Cutty Sark Tweet Tasting Part 2

Steve Rush of The Whisky Wire is really packing in the Tweet Tastings in the run up to Christmas, with one scheduled each week now. Tonight we revisited Cutty Sark, a whisky I was first introduced to properly at the first Cutty Sark Tweet Tasting in April.

Once again we were joined by Cutty Sark Master Blender Kirsteen Campbell, who was tweeting in on the action via @CuttySarkBlend and was also on hand to answer all our Cutty Sark questions.

With everything ready in place for seven o'clock we started with Cutty Sark Original:

Whisky Discovery #71

Cutty Sark Original (40% abv)
Blended Scotch Whisky
circa £16.00 70cl

This is one of the whiskies I remember from my childhood, the yellow label on the green bottle in my father drinks cabinet. I first tasted this back in April of this year on the first Cutty Sark Tweet Tasting so click on the link to find out what I thought then and see how it compares this time. Kat on the other hand had not tasted any of the Cutty Sark range and so all four were new to her. 

Kirsteen told us that the blend is made up from a range of ages, mainly American oak casks. Some sherry, some bourbon.

So What Did We Think?

Kat said: The first thing that came to mind when first nosing was how fresh this felt. I was getting  green apples with hints of citrus and vanilla. The a creamy note in the background like whipped cream. The sweet notes reminded me of icing sugar because it's sweet, but with a power feel.

With all the talk of apples and custard, I was reminded of apple crumble and cold custard, then after a little longer the malty notes now, and seasoned dried oak, then a pear note. The sweet notes overall were.

When going to taste I was definitely getting the smell of Krispy Kreme sugar glazed doughnuts and on the first sip got a nice hit of fresh ginger. Lot's going on!

Dave said: I got that fresh cut hay note immediately on the nose, like a summer meadow being cut. This is so light and fresh, and after the hay started getting sweet floral notes and some malty biscuits too. after a little longer some oaky notes started to develop and a passing pear drop sweetness every so often.

The palate is light bodied, smooth sweet and fresh - a summery dram. Malted Milk biscuits are there for me, along with barley and vanilla. Great opening dram once again and this could be a great introduction whisky, light and very easy to drink, and at a price you can afford to drink everyday

Some of my favourite tweets for this expression

@MaltBox Green apple, malt, a light ale such as Thwaite's Wainwright, haylage and Rhubarb & Custard sweets
@TheWhiskyWire Floral fresh, with wisps of apple & vanilla
@whiskyrepublic That vanilla really comes through - almost a vanilla & custard fusion. Vanilla custard if you will! 
@ifotou Fruity, oranges apples and touch of lime, with fresh vanilla pods. a hint of freesias and a little edge of digestive biscuit
@TheWhiskyWire Just by the nose alone this stands out to be a real drop of class in a glass!
@whiskytube Sweet palate mixed with a vanilla infused butter with a dusting of spice on the finish
@jalcock1982 Bargain price really for such a easy drinking tasty dram 
@saint_jimmy A lot of ginger on the taste. Vanilla, fudge and dried coconut. A almost salty, lingering finish 

Whisky Discovery #267

Cutty Storm (40% abv)
Blended Scotch Whisky
circa £18.00 70cl

The recently released Storm was our second dram for the evening and a new Whisky Discovery to the both of us

Crafted from the same top quality grain whisky as Cutty Sark Blend, Storm features a higher proportion of older single malts resulting in a fascinating blend of brooding depth and exciting complexity.

Master Blender, Kirsteen Campbell, has created a profoundly rich whisky which, although bolder and deeper, is in keeping with the Cutty Sark philosophy of accessibility and versatility.

Impactful older whiskies from the world’s most celebrated distilleries have been used to create a tempestuous blended Scotch whisky; between the depth of flavour of the older malts and the vibrancy of the fresher grains lies the perfect Storm.

