Batch 109

Immediately attractive, showing some complexity from the off, with light touches of oak mixing with apple syrup, hot bracken, a tiny hint of perfumed soap and light spices. Some more positive (but well-balanced) cask elements come through when water is added, along with ripe pear, elderflower cordial and twist of citrus and those delicate spices.

Unsurprisingly, this has a sweet start and is fairly front-loaded when neat with some fresh apricot, that mix of concentrated apple and pear, and some lively ginger. Has a perky intensity, but without any great heat. Water brings out a big, spicy attack and more rich depth (rich in this case being relative).

Just slightly short in terms of flavour. Flat Lucozade and barley sugar. Light acidity.

Hugely sessionable. Throw away the cork and enjoy with friends. Responsibly.

Romping in the bracken.

Quite fat and lightly oily, with gentle smoke and a hard-to-pin-down green vegetal element (hops? Ransoms? Wild sorrel?) stirred into buttery champ alongside a definite porcine quality – sticky char siu. More blunt than the 1992, with lighter smoke and a return of the gentian-like element. Calms down with water.

Gentle smoke to start, with a caramel toffee note. It relaxes just a little too much in the mid-palate for me, giving a slightly hollow feel. While there’s thickness, there’s not huge flavour development. Gentle vanilla with water.

Then everything picks up again with the porky smoke now coming through more assertively along with oak, ripe berry fruits, then nuttiness and that hop note. Saved by the bell. 

A blend of three peated variants, distilled in Loch Lomond’s swan neck and straight neck stills, aged in recharred and refill American oak. Were it not for that mid-palate hole this would be a belter.

A Chinese doughnut. 

Smoky cereal elements from the off, a mix of a garden bonfire with a vegetal note underneath – buddleia, elder leaves and then some gentian (Suze). A slight medicinal element is there, then smoked brazil nuts. Water brings out more estery elements, with the smoke receding in a very well-mannered fashion.

Big and quite dry smoke to open with. There’s surprising power in here, and peppery, ember-like heat on top of this intriguing mix of dry cereal and green apple (soor plooms). Becomes sweeter towards the back palate with a hint of smoke. Water is needed to give better balance and bring out a soft, lightly creamy element.

Gentle smokiness. Relaxed. Like it. 

Made in the distillery’s straight-neck pot still and aged in refill American oak, here the smoke is an influencer rather than a dominant feature. Well worth a look. 

Smelling smoked rice at St.Monans* on a spring day.
* Yes, I know it’s the wrong coast, but try it and see what I mean.

One of those rummy Invergordons, with full-on tutti-frutti ice cream, mango sorbet and a light lime touch in the background, before muscovado sugar is piled on. You can smell the calories. There’s more overt oakiness with water, lactone notes, char, slightly dry wood and latte.

Fat and rounded; in fact, slightly flabby. The alcohol adds a buzz, alongside custard tarts dusted with cinnamon. Soft and sweet. Water reveals a light distillate in the grip of wood, so leave neat.

Chocolatey and soft when neat, more astringent with water.

Perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

Eating Ben & Jerry’s in the Algarve.

Lifted, and slightly hot. There’s a slight dry edge akin to an ice cream wafer, then lemon posset, along with white florals. Things become increasingly fresh and spring-like, with a touch of cut grass, then tangerine, raspberry. There’s more green edges with water, but everything remains fresh and clean.

Slightly hot, but to start with it adds energy rather than obscuring the flavour, though it slightly dominates the back palate. The floral elements are retained nicely, alongside some sweet spice. Water adds a powdery dryness on the sides, alongside cut flowers and fruit blossom. Rather delicious. 

Blonde tobacco and vanilla.

A wee charmer.

A freshly bathed baby drying in the orchard (what, you don’t do that?).

Clean with a firm underpinning – that steely, glacial quality of Strathclyde on show. Light, not overly obtrusive cask influence. There’re little hints of ripe banana, then pineapple and butterscotch. It retains that slight edge when water is added, along with banana skin.

Fatter than the nose suggests, and initially it’s almost chewy with some citric elements in the centre. Diluted, however, things become more angular, though it’s not as if you weren’t warned. Softens slightly towards the back.

Lightly sweet with some aluminium foil. Steely. 

Though the cask tries its best, it’s unable to unbend what is a pretty rigid spirit.

Moonlight on Glasgow Green; a chib flashes in the dark.