Tastes

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 19 November 2022). Nose: Lemon Pledge, fruit/berries, wood shavings, sherried Palate: Fresh berries, cherries, nutty, cooking spices, light char/smoke, hints of peat, toffee/penny caramel Finish: Medium long finish. Sherried, dried fruit, light hints of peat smoke, sour cherries 1 of 3,000 bottles worldwide 15ppm Fully matured in Oloroso sherry casks Very sweet and sherried, the peat is there but very much in the background. Easy drinking, sweet and sherried but lacks some of the complexity I've come to expect from Cù Bòcan. A decent wee dram. Came forth out of the six drams, with 3% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 65% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 19 November 2022). Nose: Sweet, toffee, kids sweets, strawberry laces, fruit salad sweets Palate: Spicy - white pepper, cloves, liquorice, cardamom. Floral - gorse, Orchard fruit - apples, pears. There's a slightly musty wood note. Finish: Long finish. Leather, menthol, citrus, musty wood, liquorice, dark chocolate, fresh chilli peppers The Celestial Blaze: Named after the Aurora Borealis / Northern Lights Aged in refill and virgin American oak. Further double maturation in ex-Amontillado sherry casks. Sweet and very spicy. There's a mustiness throughout that I would normally like, but it's unbalanced against the sweetness and spiciness in this whisky. It's not a bad dram, it has a complexity that would normally be great, but it's too 'jaggy' between the layers for my taste. Came third out of the six drams, with 8% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 38% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 19 November 2022). Nose: Honey, creamy, vanilla, orange Palate: Sweet, nutty, toffee apple, salt/saline, stewed apple, white dessert wine, raisins, heather honey, cinnamon, salted caramel. Finish: Medium long finish. Sweet, toffee/caramel, currants, lightly spicy, salty. Aftertaste has hints of menthol. Creamy mouthfeel. This is a very sweet and salty dram. Loads of grape juice and honey, with a tangy menthol on the aftertaste. This is a tasty, sweet and layered whisky. A nicely complex dram. Came joint last out of the six drams, with 0% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 48% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 19 November 2022). Nose: Bright, tropical fruit, melon, toasted nuts Palate: Malt, barley, vanilla, fruit - peach/melon/pear, straw/hay. There is a slight hint of beer/ale. Finish: Short finish. Citrus, wood shavings, nutty, oak, white pepper. A vatting of 2 casks Distilled: 24 April 2011, Emptied: 2022 1 of 753 bottles Recharred ex-Bourbon Hogsheads Named after a pub owned by James Eadie in the 1800's - The Half Moon. This has a light and fruity, youthful note. Lots of hay/straw notes and a bit of maltiness. Citrus and oak on the short finish. Came joint last out of the six drams, with 0% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 18% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

Nose: Orchard fruit (plum, apple, pear), chocolate, aniseed Palate: Sweet, canned fruit - peaches, icing sugar, oak, nutmeg, ginger in syrup Finish: Medium long finish. Citrus, sweet icing sugar, strawberries and pepper, coffee. Dry/citrus aftertaste Creamy mouthfeel. Sweet and orchard fruit. Turning dry and souring/citrus on the aftertaste. Youthful and easy to drink.

Nose: Malt, peat, savoury smoke, earthy Palate: Bonfire, honey, baking apple, salt/saline, burnt plastic, lightly peated Finish: Medium long finish. Waxy and mouthcoating. Plastic-y, charred, smoke and ash. It smells good, but has a slightly unpleasant waxy, burnt plastic note. Watery mouthfeel. There's not much going for it, but equally not too much against.

Nose: Cherry lip sweets, malt, vanilla, spice - cloves Palate: Malt, summer fruit - berries, honey, apricot, buttery Finish: Medium finish. Very sweet. Malty, fruity, buttered toast. Oak on the aftertaste. Berries and sugar, buttered toast, kids sweets, Corn Flakes and sugar. The tasting notes are basically kids comfort foods! A very easy drinking and comforting dram!

Nose: Vanilla, baking spice, banoffee pie Palate: Malty, oak, tannic, coconut Finish: Medium long finish. Spiced, malty and vanilla This is a tasty, malty and spicy/hot dram. Creamy mouthfeel. Nice, not complex or layered, but a decent whiskey.

Nose: Sweet, barley, tropical fruit. Palate: Spicy, pepper, chilli, ginger, toasted oak, nuts, baked apple, apricot. Very malty Finish: Medium finish. Pepper, ginger, malt. Spicy and souring on the aftertaste. Sour, malty and spicy. Hints of tropical fruit and nuts. A lot of sour spices on the aftertaste. This doesn't taste it's ABV, but it is still a little too harsh. Generally OK.

Nose: Funky, dry putty, Campino sweets, strawberry laces, vanilla, Cremola foam, floral Finish: Sweet, berries, icing sugar, white pepper, baked fruit, saline, light dry peat smoke Palate: Long finish. Hot and spicy, dried fruit, slight funk/farmyard, ginger, gristy, light oak Not a bad blend from Springbank. All the Springbanks and Glen Scotias are represented. It tastes like an amalgam of Campbeltown but a bit watered down. If you like the Campbeltown profile, it's an interesting blend. On its own it's a decent blend, but, in my opinion, it's not worth the hype. Generally OK.