This was our eighth Whiskey Chaps blind tasting, in which @Jenkaloid (there is a link to follow Gareth on Twitter at the bottom of the page) became our eighth 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 send samples back.
Blind sample 1
Appearance
We’re talking white wine/straw in colour, lovely thick swirl line and syrupy thick legs.
Nose
I’m reasonably sure I’ve tried this whisky before. We are into juniper/conifer, smoke, dusty and musty, some red berries, some grains too, linseed oil, good ABV too.
I’m getting bbq sauce too now, it’s taken a while. #TheWhiskeyChaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) July 8, 2021
I’m definitely getting carpenters workshop aromas, the woods and oils, and the fruit is still hanging around, I’m hoping it comes forward more yet.
Palate
Very nice mouthfeel, syrupy, and instantly Smokey, I’m getting slight medicinal notes too, light Germoline and sticking plasters. The red fruits are here too, with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, liquorice, coffee beans, very nice and spicy.
Finish
Long and spicy, I’m thinking red berries and a touch of tropical fruits, not much in the way of medicinal notes now, it’s a cracking drop. Speyside or Highland?
Getting warm. not a fortified wine#thewhiskeychaps
— Gareth Jenkins (@jenkaloid) July 8, 2021
And the sample is
Here she is then. The Loch Lomond Royal Portrush, American Oak and finished in Claret#thewhiskeychaps pic.twitter.com/HnyKwKUprW
— Gareth Jenkins (@jenkaloid) July 8, 2021
My thoughts
I had seen this bottle being talked about quite a lot on social media when it was released, and i’m very thankful for the opportunity to try it, it’s a lovely whisky. I do like Loch Lomond whiskies in general, the fruitiness is wonderful, this one has smoke too 😍, was always going to be a winner in my humble opinion, and i’d definitely buy a bottle.
Blind sample 2
Appearance
Such a deep chestnut colour, it looks fantastic tbh. A lovely thick swirl line that beads up and turns into very slow and thick teardrops, that eventually turn into thick syrupy legs.
Nose
Decent ABV, mid to high 50’s I’d say, instantly dusty, lots of wood, there’s the putty again in this one. I’m getting a touch of menthol, peaches/nectarines, apricots, and cloves, dates, raisins, dandelion and burdock.
Pontefract cakes, red and black liquorice, cherryade, so many aromas, I could sit nosing this for ages tbh.
I’ve just poured another drop of this, and I’m adding cigar leaves to the nose and palate.
Palate
Nice mouthfeel, mmmmm, a warming and inviting spice on the palate, though I can taste the spiciness increasing. Definitely dandelion and burdock, blackberries, cardamom, nutmeg, coffee beans, lots of wood, red berries, black liquorice, black peppercorns.
The nose and palate are quite different for me, I expected a different palate because of the nose, it’s a nice suprise.
Dram 2 – P – nice spice out of the gate, just enough to be interesting. oily too, cherry menthol, sweetness there too but not sugary sweetness. lovely bitter edge as it reaches the edges of my tongue and slightly drying#thewhiskeychaps
— Gareth Jenkins (@jenkaloid) July 8, 2021
Finish
Long, lingering, warming spices, 5 spice, espresso, char, oak, something like an octave bottling?
And the sample is
A cheeky Strathmill, 11 yo, STR, 47.5%#thewhiskeychaps pic.twitter.com/rLrWnS4ruW
— Gareth Jenkins (@jenkaloid) July 8, 2021
My thoughts
Spoilt again. I have had the pleasure of trying a few Carn mor bottlings now, and they’ve all been excellent so far. Upon nosing this dram i had a feeling i hadn’t tried it before, and i was correct. Strathmill are a distillery on my list to research and find bottlings of, this is the first time i’d tasted anything from them, and it’s a cracker, i’d definitely buy one, it has so much flavour.
Blind sample 3
Appearance
Light gold in colour/damp straw, again nice thick swirl line, turns into tiny beads, with medium thick legs and a film coating.
Nose
That’s some ABV, nose is saying close to if not full cask strength to me, made my eyes water tbh. BBQ cooked meats in bourbon bbq sauce, ashy/ Smokey, spring water, dusty, Christ this is strong. The linseed oil/glazing putty is here again.
Palate
Nice mouthfeel again, and we’re straight into peat and smoke, mixed with tropical/stoned fruits, perhaps a hint of drying cranberries, cask char, not really medicinal, perhaps a touch of petrichor, perhaps it’s suggestion.
I’m also thinking leaf litter on a forest floor, tropical fruits, cereals and grains, flapjack, Rich tea biscuits.
Yep I can see that. It does become…..sweeter 🤷, the peat and smoke don’t recede, the fruit just comes forward more. It does remind me of port Charlotte in some ways, neck on block time, is it non Islay? #TheWhiskeyChaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) July 8, 2021
Finish
Quite long, warming spicy, lingering, tropical fruits, char, sweet lemons, icing sugar, bbq sauce, seared pineapple chunks, black pepper
And the sample is
I think that's about it – age, abv, Ib, distillery so here she is – an absolute belter picked up from @TyndrumWhisky#thewhiskeychaps pic.twitter.com/pOvPOUdYqV
— Gareth Jenkins (@jenkaloid) July 8, 2021
My thoughts
I really enjoyed this sample, and the Octave range is one iv’e looked at previously. This is only a young Bunnahabhain, it tastes so much older to me. Gareth picked a super sample here, and i will be looking more at the Octave range now i have tried one. I would buy a bottle of this, it may be young but it has plenty going on.
Overall tasting thoughts
It has been another great blind tasting, 3 super drams sent to us by Gareth, thanks Gareth 🙏, and i feel Whisky Chap and myself did reasonably well with our guesses this evening.
There are many more Tweets from this tasting, including our guesses,than i can list here, if you’d like to read more of them check out #thewhiskeychaps through Tweetdeck, and look for tweets of mine that have BT8 in them, and other tweets from around them in the Tweetdeck timeline.
Our next blind tasting will be with Declan – @sirdeco, on the 5th of August, that’s bound to be another great evening.
Follow @Jenkaloid Follow @thewhiskeychaps Follow @sirdeco
