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Thompson Brothers SRV5

Thompson Bros bottling #3

7 990

WReview by @Wierdo

24th Sep 2022

1

  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: user

  • Brand: Thompson Brothers
  • ABV: 48.5%

The third bottle I have open from Thompson Bros is this bottle of SRV5 (Station Road Vat #5). It is a blended malt, with the constituent malts being at least 8 years old. The Thompson Bros use a Solera Vat system to create it where a 1200L vat is filled with malts and once they have married together around 800L are drawn off and bottled before new malt is added to the 400L or so remaining in the Vat.

There is a video on how they produce it here:

www.youtube.com/watch

My bottle is from batch 2 (the batch number is on the back label in tiny writing) I opened this bottle in May or June when I was isolating in my bedroom with my second bout of covid. Luckily this time my sense of taste and smell had escaped unscathed. So binge watching netflix on my laptop I cracked the cork on this.

The colour on this is fairly light. I believe it is made up from bourbon cask matured malts.

Nose - (neat) quite bright and floral, jasmine, some subtle orange notes, peaches a grainy note. Strangely, the nose actually makes me think of a Japanese whisky like Hibiki.

Palate - Dry, slightly sour a hint of peat on the development, barley sugar, cornflakes, digestive biscuits, some waxiness. The finish is long and drying.

With water - With the addition of water the arrival and development merge together. There is some additional sweetness which makes me think of honeydew melon. For me I much preferred this whisky neat. Even though it is 48.5% abv it is very drinkable neat. Water doesn't enhance it and in fact to my palate diminishes it.

Overall

In my notes for this review I have written one sentence 'excellent bang for the buck'. This bottle cost me £35. I've already brought a second bottle (batch 5). It has just the right amount of complexity that you can pour a glass and sit down in front of the TV and not think too much about it but still enjoy an interesting, moreish whisky. It would also be a perfect whisky to give to a malt snob who thought that blends were inferior. This would make them reassess their opinion!

It is available from their website and shop and a few retailers around the UK (not sure about availability further afield) and at the price I would confidently recommend it to anyone.

9 comments

@RianC
RianC commented

@Wierdo - You've got me drooling at 8am on Sunday morning! Sounds like a lovely drop, thanks for the review.

about one year ago 2Who liked this?

Wierdo commented

@RianC a sample is already put aside for you and @Timp !

Don't get me wrong it's not the greatest malt you've ever had. But at the price point it's hard to argue against it being one of the best value drams out there at the moment.

I also have a bottle of their TB/BSW which I'll be opening soon. A blended whisky with the malt content being Sherry matured. 6 years old mimimum at 46%. Similar price point to the SRV5. Heard good things about it.

about one year ago 2Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

@Wierdo - just been looking at them both and they're available at Royal Mile whiskies. I do like a.nice blend wink

Speaking of, did you try the JW centenary sample I sent yet?

about one year ago 1Who liked this?

Wierdo commented

@RianC no mate I've not tried it yet. I've got something like 8 or 10 samples from you and @Timp that I haven't opened yet. I don't tend to drink much whisky in the summer. Tend to drink more wine and beer even a bit of tequila.

But it is autumn now so I'll be back on the whisky again and will try it soon. Quite looking forward to it.

about one year ago 1Who liked this?

@Victor
Victor commented

@Wierdo, on the subject of "blended malt whisky" is one malt whisky distillery "better" than another? And, if so, who is to be the judge, ...other than each individual appreciator of whisky?

Is one blender of malt whiskies "better" than another blender, because he/she blends together casks of whisky from only one distillery, rather than from more than one distillery?

Clearly the answer is "no" to both questions.

The idea that the quality of malt whisky is intrinsically inferior because it contains whisky originating at more than one distillery is clearly based on nothing but the basest ignorance.

I do not condemn the ignorant. We are all here to learn, and we each tend to have our own blind spots.

about one year ago 4Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

@Wierdo - damn my lack of self control ... Bought some yesterday! Not often a cheap gem comes along and I like what they're doing up there. Seem like good lads too.

about one year ago 1Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

@Wierdo - forgot to add that the 6 blend is rumoured to be a teaspooned Macallan ...

Unlikely, perhaps, but sounds excellent and very well-priced. Got one of them too blush

about one year ago 1Who liked this?

Wierdo commented

@RianC I also heard rumours about the SRV5 having a fair amount of Clynelish in the mix. There's defintely a waxiness to it. But that could be other malts like Dailuiane. I guess it would depend a fair bit on which batch you are drinking.

I had that sample of JW Celebratory blend last night. Really enjoyed it. Is that a regular bottle for enthusiasts that will always be available or a one off release?

about one year ago 2Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

@Wierdo - not sure. I think it's a one off but loads still around as far I can tell.

about one year ago 1Who liked this?

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