My Selection
Aberlour Casg Annamh, batch 0004 (Scotland - Speyside - Chivas Brothers)
70cl / 48%. Single malt. Non-chill filtered. Matured in Spanish oak Oloroso sherry casks and two types of American oak casks. From website (https://www.aberlour.com/en/product/casg-annamh-scotch-whisky/):
- Nose: Rich and sweet with fruity notes of tangy orange, glazed cherries, raisins and a hint of ginger.
- Taste: Sweet and fruity flavours of apple and cinnamon crumble and ripe peaches balanced with spicy notes of liquorice and cloves.
- Balance: Long and rich. Fruity with a touch of dry spice.
Bought Jan 2021 for £40.
Bimber Single Malt - New Make Spirit (England)
5cl / 63.5%. Non chill filtered.
Joined Bimber Klub Feb 2021. This came with the welcome pack.
Bimber Single Malt (England)
5cl / 58.6%. Ex-Bourbon cask no.173.
Joined Bimber Klub Feb 2021. This came with the welcome pack.
Bimber, Spirit of the Underground (England)
70cl / 58.1%. Canary Wharf edition. Matured in masala casks, bottled April 2022, cask 298/9 with 320 bottles. Won a ticket in a raffle to allow me to purchase the bottle at £103.
Bushmills 10 (Ireland - Old Bushmills)
Single malt, 10 years. 70cl / 40%. 92.5 score in Bible. Bourbon and Oloroso casks.
Purchased from Waitrose in April 2022 for £25.
Bushmills Distillery Reserve 12 years (Ireland - Old Bushmills)
Single malt, triple distilled. 70cl / 40%. 95 score in the Bible:
- Nose: Beautiful stratum of cocoa, apricot, heather honey and the chalkiest malt in the British Isles.
- Taste: Very unusual for a Bushmills of any era to kick off with a sweet delievery ('honey kicks in')...followed by layers of of greengages and exploding white grape.
- Finish: Not technically perfect but all is forgiven as this has legs despite the lack of oils. The chocolate toffee takes over with just a sligh sultana kick.
- Balance: What a stunning example of Bushmills this is.
Bought at the distillery June 2019. Don't remember purchase price. Price at 30/12/2020, £55 (whiskyauctioneer.com).
Cotswolds 2015 Odyssey Barley (England)
70cl/ 46%. Single malt, local barley, double pot distillation, maturation in first fill, oak barrels. One bottle in 6200.
"One of their best single malts is the 2015 Odyssey Barley release. This is the second edition of this malt, with a 2014 release the year before. It is a celebration of the excellent quality of barley that the Cotswolds Distillery has access to...The malt has been matured in first fill casks and made using grain from Akeman Farm." Source: Great Drams.
- Nose: Notes of honey and butterscotch layered with light fruits (peaches & apricots), a hint of marzipan.
- Taste: Strong notes of tannin-rich malt, oils and dark sugar with lots of spice, caramelised Seville orange marmalade.
- Finish: Long and resinous, with dark red fruits and a hint of treacle.
Purchased Feb 2021 for £30.
Cotswolds 2016 Odyssey Barley (England)
70cl/ 46%. Single malt, local barley, double pot distillation, maturation in first fill, oak barrels. One bottle in 6200.
- Nose: Notes of honey and butterscotch layered with light fruits (peaches & apricots), a hint of marzipan.
- Taste: Strong notes of tannin-rich malt, oils and dark sugar with lots of spice, caramelised Seville orange marmalade.
- Finish: Long and resinous, with dark red fruits and a hint of treacle.
Purchased Feb 2021 for £32.
Cotswolds 2017 Odyssey Barley (England)
70cl/ ?. Single malt.
Purchased at Waitrose Jun 2022 for £39.
Cotswolds Signature (England)
70cl/46%. Single malt. One bottle in 6200.
Purchased March 2022 for £39.
Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold (Scotland - Highlands - Diageo)
70cl / 43% Distilled in winter for a 'smooth, heather honeyed taste'. 95 score in the Bible - "golden syrup and earthy heather honey".
- Nose: Broad, firm, smooth and clean, yet with a compelling, sweet, honeyed, dessert character that suggests the indulgence to come. An ever-present fragrant and smooth waxiness underscores higher glimpses of fruit, suggesting a caramel tart on a smear of sharp apricot coulis, or sweet shortcrust pastry offset by orange zest. There’s also a menthol freshness and a modest, smoky note.
- Taste: Smoothly honeyed, sweet, comforting and rich- textured with a balancing ripe autumn-fruit tartness. Growing spicy, with gingerbread; then denser with rich malt loaf, suggestions of molasses and mint; and later soft, distant smoke.
- Finish: Exquisitely heart-warming: lingering and comforting with a pleasingly chewy conclusion. Smooth and unctuous with sweet malt, raisins and dark chocolate. Growing lightly aromatic, too, with hints of dates and sandalwood.
