It was great to be back at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show at Old Billingsgate, near London Bridge for all 3 days and have the chance to try drams we might not otherwise have the chance to sample – or afford. The vibe was very relaxed and happy, a far cry to last year’s which, whilst I loved it, was also the first event for most of us since lockdown, too many people still not able or willing to be there, and felt different accordingly. This year’s was fun and full of talk. I didn’t actually see anyone really drunk, possibly my first ever whisky festival where no one’s fallen down at my feet after imbibing too much – or is it simply that I’ve lost my drunk magnet?
London dramming for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show which took place in Old Billingsgate, seen on the left-hand side of the photo near the boat. Photo taken over the River Thames from London Bridge
We could hug again, people were sharing glasses and there was a real buzz to the show. I probably had as many hugs as drams and it was wonderful to catch up with so many friends, both in the trade and fellow whisky lovers from all over the world.
Train strikes caused some issues over the 3-day event but the tubes were still running, including at Bimber’s stand with Camden Town and Tower Hill proving to be particular favourites
As ever, I carried my own spittoon with me (an empty water bottle with a wide opening for ease of use) but saw more drams poured out than spat out in the official spittoons, always disappointing to see such waste unless it’s a dram that just doesn’t appeal. Hold it in your mouth, swirl, but not too long or the spice can overwhelm with younger drams, then spit. That way, you get to try more whisky safely. This is not a show for endless dramming, it’s one of quality and, yes, there’s also quantity available with around 800 drams included in the ticket price, plus the Dream Drams and secret, under-the-counter drams. There were officially 1,000 drams in total on offer over three days.
I enjoyed every dram I tried but would have loved an extra day. I keep thinking of the stands where I meant to return – Woven and Douglas Laing amongst them – or never reached at all – saké and Sliabh Liag Distillers/Silkie Whiskey, included. But I did try a fantastic and varied selection, from new make to 45 year old whisky, and used a different notebook a day to record them all after last year’s debacle where I lost my notebook with tasting notes for every dram I tried that day. Fortunately, only my first day’s notes and not all of them but I wasn’t going to take the chance again. I write tasting notes for every dram, as well as taking photos, to record what I’ve sampled and the quality of the writing is generally a good indication of when it’s time to return to the hotel, the handy London Bridge Hotel again this year.
Time got away with me and I didn’t have the chance to return to sample more but I loved the bottles of blended whisky from new indie bottler, Woven, that I tried on the first day
The queue
The day starts in the queue. Not quite as impressive as the recent queue to pay respects to the Queen, and it was a really slow start this year, possibly because of the train strike on the Saturday which meant trains ended early on Friday and several people had to miss the show because they couldn’t guarantee getting there or back, but the usual culprits were in position. I arrive early so I’m there and can relax but no mad dash to the show shop for me as soon as it opens and that’s a big issue with the queue. There are those who arrive early to head straight to the shop, intending to flip bottles. Their business but I can’t help but feel that it’s not in the spirit of the event if all some people do is head to the shop, buy those rare and/or profitable bottles, then leave immediately, as happens.
On the last day, two young men, not known to fellow whisky people from what I heard, queued overnight and, when the doors opened unexpectedly suddenly, raced to the shop, almost failing to take a glass en route. I hope they at least tried a few drams before leaving. On that last day, the queue of adults weren’t given the previous days’ warning not to run to the shop as it’s dangerous and it was like watching Black Friday sales – grown men ran, racing each other to the shop to pick up… I have no idea but there were rumours of hard-to-find Japanese whisky for sale. I’ve never seen anything like it and hope The Whisky Exchange change this next year – to award medals to the first three who reach the shop without accident or incident! An assault course, possibly, jump over casks to reach the shop and swim through angels’ share, maybe.
Being serious, though, I would love the system to change, for everyone to try the show drams before just buying the bottles. I think sampling the drams, then being given tokens to buy them, would be better but the reality is that it’s down to individuals to do what they want. We are, after all, adults, although it didn’t look like it when they literally ran to the shop. I just wonder how many of those first-in-queue bottles are opened and enjoyed, not just flipped immediately for a profit.
The label of this special Clynelish show bottling was designed to create awareness of climate change and more is revealed as it warms up. A fantastic dram that led me to try several older Clynelish drams there
I eventually went to the shop but on the last day after retasting one of The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show bottlings, the Clynelish 11 year old, a surprising favourite for me as it’s not a distillery I’d particularly rated before trying that bottle – but which encouraged me to try more Clynelish at the show and I’m now a fan. Keep an eye on their website or in their shops in case there are any unsold bottles which make it to the shelves https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/search?q=whisky%20show%20clynelish
Queue drams
One of the highlights of queuing isn’t just the chance to catch up with friends, as well as make new ones, and actually have time to talk but to share and enjoy queue drams. The rules of the show are strict – no empty dram bottles are allowed. We’re not allowed to take drams home, they must all be enjoyed at the venue. However, drams are taken to enjoy in the queue. I took hip flasks containing whisky I hoped most people there wouldn’t have had the chance to try, one with SMWS The Tar Pit 9 yo blended peated whisky and the other had Sutcliffe & Son The Exceptional Grain which has aged grains from 5 distilleries, as well as packing three little cups so people could try them – and a stylish/pretentious/irresistible (delete as appropriate) Glencairn travel set for me to try others’ drams. It’s a sign of how generous and kind the whisky world is when you see what’s on offer in the queue and my Star Queue Dram was Thompson Brothers Tullibardine 28 year old with The Grainman Carsebridge 33 year old a close second.
Show bottlings
The question in the queue is always where someone will go first – it’s not always the shop. On my first day, it was straight to a stand that gets busy early, The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show stand (not their onsite shop) with special Whisky Show bottlings, as well as TWE exclusives. I’d read the email and website so knew what was on offer but not how much they cost. Regardless of the price of the bottles themselves, I wanted to try the complete set of 5 drams for the experience. I hope next year’s email also includes prices so I know whether to get excited or not! It was fantastic to see bottles under £100 again after last year’s disappointment and I hope to see the same in future. I tried all show bottlings, including the Imperial 26 year old. It’s a treat to be able to try the old rare drams like this, a highlight of the show. My complete list of drams is at the end of this blog.
The 5 Whisky Show special bottles, including the Linkwood 16, my first dram of the show. The labels reveal their designs as they warm up
The theme of this year’s show was From Grain to Green and 4 of the 5 whisky show bottles on offer had special labels to raise awareness of the climate crisis we’re facing, only my first dram of the show, the Linkwood 16 year old didn’t and I liked the symmetry of my dramming with both my first and last drinks of the show being from the same distillery. The warmer it gets, the more details are shown on the otherwise solid-looking black labels. I know it’s an important message and a clever idea but they have no shelf appeal which is such a shame. I love labels, they’re artwork which influence what I want to try, if not buy. Had I seen them in a bar, I wouldn’t have been tempted. Too clever this year, perhaps but, once warmed as the room heats or even by my warm hands, the designs were great and the Clynelish label depicts a stylised London Eye behind the Elizabeth Tower, better (albeit wrongly) known as Big Ben. The rest of the time, they’re just black blobs. For most people, though, that won’t matter, all that’s important is what’s in the bottle. I’d expected to want to buy the Ledaig 2006 which was matured in a sherry butt for 15 years and it was beautiful with its Aga smoke, rubber bands, cherry, Vimto, salt water taffy, dry spices and chocolate notes but, at £175, over budget for me, although not a bad price comparatively. It was tempting, though, a very unusual and delightful Ledaig, it was clear why it had been chosen as the show bottling over another cask. I also tried a TWE exclusive Ledaig 15 year old at the stand which was more classic with its notes of ash, seat salt, bonfire on the beach, medicine cabinet, herrings and some raspberry jam on the side. A really lovely dram but the show bottling was the standout for me.
Ledaig 2003 15 year old show bottling, the labels front and back (as here), designed to raise awareness of the climate crisis – and a beautiful, unusual Ledaig
The 5 show bottlings were, in order of recommended tasting:
Linkwood 2006 16 yo hogshead #801604-5, 56.5%
Imperial 1996 26 yo hogshead #1053 and #1189, 51.5%
Clynelish 2011 11 yo barrel #800273, 58.7%
Ledaig 2006 15 yo sherry butt #13, 54.7%
Caol Ila 2013 9 yo hogshead #315159, 57.3%
Where to go first
Some start on stand 1 and work round systematically, others do what I did my first time there, have a list of drams they want to try – something I gave up trying very quickly because there’s always something to discover and I’m easily distracted by shiny things! I spoke to people who headed straight for a very specific dram or Dream Drams so they wouldn’t miss out, to stands they wanted before they became too busy (Bimber was a popular choice at the front of the queue where I was) and others just went with the flow, seeing what appealed or which stands were free.
That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s stand was always packed but, with such quality drams on offer for their 10th anniversary, it’s hardly surprising. I loved this Clynelish 25 year old
Day 2 saw me choose between Bimber or That Boutique-y Whisky Company as my first stop. Bimber won as it wasn’t as packed at that point, and Day 3 was a dash to the cloakroom with my bags before heading to Diageo and Adelphi/Ardnamurchan for Dream Drams. I’d left it too late by then for the Adelphi Mortlach 1986 34 year old, as I had for Berry Bros. & Rudd Girvan 1964 58 year old on the first day.
I knew who I wanted to see but was open to trying anything that appealed. I’d have loved a Day 4 but, being there for all 3 days at least meant I didn’t feel I had to race around frantically on a single day, trying everything in sight as I’ve done at one-day festivals, but could take my time. Do I have regrets about missing out on some stands and not returning to others? Absolutely, but I also loved what I did try and knew my limits – and stuck to them, helped nobly by using a spittoon which, along with drinking plenty of water when rinsing my glass between drams, enabled me to try more whisky safely.
