Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Pig’s Nose Review

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Pig’s Nose180

40% abv

Score:  71/100

 

There’ve been an awful lot of ‘highs’ in my recent tasting days.  How ’bout we tackle another ‘low’ just to add a little perspective.

You’ve all heard the expression ‘putting lipstick on a pig’, right?  It means simply that no matter how you dress it up, ultimately it’s still a pig.  Hate to say it, but it’s incredibly apt just how well this little analogy applies to Pig’s Nose Scotch Whisky.  The marketing tied to this one says the name comes from the idea that their whisky is as smooth as a pig’s nose.  I’ve touched a pig or two in my time (cue bad jokes) but this is nothing like that.  This is more like the bristles on a warthog.

To be fair, this is a blend, and a cheap one at that.  I wasn’t expecting anything magic here, but I was hoping for something a little smoother.  After all…Sheep Dip (from the same makers) has been really good in the past.  With Pig’s Nose, however, I can only assume a mashbill that contains a hefty grain to malt ratio.  I read a while back something about this having been built on 40% malt, but I don’t buy it.  This whisky seems to be heftily propped up by neutral grain spirit.  There’s a very prevalent alcohol bite that’s not even a bit pleasant.  This needs much more cask time to smooth out some wrinkles.  At a mere five years old this never should have hit the shelves.  Also…it really is boring as fuck.

I should note…I found out after tasting this one that it was put together by the ‘legendary’ Richard Paterson.  I’ll say no more.

Nose:  Waaaaaaaaay too young.  The composition isn’t all that bad, you can tell already, but this is so underdeveloped as to be almost unpleasant.  Tack on a bunch more years of maturation and you might have something here.  Caramel and perfume-like floral notes.  A touch of sugar cookies met with putty and a light dusting spice.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in milk.  A touch of cheap chocolate and malt.  Barest hint of smoke…almost weedy smoke.  I’ll assume some Islay content (most likely Caol Ila, of course) because of it.

Palate:  Vodka.  Seriously.  Harsh and alcoholic.  With burnt caramel (and far too much of it) and sharp, dry, tannic oak.  Again kinda malty and rich in faux chocolate.  Bit of a shudder.  Faint, faint green apple on fade.

Thoughts:  Points for having the nuts to state right up front this is a five year old.  More whisky maker’s should be so forthright to not hide behind the ‘NAS’ option.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Arran Machrie Moor Review

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Arran Machrie Moor142

46% abv

Score:  72/100

 

Arran, in my humble opinion, is a distillery just coming of age.  Generally speaking, the usual coming of age for any malt would be about 10-12 years, but that doesn’t really seem like a proper state of maturity, if you ask me.  Kind of like handing out driver’s permits to preteens.  The true test of a whisky is what it does when it is old enough to vote, hit the bar and f*ck.  Crude, I know, but no less true for it.  In my tastes anyway.

Just this past year Arran released its first 16 year old whisky.  I’ve heard good things about it, but have yet to try it myself.  The only reason I bring this up is to raise the point that perhaps this particular whisky we’re about to chat about would actually succeed at a similar age.  As it is…well…not so much.

Machrie Moor is kinda like the proverbial ‘fat guy in a little coat’.  The peat just doesn’t seem to be a good fit for the spirit itself.  Here we have Arran peated to about 14ppm.  Should be enough to provide a bit of a whomp (and it does), but not enough to overpower the underlying structure (hmmm…not so sure about that).  What I can be sure of though, is that this whisky is just not working.

Arran malts seem to be a bit of a fan favorite of late, but the distillery still hasn’t released a whisky that has ticked all the boxes for me as yet.  I’ve tried a bunch of their more novel finished releases, as well as the Peacock and Devil’s Punchbowl et al, but perhaps it’s the purist in me that longs to taste this malt in a pure and mature iteration.  Time to hunt that 16 year old, I think.  Until then…I think this is a bottle that will be finished by friends.  Not really my thing.

Nose:  Young, feisty and citric.  Almost juniper-like.  Grassy.  Quite new make-ish (read: far too young).  Vanilla.  Cleaning product of some sort.  Smoked apple and fresh wood.  Sweet earthy peat.  Coconut lotion.  Very ‘green’…almost pine-like.  Far too sharp and aggressive.

