Tag: Single Malt

Bruichladdich: Octomore 5.1

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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

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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 6.2

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Bruichladdich Octomore 6.2

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Nose:  Salty peat (dry earthy peat, not at all medicinal), a bit of that flower-bed smell with mulch and bark, fresh charred wood, and sweet citrus notes.  There's also some berry ice cream, and some peppery notes.  Given some time to breath, more fruity notes show themselves, with the earthy notes receding in their wake. Palate:  The salty peat is prominent.  Citrus flavours and sweet berries are fairly big too.  Quite sweet with lots of vanilla, as well as an earthy taste, along with some charred wood and white pepper as well. Mouthfeel: Reasonably thick, although not notably so for…

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 6.3

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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

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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…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 7.2

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Bruichladdich Octomore 7.2

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Nose:  Peat, salty beach water, bran flakes, and mixed berry sorbet.  Also a hint of a wine glass that has been left overnight. Palate:  Quite maritime for an Octomore; salty and hints of iodine.  Quite smoky, and spicy.  Burnt ANZAC biscuits and mixed berry jam. Slight traces of vanilla. Mouthfeel:  Reasonably thick and slightly oily, with a bit of warmth. Finish:  Decent length on the finish.  Dry and spicy, with lots of dried berries - strawberries, raspberries, red currant.  Also a slight hint of chocolate and hazelnuts. [divider] Octomore 7.2 is a 5 year old single malt from Bruichladdich on…
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Bruichladdich: Octomore 7.3

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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

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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

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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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Glen Grant 1960 Gordon & MacPhail

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Glen Grant 1960 Gordon MacPhail

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Nose:  Charred oak, old grapes, celery, and sweet spices.  Quite an unusually sweet nose considering the notes. Palate:  White wine, stewed berries, oak spices, and burnt hot mocha.  Slight traces of fruit lollies and aniseed as it heads to the back of the tongue. Mouthfeel:  Thick and chewy.  Very smooth, and also quite dry.  No burn. Finish:  Dry, very dry.  Grape, and a touch of soot are present; also a slight trace of ethanol - which is a bit odd considering the age. [divider] An earlier release of this bottling got 96 points in Jim Murray's 2014 Bible.  This one…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

I wrote tasting notes for this one a while ago, and never wrote down any marks for it - and at the cost of a bottle of this whisky, I doubt I'll ever drink it again to do so.