Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 100

A century of Bring a Bottle podcasts! Congratulations to us if we do say so and thank you, loyal listeners! We have both Aidy and Helena in the studio for the 100th special, and there was only one person to complete the trio – the legendary Colin Hampden White. This episode is packed to the rafters with our best bits, so you really won’t want to miss this one. There’s vagina beer, behind-the-scenes television moments, the biggest drinks trends, cask buying advice and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let the reminiscing commence!

Our Guest Drinker

For Episode 100, it had to be our original third drinker, the one and only man of many talents... Colin Hampden White! It’s been too long! Journalist, editor, photographer, presenter, judge... a true Three Drinkers legend. He may no longer be with us every day, but we love him on the podcast, and you can keep up to date with all his drinks news on our website and all things Colin on his Instagram at @champdenwhite.

What’s In Our Glass?

We’re toasting to our century with the gorgeous Westland whiskey. Made in Seattle, Westland American Oak is their flagship release, using 5 different barley varieties in a 5-malt mash bill. This creates a distinct malt whiskey that’s super smooth and soft with a gentle peppery note you’d expect from rye whisky alongside notes of chocolate custard. It’s unusual but boy is it good!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £48.96

Westland also produces a special Sherry oak cask whiskey called Garryana, an oak that only grows in the Northwest of America. Many peated whiskies use 100% peated malt, but this actually makes use of more non-peated malts locally grown in Washington State. As a result, there’s less out-and-out smoke (although still present), and more orange peel, roast banana, almonds, as well as green herbs and pistachio.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 50%
Find here: £164.99

Peach Whiskey Sours

Here’s one Aidy prepared earlier! Using Westland American oak he’s got the balance of peach just right, providing the small kick of sweetness needed without becoming overbearing. It’s a sublimely fresh cocktail with the Westland whiskey kick at the heart of it and gorgeous chocolatey flavours from the bitters coming through. A really well-rounded and complete sipper.

Ingredients
50ml Westland
15ml lemon juice
5-7ml peach syrup
Chocolate bitters

Method:
Simply shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and enjoy!

The Best of Drinks News

We’ve uncovered all manner of drinks news over the last 99 episodes, so we’re taking a moment to recap on our favourites. Who could forget Vagina Beer? The first beer to use vaginal lactic acid in the world! Or the dreamlike situation an Italian town found themselves in when red wine started to run from their taps! And the elephant in the room (and most likely snoozing in the corner), the time a group of thirsty elephants guzzled down pots of Mahua liquor in India. That’s right, we only cover the most important news here at The Three Drinkers.

Drinks Trends Through The Years

Drinking and everything that comes with it is constantly changing as the world does the same, so what are the biggest trends we’ve noticed?

Colin looks at the gin craze that began in the late 90s and shows no sign of slowing down, despite the prediction every year that it will! He also recommends the fabulous Audemus Pink Pepper Gin by the way – sweet and spicy and a big hit of pepper on the nose!

Helena takes us through the rise of CBD drinks and how brands like Goodrays, OTO, Tripp and INTUNE have overcome misconceptions to produce super-popular drinks with big benefits. Check out our Best CBD Drinks if this is something you want to explore, especially over the gloomy winter period!

Down with the kids as ever, Aidy talks about the super sweet drinks captivating younger drinkers. Think Smirnoff Ice, WKD, VK etc. (‘etc’ isn’t one by the way, even if it sounds like one!) Tasting almost indistinguishable from fizzy drinks, they’re many drinkers’ first experience of booze and something that Aidy was partial to in his youth ;)

Favourite Part of our Scotch TV Show

The Three Drinkers have got up to all sorts filming the show, and discuss their favourite moments, from missing Land Rovers to Aidy falling on his face in a barley field. Good times indeed... not so much for Aidy.

Best Drinkers Discoveries

Helena praises Cream Liqueur, like the fantastic value-for-money Spice Ginger Biscuit Irish Cream Liqueur by Sainsbury’s. Aldi’s Ballycastle also gets a nod, and the Vegan Cream Liqueur by M&S more than meets everyone’s approval.

