Malthound

Whisky & Spirits Blog | Compare Buy Enjoy

You are here: Home / Archives for Twitter Tasting

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

by Leave a Comment

Tullamore Twitter Tasting x4!

Tullamore Twitter Tasting x4!

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

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

The malts sampled were:-

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

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

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

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

If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #TullamoreDEW on Twitter – where we managed to trend at number 43 on the night!

So, what did I think?

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Favourite On The Night

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

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

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-


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

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

Twitter Tasting Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old!

by Leave a Comment

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!

by Leave a Comment

“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!

by Leave a Comment

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!

by Leave a Comment

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:-

Paul John Whisky: The Tweet Tasters Get Bold!

by Leave a Comment

Barley from the Himalayas & peat from Islay - who could ask for more?!

Barley from the Himalayas & peat from Islay – who could ask for more?!

Paul John Indian Whisky is soon to release a Peated expression called Bold and thanks to Steve from The Whisky Wire, I was given a chance to sample it as part of a Monday nights Tweet Tasting.

The unusually named Paul John Whisky takes its name from the chairman of John Distilleries based in Goa, India and in 2012 the Paul John Whisky brand launched in the UK.

Using barley from the foothills of the Himalayas, which is harvested in the summer, they double distil their spirit in traditional copper pot stills where it is then filled into hand selected American oak barrels for maturation.

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 #PaulJohnWhisky on Twitter.

Tasting Notes – Paul John Whisky – Bold (46%)

No age statement, non-chill filtered. Made using peat from Islay & matured in American Oak Bourbon barrels for at least 4-5 years. It is due to be released soon with a RRP of £45.00.

Nose: Warm sweet peat, not too heavy fruit, leather & new plasticine! Add a hint of smokiness … but not much and a few little green apples & that’s quite a nose!

Palate: Woo! That packs a bit of a punch! Sweet, syrupy fruits, pepper & a little tobacco. After a time I started to get some fiery peat – most invigorating!

Finish: Smidge of liquorice, some serious pepper, fire and charred wood. My insides are glowing nicely! A long finish with tannin and tobacco lingering.

Overall: Bit of an un-tamed beast is the Bold but then I do like my wildlife so that’s alright! It comes across as a little un-balanced but there’s plenty of flavour and if it fails to warm your cockles then you must be a snowman!

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

And of course, Paul John Whisky (@PaulJohnWhisky), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@WhiskyDiscovery @DrinksEnthusist @Whisky_Magazine @AlpacaJo @WhiskyQuarterly @TheWhiskyphiles @raithrover @WhiskyCorner @cowfish @GreatDrams @tabarakRazvi @whiskyrepublic @kizzsmyth @kaskwhisky @NeilMacKinnon1 @abbeywhisky @angelshareglass @msykesjones @cache1337 @PWulf @MashtunandMeow @steveprentice @TheGreenWelly @Jamie_Rowley @adam2c @bobsta1975 @WhiskyMattY @julie_gwc @rodbodtoo @mnshanbhag @GeorgeHHutton @Smokiechops @TheWhiskyKiwi @pimpleandblotch @B_R_74 @Jassys1961 @JoeFHolmes @Andrews_Share @WhiskyFriends @WhiskySpeller @Girl_Whisky @sjoerd972 @LaCaveDeCobalt

Paul John Whisky is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Girvan Patent Still Tweet Tasting!

by Leave a Comment

The Girvan Single Grain Malt Whiskies!

The Girvan Single Grain Malt Whiskies!

The star of last Wednesday nights Tweet Tasting was The Girvan Patent Still and they had some fantastic Single Grain Malt Whiskies for us to sample.

Steve from The Whisky Wire was our MC for the night 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 #GirvanGrain on Twitter.

The malts sampled were:-

  • Girvan New Make
  • Girvan No.4 Apps
  • Girvan 25 Years Old
  • Girvan 30 Years Old

Built in 1963, under the direction of Charles Gordon, the great-grandson of William Grant, Girvan was the most advanced distillery in the world at the time.

In the 70’s chemist G. Wilkin isolated the perfect yeast strain from local flora for use in the whisky production. They still use the same strain now: Lallemang.

They were also the first to use multi-pressure distillation for production of grain Scotch whisky in 1992.

Distilling at various pressures and under vacuum in particular allowed them to vapourise and distill at lower temperatures. Resulting in a sweeter, fruitier, cleaner and purer spirit.

To reflect this, the tall slender packing of The Girvan Patent Still Single Grain was designed to reflect the tall shape of their column stills.

On average 36 trucks arrive at Girvan every day. Each truck contains about 25 – 28 tonnes of wheat. The Girvan distillery produces about 115 million LPA (litres of pure alcohol) per year. This is equivalent to 46 Olympic Pools!

