Chorlton Whisky

30/04/2024

Spring is here, and so is the new batch of Chorlton bottlings! First up we have a big, peaty and personality-packed 7yo Ardnamurchan, then a darkly fruity 16yo Mannochmore fully matured in first-fill oloroso, and finally a super-elegant, waxy and fruity 16yo Glen Moray.

All available on the site and from the usual retailers now!

31/12/2023

The last light of 2023 is just fading here in Chorlton, and it seems a good moment to thank you all for your support through a (at times) fractious old year. Everyone who has shared a dram, bought a bottle, or just taken an interest in my strange little endeavour is much appreciated.

Wishing you all smooth sailing and calm waters in 2024! Cheers!

14/12/2023

Hello all. Just a quick reminder that the last order date for guaranteed Christmas delivery is next Tuesday, December 19th. Coming up quickly! Orders for collection in Chorlton will carry on up until Xmas Eve.

On that note - I have three people who've placed collection orders that I've not been able to contact. If you're out there Elizabeth G., Tyler L. or Andrew Y. please drop me a line!

05/12/2023

This year's Chorlton Christmas releases have landed!

First up we have an 8yo Glen Ord, fully matured in a first-fill PX cask. This is a nutty, fruity and buttery rich dram, with a surprising smokiness.

Next is a 14yo Bruichladdich from a first-fill bourbon barrel. This is distinctively coastal and mineral, with melon and stone fruits developing in the glass.

Third we have a mystery peated 18yo Highland from a refill barrel. This has a lovely syrupy texture, and a balance of lush fruitiness with savoury smoke.

And last up is a 13yo TDL Trinidad rum. It's an exuberantly fruity and chunky drop, this, with liquorice and herbal oils in the background. It's also very easy to drink neat at 64.2% - be careful!

All four are available on the site now (plus a small restock of Dun Dearg) and from the usual retailers. I hope you find one in your stocking this year!

11/11/2023

This year's Chorlton Christmas outturn is only a week or two away! Included will be this smoky and sherried little number which it's funny to think I'm - temporarily - the only person on the planet to have tried. You'll all be able to wet your beaks, so to speak, soon enough though.

It's a fun selection this year, with (I hope) something for everyone, nothing too expensive, and even a mini restock of Dun Dearg. As always I'd suggest signing up to my mailing list to get first dibs on anything new. Stay tuned!

27/09/2023

There'll be a couple of Chorlton drams in the line-up at this charity event in aid of Eat Well MCR, with food pairings by the excellent Mary-Ellen McTague. Should be a good time, and all for a very worthy cause!

We are very excited to be putting on a special evening of food, music and of course whisky in collaboration with the Whisky Club. ⁣
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Guests will be treated to welcome drinks and canapés, followed by a tasting of 5 whiskies that will be paired with small plates from our very own Mary-Ellen McTague. ⁣
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Live music and the gorgeous surroundings of unique events space The Yard promise to make this a really special evening. With all profits from the ticket sales going to Eat Well MCR, it’s also a great chance to give something back to the local community. ⁣
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🗓️Date: October 14th⁣
🥂 Welcome drinks and canapés from 7:30pm⁣
📍 Venue: The Yard, 11 Bent St, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M8 8NF⁣
🎟️ £65 (18+)

We can’t wait! For tickets and more info
- https://whiskyclubuk.com/all-products-competitions/whisky-club-live-2023/

14/09/2023

I just thought I'd take a moment, while lurking troll-like beneath the bridges, to mention that we're down to the last handful of these lovely Dun Dearg Islay blended malts. It's not a repeatable blend, this, so: last chance!

After this we're on a rapid, albeit slaloming, course towards this year's autumn/winter releases. Some good stuff to come!

23/07/2023

It's not feeling as entirely summery as you might hope in Chorlton right now, but the new summer bottlings are here nethertheless to brighten things up!

