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Sampling The Dalmore ‘Four’ – Including Their New “Sherry Cask Select” Whisky!

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The Dalmore ‘Four’!

Last Sunday night I had the pleasure of attending another @TweetTastings, courtesy of Steve from The Whisky Wire.

The Dalmore was the distillery in question and we had the pleasure of sampling four of their range.

They were:-

  • The Dalmore Sherry Cask Select
  • The Dalmore Cigar Malt
  • The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
  • The Dalmore King Alexander III

We were also fortunate to be joined on the night by Stephen Martin (@shakenstephen) who is Global Single Malt Whisky Specialist for Whyte & Mackay.

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #TheDalmore on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – The Dalmore Sherry Cask Select (43%)

Initially matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, before being finished in casks that previously held Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry.

It is designed to push the boundaries of what is possible in whisky production and the art of cask curation.

Available from October! (rrp £69.99)

Nose: Beloved old wood & furniture polish! Stewed, sherried fruits and creamy vanilla sweetness. Crisp n’ crunchy green apples.

Palate: Sweet sherry, creamy chocolate, vanilla and a smidgen of cherries on the palate!

Finish: Creamy with rich fruits & spicy black pepper – very warming and satisfying!

Overall: A great dram, it has all the classic hallmarks of a Dalmore and should be a worthy addition to The Dalmore range.

Will Be Available to buy from these Merchants:-

Tasting Notes – The Dalmore Cigar Malt (44%)

Initially matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, with a small proportion remaining in the casks. The rest being transferred into a combination of Gonzalez Byass sherry casks which have previously contained 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry and Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques.

Master Distiller for Cigar Malt Reserve, Richard Paterson (@the_nose) said: “The body, structure and character of this extraordinary expression is the perfect complement to a fine cigar.”


Nose: Orange and furniture polish with pencil shavings thrown on the floor! Fruity & caramel aromas come along later.

Palate: Quite oily and buttery – sweet but not overpowering with rich chocolate.

Finish: Some sharp spiciness to jiggle those taste buds!

Overall: ’tis a nicely balanced dram. As for going well with a cigar I’ll have to take up smoking!

Available to buy from these Merchants:-

Tasting Notes – The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve (46.5%)

Matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, before being transferred into a combination American white oak casks and aged Tawny Port pipes from W & J Graham’s vineyard in Portugal.

Nose: Red wine with a healthy slug of portiness. Again, there’s that furniture polish and pencil shavings thing goin’ on! Getting more of the chocolate with this one. It’s also fruity with some apples & blackcurrant.

Palate: Spiciness to the fore – and cracking with it! Smooth with nice flavours of chocolate, porty fruits and hints of liquorice.

Finish: Lots of peppery spice ending with quite a tannin dryness.

Overall: A great dram with some finely balanced spice and fruitiness.
Available to buy from these Merchants:-

Tasting Notes – The Dalmore King Alexander III (40%)

Matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, before being transferred into a combination of ex-bourbon casks Matusalem oloroso sherry casks, Madeira barrels, Marsala casks, Port pipes and Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques.

Nose: Slow to give of it’s secrets this one – it demands patience! Plasticine & old school rooms. Along comes caramel, orange and chocolate but not so pronounced as the other drams. There’s a little bit of mint bit and nice tropical aromas after quite a sit in the glass.

Palate: Orange, rich fruits, creamy chocolate, tropical flavours and some mintiness as well!

Finish: Glorious tempered spice which gives way to some woodiness and shades of liquorice.

Overall: That’s very smooth – not even a hint of harshness! It’s not a cheap dram but it is like a luxury car: beautifully balanced, comfortable, relaxing and you never want the journey to end!

Available to buy from these Merchants:-

My Favourite On The Night

Even though the King Alexander III is superb, out of the four drams, I think it’s got to be the The Dalmore Sherry Cask Select. It’s incredibly tasty and taking price-point in consideration as well, the best all-rounder on the night.

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and The Dalmore (@DalmoreWhisky) for providing the samples and without whom!

The Dalmore Sherry Cask Select is Available from October!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @MaltMusings @whiskeychap @TheWhiskyNovice @rodbodtoo @ReviewsWhisky @2rumheads @whiskyrover @dvdbloke @WhiskyWings @StillSurreal @WhiskynStuff @MrMDMaloney @PoshScotch @DramofWar @somewhiskybloke @SplashyWine @PhilScott101 @Jotterface @FiShoop @SpiritAndWood @JasonGilluley @LeedsWine @AK_The_Great @bogstandarddram @dram_gazette @LaCaveDeCobalt

The Exceptional Tweet Tasting – The Drams That Live Up To Their Name!

