Review: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Offerings, Winter 2020
Review: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Offerings, Winter 2020
The good news is that our friends at That Boutique-y Whisky Company recently kicked off a new whisky club: The Dram Good Club. The so-called Dram Good Club gives drinkers access to miniature bottles of what TBWC does best: Whisky rarities that you’d otherwise never be able to sample.
The bad news? The Dram Good Club is only for industry professionals, not the public, so you can’t actually join it. You can however get full bottles of all of the whiskies in the kit, which are all reviewed below. In this inaugural box, TBWC kicks things off with a collection of five whiskies — three Scotch, one Irish, and one South African.
Here’s a look at all five.
TBWC Benrinnes 17 Years Old Batch 5 – 17 year old Speyside malt ought to showcase life’s rich pageant, but this rather drinks like a young buck, with a somewhat astringent nose that nods to camphor and features some heavy green bean and other vegetable notes. The palate is more effusive, sweet up front with a nutty character, rolling malt, and a buttery texture. It’s for fun a while, but creosote and more vegetal notes push through on the finish. So-so. 95.2 proof. B / $200
TBWC Glen Moray 12 Years Old Batch 4 – A soft Speyside whisky, though a bit undercooked on the nose, with a heavy focus on cereal and a touch of mushroom. A lemon note punctuates the nose as well. On the palate, fruit takes the focus, with notes of peanut, butterscotch, and toasted marshmallow all building toward the sweet and immersive finish. The conclusion is long and lasting, though somewhat indistinct. 107 proof. B+ / $72
TBWC Islay No. 2 25 Years Old Batch 1 (pictured) – 25 year old hooch from an unnamed Islay distillery. Bold and ashy, this whisky hasn’t thought of mellowing out, pouring on the peat from the moment it’s poured. Aromatically straightforward with a hefty phenolic character, the palate is quite a bit more subdued, showing sweetness and fruit, plus a slight Sauternes character. The finish folds in a healthy seaweed note alongside notes of lingering fireplace ash. A solid but fairly mainstream expression of Islay. 97.4 proof. A- / $200
TBWC Irish Single Malt No. 1 14 Years Old Batch 4 – A super-sweet expression of Irish, full of grain and heather, light with honey and a touch of saline. Uncomplicated but thoroughly enjoyable, it’s the honeyed essence of Ireland, complete with a silky caramel-vanilla finish that nods toward citrus peel. 95.2 proof. A- / $78
TBWC Three Ships 6 Years Old Batch 1 – I sampled this whisky at Whiskies of the World last year, I declared this single malt from South Africa’s James Sedgwick Distillery an overwhelming sherry bomb. (It’s spent finishing time in PX casks.) It still is, but its smoky quality is what dominates today — a funky, soot-laden spirit with notes of dates, chestnuts, and musty rug shop. 107.4 proof. B / $104
thatboutiqueywhiskycompany.com
TBWC Islay No. 2 25 Years Old Batch 1
$200
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