Liquid Americana Tweet Tasting

The second Tweet Tasting with Arkwrights Whisky and Wines and The Whisky Wire and once again five blind drams were sent out to the chosen tasters. 

I do enjoy a blind tasting - I'm usually totally hopeless at them, even more so when there's very little in the way of clues about them. Still everyone was in the same boat and the only things we knew about them were that they would be American whiskies (which we assumed would mean from the USA rather than the whole of the Americas) and that they were probably stocked and sold at Arkwrights on-line store, which meant that we had a reference point to search and narrowed the field down to around one in fifty chance of getting it right!

Five blind drams for the Liquid Americana at Whisky Discovery HQ

With Steve @TheWhiskyWire guiding us through the drams numbered one to five and Fran from Arkwrights @WhiskyandWines ensuring all the facts were correct we started under the #LiquidAmericana hashtag.

Whisky Discovery #149

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old (47% abv)
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Circa £32.00 70cl

Bottled exclusively from a dumping of 70 barrels or less, the brand carries the name of the Rev. Elijah Craig who discovered the method of making true Kentucky Bourbon when he stored his wares in barrels that'd been charred.

I had tasted this once before as Kat had bought a bottle for her other half a while back and brought me over a sample to review as it was on my '101 List'. You can see what I thought of it then here:

So What Did I think?

Nose: Rich spicy flavours abound in the bouquet of this dram. It oozes sweet spicy maple syrup, brown sugar and treacle, vanilla essence, cloves anise and cardamon with a touch of aniseed too, before fresh mint leading to a floral note. With time some musty nutty wood notes develop! like a cup full of walnut shells

Palate: Opens sweet but the spices build quickly. Creamy vanilla with licorice and cloves, and leafy herbal note too as well as some Parma Violets

I had no idea what this was despite having tasted it once before and lamely guessed Four Roses Yellow Label! I thought it was familiar and have had a bottle of Four Roses on the shelf, so had my reasoning. However we had a winner with @DramStats guessing correctly before the reveal.

So what did the others think?

@paula_read: Sweet, toffee, a nice strong nose, bit of a nip at the same time.

@DramStats: Nose: Big vanilla, sweetcorn and aniseed balls. Nice and sweet to kick us off. Guessing this is Bourbon.

@rickfurzer: Nose: Putty, nutty and spice - a bit of rye in the mash-bill?

@mynameisgone: Nose; the more it opens the sweeter the nose becomes with a hint of oak peeking through

@thomas_speller: Palate - some white pepper and melting sugar again. Also obvious presence of vanilla again.

@dvdbloke Palate - Sweet spicy vanilla, chewy, creamy, chocolate coffee creams. more spice, and yummy.

@ansgarspeller: Palate, has a strong, warm kick to it. Nice! Spicy, vanilla, sweet, caramel, chocolate, stone fruits.... promising!

Whisky Discovery #465

Noah’s Mill NAS (57.15% abv)
Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
Circa £54.00 70clNoah's Mill is a bourbon produced in Bardstown, Kentucky by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The bourbon is aged in charred oak barrels until mature at 15 years old and then bottled by hand at 57.15% abv (114.3 proof). It was awarded a gold medal at the 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The brand is one of several small batch bourbon offerings by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers also known as the Willett Distilling Company. It is a private family owned and operated company that markets bourbon and rye whiskey.

So What Did I think?

Nose: Dusty and spicy at first and needed a good shake to wake it. There was a definite grain husk note before the minty menthol and oriental spices break through with cloves and liquorice. There's hints of varnished wood, treacle and a touch of saltiness too. Eventually it sweetened with expected vanilla then fruit too, blackened bananas. I wasn't expecting the spice to be quite so forward though 

Palate: This attacked the palate with a big spicy hit, sweet but with a touch of sourness too. It settles eventually becoming rich and creamy with lots of woody liquorice and aniseed and a spicy chili heat finish

No educated guesses here though, just silly schoolboy guesses of Knob Creek from both @dvdbloke and me. No logic behind the guess, just that we liked the sound of the name (snigger)

So what did the others think?

@dvdbloke: Nose - feels more charred to me. burnt wood, vanilla, burnt caramel.

@Andotron: Not the strongest of smells. hints of curries red cola with a floral perfume kick

@andrew1bardsley: Nose. Lots of corn again for me, but this time it's been thrown on the BBQ coals. Lots of black bits.

@EdinburghWhisky: Burnt honey and floral undertones. Took me a little while though. Think it might need a touch of aqua.

@dvdbloke: Palate - Hot, deep dark stoned fruits, vanilla, toffee (burnt), thick mouth-feel, sweet and dry!

@rodbodtoo: This is creamy (coconut cream!), sweet, a bit of char ?burnt toffee?

@mynameisgone: Palate, a big hot punch of rye spiciness cloves and cinnamon, hints of mint, oak and as you swallow the heat again

Whisky Discovery #466

Bernheim Original NAS (45% abv)
Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey
Circa £53.00 70cl

In January 200 when it all began, Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey was the first truly new variety of American straight whiskey introduced since Prohibition. Bernheim was also the first whiskey to use winter wheat as its primary grain creating a soft, sweet flavour and medium finish

Produced at the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, Bernheim is aged in 'Rickhouse Y' at Heaven Hill's Nelson County facilities. Defined as a "small batch" as the Master Distillers select from 75 barrels or less to create a 'one of a kind' taste profile. The Bernheim name comes from pioneering German immigrants, brothers Isaac Wolfe and Bernard Bernheim, who with little money and big dreams, established a distillery in Louisville, Kentucky in the 19th century

As a straight whiskey, this has to meet all the same criteria as Bourbon or rye; Aged a minimum of two years in a new, charred oak barrel, distilled at less than 160 proof, and contains no colouring, flavouring or blending agents.

I was fairly certain that I was drinking a wheat whisky here, and was just about to name this correctly when @mynameisgone got in before me. I'm still taking the points anyway, and as a 'Brucie-bonus' it's also on my '101 List' This was my favourite of the three tasted so far.

So What Did I think?

Nose: Quite gentle initially and needed to be teased out. A little damp sawdust at first, followed by cloves and licorice root, not overpowering though, a more gentle approach. There are lots of soft vanilla notes amongst the a background of pine needles and floral notes. A couple of drops of water and it sweetens and parma violets were picked out.

