That Boutique-y Whisky Company | That Boutique-y Advent Calendar Days 12 – 15
Ho ho ho!! Time for a little review of days 12 – 15 of that Boutique-y Whisky Advent Calendar. We have been travelling around a bit the past few days from Longmorn to Ireland… time for a dram after all that!!
Day 12 – Longmorn – 10 year old – Batch 3 – 48.3% vol.
Longmorn distillery is a stones throw from BenRiach distillery and the keen eyed should be able to spot it from the road on your way past.
From their website we can find this information about the label drawn by Emily Chappell:
“Back in 1894, the Longmorn distillery was founded in Speyside. Four years later, the founder John Duff founded a second distillery a couple hundred metres from Longmorn, called Longmorn 2: Electric Boogaloo (maybe not that last part, but it was called Longmorn 2 until it became BenRiach). The two distilleries worked together, and eventually had a private railroad built between them to transport barley, peat and other sundries. In fact, if you visit Longmorn today, you’ll find a steam engine in the distillery – a sneak peek of which you can see on our Longmorn label”.
The Whisky
Victoria sponge cake and vanilla initially. A nice spicy nose and it’s quite light and floral…a drizzle of honey. Also, there’s a hint of orange… lots of sweet notes.
Lots of sweetness greets the palate, with caramel and a lot of warming spices. This is really quite fruity with a bitterness to it (not a bad thing.) It’s a little drying. The finish is woody…spices leave a lingering warmth.
Day 13 – Ben Nevis –23 year old – Batch 10 – 48% vol.
Ben Nevis Distillery is in Fort William, Lochaber. Nestled I guess you could say at the foot of Ben Nevis… should you decide to climb Ben Nevis, then enjoy the breathtaking views from the summit (should the weather be on your side.)
Back in the mid nineties I actually climbed Ben Nevis (1,345 m and the highest mountain in the British Isles) twice in the space of a month, and three times within the same year… but only once was I treated to those spectacular views.
The Whisky
So, I think this is my second Ben Nevis dram that I have tried, the nose had quite a strange kind of metallic scent briefly, but it’s fruity. Sort of getting a biscuity note. A little waxy…sweet but not too sweet.
Kind of getting a waxy note initially. There’s some nice fruit, but it feels like it flattens on the palate…mocha bitterness.. plenty of spice mulling around. Getting some citrus too.
The finish is warming and a little citrusy.
Day 14 – Irish Single Malt – 13 year old – Batch 2 – 48.4% vol.
My lovely horse… drink, feck, arse, girls… down with this sort of thing !! It’s all gone a bit Father Ted as the money was only resting in my bank account. Day 14 is the Irish Single Malt.
The Whisky
The nose, well this has me feeling fruity… strawberries and apples, vanilla biscuits. And it’s fresh and almost like being outside lying on the grass, probably on Craggy Island.
The palate is fruit again, and sweetness. A deep richness with cake spices. And a little woody spice creeping in… it’s quite a pleasant mouthful, as the Bishop said to the actress…
The finish is ginger and spices…ever so slightly drying. A kiss of fruit too.
I would say go on, go on, go on, go on….buy it, but sadly it is sold out.
Day 15 – Islay #3 – 13 year old – Batch 4 – 48.6% vol.
Day 15 is from Islay and the label has gone back to the future, if you read the t-shirts, you’ll see not only are they names of Islay distilleries, but they also spell Living Room Whisky.
“Jon and Mike from LivingRoom Whisky celebrating their sci-fi-tastic victory at That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s “Islay Ultra Competition Showdown Throwdown Extravaganza To The Extreme Lucky Best Time.”
I am also luck to have a large canvas of this (which I won, hanging in my kitchen.)
The Whisky
Leather notes and Savlon… greet the senses. It’s like being sat beside a bonfire, some apples and mixed fruit wrapped in foil cooking in the embers add some sweetness.
The palate, woah… the fruit has soaked up that smokiness from the fire. It’s sweet, but there’s a lot of warmth in the mouth. The smoky flavours remain on the palate… with a little sourness too.
Many thanks to Atom Brands for this Boutique-y Whisky Advent Calendar.
For alternative thoughts on these whiskies, visit ocdwhisky.com
ilovewhisky 