1 Malt Whisky List

Welcome to the Kinlochewe Hotel Malt Whisky List.

Here you will find a complete and detailed list of all our Malt Whisky, including the region they are from and condensed tasting notes. We hope you will find a Malt Whisky that suits both your taste and your pocket and if you require any further help in your selection please do not hesitate to ask one of our bar staff for guidance. We endeavour to have all the Malts listed in stock, but there will be occasions when some are unavailable. We hope this will not detract from your enjoyment and that you will be able to find a different Malt Whisky that is to your liking.

1 Our Local Distilleries

Historically the North West of Scotland was poorly populated, and even those people were pushed off their land during the Highland Clearances, so there were never any distilleries in the region (well, not legal ones anyway!!). Most of the distilleries are located in the more populated and arable East Coast of Scotland. We do have some distilleries not too far away from Kinlochewe and they all have visitor centres and conduct tours of the distillery and are well worth a visit.

Glen Ord Distillery: Is the closest to us and the one we consider as our local distillery. It is located on the Black Isle, to the west of Inverness, 38 miles from the Hotel. It was founded in 1838 and is unusual in that it has its own maltings on site, which supply it and other distilleries with malted barley. Glen Ord is owned by Diageo and is capable of producing 11,000,000 litres of spirit per year. We stock two expressions of their Malt Whisky, Singleton of Glen Ord and the now out of production Glen Ord 12 Year Old in the square bottle. The Singleton can only be bought from the distillery, it is not available in any other shop or supermarket. And the 12 Year Old is not even available from the distillery as they have sold out - only auction sites may have a bottle or two!

Dalmore: Located in the town of Alness, Dalmore distillery is 50 miles from the Hotel. Dalmore, founded in 1839, is owned by United Spirits and produces up to 3,700,000 litres of spirit per year. It has a newly refurbished visitor centre with an excellent exhibition showing the importance of the wood of the barrels and how it affects the whisky stored in them. We stock two expressions of Dalmore, the 12 Year Old and their Cigar Malt Reserve. Dalmore is a distillery that has become known for some very exclusive bottlings of its Malt Whisky.

Talisker: Located on the West coast of the beautiful Isle of Skye, 80 miles from the Hotel, Talisker is an island distillery where the maritime atmosphere makes its presence felt in the whisky, giving it a salty & peaty flavour. Like Glen Ord, Talisker is owned by Diageo and in fact they get their malted barley from the Glen Ord maltings. The distillery, which started production in 1830, now produces 2,600,000 litres of spirit each year. We stock two expressions from Talisker, their 10 Year Old and Talisker 57 North.

We hope you are able to visit one of our distilleries and see how the Water Of Life is made. 1 Drinking Malt Whisky

Use a good glass. We use a Glencairn glass because it focuses the aromas and splashes the spirit onto the tongue in a wide fashion. Some whisky drinkers prefer tumblers or snifters.

Buy yourself a dram. We sell Whisky in measures of 25ml, or multiples thereof.

Tilt and turn the glass. Let the whisky coat the glass. This increases the surface area, permitting greater evaporation and thus enhancing the aroma. Observe the consistency as it sticks to the sides of your glass, also known as its “legs”.

Nose the whisky. Unlike nosing wine when you take a big “sniff”, when nosing whisky you should take several small short “sniffs” to prevent the spirit burning your delicate nasal passage. Place your nose a few inches away from the glass. What do you smell? Now get a little closer. How is that? Now get as close as you can without letting the alcohol burn your nasal passage. What other aromas are there? Keeping your mouth slightly open as you nose the whiskey will help you to better discern and 'taste' the different aromas.

Add water. This is optional. Add as much as half-and-half or as little as a few drops. Adding water depends on the strength and style of the whisky and the taster's preference. Regular bottles contain 40% to 46% alcohol by volume (ABV) and are diluted using the distillery's water source. Some whisky purists (Jim Murray, for example) feel that as it has already been diluted, further dilution is unnecessary. "Cask strength" whiskies are stronger (generally 46% to 60%) and require more water. NEVER EVER add ice as this inhibits the flavour making the whisky taste dull and flat. It may also cause the whisky to turn cloudy.

Gently agitate the whisky. Nose the whisky again. Change the angle and distance of the glass to pick up all of the subtle aromas. Continue this for a few minutes while the water marries with the whisky and releases additional aromas you may not have noticed at first. If you have added water, have patience. It takes a good amount of time before the whisky and water are completely married.

Take a sip. Take just enough to coat your mouth and begin to slowly swirl it around your tongue. Feel the consistency of the whisky. Some feel thicker, oilier, or grittier than others. This is referred to as the "mouthfeel." Try and coat your tongue so that the whisky touches all of your taste buds.

Taste the whisky. Try to hold the whisky in your mouth as long as it takes to notice all of the different flavours.

Swallow. Try not to open your mouth or close your throat. Let in a tiny amount of air through your mouth and breathe through your nose slowly as the fumes rise up into your sinuses. You may notice different flavours. This is called the "finish." Once the flavours subside, breathe normally.

Repeat. Consuming a dram can often take half an hour or more. Notice how the flavours and aromas change throughout your dram.

1 Uisge Beatha = The Water of Life = Whisky

Drinking whisky is a pleasure and in this booklet we aim to de-mystify the selection and enjoyment of Malt Whisky.

Our Malt Whisky is listed alphabetically in the following pages - as you see the bottles displayed on the shelves.

Each listing shows the area where the Malt Whisky is distilled as this affects the character, nose, flavour and taste of the Whisky.

Area of Distillation C - Campbeltown L - Lowland Eng - England H - Highland S - Speyside Ire - Ireland H/Is - Highland Islands Ind - India Jap - Japan I - Islay Tas - Tasmania Wal - Wales

Many people find a malt that they like but do not know how to find another that tastes similar. The “Group” column classifies the Malts with similar characteristics allowing you to chose something similar but different and, hopefully, enjoyable.

