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Sampling ‘Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms 2nd. Edition – A Dram Of Two Halves – But A Perfect Match!

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The Angels are supporting the Cairngorms Trust!

Grantown-on-Spey based Highfern Ltd have made a donation to the Cairngorms Trust of £1230, raised from sales of the Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms Edition, their Speyside Single Cask Scotch Whisky.
This donation will be used by the Cairngorms Trust for environmental and community projects in the Cairngorms National Park.

Cairngorms 2nd Edition

The Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms Edition, a Single Cask Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, was released by Highfern Ltd in the summer in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust. Whilst the cask is now more or less sold out, a few bottles of this limited edition are still available from the Balliefurth Farm Shop and The Whisky Castle.

Following the success of the project, Angels’ Nectar have announced the release of their Cairngorms 2nd Edition. Whilst every single cask is different, like the previous release this is an 11 years old single cask which has been bottled at 46% and at natural colour, and as before distilled at a speyside distillery in the Cairngorms National Park.

This exclusive dram has an inviting sweet nose with hints of vanilla fudge and floral notes, which opens on the taste to reveal more sweetness, brandy butter and dried tropical fruit. Thanks to the Angels’ share, the cask has given just 146 bottles.

As before a donation from each bottle sold of the Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms 2nd Edition will go towards the Cairngorms Trust, whose vision is to encourage sustainable and community led development, which enhances wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation and cultural heritage in the Cairngorms National Park.

Nancy Chambers and Robert Ransom

We are absolutely delighted that Angels’ Nectar are continuing their support to environmental and community projects around the Cairngorms National Park with the release of a second cask of the Cairngorms Edition.
– Nancy Chambers: Cairngorms Trust Manager

Firstly I would like to thank all those who have supported the important work of the Cairngorms Trust via their whisky glass! Looking ahead may we suggest the Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms 2nd Edition is the perfect Christmas gift for those who love whisky and the Cairngorms.
– Robert Ransom: Angels’ Nectar Founder

Amongst others the Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms 2nd Edition is now available from The Speyside Centre and from Highfern’s own on-line store highfern.com at £79.98 per bottle.

Free upgrade to 1st Class!

Orders placed on highfern.com until the 22nd. December:-
Pay for Royal Mail 2nd Class Signed For & they’ll send Royal Mail 1st Class Signed For!
Hopefully this will help ensure all drams arrive in time!

Robert from Highfern has very kindly sent me a sample (Cheers Robert!)

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes: Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms 2nd. Edition – Single Cask Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (46%)


Nose: Quite buttery with soft toffee, vanilla and white wood. Fresh apple grow and grow and there’s even a little citrusy lime! – It’s a lovely gentle nose that gets more and more tropical the longer it sits in the glass!

Palate: Creamy vanilla toffee with accompanying sweetness coupled with fresh apples and citrus – very fresh and light.

Finish: Gentle spice that blends with the sweeter flavours. This eventually takes over to release a powerful, long, peppery, chilli finish with tanin dryness at the end.

Overall: This dram grows on me as I sip!

It’s a balance of two halves with a refreshing first-half followed by a more fiery, punchy second-half.

A perfect match!

Many thanks to highfern.com (@angelsnectar) for sending me the sample!


· Highfern Ltd are the proprietors of Angels’ Nectar Whisky and importers of Langatun Whisky, Seven Seals Whisky, Smögen Whisky, Strane Gin & Kinghaven Rum. Alongside the Cairngorms Edition, Angels’ Nectar also offer Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Original 40%, Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Rich Peat Edition 46% and Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Islay Edition 47%.

· For more on the Cairngorms Trust please see cairngormstrust.org.uk

· Cairngorms National Park: With an area larger than Luxembourg, the Cairngorms National Park, is the UK’s largest National Park, but home to just 18000 people. Endangered wildlife resident in the park include capercaillie, wildcats, golden eagles, and black grouse. Four of the UK’s five highest mountains are in the park. The headwaters of the River Spey are within the park. For more see cairngorms.co.uk and visitcairngorms.com

· For more information about Angels’ Nectar, please see: angelsnectar.co.uk

Port Charlotte 10 Crowned The Whisky Exchange’s “Whisky Of The Year 2021”!

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Port Charlotte 10 – The Whisky Exchange’s annual Whisky of the Year 2021!

Port Charlotte 10 has triumphed in The Whisky Exchange’s annual tasting, taking the top spot in the only official blind whisky judging undertaken by members of the public.

Islay distillery Bruichladdich won the tightly fought battle in the annual Whisky of the Year blind tasting by specialist spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange. Their 10-year-old expression – a heavily-peated, rich and spicy whisky lives and breathes the distillery’s ethos that Islay whisky should express the aspects of the island’s character, from rich smoke to bracing sea breeze.

