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Sampling Five Whiskies From The Glasgow Distillery – Which One Would You Choose? – “ALL Of Them” Is A Great Answer!

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The five drams!

Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample the drams from The Glasgow Distillery!

The Whiskies sampled were:-

  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Cognac Cask Finish
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 The Original Cask Strength
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Peated Cask Strength
  • Glasgow Distillery 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

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 #GlasgowDistillery on X (Twitter)

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and my favourites on the night!

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Cognac Cask Finish (52%)

A Small Batch Series release of their Triple Distilled (unpeated) single malt.

This release has been finished in Cognac Casks for two years and six months and bottled at 52% ABV.


Nose: Very citrusy with some lovely orange going on! Then it morphs into toffee, apple and pears with a little vanilla and elderflower to top it all off.

Palate: Cane sweetness with citrus fruits, toffee and a tannin finish, growing in pepper and really quite a strong dryness at the end.

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 The Original Cask Strength (61.3%)


A double distilled unpeated single malt.

The Original is presented at a natural cask strength of 61.3%.

This year they have taken three casks from their latest Signature Range bottling (46%) and married them together and have bottled the results without reducing the strength.

This is an unadulterated insight into their Original expression, their first distillery style and the whisky that started it all.

Three years in first fill ex-bourbon casks and ten months in virgin American white oak from Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky.


Nose: A shy nose to this one …. slightly woody with some sugariness that mellows into fruity toffee, buttery with some orange – a fine nose but it makes you work for it!

Palate: Punchy, creamy, fruity palate with cane sugar, toffee apples and bags of spice with a little liquorice. Nothing shy about this palate – Everything seems to be turned up to 11!

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish (58%)


An unpeated double distilled single malt (a limited edition ‘Small Batch Series’ version of The Original) that has been matured in an Innis & Gunn Golden Beer Cask.

This beer cask was actually a Pedro Ximénez sherry cask that held Innis and Gunn’s Golden Beer for 3 months before they bottled that beer (as a Innis & Gunn PX finish limited edition beer) and they then filled it with their whisky that had already been matured in a first fill ex-bourbon cask for a little over three years.


Nose: Creamy and nutty with mildly caramel aromas and some sweet apple pastry.

Palate: Creamy sweet coffee with apple pastries, spicy with sweetened fruits that’s very attractive indeed.

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 #GlasgowDistillery on X (Twitter)!

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Peated Cask Strength (60.8%)

Their Glasgow 1770 Peated expression is bottled at cask strength 60.8% ABV.

Their first ever batch of Peated Cask Strength, this has been matured in virgin American white oak for three years and three months and then finished in PX sherry casks for eleven months.

Made with a 50ppm malt from the highlands, this is a big hitting smoky number that showcases the power and might of the peated whisky they make in the distillery.


Nose: This dram looks more like a sherried dram – certainly doesn’t nose like one though!
Pure smokehouse aromas with sweet peat and savoury snacks! Slightly coastal with some BBQ sauce, chocolate and light apple.

Palate: The nose promised and the palate delivered!
Basically smokey embers, sweet peat, liquorice, some chocolate, plums and antiseptic.

Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish (53.4%)


A peated single malt finished in Tokaji casks. Their peated spirit initially matured in virgin American white oak for two years and eight months before finishing in these rich and funky Hungarian Tokaji wine casks for a further two years and eight months.

Presented at 53.4%, they have experimented with Tokaji in the past and have loved the influence on their whiskies, this is their first release of a peated whisky finished in Tokaji.


Nose: A sweeter nose than the previous dram with some added syrupy, stewed fruits for good measure. Light smoke and a little menthol with sweet, creamy orange – certainly not your classic peated nose!

Palate: There’s more smoke in the palate with burning embers and BBQ sauce but in addition it’s creamy, chocolatey and fruity with a back taste of Germolene.
Very much a different type of peated whisky – which is refreshing!

My Favourite On The Night


1. 1770 Peated Cask Strength
2. 1770 The Original Cask Strength
3. 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

Not that I could fault any of them really!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Glasgow Distillery (@GlasgowDC) for sending the samples and without whom!

Glasgow Distillery Whiskies are available to buy from these Merchants:-

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyWings @steveprentice @Sake_Baku @neatdrams @ForTheDram @1_womans_whisky @sprungatom @RealDramRob @JoeFHolmes @whiskyodyssey @WhiskyResource @Jotterface @whiskeychap @MaltMusings @TheWhiskyNovice @MashtunandMeow @LeaskPatrick @FiShoop @GascoyneNick @WhiskyWizard31 @WhiskyAlly @ManyMilesWhisky @BillyCowan

Sampling Brave New Spirits ‘Cask Noir’ Lineup – Four New Whiskies That Are Already “Classics”!

