Whisky Discovery #409

Talisker Port Ruighe NAS (45.8%)
Island Single Malt
circa £45.00 70cl

This is the second of two new recently introduced Talisker whiskies which we have been fortunate to receive review samples of. It's also the first ever Talisker release which has been double matured in ruby port casks.

It has been named Port Ruighe after the ancient name of the principal town and port on the Isle of Skye Portree or Port Righ to use it's current Gaelic name. Like the recently released Storm, Port Ruighe is a permanent addition to the current core range of single malts.

Master Blender Maureen Robinson explains: “Talisker Port Ruighe is a combination of spirit that has been matured in American Oak and European Oak refill casks in the traditional manner along with spirit that has been filled into specially conditioned deeply charred casks. The spirit is then finished in casks that have previously held Port Wine which endows it with spicy fruit notes. These bond elegantly with that clean, fresh smokiness that signals its essential Talisker character.”

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose: Wood charcoal, fresh Victoria plumbs at peak ripeness, little bit of mahogany wood, sticky raisins, butter notes, spices – cloves & cinnamon. Overall reminds me of very rich fruit cake. I swear I can even pick out a bit of blanched almonds. With water it’s like a dampened fire, more mossy earthy smells, instead of fruit cake it’s more Victoria sponge, and the only spice present is sweet cinnamon. 

Taste: Initially a sweet/sour taste, not unpleasant but hard to described, almost like Balsamic vinegar. This doesn't stay for very long, is replaced by maple syrup notes with a melt-in-the mouth quality, wood notes and wood smoke follows (their signature flavours as you would expect), spices – just cloves this time, towards the end there was some bitterness and oil from lemon zest. This bitterness and the smoky characters balances out the sweet notes so it’s not sickly sweet. With water, it becomes more smooth and silky. Is sweeter but mellow, with some smoke which reminds me of the smell of pipe tobacco, or cigars. And instead of raisins, it’s more like sultanas, not as rich. No spicy 

Finish: Tingly warm from spices (more from cloves), leaving a little bit of a dry mouth feel with bitter black coffee notes at the end. A long lingering finish. With water it is not as intense, there is still some warmth, little bit of spices with wood smoke at the end. 

Overall it’s a very nice dram, which is just as nice with or without water, would very much depend on my mood but I do like it’s adaptability. Short summary I would say robust and punchy without water, mellow but still retains a full body character with water. 

Dave: The nose comes across as sweet with strong notes of caramel at first before that peppery maritime note Talisker is famed for comes through. With notes of oiled hemp rope, damp peat and a touch of brine, the Port cask influence brings the fruity flavours of ripe plums, and throughout there's a sweet smokiness.

This is really quite smooth and mouth-coating. It's sweet to taste at first, before a peat reek comes through before the hot pepper builds and fades back to a creamy smokiness. The ripe plums come through on the palate and there is even a hint of cherry. The finish is long and lingering with a drying smokiness.

Verdict: Again I really quite enjoyed this one, am I going to rush out and buy a bottle? Probably not, as previously mentioned on the Storm post, my wish list is long and I really want to add a bottle of Distiller's Edition and their 18 Year Old to my shelf beforehand, but I would happily have this on my shelf.

And finally, many thanks for Talisker's PR team for sending us the sample, photograph and information. For more information take a look at their website;  Talisker Whisky

Three evenings at SMWS London

I don't often get the opportunity to spend an evening in the SMWS's London headquarters but a recent Trade Show held at Earls Court had me commuting down from Bedfordshire for three consecutive days. (I was originally scheduled for just two days manning our stand at the RailTex exhibition but my MD pulled out of his final shift and called me in at the last minute).

It so happens that 19 Greville Street, the London home of the SMWS, lies on the Bedford to London main line just a stones throw from Farringdon, and so my mission was to ensure I went home from Earls Court via Farringdon underground. If they had been open early for breakfast I would have made sure I was there for that too!

On my journey home after the first day of the show I could only stop for a couple of drams as I had foolishly left my car at the station and would have to drive home later. I carefully read the current out-turn and found an interesting bottling from Jura's only distillery, so first on the menu was 31.26

Whisky Discovery #410

SWMS 31.26 'BBQ Smoke by a Rolling Sea' 24 Year Old (53.6% abv)

Highland Island Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

I'd not come across a club bottling from the Isle of Jura before and was really looking forward to this recent release. Distilled on 27th September 1988 this was matured for 24 years in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead, resulting in just 262 bottles at 53.6% abv)

It certainly didn't disappoint with some smoky aniseed and plenty of brine on the nose, along with the sweet scent of butterscotch popcorn. The peat smoke was much more forward on the palate, with a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce and earthy notes.

Knowing that I could only have one more dram I asked Phoebe (@whiskybars) for a recommendation and this recent bottling from the Ardbeg distillery was selected.

Whisky Discovery #411

SWMS 33.125 'Salted Caramel Lollipop' 7 Year Old (64.4% abv)

Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

I love a peaty Islay whisky and this complemented the Jura perfectly. So this young Ardbeg was distilled on the 9th May 2005 and matured for just seven years in a first fill barrel yielding just 250 bottles at an impressive 64.4% abv.

It was delicious and just what I was expecting; lots of smoky peat, with notes of tobacco and leather on the nose. It started off a little medicinal to begin with on the palate but settled down to be more sooty. with some sweet smoke and a little brine.

With my fix for peat satisfied I made my way back to Farringdon Station, jumping on the first train heading towards Bedford only to find that the train I had jumped on was going to go right past my station without stopping. My wife and her friends had done just this only the week before, and I remembered laughing at them asking why they never read the information board beforehand, and here's me doing exactly the same thing. Unlike them I heard the train announcements on the journey (they would have been far too busy talking) and so made plans to hop off at Luton to wait for the next train that would stop for at my station.

Day 2 For my second day of playing commuter I'd organised being dropped off at the station in the morning so I would be able to have a couple of extra drams after the show. 

