The Good Dram Show – Episode 553 ‘World Whiskies’

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show in which I’ll be reviewing a random selection of world whiskies. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 553 – Simply A Random World Whisky Episode!

Filmed in The Study Nottingham

Featuring

Cadenheads World Whiskies Union Distillery 5 year old 58.4%

Mackmyra Destination 48.7%

James Sedgwick Distillery Three Ships 10 year old Limited Edition 44.6%

High Coast Hav ‘Oak Spice’ 48%

Hatosaki 12 year old Umeshu Cask Finish 46%

Milk & Honey 2018 (3 year old) Private Cask 64.5%

 Filmed & Edited by Chris Goodrum

 Disclaimer The views, thoughts, or opinions expressed during this episode are solely those of the individual involved (me) and do not represent those of my employer.

Glen Scotia unveils ‘Campbeltown Malts Festival 2024’ limited-edition release

Glen Scotia has unveiled its 2024 Festival Edition release – a limited-edition bottling to celebrate the Campbeltown Malts Festival (21^st and 22^nd of May 2024), the annual event which celebrates the region’s incredible whisky past and present.

Glen Scotia’s yearly festival bottlings are known for being intriguing, bold expressions, and the 2024 global release is no exception.  The nine-year-old unpeated single malt was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels before being finished in the finest Fino sherry casks for six months.

The result is a charmingly unconventional dram which brings vibrant flavours of citrus and white orchard fruit along with hints of oak spice. Natural in colour, its mouthfeel is satisfyingly dry before it finishes with a subtle but distinctive maritime note.

Following on from the success of Glen Scotia’s first-ever on-pack virtual experience with last year’s Festival Edition, the 2024 edition will again offer fans the chance to go behind the scenes of the distillery.

By scanning the on-pack QR code, viewers will be transported to the ‘Sound of Glen Scotia’.

Created by whisky expert and musician, Neil Ridley, music producer, Dean Horner, and Scottish singer-songwriter, Jenny Sturgeon, Sound of Glen Scotia will allow audiences to create their very own music track by putting together soundbites captured at the distillery with the musical track ‘Copper Heart’, which was created by the trio for last year’s Malts Festival.

From banging casks as drumbeats and mash tuns churning to soundbites of the distillery team’s discussions during production, the soundbites allow audiences to enjoy a completely immersive tasting experience as they sip this year’s Festival Release.

Available to purchase online and in specialist retailers globally, Glen Scotia’s Campbeltown Malts Festival 2024 release is non-chill filtered, bottled at cask strength (56.2% ABV) and retails for £65.

Iain McAlister, Glen Scotia master distiller and distillery manager, said: 

“This 2024 Festival Release bottles the unique and exciting atmosphere of the Malts Festival – a delicious dram which is quintessentially Glen Scotia, with our distinct salty maritime note and salinity, as well as being bold and punchy, appealing to those looking for something a little more unconventional. 

“With tickets for our events selling out in record time this year, it is an increasing priority for us to share the spirit and character of our remote whisky home with our fans around the world who cannot make the festival. The on-pack virtual experience does just that, and our discerning aficionados can transport themselves inside the walls of the distillery in what is a wonderful experience for any whisky fan.” 

 Every year, Glen Scotia welcomes whisky enthusiasts from around the world to enjoy the charm of the ‘Wee Toon’ and sample the finest drams from Scotland’s smallest whisky-making region at the Campbeltown Malts Festival.

This year, the team will partner with experts from the industry, including Dave Broom, Becky Paskin and Millie Milliken, for a host of ticketed and free events that celebrate the rich heritage of the town and Glen Scotia.

Glen Scotia’s 2024 Campbeltown Malts Festival release is available to purchase via specialist suppliers and the Glen Scotia website, visit HERE

For further information on this year’s Campbeltown Malts Festival, visit: www.glenscotia.com/

Tasting notes:

Nose: Fresh floral

Palette: Lemon citrus, white orchard fruits and oak spice.

Finish: Long, satisfyingly dry with a subtle maritime quality and salinity

About Glen Scotia 

Distiller Glen Scotia has been producing single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832 and is one of three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown.  Producing peated and non-peated whiskies, the distillery still maintains much of its original design, including the stillroom and the dunnage warehouse dating from the 1830s. To this day, the distillery team follow in the footsteps of their founders, using traditional methods, carefully creating the subtly maritime Campbeltown style the brand has become world-famous for.

