Red Hare's Adventures in Whisky

Feddie 4yo

2026-04-24T20:00:00.000+01:00

Feddie 4yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Vestlandet
Pale yellow

42.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, lemon zest, nectarines, white pepper, toffee, hints of leather.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, warm, tingly.
Tasting: Sour sweet. Lemon zest, nectarines, fresh baked bread, leather, malted grains, nutmeg, vanilla, hints of diesel exhaust.
Finish: Long. Marzipan, lemon zest, nectarines, fresh baked bread.

Comments:

Light fragrant and flavourful distillate. Quite impressive give the age, the flavour notes are well layered and distinct. Plenty of complexity too. Very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

West Midlands Inaugural Release - Oloroso Cask

2026-04-23T20:00:00.000+01:00

West Midlands Inaugural Release - Oloroso Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Staffordshire
Dark amber
53.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, fresh baked bread, cocoa nibs, maraschino cherries, black pepper, hints of rye bread. With water, vanilla sponge, raisins, hints of dried blueberries.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, hot, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Maraschino cherries, cocoa nibs, cocoa butter, damson jam, magic marker, prunes, cloves. With water, cocoa butter, maraschino cherries, magic marker.
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, damson jam, maraschino cherries, cocoa nibs, hints of rye bread.

Comments:

The pungent peppery nature of the distillate is tempered by the sherry cask, bringing out notes of maraschino cherries and prunes. Water brings out more dried fruit and some more estery flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

Knockando 13yo 1974/1987

2026-04-16T20:06:00.000+01:00

Knockando 13yo 1974/1987

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, raisins, orange peel, lohan fruit, nutmeg, cloves, hints of leather.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, volatile, expands.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, leather, lohan fruit, cloves, vanilla sponge, orange peel, hints of cinnamon.
Finish: Long. White pepper, lohan fruit, vanilla sponge, orange peel.

Comments:

Quite herbal, lots of raisiny dried fruit flavours with plenty of vanilla. No water, it’s perfectly drinkable as is. The finish is surprisingly peppery and fragrant.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Chichibu Distillery II (Ichiro’s Malt)

2026-04-16T20:05:00.000+01:00

Chichibu Distillery II (Ichiro’s Malt)

Official bottling
Single malt - Kantō
Amber gold
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, pears, fresh cut grass, white grapes, orange peel, barley sugar, nutmeg, mace. With water, pears, magic marker, lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, expands, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Pears, orange peel, leather, barley sugar, malted grains, magic marker, ink, mace. With water, mace, pears, magic marker, leather.
Finish: Medium. Pears, orange peel, malted grains, lemon zest, hints of smoke.

Comments:

Lots of lovely balanced flavours, mainly spices, pears and a big leather note that is quite characteristic of Chichibu in my opinion. Water brings out some estery flavours with more of that leather. This is actually from their new production facility, but they’ve maintained their character well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Tsunuki Yakushima Aging 5yo 2016/2021 (bottled for LMDW)

2026-04-16T20:04:00.000+01:00

Tsunuki Yakushima Aging 5yo 2016/2021 (bottled for LMDW)

Official bottling
Single malt - Kyushu
Amber brown
61% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, raisins, sandalwood, pears, dried apricots, malted grains, fresh baked bread. With water, raisins, winter melons, leather.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, evaporates, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Oak chips, sandalwood, malted grains, dried apricots, barley sugar, raisins, pears, hints of winter melons. With water, malted grains, raisins, barley sugar.
Finish: Long. Dried apricots, leather, raisins, barley sugar hints of sandalwood.

Comments:

Cask 2069. Floral and herbal, very intensely flavoured with a hot, volatile mouthfeel. No doubt it’s due to the high ANv. Water brings out cereally sweetness with more raisins too. Quite interesting and somewhat typical of the Yakushima aging style.

Verdict:

I like this.

Longmorn 30yo

2026-04-16T20:03:00.000+01:00

Longmorn 30yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber red
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, golden syrup, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, clotted cream, wet stones.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Clotted cream, raisins, cloves, nutmeg, golden syrup, butter, barley sugar, wet stones, hints of molasses.
Finish: Medium. Nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, raisins, hints of molasses.