My show partner for day two was our Production Manager, Peter. I've worked with Peter for 15 years and we've had a few beers over that time, but never a whisky. Peter lives along the same main line into London, so it was fairly easy to convince him that we should stop off for a drink or two on the way home from the show. I had told him about the SMWS lounge and he was keen to find out more. With Peter not being a whisky drinker we started with a beer, settling for a 'Bitter and Twisted'  from the Harviestoun Brewery while I explained how the SMWS started and as we started reading our way through the menu, the numbering system and how the wonderfully inventive names are created along with the sometimes contradictory tasting notes printed on the labels.

Since 'converting' to whisky I have been very keen to preach what I have learnt so far and to demonstrate the vast range of smells and tastes that can be found in the different expressions.  Our first dram was chosen for us, and with the help of Sam (@DramforSam) we tried to convey some of the wonders that always amaze me in some fine whisky.

Whisky Discovery #412

SMWS 59.43 ''Caramel Swirl Ice Cream' 29 Year Old (56.4% abv)

Highland Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

We started of with one of the special 30th Anniversary bottlings and a 29 year old from the Teaninich Distillery. I'd not heard of this distillery before and had to look it up in Malt Yearbook to find our more! The majority of this whisky produced at Teaninich is used in the Johnnie Walker blends and it is all matured off site.

So this anniversary dram was distilled on the 8th November 1983 and matured for 29 years in a refill hogshead yielding 252 bottles at 56.4% abv

This started with sweet fruity notes, especially pineapple, and there was plenty of vanilla caramel too. It was quite dry on the palate, black tea like, yet still quite sweet and creamy, a great start to our evening!

For our next dram I thought we should try something young and lively, light and fragrant and Sam chose this Mortlach for us. I tend to think of Mortlach as a sherried whisky, usually with an element of 'struck match' to it but this was not the case with this single cask offering:

Whisky Discovery #413

SMWS 76.95 'Tropical Fruit Salad' (58.2% abv)

Speyside Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

A ten year old distilled in 2001 matured in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead yielding 307 bottles at 58.2% abv. Tropical fruit is what it said on the label, and tropical fruit is what we got!

After two quite light fruity numbers I wanted Peter to experience a sherry cask and asked Sam to find a suitable number. An eleven year old from the Glen Moray distillery was poured

Whisky Discovery #414

SMWS 35.86 'A Sumptuous Breakfast Dram' 11 Year Old (59.3% abv)

Speyside Lossie Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

A fabulous contrast to the first two drams which was immediately noticed by my guest. This Glen Moray was distilled on 17th May 2001 and matured in a First-fill ex-sherry butt yielding 629 bottles at 59.3% abv

With a fabulous rich nose of toast and rich marmalade, polished wood and dates. Wonderfully rich on the palate with a heavy fruit cake, perhaps just the hint of struck match? Peter's first thoughts when nosing this whisky was that it reminded him of the gas used in the dentists when he was a child, and I told him that there were no right or wrong answers, it's all perception from your own experiences.

With a tick in the box for a sherry cask malt, I though I would try to explain the difference between a single malt and a single grain. Sam recommended his current favourite and poured us our next dram

Whisky Discovery #415

SMWS G4.2 'Attractive spirit in a cloak of oak' 28 Year Old (55.4% abv)

Single Cask Single Grain Whisky

A single cask grain whisky from the Cameronbridge Distillery, distilled on the 6th April 1984 and matured in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead for twenty eight years, yielding just 218 bottles at 55.4% abv

I explained to Peter the differences between grain whisky and single malts, and that the majority of whisky made is grain, and used for blended whisky. I told him what I had recently learnt following our Glory of the Grain tweet tasting a few weeks back, and that a good single grain whisky is all about the wood it's been matured in.

There was plenty of wood notes in this one, it reminded me of the wood shop we had at the yard, where we would season some of the best cuts of wood naturally. There were also notes of tobacco and sweetness of a rich honey. Quite bourbon-esque on the palate, sweet with a hint of liquorice.

I was keen to show Peter some peated whisky next and so we moved our tasting journey across to Islay. Sam picked this next one as it was a good balance between the peated spirit and a sherry cask

Whisky Discovery #416

SMWS 3.193 'Baby Faced Arsonist' 14 Year Old (57.7% abv)

Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

So this Bowmore was distilled on the 25th September 1997 and matured in a refill sherry but for 14 years, yielding 601 bottles at 57.7% abv

A lovely sweet scented smoke came across on the nose, but there was a definite maritime note underlying with a salty seaweed type note. On the palate the maritime note was foremost to me with smoked mackerel with honey and mustard. I loved this and thought it was a great introduction to the peated spirit

With time ticking on, and now knowing that I had to make a return journey the following morning (my notice came via a text message during our adventure) I went back to Sam for our last dram for the evening. I wanted something a little more medicinal.

Whisky Discovery #417

SMWS 53.176 'Pain is so close to Pleasure' 20 Year Old (56.6% abv)

Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

What a fabulous name for this twenty year old Caol Ila. It was a single cask Caol Ila that started me off on my whisky journey, so a fitting end to the evening? Distilled on the 17th January 1992, this was matured in a refill hogshead for twenty eight years yielding 285 bottles at 56.6% abv

Great Islay nose with heavily peated notes, although by no means as heavy as a Laphroaig or Port Charlotte (I'll try that with Peter next time). Wood smoke and barbecued mackerel complete with burnt skin, a touch of menthol too. It's peaty on the palate and quite different to the previous Bowmore. 

A perfect end to our evening which had me savouring this for the first part of the journey home. So what was our favourite? Peter really liked the sherried Glen Moray, 35.86 which I must admit was a damn fine dram (I went back the following evening with every intention of revisiting it alongside 35.85, but there was none of the earlier release left). For me The Caol Ila was my favourite of the evening, but it was a close call between the six excellent drams chosen.

