27/01/2018 Burns' Night 2018: the Walloon tasting

Because why not? It will make sense in a minute and, of course, a little knowledge of Wallonia, Walloon and Walloons helps, here. Failing any knowledge of those topics, it is pretty certain this edition will see good whisky poured.

And haggis served!

The suspects: kruuk2, adc, JS, dom666, Psycho, sonicvince, ruckus, Bishlouk and tOMoH.

Loaaaaaadsa whisky!

I build the line-up. As soon as I am done, Psycho announces he has to leave early and will take his bottle away with him. It goes straight from last place to first and we therefore start with it as an apéritif, to accompany bruschetta and smoked-salmon toasts.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen...

The soundtrack:

Psycho presents: Julos Beaucarne - La Petite Caol (for La petite Gayole)

Caol Ila 33yo 1984/2017 (54.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 144b, 17/339): because it is always a good idea to start off a tasting with a 33yo, cask-strength Islay whisky, is it not? :-) Nose: balsamic vinegar, superb olive oil, fishing nets, capers and warm tomato sauce -- is this putanesca sauce? Smoked mussels are here too. Mouth: chargrilled toasts, anchovy paste and black olives. Finish: charcoal, a spent log fire, cockles, fishing nets again. This is won-der-ful. A tough act to follow! 9/10

Food is served. A turnip soup that everyone agrees is excellent.

sonicvince presents: a Walloon distillery (Lambertus is in Raeren, in Wallonia)

Lambertus 10yo (40%, OB): we had this one years ago, and I remember liking it. Nose: sweet, it has powdered sugar, toasted coconut, yoghurt and blackberries. Mouth: soft, sweet, yoghurt-y, with coconut paste, blackberry and blackcurrant. Lovely palate, this. Makes me think of Invergordon. Finish: more blackcurrant, blackberries, blueberries. The last note is soft and sweet. 8/10

tOMoH presents: Kéne clette! (meaning: how incompetent!)

Kinclaith 1968/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, ID/DIB): one of the few GMP offerings for which the code does not match the bottling date, suggesting the label (upon which the code is printed) was printed at the tail end of 1994 and the bottle was filled early in 1995. First Kinclaith for everyone, bar JS, adc, dom666 and myself. Nose: it oscillates between lemon and kumquat (adc), while I reckon it is satsuma, as well as a hint of banana, whiffs of burnt rubber and warm caramel. Mouth: balanced, it has oranges and burnt wood, a drop of lemon juice and PiMM's (the far superior incarnation of Jaffa Cakes, for our readers outside of PiMM'slandia). Finish: long, it has burnt orange peels, burnt caramel and PiMM's, which means orange and dark chocolate. It is almost bitter with orange, towards the end. In any case, it is excellent. 9/10

The soundtrack:

New decoration, by the way

tOMoH presents: to come from Liège, half of us had to follow the Meuse to Huy (self-explanatory)

MossTowie 18yo (40%, Sestante, b.1980s): this really is a Lomond-still Miltonduff, in case that was not clear. Those stills were only in place between 1964 and 1981. Many tonight reckon this is their first Mosstowie, forgetting that we had one several years ago (C#5816). Nose delicate, with cocoa, coffee -- no! it is sticky toffee pudding, with chocolate and Atholl Brose. Mouth: milky, yoghurt-y, it has coconut milk and varnish. Finish: caramel, pralines, chocolate coulis, woody water and a dash of pepper. The finish is nice, but not very long. 8/10

ruckus (about the music): "Depeche Mode. Pas très wallon, ça!"
sonicvince: "En Wallonie, on aime les training peau de-pêche!"

Main course is served: haggis (exploded in the oven), vegetarian haggis, parsnip purée, swede, leeks and potato gratin, potato gratin.

kruuk2 presents: Vasti fé Arran-gie (from: vasti fé arindjî, meaning: go stuff yourself)

The Arran Malt 18yo (46%, OB, b. ca 2017): nose: vinegar from Modena, sticky toffee pudding, grapefruit peels. Mouth: slightly acidic custard and Atholl Brose (again!?) Finish: big, it has lots of pepper, lemon juice and grapefruit. Those official Arrans are really well made, are they not? 8/10

vs.

Glenmorangie Cellar 13 (43%, OB, 2nd edition): nose: bizarrely, it has a drop of coffee (never happened before), as well as the expected golden syrup and manuka honey. Mouth: soft, with lots of honey, peaches in syrup and a few wood splinters. Finish: creamy, with custard and coconut water. I have always liked Cellar 13; thirteen years on, it has not changed. 8/10

JS presents: Toma-ti n'y es nin, séés-tante (from: ti n'y es nin, séés, meaning: you don't get it, do you?)

