Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley whisky review: Mealy and sweet, this Laddie expression is full of the cereal barley it represents with a generous portion of sweet honey, I found myself picking up a hint of gentle earthy peat (not smoke) in here that reminded me so much of how peat pervades everything in Islay – including me after being there for a few days, their really is nowhere else quite like it and this had me longing to be back there soon! 84/100
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
Clynelish 1989 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength whisky review: A rather old and slightly unusual Clynelish expression bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. It has a touch of that famous waxy nature and oodles of tropical fruit as you would expect from a whisky of this age. A lovely creamy mouthfeel and plenty of toffee on the palate too. A touch sour in the finish and slightly woody and herbal, perhaps slightly under-active this refill cask – still a very solid whisky and hard not to like even with its minor off-notes. 84/100
Glengoyne 12 Years Old whisky review: Quite thick and appealing, very malty and with lots of well-established fruit flavours. The sherry adds a little touch of chocolate that along with coconut notes reminded me of Bounty chocolate bars. 84/100
Laphroaig 10 Years Old whisky review: A simply classic expression from Laphroaig, sweeter and milkier than my memory serves. I always remember the smoke and creosote from this dram although I’ll not be tasting that until tomorrow! I can’t believe it has taken me this long to sit down and collect notes from this. After quite a break from drinking this regularly it has been a pleasure to return and remind myself what great quality Laphroaig has even in their most basic expression. 84/100
The ONE Sherry Limited Edition whisky review: Very balanced, quite robust for a blended whisky and the higher ABV really helps add meat to this ones bones. A pleasant mixture of spirit and cask, lively -most likely from the youthfull Lakes distillate, but really quite accomplished. A definite improvement on last years release. 84/100
Glenglassaugh Octaves Peated Batch 2 whisky review: Quite savoury in comparison to the Octaves Classic Batch 2. Chalky and mineralic on the nose and palate and a lovely dry peat smoke (not oily Islay-like) much more herbal and mineralic Speyside peat at play here, delicious.
Macduff 2007 Post-Octave whisky review: A very different character after the Octave finish, creamy, herbal and spicy had me reminiscing of creamy curry dishes and longing for pistachio kulfi afterwards. Delicious! 84/100
Caol Ila 2003 Distillers Edition whisky review: A deliciously sweet and peaty Caol Ila Distillers Edition with a burst of well-integrated fruits adding to the heady malt and smoke mixture. 84/100
Steel Bonnets Blended English and Scotch malt whisky review: A robust blended malt, I’m guessing a healthy influence of sherry cask maturation involved in some of the components at least due to the influences on the palate of orange, herbal, wood-smoke and nuts, very likeable in fact. 84/100
