Chorlton – Croftengea 13 year 53.9%

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So there we were, one fine evening in Paris with two beautiful bottles from Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague series…  We began with the superb Orkney that surprised us with its lush complex character. We then turned to the Croftnegea…

If you aren’t immediately familiar with Croftnegea, perhaps you have heard for Loch Lomond? Just in this case it is the brand for their heavily peated version… much like Glenturret is also known as Ruadh Maor…

It was with this heavy peat expectation that I had thought to try this after the Highland Park “Orkney”. However what we discovered was quite the opposite!

As for the whisky…. read on…

Croftengea 13 years 53.9% 231 bottles

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Nose – Pear, ripe bananas, caramel, a bit of spice, cough syrup, malty, after the 1st sip, the aromas shifted to a delightful lemon meringue pie, strawberries, subtle spice and honey
  • Palate – Buttery sweet brioche, then citrusy with light peat at the end
  • Finish – Lingers, wonderful
  • Water – Made it even more accessible and very yummy, more fresh sweet bread, lemon curd

There was such a contrast between the aromas and palate, quite dynamic on the nose and subtle yet lovely on the palate.

We set it aside and revisited comparing the glass without water which had become perfumed and sweet, citrus and sugar. The one with the water was fruitier with the peat a bit more pronounced, cinnamon mini donut, Christmas market!

What did David have to say?

Peated single malt from Captain Haddock’s favourite distillery! This one starts on a sweet note, with banana milkshake, Milky Bars and a funky sort of fruitiness on the nose. The palate starts with fudgy chocolate, soft ginger and mango, before the peat makes itself felt with light smoke and a hit of black olive saltiness. This is a hugely fun whisky, and enjoyably weird around the edges.

I purchased this in December 2020 for £62.50 plus tax and courier charges. And I am sooooooo glad I managed to grab this while it was still available!

Here is are two more from La Nouvelle Vague series:

Here is the full set of Chorlton‘s sampled til date from the L’Ancien Régime series:

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Chorlton – Orkney 15 year 57.1%

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This is my 2nd Chorlton from the La Nouvelle Vague series… I’ll admit that I had high expectations however this one blew us away!

While the distillery is not explicitly named, considering there are only two distilleries on Orkney Island with quite different characters, and David mentions it is the more famous of the two, it will clearly be Highland Park rather than Scapa.

As for the whisky…. read on…

Orkney 15 years 57.1% 121 bottles

  • Colour – Deep copper
  • Nose – Smoked pork? Wow! What an active aroma – jumping all over the place in an amazingly powerful way the sweet smoke was initially predominant but not alone. From strawberries to cherries, hibiscus with a bouquet of flowers, citrus then shifted to red berries or French sweet red currents, a gorgeous dessert, underlaid with old wood, dark bitter chocolate, nutty, treacle and ham
  • Palate – Fabulous! Sweet, peat, generous berries, bitter coffee, absolutely flavour packed with so many layers, complex… all on the 1st sip. As we went in for our second sip, it was meaty, spicy, some french toast drowning in maple syrup, buttered brioche, caramelized banana, honeyed ham
  • Finish – Long and strong, phenomenal, with a rich mocha coffee initially which then also morphed from coffee and chocolate to cherry
  • Water – Needed? No. However is it also brilliant with water too? Yes. We found it was even more chocolatey

Even before opening, we started speculating about the cask given its incredibly dark hue and a mere 121 bottles from a hogshead barrel which typically would produce more than double!  And then we cracked it open and were amazed at the promise shown just from the cork alone – strawberries and bubblegum!

Then to have the kaleidoscope of aromas then richly complex palate and stellar finish? We were floored. Our experience went well beyond any expectation and was decidedly different than recent brushes with Highand Park.

When we set it aside and revisited it was equally enjoyable. This time with a new briney seaside quality we missed in our earlier exploration. It is clearly a whisky to savour and enjoy – over and over!What did David have to say?