Colin’s discovery is Axia, an expertly crafted aromatic Mastiha from Greece that behaves like a gin or flavoursome vodka. It’s dry and versatile, so would be amazing in a Bloody Mary, Margarita, or even G&T equivalent!

Aidy draws attention to Bitters, and how just a drop or two can completely elevate a cocktail. Especially around Christmas, festive bitters like Cacao or Orange work amazingly to spark up a Martini, Sidecar or G&T!

How to Buy a Cask and What to Look Out For

Buying a cask is a cautious game so this is a must-hear segment for anyone thinking of getting involved in the new year! It’s packed full of advice on due diligence, red flags, green flags, and lots more! There’s even a top investment tip thrown in!

Mailbag

The all-important Mailbag – What should we be drinking Christmas morning?

Colin’s beloved whisky gets a mention even here!

From Budget to Blow Out: The Best Scotch of 2022

Words by Colin Hampden-White

I know we are only really halfway through the year, however, I have come across some blindingly good whiskies and wanted to share them with you. As with most great things, they are not all easy to find. However, this little selection covers some which are, some which you will have to find at auction or somewhere on the secondary market, and some I am afraid you will never find, but do show how private bottlers of whisky someone owns in cask can be absolutely brilliant. The one thing they all have in common is that they are uncommonly good whiskies! I am starting off with one that can be found fairly easily, and if the second half of this year is as good as the first, my Christmas round-up of 2022 is going to be a belter.

Thompson Bros SRV5 8-year-old Blended Malt

The Thompson Bros are both independent bottlers and distillers. The independent bottling side of their business has been lauded with praise. They manage to find extraordinary expressions of whiskies and sell them for a reasonable price. They had maintained the idea that they would in time have a regular expression they would be able to create with consistency, and this is that expression. The balance of the malts is superb and the resulting whisky is very moreish and easy to drink. The SRV5 stands for Station Road VAT 5, as the whisky is created in a solera vat which is never emptied more than 2/3 for any bottling run. The flavours are complex with green apples and lemon. A little char and grassiness. There is gentle smoke in the background and lots of citrus on the finish. An incredibly affordable blended malt, and if you haven’t got into smoky whisky yet and want a good opener, then this is a good bet.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48.5%
Find here: £34.95

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 year old

From the stable of the biggest brand in Scotch Whisky, Johnnie Walker sells more whisky than any other brand globally, which is a testament to the consistency of the whisky they produce. This 15 year old blended malt is one of the greatest value whiskies of all time. It is rich and incredibly well balanced with orchard fruit flavours and a deep maltiness and honey sweetness. With vanilla and toffee ice cream and a touch of spice, this is a great dram.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £37.95 // US $58.99

Glen Moray 18 year old

This has to be the best value 18 year old whisky on the market. It is from their heritage range that gives approachable and easy to drink whiskies. This was matured in first-fill American oak barrels giving lots of vanilla with apricot and honey. There are some dried fruits on the palate and a touch of florality and the finish includes a little spicy ginger and dark honey. It’s an impressive dram for the money.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 47.2%
Find here: UK £62.90 // US $121.19

Fettercairn 16 2nd release

This is the second release of the Fettercairn 16 year old, and it is quite different from the first but is certainly not a lesser whisky. This is very sherried in style, using three different sherry cask types in the maturation: first fill Oloroso, refill Oloroso and first fill Palo Cortada butts. This is a complex whisky which is very impressive. The bottling strength might put off purists, but I think they have got it just right. Smooth, yet spicy and brilliantly balanced, with lots of dried fruits and toasty oak too. This won’t be around for long, so grab it whilst you can.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.4%
Find here: £64.95

Lagavulin 12 year old Fèis ìle 2022

This is the first bottling under the new distillery manager Jordan Paisley and is very rich for a Lagavulin. It is sweet and spicy with a full body and lots of spice as well as well integrated smoke and oak. It was matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in virgin American oak casks. One of the other things I liked about this year’s Fèis ìle release is that it came with no outer packaging. Diageo is reducing the number of products that have packaging and that makes environmental sense to me.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 57.7%
Find here: £165

