Tastes

This liquid is from a single cask release produced from an ex-McWilliams Apera (Aussie Sherry) puncheon. 369 bottles were made available from the distillery door or direct from Amber Lane… and by way of subsampling by the overly generous @cascode N: Rich and thick with chocolate, dark honey, raisin, cinnamon, and a very waxy orange peel. No notion of the monster proof that hides within. P: Chocolate covered toffee, candied ginger, brown sugar, and crisp orchard fruit lead the charge. The palate evolves into something quite textural and reminiscent of grainy cracked, dry leather. A fruiter and brighter presence is buried in here also but I’m struggling to tease it out. F: Long. A big spice builds up with cinnamon and maybe nutmeg. An oppressive heat from that spice is held off buy more juicy raisins and, a late entry from a fresh mango (what the heck, am I imagining that?!) A few drops o water, a swirl, and several minutes later… the nose is slightly lifted and lightened but I lose the orange presence and a slight vomity sourness comes in. The palate, softer and less textural and whilst a lovely creamy chocolate texture takes over I also lose the bright fruits. Finish goes away almost completely. A curious whisky that I don’t quite no what to make of. There are some lovely heavyweight power punches in here and a few lighter deftly applied jabs. But a few of the flavours that do pop in and out, whilst pleasant enough, are a little juxtaposed and jarring to me. Also, water spoiled the experience for me. I don’t know if I am off tonight or not, but this just didn’t mesh well with me it seems. My only other Amber Lane was a Sherry Cask. And I am going to copy and paste my closing notes from that here, they apply exactly: “Amber Lane claim to be simple, down to earth and focused on flavour. I can agree with them, that they have achieved that here. [Liquid Amber] [Sherry Lane] is a simple, bold and punchy young spirit that delivers few flavours very well. They have a pot still designed to maximise copper contact in order to produce a more complex flavour chain. I must disagree there. The local barely is all but lost to the powerful choice of casking and relatively long contact time with the wood. Whilst enjoyable, I would have liked more from the underlying spirit rather than hiding behind a wall of sherry cask.” Distiller whisky taste #230 [Pictured here with a rock from Port Macquarrie about three hours north of the Yarramalong Valley on the east coast of Australia where Amber Lane is distilling. This rock is a blue schist, a high pressure metamorphic rock, that records an ancient subduction zone on the Eastern margin of Gondwana] Amber lane running scores: Liquid Amber Australian Malt: 3.25/5 No. 1 Sherry Lane Special Release Single Cask: 3.25/5

A bourbon making its way into my glass, a rare occurrence. This dram from single barrel number 1146 was filled on the 18th of June 2013 and bottled on the 5th of November 2021. Graciously received from @cascode. N: Sweet buttery, and caramel laden, corn (unsurprisingly). A slightly dusty or gristy backdrop brings with it some wood shavings and a touch of herbal-menthol influence. P: Surprisingly vibrant and lively. Sweet, sure, but there is a depth to the sweetness. Not just corn and vanilla, but candied ginger, strawberries and cream, desiccated orange rind, and a little honey. There is a wonderful warmth to a well balanced astringency that delivers the best of the oak and a peppery spice. The end of the palate just about gets into a leathery presence. F: Medium. Coconut, a little cocoa powder, dark caramel and something fresh and red berry like. Whilst I am not well versed in bourbon, I am a particular fan of the leathery and thick caramel richness of the bourbon I do like, namely Woodford Double Oak and Russels Reserve. This one caught me off guard. From what I felt was a lacklustre nose the palate and finish gave me a varied and lively flavour experience that had me confused over what I was drinking. Certainly a fun and interesting dram that I would be pleased to have on permanent rotation. Distiller whisky taste #229 [Pictured here with a piece of Morton Gneiss from southwestern Minnesota, and the USAs oldest rock. Originally this was a granite crystallised form molten rock deep below the earths surface 3.5 billion years ago. Two and a half billion years ago it as caught up in tectonic collision that subjected it to immense pressures and temperatures and caused it to be intruded by another granite. The mixing of these two granites was further overprinted 1.7 billion years ago by more metamorphism to produce this wonderful gneiss.

