Tastes

Not a bad drop. Standard Edradour fare. Plenty of character but as usual slightly out of kilter. This time sulfur. Now I do like it but it's like they shaved off the heads off several boxes of matches and dumped them in. Massive overkill. Watering the shite out of it calmed it down a bit and I was amazed how much water it could handle without being ruined (I put nearly a bucket in over several attempts at watering the thing and it just never ever got overdiluted). I enjoyed it at the end...and you did get the wine cask coming through. 3.5.

I ordered this one by mistake. I apparently wanted the house dram of the day not the house pour. Oh well at least I knew what was coming. Tasted like gasoline....I didn't finish. 2 max

Nice drop, vanilla, caramel, honey.. you get the bourban casks coming through all right not so much the sherry. Balances out nicely with the abv. Solid 4 for me..not quite sure why it's rated so highly on average on distiller though. I have a bottle but definitely not kicking myself for getting more.

Initially came across as a bit harsh but letting it settle really did the trick. Nice rich sherried notes, reminds me a bit of Fettercairn bottlings. Falls a bit flat on the aftertaste but still another great flora and fauna bottling. 3.75

Started low with Cambus, bit of a jump with the Balmenach and now this. Really nice drop beautifully balanced vanilla biscuit, and a vanilla pudding aftertaste that keeps going and going. 4.25

Balmenach Distillery officially opened in 1824 which makes in nearly 200 years old. In fact it was brewing as an illicit distillery before this so it prob has celebrated 200 year anniversary already. Apparently this is a rarity in single malt format as its highly in demand for blending. It's got the old worm tub profile which I like although initially I was like woah this is harsh...after a bit that characteristic turned into 'character'. Still to much of anything can be a bit much. Its a bit like Ledaig and Mortlach had a love child and this is the result. I...like it though. Definately a 3.75 which perhaps would go to a 4 if I had a whole bottle.

I feel a bit like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day when it comes to how many Scottish Distilleries I still have to try. Each time I think several more to go and several later I still have the same number...so after a sober and thorough stock take I now have exactly 7 more to go and that is that..until the newer distilleries come on line. Ah grain distilleries... where would I be without them...drinking a lot better whiskey for one thing. I could carbon copy my review from any of the latest TBWC grain reviews. Its balanced and not harsh but that's about the positives. Sickly DR Pepper cough syrup etc...down the sink it goes. 2.5

Not many more samples to go, several in fact, and then my tour winds down. Unfortunately I botched my first Longmorn as a few drops turned into a torrent when I was to lazy and used the tap (don't worry I have a .5 micron whole house carbon block filter so not a drop of anything but pure h20 touches my precious whiskey :-) ). Hard to judge something that has been over watered, bit like rating a catcus on how it performs living in a fish tank. Still it was an interesting experiment and I didn't completely tip it over the edge. Also they do say that some tasters bring the abv down to 30% to get all the nuances out so one could say I'm strictly following protocol. Ah who am I kidding....more whiskey flavoured water than whiskey. Still lovely vanilla, honey and no bitterness to be had (not sure if that is a side affect of over watering). Prob would have been a 3.5.

In my journey through Scotland's distilleries I've come to be quite fond of the Flora and Fauna bottlings. Nothing fancy or mind blowing but good solid work horses that at the end of a long hard day you crack open and enjoy. Not all are perfect but this one is another decent example. Nice biscuity, malted barley and honeyed viscosity. Bit of bitterness on the after taste mars it. 3.5 rounding up to 4 on VFM.