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The Exceptionals!

The Exceptionals!

The Exceptional is a series of small batch Scotch whiskies created by Don Sutcliffe, Managing Director of Craft Distillers.

These are the drams that we had the pleasure of sampling during Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting (once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire.)

The malts sampled were:-

  • The Exceptional Grain
  • The Exceptional Malt
  • The Exceptional Blend

We strive for nuance and complexity. Alcohol as structure, not primary.
– Don Sutcliffe: Managing Director of Craft Distillers

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 #TheExceptional on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – The Exceptional Grain (43%)

The Exceptional Grain is a blend comprising whiskies from North British, Loch Lomond, Strathclyde Cameronbridge & Carsebridge distilleries. Finished in first-fill sherry casks. It also includes 33YO Carsebtidge, 32YO Cameronbridge, 21YO Strathclyde and 12YO North British.

Priced at £82.58

Nose: Quite punchy! Sweet, vanilla and caramel. Getting a little hint of aniseed, mixed in with apples and Exceptionally sweet!

Palate: Smooth, icing sugaryness and tropical fruits with a fruity spicy cake mixture.

Finish: Quite fiery, fiesty pepper held in check by the creamy sweetness. Got a little bit of Port there at the end as well …

Overall: Exuding classiness with every drop, these are seriously quality-strewn drams!

Tasting Notes – The Exceptional Malt (43%)

The Exceptional Malt is a blend of malts from Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport, Speyside & Macallan.

It also includes: 22YO Auchroisk, 21YO Glenallachie, 14YO Westport, 13YO Speyside and 30YO Macallan. Finished in first-fill sherry casks.

Priced at £82.58

Nose: Caramel fudge with cream – very rich! Green apples, marzipan, buttery – not getting any spiciness at all.

Palate: Lovely, rich tropical sweetness with a punchy after spice.

Finish: Smooth, sweet finish with a slight dryness – no real spiciness to behold on the finish though.

Overall: this … is … a … nice … dram …

Tasting Notes – The Exceptional Blend (43%)

The Exceptional Blend is a blend of grain whiskies including a 33YO from Cameron Bridge and malts from Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie & Macallan.

The blend proportion is approx. 60% Grain / 40% Malt using the same Whiskies as in their other whiskies but in slightly different proportions.

The Exceptional Blend is then finished in first-fill sherry casks.

Priced at £82.58

Nose: Bit of a combo of the last two but even more intense: sweetness, vanilla, caramel and very fresh green apples. Aromas of sugared almonds. Getting the grain – as other Twitter peeps said – much more pronounced in this dram.

Palate: Rich, smooth, spicy sweetness.

Finish: Lovely, long, strong, sweet finish with a healthy, tongue tizzeling bit of spice to send it on it’s way!

Overall: They weren’t wrong when they named these gems …

My Favourite On The Night

My Favourite On The Night: The Malt, closely followed by The Blend – exceptionally good drams that make you appreciate having taste buds! The flavours in all three are rich and intense and really highlight the selection of classy mature malts that are used in the blending of these drams.

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

And of course, The Exceptional (@TEWhisky), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TEWhisky @TheWhiskyWire @TweetTastings @TomsWhisky @Whi5kyGeek @jesslionsmane @DistilleryBikes @kizzsmyth @MaltMad @dvdbloke @SoundOfWhisky @dnisbet250 @WhiskyApocalyps @SanjieB @brawspirit @RealDramRob @godsofgoodison @WhiskyManc @bourgeoisbooze @allthingsbooze @ocdwhisky @whiskyfreak123 @rodbodtoo @Whiskyflasken @Girl_Whisky @LoveBowmore

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

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:-

Twitter Tasting Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old!

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Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old

Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old

The last Twitter Tasting before Christmas (for me at least) gave us Drammy Tweeters the chance to sample the Jack Ryan Beggars Bush 12 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey.

Steve from The Whisky Wire guided us through the proceedings and 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 #JackRyanWhiskey on Twitter.

It’s been over 100 years since the Ryan family started their association with Whiskey. It was back in 1913 that the ‘Beggars Bush’ Pub was purchased on Haddington Road, Dublin by Thomas Ryan, Jack Ryans Father.

