jeffreyscottwhisky

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You Outghta Know

Jeff will be representing the Philadelphia Whiskey Society on WHYY TV-12, talking about whisk(e)y followed by a bottle share among a small group of PWS members. n You don’t want to miss this, but if you do, the show will be re-aired at 11:00 pm on the same date.

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Glen Keith Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Edition 40% ABV

Color: rich gold; think of a good Pilsner.

Nose: sweet cereal, general aromas of white fleshed fruits and wildflower honey. No alcohol to mention.

Palate: gentle, easy and sweet. The first flavors are traditional ex-bourbon cask flavors of vanilla, honey and a hint of pepper which lingers for the lower end medium finish. The least bit of oak tannin sits on the tongue with the sweetness and pepper.

Glen Keith is a good little Speyside distillery in the Chivas portfolio. Mothballed from 1999 to 2013, their older whiskies were favored by independent bottlers and are always very good examples of well made use of ex bourbon barrels. While blending has been the customary destination for most Glen Keith spirit, this Distilery Edition is a nice base official bottling of single malt that I assume is at least mostly from spirit distilled after the reopening. Do not have great expectations of this whisky. It is easily considered weak if one is partial to cask strength whiskies, but it gets by okay with the low ABV because the other flavors are solid.

This whisky was purchased at a supermarket in downtown Glasgow in Fall 2019 for about £24. Entry level whiskies are very commonly found at surprisingly low prices in supermarkets throughout the UK and in Europe as well. For under $40, it is an enjoyable, easy drinking and approachable whisky that is simple yet satisfactory.

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Weller Antique 107, Single Barrel Select, Fine Wine & Good Spirits Barrel #304

(Release for Pennsylvania, Fall 2019)

Color: A beautiful, rich reddish amber.

Nose: soft, with little alcohol despite the relatively high 107 proof. Fresh oak, vanilla, ginger, clove and citrus aromas waft gently from the glass. Something mysteriously savory sits in the background, waiting to come out.

Palate: burnt sugar, caramel more than vanilla (though both are present). Oak is present, with just a hint of tannin. Faint spices are there, but too subtle to appreciate fully.

Adding three drops of water from a pipette did nothing to the color, but the nose opened up with dark fruits of plum and black cherry and a generic nuttiness in front of a savory aroma akin to homemade chicken soup. The three drops of water did even out the dram a bit, allowing the caramel to be paralleled by the clove and cinnamon that was absent before.

Finish is medium to long with the dark fruits, spices and citrus standing up to the oak tannin. The sweetness does make it through the finish. Mouthfeel is moderate viscosity, with all the flavors getting the salivary glands into full action.

Antique 107 is one of this writer’s favorite reasonably priced bourbons. Yes, it is missing the spice of a rye mash bill bourbon, but for those who prefer bourbon with less of a sharp edge, this is one of the finer wheated bourbons one is going to get to drink. This staple of the Buffalo Trace lineup is highly sought after, especially if one can obtain it at retail. This bottle was purchased in October 2019 for $39.99 plus sales tax at the Philadelphia Magazine / PA LCB spirits extravaganza at Lincoln Financial Field. I should have bought more. It is a very easy drinker and friends can do a great deal of damage to a bottle in an evening. The secondary market for this expression of Buffalo Trace juice is crazy. It is hard to find Weller Antique at standard retail, so folks often pay over $100 for this American classic.

Cheers!

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Glengassaugh Torfa Richly Peated Highland Malt Whisky 50% ABV

Color: pale straw, as much feint green as pale yellow. Initial thought is that this is a refill Bourbon cask without utilizing any other sense. No water to start.... Nose is complex. First impression is peat smoke, sweet malt cereal and pineapple, honeydew or other sweet, pale fleshed melon, with fennel seed bringing up the rear. Still thinking refill bourbon barrel or a short time in a first fill cask. Palate: light honey and pineapple. Gentle phenols from the highland peat smoke. Finish is long, creamy and modestly spicy. White pepper moreso than black, and fennel. After water.... Nose seems more coastal, with briny sea air rather than peaty smoke. Still no iodine. Just a moderate, not intense sweetness that I hate to acknowledge could be banana in addition to the pineapple. Flavors on the palate after adding a minimal amount of water: honey, pineapple, peach with a creamy but gently spicy flavor that endures nicely. Great mouth feel. Almost no burn at all. The phenol becomes just one of the spices. Finish remains long, creamy and spicy. This is a great whisky. I would ask Glengassaugh to be even more transparent about their maturing information. Notwithstanding Glengassaugh being a relatively newly resurrected distillery, they have been back long enough and making more than good enough whiskies to start being much more openly transparent, particularly about the maturation of their expressions. Not all whiskeys can be aged 15 years. Most whisky drinkers understand that. However, when a company is consistently distilling and barreling good, no age statement whisky and hopefully is holding back and further maturing part of their distillations, more good things should be coming from Glengassaugh in the future.

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Lindores Abbey Distillery Visit (2019)

Something we at JSW had never done before is to essentially buy whisky on futures. That is, we’ve never tasted new make spirit, selected a cask to put it in for maturing and then waited a number of years to get the whisky bottled and delivered. Lindores Abbey is a newer distillery created by a group of investors that enlisted the late, great Dr. Jim Swan to help them restore whisky distilling to the spiritual home of Scotch whisky. The original abbey dates back to the 1100s and was the home of Brother John Cor, who was famously granted 8 bolls of malt for making aqua vitae by royal decree back in 1Xxx, the first reference to whisky in official documents on the isle of Britain. The distillery is situated on the site of the original abbey in the Kingdom of Fife, with preservation of the ruins moreso than incorporation of the remains of the ancient original buildings. It could not have been easy trying to reconcile historic preservation with creating a modern distillery, but the end product is a handsome property near the city of Perth with 3 stills, new wooden wash backs, one mash tun, a new grain mill, tasting rooms and educational materials aplenty. The distillery manager and master distiller, Gary Haggart, met with us. Gary explained he learned the distilling trade with Diageo at Cragganmore. At Lindores, they are looking to utilize local barley as much as possible while achieving a fruity Highlands style spirit. After a bit of experimentation, it was settled that a longer fermentation of the wort (96 hours or longer) followed by a hearty distillation to increase copper contacts and a late cut on the back end helped achieve the desired character of spirit. The wash still is quite large and produces a copious quantity of low wines that are then distilled in the identical twin spirit stills, nicknamed Poppy and Gee. These identical twins produced strikingly different new make from the low wines that marry up well and come off at 67% ABV. Casking is done at 63% ABV in barrels provided by Speyside Cooperage. Casks being utilized are primarily ex-bourbon (Old Forrester for greater spice flavor and Heaven Hill for a sweeter flavor) as well as former sherry casks. However, experimentation with the new make is being done with ex-red wine, rum, Calvados, and Sauternes casks and ex -port pipes. Quite interestingly, Gary indicated that some former Laphroaig and Ardbeg casks are being utilized for some experimenting with peat influence without ‘contaminating’ the washbacks. We sampled 2 different bourbon barrels, the rum and peated barrels. Our conclusions were that the spirit is quite good and will be excellent whisky in the foreseeable future as the samples we tried weren’t yet 2 years mature and were already drinkable.

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Manatawny Still Works Distillery Visit (2019)

