The One Port Prototype Cask Strength whisky review: Definitely benefiting from delivery strength, this Port finish expression is dangerously drinkable at 60.2% ABV, With such and intensity of flavour you could almost be mistaken that this has spent some time around PX-sherry apart from the telltale jammy fruits, very much plum, damson and cranberry and of course that awesome Crimson colour! 86/100
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.
Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic Batch 2 whisky review: A touch spicy as presented but with lots of great structure and medley of fruits, quite a lot of different cask stave influences made this one difficult to ascertain more exact flavour descriptors. A drop of water made it creamier and sweeter and revealed malted milk biscuit cereal notes. 83/100
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
Grant’s Rum Cask Finish blended Scotch whisky review: A little sweeter than the Triple Wood. My fear was I really haven’t been enjoying Rum-cask finished whiskies of late, but this one is a slight improvement over the entry-level blend. Perhaps it has polished that grain whisky edge off a little?
Grant’s Triple Wood blended scotch whisky review: A little grainy but decent flavours for an entry-level blend. Enough in here to stand up to mixing this into a long drink. 70/100
Old Pulteney Huddart whisky review: A lot less smoky than I was hoping for, pretty neutral but well constructed. 76/100
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
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
