Lights, camera, whisky + action!
Well, that’s a wrap 🎬 on the first EVER cinema 🎞️ and 🥃 whisky tasting done by York Whisky Club.
We chose the amazingly moving ‘The Angels’ Share’ (2012) directed by Ken Loach film which is rated 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and won the 2012 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize.
The film is a comic fable about wasted talent and what happens when we are given a chance in life. Our tasting ‘See and Sip’ offered whisky paired with the film to try as the main character discovers a talent for whisky and a new life.
Whiskies were:
1. Glengoyne 10 (40%, £40)
2. Longrow 100 Proof (57.1%, £60) *** Dram of the cinema afternoon ***
3. Deanston 12 (46.3%, £48)
4. Cragganmore 12 (40%, £46)
5. Caperdonich 18 (48%, £170)
We’ll post a bit about each whisky but just to say the scoring was pretty centred around the Cragganmore, Caperdonich and the new addition to the Longrow range – 100 Proof – which took the crown for dram of the cinema afternoon.
Feedback was the combination worked really well and the entire experience was thoroughly enjoyable.
BIG THANKS 🙏 to the Everyman York staff for service on the day, and Nathan in HQ for sorting our booking. In the running time of the film…..
0:00
The first appearance of whisky in the film (The Angels’ Share, 2012) is not until 18:00 but we didn’t think our regulars would wait that long so whisky number one was a Glengoyne 10. This is actually the exterior for the first distillery visited in the film (but not the interior).
A distillery on the border between highlands and lowlands (the border runs through the facility), Glengoyne is almost in the ‘craft space’ since their barrels take six years to prepare and instead of drying their barley over peat or direct flame, they dry only using air.
Tasting notes are:
COLOUR: Golden yellow. Clear and bright.
NOSE: Sweet, with toffee and popcorn aromas. Slightly nutty, with fresh green apples coming through.
PALATE: Clean. Green apples and grass, soft oak and a hint of sweet liquorice. Water brings linseed oil and almonds.
18:00
The first whisky in the film was a Springbank for an important celebration, so for our 2nd whisky, we presented the new addition to the Longrow range, the 100 Proof. Whilst scoring was tight between three of our five whiskies, this piped by one point to get our ‘Dram of the afternoon’ – their profile:
LR 100° Proof | 2025 Edition
A brand new addition to the range, whilst also inspiring a bit of nostalgia, Longrow 100 Proof recognises the appreciation of this style of whisky from our distillery.
The characteristic Longrow peat smoke is married with the subtle influence of red wine casks and bottled at proof strength, providing a fitting contrast to our flagship Longrow Peated.
This whisky has been matured for almost 4 years in refill bourbon casks and over 2 years in refill pinot noir casks.
Refill Bourbon and Refill Pinot Noir Casks
57.1% ABV, NAS
35:00
Whilst the first distillery visited has a different exterior, inside it’s all Deanston with a tour through the production side of this great highland distillery.
The 12 is part of their core range, in their words:
“With a smooth and creamy sweetness, hints of fruit, malty honeyed spiciness and soft vanilla, our crisp 12 Year Old finishes with a satisfying tingle of cloves.”
49:00
As the characters visit an Edinburgh tasting, we chose the blind dram to serve 🥃, the Cragganmore 12.
A sherried 12 year old single malt from Diageo’s Classic Malts range, this Speyside offers a rich, slightly floral whisky with barley notes.
Our fourth whisky was represented well in the scoring and the Diageo website (Malts.com) have even got an endorsement from the King of Pop (!):
Body: Firm, rounded, light to medium.
Finish: A long, malt-driven finish with light smoke and hints of sweetness.
Nose: A combination of sweet floral fragrances, riverside herbs and flowers with some honey and vanilla. “The most complex nose of any Single Malt Scotch Whisky” (Michael Jackson).
Palate: A strong malty taste with hints of sweet wood smoke and sandalwood.
1:12:00
As the film 🎥 came to the final reels, a closed distillery was featured. Browsing online we picked up a Caperdonich 18 for £170, a Peated 🥃 from a distillery that closed in 2002.
Rare whiskies from this silent distillery are highly sought after – we think the price has gone up since we bought this – and are future collectors items. This official bottling was matured for 18 years in American oak – a smoky, viscous and peppery Single Malt with a savoury and fruity edge.
2nd in the scoring, this Speyside was an intriguing sip and closed off our great tasting concept.
Official Tasting Notes:
“Smoky bonfire comes together with the classic sweet and fruity Speyside style. This rare and robust Single Malt is subtly layered with initial aromas of peat, followed by a taste of apple and brown sugar, gentle ginger and warming orange.”