Day 3 My re-arranged third day at the trade show was spent with our Sales Manager Philip, the man who first introduced me to whisky and so I was planning on taking him to 19 Greville Street after the show. Unfortunately he already had other commitments and so I returned alone.

It was a glorious afternoon in London so I started with a cold beer - I needed it! I sat down to review the menu while contemplating whether I should make an evening of it or return home in time to make the Balblair Tweet Tasting scheduled for later on in the evening. I had come prepared, bringing both whisky samples and glasses with me so I could take part wherever I ended up at eight o'clock. I decided (quite sensibly) that I should make my way home for it and settled for just one dram before catching the six o'clock train home.

Running through the menu I was intrigued by the description of this:

Whisky Discovery #418

SMWS 85.23 'Burnt granary toast with bramble jelly' 12 Year Old (59.4% abv)

Speyside Lossie Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

I later found out that this was from the Glen Elgin distillery, another new one to me and one you don't see around ordinarily. This distillery too is owned by Diageo and usually found in blended whisky only.

Distilled in September 1999 and matured for 12 years in an ex-sherry butt, yielding 367 bottles at 59.4% this has the typical sherry influence note of struck matches. I quite like the light sulpher notes when it's like this. There's also that yeasty note when making a granary loaf. It's sweet on the palate though as the label note says quite aggressive, though I'm not sure if that was because of the high abv. A drop of water gives that burnt toast note and the jammy note compliments the toast!

So in three evenings of dropping into the SMWS London home I had made nine new whisky discoveries, but to be fair I could find a new whisky discovery every evening for a long time in this place! I'd also introduced a friend to the pleasure of a quality single malt who has already asked when will we be going back again.

Whisky Discovery #405

Talisker Storm NAS (45.6% abv)
Island Single Malt Whisky
Circa £40.00 70cl

This is the first of two new recently introduced Talisker whiskies which we have been fortunate to receive review samples of. Storm is said to be an exuberant new expression, more intense and smoky, with enhanced and vibrant maritime notes, smoothly balanced with Talisker’s signature hot sweetness.

This new expression which will be a permanent addition to the Talisker family sits between the Talisker 10 and Talisker Distiller's Edition and  comes from a marriage of rejuvenated and refill casks at different ages and is bottled at the traditional Talisker strength of 45.8% ABV, without an age statement.

I remembered reading about 'rejuvenated' casks a little while back and so delved into my archive to re-read and digest.

Rejuvenated casks have been around for a few years now, ex-bourbon casks were subjected to steaming and scraping  thus creating a new wood surface which would be charred with a gas flame before re-using.

More recently the Cambus Cooperage installed a new system for rejuvenating casks. When casks come to the end of their usable life (usually after the fifth fill) they run through this new processing line which keeps all the cask parts together via a RF (radio frequency)  tag system. 

The casks are de-charred via a machine that shaves the inside of the barrel surface away, taking around 3-4 mm , exposing the new wood, this is said to be much better at removing the 'undesirable' elements than the original scraping or flailing process. The casks can then be re-charred before being put back into service

Whisky Science have a great article on cask rejuvenation and the effects on flavour profiles here but in short summation de-charred and re-charred exhausted ex-bourbon casks seem to produce more sweet and woody notes whereas refill casks tend to bring out the drier woody notes. 

So What Did We Think? 

Kat: Nose:  Rich and robust. Sweet slightly moist tobacco (half cigar, half rolling tobacco), juicy raisins, nice balance of wood smoke, and the smell of rolls of damp turf. 

Taste:  Slightly burnt caramel, some honey notes, warming mouth feel from fresh chillies, dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, similar taste to Soreen loaf with butter without the heaviness, and lemon Lockets. 

Finish: Relatively long. Starts with the lovely wood smoke, followed by the warming chilli heat, and honey towards the end.  

Dave: I needed to reacquaint myself with Talisker 10 before I started tasting Storm. Talisker 10 was one of the early bottles I bought right at the beginning of this journey, it came highly recommended from the man who converted me to whisky, it was one of my early favourites. The bottle had long gone, and reading my blogpost for it gave me no real details (at the beginning it was just a 'liquid log' with very few tasting notes, if any). So it was off to the pub to catch myself a healthy sample to sit alongside it.

Colour-wise there is very little difference between the two expressions but as there is no mention of these being naturally coloured I would suspect that the harmony has been maintained with a drop or two of spirit caramel

On the nose there is gentle peat reek over the Talisker white pepper, however the seafood liquor experienced in the Talisker 10 Year Old is no longer there. There's a sweet note, honey like and slightly floral almost though certainly not delicate. The sweetness extends to the light smoky notes which start to slowly creep out of the glass. The maritime saltiness is there as is the white pepper.

This has a oily mouth-coating feel to it with sweet gentle honey notes, the spices build slowly giving that Talisker heat profile one comes to expect. The wild fennel note picked up on the 10 year old is evident here too, and that sweet smokiness found on the nose comes through on the palate too, but this is well balanced by the briny note.

It finishes with a smoky beach fire, salty driftwood smouldering. The white pepper remains with the sweet peat smoke and there's some woody notes too. Later the empty glass smells of that sweet smoke.

Verdict: not a bad drop of drammage, am I going to rush out and buy a bottle? Probably not, as my list is long and I really want to add a bottle of Distiller's Edition and their 18 year old to my shelf beforehand.

And finally, many thanks for Talisker's PR team for sending us the sample, photograph and information. For more information take a look at their website;  Talisker Whisky

Glory of the Grain Tweet Tasting

April's Tweet Tasting from The Whisky Wire gave us four Grain Whiskies from Arkwrights (@whiskyandwines). The four grain samples were all sent blind and so we only knew what we had been drinking once we had posted our tasting notes.

Arkwrights is a specialist independent whisky retailer based in the Wiltshire town of Highworth and owned and run by Ken and Fran Thomas. They have an extensive range of over 900 whiskies, available to buy via the website or from the shop itself to try. 

So what is Grain Whisky?

Grain whisky is made from any un-malted cereal grains. In the past these were typically wheat and sometimes oats and rye. Today maize (corn) is widely used. A small amount of malted barley is added to provide the enzymes which convert the starch in the grains into sugar.

Grain whisky has been made in Scotland since at least the 15th century, originally made to use up cereals which were not required as food and to create nutritious winter feed for cattle from the husks and spent grains. It was originally made in pot stills, just as malt whisky is made today. 

In the late 1820s a new style of still was invented by Robert Stein and later perfected by Aeneas Coffey, a former Inspector of Excise in Dublin. This new Coffey Still was capable of producing  a high strength pure spirit, and since the still could be operated continuously, rather than batch by batch (as in pot still distillation), it was cheaper.

Although such Coffey or Patent stills were expensive to install, grain distillers soon adopted them. Whisky made in a Coffey still has less pronounced flavour than that made in a pot still and this made it very desirable for blending, since it lightened and sweetened the heavy malts of the mid 1800s.

Today there are just six grain whisky distilleries in Scotland: Cameronbridge, Girvan, Invergordon, North British, Strathclyde and Starlaw. Together these six produce around six times the amount of malt whisky every year. 

Only three of these grain distilleries bottle single grain whiskies; Cameron Bridge, Black Barrel (from Girvan) and Invergordon. You can also find bottlings from the now closed Port Dundas distillery (2009) and the Loch Lomond Distillery, a malt whisky distillery, also has a small patent still.

Without a clue what we were going to be tasting we kicked off proceedings at 7pm under the #GrainWhisky hashtag.

All set for the blind 'Glory of the Grain' Tweet Tasting

Whisky Discovery #334

Cameron Brig NAS (40% abv)
Pure Single Grain Whisky
£24.99 from Arkwrights

Our first Grain of the evening was Cameron Brig Pure Single Grain. The Cameron Bridge Distillery was acquired it in 1824 by John Haig who's cousin, Robert Stein, created the first ever distillery to produce grain whisky using a patent still. The malt whisky production using pot stills ceased in 1929 to concentrate on grain whisky production. Now owned by Diageo who after a £9 million investment, the Distillery re-opened in 2000 giving the distillery the capacity to produce 30M litres of spirits annually

Cameron Brig Single Grain Whisky is listed in Ian Buxton's 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die. 

This single grain isn't great on presentation and comes unboxed, but is a superb representation of a single grain whisky. For those that know it, it has a big following.

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose:  Delicate floral scent, pencil shavings, unsalted popcorn, Battenberg cake, and some chalk. Overall very delicate.

Taste:  Gomme Sugar syrup but without the tick syrup quality, instead with same silkiness. Some Citrus and some cereal qualities, bit like corn flakes but not over so. Again same as the nose, not of the flavours are very punchy here, to use same description I’ve used previous, delicate.

Finish: Very subtle bitterness, with some citrus oil, and the pencil shavings picked up on the nose comes through here as the last note in the finish.

Dave: I first tasted this at the Birmingham Whisky Festival earlier this year, it had been on my list since finding it in Ian Buxton's 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die. I didn't take any notes last time, so pleased to have the opportunity to sit down a saviour it this time

The nose seemed quite shy initially, and I tweeted that it reminded me of a cereal packet being opened, like opening a new packet of cornflakes. There were faint notes of vanilla, bourbon, and I was getting a light aniseed note. After a little while on second nosing it was dusty grains and firm peaches with some light spicy notes underlying. Overall the nose is quite fragrant, but needs a little time to breathe, that said, all the notes are very gentle.

Again it's soft and gentle on the palate with thin honey, candied citrus, gentle bourbon notes, a little wood and I was getting a light fennel note too. The finish seemed to have a good length to it with some gentle spices. It came across as quite dry leaving my mouth feeling like I'd chewed a hazelnut.

Verdict: A pleasant enough dram, but not going to set the world on fire. At just £25 a bottle it's an inexpensive introduction to single grain whisky.

So what did the others think?

@LRWhisky: Massive wood and beeswax. Very creamy - could almost be from a dairy
@TWLJoe: Reminds me of a small old toffee tin that's been emptied of toffee and since been used for rolling backy
@steveprentice: On the palate it's soft and sweet, with the grain nature taking a while to come through when held on the tongue.
@whiskyrepublic: Palate - Rum fudge slowly melting into vanilla ice-cream
@TheWhiskyBoys: Taste, a little warmth, Thornton special toffee, does not need H2O light liquorice  sweet mild ginger, this is really nice

Whisky Discovery #406

Greenore 8 Year Old (40% abv)
Irish Single Grain Grain Whiskey
£36.99 from Arkwrights

Our second Single Grain of the evening came from Ireland and a Greenore 8 Year Old from The Cooley Distillery. This attractively bottled limited edition (5000 bottles) eight year old single grain whiskey was placed in bourbon casks in 1997 and bottled 2006 at 40%.

Greenore is a completely unique Irish whiskey, as the only expression of an Irish Single Grain whiskey in the world. 

The Cooley Distillery is the only independent distillery in Ireland and is nestled in the foothills of the Cooley Mountains in Co. Louth. Both patent and pot stills are used at Cooley, and they produce both malt and grain whiskey, reinvigorating old famous brands such as Kilbeggan and Tyrconnell while also creating new brands, like Connemara Peated Single Malt and this Greenore Single Grain Irish whiskey.

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose:  Instant hit on the initial nosing of brand new plimsolls (had big rubber hit for me). Then I hope I don’t lose a lot of people with the rest of the tasting notes. Think damp shed. For me it’s a damp shed with the smell of dust and dirt, and the smell of oil rusty tins of oil paints. The nose is not off putting but I have to admit not my favourite.

Taste:  Woody, bit oily similar to mild olive oil, warming spiciness from white pepper, musk, and for anyone who knows what Chinese saw tooth coriander is, it’s got a hint of that throw in. 

