…when you’re in a country where a dram costs more than a bottle?

 

I have the pleasure of spending several months a year in Norway, one of the more expensive countries in the world. Although luxurious most of the time, my whisky loving heart cries every time I see the price of a dram in a bar in Oslo. So here is my advice to the whisky lover who finds the urge to travel to one of the worlds most expensive cities:

 

1. Abstain from whisky for the duration of the trip.

 

Now that we have that out of the way as an infeasible option. Let’s get to the real advice.

1. As a drambuster, I find it useful to bring at least one (usually three) bottles with me. That’s usually not an option if you’re only staying a short time, but trust me; if you’ve got the space, bring one you like.

2. If you have drank yourself into the idea of going out for a dram (or pint) in Oslo; banish the thought.

No? Well, here’s the few places I’ve found and frequented at one point or another (though I like some more than others):

• My number one pub (for beer and whisky) is the Dubliner. I went to a open music night there once and found out it’s basically full of ex-pats from Ireland and the UK. Also, they have an entire bar devoted to whisky. By far one of the best selections I’ve found in a bar in Oslo so far. To add to that, the staff are helpful, and the prices are reasonable [insert sample prices here]. 
• The second pub I’ve found where I actually oggled the collection of bottles behind the bar was “Den Gamle Major”, aka. The Old Major’s lab. Despite being devoted to preserving the weird memorabilia and paraphernalia of an old major, you’ll find no illegal stills here (although if it had kept the price low, you might wish for it).  Unfortunately, as per usual in Norway the prices are high. But if you’re dying for a decent dram, the old major would probably satisfy your urges.
• Third, and so far last, pub on my list. Dr. Jekylls. They have a cask deal with Highland Park (I’m pretty sure it was at least), so need I say more? Although the prices here were by far extortionate, it’s worth to just walk in and look at the collection before taking a piss in a gargoyles mouth (yes, that’s the urinal at this place).

3. Last piece of advice; in all seriousness, spend your money on whisky elsewhere. 

 

On a final note; I have a challenge to my swedish counterpart. Let us know what a drambuster in Sweden would do.

For all the thrill there is to be had in finding new drams and boldly going where you haven’t been before, there a few whiskies which are real old friends.  Wherever you meet them, you’re happy to see them.

1. Bunnahabhain

This isn’t just a cracking dram, it’s a design classic.  It’s the contrarian Ileach’s dram of choice.  Whilst the other Islay malts jostle to be the smokiest and the most modern, Bunnahabhain remains steadfastly old fashioned.  Rather than chafing under the yoke of being an old mans drink, it revels in it.  Better still, it offers a distinctive and pleasing flavour profile.  Ginger, rich fruit and teeniest teasing hint of smoke.  The 12 is excellent, the 18 is sublime.

2.  Talisker

Even though many whisky fans have their problems with Diageo, it’s hard to dispute the quality of many of their distilleries.  Talisker is a case in point.  Part of the “Classic Malts” range for some years now, it remains a favourite for many.  What makes it so popular?  Talisker’s winning hand has to be its balance.  There are smokier whiskies available.   Equally, there are lots of whiskies which are sweeter, smoother and more fully flavoured on offer.  But few of them combine all of these elements with a pleasing balance – not too little, not too much.

3.  Highland Park

Balance is also the key to Highland Park’s popularity.  The Orcadian distillery is another good all rounder with its flavours.  Better still, it offers and unrivalled degree of consistency.  Certainly, when faced with a random selection of unfamiliar independent bottlings, I know if I pick the Highland Park, it’s likely to taste good.  This impressive consistency extends to all the official distillery bottlings too.

4.  Glenfiddich

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had the Glenfiddich conversation.  It shouldn’t surprise us that the world’s number one selling whisky is actually quite good, but it remains comment-worthy.  Independently owned Glenfiddich rarely wins the pundits prizes, but taste a newly opened bottle and you’re likely to admit it’s not too bad.  Certainly it’s a little too sweet for some palates, but on careful reflection it’s as good as or better than many Speysides.