“Port Charlotte whisky is a joy to create …”

Six whiskies went head to head after they were nominated by global customers of The Whisky Exchange, with more than 2000 putting forward their favourites. The blind judging of the most popular was opened up to the world via the Whisky of the Year Perfect Measure Judging Set and online voting on 22 September. The sets were very popular with customers, selling out online in less than three weeks and resulting in more than 500 votes cast!

Starting with a blind tasting led by Dawn Davies MW at Virtual Whisky Show in October and continuing in the weeks after, whisky-loving consumers were encouraged to critique each whisky for nose, palate and finish, and select a first and second choice via the online voting form.

All whiskies in the tasting were under £65 retail price, and all ongoing, commercially available releases.
In addition to the winner Port Charlotte 10, the shortlist included:

Runner Up: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year Old

Nikka Coffey Malt

Kilkerran 12 Year Old

Lagavulin 16 Year Old

Port Charlotte whisky is a joy to create. The spirit is versatile and approachable, offering an alternative to the traditional Islay style, it’s a softer, heathery style of smoke.

I’m delighted to have the Port Charlotte 10 recognised by The Whisky Exchange as Whisky of the Year – it’s a testament of the commitment and passion our Islay team put into every bottle.
– Adam Hannett: head distiller of Bruichladdich Distillery

The aim of the Whisky of the Year competition is to make excellent affordable whiskies known to all spirit-lovers around the world. Port Charlotte is an exceptional rich and smoky whisky with a maritime tang – a worthy winner of the title.
– Sukhinder Singh: co-founder and owner of The Whisky Exchange

This year, the company wanted to recognise other drinks categories and has introduced Rum and Gin Of The Year alongside the Champagne of the Year – the fourth year it has been awarded. Each category has been nominated by industry experts and staff at The Whisky Exchange based on their quality and value for money.

This year’s winners are:
Gin of the Year 2021 : Lind & Lime Gin

Rum of the Year 2021 : Mount Gay XO Triple Cask Blend Rum

Champagne of the Year 2021 : Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne

All of The Whisky Exchange ‘Of the Year’ winners are given a dedicated landing page on thewhiskyexchange.com for the year to showcase the producer and the bottling, while customers can watch out for special offers online and in-store ‘Of The Year’ tastings!

Whisky-loving consumers were encouraged to critique each whisky for nose, palate and finish, and select a first and second choice via the online voting form

The Whisky Exchange kindly sent me the six samples to try (Thanks @WhiskyExchange!) so I got a chance to sample them and make my own voting choice.

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – A (45%)


Nose: Cane sweetness, toffee apples but this dram is slow to give up it’s flavours. After a time they fill the glass nicely – especially creamy toffee!

Palate: Smooth and sweet toffee, fruity, slightly tropical.

Finish: Tasty spice which is not too powerful. There’s a little grapefruit at the end.

Overall: Good abv and very easy to drink!!

Tasting Notes – B (43%)


Nose: Apples, tropical fruits, slightly cakey, toffee, slightly peaty as well with some furniture polish. Gives of itself quickly!

Palate: Shades of peaty smoke and tropical fruits.

Finish: Chilli spice, fruit, more apple with a short finish.

Overall: The smoke was a surprise – dunno why!

Tasting Notes – C (46%)


Nose: Smoke n’ peat, not too heavy – very nice! Sweet wood and quite coastal.

Palate: Cane sweetness, smoke, peat, slightly antispetic – gorgeous!

Finish: very smooth with just a smidgeon of pepper at the very end – which is long.

Overall: Fireside sipper when the winds howling outside – so that no-one can hear you pouring another dram!

Tasting Notes – D (46%)


Nose: Dark rich chocolate, molasses, sherry and toffee.

Palate: Rich toffee and vanilla. Sherried fruits, chocolate with hints of orange.

Finish: Breathtaking spice and richly fruited.

Overall: Slow to develop but certainly worth the wait!

Tasting Notes – E (50%)


Nose: Smokey with treacley peat, salty and coastal.

Palate: Sherbet sweetness, smoke, charred wood and peat.

Finish: Intense spice but still very sweet – quite unusual! Long finish.

Overall: A tasty dram that is the sum of two very different halves – but better for it!

Tasting Notes – F (43%)


Nose: Tropical fruits, furniture polish, plasticine, leather. Smoke gradually grows at the back.

Palate: Tropical sweetness paired with smokey fireside flavours!

Finish: Peaty with sweetness added.

Overall: A classy dram that doesn’t dissapoint.


So, which ones did I vote for?

MY FIRST CHOICE VOTED FOR WAS: D

MY SECOND CHOICE VOTED FOR WAS: E

And, the actual drams were:-

Whisky A – Nikka Coffey Malt
Whisky B – Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year Old
Whisky C – Kilkerran 12 Year Old
Whisky D – Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old (Runner-Up)
Whisky E – Port Charlotte 10 (Winner)
Whisky F – Lagavulin 16 Year Old

YaY! I nearly got it right – just the wrong way round!

