Tastes

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Colours Tasting, 4th September 2021). This tasting included 6 different spirits and a cocktail where we explored our perception or experience of colours when tasting. A fun and interesting concept for a tasting - definitely something a little different. Nose: Window putty, baking spices (cloves & ginger), vanilla, white pepper Palate: Sweet, golden syrup, black pepper, caramel, oak, nuts (walnut) Finish: Medium long finish. Leather, oak, varnish. Lightly souring on the aftertaste- grapefruit & lemon This is a pretty solid rye. Nice layers and plenty to keep it interesting. Spice and sweetness throughout, but nutty and citrus on the aftertaste. A very easygoing rye. Doesn’t taste anywhere near its 58.7% - take care! While we did rate the spirits, the range of flavours didn’t really lend itself to comparable results. Having said that, this was voted as joint first with two other drams with 27% of the vote for favourite.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Colours Tasting, 4th September 2021). This tasting included 6 different spirits and a cocktail where we explored our perception or experience of colours when tasting. A fun and interesting concept for a tasting - definitely something a little different. Nose: Caramel, golden syrup, honey, cereal bar, honey nut corn flakes Palate: Vanilla tablet, fudge, sweetened breakfast cereal, oak, hints of smoke, buttery/oily mouthfeel Finish: Medium long finish. Salt/saline, honey, vanilla, gorse This is one of the nicest blends I’ve had in ages. There’s a lovely oily/buttery mouthfeel, and hints and wisps of smoke - although you need to search for them! Beautifully layered. While we did rate the spirits, the range of flavours didn’t really lend itself to comparable results. Having said that, this was voted as joint first with two other drams with 27% of the vote for favourite.

Nose: Gristy, chocolate, honey, baked goods Palate: Fruit, apple, pear, strong orange, dark chocolate Finish: Short finish. Wood, oak, chocolate, floral, vanilla. Christmassy, but not the sherried/PX/chocolate you'd normally expect from a 'Christmas malt whisky'. Chocolate orange without being overpowering. Very tasty. Bottled: 2019 1 of 212 bottles Age: 11 years old

Nose: Baked fruit, rose, almond/nutty, orchard fruit (pears & apples) Palate: Banana, oak, black tea, oily/buttery mouthfeel, instant coffee Finish: Medium finish. Banana, creamy mouthfeel, dark chocolate, nutty, woody. Slightly burned note. Complex and layered. Lots of different, well integrated, notes to keep it interesting. I completely get the banana in the name! I've docked some points for tasting a little burned on the aftertaste. This is not a 'charred barrel' flavour, it's more a burned fruit and doesn't quite work with this dram. Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon Distilled: 12-08-2003 16 years old 1 of 194 bottles

Nose: Light, apple, pear, toffee, caramel, floral Palate: Apple bonbons, stewed fruit, sherbet, light sweetness (quite gentle), floral Finish: Medium finish. Citrus, lemon, orange. Sours on the aftertaste. Fresh taste. Summer fruit, zesty. Unsurprising and unassuming, but tasty and very easy to drink. Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel Distilled: 15-09-2011 1 of 219 bottles 9 years old

Nose: Light, herbal, salt/saline, grassy, white pepper Palate: White pepper, chili, cardamon, vanilla, apricot, banana. Slightly souring Finish: Medium long finish. Nutty, oak, salt/brine, green olives. The aftertaste is the same as the aftertaste from a dirty martini. This is a lovely Bunnahabhain. Spicy, salty and with a little tropical fruit. Well layered and integrated throughout. I don't get the pineapple, 'though! Cask: Refill ex-bourbon barrel 1 of 236 bottles Distilled: 25-05-2005 15 years old

(The SMWS cask number is 73.121 not 72.121 as stated, I'm not sure how to change this once you have submitted a whisky for review) Nose: Tropical fruit, orange, floral, green, almond, vanilla Palate: Citrus (lime, lemon & orange), more tropical fruit, black tea Finish: Long finish. Liquorice, baking spices (cinnamon & nutmeg), leather, coffee Intense flavour, but doesn't need any water. This is very easy to drink - despite the ABV! Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel Distilled: 17-10-2021 1 of 251 bottles 9 years old

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual ‘Peat in the wrong place’ Whisky Tasting, 20 August 2021). Nose: Strong alcohol (burns the nose!). Earthy, peathy, saline, nutty, woody Palate: Barley sugar/boiled sweets, orange peel, 'hot', caramel, citrus. A strange sour milk note. Finish: Medium long finish. Peat, saccharin sweet, a little sickly. Sulfur and mineral. Malt sourced in India Peat sourced from Scotland This concentrated dram takes all of the worst elements of a young sweet Scottish whisky and adds a layer of fake sweetness and a 'baby sick' sourness. Pretty unpleasant. Came joint second out of the six drams, with 19% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 76% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual ‘Peat in the wrong place’ Whisky Tasting, 20 August 2021). Nose: Fresh cut wood, gentle peat, fruit (orchard and plum) Palate: Wood, ash, brown sugar, black pepper, chili. Citrus on the backnote. Finish: Medium finish. Leather, damp wood, bacon Frazzles. Sweetens on the aftertaste. Very woody. Distilled at Tomintoul distillery. Locally sourced peat providing a wood smoke character There's a strong woodiness throughout. Light gentle peat and an old leatheriness at the end. Sugary sweet and BBQ. Came joint third out of the six drams, with 10% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 95% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual ‘Peat in the wrong place’ Whisky Tasting, 20 August 2021). Nose: Fruit (berries & apples), vanilla, hairspray Palate: Light peat, stewed fruit, gristy, dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, salt/brine Finish: Medium long finish. Leather, salt/saline, wet wood smoke. Toast on the aftertaste. Really (really!) easy to drink. Very concentrated and unctuous. Fruity. This is a great indie dram - almost definitely a Highland Park. 1 of 344 bottles. Came first out of the six drams, with 38% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 81% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky. I liked this enough to buy a bottle immediately after the tasting.