Finish:  Mildly sweet, short with hints of cereals like cornflakes. 

Dave: Would you believe it? This is another of the whiskies listed in Ian Buxton's 101 Whiskies, though this one is listed in the second 101 World Whiskies book, but still another tick in the box for me!

The nose on this came across as sweeter than the first one with notes of aged rum. With a little while a clean rubber note comes across, I said clean rubber in my tweet, I meant white rubber as opposed to black tyre or inner tube.Kat's new plimsolls is a good descriptor now I'm sitting at a second session . With a little time some faint bourbon notes start to evolve, with lots of vanilla and a little musty wood underlying. These later notes start to mask the rubber note I was picking up earlier.

The aged rum notes come across to the palate too, almost Demerara like. This is sweet and creamy with a light dusting of pepper. The bourbon notes come through too and I really enjoyed the taste of this one. The finish is quite short, again quite dry, gently fading with sweetness, ginger and a hint of lemongrass.

Verdict: I really liked this Irish Single Grain Whiskey and can see why Ian deemed this suitable to be included in his 101 series.

So what did the others think?

@LRWhisky: Sour cherry, vanilla and sweet on the nose

@whiskyrepublic: More pungent than the Brig, recently varnished orange, marzipan, sweet, slightly musty, hints of vanilla
@BeckyPaskin: Lovely tropical notes, ripe bananas, whiff of must
@TWLJoe: Light and sweet on the palate some nice citrussy notes and some bourbonesque qualities, although not nearly as intense
@dramologist: Now tasting with water & it is much richer: mangos, banana and honey. And a new sheet of cardboard from the stationery
@TheWhiskyBoys: This might even pass as a mid range Bourbon

Whisky Discovery #407

Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky NAS (45% abv)
Japanese Single Grain Whisky
£39.99 from Arkwrights

Dram No.3 of the evening was this Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky from Japan.

The Coffey still is named after its inventor Aeneas Coffey. In 1830, the French-born Irishman perfects this technique, which would become widely adopted by the Scots for the production of blends, allowing them to surpass Ireland as a whisky producing nation.

The distillation process is continuous, whereas the pot stills which are used in single malt production require two separate distillations. Nikka runs two Coffey stills within the Miyagikyo distillery for the elaboration of its grain whiskies. Imported from Scotland in 1963, these old stills yield a very round distillate, with a distinct character that defines Nikka’s signature blends

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose: Very complex and a lot more punchy aromas compared with the previous two. Frangipani, linseed oil, dried berries – cranberry in particular, cream cheese frosting, tinned peaches in syrup, and finally rum and raisin ice cream.I particularly like the nose of this one the best out of these four.

Taste:  Black Darjeeling tea (has that tannin bitter taste), dry hay, roasted coffee bean, sherry trifle, and hint dry wood similar to pencil shavings.

Finish: Left with dry mouth feel with a woody taste.

Dave: Again this has that quality aged rum note on the nose which comes across with sweet spicy stewed fruits, vanilla essence, richer bourbon notes, with treacle, Demerara sugar, raisins and dates

This is really easy drinking and slips down effortlessly. It's sweet and creamy with light bourbon notes and really did give you that vanilla cream over rum and raisin ice-cream experience! The finish came across as quite short, dry and a light salty note too.

Verdict: I really enjoyed this single grain from Japan, so very easy to drink.

So what did the others think?

@dramologist: Much woodier now. maple syrup, ginger, peach, orange, vanilla. Brown sugar after a while

@whiskywardrobe: Spices, and candies and disolvent and corn, and honey and more of all of them again. Lovely
@rodbodtoo: Smells older, more of the rum thing going on (for me rum aromas = old OLD whiskies)
@BeckyPaskin: Gorgeous spicy notes, stewed apples for me
@TheWhiskyBoys: Sherry filled plump raisins, cooked soft fruits topped with vanilla ice cream
@galg: This palate is HUGE.. sweet and thick with Demerara sugar, dates, rum, chocolate, fudge, rich cake with sultanas with rum

Whisky Discovery #408

Clan Denny Invergordon 1966 45 Year Old (47.1% abv)
SIngle Grain Whisky
£134.00 from Arkwrights

Our finale dram was bound to be something really special and we were treated to this Invergordon 1966. A 45 year old expression of a single grain whisky from the Clan Denny range of whiskies. 

It was matured in Bourbon Barrel number HH7254 and bottled at 47.1% abv.

Established in 1961 by Invergordon Distillers Ltd. The Distillery is on the shore of the Cromarty Firth north of Inverness, it was commissioned in 1959 to create employment in the area, following the departure of the Royal Navy.

The distillery is now owned by Whyte & Mackay group since 1993 and part of Kyndal Spirits Ltd.

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose:  Initially nosing got sour milk but luckily this opens up to much nicer aromas with air, and a drop of water. Sweet taste of honey dew melon starts to come out, there’s some meaty quality to it like good quality mature raw steak, and balsamic vinegar. I have to thank my fellow participants for the last note as I couldn’t quite put my fingers on.

Taste:  Rich dried fruits, really good fruit cake, caramel, prune juice, taste of the smell of damp mulch (bit earthy), and some smoky characters which reminded me of chipotle chillies.

Finish:  Peppery, gently smoky so not over powering, and leaves a dry mouth feel.

Dave: The nose opens with a dusty quality and a 'struck match' note. There are hints of  a much higher alcohol content than stated with the acetone notes. With a little air, remember this has 'sleeping' for forty five years, it settles down to give rich vanilla bourbon, well seasoned wood, some musty notes, and a charred wood smoky note.

The palate opens with a slightly sour note but this settles down and slowly sweetens, not a sickly sweetness, more of a saccharin type. A spicy kick starts to evolve, menthol like and there is a slight rubber note. A drop of water changes this and rich bourbon qualities come to the fore. This had the longest finish of the four and yet again a very dry finish, but this has an intense chilli heat on the swallow, although this doesn't last too long.

