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

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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:-

Sampling The Angels’ Nectar ‘Rich Peat’ Edition – Smokin!

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The Rich Peat Edition

The Rich Peat Edition

Robert from Angels’ Nectar Whisky recently sent me a sample of their new Rich Peat Edition Scotch Whisky. Created from a selection of Highland malts and bottled at a punchy 46%.

Like the First Edition, the Rich Peat Edition bottle features an Angel shaped fractal design

Like the First Edition, the Rich Peat Edition bottle features an Angel shaped fractal design

I reviewed their first offering a year ago and I was mightily impressed so I was well chuffed to be offered a chance to savour their latest offering.

The Angels’ Nectar Rich Peat Edition has been released by Highfern Ltd, a young drinks business founded by Robert Ransom and based in Grantown-on-Spey.

Commenting on the release Robert said; “Its great to see our range of malts expand. International interest in the Rich Peat Edition has also been particularly exciting.”

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Angels Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Rich Peat Edition ( 46% )

Like the original Angels Nectar, the Rich Peat Edition is again, a very pale dram.


Nose: Smokey and peaty with an inviting bonfire aroma that seems to soak into your tastebuds! It develops into rich fruity sweetness and thick treacle.

Palate: Well balanced peat n’ smoke with the spicy sweetness of stewed fruit and dark chocolate.

Finish: The sweet fruit pulls it’s weight and the spicy peat goes on and on coupled with tastes of tobacco and a little tanin grapefruit.

A blended peaty malt that doesn’t fail to deliver. I love the smokey, bonfire aromas and tastes and the rich fruit and chocolate make a nice counter flavour. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to Robert and the team at Angels Nectar for sending the sample!

You can catch up with them on Twitter (@angelsnectar) & Facebook: (angelsnectarwhisky)

Angels Nectar is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

  • Master of Malt
  • The Green Welly Stop
  • Elephants in the Pantry (Grantown), Deli Mair (Aviemore), Dow’s (Boat of Garten), Nickolls & Perks (Stourbridge) & Speyside Centre (Grantown).

Twitter Tasting Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old!

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Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old

Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old

The last Twitter Tasting before Christmas (for me at least) gave us Drammy Tweeters the chance to sample the Jack Ryan Beggars Bush 12 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey.

Steve from The Whisky Wire guided us through the proceedings and if you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #JackRyanWhiskey on Twitter.

It’s been over 100 years since the Ryan family started their association with Whiskey. It was back in 1913 that the ‘Beggars Bush’ Pub was purchased on Haddington Road, Dublin by Thomas Ryan, Jack Ryans Father.

Thomas would buy Whiskey and finish it in Bourbon, Sherry and sometimes Port casks. His techniques were perfected overtime and further refined by his son Jack, buying malts from the Dublin Whiskey Distillery. This continued until the demise of Ireland’s independant distilleries, mainly through loss of sales due to prohibition in the USA.

To celebrate 100 years, their 12 Year Old has been reproduced using their traditional family methods and this dedication was rewarded when their 12 Year Old won the Irish Whiskey Awards 2014 Best Irish Single Malt Whiskey in the 12 years and younger category.

In addition to a limited edition Cask Strength 12 Year Old variant (bottled at 56.5%) @JackRyansIrish has just released Jack Ryan Centenary 15 Year Old, released by the family to mark the centenary of the birth of Jack Ryan.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Jack Ryan Beggars Bush Whiskey 12 Year Old (46%)

Matured in ex-Bourbon barrels hand picked by the family themselves with no chill filtration.

Nose: Nice and oaky with some sweet vanilla. Fruity, green apples et al. There’s some tasty spice in there as well – very inviting!

Palate: Lush tropical fruits including pineapple and melon, slightly syrupy with a hint of vanilla! Hint of grapefruit and citrus giving it some bite.

Finish: A touch of aniseed mixed with the pineapple, spicy, peppery, lemon to finish. Quite punchy with a morish dryness that balances the sweetness off nicely!

Overall: Lovely dram and at a good strength too – a Xmas sipper for sure!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great dram evening and the team at Jack Ryan Whiskey (@JackRyansIrish) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@MaltMad @WhiskyMattY @whiskyfreak123 @TheWhiskyKiwi @WhiskyCorner @WhiskyDiscovery @bobsta1975 @msykesjones @tomlavin1 @RLemkin @whiskytube @brawspirit @cache1337 @NeilMacKinnon1 @julie_gwc @TheWhiskyphiles @CoupleODrams @steveprentice @B_R_74 @rodbodtoo @stepheny7168 @WonderingWhisky @WhiskyFriends @WhiskySpeller

Jack Ryan Whiskey is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Teeling “Revival” Twitter Tasting – A Glorious Taste Of Two Halves!

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“The Revival” - limited to only 10,000 bottles!

“The Revival” – limited to only 10,000 bottles!

The Teeling “Revival” Twitter Tasting made a gloomy Monday a lot brighter this week as Steve from The Whisky Wire took us through another new release, this time from the well renowned Teeling Whiskey Distillery.

The Teeling “Revival” is a commemorative bottling to mark the opening of its new distillery in Dublin. Released as a limited edition 15 Year Old Single Malt, it marks the opening of their new distillery, the first in Dublin for over 125 years.

The Revival 15 Year Old Single Malt Irish whiskey was distilled in 1999, being matured exclusively in ex-Rum casks and bottled at 46% with no chill filtration to create a unique Irish whiskey taste experience.

This new release is part of an updated Teeling Vintage Reserve Collection which is made up of small, limited batch releases of very old and rare Irish Single Malt whiskeys.

There will be three different bottlings ranging in age and price points. The Revival being the first followed by a 24 and 33 year old bottling of Irish Single Malt whiskey.

The opening of our new distillery was a major milestone in the history of Teeling Whiskey. It took three years of planning, hard work and significant capital investment, but now Teeling Whiskey is finally home.
– Jack Teeling: Teeling Whiskey Company founder

The Revival 15 Year Old is limited to only 10,000 bottles and will retail for around £85.00.

Available in Ireland through the Teeling Distillery Gift Shop in Newmarket Dublin 8, Dublin Airport and the Celtic Whiskey Stop, it will then be rolled out to international markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Australia.

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

Here are my thoughts …

Tasting Notes – Teeling ‘The Revival’ 15 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey (46%)

Nose: Some nice woody notes right there at the beginning, then green apples, a touch of vanilla and caramel with sugary tropical fruits – all very inviting! Cereal notes come thru right at the end.

Palate: Rich, sweet, tropical fruits: pineapple, mango et al. Serious bit of pepper & spice there also: warming my cockles etc!

Finish: Grapefruit mixed in with vanilla and syrup – all yummy! ‘Tis a short finish but a hot n’ spicy, peppery one – with a touch of fruity sweetness to cool the journey 🙂

Overall: A dram of two distinct halves: So sweet with a little spice that gives way to very spicy tempered with some sweetness.

A very pleasant way to spoil one’s tastebuds on a Monday eve!

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

My fellow Tweeters were:-


@GreatDrams @WhiskyQuarterly @DrinksEnthusist @Andrews_Share @MaltActivist @AmateurDrammer @kaskwhisky @mynameisgone @MaltBox @Nickolls_Perks @whiskytube @whiskyrepublic @tomlavin1 @blucey26 @MaltKlaus @Pandemoniumd01 @julianmaechler @WonderingWhisky @MrSingleMalt @Macdeffe @WhiskySpeller @WhiskyFriends @LaCaveDeCobalt

Teeling is available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-

The Highland Park Tweet Tasting – It Was A Dark & Smoky Night!

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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:-

Sampling The PORT ASKAIG 100° PROOF!

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PORT ASKAIG 100° PROOF

PORT ASKAIG 100° PROOF

Port Askaig is a range of Islay Single Malts, first created in 2009, that achieve the perfect balance of sweet, fruity flavours and smoky, peaty character.
Speciality Drinks has introduced a new core line product in the PORT ASKAIG 100° PROOF. An Islay whisky being offered at cask strength and at a reasonable price, Port Askaig 100° Proof is designed to fill a gap in the market.

Prepare to have some hairs put on your chest!

Prepare to have some hairs put on your chest!

The village of port Askaig sits on the east coast of Islay. One of Scotland’s most stunning areas, for centuries it has been the gateway to Islay, with a road leading to the centre of the island and the seat of the Lord of the Isles at Finlaggan.

There is no distillery at Port Askaig though – instead, selected casks from the distilleries around Islay are used. All their whiskies are bottled as single malts – that is, the product of one distillery – and all represent the complex and beguiling nature of this beautiful island.

Port Askaig 100° Proof is available to buy from The Whisky Exchange.

Tasting Notes – Port Askaig 100° Proof (57.1%)

Nose: Incredibly pale dram – almost see through! Peaty aromas straight away with smoke and charcoal following closely behind. A little bit of popcorn reminiscent of moonshine.

