Torabhaig | High West | Master of Malt | Bladnoch
Plus The Whisky Event
THE WHISKY EVENT
One of my favourite whisky events of the year takes place in The Great Room at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane on the 2nd June. Over 60 exhibitors will be present with over 600 whiskies to taste. Unlike other events, the quality of the whisky here is always exceptional, with many fine and rare bottles shared by the distilleries and Independent Bottlers. One of the highlights of the evening is the food - a lavish Kosher buffet that is included in the entry price of £100 (£180 for two people). I find this is a great time to breakaway from tasting and enjoy a complimentary cocktail with friends.
If you enjoy buying exclusive bottles, there are always some gems available here as well as masterclasses to attend. I genuinely cannot say how enjoyable it is to attend this premium event in the luxury surroundings of Grosvenor House.
Tickets are available here
TORABHAIG CNOC NA MÒINE
The Isle of Skye, the largest of Scotland's Inner Hebrides, is renowned for its rugged landscapes, picturesque coastal views, and rich cultural history. Known as "An t-Eilean Sgitheanach" in Scottish Gaelic, Skye has a storied past shaped by the Norse and Gaelic peoples. Its landscape includes iconic features like the Cuillin Mountains and the Old Man of Storr, and now the Torabhaig distillery.
Situated in the small crofting township of Teangue on the Sleat Peninsula, Torabhaig is only the second licensed distillery ever to operate on the Isle of Skye. Founded in 2017, it marked the island’s first new distillery since 1831, offering a complementary but distinct alternative to world-renowned Talisker.
The name "Torabhaig" is derived from the nearby Norse settlement of Toravaig, reflecting the linguistic and cultural blend of the region. The distillery itself is housed in a converted 19th-century farm steading, which was thoughtfully renovated to preserve its historical charm while being equipped with modern distillation technology.
Torabhaig’s first release, the "Legacy Series," introduced us to a new interpretation of Skye’s unique flavours. The initial expression, "Legacy Series 2017: The Inaugural Release," is characterised by a complex blend of maritime influence, peat smoke, and subtle sweetness.
Subsequent releases have continued to build on this foundation, and are designed to follow the evolution of the whisky as it matures, albeit it with differences. The latest is the Cnoc Na Mòine which has been aged in Bourbon American Oak, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximenez casks and bottled at 46%. It is the first time the distillery has used sherry casks, which for me integrated well with the peated spirit. It had a beautiful sweetness and touches of brine to it. The sherry influence was just that, an influence, as opposed to being dominant. The spice that I love from Torabhaig was still present, making this a delicious dram.
Neil MacLeod Mathieson, Torabhaig whisky maker comments: “There is an intriguing complexity to peated whisky, an endless depth to explore. There are many faces and moods to peat, so a balance has to be found between strength and refinement, between elegance and robustness. Each expression in the Legacy Series captures our progress towards this vision and is a liquid snapshot of our whisky journey here on the Isle of Skye.
“This is the first expression where sherry casks have played a part in our journey as well. The way new flavours are revealed through time with different casks is such an exciting thing for a younger distillery to discover and highlights the magic of whisky-making that can’t quite be explained, although it can be bottled.”
It is always fascinating listening to Neil, as he talks about the thought processes involved and gets slightly scientific, discussing the spirits' interaction with the cask, and what they are hoping to achieve. I always learn so much, and I hope to be able to visit the distillery to write a feature article at some point.
HIGH WEST
High West Distillery was founded in 2006 by David Perkins and his wife, Jane, in Park City, Utah, becoming the state's first legal distillery since 1870. Perkins, a former biochemist, was inspired to enter the industry after a visit to Maker’s Mark in Kentucky. Motivated by the history and chemistry behind whiskey, Perkins and his wife decided to start their own distillery in the scenic surroundings of Park City.
This original High West Distillery and Saloon in Park City is situated in an old livery stable and garage, which has been meticulously restored. In 2015, due to increasing demand, they expanded by opening a new distillery in Wanship, Utah. This facility, known as the High West Distillery at Blue Sky, is significantly larger and includes a visitor centre and educational spaces for people to enjoy.
The brand is particularly noted for its blended whiskeys, which are a combination of sourced spirits and those distilled in-house. High West's product lineup is diverse, with one of their first and most popular products, Rendezvous Rye, a blend of older and younger rye whiskeys, showcasing a balance of complex spice and honeyed flavours. Another, Campfire, mixes rye, bourbon, and a peated Scotch, creating a distinctive smoky profile that challenges traditional flavour boundaries associated with American whiskey.
They also release limited edition and seasonal bottlings, such as the Midwinter Night’s Dram, a rye whiskey finished in French oak port barrels, which are highly anticipated each year. These releases often explore creative ageing techniques and unusual cask finishes, reflecting Perkins’ original biochemistry background and experimental spirit.
I was able to taste 4 of their expressions recently at Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat, located in Mayfair. It is a restaurant that delivers a contemporary take on Asian cuisine. Inspired by the drinking dens of 1930s Tokyo and the Far East, it has a sleek and stylish interior, setting the perfect backdrop for our tasting at the Chefs Table.
The highlight for me was the Double Rye as it offered just the perfect balance of spice, herbs, vanilla and honey, complemented by mint, eucalyptus and cinnamon. The Rendezvous is similar in its composition but aged for longer. It showed caramel, cherries and ripe peaches, with vanilla, mint and clove and a hints of dark chocolate. I felt the there were wood notes that were just a little bit too much for me, but that is personal. It would be fantastic in a cocktail.
