Canada’s Shelter Point – “Smoke + Oak” 5 year (2021) Batch #1 46% 

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Shelter Point has experimented with a few different approaches to peat and smoke – often attracting awards and attention for the innovative and pleasing results. To be honest, I had skipped the initial peaty releases, but when I spotted this smoke one, decided it was definitely the one to try!

Why? Well you can read further details here or below however in short – they finish the whisky in smoked barrels rather than use peated barley. Intriguing…

Shelter Point “Smoke & Oak” (2021) 46%

  • Colour  – Bright amber
  • Nose – What a lovely very subtle smoke, a dry sweet smoke with no peat, even more coastal than the others, there was a slight sharpness, crisp apple, then apricot and a citrus twist – delightful fruity freshness, creamy too
  • Palate – Very sweet! Apricot marmalade, then it doubles down on that distinctive earthy element we found in all the Shelter Points, much more tobacco, coffee, leather, toasty, and frankly just really really good! There was also a fruity sweet BBQ sauce with a bit of a spicy, tangy yet salty approach.
  • Finish – Long, strong and rewarding

Even for our non-peat people, this one really hit the mark! For most of us, it was the clear favourite of the evening. All the different elements came together just right – delicious.

And what do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Shelter Point’s first edition in a new series of Smoke & Oak driven small batch experimental whiskies has landed. For this expression, we smoked our own finishing barrels using a smouldering combination of applewood and locally-harvested Vancouver Island peat. Using 100% unmalted barley from on-site at Shelter Point Farm as a base, this is a whisky that breaks all the rules. This triple distilled whisky was aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for 5 years before a final rest in our hand-smoked finishing barrels for 6 months.

Tasting Notes:

Smoke and Oak Batch 1 arrives with notes of demerara sugar, sweet hay, caramel, BBQ, chocolate, fruitcake, vanilla, pepper, and wisps of distant smoke.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: 100% malted and unmalted barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled & 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml and 375ml
  • Packaging: Classic Tennessee-style bottle features Vinolok glass closure and original engraving of Shelter Point Farm created by renowned illustrator Steve Noble

I purchased it in 2021 for CND 45 and brought it from Canada to Germany in 2023, opening it in June 2024 in Nurnberg.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – “The Forbidden” 6 year (2021) Batch #2 47% 

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When we embarked on our Shelter Point flight, we thought the best approach would be to start with the standard as a calibration dram, then progress from grain to triple grain (blend), followed by this single malt before closing with the smoke expression.

In retrospect, we should have followed the grain with “The Forbidden”. Why? Two reasons – we didn’t initially catch this was also a grain – more precisely wheat whisky. Plus, whilst the Triple Grain was only 43%, it was bursting with character. Hence, we needed a bit of a palate cleanser before this subtle more nuanced expression – even though it had a higher ABV at 47%. Spoiler alert, for several this was the “runner up” of the evening – well worth trying!

Shelter Point “The Forbidden” 6 year Wheat Whisky (2021) Batch #2 47%

  • Colour  – Bright gold
  • Nose – Very pleasant and inviting, grassy with lots of cereals, some sea breeze with sea salt, a bit musty it then opened up to some lovely sweet warm caramel or honeyed elements
  • Palate – Very interesting and really rather nice! There was a lovely honeyed sweetness, well-rounded with a minty herbal quality too. Beneath all the sweetness and light was a touch of black pepper and that earthy element – just this time tempered to be just a hint. It also had some ground coffee beans, some cocoa beans too, and sea salt. Yum.
  • Finish – Dry, long and lingers… sliding from sweet into bitter and even a bit tart

Whilst we found it a bit hard to pinpoint exactly what part we likely best and why, we concluded this was by far the most approachable Shelter Point from our quintet flight. If you had just one Shelter Point to sip whilst unwinding, this would be a good choice.

One of our tasters remarked how much it differed from Bourbon – whilst it had the sweet caramel, somehow it differed from the typical oak, caramel, and vanilla – in a good way.

