25/12/2013 Clearing the shelves again

Last chance to pour those for adc, who happens to be in town.

Kinclaith 20yo 1965/1985 (46%, Cadenhead's) (me): same impressions as here. Fantastic drop of whisky. 9/10

Glen Keith 1993/2009 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice) (me): nose: green and slightly bitter, with a bit of sparkling soda and tame herbaceous eau-de-vie. Green beans (?) lime (calamansi). Mouth: lively, but easy. Vanilla and chou dough, mostly. Finish: a contained explosion of exotic fruit (pomelo, pink grapefruit), with perhaps a pinch of sawdust. A little simple, but well nice. The finish is superb and unexpected. 7/10

Ord 15yo 1996/2011 (57.3%, Cadenhead, Bourbon Hogshead) (JS): sparkly again, but also much more woody (sawdust). Mouth: yup, lots of pine-dust action while drinking a pint of milk. Very smooth texture, once the alcohol dissipates. Finish: very warming, with pine dust, before fruit juice settles in (peach or apricot, I can never tell). This benefits greatly from the contact with air. 7/10

Blair Athol 27yo 1975/2003 (54.7%, OB Rare Malts Selection) (me): nose: clay-floored dunnage warehouse, roast chicken (really!?) Mouth: flat cola, now. It is surprisingly soft, today -- perhaps the sample is evaporated? Finish: nope, the power is there. Some cola, pine dust, a hint of tame coffee. This is a very nice malt and the best Blair Athol I have had. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, pat gva)

Isle of Jura 30yo Camas an Staca (44%, OB, b.2012) (me): nose: chocolate and coffee. Mouth: latte, or macchiatto -- firmly in the coffee family. Finish: cocoa beans, roasted coffee. Pleasant, but does not justify the price tag. Having said that, it is hard to form a definitive opinion with such a small amount of liquid, unfortunately (the bottle was nearly empty). 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, GR)

Benromach d.1968 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b.1980s) (me): nose: burnt cake aplenty. Burnt paper, burnt dough, precious liqueur -- this is unexpectedly big, full of pleasant sherry. A faint farmyard impression shines, leaving way to bonded warehouse scents. Mouth: coating, syrupy, packed with varnish, all sorts of dried fruits (raisins, dates, figs, oranges -- very black bun-y). It remains surprisingly powerful too! Certainly feels closer to 55% than its mere 40%. Finish: a little tobacco in the back (cigar), but mostly dried fruits again (raisins, dates, orange rinds) and some dust (OBE?) as well as Christmas pudding. This is very sherried indeed, yet so well balanced! No saddle-licking here. Very well made. 8/10

Glenturret 34yo (47.6%, Berry Brothers & Rudd Selected by Berrys', Cask Ref 2) (adc): this one is newly open. Nose: some warehouse scents, some fruit (peach, mostly) and a whiff of vanilla. Not too assertive after only minutes out of a new bottle. Frangipani flower (plumeria), apricot tart and some citrus. Wonderful nose that needs a little time to open up. Mouth: pepper with lovely, milky peach nectar. Finish: lots of fruit again (peach, apricot, even papaya) and a dash of wood for good measure, balanced with a horseradish kick. Lovely dram! 9/10