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Tasting The Half-Century Blend – a lesson in smoothness from start to finish!

December 12, 2016 by Gary Leave a Comment

Joy in a glass!

My Tasting Notes – The Blended Whisky Company The Half-Century Blend (45.5%)

As promised – here are my tasting notes for this amazing blended whisky.


Nose: Very powerful sugar-laden fruity aromas. Green, waxy, apples. Thick, sticky, caramel fudge.

Palate: Sweet, syrupy with vanilla and caramel. Stewed apple and some lovely, dry oak undertones.

Finish: Smooth, so smooth! Slight spicinesss in a long, sweet caramelly finish.

Overall: A dram in a league of it’s own! Not a trace of harshness, no rough edges, a lesson in smoothness from start to finish. Gorgeously sweet with a nice healthy fruitiness to balance. The world is a better place for this kind of dram!

Background

The Blended Whisky Company has revealed their newest limited edition release, The Half-Century Blend, honouring the era before the ‘whisky-boom’ and the quest for increased yields at all costs.

Just 768 bottles of The Half-Century Blend were produced

Just 768 bottles of The Half-Century Blend were produced

Following on from their two multi-award-winning whiskies, The Lost Distilleries Blend (World’s Best Blended Whisky – World Whiskies Awards 2014) and The Golden Age Blend (Best Scotch Blend – World Whiskies Awards 2016), The Blended Whisky Company has unveiled their latest limited edition release – The Half-Century Blend.

Only whiskies aged for over 50 years were used to create this astonishing blend, standing testament to the extraordinary complexity of these whiskies – distilled over half a century ago. The ‘whisky-boom’ of the late 1960s to the 1980s saw the beginning of an inexorable march towards modernisation, and the quest for increased yields at all costs.

Before this shift, distilleries were home to less efficient barley-strains, sprawling on-site floor maltings, inefficient brewer’s yeast, lengthy fermentation times, mucky direct-fired stills, bulky and inefficient worm-tub condensers and less active refill casks. The result of all this inefficiency, waste and lost commercial-opportunity? Flavour, subtlety, poise, an incredible depth of fruit-character and a beguiling, ethereal quality sadly missing from many of today’s whiskies.

Proving that patience has its rewards, the slow-maturing whiskies contained in The Half-Century Blend were produced in an era where flavour – not forecasts – ruled the roost.

Just 768 bottles of The Half-Century Blend (RRP £599.95) were produced in this first batch, with an ABV of 45.5%.

Many thanks to The Blended Whisky Company (@BlendedWhiskyCo) for sending the samples!

The Blended Whisky Company range is available from fine retailers including Amathus, Amazon, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, Master of Malt and Ocado.

Filed Under: Drinks by the Dram, Master of Malt, Sampling, The Blended Whisky Company, Whisky tasting

Wemyss Malts Tweet Tasting – A Batch Strength Celebration!

November 10, 2016 by Gary 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:-

  • Wemyss Malts directly
  • Master of Malt
  • The Whisky Exchange
  • The Green Welly Stop

Filed Under: Sampling, Twitter Tasting, Wemyss Malts, Whisky tasting

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

October 7, 2016 by Gary 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:-

  • Master of Malt
  • The Whisky Exchange

Filed Under: Sampling, The Exceptional, The Whisky Wire, Twitter Tasting, Whisky tasting

Sampling The New Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky – A Tasty, Tastebud Treat!

September 7, 2016 by Gary Leave a Comment

Loch Lomond Single Grain

The New Loch Lomond Single Grain

This is my first opportunity to take part in one of Steve’s “Whisky Flash Blogs”, a gathering of Bloggers and social media fans intent on highlighting a single product on a single day!

The dram under focus this time around is from the Loch Lomond distillery who are launching a new Single Grain, Scotch whisky expression: Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky.

Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky is carefully distilled and exclusively made using only the finest malted barley.

The distillation takes place in a Coffey Still allowing a smooth and sweet whisky to be produced with added complexity not usually found in a single grain. The spirit is then matured in the finest American Oak casks under the care of Master Blender, Michael Henry.

Originally founded in 1814, Loch Lomond distillery has long been making grain whiskies on the shores of Loch Lomond.

Their distillery has the ability and self sufficiency to produce special edition Whiskies including, Single Grain Whisky and Deluxe Blends.

If you want to catch up on what all the Bloggers had to say you can view their tweets and Blogs by searching for the hash tag #LochLomond on Twitter.

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

Tasting Notes – Loch Lomond Single Grain (46%)


Nose: Sweet, caramelised apples. Warm, fresh, buscuits – straight out of the oven. A tang of lemon peel and hint of orange.

Palate: Intense vanilla, sweet, thick and flavoursome. Fresh pineapple.

Finish: Long, peppery finish coupled with lemon and grapefruit. Quite dry.

Overall: The 46% gives this dram a satisfying, healthy ‘punch’ bringing out some great flavours.
An enjoyable dram from nose to finish and well worth allowing your tastebuds the opportunity to try!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) and Loch Lomond (@LochLomond3) for sending the samples and for producing such a tasty dram!

#LochLomond Flash Blog Participants:-

Andrew’s Share (by @Andrews_Share) Who also did an amazing job of compiling this list!

Danish Whisky Blog (by @Macdeffe)
Friends of Single Malt (German) (by @MrSingleMalt)
Kask Whisky (by @kaskwhisky)
Braw Spirit (by @brawspirit)
Somerset Whisky Blog (by @steveprentice)
Whisky Discovery (by @WhiskyDiscovery)
Scotch and Sci-Fi (by @dvdbloke)
whisk(e)y’s tweets (by @damian_murtagh)
Billy’s Booze Blog (by @cowfish)
Loving Whisky (by @ansgarspeller)
Whisky Apocalypse (by @WhiskyApocalyps)
WhiskyGeek’s tweets (by @Whi5kyGeek)
Mark’s WhiskyWhistle Video Review (by @WhiskyWhistle)
The Whiskyphiles (by @TheWhiskyphiles)
Malthound (by @malthound)
OCD Whisky (by @ocdwhisky)
craigleewatson (by @spikeydog120)
Whisky With Friends (Dutch) (by @WhiskyFriends)
Tom’s Whisky Reviews (by @TomsWhisky)
The Whisky Wire (by @TheWhiskyWire)
Whisky Girl (by @Girl_Whisky)
The Amateur Drammer (by @AmateurDrammer)
Todo Whisky (Spanish) (by @todowhisky)
WhiskyManc’s tweets (by @WhiskyManc)
Wee Whisky Review/DJ’s tweets (by @wWhiskyR)
The Finest Cut (by @TheFinestCut)
Whisky Corner (by @WhiskyCorner)
Pipes and Drams Tweet (by @PipesAndDrams)

Loch Lomond is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

  • Master of Malt
  • The Whisky Exchange
  • Whisky Online
  • The Green Welly Stop

Filed Under: Flash Blog, Loch Lomond, Sampling, The Whisky Wire, Whisky tasting

Grants Whisky Tweet Tasting – Quality At A Bargain Price!

August 4, 2016 by Gary 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:-

  • Master of Malt
  • The Whisky Exchange
  • The Green Welly Stop

Filed Under: Grants, Sampling, Twitter Tasting, Whisky tasting

Sampling Teeling’s The Revival Volume II – An Independent Spirit!

July 7, 2016 by Gary Leave a Comment

The Revival Volume II

The Revival Volume II

Teeling Whiskey has sent me a sample of their newly released The Revival Volume II .

The Revival Volume II & Tasting Glass!

The Revival Volume II & Tasting Glass!

This second bottling of “The Revival”, a limited edition Single Malt has been produced to mark the one year anniversary of its new distillery, the first in Dublin for over 125 years.

The Revival Volume II bottling consists of 13 Year Old Single Malt Irish whiskey distilled in 2002 and matured initially in ex-Bourbon casks. By finishing in 250 litre ex-Calvados French apple brandy casks an extra apple and pear character unique to Irish whiskey is imparted. Further by bottling at 46% ABV with no chill filtration completes an Irish whiskey of true character.

The one year anniversary of our new distillery is a major milestone in the history of Teeling Whiskey. Due to the overwhelming response to our first Revival release to mark our opening we decided to release a second celebratory bottling — The Revival Vol II.

We have again selected a very special whiskey to celebrate the Revival of distilling in Dublin with the first ever Calvados aged Irish whiskey. Our second bottling 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

The Revival Vol II 13 Year Old will retail for approximately £85.00.

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

Tasting Notes – Teeling Whiskey The Revival (46%)


Nose: Crisp green apples and tinned pears. Thick caramel infused with vanilla. Subtle aromas of wood.

