Tastes

Nose: Grassy, hay-like malt plus sweet unmalted barley aromas (you smell the presence of pot-still distillate right from the start). There is a richness to the nose with notes of stone-fruit, a haze of coconut and a lot of firm woody tones. Linseed oil and stewed fruit that veers towards lemon zest. There is a minute hint of smoke. Palate: Rich, creamy arrival with spicy and semi-sweet cereal at the heart. As it develops, a thinner character emerges that focuses on spice (nutmeg and cinnamon), stewed fruit and unmalted barley that shimmers so brightly it's like polished brass. As it moves towards the finish a good deal of brisk, grippy tannin takes the limelight. Finish: Medium. Spicy, oaky with cocoa and nutmeg notes. Cereal, wood tannin and char in the aftertaste. Although you might expect this to be a smoky whiskey, it's not. Its character is rather based on the interplay between tannins and intense barrel char, which is more like charcoal, ash, or slightly burnt toast than actual smoke. This is a highly cask-driven whiskey. The palate has an interesting progression where you specifically note the bourbon cask influence on the arrival with sweetness and a suggestion of vanilla. The oloroso cask comes into play only in the development and brings with it the very strong tannic character. This becomes dominant and lasts right through into the aftertaste. The entire palate is held together by the strong "toasty" character. In some ways this is reminiscent of bourbon, but it has the dryness of barley and reconstituted oak-tannin at its core instead of corn and newly-toasted oak sweetness. I've given standard Jameson's, IPA Caskmate, Stout Caskmate and this expression similar scores. These lower-priced Jameson core-range bottlings are very much a set of variations on a theme. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Thin and grainy. A reluctant nose that takes forever to wake up but never achieves real presence. There is a curiously artificial aspect to it as well - something sugary, but not quite. It smells like a cup of weak herbal tea that has had a whole bottle of artificial sweetener added. The dry glass is actually nicer than the dram itself, and a tiny whiff of smoke is detectable far, far in the distance. Palate: Sweet mild heat on the arrival, with little in the way of character. Some grainy, malty notes are present but they are very timid. There is no discernable development but that odd sweetness is back again. The texture is vacant, thin and watery. You get the feeling that it is so weak the only flavour you are tasting is vague caramel from the E150a that has been added. Finish: Short. Little aftertaste other than some diluted grain sweetness. From the few reviews on Distiller I'm assuming this has little if any distribution in the U.S. Given that the distillery owner is Australian I guess it's not surprising that it is being imported out here. This is an underperforming blended scotch with hardly anything happening. The nose is mostly like smelling diluted grain whisky. You do get the occasional suggestion of malt whisky, way back in the distance, but it's extremely faint. The palate is similarly lean with only a few trace cereal flavours in the background to remind you that this is not vodka. There is barely any finish at all. In an odd way it's almost enjoyable, being so sweet, undemanding and effortless to drink, but there is no satisfaction to be had from this dram. At the asking price this is woeful value and frankly a big disappointment. The only thing I can think of to say that is complimentary is that there are no faults to note. I don't know what David Prior and Ian MacMillan are trying to achieve with this ultra-bland blend. "Inferior" : 67/100 (1.5 stars)

Nose: (Neat) Beef steak marinated with red wine that has been infused with juniper berries, broiling gently over an open fire. Red currants, cranberries, strawberries and a gentle waft of licorice. Oil of wintergreen in an old rusty pail, standing on a hay bale in a decrepit barn, with dry-rot, mould and manure in the background. Nose: (Watered) Softer and with a good deal more red wine presence. The smoke is slightly dampened down but overall the nose gains unity and cohesion. With time, slight ashy notes appear. An excellent nose. Palate: (Neat) Oily and spicy on the arrival, with fruity notes giving way to some sour peat in the development and a little dark chocolate. Dark plum jam and slightly sour blackberries. The texture is oily, sweet but with occasional dry wood spice intrusions. There is a pervasive salty note, but it's not quite maritime - more like brackish groundwater. Palate: (Watered) A revelation. All of the above together with a mild smoky haze shimmering over a dry and musty maltiness. A smokiness almost reminiscent of cigar smoke. Finish: Medium/long: Spicy, briny oak, fading to a little pepper in the aftertaste. After a long while the remaining presence is of