Purchased Feb 2021 for £25.
Dishonest Blended Malt
The Big Lie. Highland blended malt scotch whisky. 70cl/57%.
Purchased from Caskshare Jul 2022 for £55. Arrived Dec 2022.
Dufftown, Singleton 12 years (Scotland - Speyside)
70cl / 40%. From both Pedro Ximenez oloroso casks and refill ex-bourbon casks. Bible gives it 71: "A roughhouse malt that's finesse-free."
Bought about August 2021 c. £23
Glenmorangie Barrel Select Release 12 years (Scotland)
70cl / 47.3%. Malage cask finish, 1st fill Malaga dulce wine, Small batch release, bottled 8/2020. After eight years in ex-bourbon wood, this splendid Glenmorangie then spent a further four years in casks that had previously held the relatively little-known fortified wine from Malaga. Sweetly scented with all manner of dried yellow and orange fruits, notably plump, golden sultanas, the palate and finish are as softly cushioned as I expect from this brilliant Highland distillery.
- Nose: Sweet, rich scents of honey, mead, toffee and baking bread entwine with aromatic tea leaves. Then comes a subtle, perfumed top note of stewed herbs and red fruits, followed by milk chocolate hints. A splash of water releases wood incense, roasting chestnuts and muscovado sugar.
- Taste: A rich, oily texture brings sultanas, raisins and dates bursting on to the palate. Mandarin orange, milk chocolate, honey and more brown sugar come to the fore, beautifully woven with vibrant citrus. Then cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and star anise emerge, before hazelnut, honey and gentle oak shine through in a long, mellow finish.
Purchase March 2021 £72.50.
Glenfiddich, Orchard Experiment (Scotland)
70cl / 43%. Glenfiddich Orchard is a pioneering single malt Scotch whisky from Glenfiddich. It is the first in its history to be finished in Somerset Pomona Spirit casks, born out of craft, tradition, and desire for experimentation. This innovative single malt celebrates and elevates the Glenfiddich sweet and fruity signature style. The sublime depth of Scotch whisky is complemented by the delicate sweetness of Somerset apples.
- Nose: Classic Glenfiddich notes of fresh pair and ripe orchard fruits, elevated and accentuated by a finishing period in Somerset Pomona Spirit Casks.
- Palate: Initial burst of ripe orchard fruits on the palate softens and develops into sweet creamy toffee, caramelised apple, and woody spice.
- Finish: Long lasting sweetness.
Glenmorangie, The Original 10 (Scotland)
70cl / 40%. Bible gives it 94: "overall remains one of the great single malts."
Bought May 2021 for £27.
Glenrothes, 12 years (Scotland - Speyside)
70cl / 40%. Whisky Exchange: A Glenrothes 12 Year Old in classic style: fruity and sweet. Aged solely in sherry-seasoned casks, this Speyside whisky has notes of vanilla, melon, banana and cinnamon.
- Nose: Light fragrance, banana and vanilla.
- Palate: Banana, lemon and melon with a hint of cinnamon.
- Finish: Long and sweet, galia melon, light spice.
Bought Sep 2021 for £42.
Kavalan Single Malt (Taiwan)
50cl / . Bottled Oct 2018. Whisky Exchange: The flagship single malt from Taiwan's Kavalan. Only operating since 2005 they have wowed the world with their young but full flavoured whisky, concentrating on their signature flavours of tropical fruit.
Bought Apr 2021 for £29.50.
Lakes Distillery, The One minitures (England)
A) Orange wine cask: 5cl / 46.6% B) Sheery cask: 5cl / 46.6% C) Port cask: 5cl / 46.6%
Separately D) Moscatel wine cask: 5cl / 46.6%
Non-chill filtered for a richer mouthfeel and fuller flavour, with only the natural colour derived from the oak casks in every bottle.
Bought Oct 2021, set of 3 at £30, single at £5.95.
Laphroaig 10 years (Scotland - Islay - Beam Suntory)
70cl / 40%. Malted barley is dried over a peat fire. Bible gives it 90.
- Nose: Smoky, seaweedy, "medicinal", with a hint of sweetness.
- Taste: Sweetness with hints of salt and layers of peatiness.
- Finish: Lingering.
Purchase Feb 2021. £29.
Nikka Pure Malt Red (Japan)
50cl / 43%. Peaty flavour. Others in the range inc. White (lighter) and a Black (heavier) (Red is middle ground). From notes to online tasting 2020:
- Nose: Of the three Pure Malts, this is the fruity, clean and easy-going one. The nose is clean and fruity and quite nutty. It reminds us of that old American favourite - peanut butter and jelly on toast.
