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Sampling The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015!

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The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015

The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015

The Dalmore has released a limited edition bottling “The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015” which will be sold exclusively at the brands iconic home in the Scottish Highlands.

The latest bottling embodies the art of The Dalmore for which the brand’s esteemed Master Distiller, Richard Paterson, has hand selected a collection of port, Moscatel and Madeira casks to mature this exquisite whisky in, before finally being finessed in first fill bourbon barrels.

The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015 is a stunning whisky.

Our artisanal approach to whisky making bestows this bottling with a bold, rich, sweet amber gold colour with aromas of caramelised orange, forest fruits and marzipan, and on the palate macerated plums, almonds and pecans.

– Richard Paterson: Master Distiller

Each expression of The Dalmore is meticulously crafted by Richard with the help of a small and highly skilled team of distillery craftsmen who manage the production process by hand. This approach is essential to The Dalmore as its collection of eight stills of varying shapes and sizes require great attention in order to create the unique, complex character that is distinctive of The Dalmore.

Located on the shores of the Cromarty Firth, the picturesque home of The Dalmore houses a visitor centre where guests are invited to experience the brand and become immersed in the history, bravery and workmanship that go into producing The Dalmore’s award winning whisky.

Distillery Tours are available year round but you do need to book! Contact Dalmore for more details.

Only 450 bottles of “The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015” have been made available, each individually numbered.

Priced £150 The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015 (48% ABV) is available from The Dalmore Distillery at Alness, Ross-shire, Scotland, IV17 OUT

Only 450 bottles have been made available

Only 450 bottles have been made available

Tasting Notes – The Dalmore Distillery Exclusive 2015 (48%)

Matured in hand selected port, Moscatel and Madeira casks before being finessed in first fill bourbon barrels.


Nose: A rich sherry colour that clings to the glass. Sweet, fruity port, ripe red apples, orange and marzipan.

Palate: Luscious mouthfeel. Sweet cake mixture, fruits soaked in port.

Finish: A long, spicy finish with bags of sugary, fruit sweetness. Gets drier at the end.

Overall: A rich, powerful dram that seems to punch way above the weight of it’s 48% ABV. Decidely morish and very palatable.

I know they’ll sell out of this very quickly regardless but I hope that some of the buyers will actually taste this great whisky rather than just keeping it for investment purposes.
That would be a shame – and a waste!

Many thanks to Dalmore Whisky (@DalmoreWhisky) for sending the samples!

Dalmore is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Glen Scotia Twitter Tasting – Four Drams That Re-Invent A Great Brand!

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The Glen Scotia Range

The Glen Scotia Range

The Glen Scotia Tweet Tasting held last Monday was a great chance to sample some drams that has not got the credit in recent years that it deserves.

Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia is one of only three distilleries producing in the Campbeltown whisky region. Currently undergoing a re-brand, it was a great opportunity to sample some drams in their new packaging that will be hitting the shops very soon.

The event was hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire and the malts sampled were:-

  • Glen Scotia Double Cask
  • Glen Scotia 15 Year Old
  • Glen Scotia Victoriana
  • Glen Scotia Single Cask Distillery Edition

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 #GlenScotia on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Glen Scotia Double Cask (46%)

A NAS, NCF dram – Coming Soon to Specialist Retailers – RRP £37.00

Finished in first fill American Bourbon barrels & Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks.

Nose: Vanilla, caramel & fudge straight off! There’s also apples teamed up with a pleasant oakyness and a hint of smoke.

Palate: Sweet, rich mouth feel. Lovely rum and chocolate flavours, baked fruits and treacle pud.

Finish: Very warming and spicy. A long finish beating a fiery path down to the tummy!

Overall: Quite a heavy dram, meaty & full of spicy attitude!

Tasting Notes – Glen Scotia 15 Year Old (46%)

NCF – Coming Soon to Specialist Retailers – RRP £55.00

Nose: Fresher, less heavy than the Double Cask. Polish & a hint of peat are there and I’m getting all sorts of charred wood & smoke! A little vanilla n’ caramel is also present but not much …

Palate: Thinner mouth feel, sweet and very citrusy. Lemons, fruit cake with a little caramel. Pretty salty too!

Finish: Spicy, peppery, long, warming finish again – a little tobacco in there as well.

