Malt Whisky
All whisky sold by 35ml measures
Campbeltown Whisky
Springbank
Springbank is distilled two and a half times from lightly peated
barley - the malt is subjected to 6 hours drying over a peat
fire and a further 24 hours with hot air. Springbank is a
medium-bodied malt, with a distinct salty, briny note.
10 year old £2.80
A perfect introduction to the
Springbank range. Whilst bourbon casks are mainly used for
maturation, allowing the distillery character to shine through,
a number of sherry casks are also used for added body. The
light colour of this malt belies the richness of its character.
Whilst the nose suggests a wide range of aromas, from citrus
fruits to pears and a hint of peat, the palate excites even
further with touches of smoke, vanilla essence, nutmeg, cinnamon
and the salty tang we have come to expect from Springbank.
Complexity is the key word yet it remains perfectly balanced
from first sip to the full, rich finish.
Nose ; A good mix of
spume, sweet fruit, leather, dried grass and light toffee.
Palate ; A smooth sweet start then a blast of flavour dried
herb, salt spray, smoke, moss, toffee apple.
Finish: Very long, some coconut.
10 year old 100º £3.00
Powerfully
sweet with a hint of peat, this is a good medium-weight Springbank,
there's a growing fruitiness, especially pears. The swallow
has smoke, and, something very unusual that I'd describe as
an explosive after-finish! The nose is malty with lemon zest,
bottled at high strength but of such maturation that there
is only very slight nose prickle; with water there are sweet
floral notes. Tasted, the dram is round and zesty with brine,
a little sour and herby. 100º Proof has won
universal approval!
12 year old £10.50
One of the classic Springbank bottlings. This whisky contains
a lot of product from 1965 and 1966 which were big production
years at Springbank.
The whiskey shows a depth of flavour not seen in current Springbank bottlings,
lots of vanilla, sweet fruit, marzipan, coconut and milk chocolate flavours combine
to give a stunning whiskey. A real “Blast from the past”.
15
year old £4.00
Dark,
in the old style and an ace! As good as we have ever wanted from Springbank.
The right amount of sherryness, Springbankiness and slurpiness. Ace. As the eye
takes in the dark, russet colour of the 15 Year Old, the nose anticipates the
rich sweet smell of the sherry casks used to mature this age of
Springbank. The anticipation is rewarded as you remove the
cork and allow the sherry aromas to drift out. However the
sweet nose on this dram only begins to suggest the full range
of flavours which emerge on the palate; dark chocolate, figs,
marzipan, brazil nuts and vanilla all mingle to DRAMatic
effect! Warming and elegant on the finish.
A truly classic Springbank that is best enjoyed after-dinner
or with your favourite cigar
21
year old £14.50
ABV - 46%
Rich , mature and full bodied with
hints of sugared almonds and sweet peaches . Both malty and
sweet well balanced with milk chocolate , honey , raisins and
marzipan notes all initially evident . The finish is both long
and satisfying with sweetness coating the palate. The maturity
of the 21 year old comes from the high percentage of older
casks used.
1989 13 year old Sherry puncheon 56.1% £5.00
1991 12 year old Bourbon barrel 56.6% £5.00
1991 14 year old 53.9% £5.00
Bourbon
Wood 12 year old @ 58% £5.75
Colour - intermediate
Nose - Full bodied, malty and sweet, without being sherried.
An initially fruity nose develops toffee notes with a hint
of vanilla.
Palate - Medium sweetness, becoming creamy before evolving
into a sweet nuttiness, reminiscent of coconuts.
Finish - Medium length finish, leaving sweet floral notes on
the tongue
Rum wood12 year old @ 54.6% £5.75
Nose: Sweetish. Fragrant. Smoky, with fruit behind. Like an
applewood grill. Hint of salty sea air.
Palate: Soft. Marshmallowy. Sweet red apples. Pears. Hedgerow
fruits.
Finish: Small explosion of spiciness. Peppermint.
Comment: More rounded and elegant than the earlier, 10-year-old
rum cask. I enjoy the Springbank rum cask whiskies very much,
though not at the expense of the more traditional expressions.
Port Wood 14 year old 52.8% £5.75
Colour - Bronze, slightly pink
Nose - Very light and fruity, the port pipes have delicately
influenced the nose. Left to breath, sherbet notes, mixed with
malt, cream and dried fruits are all present, without overpowering
the whisky
Palate - Sweet and creamy on the palate. Dried apricots, caramelised
sugar and vanilla compliment each other in equal measures.