Manatawny Still Works JSW was part of The Philadelphia Whiskey Society cask tasting and barrel selection at Manatawny Still Works on November 30, 2019. Perched in an industrial park in western Pottstown, PA, approximately 45 to 60 minutes from Philadelphia, Manatawny sits a few hundred yards from the Sly Fox Brewery, with which brewery collaboration is ongoing, not surprising as the master distiller, Max Pfeffer, is a former Sly Fox brewer. PWS Moderator and Event Planner, Jessica Gallicchio, and I arrived a tad bit late because of traffic and thus were at the back end of a welcoming pour of the BIB, a very nice 4 grain whiskey. We barely had time to taste that initial pour when we began tasting barrels. We would be tasting a “honey malt” that was matured about 5 years, a blended barrel of 4 grain most akin to a distillery release of their Bottled in Bond, a few other 4 grains, and a peated cask. All but the honey malt were more or less 4 years matured. Distiller Max Pfeffer was using the smallest and most accurate whiskey thief to draw out a Glencairn glass full of each whiskey to pour among the 9 of us tasting. The first four grain whisky, while nice, did not overly impress. I suppose it needed more time to mature as the wood simply hadn’t imparted as much flavor as one would have expected. Some enjoyed its soft nature, but it wasn’t there for me. I look for much stronger flavor in a cask strength whiskey. The second barrel drank like a rich, moderately spicy bourbon, though a bit hot, which was not surprising given that the ABV was over 60%. It settled down nicely after a little time in the glass and the addition of a splash of water. This whisky was rock solid and was one of the finalists for the cask selection. The blended barrel could have been bottled and sold right there. It was quite hot, but a flavor bomb. Fruit and spice were the flesh with a gentle oak spine holding it all up just fine. Being the whiskey geek that I am, I actually used it as part of a blended whiskey in a glass involving the peated and another barrel. The opportunity to blend whisky from a finite set of barrels is one of my great joys, only having done it with whiskies from the cask at Glengoyne. I blend on my own with bottles regularly and then pass around the blend for tasting by friends. The peated cask was maturing in a smaller barrel. It was a bit lighter in color than it’s siblings, but it was younger and tasted just a wee bit young, though already quite approachable and drinkable. Again, a very high ABV cask strength whiskey at over 60% ABV. It is in my mind lightly peated by scotch drinker standards, yet has a healthy taste of new, highly charred oak vanillins and tannins, that it brings to mind the flavor of some very young lightly peated Islay and Speyside whiskies, just matured in virgin oak barrels. The true oddball barrel was the “honey malt.” No, there is no use of honey in the honey malt, though they do make and sell a honey whiskey at Manatawny. However, this is an all malted barley whisky aged about 5 years that came across so well and as such a variation from, or at least an enhancement of the traditional style and flavor of the basic 4 grain mash-bill generally employed in most of the distillery’s juice, that the collective we chose that barrel which drinks like a Scotch. The whiskey will likely be made available for pre-ordering through The Philadelphia Whiskey Society on its Facebook page. The release party will be taking place in early May 2020. This was a tasty sampling of some very good whiskies from another local craft distillery culminating with a barrel selection that will raise eyebrows. I left with some very nice whiskies and have been having fun blending with them. Thanks to Max Pfeffer and Emily Lader, our patient and generous hosts from Manatawny. JSW and PWS look forward to the release party in May 2020!

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George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2019 Limited Edition

2019 Limited Edition Release. Barrel Proof, Uncut/Unfiltered 58.45% ABV,

116.9 Proof. 

Won this one in the PA lottery.

A rich amber, caramel color.

The nose starts out almost like a salty caramel corn, but after sitting a few minutes, the salt is gone and the heavy caramel aroma yields a bit to crisp green apple. It’s like somebody took a Granny Smith apple, stuck it on a stick, coated it with caramel and then cut it open. Wood is barely present on the nose, but what wood notes are present are not a heavy tannin, but rather offer a comforting new oak richness.

After letting the pour sit for a few minutes, the palate opened up brilliantly. Caramel and heavy spice of cinnamon, coriander and clove dominate. Pepper on the back end is very soft, not overstated. The new wood flavor with just a hint of tannin from the oak follows into a creamy long finish that just blends perfectly together. The easy melding of creaminess and pepper together are quite surprising, especially as they endure throughout the finish.

This is a really good whiskey, made all the better getting to taste it at pure retail.

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SMWS 93.112 Glen Scotia Distillery

SMWS 93.112 Glen Scotia Distillery As some may know, my wife, Juliet, manages the Jeffrey Scott Whisky website and social media, with my contributions being more of the firsthand content, distillery and tasting experiences and tasting notes. It came as no surprise to me that Juliet recently told me I need to write about a whisky other than a Glen Scotia. That sage advice will need to wait as a bottle I didn’t at first know was a Glen Scotia crossed my path. The tiny Glen Scotia distillery is on the ‘far side’ of Campbeltown, about a short half mile walk to Springbank and the rest of the Mitchell empire in the biggest city in the region, which is naught more than a small town trying to recover from the desolation that followed the end of the whisky heydays of the Victorian era. Sitting along the southeastern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, Campbeltown hosts three distilleries, but only Glen Scotia is not a Mitchell property. Apart from the Springbank and Glengoyle (Kilkerran) distilleries, the J and A Mitchell Co owns the Cadenhead’s shops and independent bottling labels for malts and blends, and their shop in Campbeltown is one of the greatest places on Earth. The visitor center at Glen Scotia is small and humble, but quite cozy and comfortable, especially when hosted by Rosie, who manages the front end for tastings as well as the small shop which offers more incredible one of a kind and special release whiskies than it does distillery swag. I first began drinking Glen Scotia around 2010, as a Campbeltown alternative when Springbank was in its price ascent. The availability of Glen Scotia in NJ was limited, but it was quite nice when it would be found. As time went on, the Double Cask was widely available and inexpensive, as were some of the single malts, notably the 15 years matured, and I was trying lots of Glen Scotia expressions the wife was bringing home from Duty Free shops in the UK. I just liked everything I tasted (until recently, when I found the private cask for The Ardshiel Hotel in 2019 just too young, feeling it would’ve benefitted from 1-2 more years of maturing). The straight new make distillate at Glen Scotia is fruitier than Springbank, but they are both brilliant and do so many varied things with their maturing spirits. The gentle flavor of malted barley cereal is an underlying constant with Glen Scotia, a pleasant backbone among the expressions they produce at the two still distillery with warehouses on site and remotely, and which are put out typically at well matured ages by independent bottlers, of which there are many available throughout fine whisky boutiques worldwide. This Glen Scotia distillate entry from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is Release 93-112, which was distilled on 20 February 2004 and matured 14 years in a refill hogshead/ex bourbon barrel that yielded 269 bottles and is labeled “Sweet and Grubby.” The SMWS label is a classic: “A sweet and grubby combination-oily rags, ship‘s engine room, tar and oak, balanced by puff candy, maple syrup and salted caramel fudge.” The color Is a very deep gold bordering on amber. The nose is a bit hot, being bottled at 53.7% ABV. Alcohol yields to cereal notes, with tarry and botanical aromas present. To the palate, there is warmth as the alcohol leaves, followed by breakfast cereal or cookie (biscuit) sweetness, a hint of tropical fruit that doesn’t endure, light oak tannin, and a hint of an earthy minerality I cannot ascribe to as tar, though I believe I understand what the SMWS panel was appreciating. Adding water brings down the ethanol on the nose and palate, eliciting flavors and aromas of tropical fruit, fresh pineapple and lemon zest, vanilla extract and a botanical essence that I find in Glen Scotia distillates that are akin to juniper and apple combined. These bright flavors and aromas go hand in hand with what I am guessing is the light northeastern Scottish peat dried malt Glen Scotia uses for a limited amount of its distillate, which I believe contributes to the very gently smoky, briny, coastal feel and flavor of this particular whisky. Sweet and savory compete in the mouth for dominance, and what you experience when tasting it can be dependent upon so many factors, such as when it is being tasted, what one has eaten or drank, one’s level of hydration, etc. The finish is reasonably long and dry, with pleasant reminders of oak tannins alongside the fruity sweetness and malt cereal. I acknowledge that the bottle has improved flavor-wise since the bottle was first opened. If you can find this whisky, taste it!

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Chieftain’s Bunnahabhain Aged 10 Years

Chieftain’s Bunnahabhain Aged 10 Years 46% ABV. Unchill-filtered. Natural color. Distilled 9/2001.  Bottled 8/2013 Sherry Butt Cask # 466 Yield: 778 Bottles This bottle was purchased in late 2018 at a small, independent, stand alone shop just off a major intersection in Dover, Delaware. I saw this bottle along a top shelf, above the regular inventory, collecting a coat of dust. Being taller with good reach, I took it down, read the packaging and took it to the counter to discuss the bottle. The fellow behind the counter said he’d purchased the store recently and this bottle was old inventory. I asked him if he’d want to convert that dusty inventory that apparently hadn’t moved in quite some time into cash and we agreed on a price of $62 USD pretty quickly after I said it was priced a bit high for a younger whisky not at cask strength. I thought I made a good deal for both of us. It would be a full year before I finally opened this bottle. My thoughts upon doing so and then returning to it a week later are below. Color: a rich, dark caramel brown with hints of reddishness in the sunlight. Nose: alcohol vapors are present, but evaporate quickly. What remains is a surprisingly soft, light aroma of a classic Olorosa refill barrel: soft brown fruits and spices. A few drops of water releases the same aromas, but enhanced a bit for a few moments. Palate: a medium viscosity mouthfeel. Prunes, dates, figs, and raisins, perhaps roasted peaches, minimal brown fruitcake spice, followed by mild oak tannins delivering subtle notes of tobacco, leather and nuts into a medium length finish. The addition of water evoked a small amount of brown sugar and enhanced what was already apparent. The finish was a wee bit shorter after the drops of water were added. Bunnahabhain is one of those distilleries that lends itself to an expectation of enjoyment. This relatively young, solid-but-relatively lower ABV independent bottling is a good whisky. Not great, but quite good. The whisky has a degree of complexity as evidenced by the layers of flavors appreciated. At under $65, it was a good buy! Slainte!

