Highland Park Warrior Series

I must admit I was pretty excited to be invited to the Highland Park Warrior Series Tweet Tasting. Highland Park has been one of my favoured distilleries ever since buying a bottle of their 'bang for your buck' 12 Year Old. Check any list of top drams and you'll find the Highland Park 12 Year Old in there. The first ever Tweet Tasting I was fortunate be invited too was Highland Park too, where we sampled their core range including some of their older aged whiskies (you can read about that here)

The Warrior Series is a range of six single malt whiskies that showcase the very best of Highland Park. Offering a spectrum of flavours but grounded in Highland Park’s gently smoky but surprisingly sweet character. 

The Warrior Series is a range of six single malt whiskies all named after Norse Warriors from the Orkneyinga saga, an Icelandic saga and important source for understanding the history of Norse Earldom of Orkney, being one of the most famous and certainly the most specific to Orkney.

Compiled sometime between 1192 and 1206 by an unknown Icelandic scribe, or scribes, the Orkneyinga Saga presents an interpretation of the first conquest of Orkney by Norway and the subsequent history of the Earldom.

The Warrior Series are all exclusive to Travel Retail only so getting the opportunity to taste all of would have been pretty difficult with out this Tweet Tasting. The first three were released in the first quarter of 2013 so have been around for over six months now. The last three & most recent offerings in the ‘Warrior’ series use an increased quantity of European oak sherry seasoned casks. This allows Sigurd, Ragnvald & Thorfinn to deliver more complex, richer and sweeter flavours.

Hosted by Steve Rush via @TheWhiskyWire we were also be joined by Highland Park’s Global Brand Advocate, Daryl Haldane via @DarylHaldane who was on hand to answer our questions. All tweets collected under the #HPWarriorTT hashtag.

Whisky Discovery #618

Highland Park Warrior Series 'Svein' NAS (40% abv)

Orkney Single Malt Whisky

Circa €40.00 1 ltr Travel Retail Only

The Legend: Svein was the ultimate Viking chieftain whose exploits lie at the heart of the Orkneyinga Saga and his appetite to adventure and merriment are legendary. (you can find out more here)

According to the Orkneyinga saga: In winter Svein would spend at home on Gairsay, where he entertained some eighty men at his own expense. His drinking hall was so big, there was nothing in Orkney to compare with it. In the spring he had more than enough to occupy him, with a great deal of seed to sow which he saw to carefully himself. Then when that job was done, he would go off plundering in the Hebrides and in Ireland on what he called his 'spring-trip', then back home just after mid-summer, where he stayed till the cornfields had been reaped and the grain was safely in. After that he would go off raiding again, and never came back till the first month of winter was ended. This he used to call his 'autumn-trip'.

The Whisky: Produced using a high percentage of American oak but also European oak casks. 30% First fill American Sherry casks, 10% European oak first fill, the remainder, refill casks. A No Age Statement (NAS) whisky bottled at 40% abv

So What Did I Think?

This has a sweet, fruity and malty nose, with honey and fresh citrus fruits, a hint of pineapple, apple skin, and while apple skin notes come across as 'rosy' the malty notes are more 'green'. There's also the faintest hint of smoke behind the sweetness.

On the palate this has quite a sweet entry, barley sugar initially, warm peppery spice and a hint of smoke. Though sweet rich and smooth, not as complex as the nose was suggesting, though i liked the peaty finish  

So what did the others think?

@ansgarspeller: Fresh, sweet, bit pine, raisin, pineapple... nice nose on this one....
@galg: Nose - lovely sweetness with a bit of heather and bit of earthy notes too, a bit of smoke is detectable here too. but overall dominated by sweetness
@TheSmokyDram: Citrus chocolate, pineapple and slight winter spices. Very fresh and clean
@thomas_speller: Fresh fruit on the nose, with some citrus and a hint of smoke

@TheWhiskyWire: An easing but giving nose of fruity freshness with cheeky honey smoked undertones.

@whiskywardrobe: Smooth and oily. With the same floral aroma but with pepper, vanilla and apples this time.  I like.

@LRWhisky: Palate is creamy with a subtle smokiness, honeyed, with a tiny tang of pepper. Its pleasant.

@steveprentice: Palate: Instant sweet hit of smooth barley and vanilla sugars with slight spices kicking in after a moment along with a slight smokiness. Oak hinting strongly right in the background, enough to peak your interest. Fairly light mouth feel, summery and easy going.
@abbeywhisky: Palate: Again really smooth, beautiful peat notes.. Easy drinker this

Whisky Discovery #619

Highland Park Warrior Series 'Einar' NAS (40% abv)

Orkney Single Malt Whisky

Circa €53.00 1 ltr Travel Retail Only

The Legend: Einar was the joint Earl of Orkney from 1014.  A hard and successful Viking, often venturing on many long voyages, he was relentless in his rule and clearly identifiable by his mighty axe.

Known as Einar Wry-Mouth, he was the son of Earl Sigurd. Einar was overbearing and was not a well-liked man. As a result, his time in control was short. In 1020, Thorkel Amundason – Thorfinn’s foster-father, killed him in Deerness. (you can find out more here)

The Whisky: Produced using both American & European oak casks, but moving up in European oak, although still American oak taking the lions share of the make-up. A No Age Statement (NAS) whisky bottled at 40% abv 

So What Did I Think?

On the nose this comes across as a slightly richer and more rounded version of Svein, less sweet and more spicy. The Fruit notes more sherry like; raisins and over-ripe Victoria Plums. There's a touch of charcoal too as well as spices with cloves and hints of liquorice. Dark chocolate notes drift through fragrant Café Crème cigar smoke.

