Tweet Tasting 2 - #TBWCwhisky That Boutique-y Whisky Co.

On Thursday the 6th September, 20 members of the Manchester Whisky Club flocked to Twitter to take part in it's second Tweet Tasting. We had been kindly supplied with a fantastic array of whisky from Master of Malt. However, this was no ordinary whisky, for here we had 5 drams from their fantastic 'That Boutique-y Whisky Company' range.

Each bottling release is a single cask release, making each bottling, even if from the same distillery, completely unique. The range is quickly becoming famous for its quirky cartoon based labels using whisky 'in jokes' and themes based on the distillery being featured. These provide a breath of fresh air compared to the usual boring beige or white we're used to seeing adorn our favourite spirit.

All bottlings are NAS (No Age Statement), NCF (Non Chill Filtered) and Cask Strength.

At 7.30pm the tasting began using the tag #TBWCwhisky.

Tomintoul Batch 1 - 47.8%

Only available here for £44.95

The first batch from Speyside distillery Tomintoul is very light in colour, possibly 2nd or 3rd fill bourbon cask and collectively everyone thought this was probably a young spirit.

The label shows the chaps from the Bramble bar in Edinburgh knocking up a signature Bramble cocktail. This bottling has a token on the back that can actually be redeemed for one of these cocktails at the bar! Genius!

Nose - 

@MCRWhiskyClub Tomintoul nose - Elderflower,slight hint of peach and malt, bakewell tart? #TBWCwhisky

@WhiskyTube Tomintoul Batch 1 - N - More floral notes coming through now with delicate honey suckle and fresh summer daisies #TBWCwhisky

@OfMustandMash Tomintoul - the malty grain come through mainly. A lovely roundness to it too #TBWCwhisky

@MCRWhiskyClub After water the nose for me transforms to green apple crumble and custard! and for some strange reason, the xmas decorations box #TBWCwhisky

Palate - 

@Elunslakedhyena Tomintoul tastes like candy with a floral, blossomy nose. #TBWCWhisky

@the_lady_sybil Palate spiky, peppery. Almonds are still there, but in towards the finish. Lingers centrally warm and sweet #TBWCwhisky #Tomintoul

@WhiskyTube Creamy summer fudge with a slight biscuity barley note #TBWCwhisky

@Tomm3h Taste is light, without being overly citrusy. Definitely needs water #TBWCwhisky

Finish - 

@Grahamyus To conclude. A small gingerbread man crossing a cauldron of apple cinnamon punch whilst eating peppery toffees #tbwcwhisky

@Tomm3h Aftertaste, root vegetables... Parsnips or swede. Quite different, in fact #TBWCwhisky

Arran Batch 2 - 49.4%

Available exclusively here for £39.95

Deeper in colour than the Tomintoul, probably 1st fill bourbon cask or a longer period spent in 2nd fill. The label shows the famous Eagles of Arran, palm trees (which do actually thrive on Arran due to its relatively temperate climate!) and the arran ferry.

Nose - 
@WhiskyTube This nose is almost erotic! Apple danish with lashings of maple syrup #TBWCwhisky

@GregHarding #TBWCwhisky - concur with saltiness. Hints of Pork Scratchings, drizzled in sherbet lit with a swan vesta match


@MCRWhiskyClub Again citrus on the nose, cinnamon, possibly a hint of fresh linen and subtle fruits. Not sure which ones yet.. #TBWCwhisky

Palate - 
@OfMustandMash oak well integrated, creamy cooked fruits...lovely complexity #TBWCwhisky

@msykesjones #TBWCwhisky Getting the fruits in the mouth, plums, pears maybe

@Elunslakedhyena It's like John Travolta doing Saturday night fever in tangerine boots. #TBWCWhisky

@RikGarner #TBWCwhisky a touch of brandy on the palette, matches the crisp apple nose

@MCRWhiskyClub AHA! I have you now.. fig rolls! #TBWCwhisky
Heather honey and pink peppercorn on arrival, juicy satsuma, pineapple!? & a melody of malt alongside. Lovely #TBWCwhisky

