whisky at its most personal
There is a really intimate pleasure in cracking open a bottle of aged malt whisky. Almost a nervousness. A 40 year old is a huge treat indeed for most of us. 40 year old whiskies are exceptionally rare, can be incredibly complex and should always be treated with respect. Whiskies this age can lose up […]
If the British Empire had been built on whisky rather than gin mankind would be on Mars by now. Cutty Sark is a popular range of blended Scotch Whisky from home-town heroes Edrington. Named after the Cutty Sark, the fastest of all the 19th century Tea clippers that plied their trade over tempestuous seas from […]
Pale Speyside gold with notes of citrus and toffee apples and a dreamy finish. A tasty dram. When George Smith began distilling way back in the 1820s – before the Excise Act legalised distilling in Scotland – he selected whisky from the traditional oak casks of a range of ages, which gave each expression its […]
Skeleton Key from Duncan Taylor & Co, the family-owned Scotch whisky specialist. One of Brewdog’s Boilermaker series, with bold peat smoke to complement their Jet Black Heart stout or Zombie Cake porter. It has been said that this is a combination that shouldn’t work, but does, and I’d have to add that of all the […]
Liquid gold with notes of citrus and boiled sweets. The Macallan 1824 Series celebrated the Speyside distillery’s commitment to 100% natural colour, drawn from the wood in which the spirit is matured. The four no-age-statement Single Malt Scotch Whiskies ranged from Gold through Amber and Sienna to Ruby. The concept being the colour of the […]
A suitable selection for many reasons, not least the dedication shown by Nikka’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru, who travelled all the way to Scotland way back in 1918 to learn how to make scotch. After studying organic chemistry at my alma mater, the University of Glasgow , Taketsuru worked at the lost Hazelburn distillery in Campbelltown […]
In the wild, a rather pleasant, pretty unique, bottling of 158 bottles from Chorlton Whisky of Manchester. A non chill-filtered 8 year old from Glenturret, matured in a hogshead from Caol Ila, bottled at 62.5% ABV. Smoky and peaty, yet light on the palate, with salted caramel and honey notes, and a lingering toffee apple […]
Lockdown liquor Day 1 – The Glenrothes 10. The youngest expression from the Glenrothes Soleo Collection is matured exclusively in sherry casks, bottled at 40% ABV, and unlike previous releases from the distillery, features an age statement. (Soleo/asoleo is the grape sun-drying process for sherry in Jerez.) The light straw coloured pour entices with fruity […]
The masters of mixology and mystery at The Alchemist have their own take on a smoky Old Fashioned. Woodford Reserve Whiskey, Maple Syrup, Dilution, Jerry Thomas Bitters. Then fire it up with a blowtorch.Voila! The Smokey Old Fashioned. Roadtested at the Alchemist, Liverpool