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

The Forbidden Batch 2 “The whisky no one knew they needed”

Shelter Point’s second Single Malt Wheat Whisky release has finally arrived. This whisky is the third different grain whisky that we have bottled. Named after our local landmark “Forbidden Plateau”, this small mountain and our whisky are similar as both shrouded in mystery. By using Wheat as the base this whisky is truly unique and unlike anything we have ever produced. This whisky was double distilled and aged in exclusively in American oak ex bourbon barrels for 6 and a half years.

Tasting Notes:

The Forbidden whisky is sweet and medicinal on the nose. The palate is full of caramel and vanilla and slightly spicy note. The satisfying finish is a delicious combination of a slight peppery note and vanilla.

Shelter Point The Forbidden Whisky Facts:

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: Malted Wheat (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 47% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml and 375 ml

I missed “The Forbidden” 1st Batch, so when the 2nd batch became available in 2021 – even though the price had jumped to CND 45 plus taxes, I immediately grabbed one! Back then, there were several releases with the wonderfully convenient 375 ml size and the kind folks at Shelter Point let me buy online and keep with them until I had enough for them to send from BC to my folks in Manitoba. I later brought it to Germany, to open in Nurnberg in June 2024.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – Shelter Point 7 year (2020) Single Cask #5 43%

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It was an evening devoted entirely to Shelter Point – exploring the contrasting yet converging characters of different expressions. After our calibration dram and Montfort 151 Single Grain, we progressed to a triple grain – with both unmalted and malted barley plus rye. We had no idea what to expect, however the dark copper, almost amber should have been a clue we were in for a potent dram!

Shelter Point 7 year Single Cask Triple Grain (malted & unmalted barley, rye) Edition #5 ex-bourbon with French Oak cask finish (2020) 43% 288 bottles

  • Colour  – Dark copper, edging into coffee
  • Nose – Heavy and potent, lots of molasses, prunes, rum raisins, very sweet, robust
  • Palate – Flat coca-cola and grape jelly! Chocolate and initially a bit unbalanced until it settled down with all elements in harmony. There was coffee, full-flavoured, burnt caramel, rich, spicy and creamy
  • Finish – From coffee, shifted to English breakfast tea, lingering long and surprisingly intense

Wow! This one really packs a lot of flavour! At only 43% there was a lot going on. One remarked how it reminded of a dark “bock” lager beer. Some folks are fans, others are not. Other comparisons were made to coffee liqueur. The bottom line is that this blend has a lot to say and worth paying attention to!

What do the fab five folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Single cask edition 5. Whisky is poetry, but it’s also alchemy. Here at Shelter Point we’re always in search of the perfect elixir. This whisky journey began when we married together a blend of malted barley, unmalted barley and rye whisky. Aged in an ex-bourbon cask, then finished in French oak, this seven-year-old whisky is a bottle of gold at the end of the grainbow.

Tasting Notes

On the nose you get a slight spice and vanilla note. The palate is filled with caramel and honey. The satisfying finish is a delicious combination of a slight spiciness, chocolate and salted caramel.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: A blend of Rye, Wheat & Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 43% Alc.Vol

I purchased it directly from the distillery in 2020 for $78.25 + taxes. I later brought it from Canada to Germany, to open it in Nurnberg in June 2024.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – Montfort District Lot 151 (2020) Single Grain Whisky 46%

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Grain whisky often gets a bad rap for being the “extra” that goes into a whisky blend. And yet the range of possibilities with grains are immense! So when we had not one but two grain whisky options to sample with our Shelter Point quintet, we were open to the experience. We began with the single grain from a single lot on Vancouver Island – specifically the Montfort District Lot 151 to be found :

  • Latitude: “49.876166”
  • Longitude: “-125.126368”

Whilst the folks at Shelter Point refer to site-specific soil classification differences and the influence of proxmity to the ocean and forested land, unlike Ireland’s Waterford distillery who share extensive micro-provenance details, here we have just the location of the family farm on which the barley is grown.

The previous release tasting notes for the Montfort DL 151 are remarkably similar to the 2018 Montfort DL 141 – which we earlier sampled a few years ago. And now? If you head to the Shelter Point website, they no longer distinguish between the lots, bottling only as Montfort. Still field to flask, still from a family run farm, however I suppose over time this is more manageable to sustain, with more flexibility with cask management.