I first tried this back in October last year, it was not a good experience. Tried in a liquor store from their tasting table I have been left wondering if the bottle was a bit suspect because I keep hearing good things about this liquid. I very much wanted to love this whisky, the bottle is steeped in geology with a cross section of the islands geology on the label depicting the Jurassic sandstones through which their water flows, and an ammonite formed into the bottle itself. This feels like a whisky marketed directly to me. My disappointment at a bad experience was profound. I am grateful to the Wise One @cascode for sending me this dram and another chance to find something special. Going to preface this by saying that I’ve left my original notes below for transparency, but this isn’t the same whisky from just pouring this I am convinced that bottle had been left open or in the sun, or something. PSA: Look after your bottles people. N: Beautifully cool smoke brings a delicate balance of phenols, florals and hearty smoke. This is a bonfire in a flower meadow at sunset. There is vanilla, and honey, and fresh white bread. There are the vaguest touches of brine and heather. It’s not particularly deep or complex but it is soft, cooling, and delightfully delicate to the point that I think a whisper would throw off the balance. P: A slightly muddled and grainy texture to the entry that gives off quite a heavy salt and vegetal peat. Successive sips soften things out and there is a medium body with a little earthiness. The salt remains and the vegetal notes subside a little. Smoke is warm and slightly like a smoky campfire bread with dark honey, that is I suspect the underlying malt speaking. This feels a little dark with some raw sugar cane sweetness and a good heft of pepper and dry tannins. F: Medium-short. Malt forward with sustained but not overpowering pepper and a sharply drying tannin-smoke medley. Thank you @cascode, I am very glad to have now tried this as it was meant to be experienced. This is a fantastic new entry from a young distillery. The nose is the star of the show for me with the palate being a fairly fun of the mill smoky malt. There is nothing inherently wrong here at all, it is a carefully crafted liquid, peated and unseated malt matured each in the same three barrel types, in years to come I think this will really start to shine with more depth and subtlety in the palate and temperance in the finish that will compliment the beautiful nose. If a bottle ended up on my shelf I would not mind at all. Distiller whisky taste #84 [Pictured here with an Asteroceras ammonite from Dorset, UK. This 190 million year old fossil from the Jurassic is a nod to Rassay’s ammonite embossedbottle and the Jurassic aquifers that their source waters flow through.] *** Original review: October 7th 2022, 1.75/5 N: raw peat, powerful smoke punches into the nose, but there is feinty and acrid undertone that is seriously off putting. Maybe theres some cereal and vanilla and tannins but mostly its smoke and evernote and then, smacked with something that pulls me away to refresh. P: Raw, mulchy vegetal peat. if you’ve ever eaten a mouthful of peat or mud falling face first into a scottish hillside, you’ll get this. The smoke is fresh and unrefined and way to overpowering. There are some apple and caramel notes but they are weakly apparent at best. Maybe a hint of spice? Everything is too young, unrefined and unmarried. F: Short, earthy peat smack. Maybe some salty tannins.