Finish - 
@MCRWhiskyClub Lovely and rounded, very malty in true Arran style. No water with this for me :) Cracker #TBWCwhisky

@Rlwjones This Arran is pretty sensational. Good job the place never sank into the sea, like David Icke predicted. #TBWCwhisky

@WhiskyTube Finish on the Arran is fantastic! Spiced coconut with all that honey/orange/wood smoke filling the mouth! #TBWCwhisky


Aultmore Batch 2 - 56.0%

Available exclusively here for £41.95

Diageo's Aultmore is normally blend fodder, so it's nice to see it as an indie release. Since there are, in all honesty, no interesting backstories or whisky folktales about Aultmore, Master of Malt went for the masterpiece below, yes, that's a whisky label. Possibly the best we've ever seen.

Nose - 
@Tomm3h Hmm.. A scent of fresh Barley straw coming through. #farmerchildhood #TBWCwhisky

@Elunslakedhyena Cocoa, plums, currents, bit of peach. Varnished wooden floors. #Aultmore #TBWCWhisky

@ChrisKnighting Aultmore has a magic nose, menthol, big cherries #tbwcwhisky

@msykesjones #TBWCwhisky with water, really opens up, spice, cloves quite complex

@OfMustandMash starting to get something now: stewed apple and a bit of apricot too and a layer of mint #TBWCwhisky

@MCRWhiskyClub Rhubarb, garden after a rain shower, oak, slight vanilla, treacle toffee, marmite glazed Cumberland sausage! #TBWCwhisky
Nose w/ water - Full of vanilla and butterscotch alongside juicy dark hedgerow fruits this is a lovely dram, so much change! #TBWCwhisky

Palate - 
@Himselfbyname salted caramel! #TBWCwhisky

@WhiskyTube Aultmore Palate! An tour de force of Cask strength rum like vanilla essence and muscavado sugars! Lots of banana there too! #TBWCwhisky

@MSykesJones #TBWCwhisky with water, really opens up, spice, cloves quite complex

@MCRWhiskyClub Palate no h20 - Intense spice and pepper notes incredible, like a depth-charge of spice. What an entrance! Palate w/ Water oily mouthfeel & still packs a punch, malt and charred oak this time, a subtle handover to raisin and honeycomb #TBWCwhisky

@ChrisKnighting Neat taste is nice, astringent but not abrasive, decent heat, long finish. Just lovely #tbwcwhisky

@the_lady_sybil Ohh fiery, but not unpleasant, juniper and mixed spices, juniper lingers on the palate with a touch of sweet spearmint. #TBWCwhisky

Finish - 
@MCRWhiskyClub Long, fruity and warming with delicious winter spice and dark bitter chocolate #TBWCwhisky

@WhiskyTube This finish just goes on forever and ever! RUMTASTIC!! #TBWCwhisky


Benrinnes Batch 2 - 49.4%

Available exclusively here for £36.95

Depicting a seemingly one sided whisky lecture featuring the MaltManiac's PeatMcPeat and Johnny Washback. Another Speysider here with an interesting Benrinnes offering


Nose - 
@The_lady_sybil Hmmm kind of an earthiness on the nose to this one...? #TBWCwhisky #Berinnes


@AndyD1701 The more I go back the more pickled notes I seem to be getting, raspberry vinegar, stewed apple and lemon tart #TBWCwhisky

@OfMustandMash Benriness - nose - Getting in love by the second with that one: there's some lovely fruity sweetness there too as it develops #TBWCwhisky

@StinaWillett Anyone getting Brussel sprouts on the nose? #TBWCwhisky #Benrinnes

@MSykesJones #TBWCwhisky yep sherry is there, fudge sweetness, reminds me of xmas

@Tomm3h @The_Lady_Sybil yeah, like the smell of a cove on a sea pier... Salty and stagnant, almost #TBWCwhisky

Palate - 
@WhiskyTube Benrinnes palate: Lots of redcurrants, cranberries and all those tart red fruits! Oh and did I mention sherry? #TBWCwhisky

