Side by Side: The Cheshire Second (and 'Third') Releases

Following on from their first release last year @weetwoodales have bottled their Second and 'Third' Releases

I really enjoyed the First so have been looking forward to the Second.

I tried the First Release back in November '22, review here and was really impressed. Phil McLaughlin told me the Second Release would be following in the Spring and here it is along with a third release called Seaside.

The First Release was finished in a combination of sauternes, red wine, port and madeira casks, the Seconds was finished a combination of only sauternes and red wine casks.

Phil said "We’re exploring influences as we journey towards establishing our ‘flagship’ single malt and will make subtle changes for each of ‘The Cheshire’ releases until we’re 100% happy with our end result."

Dram	Second Release	Seaside Special Release
Characteristics	46% ABV NCF, Natural Colour 2,170 bottles	46% ABV NCF, Natural Colour 891 bottles
Distillery notes	Our whisky has been produced using premium English malted barley and soft Cheshire water. It has been matured in American oak quarter casks which have been shaved, toasted and re-charred to our specification before being finished in European oak barrels. At every stage of our production process, a journey of many years, we’ve gone to great lengths to generate flavour and character. Nose: Vibrant, fresh cut grass softened by creamy vanilla and orchard fruits. Fresh flowers and a promise of sweetness. Palate: Creamy malt and sweet, dried fruit. A touch of oak alongside subtle toasted baking spices. Finish: Sustained, mellow warmth, ripe fruits and honey with a hint of smoke. Baked apricots and butterscotch	This special edition of The Cheshire has been inspired by longer days and the invigorating salty air of the seaside. It’s a lighter expression, matured in gently charred casks and finished in Islay barrels brought fresh from the island, bringing their coastal character and peaty edge.  Maturation – single-use, ex-bourbon, American oak quarter-casks, shaved, toasted and re-charred finished in single-use ex-Islay casks. Nose: Subtle smoke and sweet cherries. Meadow hay and a gust of bracing sea air. Palate: Smoky and lightly-peated foretaste balanced by caramel and citrus. Touch of chilli heat. Finish: Lasting and mellow, smoking embers. Vanilla and toasted marshmallow.
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up before falling as slow thin legs.	Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up before falling as slow thin oily legs.
Nose	I remember the First Release being orchard fruit led, honey sweetness and some citrus. This release follows the same path: stewed apples and pears, honey, brown sugar and a little toffee. There's none of the malt or smoke hints I remember from the first one, this one has a herbal grassy note, vanilla and a hint of peppery spice.	A much different nose from the two regular releases, the ex-Islay cask finish has had a huge influence - maritime salinity and peat smoke dominate here. The signature orchard fruit and honey are there to be discovered along with some stewed rhubarb and vanilla custard.
Palate	Thick sweet arrival: honey, caramel and brown sugar followed by a big bite of peppery spice. There's some vanilla and marzipan notes, the stewed orchard fruit from the nose and dry cinnamon spice.	Not as thick as the first dram, a little honey sweetness, some orchard fruit and then a blanket of peat smoke covers everything. The maritime salinity from the nose is here too - leaving a lovely salted lemon note on the tongue as the liquid disappears.
Finish	Lingering dry oak, some almonds, toffee and a hint of smoke.	Lingering dry spice, smoke and salinity. Yummy!
Overall	The Second Release is a great follow up to the First - loads of fruit, sweetness, citrus and a little spice - it's not quite the same so well worth buying a bottle. The Seaside Special Edition is a very different dram, the Cheshire DNA is still there but the ex-Islay Cask finish has had a huge influence - peat smoke, maritime salinity and a little citrus. Yummy!

Huge thanks to Max @mgilberties for the large sample swap on the Seaside!