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Jura Seven Wood, NAS, 40% ABV

I had been curious to try this relatively new release from Jura, a distillery with which I have had a love hate relationship for some time now, but for which I always hold out hope as they do put out some very nice expressions at times (see 16 Years Aged Diurachs Own). Opportunity knocked at Ardnamutchan Restaurant in Glasgow, which had the Seven Wood as a featured malt during a visit in early Fall 2019.

The color is a bit more pale than one would expect from Jura, given the distillery’s propensity to go overboard with E150 (the caramel coloring permitted by the SWA). Natural oils are present and legs linger surprisingly long on the glass.

The nose opens up after a few minutes in the glass. Subtle, not very much wood, light white pepper, soft undertones of white fleshed summer stone fruit (white peaches, nectarines, apricots) and pale honey.

Mouthfeel is very light, not delivering on the oils expected by the eyeballing of the glass referenced above.

Palate has a wee bit of pepper, honeydew melon, and orange zest.

Surprisingly little wood.

The finish is very short and not at all memorable.

I had higher hopes for this expression, given my fondness for multi-casked whiskies. Sadly, this dram, while not at all unpleasant, did not deliver much flavor, making it an an easily forgettable whisky. Jura is pumping out a lot of product in the “premium” range (price points of $65 up), but if the expressions continue to be low ABV and don’t deliver bigger flavors than this, I feel they will achieve the irrelevance that many writers already assign them.

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Glenfarclas £511.19s.0d Family Reserve 150 Years Anniversary, 43% ABV

The last time I tried this whisky was at Glenfarclas Distillery in 2015, when this was a new distillery exclusive release commemorating John Grant’s purchase of the farm and distillery situated on it. I have not opened my bottle yet, so it was a treat to see it on the brilliantly stocked shelves of The Ardshiel Hotel and to taste it again in late 2019, let alone for only £9.50 a pour. There is no alcohol on the nose after letting the glass sit for a bit. The aroma is gentle, with hints of sulfur quickly giving way to fruits of plum and pear and refill Olorossa Sherry cask spice. The mouth feel is light. Soft fruit and spice address the palate. Incredibly soft and clean, with no heavy esters or oils, and a relatively short finish, this dram will not appeal to one seeking a big bold sherried whisky. However, it is a very nice, refined yet approachable easy sipper that should please the drinker who tastes it not seeking a sherry bomb.

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Bruichladdich Rare Cask Series HB 1990 Aged 27 Years, 49.5% ABV

Bottle 452 of 12,000 This unpeated whisky predates the current ownership of Bruichladdich. It was distilled and filled into bourbon casks in 1990 and laid down in the Bruichladdich warehouse where it rested until 2007, when Jim McEwan had the whiskey transferred into French wine casks that I suspect are Limousin oak from Château Lafittte Rothschild based upon there being several such barrels when we visited the Bruichladdich warehouse in 2018. The color is a deep, dark caramel amber with hints of orange when in brighter light. The nose is stewed fruits (plums, raisins, apricots and dates) and orange zest, dusted gently with nutmeg, cinnamon and clove with traces of leather and tobacco overlying a creamy maltiness. Adding a small bit of water added cherries to the stewed fruits and brought out just a tiny little bit of oakiness. The minimal ethanol on the nose originally completely dissipated from the small amount of water being added. The palate is remarkably similar to the nose, limiting how much there is to say. The fruit is forward, but not sugary sweet, with a modest oak tannin and citrus zest bitterness joining in with European oak spices to sit on a honey caramel base which lasts a good long time. A tart cherry lingers lovingly on the lengthy creamy finish. This not inexpensive Bruichladdich expression was purchased at Heathrow and I believe it is a duty free exclusive. This is a fairly complex whisky, having so many classic whisky flavors and a mouth feel that I find to be surprisingly creamy. This is a delightful whisky that will not overwhelm the senses, but brings to all the senses plenty to appreciate and enjoy.