About 33% of Girvans flavour comes from the distillate, 67% influence of the oak. The oak they use is 100% American oak, rich in vanillin. The oak reacts very well to lighter grain spirit, adding fantastic flavours.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Girvan New Make (42%)

Nose: A strong moonshine is my first impression. Wafts of nail varnish hit the nose straight away. There’s popcorn, white rum with added fruit & hints of banana smoothie.

Palate: Quite an oily mouthfeel, the banana continues on the palate. Creamy and sweet with a tasty rumness.

Finish: Full on strong finish – hints of raw spice.

Overall: Surprisingly tasty for a new make but with a raw edge that is strangely attractive!

Tasting Notes – Girvan No.4 Apps (42%)

No. 4 Apps (short for apparatus) is named after their 4th. still.

Nose: Vanilla & cream, slight toffee popcorn & oak wood in there. Lovin’ the apples fragrances – it’s harvest time!

Palate: Sweet tropical fruits, pineapple et al & sherbet! Creamy vanilla & spice.

Finish: Smooth spicy, peppery finish. Dry with a little grapefruit.

Overall: A superb, warming dram for sure! Lovely balance of flavours & perfect for Autumn evenings.

Tasting Notes – Girvan 25 Years Old (42%)

Nose: Oak wood & vanilla straight off with creamy, spiced green apples, butterscotch & coconut.

Palate: Smooth vanilla & orange with creamed apples.

Finish: Spicy and Oh! so smooth with a lingering creaminess – divine!

Overall: Truly heaven in a glass! Rich, long and satisfying.

Tasting Notes – Girvan 30 Years Old (42%)

This 30YO is unique as it was the last year (1984) to use maize. From 1963 to 1984 Girvan used maize. From 1984 onwards they have used wheat. Bottled without the addition of caramel and non-chill filtered.


Nose: This needs some time to develop … after all it is 30 years old. There’s vanilla, banana, hints of dark chocolate, apple and oak wood.

Palate: Xmas cake mixture, plump raisins, tropical fruits (mango & pineapple) – a feast! Topped with rich vanilla, a hint of mint & orange and a gentle spice.

Finish: Rich tannin with a spicy finish that’s long and glorious!

Overall: Smooth beyond belief and an amazing set of flavours. If you get the chance to sample, grab it with all your tastebuds!

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 5, I think it’s got to be the Girvan 30 Years Old. Money can’t buy me love but it can buy me this!

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

And of course, Girvan (@GirvanGrain), for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@DrinksEnthusist @julie_gwc @angelshareglass @robster38 @Nickolls_Perks @EdinburghWhisky @KristianeSherry @WhiskyApocalyps @brawspirit @TheWhiskyKiwi @pimpleandblotch @bobsta1975 @thicker_thanH2O @ivyeatsagain @WhiskyCorner @kaskwhisky @cache1337 @dvdbloke @jesslionsmane @nitin_michael @jdpjamesp @GeorgeHHutton @WhiskyQuarterly

Girvan is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

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

by Leave a Comment

The Glen Scotia Range

The Glen Scotia Range

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

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

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

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

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

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Glen Scotia Double Cask (46%)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NCF – Coming Soon to Specialist Retailers – RRP £55.00

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

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

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

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

Tasting Notes – Glen Scotia Victoriana (51.5%)

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


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

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

Finish: Glorious finish – refined, spicy. Nice!

Overall: Shouts quality from every taste bud!

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

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

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

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

Finish: Long finish with well tempered spice and dryness.

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

My Favourite On The Night

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

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

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

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-


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

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

Bushmills Whiskey Tweet Tasting: Tropical Fruit & Irish Genius!

by Leave a Comment

The five Bushmills malts!

The five Bushmills Drams!

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Bushmills Original Whiskey ( 40% )

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

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

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

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

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

Tasting Notes – Bushmills Black Bush Whiskey ( 40% )

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


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

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

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

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

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

Matured for at least 10 years mainly in bourbon barrels.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Favourite On The Night

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

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

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

And of course, Bushmills, without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


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

Bushmills is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Glen Moray Tweet Tasting!

by Leave a Comment

Let the sampling begin!

Let the sampling begin!

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

The malts sampled were:-

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

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

So, what did I think?

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

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

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

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

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

Finish: Hot, fiery with a passion!

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

Tasting Notes – Glen Moray Classic ( 40% )

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A peated base spirit with around 18ppm phenols.

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

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

Finish: Adding water brings out sweet, salty Liquorice.

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

My Favourite On The Night

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

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

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

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

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-

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

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

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!