Tastes

Nose: Sweet, buttery, bready, oak and vanilla. A hint of floral and perfume. Palate: Banana, vanilla, light and spicy, cherry. A little waxy. Finish: Liquorice, very light smoke, lingering spice. There is a nice creamy mouthfeel, very smooth, but a slight hotness on the initial taste. It's a little too sweet for my palate, but I did enjoy it as a dram.

Nose: Fruit and smoke Palate: Salty fish (?), dried fruits and raisins, smooth dark chocolate Finish: Stewed prunes and dates, pepper, campfire smoke, dry tannic There is a slightly firey, young note to this whisky. It's not uncommon for Bunnahabhain's NAS editions to have this same note, but it's fairly prominent in this edition. It's still a nice dram, but a little young seeming to be a stand out from their range.

Nose: Dark cherries, raisin, orange, allspice, icing sugar Palate: Sherry, bitter dark chocolate, cherries, Christmas cake, cloves Finish: Spicy, long finish, pudding wine I was sent a sample of this to taste by a friend. Wow, I was not expecting the quality and layers of flavour. Very obviously sherried but the PX really makes it stand out. This is a very lovely and easy to drink dram. I may have to look out for a bottle!

Nose: Orange, ash/smoke Palate: Honey, peat smoke, wood, sweet vanilla, umami (salt/MSG) Finish: Short/medium finish. Delicate, orange and slightly medicinal This is a well balanced and easy to drink dram. There are a few layers of flavour, but my overall impression is that it has been over engineered. It's just a little boring. Not bad, but not that interesting either.

Nose: Campfire, salt/brine, fresh fruit Palate: Creamy, oily, liquorice, peat smoke, cured/dried meat, cocoa Finish: Long finish. Chillies, sweet vanilla, pepper, caramel, citrus/lemon This is a very easy whisky to drink. The first slips down before you've even noticed and with it's 46% it can be quite a dangerous bottle to open. It is a very drying whisky and you'll quickly notice the tannic finish. Worth keeping a glass of water to hand, or if you are having a number of them, make sure to have a large glass before bed - your future self will thank you! I don't typically put water in my whisky, but this is one that benefits from a drop or two - just don't flood it!

(Loch Lomond - Inchmurrin) DIstilled: 25th July 2000 Outturn: 1 of 228 bottles

(Old Pulteney) Distilled: 18th June 2001 Outturn: 1 of 171 bottles

Nose: Sweet, fresh, lemon, toffee Palate: Hotter than I’d expected from the nose. Apple sweetness, vanilla, spice and liquorice. Finish: Short, more spiciness a little sourness right at the end. Overall, this is a decent sipper. It’s not a particularly remarkable dram, but it is a pleasant summer whisky.

Nose: Sweet and fruity. Quite zingy with pear, apple and citrus. Palate: There’s a lot of the fruit that you expect from the nose, but with a more mellow mouthfeel (melon, mango) and a creamy, warming texture. Finish: The finish brings out the maltiness and a little hint of smoke. The medium/short finish is where you pick out some more layers - herb, banana, vegetal. Overall, this is a lovely easy to drink dram. It’s a bit of a session whisky and, were it not for an early start, I’d be happy to sit with a few more of these!

Distilled: November 2007 Bottled: June 2019 Casks: Refill hogsheads. Final 22 months finished in sherry butts. Nose: Sweet & honeyed. Oranges and dried fruit (sultanas) Palate: Very syrupy sweet. Dried fruit (apricots and sultanas). Finish: Pudding wine - Sauternes / Malaga Dulce. Orange peel and raisins. Overall, this is a sweet and fruity dram. There’s a slightly artificial taste again, - which also is present in the standard release(s) - and a waxy, oily mouthfeel. The combination of the sweetness and waxiness doesn’t work for my palate. Not one I’d be likely return to.