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The Brave New Spirits ‘Cask Noir’ Lineup!

Brave New Spirits who recently featured on a @TweetTastings have announced that they are releasing the four whiskies showcased in the sampling!

Their distributor is Milroy’s, so they should be on their website (and others) very soon!

On the night Steve from The Whisky Wire gave us the opportunity to sample:-

  • Dailuaine 11 Years Old: The Rise of The Badger Clan
  • Macduff 10 Years Old: Thane of Fife
  • Port Dundas 16 Years Old: Ghost of the Canal
  • Old Rhosdhu (Loch Lomond) 28 Years Old: Bonnie Banks and the Call of the Past

Each release in the NEW Cask Noir Editions series takes its inspiration from classic movies and novels from a bygone era, along with giving a nod to the distillery in question.

From thrilling and adventurous, to dark, romantic and mysterious, these whiskies are said to embark on a journey of discovery, into an exceptional world of exotic flavours and interesting & unusual casks.

Cask Noir Editions range is comprised for the most part of single cask bottlings – mainly single malt whisky, with occasional single grain releases. All bottled a cask strength, with no added colour and no chill-filtration.

So, if you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say on the night you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #CaskNoir on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Brave New Spirits Dailuaine 11 Years Old: The Rise of The Badger Clan (50.9%)


Cask Noir Editions
Dailuaine 11 Year Old
‘The Rise of The Badger Clan’
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50.9%
Casks: First-fill Bourbon hogshead
RRP: £62.95

The Cask Noir Dailuaine 11 Year Old, has been named ‘The Rise of The Badger Clan’ The collective term for a group of badgers, of which feature on distillery bottles of Dailuaine.

Nose: Very creamy banana! Butterscotch, vanilla, apples – quite a combo! Later I got a huge hit of cider as well as beer that’s lost it’s fizz!

Palate: Quite oily and dry with some vanilla ice cream and serious black pepper!

Finish: Creamy fudge but that spiciness is quite breathtaking!

Tasting Notes – Brave New Spirits Macduff 10 Years Old: Thane of Fife (56.2%)


Brave New Spirits
Cask Noir Editions
Macduff 10 Year Old
‘Thane of Fife’
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 56.2%
Casks: First-fill PX Sherry hogshead
RRP: £83.85

The Cask Noir Macduff 10 Year Old, has been named ‘Thane of Fife’ which was the title held by Lord Macduff in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Nose: It’s Christmas! Plump fruits and Christmas cake spice with sweet sherry, oranges and apples with creamy toffee.

Palate: Very sweet with christmas cake flavours, sherry, dry wood and a hot spice.

Finish: A delightful dram!

Tasting Notes – Brave New Spirits Port Dundas 16 Years Old: Ghost of the Canal (58%)


Brave New Spirits
Cask Noir Editions
Port Dundas 16 Year Old
‘Ghost of the Canal’
Single Grain Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58%
Casks: First-fill Lafite Wine barrique
RRP: £85.95

The Cask Noir Port Dundas 16 Year Old, has been named ‘Ghost of the Canal’ referring to a lost / dead distillery, which used to sit on the canal bank in Glasgow.

Nose: A quieter nose on this one …. solvent and earthy but it’s really holding it’s cards to it’s chest! After a while there’s fruity red wine and some orange with subtle toffee.

Palate: Sweet sulphur with strong liquorice and heady spice – what an interesting dram!

Finish: Rich, dark chocolate, coffee and creamy biscuit wrapped up in a spiciness that is strong but never overpowering. Who would have thought from such a shy nose?!

Tasting Notes – Brave New Spirits Old Rhosdhu (Loch Lomond) 28 Years Old: Bonnie Banks and the Call of the Past (48.6%)


Brave New Spirits
Cask Noir Editions
Old Rhosdhu (Loch Lomond) 28 Year Old
‘Bonnie Banks and the Call of the Past’
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48.6%
Casks: Bourbon hogshead
RRP: £215.95

The Cask Noir Old Rhosdhu 28 Year Old, has been named ‘Bonnie Banks and the Call of the Past’. Referencing the age and old brand produced at Loch Lomond (1960s to 2000) and Bonnie Banks, a heroine / character, that you might see on future releases.

Nose: Lemon citrus, orange, earthy, dusky old library and salty – and all in a glass! Lots of apple and vanilla come through at a later moment.