Thomas would buy Whiskey and finish it in Bourbon, Sherry and sometimes Port casks. His techniques were perfected overtime and further refined by his son Jack, buying malts from the Dublin Whiskey Distillery. This continued until the demise of Ireland’s independant distilleries, mainly through loss of sales due to prohibition in the USA.

To celebrate 100 years, their 12 Year Old has been reproduced using their traditional family methods and this dedication was rewarded when their 12 Year Old won the Irish Whiskey Awards 2014 Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey in the 12 years and younger category.

In addition to a limited edition Cask Strength 12 Year Old variant (bottled at 56.5%) @JackRyansIrish has just released Jack Ryan Centenary 15 Year Old, released by the family to mark the centenary of the birth of Jack Ryan.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old (46%)

Matured in ex-Bourbon barrels hand picked by the family themselves with no chill filtration.

Nose: Nice and oaky with some sweet vanilla. Fruity, green apples et al. There’s some tasty spice in there as well – very inviting!

Palate: Lush tropical fruits including pineapple and melon, slightly syrupy with a hint of vanilla! Hint of grapefruit and citrus giving it some bite.

Finish: A touch of aniseed mixed with the pineapple, spicy, peppery, lemon to finish. Quite punchy with a morish dryness that balances the sweetness off nicely!

Overall: Lovely dram and at a good strength too – a Xmas sipper for sure!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the team at Jack Ryan Whiskey (@JackRyansIrish) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@MaltMad @WhiskyMattY @whiskyfreak123 @TheWhiskyKiwi @WhiskyCorner @WhiskyDiscovery @bobsta1975 @msykesjones @tomlavin1 @RLemkin @whiskytube @brawspirit @cache1337 @NeilMacKinnon1 @julie_gwc @TheWhiskyphiles @CoupleODrams @steveprentice @B_R_74 @rodbodtoo @stepheny7168 @WonderingWhisky @WhiskyFriends @WhiskySpeller

Jack Ryan Whiskey is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Teeling “Revival” Twitter Tasting – A Glorious Taste Of Two Halves!

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“The Revival” - limited to only 10,000 bottles!

“The Revival” – limited to only 10,000 bottles!

The Teeling “Revival” Twitter Tasting made a gloomy Monday a lot brighter this week as Steve from The Whisky Wire took us through another new release, this time from the well renowned Teeling Whiskey Distillery.

The Teeling “Revival” is a commemorative bottling to mark the opening of its new distillery in Dublin. Released as a limited edition 15 Year Old Single Malt, it marks the opening of their new distillery, the first in Dublin for over 125 years.

The Revival 15 Year Old Single Malt Irish whiskey was distilled in 1999, being matured exclusively in ex-Rum casks and bottled at 46% with no chill filtration to create a unique Irish whiskey taste experience.

This new release is part of an updated Teeling Vintage Reserve Collection which is made up of small, limited batch releases of very old and rare Irish Single Malt whiskeys.

There will be three different bottlings ranging in age and price points. The Revival being the first followed by a 24 and 33 year old bottling of Irish Single Malt whiskey.

The opening of our new distillery was a major milestone in the history of Teeling Whiskey. It took three years of planning, hard work and significant capital investment, but now Teeling Whiskey is finally home.
– Jack Teeling: Teeling Whiskey Company founder

The Revival 15 Year Old is limited to only 10,000 bottles and will retail for around £85.00.

Available in Ireland through the Teeling Distillery Gift Shop in Newmarket Dublin 8, Dublin Airport and the Celtic Whiskey Stop, it will then be rolled out to international markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Australia.

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 #TeelingWhiskey on Twitter.

Here are my thoughts …

Tasting Notes – Teeling ‘The Revival’ 15 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey (46%)

Nose: Some nice woody notes right there at the beginning, then green apples, a touch of vanilla and caramel with sugary tropical fruits – all very inviting! Cereal notes come thru right at the end.

Palate: Rich, sweet, tropical fruits: pineapple, mango et al. Serious bit of pepper & spice there also: warming my cockles etc!

Finish: Grapefruit mixed in with vanilla and syrup – all yummy! ‘Tis a short finish but a hot n’ spicy, peppery one – with a touch of fruity sweetness to cool the journey 🙂

Overall: A dram of two distinct halves: So sweet with a little spice that gives way to very spicy tempered with some sweetness.

