Agreed Shane. This is a blend which proves that blended scotch is significant and should not be disregarded. Personally I think there is a tendency to be rather snooty about anything which is not single malt, yet it is obvious to me that some blenders are doing fantastic things and we need to find them, praise them and give them credit by supporting them.
Hi Shane, I have been heavily into this whisky, building up a small stash for the future. This is going to be a limited release as it came about by an accident,.( although there is a lot of it ) Its price to quality ratio is superb and it tastes great. A well presented whisky. thanks for the review.
Its almost impossible to get it in Poland but thanks to friends in Scotland i had it last year... for this money its a banger Daily dram. Greetings from Poland! BTW glendronach 12yo is toooo sweet
Hi Shane, as it happens I just ordered a sample of this from a whisky buddy. It has certainly reverberated in German whisky circles and I look forward to trying it. Sounds like a perfect dram for autumn. It's €40 in our market.
Nice review! This is a great whisky. I found it in the states and it’s called Redacted Bros in the US. lol. Assume due to trademark issues. Anyway it’s delicious and I did buy two.
Hi Shane :) Earlier this month I tasted a sample of TB-BSW, batch 11, which a fellow whisky enthusiast gave me. The only gripe I have about it is that it feels slightly thin in the mouth. Otherwise - almost perfect :) Old school sherry profile, rich and savory. Great whisky for a very reasonable price. I'm looking forward to acquire a bottle sooner than later. Cheers!
@@WhiskyLock I can only speculate about the reason for the thin mouthfeel. Maybe it's due to specific qualities of the distilate and/or the sherry casks. I've had similar experience with Kilchoman Loch Gorm, 2020 release, which is single malt whisky, 100% sherry casks matured, 9 yo, also excellent :) I have an open bottle of Glenfaclas 15 which tastes absolutely beautiful but also has slightly thin mouthfeel. In all fairness it's nitpicking. I don't have a problem with it not feeling thick and oily given the taste is so nice. I just thought it might be worth pointing it out :) As a matter of fact I find TB BSW to be extremely easy drinkable whisky :) As for the price I'd go as far as reasonable :) Nobody imports Thompson Bros. whisky in Bulgaria so we have to opt for foreign providers, mostly German online shops where TB/BSW can be found for 40-ish euros / 34-35 pounds. In Bulgaria I can buy Arran Quarter Cask or Sherry Cask (both cask strength) for about the same price or Glen Scotia Double Cask, Arran 10 or Loch Lomond 12 for significantly less. Cheers!
@@Nikolay_Nikolov I have always thought that sherry has a habit of knocking the wind out of a whiskys sails a little. One of the reasons why I generally prefer bourbon and refill or at least sherry at higher proof. Glenallachie is an example that springs to mind where I think it's good whisky but really needs more than 46%. Just my opinion.
@@WhiskyLock My favorite style of malt whisky is bourbon and sherry blend the way Ardnamurchan or Springbank do it. Predominantly ex-bourbon with some sherry for extra flavor. Plus a whiff of smoke. Like to have a fully sherried dram every once in a while but I'm far from a "sherry bomb" fanatic. For my taste many sherry bombs are either too oaky or the sherry (or sherry syrup rather) overlays the malt spirit and throws the balance off. As for the Glenallachie, funnily enough, I find the 12 yo to be more dense and chewy than 10 yo cask strength :) I've stopped buying Glenallachie whisky for the time being because I already have quite a few bottles in the stash and prefer to wait until some bottlings of the spirit distilled after Billy Walker took over come out. Absolutely love the new Meikle Toir brand though.
@@WhiskyLock I thought it was a bit better, I didn't taste side by side. Apparently they both have a fair whack of Glen Ord and Clynelish in them so a real breakfast whisky.