Recognition of Glen Scotia’s style and craftsmanship continues to be acknowledged globally.

• In 2021, Glen Scotia’s 25-Year-Old single malt was awarded ‘Best In Show Whisky’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Over 3,800 entries across thirty-one categories were judged with Glen Scotia being awarded the overall winner across all countries and styles. Only seven months later, Glen Scotia was also named Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards 2021.
• In 2022, Glen Scotia’s Victoriana won ‘Best In Class’ in the Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch – No Age Statement category at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• In 2023, Glen Scotia won ‘Best Single Cask Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards for a single cask bottling distilled in 2009 and aged for 13 years exclusively in a first-fill bourbon barrel.
• Later that same year, Glen Scotia’s 25-Year-Old won a coveted Platinum award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, which is awarded to the very few entries that receive a Double Gold medal for three consecutive years at the prestigious global event.

GLEN SCOTIA

CAMPBELTOWN MALTS FESTIVAL 2024
UNPEATED FINO SHERRY FINISH

9 Years Old | 70cl | 56.2% ABV

To celebrate the Campbeltown Malts Festival of 2024, Glen Scotia has released a magnificent un-peated nine year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. After a minimum of 6 months in Fino Sherry casks, this Single Malt is bursting with citrus and orchard fruits, woven with a distinctive Campbeltown maritime quality. The 2024 edition is bottled at cask strength, is natural in colour and is non-chill filtered.

£64.95

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Tasting notes:

Fresh and floral with notes of vibrant lemon citrus, white orchard fruits and oak spice. The finish is long and satisfyingly dry with a subtle maritime quality and salinity.

Cask-Strength Batch 2 reveals another side to

Lochlea’s award-winning spirit

Award-winning Ayrshire distillery, Lochlea, will be revealing its second cask strength whisky on 10^th June, just in time for Father’s Day – the perfect dram for those looking for a bolder version of the farm-to-cask distillery’s much celebrated single malt whisky.

Cask Strength Batch 2 follows last year’s launch of the distillery’s first ever cask strength bottling, released to show whisky lovers how the Lochlea house spirit tastes at a higher ABV.

Batch 2 differs from last year’s release – not only is it older, but this year’s bottling uses a cask make-up that the distillery has never shown before: Pedro Xímenez (PX) (60%) and Oloroso (28%) sherry butts, as well as STR barriques (12%). The various cask profiles give the whisky a weightier, peppery European Oak finish.

Each cask brings a different dimension to the final vatting: the Oloroso brings a creamy, dry and fruity character, the STR casks offer a spice and depth and the PX gives an interesting and unique sweet mustiness to the spirit.

Bottled at 60% ABV, this limited edition whisky is one of the oldest Lochlea whiskies to be released, with the majority of the liquid being five years old alongside a small amount of four year old spirit. The five year old spirit in the bottling also adds a fuller complexity to the final whisky.

John Campbell, Lochlea’s Production Director said: “Last year’s Cask Strength exceeded expectations for a 4-year-old, setting a high standard. With Batch 2 this year, we’ve once again surpassed expectations. This whisky packs a punch, showcasing a complexity greater than the sum of its parts.”

“Cask Strength Batch 1 had lovely layers of fresh, tropical fruit. Batch 2 has less of the signature Lochlea green apple dominance, but will have more weight to it, with a floral, lively palate and peppery European Oak finish. Batch 2 will feel bigger and bolder than Batch 1, making it an interesting dram to explore.”

Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 2 will be available from 10th June, RRP: £66.50 – the perfect special gift for Father’s Day this year.

Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Apples, peach syrup, marmalade

Palate: Wild lavender, rose petals

Finish: Black pepper, dried fruit, hints of apple and pear 

For a full list of Lochlea stockists, visit: Lochlea Distillery stockists

About Lochlea Distillery:

Lochlea was originally a 222-acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006. After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year. The farming side has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production – paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few fully grain-to-cask distilleries in Scotland. It also has a rich Scottish heritage with strong links to Robbie Burns, with the bard having worked and lived on the farm a several years.

Lochlea Distillery has recently won the following awards:

– Icons of Whisky Scotland 2024: Single Estate and Brand Innovator

– Icons of Whisky 2023: Single Estate Distillery of the Year

– San Francisco Spirits Competition 2023: Our Barley – GOLD

– Las Vegas Global Spirits Competition 2023: Our Barley – GOLD

– Scottish Field Summer Whisky Challenge 2023: Distilleries under 10 Years Old – GOLD

– Scottish Field Summer Challenge Awards 2024: Distilleries under 10 Years Old AND £50- £100 whiskies: GOLD for Fallow Edition (Second Crop)

Loch Lomond The 152nd Open Course Collection 2000 24 Year Old

Released to celebrate the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon, this special edition is one of only 4,500 bottles. Distilled using a combination of whisky from the distillery’s unique Straight Neck pot stills and more traditional Swan Neck stills, the expression was matured for 24 years in American oak casks, including a six-month finish in the finest Manzanilla sherry butts from Jerez, Spain.

£290.00
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Free Next Day Delivery for 12 Months For just £14.95 you can enjoy free next day delivery on all your orders for a whole year! Geographic restrictions apply, see full T&Cs. Find out more ❯

DOUBLE CASK 18 YEARS OLD, 2024 RELEASE

The Macallan Double Cask Collection is a complex sensorial journey. Beautifully balanced by European and American Oak, each cask is sherry seasoned in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

We are delighted to share that Double Cask 18 Years Old, 2024 Release is now available to purchase from our Online Boutique with limited availability.

With golden hues heightening the colour of the whisky and reflecting the key flavour notes of treacle toffee, sweet ginger, dried fruits and nutmeg, this expression stands proud as a marker of extraordinary craftsmanship.

Click on the link below to purchase this distinct single malt.

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TASTING NOTES

EXPLORE COLOUR, NOSE, PALATE & FINISH

COLOUR Amber honey
AROMA Dried fruit, ginger and toffee. Rich orange with hints of clove and nutmeg
PALATE Rich raisin and sultana with notes of caramel, vanilla and ginger, balanced by wood spice and zesty citrus
FINISH Warm oak spice with ginger, turning to sweet orange
ABV 43%

2011 Glenglassaugh 11 Year Old “Single Cask #4778” Pedro Ximenez Sherry Butt Highland Single Malt Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival)

$129.99

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*Please note this is being sold on a pre-arrival basis. These bottles should arrive by July, 2024* Not all single cask bottlings are created equal. While any distillery putting forth an honest effort will select interesting and hopefuly tasty casks for their single barrel program, it is a rare cask indeed that could be described as “flawless.” But this 11 year old is just that – a perfect PX cask. Robust enough to impact an incredibl amount of character, but perfeclty matched to the spirit so as to not overshadow it, but rather to complement it beautifully. Distilled March 1st 2011 and bottled in 2022, cask 4778 is for sherry lovers who want big and rich flavors but like to remember they’re drinking single malt and not actually sherry.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Glen Scotia 23 Years Old Connoisseur’s Choice

This single malt was distilled in 2000 at the Glen Scotia Distillery, located in Campbeltown. It was aged in a refill American Hogshead for 23 years, resulting in sweet and light flavours of lemon, honey, demerara sugar and red apple with delicate spice and tropical fruit. It was bottled by Gordon & Macphail at natural cask strength, without chill filtration or artificial colouring.

Only 228 bottles were produced.

£215.00

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THE VIDEO REVIEW 

French whisky is something that I need to explore more. There are over 90 whisky distilleries in France, but I’ve only had two of them make it onto this channel.

This particular example is from the French side of the alps, a farmyard grown and distilled single malt. Think of it as French Daftmill! Aged in a combination of ex-cognac, ex-Armagnac, and ex-French wine casks – Hautes Glaces Indigene is a rather special whisky, in my eyes. The bottle showcases the Obiou mountain in coloured glass with a stopper made from food-grade, agglomerated cork, and ‘spent grains’ from the production process.

Over the last year or so, I’ve been exploring flavours of other distillates that I’ve ignored. The main focuses are rum of all varieties, tequila, mescal, aguardiente, etc. The one thing that all of these spirits have had in common is this huge contrast of flavour, some of them even more so than whisky, but this particular French single malt has summarised so many of these flavours into one bottle. That is something quite special.

We have the fresh fruit notes of peach, making me think of light, grassy single malts. The herbal input of pine and resin from certain mescals, the freshness of agave in tequila reposado – all of this together with a rather incredible scent of jasmine and Lilly of the Valley, contained in a rather pretty bottle.

It is only a 50cl bottle for £60, but there are more expensive offerings in 70cl that are nowhere near as complex as this one. Cheers.

It’s become a cliché that I start these newsletters with an apology for tardiness, but – boy – this one’s a doozy. Welcome to what was supposed to be the late-February outturn!

The good news is that I have three lovely new whiskies for you which I think are worth the wait. And, as a small token of appreciation for your patience and support, you’ll find a couple of discount codes at the bottom of this article.

And, with that, back to the whisky!

First up I’m delighted – after years of mithering the lovely people at the distillery – to be able to offer a 7-year-old Ardnamurchan. Maybe the best of the new-wave distilleries? (Debate amongst yourselves!)

So, on the nose: sweet pine wood smoke, new car, frying bacon in a cast-iron pan, butter and olive oil, Sauternes, foam bananas – there’s a lot happening! With a bit of water: smoked tropical fruits, bratwurst, buttered raisin bread, oysters.

The palate is huge, sweet and smoky. Chunky peat, first-aid kit, fudge, banana cream, pineapple upside-down cake,and Flake chocolate. Behind that is a solid backbone of tar, brine and sweet lemon. With water we’re somewhere Islay-adjacent, with clean, maritime, lemony peat.

How Ardnamurchan are cramming this much personality into relatively young malts I have no idea, and it’s all without any skeevy “wood technology” too. One thing I particularly like is that it fits so stylistically neatly into its geographical location (you can feel the kinship with Ledaig, Ben Nevis, etc) while also having a distinct quality of Ardnamurchan-ness.

This first-fill bourbon barrel produced 248 bottles at 61.0%, and they are available for £82.50 each.

Next up we have a fully-oloroso-matured 16-year-old Mannochmore. The couple of ex-bourbon Mannochmores I’ve bottled have been some of my favourites of the last few years, so it’s nice to have a well-sherried one to compare.

And, indeed, it’s a proper sherried nose: leather jacket, golden syrup, black cherry, coal tar, armagnac prunes, rose petals, orange boiled sweets, and a freshly-opened pack of cigarettes.

The palate has a thick and creamy texture, with cherry cola, blackcurrant syrup, nutmeggy bread and butter pudding, hazelnut and orange sponge. The development is on roasted nuts, sultanas, stem ginger, liquorice, with a little bit of salty smoked meat and coal dust. Adding water allows more of the clean, citrussy distillery character to shine through.

So, yes, I think we can safely say that Mannochmore plays well with sherry! I particularly love the dark fruits in this one. The first-fill oloroso butt produced 424 bottles at 54.7%, and they are available for £105 each (but see code below!).

And last but not least we have a 16-year-old Glen Moray. A distillery that is finding more and more fans these days.

The nose is softly waxy with a sort of elegant fruitiness: apple rings, dessert wine, banana and custard, sponge fingers, and a hoppy citrusiness. There are some little herbal touches (spearmint, thyme), and even a tiny camphor-y medicinal note, if you go looking for it.

The palate is super-clean and precise, with lemon oil, barley sugar and spearmint. The development is very malty, with mirabelle syrup, banana bread, cherry, and herbal liqueur. The finish is again very clean and lightly waxy, with citrussy barley, hops and candied peel.

I’ve already used “elegant” once, but that really is the word to sum this one up. This ex-bourbon barrel produced only 116 bottles at 52.2% and they are available for £85 each.

Cheap as chips

As promised, a couple of small discount codes for you:

Use SPRINGINTORUM for £5 off any bottle of rum.

Use MANNOCHLESS for £5 off a bottle of (you guessed it) Mannochmore.

The codes will be active for a couple of weeks and are for newsletter subscribers only.

And…

…that’s it for now. It shouldn’t be anything like as long a wait for the next outturn (and there’s some fun stuff to come through the rest of this year!), but in the meantime I’m always available via the usual channels if I can be of any assistance.

Cheers!

David