A very pleasant way to spoil one’s tastebuds on a Monday eve!

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@GreatDrams @WhiskyQuarterly @DrinksEnthusist @Andrews_Share @MaltActivist @AmateurDrammer @kaskwhisky @mynameisgone @MaltBox @Nickolls_Perks @whiskytube @whiskyrepublic @tomlavin1 @blucey26 @MaltKlaus @Pandemoniumd01 @julianmaechler @WonderingWhisky @MrSingleMalt @Macdeffe @WhiskySpeller @WhiskyFriends @LaCaveDeCobalt

Teeling is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Highland Park Tweet Tasting – It Was A Dark & Smoky Night!

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An impressive selection of samples and tasting equipment!

An impressive selection of samples and tasting equipment!

Highland Park pulled all the stops out last night with their varied and flavoursome Tweet Tasting, once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire.

The Smoky Old Fashioned Cocktail Kit

The Smoky Old Fashioned Cocktail Kit

Apart from three generous whisky samples and a cocktail kit they also supplied us with a nosing glass and a tumbler. Suffice to say, we all felt very spoilt and looked after!

The drinks sampled were:-

  • Highland Park Dark Origins
  • Highland Park Smoky Old Fashioned Cocktail
  • Highland Park 18 Year Old

Highland Park’s smoky twist on the classic Old Fashioned Cocktail (courtesy of the people from carryoncocktailkit) went down a storm even though some of the tweeters, myself included, failed to get to grips with all the subtleties of the cocktail preparation!

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 #HighlandPark on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Highland Park Dark Origins (46.8%)

A new core bottling celebrating the early days of Magnus Eunson’s illicit distilling on Orkney. His antics predated the distillery which wasn’t founded until 1798. Magnus worked as a butcher and church official by day, smuggler by night!

To honour Magnus Highland Park created a whisky with a suitably ‘dark’ character. Using 80% first-fill Sherry casks (20% refill) – 60% are first-fill European oak, with 20% being first-fill American oak.


Nose: Sweet with a slight hint of smoke, little bit of orange. Sherryness comes thru after a while mixed with saltiness then later on rich fruit which is a joy!

Palate: Sweeter than I expected with a pronounced blackcurrantness! Smoke n’ sweet and spicy – quite the mouthful! A lot more of the smokiness with the sherry I got with the nose taking a bit of a backseat – not complaining tho!

Finish: Spicy, sweet chocolate giving way to a little dry pepperyness.

Overall: A uniquely tasty blend of dark and light from HP. Light sherry & blackcurrant, dark smoke & spice – I think Magnus would have been pleased – but not about the tax we have to pay on it!

Tasting Notes – Highland Park Smoky Old Fashioned Cocktail

This cocktail consisted of a generous measure of Highland Park Dark Origins, sugar, aromatic bitters and twists of orange and lemon, all poured over ice.

I managed to get there in the end but I did make the mistake of adding the alcohol to the sugar first when I should have added the bitters to the sugar first. Sugar doesn’t dissolve easily in alcohol!

Still, anticipation makes the taste buds grow fonder as they say!

Overall: A lovely, orangey, Xmassy cocktail! A tasty blend of sweet n’ bitter with sweet oranges and clove flavours pushing thru that Dark Origins smokey haze!

Tasting Notes – Highland Park 18 Year Old (43%)

A classic dram featuring in most peoples lists of classic drams, Highland Park 18 was named Best Spirit in the World in F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal in 2005 & 2009. It was also the winner of a Gold Medal at the 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and earned a Liquid Gold Award from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2014.

Nose: Briney, sugary sweet with a hint of tropical fruit. There’s honey syrup, caramel and apples.

Palate: Very smooth with flavours of mango and passion fruit – glorious! I get very little smoke though – it’s all tropical sunshine & palm trees!

Finish: Quite dry at the end with some peat (there you are!) but the sweetness keeps right on truckin’!

Overall: A dram for your bucket list and it doesn’t dissappoint!

My Favourite On The Night

Well it has to be the Highland Park 18 Year Old – class in a bottle! Dark Origins wasn’t that far behind and if you get the chance – try the cocktail – it’s the business as a Christmas drink!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the team at Highland Park (@HighlandPark) for sending such an impressive selection of samples and tasting equipment.

