Quick Dram

Balblair 2000

Balblair 1989 and 1975 are amongst my all-time favourites, no big secret. Chris however has always preferred the much fresher and cleaner 1997. The 2000 vintage, bottled and released this year, is Balblair’s newest baby and is replacing the 1997 which is now set to be discontinued. I got to taste it yesterday and I [...]

A Quick Dram: Mortlach 70 year old

A life experience awaited me. I sat with this chocolate-esque box on the bar before me. I had been looking forward to getting my hands on it for quite some time. After blowing the dust off the lid, I preceded to open the box. Pages and pages of information, but who cares about that? What [...]

Ardbeg Supernova 2010. I believe in miracles…

Since you came along
You sexy thing!
Here it is, standing all quiet and still in front of me. Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011 Whisky of the Year… wanna bet? Not a bit of sarcasm or bitterness here though. Because this one for a change may actually deserve to be put in the spotlight - Ardbeg Supernova [...]

Manager’s Choice: Glenkinchie

Glenkinchie
Filled 1992, bottled 2009
Cask #502, European oak
528 bottles
58.1% ABV
£250
Nose: Lemon grass, marshmallows, oaked Chardonnay, Champagne-flavoured croissant filling. It’s very clean and focused. With water becomes heavier but doesn’t loose the fresh-factor. Oily citrus, lemon icing, corn flakes, sour bread crust, vanilla custard. Very un-kinchie! Defined and pronounced, on time and in-tune.
Palate: Sugary sweetness, perfumed and [...]

A Quick Dram: Balvenie Signature Batch 3

Balvenie Signature Batch 3
12 years old
First fill bourbon, refill bourbon and Olorosso sherry
Nose: Big notes of heather honey. Lemon zest. Almost like lemon and peroa juice. A very fresh dram, in comparison to the richer Doublewood. It is worth warming, as it becomes a fair bit richer and more grapey.
Palate: Citrus and grapefruit at first. [...]

A Quick Dram: Greenore 8 yo

Greenore 8 years old
Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Limited edition, bottled 2007
Small batch distillation from Cooley distillery, County Louth
40% abv
Appearance: Pale yellow gold, similar to a lightly oaked white wine.
Nose: Sherbet lemon sweets and warm vanilla custard - creamy but tangy.Something fragrant underneath, like aromatic spices…cardamom perhaps?
Palate: Firm and surprisingly fruity on the palate initially. A burst [...]

A Quick Dram: Dalmore Clan Mackenzie

(Click on the photo to get thoughts from the Nose)

Dalmore Clan Mackenzie
17 years old
11 years in ex Bourbon casks
6 years in Port pipes
Highlands
46%
About £100
Background: The Founders and stewards of Dalmore were  of the Clan Mackenzie. This bottle is being released to celebrate this link, as the painting on the Box symbolises. Some of the proceeds [...]

Distillery Focus: Tomatin (Part 2)

Here is the promised tasting from the Tomatin Distillery Focus feature. Myself and Chris sampled three different Tomatins (continuing the EWB policy of not relying on a single nose wherever possible), and our tasting notes and thoughts are presented below.
12 Years Old
Nose: I went for violets and refresher sweets (apologies if our foreign readers haven’t [...]

Ardbeg Rollercoaster Review

As Ardbeg Rollercoaster is about to go on sale in an hour or so (Monday, 9am), we give you a line or two of very subjective review. Euan Martin and Chris Hoban sampled the whisky on Thursday and came up with their own tasting notes and opinions without consulting each other on the night!
*
Euan: Firstly, [...]

That really cheap nasty stuff

I have spent the last week drinking a spirit that suffers from two problems. Either it is unknown, or people assume that it’s disgusting. You know what I am talking about. That stuff that goes into Bells, Famous Grouse, Johnny Walker, Grant’s, Cutty Sark etc. The really cheap industrial nasty stuff (apparently). The stuff that [...]