The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

The English Heavily Smoked Cask Fusion

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Amber gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, smoke, raisins, honey, lemon sweets, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Lemon sweets, raisins, coffee, autumn leaves, smoke, germolene, peat. 
Finish: Long. Autumn leaves, smoke, peat, germolene. 

Comments: 

Smoky and peaty, some medicinal antiseptic notes. There’s also an earthiness that is quite prominent in the tongue. Plenty of salty lemon sweets, a bit like some Caol Ilas.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George’s Distiller’s Elect 2014

St George’s Distiller’s Elect 2014

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Anglia
Orange yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dark chocolate, lemon zest, hay, leather, cloves, wet stones. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, dark chocolate, magic marker, malted grains, leather, wet stones, hints of nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, cloves, wet stones, magic marker, hints of coal gas. 

Comments: 

Straightforward malt, with a little bit of old bottle effect. Very drinkable and approachable, a pleasant, delicious dram. My first St George’s in several years. 

Verdict:

I like this.

St George’s Chapter 9

St George’s Chapter 9

Official bottling 
Single malt - Norfolk
Golden
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Orange peel, fresh cut grass, hay, leather, peat, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, thickens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Orange peel, peanuts, leather, smoke, hay, honey, hints of custard. 
Finish: Medium. Oranges, peanuts, germolene, honey, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Casks 266, 267, 268, 181. It’s got a bit of fruitiness under a fairly heavy blanket of peat. There’s also a nuttiness that I associate with distillate from St George’s. This is an early example of the make though, that has been sitting in my cupboard for a while. Tasty. 

Verdict:

I like this.

St George's Distillery Chapter 11

St George's Distillery Chapter 11

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
White wine
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, prunes, lemon zest, walnuts, raisins, hints of white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, thick, viscous. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Peat, smoke, wood ash, white grapes, lemon zest, walnuts. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, wood ash, prunes, hints of pear. 

Comments: 

Heavily peated expression from St George's distillery. This one is full of fatty acids, it's thick and lemony on the tongue, and bitter - not the floral bitterness that I sometimes find, and associate with ginseng, but a mouth puckering tannic bitterness that's a bit rarer. Walnut skins, very thick black tea, that sort of thing. Glorious fruity finish too. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George's Distillery Chapter 7

St George's Distillery Chapter 7

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Buttercups
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Leather, lemon juice, ink, black tea, grapefruit, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Cream, vanilla, lemon juice, grapefruit, leather, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, grapefruit, leather, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Apparently, this is sherry cask and unpeated. But no, there's heaps of leather, and it doesn't taste very sweet at all. In fact, it's rather tart and just a teensy weensy bit salty. Bitter too, like eating grapefruit pith. Still, very decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George's Distillery Chapter 6

St George's Distillery Chapter 6

Official bottling
Single malt - East Anglia
Very pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Limes, vanilla, bubblegum, peaches, oranges, oats.
Mouthfeel: Light body, smooth, watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, oranges, oats, limes, kumquats, hints of peaches, hints of coconut.
Finish: Medium. Oats, coconut, vanilla, peaches.

Comments:

Hmm... young, quite citrusy, but loaded with a rather strong cereally note. Not unpleasant, and the finish is rather different. A very interesting whisky, am looking forward to hunting down the older, better aged versions. The Sassenachs can make whisky too!

Verdict:

I like this.

St George's Distillery Queen's Diamond Jubilee Bottling

St George's Distillery Queen's Diamond Jubilee Bottling

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Anglia
Dandelion
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, apples, oak, butter, hints of banana, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, expands, turns watery. 
Tasting: Sweet salty. Oranges, apples, milk, butter, hints of caramel, hints of banana. 
Finish: Medium. Apples, milk, caramel, hints of banana. 

Comments: 

My first English whisky! This was bottled to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It is gentle and sweet, with a slight savoury undertone. A little musty, with a milky hint of what is almost yoghurt. A little young and one dimensional, perhaps.

Verdict:

I like this.