February 4, 2017

#139: Oh! It Burns

Elise had her hat with a dead bird on and Billy was wearing a stealth kilt – it was Burns Night. We hid at the top of The Ship and enjoyed some splendid drams, along with haggis, neeps and tatties, cock-a-leekie soup, cranachan and a decadent pine nut tart that Elise is still promising to reveal the recipe of soon. And there were haggis pork scratchings, but we don’t want to talk about them…

Old Pulteney 17yo (46% abv) [BUY]

17yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Talisker 2003 Distillers Edition (Bottled 2014) (45.8% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Glenfarclas 21yo (43% abv) [BUY]

21yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Macallan 10yo Fine Oak (40% abv) [BUY]

10yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Port Askaig 19yo (50.4% abv) [BUY]

February 16, 2017

#140: Taiwan and India

Two very different countries and two very different distilleries – Stef Holt brought along three pairs of drams to examine how Taiwan and India produce their whiskies.

March 9, 2017

#141: Life at the High-End part 1

After the success of our last high-end tasting, we had to do another – six drams costing a bit more than we can normally afford. We even split it across a couple of sessions to maximise both the number of people who could try them and how much money we could spend. A great night.

Compass Box Three Year Old Deluxe (49.2% abv) [BUY]

3yo from
Bottled for:

Highland Park Ice (53.9% abv) [BUY]

17yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Linkwood 25yo Gordon & MacPhail (43% abv) [BUY]

25yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Emerald Isle 1991 Cask #8507 (52.6% abv) [BUY]

Bunnahabhain 1989 Cask #5750 Carn Mor (43.9% abv) [BUY]

27yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Caol Ila 1983 Cask #5294 Signatory TWE Exclusive (48.1% abv) [BUY]

31yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

March 15, 2017

#142: Life at the High-End part two

The second part of our high-end tasting – the same six drams but a whole room full of new people to try them.

Compass Box Three Year Old Deluxe (49.2% abv) [BUY]

3yo from
Bottled for:

Highland Park Ice (53.9% abv) [BUY]

17yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Linkwood 25yo Gordon & MacPhail (43% abv) [BUY]

25yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Emerald Isle 1991 Cask #8507 (52.6% abv) [BUY]

Bunnahabhain 1989 Cask #5750 Carn Mor (43.9% abv) [BUY]

27yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Caol Ila 1983 Cask #5294 Signatory TWE Exclusive (48.1% abv) [BUY]

31yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

April 20, 2017

#143: Happy Birthday to Us!

Seven years old. That’s quite scary. We pulled together a team of squad regulars to choose and present a dram inspired by Whisky Squad.

SMWS G1.5 – Could Pacify a Mob (63.9% abv)

Arran 1996 19yo TWE Exclusive (45.9% abv) [BUY]

19yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Glen Scotia Victoriana (51.5% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

FEW Miscreant (46.5% abv)

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Authentic Whisky Alsace Fut de Riesling (43% abv)

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

May 11, 2017

#144: A Boutique-y Session

Dave Worthington, That Boutique-y Whisky Company brand ambassador and owner of the second best beard in whisky, joined us for an evening of small batch boutique drams. The theme: these were all drams that normally appear as part of the world’s biggest blends.

Cambus Batch #2 24yo (49.7% abv)

24yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Tullibardine Batch #3 26yo (49.2% abv)

Caledonian Batch #2 29yo (47.7% abv)

29yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Glen Elgin Batch #1 25yo (48.1% abv)

Port Dundas Batch #1 25yo (48.2% abv)

25yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Glenrothes Batch #3 25yo (49.7% abv)

June 15, 2017

#145: Duty Free Squad

An evening of drams from travel retail, acquired by international jet-setter, Whisky Squad organiser and winner of the unofficial ‘best presenter at Whisky Squad’ award, Elise Craft.

Aultmore 21yo (46% abv)

21yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Hazelwood 25yo (40% abv)

25yo from
Bottled for:

Craigellachie 19yo (46% abv)

19yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Bruichladdich 8yo (50% abv)

8yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Ardmore Tradition (46% abv)

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Highland Park Leif Eriksson (40% abv)

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

July 1, 2017

#145a: Train Squad

Whisky. On a train. It took a couple of years of discussions, but finally it all came together.

