Tastes

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow Virtual Pappy Van Winkle Tasting, 4th July 2020). Nose: Acetone Palate: Dark fruits, Christmas cake Finish: More dried fruit, baked banana, burned caramel, tannic

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow Virtual Pappy Van Winkle Tasting, 4th July 2020). Nose: Sweet, muscovado sugar, vanilla Palate: Orange zest, nutty, apricot. Numbing. Finish: Cognac, leather, chilli, spices, ginger.

Sweet and floral on the nose. There’s a light orangey note and a kind of breakfast cereal hint. On the palate there are layers upon layers of flavour. Fruit first (apple and pear), then Demerara sugar, clove and ginger. With a saline note all through. The finish becomes unexpectedly smoky, nicely numbing with hints of saline and salted caramel. The long finish ends on a spicy citrus note that stays and warms for ages. A very nice dram. It doesn’t have any of the peatiness that Islay is famous for, but it keeps the island character with the salinity, the smoke and the layered complexity. Lovely!

Another ‘go-to’ dram for me. On the nose, it’s sweet and seaweedy with an almost honeysuckle note in the background. On first taste, you get the softness - no harsh alcohol or overpowering flavours that are so often synonymous with Islay. There’s some lovely dried fruit flavours, a good hit of light sherry and some saltiness. As it develops, the sherry and fruit develops into a long, herbal and very slightly smoky aftertaste. Hints of coffee, chocolate and salt. This is a beautifully well-balanced dram. Delicious!

On the nose it’s very obviously peated, but with a sweet smokiness. The palate is gently smoky with some dried citrus and the obvious peat. My first impression is that it’s a little young, but I’m not against a young peaty dram. There’s an almost floral quality to the peat and smoke which is very gentle and quite warming. It doesn’t coat the mouth or overwhelm the palate like some of the heavily peated, young Islays that are out there at the moment. It’s a very long, gentle peaty and smoky finish. Still sweet and almost fruity wood smoke. It’s an interesting dram. Not complex, but the peat and smoke are so gentle and unlike any other peaty whisky I can think of offhand. It’s much gentler than any of the peaty Islay or Campbeltown whiskies, so it has it’s own pleasant character. A little too young tasting at the moment, but holds promise for some of their future (hopefully more mature) expressions. I realise I’ve said gentle several times, and that’s my overall impression - gentle, floral and peaty. Not bad at all.

Despite what it says on Distiller, Aberlour is very much a Speyside rather than a Highland whisky! Upfront you get a hit of the bourbon and sherry, but I couldn't describe this as a sherry bomb. There's a depth and complexity that is not there in many typical Speyside sherry bombs. On the palate, there is a light and spicy fruitiness (think raisins and currants, possibly plums). As it develops on the palate, there's a subtle oak and vanilla that is pleasantly sour on the aftertaste. The finish is very long, where the oak just sits and warms the mouth. There's more of the spice and a subtle sweetness that doesn't allow any sourness to develop substantially. There is a little citrus at the very end that leaves a very pleasant note. Overall, this is a very lovely Speyside dram.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow Virtual Whisky Tasting 25 June 2020) One of only 338 bottles released. This is a pretty serious sherry bomb. The nose is very (very!) sherried, not exactly surprising after 15years in a single sherry butt, from May 2004 to November 2019. There’s also a light funky sulphur smell that you can taste through to the finish. The taste is obviously heavily sherried again with notes of treacle, orange peel, ginger and black pepper. The finish is orange and liquorice. A drop of water brings out some dry, woody, papery notes - like licking an old book. To my taste it deadens the taste, but brightens and sweetens the nose. Overall, it’s an OK dram. It’s a real sherry bomb, but strangely dull on flavour. Came joint fourth out of the six whiskies, with 5% of the final vote.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow Virtual Whisky Tasting 25 June 2020) 100% Oloroso sherry butts from 2007, 2008 & 2011. Upfront you get a blast of peat, TCP and salt air. The first taste is quite drying but is fresh and young, with some orange peel and applewood. The finish is medium long, with more oak and golden syrup. A nice peaty, sherried dram. Came third out of the six whiskies, with 20% of the final vote.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow Virtual Whisky Tasting 25 June 2020) The nose is black pepper and wet earth. On the palate, toffee caramel, soy sauce, chewy fruit (prunes?!?). There’s a fruitiness that’s reminders me of cognac and has a mild numbing effect. The finish is lightly tannic, with some black pepper and more light, sweet sherry. Very easy to drink! Came first out of the six whiskies, with 40% of the final vote. Not my favourite choice of the six, but a very nice dram.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow Virtual Whisky Tasting 25 June 2020) Benriach is owned by Brown-Forman who also own Jack Daniels, however there is nothing of the JD in this whisky. The nose is crème brûlée, sweet honey and vanilla. On the palate it’s full-bodied, warming and slightly numbing. The taste is oak, walnut and more vanilla. There’s a long finish which fades to butter and cocoa powder. This is a very nice, easy to drink dram Came second out of the six whiskies, with 30% of the final vote. This got my vote for the best of the six whiskies at the tasting