So what did the others think?

@TheWhiskyBoys: Quite gentle on the nose, toasted coconut, rich and fruity, newly dug garden border, candy floss sweetness

@dramologist: There is a dusting of icing sugar on this. The full-bodied palate is woody and earthy, with just a little vegetal note
@rodbodtoo: That deceptively smoky note which comes from a long time in barrel 
@JayDieNL: Wauw! Lot going on on the taste! Dry, wood, bourbon, sherry, chocolate, raisins
@TheWhiskyWire: Subtle puffetts of smoke & I mean subtle, with a finishing flairette of menthol

As per previous Tweet Tastings there was a great deal of tweeting going on and to see what happened search on the #GrainWhisky hashtag on twitter for the full story.

Yet another great experience and another highlight of our whisky journey, with three new discoveries for me, and it was the first time Kat had tasted any of these. Tweet Tastings really are a great way to taste whisky.

A massive THANK YOU to Steve Rush at @TheWhiskyWire, and to Ken and Fran from Arkwrights @WhiskyandWines for the generous samples, for making sure we all got our drams and of course the tweet tasters.

This events tweet tasters were:

@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyDiscovery @LRWhisky @WorldWhiskyDay @rodbodtoo @ifotou @steveprentice @dramologist @mattveira @PresleyKa @TheWhiskyBoys @kizzsmyth @whiskyrepublic @BeckyPaskin @PMaitlando @rickfurzer @TWLJoe @whiskywardrobe @galg @JayDieNL

For more information see: www.thewhiskywire.com and www.whiskyandwines.com and if you want to experience what we tasted, Ken and Fran have put this same set of grain whiskies together for you, and only available from Arkwrights Whisky and Wines

Whisky Discovery #404

Tomatin Legacy NAS (43% abv)
Highland Single Malt Whisky
circa £26.00 70cl

I was fortunate to be sent a healthy review sample of this new release from Tomatin recently. This is the first full review of  a distillery bottling although I have tasted the core range with Alistair Mutch at The Wine & Spirits Show in London. I caught up again with Alistair at the recent Midlands Whisky Festival, but resisted the temptation to taste his wares again at the time, knowing that I had this in the shelf. I've since added some Tomatin 15 to my shelf and will be reviewing that later.

When Tomatin Distillery was established in 1897, the isolated and idyllic setting of Tomatin was almost perfect. However there wasn't a local workforce, the local inhabitants being scattered shepherds and cattle drovers. The company began a project of construction to accommodate its workforce. Since that time the distillery has been at the heart of the community and the community at the heart of the distillery.

This legacy has continued. Tomatin remains one of the few distilleries to provide a home for its dedicated craftsmen, and is now recognised with a permanent addition to the Tomatin Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky range, “The Tomatin Legacy”.

Matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks and bottled at 43% abv, Legacy was released as a permanent addition to the core range in March 2013

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose:  Very rich aromas. Heavily of over ripe, starting to rot bananas and plums, damp rotting wood and general sweet musky aromas of a well a rotted hot compost heap. This is all in a great way. There’s some more earthy aromas from Portobello mushrooms, and with sometime in the glass some vanilla and green oak aromas come through. 

Taste:  Bourbon-esk flavours but sweet with more caramel flavours, hint of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and lastly very subtle oak notes. 

Finish:  Crème brulee with a subtle fresh chilli warming tingling mouth feel. 

Dave: My first impression from nosing this was that it appeared to be young and fresh, it has that 'new make' note to it. The nose is sweet with vanilla and Victoria sponge cake, there's some zesty lemon citrus notes and some fresh green wood.

The palate too is quite sweet with creamy vanilla, sherbert lemon, crisp green apple and I'm still getting  a little of the sponge cake flavour too.

The finish comes across with legs too it, a good length with a little pepper and sherbet The empty glass smells of cake mix, honest!

OK, so it's not an overly complicated dram, but what did you expect for around £26 a bottle? It's light, refreshing and very drinkable

And finally:

Many thanks to Tomatin for sending us a generous sample of this new release to review.

Whisky Discovery #403

The Arran Malt 16 Year Old (46% abv)
Island Single Malt
Circa £60.00 70cl

Arran Distillers has recently launched its oldest expression so far, The Arran Malt 16 Year Old. This bottling marks the countdown to the launch of The Arran Malt 18 Years Old. This time next year should see the release of the 17 Year Old followed by the 18 Year Old First Edition in Spring 2015. I've just checked my notes on the Arran 14 Year Old (Whisky Discovery #40) where I remember writing that their core range will eventually consist of 10, 14 and 18 Year Old expressions.

This new release is produced from un-peated malted barley, then matured in a mix of circa  70% bourbon barrels and 30% sherry hogsheads. The expression has been limited to 9,000 bottles and in-line with their other core expressions bottled at 46% abv, naturally coloured and non-chill filtered

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose:  Fresh cut Beech, fresh apricots, a sweet fresh quality that reminds me of the smell of honey suckle after rain, unbaked bread dough, and lemon zest that nicely balances the sweetness.

Taste:  Sweetness again similar to honey suckle but develops later to be more like sweet pea shoots, there’s a slight oiliness, a nut quality like is similar to macadamia nut, and lightly spiced – cinnamon.

Finish:  Delicately sweet and mildly spice (tingles of cinnamon), the taste of cork (you know that taste of when you get little bits of it in your wine when someone with ham hands has had a go at opening your wine!), and a nice hint of bitterness at the end. I find the taste of cork here quite pleasant, gives it a hint of earthiness.

Overall I really enjoyed this whisky. It’s light and refreshing, and would be very enjoyable in some spring sunshine.

Dave: The nose comes across as very malty upon pouring the first dram into the Glencairn, but then it evolves into rich dark chocolate flavours - fabulous! There's spicy oak, sweet toffee, honey and fruit with rosy apples and green grapes. It's spicy and beautifully honeyed without being too sweet.

