
The ratio of scotch to Drambuie is often disputed, with some recipes suggesting a ratio as high as four-parts scotch to one-part Drambuie. Similarly, with the Rusty Nail only having two ingredients, many bars serve slight variations of the drink simply by changing the whisky - for example, using bourbon (known as a "Rusty Spike"). We think you can't go wrong with the classic two-to-one ratio and a good blended scotch.

### Ingredients

- 60ml blended scotch whisky (we like to use [Compass Box Hedonism][1]).
- 30ml [Drambuie scotch liquor][2].
- Lemon peel twist to garnish.

### Instructions

1. Add the Drambuie and the scotch to a mixing glass.
2. Fill the mixing glass with large ice cubes (using small cubes will cause too much dilution before the drink is chilled).
3. Stir until the drink is well-chilled - usually 30-60 seconds.
4. Add a large ice cube to a chilled lowball ("Old Fashioned") or rocks glass and strain in the drink using a julep strainer.
5. Rub the lemon peel around the rim of the glass and gently drop it into the drink.

[1]: https://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=350712&merchantID=7042&programmeID=24815&mediaID=0&tracking=&afsource=60&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.masterofmalt.com%2fwhiskies%2fcompass-box-hedonism-whisky%2f%3fsrh%3d1
[2]: https://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=350712&merchantID=7042&programmeID=24815&mediaID=0&tracking=&afsource=60&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.masterofmalt.com%2fliqueurs%2fdrambuie-liqueur%2f%3fsrh%3d1


The Rusty Nail is a classic two-ingredient scotch-based cocktail dating back to the 1930s, which was featured in Difford's Guide's Top 100 Cocktails.

Rusty Nail recipe


When it comes to categories of bourbon whiskey the terminology can be confusing. Often bottles bare one or more of these categories (a whiskey can be any number of categories) on their label, but they're seldom explained. Here's our handy guide to some of the most commonly found.

### Bourbon

Bourbon is a distilled spirit originating in the United States in the late 1700s. To be called "bourbon", the spirit must be made from at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 80% ABV, produced in the United States and aged in new, charred oak containers (usually barrels). The spirit cannot enter the container at more than 62.5% ABV, or be bottled at less than 40% ABV.

Bourbon has no minimum aging requirements, unlike Scotch whisky. Although to be called "whiskey" in the EU, the spirit must be aged for at least 3 years.

### Straight Bourbon

A straight bourbon, or any other "straight" spirit ("straight rye whiskey" for example) must be aged for a minimum of two years. Batching (see "small batch" below), chill filtration and proofing-down are the only modifications allowed prior to bottling.

If a "straight" spirit is aged for less than 4 years, the age of the youngest spirit contained in the blend must be stated on the bottle. For example, if a whiskey contains a 2, 6 and 8 year old spirit, the bottles age statement is 2 years.

### Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey

For a bourbon to classify as Kentucky Straight Bourbon it must meet all the requirements of Straight Bourbon in addition to being distilled and aged for at least 1 year in Kentucky.

### Single Barrel

Single Barrel means the content of the bottle originated from one single barrel - no batching here!

### Small Batch

Although "Small Batch" unfortunately has no legal definition, usually it implies that a small number of barrels were combined to create a small batch of bottles with a uniform flavour.

### Bottled in Bond

Bottled in Bond, is an American legal act from 1897 which requires spirit producers to meet a specific set of requirements in order to bare the term on the label. "Bottled in Bond" is supposed to be a guarantee of a spirits production quality. You can read more about this in our [What is Bottled in Bond](/blog/what-is-bottled-in-bond#so-what-does-it-actually-mean) post.


Bourbon, Single Barrel, Kentucky Straight, Bottled in Bond - what's the difference? If you've ever wondered this, then this post is for you.

Bourbon Categories 101


"Bottled in bond" is an American designation, more than a century old, for spirits which have been aged and bottled according to the US Government's Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits. Although the regulations apply to all spirits, in practice most "bonded" spirits are whiskey.

