Redbreast Lustau - review

Whisky Review 

Redbreast Lustau (2023) 

ABV: 46%

RRP: £55-60

"Overall, the Lustau feels bolder and more charismatic than the 12 year old. A nutty, spiced, sherry bomb from County Cork's new Midleton distillery. "

Redbreast's 'Lustau' is a collaboration between the Bodegas Lustau in Jerez, Spain and Redbreast's classic Irish whiskey. It has been initially matured in bourbon and sherry casks for approximately 9-12 years, before receiving an additional 1 year finish in first-fill, sherry butts which have been seasoned with oloroso from Bodegas Lustau. How does this change the profile of the classic Redbreast 12? Lets find out....

Nose: The first and standout aroma's I get are that of almonds and brown sugar. Prunes and other dried fruits are prominent as the sherry influence has taken an active hold of this whiskey. It doesn't seem to have the floral and biscuit notes on the nose which I get with the core 12 year old, instead its dominated by strong sherry notes and a touch of citrus fruit in the back. 

Taste: I find it slow to develop on the palate, but the first sip offers a sizzling spice on the tongue. Once that dissipates, I get lots of dried fruits such as prunes and raisins, along with oak, almonds and dark chocolate. Fairly typical tasting notes for a sherry bomb, proving that cask selection has chosen some very active casks. 

It has a red wine feel in terms of thickness on the palate, feeling quite light, but then I'm more commonly used to drinking cask strength whiskies. 

The finish is oak spiced with a touch of smoke and heat, sort of a medium finish in length with the spice lingering. 

Many would possibly consider this a 'winter warmer', but at this abv its also a pleasurable easy sipper.

Something I would very rarely do to any whisky, let alone a 46% whiskey, is add water, but curiosity got the better of me as I felt there was more on offer from this dram than what I was finding. 

A couple drops of water, and the bourbon influence is now more present on the nose with sweet honey and shortbread. The spices become more toned down on the palate and the liquid, whilst lighter again, has a sweeter, nuttier, more bourbon type of feel to it. This comes down to personal preference, but I'm surprised how much a little water changes this experience. 

Score: 

6/10

This is good whisky, but not quite standout. Its an easy sipper and if you like a whisky with a taste profile including almonds and spice, then this one could be for you. A little water seems to change the cask dominance here, with it being a sherry bomb drinking it untouched, but more of a bourbon style dram when water is added. One thing I do like, is how Redbreast include the calories per 30ml serving (76Kcals). I think this is great for those people who are watching their intake whilst also wanting to enjoy the odd dram.  I'd personally like more distilleries to follow this example. Overall, the Lustau feels bolder and more charismatic than the 12 year old. A nutty, spiced, sherry bomb from County Cork's new Midleton distillery. 

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Ardnamurchan sherry cask - review

 Whisky Review 

Ardnamurchan Sherry cask release (2022)   

ABV: 50%

RRP: £60

"There is enough influence from each of its cask mix, offering classic leather and dark fruits from the oloroso and sweetness from the PX sherry. Mixed in with just a subtle amount of peat smoke. "

B

A quick search for this distillery on twitter, now known as X or whatever, will show their handle as @distillery1826. This was the year that the Adelphi distillery was built, upon the banks of the river  Clyde.  Their website offers a detailed history of how Adelphi has influenced the birth of Ardnamurachan distillery which officially opened in 2014. Proud of their heritage, their bottles display their location within the western highlands in their glass blown print as a major feature on their core releases. Stylish and ticking the boxes of natural colour and non chill filtered, this distillery has quickly made a name for itself amongst whisky enthusiasts, with most limited releases selling out super-quick. 

This sherry release was placed firmly on my 'whisky wishlist', without ever having the trigger pulled as i try to reduce my whisky spending budget this year. But it felt a sign when I came across it at the Newcastle Whisky Festival this year and having tried a sample I simply couldn't resist the urge any longer.  

Nose: Honey and bacon. Its sweet and savoury upon the nose. There is some salty sea breeze amongst the sweet caramel and leather notes. 

Taste: Strong dark fruits upon immediate arrival. Its delicate and the alcohol doesn't cause any distraction on the palate. Bonfire is a dominant note I'm getting. A lovely blend of sweet honey and fantastic barbequed meats, all washed down with a drying smokey, bonfire finish. Stunning liquid!

Score: 

8/10

This is, without doubt, excellent whisky. Its hard to believe a whisky of this age (circa 5 years) has this much depth, flavour profile and quality. There is enough influence from each of its cask mix, offering classic leather and dark fruits from the oloroso and sweetness from the PX sherry. Mixed in with just a subtle amount of peat smoke. 

There is no youth brashness either. Its composed and too mature for its own right. This whisky carries a briefcase to school and has earned the right to do so! But there will be no finger pointing from its youthful peers, instead they hold onward looks of jealousy, admiration and reverence. Student of the week amongst its age group for me. Bravo Ardnamurchan, bravo!!

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Benromach Cask Strength - Vintage 2012 review

Whisky Review 

Benromach Cask Strength - Vintage 2012   

ABV: 59.6%

RRP: £60-70

"Plenty of sweetness, but evenly mixed and balanced by its savoury counterparts. It is indeed, a very good whisky. "

Benromach, home to one of the only whisky rebrands within recent years that I'm actually a fan of. Yes, I'm talking about you Talisker, Glenmorangie and GlenAllachie, all of which have rebranded to a worse label design, in my humble and unimportant opinion. I remember owning an old version of Benromach 10 yo many years ago and, being a fan of the liquid, I was keen to revisit this speyside malt, but this time at cask strength. Distilled in 2012, I think back to this being around the time I probably had the old presentation Benromach amongst my (much smaller) whisky collection. 

