Impex Beverage Whisky Tasting

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ImpEx Beverage whisky lineup offer samples from all over Scotland and a couple from Ireland. Each one is distinctive, showing that regionality and distillation process are just as important as the ingredients and the cask finish.

Partial lineup of Impex beverages samples in bottles with plated scones.

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ImpEx Beverages Whisky Tasting

Impex Beverage Whisky Tasting

Kilchoman Machir Bay

Exclusive Malts Islay ’07 8yr [Batch#10]

Tipperary Watershed

Tipperary Knockmealdowns 10yr

Exclusive Malts Glentauchers ’08 8yr [Batch#11]

Exclusive Malts Glen Elgin ’95 21yr

Exclusive Malts Glen Garioch ’95 19yr [Batch #9]

Exclusive Malts Ben Nevis ’96 17yr [Batch#9]

Final thoughts

More scotch tasting notes by region

[Note: This post is sponsored by ImpEx Beverages.]

I’ve been talking to a lot of people who have been very generous with their advice.

One in particular is Joshua Hatton of Single Cask Nation and the One Nation Under Whisky podcast. I’ve spoken about Joshua before, but I wanted to highlight his help, patiently answering my questions and helping me make a connection. You see, Joshua also is the Regional Sales Executive for ImpEx Beverages, the importer of Kilchoman and Tamdhu scotch, Tipperary Irish Whiskey, and their Exclusive Malts lineup.

Joshua encouraged me to contact ImpEx and ask for samples to review for Scotch & Scones. Not being shy about approaching (my family would say accosting) strangers, I did.

Next thing I know I’m getting an email from Sam Filmus, president of ImpEx, asking what I’d like to sample! Wow! I then had a wonderful email exchange with Vlad Metrik, Marketing Manager for JVS Imports (which Sam also founded) finalizing the shipment and my thanking him (but more about that later).

ImpEx Beverages Whisky Tasting

I had a previous post about the Chieftain’s tasting that spanned Scotland, and this tasting also reminded me that a lineup doesn’t have to focus on one region, especially if you’re tasting expressions from independent bottlings.

The Impex sample lineup comes from distillers all over Scotland, and 2 are from Ireland.

Full lineup of Impex beverages samples in bottles with plated scones.

Impex Beverage Whisky Tasting

At home, July 25, 2017

Kilchoman Machir Bay

46%ABV

Nose: Soft cooked fruits with strong peaty aromas.

Palate: Soft mixed fruits and vanilla with an intense sweetness.

Finish: A Classic islay malt now showing the benefit of additional ageing. A long lingering finish.

Type: Scottish

Keywords: Bourbon Cask Finish, Islay, Oloroso Cask Finish, Peated, Scotch, Single Malt, Whisky

Tasting Notes

Nose: Sniffing campfire that’s been out a few hours, musty, old Colonial house
Taste: Very soft, peat not predominate (more on the nose), leather bound books
Finish: Struck match flavor lives long
Comments: Wow, that’s good! Peat is present but syncs with the greater presence of flavors. This is a scotch I'd definitely buy; with water, a nose full of ash, peat devolves into mushrooms, and fades to black. Excellent!

Exclusive Malts Islay ’07 8yr [Batch#10]

57.1%ABV

This cask of Islay Malt Whisky was distilled on the South shore, otherwise known as the Kildalton side of Islay. The Isle of Islay is home to many great and fantastic whiskies and this one is as luxurious as any of the others. At cask strength, this whisky will tame most malt whisky fanatics, but a drop or two of water will show some real inner-beauty. Cask type: refill American barrel

Type: Scottish

Keywords: Bourbon Cask Finish, Cask Strength, Islay, Peated, Scotch, Single Malt, Whisky

Tasting Notes

Nose: cooked fruit, wood
Taste: oily, chewy, pepper rises fast, but initially a hit of prunes
Finish: no peat really present, just hints of leather and plums
Comments: this has complexity and really surprises for an Islay; with water, the peat shows up (some deep smoke tones), the pepper is suppressed, burnt toast quality shows up; the smoke lingers

Tipperary Watershed

47%ABV

The nose opens with strong vanilla and sweet fruit notes, followed by hints of grain. Black pepper rises on the palate, overtaken by vanilla fudge and just a trace of raisins. The smooth finish is warm and comforting, honey on hot buttered toast.

Type: Irish

Keywords: Irish Whiskey, Single Malt, Whiskey

Tasting Notes

Nose: honey
Taste: earthy, med body, oily, straw in the sunshine, white chocolate
Finish: cinnamon spice lasts
Comments: very straightforward, light in texture; with water, nose becomes flowery perfume, more hay, butterscotch, taste becomes sharper, flavor almost suppressed, summer sunshine finishes

Tipperary Knockmealdowns 10yr

47%ABV

The nose opens with fresh oak, developing into hot caramel sauce with notes of chocolate and vanilla. The palate is smooth and light, sweet honey cut through with citrus notes, then becoming savoury, peppery and round in the mouth. The finish lingers, oak with drying tannins and just a touch of ginger spice.

Type: Irish

Keywords: Irish Whiskey, Single Malt, Whiskey

Tasting Notes

Nose: flowers immediate (soft peach), then hay
Taste: pepper rises really fast, hops-like bitterness gives a tang to it, softer body
Finish: bitterness, almost astringent, releases slowly
Comments: I like this one a lot…more complex, lots of character for an Irish whiskey; with water, the nose gets very fragrant with flowers & vanilla, the taste really shines with vanilla fudge, finishes with a straw note, much sweeter

Exclusive Malts Glentauchers ’08 8yr [Batch#11]

57.9%ABV

Hard to pronounce and hard to find, Glentauchers (try Glen-TOCK-ers) whisky is almost entirely used for blending being owned by one of the world’s largest distilling groups. This whisky has spent eight years in European oak previously used for the maturation of Sherry from Jerez, Spain. Expect rich fruitcake and chocolate in this mighty dram. Cask type: First Fill Ex-Sherry Butt

Type: Scottish

Keywords: Scotch, Sherry Cask Finish, Single Malt, Speyside, Whisky

Tasting Notes

Nose: cooked fruit, plums, vanilla sneaks in
Taste: spiced plums, white pepper, soft chocolate
Finish: fruit takes hold, pepper stays a while
Comments: a fruity delight; with water, the milk chocolate and fruit has a candy like quality. Lots of flavor and quite approachable

Exclusive Malts Glen Elgin ’95 21yr

50.1%ABV

Glen Elgin is situated a few miles south of the town of the same name. The whisky from the distillery is almost exclusively used for blending, but occasionally the odd cask surfaces and like this one aged for over 20 years, demonstrates why it is so highly sought after by blenders. Being a typical Speyside whisky, this whisky is full of fruits with light spice. Cask type: Refill Hogshead

Type: Scottish

Keywords: Scotch, Single Malt, Speyside, Whisky

Tasting Notes

Nose: grass, hay, sunshine, white chocolate
Taste: pears and sweet light vanilla, subtle oak, soft and light
Finish: fruit lingers pleasantly, sweetness
Comments: Wow! This dram is so soft and tasty, no water needed, I'd want this bottle in my house.

Exclusive Malts Glen Garioch ’95 19yr [Batch #9]

56%ABV

The closest distillery to the ancient city of Aberdeen is Glen Garioch distillery (pronounced ‘Gearie’). This small Highland malt whisky was often overlooked in the past couple of decades as more attention was given to its sister distilleries in Glasgow and on Islay. This meant there were few offerings from this exceptional distillery. Thankfully this is changing as more and more attention are given to malts. This cask had previously held Rum from Guyana which has imparted a sweet and fruity character to the spirit.

Type: Scottish

Keywords: Highland, Rum Cask Finish, Scotch, Single Malt, Whisky

Tasting Notes

Nose: smoke at first, then honey and apricots
Taste: smoke: oily, hard pepper
Finish: burn continues pleasantly, slight anise
Comments: the soft peatiness gives away what's to come, doesn't surprise, but does satisfy; with water, there’s piney sweet flowers and honey on the nose, and for the taste the ashy campfire dominates, ash & peat lasts

Exclusive Malts Ben Nevis ’96 17yr [Batch#9]

51.2%ABV

Ben Nevis Distillery, situated at the foot of, and named after, the highest mountain in Scotland, is a rather unique Highland Scotch Whisky. Brimming with thick malt and dense fruit flavours, it has long been sought after by blenders as their backbone for a high-class Scotch Whisky. This refill ex-Sherry butt has been maturing next to the distillery, untouched since 1996 and is a classy example of what this distillery can offer.

Type: Scottish

Keywords: Highland, Scotch, Sherry Cask Finish, Single Malt, Whisky

Tasting Notes

Nose: raisins to start, some vanilla
Taste: hit with spice, then softens into cinnamon, a bit of menthol, hint of plums
Finish: a woody spice lingers, the burn stays at the back of the throat
Comments: has a character that's intriguing, the sherry presence is mainly in the nose, subtler in the taste; with water, alcohol prickle is suppressed so a stronger woodland presence rises, slightly evergreen, the last taste is of grassy hillsides

4 impex beverages samples in small bottles — Just some of the wonderful samples from ImpEx

Final thoughts

So many wonderful drams! Each one is so distinctive, and really shows that regionality and distillation process are just as important as the ingredients and the cask finish. That fact is why I truly like scotch, each expressive is its own experience.

As I was thanking Vlad for his help, he mentioned that if they were ever out in Boston, maybe they could sample some scones (well, this blog is Scotch & Scones after all!). Of course I offered to ship scones to his office. When Vlad accepted the offer, he cheekily asked that I write “tasting notes” for them, so I did! You will be able to read my (and his) tasting notes for Chocolate Chunk Cream Scones on the ImpEx website.

And you’ll certainly be able to tell that Vlad is very good at marketing judging by the poetic descriptions in his review.

Many thanks to Sam Filmus and Vlad Metrik. I hope you enjoyed the scones). And to Joshua Hatton, I'll bake for you anytime!