Thanks for again an excellent review Shane Haven't tried this one as a) haven't seen it and b) not searching for it. Enough lighter coloured whisky still in the to be tried queue. And sarker color indicates sherry influence, which is just not my preference. Slàinte mhath
Normally I'm the same. Too many sherried drams are hit and miss and bourbon/refill has everything you need. This is a lovely change of scenery for the price though. Really enjoying it. Cheers 🥃
It's a shame they don't have more global reach but I guess something might get lost if they increased the batch sizes. It's one to look out for if you ever see it. Cheers 🥃
Been debating on getting this shipped across the pond since its never gonna see the light of day on the shelves in the US 😢 Is it worth that hassle though 🤷🏻♂️
Tricky one. We pay around $40 and I think at that price it's a no brainer. If you're going to be paying significantly more than that then there may be better value options elsewhere... One of the best blends I've had in a long time though. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLockyeah I agree…process to get that to me would be Your Price x 1.34(today’s rate) plus add another $17-18 for shipping and customs…so that bottle costs about $60-64
Regardless of the rumours it does not drink like 6 year old whisky. It is a little thin, which leads me to believe it could be Macallan, it also noses so very simiilar to the bottle of 12 Sherry Cask I have 😉 but even then the BSW is superior. Worth €40 of anyones money.
Tough decision but I may have to give Dramvent a miss this year. I don't think I'd have time to get it done. I do have the 2023 Single Cask Advent Calendar that I got on discount though. I'm aiming to start going through that as blinds and uploading the videos as and when. So there will be blinds, and hopefully some good ones. Cheers 🥃
Hate bargains... does not compute 🙂 I'd really like to try more of the better Macallans. I see a lot of potential in the 'entry' level stuff if the ABV were higher. The price of the good stuff is somewhat of a deterrent for me though! One day. Cheers 🥃
I am curious, how many batches are still to come, until this „limited“ bottling is going to reach it‘s limited bottle number. They‘ve said it at batch 6. Which one do we have now in the market? batch 14? It is just marketing folks.
Hi @InDerRuheliegtdieKraft-z3b the last bottle I picked up is batch 14 (bought 1 week ago). The shop where I have been buy whisky for some time thinks it will be sold out by Christmas. The guy who owns the shop thinks every time he orders more stock he will be told sorry its all gone. I know Thompson Brothers have something new to replace it but I don't know when it will be launched. I hope this is of some help, best wishes Andy P.S. I am based in Scotland if this is of any help.
I understand the skepticism. I had to check a few spreadsheets to have a more concise think about how long it'll last. Total vatting size was 22,000 litres which was then recasked. We have about 1/3 of the origonal vatting left in casks. We burnt through 2/3 in 2 years but the rate of sales has been increasing so I'd estimate we'll be all out by early to mid 2025. When TB/BSW has burned through the remaining casks from that vatting, it'll be done. We are working on a follow up but it will be clearly a different thing from different stock. Also, this product has had no marketing (at least nothing that cost us money), no free bottles sent out for review. We have told people it'll be gone at some point and we may have done some figure in the air guesses without looking at the figures but since we were being called out for marketing, I thought I'd look into it more precisely ;)
Yeah never buy anything solely because of scarcity. Unless perhaps if they're telling you the number of casks and it's very small (like 3 or 4 tops). Everything both is and isn't "limited edition" 🤔
I've had this bottle in my cabinet for a while. I opened it recently. An amazing blend.
Agreed Shane. This is a blend which proves that blended scotch is significant and should not be disregarded. Personally I think there is a tendency to be rather snooty about anything which is not single malt, yet it is obvious to me that some blenders are doing fantastic things and we need to find them, praise them and give them credit by supporting them.
Couldn't agree more 👍
Interesting you mention the gunpowder note. I love gunpowder tea, just different and interesting altogether. So I would most probably love TB-BSW.
A great blend of spirit and cask. I would love to sip along. One day, Thompson Bros will be here in Canada. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hoping they get to you soon. Cheers! 🥃
Hi Shane, I have been heavily into this whisky, building up a small stash for the future. This is going to be a limited release as it came about by an accident,.( although there is a lot of it ) Its price to quality ratio is superb and it tastes great. A well presented whisky. thanks for the review.
