Adelphi Spirit of Yorkshire cask #3054 & Adelphi Akkeshi cask number #1011

Adelphi Spirit of Yorkshire cask #3054

Region: English

ABV: 48.0%

Price: £115.00

This release was distilled in 2018 and aged for five yearsw in a first fill Moscatel hogshead. A total of 330 bottles were produced, each at a strength of 48% ABV.

Nose

The nose offers aromas of cream soda, lime cordial, fresh strawberry, red berries, currants, Tobacco and a a slight charred note. Initially, when nosing this whisky, we were surprised that the ABV wasn't more noticeable. However, we soon realized that this seems to be due to it having been watered down. the Upon revisiting, additional notes of papaya, tangerines, pineapples, and icing sugar emerge. Pleasant and we’d not have guessed this was only five years old.

Palate

The palate is exceptionally sweet, featuring honey, sugar puff cereal, sugar syrup, and a hint of lime cordial. The mouthfeel is slightly thin, but we’re just really distracted by the sweetness. There's a subtle spiciness, reminiscent of black pepper, buts it’s not unpleasant. 48% does seem to have been the correct ABV here. Going back additional flavors of tangerine and pineapple emerge, alongside a slight tannic quality and a bit of ginger spice. We’d have guessed this was a few years older.

Nose (with water)

Adding water introduces a musty and dry character, with prominent dry wood notes. The fruity elements evolve into flavors more akin to dates, figs, or plums. While some of the sweetness is lost, the overall profile remains pleasant, featuring notes of candy floss, honey, and cream soda. Not bad, but we were able to ascertain more notes on the nose pre dilution.

Palate (with water)

With dilution, dark chocolate and blood orange bitterness emerge, while the mouthfeel deteriorates and the finish becomes disappointingly fleeting. Additionally, there's a slight gain in flavors of treacle and burnt brown sugar, but not enough for us to recommend diluting this.

Conclusion

It's a pretty good dram for its age, assuming you don't add water, and it shows promise for the distillery. Alternatively, it could simply be that Adelphi is very adept at selecting casks.

Score: 7/10

Value

Definitely pricey, but the asking price is in line with what we’ve seen from other bottlers.

Adelphi Akkeshi cask number #1011

Region: Japan

ABV: 57.8%

Price: £110.00

This release was distilled in 2018 and aged for three years in a first fill bourbon barrel. A total of 253 bottles were produced, and released in 2023 to mark Adelphi’s 30th anniversary.

Nose

Palate

The palate closely mirrors the nose, featuring many of the same elements. Notable flavors include ash—or more accurately, an ashtray—peanuts, barley sugars, Coca Cola, lime juice, golden syrup, tar, and leather. The mouthfeel is pleasingly oily. The alcohol is well-integrated, with much less spice than expected given the ABV. The finish is of medium length, with the peat and sweeter notes lingering.

Nose (with water)

With water, the smoke—specifically the TCP, tar, and iodine notes—are diminished, giving way to a more ashy and slightly savory profile. This change brings to mind flavors reminiscent of Cornish pasties and, unexpectedly, apple extreme sour chewits.

Palate (with water)

Adding water introduces flavors of burnt oats, ginger snap biscuits, and lavender, though the mouthfeel becomes somewhat thin. Despite these changes, there's still a robust presence of peat, and the finish remains relatively unchanged.

Conclusion

Much like today's other review, this release is very promising for its youth. However, it is definitely more spirit-forward compared to the two. While some might prefer more cask influence, we are quite satisfied with it as it stands.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

Yes, it's expensive, but that seems to be the standard for this distillery.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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