Palate:  Peat and nutty notes.  Ash and smoke.  Quite tart.  Dry pastry dough.  Some fishy notes.  o be honest…not a good drink.  Still seesawing, and definitely not balanced as yet.

Thoughts:  Served up far too young.  The nose borders on ‘ok’, but the palate is failing grades.  Splitting hairs maybe but, while I won’t say this is a bad whisky, I will say it’s not a very good one.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Port Ellen 1983 (OMC) Cask #2116 Review

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Port Ellen 1983 (OMC) Cask #2116Closed Distilleries Photos 045

50% abv

Score:  86.5/100

 

Last review of 2013 was a Port Ellen.  Only fitting that the first of 2014 is…a Port Ellen.

Far less valleys and mountain tops with this PE than many of the others out there.  This is a rather unremarkable specimen from Islay’s infamously closed distillery.  Having said that…being an unremarkable Port Ellen is still sorta like being the least popular Beatle.  Everyone still wants a piece of you and you ARE still legendary and timeless.

I’m often a sucker for malts in their very late teens or early twenties.  It seems to be a bit a personal sweet spot for me.  But I think most of the very best Port Ellen releases I’ve tried so far have all been a little bit older than that.  The Diageo releases, of course, but also the OMC ones that fall in the 26 or 27 year range.  Awesome stuff, that.  But hey…beggars can’t be choosers, right?  So let’s dig in to a 22 year old from the teeming warehouses of Douglas Laing.

The Laing brothers (prior to their recent split) and family, in a measure of incredible foresight and prudence, or simply fortuitous purchasing of what was possibly considered an inferior malt at the time, managed to lay aside vast stocks of Port Ellen casks after the distillery’s closure in ’83.  This particular expression is from the last days of distillation in 1983.  It was a rather generous refill butt that yielded a healthy 660 bottles at 50% abv.  Shame it wasn’t at natural cask strength, but we’ll happily take 50%.

Nose:  Faint peat up front with a bit of almost elusive smoke.  Salted toffee and brine.  Lemon polish and orange.  Seaside-ish, but also quite farmyard-ish.  Rye bread.  Malty and carrying a little bit of feintiness.  Dried fruit and dusty old chocolate.  To be honest…not quite up to snuff.

Palate:  Salty and somewhat pickle-ish (without being really dill-y.  More malty, rye notes.  Raisin and lemon juice.  Dried fruits seem more vibrant here…maybe even jammy.  Smoke and earth.  Tannic and drying.  Better palate than nose.

Thoughts:  Maybe not the best of cask quality here.  Still more than decent, but this is the kind of Port Ellen that makes people question whether or not they’re really worth the (ever growing) price tag.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Port Ellen 1983 (OMC) Cask #3042 Review

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Port Ellen 1983 (OMC) Cask #3042011

50% abv

Score:  89.5/100

 

Here’s a treat from the last days of Port Ellen.  This Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask release was distilled within two months of the distillery shuttering its gates once and for all.

I’ve read and heard that Port Ellen’s closure had as much to do with inferiority of distillate as it did with being surplus to requirements at the nadir of the early ’80s whisky crash.  Let’s call this the ‘Great Malt Depression’.  Whether or not that perceived inferiority was a reality or not is not something I’ve been able to determine for myself, simply because the only Port Ellens I’ve tried to date have all been at least 20 years of age.  It’s hard to argue with the fact that 20 years in a barrel is going to do good things for almost any whisky.  The true test, of course, would be sample the young malt (or even new make spirit) alongside a young Caol Ila and young Lagavulin from the same era and see if there was a noticeable disparity.

At this point though, I’m not really sure and don’t really care.  What can be claimed with a reasonable amount of certainty – and supported by empirical evidence (however subjectively assessed) – is that Port Ellen is definitely a spirit that ages well.  Further, in the interest of greater understanding, this is a subject to which I’m more than happy to devote research time.

This particular bottling is one from the warehouses of Douglas Laing (long before the brothers split the company).  The Laings seem to have been sitting on a gold mine of Port Ellen, and if the fates are kind, they still are.  ATW’s own deviant, Maltmonster, put together his own assessment on what he believes are remaining PE stocks in a feature piece here.  Hmmmm.  Only time will tell, I suppose, but hopefully he’s well shy of the true numbers.