Layout
The show was spread over two floors with the second floor having three areas – whisky, Irish whiskey (although there were Irish whiskey stands elsewhere) and the Flavour Zone which contained different spirits and saké. It’s a great idea to have other spirits, especially rum which has so many similarities to whisky and it was a great way to tempt more whisky drinkers to try tots whilst there. Foursquare Isonomy 17 year old was the Star Tot for me, a beautiful fruity tot with rhubarb, bananas Foster, apple Danish, raisin Danish and overripe bananas, plus a perfect balance of spice. I particularly enjoyed the Whisky Show Flavour Selection stand which included rums from the likes of SBS and Privateer, as well as other spirits and aperitifs, such as Jean-Luc Pasquet Pineau des Charentes Blanc.
The Whisky Show Flavour Selection stand offered an opportunity to try different spirits and aperitifs, including rum and Pineau des Charentes, a great alternative to sherry or even wine, especially in the summer. It was one of my favourite discoveries earlier in the year at The Whisky Exchange Cognac Show
Strangely, the qualities I love in rum, those wonderfully rubbery notes from the esters, are my least favourite when drinking whisky but festivals like TWE Rum and Whisky Shows mean that we can try all styles and discover what appeals most. There were some great rums there and I hope people took the opportunity to sample them. I ran out of time so missed out on trying saké, Cognac and more rum but really enjoyed what I did try and I’m glad I took the time out to eat the meals included in the ticket price on each day and caught up with friends whilst giving my nose and palate a rest from continual drinking. A few sleeve sniffs were needed to refresh my nose once or twice each day but those meal breaks were essential and the boxed food this year was the best I’ve had at drinks festivals.
Masterclasses
TWE Whisky Show isn’t just there so we can try drams of all ages and prices, from nations across the world, both blended and single, malt and grain, plus other spirits. We go to be informed, whether through masterclasses, private tastings or speaking to the Brand Ambassadors at the stands.
I decided not to attend any masterclasses this year, partly because I’d been to so many wonderful ones during lockdown and beyond. I attend in-person tastings at Cut Your Wolf Loose in Brighton regularly and belong to several whisky clubs – and I didn’t want to take time out from choosing from the hundreds of drams on offer in the hall but it was tempting to sign up for some of them. There was a great choice, as well as free talks on the main stage.
I was also lucky enough to be invited to a private tasting of Fettercairn 18 with Whyte and Mackay’s Master Whisky Maker and Blender, Gregg Glass, and hear about Scottish oak, which I’ll be covering in a separate blog. One of the sights of the show was Gregg showcasing his passion for Scottish oak so memorably…
What the well-dressed man is wearing: Gregg Glass beautifully illustrating the importance of Scottish oak at the Fettercairn stand
As ever, I learnt a lot. I also wish I’d had more time and some stands weren’t as busy so I could ask more questions. It was fascinating speaking to new distilleries and indie bottlers like Woven and Ardnamurchan and also discover the latest bottlings of more established ones, including Elixir and Glen Moray. I loved That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s Christian Drouin Calvados 21 year old and would have loved to have stayed at their stand for a while, working my way from left to right. Where else can you try an old and wonderfully coloured Dutch dram (Millstone 25 year old) alongside a 25 year old Clynelish and the aged Calvados?
The Whisky Show is a great place to discover more about the newer distilleries, including one of my favourites, Ardnamurchan. I love this recent dram and it was a delight to try the adventurous Ardnagherkin which I actually enjoyed, as well as Adelphi’s Ardnamurchan-High Coast blend, The Sändebud
Dream Drams
I’m a huge fan of the Perfect Measure glass which we received at the show every day and which I always use for tastings at home. As the name suggests, they’re the perfect shape for nosing and tasting, and a Dream Dram token worth £10 was inserted in each glass on entry. More tokens could be bought from the show shop and the Dream Dram stand itself for £10 each and a whole wealth of dream drams were on offer, ranging from a single token to 35. In terms of value, 1 token covers bottles with RRPs of £500-999, 2 tokens £1,000-1,999, 3 £2,000-2,999, all the way up to 35 which equates to £34,000-34,999 which you could exchange for a 50 year old Karuizawa.
And that’s the thing about TWE Whisky Show, we all have different pockets and, for some, that £350 for 35 tokens is great value for such a rare dram which, if you could even find it elsewhere would be far more expensive.
I was very lucky to try a number of Dream Drams – with thanks to all the lovely people who gave me extra tokens. One of the most impressive in terms of distillery was a 30 year old from the long-closed Brora before its regeneration, a truly dream dram for many and so incredible to have the opportunity to try it. It really was history in a glass.
A rare chance to sample Brora, on offer at the Whisky Auction stand, which had an array of old and rare drams available to try
Under-the-counter drams
There are drams on display, Dream Drams and those secret under-the counter-drams and it was a sheer delight to try so many of the latter, including Copenhagen Distillery’s Emmer in a schnapps cask which, even before hearing what cask was used, took me right back to long ago holidays in Denmark where I used to drink the Danish spirit. Copenhagen’s Angelica Gin was also superb and I’d love a bottle. My favourite under-the-counter dram was one I misread as a 13 year old but the wonderfully dark Adelphi Blair Athol was a 21 year old and an absolute treat to try and try again – definitely one to source at auctions if you can. It was one of my favourite drams at the show, not least for that fabulous Guinness colour.
Tasting notes recall memories for me and I couldn’t immediately place the unusual flavour of this wonderful under-the-counter dram from Copenhagen Distillery, then all these images from childhood holidays in Denmark came rushing back and I realised it reminded me of schnapps – I was then told that it’s in a schnapps cask
Clothes and accessories
A little aside here, but I wanted to pay tribute to a few of the clothes and accessories I saw at the show which led to some interesting conversations with those wearing them. First up were the best shoes of the show, worn by the gentleman from Suffolk who, along with his well-accessorised friends, is always one of the first in the queue on the first day. Beautiful shoes and I was impressed (and envious) by the sheer amount of whisky pins they were wearing. True whisky lovers and a delight to see such well-dressed men so early in the day.
I also stopped another man during the show just to praise his beautiful handmade shoes which sparked a conversation with him and his friends and much appreciation. My own shoes, incidentally, were green Converse but didn’t compare to a great pair I saw someone wearing at a stand, resulting in another initially non-whisky conversation. They’re conversation openers.
I admired a shiny whisky pin, discovered that Karan and I have a friend in common, and I’m now the proud owner of a very stylish Nanyang Whisky door-shaped pin and, like all the other cases, we had a great conversation and shared love of whisky. I also noted Gary Mills’ shirts which grew more alarming/colourful (depending on taste) by the day!
And then there was the other Gary’s T-shirt. You can talk to someone on social media for years, say ‘hope to see you at the show’… and later realise that not all of us use avatars with our faces – mine are dogs or bottles, depending which platform I use – and I probably wouldn’t recognise him at all. Then, I saw a fantastic Warhol-style Star Wars T-shirt, got talking and said that he really needed to visit Iain Allan at Glen Moray and say that Fi sent him, which is how we came to know each other’s names and talked some more. It was so great to meet him and, were he wearing a different T-shirt or if I’d focused purely on the drams and not people’s clothing and accessories, we’d never have met at all. It was such a lovely moment.
Festivals aren’t just for the whisky but the people who share and drink it and I loved conversations started by admiring what others were wearing; simple and genuine compliments which turned into connections. I might have to find some extra special Converse to wear next year, though. I wonder where my sequinned vintage snow leopard ones are which, on showing them to a friend one Black Friday in Vegas shortly after buying them, saw a man call to me across the bar, sharing his own admiration for them. I’m glad I’m not the only person to notice such things.
It’s all in the detail, this beautifully designed Nc’Nean bottle is eye-catching and reflects the quality of the whisky within
Conclusion
It was a superb three days. I loved meeting everyone, discovering more distilleries and try some superb drams and other spirits in an accommodating and convenient venue. It definitely benefits from having 3 days, I’d like a 4th but that’s not really practical, unfortunately.
Would I have done it differently? No, I got the balance right. You can’t try everything and of course I wish I’d been able to get to all stands and back to those that I intended but I loved every single dram I tried and can’t wait to do it all again next year (29th September-1st October at the same venue) when, hopefully, there will be no train strikes and the London Marathon is back to its springtime slot.
The Star Dram of The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show 2022 for me was, like my second best dram, at the Elixir stand, The Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special Bunnahabhain 43 year old. It’s an absolutely superb dram
The two Star Drams of the show, like last year, were both from the Elixir stand, The Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special Bunnahabhain 43 year old, followed by Port Askaig 45 year old. Superb drams and an honour to have the chance to try them, which is what makes the event so exciting and informative. We get to try drams we wouldn’t normally be able to find or, in many of our cases, afford. I absolutely loved it.
Distilled on Hogmanay in 1968, this incredible Port Askaig aged for 45 years was my second top Star Dram of the show
Swag
I was fortunate enough to be given some non-dram treats – as well as over-the-counter, under-the-counter and very under-the-counter drams – with thanks to everyone who poured them for me. I managed to lose or destroy 3 whisky pins en route to the show (don’t ask!) so was keen to amass more.
Whisky pins: Ardnamurchan, Glen Scotia and Nanyang Whisky
In turn, I gifted my Writer’s Tears whisky pin to the very nice man at their stand as he didn’t have one (and I have a spare, thanks to their Tweet Tastings!)
Tasting book: Ardnamurchan
Pen: Douglas Laing Big Peat, complete with a Batman-style Big Peat light
T-shirt: Compass Box Flaming Heart. Fantastic design and feels like a gig shirt
I love this Compass Box Flaming Heart T-shirt as much as the dram itself. The indie bottler is all about transparency and, on the back of the T-shirt, it lists the whiskies used in the blend and their exact proportions
Drams
I recorded every dram I tried, including the queue drams. I also brought my own pipette bottles with Larkfire water to try drams with and without water where possible.
Non-whisky drams/tots are italicised and my star and top drams of the show are in bold
Adelphi, Blair Athol 1997 21 yo, 57.2% (the fabulously black one I misread as being a 13 yo…)
Ardnamurchan AD/09:22 cask strength, 58.7%
Elixir The Single Malts of Scotland Speyside Distillery 25 yo, 52.6%
Elixir The Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special Imperial 32 yo, 42.7%
Elixir The Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special Bunnahabhain 43 yo, 41.4%
Brora 30 yo bottled in 2010, 54.3%
It was great to meet Graham and Fay Coull at last after years of talking online and at tastings, and find out more about Dingle’s direction and exciting new casks
Day 2
Queue drams
Cask Share Benrinnes red wine cask
Cadenhead’s Miltonduff -Glenlivet 14 yo
Balvenie red wine cask
Carsebridge 33 yo
Springbank 18 yo
Thompson Brothers Tullibardine 28 yo
SMWS Glentauchers 8yo for Swedish market
Clan Denny Dumbarton 48 yo 1998
The Grainman Carsebridge 33 yo
Raasay private cask bottled on 22/2/22
Show drams
Bimber Platinum Jubilee Bourbon cask, 51.8%
Bimber Tower Hill Palo Cortado cask, 58.7%
Bimber Camden Town Amontillado cask, 58.5%
Bimber Peated Ex-Bourbon, 61.7% (1 of 7 casks going into their Peated botte)
Bimber Dunphail Commemorative Founders’ Release Fino cask, 55.7%
Paul John XO Brandy 8 yo, 46%
Paul John Mithuna, 58%
Never Say Die Bourbon Barrel #2, 56.4%
That Boutique-y Whisky Company Christian Drouin Calvados 21 yo, 41.5%
That Boutique-y Whisky Company Millstone Batch #5 25 yo, 46.5%
Loch Lomond ‘Irish’ grain New Make (70% malted, 30% unmalted)
Loch Lomond ‘American’ New Make (70% malted, 30% rye), 63.3%
Gordon & MacPhail Strathisla 25 yo bottled for 1977 Silver Jubilee, 35% ABV/70% proof
1970s Glen Grant 10 yo, 35% ABV/70% Proof
Port Askaig 45 yo, 40.8% (repeat dram and 2nd Star Dram of the show)
Elixir The Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks Linkwood 10 yo, 48%
Total – 114 drams + 13 queue drams
What’s in a name? I will admit that, whilst I love grain whisky, I was inspired to choose this Port Dundas 25 year old Dream Dram from Diageo partly because of its name – Muckety-Muck
The next event by The Whisky Exchange is the Champagne Show on 4th November which has sold out but there might be returns if an expected train strike is declared so it’s worth getting in touch or keeping an eye on the website. The show offers a chance to sample over 100 different Champagnes and discover more about the industry, including its plans for the future and the environment, attend masterclasses and meet fellow Champagne lovers, plus buy a wide range of great bottles at The Whisky Exchange shop. I thoroughly enjoyed it last year. Just don’t forget to use the spittoons!
The Whisky Exchange Champagne Show in Westminster is a chance to sample different styles of the wine from 100 bottles, including from lesser-known or smaller producers, and discover more about Champagne, plus attend masterclasses, before the festive season
It’s that time of year again and we need this Whisky Advent Calendar more now than any previous year. It’s not just a countdown to a much-needed, albeit strange Christmas but to the end of this awful year – and 2020 has been horrendous. I’m celebrating still being here, toasting those who aren’t and sharing my discoveries with whisky friends, including you.
Join me every day, including Christmas Day itself, when the virtual door is opened to reveal the mystery dram. There’s even a special offer for readers of this festive post on Day 5 of the Whisky Advent Calendar.
And that’s it, I’ve shared my final tasting notes of my Christmas 2020 Whisky Advent Calendar and discovered some fantastic drams to help bring this dreadful year to an end. But 2020 hasn’t been all bad, I’ve loved talking whisky with you all on social media, at virtual tastings and festivals. Here’s to 2021, may it bring us all wonderful whisky and good health. Wishing you all great comfort and joy – and drams, plenty of drams.
Day 25, Christmas Day Samaroli Linkwood 1984 30 Year Old, 45%
I love Christmas and wanted a special dram to mark the day. My 30-year-old Macallan dram which I won from TopWhiskies thanks to a North-East Whisky Appreciation Society (NEWAS) tasting with them was caught up in the Christmas post so I opened another 30 year-old whisky, the 1984 Samaroli Linkwood, the 25th dram in my Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar and a different shape to the other 24 bottles. I opened it at night so there’s no photo to show how stylish it was before with its Christmassy red wax extending down the long neck but I loved the plaque and special Secret Spirits 50ml bottle and was excited to open a Samaroli whisky, especially on Christmas Day. My day, like most people’s, wasn’t my normal way of celebrating but I had a wonderful time regardless and wanted a quiet time to think back on my year and celebrate being around to enjoy it. Plus Santa brought me loads of whisky so I was very happy!
Samaroli is highly collectable because of the exceptional quality casks sourced by the independent bottler, this one dates back to when the founder, Silvano Samaroli, was buying the whisky. Older bottlings can be found in whisky auctions.
The single American oak cask (#5297) was distilled in 1984 and bottled in 2015, producing 340 bottles, some of which were used for the 2,000 Second Edition Scotch Whisky Advent Calendars.
The colour of Pinot Grigio, the nose has orange blossom honey, orchards which are heavy on the pears, ripe red fruit, Victoria plums, apricot, mango, pineapple cubes, Hawaiian pizza, musk and, bizarrely, sea air.
With water, cherry lips emerge, plus menthol, dunnage, funk, an antique furniture warehouse, musty leather desk, chalk and Weetabix.
The palate has a burn and needs water. There are orange Fruit Gums, mango, charred wood, spices and it’s dry. The finish has orange posset and pomanders with all that Christmassy spice.
With water, liquorice is revealed, more spice, felled oaks left in the forest, lichen, and a finish with spice and oak.
A taste of history to toast a very strange Christmas 2020 and I raised a toast to you all to thank you for following my Advent calendar. Hope you were tempted to buy some of the drams and discover new whisky in 2021. A new start with plenty of tastings and festivals ahead, some might even be in-person again.
I absolutely loved my Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar Second Edition and look forward to opening a different edition next year – three different ones are in stock and I’ve already bought the Third Edition. I’d recommend buying one now (they’re 20% off with an extra 10% discount for first-time buyers) so you have something to look forward to in these very strange times. I’m hoping Christmas will be back to normal for us all next year and, if not, there are always great drams to open and the excitement of seeing what’s behind the door of the Advent calendar. I’m celebrating Christmas properly in July if it’s safe to see friends again, so might even open mine then! https://topwhiskies.com/collections/secret-spirits
Day 24, Christmas Eve Cadenhead’s Club 2020, 40-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky, 44.7% ABV
This was a dram I received courtesy of a friend in The London Whisky Club and definitely not a bottle I’d have been able to source myself as I don’t belong to the Cadenhead’s Club – but I’m tempted to join after tasting this! That’s one of the joys of whisky clubs, sharing great whisky, as well as making friends with like-minded, friendly people. It was especially supportive in lockdown when confined to the sofa but also perfect for winter days when I’d rather hibernate than catch a late train home, surrounded by people hacking and sneezing away, even if there weren’t a pandemic.
A beautiful copper colour, the nose has raisin wine, freshly sawn MDF, grapes, mangoes, coconuts, jasmine, cinnamon and icing sugar.
It doesn’t need water but I was curious. A few drops of water reveal dark chocolate and spices, there’s hot oil with spices spitting in it, and musk.
The palate is much lighter than expected, it’s smooth with rum and raisin fudge, dark chocolate enrobed ginger, aubergine hotpot, crème brülée with a burnt sugar top, and a finish of ginger ale. A very easy quaffer, almost too easy for the age. This should be a sipper but tastes like a session whisky.
Water makes it even smoother, there’s more chocolate, gentle spices, rum and raisin ice cream and Cointreau. The medium finish has chocolate pudding oozing warm chocolate from the centre when you cut into it. Just a beautifully balanced dram.
Many of the outturn of 468 bottles will have been flipped at auction, I’d love a bottle at a decent price. Distilled in 1980 and matured in sherry butts, it was originally released in November, 2020 for £140 which is good value for its age and exclusivity but I wouldn’t want to pay much more than that. It’s a light and quaffable dram with a low-ish ABV but a beautiful dram at that.
It’s just £50 for a lifetime membership of the Cadenhead’s Club which provides access to Club bottles, free club tastings, two free warehouse tastings a year (excluding festivals) and advance notice of new releases, amongst other perks. For details, go to https://www.cadenhead.scot/connect-with-cadenheads/join-the-cadenheads-club/
For more information on The London Whisky Club, which also has exclusive bottles for its international members, as well as reduced rates for virtual tastings in lockdown, go to https://whiskyclub.london
Day 23 Whisky Broker Cambus, 25 Year Old, 56.9%
I love how sociable the whisky community is on Twitter and have made some wonderful friends through it, they’ve kept me going this year through Covid-19, Long Covid and the joys of lockdown. Before then, though, we would be able to get to the Post Office easily and safely and send each other drams. This is one of the samples I was lucky enough to receive from one of my whisky friends. I really like Cambus, it’s a grain distillery and that also means it’s more affordable – ideal when buying older whisky. Expect a soft and creamy dram.
Whisky Broker sells whisky casks but also bottles quality single cask whisky and sells it to the public at an affordable cost – because their focus is on the whisky and not what I will admit always appeals to me, the packaging. The bottles are plain, labels frankly ugly but all that means the whisky is far cheaper than similar casks which they sell to other indie bottlers. And, if the labels bother you, decanting it is another option. Or just share the bottle with friends. When new bottles are released, it’s an event, friends message each other and we want them – not a case of FOMO but these are affordable bottles worth buying, just allow for a fight on the website with the bottles showing as sold out before they truly are. Just keep refreshing and grab them when you can but sign in to your account first to speed up the process. It can be a little frustrating if your timing’s wrong – but it’s worth it, especially at their prices.
