Reviews

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.

The most notable thing about the nose is it’s absence. A slight mustiness. Reminds of some new make I tried once. A spiky and aggressive arrival that’s sweet and tastes like granulated sugar and little else. I’d be surprised if this whisky was any older then 3 years. Some vanilla and honey on the frighteningly brief finish. Dismal. I paid 30 pounds for this in a brief moment of confusion at the check-out in the local co-op. I’d feel short changed even if I had paid 15. Avoid.

This tasting is from a 2010 bottling my dad has stashed at the back of his wardrobe. A light fruity nose, nicely balanced between light and dark fruits. Pears and prunes. The American oak is doing most of the heavy lifting here, producing a pleasant honey and vanilla arrival that quickly diminishes into a short sweet ginger and brown sugar finish. This is a hard whisky to dislike, but the anaemic presentation makes it equally hard to love.

A rich honey and vanilla nose, ripe fruit and a musty cereal undertone. A sweet and creamy arrival that comes in a little bright and hot but settles quickly into a medium dry finish.

Carrot cake and vanilla on the nose. A creamy sweet arrival of ginger and play-doh. Pleasantly surprised given the low price, a little thin but enjoyable and great value.

That funky, chocolatey Glengoyne nose is here in full effect. More chocolate in the big, sweet arrival which turns spicy with a dry, oaky finish. This is a tasty and approachable but very characterful malt. It’s an unfashionable view but I think I like the 10 year old even more.

Milk chocolate, dried herbs and oats on the nose. A full vanilla fruitcake arrival and a long sweet finish.