This tastes softer than I was expecting, again sweet, slight 'mustiness' to the sweetness. Coming across as leathery, and now on the nose  too. There's a plum like fruit note, and another gentle peppery spice to it. Again, not overly complex, a short finish with a charcoal taste rather than peat  and quite drying.

So what did the others think?

@galg: Much more citrus here and more smoke. pickled lemons, getting also some deeper sherry goodness
@idle_bull: Much deeper nose. Raisins, dark wood, tar/tarmac?
@TonyWTC: Nose: Slight herbal notes. Fresh, light, expansive expansive sea feel. Powdery and floral. Fruity, Ripe apples.
@LRWhisky: Nose is syrupy and smoky with lemons, pineapple and woody cloves
@TheWhiskyWire: Café crème cigar smoke becoming ever more prominent the longer its left in the glass but not overpowering.
@thomas_speller: Palate - prunes, citrus, apricots - all fresh.
@kizzsmyth: Palate - sweet apples & apricots...
@TheSmokyDram: Palate Upfront smoke, but the sweet and hot spiciness follows it very quickly
@WindsorBeerFest: Palate: Getting toffee apple, very smooth but very short finish, surprised.
@kristianehenney: Earthy yet fresh at first - burst of apple I think - then more peat to the earthiness with dark fruit and pepper

Whisky Discovery #620

Highland Park Warrior Series 'Harald' NAS (40% abv)

Orkney Single Malt Whisky

Circa €75.00 1 ltr Travel Retail Only

The Legend: The Orkneyinga saga documents that Norway's first noteworthy dealings with Orkney involved the Norwegian King Harald Hárfagri (Fairhair), who set out to deal with renegade Vikings using the islands as a base for summer raids on Norway.

Heading 'west over sea', Harald's voyage of conquest saw him subduing Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides, before sailing as far south as the Isle of Man. Harald only became King of a united Norway after the naval battle of Hafrsfjord. This battle took place around 892AD - 100 years after the earliest Viking raids on Britain. (you can find out more here)

The Whisky: Produced using both American & European oak casks. 50-50 first fill and refill almost 50-50 European and American oak sherry casks. A No Age Statement (NAS) whisky bottled at 40% abv

So What Did I Think?

This didn't come across to be as sweet as the first two, in fact it's quite sharp initially, sherbet like with a rich sour note. (just poured no air) With a little air softer toffee notes develop, less smoky/charcoal than previous two. Initially I thought there wasn't much going on with this one, but returning to it on a later occasion and giving it time to develop, tropical dried fruits and rich honey notes are teased out.

The palate was nicer than the nose was initially suggesting, I wasn't able to pick much up on the nose initially, but found more after letting it breathe) Although very gentle and sweet, it is quite creamy initially with some spicy ginger following, Fox's Ginger Cream biscuits I scribbled at the time. The finish was quite short again with more ginger and charcoal smoke.

So what did the others think?
@kristianehenney: Nose; chocolate mousse, burnt fudge, walnut, butterscotch, smells 'thicker' somehow
@WindsorBeerFest: Nose: Warming spice, ginger nuts (biscuit) and Madagascan vanilla, old spice (aftershave)
@whiskyrepublic: Nose: We're clearly moving up a gear here. A much richer, intense nose. Hints of ginger wrapped around vanilla
@scotslarder: Nose; ginger, peat, oak, on the nose with honey and vanilla
@thomas_speller: On the nose there is that smoke again, with sweet red berries. And mussels.
@ansgarspeller: Palate on this one... Vanilla, caramel, malty, warm, sweet, oak, nutmeg
@abbeywhisky: Christmas spices, raisin & sultanas.
@TheSmokyDram: Palate; Soft initially with warming and sweet spices. Much gentler than expected from the nose
@kizzsmyth: Dare I say this is a little bland? I'm not getting much from it... not at much as the nose suggested it would give
@steveprentice: Finish: Slightly tingly on the way down & warming on the chest, nice and interesting finish here of a reasonable length.

Whisky Discovery #621

Highland Park Warrior Series 'Sigurd' NAS (43% abv)

Orkney Single Malt Whisky

Circa €150.00 1 ltr Travel Retail Only

The Legend: Earl Sigurd Hlodvirsson is one of the best-known characters in the Orkneyinga Saga. Also known as Sigurd the Stout, he was a powerful man, defending his territories in Caithness against the Scots and renowned for his summertime expeditions plundering the Hebrides, western Scotland and Ireland. (you can find out more here)

The Whisky: Again a high percentage of first fill sherries, and a higher proportion of European Oak to American Oak. Although older stock is used in this expression it has been released as a No Age Statement (NAS) whisky bottled at 43% abv

So What Did I Think?

Definitely more sherry influence immediately noticeable in the nose,starting with a dry nuttiness; Amontillado sherry, pine needles which soften quickly, sweet soft toffee and honey notes spices developing with a soft clove and a subdued cinnamon and then without warning a flash of parma violets.  After a quick taste chocolate cake notes also appeared on the nose

Lovely long legs on this after a quick sip. The palate lives up to the interesting nose, very enjoyable. This comes across as sweet and creamy, and there is a definite smoked cheese type flavour to this one, finishing with a ginger spice tang.

So what did the others think?
@whiskywardrobe: Nose has vanilla, tobacco and hints of chocolate. Maybe the best so far
@kizzsmyth: RIch nose on this one, getting brandy, orange zest and a bit of brine
@ansgarspeller: This nose makes me think of a warm desert buffet with creme brûlée and fresh fruits and some dense fruitcake
@kristianehenney: Ohmygoodness this smells like my favourite so far. Apple and strawberry laces at first, then big fat dense toffee
@TheWhiskyWire: A deconstructed Black Forest gateau of a nose.
@TheSmokyDram: Palate; Syrupy and sweet feel in the mouth with very warming spiciness that tingles ones tongue
@scotslarder: Palate cloves, brown sugar, black cherries, creamy dark chocolate and a developing peat smoke
@whiskyrepublic: Palate: In line with other drams this evening, there is a delayed, more subtle reaction on the palate.
@steveprentice: Palate: A fuller more oily mouth feel greets you introducing smooth and creamy fruits as if they’ve been stewed and covered in vanilla custard, with nutmeg over the top to spice it up a touch. Inviting with a hint of smoke and a sort of just-blown-out candle quality.

Whisky Discovery #622

Highland Park Warrior Series 'Ragnvald' NAS (44.6% abv)

Orkney Single Malt Whisky

Circa €400.00 1 ltr Travel Retail Only

The Legend: Ragnvald (also Rognvald) - arguably the most famous and pioneering of all Vikings to enter unchartered waters. Nephew of Earl Magnus, Ragnvald was most at home aboard his longship undertaking his many great expeditions throughout the Middle East and even Asia. 

Earl Rognvald was the founder of St Magnus Cathedral and the story of the founding of St Magnus Cathedral is well documented within the pages of the Orkneyinga saga. (you can find out more here)

The Whisky: An increasing percentage of first fill sherries, and a much higher proportion of European Oak (almost 75%) to American Oak. Although older stock is used in this expression (and clearly evident in tasting) it has been released as a No Age Statement (NAS) whisky bottled at 44.6% abv

So What Did I Think?

A shade darker than Sigurd and on first pour it was immediately apparent that some older malts have been used in this expression. Although having an 'old malt' feel to it, it's also quite fruity, dried fruits with a hint of smoke, smoked dried fruits perhaps? This nose is complex and very satisfying.

This tastes rich and spicy. After an initial sweet entry a slightly bitter note touches for a short while, grapefruit pith like. This is malty, woody but floral elements appear too; parma violets and linseed appear on the swallow, finishing with hot chili, old leather and polished wood, drying and then right at the very end leaving you with dark chocolate, just superb!

So what did the others think?
@WindsorBeerFest: Nose: Sloe gin, candied peel and pear drops- yum! A hint of star anise too
@scotslarder: Nose; herbs, sloes, violets, heather like a walk through forest and glen
@TonyWTC: Nose: Rich, deep wood. Bloody lovely
@galg: Now this is an awesome nose my friends, it damn is. old wood, varnish, parma ham. You can even smell the wood varnish on the long boat Ragnvald sailed. sweat, smoked meat, metal, blood, this is brutal!
@whiskyrepublic: Whoah there big fella! Someones keelhauled my nose on a longboat covered in fruit, cinnamon & ginger barnacles!
@timstasting: Nose: berries, tobacco smoke, some old red port
@FrazerJ: Nose; spicy and candied fruits, really giver.. awesome nose
@ansgarspeller: Nose of this one sweet, vanilla, red apple, creamy, raisin, stone fruits, plums, lemon zest, orange, chocolate, oak, parma ham
@LaCaveDeCobalt: Nose is simply : WOW ! Sherry influenced with tiny Parmesan like smell & this delicate wax I'm totally in love.
@whiskywardrobe: Palate is even better! Lovely nutty, woody, oloroso heaven made at Highland Park It's hard to get anything better.
@FrazerJ: Smokey start, giving way to nutmeg and vanilla undertones strong coca base
@kizzsmyth: Very warming and Christmassy taste. Gently spiced, rich fruits all wrapped up with a slight smokiness delicious

Whisky Discovery #623

Highland Park Warrior Series 'Thorfinn' NAS (45.1% abv)

Orkney Single Malt Whisky

Circa €1,000.00 1 ltr Travel Retail Only

The Legend: Thorfinn was a man of much power and influence, who at one stage controlled the whole of the Orkney Islands. From The Orkneyinga Saga: “Earl Thorfinn made himself a great chief; he was the tallest and strongest of men, ugly, black-haired, sharp-featured, and big-nosed, and with somewhat scowling brows. He was a mighty man of strife, and greedy both of money and honour; he was lucky in battle, and skillful in war, and good in onslaught;” (you can find out more here)

The Whisky: An increasing percentage of first fill sherries, and a much higher proportion of European Oak (almost 75%) to American Oak. Although older stock is used in this expression (and clearly evident in tasting) it has been released as a No Age Statement (NAS) whisky bottled at 45.1% abv

So What Did I Think?
This is the darkest coloured of the six Warriors. Each one has been a shade darker since starting with Svein indicating more European Oak Sherry cask and more first-fill casks being used.

The nose on this is absolutely divine, that 'old malt whisky' note evident from the start, and does indeed feel older than the predecessor in this vertical tasting, this reminding me of The Highland Park 30. It's fragrant, but delicate floral notes giving lilacs and parma violets, crisp new cartridge paper, new leather and there are dried tropical fruit notes with coconut and lychee. A very complex nose.

Taste wise my initial impressions noted was 'Leather and spice'. Older 'armchair' leather now as opposed to the new 'bookmark' leather found on the nose. There's a gentle sweetness at first with some fragrant pipe smoke followed by a surprisingly fierce spicy hit before settling back down leaving a fresh gingery tang along with some parma violets and linseed in the finish. This is really delicious whisky.

So what did the others think?

