This week I’ll be using Isle of Arran 10yo single malt as a base for blending. One thing I should tell you first, though: I’m Dutch (okay, stop gasping, it’s not as if I can help it). And one particularly Dutch foodstuff is liquorice. So you can gauge the extend of our preoccupation with this bitter-sweet candy: we tend to have a section devoted solely to liquorice in our supermarkets roughly the size of the coffee-and-tea-shelf. So you imagine my mirth when I first consumed a dram of Arran 10yo and found that it has a distinct liquorice-y taste and finish. Now, I happened to have a bottle of Ardmore Traditional Cask […]

Here’s one that builds on the Laphroaig+. This blend is based on a good amount of Talisker 10yo, with equal amounts of Laphroaig 10yo and Black Bottle added. My idea for this one was to create a true marriage between the harsh smoky character of the Laphroaig and the more benign maritime characteristics of the Talisker.

The second blend will probably scare a few people. (Single Malt) whisky-drinkers, I’ve found, are a fairly conservative bunch. Even the topic of blending whiskies yourself is met by some with a virtual warding off of the evil spirits of non-traditionalism. Well, let me be frank: I don’t give a flying fettercairn. I like to experiment, and in this case that means blending (*sigh*) a blended whisky (*gasp*) and a bourbon (*WHOA*). It’s happening. Deal with it.

My aim with this blog is to provide ideas. I’ll try to keep things simple: basic descriptions, nonexpensive whiskies and uncomplicated blends (for the most part >:) ). Of course, this is easier because a) I don’t have the money to buy dozens of bottles and b) I’m a relative noob when it comes to whisk(e)y in general. So when I buy a new bottle, expect some new blends. And when I find something out, have a revelation or even (science forbid) an epiphany you’ll be the first to know. Anyway, without further ado, let’s get going shall we? For this, the first of my homeblends, I’ve selected a relatively […]