Tag Archives: The Whisky Exchange

2025 Whisky Show Exclusives – Kanosuke, Tormore, Clynelish

Posted on by
Reply

All whisky shows have “exclusives” bottled just for the event. 2025 Whisky Show was no exception! There were many on offer – including a “Lost in Time” series that we didn’t get a chance to try!

So what did we experience?

Inspired by the St George spirit from The Heart Cut that we tried at a Mainstage session about the future of Independent Bottlers, we went straight for their show bottle! As he poured, Duncan shared that he’s become a big fan of The Heart Cut, bottling some good stuff! He especially enjoyed their Cotswold and Milk & Honey expressions, which were not available at the show. So what about what we could try?

Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky Show 2025, this Kanosuke is the most recent expression from The Heart Cut.

Kanosuke 5 year (Nov 2019 / Apr 2025) Ex-Bourbon Quarter Cask 54% (The Heart Cut #21) 115 bottles

What did we think?

  • Nose – Fun, effervescent, fruity, apricot, a gentle honey, lightly herbal
  • Palate – Black tea, toasted marshmallows, delightful!
  • Finish – A lovely fragrant finish

This was a lovely dram – with the official tasting notes spot on! Here’s what they have to say about the liquid:

This whisky opens with big, ripe fruit – sun-warmed apricots that soften into honeycomb, lifted by a delicate, fragrant herbal note. On the palate, more apricots and juicy peaches layer with honeycomb that deepens into bittersweet caramel, reminiscent of the charred sweetness of toasted marshmallows, before easing into the refined bitterness of black tea. The finish carries the juiciness of stone fruit long and bright, with a whisper of lemon verbena to close.

Key Takeouts: Toasted Marshmallows, Honeycomb, Black tea, Lemon Verbena, Ripe Apricots.

A truly delightful treat to try!

We moved on to Sukhinder Singh’s distillery – Tormore. Our last experience was during an evening at my friend’s London home with Sukhinder, where we shared a Chorlton indie bottle – a Tormore 28 year. This wasn’t quite so old – more in the range of 15 years and was sampled from an official Pre-release for the 2025 Whisky Show.

Tormore Legacy Casks 2009 Vintage (May 2009 / May 2025) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel Cask #4046 55.1% 210 bottles.

  • Nose – We found it bursting with orchard fruits – lots of crisp green apples and pears! Then it shifted to reveal red berries, warm oak, and then caramel custard! After some time in the glass, there was a light floral element on top – sweet!
  • Palate – It had lots of currents, raspberries… rich and rewarding!
  • Finish – A hint of smoke and black tea

Though it was only a wee sniff and swish, we quite enjoyed it!

I spotted the 29 year Clynelish and got excited! My festival pick from the 2023 Whisky Show was the Clynelish 12 year (2011/2023) 1st Fill Barrel #880297 56.4%.

Clynelish 1993 29 Year Old (20 Oct 1993 / 20 Dec 2022) Bourbon Barrel #11080 49.6% (Càrn Mòr)

Duncan warned me this might not be quite what I was expecting….

  • Nose – I expected something joyful and waxy; instead, there were apples, but slightly past their prime, sweet
  • Palate – Initially, it seemed like it would be an easy-going, well-rounded dram, yet, then amidst all the red apples, the prick of spice became sharper

And that’s when it dawned on me. What about that classic Clynelish waxy trait? Where was the honey and heather? Then I learned it is GBP 775 / bottle? What….?! Oh my! Somehow, I stopped evaluating the whisky on its own merit and couldn’t get past the price tag.

After this trio of show exclusives, we noticed that the throng around The Heart Cut stand had lessened slightly, so we decided to make our move next door to further explore!

As always, it is good to reconnect with folks and share a dram or two, kibbitz over this and that, and slow down to enjoy good moments! (Yes that’s me with my regular tasting companion and Duncan, late of The Whisky Exchange).

