Three Blind Openings | 48.5% ABV

Whisky’s Scratchcard

There’s no doubt there’s a frisson of excitement involved around these bottles - the equivalent of a whisky scratchcard.

This is one of those ideas that, on the face of it, seems like really good fun. Something to inject a little excitement and unpredictability into things. I don’t actually have any on hand myself, as of yet, but I do intend to head into Glasgow’s Good Spirits Co. when they finally drop (today).

At £65 a bottle, I might grab two… you know, increasing my ‘odds’ a little. But, odds of what - exactly? Is there jeopardy here?

With a scratchcard, there’s a very real risk you get - nothing. In this scenario, you’re guaranteed a bottle of malt with the minimum assurances of all natural, 48.5% and selected and bottled by the whisky cool cats of Dornoch.

Basically, you are offered a Thompson Brothers bottling of malt for £65 bottled at 48.5% ABV. You have no idea what it is, so you might imagine you’re buying a “hidden malt’ and trusting the Dynamic Duo that they’ve bottled good stuff throughout the entire outturn of possibilities.

Looking through the list of potential, it’s hard to see where anyone might feel cheated, especially when the bottle with the best odds is a 16yo Aultmore.

Actually, as I look down the list, it’s hard to see where they’re making a lot of profit here. I think the focus must surely be on fun, but - especially during these days of whisky doom and gloom - it’s also easy to see where this idea could actually ‘help out’ in a lot of gamified, but also quite practical, ways.

Firstly, for the distilleries involved; it forces some fun exploration that might upturn a surprise or two; like a gifted shirt you’d never have bought for yourself, but you actually come to quite like. There’s a decent salvo of places where this will likely be the first someone has bought and owned an example of it. We are, after all, often creatures of habit: bias, deep-seated preference and subliminal loyalties. So for distillers it’s potentially good for exposure: ours and theirs.

Then there’s the retailers. With an opaque black glass bottle adorned with a Riddler-esque question mark it’ll stand out on any shelf, a brilliant discussion piece and a fun idea to introduce a little serendipity into anyone’s whisky excursion, even when they’re buying a gift.

Then, for those of us - like me - who love to have bias and preconceptions stripped away, there’s a genuine opportunity for us to try the thing fully blind, from the neck-pour and down as far as we can hold our curiosity at bay. I suspect I wouldn’t reach the shoulder before having a peek, but with the list of 16 possible entities in front of me I think I’d have bloody good fun trying to guess which I’ve bought first.

However, I can already imagine the reactions and comments to this - as a concept there is an element of Marmite about it. You only need to go and read our news story on this release to see the comments section share a mix of feelings and, while they may change over time, you can see for a lot of whisky mindsets this won’t have much interest. There’s also a risk of transient interest, one, or two, and done.

But that’s everything in whisky is it not? And that’s okay. It’s always optional. No need to call in the fun police.

I will attempt a prediction; while it’s hard to say for sure, there’s a chance this entire outturn will disappear very quickly anyway. It has already generated a buzz and our news story was - by a long, long way - our most read news article ever. It was an exclusive, but still - a news story making it into our Top 10 of reads for any week bodes well.

Here’s where they’re distributed for this first tranche of bottles, but they’re already ramping up for a wider, international outturn for the second batch. If you’re up for a wee intro video from Phil opening one of his own you can see that here.

We’ve also included a breakdown of the outturn in full, with cask types.

Bottles go live today, Monday 12th May.

Anyway, Phil and Simon followed up their news release with an offer of a bottle to the first three Dramface writers who fancied a go. Ramsay, Innes and Hamish stepped up. As always it was brokered through me and sent to them anonymously. Three very different voices and all with no skin in the game whatsoever, reviewing whatever they opened.

I’ll toddle in and try to pick up my own and I may share my spoils and thoughts in the comments. I hope if you’ve done the same you will too.

But what I’m really interested in is - did we enjoy them and, specifically, would we go out and buy another?

Let’s ask our team…

Review 1/3 - Ramsay

Lochlea 4yo, refill bourbon, 48.5% ABV
£65 and available from May 12th

When I first saw this release was coming I thought it was an excellent idea. Scanning the list of bottles I could see there were some that would be an absolute steal for the price.

There were also one or two that might trigger a tinge of disappointment. For example, if I wanted a young Lochlea, Nc’nean or Glen Wyvis I could go out and buy them at not too dissimilar ABV’s and for less money from their official bottlings, and they do represent a fraction over 30% of the outturn.

Thompson Brothers kindly offered a few bottles to Dramface for review and I was very grateful to receive one. Excitement got the better of me and not realising our Wally had an idea for us to video the opening of the bottles, I took a few photos and - like a kid at Christmas - tore off the seal to see which mystery bottle I had received.

