Thompson Bros: SRV 5 (Scottish Blended Malt Whisky: 8 Years: 48.5% ABV)
Visual: Lightly greened grain colours. Fast thick streaks come from the spirit.
Nose: Sherry trifle. Cinnamon. Planed wood. Ginger spice. Vanilla. Menthol. Pepper. Water makes smoother and brings out white pepper.
Body: Dry honey. Warming alcohol. Ginger. Peppery. Gingerbread. Dry sherry cream. Water makes smoother. Adds apricot touch. Tinned tropical fruit. Toffee white pepper. More water adds gherkin note.
Finish: Dry oak. White pepper. Dry tinned tropical fruit. Honey. Gingerbread. Water adds milky chocolate. Malt biscuits. More water adds gherkin again.
Conclusion: The best way I can describe this is very competently made in a style of whisky that I don’t hate, but is definitely not my favorite take.
Neat it has a bit of alcohol warmth, but what stood out more is that this is pretty spicy. Lots of peppery notes, some ginger and a general spicy heat. It also has moderate oaky notes – all well done but for me heavily spice led whisky tends to be more interesting than must have, but that is a personal taste.
Water smooths out the alcohol heat, but not the spice, while releasing more sherry trifle notes that had been hinted at in the aroma but otherwise locked away until now.
Too much water really hurts this one, leaving a kind of gherkin touched note – but I only found that out due to accidentally drowning a dram with far too much water so don’t worry you are unlikely to encounter that in an average drop of this. Generally a bit of water helps it, especially in finding a balance between the sweet and the spice. For a blended malt it can occasionally feel like there is some grain heat in there, which is not my fave look, but it is generally good.
So, generally good, but just, it is very much spice led and that is not my favorite whisky thing. Make up your own mind if you would enjoy.
Background: Ohh Thompson’s Brothers, owners of the new Dornoch distillery. Now I have yet to get my hands on Dornoch whisky and it is darn hard to get hold of, but their blended malts, independent bottling and blended whisky have a very good reputation, so when they got a few bottles into Independent Spirit I decided to give them a go. This one is from a barrel never emptied to lower than a third full and a mix of Highland, Islay and Speyside malts – so feels kind of like the Living Cask in idea, which I approve of. Comparatively cheap in price for whisky these days as well as sub 40 pounds. Went with a new unusual band I had recommended to me for background music – Vulture Industries: Ghosts From The Past