Firstly we have Dun Dearg 5yo. This is an Islay blended malt I've put together, with single malts aged between 5 and 15 years from two famous distilleries on Islay's south and east coasts (feel free to drop me a line if you'd like the full details!). This whisky is all about the interplay between rich/peaty and clean/fruity flavours, with a smoky chocolate vibe undercut by citrussy freshness.

Next is a 26yo Glentauchers from a bourbon barrel. Exemplary fruity Speyside spirit, this, with the age and strength feeling just right. Expect to find pink grapefruits, strawberry gummies, yellow flowers, and a lightly herbal and waxy texture.

And last up is a 15yo Lluidas Vale (single cask Jamaican rum from Worthy Park). This is big, characterful rum, with smoky custard, green olives, liquorice, lime, and a really delightful lychee note in the aftertaste. A great place to start if you're a whisky fan looking to explore the rum world.

All are available on the site now (along with a couple of restocks and special offers) and from the usual stockists.

06/05/2023

What's in the glass today Mr Bennett? Well, since you ask, it's just an upcoming peaty little something from Islay that's unique and exclusive to Chorlton Whisky.

You'll be able to fill your own glasses later this year, and the price will be surprisingly reasonable.

28/04/2023

After yesterday's rum we're back on more familiar territory now with three fab new single malts!

First up we have two very different sherry-matured Glentauchers. The first of which is a 14yo from a refill butt, full of panettone, yellow stone fruits, honey and golden sultanas.

The second is an 8yo from a first-fill sherry hogshead. This one is really talkative, with a mixture of chocolatey richness, umami savouriness and jammy red fruits.

And last up is a 14yo Deanston from a bourbon barrel. A great example of this Highland distillate, that balances a feel of being close to the barley with a clean and delicate fruitiness.

Available on the site now, and from all the usual stockists.

27/04/2023

It's time for another Chorlton x collab! This time we've gone a bit off piste with a Brazilian rum from Epris distillery.

This is a cask that we sort of stumbled across and decided we had to have! It has an arrestingly fruity/herbal profile that's quite unusual and also quite delicious. Dead easy drinking but not at all dull! Perfect spring/summer fare.

80% cane juice and 20% molasses, with six years of maturation in amburana wood in Brazil and the remainder in ex-bourbon in Europe.

Available now from Hopscotch and the Chorlton Whisky site at £59.50.

17/03/2023

Fancy trying some coffee that's been aged in an ex-Chorlton Highland Park cask? I think I do!

I'M DISTILL STANDING 🥃⁠
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We've collaborated with Chorlton Whisky to bring you a NCR whisky barrel aged coffee!⁠
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We've aged our El Salvador coffee in a single malt scotch whisky barrel for four weeks, resulting in an explosion of flavours like... well... scotch (obv), Irish Cream and rich, boozy fruitcake.⁠
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We're giving you 10% off I'm Distill Standing for the weekend - just add the code DISTILL10 at checkout.

https://www.neighbourhoodcoffee.co.uk/product/im-distill-standing/

15/02/2023

Hello all.

It's taken a bit longer to get the rugged boulder that is Chorlton Whisky rolling this year than planned, but I just wanted to pop up briefly and assure you there's plenty of good stuff coming soon.

The next two outturns are in the works now, and will include some excellent (and affordable!) sherried drams, plus an exciting joint-bottling with Hopscotch Whisky Bar Liverpool

Do stay tuned!

06/02/2023

I won't be there, but some drams will!

15/12/2022

Hello from a very chilly Chorlton!

I just wanted to quickly mention that Sunday the 18th is the last ordering day for guaranteed Christmas delivery. Orders for Chorlton collection will carry on for the rest of next week though.

The code FESTIVEFIVER is also still active for £5 off a few of the older bottlings still in stock - namely the Tormore 28yo, Tullibardine 29yo and Faemussach 21yo.

Cheers!

06/12/2022

Well, you're officially allowed to start succumbing to festive feelings now as this year's Chorlton Whisky Christmas bottlings are here!

First we have a 19yo Mystery Highland malt from a marsala hogshead, with tons of rich and chewy yuletide flavours, and just a touch of peat smoke.

Next is a 19yo Orkney from a refill hogshead - a beautifully soft and coastal dram, with a super-clean citrussy and herbal development.

Then we have a 12yo Blair Athol from a first-fill bourbon hogshead. A big and nutty whisky, with dried fruits, maple syrup and plum jam.

And finally a 12yo Ardmore from a refill sherry barrique, with loads of peaty Highland character and a great balance of sweet, savoury and smoky flavours.

All available on the site now, and very shortly from the usual stockists. I hope one or two find their way under your tree!

29/11/2022

Hello all.

Just a quick note to say we'll be doing an casual launch for the Christmas bottlings this Saturday at Hopscotch Whisky Bar Liverpool. I'll be there from 3pm, so feel free to stop by to check out the new releases, have a chat and maybe take advantage of the opportunity to snag a bottle before they go on general sale!

Hope to see some of you there.

07/11/2022

Hello. A couple of quick bits of housekeeping for a dreary Monday evening!

Firstly, I know I said there'd be some Autumn releases before the Christmas outturn. Well, the former were running so late that they've run into the latter, so we'll just have one combined batch of four bottlings later this month. I'm very pleased with this little lot, and it's a varied enough bunch that there should be something for everyone.

Secondly, thanks to everyone who came along to the recent tasting in Chorlton. I'd hoped to do another one in the run up to Christmas but unfortunately Henry C can't accommodate us, and I'm struggling to find another venue. We may just need to pick them up again in the new year.

It also turned out that we didn't spend quite enough at the bar to qualify for free use of the room, so in future we'd probably need to add at least £5 to the ticket price to cover that. Does that still sound reasonable? As always I'm just trying to break even on these events.

23/10/2022

Not to get too far ahead of myself (we have a couple of autumn releases to come first) but in this glass is one of this year's Christmas bottlings. It tastes like smoky Xmas cake and boozy cherries, and may just add a festive spark to even the most Bah Humbug of hearts.

Get it on your list to Santa now!

08/09/2022

Hello all. Those of you who started following Chorlton Whisky in the last few years may not know that prior to the pandemic I ran a casual monthly-ish whisky night. The last one was in February 2020 and I remember saying that we'd be pausing them for a few months to let this weird virus situation blow over...

Two and a half years later and it seems like maybe the right time to pick up where we left off. I've found a new venue in Chorlton (conveniently placed for bus and tram, with plenty of food options adjacent), but otherwise the plan is to keep things as before - three random drams from my cupboard to try, some nibbles, tickets priced just to cover costs, and numbers limited to about 20 to keep things manageable. It's really just an excuse to try a few interesting whiskies and have a chat.

If that all sounds okay to any interested parties I'll arrange the first one for around the end of October (which should coincide with the next outturn), and if things go smoothly with the new venue we can look to get it back on a regular schedule.

24/08/2022

Three new late summer drams from Chorlton Whisky for you!

First we have a very old-fashioned feeling sherried Glen Ord with cigar smoke, beeswax and dried figs. Then a really complex and changeable Miltonduff, with some funky and creamy fruits and a slight phenolic edge. And finally a super-clean and precise Dailuaine, with a fat and waxy mouthfeel, lime leaves, flints and toffee.

All available on the site now, and now/shortly from the usual stockists.

04/07/2022

Hello all. I just wanted to break radio silence briefly to reassure you all that I've not fallen down a grate or fled to Micronesia (although, blimey, the thought has occurred). In fact I have three new bottlings underway which should be available later this month, and something resembling a plan for the rest of 2022's releases.

I'll keep you in suspense for a while longer, but will just mention that happily the upcoming bottles are at the reasonable end of the price spectrum, and one is a lovely oloroso cask from a lesser-seen distillery. Hopefully you'll think them worth the wait.

27/05/2022

Three brand new Chorlton Whisky releases to see out May for you!