This make went into wood as a babe in 1983 and came out a strapping young 20-something in 2006.  Those interim 23 years were spent coming of age in a refill sherry butt, which eventually conceded a total of 549 siblings (errr…bottles).

Nose:  Very ‘Port Ellen-esque’.  Briny, oily and citric.  Oysters on the half shell.  Smoke and a bit of peat, which seems to be riding off into the sunset.  More salt and iodine.  Deepest of dark fruit threads.  Maybe (just maybe) some very dry pithy grapefruit.  Very nice nose…almost classic Port Ellen.

Palate:  Not quite as strong as the nose, but still damn fine.  Bold and citric.  Some chocolate.  Salty and smoky.  Kinda flinty.  Fades into the cereals.

Overall quite typical and expected.  And that’s a good thing.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Port Ellen 1982 (Connoisseur’s Choice) Review

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Port Ellen 1982 (Connoisseur’s Choice)027

40% abv

Score:  86/100

 

Port Ellen is arguably my favorite distillery.  Sorta hard to explain why, and have it make any sense if you’ve never tasted the whisky, but lemme try anyway…

I’ve had better malts from dozens of other distilleries.  I’ve drank some Port Ellen that was rather mediocre.  I’ve also tasted Port Ellens that were borderline bad.  So how is it then that I can even suggest it may be the distillery nearest and dearest to my shriveled l’il black heart?  Quite simply because there is a certain allure, mystique and untouchable magic in the whiskies from this closed Islay distillery.  Most of you who’ve been around for a while will be thinking ‘wait…I thought Ardbeg (or maybe even Amrut) was your favorite.’  While those two certainly hold pride of place for operational distilleries, there’s just something intangible and inexplicably shiver-inducing about sipping drams from the lost currents of time.

It’s been more than 30 years now since spirit flowed from the stills at Port Ellen, but for those nostalgiacs (is that a word?) still suffering the pangs of heartache, there’s cold comfort in the fact that time stands still for any unopened bottles of Port Ellen floating around out there.  If you can still score a bottle (or more)…do so.  And don’t be shy about sharing the experience with friends when you finally pop the cork.

This Connoisseurs Choice release is a rather young PE, by current standards, at a mere 21 years of age.  I’d almost guess younger even, to be honest.  The dram itself is more than decent, however, sadly, 40% is not the way to serve this up.  That’s like playing Slayer at elevator music volume.  Port Ellen needs to be amped up to allow all of the delicate intricacies of the spirit to show through.

Nose:  Grassy and herbal, but the citrus bites first.  A nice sweet / sour balancing act.  Mild peat and smoke, but wood smoke (not quite as bold as a mesquite or hickory, but very pronounced nevertheless).  Hay bales meet dunnage warehouse.  Quite a zippy fruit mix.  Pomegranate…and maybe orange.  Soft vanilla.

Palate:  Waxy.  Again…grassy and herbal.  Thin burnt notes.  Smoked fruit skins.  More peat and smoke than the nose lets on.  That smokiness hangs around a bit and dries out nicely.  Much less sweetness than the nose as well.  Palate doesn’t quite deliver what the nose hints at.  Thin in terms of flavor, mouth feel and staying power.  Still a good drink, but…to cop a cliché…’woefully underpowered’.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Highland Park Thor Review

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036Highland Park Thor

52.1% abv

Score:  90.5/100

 

The mighty Thor.  A rather impressive entry into the Highland Park echelon, to be honest.  If you’ve been following along with the distillery’s output in recent times you’ll likely have noticed a bent towards not just a tie to the Norse / Viking side of things, but an outright embracing of it.

Thor is the first release in what Highland Park has dubbed the Valhalla Collection.  This is to be a four part limited edition collection.  Now…let’s just hope the shoddy debacle that resulted from the execution of Highland Park’s Magnus series is not replicated here.  Said issue concerned the first release of that series being ~6,000 bottles, the second ~12,000 bottles and the third….a mere ~3,300 bottles.  As you can imagine, the net result was a lot of Highland Park fans being unable to round out their collections, and none the happier for it. 