@WindsorBeerFest: Nose: Knife draw, MOTH BALLS!, tropical sickly sweet fruit (jack fruit), spice (coriander) and a breathe of smoke
@TheSmokyDram: Nose; Herbal, fruity and an interesting mix of chocolate and syrup. Also a sweet and floral spiciness to it
@kizzsmyth: Wonderful nose, thick vanilla creaminess with marzipan undertones. This smells well aged and mature
@ifotou: Nose Orange peel really comes in strongly here with light watery fruits (honeydew melon and kiwi) morello cherry also
@LaCaveDeCobalt: Nose : Punchier than Ragnvald, but same profile. maybe less wax on this one. Very nice though.
@TheWhiskyWire: Notes coming through from a room filled with the aroma of a pine Christmas tree.
@TonyWTC: Amazingly subtle and deep. This is one of the best whiskies I've ever tasted. Mind you, I've not had that many at £1k
@whiskyrepublic: I've shoved my head into a lightly smoked oak beehive where smug bees have been feeding on nicotiana nectar & Christmas!
@thomas_speller: On the palate I am getting lots of different citrus flavours, heather-honey and rosewater. lovely.

And finally....
I really love the marketing for this range, the Orkney history bringing the Warrior names and the graphic 'pie charts' for the series showing the bottle on the cross section of the tree trunk. I've always loved the shape of the Highland Park bottles and the three new additions to the range look even better than the standard bottles. However I was disappointed that all six of the range are all 'no aged statement' whiskies, no indication of the ages used to create these expressions and the affordable range (within my budget) are all just 40% abv. 

Whilst I know that NAS whiskies can be just as good, or better than aged whiskies (and I have both on my shelf) I do like to sit and contemplate life with an age statement whisky, they bring back important memories for me which a NAS whisky cannot.

Don't get me wrong, these are great tasting whiskies and the high end expressions are really amazing, but completely over priced in my opinion. I've tasted some lovely aged Highland Park whiskies at a fraction of the price being asked here and that's where my money will go. My favourite distillery releases remain the 12 Year Old and 18 Year Old, both affordable and value for money for me. Unfortunately I do not feel I was getting value for money with The Warrior series.

However, all said, this was another great experience and a highlight of our whisky journey adding six new discoveries for us, Tweet Tastings really are a great way to taste whisky. 

A massive THANK YOU to Steve Rush at @TheWhiskyWire Highland Park’s Global Brand Advocate, Daryl Haldane via @DarylHaldane and to all the team at @HighlandPark and of course the tweet tasters who were:

@TheWhiskyWire @WhiskyDiscovery @scotslarder @WhiskyRepublic @WindsorBeerFest @LRWhisky @kristianehenney @TheWhiskyKiwi @abbeywhisky @TonyWTC @idle_bull @FrazerJ @kizzsmyth @steveprentice @galg @TheSmokyDram @caskfinishcom @whiskywardrobe @timstasting @LaCaveDeCobalt @ansgarspeller

I'd also like to thank Sigurd Towrie and his Orkneyjar - The Heritage of Orkney for educating me about The Orkneyinga Saga and helping me to identify the names of the warriors Highland Park have used for this series.

For more information see: www.thewhiskywire.com and www.highlandpark.co.uk and for more information on the heritage of Orkney take a look at the Orkneyjar website

Slàinte! Dave

Whisky Discovery #409

Talisker Port Ruighe NAS (45.8%)
Island Single Malt
circa £45.00 70cl

This is the second of two new recently introduced Talisker whiskies which we have been fortunate to receive review samples of. It's also the first ever Talisker release which has been double matured in ruby port casks.

It has been named Port Ruighe after the ancient name of the principal town and port on the Isle of Skye Portree or Port Righ to use it's current Gaelic name. Like the recently released Storm, Port Ruighe is a permanent addition to the current core range of single malts.

Master Blender Maureen Robinson explains: “Talisker Port Ruighe is a combination of spirit that has been matured in American Oak and European Oak refill casks in the traditional manner along with spirit that has been filled into specially conditioned deeply charred casks. The spirit is then finished in casks that have previously held Port Wine which endows it with spicy fruit notes. These bond elegantly with that clean, fresh smokiness that signals its essential Talisker character.”

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose: Wood charcoal, fresh Victoria plumbs at peak ripeness, little bit of mahogany wood, sticky raisins, butter notes, spices – cloves & cinnamon. Overall reminds me of very rich fruit cake. I swear I can even pick out a bit of blanched almonds. With water it’s like a dampened fire, more mossy earthy smells, instead of fruit cake it’s more Victoria sponge, and the only spice present is sweet cinnamon. 

Taste: Initially a sweet/sour taste, not unpleasant but hard to described, almost like Balsamic vinegar. This doesn't stay for very long, is replaced by maple syrup notes with a melt-in-the mouth quality, wood notes and wood smoke follows (their signature flavours as you would expect), spices – just cloves this time, towards the end there was some bitterness and oil from lemon zest. This bitterness and the smoky characters balances out the sweet notes so it’s not sickly sweet. With water, it becomes more smooth and silky. Is sweeter but mellow, with some smoke which reminds me of the smell of pipe tobacco, or cigars. And instead of raisins, it’s more like sultanas, not as rich. No spicy 

Finish: Tingly warm from spices (more from cloves), leaving a little bit of a dry mouth feel with bitter black coffee notes at the end. A long lingering finish. With water it is not as intense, there is still some warmth, little bit of spices with wood smoke at the end. 

Overall it’s a very nice dram, which is just as nice with or without water, would very much depend on my mood but I do like it’s adaptability. Short summary I would say robust and punchy without water, mellow but still retains a full body character with water. 

Dave: The nose comes across as sweet with strong notes of caramel at first before that peppery maritime note Talisker is famed for comes through. With notes of oiled hemp rope, damp peat and a touch of brine, the Port cask influence brings the fruity flavours of ripe plums, and throughout there's a sweet smokiness.

