Advent whisky and vodka calendars: windows 7-12

And so our epic advent spirits quest continues...

7th December

Whisky
Glenfarclas 10, 40%
Colour: Straw gold
Nose: Sherry, with apples, raisins and hint of spice through the high-alcohol hit.
Palate: The drink begins smooth but builds to a sticky, burnt oak-y character with a sweet winter spice and a light fruit.
Finish: Stays around in the mouth for a long period of time with oak and spice and tickles with a light spice.

Vodka
Blackwoods Botanical Vodka, 40%
Primarily known for their gin, Blackwoods also distil this product using a range of local Shetland botanicals including meadow sweet and marsh marigold. My first impression upon opening the bottle was a huge hit of pure alcohol which was slightly off-putting and meant I wasn't expecting much complexity of flavour. However, it was clear from the first sip that I'd underestimated this spirit - delicately perfumed flavour with hints of parma violets and soft citrus including grapefruit, and really smooth in the mouth.

8th

Whisky
Dalmore 15, 40%
Colour: Ruby
Nose: BAMM, sherry right off the bat, with a nutty sweetness, like hazelnuts and sugared almonds.
Palate: Sherry continues with orange oil and a sticky sweetness, with a drier nut taste than compared to the nose. A great tickle of sticky ginger and a hint of seasonal spice follow.
Finish: A little prickle of Christmas, nuts and malt with sherry sweetness that ends out the drink.

Vodka
Square One Cucumber Vodka, 40%
I'll admit I wasn't overly looking forward to this one, as I couldn't really imagine how it would work - and I'm not generally the world's biggest cucumber fan. However, I was truly pleasantly surprised - the cucumber flavour was delicate, yet completely balanced out any alcohol rawness from the vodka, resulting in a refreshing and very quaffable little dram. I think this would work really well in a summer cocktail, and can imagine sipping on it alongside a chunk of watermelon. I'd anticipated adding tonic to this, but when it came down to it I didn't want to overwhelm the dainty flavour of the drink, so drank it neat with a squeeze of lime.

9th

Whisky

Auchentoshan Three Wood, 43%
Colour: Deep, rich bronze.
Nose: Complex - sherry prominent, bursting with dark fruits.
Palate: Fresher fruit with an almost liqueur-esque edge of cherries.
Finish: Nutty earthiness with a fresh cream finish and a pinch of spice. The sort of whisky you can chew over for hours.

Vodka
Konik's Tail, 40%
Thickly sweet and creamy, with a pleasing level of just-enough alcohol bite, this small batch spirit is the quintessential elegant vodka. It's rich and complex, with a perfumed edge that reminded me a little of parma violets. Definitely made for sipping, for me this almost compared to a good single malt whisky and I couldn't bear the thought of adding anything to it. Straight up, room temperature, delicious.

10th

Whisky
Glen Garioch 1797 Founders Reserve, 48%
Colour: Rose copper
Nose: Spiced sherry and cherry with a sprinkle of pepper for balance.
Palate: Buttery cherry brandy and oak, with star anise and cinnamon.
Finish: Sweet nuttiness with a light sherry character that sits in the mouth with a delicate spice, and a fresh dusting of ground nutmeg.

Vodka
Brennen & Brown Vodka with a hint of Cardamom & Plum, 38%
Definitely the most intriguing sounding vodka so far, I was really looking forward to this one. A huge waft of Christmas aroma hit me as soon as I opened the bottle, with cardamom prominent but alongside cloves, brown sugar, and fruity festive undertones. This all carried through into the taste - my favourite local bakery, Forge Bakehouse, make an amazing little pastry called a cardamom snurr, which I still haven't quite worked out if they're sweet or savoury - and this vodka provided the same sensation on the palate. I also thought this would have tasted phenomenal alongside a good chunk of Christmas cake. My favourite to date.

11th

Whisky
Glenfiddich 18, 40%
Colour: Golden copper
Nose: Raisins, apples and plums, with a lightly medicinal hint. A little like a used wallet. Caramel and mint also featured.
Palate: Heaps of tannin and dark chocolate, plus a hint of sweet mint, with a cranberry-like finish
Finish: Spice and light smoke with a fruity sweetness that stay on the palate for a long while.

Vodka
Faust Cranberry, 40%
This shocked me when I pulled it from my advent box of treats with it's vibrant scarlet hue. The scent and flavour was all-out cranberry, no surprises there... clean, smooth, slightly dry, and fruity. I turned this into a little martini, with sweet vermouth and orange bitters, which made a really tasty and (oddly) slightly medicinal cocktail. I enjoyed this, but it was the first one all advent that didn't deliver anything above expectations - does what it says on the bottle.