@Elunslakedhyena Brian Blessed tumbling down a mountain of cinder toffee, bellowing all the way down. #TBWCWhisky

@Grahamyus I'm now getting chocolate orange #tbwcwhisky

@The_Lady_Sybil Touch of smoky honey lingering on this I think... odd, but lovely #TBWCwhisky

Finish - 

@Tomm3h So Benrinnes: rubbery flavour, but a lovely, lingering finish of strawberry syrup. #TBWCwhisky

@OfMustandMash this is really nice, salty and sweet at the same time #TBWCwhisky

Secret Distillery Batch 1 - 55.4% 

Available exclusively here for £41.95

This whisky hails from an undisclosed secret Speyside distillery, we're not going to give it away but needless to say to expect a wheelbarrow full of sherry character...

Nose - 
@AndyD1701 Nose w/o H2O Sherry intermingling with parkin cake, crunchie bars and christmas pudding mix - very subtle for 55.4%! #TBWCwhisky

@WhiskyTube Like a mulled wine spice bag! German markets at Christmas!! #TBWCwhisky

@MsykesJones #TBWCwhisky sweet, roasted nuts in spices

@OfMustandMash Secret W - nose - but also caramel and toffe and spice like cinammon and nutmeg, vanilla...sherry #TBWCwhisky

Palate - 
One of the most unique notes of the night..
@Shabby_road The taste of being struck, quickly by an expensive leather glove, in southern France. That afternote is shame.#TBWCwhisky

@AndyD1701 Palate no water - Butter in an iron pan, heavy oak and there's the sherry alongside nuts and chocolate truffle #TBWCwhisky

And another..
@Grahamyus An oversized walnut rollsdown Glastonbury Tor on a winters eve,smashes over bottles ofbordeaux and gathers up chocsand n vanilla #tbwcwhisky

@WhiskyTube Much more tannic now, loads more of those mulled wine spices! Lots of dry merlot and maybe some cabernet franc notes! #TBWCwhisky

Finish - 
@WhiskyTube Getting lots of parma violets on the finish, like an Argentinian Cabernet Franc #TBWCwhisky

@Tomm3h Feel like I've just drank a big bar of dark, tasty Bourneville chocolate. #Glenfarclas #TBWCwhisky


A fantastic tasting overall. In terms of popularity the Aultmore stole the show with the Arran coming in a close second.

A huge thanks must go to the chaps at Master of Malt for generously providing the club with such a fantastic range of samples for us to try.

We have also tried the Bowmore Batch 1 at our very first meeting back in January, read our write up for that here!

Going Global

Summer is on the decline, but still millions flock to the UK's airports to jet off to countries to sample delights such as miles of golden sandy beaches and turquoise seas. Or, in some cases; €0.50 shots of cheap sambuca in a nightclub where the music is too loud and the frivolity seemingly extensive.

One subject we are yet to touch on is world whisky. 'World whisky?' We hear you cry? Yes. Besides Scotland, Ireland, The US and Japan. There are a wealth of distilleries spanning across continents that you might never have thought would distill whisky in your wildest dreams. So we thought, instead of going to these far and distant lands like explorers of a past age, why not bring these countries to us? So on the 26th August 2013, we plotted a course for the unknown and set off on our journey.

We had a selection of 6 whiskies in total across the night spanning 3 continents. With spirit originating from countries bathed in sunlight to others where the anorak is a bestseller all year round.

First up was an entry from Sweden!

Mackmyra First Edition 46.1% (Sweden)

Mackmyra was Sweden's first whisky distillery. Set up by friends from the University of Stockholm in 1999, Mackmyra is starting to make a name for itself with it's unique small batch releases. Set among tall Swedish forests Mackmyra makes for a pretty picture. Matured in Virgin Swedish oak casks.

Nose - Light and sweet, elderflower cordial, lemongrass, warm custard pastry's, crunchy green apples and honey.
Palate - Very gentle and smooth with good thick mouth feel, light and syrupy flavours including more honey, vanilla and slight spicy hints.
Finish - Quite short with a flourish of more fruit, slight tartness ending with a not unpleasant bitterness.