This is really quite smooth and mouth-coating. It's sweet to taste at first, before a peat reek comes through before the hot pepper builds and fades back to a creamy smokiness. The ripe plums come through on the palate and there is even a hint of cherry. The finish is long and lingering with a drying smokiness.

Verdict: Again I really quite enjoyed this one, am I going to rush out and buy a bottle? Probably not, as previously mentioned on the Storm post, my wish list is long and I really want to add a bottle of Distiller's Edition and their 18 Year Old to my shelf beforehand, but I would happily have this on my shelf.

And finally, many thanks for Talisker's PR team for sending us the sample, photograph and information. For more information take a look at their website;  Talisker Whisky

Whisky Discovery #405

Talisker Storm NAS (45.6% abv)
Island Single Malt Whisky
Circa £40.00 70cl

This is the first of two new recently introduced Talisker whiskies which we have been fortunate to receive review samples of. Storm is said to be an exuberant new expression, more intense and smoky, with enhanced and vibrant maritime notes, smoothly balanced with Talisker’s signature hot sweetness.

This new expression which will be a permanent addition to the Talisker family sits between the Talisker 10 and Talisker Distiller's Edition and  comes from a marriage of rejuvenated and refill casks at different ages and is bottled at the traditional Talisker strength of 45.8% ABV, without an age statement.

I remembered reading about 'rejuvenated' casks a little while back and so delved into my archive to re-read and digest.

Rejuvenated casks have been around for a few years now, ex-bourbon casks were subjected to steaming and scraping  thus creating a new wood surface which would be charred with a gas flame before re-using.

More recently the Cambus Cooperage installed a new system for rejuvenating casks. When casks come to the end of their usable life (usually after the fifth fill) they run through this new processing line which keeps all the cask parts together via a RF (radio frequency)  tag system. 

The casks are de-charred via a machine that shaves the inside of the barrel surface away, taking around 3-4 mm , exposing the new wood, this is said to be much better at removing the 'undesirable' elements than the original scraping or flailing process. The casks can then be re-charred before being put back into service

Whisky Science have a great article on cask rejuvenation and the effects on flavour profiles here but in short summation de-charred and re-charred exhausted ex-bourbon casks seem to produce more sweet and woody notes whereas refill casks tend to bring out the drier woody notes. 

So What Did We Think? 

Kat: Nose:  Rich and robust. Sweet slightly moist tobacco (half cigar, half rolling tobacco), juicy raisins, nice balance of wood smoke, and the smell of rolls of damp turf. 

Taste:  Slightly burnt caramel, some honey notes, warming mouth feel from fresh chillies, dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, similar taste to Soreen loaf with butter without the heaviness, and lemon Lockets. 

Finish: Relatively long. Starts with the lovely wood smoke, followed by the warming chilli heat, and honey towards the end.  

Dave: I needed to reacquaint myself with Talisker 10 before I started tasting Storm. Talisker 10 was one of the early bottles I bought right at the beginning of this journey, it came highly recommended from the man who converted me to whisky, it was one of my early favourites. The bottle had long gone, and reading my blogpost for it gave me no real details (at the beginning it was just a 'liquid log' with very few tasting notes, if any). So it was off to the pub to catch myself a healthy sample to sit alongside it.

Colour-wise there is very little difference between the two expressions but as there is no mention of these being naturally coloured I would suspect that the harmony has been maintained with a drop or two of spirit caramel

On the nose there is gentle peat reek over the Talisker white pepper, however the seafood liquor experienced in the Talisker 10 Year Old is no longer there. There's a sweet note, honey like and slightly floral almost though certainly not delicate. The sweetness extends to the light smoky notes which start to slowly creep out of the glass. The maritime saltiness is there as is the white pepper.

This has a oily mouth-coating feel to it with sweet gentle honey notes, the spices build slowly giving that Talisker heat profile one comes to expect. The wild fennel note picked up on the 10 year old is evident here too, and that sweet smokiness found on the nose comes through on the palate too, but this is well balanced by the briny note.

It finishes with a smoky beach fire, salty driftwood smouldering. The white pepper remains with the sweet peat smoke and there's some woody notes too. Later the empty glass smells of that sweet smoke.

Verdict: not a bad drop of drammage, am I going to rush out and buy a bottle? Probably not, as my list is long and I really want to add a bottle of Distiller's Edition and their 18 year old to my shelf beforehand.

And finally, many thanks for Talisker's PR team for sending us the sample, photograph and information. For more information take a look at their website;  Talisker Whisky

Whisky Discovery #403

The Arran Malt 16 Year Old (46% abv)
Island Single Malt
Circa £60.00 70cl

Arran Distillers has recently launched its oldest expression so far, The Arran Malt 16 Year Old. This bottling marks the countdown to the launch of The Arran Malt 18 Years Old. This time next year should see the release of the 17 Year Old followed by the 18 Year Old First Edition in Spring 2015. I've just checked my notes on the Arran 14 Year Old (Whisky Discovery #40) where I remember writing that their core range will eventually consist of 10, 14 and 18 Year Old expressions.

This new release is produced from un-peated malted barley, then matured in a mix of circa  70% bourbon barrels and 30% sherry hogsheads. The expression has been limited to 9,000 bottles and in-line with their other core expressions bottled at 46% abv, naturally coloured and non-chill filtered

So What Did We Think?

Kat: Nose:  Fresh cut Beech, fresh apricots, a sweet fresh quality that reminds me of the smell of honey suckle after rain, unbaked bread dough, and lemon zest that nicely balances the sweetness.

Taste:  Sweetness again similar to honey suckle but develops later to be more like sweet pea shoots, there’s a slight oiliness, a nut quality like is similar to macadamia nut, and lightly spiced – cinnamon.

