Everything Over 20 Years Old

 

The May line-up

May's tasting sold out to members within hours of it being announced, and no surprise as Martin had raided the club's stocks for a series of independent bottlings all at least 20 years old.

North British 29yo

We got straight into it with the opening dram, a 29-year-old North British grain whisky. A long-time component of lots of well-known blends, indie bottlings of North British have become more widely seen of late. This particular one came from Fragrant Drops, a brand run by former club member George Keeble, and was matured in a fresh bourbon cask.

This had a very pleasant, creamy nose. That cream was still there on the palate just about, along with a spirity hit. Honey and lemon cough sweets was one suggestion. Rice pudding with honey was another, or vanilla custard (so really going for the full school dinners experience). Not as bitter as some grains, and some felt it was actually too much on the sweet side for them. It's 50.9% and we paid £100.

Tomatin 32yo

Onto Tomatin next, a very large distillery on the Highland/Speyside border. Under Japanese ownership it has gone from a bulk producer of whisky to one that also has a developing brand in its own right, although the bottle we had - a 32-year-old from Skene Scotch Whisky, aged in a bourbon hogshead - harked back to an earlier era of Tomatin production.

Grassy, and almost like a rye on the nose, this one. But the nose promised a bit more than the palate delivered, we felt. We didn't feel this was especially memorable, nor complex and it was a bit of a disappointment for the price tag. We paid £175 from the Aberdeen Whisky Shop, but the RRP on the Skene website has this nearer £400. Admittedly, our view might have been a bit coloured once we realised how expensive it was. It's 44.9%.

Arran 21yo

Whisky three was from Arran, one of the real success stories of Scottish whisky since it was established in the 1990s. Again we were looking back in time to quite an early bottling, a 21-year-old distilled back in 1997. Things could only get better after dram two? Perhaps. This was a sherried expression bottled for the Green Welly Stop, now known as Tyndrum.

This smelt sweet, like Crunchie bars we (ok, I) thought. "Dangerously easy to drink". Not as sweet on the palate but there was a very pleasant dark chocolate, peppermint thing going on, which maybe put it more in After Eights territory. There was a mixture in the room of those who really liked it, and others who found it a little boring. Although billed as full maturation, it tasted more like a sherry finish. We paid £101 and it clocks in at 55.3%.

Tullibardine 29yo

A half-time break to recharge our glasses downstairs at the Seven Oaks, and we were back for three more whiskies.

Local favourite Chorlton Whisky brought us dram four, a 29-year-old Tullibardine distilled in 1993. Known for its good quality water source - Highland Spring is produced next door - Tullibardine is a bit of a landmark on the A9 in Perthshire, well-located if you want to break your journey north.

This bottle was dry and savoury on the nose. Almost like a wholemeal sort of flavour, or Soreen malt loaf, appropriately enough for a Manchester bottler. This again got a slightly mixed response, with some liking it and others feeling it was a bit on the average side. It's 47.5% and we paid £160.

Tormore 30yo

Two Cadenheads bottlings to finish with. Dram five was a 30-year-old Tormore, distilled in 1988 and a combination of three bourbon hogsheads. Recently taken over by Elixir Distillers, owned by the Singh brothers of Whisky Exchange fame, it'll be interesting to see what Tormore has in store for us in the coming years.

Back to this particular bottle though, and we found it nice and approachable. Not necessarily complex, but certainly nice, although it lacked the 'wow' factor you might have been looking for from something really exceptional. "A beauty" on first taste for some, but it didn't linger as it might have done. But overall, a very positive reception. It's long gone from the official site, but we paid £180 for it. It's 47.9%.

Benrinnes 23yo

For the last dram we stayed in Speyside for a Benrinnes, a distillery usually only seen officially in the Flora and Fauna range. This was a 23-year-old from 1995.

This gave us green apples on the nose, followed by a different sort of appley-taste on the palate. McDonald's apple pie was one suggestion, although a caramel toffee apple was perhaps a slightly classier suggestion. Sharp and fresh, this was delicious. We paid £80 - a bargain we felt - and it's 53.4%.

