Tastes

A small batch Glentauchers 2012 12-year-old Speyside single malt whisky bottled in 2024 by Signatory Vintage for their amazing 100-Proof Editions series, all of which are released at 57.1% without colouring or chill filtration. This 100-Proof Signatory Glentauchers 2012 came from a small batch first fill Oloroso sherry butts and it’s picked up a beautiful dark chestnut colour. Glentauchers is a relatively obscure Speyside distillery that it’s fair to say not a great deal of whisky fans get super excited about - in other words, the perfect candidate for a range of bargain cask strength whiskies like this. Thrifty sherried whisky fans should fill their boots here. Nose - Straigth hit with raisin, sweet red fruit and fig. With water there is more of the original malt to be found. A bit of sweet fruity notes show up. Overall it is the hardy Oloroso notes which you get. Taste -Initially the sherry is dominant. After some time and air there is some more sweetness of fruit and a hint of sour oranges. The balance is best after half an hour and with a little water added. Finish - Medium length. The hardy notes are very well presented but are complimented by sweet red fruits, figs and a hint of almond. My thoughts are for this money you will struggle to (Infact you won’t) find a better off trend non run of the mill whiskey. It delivers in spades and is definitely not a whiskey you will find in the supermarket ……… so my advice is, if you are at the stage of being ‘Whiskey Curious’ and are tired of the mass peddled 40-43 % coloured, chill filtered garb the big brands are pumping out, give this a go. Great Value and Great Whisky, not just within this price point this can stand toe to toe easily with whiskey priced in the mid hundreds.

What can I say that hasn't already been said. It is the classic Macallan play to the mass markets, overpriced but still a lovely whiskey, you can do better for your money but it's always nice to pull out a Macallan for your friends as the majority will recognise it as a decent dram. Mind you the whisky Nerds of friends may hold a different opinion. Beautiful nose, with Christmas cake fruits, soft sherry and some cinnamon spice, truly lovely, perhaps a little simple. Then to taste, again absolutely lovely but as with all Macallans of this proof doesn't quit deliver on the nose, yes I get everything I got from the nose fruits, sherry sweetness, a hit of spice, honey, a little tobacco sting, but nothing much from the source spirit. Its feels dialled back to 5 not turned up to 11 ....... sadly. Finish is really nice not long but leaves you wanting to go back for more So for me nothing wrong with this infact I really enjoyed it and would be more than happy to have it again. But would I buy another bottle ....... probably not ...... It needs Proofing Up if they want to knock it out at that price, you are paying for the privilege of the name..... there much better out there for the money.

Lots of sherry, dark soaked fruits, furniture polish, figs, cherries, honey, charred oak, hint of sulphur Taste of soaked fruits. The sherry influence is strong. Christmas pudding, grape skins, baking spices, chocolate, ginger, pepper, ethanol, orange oil, leather

Glencadam Reserva PX Single Malt Scotch Whisky is crafted in small batches, how small I'm not sure but Glencadam's historic dunnage warehouses, have selected single malt matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks. The single malt in these casks has then finished in hand selected Pedro Ximénez Sherry butts sourced from Andalucia, Spain. This is a NAS 70cl bottle at 46% Abv but is Unchilled Filtered and Natural Colour TASTING NOTES Nose Rich aromas of Christmas pudding, dried figs and dark chocolate bound with clove spices. There is a slight burnt match note which sits with the sherry funk. Palate Sweet layers of maple syrup, treacle toffees and prunes mingled with cherries, brandy butter and Black Forest Gateaux. Finish Warming impressions of cinder toffee, fruit cake and crystallised ginger tailing off into a cherry jam and espresso coffee linger. For the money you can't go wrong with this and it delivered everything it said it would. Not overly complex with a very sweet (but really pleasant) forward note which quickly steps back from that initial taste to give sherried baking spices with a hint of pepper. This could easily pass off as a more exspensive and aged whisky (8 - 10 year mark). It would be interesting to know the age of the spirit and just how much finishing took place, but thats just me being a nurd. I can't help it and I do understand some of the reasons for it, but NAS always make me feel like they are trying trick me in some way, wish they would just stick an age on it as its a really nice whisky and truly great value.

Rising Reserve series consists of 21-Year-Old Single Malt that was initially aged in ex-Bourbon casks for over 18 years, before being finished in high quality Marsala casks, a fortified wine from Sicily, for 3 years. This dual maturation and in particular long finishing time in the Marsala casks imparts distinctive dark fruit notes and orchard fruit married with a brown sugar cinnamon like spice. The newest addition to these rare and unique bottlings was recently honoured with the top prize of Masters in the hugely competitive Single Malt category at the Irish Whiskey Masters Awards 2023 and is a true showcase of the influence different cask types have in crafting unique expressions of aged Irish Single Malt. Limited to just 6,000 bottles, the resulting Single Malt is then bottled at 46% with no chill filtration. Nose: A mellow vanilla sweetness intermingles with toasted apricots, tobacco, and rich spiced fruits, along with a hint of sweet Seville oranges and toasted almonds Palate: Creamy, warming mouthfeel with bursts of brown sugar and stewed fruits, followed by oak tannins and cinnamon spice. Finish: Long warming finish with notes of honeysuckle, rich demerara sugar, citrus & spice. Beautiful shortbread feel to this probably one of the nicest Irish whiskeys I have ever had. It is expensive hence I only bought the half bottle…… is it worth it? ………. Yeah probably!!!!!

