Tastes

Yeah I'm thinking I'm with Lee on this one. When I saw the rest of the high ratings as I was drinking it I was like is there something I'm missing I should really give this at least a 4...but. Definitely get waxy, vanilla honey and mineral citrus but the alcohol has a sharp ethanolly plasticy type edge which dominates. Water helped a bit but didn't carry the day. Maybe this is one which needs a whole bottle to work through and open up and calm down? Anyhow its around $180USD a bottle and for me max 3.5 rounding down on VFM.

Hmm I haven't had a great run with ancnoc so far, 18 and Blas haven't floated my boat and now this. It's got potential with sherry, vanilla, toffee, bitter cacao, slight dry fruit vegetal type flavour. I like it...but the alcohol just isn't in balance..its a drying ethanol impact. Water didn't really seem to help. All in all 3.5 - 3.75 but it could have been much better if the 2nd b in bbc (body, balance, complexity) held up. Wouldn't buy a bottle.

Simple well rounded bourban. No complexity but I like it 3.5

Hats off to Amanda Schuster she nailed the review on this one. Spice, fruit, cherry, vanilla, caramel, malt and leather. I like it, very interesting dram, unique like Balcones is but not as artificial or one noted. Impressive for a young dram. Wasn't impressed by its Secale Rye brother but this is a 4.

I tried a Kilkerran at a Cambletown tasting a while back before I started note taking. I think it was a progress statement. Springbank Green, 18, Hazelburn 12 and others turned up and although I didn't keep notes I did keep ratings and there were a lot of 4's. The Kilkerran wasn't one of them... people raved but I didn't. Fast forward a few years and has my opinion changed? Sweet citrus peat, vanilla maritime flavours a bit like Glenglassaugh Tofa but more character. I like it. It isn't the usual peated whisky I go for but it stays out of the lemony/acidic peat territory nicely. Best on the night just pipping the Adelphi Private Stock (but that is nearly half the price). I'm converted! I reckon 3.75 - 4. It's a bottle I'd like to work my way through at leisure.

This has to be the cheapest whisky I've had since my days living in Ireland and Tullimore Dew at $35USD. What can you say. It's Adelphi so you can't go wrong. Definitely not Glenborradale, old single malt or even new spirit good. It's got the familiar sherry, toffee, caramel, butterscotch flavour albeit accompanied by a slight harshness. Still best so far on my 'cheap night dram' tasting spree. $7USD a dram here at the Last Word bar. 3.5. rounding up to 4 for VFM.

Hmm not my night I think. 3 whiskies in and nothing great tried so far including this one. I think my palate has been ruined by all the great drams I've had recently or I'm on an off night. To be fair these aren't highly rated drams so maybe a mixture of both. This is on par with the Penderyns maybe a step up. Solid (just) 3 I'll give it to respect my irish roots.

Hmm on par with the Celt. Flat, not much going on, slight bitterness. Another dram not finished. 2.5

I tried a triple pack of Penderyn a while back and wasn't that impressed but I was just randomly trying spirits and liqueurs in those days (4 years ago). A year or so later I got into rum then whisky. Penderyn redeemed itself at Dramfest with Rich Oak so I thought I'd have a crack again. First impressions were right. It's almost like sweet spirit, bit of bitterness. Not a lot going on 2.5

Another distillery I haven't tried and another combined Grain/Boutique-y whisky combo success! A 24 year old for around $80USD - seriously try and beat that in the single malt world! This is a bit like that Girvan I liked with the vanilla, butterscotch, cherry flavour combo but better. I couldn't drink a lot of it as 'that cherry flavour' as I call it is a bit offputting to me similar to lemonly peatyness or bitterness (but not as bad). Still perfect balance, smooth for 50.7% and I did try this after Black Art 4.1 and Dalmore Cigar and it held up. 4 - 4.25 I'll give it. 171 bottles so get in quick (I'm not sure how they make money on such a limited run?)