Glenglassaugh Peated Virgin Oak Finish

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Glenglassaugh Peated Virgin Oak Finish – Tasting Notes

46% ABV. This peated Single Malt whisky was matured in first-fill American oak casks and finished for 2 years in virgin American oak. This is the first “cask finish” release from the Highland Glenglassaugh distillery.

Glenglassaugh Peated Virigin Oak

Price: £62.83 (Master of Malt)

Tasting Notes

Nose: Honey barbecued bacon, salted caramel and millionaire shortbreads.

Palate: Sweet and smoky. The honey barbecue from the nose follows through. Burnt sugar syrup and grilled pineapple with the creamy nuttiness from peanut pralines.

Finish: A smoky finish, with the freshness of chilli flakes and menthol.

Overall: Not overly peated, not overly sweet, not overly complex. Simple and balanced.

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Kings County Peated Bourbon

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Kings County Peated Bourbon Tasting Notes

45% ABV and aged for “at least one year”. The mash bill for this unusual bottling is 70% New York sourced corn (from Lakeview Organic Grain) and equal parts peated and unpeated British barley. It is also award winning: San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016 – Double Gold. American Distilling Institute (ADI) Craft Spirit Awards 2016 – Silver.

Kings County Peated Bourbon

Price: £30.67 (for 20cl…) (Amathus Drinks)

Nose: Sweet vanilla, orange peels and a light smoke – like a subtle honey barbecue sauce. Also softer notes of red grapes, dry hay and light leather.

Palate: Initially oranges and burnt sugar, followed by grilled pineapple. Hints of vanilla and tobacco and a touch of aniseed. Salted pretzels.

Finish:  Dry smoke and spices: chilli, black pepper, cinnamon and aniseed. Slightly maritime.

Overall: An interesting mash bill, resulting in a sweet, spicy and lightly smoked dram. It could use a couple more years in the barrel to balance the flavours in my opinion, but you can’t deny that peat and bourbon make a delicious combination. The only thing that is stopping me from buying a bottle is the price.

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Tamdhu 10 Year Old – Revisited

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Tamdhu 10 Year Old Tasting Notes
 
40% ABV and made using peated and unpeated barley, this whisky was matured for a decade in first or second fill sherry casks and is presented in a distinctive art-deco bottle. 
 
Tamdhu 10 Year Old
Price: £33.90 (Master of Malt)
 
Nose: A big hit of red grapes and a subtle raspberry. Sweet marmalade, Victoria sponge cake topped with icing sugar. nutty milk chocolate, honeycomb and a little earthiness from chives.
 
Palate: Orange citrus from blood oranges, crunchy honeycomb, stewed plums, custard cream biscuits and a light earthy spice of cloves.
 
Finish: More blood oranges and stewed plums, with ground ginger and a peppery spice. A long lasting light smokiness.
 
Overall: I’ve revisited this dram a couple of times (see here & here), with slightly different notes each time. What is consistent, however, is the red grapes, honeycomb, and orange zest. This is a fruity and affordable dram for whisky lovers and novices alike. 
 

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Glen Moray Edinburgh Rugby Private Edition – Chardonnay Cask

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Glen Moray Edinburgh Rugby Private Edition – Chardonnay Cask Finish Tasting Notes
 
Bottled at 52.8% ABV, this no age statement whisky was finished in a single 2004 Chardonnay wine cask, and only 312 bottles exist. Proceeds from this dram go towards Hearts & Balls charity, which offers support to rugby players following catastrophic injuries on the field. 
Glen Moray Edinburgh Rugby Private Edition
 
Price: £100 (Glen Moray)
 
Nose: Hints of citrus with honey, oat biscuits, a light cinnamon spice and crunchy green apples.
 
Palate: A big hit of dried tropical fruits, particularly dried pineapple, as well as fresh grapes and charred oak. There is also creamy vanilla and buttery pastry, almost like an egg custard tart! 
 
Finish: Zesty lemon peels, uncooked puff pastry and a fresh eucalyptus spice.
 
Overall: A desert whisky, buttery and lightly spiced.
 
 
 

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Glen Moray Rhum Agricole Cask Finish Project

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Glen Moray Rhum Agricole Cask Finish Project Tasting Notes

One of the latest releases in the Glen Moray Experimental Cask Projects, this 46.3% ABV spirit was finished for 24 months in casks that previously held St James AOC Agricole Rhum from Martinique. 

Glen Moray Rhum Agricole Cask Finish

Price: £52.95 (Master of Malt) 

Tasting Notes
 
Nose: Lemon peels and green apple skins. The sweetness of white cane sugar and light honey. Vanilla pods. Brandy cream. Some floral notes.
 
Palate: Decadent. Creamy coffee and milk chocolate with raisins. Lemon cheesecake with caramel sauce. Fresh melon.
 
Finish: The creamy coffee from the palate follows through, with the additional spiciness of fresh ginger and liquorice and the sweetness of sultanas.
 
Overall: This experimental project is a huge success and has produced an interesting whisky which balances the flavours of the malt and of the cask perfectly. The price tag is also very reasonable, in my opinion.
 

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