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Sampling The New Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky – A Tasty, Tastebud Treat!

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Loch Lomond Single Grain

The New Loch Lomond Single Grain

This is my first opportunity to take part in one of Steve’s “Whisky Flash Blogs”, a gathering of Bloggers and social media fans intent on highlighting a single product on a single day!

The dram under focus this time around is from the Loch Lomond distillery who are launching a new Single Grain, Scotch whisky expression: Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky.

Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky is carefully distilled and exclusively made using only the finest malted barley.

The distillation takes place in a Coffey Still allowing a smooth and sweet whisky to be produced with added complexity not usually found in a single grain. The spirit is then matured in the finest American Oak casks under the care of Master Blender, Michael Henry.

Originally founded in 1814, Loch Lomond distillery has long been making grain whiskies on the shores of Loch Lomond.

Their distillery has the ability and self sufficiency to produce special edition Whiskies including, Single Grain Whisky and Deluxe Blends.

If you want to catch up on what all the Bloggers had to say you can view their tweets and Blogs by searching for the hash tag #LochLomond on Twitter.

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

Tasting Notes – Loch Lomond Single Grain (46%)

Nose: Sweet, caramelised apples. Warm, fresh, buscuits – straight out of the oven. A tang of lemon peel and hint of orange.

Palate: Intense vanilla, sweet, thick and flavoursome. Fresh pineapple.

Finish: Long, peppery finish coupled with lemon and grapefruit. Quite dry.

Overall: The 46% gives this dram a satisfying, healthy ‘punch’ bringing out some great flavours.
An enjoyable dram from nose to finish and well worth allowing your tastebuds the opportunity to try!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) and Loch Lomond (@LochLomond3) for sending the samples and for producing such a tasty dram!

#LochLomond Flash Blog Participants:-

Andrew’s Share (by @Andrews_Share) Who also did an amazing job of compiling this list!

Danish Whisky Blog (by @Macdeffe)
Friends of Single Malt (German) (by @MrSingleMalt)
Kask Whisky (by @kaskwhisky)
Braw Spirit (by @brawspirit)
Somerset Whisky Blog (by @steveprentice)
Whisky Discovery (by @WhiskyDiscovery)
Scotch and Sci-Fi (by @dvdbloke)
whisk(e)y’s tweets (by @damian_murtagh)
Billy’s Booze Blog (by @cowfish)
Loving Whisky (by @ansgarspeller)
Whisky Apocalypse (by @WhiskyApocalyps)
WhiskyGeek’s tweets (by @Whi5kyGeek)
Mark’s WhiskyWhistle Video Review (by @WhiskyWhistle)
The Whiskyphiles (by @TheWhiskyphiles)
Malthound (by @malthound)
OCD Whisky (by @ocdwhisky)
craigleewatson (by @spikeydog120)
Whisky With Friends (Dutch) (by @WhiskyFriends)
Tom’s Whisky Reviews (by @TomsWhisky)
The Whisky Wire (by @TheWhiskyWire)
Whisky Girl (by @Girl_Whisky)
The Amateur Drammer (by @AmateurDrammer)
Todo Whisky (Spanish) (by @todowhisky)
WhiskyManc’s tweets (by @WhiskyManc)
Wee Whisky Review/DJ’s tweets (by @wWhiskyR)
The Finest Cut (by @TheFinestCut)
Whisky Corner (by @WhiskyCorner)
Pipes and Drams Tweet (by @PipesAndDrams)

Loch Lomond is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Grants Whisky Tweet Tasting – Quality At A Bargain Price!

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The Grants Family!

The Grants Family!

Steve from The Whisky Wire celebrated his 90th. Tweet Tasting last Wednesday and it was a cracker!

We got the opportunity to sample four drams that make up the Grants Whisky family of Blended Whiskies.

What’s remarkable is that ALL the whiskies are sub £20 blends which just goes to show that low price does not mean a reduction in quality.