We had six whiskies while nipping back and forth between North Weald and Ongar stations on the Epping and Ongar Heritage railway. With help from Squad veteran and E&OR booze master Alan Perryman, and train and whisky geek Rocky Lancer, we tried six train-themed whiskies while munching on a spread of Scottish-inspired snacks (thanks Alex!).

Togouchi 12yo (40% abv) [BUY]

12yo from , ,
Bottled for:

Glen Keith 1996 Distiller’s Art (48% abv) [BUY]

Cragganmore 2004 Distillers Edition (40% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Craigellachie 1995 The First Editions (54.4% abv) [BUY]

AnCnoc 2001 (43% abv) [BUY]

14yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength Batch 009 (58.1% abv)

10yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

July 13, 2017

#146: The Islay Festival in London

Billy went to Islay, and all he got us was six bottles of whisky released specially for the 2017 Islay festival of Music and Malt.

Finlaggan Feis Ile 2017 Port Wood Finish Cask Strength (55% abv)

Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2017 Moine Port Pipe Finish (55.6% abv)

12yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Caol Ila Feis Ile 2017 12yo (55.8% abv)

12yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Lagavulin Feis Ile 2017 16yo (56.1% abv)

16yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2017 Cask Strength Quarter Cask (57.2% abv)

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Kilchoman Feis Ile 2017 100% Islay (58% abv)

7yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

August 17, 2017

#147: The North American Session

Six bottles selected by Elise, picked up on her recent travels around North American – everything from farm-produced bourbon to celebrity-made rye.

Aged Rye Whiskey (48.2% abv)

Distillery/Blender:

Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask No 99 Red Cask

Legs Diamond Rye Whiskey (40% abv)

Distillery/Blender:

American Single Malt (46% abv)

Distillery/Blender:

Flaming Lips (40% abv)

Distillery/Blender:

Warning: Illegal string offset 'abv' in /home/customer/www/whiskysquad.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/Matt20152/content-session.php on line 35

Warning: Illegal string offset 'retailurl' in /home/customer/www/whiskysquad.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/Matt20152/content-session.php on line 36

Warning: Illegal string offset 'age' in /home/customer/www/whiskysquad.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/Matt20152/content-session.php on line 38

Warning: Illegal string offset 'age' in /home/customer/www/whiskysquad.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/Matt20152/content-session.php on line 41

Single Barrel Bourbon

Distillery/Blender:

September 14, 2017

#148: The Sherried Whisky Session

People seem to like sherry-cask-matured whisky, so we dug into the Squad stash and sourced a bunch of heavily sherried silliness.

Macallan Edition No.2 (48.2% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Tamdhu 10 Limited Edition (46% abv) [BUY]

10yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Springbank 12 Cask Strength January 2017 (54.2% abv)

12yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Glentauchers 1997 (50% abv)

17yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Balblair 1999 (exclusive to The Whisky Exchange) (51.9% abv) [BUY]

16yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Glenlivet 2007 (exclusive to The Whisky Exchange) (67.1% abv) [BUY]

10yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

October 19, 2017

#149: Judgment Day

Billy and Elise both judge whisky competitions and decided that the Squad should too – six drams that one medals in recent competitions, presented blind for us to decide which should have won.

Aultmore 18 Year Old (46% abv) [BUY]

18yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Glenfiddich Reserve Cask (40% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

The Golden Age Blend (44.3% abv) [BUY]

Reference Series III.2 (47.5% abv)

Scapa Skiren (40% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dha (46.3% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

November 16, 2017

#150: The High-end #3

Back by popular demand for a third time, a session of high-end drams that we wouldn’t normally be able to afford.

Aberfeldy 28yo (40% abv) [BUY]

28yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Littlemill 1985 (Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old) (46% abv) [BUY]

27yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Midleton Dair Gaelach Tree 9 (58.2% abv) [BUY]

NAS from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Collectivum XVIII (57.3% abv) [BUY]

Talisker 25yo (bottled 2013) (45.8% abv) [BUY]

25yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

Inchmoan 1992 (48.6% abv) [BUY]

25yo from
Distillery/Blender: Bottled for:

December 18, 2017

#151: The Christmas Party

An evening of almost empty bottles, Christmas treats and talking rubbish – we raised more than £600 for Shelter and Macmillan!