Rebel Bourbon Cognac Cask Finish - 45% Nose Brown sugar, vanilla with just a whisper of coconut. Taste Prune, autumnal fruits and vanilla pod. Finish A robust and warming finish that is long lasting, splendid stuff. Ezra Brooks Kentucky Sour Mash Bourbon  -  40% Nose Faint on the nose but given the time it opens up revealing vanilla and orange peel. Taste Apples and oranges, puff pastry Finish Sweetcorn kernels. I was honestly a little disappointed with this, I found this to be a short finish and quite watery. Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky  -  45% Nose Chocolate, caramel and vanilla cheesecake. Taste Black jack (burnt sugar on the top of Crème Brûlée) and is superbly spiced. Finish Lots of vanilla coming back with an upsurge of warmness that stretches beautifully. Old Ezra 7 Year Old Barrel Strength – 58.5% ABV Gorgeous colour on this. Nose Carrot cake, vanilla, toffee apples. Taste Sweet and smarting on the palate, maple syrup a...

I was lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to sample two exquisite bourbons from Lux Row Distillers. Both drams are from America’s Bluegrass State, Kentucky. They are Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon First up, I tried the Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon which has an ABV of 49.5%. Nose: Pear drops, caramel, vanilla & bitter almond oil. Taste: Dark fruits and pepper. This has a thinner mouthfeel than I had hoped for, most likely as a result of the charcoal filtering. It’s a very pleasant and easy to drink bourbon, it goes down effortlessly. Finish: Long and spiced at first, yet little to no burn, which gradually transitions into a subtler, gentler and sugared finish. Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Secondly, I sampled the equally impressive Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon. A wheated bourbon with an ABV of 50%. In order to be labelled a straight bourbon whiskey it is r...

On the evening of October 14th I was lucky enough to have been part of the continually great Tweet Tastings run by The Whisky Wire. This tasting featured Duncan Taylor, an award winning whiskey bottler. Originating in Glasgow before relocating to Huntly, Aberdeenshire in 2002. According to their website, there will soon be a distillery there of their own too! This evenings tasting would be extra special for myself as it would be my first tasting to feature a gin as well as the other three blended scotches to sample. Duncan Taylor also produce Rum as well as the aforementioned whiskey and gin. Politician – 40% ABV Nose: Dark chocolate, gentle burn on the nose, not over powering. Taste: A slice of fruit cake, with real butter on top. Finish: A peppery and slight citrus finish which is long lasting. I added just a drop of water on the third sip and felt that helped with that. This is really well worth checking out at this price. Black Bull 12 Year Old - 50% ABV A gorgeous autumnal colour ...

Much has been written about this greatly admired drink before, for sure. However, I have only recently been able to try this impressive dram from Four Roses. It has flourished since first released and possesses a long list of very successful accolades, the most recent of which came in 2019 (Gold at the Cigar & Spirits World Spirits Competition). At first sight you think, this doesn't even look like a bottle of whiskey. To me, the bottle resembles a bottle of brandy rather than a bottle of bourbon whiskey. This is bottled at 90 proof and only contains bourbon that has been aged for at least five years. Appearance Toffee brown, honeycomb and autumn leaves. Nose Stewed apples,  Fruit cake,  Demerara Sugar,  Vanilla and  Oak. Taste Very smooth at first and then the vanilla and citrus fruits, predominantly Orange zest begin to emerge. Full bodied Finish This has a nice long finish with an abundance of citrus notes as well as some caramel too. Overall I would highly re...

Hyde are independent whiskey bonders based in Skibbereen , County Cork, Ireland. Founded in 2014 by two brothers Conor & Alan Hyde, they blend, mature and finish in hand selected oak casks. These casks are sourced from all over the world. The different range of casks they use include; bourbon, port, rum and sherry. Earlier this month I was lucky enough to sample three different blends and below are my tasting notes. Hyde No.1 President's Cask Appearance Golden honey and aged straw. Nose Given this is matured in a sherry cask there are various sweet smells that tickle the senses the main being caramel. Taste I could taste pears, fudge and a little dried fruit. This registers on the lips and front of the tongue and upper gums, where there are satisfying tingles aplenty. Finish A long and smooth finish with gentle arboraceous notes. Hyde No.1 President's Cask Hyde No.6 President's Reserve The number 6 is  named in honour of the first president of Ireland Douglas Hyde (1860...

My first online tasting experience happened recently, during the Covid 19 lockdown. I was lucky enough to take part in the Lambay Whiskey Tweet Tasting The marketing campaign for this exciting range of Irish Whiskey is second to none, instantly striking. I was thoroughly impressed by the leaflets, promotional items and indeed the website. Naturally, before taking part in the tasting, I wanted to learn a bit more about Lambay Whiskey and Lambay Island. Lambay Whiskey started back in 2018 and has grown increasingly popular amongst critics. In this short amount of time they have been awarded a total of no less than twenty three awards internationally, a haul that is likely to keep growing up for some time. A mere six people inhabit the two and a half square kilometre island of Lambay, which is located just 3 miles off the coast of Dublin, Ireland. As well as this it is also home to some rather interesting wildlife including Fallow deer and red-necked Wallabies which were int...

Bulleit was undoubtedly my first ‘proper’ venture into the world of bourbon. Of course I’d tried it before at parties and functions. However, if I'm being honest, that is not exactly the best place to experience something like this and give it the attention it rightfully deserves. The Bulleit Distilling Company was founded in 1987 by Thomas E. BuIleit Jr., who was greatly inspired by his great-great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit, who made high-rye whiskey, Bulleits cornerstone. The distillery is located at the Kirin Brewing Company Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Bourbons spiritual home. Bulleit Bourbon is made with pure Kentucky limestone filtered water. Since temperature change is the primary factor in aging whiskey, Kentucky’s four distinct seasons provide ideal climate conditions for maturation. Having initially been bottled at 40% ABV for the UK market, it is now available at 45% ABV, having been introduced in 2014. So, most importantly, what’s it like? The fi...