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Sampling The Kilchoman 2009 Vintage Single Malt – Bliss In A Glass!

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Kilchoman 2009 Vintage

Kilchoman, Islay’s Farm Distillery, has released their 2009 Vintage limited edition, an eight year old single malt and one of the oldest expressions to be bottled since the distillery was founded in 2005.

Kilchoman 2009 Vintage is bottled at 46% ABV

The Vintage range is released by-annually from Kilchoman, with these whiskies spearheading the distilleries releases in terms of maturation. This will be the fourth release since the 2006 Vintage was bottled back in 2011. All three previous releases have been exclusively matured in ex bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace distillery, whereas the 2009 Vintage is a combination of carefully selected oloroso sherry butts distilled in 2008 and bourbon barrels distilled in both 2008 and 2009.

The evolution of Kilchoman single malt is well represented through our Vintage range. Now at eight years of maturation, the balance and depth of character coming through on both the nose and the palate is incredible.

The oloroso sherry influence in the 2009 Vintage compared to the previous releases has given this whisky a different dimension with layered fruit and added sweet notes.
– Anthony Wills: Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director

Founded in 2005, Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and was the first distillery to be built on Islay for 125 years. Kilchoman, the only independently owned Islay distillery is most famous as the only distillery to produce a portion of it’s whisky from barley grown onsite, completing all stages of the whisky-making process themselves using traditional farm distillery methods.

Kilchoman 2009 Vintage is bottled at 46% ABV and retails for around £67.00.

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

Tasting Notes – Kilchoman 2009 Vintage (46%)


Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Fantastic, earthy, smokey peat. Creamy vanilla sweetness, a touch of green apples.

Palate: Sweet vanilla, charred wood, smokey peat, a little salt.

Finish: Clean, sweet, long, smokey finish with a little tobacco.

Overall: If you can manage to keep your hands off it (!) This dram gets better and better the longer you leave it.

So, be in no rush as the 2009 is well worth savouring. Conjuring up images of quietly sitting and watching glowing embers on a cosy night in with little to do except sip and relax.

Bliss!

The Kilchoman New Releases 2017

Kilchoman is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

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

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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:-

Jura Celebrates Island Community With One And All Release!

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Jura Single Malt Whisky toasts distillery team with specially selected limited edition 20 year old!

Jura releases new limited edition bottle celebrating island community!

One And All will be available online and in shops from 1st September.

Jura Single Malt Whisky has today, unveiled a new limited edition expression, created in celebration of Jura’s community and the team of distillery workers who craft the award-winning whisky. Chosen by them, it’s fittingly named One And All.

This celebratory 20 year old single malt assemblage, which is non-chill filtered and natural colour, raises a glass to the distillery team and island community who make the whisky what it is today. A must-have collectable for whisky fans, with the community at the heart of it, this small batch release (51% ABV – Cask strength) is available globally with an RSP of £120.

The community on Jura, a remote and beautiful island nestled off the West Coast of Scotland, has a unique bond with whisky. Around 200 people inhabit Jura’s landscape, outnumbered by more than 5,000 red deer which roam the island’s vast, empty planes. Together, the Diurachs (the name for people who live on Jura) and the distillery have rebuilt a thriving local economy since re-opening the distillery over 50 years ago. It’s this tenacity of Jura’s people, which makes the island and its whisky so special – a community of few, shaped by a passion for the island they live on, brought there through family, fate and history.

The realities of living on a remote island in a small community means that everyone has to work together for the benefit of one and all. Nowhere is this bond stronger than at Jura Distillery.

On the 6th of February 2017, the Jura Distillery team got together to choose this year’s Limited Edition bottling. An uncommon single malt, One And All is matured in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and specially prepared with Jura aged in Sherry wood, Sparkling Cabernet Franc casks, Cabernet Sauvignon casks and Pinot Noir barriques.

There’s no better way to mark the distillery team’s dedication and craftsmanship, than by creating a limited edition expression in their honour – chosen by them.

In tribute to their passion and tenacity – the shared spirit that each person brings to every last drop – this special whisky is the perfect dram to toast one and all. We can’t wait to hear what people think.
– Graham Logan: Distillery Manager

One And All is now available online and in shops.