Setting all of these factors aside, what did we think?

Montfort District Lot 151 (2020) Unmalted Barley Single Grain Whisky 46%

  • Colour  – A bright sunny gold
  • Nose – Are those ripe dark cherries? Now some toasted notes chased by a light sea salt. Take a big breath and you are transported to a wheat field, full of cereal aromas. Then marzipan, some nutty notes, some maple, and tobacco leaves.
  • Palate – Mmmm…. starts a bit sweet and smooth, lightly fruity – perhaps white peach?, creamy then shifts into a darker earthy element joined by chocolate. It is incredibly soft yet not delicate as it has far too much “substance”
  • Finish – Dry yet satisfying

For a young grain, this was actually quite impressive. We also appreciated the true terroir focus – including the exact location on Montfort Lot 151! I don’t know what exactly I expected, however, this was really very enjoyable.

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Montfort 151 is a truly unique field-to flask whisky. The name itself is the very lot in which the single-grain barley was grown, as well the coordinates to the exact field are included on every bottle. The Montfort series has literal grass root beginnings, each field that we farm has a distinctive district lot number, as well as site specific soil classification, and a proximity to the ocean and forested land. These collective characteristics grow barley in distinctive and unique ways resulting in unique flavor profiles from these micro regions on our farm. Montfort 151 is distinctively different than the Montfort DL 141, and Montfort 151 is a proud product of our distillery home.

Tasting Notes

On the nose, Montfort DL 151 has distinct notes of vanilla fudge, dried fruits and hazelnut. The palate is honed and herbaceous with a luxurious assortment of dark chocolate cherries, leading to a warming spicy finish, with lingering oak and almond nougat.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: 100% unmalted barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol

I purchased this when it was released back in 2020 for CND$30.43 + taxes for a 375 ml bottle – which to me is the PERFECT size!

Unfortunately, Shelter Point seems to have largely discontinued this option, which now seems to be only available for their Whisky Club at CND 225 (including tax) / year for 3 bottles – that’s over double what they were charging just a few years ago. Which, frankly is a lot per bottle – in the range of $130 each if it was full size. Clearly, something is going on with the distillery making this a necessary change, however, as both a consumer and fan, this is truly a pity.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – Calibration Dram

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When we kicked off our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer‘s tasting group, we were introduced to the concept of a “calibration dram”. This is something to help you better gauge what you are about to explore by having a “control” whisky.

It seemed fitting with our special Shelter Point whisky flight to use their core expression as our calibration dram.

Once upon a time, this whisky prompted our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai to fall in love with Shelter Point. Initially known as “Artisinal Single Malt”, we tried their 1st edition in 2016, followed by the next in (2017) and 2018. What we discovered was above all an entrancing aroma – just pure sunshine and happiness in the glass! Then more substance on the palate to make this a well-rounded and exceedingly enjoyable experience.

Fast forward a few years and during the early days of international travel as the global began to wake up from COVID lockdowns, a friend in Nurnberg snagged a bottle for me during her trip to British Columbia. I was sooo excited, looking forward to the joyful expression that we had come to expect from Shelter Point. Such was my exuberance that I blithely assumed it would be exactly as anticipated!

It was not. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a decent dram, it simply wasn’t what I remembered. I suppose nearly 10 years into their venture, such a development was bound to happen.

Keeping an open mind, I managed to snag the last bottle available in Manitoba of their core Single Malt expression in October 2023. Then I brought it back to Germany to anchor a session in Jun 2024. Enough pre-amble, let’s get on to the whisky!

Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky (~2022/23) 46%

  • Colour – Gold
  • Nose – Honey, pleasant yet also with sharpness and spice spike
  • Palate – Some spice, fruits, dark chocolate, earthy and a bit edgy, strong oak influence, caramel, and raisins, a hint of lime
  • Finish – Herbal, dry and spicy
  • Revisit – We set it aside and returned to it several times during our tasting of the balance four expressions, continuing to rely on it as our “control” whisky

Whilst clearly an “entry” expression, we remarked how this is not a whisky for beginners. It also was unmistakably NOT Scottish.

