Nc'nean Cask Strength NAS OB 70cl 59% ABV
Batch CS / MN21
Distilled 06.2020 (and earlier), bottled 06.2024
55% STR Red Wine casks, 43% American Whiskey casks, 2% Oloroso Sherry casks
5,021 bottles



Color: amber.
Nose: dates, eraser, sugar-coated cranberries, clay, marzipan, cherries, caramel, clove, rye bread, white pepper, lemons, wood shavings, tobacco, strawberries. The wine cask influence is prominent. With water: chocolate and herbs.
Taste: prunes, apples, ginger, figs, pepper, peaches, lemons, oak cask, nutmeg, apricots, cocoa, orange zest. Syrupy and spicy. With water: chalk, mint, and strawberry jam; the sweetness lingers.
Finish: figs, honey, lemons, apricots, dark chocolate, cocoa, pepper, pears, peaches, tobacco.
Score: 8 ½. Good. +2+1+1.

Conclusion: I like whisky matured in wine casks in general, though here they speak a bit too loudly. The nose is lovely, but the taste leans too sweet for me. The malt also feels quite young. Still, it's not a bad whisky. 84/100. My 5th Nc'nean tasted.

Wolfburn 9YO OB for ImpEx Beverages Inc 70cl 56.9% ABV
Single Cask Bottling series
Distilled 05.2015, bottled 05.2024
Cask type: ex-Bourbon
Cask no. 2015 # 430



Color: golden.
Nose: light smoke, barley, apples, damp newspaper, wax, vanilla, anise, sardines in oil, pine needles, peat, blackcurrants, black peppercorns, burnt wood, vanilla, oilcloth, chocolate, peaches. Great but takes time to open up.
Taste: toffee, a touch of smoke, peat, lemons, milk chocolate, honey, apples, blackcurrants, pepper, salt.
Finish: apples, peaches, chocolate, lemons, salt, peat, pepper, mint. Somewhat hot.
Score: 8 ½. Good. +2+1+1.

Conclusion: my first Wolfburn with a strong ABV, and it feels noticeably better than the diluted 10-year-old they released in 2023. A good malt, but they must do better. 85/100. From 2013 until 2022, Wolfburn was the northernmost whisky producer on the Scottish mainland, before that title passed to the curiously named 8 Doors, which has yet to release a 3-year-old spirit. As noted on their website, Wolfburn distillery has no automation and from milling through to bottling everything is done on-site by hand with care and attention.

Edradour 12YO OB 70cl 46% ABV
Dougie MacLean's Caledonia selection
Matured in Bourbon casks with an Oloroso finish of 4-5 years
Time code L24/258 06.09.24

Color: dark brown. Natural, as reported on the label.
Nose: chocolate, plenty of cherries, eraser, fragrant herbs, cocoa, shoe polish, lacquer, vanilla, pine sap, raisins, cinnamon, dates, figs, charcoal, leather, caramel, soy sauce, a touch of sulphur.
Taste: cherries, nuts, dark chocolate, cherry cola, blackcurrants, raspberries, barberry tartness, tea, mint, pepper, salt. Impressive, but a bit watery.
Finish: cherries, chocolate, sweet tea, lemons, pepper, cola, mint, oak, a hint of salt.
Score: 8 ½. Good. +2+1+1.

Conclusion: a sherry monster with an impressive color and wonderfully pervasive cherry notes. Surprisingly pleasant and not overly sweet, though it leans heavily on the sherry influence. I'm quite satisfied with the taste, not just the aroma. This is the kind of malt you could keep in your bar on a permanent basis. 86/100. My fifth Edradour overall, they are fun.

Pulteney 13YO Signatory Vintage 75cl 56.2% ABV
Cask Strength Collection
Distilled May 27, 2008; bottled March 17, 2022
Initially matured in refill bourbon barrels, finished in a fresh Sherry butt for 44 months
Cask no: 22
Bottle 102 / 635 (different number on the stock photo)

Color: dark amber. Beautiful.
Nose: red apples, paint thinner, eraser, bread, marzipan, roasted nuts, nectarines, sea breeze, freshly ground black pepper, tea, clove, buckwheat, meadow herbs, dates, resin, ash, persimmons, milk chocolate, strawberries, lemons. Quite complex and impressive, maybe even a bit too much going on here. With water: apricots, raspberries, hints of tar.
Taste: red apples, redcurrants, lemons, apricots, chocolate cake, a hint of iodine, peaches, salt, pepper, resin, oak. Not overly sweet, drinks very well. With water: raspberries, more sweetness and oak.
Finish: iodine, red apples, apricots, salt, more noticeable pepper, lemons, chocolate cake, creamy notes, oak. A bit hot, water does not help much.
Score: 8 ¾. Better than good. +2+2+1.

Conclusion: a surprisingly pleasant malt with plenty of fruity and berry notes, much better than Pulteney's official diluted expressions tasted. Nearly four years in a sherry cask have clearly made an impact, but the spicy and maritime base remains noticeable as well. The whisky becomes a bit more berry-forward with water, though whether it improves the dram is debatable. Either way, I'm quite satisfied with this Pulteney. 87/100. A fine way to close the series of three Signatory's decanter bottles I bought earlier this year.

Ben Nevis 21YO Blackadder 70cl 46.4% ABV
Ingelred series
Distilled 10.2001, bottled 04.2023
Initially aged for 10 years in a Bourbon cask, and then matured in a Californian Red Wine cask for an additional 11 years
Cask no. 1300
Bottle 18 / 210 (different number on the stock photo)


Color: amber with a reddish tint.
Nose: apricots, eraser, a touch of lacquer, caramel, freshly cut grass, tar soap, chocolate-covered marshmallows, clay, damp wood, strawberries, blackberries, cloves, pomegranates, cherries, and lemons. Opens up slowly, but is very good.
Taste: chocolate, raisins, melon, salt, plums, a bit of pepper, apricots, peaches, vanilla ice cream, and cinnamon. Very smooth. Somewhat sweet and slightly lacking in ABV, but the salt notes are remarkable.
Finish: dried apricots, mint chocolate, a bit of pepper, salt, herbs, plums, marzipan, and lemons.
Score: 9. Between good and excellent. +2+2+2.

Conclusion: eleven extra years in a wine cask paid off beautifully. An excellent malt, though it falls a little short of the younger Ingelred 17-year bourbon cask tasted just before. 90/100. My 40th Ben Nevis.

Ben Nevis 14YO Blackadder 70cl 62.2% ABV
Ingelred series
Distilled 01.2008, bottled 04.2022
Cask type: First-Fill Bourbon
Cask no. 186
Bottle 45 / 215 (different number on the stock photo)



Color: golden.
Nose: bananas, apples, ground black pepper, persimmons, tar soap, vanilla, slightly rotten wood, honey shortbread cake, celery stalk, violet flowers, and cinnamon. With water: herbs, eraser, chalk, wax, mint, freshly ironed linen, engine oil, pencil shavings, cookies, and very distant smoke.
Taste: pears, candies, lemons, grapefruits, cocoa, chocolate, mint gingerbread, grassy notes, chalk, and apricots. The fruity sweetness is pleasant and well-perceived. The strength is noticeable; with water, the whisky turns softer, with melon notes appearing.
Finish: apricots, pepper, chocolate, mint gingerbread, woody bitterness, pears, and cranberries. With water: melons, cocoa.
Score: 8 ¾. Better than good. +2+2+1. (Without water: +1+2+1.)

Conclusion: a powerful bourbon malt with serious ABV, one that reveals itself over time, improved by adding a few drops of water. Without them, the aroma appears somewhat underwhelming. With them, the taste, though good neat, feels clearer and softer. 87/100. Only a point better than a much younger malt, but there the peat was fundamental, giving whisky a significant boost. My second Ben Nevis from the great Blackadder's Ingelred series, with two more waiting to be tasted.

Nc'nean 5YO That Boutique-y Whisky Company 50cl 60.1% ABV
TBWC at the Movies series
Batch 4
Cask type: STR Red Wine
455 bottles
Sample


Color: amber with a reddish hue.
Nose: plums, tobacco, strawberries, shortbread cake, cherries, rose pepper, dates, hay, pomegranates, clay, honey, caramel, churchkhela, herbs, marzipan, blackcurrant jam, apples.
Taste: strawberries, plums, cherries, red currants, pepper, dark chocolate, lemons, cocoa, orange zest. Lovely berry sweetness and tanginess — delightful!
Finish: plums, cherries, pepper, lemons, dark chocolate, peaches, cocoa.
Score: 8 ¾. Better than good. +2+2+1.

