Battle of the Blends – 18 years Timourous Beastie vs Rock Oyster

Posted on by
Reply

It was a quiet Sunday late afternoon before Mumbai’s Mahindra Blues Festival. My tasting companion and I were interested in just a light taste or two before we caught the evening’s entertainment.

I thought it would be fun to try side by side a couple of Douglas Laing blends – both 18 year years, both limited edition expressions.

My tasting companion was skeptical – he wasn’t so impressed with the NAS options. So what did we think of the 18 year olds?

Timorous Beastie 18 year Blended Malt 46.8%

  • Nose – Big! Lots of cereals with hay and barley. A sweet lemon curd, honey, settling into lemon pie with a hint of white pepper, vanilla, caramel biscuits
  • Palate – Spicy, yet balances out, red macintosh applies, which then shifts into strawberries and cream
  • Finish – A touch bitter
  • Water – Wonderful! brought out a Tutti Fruitti sweetness with a chocolaty close

The Timorous Beastie is a limited edition malt made with Highland whiskies with the youngest 18 years.

Next up, we shifted to the Islands….

Rock Oyster 18 year Blended Malt 46.8%

  • Nose – It began with a lovely lemon sherbert, joined by a saline, mineral, heavier undertones – like a heavy rye sourdough, then sweet capsicum, candied lemon rind, vanilla ice cream
  • Palate – Vegitative peat, miineralic, lovely mouthfeel
  • Finish – A proper finish, long and strong – like a Highland Park 18 year – sweet peat with subtle saline
  • Revisit – After some time, we revisited the whisky and found it had shifted into cotton candy with a lovely minerality, having both depth and character

Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster Island blended malt from the islands – Arran, Jura, Islay and Orkney.

These miniatures were shared by the fabulous Whisky Flu – his blog is a must-read for spirits – often going deep into the process of making malty (or other) magic!

Related blends from Douglas Laing previously sampled:

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Whisky Lady – January til March 2026

Posted on by
Reply

This quarter started with a sunny, warm New Year in India, then plunged into the frigid cold of a Winnipeg winter, some in-between in Germany, closing back in Mumbai’s palm trees and sea breeze!

Whisky-wise it was a mix of catching a couple of tasting sessions, a few miniature evenings, and even branching out into other spirits!

A new favourite bottler is The Heart Cut. Whilst we picked out a few interesting whiskies to try next year in a special session, we couldn’t wait and picked up a quartet of Pocket Pours!:

Our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai met each month consistently, and I was lucky to join twice!

The Bombay Malt & Cigar Club had three sessions:

PART 1: INTRO TO TEQUILA

PART 2: TOUR OF MEZCAL

PART 3: TAPATÍO TEQUILA DUO

Curious to know more? Check out more quarterly summaries:

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Gimmick or Gold? Gold Bar Whiskey 41%

Posted on by
Reply

After an enjoyable evening over T’s European Travels drams, another bottle was brought out. It was a conversation piece – given as a gift from a San Francisco friend.

While the gold bar bottle is hard to miss, what about this American whiskey? Distilled from three grains (88% corn, 9% rye, 3% barley), finished in former Napa Valley wine barrels. In our case – Cognac casks with toasted oak staves. In other words – with high liquid to wood contact to extract more intense flavours fast.

Gold Bar Whiskey Blend #273 41% (82 Proof) Bottle 151370 ~USD 50

  • Nose – Smells like Valentines Day – milk chocolate and roses
  • Palate – Like the kind of waxy artificial chocolate one gets in the US
  • Finish – Nothing much

It was largely dismissed, however, after a sip or two, quiet mummerings of “not bad” could be heard.

Their official tasting notes describe it as;

Gentle body with notes of honey, fruit and subtle spice. Highly versatile and a true crowd-pleaser, delicious served neat or in cocktails.

Gimmick or not, it is always fun to try something novel.

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

That Boutique-y Whisky Co – Mixed Malts (Part 2)

Posted on by
Reply

Our Bombay Malt & Cigar evening began with a pair of Lowland grains from North British and Strathclyde. However, we were keen to dive into a mix of malts:

  • Whitlaw 15 Year Batch #1 49.7% (possibly Highland Park) ~£83
  • Glendullan 16 Year Batch #3 48.8% ~£83
  • Speyside #4 24 Year Batch #1 47.8% ~£80
  • Tomatin 36 Year Batch #5 46.8% ~£252

Our tasting went from Islands to Highlands to Speyside too – a nice mix of malts in wee packages!