Kirsteen told us that Storm contains higher percentage of malt & older malts to give it richer edge, again American Oak rather than European Oak sherry casks are used. Kirsteen went on to say that she wanted to give it an edge over the Cutty Sark Original Blend and taste wise it’s Cutty with a bit of a kick! This is Kirsteen's second creation after the fabulous 25 Year Old Tam O’Shanter 

Official Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright amber - with a suggestion of hidden depths
Nose: Rich and exotic, fudge and tropical fruit – intriguing depth that only comes from aged malts.
Palate: Sweet, ripe stone fruit, peaches and cream – layers of complexity and attractive velvet texture.
Finish: Gently drying, medium to good length, spicy with undertones of oak – exuberant yet mature with perfect balance.

So What Did We Think?

Kat said:  On the nose I had fresh papaya and was getting sense that this has some sherry cask in it, with dried fruits; raisins and figs. I also found coffee and some cedar wood. After a little longer hints of vanilla came through with a hot chili kick!  I Liked it!

Very smooth and silky on the palate with fruity notes coming through and towards the end there's a taste like fresh greens or raw broccoli.

Dave said: I found rich dried tropical fruit mix on the nose; coconut, pineapple, mango, papaya with some raisins and sultanas too, a little sherried fruit and toffee fudge, after a little while the vanilla was teased out. There was fleeting a sour note too.

On the palate it was much richer than the Original and felt more viscous with a darker, creamier sweetness at first, then a spicy pepper attack.

Some of my favourite tweets for this expression

@whiskytube Has a briny salty nose with a subtle sweetness at the finish
@whiskyrepublic Very subtle nose, the merest hint of tobacco? An autumn forest floor...earthy....wet, pleasant leaf-mash notes
@bumpythechemist Sherry cask influence on the nose. balsamic vinegar and a little smoking match on the storm. older, more complex nose
@whiskytube Getting a lot of oak on the nose here. I get a hint of tropical fruits too
@MaltBox Surprisingly rich and fruity, mango? toffee, very rich, getting coffee and kiwi fruit too
@TheWhiskyWire A steal at the price
@ifotou Big Sherry influence, tobacco leaves and a touch of fresh leather with a large handful of sultanas and raisins a little dewy grass
@whiskyrepublic This hasn't got a long finish but nor is it gone in a flash...more of a gentle farewell. Adieu mon orage
@whiskytube Really getting that coffee coming through on the palate mixed with a lot of demerara sugar

Whisky Discovery #72

Cutty Sark 12 Year Old (40% abv)
Blended Scotch Whisky
circa £24.00 70cl

Another first tasted this back in April of this year on the first Cutty Sark Tweet Tasting so click on the link to find out what I thought then and see how it compares this time.

So What Did I Think?

Kat said:  My initial tweet when nosing this 12 Year Old expression was "Ooohhh getting chocolate on the nose immediately!" Then I started getting some nutty notes, honey roasted nuts. which developed into roasted sesame seeds with a slight oiliness to it, which in turn developed into Brazil nuts. I loved the nutty woody notes, while still retaining a lovely freshness.

This was really nice and very smooth, with a hint of mild pepper at the end. I started getting a woody dried leaves taste probably from the sherry casks right at the very end.

Dave said: Dark marmalade on buttered granary toast, wet oak wood, malty biscuits and  dried fruits coming through now, and some honey. There seems to me a light smoky char underlying too

Much lighter and fresher than I was expecting on the palate. Lots of vanilla creaminess, citrus freshness and a light chili zing

Some of my favourite tweets for this expression

@whiskytube It has a syrupy nose with maybe some hints of figs. That famous vanilla is back too!
@jalcock1982 Pleasant nose fruity, rum and raisin, butter icing, sherry, all spice, Christmas Pudding
@bumpythechemist Fruity, rummy, sherry. very complex and balanced
@dvdbloke Very complex nose. creamy custard with raisin and fig compote
@ifotou Fruit cake, rum and raisin, floral gums and caramelised banana, some very tropical notes in there
@WHISKYILEACH Getting the chocolate hazel nuts smothered in honey
@dvdbloke Light, well balanced, honey nut sweetness, thick, long drying finish, with fruit cakey excellence. Beautiful, just beautiful
@whiskyrepublic Smooth on the palate, gentle spicy sweetness, toffee - Marathonesque....(or should that be Snickeresque?)
@cuttysarkblend Nuttiness coming through as the whisky complexity increases with age. Combination of great casks and fantastic whiskies

Whisky Discovery #73

Cutty Sark 18 Year Old (43% abv)
Blended Scotch Whisky
circa £57.00 70cl

Another first tasted this back in April of this year on the first Cutty Sark Tweet Tasting so click on the link to find out what I thought then and see how it compares this time.