The blends sampled were:-

  • Grants Whisky Family Reserve
  • Grants Whisky Sherry Cask
  • Grants Whisky Ale Cask
  • Grants Whisky Signature

As mentioned, the biggest surprise on the night for the Taste Tweeters was the amazing flavours available at such a great price. 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 #GrantsWhisky on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite (and close second) on the night!

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Family Reserve (40%)

Family Reserve is made with whiskies that have been matured in virgin oak, bourbon first fill & refill casks. It uses the much acclaimed Girvan grain whisky as its main base and the whisky is still crafted in house by their own Master Blender, Coopers and Stillman.


Nose: Honey, vanilla, toffee & green apples with a little tropical fruit in there as well. Also a little woodiness

Palate: Very sweet, sherbet almost! Vanilla, toffee, pear and some stonking spice!

Finish: Spicy, dry oak with a little tanin, mixed in with glucose sweetness.

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Sherry Cask (40%)

Grant’s Sherry Cask is Matured in ex-bourbon & refill barrels, hogsheads & butts, then finished in sherry casks for 3 months. Launched in 2001 as one of the brands first cask finished variants.


Nose: Quite subtle – a little oak at first. Bit understated but there’s vanilla & apples. Later on you get a thick vanilla and pronounced sweet sherry.

Palate: Luscious tropical fruits, vanilla sweetness and mellow spice – very nice! Way more enjoyable than the nose would have me believe.

Finish: Short finish but there’s a pleasant spiciness to it.

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Ale Cask (40%)

Grant’s Ale Cask is matured in ex-bourbon & refill barrels, hogsheads & butts, then finished in ale casks for 3 months. It is the only Scotch to be finished in barrels that once held ale. Like the Sherry Cask, the Ale Cask was first launched in 2001.


Nose: Lush green apples, honey and an inviting maltiness is coming through – malt extract is always a favourite of mine!

Palate: Lovely malty sweetness with vanilla and milk chocolate.

Finish: Creamy vanilla, maybe a little hoppy dryness and smooth spiciness with a long finish to boot!

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Signature (40%)

Grant’s Signature has been matured in ex-bourbon & refill barrels, hogsheads & butts, with no finish. Launched in 2014 Grant’s Signature is their most recent addition to the range.


Nose: Quite earthy wrapped up in some fruitiness, apples again with stewed, syrupy fruits.

Palate: Fudgy vanilla with honey and apples – very smooth, almost polished like.

Finish: Rich, vanilla finish with peppery spiciness blending into a long, satisfying finish.

My Favourite On The Night

It has to be the Ale Cask for me with the Signature a VERY close second. Both drams were exceptional, full of flavour and great sipping drams!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the folks at Grants Whisky (@GrantsWhiskyUK) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@kizzsmyth @GeorgeHHutton @cache1337 @whiskyfreak123 @JasonVaswani @WhiskyApocalyps @ocdwhisky @Whi5kyGeek @SanjieB @RealDramTom @BeersIveKnown @spikeydog120 @AlpacaJo @RealDramRob @TheWhiskyKiwi @msykesjones @ivyeatsagain @rodbodtoo @B_R_Drams @rjstir1 @Girl_Whisky @whiskyU_ @WhiskySpeller

Grants Whisky is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Sampling Teeling’s The Revival Volume II – An Independent Spirit!

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The Revival Volume II

The Revival Volume II

Teeling Whiskey has sent me a sample of their newly released The Revival Volume II .

The Revival Volume II & Tasting Glass!

The Revival Volume II & Tasting Glass!

This second bottling of “The Revival”, a limited edition Single Malt has been produced to mark the one year anniversary of its new distillery, the first in Dublin for over 125 years.

The Revival Volume II bottling consists of 13 Year Old Single Malt Irish whiskey distilled in 2002 and matured initially in ex-Bourbon casks. By finishing in 250 litre ex-Calvados French apple brandy casks an extra apple and pear character unique to Irish whiskey is imparted. Further by bottling at 46% ABV with no chill filtration completes an Irish whiskey of true character.

The one year anniversary of our new distillery is a major milestone in the history of Teeling Whiskey. Due to the overwhelming response to our first Revival release to mark our opening we decided to release a second celebratory bottling — The Revival Vol II.