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Whisky Show 2024 – The Whisky Festival Bottles

Posted on by
Reply

Before we closed our 1st day of the 2024 London Whisky Show, we simply had to check out The Whisky Exchange’s festival bottles. I’ve often discovered something worthy of bringing back to share with others – fellow enthusiasts who aren’t able to jump on a plane to London, Paris, Singapore, Nurnberg. This way I can take an element unique and specific to be experienced beyond the event itself – because the best souvenir is shared!

Lowland Distillery 11 year (2012 / Dec 2023) Refill Hogshead 3478 58.8% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Summer) ~ GBP 70

We began with the Seasons series – with Summer! All that was disclosed was that it was from a Lowland distillery… possibly part of the Diageo stable.

Delightful! It was creamy and fruity on the nose – think warm apricots and peaches, joined by a fresh minty element too. On the palate, it was tingly and tart, tropical and bright. This was an uncomplicated summery dram – a perfect way to begin our explorations!

Old Orkney 2003 20 year old 55.8% (Decadent Drinks for Whisky Show 2024) ~ GBP 250

We were then guided in a completely different direction – to Highland Park! With a label inspired by a 1900s advertisement for Old Orkney whisky – once used for single malts from Stromness distillery.

We were greeted by a gentle peat, which morphed into a strong maritime stamp of brine and sea breeze. Not at all shy after all! On the palate, it had a spice kick, nice and balanced, closing with a peaty finish. What fun!

Ben Nevis 10 year (2023) Sherry 60.2% (Dawn Davies Whisky Show 2024) ~ GBP 72

What next? We were directed to The Whisky Show bottlings dedicated to their team. I have to admit, I’m not a Ben Nevis fan. The nose started a bit shy, then revealed a fudgy fruity quality… the palate was an explosion “kaboom!” of great big Christmasy flavours, chewy with even the finish having a spice kick. It was described as a “dirty” Ben Nevis.

Ardmore 26 Year (1997) 50.3% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Summer) ~ GBP 200

We shifted back to the Summer series. The nose was enchanting – gentle with a hint of fruit. Delicate with a hint of peat and tannins from maturing in a wine barrel. The palate, soft and juicy fruits, honeydew melon, restrained and complex. The finish was subtle with tobacco leaves, a bit of vegetation, light spice, long and lingering. Really quite something!

Ledaig 17 year (2006) Sherry Butt 16 55.4% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Autumn) ~ GBP 240

And now finally, we progressed from summer to fall – clearly moving more to peat with Tobermoray’s peaty Ledaig. On the nose, it was briney, wet leaves, fruity with a hint of peat. And on the palate? It was pure pumpkin spice, and everything nice! The finish was long, gingery with a strong sherry close – I believe a PX?

Speyside (M) 18 year (2005) 1st Fill Oloroso 61.2% (Signatory for The Whisky Show) ~ GBP 235

We closed our 1st day on a strong sherry note with a Macallan. The nose was punchy with the clear stamp of sherry! Dark fruits and nuts. The palate was full-bodied and prickly with ginger spice. The finish was heavy with dates. There was nothing subtle about this dram!

Long after we left the venue, the memory of this powerhouse continued!

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

What’s in a Name? April Fool!

Posted on by
2

Last summer, I missed an interesting session with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents with the theme “What’s in a Name?“.  The inspiration for this theme obviously came from how the whiskies were dubbed inventive titles such as “Peace, Love & Whisky“, “Memories” plus this one called “April Fool’s”! All three were from independent bottlers – the initial two were from Simply Whisky and this last whisky was bottled by The Whisky Exchange.

Very kindly they kept aside samples for me to experience solo. 

As background, for those not familiar with the story, Ardnamurchan is the Highland distillery recently re-opened by independent bottlers Adelphi. The original distillery stopped production in the early 20th century and its current avatar officially opened in 2014. Ardnamurchan produces both unpeated and peated single malts.

So… what did I think about this expression?

