Malthound

Whisky & Spirits Blog | Compare Buy Enjoy

You are here: Home / Archives for Twitter Tasting

Tweet Tasting Grant’s Whiskies Three New Expressions!

by Leave a Comment

‘Triple Wood’, ‘Rum Cask Finish’ & ‘Triple Wood Smoky’

It was blended night on last Wednesdays Tweet Tasting, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire.

There were three blends on offer from Grant’s Whisky who recently announced a brand refresh for its blended Scotch whisky range, including the launch of the three new expressions we were sampling.

In addition to the three new expressions Grant’s Whisky have also rebranded their Signature Blend bottling as Grant’s 8 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish.

So, the blends sampled were:-

  • Grant’s Triple Wood
  • Grant’s Rum Cask Finish
  • Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky

If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #GrantsWhisky on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Grant’s Triple Wood (40%)

Grant’s Triple Wood: matured in three different types of cask; Virgin Oak, American Oak and Refill Bourbon. (Priced at around £15.00)

Nose: Quite woody with some apples in there. Some vanilla & maple syrup (I pinched that observation!) as well as popcorn and gets nice and fudgy as it breathes!

Palate: Thinnish, smooth mouthfeel. A fresh sweetness, almost sherbet like with vanilla, a hint of apples and quite a dry mouthfeel.

Finish: Long finish with some punchy pepper!

Overall: A pleasant dram, suitable for all tastes and an ideal mixer whisky.

Tasting Notes – Grant’s Rum Cask Finish (40%)

Grant’s Whisky Rum Cask Finish: matured in oak barrels before ageing further in barrels that previously held Caribbean rum. (Priced at around £19.00)

Nose: Thick, creamy vanilla. Butter popcorn and some wood. The rum is coming thru now with a hint of tropical fruitiness – but not as much as many of my fellow tweeters experienced!

Palate: Creamy vanilla, buttery popcorn and a frisson of ruminess!

Finish: “Tanic Oak” Yes, Got it! Plus a smooth finish with vanilla sweetness and a little spice.

Overall: Sweeter than the Triple Wood with a hint of rum that sits well on the palate. Again, suitable for all tastes and an ideal mixer whisky.

Tasting Notes – Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky (40%)

Grant’s Whisky Triple Wood Smoky: matured in three different types of cask; Virgin Oak, American Oak and Refill Bourbon. It also has an increased amount of peated whiskies included in the blend compared to the Triple Wood bottling. (Coming soon to selected retailers – Priced at around £19.00)

Nose: Some nice peaty, wood smoke straight off! Sweet vanilla mixed in with some wood charring as well. Following on is crisp green apples and some fudge – also a little salt.

Palate: Smooth, rich vanilla with just a hint of smoke and some tropical fruitiness.

Finish: Lovely finish – sweet with a building pepper.

Overall: A gentle introduction to smokiness with just hints of peat and peat – very nice!

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 3, I think it’s got to be the Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky. A very nice dram with a little “something” for everyone – watch out for that building pepper though!

Congratulations to Grant’s Whisky on this brand refresh – I’m sure that it will be a big success!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and of course, Grant’s (@Grantswhisky), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@JasonVaswani @TomsWhisky @iheartwhisky @Whisky_And1 @dvdbloke @SpiritAndWood @whiskeycyclist @jwbassman_ @ocdwhisky @WhiskyUnplugged @rjstir1 @whiskywings @TheWhiskyphiles @MaltMusings @MorayTours @SanjieB @rumminguk @spikeydog120 @RumDiariesBlog @moonbites @skemduffy @bobsta1975 @PhilScott101

Grant’s is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Taking a Liberty? Oh Yes! Tweet Tasting Dublin Liberties Whiskies!

by Leave a Comment

Taking a Liberty … Yes Please!

Dublin Liberties was the dram of choice for Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting.

Hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, he gave us the opportunity to sample one of the fastest growing Irish whiskey brands. So much so that construction work began last March on a new €15 million distillery and visitors centre which will open in 2018.