Finish - The creamy finish leaves a lingering sweetness.
Marsala Wood 14 year old 52.8% £5.75
Longrow Almost
an Islay. A dram for the connoisseur.
The malt for Longrow is dried entirely over a peat fire with
the spirit being double-distilled in the traditional Scottish
style.
10 year old * TR5 £4.00.
The dried fruit and gentle smokiness on the nose of the 10
Year Old give little warning as to the bonfire of flavours
which dance around the palate. The use of both sherry and bourbon
casks for maturation gives an initial rush of both sweetness
and spice before the peat smoke arrives to overwhelm the senses.
Like all good fires the embers linger long after the flames
have died down Typically Longrow is smoky, peaty, burnt twigs
and then some great flowery fruity characters. Usually an ace.
Nose: Resiny. Piney. Peaty.
Palate: Piney. Stunningly fresh peat flavours.
Finish: Sweet, salty and peppery. Astonishingly long.
Comment: A beautifully composed whisky. Classic intense, Scottish
flavours.
10 year old 100º TR5 £4.50.
14 year old * TR5 £4.75
A unique tasting whisky, neat it has the nose more akin to
Springbank rather than Longrow, not as peaty as expected.
The taste is very different, very dry with many nut flavours
and still not much peat. Water doesn't do too much, still
quite closed but the nuts linger. A lovely whisky but not
very Longrow.
Cask Strength Longrow 1992 57.2% 9 Year old £8.00
This younger than normal Longrow delivers slight smoke on the
nose but when you actually taste the product you will appreciate
the depth of smokiness redolent of a newly extinguished wood
fire.
Straight from the cask to your glass this Longrow is best appreciated
on a cold night in front of a roaring fire. The stuff of dreams.
Cask Strength Longrow 1993 56.8% 11 Year old £5.00
Cask Strength Longrow 1996 59.4% 10 Year old £5.00
Bond Reserve – matured in cream sherry butt!
Sherry wood Reserve 53% 13 year old £6.00
For the second bottling in the 'Wood Expressions' series the
Distillery Manager, Mr. Frank McHardy, decided to use a 1989
Longrow which has been matured for 13 years in both fresh
and refill sherry butts. The perfect seasonal dram, the Longrow
Sherry Cask has a lush sweetness on the nose with milk chocolate,
autumn fruits and strong hints of burnt embers all in evidence.
Rich and oily on the palate, toffee apples and cloves dominate
at first. The peatiness is not ‘in your face’ but
appears instead as subtle smoky undertones, well integrated
into the character of the malt.
Nose: Very restrained, nutty, sherry, with sea air.
Palate: Slightly sweeter, creamier, more rounded.
Finish: Almost a shadow of the nose.
Comment: Many blenders feel that second-fill sherry casks give
a more balanced result than first-fill. This whisky is a lesson
in that technique.
Tokaji wood Reserve 55.6% 10 year
old £6.00
One for those who love Christmas time. The Tokaji casks have
imbued this whisky with loads of Demerara sugar, treacle, flambéed
Christmas pudding flavours and hints of sweet spices including
cloves and cinnamon.
AGE 10 years old
WOOD TYPE 8 years in Refill Sherry/Bourbon then 2 years in
fresh Tokaji
DISTILLED February 1995
BOTTLED August 2005
COLOUR Very dark, brown with a hint of green, Tokaji is a sweet
Hungarian desert wine).
NOSE It’s Christmas time for your olfactory senses!!
PALATE The initial sugary sweetness soon passes, as butterscotch
and..............could that be a certain brand of minty chocolate.....you
know, the one with the bubbles?
FINISH A sweet and dry finish, with hints of peat, certainly
not a typical Longrow,
Hazelburn
In 2005 Campbeltown produced a new Malt Scotch Whisky. Springbank
finished bottling its newest Single Malt on 31st September
2005. Hazelburn Single Malt Scotch Whisky makes history as
it will be the first time a distillery has produced and bottled
three single malts from the one set of copper stills. The new
single malt is un-peated and triple distilled.
8 Year Old Cask Strength 57.4% £4.50
8 Year Old First Edition 46% £4.50
Rich, dark and golden this is the first release of the “Triple
distilled” Hazel;burn which was distilled during 1997
at Springbank.
Gingerbread and sherbert with chocolate orange notes on the
nose.
The palate serves up loads of mixed spice followed by a lingering
sugary sweetness, almost all the richness of Crème Brulee.
Glen Scotia Light for Campbeltown with
a hint of peat, a good pre-dinner dram
12 year old 40%alc. TR ¾ £4.50
Gingery and oily, plenty of Campbeltown sea air saltiness and
a real out-door warmer.
14 year old TR3 £5.00
Gingery and oily, plenty of Campbeltown sea air saltiness and
a real out-door warmer.
25 year old £6.00
12 year old Cask strength 62% £5.00
Interesting looking, dark Glen Scotia This one's hot an' spicy;
a nose of slightly musty oranges - almost a Campbeltown signature.
To taste, it is thick, all tongue coating with evidence of
heavy sherry maturation from a very active cask. Earthy,
very slightly smoky, sherry fans will love this, so it's
an ace in their book.
15 year old Cask strength 57.8% £5.50
Matured in a sherry hogshead and bottled in February 2007,
a wonderful whisky.
Cadenhead Classic Flavours 50%
Classic Islay £2.50
Campbeltown £2.50
Number 3 Bond £3.50
Cask strength malt bottled by Cadenheads in Campbeltown
The Rest of Scotland
Aberlour (10 Year Old) TR3 £2.50
From Banff.”Rich, malty aroma. Hint of smoke on the palate”
Malty and spicy, soft and moderately sherried.
Aberlour a’bunadh 60% £3.50
Ace, Excellent! A distinctive Benylin (cough syrup) style, mouth filling and
richly luxurious. Great value cask strength.
Ardbeg 10 year old £3.50
not available
Unchillfiltered and at 46% for extra flavour and impact. This is a great fullsome
peaty and seaweedy typically Islay malt with a good level of complexity.
Ardbeg Cask Strenghth 10 year old £4.50
Arran £2.50
Arran single Cask Malt 58.5% £3.80
Bowmore 17 year old £4.00
Smoky and sea fresh, malty and peaty. Bowmore OB 17yo 43%alc. The best expssion of Bowmore, sea breezes, delicately peaty, subtly medicinal, brilliant!
Bruichladdich
15 Year Old £3.80
One cask in six that goes into the fifteen year old is a new sherry cask, this
apparently small ratio has produced a dramatic sherry style. A real honest
old style whisky flavour is immediately apparent. Lots of sweet malt, digestive
biscuits, butterscotch, tropical fruit. Lashings of oak and a sprinkle of sea
spray and dry seaweed remind you of its 15 years maturing by the ocean. Islay
without the hammer. Full of style and sophistication. It is a marvelous whisky,
quite sweet & buttery and with the sea within.
12 year old Cask strength £4.50
Clynelish - Refil sherry 18yo 55.8%alc. £4.50
A beautiful Clynelish, everything the distillery offers. Bright, smouldering
oak, honey from a rock and that all important peaty undercurrent, heaven and
an ace.
Glenburn £2.00
Glenfarclas TR3-4 £3.30
15yo 46%alc. Big, sherried and complex. Bottled at 46% because it is the owner's favourite, and quite rightly so. Plenty of sherry that compliments rather than masks a good malty, slightly peaty, nutty blindingly complex yet balanced brilliance! Ace.
Glenfiddich TR2 £2.30
Now as a 12yo the world's biggest selling single malt is delicious!
Recommended if you don’t try something from Campbeltown.
Glengoyne TR1 £4.00
17yo 43%alc. - Light, spirited and early morning-ish. Master blender John Ramsay suggests this instead of a Port for the cheese course, very effective. Richly flavored, distinct apples, quite sweet, very impssive, ace.
Glen Grant TR2 £2.20
Dry, sweet and nutty. Herbal finish.
Glenmorange TR3-4 £2.80
Medium with a sweet fresh finish with a hint of peat. An excellent malt Top
selling malt in Scotland, and we know a thing or two! Spirity to the novice.
Very, very complex and involved to the more experienced.
Glen Moray TR2-3 £2.00
“An honest psbyterian dram” A fine all round malt, a p-dinner
dram.
Drink with water for a great wine! Very drinkable and excellent value, hard
fruit and chardonay with some balancing maltiness. Careful!
Glen Ord 12 year old TR 2-3 £3.20
Good depth with a long lasting, delicious aftertaste.
