29 November 2018

28/11/2018 Craigellachie 51 at Milroy's

The news dropped a month or so ago: Craigellachie was to release a 51yo expression. Fifty-one years old. Impressive, eh? The promotional blurb they published alongside was that they were worried and mildly annoyed that the desirability and the inevitable price tag would almost certainly lead to those bottles of 51yo whisky going from auction house to collector's shelf to auction house, the liquid inside being never truly appreciated. They wanted to find a way to not only counter that, but also to ensure that as many enthusiasts as possible got to try the beast. They came up with a scheme: anyone interested was able to enter a draw; the names drawn would be invited to a session with a small group, and a brand ambassador would pour the amber liquid. For free.
The scheme received unanimous praise and the initiative was widely saluted. Here was a company that would sacrifice more than £50k to pour whisky for enjoyment. Of course, I entered the ballot. And did not win.

Last Friday, out of the blue, I received an email from idealrichard, once a regular at our tastings, who has been sucked into other duties for the past three years. He had been chosen and asked me if I wanted to be his guest. How nice is that?

And here we are tonight, waiting to be taken downstairs at Milroy's for the tasting. Once there, in a cask-shaped alcove, someone realises we have not had the introduction upstairs. Thinking it will be a five-minute affair, I leave my stuff in the alcove (that will trigger some teasing from all, later on) and proceed upstairs, to a hidden room behind a curtain. There, a brand ambassador whose name I cannot recall tells us a little about Craigellachie and pours the 13yo and 17yo. I take no notes (my notebook is downstairs), but like them quite a bit. The 17yo especially, which is much more refined and complex. The other two attending with us admit they have never tried Craigellachie before, which surprises me. I am also surprised that the girl promptly tells us what we are supposed to smell and taste in these two, as I know suggestion is almost impossible to overcome. The bits of history she tells are more interesting to me, as is the information that Craigellachie gets its malt from Glen Esk Maltings and that it is oil-fire dried for them -- the only distillery in Scotland with such a requirement. I ask whether the fact their age statements are prime numbers is a deliberate choice: it is. Just do not mention the 33yo and, now, the 51yo. ;-)

It is only ten to fifteen minutes before we are back downstairs for the main act. Georgie Bell introduces the bottle: it was a single cask of whisky distilled on the 22nd December 1962 and bottled in 2014. There is a chance the proprietors wanted to wait another couple of years, for this to be a prime-number age, but at 40.8%, the ABV in the cask was too low to take that risk. As it turns out, it was even lower by the time they actually bottled it: 40.3%. Bell then talks us through the idea of having a draw and pouring this for the lucky winners for free, instead of selling it "for hundreds of thousands of pounds," which is extremely optimistic for a Craigellachie, even at that age, I think to myself (compare with Glenglassaugh 53yo, RRP £5300 or Bowmore 50yo, RRP £22000 -- even the almighty Black Bowmore 50yo had an RRP of £25000, and Craigellachie is not Bowmore, in terms of desirability -- but I digress). Bell gives us some tasting notes as well, which I do my best to ignore: I am after my own impressions, not a list of nuances that an employee of the producer's tells me I should find in this whisky, thank you very much.

The liquid.

Craigellachie 51yo 1962/2014 (40.3%, OB Single Cask, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, C#001940, 51b): note the number of bottles! Nose: ha! The unmistakable depth of something very old indeed and, more precisely, a depth that is seldom felt in anything distilled on this side of the 1960s. All sorts of flowers, starting with jasmine and lilac, but also fresh paint and new match sticks. Soon, satsuma foliage joins the dance, as well as dried satsuma peels and citrus jams. It is a very complex nose alright, and I am delighted to be here, already. Mouth: soft, mild, almost weak. It is gently grassy, with a pinch of ginger, perhaps rose-petal jam and squashed apricot, too. Good enough palate, but probably too soft. Those two youngsters upstairs at 46% now appear to have been a terrible idea, numbing the mouth in a way that this old and frail juice cannot shake back into shape. It feels tired, with the texture of watery peach nectar. Finish: fresh, but also dry, it has bay leaves, crushed lemongrass, frankincense and rose-petal jam. It grows fruitier with each sip, and the whole is long and bold, very long, in fact. The lasting impression is that of rose-petal jam on balsa wood, sprinkled with lychee juice. An excellent dram, somewhat let down by a rather weak palate. I had it at 8 because of that, but the growing finish note encourages me to push it up a bit. 9/10

Was it worth it? Well, yes, of course. What an opportunity! Thanks, idealrichard.
All the same, if the initiative is laudable, I thought the implementation, although very corporate (branding everywhere, goodie bags, complimentary cocktail and all), was a little clumsy, in parts.