Three Ships 10yr Old - Limited Edition 43% (Africa) 

Next we had something very different in store. When someone says Africa you might think of the rolling savannas of the Serengeti or the rain forests of Congo or Gabon. But, would you ever imagine a quaint looking distillery in a picturesque setting? With a wild bird habitat to its side and the sun beating down, sits the James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington, South Africa.

A 10 year old single malt from South Africa, matured in unknown cask types.

Nose - Remarkably punchy for a 43% spirit, dried fruits, nutmeg, a dying wood fire, toffee.
Palate - Oaky and very full, a slight tightness in some notes released well with one or two drops of water to bring out more toffee and spiced plums.
Finish - Again the oak reigns supreme here, a very full and intense dram.


Kavalan King Car Conductor - 46% (Taiwan) 

Next we move onto another country not associated with whisky in any sense of the word. Taiwan, and to the Kavalan Whisky Distillery.

Now, this is an interesting dram in many senses of the word. Kavalan themselves have been releasing some top quality whisky recently and in this instance the distillery's holding company - King Car have stuck their oar in. They have created this, the King Car Conductor as a 'well rounded whisky to represent their well rounded company'. That's because King Car aren't just distillers, they have involvement in shedloads of fingers in even more pies. Such as.. the Pharmaceutical industry, chemical manufacture & distribution, soft drink manufacturing, instant coffee manufacturing, biotechnology, molecular biological research, the list goes on.. and on..

Nose - Ripe rich fruits, a musky wood undertone and then from nowhere a clear cut malt spike
Palate - A nice thick mouthfeel, initial deep sweetness akin to heather honey and molasses, the wood from the nose rears its head alongside tangy fruit and fresh buttery caramel in the hot pan.
Finish - Quite long, a quenching dryness that pulls along with a dabble of mango and biscuit base.


Amrut Fusion - 50% (India)

Next we headed over to India and to what is possibly India's most famous distillery - Amrut. Based in the close and fiery temperatures of Bangalore, Amrut has been making real in-roads in the whisky market in recent years. Due to the hot climate of India, Amrut and other Indian distillers experience a higher loss of spirit during maturation - also known as The Angels Share -than it's European counterparts. This normally equates to around 10-15% compared to around 3% in Scotland.

A plus side to the temperature is that this allows the whisky to mature much faster than it would in a cooler climate, meaning a much younger whisky will display character more akin to that of an older bottling.

Named as such as the Fusion uses 25% peated Scottish barley and 75% non peated barley from India, creating in essence a fusion of styles and countries themselves.

Nose - A big profile here thanks to the 50% strength. A lovely interplay between soft peat and sugary barley notes, the slight hint of exotic spices and all the while citrus layers play a soft ambient tune in the background.
Palate - Oak at the fore, dark chocolate and nuts, sherried dates and that delectable peat makes a welcomed return.
Finish - Looooong, very much the citrus notes playing again here, the peat now just a whisper playing across the tongue.


English Whisky Co Chapter 9 (England)

Yes you heard, English Whisky! 2 words that might strike fear into the hearts of Scotch whisky lovers everywhere. However don't be fooled, the chaps at the St George's distillery in Norfolk are doing a lot of things right. From using locally sourced Norfolk barley, their own floor maltings and the water coming from a source underneath the distillery itself. It was also great to see such an informative label stating the date of distillation, cask number and even the person who distilled it! In this case, head distiller David Fitt.

Chapter 9 is the distillery's first peated offering, most of the EWC spirit is still in it's early stages and from memory all releases so far have been 3 yrs old.


Nose - A lovely medley of lemon peel and vanilla, lemon curd tart and also savoury elements like Polish Kabanos and smokey bacon crisps all in tune with a delicious peat note.
Palate - Thick and luscious for a 3 year old! Again sweet and well balanced, cola cube's, vanilla, almost a Cornish vanilla ice cream, with the peat a constant but not invasive feature. A very well balanced dram.
Finish - Long and warming with more fruits, both citrus and green. The top of an egg custard with its ground nutmeg, the peat bidding its final farewell edging into a powerful spicy finish.