The Tomatin 15yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail imported for "Il Sestante", b.1980s):  nose: closed at first, but a few minutes of breathing help fruit come out (cherries, pears and squashed apples), masking a tiny hint of sulphur and warm wood. Mouth: milk, dark cherries, redcurrants. The palate is warm and gently smoky, full of fruity yoghurt. Finish: very complex, it marries fruit, caramel and a bit of smoke (!), with dark-chocolate-coated marshmallows. Another killer Tomatin. 9/10

kruuk2 (about the music): "Ah! This is well-known."
ruckus: "Is it Front 242?... Ah, no, it's me." :-)

Dessert is served.

That cake

sonicvince presents: Nic, k'a co fé? (meaning: Nic, what have you done again?)

Nikka Coffey Grain (45%, OB imported by La Maison du Whisky, 6/02G341337): nose: typical grain, with lots of coconut, vanilla, yoghurt and milky custard. Mouth: again, soft, silky, custard-y with, perhaps, a tiny metallic edge. Finish: lovely wood-driven grain, with tons of custard, coconut and yoghurt, as well as a pinch of verbena. 7/10

ruckus presents: Braine-l'Alleud-chie (from: Braine-l'Alleud, in the middle of Belgium)

Glenallachie 1992/2009 (46%, The Scottish Liqueur Centre The Càrn Mòr Vintage Collection, Barrel, C#587, 953b): not every day that we try an 'allachie. Nose: Grany Smith apple, a hint of coffee liqueur and... Alka-Seltzer. Mouth: gentle, with acidic apples here too, crisp and lively. Apple-flavoured wine? Cider? Bubbly? Finish: dry and short, it leaves warmth in the back of the throat, like a good brut Champagne. Pleasant enough. 7/10

tOMoH presents: Glen Esk-e c'est tot? (from: est-ce que c'est tot? meaning: will you stop it?)

Glen Esk 1982/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by LMDW, IE/DBD): I had several Esks to choose from, but I picked this one, because it was distilled in 1982... when Standard de Liège was champion of the league. Nose: sulphury, cardboard-y, "it sticks to the teeth," says sonicvince. Rotten plums. After a few minutes, fresher fruit comes out (ripe plums), and then smoke. Mouth: caramel, chocolate and smoky water. Finish: a bit short and indistinct. It probably suffers from its low ABV. Praline, liqueur, cardboard. Not an easy malt, but I like it anyway. 7/10

ruckus presents: Knap-oog Castle, which he says is Dutch for le Château de Beloeil (at a push) (Beloeil is a town in Wallonia, which, unsurprisingly, has a castle)

Knappogue Castle 12yo (46%, Castle Brands Special Barrel Release bottled exclusively for K imported by Castle Brands NY, 216b, b#210, L15 004 200 10:57): nose: berries aplenty and juicy peaches. Mouth: an interesting bite, with lots of fruity syrup and elderberry cordial. Finish: fruity pastry, chou dough, apricot turnovers and peach syrup. 9/10

JS presents: Oufti-ling (oufti is not translatable; the closest is: ooft)

Teeling 21yo 1991/2014 (46%, Teeling Whisky Company Vintage Reserve, Bourbon Barrels, Finished in Sauternes Casks, B#3, 5000b, b#2663): liquorice, earth and distant fruit. Smoked ham (JS), green grapes. This is not the fruity extravaganza I expected. Mouth: creamy, with fruity syrup, peach liqueur and a touch of chilli. Finish: hiking boots, decaying tropical fruit, Parma ham on melon slices and mango slices. Breathing will probably open this up to reveal more fruit, but it is already amazing. 9/10

Quick line-up reshuffle to allow adc to hit the sack soon.

adc presents: E-25 (the motorway from Liège to Luxemburg; look at the picture)

93.78 25yo 1992/2017 Like a vintage dessert wine (53.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill Oloroso Butt, 186b): nose: lots of leather, varnish, glue, wonderfully refined sherry maturation, earth and drying paint. Mouth: polished furniture, walnut oil, argan oil, furniture wax, apricot juice. Finish: long, with, again, the effects of a wonderful sherry maturation, slightly drying, it has rancio, leather and fortified wine. 8/10

Bishlouk presents (brace yourselves): Fexhe-le-Haut-Cloch-side (from: Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher, a village in Wallonia)

Good effort for a first participation, but he does not stop there. Near Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher is the Belgian Owl distillery, whose new stills are from Caperdonich. Caperdonich was in Rothes, which is close in name to Rotheux-Rimières, in Wallonia. Rothes is a two-hour drive away from the coast. In two hours, one can drive from Huy to Koksijde. -sijde is the Dutch equivalent of -side, from Loch-side. Koksijde/Coxyde is also the most French-speaking town on the Belgian coast. Full of Walloons, it is.
One would think he would stop there, but not so.
Lochside was a brewery from 1781 until 1957 -- another obvious common trait with Wallonia, home to so many breweries. Finally, Lochside used to belong to DYC, a Spanish distillery during the Franco years. Spain is the choice destination for the most Walloons, leading to several songs about the fact (as played in the mixes above).