smoked berries. The nose is initially reticent but with time it presents more effusively. Longrow never demonstrates the hefty, brackish in-your-face style of smoke you get from the popular Islay smokey whiskies. It is genteel and poised but with a sense of authority. In a way it is more akin to Orkney's Highland Park then anything from Islay, but where HP is all honeyed char, Longrow is musty farmyard fruit and barbecue. The nose on this Longrow is, in fact, sublime in its balance and continues to evolve throughout the tasting. The palate is similarly complex, so much so that at times it's almost possible to forget that this is a peated whisky. Not that the peat level is too low or shy, it's just that all the other elements provide a perfect counterpoint to the smoke. Like the nose, the palate continues to evolve as you taste, particularly after adding a dash of water (which I highly recommend). It has a fascinating characteristic of lingering, and a good while after you've finished the dram you'll find yourself smacking your lips and thinking what a nice drop it was, as the faint traces of berry jam remain. There is always a compelling completeness to Longrow Red and it's one of my favourite whiskies, being a distillate that teams excellently with red wine finishes. I've collected almost all of the Longrow Red editions to date and this 11 year old Pinot Noir example is one of the most elegant and easy to approach expressions from the range - almost civilized, in fact! "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Nose: Vanilla, custard Danish, some grassy aromas, a very slight grape or wine note, bright orange and lemon citrus hints. There's a caramel, toffee, nougat burnt-sugar sweet note in the background, but it is reticent. Palate: Warm, rounded and creamy vanilla arrival that very rapidly transforms into a spicy and hot cinnamon development with an abundance of oak tannin and black pepper. The tannins eventually take over the palate and drive the profile into mouth-puckering astringency, however this is oddly pleasant and seems appropriate to the profile. Later in the development an almost anaesthetic clove-oil and anise facet is noticed. There is a foundation fruity character but it is almost obscured by the long sherry-cask maturation. Finish: Medium. Tannic oak and cereal gives way to an eventual sweet but grippy aftertaste. Laid down in 1991 into butt #55894 and bottled in 2018, this tasting was from bottle 426 of 486. The sherry butt is noticeable on the nose, but it certainly isn't over-prominent. In fact given the definite background vanilla note throughout you could mistake this for an ex-bourbon cask maturation, were it not for the constant reminder of grape-skin tannin. As with almost all cask-strength, single-cask whiskies this is greatly enhanced by a dash of water. I added a full teaspoon to the dram after a quick neat taste and it was considerably improved. The nose retreated at first (which is typical) but soon re-asserted with a more prominent oak note. The palate was enormously softened and in this unleashed form the whisky displayed superior balance and depth - it seemed "refreshed" to a large degree. When watering give it at least 20 minutes to recompose or you'll miss all the unleashed sweet barley-sugar notes. Sweet cereal and more subtle spice notes were obvious, and the progression was more sophisticated. Normally I finish a tasting dram before posting a review but I'm enjoying this so much I'm going to sit and nose it for a while. However in the final analysis although it is a good single-grain it's not an excellent one, and I'd only recommend it to those doing intense exploration into this area of whisky. It lacks that velvety, silken richness you get with a really cracking single grain, and the profile is a little shy. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Slightly sour apple cider, stewed pears, white grape juice, malt extract, a little dry oakiness and a waft of vanilla. Palate: The entry is semi-sweet and mainly cereal in profile with grassy-herbal and biscuit tones. As it develops, a grapey sweetness unfolds with a little hint of astringency. It's tannic but more like the tannin of red grape skins than oak. The texture is OK, almost creamy but somewhat over-watered. Finish: Medium. Sweet cereal and grape flavours fading to a slightly drying winey aftertaste. This is another expression from the range of "finished" lower-tier Glen Moray whiskies. Glen Moray produces a spirit that is matured in refill bourbon casks and bottled as "Elgin Classic" at around 6-8 years of age. It is a light fruity dram with overtones of buttery cereal and it is a fine example of an entry-level Speysider at a very reasonable price. I often buy it to use as a mixer instead of a blended scotch and it stands up to neat drinking. The distillery then adds a range of finishes to "Elgin Classic" using a variety of different casks - port, wine, sherry, etc. I've