Stands Out

Cotswolds Dry Gin

/ / Other Spirits, Review / ,

Cotswolds Dry Gin

46% ABV
$50
Website
Cotswolds Dry Gin

What the Distillery Says

Our Cotswolds Dry Gin is a delectable blend of nine carefully-considered botanicals, including local lavender from nearby Snowshill and freshly-peeled pink grapefruit and lime zest. Due to the unusually high volume of botanicals we use, our gin causes a beautiful pearlescent cloud to appear when ice or tonic is added. To make the ultimate Cloudy G&T, mix with premium tonic water, lots of ice and garnish with a bay leaf and a slice of pink grapefruit.

The finest ingredients
Juniper berries, coriander seed and angelica root form the classic foundation for our London Dry-style Gin. We then add Cotswold lavender from nearby Snowshill and bay leaves. The citrus element comes from freshly-peeled lime and pink grapefruit zest – unusually we use fresh peels rather than dried because of the greater quantity of essential oils. This entails peeling several hundred limes and grapefruits per week, by hand! The final botanicals are cardamom seed and black peppercorn, to give a hint of spice.

Lovingly crafted
Quantity matters. We put about 10x the average volume of botanicals used to make most premium gins in our copper pot still. This process creates the richest possible flavours and mouthfeel due to the high proportion of essential oils and botanical extract. These flavour-rich oils are the reason our gin goes from clear to cloudy when tonic or ice is added. The pearlescent glow, also known as a ‘louche’, happens because we choose not to chill-filter our gin to remove the oils as this would reduce the rich flavour and mouthfeel.

What do we mean by purity? It’s what we throw away that makes what we keep so special. The slower we run the stills and the more heads and tails (unpleasant beginning and end of the run) we discard, the purer the gin will taste. Our ‘heart cut’ is rested for 5 days to allow the flavours to marry. The only thing added before bottling is demineralised water to reduce the strength. This process, known as ‘single-shot distillation’, creates a superior gin. We never ‘stretch’ the batch by adding more neutral spirit (known as ‘multi-shot’), so the gin we distil is the gin you drink.

Tasting notes
Nose: Fresh notes of grapefruit with earthy coriander backed-up by sweet, piney juniper. A hint of perfumed Cotswold lavender.
Palate: Clean, pine juniper spice with fresh citrussy grapefruit. A touch of dryness from the angelica root, with eucalyptus notes from bay leaf. Subtle lime and lavender.
Finish: Clean and balanced. Juniper, citrus and some cooling notes from bay leaf and cardamom.

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Gin (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Lavender, lime, pink grapefruit, botanicals, pine and a hint of juniper.
Palate:  Lime, lavender, pink grapefruit and a bit of pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, with lime and grapefruit.
Comments:  Usually the nose and palate of spirits are similar, but I was struck by how nearly perfectly aligned they were in this case. I haven’t been a fan of gin; not sure what I had tried before but it left me feeling like gin was just a juniper bomb (probably how someone who hadn’t ever had whisky and tried Laphroaig might think all whisky is like chewing on peat!) This was a refreshing education. I still get this “cleaning product” vibe, but that isn’t meant to be negative (again – Laphroaig has notes of bandaids and earthy peat, which wouldn’t sound appealing – but I love it!) This was the first of three samples I tried, and was the most complex and my favorite.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Compass Box Orchard House

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Compass Box Orchard House
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$51
Website
Compass Box Orchard House Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

Fruit-forward & spirit-driven
What is more universally delicious than ripe fruit? Even the greatest chefs have been known to serve a simple dish of strawberries or a single, perfect peach as a dessert.

Orchard House gathers together some of the fruitiest malts Scotland has to offer, including whiskies from the Linkwood and Clynelish distilleries; what’s more, we have sourced many of these whiskies as new spirit and laid them down in our own oak casks. This, our monument to fresh fruitiness in Scotch whisky, has been many years in the making.

When neat or poured over a large ice cube, Orchard House makes for an outstanding pre-dinner malt. It will ably partner amber and pale ales, as well as swathes of soft cheeses. Welcome to our home among the fruit trees – the door is unlocked.

TECHNICAL DETAILS: Natural colour | Not chill-filtered

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Aromas of apple and pear dominate, with hints of pineapple, lemon and lime zest, and Earl Grey tea. Take a sip and note the malty and gingery flavours. These are soon joined by honey, wild strawberries and vanilla shortbread.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruity and floral, green apples, poached pears, hint of lemon zest and apple cider.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with peaches and cream, apples, vanilla, pears, nutmeg and honey.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with fruit and subtle mulling spice notes.
Comments:  This is delicious, and dangerously drinkable. It has a really nice fall vibe, with some apple cider – perfect for this time of year. I picked this one up at the same time as Compass Box Canvas, and I liked this almost as much as that – but like the price point on this way more. It doesn’t have the same mouthfeel (which I wouldn’t expect), but if you’re a Compass Box fan – I’d definitely give this one a try.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Compass Box Canvas

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Canvas
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$140
Website
Compass Box Canvas Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

Whisky is our Canvas; what’s yours?
This is an exceedingly colourful and vibrant Scotch whisky, thanks to a parcel of single malt re-racked into experimental barrels for three years.

Seasoned with Vino Naranja (Spanish fortified wine infused with orange peel), these unusual casks bring new shades of deliciousness to Canvas with their chocolatey richness and sticky marmalade fragrance.

Single malts from the Tomatin, Glenburgie, Glen Elgin and Imperial distilleries, all aged in American oak, bring further generous flavours of custard, honey and frangipane. Rather than restrained watercolours, this is a work in decadent oil paints.

TECHNICAL DETAILS: Natural colour | Not chill-filtered | A limited edition of 5,880 bottles | June 2021.

FLAVOUR PROFILE: The gloriously waxy and citrusy nose is followed by forest honey and vanilla shortbread notes on the palate. Flavours of nutmeg, cardamom and chocolate intertwine in the long-lasting finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty, waxy and meaty, blood oranges with herbal/savory notes, orange bitters, hints of currants and black tea.
Palate:  Rich and thick mouthfeel, sweet with honey, subtle dark fruits with figs and oranges, nutmeg and cocoa.
Finish:  Moderately long and slightly drying with fruit and a hint of pepper.
Comments:  This is a nice dram. The nose is subtle, and the orange influence is evident but not forceful. It has a really nice body and mouthfeel, although there are a lot of Compass Box limited editions I’d pick up over this one for similar price. A bit of water brings out the fruit even more, with an orange marmalade note on the palate. Don’t get me wrong – this is a really nice dram, but maybe I’ve been spoiled with others that for me had more depth and complexity. Or this just isn’t in my wheelhouse.

The components consist of nearly 60% coming from 13 yr Tomatin barrels (43% refill bourbon barrel and 11% Vino Naranja barrels), followed by nearly 25% from 14 yr first fill bourbon barrels from Glenburgie, 15% from 18 yr recharred American Oak hogsheads from Glen Elgin, and 6% from 24 yr first fill bourbon barrels from Imperial.

Rating: Stands Out

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John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend
Blended Scotch Whisky

51% ABV
$75
Website
John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend

What the Blender Says

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend honors the past whilst being an invitation to raise a glass to the next 200 years.

2020 marks 200 years since John Walker first opened the doors to a small grocery store in rural Scotland, setting in motion a chain of events that would change the world of Scotch whisky forever. This is a limited edition release inspired by our first commercial blend ‘Old Highland Whisky’ the first of our whiskies to be exported from Scotland to the four corners of the world.

As John Walker opened the doors to his grocery store two hundred years ago, we invite you to do the same when you open this celebratory Scotch whisky blend to unveil the historic image of where our journey began.

A lot has changed since those early days, but our entrepreneurial spirit remains the same.

THE STORY BEHIND THE JOHN WALKER & SONS CELEBRATORY BLEND LIMITED EDITION

The John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend is inspired by a breakthrough moment, the release of ‘Old Highland Whisky’ in the 1860s, which was created primarily for export and became the first of our whiskies to travel from Scotland to the four corners of the world. With more whisky being sold overseas, the iconic design of the square bottle and uniquely slanted label were distinct and helped the name stand out against other whiskies.

