26/05/2017 Campbeltown Festival 2017 (Day 3 -- Part 3) Cadenhead's 175th Anniversary Dinner

Proper stag do, I tell thee!

The official festival is coming to an end. The final event is not unlike a farewell dinner, during which the organisers send punters away for a year. It is meant to be a grand finale in the town hall's reception room, with MC Mark Watt presenting.

This guy is training on the valinch

Once again, we are sharing the table with MSo and EC's stag do -- although EC is not here any longer, too busy preparing for his big day.

The first dram is served. Here too, everything we are served is from cask samples. They are not bottled for the general public.

Arran 1995/2017 (48.5%, Cask Sample, C#12/64-4): this is from Arran's first year of distillation; I would not be surprised if it were from the very first distillation, even. Nose: slightly woody, with almond milk, apricot stones, custard and almond spread. Mouth: velvety, with warm, crushed banana. Water irons out the imperfections and makes it proper banana purée. Finish: almond shells, coconut shells and more bananas. An OK dram; I am not fully convinced. Better with water, in any case. 6/10

CB reprazent da S.E.A.A.
Seth Efrican Arsonist Arseociation

Food is served. No starter, today -- straight to the main.

Hallibut

Chicken Balmoral

MW: "Those of you who were at my tasting didn't have enough closed distilleries, so we'll have a Glen Mhor... just because we can."

Glen Mhor 1982/2017 (50.8%, Cask Sample, C#1352): nose: ashy, with orange peels and physalis. Mouth: warming, drying and austere. Hot gravel, hot pepper, heated sawdust. Finish: orange peels, spicy and fruity, dried and ground, with crushed mint added for fun. 8/10

Surprisingly few butt-plug jokes, or fires,
considering how much that bung was passed around

Dessert.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Cranachan

MSo has a chin-stroking moment
as a consquence

MSo: "What was your favourite dram, so far?"
tOMoH: "Millburn 1974, Springbank 1965, 1967 and 1968, Macallan 1962, ..."
MSo: "What festival have I been to!?"

The third dram is Springbank 2003/2017 (57.7%, Cask Sample, C#980). It is uncomfortably hot and I have had enough to drink, however. This one, I sample and leave it at that. Time to hit the sack.

Finish the story here.