Okay, so it's no suprise to those who know me that I appreciate good Gin and Whisky, the subtleties and complexities in the flavours 👅👃 exploring different combinations and flavours is something that I really enjoy. Whisky tastings give me a change to explore many different flavours of spirit from different (or the same) distillary at different ages with different casks and finishes💣.

Morrison & MacKay are best know for their brands, Carn Mor and their "Celebration of the Cask" bottlings. They're not a distillary but an independant bottler who buy, age and expriment with Scotch 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. They don't belive in chill filtering ❄️ during bottling, like most commercial whisky production as they want to preserve the flavour behind the spirit.

This tasting was hosted by Graeme MacKay from Morrison & MacKay, a truely great bloke who spoke at length about the bottling, the casks, the history and the geography of each of the samples that we had and did it all while respecting a break for clapping for the NHS and dressing up in a three-piece suit to really embrace the breaking out of lockdown feeling (while staying at home)🕴️

🥃 The Drams

Dram 1 - Glen Ord

Just outside Inverness in the Highland reigon, where Tomatin is also situated sits the Glen Ord distillery. Produced from 2 Bourbon barrels aged to 7 years old, this whisky has a sweet buttered popcorn and caramel nose. Best described as "Approachable without being dull" as a starter whisky for the night. The mouthfeel isn't dull but is oily and sticks to the gums leaving a pleasent lingering taste. Glen Ord is currently owned by Diageo and most of the spirit produced there is used to make up part of Johnny Walker. It is odd to be able to get it as a single malt but tastes super at 47.5% abv. I wouldn't protest to a higher abv in this instance however.

Dram 2 - Glenburgie

Between Inverness and Aberdeen in the Speyside region was the very small distillery of Glenburgie before it was knocked down and reconstructed and on the same site is a great distillary. Making up part of Ballantine's whisky, this Bourbon barrel finish with Grassy and green apple notes on the nose is again at 47.5%. Raw alcohol taste with a hint of coconut with a sweet barley sugar finish on the pallette. When water is added, tinned peaches tend to show through. I'm not a fan of in raw form but when soddomised with water, it shows it's better side.

Dram 3 - Croftengea

From the Loch Lomond distillery, West of Glasgow, in the Highland reigon, this 9 yo heavily whisky is at 50ppm peat and 47.5% abv. It's peated nose with a farmhouse on the back of it and the lightly charred feel on the mouth with iodine gives it an almost savoury taste. Being a bit of a peat head, I really liked this bottling of the Croftengea.

Dram 4 - Ben Nevis

Next up! The Ben Nevis distillery 4yo, a really odd bottling at a really young age. Amazingly though, it was really deep in colour probably due to the first fill sherry hogshead. Melon and raisins on the nose with a resemblance to Japanese whiskey. Peated and heavy sherry taste and leathery finish. A bit disappointing in my opinion which would have been better left a few more years 😔.

Dram 5 - Cambus 1991

Grain whisky 😱 finished in a sherry butt. From Blackgrange (Speyside) (Diageo's aging facility) bottled at 60.6% as a "Celebration of the cask" can only be described as - Bloody amazing - Fruity on the nose with pigmented completion, long but very sexy finish that lasts that you can roll around your mouth. The more you leave it the more it opens up and the flavours develop. Overall, a beautiful whisky that goes to your head but you don't regret it.

Dram 6 - Glen Spey 1994

Near Rothes in Speyside, this Glen Spey is finished in a sherry hogshead and is bottled at 59.7%. It usualy makes up part the Flora & Forna range at 12 years old, this is bottled a couple of years earlier and makes a brilliant drink. A taste of crisp apricot on the nose with a dry, rich, sharp, lovely finish. Crisp fresh and sharp but really tasty!

We also enjoyed a couple more drams, post event such as a Glenlossie, a Bunnahabhain and a couple more but by that point, names were just words but the tastes were incredibe 🥴 Truely a great experience with a few incredible favourites from the night. A HUGE thank you to Victor Porter (Founder of the Southport Whisky Club) for putting this all together!

Cheers 🍻
Tom