Palate: Lovely smokey, zingy flavours with an underlying sweetness. Mouthfeel had an anaesthetic quality which was not un-pleasant!

Finish: Burnt flavours: smokey, woody, sweet but not too peppery. There’s fiery aplenty though!

Overall: Well that packs quite a punch and no mistake! Deffo hints of a new make spirit in there which gives it a raw kind of energy. A dram that certainly hasn’t had it’s corners rounded off!
Prepare to have some hairs put on your chest!
£44.95

Cheers to Speciality Drinks (@SpecialityDrink) for sending the sample!

The Crown Royal ‘Deluxe’ Tweet Tasting!

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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:-

Sampling The ARRAN 2000 Private Cask: A Whisky Exchange Exclusive!

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ARRAN 2000 Private Cask #1106 TWE Exclusive

ARRAN 2000
Private Cask #1106 TWE Exclusive

Once again, Billy (@cowfish) and The Whisky Exchange (@WhiskyExchange) have spoilt me by sending another sample from their range of new whisky exclusives.

Today I have the ardous task of sampling their ARRAN 2000 14 Years Old. Oh! Poor me!

Based in Lochranza on the Isle of Arran, Isle of Arran Distillers is one of the few remaining independent distilleries in Scotland.

They use only the traditional methods of distilling, with wooden washbacks and copper stills. Their location off the west coast between Ayrshire and Kintyre offers perfect water for whisky production, cleansed by granite and softened by peat as it comes down from the mountain above.

Their the sea breezes and clear mountain air together with the warm flow of the Gulf Stream matures the Arran Malt to perfection in earth floored warehouses.

Tasting Notes – ARRAN 2000 14 Years Old TWE Exclusive (55.5%)

A 14 Year Old (2000) Distillery Bottling. Matured in a bourbon cask & Non-Chill Filtered, 197 bottles were produced in August 2015. It’s Cask Number is 2000/1106.

Nose: A subtle hint of spice and fruit. Then there’s apples and vanilla fudge aplenty after leaving a little while to breathe.

Palate: A pleasant mix of pepper, spice and sweet cake mixture with a little liquorice thrown in for good measure.

Finish: A smooth, short finish with a lovely flavour of spiciness and sweetness.

Overall: The 55% gives this dram some power but don’t worry, it’s all controlled in a very civilised way. The balance of sweetness and spice is a joy to taste! A dram to enjoy while watching terrible weather forecasts all cosied up by the fire!
£70.95

Cheers to Billy (@cowfish) and The Whisky Exchange (@WhiskyExchange) for sending the samples!

Sampling The Kilchoman 2010 Single Cask Whisky Exchange Exclusive!

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KILCHOMAN 2010 SINGLE CASK

KILCHOMAN 2010 SINGLE CASK

I’m a bit of a fan of Kilchoman Whisky, as these past tasting blogs will certainly testify (Whisky Tasting: Kilchoman’s Port Cask Matured! & Tasting Notes – Kilchoman 5YO Exclusive Bottling From Abbey Whisky!).

So, I was most pleased when I received a sample of KILCHOMAN 2010 SINGLE CASK PX Finish courtesy of Billy (@cowfish).

This release is an exclusive from The Whisky Exchange and, as usual, The Kilchoman did not fail to deliver.

Tasting Notes – KILCHOMAN 2010 SINGLE CASK PX Finish: TWE Exclusive (58.3%)

A 4 Year Old 2010 Vintage packed exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. Finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks with the Cask Number 679/2010. A total of 262 Bottles were produced in September 2015.

Nose: Lovely, smokey, peaty notes hit you straight away. There’s some fruit coming thru mixed with wood and sugar n’ vanilla.

Palate: Luscious mouthfeel with a powerful alcohol hit consisting of a heady mix of peat, charred wood and sherry sweetness. Add some Xmas cake fruity sweetness and that’s a whole lot of flavour going on!

Finish: Long, smooth finish – there’s pepper and a fiery syrupness. All well tempered with a sweetness that belies it’s 58+% strength. Little bit of tanin, ash and tobacco at the end.

Overall: A fantastic Kilchoman edition that sits very nicely with the rest of the range. As ever, Kilchoman is only produced in limited amounts ( only 262 Bottles for this batch) so if you want to experience this tasty dram don’t twiddle your keyboard thumbs for too long!
£89.95

Cheers to Billy (@cowfish) and The Whisky Exchange (@WhiskyExchange) for sending the samples!

Paul John Whisky: The Tweet Tasters Get Bold!

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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:-

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