The rum world appears to be far more willing to embrace new flavours, styles & experimentation than that of whiskey.
Langs Banana Jamaican Rum is one of many flavoured rums to have hit the market lately – and it’s a growing market too!
Langs Rum is part of the diverse range of drinks offered by the Ian MacLeod Distillers empire.
The nose was very sweet & well – banana-y!
The sweetness followed through into a smooth & oily mouthfeel with the banana being complimented by hints of Jamaican funk & a welcome soft tingling spice on the rear.
Makes for a very easy & highly entertaining tipple.
Pale straw with decent legs. Gorgeous coastal iodine like smoke. An almost oily mouthfeel. The fabulous peat stacks up like a cosy warming fire on the finish.
Pale straw, decent legs. Soft gentle kiss of turf. Light palate yet smoke comes through. A more balanced well stacked glowing fire gradually fades away.
Nice
Thoughts
A tough choice!
2 gorgeous peaters – the full on Mulligan or gently cultured Clonmel?
Can depend on the mood at the time – but I’m giving it to the fabulous peaty exuberance of Mulligan 8yo.
My ancestors made their living from the sea – so a bottle of rum displaying a fishing vessel automatically connects with me.
Rum Ahoy! c/othewhiskeynut
Readily available in Scotland, Watson’s Trawler Rum follows a long tradition of dark rums & hails from independent bottlers Ian MacLeod Distillers.
It’s a no nonesense affordable rum presented in a screw cap bottle displaying an old fashioned aura – which immediately caught my eye.
Info c/othewhiskeynut
Sweet & rubbery nose – inkeeping with the origin countries signature flavours.
Dark molasses, treacle cake like with a touch of oaky spice on top.
More treacly spice on the finish which gently fades away.
Trawler in a Túath c/othewhiskeynut
A very easy & approachable rum pleasing to my palate, my purse & providing a characterful flair to boot.
A suitable offering to toast all the seafarers of the past & present who put their life’s at peril to provide food for our plates & transport the goods we desire
But the nose was sweet – very sweet – with a dull stale smell. This one was obviously on the turn!
I took a swig.
Pale, watery & dull.
The only sign of life was a residue smokiness from the peat.
Not undrinkable – but not pleasant.
Pity.
This one had the potential to be a clean fresh easy peater.
I did check the screw cap seal. It was slightly discoloured. A sign – so I’ve been told – the whisky has deteriorated. Seems to hold true in this instance.
Screw cap discolouration. c/othewhiskeynut
Obviously ‘just come down from the Isle Of Skye’ too long ago!
Driving back down from the ferry terminal at Larne after my latest trip to Scotland, a meal break was in order.
Using the old Portadown, Monaghan, Cavan N55 route found us entering the Greville Arms Hotel in Granard for an early evening feed.
I was hoping they might have an old Michael Collins whiskey to sample given the Kitty Kiernan link. No such luck on that front.
They did have a bottle of the original 8 Year Old Pure Malt Sheep Dip blended malt however!
This is a soft, sweet, smooth & gently malty approachable blended malt that has proved popular over the years. It’s had as many owners as changes in labels during that time. This is an early incarnation with the MJ Dowdeswell & Co label before Spencerfield Spirit took it over then latterly Ian Macleod Distillers.
I always try to pick up some new whiskey – for me at least – when I’m out & about. I popped into the local Oddbins whilst in London recently & came out with this Smokehead miniature – well – it’s air travel friendly.
Contrary to a lot of what has been said regarding transparency in the Irish whiskey world – this bottle of Islay Single Malt doesn’t say which distillery made it. It does say who bottled it – Ian Macleod Distillers – who do own distilleries – but not on Islay.
Smokin’ c/othewhiskeynut
Islay is renowned the world over for it’s peaty whisky and Smokehead is a brand which exudes that quality. It’s also proudly a mystery malt – along with others like Finlaggan & Aldi’s Glen Marnoch – in that the actual distillery isn’t disclosed – leading to much speculation & guessing – which is part of the fun.
I also crave a bit of peat influence in my whiskey. It adds a bit of punch & vitality to the glass. Much like these French rockers who also go by the name Smokehead.
The nose has that lovely rich peaty smoke which enwraps me with it’s charms. A hint of caramel jars with me however and I immediately get suspicious of added e150. This was later confirmed by an internet search here.
There’s quite a nice oily mouthfeel on the taste. It reminds me of a dark heavy Bunnahabhain – although most pundits reckon the malt is Ardbeg – with a lovely spiciness too.
The smoke lingers on the finish & just makes me want to dive in for more.
Overall it’s a decent smoky peat dram. The caramel gives it a dark & heavy feel rather than the crisp & clear taste of Peat Monster by Compass Box. It’s also way more balanced than Glen Marnoch where the smoke only just rises above the morass of caramel in the mix.
As the World Whiskies Awards have a category for label design – I feel it worthy to comment – regardless if the content remains the same – which I believe it is.
The proud ram of Sheep Dip – the very emblem that sparked my initial attraction – is now more muted.
Meanwhile the pig for Pig’s Nose has taken on a rather snooty posture – very reminiscent of George Orwell’s Animal Farm character Napoleon.
There’s a current world leader that also has Napoleonic tendencies.
Doublespeak, fake news & vanity.
I’d recommend a re-read of Animal Farm – along with a bottle of Sheep Dip.
The combination of an enjoyable whisky together with a very prescient book is just what the doctor ordered.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 