16/06/2018 Active distilleries

Many friends who are regulars at tOMoH's tastings converged to his neck of the woods for a little celebration. Many have suspicions regarding the occasion, but I remain discreet about it (and I will remain discreet).

I so needed a broken cork, right now!

Naturally, I am behind schedule. Cork issues and more preparation work than foreseen. They arrive early too, which stresses me out a little: I want to maintain the surprise effect, you see, and having my guests hover around is not a good way to do that. Regardless, people meet, some for the first time, some for the first time in a long while. All play the game and stay behind a partition wall; conveniently, sofas are there to welcome them. To ease the pain of waiting, I pour them an apéritif: Ben Nevis 12yo 1996/2009 (46%, The Vintage Malt Whisky The Coopers Choice, Refill Butt, C#817, 420b).
jazzpianofingers changes into something less comfortable: the poor sod has to work after this shindig.

The suspects: JH, kruuk2, dom666, Psycho, sonicvince, ruckus, EJ, Volanne, EG, pat gva, PG, CD, JK, TC, jazzpianofingers, cavalier66, JS, PS and tOMoH. OB will join us later.
Sadly, MS called off this morning: he injured his back at the gym last night and cannot move. DH called off a couple of days ago: his boss cancelled his holiday, as there was no-one to cover for him. Finally, CT warned in January that he had a clashing engagement and could not make it, after all, despite booking transport and accommodation in November.

Nibbles are brought to the table -- crisps, popcorn and that killer pata negra jamon from that secret spot near Volanne's. He also brought dried sausage and EG brought mortadella.

Needless saying we petty much destroy the lot

The Poshcorn bag at Propercorn's is universally
recognised as a faux-pas, on the other hand

Before we start, I do a quick introduction, to explain who is whom and why we are here. The audience spontaneously bursts into a song, which amuses me a lot. During the introduction, I pour more of the Ben Nevis 12yo to quench everyone's thirst.

Singing makes one thirsty

I go on to explain I chose the theme because I had a plan, though that made it difficult to find something suitable: being a ghost hunter, it is sometimes easier for me to select quality drams from closed distilleries (show-off!) Several threaten to walk out when they hear the theme. :-)

Putting pat gva on the spot
I'LL CHOP YOU UP, YO!

Time to attack the drams. All of them are poured blind. Since I am presenting and entertaining, I lack time to take long notes. The good news is that I can (and most probably will) revisit those drams in the future.

Dram #1
Nose: soft, delicate, it has bonbons and all sorts of sweets -- chiefly pear drops. It becomes fruitier and fruitier, with Turkish delights entering the scene. Mouth: soft, sweet, full of Turkish delights and honey. Finish: wonderfully fruity and rather spicy, for 40%. More honey and Turkish delights. Amazing start, really! Everyone tries to guess, but all fail miserably. jazzpianofingers is the closest, who says it is probably an old blend. Dew of Ben Nevis 40yo 1962/2002 (40%, OB, Sherry Cask) 9/10

I talk about the concept of a single blend and how this used to be a distillery exclusive. PS chips in to add that the proprietors thought those casks were not good enough and decided to blend them at birth, instead of maturing malt and grain separately. This would then be an accident. Ha!

Dram #2
Nose: initially woody, it soon opens up to reveal boiled sweets, kumquats and crystallised mandarins. Mouth: a nice, fruity dance on the tongue that comes with a healthy dose of pepper and minimal dryness. Lovely. Finish: clean and zesty, JK and TC venture it is a Bruichladdich, with ice cream notes and maybe a faint bitterness. Wrong again. Secret Stills 02.02 40yo 1966/2006 (45%, Gordon & MacPhail Secret Stills, Sherry Hogsheads, C#1204+1449+1452, 600b) 9/10

Generally thought to be a Cragganmore, this one is the last non-cask strength dram of the day. I thought cavalier might guess, since he had me try it in February. But no.

This is how one cuts a jamon

CD (talking about German football): "I like the Man-shaft."

Dram #3
Nose: super soft and delicate, with powdered sugar, ice cream shavings and banana. Mouth: soft, soft, soft, sweet, with enough lime juice to kick you in the guts, still. Finish: gentle, soft and elegant, some would say: feminine. It is sweet and mild, but flavourful. Love it. The Belgians all find it dusty and the weakest dram of the day, which I cannot explain. All the others are on my side. Tamnavulin 40yo 1968/2009 (40.6%, Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Hogshead, C#3659, 335b, b#210) 10/10

The above was my initial choice for dram #3, then I swapped it for another, before swapping it back.

TC is a fast-learner...

...but his execution is a bit sloppy!

