Tastes

I've heard a lot of good things about the old bottling, but had to settle for one from 11.2020 instead. I've heard this was aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon, plus 2 years in 2 different sherry casks. However, as with any NAS whisky, it's virtually impossible to verify the real age. Nose: I love a good sherried whisky, but this isn't what I was expecting at all. This is like cognac, pure cognac. Seemingly something close to XO class. Raisins, berries, a touch of vanilla and spice, some tobacco and leather. Quite heavy on oak, but not overpowering. But where's the malt? I can't find any distinct whisky notes in this, no matter how hard I try. It's still a very nice nose, but it's not exactly a whisky nose per se. Taste: A bit less cognac, more like a good brandy, but still not quite the sherried whisky I was looking for. I guess this is what happens when you run a triple distilled malt without much character of its own through heavily seasoned sherry casks. The sherry has taken over the palate completely. At the same time, it's not exactly what I would call a sherry bomb either. A sherry bomb whisky is a fine fusion of malt and brandy notes, but I'm simply not getting the malt here. It's also bit thinner than I expected. Watering down to 43 ABV and chill filtering this release was not the best idea. Finish: Medium, sweet and dry. Moderately heavy on oak. I'm also getting some leather, tobacco and black tea notes, plus a light touch of pepper. It's a classic sherried finish, minus the malt, which is nowhere to be found. Final thoughts: I really find it hard to recommend this release, although I don't dislike it myself. It's certainly unusual and even somewhat pleasant, but it simply doesn't smell or taste like whisky at all. That would be more forgivable if only this was a proper sherry bomb, with a thicker body and more actual distillery character. I would love to try an unfiltered release at 46 ABV.

Nose: A splendid mix of smoky, charred oak, light peat, fruity fudge (apple, pear, peach) nutmeg, classic Highland herbs, citrus and spice. I really can't get enough of this fantastic nose. This is what every Highland malt should try to bring. Taste: Thick fruity fudge and smoky peat assaults the palate at the same time, like an unlikely sandwich. Somehow it's very well balanced. Herbs and spice tickle the tongue. The charred barrel is there, as is the richness you expect from 12 years and unfiltered 46 ABV. Not as great as the nose, but still very well done. Finish: Shorter than expected. The smoky and fruity palate is gone in a flash, leaving some spice and charred barrel for a bit. Adding water reduces the smoky influence to a pulp, leaving only the fruity and spicy notes, which aren't long enough on their own. Final thoughts: one of the best Highland malts I've tasted, although it does fall a bit short on the finish. I would say this doesn't need any water, but if you don't like charred oak notes then go ahead and dilute it a bit. Just don't expect any sort of memorable finish.

A solid introduction to a revived brand. Nose: Light smoke. Caramel, classic Highland herbs, nutmeg and some spice. Smells just right for 8 years and somewhat smooth for unfiltered 46 ABV. Overall, pleasant and inviting. Taste: Smoky notes quickly fade into the classic Highland profile. It's rich on caramel, but not overpowering. A smooth transition into herbal and spicy notes. Well balanced. Nothing stands out here, but it's a very good dram. Tastes like a mix of ex-bourbon, charred and even some sherry casks, perhaps. Somehow it's also unexpectedly smooth for unfiltered 46 ABV. Finish: A bit short, but still very pleasant and sippable. Just right, considering its age. However, the finish is still not long enough, when considering the unfiltered 46 ABV. This is probably the smoothest 46 I have ever tasted. I wouldn't even try adding water to this dram. Final thoughts: rumour mill has it that this is either a Macallan or a Glenfarclas. This whisky is a solid introduction to a brand that was recently revived by Halewood. It will certainly be interesting to see what they eventually produce out of their new distillery in Leith.

Short and sweet, just like most Irish drams. Nose: Classic Irish single malt profile (toffee, apple, pear) with strongly evident notes of the sherry and wine cask finish. These really blend well and complement each other as if they were destined to be one. Overall, an excellent and very inviting nose. Of course, as with most Irish, it's virtually gone after only a few minutes, so don't take your time nosing this one. Taste: Just like the nose, this is a splendid mix of classic Irish plus all the different finish they put into this. Tastes great. A very welcome choice of barrels, although the palate is quite thin overall, as expected from a mass market Irish whiskey. Obviously not nearly rich enough for 14 years. Finish: Sweet and dry. It's very thin and completely gone after a few seconds. Where's the oak? Where did the 14 years go? Some much younger malts have a much longer finish. This whiskey has obviously been watered down too hard. Shame. Final thoughts: this is a hallmark example of how Irish whiskey can suffer from triple distillation, plus chill filtration, plus low ABV. The nose is great, but then it just falls apart on the thin palate and virtually non-existent finish. All those wonderful folks in Ireland should really consider bottling their triple distilled whiskey at 46 ABV without chill filtration. Would it really break their bank? Probably not. Would it really make for a better whiskey? Absolutely.