Interestingly, when preparing this point I realized that Shelter Point’s tagline “Sunshine and sea air: unofficial ingredients in every bottle” has been replaced by phrases like “Pure water, Canadian grain and sea air” and “Distinctly Vancouver Island. Uniquely Shelter Point.”

In short, the sunshine quality that made us smile is no longer included in their own description.

One of the reasons I like to capture what a distillery has to say about its whisky is that things change over time. What was once available on a website is replaced as approaches and expressions evolve. Whereas what I have in front of me in the bottle is a specific moment in time – a malt that is particular to that time too.

This is why I was so happy to have included in my Shelter Point Artisinal Single Malt 2018 notes, what they had to say then….

“Sheer joy!” – Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt 46%

And be able to contrast it with what they have to say now about their core expression, which has dropped the “Artisinal” moniker, lost the candied sweets, coconut, malted chocolate, tropical fruits, and instead added wine, smoke, leathery elements… All of which were more in keeping with the dram we experienced in 2024. Fascinating.

Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky is a classic expression made in small batches using traditional methods, pot distillation and glacier fed aquifer water. Sitting on the coast of Vancouver Island the spirit benefits from the unique influence of our geography, ocean and terroir as it ages in different select casks. The whisky shows a balanced marriage of fruits, caramel, barley, baking spices, honey, seaside whiff, hints of wine, smoke and the sweet leathery mouthfeel of a high-quality single malt.

Curious to learn more about the other whiskies we tried in our Shelter Point Quintet? Check out:

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Whisky Lady – April to June 2024

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These days when I introduce myself professionally, my default description is that I’m “truly tri-continental.” Why? I’m originally from Canada. India has been my adopted home for 20+ years and my partner and furr family continue to live there, so I get home as much as possible. And professionally, Germany is my dynamic and happily challenging work home! This “tri-continental” description was never truer than this quarter which began in India, carried on in Germany (with a jaunt to Cannes and Amsterdam too), then Winnipeg, Canada, and back to Deutschland.

As my work life tends to be quite hectic, I used my downtime in India and Canada to catch up on tasting notes. This is why many posts this quarter were actually from previous experiences. In my humble opinion, for someone who writes for pleasure and not a profession, this is perfectly acceptable!

New experiences in the quarter included an informal evening with a few ladies in Mumbai featuring a trio from Shelter Point from BC, Canada:

Post my Canada trip, I carried on the Canadian theme in June 2024 with my Shelter Point whiskies remaining in Germany:

It was such fun to share a little slice of Canadiana – both in India and Germany!

Our Nurnberg International Whisky Explorers group also had a theme comparing Original, Independent, Cask Strength – a nice way to explore a distillery’s character. It was more like two sessions in one, starting with an exploration of Speyside’s Glen Elgin:

Which was followed by an exploration of peat with Islay’s Caol Ila and Lagavulin in a rather unique way:

What a terrific way to discover two quite different sets of whiskies!

As for the previous quarter, I belated shared reviews about our rather fun February 2024 theme of “Not Your Ordinary Blend” featuring:

However March turned a corner, and our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers group had a fun St Paddy’s day celebration with Irish stew and of course Irish whiskies!

March in Mumbai with the Bombay Malt & Cigar lads kept with the Irish theme. We were introduced to a trio of Waterford Irish whiskies! True whisky “geek” territory with all the details disclosed!

I still have to catch up on an interesting assortment from a sample swap plus three sets of miniatures from Bombay Malt & Cigar sessions that I had missed – below are notes from an evening focused on Indie Bottlers, followed by a theme around What’s in a Name! 

I first posted about the Indie Bottlers:

Then carried on with the What’s in a Name theme which introduced Simply Whisky:

Clearly a quarter of travels, family, friends, and more. What a few months!

Curious to know more? Check out a few more summaries:

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Shelter Point – Single Malt, Montford 151, Forbidden, Triple Grain, Smoke + Oak

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After a wee hiatus, our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers evenings are back! This time, I was thrilled to host with a Shelter Point quintet – carefully acquired from 2020 onwards. I shared in advance it would be an evening devoted purely to this Vancouver Island “farm to flask” distillery. Sadly, with their small batch artisinal approach, one can only acquire these whiskies in Canada – with the different expressions in batches, selling out quickly.