Palate: Like the nose this started out gentle sweet creamy vanilla and coconut flavours with an undistinguishable fruit juice note too it, one of those multi-fruit tropical juices. Spicy wood flavours build with clove oil and aniseed leaving a peppery finish and a touch of menthol.

So what did the others think?

@emilymayfox: In comparison to No 1 and No 2, much more delicate on the nose. Vanilla, a hint of liquorice, stewed apples

@thomas_speller : Nose - Getting a wet cardboard box with cornflakes and mushrooms

@paula_read: Nose;Buttered caramelized popcorn, and lemon

@DramStats: Nose: Vanilla, Candy-floss, Rice Crispie squares, melted butter 

@Andotron: Tastes like salty butter with wood-chips  not that I've ever tried actually eating those ingredients

@dvdbloke: Palate - Very creamy, surprisingly smooth, custard creams, stewed apples and bananas mashed and simmering.

@rodbodtoo: Palate is very soft, somewhat oily, and mellow in a ?corn? Frosties kinda way

Whisky Discovery #467

Pikesville Supreme Straight Rye NAS (40% abv)

Straight Rye Whiskey
Circa £24.00 70cl

Manufactured by Heaven Hill, makers of the mighty Rittenhouse ryes, among others, Pikesville Supreme is distilled under an old Maryland formula & matured in charred white oak casks for 4 years

Pikesville whiskey was originally distilled by L. Winand & Bro., Maryland in the late 19th centrury but prohibition killed the company, but after repeal, the brand name (and, reportedly, the recipe) was purchased by Andrew Merle. 

Pikesville Maryland Rye continued to be made in Maryland, at the Monumental Distillery (later the Majestic Distillery) in Lansdowne, but in 1982 the brand was sold to Heaven Hill, which has produced and bottled it ever since.

You can find out more at Cocktail Chronicles, but this was another 'Brucie-bonus' being on my '101 List' 

So What Did I think?

Nose: Quite a dry chalky nose, with cereal notes, ginger and dry floral notes like sniffing a box of Earl Grey teabags. There's some pencil shavings in here too along with some herbal notes - oregano and perhaps sage, and of course some creamy vanilla ties it all together.

Palate: Light bodied, light a weak fruit juice, fresh and zesty, with sweet cinnamon and vanilla, spices; coriander and fennel, slight mustiness, earthy even, at end. The sage is more pronounced on the palate and remains on the finish which has an earthy mintiness about it.

I wasn't expecting a Rye whisky, the musty earthy finish reminded me of a Buffalo Trace. This is much gentler than I would have thought a rye whisky should be, but it is nice easy drinking though.

So what did the others think?

@rodbodtoo: Nose is sweet, bright & grassy. Herbs. Sage. The sweetness has a barley sugar quality

@paula_read: Nose Peaches and oak embers...or maybe peaches on oak embers.

@mynameisgone: Nose sweet fruits with a citrus syrup drizzle,

@dvdbloke: Nose - Sweet powdery sugared vanilla, pears, sweet shops, some charred oak

@TheWhiskyWire: A box of teabags and some subtle lavender notes coming through

@BeersIveKnown dry cardboard, coriander seed, lots of cereal..a a grain whisky perchance?

@thomas_speller : Palate - you know the bbq-ed bananas with rum and brown sugar? That. But with whisky instead of rum. Sort of.

@dvdbloke: Finish - Sugared honey, Minimal fruit, Cream sticks around. A little oak tannins towards the end

Whisky Discovery #468

High West Double Rye! (46% abv)

Straight Rye Whiskey
Circa £45.00 70cl

The High West Distillery is Utah’s first distillery since the 1870′s. Located at 7,000 feet above sea level in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Old Town Park City, Utah. The distillery and Saloon is the world’s only ski-in distillery and gastro-saloon.

Founded by prospectors in the late 1860′s, Park City became one of the richest silver mining towns in the West, and the best watering hole in Utah. 

High West Distillery and Saloon started with one man’s passion to make a great Rocky Mountain Whiskey. Proprietor and distiller David Perkins married his background as a biochemist, his love of bourbon and cooking, and his passion for the American West to bring the craft of small-batch distilling back to Utah, of all places.

This Double Rye is a marriage of two straight rye whiskies that combines the feisty properties of a high rye Two2-year-old and the saddle smooth richness of a Sixteen-year-old. The Two-year-old has a 95% rye 5% barley malt mashbill. The older rye has a "barely legal" rye mashbill of 53% rye and 37% corn. The extra age and corn provides some extra sweetness to calm the "bite" of the younger rye for a relationship that works.

High West was a distillery that featured in our 12 Blends Challenge earlier this year, with their 'Campfire' release.

So What Did I think?

Nose: This has a rich spicy sourness to it; Angostura Bitters. Herbal with Burmese Coriander and green pepper corns. Once it settles down the Vanilla notes sneak out along with a nice charred wood notes and menthol

Palate: Quite a lot going on with this one. Initially sweet, then slightly sour, aniseed and licorice, both spicy and herbal with a dry white pepper kick at the end, and finishes quite dry.

So what did the others think?

@dvdbloke: Nose - BANG! That hurt! Heavy clove, pepper, chilli, very very spicy.

@andrew1bardsley: Nose; Pepper, a little star anise. Really grassy too.

@rodbodtoo: Wow! Crazy nose: iron, herbs, fireworks, vermouth, a dry version of Grand Marnier, rust.

@ansgarspeller: Some biscuits, chocolate, vanilla, fudge, honey, anise on the palate sweet, warm, and a bit creamy, but not too much

@BeersIveKnown: Vanilla, fiery whiskey and charred barrels

@Andotron: Salty, Burney (nothing to do with Rab C Nesbitt) and hints of wood, Afterburn!!! 

@mynameisgone: Palate, surprisingly sweet at first almost liquer like, a dash of peppery heatand a pink grapefruit pith sourness

Verdict

Well at the end of the evening, our third dram, Bernheim Original was my favourite. I've since revisited all of these, and have considered my initial thoughts with new notes and the result still stands. The Elijah Craig 12 is an outstanding dram and is worthy of being a good second place and running up closely behind is the High West Double Rye. At the end of the day, I'd be happy with any one of these on my shelf to enjoy, there's not a bad drop here, and my favourites might not necessarily be yours. You can always drop me a line and let me know your thoughts

and finally....