Shown opposite is a Flavour Chart which also allows the selection of a Malt according to flavour, from the Light & Delicate Glen Spey 12YO right through to to the Rich & Smoky Lagavulin 16YO.

Whatever your taste we hope you can find a Malt Whisky on our shelves that you enjoy and perhaps extend your taste to something you might not otherwise have tried.

Please ask our bar staff for any help or guidance you require. Malt Whisky Flavour Chart

1 Malt Whisky List Whisky Area Age ABV Nose Palate Finish Group Price Fragrant, heather honey Medium bodied, Medium length with & spice discernible. medium sweet, Seville spices & Seville Aberfeldy H 12 40% oranges with spices, oranges. E £3.65 oak & honey notes. Spicy, estery & sherried Medium bodied, Long & drying with with pear drops, pine & medium sweet & multi- honey, cinnamon, mint toffee. layered with honey, chocolate mints, sherry Aberlour S 10 40% autumn fruits, cinnamon & smoke. C £3.50 & a whiff of smoke.

Smoky malt and a Butterscotch, roasted A long finish has plenty prickle of white pepper apricot and honey of drying smoke and spice blend with toffee provide sweetness fizzing spice. Allt-a-Bhainne I 40% apples, buttery pastry, a among gingerbread and £5.00 hint of heather and cinnamon spice and toasted oak. earthy peat. Lemons, honey & green Medium bodied & Medium length, drying fruits aroma, new mown sweet, fairly complex with tart apples, An Cnoc hay, a whiff of smoke & with barley sugar, citrus, lemons, heather honey H 12 40% H £3.75 (Knockdhu) sweet tobacco. pears, honey, sherbet & & earthy smoke. a touch of spice.

Deliciously complex & Full bodied and quite Long, rich & complex, promising with deep sweet, explosion of powerful peatsmoke smoke, salt & malt peat smoke & iodine, layered with medicinal Ardbeg I 10 46% undercut by citrus fruits, creamy with cocoa, salt & pepper flavours. J £4.75 ripe bananas, grassy & black pepper & liquorice cocoa notes. emerging. Warm Christmas cake, An intriguing balance Amazingly long & chewy ocean spice, cedar, between sweet spicy with lingering raisiny, pine needles. Smoky and deep smoky deep mocha tones & Ardbeg Uigeadail I NA 54.2% coal fire, treacle toffee & flavours. Winter spices, rich aromatic smoke J £6.75 chocolate coated glazed smoked food & into the perfectly raisins. chewy treacle. integrated finish.

Rich with heather Medium bodied & quite Quite long, smoke & smoke, honey, fruit, sweet with distinctive spice lingering at the Ardmore H NA 46% spice & a whiff of smoky, earthy flavour, end. I £3.80 antiseptic. honey, dried fruit & oaky spice. Dried fruits, vanilla & Initially brine leads to Cinnamon spices toffee add a little water toffee apples & leading to a classic Arran H/Is 14 46% & a salty tang appears hazelnuts with dates, island style salty wave G £5.00 with caramelised fruits. chocolate orange & balancing the sweet spiced tea-cake. fruit of the palate. Toffee, citrus fruits, Medium bodied, Long, nutty sherry & honey, sherry & toasted medium sweet with Seville marmalade at Auchentoshan L 12 40% almonds oranges, figs, spices & the end E £4.25 a hint of smoke. Mild, sweet and fresh. Takes a fair amount of Surprisingly dry, fairly Ground almonds, even water. Light and fresh; short – all well dry marzipan, with pleasant mouthfeel. balanced. Auchroisk S 10 43% some dark chocolate Sweetish start, some E £5.35 that eventually becomes acidity. nuttier. Very fresh and vibrant. A touch richer on the Very clean and Clean, refreshing notes palate than expected, measured, with the soft of Cox's apple and but still soft and fruity, fruits gently receding. Aultmore 12 46% pear, with a gentle with some sweet H £4.90 creaminess and some pastry/custard-tart aromatic floral notes, notes. Florality lifts the too. palate.

1 Full bodied with aromas Citrus orchard followed A deliciously spicy long of test green apples, by intense sweetness of finish. This dram is Balblair 12 H 12 46% ground spices & honey. toffee & vanilla. bright and full of H £5.75 character. Sweet with a full Quite full bodied & Long & warming, sherry oloroso sherry aroma, sweet, pronounced & cinnamon at the end. Balvenie Seville oranges, toffee & sherry note with S 12 40% A £4.45 Doublewood spices. oranges, butterscotch, heather honey, spice & a swirl of smoke. Fresh & quite dry with a Gentle dryness. Toffee. Silken toffee & caramel rich fruitiness. Hints of Solid peat notes with a with a touch of Ben Nevis H 10 46% orange & Seville biter sweetness. mochaccino & dark C £3.75 marmalade with nutty chocolate on the tail. undertones. Nutty, rich, damp earth. Floral and spicy, with The spiciness hangs on, Almonds and hazelnuts, clean, bright fruit: green but the overriding with appealing green- apples, pears, character is fresh, clean apple freshness aromas honeysuckle. There’s fruit. Refreshing and lip- Benriach S 10 43% of lemon and grapefruit, some spiciness in there, smacking. S £3.50 lifted by cinnamon, too – a little black nutmeg and toffee. pepper.