What did I share?

Curious to know more? Just check out the links above for tasting notes!

The evening was a lovely reminder of why I’ve been a Shelter Point fan over the years. And prompted my joining their new Whisky Club – in part because I really prefer 375 ml bottles! If only this size was available for nearly all drams!

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Islay’s Caol Ila & Lagavulin – Blend, Independent, Cask Strength

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Our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers group doesn’t have many “peat heads” in our mix. Most veer away from the smoky stuff. Hence when we had a specially “curated” evening that started to move in the peat direction, we were opening new doors!

This trio was anchored by two distilleries – Caol Ila and Lagavulin. Both are from Islay. Both put out Original Distillery Bottlings, are found in both blends and independent expressions. Our evening explored all three approaches!

  • Johnnie Walker Black Label Islay Origin 12 year 42% ~Eur 65
  • Scarabus Islay 10 year 46% (Hunter Laing) ~Eur 48
  • Caol Ila Cask Strength 60.1% (OB) ~Eur 100 for 200ml (auction only)

Knowing this was a “first foray” for many in our group, our curator kindly prepared a document that included a description of both distilleries – key features, their house style, and a recommendation on what standard dram best depicts its character. Additionally, QR codes were provided, linking to more details about the three specific whiskies we were about to sample. Talk about organised!

We kicked off our peat trio with a limited edition “Islay Origin” expression from Johnnie Walker. In India, Black Label was once upon a time synonymous with “good” whisky. Priced relatively high yet prevalently available, it was featured in many homes, Bollywood movies, and more! It defined scotch whisky – a consistent blend with sweet and peat – which held up well with chunks of ice and mixed with water.

A typical Black Label will blend together Diageo’s different distilleries: Clynelish in the Highlands, Cardhu from Speyside, malt from Glenkinchie, grain from Cameronbridge… whilst some will say the smoky character comes from Lagavulin, others credit it to Caol Ila.

So when the folks at Johnnie Walker decided to launch in 2021 their “Origin” series without the grain, intended to heighten the focus on the featured regional elements – it was widely speculated that the Islay expression was probably both Caol Ila & Lagavulin.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Islay Origin 12 year 2021 42%

  • Colour – It was nearly orange!
  • Nose – Hello peat! Clear, clean peat stamp with a strong seaside salty air too. We also found mango BBQ chutney, some iodine
  • Palate – Way fruitier than expected – lots of dark fruits, smokey, salty, oily peat and sweet, some pepper joining the honeyed fruits
  • Finish – Very sweet with just a puff of smoke

Now, I must admit I was pleasantly impressed by how much I enjoyed the Johnnie Walker. It was surprisingly good, with a well-balanced palate, fruitier than anticipated to the point that I wondered if and how much sherry influence could be at play? We also speculated the extent to which Johnnie Walker’s relatively new master blender – Emma Walker – steered the approach.

From a variation on a well-known theme, we moved on to indie bottler Hunter Laing’s celebration of Islay.

Scarabus Islay 10 year 46% (Hunter Laing)

  • Colour – Light hay
  • Nose – Oaky and salty, cereals, malt and honey, a bit nutty
  • Palate – Fermented fruit, black pepper, oily
  • Finish – Cinnamon smoke then minty and herbal

The most debated element about this expression is whether it is Caol Ila or Lagavulin. I will admit that I also vacillated between the two – in one whiff thinking surely this must be Caol Ila then another sip, veered towards Lagavulin.

What we do know is that it is a single malt, aged for 10 years in a refill, ex-bourbon and virgin American oak cask. And that’s about it!

After the mystery malt, we closed with a clear Caol Ila – yet with a twist! It was a rare Original Distillery Bottling at cask strength. Part of a 200 ml tasting set together with a 12 year and 18 year expression, you won’t find this easily to add to your whisky cabinet!

Caol Ila (2005) Cask Strength 60.1% (OB)

  • Colour – So pale it almost appeared clear
  • Nose – Earthy gentle peat, dry smoke, a hint of citrus
  • Palate – Bright, very pleasant, no punch, just roll around in a well-balanced peat with sweet, some herbaceous almost medicinal elements too
  • Finish – Lingers, softly fading away

This was a classic Caol Ila, more restrained than anticipated for a cask-strength dram – certainly more so than most independent cask-strength expressions I’ve tried.