Nose: Heavily charred smoke, burnt plastic, melted rubber, ash, old and bitter oak barrel. At least there's malt in there too and no ethanol burn to speak of. Not a terrible nose, but one that has me wondering what the heck they were trying to do here. Taste: Unfortunately, a complete copy of the nose. Once again I'm puzzled about the idea behind this ridiculous palate. It's nothing like the good peated malts out there. There's nothing in common with Islands or Islay here, but I'd like to think that most Highland peat lovers wouldn't or indeed shouldn't enjoy this either. Once again, at least this is decently aged and there's no hard ethanol burn. Finish: Too long, considering the wretched palate. I'm tempted to rinse my throat as fast as possible after tasting this. Once again, it's not because of poor quality, but all due to the awful profile of this absolutely puzzling malt. Final thoughts: I was wondering why this scored 2/10 on Malt Review and now I know. I personally wouldn't rate it anywhere that low, as that would mean it's undrinkable. It's not undrinkable at all. In fact, I've met some questionable personalities who claimed they actually enjoyed this whisky. They do exist. Just take a look around here. However, if you truly value and respect your own palate, then please stay away from this experiment. I'm aware that Grant's wanted this whisky to "demystify" peat for beginners, but I honestly can't think of a worse way to actually push beginners away from the wonderful world of scotch peat, than Land Cask.

This is from a distillery that usually only sources its malts for blends and third-party bottlings, including Mossburn. This release was distilled at Auchroisk (Speyside) in 2007, and then "aged in cask" by Mossburn for 11 years. The labels say "Cask Bill HHD". I reached out to Mossburn via email and was promptly informed that these are refill ex-bourbon Hogsheads. My bottling is from 23.08.2018. Nose: From the bottle: Sweet and mellow. Malt, apples, caramel, honey, herbal, vanilla, ex-bourbon cask influence. Neat, in the glass: Heavy malt with overpowering ABV that shuts off most other notes. This is probably not designed to be nosed neat. With water (a few drops): Doesn't open up much, in fact it barely changes at all. This clearly needs a lot more. With a spoonful of water (per dram): Now this is more like it. Pleasantly malty, apple cider, a nice dose of caramel and honey, some herbal notes, plus vanilla, with faint cask. Well balanced. Smells like a cross between a Glenfiddich and a Macallan, so yes it's basically Speyside meets Highland. I like it. Taste: Neat: Malt and ABV overpowers everything. It's also on the sour side. This is definitely not designed to be tasted neat. With water (a few drops): Just like the nose, this doesn't help much. We need to go deeper... With a spoonful of water (per dram): Bingo. Now this is a proper whisky. Initially on the fruity (apple cider) and sweet side (caramel, honey, vanilla), gradually shifting to green tea and other herbs. Once again, it's like a cross between Glenfiddich and Macallan. It's not anything special, but it's still a decent dram. Finish: Neat: Once again, this is clearly not designed for neat consumption. The finish is sour and even a bit bitter. Get the water in here ASAP. With water (a few drops): See above! With a spoonful of water (per dram): Even like this, the finish is somewhat short and lacking. It's still a nice cross between Speyside and Highland, but it's simply so thin that it's barely there at all. The ex-bourbon oak influence is somehow very mild. Where did the 11 years go? This is totally not what you expect from cask strength. Final thoughts: all things considered, this is really more of a DIY kit than a standalone single malt whisky. It should therefore be approached accordingly. If you're looking to experiment with cask strength then yes, it's worth it. Otherwise, you might want to stick with proper malts out of the bottle.

A rare budget single malt sourced from Teaninich. Nose: Young and aggressive, but pleasantly malty with grass and tons of medicinal herbs breaking through. Taste: Bites quite hard, with a heavy malt delivery. Heather, clove, aniseed, green tea and citrus notes. It's an overwhelmingly medicinal herbal palate. Finish: Medium and hot. Malt, citrus, medicinal herbs linger. Final thoughts: This is definitely the most variously herbal Highland malt I have ever tasted. Unfortunately it's a bit harsh when neat. Adding some water and letting it breathe a bit is almost a must. It's also a rare chance to try a budget single malt whisky from a distillery that usually only supplies its malt for blends.

Nose: Quite soft and mellow, with caramel, brown sugar and tropical fruits really standing out from the typical Dewar's profile. I'm surprised it smells so much like rum after 6 months in rum casks. Nevertheless, it smells just fine for what it's written out to be. Taste: Smooth and immediately on the sweet side. Lots of caramel and brown sugar here, plus tropical fruits. The classic Dewar's barebones are hiding just beneath the surface though. This whisky really feels like they mashed two very different drinks together. It's not bad, but not a very finely crafted blend. Finish: Short and sweet. That is, very much on the sweet side of things. Final thoughts: This tastes like an honest 8 years in blends plus 6 months in rum casks. It's a decent enough blend where the grain doesn't overpower the palette proper. If you like caramel and sugar in your whisky then dive right in. I would rather have some proper malt though. Oh and this is undeniably preferable to the Tullamore Rum Cask finish (yeah, the so-called XO that tastes about half as old as this Dewar's).

Tasted a 2020 bottling of this dark horse single malt that turned out to be a very decent dram for its price. Nose: Salt spray, gentle peat and smoke, with evident sherry cask sweetness. Opens up with nutmeg and spice. Very well balanced. Taste: Smooth. The sweet sherry cask conveys the lightly peated, salty body of this whisky very well. Nutmeg and spice follow through. Quality cask management and blending. Tastes about 8 years old. Finish: Sherry cask sweetness and spice, with lingering salt spray. Final thoughts: a very good NAS release that I gather is either a young Talisker or HP. It's super smooth and sippable, but lacks the depth and character of its sibling Macleod's Islay. I fully enjoyed them both and would buy again.

Pretty basic and classic Macallan malt. Doesn't carry much of the sherried profile suggested by the casks used here. I'm getting a lot more citrus than anything else. Decent whisky but not impressive by any means. There are much better options for the money.