Tastes

Nose: Mild, confectionery vanilla and caramel. Palate: Mild, confectionery vanilla and caramel. Finish: Short. Mild, confectionery vanilla and caramel. This is one of the few whiskeys I've come close to pouring down the sink. Vanilla and caramel. That's all there is. It's sickly sweet, fat, dull, totally devoid of character and costs too much. Sounds like some politicians. I've given it one point as it is not actually poisonous or badly made, but it's the very definition of "cloyingly bland". "Poor" : 60/100 (1 star)

UPDATED REVIEW 21 March 2018. Having spent the last two weeks brooding over a new bottle of Corryvrecken I’ve decided to reduce my rating. However don't take that as a damning comment - I'm only talking about a reduction from "excellent" status to "very good". Nose: The fearsome boldness has diminished and the central peaty quality has lost its oiliness and is now more of a dry and sooty smoke. There’s still vanilla, a touch of light fruitiness and some citrus – but it feels less commanding and rich. Palate: There is still smoke and preserved lemons, but the oily quality and subtle resinous flavours are reduced. The mouthfeel is still very good but it is less intense. Finish: Long. Still a protracted waxy, resinous fade, but softer and thinner - more like cold ashes with peppery spice. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars) ORGINAL REVIEW: Nose: Thick smokiness that is hard to penetrate, woody and strong peaty notes underneath. A certain crisp citrus note emerges after a while, together with brine and something astringent – like the smell of heavily brined green olives. Palate: Smoky, oily, peaty arrival. In the development, preserved salt lemons, vanilla, tar, cedarwood, liquorice, fennel pickled onions and pine resin. Strong alcohol burn, even with water. The texture is full and oily, but cut with brine. Finish: Long with some waxy/plastic peat which stays forever (honestly, don't even think of trying to taste anything else for a while after this). Initially there’s a salty sourness in the finish but the lasting memory is of sweet smoke. I'd strongly recommend adding just a drop or two of water before nosing, and then a dash more before tasting. This is a very assertive dram and neat it is so overwhelming you can't appreciate its subtle notes, which are definitely there to enjoy. I'd also recommend taking time over it, even though I suspect it contains a fair bit of relatively young whisky. Allowing it to develop in the glass brings out sweetness and tames the sharp resinous edge of the peat. Try it neat if you like that sort of smack in the face, but I don't think you can really get the best out of this whisky without water. Do take care, however, because it is surprisingly easy to drown. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Nose: Lots of friendly sweet malt aromas, honey, apples, notes of fruitcake and spice and a hint of oak. Palate: Rich caramel/honey sweetness and a full mouthfeel. As it develops you taste over-ripe oranges, raisins, dark chocolate, warm spices (cinnamon, allspice and a little ginger) and caramel. It’s a rounded and highly approachable palate but not particularly complex. There is development but not a great deal of progression. Finish: Medium. Cereal and malt with honey overtones. A consistently high quality and impeccably well crafted malt that is very easy to approach and has a universally acceptable profile. The only thing you could accuse it of is being safe and unexciting, but many folks would argue that that's just another way to say subtle and genteel. It's an excellent whisky for the beginner who is starting come to grips with scotch malts and is ready for a classy age statement dram that does not rely on intense peat, fruit or sherry to make its statement (there is hidden fruit that only emerges with a drop of water, which I'd recommend for this whisky. It seems to need it to properly unfurl). It's hard to decide whether it’s a really good 3-star or just makes it to 4 stars, but in the end I went for 3.75. It's very reasonably priced for an 18 year old Speysider and has rock-solid year-to-year consistency of quality. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Some spices - nutmeg, white pepper, cloves. Very simple and one dimensional. Plate: Bland. More caramel and bourbon-like than any other rye I've tasted, but very low key. Finish: Barely any at all - the palate just dwindles quickly. The least impressive rye I've tasted - it's like it has been diluted to the point where all character has vanished. There is nothing actively unpleasant about it, but it has no presence or character. You can buy much better bottom shelf rye whiskies so I'm rating it as not quite "Adequate". "Inferior" : 69/100 (1.75 stars)