### But, why?

The [Bottled in Bond Act of 1897](https://definitions.uslegal.com/b/bottled-in-bond-act/) was introduced to provide a guarantee of a spirit's quality, as well as helped to ensure the proper accounting and collection of taxes. 

At the time the act was introduced whiskies often contained additives and flavorings such as iodide or other spirits, or sometimes worse, in order to cut and expand the yield of whiskey. The federal government - the guarantor of the regulations - offered producers a tax incentive to participate in the Bottled in Bond Act.

### So what does it actually mean?

The Bottled in Bond Act requires that any spirit labelled with "bottled in bond" must meet the following standards:

- It must be a product of a single distiller, produced at a single distillery.
- It must be a product of a single distillation season (January to June or July to December).
- It must be aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years.
- It must be bottled at 50% ABV (or 100 proof).
- The bottle label must state the distillery the spirit was distilled.
- The bottle label must state the distillery the spirit was bottled (if that's different from where it was distilled).

Bottled in Bond is often considered similar in concept to single malt whisky or single barrel whiskey, but regarded as a better indication of a distiller's skill, given that the spirit is made by a single distiller at a single distillery in a single distillation season. Jay Erisman, co-founder of New Riff Distilling says "It is a higher standard than single-malt Scotch, more protective than Cognac".


"Bottled in Bond"... You'll have almost certainly heard the term before, and maybe own a couple of bottles, but what does it actually mean?

What is "Bottled in Bond"?


### Ingredients

- 60ml bourbon whiskey.
- 30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- 15ml 2:1 simple syrup.
- 15ml egg white.
- 1 dash orange bitters.
- 10ml dry red wine.
- Orange peel twist garnish.

### Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients except the wine and garnish to an empty shaker tin and shake without ice for 15 seconds.
2. Add ice to the tin and shake for another 15 seconds.
3. Double strain into a chilled lowball ("Old Fashioned") or rocks glass.
4. Use a bar spoon to delicately lay the wine on top of the foam.
5. Spritz orange zest over the drink by twisting the orange peel in one quick motion, rub the peel around the rim of the drink and gently drop it in.

Try swapping the 15ml of 2:1 simple syrup and 10ml dry red wine for 10ml of 1:1 simple syrup and 10ml of port for another interesting variation.


The New York Sour is a delicious riff on the traditional Whiskey Sour which includes a float of dry red wine - a subtle variation which adds an additional layer of complexity to a classic drink.

New York Sour recipe

Lochlea Our Barley

Lowlands, Scotland

Lochlea is a new distillery found in the Lowlands of Scotland. Acquired in 2006 and commissioned in 2018, Lochlea released its first core single malt whisky "Our Barley" on the 18th of July 2022. Lochlea is said to be the masterpiece of ex-Laphroaig manager and master blender John Campbell, who joined Lochlea in 2021. Lochlea aims to produce whisky with full traceability - they use an on-site water source and barley that is grown on-site.

Lochlea

Smokehead Rum Rebel

Smokehead is a range of super peaty single malt whiskies produced by Ian Macleod distillers. Since their first release in 2006, Smokehead has released many expressions, often finished. Smokehead is rumoured by many to be young Caol Ila whisky, but its true source is unknown.

Smokehead

Glencadam 13 Year Old 2008 Réserve de Sauternes

Highlands, Scotland

Glencadam distillery, founded in the Eastern Scottish highlands in 1825, produces single malt scotch whisky predominantly for blends, but also their own single malt whisky range. Angus Dundee plc, the owners of Tomintoul distillery, purchased Glencadam distillery from the previous owners, Allied Domecq, in 2003.

Glencadam

Lindores Abbey Single Cask

Lindores Abbey distillery is named, unsurprisingly, after Lindores Abbey - a Tironensian abbey found on the outskirts of Fife. As early as 1494 people were distilling on the site the distillery is built, now, some 520~ years later, scotch whisky is being produced there once again. They released their first single malt whisky in 2021, made from Fife grown, malted, distilled and bottled barley.

