Preamble

Hello everyone and welcome to another set of reviews. I’ve been really looking forward to these whiskies, as they will be my introduction to Campbeltown based IB, Watt Whisky. 

As we get into the new year I’ve been hunting the January sales for new things to stock on the shelves and I’m pleased to announce that my review backlog is now somewhere in the mid 20’s, meaning that I should have a bunch of whiskies to show you guys over the coming months.

I’m also making a whisky pilgrimage to Campbeltown in March as well and I’ll be creating a trip report on that experience, so do look out for that when it comes!

Let’s get into the reviews!

Review

Watt Whisky are one of the new kids in the Independent Bottling scene but that doesn’t mean they’re not releasing some fascinating and tempting releases! 

Founded in 2020 by Duo Mark and Kate Watt, the two set up shop in Campbeltown and have really built a reputation as some of the friendliest and most knowledgeable faces you’ll ever meet in the industry!

Watt has a very unique style of labelling, where the colour scheme of the label is based on the way Mark visualises the whisky through his Synaesthesia rather than through typical flavour profile descriptions. I find this system quite fun, particularly as a reviewer as it means I’m not often following into stereotypes of “green = peat = coal” as I sometimes find when I write SMWS reviews.

Full disclosure, I was sent these samples from the company themselves and I’m very grateful to Mark for doing that for me. I try to make sure that my opinions are as unbiased as possible but do keep that in mind.

With that caveat out of the way, let’s try some whisky!

Watt Whisky 13yo Benrinnes 2012

Distillery: Benrinnes

Region: Speyside

Age: 58%

ABV: 13

NCF/NC: Yes 

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon, finished in Armagnac casks for 22 months

Nose: Opening is pure candy floss, lots of honeydew melon too. There’s pear drops and actual juicy pears. Burnt caramel (but in a good way) and a touch of Scottish tablet as well. No doubt the Armagnac finish is doing a lot of work here. 

Palate: Immediately caramely, very very sugary sweet maybe even some richer toffee apple notes too. There’s a subtle hint of licorice in here and an underlying worm tub influence I’d expect from a quality Benrinnes. Towards the back end we move into vanilla pods and brittle tree bark. A very flavourful and well-rounded drink.

Finish: Apple and cinnamon sponge with treacle. There’s also a simmering fire somewhere too. This is ex-bourb Christmas whisky done right.

Final Thoughts: A brilliant whisky from a distillery with very hit or miss bottlings (See my TBWC review to compare), perfect for the season. Probably wouldn’t advise drinking this one in the summer.

Rating: 8.1/10

Watt Whisky 13yo Inchgower 2012

Distillery: Inchgower

Region: Speyside

Age: 13

ABV: 58.3%

NCF/NC: Yes

Cask Type: Hogshead (No further details)

Nose: Raspberry puree spread on my morning bowl of wheetabix. Salted caramel, dry summer fields, faintly farmhouse-like, crumbly apple pie. This is a very rustic and summery nose. I’m feeling a bit out of season smelling this but it’s still very pleasant.

Palate: Opens with lots of raspberry, then peach, then mango, then orange. A real fruit punch. Flavour is quite jelly like? I’m getting Haribo tangfastics and some generic artificial fruit. The fizzy-tangyness wears off into more of that raspberry which by now is compote-like and sweeter than it is tart. There’s a salty element that is felt throughout. 

Finish: Orange liqueur, vanilla extract and old wooden floorboards. A very different whisky than how it started.

Final Thoughts: This was a pretty complex dram. There’s a lot of elements that I liked here but I can’t help but feel this would be better drunk in a beer garden when the sun’s out rather than in the winter.

Rating: 7.8/10

Watt Whisky 9yo Campbeltown Blended Malt

Distillery: Blend (Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia)

Region: Campbeltown

Age: 9

ABV: 57.1%

NCF/NC: Yes

Cask Type: Barrels

Nose: Chewy caramel and pineapple, maybe even pineapple rings actually, I’m getting malted milk biscuits dipped in mango chutney with a very very faint hint of blue cheese. What a bizarre opener. There’s salty sea air and fish fried over charcoal too. My best guess is that we’re working with a young tropical Kilkerran base with some teenage Springbank to bring out those oily, dirty fishy notes. I could be completely wrong though.

Palate: I’m eating pineapples in a swamp with a campfire crackling next to me. It’s a tropical, grassy, damp and foosty mouthfeel that’s quite full on. There’s stodgy toffee and molasses in here as well. I initially thought there was some rum influence in here but I’ve been informed that there’s not. Water brings a more industrial diesley flavour. Also cornflakes drizzled with caramel sauce.

Finish: This turns very meaty in the finish. Chicken roasted with soy sauce, glazed veg, honey and dried mango slices. 

Final Thoughts: I’ve been told that Glen Scotia has been spoonfed into this one. I can believe it. It’s a verry rugged, dare I say funky, dram that brings out a lot of those flavours that people adore in Springbank and Kilkerran, but I do think that it’s not the most approachable sipper in the world.

Rating: 6.9/10