The Whisky Exchange Releases An Exclusive Loch Lomond – Sampling The Bountiful Orchard!

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The New Loch Lomond 2010 exclusive bottling from The Whisky Exchange!

New Loch Lomond 2010 exclusive bottling from The Whisky Exchange!

The Whisky Exchange is continuing its programme of exclusive whiskey offerings with a new release from Loch Lomond distillery – Loch Lomond 2010, 10 Years Old Cask #849!

Only 241 bottles have been produced

Selected by the team at The Whisky Exchange and available exclusively from them, this distillery bottling shows off the fruity character of Loch Lomond’s spirit, and how the distillery’s team amplify those flavours throughout the whisky making process.

The creation of the whisky’s character starts early in production, with the team using a wine yeast known for producing high quantities of esters – compounds that lead to fruity flavours and aromas – to ferment the wort.

The resulting wash was distilled using Loch Lomond’s unique straight-necked pot stills and collecting a narrow cut of spirit at high strength, again concentrating the fruity flavour compounds.

This was then matured in a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel, a smaller size of cask that gives more oak influence, giving the final whisky a complex character, combining the fruitiness of the spirit with sweet vanilla and spice from the wood.

The Whisky Exchange has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks @WhiskyExchange!).

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Loch Lomond 2010, 10 Years Old Cask #849 (57.7%)

– 241 bottles available
– Buy Now: £62.95 (70cl)


Nose: Orchards of crisp, crunchy, green apples! Blended with creamy vanilla, fresh pastry and white wood. There’s also hints of citrus, orange and some toffee which wanders along later.

Palate: Syrupy, cooked apples with a sugar dusting – delightful!

Finish: Lip-smacking chilli spice which is coupled with an apple pie finish that sure takes your breath away! Some liquorice and maybe a hint of blackcurrant. It’s a long finish that ends with a tannin dryness.

Overall: Plenty of punch to this one! It’s both fruity and spicy and each one assails the taste buds full on!

You might want to add a few drops of water to this dram to tone the chilli down a bit – it can take it!

All-in-all a cracking dram that has plenty to offer for fruit and spice fans alike!

Sampling The Whisky Exchange “Black Friday” Malt 2020 – A Little Bit Of Everything For Everybody!

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The Whisky Exchange Black Friday Malt 2020!

An Exclusive limited edition 22 year old whisky
– specially for Black Friday!

For the fourth year running The Whisky Exchange has unveiled a limited-edition single malt whisky to celebrate Black Friday 2020!

Bottles customarily sell out in under an hour!

With bottles customarily selling out in under an hour, these Black Friday whisky releases have become more and more successful each year.

After scouring the Scottish Highlands for something exceptional, The Whisky Exchange located a distillery near the Speyside borders.

The distillery is known for its distinctively smoky style that sets it apart from its neighbours, making this whisky highly sought-after by whisky fans around the world.

This one-off, smoky 22-year-old Highland whisky is a complex yet well-balanced dram, priced at fantastic value for money. This is set to put a smile on the face of everyone who is lucky enough to get their hands on a bottle!

Customers want something different on Black Friday and we’re the only whisky specialist that produces its own special bottling for the day. Our customers trust us, so while nobody knows what to expect when we reveal our Black Friday whisky, they take a chance on it, and for good reason: we’re well-known for finding very nice whiskies.

Plus it’s a bit of fun!
– Sukhinder Singh: co-founder of The Whisky Exchange

Only 1308 bottles are available

The Whisky Exchange has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks @WhiskyExchange!).

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – The Whisky Exchange Black Friday Malt 2020 (50.5%)

Distilled at … The Scottish Highlands (That’s all we know!)
Aged for 22 years.
Only 1,308 bottles are available.
£99.95 (plus £4.95 with gift tube)


Nose: Lots of apples, toffee, hints of orange, peat and old waxy furniture.

Palate: Creamy apple, hints of smoke but not too much. Then there’s cane sweetness with a little pineapple to top it all off!

Finish: Robust spiciness with apple sweetness. Wisps of peat and smoke but it’s sort of hiding for me! Smokey dryness at the end.

Overall: An enjoyable dram with a little bit of everything for everybody.

Eminently fitting for this time of year because, of course, it’s this time of year that we should be able to enjoy a little bit of everything … for everybody!

Compass Box’s Peat Monster ‘Arcana’ Whisky – A Virtual Sampling With Founder John Glaser!

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Compass Box’s Peat Monster Arcana!

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of Virtually attending Compass Box’s tasting of their limited edition Peat Monster Arcana!

The tasting was part of their continuing 20th anniversary celebrations of Compass Box Whisky.

