MacNair’s Lum Reek Peated 12 Year Old blended malt whisky review: A very different blend, lighter on the palate and more wood influence. It feels to me like they have shifted the balance much in favour of the Speyside malt(s) here as it is much lighter and more vaporous and the peat influence feels diluted by more than age alone. 84/100
MacNair’s Lum Reek Peated blended malt whisky review: A great blended malt, a little youthful but this brings power to the Islay smoke, some nice floral and herbal elements in here but difficult to assign much specific cask influences. The result is very drinkable and unsurprisingly a complexity that you could easily believe this was a single malt. Reminds me a little of some early Kilchoman’s but with much less power in the peat influence. 83/100
Glen Scotia 10 Year Old Peated whisky review: A delicate balance of peat and lots of sweet influences, their is a little oily wax and masses of coconut and lychee. The result is one of those surprising whiskies you expect to be harsh on the palate due to the smoke on the nose – but instead it’s like a creamed banana & tropical fruit smoothie. Some nice herbal woody influences too make this feel a lot older than 10 years! 87/100
Glen Scotia 18 Year Old whisky review: Surprisingly light and creamy, this 18 year old expression is a polar opposite to the usual oily and dirty Campbeltown smoke. Delicious waxy/oily, coastal and sherried on an unpeated malt backbone. 87/100
Glen Scotia 15 Year Old whisky review: A robust, briny and oily Campbeltown expression with a delicate hint of smoke throughout. 86/100
Glengoyne Pedro Ximénez (PX) Cask Finish whisky review: This PX cask finished is a lot more balanced than I’d hoped and the PX influence is really quite light here for my liking. Zesty, fruity and spicy makes me feel this one has been matured in refill casks first, hence the finishing. Doesn’t feel particularly youthfull however – this is quite an accomplished dram with some complexity to boot. 84/100
Scallywag blended malt whisky review: More fuller flavoured than I remember and much more complex too. Still quite fruity in nature and just a little more spice and wood than I prefer but a decent blended malt nonetheless. I guess my reservation lies in the surreptitious use of sherry casks in this blend which perhaps represents the dichotomy of Speysides’ output today but I don’t feel is indicative of the regions flavour profile in general. 78/100
Glen Scotia Double Cask whisky review: More smooth and creamier than I remember from our last tasting, much more toffee character too which appears to predominate now giving great body and mouthfeel. 85/100
Loch Lomond 12 Years Old whisky review: Full of toffee but with just a hint of smoke and plenty of fresh and ripe orchard fruits here, still a very pleasing dram this one from Loch Lomond. 84/100
Dailuaine 4 Years Old 2012 Strictly Limited whisky review: Another ex-bourbon Dailuaine expression and this time young enough to reveal much more spirit character. Plenty of sulphur and vanilla combine to bestow a healthy dose of custard, hiding much of the unripe fruity characteristics still present in the spirit. 75/100