Palate: Light and crisp with vanilla fudge, apple and woody spice.

Finish: A fruity pleasure to gladden the taste buds!

My Favourite On The Night


1. Port Dundas 16 Years Old: ‘Ghost of the Canal’
2. Macduff 10 Years Old: ”Thane of Fife

The Port Dundas 16 Years Old is so out-there for me, no real nose but a fantastic palate – I just had to choose it!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Brave New Spirits (@BNS_Whisky) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@WhiskyAlly @FreshPrinceRob @ocdwhisky @MrEdwardMilner @drinkersite @whiskyodyssey @FiShoop @Bearded_Whisky @RealDramRob @LeedsWine @jwbassman_ @B_R_Drams @TomsDram @Nescaphe @WhiskyLee232 @KiltedDrammer @sprungatom @rodbodtoo @DramofWar @Jotterface @WhiskyManc @TheWhiskyWire @AndyatDram @MaltMusings @SpiritAndWood @StillSurreal @TheWhiskyNovice @ingo74 @Sake_Baku

Sampling Offerings From Limestone Branch Distillery On Twitter … And Why I Changed My Mind On Which I Like The Best!

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The Limestone Branch Distillery Lineup!

Last Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample three offerings from Limestone Branch Distillery.

The distillery was first opened in 2011 and was founded by seventh-generation distillers and brothers Stephen and Paul Beam.

The drinks sampled were:-

  • Bowling & Burch Gin
  • Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey
  • Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon

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 #LimestoneBranchDistillery on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Bowling & Burch Gin (48%)


Bowling & Burch Gin
48% ABV
A small batch gin crafted using 19 botanicals
Currently only available in the US
RRP $39.99

Bowling & Burch Gin which takes its name and inspiration from the Beam brothers ancestors, was created by Stephen Beam, and is the result of his green fingers and passion for experimentation.

8 of the 19 botanicals used to produce Bowling & Burch Gin were grown at the distillery; bitter orange, black cherry, honeysuckle, rosemary, lemon grass, lemon verbena, blackberry and coriander.


Nose: Pungent juniper, strong lemon with hints of orange and thyme. In addition, fresh cut cucumber with additional grapefruit gives way to slight waxiness and there’s also some pepper.

Palate: Sweet and very herbal with tasty lemon and orange. Growing pepper and chocolate.

Finish: The juniper and grapefruit storm through later. With tonic it becomes more savoury.

Overall: This is a gin that’s quite something in its neat state!

Tasting Notes – Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey (45%)


Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey
2 Years Old
45% ABV
Finished in Sherry casks
Available from houseofmalt.co.uk for £44.95

Minor Case Straight Rye, was created by Stephen and Paul Beam, whose grandfather (Minor Case) was making whiskey long before prohibition started 100 years ago, and the brothers still use the same recipes and distilling notes today.


Nose: Deep citrus, lovely toffee, spiced fruit cake and mint! Creamy chocolate with some sweet wood.

Palate: Thinnish, fruity mouthfeel with bubble gum, sweet toffee, spicy cake, cinnamon, chocolate and raspberry.

Finish: There’s just enough peppery spice to offset the sweetness and it all goes down rather glowingly!

Overall: Quite a dram for only two years old – seriously fruity!

Tasting Notes – Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon (50%)


Yellowstone Family Recipe
Kentucky Straight Bourbon
6 Years Old
50% ABV
Currently only available in the US
RRP $69.99

Yellowstone Family Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon, is truly a family heirloom, passed down for generations. Stephen Beam, Master Distiller at Limestone Branch Distillery, unearthed the original Yellowstone recipe scribed in a notebook from his grandfather, Guy Beam.

That very same recipe, coupled with the original yeast cloned from Minor Case’s jug, was used to distil Yellowstone Family Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon


Nose: Toasted peanuts, nut brittle, fresh wet wood and apple.

Palate: Ooh! Sweet nuts! Dusky nuts, all things nuts! Plus some caramel, citrus and pineapple to even the score.

Finish: There’s some fiery spice to finish this – watch out!

Overall: Gotta’ love them nuts!

My Favourite On The Night

I originally voted for Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon on the night whereas most tasters chose the Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey. On a subsequent tasting I had to change my mind and agree with them – Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey is quite exceptional considering it’s young age – full of fruit and class!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Limestone Branch Distillery (@ChapmanPoolePR) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @SpiritAndWood @whiskyrover @ForTheDram @whiskyodyssey @sprungatom @WhiskyWings @FiShoop @WhiskyAlly @MaltMusings @ocdwhisky @jwbassman_ @Wadz73 @AndyatDram @TheWhiskyphiles @whiskygraeme @WhiskyWithMolly @Jotterface @rodbodtoo @WhiskyLee232 @TallmanFM @CEVokins @LeedsWine @TipsySassenach

Sampling The Wares Of The Glasgow Distillery: Three Whiskies, Two Rums & A Whole Lot Of Flavour!