tasted all of these now and mostly I've found the finishes to be an intrusion on the simplicity and freshness of the basic bourbon-cask matured whisky. It has a crisp personality with hints of mint and lemon citrus that always seem to be lost under the dull cloak of the finishing. Anyway, out of all the lower-tier finished expressions this is my favourite. It's a simple single malt that is good value for money and typically priced to place it in competition with lower-middle shelf blended scotches, and it is a fine alternative to such blends. Also, like all Glen Moray expressions, it gains body and sweetness as it oxidises in the bottle. There is an elusive note to both the nose and palate that took me ages to pin down - it's ginger, but not the usual "spicy" hot ginger you encounter in single malts. This is like very dilute ginger syrup or cordial, mild and almost fruity. By the way, don't confuse the entry-level Glen Moray range with their more up-market, finished age-statement whiskies which are of a higher standard. Similarly, don't write Glen Moray off as a lightweight - there are some much older OB expressions and independent bottlings that are very good. "Average" : 76/100 (2.5 stars)

Nose: Ancient, fusty oak cupboards, waxed for 80 years. A saline-tinged smoke note - grandma's sitting room with an open fire burning pine-logs. Candied orange peel, bramble jam and brown bread toast, dried dates and figs. Creaking stairs leading up to a medicine cabinet in an old, damp bathroom reeking of iodine swabs, oil of wintergreen liniment and sulphur powder. Palate: A soft but firm arrival rooted in the flavours of dark fruit and berries, but stained by the patina of vegetative decay and brackish smoke. More smoky notes quickly surface in the development with an iodine and menthol astringency. There is a red berry/grape sweetness but the mouth-feel is both oily and dry - almost styptic. Coal tar and a tiny salt licorice note. Finish: Medium/long: Smoky, briny, sour peat and bitter citrus leading to a dark chocolate aftertaste with endless ashen smoke and a mist of menthol. Ah, Bowmore ... the enigma of Bowmore. How I love you and despise you. The colour is deep mahogany, due to the outrageous amount of E150a that has been added. Yes, it's a TRE expression and that means fool the naive customer with colour and chill-filter the life out of the juice. Shame on you, Bowmore - you should be leading the industry, not enshrining the crime. The nose here is old, but corrupted. There is a musty foetid quality that speaks more eloquently of decay than maturity, and there is something creepy in its tension between alluring and repellent. One moment I get the deep, old oak and peat-reek heart, then the next something ghastly and sulphurous is creeping from the gloomy moonlit salt waters of Loch Indaal into the corner of my darkened room. The palate is cereal sour, brackish and slightly metallic but cloaked by very sweet sherry (it's astonishing how well these opposites cancel each other out in the palate). Sharp and bright at one moment, then dull and cold, then hot and deep. The regular Bowmore 18 has an elegant and staid complexity. It's an expression full of walnuts, old leather, pipe tobacco and orange marmalade. It is the good child, this is the evil twin locked in the cellar. I'm conflicted as to how to rate this - one part of me loves its eldritch weirdness, the other thinks it's just a ham-fisted failure, another in the long line of failures created by Bowmore over the years. It is deep, certainly, but is it really complex or just a plain mess? I can't bring myself to rate this as "Good", so it slots in at the next rung down. The regular price in Australia is $185, which is laughable. I found it for $110 which is just barely good value. Oh - a dash of water brings it successfully to its knees and greatly aids enjoyment - highly, highly recommended. It's one of the few peated and heavily sherried whiskies I can think of where water does not produce rubber or plastic notes but actually assuages the peat, thereby greatly enhancing the profile, particularly by balancing all that brine with some sweetness. "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Sweet meadow blossom honey, malt extract, orange peel and a little touch of earthy peat smoke. While seemingly simplistic at first the nose blooms over time to reveal itself as a petite but very well balanced parcel of aromas. Mild barley sugar and a herbal note like crushed bracken fern waft in the background. Palate: A gentle arrival with sweet cereal as the main character. There's some orange notes, dark malt and a herbal presence in the development but unfortunately it has a watery and weak personality. You can sense the presence of good sherry casks through a fresh woody note and some crisp spice, but their contribution is weak and diffuse. Finish: Short. Malty, but it tails off very quickly into a nondescript and mildly tannic aftertaste with a tiny lingering memory of smoke. Instantly recognisable as Highland Park, but in a soft and cosy form. Less briskly fresh than the 10 or 12 year old expressions, and way less complex than the 18. It starts out well but in every stage of tasting it drops down a notch until bottoming-out with a very short finish. The nose is light and soft but good, however the palate does not quite live up to its obvious potential. 