Ardnamurchan 5-year “April Fool – Extremely Old, I wish I were Younger” (2022) 53.2% (The Whisky Exchange) 1575 bottles. GBP 75

    • Colour – Bright gold
    • Nose – What first greets you is a decided sour aroma. A cross between sour apple sauce and a balsamic reduction. It then opened up to woods, toasted nuts, smoked meats, heavy caramel, warm and oily, some fruits
    • Palate – Hot and spicy! There are more smoked meats, joined by smoked fish, sweet spices, and more of that oily element. Certainly this would be part of their peat expressions…
    • Finish – Strong, hot, bitter and long
    • Water – Don’t mind if I do! It helps, it really helps.
      • On the nose, it brings out some fruit sauce – like a mix of apples and others. the sweet spices of ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves peak out.
      • With a generous splash, it also tames the palate, allowing more of the sweetness to come through – some fudge with a ginger honey glaze topped by a coastal salt spray
      • The finish too becomes much more approachable
  • Have you had salmon on cedar plank? Somehow it reminded me a bit of that once watered down, settling a bit. This is no sprightly romp through the park. Instead, it is more like tromping through a deep forest in autumn.

    I’ll have to admit that until I added a dollop of water (no mere carefully measured drops!), I wasn’t so enthusiastic about this dram. However, with water, I could see this being the bracing accompaniment to coming in from the cold.

    That shared, I had trouble reconciling this not-so-thrilling experience with the positive buzz I’ve heard and read about Ardnamurchan. Me thinks in the upcoming September London Whisky Show, we’ll have to spend some time exploring to make a more informed determination for ourselves.

  • What more do we know? This whisky has been aged in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks for 5 years before being bottled at cask strength.

    Here is what the folks at The Whisky Exchange have to say:

    Our April Fool’s 2022 special release is wise beyond its years. Distilled at Ardnamurchan under the watchful eye of the Adelphi Distillers team, this five-year-old whisky combines centuries of tradition with modern whisky making to create a fruity dram, run through with a gentle seam of peat smoke. The whisky’s details are hidden on the label, only revealed when you shine a UV torch on them – April Fool!

    Compliments of my friends this is what the bottle looks like to the “naked eye”.

    And under the black light? This is what you can see… sort of… revealing that it is a mere 5-year-old upstart!

    What else was sampled in an evening devoted to What’s in a Name?“:

  • You can also find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:
  • FaceBook Whisky Lady in India – https://www.facebook.com/WhiskyLadyIN 
  • Twitter @WhiskyLadyIN

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

Posted on by
Reply

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.

You can also find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:

BMC July 2023 edition – What’s in a Name?

Posted on by
Reply

Last summer, I missed an interesting session with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents with the theme “What’s in a Name?“.  The inspiration for this theme obviously came from how the whiskies were dubbed: “Peace, Love & Whisky”, “Memories” and “April Fool’s”! All three were from independent bottlers – two from Simply Whisky and one from The Whisky Exchange. The gents kindly kept samples aside for me – yeah!

So what did we try from the evening of “What’s in a Name?“:

What an interesting concept! Curious to see the results? Click on the links above and live vicariously through my notes! Or share your experiences too!

You can also find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:

The Whisky Exchange Exclusives at London’s Whisky Show 2023

Posted on by
Reply

The Whisky Exchange are the folks behind London’s Whisky Show 2023. So how could we wander out the doors without sampling at least a pair of whiskies bottled exclusively for them? It would be sacrilege, right?

However what to pick from a plethora of options? We decided to contrast young with old, unfamiliar with familiar, affordable with aspirational!

Let’s start with the newbie… Dalmunach from Speyside. Dalmun whaat you may say? You can be forgiven for not instantly recognizing this new distillery founded by Chivas Brothers (aka Pernod Ricard). Built in 2014 by the River Spey on the site of the demolished Imperial Distillery, it is not even 10 years old! Which, as we know, in Scottish whisky terms is barely a toddler! Interestingly, Douglas Cruickshank led this build, and, having previously worked at the Imperial Distillery, tried to preserve some elements of Imperial’s design features. How that translates into the whisky experience is yet to be fully understood.

