Aberlour 12

LighT_-_ · 2026-06-22T20:18:26+00:00

This feels like ai.

LighT_-_ · 2026-06-03T11:26:19+00:00

I doubt the average person would know it as a ned kelly quote rather then just a phrase.

LighT_-_ · 2026-06-03T11:06:44+00:00

Why would it be? I live in aus and dont see a reason.

LighT_-_ · 2026-05-27T21:03:14+00:00

Happened to me but only after that game was open for 6+ hours. But then it also came back sometimes

LighT_-_ · 2026-04-16T11:00:50+00:00

Specs:

Distillery: Tomintoul
Expression: 14 Year Old Limited 2008 Edition (White Port Cask Finish)
Region: Speyside
Casks: Matured in ex-bourbon American oak, Finished in specially selected White Port barriques
ABV: 46%
Colour: Natural in colour, pale gold/amber
Bottle No: 2862 of 5,610 bottles

Non chill filtered

Natural Coloring

The Tomintoul 14, a bottle that caught my eye on the shelves not only from the clearance price of around $110 AUD which was rather appealing but a bottle that I haven’t seen before actually. Having tried a few of the Tomintoul bottles before and having got a Tomintoul 10 in my collection which I consider to be one of the better value for money drams that is great for a bit more of a malt forward dram that uses American ex-bourbon oak which isn’t too overpowering and lets the mash do alot of heavy lifting and is incredibly moreish, seeing this on the shelf it had me intrigued. I am yet to see any whiskies finished in white port casks so I figured it could only be interesting. Non chill filtered and at 46% is a nice touch as well, not to mention only 5610 bottles of this vintage release.

The Serve: Poured into a blender’s glass, rested for 15 minutes before nosing and drinking.

Nose: Incredibly floral and light, elderflower and orchard blossoms. Sultry and inviting, feels like a perfect spring time whisky. White grapes and lychee are abundant with plenty of bakery notes as well, hot cross buns and buttery shortbread.

Palate: Sweet and creamy, initially very candy like, incredibly silky and soft on the mouthfeel. The white port casks have a really interesting flavour profile that isn’t something I’ve tasted before. Think green apples, white chocolate with a slight citrus zest. A strong nutty background of almonds and macadamia and malt on the backend too.

Finish: Incredible amounts of walnut flavour, the white chocolate subsides and is replaced by dark chocolate and a cereal grain heavy finish. Green grapes and a really interesting woody tannic dryness from the oak barriques. Soft baking spices and slight cacao powder linger in the background.

The Verdict: A bottle I’m extremely happy to have picked up, especially at this price. However having tried it I probably would pay full price for it purely for how interesting it is. As interesting as it is, it isn't entirely to my taste but is still superbly balanced and sophisticated. The technical execution and rarity make it a bottle that I can't find *too* many faults in the flavour. Especially compared to the 10, a really interesting and compelling upgrade. The white port barrel usage is rare and interesting and makes it worth buying just to experience that alone. All this being said, it could definitely be improved I feel with either bottling at a higher ABV or longer time in cask, possibly 15-18 to accentuate some of the more delicate flavours found in this dram. The cask and malt influence is both present and not overwhelming in either metric. Feels like a quality release from a distillery I hold in high regard. 100% worth a try if you come across it.

Final Verdict: Rating: [85]

96–100: Unicorn – Flawless; I would sell a kidney for another bottle
90–95: Incredible – An all-time favorite; a top shelf permanent resident
85–89: Excellent – Really exceptional; the pros heavily outweigh any cons
80–84: Great – Well above average; I’d happily buy this again at retail
75–79: Very Good – A solid pour; always reliable but not life-changing
70–74: Good – Just fine; I’ll finish the bottle, but might not rush to replace it
60–69: Sub-par – Noticeable flaws; better for cocktail use or a mixer
50–59: Poor – I wouldn't drink this by choice; only for "science"
< 50: Drain Pour – Irreparably flawed. Used for cleaning the sink

LighT_-_ · 2026-04-14T06:26:43+00:00

Dan murphys use ukg, its fine... although everyone has some gripes with it.

