08/11/2014 November outturn at the SMWS

Five minutes in, one bottle each.
Teh winz.

We missed the October outturn, as it was the first day of the Whisky Show. Fortunately, this month, we are going back to the old habits. MS, JS and myself, that is.
I am still toasted (hazy, really) from a night out with work, so dire notes and I do not take notes on anything the others are drinking.

73.64 24yo d.1989 Anytime can be Xmas (58.4%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Butt, 532b): nose: wood and undergrowth, enhanced with spices (chilli, bay leaves -- in fact, the bay leaves are very present). There is a touch of corked wine, also, and boiled marmalade. Later on, burnt wood comes up. Mouth: peppery marmalade, and a hot one, at that. Finish: warm and warming, with lots of peppery marmalade again (or orange-flavoured pepper, maybe). This is slightly drying. Does not lack character, but not really what pushes my buttons. Another Aultmore of which I will not drink more. 7/10

48.47 11yo d.2002 Style of the 70's (56.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b): strangely, 48.51 came out last month. Nose: burnt earth, shoe polish and some perfume. Mouth: milky and well balanced, giving notes of melting milk chocolate. Finish: hot and coating, like a hot Nesquik. Nowt wrong, nowt great. 6/10

English Whisky Chapter 7 4yo 2009/2014 (59.9%, OB, Rum Cask): nose: some sherry influence is clearly detectable -- odd, considering it is a rum cask! Lots of fruit, maple syrup, cane sugar (the power of suggestion, eh?) Mouth: creamy, with molasses. Finish: long, warming and slightly rummy (no shit, Sherlock!) Great surprise! I half-expected this to be vile; it is not. 7/10 (thanks Barry)

3.227 16yo d.1997 Tasty farmhouse cooking (56.4%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Butt, 591b): since I am so discombobulated anyway, might as well try the peaters. Nose: earth, mud, faint manure and, underneath it all, tame exotic fruit. Oh! it is no 1968, of course. Still, a good omen for things to come, when that sort of casks reach ripe, old age. Mouth: surprisingly light and fresh -- MS finds it almost repugnant, judging by his face. Finish: earth and ash with a touch of fruit. JS finds rubber, 'like licking a tyre,' she says. 'A tractor tyre, then,' I add. MS is made to realise his status of novice: he has never licked a tyre in his life! Tsk-tsk! This is not a great dram by any means, yet it is pleasant enough and promising for the future production. 7/10


53.211 22yo 1992/2014 And it is goodbye to care (54.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 264b): nose: ash and burnt cork. Very appealing. Ahem. Mouth: quite thin, actually. Pepper, sugar (odd combo) and syrup (even stranger). Candied pears or apricots in syrup. Finish: phwoar! Barbecue, burnt pork chops and a drop of slightly sweet barbecue sauce. 7/10

9.93 17yo 1997/2014 Interplay of light and shade (55.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 295b): nose: pastry, blackcurrant muffins and apricot with just a touch of plant stems. Mouth: marmalade, blackcurrant and blueberry coulis, still with that plant-stem bitterness. Finish: slightly acidic, now, though for the most, it is pastry and fruit goodness. 8/10

93.60 21yo d.1992 A Wicked Wee Witch (60.4%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 160b): nose: fresh butter, dandelions and a LOT of alcohol with smoked ham. Mouth: lively to a point, warm, but not overpowering. Pepper really takes off, after a bit. Finish: pepper, all sorts of chillies, Talisker (what?), then light fruit. A decent Glen Scotia. Even JS likes it. 7/10

This is good too

Good, lazy session. It was slow in the beginning for me, due to last night's excesses. The venue was a bit too busy at times and we were surprised by some of the new policies (new manager). They do make sense, simply, I did not expect them. Even more surprisingly, there seemed to be quite some tensions behind the bar. Fact or impression, we will see. Hopefully, it is "merely" near-exhaustion. The biggest disappointment of the day came when we found out 112.7 had ran out, both by the bottle and the glass. It was released yesterday, FFS!