This month was one of our ever-popular blind tastings where we get to show our
prowess (or, closer to the truth, total lack of prowess) in guessing where a whisky
originates from. Some, foolishly, even try to guess the distillery and the bottling. We
don’t set the bar too high and feel a certain amount of pride in at least getting the
planet right. If we accidentally stumble on the right country that’s bragging rights.
Occasionally someone will get the right distillery and be accorded the SWC Smart
A*** of the month award. It doesn’t happen too often.
The bottles were selected by Debbie, wife of Black Horse Paul, and even the theme
was kept a secret (dropping a couple of hints about Brexit might have helped us just
a teeny bit, Debbie).
Number 1 – A bit of a sherry bomb this one, like drinking liquid Christmas pudding.
Rich, sweet and complex with some subtle spices towards the end. One to
accompany a comfy armchair and a roaring log fire.
And it is – ZUIDAM MILLSTONE 2010 hailing from The
Netherlands. A limited edition single malt matured in both
Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Bottled at 46%
ABV and selling for around £70 a bottle.
Number 2 – Light and refreshing with green apples, ripe pears, a touch of vanilla
and some white pepper on the finish. This one cries out for sunshine and a
deckchair.
And it is – MACKMYRA MOMENT PRESTIGE all the way
from Sweden. An eleven year old aged in casks of French
oak that previously held Champagne. Bottled at 46.1% ABV
and selling for around £91 a bottle
Number 3 - Hints of ozone, orange zest, some sweetness and a hint of smoke. Very
clean tasting with warm spices and vanilla at end. Keep that deck chair handy.
SWC MEET 12 January 2021
And it is – BEVERBACH SINGLE MALT from Germany.
Made from a combination of malted barley and malted wheat
and finished in brandy casks. Bottled at 43% and selling for
around £49 a bottle
Number 4 – Lightly smoked kippers, sweetness, a little salt. Oily in the mouth,
smoke and sweet spices with a medium length smoky finish. Chaise longue and
slippers for this one.
And it is – KORNOG ROC’H HIR from nos amis across the
channel (that’ll be France then). A peated single malt finished
in Bourbon casks bottled at 46% and selling at around £66 a
bottle.
So how did we rate them?
Kornog Roc’h Hit in first place, closely followed by Zuidam Millstone (very little
between them). In third was the Mackmyra Prestige and finishing last was the
Beverbach.
And how did we do?
Debbie set us quite a challenge in identifying these whiskies and won hands down. It
would be fair to say we didn’t even get close! The theme for the tasting “SO LONG,
FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, GOODBYE – EU IT’S BEEN A BLAST!”
Nice one Debbie.
SWC Virtual (online) blind tasting 12th Jan 21
prowess (or, closer to the truth, total lack of prowess) in guessing where a whisky
originates from. Some, foolishly, even try to guess the distillery and the bottling. We
don’t set the bar too high and feel a certain amount of pride in at least getting the
planet right. If we accidentally stumble on the right country that’s bragging rights.
Occasionally someone will get the right distillery and be accorded the SWC Smart
A*** of the month award. It doesn’t happen too often.
The bottles were selected by Debbie, wife of Black Horse Paul, and even the theme
was kept a secret (dropping a couple of hints about Brexit might have helped us just
a teeny bit, Debbie).
Number 1 – A bit of a sherry bomb this one, like drinking liquid Christmas pudding.
Rich, sweet and complex with some subtle spices towards the end. One to
accompany a comfy armchair and a roaring log fire.
And it is – ZUIDAM MILLSTONE 2010 hailing from The
Netherlands. A limited edition single malt matured in both
Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Bottled at 46%
ABV and selling for around £70 a bottle.
Number 2 – Light and refreshing with green apples, ripe pears, a touch of vanilla
and some white pepper on the finish. This one cries out for sunshine and a
deckchair.
And it is – MACKMYRA MOMENT PRESTIGE all the way
from Sweden. An eleven year old aged in casks of French
oak that previously held Champagne. Bottled at 46.1% ABV
and selling for around £91 a bottle
Number 3 - Hints of ozone, orange zest, some sweetness and a hint of smoke. Very
clean tasting with warm spices and vanilla at end. Keep that deck chair handy.
SWC MEET 12 January 2021
And it is – BEVERBACH SINGLE MALT from Germany.
Made from a combination of malted barley and malted wheat
and finished in brandy casks. Bottled at 43% and selling for
around £49 a bottle
Number 4 – Lightly smoked kippers, sweetness, a little salt. Oily in the mouth,
smoke and sweet spices with a medium length smoky finish. Chaise longue and
slippers for this one.
And it is – KORNOG ROC’H HIR from nos amis across the
channel (that’ll be France then). A peated single malt finished
in Bourbon casks bottled at 46% and selling at around £66 a
bottle.
So how did we rate them?
Kornog Roc’h Hit in first place, closely followed by Zuidam Millstone (very little
between them). In third was the Mackmyra Prestige and finishing last was the
Beverbach.
And how did we do?
Debbie set us quite a challenge in identifying these whiskies and won hands down. It
would be fair to say we didn’t even get close! The theme for the tasting “SO LONG,
FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, GOODBYE – EU IT’S BEEN A BLAST!”
Nice one Debbie.
SWC Virtual (online) blind tasting 12th Jan 21
RSS Feed
