R+B Distillers – Borders + Raasay

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There are a dizzying array of new distilleries popping up all over the world. And yet setting up a new distillery – nay two – is no small feat.

The team at Raasay & Borders Distillers (R&B Distillers) recognize that “Building distilleries takes time though, so we are satisfying our impatience by working with a Highland distillery to very deliberately craft the styles of whisky representative of what’s to come.”

As part of our Monsoon Malts & More evening, we dove into two wee samples…

Borders Single Grain 51.7%

Here’s what we found:

  • Nose – While clearly a grain, it is soft not pushy, old flowers like chrysanthemums, slight sulfur, fruits and acetone, sweet the sour then sweet again
  • Palate – Sweet spices, lots of character, creamy, slightly astringent yet not unpleasant, hints of coffee
  • Finish – Staying power

Not in the least bit harsh and as we continued sipping, thought more and more of Koffee Toffee… and pronounced it as “rather a good grain!”

What do we know about it? It is distilled in the highlands, non-chill filtered and natural colour.

Here’s what they have to say:

  • Aroma: Prominent sherry notes on the nose, hints of sugar-coated nuts.
  • Taste: Surprisingly dry on the palate with the sherry influences dominating. Walnuts balanced with vanilla, herbaceous and floral notes coming through towards the end, and just a touch of warm spice.
  • Finish: Lingering, dry and complex.
  • Food Pairing: Pairs well with Cocoa Black dark praline chocolates.

What more do we know about it? It has 50% wheat & 50% malted barley, finished in Oloroso Sherry casks. In their words:

Our Borders highland single grain whisky is a testament to our 19th century heritage and a nod to our future. Our Co-founder Alasdair Day’s great-grandfather blended whisky in the Coldstream – marked by the golden dot on this bottle.

The River Tweed is iconic to this uncommon provenance. It is integral in our R&B story and in forming part of the border between Scotland and England. The soft rolling landscape that surrounds it is reflected in character through the light, sweet notes of this lowland-style whisky.

We then shifted gears to their second offering – Raasay.

Raasay “While We Wait” 46%

Here’s what we found:

  • Nose – Iodine, light leather, oils
  • Palate – Sharp and initially an off quality, a bit rancid, olive oil, sour, peat, chewy and bitter then sweet
  • Finish – Sweet

You would think from the notes this would be a rather unpleasant whisky. But here is the thing, as we sipped it began to grow on us more and more.

For two of us, it reminded us of a Ledaig from Tobermoray, particularly when we added a few drops of water.

Here’s what they have to say:

  • Nose: Chocolate, pear, raisin. Blackcurrant, chocolate cake, slight kirsch brandy note, red wine note.
  • Palate: Cherry at the front palate, smoke, more chocolate notes, orangey notes, slight burnt oak note. Vanilla and oaky notes. Dash of orange and raspberry.
  • Finish: Slightly floral. More oak. Cookies.

What more do we know about it?  In their words:

While waiting for the Isle of Raasay Distillery to rise beneath Dùn Caan, we’ve crafted a single malt demonstrating our whisky making skills to offer a tantalising taster of what’s to come.

We achieved this by blending two expressions from one distillery; one peated, one unpeated. The whisky then finished in French oak Tuscan wine casks from three vineyards that produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Naturally, one turns to speculate, which Highland distillery produces both grain and malt whisky? Could it be Loch Lamond…?

Other whiskies sampled in our Mumbai monsoon malts evening included:

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French Buckwheat Whisky – Eddu Silver 40%

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We continue to explore the boundaries of single malts… so on my last trip to Singapore, I challenged the lass at La Maison du Whisky to suggest something ‘completely different.’ She immediately pulled off the shelf this Eddu Silver – a buckwheat whisky from Bretagne, France.

The distillery heritage was as a cider distillery under Guy Le Lay who then embarked on a novel experiment with black buckwheat from Bretagne in 1998. Today, the Distillerie des Menhirs is run by his three sons with a small, unique range of buckwheat whiskies – aptly named ‘Eddu’ which apparently means buckwheat in Breton.

Yup! Think that fits the bill for something unique!

Eddu Silver 40%

  • Nose – Immediately noted it is distinctly different. A bit like an outdoor pool with a hint of chlorine, sharp fruit, quite ripe, honey, then a hint of menthol or euculapoytus, fresh apples, raisins, boiled sweets and confectioners shop, then mousambi rind
  • Palate – Light spice, lots of sugars, wheat cereals
  • Finish – Light and sweet then gone nearly in an instant

Overall we found while it isn’t complex, it was oddly pleasing. While certainly not one we  would say “Hey I feel like sipping an Eddu tonight”, it certainly was worth sampling and one to add to a collection of unique drams for others in Mumbai to try.