Palate: Thick, pleasant mouthfeel. Rich fudge and caramel, apple and soaked christmas cake fruits.

Finish: Dry, spicy, peppery combined with sherbet sweetness that develops after a while. Fruity and pleasantly long.

Overall: A powerful alcohol hit to this dram but nicely tempered with peppery sweetness. Extremely enjoyable and all housed in the cutest whiskey miniature ever. A pleasure to add to my collection!

Many thanks to Teeling Whiskey (@TeelingWhiskey) for sending the samples and without whom!

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

  • Edencroft Fine Wine & Spirit Specialists
  • Abbey Whisky
  • Master of Malt
  • The Whisky Exchange
  • Whisky Online
  • The Whisky Barrel
  • The Green Welly Stop

Filed Under: Irish, Sampling, Teeling, Whisky tasting

The Glenlivet Cipher Twitter Tasting!

June 23, 2016 by Gary 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)

Filed Under: Glenlivet, Sampling, The Glenlivet, Twitter Tasting, Whisky tasting

Sampling Glen Moray’s New Sherry Cask Finish Whisky!

June 16, 2016 by Gary Leave a Comment

The new Sherry Cask Finish expression joins the Glen Moray Classic Collection

The new Sherry Cask Finish expression joins the Glen Moray Classic Collection

Glen Moray is a quality Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Elgin, the capital of Speyside, Scotland’s most famous whisky region. The distillery has been producing fine malt whisky, distilled in traditional copper stills, on the banks of the River Lossie since 1897.

The craft of producing Glen Moray Single Malt has been passed from generation to generation ensuring the legacy of the Glen Moray Distillery continues. In its lifetime, the distillery has known only five distillery managers; the most current being Graham Coull.

Whilst much has changed since distilling began, the ingredients have remained the same; ensuring Glen Moray has kept its authenticity and quality.

The Classic range of whiskies introduces consumers to an approachable and well-priced range, the latest of which is Glen Moray Classic Sherry Cask Finish. This dram offers a new twist on the traditional Glen Moray taste-profile by adding layers of rich and spicy sweetness to the spirit’s typically light and floral flavours of butterscotch and lemongrass.

Sherry Cask Finish is a celebration of the age old tradition of maturing whisky in the finest Oloroso sherry casks.

I select Glen Moray which has been maturing in American oak casks and transfer it to the highest quality sherry casks for a minimum of 8 months.

The resulting whisky is incredibly rich and satisfying.
– Graham Coull: Glen Moray Master Distiller

The new Sherry Cask Finish expression joins the Glen Moray Classic Collection including:-

  • Glen Moray Classic Single Malt
  • Glen Moray Classic Single Malt Port Finish
  • Glen Moray Classic Peated Single Malt

The Glen Moray Classic Collection is a wonderful introduction to the Glen Moray single malt range. The different expressions offer a variety of flavours and taste to suit the palate of every malt whisky drinker.

– Graham Coull: Glen Moray Master Distiller

I last sampled Glen Moray’s Drams just over a year ago so I was well pleased when they kindly sent me a sample of their new offering to try out.

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

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


Nose: Lovely sweet, fruity-ness. There’s crunchy, juicy, red apple and toffee caramel with a dash of spice. Quite delightful!

Palate: Sweet fruits and powerful alcohol. Woody shot through with vanilla. Some red apples with a caramel topping.

Finish: Spicy, peppery, dry finish with just enough sweetness to prevent harshness – quite long.

Overall: Tastes stronger than the 40% quoted which gives it some fiery Ooomph!

Tasty, satisfying and with an exceptionally good price of around £22.00 that is a combination that takes some beating!

Many thanks to Glen Moray, for sending the samples and if you want to visit Glen Moray, the distillery has a visitor centre which offers tours all year round!

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

  • The Whisky Exchange
  • Master of Malt
  • Edencroft Fine Wine & Spirit Specialists
  • Abbey Whisky
  • Whisky Online
  • The Whisky Barrel
  • The Green Welly Stop

Filed Under: Glen Moray, Sampling, Whisky tasting

Sampling Langatun Swiss Malt Whisky: Flavours That Widened My Smile To Maximum!

May 19, 2016 by Gary Leave a Comment

Two Strengths of Langatun 'Old Deer'

Two Strengths of Langatun ‘Old Deer’

Following last week’s UK launch of Langatun Swiss Single Malt Whisky I’ve been sent a couple of samples of their Old Deer drams.