So What Did I Think?

Kat said:  I can't remember having any whiskies to date with as many nutty notes., again this 18 year old has a similar profile, it's really interesting. After a little while I was picking out toffee and chocolate on the nose.

On the palate I was getting mincemeat from mince pies, and thought that this would be nice with a bit of ginger cake. Towards the end there was a bitter sweet caramel finish. 

Dave said: On the nose I was immediately getting Christmas Cake, marzipan, ginger, clove spice, vanilla, candied peel, even a little liquorice coming through. Then after a short while, although starting off much more Christmassy, became more Jamaican Ginger Cake like. 

There were some dark chocolate notes, which reminded me that I had bought some Green and Black's Chili Spice Dark Chocolate, and dash out to the fridge to get some!

On the palate it was absolutely mind-blowing with that chocolate!

Some of my favourite tweets for this expression

@TheWhiskyWire Just from a mere sniffette you know a rich rewarding rumpus awaits
@bumpythechemist Tropical sherry, limes in with the raisins and dried fruit. a little meatiness too on the nose
@MaltBox Very Speysider-esque oof this smells good, deep christmas pudding and parkin cake with sherry, orange peel and strong maltyness
@DramStats Nose: chocolate, Coffee beans, dark sherry and plums, Jamaican ginger cake, almonds and soft brown sugar. Wow
@whiskytube A waxy nose with lashings of dried fruits covered in a splash of vanilla essence and steeped in honey!
@jalcock1982 Lovely balanced, sherry, fruitcake, vanilla again, damp, rich, beautifully complex nose
@DramStats Anyone get Jamaican ginger cake on the nose? Loving this
@whiskyrepublic Wow, a robust dram....fresh sawdust sweetness....like drinking a luscious liquidised bread pudding a la Heston Blumenthal
@bumpythechemist Bitter liquorice up front, quite a cloying sweet sherry note to balance on the palate. lots of orange and dark chocolate

As per previous Tweet Tastings there was a great deal of tweeting going on and to see what happened search on the #CuttyTT2 hashtag on twitter for the full story!

Yet another great experience and another highlight of my whisky journey, registering just the one new ‘Discovery’ for me this time, but all four were new for Kat. 

A massive THANK YOU to Steve Rush at @TheWhiskyWire and Kirsteen Campbell, Master Blender at @cuttysarkblend as well as the rest of the team at Cutty Sark and of course the tweet tasters.

This events tweet tasters were:

@TheWhiskyWire @steveprentice @WhiskyDiscovery @FrazerJ @ifotou @dvdbloke @PMaitlando @MaltBox @PresleyKa @WhiskyRepublic @whiskytube @Saint_Jimmy @LRWhisky @WhiskyDemon @bumpythechemist @Dramstats @jalcock1982 @WhiskyIleach

For more information see: www.thewhiskywire.com and www.cutty-sark.com

Whisky Discovery #74

Cutty Sark Tam O'Shanter 25 Year Old (46.5% abv)

Blended Scotch Whisky

circa £200.00 70cl

The Tam o'Shanter - aimed at the collector, but a stunning whisky none the less

Cutty Sark Tam o’ Shanter is a new variant of the existing award-winning Cutty Sark 25 year old blend with a distinctly darker, wilder side.

Released to celebrate Burns Night 2012. This Cutty Sark Blend is named after one of Burns's most famous poems, the epic Tam O'Shanter, a tale of staying too late in the pub and the ghostly visions that Tam saw on the way home.

