The weekend came with a surprise, in the shape of a nice shiny red box – The Chivas Regal Extra; thanks to a friend of mine who got hold of it at the Duty Free Store. Its absence at the local liquor stores tells me that it’s still being exclusively sold at the airports and…
Author: Donnie
Fun loving, adventurous and an introvert on a journey exploring a new found interest: Whisk'e'y!
To etch or not to etch…
Two brands, two different prices, how must you decide? Certainly not one of those instances where you would leave the decision to a game of “Eeny meeny miny moe…” Consider a situation where you’re in a predicament and you need to single out a phone for yourself. Do you set your eyes on the latest…
Review : Whyte & Mackay Special
The first time I had caught wind of the Whyte & Mackay portfolio was while browsing the internet and stumbling across a couple of YouTube Videos of their Master Distiller, Richard Paterson; a very passionate, enthusiastic and hands-on person. Probably one of a handful of Master Distillers who love devoting ‘on screen’ presence spreading whisky…
Whisky – Gulf & all that’s in between!
Deep reservoirs of oil, the need for building infrastructure and an open door trade policy to the outside world meant the possibility for a wide variety of global brands to identify prospects in the sand clad lands of the gulf. And for a region that only three generations back was inhabited mostly by nomadic tribesman…
Review : Black & White Blended Whisky
December and Christmas is when I make a run down south to the lands of backwaters, plush green estates, rubber, banana and coconut plantations. Kerala is where my folks reside and is my home away from home. And this time, while tidying up a few shelves and scrubbing up a few nooks and corners I…
Review : Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt
Never before have I waited this long for a bottle that I’ve heard so much about. Since my interest for whisky had spurred a different direction and the mysteries of the Japanese juice had made rounds in the various books, forums and websites; I had my mind set in getting a taste of that oriental…
Review : Jameson’s Original
With Christmas and the New Year nearing by, I certainly didn’t want to pen a review on the usual Scotch or Bourbon. And it was then that I had realised something rather dumbfounded and to be quite honest …stupid! I kept telling myself how could I be so daft that I happened to overlook one…
Review : Old Smuggler Blended Scotch
Hidden behind dark silhouettes, held gently by a few cobwebs and sprinkled with dust from the years of abandonment, was this nostalgic bulbous bottle with clear antiquated fonts. And if it was not for the lighting and the resulting hint of gold that caught my eyes, chances are this bottle might not have seen the…
The Wood in Whisky
Every once in a while at the liquor store, I get stumped each time I come across whiskies that are tagged with sometimes mind numbing phrases such as being Solera Vatted, or matured in Triple Casks, PX or Select Casks. And I’m sure other novice drinkers like me do find themselves in the same predicament…
Review : Johnnie Walker Red label
We’ve hit the JW Black Label in our last post and also briefly compared the Dewar’s White Label to the Ballentine’s Finest. But having said that, we’re not leaving the youngest sibling from the JW stables aside without a fight and surely a worthy competitor at that; yes today we’re diving into the JW Red…
Review : Johnnie Walker Black Label
If you were to overhear the word ‘scotch’ in a conversation; chances are the first bottle to flash by your mind would be in all likelihood the infamous Johnny Walker Black label. Better yet, observe the liquor counters at the Indian Duty free stores and chances are you’d see more than a few Johnny’s being…
Review: Bulleit Bourbon – Frontier Whiskey
My trip to the Americas a few months back had introduced me to a Bourbon that I’ve seldom heard off here in India; never seen at the local liquor stores, the duty free shops or from the mouths of colleagues, peers, friends and coworkers. In fact, the pronunciation of the tag on the label itself…
Review : DEWAR’s White Label
The DEWAR’S was established in 1864 with White Label making its debut much later in 1899 by master blender A. J Cameron. In terms of age, this scotch is certainly the youngest from the Dewar’s stable but holds great popularity especially in North America. In India, however this position is filled by the more popular…
Review : Paul John- Brilliance
Dedication, passion and a love for doing things right can do wonders even for an amateur, something which echoes very strongly with the folks at the John Paul Distillery. They’re entry into the world of Single Malt whisky was quite recent; 2012 in UK, 2013 in Goa and much later in Bangalore. Within this short…
An update on my journey…
It’s been over five months since I’ve reformed myself and taken up this new found hobby. And to be honest, I did doubt myself initially as I wasn’t sure how long this last would. But fast forward to the present and I’m still a believer! My friends and coworkers seem to accept me now, and…
Review : Jack Daniel’s Old No 7
To me this American favorite has a cult status of its own and is so much imbibed into American culture that it shares a popularity that many don’t. Be it movies, art, theatre, NASCAR or music, this legendary elixir always receives a mention! Fame exemplified when music legend Frank Sinatra was sold to the Jack…
Shades of Spirit!
Alcoholic beverages have been around for over thousands of years, with remnants dating as old as 7,000 BC; perhaps even more! Now for a spirit to finally take its form, it requires three basic ingredients: yeast, sugars and water coupled with time. The time allows the yeast to act on these sugars to break them…
Review : Glenfiddich 12 years
The Scottish Speyside is insanely famous for their whiskies and is home to the greatest number of distilleries as of any other region in Scotland. Glenfiddich is no stranger to this region and is by far the most selling single malt whisky in the world. In Gaelic, the term means ‘Valley of the deer’ and…
Review: Maker’s Mark
My recent visit to the United States presented the opportunity to savor a Bourbon or two and in some way I felt this to be a wake-up call reminding me of my year plus diversion into scotch. Although not intentionally, Scotch being more in abundance turned out to be a natural choice and the last…
Review: Ballantine’s Finest
The Saturday night get-togethers, white noise and laughter in the hallways, angry neighbors, steamy hot kebabs and the clink of flat glasses; a handful of happy memories brought by that unmistakable distinctive arrow shaped label on the dark tanned colored bottle. My relationship with the Finest goes back to a decade; one which we chose…
Uisce Beatha | My Whisk'e'y Diaries 