Category Archives: Scotland

Whisky Ladies like variety! Akashi, Spirit of Hven + Linkwood

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Variety is the spice of life! And why not with whiskies too?

This Whisky Ladies session with a few ladies gallivanting around the globe, those remaining in Mumbai decided to merrily abandon the idea of a co-ordinated theme.

Instead we decided to mix up whiskies from three different countries and styles.

Whisky Ladies, Sept 2016

Whisky Ladies, Sept 2016

The Linkwood was a gift from our Bombay Malt & Cigar session, so I had sampled it earlier, however for everyone else joining, it was a 1st for them! Pronounced a rather lovely drinking dram, it kicked off our evening’s tasting session.

The Akashi is one of the few whiskies blended in Japan available at Mumbai duty free. The Akashi is an example of a ‘ji-whisky’ and has an apple cider quality. It works well as a ‘starter’ whisky for those who like something simple, smooth and unchallenging… and was meant to be our ‘appetizer’ except our poor Whisky Lady got stuck in nearly 2 hours of traffic to reach! (that’s dedication!)

The Spirit of Hven was acquired by a new whisky lady on her recent trip to Sweden. Much bolder with fabulous packaging, the Tycho’s Star swaggered into our senses and was much enjoyed. The irony was our Swedish whisky lady happened to be… well… in Sweden so missed the session however this was clearly one she would enjoy!

PS With desert, we decided to share a few drops of the Blair Athol 27 year with it full cask sherry burst – yum!

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

TWE Covent Garden Reserve Edition No 2 – Islay

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After the excellent start with the The Whisky Exchange’s Covent Garden Reserve collection Edition No 1 – Speyside, our miniature exploration turned to the next edition – Islay.

TWE Islay

Edition No 2 – Islay, NAS, Hogshead Cask, Bottle No 288, 55.2%

  • Nose – Clear stamp of Islay character – smoke, dry bark, a tinge bitter, leather, bogs, bitter, sweet smoke, over rite fruit, moss, some cereals, liquorice, cracked black pepper
  • Palate – For such a promising nose, the palate was not so complex, still in character with the nose but in a sharp way, almost harsh and young… however when later revisited seemed like it had settled into its own and much more in harmony with the nose and finish
  • Finish – Sweet long finish with a bitter edge… nice and ‘big’
  • Water – Lost a lot on the nose, became almost too sweet – like cinnamon candy

After a a wonderful range of aromas, bit disappointing palate initially, the finish completely redeemed itself. After airing for some time, all three elements started to play much better together.

Above all – there was absolutely no doubt this was an Islay whisky! If you were randomly asked to pluck something off the shelf that meets the stereotype of a what one associates with the ‘Islay region’ – this would be perfect.

Wanting to know more, I wrote to the gentlemen over at the Whisky Exchange.

Most amusingly, they came back with a teasing clue…

a distillery from the town of Port Askaig

What’s your guess?

The other miniatures sampled in August:

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

TWE Covent Garden Reserve Edition No 1 – Speyside

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Next up in our miniatures session was the 1st of The Whisky Exchange‘s Covent Garden Reserve collection…

TWE Edition No 1 Speyside

Edition No 1 – Speyside 10 year, Sherry Butt, Bottle No 240, 51.6%

  • Nose – Lemon zest, wood, malty, complex with a dry spice like allspice and clove, sharp and then kept changing.. crisp pear, fresh tart apple then morphed into stewed fruits, almost wine-like quality, then musty compost, sweet toffee salt
  • Palate – Initially hits the upper palate, very robust, chewy sweet, spice, toffee pudding
  • Finish – Medium dry, sweet cloves… a big finish
  • Water – Brought out a tasty sourness and peppers, with a spice kick, liquorice,

What a treat!! It has been some time since we enjoyed such wonderful shifts in aromas, it has a ‘kick back’ but in a beautifully well-rounded way.

