Tag: Port Cask

Bruichladdich: Octomore Ten Years – Vintage 2008

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Bruichladdich Octomore Ten Years - Vintage 2008

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Nose: Caramel fudge, creme brulee, and golden sultanas. Also the vaguest hints of Christmas cake, and the slightest glimpse of roasted almonds. All wrapped in a soft marine note. Palate: Toffee, burnt cherries, leather, custard, and mixed nuts. There's a constant presence of an earthy-underbrush smoke, but it never really comes to the fore. Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy. Absolutely no burn. Finish: Long and dry. Quite ashy, and a little peppery - but still quite sweet somehow. This is Bruichladdich's third release of a ten year old Octomore, and has been bottled with no colouring and no chill-filtering at 56.8%…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Without a doubt - this is magnificent!

Black Gate: BG069 – Cask Strength

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Black Gate BG069 - Cask Strength

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Nose: Vanilla fudge, sultanas, and milk arrowroot biscuits. Quite a bit of peat comes through as well. Palate: Dark dried fruits - lots of berries and sultanas; along with hints of vanilla. Surprisingly sweet. Traces of smoke all through - but not overpowering. Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy. A little bit dry. Finish: Christmas cake with hints of smoke. The finish lasts forever. Bottled exclusively for the RTD Spirits Covid-19 Black Gate whisky tasting that took place (virtually) on the 20th June 2020. This special-release whisky was bottled at a cask strength of 68.8% ABV with no colouring and no chill…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

I'd love to - although the tiny release will make that unlikely.

Black Gate: BG081 Cask Strength – Single Cask Rum

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Black Gate BG081 - Cask Strength

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Nose: Maple syrup, sultanas, and hints of icing sugar. Palate: Christmas cake with a cocoa dusting, with a side-serving of dried pears covered in honey. Mouthfeel: Thick with no hints of burn despite ABV. Finish: It has a decent length - although not as long as the BG073CS. Quite sweet - with honey notes lasting till the end. This Covid-19 special release bottling of Black Gate's BG081 single cask rum is bottled at a massive cask strength of 66% ABV with no additives. It was a limited run of 10 bottles that were sold at a virtual Black Gate tasting…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

In a heartbeat - although as a limited one-time release, that is unlikely.

Black Gate: BG073 Cask Strength – Single Cask Rum

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Black Gate BG073 - Cask Strength

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Nose: Sultanas, Golden Syrup, Nutmeg, toffee – strong and dark. Palate: Lots and lots of juicy sultanas and raisins.  Some golden syrup – although not as much as on the nose.  Hints of cocoa and sweet spices. Mouthfeel: Whoa – this is strong and thick.  A little burn on the tongue – but not as much as you’d expect from the ABV.  Quite dry. Finish: Sweet spices, dried fruits, and some brown sugar.  It lasts a long time – the spices just don’t quit. This Covid-19 special release bottling of Black Gate's BG073 single cask rum is bottled at a…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

If I could, I would - I regret not buying a bottle when I could!

Country to Coast (BFG)

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Country to Coast

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Nose: Straight off the bat you get slammed with a big punch of campfire smoke and dessert spices. Once that settles, it's like a Christmas cake doused in vanilla custard - lots of dark fruits including plenty of raisins, a hint of candied citrus, and a serving of sweet vanilla. Palate: If ever there was a whisky that tasted exactly how it nosed, this is it - just throw in some red berries, and maybe a slivered almond or two, and the palate is the nose. Mouthfeel: Thick, oily, and not a hint of alcohol despite it's ABV. Like liquid…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Absolutely - it's an amazing whisky. I bought a second bottle to do just that!

Bushmills: 16 Year Old

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Bushmills 16 Year

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Nose:  Honey, buttered fruit toast, sultanas, and canned pears. Typically crisp and light on the nose for an Irish whiskey. Palate:  Rich, fruity, sweet, and spicy.  Plenty of boysenberry on the palate, along with sweet malt and honey notes; there's also some canned fruit salad, some mixed-berry jam, and some Christmas-spiced gingerbread.  There's also a hint of something dry and slightly bitter - cacao maybe.  Strangely acidic on the first pop of the cork, but that completely disappears with a bit of a breather. Mouthfeel:  There's a decent weight to this whiskey - especially for one that is triple distilled. …

Would I Drink It Again?

Total

Definitely - this whiskey is delicious.

Black Gate: BG032 Hybrid Cask

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Black Gate BG032 Hybrid Cask

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Nose: Raisins, prunes, spicy fruit rolls, plums, mixed berry jam. Dark and rich with a hint of sweet spices. Palate:  Basically what you get on the nose is what you get on the palate, with a boat load of black plums and some more red fruits joining the party; a hint of tart cherries showing up as well. Mouthfeel:  From the nose and the palate you might be expecting a whisky with the weight of concrete, but the whisky is surprisingly not so. It's definitely not a thin whisky, but is only what I'd describe as medium weight. There's a…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Ooh boy would I - numerous bottles of this stunning whisky have been purchased by me for doing just that!

Glenfiddich: XX

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Glenfiddich XX

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Nose:  Christmas cake with maraschino cherries and plenty of brandy soaked sultanas.  Quite sweet - heading towards the golden syrup end of the sugary spectrum.  Also some vanilla, and hints of some sweet spices. Palate:  Sweeter and less fruity than the nose - also a lot less heavy than the nose would suggest.  A few sultanas are still to be found, although they seem to have dumped the brandy.  A little nutty as well, and just a trace of vanilla. Mouthfeel:  Surprisingly light in the weight department.  Despite the higher alcohol, there is only a very very slight tingle on…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

Nose
Palate
Mouthfeel
Finish
Balance

Heartwood: Any Port In A Storm

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Heartwood Any Port In A Storm

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Nose:  Fudge, caramel toffee, golden syrup, brown sugar, caramel popcorn, and oat biscuits. Palate:  Jam on burnt toast, cinnamon, a little bit spicy.  Also some grandfather tawny, cloves, and some nutmeg. Mouthfeel:  Although fairly lightweight in comparison to the palate and nose; it has a medium weight.  It's also quite dry, and has a slight alcohol tingle. Finish:  Spicy, yet sweet.  The finish is super long, and my mouth jut can't stop watering for a really long time. [divider] This bottling is 95% 15 year old Sulivan's Cove (cask HH593), and 5% 7 year old Lark (cask #644).  It has…
Nose
Palate
Mouthfeel
Finish

Sullivans Cove: Double Cask

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Sullivans Cove Double Cask

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Nose:  Vanilla, honey, winter fruit - pears and apples, nutmeg, and faint notes of citrus, and cinnamon - with a very slight malt smell at the back. Palate:  Creamy malt, honey butter, pears, green grapes, sweet spices, vanilla, and light notes of lemon boiled lollies. Mouthfeel: Creamy yet also juicy, medium weight, slightly warm.  Neither oily nor dry. Finish: Crisp, slightly sweet and spicy, traces of vanilla.  Most of the flavours die down after a not particularly long time, but sweet spices and the vanilla hang around for quite a while.  My mouth keeps watering for the entire time the…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

Nose
Palate
Mouthfeel
Finish