12th

Whisky
Monkey Shoulder, 40%
I've heard a lot about this Dufftown blend but not previously had the opportunity to try it. Having recently found some excellent blended malts including Big Peat, I was looking forward to sampling this.
Colour: Vibrant copper
Nose: Toffee and orange, very light. Sherbet limes and Bucks Fizz.
Palate: Almost fizzy... more sherbet and a lemony citrus flavour, combined with honey. Very easy to drink.
Finish: Just the right amount of fieriness, mingled with icing sugar. A fine example of how good blends can be.

Vodka
42 Below Feijoa Vodka, 40%
Now I am always a fan of learning a new word, and feijoa was definitely a new one on me. Apparently it is a tree which produces fruits also known as "pineapple guavas". I have to say though I didn't think this smelt or tasted of either of those things - the aroma reminded me of antiseptic medicine and the flavour a little of mouthwash. Having said that I wouldn't say I disliked it... just very odd! After sampling a little bit of this I've saved the rest for a cocktail night - I can imagine it working well either just with soda water or lemonade, or with apple/pineapple juice for a more tropical flavour.

So there we have it, half way through!

Cheers,

J&L

Advent Whisky and Vodka Calendars: windows 1-6

Following on from one of the best purchases of last year we have again bought a Drinks by the Dram advent calendar each. For Jim is the whisky calendar and for Laura a change from last year's gin selection to flavoured vodkas. 

1st December

Whisky

Haig Club, 40%

Colour: Light straw coloured grain whisky.

Nose: Prickling with sweet Szechuan peppercorn from the initial high alcohols, with almost cinnamon swirl sweetness later on as the drink opens up.

Palate: Sticky almost sourness of oak and bourbon with a mouth feel that is ever so slight, accompanied by vanilla custard on a baked banana.

Finish: Surprisingly short, with just a tickle of alcohol and a demerara sugar sweetness. The mouthfeel is a bit on the thin side, but with an interesting overall taste.

Marketed by David Beckham (an excellent marketing ploy), and showcased in a rather garish blue bottle, this whisky is definitely a talking point but the drinking experience overall is ultimately a little underwhelming. Interesting though, and would be a good way to introduce a non-whisky drinker to the world of whisky.

Vodka

Cold River Blueberry, 40%

Full of fresh blueberry scent that whacks you in the face as you open the bottle - this follows into the flavour as would be expected. This fruitiness is balanced on taste by a herbal note, which I couldn't quite work out (possibly sage?). Overall, this has quite a heavy, cloying flavour - but in a pleasant way. I kept it simple with just a lime wedge to accompany to get the full flavour from my dram, but this would work really well with lemonade or in a cocktail - I'd go for a julep with simple sugar syrup and a good sprig of mint.

2nd

Whisk(e)y
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey 46%
Colour: Sanded oak
Nose: Orchard apples and fruit with a tingle of warmth, with a light overall aroma.
Palate: Fruits and cinnamon and a hint of clove. An overall apple pie flavour rings through the drink.
Finish: Light herbal finish, almost lavender.


Vodka
Professor Cornelius Ampleforth's Besmoked Vodka, 40.2%
I've sampled this in a pub before as sheer curiosity made this absolutely irresistible, and I was really excited to open my little window and find this hiding in there. I was originally disbelieving that this would live up to it's name, but I will readily admit how wrong I was - it is just unbelievably smokey! To the extent that it tastes almost like a meat... a really good bacon to be more precise. Oddly, though, it's still a refreshing beverage, and the smoky nature mellows into sweetness on the finish. I chose to drink this neat which was powerful and delicious but if we'd had any tomato juice in I'd have gone straight for a Bloody Mary! This is the most intriguing vodka I've ever come across, which takes you on a journey from full-throttle fire to delicate embers.

3rd

Whisky
Evan Williams Single Barrel (2003 Vintage), 43.3%
Colour: Deep ruby
Nose: Cherries, apples and cinnamon, with hints of chocolate and a classic bourbon oakiness.
Palate: A sour apple freshness, accompanied by a delightful oaky flavour with a light plum wood char.
Finish: A short finish that prickles with a little black pepper, accompanied by a BBQ'd orchard fruits skewer.

Vodka
Chase Marmalade, 40%
A gorgeously bitter-sweet drink that more than meets with expectations, this has an intense marmaladey hit that's full of orange zest, with the vodka itself even having a light orangey hue.
The sweetness lingers for ages after polishing this off. My garnish of choice for today's dram would most definitely be a good twist of orange peel, and for a cocktail a glug of sparkling wine would allow this to really shine. Utterly lovely.