Comments:

A gentle, sweet, syrupy dram. The bitterness is that of molasses and slightly burnt caramel, but the predominant notes are creamy golden syrup, and buttery barley sugar. Very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Caperdonich 13yo 1968

2026-04-16T20:02:00.000+01:00

Caperdonich 13yo 1968

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Wet stones, raisins, orange peel, dried pineapples, black pepper, honey, sandalwood, hints of lohan fruit.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, dried pineapples, dried apples, cloves, honey, black pepper, hints of lohan fruit, hints of farmyard.
Finish: Medium. Cloves, honey, dried pineapples, raisins, vanilla.

Comments:

Minerally, with a bitter herbal edge, very prominent on the tongue. But under that there is a classic dried pineapple note, which I’ve found in a number of Caperdonich. There’s a bit of farmyardy tang at the end.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glen Grant 1948

2026-04-16T20:01:00.000+01:00

Glen Grant 1948

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, lohan fruit, leather, sandalwood, roast chicken, hints of white pepper.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, astringent, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Leather, sandalwood, white pepper, black pepper, cumin, roast chicken, lohan fruit, smoke.
Finish: Long. Smoke, leather, black pepper, orange peel, lohan fruit.

Comments:

Bitter sweet, with the bitter note being quite herbal, almost savoury. Not the most complex whisky, but very well layered with distinct flavours. It builds to a long, very smoky finish. It was a privilege to try this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Grant 5yo 1974 (OB for Italy)

2026-04-16T20:00:00.000+01:00

Glen Grant 5yo 1974 (OB for Italy)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Very pale yellow
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, lemon zest, sandalwood, sea salt, malted grains, white grapes, hints of yeast extract.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, warm.
Tasting: Salty sour. Lemon zest, yeast extract, roast chicken, sea salt, starfruit, pears, white pepper, hints of gunpowder.
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, sea salt, white pepper, malted grains, hints of roast chicken.

Comments:

Gentle and light, but with a citrusy, savoury edge. There’s a roast chicken note which starts to take over on the tongue, and et the very end, something flinty, minerally and sulphurous. Superb old whisky

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Tomatin 13yo 2010/2023

2026-04-15T20:00:00.000+01:00

Tomatin 13yo 2010/2023

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Speyside
Bronze gold
50.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, elderflower, wet stones, honey, sea salt, fresh baked bread, hints of coffee. With water, sandalwood, fresh baked bread, leather, lemon sweets.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, expands, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, honey, elderflower, nectarines, coffee, leather, hints of lemon sweets. With water, fresh baked bread, lemon sweets, elderflower, coffee.
Finish: Long. Coffee, grapefruit, nectarines, leather.

Comments:

Floral and rich, but also minerally. Lots of cereal notes underneath, and water brings out more floral notes with a robust bitterness. Rather good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Green River Kentucky Straight Rye DSP-KY-10

2026-04-14T20:01:00.000+01:00

Green River Kentucky Straight Rye DSP-KY-10

Official bottling
Single rye - Kentucky
Amber gold
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peppermint, brown paper, popcorn, toffee, blackcurrant cordial, hints of black pepper.
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, expands slightly.
Tasting: Sweet. Peppermint, toffee, vanilla, cream, brown paper, popcorn, fresh baked bread, hints of black pepper.
Finish: Short. Black pepper, popcorn, vanilla, cream, blackcurrant cordial.

Comments:

Quite minty with lots of popcorn notes. The latter is not unusual for rye, but the former is. There’s plenty of cereal and bread too, which keeps it interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.

Raasay 4yo 2021/2025 Marsala Cask

2026-04-14T20:00:00.000+01:00

Raasay 4yo 2021/2025 Marsala Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Dark gold, hints of amber

50.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apples, cinnamon, honey, gooseberries, white grapes, dried apricots, toffee, hints of smoke. With water, menthol, dried apricots, white grapes.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, cool, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Cinnamon, apples, smoke, dried apricots, leather, sourdough bread, toffee, vanilla, peat, smoke. With water, smoke, peat, leather, white grapes.
Finish: Long. Peat, smoke, charcoal ash, apples, dried apricots.

Comments:

Sometimes sweet wine finishes clash with peat but for this whisky they are quite well integrated. The sweet notes are prominent on the nose and especially near, and once water is added the smoke comes to the fore.

Verdict:

I like this.