This whisky (from the more famous of the two Orkney distilleries) has been matured in a very active cask, giving it the sort of hue you might expect from first-fill bourbon. The nose has waxy citrus, sea water and sticky cherry-flavour cough syrup alongside a lightly fragrant peat smoke. The palate is oily and chewy, with stewed red berries, smouldering wood, rose petals, herbal pastilles and a long coastal finish.

I purchased this in December 2020 for £75 plus tax and courier charges, back when it was still possible to get whiskies directly from the UK.

Here are two more from the La Nouvelle Vague series:

Plus the Chorlton‘s sampled til date from the L’Ancien Régime series:

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Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy Cask Strength 56.2%

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Nearly a year ago I was in Scotland and one of the few distilleries I had the pleasure of visiting was Lochranza on Isle of Arran. It was a fabulous day trip with friends and well worth doing.

One whisky I tried there was their no age statement Quarter Cask – and absolutely loved it! However as I could only walk away with one bottle for Mumbai, chose one that was only available at the distillery – the gorgeous rich and intense 23 year old cask strength.

A few months later, I bought the Quarter Cask online in Germany with plans to bring it to India during my summer trip as a way to ’round out’ a no-age-statement trio – joining bottles of the Lochranza Estate and Port Finish already patiently waiting for a tasting session in my Mumbai whisky cabinet.

And then summer came with no chance of a trip home in sight, I decided to open this bottle and simply enjoy! Naturally sharing samples with my Whisky Ladies in Paris.

Whilst we had minis of the Arran vertical 14, 18, and 23-year-olds plus the Port finish, I chose to dive into this one as an appetizer before the mighty Chorlton cask strength Orkney and Loch Lomond.

So what did we think?

Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy Cask Strength 56.2%

  • Nose – Mmmm….. vanilla, sweet sponge cake, Barbados rum, fruity, honey caramelized nuts which then flipped through a combination of blanched white almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, coconut, back to honey, vanilla, pineapple upside-down cake, milk chocolate
  • Palate – A wonderful warming spice, nicely well-rounded, a much more “solid” character than anticipated from the dessert-like aromas, approachable yet with substance, oily, a touch of dark bitter chocolate, nutmeg – rich without being heavy, lightly fruity
  • Finish – Lingers with pineapple and honey, lovely and long
  • Water – While we didn’t think it needed, decided to try – and you should! It brought out buttery sweet brioche on the nose, reduced the nuttiness, amping up the fruitness, bringing out on the palate a citrus twist and orange marmalade without compromising the delicious finish

We loved it! The nose was so inviting and delicious, the palate is marvellously well balanced and the finish long and rewarding. What isn’t there to enjoy?

We set it aside for a revisit and was greeted by a delightful perfume on the nose, fabulous flavours on the palate – which much more citrus than we initially found. Loved it!

What do the folks at Arran have to say?

Our Quarter Cask expression is a complex, rich and intensely fruity Single Malt, a cask strength delight and the perfect partner to our Sherry Cask Single Malt!

The Arran Single Malt selected for this cask strength expression was initially matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels for 7 years before being transferred for secondary maturation into smaller Quarter casks also made of the finest American oak for a further 2 years. The process of transferring our whisky into the smaller 125 litre sized casks for their final 2 years of maturation produces far greater contact between the whisky & oak and a faster, more intense maturation.

The end result is a full-bodied expression of Arran Single Malt combining power and finesse full of rich vanilla sweetness and bold peppery spice. Bottling at natural Cask Strength without chill-filtration or artificial colouring of any sort presents this whisky in its purest form. Small casks would have been a common feature of the Arran whisky trade in the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries as they were easier to handle and transport around the island. With our much-loved Quarter Cask expression we proudly bring this tradition back to life.

Official distillery tasting notes:

  • Nose – Apple tart, pineapple brioche
  • Palate – The citrus hallmarks of Arran welcome you, and the sweet spice of cinnamon and vanilla promises a memorable dram.
  • Finish – Sweetness, Honey, Pineapple, Vanilla, Coconut.

To be honest, we didn’t read the official tasting notes however clearly we would completely agree!

This expression is available from the distillery for GBP 50 and I bought it in Germany for EUR 53.56.

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What else have we recently tried from Arran?

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Chorlton’s La Nouvelle Vague picking up from L’Ancien Régime

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Ah… Chorlton… it has fast become a favourite independent bottler with their beautiful whiskies with even more beautiful labels.

In 2020, David came out with a new series – La Nouvelle Vague – and I simply could not resist! While I haven’t acquired all, I am a proud owner of this trio! So far we’ve only sampled the first… and I couldn’t wait to crack open the next two… bringing the full bottles with me on a trip to Paris to share!

Alas since I got my hands on the Croftnegea and Orkney, Brexit has complicated things considerably and I suspect future Chorlton acquisitions may be quite challenging.

Here are all the Chorlton‘s sampled till date from the L’Ancien Régime series… both with the Whisky Ladies European chapter and earlier in Mumbai with our original tasting group…

  • Miltonduff 9 year 58.3% – Creamy dessert with fruits, breakfast cereals… in short delicious!
  • Orkney 9 year 63.1% – Copper, minerals, salted caramel, and smoke, all beautifully balanced
  • Ruadh Maor 8 year 62.5% (aka Glenturret) – Seasoned meats and fried snacks…. a chameleon quality that evolved differently in each glass

Each one has been unique and interesting in its own way… Slainte!

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Arran Duo – Quarter Cask and Port Finish

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Back at the start of 2021 I was in Mumbai, rebottling whiskies into miniatures for tasting in India and to bring some back to Europe. The Campbeltown and Arran sets were dutifully dispatched early February to Paris and we dove into the Campbeltown ones almost right away!

As for the Arran trio? Let’s just say we got distracted with all the other whiskies we had accumulated or had wandered their way to us!

So when I decided to “pop” over to Paris, I decided to augment the trio already with my fellow “Euro Whisky Ladies” with another duo…. this time bringing the additional drams by hand.

So what was in the original Lochranza vertical?

And what did I add to augment it?

Tasting notes for The Bothy are from this summer however the Port is from a few years ago. We haven’t yet revisited it, though no doubt will soon enough. It may be some time before we slowly but surely work our way through a few sets before the Arran drams. Ahh… a problem of plenty is not really a problem at all!

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Whisky Lady – June 2021

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Confession time – with Europe cautiously opening up again I simply couldn’t resist hopping on a train to Paris for a week!

A highlight of the trip was meeting Benjamin Kuentz, the man behind Maison Benjamin Kuentz that has enthralled us with his creations. As one Whisky Lady had hunted down the 1st edition of Aux Particules Vines, our focus was on that series joined by samples of the 4th and 5th editions. After our tasting, we were connected with a Parisian distributor who had the 3rd edition however so far the 2nd edition remains elusive!

We also avidly discussed our impression of the 2nd edition of Aveux Gourmands compared with the original – which we found more pronounced in the buttery salted caramel.

I took advantage of this trip to bring gifts of my much beloved Chorlton bottles and other samples for us to enjoy together. One evening we sat down together to try:

Before joining our Whisky Ladies in Europe, we held a virtual session exploring the quintet generously sent by the folks at The Belgian Owl.

  • Trying the spirit with Origine provided interesting insights into the underlying qualities
  • Their flagship Identité at only 3 years is friendly with delicious aromas
  • For us, the 3-year single cask Passion was the only disappointment, coming across as a bit unbalanced and ‘not quite there’ the way Identite nailed it… and curiously lacking “passion”
  • When we first tried the 4-year Evolution, we loved how it was a clear step forward from Identite, building on what we appreciated with the added maturity really augmenting the experience on the palate in particular
  • And with Intense? Remarkable! At 72.7% we thought it would be too intense – not at all!

Curious to know more? Check out a few other ’round-up’ summaries:

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Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Intense 72.7%

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I am pretty sure that The Belgian Owl Intense has to be the strongest whisky I’ve ever had – by alcohol strength that is! Most distilleries will reduce the new make spirit by adding water before maturing in barrels – hence even in younger cask strength whiskies we see ABV hovering around the 60%s or less. Not so with Belgium Owl who have bottled at a whopping 72.7%! What did we think of the whisky?

The Belgian Owl Intense 40 months, first fill bourbon, single cask 1538452 72.7% Bottle 177

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Aroma – We initially thought of a dusty attic, very different. Nutty, resins, as it opened up, becoming increasingly pleasant, sweetly vanilla, a floral perfume, toffee, strawberries, Victoria sponge cake, cream, pure desert, really interesting and inviting. It kept shifting – from desert to sweet grass and honey, back to cinnamon, then caramelized bananas
  • Palate – Salty buttery caramel, cinnamon, chocolate milk, toffee, vanilla, bananas
  • Finish – Initial burn, then very sweet soft caramels
  • Water – While surprisingly smooth without water, it is even better with – bringing out a buttery cinnamon roll… over time there was almost a “perfume” on the palate

Had we sampled this “blind”, I highly doubt anyone would have guessed the ABV. It was way too delicious with different dimensions and not at all harsh. In many ways this was the most interesting of the quintet – bursting with character yet surprisingly not overwhelming.

What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say?

The Belgian Owl Intense is a single cask whisky stored at its degree of ageing, specifically selected by Etienne Bouillon. Each cask is unique and unveils its own character. We would like to promote some of these casks, we are sure you will be delighted.

The choice of bottling at cask strength is a completely natural choice for us. We can offer you a tasting as if you were here with us, in our whisky storehouse, undiluted, straight from the cask. This sensation is intense and unforgettable. We hope that these emotions will accompany you wherever you are.

Overall when we considered the five different whiskies in our The Belgian Owl quintet, we thought:

  • Trying the spirit with Origine provided interesting insights into the underlying qualities
  • Their flagship Identité at only 3 years is friendly with delicious aromas
  • For us, the 3-year single cask Passion was the only disappointment, coming across as a bit unbalanced and ‘not quite there’ the way Identite nailed it… and curiously lacking “passion”
  • When we first tried the 4-year Evolution, we loved how it was a clear step forward from Identite, building on what we appreciated with the added maturity really augmenting the experience on the palate in particular
  • And with Intense? Remarkable! At 72.7% we thought it would be too intense – not at all!

This set was kindly provided by The Belgian Owl – to me in Germany, my tasting companions in Paris and hopefully soon by folks in India too. However, the views here are our own.

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Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Evolution 46%

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We kept up our exploration of The Belgian Owl with their oldest expression… and before you start thinking of venerable 20 year old whiskies, for this distillery, forty-eight months is sufficient time to produce something worthy of exploring!

The Belgian Owl Evolution 48 months, first fill bourbon 46%

  • Colour – Bright copper
  • Aroma – Ahh! Though initially a bit shy, as it opened up was well worth a wee wait. Lots of pears, herbs, vanilla, slowly evolving from floral to fruity and then back to more floral. Much like the Identite, the primary fruit was pears joined by exotic tropical fruits. We also found some quince. lovely honeysuckle, sweet spices of cloves, aniseed… then back to herbal and even a hint of pine.
  • Palate – A sharpness in a good way! That light spice, malty wood, slightly bitter… all combined in a more classic Scottish character.
  • Finish – A long soft, subtle spice, quite interesting with a hint of mint and liquorice
  • Water – No desire to add

Here was a “proper” whisky! One that wasn’t Scottish but gave a generous “nod” to a classic Scottish style. The kind of dram that invites you back to more – well balanced and interesting enough to keep you curious.

We thought of this as the “adult” version of The Belgian Owl – mildly reminiscent of Linkwood – more from the sentiment it evoked than directly comparable. Clearly one that could be a crowd-pleaser.

When we reflected back, considered Identite more of a “smell” whisky whereas the Evolution is more of a “taste” whisky… one that gives much more as you sip.

What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say?

Nothing on their website however this was the oldest of the quintet at four years. In keeping with their house style, matured only in ex-Bourbon casks and like Identite was likely a combination of a few casks.

What else did we receive as part of our The Belgian Owl quintet?

This set was kindly provided by the good folks at The Belgian Owl however the views here are our own.

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Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Passion 46%

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After a decidedly promising start with both the Origine spirit and signature expression – Identite, we shifted into a single cask from The Belgian Owl. Similar age as Identite – a mere three years – it gave a window into the alchemy in a single ex-bourbon cask. What did we think? Did it bring out our passions?

The Belgian Owl Pasion 36 months, first fill bourbon, single cask 1538337 46% Bottle 29
  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Aroma – A bit closed, then as it opened fruity – particularly pear – first ripe pear, then baked pear, shifting more into tropical notes with banana, a hint of passion fruit and then clear pineapple tang, joined by some caramel and wood notes
  • Palate – Light spice, still smooth like the earlier whisky but somehow lacked the character and substance
  • Finish – Sweetish – think of red candy dye
  • Water – To be honest, we didn’t even think of trying with water

After thoroughly enjoying Identite, our expectations had risen considerably. What did we discover? It was clear it came from the same whisky family, however, it was curiously flat, and whilst smooth and sweet, we also found it a bit imbalanced. Something that was so well rounded in Identite was absent here. It was still overall quite pleasant but didn’t have that easy-going, cheerful character that was so incredibly appealing in Identite. One quipped it didn’t exactly arouse our “passions” though was actually quite a decent dram. What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say?

The Belgian Owl Passion is a single cask whisky, specially selected by Etienne Bouillon. Each cask is unique and unveils its own character.

What else? They use unpeated distillate in pot stills and exclusively mature in 1st fill ex Bourbon American white oak (Quercus alba). What else did we receive as part of our The Belgian Owl quintet?

This set was kindly provided by the good folks at The Belgian Owl following a virtual tasting with friends scattered from Europe to India. Whilst we hope to revisit together with The Belgian Owl team to explore and understand further, our tasting was held without any specific insights or influence, hence views are our own. If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Identité 46%

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The Belgian Owl has a “signature” whisky – their primary and most accessible expression of their identity – aptly named “Identité”. After sipping the surprisingly smooth and fruity “Origine”, we cracked open their 36-month-old expression….
The Belgian Owl Identité 36 months, first fill bourbon 46%
  • Colour – Light gold
  • Aroma – Sweet vanilla, quite ‘active’ and cheerful, balsam fir, grains, becoming fruitier as it opened up, powdered sugar with vanilla – think of marshmallows, a quick chase of citrus then plums, toffee, even a bit of coconut oil before shifting back to vanilla, lightly floral. a bit of talcum powder then back again to vanilla
  • Palate – Smooth with substance, a trace of butter, more of the toffee, coconut, pear, nicely fruity, wonderfully balanced, easy-drinking – quite “happy go lucky” in style
  • Finish – Light spice
  • Water – No need
Overall we really enjoyed the evolution of the nose. Whilst it settled on quite a pronounced vanilla, the journey to that point was a happy one. It was nicely rounded on the palate… the kind of whisky you enjoy sipping… suddenly realizing your glass is empty without quite knowing how! During a second tasting, we had a remarkably similar experience however the whisky had become even more perfumed, with spring flowers and a more herbal quality joining the fruitiness and vanilla. Overall this is just an easy enjoyable dram… one we were happy to explore. What more do we know? From former Caperdonich pot stills of 1898, the whisky is matured in American white oak – Quercus alba – for just three years. What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say? This indispensable drink is the result of the way we use our know-how to introduce the distillate to the oak wood.
  • Nose – Without any doubt, the key words here are freshness, nesses and precision. The delicate tones of roasted oak and toffee melt into the fruity signature of Belgian Owl: conference pear, muscat, crystallized angelica and apple jam. When the whisky further opens up in your glass, you’ll discover the aroma of vanilla pudding and amber banana.
  • Mouth – Surprising thanks to the perfect balance of different aromas that the nose already brought to light and that develop further in the mouth: Spanish honey, vanilla and coconut ice cream, candied ginger, apples fried in butter and plum tart.
  • Finish – A long finish that returns from the savours in the mouth to the pleasant taste of the malt distillate, leaving a fruity and woody echo of the Hesbaye region as its legacy.
What else did we receive as part of our The Belgian Owl quintet? This set was kindly provided by the good folks at The Belgian Owl, however the views here are our own. If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on: Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with: