Entertaining, nice sweet and herbal quality, very volatile in the glass, phenolic – that touch of peat is very present and prominent. Green fruits and waxy pine and herb leaves. 83/100
Balblair 7 Years Old Batch 1
Barry Bradford
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.
Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2011
Quite smooth, fruity and vanilla led, perhaps the cask influence at 10 years is just starting to make its presence felt against that thick and unctuous mealy cereal nature from the Bere. 85/100
Willowbank 18 Years Old Batch 2
Lots of old wood and fruit influence as you’d expect for its age and ex-red wine cask, hints of eucalyptus in places but overall a superb woody old whisky! 85/100
Whitlaw 15 Years Old Batch 1
Yum, classic HP, very light initially. This one is all about the subtleties, wisps of heathery smoke and a sprinkle of smoked sea salt crystals! 85/100
Teerenpeeli 5 Years Old Batch 1
Another great wine cask example from TBWC, I’ve no feeling for the original spirit but this felt like mostly sherry cask and perhaps not too much original spirit nature – certainly for a 5yo. The result is a very enjoyable sherried whisky. 84/100
Whisky Blog Rankings December 2021
Whisky Blog Rankings December 2021
Armorik 5 Years Old Batch 2
Very sweet on the nose but very balanced on the palate and eminently drinkable. Some sharp French oak tannins give a good edge or foil to the fruity Sauternes sweetness. 84/100
Crabbies Yardhead
On its own this is a fairly basic single malt. Perfect for mixing but also drinkable in its own right. Their are traces of youthful spirit and a touch of sulphur but also a lovely minerality proving a distinct character that does carry though into longer mixed drinks or cocktails. By no means a neutral base spirit. 78/100
Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 4
Very peaty as expected, I felt this one was much better when reduced with water as lots of flavours were masked or locked away behind the wall of peat smoke. 87/100
Croftengea 14 Years Old Batch 3
A touch light in body and malt, perhaps I’m expecting more from comparison to similar smoky Islay whisky? Minimal cask influence suggestive of refill ex-Bourbon, just about tempers the smoke here plus a lovely fresh apple nature. 83/100
The Whiskyphiles 