We did wonder whether the colour is natural – obviously having no benchmark with buckwheat or information specifically stating no added colour – we had nothing to confirm or deny. However it does indeed have a copper darkness that seems near impossible in what we normally expect in a NAS whisky.

As we continued sipping, found it remaining unique – fresh, sweet and almost organic.

And so we thought to have a little fun… our host popped into the kitchen and returned with a glass mixing jar with ice, campari, sugar liquor, lime and generous dollops of Eddu. An instant refreshing cocktail!

Here’s what the La Maison du Whisky folks have to say:

This pure buckwheat Breton whisky is produced using 80% unmalted buckwheat and 20% malted buckwheat, a mix which reinforces its fruity character. In addition, it is aged in Cognac oak casks. Yermat! (Cheers)

  • Appearance : old gold with glints of copper.
  • Nose : intense, complex. Fruity (citrus fruit, fresh fruit) and floral (rose, heather).
  • Palate : intensified, original fruitiness (apple, ripe plum). Spices (cinnamon, pepper). Very delicately woody.
  • Overall : a fantastic fresh feeling. Fruity and balanced throughout. Fleshy, unctuous.

Purchased from La Maison du Whisky in Singapore for SGD 105 in June 2017.

Other whiskies sampled in our Mumbai monsoon malts evening included:

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Whisky Ladies Turn Two!!

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Who would have imagined two years ago that a simple conversation about women and whisky could lead to such a wonderful group!

Each month we come together in different members home to explore diverse whiskies from around the world. We’ve had quite the adventures and you can read more about the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai’s experiences in the Whisky Ladies Corner.

But this fine August evening was meant purely for celebration of our two year milestone as the “Whisky Ladies of Mumbai.”

Naturally as this is a fellowship over whisky, the drams were centre stage… Some were revisits of favourite drams from earlier tasting sessions… Some were shared for the 1st time with the Whisky Ladies.

This was not an evening for careful dissecting, discerning and discussing drams. This was an evening to enjoy over conversation with wonderful company, accompanied by morsels of yumminess!

A few extras from the last year:

We look forward to many more adventures together! Thank you ladies for making each gathering such a wonderful experience!

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Islay Trio – Ardbeg Uigeadail 54.2%

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After being surprised by both the Bunnahabhain Eirigh na Greine and Bowmore Gold Reef, our Islay trio closed with this Ardbeg.

We sampled it blind, with no idea beyond it being the last of the Islay trio.

Ardbeg Uigeadail 54.2%

  • Nose – Very meaty, a proper peat bog, one even said “the peat is nearly at the level of headache inducing”, burnt masala maggi noodles, curd and sour imli (tamarind)… was that black liquorice?
  • Palate – Wildfire chillie, frankly had a solid “sucker punch”, sour ash, a real khaata meetha (sour sweet) quality, some saunf (fennel), then pure cinnamon
  • Finish – Fabulous long finish, cinnamon spice chased by smoke

One described it as “buzzing with peat” and we began to run through our roster of peatier drams. No stamp of Laphroaig and certainly not Caol Ila or Kilchoman.

It didn’t have the balance or depth of an Octomore, had a different swagger we didn’t instantly associate with Port Charlotte either… so not Bruichladdich….

Our speculation turned to Ardbeg, yet didn’t quite mesh with either Supernova or the more familiar 10 year fare… at least so we thought. Perhaps a sherry dimension peaking in there? Ardbeg but not quite the familiar Ardbeg…?

Again, we were not so confident in our ability to place this whisky.

The unveiling?? Uigeadail!

Which sparked memories of the superb Corryvrecken..

Checking out my old tasting notes online, read….

  • Nose – Hello peat! With a dash of espresso, then a delightful curl of maple syrup, underneath a whiff of iodine, then liquorice
  • Taste – Peaty dancing around a camp fire! A bit of tar, like chewing the end of a cigar, an odd almost flat cola flavour, raisins…
  • Finish – Smoky, dry, rubber… then elements of dried apricot

Not so far off… at which point attention turned to the official tasting notes:

  • Nose: Rich and weighty with heady and smoky aromatics. At full strength, the initial aroma is a beguiling mix of warm Christmas cake, walnut oil and parma violets fused with fresh ocean spice, cedar and pine needles falling from the Christmas tree. A smouldering coal fire and the scent of well-oiled leather brings warmth. The sweetness of treacle toffees and chocolate-coated raisins emerge through the smoke. With water, the deep smokiness increases in intensity, reminiscent of a fired Christmas pudding. Rich flowering currants and warm baked banana and walnut bread are served with simmering mocha espresso.
  • Taste: Full flavoured and rich with a deep mouth-coating texture, the taste is an intriguing balance between sweet, spicy and deep smoky flavours. The flavour is initially sweet. A burst of winter spices sets off a smoky-spicy explosion countered by a sumptuous mid-palate of honey glazed smoked food and chewy treacle. Waves of deep smoky tones and rich aromas build up on the palate like a fine Montecristo cigar.
  • Finish: Amazingly long and chewy with lingering raisiny, deep mocha tones and rich aromatic smoke into the perfectly integrated finish.

What did we sample with our Islay trio?

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Islay Trio – Bowmore Gold Reef 43%

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After being surprised by the Bunnahabhain Eirigh na Greine, our Islay trio continued with another dram that was a variation on the distillery style.

We sampled completely blind, having no idea what we were sniffing, swishing and swilling away… until the reveal…

Bowmore Gold Reef 43%

  • Nose – Soapy peat, ash, carbolic were clear initial top notes that then subsided to reveal spice and sweetness, with roasted red peppers, Mexican beans, ham and bacon, then shifting from peatier qualities to fruity sweet, then coffee nuts and raisins, new leather shoes, with a sherry quality, nice and sweet, almost herbal, then green capsicum, followed by cinnamon
  • Palate – Heavy peat, mint with a curiously ‘closed’ quality after such a multi-faceted nose. Very dry, woody, a bit sour, yet a faint feel of cod liver oil – it may seem a contradiction to have it both heavy almost oily yet be dry, but there you have it! Again the cinnamon came to the fore…
  • Finish – Very dry, long, spicy, cloves, ash oily
  • Water – This one asked for a few drops… which transformed it into cinnamon candy, that ‘is it or isn’t it oily?’ quality clearly shifted into oils, with a soft sweetness, taking it from the territory of ‘not sure about this one’ into the ‘dangerously drinkable dram’ dimension, going from bold to subtle. Remarkable.

Overall we liked it and appreciated the different layers. There was an interesting ying/yang interplay of “manly” peat with cinnamon sweet.

Speculation turned to what could have made such a dram – our sense was likely a mix of sherry and bourbon, clearly peat!

But which distillery? One member immediately piped up “Well… it doesn’t have a typical Bowmore character”…. So we moved on to other possible Islay distilleris but were stumped.

With the reveal, I simply could not believe this was the same Bowmore Gold Reef the Whisky Ladies tried a just a few months ago in April 2017. The experience was entirely different.

I had my tasting notebook and flipped back to earlier pages to read….

  • Nose – Treacle, apple, summery caramel, toasted coconut, marzipan, with tropical fruits. Maple syrup joined peat with sweet vanilla and hint of spice
  • Palate – Peat, citrus, heat, bitter chocolate, a bit of dry wood
  • Finish – The heat opens up revealing honey sweet, cinnamon then settles into a bitter finish

So we had peat, dry wood and cinnamon in common but as for the rest? It was like we were having a completely different whisky!

We then turned to the official tasting notes:

  • Nose: Vanilla, coconut milk, delicious baked peach, oranges and lemons
  • Taste: Tangy peat, pineapple, juicy mango and kiwi fruit tempered by sea salt and olive oil
  • Finish: The long, honeyed, zesty finish

Again… much puzzlement and head scratching… Other than the peat and maybe – just maybe – olive oil, the balance was… huh??

We began to try to find out more about this whisky. Sure enough – ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks…. and also caramel colour.

We all know palate is personal – my impression may be quite different than yours. Which is what makes tasting together so much fun – comparing and contrasting impressions and insights.

Two different tasting groups. Two completely different experiences. How fascinating.

What did we sample with our Islay trio?

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Islay Trio – Bunnahabhain Eirigh na Greine Batch 5, 46.3%

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Exactly two years ago, the 1st batch of Bunnahabhain Eirigh na Greine 46.3%   was part of an interesting Islay trio together with the rather original Bruichladdich The Organic Scottish Barley 50% and quite memorable Caol Ila 1997 (bottled 2009) 43% by Gordon & MacPhail.

Then, same as now, we sampled completely blind before the whisky was revealed. None of us could have guessed our host would repeat…

Bunnahabhain Eirigh na Greine “Morning Sky” Batch 5, 46.5%

  • Nose – Initially came across as quite yoghurty and sour, then shifted into lemon curd, began to open up into berries, fruits – including jackfruit – shifting to green chillies, concentrated rose water, a bit of acetone or resin, back to yoghurt, musty cardboard, the sweetness faded, as it further opened took on bitter kerela, green veggies, against the backdrop of an old musty bookshelf. Returning back after some time and we found Monginis cake and a syrupy sweetness…
  • Palate – First impression was bitter, citrus, light spice with an undertone of pepper, black coffee, chewy, with a rather prominent tobacco flavour, then copper, metallic tang, wood
  • Finish – A bit short, that tobacco flavour remained with a hint of dark chocolate
  • Water? – No need

For two of us, the initial sense was akin to Irish pot still but then the tobacco quality tipped the scales towards something else entirely. We struggled with this one – it clearly wasn’t a standard Speyside, just as it wasn’t an ordinary Islay… speculation ran rife but none could guess. At best, we could comfortably peg it as NAS, young yet delicate.

The reveal was a complete surprise.

It has natural colour and is unchill filtered, matured in ex-red wine casks.

Just to compare, what did we find years ago with Batch 1:

  • Nose – 1st impression is very sweet, but seems like it is hiding, a medicinal element with one exclaiming “I would love to have a headache with  this!” Seems a bit oily, smells like fermented rice or dosa paste, after more airing the nose settles on being sweet, sweet and sweet as in candy sweet
  • Taste – Quite a light whisky, a bit shallow then surprises with something coming from behind – like winey grape peel or chewing on a jasmine or rose petal, sweet like gulkand (rose petal jam), a bit of sea salt
  • Finish – There but…
  • Water – The oiliness goes away, simply flattened the whisky and wouldn’t recommend adding
  • Overall impression – Not so complex, no peat, an easy drinking whisky that remains at a ‘surface’ level with the flirtatious wine / rose petal an interesting element

We compared it with the official tasting notes and were somewhat puzzled….

Our Master Distiller has perfected the recipe to ensure that Bunnahabhain’s signature taste, which includes roasted nuts and fruits with hints of sea salt and smoke, is further enhanced by sweet, rich and spicy aromas imparted by the Italian and French red wine influence.

Official tasting notes:
  • Nose – Rich dried fruits, toasted hazelnuts with hints of mouth-watering candy sweets, butterscotch, marzipan and rose syrup
  • Palate – Lively and satisfyingly smooth. A tantalising fusion of ripe cherries, prunes, apricots, orange marmalade with subtle hints of rich cocoa and spicy oakiness
  • Finish – Temptingly warm, nutty and spicy

The nose we could see where it came from but missed the very yoghurty quality we found weaving in and out, rather prominently at times – with it being more sour fermented dosa paste in the 1st case and clear yoghurt in the 2nd. I suppose I could even accept a bit of cherries, cocoa and spicy oakiness… but orange marmalade? Apricots? And none of the other qualities we found…?

The 1st batch more clearly had a wine-like dimension whereas the 5th batch had that hint of peat with the tobacco dimension. Clearly batches make a difference. And why not?

This whisky was purchased by our club member from Singapore duty free. It sells for approx USD 75 through Master of Malt.

What did we sample with our Islay trio?

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Islay revisit – Bunnahabhain, Bowmore + Ardbeg

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Our original Mumbai based whisky tasting club has an unwritten rule – no repeats. We also taste blind so as not to be influenced by brand or pre-conceived notions about a particular whisky or distillery.

Yet after so many years, our obsession with exploring new territories presents a challenge to find something ‘new.’

So why not have an evening that deliberately sets us up to sample whiskies we’ve had (or similar to ones we’ve tried), but each with a twist… being expressions that aren’t necessarily representative of a distillery ‘house style’ – if such a thing even exists anymore!

We also observed that our impressions bore little relationship to official distillery tasting notes… Past experiments have helped provide insight into possible reasons with a range of factors including the whisky temperature, ambient aromas and environment, tasting order which can influence perceptions of the whisky to follow,  conversation and company, and frankly just the mood of the taster!!

What did our host “trick” us with?

Click on the links above to read our tasting notes, comparing with previous experiences and distillery official tasting notes…

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Raising a toast to India – with whisky!

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Today is India’s Independence Day… This remarkable sometimes maddening country I’m fortunate to call home.

And what better way to celebrate its birth than raising a virtual ‘toast’ with a dram from India’s single malt distillery – Paul John.

Here’s to you India!

Wall of whiskies!

Paul John whiskies :

Paul John Experiences:

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Westland Trio – Sherry Wood 46%

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Our Bombay Malt & Cigar club’s 2nd July session featured a Westland trio – with a rather interesting order…. starting 1st with the Peated, then their flagship American Oak followed by this – the Sherry Wood.

