Category Archives: Review

Review: Ballantine’s Brasil (makes a good cocktail!)

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Logo-Ballantines-Brasil-BD-560x293Ballantine’s Brasil – Spirit Drink – 35% abv

BBrazilPackRecently I was sent a box of goodies which turned out to be a Ballantine’s Brasil Cocktail Set! Great! It contains all the bits and bobs that you need to make a cracking summer drink… a recipe booklet, bottle of Ballantine’s Brasil, big stirring spoon, bottle of lemonade, tall glass, and a fresh lime, awesome stuff!

So, what is Ballantine’s Brasil? Basically it’s a flavoured whisky, but since you can’t flavour whisky and still call it whisky, it’s actually labelled as a “spirit drink” if you look closely, that’s law for you!

The official blurb reads as such:
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Review: Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old

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bunnahabhain-25-year-old-whiskyBunnahabhain 25yo OB 46.3%

So I was recently chatting with someone who suggested I should review more main stream bottlings that are bottled by the distilleries, rather than ultra expensive malts that are either limited release, or other malts bottled by independent bottlers. So with that in mind I’m starting with this Bunna 25… it’s a distillery bottled whisky, and although it’s right at the top end of the range and probably not entirely affordable it’s at least a start!

So on to the review…
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Review: Master of Malt 60 Year Old Speyside

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Master of Malt 60 Year Old Speyside – 42.2%

master-of-malt-60-year-old-speyside-whiskyColour : Full gold with orange tints.

Nose : Old leathery herbal notes come bounding out of the mossy woody background, caramelly fruit rind.

Palate : This’ll sound odd, and I’ve only had the smallest experience (from music gigs etc), but it’s like the best cannabis, herbal, strong and very pleasing! It’s woody, but not to the point where it’s dominated, and has a touch of polish, cola cubes, smoke and coal. It’s old, smooth and magnificent, you want to hold it on your tongue forever.
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Review: Girvan Patent Still – 25 Year Old

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grain_gir25yoThe Girvan Patent Still – 25yo – 42% abv

Colour: Light and clear gold to straw in colour – natural colouring and nice to see! – Doesn’t the bottle look sexy too eh?

Nose: Light and refreshing, gentle grains encased in perfect amounts of sweet vanilla oak. Well aged but it doesn’t smell old, it’s just had time to breath, relax and let off some alcohol steam.

Palate: Fairly thick feeling oils in your mouth, but they’re easy going on you. Just enough ABV and cask influence to give you a touch of spices and bite, but the over riding thing is a perfect velvety sweetness with a background of grains and oak, vanilla and toffee apples.

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Review: Littlemill – Batch 1 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)

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littlemill-that-boutiquey-whisky-company-whiskyLittlemill Batch 1 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) – NAS – 50cl, 47.40%

Colour: Light, bright straw.

Nose: Spicey wood, creaminess, vanilla, thinners, farmey barley. Leave it for a good long time to open up, when you do huge citrus is there.

Palate: Interesting! Doesn’t follow the nose too much (at first), on the palate you’ll find buckets of summer citrus fruits and slightly brown bananas. The mouthfeel is pretty thick and oily and the spices found on the nose are really easy going on the palate, it’s smooth and velvety, with slight notes of the type of bourbon maturation that I like in Tomatin.

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Review: Highland Park Freya

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hp_freya_530Highland Park Freya – 15yo – 51.2%

Marketing Blurb: Freya represents the continuation of Highland Park’s Valhalla Collection; a range of four unique whiskies taking inspiration from the legendary Nordic gods of old.  Bottled at 51.2% ABV this limited edition whisky comes housed in the same unique and award winning wooden frame of Thor and Loki, echoing the fearsome contours of a traditional Viking long ship.

Freya will be available from 7th February at a RRP of £140.

Let’s crack on with my review…

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Review: Glenmorangie Companta

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Companta BottleGlenmorangie Companta – 46% ABV, OB, NCF

Marketing Blurb: Glenmorangie has launched it’s fifth annual special edition, Companta (which stands for friendship in Scots Gaelic). Companta has been matured in Grand Cru casks from Clos de Tart and those of a sweet fortified wine from Côtes du Rhône.

Bottled at 46% ABV, and non-chill filtered, for extra body and texture, Glenmorangie Companta is available from specialist retailers and department stores now at £69.99 and is selling out very quickly.

Let’s crack on and take a look!
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Review: Blair Athol – 22yo – IB (The Maltman) – Refill Sherry

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07 Maltman Range-1-1Blair Athol – 22yo – IB (The Maltman) – Refill Sherry Cask – 49.1% NCF

Colour: Full golden.

Nose: Instantly an old dunnage / oak cask nose here that puts you in a relaxed state of mind. Some leather, a touch of polish, a bit of dry must, and after a short moment sweet winter fruits start to come through, stewed fruits in a bowl with a dollop of vanilla custard.
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