So to the dram of the night voting and a clear win for - the Benrinnes. It took 14 votes, with the Tormore second and the Arran in third.

Thanks to Martin for putting on yet another excellent tasting, all at the Seven Oaks for their hospitality and to all club members for showing their support once again.

New Year, New Home!

 

The line-up

Our 2025 programme of tastings got off to a bit of a different start for a couple of reasons. The first was a week's delay due to a previous booking at our new venue, meaning our January tasting actually took place on the first Thursday in February.

North British 18yo

But I've already given away the second. After spending most of our decade-plus history at the Britons Protection (longer serving members might recall our earliest days in the Lass O'Gowrie then the Castle, but these memories are understandably hazy), events at the start of January meant Star Pubs/Heineken finally took control of the place following a long battle. Changes afoot there, not least the departure of the whisky stocks that made it such an attractive place for us for so long, meant we were briefly homeless.

In stepped another Manchester landmark, the Seven Oaks in Chinatown. Their upstairs room is an ideal size for us, and so that's where we assembled for Martin to take us through six assorted bottles raided from the club's stocks.

The Holyrood

We started off with a single cask grain, an 18-year-old from North British aged in a refill sherry cask and bottled by Douglas Laing under their Old Particular brand. This had a sort of leather, waxy type vibe about it, the sort of smell you get when buffing up your car (I was taking others' word for this, I'm afraid my poor old Ford has never had a buffing, at least not from me). On the palate we got some toffee at the end, butterscotch too. Not too vanilla-y, as some grains can be.

This was good, although at our table we weren't quite sure it was worth the £67 we paid for it back in 2022. Others raved it about it though, declaring it "surprisingly good". Other tasting notes included struck matches and sulphur. It was 48.4%.

SMWS Tullibardine

Dram two went to the other end of the age scale, and a very young whisky from Edinburgh's new Holyrood distillery, which says it's the first in the Scottish capital for a century. Set up by Canadians in an old railway building, the distillery has a reputation for experimenting, and has employed an ex-distiller from Macallan to help them realise what they want to achieve.

We weren't so keen on the nose here - cheese and sweaty socks - but it was totally different when you actually drank it. Very creamy and interesting. We'd like to try more of their stuff, but not necessarily this precise expression again. It was 49.8% and cost us £70 including postage.

Arran 16yo

As someone commented on seeing the line-up of bottles at the start of the evening, "it's always a good night when you see one of these," gesturing at the familiar Scotch Malt Whisky Society livery of dram three. This expression - Blindfolds and Pipettes, 28.95 - was a 10-year-old Tullibardine.

This was straightforward and very good, we felt. Understated but chewy. Not especially memorable on the nose but it had a super long aftertaste, with distinct flavours of apple crumble, custard and a honeyed sweetness. There were mixed views on whether adding water did all that much for it. This bottle was £70 for SMWS members and it was 59%.

Aultmore

After a half-time break to recharge our glasses downstairs in our new surroundings, it was back for another trio of whiskies.

And we kicked off part two on the Isle of Arran, with a distillery exclusive 16-year-old single cask from 2022. We weren't quite sure what the cask was, although it could have been Sauternes, or fino - it was certainly very pale for something which had been aged for that long. 

It was very nice all round though, and Arran is a popular distillery among many club members who felt this particular expression helped the liquid shine. It was £95, which was perhaps a little at the top end of what we'd pay for it. The strength was 58%.

Glen Scotia

To another club for whisky five, this time the Cadenhead's Club and a 15-year-old Aultmore, the result of a vatting of several casks. This had an incredible nose and looked great too: it made you (or at least me) instantly want to drink it. 

And indeed, it lived up to expectations. Very nice, with classical old Speyside flavours, including dates and sticky toffee pudding. A great all-rounder and a favourite so far for many in the room. This was £70 and 54.8%.

