Review of my whisky year - 2021

Firstly thanks to all of you who have read my blog (c114,000 up from 78,000 last year) and followed me on Twitter (c3,800 up from 3,570 last year).

This blog has been going for 5 years now and this is the 500th blog post! In that time I've reviewed over 1,300 whiskies! Let's review 2021!

Side by side : Tamdhu maturation

Tamdhu say that every bottle of whisky which they release has been matured "exclusively in the finest Oloroso sherry casks", but... 

...they also fill bourbon and PX casks for indie bottlers, here I explain what this means and compare Ex-bourbon, Oloroso and PX drams from Tamdhu.

Newer Distilleries : Bankhall

This is the latest in an occasional series about newer distilleries, this entry is about the Bankhall Distillery in Blackpool.

I lived in Blackpool for 20 years and never could I have imagined it having it's own distillery in amongst all the kiss-me-quick hats, roller-coasters and fish & chips!

Side by side: Glen Scotia back in time...

@GlenScotiaMalts has been distilling since 1832 but has had at least 5 periods of closure in it's history.

Callum @glen_scotia & Kate @kccjf have built up a collection of older bottlings and decided to do a bottle split of some of them!

Side by side : A Ballantine's flight

@Ballantines is the second biggest-selling Scotch whisky brand, produced by Pernod Ricard, the Ballantine's flavour is dependent on fingerprint malts from Miltonduff and Glenburgie, blended with 50 single malts and 4 single grains.

Here I get to try 6 of the range.

#BTC17 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

 These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium 17 #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Billy @BillyCowan

Glen Scotia @TweetTastings

@GlenScotiaMalts Distillery recently held a @TweetTastings with @TheWhiskyWire

I was lucky enough to be picked - here's my thoughts and those of a few friends!

J.G. Thompson @TweetTastings

@JG_Thomson recently held a @TweetTastings with @TheWhiskyWire to launch their new range!

I was lucky enough to be picked - here's my thoughts and those of a few friends!

TBWC Advent Calendar 2021 - Dram reviews

Those great people at @DrinksByTheDram sent me an Advent Calendar for the run up to Christmas! For the whisky fans amongst us this makes much more sense than a chocolate one!

Now the idea with an Advent Calendar is that you open 1 door each day from the 1st December through to Christmas Eve... But please enjoy your whisky responsibly! Sometimes it may not possible to open a dram each day, you could share with mates or save a couple to enjoy at the weekend?

The Octave Project

I've tried a few Octave releases before but this is the first time I've tried them as an experiment. 

This A.D. Rattray set of 5 x 30ml bottles of 2007 Pulteney whisky, has been sitting on my shelf for a few years now so I decided to open it and try them.

Side by side : Caol Ila Palo Cortado from James Eadie

Palo Cortado has been building a reputation over the last year or so as the 'new' thing in sherry cask matured or finished whisky.

In this blog I'll be looking at two Caol Ila's finished in Palo Cortado casks.

Side by side: Cotswolds Mega Tasting

@Cotswoldistill is one of the largest distilleries in England, they've been going since 2014 and keep adding to their 'core' range with full maturation high ABV releases.

Here I'll try ten examples!

Core Range: BenRiach

Continuing a new series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at BenRiach

Duncan Taylor @TweetTastings

Duncan Taylor @dtcwhiskies recently held a @TweetTastings with @TheWhiskyWire featuring the Black Bull range and a couple of single casks.

I was lucky enough to be picked - here's my thoughts and those of a few friends!

TBWC Wine Series MMXXI

That Boutique-y Whisky have now switched to quarterly themed releases for their whisky. Led by their brand ambassador Dave Worthington @BoutiqueyDave you are taken through some amazing whiskies this time wine finished!

The latest line-ups introduces ten world (non-Scotch) whiskies alongside four rums, with bottlings from both new and established distilleries.

Core Range: Glenfiddich

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Glenfiddich

Spey Distillery @TweetTasting

@SpeySingleMalt Distillery recently held a @TweetTastings with @TheWhiskyWire

I was lucky enough to be picked - here's my thoughts and those of a few friends!

Core Range - Spey

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Spey

Side by side : Three Limousin Inchmurrin

Limousin is the name of a forest in France where oak trees are harvested for the making of wine barrels, they've been appearing as finishing casks for whisky more and more.

Let's try some!

Core Range: Caol Ila

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Caol Ila

#BTC16 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 16th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Ben @WhiskyWithMolly

TBWC Advent Calendar 2021

Those great people at @MasterofMalt sent me an Advent Calendar for the run up to Christmas! For the whisky fans amongst us this makes much more sense than a chocolate one!

Now the idea with an Advent Calendar is that you open 1 door each day from the 1st December through to Christmas Eve... But please enjoy your whisky responsibly! Sometimes it may not possible to open a dram each day, you could share with mates or save a couple to enjoy at the weekend?

Side by side : Four Highland Park 12yos

You can find Highland Park's 12yo in most supermarkets in the UK but whilst this is matured in ex-sherry casks for me ex-bourbon is the way to go, here I'll try some in my side by side format.

The distillery 12yo verses 2 from SMWS and 1 from Cadenhead.

Flash Blog: Lux Row Distillers' Tawny Port finished Bourbon

Another month, another Flash Mob! Again it's a new release from Lux Row Distillers.