GlenAllachie 2006 Single Cask 3292 Oloroso Sherry Butt

Exclusively bottled for The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2022, this is a 15-year-old single cask expression. It has a great colour and the flavours are intense and rich. It was initially matured in an ex-bourbon cask, and then re-racked into a first fill Oloroso puncheon, and left to rest in a very old Sherry butt which had been part of a solera system for 55 years. It’s got lots of spice and Christmas cake characteristics, as well as fine oak, chocolate, and damp tobacco and on the finish, there are fine tannins and touches of sweetness.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 59.4%
Find here: At auction for around £200 - £250

Benromach 40 2022

This 2022 40 year old recently won best in show at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and it was well deserved. Having spent a full maturation in sherry casks the result is complex and elegant. With nutty flavours and cooked orchard fruits, mixed with ginger and chocolate, cedar wood and dark honey with touches of orange zest in the background it’s an absolute delight. There are only 1132 bottles, so be quick when it is released!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 57.6%
Find here: Coming soon 

The Octave Cask Glenglassaugh Whisky for Everyone  

A bit of a leftfield whisky here as it isn’t for sale. It was bottled by my friends Matt and Karen from Whisky for everyone from a quarter cask. Normally I am not too keen on quarter casks as the wood quite often overtakes the spirit and distillery character, giving a rich whisky, but taking away its essence. This whisky has been bottled with near perfect balance. The distillery character is still there, even though the flavours are rich and warming. Expect cooked and dried fruits and manuka honey with soft spices and a touch of umami. If you ever come across a bottle. Enjoy. It was one of my favourites this year.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.7%

Royal Lochnagar 1994 26year old Casks of Distinction

This was bottled within Diageo’s Casks of Distinction range and was sold at auction with the proceeds going to the Scottish Ballet Endowment Fund to support the future of scotland’s national dance company. There were only 470 bottles, and occasionally they come up again at auction. Expect to pay upward of £600. The whisky was incredibly elegant and refined with dried apricots and touches of fresh red apple. The spices were soft and there was a layer of honey running throughout the dram. With a little water, floral notes come through and the finish is not dry at all. A satisfying whisky.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.3%
Find here: At auction upward of £600

Brora Tryptic

To mark the reopening of the Brora distillery 36 years after it closed, this set of very special bottles is incredibly rare. Selling originally for £30,000 these can usually only be found at auction. The expressions show off three eras of Brora flavour each giving waxy, peated and earthy flavour. The 1972 Elusive Legacy at 42.8% gives an earthy background, the 1977 Age of Peat gives a peaty flavour and the 1982 Timeless Original shows off the typical Brora waxy flavour. In their own ways, each of these whiskies is incredible to taste and is worth savouring. At the time of writing, I could find one of the 300 sets available at retail in the Netherlands.

Size: 1500ml
ABV: 42.8%, 46.8%, 47.5%
Find here: €53,500

Are you interested in investing in whisky? Then why not have a read of How to Invest in Whisky? If you’re looking for more whisky recommendations, this is a great place to start: The World’s Best Value Whisky.

The Best Whiskies For Beginners

Words by Colin Hampden-White

To begin to suggest great whiskies for beginners, I have presumed that the drinker has already determined that they like whisky. I believe that for those who don’t already know they do, or don’t yet like whisky, that there is a whisky out there for them- maybe they will find it by enjoying it neat, maybe they will discover their love for the spirit through a cocktail but that’s for another article. In this piece I am going to suggest a whisky which I think is good value in its category versus the quality it gives and will suggest whiskies in flavour types rather than regions or countries as In these modern whisky times, nearly all regions are creating whiskies of all flavour types.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky  

My first offering in the sweet flavour camp. Made from grain whisky, which although is less complex than malt, has great depth of flavour and this whisky certainly displays this. By using 1st fill bourbon casks, and then after a few years placing the whisky into another set of 1st fill bourbon casks, the spirit gets a double hit of rich crème brûlée sweetness.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £21.95

Glenfiddich and Glenlivet

Moving on from sweet to fruity I have two typical Scotch whiskies. They both compete for the world’s most sold single malt and with good reason. These are fabulous whiskies. Great value for money and often seen on special offer, especially around Christmas. They both come from Speyside and use a mixture of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks. They are both 12 years old but have different fruits to offer. Glenfiddich is orchard fruit led and Glenlivet is more stone fruit led. Both are delicious.

Glenfiddich 12 year old
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £32.99 // US $64.99 

The Glenlivet 12 year old
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £33.49 // US $56.99

GlenDronach 12 year old

Now we move to some of the bigger bolder flavours. Firstly, spicy and I wanted to suggest a sherry bomb. This is a whisky which has been matured in mainly 1st fill ex-sherry casks giving huge depth and breadth of flavour with lots of Christmas cake flavours and typical spicy flavours like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Balanced with sweetness, this whisky is big and bold. Whiskies matured in ex-sherry casks tend to be a little more expensive as the casks can be up to ten times more expensive than ex-bourbon casks, but they are certainly worth it if sherry spice is your thing.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £44.95 // US $63.99

Ardbeg An Oa

One of the biggest flavours of them all is peat. Smokey whiskies can split a room, but for those that like them there is nothing like a big smoky, peaty whisky. For those who know they like smoke in their whisky but are just starting out. Or for those who are just starting to experiment with smoky whisky, I’d suggest one which has a lot of other flavour to temper the smoke. This whisky has a high level of peat, but the fruity flavours created by the many different types of casks used brings everything into balance. There are flavours of golden syrup and cigars with hints of chocolate as well as a good dollop of sweet bbq smoke.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 46.6%
Find here: UK £41.90 // US $76.99 

Strathmill 12 year old – Flora and Fauna

The lightest of the flavour profiles is floral. This profile can often be subtle as other bigger bolder flavours mask the floral notes. Sometimes a little water in a dram can bring out the florality in a whisky. This whisky comes from a range called Flora and Fauna, which gives you an idea of where it is heading. This Flora and Fauna range is discontinued but can still be found online at the moment quite easily. With notes of grass, citrus blossom, dry hay and cut herbs alongside vanilla and orchard fruits, the floral notes can easily be tasted.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £44.95

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old

I wanted to suggest a whisky which has all of the above in one bottle. It is of course a blend. I like to describe blends as an orchestra, with all the instruments playing at once giving balance and harmony. This whisky has a little sweetness and spice, some smoke, plenty of fruit, and a touch of florality. Being 12 years old means that the youngest whisky in the bottle is 12 years old but there are older whiskies in the blend. A great all-rounder and superb value for money.

Size: 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £26.89 // US $51.99

Jameson

Lastly, I am going to suggest a whisky which I think is the ultimate beginners whisky. It is very smooth being triple distilled, it is sweet and fruity and has none of the challenging flavours such as spice or smoke. It is the biggest selling Irish brand in the world and with good reason. With honey, apples, a touch of tropical fruit and a touch of florality, this is my best value versus flavour offering for any beginner.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £21.95 // US $37.99

 For more whisky suggestions, why not have a read of The Best Irish Whiskey or 5 Epic Whisky and Chocolate Pairings?

New and Exciting Whiskies to Try

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There seems to be a new whisky release every few weeks these days. This can largely be attributed to the myriad of distilleries that started to distill a few years ago that now have spirit they can call whisk(e)y due to it having spent at least three years maturing in a barrel. I have tasted a great deal of them, and there are certainly whiskies which stand out in the crowd. Unsurprisingly, some of these come from outside of Scotland, but not all, and there is a particular whisky from the other side of the world which is already good and will get better and better with age. I’ll start off my recommendations in my home country and then range further afield giving my picks of whisky that is well worth discovering.