Slightly doughy. Toffee Rounded, good Barley, biscuity, slightly Benrinnes S 15 43% chip biscuits. Floral. sweetness. A whiff of drying. C £5.85 peat. Pine oils, fresh. Floral, grassy, heather & Quite sweet, tannic, Sweetness, nutty, hedgerow berries. citrus notes, a tad more Benromach 10 S 10 43% smoky. Stem ginger, Buttery, spicy. stem ginger, zesty. F £3.50 bog myrtle & acacia honey. Benromach Wood Rich fruits, Zingy Wine Tannin hints, Light wisp of bonfire S 45%% F £4.75 Finish Lemonade peppery vanilla notes embers Muscat grapes and Rich and mouth-filling, A curious sweetness is Madeira wine, with a good balance. introduced at the end, brimstone in the after the acidity and Blair Athol H 12 43% background, even tar. dryish finish has C £5.50 Dried apricots in the passed. foreground, and treacle toffee. Grassy & smoky with Well balanced Quite long with smoke, lemon note, hints of complexity with smoke, coconut & citrus notes Bowmore I 12 40% sherry & seaweed. spice, heather honey, at the end. I £4.20 tart grapefruit and dark chocolate. Citrus blossom, Fizzy orange sweeties, Peppered oak and honey'd sultanas, clove and cinnamon. lingering hints of Braeval S 14 48% sawdust and rhubarb Touches of toffee butterscotch H £7.50 crumble develop later on Bright grapefruit and Almond, walnut and Subtly coastal, with nectarine, balanced by barley, joined by tinned white grape and barley Bruichladdich I NA 50% a hint of sea spray peaches, milk chocolate sugar in support J £6.50 Islay Barley 2011 and orange peel.

Elegantly sweet with Red apples and white Mineral-rich malt, with honey'd barley, boiled grapes, with touches of toffee and more honey. Bruichladdich I 50% sweets and orange sweet cinnamon and J £5.50 Classic Laddie petals. Wafts of sea air brown sugar. Still softly coastal. Earthy peat smoke, salt, honey and lemon, There's stewed apple Bruichladdich lemon drops, thyme, developing pear, and coffee grounds as Octomore 10.3 I NA 61.3% sea salt, vanilla and gooseberry and oak the charred oak and J £18.75 (peated 114 ppm) fudge, with a sharp, atop a backdrop of thick ash dissipates. medicinal edge. heavy peat smoke.

2 Fresh & aromatic, malty Quite full bodied & Long & well balanced with hints of seashore, sweet, dried fruits, malt, with malty sweetness, Bunnahabhain XII I 12 46.3% sherry & a whiff of sherry & nuts. fruit & sherry notes at F £4.75 smoke. the end. Subdued, citric Drinks well at natural Sweet smokiness in the fruitiness; a whiff of bath strength; sweet start; lingering, slightly sour oil and dentist's pleasant, light fragrant finish. Caol Ila I 12 43% mouthwash. A fresh smokiness and a J £4.85 and appetising nose, lengthy finish. with little or no trace of smoke. Heady, with pear drops, Well balanced, smooth Lingering sweet smoke heather, resin and mouthfeel; sweet and in the attractive, drying Cardhu S 12 40% sweet honey-nut notes. fresh, then drying. aftertaste. H £4.65

Light candle wax, with Pleasant creamy Some salt, dryish yet an Clynelish H 14 46% some sugar. A faint mouthfeel; maritime attractive, even slightly F £4.85 floral fragrance. generally. bitter finish. Smoky peatiness Silky smooth with a Long with golden honey balanced by floral honey sweet start, notes & deep peat. Connemara Single heather with hints of followed by more Hints of chocolate, Ire NA 46% I £6.15 Cask honey & oak. complex aromas of malt vanilla & oak leave a & fruit giving way to full mouth-watering taste. bodied peat. A combination of sweet A strong malty taste A long, malt-driven floral fragrances, with hints of sweet finish with light smoke Cragganmore S 12 40% riverside herbs and wood smoke and and hints of sweetness. D £4.55 flowers with some sandalwood. honey and vanilla. Plenty of apple, with Oily and sweet, very Medium long, with some raw yeasty notes. malty. Apple pie, some drying oak, Soft vanilla pineapple and whiffs of liquorice and the same Craigellachie S 13 46% marshmallow and charcoal smoke. Shows hint of smoke. D £5.00 honey. Citrus. Hints of more oak spices overripe banana skins in (ginger) and becomes the background. herbal. Cheddar cheese rind, Straight, the whisky is Warming, with a light backed by old Madeira. full, sweet and warming. nutty aftertaste After dinner mode Dailuaine S 16 43% continues with walnuts C £6.25 and light butterscotch.

Delicate sherry The palate has orange Dry with a hint of influences with hints of and ripe banana mustard and a good green apples and pears. flavours initially length. Dallas Dhu S 34 43% complimented by a E £22.50 lingering charred oak edge. Rich, fruity & sherried Quite full bodied & Long & sweet, with nutty, orange & sweet with orange marzipan, sherry & Dalmore H 12 40% marzipan notes & a marmalade, fruit cake, orange marmalade at E £4.65 swirl of smoke. cream toffee, spice & the end. sherry notes. A big, crisp, dry and Smooth, soft and Long, lingering, very aromatic nose with lasting flavours of surprisingly intense hints of heather and heather-honey finish that starts sweetly, Dalwhinnie H 15 43% peat. sweetness and vanilla then gives way to H £4.75 followed by deeper smoke, peat and malt. citrus-fruit flavours and hints of malted bread.

Fragrant & honeyed, Medium bodied, Quite long & dry, toast, Seville oranges, toffee, medium dry, intensely honey & spice at the Deanston H 12 46.3% pronounced malty nots, malty & fruity, roast end. F £3.95 menthol & a hint of chestnuts, marmalade smoke. on toast & rich spice.

3 First polished wood and Sweetness and crunchy Medium to long, toasted nuts, then nuts, then smooth fruity elegantly drying and Dufftown The baked apples and soft richness: hints of brown crisp, completed by a S 12 40% E £3.85 Singleton of. brown sugar take over, sugar and espresso pleasant, sweetly nutty giving way to a mossy coffee. chew-ability. note, too. Fragrant & honeyed, Medium bodied, quite Medium length, minty & sherried like sweet, honey, sherry & deliciously sweet, the Edradour H 10 40% sugared almonds, with creamy with pistachio, honey lingers on with D £3.80 a whiff of smoke. fruit & barley notes & a oaky nuttiness hint of spice. Luxurious nose, kicks Caramel, white Relatively short, with off with golden syrup, chocolate and vanilla flickers of spice. whote grapes and emerge through fizzing Glenburgie S 15 40% cooking apples. Stewed ginger and white A £7.25 Ballentines pear and a hint of pepper. Mandarin, brown sugar lychee and deep dark fruits develop. Spice and vanilla with Floral and spicy with Gentle pepper and elegant sweetness sophisticated mix of spice Glencadam 10 46% vanilla and Sherry H £3.85 sweetness Sweet. Almonds, or Sweetish, then dryish, Dryish, balanced finish. maybe marzipan. Some with some acidity Glen Elgin S 12 43% orange juice. Perhaps a between; all well E £4.55 trace of sawn wood. balanced.

Sweet & fragrant, Quite full bodied & very Long, sweetly sherried, intense sweet peas, sweet, sherried with spicy & malty with orchards, runny honey, creamy malty, nutty lingering smoke Glenfarclas S 10 40% fruity & richly sherried. flavours, underlying B £3.50 citrus fruits, cinnamon spice & a little peat smoke. fresh, with pears rather light and not too long, on apple everywhere and a malty, bittersweet. There’s a cider and a few spices. cereal centre. Freshly sugary side (honey, Gelnfiddich S 12 40% sawn wood. Some lime, vanilla, apple juice) as E £3.80 hints of white grapes. well as a bitterish side Buttercups. Soft vanilla (apple seeds, nutmeg, oak juice). Heathery floral notes Creme brulee & sweet Long smooth, creamy & balanced with rich ripe banana then a light fragrant Glen Garioch H 12 48% poached pears and oakiness with pear. G £4.95 sweet malted barley Sweet caramel and Sweet, rounded & Medium & warming toffee with notes of creamy. Oranges, mulled wine spices, nutty sherry, milk plums cherries & sherry & caramel. Glenglassaugh chocolate and honey. walnuts, chocolate, H NA 46% A £4.00 Revival Ripe plums, red berries honey-mead, sherry & and oranges. soft spiced oak. Caramelised sugar and earthy, charred oak.

Rich malty aroma, Light bodied, medium Quite short & light, pancakes, honeysuckle dry, oak, apple & apples, spice, malt & no Glengoyne H 10 40% & sherry. butterscotch notes with smoke. G £3.65 hints of sherry & spice.

Delicate, fragrant, Clean, slightly sweet Fairly short, clean citrus slightly honeyed, pear with honey, green & almonds lingering Glen Grant S 10 40% drops & new mown hay. apples & vanilla H £3.70

4 Sweet and crisp with Through oaked dryness Subtle floral notes and orchard fruits and a and an oily note comes new oak, with a little malty character. Toffee vanilla sweetness with honey. apples and banana helpings of apricot Glen Keith S NA 40% skins linger yogurt, dried mango E £3.75 and nectarines. Suggestions of chocolate pudding.

Aromatic, vanilla, cut Crisp mid-palate then Herbal and drying, a flowers and beneath, a butter icing, lemon little like potpourri. clean, toasty note. cheesecake and Glenkinchie L 12 43% Increasingly sweet and freesias. G £4.30 creamy, with fresh citrus. Vinous, like a well-used Sweet; a good balance Dryish, with some light cocktail cabinet. Fresh of primary tastes, with chocolate notes and a plums and kiwi-fruit and some pleasant acidity. If light, malty aftertaste. Glenlossie S 10 43% promise of pear-drops. more water is added, G £5.20 there is a very slight hint of smoke. Floral, citrus fruits, Creamy soft & fresh Drying towards the end, Glenmorangie The H 10 40% vanilla & butterscotch. with oranges, creme salty with flaked G £4.50 Original brulee, spices & nuts almonds & cinnamon Raisin and milk Cinnamon starts to Medium length, with a chocolate, with a develop on the palate, hint of five-spice Glen Moray backbone of giving it an enjoyable S NA 40% G £3.75 Sherry Cask butterscotch sweeties warmth. Still rich in caramel and butterscotch. Layers of peat with Instant peat smoke, Long, sweet and spicy. background of vanilla. lightly spiced with Glen Moray Peated S NA 40% Tangy rhubarb and hints creamy vanilla. I £3.75 of leather. Winy top notes rapidly Subtly coating, with a A beautiful balance of evolve into plummy clever balance of gentle lightly cleansing fruit fruits offset by zesty, oily fruit tartness and notes and gingery Glen Ord The H 12 40% orange peel. Then, rich gingery, rich, sweet toasted maltiness; a D £4.00 Singleton of caramel toffees, malt. Becoming lighter smooth texture, like chocolate and malty and cleaner on the good chocolate slowly biscuits. palate. melting on the tongue. Intensely spicy with a Sweet sherry coats the Quite dry, rich with citrus hit & sherry mouth & reveals the flavours of leather, oak, Glen Ord H 12 43% roundness. Hints of peat influence along synthetic cherry & a D £25.00 peat smoke deep with peppery spices distinct ginger within. that come on late. sharpness. Toffee, vanilla, Quite full bodied, Medium length, Seville geraniums, lemons, medium sweet with marmalade, nuts, Glenrothes Select S NA 43% honey & oaky spice. orange zest, biscuits, chocolate & biscuits. E £4.20 Reserve butterscotch, plums & custard. Lemon zest, cookies, Complex with fruit, Powerful & slightly ginger, sweet, lots of slightly dry aromas, oak drying. Glen Scotia C 15 46% depth with notes of & caramel E £5.50 apricots, fruit salad & oak. Mild, closed. Lightly Warming. Light Dry, medium length. fruity like greengages sweetness, some Some chocolate and and white grapes. With acidity. light coconut in the Glen Spey S 12 43% water, fresh and estery, aftertaste. E £5.30 but still relatively closed.

Warm bitumen and Sweet, smoky flavour Lingering soft peat Glenturret Peated H NA 43% I £4.50 freshly baked brownie with slightly salty notes

5 Stewed pears and A lovely and rich whisky A lovely and rich whisky baked apples are with vanilla and honey with vanilla and honey followed by honeycomb flavours, liquorice flavours, liquorice Hazelburn C 10 46% and fudge notes. follows with a refreshing follows with a refreshing E £4.40 zestiness. zestiness.

Heather honey Medium bodied, quite Quite long with subtle sweetness & peaty sweet & smokey with smoke, dark Belgian smokiness layers of dark chocolate & orange Highland Park H/Is 12 40% chocolate, heather marmalade lingering at I £3.80 honey, spiced oranges the end. & cinnamon. Cut grass, roasted vailla A robust core of Notes of dried citrus pod and a hint of heather-y,earthy smoke and tossed barley linger, Highland Park mulled wine arrives straight away, H/Is 43% H £4.75 Dragon Legend with peppercorn, mince pie and oily malt in tow.

Rich and deep and Sweet overall, but also A saccharine-bitter faintly toffied. After a curiously mouth-drying, finish that leaves an while offers some short- with some salt and aftertaste of almonds. Inchgower H 14 43% crust pastry and fruit, traces of oil. H £4.75 then vaguely 'gun- metal'. Distinctively fruity with Seville orange citrus Medium length with pear drops and toffee notes build in intensity peppery finish. sweetness. Light notes before mellowing into Inchmurrin L 12 46% of freshly cut hay in softer fruits of peach E £4.20 summer sun. and apricot giving way to creamy fudge and vanilla. Aromatic & dry, orange medium bodied & dry, Medium length, salty & zest & almonds, a whiff with fruit & peat notes & malty finish Jura H/Is 10 40% of smoke & salt spray. the suggestion of I £3.95 heather , almonds & pine. An exquisite burst of Powerful peat smoke Non-chill filtered for a bonfire smoke slowly and spicy sea spray huge peaty punch, this gives way to salty and open up the palate, complex and structured Jura Prophecy H/Is NA 46% spicy sea spray. followed by flavours of whisky is aged in I £5.65 soft liquorice, spicy Bourbon, sherry and cinnamon and nutmeg. Limousin oak casks

Smoked & malty with Oaky & bittersweet with Very long & salty with notes of cured ham, black pepper, toffee sticking plasters & Kilchoman Machir oysters with lemon, red apples, dark chocolate, blackcurrant. I NA 46% J £6.75 Bay wine vinegar & citrus aniseed & warm spicy zest. peat. Very complex.

Fruity-floral with a hint A light body and Relatively short. Clean of blackcurrant. Some mouthfeel, as might be and easy to drink. Knockando S 12 43% ash, then a trace of expected. G £4.20 damp linen. Intensely flavoured, peat Dry peat smoke fills the A long, elegant peat- smoke with iodine and palate with a gentle but filled finish with lots of seaweed and a rich, strong sweetness, salt and seaweed Lagavulin I 16 43% deep sweetness. followed by sea and salt J £6.50 with touches of wood.

Seaweed, Christmas Packs a mighty peaty Sea salt lingers on the Lagavulin Distillers cake, mint leaf, dates punch, followed by juicy finish. Edition (Sherry I 43% and amaretto raspberry, dark J £10.50 cask finished) chocolate and Shrried orange peel

6 Pungent, earthy aroma Full bodied & rather dry, Long & smoky with of blue peat smoke with very peaty, smoky, salty, medicinal seaweed. wafts of seashore & & medicinal with some Laphroaig I 10 40% hints of vanilla oakiness. malty nuttiness & a little J £4.80 citrus zest & black pepper. Molasses and oily Dry and medicinal, with Oaked. The mustiness toffee. Dates, walnuts, exotic spices. The carries into the finish, oodles of butter, zest, palate is savoury at first. which lasts for a good Laphroaig Triple I NA 48% cool wood smoke, The sherry notes are while, with oily spices £5.75 Wood almond, and passion there too, with hints of and dried fruit. fruit. Laphroaig’s classic smoke. Burning embers of peat Deep, complex and Really long, and dries in a crofters fireplace, smoky yet offers and appropriately with Laphroaig Quarter I NA 48% hints of coconut and surprises the palate smoke and spice J £5.20 Cask banana aromas with a gentle sweetness

Quite light & well Medium bodied & rich, The finish is long and balanced with a notes of gentle wood slightly herbal freshness from notes of smoke, barley sugars, Ledaig H/Is NA 42% cut hay & straw, barley hints of hay with a I £3.10 sugar & herbs, cereals touch of cereal & melted butter on sweetness & caramel. granary toast. Fresh soft-fruits with a Cedar notes emerge in Cedar notes emerge in hint of vanilla, then light the finish, which is long. the finish, which is long. cigar-box notes are Linkwood S 12 43% perceptible, and a faint H £7.50 hint of expensive ladies' perfume. Citrus and toffee Creamy malt, a touch of Sweet barley and oak apples, caramelised praline, caramel and spice. Longmorn S NA 40% pears, stem ginger and chocolate orange. £5.35 other subtle spices. Very creamy, vanilla Incredibly well balanced The gentle smoke custard. The smoke – rich and creamy with lingers and lingers. develops and toasted a slight medicinal hint. marshmallows, herbs The smoke is always Longrow C NA 46% and rich fruits appear present and washes £4.25 over time. over the palate in waves.