This 10 year old was matured in a combination of bourbon and first-fill sherry casks, before being bottled in 2022 at a fantastic 59.6%

Nose: It packs a powerful punch of an aroma. Green apples and apple cider vinegar. There are cranberries and raspberries, orange peel, along with some subtle sweet cereal notes. Almost like a fruity granola, but there is some spice, charred oak and a faint presence of peat.  I'm noticing each time I revisit the glass I'm getting something new. Almost like the fruit and cereal notes have been acknowledged and now allow the additional characteristics to come to the forefront. There is a touch of engine oil, but its making me think of changing an oily bike chain as a child, rather than the oil we place in our cars. Its strange how the mind works. Why am I revisiting a memory of no major significance within my life, and one which has lay dormant for 30 odd years, but tonight as I explore the aroma of this whisky, I'm revisiting memories of being a child on my old council estate. Anyway, time to dive in....

Taste: Slightly waxy and thick on the mouthfeel. Forest fruits with tobacco and leather, hinting at a great selection of active sherry casks. There is plenty of pepper and spice to send the tongue tingling. The fruity granola notes I had on the nose are also present on the palate. Its either nutty or oaky, I cant quite place which is the more dominant here, although I understand these two tasting notes are often confused. I'm getting orange peel on the palate too, showing that this whisky's character has great continuation from the nose through to the palate. It finishes with a lovely dry wave of ashy smoke, reminding me of a cask strength Caol-Ila type of ash smoke finish. 

Score: 

7/10

Benromach have knocked it out of the park with their cask selection on this one. You get a wonderful balance of liquid with influence from both the bourbon and sherry, without either dominating and overshadowing the core characteristic of the whisky. Plenty of sweetness, but evenly mixed and balanced by its savoury counterparts. It is indeed, a very good whisky. I am keen to explore more from Benromach on the back of this great bottling.  

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Ledaig Sinclair Series - Rioja cask finish review

 Whisky Review 

Ledaig Sinclair Series - Rioja Cask Finish

ABV: 46.3%

RRP: £35-40

"Whilst maintaining Ledaig's core character, the active rioja cask influence adds a wealth of additional flavours into this already solid foundation."

Pronounced 'letch-ick', meaning 'safe haven', this sinclair series bottling is a tribute to founder John Sinclair who first established the distillery. Now known as Tobermory, the distillery offer a range of unpeated whisky under the Tobermory name, as well as a peated whisky range under the name of Ledaig. This no age-statement whisky is seen as the first release in their Sinclair Series. Coming in at a very pleasing price point, widely available, non-chill filtered and of natural colour, this bottle is already ticking the boxes. In direct competition with the Ledaig 10, can it live up to its 10 year old brother at a similar price point? 

Nose: 

A wonderful treat on the nose; sweet, meaty barbequed notes. Its honeyed chilli-beef with a coastal and peaty background. Salted popcorn and the rioja cask influence is certainly showing up for me, offering sweet fruity notes. Amongst the sweetness though there is some lingering peat. Bonfire embers on a winters night, its very inviting. 

Taste: 

Sweet and salty popcorn on the palate, in perfect harmony as they compete within the initial wash. Its sweet, no its salty, no its sweet again. Its not quite as meaty on the palate as it felt on the nose, a clear difference to the 18yo Ledaig which is pure barbequed meats. Its dry and very fruity. Cherries are quite prominent. The smoke is all within the finish, and its ash smoke, not your conventional peat. Tobacco and leather are proving that the rioja casks were well chosen and active within their influence. But they aren't overbearing as the Ledaig character is still clear to identify. It has a medium, smoky and drying finish. Very nice indeed. I'd LOVE to try this at a slightly higher abv. 

8/10

For its price point, you cant ask for much more. This is indeed a high quality, well balanced whisky. Whilst maintaining Ledaig's core character, the active rioja cask influence adds a wealth of additional flavours into this already solid foundation. Everything is in harmony, its balanced, its well judged and it has depth. Originally I was thinking a 7, but when you add the price into consideration, that bumps it up a score for me. Im a fan of Ledaig offerings and I very much enjoy their 10 yo. priced at £40, the 10yo draws mainly upon a bourbon cask influence. Also very very good, it comes down to personal preferences and palate. I like the 10yo. I really like this!

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Laphroaig 10 yo Sherry Oak - Review

Whisky Review 

Laphroaig 10 yo Sherry Oak Finish 

ABV: 48%

RRP: £55-60

"Its salted, burnt barbequed ribs, with some of that ash from the bottom of the BBQ scraped in."

Nose: 

I'll begin this review with a confession of being a huge fan of peated whisky. It's where my whisky journey began, with the likes of Lagavulin 16 and the Dalmore Cigar Malt going back 10 years ago when both were more affordable than the silly prices of today. Knowing I enjoy peated whisky, I had to try this release of the 10 year old which, not only adds a sherry cask finish, but comes in at 48% abv as opposed to the 40% of the standard 10 year old bottling. 

