03/01/2016 TriOrd at Dornoch Castle Hotel

A few before departure. Only a few, as the excesses of the previous days are starting to take their toll.

Glen Ord 16yo 1998/2014 (42.5%, Unknown Bottler selected by Simon & Phil for Dornoch Castle, 60b): nose: white wine, plum eau-de-vie, vinegar. The eau-de-vie calms down to produce a little coal dust, then more appealing fruit. I am not a fan of fruit eau-de-vie, you see. Mouth: mellow and sweet, with ripe conference pears. Pleasant. Finish: pear action again, with added milk chocolate and a slight acidity. This is not bad at all. 7/10

Glen Ord 12yo (70° Proof, OB, b.1970s): nose: a lot dustier, with hay dust, straw dust, crushed pine cones. It smells a bit of sheepfold, to be honest. Direct-fired stills, no doubt. Mouth: plum liqueur, this time, with a few herbs added in for good measure (hawthorn, lemon thyme). Finish: lingers on with herbal plum liqueur and the sweetness of pear. Strange how this is both dusty and sweet at the same time. 8/10

Glen Ord 5yo (43G.L., OB, b.1970s): nose: plum eau-de-vie, coal dust. It later turns to plum stones, old staves and old corks. Mouth: sugary and easy, with crushed pears, pear compote (yes, that is roughly the same), a hint of cinnamon, maybe even a minute amount of star aniseed. Finish: yes, star aniseed it is, in pear compote with an added bitterness. Lovely. 8/10

Funny to see the lineage so clearly: pears and plums in all of them.

JS has a Glenallachie 38yo TWA on top -- the one colloquially known as Moody Lions. I cannot take any more.

Time to say good bye and go.

JS being silly