Lindores Abbey

Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky

Nikka Whisky was founded by "the father of Japanese whisky", Masataka Taketsuru, in 1934. Nikka branded whisky was originally produced at the Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido, until 1969 when a second distillery, the Miyagikyo distillery, was founded. In 2001 the Miyagikyo distillery was extended to cope with rising demand. These days, Nikka whisky includes single malts, from both distilleries, as well as blends of the two.

Nikka


My notes are fairly short - I don't think 30ml is quite enough to yield an informed opinion. But anyway, here's what I thought:

### Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky

First up in the August tasting session was Nikka Coffey (not to be confused with coffee - very different things!) malt whisky. Even though Nikka Coffey malt whisky is made from 100% malted barley, technically it can't be called a single malt whisky, due to not being distilled using a pot still.

**Nose:** Crème brûlée and vanilla pods. Stracciatella ice cream. There's light lemon zest, buttery and cinnamon spice. \
**Palate:** Spicy but friendly. Vanilla cream. Charred oak, sweet popcorn and buttery oats. \
**Finish:** Lots of banana bread. The spice lingers. Zesty citrus fruits coat the mouth.

### Glencadam 13 Year Old 2008 Réserve de Sauternes

Next up was a dram from a distillery almost 200 years old, Glencadam. Interestingly, Glencadam's water source runs directly underneath the distillery and turns a waterwheel which powers a lot of the distillery. This dram is non-chill-filtered, has no added colouring and was finished in Sauternes casks for around 2.5 years.

**Nose:** Rich red fruit marmalade and honey.Poached pears and sugared macadamia nuts. A little medicinal. \
**Palate:** Chocolate-covered strawberries. Syrupy sweet. Citrus curds. A little white pepper and baked pineapple. \
**Finish:** Fairly drying but sweet. White pepper spice lingers. Quite a short finish. Very lush and desert-y.

### Lindores Abbey Single Cask

Lindores Abbey was next, with an exclusive bottling for Master of Malt! Only 246 bottles were produced, and the drams sent out to Pour & Sip members were drawn from cask 386. The whisky is a little over 4 years old; the ex Old Forester bourbon casks were filled on the 24th of May 2018 and dumped in June of 2022. The barley used for this dram is from Fife and is fermented for a massive 119 hours! Lindores Abbey uses a twin sister spirit still setup (which essentially means that they have two smaller stills set up to do the job of one big still), which means twice the amount of copper contact time. Interestingly, even though both stills are filled with the same low wines and the cuts are made at the same time, each still apparently adds its own character.

**Nose:** Fresh apples and pears with set honey. Milk bottle sweets and marshmallows. Buttery pastries and a little Liquorice at the back. \
**Palate:** Liquorice and blackjack sweets. Flapjack, sweet vanilla cream, toffee apples, buttered brown toast and baking spices. \
**Finish:** Baking spices linger. Waxy lemon and lime. Very mouth-filling but soft, luxurious, summery and fresh.

### Lochlea Our Barley

A brand new whisky was next - the first core release from Lochlea, a new distillery in the Scottish Lowlands managed by ex-Laphroaig manager John Campbell. "Our Barley" was matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and STR casks, and is said to be John Campbell's masterpiece.

**Nose:** Very yeasty, savoury and vegetal. Charred pineapple, sweet nougat and cream soda. Interesting - very different. \
**Palate:** Set honey, toasted nuts and buttered sourdough toast. Peppery but light. \
**Finish:** Drying, savoury and a little spicy. Not very long, but fills the mouth. Warming. White chocolate cream right at the end.

### Smokehead Rum Rebel

The tasting session closed with Rum Rebel from Smokehead - a peated single malt scotch finished in Caribbean rum casks.

**Nose:** Dusty, candied bacon, soft smoke and golden syrup. Coastal. A little furniture polish, wet wood/foresty. Tiki-cocktail fruit. \
**Palate:** Burned brown sugar, black pepper, oak and salted caramel. Raisin sweetness, rich tea biscuits and lots of peat. Good balance of sweet and smoke. \
**Finish:** A long peated finish. The peppery spice remains - it has that sweet but drying rum funk. Oily and coats the mouth.


