorice note are really protruding and take place up front. There’s not much else coming through for a good amount of time. A dark fruitiness seems to exist, but isn’t really placeable. The oak does shine through for those who wait and it becomes somewhat astringent when that happens. It still feels like it’s a cough syryp more than it feels like an actual whisky.
Finish: Once again it’s vanilla and liquorice root with a dark sweet note as company. The oak comes through quite quickly which is very welcome. It’s a very dry oak and it feels pretty fresh. The astringency increases over time. This is not a pleasant experience in any stage of the tasting process. Fortunatly the finish is very short and most of the flavours are gone soon after swallowing. After a few sips it leaves a feint note of butterscotch from the grain spirit though.
Additional information
This is made by Braun Spirituosen in Germany (Wilhelm Braun Erben GmbH & Co. KG). There’s no information on the content or cask type or if there’s sourced whisky included.
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.
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.
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.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is harsh and sweet. At first the grain distillate is dominating with some butterscotch and honey in the background. It’s very metallic and rather unpleasant on the nose. After a while a layer of vanilla comes forward and makes it a little bit better. A maltiness is noticable when digging deep.
Mouth: At first it’s watery, then an artificial sweetness takes over together with the honey and the butterscotch. There’s a lemon note in the back and a tiny spicyness on the tip of the toungue. A bitterness builds up and takes over. It’s not an especially nice bitterness though.
Finish: Spicy at first, then grainy and sweet. The butterscotch increases and takes a bigger role in the finish. The harsh grain spirit gives an unpleasant alcohol note which lingers when the bitterness returns with an oakiness. The finish is longer than expected, but that is not a good thing. This should be used as a mixer and not consumed beat.
Additional information
The Grouse Brand was released in 1896 and two years later the name was changed to The Famous Grouse because of its popularity. Edrington uses Glenturret malt, but also some Macallan and Highland Park in this blend.
ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is mild and sweet. Butterscotch and sweet liquorice sit behind a very thin veil of harsh grain spirit. The oakiness is in the background together with some honey. A hint of green fruits peeks through every now and then. This is a bit uneventful and too friendly.
Mouth: It starts out extremely mild with butterscotch, honey and just a small glimmer of fresh fruits arriving all together. A touch of lemon sits in the back while a small spicyness builds up on the toungue, but it never really takes off. A bitter note and the oakiness come through after a few seconds. It is a bit dry, but it takes a few sips to really notice that.
Finish: Mild peppermint and butterscotch lead way to a small hint green apples. There are dry soil notes coming through in the background before it moves over to a very pronounced oakiness. It’s just a tad bitter and the oak feels like old grey wooden planks. The oakiness stays by itself for a pretty long finish. A small metallic note is left when the oak subsides.
Additional information
The content of this blend isn’t disclosed, but it’s revealed that it has a base in Speyside malts like Longmorn, Strathisla, Glenlivet and Aberlour. There are also whiskies from the Highlands and Islay in the blend.
William’s Whisky Database 