Its almost impossible to get it in Poland but thanks to friends in Scotland i had it last year... for this money its a banger Daily dram. Greetings from Poland! BTW glendronach 12yo is toooo sweet
Phenomenal value! Cheers 🥃
Hi Shane, as it happens I just ordered a sample of this from a whisky buddy. It has certainly reverberated in German whisky circles and I look forward to trying it. Sounds like a perfect dram for autumn. It's €40 in our market.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I am. Cheers 🥃
Got this myself. Very nice indeed. Especially for the money
Nice review! This is a great whisky. I found it in the states and it’s called Redacted Bros in the US. lol. Assume due to trademark issues. Anyway it’s delicious and I did buy two.
That's hilarious. Love their sense of humour 👍
Sounds very nice, Shane. Unfortunately, Thompson Bros is not present in my market (nz). Nor Murray McDavid.
Hoping they find their way to you one day. Thanks for watching 🥃
Wow a 6year oldish blended whisky being compared to Billy Walker era Glendronach 12 is a very very high praise my friend. Intrigued now, cheers!
I really enjoyed both. Excellent sherry influence on both parts. It's a shame that current Glendro 12 seems to have slipped a bit... Cheers 🥃
Hi Shane :) Earlier this month I tasted a sample of TB-BSW, batch 11, which a fellow whisky enthusiast gave me.
The only gripe I have about it is that it feels slightly thin in the mouth. Otherwise - almost perfect :) Old school sherry profile, rich and savory.
Great whisky for a very reasonable price. I'm looking forward to acquire a bottle sooner than later.
Cheers!
Do you think that could be coming from some grain whisky? 🤔 Either way its fantastic for the price. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLock I can only speculate about the reason for the thin mouthfeel. Maybe it's due to specific qualities of the distilate and/or the sherry casks. I've had similar experience with Kilchoman Loch Gorm, 2020 release, which is single malt whisky, 100% sherry casks matured, 9 yo, also excellent :) I have an open bottle of Glenfaclas 15 which tastes absolutely beautiful but also has slightly thin mouthfeel. In all fairness it's nitpicking. I don't have a problem with it not feeling thick and oily given the taste is so nice. I just thought it might be worth pointing it out :) As a matter of fact I find TB BSW to be extremely easy drinkable whisky :)
As for the price I'd go as far as reasonable :) Nobody imports Thompson Bros. whisky in Bulgaria so we have to opt for foreign providers, mostly German online shops where TB/BSW can be found for 40-ish euros / 34-35 pounds. In Bulgaria I can buy Arran Quarter Cask or Sherry Cask (both cask strength) for about the same price or Glen Scotia Double Cask, Arran 10 or Loch Lomond 12 for significantly less.
Cheers!
@@Nikolay_Nikolov I have always thought that sherry has a habit of knocking the wind out of a whiskys sails a little. One of the reasons why I generally prefer bourbon and refill or at least sherry at higher proof. Glenallachie is an example that springs to mind where I think it's good whisky but really needs more than 46%. Just my opinion.
@@WhiskyLock My favorite style of malt whisky is bourbon and sherry blend the way Ardnamurchan or Springbank do it. Predominantly ex-bourbon with some sherry for extra flavor. Plus a whiff of smoke. Like to have a fully sherried dram every once in a while but I'm far from a "sherry bomb" fanatic. For my taste many sherry bombs are either too oaky or the sherry (or sherry syrup rather) overlays the malt spirit and throws the balance off.
As for the Glenallachie, funnily enough, I find the 12 yo to be more dense and chewy than 10 yo cask strength :) I've stopped buying Glenallachie whisky for the time being because I already have quite a few bottles in the stash and prefer to wait until some bottlings of the spirit distilled after Billy Walker took over come out. Absolutely love the new Meikle Toir brand though.
@@Nikolay_NikolovAgreed, modern sherry can often be a heavy handed thing. I must tru Meikle Tor soon.
"Let's get some in the glass and see if it's any good". I think the fill level gives it away. 🤣 Cheers!
Fill level - the only accurate way of measuring how good a whisky is 😅 Cheers 🥃
Thompson Bros 8YO Northern Highland Blended Malt, 44.5% is fantastic.
