Last month, we had a remarkable experience “Speed Tasting” and rating five different drams in the space of just a few minutes, quickly assessing and determining a score based on nose, palate, finish, character and complexity.

With three down and just two to go… the clock was ticking!

What were my hasty impressions of Dram “D”?

Mystery malt aka “House blend”

• Nose – Tight berries, clear sherry stamp, then resin, mocha, and waves of peat, campfires
• Palate – Very accessible… perhaps a low alcohol strength? Yet high in flavours. Peat, sweet grass and more… again those rich berries, more chocolate
• Finish – Lovely, not over powering with a sweet peat that holds
• Character & Complexity – Delicious, great interplay between sherry and peat

For quite a few – including me – this was the highest rated dram of the evening.

What exactly was it?

It was Keshav Prakash’s own home blend… with leftover Glendronach 15 year and 4-5 Islay malts. A bold blend that somehow worked!

Photo: Keshav Prakash

What were the other whiskies “Speed Tasted“?

• A – Hyde Single Grain Burgandy Finish 46%
• B – Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye 45% – Jim Murray’s #1
• C – Pikesville 110 Proof Straight Rye 55% – Jim Murray’s #2
• E – Midleton Dair Ghaelach 58.7% – Jim Murray’s #3