I've been a Pour & Sip member for a long time; since their second box, I think. I have a heap of tasting cards from previous tasting boxes sitting on my desk, collecting dust. As every tasting passes I think to myself "I really aught to do something with those". Well, this is that something!

Pour & Sip August 2022 review

FEW Rye

Illinois, USA

FEW Spirits are located just outside of Chicago, in Evanston, Illinois. The temperance movement which began in Evanston lead to the introduction of the American Prohibition in 1920. Even after the end of the prohibition, almost a century later, the city still maintained some restrictions regarding the sale of alcohol - something which FEW founder, Paul Hletko, was instrumental in overturning.

FEW Spirits


Let's clear up some potential confusion first - according to European regulation this isn't whiskey. Bottles produced for the US market bear the term "straight rye whiskey", and bottles produced for the European market bear the term "rye spirit drink". Because of this, we can assume that the spirit has been matured for somewhere between 2 and 3 years, hence "not being whiskey". But having said that, does it really matter?

FEW Spirits are a grain-to-glass distillery based just outside of Chicago, in Evanston, Illinois. They were founded in 2011 by master distiller Paul Hletko, in honour of his grandfather who owned a brewery in the Czech Republic. The temperance movement which began in Evanston lead to the introduction of the American Prohibition in 1920. Even after the end of the prohibition, almost a century later, the city still maintained some restrictions regarding the sale of alcohol - something which Paul was instrumental in overturning.

FEW Rye is made from 70% rye, 20% corn and 10% malted barley, which is a somewhat unusual mash bill. It's far more common to see much a higher percentage of rye (circa 95%), or much lower (circa 51%) - probably due to sourcing [MGP Rye](https://www.mgpingredients.com/distilled-spirits/beverage/product/rye) being so common. Interestingly, too, instead of using traditional distillers yeast for the fermentation, FEW chose to use wine yeast for this expression.

Being grain-to-glass is something that FEW are very proud of, and boast on their website; it allows them to control every step of the process, such as the above. Paul describes their spirit as "liquid art", which is quite the claim! Let's see what the fuss is about.

### Nose

White pepper and oak, leading into sweet maraschino cherries. Cinnamon and poached pears. Buttery. Some red berry sweetness, and a little mint chocolate.

### Palate

Malty hot chocolate and vanilla cream. Toffee and brown sugar, followed by lots of dark fruit. Orange zest and white pepper in tow. There's a fair amount of baking spices too. A surprising amount of sweetness on the palate, more so than the nose would suggest. Similarly, less spicy that you might expect for rye.

### Finish

A fairly short, crisp finish, and not much spice. The malty chocolate and oak stick around.

### Overall

There's not much to complain about here! FEW Rye is a very well balanced dram; rye enough to scratch anybody's rye itch, but still sweet, complex and fruity (probably due to the wine yeast). This is a friendly dram, one that I'd choose to introduce somebody to rye. [At ~£65][1] it's probably priced just outside of most peoples daily drinking budget, but I think it's definitely worth the money. Not only is this a great neat pour, but, thanks to it's sweet plate and velvety mouthfeel, it'd make one hell of an Old Fashioned!

[1]: https://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=350712&merchantID=7042&programmeID=24815&mediaID=0&tracking=&afsource=60&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.masterofmalt.com%2fspirit%2ffew-spirits%2ffew-rye-spirit%2f


Winner of Whisky Advocate's award for Craft Whiskey of the Year in 2013 and Double Gold in the Rye Whiskey category at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2020, this bottling from FEW has made quite a name for itself!

FEW Rye spirit review

The Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve

Japan

Founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923, the Suntory Yamazaki whisky distillery is the oldest in Japan. The distillery is situated in the mountainous region of Shimamoto, Osaka and produces roughly 6 million litres per year.

Suntory Yamazaki


The Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve joined it's 12, 18 and 25 year old siblings as part of the distillery's core range of single malts in 2014, replacing the 10 year old bottling. It's unlikely that you'll find many of the older bottles in the UK, given their massive popularity and price tag, unless whisky auctions and trading on the secondary market is your kind of thing.