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Kings County Distillery, Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 4 years old, 50% ABV

JSW has been on a bit of a bourbon kick of late, probably associated with the hot weather hitting the northeastern US in Summer 2019. This particular whiskey is what this bourbon kick started when Jeff from JSW was up in NY for his Executive Bourbon Steward class in July 2019. Color: a deep, dark caramel more than amber. The nose is sweet and salty caramel corn, orange zest, a good bit of cinnamon and other brown spices on a fresh oaken platter. The palate is sweet and salty corn that is quick to greet a rich vanilla caramel. Orange and cherry marmalade go with the kettle corn and spices with so little oak tannin that it is extremely surprising. Kings County uses a mash of 80% corn and 20% malted barley, which is rather unique as one does not read about many two grain whiskeys, let alone a two grain bourbon. As I’m not a huge rye fan, and tend to prefer low rye or wheated bourbons, this whiskey was an epiphany for me. I like it instantly. The flavors are just on point, the ABV is perfect, and the only knock on this whiskey to be offered by this critical writer is that at $49 for a 375 ml bottle, it is expensive and the bottle waaaaaay too small. This is a gem of a whiskey!

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Widow Jane Whiskey Tasting with Head Distiller Lisa Wicker

Join the Head Distiller of Widow Jane distillery, Lisa Wicker for this grand tasting of a wide range of bourbons and whiskies from the Widow Jane distillery.

Widow Jane is a craft distillery out of Brooklyn, NY making some extremely interesting things. They use a proprietary "Baby Jane" corn and a wide range of casks like Apple Wood. This is going to be a great tasting, mark your calendars and more details will be announced soon!

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SMWS August Outturn Tasting

Join The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Philadelphia as we share a selection of casks from the upcoming August Outturn! Be the very first in the country to sip and savor a selection of six (6) new Society bottlings!

Philadelphia Whiskey Society members will get a $50 dollar credit to shop with SMWS when they join SMWS the night of the event. Additionally, members can get a $10 discount to the event with code TPWS.

The August Outturn Preview in Philadelphia will feature casks from the the Highlands, Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay. This seated format invites attendees to develop blind tasting skills as we discuss the elements of whisky before cask codes and specifications are revealed. A selection of artisanal cheeses will provide delicious pairings as attendees exchange ideas for an evening of amusing exploration!

As always, both members and interested whisky lovers not yet a part of the Society are welcome to attend. Members are encouraged to bring friends to join in the festivities and introduce them to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Looking forward to raising a glass with you in Philly!

Slàinte Mhath!

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PWS Whiskey and Cigar Pairing Night

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Glengoyne Cask Strength, Batch No. 5, 59.1% ABV

Un-chill filtered, no color added.

Color: a light brownish amber.

Nose: brown spices and hints of dark stone fruit and sulphur. Astonishingly little alcohol given the very high ABV of this whisky.

Palate: stewed fruits of date, plum and orange zest. The Sherry influence cannot be mistaken, more of a refill Olorosso flavor with clove and cardamom lingering with the fruits for a nice long finish.

Minimal burn from the alcohol.

I next added a small amount of water to see what would happen.

The nose softened and seemed almost decadent. I sensed a little black cherry to go with the plum, date and citrus zest.

The palate change was even greater than the nose.

Oak crept forward and the dryness was at first magnified at the expense of the fruitiness. However, dried cherry joined the stewed prune plum and date. The brown spices remained present and seemingly unaltered. (I realize that the palate and the nose are conspicuously similar, but I call it like I smell and taste it).

The Cask Strength expression from Glengoyne is obviously a direct competitor to such great NAS whiskeys as the Glenfarclas 105 and Aberlour A’Bunadh. I like that it is not as sweet as the A’Bunadh and is more easily enjoyed without adding water. Clearly I need to do a side by side with the 3 whiskies.

On a purely epicurean note, I broke open an English Cadbury Fruit and Nut Bar and it couldn’t have paired better with the rich chocolate, sweet raisins and the fatty almonds melding with the spicy, high alcohol dram for a flavor extravaganza.

Slainte mhath!