REVIEW: Boutique-y Whisky Company Regions of Scotland
let’s begin
Disclaimer: Master of Malt provided a tasting set for review but my opinion and commentary, as always, are my own and are impartial.
That Boutique-y Whisky Company Regions of Scotland
Tasting Set; a flight of five sample size whiskies I’ve never tried in one handy, and bloody well designed pack.
GreatDrams is all about understanding and exploring the different styles and profiles of whisky from all round the world. With Scotland being whisky’s spiritual home, it makes sense to understand the regional differences of the domestic market in one sitting, giving me the ability to compare and contrast.
I’ve bought a few of these minis before over the years and get sent the odd one from brands to review but there is something nice about having a grouped set of whiskies that take you on a journey and open your mind to the differences and nuances that exist between regions, brands, liquids and bottlers.
The Boutique-y Whisky Company is a relatively new strand of the ever-innovative Master of Malt whisky empire, they have unique liquids with even more unique labels and are doing a really good job in democratising how people understand, consume and enjoy whisky.
So without further adieu, here are my thoughts of the flight as well as the official tasting notes so you can understand the pack and what you will enjoy.
First up was Tobermory - Batch 2 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (50cl, 53.9%)
Instantly the nose gave me lots of apple, overpoweringly so, a lovely palate that did not feel like it had 53.9% worth of power behind it, but in a good way, incredibly sippable.
Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt
Nose: Spicy with peppered pear skins, Rich Tea biscuits, a little yeast, fern branches, Milkybars and a lick of something more oily and coastal.
Palate: Quite thick with cinnamon stick, allspice and brown sugar alongside something more elemental, slightly herbal and oily.
Finish: White coffee, earthy spices and just a hint of peach frangipane.
Overall: A thick and tasty treat from the Isle of Mull.
Secondly we had Benrinnes - Batch 2 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (50cl, 49.5%)
I had never had a sip of Benrinnes before but wow the sherried notes immediately slap your nose and asks that you pay attention to what you are sipping. The notes below suggest this starts on the palate but I definitely got it on the nose first then had it reiterated on the palate, really smooth finish.
Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt
Nose: Spicy sherried fruit, dried apple and a little heather.
Palate: Bang! Sherry! Dark fruits, molasses, rum and crisp toffee.
Finish: Clean and dry with moreish mocha notes and spices.
Overall: Gorgeous, attention grabbing sherried Speyside.
Clynelish - Batch 1 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (50cl, 48.6%)
Not as much of a fan of this one in truth, it for some reason I just could not get on with it but when my wife sipped it she loved it and felt that the spice factor was a really enjoyable touch to an otherwise anonymous whisky.
Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt
Nose: Ginger and hints of sea salt. A little overripe grape, orange peel and spice. Dried apricots.
Palate: Coastal, oily mouth-feel with notes of fruit to the fore, particularly cantaloupe melon. A touch of apricot, with a development of sherry, figs and spice.
Finish: Spiced finish. Very fruity now, with gorgeously intense spice notes.
Overall: A fruity, coastal whisky from Clynelish with a lovely sherry flavour.
Full bottle no longer available.
I’m a big fan of Auchentoshan, having only recently learnt how to pronounce it consistently correctly, and this one just gave me a warm hug that said ‘ya know what? You deserve to be enjoying this’. The spicy finish in the notes below is bang on and the flavour profile is incredibly balanced between light and floral & dark and sherried.
Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt
Nose: Lovely parma violets on the nose, followed by sherry with hints of pipe tobacco and spice. A touch of kirsch and acacia blossom.
Palate: Creamy, sweet palate entry – marmalade on top of soft malt and orange blossom honey. Hints of lavender and wood shavings. A little candied peel develops.
Finish: Long, spicy finish. Apple peel, a soupcon of almond and prune juice on the tail.
Overall: Fantastic – a wonderful interplay between the floral Auchentoshan and the richness from the sherry cask.
Full bottle no longer available.
Caol Ila, where would I be with out this distillery’s liquids? I would say this was definitely me favourite of the flight, really salty, really peppery and really evocative of where the distillery is located. Coastal notes all underlined with the power you would expect.
Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt
Nose: Classic Caol Ila on the nose, harbour ropes, seaweed and a hint of linseed. Oily with malt, brine and butter.
Palate: A slight departure from the nose, it puts us in mind of sitting on a deck out at sea with black pepper and hints of driftwood too. The mouthfeel is slightly oily without being too viscous and there is a little late nuttiness to savour.
Finish: Gentle oak and open ocean, slightly drying.
Overall: We had to chain our Content Writer to his desk until he came up with Tasting Notes other than “Mmmmmm…” (he’s rather partial to a tasty Caol Ila).
Full bottle no longer available.
In summary I think this tasting set is wonderful, I look forward to hopefully trying a few others in the future but think the concept of bringing together regions and varied flavour profiles to tell one story with five chapters is great and makes for interesting conversation, even if it is mostly with yourself. Would not have minded more than 3cl though 🙂
Since writing the review, the regions set has been updated, I can only imagine that the new set is as good if not better – That Boutique-y Whisky Company Regions of Scotland Tasting set, RRP £35.95.
Greg
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