About me? I am a Whisky Educator, Travel-Tourist and Blogger. I blog tasting notes about (mostly Scotch) beer and whisky at The Whiskyphiles. I keep progress of my travels via the Alfred Barnard Society. Based in Livingston, Scotland I do most of my dramming at the University of Edinburgh Water of Life Society and Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Speyburn 10 Years Old Batch 3 Whisky Review: Another refill cask aged expression by the feels of it, good balance again here with some nice spirit quality revealing good distillery character only I couldn’t taste the salmon! 😉 84/100
Strathclyde 31 Years Old Batch 4 Whisky Review: Sweet and delicious – a well aged vanilla-filled grain whisky. 86/100
The GlenDronach Traditionally Peated Whisky Review: This is sweet first from the cask maturations then a dry peat smoke emerges, these interchange on the palate regularly during the course of this dram giving it a wonderful complexity as varying levels of sweetness and smoke combine. This would make a great introduction to heavy (but non-isaly/overtly phenolic) smoke influenced whisky. I really like this one! 85/100
The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 8 Whisky Review: Another great Cask Strength expression from GlenDronach, perhaps erring on the side of PX casks in this mixture which makes it all the more appealing to me. 86/100
Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection 2014 Sonoma-Cutrer Finish whisky review: A beautiful combination of bourbon and red wine cask finishing that added plenty of red fruits. 91/100
Blended Whisky #2 22 Years Old Batch 3 whisky review: A great blended whisky full of caramel, chocolate, fruit and nutty toasted barley flavours.
Blended Malt #1 18 Years Old Batch 3 Whisky Review: A ‘blended malt’ that is full of honey and pear influence as well as peppery oak from the cask – very reminiscent of Glenfiddich and a teaspoon of Balvenie perhaps?
Royal Brackla 12 Years Old Batch 1 whisky review: Fruity limes, nutty and spicy with an odd minerality, flavours and colour suggest another refill cask vatting reduced to drinking strength – I’m not sure this one ticked my boxes too much.
Blair Athol 8 Years Old 2009 Fidra whisky review: Very young, spirity and hot, definite sherry influence present here (tasted blind to cask type) with dried fruits, blackcurrant and after a while hints of treacle. 73/100
Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Sherry Cask Finish whisky review: Oh dear, I was hoping for an improvement here as I love sherry influence, however that cask finishing really hasn’t removed the funk from this whiskies initial maturation (most probably) here mint is joined with some really herbal and vegetal notes that I really didn’t enjoy too much. 72/100
