THE CAT'S WHISKIES
I tested supermarket whiskies for Father’s Day…winner was triple distilled triumph with spicy notes that cost just £21
Our round-up also includes a great option for gifting
FOR Father’s Day on Sunday what could be better than giving your old man a bottle of whisky.
Drinks expert Helena Nicklin takes us on a tasting tour of Britain and Ireland as she samples eight tipples – then tots up the marks out of five for each.
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The English Distillery Sherry Cask Whisky: 3/5
700ml, £59, englishwhisky.co.uk
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CROWNED “The World’s Best Single Malt” in a surprise win at the recent World Whiskies Awards, this tipple – made at Norfolk’s previously little-known English Distillery – really did our nation proud.
The prize-winning dram became an instant sellout, with drinkers happy to pay a premium in order to try it.
And when you taste the contents of the bottle, you can certainly understand why.
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Sherry cask ageing gives it a warming, fruit cake feel, complete with a moreish, marzipan, figgy finish.
Smooth and sweet, it’s certainly easy drinking, though real aficionados might crave a bit more balance.
Cotswolds Single Malt: 4/5
700ml, £35 on offer (was £45) Morrisons.com & Waitrose
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VOLUME-wise, England lags behind other parts of the British Isles when it comes to producing whisky.
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But to date, the Oxfordshire Cotswolds Distillery, the UK’s largest maker of the liquor, has been flying the flag for a fantastic range of premium English whiskies (and gins!), while winning lots of awards.
Very prettily packaged, itss single malt is fruity and rich, with a whiff of vanilla from Bourbon barrels and a splash of red fruit.
If you usually plump for a Scottish or Irish dram in your glass, with a tenner off in certain supermarkets right now there’s no better time to try this great intro to fine English whisky.
Aber Falls, Single Malt Welsh Whisky: 3/5
70cl, £27.50, Tesco
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WHISKY newbies would do well to try this warming Welsh nip – from the first distillery to produce a sip in the north of the country in over 100 years!
Rich and amber this golden liquid comes in a lovely looking bottle with packaging that belies it’s extremely decent price.
Super soft without a big boozy sting, this is a gentler dram with honeyed fruit notes, a bit of ripe pear, a sprinkle of spice and some subtle cocoa and coffee bean notes on the finish.
At this price point too, the Aber Falls dram is definitely a great one to have in a British whisky line-up!
Penderyn Welsh Whisky: 4/5
70cl, £27, (Nectar price) Sainsbury’s
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ARGUABLY the biggest name in Welsh whisky, the Penderyn Distillery is located in the foothills of the beautiful Brecon Beacons, where it sparked the nation’s great revival of the popular spirit.
This bottle, which you can currently pick up at Sainsbury’s for under £30, is an entry level offering which is soft, creamy and slightly tropical, with notes of toffee apple and Christmas cake.
It packs a punch at 46 per cent abv but is highly drinkable with it.
And the square bottle makes it a great gift.
Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey: 5/5
70cl, £21.25, Morrisons
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IRISH whiskey (for anyone wondering, note that the “e” is added when it’s Irish!) is famous for being super smooth, partly because, in this part of the world, it is often distilled more times than in other places.
Tullamore D.E.W does it three times with this dram, making much of its “triple distilled, triple blend, triple matured” status.
And there’s no doubting you can taste why. Seriously flavoursome and round, with dried fruit and spicy, ginger notes, it’s light on its feet with a silky mouth feel.
This was the best for balance for me by an Irish country mile.
Ben Bracken Speyside Single Malt: 3/5
70cl, £18.49, Lidl
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PUTTING a Scottish single malt on the shelf for anywhere near as reasonable a price as this one is hard to achieve.
So hats off to Lidl for bringing us this budget dram at under £20.
With a classic Highland style, this tipple is fruity, not peaty. And it exudes smooth enough “caffe latte and a slice of banana cake” vibes.
It’s a little hot on the finish and could have a more authentic flavour.
But for the price, it’s hard to argue. Mix it into cocktails like a classic Old Fashioned over ice.
Alternatively, you could serve some highballs, and I’d bet you won’t notice.
Highland Earl Blended Scotch: 4/5
70cl, £12.89, Aldi
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ONCE voted “outstanding” in a renowned international competition, this is a delicious dram for a diminutive price.
Certainly classically Scotch on the outside, with its Highland Stag on the label and traditional branding there’s no mistaking it’s provenance on the shelf, all it’s missing is a kilt!
Quite subtle but elegantly aromatic and without any boozy nose burn, it’s weighty enough on the palate with some candied fruit and spicy nut flavours.
Not one for die-hard Scotch enthusiasts but a pleasant surprise given how cheap it is. You can drink this neat but mixed is better.
Mckendrick’s Blended Scotch 3 Year: 2/5
1Ltr, £17.90, Asda
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POUND for dram, this Asda tipple is the cheapest of the lot as it comes as a 1L bottle, in comparison to all the other 70cl options.
And while it doesn’t taste overly expensive, there’s still a lot to like.
With a classic, if quite generic, Scotch whisky profile, it’s a little bit fruity, a little bit spicy and not at all smoky.
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If sipping neat without water or ice it is a bit thin and harsh on the finish, but in whisky cocktails, especially those with fruit flavours, it makes a rather good base.
Give it a go in some fun, Scotch-based tipples such as Sixties favourite the Rusty Nail, mixed with Drambuie and served on the rocks!
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