It’s not often you find a man with a resplendent moustache gracing a bottle of whisky these days, which is a great shame. The fellow in question is Thomas Blake Glover. He left Scotland when he was young to head to Japan as a merchant. He started up the company Glover and Co, built a home in Nagasaki, and eventually rose to become a hugely important figure in the industrialisation of Japan. He had a fascination and association with various samurai clans, which led to the nickname ‘Scottish Samurai’ within Scotland. In 1908 he became the first foreigner to receive the Order of the Rising Sun. The link between this man and whisky? Well, Alex Bruce, who is the Managing Director of independent bottler Adelphi, is the great-great grandson of the Earl of Elgin, who signed the first treaty of Trade and Amity between the two countries in 1858.

To celebrate Thomas Blake Glover, Adelphi created two unusual vattings under ‘The Glover’ range. Both of them were vattings of Scottish single malts and Japanese singe malts. One was a 22 Year Old, which contained very expensive and much sought-after whisky from the Hanyu distillery. That bottle was selling for over £1000, and sold out pretty quickly, so I’m not reviewing that. Instead, I’m consoling myself with The Glover 14 Year Old, which was a limited release of 1500 bottles. Once again a vatting or blend of both Japanese and Scottish whiskies, it was bottled at 44.3% ABV and cost upon release £95.

The Glover 14 Year Old tasting notes

Colour: amber to deep gold.

On the nose: sandalwood, charred wood, raisins, figs. Musty cellars. Pine needles? Just a touch of smoke. When that dies back, the dried fruits come to the fore again. I wouldn’t say it’s incredibly balanced – it feels, and this is perhaps my mind playing tricks, because of the branding – like two separate qualities that don’t quite mix unless shaken up. A bit like egg yolks and oil in mayonnaise. Despite that, I think it’s great. I’m all for whiskies that try to be a bit unusual.

In the mouth: big flavours, superb texture. A little smoke and ashes at first, with touches of lemon juice. And then into good old-fashioned dried fruits, raisins, apricots, figs, and dates perhaps. Tomato chutney. Mulled wine. Old wood. Quite oily in the mouth by this point. More smoke and salt, like a bonfire on the beach. It really is lovely stuff – complex, captivating and thoroughly charming.

Conclusion

For a crude comparison, if I was to describe the mix to you I’d say to think of the ashier type of Caol Ila married with sweet Glenfarclas. Something like that. Unusual, indeed, but it works. A bottle of The Glover 14 Year Old used to cost £95 upon release, but is now going for twice that at auction. It’s beautiful and absolutely chock-full of character, but I’m just not sure I’d feel happy coughing up well over 150 notes for it. If it’s going for under £100 (unlikely, but you never know) then snap it up. I really hope there are more releases in this series – if anyone from Adelphi is reading this, take note!

I do like a cheap blended Scotch on Malt. Blends are the backbone of the whisky industry, and many people’s first interaction with aqua vitae. So it’s time to review another one.

I’ve looked at other Johnnie Walker whiskies and found them – from Black Label to Blue Label – to have been very enjoyable indeed. Even the great Charles MacLean declared his love of blends and Black Label in this interview from a little while ago.

Johnnie Walker Red Label is huge. The blend was released as Red Label first in 1909, although before that it was known as Walker’s Special Old Highland Red Label. This was a time where whiskies were transitioning from being promoted as family merchant names into more marketable brand names. Other random facts: Winston Churchill use to drink a bit every day, and it was featured in Superman 3, where Superman drinks a glass of Red Label after being exposed to synthetic kryptonite.

Since then Johnnie Walker Red Label has become the best-selling Scotch Whisky in the world. It is composed of “35 of the finest aged single malts and grain whiskies”, and many sources suggest it is designed for mixing, which probably isn’t a good sign when it comes to drinking for appreciation.

Tasting notes

Colour: deep gold, but quite bright.

On the nose: Simple stuff. Green apples. Sour cream. Honey. Candle wax – burnt candle, in fact. An undertone of ash, like an empty ash tray.

In the mouth: creamy, with plenty of young grain giving it a velvety texture. Much of the nose in fact. Peppery. Honey again. Not much else going on. The smoke isn’t a lovely sweet peated note, again more of that strange harsh ashy note. Toffee. Not at all complex.

Conclusions

It’s pretty rough and ready. In fact, well… it’s not very good. If this is people’s first experience of Scotch whisky, you’d forgive them for thinking it’s a bit rubbish. I’d recommend you nudge people up towards Black Label, Gold Label or even Green Label. Those are all terrific blends. In fact, Johnnie Walker Black Label is one of the best-value whiskies on the planet.

But the Red Label is unpleasant stuff. I dare say that Churchill was drinking a better recipe than this.

Not many readers will likely have heard of Sutcliffe & Son, nor The Exceptional range of whiskies. They’ve not had distribution in the UK and Europe until recently, where they’ve teamed up with Number One Drinks (the company behind the likes of Hanyu and Karuizawa over in this part of world).

The Exceptional range is the combination of two people’s efforts – Don Sutcliffe, the managing director of Craft Distillers, and Willie Phillips, who was a former managing director of The Macallan. The two men actually met when Don helped bring The Macallan single malt whisky into the US market. There are three products in the range: a grain, a malt and a standard blend. Each one is complex vatting of whiskies from many different distilleries, all of which are married together in sherry casks and bottled at 43% ABV. All of these whiskies will sell for £86 a bottle.

The Exceptional Grain

A vatting of North British, Loch Lomond, Strathclyde, Cameronbridge and Carsebridge distilleries. Married in first-fill Oloroso sherry.

Colour: pale gold.

On the nose: gentle, and quite un-grain-like. Reminds me of a very nice bowl of oatmeal I once had in New York, with a dollop of dark sugar and cinnamon. Creamy, with notes of citrus. Once that all settles there’s just a touch of vanilla and a flash of citrus, though not much.

In the mouth: Again, it tastes not far from that oatmeal as well – a certain cereal note lingers. Pastry, vanilla, toffee. Wood spice, and cinnamon again. Dry, tannic. Stewed apples. Rhubarb. I suppose what’s most impressive is that you wouldn’t immediately think this was grain whisky. A very subtle whisky, though perhaps too subtle. Easily forgettable. It didn’t really rock my world.

The Exceptional Malt

A vatting of ‘mature’ casks, including: Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt- a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport (Glenmorangie tea-spooned with Glen Moray), Speyside and Macallan. Married in first-fill Oloroso sherry.

Colour: old gold.

On the nose: gorgeous and complex, with a broad spectrum of flavours. At the simple end are some dusty, hay-barn like qualities; a trailer full of wheat. Grapefruit. Pears. Grape juice. Gooseberries. Honey. Then just a touch of sultanas.

In the mouth: apple pie, cinnamon, a lot of wood spice early on rather than at the finish, yeasty or fresh bread, floral honey, sultanas, oatcakes. Tart redcurrants. Again, a slight cloying dryness as with the grain. The total picture is weird, and immensely characterful, yet it’s very nice indeed. Not afraid to be bold and there’s lots going on here.

The Exceptional Blend

Malt and grain from the above lists! There’s a 30-year-old Macallan in the mix, too.

Colour: old gold.

On the nose: curiously bringing the two sets of casks from above together results in different notes: vanilla, tons of fresh green apples, strawberries, green tomatoes, Champagne (the yeast really), floral honey and fresh cream.

In the mouth: a little too much heat and woodiness at the front end, but once that goes there’s a very nice if straightforward flavour. Vanilla custard. Toffee. Green apples. A warm, malty quality – hoppy almost. Quite nutty – almonds. Digestive biscuits. A considerably long finish. As you’d expect with a blend the balance is very good, and it packs in a lot of intensity for the ABV.

Conclusions

They’re all decent whiskies, though perhaps the grain didn’t work that well for me. The Exceptional Malt was very good. My only minor quibble is the price – I think £86 is asking a lot of people when it comes to blended whiskies, which are – with some exceptions, notably from Compass Box – usually priced at a more accessible level. The grain whisky seems quite a stretch in particular. I’m guessing they’re priced at this level because of some of the old whiskies used in the blends, such as the 30-year-old Macallan. That said, there’s much to like here – a more reasonable price would have turned that like into a love.

A friend of mine on the whisky scene, Greg, runs the website Great Drams, which you should add to your whisky reading list. Greg started Great Drams at a similar time when I started Malt, so we’ve both been around a while. In internet longevity, given that many websites only hang around for a couple of years, we’re well into our retirement.

Recently, Greg suggested a blind whisky exchange, where I’d send him a mystery whisky from my cabinet, and he’d send something from his. That’s exactly what we’ve done! So Greg mailed over a small bottle containing a curious, dark sample. I had no idea what it was until I emailed him afterwards. The whisky turned out to be a very intriguing whisky from the independent bottler and wine merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd. It’s the Blue Hanger – 6th Release, which is an acclaimed and long-running blended malt. It was named after William Hanger, the third Lord Coleraine, and who was meant to wear a lot of blue clothes. The Blue Hanger – 6th Release is bottled at 45.6% ABV and costs about £65. I learned afterwards that it contained sherried Speyside malt with both unpeated and peated Islay whisky.

Blue Hanger – 6th Release Tasting Notes

Colour: russet.

On the nose: dirty, sweet and leathery and smoky notes – dirty but nice! Most unusual. All the flavours are very tightly bound together and take a while to open up. Dark fruits, blackberry, blackcurrants are masked slightly by an earthy, oily sulphur quality. Maritime notes hidden under there.

