Albion Racing Club British Spiced Malt

Product of: United Kingdom

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A base spirit made from English malted barley is infused with Indian vanilla pods, organic raisins and Colombian coffee beans before being vacuum filtered through one micron pads prior to bottling. A.R.C. has no added sugar and despite its perception, which is whiskey-like, undergoes no oak aging.

The base spirit is batch distilled five times at the English Spirit Distillery in Dullingham, England using a copper pot still. The heads and tails are removed from each distillation and the heart put into fresh wort for the next distillation. The result is a distillate which our American friends would refer to as “unaged whiskey” but in the E.U. such a grain spirit can only be described as a whisky after three years aging in oak casks. In that case this would be a single malt.

The idea of three drinks industry veterans, the Albion Racing Club brand was “inspired by the uniquely British spirit of adventure that existed in times gone by.” The brand’s 1920s and 1930s visual style was created by veteran British artist and illustrator, Jok Garriock.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 17/11/2013

Appearance:

Clear, pale golden.

Aroma:

Yeasty brown bread dough and mocha coffee with cream of soda vanilla, raspberry jam filled classic English donuts and cheesecake filling with raisons. (Somewhat reminiscent of a coffee influenced spiced rum.)

Taste:

Strong mocha coffee, just out the oven brown bread, toasted raisons, cinnamon and nutmeg spice.

Aftertaste:

Mocha coffee, toast, crème brûlée and raisons. Think of a spiced rum, now think of a dry spiced whisky new make whisky – that’s A.R.C.. Some ageing would round its edges.