http://www.smws.co.uk/

Aye wait a minute…

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is all about specially selected casks of single malt whiskies bottled at cask strength, not chill filtered. Each bottling from a single cask is given a unique number, the distillery is not named and in most cases the SMWS bottling is rather different from the distillery’s branded bottlings.

So what was I doing there blending their single cask whiskies?

Well the Tweeddale Blend is produced in small batches, the whiskies are all from single cask and not chill filtered. So there is a connection.

We started the tasting session with a comparison of batch 1 and batch 2 of the Tweeddale Blend. Nicola Young from @the whiskyboys was there and  has kindly write a review on this part of the tasting. Just click on the link below to see what she had to say.

http://www.whiskyboys.com/2012/05/01/the-tweeddale-blend-10yo-12yo/

We then moved on to the Society whiskies. I had selected seven of their numbered bottlings, one grain and six malts. We started with the grain, a fine example it was too – rich, flora with plenty of raisons. This in itself was a departure for a couple of the members but all agreed a superb whisky.

We then tasted the whisky I had selected as the “core” malt, this would set the style of the two blends we would produce. It was rich, complex and honeyed. Next we tasted a couple of the malts that would at the “top dressing”, one would add mint humbug notes and the other smoke & peat.

Then it was on to the blending.

Blend 1 50% grain / 50% malt and blend 2 10% grain / 90% malt both using the same seven whiskies. The result was two very different blends. The feedback from the members was generally in favour of blend 1 but if you like you whisky with plenty of smoke & peat then blend 2 would be the one for you.

Well I had a great day and I am hoping to arrange an other date with SMWS Queen Street to do an other blending session with their members.

The full story will be in the July issue of Unfiltered Magazine.  Unfiltered on Facebook

I would particularly like to thank Mike Wilkinson for allowing me to use his photographs that he took for the article.

SMWS: Tweeddale Blend tasting at Queen Street venue with Alasdair Day…Photograph by Mike Wilkinson…25/4/12..Copyright photograph by Mike Wilkinson.Not to be archived and reproduced without prior permission and payment..Contact Mike on 07768 393673.mike@mike-wilkinson.com.www.mike-wilkinson.com.http://mike-wilkinson.photoshelter.com

The Tweeddale Blend will be at the Whisky Fest in London but only for one day the Friday 20th April and we will be pouring Tweeddale drams.

We will not be there for either of the two sessions on Saturday 21st April so for all of those attending one of the Saturday sessions please accept my apologies in advance.

But for those of you who will be there on the Friday, we’ll have a wee Tweeddale dram waiting for you.

See you in London… on Friday!

http://www.thewhiskylounge.com/book-now/whisky-lounge-fest-london-2012-4/

Freek contacted me as he had been intrigued by the story of the blend. I sent him a sample to taste and he has written in dutch, a lovely illustrated piece on the Tweeddale Blend and the story behind it.

I think it is a great article and if you would like to see what he has to say then just click on the links below (the 2nd link is a translation from Dutch to English via google translate).

http://adramforeveryone.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/tweeddale-blend.html?m=1

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fadramforeveryone.blogspot.co.uk%2F2012%2F03%2Ftweeddale-blend.html 

By pure coincidence we are off to the Netherlands for a wee holiday at one of their excellent Landal parks and aye we will being going Dutch!

The First Minister, the Tweeddale and me

Two years ago I attended the World of Whiskies Conference held at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow. This was before the 1st batch of The Tweeddale blend was released. At the Conference I meet Alan Wolstenholme a Consultant with over 40 years experience in the Whisky industry.

I had arranged to meet Alan yesterday at the Radisson Hotel to discuss a project that I have recently started work on to build a distillery in the Scottish Borders. There are currently no distilleries in the Borders although there have been in the past. I would like to create a unique Borders malt whisky that would become the heart of the Tweeddale Blend in the future.

I had a great meeting with Alan and we were just finishing up when the First Minister, Alex Salmond arrived. He was at the hotel ahead of the SNP conference in Glasgow this weekend. He very kindly agreed to sign a bottle of The Tweeddale Blend.

My wife Sharon has recently recovered from her treatment for breast cancer and is going to do the MoonWalk in Edinburgh this year. So we will be auctioning the bottle of Tweeddale Blend signed by Alex Salmond and the proceeds will go to the charity.

So feel free to make a bid!

By email to info@stonedean.co.uk  or via our contact page http:tweeddalewhisky.com/contact

www.glenrosswhiskies.com/blog/2012/02/27/The-Tweeddale-Blend.aspx

Of course Peebles is right in the heart of Tweeddale and Glenross Whiskies is right in the heart of Peebles.

It is a cracking wee shop with a great range of whiskies and Allan knows his stuff. If your looking a something a bit different or even something mainstream when it comes to Whisky this is a great place to visit.

What is even better is that Alan always has bottles open so that you can try before you buy. There is even a whisky club with regular tasting that you can join.

So the next time you’re in Peebles pop in, say hello from me and try a wee dram or two.

http://www.singlemaltsdirect.com/tweeddale-12-year-old-blend.html

Aye, you can now find the Tweeddale Blend on Single Malts Direct.

Great online retailer, great whisky… I’m just not sure about that picture!

What do you think?

From Monday 20th February to Saturday 25th February it will be Tweeddale Whisky week at Glenross  Whiskies in Peebles High Street.

The window display will be full of bottles of The Tweeddale Blend and on Saturday 25th February I will be in the shop with the owner Allan McTier doing a tasting. Also I will be happy to sign any bottles purchased while I am in the shop.

This will be a great opportunity to try a wee dram of the Tweeddale Blend in the heart of Tweeddale itself.

If you can come along I’ll see you there.

http://www.glenrosswhiskies.com

Tweeddale Whisky week

Peebles

The tasting notes and scores are provided by Gavin D. Smith and Rob Allanson (the editor).

Gavin D. Smiths gives a score of 8.3 with the following tasting notes;

Rob Allanson gives a score of 8.9 and with the following tasting notes;

Fantastic! You can see more on the Whisky Magazine website just click on the link below.

http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/tweedale/whisky7900.html

http://www.thewhiskylounge.com/blog/joes-whisky-review-2-the-tweed-dale-blend/

Aye, you can tell I’m pleased with this review and it’s not just the Tasting notes, the Conclusion and the note from the Ed(itor) but also Joe’s fantastic “rant about attitude towards blends” that is so incredibly appropriate.

I, of course, fully agree with Joe as it is a prejudice that raises itself regularly at whisky festivals. You know it is almost unbelievable but we have even had people walk past our stand turning down free whisky saying “uh no its a blend” – eh naw… its free whisky! However we have had self confessed Malt whisky only drinks reservedly accept a wee free dram of Tweeddale and exclaim “well if I hadn’t have know it was a blend I would have sworn it was a Malt”. Which is why I am a great advocate of blind tastings and quality Scotch whisky!

I can’t say too much without being hypocritical as when I was a younger, less knowledge man I too suffered from the superb marketing behind some single malts. It IS about the wood, the type of cask, the ageing and how you bring that whisky together for bottling.

Anyway that’s my rant over with…

I urge you to read Joe’s second review on the Whisky Lounge website blog, just click on the link above or read the selected extracts below.

http://whiskyforeveryone.blogspot.com/2012/01/have-just-tried-tweeddale-blend-batch.html

Karen & Matt actually tried the Tweeddale Blend batch 2 – the twelve year old at Pure Festival back in September of last year. We had a good chat over the two days and even did an interview with Matt which has still to see the light of day (once the Pure Festival brothers send it to him – c’mon guys).

Anyway Karen and Matt took a liking to batch 2 and have very kindly posted a great review with tasting notes on their blog on their Whisky for everyone website. You can read the whole thing by clicking on the link above or see their verdict below.

“The Tweeddale Blend is very pleasant and positively gripping in flavour, while being soft and easy drinking. It avoids the youthful harsh notes that can affect some blended whiskies and this is due to the increased age of all the whiskies included. The qualities of these whiskies show through in the final dram and create excellent depth, complexity and character. Batch No.2 should enhance Alasdair’s and Tweeddale’s reputation even further and we think he has done his great grandfather proud yet again”.

Cheers and thanks again to Karen & Matt.

The Tweeddale stand at Pure Festival