Blends, more blends. as Blends are the bread and butter of the whisky industry, I always am happy to write about those, and reduce the Malt snobbery factor of the blog. I well know most people out there do buy blends, and That has to be reflected on the blog, right?
In the next couple of posts I am going to visit the entire Hankey Banister range, and things are going to be very interesting for you too (hint, hint – but more to be revealed later on). I feel HB does not get the attention it should be getting as a blend. For some reason it is not as popular or well known (especially in Israel) as other mainstream blends such as Ballantine’s / JW / Grants etc. Maybe the bottles look “boring” and lack the “bling”. In Israel especially, it looks like the importer is trying to “hide” the bottles, and they hardly get good shelf space, and only the very basic “original” is on stock. I was really treading on Terra Incognita when it comes to HB, having reviewed only the “Heritage blend”, which I remember as a nice very drinkable blend. So, without further ado, let’s get sampling, starting with the “Original”.
Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch Whisky , 40% abv , £16
Nose: Quite light at first, with a hint of cereal and sweet corn, then getting fruitier with a mix of red fruit, vanilla and spices (mainly pepper). not very complex, and youngish, but water does help it quite a bit.
Palate: the palate is nicer with a few drops of water, revealing vanilla, dried fruit and sugar with a biscuity edge. sweet and very accessible.
Finish: Vanilla and caramel biscuit. sweet.
Conclusion:
Surprisingly nice, and not sharp at all. very quaffable, although i presume you’ll want to mix it in some cocktail. and why not? for around 16 quid, this does offer a good BFYB to be enjoyed neat or for mixing. a no brainer.
Hankey Bannister 12 Year Old Regency,40% abv, £25
Nose: Deeper and richer than the original, but lacking some of the fruitiness, added value is a citrus zing and some wood spices
Palate: sharp at first, and less gentle than the original with a nice malty, but also grainy sweetness, hints of wood spice again, and gently honey sweetness. not very gentle…
Finish: vanilla, caramel and bitter oak, sweeter than bitter maybe a chocolate note.
Conclusion:
Surprisingly this one is not as nice as the younger one, although it’s older and “richer”. I’d go with the Original myself if i had to choose among the two especially when this costs almost double..
Keep your eyes peeled for more Hankey Bannister reviews (25, and 40 year old…) as well as some goodies to be announced soon.
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