Reviews by: Red Hare
scapa 14 year old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Straw gold
- Nose
- Salty seas, lavender, wet stones, pineapple! Muted, faint citrus notes.
- Body
- Syrupy and thick, but not heavy.
- Palate
- Salty and tangy. Sweet pineapple, beefsteak tomatoes, salt caramel. Earthy and malty.
- Finish
- Medium length. Salty seaweed, Japanese nori (dried seaweed you get in sushi rolls). Something sweet, not sure what.
Very interesting. Salt and tangy fruit notes, something I like very much. Scapa usually tastes of pineapple to me, although I'm not sure any other tasting notes I've read describe it as such. Better than the 12 year old.
glenfarclas 10 years old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Amber, tinge of pink
- Nose
- Sherry, clotted cream and fresh milk. Oranges and dried apricots. Oak underneath.
- Body
- Watery and liquid. Not thin though.
- Palate
- Sweet. Big hit of spice - cinnamon and nutmeg. Strawberry jam, vanilla cream. Oaky tannins.
- Finish
- Medium to long. Intensity fades quickly, but lingers, if that makes sense. Spice cake and orange peel.
Reminds me of a Devon or Cornish cream tea!
monkey shoulder nas
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Amber gold
- Nose
- Oak and sherry. Pear beer and plum brandy. Oranges and cinnamon. Buttery toffee and chocolaty notes.
- Body
- Medium body. A little watery around the edges.
- Palate
- Very tangy, but at the edges only. Coconut and heather honey. Faint hint of raspberry. Citrusy. Plum, orange and pear, but it takes some tasting to find them.
- Finish
- Long finish. Lemons and oranges. Becomes iodine and medicinal at the end, very antiseptic.
The joy's mostly in the nose with this one. I can discern some plum and honey that is likely to be the Kininvie. Balvenie and Glenfiddich quite obvious in the nose. I originally scored this whisky quite low, around 65. However, as the bottle wore on, I found hidden depths - the vatting gives some complexity to the fruit flavours, reinforcing them. There's definitely more subtle undertones lurking underneath that reward some introspection.
bruichladdich 15 years old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Pale straw
- Nose
- Big hit of oak and raisins, then floral and soapy. Lemons and pine.
- Body
- Light and airy. Almost insubstantial, all flavour and no bulk.
- Palate
- Green apples and butter. Pungent chilli and red peppers. Lemon tart.
- Finish
- Long, warm and very satisfying. Chillies and wasabi peanuts
Not your expected Islay. Very aggressive in its own way, hot and warm.
scapa 12 years old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Straw gold
- Nose
- Citrus grapefruit. Coconut, a little chocolate. Some pineapple lurking underneath. Fresh cut grass. Oak.
- Body
- Syrupy and heavy. Sits in a little ball on the tongue.
- Palate
- Salty and tangy. The coconut and chocolate turn a little milky. Hay. Dried raisins and apricots. A little water brings out some peat.
- Finish
- Long finish, and complicated. Chocolate at the start. Oranges become pomelos become grapefruit become lemons at the very end.
Interesting. Tastes a little like a Bounty Bar. In South East Asia they eat a relative of the grapefruit called a pomelo, sweeter with a floral scent. The finish of this whisky has that in spades.
the balvenie doublewood 12 year old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Amber, tinge of pink
- Nose
- Oak, vanilla and caramel. Orange peel, orange marmalade. A hint of raspberry syrup.
- Body
- Medium body, expands in the mouth, turns watery.
- Palate
- Sweet sour. Vanilla, lots of toffee. Lavender. Plenty of sherry notes.
- Finish
- Medium finish. Caramel covered peanuts. Sherry notes laced with burnt sugar.
Spring garden, fruiting orchard - wrong time of the year to drink this! Definitely an early summer / late spring dram. Very nice indeed.
glengoyne 17 years old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Orange gold honey
- Nose
- Dark chocolate covered raisins. Oak, grape and apricots. Minty and grassy notes underneath.
- Body
- Thick and viscous. Stable in the mouth, doesn't suddenly jump out at you like other whiskies.
- Palate
- Sweet on the tongue. Chocolate and grappa. Juicy California raisins. Winey and rich.
- Finish
- Medium, salty sweet finish. Coffee and plain white toast. Chocolate bonbons.
Love this. Definitely a dessert whisky, holds its own against any number of brandies or sherries. I could drink this instead of having any sweets, and as long as this bottle lasts, I probably will.
teacher's highland cream
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Chinese tea
- Nose
- Medicinal and antiseptic. Iodine, Listerine, a little smoke. Slight trace of something sweet (toffee?).