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Three whiskies and two rums!

Three whiskies and two rums were the treats we could look forward to with last Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire!

They all hailed from the Glasgow Distillery who also produce blended Whisky, Gin and Vodka!

On the night we sampled:-

  • 1770 Original
  • 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish
  • 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish
  • Banditti Glasgow Spiced Rum
  • Banditti Smoky Rogues Rum

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 #GlasgowDistillery on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – 1770 Original (46%)


Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Casks: Initially matured in first fill-ex Bourbon barrels, before being finished in Virgin oak casks
ABV: 46%
£49.00

Glasgow 1770 The Original is their Flagship unpeated bottling. ItÕs a true representation of the whisky they produce and showcases their production philosophy and dedication to quality.

Nose: Creamy toffee with some apple and pineapple in there for good measure. Spicy wood with hints of chocolate and the spice gets fruitier with the passing of time.

Palate: Fruity cane sweetness with powerful orange, pineapple and toffee.

Finish: A warming spice that grows in pepperiness with grapefruit and some salt coming along at the end.

Overall: A great go-to dram.

Tasting Notes – 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish (58%)


Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Casks: Initially matured in first-fill Bourbon barrels, before being finished in Hungarian Tokaji wine casks
ABV: 58%
£59.00 (Coming Soon)


Nose: Thick caramel and peanut butter with apple, pineapple and shades of clove and jasmine tea. (Thanks to @fishoop for that one!) Creamy strawberries damp wood add up to a very inviting nose!

Palate: Sherbet fruity sweetness with pineapple and creamy strawberries – Yum! Tingling, fizzy spice on the tongue couples with chocolate. The spice is pretty powerfull – I think my mouth is a little numb!

Finish: Woody with again a salty end.

Overall: A really lovely dram with bags of flavour and profile!

Tasting Notes – 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish (56.2%)


Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Casks: First-fill Bourbon, then finished in a PX Sherry cask that held Innis & Gunn Golden Beer for 3 months.
ABV: 56.2%
£59.00 (Coming Soon)


Nose: A bit quieter this one … woody with cream but a very shy dram overall! More beery notes come through later with toffee and some woody overtones.

Palate: A subtle initial palate. Woody with sweet chocolate and there’s some lovely fruit there as well with creamy malt.

Finish: Nutty and very spicy. It’s also a pretty dry finish.

Tasting Notes – Banditti Glasgow Spiced Rum (44%)


Casks: Matured for up to 12 months in oak barrels
ABV: 44% ABV
£25.00

Banditti Club Rum Ð Glasgow Spiced is matured and spiced in Glasgow, made using rum distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice on the Island of Madeira.

Banditti Club takes its name from a company of bold rogues who would meet in GlasgowÕs local public houses; singing, eating and playing music late into the night.

Nose: Ah! Delightful – liquid Christmas cake in a glass! Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and orange! Sweet and minty, herbal menthol (which is a surprise) arrives after a while sat sitting in a glass.

Palate: Not at all rum like: minty, herbal, menthol with lemon!

Finish: Sweet orange and ginger with some peppery spice.

Tasting Notes – Banditti Smoky Rogues Rum (52.2%)


Casks: Initially matured in oak casks, before being finished for 18 months in Glasgow 1770 Peated whisky casks
ABV: 52.2% ABV
£28.00

Launched earlier this month, Banditti Club Rum Ð Smoky Rogues, is a limited-edition, single cask incarnation of their Glasgow Spiced rum, which has been finished in peated whisky casks.

Nose: Musky rooms, cloves and mince pies. Cinnamon, nutmeg follows, similar to the Banditti Glasgow Spiced Rum.

Palate: Quite medicinal with sweet herbs, cloves and menthol.

Finish: The medicinal flavours continue and it’s all wrapped up in a slightly smokey coat!

My Favourites On The Night

1. 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish
2. Banditti Smoky Rogues Rum

A lovely dram with all it’s fruity and spicy goodness and that rum is REALLY different!

Catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say with #GlasgowDistillery on Twitter

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Glasgow Distillery (@GlasgowDC) for sending the samples and without whom!

