I generally try to avoid outturns at the height of the ‘summer’, but (as you may have surmised from the quotation marks indicating my disdain) it’s mostly been so oddly late-October-like this season that I think we can get away with it. All three of these new drams are pretty summery in their own way too.
So, without further ado…
First up we have an 18-year-old Knockdhu. There’s not a huge amount around from this distillery to start with, but this is their peated variety which is even more of a rare pleasure.
So, on the nose we start on that promised summery note with nectarine, tinned mandarin segments, bits of custard cream and trifle, and honey granola. It’s only after a second you start getting a sense of smouldering charcoal, coal tar and ointment, and an elusive savoury note (what is it? Onion bhaji? Potato rösti? Answers on a postcard please.)
The palate is sweet, creamy, and more directly peaty than you might think from the nose. I find malted vanilla shake, lemon meringue pie, and a general sense of honeyed maltiness. Balancing that are big clouds of peat smoke, touches of herbs and liquorice, and a lightly Laphroaig-y iodine-y medicinal note. The finish is really long and quite chewy.
This is fabulous stuff – squarely in that sort of Ledaig / Laphroaig space, but with its own distinct identity. A fun one to pour blind to a peat-loving friend!
This hogshead produced only 179 bottles at a cask strength of 58.9% and they are available for £115 each
Staying in Speyside, but otherwise a million miles away, we have a 14-year-old Glenburgie. One of the eternal contenders for the ‘most underrated distillery’ list I think.
Proper summer now, on the nose, with Campino strawberry and cream sweets (thanks to Matt and Beck at Hopscotch for pointing this out … now I can’t think of anything else!), some cool green foliage, a little hoppy ale, plus apple, peach and banana.
The palate is surprisingly malty and full-bodied, starting with butter candy with fruit (pineapple, citrus juices and zests, mango), and rosewater breaking through. The balance of richness and zestiness is really enjoyable, and leads into a malty and earthy finish with honey, peaches and a little peppermint in the aftertaste.
Brilliant laid-back summer drinking, this, and also a slightly sad farewell to one of the casks I’ve sat on the longest (I bought this in 2017!). The lady in blue on the label is also dispensing some epic side-eye, which I find quite endearing.
This hogshead produced only 149 bottles at a cask strength of 53.9% and they are available for £75 each.
And last up we have a 10-year-old Campbeltown Blended Malt. This is primarily Glen Scotia with a little bit of Springbank.
The nose starts with milk bottles sweets and sea air! There’s a lovely freshness, with pineapple and melon coming though, plus chalk, little medicinal touches, toffee and wintergreen. There’s a little bit of dirty Campbeltown funk deep down, if you go looking for it, and a bit of light smoke if you add water.
The palate has amazing body and texture: fat, oily, lemony, and coastal. Lemon toffee (is that a thing?), rosemary, hints of tinctures and bandages, leading into a salty finish with a wee bit of peat popping up in the background.
Super-clean, super-evocative and (if I may say) pretty great value for money.
This hogshead produced 323 bottles at a cask strength of 58.0% and they are available for £59.50 each.
And…
…that’s it for now. A diverse and entertaining little trio, I hope you’ll agree!
If you’re instead tempted by something older, I should mention that a discount code that is still in operation: MANNOCHLESS for £5 off the 16-year-old oloroso Mannochmore from the last outturn.
Thanks as ever for your support, and do drop me a line with any questions or queries (no deep philosophical quandaries before noon though, please) or if I can be of assistance in any way. Otherwise I’ll see you back here for the autumn outturn.
Cheers!
David