4th

Whisky
Jura 16 Year - Duirach's Own, 40%
I first had this on a sunny day at the Jura Hotel, the distillery tap (almost) a child's stone throw across the road from the picturesque stillhouse on the island, and an adult's stone throw from Islay.
Colour: A light ruby red
Nose: Biscuity, sweet sherry oak smell
Palate: The flavours move on to a bolder slice of Christmas cake with nutty marzipan and an oily, quite creamy coffee.
Finish: Like being sat by the fire warms your outside, this dram warms your inside with oak and dark chocolate. The oak barrels permeate all the way through all sensory aspects of the dram.


Vodka
Vestal Kaszebe, 40%
This vodka has been recommended to me on many an occasion but isn't one I've tried before. On the first sip I was somewhat baffled - it has quite a raw, earthy flavour that reminded me of potato peelings! Not unpleasant, just something totally different to any spirit I've tasted before. A splash of high quality tonic lifted the whole flavour to a delicate yet complex herbal delight.



5th 

Whisky
Bowmore 12 Year, 40%
Colour: Light copper
Nose: Salty earth notes, lemon sweetened with honey, and balanced overall with a light bourbon edge plus sweet peat.
Palate: A light peat that ripples with more honey sweet lemon, and a tickle of vanilla with a slight seaweedy underlying flavour.
Finish: There is a strong peat that hits all the way through the drink, with seaweed and warmth from the sweet oak, that keeps this delicious whisky hanging around in the mouth for a long time.

Festive Bison

Vodka
Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka, 40%
This is one of the most popular Polish vodkas on the market, but not one I've had the pleasure of sampling before. Neat, the nose is sweet and full of dessert aromas, all marzipan and apple pie. The palate is more herbal in nature, with a hit of sweet hay. I made this into a little cocktail creation with the classic apple juice pairing. My version used cloudy apple juice, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top for a festive edge - a perfect winter drink.


6th

Whisky
Spirit of Hven - Seven Stars No.2 Merak, 45%
Colour: Vibrant Copper
Nose: Black pepper and dark chocolate Toblerone giving honey nut sweetness,
Palate: A smooth chilli spiciness of black pepper that punches straight up front and with a light cinnamon heat that continues along the tongue.
Finish: The crisp heat continues for a lovely length of time, with a great hint of dark chocolate sweetness lingering on the palate.

Vodka
Ciroc Coconut, 37.5%
Originating from France, this grape-distilled vodka is a real twist on the sort of spirit I'm used to. The nose is packed full of sweet, sticky coconut accompanied by other tropical fruits including pineapple, meaning the aroma as a whole is rounded pina colada. Given time to breathe, a fresher scent that's more coconut water becomes apparent. The flavour is smooth, soft and sweet - just like a Bounty! After sampling this straight up, I just couldn't resist turning this into a White Russian cocktail with coffee liqueur, whole milk and a tiny squeeze of chocolate syrup. Mmm!

Cheers,

J&L

Whisky Review #4: Glenrothes Select Reserve

I bought this whisky about a year ago from a chain supermarket for around £30 (there are often similar offers on, so worth keeping a look out). A no-age-statement dram bottled at 43% ABV, from a distillery with over 130 years of whisky production, this is marketed as a typical example of their signature style.

Colour: A light, straw-coloured dram.

Nose: The palate is of salty creme brûlée and an odd sweetness of strawberry bonbon, with hints of a light pepper heat. Given time to breathe, the pepper character grows to a prickle heat with slight clove.

Taste: Strong wafts of toffee and toasted coconut, coupled with sweet coffee. As the whisky opens up there's additional hints of sea spray, dry cereal, and custard. It's a smooth, fresh palate with a cheeky tickle of winter spice.

Finish: Vanilla and more sweet coffee present on the finish, which isn't a particularly long one flavour-wise, although the alcohol essence does provide a spice which lasts a good while in the mouth. The final note is a light, sweet barley end with just a little hint of sherry.

It's a decent all round whisky which has tempted me into trying the Glenrothes selection of vintages too. Definitely worth a try for the price tag.

The Lakes Distillery

Set in a beautiful old barn that was once home to a Victorian model farm, a stones' throw from the River Derwent, at the northernmost tip of Lake Bassenthwaite lies the soon-to-be fully operational Lakes Distillery.