There are industry “open secrets” – like Whitlaw is code for Highland Park.

Whitlaw 15 year Batch #1 49.7% 979 bottles

  • Nose – It began quite yheasty – almost into the baby puke territory! Then some sweet spices, a hint of iodine, light salene, sea breeze, old citrus wood polish, fresh peeled mosambi (sweet lime), a hint of nuts and baked fruit pie
  • Palate – Well-rounded with a lovely interplay between sweet spices of cinnamon and cardamom with smoke, then honey, contrasting with Brittany’s salted butter
  • Finish – Peppery, sweet, long-lasting peat – frankly, it was incredibly long and lingering!

There was an island seaside quality to this dram that mixed and mingled with dessert. The peat was barely discernible on the nose (aside from the iodine), more like a smoke accent on the palate, then clearly came through in the finish.

Overall, we found this was quite a respectable dram.

Next up was Glendullan – a Speyside brand better known as The Singleton in North America. The distillery style is often described as “fresh” or grassy with a lighter, crisp profile. What did we find?

Glendullan 16 Year Batch #3 48.8% 469 bottles

  • Nose – Loads of fermented fruits, caramel, vanilla, a herbal hint too?
  • Palate – Sugar syrup, dates, a little bit of sweet spices too
  • Finish – Star anise

Whilst not unpleasant, there was nothing that really stood out here. One could call it delicate or nuanced, yet with the overall line-up, it paled in comparison.

From one Speyside to another, we geared up for the next in our malty quartet. For most, this was the “hit” of the evening that totally rewarded! Why?

Speyside #4 24 Year Batch #1 47.8% 3,549 bottles

  • Nose – Well, hello sherry! We were plunged into an old forest, aged wood, sweet persimmon, candy floss, and custard apples, roasted almonds, pureed fruit compote and cream
  • Palate – Wonderful! Spice and wood, brilliant balance, wonderful mouthfeel – a pleasure just rolling it around!
  • Finish – Long and thick

Don’t get me wrong – I like a good ex-bourbon cask. However, there is just something about a classic sherry that gets us. And to have it be both beautiful and a proper, mature dram? We were enchanted!

What do the chats at TBWC have to say?

  • N: Honeyed oak and baking spices. Lots of cereal notes with fresh juicy apple and a subtle caramel aroma.
  • P: The apple really comes through on the palate, followed by warming spices, honeysuckle, a nutty oiliness and more of those cereal notes.

Now, if only we had sampled this back when the bottle was available. At ~£80 it was a brilliant buy!

From Speyside, we moved to the Highlands with the oldest expression of the evening – a venerable 36 years from Tomatin distillery.

Tomatin 36 Year Batch #5 46.8% 878 bottles

  • Nose – Heady – almost headache-inducing – then drops quickly into something much more accessible. Caramel, mystery fruits (more on the tropical side than citrus or orchard), floral, with a funk behind it all
  • Palate – Huge hit of sweet, spice beneath the sweet, resinous, more fruit, firm influence of long oak aging
  • Finish – Spicier than anticipated at first – cinnamon, star anise soaked in sugar, long yet light

Overall, it was a brilliant progression – from aged grains to a mix of malts. My one change would be to begin with the Glendullan, then progress to the Tomatin, Whitlaw, and close with the Speyside.

And if you just haven’t had enough Whisky calendar mini experiences? Explore with us!

You can find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:

That Boutique-y Whisky Co – Aged Grains (Part 1)

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes all you need is a little bit!

A year or so ago, not one but two That Boutique-y Whisky Company Advent Calendars were purchased – for the express purpose of evenings when there are only 3-4 of us tasting. Rather than opening a full 700 ml bottle, our merry Bombay Malt & Cigar lads would turn to these minis!

I missed most of these evenings – some were apparently fabulous, one a bit “meh”, yet overall I’m a huge fan of exploring through such small 30 ml samples!

We began with a pair of grains:

  1. North British 30 Year Batch #6 50.1% ~GBP 70

  2. Strathclyde 31 Year Batch #4 45% ~GBP 70

Then moved on to a mix of malts (in Part 2):

Let’s start with the grains, shall we?

