Whisky tasting at Billy's

On Sunday evening, chum and whisky-pusher Billy held a whisky-tasting at his flat. I took some notes, so here they are:

#1: Compass Box Hedonism grain whisky.

This one started with a vanilla nose, and smelled quite young initially, but the nose become smoother and rounder the longer it was in the glass. Being a grain whisky, in flavour it is more like an American whiskey than a single malt whisky (for the uninitiated, there is a difference between whisky and whiskey). With water it is sweeter and very sippable.

#2: Benromach organic limited release

This one has a woody flavour and wasn't as sweet as the Hedonism. Opened up with water it became much more mellow, but I still preferred the Hedonism. There was an aftertaste of caramelised onions, which was actually quite nice. As with many malt whiskies, the longer it was left in the glass, the smoother it became, with the aftertaste developing to a more coffee/tobacco flavour. At that point it was really rather good indeed.

#3 Kilchoman new spirit

This new spirit was about two weeks old, with a very smokey nose, like a campfire. It had a tarry, smokey taste which lingered but that I didn't actually find too unpleasant. This was a clear sign of just how much my whisky tastes have matured in the two years since I first tried drinking single malt, because I never would have said that then, as I really didn't like peaty whiskies. I'll be drinking Laphroaig any day now…

#4 Benriach Curiositas peated whisky

Yes, this is indeed a peated whisky from Speyside, which makes it something of a freakish anomaly. This one appeared on the evening's list thanks to a recommendation from Jon. It has a very peaty and smokey nose and flavour but is sweeter than most peaty ones I've tried. It's smoother with water added, but still smells weird, because of the peat. I didn't find it unpleasant but it wasn't my favourite, by a long shot.

#5 Yamazaki sherry cask

This Japanese malt whisky from the award-winning Yamazaki distillery was the unanimous Tasters' Choice for the evening. It's very sweet and heavily sherried, with a fruit cake smell. Nikki described it as "Port with oomph", which is pretty much all you need to know. There isn't a noticeable difference with added water but it's so lovely that doesn't matter, as it tastes like a very grown-up dessert; rich and sweet and classy. (And if you really loved me, you would buy me a bottle.)

#6 Chivas Glenallachie 100% sherry cask 18yrs 

This addition to the evening's tastings came courtesy of Alan, and was probably my second favourite, although of course by that point I was a bit on the tipsy side and had all but forgotten what the first ones even tasted like (which is why I'm glad I was super nerdy and took notes). This one had a very slightly soapy smell, which wasn't unpleasant. Flavour-wise it was tobacco and caramel, but with a bit more bite. Amazingly, when water was added it gave the flavour even more punch which actually came as a bit of a surprise on the tastebuds. Overall, it was very nice indeed (and at £35 seems quite reasonably priced, although you can only buy it online and I can't find a link).

For the interested, Billy talks a bit about the effect casks have on the whisky flavour here, and thanks once again to him for hosting such a great night.