As per previous Tweet Tastings there was a great deal of tweeting going on but this post is probably far too late to tell you to search on the #LiquidAmericana hashtag on twitter for the full story. Four new Whisky Discoveries were recorded on the Liquid Log this time as the Elijah Craig was one I'd tasted before

A massive THANK YOU to Steve Rush at @TheWhiskyWire and Fran from  @WhiskyandWines for both being on hand to answer our questions as well as sending out all of the samples to us and of course the tweet tasters who were:

@TheWhiskyWire @dvdbloke @mynameisgone @frazerj @kizzsmyth @beersiveknown @rickfurzer @jalcock1982 @WhiskyDiscovery @rlemkin @TheWhiskyBoys @EdinburghWhisky @andrew1bardsley @DramStats @EmilyMayFox @rodbodtoo @andotron @paula_read @ansgarspeller @rborghma

For more information see: www.thewhiskywire.com and www.whiskyandwines.com

Now you too can taste these five American whiskies as those clever people at Arkwrights have put together a retail pack of these in 5cl bottles for more information check it out here: 

French Whisky TT

Last week we received our first lesson towards our education in French Whisky from Whisky Blogger Franck Debernardi who writes the La Cave de Cobalt blog. Yes it's all in French but haven't you heard of Google translate - does it all automatically for you if you want!

Five very different drams were sent to us and a number whisky friends across the globe to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of Franck's blog. All five were tasted blind, so guesses were wildly entertaining with points only scored for country of origin!

With just my 2013 edition of Malt Whisky Yearbook in front of me listing just four French Distilleries I I thought I was in with a chance of guessing at least one distillery correctly. Unfortunately a few more distilleries existed that weren't listed, the current edition of the Yearbook was winging it's way to me at the time, and that now lists seventeen!

So have you tried any French whiskies?  On my last trip to France I asked in every bar or restaurant if they had any French Whisky, but was unsuccessful. Next time I'll try harder, but have you tried any of these?

Whisky Discovery #593

G.Rozelieures Rare Collection NAS (40% abv)

French Single Malt Whisky

circa €44.50 Euros 70cl

Our first foray into French whisky came from the Distillerie Grallet Dupic Rozelieures Lorraine. The distillery was founded in 1860 but has only been distilling whisky since 2007, and unfortunately was not one of the distilleries listed in the 2013 yearbook.

From the 2014 edition of Malt Whisky Yearbook I have learnt that Hubert Grallet had been distilling cherry plums for many years when his daughter married a barley farmer, Christophe Dupic. The story goes that following a 'dare' put forward during a well-oiled dinner, they decided to try and make whisky, launching the Glen Rozelieures brand in 2007, and changing it to G.Rozelieures after being given a 'stiff talking to' by the Scotch Whisky Association.

There are currently two core expressions in their range, one aged in sherry casks, the other being lightly peated and aged in Sauternes casks, however our first dram of the evening was something a little special from their limited edition, Rare Collection, matured in a mixture of Sherry, Cognac and Sauternes casks, and bottled at 40% abv and came un-chillfiltered 

Franck tells me that this is still available at La Maison de la Mirabelle and this link will take you there It was last listed at €44,50

So What Did We Think?

Dave: The nose gave malty plums and sweet red grapes and honey with the slightest whisper of charcoal smoke behind. I also picked up a slight silage note, grassy, but on the turn.

This was very soft and gentle on the palate, with quite a thin mouth feel, I guess that was the low abv. It cane across as quite malty with wood flavours and a soft sweetness of thin honey seems to get richer with time. There's a lovely sweet smokiness at the end, with charcoal or  aheavily charred cask note and has a short malty finish

Verdict: A very pleasant introduction to French whisky; soft, sweet and with a touch of smoke too

Kat's notes will follow in due course, she was suffering from a mild form of 'manflu' at the time and was unable to use her beautiful nose for this event.

I also 'lost' all of the other tweets, so cannot tell you what the others thought as I would ordinarily (a case of the bum on the machine as opposed to the machine on the bum)

Whisky Discovery #594

Armorik Double Maturation (46% abv)

French Single Malt Whisky

€45:00  70cl

Our second dram came from a distillery I had heard of, in fact even saw them at the recent Whisky Exchange Whisky Show the previous weekend, and although were on my list to visit, I ran out of time.

The Warenghem Distillery is located on the outskirts of Lannion in Brittany and although originally founded in 1900, has only been producing whisky since 1984.

The single malt core range consists of two expressions; Armorik Edition Original and Armorik Sherry finish, both being around four years old and bottled at 40% abv. However another special release was selected for Franck's third birthday tasting by way of this Armorik Double Maturation, which is a 7 Year Old and has spent time maturing in both new Breton oak and finished in sherry casks, and bottled, un-chillfitered at 46%

For more information about the Warenghem Distillery check out their website here: And this bottle is available for €45:00 from their on-line shop here:

So What Did We Think?

Dave: This was much more aggressive on the nose than the previous dram. Malty with wood spices, sharp ginger with raw cooking apples, vanilla toffee behind a sour wine/sherry vinegar note. After a little while in the glass I started to find some linseed putty notes.

On the palate, malted orchard fruits was my first impression, over-ripe apples and pears. The wood spices build with ginger and black pepper and finishes with a sherbet and black tea, drying the mouth as the wood tannins come forth.

Verdict: An impressive punchy fruity dram, at 46% abv this seems to be bottled at the right strength

Whisky Discovery #595

Armorik Millésime 2002 (56.3% abv)

French Single Malt Whisky

circa €80.00 Euros 70cl

A second expression from Armorik from the Warenghem Distillery was our third blind dram, and another special release. Armorik Millésime 2002 (2013 edition) is a single cask release bottled at a cask strength of 56,3% abv.

Matured in a Bourbon casks for 4 years then in an Oloroso cask for a further 7 years yielding 728 bottles. Franck tells me that last years edition is still available at Whisky.Fr and this link will take you there It was last listed at €70.55. This years edition will be available soon for around €80.00 so you'll need to keep an eye out on the Armorik website

So What Did We Think?

Dave: This came across as a little shy on the nose initially. Dusty with grain husks, spirity with lemon sherbet. Softer orange notes develop along with hedgerow fruits and there was a herbal element to this too reminding me of bramble foliage and bracken, perhaps even some sage. I was also finding a wax-cotton like note, like my old Belstaff motorcycling jacket. This was the most 'Scotch' like on the nose of the three so far.

On the palate it was spicy with heather flavours at first, but quickly settles to become more creamy with notes of apple peel, ginger and white pepper. This too has quite a dry finish.

Verdict: My favourite of the three so far. I would have liked a little more time with this one, and to try it with a drop of water to see what it would offer up, but I saved the other half of the sample for Kat to try.

Whisky Discovery #596

[Secale] Single Organic Malted Rye (56% abv)

French Rye Whisky

Price TBC

Our fourth French Whisky of the evening was the one that received the biggest reaction. This was very different! [Secale] is a single organic malted rye from the Domaine des Hautes Glaces.

The Domaine des Hautes Glaces is an organic mountain farm distillery located in the heart of the French Alps, on the flanks of the Obiou summit. Working with grain grown and processed on site, respectful of the land, mankind and history, the Domaine produces natural, hand-crafted single malt of several kinds.

Just one batch of 650kg of organic rye malt (harvested in 2011) was double distilled in January 2012 in their two small stills (Wash still 2400 litres, Spirit still 600 litres) then matured for 18 months in Condrieu (a white wine from northern Rhône) casks. It was bottled in September at cask strength, without chill filtration or additives and just numbered 511 bottles will be released shortly.

For more information about the Domaine des Hautes Glaces distillery check out their website here:

So What Did We Think?
Dave: My immediate thoughts were if the previous dram reminded me of a Scotch Whisky, this one was reminding me of the Welsh Penderyn spirit, young and feisty. The nose came across as sweet and sour, yet savoury at the same time. There were notes of stewed fruits, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and liquorice root.

On the palate this came across as a touch sour with tamarind juice, dusty grain husk notes from the rye, more liquorice root and damp rotting wood!

Verdict: This didn't go down well with most of the the other tasters, in fact I think the majority of it went down the drain according to the tweets being posted! However I was really interested in this - while the nose was not too different, the taste was really not what I was expecting, and although initially unpleasant, the finish seemed to turn it around, and was drawing me back for more.

Whisky Discovery #597

Uberach W.L.P 10th edition 2013 (46.7% abv)

French Singkle Malt Whisky

€60.00 Euros 50cl

So for our finale dram another rather special whisky: Uberach W.L.P (Whisky Live Paris) 10th edition 2013 46,7% from Distillerie Bertrand. Distilled in 2003, matured in Banyuls (wine from the south-eastern corner of Roussillon, southern France, just a few miles from the border with Spain) casks. 

Every year since 2009 a single cask of single malt from Distillerie Bertrand is bottled for Whisky Live Paris, but 20 litres are kept in a large glass bottle called a "Dame Jeanne".  This Whisky Live Paris Special is the blending of what was left of casks 101, 102, 103 & 104 respectively bottled in 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012. 

Just 146 50cl bottles were available the show, selling for €60.00 and has almost sold out and very hard to find.

Distillerie Bertrand dates back to 1874 and is very well known for its production of fruit brandies or 'eaux-de-vie'. The Distillery is located around thirty kilometres north of Strasbourg, in the Alsace region and in the town of Uberach. It's only been producing whisky since 2003 but there is no mention of whisky production on their website and I've not been able to find any on-line retailers who can sell you a bottle of their whisky either, so I would guess this is not readily available.

For more information about the Distillerie Bertrand check out their website here:

So What Did We Think?
Dave: The nose on this one was very rich and fruity with a touch of struck match, the sherry influence immediate. Rich dark plums that are just on the turn, soft and over-ripe, just on the point of self fermentation, more fruit with sultanas, a little woody and even a hint of dark chocolate

The plums come across on the palate too, and feels rich and sweet, the struck match element is evident, but not pleasant  Spices build very gently to a mild chili heat with the woodiness of pencil shavings. The flavours were starting to remind me of the old 'Venos' cough mixture I used to have as a kid. this too one with a dry finish.

Verdict: Something truly special to finish the evening off, a never to be repeated whisky?

And finally...

A Huge THANK YOU to Franck Debernardi for organising this celebratory tasting and giving us all a grounding in French Whisky. It certainly has whetted my appetite for finding out more and would like to get across and visit a few French distilleries.

Check out Franck's blog La Cave de Cobalt and why don't you follow him on Twitter @LaCaveDeCobalt too. All of his tweets are generally in English, although if you can speak French, I'm sure he'll appreciate that even more, and who knows you might get an invite to his next tweet tasting.

Slàinte! Dave

Our first French Whisky tasting experience

Pearl Dram - Single Malt Whisky Society 30th Anniversary

This summer saw the Single Malt Whisky Society celebrated their 30th anniversary. Very suitably, for their pearl anniversary they collaborated with oyster mixologist, The Mother Shuckers [www.mothershuckers.co.uk] opened a 4 day pop-up whisky and oyster bar in Sevendials, London, calling the event Pearl Dram.

Not only did they come up with a witty name during their planning sessions, they cleverly planned the event to coincide with the start of the British oyster season.

The beautifully decorated pop-up shop on Monmouth Street, Seven Dials

A brief history of the society; it was created in 1983 by Phillip “Pip” Hills, after the syndicate that he started with a group of friends to buy their own single cask whiskies grew too big for the lobby in his house. Fuelled by his love of single malts, an entrepreneurial spirit, and from what I felt from reading a section of his book 'Scots on Scotch', the novelty of hosting drunken friends wore thin, the old wine merchant building in Leith known as The Vaults was purchased. This was to become the syndicate’s new central hub. At the time drinking single casks whiskies was bucking the trend, where the majority of whiskies being drunk were blends.

Today the society offers its members a wide selection from over 120 distilleries from cask they select and bottle themselves; keeping true to its roots. Members can enjoy the society’s unique drams in the private members bars worldwide and chat to knowledgeable staff that will be able to give advice on what to try, as the selection can be over whelming at times and hard to know where to start. 

We have been members since 2012, and one of our favourite places to stop by at the start or end of each journey into London is the member’s room that’s a short walk from Farringdon station. We often refer to this as our ‘waiting room’ as it’s on our train route home. 

Which dram to what pearl?

I sat down to sample the full works, titled ‘The Maiden Voyage’ which consisted of 6 whiskies paired with 6 different oysters. I tasted all of these whiskies with water on the recommendation that the diluted drams will help bring out more of the flavours in the oysters.

Getting ready for the start of my ‘Maiden Voyage’

Dram#1 SMWS 73.58 'Simple & Seductive'
paired with the Dunchy Native Oyster.