Martin had a bit of peat lined up for us to finish with. A Glen Scotia bottled for Callander, this was matured in fresh bourbon then PX casks. My notes here indicate that it was billed as heavily peated, but didn't really taste all that peated, indeed I wrote "is it really peated at all?" so clearly this was causing some debate. More of a soft hint of smoke than anything else.

This was really delicious though. That hint of smoke brought to mind smoky bacon and Frazzles. "Stunning" and "terrific" were among the comments. Incredible value too, as we paid £59 for it back in 2021. It was 52.9%.

That brought us to the dram of the night voting, and despite a strong challenge from the Glen Scotia, the Cadenhead's Club Aultmore got the most votes with 13. In third place was the Arran.

Thanks to Martin for putting together our new home and this great line up of drams, and to all at the Seven Oaks for giving us such a warm welcome!

Virtual Island Hopping

The Jura

January's tasting was back on Zoom as we took account of the New Year Covid surge and the Omicron variant. But from the comfort of our homes we went on quite the journey around Scotland's most remote distilleries, on the theme of virtual island hopping.

The first dram was very pale. You could certainly taste the alcohol here. It was tart and had a bready quality about it, almost like crumble. Harsh said some, a bit grassy thought others. For those who partook in a bit of water, they felt that didn't do all that much for it.

The Highland Park

This was a Jura, and an unpeated one at that. An independent bottling from Gleann Mor spirits, it was a 12-year-old that clocked in at 50% (although it arguably tasted stronger), and cost us £58.

Next there was a definite farmyard vibe to whisky number two. Straw-like offered someone, "like a barn" in fact. A nice, long finish, too. Peppery flavours, slightly smoky and lots of wood, yet at the same time quite sweet too. All round a very nice and complex drink.

The Talisker

This was another indie, an Independent Malts of Scotland bottling of a 23-year-old Highland Park, the Orkney distillery. A single cask it was £166, a decent chunk of change in anyone's language but much cheaper than the official distillery bottling. It's 52.8%.

There was more smoke to come from the third dram of the night. A nice light smokiness, and a creamy quality, along with a bit of a smell of bacon (this led to the almost inevitable tasting note of Frazzles, as if anyone has actually eaten Frazzles recently enough to know what they actually taste like). An easy drinker, and it felt pleasantly familiar.

The Arran

In the breakout room I was in we guessed at a Talisker, and were proved right! It was the official 10-year-old, a 45.8% dram at a reasonable £44. Incredibly, we'd never had this particular standard bottling in almost a decade of club meetings.

Four started off very well. Very nice, woody, and perhaps just a tiny bit thin at first but overall very impressive once given a chance to savour it.

This was an Arran! The first new distillery in yonks when it came along in the 90s, now firmly established in the pantheon of Scottish whiskies. This was a no age statement Bodega sherry cask, 55.8% and at £54 very reasonably priced for a good quality cask strength drop. It's a minimum 7-year-old, and it was finished in first fill oloroso casks.

The Raasay

Next was dram number five and this immediately hit us as pleasant, although not perhaps as complex as the Arran we'd just enjoyed. The finish wasn't quite as long. But another easy drinker, and nice and warming too.

It turned out we'd visited one of the newest distilleries around, Raasay. This no age statement could only be just over 3-year-old, given the youth of the distillery itself. It's the R-02, and cost £50, clocking in at 46.4%. A blend of peated and unpeated, not that strong but despite that some felt a few drops of water really improved it. Well balanced, and lightly peated.

The Torabhaig

The final drink of the evening didn't get too much on the nose, beyond a bit of creaminess, almost like cream soda (another taste from the past you think you remember). A little bit insipid perhaps, more of an introductory whisky or, as someone suggested 'an easy drinking dram for the masses'. We kept expecting something more to be there, but it never quite came through.

This was a Torabhaig! The new, and second, distillery on Skye. The expression was an Alt Gleann Legacy Series, 46% and £49, the first 'normal' release from this distillery. Some of the drinkers in the other breakout rooms liked it more than my group did, and likened it to a Caol Ila. A light, thin, barbecue-friendly dram.