In hindsight I think it would have been worthwhile to avert my gaze and pour the whisky blind to remove any preconceptions I might have had, which is an idea for any of you investing in a bottle of this.

I would be lying if I said the initial reaction wasn’t of slight disappointment. Hey, what right do I have to feel that way when I haven’t parted with any money for this? However, just like anybody who pays £65 to own a bottle and tears the foil with huge anticipation, when you see the list of possibilities it is only natural to want to hit the jackpot and land one of the older age statement malts on the list.

What I would say is there are two things I do know from experience. One is that big age statements do not guarantee quality and the second is that the Thompson Brothers don’t tend to bottle bad whisky.

Score: 7/10

**Very Good Indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Best Lochlea I’ve had to date*

Nose

Very bright and fruity. Apples are the primary fruit, but alongside that I am getting pineapple cubes and sour grapefruit. Yeasty, doughy aromas betray its youth, with porridge, light caramel and vanilla also coming through.

Palate

The palate continues the bright, fruity, sweet and sour profile we had on the nose and it’s the juicy apple, pineapple and sour grapefruit again, with the latter kicking in a touch later than the sweeter notes. Creamy vanilla and stem ginger syrup comes next with the sour grapefruit intensifying on the mid palate, where it is joined by a sourer apple note, gentle oak and a hint of aniseed and fresh mint. It’s rather drying and encourages another sip, which I am more than happy to take.

The Dregs

Any disappointment in discovering the mystery bottle was a four year old Lochlea was soon banished once a glass was poured and I put my nose in for the first time. This is bright, vibrant, spirit-driven whisky which is bursting with fruit and has a lovely balance of the sweet and sour sensations. Barely any colour has been given to the liquid from the casks, which although I haven’t seen the cask make-up of this, is clearly ex-bourbon, whether that be first-fill or refill. From around half a dozen Lochlea’s I have tried to date, this is easily my favourite.

I’m very tempted to go out and buy another bottle and see what I receive next. I will be a little apprehensive about getting the same bottle again, but at least I will know it will be a whisky I will enjoy and I do like a bit of a gamble.

Score: 7/10 RT

Review 2/3 - Innes

Bunnahabhain 11yo, peated (Staoisha), refill hogshead, 48.5% ABV
£65 and available from May 12th

When I first heard about this concept, I will admit to being highly sceptical. It felt a little bit too much like a lottery system. My general philosophy on lottery systems is that if you can afford the full price item, the odds are always in your favour to simply purchase the thing that you know that you want.

However, when I received this bottle, something special happened. I was brimming with curiosity, and could not wait to open the bottle and see what I had.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*A sweet, medicinal bonfire*

Nose

Beachside campfire, barbecue sirloin tips, and Biltong. Quite medicinal, with iodine in the forefront and vanilla. Halfway between farmy and seaweed notes. More reminiscent of Bruichladdich for me personally even if there are obvious peat notes here. Right off the bat I can tell this is no ordinary Bunnahabhain.

Palate

Extremely medicinal, more iodine notes, and now we are more towards Laphroaig.

A nice sweetness accompanies the medicinal, farmy, and smoky notes. When I first tasted this I thought there was Sherry Cask-y influence, and although on the second tasting it’s clear that there isn’t any, the sweetness persists.

It’s quite drinkable at ‘full’ proof. And when I say full proof, I mean, this is a reduced proof but for me personally I love this ABV. Because you can enjoy it, as is, without overthinking it, and it’s also high enough that you could water it a bit, or throw an ice cube in and not worry.

Barrel char, classic vanilla, more of that farmyness—almost butyric acid notes—that I more typically get with Bruichladdich. Decent spice throughout, and good viscosity. Sweet and spicy oscillation through the finish.

The Dregs

I have to be honest here in saying that my first tasting of this was wildly different from my second tasting of it.

In terms of specific flavours that I am able to pull out, with the exception of the medicinal iodine notes. what we have here is a dram that is not rough, but brash. Tamed brashness, I suppose.

It’s interesting enough to be appealing to a connoisseur in the context of an everyday peated drinker. There’s no question in my mind that this is the peated varietal of Bunnahabhain (Staoisha, the peated variant for IBs), and there is a nice persistent sweetness that makes it easy to come back for another dram. Again, I wouldn’t call it entirely brash, even if the sweetness mellows it, and the lower than cask strength ABV makes it approachable, but perhaps the best label for this is “advanced drinker.”

