Tag: Unpeated

Black Gate: BG047 – Cask Strength

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Black Gate BG047 - Cask Strength

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Nose: Quite sweet - lots of candied strawberries and Iced Vovos. Palate: Not as sweet as the nose would suggest; with some spices coming in. Berry pannacotta with cream and sour cherries. Mouthfeel: Super thick, and quite oily. A little bit of alcohol burn. Finish: The sweetness from the nose is back again. Dried berries and sweet desert spices. This one has a medium-long finish. Bottled exclusively for the Whisky Freedom / NTD 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 67% ABV…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Without a doubt. A superb whisky.

Craft Works: Rage

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Craft Works Rage

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Nose: Sweet and spicy. Loads of red berries with hints of herbs and pepper. Just a touch of nougat and red wine jelly. The nose comes out of the bottle hitting you like a sledgehammer. Palate: If the nose was sweet and spicy, the palate is spicy and sweet - loads of herbs and pepper, a touch of chilli, and some liquorice. Then comes the fruit - loads of raspberries, cherries, and blackberries, with a sweet malt and brown sugar note hanging in there somewhere too. Mouthfeel: Thick and oily. Finish: This finish is quite long, and full of flavour.…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Definitely. It's intriguing well past the last drop in the glass.

Craft Works: The Capertee Cellar Door Release #2

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Craft Works The Capertee 2

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Nose: Quite green. Lots of fresh malt and barley. Milk Arrowroot biscuits, a touch of honeydew melon, and just a hint of lemon icing. Palate: To be honest, I'm having a little trouble nailing down the palate on this one. There's no doubt this is still a very young whisky, but once you get past the green notes of malted barley; there's quite a lot going on here. The melon from the nose is still here. Along with the lemon icing, grapes, and a touch of mandarin. It is also a little bit herbal - and with a bit of…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Absolutely. Although not a whisky you're likely to reach for every night, this is hopefully an example of some amazing things to come from a young distillery.

Craft Works: Tokay Okay

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Craft Works Tokay Okay

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Nose: Christmas Cake. In. A. Bottle. Fortified wine. Sultanas. Glazed oranges. Caramelised sugar. Rich moist cake. Palate: Still a touch green - with notes of white wine up front. After that though, there's sultanas, icing sugar, and glazed oranges. Hints of chocolate oranges as well. Almost a slight rum profile as it heads to the back of the tongue. A little bit pepper - but just a touch. Mouthfeel: Thick and oily. With just the slightest tingle. Finish: Warming. Raisins, marmalade, and burnt sugar. A little bit of oak spice, but still quite sweet. Really long. The raisins and marmalade…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Without a doubt. Whilst still young, this whisky is just plain delicious - and the finish; oh my!

The Irishman: Founder’s Reserve

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The Irishman Founder's Reserve

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Nose: Fresh mown lawn, green apples, fresh grapes, star-fruit, and just a hint of cloves and uncut Kiwi-fruit. Mouthfeel: Mid-weight, with a touch of zing. A little oily, with no creaminess. Perhaps just a touch too sharp. Palate: The palate pretty much is exactly what you'd expect from the nose - taking the fruits and spices, and replacing the grass with some pot still spice, and raw cocoa. Hints of toffee and vanilla as it heads to the back of the tongue. Finish: The finish on this is huge. It lasts for an eternity. Cycling between pot still spice, oak…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Probably. Although I'm not sure it is worth buying over some of the other Irishman and Writer's Tears releases - which are just amazing.

Bruichladdich: Islay Barley 2004 – Feis Ile 2010 Bottling

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Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2004 for Feis Ile 2010

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Nose:  Burnt sugar, raisins, dried red berries, vanilla, and burnt fruit cake. Palate:  Both sweet and sour.  Pretty much the same as the nose - definitely heavy on the berries and vanilla.  Also quite a solid malty creaminess enveloping the other flavours. Mouthfeel:  Mid-heavy weight, dry, creamy, with an alcoholic tingle right on the tip of the tongue. Finish:  Pretty long.  Some heat from the higher than average alcohol.  Not as sweet as the palate - some dried cake at the back of the throat.  The finish doesn't last a long time, but the impression the whisky leaves behind lasts…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Absolutely. This is a stunning whisky made even more desirable by its rarity.

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.

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

Glenfiddich: IPA

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Glenfiddich IPA

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Nose:  A fresh winter fruit salad of mixed apples, pears, and grapes, with a side serving of milk arrowroot biscuits and some subtle sweet spices. Palate: The winter fruit and malty biscuits come through from the nose, now joined by citrus zests - more lemon and lime than orange.  Also joining the nose is a decent serve of hops - soft and sweet, but with a slight tang; even a touch floral perhaps.  A hint of vanilla also creeps into the palate. Mouthfeel: Not the thickest whisky I've ever had, but a decent heft is present nonetheless.  A touch creamy…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

Nose
Palate
Mouthfeel
Finish

William Grant & Sons: Rare Cask Reserves – Cruinnich

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William Grant Cruinich 21

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Nose:  Grape juice, pears, oak, vanilla fudge, brown sugar, and faint notes of paint thinner. Palate:  Heavy on the oak flavours - quite woody up front, and full of oak spices at the back end.  Pretty sweet, with some slight fruity salad notes.  Hints of vanilla fudge or cake icing. Mouthfeel:  Fairly light and mellow.  Very dry.  There is no burn at all.  Lacking any significan body for a whisky of its age. Finish:  Oak spices, and (very) faint traces of vanilla.  The finish is so short it is practically non-existent. Balance:  This whisky is pretty consistent all the way…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

Nose
Palate
Mouthfeel
Finish
Balance