Summer break done and dusted, time to get back to business. And by business, I of course mean whisky. I’ll let you in on a ‘little secret’ – well, not exactly secret, more a peek behind the veil as to how I run my blog. Generally speaking, I try to schedule some 4 to 5 months in advance the topics I wish to touch upon for my blog. I like the concept of dedicating several weeks in a row to a certain style or topic (usually each is a month’s worth of blogposts) as it helps build a bit of a story, linking the blogposts and reviews to one another while also allowing me to dig a bit deeper into a subject. Also, and this is a happy little bonus more than anything, it allows me in no small way to not bother too much about keeping track of the approximately 5 million exciting new releases being released every week. I’m rather immune to FOMO in any case, which, happy little bonus no.2, is probably one of the reasons I’m (touching wood) yet neither bankrupt nor divorced.
Content planning based on themes, series and topics is, I believe, also interesting, as it encourages me to step out of my comfort zone now and then to try whiskies I might otherwise be less inclined to pay some attention to. Sure enough, this has led to me ending up with an occasional dud (or rather, a whisky not entirely to my liking) every once in a while. Curiosity can indeed kill the cat. And the wallet. And the palate. But only ever so often I end up with a ‘hard to get through’ bottle (I can think of maybe a handful over the course of nearly 3 years of running this blog) and for every dud I’m happy to report there have been at least 1, if not more, pleasant surprises as well. So whisky promiscuity for the win it is!
Having said all that, if, by dumb luck or sheer generosity from others more than careful whisky hunting on my behalf, I end up with whiskies that are fresh off the shelves, I’m of course more than happy to keep my finger on the pulse and push them to the top of the ‘to review’ list. A good example being Dràm Mòr’s releases. Ever since I met Kenny and Viktorija MacDonald at the Ghent whisky festival in 2020 we’ve kept in touch. They had just released their first ever batch of whiskies (one of which a rather fabulous Glenrothes) and they have been very kind to send me samples of each of their releases ever since.
Now I ‘m fully aware how this sort of relationship, where you know ‘the other party’ personally, might blur the lines between reviewer and company, as it’s easy to see how one might be inclined to write favourable reviews when the whisky is provided for free, for a number of reasons (be it a feeling of ‘moral obligation’ or not wanting to bite the hand that feeds). But I can only tell you, with my hand on my heart, that I try to remain objective and honest at all times and treat and review every whisky the same, be it something I purchased or the occasional freebie. ‘Integrity’ is a word that gets thrown around quite loosely, but seeing how a small blog like mine is by no means a break even endeavour, it’s pretty much all I have. In any case, when on average you get anywhere between 30 and a 100 views a week, bullshitting you lot would pretty much mean ‘game over’ for Malty Mission really quickly. And frankly, I’m having too much of a good time to let that happen.
So, without further ado, on with the whisky…
As there are 5 whiskies released in Dràm Mòr’s Summer batch, I’ll split this out over the two remaining weeks of August, so I can pick up with a fresh series starting September. And because there are two sister casks from Tullibardine here, why not start with them?
Tullibardine 7 yo, 56.0% ABV, first fill bourbon cask finish, casknumber 140
Nose
Floral, almost soapy in fact. Something creamy, like a buttery vanilla note. Underneath there’s a nice grassy-vegetal/citric note counterbalancing things. This has a pleasant sourness going with a lemony-minty touch to it.
Palate
Dry arrival, and the floral and herbal notes are claiming centre stage. A drop of water and that citric/lemon note tunes in, while it also makes the texture and mouthfeel even drier, turning woody towards the end.
Finish
Warm, a bit peppery and with a good length to it.
Let’s see what its sibling brings.
Tullibardine 7 yo, 55% ABV, 1st fill Palo Cortado cask matured, casknumber 144
Nose
Again, that soapy-floral (honeysuckle) note, but this time intertwined with a sweet spices and sweetness from ripe red fruit the likes of raspberry, blueberry and elderberry. In the back I picked up more sweetness with thyme honey.
Palate
Dense and viscous arrival, sweet yet with a slight peppery nip from the ABV. Overall more depth and darker than the nose suggested: treacle, toffee and bitter sweet notes from coffee, roasted nuts and dark chocolate against a dry, full mouthfeel.
Finish
Initially a bit sharp but it rounds out and becomes increasingly warm and drying with a faint, pleasant spice bitter sweetness to it.
Final Thoughts
These two sister casks definitely share the same DNA, yet they also show there’s two sides to a coin. The bourbon cask is vibrant and youthful, and while the spirit is doing some of the talking, it has an interesting development when the cask influence adds nice accents throughout the palate. The Palo Cortado cask is more a tale of 50-50 spirit and cask in my opinion. The sweetness is more obvious, but it’s subtle and well balanced. Off the two, the Palo Cortado might be the more ‘approachable’ or ‘easygoing’ of the two, although I really enjoyed both of these.
You can track down their bottles through this link: https://drammorgroup.com/stockists/
Next week: Glenglassaugh! Ben Nevis! And a 15 year old peated Loch Lomond Inchfad! Stay tuned!!
(c) Dràm Mòr
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