Ralfy blends-up a malt with Ralfy Review 689 – Bowmore 16yo (casks 1916+1917) @ 56.8%vol (Signatory)

October Outturn is bursting with fruity feel-good flavours with 7 fresh single cask whiskies to taste and explore!

CASK NO. 5.53  EXOTIC FRUITS AND EASTERN SPICE

16 years old; 2nd fill Sauternes hogshead; 60.1%; Sweet, fruity & mellow

The nose has perfumed tropical fruits and polished wood, Peshwari naan, cigarette packets and Spanish bodegas. The palate combines exotic fruits with equally exotic Eastern spices, toffee donut sweetness and wood tannins – which makes it full of pleasant intrigue. Previously matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead.

CASK NO. 9.118  EXPANSIVE AND VOLUMINOUS

19 years old; refill hogshead; 56%; Spicy & sweet

Dried rose buds, custard creams, syrup sponge cake, dried apple rings and bananas through to toasted pine nuts, dark chocolate and Pedro Ximenez sherry. The palate boasted ginger, liquorice root, orange liqueur and black forest gateau with spiced marmalade, chewy toffee and strawberry smoothie.

CASK NO. 7.163  THE INDIAN SPICE TRAIN

12 years old; 1st fill barrel; 60.7%; Spicy & sweet

Hot and spicy bloody marys, pickled ginger, lime and blood orange. Then blueberry muffin, nuts and pancake with lemon, chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

CASK NO. 44.78  PEEK-A-BOO

14 years old; virgin oak hogshead; heavy toast/medium char; 57.6%; Spicy & dry

Fruit notes of apple, pear and sultana loaf with peanuts and custard powder concealing an explosive palate of liquorice, raisons and burnt custard tart with coffee cake, maple syrup, parsnips and soot sweetly finishing with old leather and tobacco. Previously matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead.

CASK NO. 36.122  A DARK JUNGLE OF FLAVOUR

9 years old; 1st fill Oloroso butt; 58.1%; Deep, rich & dried fruits

Sweet meats, ham, charred oak and honey on grainy toast. Chewy with bacon, tangerine, syrup and bran flakes. Then charcoal pencils, sherry and chocolate.

CASK NO. 93.72  BBQ OUTSIDE A SWEETIE FACTORY

9 years old; 1st fill barrel; 58.3%; Oily & coastal

You are standing in a candy factory – outside, there’s a barbecue roasting mackerel and chestnuts – also runny honey and burning heather. The palate conjures a wood fire on a beach – with salt and chili prawns, lobster and herb sausages on the menu.

CASK NO. 29.210  A CHIMNEY SWEEP’S LUNCH BOX

18 years old; refill hogshead; 55.3%; Peated

Dusty burnt ash, scorched wood and black soot with its tar-laden aroma. Then old leather, smoked salmon on toasted rye bread, oat cakes with cinnamon honey, an olive and feta salad with a herbal dressing and crumbled smoked haddock with a eucalyptus and menthol finish.

SMWS Canada

https://youtu.be/gP1CZKuDUqM 

The New Macallan Edition No. 3!  A collaborative work from Bob Delagrno and Roja Dove. A wonderfully light and sweet style of Macallan with a long drying finish. Enjoy. 

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Ralfy mingles peat and speyside with Ralfy Review 688 – Balvenie 14yo Peat Week @ 48.3%vol

Kilkerran 12 Year Old (2017)

Fresh from the bottling hall, the new 2017 batch of Kilkerran single malt distilled at Glengyle distillery in Campbeltown.

Buy – £36.95

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 178: Isle of Jura 24 Year Old 1988 for The Whiskyman

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries an Isle of Jura from 1988. Isle of Jura is a whisky that does not appear on Mark’s scope very often, but in this case he gladly brings it up, for two reasons. One, it is an independent release by a (retired) Belgian bottler that he knows personally – Dominiek Boeckaert aka The Whiskyman – and two, it is probably the best Isle of Jura whisky he has tried so far. Originally, this 24 Year Old was bottled for Viking Lines, but a couple of bottles found their way to the Belgian market as well.

https://youtu.be/t2gDrW-dxSs

Saturday, October 21st, 12-3PM:

Compass Box 

Start your weekend with a whisky tasting, courtesy of the award-winning Compass Box Distillery! Lavishing care on both their whiskies and the bottles they’re presented in, Compass Box is well known for the quality of their drams, as well as their dedication to transparency.

Click Here to RSVP

Very typical of a highland distillery, this 2015 release from Deanston has been very well received. Spending 18 years developing the soft, floral and complex nature of the spirit. The finish is reminiscent of sweet cereals.

This release has been finished in a first fill Kentucky bourbon cask.

“One of the most underrated drams in the shop!” Patrick McCourt

Web Exclusive: £72.95

BUY DEANSTON 18 NOW

Ceòbanach (kyaw-bin-och), which means ‘smoky mist’ in Scots Gaelic. Ceòbanach reflects the origins of Bunnahabhain, both the place and the single malt’s charming, complex character. This edition is heavily peated, thus displaying the old style of production for this iconic distillery.

This expression pairs perfectly with food, especially seafood and chocolate (although not necessarily at the same time). The nose is intense and pungent, with hints of fragrant smoke and light tar, and creamy notes of sweet oak and seaweed. The initial taste is one of sweet maltiness, then a lovely balance of a tangy smokiness and vanilla notes, blending mellow and smooth.

Web Exclusive Price: £48.95

Buy Bunnahabhain Ceobanach Now