Tastes

Caramel, sultanas, hazelnuts and over-ripe banana on the nose. A strong arrival of strawberrys and cocoa powder, sultanas and wood spices, and a long creamy finish of vanilla and dried fruit.

A gentle nose of vanilla, walnut, orange peel and a faint smokiness. A sweet citrus arrival, with a sherry cask impact that is restrained and balanced. The finish is not long, but there’s baking spices, brown sugar and dark fruit as it fades. This is a pretty and rounded dram that would benefit from a little more ABV to highlight what is clearly a quality production.

A gentle but characterful nose. Pencil shavings and charcoal. Chocolate and pears. A smoky, briny arrival with celery and white pepper. Not a sweet dram, there’s a pleasant tartness in the finish.

The nose is a little shy. Fruit cake, celery, ginger and chocolate. Toasted hazelnuts and oats. The arrival is also lighter than I’d like, with orange, vanilla and some ginger undertones. The finish is short. This is an overrated whisky, there’s much more interesting options even at this relatively affordable price point.

I found the neck pour of this quite bland. However a couple of days later it came alive. Cinnamon and orchard fruits. A strong arrival of honey, vanilla and smoke with a warm spicy strawberry development that lingers. The peat is light but beautifully integrated, and there is a full, creamy mouth-feel.

A light and sweet peat on the nose, with unripe pear, milk chocolate, lemon and seaweed. Salt, smoke and sweetness in a perfect balance. This is the most gentle and pretty Islay. It one doesn’t punch you in the face, it tickles you under the chin.

Like everything from Glen Scotia this has a remarkable nose - earth, buttercream, blackcurrent, strawberry, white pepper and brine. A sweet honey and orange peel arrival and a long finish that is spicy and dry. This whisky is a treat; a chance to try Glen Scotia unpeated. The complex heaviness I love about Glen Scotia is still here - which speaks volumes about the quality of their spirit. Even unpeated this is a wonderfully active and heavy hitting malt - all down to the traditional production techniques this top tier distillery stubbornly sticks to.

I never thoughts find a whisky with pickled onions as the predominant nose note. What a time to be alive! There’s also sulphur, celery and cocoa. Edradour doesn’t mess about. The palate is a little more straightforward, but still unique. The arrival has spices dark fruits, figs, coffee honey and cough syrup. The medium finish is fruity and warm. You have to love the quirkiness of Edradour.

Nose: Lemon, oats, apple pie, leather, dates, dark chocolate. Palate: Marzipan, tobacco, crystallised ginger Finish: Brown sugar development into a long minty finish and a hint of chilli spice and smoke. A tasty whisky with a lovely heavy nose and oily full mouthfeel. Benefits from water to draw out the complexity. Not in the same class as the 15yr old but few drams are. Glen Scotia, I love thee.

Nose: Sherbet. Paint. Sugar frosted pastry. Concentrated vanilla. Pears. Palma Violets. Candied banana. The arrival perfectly reflects the wonderful nose, and the development is minty fresh with ginger and white pepper. The finish spins the experience on its head - a dry chilli spice provides a beautiful counterpoint to the earlier sugar cascade. A unique whisky experience.