Now I must admit I didn't know this beforehand so had to research and read the poem before the event, a quick search on the internet revealed dozens of pages and a couple of them had the original poem on one side of the screen, and an English translation on the other!

The whisky comes in a bespoke oak box and both box and bottle are adorned with scenes of the horrors that Tam encountered. It comes with a beautiful book featuring the full text of the poem, some history and a over 50 illustrated scenes by the late Alexander Goudie, widely considered to be one of Scotland’s finest figurative painters. The book and bottle are presented the box which has also been decorated in the style of Goudie.

Limited to 5,000 bottles, the glass bottle has been created specifically for this new expression and is based on the oldest in in the Cutty Sark archive. It features the famous chase scene from the Robert Burns poem Tam o’ Shanter, etched around the entire bottle, as well as a wax closure showing Tam’s face in relief.

This was the last dram of our Cutty Sark Tweet Tasting and for most of us it was the highlight of the evening, with tweets of anticipation:

• ‏@boardsy I have been waiting all week for the Tam O' Shanter. It smells like xmas, feels like I've been waiting for xmas!
• @LRWhisky *pours excitedly*
• @rborghma with a roll of drums I'm pouring the Tam O'Shanter 25yo in my glass
• @TheWhiskyWire Could quite happily just nose this whisky for the rest of the night.
• @TWLJoe dark, deep and musty, caramelised orange, dark chocolate, toasted marshmallows and plenty spice. What a nose!
•  @TIA568B Deep, an old high backed leather armchairm sherry, spices, pipe smoke, dried fruits, som one bottled a classy old guy!
• @jonmbryant Indeed, one Sherlock Holmes would drink in his den
• @TWLJoe Sherlock Holmes, catching Watson snuffling fruit cake in a sheesha bar on an egyptian adventure

Tweet Tasting

So what did I think?

Colour: Rich, dark amber

Nose: A great spicy nose, with some light smoke behind some scented jasmine. This was certainly the best 'nose' of the evening and eventually we mostly agreed on the sweet pipe smoke note in the nose, but there was so much more. Rich, sherried with overripe banana, soy sauce, nuttyness, raisins, sandalwood

Palate: Sherried fruitcake with delicate peat smoke, tar, waxy orange zest and a pinch of spice. Full bodied, sweet and velvety smooth, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, cracked black pepper and toffee. Waves of flavour and texture teasing your taste buds.

Finish: Lingering, long, rich, sweet yet spicy. A magnificent dram!

This is an outstanding whisky, and seemed to be the favourite for most. The nose on this whisky is very complex with plenty to tease out. However I fear that because of the market it is aimed at, I doubt too many will get to experience this which is a great shame. I would have liked to have compared this with the standard 25 year old expression, which should be similar, but without the expensive packaging should be within a drinkable budget.

Whisky Discovery #73

Cutty Sark 18 Year Old (43% abv)
Blended Scotch Whisky
circa £57.00 70cl

And so onto dram number three of the Cutty Sark Tweet Tasting.

Their website states: Cutty Sark 18 Years Old is a luxurious Scotch whisky of inspirational quality for successful, consumers who look beyond the obvious. Cutty Sark 18 Years Old is distinguished by its elegant balance and a long smooth finish.

Kirsteen told us the nose is rich with citrus fruits and honey plus vanilla (the DNA of the range) but when we talk about sherry here for Cutty Sark, we're talking American oak rather than European oak. The American oak gives us the vanilla hit. European oak is giving it that spicy undertone, but to a lesser degree.

Another great nose on this whisky and the tweets came in thick and fast:

• @LRWhisky 18 is like a mellowed fruitcake with hints of ginger and cloves on the nose
• @boardsy can anyone else smell toasted hot cross buns?
• @TheWhiskyWire Absolutely and the citrus peels in the said toasted Hot Cross buns
• @rodbodtoo Biscuits? Buns? Have you not had your tea yet?
• @rborghma what are toasted hot cross buns ? Not familiar with those in Belgium :-(

Tweet Tasting  Cutty Sark 18 Year Old

So what did I think?