In this case, Thor debuted with a huge production run of 23,000 bottles.  The second Valhalla release, Loki, came in at 21,000 bottles (uh oh).  Let’s see where the next two end up.  Hopefully there’s a form of redemption in this one.

I’m not here to gripe, though.  Merely to provide a bit of forewarning to those out there who may not have followed the earlier saga.  Caveat emptor.  That and, of course, to share a few tasting notes with those out there who are about to hand over their hard-earned dollars.  Is Thor a worthwhile purchase?  Depending on the price point you’re comfortable with…yes.  This is a really good whisky.  Highland Park firing on all cylinders, to be sure.   

Wanna know what this one is like?  Let’s get ‘er done.

Nose:  Smoky, peaty and malty.  Some straw or hay notes.  Pepper. Somewhat porridge-y or oatmeal-y. Honeyed ham.  More thick honey and a meaty, almost marmite-like, note.  Beef Ringolos (like Beef Oxo almost).  Old cigar box.  Pretty sure there is some older whisky vatted in here.

Palate:  More peat and smoke than expected.  A little less forgiving on the palate.  Astringent almost.  Sponge toffee with spice (??).  Anise.  Smoked wood at the back end.  16 year old malt must be the youngest in here.  There definitely seems to be notes of more mature whisky in this vatting.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardmore Traditional Cask Review

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Ardmore Traditional Cask127

46% abv

Score: 83.5/100

 

There’s a lot of love out there in the whisky-sphere for the Ardmore Traditional Cask.  And please believe me when I say that I really want to like it more than I do. 

A couple of years back when I first tried this expression, I recall being slightly underwhelmed.  Fast forward to the days leading into 2014 and…well…sadly, I’m still kinda underwhelmed.  It’s not a bad whisky, but for all it has going for it, it simply never quite takes the plunge into ‘great whisky’ territory. 

Ardmore is a distillery which has long produced malt whisky for blending purposes. Primarily for Teachers Highland Cream, if what I’ve read is correct. The distillery was built in 1898 in Aberdeenshire in the Scottish Highlands, and produces a ‘fully peated’ Speysider. The results are…well…pretty much what you’d expect, but with a few quirks that allow it to boast a rather singular profile.

The folks at Ardmore, much like Laphroaig, are using Quarter Casking for some of their maturation. This allows for increased spirit to wood contact and a substantially accelerated ageing process.  While this works with bog beasts like Laphroaig, whch benefit from being dished up young and fiery, I’m not sure the experiment is as successful in this case.  Maturation in Quarter Casks, by nature, has to be short, or the resulting whisky will be nothing but oak.  The flipside, however, is that the barrel hasn’t really had enough time to knock the jagged edges off the young spirit.  And there are definitely some edges here.

Do note…this is a whisky which absolutely needs time to open up. It’s not entirely at its best right off the cork.  Let it breathe.  Let it relax.  It does deliver with a bit of patience, but still…not quite to the standards I’d hoped.  There is a lot of promise here, but something seems to be just not quite there yet.  Maybe an extra point for the nose.

Nose:  Leather and earthy peat.  Then more leather.  Some iodine.  Man…can’t get over the ‘saddle-like’ leather  notes.  Very ‘dry’ smelling, if that makes any sort of sense.  Light raw tobacco.  There are some fruit notes, to be sure, but rather generic and typical of what you’d find in  one of the ‘Glen’ distilleries.  Nothing unique.  There’s a vague hint of salmon with lemon and capers.  Some caramel.  And…a bit of a floral note.  Not tooooo far off a Springbank, really.  Think this would age well, but as it stands…middling at best.

Palate:  That salmon note carries here.  Wish it hadn’t, to be honest.  Some earthy peat notes and leather too. Smoke and tannic fruits.  Disappointing.

 

– Reviewed by: Curt

– Photo: Curt

Compass Box The Last Vatted Malt Review

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Compass Box The Last Vatted Malt024

53.7% abv

Score:  93/100

 

This is a special dram.  Momentous, really.  One of those whiskies that stands to define a place and time.  That moment (midnight of November 22nd, 2011) can be witnessed here, for those with a bent to history (however recent).

