We haven’t posted any staff picks for a few months - ahem, five to be exact. We have no excuse. So this is something of a new start and for that reason we have chosen to look at some new products. We haven’t tried them so they're here because they’re new and because they caught our eye.
Staff Picks - our choices for this month
Wild Turkey Rye
With the warmer weather starting here in the UK, our thoughts are turning to summer drinking and more specifically cocktails. If you don’t have a bottle of rye in your cabinet you’re not properly equipped for some of the best whiskey cocktail recipes. With a reputation for fine bourbons the folks at Wild Turkey are a safe bet and this rye is unlikely to be an exception.
£32.95 at www.thewhiskyexchange.com
Adnams Single Malt Whisky No. 1
Adnams are famous for their excellent beers and with all that brewing knowledge brought to bear on the production of this whisky it’s likely to be something special. The first release from this newcomer to the whisky market, it’ll no doubt fly off the shelves. Handsomely packaged in a striking blue clad bottle this three year old will certainly benefit from the milder English climate and is likely to be more mature than the age statement would suggest.
£48.95 at www.masterofmalt.com
Tomatin Cask Strength Batch 1
I say Tomatin, you say Tomartin. You say 43%, I say cask strength... OK that sounded better in my head! Tomatin is arguably a lesser known distillery that really deserves more recognition. I’ll state my interest, I’m a fan. So I’m more than a little excited about this cask strength edition. Tomatins tend to be richly flavoured but a cask strength edition, matured in oloroso and bourbon casks is going to be something special.
£49.84 at www.masterofmalt.com
Highland Park, 18 Year Old, 1996 - Old Particular
You don’t see that many Highland Park indie bottlings, so this one caught my eye. Bottled at 48.4% by Douglas Laing this looks very interesting. Douglas Laing are of course one of the best established independent bottlers and Highland Park rarely put a foot wrong - an excellent and very promising pairing. At just over £95 it’s a shade less expensive than the official HP18 own bottling too.
£96.76 at www.masterofmalt.com