August was a bit of a catch-up month for Whisky Lady tastings… chock full of notes from July’s excesses with even more from those sessions to come next month.

August sessions were held with each Mumbai based whisky clubs – yet two were of a decidedly social bent!

The Original’s session featured an Islay Trio:

• Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine 46.3% – Interesting to compare notes of our Batch #5 tasting with Batch #1
• Bowmore Gold Reef 43% – What a contrast to our Whisky Ladies experience!
• Ardbeg Uigeadail 52.4% – A proper peat bog, wildfire chilli on the palate and fab long finish (sampled earlier too!)

The Whisky Ladies turned two! With a celebration of whisky women fellowship…

And finally on 31st August 2017, we had our Bombay Malt & Cigar partners night where we explored a trio of single grains:

• Girvan 8 years (2006) Cask 532398 46% (Berrys’)
• Strathclyde 25 year (1990/2016) DL11335 51.5% (Douglas Laing’s Old Particular)
• Invergordon 28 year (1987/2015) DL 11004 56.5% (Douglas Laing’s Old Particular)

Followed by two Indian whiskies:

• Sula’s Eclipse Blended Whisky 42.8%
• Rampur 43%

I  shared tasting notes from our July 2017 American Westland trio of:

• Westland Peated 46% – Curiously shy peat, ginger honey, bacon and smoke 
• Westland American Oak 46% – Sweet creamy banana split, dangerously drinkable. My current favourite! 
• Westland Sherry 46% – Tropical fruits, mocha toffee with a lovely finish!

Our July Monsoon Malts & More evening covered an eclectic range with:

• Eddu Silver 40% – Buckwheat whisky from Bretagne, France 
• R & B Distillers – New entrant bottling interesting whiskies
  • Borders Single Grain 51.7%
  • Raasay “While We Wait” 46%
• The Exceptional – Craft Distillers Sutcliffe and Ex Macallan’s Willie Phillips new baby
  • Blended Grain Scotch Whisky 43%
  • Blended Small Batch Scotch Whisky 43%
• Highland Park 12 year 40% – An echo of the old 18 year favourite
• Finlaggan Cask Strength 58% – A most enjoyable mystery Islay

Check out what can be squeezed into just a couple of minutes “Speed Tasting” impressions with:

• Hyde Single Grain 46% – Roasted wood, fruity, clean with spice
• Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye 45% – Piquant, bright, young and sweet like chewing Juicy Fruit gum!
• Pikesville 110 Proof Straight Rye 55% – Vanilla, flowers, fruit, nuts with a clear Rye quality, savoury finish
• House Blend – Amazing balance between sherry sweet and smoky peat
• Midleton Dair Ghaelach 58.7% – Milk chocolate, banana, dash of coffee, spicy swagger, touch of vanilla, though young was a ‘3 in 1’ whisky for its different dimensions

I also published tasting notes from July’s Krishna’s Collection with:

• Glen Grant 60 year (1950/2010) 40% – Old polished wood, delicate perfume, fruits & cream, elegant, nuanced, exceedingly easy to drink
• Bowmore 12 year (1970s/19802) 40% – Absolutely stunning! Restrained, brilliant body, kiss of peat with a joyful host enjoyable quality
• “The Prestonfield” Vintage 1972 43% – Phenolyic, camphor, peculiar… to the point of not being enjoyable
• Glen Garioch 17 year (1996)  55.7% – Orange cream cookies, almost brandy-like, exceedingly smooth
• Caol Ila 36 year (1980) 52.3% (Cadenheads) – Bitter hing, quite vegetal, echo of peat growing into proper peat, sweet with a long cinnamon spice finish
• Laphroaig 19 year (1996) 53.9% (Old Particular) – Chewy leather, toffee, tobacco, beautifully complex, nuanced dram of substance

Naturally with a few odds and ends… including:

• Raising a toast to India… with whisky

Curious to know more? Check out recent Whisky Lady’s monthly missives:

• Whisky Lady – July 2017
• Whisky Lady – June 2017
• Whisky Lady – May 2017

You can also find even more Whisky bits ‘n bobs on:

• FaceBook Whisky Lady in India – https://www.facebook.com/WhiskyLadyIN 
• Twitter @WhiskyLadyIN