Colour: Deep amber, drawn from the sherry seasoned casks the whisky has aged in

Nose:  Another fine nose! Sherried peels, and a softly peated aroma, definitely no seaweed though. Christmas cake. Malt, medium Sherry and a hint of sweet wood smoke. With time, caramel and discreet liquorice notes emerge,

Palate: Vanilla, dark brown sugar, rum spice, sherry. Rich and bright, and elegantly balanced, nice!

Finish: The finish is long and smooth, fruitcake, buttery, fudge, oak.

Deliciously drinkable! Perhaps this could have been bottled at a slightly higher abv, but this is another stunning whisky and certainly worth seekeing out. I have recently read something like “A fine old blend can be considered in the same way as a great single malt.” This blend would certainly fit this statement.

Whisky Discovery #72

Cutty Sark 12 Year Old (40% abv)
Blended Scotch Whisky
circa £31.00 70cl

Tweet Tasting Cutty Sark 12 Year Old

For our second dram of the evening we sampled the 12 year old expression.


Kirsteen told us that the cask make-up for  is mainly American Oak influenced, like the Blend, but also European Oak in refill casks


A testament to the art of blending, Cutty Sark 12 Years Old is light, bright and elegant. It has the Cutty trademark hint of sweetness and a rounded finish.

Cutty Sark 12 Years Old is especially blended for those consumers who are looking for a deluxe Scotch whisky with exceptional depth, yet with the elegant balance and long finish that is characteristic of the Cutty Sark house style.

Michael Jackson suggested this as "a whisky for the beach" 


My favourite tweet for the 12 Year Old came from @boardsy who tweeted "I'm sure I can taste those little biscuits you get with an espresso when you are abroad!"

So What Did I Think?

Colour Golden Straw, clear and bright

Nose: Well I got an immediate pear drops note on the nose which surprised me! This was followed by a buttery heavy set marmalade on toast - I suggested that it might be perfect for breakfast! On a second dram the sherried fruits, sweet toffee, honey, oak, the salty seaweed experienced in the Original blend, maybe even a little chocolate - definitely another complex nose

Palate: Light and soft with sweet vanilla, a touch of tropical fruit, perfume note, citrus. Elegant,

Finish Fairly short on the finish with a salty dried seaweed taste

Another smashing dram and worth looking out for. A very complex nose with so much going on. Another thumbs up from me, and the rest of the Tweet Tasters agreed too, with a couple saying it will be on their shelves soon.

Whisky Discovery #71

Cutty Sark Original (40% abv)

Blended Scotch Whisky

circa £18.00 70cl

Tweet Tasting Cutty Sark Original Scots Whisky

The first dram of the Cutty Sark Twitter Tasting hosted by Steve Rush of @TheWhiskyWire and Kirsteen Campbell, Master Blender from Cutty Sark @cuttysarkblend

Cutty Sark Original is one of the top 10 best-selling blended scotch whiskies in the world, although not often seen in the UK it was very prominent on the supermarkets on a recent visit to Spain.
Carefully selected single malt whiskies, predominantly from Speyside (the cradle of single malt whisky distillation), are expertly blended with top quality grain whiskies to make Cutty Sark.

It is matured predominantly in American oak casks which impart less colour to the spirit but impart further subtle and complex flavours. But Kirsteen also told us that some European Oak refill too.

Once matured, the malts are blended together, as are the grain whiskies. This process is a particular feature of Cutty Sark and ensures the final blend is harmonised and, therefore, consistent in colour and flavour. Kirsteen informed us that they use a Solera Vat system for marrying (which I had to look up too!)

I asked what the the malt vs grain ratio was in this blend, but was quickly informed that this was a commercial secret and that I would be hard pressed to find a blend to reveal that. Funnily the Teachers Highland Cream I had been recently enjoying proudly stated that their blend contained at least 45% single malts, hence my question to Kirsteen.

My favourite tweet of the evening for this expression came from @LRWhisky who tweeted:

"on the nose alone it's well worth the asking price"

So what did I think?