We gave it time and found with the revisit the sherry dimension was even more pronounced full of ripe plums, prunes, dates, mince pie. Delicious!

Wanting to know more, I wrote to the gentlemen over at the Whisky Exchange.

Most amusingly, they came back with a teasing clue…

a famous speyside distillery in Ballindalloch that does everything in sherry casks….

Pretty obvious which distillery…

Other miniatures sampled recently include:

*Tasting notes coming soon!

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

MacPhail’s Orkney 8 Year 43% (Highland Park)

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Next up in our miniatures tasting session was a Highland Park…

The MacPhail’s Collection is a small range of single malt whiskies bottled by Gordon & MacPhail.

The focus of this collection is the quest for younger, quality drams at affordable prices. You won’t find a rich mature complex aged marvel here, instead a younger, better than decent dram for a reasonable cost.

Macphail's Orkney 8 year

MacPhail’s Orkney 8 year 43% (Highland Park)

  • Nose – Banana, apricot, lemon zest, butter toast with sugar sprinkles, woodsy, vanilla, citrus soft, wet cloth with a bit of brine
  • Palate – Peat, malty cereal, a little pepper spice, smooth
  • Finish – Enjoyable finish, like a puff of smoke then dry, bitter ending sweet

Overall a drinkable dram… much more so than the Highland Park 1998. Light balance between sweet and smoke, coming together so smoothly.

Here are the official tasting notes:

  • Nose: Soft fruits – peaches/mangos, heather/earthy notes and a touch of saltiness.
    With Water: Fruity (green apples), subtle sherry influence and touch of floral.
  • Palate: Rich, mulled fruits with a touch of smokiness.
    With Water: Sherry wood with smoky notes (charred oak). A vanilla sweetness emerges
  • Finish: Long with a delicate sweetness.

Check out what other’s have to say too:

Other miniatures sampled recently include:

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

Tomatin Legacy 43%

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First up in our August miniatures exploration was a no age statement whisky from Tomatin.

The Tomatin Legacy expression is dedicated to the legacy of the distillery’s relationship with its community, as the village became a town when accommodating the workers required to build the distillery… and remains today.

Tomatin Legacy

Tomatin Legacy 43%

  • Nose – Quite a kick with bit of varnish, bananas, sweetness creeping into dry wood, light peat? some resin, sweet sour overripe fruit, a vegetal element
  • Palate – While bold it also is curiously ‘thin’, bitter sour khata then caramel sweet
  • Finish – Initial burn then just sits there with subtle dry ash, bitter

Overall left impression of sticky toffee pudding.

We then compared the Legacy with a sample of Tomatin 12 year.

Here’s what the folks over at Tomatin have to say:

Time in Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks brings a light sweetness to The Tomatin Legacy, which boasts aromas of vanilla, marshmallow, pineapple and lemon. On the palate gentle flavours of candy, pine, lemon sherbet, apples and sponge cake emerge ahead of a light, clean finish. 

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2015 – 94.5/100

BTW… if you are in the US, just substitute “Dualchas” for “Tomatin”

Here’s what others have to say:

Other miniatures sampled recently include:

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

August Miniatures – TWE Speyside + Islay, MacPhail’s Orkney, Tomatin Legacy

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A fellow whisky adventurer based in Mumbai regularly traverses the globe and has taken to picking up miniature tasting treats.

More importantly, he ever so kindly has invited me to partake…

We began in July with a Tomintoul Trilogy…

August Minis

And continued in August with a duo from The Whisky Exchange‘s Covent Garden Reserve collection:

Plus another two:

With the balance reserved for another session…

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

Whisky Ladies of Mumbai turn “One”

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One year ago, a chance conversation about whisky lead to a fabulous evening… Each month since, a remarkable group of women have met in Mumbai to explore whiskies combined with witty conversations.