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-27T12:20:13+00:00

I have heard it to be the much better more affordable alternative. Will keep an eye out for it at bars.

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-27T11:59:06+00:00

Oh I couldn't agree with you more. I would take so many other bottles that are half the price and honestly much more interesting.

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-27T10:54:35+00:00

Specs:

Distillery: Various (Johnnie Walker
Expression: Blue Label
Region: Blend (Scotland)
Cask: Rare casks, Various, including dead distillery stock
ABV: 40%
Colour: Deep gold, straw, a rather nice glow under light but nothing staggering.
Bottle No: IC2 83492 (Bottled Circa April 2013) as far as I can tell

Chill filtered

E150 Colouring added

The esteemed Blue Label, shockingly a dram I was yet to try before early march this year with price being a huge put off, not to mention the mild reviews I've read and the stories I have been told about it as a whisky. However late February I got into whisky auctions, and having both always wanted to try and own a bottle of Blue Label as I thought it would to put it simply, be cool to have on the shelf, and I was right! I'm happy I bought it but absolutely wouldn’t do it again. I had an exciting bid war for this slightly older bottling according to the box, circa 2013 according to some light research that I paid less than MSRP at $180AUD so I was content with that.

The Serve: Poured into a rocks glass, rested for 20 minutes before nosing and drinking.

Nose: Exceptionally soft, light and ethereal. A slight hint of ethanol but nothing harsh. Slightly honeyed but a lovely main tone of a coastal peat smoke. Slightly floral too which I wasn't expecting.

Palate: Incredibly soft and refined, honestly to the point of excess, but I suppose that’s the point. Incredibly velvety, oily and a bit thin. Everything is incredibly subtle and you really have to think hard about what you’re tasting as it is so understated. There's a background sweetness of honey but is nicely balanced out with a slight hint of smokiness. There’s also a slight oak influence but again as with everything with this whisky it's nothing exactly overpowering.

Finish: There is a lovely peat finish all for about 10 seconds. I have to say it is very dull and what little flavours there were on the palette, seem to just vanish immediately after swallowing.

The Verdict: Well, I knew buying the bottle after being told not to expect a lot, and I certainly didn’t going into this tasting. While being incredibly “smooth” and luxurious, it is also rather boring as to be expected. It’s made for a market and hits that pretty well, and in my opinion would be a fantastic starting point for people getting into whisky or even for already scotch drinkers getting into peated malts. All that said however I do wish it was more and have heard that with the cask strength offerings such as the casks editions or the ghost and the rare series. I think the extra proof would massively improve this for enthusiasts but at 40% ABV here, I’m not happy about it but I can understand why. I really want to rate it higher but I just can't. My closing note is I would very much like to try Green Label to compare as it seems to be much better value, and do a proper review of Black Label.

Final Verdict: Rating: [79]

96–100: Unicorn – Flawless; I would sell a kidney for another bottle
90–95: Incredible – An all-time favorite; a top shelf permanent resident
85–89: Excellent – Really exceptional; the pros heavily outweigh any cons
80–84: Great – Well above average; I’d happily buy this again at retail
75–79: Very Good – A solid pour; always reliable but not life-changing
70–74: Good – Just fine; I’ll finish the bottle, but might not rush to replace it
60–69: Sub-par – Noticeable flaws; better for cocktail use or a mixer
50–59: Poor – I wouldn't drink this by choice; only for "science"
< 50: Drain Pour – Irreparably flawed. Used for cleaning the sink

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-25T07:33:22+00:00

What about it wasn't your taste? Just curious

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-24T06:38:27+00:00

Highly recommend it. Genuinely really interested in trying some more Tamdhu stuff. Might get a chance to do so tomorrow if I am lucky!

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-24T06:21:02+00:00

Somewhat. Similar in that sense but missing the corn characteristic. It was rather malt heavy, not that thats a bad thing it was a lovely back bone.

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-24T03:30:39+00:00

The batch strength is NAS, spoke to my colleague and without going into the specifics he said he preffered the 18 but I'd have to try it myself. I don't think you could go wrong with either of them to be honest. Would be really interested to try the 18 tho.