We were thrilled to be invited along to visit the distillery before the Grand Opening (pop 15th December in your diaries!) and even more delighted when we were greeted by "Is it too early for a whisky?" at 13.07 (you probably won't be surprised to read that a resounding "no" filled the room at this stage). The whisky in question, ahead of their own production, is the Lakes Distillery's blend, The One: a tasty, versatile, easy-drinking dram which worked just as well in the early afternoon as the evening (you can read our full review here). Whilst we sipped on our first taster, we got chatting to Katie Read - business development manager of the Lakes Distillery and the very epitome of a woman who loves her job, combining her passion for malt whisky with a drive to promote Cumbria in the very best way.

The building itself took Paul Currie, Founder and Managing Director, 9 months to find, due to the extremely strict regulations regarding new buildings in the Lake District. How
ever, this "impossible dream" has been achieved in spades - the distillery itself is stunning, and the use of original buildings gives it a feeling that it always been there, a natural fit to the surroundings. The abundant natural resources and the quality of the water source also ensure that the distillery remains at one with its environment.

Beautiful scenery surrounding the distillery

Whilst we listened to Paul share his insights about the distillery, we had an absolute feast of a buffet created by Michelin-starred chef Terry Laybourne, who will hold responsibility for the bistro once the distillery opens next month. Our lunch had the theme of a top-class autumnal English picnic - beef and horseradish sandwiches, and homemade pork pies, Scotch eggs and sausage rolls. The miniature puddings were beyond delicious - pistachio and raspberry macaroons which just melted in the mouth and were the perfect pairing for The Lakes Gin (review of this to follow), and a sumptuous chocolate caramel tart (which Laura ended up absolutely covered in - can't take her anywhere). We'll definitely be back in the future to sample the full menu, and this enterprise helps to ensure that the distillery's appeal will reach out beyond the spirit it produces.

Plans!

Once replete, we headed on over to the distillery building itself to take a look at where the magic will happen. Our tour was conducted by Master Distiller Chris Anderson - an Ileach! After a career spanning distilleries including Caol Ila and Aberfeldy, Chris has now come to take the helm at the Lakes Distillery. Chris is partnered by John Drake, distillery manager, who is passionate, super knowledgeable despite being relatively new to the whisky scene, and just generally an all-round top bloke. The whole whisky-making process takes part under the one roof, with the stainless steel mashtun and washbacks on one side, and the beautiful stills on the other. Traditional at heart, unusual touches adorn the workings of the distillery - our favourite was a little window on the stills, rather than the traditional copper door, meaning you'll be able to peek inside to have a look at just what exactly goes on in there!

As well as their gin, The Lakes Vodka production is due to begin in early December. Both these spirits will be produced in "Chemmy" - a rather cute still named after distillery ambassador and champion skier Chemmy Alcott.

Being situated outside of Scotland (although this will be the closest English distillery to the border), the Lakes Distillery won't be bound to the laws of "Scotch", and it seems they are going to use this very much to their advantage. One idea which really made us prick up our ears is the prospective concept of "Mad March", where each year this month will be spent doing something a little bit different - for example, as the distillery won't necessarily need to use oak casks, they are thinking about exciting possibilities including chestnut, birch and maple. In a world first, there's also the option to use a condenser made from copper and stainless steel, which is hoped will add more character to the final spirit. 

The Lakes Distillery is the perfect mix of old and new - it already feels full of tradition and heritage, yet with an industrial edge. This is mirrored by the whole ethos which we got from our trip: traditional ideas and knowledge make up the core values of the distillery, blended with experimental flair and innovation.

Watch this space!

Cheers,

J&L

Advent Calendars 2014

They have arrived! Things of beauty, joy, and goodwill for all. Or for both of us at least.

Bonus bottle of festive Big Peat too!

We've gone for whisky and vodka this year, with gin, tequila, rum and cognac calendars also available from the lovely chaps over at Master of Malt.

You can view last year's round ups here, here, here and here - and since polishing off our Christmas Eve dram we've been waiting for pre-advent to roll back around. We'd heartily recommend them to anyone still trying to decide whether to invest in one... Yes, it's a fair dollop of cash, but the contents work out to be great value for money and we found absolute delight in things we wouldn't be able to afford full bottles of. A proper treat every day, and just the perfect way to warm yourself up for Christmas.

Bring on December 1st!

Cheers,

L&J

Great Balls of Fire: Whisky Tasting at the Broadfield

Is there anything as good as a drink and a curry? Well, we don't think so, and neither did the night's host - and when it comes to whisky tastings Ed (@whiskycurator) is an ace MC.

So for this event, the five whiskies and accompanying snacks were all selected with a bit of a kick in mind, whether it be from the spice of the food or the strength of the whisky. And so with a slight warning from Ed that we may need to "fight through the small pain barrier to enjoy the flavours beneath" we launched straight into the first cask strength whisky.