“The loch from which all Ardbeg water flows” Uigedail is an enigmatic liquid. Since I first started appreciating whisky Uigedail, or Oogie as its affectionately known, has been seemingly the most loved and well spoken of whiskies I have come across. Top of peoples stand out offerings from Islay this whisky has presented to me as an exceptional value for money heavyweight. Indeed, it appears that this is the liquid from which Ardbegs reputation flows in no small part. N: A complex entry. Brown sugar, espresso, cedar wood and delightfully aromatic spicy tar; these are the initial big hitters. Bitterness from a tangy marmalade sits with some sweeter dried fruits melds with a slightly salty-menthol/peppermint, I think yet again I find lemon rind but very waxy (seemingly lemon is an Ardbeg thing). Despite what might seem very bright and zingy this nose is calm, restrained, slightly dry, and beautifully clean. This is strength of character without needing to beat you into submission. P: The nose is playing a bit of a ruse… the restrained poise of the nose ever so slightly holds on the first touch but then the smoke comes. Thick, heavy, and dark here is a fire stoked with black tea and hot tar. That might sound like a border line assault, maybe. Give it a moment and sweetness arrives as black forest cake and darkest honey, a lift of waxy lemon, sharp almost bitter aniseed and a richly present hot ginger. As I get more comfortable with this absolute beast it reveals the deftest touch of an oyster kilpatrick (the interplay of smoke and maritime influence), and then some orange oil and sticky date. F: Longer than should be legal. Heavy smoke laden with phenolic oomph, this is darkness incarnate the darkest bbq-caramel reduction may come close to this, and then out of nowhere a final parting death throe of peppermint. A drop of water is nothing to write home about. Some of the intensity lifts off, I’m not sure thats how it was intended and it does seem slightly diminished for it. Wow. That was a sensory overload. Nose, poise. Palate, power. Finish, a constant reminder. This is not whisky for amateurs, and to be honest, I don’t think its something for the every day drinker either, it’s a tour de force. This is undeniably excellent stuff and I would be pleased to have a bottle on my shelf. But, my word Ardbeg you have created a monster that is almost too overwhelmingly powerful and thats my only real criticism. Still, probably the best of a very, very good run that maybe just beats out Corryvreckan. Distiller whisky taste #228 [Pictured here with another, not so wee, beastie. For such a monster dram I had to pull out a monster beastie. This is a trilobite called Cambropallas telesto and dates back to ~513-501 million years ago in southern Morocco. These trilobites were fast moving detritivores and there is little else to say other than to be impressed by the sheer size of these ancient invertebrates] Ardbeg running scores: Ardbeg 10: 4.25/5 Wee Beastie: 3/5 Corryvreckan: 4.5/5 An oa: 4/5 Hypernova 2022: 4.25/5 Uigeadail: 4.5/5

A hypernova is the stupendously energetic result of a massive star (30 times our Suns mass) collapsing in on itself, forming a rotating black hole and emitting twin astrophysical jets surrounded by an accretion disk and a luminosity that is 10 times greater than that of an entire galaxy. Ardbeg are making a big call with this naming. I am looking for a density and depth of flavour unparalleled and with the ability to eject new flavours and experiences from whisky that leave me blinded by its force. And for AU$399 a bottle I think that would be a reasonable expectation. Let’s find out.. N: Powerful yet restrained. Heavy with salty tar and straw bales. This already reminds me of summers creosoting stable blocks… A lifting brightness of menthol offsets what I thought would be an overwhelming smoke (this is claimed to be Ardbegs smokiest beast). The smoke is interesting, not so much wood smoke, but more chemical fire smoke like petrol, the peaty presence is clear but smoky is a difficult claim to make. Super curious. The longer I sit on this the more I think there may be a delicate floral note. P: Boom. There it is. That is a bit of a monster, oily clingy and laden with liquid smoke whacks you with pepper, a chared beef mixed with a slightly metallic grill pan, almond, aniseed, clove, iodine, salt There is a lot going on here. It’s super dense though and hard