Penderyn Madeira - 46% (Wales)

As we've already covered this one in our previous blog post here; we will use our notes from that
previous tasting with slight adjustments that were picked up on

Nose- Vanilla, brandy soaked raisins, thick cut marmalade and a touch of light honey.

Palate- Lovely oily mouthfeel, fresh green fruit, ginger nut biscuits and malt coming through. Also pine sap and after eight mints.

Finish- The Madeira now truly shows itself with a dry and appetising whit wine-esque finish laced with pear and a touch of pepper.

A fantastic range all around and really went to show the differing styles of each country and the edge that the distilleries all brought to the table. This certainly must be giving some Scottish and Irish producers food for thought as it has become clear that as Whisky continues it's massive world wide surge in popularity, distilleries across the globe have taken note and have started to produce some fantastic spirits. Long may it continue.

Rhyfeddod Cymru

On the 26th July Charlie, Dave and Andy (and Kirsten), set off on an exciting journey to the Brecon beacons. Armed only with 2 cameras, 4 coffees, 2 packets of Oreo's and a Vauxhall Astra. Charlie had arranged a special visit for us to the only active Welsh whisky distillery in existence. Penderyn.

After a 2 1/2 hour journey thanks to Dave's ability to time travel, we arrived at the distillery in glorious weather.

Laura taking us through the tour

We were met by Laura, Penderyn's up and coming distiller who started her career at the distillery after finishing university and applied for the job on a whim. However after impressing with her abilities to discern flavours and layers in the Penderyn spirit, Laura became the company's first and one of the country's few female distillers. 

We started the tour and Laura took us through the distillery's history and the background behind Welsh Whisky over the last 100 years. Penderyn was established on the cusp of the millennium in 1998 by a group of friends. Their acquisition of the unique Pot still, designed by Dr David Faraday, descendant of the famous Victorian scientist Michael Faraday, this particular still operates on a very small scale producing only 1 barrel of spirit a day. The malt for the spirit is provided by Cardiff brewery S A Brain and the water used comes from the distilleries very own spring located underneath the premises.

Penderyn was in the middle of a re-fit with a new still being installed effectively doubling capacity over the next few years so no spirit was being distilled on that day. However it was interesting to see it in this way and was brilliant to see the distillery's expansion in process. The still had been commissioned by Forsyth's of Scotland who also made stills for other famous distilleries such as Bowmore on Islay.

Dave sniffing one of the used bourbon barrels

The new still ready to be installed

Laura was a fantastic host and took us through Penderyn's history and their ever-growing range of products. We got to stick our heads in examples of their Bourbon, Port and Peated barrels which was an interesting experience to say the least! We were then told a story about a company who claimed to be a Welsh whisky distillery.. but who were actually buying in Scotch whisky and adding welsh herbs and botanicals! On the tour you really get a good idea of how Penderyn forgo the big guys approach and concentrate on quality, not quantity. Each batch of spirit initially comes out at 92% vol, this is the highest % of any UK malt whisky prior to being reduced.

The next part of our tour was the things that dreams are made of. Charlie had been speaking with Stephen, Penderyn's MD who, with Laura, took us through a tasting of pretty much the entire Penderyn range. Now first off, from our name you might be able to tell that we're generally a whisky club. We drink whisky, and lots of it. However  today was different not only did we get to sample 5 delicious drams, but 2 gins a vodka and a great little liqueur. So without further ado. Let's get tasting!

Stephen and Laura taking us through the range

Penderyn Madeira - 46%

The distillery's flagship bottling. After being matured in ex bourbon casks from Buffalo Trace the whiky is then finished in Madeira wine casks.

Nose- Vanilla, brandy soaked raisins, thick cut marmalade and a touch of light honey.

Palate- Lovely oily mouthfeel, fresh green fruit, ginger nut biscuits and malt coming through

Finish- The Madeira now truly shows itself with a dry and appetising whit wine-esque finish laced with pear and a touch of pepper.