Nc’nean Organic Single Malt Whisky Batch 14

I have written about Nc’nean before with previous batches, and the consistency keeps on going. The batches are all very consistent and very good. The whisky is rich and fruity by using both wine and ex bourbon STR casks (shaved, toasted, re-chared). Added to that they are using 100% recycled bottles. A great start from one of Scotland’s newest distilleries.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £46.45

Isle of Raasay Batch R-02 Hebridean Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Continuing from the first whiskies produced by the Isle of Raasay distillery is a brilliant second batch. In the same tradition as the first, using peated and non-peated whisky, in various types of oak including American Oak Chinkapin and ex port pipes, this gives lots of red fruit flavours and rich honey with a soft bbq smoke running through the background. Even having been bottled at a slightly higher strength than most whiskies, it is still extremely smooth.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.4%
Find here: £48

White Peak 2 year old (That Boutiqu-ey Malt Company)

I visited White Peak for the first time for the launch of their new whisky called Wire Works. The whisky is seriously impressive with big bold flavours using STR casks. The balance and depth of the whisky is akin to drams a great deal older, and had I tasted this whisky blind I would never have guessed it was little over three years old. There were only tiny amounts of the first release, so look out for further releases, but for now to get an idea of how good this whisky is, the chaps at That Boutiqu-ey Malt Company have bottled an excellent spirit from White Peak. It’s called spirit as it’s only two years old, but excellent all the same!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 50%
Find here: £49.95

Masthouse Single Malt

Masthouse Malt comes from one of the most southerly distilleries in England. Down in Kent, right on the coast, the Copper Rivet distillery is specialising in local barley malted in Kent from the Isle of Sheppey. The result is a fruity and complex whisky which has great balance. It manages to be mature and ready to drink whilst retaining its distillery and spirit character. It’s no mean feat, and a whisky I would certainly try if you’re after something new and exciting.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £39.95

Aber Falls Autumn 2021 release

Moving away from England we have only the second distillery to be built in Wales. At the foot of Snowdonia, Aber Falls is on the coast in a beautiful area that is well worth a trek to. They work with local farmers for their barley, so the whisky truly is from Wales. Using ex Pedro Ximénez, oloroso, bourbon casks and virgin oak casks, there are bountiful fruit flavours and a subtle underlying spice in this whisky. The whisky has lots of complexity with nuts and dark chocolate with coffee, zesty orange peel and vanilla toffee.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26

The Cardrona Growing Wings Solera – Sherry and Bourbon Cask

Hailing from the other side of the world in New Zealand is Cardrona. Their first batch “Just Hatched” was a huge success, and this next one is even more complex and fruity. Bottled at a huge 64.9%, it certainly packs a punch, but not so much as to blow your head off. It is surprisingly gentle on the nose and full of flavour. The wood and climate have certainly worked their magic. It’s an exotic whisky, and although quite pricy in comparison to other young whiskies, it is made in tiny amounts and is a real treat.

Size: 350ml
ABV: 64.9%
Find here: £73.99

Do you like Irish whiskey? If so, why not have a read of The Best Irish Whiskeys, or if you are a fan of an Old Fashioned Cocktail, how about checking out The Best Whiskies for an Old Fashioned?!

J.G. Thomson, the new team in town

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There are plenty of spirits companies out there not only producing whisky but gins and vodkas as well. They usually make these white spirits to keep the company afloat until the whisky is ready. There are also very large companies that produce both white and dark spirits by the nature of the size of their business, and they are very good. However, it is not often a company comes along whose business model is to make a range of spirits by blending and creating rather than purely distilling.

The spirits I am talking about are created in Edinburgh by J.G Thomson, they are made in batches and include gin, rum, and whisky. As a whisky lover, naturally, I wanted to try the whiskies and was delighted to find that they have made whiskies that are easy to understand. Before regionality is talked about at all, it is the flavour that headlines the label.

I had bottles of Sweet, Rich, and Smoky. They were all blended malts with the smoky all coming from Islay. They all tasted as the label described, but there was more to them than that simple label. One could tell these had been created with care and attention. The flavours were complex and incredibly well balanced, which has already borne them fruit with several accolades, including a Masters Medal at the spirits awards for Rich, and several gold medals.

