January Whiskey of the Month

The Christmas cards give a hint that I first tasted this a couple of weeks ago as my seasonal whiskey, but I'm presenting it as my January Whiskey of the Month, that is The Busker Triple Cask (40.0%), distilled at Royal Oak Distillery in County Carlow, Ireland (website). I had the stronger 44.3% The Busker Single Grain as my whiskey of the month 11 months ago (blog), so I may repeat myself a wee bit here, but this is a significantly different whiskey. 😊

The Busker Triple Cask is a blend of the Single Grain, Single Malt and Single Pot Still whiskeys in the distillery, and presented in a similar heavy squarish bottle, but with a different label obviously! This whiskey is matured in 3 different casks, first in Bourbon casks from the USA, then in Sicilian Marsala casks, and finally in Spanish Sherry casks, with the whiskey gaining unique influences in taste from each cask. It is pale amber in colour, quite sweet at first taste, with hints of dark chocolate, dried dark fruits, vanilla fudge and cinnamon to taste, and with a clean, but robust finish, again very reasonably priced, and very enjoyable, sláinte! 👍

February Whiskey of the Month!

Well, the Christmas cards have been taken down from the bookcase, and we reach the February Whiskey of the Month, The Busker, distilled at Royal Oak Distillery in County Carlow, Ireland (website). They produce 3 types of whiskey for their Single Collection, a Single Malt, a Single Pot Still, and the Single Grain, which is my February Whiskey of the Month.

The Busker Single Grain is a 44.3% whiskey presented in an attractive heavy squarish bottle (image above), and is distilled in a column still, not a more traditional pot still, resulting in a lighter whiskey. Indeed, this is a very easy to drink light straw coloured whiskey that has aged in Bourbon casks from the USA, and then in Sicilian Marsala casks. This smooth and light whiskey is quite sweet to start off, with hints of vanilla, honey and dried fruits to taste, with a warm glowing slightly tart alcohol finish, very reasonably priced, and pretty decent indeed!

And you know you've had a whiskey of 44.3%, slainte! 👍

November Whiskey of the Month

My November 'Whiskey of the Month' is The Sexton (40% - website). This triple distilled, in copper pot stills, single malt whiskey was created by Master Blender Alex Thomas at the Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland. It is aged for at least 4 years in Oloroso Sherry casks made from European oak, apparently grown in France. It is sold in unique octagonal bottles, and is the best selling Irish single malt whiskey in the USA, first being sold there 7 years ago, shortly afterwards in 2018 brought home and sold in Britain and Ireland. 

The Sexton is a pretty reasonably priced whiskey, with a deep golden colour. It has a spicy caramel aroma and is slightly sweet to taste, with subtle hints of cinnamon and butterscotch, the colour and flavours coming from the Spanish Oloroso Sherry seasoned casks used in the ageing process. Very smooth and luxurious, and so easy to drink, slainte! 👍

For Variety, a Delightful Whiskey!

What can I say, I saw an advertisement, I kept talking about it, and Lotte at the Rye Waterworks said to me "go for it" so I bought a bottle online from The Single Malt Shop in Dublin (website), not cheap but worth it, and what an adventure the bottle seemed to go through to get to me! Because it was coming from the EU, duty appeared to be an issue that they had to deal with, not the buyer. It appeared the day that I received the bottle, it had started out from Dublin, went to Brussels, then to Luton, then to Heathrow, from whence it came to me, some journey!

My August Whiskey of the Month!

The whiskey itself, from Bushmills (website), close by the Giant's Causeway (Discover Northern Ireland) in Northern Ireland, and appropriately one of their Causeway Collection (cask finished single malts), is their, and I do have a little left 😉 2011 finished in Sauternes Casks for 2 years, although matured first for over 7 years in Oloroso Sherry casks and Bourbon casks. Certainly well aged and matured, this cask strength 56.3% single malt whiskey is gorgeous! 👍

I can only add to their description of "delivering fresh white wine aromas, rich flavours of ripe apricot, toffee apple and a warming summer fruit finish." To me, they missed out vanilla, but, indeed, a luxurious and warm smooth triple distilled single malt whiskey, alcoholic (!), and certainly worth buying, not that I have the money to buy regularly. Excellent, Sláinte! 😁