Dalmunach 6 year old “The Wulver Edition” 60% for ~GBP60

So what about this young upstart dram? I’ve got “yum” written all over! Peaches and cream, mocha and butter biscuits, some orchard perfume on the nose. And for the palate? More depth than expected, a nice nuttiness accompanies the fruits – now more like apple sauce than fresh crunchy apples plucked from a tree. It finishes with a dusting of sweet cinnamon spice. Dee-lish!

What more do we know about this particular bottling? It was matured in American oak barrels and is The Whisky Exchange’s 1st edition Dalmunach. As they put it, the label was inspired by the Wulver:

a fearsome yet benevolent figure said to fish along the shorelands of the Shetland Isles.

Though it was just a small sniff and swish, I will keep my eye out for more opportunities to explore Dalmunach expression further!

And the other end of the spectrum? We knew what to expect with Glenfarclas.

Glenfarclas 25 year “The London Edition” (2023) 50.5% GBP 300

The aroma was a lovely dry sherry, quite nutty, joined by vanilla cream on top of a warm pumpkin pie. On the palate, it was full and robust – some oak joining the Christmas pudding. There was also some salted caramel, and found it both buttery and jammy. It had a darker finish with a hint of coffee bitterness. What a fabulous reminder of why we are rather partial to Glenfarclas!

Here is what the folks at TWE have to say:

Made at Glenfarclas distillery and matured in oloroso sherry casks for a quarter of a century before being bottled to celebrate The Whisky Exchange’s 20th Anniversary. Aromas of meadow flowers, baked apples, barley sugar and buttery brioche fill the nose, developing into earthy coffee and sweet raisins. The palate opens with notes of fruit cake, salted caramel and rich oak, developing buttery pastry, raisins and fruity espresso flavours and dry waxiness.

This bottle features a specially-created label, designed by our creative director Raj Chavda to pay tribute to London’s vibrant hospitality industry.

What fun! I made a mental note to try to get to The Whisky Exchange exclusives earlier in the day next year… though closing with choice options like we did in 2023 also worked!

And if you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Birthday Dram – Speyside 45 year 45.1%

Posted on by
Reply

Our “Birthday Dram” evenings were primarily prompted by this bottle… Which a fellow whisky aficionado and I were lucky enough to sample in London last year with Sukhinder Singh.

Released at Whisky Show 2019 by The Whisky Exchange, it was matured in a single sherry butt for 45 years before being bottled in 2019 with a dash of another Speyside distillery so it could be released as a blend of 549 bottles.

At the time, we were struck by how it was both fruity and rich without being heavy. We found it simply delicious! An autumnal dram, the kind of mature, classic, complex whisky you imagine slowly sipping and savouring while sitting in a leather armchair of an old family library, full of dusty books, a thick carpet, relaxing in warmth from the fireplace…

We thought it worthy of our friend and whisky expert who has been brand ambassador in India to top Scottish distilleries.

TWE’s Speyside 45 year (1973 / 2019) Sherry Cask 45.1%

  • Colour – Rich amber
  • Nose – Treacle, sweet wood, generous maple syrup, boiled sweets… quite a kaleidoscope of aromas, from dried fruits to cherries, sweet spices of cinnamon to oak and something hinting of the forest
  • Palate – At first quite unusual – green leaves, sap, a hint of acetone, young wood, then it was like pushing through a top layer to discover something quite meaty and remarkable below… tobacco leaf, toast, raisin butter tart
  • Finish – Quite sweet

Overall we found this whisky is quite complex. However it wasn’t ‘classic’ in style, instead it had a unique combination of elements we don’t often find. Certainly we didn’t see this as a typical Glenfarclas or the unnamed other Speyside in the blend.

However as it kept shifting and evolving in our glass, I strongly suspect this is the kind of whisky that won’t be harmed by a bit of oxidation. In fact may actually be even more interesting as time passes – hence the perfect gift for our friend who can slowly, carefully, share with select folks a special dram or two!