Only 8,328 bottles have been produced globally

Our host was Compass Box Founder John Glaser and he was joined virtually by James Saxon, lead Whiskymaker for Peat Monster Arcana and author and freelance cookery writer Amanda Schuster who explored food pairings.

We explored the story behind their latest edition which is an experiment into oak and smoke and compared The Peat Monster, from the Compass Box Malt Whisky Collection and Peat Monster Arcana.

We have been experimenting with French oak since the early days of our company. Peat Monster Arcana is the first Compass Box to feature smoky whiskies matured in French oak.

We’re delighted to be able to build on this experiment in our 20th anniversary year and we hope dedicated fans of The Peat Monster discover a new side to this charismatic whisky.
– John Glaser: Compass Box Founder and Whiskymaker

It is a truly delicious release and one that has taught us so much about the influence of French oak. Of course, there will always be further mysteries to explore.
– James Saxon: Lead whiskymaker for Peat Monster Arcana

It was all-smoke on the night with a real celebration of the Compass Box style that these two drams have in abundance!
We also talked about what it is about smoke that people find so attractive?
To me, Smoke is nostalgia. It reminds me of cosiness, warmth, being with friends. And it’s great for sharpening the appetite!

Compass Box kindly sent me some samples to try for the tasting – the ‘Arcana’ and their ‘Peat Monster’ (Thanks @CompassBoxWhiskyCo (Instagaram)!)

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Peat Monster Arcana Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (46%)

AN EXPERIMENT INTO OAK & SMOKE
“What if we matured The Peat Monster in French Oak for a few years? Peat Monster Arcana is the result; using complementary malt whiskies, we have captured the richly spicy and more subtly smoky profile of three experimental casks.”

WHISKY SOURCING
The Talisker Distillery, The Miltonduff Distillery, The Ardbeg Distillery, The Peat Monster (finished in French Oak custom casks).

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottled at 46%. Natural colour. Not chill-filtered.
A limited edition of 8,328 bottles.

LEAD WHISKYMAKER
James Saxon.

Serving Recommendations: Peat Monster Arcana rewards experimentation. Explore how the addition of water or soda reveals new textures or discover how its sweet smokiness reacts with different foods.

I asked if Compass Box ‘char’ their barrels prior to casking?

All casks we use for secondary maturation are prepared in some way. Charring (recharring) the casks is a typical method. The degree of char, toast or preparation varies depending on the whisky project we are focusing on.

Our French oak casks we use three different toast (not char) levels, whihc each give a different flavor profile. The American Oak barrels we use are all charred beforehand.

What was the toast on the Arcana French-oak casks?

We used 2 French oak casks in Arcana. 10% of the recipe is a refill french oak cask at a HEAVY toast and 2% is a Custom French Oak Barrel also at a HEAVY toast.


Nose: Peat n’ smoke – lovely and lots of it! Smokey fires and smokey clothes! Sweet white wood. creamy coffee.

Palate: Sweet and fruity with lots of smoke and peat but the peat is more in the background than I expected. Lovely creamy chocolate.

Finish: More of the same and the cane sugar sweetnss balances the smoke very well. Antiseptic, licorice and it’s quite peppery as well with a dry tanin mouthfeel at the end.

Overall: The fruitiness was a very pleasant surprise to this dram – I really wasn’t expecting it! It manages to stand it’s ground against peat which is no mean feat!

I love the peat aromas – very much a ‘hanging around bonfires too long’ vibe to it!

It was all-smoke on the night!

Tasting Notes – The Peat Monster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (46%)

PEAT WITH ELEGANCE
“A whisky that layers peaty and smoky elements. The recipe has evolved to include older and more elegant Islay malts.”

WHISKY SOURCING
The Caol Ila Distillery, The Laphroaig Distillery, our Highland Malt Blend (single malts from the Clynelish, Dailuaine and Teaninich distilleries).

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottled at 46%. Natural colour. Not chill-filtered.

LEAD WHISKYMAKER
John Glaser.

What were the reasons behind the Peat monster recipe change in 2018?

we noticed the palate of the peated whisky drinker had evolved a lot over the past 15 years since we released Peat Monster, so we wanted to modernize the style a bit.


Nose: Peatiness coupled with burning embers. It’s sweet with buttery popcorn.

Palate: Sweet and fruity with apple and slightly tropical flavours. Peaty and smokey – smokehouse rules!

Finish: Spicy with sweet peppery notes coupled with a fruity blend.

Overall: A lovely dram – fruity peat in a well balanced package!