Anyway, to the nose. Antiseptic. Having worked in healthcare and hospitals myself, the smell takes me to surgical theatre rooms. Not something I ever thought I'd strive for in a drink, back when I was watching surgery as a student nurse many years ago. 

There is Elastoplast and paraffin oil. I'm now ascending the stairs to board a plane on holiday whilst they are topping up the fuel of the aircraft. This adds in a salty, warm air breeze, so perhaps its the plane journey home. Either way, not to worry if this is what I have to come home to. There is some tobacco and ash, but I'm not getting much fruit on the nose, perhaps a hint of red grape.  

Taste: 

Sweet upon initially hitting the palate, it offers a good tingle to the mouth and tongue upon introduction. The oak casks are more prominent in the taste than they were on the nose. Its like tasting the charring of the oak. There is definite tobacco, sea salt and ash. Its salted, burnt barbequed ribs, with some of that ash from the bottom of the BBQ scraped in. Its doesn't have the powerful punch of an Ardbeg Uigeadail, but I think I enjoy the fact its more approachable but with a similar taste profile. 

The antiseptic, medicinal notes return with a wave of smoke in the finish. In fact, I'm starting to question if my gums are feeling a bit numb now. ;) 

The finish is initially sweet and I would say medium in length. Absolutely wonderful and right up my street! 

Score: 

8/10

My score is 100% biased towards my love of Islay Peat and BBQ notes. I completely acknowledge that this is, in no way, a complex dram. Self perceived whisky connoisseurs will want more depth, probably higher abv, more complexity and to be challenged. This dram does not tick any of those boxes. Maybe I'm a more simple folk. Maybe It's that I don't need something to be rare and unique to fully appreciate that its ticking most of the boxes that I personally look for. This takes me on a journey with its aroma and makes me smile with each sip. I've lost count of the times I've been sipping this and said out loud in front of the company I'm with, 'Its damn good whisky this mind!' to the non-caring people around me. I've possibly, no probably, said it whilst I've been sat alone too!

I don't tend to replace bottles in my collection, preferring new experiences over repeat ones. However, I imagine that for as long as Laphroaig continue to offer this delightful dram at a sensible price, It will be a staple upon my collection. So, why not a 9? Well, a higher abv would be get me closer and it doesn't quite offer the depth of a 9 rated whisky. I can truly appreciate the medicinal, smoky character, but to attain a 9, I would need a little more fruit influence and depth. 

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 yo Sherry Finish - Review

   Whisky Review 

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 yo Sherry finish  

ABV: 40%

RRP: £35-40

"The Sherry influence hasn't added extra to the Black Label character, but instead replaced some of its recognised popular DNA."

Nose: It's light on the nose with vanilla fudge and honey dominating the aroma. I don't get the usual peat smoke on the nose that would often be found with the standard Black Label. Searching for more, I get boot polish and a touch of prunes as the sherry influence is there, but very subdued on the nose. 

Taste: Light on the palate, as to be expected from a 40% whisky. Vanilla notes and it has a creaminess to it. Its slow to develop on the palate, with the majority of taste coming on the finish. Milk chocolate and dried fruits. Some oak and black pepper and very, very subtle touch of peat smoke. The peat is definitely more subtle than the standard Black Label, but the sherry influence doesn't grab my attention either. 

Summary:  I was keen to try the Sherry Finish as something different to the standard Black Label. I'm a bit confused by it to be honest. Its pleasant enough and certainly an easy sipper. Its approachable and forgiving. However, it feels the character of the Black Label which makes that bottle fairly popular, has been muted within this release. The Sherry influence hasn't added extra to the Black Label character, but instead replaced some of its recognised popular DNA. I wouldn't usually choose a 40% whisky, but I was keen to revisit this bottle which I bought years ago on sale. Thinking that my palate has now developed, i may get more from this bottle that I had originally disregarded. And to be fair, I have. I thought I'd never end up drinking the rest of this, but now I'm more open to having it guarding some of my more prized whiskies on the shelves. 

Score: 

4/10

I think a score of 4 is fair.  With 5 representing an average whisky with plenty of promise, this score of 4 represents a whisky which had promise, but has failed to meet the criteria. Potential, but a bit wasted. The DNA of the Black Label was established enough to be built upon, but instead, this feels like its swapped something out in exchange for the sherry finish. This, in my opinion, is not a good exchange. And on top of that, they are charging a higher RRP than the original. I don't get enough of any particular tasting note or character to truly enjoy its potential. 

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Filey Bay tasting event

 Filey Bay Tasting event 

As part of NEWAS, I was again lucky enough to attend a whisky tasting night, hosted by the 'Spirit of Yorkshire' distillery. This was a face to face tasting event for the group, hosted at the Anarchy Brewery Co in Newcastle. 

I clocked off work on the Friday night at 4.30 and quickly got ready, in the knowledge that I had a long travel to get to the venue using the dreaded public bus services during peak traffic hours. 2 Bus journeys and the best part of 2 hours later, I arrived at my last bus stop at 19.25 with the vent starting in 5 minutes. I knew all that recent cardio training had to be of some benefit at some point, so I took to a jog through through Business Park to get to the venue on time, in the hope they hadn't started before me and I might have missed any introductions or information. 

Thankfully I must have jogged at a quicker pace than expected as I arrived for 19.30, in time to take this quick picture of the venue and find a seat. 

