42% alc./vol.
44.1% alc./vol.
Producer:The Teeling Whiskey Co.
A vatting of single malt whiskey from Ireland's Cooley Distillery and 10-year-old single malt whisky from Islay's Bruichladdich married in oak casks for eight years, Edition No.1 of the Hybrid Malt Whiskey was released in October 2012. Bottled at cask strength without chill filtration or added colour. Just 1,200 70cl bottles were released.
Appearance: (N0.1 Edition) Clear, pale golden.
Aroma: Creamy fudge and toast with a good whiff of earthy, smoked seaweed, dried fruit and fruity pear drops. Water releases mocha coffee, custard and bread dough.
Taste: A coming together of dry, heavy, smoky vegetal peat tamed with light orchard fruits, green apple skin, sweet pear drops and vanilla. Lovely touch of cinnamon and ginger spiced oak.
Aftertaste: Long, delicately smoked oak and ginger.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
0% alc./vol.
Producer:Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.
A quinine concentrate designed to be mixed with gin or vodka and then lengthened with soda water to make a highball. As you'd expect of such a tonic, quinine from the cinchona tree is the main botanical with cane sugar used to counter its bitterness. Small Batch Tonic should be refrigerated upon opening.
The Rudy Cocktail Company is named after the founder's great-grandfather, Jack Rudy. His story is recounted on the bottle: "Jack Rudy was many things. He was a pilot who illegally flew his plane under the Ohio River Bridge (on a dare), an inventor who created a mechanical device for pharmacists to count pills, and a craftsman who once built a houseboat out of an old city bus. After serving as an aircraft mechanic in WWII, he spent his working life as an engineer. He read Popular Mechanics and National Geographic cover to cover - was a curious type who made his own bullets, and shot them into a dirt wall he constructed in his basement. In addition to being a 'marvelous' dancer, he LOVED to entertain and was known to overindulge in drink, smoke, and his wife's gourmet cooking."
Appearance: (Batch No. 000055) Clear rose gold.
Aroma: Subdued, earthy new leather with subtle floral and herbal notes reminiscent of herbal tea. Not recognisably quinine.
Taste: Syrupy sweet entry. Confected lemon, sharp citric acid before fading with lemon curd and bitter quinine.
Aftertaste: When sampled in a G&T we found the recommended 3/4oz too much, producing a noticeably sweet, almost cloying G&T. Reduce to 1/2oz resulted in a G&T that was light on quinine but allowed the gin to shine through. However, even this was not as refreshing, lacking the crispness and bite of a traditional G&T. We fail to see how this is an improvement on a quality tonic water. Certainly more agro to use.
diffordsguide rating: 3/5
8 59975 00300 0
[[image from jill.inglis@whyteandmackay.com
46% alc./vol.
Producer:Isle of Jura Distillery
Distilled and originally casked in 1977, this vintage Jura whisky was originally matured in three first-fill bourbon casks before being finished in a ruby port pipe for 12 months. Each of the 498 bottles produced is presented in a hand-crafted oak box made by Scottish cabinet maker, John Galvin. Released February 2013.
Appearance: Clear, bright golden with orange old gold hue.
Aroma: Wonderfully fruity esters with peach melba, dried pineapple and pear drops. Subtle wafts orange citrus with very light balsa wood, vanilla and toasted almond.
Taste: Slightly sweet and very fruity with poached and died pear and apple. Citrusy bite with subtle raison and delicate oak.
Aftertaste: Stewed pear and dried apricot with delicate, lightly spiced oak.
diffordsguide rating: 5+/5
37.5% alc./vol.
Producer:Renaissance Brands
Based on neutral spirit distilled from winter wheat using a three column process and flavoured with essence of Indian and Madagascar vanilla.
Appearance: Crystal clear.
Aroma: Pungent, vanilla ice-cream with black pepper spirit spice.
Taste: Cream-of-soda vanilla with buttery nutty leather and citric notes but dominated by harsh cracked black pepper bite. (Sadly does not compare to simply dropping a split vanilla pot into a decent bottle of vodka and allowing to steep.)
Aftertaste: Disappointing, tasting synthetic rather than natural vanilla.
diffordsguide rating: 3/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer:Midleton Distillery
The old whiskey of Cork, originally produced by the Cork Distillers Company, established in 1779, but now owned and made by Irish Distillers but still produced at Midleton. Paddy is a blend of continuously distilled grain whiskey and triple pot distilled six-year-old pot still whiskey.
Named after Paddy O'Flaherty, a salesman for Cork Distilleries in the 1920s who'd ride into town on his bike and visit pubs where he would buy himself and everyone else at the bar a shot of his company's whiskey. This put pressure on the landlord to ensure they had stock the whiskey for when Paddy visited. When re-ordering the company's whiskey landlords started to ask for "a dozen more of Paddy Flaherty's whiskey". Cork Distillers started to put Paddy Flaherty at the bottom of the label and eventually labelled the whiskey simply as Paddy. The label is also easily recognised by the multi-coloured map of Ireland on the label.
Appearance: Clear, light golden amber.
Aroma: Barley rich doughy bread and vanilla with stewed apple and pears. Delicate hints of cinnamon.
Taste: Light bodied, rich buttery barley with delicate spice and cream of soda vanilla. Almost creamy mouthfeel.
Aftertaste: Creamy barley and delicate spice.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer:Midleton Distillery
Long the best-selling whiskey in Ireland until recently usurped by Jameson, Powers was originally made at the John's Lane Distillery, founded in 1791 in Dublin by James Power, a coaching innkeeper. At the turn of the century his son John joined the company, and it became known as John Power & Son.
