Whiskies

Take your time to appreciate the nose of Highland Park 12 and you’ll discover the characteristic honey sweetness followed by fruit – maybe pineapple, apple or pear. On the palate it is drying and leaves a gentle smokey feeling and a flavour that just keeps on going. £2.70/ 25ml measure

In making Laphroaig, malted barley is dried over a peat fire. The smoke from this peat, found only on Islay, gives Laphroaig its particularly rich flavour.

Laphroaig is best savoured neat, or with a little cool water. Roll it around on your tongue. Release the pungent, earthy aroma of blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley, the delicate heathery perfume of Islay's streams. £2.70/25ml measure

The Balvenie Signature Aged 12 Years is a classic marriage of The Balvenie matured in the three most traditional cask types, first fill bourbon, refill bourbon and sherry. Produced in small, numbered batches, each cask used is hand selected by Malt Master David Stewart to ensure he achieves Signature’s unique character of honey, spice and subtle oak and each batch is allowed time to harmonise in a traditional marrying tun. David Stewart crafted The Balvenie Signature to mark his 45th year in the whisky industry and 2010 sees the release of Batch 3. £2.70/25ml measure

Jack Daniel's is without a doubt the best known (and best-selling) brand of American Whiskey.

The famous square bottle contains charcoal-filtered dram of a dark orange, amber color. The contents is a dram that consists of 80% corn, 12% rey and 8% malt, that was matured on American oak casks (which explains the vanilla).

It is the charcoal filtration proces that makes this a Tennessee sour mash whiskey instead of a bourbon (which is produced in Kentucky while this baby is from Lynchburg, Tennessee).

The nose delivers very sweet corn and vanilla, upholstered with some coconot and oranges.

On the palate, you first get a sugary kick in the teeth, as if you've just taken a swig of coughing syrup. But instantly the vanilla and the taste of charred wood come round the corner to put things back in balance.

The finish is very short indeed, but quite nice, with burnt sugar as the main character in this feature, but roasted notes as a walk-on artist following closely.£2.40/25measure, £3.80/50ml measure

Maker's Mark is America's only handmade bourbon whisky - never mass produced.  Each individual batch is less than 19 barrels, and this small quantity means the quality can be kept to highest degree. 

Each batch is distilled using the traditional sour-mash method, starting each new fermentation by using a little of the last resulting in a more consistent product. 

The result is a comparatively soft and gentle spirit, which becomes very mellow as it matures. A subtle, complex, clean nose, with vanilla and spice, a delicate floral note of roses, plus lime and cocoa beans. Medium in body, Maker’s Mark offers a palate of fresh fruit, spices, eucalyptus and ginger cake. The finish features more spices, fresh oak with a hint of smoke, and a final flash of peach cheesecake. A delicate and circumspect Bourbon compared to some of its more redneck cousins. Very drinkable. £2.50/25ml measure

Knob Creek is the Kentucky town where Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas, owned a farm and worked at the local distillery. This nine-year-old Bourbon is made with the same high-rye formula as Basil Hayden’s. It has a nutty nose of sweet, tangy fruit and rye, with malt, spice and nuts on the palate, drying in the finish with notes of vanilla. £2.50/25ml measure

The world’s best selling Irish whiskey, originally distilled in Dublin, where John Jameson, a Scottish Presbyterian, founded a distillery in 1780. Jameson’s is now one of many whiskeys produced in Irish Distiller’s highly versatile Midleton distillery in County Cork. The Jameson range of whiskeys comprise a comparatively high percentage of pot still spirit, which gives them greater character and complexity then some other Irish whiskeys. The nose offers an interesting combination of floral, orange, toffee, Sherry and spice notes. Water releases more cooked fruits and a suggestion of linseed. Initially citric in the mouth, along with classic Irish oiliness, more profound notes of Sherry develop, along with fudge, vanilla and spice. The finish is long, warming and spicy, remaining oily to the very end. Jameson is deservedly a world leader. Irish whiskey at its finest.

Produced in the highest distillery in Scotland, this 15 year aged whisky has clssic golden colour and aromatic, slightly peaty aromas.  Remarkably smooth, a long lasting flavour gives heather, honey, sweet malt and a burst of peat at the end. £2.70/25ml measure

Highland Single Malt

Nose: Soft, very aromatic with a hint of honey and lemon in the foreground.

Colour: Amber with a slight yellow hue.

Taste: Sweet to start with a appetising fruitiness and a long smooth finish. A malt for every occasion.

Highland Single Malt

A highly peated highland malt, full and rich with uniqur Highland peat smoke notes. Matured for a final period in small 19th century style 'Quarter Casks' and bottled without chill filtration for a fuller flavour.

£2.70 per 25ml measure.

Highland Single Malt

Distilled 18.12.1982, Bottled 06.09.2011

Clynelish is a distillery in the Northern Highlands at Brora, and was built in 1968, replacing an old distillery across the road which had closed. The malt from the distillery is highly regarded and used in the Johnny Walker Gold Reserve blend as well as being bottled as a single malt, usually at 14 years old by owners Diagio. This expression from independend bottlers Signatory shows off the malts strengths, aided by the fact the malt is not chill filtered and the natural colour is maintained (Many comercial whiskies have their colour adjusted by caramel when bottled which can affect flavour slightly).

£3.20 per 25ml measure.

Highland Single Malt

Scotland's and possibly the worlds smallest Whisky Distillery, Edradour nestles in a hollow above the town of Pitlochry in the mid Highlands (Manager Chris has been round the distillery a few years ago - very interesting!). The 10 Year old is golden, with hints of sugared almonds and oloroso sherry and is smooth, creamy and lightly malty.

£3.20 per 25ml measure.

Highland Single Malt

Produced in the town of Old Meldrum, North West of Aberdeen, Glen Garioch (Pronounced Glen Geery) is a highly regarded distillery. It's Founders Reserve illustrates the house style with distinct honey sweetness, with a hint of heather and spice.

Nose: Sweet vanilla and butterscotch show the influence of North American Oak with fruitier green apple and grapefruit coming through at the rear.
Palate: At first the palate is sweet with hints of buttercream and vanilla. As this begins to ebb the fruitiness of the green apple skin and citrus cleanliness leaving a refreshed palate.

£3.20 per 25ml measure.