Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Dram 5 - Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 - I'd be over the moon if given a bottle of this, and would probably drink it fairly quickly. #BlindDrams 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Dram 4 - Score: ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 - Damn drinkable and if within my price range, I'd happily buy (or have bought) one of these and enjoy it. #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Dram 3 - Score: ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 - Damn drinkable and if within my price range, I'd happily buy (or have bought) one of these and enjoy it. #BlindDrams 060
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Dram 2 - Score: ⭐⭐ 2/5 - At a decent price I'd buy a glass of this, but wouldn't invest in a whole bottle. #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Dram 1 - Score: ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 - Damn drinkable and if within my price range, I'd happily buy (or have bought) one of these and enjoy it. #BlindDrams 060
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 5 - Score: ⭐⭐ 2/5 - At a decent price I'd buy a glass of this, but wouldn't invest in a whole bottle. #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 5 - The finish: Light, sweet, smoked woody, inoffensive and not long lasting #BlindDrams 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 5 - On the palate: Hints of wood, light grapes in the sweetness, some smokey peat punchier than 1 or 2 but similar light in the mouthfeel, maybe coming after the more bold dram 4 it’s subtlety is getting lost. #BlindDrams 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 5 - On the nose: Much lighter than expected after dram 4, some vanilla and white grapes, struggling to get anything more, I imagine some peat but not heavily #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 4 - Score: ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 - Damn drinkable and if within my price range, I'd happily buy (or have bought) one of these and enjoy it. #BlindDrams 051
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 4 - The finish: Smokey, sweet, lingering on the finish, a happy drinker #BlindDrams 070
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 4 - On the palate: Easy drinking watching the fireworks with toasted marshmallows, fruity, strawberries, punchy spice oily mouthfeel coating to keep it nice and lingering on the palate and… #BlindDrams 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 4 - On the nose: Sweet peat, dark rich fruits, strawberries, woody #BlindDrams 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 3 - Score: ⭐⭐ 2/5 - At a decent price I'd buy a glass of this, but wouldn't invest in a whole bottle. (maybe a 1.5) - if given a bottle of this I’d use for cooking and maybe have a glass whilst eating. Not sure I’d buy a dram unless it was the only or best one behind the bar. #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 3 - The finish: Clean finish again not lingering woody notes stay and more bitter than the sweetness on the palate #BlindDrams 070
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 3 - On the palate: hints of toffee, still relatively thin on the mouthfeel but does linger indicating more oily for me, but spicier, white pepper maybe. #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 3 - On the nose: Darker red fruits, richer more woody, nutmeg or ginger spice #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 2 - Score: ⭐⭐ 2/5 - At a decent price I'd buy a glass of this, but wouldn't invest in a whole bottle. #BlindDrams 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 2 - The finish: The bitters and sweet notes follow through but don’t tend to linger long. More interesting than dram 1 , so #BlindDrams 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 2 - On the palate: Bittersweet, mixture of sweet dessert wine and bitters, more woody notes and occasional strawberries, still a little thin on the palate but with sharper spice feels higher 40’s maybe 46% at a push 48% sherbet-y #BlindDrams 080
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 1 - Score: ⭐ 1/5 - I'd drink it if given to me as a gift, but wouldn't waste my own money on a bottle. #BlindDrams 030
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 1 - The finish: Inoffensive, a little pencil wood shavings, mixed with boiled sweets and dissipates quickly. #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 1 - On the palate: fairly light and slick, not particularly oily, sweet and salty, possibly about 43% Cooking whisky :) #BlindDrams 070
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Dram 1 - On the nose: Floral, perfume, lavender, honeysuckle, or classic whisky to put in a fruitcake, according to my better half #BlindDrams 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Brian will shortly persuade you to part with your hard earned or ill-gotten cash yet again for episode 66 next month. 190
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations And that brings the tasting to a close, thank you for your participation and hope that you found something to enjoy from this evening’s adventures, even if that was not the whisky 6367
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Finally, Dram 5, which bore no age statement and was a batch of casks finished? in the very dark rich and fruity Pedro Ximenez, despite it being the lightest in colour of all the whiskies this evening. Ardbeg Eureka! 52.2% This was the stand alone dram. 0171
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 4 completed the second pair, as it was very similarly an Oloroso Cask of the same number of years but from the land of Lindores Abbey at 50.5%. 0262
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 3 on the other hand was a Holyrood Distillery Oloroso Cask aged for a mere 4 rotations of the sun at 62.2%. 1173
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations This was the first pairing, two approximately 20 year old whiskies from the same distillery. The difference being the casks they were matured in. 0120
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 2 was also a Glen Moray this time an undisclosed Sherry Cask 54.6% and only aged for 20 of the same type of years - some have said the generic sherry term may mean it is an Oloroso, but I cannot confirm this. 0202
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 1 was a Glen Moray Sauternes Cask Finish 56.6% aged for 22 of your earth years 1263
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations At least one of these is known to have featured in a tasting before so will be interesting how it has fared this time around, better, worse, or the same. To my knowledge all bar the last were from single casks. 091
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations You probably were expecting this to be about the grapes. 🍇 Alas apart from featuring in each dram they had very little to do with it. There were two known types of sherry, one unclassified amongst them and the other was a wine. 🍷 2111
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Thank you for your patience and sharing your insights, please provide your final scores, in dram order. Remember only whole numbers are permitted from zero to five inclusive. 080
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 5 The final flourish of the finish, be gone with you but before ye do, share with us the last drops of your wisdom. “If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money.” 080
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 5 Presently to the palate and share “Take another glass of wine, and excuse my mentioning that society as a body does not expect one to be so strictly conscientious in emptying one’s glass, as to turn it bottom upwards with the rim on one’s nose.” 060
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 5 The end is nigh, but let’s start with the nose etc etc. “Of course you’ll go wrong somehow, but that’s no fault of mine.” 170
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 4 Finish at the ready, this experience being such that you cannot keep it contained. “Let us drink, Thanks to Fortune, and may she ever pick out her favourites with equal judgment!” 060
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 4 The palate experience, how would you describe this? “Now, I return to this young fellow. And the communication I have got to make is, that he has 🍇 expectations.” 070
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Proceeding to Dram 4; Again you say, more notes and observations, yes please. So!” she said, without being startled or surprised: “the days have worn away, have they?” 0100
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations And if you haven't already, please share your score for Dram 3 060
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026Dram 3 Find the finish in this erstwhile place and please us with your meanderings. “No varnish can hide the grain of the wood; and that the more varnish you put on, the more the grain will express itself.” 130
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 3 Make great the palate and reveal its findings Life is made of so many partings welded together.” 080
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Opening another chapter, moving onto Dram 3 - Observe, nose, make notes and share “Scattered wits take a long time in picking up.” 060
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations And again, daring yourself to give a number to Dram 2? 050
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 2 Finish, with what does it leave you? “There was something very comfortable in having plenty of stationery.” 070
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Dram 2 if you're ready? The palate pleasings, lords and ladies “We changed again, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me.” 040
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations Onto Dram 2 then, please furnish me with your notes on what you see and how it noses “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.” 060
Damian @newdramrising.bsky.social · 13/06/2026#BlindDrams #BTC65 #GrapeExpectations And in your own time, if you dare, scores for Dram 1 070
