Tastes
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1770 Glasgow Single Malt 2019 Release
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed March 11, 2023 (edited March 12, 2023)Thanks to the wise one @cascode for this dram. Here we have an entry from Glasgow distillery that brought whisky production back to the Dear Green Place for the first time in over 100 years. Production is from two copper pot stills called Tara and Mhairi using Scottish barley and the waters of Loch Katrine 40 miles north of the city. This release was matured in first fill bourbon casks and finished in virgin white oak. N: Immediately juicy and sweetly tropical with smacks of banana bread. The fruit forward nose is joined by malty biscuits and fragrant perfumed wood. Fresh and bright with hints of freshly mown green grass. I’m reminded of British summer time and garden parties. Very enjoyable here. P: Slightly tannic to creamy arrival with a sweet buzz and rich mouthfeel. Toffee tones abound here, butterscotch, brown sugar, and vanilla compete with a little wood spice and fresh fruity sweetness and the richness of dried fruits. Successive sips bring honey and malt back to the forefront. F: Short. Woodiness and maybe some marmalade bitterness. Rich, but ultimately fades too quickly to leave a lasting impression. I was surprised by this. A young whisky, yes; but it’s punching hard. You cannot understate the richness and fullness that is delivered but perhaps the downside is a simple 1-2 delivery that doesn’t get going much past that initial contact. There are many aspects that made me think of Arran, just not quite so well accomplished, yet at a slightly lower price point. I think good things are still to come from Glasgow 1770. Distiller whisky taste #160 [Pictured here with a 1.16 billion year old Kakortokite from the Llimaussaq Igneous Complex of southwest Greenland. This rock is part of a layered magmatic sequence that formed from fractional crystallisation of a giant magma chamber and is one of the most unique and rare rock types on Earth. Three principal minerals make this beauty up: pink eudialyte, black arfvedsonite, and white nepheline.]99.99 AUD per Bottle -
The last of the three pack and for that matter of the easily accessible Smokeheads. A middling run ending on a revisit to something I last tried on the 26th June 2022 (Original review down below). I remember being perfectly happy sipping on this last year but, let’s revisit… N: Definitively younger than I remember. Islay smoke is obvious and upfront, but the spirit, slightly burning ethanol presence brings with it bright and zesty pineapple. There is also some toffee here that I don’t recall and some ashy-vegetals. Less rubber than the Smokehead Original and none of the metallic-mineral heavy notes I picked up in the high voltage. A different, and somewhat less characterful nose than the regular cask offerings. P: Straight in with a fruit juice texture that is a little thin but with some oiliness. Turns quickly to rubbery peat smoke, ashiness akin the original. Definite brininess that trends towards cured meat, but I don’t get quite as clear bacon flavour as I noted before (this is not Talisker). Fruit develops with time, but its not well developed it heads in a bright and fresh direction but stops short at cheap tropical fruit juice and cola bottle sweets. Salt and ash are the take aways here. F: Long, warming pepper staying away from chilli heat. Feels slightly waxy with a little light vanilla and orange and a pleasant cool smoke. OK. Smokehead, fair name for this bottling. The smoke, its there. The Rum Rebel part, not so much. It tries to get going, but falls short. I feel like the whisky was told stories about what rum is like and was asked to make a counterfeit copy. It’s lack lustre and detracts from the good elements. I stand by the notion that this is pleasant enough to sip on, but its forgettable and lacks a unifying quality to tie the different threads together. Smokehead overall is perfectly fine. It has a definite target market, and I’m certain that the appeal is there. But for me, across the board, there are better or cheaper alternatives that easily surpass these. Worth a try, and I might even get one in a bar depending where I am. Would I buy a bottle though? No. [Pictured here with another skull for a skull branded whisky. Strap in… your’e getting a long story here: meet ‘Peking Man’ a composite representing some forty individuals from a collection of 200 H0mo erectus pekinesis bones dating back 680,000-780,000 years. The bones were