“John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend is a sensorial journey featuring notes of sweet dried raisins, subtle spice and marzipan, which develop into hints of roasted nuts, icing sugar sweetness and gentle peat, with a soft pepper finish. It celebrates an historic moment in the our story.”
– Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker Master Blender

FLAVOR
NOSE: On the nose this whisky has sweet dried raisins, subtle spice and marzipan.
PALATE: The palate develops hints of roasted nuts, icing sugar sweetness and gentle peat.
FINISH: The finish is soft pepper.

(whisky advocate notes)
This spicy concoction, inspired by John Walker’s original Old Highland Whisky, has a nose of marzipan, candied peel, raisin, marmalade, aromatic spices, pepper, and ginger loaf, with a trace of cool smoke and peppermint. The strength and pepperiness give this plenty of clout, with a flavor unique among Johnnie Walker whiskies: brown sugar, hazelnut, royal icing on wedding cake, nuts, pepper, clove, peat, and blackened fruitcake.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruit notes with raisins and apricots, caramel, chocolate, subtle vegetal notes with peat.
Palate:  Rich and thick, dark fruit with toffee, caramel, chocolate, spice notes kicking in with nutmeg, cinnamon, hazelnuts, allspice and pink peppercorn.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with dark fruit, honey and spice.
Comments:  One of the better Johnnie Walker (I know – this is ‘John Walker’) blends I’ve tried. Appreciate the higher ABV, although drinks nicely neat. Takes a bit of water well, opening up the fruit notes more with some apples and pears peeking in. A nicely balanced dram!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Chattanooga Whiskey Tawny Port Cask Finish

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Chattanooga Whiskey Tawny Port Cask Finish
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port Casks

47.5% ABV
$45
Website
Chattanooga Whiskey Port Finished

What the Distillery Says

Barrel Finishing Series
Proof: 95 (47.5% ABV)
Mash Bill: B001, B005, SB055, R18025, R18106 & R17113
Cooperage: 53 gal, toasted & charred oak barrels
Filtration: Non-chill
Finish: Tawny Port Barrels
Finishing Time: Greater than 6 months
Age: Greater than 3 years
Batch Size: 6-7 barrels
Tasting Notes: Fig jam, blackberries, chocolate syrup, toasted oak, raisin. Full-bodied, with a layered, sweet wine finish.

Our limited edition finishing series celebrates the union of Tennessee High Malt into a variety of classic finishing casks. Crafted from a combination of unique bourbon mash bills, each containing over 25% specialty malt, each batch is made to complement the flavor characteristics of the finishing barrel.

For our first finish, our distillers sought out one of the most famous fortified wines of Portugal, Tawny Port. Our finishing casks come from the eastern most edge of the famous Douro valley bordering Spain, known as Duoro Superior. This region yields some of the highest quality Tawny Ports of the region, noted for their rich, caramel-sweet, fruit-forward characteristics.

To highlight and enhance the qualities of these finishing barrels, our distillers brought together a custom blend of 6 Tennessee High Malt mash bills, selected together for their fruity wine-line flavors and aromas. Aged for over 3 years, including 6 months in the Tawny Port casks, the result is a celebration of one of the world’s most iconic wine styles alongside our very own Tennessee High Malt.

Featured Mash Bills:
B001 – Dried Fruit, Spice
B005 – Butterscotch, Pastry
SB055 – Chocolate, Brown Sugar
R18025 – Caramel, Honey, Citrus
R18016 – Toasted Oak, Red Fruit
R17113 – Dried Fruit, Jam

What Gary Says

Nose:  Port wine with fruit notes, raisins, caramel, oak.
Palate:  Sweet, port forward with caramel, vanilla, subtle mineral note with pepper spice.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with port, oak and pepper.
Comments:  I do like port finished whiskey, but this felt a bit heavy handed for me. I tried this next to Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels, which I enjoyed. I found that to be better balanced with the port influence being clearly present, but not overdone. That said, if you like a heavier finish influence, this might be right up your alley, although if I had $50 and was looking for a port finished bourbon – I’d go with the Bowman. I did enjoy the Chattanooga Whiskey 1816 Cask Unfiltered Barrel Proof Bourbon, so I’ll try more of their stuff and look forward to future releases.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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