Jura has very kindly sent me a sample to try.
So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Jura One And All (51%)

Non Chill-filtered, natural colour.
A single malt assemblage, aged in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and specially prepared with Jura aged in Sherry wood, Sparkling Cabernet Franc casks, Cabernet Sauvignon casks and Pinot Noir barriques.


Colour: Rich, honey golden brown.

Nose: Fudge, caramel and honey straight away closely followed by tropical fruit. Light oak. Port.

Palate: Sweet, tropical fruit flavours, chocolate and vanilla fudge.

Finish: Long, honey sweet finish with a little pepper. Slight bit of dryness at the end.

Overall: It packs a punch this one! Strong alcohol but nicely tempered by some lovely creamy sweetness.

There’s a great tropical fruit flavour to this dram but the overall taste is a vanilla / fudge / caramel indulgence!

One And All. One great set of flavours – suitable for all!

Sampling Abbey Whisky’s Glen Garioch 21 Year Old – Why You Will LOVE This Offering!

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GLEN GARIOCH 21 YEAR OLD – 1994 / THE RARE CASKS RELEASE 6

Whisky Magazine Recommended Award – Issue 143

In Stock and Available for £99.98!

Only 126 bottles have been filled exclusively for Abbey Whisky!

The Rare Casks story continues with this magnificent Glen Garioch, the sixth release in the series. Distilled in 1994 and fully matured in a refill hogshead until 2016, only 126 bottles have been filled exclusively for Abbey Whisky.

As with each previous release in The Rare Casks series, the whisky has been bottled in it’s natural form, at full cask strength, without chill filtration or colour additives.

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

Tasting Notes – GLEN GARIOCH 21 YEAR OLD – 1994 / THE RARE CASKS RELEASE 6 (55%)


Colour: Pale gold colour.

Nose: Very fruity, citrus with notes of grapfruit most prominent, barley and inviting sticky, sugary vanilla.

Palate: Prominent grapefruit sourness counterpointing pineapple and warming vanilla sweetness.

Finish: Warm and spicy finish which is long with a satisfying glucose sweetness to top it off.

Overall: It’s got some tasy 55% Oomph! to it this one and the strong grapefruit notes surprised me at first but with added sipping (I am very dedicated) this became very morish indeed!
If you like a little sourness to your dram you will LOVE this offering!

Empty bottle, kind thoughts …

Many thanks to Mike at Abbey Whisky (@abbeywhisky) for sending me such a great dram sample!

BILLY LEIGHTON’S REDBREAST DREAM CASK – An Exclusive Tasting Of A Rare Dram!

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#RedbreastDreamCask – ready to rock!

Last Saturday I had the good fortune to be part of Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey’s www.facebook.com/RedbreastSinglePotStill, a Facebook LIVE tasting of a rare and exclusive Redbreast Irish whiskey to celebrate World Whisky Day 2017.

Head Blender Billy Leighton had hand-selected a Redbreast single cask and Billy then led the 20-minute tasting with Redbreast Apprentice Blender Dave McCabe, from warehouse A1 in the grounds of the Midleton Distillery, to a global audience of whiskey fans.

#RedbreastDreamCask is a single cask single pot still Irish whiskey that offers a unique take on Redbreast’s full bodied flavour profile, renowned for its signature Christmas cake character – the result of a strong contribution from Oloroso sherry casks.

A surprise was in store for us all!

Leighton and McCabe took whiskey fans on a whistle-stop journey through the history of Redbreast and shared the qualities that make the range the definitive example of single pot still whiskey from Ireland.

Finally, Billy let us know exactly what we would be tasting. The dram we were to sample was drawn from Cask 41207 with a final 46.7% ABV. This olorosso sherry cask is a recask from 2011.

Before that it spent 25 years in re-fill ex-bourbon barrel making this dram just over 31 years old!

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

Tasting Notes – Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey – 31 Years Old (46.7%)


Colour: Beautiful, rich, mahogany colour with glorious depth.

Nose: Blood oranges, rich dark fruits, blackcurrant.

