Author: Kyle Butler

Review

Review: Battle of the Benriach 22 Single Casks! (Rum and Port)

Benriach 22 Cadenhead’s Rum Cask 1992 Appearance: 0.2, Pale Straw Nose: Rich barley sugar and cereal notes, some licorice, menthol, under-ripe pears. A bit flat in terms of depth and body. Taste: Quite malty and grainy, there is definitely a note of bitter molasses, hint of ash, orange blossom honey, vanilla and icing sugar, very faint spearmint note. Finish: Somewhat thin, the ash comes out … Continue reading Review: Battle of the Benriach 22 Single Casks! (Rum and Port)

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Review

Review: Amrut Virgin Oak (Kensington Wine Market Exclusive)

Appearance: 1.8, Old Oak Nose: Caramel, chocolate, grainy, malty, menthol, rich oak, leather, ginger, pepper steak, almost some red stone fruits here too. Normally with Amrut single casks, you get mostly the core Amrut profile with an accent of the cask type, not so here. The Amrut profile is there, but it is dominated by a rich spice and sweetness. This is not an out … Continue reading Review: Amrut Virgin Oak (Kensington Wine Market Exclusive)

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Review

Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 30.91

SMWS Code: 30.91 Code Name: “Deliciously dark and sweet” Distillery: Glenrothes Age: 18 years Cask: Refill Ex-Sherry Gorda Appearance: 1.1, Burnished Nose: Rum raisin ice cream, Christmas fruit cake, spent matches, ginger snaps, masala chai, plum pudding. What an odd nose. Am I detecting sulfur? For some reason, the sulfur is not overt here, or it’s blending weirdly with the other notes… Taste: Is this … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 30.91

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Review

Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 35.142

SMWS Code: 35.142 Code Name: “Sweet treats and forbidden pleasures” Distillery: Glen Moray Age: 21 years Cask: 1st Fill Hogshead Toasted Oak Appearance: 1.4, Tawny Nose: Moderate body, caramel and vanilla at the forefront, very little wood detectable, lychee, white grapes, coffee cake, shortbread, butter cream frosting, a hint of sawdust and almost green wood. Taste: Spicy oak and tannins up front, I get some tart … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 35.142

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Review

Review: Old Grand Dad Bottled-in-Bond

Appearance: 1.4, Tawny Nose: Yup, that’s a bourbon! Vanilla and caramel. I also get a nice dose of rye spices, fresh rye bread (light, not dark), some floral notes as well. Quite nice; I am a sucker for a rye heavy whisky though. Taste: Sweet and spicy, salted caramel ice cream, very peppery (as in, “holy s**t, who unscrewed the top off of the pepper … Continue reading Review: Old Grand Dad Bottled-in-Bond

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Review: Wiser’s Last Barrels

Appearance: 1.3, Russet Nose: Very much a bourbon nose; vanilla, caramel, toasted oak. I also get a fair bit of fruitiness and almost some floral notes too; white grapes, pear, mango, and fresh linens. Taste: Hits with a slightly astringent bitter oak note, developing with lots of wood spice, black pepper, cinnamon, clove. I also get vanilla and caramel, unsurprisingly, with some apricot and banana. … Continue reading Review: Wiser’s Last Barrels

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Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 36.96

  SMWS Code: 36.96 Code Name: “Chocolate cake cookie” Distillery: Benrinnes Age: 9 years Cask: 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel Appearance: 0.3, Pale Gold Nose: Up front mint and menthol, vanilla, some white cake, powdered sugar, apple and pear, peppery oak. A bit one dimensional. Taste: Quite spicy and youthful on the arrival, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, apple, pear, pineapple, white pepper, lemon zest, lemon custard. Great mouth feel … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 36.96

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Review

Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 121.77

SMWS Code: 121.77 Code Name: “Dunnage warehouse orange boxes” Distillery: Arran Age: 19 years Cask: Refill Hogshead Appearance: 0.8, Deep Gold Nose: Combination bourbon cask influence and brine; I get salty peanut brittle, vanilla and caramel, hints of some citrus (orange, tinged with lemon). Quite grainy and malty. Taste: Thick mouthfeel, vanilla, salted caramel, oak and white pepper, mandarin orange, clove and anise, slightly astringent. Finish: More … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 121.77

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Review

Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 71.41

SMWS Code: 71.41 Code Name: “Curious and intriguing” Distillery: Glenburgie Age: 17 years Cask: Refill Ex-Sherry Gorda Appearance: 1.3, Russet Nose: Dominated by sulphur on the nose; gunpowder and spent matches. Fairly difficult to pick out much beyond that; a hint of some cola cubes, almost cherry coke. Taste: Arrives with a crescendo of dry fruit, almost a biting dryness initially, gunpowder note is present but … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 71.41

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Review

Reviews: Nikka Taketsuru 12 and 21

Nikka Taketsuru 12 Appearance: 1.2, Chestnut Nose: Lots of honey and malt, menthol, empire apples, a floral note that almost comes across like fresh dryer sheets. The profile is somewhat shallow in depth. Taste: White fruits and moderate wood spice on the arrival, a slight tartness, honey, under ripe banana. Fairly one dimensional really. Finish: Quite short and light, malty honey, white pepper. I almost get … Continue reading Reviews: Nikka Taketsuru 12 and 21

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Review: Suntory Toki

Appearance: 0.2, Pale Straw Nose: Nice white fruit bouquet, white grapes, apple, peach, pear, lychee. Quite floral as well. Taste: Oaky dryness hit the sides of the tongue on the arrival, the floral and fruity elements from the nose continue into the taste. I get lychee, apple, pear, honeysuckle, vanilla, heather, honey. Really bursting with layers of fruitiness, backed up by a nice floral accent. Finish: … Continue reading Review: Suntory Toki

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Review

Review: Amrut Intermediate Sherry & Amrut Spectrum

Amrut Intermediate Sherry Appearance: 1.5, Auburn Nose: Typical Amrut grainy creaminess up front, lemon custard with a touch of zest, some red stone fruits. The sherry is certainly present, but is not dominating the nose. Taste: Great mouth feel, creamy and thick, the Amrut distillery character is at the forefront, lovely grainy creaminess, some tart red fruit, cranberries, some raspberry, touch of lime, some white pepper … Continue reading Review: Amrut Intermediate Sherry & Amrut Spectrum

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