🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Honey, toffee, vanilla, red berries, straightforward

Pump House Number 5 On the docks of Chatham, along the River Medway, the Russell Family – owners of the Copper Rivet Distillery – discovered that the old Victorian Pumphouse No 5, which finally closed its doors in 1984, was for sale. The building had everything they were looking for to house their craft distillery. In 2012 they appointed Abhi Banik as Head Distiller. Banik – who I met at the Maltclan Festival in January this year – was teaching brewing and distilling at the International Center for Brewing & Distilling in Edinburgh. The single malt now in the glass was distilled on a combination of pot and column stills and is made with 100% locally grown barley and matured exclusively in former bourbon barrels. Meringue, white chocolate mousse, vanilla sauce, pomme d'amour and wood shavings… that is the nose of this young malt. The body is very light in this case. It evolves into a touch of nuts with apples and pears, supplemented with a soft pepper. That pepper continues all the way into the medium finish, which at the same time remains sweet. This is well made for his young age. And it bodes well for the future, so let's hope they have enough barrels set aside for later.

Surprisingly characteristic, different yet familiar, and fun.

Different from the other whiskies (pear!).

The collomn still gives the whisky distinct tropical flavours like banana and melon

This is a surprisingly magnificent whisky! New to the market but definitely one to keep your eye on. Smooth, warm, truly a very impressive new comer, and that from the UK. Give it a try, and thank me later :-)