Laphroaig, Four Oak, Single Malt Scotch Whisky

enjoy a good murder mystery film but the one that I was watching this evening was so full of potential murderers that it had become deeply confusing. I tried to keep up, but my mental pin board had filled with pictures, red string and notes. I decided that the only way to cut through the plot line was to have a whisky. It may not help but it would make it more pleasurable.  

 Opening a new bottle is always a treat. I am very familiar with Laphroaig (or leapfrog as a friend of mine calls it) but I was curious as to what the four oak part was going to add to the experience. It certainly did not take away the glorious medicinal and slightly smoky aroma that comes from the newly opened bottle.  

I poured some over a couple of ice cubes and settled back into the film. The familiar deep smoky and peaty taste rolled around my mouth and introduced a taste of Scotland into my life.  

There is nothing not to like about this whisky, it tastes exactly as I expected, I still have no idea what the four oaks add, but whatever it is I am glad it is there. 

McHenrys Tasmanian single malt whiskey

Quite a while ago I took a trip to Tasmania and discovered that there are a not insignificant number of distilleries there that produce whiskies of various qualities. One day I visited the McHenrys distillery and spent a pleasant few hours sitting in a garden and sampling their wares. The end result was that I left the place clutching a bottle of what I thought was the best one. I had left it in the cupboard for a long time because sometimes bottled drinks do not travel well. Something happens as they get further form home and the taste I loved becomes something horrible. I hoped this would not be the case for this whiskey  

I finally summoned the courage to open the bottle, the smell of caramel filled the air and hinted that this whisky had travelled. I poured the pale brown liquid into a glass with some ice and took a sip. The combination of caramel and spices hit my pallet. It was as good as it was when I was sitting in that garden when on holiday. The flavours recalled that glorious sunny day. I do not know why I had waited so long to open the bottle 

Benriach, The Twelve, Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

It was the end of the evening, and I was slowing down. My limbs were feeling heavy, and I could feel a cloud of sleep approaching. I felt that I could hasten its approach with a small whisky. At first, I was a little confused, although the label said single malt there was a signature of the head blender on the blurb. I had to actually read the words to discern that it was in fact a single malt and not as I originally thought a blend of twelve whiskies.

I poured the whisky over some ice and inhales the fumes. I could taste a sweet syrup in an almost chewable smell. I knew before a drop touched my lips that I was going to like this one. My thoughts were not wrong. It was so full of flavour, a little like drinking alcoholic toffee that had lots of added flavour.

This was an excellent mild whiskey that needed time to appreciate the vast array of flavours that it unleashed with every sip. It was the perfect end to a tiring day. 

Talisker, Port Ruighe, Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The end of an evening of doing nothing in particular and pretending to watch television needs a nightcap of some sort. The fact that I had brought this whisky a little earlier in the day and was eager to try it had no bearing on my desire for that night cap.  

As I opened the stopper on the new bottle a medical smell filled the air. I knew already that I was going to enjoy this dark amber whisky. I poured it onto the ice and enjoyed the aroma a little longer.  

 I loved the flavour of this whisky, there was peat in there and a strong taste of hospitals and somewhere deep down a bit of caramel. This was for me the perfect drink to end the evening. 

Monkey Shoulder, Blended Whiskey

I like to use Mondays as a day to recover from the weekend. This means doing absolutely nothing that involves any form of effort, even if that effort involved walking to the freezer and getting out some ice blocks. Today had been a very long day of doing nothing and I felt that this success in achieving my weekly goal needed a bowl of olives and a whisky to celebrate.   

 After appreciating the mild toffee and vanilla aroma I poured the pale gold liquid over ice and took a sip. I let the mild sweet caramel taste roll round my mouth while letting it warm me up.  

 This whisky was a beautiful example of a fine blend of Speyside whiskies, worth the effort of going to the fridge for ice 

Paddy’s Irish Whisky

Paddy and I go back a long way. Our friendship started when I went on a trip to Ireland. We met in a Smokey bar where music was played and rounds of stout were accompanied by chasers of Paddy’s. We have been friends ever since, but recently we have been seeing each other less and less. Then one day I found a bottle on a dusty shelf. It was time to rekindle our friendship.

I poured some Paddy’s over ice and sat down in my favourite chair, I put some fold music on and took a sip. I was transported by the sweet whisky back to a time of endless chasers and a stronger constitution.

I still liked the sweet whiskey that ended with a little hollowness but that may have been more for the memories it evoked. It is hard to be objective about an old friend.  

Jamison, Stout edition, Irish whiskey

I like stout and I like whiskey, so a whiskey finished in stout casks was bound to appeal to me. I chose my time carefully. This was a whiskey that I wanted to savour. I felt that the end of the evening after a light meal and whilst enjoying some salted snacks was the best to to get to know this drink a little better.  

As always, I poured the whiskey over ice. I was a little concerned that knowing it had been finished in stout casks would make me believe that I could taste stout in the drink. I took in the aroma first. It smelt like a mild spirit with a hint of chocolate.  

 The mildness came over in the first sip, it was nice and warming but in a soft way with a little bit of dull malty stout lurking in the background. This was a very comforting whiskey and one that I would happily drink all evening. 

Peat’s beast, Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Some evenings I fancy a nice whisky to set me up for bedtime. This evening was one of those evenings. It was cold and damp outside, I could hear rain pounding on the roof and I was sitting in the warmth of a fire. This felt like an occasion for a whisky.

I opened the bottle and was taken to the highlands with the earthy aromas of peat and grass. I poured the pale straw yellow whisky over a couple of ice cubes. It looked even paler in the glass.

I was expecting big things for this whisky and I was not disappointed. The big flavour of the highlands came across the fireyness and left a touch of liquorice that was extinguished by the next sip. I sat in the big chair and enjoyed every moment of this glass of pure pleasure.

Raasay, While We Wait, Single Malt Scotch Whisky

I was tired, it was the end of a long evening of doing things. I sat on the sofa and tried not to fall asleep. I didn’t need a whisky, but I wanted one to finish off the evening. I dragged myself away from the visual wallpaper that is television and cracked open a new bottle. As is my habit, I smelt the freshly opened bottle. I inhaled a mix of sherry and smoky fragrances. It was the smell that said I was going to enjoy this whisky.

I threw a couple of ice cubes into a glass and poured a generous measure if the pale spirit over the ice. I let it stand for a while before taking my first sip. It was absolutely gorgeous. The dry taste of peat mixed with the smoke to produce a riot of wonderful whisky tastes.

I was not expecting this to be as lovely as it was, I feel that I will have a short but intimate relationship with this bottle.

Speyburn, Speyside Single Malt, Scotch Whisky

It was blazing hot outside and I was watching skiing on the television. The skiing made me think of winter and physiologically made me feel cooler. It worked so well that after an hour or so I felt that I needed something to warm me up. That is when the thought of having a whisky entered my head. It helped that I had only just brought a bottle of Speyburn and was looking for an excuse to try some.

I covered the ice cubes in the pale looking whisky and performed my usual sniffing the glass routine to take on board the mild and almost sweet smell of the liquid. It was obvious from this that mild was going to be that name of the game with this one.

I took a sip and rolled the thick and malty liquid around my mouth before letting it provide warmth all the way down. This was a nice mild scotch whisky and ideal to watch skiing with.