Matt McKay

#BlindDrams 5 - In and around my wheelhouse (natch), but at the same time totally monolithic with sheer phenolic power being the sole order of the day. Still - I enjoyed it muchly. Scores a 3.

#BlindDrams 5 Taste: Continuing the theme. But more bituminous now - tarmac and felt roofing. Pickled onions. Then it's more of previous: burnt dried leaves, coal scuttle, treated bandages, Sudocream and medicinal wipes. Pretty massive stuff.

#BlindDrams 5 Nose: Ending as it should. Merci 🙂

Quite medicinally filthy. Ash, antiseptic, tinctures, cold cream, bonfire and pine needles.

#BlindDrams 4 - All working rather well here. More than enough diversions and tangents to hold my interest. Easy 3 scored.

#BlindDrams 4 Taste: Interesting herbalness again. Sichuan pepper, verbena and plump leafy sherry. Chocolate follows, alongside gingerbread, ground anise and residual earthiness. Working.

#BlindDrams 4 Nose: Bright and gently herbal, with lemon balm and fresh basil leaf. Sweet notes of Italian meringue and golden sugar follow, grounded by plump sultanas and a dry, crumbly digestive biscuit note. another good nose for me

#BlindDrams 3 - Really liked the nose. Palate is approaching feral.

I'll split it down the middle - scores a 2

#BlindDrams 3 Taste: Far more aggressive now. A big attack of pepper and cinnamon spiced toffee together with some palpable alcohol burn and big tannic grip. Calms - metholated oak, chocolate wafers and toffee apple. Still leaves my lips numb however. Bit OTT.

#BlindDrams 3 Nose: Golden syrup, honeycomb, caramel, nougat and cocoa nibs. Liquid Mars bar. I'll take it. Touches of char and baking soda.

#BlindDrams 2 - Rather too modern in style and too cask-driven for my tastes. Lacks restraint, ultimately landing it a score of 2

#BlindDrams 2 Taste: Modern stuff. Juicy hedgerow fruits arrive first, followed by fresh, lollipop-stick oak. The berry sweetness keeps the wood in check, but development is swift, leaving a grippy, drying oakiness and plenty of undigested sugars alongside lignering anise.

#BlindDrams 2 Nose: Wine-cask-detector now active. Opening on buttery shortbread and bourbon biscuits. Creamy notes follow, like raspberry ripple ice cream, before a gentle, savoury twist of corn on the cob

#BlindDrams 1 - Super solid opener. Most enjoyable - good delivery, thickly textured and rides the wire down fruits and creaminess. Scores a 4.

#BlindDrams 1 Taste: Unctuous and sweet on arrival, with a thick, rounded texture and just a pang of minerality. Red berries and kiwi fruits lead into pink wafer biscuits, then some active cask 'grip' before peppery spice build. Development eases into mixed-berry juice, and toffee cup-like lactose

#BlindDrams 1 Nose: Soft earthiness up front, then milky cereal with scattered dried berries. Sweet notes of nougat and airy meringue follow, before a nostalgic twist of strawberry bootlaces

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Excellent work Andy. Loving the puzzling theme.

Can we have a wordsearch next time please?

#BlindDrams

#BlindDrams 5: World's most consistent whisky distillery - so anything less than a 3 means the whisky maker/bottler has fucked up. They haven't here - 3 scored

#BlindDrams 5 Taste: Totally Caol Ila with the triptych of medicine, lemon and minerality. Some milky coffee and digestive biscuits alongside preserved lemon, chiselled granite and billowing coastal smokiness. Sound...as it always is.

#BlindDrams 5 Nose: Full peat now. Medicinal - surface cleaner and calamine lotion. Some smokehouse barbeque ribs, burnt toffee, lemon balm and damp barnyard hay

Really enjoying this one mate. Feels rather Orkney to me.

#BlindDrams 4 Pin-point balance here. Excellent. Scores a 4.

#BlindDrams 4 Taste: Perfect balance of sweet and peat. Lemon meringue pie, crisp and sour green apple...all enveloped with a combination of vegetal/coastal peat. Edges of salinity and minerality at the back palate - really sits well with the overarching sweetness.

#BlindDrams 4 Nose: Ethereal peat wraps around green apples and wet leaves. Quite appropriately autumnal. Touches of burnt pastry cases and orange liqueurs, alongside a delicate meaty character.

#BlindDrams 3. Liked it - right until the end. But true to form - big extracted dry tannins are never going to be my thing. Score a 2.

#BlindDrams 3 Taste: Nice weight throughout the mouth. Sweet and fresh, lively fruits - redcurrants and blackberries. But quite grippy after....the syrupy fruits giving way to the cask for some moisture-sucking, rather rigid tannins.

#BlindDrams 3 Nose: Pleasant and interesting. Gingerbread men and a touch of sharp and crisp cider. Strawberry boot laces, touches of slapped mint leaves and wire wool.

#BlindDrams 2 - No great shakes eitherway. Tis totally fine for me....scores a 2.

#BlindDrams 2 Taste: Good mouthcoating arrival. Active cask here - charry and spicy - together with spirit character of red berries, crisp apples, powdered lemon bonbons and pink wafer biscuits. Pokey stuff.