All in all, a fantastic, Dark & Smoky night!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @mixxit_wayne @Whisky_Magazine @WhiskyCorner @BeersIveKnown @AlpacaJo @TheWhiskyKiwi @Jamie_Rowley @WhiskyDiscovery @cache1337 @ivyeatsagain @WhiskyWingman @Jassys1961 @MaltActivist @kizzsmyth @Andrews_Share @jdpjamesp @JoeFHolmes @msykesjones @TheFinestCut @RumDiariesBlog @jpbglover11 @julie_gwc @CoupleODrams @whiskyshepherd

Highland Park is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Crown Royal ‘Deluxe’ Tweet Tasting!

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The Crown Royal Canadian Blended whisky in it's natty purple overtones!

The Crown Royal Canadian Blended whisky resplendant in it’s natty purple overtones!

Monday nights Tweet Tasting focused on the latest release from Canada’s Crown Royal blended whisky.

The Tweet Tasting, presided over by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample their latest official UK launch: Deluxe.

Crown Royal blended Canadian Whisky was first created as a gift for our King George VI and Queen Elizabeth when they visited Canada back in 1939. It is a blend of 50 full-bodied Canadian whiskies matured in white oak barrels, one of which is their very own Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel Canadian Whisky.

After being distilled using a Coffey Still, the maturing barrels experience extreme temperature swings (-30°C is not uncommon), causing the wood to expand and contract with the changes in temperature, which slowly adds to the developing character.

Huge in America, it is the no. 1 selling premium Canadian whisky there.

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 #CrownRoyal on Twitter.

Tasting Notes – Crown Royal Deluxe (40%)

Nose: Very sweet with slight woody overtones. There’s rich tropical fruits, pineapple etc. a la Lilt. Fresh green apples, maple syrup and vanilla.

Palate: Syrupy sweet & tropically fruity! As per nose: tropical fruits, pineapple etc., fresh green apples, maple syrup and vanilla.
‘Tis very smooth and creamy with lots of vanilla & a barely discernable trace of spiceiness. Quite a thick mouthfeel – almost like a liquor!

Finish: Slight increase in pepperyness but overall a fruity, vanilla finale!

Overall: Basically, The Crown Royal delivers exactly what it promises on the nose – quite a rare thing in my experience. I can see why it is the No.1 in America – they do like their sweetness!
A very nice dram, enjoyable & very morish – my first Canadian so to speak but hopefully not my last! But not one for the sweet averse!

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

And of course, Crown Royal (@CrownRoyal), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TheWhiskyBoys @ben_cops @mynameisgone @raithrover @kaskwhisky @dvdbloke @mnshanbhag @cache1337 @AdvInWhiskyland @MikeJack1976 @KatharineSully @WhiskyMattY @ocdwhisky @TheWhiskyKiwi @rodbodtoo @AlpacaJo @kizzsmyth @WhiskyCorner @julie_gwc @msykesjones @JoeFHolmes @pimpleandblotch

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

Benromach Tweet Tasting: 4 Drams That Will Suit Everyone!

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Benromachs 4 Expressions!

Benromachs 4 Expressions!

Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample an incredibly diverese range of drams from the Benromach distillery.

Benromach is a Speyside distillery founded by Duncan McCallum and F.W. Brickman in 1898 and currently owned and run by Gordon and Macphail who took over the distillery in 1993. Following a painstaking restoration, it was re-opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.

Since then sales of the classic Speyside malt have grown dramatically and Benromach is now exported to 42 countries around the world.

In 2013 a third distiller was recruited and additional warehouses were added to allow production to be expanded.

April 2014 saw a new look for the flagship Benromach 10 Years Old, reflecting its pre-1960s character and the fact that each cask is hand-filled, hand-weighed and hand-stamped.

On the night the malts sampled were:-

  • Benromach 10 Year Old
  • Benromach 100° Proof
  • Benromach Organic
  • Benromach Peat Smoke

If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say (and there was quite a few of them!) you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #BenromachTT on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Benromach 10 Year Old ( 43% )

A pale amber colour for this 10YO – 80% Bourbon barrels, 20% Sherry hogshead. Final year in first fill Oloroso casks.
Nose: Heathery, slightly smokey, peaty with whiffs of sweetness and a lovely caramel. Giving way to stewed fruits, sultanas and vanilla and finally getting basil. A joy to nose!