That’s my four, any thoughts on yours?

Whatever happened to those dashing drambusters?

You may have noticed that things are a little quiet around here of late.  But in case you feared the drambusters had disappeared, never to re-scale the dizzy heights of the past year or so, fear not – the drambusters live still.

Basically, the stars haven’t been right for the past 9 months.  I (Leggy) have had a new job which has devoured much of my time.  Freddie has moved on to other projects and Aussie – he’s been busy.  Throw in fewer regular tastings and you have a recipe for inactivity.  However, there are draft posts waiting to go live and we each have a few articles in the bag, which you should be seeing soon.

Any other business?

Well yes actually.  First up, big thanks to Freddie for all the work he did last year.  In addition to our lovely RAF themed blog, we also have a Facebook page if you want to like us.

Secondly, our favourite people-other-than-us group drinks blog It’s Just the Booze Dancing very kindly awarded us a Liebster Award last year.  We’ve tried to pass on the karma, but rather than follow the requirements strictly, we’re highlighting a few of our favourite whisky blogs:

1. It’s Just the Booze Dancing - So good I’ve mentioned them twice, not only do they post cracking spirits reviews, they’re also down on their beers too.
2. A Dram per Day – Even though this year Ian has said there might be slightly fewer than 365 reviews, it’s still a must read.  Short, informative reviews of a wide variety of interesting whiskies.
3. Dramming – Oliver Klimek’s occasionally humourous, but always incisive look at the world of whisky.

Finally, we now have another Feis Ile under our wing, so we may have further updates from that.

Thanks for sticking with us!

Just as Freddie and Spanners were going all Indiana Jones, I had discovered a little lost treasure of my own.
In the back of my parents’ drinks cabinet, I discovered the remnants of a bottle of Flora and Fauna Rosebank. I have a thing for closed distilleries, I have a thing for Lowland whisky and above all, I have a thing for delicious drams. Rosebank ticks all the boxes.

I had picked up two bottles from Peckham’s in 2007, at the bargain price of £37 each. The idea was to open one for drinking and to leave the other for posterity. The first bottle was opened and went down fairly quickly. The second bottle only survived intact for another three weeks or so. It was so tasty, I cracked it open and got stuck in.
But guilt set in and I repented of my haste. I consigned the bottle to the very back of my whisky collection so it would last a little longer and that is where it lay until last weekend.
As discussed on here before, time is not always kind to whisky left open. So I was anxious to see how my dear Rosebank had turned out.

Nose:
Elderflower, white grapes, icing sugar on gingerbread men – definitely light
Palate:
White chocolate, vanilla mousse, hints of watercress. Cola cubes and sweet liquorice in the finish. Thick on the front of the tongue elegant and subtle
Water:
Play-doh on the nose (no, seriously). Buffalo curds and palm treacle. Sweet herbs.

Still a charmer, despite it’s time in the cupboard. I will savour every last drop of this one.

- M.S.

A combination of 5 First Fill Sherry Casks, all between 10 and 12 years of age. 3000 bottles, only found at the distillery shop or if you’re on the mailing list. This is named as a ‘tribute’ to the daily dram that was given out to distillery workers three times each day from the copper teapot in the canteen, before all that health and safety rot came in and spoiled everyone’s fun!

Spanners: Holy moley! It’s the colour of dried blood. So, so dark!

Aussie: Yes, Robin.

Nose

Freddie: Lyle’s golden syrup, Persian tea, Marmalade.

Spanners: Mmmm! Good whisky! I don’t ever get very much from nosing whisky, but this smells great!

Aussie: Mmmmm! Definite spiced orange with a little bit of the normal rum smell you get from sherry matured whisky, no raisin though, makes it a little unique [Aussie goes for the inhale] Ohhh, it’s the second smell… Ohhh… Yes.. Not one to give to Topper! I do get a small bit of smoke on the nose… Definitely a different offering. Now for the taste…

Palate

Freddie: Hot, spicy cloves and cardamom mingle with muscovado sugar and orange zest. It lightens into a spiced orange marmalade with added water.

