Diageo Special Releases 2016Lucky old me, I got invited to join the press launch of the Diageo Special Releases 2016 this year, up in that there London.
It’s a great event that has been happening over the last 15 years, showcasing some of the less well known distilleries in Diageo’s portfolio.
So.. here’s my hastily typed notes whilst mingling with fellow bloggers on the night…
Deconstructing Wood’s Rum – #WoodsTTI’m lucky enough to have been involved with a Twitter Tasting, looking at Wood’s Rum… and deconstructing it’s three component parts, tasting them separately before then trying the finished article… not something you get to do every day! Firstly, let’s quickly review what and who Woods are:
“Woods has been around since 1887 and was first created in the docks at Liverpool. Back then it was a company called The Woods Trading Co. who had ships coming in from all over the world. They had barrels of rum coming in on their ships and they seized an opportunity and a trade agreement was set up to import 3 different marques of rum and Woods was born. Woods is unchanged and sticking to our traditions is a key part of what we do. We are a traditional Navy style rum, a Demerara rum, a Navy strength rum, and a Dark rum.”
Cù Bòcan 2005 Vintage Limited Edition – 50% abvInfo: Bottled at 50% abv, this whisky is stronger than its core range counterpart, and is matured in ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks. 11,400 bottles, limited edition. Over 11 years old.
Colour: Sprightly and golden.
Nose: Very light smoke here, the dominant nose being a heady mix american and european oaks, of bourbon and sherry. There’s a slight farm nose, followed by cream & mushed autumn fruits, and dying fire embers.
Palate: At 50% this is still surprisingly easy on your palate, although the higher abv and the use of european oak help to give a nice drop of spices along with the other mushed fruit notes.
Finish: The finish is creamy, and long, with just a mere hint of the peaty puffs left hanging around. Lots of flavours to explore.
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In August, Tomatin Distillery launched a trio of special edition bottlings including a 14 year old Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 year old Caribbean Rum and 21 year old Oloroso Sherry single malt.
Let’s look at their individual information, and my review of them all…
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Just a quick post this one… but today I seem to have accidentally invented a new term: “Cash Strength”. This generally refers to new releases that *aren’t* Cask Strength, but certainly appear to priced as if they were! 🙂 I’ll be attempting to use this terminology from now on…
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Loch Lomond Single Grain Scotch Whisky – 46% abvInfo: Loch Lomond Single Grain Scotch Whisky. Distilled with malted barley (like a single malt), but distilled in a coffey still rather than the usual pot still, hence why it has to be called Single Grain. Non Chill Filtered, 46% abv.
Colour: Light summer straw with golden sunlight.
Nose: Light but oily, packed full of sweet citrus tones and a little grist. Candy floss. Backed up by a little american oak, and the nutty notes that can bring with it. Slightly buttery.
Palate: Oily and buttery, with plenty of sweetness and hints of spice. There’s a slight metallic note to it which soon fades. Hints of wispy smoke, probably from cask char along with spices.
SWB | Somerset Whisky Blog 