Soft and flavorsome, spicy with some smoke. Does a brilliant trick of exploding
on the tongue mid-taste and a long demanding finish. Excellent.
Glenrothes £4.20
1987 16yo 43%alc. Citrus, orange zest, vanilla notes.
Highland Park 18 year old £5.00
“If I smoked, I’d have this with a cigar” is how Michael
Jackson described this great single malt. “It gains in richness, and
spiciness: ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, fresh oak, leafiness, tobacco.” Charles
MacLean compares it with the popular 12yo; “(Heathery sweetish aroma,
with wisps of smoke and flavour which starts with heather honey and finishes
with dry peat). The 18yo is more succulent, fruitier, hotter on the tongue
and sweeter overall.” (He also found a whoosh of chili-pepper in the
25yo!) For ourselves, we never really understood what the fuss about the 12yo
was. Jackson described it as the ‘greatest all rounder in the world
of malt whiskies’ but we thought it just fussy and confused. The 18yo
put us straight. As with many things, in order to appciate one you need to
experience the better and we now have a good understanding of the 12 as a result
of experiencing the 18. Full-bodied, a rich deep sherry-wood bouquet, soft
taste of honey first then smoky-tarry-peat, tongue clinging but not at all
cloying, long warming flavorsome finish—clearly a great single malt.
This is an exceptionally fine whisky, all the Orcadian hallmarks of Highland
park are here – the smokiness, the peat, the heater honey and it is spicy
from its long maturation – a delight to any malt whisky connoisseur.
Isle of Jura 16 year old £4.00
Highland malt for drinking at any time. Smooth with subtle peaty traces
A little green about the nose but the soft, warming mouth feel and the round,
gingery and malty flavour make this an excellent dram.
Lagavulin £4.20
1988 16yo Distillers Edition 43%alc. Taste rating: 5 - Dry, smoky, peaty, salty. Transferred to a Pedro Ximinez (a rich unctuous sherry that the Spaniards put on their ice cream!) cask for finishing to develop a more tarry and smoky character. Not necessarily better - but different - and has many fans.
Laphroaig TR5 £2.80
The biggest peat-monster on the block, revered by many yes not by most. Missunderstood
or just too unruly? Medicinal and well balanced peaty-smokey. An
excellent after dinner malt
The Rich Spicy One 40% £4.00
A new breed of yoof-style whiskies aimed at getting more to try a dram. Give
it a try.
Royal Bracklea 20 year old 59.2% £8.00
Speyside Fresh, grassy and dry
Tobermory TR3 £2.20
This was one of the most honestly blurbed malts when it was described as being
'suitable for mixing' but they have removed that from the packaging. A thin
whisky, not unpleasant but for your friends not yourself.
The Macallan TR3-4 40% £3.00
Smooth, silky bouquet, a great masterpiece with a enviable reputation
Plenty of sherry but also some buttery, nutty and malt elements that maintain
this as the standard for all other sherry matured malts.
Tomatin TR2 £2.20
A pleasant medium weight highlander, slightly sweet, slightly peaty and slightly
spicy. I can't help getting a taste of tomatoes as well, (sorry to suggest
that).
Old Pulteney TR3-4 £2.20
Amazing! So soft you can't feel it on the tongue you only taste it! Sea-fresh
saltiness, slightly peaty with some oiliness and sweetness. Ace.
Speyburn-Glenlivit £3.50
Talisker TR5 18yo 46%alc. £3.80
The Talasker 10 year old was my first love, now I'm besotted by a more mature honey. Sensational! I tried this (18 year old) over a briny weekend a while ago and thought I pferred the 10 for it's uncompromising power but now, tucked up ashore, this is my new, more mellow, sweetheart. Ace.
The Loch Fyne Liqueur £3.00
Relaxing and Satisfying ~ as you’d expect of a liqueur with 12 year old
Scotch Whiskies at its heart. Less sweet than other liqueurs, it has a warming
aroma of deluxe Scotch whisky, spicy orange cake and a tiny whiff of log fires.
Once tasted, flavours of chocolate-orange, whisky and coffee linger. The Loch
Fyne is a pmium, full strength liqueur of 40% alcohol by volume. Created
for whisky lovers seeking a sophisticated and complex alternative, it is superb
on its own ~ even for those less enthusiastic about whisky
Comments largely stolen from the Loch Fyne Whisky web
site, www.lfw.com
Their shop is in Inverarary, visit it on your way home………..it
is worth it.