The drams sampled were:-

  • Dublin Liberties Oak Devil
  • Dublin Liberties Copper Alley

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 #DublinLibertiesWhiskey on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Dublin Liberties Oak Devil (46%)

Oak Devil was launched in 2015 and is a blend of Irish malt and grain whiskeys which have been matured in bourbon casks.

Oak Devil takes its name from the Liberties area of Dublin. A riotous quarter of the city known as ‘Hell’ in the 1700’s. Oak Devil is inspired, literally, by the fact that an oak-carved devil stood watch over the entrance to the Liberties!

Nose: Sweet toffee flavours, crisp green apples with oaky wood coming thru’ later on. The nose went more towards cognac the longer it was in the glass.

Palate: Tropical fruit with honey and vanilla creaminess. With a nice whizz of spiciness!

Finish: Punchy dram with lots of pepper coupled with a honey smoothness. Slight tobacco and waxiness at the end.

Overall: Cracking tasting whiskey with some interesting flavours and ever-changing aromas.

Tasting Notes – Dublin Liberties Copper Alley (46%)

Copper Alley is a 10 Year Old Irish single malt. It is then finished in 30 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Casks.

Copper Alley was the oldest street in Dublin, named after the coin which was minted there in the 17th Century. The alley was at the centre of the Liberties amongst the tanners, merchants, taverns and of course distilleries!

Nose: Getting the sherry and there’s honey and vanilla creaminess. A little aniseed and there’s something savoury lurkin’ at the back … smokey bacon maybe?!

Palate: Reduced sweetness with a creamier feel and lovely sherry! Some apples and a little chocolate.

Finish: Nice peppery spice coupled with honey again but the balance is more in favour of the spice than the Oak Devil.

Overall: A nice dram but less sherried than I thought it would be – this whiskey was very popular amongst my fellow tweeters!

My Favourite On The Night

Oak Devil – feisty spice tempered by honey sweetness – Yum!

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

and the team at Dublin Liberties (@DublinLiberties) for the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@TheWhiskyBoys @MaltMusings @brawspirit @whiskyfreak123 @Whiskey_JAC @JasonVaswani @spikeydog120 @AlpacaJo @moonbites @allthingsbooze @ocdwhisky @RealDramRob @WhiskyUnplugged @T_M_Cocktails @dbcwhisky @bigfootrunning @cache1337 @DaveMcKinnon__ @whiskyrepublic @JoeFHolmes @TheWhiskyphiles @PhilScott101 @Marc_Liberties @suzisgrapecrush @LaCaveDeCobalt @WhiskySpeller @dram_gazette @Girl_Whisky

Dublin Liberties is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Glen Grant & Wild Turkey Twitter Tasting – Which One Would Tickle Your tastebuds?

by Leave a Comment

Which one would tickle your tastebuds?

It was a Glen Grant and Wild Turkey comparison ‘taste-in’ for Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting, hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire.

The malts sampled were:-

  • Glen Grant 10 Years Old
  • Wild Turkey 101
  • Glen Grant 12 Years Old
  • Wild Turkey Rye

There was a marked difference in the tastes and styles of the two brands and differences of opinion abounded on the night on Twitter. The great thing though about a wide selection of flavours is that there was something to please most palates on the night!

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 #UKvUSA 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 Grant 10 Years Old (40%)

Glen Grant was founded in 1840 by brothers John & James Grant. Today, Glen Grant is the world’s number 5 selling single malt Scotch whisky. Production at the Rothes based distillery is overseen by Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, who has worked for Glen Grant for over five decades. The 10 Years Old is Matured in bourbon barrels.


Nose: Very fruity and fresh! Pears and apples with a slight hint of honey and vanilla custard and also a bit pear droppy.

Palate: A bit ‘thin’ mouthfeel wise. Sweet and sugary, honey vanilla with hint of apples.

Finish: Long fiesty and peppery!

Tasting Notes – Wild Turkey 101 (50.5%)

Wild Turkey features the legendary father & son Master Distilling team of Jimmy & Eddie Russell, who have 90 years of combined experience making bourbon. This bourbon has a mashbill of 75% Corn, 13% Rye & 12% Malted Barley.