Spanners: [trying it with a drop of water] Ooh! I think this is how this one’s meant to be drunk.

Freddie: Personally, I like it either way, although I agree that you get more complexity out of it with a touch – just a drop – of water added – But less spice!

Aussie: Definitely spiced orange, hot on the tongue… Sensual… I would say more lemon zest, it’s quite quite a sour tang to it… I’ll agree with you Freddie on your uncanny ability to discern a single sugar type… [Laughter]

Spanners: That’s one spicy meat-a-ball!

Aussie: Except it isn’t meaty…

Freddie: Or a ball.

Spanners: Fair enough, but it is a spicy dram!

Finish

Freddie: Lingering spices, with additional ginger. A tannic note. A hint of freeze-dried raspberries. Devoid of the peppery character in the finish that has characterized a few of the more recent batches of Aberlour A’Bunadh.

Editorial Note: It’s inescapable that we wind up comparing cask strength sherry bottles to A’Bunadh, it’s rather a benchmark for judging them by, even though it fluctuates quite a bit in quality depending upon batch number.

Spanners: Yeah, we really should try to put up a review for an A’Bunadh one day…

Aussie: A good slap of spice on the front of the tongue, which quickly disappears into a lingering but sweet heat on the back of the throat… That’s a cracking whisky. I love the heavily sherried stuff! When are you heading up to see your folks next Freddie?

Freddie: Want a lift up to Glengoyne distillery do you?

Aussie: As if you aren’t heading back there yourself!

Freddie: Fair point.

Spanners: Can I come too?

Freddie: [sigh] Oh, alright then…

- F.R., M.H, & S.L.

We have occasion to stop the press for an unscheduled article.

I was lucky enough to receive a secret sample this morning. A 30cl preview measure of Jura’s upcoming release. Many thanks to the Jura boys for sending it – They’re staying extremely tight-lipped regarding any details other than it’s an upcoming release – That’s all we know, not even the percentage. It’s a leap of faith! Spanners is here to share this little dram with me. You’ll get the benefit of both our opinions and we’ll probably both wish we each had a fuller measure!

Freddie: The nose is a little fiery at first, then I’m getting really rich, freshly made butterscotch, with a tiny bit of sweet red pepper and a little dried seaweed.

Silence descends as it is tasted.

Freddie: Ooh!

Spanners: Ooh!

Freddie: Thoughts?

Spanners: It’s like toffee dipped in chocolate – Doesn’t have a particularly strong scent for me, but it tastes rather fabulous.

Freddie: Peppery on the tip of the tongue – There’s a soft, oaky note in there and a subtle hint of tinned peach juice. It reminds me a bit of the 16 year old, but as if it’s been unleashed!

Spanners: Yeah, I can see that.

Freddie: There’s that malty, salty, savoury finish – classic Jura, but not overpowering the flavour. I really agree about the chocolate note. This has a really appealing spiciness, like powdered red chillis dusted over plain chocolate.

Spanners: It’s kinda dry, sort of sucks your cheeks in.

Freddie: [A wolfish grin on his face] I don’t think this is chill-filtered…

Reaction

Freddie: It’s got a nice balance, reminiscent of the coastal Highland whiskies the distillery was built to emulate, but still distinctly a Jura. I really like this one. Hopefully I’ll have another chance to taste it soon!

Spanners: A very good dram with far more character than the rest of the core range, excluding Prophecy. Though they’re certainly pleasant, I don’t have that much more to say about them, but with this one and the Prophecy too, I’m very interested!

Freddie: So for you, another step in the right direction from Jura?

Spanners: Oh, definitely. When can we get some more?

- S.L. & F.R.

Spanners, Aussie and Freddie in residence. It is close to midnight and two of us have had a pot noodle, but sod it, time for a tasting!

Spanners: You know what this reminds me of? It smells very similar to a Clynelish 14.

Freddie: Sshh!

