Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to take part in the #gordonandmacphail tweet tasting on June 13th. I had flicked back through Steve Rush's timeline the day after the tasting though to pick out some tidbits of info though, and was very much looking forward to tasting the samples based on some of his re-tweets on the night! I finally got round to trying the samples yesterday... and wasn't disappointed :-)
Here are some of the notes Steve posted on the night:
"In April, @gordon_macphail announced that it was relaunching its portfolio of single malt Scotch whiskies. Following the relaunch of its ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ range, the whisky specialist announced the launch of its new ‘Discovery Range’
The first expressions to be released within the new ‘Discovery Range’ are bottlings from the Balblair, Tormore, Miltonduff and Caol Ila distilleries, which were matured in Gordon & MacPhail’s own hand-selected casks.
This latest range of whiskies are grouped and colour-coded under three flavour profiles; Smoky, Sherry and Bourbon. Designed to help whisky drinkers to begin an exploratory journey through the @gordon_macphail portfolio."
And here are my thoughts on the four expressions:
Balblair 12 Year Old single malt - 43%, £49.95
Matured in bourbon casks...
Nose
Light and fruity, some spirity notes initially but they soon fade. With time you get a deff bourbon oak influence… a little dry spiciness, but sweet peach prevails.
Palate
A little harsh, dry oak splinters evident, green chill and a touch of mint. If you let it sit in your mouth it does soften and you get some creamy vanilly and a little unripe pear. Not what I was expecting TBH.
Finish
Lingering dry wood and chilli. The very faintest hint of charring too?
Tormore 13 Year Old single malt - 43%, £49.95
Matured in bourbon casks...
Nose
V.pale in colour, with good legs in the glass. Crisp and fresh initially. Pear tart tatin with cream! Tart gooseberry and a little fresh cut grass right at the end.
Palate
Light and floral with some nice creamy undertones. Some ripe tropical fruity sweetness mingled with coconut cream.
Finish
A little more citrus on the finish, but tropical sweetness prevails (pineapple mainly). I like this... it's a well balanced, tasty, easily drinkable whisky!
Miltonduff 10 Year Old single malt - 43%, £49.95
Matured in sherry casks...
Nose
Prunes in syrup, a touch of linseed oil. Chocolate orange in there too… really sweet.
Palate
Choc orange still evident! Thick jam that has caught ever so slightly on the bottom of the pan. V.sweet still.
Finish
Sherry cask influence more evident with rich tobacco notes and grape on the finish. Nice, but maybe a little too sweet?
Caol Ila 13 Year Old single malt - 43%, £49.95
Matured in bourbon casks...
Nose
Sweet, damp smoke… like chucking chewits on a bonfire of leaves! With time in the glass, you get medicinal notes (plasters & tcp) but the sweet smoke is king.
Palate
Salted caramel mingles with rich BBQ'd pineapple… and then TCP builds and builds!
Finish
Continuation of the TCP (unsurprisingly) with more toasted sugary notes (those chewits thrown onto the bonfire maybe?)
My favourite was the Caol Ila. It's a lovely, well balanced dram, showcasing the influence of peat on a whisky. I also really enjoyed the Tormore, it's another balanced dram which is easier on the palate that the Caol Ila and would be a great 'intro dram' to someone wanting to try whisky for the first time. The sherry casked Miltonduff is nice and definitely highlights the influences of a sherry cask, although was maybe slightly too sweet for me. The Balblair was ok, it actually has quite young feel about it.
I think that as an intro to the various flavour profiles available, the Discovery Range offer some cracking, good value, expressions that I'd definitely recommend to friends. There are a 10 additional releases due throughout the year, so I'll be interested to see what the next expressions are!
Slainte,
Kieran