SMWS 73.58 is a Speyside. It’s a 21 year old an ex-refill bourbon hogshead, distilled on 9th of July 1991. Bottled at 57% abv, price at £69.10 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS website as available.

So what did I think?

Nose: Very fresh and floral with creamy notes, aromatic vanilla pods, lemon blossoms, and some spices. 

Taste: The freshness comes through in the form of a brief minty mouthwash quality that quickly turns into a lemon drizzle cake, sweetness and creaminess from caramel and sweeten condensed milk, with spices dancing its way to the front towards the end. Spices are a mixed of cloves, cinnamon, and floral notes of coriander seeds. 

Finish: Sweet and spicy. 

Dunchy native has a chewy texture but with some creamy quality. Taste wise it’s about the same sweetness as saltiness, and a metallic kick at the end. This brought out more of the sweetness in the whisky, while the whisky cuts through the nutty salt flavours and balances out the metal notes. 

Dram#2 SMWS 30.77 'This Is Nuts'
paired with the Colchester Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 30.77 is another Speyside whisky. It’s a 16 year old refilled ex-sherry butt, distilled on 17th of April 1997. Bottled at 57.7 % abv and priced at £55.80 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available. 

So what did I think?

Nose: Big sherry hit with lots of dried fruits (figs, dates, raisins, sultanas), and waxed paper. 

Taste: This reflects the nose, bursting with the dried fruits (again figs, dates, raisins, sultanas) with an addition of some dark chocolate towards the end. 

Finish: Fruity with some lingering fresh Jalapeno chilli heat. 

Colchester rock is noticeably more briny than the Dunchy, fewer minerals with no metallic taste, and nice addition of a seaweed note with a creamy texture which tasted like white bread. This oyster brought out white pepper notes in the whisky, while the whisky brought out more of the mineral notes of the oyster. 

Dram#3 SMWS 77.32 'Salivating Sweetness; Savour Whisper'

paired with Lock Ryan Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 77.32 is a Highland whisky. It’s a 25 year old, refilled ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled on 13th of August 1987. Bottled at 58.2 % abv and priced at £82.90 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available.

So what did I think?

Nose: Noticeably dryer than the 30.77 with more woody notes, spicy sweet cinnamon, new buck leather, and the smell of sun cream. 

Taste: Begins with a satisfying woody oak note developing into sweet sticky dates, and spicy cinnamon.

Finish: Starts with sticky sweet dates which lingers, some of the woody oak notes returning, with cinnamon spice leading to the end. 

Loch Ryan rock oyster is very creamy, much more delicate than previous two, and sweeter with only hints of salt and minerals. This brings out more of the fruitier notes of the whisky, specifically more figs, and changes the finish to a stronger wood flavour. 

Dram#4 SMWS 4.179 'Compartments of Complexity'
paired with Dorset Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 4.179 is a 22 years old Highland whisky from a refilled ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled on 31st of May 1991. Bottled at 54.2 % abv and priced at £85 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available.

Four down and no pearls found yet

So what did I think?

Nose: Damp forest floors, earthy moss covered logs, little hints of Band-Aids plasters, and smoky peat notes comes through lasts. 

Taste: Begins with burst of sweetness and taste of lemon drizzle cake then heavy smoky peat notes follows, providing a half and half balance of these two flavours. Then right at the end a sprinkling of white pepper. 

Finish: Relatively short with lingering of lemon drizzle cake and, surprisingly, instead of the smoky notes, the earthy characters that I picked up in the nose returned. 

Dorset rock oyster is another oyster with heavy briny mineral flavours. Texture wise is a mix of creamy (this time more like ricotta in texture) and some meaty bits. This brings outs vanilla notes in the palate of this dram.

Dram#5 SMWS 3.186 'Mermaids At Play In Lochindaal'
paired with Jersey Rock Oyster. 

SMWS 3.186 is a 16 years old Islay whisky from refilled ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled in April 1995 (no specific date given). Bottled at 57.9 % abv and priced at £65.50 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS as no longer available.

So what did I think?

Nose: First get sweet vanillas and spices, mainly of cinnamon sticks punching through, then a strong aroma of an old medicine cabinet hits you, and more peat can be picked up here than the previous dram. 

Taste: Started with a vegetable like quality that’s similar to pea shoots (was a lovely surprise and so delicate), a good bit of peat, and has a heavier and creamier mouth feel than the previous dram. 

Finish: The pea shoots flavour comes back which is replaced by a touch of wood charcoal, with some sweetness still lingering in the background. 

The Jersey Rock oyster has a clean fresh taste compared with all the others, similar to cucumber but with more brine. This brings out more stoned fruits and vanilla notes in the dram. Interestingly the peat note takes a step back, becoming less prominent. I'm glad it didn't take too many steps back as it complimented the other flavours so well still being part of the main line-up.

Dram#6 SMWS 53.190 'A Fishing Village Up Whisky Cove'
paired with Loch Ryan Native Oyster. 

SMWS 53.190 is a 17 year old Islay whisky from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead, distilled on 24th of August 1995. Bottled at 56.7 % abv and priced at £63.70 for 70 cl. Showing on SMWS website as no longer available.

So what did I think?

Nose: Heady peat aromas, the most peated out of all 6 drams. There’s also dried logs and a touch of liquorice sticks. Definitely a distinct woody and bark like element here. 

Taste: Very smoky and mirroring the nose, the woody element continues here. Black cardamoms in big volumes, some cinnamon and cloves, but instead of the whole spices, due to the smokiness these, they are more like powered spices to me with its dry dusty feel. However doesn’t leave the mouth feeling dry. 

Finish: Begins with the smoky black cardamoms then moving to black pepper which lingers for a good while. 

The Loch Ryan native oyster has an all over meatier texture with minimal creaminess. Found it to be balanced of the brine, metallic notes, and a mineral cucumber note. The whisky had brought out more mineral notes of the oyster, and gave it an earthy finish.

Verdict

Out of all 6 pairings, my favourite combo was pairing No. 3, SWMS 77.32 with Loch Ryan rock oyster. I just felt the pairing brought out the most complimentary flavours in each other, and it has some of my favourite aromas and flavours. 

On a side note, by pure coincidence saw me celebrating a total of three 30th anniversaries, as two other friends were also celebrating their big birthdays on the same day I went to Pearl Dram. I did ponder the next day and as I write this, if it was an omen. So far there has been neither major heart ache nor major good fortunes. Still, can’t help but feel a little superstitious. 