I suspect that this is a sister cask to the Chorlton Whisky Cambus 25 year old, 56.9% ABV. Distilled in a sherry butt in August 1991, it produced 555 bottles and was bottled in 2017. The colour of gold, bordering on copper, it’s a lovely rich hue. Out of respect to its age, I let it sit for 30 minutes before sampling it.
The nose is rich Cantaloupe melon, there’s resin, pear drops, rich freshly hewn oak, HubbaBubba bubblegum, Armagnac and fresh paint. Melon dominates but I can’t wait to open it up with water.
The water quashes the melon and increases the chemical side – resin and paint. The oak kicks up, there’s more bubblegum and cereal is introduced. There’s light lemon and pencil sharpenings, lemon-scented felt tip pens and beeswax. I prefer it without water.
It needs water to remove the bite but the palate is beautiful. Melon juice with Lyle’s Golden Syrup. It’s thick and juicy. Spices follow with wood, pineapple cubes and fresh mango. The finish is golden syrup covering porridge and, at the back, melon. Beautiful!
Wonderfully smooth and creamy with a little water. There’s honey Toblerone, beeswax furniture polish, furniture varnish, hay, monkey nuts, Crunchie bars, thick glue and a finish of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, porridge and cream. It’s glorious!
In an ideal world, I’d like the nose without water and the palate with. An absolutely lovely dram and I’m going to be looking for a bottle of this at auction.
Whilst the Cambus 25 year old is no longer available on Whisky Broker, other single cask bottles are, including a Blair Athol 10 year old and a Tullibardine 13 year old, plus a selection of miniatures so you can try several different drams which are otherwise sold out. Postage isn’t cheap, I hold my bottles there until I have several, then save money by arranging for them all to be shipped together. For more details, go to https://www.whiskybroker.co.uk/bottles-c-1
Day 22 Hunter Laing The Sovereign North British 26 Year Old 1989, 63.1% ABV, £130
This is a single cask (#11372) from North British Distillery, bottled by indie bottler, Hunter Laing, at cask strength as part of their The Sovereign series. Distilled in a single refill hogshead in September, 1989, it was bottled in February, 2016, part of an outturn of 199 bottles.
It’s a 26-year-old whisky so I’m going to let it sit for up to half an hour before tasting it. It’s a golden colour with salted popcorn on the nose, lemon drizzle cake, seawater, corndogs, Coco Pops, vanilla essence, oak and spice.
With water, hot black Ceylon tea with a slice of lemon emerges, there’s buttered popcorn, butterscotch Angel Delight and strawberry blancmange. There’s peanut brittle, lemon curd, custard doughnuts, vanilla cupcakes, Charbonnel et Walker’s Rose and Violet milk chocolates, plus a pile of glossy magazines. It’s much sweeter than before reduction, I could nose this for hours!
Wow, this is incredible! The palate is creamy with a slight burn. There’s dunnage, shoe, silver & furniture polish, strawberry pencils, Maltesers, Crunchie bars and hazelnuts. I love it and am curious to see what water adds.
Water reveals peanut brittle, Charbonnel et Walker’s Rose and Violet milk chocolates, Fry’s Turkish Delight, purple carrot juice, buttered toast, Port and a milky hot chocolate finish. Delicious!
Day 21 Girvan Patent Still Proof Strength, 57.1% ABV, £76
Girvan is one of those whiskies I keep meaning to try and I bought this dram in another Master of Malt Flash Sale and then completely forgot I had it, then saw that Southport Whisky Club included it in their William Grant & Sons tasting in their Winter Whisky Festival and bought the bottle then, using my 10% member’s discount. It’s a single grain whisky distilled using a Girvan Continuous Patent – or Coffey – Still and is a NAS (no age statement) whisky.
The colour of heavily-oaked Chardonnay, the nose immediately hits with lemon handwash, so much so that I smelt my hands in case I’d used lemon soap! Unsalted cashew nuts follow and windscreen de-icer. It’s a very light nose, especially for the ABV.
With water, the lemon note become creamier and changes to lemon meringue pie, there’s antiseptic hand wipes, Quaker’s Puffed Wheat and toffee popcorn.
The mouthfeel is creamy, there’s a bash of alcohol, then peanut butter, industrial cleaner, Ready Brek Original, honey and nut bar and a honeyed finish. This would benefit from water to take away the alcohol bite on the tongue.
Water softens the burn and opens up to reveal porridge with warm milk and Lyle’s Golden Syrup, there are Liquorice Allsorts and coconut ice cream. This is definitely a dram to drink with a few drops of water.
Buy it from Southport Whisky Club and click on the option ‘Yes – With Tasting Set’ to add a free tasting set (while stocks remain) for the William Grant & Sons session at their Winter Whisky Festival, it will be posted after the festival but you can watch it online in the first session of the event at 2pm on Monday, 28th December https://www.southportwhisky.co.uk/product-category/winter-festival/swwf20-wiliam-grant-and-sons/
Day 20 Langatun Old Deer Classic Cask, Proof Swiss Premium Single Malt Whisky, 62.2% ABV
I actually bought my mum a miniature of this whisky for her Advent calendar last year because of the label with a howling stag on it – if stags even howl. The label design doesn’t scream serious whisky but That Boutique-y Whisky Company released their indie bottling of Langatun and a group of us were talking about it on Twitter which made me want to buy my own and try it. This is my first Swiss whisky and it’s an unusual cask combination – sherry and Chardonnay.
I used to be a wine rep when heavily-oaked Chardonnays were the wines of the moment and it was hard trying to convince people to try ones which weren’t, which is why I’m curious but not filled with instinctive loathing for a Chardonnay-casked whisky, although I have yet to meet one I like…
When buying your own bottle, check that it’s the cask-proof, 62.2% version as it also comes in 40% and 46% versions and other cask-proof versions, including 58.5% and 62.8% ABV.
It’s a rich amber colour, the sherry cask influence shining through. The nose of the cask-proof whisky is very milk chocolately, almost thick chocolate milkshake, with milk chocolate-coated raisins, HubbaBubba bubblegum, window cleaner, pears and cherries.
It’s much lighter and fruiter with water, there’s orange blossom honey, furniture polish and hairspray, plus Reese chocolate cups.
The palate is very soft with a bite, the window cleaner is joined by dunnage, Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate, a chocolate mousse topped with squirty cream, rum and raisin fudge. The finish is chocolate milkshake. One for chocolate lovers!
I ended up doubling my normal amount of water to reduce the bite (two small pipettes instead of one) and it made the difference. Blueberry milkshake was revealed, butterscotch Angel Delight and Lindt chocolate animals for the finish and, after about five minutes, marzipan comes through.
This is a lovely Old Deer, give it time and water – and don’t be deterred by the idea of a Chardonnay cask. I didn’t even get wine gums as a tasting note.
Day 19 The Malt Whisky Company Craigmills Sauterne Glenglassaugh Distillery, 59.3% ABV
Another dram from Secret Spirits Advent Calendar, 2nd Edition, this Highland whisky was finished in a Sauternes cask. The Malt Whisky Company, an independent bottler, was founded by Stuart Nickerson, formerly of William Grant & Sons (amongst others), who reopened Glenglassaugh before selling it to BenRiach and this is one of the casks he kept to launch his new company. Craigmills is the location of the distillery.
The colour of stewed Indian tea (think Tetley’s or PG Tips). The nose is very winey, the smell of wine left in the glass and sniffed the morning after. There’s ripe plum, oak and spices, plus those chocolate Snowballs covered with coconut flakes.
Add water and there’s Wrigley Fruit chewing gum, mint chocolate chip ice cream, cardamom and garam masala, coconut cream, mangoes, pineapple and cola cubes and baked apples with the wine softened to a more manageable level at the back.
The palate has heavy oak and spices with exotic fruit and a heady finish of oak but it’s crying out for water, not a dram for drinking neat.
Water softens the dram, creating a beautifully soft and creamy mouthfeel with juicy baked apples studied with cloves and raisins. There’s nougat and marzipan and a finish of raisin wine. This is a great example where a few drops of water transform a whisky, so much so that I want to pour another dram.
Buy the Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendars Editions 3-5 from TopWhiskies where they’re currently reduced by £60 to £239 BUT first-time buyers have an additional 10% off. There’s a ‘sneak peak’ list detailing what’s included, as well as a very handy list showing how many double drams over 21 years of age, for example. The calendars contain 25 rare and/or single cask 50ml drams (double the amount sold with most whisky Advent calendars), as well as a special commemorative glass, different style of glass for each edition and a sturdy container, plus vintage-style paperwork so it has the feel of an old travel trunk as the two main doors open outwards to reveal the secret calendar within within https://topwhiskies.com/collections/secret-spirits
Day 18 Berry Bros. & Rudd Blue Hanger, 11th Release, 45.6%, £69.95
A blended malt from the Royal Family’s favourite wine merchants, and indie bottlers, Berry Bros & Rudd, this blended Scotch whisky was named after a loyal client of the renowned wine merchants, the dandyish politician William Hanger, 3rd Lord Coleraine (1744-1814) who was renowned for his blue clothes when he was younger, hence his nickname of Blue Hanger. This 11th batch was first released in 2014 and blends eight casks of peated and unpeated Bunnahabhain, consisting of four hogsheads, three sherry butts and one puncheon.
It’s a lovely golden colour, the nose nose oozes rum and raisin fudge, rubber tyres, peanut and cashew butter, over-ripe bananas, slight smoke and orange and clove pomanders.
Adding water suppresses the nose, there’s thick vanilla milkshake and flaked almonds.
The palate is creamy with a slight bite. The finish is almost immediate on first sip, going straight into dry hay. Giving it a longer sip, the palate has orange Fruit Gums, light smoke, Lapsang Souchong tea and vanilla essence. The finish now offers vanilla angel cakes.
With water, the palate becomes creamier and fruitier. There are plums and red berries, orchards and burnt tyres and a far smokier finish with a hint of orange blossom honey. All wrapped up with a stylishly regal label.