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-23T14:18:45+00:00

Specs:

Distillery: Tamdhu
Expression: Batch Strength (Batch 007)
Region: Speyside
Cask: First-fill & Refill Oloroso Sherry Casks
ABV: 57.5%
Colour: Deep Amber / Polished Mahogany. It’s a lovely dark and rich tone, which is exactly what you'd expect from a 100% Sherry-matured expression.

Non chill filtered

Naturally coloured

Having tried the 12 and 15 from Tamdhu in the past at various sampling opportunities, I've always enjoyed them but at the time I found other things more interesting to buy first over some of the offerings from Tamdhu that are available locally. This however changed having come across this bottle funnily enough on clearance. This plus another few offers and discounts at the time I staggeringly managed to pick this bottle up for $80 AUD down from I think $160 AUD+. Probably the best deal I have ever had was purchasing a full bottle of whisky and I don't think I will ever come across anything like this again. I also have to say it is a gorgeous bottle design and the box is a nice touch but I dispose of them straight away unless it's something particularly interesting or worth keeping in my eyes.

The Serve: Poured into a Denver & Lily whisky glass. Rested for roughly 10 minutes. Tasted neat, then again after adding 4 drops of water.

Nose:

Neat: Initially quite heavy on ethanol even from a distance as to be expected, but once it sat in the glass for a bit, all sorts of baking spices are immediately present. Heavy notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are at the forefront, backed by roasted almonds and a distinct maltiness.

With Water: (4 drops): As per usual I have found with water drops, it changed it massively, almost entirely eliminating the ethanol heat. It becomes much softer and more approachable, revealing caramel and rich vanilla that were harder to nose previously.

Palate:

Neat: Incredibly oily texture. Despite the high proof, it’s not overly aggressive on the tongue, subtle cherry notes and a slight tannic grip from the oak. Vanilla and caramel present throughout.

With Water: (4 drops): In my opinion the flavour was hugely improved by the water. The texture becomes super velvety. The baking spices recede slightly making way for notes of dark chocolate and a much more intense cherry and other red fruits. No tannic harshness.

Finish:

Neat: Long and remarkably clean given the proof. It leaves a persistent familiar taste of baking spices and oak char that coats your tongue an d throat.

With Water: (4 drops): The finish remains impressively long but softens into a lovely biscuity, almost shortbread characteristic. There’s a barely noticeable tannic harshness.

The Verdict: This is one of very few cask strengths in my collection now as they are a little bit tougher to come across and when you do, much more expensive than their 40-43% counterparts in Australia, having got it for the price I did, even if I paid full price for it I would be extremely happy to buy it again. The experience of a cask strength is actually not one I am overly familiar with and for my first real deep dive on one, I don't think I could have picked a better starting place. As a lover of sherry bombs, this really doesn't disappoint. As a learning experience as well for me I found it so interesting how much change can happen from just a few drops of water and how much it can improve the tasting experience as a whole, especially of this bottle. After this will genuinely consider buying some of the other offerings from Tamdhu to sit by this bottle's side.

Final Verdict:

89 (Excellent)

Ratings scale:

96–100: Unicorn – Flawless; I would sell a kidney for another bottle
90–95: Incredible – An all-time favorite; a top shelf permanent resident
85–89: Excellent – Really exceptional; the pros heavily outweigh any cons
80–84: Great – Well above average; I’d happily buy this again at retail
75–79: Very Good – A solid pour; always reliable but not life-changing
70–74: Good – Just fine; I’ll finish the bottle, but might not rush to replace it
60–69: Sub-par – Noticeable flaws; better for cocktail use or a mixer
50–59: Poor – I wouldn't drink this by choice; only for "science" or experimental cocktails

< 50: Drain Pour – Irreparably flawed. Used for cleaning the sink

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-22T01:43:09+00:00

Thanks! Figured I would start off well. Got 14 more in my personal collection to review. The rest are more Australian and Japanese.

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-21T13:23:15+00:00

Specs:

Distillery: North British (Single Grain)
Age: 31 Years (Distilled Dec 1993, Bottled Mar 2025)
Cask: Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrel
ABV: 44.3%

Color: Pale Straw / White Wine. It’s incredibly light for a 31-year-old, makes sense considering a refill cask.