For further information on the Single Malt Whisky Society please visit www.smws.co.uk, and The Mother Shuckers can be found on www.mothershuckers.co.uk.

Lastly for more information on oysters, I came across this interesting info sheet online from the Shellfish Association of Great Britain which explains the different types of oysters available in the UK, and provide more detailed tasting notes for each of these oysters. This can be found here:

Slàinte! Kat

Tweeddale Tweet Tasting

I wanted to write this post a while back after meeting Alasdair Day at The Whisky Lounge London Festival in May. (another post still in draft form and needing finishing). I was actually working at the Show spreading the love for Balcones Whisky that afternoon, but before my session started got to meet Alasdair, hear the story of how it all began and revisit the second batch of his 12 Year Old Tweeddale Blend (first tasted at our 12 Blends over Easter) as well as taste the newly launched  batch 3.

Well the summer raced by with lots to do both at home and at work, and while we were still discovering whisky, as well as maintaining my mission statement of buying (at least) one bottle of whisky a month, the blog was left behind for a little while.

So it was down to Steve Rush of The Whisky Wire organising this Tweet Tasting which prompted me to complete the blog post I had been putting together, adding two bonus drams to the original posting with samples from the now hard to find Batch 1 as well as the latest release, Batch 4.

The carefully wrapped package of samples

Talking to Alasdair at the show back in May I asked him how it all came about.

Alasdair's great grandfather, Richard Day produced the Tweeddale Blend in Coldstream by the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders from 1899 until the beginning of the Second World War, however the history goes back further than that, being first created in the mid 1800's by J&A Davidson, brewers and blenders, first established in 1820.

From the age of 19, Richard Day started to learn the art of whisky blending, and throughout his career kept all of the details of his recipes, neatly written in his 'cellar book'. Richard eventually went on to take over the business, changing it's name to Richard Day and operated it right up until the beginning of the Second World War.

Alasdair's family all knew about the whisky blending heritage of course, and how it stopped when the last of  Richards casks were sold after the war. All that was left was the 'cellar book' that had the Tweeddale blend recipes listed, and they had often joked about re-starting the business using  his cellar book to recreate the blends, but it wasn't until 2009 when Alasdair established the company Stonedean Limited with the sole purpose of recreating one of his Great Grandfather's whiskies. 

The Tweeddale Blend reborn

It took Alasdair until May 2010 to get the first batch of The Tweeddale blended and bottled. He was still working full time in his 'day job' back then, and was building this business in his spare time. He purchased nine casks of aged whisky, one grain and eight malts to produce the first batch. The grain and the youngest malt were 10 years old, and the oldest malt was a 21 year old Speyside.

The second batch was created in June 2011, and in this blend a 15 year old grain was used with the youngest malt being a 12 year old. It was this batch that received a liquid gold award from Jim Murray with a score of 94.5 in his 2013 Whisky Bible and Best Scotch Blended 12 years and under in the World Whiskies Awards 2013.

Every time J&A Davidson produced The Tweeddale Blend, each batch would be slightly different as it's produced from various quantities from single casks. Each batch requires some "new" casks to build the blend and so would be slightly different each time. Alasdair has decided to to maintain this process rather than build the blend to the same profile each time, thus creating a Limited Edition, Small Batch nature to the brand and tells me he has great fun choosing different cask types, sizes and ages while always keeping the backbone of the blend from the 'cellar book'

Alasdair added colour to the first two batches, as his Great Grandfather's recipe used rum or sherry for colour the blend, but of course could not use rum or sherry and label it as Scotch Whisky but  wanted it to be as close to the original recipe as possible. Building on the feedback from the first two batches, the 3rd and 4th releases are both natural colour, and all four batches are non chill filtered and 46% abv again in keeping with the original recipe.

Throughout all four batches, seven of the malts are from the same distilleries and casks, so Alasdair has used the single grain and one of the malts as his means of making each batch unique.

All set to go at Whisky Discovery HQ

..and onto the Tweet Tasting
This tweet tasting was to promote the recent launch of the fourth release of The Tweeddale Blend, a 14 Year Old this time, but luckily for us all four releases would be sampled for the tweet tasting with Steve Rush of @TheWhiskyWire and Alasdair Day from @TweeddaleBlend

Whisky Discovery #599

The Tweeddale Blend Batch No.1 10 Year Old (46% abv)

Blended Scotch Whisky

You might be lucky finding one of these!

The Tweeddale is an indulgent blend of a single grain whisky and eight single malt whiskies, it has a high malt content, it has not been chill filtered and has been bottled at 46% alcohol by volume in keeping with the original recipe.

First bottled in May 2010, each of the eight malt whiskies in the blend is drawn from a single cask. The grain whisky is 10 years old, the eight malt whiskies range from 10 years old to 21 years old. Predominantly Lowland Scotch Whisky has been used but it also contains Highland, Speyside and Islay malts. There were just 1,200 bottles released of this first batch.

So What Did I Think?
Colour: Pale Gold, but aren't they all?

Nose: Malty with orchard fruits initially. Creamy toffee develops and I'm picking out the slightest hint of smoke as the spices develop. After a while the malty notes turn more biscuit like as soft citrus, heath heather and fern notes evolve from the glass. It's peppery too and there is the smell of well seasoned wood.
Palate: this has an oily mouth coating feel with a sweet grassy entry with hints of melon and lemon. Spices build with pepper and ginger while an earthy smoke sits in the background.f
Finish: Good length of finish with some charred wood and a lingering spiciness and a touch of sherbet.

So what did the others think?
@BeersIveKnown: Fairly gentle on the nose with a woody spiceiness and fresh baked shortcake@JohnnieStumbler: Nosing beeswax and Sicilian lemons. Hints of pineapple and grapefruit.

@steveprentice: On the nose... subtle fruits, but some more tannic and salty notes I think that give it a more savoury background?
@Grahamyus: A sherried honey with just a wee hint of woodsmoke is what I get. Perhaps will open with a minimal drop of water?
@mynameisgone: Malty, lemon and lime, biscuits, hints of smoke, lightly spiced stewed apples
@patrickhadfield: Initial taste (no water): tangy, spicy, raisins. Very smooth, too. 
@StroudWhisky: 1 Upfront you get honey, light smoke, sea salt then pepper, apple, oak with a tongue tingling spiciness to end.
@TheWhiskyLounge: picy apple crumble (burnt sugar) with hints of cinnamon & cloves. Long, quite dry & touch of chili pepper on the finish.