Nose: Lovely colour and so sweet! Toffee and oranges and tropicalness. Apple pie with lots of sugar and slightly caramalised – I’m in love! Slight oak, maybe just a splinter or two!

Palate: Just lovely! Syrupy sweet, tropical fruity – doesn’t disappoint and a great taste of cherries!

Finish: So smooth in the finish – sweet and long with a modicum of pepper – I’m impressed!

Tasting Notes – Glen Grant 12 Years Old (43%)

The 12 Years Old is Matured in bourbon barrels.


Nose: Nice woodiness coming straight through with a cheeky bit of honey with toffee and crisp apple – a bit less ‘pushy’ than the 10.

Palate: Toffee, vanilla and apple – nicely balanced and tasty!

Finish: Subtle, warming pepper – more refined and mature than the 10.

Tasting Notes – Wild Turkey Rye (40.5%)

Matured in ‘Alligator Charred’ American oak barrels. An Alligator aka No 4 Char, gives the interior of the barrel a rough texture similar to that of alligator skin.

This level of char imparts bigger & bolder vanilla and spice flavours. This Rye has a mashbill of 65% Rye, 23% Corn & 12% Malted Barley.


Nose: Very close to the 101 but maybe more ‘earthy’. Toffee, fudge, orange oak and a promise of great things to come …

Palate: ‘Meatier’ compared to the 101 but just as tasty! Sweet, tropical fruit but a little drier and more cherry cola! Licorice and caramel with charred wood thrown in.

Finish: Smooth, sweet finish with fruit and a little spice to wend it on it’s way – delightful!

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 4, I think it’s got to be the Wild Turkey 101 – an absolute revelation! Bold, fruity, smooth – Get In!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the teams at Glen Grant (@GlenGrantUK) and Wild Turkey (@WildTurkeyUK), for the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@GreatDrams @BritishBourbon @london_liquor @spikeydog120 @WhiskyDiscovery @dvdbloke @iheartwhisky @MichaelMcKillop @RealDramRob @DistilleryBikes @GeorgeHHutton @allthingsbooze @bigfootrunning @JasonVaswani @MorayTours @The_Bourbonator @cache1337 @whiskyfreak123 @MaltMusings @bourgeoisbooze @mnshanbhag @PhilScott101 @Whisky_lit @WildTurkeyUK Tweet Tasters: 6/6 @Jamie_Rowley @whiskywings @brawspirit @SpiritAndWood

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

Wild Turkey is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Benromach Tweet Tasting – History In The drinking!

by Leave a Comment

Treats before Christmas!

It was the 100th. Tweet Tasting last Wednesday night and the last one before Chrimbo and to celebrate both events Steve from The Whisky Wire gave us a cracking selection of drams to savour from the folks at the Benromach Distillery.

We were lucky enough to get a chance to try their Heritage 1973 Cask 4606 of which only 52 bottles have been produced. So, a rare chance indeed!

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.

In all the four drams sampled were:-

  • Benromach 10 Years Old
  • Benromach 100° Proof
  • Benromach 15 Years Old
  • Benromach 1973

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 #BenromachXmas 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 Years Old (43%)

For this 10 year old the recipe is – 80% Bourbon barrels, 20% Sherry hogshead. Final year in first fill Oloroso casks.

Nose: Peaty and smokey – whiffs of sweetness and lovely caramel, maple syrup and honey aromas. There’s also stewed fruits and vanilla with the smoke fadeing away after a while …

Palate: Sweet Christmas cake mixture, grapefruit and a whiff of smoke pushing thru the sherriness.

Finish: Long, fiery, peppery, smoke-infused finish with hints of tobacco. Dry tanin aftertaste.

Overall: Quite a raw beast this one but a very drinkable dram all the same.

Tasting Notes – Benromach 100° Proof (57%)

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 sweet sugars, honey, chocolate and demerara makes an appearance.

Palate: Sweet, rich fruit cake, sherry and spiciness – all delivered in an “Oomph!” of pure spirit!

Finish: Very smooth finish, lovely muted pepperyness peat and smokiness blending together well. Some tobacco also.

Overall: Class in a Glass – all you need is a roaring open fire to sip it by – and don’t get up from your seat too quickly!

Tasting Notes – Benromach 15 Years Old (43%)

As with the 10 year old the 15 year is matured in both bourbon barrels & sherry casks, with the sherry being the more dominant part.

Benromach insist on only using the highest quality first fill casks, from a variety of different sources. They take casks from the bodegas of one of the world’s leading sherry houses in Spain: Williams & Humbert.

Benromach also have new oak casks made to exact specifications of thickness of stave & charring by Antonio Paez Lobato. These casks are used to mature sherry for 3 years before they’re emptied & shipped to the distillery.

Benromach also use ex-bourbon barrels, which are shipped from America & coopered in Speyside.


Nose: Honeyed and waxy with green apples. No smoke etc. for me on this one at all and I have to admit to a little mint! (This caused quite a discussion on the night!)

Palate: Smooth, rounded, bit of smoke, some lovely frutiness and is my mouth deceiving me – do I taste a little mint as well?!

Finish: Sweet, dry finish, hint of tobacco – quite short … I thought.

Tasting Notes – Benromach 1973 (48.9%)

Limited to just 52 bottles, Benromach Heritage 1973 Cask 4606, is a UK exclusive.

Benromach Heritage 1973, is a 42 Year Old single malt, which was distilled before the Urquhart family took the reins and brought Benromach Distillery back to life in 1998. It currently retails for around £1400

Nose: Cherrys, crisp green apples, sumptous honey! Pineapple and sweet candy with zingy refreshers!

Palate: WoW! Intense! Sweet, tropical fruits, mint & zesty lemon.

Finish: Coffee and sweet pepper finish but the tropical hit just goes on and on! Familiar hints of tobacco at the very end.

Overall: Lots of flavours coming and going within this exceptional dram. I could have gone on discovering new flavours all night and I probably would have but my sample ran dry!

It was a big deal for me to get to taste this cracker – so many different flavours in a glass – remarkable!

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the four, I think it’s got to be the Benromach 1973. Well it has to be doesn’t it? History in the drinking!

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@GreatDrams @WhiskyCorner @TomsWhisky @rodbodtoo @RealDramRob @JasonVaswani @whiskyrepublic @WhiskyApocalyps @BeersIveKnown @cache1337 @spikeydog120 @kaskwhisky @raithrover @AlpacaJo

Benromach is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Many thanks to Steve for another great year of Tweet Tasting – Here’s to 2017!


Wemyss Malts Tweet Tasting – A Batch Strength Celebration!

by Leave a Comment

Batch Strength? Oh Yes!

Batch Strength? Oh Yes!

Wednesday night was Batch Strength Tweet Tasting night, courtesy of Wemyss Malts and Steve from The Whisky Wire.

We had the opportunity to sample three of a new range of Non-chill filtered, No Age Statement blends with a fiesty alcohol strength of between 54.5% – 57%.

The Blended Whiskies sampled were:-

  • Wemyss Malts The Hive
  • Wemyss Malts Spice King
  • Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney

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 #WemyssMalts on Twitter.

The Range

The Range!

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts The Hive (54.5%)

Launched last month these limited edition (6000 bottles each) Batch Strength bottlings are the latest offerings from the multi-award winning Edinburgh based boutique spirits company. Each one uses signature malts to define their flavour and aroma as their names suggests.

Wemyss Malts have tailored the blend recipe for The Hive Batch Strength, to increase the deepness of the sweetness.

Nose: Quite subtle honey for me. Green apples, caramel and salt. There’s lemon, orange and cereal notes and I Love the luscious way it coats the glass!

Palate: Smooth, sweet with a satisfying mouthfeel. Honeyed, sweet and biscuity – pretty punchy though!

Finish: Quite dry finish, with caramel to accompany it – very little spice.

Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts Spice King (56.0%)

Spice King Batch Strength has been made using a different assortment of West Coast signature malts providing an increased salinity & pepperiness which when blended with the peated malts provides a salt caramel like flavour.

Each of the new Batch Strength bottlings have been produced using a selection of single malts, sourced from over 10 Scotch whisky distilleries.


Nose: Smokey peat on this one for sure. Waxy, salty, tobacco and ever so slightly honey.

Palate: Smooth, thick mouthfeel, waxy with a fruity sweetness. Spicy kick coming through.

Finish: Syrupy, honey finish married with lovely intense spiced, salty flavours!

Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney (57.0%)

Peat Chimney Batch Strength is made with roughly the same recipe as the Non Chill filtered 46% core variant taking advantage of a heavily peated, late-cut distilled Islay whisky as its signature malt.

Nose: More peat, less smoke on this one. A Less oily dram – citrus & more rich, dark peat. There’s a little popcorn but mostly it’s gently smoking peat (with a rich frutiness)!

Palate: Smooth, oily thick, sweet and nicely peaty – does exactly what it says etc…

Finish: Peppery sweetened spice to finish and that ever present peat.

Overall: A Fruity and smokey fireplace burming peat – what a delight!

Tasting Notes – Wemyss Malts Rob Roy Cocktail

The famous Cocktail using Peat Chimney Batch Strength as its base. Originally created in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.

It was named in honour of the premiere of Rob Roy, an operetta by composer Reginald De Koven & lyricist Harry B. Smith. The operetta was loosely based upon Scottish folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor.

The recipe is:-

  • 50ml Peat Chimney Batch Strength
  • 30ml Sweet Vermouth
  • 10ml PX Sherry
  • 10ml demerara syrup
  • Dash of cherry bitters
  • Garnish with cherries and orange

All three of the new Batch Strength bottlings can be used with this and other cocktails including The Old Fashioned.

Palate: Mmm … that’s nice – smokey vermouth and Sweet n’ sour cherry sherry! A tasty cherriness coupled with the sherry and I love the way the cherry also battles it out with the peatiness!

Overall: Morish, powerful and tasty – enough said!

My Favourite On The Night

The Peat Chimney – The peat, you just gotta luv Peat!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and of course, Wemyss Malts (@WemyssMalts), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@WhiskyDiscovery @whiskyrepublic @moonbites @WhiskyApocalyps @WhiskyWriter @TheFinestCut @thisismydram @RealDramTom @Ardbaggie @WhiskyManc @DistilleryBikes @Andrews_Share @_littlebrowndog @dramming_uk @Unchillfilter @LauraWBurgess @ocdwhisky @Girl_Whisky @LaCaveDeCobalt @dram_gazette @MaltKlaus @RBWhiskyWorld @the_whisky_lady @ChrisMCoates @whiskylord @allthingsbooze @PWulf @RealDramRob @brawspirit @Milroys

Wemyss Malts are available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Rebel Yell Tweet Tasting – Something To Shout About!

by Leave a Comment

Yelling since 1849!

Yelling since 1849!

On the Eve of the US Election I virtually attended a very appropriate Monday nights Tweet Tasting. The politics were left to others and instead we sampled some of the Rebel Yell Bourbon range.

Way more fun and everyone was a winner!

Hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, the whiskeys sampled were:-

  • Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon
  • Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve
  • Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye

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 #RebelYellBourbon on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon (40%)

Rebel Yell takes its name from the Confederate war cry, used during the American Civil War. The original Rebel Yell recipe was invented in 1849, at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Kentucky. Aged for at least four years, Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon, is made using a mash bill of wheat, corn and malted barley.


Nose: Lot’s of green apples and caramel, honey and pear and spearmint. Little bit of oakyness but mainly very fresh and sweet!

Palate: Rich vanilla and caramel, sherbet sweet and green apples. A smattering of mintyness and there’s a dry woodiness as well.

Finish: Smooth finish with a little chilli spice.

Tasting Notes – Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve (45.3%)

Rebel Yell has been favoured by the like of Keith Richards and Billy Idol. Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve is made using a mash bill of wheat, corn & malted barley.


Nose: Quite subtle in comparison with the Straight Bourbon. Some heavy vanilla and fudge. A lot more wood with rich fruits.

Palate: Mmm .. rich fruit, vanilla, caramel and zingy mint! Smooth too! Buttery palate, hints of damp wood and apples.

Finish: Fiesty peppery spice at the finish. A warming rebellion on the throat to be sure!

