Ballantine's Tweet Tasting

 

Not only are we thrilled to launch our 55th Tweet Tasting, we’re absolutely delighted to announce that on November 19th, we’ll be shouting from the rooftops “Let’s hear it for the blends” as we spend an evening with Ballantine’s.

On the night a specially invited ensemble of whisky enthusiasts will be sampling and savouring a quad of quaffable and quintessential quality blended belters, headlined by their 12 Year Old and complimented by their Finest, 17, 21 and 30 Year Old expressions.

We’re also thrilled to announce that we’ll also be joined by Ballantine’s Master Blender, Sandy Hyslop, who’ll not only be tweeting along but also on hand to answer all your Ballantine’s based questions on the night.

If you have any of Ballantine’s whisky wares at home we’d love nothing more if you would pour and tweet your thoughts on the night. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter on November 19th at 7:30pm via #BallantinesTT

Until then Happy Dramlaxing!

For more information on Ballantine's visit: ballantines.com

Teeling Whiskey Tweet Tasting II

Over the last couple of years one name in the Irish whiskey industry that has gone from strength to strength with passion fuelled pedigree at the helm is that of Teeling.

Having launched a handful of multi award winning blended, grain and vintage single malt independent bottlings, The Teeling Whiskey Company will soon be distilling their own whiskey wares at their new distillery in Dublin, which is scheduled to start production early next year.

A year on from our first Tweet Tasting with this trailblazing whiskey brand and indeed a name that is steeped in history and part of the fabric of Irish whiskey, we’re absolutely thrilled to announce that on December 8th we’ll be hosting a second evening exploring their new single malt.

Full details to follow soon, but if you would like to take part in what will be a dramming night to remember, register your interest by emailing your name, address and Twitter handle via the contact tab, remembering to mark the subject line #TeelingWhiskey

The closing date to register is Monday November 10th, and if you are registering to take part please make sure that you will actually be free on the evening of December 8th to take part!!!

Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following all the evenings dramfotainment. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter on December 8th at 7pm via #TeelingWhiskey

Until then Happy Dramlaxing!

For more information on The Teeling Whiskey Co visit: teelingwhiskey.com

Win a bottle of Old St. Andrews for St. Andrews Day

Following on from the success of our recent Tweet Tasting, we’re delighted to be teaming up again with Old St. Andrews, to offer four of our followers the chance to winning a litre bottle of their Clubhouse Premium Blended Scotch Whisky, the perfect pouring partner to help celebrate St. Andrews Day on November 30th.

Clubhouse Premium Blended Scotch Whisky, is Old St. Andrews rich and fruity offering from their line-up of Blended Scotch and Blended Malt whiskies, which not only went down a storm at our recent Tweet Tasting event but also scored 90/100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is click here and email us your contact details along with the following phrase that dramming pays:

“I’d love to tee off my St. Andrews Day dramspankery

with a youthfully yummy, big bang for buck,

namesake drop of blendage"

 *Remember to mark the subject line of your email with: #OSAComp

If you’re not already doing so follow us on Twitter via @TheWhiskyWire and RT one of our related competition tweets for another chance to win!

#OSAComp

To discover the full range of Old St. Andrews distinctively bottled blended Scotch whiskies, with beautifully balanced and fabulous lip-smacking flavours at the heart of every sip, visit: drinksupermarket.com

Competition closes at 23:59 on November 25th 2014. Entry open to over 18's only

Lakes Distillery Tweet Tasting

Continuing our hugely successful teaming throng of Tweet Tastings, we’re delighted to announce that on the evening of November 26th we’ll be sampling a duo of delights from Cumbria’s Lakes Distillery.

Although the stills won’t be flowing until the end of November and it will be three years before we can sample their English whisky wares, they have busy blending and bottling their award winning ‘The One’ British blended whisky and have also just released their small batch artisan ‘The Lakes Gin’.

Full details coming soon, but if you would like to sample both of the aforementioned drops of drammage and ginnery, register your interest by emailing your name, address and Twitter handle via the contact tab, remembering to mark the subject line #LakesDistillery

The closing date to register is Monday November 3rd, and if you are registering to take part please make sure that you will actually be free on the evening of November 26th to take part!!!

Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following all the evenings dram and ginspankery. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter on November 26th at 7pm via #LakesDistillery

Until then Happy Dramlaxing!

For more information on The Lakes Distillery visit: lakesdistillery.com

Quick Fire Whisky Tasting Notes #42

Smögen Primor

Swedish Single Malt Whisky

 

Nose: Phenol-menal protruding peaty punches, pencil shavings, bicycle inner tubes, soot, sea spray, Weetabix covered in hot milk and demerara sugar, vanilla fudge, blackberries, pink grapefruit, Copella cloudy apple juice, coriander, candied fennel fronds, cinnamon sticks, freshly grated nutmeg, white pepper and a box of Quality Street mint matchmakers.

 

Palate: Peat and pepper filled bicycle inner tubes, honey and lemon Lockets lozenges, soot and smoke from a coal fire, tea soaked prunes, Waitrose blackberry and apple crumble, Rowntree's fruit pastilles, Lindt chilli chocolate, five spice, freshly chopped ginger and the final puff of a menthol cigarette.

 

Finish: A long, lingering and lush finish, that’s as full-on, frolicking and fine as the nose and the palate.

 

Summary: At 63.7% this 3 Year Old, yes 3 Year Old Swedish whisky proves two points perfectly; firstly age ain’t nothing but a number and secondly along with the likes of Mackmyra, Sweden produces some kick-ass whisky!

 

 

Peated Malts of Distinction Tweet Tasting

Not only are we thrilled to announce our 53rd Tweet Tasting, we’re absolutely delighted to announce that on November 12th, we’ll be teaming up with Beam Suntory for an evening exploring expressions from their newly named Peated Malts of Distinction collection.

On the night we’ll be sipping, savouring and sampling whiskies from four award-winning distilleries across Scotland and Ireland; Ardmore, Laphroaig, Bowmore and Connemara.

Full details coming soon, but if you would like to take part in an evening full of phenomenal peated pours, register your interest by emailing your name, address and Twitter handle via the contact tab, remembering to mark the subject line #PeatedMalts

You need to register by 23:59 on October 26th, and if you are registering to take part please make sure that you will actually be free on the evening of November 12th to take part!!!

Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following all the evenings tweet tasting dramfotainment. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter on November 12th at 7pm via #PeatedMalts

Until then Happy Dramlaxing!

Win a bottle of Great King Street Glasgow Blend

To help celebrate the official UK launch of Compass Box’s Great King Street Glasgow Blend, the second permanent whisky to be introduced to their Great King Street range, we’ve teamed up with the award-winning Scotch whisky craft blender to give two of our readers the chance of winning a bottle of their latest release, signed by their Founder and Whisky Maker John Glaser.

Glasgow Blend has been created to provide a very different expression of the Great King Street house style. While the whiskies share the same moreishness, creaminess and approachability, Artist’s Blend is fruity, spicy and packed with vanilla, while Glasgow Blend is rich, round smoky and sherried.

This latest release offers a rich vein of peaty-smokiness underpinned by sherry cask-aged whiskies full of dried fruit and wine character. The palate is full and round, with a sweetness typical of whiskies from Comapass Box.

The whisky is made from approximately 67% malt whisky from the regions of Islay, the Highlands and Speyside and 33% Lowland grain whisky from a Fife distillery. It is aged in a combination of first-fill Sherry casks, first-fill and refill ex-Bourbon barrels with a small portion of new French oak finishing.

Glasgow Blend will be available from mid-October at specialist retailers for a RRP of £30.

To be in with a chance of winning a bottle, all you need to do is click here and email us your contact details along with the following phrase that dramming pays:

“I’d love to win a bountiful belting blended

bottle of great Glasgow gloriousness from

those champion crafters at Compass Box”

*Remember to mark the subject line of your email with: #CBGB

If you’re not already doing so follow us on Twitter via @TheWhiskyWire and RT one of our related competition tweets for another chance to win!

#CBGB

For more info on Compass Box visit: compassboxwhisky.com

Competition closes at 23:59 on November 16th 2014. Entry open to over 18's only