Finish:  Delicately sweet and mildly spice (tingles of cinnamon), the taste of cork (you know that taste of when you get little bits of it in your wine when someone with ham hands has had a go at opening your wine!), and a nice hint of bitterness at the end. I find the taste of cork here quite pleasant, gives it a hint of earthiness.

Overall I really enjoyed this whisky. It’s light and refreshing, and would be very enjoyable in some spring sunshine.

Dave: The nose comes across as very malty upon pouring the first dram into the Glencairn, but then it evolves into rich dark chocolate flavours - fabulous! There's spicy oak, sweet toffee, honey and fruit with rosy apples and green grapes. It's spicy and beautifully honeyed without being too sweet.

The palate opens with a light honey sweetness and slowly builds to a spicy crescendo, cloves and cinnamon It has a rich and creamy mouth-feel and the chocolate notes are back, but now more milk chocolate like and there is a slight orangey mandarin note underlying

A great spicy finish follows with and almost chilli burn on the tongue if you let it. There's a nice length to the finish, and the milk chocolate lingers before the mouth starts to dry as the oak tannins come through leaving me salivating for the next dram.

I loved the 14 Year Old and this is a fabulous step towards their goal of having an 18 year old in their core line up. An important milestone for this young, innovative independent distillery and a and delicious milestone at that!

And finally:

Many thanks to Isle of Arran Distillers for sending us a generous sample of this new release to review.

Whisky Discovery #295

Tobermory 17 Year Old Single Cask Master of Malt (57% abv D.26/04/1995)

Island Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

£59.95 70cl (only available from Master of Malt)

The 17 Year Old from the Tobermory Distillery

Number three of the Master of Malts Single Cask Collection, and as I lined these up in age order led me to this Tobermory 17 Year Old. I only tried my first Tobermory (the 10 Year Old) at the recent Birmingham Whisky Show so have had very little exposure to this distillery, based on the Isle of Mull. This spirit was distilled on 26th April 1995 and laid down to mature in a refill hogshead cask and yielded just 274 bottles.

This is a peppery style with deeper notes of mulling spices and roasted malt with a gloriously long finish.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

Nose: Pepper and cranberry open the nose followed by milk chocolate and the fresh aroma of a conifer forest.

Palate: Peppery and malty with a coastal character and an oily mouth-feel. Slowly but surely notes of mulled wine fill the mouth and announce the finish.

Finish: Big spicy notes of course ground pepper, cumin and nutmeg with sweet popping candy on the tail.

Overall: A rich single malt from the Isle of Mull with warm spicy notes and a great mouth-coating quality.

So What Did We Think?

This Tobermory has been my favourite of the three tasted so far, it a rich, meaty dram with bags of flavour. From my brief notes from Birmingham and recollection it shares similarities to the  standard 10 Year Old, but everything has been increased, like it has been put through and amplifier and played at full blast.

Again the colour of this 17 year old is very pale, like a white wine being naturally coloured, only taking the colour from maturing in the refill hogshead during the seventeen year maturation.

The nose is rich and meaty, a definite peppery note, almost chilli like, yet with a balsamic sweetness with soy sauce and pine cones, conifer forest as the Master of Malt notes say. I wasn't able to find the chocolate on this dram however, but I love the nose of this one. The empty glass the following morning is also appealing; malty with some chocolate notes which I found at last.

This has a big powerful entry, it's peppery, malty, with a rich sweetness again reminding me of a balsamic/soy sauce dressing and there's a light brine maritime edge to it too. The spicy peppery notes remained to the end with some sweet toffee notes at the end.

Want one? You'd better be quick as there were only 274 bottles of this. For more information and to buy see Master of Malt 17 Year Old Tobermory

Whisky Discovery #294

Arran 16 Year Old Single Cask Master of Malt (55.4% abv D.12/06/96)

Island Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

£53.95 70cl (only available from Master of Malt)

Number two in my line up of the recent Single Cask Collection from Master of Malt, is a sweet, fruity whisky from the Isle of Arran, that was distilled on the 13th June 1996, matured in a single refill sherry hogshead, and yielded just 218 bottles sixteen year later.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

Nose: Seaside aromas with soft, youthful malt. Hints of orange blossom honey. Apple strudel with brandy butter and dried mango.

Palate: Buttery palate with stem ginger in syrup, a touch of sweet Gewurztraminer, nutmeg and pannacotta. Barrel char and allspice.

Finish: Wine-like finish with over-ripe grapes, cassia bark and clove oil.

So What Did We Think?

Naturally coloured and looking like a white wine, and swirling it around in my nosing glass leaves legs slow to move down the sides of the glass eventually leaving an oil like beading around the glass

My immediate thought when nosing was that this is very malty, then there's a spicy ginger note which is quickly followed by softer notes;  gentle honey and some orange blossom. There is also herbal note that I couldn't put my finger on. After a little time to air I stated to get some sultanas and green grapes

On the palate there's an initial sweet note which slowly builds with spicy ginger. There is a definite wine like note although I'm not familiar with many white wines, especially sweet Gewurtztraminer. The ginger remains and gently fades with the faintest note of cinnamon while leaving a peppery  tingle on the middle of the tongue and sweetness towwards the back of the tongue.

I'm beginning to become a bit of a fan of whisky from the Isle of Arran and this single cask from Master of Malt is another fine example.

Want one? You'd better be quick as there were only 218 bottles of this. For more information and to buy see Master of Malt 16 Year Old Arran 

Whisky Discovery #281

Isle of Jura 30 Year Old 'Standing Stone' (44% abv)

Island Single Malt Whisky

Circa £350.00 70cl

The new Jura 30 Year Old

The Jura distillery has recently added a 30 year old single malt whisky to its collection which will be available from selected whisky stores across the world this month. I don't think this is the first time Jura has released a 30 Year Old as I'm sure I've noted some limited releases previously, but this will be an addition to the core range from them.

