Bruichladdich: Octomore 2.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 2.1

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Nose:  Brine, lemon, recently mowed grass, peat, and polished wood.  Also traces of freshly oiled leather, and a slight hint of green apples.  Quite fresh and light. Palate:  Sweet malt, grass, burnt barbeque marinade, mixed citrus lollies, and fresh mint & other herbs.  There's a thick layer of strong and sweet peat blanketing everything.  Quite creamy. Mouthfeel:  Slightly less thick than the 1.1, but still what I'd say is mid-weight.  Slightly dry and creamy.  A small amount of burn, but quite a bit less than the 1.1. Finish:  Reasonable length, but shorter than most Octomores.  Quite sweet.  Fresh grass, lemon…
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Bruichladdich: Octomore 4.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 4.1

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Nose: Peaty, and salty.  Damp earth, and very slightly floral.  Not as peaty as you'd expect.  Quite clean, and not overly complicated on the nose. Palate: Straight up front you are absolutely belted with peat and cereal notes.  Sledgehammer to the tastebuds time.  After the sledgehammer is put away you get notes of ocean spray, bushfire smoke, and fresh tar.  Faint notes of vanilla and dried apple, but also a decent dose of pepper.  There's the tiniest trace of the dust that is left at the bottom of a bowl of beer nuts.  The peat lingers across the entire palate,…

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 5.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 5.1

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Nose:  Salty sea water, peat, fresh hay, lemon peel.  Very clean and compact. Palate:  Lots of salt and peat.  Slight seaweed and grassy notes; along with some boiled lemon lollies.  The faintest notes of cinnamon sponge cake.  The palate is almost entirely the same as the nose, with the added cinnamon sponge edging in right at the back. Mouthfeel:  Thick, so very thick.  Oily to start with, yet it dries extremely quickly as it heads to the back of the tongue.  Absolutely no alcohol burn at all. Finish:  Long, warming, and very dry.  Peaty, salty, and very lightly grassy. Balance: Perfect. …

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 6.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 6.1

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Nose:  Seaweed, peat, salt, and leather. A slight hint of dried fruits and nuts.  Both the seaweed and peat really dominate, but overall the nose is quite subdued compared to other Octomore editions. Palate:  Massively peaty and vegetal, with quite a bit of iodine as well - not Laphroaig levels of iodine, but probably the highest levels for an Octomore.  Strangely a little bitter at the back of the tongue. Mouthfeel:  Midweight and oily.  A slight alcohol burn. Finish:  Decent length, although a little subdued.  Quite a bit of iodine and vegetal notes, along with the ever-present peat.  A touch…

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 6.3

Bruichladdich Octomore 6.3

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Nose:  The very first whiff is very alcoholic - a bit of nail varnish, and quite sweet.  The barley is quite strong on the nose of this one, along with some milk arrowroot biscuits, and a touch of burnt porridge.  Some peat is there as well, but not what you're expecting after reading the phenol count on the bottle!  The absolute lightest touch of something citrus also makes itself known - a mix of lemon and lime essences.  A slightly odd combination of sweet,  bitter, and savoury on this nose. Palate:  Found the peat! It might have been hiding on…

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 7.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 7.1

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Nose: Barley, honey, and slight caramel notes dominate along with a soft, sweet peat.  A very light layer of nail varnish, seaweed, and sea spray are also there.  Although it's definitely got a solid nose, it's not harsh in anyway - absolutely no alcohol on the nose at all. Palate:  On the palate, the peat, seaweed, and salt really come to the fore, but most of the other notes from the nose - the barley, honey, and caramel are still lurking in the background.  Apart from the peat, the roles have really been switch from the nose - although fortunately…

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 7.3

Bruichladdich Octomore 7.3

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Nose:  Creamy caramel fudge, vanilla sponge cake with a dusting of icing sugar, uncooked cookie dough, fresh malt, and lemon lollies.  Also a slight note of what you get at the back of your nose when you get dumped by the surf.  Quite the summer holiday at the beach on the nose of this one.  Barely any peat coming though, despite knowing full well what is in the glass. Palate:  Both peat and caramel hit first - quite a soft and sweet peat; trundling alongside a rich dark caramel toffee.  There's also some buttercake drizzled with honey, a bit of…
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Bruichladdich: Octomore 7.4

Bruichladdich Octomore 7.4

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Nose:  The nose on this is unmistakeably Octomore - the malty, sweet, cured meats, and damp vegetation notes that are prominent on the nose of just about every x.1 Octomore release.  This one also brings in some lighter fruity notes, as well as an undercurrent of sweet white wine.  There's also just a slight touch of the dying gasps of a wood-fired barbeque. Palate:  Up front this whisky is a battle between the raw oak flavours and the peat - both the smoky burnt peat as well as a dark vegetation note.  It's quite a sweet peat - nothing like…

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Warenghem: Amorik Classic

Warenghem Amorik Classic

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Nose:  Light & sweet.  Lemons and limes.  Quite malty. Palate:  Lots of malt, lots of oak spices, traces of vanilla and honeyed breakfast cereal.  Also a slight lemon hint. Mouthfeel:  Thin, warm, quite sharp.  There's a decent amount of alcohol on the tongue for a whisky of its strength. Finish:  Short-medium length.  Heavy on the malt with traces of vanilla and honey. [divider]   This is a decent-enough whisky with fairly basic notes on the palate - it doesn't really distinguish itself in any way, but likewise is not obnoxious at all.  A completely drinkable whisky, but not one that…

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Glenfiddich: Rich Oak 14

Glenfiddich Rich Oak 14

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Nose:  Vanilla, canned fruit salad, sweet spices - cloves and a bit of cinnamon, sultanas,  and fresh wood.  Quite spicy and vapoury on the nose. Palate:  Dried fruits, oak spices, fresh vanilla pods, malt, and notes of old wood.  Quite mellow - too mellow really.  Tiny traces of something really sweet and dark such as golden syrup. Mouthfeel:  Really light, almost watery thin.  Extremely smooth, and absolutely no burn. Finish:  Not a particularly long finish.  Lots of wood notes, with traces of vanilla.  A little bit spicy, but just a little bit. [divider] I can't say I'm a big fan…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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