Tastes

Nose Honey and sweet vanilla beautifully balanced by ash and seaweed. Taste Oily mouthfeel, thick and creamy arrival. Black pepper and salt. Toffee. Grilled ham and pineapple. Chilli spices. Strawberries. Finish Long. Very long. The saltiness and sweetness persist, with a hint of dark chocolate coming into the mix. This is made with predominantly peated barley, but it’s so beautifully balanced and integrated that it definitely can’t be described as a peat monster. A quite spectacular cask-strength whisky.

The nose has cereal, mint and biscuit notes, along with a floral undertone. The arrival brings intense orchard fruits, and toffee and brown sugar in spades. A strong note of almond emerges in the development and finish. A great example of bourbon cask maturation - a real toffee bomb. And, for now at least, fantastic value.

Very restrained nose. Pencil shavings, unripe banana, freshly mowed lawn. The palette is dry and tart with grapefruit, pineapple and mango. A medium finish with celery and a hint of sweet ginger.

That famous Glen Scotia character is here in spades. This is the best seasonal release I have tried from them. Nose: stewed fruits, burnt matches, dark tobacco and hazelnuts. That classic Glen Scotia salty, briny background. Palette: Caramel, toasted nuts, brown sugar, smoky barrel char. Needs a little water to tame the high ABV. Delicate strawberry and banana notes linger in the finish.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.