Greeted by some of the NEWAS members, I grabbed a quick beer from the great selection at the bar and found a seat where my 6 samples had been poured and awaited my exploration. 

The session was hosted by Filey Bay, UK Brand Ambassador Amy Teasdale. Amy started with a brief history of the distillery. They started with a Brewery, using their malted barley and local water to produce award winning beer. They use 100% homegrown yorkshire barley from their own farm, using sustainable farming techniques (sustainability being a key ethos of this distillery). They never wanted to produce Gin, so upon entering the world of whisky production, they enlisted the help of whisky expert (aka 'the Einstein of whisky') Dr Jim Swan (previously of Kavalan, Kilchoman, Penderyn, Milk & Honey, Cotswolds & more..)

They bought 2 pot stills and a four-plate copper rectifying column to add a unique distillery character. 

Amy then guided us through the process of how they recommend a whisky tasting should be facilitated, guiding us through the aromas of each of the samples, to finely tune our palate before touching a single drop on the palate. Amy talked us through the line-up of their core range whisky, along with a single cask limited edition which is no longer available to purchase, but we are lucky enough to try tonight. 

The first 5 samples are all bottled at 46%, non chill filtered and of natural colour. The distillery is young in its whisky production, with Amy estimating that all whiskies are aged at roughly 5 1/2 years old. 

Dram 1 

Flagship 

RRP: £60

Nose: Very light and delicate. Floral and lemons. Quite perfumy. 

Taste: Digestive biscuit, Pepper with added spice. Caramel. The strongest tasting note I'm getting is grapefruit. Now, I don't like grapefruit but this actually tastes nice and pleasant. Like a toned down grapefruit with added spices. The finish feels long and dry. 

Score: 6/10

Dram 2 

Moscatel Finish (batch 4)

RRP: £65

Nose: Nail polish and oak. Green grapes. 

Taste: Oak, spiced again, similar to the Flagship. Some ginger and feels sweeter than the Flagship. Grapefuit again. 

Score: 6/10

Dram 3

STR cask

RRP: £65

Nose: red grapes. I was smelling red wine notes, just before Amy informed us that the casks used had previously held Rioja. Very nice on the nose. Leather and dark chocolate. 

Taste: Redcurrants and red grapes. The Oak influence is strong, but balanced by the added sweetness. I get pink lady apples but with a touch of pepper. I really enjoyed this one. For me, each dram has improved upon the last so far. 

Score: 7/10

Dram 4 

IPA Finish 

RRP: £65

Nose: Biscuit and green apples. Perfumy and floral. 

Taste: Personally I get a strong IPA influence on the palate with this one. Other members at the tasting thought otherwise but this was my feeling. Grapefruit present again, which when discussed with Amy, she recognised that Grapefruit is a common tasting note recalled throughout the distillery's character of their whisky. Another NEWAS member added the tasting note of 'custard cream' biscuit, which was a great shout and I thoroughly agreed. 

Score: 6/10

Dram 5

Peated Finish 

RRP: 65

Nose: Definite smoke and peat influence. Green apples are present again as the smoke doesn't overpower the floral and fruity aroma within the distillery character. 

Taste: Thicker on the palate, honey with a subtle smoke influence. Grapefruit character is present again, in a good way. I love a smoked whisky and this is good, Id just love to taste it at a higher abv. 

Score: 6/10

Dram 6

Single Cask #663

RRP: Only available as part of a trio and available via ballot, they sold for approximately £350 for the set of 3. Each single cask offered indivduality, with Amy bringing the 663 cask for us today due to it being her personal favourite. 

Fisrt filled with rioja wine, they were shaved, toasted and re-charred before being filled with PX sherry prior to the new make spirit. Bottled at 62.1%, cask 663 is known as 'the sweet one', 

Nose: Leather and dark chocolate, coffee beans and caramel. 

Taste: It fizzles on the tongue with a powerful introduction tot he palate, before offering a real fruity blast of dark fruits, coffee beans and syrup. A touch of spice to finish. Absolutely wonderful stuff. 

Score: 8/10

Summary 

An incredible line-up and a great introduction to what Filey Bay are offering, with the future of their production looking very promising. The single cask stole the show, but then most of the NEWAS members are used to drinking whisky at abv's of 50%+ , so it can be natural that 46%v releases feel a little thin on the palate at time. That being said, I was a big fan of each dram presented tonight. There is clear distinctive notes that carry throughout their whisky bottlings and I liked that the cask influences were exactly that, an influence and not a dominating factor. The single cask aside, my personal favourite was the STR cask finish. This suited my palate really well, whereas the rest of my table preferred the IPA finish. I can understand why, the IPA influence was certainly there (I thought) and there did seem a lot going on in terms of its taste profile, however I don't like IPA beers, i find them too perfumy and floral and this came across strongly for me with that particular dram. 

At 9pm the tasting event had finished, but fortunately the fun didn't end there. A raffle was held in which samples of rare and fine whisky were on offer to be won. The raffle got off to a great start as Amy, the guest host was asked to draw the first ticket, only to draw her own ticket and win the 1st prize (shouts of 'FIX' came from the crowd! haha). The generosity of the whisky community was on display once again, with a couple of members bringing bottles from their own collection in, for others to sample at the end of the night. Amongst this were a 12yo Tomatin, calvados finish by Cadenheads (very nice!) and an Auchentoshan distillery distillery cask (also, very very nice!). 

