Monthly Archives: Dec 2016

Review: Three Year Old Deluxe by Compass Box

Posted on by
Reply

Three Year Old Deluxe by Compass BoxThree Year Old Deluxe by Compass Box – 49.2% abv

Info: Is the Three Year Old Deluxe by Compass Box slightly tongue in cheek? Oh yes I think so! Good for them. 0.4% total liquid volume in this blend is 3 years old, the entire rest of the bottle is lots older, but because of EU regulations they can’t say how old. Unless you ask them directly, which you should (drop them an email and they’ll tell you the recipe!).
Colour: Bright, clear and golden.
Nose: Quite a lot of this whisky is from Clynelish distillery, and you can tell, it’s quite a familiar nose (if you know your Clynelish), it’s definitely got that north highland coastal, heathery tang to it. Behind it is malt, oak, and small, gentle peaty hints with spices.
Continue reading →

Review: Spice Tree Extravaganza

Posted on by
Reply

compass box spice tree extravaganzaSpice Tree Extravaganza – 45% abv

Info: Spice Tree Extravaganza, sees former banned bottling The Spice Tree reinterpreted with the use of “older components” and a “significant portion” of Sherry-cask matured aged malt whisky. 12,240 bottles, no colouring, no chill filtration.
Colour: Fully golden with autumnal hints.
Nose: The nose is, as you’d expect, spicy! Wood spices galore. With some air you start to get lots of other wonderful aromas, malt and citrus and summer fruits with cream.
Palate: The palate is upfront with spice and oils, it covers your tongue with a tingly spirit that stops getting too spicy that it overpowers you and remains really enjoyable. Wood oaks and sweet fruity malt is there along with a creaminess and hints of char smoke.
Continue reading →

Review: WaggingFinger Gin

Posted on by
Reply

wagging finger bottleWaggingFinger Gin Batch #1 – 44% abv

Info: From over in the Netherlands comes Wagging Finger gin. Check out their site at waggingfinger.com – They’re just getting started, and it looks like it’ll be a fun project!
Nose: Massively full of flavour… I’m not overly versed in gin, but from memory this is the most flavour filled gin I think I’ve yet to find! It smells fizzy (not that you can smell fizzy?!), packed with sweet citrus, and plenty of herbs. The alcohol has enough bite to it to keep you from inhaling too deeply.
Palate: The nose really draws you in to drink some, and when you do you are rewarded by a sweet, yet spiced, powerful spirit that is beautifully smooth and just as flavourful as the nose was. There’s something about the spices in use that reminds me of Coke, but maybe that’s just me. There’s just a hint of something soapy and fragrant at the end as you swallow.
Continue reading →

Review: Three new Wemyss Batch Strength Editions

Posted on by
Reply

wemyss malts logoThree new Wemyss Batch Strength Editions

Wemyss’ core range of blended whiskies covering various regional styles include ‘The Hive’, ‘Spice King’ and ‘Peat Chimney’. They’ve been around for a while, but Wemyss have now released some limited special edition Batch Strength versions

Let’s take a look at them…

Continue reading →

Review: Mount Gay Rum Goodies

Posted on by
Reply

mount gay logo

Mount Gay Rum Twitter Tasting

I’ve been lucky enough to be on a Mount Gay twitter tasting tonight… I’m still quite new to rum, I know I like it, but I haven’t tried many varieties, so it’s great to try a few new ones from this range that I’ve not tried before!

Mount Gay is a fairly small producer, making around 500k cases a year. They mature everything in ex-American whiskey oak barrels.

Traditionally, Bajan rum are blends of pot and column distillates made from molasses.

Without further ado let’s dig in to the goodies…

Continue reading →

Review: The Macallan Edition No. 2

Posted on by
Reply

The Macallan Edition No. 2The Macallan Edition No. 2 – 48.2% abv

Info: The Macallan Edition No. 2 is a collaboration between master blender Bob Delgarno and Spanish chefs Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca. It’s comprised of a combination of sherry puncheons, butts and refill hogsheads.
Colour: Rich rusty autumnal gold.
Nose: Rich, fruity, plump, damp mustiness, earthy raisins. Chocolate and pepper.
Palate: Fairly thick and chewy, there are spices, but they build nicely rather than slapping you in the face. There’s darker sherry fruit notes there, but it remains quite a bright dram.
Finish: Oak lead finish that warms your stomach nicely, leaving a balanced mix of fruits and spices on your palate. There’s a certain grippyness to the finish.
Continue reading →