Nose: Light tarry smoke, sweet malt, delicate spices, fruit and vanilla. The character is broadly similar to classic Black label, but with the smoke greatly amplified. Palate: Very similar to the nose with the smoke being the first note on the arrival, followed by sweet fruity maltiness in the development, and then finally turning to tarry smoke again as it moves into the finish. Finish: Medium. The smoke is the last lingering flavour but a light, dry briny note is in the aftertaste. Black Label has a perfect balance between a few elements and a slightly hard edge from the grain spirit. That balance is lost in Double Black which is much more focused on the interplay of sweet malt and smoke. It was something of a trendsetter blend when first released, but there is competition now. It's pleasant and serviceable if what you want is a versatile smokey blended scotch that can be used as a base for mixing or occasionally sipped neat. It does, however, face stiff competition from Big Peat, Smokehead and other smoky blended malt whiskies that are only a few dollars more and arguably superior. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Port wine, morello cherries, mandarins, spices (cinnamon?) Taste: Fruity spiciness, caramel toffee, bitter chocolate, some hot spices (ginger and pepper). Finish: Medium/long, tingly and juicy. Dry sherry at the end. An enjoyable enough aperitif, rather like the whisky version of a dry sherry. The wine influence is strong on the nose but doesn't carry through very much to the palate. Gentle warming in the hand and allowing some time to develop in the glass did improve it. It's a good one if you like this style of whisky, but it doesn't appeal much to me and I think it's a little overpriced. "Average" : 77/100 (2.5 stars)

Nose: Woody and fruity notes, faint lemon oil, restrained sherry. Malted milk chocolate balls and a touch of mint. Palate: Rich malty flavours, vanilla, toffee, nuts, caramel, dried fruits, cocoa and some warm gingery spice notes. The mouthfeel is excellent, very rich, sweet, soft and just a little oily. The texture is delightful and one of the best parts of the experience. Finish: Medium/long and smooth with chocolate toffee and some sweet spiced citrus. A soft and pleasant whisky with the single fault that after being open for several months oxidization had caused the toffee notes to dominate the palate. This was a pity as it obscured the rest of the profile and made it a little cloying. Still, it's a very well made and reasonably priced 15 year old highlander that falls a little short of 4 stars for me. (I'm puzzled by the official score of 95. This ranks it as equal to Bruichladdich Black Art 4, Laphroaig 25 and Hakushu 25, and seems extremely ... generous). “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Lots of sweet, rich sherry. Oranges, red berries, spice notes and butterscotch. A hint of anise and a note of rum – a very Christmas pudding aroma. There’s a firm foundation under all the juicy sweet notes with some excellent oak apparent. It’s a very old-school, sweetly intense and leathery nose. Palate: Fruitcake, orange peel, sultanas – lighter than the nose would make you expect, but still very sherry and raisin driven. Cherry Danish in the development with surrounding cappuccino notes. The texture is full and velvety. Finish: Medium/short, but very rounded and pleasant with a tiny hint of bitter orange. Dalmore is always very polished and well-finished. It makes me think of highly waxed mahogany sideboards in centuries-old oak panelled drawing rooms, with dishes of chocolate covered caramel and orange pieces and glasses of good sweet sherry. Its whole demeanor is elegant, refined and poised. Like all Dalmore expressions I would love to see this released at a slightly higher abv but it's not something that bothers me too much. The profile is so large and rich that it makes up for the base-level strength in a way that most other whiskies would not be able to pull off. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Sherry, nuts, caramel toffee, vanilla, a little coconut, banana and some lemon oil. Lightly peat smoke. Palate: Buttery fudge, berries, toasted walnut bread, caramel, orchard fruits and milk chocolate. The texture is good. Finish: Short. Nutty, malty cereal and caramel. There is some minor astringency in the aftertaste from the grain whiskey component. I enjoyed this whisky but although there wasn't anything specific to criticize about it I wasn't that bowled over either, and once it was finished I didn't particularly want to buy another bottle straight away. It's a good everyday dram at a fair price and it would be a good session whisky. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)

Nose: Sweetly floral, fragrant with an unmistakable aroma of frangipani flowers and honeysuckle (but it's not heavy or cloying at all - just light and fresh). Also oak, lemon peel, mixed spices, brightly aromatic herbs and citrus fruits. An uplifting and delicately bright nose. Palate: A tropical fruit basket with citrus and pineapple to the fore plus sweet malty, toffee notes. Very nice combination of sweet and cereal flavours. Finish: Medium/short, but satisfying, with a cereal-oak combination finale. Overall it's a pleasant, gentle dram - light but not lightweight, with a distinctive floral presentation. It's a great showcase for delicate bourbon cask maturation sweetened with some low-tannin sherry oak. There's nothing here to dislike but it could be considered a little too "easy" to be really interesting. I enjoyed the bottle I had (which I drank last summer and I think it suited the season admirably) but I probably wouldn't bother buying it again. However if you're looking for a gentle, easy-drinking whisky for a hot summer afternoon then you could do far worse, particularly as it is priced very fairly. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)