Tastes

* Review number 200, a special one for the occasion. Nose: It is evening on a shingle beach. A full, pungent peat-reek from the bothy fills the air mingled with the smell of diesel from the boatyard. Waves break against a nearby wooden pier where old mooring lines lie flaked, acrid with the aromas of brine and iodine. The wind is angular, fresh and crisp from the sea, needling the face with spray. Soft smoke from the driftwood fire begins to die as dark brooding clouds furrow the evening's brow. From the cottage there is the scent of spices - pepper, cloves and ginger. A storm is brewing. Palate: A strong, sweet peaty arrival - but it's just the edge of the tempest. Then suddenly the storm breaks and the development finds torrents of smoke and a bittersweet maltiness thundering down. Lightning cracks as citrus, pepper, ginger and brine light up the palate. The rain turns heavy with large, leaden drops - as though it had a thick oily texture. Finish: A long time later. Tingling squalls of peppery spice trail off into the distance, obscured by gusting clouds of smoke and sweet tea tannins. As the sky finally clears, stars appear and a faint sour and acrid tang around the tongue is all that remains. “Our revels now are ended. These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air." - The Tempest. Beautiful, elegantly simple complexity. A benchmark whisky. "Excellent" : 89/100 (4.75 stars)

Nose: Buttery malt, light honey, apple, pear, a hint of vanilla. Palate: The arrival is soft, sweet and slightly fruity. Malt emerges in the development with cereal notes and deeper toned fruit. The texture is light but creamy and very pleasant. Finish: Short. Crisp, sweet and fruity. A show of hands from everyone for whom this was their first whisky - yep, there's a lot of us. It's a good everyday dram, enjoyable neat or with a dash of water, or over rocks, or with soda, or as a mixer, or ... however you want to use it. An affordable and always dependable middle-ground whisky. Very reasonably often suggested as a first malt for beginners, it's amazing that Glenfiddich can produce millions of bottles of this year after year and maintain such high quality. It will always find a place in my drinks cabinet. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

*My bottle: Distilled 2010, bottled 2017. Nose: Malted barley, butterscotch, vanilla, leather, some very fine fresh oak and a touch of tobacco. There's a heathery note as well. A very crisp nose. Palate: Dry and bittersweet arrival, intensely cereal and malty - like munching down on a handful of freshly milled grist. A light cereal sweetness, and adding water brings out more sweetness and a spiciness from the grain that is otherwise completely hidden. Such an unrelentingly cereal palate! Finish: Short. Soft, clean, and ... hey, where did it go? This has a clearer and more cereal nose than any other Benromach I've tasted, and with a drop of water it blooms and promises a refreshing and crisp palate. That it certainly is, but there is also delicacy to the point of shyness. Some light aromas and flavours flash about but there is an overall lack of character. Maybe it's too refined for a rough old codger with taste buds burnt out after years of whisky drinking? There's certainly nothing unpleasant about it, and it does have a kind of austere sophistication. The nose is very nice, the palate crisp and dry and the finish sweet, simple and short. It's the whisky equivalent of a dry white wine that is so icy clean it almost tastes like water. Unfortunately I like my whiskies with a bit more personality, even if they are sometimes uncouth and not fit for genteel company. (I am led to believe that the 2010 batch is different in profile to the earlier expressions). In the final analysis this strikes me as being like a refined Glenmorangie Original or Glenfiddich 12. Well made, clean, poised, but best used as a safe everyday tipple or the first baseline malt of a tasting session. I cannot begin to comprehend the official score of 95 given to this when the 15 Year Old and Peated expressions are so clearly superior. I wish I could give this more, because sitting here with the very pleasant light aftertaste it leaves I have a positive impression, and I can imagine many whisky drinkers would appreciate its qualities more than I, however in the end, I'm just not that impressed. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Chocolate, malt, hops, dry sherry, leather, subtle soft peat smoke, bracing oak tannin spices and chilli oil. Palate: Neat - an astringent but oily arrival with lots of ginger spices, tannins and a rich malty presence. Considering the high abv it's not particularly burning at all. Honey, orange marmalade and white pepper on the development with a creamy caramel texture. With water - the arrival is sweeter and loses the high abv astringency, but otherwise is largely unchanged (unless it is over-watered). Finish: Long, leathery and fading out into a delightful smoky orange aftertaste. Adding a dash of water melds the nose together nicely and unleashes a torrent of bittersweet and hot spices on the palate. A generous pour softens everything but loses some character. It swims well until it's out of it's depth, then it suddenly sinks. I'd recommend sipping this one neat or with just a couple of drops. A good whisky with plenty of character, but not my favourite Benromach. I found more complexity in the regular 10 year old (which is 43%abv). This is essentially the same whisky at greater intensity, but for me the nuances were harder to appreciate here - both are 4 star whiskies. Tasted from a 30 ml sample bottle. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars)