Penderyn Portwood 41%

Penderyn Portwood - 41%

The Portwood was a result of cask experimentation. originally designated for sale on the continent, its popularity soon ensured the UK being granted access to this fantastic and unique dram.

Nose- A sharp, prickly but pleasant dry sweetness, raspberry vinegar, black cherry and polished wood.

Palate-  More fruit now, ranging from blackberry and more cherry to a slight citrus edge. The Port comes to the fore with a dry and refreshing character.

Finish- The finish is long and lingering with that dry sweetness continuing with a slight tang.

Penderyn Sherrywood - 46%

The Sherrywood is again, matured in Bourbon barrels but this time finished in Olorosso sherry casks.

Nose- Rich yet light, with Manuka honey, cinnamon, raisins and a delicious herbal note.

Palate- Ginger makes an appearance here too, fruit cake, marzipan, and a perfect amount of sherry balance keeping the dram rich yet with a light profile.

Finish- Enveloping with long oak and sugar notes

Penderyn Peated (Photo courtesy of Penderyn)

Penderyn Peated - 46%

Penderyn's peated offering originally came about in a mix up over casks. People from the distillery were sent up to Scotland to buy some casks and inadvertently purchased Islay whisky casks! The result? Well let's see..

Nose- Initial light vanilla and a mouthwatering citrus note, then a subtle luscious peat makes a gradual appearance.

Palate- The smoke continues on the tongue as well as the vanilla, and a malty transition to the finish

Finish- Medium length with the smoke gently tailing off and a spicy note develops.




Penderyn Single Bourbon Cask (227B) - 63.2%

Penderyn's single cask offerings are generally made up of the older spirits in the warehouse. This bourbon matured cask was matured for 12+ years (from memory) and displays the fantastic individualism of the distillery and its spirit. This batch is limited to just 241 bottles.

Nose- Beautifully balanced with shedloads of vanilla, demerara sugar, cinnamon, spiced pear and digestive biscuits.

Palate-  Refined and rounded, grilled banana and brown sugar, raisins, again with a slight touch of pepper corn. With water - opens up in a flourish of vanilla and orchard fruits, possibly a touch of elderflower?

Finish- Very long and satisfying, the bourbon cask influence continues and is kept in line with a wonderful wood edge. An incredible whisky that Stephen, Laura  and the team can be proud of!

After tasting the range and a brief stint in the gift shop where a bottle of the Portwood went on the credit card, Stephen and Laura had a proposition for us. And we soon found them pulled up outside the distillery in a car. Adventure beckons.

After a brief drive we turned off onto what looked like an average ageing industrial estate when all of a sudden..

YES YES YES!

We had arrived at Penderyn's main warehousing and bottling site!

This is the type of thing that makes a whisky geek's hair stand on end. Driving through avenues of stacked old casks ready to be refurbished before use by the company's cooperage. Those stacks were the sort of maze you could quite happily get lost in and reinforces the scale of whisky production even for a relatively small distillery such as Penderyn. The oddly quiet surroundings all added to the atmosphere. This isn't part of the normal tour, this is normally off-limits to visitors so we felt very privileged.

Stephen took us through a door and we were wondering what awaited us. After donning a very Health and Safety friendly fluorescent vest each, Stephen and Laura showed us the newly housed bottling equipment. 

Then on from there, the main event. The warehouse. After walking through a wall of plastic sheeting akin to what you might see in a science fiction movie from the 70's, we were greeted by the smell of damp, whisky infused oak.. and this..

Now it's not often I find myself caught short or discover I've left something on the kitchen work top.. but what I was really lacking today was a small hand operated drill, some plastic tubing and a few bottles. The majority of the casks in the warehouse are ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon casks, we met a members of staff who were going about their day to day tasks and were clearly passionate about the distillery and Penderyn itself which was fantastic to see.

Stephen taking us round the warehouse

 There is a mixture here of spirit distilled within the last 6 months and 13 years since the distillery's inception which was great to see as it was as though we were seeing Penderyn's past and future in the flesh. 