Dram #4
Nose: this one is woodier, with mint, chlorophyll, old papers in Grandma's loft (cavalier). Mouth: pretty intense, here, it has mouthwash and wood spices. Finish: this has an amazingly-controlled wood intensity, with coconut, yoghurt and green tea leaves. Almost too much, but it walks the straight and narrow. Strathisla 40yo 1967/2008 (48.6%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#2716, 160b, b#96) 9/10

dom666 is delighted to discover he has a bottle of this, which the Belgian contingent offered him in 2008. Volanne is delighted to realise he has a bottle of this full stop. pat gva is pleased to try something he had not had from his favourite distillery.

Dram #5
Nose: leather, sherry, earth -- this smells old school! Horse stables and, behind all that, promises of citrus. Mouth: mellow, velvety, slightly rubbery, but also fruity and powerful. Finish: a whisper of bacon, and WHAM! Tropical fruit galore. The BenRiach 40yo 1975/2016 (53%, OB, Sherry Butt, C#7028, 511b, b#101) 10/10

Volanne: "Nose is good. Sherried, peaty, excellent. [Puts it in his mouth] Mhmm. Mhmmm. [Swallows] Yeah, gr-- OH! FUCK ME! THE FRUIT!!!" :-)

CD: "This is why we drink whisky! Life does not suck, right now!"

Dram #6
Nose: what a slap in the face. I had this twice before, but it still slays -- even out of a freshly-opened bottle. Lots of fruit, this time, with carambola leading the parade. Mouth: silky, velvety, fruity, then it evolves to show dry leather in the back. There is a slight bitterness to it. Finish: super-fruity, unexpectedly. This is amazing and I like it better than previous times. Springbank 40yo 1969/2009 (54.4%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Refill Sherry Butt, C#263, 356b, b#244, 09/471) 10/10

A toast to CT, who sourced this bottle for me, and a nod to Psycho, who collected it for me. This was rated best whisky on whiskybase.com, for a little while, with the effect that prices were multiplied by six overnight.

The line-up

The tasting reaches its natural conclusion. I explain that I know most here probably expected to try a 40yo official bottling from a certain Islay distillery, and I regret not having enough Laphroaig 40yo to pour to everyone. In any case, most here have already had it.
However, I cannot let these good people leave like this, on a disappointment. So we will have a nightcap. Not just any nightcap, mind. We will have a 40yo official bottling... from another Islay distillery.

Boom.

The whole gang is on their feet, screaming and clapping, and causing a general brouhaha that fills me with ecstasy. Then they all pick up a dram of the beast, and a tomb-like silence descends onto the room for a good ten minutes.

And when the Man opened the seventh bottle
Silence covered the sky

Bowmore 40yo 1955/1995 (42%, OB, Bourbon Hogshead re-racked into Sherry Butt, 306b, b#176): nose: I am dying. I can feel impending Bowmore eyes. I retreat to a bench and decide I will take notes another time. This is godly and takes us out of time. Infinity in a glass. A provisional 17/10

OB arrives right as I regain my senses: I need to tidy up. Everyone offers to help, which confusingly does not help. I usher them all out, to further enjoy themselves on the wharf.
The clearing operation is swift and relatively easy, and the place is vacated shortly before 18:00 -- yay! Thanks EG and JS for your valuable help.

Now to the after-party.

The final line-up

Many have brought goodies out. No notes, here, but a few references: Old Rhosdhu 1967/1999 (40%, OB The Original Collection) (PS has never had it), Bowmore 12yo (40%, OB, b. early 1980s), 9.110 20yo d.1996 Sense of sophistication (60.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 150b), Carsebridge 52yo (40.5%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, B#1, 260b, b#2), Vallein Tercinier Très Vieux Fins Bois Années 40 b.2013 (40%, OB, b#110/084, d.1940s), Vega 40yo 1977/2018 (43.1%, North Star Spirits, Spanish & American Oak, B#2, 400b), 90.2 10yo 1980/1991 (58.3%, SMWS Society Cask), ... I do not try all of them.

The saddle battle

Visitors

"Are we friends, now?"

EG pulls an Italian trick

cavalier66 explains... Cognac

Many are still talking about the Bowmore, though.

JH: "It's as if Jesus came and touched me."

JK: "The Bowmore 30yo last night was an epiphany. It had peat, and then fruits behind it; I loved it. And then you give me this. And it's even better."

That moment when the wind spills 1940s Cognac

Fortunately, we do not like waste and
have many ways to contain it

Imagine the stress when this happened to the Bowmore
as the guests were walking in...

After an hour or two (and some bottle trafficking), we decide it is time for food: Dinerama it is. Psycho is stuck at the gate with his suitcase: security searches bags and will not let him in with it, as it contains bottles... for me. There is a cloakroon, he says, but he is not comfortable leaving it there. I ask him why he brought them here, when he was so close to mine. "I asked you several times if you wanted them then, you said no." Obviously, I did not understand the question, because it makes no sense to bring them here. Anyway, we end up leaving the suitcase at the cloakroom and pick it up later with no issue. I wonder how many times they have been asked to store three bottles of St Magdalene at that street-food market! :-)

Yum-buns at Dinerama

Food at Dinerama

Food again

Good times indeed!