A Tussle In The Townhall
The evening opened with a 'Spice Tree Winter Punch' whisky cocktail courtesy of Compass Box-er John Glaser. The action then moved to the ring. With over half a century of whisky knowledge, challenger Richard 'The Nose' Paterson of Whyte & Mackay wants to teach young Sam a hard lesson. Defending champion Sam 'The Doctor' Simmons of The Balvenie is a specialist in noses, broken noses, this Doctor doesn't take appointments, he makes them!
The fighters are ready, the whiskies are ready. Ladies and Gentlemen... It's time to start dramming!
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Simon 'The Reverend' Roser - The ringleader presiding over The Tussle In The Townhall © Colin Hampden-White
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Franchi 'Jawbreaker' Ferla - Keeping the ringside action under control © Colin Hampden-White
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Simply Whisky Fight Night Contender - Whyte & Mackay's Richard 'The Nose' Paterson © Colin Hampden-White
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Simply Whisky Fight Night Contender - Balvenie's Sam 'The Doctor' Simmons © Colin Hampden-White
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Locked in battle in three rounds of heavyweight dramming - Ding Ding! The Fight is ON! © Colin Hampden-White
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Simply Whisky Fight Night Judge - John 'Compass Box-er' Glaser © Colin Hampden-White
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Simply Whisky Fight Night © Colin Hampden-White
The Whisky Contenders - For more information about each whisky click on a bottle below
If you fancy a wee nip o any o these drams you can buy them via our partner website that will sell, package and ship direct to you. Just click the Buy Now button as you scroll through the selection and you will be on your way to a tasty time. Remember, clicking through will not cost you any more, but it will throw a few pennies in the Simply Whisky jar so that we can keep our website up to date for you!
In Round 1 The Balvenie Doublewood came out strong double barrel boxing the robust Dalmore 15 around the antlers, but it was too close to call. Round 2 then saw a head-to-head battle between the six select cask brutality of the Dalmore King Alexander III vs. the Single Barrel simplicity of the Balvenie 15 Year Old. Tense. With the atmosphere in the ring hotting up Round 3 was a masterclass in the use of port pipes as The Balvenie 21Year Old vied for for supremacy over Dalmore's Mackenzie 17 Year Old. Enjoying the great taste of all the drams led John Glaser to declare whisky the winner, but the pernicious audience ringside wanted more. Sensing his opportunity 'The Nose' tricked 'The Doctor' into losing the deciding arm wrestle, gleefully holding the Whisky Fight Night battle belt aloft. This isn't over!
Dae ye ken?
The Balvenie Doublewood goes very nicely with Blue Monday cheese (created by Alex James of Blur)
Cask
Initially American oak bourbon before being finished in European sherry oak casks
Nose
Sweet fruits, Oloroso sherry and vanilla
Taste
Sherried top notes with fruitcake, vanilla crème anglaise, almond nuttiness and spicy oak undertones culminating with spicy honey
Finish
Long and warming
Distillery Info
The distillery still grows its own barley, malts in its own traditional floor maltings, has coopers to tend all the casks and a coppersmith to tend the stills
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Dae ye ken?
It is rumoured that Dalmore master blender Richard 'The Nose' Paterson has insured his incredibly important nose for £1 Million
Cask
Twelve years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, then a three year finish in three different sherry woods - Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem oloroso
Nose
Raisins, mandarin, chocolate and prunes to tantalise
Taste
Clementine, ginger, coffee and christmas cake
Finish
Warm and deep with returning mandarin followed by vanilla, ginger and red apples
Distillery Info
The traditional Dalmore distillery dunnage warehouses, located on the shore of the Cromarty Firth in the Highlands, feature some of the oldest whisky stocks in the world. Being sited at sea level, enveloped by sea air, is of critical importance for the maturation process
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Dae ye ken?
Each bottling forms a limited edition of no more than 350 hand-numbered bottles - so each bottle is unique and unrepeatable
Cask
Drawn from a single traditional American white oak ex-bourbon whisky cask of a single distillation
Nose
Fragrant aroma of vanilla, honeyed sweetness, hints of heather and dry oaky notes
Taste
Rich and complex, suggestive of years of careful ageing, it has a honeyed maltiness with vanilla, oak flavours and delicate spice notes
Finish
Long and complex with a hint of liquorice
Distillery Info
Balvenie pot stills have a ‘ball’ to concentrate and sweeten the flavours….and you can see this shape echoed in the neck of the bottle
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Dae ye ken?
In 1263, an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being gored by a stag whilst out hunting. This whisky was crafted in honour of this brave act
Cask
A unison of six specially selected casks including American white oak ex-bourbon casks, and European Matusalem oloroso sherry wood, Madeira barrels, Marsala casks, port pipes and Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques
Nose
Orange, tangerines, chocolate and plums
Taste
Mixed spices, coffee, christmas cake and citrus fruits all intermingle
Finish
Cranberries, orange, oak, spices and vanilla followed by claret notes in the tail
Distillery Info
Every bottle of single malt whisky produced by the distillery is adorned with a stag's head - a ’12 pointer’ or ’Royal - a right granted by the grateful King, which is intended to symbolise the supremacy of Dalmore
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Perfectly balanced, naturally rich and smooth is the wording on the label; the ideal summary of this striking malt
Dae ye ken?
‘Balvenie’ means ‘Village of Monks’ in Scots gaelic
Cask
American white oak ex-bourbon followed by a marriage in Portuguese port pipes which have previously held fine port wines
Nose
Perfume of fruity and ripe raisin notes, backed by a brazil nutty dryness. A distinct mustiness in the background verifies the age
Taste
Refined with remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes. Deep and complex
Finish
Long, gentle and nutty
Distillery Info
The distillery was built in 1892 around a haunted mansion. Today the distillery is still independent and family owned by William Grant and Sons
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Dae ye ken?
Reportedly a significant proportion of profits from the sale of this whisky go towards the upkeep of Clan Mackenzie's ancestral seat at Castle Leod in Easter Ross, Scotland
Cask
Matured initially in American white oak ex-bourbon for eleven years, then transferred to port pipes from Oporto, Portugal for a further six years
Nose
Notes of plums, citrus fruits and marzipan
Taste
Pears, chocolate and marzipan predominate
Finish
Smooth, lengthy and soft as cranberry, crushed apples and ginger gently interplay
Distillery Info
The Dalmore distillery has been producing single malt whisky since 1839 and, for almost a century, was owned by the Clan Mackenzie
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