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

Aromas of brown sugar and fruitcake open on the nose, followed by brown bread with butter, maraschino cherries, raisins, cinnamon-baked apples, dried mango and rich, earthy aromas. The palate offers notes of toasted oak, baked apples, sultanas, bitter char, soft spice and light fruitcake.

Billy Abbott from The Whisky Exchange has this to add:

  • Nose: Brown sugar and light fruitcake lead: Mr Kipling’s Country Slices with a side-order of brown bread and butter. Darker, savoury notes slowly build, with char and singed raisins balanced by rich earthiness and old-Cognac rancio. Fruit sits at the core: maraschino cherries, plump raisins, baked apples, wine-poached pears and a hint of dried mango.
  • Palate: Venerable but fresh – old oak is poised against sweet baked apples; sultanans balance bitter char. Soft spice builds across the palate: brown sugar and nutmeg lead to the fruit from the nose. The fruitcake is back and remains light, sprinkled with crunchy crystals of sugar. Thick damp oak and fragrant riverbank earthiness provide a backbone.
  • Finish: Brown sugar lingers, accompanied by char and a parade of fruit: apples, sultanas and, finally, sticky raisins.

Now this is one that would set you back a pretty penny or two or three! Obviously we purchased it through The Whisky Exchange – currently available for GBP 425. This bottle was opened in August 2021 in Mumbai on a special belated birthday evening for a fellow whisky traveller’s 60th birthday.

What else did we try in our Birthday drams evening?

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

Peaty Highlander – Ballechin Heavily Peated 12 year 54.5%

Posted on by
Reply

Our explorations of Highland peaty drams led us to Edradour distillery with a full cask strength dram.

Ballechin Heavily Peated 12 year (May 2017) 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Cask 330 54.5% 251 Bottles

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Nose – Wow! Floral yet with a power punch, some sharpness, sweetly herbal, cinnamon, star anise, then the floral dissipated to be replaced by maple bacon, honey sweetness with a citrus twist
  • Palate – Honey, maple syrup, very dry, holds and took on that distinctive maple bacon whisky, substance
  • Finish – Nutty, toothpaste, lovely spice, iodine
  • Water – Sour with no spice… given time revealed cinnamon then a nutty quality, like pressed almond oil

Our final conclusion was this would be a perfect monsoon whisky… one to enjoy when the heavy rains wash away all the heat and pollution, dropping the temperature too.

What did the folks at The Whisky Exchange have to say?

A single-cask Ballechin bottled at a cask-strength of 54.5% and exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, this heavily-peated single malt from Edradour distillery boasts a smoky, farmyard character to rival any Islay whisky. Balanced by sweet citrus and hints of honey, this is a fantastic dram which elegantly combines sweet, savoury and smoky notes to memorable effect.

TASTING NOTES BY BILLY ABBOTT (THE WHISKY EXCHANGE)

  • Nose: Sweet and green smoke at first: freshly sawn branches newly tossed on to a bonfire of burning pine. Hints of jelly-baby fruitiness develop, along with Vick’s Vaporub, honey and lemon lozenges and white toast with honey. The lighter notes at the front obscure but don’t hide a darker background of rich smoke.
  • Palate: Savoury smoke to start: smoked ham and signed lemons. White pepper heat mixes with bicycle-tire inner tubes, sharp lemon curd and a hint of creosoted fence. A bubble of black liquorice rises from the depths, bursting to reveal blackcurrants and anise.
  • Finish: Tar and char fade to leave bittersweet liquorice and lemon butter sauce.
  • Comment: Softer than many Ballechins, this brings together sweet and savoury notes, all wrapped up in a smoky blanket.

And what would it set you back? If, like our Whisky Lady, you purchased it from The Whisky Exchange in London, expect something around £80.

What else did we sample in our Whisky Ladies Peaty Highland drams evening?

What else have I tried from Edradour distillery?

