This Longmorn 17 year old caught my eye on the Bartels site the other day and Whisky Wednesday's glowing review convinced me to take a punt on it. Another great delivery from Bartels plus a free sample of that Ardmore cask strength. Looking forward to trying both...
Happy birthday! 🥃
Daleside are a fantastic brewery and their blonde is a cracking pint.
Mine came today. Reviews on
Whiskybase seem to be pretty positive so hopefully not a dud. Fingers crossed you get a mini dram with it too!
Fantastic prompt delivery from Bartels Whisky (shame they're not on Bluesky) and even a wee dram of their cask strength indy Dalmore (now you don't see those very often!) If it's a good 'un, I may be a repeat customer... Happy Friday all! 🍻
Yes not bad at all. They have a few other decently priced bottles too. This one caught my eye www.bartelswhisky.com/product/balb...
Single cask, cask strength 17 year old Ledaig for £70 - don't mind if I do! www.bartelswhisky.com/product/leda...
The yanks are certainly better at producing delicious whiskey than they are competent governments & this small batch bourbon is testament to that. There's a smoky quality to the nose (think honey glazed ham) plus baking spices. The palate offers caramelised peanuts, rye spice & spearmint. Lovely.
Sad to see the end of this bottle. Just £18, it's by far the best value whisky I have ever bought, especially given it's all malt. Discovered at the Independent Spirits Festival in Leith, it's pure fudge & butterscotch on both nose and palate. Would love to know the malts in this blend. 8/10.
Opting for a rum tonight from an undisclosed Nicaraguan distillery (likely Flor de Caña). At 66.6% it's as fiery as the devil & noses a lot like a Foursquare rum - caramel, cooked peaches & vanilla sponge. On the palate, a drop of water enhances the tropical fruit & vanilla flavours. Mouth feel is 👌🏻
Another day, another bottle kill. A delicious Jamaican rum which showcases all the the tropical fruit, dunder funk & toffee flavours the island is famed for. At 43%, the palate is a little thin, but it still makes for a great easy sipper. 7/10.
I opened this bottle 3 years ago today & it opened my eyes to just how good American whisky could be. The distinct JD aromas & flavours have not abated in all that time. A glorious caramel-soaked banana split drizzled with roasted peanuts w/ just enough rye spice to balance out the sweetness. 9/10.
Neck pour of the ex-Sauternes cask Edradour. Nose is giving overripe honeydew melon, porridge & cinnamon apple pie. The sweet notes continue on the palate - juicy raisins, brioche & a little elderflower. At >60% a drop of water tempers the alcohol & enhances it considerably. A true fruit bomb 🍑🍋🥭🍎
Home after a few post-work drinks and enjoying a night cap from an 80s bottling of Johnnie Walker Black Label. A little grain acetone on first nosing & sip but there's a decent malty backbone offering toffee pudding, honey & gentle peat. If it's good enough for Deckard, it's good enough for me!
Happy birthday Pete. Happy dramming! 🥃 🎉
So here's out Port line up!
#BlindDrams
Dram 5; Palate/ Finish: Following on from the nose, Turkish Delight, spices and Port on the palate. Plenty of tannins like the previous two drams. Water helps to temper the spiciness. 3/5. #BlindDrams
Dram 5; Nose/ Appearance: Light gold. Rosewater and quite perfumed. Parma violets and potpourri. #BlindDrams
Dram 4; Palate/ Finish: Lots of red fruit tannins, probably an ex-red wine cask. Reminds me of Rioja, lots of plummy jam and quite bitter. High ABV again but a little water sweetens it. 3/5 #BlindDrams
Dram 4; Nose/ Appearance: Deep red. Musty, red wine nose, almost bordering on balsamic vinegar. Cranberry sauce and old library books. #BlindDrams
Woops, forgot to include my score for Dram 3 - 3/5. Best of the drams so far! #BlindDrams
Dram 3; Palate/ Finish: Sweet, almost like Vimto-like with plenty of spice and red fruits. Quite high ABV (58%ish) so benefits from a little water. Less grain-like than on the nose. Like Dram 2, drying on the finish.
#BlindDrams
Dram 3; Nose/ Appearance: Rose gold. A single grain I think. Cherries and mixed spice on the nose, suggesting possibly sherry or port cask? #BlindDrams
Dram 2; Palate : Quite hot at first with cranberries, a little black pepper & plenty of tannins. The tartness is softened with a drop of water but still quite drying on the finish. 2/5. #BlindDrams
Dram 2; Appearance/ Nose: Two shades darker than Dram 1. More wine-like on the nose than Dram 1 and ever so slightly butyric. A bit perfumed too with stewed winter fruits, clove and cinnamon - mulled wine basically.
Dram 1; Palate: Quite young on first taste. With water, the fruit (apples, melons, peaches) become more pronounced with a fairly thin, spirity mouthfeel. Reminds me of the 16YO Cadenheads Dailuaine but much younger. Possibly a Dailuaine or Glen Elgin? Drying finish. 2/5.
Dram 1; Appearance/ Nose: Chardnonnay wine. Fruit salad with vanilla cream on the nose hinting at an ex-bourbon cask. Fresh & floral too. #BlindDrams
Drams poured and ready to rock! #BlindDrams
"We called London a war zone and moved to Dubai by mistake"
I haven't cracked mine open yet so very glad to see you're enjoying it. The 6yo Caol Ila from the same military themed series is excellent too.