ABOUT COMPASS BOX

We are Scotch whiskymakers. This word ‘whiskymaker’ is our word – it does not appear in a dictionary. And for 20 years we have been relentlessly focused on reinventing Scotch whisky, with every new blend designed to help make the world of whisky a more interesting place. Of course, we have not done it on our own. We have collaborated with some of the world’s most visionary bartenders and designers to really push the boundaries of what is possible. We have won more awards for innovation than any other producer in Scotland because we are always experimenting. Always looking for sparks of creativity that will deliver something totally compelling, yet completely surprising. Whiskies that just must be experienced. This vision motivates us as whiskymakers. Our blends are consistently rated equal to or better than the great single malts of Scotland by the most respected voices in the industry. Six-time Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year. 2020 Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame Inductee, John Glaser, Founder of Compass Box.

JOHN GLASER, WHISKYMAKER

American ex-pat John Glaser is the founder and head whiskymaker of Compass Box, the boutique Scotch whisky blending house widely recognised in the industry for their innovative approach to the creation and enjoyment of whisky. John began his career on a path to become a winemaker, before re-routing himself through the corporate world and ending up as a Marketing Director for Johnnie Walker in London. With a desire to do things differently, John started Compass Box from the kitchen of his west London home in 2000 in order to bring the joys of Scotch whisky to more people. From the beginning, his vision has been to create one of Scotland’s finest and most compelling whisky companies, re-imagining the standards for quality and style in the industry. In 2020, John was inducted into the Whisky Magazine’s Hall of Fame. Two decades later, Compass Box now has two blending rooms in London, a team of 20 working internationally and stocks of maturing whiskies in Scotland. In 2020, Compass Box celebrates its 20th anniversary. With a forward-looking approach and unrelenting focus on creativity and integrity, John and his team continue to take forward his mission to make the world of Scotch whisky a more interesting place.

Compass Box is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Cihuatán Rum – The ‘Rum of Mayan Gods’ – Now Available In The UK!

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Cihuatán Rum – ‘Rum of Mayan Gods’ now available in the UK!

Cihuatán Rum – the ‘Rum of Mayan Gods’ is now available to buy in the UK!

Cihuatán Rum from El Salvador marries the age old craft of Rum distilling with an innovative forward thinking approach inspired by their Mayan forbears, to create an exciting collection of cask aged Rums.

Highfern Ltd, Cihuatán’s UK importer, now offer four expressions of Cihuatán Rum in the UK:

  • Indigo 8 Years Old
  • Cinabrio 12 Years Old
  • Sahumerio
  • Xaman XO

Established in 2004, Licorera Cihuatán is the first and only Rum distillery in El Salvador. As a division of sugar mill Ingenio La Cabaña, which has over 100 years experience in the mastering of sugarcane, Cihuatán Rum’s master distiller and blender Gabriela Ayla is able to oversee the entire production process, from sugarcane seed selection to bottling.

With a patient parent company, Cihuatán has also enjoyed the luxury of time to focus on craft aged rums. All Cihuatán rums are matured for at least eight years.

Drawing inspiration from the Mayan people, who were insatiably curious, the distillery has combined the traditions of rum distilling with an innovative approach, the results of which are the production of exceptional rums.

Cihuatán Rum draws inspiration from the Mayan people, who were insatiably curious

Indicative of their approach is Cihuatán Xaman XO, the distillery’s oldest release and uniquely finished in specially commissioned Mayan Ceiba casks. Recent awards include Double Gold in the 2020 Fifty Best for Cihuatán Indigo 8 Years Old.

Cihuatán Rum is located in the Cihuatán valley, El Salvador. “Cihuatán” is a nahuat word which means “next to the woman”. When viewed from the valley, the profile of the nearby mountains resemble the silhouette of a woman’s face. Legend suggests that many centuries ago, a Mayan goddess visited the valley and filled it with fertile soils and riches, so that the ancient Maya could build their city.

This goddess would intercede on behalf of the people of Cihuatán to grant them favors. Cihuatán Rum is named after this goddess, and Cihuatán’s vibrant and colourful label design brings Mayan legends to life. Recently relaunched, Cihuatán’s new design presentation won Double Gold in the 2020 International Spirits Challenge ‘Design & Packaging Awards’.

Cihuatán oozes provenance, is presented in exceptional packaging which celebrates the Maya’s rich history, and above all else, tastes wonderful. We look forward to introducing Cihuatán to British rum lovers.
– Robert Ransom: Highfern Ltd

Amongst others Cihuatán Rum is available from Master of Malt, Drinkfinder and Shop4Whisky, with prices starting from £39.99 for Cihuatán Indigo.

I’ve been lucky enough to receive some samples of these new releases for tasting (Cheers Robert!)

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Indigo 8 Years Old (40%)

Crafted as a homage to Tlaloc, the Mayan God of rain. Blue, the colour of Tlaloc, was produced by the Mayan people from the Indigo flower.
Indigo has been matured for 8 years in former American oak ex-bourbon barrels.


Nose: Tropical fruits, toffee and creamy vanilla. Later on this develops onto very creamy caramel indeed!