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Peaty Highlander – Inchmoan 12 year 46%

Posted on by
Reply

From Loch Lomond distillery, Inchmoan is another variant of Inchmurrin (or Inchfad, Croftengea, Rosdhu)… with peat to go with the Highland sweet.

Here is what we thought of this 12 year expression…

Courtesy DevPaula

Inchmoan 12 year 46% (Loch Lomond Distillery Island Collection)

  • Colour – Burnished copper
  • Nose – Quite metallic to start, iron, copper, rust, fruits, back to a blacksmith, wet leaves, then campfire s’mores, sweet, apricot, rum raisin, macadamia nuts
  • Palate – A nice campfire peat, juicy raisins, butter, silky smooth, syrupy with a herbal quality like sipping Jägermeister with a flash of fresh tarragon, then tannins and a bit of “raw hide”, then back to herbal, followed by sweet coffee and chocolate, and is that a bit of ginger and cinnamon?
  • Finish – Long finish, surprisingly gentle, sweet grassy peat, smoke and peppery spice with a stoneware close
  • Water – Simply perfect as is – no need to add

What we enjoyed most was the shifts and changes with this whisky. We thought there was a bit of a burn to start – a touch of “dragon’s fire” which then settled down and became dangerously delicious!

What did the folks at The Whisky Exchange have to say?

Inchmoan is the peated single malt produced at Loch Lomond. The 12 Year Old is sweet and spicy with notes of vanilla and a smoky backbone.

And what would it set you back? If, like our Whisky Lady, you purchased it from The Whisky Exchange in London, expect something around £45.

What other Peaty Highlanders did our Whisky Ladies try?

What else have we experienced from Loch Lomond?

And that’s it! Me thinks it might be time to explore more!

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Peaty Highlander – Aird Mhor 8 year 55.3%

Posted on by
Reply

Sound it out… “Aird Mhor” and you realize perhaps this might be “Ardmore”… and sure enough it is!

Our Whisky Ladies session dove straight into this cask strength offering from the Single Malts of Scotland range bottled by Speciality Drinks. It was purchased at their Whisky Exchange Covent Garden store under the guidance of Duncan.

So what did we think?

Aird Mhor 8 year (1 Dec 2009 / 25 June 2018) Cask 707910 55.3% 261 Bottles

  • Colour – Golden
  • Nose – Gentle smoke, leather, wood, citrus, orange, as it opened became increasingly sweet
  • Palate – Spice, tobacco, warm, 2nd sip was like an echo of Laphroaig, calming, sweet
  • Finish – Long finish with a bit of liquorice and vanilla
  • Water – No surprise it initially ramped up the spice, but when it settled down it brought out a nicely nutty quality, helped balance it out a bit, with it a bit oily on the palate

This one was a bit curious and not for everyone. Going straight from zero to full cask strength was also an adjustment.. though one our Whisky Ladies can easily make!

One remarked this whisky was a bit of an “attention seeker” with a fierceness and forcefulness that demanded notice. In this respect, it showed its youthful enthusiasm.

We discovered that the hint of Laphroaig peat came from the Ardmore being matured in ex Laphroaig barrel.

It wasn’t complicated and yet it provoked a clear divide between those who enjoyed and those who didn’t care for it so much.

Apparently Mogambo also has something to say!

Aird Mhor + Mogambo courtesy DevPaula

What did the folks at The Whisky Exchange have to say?

A smoky dram from Aird Mhor (aka Ardmore distillery). While nearby distilleries are better known for unpeated whisky, Ardmore bucks the trend, making a powerful and smoky dram. This single-cask bottling from The Single Malts of Scotland – distilled on 1 December 2009 and bottled at years old on 25 June 2018 – is a classic, with punchy smoke, honey and lemon.

I must say, I rather think “punchy smoke, honey and lemon” is a rather good way to describe this one!

What else did we sample in our Whisky Ladies Peaty Highland drams evening?

And what else have I explored from Ardmore?

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on: