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The SMWS Christmas Whisky Advent Calendar Countdown Has Begun!

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The SMWS Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown Has Begun!

The SMWS Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown Has Begun!

Have You Got Yours?
They are still available (currently 79) but will go fast as they are now reduced to £159!

Buy your SMWS Advent Calendar here and have fun catching up!

The Countdown has started! Enjoy the run up to Christmas with 25 (not just your usual 24!) different spirited casks!

The SMWS Advent Calendar Countdown!
DAY 1 Tasting Notes
– “Butchershop Quartet” Cask No: 68.38 (57.9%)


9 Years old

Juicy Oak & Vanilla flavour profile

Cask Type: Re-Charred Hogshead
Origin: Scotland
Region: Highland
Distillery: Blair Athol
ABV: 57.9%

Rarely seen as a single malt, almost all spirit from Distillery 63.38 is destined for blending (it is a major contributor to Bells Blended Scotch Whisky).



Nose: Crisp, green apples. Attractive sweet cake spice with white oak vanilla. Later on there’s creamy peach and cashew nuts.

Palate: Nice mouthfeel with cane sweetness, creamy apple pie and chocolate.

Finish: A warming peppery glow which quickly builds in strength ending in a dry finish.

Overall: A winter warmer for sure but also with shades of Summer just gone.

Priced at £159 this Limited edition Advent Calendar contains whisky miniatures for every day in the run up to Christmas and contains some very special drams indeed!

25 Gems of drams!

Housed in a beautiful box to increase the magic, you’ll find a Society whisky surprise behind each calendar door! Designed to thrill the senses these 25ml bottles are packed full of taste and flavour. In addition these mini-gems are also a great opportunity to discover a new favourite flavour profile as well as taste and explore bottlings that you might not have tried before.

The set also makes a great choice if you’re hosting this holiday season – perfect as a festive table favour at Christmas or New Year!

As each day dawns you can also see Society Notes on that days dram by visiting the 25casks webpage.

You can also catch-up on what fellow Society Members thoughts are on each whisky by visiting the hashtag #25casks on Twitter.

Many thanks to SMWS (@SMWSUK) who have kindly sent me an Advent Calendar to sample over the run up to Christmas!

I shall be posting my tasting thoughts each day starting from December 1st. (obviously!) when I open each dramming window to savour the delights of the Calendar!

You will find my thoughts on each days whisky on this special page!

Explore Christmas at the SMWS with these Useful links:-

No peeking!

About The SMWS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a club unlike any other.

As well as being a place to connect with other like-minded whisky lovers, they are also internationally renowned for their mission: “to provide our members with an adventurous and fun journey of discovery of the world’s widest collection of single cask whiskies.”

Conceptualised in the late 70’s and established in 1983, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, now 35 years old, has branches and partners bars in 19 countries globally. The Society has a selection of over 500 casks every year, each cask yielding a few hundred or less whisky bottles which are unique to that cask.

Rather than name their Whiskies after the distillery, the Society has a coding system. The Society also creates fantastic tasting notes summaries for their Whiskies and other bottles. The whiskies are straight from the cask single malt, undiluted, without chill-filtration or colouring at cask strength.

More recently the Society has been named Independent Bottler of the Year in Whisky Magazine’s prestigious Independent Bottlers’ Challenge (IBC) competition.

Sampling Offerings From Limestone Branch Distillery On Twitter … And Why I Changed My Mind On Which I Like The Best!

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The Limestone Branch Distillery Lineup!

Last Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample three offerings from Limestone Branch Distillery.

The distillery was first opened in 2011 and was founded by seventh-generation distillers and brothers Stephen and Paul Beam.

The drinks sampled were:-

  • Bowling & Burch Gin
  • Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey
  • Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #LimestoneBranchDistillery on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Bowling & Burch Gin (48%)


Bowling & Burch Gin
48% ABV
A small batch gin crafted using 19 botanicals
Currently only available in the US
RRP $39.99

Bowling & Burch Gin which takes its name and inspiration from the Beam brothers ancestors, was created by Stephen Beam, and is the result of his green fingers and passion for experimentation.

8 of the 19 botanicals used to produce Bowling & Burch Gin were grown at the distillery; bitter orange, black cherry, honeysuckle, rosemary, lemon grass, lemon verbena, blackberry and coriander.


Nose: Pungent juniper, strong lemon with hints of orange and thyme. In addition, fresh cut cucumber with additional grapefruit gives way to slight waxiness and there’s also some pepper.

Palate: Sweet and very herbal with tasty lemon and orange. Growing pepper and chocolate.

