In this box, we set off on a far-ranging adventure around the world’s best whisky-producing nations. Taking in both the traditional and the modern, it’s an exciting and unusual selection of six diverse drams, with something for everyone to love. Happy holidays, whisky fans! – The Dram Team.
Worldwide Whiskies: September 2022 Box
Elements of Islay, Cask Edit
A new release in 2022, this bottling forms part of a Trilogy alongside sherry cask and bourbon cask versions. A marriage of rich, smoky malt from Islay's south coast and fresher, fruitier liquid from the north, the "Edit" here refers to the composition of refill, bourbon and sherry casks used for maturation.
Tasting notes
Nose: Freshly brewed coffee, tempered with hot milk. Sugared almonds and white chocolate truffles are misted with light peat smoke. A fresh fruit basket brings balance.
Palate: Sweet, with mineral qualities. Vanilla smoke and wood spice permeate through the smell of freshly baked butter croissants and hot, fruity coffee.
Finish: Lightly smoked and sweet - a bowl of fruit salad remains.
Lot 40, Rye Whiskey
Lot 40 is a 100% rye grain whisky that is made the old-fashioned way - distilled in a traditional copper pot still one batch at a time. You don't see a lot of 100% rye whiskies in the wild, as typically a proportion of other grains, such as corn, are used to optimise the chemistry of the distillation process. Lucky for us, Canada are great at making really good pure rye!
Tasting notes:
Nose: Full and zesty. Notes of rye bread, pepper and soft spice, along with rich vanilla, elegant citrus and ripe orchard fruits.
Palate: Deep mature oak with faint hints of dried apples and raisin, complemented with a touch of vanilla and coffee.
Finish: Sweet and refreshing.
Drumshanbo
This dram is triple distilled at the Shed Distillery - in Drumshanbo - using an unusual mix of three grains. Un-malted barley lends spiciness & depth; malted barley gives sweetness & body, and the surprising use of a small amount of Irish Barra Oats imparts a distinctive elegant creaminess. Maturation in both oloroso sherry and Kentucky bourbon casks further amps up the flavours - a very tasty recipe!
Tasting notes:
Nose: Rich and extravagant, yet balanced with aromatic warm pot spice, vanilla and dried fruit aromas.
Palate: Complex and fully balanced, a glorious marriage of pot spice, fig, Oloroso sherry and toasted oak notes.
Finish: Elegant with a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel. It lingers sublimely on the palate.
Nikka, Coffey Grain
Way back in 2016, this was Dram Team Founder Chris' "gateway dram" to the delicious world of grain whisky. Made primarily from corn in a Coffey still (different to a traditional Scotch whisky pot still), this is a wonderfully fruity drop with oodles of yummy dessert notes - like caramel, toffee and vanilla.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Very aromatic, with heady notes of tropical fruit bursting out of the glass. Plenty of juicy candied fruit, mango and coconut.
Palate: The rich tropical fruit continues on to the palate, along with caramel, toffee and vanilla from the cask. Very fruity and accessible.
Finish: The fruitiness combines beautifully with the toasty oak notes.
Kavalan, Distillery Select No. 2
Created as an introduction to the Kavalan collection, Distillery Select releases aim to capture the specific flavour characteristics that in recent years have won this Taiwanese distillery so many globally recognised whisky awards. An easy-drinking dram, this release emphasises floral and herbal notes. One of the secrets to Kavalan’s success is that their sub-tropical climate delivers a faster maturation than the cool warehouses of Scotland, imparting a huge amount of flavour from the cask in a concentrated period of time.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Ripened tropical fruits, fragrant floral notes and warm vanilla.
Palate: Rich and complex layers of butterscotch, creamy toffee and vanilla.
Finish: A long and fragrant finish.
Amrut, Naarangi
An innovative release from India's Amrut, Naarangi is Hindi for 'orange'. This unusual creation is matured using an ex-oloroso-sherry cask, which was previously seasoned with wine and orange peel for three years. Three-year-old Amrut whisky is then finished in this specially prepared cask for three further years, resulting in a six-year-old whisky with extraordinary orangey notes.
Tasting notes:
Nose: A tug of war between Suet Pudding and dried figs with moderate teasing of orangey citrus. With time, more dried fruits evolve.
Palate: Viscous, full-bodied like a syrup. Transcends to salt and sweet, with a generous orange influence.
Finish: The finish is moderately sweet with a loud dance of orange on the finale.
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