Wow – what an evening! There was so much care that went into curating two sessions into one! What a terrific way to discover two quite different sets of whiskies!

In case you missed the earlier post, here are the Glen Elgin‘s we tried in our April session:

Interested in joining our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events? Just find us on Meetup! https://www.meetup.com/nurnberg-whisky-explorers/events/

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Glen Elgin – Original Bottling, Independent, Smoke

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Our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers group has a combination of what we call “curated” evenings and “contribution” based themes. For April, we had effectively two sessions in one! Each was carefully put together to introduce those newer to exploring whiskies with a strong foundation.

Let’s start with the Glen Elgin vertical. For those not familiar, a whisky vertical is when you explore different expressions or vintages from a single distillery. In our case, Glen Elgin distillery is from the Speyside region and is owned by Diageo.

Sukhinder Singh (founder of The Whisky Exchange) shared that he sees Glen Elgin as often producing a nice “session” dram. Something easy to enjoy over a leisurely period. So what did we think?

So what did we try in our theme exploring Glen Elgin?

  • Glen Elgin 12 year 43% (OB) ~Eur 43
  • Glen Elgin 12 year (16 Sep 2009 – 15 Apr 2022) Hogshead 806374, 806380, 806381 46% (Signatory Vintage) 468 bottles ~Eur 50
  • Glen Elgin Islay Peated Finish Hogshead 44.5% (Murray McDavid) ~Eur 37

Glen Elgin Distillery was founded in 1898 and uses six stills and six wooden worm tubs. Known for a fruity spirit, it has tended to go into blends and has only one “Original Distillery Bottling” aka “OB”. What did we think?

Glen Elgin 12 year 43% (OB)

  • Colour – Dark gold (possibly enhanced)
  • Nose – Marshmellow, apple blossoms, oats, a hint of bitter orange, some fresh grated ginger, overall mild and fruity
  • Palate – Spicy oak, malty, light coffee cream, crisp
  • Finish – Lingering cereals – think a warming porridge with apple sauce, brown sugar and a dusting of cinnamon

Overall we found it a most enjoyable way to begin. Nothing complex or challenging, just an easy fruity and fun dram to whet our appetite.

We then moved from OB to independent – first with another 12 year old – this time a combination of three Hogsheads from Singatory’s vintage series.

Glen Elgin 12 year (16 Sep 2009 – 15 Apr 2022) Hogshead 806374, 806380, 806381 46% (Signatory Vintage)

  • Colour – Bright light straw
  • Nose – Citrus and hay, honeycomb, red apple, so fruity and sweet, light lovely and inviting…
  • Palate – More cereals and spice, rich honey, incredibly smooth, yet much richer, dark and juicy, very plummy, almost rummy with raisins
  • Finish – Subtle and long

A few times one could hear exclamations like “Gosh this is good!” and “Truly lovely!” It had the most marvelous light freshness on the nose, so much heavier and more luxurious on the palate then back to a lighter more nuanced touch with the finish. One mighty fine dram!

Our fun didn’t finish with just one independent! Nope! We pushed the theme further by tasting a contrasting Glen Elgin with peat – yup peat! However this Glen Elgin didn’t use peated barley, instead it was matured in an ex-Islay cask.

Glen Elgin Islay Peated Finish Hogshead 44.5% (Murray McDavid)

  • Colour – A lighter golden hue
  • Nose – Interesting! It started off a bit metallic, seaside salty spray, light spice, some lemon peel… unmistakable peat yet it was a clear fresh peat joined by crisp and crunchy Granny Smith apples, some pepper
  • Palate – Spicy, thin, coco, toasted coal
  • Finish – Medium finish
  • Water – Stewed orchard fruits, salty taffy, some almost wine-like elements… grows on you more over time

You’ll note a certain enthusiasm for the aromas and then terseness with the palate and finish until we added water. It was underwhelming initially. Yet improved with water – some cereal elements we found in both the OB and Signatory were more discernable. Overall though it was a bit, well, odd.

