Tastes

Nose: Mild malt and cereal aromas wrapped in grain whisky. Some ultra light sweet orchard fruit notes and with time a few brown sugar/syrup aromas arise that are supported by a bat-squeak of ashen smoke. After a long time some light citrus is noticed. [Interestingly, the dry-glass aroma is quite leathery and smoky]. Palate: A sweet arrival with dilute barley sugar and overcooked caramel sauce drizzled over thin porridge. The merest hint of dusty malt, a faint echo of cardboardy ash and a dusting of white pepper. There is no development. Finish: Short and fast, leaving a sweetish aftertaste from the grain whisky. The nose is not unpleasant at all, but it is very thin and soft. It seemed to me like a potentially good nose that has been over-diluted. You keep nosing it more and more deeply in the hope that something exciting will appear, but it always seems just out of reach. The palate is simplistic, fast and again tastes very much like the blend contains too much grain whisky in relation to malt, although both components are of good quality. I remember drinking White Horse back in the day but I've not seen it on the local shelves for a long time now. This bottle from which I'm tasting is a 750ml US specimen and was obtained from a supplier who has contacts in the TRE grey-market. I bought it for old time's sake and to refresh my memory, but I would not bother again. Like Teacher's, this was once a hefty and characterful blended scotch that is now only a shadow of its former self. It is, however, benign and very easy to drink and would probably suit someone who is looking for an extremely mild and friendly sipping blend. "Adequate" : 70/100 (2 stars)

Nose: Light, sweet fragrant smoke - almost perfumed and very soft. You clearly detect cereal and malt aromas behind the peat and there is some fruit, vanilla, anise and honey as well. It's elegant and demure and completely unlike an Islay nose. Palate: Ultra-soft and crisply clean arrival, with some mild fruity notes, cereal and gentle, ashy smoke. Extremely mellow and rounded, smooth and restful. It's like taking a nap on a pile of fresh dry autumn leaves. It's not a complex palate and there is little development, but it's soothing and pleasant with good texture. Finish: Medium. Soft sweet smoke, naptha and a little brine in the aftertaste, which lingers and turns quite sweet. Tomintoul in very unusual raiment, which it wears with style. This is probably the most gentle, relaxed and non-threatening peated whisky you can find. It would be an ideal dram to give to a friend who you know prefers gentle whiskies but wants to try something peated for the first time. There is nothing at all challenging here, and that's the problem as well as the feature. If you're looking for something like Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Caol Ila then stay well clear because you will think this is thin, watery and flavourless. On the other hand if you do not normally enjoy highly peated whisky and are searching for that profile in it's friendliest form, then here is your dram, and it is very reasonably priced. I thought this was pleasant but the question is: would I buy a bottle? The answer is, probably not. Although I liked the sample I tasted, I just can't see myself ever reaching for this. When it comes to peated whisky I don't necessarily want my socks blown off every time, but I do pour those drams in expectation of something assertive, and that's not what this is all about. Then again, I just polished off the tasting sample without even thinking about it and I'm smacking my lips with enjoyment, so who knows? Tasted from a 30ml sampler "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Fresh-cut hay and grass, barley sugar, orchard fruits, mild soft citrus, a little vanilla. Initially the nose is crisp and tight but with time it develops an earthy, dusty note. There is a faint honey aroma, but it's earthy as well. After some time a fragrance is noticed that is like flowers that have almost decayed. Palate: Soft but very lightly spiced entry. There is a lot of barley sugar, some butterscotch and the flavour of both ripe and unripe fruits in the development. It's not a particularly complex palate but what is there is pleasant. It reminded me of lightly toasted muesli cereal with nuts and dried fruit. The texture is neutral. Finish: Medium/short. Slightly drying at first, then turning sweeter and tailing out to an aftertaste of breakfast cereal sprinkled with cocoa powder and a little sugar. Tomintoul is typically a very soft and approachable whisky ("the gentle dram" is their slogan) but this 21 year old expression has less of the attractive floral and fresh-fruit character that is found in their younger bottlings. There is greater cask influence here, but it's not the aroma of oak cask - it's more like sawdust and pencil shavings, and to be honest it's a bit dull. It's a whisky that takes a while to wake up but with repeated sips the character does eventually unfold and intensify. It remains, however, particularly shy and quiet. It's very easy drinking but curiously lacklustre. I had hoped the distillery character would be complimented by longer time in a cask, but if anything it feels more like it has passed its prime. To give it its due, it is very well crafted with no intrusive off-notes whatsoever. The 16 year old Tomintoul is, for my palate, the peak of the core range and I'd certainly be more willing to buy a bottle of it than this 21 year old, which at twice the price has very little to recommend it. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Grainy, a little sharp. Some citrus and fudge but with a rubbery, sulphurous undertone. It's pretty typical for a bottom-shelf blended scotch nose and reminiscent of Grant's. Palate: Mildly spicy and hard arrival. Almost metallic cereal notes but hardly any development. Grippy ethanol, like cheap vodka at the core. Some malty notes but veering towards simple burnt sugar, and there's that sulphur note again, rearing it's ugly head. The texture is thin and a bit watery. Finish: Short, thin and dry. Cereal tastes dwindling into mild bitterness. Douglas Laing generally produces quality spirits, and some of their blended malts and cask-strength bottlings are excellent. This blended scotch has been part of their portfolio since just after WWII but while older bottlings and special editions command respect and good prices at auction, the modern version of the blend leaves a lot to be desired. It's not exactly a bad whisky, but it's nondescript and very, very callow. If this whisky was a person who you met socially you'd facepalm and walk away. There is also a dependence on what I feel is very low-grade grain whisky at the core, teamed with rather rough and industrial malt. Girvan and immature Glenrothes? Could be. My overall impression was one of neglect - like it's a legacy product that is still being produced to satisfy a guaranteed and loyal niche clientele, but Douglas Laing really don't care about it very much or put in the effort to create something special. It's outclassed by just about every other blended scotch in that price band and I would certainly not recommend it. "Poor" : 64/100 (1.25 stars)

Nose: Fragrant cereal and tropical fruit lead the profile - mango, guava, and peaches with toffee in the foundation. As it rests the oak cask becomes apparent and lends a fresh aromatic incense note. That's just the overture, and it keeps unfolding as it relaxes in the glass. Pineapple, mandarin and grilled banana, red berries, rose petals, hibiscus and warm spices (nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon). This is an adorable nose. Palate: A cosy blanket of cereal flavours with just the right touch of sweetness. Easy to drink and almost absurdly soft on the palate. Dried fruit and vanilla, sweet orchard fruits and a tiny note of gentle spice (nutmeg, sweet mild cinnamon and cloves). The texture is very good with that diaphanous silken quality you get when it is perfectly poised on the cusp of creaminess, but is neither oily nor dense. Finish: Medium. It just floats away into the distance with a dash of licorice as an afterthought. The outstanding characteristics of the nose are how it combines depth and fragrance with freshness, and how it leads you deftly into the palate, and I love how the all-bourbon cask maturation has developed the nose. The palate is so soft that on first taste it will disappear and segue straight into the finish before you know it, leaving only a long cereal aftertaste to mark its passing. It's only on subsequent tastes that you really notice the development, it's that subtle, and the progression is so seamless the entry appears to merge directly into the finish. Marvelous whiskey, and worth every cent. The Very Rare is a batch release and the batches vary (more than you would think). I've had half a dozen over the years but this is one of the best I've tasted. The only thing I could criticize is that it is almost too soft and accommodating. If the profile could be kept intact but dialed-up just a notch in intensity it would be perfect. Bottling it at 43% or 46% would also be very welcome but I think sometimes it gets unwarranted criticism for the low proof. 40% does just work sometimes, and this is an example. This is, however, a fragile and gentle whiskey that is balanced at that 40% point so although I usually prefer to water my whiskey in this case I'd strongly recommend against it. Tasted from a 30ml sample. " Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Nose: Quite full, with a pleasant buttery richness. Sweet malt and honey aromas with a hint of dried fruits, oatmeal biscuits and a definite suggestion of rockmelon (cantaloupe). It's an appealing and inviting nose. Palate: Sweet arrival, very like the flavour of golden syrup or thinned malt extract, and this remains the dominant note on the palate. There is little development, and it's very fast, but you do notice creamy vanilla, caramel fudge, a hint of green apple and mild, sweet nutty notes. The texture is full and very soft. Finish: Short. The malt-extract and syrup character fades to generic sweetness with an afterthought of oak. A basic but surprisingly pleasant bottom-shelf Irish blend. It's a bit bland but has a sweet malty profile, which is undoubtedly what makes it work. To give it its due there are no obvious faults, although I'd wager that if you drank more than a couple of drams it would become cloying. Its sweetness is its strength, but also its flaw. It's an easy drinking session whiskey that works just fine neat, diluted or with ice and certainly won't break the bank. In Australia this is one of the cheapest whiskies you can buy, and if you prefer your whiskey to be free of any smoke character then it would be preferable to most bottom-shelf blended scotches. "Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars)