Palate: Sweet xmas cake mixture, grapefruit and a whiff of smoke pushing thru the sherriness. Quite a raw beast this one …

Finish: Very fiery and peppery with a dry tanin aftertaste – long!

Overall: “Fiesty one you are!” comes to mind with the 10YO. A very drinkable dram.

Tasting Notes – Benromach 100° Proof ( 57% )

This whisky is rich sherry colour and has been bottled without chillfiltering.

Named after the old Imperial measure which followed a tradition established when skeptical sailors, who wanted to ensure their rum rations had not been watered down mixed spirit with gunpowder. If the mixture ignited, its strength was “proved”!
Nose: Sweet sherry frutiness. Apples and a sweet sugary something … rum! Dark chocolate and demerara for sure in there. Is this a wolf in sheeps clothing?

Palate: WoW! That tongue texture of pure spirit! Rich, sweet rich fruit cake, sherry and spiciness.

Finish: Very smooth finish, lovely muted pepperyness peat and smokiness blends together well.

Overall: In spite of it’s 57% ABV, this is a lovely dram to nose, sip and savour. Excellent dramming to be had here. Most people on the night panged for a roaring open fire to sip this by!

Tasting Notes – Benromach Organic ( 43% )

Matured in virgin oak casks giving this dram a pale amber colour.

Certified Organic from start to finish and meeting rigorous UK Soil Association standards for growing the ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling. Unique on launch in 2006, it is still very rare today.
Nose: Strongly coconut with apples and oranges. Very fresh and ‘new’. There’s hints of chinese tea in there as well.

Palate: Sugary pears, pineapple and coconut, sherbert sweetness with fruity pleasures – so different from the 100!

Finish: A short finish – sweet to the end – maybe a slight hint of grapefruit. It gets quite zingy on the tongue though – almost citric acidy.

Overall: The freshness of the virgin oak casks gives this dram a vitality and youthfullness that’s unique. Soft, fruity flavours abound giving this malt a lightness that few other drams can achieve.

Tasting Notes – Benromach Peat Smoke ( 46% )

Matured in first fill oak Bourbon barrels and a pale straw like colour. The finest Scottish barley is malted with high levels of peat smoke at 67ppm (the phenol level.)


Nose: Smell that peat – heaven! Rich peat topped with smokiness and sea spray – take me to the smokery! Interstingly theres a hint of olives in there as well.

Palate: Lovely smooth, earthy peat, BBQ & smoke with a little smooth citrus.

Finish: Peppery, smokey finish coupled with smooth fruit.

Overall: Not as overpowering as you’d think in the peat department. Just very nicely done! A lovely dram.

My Favourite On The Night

My Favourite On The Night: Benromach 100 Proof – just an awesome dram – amazingly low price point as well!

It was Very closely followed by the Peat Smoke. I love a peat dram so it was a slightly painful decision to put the 100 before it but it just goes to show how good the 100 is!

Four different drams, four completely different tastes. An amazing feat and one which should ensure that there’s a Benromach to suit everyones palate!

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

And of course, the team at Benromach, for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-

@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyWardrobe @WhiskySpeller @LaCaveDeCobalt @WhiskyFriends @MrSingleMalt @wernerswhisky @MashtunandMeow @Sherry_Ben @WhiskyCorner @raithrover @JohnnieStumbler @whiskyrepublic @julie_gwc @GeorgeHHutton @AlpacaJo @whiskytube @warburton81 @TheWhiskyKiwi @BeersIveKnown @annawizauk @Jamie_Rowley @dvdbloke @mynameisgone @Smokiechops @sjjgo @Andrew1McCallum @cenbons @msykesjones

Benromach is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Ballantine’s Tweet Tasting: Five Classic Blends To ‘Stay True’ Too!

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Stay True To Ballantine's Whisky Range

Stay True To Ballantine’s Whisky Range

Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample one of the worlds powerhouse whisky blends in terms of global sales and awareness.

I’m talking, of course, about Ballantine’s which is the No.1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the No. 2 Scotch whisky in the world with their range selling over 70 million bottles a year worldwide.

Winners of more than 130 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years, Ballantine’s is known for its outstanding quality, unique richness of character and perfect balance.

The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, continuing the brand’s tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

We were particularly honoured to have Sandy tasting along with us tweeters on the night which makes a special event even more special – after all, it’s always great to get the facts straight from the Head Drammers mouth!

