Turntable Track 04 + 05 (Blended Scotch Whiskies)

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Whisky & Music

There’s a lot about Turntable Spirits that I find appealing. First, I like that they connect whisky and music because I’ve tried to explore this in my Ceòl agus Craic tastings with the Islay Whisky Academy. However, I also like that they champion blended whiskies – I’ve often written about the role blends can play in the ever-changing Scotch whisky market.

In my opinion, there’s no better pairing than whisky and music. They both have the power to tap into our innermost emotions and trigger powerful memories. When the two are combined, they can create a moment of enjoyment that almost reaches spiritual levels.

Gordon and Ally Stevenson of Turntable Spirits have a similar passion for music and indulge their interest by giving their blended whiskies music-themed names, often inspired by classic songs.

Recently, I attended Turntable’s first birthday shindig in Glasgow, an event that coincided with the release of two new whiskies. The first, One Way or Another, is a grain-focused offering, whilst the second, Harder Better Faster Stronger, showcases bolder malt components. Full tasting notes, as well as my opinions on each dram, are below.

*Full disclosure: The whiskies featured in this review were sent to me free of charge. As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion on the quality of the drams and the value for money they represent.

One Way or Another Blended Scotch Review

Turntable Track 04 is One Way or Another. Inspired by the Blondie track, this whisky consists of 78% grain whisky and 22% malt. The full breakdown is as follows…

30% Stratchclyde 1st fill bourbon barrels
21% Invergordon ex red wine barrels
15% Cameronbridge ex marsala barrels
22% Linkwood 1st fill bourbon barrels

The whisky is bottled at 46% abv without chill filtering or artificial colouring.

Tasting notes: I got lots of dried grass and straw on the nose with custard creams and digestive biscuits. Lemon scent and fresh flowers with some thick, bourbony vanilla. The palate follows a similar theme but there’s something here that you don’t find in most grain-forward whiskies – body. The first fill bourbon barrels add some creamy weight and substance but there’s some lively quirks throughout – a flash of raspberry here, almonds there. There’s even some lemon curd and orange marmalade.

Thoughts: I might be at the risk of repeating myself here but I’m going to do it anyway: grain whisky isn’t a bad drink but the experience of drinking it doesn’t differ that much from dram to dram. If you’ve tasted one old grain, you’ve kind of tasted them all. With that prejudice in mind, I was a bit worried that I’d find this release to be lacking in character but I actually found myself really enjoying it. The grain characteristics are there but the combination of some Linkwood malt and some atypical cask finishes add extra layers of flavour that elevate the dram beyond expectations. A very pleasant surprise.

Price: £65. When judging the price of a bottle we often look to age as a justification but while Turntable tries to be as transparent as they can with their recipe, age is a sticking point with the SWA. Therefore, we don’t know how old the components are here – though I’d suspect a decent age on the grains, at least. With that quantifier out of the picture, we have to rely on our enjoyment of the dram and I certainly enjoyed this one. It might take a while for people to come round to the idea of spending £65 on a blended Scotch but having tasted it a few times now, I find myself more and more tempted by this. It’s a cracking wee dram.

Harder Better Faster Stronger Review

Track 05 is named after the Daft Punk track, Harder Better Faster Stronger. It’s appropriately named as the intensity has been dialled up somewhat. The recipe is as follows…

26% Tamdhu 1st fill oloroso sherry butt
21% Dalmunach 1st fill bourbon barrels
18% Mannochmore 1st fill bourbon barrels
22% Girvan 1st fill bourbon barrels
13% Girvan ex marsala barrels

It’s bottled at 59.1% abv. Natural colour. Un-chill-filtered.

Tasting notes: The influence of the Tamdhu sherry butt stands out on the nose with raisins and walnuts and leather. There’s also toffee and creamy vanilla and a wee bit of cinnamon with some subtle fruit notes. Dried fruits also lead the arrival with some chewy caramel, honeycomb and gingerbread following along. For a dram that’s almost 60%, you don’t feel a lot of heat. Beyond the sherry, there’s a nice maltiness and a touch of dry oak as it moves into the finish.

Thoughts: This is another solid effort. Perhaps it isn’t breaking any moulds but it does the simple things well. The bourbon barrels form a base that allows the sherry butt to shine. It feels well blended – each component holds together well, without one element overshadowing the rest. Imagine all blended Scotch was as fully flavoured as this. What a wonderful world it would be! (Maybe that can be Track 06).

Price: £65. Perhaps an easier sell at its full strength of 59.1% but as enjoyable a dram as this is, it feels like a more familiar experience than Track 04. I mean, I’d happily recommend both but if I had to narrow it down, I think 04 might be my pick.