We began our grain journey in the Lowlands – more specifically, Edinburgh’s North British distillery.

North British 30 Year Batch #6 50.1%

  • Nose – Very floral – think white flowers mixed with gulabi (rose). Then warmed into a buttery, flaky pastry, joined by marzipan, with a hint of citrus too!
  • Palate – Caramel or toffee, a decent mouthfeel, mostly sugar water, yet with a hint of something slightly bitter with a kick
  • Finish – Sweet
  • Water – Helps

Yowza! Going from 0% to 50+% alcohol was a shock – a reminder that starting with a calibration dram really makes a difference! This is why adding water to this grain helped improve our experience.

As the minis were from last year’s calendar, the expressions are no longer available on TBWC website, so sharing here what the chaps at Master of Malt had to say

  • Nose – Banana foam sweets, tablet fudge and dried fruit, with Christmas cake spice and a hint of lime peel.
  • Palate – Creamy vanilla, yellow fruit and cinnamon, with touches of horseradish underneath.
  • Finish – Orange chocolate and a hint of nutmeg.

Whilst we didn’t find everything the chaps did, the horseradish was not a bad way to describe the bitter kick peaking underneath the sweet!

We then moved on to the next Lowlands grain with Strathclyde – considered Glasgow’s most successful grain distillery and the backbone of Ballantine’s.

Strathclyde 31 Year Batch 4 45% 

  • Nose – Much more vegetative than the North British, fresh green grass and moist moss, sweet, hard, fruity candies
  • Palate – A lovely citrusy sweetness – reminiscent of lemon drop candies, a light honey drizzle, some gentle cereals
  • Finish – Quite nice, closing with a hint of bitterness and pepper
  • Revisit – Softly sweet, interesting, and overall quite lovely

This would be the kind of grain one shouldn’t dismiss – give it some time in the glass, some careful contemplation, and it will gently reward. Of the two grains, the Strathclyde was for us the clear winner!

Again, let’s see what the chaps at Master of Malt have to say 

  • Nose – Initially super light and tropical, with lots of pineapple and banana, a hint of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey develops with a flint-y mineral backdrop.
  • Palate – Somewhat oily, with more floral honey, cereal notes, drying oak spice and hints of candied citrus peel alongside vanilla pod.
  • Finish – A creamy finish of banana milkshake, with lingering notes of white pepper spice and butterscotch sweetness.

Curious about other Strathclyde experiences?

Up next in our That Boutque-y Whisky Company Advent Calendar:

  • Whitlaw 15 Year Batch #1 49.7%
  • Glendullan 16 Year Batch #3 48.8%
  • Speyside #4 24 Year Batch #1 47.8% 
  • Tomatin 36 Year Batch #5 46.8%

As for other calendar mini experiences? Just check out:

You can find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:

Whisky Ladies T’s Travels: Bruges, Sexton, Heiligen Berg Feld

Posted on by
Reply

Our first Whisky Ladies session of 2026 was a brilliant example of why this tasting group first came together, and why it has lasted more than ten years! Our hostess curated an evening of carefully selected bottles from her European travels. Each bottle had a story, and none had been previously tried by any of us. In short, T’s Travels was a total treat!

We were introduced to the following:

  • The Bruges Distillery 5 year Bourbon 40% 50 cl bottle 074/134 Bought in Bruges Belgium
  • Sexton 11 year 43% Bought in Amsterdam
  • Heiligen Berg Feld 3 year Black Pearl Edition Ex-Islay/Rum Cask 60.1% Bottle 379 of 599, Bought in Germany

First up was a whisky from Brugse Whisky Company. Our hostess shared how Bruges is her favourite place in Belgium, from a small distillery that grew from a personal passion to a whisky bar to brewing. You won’t find a plethora of tasting notes as each batch is small – in our case, there were only 134 50cl bottles produced! So what did we think?

The Bruges Distillery 5 year Bourbon 40%

  • Nose – It began quite fruity, “yellow” in flavours from yellow plums to caramelized bananas. The fruits were joined by vanilla and honey, with some floral elements. Overall, it was both youthful and exuberant. As it continued to open, there was a hint of nuts – like raw soaked almonds, a touch of mosambi, and orange blossoms
  • Palate – Green peppercorns, wet wood, fresh bay leaf – a contrast to the summery aromas
  • Finish – Warming, slightly bitter, cinnamon bark, short
  • Revisit – Worth waiting and coming back! The nose evolved into a creamy, fruity teasing dessert, a banana split!

