January 2018 – grey whisky

Whisky 2018 – 13-15

13 – Berry Brothers & Rudd 1997 Ben Nevis Cask 27 bottled 2014
Nose: rich and juicy, intense orange, bitter chocolate, hand cream
Palate: butter, tobacco, mustard fruits, cream, dusty, chocolate, caramel chews
Finish: cream, bitter cocoa, rocks

14 – Hidden Spirits 2004 Ben Nevis 13 Years Cask BN417 “Heavily Peated”
Nose: hand cream, old coals, flint, green grass, potato chips, sweat but not in a bad way
Palate: crisps, savory, cream, juicy stone fruit, banana cake
Finish: smoked cream, ash, fallen leaves

15 – The Whisky Agency and Three Rivers 1998/2016 Ben Nevis 50.9%
Nose: honey, aspirin, salted butter, cake mix, orange zest
Palate: salted butter, cream, passion fruit vine, leather, sight rubber, jasmine tea, pound cake
Finish: burnt butter, churned butter, cream, tea tannins

Whisky 2018 – 6-12 G&M Tasting

6 – Gordon & Macphail Teaninich 2009/2017 8yo Refill Sherry Hogsheads 46%
Nose: apples, glue, box wood honey, soap, leather, sherry funk
Palate: roasted plums, Waldorf salad, bitter herbs
Finish: cream, dry Xmas spice, dashi

7 – Gordon & Macphail Tomatin 1997/2014 17yo Refill Bourbon Barrels 46%
Nose: vanilla cake, lemon butter, salt, peaches, fruit salad,
Palate: Great mouth feel, loads of fruit and melon (honeydew and rock)
Finish: Crushed ants, toasted almonds

8 – Gordon & Macphail Mortlach 15yo Refill Sherry Casks 43%
Nose: musk, green strawberries, soy sauce, hand cream
Palate: raisins, apple pie, sherry funk, white pepper, black beans
Finish: sherry, rubber

9 – Gordon & Macphail Ledaig “Hermitage Cask Finish” 2005/2017 12yo 45%
Nose: bacon, roasted carrots, medicinal, Cheetos, chlorine
Palate: intense apples, smoke, roasted capsicum, pencil shavings
Finish: Cheetos

10 – Gordon & Macphail Mannochmore Cask Strength 2006/2017 11yo Refill Sherry Butt 59.4%
Nose: lemon drizzle cake, menthol, rubber, soy, new sneakers,
Palate: dry, flinty, loads of fruits, honey, soy

Finish: sherry tannins, rubber, cream

11 – Gordon & Macphail Glenrothes Cask Strength 58.1% 2005/2017
Nose: honey, honey, honey, toasted coconut, coconut rough, crushed ants, grilled pineapple
Palate: honey, caramel, coconut, salted brown butter, loads of raisins and pastry with water
Finish: leather and dried tropical fruit, green mangos

12 – Gordon & Macphail Balblair for The Whisky Hoop refill bourbon 1996/2015 Cask 414 51.1%
Nose: chicos, milk chocolate, terry’s chocolate orange, candied lemon zest, meringue
Palate: pavlova, lemon zest, cream, honey, fruit cup
Finish: cream, heather

Whisky 2018 – 5 – Hains & Co, Adelaide

5 – Hains & Co Living Starward Cask – Wine Cask Starward PX Barrel (staff estimate 6th batch)
Nose: banana bread, bubblegum, wood glue, crushed ants, toasted brioche with butter, banana paddlepops
Palate: really gentle, raspberries, ice tea, Christmas biscuits, spearmint gum, passion fruit vine
Finish: potato crisps, butter, wine tannins

Whisky 2018 – 1-4

What a set of drams to start the year with.

1 – The Ultimate Imperial 1995 20 Years sherry hogshead cask 50240
Nose: Bananas, yeast, rose hip jelly, wax,
Palate: Wax, honey, slight pepper, cucumber sandwiches, juniper, grilled peaches, cream, honey dew
Finish: Juicy, dried pineapple, apple jelly, cream, apple seeds

2 – Arran James McTaggart 10 Years 2007
Nose: hazel nuts, snickers bars, citrus, coconuts, wax, bananas foster, apricots
Palate: cream, crushed ants, dried stone fruit, still a bit young, toasted brioche, peach and hand cream
Finish: loads of cream, wine tannins, salt

3 – Old Malt Cask Doulas Laing & Co 1974 Talisker bottled 2000
Nose: Pencil shavings, candle wax, clear fruit, clear medicinal, egg yolks, prosciutto fat, brown sugar
Palate: camp fire, stewed apples, ice coffee, wax, bbq jackfruit, crispy bacon, seaside, caramels
Finish: huge length, juicy, herbal, cream, wax, just keeps giving

4 – Jack Wiebers Arran 18 Years Cask 2038
Nose: brown sugar, leather, musk, honey comb, sweet pickled onions, old whisky, strawberry jam taken too far, maple syrup
Palate: caramel dipped apricots, tobacco, bitter chocolate, leather, salt
Finish: tannic, yoghurt, chewy