to find whats going on. F: Long. Smoke is all encompassing and has an aromatic tobacco quality with a strong pepper bite. A dash of water, now things get interesting. The nose softens and expands into a very subtle wild berry tart fruitiness and the menthol turns to peppermint. The palate calms significantly the brine builds, the fatty meaty bite rounds and loses its metallic undertone, some chocolate creamy texture builds and even introduces a crisp slightly toffee apple freshness with a beautiful waxy lemon rind. The finish doesn’t seem to vary much but the pepper has subsided. Was this stupendous on a galactic scale? No. Was this none the less, huge, complex, energetic, and bursting with everything but the kitchen sink? Yeah, just about. I enjoyed this, a lot, downsides, is it just a little too dense leading to palate exhaustion? Perhaps. I’m not qualified to judge, I’m neither a whisky expert nor an astrophysicist. Also, perhaps their peatiest whisky ever but yhis doesnt come close to the smoke presence of others. As good as this was, I don’t think an AU$400 price tag is warranted when I think a regular Port Charlotte 10 is probably just as good to better. I know Ardbeg die hards will tell me I’m wrong, Distiller whisky taste #227 [Pictured here with another wee beastie a trilobite called Coltraneia oufatenensis, named after the jazz legend John Coltrane. This chap came for Jebel Issomour in Morocco and is about 393-382 million years old. When it comes to the best eyes in the animal kingdom, past or present, trilobites are hard to beat. These eyes are probably the best of the best. The enormous eyes take up approximately half the width of the head suggesting a vital need for excellent vision] Ardbeg running scores: Ardbeg 10: 4.25/5 Wee Beastie: 3/5 Corryvreckan: 4.5/5 An oa: 4/5 Hypernova 2022: 4.25/5

An Oa is named after the Mull of Oa in the south west of Islay, which offers the Kildaton coast (where Ardbeg distillery is situated) some protection from the worst the Atlantic has to offer! As such, Ardbeg An Oa is intended to show a more approachable side to Ardbeg single malt that's as rounded as the Oa peninsula, without losing the characteristic distillery style. Maturation took place in a combination of casks including Pedro Ximénez, charred virgin oak and ex-bourbon. N: Unexpectedly light and sweet. Fresh, herbal peat with a light aniseed touch. Light honey and malt are feathered by orange sprtiz and a leafy smoke in the distance. P: Sweet peat. This is light and walks a delicate balance of dryness and oiliness. Smoke builds through the profile with a little saltiness. An umami character not dissimilar from ham sits comfortably amongst tobacco and bitter marmalade. F: Medium. Dark chocolate, bonfire smoke, black tea, a little citrus. I had to pull up my notes on Ardbeg 10 from the open this is clearly cut from the same cloth. Theres a lot to enjoy here, particularly on the nose and finish. But, missing here is some oomph. The ten doesn’t muck about, it hits hard. this An oa is softer of character and somewhat reserved. I don’t know about the extra AUD$20 this costs over the 10 but it is an enjoyable and easy expression of Islay. Distiller whisky taste #226 [Pictured here with another wee beastie, this time a trilobite from the genus Paralejurus. This chunky boi is ~420-350 million years old from the ancient sea floor of what is modern day Morocco. These trilobites reached up to 9 cm in length and were excellent at enrolling themselves up into a defensive ball. The head slightly smaller than the tail allowing for a perfect enrolment; a well rounded beastie for a well rounded dram] Ardbeg running scores: Ardbeg 10: 4.25/5 Wee Beastie: 3/5 Corryvreckan: 4.5/5 An oa: 4/5

I’ve heard some big things about this monster of a dram. 57.1% ABV, phew this is likely going to rock my socks off, and I’d expect nothing less from a whisky named after a freaking whirlpool. N: Wonderfully phenolic, bold, and rich. There is a well balanced intensity of a rotisserie chicken, creamy butter, some pine, fresh cold maritime air mingles with light herbal smoke and tarry-antiseptic. Beautiful. P: Intensely ashy arrival with a healthy creamy backdrop. Lemon, a little anise, charcoal. Big dry-oakiness, dark fruit compote adds a vaguest hint of sweetness, espresso, bacon grease. There is almost too much going on here, spices are punchy and the thread of antiseptic that runs through