Their was a fantastic selection of five whiskies being sampled on the night and they were:-

  • Ballantines Finest
  • Ballantines 12 Year Old
  • Ballantines 17 Year Old
  • Ballantines 21 Year Old
  • Ballantines 30 Year Old

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 #BallantinesTT on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Ballantines Finest ( 40% )

Ballantine’s Finest is the oldest recipe in the current range, created in 1910 by the Ballantine’s family.

There are more than 40 malts & grains in this blend (with particular emphasis on Miltonduff and Glenburgie), carefully selected from 4 different iconic Scottish regions and matured in American Oak Barrels.

Ballantines Finest was Jim Murray’s No Age Statement Blend of the Year with a whopping 96 points!
Nose: Sweet vanilla & toffee – fruity and slightly woody with a bit of yummy spice!

Palate: Sweet fruits & honey with vanilla! Apples and a little grapefruit.

Finish: Warming and spicy with a long caramel backtaste.

Overall: A really nice blended whisky this, made even more remarkable by the retail price – amazing value for money!

Tasting Notes – Ballantines 12 Year Old ( 40% )

Ballantines 12 Year Old has won 26 medals in the world’s top spirits awards over the last 10 years.

The signature malts within the blend are Glenburgie & Miltonduff and the malt and grain whiskies used to create this 12YO are predominantly aged in American oak casks.
Nose: Subtle nose – vanilla & promises of something sweet … maybe icing sugar. Apple and oakyness come thru a little later but you have to be patient!

Palate: Sweet pear and creamy toffee, quite thin and light in the mouth.

Finish: A short finish with a nice spice and vanilla combination going well together.

Overall: Ballantine’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop said this was his favourite blend of the range and I can see why – fantastic, all round flavours at an incredible price!

Tasting Notes – Ballantines 17 Year Old ( 43% )

This was Jim Murray’s Scotch Blend of the Year for 2010!

Every cask of Ballantine’s 17 is nosed before it’s emptied to be blended. Nothing is left to chance.


Nose: Faintly smokey with a lovely fruit hit!

Palate: Powerfully sweet with hints of stewed fruit – very smooth & luxurious – creamy even.

Finish: Tempered ginger spice, slight tanin – maximum yummy! 🙂

Overall: The stronger smoke adds something very special to the 17YO. Coupled with the smooth sweetness and you’ve got a very drinkable dram!

Tasting Notes – Ballantines 21 Year Old ( 40% )

The 21 Year Old has a higher proportion of whiskies matured in European oak casks compared to the rest of the range.


Nose: Rich, with a stronger woodiness to it – sweet n’ fruity with little whiffs of smoke.

Palate: Generous mouth feel, caramelised fruits, salty and a delicate taste of liquorice – lovely!

Finish: Satisfyingly long spicy finish with a gorgeous sweet n’ peppery finale!

Overall: The 21YO is a robust dram that’s got some serious Oomph! Very sure of itself and it has every right to be – it delivers!

Tasting Notes – Ballantines 30 Year Old ( 43% )

The very first batch of the Ballantine’s 30 was sold in 1930, so the stock was first laid down in 1900.

It won a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge and Jim Murray gave it 92 points.

Some of the whiskies are incredibly rare, from distilleries that are no longer in existence, Dalmunach and Dumbarton being two of them.

When asked to sum the 30YO up in five words, Sandy replied: “Fruity. Sweet. Voluptuous. Velvety. Balanced. That’s my taste of Ballantine’s 30yr old.”

He also added that for every Ballantine’s 30 yr old they sell, they lose 2 bottles to the angels. Eeek!
Nose: Fantastic pear – I can almost feel the grainy pear-ness! Mint, vanilla, banana, spice – all sorts of mature goodiness! A little bit of woodyness is in there as well.

Palate: Smooth, so smooth. Lovely sumptuous flavours of apricot & mango! Rich, sherry sweetness.

Finish: Smooth, mature, fruity sweetness and tempered spiciness that goes on and on in a glorious fashion!

Overall: A big hit wth the tweeters on the night and it’s not surprising – this is an exceptional dram that really shows the breadth of maturity that this fine blended whisky range can attain.

My Favourite On The Night

Well that has to be the Ballantines 30 Year Old – a standard defining blended whisky with a superior taste!

I was also well impressed with the 17YO – especially if the wallet is complaining – which it usually is!

Last, but certainly not least, I shall certainly be adding the 12YO to my drinks cabinet – a lovely ‘daily’ dram – and at such a fantastic price point!