Finish: The juniper and grapefruit storm through later. With tonic it becomes more savoury.

Overall: This is a gin that’s quite something in its neat state!

Tasting Notes – Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey (45%)


Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey
2 Years Old
45% ABV
Finished in Sherry casks
Available from houseofmalt.co.uk for £44.95

Minor Case Straight Rye, was created by Stephen and Paul Beam, whose grandfather (Minor Case) was making whiskey long before prohibition started 100 years ago, and the brothers still use the same recipes and distilling notes today.


Nose: Deep citrus, lovely toffee, spiced fruit cake and mint! Creamy chocolate with some sweet wood.

Palate: Thinnish, fruity mouthfeel with bubble gum, sweet toffee, spicy cake, cinnamon, chocolate and raspberry.

Finish: There’s just enough peppery spice to offset the sweetness and it all goes down rather glowingly!

Overall: Quite a dram for only two years old – seriously fruity!

Tasting Notes – Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon (50%)


Yellowstone Family Recipe
Kentucky Straight Bourbon
6 Years Old
50% ABV
Currently only available in the US
RRP $69.99

Yellowstone Family Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon, is truly a family heirloom, passed down for generations. Stephen Beam, Master Distiller at Limestone Branch Distillery, unearthed the original Yellowstone recipe scribed in a notebook from his grandfather, Guy Beam.

That very same recipe, coupled with the original yeast cloned from Minor Case’s jug, was used to distil Yellowstone Family Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon


Nose: Toasted peanuts, nut brittle, fresh wet wood and apple.

Palate: Ooh! Sweet nuts! Dusky nuts, all things nuts! Plus some caramel, citrus and pineapple to even the score.

Finish: There’s some fiery spice to finish this – watch out!

Overall: Gotta’ love them nuts!

My Favourite On The Night

I originally voted for Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon on the night whereas most tasters chose the Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey. On a subsequent tasting I had to change my mind and agree with them – Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey is quite exceptional considering it’s young age – full of fruit and class!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Limestone Branch Distillery (@ChapmanPoolePR) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @SpiritAndWood @whiskyrover @ForTheDram @whiskyodyssey @sprungatom @WhiskyWings @FiShoop @WhiskyAlly @MaltMusings @ocdwhisky @jwbassman_ @Wadz73 @AndyatDram @TheWhiskyphiles @whiskygraeme @WhiskyWithMolly @Jotterface @rodbodtoo @WhiskyLee232 @TallmanFM @CEVokins @LeedsWine @TipsySassenach

Sampling “Dram o’ clock” (Cask No: 9.222) – An SMWS Whisky That’s A Tasty, Gentle Giant Of A Dram!

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“Dram o’ clock” Cask No: 9.222!


The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Black Friday Offer Ends This Sunday!


Save £15 when you buy an SMWS Membership and get a Mystery Malt for £45!

Valid until Sunday 27th. November

Don’t forget an SMWS Membership gives you 12 months of whisky fun and entertainment and included in the Membership fee is access to their Members’ Rooms where there are limited-edition bottles that are just perfect for gifting, sharing and sparking conversation around the dinner table or comfy armchair!

With Twenty whiskies released every month and a selection available online from over 120 distilleries – what is there not to like?

So, with the above fantastic offer in mind I’ve kindly been sent a bottle of one their cask bottlings to try, namely “Dram o’ clock” (Cask No: 9.222) which is a whisky profiled as ‘Juicy Oak & Vanilla’ – and the stock of which has nearly run out!

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

The 9.222

Tasting Notes – “Dram o’ clock” Cask No: 9.222 (62.9%)


“Dram o’ clock”
Cask No: 9.222
13 Years old

Juicy Oak & Vanilla flavour profile

Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
Distillery: Glen Grant
Origin: Scotland
Region: Speyside
ABV: 62.9%

£62.00 – Only 5 left in stock!

Nose: Quite a slow starter on the nose for me. After a little time I get sweet toffee, vanilla and fresh apple. There’s delicate shades of oak and some floral notes for good measure as well.

Palate: Creamy vanilla biscuit coupled with sweet apple and a little citrus.

Finish: A very smooth finish with some muted spice. A woody, dry finish on the palate but it remains sweet and fruity throughout.

Overall: Considering the high ABV of this whisky it is rather a gentle giant of a dram – and that’s quite a tasty achievement!

Adding water turned the ‘alcohol volume’ down somewhat bringing forward many its flavours.

Many thanks to SMWS (@SMWSUK) for sending me a botle to try!

Explore Christmas at the SMWS with these Useful links:-

About The SMWS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a club unlike any other.

As well as being a place to connect with other like-minded whisky lovers, they are also internationally renowned for their mission: “to provide our members with an adventurous and fun journey of discovery of the world’s widest collection of single cask whiskies.”

Conceptualised in the late 70’s and established in 1983, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, now 35 years old, has branches and partners bars in 19 countries globally. The Society has a selection of over 500 casks every year, each cask yielding a few hundred or less whisky bottles which are unique to that cask.

Rather than name their Whiskies after the distillery, the Society has a coding system. The Society also creates fantastic tasting notes summaries for their Whiskies and other bottles. The whiskies are straight from the cask single malt, undiluted, without chill-filtration or colouring at cask strength.

More recently the Society has been named Independent Bottler of the Year in Whisky Magazine’s prestigious Independent Bottlers’ Challenge (IBC) competition.

Sampling “Toast rack” (Cask No: 64.130) – An SMWS Dram Whisky That Packs A Great Palate Punch!

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“Toast rack” Cask No: 64.130!


The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Black Friday Offer Ends Soon!


Save £15 when you buy an SMWS Membership and get a Mystery Malt for £45!

Valid until Sunday 27th. November

The SMWS bottle exceptional and colourful whiskies that are ever-changing and exclusive to their members with over 20 released every month and a selection available online from over 120 distilleries.

An SMWS Membership is also a gift that keeps on giving, 12 months of whisky fun and entertainment and their Members’ Rooms are just as special as their whisky and together, deliver a one-of-a-kind magical experience that truly comes alive during the winter season!

So, with the above fantastic offer in mind I’ve kindly been sent a bottle of one their cask bottlings to try, namely “Toast rack” (Cask No: 64.130) which is a whisky profiled as ‘Juicy Oak & Vanilla’ – and the stock of which are quickly running out!

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

The 64.130

Tasting Notes – “Toast rack” Cask No: 64.130 (58.7%)

Juicy Oak & Vanilla
“Toast rack”
Cask No: 64.130
Cask Type: 1st fill American & European Oak Hogshead
Distillery: Mannochmore
Origin: Scotland
ABV: 58.7%
£65.90 – Only 6 left!

After nine years in ex-bourbon wood, this whisky was transferred to a custom toasted oak hogshead (60% American oak, 40% European)


Nose: Rich, creamy toffee and vanilla with apple, lemon a little orange. There’s aromas of damp wood. Later on some very nice chocolate makes it’s presence felt which is very inviting indeed!

Palate: Generous toffee with apple, lemon plus a little orange (similar to the nose) Add in chocolate, blackcurrant and liquorice all atop a hefty ABV and you’ll see why this whisky packs a great palate punch!

Finish: A deep warming spice with cracked black pepper and a little dryness at the end.

Overall: An outstanding dram that also works very well with water. An addition of a few drops brings out a lush sweetness and expands the other flavours with lots more chocolate and some grapefruit on the finish.

Many thanks to SMWS (@SMWSUK) for sending me a botle to try!

Explore Christmas at the SMWS with these Useful links:-

About The SMWS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a club unlike any other.

As well as being a place to connect with other like-minded whisky lovers, they are also internationally renowned for their mission: “to provide our members with an adventurous and fun journey of discovery of the world’s widest collection of single cask whiskies.”

Conceptualised in the late 70’s and established in 1983, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, now 35 years old, has branches and partners bars in 19 countries globally. The Society has a selection of over 500 casks every year, each cask yielding a few hundred or less whisky bottles which are unique to that cask.

Rather than name their Whiskies after the distillery, the Society has a coding system. The Society also creates fantastic tasting notes summaries for their Whiskies and other bottles. The whiskies are straight from the cask single malt, undiluted, without chill-filtration or colouring at cask strength.

More recently the Society has been named Independent Bottler of the Year in Whisky Magazine’s prestigious Independent Bottlers’ Challenge (IBC) competition.

Sampling The Wares Of The Glasgow Distillery: Three Whiskies, Two Rums & A Whole Lot Of Flavour!

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Three whiskies and two rums!

Three whiskies and two rums were the treats we could look forward to with last Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire!

They all hailed from the Glasgow Distillery who also produce blended Whisky, Gin and Vodka!

On the night we sampled:-

  • 1770 Original
  • 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish
  • 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish
  • Banditti Glasgow Spiced Rum
  • Banditti Smoky Rogues Rum

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #GlasgowDistillery on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – 1770 Original (46%)


Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Casks: Initially matured in first fill-ex Bourbon barrels, before being finished in Virgin oak casks
ABV: 46%
£49.00

Glasgow 1770 The Original is their Flagship unpeated bottling. ItÕs a true representation of the whisky they produce and showcases their production philosophy and dedication to quality.

Nose: Creamy toffee with some apple and pineapple in there for good measure. Spicy wood with hints of chocolate and the spice gets fruitier with the passing of time.

Palate: Fruity cane sweetness with powerful orange, pineapple and toffee.

Finish: A warming spice that grows in pepperiness with grapefruit and some salt coming along at the end.

Overall: A great go-to dram.

Tasting Notes – 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish (58%)


Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Casks: Initially matured in first-fill Bourbon barrels, before being finished in Hungarian Tokaji wine casks
ABV: 58%
£59.00 (Coming Soon)


Nose: Thick caramel and peanut butter with apple, pineapple and shades of clove and jasmine tea. (Thanks to @fishoop for that one!) Creamy strawberries damp wood add up to a very inviting nose!

Palate: Sherbet fruity sweetness with pineapple and creamy strawberries – Yum! Tingling, fizzy spice on the tongue couples with chocolate. The spice is pretty powerfull – I think my mouth is a little numb!

Finish: Woody with again a salty end.

Overall: A really lovely dram with bags of flavour and profile!

Tasting Notes – 1770 Golden Beer Cask Finish (56.2%)


Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Casks: First-fill Bourbon, then finished in a PX Sherry cask that held Innis & Gunn Golden Beer for 3 months.
ABV: 56.2%
£59.00 (Coming Soon)


Nose: A bit quieter this one … woody with cream but a very shy dram overall! More beery notes come through later with toffee and some woody overtones.

Palate: A subtle initial palate. Woody with sweet chocolate and there’s some lovely fruit there as well with creamy malt.

Finish: Nutty and very spicy. It’s also a pretty dry finish.

Tasting Notes – Banditti Glasgow Spiced Rum (44%)


Casks: Matured for up to 12 months in oak barrels
ABV: 44% ABV
£25.00

Banditti Club Rum Ð Glasgow Spiced is matured and spiced in Glasgow, made using rum distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice on the Island of Madeira.

Banditti Club takes its name from a company of bold rogues who would meet in GlasgowÕs local public houses; singing, eating and playing music late into the night.

Nose: Ah! Delightful – liquid Christmas cake in a glass! Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and orange! Sweet and minty, herbal menthol (which is a surprise) arrives after a while sat sitting in a glass.

Palate: Not at all rum like: minty, herbal, menthol with lemon!

Finish: Sweet orange and ginger with some peppery spice.

Tasting Notes – Banditti Smoky Rogues Rum (52.2%)


Casks: Initially matured in oak casks, before being finished for 18 months in Glasgow 1770 Peated whisky casks
ABV: 52.2% ABV
£28.00

Launched earlier this month, Banditti Club Rum Ð Smoky Rogues, is a limited-edition, single cask incarnation of their Glasgow Spiced rum, which has been finished in peated whisky casks.

Nose: Musky rooms, cloves and mince pies. Cinnamon, nutmeg follows, similar to the Banditti Glasgow Spiced Rum.

Palate: Quite medicinal with sweet herbs, cloves and menthol.

Finish: The medicinal flavours continue and it’s all wrapped up in a slightly smokey coat!

My Favourites On The Night

1. 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish
2. Banditti Smoky Rogues Rum

A lovely dram with all it’s fruity and spicy goodness and that rum is REALLY different!

Catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say with #GlasgowDistillery on Twitter

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Glasgow Distillery (@GlasgowDC) for sending the samples and without whom!

Whiskies and Rums are available to buy from The Glasgow Distillery

Glasgow Distillery wares are also available to buy from these Merchants:-

Sampling Four Speyside Distillery Whiskies – But Which One Is My ‘Desert Island Dram’?!

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The Four Speyside Distillery Whiskies Sampled!

Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us the opportunity to sample the wares of The Speyside Distillery; a mid-week savouring of four great drams!

The whiskies sampled were:-

  • Spey Trutina
  • Spey Chairman’s Choice
  • Beinn Dubh
  • Spey Fumare

Production at The Speyside Distillery started in 1990. The distillery took its name from the original distillery of the same name, located in Kingussie, which was operational from around 1895 – 1911.

The distillery is small in comparison with it’s closest neighbours (Dalwhinnie & Tomatin), with a 4.2 ton Semi-Lauter mash tun, 4 stainless steel washbacks and one pair of stills (11,000 wash & 8000 spirit).

Speyside Distillery uses a wide range of casks. The majority of these are American ex-bourbon barrels, but they also use casks sourced from Spain, Portugal and France.

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #SpeysideDistillery on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

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

Tasting Notes – Spey Trutina (46%)

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon

SPEY Trutina, which takes its name from the latin for ‘honest & pure’, is said to signify the natural, simple characteristics of the Speyside Distillery. This release is limited to 18,000 individually numbered bottles.


Nose: Sherbet sweetness with green apples and some citrus. Some toffee notes and after a while the citrus increases with the addition of some herbs. In fact the nose started to remind me of a gin!

Palate: Strong lemon citrus balanced by sugary sweetness and chocolate.

Finish: Dry and powerful spicy pepper which is rather Yummy! The palate gets quite bitter at the end.

Tasting Notes – Spey Chairman’s Choice (40%)


Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon and Sherry

On Christmas Day in 1787, John Harvey (acting in his capacity as Chairman of the company) personally selected the whisky to be used only by family. John Harvey called this exclusive and secret family whisky, SPEY “Chairman’s Choice”.


Nose: Creamy caramel with sherry – tremendous! I also picked up some wood with dark vanilla fruits.

Palate: Thin mouthfeel with juicy sweet fruits and a little coffee and chocolate.

Finish: There’s some nice spice to this one and the chocolate gets creamier and creamier but I’m wondering (with the light mouthfeel) what the cask strength would be like? I reckon gorgeous!

Tasting Notes – Beinn Dubh (43%)


Beinn Dubh
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon barrels before being finished in heavily toasted Ruby Port casks

Beinn Dubh, which means Black Mountain, has been produced using water from the Cairngorm Black Mountain, and finished in heavily toasted Ruby Port casks from The Douro Valley.

Nose: What an inviting looking dram this is! On the nose there’s rich dark fruits with red wine and vanilla. It gets more porty as time goes on with some added coffee.

Palate: Port and dark chocolate in abundance! Dark fruits including prunes, wood, creamy vanilla and a little licorice.

Finish: The spiciness grows but there’s sweet coffee and chocolate aplenty to keep it in check!

Tasting Notes – Spey Fumare (46%)


SPEY Fumare
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
AGE: NAS
Casks: Bourbon

SPEY Fumare, was the first ever peated distillery bottling and is produced using peated barley, which the distillery only uses for a small part of the year (December). A limited release of 18,000 individually numbered bottles.

Nose: Ooh! smokehouse peat is back! Savoury liquid BBQ smoke with some sweet fruitiness and snack inducing peat aromas!

Palate: Rich fruity smoke and peat with antiseptic overtones but a pleasant sweetness levels things up nicely.

Finish: Punchy pepper at the end!

Overall: This could easily be one of my ‘Desert Island Drams’ – staring into my homemade fire on the beach!

My Favourite On The Night

1. Beinn Dubh
2. Fumare

I do love a peat dram but maybe it’s the time of year because the Christmas dram ‘Beinn Dubh’ really wins it for me! Christmas dram contender anyone?

Speyside Distillery Whiskies can be bought directly from thesnugspeysidedistillery

Speyside Distillery Whiskies are also available to buy from these Merchants:-

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Speyside Distillery (@SpeySingleMalt) for sending the samples and without whom!

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyWings @TallmanFM @whiskygraeme @RealDramRob @PadWhisky @sprungatom @PhilScott101 @whiskyodyssey @BillyCowan @FiShoop @StillSurreal @rodbodtoo @pswhisky @CEVokins @DramofWar @WhiskyWithMolly @jwbassman_ @KiltedDrammer @ExeterWhisky @WhiskyUnplugged @moonbites @TwoWhiskyBros @TheWhiskyphiles

Sampling Fettercairn Scottish Oak 18 Year Old Whisky – A Dram That Really Spoils The Senses!

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Fettercairn Scottish Oak 18 Year Old!

Fettercairn distillery has entered a new age with its launch of their 18 Years Old single malt and their first ever whisky finished in locally sourced Scottish Oak!

“At Fettercairn we are passionate about the potential of Scottish Oak and the unique flavour characteristics it offers to the whisky maker.” – Gregg Glass

Brought to life through their ground-breaking Scottish Oak programme and calling on a 100% finish in Scottish oak sourced from the Scottish Highlands, this whisky represents a long-term vision coming to life. Born from an initiative which extends far beyond cask production to the creation of a circular economy and the future-proofing Scottish Oak for the next generation of whisky makers.

Progressive and innovative in style and substance, this whisky celebrates what makes Fettercairn different – from the surprisingly tropical house style achieved by the distinctive copper cooling ring distillation; to their future focused, innovative approach to local sourcing and working with the land in Aberdeenshire – ‘The Garden of Scotland’.

Fettercairn 18 is a culmination of an approach to whisky making I have developed across a number of years. This first release reflects the dedication not just of myself, but of our partners ‘from Forest to Field’, who each played a role in rekindling the skills required to harvest Scottish Oak.

At Fettercairn we are passionate about the potential of Scottish Oak and the unique flavour characteristics it offers to the whisky maker.
– Gregg Glass: Master Whisky Maker

Fettercairn has kindly sent me a sample of the 18 Year Old to try.
Cheers fettercairnwhisky.com (@FettercairnWh) for the opportunity!

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

Tasting Notes – Fettercairn Scottish Oak 18 Year Old Whisky (46.8%)

Natural in colour and non-chill filtered.

Nose: Tropical fruits are very much to the fore and then along comes crisp apples, cane sugar and toffee. After a while a strong citrus develops mainly consisting of lemon. Cereal finishes off a very fine nose indeed!

Palate: Creamy and smooth with powerful tropical flavours leading to vanilla, toffee and nice dark coffee.

Finish: Strong, warming spice with a little pepper and a dry finish.

Overall: A lovely, smooth dram that really spoils the palate! A broad range of flavours that you’ll want to revisit time and time again!

Fettercairn Scottish Oak 18 Year Old Whisky is now available at an RSP of £175

Available from October onwards at an RSP of £175

Fettercairn Whiskies are also available to buy from these Merchants:-

About Fettercairn

Driven by a progressive ethos at the heart of our distilling philosophy since 1824, today Fettercairn Distillery lives by a long-standing commitment to unfettered thinking.

We’re not like other distilleries and we’ve never been afraid to tread our own path. It’s only by defying convention, tradition and expectation, we can adopt an enlightened and progressive approach.

Take our cooling ring, our home-grown Scottish oak and single estate whiskies, the special collaboration with 200 local farmers, the Warehouse 2 Collection. And not forgetting the unicorn on our bottle!

Our vision is future facing, so we don’t need to look back to move forward. But ultimately, all of this leads to an unwavering commitment to a prosperous and sustainable future for whisky making.

We are Fettercairn; the home of enlightened whisky making.

About Gregg Glass- Master Whisky Maker

Respected whisky maker Gregg Glass joined Whyte and Mackay in 2016, where he has been a leading light in the rejuvenation of Fettercairn alongside Distillery Manager Stewart Walker.

Gregg enjoyed a childhood in the heart of whisky making country, the Black Isle. With 22 years in industry notably 11 years at innovative whisky maker Compass Box, Gregg joined Whyte and Mackay in 2016 to work alongside renowned Master Distiller Mr Richard Paterson OBE.

Gregg has enjoyed 15 years career as a blender and whisky maker. At Whyte and Mackay Gregg has led whisky development for Fettercairn Single Malt Whisky, Jura Single Malt Whisky and in 2017 launched Whisky Works – an independent innovation wing of Whyte and Mackay.

Gregg is devoted to his craft and believes in flavour-led hands-on whisky making. Gregg is passionately involved in every aspect of the whisky making process from ‘acorn to glass’ and since 2020 leads whisky making across the Whyte and Mackay portfolio.

Sampling Borders Malt & Rye Blended Scotch Whisky – The Taste Of Things To Come!

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WS:01 Borders Malt & Rye Blended Scotch Whisky

Last Wednesday nights @TweetTastings, which was once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, gave us a great opportunity to savour a brand new dram and to experience it amongst friends!

Only 5,988 bottles will ever be sold in the UK

The dram in question was WS:01 Borders Malt & Rye Blended Scotch Whisky which is the first Blended Scotch Whisky to leave the Scottish borders in 185 years!

To create this whisky, The Borders Distillery distilled a small batch of rye spirit and matured it in the same fresh-fill bourbon casks as their malt.

Each bottle of WS:01 Borders Malt & Rye, which is the first Scotch whisky blend from The Borders Distillery to be entirely distilled at its Hawick based site, is individually numbered. Only 5,988 bottles will ever be sold in the UK.

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #TheBordersDistillery on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – WS:01 Borders Malt & Rye (40%)


The Borders Distillery Ð Workshop Series

WS:01 Borders Malt & Rye
Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Cask: Bourbon
Comprised of: 63.8% Single Grain Ð 36.2% Single Malt
£40.00


Nose: Not sure I’ve seen a paler dram! Very tropical on the nose with apples and toffee. This morphs into delightful apple pie & custard. Later on the sweetness is balanced by some cereal & biscuit.

Palate: Dry on the palate with cane sweetness and fruit. Lemon citrus then comes to the fore quite forcefully.

Finish: There’s some creamy spice and little bit of coffee and it all finishes warmly.

Overall: I wish the ABV had been higher – it would have given more flavour options but it’s a grower though! A progressively moreish dram that works well on the palate.

The great thing though is the chance to sample a developing and exciting brand – good things to come I think!

This is the first Blended Scotch Whisky to leave the Scottish borders in 185 years!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Border’s Distillery (@thebordersdistillery) for sending the samples and without whom!

Whiskey Flash Blog: Sampling Kentucky 10 Year Old Bourbon 100 Proof – “Rebel Rebel, I Love You So!”

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Kentucky 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon 100 Proof Whiskey!

Welcome to the #RebelBourbon #Whiskey #FlashBlog!

Organised by Steve from The Whisky Wire numerous contributors will be posting articles today sharing their sampling thoughts on the recently released Kentucky 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon 100 Proof Whiskey.

If you would like to see what everyone thought search for the hash tag #RebelBourbon on Twitter!

A bourbon that is one-of-a-kind, just like the rebels who drink it!

So, here goes …

Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers have released this special bourbon which has been distilled and aged in Bardstown, Kentucky, USA.

A Multi-award winning Whiskey, distillery notes say it “initially has hints of caramel and citrus but continue sipping and it morphs into a velvety oak flavour with unabashed spice.”

Aged in charred oak barrels for 10 years, this bourbon boasts a unique flavour profile specific to each batch. It’s one-of-a-kind, just like the rebels who drink it!

Did I say awards? Well, it has won one or two …

Double Platinum Medal
ASCOT, 2022

Gold Medal
San Francisco World Spirit Competition, 2022

Worlds Best Single Barrel Bourbon
Whisky Magazine World Whiskies Awards, 2020

Best Kentucky Single Barrel Bourbon
Whisky Magazine World Whiskies Awards, 2020

Platinum Medal
SIP Awards, 2018

Double Gold Medal
San Francisco World Spirit Competition, 2017

Kentucky 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon 100 Proof Whiskey is avaliable from thebottleclub.com for £94.99.

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

Tasting Notes – Kentucky 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon 100 Proof Whiskey (50%)

Nose: An orchard extravaganza! Lots of crisp fresh apples, sweet toffee and banana.

Palate: Oaky with a little dryness. Toffee, lemon citrus, seville oranges and a little chocolate.

Finish: Deep and warming spice that grows with each sip topped with sharp pepper.

Overall: A very tasty dram indeed with plenty going on – I’m not surprised it has been a multi-award winner!

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for the invite!

And many thanks to chapmanpoole (@ChapmanPoolePR) for sending me the sample!

And, of course, many thanks to rebelbourbon.com (@rebelbourbonglobal), without whom!

ABOUT LUX ROW DISTILLERS

Real roots, real family, real products: Lux Row Distillers – a bourbon distillery experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail –brings the Lux family history and spirits tradition to the bourbon industry.

Lux Row Distillers is the home of bourbon brands including Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson, Daviess County and Ezra Brooks.

Located in the heart of Bardstown, Kentucky, the 18,000-square foot Lux Row Distillers site includes a visitor centre, barrel warehouses, a tasting room, and event space, making for an all-encompassing bourbon experience. The 90-acre property is home to an 18th century stone house, registered as a National Historic Place, and a long, tree-lined driveway providing a scenic entrance to the distillery.

Sampling The SMWS Drams From ‘The Gathering’ – Season Of Mists & Mellow Fruitfulness In A Glass!

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Septembers Fabulous Five!

On the last evening of September I had the pleasure in taking part in the latest online ‘Gathering’ of The SMWS!

Hosting for the event was ably carried out by Brand Ambassador John McCheyne and Society Ambassador Dean Marinello and they were also joined by Ambassadors Jutta Unterguggenberger from Austria, Klaus Bitschnau from Sweden and Monique Tenkortenaar from Benelux.

They guideed us through five special drams, bottled exclusively for The Gathering and selected by Society members.

Sadly, the UK allocation of these drams has now gone (they were used to make-up the Tasting Kits!)

