Tastes
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Mortlach 12 Year Old 2009 Signatory Vintage
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed October 21, 2022 (edited October 23, 2022)A spicy honey nose with dried summer hay and a very faint, peppery smoke. The arrival is on the nippy side, like a bite of hot chilli, which develops into a sweet fruity gingerbread. The bourbon cask influence comes in on the finish with a lingering vanilla and toffee. A nice presentation of Mortlach that leaves the character of the spirit front and centre. Would have scored higher but it does come in a little hot for my taste. -
Tomatin Legacy
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed October 14, 2022 (edited November 3, 2023)Nose: The nose has pencil shavings, watermelon, grapes and pear. Arrival: Creamy mango, papaya, and strong grapefruit notes. Orange and lemon. An alcohol bite that comes from youth. The finish is dry and a little short, probably due to the chill-filtration. Lacks a little depth and substance but very good value for the 27 pounds I paid for it. A good budget dram. -
Inchgower 2008 13yo Signatory Un-Chillfiltered Collection
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 16, 2022 (edited October 23, 2022)Nose: floral, citrus and herbaceous notes. Bread and butter pudding. Taste - A crisp grapefruit arrival. Sharp green apples, pears and black pepper. Chilli and wood spices take centre stage in the development, and the finish is long with a mellow sweetness. An extremely good value malt. I’m starting to really trust Signatory in delivering quality bottlings, and this one is at a very good price. -
Benromach Cask Strength Vintage 2010
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 14, 2022 (edited October 23, 2022)Nose: Heavy raisin, dates and fig notes, balanced with blackcurrants. Gingerbread. Burnt honey. The first thing you notice on the arrival is the thick and sticky mouth feel. The arrival is a burst of fresh fruit, with dark chocolate and the gentlest smoky background in the development. There’s lingering green tea and banana in the finish. A fantastic presentation of an interesting malt spirit. Excellent. -
Longmorn 2005 Distillery Labels (Gordon & MacPhail)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 6, 2022 (edited October 23, 2022)A delicate nose, with light floral notes and a confectionary undertone. The arrival is creamy and sweet, with chocolate, toffee and caramel that quickly join cherry, liquorice and wood spices in the development. The finish is long with the toffee and caramel returning. A really top-notch release from G&M that shows off Longmorn at its best. -
Deanston 18 Year Old Bourbon Matured
Single Malt — Scotland
Reviewed June 24, 2022 (edited November 1, 2022)Nose: Blackcurrant, leather, stewed apple. Taste: Big ginger and chocolate arrival. Intense wood spices, floral pine and lemon oil. Finish: Sweet green grass, ginger and vanilla. One of the best value 18 year olds and a fantastic dram. -
The nose is a little shy, and while there’s fruit and a wisp of peat smoke it doesn’t give much away, even with a little water. The arrival however is a honeyed fruit-bomb made of waxy apples, pears and peaches. There’s citrus fruit in the mix too. Oak spice and peat emerge in the development. Sweet vanilla and ginger linger in the finish. This is really good example of how to balance fruit and peat. And it’s very, very tasty.
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The nose brings a gentle minty peat. Theres some dark fruit and a maltiness that presents as damp, days-old grass cuttings. The arrival is sharp, spicy and dry. The peat starts to assert itself in the development, with wood spice and ginger. The mintiness returns on the finish. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad blended Japanese whisky. Maybe I just need to try more! But this is a solid and affordable blend that can definitely be sipped on its own.
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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.
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Craigellachie 13 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed April 15, 2022 (edited February 5, 2023)The nose is quite restrained, even with a drop of water. There’s lemon, cucumber and vanilla. There’s a dustiness too, like old wood shavings. The arrival is a lot more boisterous, with apples, toffee, ginger, baking spices and a touch of aniseed. The whisky is mouth-coating and the finish is of a decent length but there’s not much of a development. A solid malt whisky.
Results 21-30 of 96 Reviews