SIMON’S FINEST SINGLE MALT MANUKA WHISKY REVIEWED
Isn’t social media a wondrous thing?
Not only can you experience the sum-total of human damnation in ten minutes, but sometimes random people will send you good things, like whisky.
I do not know Simon Langridge. But he is the master distiller at the Langridge Distillery. In Christchurch.
But not Scotland Christchurch. Or Ireland Christchurch.
New Zealand Christchurch.
I would work on the labeling. Or leave it as it is. Be different.
Anyway, that is neither here nor there.
I have drunk the finest single malts in the world. And I have drunk some of the vilest shit known to man. Hell, I necked a bottle of Tabac aftershave once many years ago.
So I know what I know.
And I know that when someone sends me a bottle of booze in a used wine bottle with a custom-printed label banged out of a desktop Epsom printer (for the review apparently), there is only one thing to do.
Review it.
But not alone.
To assist me in this endeavour, I contacted Zeljko and Milenko. Both of them are men conversant with powerful homemade alcohol which is almost always bottled in old bottles that other alcohol once came in, and then taken to weddings, christenings, feast days and battlefields.
So they were perfect.
And thus did we sit down with three clean glasses and had a few drams as a late winter’s day blessed Sydney with its chilly benison.
This is what we thought about Simon Langridge’s Manuka Single Malt…
Milenko drinks with grace and finesse.
Milenko: It is sharp a bit. I am not sure. This is whisky, yes? (drinks again). I do not know. But I think it is too sharp and this taste is not of a great whisky. It has like an edge it should not have. I do not like it. Can I try one more, please? (drinks) Ok, yes, I do not like it very much. Maybe a little bit I like it.
Zeljko enjoyed his very much.
Zeljko: It is very good. I like it very much. I would buy this. It is a strong whisky. It bites me in the mouth. I like it. It is cruel. Like a Turk. It tastes like the knife of a Turk. (drinks) Yes. Yes. Very good. I like it. Strong and true. And yes, cruel.
Me: Mr Langridge’s single malt can not yet sit among the great Scottish single malts of the world. It is less complex than many of them and sits sharp and a bit flat on the palate. It lacks the endless smoky, peaty depth and power of say the 16-year-old Lagavulin. And it’s just not as sexy and fruity as 10-year-old Talisker.
I think the issue is its age. It just not old enough. I reckon there’s great potential in Mr Langridge’s effort, but he’s up against killer Scottish, Irish and even Japanese single malts, like the Matsui Kurayoshi 18 Year Pure Malt. That is a tough park to play in.
Still, Kiwis are stubborn, pig-headed cusses. If they wanna make great single malt whisky, then they will persevere until that happens. They have the good water, after all. And look at what they’ve done with bungy jumping and jet boats.
I am sure Mr Langridge will persevere. And he should, because while he may not have created one of the world’s great single malts, he has created a sharp, clean-tasting whisky which will appeal to many palates.
You may examine his wares HERE.
About the Author
Boris is a writer who has contributed to many magazines and websites over the years, edited a couple of those things as well, and written a few books. But his most important contribution is pissing people off. He feels this is his calling in life and something he takes seriously. He also enjoys whiskey, whisky and the way girls dance on tables. And riding motorcycles. He's pretty keen on that, too.
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