Gingerbread, vanilla Raisins, sultanas and Subtle cedar and honey essence, wafts of stem ginger. Citrus linger on the palate. Macallan, Sherry S 12 40% buttered toast and begins to develop on A £8.50 Cask clotted-cream-topped the palate, with a touch scones of dark chocolate. Soft aromatic vanilla, Golden sultanas, dates, Fragrant oak finish, with lemon and barley with apple peelings and a the mince pie notes hints of ginger. Milk dusting of cinnamon. lingering Macallan, Gold S 40.0% chocolate buttons and Cereal notes on the A £6.50 hints of Sun-Maid mid-palate, joined by Raisins crumbly shortbread

Mackinlay’s Crushed apple, floral Oily and mouth coating Fresh bread and those Shackleton notes too. Freshly but perhaps lighter than little European biscuits Blended Malt baked bread loaf, expected. Orange syrup you get with your (See the story of this H NA 47.3% lemonade. A complex sings through with that coffee. £12.50 remarkable Whisky mix of engine oil, gorgeous peated at the back of this Cornflakes, dumplings Dalmore. book). and orange rind. Light and fruity with Fresh and clean with Surprisingly dry for a Mannochmore S 12 43.0% whiff of brimstone good acidity and well speyside £5.50 balanced dryness

7 Soft, sweet notes of Sweet tobacco leaves Very creamy and vanilla- barley, floral honey, and ceda, sugared rich, cinnamon and a Middleton, Barry rosemary, citrus, cut peels, toffee, honey little pear drop on the IE NA 46.0% £30.00 Crockett Legacy hay, Summer meadows softness, vanilla and tail and toffee apples. boiled sweets

Delicious sherry notes, Sweet and spicy with Miltonduff, Cask stewed pairs and cocoa stewed fruits, cinnamon S NA 59% £9.50 Strength powder and a fresh menthol edge Dried hay and rich Earthy vanilla and thyme A hint of mint chocolate barley form the core honey cover stewed lingers that salted caramel and fruits and zesty orange. sharp green apples There's a little rye bread Mortlach S 12 48% emerge from underneath with a £6.50 prickle of nutmeg and black pepper

Rich sweetness and Mouth-filling late Long, smooth-sweet fruits - oranges, lemons autumn fruits - dried finish with oak-wood, Oban H 14 43% and pears, with sea-salt figs and honey-sweet dryness and a grain of I £5.45 and peaty smokiness. spices; followed by a salt. smoky malty dryness. Aromatic, fruit, Medium bodied, Medium length, more honeycomb, medium sweet & oily, fruit, butterscotch & a butterscotch & a whiff orange or grapefruit touch of spice. Old Pulteney H/Is 12 40% of the North sea. zest, lemon, honey, E £3.70 butterscotch, vanilla & a hint of smoke. A complex amalgam of The mouth feel exudes Beautifully relaxed: a nougat, spotted dog quality with the barley light tingle from the pudding (sans generating juicy riches spices pulses sultanas!) and orange with the light Demerara contentedly, the vanillas Paul John Brilliance Ind NA 46% blossom honey with the sugars forming an gather in deeper £4.20 vanilla spinning tangled elegant intensity yet the barley webs just beneath. accompaniment. and copper stretches to the end.

Fragrant, floral & sweet Medium bodied, quite Quite long & mellow, with figs, Christmas sweet & smooth, figs, figs again, dried fruits & Penderyn Wal NA 46% pudding, burnt sugar & cream toffees, stem dark chocolate. Rich & B £4.50 newly baked bread. ginger, cooked apples & decadent. cream. Subtle smoke at first, Very fruity on the palate, Fresh and fruity, with a then clean, crisp notes with fresh apple and wisp of smoke and Port Charlotte I NA 50% of pear and apples. melon. barley adding B £4.50 Very elegant and fresh. complexity. Salted caramel Oaky smoke and salty Ginger snaps, rye toast, brownie,flamed orange sea air, paired with drying peat smokiness Port Charlotte 10 L 10 50% peel, hearty whack of sweeter notes of E £7.50 (peated 40 ppm) seaweed custard cream biscuits and white grape. Florentines, Coco Pop Pain au raisin. Pain au Milk chocolate dusting cakes, slightly leafy, chocolat. Baking spices (not cocoa) and a hint more ginger. A drop of and gateau. of fizzy apple sweets. Royal Brackla H 12 40% water brings out more F £4.80 green apple and toasted almond. Planed wood, light Pleasant; an initial Dry; medium-length, toffee, boat varnish. sweetness is quickly with an attractive Royal Lochnagar S 12 40% After a while, coffee overtaken by acidity. lingering sandalwood C £4.35 with brown sugar. aftertaste. Soft Caribbean fruits, Vanilla ice cream, Quite long with salted loads of vanilla and singed honey, a little caramel, delicious Scapa, The some hints of honey, in oak peeping in, sweet lingering sweet and H/Is NA 40% £4.95 Orcadian the background is a smoke from a beach calming smoke. wee heather fire. bonfire, loads of well ripened tropical fruits 8 Aromatic with pears, Medium bodied & Delicate, sherry vanilla, coconut & a medium sweet, creamy sweetness developing Springbank C 10 46% salty smoky note. at first with fudge then with background spice, I £4.40 salt, pepper & slightly salt & smoke. peaty. Fresh cut crops, clean, Young, clean & fresh Short without great fresh, warming, cereally with a nice balance depth but pleasant. St. Georges Eng NA 46% & sappy. between sweet & sour. I £3.75 Chapter 6 Fresh barley & an influence of wood. Soft oak & hints of Malty core with notes of Long finish, very fruity. candied peel. A little sultanas and cinnamon Strathisla S 12 40% floral with notes of spice pastries. Allspice, E £4.40 and Danish pastries. cooked apple & mince pies. Closed at full strength, Sweet start. Some A medium-length, dry Strathmill S 12 43% with a hint of ‘Café Noir’ acidit finish. Chocolaty G £5.25 biscuits. aftertaste. Soft honey, earthy Smooth with luscious A perfectly balanced heather and malty honey and biscuits, and seductive dram. Stronachie S 10 43% sweetness then lingering pepper £3.60 and cereal notes. Vanilla driven perfume, Soft, creamy, well Well-rounded fruity floral fruit, soft spice structured and finish of a medium Sullivan's Cove and cloves. balanced. Herbal, then length with hints of Tas NA 40% £8.75 Double Cask some spices and honey. honey and milk English candy notes. chocolate.