Editor’s note: Despite going through three bottles of Clynelish 14 in recent months, we still haven’t managed to get a review of that up on here. But I’ve said too much!

Freddie: The aroma reminds me a bit of Glenfarclas 105. There’s a slightly burnt note…

Spanners: What’s this done in?

Freddie: [Utilising decidedly sub-Holmesian deductive logic]  Fewer bottles than a sherry butt would yield and quite a light colour.  I think a bourbon cask job, with the aforementioned wine finish. 318 isn’t that usual a number so I reckon the staff have drunk a good bit of it!

Aussie: I do recall the Springbank and Hazelburn festival bottlings having similar low numbers though.  So could this be just a single cask?

Freddie: Yes, it is from one barrel, but size matters. Stop giggling Spanners! A sherry butt [more giggles] would give out more bottles, because the butts are larger [a choking sound from Spanners]. Bourbon hogsheads are smaller. This is diluted to 50% mind, which confuses things.

Spanners: Anyway, the nose on this?

Aussie: Brambles mixed with ‘Macha’ Ice-cream (Japanese green tea).

Freddie: Glazed apfel strudel, with raisins and cinnamon.

Spanners: Awww… yeah… [Chimp-like grunting]

Aussie: Do you have to do that Spanners?

Freddie: Sweet on the nose, reminds me of the Nikka Taketsuru.

Spanners: Tomintoul 16 or Inverarity, I’m not sure.

Aussie: A little honey and cut-grass…

Freddie: [Impersonating Richard Paterson] ‘The first taste is good, but it’s the second taste, the second taste…’ [sipping sounds] Actually, the first taste isn’t good. Quite bitter and peppery.

Spanners: Powerful really.

Freddie: It’s like they’ve killed off all the beautiful wine notes…

Spanners: I’d have a hard time believing this was a Macallan if I didn’t see the label.

Freddie: Not the velvety smooth delight I was expecting.

Aussie: Hold up, I’m the numpty having to type all of your comments, I’ve barely had a chance to try this yet. Ooooh! Very peppery notes, not so sweet… You’re right, this can’t be a Macallan!

Freddie: This is bitter, reminds me of the Dalmore we recently tried which had a burnt apple crumble taste.

Aussie: I’m actually enjoying it…

Freddie: The initial cask itself seems to overpower any wine influence. I really don’t get any of the fruity notes you normally find in wine cask finishes.

Spanners: Has this actually spent time in a wine cask?

Aussie: I’m getting apples and some bitterness, but I get a balance, unlike the two of you.

Freddie: Short finish, bitter palate, sweet nose, sweet on the tip of the tongue but becomes disappointing, even disillusioning, thereafter.

Spanners: Very hot in the peppery way, dry. Arid.

Freddie: I do hope the bottle will improve after being open a week or so. Just to mellow out the flavours. They seem to be overpowered just now.

Aussie: I can see your point, but I do still like it…

Freddie: I’m reminded of crab apples. Cooking apples. They look so appealing on the tree, but then you pick them – They’re sweet when you bite into them, but swiftly turn really bitter and leave you with a really sore belly if you keep on eating them!

Aussie: Oh well, still, thank you Gran for this one.

Spanners/Freddie: Aye, thanks!

Spanners: I do get a little wine in the finish…

Freddie: I feel bad, it’s an expensive bottle that Aussie wouldn’t normally go for. But I’m not sure I’m fond of it at all. At least it improves a little bit with water.

Spanners: It’s loads better with water, more smooth, more fruity, not as intense. It changes it entirely.

Freddie: Almost pineapple-y with water? The palate is massively improved, although I’m not overly keen on the finish. Slightly sour and quite bitter still.

Aussie: I actually prefer it without water, but I do somewhat enjoy some bitterness in whisky at times.

Spanners: Other things you like are bitter too aren’t they, you masochist!

Aussie: Ouch! Bit out of left field and into right testicle Spanners!

Freddie: [Clearing his throat] In my opinion, this needs to open out more. I’ll let it sit for a while.