All in all, a terrific night, with huge thanks to Karl from NEWAS, Amy from Spirit of Yorkshire and also the Anarchy Brewery Co for a hosting a great tasting event. Amy's passion for the Filey Bay brand is clear and we discussed the 'Yorkshire Day' release which i had recently tasted at the Newcastle Whisky Festival. Amy states a new Yorkshire Day is release each year in August, launching on a festival weekend in which people often queue from 8am to get the latest release. I can see why, as the quality of their cask strength whisky is impressive for such a young whisky making distillery. We chatted about the distillery tours on offer, which sound great too, so hopefully a road trip for one of these tours may be on the agenda to see the distillery in person in the near time future. Filey Bay - highly recommended from me!! 

Kilkerran 8 yo Sherry Cask 2024

 Whisky Review 

Kilkerran 8 yo (cask strength - sherry cask)

(Glengyle distillery, 2024 release) 

ABV: 57.4%

Maturation: Oloroso sherry casks

"Now transported positively to the coast. But whilst there, we have cigars and ash smoke. If this were to be called a cigar malt, I'd be in agreement."

Nose: 

It has a powerful punch on the nose, offering maritime notes alongside the usual Campbeltown funk or peat aroma. Possibly one of the strangest tasting notes I think I've come across, but I'm being transported to an old swimming pool I used to frequent as a child on the coast of Whitley Bay in the North East. I've no idea why, but as I go back again and again with my nose I'm getting this memory and aroma every time. I know I'm not selling it, but that chlorine, heat and warm air is what I'm getting from this. Confused, I conduct a quick Google search to find chlorine contains sodium chloride which is found in nature as rock salt. So the coastal character is certainly prominent for me. Anyway, moving away from the science and swimming pool, I'm getting cherry sweets, caramel and a faint touch of engine oil. 

Taste:

So I've sampled this particular release on a few occasions now. I had very high expectations being a real Kilkerran fan-boy. I was somewhat, not disappointed, but it felt anti-climactic when I first opened the bottle, thinking I preferred the heavily peated and the 16 year old way more than this. I wasn't sure what this was bringing to the party, apart from the standard kilkerran maritime character, which is great don't get me wrong, but as stated, I had high expectations. However, being patient, allowing the bottle to breathe and showing patience with this one, its really developed wonderfully. On the palate your met with an immediate salty coastal wash. I've moved away from the swimming pool aroma and now transported positively to the coast. But whilst there, we have cigars and ash smoke. If this were to be called a cigar malt, I'd be in agreement. Strong tobacco and a touch of spice. Not much fruit showing its presence for me. The finish is dry but long with that ash smoke lingering. My wife (to be) will hate my breath whilst I drink this, I best keep some mints nearby as this is truly lovely!!

Score: 

7/10

This was a really tricky one to score. I hate half scores, I like to commit. But this is as close to between a 7 and an 8 as it gets. Its very very good. Its great value if you are/were able to get it at retail price ~ £60. For a banger of a cask strength Campbeltown whisky in today's market, its 100% worth your time and money, and if you can find it at retail, I'd recommend it. However, is it a 'must buy' or an essential 'grab at all costs?'. No. Is it much better than the more readily available 'heavily peated' range? No, is my answer. I'm really glad to have this dram and I look forward to trying my Kilkerran collection side-by-side sometime, maybe even in a blind drams session to really explore them in more depth. An idea for the future, maybe if I manage to procure the elusive Port Cask release 8 year old which has been on my wanted list for some time now. 

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Bunnahabhain 12 yo

  Whisky Review 

Bunnahabhain 12 yo   

ABV: 46.3%

Maturation: 

"It's a dram you mustn't underestimate. Its ABV is welcoming at 46.3% but you'd be wrong to class this as an everyday sipper."

Nose: 

Wonderful on the nose. I get Dairy Milk caramel chocolate, prominent notes of salinity and general coastal character. Hazelnut and dark fruits transported from the strong sherry influence on this dram. The colour is a wonderful auburn shade and you can see the thick texture of the liquid as it swirls in the glass. I could enjoy smelling the aromas of this dram all day. 

Taste: A lighter texture on the palate than predicted in terms of thickness, however the alcohol fizzes away at the tongue as the hazelnut and oak influence take initial dominance. Once the dram settles (and your tongue dies), you again get caramel, chocolate, hazelnut and a hint of spice. The maritime salinity is there, as the palate matches the nose perfectly with this dram. The finish is dry but very not too much in my opinion. It just invites you back.  

Summary: Widely available in the UK at £40-45 you really cant go wrong with this whisky. An unpeated Islay which exudes quality and maritime character. The sailor certainly warrants his spot on the front of the bottle. It's a dram you mustn't underestimate. Its ABV is welcoming at 46.3% but you'd be wrong to class this as an everyday sipper. Take time with it, enjoy it, explore it, because there's much to enjoy here. 

Score: 

7/10

Well priced, readily available, full of character. What's not to love here?  I hear Bunnahabhain struggle with batch differences but I've not noticed this yet personally. This bottle has only got better with time. I understand the cask strength version did very well in the 2023 OSWA's, but I'm personally yet to taste that. As I sit typing this review, I'm enjoying the time out that's its allowing to sit back and truly enjoy this wonderful dram full of character. 

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Newcastle Whisky Festival 2024

 Newcastle Whisky Festival 2024

My local whisky festival, brought to Newcastle on an annual basis by 'The Whisky Lounge'. Always a staple in my calendar, tickets were booked upon release for the Saturday afternoon (1st) session to allow for a couple of beers and much needed catchup with my fellow whisky enthusiast friend. 

Arriving at Newcastle City Centre for 11.30 with the sun shining, the pre-match meal had to take place, and being the athlete I am, there was one going to be one winner. 

2 Greggs sausage rolls later, we approached the venue to the gathering crowd with anticipation. A few fellow members of the North East Whisky Appreciation Society (NEWAS) group were clear to see in their vibrant orange kit and the doors were soon opened to let the crowd in. 

Sausage rolls now lining the stomach, ready to fight off the copious amounts of alcohol its about to be subjected to, our electronic tickets were scanned and we were greeted with the 2024 version of the Glencairn. A nice addition to the glass collection. 

Approaching 40 years old and spending an hour on the bus into Newcastle, the obligatory trip to the Men's room had to take priority, along with dropping the bulky winter jacket off at the cloakroom. Well organised as always (the venue that is, not the mens-room side-track). Anyway, time to head upstairs to the amber delight. 

Upon initial scanning of the room, we noticed many of the same exhibitors as last year. Now its great to have them return, and the quality is always good, but it would be nice to see some new exhibitors make the trip to this festival. I wasn't at the 2022 festival, but from what I've heard, it was the same exhibitors again that time too. 

Anyway, we made the decision to start with Arndamurchan. I don't think this needs explanation, the quality is always great and i was keen to see what they brought along. The first was the butterflies edition AD/04:16 CK 413 which was a handpicked cask from Roy at the popular YouTube site Aqvavitae. Bottled at 55% this was a powerful and very welcoming start to today's festival. A great dram by all accounts. They also brought their Sherry Cask finish, which has been on my 'want' list for quite some time, but I've never found it easily available. Eager to sample we dove in and we both loved it. A real fruit blast. 

Discussing the issues I've had finding this and thanking them for the sample, I was informed they had 6 bottles with them today. "Damn, there goes my self-induced whisky bottle buying embargo!!"

 Compromising on a bottle-share with my best mate, we snapped one up from the shop and continued with our tour of the room. 

Enjoyable drops from Elements of Islay, Port Askaig and SMWS, the crowd had started to clear enough for us to jump in at Cadenheads. 

I started with the Linkwood 10 year old, oloroso cask matured at 56.8%. Real earthy and meaty. I felt like this would need a knife and fork it has such a thick texture. Lovely! 

By my side, my whisky comrade appeared to be very impressed with the Benriach 15 year old, manzanilla cask matured, bottled at 55.2%. Enquiring on the cost of this and being told a reasonable £75, he was strongly considering a purchase. Now, this speaks volumes as this fella does not part with his money on whisky easily at all. Tasting it myself, I concur it was possibly the best Benriach I had tried.  

We moved on to more samples, with the Cadenhead's staff being fantastic at explaining and discussing each of their bottlings. Having heard, but never tried any of the enigma series, I had to try the 25yo blend they had today. Reportedly, they hold next to no information on where this comes from or how many bottles there are, but the tasting notes had me intrigued. 

Dark chocolate, walnuts and a hint of spice, the enigma blend was decent, although the low abv presents this whisky as particularly light in terms of mouthfeel. Probably not helped further by the abundance of cask strength samples we had already tried prior to this. 

The Benriach won this for me but I did enjoy the meatiness of the Linkwood. 

The next stand we attended was Gleann Mor with their stunning 'Rare Find' bottles. I am personally a fan of a fancy brand and bottling and Gleann Mor have it spot on with their Rare Find range. Explaining the thumb print that comes with their logo is from a distiller leaving that on in error during a labelling, it is now incorporated into their logo. The exhibitors telling us how they watch various people try and rub the finger print off the bottle thinking its a smudge, before being told its part of their actual logo. :)  A cool story! 

We tasted two of their bottlings, the Mortlach 10 year old and the Islay 10 year old. Our palates went separate ways at this point, with my mate preferring the Islay, whereas I LOVED the Mortlach. Bottled at 59.3% with a Shiraz finish, this was a belter of a dram! At a price of £88-90 though, its a tad out of my price range. Oh yeah, and I'm meant to be on an embargo, or at least try..... 

We continued to tour a few more exhibitors, with a positive mention to Spirit of Yorkshire, Filey Bay for their wonderful drams. Their flagship was very nice and their Yorkshire Day was fantastic. The cask blend going on in that bottle was excellent. Again though, no longer available I am told.  Luckily, I have a tasting event with Spirit of Yorkshire coming this weekend, so I'm looking forward to this even more now. I have since heard that the Filey Bay Flagship won 'dram of the day', so congratulations to them on a great product. 

However, it was the next two exhibitors who stole the show for me. Berry Bros and Rudd and then Compass Box. Now, this was hugely unexpected, but bare with me... 

Berry Bros and Rudd - We tried 3 of their bottlings, starting with the Ardmore vintage 2012, 11 year old sherry butt. Bottled at 59.6% I was a huge fan of this. Now admittedly, I'm very much 'pro-peat', and this Ardmore ticked all of the boxes for me. 