Powerful peat-smoke A rich dried-fruit Huge, long, warming with just a hint of the sweetness, clouds of and peppery in the sea-water salt of fresh smoke, strong barley- finish with an appetising Talisker H/Is 10 45.8% oysters, with a citrus malt flavours, warming sweetness. I £4.00 sweetness. and intense. Peppery at the back of the mouth.

Clean and intense, with Sweet, with smoke and Oily, tingling with the the light smoke of a tar exploding around signature pepperiness. struck match. Creamy the middle. Smoother with water. Talisker 57 North H/Is NA 57% toffee balanced by fruit. I £7.60 Hints of seaweed and heather blossom Thick and mouth- Red chilli peppers and A welcome addition to coating with wood oak dryness with a hint the Talisker range, and Talisker Storm H/Is NA 46% smoke, brine, some tin of embers. probably the smokiest I £4.50 and chilli heat too whisky to be produced on the Isle of Skye Enjoy a softness of The palate bursts with The taste finishes with a vanilla and sugared fruit and spice - gently touch of fresh fruit, almonds, balanced by revealing toffee and the becoming pleasantly Tamdhu S 10 40% fresh oak and richness of sherry oak. drying - slowly unveiling H £3.40 cinnamon. the wisp of peat smoke.

Fresh and citric, with a Light and sweetish, but Long and dry. The background scent of over all dry with beeswax returns in the violets, which rises then pleasant acidity and aftertaste. Teaninich H 10 43% falls. It is replaced by even a pinch of salt. F £5.35 concentrated orange juice and old oranges.

Aromatic & sweet, rich Medium bodied, quite Quite long & satisfying malt and light smoke sweet, with Bramley finish with nutty, Tomatin H 12 40% note. apples, honey & spice, liquorice and sherry at E £3.60 almost nougat. the end.

9 Vanilla pods, Light & delicate with a Clean, light and marshmallow, sponge candy sweetness which refreshing. cake, fresh pineapple, is peppered with hints Tomatin Legacy H NA 43% mixed with citrus lemon of pine. Lemon sherbet, £3.25 & boiled sweets. pineapple & crunchy green apples. Coconuts & cream, Light, honeyed smoke, Light with a hint of Tomatin H NA 46% slight smoke, citrus with clove, cinnamon & star sweet smoke. £4.75 Cu Bocan almond & aniseed. anise. Delicate honeyed- Elegant, round, soft & Long and creamy with cream with light floral gentle. Dry oak vanillas proclivity to dryness and Tomintoul S 14 46% malt, hints of wild fennel and a clean malt with a slight peppery tone. £4.90 and a complex of some creamy Tomintoul without its sweetness. sweetness. clothes on. Spiced, with notes of Creamy, nutty palate Long finish with plum red berry fruit, vanilla & entry with notes of jam & allspice. Tullibardine 228 H NA 43% toasted oak. sweet custard, apple £4.10 Burgundy Finish peel, red berries & orange blossom honey. Initially sweet with notes Sweet, nutty tones, with It is a lovely rounded of fruit and fresh sea air. hints of grapes and whisky, which coats the In the background you’ll honey in the palate to leave just a Wolfburn H NA 46% find citrus freshness background. Floral trace of peat. £4.50 and hints of cereal, and flavours abound, with a just a trace of peat hint of coffee and dark smoke. chocolate. Good body with plenty Smooth & soft with The finish is medium of nut oils & zest, a good sweetness & with fruit and zest pleasant floral character winter spice. A lovely Yamazaki Jap 12 43% with a little tropical fruit citrus note develops F £7.50 and a rooty note. with more tropical fruit and a little rum.