To gain medals these days, whiskies need to stand out from the crowd, as well as being balanced and complex, they need something extra, and these whiskies have that extra pizzazz. My favourite was the Rich, which when visiting good friend Charles McLean recently, I got to try again at leisure with more than a small sample, and it reaffirmed my first thoughts, and Charles too was suitably impressed. But don’t just take our word for it. Try them for yourselves and find out which flavour you enjoy most.

J.G. Thomson Sweet  

Using whiskies matured in new toasted and heavily toasted casks, and a mix of medium and heavy chars, with even more toasting on the cask heads, gives lots of sweet flavours of toffee and custard and maple syrup balanced with orchard fruits and a little spice. There is a little marzipan and spice on the finish too. If it’s a sweet whisky you are after, then this should hit the mark.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.50

J.G. Thomson Rich

This expression used ex bourbon casks as well as Oloroso sherry and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks all in varying sizes from quarter casks up to sherry butts. The flavours are certainly rich with lots of dried fruits including figs and apricot with a little citrus zest and spice. The spices are complex with ginger and nutmeg and a little chilli heat on the finish. A touch of honey comes through right at the end. A real fireside sipper.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.50

J.G. Thomson Smoky

This final whisky of the trilogy I tried was made with casks all from Islay and matured in ex-bourbon casks as well as Pedro Ximénez casks. There is certainly a good amount of smoke in the flavour of this whisky, but it isn’t a smoke bomb. There are lots of sweet flavours from the PX casks giving balance making this very approachable. It has a little bit of everything with sweet, rich smoky flavours and some spice too. If you like a decent dollop of smoke, then this will set you alight.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.50

Ardbeg's New Release: Fermutation

Words by Colin Hampden White

Every now and again Ardbeg releases a whisky just for members of their committee (anyone can join the committee) and this February saw the release of Fermutation.

Apparently this was the result of a lucky mistake. A fermentation was left to run for far too long by mistake, in fact it was the longest fermentation ever run at Ardbeg. Rather than ditch the mistake, Dr Bill decided to distil it and this 13 year old is the result.

This long fermentation was created in November 2007 by a broken boiler which couldn’t be fixed, and rather than stopping the fermentation running at the time, Dr Bill decided to experiment. He quickly told the distillery team to open up the washback lids exposing the contents to the air. This was the start of a three week fermentation. A normal fermentation at Ardbeg is around 72 hours.

One gets the feeling that the results were not just down to luck. Some quick thinking and a desire to experiment certainly helped. The resulting whisky is still smoky, but is more in harmony with the fruity flavours which are citrus forward and as Dr Bill put it “Zingy”.

Dr Bill is well known for experimentation, and he’s always wanted to experiment with longer fermentation, but he admits what an experiment of this length of time would never have happened without the faulty boiler.

It went on sale to the committee earlier this month, and sold quickly. It can be found at auction and some retailers have it at inflated prices. But the best way to even have a chance of bottles in the future, is to join the committee which any lover of Ardbeg can do here on-line.

ABV: 49.4%
Size: 700ml
Price £150 (on release), expect £250 and upwards at auction or future retail.

Dima's Vodka - Excellence in a Bottle

Words by Colin Hampden-White

I judge spirits for the IWSC including vodka. Technically speaking, a vodka should get a high score if it is clean and clear meaning there is very little flavour, and it is smooth with good clarity. Every year this brings about a conversation between the judges regarding vodka which has flavour. Not that the vodka is flavoured, but that there is a positive flavour. This can reflect the materials the vodka has been made from, for example, an earthy flavour where the vodka has been made of potatoes, or a light cereal note when made from wheat. The texture also comes into play with vodka being creamy in texture being scored highly. The general consensus between judges these days is that a clear clean vodka gets a high score, but a vodka that has great texture and taste, as well as clarity, will get an even higher score.

This brings me to a vodka that has won medals recently and as it was tasted blind, I only got to drink it under its brand name relatively recently. Good friend Douglas Blyde suggested I try Dima’s Vodka. A Ukrainian vodka created by its namesake Dima Deinega. Dima, although brought up in the UK is from Ukraine and has a passion for vodka.

What Does Dima’s Vodka Taste Like?

Dima’s Vodka is made from three types of organic grain. Wheat, Rye and Barley. These three grains give the vodka flavour without the vodka tasting like it has been flavoured in any way. The flavours are subtle but include a nuttiness on the nose together with a biscuit aroma. The palate brings in rye bread and hints of vanilla, a cereal earthiness and is sweet with fabulous viscosity allowing the spirit to be held on the palate to warm and develop. The finish brings in a liquorish note alongside the nutty flavour and there is a light chilli spice. This spirit can be savoured and is very flexible.

How Should I Drink Dima’s Vodka?

It makes a great base for cocktails as it can stand up to other favours well. Chilled it makes a great martini and keeping a bottle in the freezer is an excellent idea. However, in Ukraine, they eat pickles with vodka and a small, chilled pickle alongside a neat shot of Dima’s Vodka is a great way to experience the flavours of the vodka as the sweet flavours are cut by the salty and crunchy pickle.

It’s not often I single out specific products for praise, but I will continue to do so if a product really stands out as excellent in its category, and Dima’s Vodka certainly does that.

If you would like to support the people of Ukraine during this terrible time, please have a look at the following links:

British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal – Red Cross is raising funds and supplies for those affected. By donating you will help get food, water, medical supplies, clothes and shelter to those who need it. 

savelife.in.ua – This Ukrainian non-governmental organisation is urging people to donate to help.

The Ukrainian Institute London has also put together a really helpful list of different ways in which you can help Ukraine and its people.

Looking for something else to read? Why not check out The World’s Best Vodka or The Best Value Vodka for Martinis?

How to Invest in Whisky

Written by Colin Hampden-White

The king is just about hanging onto the crown, but it is closer than it has been for many months. Macallan has risen a little and Springbank remains strong. As predicted, Ardbeg has risen up a little and may well rise further but these percentages tell only half the story. The big change over the last few months is the value of the bottles being traded. In the past the big-ticket items, commanding high retail prices were the ones to invest in, but it seems they have had their day and the retail prices, even for very rare whiskies are no longer lower than the secondary market prices. My advice, for now, would be to stay clear of bottles over 5K and find the sweet spot which seems to be around £250 to £1500. I don’t think it matters much about the ranking at this level, and one is best to think long term. As with all investment portfolios, diversify. If you can collect a number of bottles in the top 10 from different distilleries within the sweet spot of £250 to £1500, and hang onto them for at least five years, you shouldn’t do badly.

The Dalmore 2%
Bowmore 3%
Macallan 1%
Springbank 1%
Clynelish 5%
Karuizawa 1.5%
Rosebank Official Bottlings 2%
Yamazaki 0.5%
Ardbeg 2%
Bunnahabhain

Bottles to Watch

As a pointer this month I am going to suggest Springbank as one to concentrate on. Some of these limited releases have different ABVs depending on release and are not listed here.

Springbank 16 year old Local Barley

The local barley release sells out in seconds, so if you see one you’re very lucky! Always sought after and very collectable. Also, absolutely delicious!

Springbank 9 year old Gaja cask

This is a bit of a sleeper for me. It’s not expensive, but it will be limited and lovely. I reckon this will rise quickly despite its young age.

Springbank 19 year old Sherry Cask

19 years old is unusual for Springbank, which singles this expression out. Being in sherry will also help its appeal, and will be looked for by collectors. At this price, for Springbank it’s a great deal.

Springbank 21 years old 1990’s

This is a rare find, and already has some age to it. Only one bottle here shows how rare these things are at retail. Bottled I the 1990’s, the distillate will be 1970’s and a wonderful look back in time.

Find here

Springbank 15 years old 1990’s

Another 1990’s bottling giving a view into the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. Again, a rare bottle and one worth hanging onto.

Find here

As with March, April and May’s Whisky Investment Indexes, any bottles mentioned are just suggestions, I don’t pretend to have a crystal ball, but it will point you in the right direction to do your own research and start you on your journey in whisky investment.