Colour: Light Straw

Nose: Light, gentle, grassy, fresh hay and fragrant, sweet vanilla, jelly beans, floral, Very faint seaweed, Estery. A very complex but delicious nose.

Body: Light and smooth

Palate: Very light-bodied, sweet, smooth and fresh but with interesting flavours. Malted Milk biscuits, light grain presence, barley, vanilla and oak character from the American oak casks, fruity mixed peels.

Finish: Good length, warming, malt, salty tang to the end

The nose on this whisky was absolutely stunning, the whiskies used are probably quite young hence the sweet candied nose, but this was a great start to the twitter tasting event. Light and very smooth to drink this would be a great whisky to introduce new drinkers to, and the consensus of the Twitter tasters that this was a great summer whisky. I loved it and will be happy to have this on my shelf.

Cutty Sark Twitter Tasting

My second Twitter tasting event hosted by @TheWhiskyWire

I distinctly remember the classic Cutty Sark label on whisky bottles in my Dad's drinks cabinet, so was particularly excited to receive my invite to this event. However, apart from the Cutty Sark label I recalled I didn't know anything about their whisky, so decided I ought to do some homework before the event.

Cutty Sark is a range of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Edrington Group of Glasgow whose main office is less than 10 miles from the birthplace of the famous tea clipper ship of the same name.

Francis Berry and Hugh Rudd originally created Cutty Sark on March 23, 1923 when the market at that time was dominated by the heavier, coarser blends. Cutty Sark challenged existing scotch whisky standards by producing a smooth, softer blend (akin to Cognac) based on the finest single malts, those from the Speyside region, with the home of the blend considered to be at The Glenrothes distillery.

Although single malts from all over Scotland are used in the Cutty Sark blend, with Islay providing 'freshness', the Highlands 'smokiness' and the Lowlands 'fruitiness', at its heart lies The Glenrothes Speyside Single Malt. This malt contributes elegance and complexity, as well as some heathery honeyness.

The samples arrived in time for the event and this time all bottles arrived intact.

The Cutty Sark Whisky Samples

The event was hosted by Steve Rush @TheWhiskyWire and Kirsteen Campbell, Master Blender at Cutty Sark Whisky @cuttysarkblend and started promptly at seven.

In order to follow the action we all had to make sure we were following each other and to use the hashtag #CuttyTT within each tweet. I was a little better prepared for this Tweet Tasting and was a little better at keeping up with all the action this time!

The pre-start banter revealed that many of the tasters had never tried any of the Cutty Sark range, so it would be a new experience for many of us. To get myself in the mood for some nautical whisky drinking I dialled up 'Rogue's Gallery' Pirate Ballards, Sea Songs and Chanteys on itunes - this is normally reserved for 'International Talk Like a Pirate Day'

So once we got started Steve and Kirsteen walked us through the four expressions, beginning with the Classic Blend and running through the range before finishing with the recently released Tom o'Shanter.

The quality of the whisky was simply stunning. Having just read Richard Paterson's 'Goodness Nose' I had a much greater understanding of the art of blended Scotch whisky and so this event seemed to be timed perfectly for my journey!

Although not ordinarily seen on our UK supermarket shelves, all of the the whiskies tasted are easily available from the on-line whisky stores. Top markets are Spain, Portugal and Greece. It's got a good presence in the US as well.

There was a great deal of tweeting going on and to see what happened search on the #CuttyTT on twitter for the full story!

Another great experience and another highlight of my whisky journey, and registering another four ‘discoveries’.

The dram list for the evening (with links to separate posts):

• Whisky Discovery #71 Cutty Sark Original 
• Whisky Discovery #72 Cutty Sark 12 Year Old 
• Whisky Discovery #73 Cutty Sark 18 Year Old 
• Whisky Discovery #74 Cutty Sark Tam o'Shanter

A massive THANK YOU to Steve Rush at @TheWhiskyWire and Kirsteen Campbell, Master Blender at @cuttysarkblend

For more information see: http://www.thewhiskywire.com/ and http://www.cutty-sark.com/