Benrinnes 1992 (21 year old) 56.9%

European Sherry

2014 Special Release/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Big, spicy and slightly sulphured Oloroso sherry on the nose. Green nuts, peanuts, dates, malt and treacle follow.

The palate is awash with herbal sherry, green nuts and again a touch of sulphur. Slightly bitter, dry tannins on the middle with malt and treacle. Seriously bitter and alcoholic finish with lingering green nuts.

Water unfortunately emphasises the sulphur and bitter, coffee’d tannins. The palate is still nutty but softer. Still quite bitter but there’s a little more balancing fruit. Still rather dry on the finish and...

Bimber London Dry Gin 42%...

Masons Vodka 42%...

W L Weller 7 year old 45%

Tasted: Oct 2009

Wonderfully bold and soft aromas of liquorice coated wheat and vanilla oak, supplemented with herbal spices and hints of violets and demerara. Relatively straightforward but it has a lovely depth. The palate opens with bitter oak followed by hard violet and liquorice encrusted wheat and spices. It settles down on the middle to display a touch of demerara, but the bitter oak theme continues. Quite a dry finish with charred oak and smoke and a pure sugar crystal after taste. Quite pleasant but could have done with a tad more...

Douglas Laing Old Particular Port Charlotte 2005 (10 year old) 48.4%

Port Hogshead/ Code: OLD0292/ DL11030

Dist: Oct 2005 Btl: Feb2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Light and breezy to start with ozone and salt. A touch of barley, lime, tar and building smoky, earthy and lightly medicinal peat follows along with winey red fruit, malt and smoky bacon notes. The aromas are relatively subtle by Port Charlotte stands but the peat is cloaked a little by the port.

The palate is soft and malty with subtle herbal peat, tar, liquorice and treacle. Quite tannic with the dry, dusty port spice coming...

Wolfburn 46%...

Titanic 5 year old Blended Irish Whiskey

A blend of Cooley malt and grain bottled for the Belfast distillery

Tasted: Apr 2016

The nose is soft, full and barley led with perfumed honey and chunky, yet subtle sherry spices. Pleasantly fruity with hints of melon, greengage and lime, along with some malt, crisp grain and vanilla.

The palate opens with thick, butter toffee, which gives it more weight than the nose would suggest. Again fruity, with lime, greengage, apricot and an almost petrolly note. The classy, crisp grain comes through well on the middle and lingers giving the finish a...

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glen Spey 2000 (16 year old) 46%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: 2000 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Quite heavy and oily on the nose with a subtle perfumed/ floral note. Hints of white fruit, barley, herbs and toffee’d spice follow. The perfumed note becomes a little soapy with time and the herbal notes become a little raw and aggressive.

The palate is a little sweeter but still quite oily with more barley character and creamy oak. Possibly a little heavy on the oak but showing a better balance with toffee and toasty notes on the middle. Long...

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Ardmore 2011 (4 year old) 46%...

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Auchentoshan 1991 (24 year old) 50.9%

Sherry Hogshead/ Dist: 1991 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Initially the aromas are quite grain-like with plenty of rummy, dried fruit, followed by hints of greengage, gooseberry, rhubarb and mulched rose petals. Beautifully balanced and mature with a very subtle sherry sweetness.

The palate is again quite grainy with a touch more sherry character. Quite spicy with sweet grapy notes and a thread of citrus. Soft rum-like dried fruit and spice come through on the middle along with a little wood tannin, but the citrus and alcohol combines...

Langatun Old Deer 46%

Unpeated malt, matured in ex Chardonnay and Sherry casks.

Dist: maj 2010 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Young and malty aromas with malt extracted and malt biscuits. Well I said it was malty! Beneath a touch of rose petals, spicy sherry can be discerned along with some winey notes. The maltiness does subside with time but that allows the sherry to come to the fore.

The palate opens with rose petal marc-like notes and malt biscuits. Very herbal with heather and provencal garrigue notes. The sherry has a slight boiled sweet character and imparts a...

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Benrinnes 2008 (8 year old) 46%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: 2008 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

A pleasant nose of dusty barley, rye-like herbs and no shortage of oak. The oak begins to really dominate the nose and it becomes sweeter and develops a vanilla custard note.

Slightly crisper and still quite herbal and still quite oaky to begin with. Slightly coffee’d, a little bitter and dry. The alcohol is a little intrusive as well. However once the creaminess of the oak subsides hints of baked fruit comes through. Good length, continuing herbal but a little dry...

Deadhead 6 year old Rum ‘Arutum Trophy Tsanta’ 40%...

Claxton’s The Single Cask Glentauchers 1996 (18 year old) 48%...

Claxton’s The Single Cask Tomatin 1994 (21 year old) 48%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead 1503-11247

Dist: Oct 1994 Btl: 2015/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Aromas of dusty barley and dark wood spices. Lightly scrubby and herbal with a touch of heather and honey. Showing a delicate baked fruit maturity along with a touch of vanilla.

Mature, baked fruit to begin with on the palate, followed by vanilla, barley and developing, freshening citrus notes. The dark spices come through on the middle and the finish is long with a lovely combination of mouth-wateringly crisp barley and soft, creamy oak. Vibrant and wonderfully balanced....

Claxton’s The Single Cask Tobermory 1995 (20 year old) 48%...

Kininvie Special Release #1 ‘The First Drops’ 63%...

The Blended Whisky Company, The Golden Age Blend 46.4%...

Brenne French Whisky 10 year old, 1 ^st Edition 48%

Matured in new Limousin oak barrels before being finished in Cognac casks

Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Now that’s an unusual nose! Earthy and lightly manurey with straw and violets. Quite winey with coffee, heather, gorse and a multitude of herbal notes.

Palate: Soft and densely honeyed with herbal coffee, violets and a touch of manure. Very herbal on the middle with hints of straw, sour apricot and pears soap!

Finish: Long and very heathery with hints of juniper, coriander and green pepper in the finish.

Conclusion: That’s weird but I...

Queen Margot 3 year old 40%

Tasted: Feb 2016

Nose: Full and intense with apricot, barley and hints of herbal grain. Pleasantly balanced with a touch of vanilla and toffee’d oak.

Palate: Full and soft with apricot and light honey. Relatively straightforward with the grain coming through on the middle.

Finish: Good length with the crisp grain dominating.

Conclusion: A pleasant, well balanced blend. Nothing exciting though. Has an Irish feel to it.

Glen Alba Sherry Cask Finish 22 year old 40%

Clydesdale Scotch Whisky Company for Lidl

Tasted: Feb 2016

Nose: A gorgeously honeyed nose which shows some maturity,...