Day 17 SMWS 53.332, Storm-Tossed Kelp on an Islay Beach, 11 Year Old, 58.8%
This came from my SMWS (Scotch Malt Whisky Society) Advent Calendar, only available to members – I’ll be writing a blog about the whisky club soon but I love their Advent calendars with their 24 x 25ml drams.
Their single cask whiskies have interesting/silly names (opinions vary) and, instead of naming the distilleries on the labels, they use codes – 53, in this case, which is Caol Ila, the first distillery number I memorised. The 332 after the dot is to show which number bottle for the society this is from that distillery. This is their 332nd Caol Ila, I always expect to see a bottle or two in their monthly outturns. The names often give clues about the tasting notes, this one is perfect for a maritime-tasting dram such as Caol Ila. It’s very evocative and you immediately know to expect seaweed and sea air notes, plus an old favourite tasting note of mine for Islay whiskies, pebbles on the beach. At other times they display the panel namers’ love of popular culture, often Doctor Who-related names such as A Leather Cyberman (a 23-year-old Glen Grant). I still regret not buying that one but single casks mean numbers are limited and some bottles and distilleries sell out faster than others.
Single casks cost from just under £45+ and P&P is free/included in the price but it is a members-only club so you can’t buy the bottles direct without joining and auction prices aren’t at all competitive from what I’ve seen. It’s cheaper to join. A bottle of the Caol Ila was £65 when it was released in August 2020 as a preview outturn bottle for the Global Gathering, which united SMWS members from around the globe during the pandemic instead of the planned annual in-person events around the world, and is no longer available – except at auction. The Advent calendars are a great way to try different drams and distilleries, as are the monthly virtual tasting packs, one of the positives of lockdown, where this dram also featured. The flavour profile for this one is colour-coded green (one of three variations of that colour), part of their Peated range. I love how they use the colours to unite the different types of whisky.
Matured in a refill ex-Bourbon hogshead and with a release of 308 bottles, it’s the colour of Chardonnay, the nose transports you to Islay where there’s a bonfire on the beach, ash blowing everywhere, sausages and mackerel spitting over the fire onto the pebbles on the beach, and sea spray is added to the mix by a flinty fisherman’s cottage where there’s a medicine cabinet containing TCP, Germolene and bandages. Those wonderful medicinal Caol Ila notes.
With water, shoe polish glides in, the smoke and sea recede, sausages replaced with a bacon butty and seaweed salad. There’s tinned tuna in brine and a slight sulphur note.
The palate is smooth and creamy with smoke which expands in the mouth to blow smoke rings. Warm engine oil under a leaking vintage tractor is added to the mix and there’s melting tar outside, kippers cooking on the smoky coal-fuelled range and Hot Shots cinnamon sweets. There’s a fire burning in the grate and marjoram drying above it.
It’s just a wonderful Caol Ila. The finish has smoke dragons eating sausages straight off the beach bonfire.
Water adds a hint of orange but smoke still rushes in and there’s raw steak, coated with spice rub. The finish has extra spice, oak, smoke – and a storm-tossed beach with kelp.
I love it! I wish I could buy a bottle but this is now only available at auction for a higher price. Tempting, though! I’d love to do a tasting one day with just different Caol Ilas. The core spirit will unite them but the use of wood and ageing will add other tasting notes. This is a particularly intense dram which I would drink neat. I only added water because I’m tasting this for the Advent calendar – and to see what was revealed.
I prefer it without water but would happily drink it either way. A very more-ish dram which has convinced me to buy the next SMWS Caol Ila when the new outturn is released on the first Friday in January. This one was perfect for finishing the night – with or without friends.
To join SMWS, go to https://smws.com/whisky-club-membership but you’re welcome to use this referral code for a 20% discount on membership (disclaimer, I get a £20 referral fee for anyone who joins using this code – and all members have their own referral codes so you could contact friends who belong to the club and ask for their link if you’d prefer) http://smws.refr.cc/fionashoop
Day 16 Artful Dodger Bruichladdich Riversaltes Cask, 2010 9 Year Old, 64.2%, £75 for 50cl
This was another dram that I received thanks to the generosity of a fellow member of The London Whisky Club. I really like indie bottler Artful Dodger and their range of whiskies. The presentation is always very stylish including their squat 50cl bottles, perfect for sharing with friends.
Riversaltes are sweet wines from the Roussillon region in Eastern France, made from Grenache grapes and a popular choice of cask for Bruichladdich. This independent bottling had an outturn of 371. To be honest, I’m surprised that it’s still available.
A glorious mahogany colour, this is the type of whisky I would buy based on colour alone. Purists might tell you never to judge a whisky by its colour but I edited a national glossy food magazine and reviewed restaurants for several publications, of course appearance matters. It draws you in and I really want to drink this dram based on colour alone.
The nose has raisin wine and saké. There’s quality shoe polish and the oils of expensive lipstick, orchard and dunnage, Edinburgh rock, coq au vin, aeroplane seats, an antique furniture warehouse and sea air.
Add water and strawberries emerge on the nose, a whole set of body wash, body butter and body spray, there’s peat, liquorice and more dunnage, moss, lawnmower petrol and light smoke.
The palate is spicy. Ginger mixes with paprika, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, plus dark chocolate enrobed ginger There are aniseed balls and dunnage, pear drops and stewed pears in Port and a bite to the tongue, followed by a Porty finish and, at the end, a waft of gentle smoke. If I were a smoker, I’d be lighting a cigar after this.
Much smoother and creamier with water, the spices are still front and centre with the oak hitting close behind and old leather golf balls. There’s biltong and jerky, Italian sausages and Peperami, and a spicy finish which gently dances on the tongue, leading to oak, Port, dank earthiness in an alley, and herby sausages.
It’s a fascinating dram, I want to pour another to see what’s revealed further but this is a dram for sipping, not a session drinker – not because of the ABV, although its cask strength might be a factor for some, it’s just such a complex dram and needs to be sipped slowly to fully appreciate it.
To join The London Whisky Club or discover more about this friendly, informative and very sociable, international whisky club, including future virtual tastings, visit https://whiskyclub.london
Day 15 Duncan Taylor Octave Invergordon 2007, 12 Year Old, 53.1% ABV
I was meant to drink this as part of The Spirits Embassy All Hail the Grain tasting back in the first lockdown but, again, Covid-19/Long Covid got in the way and I’m only just opening it now as part of my Whisky Advent Calendar. I love grain whisky, apart from the sheer flavours (expect basics like a creamy mouthfeel and porridge with Lyle’s Golden Syrup), it’s great value for money, especially for older bottlings which are a fraction of the price you’d expect to pay for a single malt whisky.
Originally available from The Spirits Embassy for £55, you would now need to source this from auctions thanks to it being a very limited run of just 52 bottles, some of which were used for the tasting. Matured in oak casks for 12 years, it spent its last four months in Octave cask #5221794.
The Octave range is experimental, deliberately using smaller, octave casks to allow for more interaction with the wood. Expect extra spiciness and very small outturns. Ideal for collectors, as well as drinkers.
The colour of golden tobacco, the nose is a revelation. There are freshly-ground coffee beans, sandstone, camphor, boric acid/Borax soap, linseed oil, Lyle’s Golden Syrup and toffee popcorn, all wrapped up in cedarwood.
With water, there’s HubbaBubba bubblegum, foam bananas, honey, orange Chewitts, roses, strawberry laces and mint shower gel.
The palate is not what I expected at all and desperately needs water. This is no soft grain, it rears up and bites you before pelting you with camphor and cedar mothballs, followed by lemon cleaning spray and sulphur, fading quickly to a light hay finish. It needs opening up.
Water softens but those mothball notes are still there with added smoke, spices and a forest of wood. The finish is smoke bonfire with cinnamon bubblegum. A curious dram, I’d be interested in trying other bottles from this range.
Day 14 Mackmyra Moment Körsbärsrök Swedish Single Malt Whisky, 43% ABV, £99
I love this Swedish distillery and their creative use of casks, including green tea or cherrywood. This is their latest release in the stylish Moment range. I discovered on a Zoom tasting with The London Whisky Club last week (thanks, Richard!) that the rubber ring around the bottle is because of Sweden’s high recycle rate. Remove the band after bottle killing the whisky and the metal plaque comes off as a reminder of what you’ve enjoyed drinking, then the bottle’s ready to be recycled. That’s such a great idea!
I can’t even begin to pronounce this whisky, even after hearing various attempts on the entertaining and informative tasting. I love how the company is very proudly Swedish but it does make for an interesting life if trying to order over the phone! I talked about their Scorpions, Mando Diao and Motörhead licensed whisky on a recent Cocktail Hour radio show and am a big fan of those bottles, definitely worth buying, regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the music.
Before sampling the dram, I want to mention a very recent discovery when typing which you’ve probably been doing for years but, as I’ve only just realised this shortcut, I want to share it with anyone who doesn’t already know about it. When typing accents on a Mac, hold down the letter which needs an accent and a choice of different accents will appear. Either use your other hand to click on the relevant one, ¨ in this case, or type the number under it – generally number 2, for the umlaut. Much quicker and less fiddly than holding down the Option button and trying to get the right timing. But I digress, back to the whisky…
Körsbärsrök means cherry smoke and 1,500 bottles were distilled using a combination of both smoky and unsmoked new make. Distilled in ex-Bourbon casks in 2010, they were finished in ex-Bourbon American oak casks seasoned with German cherry wine.
The Körsbärsrök is a light tobacco colour, the nose has rosewater and geraniums, vanilla buttercream icing, HubbaBubba bubblegum, wet Dulux paint, banana Toffos, there’s very light smoke like old cigarettes, Werther’s Original, butterscotch Angel Delight, a peppery Virgin Mary and blueberries. Despite its name, I’m not getting any cherry notes.
The palate is thick and creamy, there are chewy cherry sweets (not cherry lips but the larger chewy sweet moulded as two cherries on a leafy twig), cherry ice cream, Wood (birch?) and spices follow, along with Brazil nuts, Caramel chocolate biscuits, Penguin chocolate biscuits and banana custard. The finish has light smoke, sweet peat and blueberries.