We found the nose more pronounced and interesting than the palate at first. There was something delicate about it initially, a pleasant whisky. Yet, as we returned, for many it went from being underwhelming to the favourite of the evening!

Our fabulous host shared that she picked up this Irish whisky in Amsterdam. I’ll admit it was my first time trying this whisky – with its dark amber colour – we were expecting something rich and powerful. What did we find?

Sexton 11 year ex-Oloroso 43%

  • Nose – Clear influence of the ex-Oloroso sherry cask! Sweet manuka honey, pear, muscat, figs, custard, creme brule, young pink peppercorns. The more time in the glass, the sweeter the aromas became.
  • Palate – Dusty at first, then dried plums, burnt oak, charred pineapple, iodine, and decidedly medicinal tinge
  • Finish – Sits there – medium length, some apricot, almond, dry

We debated if this would pair well with an aged cheddar – nope! However, those who sampled it with ham pronounced it a fitting match.

Whilst this whisky didn’t shine, there was nothing “off” about it either. A decent dram – potentially a solid base for a nice cocktail.

Years of living in Bavaria, yet I didn’t manage to get to many whisky distilleries peppering the region, including this one – the holy mountain field – just south west of München. Founded in 2018, they are deliberately small saying:

“This is a whisky distillery, not a whisky factory”

What did we find?

Heiligen Berg Feld 3 year Black Pearl Edition Ex-Islay/Rum Cask 60.1% Bottle 379 of 599,

  • Nose – Mild… applies, joined by the echo of a fine leather shoe, cherry, starts sweet, and shifts into bacon, peat smoke
  • Palate – Wow! Dark cherry fruit flambe, rum raisins, ashy, bay leaf, prunes, green citrus berries
  • Finish – Licorice, tobacco
  • Water – Sugar water with mirchi (peppers)!

We thought perhaps this whisky might pair well with a cigar and gajar halwa!

What an interesting trio and tribute to T’s European travels! None of us would ordinarily have a chance to try – if it wasn’t for our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai tasting group – thank you!

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

2025 Whisky Show – Decadent Drinks Day 1 + 2

Posted on by
Reply

You can’t do a brief zip through Decadent Drinks. We’ve probably spent more time collectively at this stall over the last two years than any other. Our 2025 London Whisky Show experience was no exception.

Bright and early Saturday morning, we went straight from waiting in line to upstairs and the Decadent Drinks stall. Our quest? A morning dram to prime the pumps before indulging in a Dream Dram. Our choice? A rather worthy Machnomore from their Equinox & Solstice line.

Mannochmore 15 year (2009 / Autumn 2025) 48.5% (Decadent Drinks – Equinox & Solstice)

  • Nose – A joyful sunshine greeted us on the nose! Fruity and flirty, warm and waxy
  • Palate – A bit spicy yet equally dangerously drinkable – simply delicious! No extra hype, just a beautiful, well-balanced dram that welcomes you – any time of day!
  • Finish – Sweet and sinful

For the 1st dram of the day at approximately 11:30am, this absolutely hit the spot! It would be perfect for late summer as the evenings begin to chill or fall – as intended. Either way, we were delighted with our first choice of the 2025 event.

Here’s what they have to say about it!

This year’s Autumn edition of Equinox & Solstice is a small batch, 15 year old Mannochmore created from marrying together two refill hogsheads and bottling with slight reduction at this serie’s trademark bottling strength of 48.5%. It’s a waxy, fruity, warming and luscious dram. Perfect cosy accompaniment for Autumn.

We then returned to explore their non-dream dram expressions with :

Just check out the separate post on them!

Were we done? Nope! We were back the next day for our Dream Drams – a double header pitting Glen Grants from our birth years – a 25 year old exclusive for the USA from 1961 and a 39 year old from 1969. Spoiler alert – the earlier yet younger expression won hands down!

Angus and team are doing a stellar job. They are committed to bringing quality drams to our palates.

“I’m bored of complexity. I just chose what I like!”