Whisky Discovery #376

The Tweeddale Blend Batch No.2 12 Year Old (46% abv)

Blended Scotch Whisky

Again you might be lucky finding a bottle of this!

This was one of the blends from our 12 Blends competition at Easter, where a group of twelve tweeters each sent a blended whisky of their choice, blind, to each other. It was twelve evenings of great entertainment and my first introduction to The Tweeddale Blend. It went down well then too.

Just as every batch was different when his Great Grandfather produced it over seventy years ago, the second batch was bottled as a twelve year old. In this blend Seven of the eight malts are from the same casks as the first batch. The eighth malt is from a new cask and it is the same grain distillery, from a sherry butt again but 15 years old instead of 10 years old. Just 1600 bottles were released in June 2011.

So What Did I Think?
Colour: It's a little darker than batch one, so not so pale gold?
Nose: Sweeter and richer than Batch 1 and more of a definitive sherry touch to it. Sweet berry fruits with ginger, malty with creamy toffee too. The smoke has been replaced with an forest floor earthiness, and becomes much fruitier with a little air.
Palate: This has a great rich sweet and creamy entry. It feels almost chewy in the mouth with sweet berry fruits, fruit leather, pepper and sherbet.
Finish: Again, a good length finish with stewed plums and sherbet, becoming dry.

So what did the others think?

@Grahamyus: Beeswax polish dabbed on your favourite leather chair
@patrickhadfield: I'm clearly suggestible - I get fig rolls! Spices too - ginger. No peat for me, unlike batch #1. Quite fiery.

@whiskyrepublic: Seems to be the darkest of the 4, definitely an ever so subtle sherry influence for me, a cornucopia of fruit From the moment it hits the tongue good things happen. Rich, sparkling mouthfeel, orange zest flirting with soft spice

@KiltedMoose: Nose: plum jam and I'm also getting the previously mentioned icing sugar - but mixed with wood shavings
@ifotou: Taste; packed with more tropical fruit, pineapple and kiwi with touches of cereal notes and a gentle kick of spice
@kizzsmyth: It's pudding in a glass! Home made banoffee pie with fresh cream
@rodbodtoo: Palate is richer and fruitier than #Batch1. Less hot in the finish. A clear, precise evolution from 10yo to 12yo
@steveprentice: Palate: seemingly sweeter than batch 1, creamy and light with more summer goodness and a dollop of spices, yummy!
@mynameisgone: Palate, very rounded, honeydew melon, cream, slightly fizzy like refreshers
@LRWhisky: Richer and deeper than Batch One - feel the further maturation helps it; lots of banana and vanilla too

@dvdbloke: Finish - sweetness and light! drying out, but always remaining creamy throughout the long finish.

Whisky Discovery #427

The Tweeddale Blend Batch No.3 12 Year Old (46% abv)

Blended Scotch Whisky

£39.99 70cl

Alasdair launched this batch at the round of Whisky Shows in April and I first tasted this at The Whisky Lounge London Fest and met Alasdair and his wife, and found out all about his remarkable story. Up until that time Alasdair had been working full time in his day job but had just resigned in order to drive the business forward and become full time.

So batch three is again slightly different. Blended in February 2013 and bottled in March, it uses the same grain distillery from a sherry butt again but an 18 year old, helping to increase the complexity yet adding slightly smoother mouth feel. The youngest malt was a 13 year old and the blend still has 2% Islay but a wee bit more subtle than the hint of smoke evident in the first batch resulting in a smoother, refined batch.

This was Alasdair's largest batch to date, but the majority of it went overseas, mostly to Canada with 1,200 bottles to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and 240 bottles to La Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) 900 bottles to the USA and just 300 bottles for the UK

It received Best Buy in the tasting section of Whisky Magazine in the Aug/Sept edition this year, and a large part of this batch went to the LCBO in Canada. Although the youngest whisky was 13 years old the LCBO requested that the age statement remained at 12 year old to tie in with the awards received by batch 2 (even although the youngest whisky was 13 years old).

So What Did I Think?

Colour: You guessed it, pale gold, but completely natural this time. 

Nose: Quite sour initially, especially when compared to the previous two batches. It comes across as more herbal too with damp mown hay and parsley. There's a struck match element here too. It certainly benefits with a little time to breathe as after a minute or two it becomes much softer and sweeter with sherried fruits of plums and cherry and red grapes. 

Palate: The sherried influence is greater again here, and I definitely found that struck match element, but it was not offensive, in fact I really got too like it over two evenings. It reminded me a little of Glenrothes and I was convinced some of that may have gone into the blend, but only Alasdair can answer that! I picked out spiced oranges with dark honey, ginger and sherbet, as well as a touch of earthy charred wood and peppery spices. 

Finish: Another lengthy finish, peppery spices and the charred wood remaining till the very end.

So what did the others think?

@rodbodtoo: Nose is much more obviously sherried, with dried fruit giving way to woodier notes
@ifotou: A sweet honey note then dewy grass reminds me of a very good quality grain, hints of malt loaf, pineapple & smoke. Really sweet to taste, demerera sugar, crunchy candy icing, & caramel topped digestive biscuits, yum
@Whiskylassie: I get fresh pressed apple juice. Followed by a lovely custard in graham cracker crust! Whisky morph's so quickly in the glass. Batch 3 turns into lovely clean & green smell - wild flower field after it rains! Sweet oaky predominance, candied ginger and mouthwatering
@kizzsmyth: Smells 'green' this one... grass, parsley. Olive oil finish
@TheWhiskyLounge: Definite farmyard/farm distillery scents. There's that salty popcorn again. Very intriguing, complex and beguiling. Fave
@StroudWhisky: On the palate rich honey, floral notes, sweet apples and melons, this is more like batch 1 than 2
@ben_cops: Nose - more restrained, older sherry at first, but much sweeter deep down. Later green apple and dewy moss. Then tropical fruit starting to develop. Pear drops, some wax, buttered popcorn, and furniture polish.
@BeersIveKnown: It's really sweet on the palate, almost unfinished..unfermented out, sweet Italian vermouth with added canderel
@dvdbloke: Finish; I love this stuff. medium-long, creamy, light, drying, pepper/ginger spiced finale with a hint of milk choc
@mynameisgone: Palate, spiced fruits, brown sugar, coats the mouth wonderfully, a little warmth like a good ginger beer
@whiskyrepublic: Honey base with an overlay of damp, meaty, forest floor notes.....a really "chewy" mouthfeel....lovely
@patrickhadfield: With just a drop of water: much smoother, creamier, loses the island feel. Back to sherried fruit, touch of spice.
@Sherry_Ben: Water brings out an unexpected creaminess, slightly smoky and still with that wonderful finish.This is really growing on me