Aussie: Oh well, it was intended for general consumption anyway. So, Decimation at the next Drambuster meeting?

All: Aye!

- M.H, F.R. & S.L. (Spanners)

Another month and another large get together, featuring some very interesting and different whiskies which stirred up a good bit of discussion.

SMWS 76.81 – An 8 year old first-fill bourbon cask Mortlach! 60.1%

Freddie: Ooft! Very bourbon-y on the nose!

Aussie: State the obvious, Freddie!

Topper: Ridiculously smooth.

Crusty: And fresh.

Leggy: It’s very creamy.

Freddie: Yes, like vanilla cream soda – there’s a whiff of banana in there.

Crusty: I’m getting fresh pine resin…

Aussie: Delicate heather honey.

A pause as everyone has a sip…

Leggy: it’s quite tongue coating.

Spanners: Delicious.

Porky: Fantastic.

Freddie: The taste carries on everything from the nose, with the addition of stewed pears in custard. Faint spicy cardamom in the finish – perhaps a miniscule amount of pepper?

Aussie: Mmm! I like that! White grape in there too. Very light, then spicy in the finish, a tiny bit of pepper!

Freddie: Wow! The spiciness disappears when you add the tiniest drop of water – it’s almost like a whisky ice cream now, if such a thing existed!

Spanners: Without water it’s almost like ginger beer, no?

Neeps: This is very nice actually…

Aussie: So nice that I’ve tanned it! I think I’ll have another one!

Leggy: So it’s drinkable then?

All: Certainly drinkable!

Topper: I rate it quite highly…

Aussie: Danger territory… I think I could unknowingly drink my way through an entire bottle of this… Then drunkenly run through the streets in a bathrobe and pirate hat shouting that the revolution has come!

Leggy: Now you’re just being silly…

Freddie notices Aussie eyeing up the other bottles

Freddie: Check out that predatory look in Aussie’s eyes!

Leggy: [Sings] Are you really Freddie in disguise?

Duncan Taylor Aberlour 1993 (17 year old) – cask no 2838 ‘matured in an oak cask’ 55.2%

Porky: Roast coffee.

Spanners: But sweet…

Freddie: Burnt apple? Roasted apples even?

Aussie: [Sniffing at glass in disbelief] That can’t be cask strength!

A pause as everyone has a taste

Crusty: It’s like a chocolate or coffee.

Spanners: Ooh that’s smooth! I’m getting boiled sweeties!

Crusty: Buttery

Porky: Sweet cherries maybe?

Freddie: I’m tasting custard cream biscuits initially – Very sweet at first.

Neeps: It’s really nice!

Crusty: It’s a bit carob-y.

Editorial Note: Carob (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carob) is a legume native to the Mediterranean region. It is used as a chocolate substitute by very middle class parents. Crusty, Freddie and Leggy were all subjected to it in their respective childhoods. It is a double whammy of no fun – not only does it not taste like chocolate, it also marks one out to one’s peers as being different.

Aussie: It’s appley and drinkable with some bitter notes. Some spice in the finish.

Neeps: It reminds me of Greek sweets..

Leggy: Loukoumi?

Neeps: Yeah, that’s the one.

Freddie: You mean Lokum? Turkish delight?

Leggy: GREEK DELIGHT!!!

Leggy spent some time in Greece a few years back and knows there are strong feelings on this subject!

Freddie: There’s some cereal there, again that slightly roasted note comes up in the finish…

Leggy: It tastes like Special K should taste if the picture on the box lived up to it’s promise.

Topper: Apparently Tommy Cooper used to have gin and tonic on his breakfast cereal.

Spanners: Extra special K!

Freddie: I’ve got it! Tahini!

Leggy: Yes!

Aussie: [Still intent on the dram] Honey, coffee and burnt orange peel.

Topper goes to get some Irn Bru…

Neeps: Are you not going to try it with water first?

Porky: It’s a bit like an old fireplace.

Leggy: Galaxy milk chocolate. And some green apples.