The palate opens with a light honey sweetness and slowly builds to a spicy crescendo, cloves and cinnamon It has a rich and creamy mouth-feel and the chocolate notes are back, but now more milk chocolate like and there is a slight orangey mandarin note underlying

A great spicy finish follows with and almost chilli burn on the tongue if you let it. There's a nice length to the finish, and the milk chocolate lingers before the mouth starts to dry as the oak tannins come through leaving me salivating for the next dram.

I loved the 14 Year Old and this is a fabulous step towards their goal of having an 18 year old in their core line up. An important milestone for this young, innovative independent distillery and a and delicious milestone at that!

And finally:

Many thanks to Isle of Arran Distillers for sending us a generous sample of this new release to review.

Midlands Whisky Show III

I wasn't expecting to be heading back up to Stourbridge until September following our trip up to the second Midlands Whisky Festival. Due to the popular demand in the Midlands this new addition to the calendar conveniently places a Whisky Show midway between the September Show. You can read about our first trip to Stourbridge here.

Unfortunately Kat couldn't make this show due booking a birthday treat for her baby sister on the same day. So the long trip to Stourbridge was done all on my own, but armed with my iPod for music and a copy of Davin De Kergmommeaux's 'Canadian Whisky' I was well prepared. My first train left Milton Keynes at 0820 for the short hop up to Rugby, switching trains here to get up to Birmingham New Street. It was a beautiful morning with bright sunshine and clear blue skies!

I had to walk (the horror) from New Street to Moor Street to get my next train to Stourbridge Junction where the last leg in the journey started by hopping onto the Stourbridge shuttle into Stourbridge Town. By the time I had reached Stourbridge the blue skies had gone but at least it was still dry.

There's a short walk up the High Street to get to the Town Hall, where I met up with Andy Purslow (@ardbaggie) the shows chief whip cracker, who let me in before the show opened to help with the final details before the show officially opened for the VIP ticket holders at 11:00

With the show about to open I grabbed my glass and goodie bag and head over to catch up with Lukasz Dynowiak of @EdinburghWhisky. Although we 'talk' via twitter from time to time I hadn't seen Lukasz since last years TWL Midland Fest in Stratford upon Avon. Lukasz was pouring for Inverhouse Distillers; Balblair, Old Pulteney and anCnoc were on offer and I took my first dram of the day with the recently released anCnoc 22 Year Old.

One of my plans for the day was to get to know Glengoyne Distillery as I'd not come across them in my journey to date. On my way over to find them I caught up with Alistair Mutch with his range of Tomatin Single Malts where the new Tomatin Legacy was being showcased alongside their 12, 15, 18 and Dream Dram 30 Year Old malts. I also noticed their Antiquary 12 Year Old, a blended Scotch whisky that featured in our recent 12 Blends Challenge. I didn't stop for a dram with Alistair as he had taken us through the range at last November's Wine and Spirits Show.

Alistair introduced me to Alan Wardrop from Glengoyne where I enjoyed a vertical tasting through the range, starting with the 10 year old.

How's that for an introduction to a range from Glengoyne?

Glengoyne have the slowest stills in Scotland, running at around 5 litres per minute compared to  around 9-15 litres per minute at other distilleries. All Glengoyne whisky is unpeated, and always bottled with no added colouring, the colour coming from the top quality sherry casks they source.

So starting with the 10 Year Old I went through the core range; 12, 15, 18, and 21 Year Old whiskies finishing with their Cask Strength. I enjoyed each of the expressions, with each offering a little more, one of these is definitely going to be on my shelf soon, the 15 and 18 year old stood out for me, with the 15 Year Old just edging it for me, and the cask strength would be a strong contender too. In fact I would be very happy with any of these on my shelf!

As my introduction to Glengoyne was coming to an end the first call for The Macallan Masterclass was announced and I started to make my way to the stairs meeting up with Joe Ellis (@WhiskyBrum) and Mike and Jon from Living Room Whisky (@LRWhisky)

The Macallan Masterclass was hosted by Joy Elliott who took us through the new 1824 Series, a range of no age statement whiskies replacing the the current range up to the 18 Year Old (in the UK).

The Macallan 1824 Series; Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby

The 'Gold' was released around six months ago, but I'd not tasted it before, but this was the first public tasting of the other three, Amber, Sienna and Ruby.

Joy went on to explain the 'six pillars' of The Macallan, the first being it's spiritual home Easter Elchies House, overlooking the River Spey (the estate having river frontage too) has been the home of The Macallan for over two centuries.

The second is their curiously small and uniquely shaped copper stills which concentrate the flavour of the ‘new make’ spirit, and provide the rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours.

Thirdly Joy explained that The Macallan takes one of the smallest ‘cuts’ of the new make spirit of any distillery in Scotland, which means only the best of the best goes into filling The Macallan oak casks. The result is a very rich and oily spirit.

Pillar No. 4 and it's all about the wood. No ex-bourbon casks at The Macallan. All casks are  handcrafted in America and Spain. European Oak is selected, seasoned and then crafted into casks before being lent to Spanish bodegas to be filled with a dry Oloroso sherry before being  used to mature whisky.

Naturally coloured whisky is pillar No.5 and The Macallan insist on this. No colouring is ever added to their whisky. Which led to the last pillar, being the 'Masters of Spirit' monitoring the maturing whisky, selecting the moment when each cask is at the peak of maturity and perfect for bottling.

The new 1824 Series from The Macallan, Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby

We started with a drop of 'new make spirit' at 70% abv, with it's gristy, grainy nose and sweet pear drop palate and after taste, before moving on to our first whisky.

The Macallan Gold is the entry level from the series, and replaces the 10 Year Old Fine Oak and Sherry Oak standards. Bottled at 40% abv this is the one you may have seen in the supermarkets over that last six months. (circa £30).  Vanilla, citrus and cantaloupe melons featured on the nose. Gentle sweetness on the palate with some ginger spice too.