Penderyn doesn't just seem to be about the whisky, there's a real community spirit here on all levels. Stephen and the team are doing some fantastic work and with the recent expansion plans we all foresee Penderyn going on from strength to strength. The new still has since been installed and a new spirit safe delivered. 

We can safely say that we're very much looking forward to seeing what comes through Penderyn's doors over the next few years and wish the team the best of luck!

On another note Charlie, Andy, Dave and Kirsten would like to say a huge thanks to Stephen and Laura for making us so welcome and treating us to every delight that Penderyn had to offer. Sláinte guys!

Dram Good Drinks Vol I - The Old Fashioned

This is our first installment of a new series on the blog to provide a bit of variety.

Over the next few months we'll have a new whisky/whiskey based cocktail recipe here including photos and instructions so that you can try it yourself as well as being another great way of showcasing some great whiskies!.

So, without further ado, here is our first recipe. A rather famous cocktail that I'm sure many of you will have heard of - the Old Fashioned.

The Old Fashioned is a whisky based cocktail and was popularised in the 1960's. However, while there is no definitive date as to when this was created, the general consensus is that one of its first appearances was at a gentleman's bar in Louiseville Kentucky - The Pendennis Club. As a cocktail it's relatively simple to make.

So let's make one shall we?

First off, you'll need

• An 'Old Fashioned' glass or whisky tumbler
• A muddler/ pestle
• 60 ml (2 1/2 US fl oz) of bourbon, or blended scotch whisky
• A sugar cube or teaspoon of sugar. you can also use sugar syrup for convenience.
• Angostura bitters
• 1 Orange slice
• Maraschino cherries

First of all, add the sugar with a splash of water or a teaspoon/barspoon of sugar syrup to an Old Fashioned glass or whisky tumbler. Then add 2-3 dashes of the Angostura bitters.

Add large ice cubes and the 60ml of bourbon/scotch and stir gently.... then stir some more.. and more

Garnish with a slice of orange and a cherry.. Done!

This cocktail is simple and delicious and here we have followed a traditional recipe.

Here we have used the fantastic and affordable Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon (available here). However if you don't have bourbon in at the minute, a lighter blended whisky or even a spicy highland malt can also work. Experiment! 

A Taste of the Orient

Amazingly, for the past 4 weeks the weather in Manchester has been turned on its head. An odd, yellowish disc has been frequenting the sky, engulfing the city in a warm, almost tropical glow. This months Whisky Club theme wasn't exactly tropical but certainly took us away from our usual safe haven of the British Isles to the Pacific and the temperate climate of Japan.

Japanese whisky is having a bit of a surge in sales at the moment. There has been an increasing demand for Japan's high quality offerings across the UK and Europe.

We had a varying choice of 5 drams on offer including malts and a grain. No blends this time round as we're going to go back and revisit Japan and its blends at some stage.

Yamazaki 12 - 43%

We started off with what can probably be seen as the most common of the Japanese bottlings available in the UK, Suntory's Yamazaki 12. This is probably one of Suntory's biggest sellers, matured in both ex
sherry & bourbon casks, this offering is quite similar in a sense to some scottish whiskies.

Nose: Lovely rounded fruits, a bit of pineapple, raspberry preserve, christmas nut mix, raisins.
Palate: A very light lychee syrup, more raisins and a slight dusting of cinnamon.
Finish:Wow where the hell did that come from! On swallowing an immediate harshness comparable to more of a new make spirit! Long and lingering with a slight note of toasted pistachio nuts.


Nikka Coffey Grain - 45%



Nikka, Japan's other 'Big' distilling brand alongside Yamazaki are renowned for producing some of Japans best blended malts alongside some of their single malt and grain portfolio. Nikka Coffey Grain is named as such due to the production method of using a coffey still. We saw good examples of coffey still production in some of our Irish whiskies a few months back. This is a type of still that can be operated constantly and efficiently, producing larger batches of spirit that a standard still and pot still.


