The 5 volunteer tasters for this were @jenkaloid, @gordonsmith63, @RockNRolla60, @MCDrammer, and @AyeWhisky, along with us, @whiskeychap and @StillSurreal, all from Twitter. Follow buttons are at the bottom of this review for them all.
Blind dram #1 (Glen Turner heritage double cask, port cask finish, 40% ABV.
Appearance – This whisky is light gold in colour, it beads up a little on the tide line, and drops thin-medium legs.
Nose – There’s some cherry here, definitely grains, a whiff of smoke? I’m getting lemon too, lower ABV, and a touch of pineapple. As it sits I’m getting a slight perfume note, definitely a touch of menthol like @whiskeychap, definitely floral for me.
Palate – Ooooh, I like this, not a big ABV, but sweet and spice, tropical and stoned fruits, white pepper, dark chocolate, ginger, cardamom, and like a red wine sweetness, not bad at all.
I’m thinking wine or port finished mate 👍#thewhiskeychaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) February 25, 2021
Finish – Still spice going forward, hand rolling tobacco, pencil shavings, black pepper, chilli’s, aniseed, black coffee, a touch of pineapple, oil, and a feint touch of salt.
My thoughts – Overall I quite liked it to be honest, not lacking aromas or flavours for me, low ABV.
Blind dram #2 (Tesco special reserve oak aged 3yr old blended whisky, 40% ABV).
Appearance – This whisky is between light and mid gold in colour, also beads up on the swirl line and slowly drops medium legs.
Nose – This is different from dram 1, much more cereal/ grains for me, flapjack or cheesecake base, slight menthol, and cooked bacon. This is such a light nose tbh, no swirl it and it opens up, more spice, oak, cranberries, more menthol, a touch of smoke? It’s nutty as mentioned by @RockNRolla60, and cakey aromas as mentioned by @AyeWhisky.
Palate – That’s a pastry/fruit/spice combo, quite a lot here for me. Definitely cereals, ginger again, dark chocolate, raisins, red apples, cinnamon.
Finish – Quite short, but also fruity, a little drying, nice oak, dark chocolate, a little oily on the lips.
My thoughts – I didn’t mind it, a sipper or mixer for me.
Blind Dram #3 (Kenmore 5yr old, special reserve, 40% ABV, marks and Spencer).
Appearance – This whisky is mid gold in colour, tries to bead up on the swirl line and has medium legs.
Nose – Comes across as slightly higher ABV, red berries here for me, a touch of linseed oil, some menthol, cereals and grains again, and slight old window putty.
I’d agree Gareth, I feel like I’m getting a whiff of smoke right at the back 🤷♂️#thewhiskeychaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) February 25, 2021
Palate – Drying straight away, quite a lot of it in fact, lots of red berries, red apples, cranberries, star anise, liquorice, dark chocolate, cigar leaves, dunnage, and earthiness, I wasn’t expecting this tbh, the nose didn’t give too much away.
Yeah really drying!
— Gareth Jenkins (@jenkaloid) February 25, 2021
Finish – Medium in length, and quite spicy, strawberry dark chocolate, chilli, cracked black pepper, cigar leaves ginger, cocoa, dunnage, and some drying, which has reduced with time. Not a bad drop to be honest.
Sauternes is a good shout, and the Arran Sauternes is pmquuye drying 👍#thewhiskeychaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) February 25, 2021
My thoughts – It may have been drying but this had the best palate of the 4 samples for me.
Blind Dram #4 (Co-op 3yr old blended whisky, 40% ABV).
Appearance – it’s mid gold in colour, I can’t say any more as it’s in a black glass that I just can’t see through, I’ll add notes later, (thin legs).
Nose – Eucalyptus, cereals, oil, comes across as higher ABV. I’m sure I’m getting a whiff of smoke but it’s holding it’s cards close, might need some water. It’s very light on the nose for me, I’m having trouble for a change. I’m slowly getting candy floss, slightly confectionery, but very light.
Palate – More on the palate, medium ginger spice initially, all spice, lemon, menthol again, sponge cake, sweet cherries, slightly oily mouthfeel, and flavour, getting spicier, cinnamon, black pepper, but it never gets hot, another sipper or mixer for me, 43% abv. There is a copper ring going on, not overly strong but definitely there, perhaps a touch of sulphur, Sherry cask?
Finish – Short to medium, with some drying, that gets stronger, there’s some oak, peaches/nectarines, black pepper, black grapes, cigar leaves again.
My thoughts – I struggled with this dram as it just wouldn’t give up its aromas and flavours, difficult to get into for me.
My thoughts of the whole tasting – This tasting was totally blind for our volunteers, both @whiskeychap and myself had contributed 2 drams each, so nobody knew all 4, and the reactions were really interesting from all of us, there were some good, bad, and ugly going on here, but well worth doing, i think we all learnt something.
If you would like to read the tasting notes from us all (well worth a look) search #thewhiskeychaps, best done through Tweetdeck, all the posts come up in a timeline like a conversation, great for comparing notes.
I’d like to thank the guys for volunteering for this tasting, they genuinely had no idea what they were in for, lol.
Follow @jenkaloid Follow @gordonsmith63 Follow @RockNRolla60 Follow @MCDrammer Follow @AyeWhisky Follow @whiskeychap Follow @thewhiskeychaps Follow @StillSurreal