The bourbon was delicious with aromas of vanilla, caramel, and toffee apple. As you would expect, there are notes of vanilla, caramel, baking spices, and a hint of dark chocolate on the palate, with a subtle spice.
Their Campfire bottle is a unique blend of bourbon, rye and peated Scotch. This combination creates a distinct flavour profile not commonly found in American whiskey. It is a great introduction to smoky whisky for those who otherwise would not try it.
MASTER OF MALT
Master of Malt was started in 1985 as an independent bottler. The company has evolved significantly over the years, adapting to the digital age to become one of the leading online destinations for whisky and other spirits. They kindly recently sent me a few examples from their huge offering, including a sensational mezcal.
Montelobos Artessnel Joven 100% Agave Mezcal 43.2% - £52.85 from Master of Malt
Mezcal is all the rage at the moment and it is not difficult to see why. This has a gloriously aromatic nose, being herbaceous with ripe pineapple and a smokey backbone. The palate is earthy and rich, with spice, hints of grapefruit and even chilli. This is a tremendous sipping Mezcal and perfect to try if you are not familiar with the category.
Herno Sipping Gin Ex-Brännland Ice Cider Cask 45.1% - £85.94 at Master of Malt
This also has a very aromatic nose that is typically characteristic of gin, but with an almost plum and red berry Eau de Vieux aromas. You can see why this is labelled as a sipping gin due to its balance and smoothness. There is a slight black pepper spice, which may have come from the cask ageing. It would also be perfect in a G&T with a slice of grapefruit.
El Dorado 21 Year Old Special Reserve Rum 43% - £97.94 at Master of Malt
This is very unique as El Dorado use wooden pot stills - the only distillery in the world to do so. It has an incredible nose - rich, fragrant with smells of honey, tobacco, reduced pineapple and butter. The palate is lighter than the nose suggests but packs real flavour. What I particularly enjoy is that it is not overly sweet, focussing instead on balance. It has a lovely balance between fruit, spice and wood.
Bunnahabhain 18 year old 46.3% - £147.99 from Mater of Malt
“Bunna” is a firm favourite of mine and this just sings. It differs from so many Islay whiskies as it is only lightly peated, instead focussing on the distillate character. The nose if opulent with baking spices including cinnamon and nutmeg. There is the expected vanilla, but with wholemeal bread soaked with orange syrup. In the mouth, it plays between being dry and sweet that contrasts well the rich fruit flavours. There is toffee, honey, plum and brown sugar.
BLADNOCH DISTILLERY
Bladnoch Distillery, founded in 1817, is the oldest privately owned Scotch whisky distillery. Known as the "Queen of the Lowlands," it's the southernmost distillery in Scotland. Master Distiller Dr. Nick Savage, previously of The Macallan, and owner David Prior, who acquired Bladnoch in 2015 as the first Australian to own a Scotch whisky distillery, are working hard to revitalise the brand and doing exceptionally well., The Bladnoch 2024 Single Cask Collection features six unique single malt whiskies of which I have been able to taste 2:-
Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/05 49.9% - £160
Initial notes on the nose are of melon, gooseberry and a vegetal note in the background including a hint of celery in the background. Then came the aromas of a Double Decker chocolate bar. Quite woody on the palate with clove spice and those herbaceous notes.
Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/03 58.3% £160
Very different to the No 5 with smoke very evident. The nose is reminiscent of a cherry and coconut chocolate bar that has been BBQed somehow! There is butterscotch and honey also. The palate is rich with burnt orange, chocolate, sticky toffee pudding and some caramel.
OTHER TASTINGS
Cu Bocan Creation #6 46% - £60 from Berry Bros & Rudd
The nose is full of fudge, stem ginger, damsons, ripe bananas, black treacle and a lovely smoke. On the palate it is very creamy, with creme brulé, toffee, some nuttiness, well integrated smoke and even some peach. A really nice, easy drinking dram that is great value.
ABINGDON DISTILLERY
In the previous edition I wrote about British Rum, including those from Abingdon Distillery. I have subsequently chatted with Jordan Morris, the founder of the distillery.
What inspired you to start making rum?
Rum & Whisky was always on the cards when we started making gin 5 years ago. It was just a case of finding the right time to expand and the right location/unit. Im a serious lover of dark spirits & rare whisky/rum collector so ive always wanted to make a bottle of whisky to sell one day.
What is the most exciting element of making British rum?
The rum side of things is super interesting. We are using panela to make our rum (not molasses) so it’s quite different to the majority of UK produced rums. Our base white rum is clean, light, vanilla forward with white chocolate & a slight hint of tropical fruit. Very similar in style to Cachaca. We have our rum aging in a variety of cask styles that I have hand selected to elevate & complement the style & taste profile of our rum. Our first cask release is later this month which we have been keeping secret for 18 months now and it’s something very unusual.
Have consumer tastes evolved in terms of rum in the past 5 years?
With regards to consumer tastes of rum in the last 5 years. 5 years ago there was probably no British rum distilleries. so this is all very new to myself and to the UK consumer. Traditionally it’s always been Americas/Caribbean producers so British rum is really pushing ahead and producing new styles/flavours of rum that aren’t traditional. And it’s about educating the UK consumers that we are making something very different. We talk about our white rum at our tasting events and people always default to that old story of “I drank Bacardi 20 years ago and havent touched rum since”. A lot of love & care goes into our rum and our white rum is super smooth & tasty to start with. And people learn to appreciate that when you tell them how it’s made and they taste it.