BeeWyched Honey'd Ale 5.0%

Wychwood brewery is one of my favourites and although a honey beer not the first thing I would reach for every night (although I have been known to have the odd waggledance). being from Wychwood I just had to give it a try.

Nice refreshing brew with a fruitiness and the honey doesn't over power so I like this, in the finish a lot more malty notes come through and then the honey sweetness returns.

Cracking stuff and not to sweet and has typical Wychwood character.

Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or 46%

Got a chance to try the new Sauternes finish from Glenmorangie - no age statement on it but they say it has been matured for at least 10 years in Ex-bourbon casks before being transfered into Sauternes casks.

All reports are that this has been selling very well since its launch so lets try it and see what all the fuss is about!

Nose: Quite a funny sweet and creamy nose, vanilla toffees and a touch of linolieum? Poach pears and sweet grassy notes. Actually gets creamier with time - love this nose. Bizarely I get ice cream powder stuff that spacemen eat! The joys of friends who have been to Orlando!

Taste: A little dry and maybe even a touch sour but not unpleasant, actually quite malty and not as creamy as the nose would have suggested. There is a bit of fruitiness but not the full on Glenmorangie pear drops that i expected.

Finish: An orangy sweetness battles with the drying maltiness. The sweetness perhaps wins on points!

Comment: A nice wee dram - but won't be running out to buy a bottle me thinks? However the nose was sublime. If only the dry maltiness wasn't there this would be so much better.

Score: 81/100 Nectar d'Or but not J'adore!

Looking over at Serge's review he seems to like it a lot more than me, and I think it may well be because he also has an appreciation for what Sauternes wine actual is - which may work against me!

Glen Grant 1972 Cask 1641 53.5%

Was having a look at this blog last night and while looking at two of my favourite sites Whisky Fun and Dr Whisky (first checks every morning) I had to think what an amature at this I am. I haven't added a whisky for months and all my stuff is fairly standard. What I makes me think there sites are even more amazing is how the hell do they get to try all this whisky. Don't get me wrong I try a lot of whiskies but am not always able to take notes etc no way I would be able to seriously do over 200 whiskies in a year like these guys do!

Any way I thought I would try and put things right by starting with a 1972 Glen Grant Cask from Duncan Taylor so here goes:

Nose: Sweet, lots of vanilla a touch of spice, really creamy with pepper notes and maybe some pineapples! Cracking Nose!

Taste: Big coating mouth feel and initially spice comes through warming the mouth, some lime and and then creaminess coming through and maybe a touch drying

Finish: linger spice a touch of oak and then some of the zesty lime and some lemon coming through and maybe god forbid a salty note!

Comment: This is bloody stunning - I would definitely recommend this. If that slight dryness wasn't there then this really would be really really top drawer. Try it!

Score 89/100

Anchor Steam Ale

Got this cracking wee beer out of tesco tonight, can actually get a decent selection from those guys although would prefer to have a decent beer shop on my door stop!

Anyway this is a very traditional hand made beer from Anchor and I would definitely recommend that you try it. Nice and refreshing with a fruity middle and just a hint of bitterness in the finish. Nice soft hoppiness throughout. Cracking stuff.

For a decent review try Beer Pages.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Had been recommended this beer by a guy who's opinion on beer I would trust as I have sunk several beers and drams with him - so when I saw it in Tesco I had to try it. This Pale Ale is brewed by the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and gets rave reviews on the net.

I would have to agree that this is cracking - very malty and lively with what I would probably put down as a blackcurranty note in the finish. Would imagine this could be a cracking session beer and definitely one for the summer. Also some citrus notes are in there as well.

Would definitely recommend this and will be looking out to try other beers from them in particular the porter or the stout

Ian Curle Gets a Nice Pay Rise

Ian Curle the Chief Executive of The Edrington Group got a healthy pay rise of 25% according to a report in the Herald today. We obviously are all buying a lot of Famous Grouse to justify his £597000 a year take home.

Hey we would all take it if we could get it!

The Drammies - Atacked by Dodgy Voting

Just saw today on Kevin's Scotchblog that one of the "very large producer of alcohol or from the domain of a small marketing firm - that does work for a large producer of alcohol." has tried to rig the vote of the Drammies. Please make sure you vote in The Major Whisky awards.

Anyway which company could it be? We have already been told that it was not Bruichladdich so lets see who else has been nominated:

So the nominees are:

LVMH
The Edrington Group
Diageo
William Grant and Sons - (I think The Knot is done by them?)
Makers Mark
Bruichladdich
Gordon & MacPhail
Burn Stewart
Kittling Ridge Wine and Whiskies
Glenfarclas
Pernod Ricard
Benriach
Ichiro
Dewar Rattary
Duncan Taylor
Single Malts of Scotland
Compass box
Nikka
Stranahans Colorado Whisky

So lets look at the ones who are "Very large" That would leave

Diageo
Pernod Ricard
LVMH
William Grants
The Edrington Group

Place your bets now? Cheeky buggers who ever they are? Doubt it would be The Edrington Group or William Grants and would doubt Pernod Ricard would care (no disrespect Kevin) so my horses would be Diageo or LVMH but then again I could be wrong!

Glenrothes 1985 43%

Glenrothes is usually a big favourite of mine and it is good to see that they are begining to push this more - thanks to the help of Ronnie Red Socks and Company making it in their own words "the fastest growing single malt!"

The 1985 is described on the label by John Ramsay as being "Rich, Creamy, Dried Fruit" in Character. This bottle was distilled on 21/7/1985 and Approved on 31/5/05 making it just shy of 20 years old. Well enough yapping lets see how it tastes!

Nose: Sweet, caramelly and a little perfumed. A mixture of citrus and dried fruits.

Taste: Rich, a little touch of orange notes and almost a little bit plasticy? Maybe some dried appricots in there and a little bit of sherbert.

Finish: Short and a little bit air freshener!

Comment: Actually a decent whisky but perhaps I was expecting a little bit too much.

Score: 80/100

I would like to say is that I will always push Glenrothes as it is one of The Great Speysiders. however I would say that they are beginning to take the piss a bit with some of there prices on there older vintages (all of which I would love to try) but on costs I will stick with the Independent bottlers for the old stuff. Check the prices on The Whisky Exchange Distillery bottling 30yo £249.00 - Gordon & Macphails 30yo - £67.99 and Duncan Taylor 1969 at £85.00.

Then again somebody must be paying these prices!

Sir Whisky

One of the good old boys from what many would class as the old school of whisky has been honoured. News in the papers show that Ian Good of the Edrington Group is to become Sir Ian Good. Congratulations to him.