It’s a very quaffable, quality dram which gets smokier as you drink it until the finish turns into little smoke rings, floating in the air. Beautiful!
Day 13 Copper Republic Single Grain Bourbon Cask Whisky, 43% ABV, £39.99
This is my first ever African whisky and it’s from South Africa, one of my competition prizes from Rusty Rabbit International at The Whisky Exchange Virtual Whisky Show. I’m setting that it context, not just for good manners and appreciation but because I wouldn’t have discovered their brand in my favourite whisky shops or even thought to look for South African whisky, otherwise. I’m intrigued, especially as it’s a grain whisky, 100% South African yellow Maize (corn), an often overlooked style thanks to whisky snobbery where too many people only consider drinking single malt whisky, not even blends, let alone grain whisky.
It’s a small batch whisky, matured in two ex-Bourbon casks, freshly charred and aged, then bottled in 75cl handblown bottles.
The colour of caramel, the nose has astringent glue, daffodils and dandelions – not the vanilla and toffee you’d expect of a Bourbon cask. It’s intriguing and I’m letting it sit for a while to breathe. Johnson’s baby powder then emerges, along with rooibos and chamomile teas, banana Toffos, crème caramel and Angel Food cologne by Library of Fragrance/Demeter, based on a cake which originated in Pennsylvania and contains coconut and vanilla. Leave it longer (30 minutes) and musk emerges, plus the vanilla is stronger and there’s a woodiness.
The palate is very soft and creamy, the rooibos tea is front and centre, Angel Food cologne follows, there’s porridge and a whole vase of Alpine flowers and brought yellow fresh butter. It’s spicy (ginger, cardamom and cinnamon) and there are big oak tables. The finish has pipe tobacco, a slight waft of smoke and more of that rooibos, then a smooth and creamy vanilla latte takes over and lingers. I love it!
It’s intriguing and dangerously more-ish. I need a bottle or two of this. A perfect easy drinker for listening to music on the sofa. Beautiful and great value, especially as it’s a 75cl (750ml) bottle. Just remember to give it time to sit and breathe to get the most out of it. I’m not adding water to this, time is the answer to reveals here.
I love Library of Fragrance (UK and EU) and Demeter (US) colognes with their unusual scents, including Irish Cream, Pipe Tobacco, Gin & Tonic and Angel Food. To discover more, visit https://uk.thelibraryoffragrance.eu or their American site which also has Whiskey Tobacco, a personal favourite https://demeterfragrance.com/whiskey-tobacco.html
Day 12 Chapter 7 Monologue Ledaig 2009 10 Year Old, 51% ABV, £74
Chapter 7 are an interesting indie bottler with distinctive bottles, and label fonts influenced by street signs, I love this attention to detail. I took part in a tasting with The London Whisky Club, they have superb tastings which are open to everyone if they haven’t already sold out to members before going public. Membership includes tastings at a reduced price and is open to whisky lovers from around the world, not just London. I listened to Selim Evin talking about his company but wasn’t well enough to sample the whisky at the time – joys of Covid-19. Their book-related name is a theme, with series of whiskies named after types of books and writing, such as Anthology and Monologue.
Ledaig seems to have many different pronunciations, even from people within the whisky industry, including lay-chick and ler-chig. I tend to think the first and say the second. It’s not a case of say what you see, it’s not pronounced Leh-daig.
Matured in a refill Bourbon hogshead, the outturn of 351 bottles was distilled in May 2009 and distilled in March 2020, just before it turned 11. The pale colour of Pinot Grigio, the nose is all things maritime – pebbles on the beach, mackerels spitting over a smoky bonfire, seaweed and sea air, plus TCP and bandages. Right at the back is rosewater. I love it, this is my type of nose!
Add a few drops of water and the nose is flattened, there’s cinnamon icing sugar, baked potatoes with butter and Aero chocolate bars.
The palate is so creamy but it’s hardcore. Smoke fills your mouth, there’s Germolene, burnt sugar dusted with nutmeg, cinnamon hot chocolate and a finish of smoke dragons puffing smoke rings.
With water, the palate is soft and creamy but the smoke is fading, an extinguished bonfire. The finish is spicy alongside a soothing sweet lassi. Despite the ABV, this is so much better drunk neat.
Day 11 Filibuster Single Estate Bourbon, 58.05% ABV, £55.99
This American distillery was another one I discovered thanks to the competition by Rusty Rabbit International at The Whisky Exchange Virtual Festival. They have some very interesting brands on their list and it’s great to find something new. Filibuster Distillery’s name is based on its political location, the company was founded in Washington DC, only a few blocks from that home of the filibuster, Capitol Hill, and ingredients are sourced from around Virginia.
They were influenced by both Scotch whisky and American whiskey, and mature and blend whiskey, finishing it in casks, including California wine. Their Single Estate Bourbon has a mashbill of corn, rye and barley with different ages per batch. It’s matured in air-dried white American oak and the colour is a rich natural caramel – no colouring allowed for American whiskey.
The nose has heavy wood and spice, it reminds me of Old Spice cologne which I used to give dad in gift packs at Christmas when I was a child, although I only ever remember him wearing cologne once. There are toasted marshmallows, slightly charred, that old-fashioned Christmas decoration of pomanders (oranges studded with cloves and dried to preserve them). There are dusty shelves filled with antique books and just a hint of old cigars the morning after they were smoked, plus a little toothpaste on a flannel.
Add water and there’s heavy wooden, varnished Thai furniture on the nose and cinnamon bubblegum.
The palate is incredibly smooth and creamy – liquid mint toothpaste with heavily-carved wooden boxes, old documents tied with dusty ribbons, and spices. The finish is breath mints, wood and spices the day after cooking.
The palate is soft but less creamy after water has been added. Spices are front and forward, including ginger, mace and cardamom. Vanilla follows when you swirl the liquid around your mouth, then cinnamon Hot Shots and butterscotch.
Early-bird tickets are available for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show 2021 in London, both in-person and virtual, with over 650 whiskies and whiskeys ready to taste over the October weekend https://whiskyshow.com/london/
Day 10 Spey Spirit of Speyside Festival 2020 Single Cask, 59.5% ABV, £79.99
This was another whisky festival discovery, this time from Southport Whisky Club’s Summer Festival – and look at their website (link at the end of this entry) for their Winter Whisky Festival. I love how theirs works, you buy a whole bottle of whisky and get a free tasting pack in return. Members get 10% off orders and, despite living hours away, I’m a proud and active member – you don’t have to be local to belong and that’s been the positive side of lockdown. I’d seen tweets about the club for a while and loved what they did but lockdown opened up the club – and tastings – virtually. I’m really looking forward to their Winter Whisky Festival, there’s still have time to order bottles and join in.
I’d attended a virtual talk by Speyside Distillery’s Paul Dempsey and was delighted to see him at the Southport Summer Festival and taste more of their drams. Confusingly, Speyside is the name of the distillery, as well as the region in which they’re based. Their Spey whiskies with their tall bottles are very quaffable drams and my favourite of the event was this Spirit of Speyside Festival 2020 dram, one of the cancelled in-person Scottish regional whisky festivals this year. It was so good that I bought it that day. I’m also looking lovingly at the 2018 bottle which Southport Whisky Club are selling…
It might seem strange or cheating to open a whisky for the Advent calendar which I’ve tried before but I had Long Covid badly during the Southport festival and had to miss some of the events as I crashed out on the sofa, utterly exhausted. I know that I loved this dram but genuinely remember nothing beyond that. This is me reclaiming that time months later. I was very lucky that I never lost my sense of taste or smell but it’s reassuring to try it again now with a fresh palate.
The 21st annual Spirit of Speyside Festival was supposed to take place in May 2020 but Covid-19 got in the way and it had to be cancelled. Spey’s special festival whisky, bottled especially for the event should only have been available to those attending it in person but, thanks to the cancellation, they were released to select retailers and events such as Southport’s online festival. I hope the Speyside festival can take place in-person next year, I know how disappointing it was for both the distillers and whisky lovers that they couldn’t be there, it is a very popular event and is set to take place from 28th April-3rd May 2021. Fingers crossed.
Distilled in January 2015, matured in a Bourbon cask and bottled in April 2020, just before the festival that never happened. only 300 bottles were produced.
A lovely golden colour, There’s an immediate hit of pears on the nose, followed by iodine and a trip down memory lane to school glue and swimming pools which goes beyond mere chlorine. There’s Harmony hairspray and Flake chocolate, plus Terry’s Chocolate Orange and that 1970s restaurant favourite, orange sorbet served in the frozen orange shell. A nut and granola bar next, along with seeded wholemeal bread, then pencil shavings and freshly varnished furniture. I could nose this for hours – and will leave my glass on the side today, out of the reach of the dogs, to sniff it again in the morning.
Water reveals fresh resin and nail varnish remover, plum tart, raspberries, Danish butter biscuits and thin Swedish ginger biscuits from IKEA. Those elusive smells come rushing back to me – toffee apple from Halloween and candy floss from the fairground. There’s freshly cut MDF, plus paint thinner – a flashback to consulting on one of those TV house improvement shows.
The palate has a creamy mouthfeel with pears galore and porridge soaked in Lyle’s Golden Syrup. There are ripe plums and apricots, a hint of dunnage, waxy red apples, mint toothpaste and a finish of cereals and mint.
The palate after water is added is even creamier, with lashings of lemon curd on buttered croissants, crème brülée and lemon meringue pie. The finish has hot buttered toast with cashew butter on it. Absolutely delicious!
If I didn’t already have a bottle of this, I’d be buying one now. I have sampled or bought over 200 drams during lockdown thanks to whisky tastings and festivals. I didn’t try them all because of Covid-19 but this is one I wanted to relive before opening the others. One thing to note, Spey bottles are stylish and tall, these are ones to sit on top of your whisky shelves – alongside Bimber.