Overall: Pretty kick-ass actually! Quite, quite different to the Double Cask.

Tasting Notes – Glen Scotia Victoriana (51.5%)

NAS, NCF dram – Coming Soon to Specialist Retailers – RRP £75.00
Matured in Bourbon barrels then finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks & deep charred oak casks. All chosen casks are hand selected from Glen Scotia’s reserve Cellar. Each bottle carries the signature of Master Blender John Peterson as a personal guarantee of quality.


Nose: Strawbs and cream hit the nose! Vanilla ice cream and pears coming up a close second.

Palate: Rich fruit cake, coffee & a luscious mouth feel! Generous treacle with a little salt.

Finish: Glorious finish – refined, spicy. Nice!

Overall: Shouts quality from every taste bud!

Tasting Notes – Glen Scotia Single Cask Distillery Edition (56.1%)

NAS, NCF dram – Available Exclusively from the Distillery for £90.00
Matured in an American Bourbon refill cask. Approx distillation date Dec 2002.

Nose: Smoky, peaty, charred woody abounds! The syrupy vanilla sweetness is still there though.

Palate: Rich mouth feel. A very sweet, peaty smokey hit. Thick caramel, chocolate & grapefruit.

Finish: Long finish with well tempered spice and dryness.

Overall: A powerhouse dram – a visit to the distillery shop maybe?

My Favourite On The Night

I think it’s got to be the Double Cask followed by Victoriana. The Double Cask has it all and for a very reasonable price.

These whiskies all seem to have very distinctive characteristics – meaty, savoury, salty producing some very satisfying drams indeed. I would certainly class these expressions as warming, beside the fire on a cold night kind of drams.

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

And of course, Glen Scotia, for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@WhiskyDiscovery @MashtunandMeow @whiskytube @mynameisgone @EdinburghWhisky @mattveira @bobsta1975 @WhiskyCorner @RumDiariesBlog @dvdbloke @TheWhiskyBoys @msykesjones @whiskyrepublic @WhiskyWriter @JoeFHolmes @brawspirit @annawizauk @rodbodtoo @angelshareglass @emilymayfox @whisky_facile @WhiskySpeller @LaCaveDeCobalt @Girl_Whisky

Glen Scotia is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Bushmills Whiskey Tweet Tasting: Tropical Fruit & Irish Genius!

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The five Bushmills malts!

The five Bushmills Drams!

Bushmills was the selected distillery for Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting and we had the chance to try five of their superior Whiskey range.

Bushmills is the oldest licensed distillery in the world (1608) and their recent acquisition by Jose Cuervo could herald the start of a new era for this most famous of Irish distilleries.

The event was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire and the drams sampled were:-

  • Bushmills Original
  • Bushmills Black Bush
  • Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt
  • Bushmills 12 Year Old Distillery Reserve
  • Bushmills 16 Year Old Old Single Malt

One thing that became obvious during the night was how consistent the core flavours were over the range – in short, tropical fruits abound!

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 #BushmillsWhiskey on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Bushmills Original Whiskey ( 40% )

A NAS blend of triple distilled Irish single malt & Irish grain whiskey. Matured for at least 5 years in American oak casks. It is named after the River Bush, a fine salmon river that powered the textile mills of the Scottish settlers.

Nose: Fruity vanilla, slightly woody, furniture polish and then those “little green apples” start to come thru. Closely followed by pineapple, peach & mint – a feast!

Palate: Fruit cake mixture, sweet, with a little caramel thrown in.

Finish: Very smooth with a satisfying, spicy finish – quite short.

Overall: The Chilli is on slow burn but makes itself known after a time making this a very sippable dram indeed!

Tasting Notes – Bushmills Black Bush Whiskey ( 40% )

Made up of 80% malt whiskey & matured for up to 7 years in oloroso sherry casks & bourbon barrels.


Nose: More honey & caramel than the Original & more body menthol. There’s lots of apples as well as a smattering of demerera and rum.

Palate: Still getting sweet fruit cake mixture but there’s more treacle & it’s lovely and smooth!

Finish: A sweeter dram than the Original, syrupy and full of chilli spice.

Overall: Another short finish but it’s spiciness is warming my cockles! A welcome addition to any drinks selection!