Palate: Succuluent dark fruits, blackcurrants and blood orange abounds. Vanilla caramel adds a creamy accompaniment.

Finish: Black coffee, fresh pepper and very, very long!

Overall: This is a rich feast of flavours! The nose is exceptional and promises very great things. The taste does not disappoint, it is intense and satisfying. A rare treat and my tastebuds have rarely been so spoiled!

Redbreast is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Sampling The Kilchoman 100% Islay 7th Edition!

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Kilchoman 100% Islay 7th Edition

Kilchoman, Islay’s Farm Distillery, have launched their 7th edition of their 100% Islay range. The 100% Islay releases are particularly special to Kilchoman with all parts of the whisky making process, from barley to bottle, completed on site at the farm. This marks these releases out as truly unique with Kilchoman being the only distillery in Scotland to produce Single Malt in this traditional hand crafted way.

Shipping from May 1st!

Kilchoman 100% Islay 7th Edition Year Old will retail for approximately £70.00.

The distillery has very kindly sent me a sample. So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Kilchoman 100% Islay 7th Edition (50%)


Colour: Pale, straw colour.

Nose: Strong, pleasant charred wood and smoke hits you straight away. Little bit of green apple and vanilla starts to come through after a while in the glass. Caramel also makes an appearane in stronger tones as time progresses.

Palate: Smokey and slightly peaty, sweet vanilla and fresh citrus fruit.

Finish: Very smooth long finish with the peat smokiness and sweet fruit complementing each other throughout. A hint of pepperiness sends it on it’s way!

Overall: I WANT THIS DRAM! If your into balanced peatiness coupled with fresh fruit and vanilla sweetness then this whisky should certainly be on your shortlist … a shortlist of ONE!

So. What are you waiting for?

Background Notes:

The farm is based on the rugged west coast of Islay and nestled in the outbuildings is the distillery. They work throughout the year to grow, malt, distill, mature and bottle Kilchoman’s unique single malt using traditional farm distilling techniques not seen on Islay for generations.

Since day one we have not only been proud of the traditional methods revived to create the 100% Islay releases but also the quality of the spirit produced. We are now growing more barley than ever for future releases of this beautifully fresh and vibrant whisky.

– Anthony Wills: Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director

This, the 7th edition of the annually released limited edition, is a vatting of fresh and refill ex Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels filled in 2010 and bottled in 2017. This is the most mature expression released to date and as with all previous 100% Islay releases, the 7th edition has been produced from barley exclusively grown and malted at the distillery.

Kilchoman are the only Islay distillery to produce whisky in this traditional way, making this single malt truly 100% Islay. The peating level comes in slightly lighter than the rest of the Kilchoman range and creates a fresh and floral balance with the bourbon cask maturation.

From Barley to Bottling …

The development of the 100% Islay casks from the Inaugural release up to this, the oldest 100% Islay release, has been intriguing to see. As the bourbon barrel maturation influences the spirit over time it has taken on a real depth of character and complexity to add to the light citrus fruit and peat smoke of the Kilchoman spirit.

– Robin Bignal: Production Manager

Founded in 2005, Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and was the first distillery to be built on Islay for over 124 years. Today Kilchoman is the only independently owned Islay distillery.

Visit them online at www.kilchomandistillery.com

Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to produce whisky from barley grown and malted on site

Kilchoman is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

Sampling Teeling’s The Revival Volume III!

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The Revival Vol. III joins Teeling Whiskey’s range of award winning Irish whiskeys

Teeling Whiskey Unveils Third Bottling of The Revival Single Malt

Teeling Whiskey, Ireland’s leading independent Irish whiskey producer, is proud to unveil the third bottling of “The Revival”, a limited edition commemorative Single Malt. The Revival Volume III is being released to celebrate the 18-month anniversary of the opening of the Teeling Whiskey Distillery and will be limited to only 10,000 bottles.

The original Revival bottling was produced in 2015 to mark the opening of the Teeling Whiskey Distillery, the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years. The third edition of this bottling consists of a 14-Year-Old Single Malt Irish whiskey distilled in 2002, initially matured in ex-Bourbon casks before being given further maturation in 350 litre ex-Pineau Des Charentes casks to impart an extra pressed grape and dried fruit flavour unique to Irish whiskey. Further, the Revival Vol. III has been bottled at 46% ABV with no chill filtration to complete an Irish whiskey of true character.

The Revival Vol. III joins Teeling Whiskey’s range of award winning Irish whiskeys which have collected over 100 international awards over the past four years. The maturation from the ex-Pineau Des Charentes casks creates a unique palette pteasing taste profile, reminiscent of dried fruit and toffee pineapple rounded off with a toasted almond and dark chocolate bitterness that’s balanced perfectly with a lingering soft sweetness. A signature bouquet of honey and hazelnuts flavours tops off the dark chocolate undertones of this limited edition Single Malt.

It is hard to believe we are just 18 months away from having Irish whiskey distilled from our new distillery in Dublin and to honour this half way point we have decided to release something very unique to mark the occasion with the first ever Pineau des Charentes finished Irish whiskey.

Our third Revival release will be limited to only 10,000 bottles and sold both through our distillery as well as our domestic and international distributors.
– Jack Teeling: Founder and Managing Director of the Teeling Whiskey Company

Pineau des Charentes is a regional French aperitif, made in the southwestern regions of Charente, Charente-Maritime and, to a much lesser extent, Dordogne in western France. It is a fortified wine made from either fresh, unfermented grape juice or a blend of lightly fermented grape must, to which a Cognac eau-de-vie is added and then matured in oak barrels.

The Revival Vol III 14-Year-Old will retail for approximately £120.00 (GBP£110.00). The product will be available in Ireland through the Teeling Distillery in Newmarket Dublin 8, Dublin Airport, the Celtic Whiskey Stop and all good independent off licences and will then be rolled out to international markets such as the UK, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Italy.

The Revival Vol III 14 Year Old will retail for approximately £110.00.

Teeling Whiskey has very kindly sent me a sample. So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Teeling Whiskey The Revival III (46%)


Nose: Crisp green apples and pears. Caramel infused with rich vanilla.

Palate: Creamy mouthfeel. Caramel and cooked apple.

Finish: Quite dry, salty with pleasantly subtle peppery spices that grow in intensity. A Long finish.

Overall: Another powerful alcohol hit, much akin to the I & II, but appreciably smoother. Not my favourite of the trio but a worthy dram all the same.

Many thanks to Teeling Whiskey (@TeelingWhiskey) for sending the sample!

Teeling Whiskey is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

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

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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!

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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!


Sampling The Teeling Vintage Reserve Collection 24 Year Old – A Taste Bud Package To Die For!

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Limited to just 5,000 bottles …

Teeling Whiskey have kindly sent me a sample of their new Teeling Whiskey Vintage Reserve 24 Year Old – now that’s what I call an early Christmas Present!

Awarded World’s Best Irish Single Malt, 2016 at the World Whiskies Awards

Limited to just 5,000 bottles, the Teeling Whiskey Company has produced a special whiskey release containing some of the oldest Irish Single Malt in the world.

Matured initially in Bourbon casks before being given an additional maturation in ex-Sauternes wine barrels, it is bottled at 46% with no chill filtration thus retaining all the qualities of a whiskey of true character.

Teeling Whiskey Vintage Reserve 24 Year Old was awarded World’s Best Irish Single Malt, 2016 at the World Whiskies Awards.

My Tasting Notes – Teeling Whiskey Vintage Reserve 24 Year Old (46%)


Nose: Thick honey, sticky, rich fig jam, giving way to salty caramel popcorn. All very luscious and inviting! But take your time and hold back – the nose on this develops to be a joy in itself!

Palate: Satisfying mouthfeel. Very smooth. Sweet, figgy jam, honeyed caramel with a slight, sweet, saltiness thrown in.

Finish: A long smooth finish with a lovely salty sweetness touched with a hint of spice.

Overall: An exceptional dram – so morish! Nothing harsh about this one at all – a fine, smooth balance of fruity sweetness with just a hint of spiciness – a taste bud package to die for!

Many thanks to Teeling Whiskey (@TeelingWhiskey) for sending the samples!

Teeling Whiskey is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

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