Basic but delicious Islay malt, an oddly unsalted sweet and smoky combo. 84/100
Islay #1 10 Years Old Batch 3
Jura 20 Years Old Batch 5
A rather relaxed old Jura, I’m thinking refill casks here as the spirit still shines through with lime zest, lime pickle and soft coffee notes, coastal salts and barley cereals, Yum yum. 86/100
James E. Pepper 4 Years Old Rye Batch 3
Quite spicy Rye as you’d expect but also a nice cake-y sweet & malty feel to it, I was surprised to discover this was ale-cask finished after tasting it – so very well integrated cask-finish here. 83/100
Teaninich 10 Years Old Batch 3
A very sweet and dessert-like expression from Teaninich, still a touch spirity and feisty but this adds a little interest to the palate and to the overall enjoyment. 82/100
Balblair 7 Years Old Batch 1
Entertaining, nice sweet and herbal quality, very volatile in the glass, phenolic – that touch of peat is very present and prominent. Green fruits and waxy pine and herb leaves. 83/100
Willowbank 18 Years Old Batch 2
Lots of old wood and fruit influence as you’d expect for its age and ex-red wine cask, hints of eucalyptus in places but overall a superb woody old whisky! 85/100
Whitlaw 15 Years Old Batch 1
Yum, classic HP, very light initially. This one is all about the subtleties, wisps of heathery smoke and a sprinkle of smoked sea salt crystals! 85/100
Teerenpeeli 5 Years Old Batch 1
Another great wine cask example from TBWC, I’ve no feeling for the original spirit but this felt like mostly sherry cask and perhaps not too much original spirit nature – certainly for a 5yo. The result is a very enjoyable sherried whisky. 84/100
Armorik 5 Years Old Batch 2
Very sweet on the nose but very balanced on the palate and eminently drinkable. Some sharp French oak tannins give a good edge or foil to the fruity Sauternes sweetness. 84/100
Croftengea 14 Years Old Batch 3
A touch light in body and malt, perhaps I’m expecting more from comparison to similar smoky Islay whisky? Minimal cask influence suggestive of refill ex-Bourbon, just about tempers the smoke here plus a lovely fresh apple nature. 83/100
The Whiskyphiles 