WhiskeyCraic

My take on a Pickle back.

You're in South of Spain on Holiday.
It's 30+ Degrees.
Your a little Sam Miguelled out.....
You have a cheap Aldi Special Bourbon at 8 euros
And a big jar of pickled gherkins.
And copious amount of white lemonade

I give you the Erky Ogorki Wh**ky Drinky

Bloody good if I'm honest.

2 big measures of Wh**ky
1 measure of Pickle Juice.
3 Gherkins
In a High Ball Glass topped up with lemonade.

Refreshing with a little snack or 3 along the way!

**ky ***eycraic ***ey

On the Holibobs in the South of Spain...

Coming through Duty Free out of Blighty and saw Powers at £16.81 for a litre bottle (would be rude not too - although the wife and mother in law made big inroads into last night, should have bought 2)

The Clarke's Bourbon...... I have a problem - if I see a bottle of wh**ky / bourbon for dirt cheap, I have to try it....

Ocho Euros and a few cents.....
It's horrid....

Double measure, splash of pickle juice and topped up to top with white lemonade and ice.....

Not a bad by the pool drink.

**ky ***ey

Literally - the only time this song can be used correctly!

Well kind off.... Bare with me....

Delivery Day Woohoo!

(I know I know....I'm supposed to be on a bit of a buying hiatus.... But those trivial benefits aren't going to spend themself and it's near year end)

Numero Uno Traveler Wh**ky from

I know nothing about it.... But, bottled at 45% and from this distillery - it's a pretty solid punt.

And.... The reason we can use this song, it's BTs first ever collaboration and it's with - the voice behind this viral (and awesome) cover of this song.

Numero Dos from

A distillery from my wee land. I've tried a few samples of thier main range and when I saw this - it had to be a grab.

Maybe I'm feeling a little homesick....
I haven't been back in far too long....

But I've been saying it for ages, there is some cracking bottles coming out of the North and I'm sure this won't disappoint.

***eycraic ***ey **ky

Bonus Wh**ky!!!!

So, a while back, maybe 2 years ago, I won an auction for 36 bottles of Sonoma 2nd Chance Wheat.

I didn't give it much thought.
I drank some.
I gifted some.
I didn't pay a huge amount of attention.

Then I noticed I only had a few bottles left in the wh**ky cabinet.

I started thinking 'surely I haven't gone through 30 odd bottles.... No way I could have drank that much and not noticed'.....

I started to seriously doubt myself.

Anyway, cleaning out the Utility room yesterday - I found 4 bottles !!!!

Obviously didn't have the space so stuck them in there out of the way.

I was chuffed - everyone loves a 'Suprise Wh**ky'

Then I kept digging - I found 2 more cases!

I knew I hadn't drunk that much of them!

Bonus Bottles! Woohoo!

**ky ***ey ***eycraic

I found this in the cabinet over the weekend....
It's been there so long I couldn't remember how I came by it.

Checked and it looks like I bought it on Amazon in Nov '24.

Assume it's a black Friday punt.

Anyway - fancied trying something new over the weekend and cracked this Rum Cask fin from **ky

The fact that Mrs Craic and I have hammered that bottle in 2 nights says it all....

As soon as you open it, before you even pour it it's a big raisiny muscovado-y hit to the nose, rich and enticing.

And it delivers!

Sweet, thick syrupy heavily influenced by Rum

Puts me in mind of a glass of Diplomatico....

Long in the mouth and moreish, easy going down, warming and spicy on the back of the tongue,

Great bottle at the price point.

Will be grabbing another.

Treating myself this Sunday night by opening this totally new to me bottle and distillery from Finlands

Bought as a Christmas gift, I generally pride myself on being pretty knowledgeable on whisk(e)y brands, so really excited to be trying something totally blind with no preconceptions.

(Although knowing who it came from and reason it's given, I'm expecting something rather good).

So.... Let's go (freshly opened bottle, no ice or water)

Nose, very good, deep, fruit, sweet, plenty there and very promising. Argentinian Malbec deep red w**e notes and I my immediate reaction is Toffee Apples at Halloween.

In the mouth, first taste. Sharp and dry, like a red w**e, the cheeks slightly pucker, most of the taste at the back of the tongue at first it feels like it's not going to deliver. Mouth feels is good, good thickness coats inside of mouth....

After swallow, this is where it gets good, the flavours come through. Spiciness pepperiness, gives over to sweet toffee and woodiness and ends with a deep influence from the port cask finish at the very end gives a strong sweet red w**e punch.

It's warming on the way down and very moreish.

All in all, it's something different, it's good, stands up well, you'd be proud to pull it from the cabinet for your wh**ky snob mates. You can tell it's young, but there's enough going on there to please everyone.

***eycraic
**ky
***ey

Bloomin Wh**ky Pixies sneaked into my house last night and opened one of my favourite bottles....
(Wasn't me, honest).

Opened a New To Me gift tonight.

Was excited to crack it and it is quite pleasant.

But.... It's not very "Jura-y".......

I dunno what I expected, I suppose with Jura, I'm expecting the typical Big Islay profile....

It's an interesting question though.

If your known for doing something well, what happens to the brand when you don't do what you normally do?

Anyway - it's alright, I'll have another to make sure.

**ky ***eycraic ***ey

So pleased with the Crimbo Haul!
Not a sock or smelly in sight!

This is why I make sure everyone knows I love Wh**ky!

Merry Christmas Everyone.