excavated from Zhoukoudian cave, China during the 1920’s to 1930’s, and were well studied with many casts being taken. Alongside the H. erectus bones were findings of animal remains and strong evidence for the use of fire and tools. Evidence was also found for the first time of hominids manufacturing their own tools. In 1941 during the Japanese encroachment into China during World War II, a Chinese official, Hu Chengzi packaged the Peking Man collection up to send to the USA for secure housing. The bones were loaded onto a U.S. Marine transport ship but, the bones never arrived. Hu to this date was the last person to see these fossils, which are amongst the most important paleontological finds in history. Their huge importance is not to be understated, Peking Man may be instrumental for developing our understanding of early cannibalism by our ancestors (due to the nature of the fossil find), the origins of speech and language, use of fire and manufacturing of tools. Luckily though the original casts are still yielding some new information. The search for the fossils is currently settling on a Chinese shopping centre parking lot and if recovered would allow modern forensic approaches to look deeper into the origins of humanity from the worlds 'oldest' missing person case.] Smokehead running scores: Smokehead Single Malt: 3/5 Smokehead High Voltage: 3.5/5 Smokehead Rum Rebel: 2.75 *** Original review 26th of June 2022 N: Islay peat is undeniable, some iodine and fresh seaweed, chargrilled pineapple. P: savoury. Bacon and darkness. Thick caramel stickyness. Salty brine. F: prickly but long. Waxy with light vanilla notes and residual wafts of smoke. Flavours are perhaps punctuated and not well rounded/balanced but perfectly enjoyable. If on offer/discount would be a pleasant everyday smoky sipper. 3/5 Distiller whisky taste #32106.99 AUD per Bottle
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Smokehead High Voltage
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2023 (edited April 28, 2024)Danger! High Voltage! I believe it is a requirement of drinking this liquid that Electric Six needs to be playing. The Smokehead Single Malt was an enjoyable entry into this slightly gimmicky mini series of NAS, no distillery identification, and skull adorned bottlings. Now, the “High Voltage” cask strength release has me hopeful for something a level above the last - given the tag line of an all out attack on your senses. N: When we touch, this to our nose there is a recognisable thickening over the regular Smokehead, packed with a rubbery and mulchy phenolic profile. A yeasty bread joins with pepper and ash to produce something altogether a bit musty. An interesting (but not necessarily good) mineralic feel similar to a metalworks is in there somewhere. P: When we kiss, there is a punchy arrival with a thick bacon grease type texture. Barley and a toffee-cream are early, with a monstrous dose of pepper. Once you can get past that pepper there is the ashy-granular texture and presence of smoke, a little apple and caramel, and some waxy herbs from the bbq (PSA: season your grills with rosemary and thyme). Is there a medicinal brine here also, yes, but not as noticeable as the standard Smokehead. F: Long. Pepper transitions to chilli. Mineralic brine and an ashy texture. A pleasant smoke remains long after everything else has drifted off, to the gates of hell. Unsurprisingly this is a big punchy step up from the original Smokhead. However, rather than being an electrifying and vibrant delivery of the core expression it is a heavy handed and aggressive side step. There are some pleasant and interesting things on the nose, and the textures on the palate are mostly fine. But, some mineralic and metallic notes and grainy textures do slip through. I suspect these elements are a younger spirit that was slightly more subdued in the lower ABV release. The ABV here, fortunately doesn’t come across as raw spirit or intrusive ethanol burn; but it does amp up the pepper-chilli heat to an almost uncomfortable finish. A reasonably hard hit of water allows some of the brash features to subside enough to allow a delicious salted caramel through and that does redeem it somewhat. However, water also seems to have allowed some more metallic astringency through. An interesting but not electrifying pour that for the Australian market has a competitive price point for a cask strength. On special it goes as low as AUD$99, or can be up to AUD$125. So surely the responsible purchase for a high ABV smoky single malt is Port Charlotte 10 (50% ABV) at $109-115?! Distiller whisky taste #159 [Pictured here with another skull for a skull branded whisky. This time its a big skull for a big whisky: Australopithecus boisei, the ‘Nutcracker Man’. This chap was discovered in 1959 from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and represents a unique branch on the hominid evolutionary tree from 1.75 million years ago, with a wide concave face, massive molars (4x larger than ours), huge sagittal crest and zygomatic arches. This early ancestor was designed for powerful chewing. Despite the name nutcracker man, it is likely that these guys were designed for eating grass much like modern Gelada baboons.] Smokehead running scores: Smokehead Single Malt: 3/5 Smokehead High Voltage: 3.5/5112.99 AUD per Bottle -
Smokehead Islay Single Malt
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed February 24, 2023 (edited June 15, 2023)One of the best things about the holiday period, I have newly discovered, is the availability of distillery miniature tasting packs, or rather, the post holidays sales price. I managed to pick up a three pack of Smokeheads for a meagre AUD$20. A nice cheap little foray into mysterious (*cough* Caol Ila *cough*) Islay sourced peated malts. I’m quite keen to revisit the Rum Rebel, which I had some time ago, but I have no expectations of the other two in the box and am happy to go along for the ride here. N: A slightly oily arrival with pleasantly phenolic and maritime (wet seaweed and brine) character. The peat is undeniable and permeates everything with a strong rubber and lesser ashy wood smoke profile. Softer elements of malt are here as buttered, toasted brioche. The longer I give this the more a light apple juice sweetness comes out. Nothing here smacks me about as you may be led to believe with packaging adjectives like ‘monstrous’, rather this is actually quite restrained and enjoyable. P: A soft and juicy arrival with good body. There is a rapid development of lightly honied maltiness that then gets flooded wth a strongly ashy (and perhaps mineralic?) smoke, a medicinal and slightly peppery to chilli like envelope comes in towards the end. A simple progression, but not uninteresting. The juicy sweetness, albeit generic, is refreshing against the somewhat one dimensional smoke if you concentrate on it. The brininess front he nose is just about here but it gets interrupted by a late spirit presence that somewhat detracts from the overall palate. F: Long. Ashy, briny and a little mineralic, plenty of chilli spice. Ok ok ok, I’m not disappointed. It would be unreasonable to expect much from an almost novelty branded NAS mystery malt at an aggressively low price for my Australian market; but you get plenty. Enjoyable nose, reasonable but slightly young palate, good texture, and a lasting finish. The official score here of 69 is unwarranted, the average user score seems to come out at a reasonable conclusion. An acceptable, perfectly enjoyable, no nonsense peat focused dram. A good introduction to Islay; probably not. But, a good one for fans of smokey cocktails or when you don’t want to think about your smoky pour, absolutely. I am now reminded though that JW Double Black exists for this exact purpose (in my books), and its a touch cheaper, a little more interesting, and probably my preferred option. Distiller whisky taste #158 [Pictured here with a skull for a skull branded whisky. This skull is a replica of the famous ‘Lucy’ the ~40% complete fossil of a female Australopithecus afarensis found in the Afar valley of Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy’s other name, is Dinkinesh, which in the local Amharic language means ‘you are marvellous’. This beautiful lady is 3.2 million years old and demonstrates an important part of the evolutionary story of modern man; that bipedalism developed prior to rapidly increasing brain sizes.]69.99 AUD per Bottle -
Highland Park Valfather
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed February 19, 2023 (edited February 22, 2023)My last Highland Park was back on the 7th January, the end of a pretty long series exploring the main offerings of HP, part of that series begun in October 2022 when @cascode sent me a dram of Valknut, an intense and complex pour that I enjoyed greatly. I was excited then to get my hands on the first in the ‘Val’ series (officially Viking Legends), the Valkyrie. Fifteen HPs later and the Valfather still escaped me. Not anymore, the great @cascode has come to the rescue and delivered me a fantastic batch of samples including Valfather. As became a bit of a tradition during my HP series… let’s check in with Clementine from marketing. Clementine is on work experience and hopes one day to be a social media influencer: “Valfather is inspired by Odin, the mightiest and most complex of the Norse gods, who’s associated with wisdom, sorcery, poetry, death, wolves, and ravens. An intriguingly complex figure, it only follows that this whisky should be just as complex…Winning Gold in the 2020 World Whisky Awards, Valfather is our most peated whisky to date, reflecting Odin’s power. Matured entirely in our finest refill casks to ensure that all that peat is balanced with subtle layers of flavour and character to mirror the ethereal and lighter feel of Valhalla, Odin’s hall. The packaging for the whole series was created by Jim Lyngvild, a Danish designer and artist of international renown, whose great grandfather 36 generations ago was Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the first Earl of the Orkney Islands.” Eugh, 36 generations ago I’m pretty sure we can all claim some fame somewhere! Anyway, the smokiest HP to date? Am I going to be drinking heavy and ashy liquid smoke like Valkyrie, or something stacked with HP heather florals like the standard age statements? Let’s find out… N: Slight ethanol sting to an otherwise phenolic richly pear opening. Slightly sour green cooking apples and wonderfully thick floral smoke. A lightly vanilla and nutmeg spiced undercurrent builds as the ethanol slightly clears in the glass. The smoke changes to slightly more ashy over time. Sadly the raw spirit twang never completely clears. P: Thump. A big and brash arrival of tingling slightly sulphurous embers, a metallic tinge and pepper with a main thread of juicy apple(?). A surprisingly thin mouth feel then for such an almighty industrial open. Behind the borderline harsh initial notes there is some vanilla cream, brown sugar, and beautiful floral-perfumed heathers and cedar. Perhaps a citrus spritzed marzipan? And a smoky-salty note just appears at the back end. F: Medium. Florals shine but black pepper dominates with a just too warm presence. The slight metallic tinge creeps back in as does some juicy sweetness. Woah. This is one heck of a rollercoaster. The peat is certainly ramped up but where I was expecting dark and ashy like Valkyrie I found instead what I think is the most intensely floral-perfumed whisky I’ve tasted to date. I love HP florals. But, what I really don’t like in whisky is two things: (1) is sulphurous tones (learned that from Glenrothes), and (2) Loch Lomond. I think some slightly younger and untamed HP has snuck in the blend here and presents as raw ethanol spirit on the nose and sulphurous-metallic tinges in the palate. It’s noticeable enough that it detracts from what is an evolving and complexly layered dram. Whilst my score likely doesn’t reflect my negative points, Valfather does rank below the other two in the series. I just love these florals too much to drag it down lower. A highly enjoyable and challenging dram that rounds out a really excellent three part set from Highland Park. Thanks again @cascode. Slaite! [Pictured here with another Viking themed rock, this time a Mylonite from Lom, Norway. How fast does a fault move? About a mile-a-night! This rock with its stretched and streaky appearance was formed during the Scandanavian Calodenides; an intense period of mountain building that occurred during the collision of the ancient continents Baltica and Laurentia. Although tectonic plates smashing together would cause compression, extension in the hinterlands due to mountain collapse resulted in the formation of a ductile fault/shear zone that stretched and smeared rocks into these ropy mylonitic fabrics.] Distiller whisky taste #157 HP Running ranking: 10: 3.75 12: 4 15: 4.25 18: 4.75 25: 4.75 Valknut: 4.25 Valkyrie: 4.25 Valfather: 4 Dragon Legend: 3.25 Voyage of the Raven: 3.5 Spirit of the Bear: 3.25 Loyalty of the Wolf: 2.75 Wings of the Eagle: 4 The Light: 4.25 The Dark: 5 Mjolner: 4.5139.99 AUD per Bottle -
Bimber Apogee XII Pure Malt Whisky
Blended Malt — England
