Although we haven’t been able to go to our favourite bars for much of this year, we have still been able to get hold of lots of delicious booze to enjoy at home.
It’s certainly been a weird year in many ways, so we’d expect nothing less from That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC), to shake things up a bit. While the independent bottlers would usually release bottles throughout the year (they did more than 300 last year, blimey), as and when it’s available, they’ve now made the switch to releasing at set times.
After the success of the World Whisky Summit hosted by TBWC, the new plan is to give smaller craft distilleries a platform to reach the whisky community globally, which they might struggle with otherwise.
So say hello to the first ever TBWC World Series Collection line-up, woo, yehhhhh. This is a really fun list of whiskies, with some really interesting new world stuff.
We’ve had our hands on five from the collection: here’s what we thought.
This particular expression is a blend of 5YO whiskies from several fresh bourbon casks. Mackmyra try to be as eco-friendly as possible. All their barley is Swedish and they have a specially designed distillery which operates using gravity. Barley is loaded in on floor seven and spirit flows all the way down to the new spirit store on floor one to be filled into cask.
My tasting notes...
Nose: Gone off bananas, sour fruit, caramelised banana.
Palate: Strong alcohol! Burnt caramel, spiced, heat, mild soapiness? Cherry on the top.
Bit of water adds a starchiness, salt n shake crisps without the salt, vegetable crisps.
Finish: Dark chocolate on the finish. 100% cocoa chocolate, minus the grittiness.
This whisky is made from birchwood smoked barley. An unusual beginning you might say but, to up the mystery quota, it has been aged in a Chateauneuf du Pape cask, adding layers of red fruit notes and a deep colour. Langatun have a very long history of brewing and distillation going back to the 1850s. Hans Baumberger, great grandson of the founder, Jakob, decided to restart whisky distillation in 2007. The current owners, Christian Lauper and Dr Dolf Stockhausen have invested to meet increasing demand.
My tasting notes...
Nose: Grassy, rhum agricole, tinned fruit salad, sage, coriander root.
Palate: Liquorice, peppermint, eucalyptus, aloe vera, herbal. Water tones down the herbs and gives you more honey.
Finish: Shortish finish. Alcohol burn at the end.
TBWC's Penderyn bottling has been matured in an ex-Moscatel cask. The sweet dessert wine is produced in a similar way to PX sherry but, uses a high proportion of Moscatel de Alejandria grapes. Located in the village of Penderyn, on the southern tip of the Brecon Beacons, this distillery marked the first commercially available whisky in Wales since the 19th century.
My tasting notes...
Nose: Febreze (not in a bad way!), toffee, Werther's Original
Palate: Sweet, floral, orange, caramel, vanilla, warm cherry bakewell, glazed desserts
Finish: Candied almond
Modelled after the scotch production techniques of the 80s, with the twist of influence from a tropical environment results in classic Scotch vibes with a fruity, tropical twist. Set in the beautiful Nantou region of Taiwan, the climate is humid & subtropical, meaning (you guessed it!) a high angel’s share of 6%+!
My tasting notes...
Nose: Christmas! Almonds! Sweet candied nuts and fruits! Pretzels
Palate: Fruityyyy, white chocolate, more nutty with water.
Finish: Dry biscuit on the finish. Digestives.
An Indian single malt whisky distillery, located in tropical Goa, distilling with Indian 6 row barley. Packed full of tropical fruit, with a big, oily palette. This has been matured in a great bourbon barrel, interweaving delicious nutty & spicy wood notes. The tropical climate for maturation means a high angel’s share, 8-10%, as opposed to Scotland’s 2-3%…
My tasting notes...
Nose: Spicy, caramel, peshwari naan, dessicated coconut
Palate: Ashiness, wood fire that's just gone out. Rubberyness, smoky pencil eraser, sweet spice.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, warm spices, grainy toastiness, rice? Savoury sweetness, like shortbread. Burnt butter.
Finish: Long, smoky finish
Which are you most excited to try?
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