29/04/2014 A few drams with mars

I have a delivery to make and take the opportunity to share a few drams with a fellow enthusiast. We are treated to lovely ice cream, spot on on this sunny day, before transferring to a quieter place full of bottles. Not much time, so mars tastes what I brought, JS tastes his offerings and I mostly smells, occasionally indulging in a sip or two.

On the left...

Littlemill 23yo 1990/2013 (52.4%, The Whisky Agency, Refill Hogshead, 332b): nose: herbaceous, but also rather fruity (peach, guava, melon). I do not go past the nose for this one.

Inchgower 37yo 1974/2012 (58%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams): nose: lots of wax, flint and herbs. Mouth: lively and noble, quite bitter. Finish: a bit less impressive. Plum or pear eau-de-vie, quite fiery and actually not very nice. Pity, since the nose was promising.

Littlemill 20yo 1992/2012 (54.6%, Berry Bros Selected by Berrys', C#9): I reckon I have had this one. Nose: very sherried, borderline sulphury. Walnut hull. Mouth: meaty and sulphury, not my thing. Finish: the same OXO broth impression, then: boom! A fleeting explosion of overripe fruit. Of the recent series of casks BBr have bottled (9, 10, 11, 16), this is probably the one I like the least.

Littlemill 20yo 1992/2012 (51.6%, The Whisky Agency Whisky Library, Bourbon Hogshead, 313b): when mars heard earlier that JS is a Littlemill fan, he had to show off, which is why we are having so much Littlemill. Nose: lots of fruit, some vanilla and a big coat of mud on top. Very unusual. I only nose this one too.

Bunnahabhain 43yo 1968/2012 (47%, The Whisky Agency, Refill Sherry Butt, 498b): those 1968 Bunna are usually fantastic, so I cannot not have it. Nose: matchsticks -- no! A cardboard box that used to contain matchsticks. Mouth: yes, lovely, creamy, with hints of fruit (including the stones). Finish: just a bit bitter and drying, with a backdrop of decaying fruit. This is decent enough, but unfortunately, it does not carry the same magic as the other ones I have had.

Glenlossie 35yo 1975/2011 (51.6%, The Whisky Agency, Bourbon Hogshead, 195b): a distillery I have not had too often, so I go for it, even though I have had more than I said I would. Nose: hay, apple, in a thick and dense scent. Mouth: lighter, with honey and sunflowers. Finish: Formidable, now. A bowl of overly-ripe-fruit punch. Dram of the day for me.

On the right...

While we were tasting all those, mars had the following:

-Ben Wyvis C#687 SV
-Tomatin C#5122 GMP
-Bladnoch 1987/1999 GMP
-Ardmore 1978/1999 Cad
-Springbank 18 OB 2009
-64.40

A nice first tasting. We ended up spending much longer there than foreseen (mars would not stop bringing in more bottles and samples). Nice to get to try things by bottlers I do not readily have access to.