Outturn

TASTING PANEL

More than words

The Society’s Tasting Panel is fundamentally unchanged since it first formed in founder Pip Hills’s kitchen in Edinburgh in the early 1980s, but more rigorous than ever. Its mission – to assess every sample before it can make it into a Society bottle, to create a name and tasting note and to uphold the Society’s mission: to leave no nose upturned.

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MEMBER PROFILE: MASON ROBBINS

Out of this world

If you’re looking for whisky with a sense of adventure, the Society is definitely for you. And if you’re ready to reach for the stars, then member Dr Mason Robbins is your man, as Richard Goslan found out...

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HERESY COCKTAILS

Shake it up

Our ‘Heresy’ series is all about experimental small-batch whiskies offering one-of-a-kind flavour experiences in each bottling. With 30 of these whiskies under our belt, we wanted to offer you a different way to enjoy these drams. Here are four easy cocktail serves from each of our Members’ Rooms. Try them for a new spin on your old favourite.

Miltonduff

In our last issue, we profiled one of two key distilleries that provide malt whisky for the Ballantine’s blend in the shape of Glenburgie, and this time around we focus on the second, namely Miltonduff. While high-profile distilleries such as The Glenlivet, Cardhu and The Macallan celebrated their official bi-centenaries last year, Miltonduff’s 200th anniversary passed almost unnoticed, in keeping with the distillery’s long-standing below-the-radar profile.

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A warm glow flickered and radiated as a Christmas cake, liberally dowsed in brandy, was set ablaze. The glow illuminated handmade croissants fresh from the oven, soft and chewy flapjacks, and chunks of dark chocolate. Glorious silky textures of salted butter embraced a palate abundant with almond biscuits, fennel liqueur and heart-warming mace and allspice.

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A wonderfully zesty and vibrant initial nose was dominated by crushed nettles, tart exotic fruits and impressions of New Zealand sauvignon blanc. This evolved quickly into passion flower, mint julep cocktail and tropical fruit teas. Reduction brought a more floral profile, scented hot-house flowers, runny honey, firm wood-resin notes and still-abundant tropical fruit aromas.

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A fresh aroma greeted the Panel with the scent of grass, cherries, strawberries and gooseberries, while in the background we noted hints of heather honey and a floral perfume. On the palate, as the nose suggested, this was zingy and fresh, with flavours of grapefruit segments mixed with slices of ripe banana and blackcurrants.