As we stepped back and considered each whisky, there was a clear preference for the Signatory Vintage expression though also quite happy with the OB. With just a few more Euros a bottle, it was obvious to go for the independent! It was just the peated McDavid that caused some of us to pause – in part as peat has a mixed reception from this group!

Overall, it was an excellent introduction to Glen Elgin and a very well-curated theme!

Interested in joining our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events? Just find us on Meetup! https://www.meetup.com/nurnberg-whisky-explorers/events/

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What’s in a Name? Memories Blair Athol 11 year

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Our “What’s in a Name?“ evening featured two Simply Whisky bottles! The first was Benrinnes 10-year “Peace, Love & Whisky” which was followed by “Memories“:  a single malt from Blair Athol. The distillery is part of the Diageo stable and tends towards heavy, spicy, sherry-matured whiskies. So what about this expression?

Blair Athol 11-year “Memories” (Oct 2010 – Dec 2021) Cask 302317, 51.6% (Simply Whisky) 265 bottles. GBP 70 (sold out)

What did I think?

  • Colour – Copper
  • Nose – A forest filled with damp leaves, copper… only after time in the glass do some fruitier elements come forward. Cherries, then Sangria-like with punchy alcohol and mixed citrus, and cinnamon candies. There remain deeper darker notes – we haven’t completely left the copper and forest behind.
  • Palate – Give it some time and all the heavy intense sherry standards come to the fore with dark fruits, some bitter coffee, mocha, and black pepper spice,
  • Finish – A bit hard to pin down – a bit of spice, a bit of dark grape peel, a bit of manuka honey, more of that leafy forest flavor, a bit of umami even…
  • Water – Absolutely! This really helps open up the dense dram… now there is a bit more fruit on the nose, and chocolate on the palate with the finish carrying through.

Again, this one has a punch! Just in a very different way. Lots of old oak and powerful sherry. It definitely needs time. There is even a heavy almost red-wine-like quality – think of a brooding Cabernet or rustic Malbec. Whilst I didn’t find tannins per se, it evokes the feeling or impression.

I also need to be honest, I’m not always a Blair Athol fan. This one is dense and intense, best had with a generous dollop of water, no mere drop or two! The palate especially benefits – from being almost too much to smooth and slightly more balanced.

Call it mood or something else, but I didn’t finish my sample glass. The next morning I nosed it – well, well, well… rather inviting! So I resolved to try again another evening, giving it hours not minutes to open. Better. Much better. But still not my preferred style.

What do the folks at SimplyWhisky have to say?

We release our whiskies in pairs. Memories is the third ‘Simon one’. It’s name was inspired by the times we’ve spent with friends, reminiscing about life’s adventures, mishaps and delights. What a ride and the best is yet to come!  Born in Scotland, Memories is a Libra and is bottled at cask strength.  Like the best conversations Memories takes a while to ‘open up’.  We suggest as least 5 minutes in the glass before enjoying.  Great whisky gift!

  • Promises on the nose – Candied apples, vanilla sponge cake, glacé cherries and the zest of an orange peel. Chocolate, rhubarb, tea leaves and black liquorice. Deep and intriguing.
  • Delivers on the palate – Black Forest gâteau with a rich chocolate cherry filling. Red and orange wine gums. More liquorice. Mouth coating with gentle spice and a mid-palate mustiness. Elemental and vibrant.
  • Delights on the finish – Dark red fruits and toasted coconut coir. Toffee ice cream lavished with black treacle and dry dark tea. Gentle bonfire smoke to fade.

The tasting notes mostly made sense – especially the rhubarb and tea leaves. I went back and could definitely find these elements. There is also a kind of mustiness on the palate and more tea on the finish.

Here are the other whiskies we sampled in our “What’s in a Name?” themed evening:

  • Benrinnes 10-year “Peace, Love & Whisky” (Apr 2011 – Dec 2021) Cask 304354, 50.5% (Simply Whisky) 364 bottles.
  • Ardnamurchan 5-year “April Fool – Extremely Old, I wish I were Younger” (2022) 53.2% (The Whisky Exchange) 1575 bottles.

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