First we have 21yo Faemussach (peated single malt from a mystery distillery) with a fascinating mix of earthy peat, fruits and dark spices. Next is a super yellow-fruit-juicy and malty-sweet 12yo Teaninich which is just perfect for the season. And lastly a really complex 14yo refill sherry Benrinnes which has red fruits balancing the distillery's meaty character.

Available in limited numbers on my site now, and then from the usual stockists.

23/05/2022

Hello. There'll be three new bottlings available later this week, but I just wanted to mention that I'll be doing a little tasting at Hop/Scotch in Liverpool on the afternoon of June 3rd (bank holiday Friday). The three new ones will be included along with a couple of older releases, and I may even bring a few interesting extras for people who behave themselves appropriately during the event!

The link for tickets is below, and I hope to see you there.

https://www.hopscotchliverpool.com/dram-delivery-service/chorlton-whisky-tasting-friday-3rd-june-bank-holiday-friday-3pm

11/04/2022

A diverse bunch of new spring releases from Chorlton Whisky for you here!

First we have an 11yo Caol Ila with a bit more of a fruity/funky side to it than is typical for the make, then a complex and characterful 29yo Highlander from Tullibardine distillery, and finally a super citrussy and summery 13yo Mannochmore.

There's a small amount available through my site, but otherwise please check the usual stockists.

20/03/2022

A quick note for my friends in the EU!

The long-awaited shipment to the Whiskybase Shop should be happening shortly, so there'll be a chance for you to pick up any of the bottlings from the last year that you might have missed. They'll be getting stock of:

Cataibh 10yo - Benrinnes 23yo - Inchmurrin 24yo - Glen Elgin 12yo - Caol Ila 12yo - Tormore 28yo - Ledaig 12yo - Glentauchers 31yo - Staoisha 8yo - Speyside 13yo - Ben Nevis 10yo - Orkney 22yo

Plus the upcoming outturn's Caol Ila 11yo, Mannochmore 13yo and Tullibardine 29yo.

It'll probably be a few weeks yet for the pallet to clear NL customs and the Whiskybase chaps to photograph and list all the bottles, but it might be worth starting to keep an eye on their site if there's anything you're keen on.

17/02/2022

Two new Chorlton bottlings for February!

First we have a joint release with Hopscotch Whisky Bar Liverpool - a 10yo Ben Nevis, distilled in 1996, bottled in 2007, and rescued from the distillery warehouse 15 years later. This has a lovely citrussy and mineralic profile, with a sprinkle of that 1996 vintage magic. This will be £69.50 and available exclusively from the Chorlton Whisky and Hop/Scotch sites at noon this Saturday. There'll also be some bottles available at the bar that afternoon, and I'll be around from 3 to 6pm if you feel like dropping in for a chat.

And secondly we have a 22yo Orkney - a lovely elegant, herbal and lightly smoky dram from the more famous of the two distilleries in those parts. This will be £135 and go up on my site at noon on Saturday, but also be available from most of the usual stockists.

23/12/2021

I'm just bringing the shutters down for the holiday, so I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year! Thanks so much for your support during the last (very weird) 12 months.

I'll be back with you in early 2022 with (look away now if you don't like spoilers) some old-ish Highland Park, a very interesting Ben Nevis, some sherried Benrinnes and various other delights. See you then!

07/12/2021

A couple of special festive releases from Chorlton Whisky for you!

First we have an 8yo Staoisha (peated Bunnahabhain) matured in a first-fill barrel. This starts with some banana bread and treacle toffee before developing into a classic clean and coastal Islay smoky profile.

And secondly we have a 13yo Speyside single malt (distilled at Glenrothes) matured in a 2nd-fill sherry butt. Neat this has loads of rich nutty and caramelly flavours, and adding water brings out apple pie and citrus fruitiness.

Available in limited numbers on my site, and also (now or very soon) from all the usual stockists.

01/12/2021

My friends at Pomona Island have their (now traditional) ex-Chorlton-cask-aged imperial stouts available again. These three were aged in my old Teaninich, Lochindaal and Ledaig casks and I'm told are the best batch yet!

IT'S TIME
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www.pomonaislandbrew.co.uk/shop