- Taste: Great fruitiness, buttery and clean with hints of cut herbs, sugar and spice. The finish is good, with wonderful balance and not a step wrong as it fades away gracefully on sweet, soft malt and fruit.
Xmas present Dec 2020. Purchase price £37.
Nikka, From the Barrel (Japan)
50 cl / 51.4%. Bible gives it 91: "I have been drinking this for a very long time, and still can't remember a bottle that has let me down."
BBC Good Food: It's a blend of Nikka’s Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts with their grain whisky, given time to harmonise in fairly neutral reuse barrels before bottling. From The Barrel is a lightish gold in the glass. On the nose, you get spicy apple, a tang of pear and a little smoke, along with touches of orange zest and vanilla. Like the Taketsuru Pure Malt, also featured in our round-up of the best Japanese whisky, there’s an intense opening that's spicy but cleanly structured with a hint of nut skin tannins balancing the sweet toffee and fruity notes. The finish is fairly long, but not overbearing; the fruit and sweetness dry out with the tannins and it gets darker – think cocoa or coffee, with a gentle spray of seawater. From The Barrel does what you imagine Nikka would want from a standard-bearer of their whiskies, showing many of the flavour elements in an approachable way, without sacrificing complexity.
Bought about Mar 2021, £40 (x2).
Lowland, Rosebank 1991, 13 years (Scotland - Lowland - Signatory Vintage)
35cl / 43%. Matured in bourbon barrel. Closed distillery. Signatory Vintage were established in 1988 by Andrew Symington and are one of Scotland's most prolific independent bottlers. Their offices and bottling facility are located next to Edradour distillery, which they have also owned since 2002. (https://whiskyauctioneer.com/ Jan 2021)
Distilled 27/11/1991. Bottled 16/3/2005. Cask 4725. Bought at a Scottish distillery c. 2004 (our trip to Orkney). Purchase price probably c. £20. Price at 30/12/2020, Rosebank 1991 Signatory Vintage 12 year old, 70cl (not 35cl), £349 (whiskys.co.uk).
House of Hazelwood 18 years (Scotland - Speyside - William Grant)
50cl / 40%. Blended. Vanilla, Creamy toffee, Soft oak. The range was initially launched in Paris Duty Free at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in February 2016 and remained exclusively in travel retail until September 2016 when it was launched in a few select markets worldwide. From website (http://www.houseofhazelwood.com/):
- Nose: Vibrant vanilla sweetness dominates the nose. Delicate oak adds complexity.
- Taste: Creamy toffee enhanced by soft oak undertones. A long and elegant finish.
From Master of Malt:
- Nose: Crisp cereal coated in honey, fresh orange blossom and a wave of green apple sweetness.
- Taste: Creamy on the palate with big bundles of vanilla. A hint of coconut ice and dried fruit.
- Finish: A slow rumble of spice develops on the palate.
Bought Glenfiddich 30/9/2020 as a wedding anniversary present. Lovely art deco bottle. Purchase price c.£60.
Oban, Game of Thrones, The Night's Watch (Scotland)
70cl / 43%. Bought at Newark Airport, USA for $77 (May 2022).
Redbreast Aged 12 years (Ireland - Midleton)
70cl / 40%. Bottle code: L023731383 2011. Single pot still. The Bible scores it 88.5 - 93 (there are two listed). Made from mash of malted and unmalted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills. Matured in bourbon American oak barrels and Oloroso sherry, Spanish oak butts.
- Nose: Spicy, fruitty aroma with toasted wood notes.
- Taste: Full flavoured and complex, silky smooth with a harmonious balance of spicy, frutty sherry and toasted notes.
- Finish: Long and lingering.
Bought Jan 2021 £42.
Scapa, The Orcadian, Skiren (Scotland - Orkney)
70cl / 40%. Mellow fruits and heather honey. Matured in first-fill American oak casks. Single malt.
- Nose: Classic Scapa apples – waxy green, toffee-covered and apple pie. With them comes a touch of sea spray, with both brine and a gently medicinal hint, some almost rye-whiskey-like spice and a hint of mint.
- Taste: Soft and sweet, with brown-sugar-dusted buttery shortbread, a core of dried and candied apple slices, ground spice, and an autumnal surround of damp forests.
- Finish: Apple skin, Ryvita and green leaves, with soft brown sugar.
Bought at Heathrow Oct 2022 £35.
Talisker, Skye single malt (Scotland - Skye)
70cl / 45.8%. Elemental warm notes, verdant richness. Bible gives it 85: The sweetest most docile Talisker I can ever remember with the spices working hard in the background but weirdly shackled. More toffee Skye than vanilla."
Bought Dec 2021 for £25.
Tamdhu minitures (Scotland - Speyside)
A. Aged 12 years: 5cl / 43% B. Batch strength 005: 5cl / 59.8% C. Aged 15 years: 5cl / 46%
Bought Aug 2021 c.£27