The Macallan Amber, 40% abv (circa £45) and from a combination of first fill/refill casks and a higher proportion of European Oak casks. Toffee, vanilla and a light orange note feature on the nose. Again a light sweetness on the palate with crisp apple, ginger and a good peppery spice.

The Macallan Sienna, 43% abv (cica £75) and my favourite of the four tasted. Only first fill casks used in the make-up of this, with lovely sherry notes and cinnamon on the nose along with some pineapple and cloves. The clove note featured on the palate too and complimented the sherry fruits of dates, figs and raisin.

The Macallan Ruby, 43% abv (circa £120) and from the finest matured whisky from first fill sherry casks only. Much darker in colour and richer in taste. Dried fruits feature on the nose, spiced oranges on the palate and a long warming finish

With the Masterclass over it was time to return to the main show, I had no real agenda, but was considering GlenDronach or BenRiach as both have been fairly absent from this journey to date. I caught up with Dave from The Whisky Dramalista (@whiskyrepublic) who had travelled up from Bristol for the show, and recommended I try the GlenDronach range. It was a little busy when I checked so decided I would look out for a couple of drams on my 101 Whiskies list, starting with the Highland Park 21 Year Old and then Glenglassaugh Revival

With two 'Dream Dram' tokens in my pocket I thought I would sample the Glenfiddich 'Age of Discovery' a rich 19 year old single malt matured in oak casks previously used to age fine Madeira wine for my next dram while catching up with Show organiser and Nickolls and Perks owner Dave Gardiner

The Jura Masterclass Line up: 10, 16, Superstition, Prophecy, The Journey (Mackinlays) and 1977

The Jura Masterclass was the main event for the afternoon and I helped Andrew set up before settling down to be entertained my master distiller Willie Tait. I had tasted all but one of the six whiskies laid out for the masterclass  but I had never met Willie before, who was as entertaining as I had hoped for!

We started with the Jura 10 year Old which was one of the first bottles of whisky I bought at the beginning of my journey. We moved on to the delicious Jura 16 year old which was followed by Superstition and Prophecy, four core expressions from this remote distillery.

We then moved on to 'The Journey' the second recreation of Shackleton's Whisky which had been locked under the ice of Antarctica for almost 100 years, and Willie told us how he had tasted the original whisky before Richard Paterson and his team recreated the taste profile.

The finale dram was the recently released Jura 1977 Vintage 'Jaur', the product of three first fill bourbon casks, finished in a ruby port pipe for twelve months. Just 498 bottles are available  at around £600 each. This was real treat and one of the highlights of my show - I have a review sample which I will be writing about in due course.

With time ticking away I made a beeline to GlenDronach after the masterclass where Stewart Buchannan took me through some GlenDronach single malts, starting with the cask strength, a fabulous drop of drammage, non chill filtered, naturally coloured, and matured in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks.

This was followed by their 18 Year Old, now renamed Allardice,  is the third expression in the GlenDronach core range. Again non chill filtered, naturally coloured, matured in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, and was another great dram. There was a bottle of their 21 Year Old 'Parliament' alongside the 18 which was my next dram. The Parliament is similar in it's make up to the cask strength expression, being matured in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, but for at least 21 years old and bottled at a respectable 48% abv. A fabulous introduction to some of The GlenDronach range!

My final dram of the afternoon

With the last pour about to be called I flipped my last Dream Dram token to Stewart for a healthy measure of the fabulous BenRiach 30 Year Old.

With the show over it was time to say my goodbyes and find my way back home to Bedfordshire. Another four trains and with a little more confusion as the route was slightly different, but I eventually made it back to Milton Keynes.

The Midlands Whisky Festival in Stourbridge was another fabulous day out, meeting the guys and girls with whom I tweet is always a highlight of the events these days. Meeting Willie Tait was also a highlight.

Whisky highlights include the vertical tasting of the Glengoyne range, all new discoveries, The GlenDronach range, the Jura 1977 and of course my final dram the BenRaich 30 Year Old.

A huge thanks to David Gardner of Nickolls and Perks for inviting me, to Joy Elliot and Willie Tait for two great Masterclasses and for all the staff and volunteers who put on another dram fine day. Once again I met some great people in the Midlands and look forward to seeing you all again at the next on September 28th 2013.

For more information and updates visit: www.nickollsandperks.co.uk and check out their blog too at: blog.nickollsandperks.co.uk/ as well as The Midland Whisky Festival website www.whiskyfest.co.uk

The full dram list with links as and when they are completed!

• Whisky Discovery #383 anCnoc 22 Year Old (46% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #384 Glengoyne 10 Year Old (40% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #385 Glengoyne 12 Year Old (43% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #386 Glengoyne 15 Year Old (43% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #387 Glengoyne 18 Year Old (43% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #388 Glengoyne 21 Year Old (43% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #389 Glengoyne Cask Strength (58.7% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #390 The Macallan New Make Spirit  (70% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #391 The Macallan Gold  (40% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #392 The Macallan Amber (40% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #393 The Macallan Sienna (43% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #394 The Macallan Ruby (43% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #395 Highland Park 21 Year Old (47.5% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #396 Glenglassaugh Revival  (46% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #397 Glenfiddich 19 Year Old 'Age of Discovery'  (40% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #5 Isle of Jura 10 Year Old  (40% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #52 Isle of Jura 16 Year Old  (40% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #31 Isle of Jura Superstition (43% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #53 Isle of Jura Prophecy (46% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #264 Mackinlays The Journey (Shackletons Whisky)  (47.3% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #398 Isle of Jura 1977  (46% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #399 GlenDronach Cask Strength (54.8% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #400 GlenDronach 18 Year Old 'Allardice' (46% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #401 GlenDronach 21 Year Old 'Parliment' (48% abv)
• Whisky Discovery #402 BenRiach 30 Year Old (50% abv)