- Body
- Syrupy, thick and milky. Fills all corners of my mouth. Rolls across the tongue.
- Palate
- Peaty. Salty sweet, with bready, cerealy notes. Oats? Buttered rye toast.
- Finish
- Short but lingering finish. Bitter, then turns sweet sherry.
Great texture - definitely quaffable. Tastes alright too. The main pleasure though, is rolling this one around the mouth.
edradour 10 year old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Straw
- Nose
- Chocolate covered raisins, minty Kendal cake. After Eights. Hint of coffee. Blackcurrant under it all.
- Body
- Medium body, slightly syrupy.
- Palate
- Sour and tangy. Lemony around the edges. Minty and grassy.
- Finish
- Raisins and blackcurrant. Sharp quick finish.Tinge of dark chocolate right at the end.
Tastes older than it is. Chocolate covered raisins - Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut.
lagavulin 16 year old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Amber gold
- Nose
- Smoke, peat, heather, honey, salt, iodine. Faint hint of apricots
- Body
- Watery round the edges, oily in the middle
- Palate
- Salty and tangy. Lemony. Intense smoke, little sparks of sherry and vanilla.
- Finish
- Long and lingering. Burst of sherry and vanilla, quickly fades to smoke all the way to the end.
Not as aggressive as Laphroaig. Very drinkable. Tastes like a smoky Speyside would.
oban 14 year old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Amber
- Nose
- Raisins, peat, toffee, hint of bad breath
- Body
- Smooth, a little oily
- Palate
- Sweet, saccharine, hint of salt. Plums. Iodine.
- Finish
- Lingers, toffee, more peat. Musty, touch of leather. Candied melon.
Reasonably tasty. A winter malt. Smooth going down, but not that distinctive.
laphroaig 10 year old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Straw gold
- Nose
- Faint leather, peat, smoke, hint of cumin, grapefruit. Chinese prawn crackers.
- Body
- Grainy and numbing. Like walking on the beach with sand between your toes.
- Palate
- Seaweed, cedar wood. Peat comes through strongly. Sweet and citrusy.
- Finish
- Lingers long. Miso soup with lots of dried seaweed.Cigars come through right at the end.
Japanese and Chinese food by the seaside. In days gone by you could smoke in restaurants here in the UK, but no more.
glenfiddich solera reserve 15 years old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Honey
- Nose
- Floral - cherry blossom? Pears, apples, hint of orange. Vanilla.
- Body
- Medium to light. Almost airy. A little dry.
- Palate
- Slightly sweet. Pears and cheddar. Honey and malted barley.
- Finish
- Short, sweet and intense, but takes a long time to fade. Grapefruit tang, bitter right at the very end.
Quaffable. Doesn't bring any impressions to my mind. Fruity Speyside - the solera doesn't seem to have done much.
maker's mark kentucky straight bourbon whisky
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Amber
- Nose
- Coffee, chocolate, sherry, caramel, bitter oaty notes
- Body
- Watery, thin
- Palate
- Sour and bitter. Coffee cake, kahlua. Hint of smoke. Iodine.
- Finish
- Medium length. Much, much coffee. Seaweed.
Espresso on the beach. Almost a coffee liqueur, despite having no coffee in it!
highland park 12 years old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Dark gold
- Nose
- Oranges, grapes, chocolate, leather and heather. Slight hint of peat.
- Body
- A little oily. Smooth. Slips down in little slugs
- Palate
- A little sour. Oranges, melons, chocolate milkshake. Hints of butter and white chocolate.
- Finish
- Short finish. Bitter, then quickly becomes sherry sweet and peaty. Heather honey.
Chocolate milkshake with orange Kit Kat.
talisker 18 year old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Amber, tinge of rose
- Nose
- Smoke, soy sauce, cinnamon, orange peel
- Body
- Oily and viscous. Expands to fill the mouth.
- Palate
- Big hit of smoky bacon, sour on the tongue, orange marmalade, creme brulee
- Finish
- Medium finish. Tobacco with peanuts. Burnt sugar.
Like having a smoky bacon and Seville orange marmalade sandwich. Delicious
the macallan fine oak 10 years old
- Reviewer
- Red Hare
- Color
- Straw
- Nose
- Caramel, vanilla, raisins, nutmeg
- Body
- Smooth, slightly astringent
- Palate
- All the right sherry notes, no smoke or peat. Maple syrup, toffee, more vanilla.
- Finish
- Short, caramel dominates, bitter peanuts at the end
Christmas eggnog