Whisky Ladies 1st Anniversary

Together we’ve had 12 fabulous sessions:

  1. Whisky Ladies Welcome – Compass Box Asyla, Kilchoman Coull Point, Nikka ‘Yochi’ 10 yr, Caol Ila 12 yr, Ledaig 1997
  2. With Karen Walker – Caorunn gin, Balblair 03, Old Pulteney 12 yr, Speyburn 10 yr, AnCnoc 12 + 22 yr
  3. Cask Strength Diwali – Glenfarclas 105, Chichibu 2009, A’bunadh #35
  4. World Tour – Forty Creek Confederation Oak, Nikka Blended, Oban 14 yr, Sheringham William’s White Double Distilled Grain
  5. Go Goan! Paul John Brilliance, Edited, Bold, Classic & Peated
  6. Go American! JD, Hudson Single Malt, Jim Bean, Knobs Creek 9 yr (with Shatbhi Basu)
  7. Sweetly smokey – Dalmore 15 yr, Mackmyra Svensk Rök, Smokehead Rock
  8. Chocolate with Hibiki Harmony, Lagavulin 16 yr, A’bunadh #46
  9. Far East – Kavalan Concertmaster + Solist, Nikka Coffey Grain, Chinese baijiu
  10. “I like the label” – Compass Box Great King Street – Artist’s Blend, Starward, Smoky Goat
  11. European Tour – Teerenpeli (Finland), Danica (Denmark), Kornog (France), Slyrs (Germany)
  12. 5 Region Tour – Glenkinchie 12 yr, Jura Turas-Mara, Clynelish 14 yr, Cardhu 12 yr, Ardbeg 10 yr

Whisky Ladies in Mumbai

And the whiskies for our 1st anniversary celebration? Count them… yup that’s 13 whiskies from left to right…

  1. Amrut Single Malt
  2. Amrut Fusion
  3. Paul John Edited 46%
  4. Paul John Peated 55.5%
  5. Cragganmore 12 year 40%
  6. Smoky Goat 40%
  7. Highland Park 1998 40%
  8. Aberfeldy 12 year 40%
  9. Monkey Shoulder 40%
  10. Dalmore 15 year 40%
  11. Glen Grant 10 year 40%
  12. Caol Ila 12 year 43%
  13. Ardbeg 10 year 46%

Along with a bottle, our potluck approach to nibbles resulted in a fabulous spread.

Whisky Ladies Spread

Here’s to wonderful women that make up this Mumbai malty tribe! May we continue to enjoy many more sessions together!

In celebration, we now have a special Whisky Ladies Corner sharing:

  • Blog posts from our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai (other than mine!)
  • Recognition of evenings we’ve enjoyed courtesy of a few kind benefactors
  • Other nights with whiskies we sourced with different themes
  • Related women centric whisky posts

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Affordable Adults – Blair Athol 27 year 55.7%

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Last in our ‘no brainers’ set of affordable adult whiskies was a Blair Athol.

Now for some, spending $160 for a whisky is not actually affordable. However when you consider it was matured for 27 years and bottled at cask strength… well… in some folks books this remains in the realm of ‘reasonable’.

From the Highlands, Blair Athol  is by far the boldest of the bunch sampled, known for nutty, sherry and spicy whiskies.

What did we find?

Blair Athol 27 Year

Blair Athol 27 year (1988/2016) 55.7%

Distilled 14 Oct 1988, bottled on 16 May 2016, matured in refilled sherry butt Cask No 6845, outrun 565 bottles from Signatory’s Cask Strength series.

Here is what we found:

  • Nose – Bold sherry elements – raisons, plums, rum toffee sweetness, musty old world oak, hint of mint
  • Palate – Heavy and full bodied, chocolate nuts & raisins bar, candied citrus orange peel, christmas plum pudding, let it settle and a more vegetal quality emerges from beneath all the sherry berry elements
  • Finish – Long and very dry with sweet spices
  • Water – A dash brought out a cinnamon spice

This is a robust whisky, no mistaking the clear sherry stamp. If such a style appeals to you, then this is indeed a solid example. For one member, sweet sherry whiskies is right up his ally. For another, he prefers less obvious drams, where there is a more subtle balance between the elements.