Tasting Notes – Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey (40%)

Matured for at least 10 years mainly in bourbon barrels.

Nose: Less sweetness than the previous drams with hints of pears & pineapple – ‘thinner’. Plus there’s bananas, apples giving some very fresh and clean aromas!

Palate: Light mouthfeel, pineapple, mango – basically 40% Lilt!

Finish: The spice seemed to disappear from this but then made a welcome return right at the end – it’s a bit shyer on this dram!

Overall: Another winner and continuing the tropical fruit theme that runs through all these drams.

Tasting Notes – Bushmills 12 Year Old Distillery Reserve Whiskey ( 40% )

Matured mainly in oloroso sherry casks and only available from the Bushmills distillery shop.

Nose: Vanilla & syrupy apples, pineapple, icing sugar.

Palate: Rich tropical fruit with a mango hit – nicely sweet.

Finish: Nutty caramel with a well balanced spiciness to finish.

Overall: Bit of a slow burner the 12YO- needs time to develop in the glass but stick with it and the rewards will come to those who wait!

Tasting Notes – Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey (40%)

Made with two whiskies that have been matured for 16 years – one from a bourbon barrel the second from a sherry cask. They are then married together in port infused casks.

Nose: Fruit cake, sherry & port are very present. In addition there’s caramel and blackcurrant which was a revelation.

Palate: Sweet port giving way to pineapple & fruit sugar syrup.

Finish: The sweetness lingers and only gives way slightly to some welcoming spiciness!

Overall: These older drams certainly benefit from a little more time in the glass. Satisfying, rich mature flavours with lovely port being quite prominent.

My Favourite On The Night

Black Bush – smooth, sweet, full of chilli spice & fantastically priced.

But all had an interesting array of flavours – a close second being the 16 year old!

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

And of course, Bushmills, without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@Whisky_Magazine @WhiskyDiscovery @DrinksEnthusist @EdinburghWhisky @Drinkmonger @brawspirit @BeersIveKnown @dvdbloke @mynameisgone @NeilMacKinnon1 @Andrew1McCallum @jpbglover11 @msykesjones @cache1337 @rodbodtoo @AWhetForWhisky @kaskwhisky @GingerWhisky1 @TheWhiskyKiwi @Whisky_Belfast @TheWhiskyphiles @MarkGwhisky @MrMDMaloney @bobsta1975 @annawizauk @Girl_Whisky @WhiskySpeller

Bushmills is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Glen Moray Tweet Tasting!

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Let the sampling begin!

Let the sampling begin!

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to be invited to the latest online Tweet Tasting with the opportunity of sampling the delights produced by the Glen Moray Speyside distillery.
The event, once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the chance to try five different drams including two New Make Spirits – a rare thing indeed.

The malts sampled were:-

  • Glen Moray New Make Spirit
  • Glen Moray Classic
  • Glen Moray Port Cask Finish
  • Glen Moray New Make Peated Spirit
  • Glen Moray Peated Single Malt

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 #GlenMoray on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Glen Moray New Make Spirit ( 69% )

New Make Spirit is at the core of the dram that will eventually end up in your glass but in this form it’s the raw essence of what will be whisky, once it’s been aged in oak casks for a minimum of 3 years.

Nose: Creamy, raw, fruity! Basically Banana smoothie! White rum with a little malt & barley (reminds me of moonshine) comes thru later.

Palate: Thick mouth feel, oily, sweet plums – God that’s strong!

Finish: Hot, fiery with a passion!

Overall: You have to be careful with the new make – it sent my taste buds flying like a bunch of skittles! Would make a good gin replacement in summer cocktails etc. if they ever retailed it – but I doubt they ever will!

Tasting Notes – Glen Moray Classic ( 40% )

Glen Moray mature their whisky in ex-bourbon barrels sourced from North America.


Nose: Slightly peaty, hint of vanilla & fruit, red apples & pears.

Palate: Very smooth, light with vanilla & fruit. There’s some grapefruit in there as well.

Finish: Peppery but also sweet – nice bit of glowing spice!

Overall: It’s really interesting to dram this after tasting the New Make as you can really taste the new make in there. All muted down of course to save those taste buds! A really nice dram this – nice and easy going!