We have again selected a very special whiskey to celebrate the Revival of distilling in Dublin with the first ever Calvados aged Irish whiskey. Our second bottling will be limited to only 10,000 bottles and sold both through our distillery as well as our domestic and international distributors.
– Jack Teeling: Founder and Managing Director of the Teeling Whiskey Company

The Revival Vol II 13 Year Old will retail for approximately £85.00.

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

Tasting Notes – Teeling Whiskey The Revival (46%)


Nose: Crisp green apples and tinned pears. Thick caramel infused with vanilla. Subtle aromas of wood.

Palate: Thick, pleasant mouthfeel. Rich fudge and caramel, apple and soaked christmas cake fruits.

Finish: Dry, spicy, peppery combined with sherbet sweetness that develops after a while. Fruity and pleasantly long.

Overall: A powerful alcohol hit to this dram but nicely tempered with peppery sweetness. Extremely enjoyable and all housed in the cutest whiskey miniature ever. A pleasure to add to my collection!

Many thanks to Teeling Whiskey (@TeelingWhiskey) for sending the samples and without whom!

Teeling Whiskey is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Glenlivet Cipher Twitter Tasting!

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The Glenlivet Cipher Line-Up!

The Glenlivet Cipher Line-Up!

Monday evenings Tweet Tasting was all puzzles and enigma this week with three Glenlivets to sample plus their mysterious Glenlivet Cipher.

The Cipher was outlined here just recently, so everyone attending the tasting, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, was very eager to have the opportunity to sample something a little bit special.

The malts sampled were:-

  • The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve
  • The Glenlivet 12 Year Old
  • The Glenlivet 15 Year Old
  • The Glenlivet Cipher

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 #TheGlenlivetCipher on Twitter.

You may also want to try out the tasting wheel specially created for the release of the Cipher and see how close you can get to cracking the secret flavours used in the dram.

I got a Very Low 38% but “Hey Ho!” – that’s what my tastebuds said on the night and you can’t argue with a tastebud!

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!

Tasting Notes – The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve (40%)

A NAS (No Age Statement) single malt whisky. Created to honour the original vision of their pioneering founder George Smith, The Glenlivet Founders Reserve pays tribute to the uniquely smooth and fruity taste he first envisioned way back in 1824.

Distilled using the same time-honoured techniques introduced by George Smith himself, The Glenlivet Founders Reserve is drawn predominantly from a range of traditional aged oak casks.

Nose: Sweet and citrusy with a hint of mintness. Signature vanilla, pears and red apples! Also detect a Slight woodiness in there as well.

Palate: Light mouthfeel, delicate – fruits and a little vanilla.

Finish: Pepper and spice with a creamy finish – zingy on those tastebuds – moderately long.

Overall: An impeccably smooth, light dram that’s not too heavy on the palate.

Tasting Notes – The Glenlivet 12 Year Old (40%)

The Glenlivet’s signature style. Matured primarily in ex-American oak casks and using mineral-rich water from Josie’s Well, which helps to form its flavours during mashing & fermentation.

Nose: Sweet, creamy vanilla underlying fresh fruits – there’s that woodiness again which I like coupled with crisp apple aromas – Crunch!

Palate: Very light, intensely sweet, fruity flavours. Quite oaky.

Finish: Pleasantly spicy, peppery finish – not as hot as the Founder’s Reserve.

Overall: Not as sweet at the nose makes you believe but a very nicely balanced malt. Perfect to start the evening off with!

Tasting Notes – The Glenlivet 15 Year Old (40%)

A proportion of the spirit is matured in a selection of French Oak casks for a limited period and was one of the first distilleries to use French oak for maturing whisky. The casks, from the Dordogne region, are usually used to mature cognacs.

Nose: Syrupy fruit with added vanilla & some rich woody notes thrown in. Rich apple & tropical fruits – I love this!

Palate: A bit ‘meatier’ than the 12 Year Old. Spice hits you early on but the vanilla caramel is divine!