Whisky Discovery #600

The Tweeddale Blend Batch No.4 14 Year Old (46% abv)

Blended Scotch Whisky
£45.00 70cl

This release could be described as an autumnal edition of the third release, ideal for the season and by the fire side. For this batch the age of the single grain has been reduced to 16 years old and a 14 year old lowland malt that has been matured in an Islay cask is also in the blend. The other seven malts are from the same distilleries and the same casks as the previous three editions. This has been blended to give a more robust, full bodied batch to contrast with batch 3 and just in time for autumn / winter.

Blended in August and released in September this limited edition batch has just 1,420 individually numbered bottles.

So What Did I Think? 

Colour: Really? You expected something different? All natural of course though.
Nose: this comes across as a little shy at first. Sweet grain notes, drier and dustier than the previous three, with notes of ginger ale. However as it opens up the sherry notes come forward with the rich dried fruits and a touch of dark chocolate. The signature peppery sherbet comes through later. 

Palate: Sweet, creamy, light and fresh initially with soft grain, vanilla and gentle citrus notes. With a little time in the glass it becomes richer, sweet and malty with some dark chocolate orange notes and spicy ginger 

Finish: good length of finish with a charred cask note and a hint of peat.

So what did the others think? 

@StroudWhisky: Nose is more islands than before. Sea salt, honey again, smoke, peat and vanilla. Mesmerising
@steveprentice: Nose a little more like 1&2 again, oranges and summer tones along with bourbon vanilla and zingyness. Palate is sweet with autumn fruits, autumn smoke hints and general yumminess. Good stuff! Batch 2 & 4 my faves.
@ifotou: A wee hint of smoke followed by malt loaf some lovely vanilla notes, ending with pear drops and freshly cut grass.
@TheWhiskyLounge: Whisky-soaked plums, burnt sugar, raspberry-topped panacotta, hint of tarragon, woody spice, sprinkle of black pepper.
@dvdbloke: Nose - getting some grassiness coming through now, a little peaty earth in there. On the palate - sweet, apple, chewy, vanilla, honey, toffee, pepper, a little sherried, happy, lovely balance, enjoyment. Fizzy sherbert lemons coming about, with a creamy overtone.
@mynameisgone: Nose, for me its a vanilla baked cheese cake on a ginger nut base with lemon peel as a decoration. On the palate, the fizz is back, that spiciness and fruit is ever present, more red fruit and icing sugar sweetness
@JohnnieStumbler: Condensed milk spiked with wood chips. Lovely creamy smoke.
@ben_cops: Nose - big tropical nose, more banana with lemon sherbert. The most elegant, balanced yet, but very rich.

@BeersIveKnown: more of the spicy notes in the taste, alongside wine gums and some rounded sweetness. Well balanced but not quite my bag.
@rodbodtoo: The palate is rich and mellow. More fruit, less cream, more smoke, still a wee rasp of fiery heat
@WindsorBeerFest: Palate: Smoother than a snakes belly, a warmth that builds with that white pepper & gentle spice, soothing.

@Sherry_Ben: Lovely mouth coating fruit with a touch of the sherry fruit and mild smoke. I'm finding this one a bit elusive
@TWLJoe: Loving the batch 4. The palate is juicy, fruity, sweet, spicy with a lively popping candy feel

Verdict The second batch was an absolute belter at our 12 Blends competition, all of us were very impressed leading us all to find out more. On the evening I still though Batch 2 was the best of the four, with the latest release a very close second. The following evening I tried them all again, at a slightly more leisurely pace giving myself time to reflect on each one, without the necessity of tweeting my thoughts immediately, or even having to write extra notes, unless absolutely necessary. My initial order of preference at the end of the tweet tasting was Batch 2, followed by Batches 4, 3 and 1, but following my extra evening with them I really got into the differences of the third and fourth releases and ended up with probably the order Alasdair had hoped for; 4,3,2,and 1!

Reviewing the Twitter feed while writing this post and selecting the tweets to add to this post, I think the underlying trend agreed with my final evaluation too.

These are all very drinkable, artisan blended whiskies, and the remarkable story of it's reintroduction from the great grandson of its last producer, with no whisky blending experience, just a passion to recreate this lost blend, is inspirational.

What's Next for Tweeddale?

After the Tweet Tasting I wanted to ask Alastair a few more questions, I was interested to learn what was next for Tweeddale? Alasdair's immediate plans are to bottle the single grain and Lowland malt from batch four as single cask bottlings, so look out for them very soon.

However, more exciting still is that Alasdair is now raising funds to build a craft distillery in the Scottish Borders. The distillery will be the first in the Scottish Borders since 1837. Plans for it's location is between Peebles and Galashiels in Tweeddale rather than Coldstream, wanting to take The Tweeddale home for the year of homecoming 2014.

I wish Alasdair and his team every success for this new venture

and finally....

As per previous Tweet Tastings there was a great deal of tweeting going on and to see what happened search on the #TweeddaleWhisky hashtag on twitter for the full story. Just the two Whisky Discoveries to record on the Liquid Log this time, but a story I really wanted to tell.A massive THANK YOU to Steve Rush at @TheWhiskyWire and Alasdair Day from @tweeddaleblend for sending out all of the samples to us and of course the tweet tasters who were: 

@TheWhiskyWire @TWLEddie @WhiskyDiscovery @StroudWhisky @WhiskyRepublic @rodbodtoo @SimplzW @steveprentice @Kiltedmoose @ben_cops @WhiskyDiscovKat @dvdbloke @patrickhadfield @kizzsmyth @mynameisgone @beersiveknown @LRWhisky @windsorBeerFest @LocalsGuidetoEd @ifotou @JohnnieStumbler @motleyspicer @Sherry_Ben @Grahamyus @DaveMcKinnon23

For more information see: www.thewhiskywire.com and www.tweeddalewhisky.com