Lancaster Uni Whisky Society Tasting

So Welcome Lancaster Uni Whisky Society to this miniature tasting and thank you for offering your time to try the Mr Dram Man service.

Straight in to start I would recommend The Lakes Moscatel finish. The One Collection's Moscatel Cask Finish by the Lakes Distillery is a unique blended whisky that showcases innovative cask seasoning to elevate its flavour. It features a combination of select grain and malt Scotch whiskies finished in bespoke Moscatel wine casks – what I find interesting with The One series is that its not whisky that has been distilled at the distillery in the Lakes district, but actually a blended recipe from all areas of Scottish whisky blended together and finished in different ways at the distillery. There is an argument as to whether this is a true lakes liquid, but I will let you come to your own conclusions on that one. This blend however, results in a complex and delicate flavour profile that allows for experimentation in a variety of casks. On the nose, it presents fragrant jasmine (and its only a fragrance, you could very easily miss it) with honeyed fruits and undertones of sweet wood smoke (this is the small amount if Islay whisky in it). The palate offers a refreshing and uplifting citrus flavour with hints of vanilla and manuka honey, while the finish is smooth and creamy.

All in all it’s nice but I would rather taste the distillery’s own new make liquid laid to rest in Moscatel sherry casks on its own rather than a blend of scotch whiskies. However, with only 4,822 bottles released on the English market it is pretty limited, in my opinion the price point is slightly high for a blended whisky with no age statement.

Our next visit is to the Springbank distillery group with a sample of their Kilkerran 16. Often hard to get your hands on nowadays, this single malt Scotch whisky is non-chill filtered and has been matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks at a percentage of 70/30. Springbank always has a lot of hype around it, mainly due to their long history in the Campbletown area of Scotland and the good-aged whisky they produce. What I do enjoy here is their subtle notes of smoke with a nice sweetness to it. It has notes of honey, vanilla, and citrus, with hints of peat and smoke. The palate is smooth and well-balanced, with toffee, dark chocolate, and dried fruit. The finish is long and warming thanks to those 16years it has spent in cask, with that slight sweet smokiness. Overall, this Kilkerran 16 is a high-quality whisky and a great drinker, a good introduction to peat whisky and if you can get a bottle on the retail market at RRP its worth it, I don’t think I would be paying over RRP to drink it on the regular though.

To finish, if you enjoy a good sherry bomb then this is something you will enjoy. Glenalba 34 is a limited edition blended Scotch whisky produced by the well-known retailer, Lidl. Releasing a limited range of blended scotch whiskies aged 22, 25, 34 and 45, all at an insanely respectable price (RRP of the 34 was £50). It is made up of a blend of malt and grain whiskies aged for at least 34 years in oak casks, finished in a variety of sherry casks, resulting in a smooth and full-bodied sherry filled flavour. For me this is like a dessert, aromas of vanilla, honey, and fruit cake, with hints of oak and spice on the nose, whilst the palate offers flavours of toffee, dark chocolate, and dried fruit (note this is a very similar profile to the Kilkerran but this is much more in your face and sweeter). The finish is just a moreish sweetness. I find it such a smooth whisky, with a great warming feel to it, for the price point you cannot go wrong – unfortunately it’s not available in stores anymore but keep an eye on the auctions if you’re interested in a full bottle.

Overall, Glenalba 34 is a good quality whisky and a solid winter drinker - I can’t find anything to complain about for the price – If the price point was higher then it would be a different story and I would probably push out to £100 for a bottle of this.

I would like to finish by thanking the Lancaster Uni Whisky Society and I hope you guys had a great tasting night together.