Finish: The spice stays through to the finish but it’s not overpowering. Quite a short finish.

Overall: Smooth as silk and perfectly balanced. One of my favourite malts!

Tasting Notes – The Glenlivet Cipher (48%)

Presented in an opaque, black bottle without any cask information, The Glenlivet Cipher is a Scotch whisky shrouded in mystery that helps whisky lovers to push the boundaries of flavour exploration. Crafted from a unique cask combination that has never before been used by The Glenlivet.

Nose: There’s punchy vanilla and red apples. Got a hint of Strawberry jam with honey and apricots.

Palate: Thick, sweet honey with hints of tropical fruit. Spicy, ginger chocolate goodiness!

Finish: Hot, spicy finish that’s long and quite fiery.

Overall: A game of two halves for me – sweet and caramel followed by a hot, chilli bite – Interesting!

My Favourite On The Night?

The Glenlivet Cipher – although I do love the 15 I had to pick this for the uniqueness of the experience – it’s not everyday you get to sample an enigma!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the team at Richmond Towers (@DrinksPRAgency) for sending the samples!

And of course, The Glenlivet (@TheGlenlivet), without whom. Studying has never been so much fun!!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TheWhiskyBoys @MasterOfMaltJM @dvdbloke @TomsWhisky @WhiskyCorner @ben_cops @LRWhisky @WhiskyDiscovery @whiskyrepublic @julie_gwc @AWhetForWhisky @steveprentice @WhiskySpeller @galg @Girl_Whisky @LaCaveDeCobalt @WordsofWhisky

The Glenlivet is available to buy from Selfridges (£110)

Sampling Glen Moray’s New Sherry Cask Finish Whisky!

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The new Sherry Cask Finish expression joins the Glen Moray Classic Collection

The new Sherry Cask Finish expression joins the Glen Moray Classic Collection

Glen Moray is a quality Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Elgin, the capital of Speyside, Scotland’s most famous whisky region. The distillery has been producing fine malt whisky, distilled in traditional copper stills, on the banks of the River Lossie since 1897.

The craft of producing Glen Moray Single Malt has been passed from generation to generation ensuring the legacy of the Glen Moray Distillery continues. In its lifetime, the distillery has known only five distillery managers; the most current being Graham Coull.

Whilst much has changed since distilling began, the ingredients have remained the same; ensuring Glen Moray has kept its authenticity and quality.

The Classic range of whiskies introduces consumers to an approachable and well-priced range, the latest of which is Glen Moray Classic Sherry Cask Finish. This dram offers a new twist on the traditional Glen Moray taste-profile by adding layers of rich and spicy sweetness to the spirit’s typically light and floral flavours of butterscotch and lemongrass.

Sherry Cask Finish is a celebration of the age old tradition of maturing whisky in the finest Oloroso sherry casks.

I select Glen Moray which has been maturing in American oak casks and transfer it to the highest quality sherry casks for a minimum of 8 months.

The resulting whisky is incredibly rich and satisfying.
– Graham Coull: Glen Moray Master Distiller

The new Sherry Cask Finish expression joins the Glen Moray Classic Collection including:-

  • Glen Moray Classic Single Malt
  • Glen Moray Classic Single Malt Port Finish
  • Glen Moray Classic Peated Single Malt

The Glen Moray Classic Collection is a wonderful introduction to the Glen Moray single malt range. The different expressions offer a variety of flavours and taste to suit the palate of every malt whisky drinker.

– Graham Coull: Glen Moray Master Distiller

I last sampled Glen Moray’s Drams just over a year ago so I was well pleased when they kindly sent me a sample of their new offering to try out.

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

Tasting Notes – Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish (40%)

Nose: Lovely sweet, fruity-ness. There’s crunchy, juicy, red apple and toffee caramel with a dash of spice. Quite delightful!

Palate: Sweet fruits and powerful alcohol. Woody shot through with vanilla. Some red apples with a caramel topping.

Finish: Spicy, peppery, dry finish with just enough sweetness to prevent harshness – quite long.

