I’ve certainly missed being in London for work and finishing the day with a Woodford Reserve on the rocks. It became synonymous with the end of a long shoot in town and was the precursor to getting on the train back home. I look forward to being able to do this again soon…hopefully.
I’ve become more interested in Whiskey \ Whisky over the last few years and had the privilege of working with some fantastic brands who have furthered my education in this field. Whilst I still don’t know nearly enough I thought it was still worth talking about and going through what I have at the moment on the shelf. It’s only brief but here’s an introduction to my collection
The Dalmore. A 5 star rating on the Whisky Exchange tells you all you all you need to know really…well except for it doesn’t tell you about how attractive the bottle is. The stag logo across the face of the bottle gives it a really premium feel and look in my opinion and it’s a great choice both for taste and visually to any collection and bar cart. I recently purchased a bottle of this to gift my Dad it’s a sweet scotch that tastes great just how it is.
Johnnie Walker is a classic and the name has great brand recognition, something I’m a big fan of… the whisky isn’t too bad either. In that classic style, JW Black Label has the smooth and smoke finish that gives it a timeless appeal. I’m going to be adding blue label to the bar very soon I just need to get through a few bottles first.
Singleton (Malt Master’s Selection) – Whilst I like my whisky straight, I do enjoy an Old Fashioned and other Whisky mixes such as a mule. Singleton has been one of my go to bottles for mixing and I can’t for the life of me remember why. However, I wouldn’t change this as it’s served me well over the years a great selection of singleton whisky can be found online it’s worth a browse.
Tomatin Highland Single Malt – I am yet to try this so if anyone has any knowledge or thoughts before I do then let me know. pending….
Here we have the 14 year old Aberlour. Now this I really like, from a flavour perspective I really get the orange zest and the mocha coffee coming through. I’m not sure whether it’s just me but regardless it’s a personal favourite and one I’d recommend. I’m going to go as far as saying it’s in my top 3 single malt scotch whisky’s.
Aultmore – I had the pleasure a while back to work with World Duty Free on their Whisky Festival ( always keep an eye out for these hidden gems ). One of the products I worked was this unique 22 year old double cask Sassicaeia. It’s description is “Incredibly smooth, notes of butter toffee, creamy vanilla, concentrated floral aromas and delicate oak.” This I’ve translated as “really damn good”. It has a very small batch count which sits it within my “special occasion” bracket for those celebratory evenings.
Jameson – Another classic! You can’t go wrong with a Jameson. Strong brand heritage and it’s the best selling Irish whiskey around the world for a reason.
Nikka Whisky From The Barrel is the first in this list from Japan. It is really strongly recommended from a number of review sites and was kindly purchased for me from a freind. I really like the elegance and simplicity of the bottle design it’s completely new and different to the traditional whisky bottle approach you usually see. There’s a slight spice to this that kicks in after a few seconds, it’s best served with a large ice ball in my opinion and of course that is nothing more than an opinion.
The Yamazaki is the second Japanese whisky on the list. I’ve overdone the heritage point I know but just to really hammer it home, the calligraphy on the bottle was originally done by Keizo Saji who was the pioneer of the Yamazaki distillery. I really like these stories and touch on a brand’s history. I’ve only had a glass of this to date so I can’t share to much on my personal experiences however it has been suggested to me via some friends who also enjoy a glass or three on an evening.
Finally the classic and in many ways my go to order – The Woodford Reserve. Served on the rocks, with a zest of orange if you want to add something. I tend to like just one large ice cube with Woodford. My manager got me into Woodford and I think it’s a great starting point for anyone looking to try Whiskeys. Then move onto the double oaked…that’s even better!
Stay safe
Dalmore – HERE
Johnnie Walker Black Label – HERE
Singleton Malt Master – HERE
Tomatin – HERE
Aberlour – HERE
Aultmore – HERE
Jameson – HERE
Nikka – HERE
The Yamazaki – HERE
Woodford Reserve – HERE