Darkness 8 Years Old Whisky Review: A little bit young and forced, needs a lot more polishing for my liking. Once it breathes much more of the more pleasant sherry influence comes out but needs time/careful watering. 82/100
Secret Islay 11 Years Old 2009 PX Finish whisky review: Sweet, coastal and peaty, quite easy drinking and enjoyable. 87/100
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
Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Bourbon Cask Finish whisky review: Many positives, lots of chocolate and waxy but with an odd soapy and spicy nature on the palate that just didn’t fit right for me. 74/100
Speyside No. 3 8 Years Old Batch 1 whisky review: Much discussion about the origins of this one took place with the overwhelming opinion being that this probably hailed from Glenrothes distillery. As TBWC have previously bottled & named Glenrothes I guessed Strathisla, I’ll guess we may never know which distillery this really comes from but still another great wee expression from them all the same. 83/100
Aerstone 10 Years Old Sea Cask whisky review: Preferred over the land cask expression, this one feels much more integrated and balanced, some great flavours developing here and also a promise of things to come – I’d love to see these grow into 12, 15 or 18 year old expressions! 82/100
Aerstone 10 Years Old Land Cask whisky review: An interesting expression with potential, however this still feels a little rough around the edges and reminded me of some not so savoury HP expressions I have sampled in the past where the peat influence is too dry and over-dominant. For an entry-level (£20) supermarket whisky this carries a lot more flavours than most – vanilla this certainly isn’t! 81/100
Crabbie 8 Year Old whisky review: Quite a full palate on this one for only 8 years old. Certainly being delivered at 46% lends it some weight. Quite waxy which had me thinking of Clynelish. Zesty orange and apple with honey and a little too much spice for me, however if they aim to produce blends like this they’ll certainly be entertaining and interesting. 83/100
Black Friday 2018: Orkney 18 Years Old whisky review: A rather spicy, sweet, spicy, gently smoky, spicy, and spiced woody dram, did I mention a liberal sprinkling of spices here? I want to say fairly pleasant – but for me it’s that horrid example of Highland Park in refill casks that is the Palate-prickling equivalent of chewing on a wasp stuck on a thistle, bbq’d and covered in heather honey then washed down with Lemsip-soaked nettles. If you love that kind of thing then good for you – its a perfect example!
Cask Islay single malt scotch whisky review: A delicious Islay expression which at first nose suggested Caol Ila distillery, later a hint of gun oil had my mind drifting towards Lagavulin but the beauty of these is we don’t really know where it came from (or if each release hails from the same place). The best thing to do is not care and just enjoy this for what it is – a really great peated Islay expression, powerfully evocative phenols paired with sweet vanilla from ex-Bourbon casks. 89/100