Whiskies and Rums are available to buy from The Glasgow Distillery

Glasgow Distillery wares are also available to buy from these Merchants:-

Sampling Four Speyside Distillery Whiskies – But Which One Is My ‘Desert Island Dram’?!

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The Four Speyside Distillery Whiskies Sampled!

Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample the wares of The Speyside Distillery; a mid-week savouring of four great drams!

The whiskies sampled were:-

  • Spey Trutina
  • Spey Chairman’s Choice
  • Beinn Dubh
  • Spey Fumare

Production at The Speyside Distillery started in 1990. The distillery took its name from the original distillery of the same name, located in Kingussie, which was operational from around 1895 – 1911.

The distillery is small in comparison with it’s closest neighbours (Dalwhinnie & Tomatin), with a 4.2 ton Semi-Lauter mash tun, 4 stainless steel washbacks and one pair of stills (11,000 wash & 8000 spirit).

Speyside Distillery uses a wide range of casks. The majority of these are American ex-bourbon barrels, but they also use casks sourced from Spain, Portugal and France.

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 #SpeysideDistillery on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Spey Trutina (46%)

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon

SPEY Trutina, which takes its name from the latin for ‘honest & pure’, is said to signify the natural, simple characteristics of the Speyside Distillery. This release is limited to 18,000 individually numbered bottles.


Nose: Sherbet sweetness with green apples and some citrus. Some toffee notes and after a while the citrus increases with the addition of some herbs. In fact the nose started to remind me of a gin!

Palate: Strong lemon citrus balanced by sugary sweetness and chocolate.

Finish: Dry and powerful spicy pepper which is rather Yummy! The palate gets quite bitter at the end.

Tasting Notes – Spey Chairman’s Choice (40%)


Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon and Sherry

On Christmas Day in 1787, John Harvey (acting in his capacity as Chairman of the company) personally selected the whisky to be used only by family. John Harvey called this exclusive and secret family whisky, SPEY “Chairman’s Choice”.


Nose: Creamy caramel with sherry – tremendous! I also picked up some wood with dark vanilla fruits.

Palate: Thin mouthfeel with juicy sweet fruits and a little coffee and chocolate.

Finish: There’s some nice spice to this one and the chocolate gets creamier and creamier but I’m wondering (with the light mouthfeel) what the cask strength would be like? I reckon gorgeous!

Tasting Notes – Beinn Dubh (43%)


Beinn Dubh
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon barrels before being finished in heavily toasted Ruby Port casks

Beinn Dubh, which means Black Mountain, has been produced using water from the Cairngorm Black Mountain, and finished in heavily toasted Ruby Port casks from The Douro Valley.

Nose: What an inviting looking dram this is! On the nose there’s rich dark fruits with red wine and vanilla. It gets more porty as time goes on with some added coffee.

Palate: Port and dark chocolate in abundance! Dark fruits including prunes, wood, creamy vanilla and a little licorice.

Finish: The spiciness grows but there’s sweet coffee and chocolate aplenty to keep it in check!

Tasting Notes – Spey Fumare (46%)


SPEY Fumare
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon

SPEY Fumare, was the first ever peated distillery bottling and is produced using peated barley, which the distillery only uses for a small part of the year (December). A limited release of 18,000 individually numbered bottles.

Nose: Ooh! smokehouse peat is back! Savoury liquid BBQ smoke with some sweet fruitiness and snack inducing peat aromas!

Palate: Rich fruity smoke and peat with antiseptic overtones but a pleasant sweetness levels things up nicely.

Finish: Punchy pepper at the end!

Overall: This could easily be one of my ‘Desert Island Drams’ – staring into my homemade fire on the beach!

My Favourite On The Night

1. Beinn Dubh
2. Fumare

I do love a peat dram but maybe it’s the time of year because the Christmas dram ‘Beinn Dubh’ really wins it for me! Christmas dram contender anyone?

Speyside Distillery Whiskies can be bought directly from thesnugspeysidedistillery

Speyside Distillery Whiskies are also available to buy from these Merchants:-

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Speyside Distillery (@SpeySingleMalt) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyWings @TallmanFM @whiskygraeme @RealDramRob @PadWhisky @sprungatom @PhilScott101 @whiskyodyssey @BillyCowan @FiShoop @StillSurreal @rodbodtoo @pswhisky @CEVokins @DramofWar @WhiskyWithMolly @jwbassman_ @KiltedDrammer @ExeterWhisky @WhiskyUnplugged @moonbites @TwoWhiskyBros @TheWhiskyphiles

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:-

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