Palate: Very creamy! Tropical fruitiness, chocolate, vanilla and toffee big time! There’s also wisps of lemon cake and custard creams!

Finish: Smooth, creamy coffee with chocolate balanced with a nice chilli finish – lovely!

Tasting Notes – Cinabrio 12 Years Old (40%)

Crafted as a homage to Kinich Ahau, Mayan God of the sun, whose sacred colour is red. The Mayan people used the mineral Cinabrio to make red dye.
Cinabrio has been matured for 12 years in former American oak ex-bourbon barrels.


Nose: Stewed fruits, vanilla, caramel. This expression is slower to release it’s goodies but it is worth it!

Palate: So smooth! Creamy caramel with cane sweetness, tropical fruits, orange and a little lemon.

Finish: Chilli spice with a lovely sweet undertone.

Tasting Notes – Sahumerio (45.2%)

Cihuatán Sahumerio is the distillery’s 2020 limited edition rum crafted as a celebration of love. A “Sahumerio” is an incense burner, in which the Mayan would burn treats for Chantico, the Mayan Goddess of love.

Inspired by the Mayan sahumerio rituals, Cihuatán’s master blender Gabriela Ayala has carefully blended 12 to 14 years old light and heavy rums to create Sahumerio which has been aged in former American oak ex-bourbon barrels.


Nose: Honeyed fruits, vanilla and toffee.

Palate: Sweet, spicy with tasty sanguinello orange and vanilla. There’s also chocolate and biscuit. The spice takes over early which leads too …

Finish: A very spicy finish with delectable fruitiness battling it out at the end!

Tasting Notes – Xaman XO (40%)

Named after Xaman, Mayan God of the North Star, the protector of Cihuatán valley. Xaman was believed to rest on sacred Ceiba trees, the Mayan tree of life.
Initially matured for 15 years in former bourbon barrels, Xaman XO is then finished for one year in specially created Mayan Ceiba barrels.


Nose: Lush tropical fruits again, mainly mango. There’s furniture polish and creamy vanilla caramels which grow stronger after a time.

Palate: Cane sweetness, toffee, a little orange and grated chocolate.

Finish: Fruity spice which rapidly fades to honey sweetness.

To me, rum has never tasted as good as these! Fantastic tropical fruitiness coupled with toffee, chocolate and chilli spice – Amazing!

Many thanks to Robert at highfern.com (@angelsnectar) for sending me the samples!


· Highfern Ltd are the proprietors of Angels’ Nectar Whisky and importers of Langatun Whisky, Seven Seals Whisky, Smögen Whisky, Strane Gin, Kinghaven Rum & Cihuatán Rum. Alongside the Cairngorms Edition, Angels’ Nectar also offer Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Original 40%, Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Rich Peat Edition 46% and Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Islay Edition 47%.

· For more information about Angels’ Nectar, please see: angelsnectar.co.uk

What Better Way To Celebrate Diwali Than With A Rampur Indian Malt Whisky Tasting!

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The Rampur Indian Single Malt Whisky Virtual Tasting Line-up!

The team at Rampur Distillery invited me to an online virtual tasting of their four Indian Single Malt Whiskies yesterday to help celebrate Diwali – the Festival of Light – culminating on Saturday 14th November!

The online tasters had the pleasure of tasting four Rampur expressions led by Master Distiller, Anup Barik:-

  • Rampur Select Indian Single Malt Whisky
  • Rampur PX Sherry Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky
  • Rampur Double Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky
  • Rampur Asava Indian Single Malt Whisky

Anup with Rampur Whiskies

Rampur Indian Single Malt Whiskies are a range of luxury whiskies produced by one of India’s oldest distilleries, Rampur Distillery. These super premium malt whiskies, which are styled as “The Kohinoor of Single Malts”, are steeped in the rich Indian heritage and enduring traditions of the Maharajas. Rampur whiskies are named after the princely India state known for its rich heritage and royal traditions.

The Distillery

Rampur Distillery is owned by Radico Khaitan, which was established in 1943 and is the largest Indian beverage company. Radico Khaitan is also one of the oldest whisky distillers in India and Rampur Distillery has been distilling high quality and innovative malt for over 25 years. Rampur Whisky is distilled, matured and bottled in Uttar Pradesh in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Rampur Distillery

The Process

The Himalayas provide polar opposite climate conditions throughout the year, which means that Indian whisky matures significantly more quickly than other whiskies such as Scotch and Irish whiskies.

As Rampur Distillery is situated at the foothills of The Himalayas, the cold winters and hot summers give their whiskies added dimension and produce single malts with depth of flavour which are smooth and mellow tasting with a long-lasting finish. Master Blender, Anup Barik, was born into a family of blenders and brings decades of expertise and perfection to the blending of these fine whiskies.