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

Glen Moray Classic Port Cask is finished for 8 months in Tawny Port casks before being bottled. A lovely rose colour when in the glass – the Twitter community thought this hue was very fetching!

Nose: Very similar to the Classic but there’s also a satisfying porty sweetness.

Palate: Creamy, sweet, jam-like, little bit of tanin.

Finish: Long, spicy finish coupled with a dry, fruity port hit!

Overall: If you like port and a dram with a rosy look to it then you’ll love this! Nicely balanced fruit, spice and sweetness!

Tasting Notes – Glen Moray New Make Peated Spirit ( 69% )

A peated base spirit with around 18ppm phenols.

Nose: Heavy peat, smoke, charcoal – BOOM! No fruit or sweetness at all – just a smokery!

Palate: Pretty much tastes like it noses – full on! Hot and fiery – quite oily – but mainly heavy peat n’ smoke.

Finish: Adding water brings out sweet, salty Liquorice.

Overall: Amazing opportunity to try this New Make but it demands respect – don’t expect it to be gentle with you!

Tasting Notes – Glen Moray Peated Single Malt ( 40% )

Glen Moray Classic Peated Cask is aimed at consumers who want a gentle peated style of whisky.


Nose: Again the Classic foundation is there but it’s infused with a lovely, smoky, albeit quite a shy, peat.

Palate: Very light, sweet with a dash of smoke n’peat – morish!

Finish: Light Liquorice comes thru at the end with a gentle warming finish.

Overall: This is a great peated malt, especially for those who are new to or wishing to explore the world of smokey drams! Great for quiet sipping and relaxing!

My Favourite On The Night

This would normally be the peatier dram but the Classic bags it for me tonight – it is what it says on the label – a Classic!
Their bedrock malt from which all their other styles flow!

A special mention though for the New Makes. Always a rare and welcome opportunity to taste the spirit in it’s original form, just so long as you do it in moderation!

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

And of course, Glen Moray, for sending the samples and without whom!

If you want to visit, the distillery has a visitor centre which offers tours all year round!

My fellow Tweeters were:-

@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyCorner @jpbglover11 @kaskwhisky @dvdbloke @msykesjones @godsofgoodison @cache1337 @BeersIveKnown @dramming_uk @MikeJack1976 @macphail_hugh @b7ryn @Pandemoniumd01 @kizzsmyth @TheRedFellow @bobsta1975 @mynameisgone @LaCaveDeCobalt @jdpjamesp @galg @GeorgeHHutton @KatharineSully @AWhetForWhisky @brawspirit @nitin_michael @Girl_Whisky @PMaitlando @whiskymagazine @Whisky_Belfast @julie_gwc @rodbodtoo @MashtunandMeow @JoeFHolmes

Glen Moray is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Arran Whisky Tweet Tasting!

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Island Wonders From Arran!

Island Wonders From Arran!

Island Wonders From Arran!

Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting ably demonstrated the rise and rise of Arran Whisky and their range of whiskies which included the release of their first 18 year old and the release of White Stag – their members only dram.

The event was once again hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire and over two hours we got the opportunity to sample four malts from this Island powerhouse.

The malts sampled were:-

  • Arran Whisky Sauternes Finish
  • Arran Whisky 18 Year Old
  • Arran Whisky Bourbon Cask
  • Arran Whisky White Stag

You can catch up on what all the tasters had to say by searching for the hash tag #ArranWhisky on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Arran Whisky Sauternes Finish ( 50% )

Matured in traditional oak casks for approximately 8 years, The Arran Single Malt was finished in a selection of Sauternes wine casks sourced from an artisan producer of this iconic Bordeaux sweet white wine.

Master Distiller, James MacTaggart, has carefully monitored this period of secondary maturation to ensure the perfect balance is struck between the Sauternes casks and the intrinsic sweet-fruity character of The Arran Malt.

Nose: Sweet n’ fruity! Honey & caramel with hint of melon and pineapple. Rich orange and spice comes thru later – nice!

Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, lovely rich orange and honey hits you straight away coupled with Xmas fruit cake like sweetness.

Finish: A dry, tanin finish laden with spice. Hints of tobacco & grapefruit.

Overall: At 50% it sure packs a punch – strong and powerful – but in a sweet way!

