4 Exceptional Drams from the Mangrove Whisky Portfolio – Part One
If you’ve been paying attention to our blogs over the last several weeks, you may have noticed how we’ve started to pay more attention to other types of whisky found in different parts of the world.
Don’t get me wrong, Scotch is and always will be, our primary drop here at Great Drams, but I do feel I’ve been somewhat neglectful of plenty of other exceptional whiskies because they weren’t Scotches.
Because whisky is a universal experience, and because we don’t want you to miss out, I thought today I’d take a look at several different world whiskies, all managed under global drinks giant Mangrove Global.
Recently, (March 2025) Mangrove appointed Kealan Lafferty as their new World Whisky Brand Ambassador, and to say he’s been busy would be a huge understatement. Working alongside Mangrove’s curator of world whisky, Stef Holt, the pair have been helping to, in their words ‘drive awareness and appreciation’ of the company’s extensive world whisky portfolio.
With drams from across the planet, here are some of my favourites from their diverse whisky portfolio.
At Great Drams, you’ve probably noticed how we primarily cover Scotch whisky from Scotland, as well as Irish whiskey, US whiskey, and Japanese whisky most commonly. We do occasionally visit climes new, but I can honestly say I can’t remember the last time we covered a New Zealand whisky.
If New Zealand whisky is your tipple of choice, you’ll likely find this Kiwi expression especially appealing. Yes, we’re first travelling to New Zealand’s Pokeno Whisky Company, to take a quick look at Pokeno Discovery, and what a treat it is.
This dram is the perfect combination of sweet and fruity. It’s very much for those with a sweet tooth, and lends itself especially well to cocktails and mixers.
Combining spirit matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon casks, along with PX and Oloroso sherry casks, this single malt comes in at a toasty 43% ABV.
On the nose, those sherry influences don’t just make their presence felt, they blast you in the face. There’s dried figs, grapes, raisins, dark chocolate, and nutty aromas, all balanced together with winter baking spices and golden syrup. If you wanted a dram that reminded you of Christmas on the nose, this is the tipple for you.
On the palate, the sherry notes are far more subdued, though still there. There’s a distinct taste of dried dates, figs, prunes, and minced pie laced with vanilla cream custard. A further sip should reveal toffee flavours, with more than a hint of lightly toasted oak, cinnamon, and candied lime zest.
The finish is lengthy and evocative of a fine dessert wine. There’s dried fruits and cocoa powder, complimented by a touch of charred oak and maple syrup. Divine!
From New Zealand to Ireland next, as we visit the Glendalough Distillery and look at Glendalough Pot Still Whiskey.
For fans of Irish whiskey made using traditional pot still techniques, this dram will surely appeal. It was created using a traditional pot still, before being finished in virgin oak casks from Ireland. It comes in at a smooth, yet fiery, 43% ABV and has a wonderful honey amber colour.
Complex, sweet, malty, and incredibly smooth, this is an outstanding dram with the price to match.
On the nose you can expect slightly spicy notes of freshly baked golden syrup flapjacks and warm gingerbread. There’s a slightly malty aroma to this dram, not too dissimilar from Horlicks. Finally, heather honey notes should shine through, with a touch of orchard fruits.
On the palate, things really become interesting. A first sip should reveal flavours of figs drizzled with honey. There’s also a punchy citrus note here, coupled with apple crumble and custard. A second sip should reveal hidden layers. Expect sea salted caramel, toasted oak, peaches and cream.
The finish is medium and smooth, just as you’d expect. What you may not expect here however, is the amount of oak you get on the finish, and that’s no bad thing. It works wonderfully with the fruity, toffee, malty notes of the whisky and balances everything together beautifully.
Glendalough Single Malt Mizunara Cask Finish
Sticking with Glendalough for the moment, we next have a very special dram from them, in the form of their Mizunara Oak Cask Finish.
This is a special whiskey as it’s the first Irish whiskey to use Mizunara oak. Mizunara is a rare and exotic oak native to Japan.
Sometimes simply known as Japanese Oak, it’s a unique form of oak found primarily in the north of Japan. Mizunara oak casks do not come cheap, and there’s a reason for this. In fact, there are several. To begin with, the oak itself has the lowest number of tannins of any oak species. It also has an extremely high vanillin content. What does this mean? Basically, it means spirit aged within is less woody and will take on more sweeter vanilla notes. It also has a reputation for being somewhat temperamental and difficult to work with for coopers, as it is very porous. Think of it as the diva of the oak world.
Aged for 7 years, this exquisite Irish whiskey was first aged in ex-Bourbon casks, before being finished in Mizunara oak casks. The end result is astounding.
On the nose, this 46% ABV whiskey provides prominent notes of vanilla and citrus peel, chocolate, cocoa, mixed fruits, and lavender. There’s a very slight scent of cedar wood as well.
On the palate, the vanilla notes become even more prominent, before giving way to crisp apples, lemon and lime zest, clotted cream fudge, and digestive biscuits dunked in sweet tea. A further sip should reveal further citrus notes, combined with chocolate coated raisins and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
The finish is lengthy and drawn out, yet decidedly smooth, with an amazingly crisp mouthfeel due to the lack of tannins. There’s dark chocolate, buttery shortbread, lemon drizzle cake, and a slightly aromatic finish. Delicious!
Back to New Zealand’s Pokeno Whisky Company we go, this time to try out their exceptional Winter Malt.
This is the second entry into Pokeno’s Exploratory Series, and was inspired by the unique selection of New Zealand malts which they selected for their mashbill. These included:
- Manuka Smoked Malt
- Toffee Malt
- Laureate Distiller’s Malt
- Chocolate Roasted Malt
The whisky was then aged in hand-selected first-fill Bourbon casks to allow the flavours to come together. The end result is a sweet, creamy, chocolatey malt, with an ABV of 48% and a gorgeous copper colour.
On the nose, there’s a distinct scent of sweet honeycomb, vanilla custard, and dark chocolate coated coffee beans. Sniff again, and there’s a distinct whiff of floral smoke, as if you were burning a bunch of lavender on a campfire. The lavender smoke and honey aromas work incredibly well together, I have to say.
On the palate, strong toffee apple flavours here, combined with more honey, vanilla custard slice, pecan and maple crunch cereal, and fresh orange peel. These flavours linger on the tongue, before being joined by authentic Turkish delight chocolate, raspberry jam, and toasted almonds. Very Bakewell pudding-like.
The finish is fairly lengthy, and has an amazingly oily mouthfeel. There’s chocolate orange, honey, toasted oak, and hints of freshly ground coriander seeds, along with the citrus kick they usually provide. Also, more than a suggestion of smoke right at the end here, which helps balance the sweet notes beautifully.
And with that, I think we’ll call it a day for part one. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for part two, however, as we review four more exceptional drams from the Mangrove whisky portfolio. Now go pour yourselves a dram, you deserve it.
If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at what we have to offer.
With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.
Greg
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