I find that Rampur is a great dram for people who are new to whisky. Their sweet, tropical fruit trademark is an easy introduction to the world of whiskies!

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Rampur Select Indian Single Malt Whisky (43%)

Styled as “The Kohinoor of Single Malts”. It is their only dram of the four that contains caramel.
Rampur Select won the Double Gold Medal in The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017.
£49.95



Nose: Massive fruity hit of green apple closely followed by Lychee. The Lychee then takes over coupled with toffee – lovely!

Palate: Smooth and light with strong flavours of Lychee, mango, vanilla toffee.

Finish: Short finish with a growing spice.

Overall: Such a drinkable whisky with the tropical fruit flavours delighting every time!

Tasting Notes – Rampur PX Sherry Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky (45%)

A limited 48 Casks release.

A few exceptional casks of Rampur Single Malt Whisky matured in American Oak were handpicked by Rampur’s Master Distiller post maturation and transferred to PX Sherry Butts from Jerez, Spain for further maturation.
£68.95



Nose: Very sweet and fruity with tropical fruits including Lychee and mango. Then add in some creamy vanilla fudge!

Palate: Huge Lychee and Rose palate hit – very unusual but fantastic! Blackcurrant (which lingers to the finsish) and chocolate.

Finish: Very peppery, warming spice but that tropical fruitiness goes on and on!

Overall: I LOVED the Lychee and Rose flavours – so unusual. A big hit for me!

Tasting Notes – Rampur Double Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky (45%)

Handcrafted single malt whisky matured for two-thirds of its life in hand-selected American Bourbon barrels and one third in
European Oak Sherry cask.
£60.00



Nose: Apples and rich plump fruits with banana also thrown in for good measure. Old polished wood. Honey with a vanilla sweetnes.

Palate: Tropical fruits abound! There’s hints of pineapple but mostly gorgeous flavours of mango and even lychees!

Finish: Rich, fruity spiciness with honey and lots of tropical flavours. It’s a long finish that gets quite fiery – very warming!

Overall: This is a really great whisky. The strength of the tropical fruit flavours is a revelation! But it’s all well tempered with some nice spiciness.
A fantastic dram from a great whisky producing nation!

Tasting Notes – Rampur Asava Indian Single Malt Whisky (45%)

Matured in American Bourbon barrels and meticulously perfected in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks for the first time in History!
Non-chill filtered.
£68.95



Nose: Creamy biscuit, vanilla and tropical fruit. The blackcurrant is there but arrives slowly. Then make way for chocolate and coffee.

Palate: Gorgeous Lychee with very smooth creamy chocolate.

Finish: Very peppery with tannic and tobacco.

Overall: The red colour from the Cabernet Sauvignon casks is very Alluring – and so is the taste! Forget the dessert course – just have a Rampur Asava!

Rampur Indian Single Malt Whisky is available from The Whisky Exchange

Many thanks to Rampur Distillery (Instagram: @rampursinglemalt) for the lovely samples!

Sampling ‘Blue Spot’ Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey – If I Were You I’d Grab Your Spot!

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Blue Spot!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the online launch of Irish Distillers’ ‘Blue Spot’ Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey yesterday which has reunited the original Spot whiskey family for the first time since the 1960s!

Blue Spot is non-chill filtered & cask strength

The highly anticipated Blue Spot has been reimagined at cask strength, paying homage to the bonding tradition from which it was born and as part of the event launch via ‘Zoom’ I was sent an amazing set of ‘Spot’ Whiskey samples to try!

Blue Spot’s name was derived from the Mitchell’s practice of marking their maturing casks of whiskey with a mark or daub of coloured paint to determine the age potential of the whiskey.

Blue Spot was a 7 year old whiskey, Green Spot (10 year old), Yellow Spot (12 Year Old) and Red Spot (15 year old).

⬤ Blue Spot is a Limited Edition, non-chill filtered, cask strength release that will see ABV varying annually.
(This release has an ABV of 58.7%)
Cask strength releases are a bit unusual for Irish Distillers but the decision was based solely on taste and it was felt that a higher ABV was the best way to represent the dram.

It is now available at the RRP of €80 in Ireland, UK, France, Canada, Northern Ireland and Global Travel Retail, and in the USA from February 2021.

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – ‘Blue Spot’ Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (58.7%)


Nose: Lots of apple, closely followed by pear. Toffee makes an appearance coupled with refreshing tropical fruit flavours that come through a little later. Quite nutty as well.

Palate: Very smooth considering it’s formidable cask strength! Creamy toffee, chocolate and hints of tropical fruit. Cane sweetness tops it all off nicely.

Finish: Spicy, fiery pepper (that is reduced with the addition of water.) Well balanced by creamy toffee and fruit.

Overall: This dram is really lovely!

Very drinkable, even at cask strength and I certainly agree with the decision that cask strength presents this dram at it’s best!

