Glen Elgin 10yr - Waxhouse Whisky

54.2% ABV, Ex-Bourbon Hogshead, specially bottled by Waxhouse Whisky

St Albans…

Home of Iron Age artifacts, Roman history, Anglo-Saxon pub brawls, and Waxhouse Whisky.

I can’t say I know too much about the first three things here, but I can say something about Waxhouse Whisky.

Created by three dodgy fellas from modern-day St Albans (let’s disguise their identities and call them Jamie, Paul and Dan), their mission was to set up an indie bottling company and to be able to bottle and release casks of whisky that were personal to them, that didn't follow templated convention, but still trying to tick all the boxes for the consumer. And they’ve done a pretty good job.

This particular bottle is their 5th release and is a Glen Elgin. Drawn from a single ex-Bourbon cask, it’s super-clean and vibrant.

Appearance: Sparkling straw. Thin, fast & oily legs.

Nose: Bags of baked fruit. Freshly baked apple pastries and spiced-infused custard. It’s all held together with a fresh & clean sweetness.

Palate: A zing of sweetness that's followed by some drying tannins. Nuts and some green banana appear on the sidelines with a wisp of salted butter. There’s a warming pepper crackle that moves to a slightly dry-sweet-dry profile towards the end.

Finish: Long with fresh sweetness and vanilla. A warming pepper-studding on the tongue & roof of the mouth stays before fading out.

Water adds… green banana skins on the nose with more of a honey note on the palate with increased nuts and dryness.

Conclusion: Super-quaffable and easily a solid session whisky that can be passed around and drained to the last drop. It’s also a fun whisky because it takes water really well, but is equally lovely neat. So go and experiment…

Well done to the Waxhouse chaps. Another sterling cask pick! Available for £65 (at the time of writing ), on the Waxhouse website