Reviews

The nose is a little shy but becomes brighter with a little water. It has a phenolic edge, but with tinned peaches and vanilla. The pallete doesn’t wear its high ABV lightly, and comes on a little rowdily before water. There’s the classic Ben Nevis signature notes of orange peel and toffee, but less gracefully integrated than in the standard 10 year old. Waxy fruit notes linger in the finish. Not the best Ben Nevis I’ve tasted, but an enjoyable dram nevertheless.

The nose is very shy, with green apple and a hint of ash. The arrival is sweet and zesty, with tart citrus fruit and vanilla, and considering its youth is gentle and nicely balanced. The development brings a dry white wine like note and the same fruit notes continue in the finish which is both short and clean. If there was ever such a thing as a good summer afternoon whisy this would be the one. A very light and simple dram, but well put together and good value for the price.

This really is a lovely expression from Bushmills. The nose has vanilla, lemon drizzle cake and toasted almonds. The marsala wine maturation is immediately evident on taste, and it's beautifully integrated with caramel, stewed fruit, brown sugar and a hint of tamarind on the palette. The finish is medium to long and leaves vanilla and a light mintiness on the tongue. A delight.

Nose: banana, green apples and citrus. Caramel. Taste: rather thin, black tea, honey, vanilla. Finish: on the short side. Baking spices, white pepper.

This ‘secret’ Orkney (it’s Highland Park) from Signatory Vintage is a real treat. The nose has that familiar HP signature of sweet fruit and ash. There’s a thick creamy mouthfeel and you’re immediately hit with honeyed prunes and vanilla ice cream. The 57% abv really carries a lot of flavour. More dried fruits appear in the development and the strong Oloroso cask influence start to take over. The finish is long with lingering heather, flowers and orange peel.

This one was a nice suprise. The noise has coconut, vanilla and oranges. It’s very restrained, but the arrival is where all the action is. There’s toasted oak, licorice, toffee and vanilla. Caramel in spades of course, but suprisongly more than a hint of cola as well. Not a complex whisky, but an eminently drinkable one. A perfect dessert dram.

The nose is like an orange, lemons and vanilla cake with hazelnuts sprinkled on top. There’s an old uk brand of sweets called Refeshers, and I get a strong reminder of those. The arrival is big and bold, toffee, spice and sweet fruit. It quickly develops into something tart and smoky - like having a cigarette over a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit. The mouthfeel is dry and waxy, and the finish is clean and medium length. An under-appreciated gem.

The nose is full and luxurious. Tobacco and hazelnuts. Creamy vanilla custard. The arrival comes with sweet fruit and brown sugar - oranges, plums and green apples. Strawberry sauce on a soft ice cream cone. There’s an nice earthiness than stays on in the finish, possibly a resukt of a good dunnage warehouse storage. This is a top drawer bottle from Cadeheads. Very drinkable without water despite the high ABV. Highly recommended.

This has a very laid back nose indeed. Adding water doesnt bring it out of its shell. There’s the faintest hint of smoke. The arrival is a cascade of fresh orchard fruit, with vanilla and some dark chocolate in the development. The finish brings lingering banana notes. This isn’t a complex whisky but it’s a great example of that great japanese speciality - the blend. They really do do it better than anyone else. I’m not a big fan of grain whisky but this is a solid (if unspectacular) dram where the malt takes the lead. There’s plenty of better blends out there, but none at this price. Would buy again.

The nose is restrained and has toasted nuts, oats and cornflakes. The arrival is fruity but the wood spice soon takes over, with sweet honey, vanilla and caramel in the brief finish. A pleasant if unambitious dram, it succeeds in what it sets out to be.