That brought us to the dram of the night voting: and it was a resounding win for number four, the Arran!

Thanks to Adam for leading us through another great selection, and to all club members for coming along virtually! Back to the Britons soon, hopefully.

Stina's Indie Presents Night

The evening's line up of indie bottlings.

August's tasting took place on the last day of the month, and there was a great turnout of faces old and new to enjoy five independent bottlings selected by Stina.

7yo Fettercairn

We got started with a whisky brought back by club members who attended the recent Dramboree weekend. It was a 7yo Fettercairn, bottled at 46% by Mike Lord of the Whisky Shop in Dufftown.

There was a real sweet shop vibe about this one - one bizarrely specific tasting note even suggested pineapple upside down cake mix - especially on the nose. In fact, the nose got much better reviews than the palate which some found "a bit harsh" and betraying its relative youth. There were some Fettercairn sceptics among the membership anyway, but one conceded "This is the best Fettercairn I've had!" although this may have been a slight case of damning with faint praise. We paid £46.

Spice Tree Extravaganza.

Next it was Compass Box, and the Spice Tree Extravaganza. The original Spice Tree was fleetingly banned a decade ago because it breached Scotch Whisky Association rules, as the maturation process involved putting new bits of French oak into used whisky barrels, borrowing a technique common in winemaking. Instead, the Spice Tree expressions are now matured using specially-constructed barrels with French oak heads (rather than the inserted staves which proved controversial) and so everyone's happy now, apparently.

The Extravaganza version, a no age statement blend of again 46%, was very pleasant and smooth. It was considered more drinkable than the standard Spice Tree. But then, as well it might be for a £83 price tag (higher with some other retailers). While an undoubtedly nice drop, the consensus in the room was this probably wasn't worth that kind of cash.

A Small Glass of Happiness.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society provided dram number three, and in their tradition of giving their bottlings enigmatic titles, this was was called A Small Glass of Happiness. Underneath all that, it's a 12yo Speyside from the Dailuaine distillery, bottled at 57.3%.

This tasted like all of your favourite caramelised products. Someone offered those little Lotus biscuits you get with your coffee, and others thought toffee, crystallised ginger and even a bit of pineapple again. Costing £54.70 for those with a SMWS membership, there was a lot of love for this one.

18yo Arran.

After a half-time break and some Chinese baked products brought along by Katharine, we took our seats again for the last two drams of the night. Number four was from a bottler that we've not had at a tasting before, Rest and Be Thankful, which has close links to club favourite Bruichladdich. This particular bottle was from Arran and, at 18 years old, would have been distilled not long after it began production in the mid-1990s.

This was surprisingly light in colour for a whisky of that age, and it was certainly sippable, with a creamy sort of taste, and hints of baked apple. At 55.3% it was certainly strong too, but for some members it seemed to be lacking something, somewhere. It's £90.

As We Get It.

It was certainly a night of strong drams and Stina took things up even further on the last whisky of the evening, an Ian Macleod bottling of a Highland whisky called As We Get It, which clocked in at 65.1%. Funnily enough it didn't quite taste that strong, because it was quite sweet. Although not as sweet as the Fettercairn from earlier in the evening - "nothing's as sweet as that one" said someone - it was generally agreed this was sweet by the standards of a drink with 65% ABV.

Tasting notes included barley sugars and damson jam. It's undoubtedly good value at £45.

Voting!

There wasn't much doubt that it was one of the top two drams of the evening, along with number three. But when it came to the voting, it was the SMWS A Small Glass of Happiness which won out, with 11 votes.

Thanks to Stina for putting on another great evening, and thanks too to all at the Britons Protection for hosting us once again.

Tickets are already available for September's tasting with Martin, which is going to be based around grain whiskies. And there's something special coming up in October too, which will be well worth keeping an eye out for.

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!