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

And of course, @Ballantines, without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-

@TheWhiskyWire @EdinburghWhisky @TheWhiskyBoys @WhiskyWardrobe @Girl_Whisky @DrinksEnthusist @LRWhisky @TonyWTC @Whisky_Magazine @whiskyjunkie @OliverKlimek @champdenwhite @MCRWhiskyClub @Whisky_Belfast @SWWIG @WhiskyCorner @ben_cops @winepaper_fr @Thibaut_Octave @luxsure

Ballantines is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Whisky Sampling: The Aberlour Tweet Tastings!

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The five Aberlour malts!

The five Aberlour malts!

The Aberlour Tweet Tasting has been and is now, sadly, gone!

It took place on the evening of December 2nd (although some people were sampling in the middle of the afternoon because of the time-zones!)

The malts sampled were:-

  • Aberlour 12 Year Old Double Cask Matured
  • Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured
  • Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 45
  • Aberlour 18 Year Old
  • Aberlour 12 Year Old Non Chill Filtered

If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say (and there was quite a few of them!) you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #AberlourTT on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Aberlour 12 Year Old Double Cask Matured (40%)

The 12 year-old expression takes Aberlour’s raw spirit and deftly softens it through double cask maturation.

Traditional oak and seasoned Sherry butts are both used and the mellowed spirits are combined to deliver a subtly balanced flavour.

Nose: Sweet, citrus, hint of apple. Aromas of banoffee pie!

Palate: Luscious raisins mixed with spice. Light feel on the palate. Chocolatey and not too much sherry.

Finish: Nice long spice finish with a bit of sweetness! Quite a fiery finish at the very end.

Overall: Some debate was given over to the fact that this was a 40% bottling as opposed to the previous 43%. But my opinion was it mattered little, it was still a nice dram and the 3% was not missed!

Tasting Notes – Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured (43%)

The 16 year Aberlour in a combination of first fill oak Bourbon casks and the finest Sherry butts.

Nose: Raisins with a well tempered spiciness.

Palate: Light on the palate with sweet Xmas raisins – Yum! Chocolate cream.

Finish: A lot less spice on the 16YO finish which surprises me after the 12YO. Tobacco taste at the end.

Overall: A great, well balanced malt. Perfect for those who prefer less spiciness.

Tasting Notes – Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 45 (60.2%)

Carefully made by hand, Aberlour A’bunadh is a unique cask strength whisky which has achieved cult status among whisky connoisseurs.

A’bunadh means ‘the original’ in Gaelic and is made in homage to Aberlour’s founder, James Fleming, using only traditional methods without chill filtration or other modern processes.

Nose: Lovely sherry aromas mixed with rum and orange – almost like Cointreau! And a hefty alcohol hit!

Palate: Sweet, thick on the palate, rich Xmas cake!

Finish: Fantastic spice but not too over the top. Short tannin finish with exploding spiciness!

Overall: The 60% alcohol is remarkably un-bruising! An amazing malt!

Tasting Notes – Aberlour 18 Year Old (43%)

Matured in the highest quality casks, where it develops deep Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry flavours, this is the richest and most indulgent Aberlour expression.

Nose: Wood notes, rich toffee.

Palate: Light fruits and sweet – not as rich as A’bunadh.

Finish: Very short finish with muted spice.

Overall: Attractive sherried flavour throughout, very smooth!

Tasting Notes – Aberlour 12 Year Old Non Chill Filtered (48%)

A bit of a mystery malt here!

Apparently the Aberlour 12 Year Old Non Chill Filtered has gone down a storm in the States when it was sampled there a few weeks ago.

Some of the tweeters thought that we should be able to stand a bit of cloudiness in our malts now (because of the abscence of chill filtering) and we should embark on an education program to convince the buying public!

Nose: Vanilla, slight caramel, bit of chocolate in there.

Palate: Tasty sherry n’ spice, hints of wood and rich fruits and pepper!

Finish: Smooth, short finish, pleasantly spicy aftertaste.

Overall: I think this would make a very popular addition to the Aberlour range. Very morish!

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 5, I think it’s got to be the Aberlour A’bunadh.

An absolute powerhouse of a malt that provides a complete taste sensation while being a gentle giant (belying the whopping 60.2% that it delivers.)

And to top it all, it comes in at a fantastic price!

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

ABERLOUR is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

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