The Whisky Grotto

The ?Old Pulteney? Clipper Round the World Race yacht departed from London?s Tower Bridge on Sunday 1st September with a very special cargo on board: the first case of a brand new limited edition Old Pulteney inspired by the intrepid maritime adventure in the 13-14 Clipper Race - ?Old Pulteney Navigator?.

APPEARANCE
Rich golden honeycomb.

AROMA
Sweet and crisp: tangy apples and dried fruit with hints of chocolate and fresh vanilla.

TASTE
Full bodied and rich: a burst of cocoa, honey and oranges with a long-lasting, spicy finish and suggestion of the sea at the end.

Part of the new core range of whiskies launched by Isle of Jura in early 2018, this 10 year old expression takes the place of Jura Origin. It's initially aged in American white oak bourbon barrels before enjoying a finishing period in Oloroso sherry butts and bottled at 40% ABV. It has the subtle smoke characteristic of Jura's excellent Island single malts, with robust vanilla and an intense kick of sherried sweetness underneath.

First launched to mark the opening of Johnnie Walker House in China, the coveted collection captures the auspicious delights of the 12 animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac.

Bringing together Scotland?s whisky heritage and stunning Chinese art in perfect harmony, each of the 12 bottles depicts one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. From the Rat to the Dragon and Rooster, each animal is elegantly engraved in 18K gold on Johnnie Walker?s signature square bottles.

First launched in 2013 to mark the opening of Johnnie Walker House in China, the coveted collection captures the auspicious delights of the 12 animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac.

Bringing together Scotland?s whisky heritage and stunning Chinese art in perfect harmony, each of the 12 bottles depicts one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. From the Rat to the Dragon and Rooster, each animal is elegantly engraved in gold on Johnnie Walker?s signature square bottles.

At the top of the House of Hazelwood range sits the 25 Year Old expression, presented beautifully in a bottle and box inspired by 1920s Art Deco design.

Nose: Pancakes and golden syrup, lime, oak furniture and oodles of vanilla.

Palate: Burnt sugar, cut grass, honey'd cereals. A few pinches of exotic spice.

Finish: Drying and quite oak-y.

Distilled in 1972 and aged in a single sherry butt until August 2015, this is one of 565 bottles produced from cask number 3551. These bottles were released in the Winter 2015 batch of Family Casks.

A nice bottling thats quite heavy on the Islay component - but not too peaty.

A limited edition bottling from Benromach, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the distillery's reopening in 1998. This whisky was distilled in the first year after Benromach reopened, and has been matured in first-fill oak casks before being bottled at cask strength (56.2%). 

Tasting Note by The Producer

Pour your dram of Benromach 20th Anniversary Bottling and prepare your senses to encounter an experience as rare as this gorgeous whisky. First, lift your glass to the light and appreciate the beautiful deep amber hue created by lingering for many years in first fill oak casks as the whisky grew and matured in character. Take a short inhalation, appreciating the wonderful aromas without water. Enjoy the rich notes of fruit cake, mingling with sweet demerara sugar and vanilla. Underlying hints of zingy citrus and dark chocolate develop with a touch of warm spice.

Single malt whisky from the White Oak Akashi range, matured for five years in a white wine cask.

The nose is softly spicy with a smidge of smoke, wrapped up in tangy grape and citrus leading to brown sugar on the palate and more tangy fruit brightness that cuts through the vanilla and oak. A lasting hint of lemon and chocolate on the finish.

500mL | 50%ABV

A single malt from the Japanese distillery White Oak, which has been aged for three and a half years in cognac barrels before a finishing period of 10 months in red wine casks that preciously held red wine from the Akashi vineyard located in Yamanashi.

The 4th release in the Greedy Angels series, showing that Amrut can do as a 10 Year-Old whisky. A rich, smoky Indian single malt whisky matured for 10 years and finished in an exrum cask, before being bottled in October 2019. Smoky peat and woody spice notes lead to sweet spice and marmalade, moving into cherry, cocoa and sweet vanilla. The palate shows sweet butterscotch, citrus and tropical fruits, followed by camphor, soft smoke and rumsoaked raisins. 

Each decanter comes complete with a decadent presentation box as well as a rather weighty glass stopper. Only 450 bottles produced

One of four official bottlings from the Craigellachie distillery released in 2014. A stunning 23 year old with plenty of bold fruit, complex herbs, refined oak and a touch of sulphur.

Nose: Lemon, orange and pineapple up front, backed up by warm oak and golden barley. Oak notes become increasingly toasty as it goes on.

Palate: Salted caramel, creamy vanilla and more orange zest. Cinnamon, nutmeg and a subtle whiff of sulphur give it plenty of depth.

Finish: The sulphur lasts, but it's not overpowering - the sweet spices bring balance to the long finish.

A nod to the history of Speyside, Benriach Temporis is peated, as they did back in the 1970s. It's been matured in a mix of bourbon barrels, virgin-oak casks, and Pedro Ximenez and oloroso sherry casks, adding in layers of fruit and spice on top of Benriach's honeyed peat smoke character.

46% ABV l 700mL

Auchentoshan's Noble Oak is a 24 year old Lowland single malt. Oak is at the fore of this one's flavour profile - particularly robust and intense for a Lowland expression

50.3% ABV l 700mL