Cask No. 30.86                       $175        

Tutti Frutti, sweet and juicy

Speyside, Spey

From the first nose the panel found this oozing with ripe peach, mango and pineapple set against more earthy notes of a garden shed lined with freshly cut rush matting. The panel found intensely sweet cherries in syrup and fresh raspberries in Bakewell tart, followed by Peach Melba with vanilla ice cream. The texture was slightly effervescent with a pithy bite but this softened with water. It opened the door of a greenhouse with freshly cut lilies. An abundance of sweetness burst forth with spiced pineapple chunks and an explosion of tutti frutti cup cakes. ‘Mouthwateringly delicious!’

Drinking tip: A tea party dram

Colour: Titanic bullion

Cask: Refill barrel

Age: 21 years

Date distilled: June 1993

Alcohol: 50.3%

USA allocation: 128 bottles

Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla

 

Cask No. 72.43                       $105  

Bunsen burner and burnt capacitors

Speyside, Lossie

There was smoke in the air; slightly burnt buttered toast or ginger biscuits, smoked apple pie and smoked mackerel risotto but also burnt capacitors, a fuel spill and a distant struck match – could this possibly be a lethal combination! Let’s try it; the struck match was for a Bunsen burner to scorch a crème caramel, some runny egg yolk still in a bowl nearby, but also to start the barbeque with some firelighters. Water defused the situation; toffee popcorn, chocolate dipped cherries, Reese’s peanut butter cups and in the taste slightly burnt sweet fruit quiche and potato wedges with a roasted garlic dip.

Drinking tip: For those heated moments

Colour: Toffee apple

Cask: First-fill white wine hogshead

Age: 10 years

Date distilled: September 2004

Alcohol: 59.8%

USA allocation: 95 bottles

Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits

 

Cask No. 1.185                       $240   

Russian, Jamaican, Turkish, Thai

Speyside, Spey

Opulent and elegant, the nose wove a textured fabric of sweetness (tablet, butterscotch, caramel, manuka honey, dark chocolate, peanut brittle) shot through by threads of garden exotics, tobacco leaf, sandalwood, After Eights and soft leather. The palate combined effervescent citric tingles with treacle toffee and old oak – Cossack-dancing Russian caramels smoked cigars while Jamaican gingerbread men limbo-danced on polished floors. The reduced nose evoked Botanic Gardens, posh Kensington cabinet makers, mint and lemon Turkish Delight and Thai spice. The palate – sweetly sophisticated with citric élan – strawberry, blackcurrant and lemon Fruit Polos, ginger snaps and tobacco – a Marypark marvel worth savouring.

Drinking tip: A captivating after-dinner dram (preferably on a large yacht).

Colour: Aztec gold

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 30 years

Date distilled: May 1984

Alcohol: 54.4%

USA allocation: 120 bottles

Flavour profile: Old & dignified

Cask No. 44.63                               $140

Zesty, zingy and alive

Speyside, Spey

The nose was attractively light, citric and biscuity (vanilla, iced gems, crème Anglaise, cherry cola, stewed apricots); some panellists detected deeper notes of sawdust, pepper and earthy elements. With water it seemed even fresher, softer and sweeter – almost floral now (rainbow drops, Dolly mixtures, lemon Edinburgh rock, honeycomb, pear orchards and grass). The palate core contained a pleasant sweetness, but with a zesty side – lemon Creamola Foam, strawberry compote, sherbet, sweet pear and sweet chilli sauce. Green grass and laundry suggested freshness and the mouth-feel was youthful, zingy and lively; acceptable chilli heat and some citric bitterness dried out the finish.

Drinking tip: A picnic aperitif dram

Colour: Pale straw

Cask: Refill butt

Age: 15 years

Date distilled: August 1999

Alcohol: 55.4%

USA allocation: 138 bottles

Flavour profile: Light & delicate

 

Cask No. 29.158                     $135

The Smoking Gun

Islay

Initially a rich, soft, sweet peat smoke followed by aromas of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, crème caramel and caramelized brown sugar. Also noted was Prosciutto dry cured ham and that of a well-used leather saddle. The taste was that of hickory smoked almonds and cashew nuts and a tussle between honey sweetness and peat smoke like preparing a ‘Smoked Old Fashioned’ using a smoking gun. With water we all moved to the fish market by the sea; tarry ropes, fish boxes and salted codfish on the nose and flavours of peat smoked salmon and haddock – probably not infused by a smoking gun.

Drinking tip: Chilling out with friends

Colour: Chestnut

Cask: Refill butt

Age: 14 years

Date distilled: April 2000

Alcohol: 61.7%

USA allocation: 90 bottles

Flavour profile: Peated

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