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2017-12-20 Creative Whisky Company Exclusive Malts Cameronbridge 25 yo Single Grain

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Tasting this on the 23rd Nose: Caramel, Pear, Apple, a hint of vanilla, the alcohol expresses as smooth almond -  very smooth for a 52.9% abv whisky Colour: Rich gold, just a touch of haze Palate: Smooth fruit, caramel, a touch of pepper on the finish This is very smooth and well integrated. It might be just a touch sweet for me. I really like it though. What does it do with a tbsp of water? Nose: Caramel, rich pear,  a nice hint of musk and ketones, stillatouch ofsmoothalmond Palate: Sweet pear, caramel, toffee, pepper and almond on the finish The 25 years this great highland wiskyhas been aging really shows. This is super well integrated and really very tasty. Where does it rate in the top 5 - I think it makes it. I have to double check my previous reviews: 2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray  Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt 2017-12-20 Creative Whisky Company Exclusive Malts Cameronbridge 25 yo Single Grain 2017-12-11 Samaroli - Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2017-12-05 Secret Spirit
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2017-12-19 A.D. Rattray Williamson 5 yo Single Malt

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Tasting this on the 21st - behind again! Nose: wow - this is a 60% abv  5yo whisky - and the nose is smooth and well integrated-apple, pear, gentle peat and smoke, yummy musk Colour: Light gold, touch of bronze Palate: Effervescent, peppery, apple, pear, nicely balanced peat and smoke, nice smooth woody finish Frankly - very impressed!A tbsp of water and test it again! Nose: Caramel and fruit come forward, but still nice smokey peat as well Palate: Smoke and peat come to the front, still has pepper, which moves to the middle, smokey peaty woody finish This definitely has a ew rough edges. You can tell it is young. I was tempted to slot this in at #5 - but decided against it. I would love to test this back to back with some of the top 5 - I might change my mind. SO - top 5 remain unchanged: 2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray  Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt 2017-12-11 Samaroli - Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2017-12-05 Secret Spirits Caol Ila 8yo Single Malt 2017-12-15 Wemyss Malts Pe
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2017-12-18 Secret Spirits Glenrothes 19 yo Single Malt

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Nose: Very mild, well integrated, green grass, apple, a touch of bitter almond (55.6% abv - but not as much bite as you would expect at that strength), a touch of strawberry, a few ketones Colour: Medium gold with just the slightest touch of haze Palate: Fruit forward, followed by a good belt from the high alcohol, a touch of toffee, a slight bit of wood on the finish and a bit of peppery bitterness Very nice, well integrated, I expect the tbsp of water to open this up nicely: Nose: Green grass comes way forward,  apple, strawberry,  caramel Palate: Caramel, toffee, apple, finish with a touch of bitter almond, and a hint of a woody note I like this a lot. It is my new number 5. 2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray  Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt 2017-12-11 Samaroli - Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2017-12-05 Secret Spirits Caol Ila 8yo Single Malt 2017-12-15 Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney Batch Strength 2017-12-18 Secret Spirits Glenrothes 19 yo Single Malt This is just a great example of
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2017-12-17 Samaroli MacDuff Sherry 19yo Single Malt

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Nose: Nice sharp something - I do not have a good word - mint is wrong - but like that, grape, caramel, roasted nuts Colour:Light gold, with a touch of bronze Palate: smooth caramel, grapes, apple,light wood, a bitter almond alcohol bite on the finish - surprising -this is only 43% abv - but a nice bite on the finish This is very well integrated. I like this a lot. What happens with a tbsp of water? Nose: that interesting "sharp something"  is gone, still fruits and roasted nuts, green grass Palate: Much sweeter on the palate, apple, caramel, toasted nuts and a touch of wood on the finish. This is another really good whisky I really like it. But - my top 5 remains unchanged: 2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray  Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt 2017-12-11 Samaroli - Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2017-12-05 Secret Spirits Caol Ila 8yo Single Malt 2017-12-15 Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney Batch Strength 2017-12-06 Samaroli Glenallachie 8yo Single Malt I am starting to regret
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2017-12-16 Lost Distillery Lossit Classic Blended Malt

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Running a day late again - tasting this on the 17th Nose: Grape, Green Grass, well integrated, very smooth, no alcohol bite Colour:  yellow - light gold Palate: Caramel, grapes, a touch of smoky wood on the finish This is very nice. But - unless it really changes with a splash of water -it is not quite going to make the top 5. It is only 43.0% abv - so I am not expecting the water to make a big change. Nose: Smooths it out, stays integrated, now I get just a touch of smoke and wood that I did not get before Palate: Smooth fruit, caramel, still a nice touch of smoky wood on the finish; As I continue to sip, you get a smooth peaty taste -very understated - very nice. I like this a lot and would be glad to drink it again - but it does not make the top 5. This is a tough call - because this is very good whisky. So - the top 5 are unchanged: 2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray  Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt 2017-12-11 Samaroli - Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2017-12-05 Secret Spirits Ca
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2017-12-15 Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney Batch Strength

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Nose:Peat, Smoke, Caramel, Bitter almond (alcohol), apple, wow - this is 57.0% abv - I would not have guessed from the nose - which is well integrated and smooth Colour: Medium gold Palate: sweet apple, caramel, distinct peat finish - but not a stupid peat monster - just a nice peatty smoky finish I like this a lot. Let's see what a tbsp of water does. Very nice - this makes the top 5 - but where? 2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray  Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt 2017-12-11 Samaroli - Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2017-12-05 Secret Spirits Caol Ila 8yo Single Malt 2017-12-15 Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney Batch Strength 2017-12-06 Samaroli Glenallachie 8yo Single Malt I thought I would slot it in higher - and that is sort of what I want to do -  because this is very good - but so are the others! Links Wemyss Malts The Singlemalting Review
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2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt

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Running a day behind again - testing this on the 15th Nose: Apple, Grapes, Bitter almond,  green grass,a touch of caramel,even though this is 52.9% abv - not much alcohol bite - very smooth and well integrated - this seems like a classic great speyside - and I look forward to the palate Colour: Gold - like apple juice Palate: Sweet Fruit, almost like a bit of fresh-picked spearmint, well aged wood note on the finish, very well integrated and complex - this is a great whisky Hit it with a tbsp of water Nose: much the same - more fruit forward - less of that almond bitter, the touch ofwood on the end is really nice Palate: Raisins, apple, fresh-picked spearmint, caramel, nice woody finish This is a really great whisky.This is maybe the first truly great whisky. Very smooth, very well integrated. I like the whiskies with a bit more nip to them than this - but this is a great speyside- complex and smooth. My new number 1: 2017-12-14 A. D. Rattray  Glen Elgin 21 yo Single Malt
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