Tasting Notes – Arran Whisky 18 Year Old ( 46% )

The first ever official 18 year-old in the Arran Malt range!

Produced from un-peated malted barley and matured in a selection of the finest ex-Sherry casks this whisky has not been artificially coloured and has not been chill-filtered at bottling thus retaining the full range of aromas and flavours which typify this unique Island Single Malt.

This is the final bottling in a trilogy of 16, 17 & 18 year-old Arran Malts which celebrated the countdown to this first official release of The Arran Malt as an 18 year-old.

Only 9,000 bottles of The Arran Malt 18 Years Old have been released worldwide.


Nose: Not as sweet on the nose initially but then creamy vanilla comes thru. Waxy with a background of woodiness. It gets sweeter and sweeter in the glass – heady aromas of stewed apples with a slight hint of spice.

Palate: Less oily, thinner than the Sauternes. Heavy with pineapple, mango, kiwi & other tropical goodies! Richly balanced cakey sweetness with a little licourice.

Finish: Short, smooth finish. There’s a lovely sweetness to this dram that ends with a spicy, pepper combo – Exquisite!

Overall: This is going to be / should be a popular dram – congrats to the team at Arran – an excellent conclusion to the trilogy!

Tasting Notes – Arran Whisky Bourbon Cask ( 55.3% )

Part of Arran Whiskies Premium Cask Selection this particular batch has now, unfortunately, sold out. But there are other batches available to help satisfy us!

Nose: The Arran signature caramel, fudge sweetness is still there joined by yummy wood! Waxy, woody & charred – heaven! There’s also fruity, lilt-like aromas comin’ thru with continued nosing.

Palate: Fizzy, mango and pineapple with a kick-ass hit to it! Thick, rich and sweet – Amazing!

Finish: Long, smooth finish with strength aplenty – sweet and spicy to the last!

Overall: Even though it’s a 55%+ the alcohol burn is very slight and I had my nose well and truly stuck into my nosing glass! Full of character with a morish zest to it.

Tasting Notes – Arran Whisky White Stag ( 54.2% )

At nearly 18yrs this non-chill filtered single sherry cask was the first bottling chosen by the Arranwhisky White Stag tasting panel and will be launching in June.

Only 214 bottles will be released worldwide and they are available from Arran Whiskies web site.

To become a White Stag member you can sign up for free!

Nose: Quite subtle after the bourbon barnstormer – sweetness and a bit of the bourbon woodiness I think … There’s dark chocolate and coffee as well. Slightly waxy but a perfect balance of subtle sweetness & spice saves the day.

Palate: Intensely sweet and spicy with fizzy tropical fruit explosions! Mango, pineapple – liquid sunshine in a glass!

Finish: Sweet, smooth, peppery finish: sublime …

Overall: A truly gorgeous dram – strong but well balanced – a giver not a taker! Excellent stuff indeed.

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 4, I think it’s got to be the White Stag closely followed by the Bourbon Cask.

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

And of course, Arran Whisky (@ArranWhisky), for sending the samples and without whom! They also have an excellent online shop!

My fellow Tweeters were:-

@TheWhiskyWire @whiskyrepublic @raithrover @WeDrinkWhisky @annawizauk @JoeFHolmes @JohnnieStumbler @LiquortoLips @GreatDrams @jasonbstanding @MyWhiskyGuide @ben_cops @dramming_uk @julie_gwc @WordsofWhisky @Girl_Whisky @WhiskyFriends @MaltKlaus @sjoerd972 @LoveBowmore @WhiskySpeller @Pandemoniumd01 @DH17slijterij @PWulf

Arran Whisky is also available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Sampling Smogen Swedish Single Malt Whisky – Young Malts Taste Great!

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Smogen Svensk Single Malt Whisky - Sherry Project 1:1 & 1:2

Smogen Svensk Single Malt Whisky – Sherry Project 1:1 & 1:2

I’d just like to say before we start …

Yes! Young malts taste Great!

So, with that out of the way, the good people from @SmogenWhiskyUK sent me a couple of samples recently from their ‘Sherry Project’.

The malts sampled were:-

  • Smogen Svensk Single Malt Whisky – Sherry Project 1:1
  • Smogen Svensk Single Malt Whisky – Sherry Project 1:2

With a heavily peated style, this first release of a mini-series was designed to explore the impact of sherry cask maturation and finishing on Smögen Svensk Single Malt Whisky.

Sherry Project 1:1 was initially matured for two years and ten months in new heavily roasted 120 litre Quarter casks, made from European Oak, before being transferred and finished for four months in an Oloroso sherry butt.

Johan Borgemo from Whiskynorden had this to say about the finished product: ‘This is a very good whisky. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Pär Caldenby & co. can really distil whisky in absolute class, there is no doubt. I will follow Smögen with eager anticipation.’

Sherry Project 1:1 is limited to 900 500ml bottles, of which 600 sold within 21 hours of being released in Sweden’s Systembolaget, in November 2014.

Like Sherry Project 1:1, Sherry Project 1:2 was initially matured in new heavily roasted 120 litre Quarter casks, but has been finished for longer, for eight months, again in an Oloroso Sherry Butt.
Sherry Project 1:2 went on sale in Sweden’s Systembolaget in March, with a release of 744 of the 880 bottles produced.

Still to come is Sherry Project 1:3 which will be finished for 12 months and bottled in Summer 2015.

Lastely, Sherry Project 1:4, will be released as a four year old whisky and will be matured entirely in Sherry casks, starting with Quarter casks and then married together for six months in another Sherry Butt.

It is due for release late 2015.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Smogen Svensk Single Malt Whisky – Sherry Project 1:1 ( 51.8% )
Nose: Deep golden sherry colour. Peaty earthness abounds with a hint of smoke and spice. There’s a bit of fruit on the nose as well and a touch of molasses.

Palate: Thick, rich Xmas cakey sweetness, all sugary sultanas & plenty of spice!

Finish: The sweetness is joined by a fiery, rich, dry, oak n’spice with a little bit of tobacco.

Overall: Quite the fiesty dram this one! Great rich sherry sweetness but it also has a nice, raw, rock n’ roll edge to it that could become habit forming!

Tasting Notes – Smogen Svensk Single Malt Whisky – Sherry Project 1:2 ( 55.7% )
Nose: Much sweeter nose than 1:1 with vanilla and caramel with a little beeswax taking prominence. It’s certainly more oaky than peaty – quite a difference!

Palate: The same thick rich Xmas cakey sweetness, sugary sultanas & spice with a little touch of aniseed.

Finish: The sweetness is still there and the overall taste is much smoother. The fieryness is now more of a spicy pepper.

Overall: The high alcohol content of these malts sure packs a punch there’s no denying! The extra time in a sherry butt has certainly made a difference though – it’s rounded off the edges nicely!

My Favourite

Mmmm … it’s very hard to choose – I like the smoother 1:2 but then again I also have a fondness for the kick-ass, in-your-face fieriness of the 1:1.
I guess it’s a bit of tomato / tomato or maybe Svensk / Swedish but I’m going to plump for the 1:1!

Either way, you can’t go wrong, Sweden may be an un-familar country regarding the production of malt whisky and young drams they may be but don’t let this put you off sampling these excellent malts!

You can catch up with Smogen on Twitter (@SmogenWhiskyUK)

Many thanks to Robert (@wrobertransom) for sending the samples!

Smogen is currently available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Sampling The Angels’ Nectar Blended Whisky – Heaven In A Glass?

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Angels Nectar - here's to heavenly!

Angels Nectar – here’s to heavenly!

Angels on a White Background

Angels on a White Background

I feel like an extra lucky pre-Easter bunny today and it’s not because I’ve gotten hold of some gold covered chocolate animals.

No, it’s because I recently received a sample of Angels’ Nectar, a new Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, inspired by the Angels’ Share, which has been launched by Robert Ransom.

An unknown fact (to me) and one that you can use to impress your workmates is that at any one time, there are an estimated twenty million casks maturing across Scotland!

In addition, they are all being exposed to what is affectionately called “the Angels’ Share”, the evaporation from casks that occurs during maturation.

The Angels take their pick; enjoying some casks more than others, whilst hard working distillers watch their efforts disappear.

The Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is a re-creation of the Angels’ Share, bottled for whisky drinkers to savour.

Carefully created from a selection of Speyside and Highland malt whiskies, Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is unusually bottled at natural colour.

The label for this new whisky brand features a striking fractal design, with an Angel shaped ethereal mist, within which, a series of Angels can be seen enjoying their share.

The Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky has been released by Highfern Ltd, a new drinks business founded by Robert Ransom.

Commenting on the release Robert said; “I have worked in the whisky trade for ten years, and during that time I have enjoyed giving many distillery tours and tastings.
Early on I noticed any mention of the Angels’ Share always made guests smile. The seed was sown; What if one could bottle the Angels’ Share? It would be the ultimate Blended Malt, and Angels’ Nectar is Highfern’s attempt to do just that.”

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Angels Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ( 40% )

As stated, the whisky is bottled at natural colour so expect a very pale dram indeed!


Nose: Citrus and fruit abound with a little wood. A hint of vanilla and sugar tops it off.

Palate: A dram that is light on the tongue with sweet sugary fruits and a zingy lemon tang.

Finish: Quite a short finish, the sweetness is complemented with a little grapefruit creating a dry tanin mouthfeel. This is blended with a gentle tobacco and spice finish.

Overall: An excellent, easy drinking blended malt. Light and easy on the palate and very much suitable for drinking at any time of the day.

A blended malt that will appeal to most palates without putting off those who prefer more ‘robust’ flavours. A lovely concept and one which I am happy to support. In short, those Angels will be sad not to get their hands on this fine dram!

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

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

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

Sampling The Glenlivet Founders Reserve – A Towering Reputation!

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The Glenlivet Founders Reserve

The Glenlivet Founders Reserve – A Towering Reputation

The Glenlivet Founders Reserve, announced last October and due to be released this March, is a new single malt that has been almost 200 years in the making.

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.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – The Glenlivet Founders Reserve ( 40% )

A NAS (No Age Statement) single malt whisky.

Nose: Heavenly citrus aromas with a hint of apple and vanilla creaminess. Slight woodiness in there as well.

Palate: Light feeling on the tongue, very delicate. Gentle fruits with a little vanilla.

Finish: Hint of pepper and spice adds well to a creamy finish which is moderately long.

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

Summary

There seemed to be a lot of flavours akin to the 12 Year Old in this dram, so you can’t go wrong there! A very drinkable dram. In fact, the more I dram it, the more I wish the sample bottle was a little larger!

Thanks to @TheGlenlivet and @DrinksPRAgency for the samples!

The Glenlivet is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Tasting Notes – Glendronach 20 Year Old Abbey Whisky Exclusive!

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Just look at the colour of that dram!

Just look at the colour of that dram!

Well Abbey Whisky has been sampling whisky cask samples again!

Their latest Whisky Exclusive is the result of all this ardous tasting and it is a Glendronach 20 Year Old – Cask 3400 to be precise!

Their last GlenDronach offering – single cask 33 was a fantastic success and I have a feeling, well in fact a certainty, that this success is about to be repeated.

For a start it has an amazing colour – I wouldn’t be able to resist it on this basis alone!

Glendronach distillery is located near Forgue, by Huntly, Aberdeenshire and is owned by another whisky stalwart, BenRiach.

Founded in 1826 by James Allardes it was the second distillery to apply for a licence to legally produce whisky under the recently introduced Excise Act of 1823.

The distillery draws its water from the Dronac burn within the distillery grounds. In addition to this it has its own floor maltings and two wash stills as well as two spirit stills.

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

Tasting Notes – Glendronach 20 Year Old Abbey Whisky Exclusive – Cask 3400
( 54.8% )

As I said earlier, the first thing that hits you is the drams amazing colour – it’s dark sherry appearance invites you in well before you get to nosing it.

The liquid is also very full bodied and generous, clinging to the glass in a gravity defying manner.

Nose: Glorious sweet sherry nose, golden syrup, molasses and tropical fruits including mango. There’s also a little wood and maybe even a hint of licquorice.

Palate: Lovely generous mouth coating liquid with luscious sweet rich fruits. There’s also sherry, toffee, chocolate and spice with a slight touch of grapefruit.

Finish: Rich, dark chocolate comes to the fore followed by a long spicy finish. A touch of dryness and woodyness are present as well.

Overall: One of the finest whiskies I’ve ever tasted. It looks good, has an amazing nose and tastes fantastic!
A Powerful sherry dram. One to be savoured and shared with only those who are worthy – be strict though – most of us won’t be!

