DISTILLED 2018 – THE TOUR

It’s come around again, we enjoyed last year so much we are back for more! Last year we had a great wee man from Japan with us, this year we had 5 guests with us from around the globe; Switzerland, New Zealand and USA. The tour started Friday in Glasgow with an overnight stay, that included a dinner in Waxy’s Irish pub, a fab whisky tasting in our hotel (thanks Don) – private room don’t you know, and drinks with the guests, oh aye, we also had an extra two lovely guests join us at the end of a previous tour with Paul. A good night to start and end the 2 tours!

Saturday we headed north, first stop to a favourite; Edradour Distillery, a tour and taste (except Paul who once again drew the “driver straw”). Fab fab fab, before north again all the way to Elgin, checked into the hotel and relaxed, Paul had a dram! That evening we headed oot to the evening session at DISTILLED. Dram good it was too, met up with many friends from distilleries – Stewart fae BenRiach, Glen Moray Graeme and fay and kids, Ian at Tomintoul, the girls from Cardhu and many more – Benromach, Paul fae Spey etc etc. The age mix was good, the place was heaving, it did get a wee bit too hot.

Sunday saw us move over to Strathisla Distillery for a tour/taste. Then away to Glenfiddich for lunch. Afternoon came, we dropped down to the Macallan cathedral, blended our wee group with another tour we have on at the same time, Ian driving, so 12 of us dondered around  Macallan on a private tour. Back to the hotel, and  a wee bit of time at the Drouthy Cobbler.

Monday we headed doon the road back to Glasgee, stops for lunch and drams – as usual. Our guests were dropped in the city and at the airport – two were away with us on tour in Ireland.

The hotel is booked for next year and we cannee wait!  Next tour for us is the Dornoch Whisky Festival, it’s a hard life.

https://whiskytours.scot/

The Good Dram Show  – Episode 286 ‘Glenmorangie & Glenfiddich‘

This week’s episode of the show asks the question, have we become too elitist and snobby for Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie?

https://youtu.be/ptBkKQzbTj0

ralfy.com has a big peaty shock with ralfy review 747 – GoodSpiritsCo 4yo Peat/Bunnahabhain @59.2%vol

https://youtu.be/450ZVUtw7V0

https://youtu.be/AGjD-LuIoqw

New range, new look, new liquids! Old Pulteney have always made whisky that’s caught my eye. Loving the retro label style as well, beyond that though is the liquid. Are they as good as hey old 17YO & 21YO are? Well, no but that’s because they’re totally different styles. The 15YO is so delicate with lemon, honey and toffee – the old salty not of OP is still around but it’s not as big as it was on the 17, which was by far one of the saltiest single malts i’ve ever tried. This is delicate and light and the second best value in the range for me. Cheers!

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 216: Unnamed Orkney 13 Year Old 2005 Flander’s Finest Cask Selection

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a ‘naked’ Highland Park, selected by the boys and girls of Flander’s Finest Cask Selection. Very spirit driven, this ‘Unnamed Orkney’ offers up the perfect mix of the traits that Highland Park is to be associated with.

https://youtu.be/KJ23SzyHplY

ralfy.com samples a four year matured blended malt in . ralfy review 746 – North Star Campbeltown 4yo @ 57%vol

https://youtu.be/hj2drIEBZZw

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 215: Kintra 9^th Confidential Cask (Inchmurrin 2007)

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries an Inchmurrin! Kintra has just bottled their 9th so-called Confidential Cask. These are single casks of which the name of the distillery is not revealed – hence the name. This one, however, has been unmasked a an Inchmurrin from 2007. Mark is intrigued as Inchmurrin certainly is not in his top ten, but the last few months he hears much praise about this malt.

https://youtu.be/tFFlz5V7TZY

https://youtu.be/3CKUQQu838I

It’s not everyday that you get try something older than yourself, It really isn’t everyday that i get to try something older than a lot of my close family. This 43YO whisky is one of the finest examples of Highland whisky that has ever graced my lips.

A nose of candle wax, pine, spruce, lime, lemon and subtle smoke with vanilla. The palate delivers a subtle style, nothing too crazy in the way of different flavours, most of the flavours form the nose are backed up with this, but my god the texture! It’s unbelievable! Words can’t even do it justice. As it develops it becomes layered and spicy from oak influence and the natural cask strength of it. The finish is long, layered, balanced and in all honesty one of the finest examples of old single malt on the planet. It’s cheaper and older than most of it’s rivals, a once in a life time experience! Thank you to my dear friend for letting me try it! Cheers!

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday ~ Facebook.com/whiskytube ~ Twitter.com/whiskytube ~ Youtube.com/whiskywednesday

The Good Dram Show – Episode 285 ‘Invergordon’ – This weeks episode of the show features a number of different age statement bottlings of Invergordon.

https://youtu.be/59qRTN9oisg

ralfy.com debuts a blended Islay review with . ralfy review 745 – Islay Mist 17yo Blended Scotch @ 40%vol: