Our favourite John, from Regional, runs an occasional Whisky tasting and this was #10 in his continuing series of a John who'd gone to the booze...
26 March 2024
Casual Dram 10
25 March 2024
Whisky: Blackadder tasting
I think this is the first of the Regional Wines tastings we've done this year, the first one didn't have a lot of unique things so we skipped it - with the intention of having our own tasting, which we, as usual, failed spectacularly to organise.
Blackadder are an independent bottler with their USP being they keep some of the soot/wood/crap from the barrel in when they bottle. So each bottle has some floating bits, for that added authenticity. This we learnt makes it very difficult to pour for samples.
2 January 2024
Untappd - update on the Alec v Bruce competition
This competition has been going, unofficially, since err, I dunno, I want to say 2010? 2009? who knows. Any way, I've tried to post updates every 6 months or so.
The good news (for me), I'm still ahead on total number of checkins, although Alec continues to have had more unique beers. Badges, I'm 4 ahead, which suggests we're both maxxing out on the gamification.
Also we share two of the top beers, Schlenkerla and Oude Geuze Boon. Again, not much of a surprise.
Last.FM year update
What did I listen to last year? one of the benefits of last.fm is that it records what I've listened to from the laptop and the phone. I'm also retentive enough to scrobble digital versions of the LPs i'm listening to. So I'd say this is pretty accurate.
21 November 2023
Whisky: Best of the Best
Another year of tasting, another Best of the Best. Range was definitely better this year than last, but I'm not sure things are back to pre-Covid variety. Having said that, I doubt anyone would complain with this line-up.
27 September 2023
GlenDronach & Benriach with Rachel Barrie
A tasting with the master blender for GlenDronach and BenRiach? well ok, that works for me.
31 August 2023
Tamdhu Tasting : Regional
I'm writing this up after a few beers and whiskies, which I'm hoping will make my notes during the tasting more legible. In the words of my favourite hero "what could possibly go wrong?"
So this was a Regional Wines tasting focussing on Tamdhu, a distillery I've come to like more over the years, which can probably be traced back to Neil...
Aberlour A'bunadh Batch 76
- N: nutmeg, marmalade, wood, balsa, PVA, perfume, syrup, sherry
- P: caramel, spicy, smooth, juicy, vanilla
- F: long, dry, raisins
- N: pineapple, acetone, fruit salad, sweet, sulphur, dusty shelf
- P: prickly, sap, caramel, green apple, light
- F: med long, integrated, dry
- N: lighter, pineapples, sweetness, meths, coconut, salty caramel, hint of citrus
- P: fruit salad, sweet, sour, metallic, boysenberries
- F: med tannin, sour
- N: sherry, rum, sweet, acetone, sour, molasses
- P: sherry, chocolate, raisins, thick, spicy, cinnamon,
- F: long, chocolate
- N: very sweet, fruity, pears, sour, musty, peaches, mushrooms, coffee
- P: citrus, dry, creme brulee, woody, pepper,
- F: long, dry, pepper, heat builds
- N: sweet, high alc., sour, tobacco, ginger nuts, treacle, dry, woody
- P: sour, sick, fruit salad, oak, bourbon
- F: med
- N: apple, pear, caramel, fruit, citrus, sea salt
- P: sulphur, parma violets, sherry, very sweet, coconut
- F: med-long
- N: strong, high alc., sherry, musty, molasses, green apple, vinegar, calvados.
- P: musty, dry, tasty
- F: long, dry,
31 July 2023
Whisky Tasting ; Whisky Cellar Series 005
Tasting at Regional, but not part of our usual monthly tastings, this was run by Whisky Cellar's owner, virtually from Edinburgh. WC are an independent bottler, and the couple of theirs I've had were good so hopes were high for this.
- N: apple, pears, fruitsalad, vanilla, sweet
- P: complex, leather, sherry, liquorice, brnady, nutty
- F: med-long
27 June 2023
Whisky: New drams tasting
This months Regional Wines tasting focused on new whiskies that have arrived recently on our shores. Pricepoints were all middle, with one exception (Aberfeldy 18yo).
24 May 2023
Rum
Rum, not a spirit I know much about, other than dump it in cocktails and try and get over those student rum n coke days.
Santisima Trindidad de Cuba 3YO
- N: light, menthol, grapefruit, mint
- P: light, tasty, menthol, grapefruit
- F: hot, short-med,
6/10 very sweet.
Santisima Trindidad de Cuba 7YO
- N: sweet, pineapple, vanilla, minty
- P: peppery, vanilla
- F: med, vanilla
6.5/10
Bayside Rum co.
Uses kumara as base
- N: musty, woody, PVA
- P: vanilla, peppery, hint of wine
- F: long
6/10
La Progresiva Cuban Rum
- N: light, dark sugar, molasses
- P: molasses, sugary, vanilla
- F: med-short, peppery
8/10 i liked this one
Black Tears Cuban Spiced Rum
- N: vanilla, spicy, cocoa, chocolate
- P: spicy, dry sweet, coffee, chocolate
- F: short
8/10 really liked this, and i can see it working in a espresso martini
El Dorado 12YO
- N: demerara sugar
- P: spicy, molasses, coconut
- F: long, peppery
8/10 wasn't expecting the coconut but it made for an interesting taste
El Dorado 15YO
- N: sugar, vanilla, wood, solvent
- P: vanilla, demerara sugar
- F: med
7/10 possibly more elegant than the 12yo but not half as interesting. fantastic colour in it tho.
Pleased I went, I'm not sure I'll rush to another one, but it had more variety than expected. and I can see myself using spiced rum in cocktails...