Let's see what this one is like:

Glenmorangie - The Original

Sometimes a dram doesn't have to be brilliant to be enjoyed, for me whisky is all about memories - what you are tasting brings back memories of things you've smelt or tasted before, places or people you were drinking with or in this case people who aren't here anymore.

My dad was an uncomplicated bloke and he liked uncomplicated whisky - I tried to turn him with fancy finishing and cask strength offerings but whenever I visited he'd always offer me a Glenmorangie Original - uncomplicated but enjoyable.

Core Range: Glen Moray

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Glen Moray

Virtual tasting: Dingle Single Malt Batch 6 Tasting

After 8 years Dingle Distillery have released their first core bottling - followed quickly by the final release in it's Single Malt Batch Series - Batch 6

Dingle invited me to take part in a tasting of the new Batch 6

Core Range : Arran

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Arran

Whisky from...? England 3

Next in my little series on Whisky from...? is England - again! My latest count suggest there are over 30 whisky distilleries in England, this time I'm looking at the London distillery.

Core Range : GlenAllachie

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at GlenAllachie

Newer Distilleries : Clydeside

This is the latest in an occasional series about newer distilleries, this entry is about the Clydeside Distillery.

Including a look at their first release Stobcross.

Side by side : Six Blended Malts

Blends and blended malts often get a bum wrap from whisky geeks but often they are as good as, if not better than, some single malts.

Blended Malts are just that a combination of single malts from different distilleries distilled from malted barley without any grain whisky. Here I try 6 different bottles.

Core Range : Mackmyra

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Mackmyra

Flash Blog: Lux Row Distillers' Bourbons

A message on Twitter asking if I'd like to take part in a Flash Mob? What's not to like - let's all meet up somewhere at a prearranged time and do something stupid in front of lots of people!

Then I read it a bit closer - it was from Steve Rush... Now I know Steve enjoys his whisky but I never took him for a dancer...

Core Range: Bunnahabhain

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Bunnahabhain

Core Range: Glen Scotia

Continuing a new series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Glen Scotia in Campbeltown

Gladstone Axe @TweetTastings

@gladstone_axe launched their Blended Malt range in the UK with a @TweetTastings with @TheWhiskyWire

I was lucky enough to be picked - here's my thoughts and those of a few friends!

Core Range: Loch Lomond

Continuing a new series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Loch Lomond

Core Range: Paul John

The first in a new series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Paul John of India.

Side by side : An Adnams flight

Launched in 2010 Adnams Copper House distillery was one of the first of the new wave of English distilleries, better known for their beer, the distillery is located within the brewery.

Here I'll try 3 drams.

Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release - Heavily Charred & Oloroso Casks

Following on from last year's 11yo Sherry Double, Glen Scotia have released the 2nd of their Autumn / Winter Seasonal Releases - this time a 12yo finished in Heavily Charred and Oloroso casks.

I wasn't keen on the Sherry Double - let's see what this one is like...

Whisky from...? England 2

Next in my little series on Whisky from...? is England - again! My latest count suggest there are over 30 whisky distilleries in England, this time I'm looking at Black Bridge distillery in Hertfordshire

The whisky I am trying has been distilled for Farr Brew Brewery using their own unhopped beer as a wash.

#BTC15 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

 These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 15th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by John @jwbassman_

BlindTastingOnTour 2021 : Campbeltown

After 2 years stuck at home due to Covid the #BlindTasting team finally got back on tour with a visit to Campbeltown - the boys were back in town!

GIF by @JWBassman_

John @jwbassman_, Max @mgilberties, Andy @andy_watkinson and myself  last visited in 2019 just before Covid hit, you can read about it here, so we thought it was time we went back.

A.D. Rattray @TweetTastings

@ADRattrayWhisky Whisky celebrated the release of their 65th Cask Collection with a @TweetTastings with @TheWhiskyWire

I was lucky enough to be picked - here's my thoughts and those of a few friends!

Batches : Torabhaig releases

Distilleries often release whisky in batches, the same name but subtly different recipes, ABVs, maturation periods etc. In this new, occasional series, I'm going to review a number of different Batches in my Side-by-side format to see if I can detect any differences, does each batch get better or are they to all intents and purposes the same?

This time I'll be reviewing the first two releases from Torabhaig's Legacy Series.

Batches : Raasay releases

Distilleries often release whisky in batches, the same name but subtly different recipes, ABVs, maturation periods etc. In this, occasional series, I'm going to review a number of different Batches in my Side-by-side format to see if I can detect any differences, does each batch get better or are they to all intents and purposes the same?

This time I'll be reviewing batches R-01 and R-02 from Raasay.

Lakes Distillery WhiskyMaker's Editions - Bal Masque

The fourth release of the @LakesDistillery Whiskymaker's Editions series is Bal Masque.

Following on from Miramar it's a non-sherry bottling, let see what it's like...

Mackmyra Seasonal Releases - Stjärnrök

Swedish distillery @Mackmyra release two annual Säsongswhisky 'seasonal' whiskies usually featuring innovative seasonal characteristics focusing on unusual finishes often reflecting the prevailing season.

I've tried a number of them and they are often unusual. This season's release, linked with Wintertime, is Stjärnrök, let's see what it's like...

Side by side : A GlenAllachie flight

Sometimes you connect with a distillery and sometimes you don't @TheGlenAllachie is one of the latter for me.

Sample swaps, over the last few months, have delivered a number of their drams so let's try them side by side.