Tomatin 21yo (55.2%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#1088, 213 Bts., D’01/06/88 B’ 06/05/10)

On the nose it’s quite nice, some heather and oak spice along with vanilla, honey, some scented candle wax. Very clean with no rough edges. Perhaps some creamy buttery notes and some peaches and cream to boot plus some late arrival of malt & freshly cut hay. With time in the glass it opens up and becomes rounder and sweeter. The undiluted taste is not very strong for 55.2% and is quite approachable at cask strength. Lots of the fresh cut hay, malt. Malt dust and lashing of dark chocolate along with the oak spice. Really rather nice… The finish is malty with lots of the dark bitter chocolate sprinkled with the malt dust. A late arrival of some brief citrus moments. The creaminess now arrives to round things out and some good moments from the bourbon.

What a cracker of a Tomatin.

Score 87 points.

Longmorn 20yo (52.8%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#30025, 241 Bts., D’26/02/90 B’09/08/10)

The nose is quite citrusy along with a good dollop of malt, powdered white sugar, red cedar and the slightest hint cinnamon. Time in the glass only adds to the collection of aromas and they pull together very nicely. A little melon (Cantaloupe) and some fruit however in the form of dried raisins. The taste is very gentle (at first) with some really good (& strong) bourbon notes, actually very evocative of the American heritage of the cask, all very good. Very sweet and dry from the oak spice. Sweet and bourbon, with a melon chaser. The finish is gentle and the bourbon influence remains right until the last moments which actually is very long. Latter moments of black pepper, green twig and some chewy malt.

The bourbon is amazingly evident but with the melon and malt is a seductive combination.

Score 86 points

Glen Keith 17yo (59.7%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#120548, 189 Bts., D’01/10/92 B’09/08/10)

The nose is of sour candies, sherbet, banana and honey. Full stop. Some water is called for which at first doesn’t offer much of a change. Some patience and hand warming brings out a little cinnamon toast (unbuttered), some creaminess and lots more of the honey. Nice, nice, nice. Not overly complicated but really good none the less. The taste (diluted) is (now) mellowed by the water and it’s all pulled together really well, some black pepper and some good oak moment (spicy rather than leather and tobacco) but not over doing it. A dusty of the cinnamon adds to the picture. The taste undiluted is almost varnishy and quite aggressive. Banana and tobacco. The finish is quite peppery (surprisingly) and it’s straight as an arrow towing all the other tastes along with it.

Water offers a different dimension and adds some sweetness. It’s much better with the water.

Score 85 points

Glen Garioch 20yo (56%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#5878, 278 Bts., D’07/09/90 B’09/08/10)

Mildly aggressive on the nose leather, tobacco and Oxo right out of the gate, fermenting wash, slightly industrial along with some herbs and fermenting fruit. Nutmeg, most definitely lots of characteristics from the ‘wood’ side of the flavour wheel. Time in the glass brings out some good malt. With water it’s much the same except with the addition of some dusty malt. The undiluted taste is very strong with the leather and tobacco very evident but now with a really good sweetness as well as a very syrupy mouth feel. Very spicy. With water if really opens up and some added sweetness and honey notes are quite welcome but it’s still a very active collection of tastes that work well together. The finish is clean along with some banana and some malt, the leather and tobacco play second fiddle now. After a few minutes some good malt emerges, the finish does not fall apart and lasts a lengthy period of time. The added water brings out some really good malt.

Score 84 points

 Caol Ila 30yo (58.8%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#4679, 157 Bts., D’15/05/80 B’09/08/10)

Very dry and citrusy on the nose with some peat smoke but it is certainly not the predominant characteristic. Sweet warm oranges, brine, light varnish. Very restrained despite the high ABV of 58.8%. The taste is really very good, with loads of Grade A flavour and now suddenly the 58.8% becomes evident; time to beat a hasty retreat and try this with some water. The addition of water does the trick however the peat smoke really takes a back seat to the sweetness of the citrus (think of those oranges) and the dryness from the oak spice. Water naturally tames it some what but adds to the experience and improves it. The finish is very, very long and filled with all sorts of peat characteristics; liquorice, coal smoke, iodine, pipe smoke and sweet pipe tobacco before it’s lit (think of it in the bag). Chewy malt in there at the tail end of the experience.

An excellent dram and it’s worked out rather well.

Score 88 points

Laphroaig 13yo (58%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon/Sherry, C#3329, 307 Bts., D’28/04/97 B’09/08/10)

Some really nice peat smoke on the nose and many, many aggressively toasted items come to mind however there are some ‘green’ moments lurking in the mix. Some juniper and cedar, some hints of sea breeze are also present but so is the peat smoke. Some richness like a really good beef broth only adds to the aromas. Some creamy moments also. The undiluted taste is redolent in fiery peat smoke, lashings and lashing of it followed by the creaminess and then Fry’s cocoa powder and the mouth feel is dry but not overly so. Some tinges of juniper and the other bit of lumber cedar. A little water rounds out the peat smoke and adds in a dimension of coal smoke and now some sweetness. Loads of malt in the finish and again quite dry with more of the cocoa, some good moments of citrus bitter but nothing so much as to make you squint. Deep burnt embers after 10 minutes along with loads of malt.

Quite excellent with or without water.

Score 86 points

Strathmill 18yo (55.9%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#4123, 171 Bts., D’07/10/91 B’09/08/10 (Bottled ay 46%)

Please note this example was bottled at 46% and not 55.9% as per this sample. The undiluted nose shows pears, malt, sugar dusted short bread and some tinned fruit salad. There is also some good oak spice. The taste without water is vibrant, slightly aggressive with some varnish, tobacco, cedar and quite dry in the mouth. With water it naturally is rounder and sweeter showing some really good moments. The finish is cocoa powder (at first) and then it opens to reveal some more of the pears and tobacco (unlit and quite possibly before it was cured). It’s very big in the mouth and has later moments of subtle pineapple.

At 55.9% it needs water so at 46% it most likely just right…

Score 81 points

Aberlour 14yo (56.4% A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#90081, 368 Bts., D’15/02/96 B’09/08/10 (Bottled ay 46%)

Please note this example was bottled at 46% and not 56.4% as per this sample. On the nose it’s very clean (and the palest of all the samples) slightly fragrant but very closed. Still there is some quite pleasant honeyed & hints of black pepper. Time for a little water; now some dusty malt, some good honey (with some hints of flowers in it) but still very narrow in definition. After 5 minutes rest it sweeter and rounder. On the taste it’s much like the nose with water; some really good  sweetness (much like a really good hard candy), dusty malt and honey. Perhaps a little oak spice and some grapefruit to jolly things along and to make it interesting but just a little. The finish is a bit of a surprise with some really good malt that has turned slightly dusty (but still sweet and then a little of the oakiness.

All very good and an interesting Aberlour.

Score 82 points

Banff 34yo (44.1%, A. Dewar Rattray, Bourbon, C#3354, 250 Bts., D’12/11/75 B’09/08/10

A very aged Banff which shows some fantastic old sweetness on the nose and very ‘antique’ which translates into lots good toffeed notes, some really nice barley plus some good influence  form the cask (but not over whelming). Hints of coffee and cocoa. Orange and apricot. All very pleasing and warming. Delightful. The taste is syrupy and very much show the orange and apricots and some good dryness along with some black pepper and toffee; all in all a heady combination that is very, very pleasing. Very rich and redolent. Quite sensational. The cocoa and the coffee (more cocoa than coffee now) are also along for the ride. The finish has some quick moments of juniper, some cedar plank and the other descriptors. The dryness is once again not over whelming but nicely in balance. It holds together very well and for a long time.

What a great dram!

Score 91 points

Visit A. Dewar Rattray at www.dewarrattray.com  (Many thanks to Nick White at A. Dewar Rattary and Jonathan at Purple Valley Imports for the excellent samples).