Auchroisk Batch 2 Bourbon Finish 44,5%
The first bottling is an Auchroisk that has matured in regular Bourbon casks, as is common nowadays, and then received a finishing touch in Koval Quarter Cask casks.
Nose: A classic vanilla aroma, as you would expect from these types of casks, is very pronounced, with sweet citrus and mashed fruits.
Taste: Well, not entirely surprising, but a fine and delicious sweetness coats the tongue. You can sense that it has this raw character from being in the Quarter Cask.
Aftertaste: The taste is as expected from a pure bourbon cask bottling. It sits well on the palate and is not dry, although it fades quickly.
Rating: The tasting begins as expected, a bit dull and lacking major nuances. It's certainly a beginner's whisky, something you would serve to those who have never tasted a single malt whisky because it lacks those classic smoke notes or sharp spirits to carry it forward. Why bourbon-matured whisky is a theme is a mystery to me; they could have perhaps put it in some other cask to give it a finish. Good for beginners, boring for the seasoned whisky connoisseur.
Inchgower Batch 2 Madeira Finish 44,5%
So, let's take a trip to Inchgower and a bottling that has once again started in a Bourbon cask and then finished in a Madeira cask.
Nose: The classic Bourbon vanilla is once again pervasive with subtle hints of the Madeira cask, although they are not strong. Sweetness, citrus, and caramel are clearly present.
Taste: The spirited caramelized citrus fruits, nuts, and a eucalyptus undertone make for an absolutely intriguing blend.
Aftertaste: You experience a leathery aftertaste, and it's actually not bad at all. However, you can taste the alcohol content here, which might deter some.
Rating: Madeira casks can go either way; either they bring out a lot of exciting flavors, or they fall flat. This one is definitely approved, and I'm actually happy with how it turned out. It's not dry but rather delightful to sit and drink.
Benrinnes Batch 2 Port Wood 44,5%
This bottling has been given a finishing touch in a Port wood cask. I've started to develop some kind of preference for Port wine-aged whisky; why, I don't know, I just find it creates an exciting end product. I really hope this one doesn't disappoint because I've tasted some where you think the cask should have been discarded years ago.
Nose: I sense a sweet and delicious Port wine aroma. The bourbon cask has disappeared in the nose, so there's a full aroma for your money. The slightly heavy and fruity scent from a Port wine is definitely coming through.
Taste: Sweet grape flavor, slightly fruity, lovely notes to start with, and then... bang, an annoying sourness.
Aftertaste: Sour on top of sour; I'm not a fan, sorry.
Rating: I'm a bit disappointed with this bottling. For me, it has some nauseating sourness that I don't quite fancy. A beginner would probably love that you can get whisky with such a flavor, but for me, it's just a really unpleasant taste that I don't find appealing. Disappointing, indeed.
Tullibardine Batch 2 Sherry Finish 44,5%
So we come to the distillery that just can't seem to make their own whiskies good (unless it comes with a good age statement); they rely so much on independent whisky brokers to save their product. If you've tried their 225, 228, and 500, you know exactly what I mean.
This bottling has received a sherry finish, which is always a safe bet.
Nose: Lovely aroma of the sweetness from the PX sherry cask. A bit raw and sweet, definitely a pleasant dram.
Taste: Raw and delicious sherry sweetness, figs, mashed fruits—indeed, all the notes are played here. I imagine master distiller Dean Jode must have had tears in his eyes when he finally hit the nail right on the head.
Aftertaste: Full, delicious, and incredibly sweet. A sherry dram for 349 DKK, what's not to like!
Rating: As expected, there's something Tullibardine here that's worth drinking and enjoying. If you haven't bought a bottle already, I must say... get started before it's too late.
Croftengea Batch 2 Double Finish 44,5%
Finally, we have the somewhat skeptical Double Finish, which has been on Port wine casks and Marsala casks. Marsala, which is wine casks from Italy. Croftengea usually has a slightly smoky note, so let's see if that adds something.
Nose: It smells so much of yeast... seriously, how could they not detect this in production? Notes of nuts, leathery, creamy scents.
Taste: I sense a kind of smoke under everything else that's there. And then, there's not much more to say about it!
Aftertaste: Yeast, fruits, yeast, and yeast.
Rating: Excuse me, what on earth were they thinking here? Maybe I haven't had enough Croftengea, so if you ask me, there's something seriously wrong here. Murray McDavid's Craft Cask series is, as expected, exciting whisky with a lot of flavor nuances that you just don't find in the classic whiskies from the supermarket shelves.
I would recommend buying a bottle like this over some classic discounted bottle that Kvickly, Rema, Føtex, or Bilka pumps out week after week in their countless offer leaflets. Why? Well, because there's a lot of thought behind each bottling here, and they're trying to provide an experience.
For 349 DKK, you won't get much flavor nuance in the local grocery store. You get that here, and even though there are a couple of misses for my taste buds, I look forward to what they come up with in Batch 3.
Murray McDavid is definitely worth checking out.
Slàinte!
