News: Bath Ales releases Gem Aqua Vitae

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Bath Ales has the spirit for success

West Country brewer Bath Ales has just unveiled an exciting new addition to its Sulis Collection – Gem Aqua Vitae.

BathAlesBottleA limited edition English Single Malt Spirit, the new product offers something truly unique as the producer continues to push boundaries and challenge customers’ expectations.

Gem Aqua Vitae is made using the finest floor malted barley using expert brewing techniques. At 42% VOL it is the strongest product that Bath Ales has ever sold.

Distilled in collaboration with The English Spirit Distillery, the spirit is made using wort – the product of the ‘mashing’ process that starts every brew.

 

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Review: Aberfeldy 18 Year Old

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Aberfeldy18yoAberfeldy 18 Year Old – 40% ABV

Info: Sadly it’s Travel Retail (i.e. airports only). This is the updated packaging for the brand; I like it!
Colour: Golden Caramelly Amber.
Nose: Sweet, aged, medium oaks and puffs of smoke with autumnal fruits and nuts. Very relaxed.
Palate: Instantly rewarding with honeyed sweetness, gentle malt and smooth oak. A touch thin in terms of oils and mouthfeel.
Finish: Fresh going to creamy sweet. Quite long.
Thoughts: It may not blow your socks off with complexity (that’s fine by me!), but I could drink a bottle of this very happily, and may well look one out if I visit an airport! However it would be better with a thicker mouthfeel, i.e. non-chill filtered with a higher ABV. Compared with the 21 year old, I would pick this one as it’s got an easier finish without the tannin tartness, it’s easier to drink and enjoy.

Thanks to my friend Dave over at WhiskyDiscovery for the sample.

Review: Aberfeldy 21 Year Old

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aberfeldy-21-year-old-whiskyAberfeldy 21 Year Old – 40% ABV

Info: This is the slightly older bottling; since I got this there has been a packaging update, but the liquid reviewed is the same stuff. This bottling was heralded as the Best Mainland Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards 2007.
Colour: A medium dark amber, kind of caramelly.
Nose: A slightly heathery floral note, honied (honeycombe), wisps of smoke, slight orange marmalade tones.
Palate: Smooth, a little thin, easy going. The puffs of smoke are still there among the honey, vanilla and slightly spiced caramelised oranges.
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News & Review: Maverick Drinks’ Reference Series additions

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The World’s First Educational Range of Whisky Just Got Bigger

So, last month saw Maverick Drinks update their Reference Series with 9 of the latest additions. There’s a quick review of four of those releases below, but first let’s look at the official PR blurb…

Maverick Drinks is proud to announce the release of 9 additions to the world’s first educational whisky range, Reference Series. The range of blended malt whiskies was first launched earlier this year, and showcases the effects of various production techniques and ingredients used to make Scotch.
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Review: Highland Journey – Hunter Laing

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HighlandJourneyBottleHighland Journey – Hunter Laing & Co – 46.2% abv

Info: Hunter Laing’s first blended malt. Inspired by Stewart Laing’s first visits to the Highlands as a child with his father, Highland Journey is composed of malts distilled exclusively in the Highlands region. Bottled at 46.2%, each small batch bottling contains whiskies matured in bourbon and sherry casks.

Nose: A nose full of flavours. Packed with caramel, vanilla fudge and cream. Light fruits and a few nuts. Youngish malt notes from younger spirit that’s probably in the mix.

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News & Review: Isle Of Arran Machrie Moor (5th edition)

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Arran logoFor my review of the new Cask Strength Machrie Moor, please see below… but first, let’s catch up on the PR info…

MachrieMoor5thOBArran Distillers is launching the latest in its Machrie Moor peated whisky collection, which includes the first ever cask strength version of the limited edition Single Malt.

The Machrie Moor Single Malt first appeared five years ago, inspired by the legend of a warrior giant who tethered his dog to a stone in a mystical peat bog called Machrie Moor which lies on the west coast of the Isle of Arran.

This September the fifth edition of Machrie Moor – the only peated Arran malt – will be released worldwide, alongside a cask strength edition which has been bottled at 58.4%. Both single malts are limited edition and highly anticipated because of their unique flavour.

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News & Review: 3 Wemyss Malts Sept releases (’97 Clynelish, ’89 Glen Garioch, ’82 Caol Ila)

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It’s that time of the year that Wemyss release their latest batch of whiskies, always good!

Find below the details of the various single cask bottlings release… and read on for a review of three of them… “Cayenne Cocoa Bean” – 1997 single cask from Clynelish, Highlands, “Peaches and Cream” – 1989 single cask from Glen Garioch, Highlands and “Smoke on the Water” – 1982 single cask from Caol Ila, Islay.

Wemyss Single Casks Cropped Group Sept 14 low

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Review: 7 Mackmyra Whiskies

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Mackmyra_litenThe lovely folk at Mackmyra sent me over a bumper load of seven samples to have a look at, so it’s about time I got on with it (I’ve been a bit slow, sorry guys!).

First a little bit about Mackmyra…
Mackmyra_Whisky_Distillery_at_winter_--_Mackmyra_Bruk,_Valbo,_Sweden
How did it start? Eight friends met up at a mountain lodge in the spring of 1998. Each had taken along a bottle of malt whisky for the host; the topic of conversation was obvious. How do you make whisky? And why isn’t there a Swedish one? The question led them to start exploring the possibilities of making their own Swedish whisky.

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Multi Review: Five Glen Garioch Whiskies

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GariochLogoYou might remember earlier in the year I was lucky enough to be invited up to visit Glen Garioch… It was a fantastic trip and really helped shine a light onto what is an excellent big bold drop of drammage. To read about the trip go here.

It’s about time I now reviewed some of their official range, so I’m going to take a look at their entry level dram, Founders Reserve, their 12y0, their new release – Renaissance (Chapter 1) 15yo and two of their vintage releases, the 1998 Wine Cask, and their 1995.

So without further ado let’s take get reviewing…

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