#BTC56 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

These are my tasting notes and results from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 56th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Duncan @socialdrammer.bsky.social

#BTC50 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

 These are my tasting notes and results from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 50th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Brian @MaltMusings and John @JWBassman

Caskshare's Mark Reynier Signature Collection Release 1

Mark Reynier is a high profile figure in the whisky industry, liked by some and not by others! What you can't ignore though is that he saved the Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay.

Reynier liked to experiment with maturation and Caskshare are bottling three of his experiments.

Islay - Branded Glencairns

As well as distillery tours, warehouse tastings, meetings friends old and new and buying whisky there's one more thing you need to do on a whisky road trip...

Buy branded @GlencairnGlass glasses!

Islay - Bruichladdich Distillery

The fourth distillery tour and tasting on our trip was @Bruichladdich

Where Cathleen? led us on a tour and Ruby took us for a Warehouse Tasting!

Islay - Planning

Each year our little gang gets permission from our wives for a few days away. This year, delayed by two due to Covid, we managed to get to Islay!

Our great logo designed by John @JWBassman_

As with any kind of road trip planning is very important...

#BTC22 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 22nd #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Ben @WhiskyWithMolly

The Whisky Cellar @TweetTastings

@whisky_cellar chose @TheWhiskyWire to launch their 4th Batch with a @TweetTastings - those who were successful received a lovely package through the post.

Four bottles from the new range along with a a new Blend and a Single Distillery Scalasaig - let's see what the drams were like!

Side by side : The Fisherman's Retreat Edition 9

I've written about @FishRetreat a number of times before, a restaurant in the Twine Valley at the edge of the Pennine Hills around 15 miles north of Manchester. They are also an Independent Bottler selling Bruichladdich and Arran whiskies matured  in wine casks.

Their latest release is a 10yo Bruichladdich - let see what it's like!

Whisky 'machinery' - the Washback

Continuing the series looking at some of the 'machinery' used in a distillery to create whisky - this time the Washback or fermenting vessel.

I've covered the basic process of creating whisky here, but I'm going to explore the machinery a little more in this series.

Fisherman's Retreat Edition 6.1

I've written about @FishRetreat a number of times before, a restaurant in the Twine Valley at the edge of the Pennine hills around 15 miles north of Manchester. They are also an Independent Bottler maturing Bruichladdich and Arran whiskies in wine casks.

Their latest release has been double matured - let see what it's like!

BTC10 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 10th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Sam @ReviewsWhisky and Mike @whiskyrover

Whisky 'machinery' - the Mash Tun

A new series looking at some of the 'machinery' used in a distillery to create whisky - this time the Mash Tun.

I've covered the basic process of creating whisky here, but I'm going to explore the machinery a little more in this series.

Whisky 'machinery' - the Malt Mill

A new series looking at some of the 'machinery' used in a distillery to create whisky - this time the Malt Mill.

Glen Moray's Porteus Malt Mill

I've covered the basic process of creating whisky here, but I'm going to explore the machinery a little more in this series.

The Fisherman's Retreat - Edition No. 7

How does a whisky legend Jim McEwan selected 8yo @Bruichladdich matured in a Yalumba Octavius Red Wine Cask and bottled at 50.4% sound?

More importantly - where would you find such a dram?

Side by side : Bruichladdich Rivesaltes Casks

Bruichladdich have a history of doing things a little differently, this applies to everything they do including their choice of casks. Their previous owner Mark Reynier had a wine background before rescuing the sleeping distillery and this led to the maturation of their spirit in some interesting wine casks, both the drams I'm trying here were distilled in 2007 and matured in Rivesaltes casks.

Let see how they compare side by side!

Side by side : The Fisherman's Retreat

Nestled in Twine Valley at the edge of the Pennine hills, 3 miles east of the town of Ramsbottom and around 15 miles north of Manchester is a family owned and run restaurant pub called The Fisherman's Retreat. Other than food and beer they have the odd conference and a wedding or two but they have a couple of little secrets...

So what are the secrets you ask? Well if you promise not to tell anyone....?

Bruichladdich MP8

Every now and again Bruichladdich launch what they call a Micro Providence set showcasing three difference whiskies with slightly different characteristics so you can compare and contrast them. These are made available in sets of three 200ml bottles for around £50.

Photo: @JWBassman_

The most recent set, MP8, was a set of Port Charlotte drams - about a month after their release the #MiniTasting team and friends gave them a go.

#BlindTasting Series 4 - Review

Series 4 of #BlindTasting has recently finished and as usual I'll post a summary. There had been a bit of a gap from Series 3 and this one extended longer than we thought it would - pressures of work!
This one, like all the rest, has brought up a few surprised with the five of us trying to identify 15 mystery drams through smell and taste, having #NoPreconceivedIdeas to sway our opinions.

Claxton's @TweetTastings

I was lucky to be picked for a @TweetTasting with drams supplied by Claxton's an indie bottler from North Yorkshire. Previously I'd only tried one dram from them, which was pretty good, and was interested to see what else they put in their usually square bottles!