Benrinnes 16 Year Signatory Release (51.2%) is a beautiful sherry hogshead finished dram from a distillery that almost exclusively produces whisky for blends such as J&B. Opening with an aroma of grass and toffee with orchard fruit, the sweetness gave way to a punch of savoury heat on the palate, with a salty character tucked in there too. With a little drop of water, the initial sweetness really popped out as the whisky opened up to a wonderful almost fresh finish. This whisky overall demonstrates the finesse we've discovered in all of the Signatory bottlings we've been lucky enough to try.

Food pairing: Tarka Dhal and poppadoms

The second and strongest whisky of the evening at 60% came in the form of an award winning dram from Glenfarclas: Their 105 Cask Strength is highly regarded for its excellent value - priced at around £40. If the first whisky was a slap in the face this is outright hockey brawl... a heat that builds from the initial spark and continually grows for around 5-7 seconds. When the fire dies down a great molasses stickiness is left behind. Also on the palate we found sweet dark fruit, layered with a complex mixed spice. A splash of water again added great depth and enhanced the sherry character of the whisky.

Food pairing: Harissa straws

The third whisky came courtesy of a lesser known distillery - Dailuaine 15 Year - bottled by the fantastic folks at Master of Malt. Dailuaine again produce the majority of their whisky for blends (almost exclusively Johnny Walker). This use of whisky for blends means there is often far less money spent on the acquisition of casks, as in the long run it is less important than those producing single malt releases. So this bottling is somewhat of a rarity, and a frankly incredible find on the part of the guys over at Master of Malt, to happen upon this barrel in the right warehouse at the right time before it could be shipped off to what would have been a sorrowful end for this excellent cask. The 55.7% sherry-finished dram oozed with maple syrup and nutty earthiness in a far more smooth fashion than the previous few, with a gentle stickiness that allowed the spirit to glide down as you swallow. There was a lovely hint of lightly smoked sweet cured bacon, accompanied by an oily, rich finish.

Food: Goats and Chilli Arancini

After a short break, we returned to sample the Bowmore 10 Year Tempest Batch 3 - the only peated offering of the evening. This was a truly lovely, rounded whisky that did not solely punch of peat. The nose of tobacco sweetness prickled with a sweet, smoky, dried beef jerky that gave way into a burnt lavender. The palate held the classic Bowmore smoke and saltiness, with the expected savoury notes coupled with a fruity undertone of dried pineapple and fresh passion fruit that lingered with just a tickle of black pepper.

Food: Prawn tempura with soy and ginger dressing

Balcones Texas #1, the first single malt whisky to be made in Texas, rounded off the evening. This is also the first yard aged whisky, which happens to be as simple as it sounds. The crowd sourced tasting note for the initial nose got it bang on - the smell of opening a tin of Quality Street: heady notes of chocolate, toffee and light floral notes combined with an oddly appetising metallic character. The whisky had a silky, lightly oiled mouth feel, with a toasty malt sweetness and elements of overripe fruits. The finish left behind a soft sugar note with a great depth from the fresh American oak cask. Completely unique.

Food: Chilli jam (with a hint of Pedro Ximenez) and crispbreads

Another firecracker of an evening (see what we did there) was had by all - we'll be back in two short weeks for whisky and desserts!

Cheers,

J & L

Whisky Review #3: Bunnahabhain 8 Year

We procured this bottle from the wonderful Lincoln Whisky Shop, a delightful shop a mere stones' throw from the castle... true purveyors of an excellent range of whisky, from all the proverbial corners of the world, as well as a vast selection of other spirits and wines.

We were tempted into buying the Gordon & MacPhail 8 Year Old Bunnahabhain, a highly peated whisky, after a wee nip of the delightful nectar from behind the counter. This struck us instantly as a surprising variation from Bunnahabhain's generally more un-characteristically Islay lesser-peated standard releases.

The scents on the nose are a cocktail of sweet apples and seaweed, coupled with an oaky tinge, that develops beautifully on the palate to a delicate, burnt tickly sweetness. Strong notes of more seaweed and sea salt come through the orchard toffee-ness to produce an interestingly varied, rounded flavour. There is a prickly warmth from the young(ish) spirit and a good level of peat heat that stays in the mouth and throat, giving a long, intense finish.

Overall, for the price this whisky is great "bang for your buck". I paid around £30 and it was definitely worth all of its meagre price tag. Bunnahabhain isn't usually one of our favourite malts, but this MacPhail bottling was a pleasing exception.

Slainte,

Jim