Tastes
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Lambay Single Malt Finished in Cognac Casks
Single Malt — Ireland
Reviewed May 30, 2020 (edited October 18, 2020)Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. This is a bit of a mongrel due to the time in the cognac. A very light, fruity dram. Apparently, the spirit spends around 6-months in the cognac casks and the whisky itself is around the 5.5 year mark. There is some saline as it develops, but overall I get the plummy sweetness from the cognac more than anything. The aftertaste is quite long and warm. I’d certainly come back to this one. (Like the small batch, I had a bit of an allergic reaction to this one and couldn’t stop sneezing)! -
Lambay Small Batch Blend Finished in Cognac Casks
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed May 30, 2020 (edited June 6, 2020)Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. This is a surprisingly good blend. Surprising because it’s very young - and it tastes young - but still has a creamy, peppery vanilla flavour. The cognac helps the blend of the grain with the malt. It’s fairly floral as it develops, with the faintest fruitiness. The floral nature made me sneeze with this one! A pretty decent blend and what I would consider a session whisky - assuming it doesn’t keep making me allergic-y! -
Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. There’s not much on the nose, but the initial taste is much creamier than I would have expected from a 5-year old. There are some nice vanilla and apricot flavours against a spicy, oaky background. There’s also a slightly odd gin hint in this one. Not strongly, but it has some in there. Overall, not bad. I’d certainly try others in their range and it’ll be interesting to see how it ages.
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Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. There’s a lot of upfront citrus in this whisky, which initially gives quite a sour flavour, however it quickly develops into quite a nice sweet spicy dram. The finish stays spicy but fades back to the initial sour citrus notes. Overall, it’s a pleasant enough as a dram, but not very memorable.
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Glen Scotia 14 Year Tawny Port Finish (2020 Campbeltown Malts Festival)
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed May 30, 2020 (edited November 21, 2020)Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. This is a nice peaty, sweet whisky. Honey, berries and vanilla are the main notes behind the peat. The aftertaste brings out a mild spiciness that I hadn’t really noticed before - cloves and chilli - but the main flavour is still that lovely warm, sweet peat. This is a lovely dram. I liked it enough to order a bottle during the festival.75.0 GBP per Bottle -
Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. “Maiden Voyage” edition. The main component is Caol Ila, with some Bunnahabhain (and some from Mull, Orkney and an unnamed ‘coastal’ distillery - although the owner did eventually state it was a white label ‘teaspoon’ Ailsa Bay). This is not bad for a blended malt. Overall, it has a strong sherry influence, with a huge fruit hit on top of the light smoky oak. The finish is short, with some chocolate and a bit of vanilla. It’s OK, but no more than that. You can absolutely get the Islay influence, but for my money I’d prefer one of the Islay malts over this.49.95 GBP per Bottle
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Exclusive Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. A total of 8 barrels will be released following the festival a 1,948 bottle run. This is a whisky that’s far removed from a typical Scotch whisky. The influence of the ex-bourbon cask is extremely prevalent. The nose is bready and woody. Upfront it’s very full bodied for such a young whisky, extremely fruity and with sweet vanilla. There’s a good amount of pepper on the finish, but it mostly leaves you with a sweet and honeyed aftertaste. It’s a nice dram and it bodes well for some future more aged releases.
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Bunnahabhain 11 Year Discovery (Gordon & MacPhail)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed May 7, 2020 (edited March 25, 2021)I’m a huge fan of a Bunnahabhain and this bottling from G&M is a real stand-out expression. First off, this is a velvety smooth and creamy dram. You get a waft of caramel, then a lovely gentle clove and cinnamon note. This then develops into a surprisingly soft hit of fruit (plum and dried fruits). It mellows into a finish of citrus and dark chocolate, leaving a long tangy and spicy aftertaste. You can absolutely taste the influence of the sherry cask maturation. If it wasn’t for the initial caramel and the softness, I’d be hard pushed to guess that this was a Bunnahabhain. It has a very Speyside note for an Islay malt. At this price point, this is a bargain. An absolutely delicious dram.49.5 GBP per Bottle -
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed May 2, 2020 (edited March 6, 2022)This is the drink I have always considered to be my gateway malt. When I was a student I would always go for whatever whisky was available and cheap at the student union - almost invariably a Whyte & Mackay, Bells or Famous Grouse. This was the first malt I ever had and it was very much a game-changer! I couldn’t afford it often back then, but it was a treat whenever I could. These days I’m more of an Islay man, but I do still love a dram of this lovely spirit from Tain. The first taste is sweet and citrus, with a little salted caramel. As the flavour develops you get more of the fruit which sours pleasantly on the long aftertaste. This is a lovely, well balanced and tasty dram, that I’m always happy to come back to.32.95 GBP per Bottle -
Macallan Double Cask Gold
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed May 2, 2020 (edited August 20, 2020)Light and floral upfront. The first thing you notice is how sweet this whisky is, you can taste the sherry influences, but the main takeaway is sweetness. There’s a lot of vanilla and a little dark chocolate as the flavours develop. The medium short finish is still sweet and slightly spicy. Overall, this is not very complex or nuanced. It’s sweet, sherried and with a good amount of vanilla. An easy to drink and very accessible dram.8.99 GBP per Pour
Results 571-580 of 652 Reviews