Tastes

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 16 September 2022). Nose: Citrus, lime, apple, floral Palate: Vanilla, cereal, malty/gristy, orchard fruit (peach/apple) Finish: Medium long finish. Floral, gristy, ginger, nutty Produced using the 2011 harvest of 5-15 hectares or Bere barley supplied by the Agronomy Institute of Orkney College. Came joint last out of the six drams, with 0% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 47% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

Nose: Baking spices - cinnamon, dried fruit, toffee apple, floral Palate: Mellow and gentle. Toffee apple, orange, ginger, cinnamon Finish: Medium short finish. Oak, ginger, oak, vanilla, sultanas. Dry and nutty on the aftertaste. This is an easy drinking, sherried and layered dram, ultimately drying on the aftertaste.

Nose: Sherry, dried fruit, prunes and raisins, coffee Palate: Sweet, malty, light smoke, vanilla, dry light oak Finish: Short finish. Dry, lightly nutty, gristy, light smoke, crystalised ginger, oak and char. Lightly souring on the aftertaste, grapefruit. Very light, thin mouthfeel. Sherried, oaky and dry. Gristy, dried fruit grows on the aftertaste.

Nose: Citrus, fruity, kids' sweets, sweet, grassy, grainy Palate: 'Hot' and a little oak spice. Sweet and tropical fruit. Pastry, vanilla, dark chocolate. Wisps of char smoke. Finish: Short finish. Citrus and orange. Light spiciness on the aftertaste. Sweet, 'hot', unrefined, but not particularly unpleasant for it. Pub whisky - a bit 'meh', but OK. I tried this back-to-back with a dram of Spearhead. The Spearhead has a more mature (if still 'meh') flavour profile. Spearhead is made on the same stills, using the same ingredients, but a different cut and barrel management approach. Interesting to see the difference.

Nose: Orchard fruit - pear, pear drop sweets, herbal Palate: Zesty, hoppy, pear drop sweets, vanilla Finish: Medium finish. Beer, caraway, nigella seeds, burnt seeds and herbs This is an obviously young whisky, stuck into a beer barrel. A bit burnt and herbal on the aftertaste, lots of fruity youthfulness upfront. It's OK, but nothing more than that.

Nose: Oak, cigar smoke, citrus, orange Palate: Light peat, tropical fruit - pineapple, wood/pine Finish: Short finish. Citrus peel, wood, pine resin 1 of 2,994 bottles Very easy drinking. Young and woody, orange and light peat. A decent young dram.

Nose: Dried fruit, nutty/almond Palate: Chocolate, vanilla, orchard fruit Finish: Long finish. Dried fruit, rum raisins, ginger, leather. Loads of sweet, toasted wood 75% rum casks from Barbados and Jamaica 25% Oloroso sherry casks Nice, quite an unusual profile from the rum casks, which is quite an interesting change of pace. Not a session dram, but easy drinking.

Nose: There's not much to report on the nose. Floral, toffee, menthol - all very light notes Palate: Orange, ginger/spicy, green, herbal, vanilla, peach Finish: Medium long finish. Fruity, spicy, coffee, milk chocolate, menthol. Slightly darker spiciness on the aftertaste. A light, easy drinking, fruity dram. Darker and spicier on the finish. There's a menthol note that builds as you drink it. Generally OK.

Nose: Orchard fruit (apple), toasted wood Palate: Spicy ginger, black pepper, wood, nuts, gristy Finish: Short finish. Nutty, cinnamon, toasted oak. Leathery and drying on the aftertaste. Creamy mouthfeel, gluggable but ultimately a bit nondescript and forgettable. Tasty enough, 'though.

2010/2020 Edition Nose: Berry fruit, honey, vanilla and a hint of peat. Green apple, saline, tobacco and a little green/herbal note Palate: Caramel and sugary sweet, fruit - apples, berries and plums. Salt, campfire, vanilla, dried fruit and more of the tobacco, peat and dry smoke. Finish: Long finish. Black and white pepper, salt/saline, earthy. There’s still a load of sherry fruitiness, oak and tobacco. OK, I’ve had the 2002 and the 2007 editions and both have been fantastic. This is a sweeter and fruitier dram than the earlier editions, but an absolute cracker of a sweet peaty dram. Punches above its weight and a complete bargain for the quality. A wee beauty!