Reviewed February 18, 2023 (edited July 10, 2023)A somewhat disappointing run with Londons Bimber Distillery has come to an end with todays pour of Apogee XII. This release, is a blend of single malts from Speyside and the Highlands, aged for at least 12 years. After blending, the whisky was given an extra rest in the spice forward ex-bourbon casks that had also previously been used to mature Bimber's single malt whisky. Apparently the tactile bottle it comes in was designed to resemble the surfaces of Bimbers small copper pot stills. I don’t have a bottle, only this sample, so let’s finish this series off… N: opening on new oak and a hefty dose of honied pear there are undertones of warmth from dry ginger, malty biscuit, and perhaps even the lightest balsamic perfume. The longer I smell this the more the honey transforms towards heftier brown sugar. P: Light syrupy mouthfeel with a bright pear and apricot body. Lovely vibrancy of pepper, menthol and perfumed sandalwood/cedar wood. A little caramel silky richness brings a roundness and focusing on those silky notes reveals some mint with the cooling menthol. F: Medium-short. A little lacklustre but generic orchard fruit and oaky spice. Pepper on the exit. I was a bit surprised here. I was expecting a generic sipping whisky, but rather an interesting development of fruit, aromatics, wood, and sugars unfold on the nose and palate. The finish is somewhat lacklustre and the flavours are not really all that remarkable on their own. But, the development, the textures and the enjoyment are all delivered wonderfully. Everything here works well together. Not a bad finish to a majority lacklustre run from Londons Bimber. [Pictured here without a rock again. Instead, just some more Western Australian bush, and the setting sun in an out of focus background] Distiller whisky taste #156 Bimber running scores: ex-Bourbon (batch 2, cask strength): 2.5 re-charred American oak: 2.75 Virgin American oak single cask: 3 Aus Excl. ex-bourbon cask #191: 2.5 Bimber Port cask 39 cask strength: 4.5 Apogee Pure Malt XII: 3.75130.0 AUD per Bottle -
Bimber Single Cask Port Cask #39 Cask Strength
Single Malt — England
Reviewed February 17, 2023 (edited February 18, 2023)The Bimber I have most been looking forward to. Seems like Dariuz has done an excellent job of introducing this one, so I’ll pass over to him: “Back when we were laying down our first casks in 2016 we already knew that we wanted port maturation to become a fourth pillar of our wood policy alongside a mainstay of ex-bourbon, virgin casks and an expanding selection of diverse sherried styles. Our ruby port casks were sourced from the Duoro Valley in Portugal – the birthplace of port, where wine has been made for over two thousand years. And they’ve become amongst our oldest, having been left to mature for an extended time – now being released at nearly five years of age." N: thick, rich, decadent. Lashings of dark jammy fruit, cranberry, dark toffee and light buttery pastries. Leathery opulence, cinnamon and hints of mellow wood spice. A dangerously good nose. P: Thick, gently warming, sticky and syrupy. Blackcurrant, cranberry, green mango, intense mocha chocolatey bitterness, creme brûlée with a particularly hefty sugar crust, leathery tannic wood with a balanced hit of pepper. The palate delivered what the nose promised. That’s a happy outcome. F: Long. Well balanced mocha richness and bitterness, berry sweetness, tannic spice and a juicy presence. Wow, I’m honestly surprised and pleasantly impressed. I have been very judgemental and unimpressed by Bimber (potentially against consensus) until now. Here though, the port cask delivers. Care has clearly been taken in cask selection and the spirit has married wonderfully with the Duoro Valley Port Casks. Excellent work Bimber. I do have one problem though. This is AUD$220. The ever so wonderful Arran Port Finish is AUD$99. That said, the Bimber has some lovely berry flavours and a pastry element that are excellent. Are they an extra $130 excellent though? A tough call. In any case, Bimber knocked this one out of the park. I have said that I feel Bimber has felt too young so far with the American oak varieties. But here, excellence achieved with an open declaration from the distillery that this juice is around five years old. [Pictured here without a rock today. Instead, a tent, a doggo, and some Western Australian bush] Distiller whisky taste #155 Bimber running scores: ex-Bourbon (batch 2, cask strength): 2.5 re-charred American oak: 2.75 Virgin American oak single cask: 3 Aus Excl. ex-bourbon cask #191: 2.5 Bimber Port cask 39 cask strength: 4.5220.0 AUD per Bottle -
Bimber Single Cask #191 Cask Strength Single Malt Australian Edition
Single Malt — England
