Stirling polishes his finest dram glass, lights the log fire and sits back ready to admire a new friend from across the border…
Fittingly, a while back, I wrote about the ‘Raasay While We Wait‘ dram from R&B Distillers. A fine, fine whisky, befitting cosy nights in, log fires and a couple of friends to share the bottle with. All of which still seem to be on the cards while Spring takes its jolly time getting going. There was some waiting involved in that review, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
Now I’m moving up the league, quite quickly and without any waiting (this time) as I graduate to the ‘The Tweeddale: The Evolution’. It’s 28 years old, a fuller character compared to earlier impressions, with notes of sherry and dab of the Speyside to it. The latest addition to the Tweeddale collection has a few things to say. It’s limited edition, the oldest Tweeddale to be released, and like all Tweeddale expressions it has been inspired by the brand’s heritage.
Alasdair Day, co-founder of R&B Distillers, and great-grandson of Richard Day (who was a master-blender in the Coldstream in the Scottish Borders during the 19th Century) loves to pore over an old book (no pun intended) of his grandfather’s whisky recipes. In a year’s time he will have been doing this for for a decade, and thankfully for us he continues to craft lovely interpretations of his Grandfather’s work, as well as a few of his own.
Which brings us nicely to now, and ‘The Tweeddale 28-year-old’. The big one, as I’ve come to call it, doesn’t hold back and presents dark chocolate, black cherry, spice and earth. A little water really opens up the nose & expression on the palate, and at 52% you will be quite within your rights to do so.
A touch pricier than its predecessors, but with that you get more complexity and finish. You’ll need to finds a special spot in your cabinet for this one – and maybe limit the friends you share it with. What? Can’t a chap have a special reserve?
The Tweeddale 28-year-old – The Evolution is £172.95 and available from Master of Malt.