West Midlands Inaugural Release Caribbean Rum Cask

2026-04-11T20:01:00.000+01:00

West Midlands Inaugural Release Caribbean Rum Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Staffordshire
Pale green
53.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: New plastic, raisins, orange peel, malted grains, molasses. With water, damson jam, plums, raisins, malted grains.
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, evaporates, hot.
Tasting: Sour sweet. Cooked rice, plums, damson jam, molasses, fresh baked bread, orange peel, white pepper. With water, new plastic, molasses, plums, hints of yoghurt.
Finish: Short. Yoghurt, plums, damson jam, fresh baked bread.

Comments:

Lots of sweet fruit but the slightly plasticky note that characterises rum casks is ever present. Water brings out a lactic tang, which offsets the bitter molasses and fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Beverbach Tri-Cask

2026-04-11T20:00:00.001+01:00

Beverbach Tri-Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Lower Saxony
Pale yellow gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dark chocolate, malted grains, dried cranberries, vanilla, coffee, hints of farmyard.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Malted grains, dried cranberries, lemon juice, dark chocolate, nutmeg, vanilla, hints of new plastic.
Finish: Short. Vanilla, lemon juice, raisins, dark chocolate.

Comments:

Clearly one of the casks is sherried, and it’s quite well constructed with lots of typical chocolate, nuts and dried fruit notes. There’s also some citrusy tartness hiding underneath.

Verdict:

I like this.

Jack Daniel Triple Mash

2026-04-10T20:00:00.003+01:00

Jack Daniel Triple Mash

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Tennessee
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, milk chocolate, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cough mixture, brown paper.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, expands, mouth coating.
Tasting: Sweet. Milk chocolate, honey, fresh baked bread, cream, cough mixture, hints of rye bread.
Finish: Short. Cream, milk chocolate, honey, brown sugar.

Comments:

Sweet and chocolatey, a cut above the regular JD. There’s a bit of rye in this, oddly, and it makes for a slightly jarring note on the tongue.

Verdict:

I like this.

Thompson Brothers Lowries Reserve

2026-04-09T20:02:00.000+01:00

Thompson Brothers Lowries Reserve

Thompson Bros
Blend
Copper gold
45.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, molasses, vanilla, tablet, petrol exhaust, hints of milk chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, static, slippery.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Molasses, tablet, orange peel, raisins, icing sugar, leather, hints of milk chocolate.
Finish: Medium. Icing sugar, leather, orange peel, raisins, vanilla.

Comments:

Sweet blend, with hints of bitterness that never really quite come to pass. There are some whispers of more industrial whisky but they’re drowned in orange peel and icing sugar.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bruichladdich 10yo Old Skool

2026-04-09T20:01:00.000+01:00

Bruichladdich 10yo Old Skool

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Dark gold

50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, cream, malted grains, barley sugar, white pepper, hints of pencil erasers.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, astringent, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Lemon zest, yoghurt, white pepper, fresh baked bread, sea salt, hints of rolled oats.
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, yoghurt, cream, white pepper, rolled oats.

Comments:

Quite lactic, although doesn’t have the butyric note that Bruichladdich sometimes has. Quite lemony too, plenty of salty cereal. Not too peated, in fact it’s quite hard to discern.

Verdict:

I like this.

Filey Bay Porter Cask #2

2026-04-09T20:00:00.000+01:00

Filey Bay Porter Cask #2

Official bottling
Single malt - Yorkshire
Amber gold
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Marmalade, wet stones, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge, orange peel. With water, white pepper, strawberry sweets, marmalade.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, astringent, loosens slightly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Marmalade, fresh baked bread, strawberry sweets, wet stones, pencil lead, hints of ginger. With water, marmalade, strawberry sweets, fresh baked bread.
Finish: Short. Ginger, marmalade, orange peel, raisins, fresh baked bread.

Comments:

Laden with marmalade and strawberry notes. It’s got a deep sweetness that must come from the beer, not a lot of woody notes. Also quite minerally and flinty, which seems to be a characteristic of this distillery.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Goalong Single Malt

2026-04-07T20:03:00.000+01:00

Goalong Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Hunan
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, malted grains, white pepper, lime zest, raisins, dried pears.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, expands.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Bananas, limes, vanilla, white pepper, icing sugar, hints of dried pineapples.
Finish: Short. Limes, lime zest, vanilla, cream, icing sugar.

