English Whisky – M&S Malt

Sometimes intrigue is enough to make you buy a whisky. I was passing through a service station at Christmas, when I spotted a bottle of M&S whisky that seemed to be created in England. This sparked my interest, as I think the bottle of English Whisky number six that I have is great. However time was short and at the time I dismissed the idea that it could be nice.

This week I found myself wasting time before a work presentation, so I bought some new shoes and thought I would pop and see if I could find the elusive bottle. When I opened it, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I drank it from a straight glass, whilst watching Mad Men.

Aroma: Tropical fruit swirls with hay and vanilla. Its sweet like a desert, but dry like its been hidden in a case full of hay.

Taste: This is initially light, fruity with papaya and melon and creamy with vanilla. As with the aroma, it is sweet like pudding, somewhere in the same ball park as upside down cake.

This flavour is short and disappears into woods, hiding behind the oak trees, which stomp on to the palate. This oak flavour is drying and comes with a hay and alcoholic strength. It tastes strong, almost farm like. However this is subtle, not over powering. With the wood comes spicing, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.

What remains for the longest is spreading lemon zest, oaky drying and the reappearing sweetness of vanilla.

Mouthfeel: Dry, Fruity and Oak.

Overall: I almost can’t believe that I enjoyed this whisky so much. Its quality shines through and it isn’t that far from the quality of its big brothers that bear the name and emblem of the English Whisky Company. This is quite the coup for a bottle of own brand whisky.

Aroma: 15

Start: 14

Middle: 16

Finish: 14

Value: 15

Overall: 74/100

More information: M&S Blog

Available: M&S Online