In the mouth: Big on toffee, treacle, smoke and tart redcurrants. Slightly ashy qualities mix with those tannic, tart qualities making it feel quite sharp and acidic. Then sherried style dried fruits: raisins, figs – certainly at the richer end. There’s an almost smokey chutney quality to it all. Reminds me of a weird and wonderful Bunnahabhain single cask that I had from the SMWS once, which was love or hate for some (I loved it). Not for the weak-kneed.

Conclusions

The Blue Hanger – 6th Release has stacks character and I like it a lot. It’s brilliant, in fact. Tasted blind it actually tasted very little like a blended whisky, which tend to lean towards a balanced, polished dram. This was aggressive and fun, the sort of thing an in-house skunkworks blending team might come up with (if such a team existed).

Thanks to Greg for sending that one through. Now why not pay him a visit at Great Drams and say hello from me.

The new consumer, so we’re told, was seeking “further innovation within Scotch whisky that didn’t involve the addition of sugar or flavours”. Not least because adding anything would be illegal and therefore not Scotch whisky any longer. (This is the positive side of why Scotch whisky is so heavily regulated.) That’s why Chivas Brothers created Ballantine’s Hard Fired earlier this year – named after the hard fired casks in which this blend of whiskies has been finished.

The process basically involves disgorging the whisky from its old home in second-fill American oak barrels for no longer than a day (in order to stop the oak from drying out). The barrels are then given a heavy char from the hard firing and then are refilled with the same blend of whisky for several months. Basically, the idea is that you can’t add flavour to whisky by law, so you have to find other ways – and a newer way is to tit about innovate by altering the wood itself.

And thus, we have Ballantine’s Hard Fired, a new blended whisky available for about £30 (or at travel retail for €24). There’s plenty of talk in the press material online about creating a masculine whisky (whatever that means) and that the consumer is demanding such things (apparently millennials are suckers for stories and themes rather than knowing what they’re actually drinking). I’m not here to tease about what branding teams come up with. They’re just trying to shout about their products in a rowdy market place – and besides, such mockery is too easy a sport. No, I’m concerned the whisky itself, which isn’t at all that bad.

Ballantine’s Hard Fired Tasting Notes

Colour: russet.

Nose: first impressions: unusual for a blend, and rather nice. Not too sweet at all. Yes there is vanilla, but at first it’s masked behind this curious burnt toast smell. I suspect this is the hard firing in action, and it is unusual for a whisky. Heavily toasted brown bread in fact, then a little bit of ginger and all spice. Cinnamon. But really that toasting dominates.

In the mouth: very nice texture as you’d expect for a blend, and a surprising amount of flavour (though don’t mistake that for complexity). Yes, toffee and vanilla notes. And yes, a warmth from ginger, nutmeg and pepper. A good balance too between those extremes, but not much going on in between. That toasted quality – whatever this hard-firing does – lends a lightly ashy, peated note on what is a very warming finish for a blend. Lovely silky texture too.

Conclusions

Mass market blends have to be judged differently to single malts or even boutique blended malts. They’re different beasts, performing different jobs for different audiences. If Ballantine’s Hard Fired is indeed a mass market whisky then it’s the polar opposite of something as bland as Haig Club. This does have an intensity of flavour. It is curiously different. It might not typically be my thing, but this has character. Modern online culture tends to blot out character in all corners of life, so I think actually for a blend to try something like this is rather good. Well done Ballantine’s.

It’s hard to imagine what life must have been like on a wild winter evening, 1912 or thereabouts, at Nether Jericho farm distillery. I bet a fair few bitter winds would have blow from the North Sea towards the nearby village of Insch, Aberdeenshire. The great Alfred Barnard described his journey there as “one of the most bleak and loneliest we have traversed”. Carts would probably be pulled back and forth through the snow to the railway station at Insch, where casks would be taken under chilling starlight towards Aberdeen. Such activity at Nether Jericho – or once Benachie as it was known when founded in 1824 – could not have been especially profitable. It must have been a tough old life, for all this ceased the following year in 1913.

But let’s not get miserable about it – it’s Christmas! We have a Christmassy whisky to talk about, and in an aptly Dickensian manner we are revisiting the ghosts of Christmas past.

The Lost Distillery Company is an interesting whisky businesses. This boutique operation styles its blended whiskies on those produced by long-lost distilleries, such as Jericho. Now, clearly they’re not expensive recreations based on old samples, as there isn’t any whisky available from these distilleries. So what they’ve done is good old-fashioned research, trying to bring together a blend based on still styles, barley varieties, the peat that was available and so on. I imagine for whisky nerds such as myself, these people would be very interesting to talk to for many hours…

And for Christmas they’re releasing a limited edition whisky based on their Jericho blend – the Jericho Christmas Pudding blended malt whisky, which is bottled at 44.8% ABV and costs about £50. (As an aside, since the 1990s there has been a range of ‘Bennachie’ blended malts, the distillery’s previous name, but any commercial efforts to resurrect the distillery itself faded around the time that the Beatles had their first number one hit.)

Jericho Christmas Pudding Tasting Notes

Colour: auburn.

On the nose: lovely sherried influence, but with praline nuttiness. Praline and ground almonds, blood orange, cloves, booze-soaked dried raisins and sultanas.

In the mouth: a fine silky texture, textbook dried fruits, and that nutty dominance continues: ground almonds, praline, hazelnuts, and hints of warming cinnamon and nutmeg. Bitter dark chocolate. Rum-like. Vanilla sponge. Creamy too. Warming, just enough complexity, hugely drinkable and very much a dessert whisky. Blending to a brief done well.

Conclusions

I have a soft spot for these themed whiskies such as the Jericho Christmas Pudding. You kind of know roughly what to expect and this delivers that expectation perfectly. This is easy-drinking fun, with a talking point around it. I can imagine this would be a lot of fun to share in the winter months, and is definitely worth a punt.

Now, I should really investigate more whiskies from The Lost Distillery Company…

Lidl! For the benefit of newer readers, I rather like the budget supermarket Lidl. Why? Because they are doing something that not many other places are doing. They’re producing rather decent whisky, many with big age statements, and they’re charging not much at all for them. In today’s prices, what they’re asking for whisky is simply silly (or maybe, they’re making everyone else look silly).

I’ve previously reviewed some Lidl whiskies, which were more standard offerings, and almost a year ago I reviewed Lidl’s Ben Bracken 28 Year Old, which was a solid, venerable single malt for £50. At the time of writing that last review, I was under the impression that the whiskies were very limited and would sell out. It turns out that you can still find bottles tucked away here and there, which is even more insane when you take into account just how popular they’ve been. And how do I know this? Well, basically from my website stats barometer: those last reviews have, at the time of writing, been read approximately 25,000 and 20,000 times respectively. Those are each just a bit more than my Haig Club review, which sees spikes in traffic whenever there’s a new global ad campaign and people rush to Google the whisky. So all I can take from that is that Lidl are creating a lot of interest whilst spending little on their marketing activities. Anyone would think that if you have genuinely good products at a very good prices, they speak for themselves. It’s called word of mouth, and it’s priceless.

With all that in mind, it’s time to look at their blended offering from last year’s releases, which are still, by all accounts, this year’s releases, and can still be found in the right Lidl store – once you navigate past the empty bits of packaging and long, long queues of irate shoppers. Today it’s the Glen Alba 34 Years Old. Which – and this needs stressing – is a 34 year old blended whisky, for £50. £50!

Glen Alba 34 Years Old Tasting Notes

Colour: tawny.

On the nose: very strong sherry influences here, with tons of dried fruits: raisins, sultanas, prunes. Maple syrup. Dark chocolate. Cloves. Christmas cake, most certainly. Simple, and very much heaped down one end of the spectrum, but very bold and well defined. Blended for Christmas, one might say.

In the mouth: again we’re firmly in sherry territory, perhaps even rum. Oak tannins. Prunes. Elderberries. Maple syrup. Chocolatey again, leading into a nice liquorice note. Peppery. The texture is rather thin for a blend, and it lacks a certain mouth-watering quality that its other whiskies have produced. Tannins present themselves heavily on the finish.

Conclusions

As a blend it does work. Which is to say: don’t analyse it, just drink it, and it’s more rewarding. Perhaps lacks the full roundedness for me, as the flavours are bundled down the sweeter end of the spectrum without enough to balance it out. But let’s be honest – for £50 this is still great value. It’s worth the money and I’d happily recommend having this on the shelf, even for a talking point with friends. Again: well done Lidl.

Well, it’s Christmas, so let’s drink something a bit different. And to do this, I’m looking to the past once again to ask the question: were things better back then? It seems a question that’s been floating around the whisky community more in the past year, as prices of new whiskies grow ever higher and people seem concerned about the poor quality of some new releases.

But first, an old whisky.

Black & White Buchanan’s Choice Old Scotch Whisky

We’ve looked at pretty old blends on Malt before in the past couple of years – notably one from around the 1960s, and one from the 1940s. So I’m due another, and it feels like a nice opportunity to tie this up with a whisky-related Christmas message.

Black & White is a famous old blended whisky produced by James Buchanan & Co Ltd. The two little black and white terriers that feature on its labels were inspired by the black and white label (and a dog show) around the late 19th century, a colour motif that featured original bottle when it was as a House of Commons blend. The dogs continued to be very popular, featuring on advertisements throughout the period. Their use in Christmas imagery proved particularly successful, being rehashed in numerous ways over the years (hence the reason I’m choosing this whisky for a Christmas review). Today, like most things, the brand is owned by Diageo. This particular bottle up for review comes from around 1960.

