Impromptu Whisky Tasting
When presented with a sign outside this pub in Manchester:
The Britons Protection – One of Manchester’s Oldest Pubs dating back to 1806 with over 300 Whisky’s available this was an opportunity to do a little mini tasting for #TonightsTipple
As this website pointed out
The Briton’s Protection is a must visit for whisky connoisseurs and real ale fans as Not only are they famed for the Whisky selection, they also house an extensive range of Local Real ales
It turns out this is a Grade II listed building making it quite the historical snapshot and even has its own twitter account @BPManchester
Well there was quite the extensive list to chose from
Perusing the list for something unusual I settled on a couple of cask strength wee drams and made some notes.
Tasting 1: Ileach
This distillery is unusual – you can read more about the distillery here. Essentially they have sourced their original spirit from one (or perhaps more) of the Islay distilleries
This leaves just six possibilities: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.
It is bottled by Highlands & Islands Whisky Co. Ltd, and ‘the man from Islay’ is extremely popular in Sweden where it is the second best selling malt. It is well known for its Peaty Smoky flavor so this was my first selection
The nose on this one slaps you over the nose with a smoky kippers, seaweed and iodine
The palate was well matched offering a spicy tangerines, hot lips with smoke and licorice and the finish was short and hot with a lingering taste of coal-mines on the coastline.
The Finish: The heat and spiciness was over and above what you’d expect with the alcohol content of 58% and water revealed more of the undertones of pepper and fruit
Tasting 2: Glenfarclays 105 Cask Strength
My Second tasting was the granddaddy of cask strength the Glenfarclays 105 Cask Strength that by all accounts was one of the first if not the first to offer barrel proof whisky back in 1968 – an innovation I personally love!
If you are wondering the 105 relates to the “Proof” which is the British terminology for alcohol content of 60% that relates to the testing that used to involve gunpowder. Yes you can see this in action on the internet
This wee dram offered sweet maple and cashew notes on the nose with a hint of coffee
The palate light smooth and malty with sherry and hints of fruit
The finish for me was medium short disappearing quickly even with the higher alcohol content.
Adding water released more sweetness of honey and sherry
Two different ends of the spectrum but both cask strength offering a range of tasting experiences
If you liked the idea of this experience contact me to run a tasting flight at your event or conference
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Comments
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Graham van Terheyden On June 17, 2019 at 4:35 pm
I visited today, but they did not have any left of either of your two whiskies. Perhaps your tastings are too popular!
I had a very good Dalwhinnie 15 year old, though.