Month: October 2016

Whisky 2016 – 100-101 

Back in Tokyo! At the wonderful Mash Tun. Owner Suzuki-san is a wonderful host and has some very unique bottlings. I will be going back! 

100 – The Mash Tun and The Whisky Agency Ben Nevis 1998 Peated
Walnuts, ham, huge truffle nose. Meaty and sweet, typical Ben Nevis jammy apricot fruit but wow, such savory complexity. Simple but so well executed.

101 – The Whisky Agency Ben Nevis 1996 20 year Sherry butt
Honey, gunpowder, mushrooms, jersey caramel. Caramel, green herbs and apricots, churned butter, some slight earthiness. 

Whisky 2016 – 97-99

97 – Wilson & Morgan Ben Nevis 18 Year Old 1996
Huge rich honey nose, melted butter, rose petals, stewed apricots. Roasted bone marrow, fruit sweetness, some young sprightly herbs, citrus zest and pith, dusty.

98 – Adelphi Glenrothes 9 Year Old Cask 3532
Deep wood, leather, caramel, heavily perfumed. So big, dry wood, maple sugar, musk, buttery, apricot brandy, pancakes, sarsaparilla, plastics.

99 – Cragganmore Special Edition 14 years Bottle 0075
Grapes, turps, candle wax, apple, colored pencils, brown sugar. Pencil shavings, slight apricot and cream, wax.

Whisky 2016 – 91-96 (Westland Whiskey tasting)

91 – Westland American Oak 46%
Chicos, white peach, passionfruit, chocolate, pears. Didn’t enjoy the initial palate a bit plastic but coffee, peach, pears, vanilla, roasted barley tea.

92 – Westland Sherry Wood 46%
Honey, honey, honey, honey, honey, honey, butter, crumpets. Maraschino cherries, pears, cloves, toasted muesli.

93 – Westland Peated 46%
Medicinal, salted crisps, seaweed, honey, toffee, roast pork. Bracken, toffee, salt, apples – but that damn roasted note keeps coming back.

94 – Westland Garryana 56.2%
Banana split with caramel sauce, pound cake, chicos, pear, apricot, jammy. Rubber, spice, pound cake, strawberry jam, salty, stewed apricot, hazelnuts.

95 – Benromach Organic 2010
Green barley, mint, cold butter, malt, fresh garden peas cooked in butter, green bananas, cooked apples. Fresh and minty, malty, banana with cream.

96 – SMWS 66.81 Black Bun by a peaty hearth (Ardmore)
Oil paints, dry manzanilla sherry, beer nuts, toffee, pork crackling. Soy sauce, dry smoke, oily, sweetness, over ripe apple.