Tasting Notes – Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye (45%)

Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye is made using a mash bill of rye, corn & malted barley. Rebel Yell’s parent company Luxco is currently building a new distillery on a 70-acre site in Nelson County, Kentucky. The new distillery will house all the company’s bourbon brands including Rebel Yell, when completed later next year.


Nose: Vanilla and strong coffee grounds. More caramel and mint with the wood and apples thrown in. A more refined aroma to be sure.

Palate: Ooh! A step up! Rich chocolate, caramel and green apples – superb! Bit of rich orange and mint coupled with sugared fruits. Would make a nice whiskey sour this one!

Finish: Smooth, sweet and spicy – NOT a rebel on the tongue for sure!

My Favourite On The Night

Without a doubt, I think it’s got to be the Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye – rich, satisfying and warming – certainly worth joining the Revolution for!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and of course, Rebel Yell (@RebelYell_UK), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@WhiskyDiscovery @allthingsbooze @whiskyrepublic @WhiskyWriter @jdpjamesp @RealDramRob @ocdwhisky @spikeydog120 @Maltman_Mike @stoo_broon @dramming_uk @NeilMacKinnon1 @cache1337 @Jamie_Rowley @SoundOfWhisky @Whi5kyGeek @dvdbloke @ivyeatsagain @brawspirit @cenbons @NNWhisky @Sal_Jones @whiskyfreak123 @raithrover @msykesjones @TheWhiskyKiwi @AWhetForWhisky @smileysmoggy

Rebel Yell is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

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

by Leave a Comment

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:-

Grants Whisky Tweet Tasting – Quality At A Bargain Price!

by Leave a Comment

The Grants Family!

The Grants Family!

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

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

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

The blends sampled were:-

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

As mentioned, the biggest surprise on the night for the Taste Tweeters was the amazing flavours available at such a great price. If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #GrantsWhisky on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Family Reserve (40%)

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


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

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

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

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Sherry Cask (40%)

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


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

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

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

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Ale Cask (40%)

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


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

Palate: Lovely malty sweetness with vanilla and milk chocolate.

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

Tasting Notes – Grants Whisky Signature (40%)

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


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

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

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

My Favourite On The Night

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

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-


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

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

The Glenlivet Cipher Twitter Tasting!

by Leave a Comment

The Glenlivet Cipher Line-Up!

The Glenlivet Cipher Line-Up!

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

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

The malts sampled were:-

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

If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #TheGlenlivetCipher on Twitter.

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

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

So, what did I think?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tasting Notes – The Glenlivet Cipher (48%)

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

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

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

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

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

My Favourite On The Night?

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

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

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-


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

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

Allied Glass Gin Twitter Tasting – The Fantastic Five!

by Leave a Comment

The Five Gins!

The Five Gins!

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

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

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

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

The Five Gins sampled showcase this perfectly:-

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

If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #AlliedGlassTT on Twitter which managed to trend at number 25 on the night!

So, what did I think?

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

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

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

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

Nose: Woody, citrus – very punchy!

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

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

Tasting Notes – Bulldog Gin (40%)

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

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


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

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

Overall: It was morish … but very soon gonish!

Tasting Notes – Caorunn Gin (41.8%)

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

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

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

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

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

Tasting Notes – Slingsby Gin (42%)

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

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

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

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

Overall: One word really – Yum!

Tasting Notes – Langleys Gin (41.7%)

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

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


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

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

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

My Favourite On The Night

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

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

And of course, The Gin Distillers, without whom!


@langtonsgin @BULLDOGGIN @CaorunnGin @slingsbysocial @LangleysGin

My fellow Tweeters were:-


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

The Gins are available to buy from these Merchants:-

Tags

10 Year Old 12 year old 15 Year Old 40% 43% 46% 1980 Ardbeg bottle bottled bottling bourbon Bowmore Caol cask casks distillery douglas Glen Glenfarclas Glenlivet Glenmorangie gordon Highland Island Islay laing Laphroaig Lowland Macallan macphail malt range rare refill scotch sherry signatory single Speyside Springbank strength whisky year years

Archives

QR Code

QR Code for malthound.co.uk - scan the image with your smartphone & access malt whisky on the move!