Reviewed February 16, 2023 (edited February 17, 2023)Here we go again, another Bimber (number four), another American oak offering. This time an Australian exclusive ex-Bourbon. Some Googling has uncovered that Bimber have been offering exclusives for the ‘rest of the world’ since 2021 under their label of ‘Country Collection’. The Australian bottling was taken further with an Australian importer (Wonderland Drinks) taking pick of the barrels; cask #191, for just 252 bottles. Already I’m tired, sounds like up selling under the guise of exclusivity and faux-rarity. But, with an open mind and palate we try… N: A little tickle form high ABV and untamed spirit. Big juicy nose, rich in pear and peachy stone fruit. Buttery softness and plenty of vanilla and pastry shop sensations. The oak is gentle and blends with a fresh cut grass. There is a little young grist lurking about. And I caught one whiff of something a little rancid-vomit; fortunately it didn’t come back. P: Drying and with a notable ABV presence. Black pepper heat, new wood shavings, oaty-mealy grains and malt. Weak pineapple cream, brown sugar-honey sweetness. Hints of citrus spritz. Creamy vanilla. Pepper starts to get in the way after more than a couple of sips. F: Short, banana and malty flavours are quickly gone leaving a long lasting and powerful ABV presence as a wallop of pepper and warmth at the back of the throat. A single dash of water brings chilli into the peppery mix and adds an even dustier-grist presence to the malt profile. The nose is soured by a dash of water. I thought 60% demanded it but I am, as always, an idiot that knows nothing. Directly comparable to the ex-Bourbon (batch 2, cask strength) that I opened my Bimber exploration on. The backbone is identical, the nose here a has a little more oomph but isn’t as enjoyable or summery. The palate, maybe moves towards a sharper and more citrusy profile that the maltier and softer creams of the batch 2. But overall the pros vs cons level out and are by and large the same whisky really, the Australian exclusive is in essence just a single barrel component that didn’t go into the ex-Bourbon cask strength batch. I find it, and its price tag, entirely unnecessary. I have two more Bimbers to go, both in a different direction to the current four. My summary so far: young, aggressive, needing time in the barrel, forgettable but with promise of things to come. My worry is that I am terribly misrepresenting Bimber. Other commentary I have read has been nothing short of exemplary, so what am I missing? [Pictured here with an Australian rock for an Australian exclusive. This rock is a garnet-feldspar-biotite schist from the Irindina Gneiss package of the Harts Range in the Northern Territory. This rock is part of a complex high grade metamorphic succession dating back to 1.75 billion years ago consisting of lots of muddy sediments that got cooked up at over 800 deg C and pressures of up to 10 kbar around 600-475 million years ago. That is to say that this rock is hot schist.] Distiller whisky taste #154 Bimber running scores: ex-Bourbon (batch 2, cask strength): 2.5 re-charred American oak: 2.75 Virgin American oak single cask: 3 Aus Excl. ex-bourbon cask #191: 2.5199.0 AUD per Bottle -
Bimber Single Cask Virgin Cask
Single Malt — England
Reviewed February 12, 2023 (edited February 14, 2023)Third up in my Bimber Mini Series and we move onto the Virgin Oak Single Cask. I have added this to Distiller without paying attention to the batch variants for two reasons: (1) this is a sample and it may not well represent the whole batch based on subsamoling variables, (2) there are unlikely to be many reviews on here for this stuff, so likely better to seek them being kept together. As far as I can tell there is around 1 to 1.5% ABV variance in batches, but otherwise the limited information I’ve uncovered suggests very similar liquids. What I am tasting here is bottle 30/258, from cask 91, bottled on the 30th of June 2020 at 58.1% ABV. N: Thick oozy toffee with a little undertone of barrel char. A creamy nose with apple and ginger, biscuity malt characteristics and a touch of bakery spice. Over time a little wood spice enters the conversation and is a welcome change of tone. The high ABV is not felt. I instantly appreciated this, the richness of the toffee is beautiful. Very simple, but wonderfully done. P: Big, heavy toffee and vanilla, a warm and powerful mouthfeel that is soft and creamy with equal barrel spice and a little raw spirit burn. Rich mocha chocolate adds yet more creaminess whilst balanced slightly by the bitter coffee element of mocha. Wood spice builds with a little drying quality adding pepper, cinnamon, and maybe clove. There is a generic fruity-juiciness that keeps things plump through the mid-palate but not the fresh apples