Over the bar: What’s new in February

This is a list of new whiskies selected, tasted and released weekly by our passionate team. We put around 10 whiskies on the bar each week, so our menu is forever changing and evolving and includes a broad selection of new, vintage and independently bottled whiskies.

Here we bring you our tasting notes, and we hope they’ll inspire you to explore the world of whisky further, and give you some great ideas about what to look for the next time you visit the bar.

 

1. Canadian Club 1968 distillate Canada ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Felt tip markets, spearmint leaves, mango, watermelon and apple candies. Apple and blackcurrant juice, flint, iron, and sheet metal rye character.

2. Cragganmore 14 year old distilled 1971 bottled 1985 Gordon and MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 40% Speyside ★★★★☆–
Tasting Notes: Hershey’s chocolate, condensed milk and overripe plum is followed by a little old bottle character. Salted caramel milkshake, cloves and sherry.

3. Glen Moray Cider Cask, Speyside ★★★★☆–
Tasting Notes: Browning apples and unfiltered calvados! Creamy, malt rich with marshmallows. An extremely fragrant whisky!

4. Clynelish 12 year old Marsala cask finish bottled 2008 by Wilson and Morgan 46%, Highlands ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Fried onions, old sherry and sour plums on the nose. Salty, purple fruits, orange oil and curry. Soy sauce on the finish with bright fruits.

5. Clynelish 18 year old Tokaji cask finish bottled 2015 by Wilson and Morgan 53.3%, Highlands ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: On the nose strawberry rollups, granny smith apples, neapolitan ice-cream and rancio for days! A coconut and apricot palate takes you on a rollercoaster ride of flavour with a waxy finish.

6. Starward Ginger Beer Cask #4 48%, Melbourne ★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Smells and tastes like ginger wine. Thai green curry, old knitted clothes with a finish of very fatty full cream ice-cream.

7. Mortlach 25 year old by Cadenhead 56.8%, Speyside ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Hickory brisket and HP sauce. New Doc Martins, toasted oak, chocolate hot cross buns and mushrooms. Chewy brown bread, very meaty and dense chocolate muffins.

8. Springbank 12 year old finished in Claret wood 54.4%, Campbeltown ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Paprika! Red currant jam, balsamic vinegar, wine jus and cherry starburst. Flinty peat, blue cheese and farmyard pate.

9. Old Pulteney 1989 lightly peated 46%, Highlands ★★★★★–
Tasting Notes: Apple strudel, lemon cream and roast thyme chicken. Beautiful balance of cream and floral fruitiness finishes with mineral green salts. A fantastic whisky!

10. Caol Ila 13 year old distilled 2004 Hermitage finish by Gordon and Macphail 46%, Islay ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Cheese and bacon balls, bresaola and mac n cheese powder. This is a comfort whisky loaded with all the charcuterie with a hit of jarred peppers.

11. Port Charlotte 2007 CC:01 57.8%, Islay ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Mandarins, tangerines, vintage cheddar, Twisties and grapefruit marmalade. Soya crisps, rice and seaweed crackers – needs water.

*On pour at Whisky & Alement from Wed 6 Feb 2019

12. Craigellachie 17 year old Batch Number 98-ZC21 46%, Speyside ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Rock melon, charred pineapple, beeswax and apple custard.

13. Glenglassaugh Revival 46%, Highlands ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Marshmallow, Persian Fairy Floss, musk sticks and turkish delight. Toffee apples, purple fruits, flambéed bananas, and Redskins.

14. Glenrothes 22 year old distilled 1996, bottled 2018 by Maltbarn No.144 48.7%, Speyside ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Butterscotch, sherbet and hard Werther’s. Steamed carpets, rainforest, orchard fruits and dry cinnamon. Apple and cinnamon packet porridge.

15. SMWS 46.44 Life is but a dream 23 year old distilled 1992 Virgin Oak Butt Heavy Toast Medium Char 53%, Speyside ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Red delicious apple skins on the nose lead to a creamy palate of dunnage floors, old fur coats in a cedar wardrobe, old sherry character and faux apricot flavours. An exceptional whisky!

15. SMWS 10.152 The leviathan wakes… 10 year old distilled 2007 Refill hogshead/Ex-bourbon 58.7%, Islay ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Clam shells, cumin cooked green beans and asparagus. Hot bitumen tar, soot and burning eucalypt. Kefir lime citrus on the palate, flint coal and burnt nuts.

16. Caol Ila 12 year old distilled April 1992, bottled May 2004, Medoc finish Cask No. 90201-90204 by Chieftain’s Choice 50%, Islay ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Bright and candied, apple candy, raspberries and Padron peppers. On the palate, burnt peanuts, fatty parma ham, rancio and red velvet cake.

17. Longrow 7 year old Gaja Barolo distilled October 2000, bottled January 2008 55.8%, Campbeltown ★★★★★–
Tasting Notes: Fruit salad, radishes, red fruit, tar and fresh rose petals on the nose. Raspberry jubes, peppered pork neck, smoked mussels and ripe sweet Ume plums.

18. Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 01.1 5 year old PPM:131 bottled 2008 63.5%, Islay ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: The first of it’s kind, this is an attack on the senses at first nose! Fish, spearmint and peated mouthwash. Scorched earth and memories of the dentist. The palate moves onto anchovy butter and a leather workers shoe shop finishing with burnt popcorn, nutmeg and dry spice with a puff of coal smoke. Disjointed but fun!

19. Sonoma County Distilling Co. Cherrywood Rye whiskey 47.8%, California USA  ★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Is this whiskey or a bottled cocktail? Tinned lychees, maraschino cherry and ripe pear over load the senses. Spearmint lollies, crayons and salty wet cardboard.