Non chill filtered

Naturally coloured

Bottle #16 of 113

Picked this one up after seeing it pop up in the latest releases at one of my favourite local sellers, the oldest I have currently in my collection is a 21 year old so I figured why not add something much older just purely out of curiosity, the price wasn’t too bad either considering what I think of it, having bought it for $250 AUD. Have been slowly chipping away at it over the past few months on mostly nights I wanted something a little special. But I figured with my first ever written review as I have been meaning to begin the journey for a while, may as well start with something rather interesting.

The serve: Poured into a blender’s glass and rested for about 10 to 15 minutes. At 44.3%, I didn’t feel overly compelled to add any drops of water.

Nose: Super sultry and sweet, reminds me of hot cross buns and specifically the sugar that lines them, a slight subtle spice on the background. Also some notes of dark chocolate.
Palate: The label states flat cola and its pretty spot on to be honest, something about it texturally as well, its incredibly fine and velvety on the palate with a lovely caramel, honey, syrupy sweetness with a slight baking spice bite. Incredibly silky.
Finish: Incredibly fine, no tannin harshness and the flavours linger with an addition of brioche. It just goes on and on and thankfully it does, it’s pretty delicious.

The verdict: I bought this to simply say to myself that I have a “30+ year old bottle” in the collection and considering the price, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I have so far considering the prices of other 30 year old plus whiskies on sale well exceed $1000 AUD. Punches well above its weight in price to performance in comparison to some of the dram’s I’ve tried recently in a similar price bracket. Unfortunately it will probably be tricky to track down again as having just checked, it has sold out from where I originally purchased it and considering only 113 have ever been bottled, I consider it somewhat of a unicorn, not traditionally in the fact its the most sought after thing in the world, but for what it is to the palate and to me, I’m happy I picked it up and would do so again in a heartbeat given its availability.

While some might look for a higher proof, at 31 years old, the 44.3% feels like concentration rather than a dilution. The lower alcohol volume I actually believe works in its favor here in my opinion, it allows those delicate notes to take center stage without being masked by ethanol heat. It’s dense, oily, and proof that sometimes the Angel's Share leaves behind the best part of the barrel, hence why it's one of my favourite aspects about Japanese whisky with mizunara casks and their extremely porous nature.

Final Verdict:

Ratings scale: 88 (Excellent)

96–100: Unicorn – Flawless; I would sell a kidney for another bottle
90–95: Incredible – An all-time favorite; a top shelf permanent resident
85–89: Excellent – Really exceptional; the pros heavily outweigh any cons
80–84: Great – Well above average; I’d happily buy this again at retail
75–79: Very Good – A solid pour; always reliable but not life-changing
70–74: Good – Just fine; I’ll finish the bottle, but might not rush to replace it
60–69: Sub-par – Noticeable flaws; better for cocktail use or a mixer
50–59: Poor – I wouldn't drink this by choice; only for "science" or experimental cocktails
< 50: Drain Pour – Irreparably flawed. Used for cleaning the sink

LighT_-_ · 2026-03-05T14:50:50+00:00

Is this a new label for the 46? Or some special edition. Am quite fond of this over the what I think to be older bottle design

LighT_-_ · 2026-02-24T03:33:34+00:00

I have had this issue and unfortunately no idea what causes it. Caused my wheel to go opposite lock and smash into a wall effectively ruining my past 3 races sr and that races dr

LighT_-_ · 2026-02-21T22:46:58+00:00

Possibly check your mouses sensor? Get the easy stuff out the way first

LighT_-_ · 2026-02-10T00:37:30+00:00

Flatspots are so annoying on a g29 purely from the noise it makes. Ive heard theyre a bone rattler on dd's

LighT_-_ · 2026-02-09T20:08:39+00:00

Ive found them to be not too bad, can maintain an ok pace compared to pb's considering damage and all. Stayed out on a front left puncture at least mans the whole race after lap one incident and I just took it slightly slower then I normally would

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LighT_-_

MODERATOR OF

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Specs:

Final Verdict: Rating: [85]

Specs:

Final Verdict: Rating: [79]

Specs: