Category Archives: Review

Visit & Reviews: Somerset Cider Brandy

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SCBlogo[For 9(!) reviews of Somerset Cider Brandy’s range, please see below…]

At the time of posting this story I had previously visited 42 distilleries around the UK… but most obviously I had missed visiting the distillery that’s based in my own backyard, The Somerset Distillery / Somerset Cider Brandy Company Limited not far from Yeovil in Somerset. It was more than time to put that right, and I’m really pleased to say that my 43rd visit was finally sorted recently; I was driving home and passing close to the distillery, so it would have been rude not to pop in really wouldn’t it?!

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Review Ardbeg 10 Year Old

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ardbeg-10-year-old-whiskyArdbeg 10 Year Old – 46%

It’s been a while since my last post, summer has kept my whisky drinking to a minimum in favour of cold beers and ciders. However, continuing my wee series on affordable, mainstream, ‘standard’ distillery offerings that I’ve purchased myself, let’s take a look at Ardbeg’s 10 Year Old, a perfectly good dram for late on a summers eve.

Gossip (which I’ve heard direct from the horses mouth as it were – i.e. it’s true) is that back when stocks were low whisky up to 17 years old was used to keep this 10 year old in the shops. I guess those good old days are now far behind us and we’re now back to whisky that’s much more of the 10 year old mark, as you’d rightly expect!

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Review: The Green Welly Stop: Their own branded whiskies

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The Green Welly Stop

On your holidays in bonnie Scotland and travelling from the east side of the country to the west side? There’s a reasonable chance you may pass The Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum during your journey. If you do, why not take a little stop for a break, it’s quite the stopping place, petrol, food, gift shop, and most importantly a great little whisky shop at the back of the store. They have a couple of their own branded whiskies… Let’s take a quick look at them…

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Review: Balblair 1969

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blbob.1969v2Balblair 1969 (OB) – 41.4%

One of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, Balblair was founded in 1790 by John Ross.

The 1969 was bottled in 2012 after spending 43 years in ex-bourbon remade hogsheads, 999 bottles of this extraordinary whisky were produced. This spirit was distilled at a time when the distillery malted its own barley on site and the stills were still directly coal-fired.

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Review: Bunnahabhain – 26yo – Lady of the Glen

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Littlemill-21-LotGBunnahabhain – 26yo – (IB) Lady of the Glen – 50.01%

Lady of The Glen’s first Islay release. Distilled on the 16th November 1987 and aged in a single refill American Bourbon cask, number 2470. It has been bottled at cask strength and there has been no colourings added – this is non-chill filtered. The cask yielded 205 bottles.

Colour: Light golden.

Nose: Slight alcoholic nip at first. Hint of peat alongside banoffee pie, that’s toffee and banana cake if you didn’t know. A slight coal kind of tar, from the cask no doubt with a nice oak background. Some time for this to open up works really well.

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Review: Four Paul John Indian Single Malt Whiskies

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When you talk Indian whisky the first distillery that is often mentioned is Amrut. However, another excellent distillery that shouldn’t be ignored is the fabulous Paul John distillery in Goa, the one I’m taking a look at today.

Not a whisky I’ve had the opportunity to taste before, so I was pleased to be able to take part in a twitter tasting to check out four expressions from their core range.

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Review: Glen Grant 10yo

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glen-grant-10-year-old-whiskyGlen Grant 10yo – 40% – OB

The whisky distillery was founded in 1840 by brothers John and James Grant. In 1872, James Grant died and the distillery was passed down to his son, Major James Grant. He then built a second distillery across the road, joined by a whisky pipe which transported the new make spirit. Glen Grant No. 2, as it was first known, was completed in 1897, but just five years later it was closed, reopening in 1965, under the name Caperdonich then again closed and now demolished.

Glen Grant is the world’s second-biggest single malt whisky brand, and is the biggest selling single malt Scotch whisky in Italy.

Read on for my review…
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Review: Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso

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GlenlivetNadurraOlorossoGlenlivet Nadurra Oloroso – 48% – NAS – Travel Retail

“The Glenlivet Nàdurra Oloroso is a new permanent expression in the range.

The first-fill, ex-Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez in Spain impart rich, distinctive dried fruits aromas, warm spices, and notes of cinnamon and liquorice. The spirit combined with the cask influence, produces a sweetness of dark chocolate and a finish which is long and sweet with a slightly dry, spicy effect from the European oak maturation.”

Read on for my tasting notes…

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Review: Tomatin 1988

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23414 Tomatin 1988 Bottle & Box LoTomatin 1988 OB – 46%

“Tomatin are delighted to announce the addition of a 1988 Vintage expression to our core range. This expression will be released in batches.

The contents have been vatted from a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Port casks.”

Colour: Straw, clean and clear.

Nose: Old and packed with bourbon maturation goodness. There’s overly ripe bananas and soft tropical notes together with a sweet fudge quality.

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