Aussie: It turns really acrid if you add water. Ack!

Spanners: Why would you add water to this?

Leggy: SCIENCE!

Freddie: You’re right Aussie. It’s almost taken on a hint of gammeldansk now – It really knots the stomach. I wish I hadn’t added water.

Spanners: Told you Freddie!

Porky: A very unusual whisky. I often think that coffee flavour is distracting or unpleasant, but not in this instance.

All: Unless you add water!

Leggy: Or Irn Bru. [Turns to stare accusingly at Topper]

Topper shifts guiltily in his chair…

Blair Athol 12 – Flora and Fauna, 43%

Porky: Smells of citrus fruits.

Freddie: Grapefruit and raisins. Tangerine peel, sweet chilli peppers

Crusty: Aye, it is like grilled red peppers – Mmmm, there’s a slight sweetness!

Neeps: Mandarins?

Aussie: It’s nutty on the nose. Tastes of grapefruit and liquorice.

Freddie: Interesting finish – Like hazelnuts and red wine.

Aussie: Quite short and dry. A little acrid?

Neeps: I agree.

Leggy: There’s a kind of woody, wood polish note.

Topper: French polish?

Spanners: Pledge®?

Crusty: Fresh lacquer, or pine resin?

Leggy: Haven’t you used that note before?

Aussie: Freshly cut hay?

All: Oh shut up Aussie!

Neeps: To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed. It’s not a patch on the distillery only that we had.

Freddie: This is a bit cheaper though, and you don’t have to go to Pitlochry to buy it. It’s not really to my taste either, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Topper: I like it.

Aussie: It’s alright…

Porky: I’d probably buy this.

Oban Distillery Only - 55.2% Fino Sherry Finish

 

By this time only some of us were still making an effort to keep reviewing. The rest had started on a crate of beer, the uncouth beasts!

Freddie: Wow! Great nose! Some red fruits in there, but overwhelmingly smells like a heavily played rosewood fretboard!

Leggy: A little strawberry jam?

Neeps: I have a memory I attach to this – Being in a sauna back in Sweden with a bunch of Finnish chicks!

Leggy: With strawberry jam?

Aussie: Very sweet… Honey, roses. Some tannin smells, almost like a red wine.

Freddie: Nicely delicate flavours – Very smooth, with hints of the usual bourbon and sherry notes appearing. A good bit of cherry bakewell and yes Leggy, a good hit of strawberry jam! Faintly chewy maltiness also.

Neeps: A bit of oak?

Aussie: I’m getting that maltiness too. Figs and some lemon.

Leggy: Forest fruit tea?

Freddie: A medium length finish. Light raisins – typical of sherry maturation, I know, but not at all treacly, which is much less usual.

Leggy: Very interesting to have a sherry finish rather than maturation.

Aussie: Really shows just how much flavour you can get out of a sherry cask.

Freddie: A good whack of sea salt at the end?

Aussie: And pepper.

Freddie: Yes!

Leggy: It’s the peppery finish you get in the Oban 14 as well. I wonder if it’s in the Distiller’s Edition too…

Aussie: [Gesticulating wildly] This is very, very, very drinkable!

 Neeps: This is a lovely dram.

Freddie: Yes, I really like it. It’s velvet smooth. The Oban 14 is quite nice, but this is very impressive. I’m of a mind to seek out more bottlings of Oban now…

Leggy: Best of luck with that! We can probably get the Distiller’s Edition but that’s about it. Most of it goes into blends.

Aussie: A real shame when they can turn out stuff as good as this.

Highland Park Single Cask 19 Year old 1986 – (2005) 55.3%

Hats off to Aussie for parting with a fair bit of dosh for this bottle – Only to realise after bidding that it was just 35cl!

Freddie: [Sounding very much like Leslie Phillips] Hellloooo! It smells like a dark chocolate and cherry fudge!

Spanners: Amazing colour!

Freddie: It’s ruby red!

Aussie: Fruity, what a fruity smell!

A very solemn silence as it is tasted.

