Tastes

Nose: Apple juice, cider vinegar, cereal, green hay, a little vanilla. It's spirity and sharp and there's no rum to speak of. [The dry glass has no aroma at all]. Palate: A spicy/sweet arrival that turns quite hot as it develops - chili and white pepper rather than ginger as with the stablemate whiskies in this release. The texture is pretty watery and the palate is very fast - blink and you'll miss it. Finish: Medium/short. A little licorice and a hint of mint. The aftertaste lingers but mainly as a sweetish neutral alcohol flavour. This is the third miniature in the 3-pack of budget Glen Marnoch whiskies I bought today (see the Bourbon Cask Finish and Sherry Cask Finish for the others). I thought this was by far the least impressive of the set. The other two are basic, acceptable young malts suitable for mixing and just good enough to sip. This one tastes rougher, harder and much thinner and I'd only have it in a long drink with cola and ice. It's not that expensive, but there are better options at this price. These are very young malts, only slightly over 3 years old, and they all have the same simple profile - mildly fruity and cereal with a touch of spice. The distillate is still clearly in charge but with a thin veneer of bourbon, sherry or rum on top (and in the case of the rum expression it is micro-thin). The sherry cask finish is my pick of the bunch. "Inferior" : 68/100 (1.75 stars)

Nose: Dried fruit and cereal aromas, sherry, vanilla, and a little oak. Palate: A sweet and pleasant entry, soft and rounded with a good texture. Some malty notes appear in the development. Finish: Short. Sweet and winey/malty aftertaste. This is the second miniature in the 3-pack of budget Glen Marnoch single malt whiskies I bought today (see the Bourbon Cask Finish for a review the first). The nose is very similar to the previous whisky, except with a more winey note and less vanilla (as expected). Again it is a simple nose without much going on, but what is there is crisp and fresh. The palate, however, has greater depth than the bourbon finish expression, with more raisin and grape notes and a little milk chocolate note, but very little spice. Once again there is nothing in particular that you can point at and criticize about this whisky - no unexpected intrusive notes or obvious faults. It's just very young and lightweight but it still represents reasonable value. "Average" : 75/100 (2.5 stars)

Nose: Buttery and cereal aromas, vanilla, fruitiness (apple?) and a little oak. [The dry glass has very little aroma]. Palate: A light and moderately sweet entry, developing into a little gingery spiciness and vanilla. Some malty notes but not much more. The texture is light but OK. Finish: Short. Sweet and moderately spicy aftertaste. Try as hard as you might you'll never find the Glen Marnoch distillery. It's purely a brand name adopted by Aldi for their middle-shelf single malt range. I picked this one up as part of a three-miniature Glen Marnoch sample pack, and I'll be reviewing the other two expressions shortly. This whisky almost certainly comprises minimum-age blending quality whiskies produced by an undisclosed highland distillery (or distilleries). It has a certain "highland" character but is lacking in complexity. To give it its due there are no significant faults to mention, other than that it is very lightweight in all respects. The nose is simple, but for all that it's honest and clean. The palate is likewise simple and dependent on an interplay between sweet and spicy cereal characteristics. There's not a lot more going on here, but it's not unpalatable either and at the price is reasonable value. "Average" : 75/100 (2.5 stars)

Nose: Warm, full-bodied, toffee-laced smoke. A definite sherry backdrop with brine, seaweed and flinty minerals that is evocative of the seashore. [The dry glass aroma is like the smell of a fireplace where cherry-wood has been burnt]. Palate: Sweet-smoke arrival that is very mild and agreeable. It blooms quickly into a full smoky development with a touch of iodine and wine sweetness, but then everything seems to fade away and it quickly tails off into the finish. Finish: Short. Smoky and slightly briny and dry, but there is a lingering smoky barbecue taste. Friendly and extremely easy to drink - you could make a case for recommending this to beginners as a first smoky whisky because it's very well balanced and approachable. The downside is that it is incredibly "fast". The nose promises a lot and the arrival seems about to deliver on the promise, but after a remarkably brief burst of flavour it collapses in on itself and disappears into the ether. The texture is also rather thin and watery. This could have been released as a much fuller and more robust dram - at cask strength it would have been like a sherried Tempest, and a truly impressive "black rock" - but to give it its due, it is a very pleasant dram and would be the perfect gift for someone who likes smoky whiskies but finds most of them to be too intense. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Sherry, a hint of orange and caramel. Leather and light fruitcake notes emerge over time. [The dry glass aroma is all caramel and leather]. Arrival: Soft but spicy, turning spicier with oak tannin as it develops. There is a mid-palate morph where it suddenly turns from orange-sherry to malted barley, but there is an overall deficiency of complexity and texture. Finish: Medium/short. Cereal and caramel. The oloroso sherry note is right at the front of the nose, and tends to swamp everything else at first. Other aromas emerge with time and this is a youngish whisky that benefits from a rest in the glass more than you might think. It's not bad, with some subtle things going on, but it's a bit on the simplistic side. Adding water doesn't do much apart from slightly emphasizing the spicy ginger note, but it does open it a little. Taken neat this would be a reasonable daily dram or a good palate cleanser to start a tasting session of sherried whiskies. Worth giving a try if you if you happen to find it on special, but to be honest not worth seeking out. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Distilled 1982, bottled 2015 (Lot #RO/15/01) Nose: The nose on this whisky cannot be adequately captured in words, and is one of the finest I've experienced. The curtain opens as beeswax, modelling clay, plasticine, apricot liqueur, musk rose incense, pine needles, ripe peach, old leather, freshly juiced green apples, mint, and vanilla essence make their way on stage. These actors (and more) perform individually and in groups, sequentially and in parallel, argue, sing in unison, talk over each other, disappear offstage and then reappear from another direction in a carnival of avant-garde sensory delight that seems never-ending. Finally, after about half an hour, the plot becomes clear and the scene settles on a melange of rich fruit pudding fragrances together with orange zest, warm ginger-nut cookies and a waxy brine note. There is the merest echo of delicate smoke wafting about the stage throughout this enthralling opening scene. [The dry glass aroma is leather, vanilla and old fragrant sawdust]. Palate: The palate is a subtle experience, just as complex and diverse as the nose but the characters are more reserved and focused. This is a recitation delivered by a chorus of mature and dignified characters, calm, authoritative and seasoned, but projecting a suggestion of fierce and spicy youth. Their tale is sweetly spicy and simple as they first arrive, but quickly turns fruity, mineral, oily and nutty and becomes far too intricate to comprehend in one sitting. There is a sense of immeasurable depth and complexity as the story unfolds. Descriptions of green tea ice cream with baked banana drizzled with a lightly salted caramel sauce are delivered in dusky, musky tones. Coconut, sweet chewing tobacco, beeswax, peach and apricot now appear and the dialogue is regal, refined, richly textured and seductive. [You not only don't notice that this is 46%abv, you don't even notice that it is alcoholic at all, the performance is so riveting]. Finish: Medium. The revels draw to a warm and satisfying denouement, simultaneously gently drying, fruity sweet and redolent of once powerful oak tannins that are now so old they have mellowed into a gentle savory/sweet potpourri. The finale is not especially long but fades perfectly into soft leathery sweetness, leaving a muted but lasting impression of fine mature oak. There is a perfect dryness throughout that balances the sweet flavours. [The dryness is mainly experienced at the tip of the tongue and roof of the mouth]. An unforgettable evening's entertainment. "Outstanding" : 92/100 (5 stars)