13/10/2012 Winter is coming

It really is. Even fired up the heating on Saturday, as it was so chilly.
Busy weekend, so it could only be a couple of hours, but given how infrequently Fixou and I have a chance to share a dram, we went ahead all the same.

Bladnoch 16yo 1991/2007 (51%, Taste Still, C#8411, 126b) (mine): nose: basalmic vinegar (© Fixou 2012), butter, Normandy (Fixou), walnut vinegar. Mouth: creamy, zesty, with vinegar and apple. Finish: lots of caramelised apples again, Waldorff salad. Fresher than in my memories. It remains a nice dram. 7/10

Isle of Skye 8yo (40%, Ian Macleod & Co.) (mine): nose: nuts, a little peat, pepper and black grapes, as well as tamed sherry. Mouth: walnuts and even a touch of cardboard. Finish: maritime, salty, loaded with iodine and light peat. Excellent blend, this! Balanced, noble and plain great. Much better, in my opinion, than its main malt component (Talisker). For the price, it is an absolute winner.

125.36 20yo A tapestry of tropical tastes (1989 (51.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel, 279b) (Fixou's): tried this one in February and was far from convinced. It was even one of the worst single-cask 'morangie I had had. I was skeptical when Fixou said he had bought one and curious to see how it would fare today. Especially after Fixou poured it at the very beginning of the tasting so it could open up. Nose: magnificent! We left it there for an hour and tropical fruits are now flowing by the basket! Passion fruit, mango, banana, pineapple, even strawberry, orange water. Mouth: jammy, with lots of citrus and tropical fruit. It is also spice-rich (ginger and pepper, mostly). Finish: the pepper is now a bit invading. Behind it, lots of grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple. This is a BenRiach 1976. Boiled sweets come out too, after a bit and a drop of water. I missed it completely the first time around. Given the right technique, this is stunning. Fixou, 'Very fucked-up balance. With human intervention, it becomes great.' Would score even higher if it were more balanced from the start. 8/10

'Sans eau, c'est de la boucherie.'

Flaming Heart 4th Edition (48.9%, Compass Box, b.2012) (Fixou's): this fourth version is supposedly a blend of Clynelish and Laphroaig. Nose: animal skin, then peat. Laphroaig is talking loudly. A little ash too. Mouth: round, oily, not as aggressive as arrogant, with a taste of raspberry eau-de-vie (Fixou). Finish: peat, barley, distant chocolate, honey syrup (Fixou), quince jelly. A lovely dram again.

Brief tasting, but quality.