Black & White Buchanan’s Choice Tasting Notes

Colour: russet. Quite dark.

On the nose: complex. A gorgeous mixture of sherried notes and an earthy peated influence. Port, marzipan, ground almonds, linseed oil. Olive oil. Buttery in places. Lapsang souchong. Coal dust. Leather.

In the mouth: gorgeous. An incredible balance between the more prominent, ashy, coal-like peat notes and sweeter sherried notes. Raisins and sultanas. Mince pies. Cloves. Cream, milk chocolate. Heather honey. Again lapsang souchong from the nose here. Ginger. Charred wood. Hedgerow jam. It really is a contrast of sweet and smoke, which works incredibly well. A medium-length finish that’s very warm, revealing a nice texture, which is not overly polished.

Conclusions

It is astonishing that blended whiskies in the past could be this good. This is more complex and interesting than many single malts of the present era, and certainly better than any contemporary blend that I can think of. It’s not the first time I’ve thought this, or done a comparison between new and old. (Indeed, I have a much older blend than this to review early next year.)

The good old days?

What are the potential reasons that blended whiskies from 50 or 60 years ago were different and potentially more flavoursome? Whisky is a fairly industrial process today, despite the heavy craft branding. (Okay, well I’ll grant that it’s a fairly industrial craft at least.) Probably just after this whisky was made, there was a focus on efficiency: things like improving yields in whisky production, which meant different barley varieties and shorter fermentation periods, all of which would increase output but also have a detrimental impact on flavour. Stills began to be heated differently (coal, direct fired) which would impact on flavour. In 1972 Laphroaig even replaced a couple of stills with one twice the size – completely changing the flavour of the product – because it would be more cost-effective. Faster. Bigger. Cheaper. More.

In a conversation I had with Mark Reynier of Waterford Distillery, formerly of Bruichladdich fame, he mentioned that back in the day the whisky industry got its hands on good casks from anywhere and everywhere, particularly the wine trade, all of which were of very high quality. Around the time of the oil crisis, that changed. Wine and sherry merchants supplied fewer and fewer casks to the whisky industry. The whisky industry became far more industrialised. Good wood became scarce.

Good wood is even rarer today. Brands are scraping bare thrice-used casks, re-charring them and using this desperate business as a selling point. These feel like cheap parlour tricks to get flavour, and to sell a story at the same time. Some indies are buying second or possibly third fill casks, or very young and flavourless single grains, and passing them off with a huge mark-up and a fancy label. The money, as Reynier reminded me, is being spent on telling stories at one end of the process. Brands are not spending money on quality materials at the production end instead. That’s the end that matters.

Not everyone does this, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a rant on the industry, but these are merely things to think about.

Malt’s Christmas Message

So Malt’s Christmas message is this: you must ask questions of whisky brands.

When there is another push on a new single malt, grain whisky or blend and it has an interesting story to it, to gently and politely interrogate that story. Email, tweet, comment on Facebook or Instagram, to ask why things are being done in a certain manner.

In what cask was the whisky matured, and for how long? For how long are you fermenting today – because longer fermentation periods lead to more flavoursome whisky. Where do you get your oak from? How many times have the casks been used in a particular vatting? If second or third fill, do you think it’s worth the price? Do you add colour to your whisky, and if so why? What about chill-filltration? Why use one barley variety over another – is it purely for yield (and therefore cost saving)? Where there is no age statement attached, tell me more about this whisky’s components… It goes beyond transparency around age statements, which is a superficial question at heart. This is seeking transparency of production. It is asking about the whole picture.

You get the idea. No matter what your level of knowledge of whisky, this is also a chance to learn more. Only if we ask questions on any considerable scale – only when you, the drinker, show you are interested in the provenance of what you’re drinking – will brands begin to reconsider their shortcuts. It will also mean we’ll be able to better determine value too. Next year, god knows how many new distilleries will start releasing whisky. Their products will come online. The market will see dozens of new whiskies and there will be a clamour to make noise. Many of these stories may well sound the same. Exactly the same.

So you must all interrogate the details in your own way. You must find out who is being authentic, and who is just in this game just for the money.

Merry Christmas and Sláinte!

Note: photo above from the Whisky Exchange as an example. That bottle cost £225. I actually think if you have that as pocket-money, it really is worth a go.

Time for another old blend. This time it’s a White Horse whisky from the 1940s. That makes it certainly up there with the oldest whiskies I’ve reviewed on Malt – probably on par with the Berry Bros & Rudd 1940s blend from a year or so ago.

White Horse

In the 1850s whisky pioneer Andrew Usher found he could whisk up a cocktail of malt whisky and (comparatively rather boring) grain whisky that was both flavoursome and tame enough for the masses. It greatly annoyed the Irish whiskey industry (along with the innovation of the Coffey still some time before this). Usher opened the floodgates for the Scotch industry to mass produce cheap, decent blended whisky – and eventually dominate the world.

As ever, Scotch whisky history tends to be flakey and contradictory, particularly online. Certain online sources have it that one of the earliest to capitalise on these developments in Scotch whisky was James Logan Mackie who, in 1861, created the White Horse product. But others (proper ones – you know, books) date the registration of White Horse by James’ nephew, Peter Mackie, in 1891, suggesting that the family were only blending seriously in the 1880s. It would make sense that it is the latter. Around that time branded names – rather than the names of family merchants – became more frequently used in an attempt to gain over market share internationally, where the brand names could connect with consumers.

The Mackies, particularly Peter Mackie, learned their craft fully at Lagavulin distillery, which was owned by the uncle. In 1883 they formed Mackie & Co, built the famous but defunct Malt Mill, constructed Craigellachie in 1892, and then reached over to Campbeltown in 1920, where they bought Hazelburn distillery and established a lab. (Curiously it was at this lab that Masataka Taketsuru learned his craft before igniting the Japanese whisky industry.) All of these distilleries likely contributed towards the White Horse blend.

White Horse’s biggest contribution to the whisky industry was probably that, in the 1920s, the brand was first to deploy a screwtop cap instead of corks. More recently, I can’t think of too much they’ve contributed. I suppose of all the brands, White Horse has always attempted to come across as slightly more progressive, when one looks through the archives. It targeted women in several campaigns through the decades, though not necessarily all that successfully, and even showed a more inclusive approach in its trade promotion. This does dispel the myth that whisky has always been promoted as an old man’s drink when the advertising archives reveal, clearly, some brands were trying to do something about this 40 years ago.

Anyway. Onto a sample of White Horse that came from the 1940s.

White Horse 1940 – The Old Blend – Review

Colour: quite dark, getting on for russet. (These were the good old days before the practice of re-using casks became commonplace – alongside the rise of E150 colour being added to mask the poor wood.)

On the nose: there’s a familiar note with these old blends, a sort of coal dust, industrial, oily undertone that really smells very nice. Huge amounts of toffee and caramel. Chicory drink (like Camp Coffee). Linseed oil (maybe olive oil as well). Praline. Old wood mustiness. A touch medicinal, with a few vegetative, coastal and sea weed notes.

In the mouth: herbal, sage and thyme. Quite oily in texture. Salted caramel. The peat smoke is more distinct here: ashier, aggressive but not powerful. Slightly bitter undercurrent. Meaty olive oil. Orange blossom. Apricots. Green tea with a little honey. Plenty of vegetative notes again, and it becomes something gentle and earthy. Not a great deal of sweetness on display, curiously, so this makes the whole experience feel slightly unbalanced. Underlying cardboard notes hint at a bit of oxidation.

Conclusions

I didn’t think a lot of it. We could say that the bottle may have been stored poorly over the years somewhere. The misdemeanours here could be simply down to the flavour imbalance, or signs of too much oxidation. The bottle was only opened recently by fellow writer Whisky Rover, so maybe I could just blame him. Or maybe it just wasn’t very good to start with. We’ll never really know where it’s flaws lie, except to say merely that it is flawed, and sometimes that can happen with very old bottles of whisky. Caveat emptor.

What’s fascinating, though, is that this blend likely contains whisky from the legendary Malt Mill, so it’s rather nice to imagine a piece of whisky history has recently passed through my body.

(Well, probably not nice for you to imagine.)

In an age where single malts are blighted by ‘premiumisation’ – where’s the market for expensive blends these days? You’d be looking to pay over £250 a bottle for the one I’ve got today – Ballantine’s 30 Year Old – which I suppose for a 30-year-old whisky isn’t all that much in the current climate. But if you’ve got that much money, and presumably you’re a bit of a whisky geek, then would you not be more likely to purchase single malt whisky, or single casks even? Perhaps, on the whole, are expensive blends still the provenance of wealthy, but more casual drinkers? That would explain why you see them mostly cluttering up glass cabinets at airports at £500 a pop.

I can understand people spending money on a good blended malt whisky, perhaps. If a single malt whisky can generally be considered more complex than a single cask (because of the number of flavours mixing about), then a blended malt, which draws upon stocks from different distilleries, has the potential to add even more flavour variations – and there’s a chance you’d get, in theory, even more complexity.

Ordinarily I’d have very little interest in buying a whole bottle of an expensive blend today though, especially given the price of some of them. I would have thought that whisky geeks would be spending their hundreds of pounds on finding blended whiskies that were much, much older than this – in terms of when they were released, rather than age of maturation per se. Relatively young whiskies from the 1950s and 60s would be a much better bet – because those were before the age of cost-cutting, efficiency savings, E150 coming on a larger scale to mask the poor wood that we started seeing as commonplace and which, in my opinion, is starting to plague independent bottlings.

