Tag Archives: palate

Our Blog, Whisky

Benromach Peat

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Benromach peat_1898

Pour yourself a dram of this seriously smoky single malt whisky… we only produce very small batches of this unique Benromach Speyside whisky, so you’re one of the few people who are able to enjoy it. The finest Scottish barley is malted with high levels of peat smoke at 67ppm (parts per million: the phenol level, to those in the know). Take in the AROMA WITHOUT WATER… sweet vanilla, honey and cured meat aromas, hints of apricot and lemon combining with a beautiful subtle tobacco note. Dive in and enjoy the TASTE WITHOUT WATER. There’s cracked pepper with sweet strawberry and orange flavours, a delicate hint of aniseed… combined with a lingering edge of bonfire embers. Now enjoy the AROMA WITH WATER… the delicate smokiness complements lemon, honey and vanilla aromas with sweet hints of apricot and sugared almonds developing on the tongue. Lift it to your lips and savour the TASTE WITH WATER. Slow cooked apple, pear and tangy grapefruit give way to a trace of cocoa powder and an absolutely gorgeous edge of lingering cigars. It’s a wonderfully fruity and smoky single malt whisky.

 

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The GlenDronach Parliament – 21 Years Old

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GlenDronach-21YO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPEARANCE: Deep amber with a cherry wood sheen.

NOSE: A delicate mix of ripe autumnal fruits – notably blackberries and red plums. Rich Oloroso sherry and candied orange segments. Spiced oatmeal biscuits and toasted oak fragrances bring excellent weight and balance.

PALATE: Resolute flavours of fine Oloroso sherry and bitter chocolate sauce, which has been spread liberally over homemade plum pudding. This is all infused with fabulous spicy notes – cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Full bodied with smooth tannins.

CONCLUSION: Long and lingering.

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The GlenDronach Peated

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GlenDronach-Peated

APPEARANCE: Vivid harvest gold.

NOSE: A delightful aroma of ripe gooseberries dusted with cinnamon sugar combines with a contrasting crisp citrus twist. The delicate peat influence gives a smouldering charred wood character filled with freshly ground barley and hints of vanilla toffee.

PALATE: Vibrant oak spices and floral heather honey develop to rosehips and barley sugars, all warmed by a touch of white pepper. Subtle peat notes complement the palate by giving a delicate depth and dryness of glowing campfire embers.

CONCLUSION: A unique marriage of crisp fruit and barley-laden Highland characteristics surrounded by gentle peat smoke, intriguingly reminiscent of heather burning in the distant glens.

Our Blog, Whisky

Longrow 18 YO

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Longrow 18-year-old

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:
A complex nose: Sweet fruits, citrus, peaches and orange zest at first before a gentle earthy peaty aroma reveals itself.

Palate:
Rich and very, very tasty. Well balanced. Dark chocolate, creamy coffee and gingerbread to the fore, followed by rhubarb and vanilla custard.

Finish:
Long and sweet, a hint of typical Longrow peat smoke combined with more chocolate and some dried fruits.

Scotland

Cragganmore 12 YO – Speyside

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Cragganmore

 

 

 

 

CRAGGANMORE STORY
The Cragganmore Distillery was founded in 1869 by John
Smith, who is said to have been the most experienced
distiller of his day. He had been manager of Macallan,
Glenlivet and Wishaw distilleries, and was lease-holder of
Glenfarclas Distillery when he persuaded his landlord, Sir
George Macpherson-Grant, to lease him the land to build
a new distillery at Ballindalloch beside the Strathspey
railway line.

Cragganmore was the first distillery to be deliberately
sited to take advantage of the railway line and a private
siding was built to accommodate distillery traffic. John
Smith was a great railway enthusiast, but since he
weighed 22 stones (140kg) and was too wide to enter a
railway carriage, he was obliged to travel in the Guard’s
van.

PERFECT SERVE
Cragganmore 12 Year Old is one of the most complex
single malts with layers of sweet floral fragrances, wood
smoke, riverside herbs, vanilla and cereals. It is best
enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

Cragganmore 110349Appearance: Gold
Nose: A combination of sweet floral fragrances, riverside herbs and
flowers with some honey and vanilla.
Body: Firm, rounded, light to medium
Palate: A strong malty taste with hints of sweet wood smoke and
sandalwood.
Finish: A long, malt-driven finish with light smoke and hints of
sweetness.

