5 testers with rare Scottish whiskies. A welcome little present during the cold winterdays.

Now here’s something new for both website and writer: whisky reviews. Since yours truly never took  any classes or training in recognizing the ingredients, it would be too much to add ‘whisky connoisseur’ to the CV. But since I’ve been a big fan of this drink for many years and the good lads of Flaviar were generous enough to give us 5 rare whiskies to test, it would be stupid not to give it a try. After all we would never say no to good booze at Lords of the Drinks.

The Flaviar community is an interesting one, since it’s not just an online store selling booze. It gives one a chance to try out rare and expensive drinks, without being forced to buy a whole bottle. Plus there’s an application where people can leave their reviews. Basically everyone’s a critic, as the most popular brands are chosen by the people for the people.

We received a box with 5 kinds of whiskies from the Scottish islands. That’s right, home of the old moonshine culture in Scotland before the production of whiskies was legalized. All of the tester tubes contained 45 ml of fine booze. I’ll describe them in the order as they were consumed.

1. Ledaig 10 Year Old
   Simply one of the smoothest whiskies I’ve ever tried. The term smoky seems to be the key word here, cause it’s quite well noticeable in both smell and taste. I was surprised to find out this drink still contained a decent 46.3% alcohol. The smooth flavour made me suspect it was not over 40. I was pretty sad once my glass was empty, but luckily there were some good whiskies left.
2. Talisker 57 North
   Quite a different cookie, this one. Jumped in blanco, without reading too much about this whisky before tasting it. Turned out 57 degrees does not just refer to the place of production on the world map, but also to the alcohol percentage. Guess they really stuck to the moonshine culture with this one. Personally I love a good strong spirit. Where I usually turn to homemade rakia or pálinka, this whisky was a very nice alternative.
3. Isle of Jura Turas Mara
   Quite an exotic whisky this one, as you can clearly taste the flavour of fruits. Thought I noticed the taste of orange there. It also tasted a lot like having more.
4. Arran Lochranza Reserve
   This is Scottish whisky as you picture it. Especially after the sweeter Isle of Jura, it really brought me back to the misty country of clans and castles. A bit sour, but quite a good flavour, with an aftertaste that lasts burning in your throat. Exactly the kind of drink you need when it’s cold and wet outside.
5. Highland Park 12 Year Old
   What a drink to finish with. This whisky only contained 40% alcohol, the least amount of all five. But 12 years in a barrel gave it a very rich flavour. One could say it was the oak wood, or the sherry that used to be in the barrel. I would believe it in a heartbeat. But I’m not a connoisseur, just a guy who likes fine drinks and this is one.

And that concludes our first whisky review ever. Not sure it was of any help to anyone, but it was a blast learning about the moonshine culture on the Scottish islands and we might just get back on that topic some day with a post. For now I’m just glad I got to taste some excellent whiskies and I’m actually seriously considering Scotland as a future holiday destination. Cheers!

Micky Bumbar