But here I am, a whisky geek, with a glass of Ballantine’s 30 Year Old, which costs upwards of £250, if not more, and which is bottled at 40% ABV (though that’s a bit miserly for the price, if you ask me).

Ballantine’s 30 Year Old Tasting Notes

Colour: deep copper.

On the nose: under the initial waves of sweetness is something a little dirty and earthy. That settles to reveal orchard fruits, floral honey. Traces of malted milk, sultanas, dried oranges and a hint of cloves. It’s very nice, but stops dead pretty quickly.

In the mouth: lovely elegant, slightly viscous texture, with blood oranges, grapefruit, raisins and that earthiness on the nose returning here with something spicier and more flavoursome. Assam tea, heather honey. Certainly not afraid to assert itself. The acidity returns on the finish, mixing with some vegetative quality, cinnamon and cloves, and that just knocks it off-balance slightly.

Conclusions

A blend being knocked off-balance isn’t what you expect. Surely these should be balanced affairs? But in many ways it sacrifices finesse for character, and one can’t complain with that. The world is too vanilla. It’s the differences that matter. This is tasty indeed, and full of character. It actually reminds me, just about, of those blends of yesteryear, which I’ve looked at lately, though doesn’t quite have the heft, the intensity, the boldness.

But that said, I still don’t know: who buys this stuff?

Almost three years ago I looked at Mackinlay’s Shackleton Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky – a superb, really tasty whisky. The ghost of Shackleton has risen up once again with Whyte & Mackay.

There’s an interesting quote in the press material around the Shackleton Blended Malt, from Stuart Bertram, Head of Whisky Development Brands at Whyte & Mackay.

“With the accessibility of a blend and the craft credentials of a malt, this unique, storied brand is set to bring modern spirits drinkers into scotch as well as providing a new, premium alternative for the blended whisky occasion for those existing Scotch whisky fans.”

In many ways, I believe a whisky like this – if one was to come back in time to 2017 – is going to be highly representative of the new era’s thinking in terms of marketing and promotion. We have: accessibility, the watch-word of the mass-market. Then we have the craft credentials of a malt: that malt whisky is inherently perceived as better, to appeal to the more discerning drinker. And then, a storied brand – stories are everywhere in marketing, a sign of the digital age where people make buying choices on intriguing sentiments as much as fancy packaging. And the story element – borrowing heavily on the Explorer Ernest Shackleton – has been amplified even further. Tim Jarvis, the British explorer and environmentalist, will act as Global Brand Ambassador: so now we’ve moved far on from whisky specialists, far on from wheeling out pretty young people: today we engage people with storytelling.

So, a premium blend, drawing on malt’s credentials, with a story: something, then, for absolutely everyone. Everything about the Shackleton Blended Malt is a highly considered release, building upon the success and the heritage of the previous editions, which were more simply about recreating the past. Anyway, if you’d like to know more about the Shackleton whisky story, take a read of my previous post. (It is actually rather interesting.)

This whisky is absolutely representative of the modern industry. And you know what? It’s only £40 too, which is a very fair price I believe for a 1 litre bottle of whisky. This will be available at travel retail, one of the most important sales ‘territories’. The vatting is composed of Highland single malts, which have then been married in a combination of ex-bourbon American white oak barrels and Spanish Sherry butts. (No details of the distilleries or the ages of the whiskies involved.)

Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Colour: amber.

On the nose: now that’s really quite lovely. An oily, earthy undertone; malted barley, fresh and yeasty. Lemon curd and toffee. Baked apples, cinnamon and golden syrup begin to show. Then this lightly peated note returns – pleasant.

In the mouth: it echoes the nose closely: malty, with baked apples, cinnamon. Digestive biscuits. Some grapefruit acidity; and that barley-driven note mingles with light peat; and then gives way to vanilla and pears, and creamy buttermilk. Layers of honey follow, with gentle spices and a nice herbal note. The peat drifts about wonderfully – not dominating, just underscoring that malty core.

Conclusions

Think about it too much and the depth isn’t quite there: the finish fades too quickly, leaving a silky – and surprisingly grain-smooth texture that’s a fraction simple. But thinking isn’t always the point of blends: as a session dram, to share with friends, it’s a tasty whisky. Good fun. There’s probably some young stuff in here, but the overall product is pleasant.

There’s enough flavour here (although I cannot help but be critical about anyone who puts forward 40% ABV these days, when just 3% more gives a heck of a lot more life). But the Shackleton Blended Malt is decent stuff, and you should pick up a bottle. I mean, it’s £40 right? And a contribution this goes to the Antarctic Heritage Trust, towards the towards the ongoing preservation of Shackleton’s 1907 basecamp.

For the single malt connoisseurs among you, actually there’s plenty to enjoy, but I can’t help think you’d be a lot happier with the previous releases, which was much more of a special thing.

Just before last Christmas I reviewed a festive-themed whisky from The Lost Distillery Company. The company, I as said back then, is an interesting one in that it styles its blended whiskies on what may have been produced by long-lost distilleries. (Long lost as opposed to say, more recently closed distilleries such as Brora and Port Ellen – of which you can still buy bottlings, and which will no doubt have Diageo lawyers crawling all over them.)

Clearly they’re not fancy recreations based on old samples, such as the recovered Shackleton whiskies, as there isn’t any whisky that you get find from the properly long-lost operations. The recreations of these ancient whiskies is based on research of the stills that were used at the time, barley strains, yeast varieties, what peat might have been used, the casks, and so on. You can have a read of how they do it on their website. (What’s interesting is just how many things here can impact the quality of the whisky – yet the majority of the whisky industry only ever talks about the wood.)

The range is very much about the romance of Scotch whisky, but it does so without tacky label designs. There’s a genuine love of the past about what they do and yes, of course, it lends some nice stories to help with marketing the brand. Each release has something interesting to say. Anyway, today I have three more whiskies from the Lost Distillery Company’s range to taste – they come from forgotten relics of Towiemore, Lossit and Jericho. Each of the whiskies are bottled at 43% ABV and cost around £50.

Towiemore

A Dufftown-based distillery that closed in 1931.

Colour: russet.

On the nose: lovely sweetness: golden syrup sponge cake, raspberry jam. Madeira wine. Raisins, toffee, dried apricots. Maple syrup. Nutmeg and ground almonds. Some Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut. Pencil shavings. After time the dried fruits begin to shine even more so.

In the mouth: silky, chewy, and plenty of woody, peppery and malty warmth. (Perhaps a slither of peat?) Then comes baked apples, maple syrup, and the wood bitterness begins to take over. All spice, cloves, some slight herbal quality instead of the sweetness from the nose. Slightly mealy, with black tea. The sweetness is there, though, but more marginalised.

Lossit

A former Islay distillery that closed in 1867.

Colour: pale straw.

On the nose: a vegetative and ashy Caol Ila style peat, and it’s young and vibrant. Incense and bonfires. Just a little vanilla coming in, with brine and citrus notes: Lemon Curd, then some rather nice fresh fruits: apples and kiwi fruit in particular. Simple stuff, but attractive.

In the mouth: Lapsang souchong, lemon juice and floral honey. Custard Creams. The smoke is sweet and mouth-watering, and there’s a lovely buttermilk, creamy texture to this. Brine, lime cordial, pears, a hint of coriander to spice things up. All in all it feels like a charming Caol Ila, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Youthful, vibrant, just enough peat and fresh fruit to balance it out. Just a lovely whisky.

Jerico

An Aberdeenshire distillery that closed in 1913.

Colour: very dark, almost mahogany.

On the nose: now this is my kind of thing. The sherried notes are intense: classic Christmas cake dried fruits. Redcurrants, plum jam, cherries even. Lovely ginger warmth. Orange marmalade and toffee.

In the mouth: not as nice as the nose promised. The texture is rather thin, and consequently those aromas don’t really take hold on the tongue. They’re there, though, just in fragments: strawberry jam, raisins, blackberries, cloves and ginger. There is a vegetal, herbal quality showing through too. Tobacco. A shame, as the nose was gorgeous, but it’s still a pleasant and vibrant dram.

Conclusions

These are all good blends, just lovely to drink and, I think, reasonably priced. What more can you ask for? It’s the Lossit that wins it for me, though – that was simply a very nice whisky that fans of Islay’s peated drams, particularly Caol Ila, will lap up.

It’s always a surprise to receive messages whether via the website here or one of my other social media outlets. Recently these have been thanks for keeping whisky entertaining via Whisky Rover and my honesty in a sea of blinkered sources. I find these messages somewhat reassuring and humbling. A validation if you like, that what I do here has substance and oddly is noticed now and again.

Whisky Rover is always about my journey through whisky and my discoveries and adventures. The fact that you tune in now and again is a bonus. It has enabled me to receive the odd offer as well which comes as a surprise as I’ve never sought PR contact or stroked the hand that feeds so many. One of these messages arrived recently via the Golan Heights distillery based in Israel and whether I’d like to try some of their produce? It was frankly a very straightforward decision to try whiskies from a country I know from experience has a passionate fan base for whisky. Recently I reviewed a Tormore bottled especially for the Whisky Live event in Tel Aviv that set a high benchmark so now to head back and actually taste local produce is a welcome opportunity.

Golan Heights distillery is a recent arrival on the distilling scene and like so many brethren in Scotland, was founded in 2014, the current best resource for the distillery is via their Facebook page. My geography of Israel is very limited but the distillery is situated in the northern area of the country. A historical region that dates back to an ancient time of the Kings of Israel and beyond, today’s border splits Golan Heights with Syria where it has been the source of local disputes between these 2 countries. It seems an interesting site for a distillery and bringing whisky to life using the natural resources of Israel.

The concept and ambition for the Golan Heights Distillery comes from David Zibell, formerly a French Canadian real estate professional who decided to follow his passion for distilling to Israel. Upon visiting the region, he felt that the resources it offered including the abundance and quality of it numerous spring waters would make a perfect environment for whisky. The initial plan was to distil a trio of whiskies assisted by other spirits (absinthe, arak and gin) to provide revenue prior to the 3-year minimum required to label its own spirit as whisky. These took the form of a rye whiskey, a single malt whisky and a corn mash whiskey. Part of the plan is also to utilise local wine casks from the region although the samples we have here come via the more commonly seen ex-American oak casks. David is certainly a very busy many given he is the owner, distiller and founder of this what can only be described as a craft distillery.

The temperatures in Israel are needless to say significantly higher than those seen across Scotland. Therefore, what necessarily is a young whisky on paper might in maturation terms be considerably older due to those pesky angels taking their share. It’ll be interesting to see where Israel stacks up when considering the hot climates of Australia, India and Taiwan. So without further ado lets line up this trio and see what they have been distilling in Golan Heights.

Golan Heights Gin

Bottled at 45% strength, this gin consists of juniper, coriander, angelica, cassia, cardamom, myrtle, black pepper, lavender and citrus medica.

Colour: neutrality
Nose: it’s the citrus that grabs your attention initially before a calmness descends across this gin. Then more sweetness, almost confectionary-like sherbet with the darker spices taking back the reigns over the juniper and coriander. Lavender is a divisive fellow and whilst it’s in the mix here thankfully it’s wisely a delicately added ingredient.
Taste: this is very interesting from my experience of gin as it’s not forceful and screaming for attention. Rather than being the Boris Johnson of gin, it’s a content backbencher. Very refreshing and the elements have a real natural vibrancy as opposed to some of the artificial essences that can unravel with some gins.  The elements here almost combine to create a sweet black liquorice experience with just enough balance.

Overall: don’t worry this isn’t going to turn into a gin website despite the obvious potential of hits and popularity (2 elements I rarely focus on), but this gin much like those I’ve tasted from the Dornoch distillery, has an air of authenticity about it. It is surprisingly tasty and aromatic but anyone else out there reading this please don’t see this as a green light to start offering me gin.

Golani Black wheat & malt barley 2 year old

From a newly charred American oak barrel at 63.4% volume

Colour: toffee
Nose: the appeal of juicy apples dipped in caramel that rotates into marzipan and a peanut brittle. There’s a floral undercurrent amidst the obvious vanilla, with the obvious sense that you’d never guess this was just 2-years-old. Although it’s a newly charred cask this doesn’t come through as evidently upon nosing.
Taste: an obvious vanilla cream and the strength carries through until the finish. Yet a remarkable assortment of apricots, more caramelised apples and nougat. Traces of honey and a chocolate brownie on the finish with more cream coming through. A very promising example.

Overall: Golan Heights do a two grain blend that features the wheat and barley combination we have here. It’s matured in a combination of cask including Cabernet and Chardonnay at a remarkable 1300 feet above sea level, near the Sea of Galilee before being bottled. This sample I presume is a cask component of the recipe but grants us a glimpse of a traditional cask almost touching upon the definitive 3-year requirement. I know I could produce this and surprise quite a few enthusiasts at a tasting with its qualities and confidence.  

Single Malt 31 months old

This comes from a 1^st fill Cabernet American oak cask at 61.8% volume and has yet to be named officially.

Colour: toffee with a slight reddish tint
Nose: a richer caramel this time but laced with raspberries and dark chocolate. Red liquorice, a splash of rose water, walnuts and honey push this more towards the sweet scale
Taste: oh yes now the sweetness comes through on the palate and is very drinkable. A red flush initially with liquorice, apples, cranberries and grapes. A very juicy arrival that lacks a little body but hey its just a juvenile. Cola cubes, caramel and a rubbed brass finish.

Overall: again impressive and this fella is shaping up better than some of young spirits I’ve tried from several current Scottish distilleries awaiting their whisky debut.

Well, this has been an education and isn’t that part of the whisky journey? This fledgling Israeli distillery is clearly doing something right and when it’s produce reaches these shores I’d seriously suggest you check it out.

An invite from Justine of Kaskwhisky fame and the impending Fife Whisky Festival, took me across the Forth bridge into the darkest depths of Edinburgh, or Leith as it’s known. The destination was a new bar restaurant called Rib-Aye where Dave – the brand ambassador for That Boutique-y Whisky Company – was hosting a small tasting prior to attending the National Whisky Festival the following day. The location was apt, as if you don’t know Leith, it was home to the spirit merchants and blenders during its heyday as a port. The casks and their skills may have long since departed the waterfront, but the buildings remain, as does their legacy.

Entering Rib-Aye, immediately I was faced with Justine and Dave just finishing setting up the table for our select group. The bar beckoned with the rarity of a beer to consume and discussion around the merits of the recently launched Leith Gin. Soon, our numbers swelled and before kicking off the tasting there was an opportunity meet up with some of Justine’s Kaskwhisky regulars that comprised different areas of Scotland and beyond. A refreshing aspect was the wide demographic featuring mostly women from all walks of life and the passion and interest for whisky, including a Glendullan fan.

Clearly this wasn’t a usual realm for a whisky tasting and refreshingly so. However, Justine did feel the need to sit alongside the Whisky Rover during the event to ensure any geek levels were kept under control.  No need. Instead we handed over to Dave who had selected 6 whiskies from the Boutique-y Whisky Company, but these were to be tasted blind. Dave had removed their distinctive cartoonish labels from the 50cl bottles and instead designed a specific label for our tasting group. This was the first of several nice touches that were to materialise and the lack of a typical brand ambassador approach was refreshing. Things generally were more relaxed, organic and the whisky did the talking along with Justine who yaps too much anyway. I especially liked the handout cards that highlighted the brand approach in a subtle way, but also provided the necessary information if you wanted to learn more and purchase a bottle.

Our Rib-Aye burgers were destined to arrive after the tasting (very tasty and recommended), so we settled down around the table and prepared for a journey into the unknown.

My thanks to Dave for letting me take samples home to sit down with again in the comfort of my own whisky den. I did consider keeping the whisky details until the end of this piece, but instead will go with tradition and reveal each as we go along. These are tasted in the specific order Dave had selected.

Strathclyde 30 year old Batch 1 Review

Bottled at 53.1% volume, an edition of 228 bottles with a price of £108.95 or the 70cl equivalent of £152.53.

Colour: a dull lemon skin
On the nose: a rich vanilla but also a buttery pastry dough moving into tablet and some char from the cask. A touch of melon, bananas and coconut flakes followed by a dash of lemon. 
In the mouth: very creamy initially with banana chips and more vanilla. Some plasticine then freshly baked shortbread with a light caramel and a touch of ash on the finish.  

Conclusions

Immediately recognisable as a grain to the experienced, this one went down well with everyone. A palate refresher, not too demanding or with an enduring finish; it is a limited experience but nevertheless a pleasant grain. A little expensive overall, but this Batch 1 has sold out which just goes to show you. I thought it was perhaps the most expensive of the tasting, out of synch with what it delivered. Approachable yes, aged of course, but not the level of detail I’d want from a grain.

Blended Whisky #3 23 year old Batch 1 Review

Bottled at 48.2% volume, this is an edition of 463 bottles with a suggested price of £79.95 or the 70cl equivalent of £111.93.

Colour: apple cider
On the nose: a very fresh arrival with apples, caramel and a touch of shoe polish. Someone suggested Fisherman’s Friends and I’m pick up fennel and the sweetness of fudge. A malty emphasis with a hint of rusks, milk chocolate, a slight waxiness and a faded orange.
In the mouth: a little more rugged on the palate which I’m delighted with. A rich toffee note, a runny honey, digestive biscuits and more of the milk chocolate and a waft of smoke towards the end before a creamy vanilla finish that just lingers.

Conclusions

Speaking with Justine when nosing this one, we both picked it out as a blend, as did Shilton across from us. Just that bit of grain poking through around the fringes was enough of a giveaway. Roughly, this is a high malt blend likely around 50/50 which is way in excess of many other blends you see today. In some respect, it took me back to the Murray McDavid blending session our elite Tormore4 outfit did as part of the Speyside festival. Not everyone enjoyed this one at the table but I was quite satisfied with it. As for the price, it is a 23-year-old and a high malt blend so it’s probably a little more than I’d want to pay, but not too far off the mark.

Single Malt Irish Whiskey #2 Batch 1 14 year old Review

Bottled at 48.6% volume, the distillery here is unnamed but in reality, will either be Bushmills or Cooley. An edition of 357 bottles with a retail price of £66.95, or 70cl equivalent of £93.73. This one is pretty scarce nowadays having sold out in most retailers.

Colour: a worn brass rubbing
On the nose: a health level of caramel but there’s plenty of spicing here and a spent matchstick quality. Poached pears beneath this exterior along with a chestnut mushroom quality – so an earthiness – with a touch of smoke and mashed oranges.   
In the mouth: a delightful toffee crisp wrapped in chocolate and a grating of nutmeg. A stream of dirty vanilla, wood chips, fudge and some charcoal towards the end.

Conclusions

Not hugely layered on the palate but the characteristics are delivered so expertly that it’s a delightful whiskey. Price wise with 50cl you have to always consider the experience and I think this one delivers above and beyond. Finally, the Irish are getting their house in order.

Millstone 6 year old

Bottled at 48.9% volume this comes from the Dutch Zuidam distillery and is a release of 637 bottles. Price for 50cl is £54.95 which scaled up to 70cl results in £76.93.

Colour: a light tan
On the nose: I still feel this is very botanical initially with lavender and fennel before moving into toffee cup territory and coffee beans. There’s also a Bakewell tart presence with marzipan as well. Certainly benefits from being left in the glass to relax and open up.
In the mouth: on the palate it’s light and refreshing with a creamy toffee finish. It’s unusual with plenty spices providing the main body before a touch of treacle and coffee comes out to play. 

Conclusions

It’s perfectly pleasant but not the best Zuidam I’ve experienced but this Dutch distillery is consistently producing good stuff and this continues the trend.

Miltonduff 8 year old Batch 2

Bottled at 45.5% volume this is a release of 254 bottles retailing for £38.95, or £54.53 for a traditional 70cl bottling.

Colour: stewed apples
On the nose: red apples, a touch of alcohol which is surprising at this strength level and sweet cinnamon. Buttery with a dough-like quality, chocolate flakes and a caramel flapjack
In the mouth: a gentle array of toasted nuts, a vanilla toffee and a freshly baked sponge with bananas and more milk chocolate. A touch of ginger, peppery and cloves take us into the finish.

Conclusions

A lot of character here for just 8 years in a cask and a very delightful Miltonduff, which is well priced whatever the size of bottle. Recommended for a gentle and relaxing dram, which went down well with the group.

Williamson 6 year old Batch 1

Bottled at 50.2% strength, this is of course named in honour of the former Laphroaig owner, Bessie Williamson, and is an edition of 595 bottles. The retail price is £51.95 which when up-scaled becomes £72.73.

Colour: a dark caramel
On the nose: a sweet salty peat with candy floss dominates this dram but there’s a twist of lemon, brine and a touch of menthol present. Liquorice, hickory chips, cardamom and a dirty vanilla all follow.  
In the mouth: more of the salt and earthy peat but the sugary sweetness still shines through with a layer of fruit underneath and some of that classy TPC and smoked cheese.

Conclusions

Not a hugely layered Laphroaig by any means but for just 6-years-old it offers plenty of classic flavours that put it above several bottlings within the official range we see today. A Tyson dram with a knockout arrival.

An interesting array of whiskies showcasing different styles of countries and the wide range that Boutique-y now carries. Generally, across the group everyone had their own individual favourites and were kindly left to explore these further. I’m sure a few online purchases will be made thereafter and I’ve certainly noted a couple to track down in due course including the Irish and that Williamson. My thanks to Justine and Dave for putting on a thoroughly enjoyable evening of whisky and company in Leith.

An up-front note: a mate in the whisky community, Andy, gave me a sample of this venerable whisky, as he now has some involvement with the company. Truth be told, he slipped me a sample of this in our shared cottage during the Spirit of Speyside festival earlier in the year and when he was blabbing on about what it was I had half tuned out. He talks a lot, does Andy.

Anyway, what he actually passed over was a sample of a very interesting blended malt whisky called Sennachie. It’s only been available from the the Carnegie Whisky Cellars in Dornoch, and commands a price of £500. For that, you also get a solid oak box inlaid with Harris Tweed woven by Donald John Mackay MBE. But what about the whisky? Most of the (rather intriguing, but Speyside and Highland) component single malts were distilled in 1975, before being married in a couple of hogsheads some time in 1983 – and left to get on with it. In a final quirk of fate, the whiskies then spent three decades at Springbank distillery.

So the intro to this review is regrettably short: I’ll put that down to my fuzzy head during a whisky festival.

Sennachie 40 Year Old Blended Malt Review

Colour: oloroso sherry.

On the nose: beautiful, with a wide range of flavours contributing. There’s a high-end floral note, jasmine or honeysuckle, very perfumed; at the low-end is this bass Springbank-style dirtiness, with coal dust, linseed oil, olive-style meatiness; and in the middle are dried figs and dried apricots, with heather honey.

In the mouth: silky delivery, as one expects from a blended whisky, and again it shadows the nose. Heather honey and dried figs again. There’s a warmth of cinnamon and all-spice, and that Springbank-like intensity (literally no idea if there’s any in here), the oily, earthy bass notes. Salted caramel chocolate. Stewed plums in syrup. The finish is perhaps a little short considering the gorgeous intensity of the mid-palate, but it comes with warming stem ginger and a touch of all spice again.

Conclusions

Lovely, lovely whisky. Very complex, with a brilliant array of flavours, although the taste doesn’t quite live up to the glorious aromas.

For the price it’s annoyingly drinkable too. Would I pay £500 for this, as an ordinary whisky punter? I guess if I was told the components (and I’m sure those selling it to you would blab) then that might sway. £500 does tend to be an “average” figure for a single malt of this age, so I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary these days.

Score: 7/10

The road is long. With many a winding turn and those that make the effort to venture down to Campbeltown are appreciated. Truthfully, even with the faithful Tormore chariot restrained at a modest pace, the drive towards the Mull of Kintyre isn’t half bad.

My thoughts veer towards the drive onto the Isle of Skye – despite recent news – remains an island, unless someone has plugged in the watery depths. The voyage north is considerably longer, more demanding roads showcasing heavier traffic volumes ultimately creating a more arduous experience. When Campbeltown stepped forth from the cascading downpour and we rolled into the historical town centre, you could only appreciate the ghosts of the past and its former status of the whisky capital of the world.

Today, only Glen Scotia and Springbank remain with their numbers swelled to regional status level by the revival of the Glengyle (Kilkerran) distillery. A separate piece will recall our walk around Springbank and Glengyle, with Glen Scotia demanding another trip south; any old excuse, I know. Campbeltown has become synonymous with William Cadenhead since J&A Mitchell & Company purchased the independent bottling outfit in 1969 at auction. It’s roots date back to 1842 and Aberdeen, but since its transplant into the new environment of Campbeltown, it has thrived, as seen by the 175th Anniversary celebrations this year.

Cadenhead’s is arguably my second mortgage during 2017, whereas previously it’s been a welcome if not sustained monthly treat. A variety of tours and whiskies are offered in the Cadenhead’s shop itself and one well worth seeking out is the Cadenhead’s Warehouse Tasting tour; do book in advance however. For the ticket price of £30, you’re ushered into one of the traditional dunnage examples that is utilised by this independent bottling giant amongst the Springbank warehouses. If you’ve read my earlier piece on the Cadenhead’s Edinburgh 30th Anniversary Tasting, then this gives you some more insight into the environment and the playful mindset of Mark Watt and Cameron McGeachy, as well as the Edinburgh Campbeltown Young Team. Both of the aforementioned were away when Malt visited, in Holland and Belgium apparently working by all accounts. Instead our tasting was hosted by the delightful and 100% Campbeltown native Jenna.

Having worked for the Mitchell Company for 8 years she’s only recently been given the opportunity to join the Cadenhead’s brigade within the last 12 months. With such responsibility, an appreciation of whisky has to be formed and she’s already a confident host and seemingly thoroughly enjoying this new role.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the tasting experience was Jenna’s tales of Campbeltown life, haggis nachos, avocados and the day-to-day experience of working for Cadenhead’s. I’m fairly confident in stating that Malt has met the power base of the trio and great things lie ahead.

For now, slightly drier having spent a few moments within the warehouse acclimatising, it was time for the whiskies themselves. The tour includes 6 cask strength drams taken straight from their hosts, right before your very eyes. The casks themselves are exclusive to the tour and one-off experiences. Whilst the whiskies below were available when Malt visited in September 2017, the 37 year old blend was proving popular and coming to the end of its lifespan, as was the divisive Longrow. Being cask strength and generous measures, its best to attend prepared. This means eating beforehand and if you’re driving, taking along sample bottles so you can experience the whiskies later, although you may have to rely on fellow attendees to make your purchasing decisions.

This takes us onto the bonus part of the tour, which is for purchasing a ticket and making your way down into the depths of Campbeltown, you’re granted the opportunity to buy bottles of anything you’ve enjoyed. These are filled by your host and then made available at the Cadenhead’s shop for collection and purchase. For once, Malt was actually on navigational duty so whisky was permitted. We’ll do these casks in tasting order…

Linkwood 29 year old Review

Bottled at 46.5% from a bourbon hogshead.
Colour: peach pulp.
On the nose: immediately you recognise this as a Linkwood. The joyous arrival of freshly plucked apples perfectly balanced with vanilla giving it a vibrant creamy quality. A gentle sweet cinnamon combines with a buttery pastry and a light fragrant tea. There’s no need for water with something this elegant but a drop showcases raspberry and sunflower oil.
In the mouth: more beautiful balance with coconut, those apples once again and a light caramel. A touch of mint leaf cuts through the figs, raisins and vanilla. Lovely stuff, almost old school in its relaxed journey without forceful wood and a silky texture.

Score: 8/10

Tamnavulin 11 year old Review

From a bourbon hogshead resulting in 58% strength.
Colour: a very clear spirit.
On the nose: the freshness of apples with a caressing vanilla, followed by grapefruit and a twist of lemon. More interest awaits with hints of toffee and Kiwi fruit, then a touch of plasterboard before a gentle layer of cinnamon and meringues.
In the mouth: very drinkable and still spirit based, it is gentle with a sugary vibe. Green apples, a little cream soda and Custard Creams with the vanilla coming through strongly.

Score: 5/10

Edrington Blend 37 year old Review

Pre-blended cask from Edrington featuring Invergordon, Tamdhu, Glenrothes, Macallan and Highland Park.
Colour: a well-rubbed bronze.
On the nose: elements of furniture polish, vanilla, fruit and nut chocolate with a touch of brass and cinnamon. There’s more orchard fruits including apples with cardamom and a little mustiness. It’s all very agreeable and appealing.
In the mouth: very drying is my initial impression followed by one of richness. You return, reflecting on the lightness and touch of soap. It’s delicate and probably nearing the limits of its prime before the wood overrides the balance. There’s a fresh delicate vanilla, aniseed, stewed fruits, polished mahogany and a soft floral note.

Score: 7/10

Glen Scotia 16 year old Review

Distilled 2000, bottled from a sherry butt at 56.7% strength.
Colour: toffee.
On the nose: dirty Scotia alert! Rolled tobacco, discarded rubber bands, cherries, walnut oil, blackberry jam and out of date cinnamon bark. Sweet and dry throughout, it’s the distinctive Scotia sherry character that isn’t for everyone. I’m more than pleased with all-spice and vanilla toffee rounding off a memorable barrage.
In the mouth: very drying again, a well-worn leather bodysuit gives way to dark chocolate, walnuts and cloves. The rubber quality won’t be for everyone but I love it. Liquorice and more blackcurrants follow with the underlying sense of licking the back of an envelope and the distinctive aftertaste.

Score: 7/10

Longrow 15 year old Review

Distilled 19th October 2001, since 2008 it’s been in a Chardonnay cask since 2008. Bottled at 56.2% strength.
Colour: syrup with a reddish tint.
On the nose: a punchy arrival with soured apples, opal fruits and a subtle earthiness, but the memorable quality is one of sweetness. Cherries, poached pears with vanilla essence and lemon sponge cake with a dollop of cream.
In the mouth: it’s a weird experience to fully write down on paper. Divisive at the Edinburgh Cadenhead’s 30th tasting and yet again during our small warehouse group. The peat has become very sweet and creamy almost sickly sweet. Milk chocolate and a slight sourness, lemon peel, ruby red grapefruit and a chewy texture that moves into a metallic metal finish.

Score: 8/10

An Islay Malt 9 year old Review

Distilled 2007, bottled at 59.5% from a hogshead.
Colour: lemon juice.
On the nose: a capsule of Islay power and a fitting last dram. The punch of coastal peat matched by the brine and lemon. Vanilla from the cask but its been swamped somewhat by the spirit itself. It reminds me of a baked vanilla cheesecake with the buttery biscuit base, then a creamy aspect. Splashing through this is a touch of white wine vinegar, sea salt and pine nuts. Water revealed a surprising layer of sweetness feature bubblegum and those rubbery wine gums.
In the mouth: a coastal sea spray full of saltiness, seaweed and brine. A beach fire full of driftwood that provides a touch of bitterness and dry quality on the finish. Water wasn’t hugely beneficial revealing some creaminess, vanilla and a used matchstick.

Score: 6/10

Conclusions

A great showcase of the Cadenhead’s warehouse and its delights. More than anything it underlines the broad spectrum of whiskies and what they can offer, regardless of age, cask type and distillery. There’s something for everyone within, the sense of discovery, friendly banter and taking home a special memento to share with others unable to make the voyage to Campbeltown.

The mysterious realm of unnamed cask components is a fascinating environment. Casks are bought and sold with few details available regarding their heritage. This could just be the inefficient legacy of threadbare paperwork or more likely the result of the original producer protecting its identity and brand.

From the independent bottler point of view they may know the details of the whiskies involved or its source, but contractually are not allowed to state it. This is true of the 37 year old Edrington blend that Cadenhead’s currently offer on their warehouse tour. The source is clearly the massive company behind distilleries such as Tamdhu, Highland Park, Macallan and Glenrothes however beyond the identity of the parent company, the contents are a mystery. In some respects, I actually prefer this approach as it comes down to the components, their marriage and the whisky experience itself.

Then there are the single malts of brands fiercely protected most notably Glenfarclas, but others such as Lagavulin, Glenmorangie and Balvenie. When these casks appear on the market they’re often tea spooned and adorned with unique names, or when being bottled, cryptic titles adorn the bottle label. Yes, quite possibly it’s a roll of the dice and fortune favours the brave. These mysterious unnamed casks are often the source of many delights. The advantage to the consumer being that lacking a premium name results in the costs to bottler being reduced somewhat and a fair price can be charged.

As a whisky drinker we’re often told the benefits of blind tasting, putting aside brands and signposts such as the colour of the whisky, its age, alcohol strength and cask maturation details. How many of us actually achieve this virtual blindfold when faced with a whisky?

Personally, I love to sit down with a dram and appreciate the liquid itself minus the fancy packaging, press release and tiresome hype. Ideally, it’s the future but even when you’re organising a tasting, the emphasis is on revealing details in advance to attract attention and justify the admission price. I’d like to do a tasting for a fair price where no one knows what’s coming and given my generous nature, it’d have some seriously impressive whiskies.

For now we’re faced with this 23 year old blended malt that’s been selected and bottled by the Thompson brothers. This duo for the unaware, reside at the Dornoch Castle in Sutherland and have created a nirvana in the form of their whisky bar. A fine selection of malts is available by the dram and their appreciation of whisky has lead to the creation of the Dornoch Distillery. Whilst we await their debut whisky, they’ve been purchasing casks and bottling these independently. Each is adorned with a distinctive and stylish label from the talented and equally entertaining Katie Shiach. These playful labels offer hints at the contents with this mysterious blend being summed up with a Frankenstein-like figure with a hint of Metropolis.

For those new to Malt and whiskies in general, then this is a malt blend, which means it only contains malt whisky and no grain. We also know the youngest whisky within the blend will be 23 years old, but older whiskies may have been used as well. It was distilled at least beyond 1993, but then vatted in an ex-sherry hogshead in 2000, where it resided until July 2017 when it was bottled at a strength of 53.6%. This resulted in an outturn of 318 bottles, with 200 of these heading to Japan and the remainder being exclusively available from the Dornoch Castle Whisky Bar in person, or online for £75. By all accounts, it’s been selling very well and only a handful remain.

The brothers kindly provided this sample and I also took the opportunity to blindly purchase a bottle to split with friends. Their releases have mainly sold out, but I’ve reviewed several formerly as Whisky Rover, with the Invergordon being memorable and the Arran release remaining my overall favourite. Throughout I’ve been impressed by their cask selections pricing and variety offered, hence buying without trying. I’m also a sucker for a cool label on a bottle.

Dornoch 1993 23 year old blended malt

Colour: walnut.

On the nose: rubbed bronze, a touch of raspberry and Highland toffee. There’s a strong sense of nuttiness then almonds, dried fruit with raisins and apricots arrives. Time unleashes cinnamon and nutmeg, with liquorice towards the end and a whiff of tobacco.

In the mouth: more youthful and robust on the palate with dark chocolate, tannins from the wood and cherries. Sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, a little ginger all combine nicely enough with brazil nuts and stewed apples and rhubarb.

Conclusions

At this price there’s little to argue with. The whisky is structured to provide a fluid experience and does benefit from a touch of water on the palate. Very drinkable and that’s always a dangerous commodity married with a decent price these days. In a world of escalating whisky prices and disappearing age statements thankfully some out there are still bottling good stuff.

Score: 7/10

Blended malt ought to be the pinnacle of Scotch whisky. That sounds contentious – of course it does – but it’s not really me talking. That’s the opinion of George Malcolm Thomson, writing under the nom de plume of Aeneas MacDonald, presented in the most beautifully written whisky book of all time.

As is so often the case, I lent my copy to a friend and It Was Never Seen Again. So I can’t give the direct quote, but basically Thomson/MacDonald – after railing poetically about his hatred for grain whisky – talks about how much he loves blends. The inference, naturally, being that he’s talking about blended malt – an inference lent particular weight by his conclusion, in which he fondly hopes of being presented, one day, with the perfect blend. In modern practice, however, commercially blended malt doesn’t make many waves. There’s nothing suitably sexy about the term ‘blended malt’, and ever since the SWA issued their edict against the term ‘vatted’, it’s all become very confusing.

Furthermore, in this era of whisky, distilleries aren’t really inclined to let their really good stuff go to blends of any sort. So, in the grand scheme of things, there isn’t much great blended malt about.

There’s the Big Peat/Timourous Beastie series by Douglas Laing, most of which I’m not a massive fan of, and there’s the stuff put out by Compass Box and Wemyss, which I like a bit more. The most obvious BM is Johnnie Walker Green, which I do think is pretty great, and then there are a few other bits and pieces here and there.
Nothing, however, that really sits in ‘pinnacle of whisky’ territory.

Today’s pour was vatted (sod ‘blended’) in 2013 by Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison. Formerly of caskstrength.net, and latterly of Distilled, and of redefining the boundaries of whisky hipsterism.

It was the 4th in their A-Z series, and therefore a blend of three distilleries beginning with ‘D’. Indeed they took their dedication to D a step further and opted solely for distilleries owned by Diageo.

That ruled out Deanston (the best ‘D’, in my book) and ushered in Dalwhinnie, Dailuaine, and Dufftown. I have a few epithets beginning with ‘D’ for some of the whisky to come out of a couple of those distilleries, but let’s not get catty just yet.

Randomly, Ridley and Harrison ended the series at ‘D’. Perhaps they looked into the future and wondered what the hell they’d do for X. Perhaps they decided life was simply too short. In any event, this 3D blended malt was their swan song. Bottled at 56.4%, and yours for c.£50 if you can still find it. But would Aeneas MacDonald have approved?

Caskstrength and Carry On 3D blended malt – review

Colour: Straw.

On the nose: Pretty light on the intensity of aroma given that this is cask strength stuff. Hay,
grass, vanilla. A smatter of vanilla sponge cake after a little while. Flutters of fruit in pear and dried lemon form. If I’m being harsh it’s a smidge one-dimensional considering the name…

In the mouth: Oh dear me, no. Still the grassy hay character, and the apples and pears have
become more pronounced, but the booze is vicious and a great deal of bitterness – no, sourness – has crept in. Seems off-key and inharmonious; the potentially pleasant fruitiness distracted from and overwhelmed. That sourness leads into something combining the worm tub-induced boiled-cabbage sulphur of immature Dalwhinnie with the somewhat unclean, mechanical aspect of Dufftown. Makes you rather miss the nondescript nose.

Conclusions

The whole ‘3D’ thing struck me as a tad gimmicky, but I like the idea of blended malt, and – come to that – I like Distilled as well.

I don’t like this though.

Dalwhinnie is a distillery which needs time, and its component in this blend has not been given that. Dufftown is pretty grim fare at best, and its worst qualities seem to loom here, particularly on the finish. God knows what Dailuaine is bringing to the table; I’m not sure it’s given a chance to bring anything.

So this blended malt isn’t for me, I’m afraid. I guess, like Aeneas, I’ll just have to keep waiting. And hoping.

Score: 3/10

Thanks to Jordan for the sample. Sorry I’m not more of a fan!

Image kindly provided by Just Whisky

What were you doing on the 21st June 1982? It’s the point in time that this ceramic Bell’s Scotch whisky release celebrates with the birth of the Prince William of Wales. Chances are you looked dashing in highwayman fashion, gyrating to Adam and the Ants, or were more dressed down to pass the Dutchie on the left-hand side? Yes, I acknowledge those yet to join the fanfare of life in 1982 are reading this slightly confused.

Much like my recent Balblair 2006 hand-fill review, this whisky is a gateway to memories and recalibration. Whilst personally I cannot remember June 1982, I do possess some distant memories of primary school and dances to Eye of the Tiger, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, Happy Talk and Come on Eileen, which were all number 1 singles from this year. These are memories from Rosyth that have remained buried away for decades until the opening of this ceramic bottle.

It’s far too easy to look back with rose tinted glasses when debating how things once were. Whether its music, whisky or a multitude of other offerings it’s all a matter of opinion based upon recollection and hazy memories. More validity is offered by whisky as you can compare the blends of today with their counterparts. This is something I have tried before and hands down, blends prior to the 1990’s and the computerisation of Scotch are on the whole superior. A greater malt ratio certainly, but even the grain whisky was of better quality, lacking the industrial taint that we can taste nowadays. Let’s not forget the quality of the casks utilised either and I guess less standardisation and consistency as a whole; much like the record buying public of the time.

These Bell’s decanters are the curse of auctioneers across the breadth of the UK. Banned by some, there is still a market for these mass-produced oddities which were supposedly collected and hoarded by Royalists or those that like to purchase matching mugs, plates and bric-a-brac.

Now these custodians of whisky linger in masses waiting to pounce on unsuspecting auctioneers. Few claim a worthwhile price and the trick is they are often overlooked by the masses. Except those who know that some of these ghastly presented ceramics harbour a taste of the past and a good dram.

These vessels are not without their problems. Ceramics are prone to evaporation and a poor seal with the cork. By nature, they’re not conceived to remain unopened for prolonged periods of time. I’ve yet to open one that hasn’t required some additional work to extract the liquid from the flaky dry cork, but ultimately its worth it and the fact that these are selling for under £20 is an added bonus. This particular 1982 example is a 50cl release and was picked up for £12. After fees and scaling up to a 70cl size, this Bell’s cost just under £19 in total.

We should have a paragraph at least about the Bell’s brand that has been synonymous with Arthur Bell & Sons who were established in 1825. A huge presence in the UK market, in 1980 around a 3rd of its business went abroad including this decanter that was destined for Spain. The export market around this time was booming for Bells, having only offered revenues of £3 million during the mid-1970’s this had grown dramatically by the early 1980’s, reaching over £30 million. This family business ended in 1949 when it became a public company and remains a widely recognised brand to this day.

Sadly, I’m not much of a fan of the Bell’s you can purchase at your local supermarket for almost next to nothing nowadays. It’s more grain focused and I miss the quaint styling of the range that offered these decanters, the Extra Special, Pure Malt and the lovely Royal Reserve 20 year old. These are consigned to the history books but through whisky we can open and engage with such memories and lost examples. This broadens my knowledge, experience and appreciation of the past as well as the current.

We know that the nearby distilleries of Dufftown and Pittyvaich were the workhorses for the popular Bell’s range. Neither are high on my list of favourite distilleries, nor will they ever rise from the lower end of the scale. However, skilful blending and marriages of such whiskies can create a more harmonious whisky. Having overcome the dried out flaky cork, decanted and rested the contents in a new bottle, it was time to adorn the face paint and engage with 1982.

Bell’s Decanter Scotch whisky 1982 – review

Colour: a light syrup.

On the nose: buttery caramelised apples with some vanilla pod taking us into a gentle toffee. A touch of grain towards the end but this feels lively after 35+ years held captive in such an awful decanter. A hint of calamine lotion (aka Pittyvaich) and nutmeg towards the end. Water brings out meringues and a touch of mint leaf freshness.

In the mouth: a simple soul in reality but quite a leisurely stroll with more oily aspects, plenty of cereals – Blair Athol – and then the toffee. Water loosens things up with more cream coming forth, wood chips, milk chocolate and vanilla.

Conclusions

Sometimes you purchase these things and as you cannot see the contents or the fill level its down to guesswork partially. Upon opening this Bell’s, it had lost about 3cl yet was more than drinkable the longer you left it to open up. For an early evening dram its perfect or just as a discussion piece. This Bell’s doesn’t trouble with hidden depths or mysteries but retains a charismatic character.

Score: 5/10

Thanks to Just Whisky for the photograph

Well, it’s another day, another whisky brand. This one, however (and it’s not massively advertised) is from the James Eadie brand – and that is the drinkable facade of the absolutely non-drinkable WhiskyInvestDirect company.

Many moons ago we interviewed the folks behind WhiskyInvestDirect. If you ever want to invest in Scotch whisky, but don’t want to ever drink it, this cuts to the chase and allows people to put their money in casks of maturing spirit only to sell it down the line without it ever having been bottled. So although it shouldn’t be, it’s a bit of a surprise to me that the owners have put out actual whisky.

All it takes to sell whisky these days is a story. You don’t even have to make the stuff – one only needs to look across to Ireland to see how effective this has been in recent years. Create a brand, give it an interesting story, and you can practically sell anything.

This brand, however, can be forgiven in its genesis – because it actually has a legitimate story – and quite a nice one. Rupert Patrick of WhiskyInvestDirect had a great-great-grandfather – and this was Mr James Eadie. And James Eadie had a whisky brand called Trade Mark ‘X’. So, quite logically, Rupert wanted to resurrect the brand – and here we are. There’s some more storytelling on the website if you wish to read it. I don’t know anything too useful about what went into the whisky, although there are some interesting YouTube videos about putting the blend together.

Bottled at a decent 45.6% ABV, James Eadie’s Trade Mark “X” will set you back £45.

James Eadie’s Trade Mark “X” Blended Scotch – Review

Colour: yellow gold, quite pale in fact (more so than the images on the website).

On the nose: youthful or lacking in active maturation, but it’s still pleasant. Creamy buttermilk notes, soft cheese and digestive biscuits. Or perhaps Cream Crackers. Chocolatey and eventually quite spicy, with nutmeg and ginger. Citrus – and herbal, with notes of coriander. Slightly bready, with grapefruit, kiwis and pineapple.

In the mouth: plenty of fresh fruit, with apples, lime, mango showing. Creamy and malty again, with lemon curd, a black pepper warmth, a little bit of black tea and ashy peat. Cloves. Grassy, hoppy, with toffee fudge notes. There’s a lovely oily quality to this – the grain components showing heavily – but consequently, the finish is a little short on flavour, if long on those oils and pepperiness.

Conclusions

Pretty much a one-note whisky, and it’s pleasant enough, but I can’t help think this showcases some rather inactive maturation in the component whiskies – a problem with a lot of Scotch these days. That said, it’s been assembled very well indeed – it’s simply that what was here for them to start with wasn’t great. Certainly, to my tastes, the casks weren’t quite up to scratch – the whisky feels about £15 too much for what you can taste.

Adam recently (and wonderfully) argued on Malt that old Scotch blends were far better than new ones, for a variety of technical – and objective – reasons. This has done nothing to dissuade me of the fact.

Score: 5/10

Note: I probably don’t have to keep saying when samples were provided, but as you can see – and as we always say on Malt – we are an honest site, and samples don’t guarantee splendid things to be said about them. I’m sure some big sites are quite intimately connected with those in the industry and might be forced to say kind things – but you won’t find many favours around Malt, even to our friends. We even argue among ourselves offline. We’re quite a horrible lot, really.