Very curious about that one. LOVE the label. Is it very different to SRV5?
@@WhiskyLock I thought it was a bit better, I didn't taste side by side. Apparently they both have a fair whack of Glen Ord and Clynelish in them so a real breakfast whisky.
@@cantbendknee I'll have to get a bottle now. Thanks for the info!
Thanks for again an excellent review Shane
Haven't tried this one as a) haven't seen it and b) not searching for it. Enough lighter coloured whisky still in the to be tried queue. And sarker color indicates sherry influence, which is just not my preference.
Slàinte mhath
Normally I'm the same. Too many sherried drams are hit and miss and bourbon/refill has everything you need. This is a lovely change of scenery for the price though. Really enjoying it. Cheers 🥃
Sounds like great value but unfortunately not available in my area.
Cheers 🥃
It's a shame they don't have more global reach but I guess something might get lost if they increased the batch sizes. It's one to look out for if you ever see it. Cheers 🥃
Been debating on getting this shipped across the pond since its never gonna see the light of day on the shelves in the US 😢
Is it worth that hassle though 🤷🏻♂️
Tricky one. We pay around $40 and I think at that price it's a no brainer. If you're going to be paying significantly more than that then there may be better value options elsewhere... One of the best blends I've had in a long time though. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLockyeah I agree…process to get that to me would be Your Price x 1.34(today’s rate) plus add another $17-18 for shipping and customs…so that bottle costs about $60-64
Regardless of the rumours it does not drink like 6 year old whisky. It is a little thin, which leads me to believe it could be Macallan, it also noses so very simiilar to the bottle of 12 Sherry Cask I have 😉 but even then the BSW is superior. Worth €40 of anyones money.
What does €40 get us from the Macallan range? Possibly a glencairn 😅
Shane any thoughts on your Xmas Whiskey Calendar this year ?
Tough decision but I may have to give Dramvent a miss this year. I don't think I'd have time to get it done. I do have the 2023 Single Cask Advent Calendar that I got on discount though. I'm aiming to start going through that as blinds and uploading the videos as and when. So there will be blinds, and hopefully some good ones. Cheers 🥃
I hate bargains from the bottom of my heart! A good Macallan is a pricey one. :) Cheers!
Hate bargains... does not compute 🙂
I'd really like to try more of the better Macallans. I see a lot of potential in the 'entry' level stuff if the ABV were higher. The price of the good stuff is somewhat of a deterrent for me though! One day. Cheers 🥃
I am curious, how many batches are still to come, until this „limited“ bottling is going to reach it‘s limited bottle number.
They‘ve said it at batch 6.
Which one do we have now in the market? batch 14?
It is just marketing folks.
Hi @InDerRuheliegtdieKraft-z3b the last bottle I picked up is batch 14 (bought 1 week ago). The shop where I have been buy whisky for some time thinks it will be sold out by Christmas. The guy who owns the shop thinks every time he orders more stock he will be told sorry its all gone. I know Thompson Brothers have something new to replace it but I don't know when it will be launched. I hope this is of some help, best wishes Andy P.S. I am based in Scotland if this is of any help.
I understand the skepticism. I had to check a few spreadsheets to have a more concise think about how long it'll last. Total vatting size was 22,000 litres which was then recasked.
We have about 1/3 of the origonal vatting left in casks. We burnt through 2/3 in 2 years but the rate of sales has been increasing so I'd estimate we'll be all out by early to mid 2025. When TB/BSW has burned through the remaining casks from that vatting, it'll be done. We are working on a follow up but it will be clearly a different thing from different stock.
Also, this product has had no marketing (at least nothing that cost us money), no free bottles sent out for review. We have told people it'll be gone at some point and we may have done some figure in the air guesses without looking at the figures but since we were being called out for marketing, I thought I'd look into it more precisely ;)
Yeah never buy anything solely because of scarcity. Unless perhaps if they're telling you the number of casks and it's very small (like 3 or 4 tops).
Everything both is and isn't "limited edition" 🤔
🥃👍☺️