Join and/or shop at Southport Whisky Club – members receive a 20cl bottle with their membership, early access to tastings, festivals and special or club exclusive bottles and 10% off purchases, as well as being able to attend member-only online tastings https://www.southportwhisky.co.uk
Southport Whisky Club’s Winter Festival has some great events and some tasting sets are still available to receive for free with a bottle, although the Spey tasting set has now sold out https://www.southportwhisky.co.uk/winter-festival-2020/
Day 9 A.D. Rattray 1999 Tomintoul 15 Year Old, 61% ABV, about £108
This was part of my Secret Sprits Advent Calendar, the second edition, which I bought from Top Whiskies. Unusually, it’s from a Fino sherry butt, the single cask produced 374 bottles. Distilled in November, 1999. It was bottled in June, 2015 by indie bottler, A.D. Rattray who are renowned for their quality whiskies at good prices, including their Warehouse Collection which is where they sell ‘bin ends’ (limited quantity whisky) at bargain prices.
The sherry cask makes for a beautiful heavily-stewed green tea colour. The nose has dunnage, dust and orchard, icing sugar, blueberries and bluebells. Terry’s Chocolate Orange emerges when it sits for a while, plus mango, Blu-Tack, raw steak and creamed horseradish follow.
This definitely needs water. Without, it bites the tongue but there’s a great rush of flavour, including orange blossom honey, thick marmalade sandwiches (Paddington Bear would love this), mango sorbet and spice with a woodiness at the back. The finish has honey and orange.
With water, there’s rum and raisin fudge, lighter dust, dried orange rind in one-day-old Bath buns, school chalkboard and lime marmalade on the nose. The palate opens up to reveal dark chocolate, felt tip pens, Crayola crayons, the musty earthiness on a late-autumn orchard floor where the sun doesn’t reach. The long finish has milk chocolate raisins, that lovely sherry note.
And buy the Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar from TopWhiskies where it’s currently reduced by £60 to £239 BUT first-time buyers have an additional 10% off. I opted for the 2nd Edition but the others are definitely worth considering, too. There’s a ‘sneak peak’ list detailing what’s included, as well as a very handy list showing how many double drams over 21 years of age, for example. The calendars contain 25 rare and/or single cask 50ml drams (double the amount sold with most whisky Advent calendars), as well as a special commemorative glass, different style of glass for each edition and a sturdy container, plus vintage-style paperwork so it has the feel of an old travel trunk as the two main doors open outwards to reveal the secret calendar within within https://topwhiskies.com/collections/secret-spirits
Day 8 That Boutique-y Whisky Company Speyside #3, 8 Year Old, Batch 1, 50.7% ABV, £39.95 for a 50cl bottle
I love indie bottler That Boutique-y Whisky Company and their quirky labels. This is a cask strength whisky from an unnamed Speyside distillery, one of 4,221 bottles. These secret distilleries where the indies aren’t officially allowed to name them, can sometimes be identified from clues on the label. In this case, by working out the connection to ghostly figures toasting each other on the label… Incidentally, did you know that Speyside distillery Glenrothes has a toast to the ghost, Biawa Makalaga, the phantom of Byeway? The other ghosts represent the spirits seen at other distilleries, none of which are in the Speyside region.
Following tradition, I’m raising a toast to the ghost before drinking this dram which is the colour of heavily-oaked Chardonnay. The spicy nose has star anise, Kaffir lime leaf and ginger, school glue, nail varnish remover, spearmint pips and vanilla essence.
With water, orange blossom honey emerges, along with banana Toffo and foam shrimps, plus coconut, pineapple cubes and mango.
The smooth and creamy palate has vanilla puffs, hazelnuts, creamy fudge and a nutty finish with buttered toast. I’m going to add water but could drink it without, although there’s a slight alcohol burn.
Very soft with water which might not appeal to everyone, water reveals tropical fruits, milk chocolate, Fruit Mentos and floral gums with a finish of vanilla latte and Werther’s Original. I prefer it without the water but, with that level of ABV, always worth trying both.
A lovely quality dram and an easy quaffer, one for drinking with friends or on the sofa during lockdown.
Day 7 Old Bakery, Small Batch London Single Malt Whisky, 60.3% ABV, £64.95 for 50cl bottle
Exclusive to Gerry’s in Old Compton Street, Soho, a wonderful specialist shop selling not just whisky and gin but a great selection of miniatures and cocktail goods. I’ve bought fantastic bitters and syrups from there over the years, as well as whisky, gin, rum and liqueurs. This is another whisky I discovered thanks to a very generous friend at The London Whisky Club.
Old Bakery are a London-based distillery run by plumbers and distillers who are renowned for their award-winning gin, they launched their first whiskies this year, including this single barrel, cask strength whisky which has been matured in rum casks. The back of the label depicts Allen from Gerry’s. The standard release is 49% ABV and costs £51.50 at Gerry’s so you could, you should, buy both to compare and contrast. If you need an extra incentive, there’s free postage for orders over £100 – and how many of us have used that excuse over the years to buy extra whisky?
The colour of apple juice, the nose has bread dough, Jacob’s Lemon Puffs, orange Fruit Gums, strawberry jam, dunnage, orchards in autumn on a rainy day, oak desks with beeswax polish, antique books and liquorice.
Water reveals almond hand cream, hazelnuts, acorns, roast chicken, compost, coconut pie and apricots.
The palate woofs, this does need water but there are jammy doughnuts, crisp autumn leaves, roast chestnuts and a finish of hay and oatcakes.
Water softens and delivers a creamy mouthfeel with crème caramel, walnut whip, Charbonnel et Walker Maple Brazil Nuts and butterscotch Angel Delight with a finish of rose water and frangipane tart.
Another whisky I was lucky enough to experience thanks to a bottle split, I’m tempted to order a whole bottle, plus their standard version to compare the two. Definitely a dram where I’d advise adding water, then it becomes a lovely, easy quaffable whisky which belies its tender years. A distillery to watch.
And don’t forget to join The London Whisky Club where you’ll not only discover great whisky and enjoy virtual tastings (at the moment) but make great friends. The club has an international membership, you don’t need to be based in or near London to be a member https://whiskyclub.london
Day 6 Blinking Owl Distillery California Straight Rye Whiskey, 45% ABV, £42.99
I discovered Blinking Owl at The Whiskey Exchange virtual festival after I was lucky enough to win a sample of their whiskeys, including this rye. Whilst there’s a celebrity angle for this new Santa Ana distillery, the very first craft distillery in Orange County, California, named after a mid-century bar whose owl sign used to blink, what matters most is the quality liquid itself.
Founders Brian and Robin Christenson were joined at the virtual whisky festival by their ‘creative muse’ and investor-partner, Kirsten Vangsness, instantly recognisable as the computer genius, Penelope Garcia, from Criminal Minds. I have never laughed so much at a whisky event, it just made me want to buy their whiskey – and be BFFs with Kirsten, of course. Their session was my favourite at the festival but what intrigued me was the spirit itself – will it make me smile as much as their session did? Huge thanks to Rusty Rabbit International for letting me share my most embarrassing story in a Zoom session and sending me samples in return, including this one. And, no, I’m not repeating my story here!
The first ever legally distilled barrelled American rye whiskey from Orange County, California, they use local Santa Ana water, plus rye, wheat and malted barley (from Admiral Maltings), all of which is organic and from California, and then age their whiskey in charred new American oak barrels for two years to create a smooth and quaffable rye whiskey.
A lovely caramel colour, the nose has vanilla, rye, nail polish, freshly hewn oak joists, Dunlop Green Flash plimsolls, Play-doh, Crayola crayons, rubber ducks, cinnamon, nutmeg butterscotch, freshly printed documents and a pile of newspapers with that old-style pulpy paper.
Oh, that’s lovely. I’m getting old papers and rye, cinnamon, mace and a salt beef sandwich with pickle and American mustard on freshly baked buttered rye bread on the palate. There are freshly strung green beans, white pepper and ginger. Lots of oak ships and varnish. The finish is light rye and vanilla sprinkles. This is a beautiful dram, light and so very more-ish. I need a bottle or two of this!
Day 5 The Single Cask Auchroisk 2008, 11 Years, 56.5% ABV, £60
I love The Single Cask and their decanter-style bottles. and I received my 25ml sample as part of my membership of The Dram Team which costs £29.99 a month. They send an email just before they take your next subscription fee so, if you already have some of the drams, want a break or prefer a different style of whisky, you can skip that month. And you don’t have to have monthly boxes, you could also opt for bi-monthly or quarterly. I think it’s a great club and love being a member. You get five 25ml drams with your membership, plus the ‘dream dram’ 10ml of a special bottle generally worth over £100, even up to £200. This particular sample came from a box where all of the drams were from The Single Cask, one of my favourite independent bottlers. I’ve loved all of their bottles and enjoyed a couple of tastings with them, a chance to try even more whisky before opting to buy whole bottles.
This 11-year-old Auchroisk is from a single cask which produced 286 bottles. It was distilled in an ex-Bourbon hogshead on 11th April, 2008 and bottled on 7th August, 2019. The ever-helpful TopWhiskies website where I bought my full-sized bottle handily gives a pronunciation guide, alongside tasting notes – Auchroisk is pronounced orth-rusk. The Speyside whisky can be found in the J&B blend but shines here as a single cask whisky.
The colour of Riesling, the nose is luscious – I actually purred when I smelt it. There are wine gums, HubbaBubba bubble gum, barley sugar, lemon bonbons, buttery pastry base, dunnage and pears.
I personally don’t feel it needs water but, at 56.5% ABV, others might, water reveals cherries on the nose, plus orange vitamin C tablets in water, magazine inserts wrapped in plastic and orange blossom honey.
There’s a soft and creamy mouthfeel with musk, dunnage, elderflower and a real meaty earthiness, plus heavy oak bookcases full of antique books. The finish has a plum tart and white pepper, plus a lingering orchard floor on an early-spring day. It’s delicious and I’m going to buy a bottle of this!
Water opens it up to add walnut whips, Scotch broth and nuttiness with a zesty orange, dunnage and chalkboard finish. I prefer it without water but it’s a beautiful dram either way and I really want it.
