Batch 74

Gently restrained with aromas of hay loft/horse stable, then baked pineapple and, amazingly, a little heat. This is followed by whiffs of fresh blonde tobacco, flowers and fruit. There’s a dry undertow. Water brings out windfall apples and cider press.

Quite peppery and intense to start, with just a hint of drying oak, then mature elements such as vetiver and a little ink. That dry element is always there, adding a certain intrigue. Water helps the petrichor aromas to develop more fully and releases more sweetness and cinnamon accents, pushing the dryness backwards. Gentle and subtle.

Lightly spiced, sandalwood and a pleasing dustiness.

Mature, scented, subtle… and dry. I like it a lot.

Horse flanks twitch in the high meadow grass.

Big and concentrated. There’s blueberries steeped in maple syrup, marmalade, strawberry jam and toffee, followed by cedar and baked peach. This heavy, fruity element begins to shift towards black Jelly Babies and then, out of the thick sweetness, the malt glances out, making things reminiscent of a mild ale (Harvey’s Old, to be specific). Water makes things slightly less well defined, but actually headier, date-like and ‘Moscatelly’ [Are you sure that’s a word? – Ed].

Well structured with fine tannins. If the nose is all about fruit, then there’s more obvious oak on the tongue. It remains thick and is now slightly hot. There are overripe black fruits, dried cherry and then Black Forest gâteau. Tannins are coated in plum skin. Cherry stone and marzipan with water.

Moscatel depth and fragrance. 

Finished in Portuguese Moscatel casks, this is a huge dessert whisky for those who like things thick and sweet. 

An indulgent Sunday brunch.

This shows the most overt and classically mature notes of this bunch of whiskies: deep, Sherried funk with added moist fruit cake, some hard cheese, gingerbread and molasses. In time, there’s pruneaux à l’Armagnac (prunes in Armagnac) and bitter chocolate. Autumn woods/leaf mulch. Magnificent.

Muscular, yet syrupy, with added scented woods. Then come waves of GlenDronach’s Gothic, earthy power accented by coal smoke towards the finish. The deep, rich dark fruits of the nose now have added fig and liquorice to their bulk. Water does bring out more of the grip, but not in such a way as to affect the silken power. 

Leathery and long.

A classically framed, mature Sherried malt. What’s not to love?

A huge Wagnerian edifice.

Big (there’s a theme this week) and deliciously decadent. A top-end shoe maker, accompanied by sealing wax, damson, blackberry, hedgerow jam and then a touch of East India Sherry and Christmas pudding. In time, it begins to head towards a beeswax, Borderies Cognac-like rancio. Water doesn’t affect things negatively – it remains deep, sweet and rich.

This is slightly lighter than you’d expect from such a sumptuous nose. It’s more grippy too, with Assam tea tannins, a hint of dried lavender, then chocolate and fruit leather. Water softens the tannins, re-energising those riper and more powerfully fruited elements. 

Dense and sweet.

Once again, a Sherry hoggie delivers. While the palate struggles slightly to keep up with the fantastic nose, this is one whisky well worth seeking out. 

Sipping on a Sherry in Lobb’s workshop.

Bold, juicy and sweet, with bruised soft fruits, walnut, chestnut honey, sweet sloes and masses of toffee. With water, some polished oak. Rich and appealing.

Big Sherry impact with touches of walnut skin bitterness adding a certain grip, and while it is slightly less sweet (and hotter) than the nose, there’s plenty of treacle toffee. Water shakes the tannins out, but the main activity remains in the centre and back. Sweet, rich, long and some berry fruits. 

Nuts and gentian.

Batch 001 was one of my top drams of last year, both in terms of quality and price. This is in the same vein. A full-bodied dram for a winter’s hip flask.

Stumping into the snow with a hum in my head.

Refined and discreetly elegant, with peppery olive oil and some blanched almonds, which adds just a light hint of cereal, then some pot-pourri, apple and dried pear. Sweet, yet with a firm underpinning.

Very spicy, with some light oak and that dry nuttiness. Fine-boned and a little angular when neat. Water is needed to bring out lemon, hay, orgeat, flowers and a return to the mixed fruit orchard.

Hint of vanilla.

Well balanced, quite delicate. Well worth a punt.

Tilda Swinton slowly smiles.