Overall: Tastes stronger than the 40% quoted which gives it some fiery Ooomph!

Tasty, satisfying and with an exceptionally good price of around £22.00 that is a combination that takes some beating!

Many thanks to Glen Moray, for sending the samples and if you want to visit Glen Moray, the distillery has a visitor centre which offers tours all year round!

Allied Glass Gin Twitter Tasting – The Fantastic Five!

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The Five Gins!

The Five Gins!

A little change from the norm for last Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting. We had a Gin Tasting!

The event, hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire and Allied Glass, gave us the opportunity to sample five varied Gins from some of the UK’s smallest distillers.

Not only did we sample the gins neat we also tried them within their signature cocktails which produced some great pictures from the Tweet Tasters!

Allied Glass has over a century of experience in glass packaging and the recent Gin explosion has allowed Allied to take their packaging skills to new levels of quality & sophistication.

The Five Gins sampled showcase this perfectly:-

  • Langtons No.1 Gin
  • Bulldog Gin
  • Caorunn Gin
  • Slingsby Gin
  • Langleys Gin

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 #AlliedGlassTT on Twitter which managed to trend at number 25 on the night!

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!

Tasting Notes – Langtons No.1 Gin (40%)

A Gin celebrating the Lake District. A product of two lakeland locals, made with 11 botanicals, using as many local products as possible. The bespoke bottle takes its design from a piece of slate right from the source of Langtons.

The signature serve is with tonic, over ice & garnished with a slice of lemon.

Nose: Woody, citrus – very punchy!

Palate: Powerful lemon with a pleasant, sweet creaminess to it. The signature serve is very classic – anyone for tennis?

Overall: A classic Gin and one which won’t disappoint.

Tasting Notes – Bulldog Gin (40%)

A London Dry Gin. An multi-award winning premium gin, made at GJ Greenall’s Distillery in England using a unique blend of 12 botanicals, including 3 unique to Bulldog – Dragon Eye, Lotus leaf & White Poppy. Bulldog creator Anshuman Vohra said, “I wanted to create a modern, new world gin. The bottle is as distinctive as the liquid.

The signature serve is with tonic, over ice with a twist of pink grapefruit & lemon.


Nose: Less zesty & citrus plus there’s a sugary sherbert thing going on. It’s peppery & that sweetness is very alluring!

Palate: Quite thin, minty with lemon and fennel. A Peppery, smooth finish – very nice! With the Signature the grapefruit compliments the sweetness well.

Overall: It was morish … but very soon gonish!

Tasting Notes – Caorunn Gin (41.8%)

A Small batch Scottish Gin. An infusion of five locally foraged gin botanicals produced in Speyside. Their packaging has been influenced by Celtic knots & Scottish art nouveau.

The signature serve is with tonic, over ice & garnished with thin slices of red apple.

Nose: Pleasant oak woodiness, smooth citrus with a hint of tanin.

Palate: Smooth, sweet and slightly peppery. The Signature serve was fresh – the apple & tonic really balancing well.

Overall: Very nice indeed – the savoury dryness is still there & goes well with the sharp apple.

Tasting Notes – Slingsby Gin (42%)

Named after William Slingsby who discovered the Tewitt Well in the Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate, it is made from 24 botanicals, 17 of which are locally-sourced botanicals supplied by Taylors of Harrogate and Rudding Park Kitchen Garden in Harrogate. The bespoke glass bottle was inspired by a 19th century local chemist shop bottle.

The signature serve is with tonic, ice & garnished with pink grapefruit & blueberries.

Nose: Woah! Powerful lemon flavours – like some out of control fruit sour!

Palate: Citrus, liquorice & mint – an amazing combination! Creamy chocolate & a hint of spice in there as well. The Signature was Refreshing, crisp, sweet n’ dry.

Overall: One word really – Yum!

Tasting Notes – Langleys Gin (41.7%)

A London Gin distilled in a small English-produced pot still with a range of secret botanicals. Their bottle features the Langley logo embossed on the shoulder neck.

The signature serve is with tonic, ice with a wedge of pink grapefruit & freh basil leaf.


Nose: Perky lemon & citrus – the zingy attitude is strong in this one … Plus, there’s a pleasant, warm spiciness.

Palate: Smooth with some mint and chocolate, feisty citrus and glorious pepper. The Signature serve had a crisp edge, morish citrus & sweet n’ dry grapefruit – a rather nice combo!

Overall: I think I’m becoming a Gin fan …

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 5, I think it’s got to be the Bulldog – all round loveliness!. I always thought Gin was a bit one dimensional – tonight has certainly changed my mind! 🙂

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) & (@AlliedGlassUK) for a great Gin evening!

And of course, The Gin Distillers, without whom!


@langtonsgin @BULLDOGGIN @CaorunnGin @slingsbysocial @LangleysGin

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TheFinestCut @summerfruitcup @whiskyfreak123 @AlisonJBurge @godsofgoodison @ivyeatsagain @StuEdB @RumNerd @kizzsmyth @allthingsbooze @whiskyrepublic @TheWhiskyBoys @julie_gwc @AlpacaJo @TheGreenWelly @Nickolls_Perks @WhiskyDiscovery @AdvInWhiskyland @JoeFHolmes

The Gins are available to buy from these Merchants:-

Sampling Langatun Swiss Malt Whisky: Flavours That Widened My Smile To Maximum!

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Two Strengths of Langatun 'Old Deer'

Two Strengths of Langatun ‘Old Deer’

Following last week’s UK launch of Langatun Swiss Single Malt Whisky I’ve been sent a couple of samples of their Old Deer drams.

With a history dating back to the 1860s, Hans Baumberger, grandson of the original founder Jakob Baumberger, reopened the Langatun Distillery in 2007. Imported by Angels’ Nectar proprietor Highfern Ltd, initially four triple distilled single malt bottlings from Langatun are being offered.

Old Deer is the distillery’s classic single malt, distilled from un-peated barley, fermented with an English stout yeast, and matured in sherry and chardonnay casks.

Bottled after six years maturation, Old Deer is offered at sipping strength of 40% and cask proof of 62.1% Vol.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Langatun ‘Old Deer’ Swiss Single Malt (40%)

Nose: Sweet, fruity tropical mix, pineapples, green apples and honeyed caramel – very thick and lush!

Palate: Again, sweet, fruity tropical mix on the tongue, just like it says on the nose!

Finish: Quite a dry finish that pulls at the tastebuds. With a nice mix of spice, grapefruit and ongoing sweetness.

Overall: A lovely dram, flavoursome and full of character. But … I’ve been spoilt as outlined below …

Tasting Notes – Langatun ‘Old Deer’ Swiss Single Malt (62.1%)


Nose: That’s some alcohol! Caramel but less sweet with alcohol soaked apples.

Palate: Mmm … very sweet and thick mouthfeel, fruity tropical mix on the tongue but much more acute Syrupy caramel and Xmas cake mix – all soaked in alcohol!

Finish: Hot! Spicy finish with that tanin dryness as before but not so pronounced. The sweetness tempers the hot alcohol fire as it attempts to numb the lips!

Overall: That’s one nice dram! The 40% is good but at this strength the brakes are released and the flavours are released to invade your senses!

If you can, go for this one – Yummy flavours and a delivery to the tastebuds that widened my smile to maximum!

Many thanks to Robert from Highfern Ltd for sending the samples!

Web: www.langatun.ch

Twitter: @langatunwhisky

Facebook: www.facebook.com/langatun

Langatun is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

  • Master of Malt
  • Drinkfinder, Hedonism Wines, Lincoln Whisky Shop, and Shop4Whisky

Sampling Elements of Islay ‘Peat’ – A Glowing Fireside Taste Extravaganza!

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ELEMENTS of ISLAY PEAT - The Everyday Islay Dram

ELEMENTS of ISLAY PEAT – The Everyday Islay Dram

The Elements of Islay have a new addition to their range – Elements of Islay Peat – and at a great price too! (£34.95)

A range of whiskies that celebrate the core characteristics that make Islay whisky special

A range of whiskies that celebrate the core characteristics that make Islay whisky special

For this Peat Release, Elements of Islay have used whisky from a handful of distilleries across the island to create an Islay blended malt, focusing on Islay’s most famous flavour – peat – and it certainly delivers!