In other words, something interesting enough that it appeals to the connoisseur—not necessarily a contemplative dram, but it’s unquestionably good. And I’m not a peat head. It’s an easy 6, though I’ve been tempted to reach 7/10, given how likely I am to reach for yet another.

Confession time: I have a lot of Whisky at home.

So much so, that when I receive a bottle in the mail, nine times out of ten, it goes into the cabinet for future consumption. In this instance, curiosity demanded that I open the bottle right away, and I must admit to have shared this unusual moment of excitement amongst other Dramface writers. I would never have purchased a Bunnahabhain 11-year-old malt.

Partly because I’m in a very picky phase of my purchasing, and partly because it just wouldn’t have otherwise stood out. Not the least because the OB Bunnahabhain 12-year-old is quite good and extremely reasonably priced. So perhaps it’s a reminder to step outside of our comfort zone, outside of what we know what we want.

Now, before I go pushing for a mystery concept, I will admit that my original logic is still true. If you know you want one of the items on this list from Thompson Brothers, you should absolutely go and buy it. Even an auction.

However, if you’re looking for something new, or something different, or you’re just not sure, I have had enough Thompson Brothers bottlings to know that you are in good hands by letting them choose for you.

Though, it never hurts to double check the odds of getting something you know you don’t want. In my case, it did get me thinking… Should I try another one?

Score: 6/10 IG

Review 3/3 - Hamish

Teaninich 17yo, oloroso hogshead finish (5 years), 48.5% ABV
£65 and available from May 12th

Huge thanks to the folks over at Thompson Brothers for sending some of their Mystery Malt bottles over to Dramface HQ. I was super excited to experience this and had no idea what was in store. If I’m honest, I had my eyes set on my personal favourite Ardmore, but I had faith that any release from the guys at Dornoch would be a belter.

I went in blind. So, before reviewing, all I knew was that inside this black glass bottle there was a single malt scotch.

Let's see what's in store.

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*Balance, weight and delicious fruit sweetness throughout. Wonderful*

Nose

It's sweet, fresh and spiced. Slightly sherried, with raisins and nutmeg. Quite chalky on the initial sniff too. Plenty of plums, peaches and a little bit like cashew nuts too. Blast of lemon curd and some soft toffee confectionery too. The sweetness here is fruity, both whole fruits and artificial strawberry sweetness; think of strawberry laces or gummy sweets. More spices poke through with cinnamon, more wooden spice and waves of treacle mixed in. More orchard fruits with pears and gala apples.

Palate

The initial sip has that fruitiness from the nose with a prickle of spice. It's well rounded and a little creamy. Such a lovely weighted and oily mouthfeel. It begins to build with tinned fruit salad in a sugar syrup. Plenty of melon, pineapple and honey here. Some malt develops with raw oats, then comes the green apples, honeycomb and cinnamon sweets.

Such a nice balance of spice and orchard fruits here. They complement each other very, very well. A long finish which just adds to the overall enjoyment and beautiful whisky here. This eases off slowly, with more honey coming as the spice fades and is paired magically with a surprise final note of fresh strawberries.

The Dregs

When news broke about this range and release from Thompson Brothers, I thought it was such a great idea. At £65 per bottle, and a varied range in which your bottle could be, to me, this was worth the risk and sounded like a load of fun. Be it one of the younger bottles or older, I've always enjoyed any Thompson Brother releases so my faith is in them to deliver a banger no matter what this mystery bottle held.

The bottle is pure black glass. Not even shining a light through can indicate what level is left in the bottle. Not much on the bottle either to give you a clue or inkling of what's in store. This is whisky fun. Whisky mystery forces us to put aside preference or bias, open these bottles and just enjoy the liquid for what it is.

I'll be picking up another for myself whenever I can, and 1 more to share with whisky friends as we all guess and wonder what's in store.

The reveal - A 17 Year Old Teaninich. I was delighted.

The whisky was fantastic. It took about 20 minutes for the shyness to disappear and really show itself to what it had in store. From past experiences, I suck at blind tastings and guessing, so felt no pressure to even start wondering what I had in front of me. My initial reflection was, 'I haven't a clue what this is, but I love it!'.

It had no smoke or peat. Super fresh, clean and fruity sweet. Would hazard a guess at this being in some ex-sherry barrels but not a full maturation. Perhaps a finish? The profile was right up my street. Perfectly balanced, well rounded and nothing offensive or profound here on multiple pours. Fruit, spice with a nice weight made this a very enjoyable dram.

I hope this becomes a regular thing with the folks at Dornoch. I had so much fun writing tasting notes for this and getting to know the liquid without any perception of a brand or pressure on history or heritage in front of me.

Score: 8/10 HF

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. WMc

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