Kura the Whisky whisky review: A little abrasive at first, has layers of sweetness and spice, eventually balances out but still has some oddly sweet nature to it. 80/100
Kura the Whisky (40%, OB, 2018)
Glengoyne Cuartillo (40%, OB, 2018)
Glengoyne Cuartillo Whisky Review: A light and fruity expression similar in many ways to Glengoyne’s spirit character, soft and gentle on the palate but with hints of the rich and spicy Oloroso casks also. 80/100
Lindores Abbey Aqua Vitae (40%, OB, 2018)
Lindores Abbey Aqua Vitae review: Interesting neat but tastes a bit like a cough medicine and reminded me a lot of Calvados too, perhaps as part of a cocktail or longer drink this would come into its own? 80/100
Macduff 2007 Pre-Octave (52.9%, Duncan Taylor 2018)
Macduff 2007 Pre-Octave whisky review: Full of classic ‘Speyside’ flavours of fruits and cereals, a crisp acidity runs throughout this dram keeping the palate clean. 80/100
Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky (40%, OB, 2018)
Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky Blended Scotch whisky review: A delightful little blend that opens on the nose with a definite peat and smoke. I’m sure this will frighten a few people off but the palate in contrast is just full of fruit and dark sugars, the smoke doesn’t really appear until much later. I’m definitely going to use this one in blind tastings as it really plays with the perceptions. Really rather fun! 80/100
Glen Moray 22 Years Old 1995 35.214 Without Pretence (55.7%, SMWS, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 221 Bottles, 2018)
SMWS 35.214 Without Pretence review: Sadly a good example of the numbers on the bottle just not adding up for me. Amazingly ethereal for a 22 year old whisky. Too old to boast much Glen Moray character, too under-active cask to display much flavour anywhere really. Nothing wrong with it, but not much to write home about either. 80/100
Oban 2003 Distillers Edition (43%, OB, OD 166.FC, 2017)
Oban 2003 Distillers Edition Highland single malt Scotch whisky review: Quite a different dram to the 2001 DE, cleaner and crisper in the nose and palate but much more sour. Not like the sweetness of the 2001 DE and for that I liked it a lot less. I felt this had more spirit character and less influence from the finishing casks perhaps? 80/100
Ragtime Rye (45.2%, OB, 2018)
Ragtime Rye – American straight rye whiskey review; Very drinkable, cherry-filled rye with a lovely creamy texture followed by rye and oak wood spices. 80/100
Bowmore 20 Years Old 1997 3.307 A journey into joy (55.9%, SMWS, Refill Oloroso Butt, 564 Bottles, 2018)
SMWS 3.307 A journey into joy whisky review: Quite harsh, over matured, too woody and tannic and far too strong cask influence – the peat is almost non-existant. Once the tannins have beaten your palate the end result is like licking a bar of lavender impregnated coal tar soap. A less joyful journey than the name implies. 80/100
The Balvenie 14 Years Old 2002 Peat Week (48.3%, OB, 2017)
A rather closed nose opens slowly to reveal a monotone and dry whisky, hints of ripe bananas and honey elude to Balvenie’s sweet spirit character but mostly this tastes of peat but not particularly phenolic, a little nutty perhaps, there is clearly quality here but this experiment is not for me. 80/100
