Bunnahabhain 23yo – The Rare Casks / Abbey Whisky.
44% Medium peated.
Light straw in colour.
Similarly light and delicate on the nose, a little citrusy with some lovely smoke notes because of the peat which sits there patiently waiting… It’s a delicate peat, not full on Islay iodine, but a gentle nose inviting you in. There’s some vanillary butter notes holding up the background. Continue reading
This article is part four of the Malt Whisky and Place series. Please refer to parts one, two and three if you haven’t yet read them yet.
The last speaker for the evening was Georgie Crawford, manager at Lagavulin Distillery. The dram here was a Lagavulin 16 for us all.
From past experience in places such as the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) Georgie starts to talk about whiskies and their regionality; customers like to know what region their whisky comes from so that they could know what style to expect, be they Lowland, Highland, Speyside, Islay, etc. Continue reading
This article is part three of the Malt Whisky and Place series. Please refer to parts one and two if you haven’t yet read them yet.
Next to speak was Jim McEwan from Bruichladdich (and previously Bowmore amongst others), this time with a dram of Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2006 for us all. Bruichladdich is well known for strongly being identified with ‘place’, and Jim quickly points out on a map where the island of Islay is located and where the distillery is on the island, showing that if you go west from Islay you come to Newfoundland, meaning that most days you get the wind and the salty rain coming from the west coast.
Continue reading
This article is part two of the Malt Whisky and Place series. Please refer to part one if you haven’t yet read it yet.
First up to speak was Dr Nicholas Morgan, along with our first dram of the night, Lagavulin new make spirit. Thanks to Ernst J. Scheiner from Gateway to Distilleries for the picture of new make running from the stills at Lagavulin. The sample was principally for us to get our noses in gear (to get our organoleptic senses started, or so we were told) and it came with a big health warning that we may not want to drink it (who’s he kidding?!) as it’s new spirit that comes directly from the stills. It was only around a month old and not matured in any way in wood, and came in at a hefty 68.5%. For me a fantastic deliverance back to the Lagavulin Distillery where I first tried this as part of a warehouse tour in 2012. It’s wonderfully fruity and powerful.
Continue reading
The whiskies produced on the Hebridean island of Islay are world renowned. But what makes these whiskies unique? Are they manifestations of the physical attributes of the island – the climate, the water, the barley, and the peat – or are they instead the consequence of centuries of craft and human artifice in the form of the malting, brewing, and distilling processes? Continue reading
In a world first Glenmorangie is asking its own fans to create their own perfect dram.
It means those who enjoy Scotland’s favourite malt will be able to vote online on the taste, design and launch of a new whisky.
Continue reading
Elements Of Islay – Pl1 (Port Charlotte), 60%.
Rich dark gold to copper in colour.
The trademark Bruichladdich buttery peated nose easily identified here, slight tcp notes poking through. Not as fruity on the nose as the colour may lead you to expect, but quite openly maritime, with some malt chucked in to the salt pot. The nose is fairly complex and keeps you there for quite some while and finally gives up damp smoky wood notes. Continue reading
Bally Delicious (Balvenie) – 23yo/1989 – Master of Malt – 54%
Light straw yellow in colour.
A light, elegantly fragrant and accessible nose with light stewed fruits making an appearance.
Much stronger on the palate than the nose leads you to imagine, a spicy hit that tales straight off into a pleasantly warming experience. The wood is very up front, but adds an interesting aspect to the whisky which doesn’t over power it but leads to long slightly dry finish.
Continue reading
GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 1 – 54.8%
A deep golden colour lures in your nose for a sniff of this cask strength sherried treasure.
The nose is grown up, and although there is no age statement on this whisky it feels fairly well aged on first impressions. It seems to have an excellent balance of vanillary wood which neither dominates nor is out shined by the sweet sherry notes that come through clearly. There are orange zest and chocolatey notes amongst and assortment of other jelly sweetie notes.
Continue reading
Benrinnes – Batch 1 – That Boutique-y Whisky Company – 48.9%
Fairly dark golden in colour. Sweet, heavily sherried nose, plump sultanas and nuts, top quality stuff.
The palate is huge, one of the biggest sherry monsters I’ve had yet, it must have come from an excellent first fill PX cask. An oily goodness covers the mouth with spices warming the back of the tongue.
The finish is long with a slow warming heat covering your chest. The slightly lower ABV makes I smooth and easy to drink straight. That, along with the way the palate feels tends to lead you to think that this bottle contained fairly well aged whisky.
A top dram that any sherry fan will completely love. It’s got to be well in to the 90’s for score.
SWB | Somerset Whisky Blog 