Tastes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2007/2017 Edition TD-S: 5TF The 2002 Distillers Edition was one of my favourite whiskies, but sadly I finished my bottle recently, so I had to try a more recent bottling. I’m very pleased to report that it doesn’t disappoint! The first sip is caramel sweet and very fruity - apples, berries and plums - but still with those wonderful standard Talisker notes of salt and campfires. As it develops you pick up layers of sweet spices, vanilla and dried fruits which fades to leave just sweet smoke on the aftertaste. It’s a lighter dram than the 2002, but it still has that wonderful bulk of sweet fruit and a smokey finish. Fabulous!

As is normal with an Octomore, the first thing you notice is the peat - there’s a hell of a lot of it - but it’s surprisingly light for it. There’s some hints of brine, and a smooth dark chocolate note as it mellows, but the overwhelming taste is that peat and smoke. This is a lovely dram. I could happily have quite a few of these in a row!

This is a Christmassy malt. You get the upfront sherry and a good hit of smoky, peat, but the main thing you notice is the dark fruits. It’s a very smooth dram. The finish tends towards slightly bitter, but it doesn’t diminish the overall taste. Very nice!

Quite a strong alcohol hit at first taste. Sherry, orange peel and ginger are the first things you notice after the alcohol. As it develops, you pick up some light peat, salt and some lighter floral notes. It’s not a bad dram, but it does taste young and a little unrefined. Easy to drink, and worth a second visit.