Nose (neat): Bright and a little prickly when neat. The character is not unlike a dark, nutty ale or stout with malt, cereal, walnut and hazelnut aromas, but it has a curiously limited profile. There's some cask influence discernable as light floral and fruity notes, and as it rests in the glass it gains fullness but also seems to meld into a walnut-toffee amalgum. Some ginger and green fruit highlights are also detected and there is a nail polish aroma in the background. Nose (watered): Friendlier once diluted with a good splash of water. The alcohol nip is dispelled and fruity, sherried notes are now obvious, together with a little vanilla, but malt is still its dominant characteristic. Palate (neat): Cinnamon spice and oak tannin on the arrival, it's momentarily sweet but then develops a considerable bitter/sour tannic note as it progresses. Old sour walnut skins, tobacco (cigarette tobacco, not sweet chewing tobacco), a bitter herbal grassy flavour like gentian. It's unusual and a bit harsh (almost industrial) and there's a flavour of sour milk and very bitter black coffee. Palete (watered): Easier and softer on the arrival, but if anything the development is worse, as now it is bitter but also thin and "mean". Finish: Medium/long. Tannic, bitter, slightly metallic and fading to a leathery dark chocolate aftertaste. Adding water does not improve it much at all. The nose gives the distinct impression that there is insufficient complexity to balance the hefty alcohol content. Alcohol is a great medium to carry aromas, but you need to have aromas available to be carried in the first place, and in this whisky they are a bit shy and unbalanced. With water it becomes more approachable but if anything the lack of content is more obvious. The palate did not appeal to me at all. It's unusually, even uniquely, bitter and frankly I thought it was utterly repellent at first. This is the closest I've ever come to spitting a whisky out. The second neat sip was better than the first, but it still displayed an intense flavour almost like quinine. Water does not work any miracles here, making it more approachable but to no great effect. Tasted from a 30ml sample, and wild horses would not drag me to the store to buy a full bottle. "Adequate" : 70/100 (2 stars)

Nose: At first the nose is sweet and delicate with fresh and dried fruit (red apple, dried apricot, date and fig) and a sherry oak and toasted cereal foundation. As it rests in the glass and opens it gains considerable depth with the sherry cask influence becoming primary. It's a pleasing nose. Palate: Firm but sweet arrival that features dark fruits in spiced toffee and walnut sauce. There is a constant background of musty oak and warm spices are in abundance (cinnamon, mild chilli) but the spice notes never become sharp nor peppery. The texture is full but not quite oily. Finish: Medium. Dark fruit, cereal and sherry cask notes that fade to a slightly bitter aftertaste with metallic overtones. A good whisky that starts out very well but loses its way through the progression, with the final notes being a little unbalanced and harsh. It left me with a distinct impression of having just licked a copper penny, and prominent fruity notes I usually get from Redbreast seemed to be diminished. Adding a little water helped the finish. The age statement Redbreasts are pretty good drams (particularly the 12 year old cask strength and 21 year old bottlings), but while this NAS sherry finished expression has its attractive moments it seemed a bit lost and uncertain, and almost unnecessary - a gilding of the lily, as it were. Although it is specified to be oloroso cask maturation, I could easily believe that a fino cask found its way into the marriage - this is quite dry in profile. Certainly an above average whisky, but not a real stunner to my palate, and I think overpriced. The official review here also seems a bit at odds with my impression. Maybe this has changed since it was introduced? Although I preferred the palate with a dash of water take care if diluting as you can easily kill the nose. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Nose: Fresh, crisp fruity and cereal aromas. Delightfully spritzy and clean with a light citrus top-note. Fresh, sweet grassy hay-like tones along with definite apple and pear, a little banana and a dash of salted vanilla. The more you nose it the more you notice the deeper aromas of sweet malt. Palate: Sweet and fruity cereal arrival, just like the first notes on the nose. A subtle development at first, mainly showing some deeper and very mildly spiced honeyed tones, but this quickly evolves a crisp, bright, almost fizzy note that is a combination of ginger spice and citrus. There's some orange, sweet pineapple and the texture is silken and very pleasing. There is a mild mineral salt taste throughout that is exquisite. Adding a dash of water tones down the bright spices and develops more sweetness. Finish: Medium/short. Crystal clear cereal sugars and malt slide into the sweet aftertaste. This is the first time I can recall tasting Aultmore, and I understand it was unavailable as an original bottling for a long time. What a crime! It's a lovely, fresh, and beautifully clean whisky. There is an elusive note that is almost but not quite like smoke. When I first nosed it (straight from the bottle, ahem) I thought it might be lightly peated. It's not, but there is some sort of earthy presence lurking in the background. However the predominant characteristic is its almost clinically clean profile centered on sweet, light, fruity malt combined with very brisk lemon and ginger. There is a facet to this that is very much like a high quality blend (I believe this is a component of Dewer's blends) and another that is reminiscent of light, estery malts in general. It's not a million miles away from Arran, and a little like Linkwood as well, but it lacks the deeper sweet notes of either. I really liked it. It's not a huge or complex whisky and sherry-bomb fans should probably stay away, but I could happily choose this as a go-to dram. It also ticks all the right boxes - good proof, no colour added, not chill-filtered. Well done. As an introductory whisky for novices it beats Glenfiddich 12 and all the other usual choices hands down, although some palates will definitely prefer it slightly watered. It's a delightful dram and I'm finding it hard to resist giving it 4 stars. Given the very reasonable price this is highly recommended. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Heavy, pungent and dense. Mineral oil, linseed oil, olive oil, dark stewed fruits, plum pudding, red berries, mango, rancio, brown sugar and fudge are the aromas encountered immediately after pouring the dram. Over time the nose blooms with a host of dark sherried fruit and oak notes appearing. After about half an hour of rest in the glass its full sweet fruity character is revealed as it relaxes, and there is a dash of wintergreen in the distance. After considerable time you begin to clearly sense oak casks and slowly they obtain a cresote note and the aroma of salmiak. This is when it is at its prime. Palate: A big, spiced herbal sherry arrival. Sweet at first but then gaining a grippy dry tannic quality in the development. Pepper, allspice, ginger powder, anise, menthol and cloves appear from the darkness and slowly move forward (all facets of very old tannin decomposition). Coffee, bitter Seville marmalade, wood varnish (!), sulphery blackstrap molasses, sour cherries and licorice follow up as the dram begins to open. The texture is rich to start with but as the palate progresses into dryness it becomes a little thin and loses "weight" - this is the single fault I can find. Finish: Long. Drying and waxy, almost astringent before returning to sweetness. Black coffee, dark chocolate, cigar tobacco and herbal flavours linger on the palate. Like any very old whisky this dram needs considerable time to open. Give it at least 30 minutes in the glass but nose it continually and take a tiny sip occasionally, both to dial your palate in and also to experience how profoundly it changes with time. Water is optional, but if adding any just make it a drop or two. Old whisky is fragile and you can easily spoil it. Just a drop adds texture and sweetness here, but too much will emphasize the tannins and unbalance the profile. If in doubt, take it neat. Often referred to as "The Beast of Dufftown", this colourful sobriquet may at first seem disparaging, but it is a term of affection and respect when used by aficinados of Mortlach. It's almost always a substantial whisky, rich in profile and solid in structure with uncompromising characteristics. The usual maturation regime is in ex-sherry casks and it is much sought-after by blenders for its ability to contribute gravitas to a blend. Mortlach was unavailable as an official bottling for a long time but several independent bottlers, particularly Gordon & Macphail, have had contracts to release licensed bottlings since the distillery was owned by Distillers Company Limited. In fact you could say that these licensed companies were the de facto core range producers for over half a century. This supurb old-school whisky is an excellent example of The Beast at its rumbling, difficult best. I'd recommend a taste to any enthusiast, but it might be too uncompromising for beginners. If you do have the chance to try a sample and find it too resinous, astringent and woody then try the younger Gordon & Macphail expressions that have less intense cask influence. I'm particularly partial to the 15 year old bottling which is very good value for money. Tasted from a 30ml sample supplied by @Soba45, who was saving the bottle for a special occasion but wisely realized that every good day is a special day. Slainte, mate. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)