With the popularity of whisky ever growing, distillers are bringing more liquid into the market to try and keep up with demand, some good, some not so good. Whisky is a very personal taste, but I hope to help consumers buy the right whisky for any occasion. From a quiet night in round the poker table to an anniversary gift for your boss, with years of whisky buying experience for clients, I hope to inform your choices and stop expensive mistakes.

There’s no bad whisky, just different whisky!

This week’s top supermarket offers:

Sainsbury’s

Strathisla 12  40%vol – £27

Chivas Regal lovers should give this a go. Strathisla is a Speyside single malt, it’s the major constituent malt that used  to make up Chivas Regal.

Sweet, fruity, caramel and vanilla, it’s a bit aggressive (hot) when fresh out of the bottle.  Give it 5 to 10 minutes in the glass to open out, and it sweetens right up. When you try any new bottle of whisky try it first without, then with, a drop of water. The great thing about whisky is that everyone appreciates it in different ways. I personally wouldn’t put water in this one, being 40% chill filtered (Google it), because I think it dulls the taste a bit.  Be careful with this one, it’s a drinker!

Tescos

Glenrothes Select Reserve 43% vol – £30

Another chill filtered Speyside whisky, sweet and fruity with a touch of oaky citrus. This guy wakes up with a drop of water, at 43% vol it can take it. Big vanillas, honeyed and spicy with a nice, syrupy mouth feel that reminds me of non-chill filtered whisky. Berry Brothers are responsible for this malt. They are an independent bottling agent who specialise in releasing top quality blended ‘single’ malts.

I have always loved the presentation of Glenrothes. I know it shouldn’t matter… but sometimes it helps if you’re looking for a gift whisky on a limited budget.

Jura Superstition 43% vol – £27

Time for some smoke. This is a non aged (mix aged casks) single malt from the home of smoky whisky, Islay. Superstition is a good place to start an exploration into smoky and peated whisky. It’s sweetish and the smoke is gentle, it was the first whisky I ever bought on purpose!

The smoke will hit you straight away after opening the bottle, you’ll either love it or hate it. Smoky whisky is the marmite of the whisky world. About 40% of committed whisky lovers hate it, so don’t be put of if it’s not for you, you are not alone…Dark amber in color, the liquid is oily and sticks to the glass (Talisker is similar in texture). This one is all about the finish it leaves in your month. Smoky with rich honeyed toffee, this definitely has some spice straight out of the bottle, but with a drop of water it relaxes and gives you a warm gentle smoky sweetness. Cracking finish!

Always good value. Available in most bigger supermarket and online.

Bunnahabhain 12  46.3 col – £30 to £39

This Islay malt is not smoky, just to confuse matters! Islay has couple of distillers that specialise in unpeated whiskies, the other being Bruichladdich, and both also produce peated whisky. Read the bottle – if it’s from Islay and not peated, it will say so on the bottle as it’s not typical of the region.

I include this black bottle of loveliness because I think it’s the best value sherry casked whisky on the market. It’s also non-chill filleted at 46.3% vol, this chap is good with and without water. It will go cloudy with water, don’t worry, it’s meant to. It’s a trait of non-chill filtered whisky. Dark, rich, raisiny and molasses sweet, this single malt has all the classic flavours of a sherry casked whisky from the mainland. Massive depth of favour you would associate with older malts but, with none of the drier oakiness, there’s not a bitter bone in its body. With a gentle spice, it leaves a sweet and slightly liquorice flavour on the finish. Good presentation as well, a dark and mysterious bottle that doesn’t show you how fast you’re drinking, a great gift purchase. Christmas in a bottle; if you don’t like this, you don’t like whisky.

Last tip: Most supermarkets do brand match, check before you buy.

 

Whisky Jo…it’s all about the finish.