All the more reason to grab this Thistly Cross Cider when I spotted it in a local Co-op Store when over in Scotland.
Suitably pale in colour the nose offered up a lovely dry apple aroma.
Crisp, clean & fresh taste augmented by a richness of depth to the body.
It states ‘Matured for six months in Scotch Whisky Casks‘ on the label – no mention of style, distillery or region given – yet I found it hard to discern any whisky flavours in the cider.
I did enjoy the dry apple influence & wholesome feel of Thistly Cross however & would happily grab it again when I next visit!
Usually I stop at the last supermarket before the ferry to top up on haggis & booze that isn’t readily available in Ireland.
Sadly the Asda in Girvan had only 1 haggis left & it was too early in the morning for alcohol sales – so another plan emerged.
Sainsbury’s in Lisburn provided my needs.
There are no Sainsbury’s in Ireland – hence Argos pulling out – but Northern Ireland has them – so I indulged in some supermarket spirits.
I do enjoy trying out this category. There can be some good ones & being only a 35cl serving the outlay is minimal. Pity there’s little choice in this size.
Crag & Glen is Sainsbury’s own bottling. It has a suitably bold name that conjures up romantic notions of rugged Highland scenery, magnificent stags & warm drinks by a roaring fire.
Can tasting the whisky match the imagery?
First thing I notice is the golden brown hue of this 3 year old – very suggestive of added colouring & chill filtering – which you kinda have to expect at this price point.
The nose is mild, caramelly & honeyed sweet.
The label very aptly displays ‘smooth & rounded‘ – an accurate descriptor of the mouthfeel.
The finish is the best bit for me – a warm juiciness topped off with joyful prickliness leaving a dry lip-smacking finale.
As basic supermarket brands go Crag & Glen lives up to it’s imagery – minus the roaring fire!
The trip wasn’t centred around whisky – although it was enjoyed.
The hotel bar stocked a limited selection of Scotch – most of which I’d sampled before – so a pleasurable peater in the guise of Highland Park 12 was chosen.
The smoke gently enticed on the nose in a balanced mix of flavours.
A more bolder peat hitter – Talisker Skye – was encountered in The Golf Hotel in Crail. I also noticed their ‘bar pour’ was a double of Scottish Leader – also possessing a smoky element – which I politely declined.
One new Scotch I stumbled on was Naked Grouse.
A soft kiss of smoke wrapped up in a warm hug of a whisky gave an easy drinking & finely balanced dram with a little bite on the rear.
Turns out it’s a blended malt with additional ageing in sherry casks & happened to be ‘whisky of the week’ at my hotel.
I happily accepted the suggestion this time round!
I knew nothing about either of these characters before picking up this book other than one of them – Sam – was an actor in a successful series & had recently released a whisky.
The whisky in question – Sassenach – has already won awards & appears to be popular – but has attracted a degree of criticism from those in whisky circles.
Any celebrity putting their name to a whisky – or in this instance actively taking part in the blending & marketing – helps to open up & expand the whisky market to a new layer of customers & consumers.
Given that the whisky community is predominately male Sassenach appears – at least to Sam Heughan’s Twitter page – to have attracted a large female audience. This is to be welcomed.
Rather than being open & expansive many in the establishment sitting in clubs, societies & bloggers often come across as exclusive & closed to new methods & means of enlarging the whisky community.
There are double standards at play too as many of these self-styled ‘defenders of the dram’ often promote themselves as celebrities within their fiercely territorial domains.
Celebrity spirit or not – the actual taste of the whisky is my primary concern. I do recognise celebrity status does bring enhanced brand recognition with perhaps easier routes to market usually leading to increased sales – depending on the celebrity involved.
I’ve not managed to taste Sassenach – it doesn’t appear to be available in Ireland – but I do find the name attractive & the packaging certainly makes it stand out too!
This book however was in my local library – so I gave it a read.
The pair of actors engage in a laddish romp round Scotland dishing out historical titbits, name dropping, thespian tales, hearty food & plenty of whisky!
Like the whisky it opens up Scotland to a new audience – perhaps for the first time – attracted possibly by the dynamic duo on the book’s cover.
Blending popular culture, celebrity status & whisky together is a sure-fire way to broaden the appeal of the golden liquid & ensures it reaches new fans.
I was gifted this 37.5cl Bell’s Decanter on my travels.
A lot were sold over the years.
Wade pottery made my decanter with production in both Stoke & Portadown to keep up with demand.
The design here was in use from 1966 to 1988 – but as my decanter sports a barcode plus 40% ABV notation it suggests a 1980’s offering.
To celebrate Burn’s Night fellow whisky fans were invited round for a grand opening & drinking of the Bell’s.
The plastic seal on the cap was intact on removal.
Trying to prise open the cork it split in half!
Undeterred a corkscrew was utilised.
Sadly it only proceeded to open up a hole as the cork disintegrated into small pieces & a tea strainer had to be used to filter the whisky!
Nonetheless pleasant sweet & fruity aromas rose from the glass.
Decent depth & a rich body on the palate suggested sherry cask influence.
A flourish of spice on the rear left us all agreeing the 35yrs or so in the decanter hadn’t harmed this lovely little drinker.
My only disappointment was not detecting any peat influence – which I was expecting – but hey – it’s not every day you crack open a slice of Scottish Blended Whisky history!
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