Conclusion: my fourth Nc'nean overall and the first one from an independent bottler. The STR red wine cask did an excellent job, adding wonderful berry notes. 87/100. I'll definitely continue to keep an eye on this young Highland distillery!

Ardnamurchan AD/Sherry Cask Release NAS OB 70cl 50% ABV
Distilled 2018 & 2019, bottled September 3, 2024
A mix of 19 Oloroso butts and 2 Pedro Ximénez butts (8 unpeated and 13 peated)
Bottle 10/1,600 (exclusive to the American market, from a total release of 21,000)



Color: mahogany. Absolutely stunning.
Nose: smoke, chocolate-covered nuts, raisins, lacquer, peaches, figs, dates, damp newspaper, soy sauce, caramel, peat, a hint of rubber, tobacco, tea leaves, cherries, and mint. A lot of unmistakably typical sherry notes, yet they take their time to emerge, starting off muted and only unfolding with time.
Taste: cherries, peat, chocolate, cocoa, nuts, pepper, licorice, sea salt, vanilla ice cream, and lemon zest. Not overly sweet, with beautifully balanced salty, maritime accents.
Finish: cherries, peat, honey, more pepper, salted caramel, chocolate, and cocoa.
Score: 8 ½. Good. +1+2+1.

Conclusion: a pleasantly enjoyable malt with well-integrated sherry influence. Keeping the proportion of PX casks to about 10% was a wise choice, ensuring the sweetness doesn't overwhelm the balance. The aroma, however, remains somewhat weak, though I'll still bump the total score up to 86/100. Unfortunately, their usually reliable QR code fell short this time, failing to provide full details on my bottle. The cask data above is based on the European release. This batch is often mistaken for the previous Ardnamurchan sherry edition from 2023, which included slightly more casks but yielded significantly fewer bottles — a direct result of that mix containing smaller hogsheads.

Macduff 10YO Cadenhead's 75cl 46% ABV
Original Collection series
Distilled 2013, bottled January 22, 2024
Matured in Bourbon and Oloroso casks



Color: dark amber.
Nose: dates, marmalade, polished wood, brown sugar, nuts, blood oranges, freshly ground black pepper, a box of chocolate truffles, green and baked apples, cinnamon, cherry cola, vanilla, marzipan, nougat, and unripe pears.
Taste: oranges, dark chocolate, green apples, mint, pepper, a touch of oiliness, cocoa, cinnamon, almonds, sunflower seeds, and oatmeal cookies. Quite sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.
Finish: dark chocolate, almonds, honey, vanilla ice cream, mint, pepper, baked apples, and cocoa.
Score: 8 ½. Good. +2+1+1.

Conclusion: a Highland malt with plenty of depth and intriguing nuances. The cask influence is well-integrated, balancing sherry and bourbon elements while allowing the malt's character to come through. Gains an extra point for its flavor complexity, though it leans slightly sweeter than my ideal profile. 86/100. Only my third Macduff and the first one since April 30, 2014.

Ben Nevis 11YO Cadenhead's 75cl 46% ABV
Original Collection series
Distilled 2012, bottled 2024
Bottle code 24/161



Цвет: светло-золотой.
Аромат: полугар, ванильно-шоколадное мороженое, тмин, анис, квашеная капуста, печёные яблоки, леденцы, хлебный мякиш, цедра апельсина, резаная трава, тёплый круассан с шоколадом, корица, консервированный ананас, жареные бананы, сливы, карандашный грифель, чуть резины. Подробный, несколько фанки, что привычно и очень хорошо.
Вкус: шоколадное мороженое, мюсли, перец, ваниль, печёные яблоки, крыжовник, лимоны, красная смородина. Зачётный, но не хватает крепости.
Послевкусие: перец, ваниль, шоколад, яблоки, киви, лимоны, красная смородина, чуть соли, кофе.
Оценка: 8 ½. Хорошо. +2+1+1.

Вывод: разбавленный бурбонный молт в стильном каденхедовском стекле. В последнее время стращали, что негоциантских Бен Невисов будет всё меньше и меньше из-за политики японского владельца дистиллерии, поэтому решился, хотя и не без колебаний, взять очень даже недешёвую бутылку этого виски. Его аромат начинается удивительно забавными полугарными нотками, вкус симпатичный, хотя и несложный, в сумме выходит на уверенное "хорошо", но не более того. 85/100. Неплохие бочки достались негоцианту, их количество в замесе не сообщается.