And, in case you’re looking for Christmas presents, including for yourself, I love their Final Cut Tasting Sets, with special 100ml regional bottles, including Speyside (Benrinnes), The Single Cask Glencairn glass, pipette and 100ml of Uisge Source spring water, plus a chance to get active on social media and win free whisky! https://topwhiskies.com/collections/the-single-cask/products/the-final-cut-speyside
To join The Dram Team and their monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly boxes of six different whiskies, go to https://www.thedramteam.co.uk BUT there’s a special discount for you as a Christmas gift for listening to me on my Cocktail Hour radio show or reading this Whisky Advent calendar. One offer per customer
Use code QUAFFED5 for £5 off any 3 month gift subscription (Christmas or normal) (£99 down to £95), or £5 off the first box in a normal tasting club subscription https://thedramteam.co.uk/discount/QUAFFED5…
Day 4 Signatory Ben Nevis 9-year-old, 2010-19, cask #129, 46% ABV, £42.20
My favourite part of lockdown has been how incredibly sociable the whisky world’s been with tastings, festivals and clubs. Even when I was too ill with Covid-19 to drink, I still enjoyed discovering new whisky and interacting thanks to the tastings. I belong to six whisky clubs and the WhatsApp groups are very active for those who have them. Through these groups, you’re often offered the opportunity to share drams, which enables you to try hard-to-get or more expensive bottles. I was lucky enough to be sent a couple of drams of this Ben Nevis, part of the Signatory Un-Chillfiltered Collection thanks to a generous member of The London Whisky Club.
For a single cask, it’s a low ABV. It’s very pale, the colour of Pinot Grigio. The nose has an immediate hit of jelly beans, there are pear drops, orange Starbursts, butterscotch, barley sugars – I feel like I’ve raided a sweetshop here, foam bananas, banana bread, icing sugar, dried mango, Victorias sponge with strawberry jam filling, and vanilla buttercream. Plus greengages, ginger and maple syrup over waffles. It’s deliciously sweet.
I added water (all hail, Larkfire Water, a wonderfully soft water which I add via a pipette, just a couple of drops) and it opened it up to reveal tropical fruit, custard doughnuts, apple turnovers, plus a flashback to primary school. There’s passata, basil and lemon meringue pie.
The creamy palate has crème caramel, bananas, burnt sugar, orchards, apricots and a smoky finish which tingles on the tongue, plus white pepper.
Water completely quenches the smoke and reveals a football pitch at the end of the game, gamey meat, hay, flaked almonds and a finish of tahini and pine nuts.
A lovely quaffable dram, I’m tempted to buy a bottle. Perfect for whiling away lockdown on the sofa.
I used to hate the idea of adding water to whisky but it’s always worth trying controlled measures in tastings, especially as it can reveal so much. I use Larkfire Water which is beautifully soft and pure, no chemical taste or chalkiness, it doesn’t interfere with the whisky, just opens it up and reveals its hidden secrets.
Purists might (and do) argue that a 46% ABV whisky doesn’t need water but it’s worth seeing what, if any, difference it makes. I can also drink some whiskies at 60%+ without even a drop of water but, after a few sips of this 9-year-old Ben Nevis, felt that it would benefit from a couple of drops. I do recommend buying a pipette so you don’t accidentally drown the whisky – you can always add water but you can’t remove it once it’s in your glass.
For Larkfire water, which really does make a difference, you can even drink it without whisky! https://www.larkfire.com/buy
Join The London Whisky Club and discover great whisky through their friendly tastings (online these days) and whisky chat. One of my favourite whisky clubs, it’s a fun and informative group from all around the world, not just London, who all love whisky https://whiskyclub.london
Day 3 Ben Bracken, 16 Year-Old Islay Single Malt, 43% ABV, £34.95
One of the annual supermarket Christmas releases from an undisclosed distillery, this is Lidl’s offering. The label says matured in oak casks, as though that’s not a pre-requisite to being a Scotch whisky, as per the SWA rules. But this whisky isn’t just aimed at whisky drinkers, it’s also targeting people in the supermarkets who want to buy an affordable but impressive-looking whisky and ‘matured in oak’ sounds like a quality option, despite being the industry standard for all Scotch whisky.
The label reads, ‘Distilled in copper pot stills in the centuries-old manner, it is then laid down in oak casks and matured, undisturbed, for sixteen years’. Marketing fluff but, for whisky people, what really matters is that it’s a 16-year-old Islay at a great price.
Ben Bracken is the Lidl brand name, not the name of the distillery which is likely to be either Caol Ila or Lagavulin – and a great price for either.
A rich amber colour, bordering on ruby (which I have a feeling owes more to E150 caramel food colouring than the casks themselves), the nose has school glue, roast chestnuts, fatty sausages cooking over an old range, sage, bubblegum, Harmony hairspray, dried apple, chocolate truffles, pebbles on the beach, flint houses, salt water taffy and sea air. More subtle than I’d expect of an Islay.
The palate is soft with sweet peat and an immediate smoke dragon. There’s Edinburgh rock, school glue, tannins, moo shu pork, sweet & sour with extra pineapple, and a leather tannery. The finish is long and lingering, the heavy smoke fading to a herby finish with sage and thyme, plus caramelised pineapple but I’m still blowing smoke rings five minutes later.
It’s not complex, the ABV is low but it’s an easy, quaffable dram and not bad for the money. There are better drams out there, of course there are, but it’s a great value option and a generous gift.
It’s chill filtered and the label doesn’t mention it being a natural colour which means that it probably isn’t but it does look oh so very Christmassy.
Day 2 Burnt Ends Blended Whiskey, 45% ABV or 90 Proof, £29.95
Small Batch Smooth Tennessee Rye Whiskey and Peated & Sherry Finished Single Malt Scotch – that’s a bit of a mouthful and seems a similar idea to High West Campfire Whiskey which, likewise, blends American whiskey with Scotch whisky
This is a 50cl bottle of whiskey (note the ‘e’, it’s American) that was recommended by several whisky friends and often pops up in the Master of Malt Flash Sales – which is where I bought mine. Hardly surprising as it’s by Atom Brands, the team behind That Boutique-y Whisky, Rum, Rye and Gin Companies, Ableforth’s, Drinks by the Dram, The Character of Islay Whisky Company and Darkness – and Master of Malt.
Let’s talk appearances. I love the medicinal bottles. You can just picture a cowboy swilling this back after purchasing it from a snake-oil dealer in America’s Wild West – and there’s a hint of danger with the devilish skull. I love the faded red colour and old-fashioned style. It looks vintage and, with its lozenge shape, it feels vintage. The perforated paper seal over the brown bottle is a minor sign of cheapness so just quickly break it and ignore it.
The colour was not what I was expecting at all, the Scotch influence dominates to create a golden hue, not a shoe polish brown. It’s very woody on the nose, I’m getting horse chestnut and sycamore more than oak, there’s sesame seeds, rubber balloons, raisin Danish and fresh ink from an ink pen, as well as freshly-printed glossy magazines. Leave it to sit and delicate Lapsang Souchong floats out of the glass with a side order of freshly-mown grass and strawberry Starbursts. They’ll always be Opal Fruits to me.
Ooh, the palate has a lot going on. Firstly, this is not a rye-dominant whiskey. It’s spicy (ginger, cinnamon and cardamon with a hint of fennel), menthol and pine. There are waxy wooden tables in a New Orleans bar with that vanilla element of American whiskey, plus cherryade and barley sugars and that meaty barbecue ribs in a smoky, hickory sauce cooked over wood chips. The sweet peat pops by on the finish with a faint whiff of smoke right at the end.
This was not what I expected at all. Forget the blending list, this is more than the sum of its parts, it’s a comprehensive whole that I could not have broken down without reading it – you get the vanilla of American whiskey with the spiciness of rye, the raisin Danish is a quite note but that’s the sherry and the peat shows more in the finish than the palate, as well as the Lapsang Souchong on the nose.
This is a great value ‘session’ whiskey. One for easy drinking with friends and with or without food. Perfect with steak or an evening in lockdown on the sofa.
I’d happily buy another bottle – at an RRP of £29.95 – and even cheaper in the regular sales, I’d happily buy two. Don’t forget that these are 500ml/50cl bottles.
Day 1 Douglas Laing Old Particular Craigellachie 12 years old, 48.4% ABV, £59.99
I got this bottle as part of my Summerton Whisky Club membership where you receive a bottle of whisky every other month for £50, including P&P, some of which were worth over £90. It’s a great way to discover new whisky and stretch your comfort zone and I’ve bought some repeat bottles because of it, all at higher prices than my original membership deal. They also have some exclusive bottles, including from the likes of The Whisky Baron and The Single Cask. I love being a member.
I’m a big fan of the independent bottler, Douglas Laing who bottle whiskies by distilleries and also create their own blends, including Big Peat, Scallywag, Rock Oyster and Timorous Beastie, each representing the different whisky regions. They produce different ranges of distillery bottles, including the Old Particular single cask series.
Single casks would be called limited editions in any other business. They have a set amount of bottles, 358 bottles in this case, and are usually a higher strength, although 48.4% is on the lower end of the scale. Still a decent enough strength.
Matured in a refill hogshead, distilled in 2006 and bottle in 2018, this 12-year-old Speyside whisky is the colour of heavily-oaked Chardonnay. The nose has wine gums galore (so much so that I opened a packet and ate some after finishing the dram), rose water, celery salt, hazelnuts and pears.
There’s a soft and creamy mouthfeel with more wine gums, hazelnuts, birch, hot buttered corn-on-the-cob, ginger and a dry and woody lingering finish with plenty of hay on a hot summer’s day and a waft of light smoke.
A light and quaffable dram, perfect for people who, like me, love wine gums. Allow it to sit and the smoke kicks in, deeper notes prevail, more wood, more spice, tangerines at the back and wormwood. Pour and set aside for 30 minutes to truly appreciate it. This is a dram where you need to take your time and it will reward you. Take that half an hour to eat wine gums. I did.
Quaffed 