With a history dating back to the 1860s, Hans Baumberger, grandson of the original founder Jakob Baumberger, reopened the Langatun Distillery in 2007. Imported by Angels’ Nectar proprietor Highfern Ltd, initially four triple distilled single malt bottlings from Langatun are being offered.

Old Deer is the distillery’s classic single malt, distilled from un-peated barley, fermented with an English stout yeast, and matured in sherry and chardonnay casks.

Bottled after six years maturation, Old Deer is offered at sipping strength of 40% and cask proof of 62.1% Vol.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Langatun ‘Old Deer’ Swiss Single Malt (40%)


Nose: Sweet, fruity tropical mix, pineapples, green apples and honeyed caramel – very thick and lush!

Palate: Again, sweet, fruity tropical mix on the tongue, just like it says on the nose!

Finish: Quite a dry finish that pulls at the tastebuds. With a nice mix of spice, grapefruit and ongoing sweetness.

Overall: A lovely dram, flavoursome and full of character. But … I’ve been spoilt as outlined below …

Tasting Notes – Langatun ‘Old Deer’ Swiss Single Malt (62.1%)


Nose: That’s some alcohol! Caramel but less sweet with alcohol soaked apples.

Palate: Mmm … very sweet and thick mouthfeel, fruity tropical mix on the tongue but much more acute Syrupy caramel and Xmas cake mix – all soaked in alcohol!

Finish: Hot! Spicy finish with that tanin dryness as before but not so pronounced. The sweetness tempers the hot alcohol fire as it attempts to numb the lips!

Overall: That’s one nice dram! The 40% is good but at this strength the brakes are released and the flavours are released to invade your senses!

If you can, go for this one – Yummy flavours and a delivery to the tastebuds that widened my smile to maximum!

Many thanks to Robert from Highfern Ltd for sending the samples!

Web: www.langatun.ch

Twitter: @langatunwhisky

Facebook: www.facebook.com/langatun

Langatun is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

  • Master of Malt
  • Drinkfinder, Hedonism Wines, Lincoln Whisky Shop, and Shop4Whisky

Filed Under: Langatun, Sampling, Switzerland, Whisky tasting

Sampling Elements of Islay ‘Peat’ – A Glowing Fireside Taste Extravaganza!

March 11, 2016 by Gary Leave a Comment

ELEMENTS of ISLAY PEAT - The Everyday Islay Dram

ELEMENTS of ISLAY PEAT – The Everyday Islay Dram

The Elements of Islay have a new addition to their range – Elements of Islay Peat – and at a great price too! (£34.95)

A range of whiskies that celebrate the core characteristics that make Islay whisky special

A range of whiskies that celebrate the core characteristics that make Islay whisky special

For this Peat Release, Elements of Islay have used whisky from a handful of distilleries across the island to create an Islay blended malt, focusing on Islay’s most famous flavour – peat – and it certainly delivers!

The Elements of Islay are a range of whiskies that celebrate the core characteristics that make Islay whisky special and unique.

The single malts in the range are bottled either as single casks or as small batches of between five and 20 carefully selected casks.

A symbol is used to identify the distillery, and each whisky is approved and signed by a whisky authority as a mark of its quality.

Additionally, no age or vintage statement is used as the measure of a whisky’s quality. The Elements of Islay range is all about the excellence of the whisky.

No vintage or age statement is declared. To put it simply – they don’t think one is needed!

Tasting Notes: Peat – Elements of Islay Blended Whisky (59.3%)

Not chill-filtered and no colouring is added.


Nose: Rich, peaty smokiness abounds with aromas of woody bonfires. There’s salty caramel and chocolate in there as well with a little sweetness.

Palate: Thick mouthfeel, creamy alcohol on the tongue giving way to an intensely peaty hit. This is backed up by charcoal and fruity sweetness.

Finish: Powerful spice, salt n’ pepper and smoke with a sweet fruitiness to balance. Some tobacco and leather. Long and tasty!

Overall: A mighty dram for sure! It’s alcohol strength give it the power to be a satisfying, peaty heavy hitter.
Accidental Tip: Warming the glass in your hands turns the spirit into a lovely, glowing fireside mouthfeel and taste extravaganza!

Many thanks to The Whisky Exchange for sending the sample.

Filed Under: Elements of Islay, Sampling, The Whisky Exchange, Whisky tasting

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