Superb single malt from a secret Speyside distillery. As you might have guessed from the name, Olorosum is a splendidly sherried affair. The 10-year-old single malt was treated to an extremely generous finish in oloroso sherry casks before being bottled up without added colour or chill filtration at a hearty 54.7% ABV. With a smartly waxed top (how did they make it slanted like that?!) and a black and gold label that gives off some rather suave Art Deco vibes, it looks as stunning as it tastes. Nose: All the things you would expect from a Sherry Bomb, wonderful Dark Fruits, chocolate, a bit of sherry funk be careful of the alcohol smack but truly lovely with a Christmas cake vibe going on in there, almonds, honey and cookies with an out lying malted barley. Taste: if you can’t tell I have really enjoyed this with its wonderful rich mouth feel, it delivers everything you get on the nose, I opened it up with a few drops of water a there’s an additional cinnamon and nutmeg note which comes throught on a big wave of sherried richness simply stunning. Finish: Long and lingering, the higher ABV really carry the flavours on forever on this whisky it leaves a beautiful memory of what you have just experienced. As you can probably tell I loved this Whisky and I genuinely think it’s the best whisky I have tasted at this price point (Ever!!!) and saying it’s natural colour, unchilled filtered and just about cask strength there’s nothing not to love about it. So much so I have brought 3 more bottles as I don’t know how much longer it will be around and (may) give one to the whisky circle I am with. I fully get that you may struggle to get this internationally (I’m in the UK and used Master of Malt and Whisky Exchange online to get it), but if you do get a chance to try it I don’t think you will think badly of my recommendation.

A really nice easy drinker, not overly complex but a good dram with some age on it. A great one to introduce your friends to if they are new to whisky, l do really like this though. Nose-Medium bodied and punchy. There are notes of stemmy cut hay and dried grasses, a leafy green note and a touch of rooty earth and sweet fudge. Palate-Notes of boiled sweets, espresso, mochaccino, ground almonds and granary toast with melted butter. Vanilla fudge and thick cream. Finish-The finish is of good length with notes almond and barley sugar.

It’s inspired by a mediaeval carving of a mermaid in the market cross area of Campbeltown itself, or ‘wee toon’ as it is known by locals. The striking illustration on the whisky’s packaging is by Joel Holtzman, an artist who has worked with Marvel and LucasFilm. But the fun doesn’t end there because there is a QR code which takes you to an animation and storybook that bring the mermaid herself to life. Nose: Sweet flavours of toffee, cinnamon and chocolate with fresh sea spray and orange peel. Palate: Thick and creamy with molasses, brazil nuts, more toffee and distinct salty character. Finish: Long and nutty with a sherried tang.

Adam Hannett, has selected casks that have previously held Oloroso and Amarone – with the distinct sweetness and nuttiness of this combination creating an exceptional single malt. Hailing from the renowned wine regions of Spain and Italy respectively, the spirit is then brought together in French oak, adding remarkable depth and complexity to the single malt. Octomore’s signature peak smoke notoriously pairs well with Oloroso sherry casks, with the influence of the wood adding a robust, savoury flavour to the final spirit. The oak from the Amarone casks also has a significant impact on the spirit, imparting rich, red fruit notes - giving structure and cohesion to the 14.2. BARLEY PROVENANCE: 100% Scottish grown Concerto barley MALTING: Super Heavily Peated DISTILLATION: Distilled in 2017 from the 2016 harvest AGE: 5 Aged Years MATURATION PROFILE: First fill Oloroso hogsheads (40%). First fill Amarone casks (16%). Second Fill Amarone casks (44%) PHENOL LEVEL: 128.9 parts per million (PPM) Tasting notes: Colour: Deep Amber Nose: Leather, prunes, red currents and malted barley come to the fore, followed by toasted oak and hints of cinnamon, green apple and black pepper. Waves of smoke and distinct red fruits follow, complemented with cereal notes of malt and porridge. The peat smoke is dry and brooding, with a hint of burnt heather and subtle pipe tobacco from the oak. Palate: The influence of the European oak is unmissable, with a touch of dryness balanced with the vibrancy of wood spices, smoked oak and roasted coffee. Barbeque sweetness and a crack of black pepper is complemented with rich fruit cake and dried fruits. A drop of water opens the smoke and fruity sweetness from the wine casks, bringing a beautiful balance as notes of apple and pear grow with the dram. Finish: Smoked malt, smouldering oak and sea salt settle on the finish as Octomore’s signature earthy smoke lingers.

Lochlea Distillery is a renowned Scottish distillery located in the picturesque countryside of Ayrshire. This is their inaugural Cask Strength expression, and is the first in a series of annual limited-edition bottlings. Each batch will be bottled straight from the casks without water, like trying samples from the warehouse itself! Master Blender John Campbell and the team at Lochlea have chosen a combination of 1st Fill Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks this time, and every year will show further progression of their whisky. This is a true undiluted and unfiltered window into Lochlea whisky. This release is presented all natural colour, with no chill filtration and is bottled at 60.1%ABV.