This was our fourth Whiskey Chaps blind tasting, in which @JasonGilluley (there is a link to follow Jason on Twitter at the bottom of the page) became our fourth volunteer to send us three blind whisk(e)y samples to nose and taste, and to see if we could guess anything about each of them, in return we we will be sending samples in return. This is my summary of the tasting.
Blind Sample #1
Appearance – This whisky is mid gold in colour, it beads up on the swirl line and slowly drops medium legs.
Nose – I’m getting eucalyptus with juicy red apples, pears, some stoned fruits too. There’s a mustiness note too, and a light scent of tea. I’m going with linseed oil, and a really sweet note, something like cream soda, and apricots, very nice tbh, there’s cherry in there too.
tea is a good shout #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) February 11, 2021
Palate – Grains/ cereals, tropical fruit again, nice ABV, hand rolling tobacco, milky coffee, some menthol bit nowhere near as much as the nose has, and yea again, this is really intriguing. It has a nice mouthfeel too, the cherry is coming through, it’s a little spicy too now, chilli’s and dark chocolate, perhaps a dark chocolate Orange.
Chocolate orange is spot on #thewhiskeychaps
— Jason Whisky Surveyor (@JasonGilluley) February 11, 2021
Finish – It’s quite long, spicy, chilli and dark chocolate, some oak for sure, and fruit lingering in the background, loverly stuff tbh.
And the sample is!
It’s the classic. #thewhiskeychaps pic.twitter.com/PSWvWiaHmw
— Jason Whisky Surveyor (@JasonGilluley) February 11, 2021
My thoughts – Yep i really liked this whisky, I’ve not tried it before but have seen it lots online, and have wondered what it was like, now i know, it’s a lovely drop of whisky.
Would i buy a bottle? – It’s a resounding yes, it’s a great whisky at a great price, i’d happily have one at all times to be honest.
Blind Sample #2
Appearance – Slightly darker than dram 1, still around mid gold in colour, it’s very viscous on the glass and leaves globules on the swirl line and very slow thin legs.
Nose – Wow that is some nose, a great ABV too, I’d say higher than #1, I’m also getting eucalyptus on this one too, but it has more depth with it. Tobacco leaves, milky coffee, slight salinity?, this is difficult to pull apart actually, it’s nicely married. There’s perfume hiding in it, and a bbq meat note, pineapple, stewed fruits, a smokiness?
Yeah you can sit nosing this all evening and keep finding new things going on #thewhiskeychaps
— Jason Whisky Surveyor (@JasonGilluley) February 11, 2021
Palate – That is red berries sweetness to me, and a little drying, it’s very spicy, possibly Oloroso cask?, I’ll say stewed dark fruit notes, figs, clove and raisins, but I’m also getting red apples, red berries, chilli’s again, cigar leaves, and cardamom.
Finish – I was enjoying the tasting so much i forgot to add the finish, don’t judge me lol.
And the sample is!
You are drinking another Bruichladdich feis ile 2018. #thewhiskeychaps pic.twitter.com/EHMtvKFYC3
— Jason Whisky Surveyor (@JasonGilluley) February 11, 2021
My thoughts – We’ve been rather spoilt with this super whisky, its a very individual bottling, and it too is a cracker.
Would i buy a bottle? – I’m not sure what this bottle would cost to purchase, i suspect it would be rather expensive, for the flavour yes i would buy a bottle, sadly i think it’s out of my price range, though if i had lots of funds i would consider buying a bottle.
Blind Sample #3
Appearance – This is more of a burnished copper in colour, it beads up on the swirl line, and drops incredibly slow falling medium legs.
Yep. More oil than JRs hair piece #thewhiskeychaps
— Jason Whisky Surveyor (@JasonGilluley) February 11, 2021
Nose – Wow that’s some ABV, red fruity peat, now this reminds me of Port Charlotte OLC 01, this is a super nose, high ABV again, and so red fruit juicy, bbq sauce, ash and peat, not very medicinal. Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, redcurrants. With time the red fruit slap receeds some, rose water comes forward, perfume, and a touch of menthol, but it’s very light.
Palate – Yep a huge fruit/ peat fusion, juicy red apples now come forward, black grapes, a little drying, cocktail cherries, chilli’s, high cocoa content dark chocolate, black pepper, tropical fruits too, I love this tbh. I’m getting some salinity too from my lips, and it’s making me salivate tbh. That salinity lasts for ages tbh, super stuff.
Finish – So much fruit all the way through, it’s so juicy, it’s spicy, it’s peaty, it’s a whisky bomb for the mouth. It’s lovely and long length wise, with an oiliness and salinity, a belter and my fav this evening.
And the sample is!
It’s a Port Charlotte valinch. Full term Rioja cask at 63.9% #thewhiskeychaps pic.twitter.com/wXbG6fs3mm
— Jason Whisky Surveyor (@JasonGilluley) February 11, 2021
My thoughts – I love this bottling, I’ve tried a Port Charlotte before and really enjoyed it, it’s by far the fruitiest/peated whisky i have tried, it has loads of depth, it’s simply a banger in my humble opinion.
Would i buy a bottle? – Oh yes, as i said above, it’s a belter in my opinion, i personally fall in love with it every time i tried it.
My overall thoughts on the tasting – We’ve blind tasted 3 great whiskies this evening from @JasonGilluley, it’s been another super evening of whisky, and highlighted the quality coming from the Bruichladdich distillery.
I’d like to thank Jason again for being our 4th Blind tasting volunteer it’s been fantastic fun. Our 5th Blind tasting will be on the 18th of March, and our volunteer will be Greg – @bogstandarddram (Twitter), can’t wait to do it all again.
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