Scotland

Lagavulin 16 YO – Islay

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Lagavulin

LAGAVULIN STORY
Founded in 1816 by local farmer John Johnston,
succeeding more than 10 illicit stills that had previously
been on the site. Now one of eight operating distilleries
on Islay off the west coast of Scotland
Named Lagavulin after a Gaelic word meaning “the
hollow where the mill is”

Aged in ex bourbon casks, the high levels of peat,
coupled with its rich flavours make this the definitive
Islay malt and the Holy Grail for many whisky drinkers.

PERFECT SERVE
Lagavulin 16 Year Old is an intense, smoky-sweet single
malt with seaweed flavours and a huge finish, aged in oak
casks for at least sixteen years. This is best appreciated
neat or on the rocks.

Picture 2934
Picture 2934

Appearance: Deep Amber Gold
Nose: Intense peat-smoke and a rich, deep sweetness
Body: Full
Palate: Srong and intense with a rich, dried fruit sweetness &
peppery smoky
Finish: Huge, long and warming

Scotland

Caol Ila 12 YO – Islay

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Caol ila

 

CAOL ILA STORY
Caol Ila is the Gaelic name for the Sound of Islay, which
separates the island from Jura in one of the most remote
and beautiful parts of Scotland’s West Coast. Caol Ila is
the only distillery on Islay to face due east, and every
morning the six stills are the first to feel the dawn of the
day on their copper faces.
Nestled in a hidden cove near Port Askaig, the Caol Ila
(pronounced “Cull Eela”) distillery sent its whisky to
market by sea for over a hundred years.

PERFECT SERVE
Caol Ila 12 Year Old is a fresh, sweetly fruity and smoothbodied,
with a delicate balance of tastes which is best enjoyed
neat or on the rocks.

Caol ila Bottle 12yrs low-res

Appearance: Pale Straw
Nose: Subdued, citric fruitiness, a fresh and appetizing nose, with
little or no trace of smoke.
Body: Firm, smooth, light to medium
Palate: Drinks well at natural strength; sweet start; pleasant, light
fragrant smokiness and a lengthy finish. Smooth, pleasant
mouth-feel.. A complex balance of primary tastes.
Finish: Sweet smokiness in the lingering, slightly sour finish

Scotland

Oban 14 YO – West Highland

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Oban

 

 

OBAN STORY
Fine single malt whisky has been made here in Oban for
over 200 years, in one of the oldest licensed distilleries in
Scotland. In effect, the town grew up around the
distillery and since its foundation in 1794 it has played a
crucial role in local life. Oban is the frontier between the
West Highlands and the Islands; the meeting place
between land and sea.

In 1883 the unforgettably named J. Walter Higgin bought
the distillery. Between 1890 and 1894 he dismantled and
rebuilt it bit by bit, in order to keep it in production – such
was the demand for Oban Single Malt Scotch Whisky. He
carefully replicated the famously small stills and other
traditional features in order to preserve the quality of the
whisky.

The distillery buildings and their internal arrangements
remain almost the same today as they were following
Higgin’s refurbishment.

PERFECT SERVE
Oban 14 Year Old has a rich sweetness followed by a
smokey dryness that is best appreciated neat or on the
rocks.

Picture 2959
Picture 2959

Appearance: Olive Gold
Nose: Rich sweetness and oranges & lemons with sea-salt and
peaty smokiness
Body: full, rich
Palate: Mouth filling, dried figs and honey-sweet spices, followed
by a smoky, malty dryness
Finish: Long, smooth-sweet finish with oak-wood, dryness and a
grain of salt

Scotland

Glenkinchie 12 YO – Lowland

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Glenkinchie (416520)

 

GLENKINCHIE STORY
One of the few remaining Lowland distilleries,
Glenkinchie’s rural location amid fields of barley, just
twenty miles from the hustle and bustle of the capital,
makes this “The Edinburgh Malt”.

Founded in 1825, the distillery was later purchased and
restored by an association of whisky merchants and
blenders from Edinburgh in the 1890s. It took ten years
but the result was the Victorian distillery that we know
today, with its characteristic red-brick buildings, houses
for workers and even its own bowling green.

PERFECT SERVE
Glenkinchie 12 Year Old is light, sweet, fresh yet creamy with
hints of flowers and cut grass, underpinned by toasted malt
and cheesecake notes. It is best enjoyed neat or on the
rocks.

Glenkinchie 12 Yo Bottle

Appearance: Pale Gold
Nose: Aromatic, vanilla, cut flowers and a clean, toasty note.
Body: Light, smooth
Palate: Sweet, soft start becoming flowery. Crisp mid-palate then
butter icing, lemon, cheesecake and freesias
Finish: Herbal and drying, a little like pot pourri.