Greetings Crummbs readers, Greg from GreatDrams.com here to bring you a monthly roundup what new releases have taken place in the last month or so.
Here I’m going to give you a top three run down of the most interesting releases that have tickled my fancy, and that I have ended up acquiring a bottle (or two) of, as that’s generally a good indication, to me at least, as to what is good, but what is great.
- Timorous Beastie 18 Year Old whisky review
Part of the Douglas Laing family, Timorous Beastie is a blended malt that is well loved by fans of the brand.
It is called after a Robert Burns poem called “To a Mouse” and features an adorable image of such a mouse on the bottle.
This expression of Timourous Beastie has a few more years on it compared to the original and is made entirely of Highland Whiskies.
This is a refreshing dram right from the start and the fruits really help to set it off. The honey is sweet and rich, with a sugary warmth to it. It sits just on top of the fruits and gives them a lovely gentleness.
- Laphroaig Cask Strength 10 Year Old Batch 009
Laphroaig has been a working distillery for just over 200 years, having been built in 1815, although rumour has it that it was functioning secretly before this, in 1810.
Today they are one of the best-known malts around, especially with those who love peat. They have a strong core range, with malts ranging from 10 to 25 years old, as well as a good selection of limited editions and explorations in finishes.
Their Cask Strength 10 Year Old has proved to be very popular and has won an astounding amount of awards since it was first released in 2001.
It is now released annually and in small batches. This year’s release is the ninth batch. On the nose, it is full of seaside air, with lots of salt and brine. There is a lovely sense of being down on the rugged shore in front of the distillery, while the tide comes in.
- Sheep Dip & Pig’s Nose blended whiskies
Sheep Dip and Pig’s Nose hail from the Spencerfield Spirit Company, which is owned by Ian Macleod. Spencerfield itself was started as a family business by Alex and Jane Nicol and is situated in the Firth of Forth.
They are also wonderful at marketing their creations, capturing the audience’s interest with names such as Sheep Dip and Pig’s Nose. Sheep Dip is humorously called after the liquid that is used to delouse sheep. It is a full-bodied blend made up of 16 Whiskies ranging from 8 to 21 years old.
That’s my top three recent releases, feel free to ask me any whisky or whiskey questions over on GreatDrams.com, Instagram.com/greatdramsgreg, Twitter.com/GreatDrams or Facebook.com/GreatDrams – I answer every single message.
