MacNair’s | Whisky Lady

Peated whisky and hot climates do not always mix. There is something about a brisk, stormy, cold night or wintry weather that prompts one to gravitate towards a smoky dram.

And whilst February in India tends toward a pleasant 26 – 29’c, much of the year it is much warmer, so habits are formed for the norm, not the exception. It took moving to Germany for me to truly rediscover why I used to occasionally enjoy a peaty whisky!

In our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai group, we have a few affirmed “Peaty Ladies”, and this blend produced a few more converts – at least for this style of peat!

For those less familiar, MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits is a blending and bottling company. It was founded by Harvey MacNair in 1857 as a Glasgow-based blending house. Now part of Pernod Ricard, it has benefited from a close collaboration with Master Blender Billy Walker, with Lum Reek a core expression.

And why Lum Reek?

Lang may yer lum reek. The old Scottish saying literally meaning ‘long may your chimney smoke’, is a traditional way to wish someone a long, healthy and prosperous life

The warm sentiment resonated – even though our climate differs. On to the dram, what did we think?

MacNair’s Lum Reek 12 year peated blended malt 46%

Nose – Subtle yet unmistakable smoke, full bacon sweetness – a happy peat! Think honey-glazed ribs, grilled pineapple, generous bacon jam, a tropical wild honey… As it evolved, we found a hint of black pepper, some raw mango, then a sweet and savory banana fritter drizzled with honey, vanilla ice cream, sherry-soaked sponge cake – delicious!
Palate – “It’s yum!” was an exclamation! A delicious spice, sweet peat, a gorgeous full-bodied dark berry, ginger chocolate, luscious, smooth, and frankly a bit voluptuous
Finish – A really good finish – lingering with a subtle sweet peat, roasted and lightly salted caramelize nuts, mocha
Revisit – With more time in the glass, we returned to find a delicious butterscotch with soft smoke… still delicious!

There was little doubt – this was the clear evening winner!

As for the official tasting notes? Here’s what the folks at MacNair’s have to say:

Nose: Sweet peat reek, butterscotch, warming mocha, and gentle nutmeg
Taste: Lashings of heather honey, rich toffee, and sweet spices, all with undertones of peat

This is a blended malt with no grain. As it was purchased at the GlenAllachie distillery, it seemed pretty obvious that the Speyside could very well be GlenAllachie. BenRiach was also mentioned. This was partly confirmed by their official blend description – with no mention of the other distilleries involved:

MacNair’s Lum Reek 12-year-old combines Single Malts from Islay and Speyside – two of the most renowned whisky producing regions in Scotland. The recipe, created by industry veteran and Master Distiller/Blender of the Year, Billy Walker, includes both peated and unpeated whiskies, including aged GlenAllachie single malt.

The small batch expression was matured at The GlenAllachie Distillery in a combination of first fill Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez and red wine casks until the whisky reached its optimum. The consequential bronze spirit, offered without added colouring or chill-filtration, reveals sophisticated notes of sweet peat reek, warming mocha, Scottish heather, and butterscotch.

What prompted the discussion was the Islay element. First thought was Caol Ila; however, we at least considered other options. It was certainly not Ardbeg or Laphroaig. It was unlikely to be Bruichladdich or Kilchoman or Bunnahabhain… Perhaps Lagavulin… One suggested Bowmore, yet we kept coming back to Caol Ila for its balanced sweet peat. I’m curious if our speculation is right?

Bottom line, it is a fine malt blend, and we were most grateful that our host shared this bottle from her Scottish Whisky Trail!