Batch 157

Thick and syrupy; you’d be forgiven for thinking this was drained slowly from a jar of molasses. Sticky, sweet and sultry, it’s all prune juice and dates, roasted hazelnuts and marzipan. There’s a meatiness in well-aged PX Sherry and honey roast ham. Delightfully decadent. With a nose like that, I’m nervous that it won’t translate to the palate…

…but it does. Hallelujah. Thick, waxy and meaty with a leathery quality, like swish, new, box-fresh brogues. More prunes and dried figs, raisins and apricots soaked in oloroso and honey. That bitter nuttiness persists in roasted chestnuts and flaked almonds, alongside a dry oakiness that provides backbone. Toward the end there’s a fading sense of dusty old cloth-bound books.

Meaty, dry and lingering.

Sink into this one and savour every mouthful.

Succumb to the Darkness.

A peppery hit on the nose, with a sweet, creamy, butterscotch intensity. The sweetness moves into marshmallows and Haribo hearts, with a hefty sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar, while just a hint of shy fruit emerges as toffee apples and poached pears.

Rather spiritous up front, quite metallic and peppery with a chilli heat, which is overcome by a sweet oiliness in the middle. The heat builds before unexpectedly subsiding into warming. rummy tones – muscovado sugar, molasses, tingly oak spice. The similarity to Appleton Estate 12 is remarkable. Water enables some of those green apple notes to peep through, but you lose some of that delicious rumminess.

Still more rum, a dash of PX, charred oak.

A rum lover’s single grain.

Sipping on an iced tea under a palm tree, watching Three Little Birds go by.

Wonderfully floral, fruity and malty all at the same time – green apple with a hint of rose; citrus zest and malt dust; underripe (green) strawberries and jasmine. It’s a beautiful mess.

Here the three elements untangle and are more discernible, with luscious fruits to the fore – peach, pear, grilled pineapple and apricots. A malty undertone lifts the fruit up, while floral top notes of rose and lavender float above the throng.

Slightly dry, and doesn’t stick around as long as you’d like.

A curious, tangled drop.

Everything All at Once.

A vastly different drop to V&M’s Glentauchers bottling, Cadenhead’s release has a more earthy feel, with notes of cumin and ground coriander seed. All that fruit and fragrance is somewhat hidden away.

The spices translate to the palate, providing a fragrant yet weighted sensation, but here the fruit picks up – it’s cooked this time, richer and more decadent in character with sultanas, raisins, stewed figs and conference pears. Some tannic, dry oak provides support. Water makes things sweeter and enhances the fruitiness.

Dry and medium-length.

Classically Glentauchers, a solid dram.

Tucking into apple pie in your mother’s kitchen, feet firmly on the Ground.

Beautifully rummy and fudgy, with a rich, deep caramel sweetness. It’s brimming with baked goods, including cinnamon cookies, gingerbread and Go Ahead cake bars. There’s still a deep fruitiness in fig jam and stewed apples.

Oily and round, with more stewed Bramley apple, juicy sultanas and spotted dick. This creamy oatiness endures as whisky- and honey-laced porridge, while oak spices add a touch of heat and some grip.

Juicy, but drying towards the end.

An indulgent single grain; pour one with afternoon tea or a luxury brekkie.

Paired with your porridge at Breakfast.

Far more delicate than the Cambus, with more top notes of orange zest and green apple. The caramel is fudgy – soft and melty. A wafer cone heaving with two scoops of ice cream – real vanilla, and rum-and-raisin drizzled with a warm caramel sauce. There’s still some slight prickle from the high abv.

I’d expect it to be spicier, given the strength. Still, the palate is enveloped in cinnamon, cassia and liquorice, with lots of raisins and dried fruit. It becomes cakey – bread-and-butter pudding and an overcooked sponge.

Sweet and long.

The oak can often dominate older grain whiskies, so it’s nice to see that some of Strathclyde’s fruitiness remains.

Sitting on the banks of the Clyde. This is Glasgow.