Tastes

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #9 Nose: Fruity (orchard fruit, stone fruits, citrus), hay, fragrant grass, grape juice, honey-covered cereal snack bars and some wood notes from the casks. Palate: Mildly sweet arrival with vanilla cake, peaches and caramel sauce. Spice notes show up in the development which gains complexity over time with diverse fruit and grain flavours coming forward. The texture is full but also a little astringent. Finish: Medium/short. Spicy (pepper, tannin), grassy and slightly honied aftertaste. This was the second Lochlea I tried on the day, following their Sowing Edition Second Release. Overall, I thought this one was similar but more grassy and herbal on the nose and with a broader and more complex palate. However, whereas the Sowing Edition was a bourbon-matured whisky with a certain direct honesty of presentation, this one seemed to me very deliberate and engineered. It was matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon, oloroso sherry and STR casks and I could clearly distinguish the contribution of each cask type as a separate and disconnected facet. Although it was not at all unpleasant I thought this whisky was crying out for longer maturation and an extensive rest in a marrying tun to meld everything together. As it is, the seams show through. Still, it's a pleasant young whisky and worth a taste. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #8 Nose: A light nose featuring aromas of grassy cereal, lemon shortbread, orchard fruits, stone fruits, fennel and vanilla. A dash of water brings out a light caramel note. Palate: Mildly sweet arrival with stewed apples, pear flan and some zesty lemon and cinnamon. More robust lemon appears in the development with toasted nuts and vanilla in support. Adding a little water softens the lemon presence and makes it more floral. The texture is good but not outstanding when neat, but with water it gains creaminess. Finish: Medium/short. Lemon, ginger and a sprinkle of pepper. Lochlea is an independent lowland distillery in Ayrshire that has been producing spirit since 2018. They launched their inaugural whiskies last year and this was the first time I'd had the opportunity to try them. I enjoyed this expression a lot. It’s a young, bright but soft whisky focused on cereal and crisp fruits, particularly citrus. The profile is not particularly complex, but it is pleasant and refreshing and has obviously been designed for early drinking after minimal maturation in first-fill bourbon barrels. It’s reasonably priced and stands up well against the raft of other young Scottish malts we are currently seeing. Although you might not expect it from the moderate rating I’m giving, this was one of the most interesting and exciting whiskies I tasted at the show. It has no pretensions but carries the promise of an excellent future, and I’ll be keeping my eye on this distillery. I enjoyed this enough to buy a bottle on the day. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25)

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #7 Nose : Tropical fruit, honey, vanilla and very mild, fragrant peat. The peat is so delicate it is just a gossamer thread of smoke. Over time, and particularly once you have had a sip, it becomes more obvious but never builds to “peat monster” levels. Elegant and subtle. Palate: Immediately smoky on the arrival, much more so than the nose would lead you to expect. Honey, pineapple, mango, vanilla ice-cream, stewed apples and glazed orange slices providing a bed for charcoal-grilled lobster and oysters Kilpatrick. The mouthfeel is creamy and supple. Finish: Medium. All the flavours on the palate meld into a gentle and harmonious whole that lingers with a sweet aftertaste. Delicious. An impressive whisky that I’ve been meaning to try for some time, and which more than lives up to its reputation. The peating (entirely via maturation in ex-peated Islay octaves) is perfection. This is not a loud, aggressive fist to the jaw of peat smoke, but a fleeting kiss from a water-sprite, and I am completely captivated. Splendidly composed and although the price has increased recently it is still a value-for-money alternative to the usual peaty contenders. Recommended, and I just ordered a bottle. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #6 This is a tasting of Cotswold’s Signature 2022 Small Batch Release. Nose: Butterscotch, vanilla cream, honey and lemongrass tea. Orange blossom water, red berry jam on fresh-baked rolls. The character is soft and enfolding, like a cashmere scarf. A soothing and relaxing nose with body. Palate: The arrival is full of soft orange liqueur, creamy barley, lemon curd and light syrup. In the development it shows barley sugar, strawberry, cherries, almond meal and nougat. The texture is smooth, rich and creamy. Finish: Medium. The sweet fruity profile fades into a mildly spicy aftertaste (cinnamon, tannin) with a touch of orange marmalade and morello cherry. A very good young single malt that is remarkably soft and inviting on both nose and palate while having a well-defined presence and some complexity. Water develops spicy notes that are pleasant but overall I preferred this one neat. This dram was virtually identical to the two Cotswolds Odyssey Barley expressions I've previously tasted, and as it has the same casking, abv and batch size I decided to rate it here as a core-range offering rather than start another thread. The higher strength expressions, the peated whiskies and the cask-finishes are another story, of course, but all the unpeated 46% Cotswolds releases display the same distillery DNA and are frankly hard to distinguish. Which is no bad thing because it's a little cracker of a whisky, easy to find in any of its manifestations, and very good value for money. I base my ratings solely on quality but if I did factor cost into the equation I'd give this 4 stars without hesitation. Great stuff. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)