Perfect for a smokey cokey Cuba Libre! 85/100
Banditti Club Smoky Rogues Rum
Spey Fumare
Fumare is delicious and shows some of the more delicate aspects of peat-influence. This will change over time in the glass so worth taking some time over this one. 85/100
Four Roses Small Batch Select
Intense sweet fruit and spice plus plenty of wood influence, well put-together CS Bourbon from the Four Roses stable. 85/100
Slyrs 3 Years Old Batch 3
Quite oaky and tannic a touch like sherry or a good red wine, plenty of woody sugars and quite fragrant too. 85/100
HighGlen 3 Years Old Batch 1
Quite delicate nose and palate on this expression, biscuity and lemon-infused with the addition of ginger and thyme in places. Quite dessert-like and syrupy. Surprised this doesn’t feel like it is only 3 years old this one is more mature than its years. 85/100
Broger 6 Years Old Batch 1
Oddly solventy, but past that this was really quite interesting and it took some time before I realised the underlying Rauchbier similarity and connection (I do like a rauchbier!) 85/100
Oxford Rye Whisky Batch 5 Red Red Rye
Another rich and cereal led expression as I’ve come to expect from TOAD’s Rye expressions. This is up there with the best of them (possibly Batch 1). The cask combination delivers ginger beer and jammy black fruits and of course that superb colour. I’m still not convinced about the pricing of this expression though there are certainly no complaints about what is inside the bottle. 85/100
Writers Tears Inniskillen Icewine Cask
more floral, fruity and fragrant expression and some great herbal influences in here too. Stone fruits play the lead here with some tropical nature later. 85/100
Black Gate 3 Years Old Batch 2
Luscious, thick and voluminous on the palate, some odd rummy and woody dunnage warehouse feel and plenty of spices. Adding water moves the spice more into the finish, plenty of thick black fruits and sugars throughout. 85/100
Chateau de Lacquy VSOP
Quite neutral despite its obvious fruity nature the sweetness has been tempered by plenty of wood talking here and saying good things. I really enjoyed this one. 85/100
The Whiskyphiles 