We sampled blind, with nothing revealed until after all three whiskies were given due consideration.

What did we find?

Westland Sherry Wood 46%

  • Nose – When freshly opened, we were greeted with varnish, musty old furniture, old wood and polish which then began to shift into waxy fruits, on the edge of becoming over-ripe, mixed tropical fruits, some kiwis, honey nuts, Quality Street MacIntosh milk, mocha toffee
  • Palate – Soft then the spice grows, lots of toffee, complex layers with depth, banoffee pie, spice, oily mouth feel
  • Finish – A proper finish! Toffee or burnt caramel, stays
  • Water – Brings out a super sweetness, a bit of spice, chocolate

Our conclusion was this was quite a tasty dram, with a good balance. It also paired well with the cigar… which is naturally rather important to the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents!

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

Westland’s Sherry Wood is a new world approach to an old world idea. For decades, the use of ex-sherry casks for whiskey maturation has been a favored technique in Scotland and beyond. In marrying the decadence of sherry with our unique grain-forward house style we create something altogether new.

 

Like the grain we source, we hold our sherry casks to high standards of quality. These casks held some of the world’s finest Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry for nearly a century and in the skilled hands of Rafael Cabello and his team at Tonelería del Sur in Montilla, Spain they have been given new life and purpose. Our long-standing partnership with his family-owned cooperage now provides us with one of the largest supplies of sherry casks in America.

And their tasting notes:

  • The nose offers an immediate richness, with honey-dipped oatmeal raisin cookies. Maple syrup follows close behind, drizzled over banana pancakes.
  • The palate initially offers some kiwi with more maple and raisin syrup notes. Extended tastings offer a dazzling array of sweet cookies and pastries, getting darker and richer with time before eventually ceding the palate to stewed yellow fruits on the finish.

The other Westland’s whiskies sampled in our trio included:

Not enough Westland?  Check out other tasting experiences:

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

Westland Trio – American Oak 46%

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Our Bombay Malt & Cigar club’s 2nd July session featured a Westland trio – currently my favourite American distillery, with this my favourite of the three standard official bottlings.

We began with the Westland Peated – an interesting choice as one typically would start with a lighter ex-bourbon. But no – our friend chose to reverse the order beginning 1st with peat then moved on to the flagship single malt – American Oak – neatly covered making it impossible to know what we were sampling.

What did we find?

Westland American Oak 46%

  • Nose – A lovely almost sherry sweet character, spice, pepper, cloves, resin, beeswax, wood sap, fresh pine tree, sweet brioche, pineapple upside down cake, cream… one even suggested Malibu coconut rum! After some time, a sweet creamy banana split, an inviting mix of sweet citrus like blood oranges
  • Palate – Soft, quite light on the palate, smooth, coconut, little spice almost like paprika or cayenne, then after time softens into pink peppercorn, a lovely creamy quality like milk chocolate, far too dangerously drinkable,
  • Finish – A nice medium finish, candy, red liquorice, light spice chaser
  • Water – Pushes spice from the finish to the palate

The nose was initially bursting with character then settled down into a most agreeable and frankly delicious aroma, easy drinking character on the palate with a light but delightful barely there finish.

While not necessarily a cigar whisky, it is exactly the kind of every day dram you want in your whisky cabinet. It is eminently companionable… lovely to sniff, sip and enjoy.

When our Whisky Ladies sampled this back in January 2017, they enjoyed it immensely! With one remarking it simply spoke to her: “Relax my love, just drink me now.”

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

A flagship malt is the core expression of a distillery’s house style. Westland’s American Oak is a reflection of where it is made and the collective intent of those who made it. When we founded Westland Distillery, we had a vision for an entirely new category of whiskey. Distilled from the rich, flavorful barley of Washington State and matured predominantly in new American oak casks in the steady, cool humidity of our seaside home, this whiskey is a testament to that vision. All of these choices and ingredients conspire to create an approachable, mature and uniquely American single malt that can stand with the best whiskies in the world.

And their tasting notes:

  • The initial nose provides lemon and orange custard backed by freshly produced waffle cone. Shortly after, a rich creaminess emerges with creme brûlée and chocolate custard while a hint of jasmine hides just beneath the surface.
  • The first sip confirms the creamy and rich fruit custard notes of the nose, adding an element of rainier cherries. After five minutes, melting swiss chocolate is revealed with a hint of almond.
  • Extended tastings brings out bananas and cream with Turkish coffee.

The other Westland’s whiskies sampled in our July 2017 trio included:

Not enough Westland?  Check out other tasting experiences:

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