It’s a limited edition so I doubt it’ll be available for long – so if I were you I’d grab your spot!

And the future?
I asked as there are still a few more colours left in the rainbow, would they broaden the range in the future? Orange spot? Indigo spot maybe?!
The answer:
“Well they would be new releases but you can never say never.”

So … watch this spot!

Many thanks to spotwhiskey.com (Instagram: @GreenSpotIrishWhiskey) for the invite & the chance to try such an amazing set of drams!
Slainte!

⬤ Green Spot is available to buy from these Merchants:-

⬤ Yellow Spot is available to buy from these Merchants:-

⬤ Red Spot is available to buy from these Merchants:-

About Blue Spot

Blue Spot was originally produced by the Mitchell family who commenced trading in 1805 at 10 Grafton Street in the heart of Dublin city as purveyors of fine wine and confectionery. Seven generations later, the company is still in the wine and spirits business under the stewardship of Jonathan Mitchell and his son Robert.

The Mitchell family expanded into the whiskey bonding business in the early 1900s, whereby they sent empty wine and fortified wine casks via horse and cart to the local Jameson Distillery which were then filled with new Pot Still spirit and returned to the Mitchell’s maturation cellars. There, the whiskeys matured for many years under bond until they were ready to be bottled and sold.

Sampling Two Waterford Whiskey Editions – Tasty With AND Without Water!

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Waterford’s Ballymorgan: Edition 1.2 & Sheestown: Edition 1.2!

Waterford Distillery has a very different way of doing things and I’ve blogged about them on numerous occasions since their inception:-

So it was great to receive some samples to try – courtesy of Waterford Distillery – Cheers!

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Waterford Irish Single Malt Whiskey – Single Farm – Ballymorgan: Edition 1.2 (50%)

Approx. 4 years old with barley grown by Robert Milne in Co. Wexford. Matured in a combination of French and American oak casks.



Nose: Popcorn, fruity toffee. Aromas of dusky pannelled rooms. Later on there’s thick creamy caramel.

Palate: Sweet popcorn, crisp apples, orange coupled with toffee caramel and creamy chocolate.

Finish: Great spice and pepper hit with some salt at the end.

Water brings out a lot more with this dram reaviling more of the above, especially more chocolate.

Overall: This is a very mature, dignified dram – despite being pretty young. A few drops of water works very well in optimising it’s flavours – making for a tasty dram indeed!

Tasting Notes – Waterford Irish Single Malt Whiskey – Single Farm – Sheestown: Edition 1.2 (50%)

Approx. 5.6 yrs old with barley grown by Phil O’Brien of Kilkenny. Matured in a combination of French and American oak casks.



Nose: Shades of tropical fruits with creamy vanilla toffee.

Palate: Toffee, tropical fruits, creamy biscuit, chocolate.

Finish: Smooth, peppery finish with some creamy toffee to go with it.

Overall: Again, addition of water (just a few drops) really releases the flavours of this dram – to good effect!

Many thanks to waterfordwhisky.com (@WaterfordWhisky) for sending me the samples!

Waterford is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Sampling The Whisky Exchange ‘Christmas Malt 2020’ – Start Counting The Days!

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A Fine Christmas Malt from The Whisky Exchange!


Christmas is here,
So let’s raise a glass
To those we hold dear
Wherever they are.

Good cheer, warm smiles,
togetherness overdue:
The Spirit of Christmas,
from us to you.

– The Whisky Exchange

Fine words penned by the folks at The Whisky Exchange, even more relevant after such a year that no-one could ever have forseen.

Christmas Malt 2020 is available to buy via thewhiskyexchange.com. RRP £74.95

So it’s nice to welcome what has now become a festive tradition, The Whisky Exchange Christmas Malt!

The Christmas Malt 2020 is a whisky that cannot be found anywhere else, this fine Christmas Malt has a delicious sherry-cask character that’s rich, dark and spicy but also allows fresh and fruity flavours to shine.

A whisky to inspire us to feel the spirit of Christmas this year – more so than any other year that the majority of us cares to remember.

The Christmas Malt 2020 is available to buy via thewhiskyexchange.com. RRP £74.95

The Whisky Exchange has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks @WhiskyExchange!).

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes: The Christmas Malt 2020 – 19 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky (44.5%)


Colour: Medium sherry.

Nose: Powerful aroma of red apples, toffee, raisins and sultanas. There’s also sherbet sweetness to boot. The toffee caramel really takes hold later on.

Palate: Sweet apples, toffee, sherry with a little orange. Dark fruits and even darker chocolate.

Finish: Spicy, feisty, finish that’ll certainly wake you up! The finish ends with some tobacco dryness.

Overall: Once again, The Whisky Exchange haven’t let us down – a great Chrimbo dram – as long as you can leave it that long to drink it!

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