The Elements of Islay are a range of whiskies that celebrate the core characteristics that make Islay whisky special and unique.

The single malts in the range are bottled either as single casks or as small batches of between five and 20 carefully selected casks.

A symbol is used to identify the distillery, and each whisky is approved and signed by a whisky authority as a mark of its quality.

Additionally, no age or vintage statement is used as the measure of a whisky’s quality. The Elements of Islay range is all about the excellence of the whisky.

No vintage or age statement is declared. To put it simply – they don’t think one is needed!

Tasting Notes: Peat – Elements of Islay Blended Whisky (59.3%)

Not chill-filtered and no colouring is added.


Nose: Rich, peaty smokiness abounds with aromas of woody bonfires. There’s salty caramel and chocolate in there as well with a little sweetness.

Palate: Thick mouthfeel, creamy alcohol on the tongue giving way to an intensely peaty hit. This is backed up by charcoal and fruity sweetness.

Finish: Powerful spice, salt n’ pepper and smoke with a sweet fruitiness to balance. Some tobacco and leather. Long and tasty!

Overall: A mighty dram for sure! It’s alcohol strength give it the power to be a satisfying, peaty heavy hitter.
Accidental Tip: Warming the glass in your hands turns the spirit into a lovely, glowing fireside mouthfeel and taste extravaganza!

Many thanks to The Whisky Exchange for sending the sample.

Tullamore DEW Twitter Tasting – ‘Irish True’ & A Joy For Me & You!

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Tullamore Twitter Tasting x4!

Tullamore Twitter Tasting x4!

Tullamore DEW was the focus for our taste buds in last Wednesday nights World Famous Tweet Tastings!

Our host, as ever, was the World Famous Steve from The Whisky Wire and he gave us the opportunity to sample four of Tullamore DEW’s brand range.

The malts sampled were:-

  • Tullamore DEW Original Blended Irish Whiskey
  • Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve
  • Tullamore DEW 14 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey
  • Tullamore DEW Cider Cask Finish

Tullamore DEW is named after Daniel E. Williams, a self-made man who worked his way up from a stable boy of the distillery to become the owner.

His inovation brought electricity and motorised automobiles to Tullamore in addition to creating a distinctive and character-filled whiskey.

Desmond Williams was the grandson of Daniel E. Williams and inherited his grandfather’s grit and determination. His claim to fame was to introduce Ireland’s first blended whiskey. In September 2014 Tullamore resumed production in its ancestral home of Tullamore, Co Offaly.

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 #TullamoreDEW on Twitter – where we managed to trend at number 43 on the night!

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!

Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW Original Blended Irish Whiskey (40%)

Triple distilled and aged in a combination of ex-bourbon & sherry casks.


Nose: Sweet stewed apples, pears and vanilla and sticky caramel on a wooden spoon! Biscuity crumble as well as a bit of tropical-ness going on as well – pineapple et al.

Palate: Apples pears & a little vanilla to the fore. Sweetness is more subdued than the nose and there’s some dry woodiness to boot.

Finish: Short, sharp, spicy finish with some fine fruity sweetness balancing it up.

Overall: This is a lovely, sippable dram. Easily capable of being enjoyed on it’s own and at a very nice price-point!

Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve (40%)

A triple distilled blend. Aged in old oak bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks for 12 to 15 years.


Nose: Mmm … that’s spicier! Sweet jams, tropical fruits and malty depths – yum! There is deffo a dusty woodiness underlying this …

Palate: Very tropical fruity with sherbet dancing on the tongue! Gentle spices mixed in with vanilla – morish!

Finish: Quite a punchy, spicy finish held in check by some sweet fruits – fiery it is!

Overall: A bit more depth than the original but losing none of it’s character – a fine 12 year old blended dram.

Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW 14 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey (41.3%)

Four cask finish – Old bourbon, Oloroso, sherry, port & Madeira. Only available in France until now but due for a UK release this Summer.


Nose: Less sweet than previous drams – apples to the fore though very fruity generally. There’s thick caramel and vanilla again and boy, do those tropical fruits abound!

Palate: Smooth, sweet, tropical fruity yuminess – delightful!

Finish: Dry, short finish with rich fruit and a lttle treacle – nice n’ spicy!

Overall: Perfectly balanced with rich, luscious sweetness and inviting, tasty spices. A real joy to nose, sip, and savour!

Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW Cider Cask Finish (40%)

Triple distilled in a soft mellow blend of all three Irish Whiskies. Pot still, grain and malt.

Nose: Obvious apples as expected, sharp as well but I am getting that metallic note mixed in. Beer and apple peel for sure and I’m also reminded of apple sours …

Palate: Ooh! Wasn’t expecting that! A little apple with some honeyed fruit.

Finish: VERY spice n’ peppery to me with added ginger – quite a hit!

Overall: Not an ideal dram for me, a little too cidery but if you love your apples with a healthy, spicy punch then this dram is for you!

My Favourite On The Night

The Tullamore DEW 14 Year Old without hesitation. Exquisito! And not enough of it – alas … there never is!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great Irish dram evening.

Special thanks to the team at Tullamore DEW (@TullamoreDEWUK), especially @tullamoreDEWJen, for sending such an amazing and generous sample package and for having such tasty whiskies!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @tullamoreDEWJen @WhiskyDiscovery @kizzsmyth @MaltMad @cache1337 @brawspirit @TheWhiskyphiles @CoupleODrams @ocdwhisky @RealDramRob @WhiskyMattY @rodbodtoo @whiskyfreak123 @TheFinestCut @dvdbloke @pimpleandblotch @Ardbaggie @steveprentice @whiskytube @TheWhiskyKiwi @annawizauk @jalcock1982 @allthingsbooze @jpbglover11

Tullamore DEW may be available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Sampling The Angels’ Nectar ‘Rich Peat’ Edition – Smokin!

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The Rich Peat Edition

The Rich Peat Edition

Robert from Angels’ Nectar Whisky recently sent me a sample of their new Rich Peat Edition Scotch Whisky. Created from a selection of Highland malts and bottled at a punchy 46%.

Like the First Edition, the Rich Peat Edition bottle features an Angel shaped fractal design

Like the First Edition, the Rich Peat Edition bottle features an Angel shaped fractal design

I reviewed their first offering a year ago and I was mightily impressed so I was well chuffed to be offered a chance to savour their latest offering.

The Angels’ Nectar Rich Peat Edition has been released by Highfern Ltd, a young drinks business founded by Robert Ransom and based in Grantown-on-Spey.

Commenting on the release Robert said; “Its great to see our range of malts expand. International interest in the Rich Peat Edition has also been particularly exciting.”

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Angels Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Rich Peat Edition ( 46% )

Like the original Angels Nectar, the Rich Peat Edition is again, a very pale dram.


Nose: Smokey and peaty with an inviting bonfire aroma that seems to soak into your tastebuds! It develops into rich fruity sweetness and thick treacle.

Palate: Well balanced peat n’ smoke with the spicy sweetness of stewed fruit and dark chocolate.

Finish: The sweet fruit pulls it’s weight and the spicy peat goes on and on coupled with tastes of tobacco and a little tanin grapefruit.

A blended peaty malt that doesn’t fail to deliver. I love the smokey, bonfire aromas and tastes and the rich fruit and chocolate make a nice counter flavour. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to Robert and the team at Angels Nectar for sending the sample!

You can catch up with them on Twitter (@angelsnectar) & Facebook: (angelsnectarwhisky)

Angels Nectar is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

  • Master of Malt
  • The Green Welly Stop
  • Elephants in the Pantry (Grantown), Deli Mair (Aviemore), Dow’s (Boat of Garten), Nickolls & Perks (Stourbridge) & Speyside Centre (Grantown).

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