John Glaser’s ‘get in the ring’ approach to whisky making has led to a reputation as sort of the people’s champion of thumbing your nose at authority (or antiquated and self-serving authority anyway).  For this alone, the rebellious side of me will always hold him, and Compass Box, in high regard.  Now, couple that attitude with a damn fine run of whiskies and, well…

We’re fans of Compass Box. Let’s leave it at that.

In 2009, new legislation (‘The Scotch Whisky Regulations’) decreed, among other things, that the term ‘Vatted Malt’ was to be invalidated.  Enforcement of the new mandate was to go into effect as of the back end of 2011.  This semantic reformation, while of negligable impact to some, was monumental to Compass Box.

From the pen of Glaser:  “At midnight on November 22nd, 2011, an era ends.  After that point, it will be illegal for whiskymakers to use the term Vatted Malt to describe a Scotch whisky made from the combination of two or more single malts. From 23rd November 2011, this style of whisky will by law have to be labelled as a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.  Vatted Malt is a term that has been in use since at least the 19th century.  It represents a style of whisky in which Compass Box specialise, so it has special meaning for us.  Therefore we have decided to take a lead in the education of whisky drinkers about the new legal definitions of the 5 styles of Scotch whisky. We feel that this is an important change to the law that needs to be explained to whisky lovers. As the new laws come into effect, we want to take this opportunity to educate, to look to the future and to help the industry as a whole.”

The Last Vatted Malt is Compass Box’s eloquently expressed response to this new approach.  A commemoration of the end of an era; a final ‘F U’ to the powers that be; and an acceptance of the challenge.  All of which would have been mere ceremony if Scotland’s last vatted malt wasn’t such a phenomenally executed piece of work.

I’ll go one further, and say that this is unquestionably John Glaser’s most impressive offering to date (at least as far as I have been able to taste).  It is a marriage of 36 year old Glenallachie (22% of the malt) and 26 year old Caol Ila (78% of the malt).  And, man…does this work a treat!  One of the most subtlely sublime older peated drams I’ve ever tasted.  A beautiful one-off I’d love to see repeated at some point (albeit under a different name, of course).

Nose:  Gorgeous and rich.  So mature.  So much balance.  So much class.  Smoke and smooth natural caramels.  Creamy sweetness and mildly spiced white bread dough.  Fruit salad in sugar syrup (think canned fruit cocktail).  Now some more mature dried fruit notes.  This is really an astounding nose.  The earthiness of peat has been softened to allow the smoke to show through.  Just the slightest bit of the typical Caol Ila briny citric edge.  Immaculate.

Palate:  Creamy…caramel-y…smoky…fruity…sexy…sassy.  Oh, man…I truly love this whisky.  Fruits in melted toffee.  The perfect harmony struck here between spice, smoke, wood and cereal.  Almost too easy a drinker, even at 53.7%.  I could happily curl up with this bottle and a great book until the wee hours.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Amrut Single Cask #3436 (Bourbon Cask) Review

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Amrut Single Cask #3436 (Bourbon Cask)Single Cask - Bourbon (425x640)

60% abv

Score:  92/100

 

The last, and quite frankly the best (at least in my humble opinion), of Amrut’s lastest spate of single cask releases bound for the European market.  This is a four year old malt matured in an ex-bourbon barrel.

With bourbon barrels only being a couple hundred litres in capacity, and Amrut’s incredibly high angel’s share, what the distillery was left with at the time of decanting was a mere 174 bottles at a massive bottling strength of 60% abv.  The sad reality is that this whisky is simply too damn good to be released in a batch so small.

Here’s hoping Amrut either a) floods the global market with scores of blindingly brilliant single cask releases (like this one), or b) opts to send all of these limited expressions to Calgary.  

I jest.  Sort of. 

Amrut’s single malt whisky is one which has shown itself to be highly malleable.  We’ve seen beautiful symbiosis between the spirit and peat, port, sherry, rum and combinations thereof.  But the true austere beauty of the malt is best shown in all its naked glory when it’s simply left to slumber in an ex-bourbon barrel.  The singular character of Amrut coming of age in the tight-grained spicy ex-bourbon barrels from the US results in an end product so beautifully balanced and clean, I’m left humbled and awed.   

There’s not a lot more to say really.  The whisky does the talking for me, and I’m just glad to have tasted it. 