everything does a remarkable job of keeping everything tied together. The smokiness is vibrant and somewhat piney/menthol. Monster of a palate. F: Long. Warming, lemon, cocoa powder, cinnamon and pepper, salty smoke. Deliciously dry. I’ve hit this with about a teaspoon of water and let it sit for few minutes. The nose softens and brings the smoke forward with the antiseptic moving into sinus opening menthol territory, saltiness dials up a little. The palate loses a little spice, charcoal comes through and the lemon heads towards the territory of a sharp mandarin. Fruity dark sweetness unfolds into some cherry and blackcurrant. The finish loses a little dryness. Cripes, I knew this would be a heavy hitter but I wasn’t expecting to actually get sucked into a whirlpool. This is an unrelenting monster that doesn’t stop coming at you with waves of flavours and textures. Heavy hitting notes are tempted by a surprising softness and just enough sweetness to keep it approachable, and at times even delicate. Well played Ardbeg, that was delicious. Distiller whisky taste #225 [Pictured here with another wee beastie, apparently that will now be the Ardbeg rock theme. This beastie is from the genus Cyphaspis, a 395 Ma trilobite that called the ancient sea floor of what is now Erfoud in Morocco home. The name cyphaspis means ‘devil horned’ in reference to its long spines, the purpose of which are still not understood. The physiological features of these devil horned beasties means they were fast carnivores.] Ardbeg running scores: Ardbeg 10: 4.25/5 Wee Beastie: 3/5 Corryvreckan: 4.5/5

It’s been a beast of a week. And what should of been an Ardbeg every night of the week has not come to pass. Still, Wee Beastie is in the glass and I am pumped. Off the heels of a very solid open on Ardbeg 10, the Wee Beastie comes in at 5 y/o and offers a mix of ex-Bourbon and Olorosso casking. N: Sharp and punchy, the peat is a little damp and mulchy and gives a rotten wood on the bonfire kind of effect to the smokiness. Behind that though are some toffee, candy sweetness, stewed baking apples, a little sherbet like lemon sourness and an all encompassing salty-oily-peppery-wooded medley. The nose feels young, but it also has a lovely playfulness that is quite enticing. P: A little thin on arrival. Sweetness and black pepper add a surprising brightness to a sharp dilute lemon squash soaked peatyness. The smoke is salty but a little harsh. Sweetness develops with successive sips and leans towards stone fruits like lychee and nectarine with maybe some ginger-caramel. Theres nothing particularly special here, its on the aggressive side and if anything is a little underdeveloped. F: Surprisingly long. Oily, peppery, preserved lemon and mulchy peat. The smoke loses out in the finish. The name Wee Beastie and a 5 year age statement primed me into thinking this was going to be a vibrant, exciting version of the standard 10 year old, albeit a little less nuanced and refined. It’s not quite that in my mind. The nose is the stand out, theres plenty of big bold notes and lots to get excited about but from there it kind of goes down hill into mediocrity. The excellent notes of lemon, sea air influence and delicately perfumed smoke are just not there. A sweetness replaces these that makes the dram seem like a budget blend rather than a gatekeeper of whisky excellence (that I believe Ardbeg are regarded to be). This isn’t a wee beastie, its just a wee impersonation of something quite excellent. That said, its still good. Onwards we forge… Distiller whisky taste #224 [Pictured here with a Dicranurus monstrous, a real wee beastie. This is a trilobite, a type of marine arthropod from the Devonian Period. These horned monsters are found in Morocco, Oklahoma, and New York. This ones from Morocco. The incredible spines used to be thought of as adaptations for fighting but the position behind the delicate exposed eyes makes this unlikely. They were almost certainly a defensive mechanism against predators and an anti sinking aid for the soft sea floor mud they lived and fed on. A recent hypotheses has speculated that the spines hosted organisms called bryozoans (similar to corals), meaning the spines were like a palaeozoic ghille suit. What a wee beastie!] Ardbeg running scores: Ardbeg 10: 4.25/5 Wee Beastie: 3/5

I’m excited. After suffering at the hands of boredom with an extended run of Starwards I’m pleased to have something dark and wintery to carry me through the next few weeks of horrible Perth winter. I hope Islay and Ardbeg don’t let me down. Starting out with a throw back to March 19th 2022, my first and only Ardbeg and Distiller taste #16. N: Lightly oily and powerfully phenolic this cuts to the chase. Lemon, furniture wax, a sea breeze, a sharp spice note and delicate perfume like smoke. Rather than being dark and brooding (which I had expected) this is fresh and quite bright. P: Big, bold, smoke with beautiful oiliness. More lemon brings acidity and surprising sweetness. Some richer textures and flavours from a vanilla toffee or caramel, strong black tea, anise. The smoke is vaguely herbal with a little brine and hot tar. Everything works so well; brightness and acidity, soft rich textures, sweetness, a little bitterness… its all here. F: Long. A little darker now, like clouds rolling in over the coast. Salty smoke, bitter lemon, and a slight vanilla sweetness holding off a little bit of obtrusive heat. Powerful and delicate in equal measure. There is a generous volume of flavour carefully delivered with poise and a delicate touch. There is little to say here as I am thinking this should rate as a whisky to try before you die. The value for money is exceptional. What a wonderful dram for a 10 year old standard offering, and what I hope is a good omen for the next five drams to come. *** March 19th 2022 - 4/5 N: fresh, cut grass, crisp, gentlest smoke, slightly briny. P: powerful but refined smoke, herbaceous, citrus. F: fresh smoke, salty brine, creamy vanilla Distiller whisky taste #16 [Pictured here with an interesting piece showing cockscomb barytes crystallised ontop of finely crystalline galena (lead sulphide) on top of a Carboniferous limestone host. This piece is from Bridgwater in Somerset, England. The baryte (A barium sulphate) contains impurities of iron oxide colouring it a lovely burnt orange. During WWII baryte was sought highly for its use in making munitions (barium is a very dense metal), nowadays it is mainly used in oil and gas drilling to counter well pressures and blow outs. I think all this heavy metal is a fitting for an introduction to Ardbeg.] Ardbeg running scores: Ardbeg 10: 4.25/5

Twenty-one. Twenty-one Starward whisky’s have now been poured into my glass. My word, this has been a tumultuous journey. More on that below. First this last entry into the Starward Saga. La Maison du Whisky, founded in 1956, is an upmarket spirits distributor with exclusive rights to over 250 brands around the world and around 4000 individual product. Here, like the last entry from Sydneys the Oak Barrel, is another Starward Exclusive. From what I can tell this whisky is made from golden barely grown in Victoria, Australia, and distilled in Starwards copper stills. This is standard. I am unclear if this saw time in Starwards red wine casks, then was finished in brandy casks. Or was fully matured in brandy casks. Apparently some of the maturation was conducted in France? I don’t know. And to be honest, 21 deep; I don’t really care. I want to drink other things. Barrel number 9171 filled June 2017 and 228 bottles filled April 2022 at 50% ABV. Shall we get this over with now? N: A bright and acidic presence that leads the way with pillowy marshmallow, crisp apple, brioche, pear drops and a bright strawberry and stone fruit. Warming oak spice and an empty bag of liquorice allsorts. P: Theres a lot to unpack here. Thick and luscious arrival with a hint of tannic burn. Thick slightly sour apple drenched in warm brittle toffee with a vaguely smoky presence that must be from toast on the barrel. Sweetness and some gingery-chilli heat lift the palate and add some almost turkish delight and blossom elements that layer delicate complexity. Theres a clean vanilla ice-cream here too, sometimes, perhaps hidden by a little milk chocolate covered coffee bean. This is complex liquid to be sure. F: Long. Slightly waxy, lots of orange blossom and floral presence, candied ginger, coconut and the greasy oiliness of a walnut jar, and a lingering oak tannin that keeps things pleasantly dry. Distiller whisky taste #131, Starward Whisky Club Exclusive Cognac Cask. I thought I’d have a solid ‘good’ performance to match that. Or the apple bomb that was the Sticky Toffee Apple Starward (#205) I was wrong. Those bottles wish they were this. I just poured another Cognac cask Starward to double check, and