Batch 84

A nutty aroma, stirring together draff and Bran Flakes, with a twist of pencil shavings. A slightly dry opening, but there is some concentrated fruit: old apples and a little orange maintaining some lift. In time, some proving wholemeal bread and a move towards the sweeter end of the spectrum helped by more cask influence. With water, sweeter bread (though not sweetbread) and hazelnut butter. 

There’s a reversal of the nose. Here, sweetness has the upper hand; there’s enough from the casks to give that sweetness along with a creamy element, and some roasting barley/dry-roasted spice, a tiny touch of chocolate and good mid-palate sweetness. Becomes slightly heavier with water. 

Now dryness returns.

Exclusive to Royal Mile Whiskies/Drinkmonger, this is a vatting of three first-fill Bourbon casks and they’ve done their job well. A great everyday dram at a keen price. Recommended. 

A baker’s mid-morning break. 

Sweet and polished, with a glossy aspect. This is the other side of malty to Dailuaine (see further down). None of the cereal, this is malt extract and meaty, but also with some gentle sweet red fruits. Water brings out a Garnacha-like depth, along with honey and treacle. All of this is distillate-driven rather than cask, so it’s never heavy and oaken.

Big, quite velvety in texture, which balances those malty depths with increased black fruits and light burlap. Very much mid-palate-focused with some dried fruits sneaking in at the end.

Touches of Sherry cask.

A great and well-priced introduction to Blair Athol. Once again it’s exclusive to Royal Mile Whiskies/Drinkmonger.

Sunday afternoon tea – Soreen malt loaf, thick with butter and blackcurrant jam.

Sea spume, mineral and (Hebridean) salt elements to kick off with, before green bonfire and grassiness come through. A note of cockles in pickling brine and winkles, while in time – and with a dash of water – you pick up more cool pineapple and a sweeter side.

Almost hay-like and utterly fresh, with a little stoniness: sea-washed pebbles (and yes, dear reader, I have sucked them). There’s just sufficient oils to soften the mid-palate, which smooths out what could otherwise be too austere. Water brings the sun out but if you prefer things brisk, then keep things neat.

Zingy and spritzy.

Caol Ila in windswept and interesting form. A single cask for under £50? Form a queue outside. Again, a Royal Mile Whiskies/Drinkmonger exclusive.

Head down, walking into the wind on a cold beach.

Good to see Dailuaine in this guise. It has indications of richness from the off, though it is slightly numb. A light polished brass note along with some berries, and a touch of dry coconut.

The complexities begin to show their hand more clearly. There’s real fruity substance now alongside light oils. Chewy with a ferny backdrop and a whiff of cereal retronasally. It remains slightly enigmatic until water is added, which pulls out more soft creamy elements from the (first-fill) oak alongside toffee, but there is the sense of this slightly grumpy power behind. There’s also a touch of sweet turned earth.

Good persistence with a little meat.

Rounded and rewarding. Four drams, A-D. Is James Eadie simply going through the alphabet? This is also mongered by Royal Mile.

Ivor the Engine, freshly buffed, headed off through the hills. 

Light. There’s a sweet seaweed/samphire thing going on, and rather than iodine there is some neoprene, then light Chinese green tea and freshly sawn wood, at which point the smoke clears and cereal crunches through. The phenolic elements return, but only lightly, with Savlon ointment, camphor, benzoin and Olbas oil. Becomes increasingly wooded as the distillery slides away. Water doesn’t help.

Light, thin and dilute from the off. OK, there’s some smoke, but you don’t want ‘some smoke’ with Laphroaig. In fact, there’s actually more nuttiness. Water shows it to be a bit of a wimp with a dry element of burning sticks and pepper.

Light.

A lack of mid-palate drive and low in impact, this is not what Laphroaig should be about. Instead of being proudly divisive this is a compromise. Disappointing.

Gingerly picking your way around a peat bog in stilettos. 

It’s light and sweet: glazed doughnuts, raspberry chocolate bars, but with the airiness of fresh spirit. You pick up some pink peppercorn and (diluted) pomegranate juice in time. There’s a green edge alongside the plump and slightly ponderous effect, which wine casks often bring. Water gives more smoke and some yeast.

There’s much more coherence in the mouth as the smoke begins to participate more, along with some added spice. More of the chocolate and cherry, and – if light – the wine casks seem better controlled and begin to fuse with the spirit. Decent balance if not hugely complex.

Soft light fruits.

I wasn’t convinced (at all) about the First Edition, but this shows more character with the elements beginning to work together. 

As the kids gorged themselves on sugar, the parents knocked back more wine.