Comments:

Citrusy, plenty of banana and vanilla. It’s a light approachable whisky with lots of rich notes packed into a life mouth feel. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

The Chuan Handfill (bottled 2004)

2026-04-07T20:02:00.000+01:00

The Chuan Handfill (bottled 2024)

Official bottling
Single malt - Sichuan
Amber
60.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lohan fruit, raisins, marzipan, orange peel, lemon sweets, coffee, nectarines, hints of strawberry sweets. With water, orange peel, menthol, hints of marzipan.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, volatile, astringent.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Orange peel, strawberry sweets, nectarines, camphor, white pepper, raisins, papayas, hints of coffee. With water, raisins, nectarines, strawberry sweets.
Finish: Short. Raisins, camphor, white pepper, lohan fruit, hints of nectarines.

Comments:

A rather good Chinese whisky, plenty of sweet and nutty notes with herbal bitterness. Water brings out more stone fruit sweetness with menthol on the nose. Surprisingly good.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Inverleven 31yo 1977/2008

2026-04-07T20:01:00.001+01:00

Inverleven 31yo 1977/2008

Cask Strength, Signatory
Single malt - Lowlands
Light amber
47.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, pencil lead, wet stones, raisins, white grapes, honey, hints of plums.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, cool, mouth coating.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Camphor, wet stones, raisins, honey, lohan fruit, pencil lead, orange peel, pears.
Finish: Long. Ginseng, pears, pencil lead, lohan fruit, honey.

Comments:

Cask 3606. Leathery and minerally with bitter herbal accents. Very Chinese - lots of oriental fruit and the requisite orange and pear. Plenty of honey as well, it’s quite sweet. A very good dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

North Port 15yo 1974/1989 Very Rare

2026-04-07T20:00:00.000+01:00

North Port 15yo 1974/1989 Very Rare

Sestante
Single malt - East Highlands
Dark yellow
66.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, peaches, sandalwood, magic marker, fresh baked bread, lemon sweets, peppermint, hints of malted grains. With water, olive oil, lemon sweets, malted grains.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peaches, sandalwood, olive oil, clay dust, dunnage, malted grains, lemon sweets, hints of papayas. With water, olive oil, lemon sweets, peppermint.
Finish: Long. Malted grains, papayas, sandalwood, olive oil, dunnage.

Comments:

Superb whisky, perfectly drinkable at this high strength. Plenty of stone fruit and ily dunnage, with lemon sweets and peppermint. Water brings out a bitter olive oil note and more lemon sweets.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

West Midlands Inaugural Release - Bourbon Quarter Cask

2026-04-04T20:01:00.000+01:00

West Midlands Inaugural Release - Bourbon Quarter Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Staffordshire
Amber gold
53.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rye bread, new plastic, black pepper, malted grains, ink, raisins, hints of cinnamon. With water, new plastic, cinnamon, black pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Rye bread, raisins, hoppy beer, malted grains, black pepper, ink, butter, hints of barley sugar. With water, fresh baked bread, black pepper, barley sugar.
Finish: Short. Barley sugar, ink, raisins, fresh baked bread.

Comments:

Quite lactic and chemical, which seems to be a character of this distillery. The cask imparts sweetness and some nice dried fruit, even raisiny notes. Water brings out more pepperiness and sweetness.

Verdict:

I like this.

Puni Gold

2026-04-04T20:00:00.000+01:00

Puni Gold

Official bottling
Single malt - Alto-Adige
Pale yellow
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, vanilla, pencil lead, malted grains, nutmeg, peaches, hints of white pepper.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, cool.
Tasting: Salty sweet. Malted grains, white pepper, vanilla, barley sugar, pencil lead, cream.
Finish: Short. Barley sugar, malted grains, pencil lead, wet stones.

Comments:

Quite minerally and delicate, lots of gentle spices and barley sweetness. It’s a young, light whisky, but a well made one. The flinty pencil lead notes bring body and interest.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Scapegrace Anthem

2026-04-03T20:00:00.000+01:00

Scapegrace Anthem

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Amber, hints of copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green apples, malted grains, white pepper, Leon zest, dark chocolate, hints of smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, warm.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Green apples, pears, peat, soot, lemon zest, dark chocolate, malted grains, hints of smoke.
Finish: Long. Smoke, dark chocolate, soot, pears.

Comments:

Smoky and fruity, plenty of green fruit and a bitter note that keeps evolving. Moving from dark chocolate, to bitter lemon zest, to smoke and soot.

Verdict:

I like this.