Sept 2023 - Clynelish 14, Lagavulin 8 & Lochlea

Welcome to another great month of Mr Dram Man and welcome to all the newcomers that have joined this month. As well as the monthly prize draw, I will also be sending out a prize chosen at random to someone who posts on social media/story tagging in @MrDramMan as we love to see you guys enjoying your whisky.

Clynelish 14

Here we have a staple whisky from Diageo – this is one of the main liquids that goes into a the Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 blend – and although on the nose you can’t tell, if you ever taste these side by side you will notice its presence in the Black Label. Don’t let that put you off – I know a lot of people have mixed reviews on Johnnie Walker blends – would be interesting to know any opinions you all have on it. On the nose I get notes of smokey sea air, brine and orange peel, very welcoming and enticing. On tasting the mouth feel is waxy, fitting with that orange peel note, elements of honey and a slight saltiness. The finish develops a bitterness to it, not unpleasant but not necessarily to everyone’s liking. It would be harsh to say that the Black Label Blend ruins the flavours that Clynelish has to offer… but maybe this helps the Black label to be mildly average as a blended whisky. 70/100

Lochlea Harvest edition first crop

Here we have the second instalment from the new Lochlea distillery. I won’t lie, I wasn’t a fan of the first edition, but this will hopefully change my mind. Matured in a combination of port, sherry and bourbon casks, this should be full of flavours – but when I see this it does worry me that it is almost going to be overloaded with flavours – like they are trying to put too much in it. On the nose you can tell instantly that it has spent time in Oloroso casks – there is a molasses, dried dates note that carries through the nose with a sweetness that has a strawberry laces twang to it. On the mouth it is a burst of fruity flavours, its almost too much, and with each new sip I get new flavours ranging from those rhubarb and custard sweets hard boiled sweets, wine gums, with the dryness of a crisp apple, raisins and brasil nut note to it. To finish a soothing vanilla taste, mildly long and fruity sweetness. Quite moreish. This was surprisingly good, and I would be interested to see if the new second crop edition has any improvement to it. 77/100

Lagavulin 8

To finish this month we have a classic Lagavulin 8 year old. This is full of herbal and peated notes from the off. On nosing you will get the instant peat, burnt fruits, smokiness and a very niche tasting note of freshly waxed rope (takes me back to a time I visited the rope making cave at Peaks Cavern, near Castelton, England, where I got to make a rope like in ye olden times and it was coated in a very potent smelling beeswax). On the palate I get botanical herby notes of coriander and cumin, along with notes of bitter or burnt marzipan, with the typical peatiness and taste of marshlands. The finish makes you want to do a random inhale of air, long in length and lingering, continued botanical notes hand around for a while with a crispness of fresh apple. 77/100

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