In 1894, Powers became the first whiskey sold in Ireland in bottles as opposed to casks, thus guaranteeing the quality of the product sold under its name. Another first was the introduction of miniature bottles, giving rise to the nickname 'Baby Power'.
Powers is now made at Pernod Ricard's Midleton Distillery from pot still whiskey made from 60% unmalted barley to 40% malted barley aged 5-6 years blended with 30% grain whiskey. (Powers was originally a pure pot still whiskey the brand became a blend in the mid-1970s when production moved to Midleton).
Powers has two nick names, Gold Label and Three Swallows. The origin of the first is obvious, the latter comes from the saying that you should drink your Powers not in one, but in three swallows.
Appearance: Clear, deep golden with bright gold tints.
Aroma: Cereal and freshly baked bread with drizzled honey, light maltyness and crushed mint leaves with tobacco and mild spice.
Taste: Medium bodied but with assertive pot still character. Sweet toffee and caramel cereal with bursts of fruity malt, light spice and a rounding buttery notes.
Aftertaste: Long and delicately spicy with caramel and toffee spice.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer:Cooley Distillery
A blend of malt and pot still whiskies but originally a pure pot still whiskey from the Locke's Distillery in Kilbeggan, the oldest licensed distillery in the world. The first mature cask of the re-launched brand was tapped by the grand-daughter of the last John Locke on 17 July 1992.
Appearance: Clear, pale golden amber.
Aroma: Surprisingly floral with daffodil with leathery barley.
Taste: Slightly sweet brioche and orchard fruits but with underlying drying toastyness and spice
Aftertaste: Toasty cereal with buttery pastry and light cinnamon spice.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer:Cooley Distillery
Millars Special Reserve's origins lie in a Dublin-based company called Adam Millar & Company, established in 1843. The brand was marketed until the 1970s before being re-launched by Cooley Distillers after it purchased some of Millars assets in 1987. Cooley re-launched the whiskey in September 1994.
A blend of grain and malt matured almost entirely in used Bourbon casks.
Appearance: Clear, pale golden.
Aroma: Cereal, toasty oats, buttery barley and light cinnamon.
Taste: Light buttery cereal meets dry spicy oak with dried fruit, chocolate and cream sherry.
Aftertaste: Cereal sweetness with fudge and delicate spice.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
31% alc./vol.
Producer:Martini and Rossi
Pronounced 'kee-ner', this bitter-aperitif containing quinine takes its name and flavour from the bark of the 'China Calissaia' (Chinaroot). This is blended with other herbs and aromatic essences, their aromas extracted by infusion with alcohol and distillation in an old English pot still.
Made by Martini & Rossi, China Martini was first created in 1887 and is traditionally served with two parts slightly sweetened lemon juice and a splash of soda.
Appearance: Clear, deep mahogany amber with ruby red highlights.
Aroma: Floral and strongly citrusy - navel orange zest with herbal eucalyptus and spruce needles.
Taste: Bitter-sweet and syrupy with strong orange zest, quinine and candied fruit. Hints of liquorice, espresso and spice.
Aftertaste: Orange zest with quinine and hints of anise and liquorice.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
21% alc./vol.
Producer:Diageo Belgium
Amer Picon is made with fresh and dried orange peel macerated in neutral alcohol and then distilled. Dried gentian roots and quinquina are macerated separately. These two base flavoured spirits are then blended together along with sugar and caramel.
'Amer' is French for bitter and this bittersweet, orange and gentian aperitif was first created in 1837 in Philippeville, Algeria by Gaetan Picon, a French cavalry sergeant serving in Algeria. Like other French aperitifs created at the time (including Dubonnet Red and St Raphaël), Amer Picon includes quinine and owed part of its popularity to its perceived health benefits, particularly amongst the military keen to ward off malaria whilst on campaigns in North Africa, hence its nickname 'African Amer'.
Traditionally served over ice with a dash of Grenadine, soda and a slice of orange or with lemon syrup and topped with soda water. However, now more commonly drunk mixed with wine or beer.
Two different styles of Amer Picon are produced to suit different mixers. Amer Picon Bière is usually mixed with beer (one part Picon to five parts beer) while Amer Picon Club is best mixed with white wine, Champagne, tonic or mineral water.
Appearance: Clear, tawny amber with glints of burnished bronze.
Aroma: Zesty orange and quinine with faint mocha coffee.
Taste: Bittersweet, lightly syrupy, bitter orange zest, quinine, orange juice, boiled cabbage and mocha coffee.
Aftertaste: Long lingering orange zest with quinine complexity.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
41% alc./vol.
Producer:Château du Breuil
A blended Calvados aged at least 20 years (20 Ans dÂge) at Château du Breuil.
Appearance: Clear, coppery amber.
Aroma: Pungent, incredible fruit freshness given the age of this calvados with backed apple, dried apricot and plump prunes.
Taste: Full-bodied, tannins are balanced by generous dried apple, stewed fruits and faint vanilla.
Aftertaste: Dry oak tannins build throughout the finish and linger.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
25% alc./vol.
Producer:Distillerie les fils d'Emile Pernot
This chocolate liqueur is said to be inspired by a hand-written recipe for crème de cacao discovered in recipe book dating back to the 1920s at the distillery where La Maison Fontaine absinthes are made. Made by blending a chocolate distillate and a wormwood distillate together then sweetening.
Re-tasted at UK distributor's request:
Appearance: Clear, rust with burnished copper.
Aroma: Complex and aromatic chocolate, liquorice and aniseed with notes reminiscent of a bag of Smarties served with toast.
Taste: Slightly sweet but dry for a liqueur, with strong aniseed absinthe notes and subtle chocolate (Smarties), toffee and vanilla.
Aftertaste: Chocolate all but disappears with long lingering, powerful aniseed dominating.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