£97.95

Many thanks to Abbey Whisky (@abbeywhisky) for an incredible sample!

The Royal Salute Tweet Tasting – Celebrate History In The Dramming!

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The Royal Salute Range Sampled

The Royal Salute Range Sampled

Last Monday saw me attend another Tweet Tasting, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, and one which gave me the opportunity to sample one of the worlds premium whisky blends.

I’m talking, of course, about Royal Salute and I have to say, I feel very lucky to have been involved, these kind of tastings are rare indeed!

Royal Salute is produced by Chivas Brothers (and owned by Pernod Ricard). Founded in 1801 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Royal Salute brand’s home is Strathisla Distillery at Keith, Moray in Speyside, Scotland. The full-bodied Strathisla is at the heart of every Royal Salute expression.

The range was launched on 2 June 1953 by Chivas Brothers in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her coronation. Named after the traditional 21-gun salute, Royal Salute whisky is aged for a minimum of 21 years.

On the night we were lucky enough to have Master Blender Colin Scott tweet along with us, sharing his insights and knowledge of this amazing blend.

The whiskies sampled were:-

  • Royal Salute 21 Year Old
  • Royal Salute Diamond Tribute
  • Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny
  • Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute

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 #RoyalSaluteTT on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Royal Salute 21 Year Old ( 40% )
Nose: Sweet fruits, pears, apples and fresh oak. Lovely apple aromas! Toffee, caramel and vanilla.

Palate: Intensely sweet mixed with grapefruit. There’s a little bit of toffee in there as well as pineapple and pears.

Finish: Short, dry, spicy finish with hints of tobacco.

Overall: Undeniably smooth blend with some excellent fruit flavours. Quality abounds in this dram.

Tasting Notes – Royal Salute Diamond Tribute ( 40% )

Bottled in honour of Queen Elizabeth II 60th. Anniversary of her coronation.
Nose: Creamy and buttery. There’s a slight hint of fresh wood again as well as vanilla & caramel mixed with soft fruits.

Palate: Sweet cake mixture, raisins, vanilla – almost a little rum like in it’s flavour!

Finish: Smooth, short, dry finish. A little spice with the fruit makes it very enjoyable indeed.

Overall: I think this is softer than the original 21 year old. Morish? I’d say!

Tasting Notes – Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny ( 40% )

Crafted from whiskies aged for no less than 38 years, this unique blend shares its name with the Stone of Destiny, the Coronation stone of the ancient Scottish Kings.

For every bottle of the 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny that goes on sale, the ‘angels’ have already had four!
Nose: Stewed spicy fruits – earthy deep flavours of aged malts. Mint, chocolate, spice and all things nice!

Palate: Rich, plump, sweet Christmas cake with a hint of mint chocolate.

Finish: Gloriously spicy with rich sherry – tongue lingering!

Overall: This is a fine dram. You can taste the rich pedigree of whiskies that have gone into this blend. The balance of flavours is stunning!

Tasting Notes – Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute ( 43% )

Named after the firing of 62 cannons, an exclusive privilege of the Tower of London, and reserved only for the most special Royal anniversaries.

The whiskies contained within this blend are aged for at least 40 years.
Nose: This smells divine! Toffee and vanilla in old antique wood casks. Coffee, dark chocolate (the good stuff) abound. Even the colour looks classy!

Palate: Pear, pineapple and apple create a sweet fusion of flavours. Fresh sevile oranges and rich, deep sherryness topped off with a little bit of smoke complete this taste celebration.

Finish: Super smooth finish with a hint of spicy mint and orange.

Overall: This dram is truly an experience, deserving due respect and patience to savour it properly. You can literally taste the fine history of the drams that go into it’s creation. Outstanding!

My Favourite On The Night

The Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute – A once-in-a-lifetime experience that may leave your wallet a bit dented but your taste buds will love you for it!

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, Royal Salute, without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-

@champdenwhite @Whisky_Magazine @EdinburghWhisky @TheWhiskyBoys @DrinksEnthusist @WhiskyDiscovery @Girl_Whisky @WhiskyCorner @MCRWhiskyClub @Whisky_Belfast

Royal Salute is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

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