Called the Standing Stone, or ‘Camas an Staca’ in Gaelic, the new expression takes its name from the largest of Jura's eight standing stones. Known as ‘The Bay of the Protecting Rocks’ this imposing 12 foot obelisk is reputedly all that remains of a stone circle laid some 3,000 years ago by the earliest Diurachs to appease the spirits.

The iconic Jura bottle is presented in a beautiful display case that opens its doors to showcase the bottle and reveal the story of the whisky. Meticulously detailed, the bottle is in-filled with copper wax, with a matching metal plaque.

Official Tasting notes

Nose: The seductive nuances of sandalwood, tuberose, lime and spicy patchouli soon usher in hints of vanilla, Java coffee, tangerine and crushed Ogen melon. Whispers of sea spray, spicy apple and honeyed figs linger in the background.

Taste: Fleshy oranges, tangy liquorice, coconut and sweet pineapple are followed by orange rind, black cherries, dark toffee and sun dried raisins.

So What Did I Think?

I'm really grateful for Whyte and Mackay for supplying this tasting sample before general release. In addition at around £350 a bottle it's slightly out of my budget, and certainly out of my drinking budget. I guess the target market is going to be serious collectors and investors which is a shame as I thoroughly enjoyed my experience of it. I've checked on-line and haven't seen it for sale yet so it's release must be imminent.

On the nose it's rich, sweet and full; sweet caramel toffee and vanilla, there's an underlying  subdued orange note, not bright and zesty, but dark and almost chocolate orange like. There is a little coffee on the nose, but from Java? I couldn't tell you. Fruit comes in by way of dates and figs and there it a little saltiness to the nose too.

The subdued orange notes are on the palate too as is the dark chocolate, Rich toffee and light liquorice along with some mild chilli spice. The majority of the maturation period has been in American white oak before three years spent finishing in Oloroso Sherry butts from Gonzalez Byass gives this whisky the classic sherried fruits of black cherries and raisins. The mouth-feel is smooth yet decadent, luxurious and sweet, with fine dark chocolate orange and black cherries.

The rich dark chocolate orange stays right to the very end, a long and satisfying finish. I wish I could have gone back for more, and it will be something to look out for at one of the whisky shows in the New Year, as I would certainly like to sample this again.

As I mentioned earlier, it is beyond my budget, and probably beyond most peoples budget, which is a shame as I would love to have some on my shelf to turn to every now and then. This is a very enjoyable whisky, and one I think would go really well after a big dinner. For now, I'll just have to stick to my bottle of 16 Year Old Jura which shares some of the characteristics at a budget I can afford!

Whisky Discovery #280

Machrie Moor (46% abv Third Edition Released 2012)

Island Single Malt Whisky

circa £40.00 70cl

The Isle of Arran Distillers have been producing a peated malt every year since 2004. The malted barley is gently peated to a level of 14 ppm and laid to mature in American oak casks. The peated malt whisky has been used in a number of releases over the years, most notably the recent Devil's Punch Bowl, but Machrie Moor is a limited release using just the peated whisky and our tasting sample was from the recently launched third release and a run of 12,000 bottles. As with all of the expressions of the Arran Malt we have tasted this is non chill-filtered, naturally coloured and bottled at a respectable 46% abv

Also, like a number of the Arran Malts this expression has been named after an island landmark.  On the west coast of the Isle of Arran lies a windswept and mystical peat bog called Machrie Moor. Bronze Age stone circles and standing stones are strewn across its barren, undulating terrain. One of the stone circles is known as Fingal's Cauldron Seat, where sits a stone with a carved hole. The legendary warrior giant Fingal is said to have tethered his favourite dog Bran to this stone. Bran features on the label of this release, still tethered to Fingal's Cauldron Seat.

So What Did We Think?

Kat Said: I tasted this whisky before I read any official tasting notes or anything about the whisky. Generally this is how I like to taste my whiskies for the first time so that I’m not influenced by any power of suggestions (this includes not reading what my Dad’s already posted). I find it more interesting this way. 

It was a surprise to me to find that this Arran is slightly peated. I didn’t specifically pick out peat; I didn’t even find it smoky. Here’s what I got. 

Nose:  Fresh crunchy Granny Smith’s apples with its slight greenness and sharp acidity, hot pear crumble, sea salt, light fragrance of seasoned oak that lingers in the background, and towards the end of the dram there was some white pepper coming through. 

Taste:  Strong liquorice at the very beginning, I would say more like that of the root than of boiled or soft sweets. It’s still sweet but with an antiseptic quality that numbs your mouth and leaves it slightly cools at the same time. Towards the middle there’s some heat from cloves and the sweetness is more noticeable (just of normal white sugar, not Demerara or anything like that), then towards the end a light floral notes comes through. 

Finish:  At the end it initially left a fresh mouth feel with a nice bitterness quality that balances out the sweetness from earlier. The bitterness was more like that from the peel of a Granny Smith’s, the sweetness came back (more like Demerara sugar this time), and it ended with the liquorice taste. 

Overall it was a pleasant dram which I enjoyed. I particularly liked that the different notes I picked up on the nose filtering through to the entire whisky. Like a good CV this whisky this whisky told me in the beginning ‘So this is what I can do’, then on the palate it says ‘these are what makes me who I am’, and at the end leaving me to feel completely in sync with it. 

tasted this weekend just gone where we had snow fall non-stop for 24 hours or so. It’s a good whisky to help warm up your cockles. 

Dave Said: In the glass it's very pale, like a white wine, and swirled around the glass leaves oil like droplets around the sides.