But The SMWS ‘Gathering’ Tasting Packs Are Still Available Priced At £35.00!

For full bottles you will have to try their EU site – be quick though!.

The Drams Sampled on the night were:

Cask No. 18.46 – Bandyportfšlj

Cask No. 39.251 – A sweet tongue twister

Cask No. 68.95 – A Negroni riff

Cask No. 73.144 – Un coin(g) de nature

Cask No. 112.109 – Das rennende Schaf am Strand

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

Tasting Notes – Cask No. 73.144 – Un coin(g) de nature


Cask Type: 1st. fill ex-bourbon barrel

11 years old

62.5% ABV

Distillery: Aultmore



Nose: Sugar cane sweetness with a little tropical fruit with a predominant pineapple. I also picked up caramel and toffee.

Palate: Creamy, sugar cane sweetness, very fresh and fruity!

Finish: Very punchy spice with some dryness at the end but the toffee has a long reach!
Sadly, Not available to buy – But – You Can See All That The SMWS Has To Offer!

Tasting Notes – Cask No. 39.251 – A sweet tongue twister


Cask Type: 2nd. fill ex-bourbon barrel

11 years old

59% ABV

Distillery: Linkwood



Nose: Creamy vanilla and quite woody with additional orchard fruits and a little toffee.

Palate: Deep sugary sweetness with bursting fruits, liquorice and caramel.

Finish: Oaky and dry with very warming peppery spice to complete the experience!
Sadly, Not available to buy – But – You Can See All That The SMWS Has To Offer!

Tasting Notes – Cask No. 18.46 – Bandyportfšlj


Cask Type: 1st. fill ex-oloroso hogshead

13 years old

58.6% ABV

Distillery: Inchgower



Nose: Sherried and porty with vanilla and apple toffee – very inviting indeed!

Palate: Sweet dried fruits with lovely sherry flavours, shades of Christmas flavours including toffee and chocolate.

Finish: Very smooth with a little warming glow coming through. Perfect to cosy up by the fire with!
Sadly, Not available to buy – But – You Can See All That The SMWS Has To Offer!

Tasting Notes – Cask No. 68.95 – A Negroni riff


Cask Type: 1st. fill ex-oloroso hogshead

13 years old

58.1% ABV

Distillery: Blair Athol



Nose: Rich portiness with toffee and hints of apples toffee and fudge.

Palate: Very creamy, luscious mouthfeel bursting with apples, toffee, dried fruits and port.

Finish: Nice n’ spicy and the the rich fruits are very compelling to the taste buds – a gorgeous whisky!
Sadly, Not available to buy – But – You Can See All That The SMWS Has To Offer!

Tasting Notes – Cask No. 112.109 – Das rennende Schaf am Strand


Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead

15 years old

51.5% ABV

Distillery: Inchmurrin (Loch Lomond Distillery)



Nose: Liquid smoke and fruity peat – very savoury – a fantastic nose! Some caramel comes along a while later …

Palate: Sugary sweet, smokey and peaty all in equal measures!

Finish: All of the above with growing antiseptic flavours with warming spice accompanying for good measure. An excellent starter if you are new to peat drams and ably showing that there’s nothing to be scared of in a peat whisky!
Sadly, Not available to buy – But – You Can See All That The SMWS Has To Offer!

On the night I most enjoyed “18.46 – Bandyportfšlj” & “68.95 – A Negroni riff” : It’s always SO hard to choose between SMWS drams as they are exceptional but these really stood out. Deep, rich, fruity and spicy flavours which are perfect for Autumn and the coming Christmas season!

Many thanks to SMWS (@SMWSUK) for such an enjoyable evening and for sending the samples!

About The SMWS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a club unlike any other.

As well as being a place to connect with other like-minded whisky lovers, they are also internationally renowned for their mission: “to provide our members with an adventurous and fun journey of discovery of the world’s widest collection of single cask whiskies.”

Conceptualised in the late 70’s and established in 1983, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, now 35 years old, has branches and partners bars in 19 countries globally. The Society has a selection of over 500 casks every year, each cask yielding a few hundred or less whisky bottles which are unique to that cask.

Rather than name their Whiskies after the distillery, the Society has a coding system. The Society also creates fantastic tasting notes summaries for their Whiskies and other bottles. The whiskies are straight from the cask single malt, undiluted, without chill-filtration or colouring at cask strength.

More recently the Society has been named Independent Bottler of the Year in Whisky Magazine’s prestigious Independent Bottlers’ Challenge (IBC) competition.

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