Islay #1 10 Years Old Batch 3
Basic but delicious Islay malt, an oddly unsalted sweet and smoky combo. 84/100
Jura 20 Years Old Batch 5
A rather relaxed old Jura, I’m thinking refill casks here as the spirit still shines through with lime zest, lime pickle and soft coffee notes, coastal salts and barley cereals, Yum yum. 86/100
James E. Pepper 4 Years Old Rye Batch 3
Quite spicy Rye as you’d expect but also a nice cake-y sweet & malty feel to it, I was surprised to discover this was ale-cask finished after tasting it – so very well integrated cask-finish here. 83/100
Teaninich 10 Years Old Batch 3
A very sweet and dessert-like expression from Teaninich, still a touch spirity and feisty but this adds a little interest to the palate and to the overall enjoyment. 82/100
Hinch Craft & Casks Imperial Stout Finish
My favourite from the tasting. The Imperial Stout casks have generated not only chocolate and coffee notes but also fruit and some herbal notes too. 84/100
Hinch Craft & Casks Rye Export Stout Finish
Another interesting and very different beer-cask finish from Hinch. The Rye Export Stout has imbued some earthy dark chocolate and coffee notes. 82/100
Hinch Craft & Casks Irish Red Rye Finish
Another interesting and very different beer-cask finish from Hinch. The Red Rye casks introduce some zesty and spicy elements but also highlight plenty of cereal nature of the base blend. 83/100
Hinch New Make Spirit
Plenty of character and a well structured new make. A promising base spirit for experimenting with maturation and beer cask finishing.
Balblair 7 Years Old Batch 1
Entertaining, nice sweet and herbal quality, very volatile in the glass, phenolic – that touch of peat is very present and prominent. Green fruits and waxy pine and herb leaves. 83/100
Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2011
Quite smooth, fruity and vanilla led, perhaps the cask influence at 10 years is just starting to make its presence felt against that thick and unctuous mealy cereal nature from the Bere. 85/100