Batch Strength? Oh Yes!
Wednesday night was Batch Strength Tweet Tasting night, courtesy of Wemyss Malts and Steve from The Whisky Wire.
We had the opportunity to sample three of a new range of Non-chill filtered, No Age Statement blends with a fiesty alcohol strength of between 54.5% – 57%.
The Blended Whiskies sampled were:-
- Wemyss Malts The Hive
- Wemyss Malts Spice King
- Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney
If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #WemyssMalts on Twitter.
The Range!
So, what did I think?
Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!
Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts The Hive (54.5%)
Launched last month these limited edition (6000 bottles each) Batch Strength bottlings are the latest offerings from the multi-award winning Edinburgh based boutique spirits company. Each one uses signature malts to define their flavour and aroma as their names suggests.
Wemyss Malts have tailored the blend recipe for The Hive Batch Strength, to increase the deepness of the sweetness.
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Nose: Quite subtle honey for me. Green apples, caramel and salt. There’s lemon, orange and cereal notes and I Love the luscious way it coats the glass! Palate: Smooth, sweet with a satisfying mouthfeel. Honeyed, sweet and biscuity – pretty punchy though! Finish: Quite dry finish, with caramel to accompany it – very little spice. |
Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts Spice King (56.0%)
Spice King Batch Strength has been made using a different assortment of West Coast signature malts providing an increased salinity & pepperiness which when blended with the peated malts provides a salt caramel like flavour.
Each of the new Batch Strength bottlings have been produced using a selection of single malts, sourced from over 10 Scotch whisky distilleries.
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Nose: Smokey peat on this one for sure. Waxy, salty, tobacco and ever so slightly honey. Palate: Smooth, thick mouthfeel, waxy with a fruity sweetness. Spicy kick coming through. Finish: Syrupy, honey finish married with lovely intense spiced, salty flavours! |
Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney (57.0%)
Peat Chimney Batch Strength is made with roughly the same recipe as the Non Chill filtered 46% core variant taking advantage of a heavily peated, late-cut distilled Islay whisky as its signature malt.
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Nose: More peat, less smoke on this one. A Less oily dram – citrus & more rich, dark peat. There’s a little popcorn but mostly it’s gently smoking peat (with a rich frutiness)! Palate: Smooth, oily thick, sweet and nicely peaty – does exactly what it says etc… Finish: Peppery sweetened spice to finish and that ever present peat. Overall: A Fruity and smokey fireplace burming peat – what a delight! |
Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts Rob Roy Cocktail
The famous Cocktail using Peat Chimney Batch Strength as its base. Originally created in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.
It was named in honour of the premiere of Rob Roy, an operetta by composer Reginald De Koven & lyricist Harry B. Smith. The operetta was loosely based upon Scottish folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor.
The recipe is:-
- 50ml Peat Chimney Batch Strength
- 30ml Sweet Vermouth
- 10ml PX Sherry
- 10ml demerara syrup
- Dash of cherry bitters
- Garnish with cherries and orange
All three of the new Batch Strength bottlings can be used with this and other cocktails including The Old Fashioned.
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Palate: Mmm … that’s nice – smokey vermouth and Sweet n’ sour cherry sherry! A tasty cherriness coupled with the sherry and I love the way the cherry also battles it out with the peatiness! Overall: Morish, powerful and tasty – enough said! |
My Favourite On The Night
The Peat Chimney – The peat, you just gotta luv Peat!
Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and of course, Wemyss Malts (@WemyssMalts), for sending the samples and without whom!
My fellow Tweeters were:-
@WhiskyDiscovery @whiskyrepublic @moonbites @WhiskyApocalyps @WhiskyWriter @TheFinestCut @thisismydram @RealDramTom @Ardbaggie @WhiskyManc @DistilleryBikes @Andrews_Share @_littlebrowndog @dramming_uk @Unchillfilter @LauraWBurgess @ocdwhisky @Girl_Whisky @LaCaveDeCobalt @dram_gazette @MaltKlaus @RBWhiskyWorld @the_whisky_lady @ChrisMCoates @whiskylord @allthingsbooze @PWulf @RealDramRob @brawspirit @Milroys
Wemyss Malts are available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-
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