Whiskyblender is a website where you can blend your own whisky, according to a number of set parameters. You can choose six whiskies to mix and how much of that stuff you’d like to order (who goes anything less than a bottle, right?).
I don’t know how often they change their individual parts for the blend, but I guess they obtained some casks that they’re working their way through. That’s a pretty decent feat in these times, to get casks of decent tasting whisky. Of course, my thoughts immediately go to ‘I wish I could taste them separately and blend them myself’. I guess that’s quite expensive though.
Shai’s go at whiskyblender
Sniff:
Surprisingly syrupy with quite a lot of fruit. It’s a bit moldy, or musty actually. Pretty thick with a lot of lemon syrup. Barley sugar, with a bit of the spirit shining through.
Sip:
It’s more spicy than expected and has a bit of a CO2 zing to it. Some black pepper but sweet and sugary with lemon and pear. Barley and not much wood influence.
Swallow:
The finish is gentle with a crisp, but spicy flavour. Maybe even some mint. It’s creamy too, but doesn’t last too long.
Since I was tasting this blind and hadn’t properly looked through the mail Shai sent with the samples, I didn’t know there was a blend in there. After tasting this, I still didn’t since it could just as well have been a nice single malt. Not a very special one, but tasty nonetheless. I have absolutely no clue which parts were combined to make this blend, but it’s pretty good.
‘Glenbordelyhaz’ by Shai and Whiskyblender.com. 40%, probably around £ 60.
Malt Fascination 
have to taste this one!
the only thing missing from the review: the name. bordelyhaz is hungarian for whore house. why? because this was f***ing expensive! lol
also, the recipe: http://www.whiskyblender.com/b.php?code=WB25613
Of course. How could I not know that :S
I guess you’re happy they don’t have some language checker on the site, right?
Maybe because of the Caol Ila I tasted first, but I did not pick up any of the smokiness suggested by the recipe:
BURNT PUDDIN’ 100ml
SMOKE ON THE WATER 300ml
TASTE OF THE SEA 200ml
TOUCH OF SPICE 100ml
there’s definitely some in there, but it’s not 3/7 of the profile as the recipe would suggest. any time you’re tasting a 40% after a cask strength you’re going to lose something in the palate and finish. interestingly, when i tasted it immediately upon delivery (before setting it aside to marry), all you could taste was smoke.
I was actually wondering how they would handle marrying. But they just don’t I guess. That can make quite the difference.
when i saw the “Bordel” and i knew shai, it seemed logical this was the intent, even though i am not fluent in Hungarian