and biscuity promise of the nose. F: Short. Not to much here, some toffee-vanilla continues from the palate and gives way to the peppery heat. I’m not sure what to think of this. There is a notable shift away from the ex Bourbon and re charred offerings. Where there were peach driven characters there is now a dominance of toffee and more nuanced spice notes. I think this Virgin oak is a better rounded liquid than the two that I have had before it, yet has it just become another generic American Oak whisky? I think it may have, and that’s probably a shame. Bimber say “The oak-forward flavours of this cask add both creaminess and spice resulting in a bold but still highly balanced whisky which ably showcases our distinctive spirit character.” But I say, bring back the peaches. (Also the prices for these are obscene. This cask is at £300, #7 is up to £800!) [Pictured here with a kyanite-fuchsite schist from Arusha, Tanzania. This rock formed from ocean floor sediments deposited in an ancient ocean basin that occupied the space where the west coast of Mozambique now rests. When the Mozambique Ocean closed from 700-550 million years ago all the sediments on the ocean floor were metamorphed at high temperatures and pressures to produce some pretty exceptional looking rocks like this one.]⠀ Distiller whisky taste #153 Bimber running scores: ex-Bourbon (batch 2, cask strength): 2.5 re-charred American oak: 2.75 Virgin American oak single cask: 3299.99 GBP per Bottle -
Bimber Re-Charred Oak Casks
Single Malt — England
Reviewed February 9, 2023 (edited February 13, 2023)About a week ago I sampled my first of London based, Polish distiller Dariusz Plazewski’s Bimber whisky in the form of the ex-bourbon cask. An undeniably young whisky with lots of promise. It was to me, a middling introduction to another English distillery that wants to throw hands with the Scots. Tonight is Bimbers second release, matured entirely in re-charred American oak casks and released as 5000 bottles with 51.9% ABV. Apparently these casks were originally purchased as virgin oak by some other distillery and filled without charing. Liquid removed Bimber did the charing and filling. So recharred is a bit of a misnomer. Recharged though, certainly. N: I am bowled over by an immediate torrent of fresh grilled peaches; absolutely uncanny. Vanilla and caramelised brown sugar, spritzes of orange, lightly floral like a spring meadow with a hint of fresh grass. Woody herbs like thyme sneak in. With enough time the wood becomes slightly peppery. I may be imagining things but there is a sponge cake or warm corn bread like aspect to this also. P: A good viscosity, thick, and with a presence of heat that will wake you up. Brown sugar caramel, nutmeg and cinnamon spiciness verging on harsh black pepper. Nuttiness, malt, a little generic stone fruit sweetness. The spiciness builds and detracts over time, which is a shame as I am getting to the soft chocolate and fresh citrus underneath. F: Medium-long. Lasting pepper and cinnamon heat turning ever so slightly towards a chilli heat. Vanilla and creme brulee are subtle undertones. Nose is like the ex bourbon but cranked up past 11 into the territory of 12. The spritz of orange, dialled up florals and dialled down sickliness of the grass I find blend beautifully with the thick presence of charred peaches. The peppery spice has been added to since the ex-bourbon in quite a disagreeable fashion. I struggle to get behind this palate and find it difficult to really talk about. There are a couple of reveiws out there that I have found that describe this as texture driven and with well defined flavours that are too easily drinkable. Perhaps, as I always suspect, my perception is incorrect? Or, perhaps this really doesn’t agree with me? Yet, I think the nose is wonderful, really excellent stuff and a big step up from the ex-Bourbon. The fresh char, in my mind, is struggling to battle with an aggressive spicy profile of a young spirit. The promise continues… [Pictured here with a spotty blue lump of ‘K2 Granite’. K2 Granite, as the name suggests hails from K2, the worlds second highest mountain in the Skardu area of northern Pakistan. This granite is spotted with blue azurite, a copper carbonate mineral, that has infilled along grain boundaries in the granite, within tiny fractures, and as a dye penetrating feldspar crystals. The azurite is a secondary mineralisation feature formed after the original granite crystallised from magma] Distiller whisky taste #152
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