Five of the eleven, anyway, as I’m saving the others for different lineups.

Invergordon 16 year Master of Malt exclusive (52.2%)

N: very pale, butter melting into syrup on pancakes, a bit of pepper and leafy vines, ivy or what have you, but above all a breakfast joint (am I imagining some egginess now? French toast more than pancakes, then)

P: grain, crust, eggs, butter and syrup but not very sweet

83

Blackwater 3 year Master of Malt exclusive (55%, Hunter barley)

N: very young and malty and fairly neutral profile. Raw cereals, grassy vegetation, some vanilla, lighter notes of flowers and wood chips

P: there’s a lot of character here—distillate and barrel alike—but it’s not well composed. Flower candies, powdered sugar pastries, pepper, bright grass…all that good stuff, just too young. Water brings it together somewhat, but also dulls the interest…

81

Auchentoshan 18 year Master of Malt exclusive (48.6%, rye barrel)

N: a blast of powdered sugar and vanilla and sweet red, pink, purple flower extracts. Pretty, pale berry fruits, grape, more Eau de vie than jam. Truly I think I might mistake this for Eau de vie or lightly aged plum brandy based on the nose alone

P: somewhat medicinal with lots of grape, berry skin, candied violets

81

Holyrood 5 year Master of Malt exclusive (50.5%)

N: much more barrel character here, very floral in a medicinal, fortified wine sort of way, this suggests Vin Santo or white port as much as Oloroso. Honeyed, almost noble rot sweetness, dark but fresh wood, veggie stalks. Some assy stank, not gonna lie

P: more of a recognizable dirty sherry profile in the palate. Eccentric sweet nuts and still slightly medicinal and candied fruit. 

82

A Secret American Distillery year 2019 rye Master of Malt exclusive (51.1%)

N: heavy on juniper, thistle, caraway, a Scandinavian

sort of rye profile. Yeasty-grainy bread, too, pumpernickel and fresh, crusty challah. Dark honey with a hint of pine

P: sweet pine sap, toasted aromatic seeds, hints of garrigue and honeysuckle. Finishes very fresh with mint chewing gum and caraway

85