10 Scottish Gin Gin ABV Description Price Blackwoods 40% What's in it? Juniper, coriander, wild water mint, sea pink flowers, violet flowers and turmeric. Shetland Isles What makes it interesting? The story goes that Blackwood’s Gin is made using home-grown resources from Shetland. There’s one snag: as small islands are vulnerable to changes in vegetation they can’t guarantee a consistent taste year-on- year, so each year is a ‘vintage gin’. The people behind the gin say that local crofters harvest the botanicals each summer - £3.05 they are laid out on perforated trays while the gin is triple distilled through vapour infusion in a small copper still. The gin is not distilled on Shetland. Boe 41.5% What's in it? Juniper, coriander, angelica, ginger, orris root, cassia bark, grains of paradise, orange and lemon peel, Deanston Distillery, cardamom seeds, liquorice, almonds and cubeb berry. Doune What makes it interesting? The distiller claims that in the year 1658, world-renowned Professor Franz de la Boë invented the world’s first gin while searching for a medicinal tonic. It contains 13 rare hand-picked botanicals and spices. Boë is created £3.00 using the old-fashioned Carterhead still system – which means the botanical vapours go through the liquid instead of being boiled in it. The Botanist 46% What's in it? Juniper, apple mint birch leaves, bog myrtle leaves, chamomile, thistle flowers elderflowers, gorse flowers, Bruichladdich Distillery, heather, hawthorn flowers and mugwort leaves. Islay What makes it interesting? With an eye-opening 31 botanicals, the flavour is complex. 21 out of the 31 botanicals grow on £3.50 Islay, including the juniper. It is distilled in a low pressure Lomond pot still as Bruichladdich Distillery claims this process helps to release the aromatics from the botanicals. Caorunn 41.8% What's in it? Juniper, coriander, rowanberries, apple, heather, bog myrtle and dandelion. Balmenach Distillery, What makes it interesting? Caorunn is Gaelic for rowanberry. It includes 11 botanicals – as well as some traditional gin Cromdale, Moray botanicals, there are five more unusual ones: rowanberries, apple, heather, bog myrtle and dandelion. The five-sided bottle represents the five Celtic botanicals and the perfect serve recommended is a thin wedge of red apple (to match the coul blush £4.25 apple used to make the gin). Balmenach Distillery uses an unusual vapour infusion method where a pure grain neutral spirit is heated to vapour in a special still called a Copper Berry Chamber. Daffy's Premium, 43.4% What's in it? Juniper, Lebanese mnt, coriander, angelica, cassia and orris. Strathmashie Perth What makes it interesting? Daffy's Small Batch Premium Gin is made with grain spirit from northern France, which is then distilled using a copper pot still. It has been bottled at a very specific 43.4% ABV, as the distillers believe this to be the perfect £4.25 strength for their expression Eden Mill Sea 42% What's in it? Juniper, angelica root, coriander seed, lemon balm, sea buckthorn berries. Buckthorn What makes it interesting? From Eden Mill, Scotland's first single-site brewery and distillery. The team of distillers set out to £3.75 St. Andrews create a classic clean and refreshing gin. Local botanicals, such as sea buckthorn berries, were added to a traditional recipe of juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seed and lemon balm. Edinburgh 43% What's in it? Juniper, coriander, citrus peel, angelica and orris root. Edinburgh What makes it interesting? Until recently, Spencerfield Spirit Company had Edinburgh Gin distilled with classic gin botanicals south of the border in the Black Country. It was then shipped to Fife where Scottish juniper, heather and milk were £3.95 added. In June 2014, Edinburgh gin production moved to the west end of Edinburgh in the basement of the Huxley Bar. GlenWyvis 40% What's in it? Juniper, coriander, angelica root, cinnamon stick, orange and lemon peel, almond powder, orris root and Dingwall, Ross-shire hawthorn. What makes it interesting? The brainchild of the local Flying Farmer, this limited edition gin launched in summer 2015 and is the first from the new Dingwall distillery now under construction. The distillery name is an amalgam of former distilleries in the £4.00 area - Glenskiach and Ben Wyvis. As 'skiach' means 'hawthorn' in Gaelic, this is the key botanical. The team aims to have the strongest green credentials for a distillery in Scotland; they currently deliver their gin by electric car. Gordon Castle 43% What's in it? Juniper, mint, lavender and gooseberry Fochabers, Moray What makes it interesting? This small-batch, hand-crafted gin is from the Gordon Castle sporting estate on the River Spey, which is home to luxury holiday accommodation and function suites, plus a shop, cafe, walled garden and salmon fishing. It £3.65 features botanicals grown in the estate's walled garden and has a fresh, floral palate. Isle of Harris 45% What's in it? Juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, cubebs, bitter orange peel, liquorice, cassia bark and sugar kelp. Tarbert, Isle of Harris What makes it interesting? The nine specially chosen botanicals seek to capture the elemental nature of the island, particularly the maritime influences of the seas which surround on all sides. Sugar kelp is key to the subtle coastal notes that £3.35 mark out the spirit. Hand-harvested by a local diver from the deep underwater forests of the Outer Hebrides, this natural and sustainable ingredient completes the wider aspects of the gin's flavour profile. Pickering's, 42% What's in it? Juniper, cardamon, coriander, fennel, anise, lemon, lime, cloves and cinnamon. £3.75 Edinburgh What makes it interesting? Made to the original Pickering's Gin recipe recorded in India in 1947. Rock Rose 41.5% What's in it? Juniper, rhodiola rosea, sea buckthorn, rowan berries. Dunnet Bay, Caithness What makes it interesting? Rock Rose Gin will herald a new vintage each year as local botanicals are dependent on the climate and will subtly change year on year. Dunnet Bay Distillers named the gin after their first botanical forage along the £3.75 Caithness cliffs, where they discovered a rose in the rocks. Shetland Reel Ocean 49% What's in it? Juniper, coriander, orris root, cassia bark, citrus peel, seaweed. Sent What makes it interesting? Ocean Sent Gin uses locally harvested seaweed - washed and dried before distilling in the £3.50 Shetland Islands distillery's small copper pot still with other carefully selected botanicals. The result is a London Dry gin with a depth of flavour. It also makes a good base for cocktails. Strathearn Heather 40% What's in it? Juniper, rose and heather. Rose What makes it interesting? Created by Strathearn Distillery, at present Scotland’s smallest whisky distillery. The combination £4.25 Perth and Kinross of rose and heather give very light fruity notes of honey combined with slight notes of lavender. The colour reflects the fields of heather on Scottish hillsides. The addition of tonic changes the colour to a light pink and a waft of rose scent is released.

Fever Tree Tonic Colour: Pure and crystal clear. Aroma: Clean and fresh with citrus and aromatic hint. Flavour: Very soft. Subtle and supportive citrus and fruit notes balanced by bitterness of natural quinine. £1.50 Finish: Clean with none of the usual cloying mouth feel of other tonics. Texture: High carbonation delivers the aromas and taste in a classic refreshing style.

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