Nikka also produce a 'Coffey Malt' range which is quite a high end offering. This grain bottling is relatively new and has no age statement. This was the club's first taste of a single grain whisky. In this case produced using mainly corn rather than the more commonly used wheat. This bottling is produced at Nikka's Miyagikyo distillery.

Nose: Light and delicate, honey, apple pie, vanilla, clean cotton and cut grass.
Palate: A continuing lightness to this, more vanilla -custard this time, lemon tart, caramelised pear
Finish: A lovely sweet warmth, reminds me of the base of a freshly baked cheesecake, pineapple fritters.


Yoichi 10 yr old - 45%


Yoichi is 1 of only 2 whisky distilleries that make up Nikka's portfolio. Set in beautiful mountainous surroundings on the northern island of Hokkaido, the Yoichi distillery uses the traditional method of direct fired stills using coal. The Yoichi 10 is a peated whisky, is the rest of the Yoichi range, the 10 is matured in sherry casks. The distillery was opened in 1934 and was Nikka's first active distillery.


Nose: Again a sweet element, possibly brown sugar, banana bread, then the sherry begins to peek through alongside a damp peat.
Palate: An oily yet thin mouthfeel, initial sherry influence with dark fruits and bitter chocolate with the peat making a brief appearance.
Finish: Blackcurrant and black pepper, toffee with a lingering finish.

Sushi - 0%

One of our members - Charlie of the Ginfuelledbluestocking blog, very kindly brought some freshly made Sushi along from her sushi making class earlier in the night. It went along very nicely with the lighter whiskies and reinforced the flavour of the evening. Thanks Charlie!

Some lovely fresh vegetable sushi!

Karuizawa - Spirit of Asama - 55%

Karuizawa whisky can be something of a rarity in the UK. There has not been much distillation taking place in the last decade and recently the owners have handed in their distilling licences so it is very likely that Karuizawa's stills will fall silent indefinitely sooner rather than later. So far the releases that have made it to Britain's glorious shores have predominantly been of a single cask nature and generally costing over £100. That is, until now.

A Norfolk based whisky importer, Number One Spirits which is run by a chap named Marcin Miller - contacted Karuizawa and purchased 77 single casks distilled between 1999 and 2000. Rather than importing them in another single cask format, they have vatted all 77 to make a unique, no age statement bottling, which incidentally is an extremely affordable example of this distilleries wares.



Nose: Sherry! Sherry in all its Speyside-esque glory, Nutella spread, raisins, freshly oiled wood.
Palate: Lots of sweetness with more chocolate, dark this time, damp earth and rather herbal
Finish: Another example of a lingering finish from a Japanese whisky here, edging into savoury notes this time before tailing off with a glowing warmth.

Mike and Richard sampling the Karuizawa

Hakushu 12 - 43%

Our final whisky of the night was another of Suntory's range. This time, from the Hakushu distillery, built in 1973 and set among the forests at the foot of the Japanese Alps. A lightly peated offering, this has been matured in ex bourbon casks.

The Hakushu alongside Yamazaki is probably up there as one of the more popular Japanese whiskies widely available in the UK

Nose: A fantastic nose on this one. similar in a sense to the Nikka grain in that it is so light and floral, plenty of orchard fruits, sherbet lemons and yet with a slight breeze of peat tickling the nose.
Palate: Crisp, sweet apple again, before sliding into a delightful mix of vanilla and Danish smoked salt.
Finish: Relatively brief but again sweet with the peat making a reappearance, macadamia nuts, dried apricot. Lovely


Overall we had a good varying selection of Japanese malts (and Grain!) that certainly showed the potential of the country's spirit and why it has become so popular of late. We had a split in opinion as to the best bottling of the night with a rough split between the Karuizawa and the Hakushu with one or 2 going for the Yoichi as their dram of choice.

You can certainly tell that Scottish distilling practices have had an affect on the way Japanese distillers approach their production method. In some cases seemingly trying to mimic certain existing styles. Hopefully in the next few years Japanese distillers such as Suntory and Nikka will throw caution to the wind and finally begin to create a true Japanese style malt in its own right.