In September 2024 Lindores announced that they would be producing an annual small batch release under the title “Thiron”. In anticipation of this year’s edition being released we look back to the first edition.
The name “Thiron” harkens back to another historical abbey: the mediaeval abbey at Thiron-Gardais (founded 1109). The distillery leans heavily into the site’s heritage here as “Friar John Cor was a Tironensian monk of Lindores, and it is he who was famously ordered in 1494 to make aqua vitae for the king.”
The spirit has been matured in red wine barriques, bourbon casks, and French virgin oak casks taken from trees grown in the Thiron-Gardais area.
The result is a no age statement release bottled at a generous 49.4% ABV, with bottles made available around £65 GBP.
Nose
Quite a piercing floral and oaky start. A very specific note stands out for me of beeswax oak polish. Theres some very sweet scents in there too: Parma violets, love hearts, and sugared almonds.
Taste
A lot of fruity sensations going on. Pear drops, apple sours, and lemon sherbet. There’s also a slightly herbal taste that brings those Victorian sweet shops (shoppes?) with lots of glass jars to mind or a particularly tangy nut.
Finish
A final floral flourish with a stem ginger fire and fizz.
Verdict
A slightly odd yet inviting dram. That slight herbal note is not normally to my liking but it did keep me coming back to the glass on this occasion.
The colour must be mostly down to the rejuvenate red wine casks, but it’s mostly the oak of the bourbon barrels and virgin oak casks that strike the senses here.
It’s a fun, light and pretty sweet whisky. That Victorian sweet shoppe note was unexpected as I was waiting more of the jammy fruit notes. More at the floral end instead.
I quite like the story being put behind the whisky here. With the distillery’s location, they’ve got a deep history to explore, but the fact that the whisky actually uses wood from the associates Thiron abbey site adds more credence in my opinion than just exploring some old texts for some nice sounding blurb and marketing.
I tasted this sample via a Master of Malt subscription (other subscriptions are available) and I think it’s always a great way to discover new things and try before you buy. With so many whiskies available and their full price proving quite a gamble I was grateful to have had a snifter of this and see how my notes later deviated from their own stock notes. I’d have been tempted to have a go just for the style of the bottle and the genuine link in the product to another location. That herbal note and strong oak flavour dissuaded me on this occasion though. A fun and interesting dram nonetheless.
Sample disclosure: This miniature was contained within a Master of Malt monthly subscription set. All notes are intended as an honest, fair, and independent review of the whisky itself, and not as a promotion. Please drink responsibly. Please drink wisely!
whisky unplugged 
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