Nose: Earth, leather, malt, caramel and peat smoke lead the way but as you get past those aromas it becomes apparent that this is at heart a winey nose with a very well handled sherry influence. There's a fruity hint and some waxed pine wood furniture in the background, and if you smell deeply there's a little ethanol hit with citrus and grassy notes in attendance. Palate: Sweet woody and malty arrival that develops into a rich fruity palate. Somewhere along the way a delightful smokiness suddenly blossoms in the mouth, accompanied by a warm, buzzy glow of spices - ginger and sweet paprika - and mixed herbs. There's an oily and even faintly briny citrus note, but it's not a maritime profile - just a couple of flakes of salt with a drop of lemon juice. A very nice texture. Finish: Long, salty, smoky and meaty, like a sugar-maple smoked ham. The lingering aftertaste is citrus/herbal and delicately smoky. A subtle and well balanced whisky that recalls the stronger aromas and more potent smokiness of the 15 year old but does not attempt to mimic them - you can just easily see the same DNA in evidence. The nose is excellent and keeps unfolding right through the tasting. A few drops of water enhances the woody notes throughout and unveils a little sweetness. [The dry glass aroma is astonishingly reminiscent of esturine mud-flats at low-tide]. Amanda Schuster's note that "This is one of those whiskies that stimulates the palate and actually makes one hungry for food" is right on the mark. This is a wonderful aperitif. Beautiful, complex but well-balanced whisky at a very reasonable price. For those who prefer a more forceful dram, there is the 100 proof 10 year old that is essentially the same whisky as this but turned up to 11. This potent forcefulness carried more intensity of flavour, but in my opinion a little less nuance. Both are solid 4 star whiskies. Recommended. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars)

Bruichladdich Masterclass, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 19 February 2018, Whisky #6 Nose: Rich leathery and earthy peat smoke. Softly oily and embracing. A cloud of evocative smoke that, enveloping as it is, cannot hide aromas of orange and lemon peel, apples, peaches, apricots, toffee, tobacco and ocean breakers. Beautiful oak notes that lend a touch of vanilla. Palate: Initially dry like a crisp dry white wine, then suddenly sweet citrus flavours come rolling in on briny vapours like a surfer riding a glistening arc of smoke. Lime, grapefruit, lemon, sweet persimmon, cantaloupe, mango, and white grapes. Licorice and salmiak. I agree with the official tasting notes here - this is a complex, ever-changing palate. Finish: Long. Very long. Floral, fruity, slightly briny and fading out eventually on sweetly gentle smoke with a touch of earthy oak, and leaving an aftertaste that lasts literally hours. Despite the mad peating level of the barley, by the time most Octomores make it into the glencairn the nose has tamed down a good deal, to the point that they smell less peated than many whiskies that only declare a level of around 40ppm. However this is different. This smells and tastes quite definitely of peat smoke, but the smoke is held in check by the softening of expert wood maturation. It's not as "sharp" as the typical Octomore smoke, it's soft but full - more like Benromach smoke. I am overjoyed that this whisky exists. Given that peat smoke decreases quickly with age it would be tempting for Bruichladdich to release everything very young so their peat monster was always as vigorous as possible. However this whisky proves that not only can Octomore withstand 10 years in ex-white wine barrels, it benefits from the treatment. The strange thing is that even though the peating level should logically be reduced compared with the 5 year matured expressions, it somehow seems to be enhanced by the extra time in casks. Whatever the reason, it is certainly a sweeter, rounder, more subtle and sophisticated type of smoke. I've tasted 6 Octomores now, including this one (6.1, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3) and I have a sample of 5.1 waiting in the cupboard to try some time. I've not tried any of the 8 series, but of all those I've tried so far this was my favourite. Maybe I just don't like Octomore so young and prefer the softening that 10 years brings. Whatever the reason, I recommend this heartily, and it's the first Octomore I've given 5 stars. Welcome to the top shelf, if I can find a bottle. "Outstanding" : 90/100 (5 stars)

Bruichladdich Masterclass, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 19 February 2018, Whisky #5 Nose: Very soft laid-back smoke over green apples and sweet lemon. A subtle floral fragrance like vanilla blossoms on a balmy evening. Adding water unlocks the door to a deluge of smoke of varying thickness, oiliness and aroma. While it is a soft nose it is also clearly defined and a delight to explore. Palate: Fruity and oaky, quite a full texture with sharp citrus, waxy peat, anise or fennel, salt-spray and honeysuckle. Some sweet malty cereal and a background of earthy smoke like the smell of a hangi [earth oven] before the food goes in - rich, deep, warm and not the slightest bit acrid. A very agreeable oily texture but also clean and crisp. Adding water turns the smoke up to 11. Finish: A soft, comfortable lingering dryness underpinning endless smoke. A very nice whisky indeed, and much more interesting than the sophomore 7.1 and the awkward 7.2. Despite the daunting abv this is almost (almost!) drinkable neat. I did find that I needed to cool it down to around 50%, at which point it becomes much more complex and subtle. I'd strongly recommend watering it. If you're a fan of Octomore but have not tried this one and you see a bottle I'd recommend buying it while you can. Easily one of the high water marks of this family of expressions. "Outstanding" : 91/100 (5 stars)