The immediate note I wrote down was that it smelled like buttered toast. Granary bread of course! After the buttered toast the citrus and vanilla notes came forward, quite lemony but the lightest scent of orange marmalade too (going back to my toast). After a little while I was able to tease out some fruit with notes of pineapple and peaches. At 14ppm I think this is a very lighted peated malt and the peat notes really need to be teased out, this is no peat monster. 

On the palate there is a fresh citrus tang, more limes than lemons now. A fiery pepper spice mid palate and the slightest hint of peat smoke, nothing heavy and more of a light char. I added a drop of water and the nose sweetens immediately releasing a little fragrant smoke at the same time. The water tames the fiery pepper on the palate and gives a rich and creamy mouth-feel while the lime tang is sill there.

The finish is crisp and clean with citrus zest and a little sweet vanilla, again the slightest hint of smoke. This comes across as quite a young whisky, but really quite enjoyable. The peat levels is quite low compared to some of the peated malts I've tasted and so you have to search hard for it, that is until the glass is empty. Returning to the empty glass to nose, only after a few minutes of finishing the last sip, the peat smoke is much stronger and certainly drew me back to pour myself another

And finally:

Many thanks to Isle of Arran Distillers for sending us a generous sample of this new release to review.

Whisky Discovery #217

Robert Burns Single Malt Whisky NAS (43% abv OB Bottled 2012, 70cl)

Island Single Malt Whisky

Circa £30.00 70cl

The new 2012 Robert Burns Single Malt from the Isle of Arran Distillery

Released at the beginning of September and bottled under the Robert Burns label, this edition of the Arran Single Malt has been created by combining different ages to create a beautifully rounded whisky that is smooth, malty and sweet with a delicious spicy twist on the finish.

Since 2000 The Isle of Arran Distillers have been granted life membership of the World Burns Federation - an organisation based in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire which is dedicated to the life and works of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. 

This is the 'official' Robert Burns whisky – accept no imitations!

Robert Burns (1759-1796)– national poet of Scotland and a global Scottish icon was born in Alloway, Ayrshire in 1759 and his links with Ayrshire and Arran are well known. In fact, although the bard never actually visited the Isle of Arran, he is certain to have been able to see it on clear days as he laboured in the fields of Ayrshire on his father's farm. At that time there were several illicit stills on Arran which produced whisky that was claimed by many to be "among the finest whiskies available". This was shipped to Dunure in Ayrshire - then the centre of the illegal whisky trade - before being shipped to the gentry in Scotland's major cities where they "took the Arran waters".

Using mainly American oak ex-Bourbon casks in maturation has accentuated the sweet-fruity notes of Arran whilst a smaller proportion of ex-Sherry hogsheads have added depth and richness. Matured in a selection of finest ex-Bourbon & ex-Sherry Casks and bottled at 43% abv, and like all Arran Malts no artificial colouring is used.

Official Tasting Notes: 

Colour: Ayrshire Sunshine 

Aroma: Sweet & creamy with notes of honey, toffee-glazed pecans and fresh summer fruits. 

Palate: A perfect combination of rich malt and lush vanilla notes forms a beautifully refreshing and smooth palate. Light and sweet at first followed by tantalising spice and oak. 

Finish: Clean and fresh with an aftertaste of hazelnuts and milk chocolate. A true drop of liquid poetry and the perfect dram with which to toast the Bard! 

So what did we think? 

Dave said: I tweeted 'Summer in a glass' when I first started nosing this whisky, because alongside the sweet creamy vanilla, bags of toffee and summer fruits; most noticeably kiwi fruit, I was struck by the almost hedgerow elderflower note to this. However it had a further trick up it's sleeve too; with time in the glass the nose took on a minty chocolate note - certainly a lot going on in here!

Kat said: Just after I poured it into the nosing glass the first aromas I got was a mineral quality like spring water, a hint of Werthers originals, and citrus pith. After about five minutes in the glass I found that it had developed a creamier note which reminded me instantly of the sweet creaminess of a Milky Bar, and definitely of white chocolate. The minerals were then taken over by the smell of dry straw. 

Dave said: This is definitely a smooth and easy drinking malt from The Arran Distillery. However the sweet creamy vanilla is nowhere near as prominent on the palate, being much more spicy with light notes of Burmese/Vietnamese coriander, pepper and green oak, which is all balanced by a toffee sweetness, a briny saltiness and rich malt. 

Kat said: On my initial sip, I got a hit of bitterness and zest of a grapefruit which stays for the duration. The sweetness and creaminess is less than what I was expecting giving how strong these were on the nose. For me the sweetness was not of organic origin, what I mean by this is that its not like honey or cane sugar, it was more of artificial sweeteners like the taste of Splenda. I did like that it was light yet still keeping the creaminess, rather than being more syrupy, and in between all of this was hint of white pepper and coriander seeds. 

Dave said: The finish seemed to be a balance of the senses; sweetness, saltiness and a little peppery heat

Kat said: For me the finish started with grapefruit zest for a few seconds, developing into bitter qualities of citrus pith/oak tannins which stayed to the end.

Overall it was light and refreshing whisky that I would have again as it was a nice finish to a home cooked lamb curry, especially when the curry was cooked by my other half! Yep, all I did was eat then put my feet up sipping my whisky!

And finally:

We're indebted to Isle of Arran Distillers for sending us a generous sample of this new release of the Robert Burns Single Malt release to review.

Both the Robert Burns Single Malt and Robert Burns Blended Scotch are part of Isle of Arran Distillers‘ core range, but they are considered like a mini-brand within Arran and have their own section on their website.

A new website is being launched in January 2013 dedicated only to Robert Burns Malt and Blend. A Facebook page has already been established dedicated to the bard and these two whiskies, and for further information see their website