Whisky Review: Royal Salute, Inchdairnie, Bushmills And More

Aug 12, 2023

This month's batch of reviews feature aged releases from Bushmills, a $25,000 coronation release from Royal Salute, and a special new Scottish rye as well amongst other fare.

Whisky for royalty - Royal Salute's coronation edition

Here's my usual disclaimer. These reviews reflect my personal views on the whisky and that these are not requested nor considered official by Forbes in any way. Often, but not always, I’ll be sent a sample or have a chance to try it at a tasting, but opinions are always my own.

A quick note about my (loosely applied) criteria. In choosing whiskies to review, I don't have much of a requirement beyond the fact that the whisky ideally should have been released within the last few months, and that the bottles are available to buy for the general public, preferably to a global market. Also keep in mind the prices I include here may also not be the same in other places you might find the bottle.

I’ll also include some links at the bottom of this article to my past review roundups as well.

Here's a guide to my scoring system. I grade whiskies out of 10 to the nearest half-point:

0-4 – Avoid this bottle

5/5.5 – Barely passable

6/6.5 – Decent enough, not really for me, but you might like it

7/7.5 – Good

8/8.5 – Extremely good

9-10 – Absolutely superb

The whiskies are listed in alphabetical order:

Description: One of two whiskies released to celebrate Bushmills 415th anniversary, whiskey aged in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks was then given further maturation in ex-ruby port for 21 years.

Nose: Creamy and fruity. Grapes, plums and strawberries are backed up by sweet notes including gorse, coconut and vanilla, while nutty hints of roasted peanuts add another layer of complexity.

Taste: Scottish cranachan in a glass, with added alcohol. Oats, raspberries and cream. The nuttiness on the nose features more heavily in the excellent finish, a combination of marzipan and brazil nuts. A soft oaky rumble gives additional background darkness to the overall profile.

Overall: Classy. 8

Description: The elder of this new pair released to mark Bushmill's incredible longevity. The whiskey here was matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso casks, but then was moved into Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry for 16 years. Titling it a ‘finish’ may be slightly misleading, but ‘secondary maturation’ doesn't sound as marketable...

Nose: It's rich, dark and dry, without too many of the sweeter sugary things sometimes found in PX casks. Dates, cherries and watermelon form a fruity core, but are under assault by cardamom, dark chocolate, and balsamic vinegar. Hints of sage, coffee, and oak widen the spectrum of aromas on display.

Taste: More gooey and fluffy on the palate than hinted on the nose, but retains all the depth and darkness. Raisins, fig newtons, and gardening soil are balanced with creme brûlée. The finish is superb, rosemary surfing on an oak board in neverending waves.

Overall: Up there with the best Irish whiskey I’ve tried. 9

Description: I had the chance to visit Inchdairnie years ago, not too long after they started production in 2015, and was deeply impressed by the team and the facility. Now we get to try what they’ve been working on. Made using a custom Lomond still, the label says ‘single grain’ but it's really a rye whisky with a mash bill of 53% rye and 47% malted barley.

Nose: This has all the hallmarks typical of great ryes - woodiness, winter spices, caramel - and adds extra velvety aromas. Marshmallows, Japanese green tea, rice Krispy treats, gorse, vanilla and condensed milk all have a say here.

Taste: Delightfully creamy, spicy and fruity. Coconut milk, creme brûlée, and bananas complement the goopier rye elements. There's also something heartier here, a little like a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast that hits the spot.

Overall: This is one of the first of a new wave of Scottish ryes that will be coming through in the next few years. It happens to also be superb. 8.5

Description: A creation from the Loch Lomond Group, the Noble Rebel brand consists of different blended malts created by LLGs excellent master blender Michael Henry. The Hazelnut Harmony aims to showcase the nutty aromas and flavors often found in American oak.

Nose: The initial hit of aromas reminds me more of a fresh lemon sugar crepe than nuts, but the hazelnuts definitely do eventually come through as well as milk chocolate, pears and croissants.

Taste: It's a pleasantly viscous mouthfeel that welcomes a panoply of chocolate candy bars - Snickers, Bounty, Butterfingers, and Terry's Chocolate Orange. A little bit of mint adds a fresher note while bananas and pineapples provide fruity support.

Overall: Given the stock that the Loch Lomond Group has to work with, it makes sense that tasty blends can be created from it. 8

Description: This is a blend that aims to capture the typical orchard fruit aromas and flavors (mainly apples and pears) that often form the base very typical of many Scotch whiskies. The whiskies used in this blend were also made using the same yeast - a variety normally found in white wine production.

Nose: Apples and pears are indeed leading the way here, backed up by canned corn, malt, some butter and just a little touch of parma ham representing an umami tang.

Taste: The ‘Scotch’ brief has been nailed. The apples and pears form the core of the flavors here, but there's space for other elements including teriyaki sauce, elderflower, and lemon lozenges.

Overall: I love Scotch. Scotchy scotch scotch. 7.5

Description: This is the peated entry in Noble Rebel's first batch of whiskies, featuring malts finished in ex-Rioja wine casks.

Nose: Smoky and marine notes combine well. Bacon, smoked salmon, caramelized onions, coconut, and limes are put over a healthy wood bonfire. However, there's also an unpleasant rawness, part mosquito repellent and part rubber.

Taste: That rubbery raw note sticks around unfortunately and it's a shame, as there's lots to enjoy. The peaty finish is part bonfire, part smoked salmon, while the palate provides green tea, figs, strawberries, tamarind, ginger and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Overall: That ugly note on the nose and palate spoils the party for me. 5.5

Description: This budget-friendly blended whisky was developed by whisky company Adelphi, its distillery Ardnamurchan and widely-respected whisky writer Charlie Maclean. The blend itself consists of 70% malt whisky.

Nose: Odd but enticing. The tropical aromas include papaya, guava and mango, but there's also nutmeg, cooked peas, apples and strawberries. However, buttery scrambled eggs, and a healthy dose of chlorine and pottery clay lurk in the background.

Taste: The wax and clay is much more robust now and form the anchor from which root beer and orange marmalade notes establish a dry sweet front before a liquorice assault. Strawberries and lemons float above the resulting conflict.

Overall: This one took me by surprise. This whisky is incredible quality for the price, but may not be to everyone's taste. 8.5

Description: The Royal Salute brand was first created in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II, and 70 years later it has released this limited edition decanter blended together from 53 different whiskies before a final maturation of two years in first fill ex-oloroso sherry casks to mark King Charles’ coronation.

Nose: Tannins and custard. The nose is wonderfully layered, starting with oak and woody tones working their way up to dark spices (cloves), aromatic spices (cinnamon), strawberries, burned butter, vanilla custard, cinnamon buns, and citrus.

Taste: All the winter spices emerge, and sprinkled on baked apples. Grapefruit and papaya add additional ripeness, but the finish also stands out - an irresistible combination of saffron and raspberry tea.

Overall: Regal and very tasty indeed, but if you’re charging this kind of price it better be fit for royalty. 9

Description: Two different whisky styles have been married together here. Some peated malt matured in virgin american oak casks were then finished in Bordeaux red wine, while some triple distilled malt whisky initially spent some time in ex-bourbon and was finished in ruby port. The two were then mixed together for a total of 1925 bottles.

Nose: Rich and fruity. A fruit salad parade, apples, blueberries, and grapes, is widened by a softer mineral note and a sprinkling of demerara sugar, adding more depth and an implication of incoming sweet flavors. The malty and banana notes hint at the relative youth of the whisky, but it's not a bad thing.

Taste: The fruit continues to dominate. Papayas, mangos, baked apples and ripe melon are balanced out by a slight dryness that coats the palate in a nice way. The peated elements of the whisky are very light, only a little pipe tobacco smoke wafts through.

Overall: A powerful fruit punch at a house party has shape-shifted into a whisky. 8

Description: The third release from this series of venerable Tobermories is finished in oloroso sherry casks.

Nose: Marine freshness. Nori seaweed, cucumber and celery provide greener tones and are balanced by peanut butter and cooked beets. Apricots and rosemary also emerge to provide fruity and herbal goodness.

Taste: A perfect dram to drink on a beach. There's a fascinating mineral dryness accompanying plenty of sea salt. Fresh oysters and black pepper are also given a slight chimichurri sauce kick.

Overall: It's hard to find shelter from this salty mineral storm in a glass. 9

Past reviews: April 2023, March 2023, February 2023