Aberlour 1989, AD Rattray Cask Collection. 51.1%

An old and very small sample bottle brought back from a half-remembered Speyside shop tasting 2 years ago. Why now? Just because.

Lovely nose, light citrus and pear drops. Honey, apple and burnt caramel custard (as I prefer to call creme brûlée) on the palate. Gone too quickly to really appreciate the finish, but it seemed to be building up to something nice.

Rather good, and interesting to try a non-sherried Aberlour.

Highland Park 12yo, 40%

Subtle peat and smoke and wood; lighter grassy notes too. Some sweetness comes in on the mouth. Warm, lingering finish.

Seems pretty complex on first taste. Hard to summarise. (It's been a long day.)

One to come back to, I think.

Adnams Single Malt Whisky, 43% (Whisky no 1)

Hmmm. It certainly doesn't taste a day over 3 years old. Yes there's some honey in there- but there's not much else in this harsh young spirit. Needs a few more years in the barrel. 

Sorry, but if we have to compare new East Anglian whiskies, the Norfolk one is nicer...

Auchentoshan 18 year old. 43%

Nose: Something lighter, quickly drowned out by solid honey, spice and a touch of fruit.

Mouth: honey, nutty, woody, spices (ginger and cinnamon), something raisin-y (just maybe some sherry in there?). I think there are some lighter grassy/floral notes too, but they're almost drowned out by the rest.

Finish: smooth. Cereal, honey and vanilla.

I want to love this, I really do. It's certainly not a bad malt- indeed, very drinkable. I rather like the lowland style and some of the younger 'toshans. But the lighter, grassier influences here are almost completely swamped by the wood-influenced heavier Speyside-esque stuff. It's a pleasant fireside dram, but Speysides do the Speyside thing better, and it just doesn't quite gel for me.

English Whisky Co. Chapter 6, St Georges Distillery, 3 yo, 46%

Lots of oak, some honey sweetness, and surprisingly smooth. It's more mature than it has any right to be, with little of the spirity new make taste you might expect in a 3 year old. Maybe climate does make a difference when it comes to maturation. (See Amrut)

But ultimately it's still— somewhat painfully— lacking in depth or complexity. You'll get far more enjoyment for the same, or less, money with almost any >10 yo single malt Scotch whisky.

Give it a few years though...

Amrut 7 yo, Double Cask (bottled 2010) 46%

Nose: faint tropicalness, maybe some coconut.
Mouth: dense, syrupy.
Finish: rich wood and vanilla notes.

Astonishingly grown up, for its age. Blame those greedy tropical Angels...  Only betrayed somewhat by its lack of complexity.

Lagavulin 12 yo Special Release. 56.1%

Ballsy. Very ballsy. Smoke and peat by the bucketload, and very spirity. Yet something fruitier and complex sneaking in too. A long and smoky finish.

I think I could learn to like this.