Next was the Benriach 2010, 13 year old PX, bottled at 60.7%. Another top drawer whisky that anyone would enjoy amongst their collection.  

With several bottles on offer to sample, we asked the exhibitor for a recommendation, to which the Orkney islands (Highland Park) PX, bottled at 51.1% for Tipples of Manchester was presented. 

Ok, WOW! this was fantastic. Straight onto the wanted list for a day when I can afford to purchase whisky again. My dram of the day!!

Moving on to Compass Box, I wish I had asked for the name of the young chap who we spoke to about all of the bottlings available today. By this time, the crowds had dispersed and we seemed to have the full focus of Compass Box to explore their range. Having tried a few of their core range before and discussing our palate preferences, the young lad grabbed a bottle from under the stall (not on display) but offered us a sample. This was the 'Metropolis', a bottle which retails at £230-260 (shocked eyes emoji) and holds a blend of older aged whiskies from Abelour, Bowmore & Miltonduff.  Fantastic and very much appreciated. Rapport continuing to build, he again grabbed a further bottle from under the counter and dropped us a sample in each glass, this time the Compass box 'Duality'. 

A collaborative blend between Compass Box and Bimber, this bottle is a blend of Bimber and Ardbeg. Holy S***balls! I love Ardbeg.......I love Bimber.... and together they've created some superior blend from the Gods. Unfortunately to my disappointment, the bottle is no longer available and even on auction its going for £170+. Such a shame! But a wonderful experience and a privilege to try such great drams. 

A few additional tasters finished off the festival but I felt we had peaked with the last 2 stalls. Time came to a close and at 15:30 the session had ended. We were now starving and craving food. Not having the wives/partners with us, we new we could choose quantity (and cost) over quality, so we hit up KFC followed by another Greggs pasty on the way to the bars for a few beers to discuss our day. The beers were washed down with even greater satisfaction in the knowledge of having our shared bottle of Ardnamurchan Sherry Cask bottle still to enjoy another day. 

I attach a list fop the drams sampled on the day (well, the ones I can remember). Sadly I forgot to make note of the SMWS ones we tried. Overall though, a great day. A good atmosphere and it didn't feel as cramped and as busy as last year, thankfully. 

    The best bits

• Really well organised. 
• Good location with easy transport links central to Newcastle 
• Fair price for the range on offer
• Compass Box impressing! 
• Finally getting the Ardnamurchan Sherry cask for us to enjoy again. 

The bits which could be better

• The whisky lounge website didn't update at all prior to the event, stating confirmed exhibitors would be displayed prior to the event, but this never occurred. 
• More variety in exhibitors would be great, rather than the same ones every year. 
• More communications around the confirmed 'dram of the day' which has QR codes at each of the exhibitors stalls. I still haven't heard who won last year, despite sending emails of enquiry. EDIT: I have since found out that Spirit of Yorkshire's Filey Bay Flagship won the dram of the day for this year, although this news was on their own social media and not from the whisky lounge themselves. 

Not one to end on any negatives though, as like I say, the day was top drawer. I preferred this year to last, and we will no doubt attend again in 2025. My next booked festival is for the 'Indy Love Whisky Festival' in Newcastle in September. I'm already looking forward to that. Now I best go to the gym to work off all that pastry! 

Summerton Club Small batch 03: Adnams 10yo Single Malt

  Whisky Review 

Small batch 03: Adnams 10yo Single Malt Whisky 

(Summerton Club Whisky release) 

ABV: 48.8%

Maturation: ex Jim Beam bourbon casks 

"sweet, toffee pennies and vanilla fudge with a hint of spice to add depth,"

Nose: 

As i raise the glass to my nose I instantly recognise the influence of the Jim Beam casks on this dram. I get cereal notes and toffee pennies with a touch of lime zest. Searching for anything else, I get freshly made vanilla fudge. There's something a little floral too, but now its time to go in....

Taste:

Slow to develop on the palate, I get biscuit and dates. Aniseed and black pepper. Something summery about it and again I get the toffee pennies on the palate. Its a sweet dram and the Jim Beam influence is certainly there. It feels like a sweet, summery dram and I'm certainly enjoying it. 

Summary:

Very enjoyable and an easy-sipper at this abv. Very approachable and it's a dram which I imagine ill consume fairly quickly. I really enjoy  its character being sweet, toffee pennies and vanilla fudge with a hint of spice to add depth, A great pick by the Summerton Club. 

Score: 

6/10

Its enjoyable and it ticks many boxes in terms of natural colour and non-chill filtered. It's a dram which has already developed nicely as I've went back to it. A good release and one I'm happy to have on my shelf, if only for a short while... 

*This whisky was self-purchased and the above review reflects my personal opinions only. 

Henstone Virtual Tasting event

Henstone Distillery - Virtual Whisky Tasting

As part of NEWAS (North East Whisky Appreciation Society) I had the opportunity to join an online tasting event with the distillery Henstone. Being a relatively new distillery, I hadn't yet tried any of their whisky to date, so I was eager to join the virtual tasting event and learn more about this distillery. 5 drams were delivered through the post and my Friday night was booked with approximately 20 other members who joined the online event. Whiskies poured, I was ready to learn and get tasting.....