Good to see someone took the theme very seriously indeed! And yes, of course, Bishlouk wanted to bring a specific bottle and shoehorned it into the theme as best he could. In any case, we laugh a lot.

Lochside 48yo 1964/2015 (41.2%, The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. The Cooper's Choice, Sherry Butt, C#6799): the mathematicians amongst our readers will observe that the age does not match the dates. The whisky was so low in alcohol that it was put into flagons in the early 2010s. No ageing officially takes place outside of wood, so the age remained static from then on. Those flagons were eventually bottled in 2015. Nose: a walk in a pinewood forest, after a gentle spring rain. Chocolate paste on toasts, roasted cereals, bubble gum, sizzling blackberry compote. Woah! Mouth: jammy and fruity, with caramelised compote and orange marmalade. It turns softly drying with sherry-like fruit and rancio. Finish: a hint of rancio, the acidity of unripe redcurrants and... more currants. Lochside has always been one of my favouritest grains, and this (yes, it is a Lochside grain) is no exception. 9/10

We devour the cheese Bishlouk bought on Arran with home-made jam, cured with a fiery sherried Ledaig. Yum!

The soundtrack:



At last, we are about to discover why dom666 brought a flipping sock to this tasting!

dom666 presents: Je tends le bas de laine, on prendra le dram 33 (paraphrasing Brel's: "J'attends la Madeleine, on prendra le tram 33")

A this stage, dom666 realises he brought... the wrong bottle. This one is not 33yo and therefore makes no sense. I refuse to drink it. But really, I do not.

Ardbeg 31yo 1972/2004 (44.2%, OB Single Cask for Belgium, Bourbon Hogshead, C#3038, 148b): nose: marvellous, with dried hay, dried mango slices, a gentle bubble gum touch, fishing nets and even ink on old parchments. Mouth: hot, it has chilli, burning hay, dried-apricot and dried-mango slices, and also a pinch of dried earth. The texture is creamy. Finish: spent embers, ashes, scorched earth, hay bales and unripe currants. I used to think the vintage vattings were superior to these single casks, but this is the second in a row that blows me away. Perhaps they simply needed twelve years of breathing in the bottle to give their full potential? I love it, tonight. No barley tone, only old-school complexity. Stuart T. certainly knew how to pick a cask! 9/10

The second cake enters. adc disappears.

What a mistake-a to make-a!

dom666 presents: Je tends le bas de laine, on prendra le dram 33 (paraphrasing Brel's: "J'attends la Madeleine, on prendra le tram 33")

Yes, he is good, our dom666, but he likes to repeat the jokes. He also breaks the cork. :-)

Port Ellen 33yo 1982/2005 (55.7%, M & H Cask Selection, Bourbon Cask, 240b): being 33yo, this is actually in theme, unlike the Ardbeg. Nose: superbly refined smoke, with fishing nets and... toothpaste. Peppermint? Mouth: very strong almond liqueur, dark pralines, smoked mussels, a trawler's diesel engine and fishing nets again. Finish: nice, with burnt hay and lots of liquorice -- lots and lots of it. This is almost sickly. Hot sand, wood varnish, sea water. Good, not great. It is always interesting to try a Port Ellen, of course, yet this is not the best of them. The liquorice hints at it being left in the wood for too long. It still deserves 8/10

JS marvels at dom666's pours.
Of Port Ellen, no less

Bishlouk leaves us. He is helping someone move in a few hours. The fool.

I am behind in drinking, and am kept busy with the official line-up. Some have left things behind that need clearing. The others have:

G5.5 18yo 1993/2012 Rich, sweet and comforting (65.4%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Virgin Toasted Hogshead, 243b)

117.3 25yo 1988/2013 Hubba-bubba, mango and monstera (58.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 199b)

Port Charlotte 14yo 2002/2017 (60.1%, Creative Whisky Company The Exclusive Malts, Sherry Hogshead, C#1140, 228b)

North British 45yo 1963/2009 (50.7%, Signatory Vintage Rare Reserve, Hogsheads, C#117362 + 117363 + 117365, 290b, b#19)

JS leaves in the middle of this after-party, while we soldier on until 5:30.

I am next to last in getting up in the morning (after five hours of shaky sleep), and offer a breakfast dram. We have Banff 35yo 1975/2011 (42.4%, Douglas Laing Old & Rare A Platinum Selection, 158b, b#149).

Dram of the day:

dom666: Caol Ila
kruuk2: Ardbeg
ruckus: Kinclaith
Psycho: tbc
Bishlouk: Lochside
sonicvince: Kinclaith
adc: Kinclaith
JS: Tomatin and Port Ellen
tOMoH: Kinclaith

Excellent times, once again. Hard to believe we have been celebrating the bard for thirteen years, now.