*On pour at Whisky & Alement from Wed 13 Feb 2019

20. Revisit Springbank 8 year old bottled 1960’s, Campbeltown  –
Tasting Notes: Pink soap, apricot skins, rainforrest, aluminium filings and vanilla malt milkshakes. Salt and vinegar chips, pineapple, chicken salad sandwich and soggy cucumber. Very fresh considering the time it has spent in the bottle.

21. Dailuaine 4 year old Carn Mor distilled 2012 bottled 2017 ex-bourbon barrel Strictly Limited Edition “Speyside” 46%, Highlands ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Salty moss, tennis balls, dried pawpaw and a pleasant undertone of vanilla essence laden new make. Ballots, white marshmallows, Sauvignon Blanc fruit and acidity and browning apples with a dash of white wine vinegar. Not often do we see a medium to large size independent bottle at such a young age. Whilst youth is evident, this is a delicious everyday sipper and price is reflective of it’s age.

22. Tamdhu Cask Batch Strength No. 003 exclusively matured in sherry casks 58.3%, Speyside ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Christmas pudding, molasses, pork roast, sticky PX sauce, prunes, dates and brown sugar. Motor oil, creme brûlée, red spice, Szechuan and tung nut oil.

23. Haddock 12 year old Peated Casks #3-7-361 distilled 2005 bottled 2018  by Wilson and Morgan 56.8% (Loch Lomond), Highlands ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Latex, salt, pannacotta, burnt butter popcorn, banoffee pie and red fruit coulis. Apple cider vinegar, mahogany, old wardrobes full of fur coats, fish and chip shop paper, beeswax and old leather. A vatting of two ex-sherry unpeated casks and an ex-bourbon cask at a medium peat level.

24. Beathan “Second Batch” Heavy Peat Casks #87-88-89 distilled 2009 bottled 2018  by Wilson and Morgan 48% (heavily peated Glenturret), Highlands ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Pink finger buns, gunpowder and cheese ash. Bitumen, burn cigarette papers, burning newspaper and lime juice.

25. Ardmore 8 year old Heavy Peat distilled 2009 bottled 2018 Casks #709303/4/5 by Wilson and Morgan 58.4%, Speyside ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Cirtrus driven with lime, lemon and orange zest! Vanilla slice, butter, fairy bread, salted caramel with a  mineral finish. Blotting paper, sea breeze, mint and seaside edible plants like Pigface (Carpobrotus glaucescens).

26. Ledaig distilled 2008 bottled 2018 Extra Strength Casks #700032/3/4/5/6 by Wilson and Morgan 50%, Isle of Mull ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Salted fish, cucumber, lemon, sage, and hot sand! Salted butter, hot days at the beach, sunscreen and white vinegar on hot chips. Bring back those hot summer days!

27. Ledaig 12 year old distilled 2005 bottled 2018 Oloroso sherry finish Casks #800073/74 by Wilson and Morgan 57%, Isle of Mull ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Meaty with bucket loads of orange including our favourite, Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Roast capsicum develops into richer, sweeter characters of hickory BBQ sauce, burnt rosemary, firecrackers and claypot roast.

*On pour at Whisky & Alement from Wed 20 Feb 2019

28. Hobart (Devil’s Distillery) Batch 19-001 of 4 x 40L slightly smoked Hill Rock casks 50.3%, Tasmania ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Pencil shavings, wood smoke, fairy floss, orange zest and bubblegum. Caravan tea, red sherbet and damper.

29. SMWS 64.104 Oat Cuisine 9 year old 61.8%, Speyside ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Oily, soapy, Imperial leather soap. A slight prickle on the nose accompanied with notes of vanilla panna cotta leans into a palate of lime cordial and mashed potato with margarine.

30. SMWS 91.21 Sweet simplicity 8 year old 59.1%, Speyside ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Very composed yet bright on the nose, with notes of hay, biscuit, butter shortbread and marmalade. Pink flowers on the palate with excellent balance, especially for its age.

31. SMWS 13.59 Apricots in a hessian bag 9 year old 60.5%, Highlands ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Dates, funk, cigar stubbs, tumerit, cardamon cloves… spice heavy. Baked apricots, apricot jam on buttered bread.

32. SMWS 51.11 Irish danger juice 15 year old 56.7%, Ireland ★★★★ –
Tasting Notes: Apple orchard, ginger bread, pavlova with passionfruit pulp. Pineapple juice, sunscreen and zippy tannin with a oak heavy finish. A fantastic nose on this whisky!

33. SMWS 135.5 Intriguing? Captivating? Fascinating! 17 year old 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel 56%, Highlands ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Burnt caramel, Irish butter, greek meatballs with cumin. Peach and cream muesli bars, autumnal leaves, yoghurt drizzle, coffee, matcha and banana bread.

34. Ben Nevis 19 year old single ex-bourbon hogshead by Valinch and Mallet 51.7%, Highlands ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Salty, gritty, maraschino cherries and fig Newtons. Saltanas, pine forest and Moroccan bazaars. A sweet yet light mouth feel.

35. Benromach 9 year old 1st fill bourbon single cask exclusively for Australia 59.1%, Speyside ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Tattoo shop, drift wood and hot sand. Kewpie mayonnaise and brill cream with blackened red capsicum.

36. SMWS 53.254 French flair 11 year old refill ex-bourbon hogshead 57.1%, Islay ★★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Distillery 53 is Mr. Consistency! Vanilla slice, lemon and white sugar, bitumen and Kirks lemonade. BBQ scrapings, bay and fig leaves.

37. Westward single malt whisky 45%, United States ★★★☆ –
Tasting Notes: Wardrobes, peppermint, gyoza sauce and mint jelly. Exudes an aperitif character with herbal notes of dill pickle, cloves and beef stock.

*On pour at Whisky & Alement from Wed 27 Feb 2019