40% was absurdly too weak a strength for such an understated whisky profile - at 46% this would have been a considerably better dram. The finish is frustratingly short - one of the fastest finishes I've ever tasted on an HP. This is another of the seemingly endless Viking hero/ethos/culture series that have emerged from this distillery over the last few years. Sigh. I dream of the day when Edrington puts this marketing strategy behind them and lets the distillery knuckle down to just making the best possible age statement whiskies it can. The official tasting notes here are accurate but 79 is a harsh score for this pleasant dram which, with all it's shortcomings, is still better than average quality. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)

Nose: A sweet and gentle peaty aroma. Pungent, but not acrid or sharp. Red berries and sweet fruits in the background from the sherry casks, along with notes of camphorwood and clove oil. There is a briny presence but unlike most peated Bunnahabhain it's not maritime. It's more savory, like the aroma of heavily salted barbecue pork. Palate: Starting sweet and fruity, it rapidly gains a grapefruit and slight plastic/rubber note. Green capsicum, cabbage water, green apple peel and gherkin brine follow as it develops, culminating in a bright, shimmering saline presence that cascades into the finish. The mouth-feel is drying, cooling but just a little too much on the watery side for my preference, with a brackish character. Finish: Medium. Cracked black pepper leading into a salty aftertaste. The nose is most enjoyable - complex, rounded and satisfying. However I thought the palate did not live up to the nose, being rather simple and thin with the only outstanding notes being some strident salt and bitter/sour fruit. Nevertheless, on the whole I liked the profile but I thought both the strength and texture could be improved. I would very much like to taste it at a slightly higher abv and with a more oily texture. As it is it seemed a little shallow. Adding a dash of water did deepen the mouth-feel but it also compromised everything else. If you do like this profile then you're probably going to enjoy it most when neat. It's an acceptable and enjoyable dram, worth trying but not one I would ever buy. There are many more interesting peated whiskies from which to choose, including several from Bunnahabhain. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Very light and spirity at first nosing. Gradually some mild citrus, apple and vanilla notes emerge but it remains distant and unimpressive. Palate: Sweet arrival mainly featuring vanilla and cereal. The development brings out some shy honey and dried fruit but little else. The texture is slightly creamy. Finish: Medium/short. Grassy cereal and a little woody citrus note in the aftertaste. 23rd Street Distillery was established in Renmark, South Australia in 2016 and they have just released their first single malt. However to generate cash-flow while it was maturing they produced a range of brandy, rum, gin and vodka. Keen to bring something whisky-like to market as soon as possible they also created this curious dram which has been around for a couple of years now, but unsurprisingly is almost unknown. It comprises scotch whisky that is "an average of 5 years old". Hmm. Whether it is malt or grain is unspecified but I'd bet my bottom dollar it's 100% grain whisky. The other component is an unidentified bourbon that is "an average of 2 years old". Hmm again. The resulting blend is married in ex-bourbon barrels for an unspecified time. There is very little real information on their website regarding this expression - it's all just marketing fluff and their lack of transparency borders on patronising. The nose takes a while to open but even when it does it remains thin and uninteresting. It's the nose of a low-grade blended scotch with way too much young grain whisky. Far in the background there are some caramel notes. The palate is light and inoffensive, but makes no real impression. Overall it is like a cheap blended scotch with the addition of a teaspoon of indifferent bourbon. The only reason I've not scored this even lower than I have is because for all it's blandness it is at least free of objectionable faults. However I would strongly NOT recommend this product, particularly at the rather steep asking price which is about three times what it is worth. Tasted from a 200ml distillery-bottled sample. "Inferior" : 67/100 (1.5 stars)