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Glen Grant Arboralis in Mumbai

Posted on by
Reply

It was a bit of a dichotomy:  A whisky being launched in India to attract a younger crowd was the focus of an evening entertaining folks in their 50s and 60s! And yet, it was a lovely setting at Mumbai’s Breech Candy Club – even if its Arabian Sea view is now interrupted by highways and highrises.

The young lass introducing the whisky was clearly more familiar with Campari than single malt whisky, however, she made a valiant effort. Meghna explained that Arboralis was aged a minimum of 5-6 years, created to be youthful and accessible. What wasn’t said, yet was clearly key, is affordability, with a 750 ml bottle retailing for Rs 3,750 in Mumbai. (For those scratching their heads about the amount – currently this is Eur 35 / USD 40.)

What did we think?

Glen Grant Arboralis 40%

  • Nose: Fresh, fruity, floral, vanilla, light nuttiness, effervescent yet sweet
  • Palate: Young, lots of pepper, bitter leaves – tobacco?
  • Finish: Black pepper

Overall, we found it rather straightforward and inoffensive. Whilst the greeting is friendly with a fruity flavour, there isn’t much on the palate, and the finish dashes off.

To be honest, it was a bit disappointing. I wondered how it compares with the even more affordable Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve 40%?

What more do we know? Glen Grant Arboralis is aged in ex-Bourbon and Spanish Sherry oak casks. With their official tasting notes sharing:

  • Colour: Bright Gold
  • Aroma: Floral and fruity, dried raisins, honeysuckle, lemon citrus
  • Taste: Oak, butterscotch, dried fruits, and light spice
  • Finish: Long with malty vanilla, pear, and hints of citrus

Whilst we didn’t fundamentally disagree with their tasting notes, we certainly didn’t find the finish long. And it certainly didn’t linger long enough to discern pear and citrus!

In fairness, we were not the target audience. Amongst us was a former Brand Ambassador for venerable Scottish whisky brands, connaisseurs, and collectors. Our silver hair was out of synch with the desired market.

And yet, we couldn’t complain about the company, the nibbles, the cigars, the pleasure of being outdoors for a pleasant evening in Mumbai!

Let’s face it. We are spoiled. At London’s 2025 Whisky Show, we were treated to such a remarkable range of whiskies that this experience fell short. Rather than grouch, I’ll leave you instead with a cheeky teaser of what could have been a fabulous evening!

Check out the Glen Grant Whisky Flight – Part 1

Which was followed by more mature expressions in the Glen Grant Whisky Flight – Part 2

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

The Heart Cut #18 – Thomson Manuka Smoke 50.8%

Posted on by
Reply
A KIWI BONFIRE ON THE BEACH, IN A BOTTLE.

Sometimes a description draws you in… and this was clearly the case here. I’ll admit, I’m a bit partial to Thomson whisky. Rachael and Matthew Thomson have created a distinctly New Zealand set of expressions well worth exploring. To find out more, check out what the folks at The Heart Cut have to say about Thomson Distillery HERE.

What makes their “peat” so unique is their use of New Zealand manuka smoke – distinctly different from Scottish peat, yet satisfies a true peaty craving.

The Heart Cut #18 – Thomson 5 year (07 Aug 2019 – 25 Mar 2025) Ex-Bourbon 50.8% 270 50 cl Bottles

  • Nose – Mmmmmmm bacon, charred pineapple, a lovely peat-like sweet, a medicinal whiff, then a wonderful aromatic hickory smoke, followed by chocolate raisins, something a bit herbal with a hint of floral
  • Palate – A great interplay between sweet baked fruits and smoke – in perfect balance! Juicy, chewy, smooth, and well-balanced, resinous, with sweet spices of cinnamon and cloves, joined by some sauna salt
  • Finish – Long-lasting with that lovely hickory-like element

There was real substance here. A unique character that drew us back.

When I revisited it with another friend, it was even more of a hit. We really liked it – with a nice complexity, just a little bit different with each sip.

Alas, our pocket pour was gone too soon… we could have continued to sip and enjoy.

How did our experience compare with The Heart Cut couple? They shared it tastes like:

Thick, aromatic smoke rises first – charred wood, pine resin, and a balsamic note that drifts towards mesquite and sweet birch. Beneath, the fruit opens: pineapple chews, sherbet lemons, and a twist of citrus. On the palate, smoke rolls again, joined by barley sugar and a juicy hit of nectarine and overripe peach. The finish is long, layered, and balanced – sweetness entwined with lingering manuka wood smoke.

Key Takeouts: Charred Wood, Pineapple Chews, Sherbet Lemons, Barley Sugar, Nectarines

The folks at The Heart Cut shared that this whisky made the cut because

This is smoky whisky – but not as you know it. Instead of Scottish peat, Thomson uses native manuka wood (yes, the same tree better known for its honey) to smoke their malt, creating a flavour absolutely unique to New Zealand and a technique that Mat Thomson himself created! The result is oily, herbal, peppery, and deeply resinous, with layers of smoke that linger on. Just as smoke became one of Scotland’s hallmarks, manuka has become one of New Zealand’s – captured here in a single cask, giving us only 270 bottles. Ever.

We would agree on all counts! This is a special dram worth catching if you can!

Curious about the other Pocket Pours we sampled?

What about other explorations of Thomson whiskies?

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

The Heart Cut #15 – Starward French Oak 54%

Posted on by
Reply

Our exploration of The Heart Cut wee “pcket pours” continues! From their Barley British blend to a Pomegranate wine cask M&H, we turned our attentions to Australia with Starward.

No stranger to Starward, I had high hopes for a dynamic, red wine-influenced dram. We thoroughly enjoyed their Heart Cut #14, which featured American Oak: Starward (18 Jun 2019 / 29 Aug 2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – American Oak 55%

So, we had high expectations of their French Oak focused expression, described by The Heart Cut as:

OUR SECOND STARWARD CASK – THIS TIME SHOWCASING THE MAGIC OF FRENCH OAK.

Elegant and expressive, this whisky is a study in harmony between wood, wine, and whisky making. A red wine cask that delivers depth, spice, and florals in equal measure – it’s juicy, structured, and just plain delicious.

We’ve always been fascinated by the influence of oak – and this cask is a perfect example of what French oak can bring to the table. Where American oak gives lift and sweetness, French oak adds grip, spice, and structure. Paired with a fresh red wine fill, this cask delivers a beautifully layered whisky: floral and elegant up front, rich and indulgent through the middle, with a finish full of warmth and finesse. It’s Starward doing what they do best – taking what’s local, and turning it into something world-class.

On to our experience!

The Heart Cut #15 – Starward (27/08/2018 – 15/10/2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – French Oak 54% 312 bottles 50cl

  • Nose – Surprisingly shy at first, then a sweet spice – more specifically, Sri Lankan cinnamon stick, or for others Big Red cinnamon chewing gum, also some red licorice, cherry. It needed some time to open before revealing a sweet almond paste
  • Palate – Lovely. All the flavours come through – fruity, chocolate ginger, creme brule, almond cake
  • Finish – Big flavourful finish with cloves, though not as long as the M&H

Did we enjoy it? Certainly. Then came the temptation to add a bit of water… transformative!

  • Nose – Yes the cinnamon remained yet was joined by a delightful, gentle floral sweetness – think of fragrant cherry blossoms
  • Palate – Richer, deeper with more of the burnt toffee pudding, more candied ginger, then it became a vanilla custard cream, joined by bursts of red berries… with a light dusting of chocolate
  • Finish -Long-lasting finish – juicy and berry fruity!

Marvelous! It was like two related drams in one. We thoroughly enjoyed this expression. Even after it was set aside for some time, it retained its juicy, rewarding character. Delicious!

What more do we know? Georgie and Fabrizio shared more about the casks and its aging:

FRESH RED WINE CASKS

Starward works with casks sourced just hours away from the distillery in the Barossa Valley. Unlike most red wine casks used in whisky (which are dried before transport), these are used fresh, preserving all that juicy, rich character from the wine.

FRENCH OAK

This cask is made from French oak (where #14 was American oak), bringing spicy, grippy tannins and a deeper, more structured complexity. French oak has a tighter grain, and is used for lighter styles of wine by the previous winemakers, so the whisky takes a little longer to mature – but when it hits its stride – like this cask – it’s phenomenal.

We were clearly on a roll with The Heart Cut’s Pocket Pours:

Curious about our other experiences with Starward whiskies? Just check out a few here:

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on: