The Good Dram Show – Episode 289 ‘North Star Series 006 Pt2’ – This weeks episode of the show is the second part of my review of the North Star Series 006. This week it’s the turn of the regional bottlings or the Stars as Iain has called them.
Whisky tasting with a background noise
Just for a change, blending a dram with music. I was bored one night … From the classic Mortlach, Glendronach, Glenmorangie brigade, try this out; Break on through to the other side – Jameson Stout finish, a beautiful wee number, velvety, smooth, doesnee bite you all the way doon the toes, with underlying notes of stout (Murphys), chocolate noises in there also. You just cannee beat it for a sit back and enjoy dram. Aye, we’ve broken through! Many thanks Jim and the Doors.
Tamdhu Batch Strength matured exclusively in sherry casks and boasting a weighty ABV of 58.3%. What did I get? Black Forest gateau, vanilla, marmalade, chocolate cake, un-chillfiltered. Each batch varies slightly in style and intensity, its deep colour and exquisite quality is a winner with me. A grand dram with a bit of fire, like a bolt of lightning. Drammed in company of the Doors, (come on baby) Light my fire.
Talisker Storm released in early 2013 as a no age statement whisky, matured in refill and toasted American oak casks. An intense dram like the song, character, smokier depth and complexity inside this island luvvy. Again thanks to Jim M. Riders on the Storm
Poison – an American metal band that achieved great commercial success in the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, sold over 30 million records. The band’s second album, Open Up and Say… Ahh!, which became the band’s most successful album, Tamnavulin Double Cask was the first release from the distillery since the 1990s! Now they’ve got their very own expression! American oak before a finishing period in Sherry casks. The easiest of the drams tonight to linger with and open my mush and say ahhh. I can’t help singing one of my favourites to this dram; What’s right? What’s wrong? What’s left? What the hell is going on? Unskinny bop. Just blows me away, yeah, Unskinny bop, bop, All night and day, yeah, Unskinny bop, bop, bop, bop.
With a Little Help From My Friends This Lennon & McCartney song became a signature for Joe Cocker after he performed it at Woodstock in 1969. It’s grand to try and warble similar to Joe, you just can’t! But we try, so – with some help I go dramming log into The Friend at Hand. Irish Whiskey Shop. Hill Street Belfast. One of their drams, exclusive; SEVEN DEADLY SINS, 13 Years SINGLE MALT Everyone makes mistakes. Some more so than others, some with certain whiskies I won’t name. If you haven’t made any, then you haven’t lived and that’s the real sin. Only Available To Buy In The Friend At Hand.
That’s all for tonight though I could go on, looking forward to my next delve into my music background for whisky friends, hell – it’s better than pairing with food!
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 218: Johnnie Walker King George V
Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries the Johnnie Walker King George V release. King George V reigned from 1910 until 1936. In 1934 he offered a Royal Warrant to John Walker & Sons. It took until 2007 (!) before this fact was commemorated with a ‘royal blend’, composed from whiskies of distilleries that were operational at that time (which means little as most of them still are in operation). Some of those distilleries are now closed, like Port Ellen, Cambus and Glen Albyn. Insiders claim it also contains Cardhu and Royal Lochnagar. The whisky comes in a beautiful glass decanter and magnificent box, making the whole look rather expensive. Well, it is, for a bottle will set you back around 500 EUR.
The Good Dram Show – Episode 288 ‘North Star Series 006 Pt1‘ – This weeks epsiode takes a look at the single cask bottling’s in the the North star Spirits Series 006 releases.
ralfy.com unearthes an unglamarous bottle of decent malt with ralfy review 749 – ‘The Whisky Trail’ Caol Ila 12yo @ 43%vol:
The big boy! The Legend! The 25YO – Bourbon & Sherry casks combined together to create one of the nicest 25YO examples of Scotch whisky, without breaking the bank, which is nice. Much like the Glen Scotia 25 from last year, this comes in around the £300 mark, given it’s rivals, it’s still quite a bargain for a new release. Cheers!
ralfy.com visits England with . ralfy review 748 – Cotswolds 4yo single malt @ 46%vol: (8550)
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 217: Johnnie Walker White Walker
Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries the Johnnie Walker White Walker. You are most likely aware that the television series Game of Thrones is very popular (unless you spent the last few years north of The Wall). Johnnie Walker gladly jumps on that bandwagon with this special release of the ‘White Walker’, bottled at a rather unconventional 41.7% ABV. Mark frowned a bit upon the recommendation to ‘serve it from the freezer’, but that did not stop him from trying it. But at the end of the day, he realized that this is a bottle for the collectors, not so much for the drinkers, as it was unable to fulfill his expectations.
Eighteen years old! It’s coming in a quite a price tag but is it worth it? In a way yes, in a way, no – Yes in the sense of flavour! This is a big, bold and powerful style from OP – nothing like what I’ve tried before from them. Savory and sweet with contrasting notes of chocolate, salt, lemon, peanut butter and toffee. Putting it next to the 15 is like comparing a a Tesla to a Lamborghini, both brilliant but go about things in very different ways – I scored it quite high but it is putting itself in a very competitive area of pricing, i hope it’s sales reflect its true quality. Cheers
The Good Dram Show – Episode 287 ‘Carn Mor, Celebration of the Cask’
This week’s episode of the show looks at some recent bottlings by Morrison & Mackay in their Celebration of the Cask Range.