This bottling is a blend of "young talent" matured in ex-Bordeaux wine casks, ~20 year old whisky matured in ex-sherry casks, and 12+ year old whisky matured in Japanese mizunara oak casks.

### Nose

Strawberries and cream followed by malty chocolate. Very floral. Dense oak and fresh sawdust. A strong nose for 43%, but still friendly. Lots of dark fruit. There's a savoury creaminess, too - like rice pudding with raspberries.

### Palate

Light and delicate. The darker fruits lead the way - plum, cherry and blackcurrant. Peach yoghurt. Fairly oily in the mouth, slightly drying. A little spice, a little wood, a little fruit - like burning an incense stick. A slight coppery "ding" from the younger stuff, but nothing off-putting.

### Finish

Lots of dark fruits, cream and vanilla. Medium-long finish. The subtle pepper lingers.

### Overall

[For circa £60][1], I don't think you can go wrong here - especially with the demand for Japanese whisky and the high prices that come with such. I can't help but wonder though; what would be the result of maturing the "young talent" for longer. Yes, there are all the delicate floral notes I'd expect from the mizunara oak here, and the fruit from the sherry cask, but they're all somewhat shadowed by the drying spice and "alcohol ding" from the younger stuff. Having said that, I don't think that this dram is unbalanced - but there might be potential to make an already good dram even better.

[1]: https://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=350712&merchantID=7042&programmeID=24815&mediaID=0&tracking=&afsource=60&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.masterofmalt.com%2fwhiskies%2fyamazaki%2fthe-yamazaki-single-malt-whisky-distillers-reserve-whisky%2f


To the average whisky drinker, Yamazaki whisky might be an unfamiliar sight. Although that isn't through any fault of the distillery, and it's certainly not a reflection on the quality of the whisky, in fact, it's quite the opposite!

The Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve review

Lagavulin 2005 Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

Islay, Scotland

Said to be one of Islay's oldest whisky distilleries, dating back to 1816, Lagavulin is known for its peated single malt whisky - particularly its 16-year-old spirit, which has won many gold and double gold awards at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Lagavulin


The 2005 Distillers Edition is twice-matured; once in ex bourbon casks and then again in ex Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.

### Nose

A big savoury nose. Lots of sea salt and seaweed, followed by robust warming spices. The fruit from the sherry cask adds a sweet and softening quality to and otherwise bold dram. There's a waxy leather note, and drying raisin bitterness. All this amongst the very typical earthy smoke and vegetal Islay nose.

### Palate

Delicate, smokey, crisp, and spicy; not a combination of notes I'd usually expect to use when tasting an Islay dram! Lots of smoke, dark chocolate, and salty sea air. The smoke on the palate isn't as intense as the nose would suggest - it's light, like the smoke in the air on bonfire night. There's a little lemon zest towards the end. The oily and sticky texture from the Pedro Ximénez sherry stands out.

### Finish

A long smokey finish. Vegetal and earthy. Whilst the slightly peppery finish fills the mouth, the delicate fruit and sticky sherry notes linger. This is a dram you'll taste on your breath for a while after it's gone!

### Overall

There's not much else to say here, other than this is a great dram. I really enjoy the strong Pedro Ximénez notes I find in this bottling; I think they complement Lagavulin's soft smoke and delicate savoury notes well. My only real criticism is that the proof is low. Low for a special edition, anyway. [For only circa ~£10 above the price of the standard 16-year][1] the 2005 Distillers Edition is good value, too.

[1]: https://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=350712&merchantID=7042&programmeID=24815&mediaID=0&tracking=&afsource=60&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.masterofmalt.com%2fwhiskies%2flagavulin%2flagavulin-2005-bottled-2020-pedro-ximenez-cask-finish-distillers-edition-whisky%2f


Each year Diageo releases a limited run of Lagavulin Distillers Edition bottlings. Usually, Lagavulin uses their standard 16-year whisky as the base and finishes it in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, however, this release uses a 15-year-old whisky as the base. Lagavulin says that these casks were selected to honour the flavour profile of that distilling year - meaning this expression isn't just Lagavulin 16 all dressed up.

Mash Whisky

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