About Henstone

Our tasting session was hosted by Chris Toller, one of the original founders of the Shropshire based distillery. Founded in 2017, Henstone has  large family based approach which involves Chris and his wife Alex, along with their son Henry as sales manager and their daughter Flo as distiller. Chris informed us that whilst they are an English whisky, they have plans to move location to the England -Wales border, resulting in them releasing English & Welsh whisky, or will a decision need to be made...?

After a general history and run down of the roles involved within the distillery, Chris got us started on our lineup.

Dram 1 

Henstone English Single Malt 5 year old

46% abv

ex bourbon casks 

RRP: £85

Nose: floral and fresh fruits. Apples. Some light cereal notes. Delicate and understated. 

Taste: The youth feels present to me on the palate, quite a lot of alcohol punch. There is wood tones, but possibly pine rather than oak. The dram is very dry and i find it quite bitter. There is a small amount of spice and black pepper at the finish. 

Summary: This was popular amongst the group with most people giving the dram a thumbs up. Personally, I'm not a huge fan due to dry and bitter taste. I also take the cost into account with my personal scoring.    Score: 4/10

Dram 2 

Henstone Ex-Oloroso Cask 

46% abv

RRP: 59.95

Nose: Dark chocolate, coffee beans, the oloroso finish is complimentary and not overbearing. Honey sweetness.

Taste: Feels thicker on the palate. Sweet caramel notes. Leather, coffee beans, sea salt. A touch of spice and again the bitter finish, likened to that of Gin is certainly present once again. 

Summary: More flavoursome, the oloroso influence adds more sweetness and depth. The new make character is still present throughout. The group mostly liked this one, as did I. Score: 6/10

Dram 3

Henstone Red wine Cask Matured

46% abv

full maturation in ex-red wine cask. 

RRP: 59.95

Nose: Strong forest fruit influence. Red grapes, honey and sea breeze.  

Taste: Thick on the palate, I get oak, digestive biscuit and a touch of spice. Fruits are present but somewhat subdued. I get the faint taste of red berries and some dark chocolate, but again its subtle. There is a clear Henstone character which is proving present in all of their whiskies, and most seem to be enjoying it, but unfortunately I am not. I'm struggling with the dry, bitter, gin taste which is present in each of tonight's drams. 

Summary: This comes highly rated by and there was some anticipation from the group over this particular dram from our some of the group members who had tried it before. Some went straight online and bought it immediately after tasting this. So there must be something there which people are enjoying. Maybe i just need more time with it. But Whisky is about personal palate and opinion, and personally i preferred the oloroso cask.  Score: 5/10

Dram 4 

Henstone Whisky - Ex-peated Release 2

46%

3 yrs in Jim beam casks before transfered to an ex-peated quarter cask finish for 20 months. (Islay casks - coal ila or laphroaig??)

RRP: 59.95

Nose: Orange peel, ashy smoke and almost certainly crunch nut cornflakes. 

Taste: subtle honey and digestive biscuit again. Crunchy nut cornflakes are in my head now and they continue from the nose to the palate. The peat influence isnt medicinal or meaty, its just pure ash. Its not a strong influence of ash smoke, its certainly subtle and once again the finish is dry and bitter. 

Summary: I thought Id love this. Secret Islay peated cask influence - yes please! But unfortunately there just wasn't quite enough depth for me. All very subtle in terms of a bit of sweet and a bit of smoke, but neither enough to really grab my attention and wow me.  Score: 5/10

Dram 5 

Henstone Old Dog Corn Liquor

41.5%

RR: 37.95

A 'Bourbon Equivalent’, produced using  68% corn, 16% wheat and 16% barley mash, it is distilled in a pot/column hybrid still and matured in new American oak casks. 

Nose: Floral and perfumey. Honey notes and vanilla essence. 

Taste: Sweet caramel, honey and raspberry Fruitella sweets. Some spices and pepper. There is a hint of smoke here. 

Summary: Its light on the palate but the extra sweetness offered is what makes this one quite enjoyable. A dry and bitter finish, it reminds me of the 5yr old but with added sweetness. Score: 4/10

Summary of the session 

Overall, the lineup was largely enjoyed by the majority of the group. Chris was very friendly, informative and approachable and was very keen to educate us on the details of each dram and the processes involved. As states earlier, some of the drams went down so well, some members bought them immediately during the tasting event itself. I really expected to enjoy the ex- red wine cask and the ex-peated cask. I am a big peat fan and whilst I don't typically go for red wine finishes in my whisky, it came highly recommended by group members who had tried it before. Maybe, my palate wasn't on form tonight, but I felt a strong New Make influence continue throughout the lineup which caused a distraction for me. I am not a gin fan, and I felt I tasted gin in each of the drams tonight. 

What's going good? 

• I love what Henstone are doing with their website, very informative for each bottling where you learn about each maturation process and how many bottles are made for each batch etc. 
• Chris as a founder and educator was superb, very informative, relatable and friendly. 
• I'd say prices are fair - (although the 5yr old is a bit steep in my personal opinion)
• All whiskies are released at natural colour and non-chill filtered. 
• Experimental with cask influence. 

What could be improved?

• Personally, I'm not a fan of the labelling and design 
• Whilst the whiskies are all 46%, I would love to see what a cask strength edition could offer. 

Whilst I wont be buying any bottles based upon tonight's tasting, I remain open minded to trying them again and keeping an eye out for future releases.