27th July 2018
We love finding new flavours and spirits to enjoy. When we do, we make sure we share them with you. This is why we hold special weeks, to give you the chance to try drinks that you might not normally try.
Today is Scotch Whisky Day and because we love whisky so much we’ve decided to go big. So it’s Whisky Week at Manhattan. That means you can get 10% off every single whisky – including bourbon – that we stock. This awesome offer is only on until Sunday 29th July so don’t hang around.
We love a good Scotch. The variety of flavours is immense so it’s worth trying a few over time. There are two main types of Scotch Whisky. Single malt Scotch is made with barley and distilled in a pot still. It has to be distilled in Scotland. It must be aged for a minimum of three years, also in Scotland, to have the Scotch Whisky name. Blended whisky is the second type and this can be made with barley and other grains – it is a blend of malt and grain whisky. Again, it has the same time and location requirements for distillation and maturation.
Single malt Scotch may have an extra flavour added to it from peat. The peat is added in the form of smoke which is used to dry the damp malt (barley grains). This is particularly common in distilleries on the famous island of Islay.
Depending on how and where Scotch Whisky is made, and how it is matured, you can expect to find different combinations of fruity, nutty, floral, peaty, honey and spice flavours and aromas.
Try the Balvenie 12 year aged Scotch Whisky. This spends 12 years in traditional whisky casks or ex-bourbon barrels and then is moved into old sherry casks for an additional 9 months of aging. The first aging gives softness and smoothness. The aging in the torched wood of the bourbon barrels adds more complexity to the flavour giving a fuller taste.
When Whisky Week is over, there is good reason to feel sad. So we’re following it up with Tequila Week to stop you from feeling glum! We’ve created a very special menu for you to enjoy.
Tequila Week Menu – July 30th to August 5th
Tequila is a spirit that is made from the Blue Agave cactus. This must be grown in a specifically defined region of Mexico. Silver tequila is young and fresh. Gold tequila is usually coloured with caramel. Flavours become more mature and interesting in reposado tequila, which has had time to age. The crowning glory of tequila is añejo – aged tequila with more character. All of them have their own unique flavour profiles. Usually the older a tequila is, the smoother and easier to drink it is. You can expect fresh flavours and aromas, including fruit, wood and spice.