that is a dumbed down, softened and creamy imitation of this. My word, I saved a good one until last. I don’t know what sorcery was performed here, but everything works so damn well. The nose is all kinds of refreshing and crisp. Summery and light the nose manages to be sweet, rich, acidic and fruity, yet still balanced with effective wood spice and the deftest liquorice. The palate comes in with unexpected lightness of flavours. The palate delivers big on flavour but in no way is it heavy handed. This is like a rapier compared with a battle axe. The florals and light middle eastern influences of rosewater and blossoms are just magic. The finish, a simple extension of the palate with added oiliness. What surprises me here is that the self proclaimed ‘tropical spirit’ style that Starward are so proud to boast is most evident in the two wood smoked casks where they are detracting presences. But here, they are evident as stone fruit in the nose and coconut in the finish. They compliment the floral heavy delicate flavours and textures of this liquid wonderfully. Do I have faults here, yes, I guess the palate has some elements (the chocolate softer notes) that could have been better developed, and at times the oak spice becomes a little too prominent. But, this is easily up there as one of the top three stand outs from the twenty-one Starwards I’ve run down. So. Starward. A powerhouse of Australian whisky production that is still tiny on the global stage. A deal with the devil so to speak allows them to pump out big volume at what is a low price for Aussie sauce. Clearly part of the money talk involved making profits. The easiest way to do that seems to be: make a core range, then peddle whatever you can as single barrel exclusives, projects, and small batches. Overall, twenty-one drams and I average out with a score of 3.3/5. Thats better than good. But a closer look and that score has a big spread of 2-4.75. The top of the pack are easy picks, the two anniversary editions they were just well made and tasty, and the delicate chardonnay and this apple brandy limited runs. The funny thing about those is; they don’t rely on the signature red wine style. Thats a shame, the thing I find best about Starward isn’t the thing that Starward should be best at. For anyone wanting to try Starward, stick to the Solera, its the least ostentatious, carefully made whisky that succeeds in being accessible, enjoyable and reasonable middle shelf value for money. The 10th and 15th Anniversary editions are suave, rich, and mature and show what the Staward team are capable when focused and single minded. If you want to pay top dollar for something intriguing and interesting then perhaps the delicacy of the Chardonnay cask or this Apple Brandy are worth a hunt, but I probably wouldn’t go hunting for these myself, the effort and cost vs pay off is just not there. Anyway, if you’ve been following along for the ride, thanks. I have some fun stuff lined up: Ardbegs, Spring Bays, and Taliskers. Oh for fecks sake; I didn’t do Starward Two Grain! Distiller whisky taste #223 [Pictured here with a metallic blue lump of bornite, a copper iron sulphide mineral. This lump is from Katanga in the Congo. That is all I care to say about this, Starward has left me dazed and confused and I’m going to need a minute.] Starward running scores Nova: 3/5 Fortis: 3.25/5 Solera: 3.75/5 10th Anniversary: 4.25/5 Vitalis 15th Anniversary: 4.5/5 Whisky Club Exclusive, Maple Cask: 2/5 Whisky Club Exclusive, Cognac Cask: 3.5/5 Projects, Octave Barrels: 3.75/5 Projects, Dolce: 2.25/5 Projects, Bourbon Cask: 3.5/5 Projects, Tawny #2: 3.5/5 Projects, UnExpeated: 3.75/5 Projects, Peated: 2.75/5 Small Batch, Cherry Wood Smoked: 2/5 Small Batch, Mesquite Wood Smoked: 2/5 Small Batch, Hungarian Oak: 3/5 Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple: 3.25/5 Small Batch, Chardonnay: 4/5 Whisky Loot Single Barrel Single Malt Exclusive: 3.5/5 Smoke & Mirrors Single Cask Oak Barrel Exclusive: 3.75/5 Ex-Apple Brandy LMDW Antipodes Single Cask: 4.5/5 'Brandy' cask running scores: Port Charlotte CC:01 - 5/5 Starward Ex-Apple Brandy LMDW Single Cask: 4.5/5 Talisker X Parley Wilder Seas - 4.25/5 Arran Rare Batch 17 y/o Calvados - 3.75/5 Balvenie 16 French Oak Pineau Cask Finish - 3.5/5 Starward Cognac Cask - 3.5/5 Starward Small Batch, Sticky Toffee Apple - 3.25/5 Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment 2.75/5