Freddie: The palate is like Seville orange marmalade, with a little salt, just the tiniest bit! And that finish is incredible. Blueberry and blackcurrant muffins spread with a gooseberry and elderflower conserve.

Aussie: Either gooseberry or sour plum. Honeyed notes, definitely blackberry.

Spanners: Mmm! [We really couldn't coax much else out of him by this point]

Aussie: A slightly sour dram but I just love it. This might be one of the best drams I’ve ever had… It’s just… Perfect.

Freddie: This is an outstanding whisky, even by Highland Park standards.

Aussie: My estimation of Highland Park has leapt threefold!

Spanners: And it was high already!

Freddie: I don’t want to finish it. In fact, we might have to delay posting this review until we’ve managed to secure some more bottles for ourselves!

Aussie: I agree, but I’m not sure this will be available at all. The bottle was a very special release that you couldn’t buy in the shops.

Spanners: Maybe there’s still some at the distillery?

Aussie: Orkney isn’t that easy to get to. If I knew for certain that there were bottles of this up there in Kirkwall, I’d bloody swim there!

All: Here, here!

Sadly a dram each was all we could get, but it was well worth every single one of Aussie’s pennies!

Limited edition, albeit into its 5th release. This comes from cask 382. One of 1133 bottles at 46%. No age statement.

Much is made by some producers of the traditional nature of maturing whisky in sherry barrels. A good few hundred years ago, gentlemen in this part of the world consumed sherry in large amounts and therefore the surplus barrels often came to be used for storing whisky. In those days, ‘whisky’ was a clear product like illicit poitín or a new make spirit. That this spirit took on flavours from the cask it was stored in if given a little time was the landmark discovery that brought us to the whisky we now know and love.

Bourbon casks, we’re occasionally reminded, are relative newcomers to the maturation of malt, turning up about a hundred or so years ago. But while some may wax lyrical about a ‘belle epoque’ of sherry-matured whisky, they speak less of the other casks often used in this time, which were often whatever barrels were going spare at the docks. Casks previously containing wines, ale, brandy, port and even fish are known to have been used.

Thankfully, this isn’t a review of fish cask whisky!

Port isn’t consumed in anything like the same quantities it used to be and the number of chaps suffering from gout has significantly decreased from that of yesteryear – These two facts may be related! A variety of cask-finished whiskies can be found, with port amongst them, but whisky wholly matured in a port cask is much harder to find. Fortunately, the boffins at Edradour distillery aren’t afraid of trying many different varieties of cask, as their extensive range demonstrates. Here goes then, for an arguably old-fashioned and traditional type of maturation!

Nose:

Cranberry, redcurrant, brambles still on the hedge. Butter tablet.

Palate:

How’s this for a wonderful childhood memory – Ribena syrup! Crushed brambles, slightly under-ripe strawberries and a buttery flapjack mixture, before it has set.

Finish:

Creme fraiche/sour cream, walnut oil and a little hazelnut.

Aussie wheeled out the concept of a dessert whisky recently while tasting 30 year old Glenfiddich. For me, this is even more worthy of the title. It kicks off very sweet – almost alarmingly smooth, becoming ever so slightly dry in the finish (perhaps even tart, like a good goat’s cheese) and is overwhelmingly reminiscent of traditional cranachan. Finally, the colour is incredible – Like a Portugese Rosé!

I’ve rarely ever had a whisky so fruity. Very different and a real treat. Edradour have proven to be quite a wee find. I’ve been extremely impressed by most that I’ve tried in the past year – Although the peated ‘Ballechin’ left me cold. Bottles have been well received by all of the lads whenever I’ve brought them out. Aussie now worships their bourbon decanter and Spanners actually paid me in order to take the dregs of my sherry decanter a few months ago!

Since it’s less than two hours drive away, there may be another trip to the distillery on the cards in the near future – Probably with a few passengers in tow. I shall certainly be getting another bottle or two of the port cask. As for the others, well, I have my suspicions…

- F.R.