First up a big apology… Real life has interrupted service here at The Real Dram and we haven’t blogged with the usual frequency, eloquence or inane banter for a while now. Hopefully, we have passed through the quagmire of life and are back now usual narrow, winding path with freakishly steep hills on either side.
To get us back up and running, we finally write up a very enjoyable tweet tasting that we took part in back in March.
House of Malt Secret Bottlings.
House of Malt are an independent whisky shop based in Carlise. Up until very recently they have been happily selling well selected whiskies from around Scotland and the rest of the world to the happy people of Cumbria, however they recently took they step of selecting and bottling up a few of their own brand whiskies. To help them launch, we and a few other bloggers, got chance to taste their wares, share our opinions and as ever talk nonsense whilst doing so…
Here are our thoughts about the drams:
Islay 10 Year Old
Price: £39.95
Appearance: Very light yellow
Aroma: As you open the bottle there is a huge rush of medical notes; bandages, deep heat and TCP, all combining to through you along the corridor of your local hospital. As you land, you are treated to an emerging charcoal smoke and a citrus tang. All these notes combine to instantly make you want to drink!
Taste: Initially this dram is light and sweet, with a golden syrup or butterscotch like sweetness.
As the dram develops, the middle is a lightly peppery note, with it comes salty maritime notes, which are like chewing on a hunk of drift wood.
The final notes are a mix of both the initial golden syrup sweetness and a widening charcoal smoke.
Mouthfeel: Smoky, but sweet.
Overall: From the nose I have to admit that I was expecting something much less cultured and subtle than the actual final flavours. I was pleasantly surprised and found this to be incredibly drinkable, with many likeable flavour qualities, especially at the price point that it is being offered at. My favourite of the tasting.
Real Dram Factor: 7.5
Speyside 15 Year Old
Price: £44.95
Appearance: Again, a light uncoloured hay like yellow tone.
Aroma: Toffee, Lemon and light Nutmeg spicing.
Taste: Initially a very quiet dram, which takes a few sips to develop. At the start there is a light floral honey sweetness, which is warming and subtle.
As the liquid opens, the casking becomes obvious, as the sherry fruit flavour widens, bringing sultanas richness and orange zest to the palate.
As the dram closes, there is a very light spicing, which has a christmas cake notes to it and also contains the warming heat of ginger.
Mouthfeel: Light and sweet.
Overall: This dram took a while to become interesting, but has a lot to offer for the more patient drinker. It is a quiet, subtle dram, but probably the most dynamic of the three that we tried during the tasting. This is a dram to buy a bottle of and then get to know over a few weeks.
Real Dram Factor: 7.2
Highland 10 Year Old
Price: Currently on sale at £29.99
Appearance: Sun Dried grass
Aroma: Heather, Cinnamon and Apple
Taste: This is a pudding of a dram. Straight away you are treated to a light, sweet creamy liquid.
Then as these notes float away, there is a sweet cinnamon spice, which interplays with juicy, fruity tones. These lie somewhere in region of blackcurrants, cherries and figs.
The final notes are where the wood spice shows itself. Still very creamy, but with a darker, tannic oakyness.
Overall: Another nice dram and a snip at less than £30!
Real Dram Factor: 7.0
Source: House of Malt Tweet Tasting
More Information: House of Malt Website
Buy Online: House of Malt Online Store