One of my favourite distilleries has released a fabulous blended malt. A blended malt is a whisky blended from single malts from different distilleries in this case some peated and some unpeated from Islay and Speyside McNairs were a Glasgow grocer, their blend the masterpiece of Hiram Walker. It has been recreated by Billy Walker Master Distiller of GlenAllachie, recognising the importance of great casks and delivering this range of non chill filtered and with natural colour classics.
Earlier this year I tasted and reviewed the excellent GlenAllachie core Range Malts they were tremendous, especially the 18 and 25 year olds. I suspect their was some older malts in there.
It was a surprise to me when they recently released their MacNair Peated Blended Whisky range. A standard, 12 and 21 in beautiful packaging making a great gift for a peated whisky lover.
The Islay element is not publicised the Speyside is GlenAllachie and the body support this.
McNairs Lum Reek 46%
/image courtesy of GlenAllachie
Matured in first-fill Bourbon, Oloroso sherry, virgin oak and red wine casks
Colour: Rich gold
Nose; Starts smoky then fresh woody heather and peat pears, barley sugar, gypsy cream biscuits with water much more of every aroma
Palate; Peat, heather honey, orange zest chocolate toffee hazelnuts apricot foam bananas with water spice ginger slight salt and a sour hint it’s bitter lemon and Turkish delight
A really lovely blend sipable meat better with a single teaspoon of water another great GlenAllachie whisky
McNairs Lum Reek 12 year old 46%
Image courtesy of GlenAllachie
Matured in first-fill Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez sherry and red wine casks.
Colour: Copper bronze
Nose; great smoky peaty bonfire notes citrus spearmint apple strudel toast honey cinnamon milk chocolate almond a vegetal note over time
Palate; Peaty heather, cocoa powder honey comb fruit pastels pepper ginger cinnamon water brings a smooth creamy ness and enhances the spicing to include nutmeg a real young spirit freshness
I get the custard cream and bitter lemon on the finish. The 12 is good but the youthfulness of the standard blend gives it a freshness I enjoy.
The 12 opened up over time nice peaty ash ember notes great butterscotch sweets notes developed bringing this up to the level of the basic and then beyond but it takes patience finally cherry sweets
MacNairs Lum Reek 21 year old 48%
Image `courtest of GlenAllachie
Matured in Oloroso sherry, Virgin Oak and red wine casks.
Colour: Butterscotch
Nose: lovely hint of smoked haddock (peat) with butter heather honey plum pudding hazelnut chocolate blackberries pineapple coconuts cherry lips a great more complex nose more tropical with water but it certainly helps
Palate; cherry tunes pepper and ginger, peat fruit pastilles, leather, pencil shavings liquorice a faint bitter hint of dark chocolate and the bitter lemon again.
The pick of the bunch a lovely dram strong flavours very distinct even aged their is superb spirit cask combination
Very beautiful use of Peat quite different in the 3 expressions. Adds flavour without being too much in your face. A really great blend undoubtedly a sipper I will certainly be buying at least one of these they are all subtly different reflecting the age statement well and like the malts go into the highest ranking of my blended malt whiskies
