We tasted Wee Mongrel batch #1, Mackmyra 2008, Arran 2011, 1993 Early Landed Late Bottled Brandy, and Affa Strong Aberdeeshire Foraged Gin.
Proudly producing LBD GIN and the Experimental Spirit Series from our wee distillery in rural Aberdeenshire. Transparent production methods and a commitment to sharing how we make our tasty things in as detailed a way as possible. Spirit geeks with a sense of humour.
LBD Spirits
Wee Mongrel batch #1, 52.3% ABV.

20 year old blended whisky
Appearance
This is a lovely chestnut and burnished copper in colour, it beads up on the swirl line and has medium/ thick legs.
Nose
It has a lovely nose, comes across as deep too. I’m getting a little menthol, cherry cough sweets, cough candy, linseed oil, wood varnish, man this nose could take ages to get through if you wanted to. Prunes, dates, Christmas pudding, golden syrup, banana? Cereals and grains, flapjack, and sultanas. I said Christmas pudding, and I’d go as far as saying Black Forest gateau.
Nose: Such a great nose! Definitely cask strength, aromas jumping out of the glass! Immediate sherried notes,leather, oak, dark fruits and brown sugar. #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) May 8, 2021
Palate
Oooh, so warming, mid spiciness with sweetness. NO SULPHUR!! Woo woo, well woo woo for me, I hate sulphur. We have ginger, cinnamon, soft black liquorice, espresso. Also some icing sugar and light pineapple and apricot too. Slowly the warmth is spreading, and imho this is one of those blends that’ll beat many single malts.
P – Still Plenty Stewed Fruits Maybe Bitter Chocolate, Also Getting Crisp Green Apples @LBDspirits #TheWhiskeyChaps
— RestlessNative (@RockNRolla60) May 8, 2021
Finish
Nice and long, lingers for some time tbh. Hotter ginger and cinnamon here, espresso, chilli’s, char, plenty of oak, cocoa, very nice indeed.
My thoughts
I have read and heard so much about this first batch of Wee Mongrel, from many whisky folk who’s thoughts on whisky i trust. Having tasted it myself now, i have to agree, it is a super blended whisky, that many whisky drinkers wouldn’t be able to nail down as a blended whisky, it’s so much more. I look forward to future batches. I would definitely have bought a bottle too, perhaps the next batch.
Mackmyra 2008, 49.8% ABV.

Appearance
This is more deep gold with some Amber too in colour, lovely thick swirl line and legs.
We worked with @MackmyraUK to pick a cask for bottling from a selection of excellent casks. It came to us for bottling from Sweden in plastic for transport.#thewhiskeychaps
— Little Brown Dog Spirits LTD (@LBDspirits) May 8, 2021
Nose
Perfume, and a heavier stronger flavoured Turkish delight. There is a menthol note, which I get with Mackmyra, lots of oak, lots of wood in general, almost Jupiter/ conifer which @CEVokins and I have had with Mackmyra in the past. It’s becoming sweeter with time, tropical fruits, pineapple, guava and stoned fruits too.
Great nose, almost smells Scandinavian! Birch, oak, I get gooseberry. And another one for Andrew's bingo, petrichor. #thewhiskeychaps pic.twitter.com/VZTzbFN5jS
— Geoff Gilmore (@GeoffGilmore1) May 8, 2021
Palate
Sweeter and fruitier than I expected, icing sugar on the lips, fruit cocktail syrup from the can, cherries, pears, peaches, apricots, a touch of salt too. Nice development into pepper, high cocoa content dark chocolate, it’s getting hotter now, espresso coffee, pontefract cake sweets, char, hot cinnamon. No tannins, nice and clean, and overall a great mouthfeel.
P – Milky Latte , Still Pineapple But Getting A Weird Menthol Finish Like Those Locket Throat Sweeties @LBDspirits #TheWhiskeyChaps pic.twitter.com/cv5lCjCuQt
— RestlessNative (@RockNRolla60) May 8, 2021
Finish
Icing sugar, cocktail cherries, lovely and warming, there’s also a tea note. It’s slowly becoming spicier, with jamaican ginger cake, white pepper, and a hint of sweet lemon hangs around in the background.
My thoughts
I’ve tried a few Mackmyra whiskies now, and this was a cracking cask chosen by Little Brown Dog spirits. I’ve yet to try a whisky produced by Mackmyra that i haven’t enjoyed, and this one is no different. i would purchase a bottle, it’s a lovely drop of whisky.
Arran 2011, 60.3% ABV

Appearance
This is a very light coloured drop, white wine/ straw. Beads up straight away with globules on the swirl line, and syrupy thick legs.
Dram 3
— RestlessNative (@RockNRolla60) May 8, 2021
Arran 2011 60.3%
Much Lighter In Colour Maybe White Wine Looking @LBDspirits #TheWhiskeyChaps pic.twitter.com/EKCzM2mTKX
Nose
Dark chocolate mint Aero, bitter lemon, this is different. Minerals, not unlike the Mackmyra tbh, there’s also a meaty note here, almost a beach BBQ fro a distance. Also old style cough syrup, a touch of menthol, and wood vanish. It’s taking it’s time but tropical fruit is slowly coming through that initial curtain of aromas.
Palate
Ooh very nice, super syrupy mouthfeel straight off, and there’s plenty of punch here, the ABV is obviously higher, but it’s not burning, just lots of punch. I’m going with BBQ meats again, sweetness, tropical fruits and white pepper.
Palate: Fruitier than I would have thought. There is some heat too, white pepper and slightly drying again. Nice, I like it again #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) May 8, 2021
Finish
Long side of medium, a little drying, and still very fruity. It’s quite warming too actually. I’m getting cranberries, pomegranates and blood oranges too now, very nice. Black coffee and grapefruit.
My thoughts
Yes a belter of an Arran, I’d agree with the others that it’s a great cask, which brings with it all that we love about Arran whisky. I’m not surprised it’s all sold out, Little Brown Dog spirits again picked a super cask, and it’s plenty good enough for me to buy a bottle.
Early Landed Late Bottled Brandy, 52.1% ABV.

Appearance
it looks like blackcurrant juice in colour, under a bright light it’s almost cola-esque, it’s very viscous on the glass too, lovely thick swirl line and legs.
To be fair, Cola is a great descriptive for the appearance. Really oily #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) May 8, 2021
Nose
This is different, well toasted bread with black treacle spread on it, the ABV is so strong, my eyes are much watering. Old style glazing putty, linseed oil, and very dark fruits, reminds me of Opal fruits too.
Palate
The palate is more dark fruits tbh, not a million miles away from a spicy Sherry cask whisky for me, I rather like this actually. Is blackcurrant in coffee a thing? Warm and spicy, dark chocolate, very high cocoa content stuffs, Bourbon biscuits, Garibaldi biscuits and black pepper.
🙏
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) May 8, 2021
I’m enjoying this because it’s making me really use my whisky tasting notes experience in a different way, really enjoying that and the Brandy tbh.#thewhiskeychaps #thebrandychaps 😜
Finish
Wood polish, blackcurrants, Ribena, Pontafract cakes, dates and plums. It’s nice and warming too actually. This isn’t what i expected from a brandy, but then i have to be honest in the fact that iv’e not tried many brandies, iv’e had a few bottles of Metaxa, but that’s it. I suppose it sounds obvious when i say that this brandy has an aged feeling nose and palate wise, and i have to say that i quite enjoyed it. As to whether i’d buy a bottle? Most likely not, i’d rather buy a whisky to be honest, but i’m rather pleased to have tried it.
Affa Strong Aberdeeshire Foraged Gin, 57.2% ABV.

Appearance
Er, it’s clear, and the spirit breaks up all over the glass.
Nose
Wow, so many aromas. Grapefruit and pomelo, a note of gherkin juice, which nicely toned down the juniper, I’m presuming it’s juniper as it has the conifer-ish notes, I’d also say there’s a light American burger mustard aroma too. I like this nose, there’s enough to think about.
Thanks mate 😉.#thewhiskeychaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) May 8, 2021
Palate
That is so surprising, it’s very nice, it’s warming, with lemon sherbet, grapefruit/pomelo, slight juniper but not too much, the sherbet flavour is really nice. I’d go starburst sweets too, lots of fruit, I rather like this tbh.
P. Not surprisingly, juniper, as Mick said more Sherbet lemon, i do actually get lime as well, there's a disobedience herb that I just can't nail down. You're right about the Pomelo as well Mick. #thewhiskeychaps
— Geoff Gilmore (@GeoffGilmore1) May 8, 2021
Finish
It’s sweet, the lemon sherbet really does persist, iv’e really enjoyed it tbh. The other flavours from the palate come through too, but for me it’s the sweetness that persists the most.
My thoughts
I’m extremely new to gin, this is only the 2nd gin i have tried. I have found it quite refreshing, i didn’t expect that. I know that the botanicals involved will influence the taste, and Andrew explained how they had modified their still and that they don’t boil their botanicals, but suspend them in the still for the spirit to pass through, quite fascinating, and if you’d like to read more of Andrews Tweets concerning this thoroughly nerdy and wonderful stuff, search #thewhiskeychaps on Tweetdeck, and scroll back through the timeline. As to whether i’d buy a bottle? Again i most likely wouldn’t, and that’s purely because i do love my whisky.
My overall thoughts on the tasting.
This has been one of our best tastings, between Geoff’s generosity, Andrew from Little Brown Dog spirits joining us, and the other guys who joined us, it’s been great fun, and another opportunity to learn more about what we love.
Pic credits – Barrelsandbotanicals.com and Aberdeenwhiskyshop
Thanks to – @GeoffGilmore1, @RockNRolla60, @LBDspirits, @WhiskyWithMolly, @whiskeychap (all Twitter).
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