Here is what The Whisky Exchange folks share:

A 27-year-old whisky from Blair Athol, matured in a refill sherry butt, specially selected by The Whisky Exchange and bottled exclusively for us. It’s a rich and obviously sherried dram, with balanced fruit and spice.

Dense and dark and an exemplary Blair Athol –  Dave Broom, Scotchwhisky.com
  • Blair Athol 27 close-upNose: Sharp aromatics leap out of the glass immediately after pouring – green leaves, freshly cut grass, and sweet and sappy oak – but they quickly burn off to reveal more sweetness underneath. Toffee and butter shortbread are joined by lemon drizzle cake, mixed fruit jam, apple sauce and thickly buttered fruit loaf slathered with lemon curd.
  • Palate: Intense sweetness fades to reveal savoury notes – oatcakes and dry toast. Sweetness builds again, with toffee and spiced apple purée becoming almost overpowering, before revealing a core of sweet green leaves, caramel and citrus peel. The intensity softens, leaving floral and soft leafy notes.
  • Finish: Sharp spice fades to honey and green leafiness.
  • Comment: Intense but worth the ride – layers of sweet and savoury, focusing on the cask character.
Thanks Duncan at The Whisky Exchange for the recommendation!
Others in our ‘Affordable Adults‘ evening included:

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

Affordable Adults – Linkwood 25 year 43%

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Next in our ‘no brainers’ set of affordable adult whiskies was a Linkwood. I will admit I still regret passing up a Gordon + MacPhail Linkwood at Heathrow Airport last year, however admittedly it did NOT qualify as affordable at the time.

Linkwood is another Diageo distillery that is better known as an element in blends like Johnnie Walker and White Horse than as a single malt. However for some time it has found its way to whisky aficionados through independent bottlers, then Diageo’s Flora and Fauna series, followed by official bottlings in 2008.

What did we find with this particular 25 year old Linkwood?  After the rather disastrous introduction to the Benrinnes… anything would have an improvement! Thankfully this Linkwood was a beauty…

Linkwood 25 year

Linkwood 25 year 43% (G&MP)

Here is what we found:

  • Nose – Lovely stewed fruits, apple brandy like Calvados, figs, citrus, little nutmeg, hint of smoke with some toast and wood
  • Palate – Soooo silky smooth, beautiful with just a hint of peat to keep things interesting, more apples with a touch of light pepper, sweet, smokey yet light
  • Finish – Long and smooth
  • Water – None were tempted… it was perfect as is

Overall it was such a welcome change from the Benrinnes – light, bright with just the right touch of peat. While clearly sherry, this element was not overpowering, instead we found a subtle balance between the different elements – neither too much sherry, nor too much peat and so dangerously delicious and easy to drink!

As I babbled on about how Gordon & MacPhail (G&MP) has yet to let me down… I was teased for my ‘whisky crush’ on these independent bottlers.

Bottom line – I have yet to ‘meet’ a whisky from G&MP where I felt ‘cheated’ or ‘let down’ by the experience. Sure I don’t expect a $10,000 whisky for a $100 price, however their different ranges can meet most avid whisky fan’s requirements.

I’ve reached the stage where can blindly say when someone asks for a recommendation “Look for something bottled by Gordon & MacPhail… see if the style described fits what you like and just buy it!”

Case in point, this 25 year old stunner retails for only $110. That is exceedingly good value for quality in my books.

Here’s what the folks over at Gordon & MacPhail have to say:

Without water:

  • Aroma – Burst of freshness – hay like notes, with a defined hint of well Linkwood 25 year G+MPtoasted malt. Some candied fruits emerge and a subtle Sherry influence lingers. Herbal with a touch of Rosemary.
  • Taste – Mouth watering with a sweet and creamy edge. Some delicate hints of bonfire embers develop. Vanilla emerges and a hint of peppery warmth comes to the fore.