Nose:  Creamy chocolate.  Almond and nutmeg.  A little bit of orange.  A fine dusting of cinnamon.  Very high quality hardwood (like you’d smell in a great wood-working shop).  Toasted marshmallow and vanilla.  Quite creamy and ‘doughy’.  Very much in the vein of the Herald or Two Continents.  Beautifully balanced nose.

Palate:  A huge delivery of pure Amrut familiarity.  By now, this is an unmistakable profile.  Warm melting Swiss chocolate.  Cinnamon-spiced cocoa.  Orange zest, mint and ginger.  Nice blend of dried spices.  Stunningly vibrant and tangy on the tongue.

In short:  Absolutely beautiful.  I adore Amrut matured in ex-bourbon.  You can see the purity of the exotic spirit shining through.  While I am a sucker for all of Amrut’s innovative and quirky limited releases, this simplicity is Amrut at its best.

(Thanks to Ashok Chokalingam, Amrut Brand Ambassador, for the opportunity to try these single casks)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo: 

Amrut Single Cask #2712 (Port Pipe – Peated) Review

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Amrut Single Cask #2712 (Port Pipe – Peated)Single Cask- Port Pipe (425x640)

59% abv

Score:  90/100

 

Next up from the recent three malt run of single casks Amrut has just released for the European market…a peated variant matured in a port pipe. 

This isn’t exactly a new idea, but nor is it one that has been executed very often.  Amrut’s take on ‘peat and port’ should be rather interesting, simply due to the spicy and exotic character of their spirit.  There’s a luciousness of fruit that collides with a smoky, ashy character in marriages of this sort.  Something I, personally, find quite appealing, but I concede it can be a bit of a shock to the system for the unprepared. 

Before getting to tasting notes however, just a few thoughts on this release…

Port pipes are large vessels.  Give or take 500 litres, I believe.  The numbers on the packaging (bottle and box) tell the whole story regarding the incredibly unforgiving environmental conditions Amrut is maturing under.  43% of the racked spirit has been lost to evaporation during its four years in the barrel, leaving behind a mere 357 bottles.  This evaporation loss is often referred to as the ‘angel’s share’, as most of you will already know, so it’s not hard to see why Amrut has a malt in their stables called ‘Greedy Angels’, huh? 

I’ve already lauded Amrut’s attempts at transparency in a previous review of their new PX cask, but I want to reiterate…the clarity of information on these releases is well nigh unprecented.  They’re not hiding anything to do with provenance, the youthfulness of their whiskies or the implications of their finances from us.  Check out the images of these three bottles (on each of these reviews here on ATW).  The labels tell tales of the barley being Indian or Scottish; of  the strength of character not to hide behind the shield of an ‘NAS’ brand; and by showing us the loss rate, it’s a little easier to understand Amrut’s pricing tiers (which are entirely reasonable, I would – and have – argue(d).)

All of that aside, this is a really fine single malt.  Unmistakeably unique and absolutely worth hunting down.  The playful interaction between salty iodine notes and big plummy grape notes are a mouthwatering combination, and leave me lamenting the fact that this dram won’t be making the seafaring voyage to our foreign and exotic shores.  Le sigh.

Nose:  A lot of really lovely chocolate.  A fair bit of peat that manages to stand rather independent of the smoke.  Damp ash meets dark earthy soil (very cool nuances here!).  Iodine and grape.  Fresh orange juice.  There’s a dark smokiness, but it’s very juicy, not dry.  I can still pick up on that typical Amrut spicy cereal note even through all of the peat and port.  Surprisingly creamy with a bit of a vanilla skeleton.

Palate:  This is salty dram.  One that has a great meaty/sour mix (in an absolutely pleasant tingling sensory way).  I love it.  Smoked fruits…weird but awesome.  A lot of juicy grape and a bit of citrus.  This carries a similar profile to the BenRiach Solstice (which I also loved, incidentally), but do note…the Solstice was a fifteen year old whisky…while this is only four!

This is single malt for the forward-thinking.  It’s a little outside the norm, and definitely a whisky that will be hard to forget.  Hopefully Amrut will consider adding something like this as a part of the core range, or at least something to be released in small batches in an ongoing basis.

(Thanks to Ashok Chokalingam, Amrut Brand Ambassador, for the opportunity to try these single casks)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo: