For our October tasting we had the unique opportunity to sample a number of bottles from a home-made selection. I was contacted by a gentleman who had been making his own whisky for over 18 years and had worked out ways to speed up the ageing process to produce seemingly aged whisky in a much shorter time frame.

He was interested to see what whisky enthusiasts (our club members and guests) would think of his whiskies when compared to commercially available drams. So we put together a line-up of four of his whiskies with a few retail bottles slotted in for a blind tasting.

Whisky #1

The first thing everyone noticed with this whisky was its wonderfully floral nose, with scents of vanilla, rye and even a little aniseed. To the palette it was smooth and easy to drink, but was lacking some depth, possibly due to a low alcohol volume which we estimated to be around 35-40%. You could taste the oak from what seemed like some aging process, as well as a bit of spice such as cinnamon and subtle sweet notes. While many found the body to be a little flat after the wonderful nose, there was still a nice yet short finish.

While most picked this one for home-made, some tasters thought it could be a commercial bourbon or rye whisky, possibly from Canada or Kentucky. The average age estimate came to around five years and it scored an average 5.4 out of 10.

Reveal: This whisky was home-made, oaked with no malt (grain unspecified), made 19 of June this year.

Whisly #2

The second whisky had a less noticeable nose and smelt young, but turned out to have a rather sweet palette, as though it had some caramel additives or had been aged in sherry casks. There was a buttery or oily mouthfeel, with subtle flavours of honey and oats, cinnamon apples and even a touch of salted caramel. There was a short finish that had some more fortified fruity notes, almost like unripe bananas.

Some found it a little too sweet, more on a path to become a liqueur, but a drop of water did help to soften it. This may be a drink best served on ice.

Again, most picked this for a home-made whisky, but there were some who thought it may even be a Japanese or highland whisky. The average age estimate was around 9 years and it scored 6.7 out of 10.

Reveal: Another home-made whisky, this time made with malt on 19 of June this year.

Whisky #3

Just to the nose this whisky was noticeably more complex, with a more impressive body but not much of a tail. You could smell roasted nuts and a hint of vanilla, before tasting a mild sweetness with hints of figs and prunes. The was a noticeable oak flavour and some even picked up light peatiness. The finish did carry some sweetness but was short lived.

Most thought this was a Scottish Speyside whisky, or even Talisker from the Islay region. It was considered to be around 10 years old and scored an average 7.5 out of 10.

Reveal: This was a commercial whisky, the Benromach 10yo from Speyside.

Whisky #4

For the fourth whisky there were some sweet notes on the nose, perhaps a hint of port or sherry that made some think it could be a Glen Morangie Quinta Ruben. To the palette many found other sweet notes like cherries, toffee and butter with some wood notes, a nice mouth feel and rich colour. From here some thought it could be a rye whisky again. The finish, while a little dry, was a surprising sweet pop that hangs around a while. Finish was a little dry and short

This time there was a pretty even division of those who thought this was commercial verses home-made, with the commercial camp believing it to be either Scottish or US made. The age was considered to be somewhere around 8 years and it scored 7 out of 10.

Reveal: This was another home-made dram, made from malt on 12 February of this year.

Whisky #5

This dram had a deep, faintly sweet scent that reminded some of happy gas from the dentist. It was fruity on the nose with hints of apple and pineapple. To drink it was very smooth and easy on the palette, with a honeyed sweetness that carried notes of lime, pear, apricot, raisins and plenty of other subtle fruit flavours. It was thought by some to have been aged in sherry casks for a spell. There was a medium to long finish, depending on who you talked to, that had a light spice flavour.

Some of our tasters thought this could be another home-made, some thought it was a blend, while others figured it was from the highland region of Scotland. The average age estimate was around 11 years and it scored 7.8 out of 10.

Reveal: This was a commercial whisky from the Speyside region, a Dalwhinnie 15yo.

Whisky #6

The final whisky in the lineup had a strikingly deep, sweet nose. It was really enjoyable to just sniff this dram a while first. Unfortunately, the body, while still smooth and very easy drinking, didn’t contain the same complexity as the nose. There were hints of brown sugar and vanilla there with a similar flavour to some mild bourbons, but nothing that stood out too much. It had an interesting, though short, finish that some thought tasted like taffy.

This was mostly picked to be another home-made whisky, possibly around 5 years old. It scored an average of 6 out of 10

Reveal: This was the last of the home-made whiskies, made from malt on 23 April in 2013.

Of the homemade whiskies, the biggest takeaway should be that while everyone’s estimates were around 5 to 7 years, most of them were made only a matter of months before the tasting.

We were also provided a number of liqueurs that had been made from these home-made whiskies, to be enjoyed as a finish for the tasting.

Ginger Liqueur

This was a very sweet liqueur with a wonderful balance of ginger that lingers on the palette. Some thought this was the perfect level of sweetness, while those who found it too sweet enjoyed it just as much when mixed half / half with one of the earlier whiskies.

Chocolate Liqueur

Not everyone liked this, but those who did, LOVED IT!

There was a creamy combination of mocha, cinnamon, nutmeg, malt and chocolate flavours that were perfect. Considered by some to be in the same ballpark as Baileys, it sparked some enthusiastic comments;

“Wonderful, they’re like adult Coco Pops in a glass.”

“Just like a chocolate milkshake only ALCOHOLIC!”

“I would have this for breakfast if I was single.”

Trying to keep things away from drinking in the morning, it was also thought to be a great addition to ice-cream.

Coconut Liqueur

Not everyone likes coconut, but again, those who do, loved this. It wasn’t too sweet, making the right balance for a unique taste that was creamy yet fresh and enjoyable.

 “Great to finish the night on.”