With water:

  • Aroma – Toasted malt, with a Sherried sweetness. Hints of citrus notes (lemon zest) linger and a defined vanilla edge becomes apparent.
  • Taste – Initially sweet and warming with hints of mixed spices and a defined dark chocolate nose. A subtle touch of peat smoke lingers in the background.
Thanks Duncan at The Whisky Exchange for the recommendation!
Others in our ‘Affordable Adults‘ evening included:

PS Our Whisky Ladies had an opportunity to sample this courtesy of our BMC contributor… their impression was largely consistent with the gents… described as romping through the meadows (on the nose), a bit sharp then earthy moss, charred wood (on the palate), a little spice and nutmeg in the finish. The overall impression? We liked!!

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Affordable Adults – Benrinnes 24 year 52.6%

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After a seriously solid start with the Signatory Imperial 20 year, we were primed for another treat in our ‘Affordable Adults‘ evening…

Out came the Benrinnes 24 year… You could be forgiven for not being familiar with this Speyside distillery. Benrinnes has the moniker ‘Diageo workhorse‘ as it primarily pumps out whisky for blends.

Benrinnes 24 year

Benrinnes 24 year (1991/2016) 52.6%

Distilled 9 Sept 1991, bottled 10 March 2016, Hogshead Cask No 090508, Outrun of 287 bottles and part of the Single Malts of Scotland series put out by Specialty Drinks Ltd (aka TWE).

Here is what we found:

  • Nose – Phenol, medicinal, quite “in your face” with spirits, nail polish or anti freeze… eventually… a little cinnamon spice emerged, became a bit sweeter with a hint of meaty vegetation
  • Palate – Harsh! After the subtle Imperial, the Benrinnes seemed like solvent, very dry, too strong on the alcohol, harsh, bitter and dry with very little else
  • Finish – Burn…

Overall our initial impression was quite negative.

So we thought perhaps a little water may help. It didn’t hurt…

What actually helped more was a revisit much later in the evening with a Gurkha Cellar Reserve Limitada 15 year cigar. In short – the combination worked.

I decided to take a wee sample home to see what more may be going on away from the influence of our initial reaction. I’m glad I did.

  • Nose – Much sweeter than before, enabling the meaty vegetal quality to be more pronounced, a medicinal sweetness almost like that Axe “universal oil” for relief of headaches, a hint of salty sea breeze
  • Palate – Yup. This is still still packs a punch but not nearly as harsh as before, still bitter and dry, mineral, dry leaves and tobacco, cereals, a little lemon
  • Finish – Like a dry bitter tea
  • Water – With a generous dollop not just a drop or two, opened up to bring a bit of mocha, fruits…

Here is what The Whisky Exchange folks have to share:

This 24-year-old Single Malts of Scotland bottling comes from one of Diageo’s workhorse distilleries, Benrinnes. Matured in a single hogshead, this is lively with notes of refreshing lemon oil, stewed fruits and savoury dark chocolate.

“My goodness, it’s perfect whisky, if you like them bright” –  Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com
  • Benrinnes 24 year bottleNose: Complex, intriguing nose that begins with toffee popcorn, vanilla sugar and honey-soaked sponge cake, then adds a layer of citrus aromas with orange and lemon, as well as a fresh floral note. 
  • Palate: Rather lively on the palate, with fresh and stewed-fruit notes, a touch of lemon oil that cleans and refreshes, ending with more savoury notes of tobacco, dark chocolate and espresso.
  • Finish: Rich chocolate that coats the palate.
  • Comment: Plenty going on with this whisky. You think it’s sweet, then fresh fruit arrives. You think it’s fruity, then darker, richer notes appear. I like it a lot, but I’m struggling to pin it down!
Well… not a ‘hit’ like the Imperial… at least for our merry malters. However at least in the revisit a few more elements emerged. That said, it will never be a stunner in our books.
Others in our ‘Affordable Adults‘ evening included:

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on: