A delightful desert whisky – Brenne Cuvée Spéciale 40%

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Carissa Hickling

We wanted to start our Tasting with something lighter, summery, sweetly satisfying… delightful desert dram influenced by maturation in a Cognac cask.

I shared with my fellow tasting companion Alison Parc‘s story – from ballet to booze, America to Europe (with an ex desi connect too). With her focus on terroir with barley, use of French Limosine Oak and ex Cognac casks, she’s pulled off a distinctively feminine style… I remembered how much the Whisky Ladies enjoyed the Brenne Estate Cask, which lead me to be confident this would be a terrific start to our tasting.

Brenne Cuvée Spéciale 40%

Nose – Initially greeted with apple blossoms, overripe bananas, a touch of cinnamon spice, then the banana became even more prominent – inviting us to indulge in banana cream pie… we kept returning to find shifting deserts and sweets… from bannoffee pie to a banana strawberry smoothie to candied fruit to lightly salted taffy popcorn, creme brûlée
Palate – So silky smooth, pure liquid desert in a glass, banana toffee, pineapple, milky Parsi toffees, french pastries… was that a hint of coconut? Light coco? Whatever the different elements, it is simply delicious!
Finish – Drying yet delightful… softly sweet tail…

We came back for a 2nd round with the last drops of our sample and delighted in the bubblegum… yes bubblegum! In this case, it is more than just a childhood flashback, it somehow manages to be playful and elegant at the same time. Frothy but not completely frivolous. Certainly not classically Scottish yet still very classy.

To be honest I’m not sure if the Cuvée Spéciale is simply a different branding in the UK for what was available as Estate Cask in the US. When we compared our experience with the Whisky Ladies in 2017, it could have been the same – just with much more banana in our tasting than found earlier. This could be due to Brenne’s approach to bottle from a single cask or be a ‘sister’ expression.

Our mini came as part of the Master of Malt 2019 Advent Calendar and was tasted one fine weekend in Dunkerton, Somerset. And while I can’t speak for its availability in all parts of the world, it seems to be relatively accessible in the UK, Europe and USA – in the range of GBP 55 or so.

The chaps at Master of Malt have this to say… and I’m inclined to agree:

Nose: Vanilla flowers arrive on the nose first, paired with pear drops and dried mango.
Palate: Brandied cherry and red rope liquorice. More vanilla, a hint of cinnamon spiciness and Nutella.
Finish: Chocolate raisins, pineapple and coconut ice.

A lovely start to a most civilized evening of exploring a few drams in Dunkerton.

What other French drams have made their way to our collective tasting adventures?

France

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European Trio – Brenne, Mackmyra Äppleblom + Vinterglöd plus Longmorn 10

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Carissa Hickling

We found ourselves in a late summer evening in Dunkerton, Somerset, relaxing in the sitting room with an abundance of minis from the 2019 Master of Malt Advent Calendar.

We were in a light, summery mood….

My eye spotted a trio of European whiskies – one I knew would be delightful desert dram influenced by maturation in a Cognac cask (Brenne), another I anticipated would be equally cheerful with a Calvados cask finish (Mackmyra Äppelblom) and the last was something of a departure with a combination of PX and Swedish Mulled Wine (Vinterglöd). That was to be it, but I was curious about the That Boutique-y Whisky Company Longmorn…. so a trio became a quartet! (sneaky Longmorn!)

What did we try?

Brenne Cuvée Spéciale French Single Malt Whisky 40% – A delightful dessert whisky!
Mackmyra Äppelblom 46.1% – An aptly named apple blossom of a dram
Mackmyra Vinterglöd 46.1% – Christmas ode with mulled wine…
Longmorn 10 year Batch 3, 48.3% (TBWC) – Contrasting character

This was part of a much larger set of minis – the 2019 Master of Malt Advent Calendar to be precise – chock full of whiskies from around the world. So stay tuned for even more mini sessions! While we didn’t manage to get through all 24, we did a respectable job trying 12 whiskies in three different sessions… this was the 1st evening with a most enjoyable kick off!

PS I don’t normally show either myself or tasting companion however this was truly such a memorable trip and I just have to say a huge thank you to our amazing hosts and friends!

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Paul John Tasting – Goa, Aug 2019

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Carissa Hickling

Another from the archives… the most fabulous weekend getaway to Goa with a couple of the Mumbai Whisky Ladies in August 2019. After a fascinating tour of Paul John distillery, we sat down for a tasting. Yes the standards were there but Michael had a few samples of some very special bottles also available for us to explore…. And wow! There definitely were a few we thoroughly enjoyed.

We had all the ‘usual suspects‘ which we’ve enjoyed before and the friendly Nirvana 40%.

Then we graduated to some special expressions…..

PX Cask Strength

Nose – Quite an intriguing aroma – subtle yet distinctive with cherries and berries – particularly lingonberry, a nice tartness too
Palate – Very smooth, follows through from the nose yet even sweeter
Finish – Clear PX stamp

Overall we found that every element is in harmony with this one.

Oloroso Cask Strength

Nose – Initially vegetale, reminding us of the ground beneath foliage, shitake mushrooms, that umami element, then coming up from behind came aromas of plums, dates. After the 1^stsip, the Oloroso sherry elements shone through more clearly – sweeter, plum pudding and vanilla icing
Palate – Started a bit bitter but quite interesting, oily, wood, dates, a kind of density and depth which was distinctive
Finish – Wow! Quite different from the palate, very long

With this one, we found it needed more time to open up. There was something almost ‘funky’ initially – like a hobbit whispering tall tales in your ear. However overall grew into a colourful character – a strong, bold, dynamic whisky.

XO Grape Brandy 48?%

Nose – Different from a traditional cognac… almost more like a spiced rum, lots going on, quite active, heady, apple cinnamon spice yet sophisticated
Palate – Intense
Water – Opens it up considerably, sweeter, fruitier and much smoother

Approx 9 years and expected to retail for approx. INR 12k. Great peacock packaging.

Mars Orbiter 57.8%

Like a mythical creature, this one came and went from global shelves in a blink of an eye! So too was our tasting, just a drop at the close of a remarkable Paul John session… we were left with the impressions of sweet aromas, a bright explosion on the palate, leaving tasty raisins and sweet spices in the finish.

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Glengoyne 12 year 43%

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Carissa Hickling

For a week, Glasgow was my ‘base’ of operation – with a couple days off to explore. We took a day trip to Edinburgh and another to Isle of Arran plus I popped over to Glengoyne one day. It was completely worth the trip – though a cool, stormy, wet day – I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘light touch’ tour – all within the limitations of being responsible in these COVID times.

Naturally the highlight was sampling whisky – in my case it began with a wee nip of the Glengoyne 12 year in Warehouse No 1 before I continued to my “Malt Master” experience.

So I followed the same approach with my tasting companion back in London. It had been well over a year since we had sat down to enjoy a mini together and was a perfect way to ease back into whisky tasting.

Glengoyne 12 year 43%

Nose – Started with a bit of varnish then quickly shifted into vanilla, sweet honey, over ripe fruits, custard… as it opened more there was a dusty powder, then banana cream pie, lots of caramel, all having a light touch, teasing and inviting rather than over powering
Palate – Light spice, dry wood, more of the fruit and baked goods.
Finish – Again light, closing simply on “yum”
Water – Didn’t even try… no need

What is interesting is my impression in Scotland was leaning more to the sherry side whereas sitting in London, I found much more influence of the ex bourbon cask.

Overall we were quite happy with our sample – a nice sipping dram – easy to sit back and enjoy. For my companion it helped dispel a less complimentary experience we had with the Glengoyne 21 years ago.

What do the folks at Glengoyne have to say?

Lemon zest, toffee apples – and a scent of coconut. Our signature sherry wood brings intensity and richness, while first fill bourbon casks add fresh notes of citrus and vanilla.