  • Of course this is a publicity stunt to promote the core range, yet serving two core-range drams prior was a huge mistake that desensitised the taste buds before the frail old lady. A mere look at the ABV pretty much makes that clear
  • A publicity stunt, by its very nature, is meant to attract new customers; that worked, since some had never had a Craigellachie before. The unfortunate downside is that many who have tried Craigellachie and like it did not have a chance to try and like this special one. Perhaps those newcomers may not have appreciated it as much as others would have
  • Crucially, if having a maximum of eight guests per session makes it a more intimate event, it means that sessions have to be short to roll guests in and out quickly, so all can attend over the course of two evenings. Result: we spent less than twenty minutes with a dram that, given its age, would have required an hour or two
  • Finally, the cask-shaped alcove is an attractive novelty, but not the most comfortable
  • I will not talk about the incense, lit at the entrance of the venue; it could have ruined the nosing, but did not -- phew!

Still, the above is very minor discontent to balance what was a good experience, nonetheless. I am sure a move like this one will attract attention and respect for a distillery that, not ten years ago, was completely overlooked. Considering the quality of their products, I say it is deserved.

20 November 2018

19/11/2018 Three blends by J & A Mitchell

A discontinued one, a recent one and a rare one.

Mitchell's 12yo (43%, J & A Mitchell & Co, b. ca 2016): of course, most people say buying Campbeltown Loch 21yo is a cheap way of buying Springbank 21yo. What most people fail to realise is that, apart from Campbeltown Loch 30yo, which is indeed teaspooned with Springbank, this blend here is the only J & A Mitchell concoction that contains any Springbank... or at least, that is the party line. Nose: stewed pears, apple compote, a drop of caramel coulis, Scottish tablet, fudge, toffee. Perhaps it has a dash of furniture polish and wood-floor wax, cider and Brazil-nut body butter. The cider note grows in intensity, followed by soaked blotting paper and mince pies. At twelve years of age, this is not a masterclass in complexity, but it does the trick. Towards the end, it goes towards the dusty interior of an old, wooden cupboard and baked plantain. Mouth: good balance, the 43% causing no damage. It has butterscotch, fudge, toffee, chocolate pudding, overly-baked apricot compote, caramel, a touch of peppermint and a certain acidity. It is softly oily, yet a little thin, all in all. Finish: with similar notes of caramel, toffee and Scottish tablet, the finish sees added cardboard, fresh mint, discreet liquorice root and candied ginger shavings, Japanese-restaurant style. the whole is augmented with a spoonful of dark-orange marmalade and faded, soft leather. This is a very fine, unpretentious, every-day blend. 7/10

William Cadenhead 20yo (46%, Cadenhead, B#1, 480b, b.2018): sherry casks are expensive. Sherry-matured whisky is therefore expensive. Cadenhead, being ever-inclusive, regularly bottle a fairly-priced, twelve-year-old blend, so anyone can try a decent, sherry-matured whisky without breaking the bank. This year, they also released this twenty-year-old, containing Glenrothes and Strathclyde. Nose: it smells exactly as it looks -- several types of exotic woods, such as mahogany and polished teak, walnut-stained chests, melted chocolate on a warm waffle, and Brazil nuts in sizzling butter. It is pretty buttery, actually, which comes as no surprise, as soon as one knows which malt went into this. That is not suggestion, by the way: I found the butter before looking at the composition. Linseed oil, water colour, old rags, stained with furniture wax. Mouth: gentle, yet a notch woodier than the Mitchell. It has raspberry, chocolate, some tannins under control, banana-and-chocolate muffins and sticky toffee pudding. The raspberry grows and grows, alongside Brazil-nut butter and sparkly brown soda. Despite a modest ABV, the mouth has enough horsepower to keep one challenged. Finish: more ample than expected, it has yet more raspberry, dark chocolate and Brazil-nut body cream, chocolate sponge cake, and a pinch of grated ginger. Treacle and fudge appear too, as well as a drop of dark soda (a certain Spice with a PhD). Cassia bark and toffee. This is brilliant. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, MSo)

Campbeltown Loch 25yo (40%, Springbank Distillers imported by Preiss Imports, b. mid-2000s): nose: this is a completely different animal, with a depth that the other two did not have. In no particular order, we have raspberries, overripe canary melons, stewed rhubarb, figs, stewed carambola (yes, it surprised me too), dark cherries, candied gooseberries, candied grapefruit segments, crystallised tangerines and satsumas, then soaked staves, moist cork and cask stopper, bung cloth, soaked with whisky spray, prunes in syrup, re-hydrated sultanas, extra-ripe, soft pears, candied pistachios and all sorts of lovely jams. Apart from the stave-y note, twenty-five years of maturation have miraculously brought no woodiness to this. Mouth: a mild acidity comes with the fruit, of which there is plenty. Citrus (tangerine, satsuma, pomelo), crisp apple and more tropical items too (guava, carambola, dragon fruit, even pink passion fruit). The mouth has the minor bitterness of orange peel as well. Every note is integrated to perfection. It is rather moving to see how a mere blend at 40% can be so amazingly well made. Finish: orange marmalade, mixed peel, a drop of lime, cucumber peel in tonic water, sandalwood, apple mint, laurel leaves, fir trees. The death oscillates between citrus fruit and pine forest, refreshing and beautiful. Geranium, tomato stem, lime zest. It is striking how much this reminds me of Indian tonic, with lime and cucumber peel added to it! In any case, it is excellent! 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, DS)

18 November 2018

17/11/2018 Hunting high and low

JS and Cavalier66 join me to open things with a low-fill level, with a high ABV, or connected to A-ha  and their song, in any way.


Since there are few of us, we all raided our miniatures and samples cabinets, with Cavalier66 bringing a whopping number of them (is it sixteen?) We freestyle the line-up and do not try everything.

L'Encantada 20yo Bas Armagnac (46%, L'Encantada Sélection l'Encantada, B#20Sel.003) (Cavalier66): Bas Armagnac, where 'bas' means 'low.' Nose: squashed dark fruit (the darkest blackcurrant) and a lot of petrol. Surprisingly so. Mouth: soft, it has prunes and... not much else going on. The low ABV makes it suffer a bit. Finish: decayed peach, fruit liqueur, blackberries. This is not a super-complex number, but a decent apéritif all the same. 7/10

vs.

Baron de Lustrac d.1966 (40%, OB, L.660480116) (Cavalier66): trust the horseman to deliver the 1966 goodies. He brought this one because the level is low in the bottle -- though that is because what is missing was drunk, not because of evaporation. Nose: more herbaceous, with lots of bay leaves and fresh rosemary, moving towards waxier aromas. Mouth: very acidic, it has lemon-drizzled highballs, then a pinch of cinnamon. Finish: acidic again, with more lemon drops in highballs. 7/10

Armagnac are like London buses...

Nibbles enter, a collection of crisps (which flew from London to San Francisco and back, and have therefore been very high), Serrano ham, Comté cheese, mozarella di buffala and artisan bread, all exquisite.



We joke we need to have a Brexit tasting. Bottlings whose noses promise things that the mouth and finish never deliver.

Tomatin 43yo 1965/2009 (41.4%, The Lonach Whisky Company Lonach imported by Preiss Imports) (JS): Low-nach, low ABV, though really, the reason is that Lonach, a Duncan Taylor subsidiary, is based in Huntly. Nose: lots of Haribo sweets, strawberry bubble gum, cinnamon, pear drops, shaving foam, berries jam. The nose just keeps giving! Hopefully, JS lets me try this when I have more time, so I can take more exhaustive notes. Mouth: of course, it feels a little weak, at this ABV. It remains fruity, with apricot jam, squashed peach, crushed persimmon, maybe even maracuja (though in hindsight, I suspect it is guava). Finish: long and fruity. I am unimaginative, today, but this is excellent, with its fruity bubble gum, cinnamon and soft acidity, nectarines, greengages and yellow plums. Cavalier wonders aloud if 'lonach' means 'the leftovers;' this one does not read 'single cask,' and there is a chance it is a vatting of leftovers from other casks which were bottled for their Rare Auld collection. After trying this bottling, we all agree 'lonach' does not mean 'dregs.' 9/10

Longmorn 36yo 1975/2011 (46.4%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead, C#3977, 192b) (Cavalier66): this was -- wait for it -- on Cavalier's highest shelf. We rarely try things from this German bottler, so it is a little exciting to do so now. Nose: unmistakable dunnage warehouse, with lichen on staves, caramelised cherries and caramelised red onions. Further, it gives subtle leather and horse's hair. Mouth: acidic, this would be stripping at a higher strength; here, it has crushed, not-quite-ripe gooseberry and blackcurrant, and a twist of the black-pepper mill. Finish: huge, long and fruity, with all sorts of jams. The second sip brings maracuja -- always a pleasure, that. 9/10

Cavalier66: "The fruit gets you in the back. Well, it got me, anyway."

Glen Garioch 21yo (43%, OB, b#14980, L131 0652) (tOMoH): there is a stag on the bottle, making this a hunting connection. Nose: earth, dry peat and ash, eyeliner, eye make-up. Banana shows up too, squashed in custard. Dust -- desert dust, I mean. This nose is deep. Mouth: soft, gentle, with rich peach flesh, until the earth comes back, alongside hot sands. Finish: earthy, chewy, with a wave of fruity bubble gum and salty whelk. I still love this. 9/10

Glencadam 14yo 1964/1979 (45.7%, Cadenhead) (JS): this had a low fill level, when JS opened it in Campbeltown, earlier this year. The link today, however, is GlencA-ham. "Medicinal pineapple," says Cavalier66, clearly under the influence of alcohol. Nose: aromatic herbs, it also has a metallic note and lots of pineapple drops, as well as mixed peel, plasticine and oily waxes. Mouth: plasticine, waxy plums, the waxy bitterness of plant stems, unripe greengages. Finish: yellow fruit and a hint if tin (tinned peaches, then?) Just as with the Tomatin, my notes are not the best, but I love this. 9/10

Cavalier66: "jazzpianofingers finds a lot of putty in things, these days..."
tOMoH: "Yeah. And he's often wrong. There's a difference between putty and plasticine. I think that's what he means."
Cavalier66: "What he really means is: 'medicinal pineapple.'"

Bunnahabhain 41yo 1968/2010 (40.0%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead, C#12291) (Cavalier66): from the knight's highest shelf again. And top-shelf stuff it is, too! Nose: very fragrant, it has forsythia, grapefruit peel, cut, buttery fruit, cut mango and guava, some esters, but also nail varnish, crayons shavings and mild shoe polish (whatever that means), frangipane and a pinch of dust.  What a majestic nose! Mouth: delicate, subdued, but it retains similar elements -- yellow flowers and yellow fruits, verging on tropical. It might be a little thin, to be honest, but that is not too distracting. Grapefruit segments and mango peels. Finish: loud and boisterous, much to my surprise, it is full of assertive cut fruits and glossy nail varnish, with the acidity of the latter challenging the rest. Beautiful whisky. 9/10

Glengoyne 37yo 1972/2010 (46.3%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Barrel, C#4807, 192b) (Cavalier66): horseman explains he bought all these minis whilst on holiday, early one morning, waiting for the family to get up for the day's activities. I say: "a highest shelf well stocked.' Nose: all manners of waxes and honeys. I am expecting bees to swarm around me any second! Manuka honey, acacia honey, Weetabix in milk, then a whiff of crushed mint. Mouth: oh! yes, liquid honey, liquid soap (in a good way), still a minty edge and some spices -- bay leaves and ground cloves. Finish: long, it has squashed fruit (guava and papaya) and honey. Lots and lots of honey. The whole is augmented with crushed bay leaves. Exquisite. 9/10

Quite a string of corkers, is it not?

Glenturret 34yo 1977/2012 (47.4%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead, C#12007, 96b) (Cavalier66): highest shelf and so on. This is the same pedigree as the Berry Bros bottlings that started the whole enthusiasm for Glenturret. Will it compare? Nose: more traditional, with woody tones, warm vanilla custard, sawdust and Custard Cream biscuits. The wood is rather strong. Water tames the wood and brings out more Custard Creams and other biscuits. Mouth: it is more pungent than the moderate ABV suggests, a bit bitter, with lukewarm custard cream, shortbread and spices. The spices rise, mostly ginger. Water drowns it completely. Finish: fruit, boiled beyond recognition, all mushy and tasteless. The fruit ends up composing itself and taking off, somewhat, but it is certainly not as exuberant as in the Berry Bros offerings. Water makes this bitter, almost undrinkable. Objectively, it is a good whisky; it suffers from the comparison with its siblings, though. And do not add water! 8/10

Cavalier66: "This one is more vegetal. Or it's the food I've just had."
tOMoH: "The ham?"

And he points out his shirt is also... high!

Cavalier66 and JS venture new puns for a music/Pink Floyd tasting -- Dark side of the Moon Import and Shine on you crazy MoS Diamond.

Angel's Envy Cask Strength b.2016 (62.3%, Angel's Envy, American White Oak + Port Barrels Finish, 8000b) (tOMoH): distilled by Louisville Distilling, I chose this for its high strength. Note that we skipped the 50s altogether, in terms of ABV! Nose: sweet and Bourbon-y (no shit!), it has liquorice, ginger, walnut stain, wood varnish, lacquered wood and mint paste -- toothpaste? Not quite. Perhaps sweetened toothpaste, for children. Mouth: very powerful, it has Jägermeister, Stroh and more lacquered wood. It is good, if not complex. The wood is powerful, but it is no splinter juice. Finish: big, minty, packed with liquorice and lacquered wood. Water brings down the alcohol without massively changing the profile. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, DS -- I think)

St Magdalene 11yo 1982/1994 (62.6%, Cadenhead) (tOMoH): this is from the Low-lands, has a low age, a low fill level and a high strength. Nose: flinty and grassy, powerful and indomitable, at first. It has sage, crushed rosemary, shoe polish, gravel -- phwoar! Austere and warming; I can feel my hair growing and wrinkles forming! Brimstone, shotgun barrels, matches, lighters, perhaps even stagnant water. This is intimidating, at full strength. With water, it is slightly more civilised. Faded leather emerges, alongside a leek broth, with custard -- most peculiar, but it works! Mouth: warm hot, flinty, chiselled, with ground sage, gravel, beaten by the sun, granite... This is so mineral it hurts! Metal and gunpowder, Wild-West style. Water keeps it rather similar, metallic and hot. Finish: warm custard, here, much softer, once you let the brutality of the alcohol wash over you. Glycerine, hot butterscotch, metal and bitter sage -- or is it ivy? With water, it becomes more bitter and herbaceous, yet the custard comes out more too, weirdly enough. These young StM are complex, fearsome beasts. 9/10

[Cavalier66 chokes]
JS: "What? It isn't a gentle Lowlander?"
Cavalier66: "No. This hits me in the face with two fish."

George T. Stagg 17yo 1993/2010 (71.5%, OB Barrel Proof, 142 x New White Oak Barrels) (Cavalier66): time to call in the cavalry66 (ho-ho-ho)! This product of Buffalo Trace is here for the high strength, of course (check it again), but also for the Stagg on the bottle and the hunting link. Nose: caramel-y (The Flat One in a Quality Street box -- why did they replace the tin with plastic?) and aromatic, it has oregano, caramel butter, redwood, teak, pine cones of the sort one finds in Yosemite that are as big as a grown man's head. This becomes so woody! Much later, it reveals dark chocolate and hot cocoa, though it also retains its herbaceous character. Mouth: powerful, but less so than expected, it has lacquered dashboards, polished redwood, teak cabinets, liquorice roots, allspice mix, then red chilli powder and vindaloo spice mix. Finish: big and powerful, though here too, less than expected. It has lots of Jägermeister, cinnamon and other sweet-ish wood spices -- ginger, caramelised nuts (hazel, macadamia and Brazil). This is not something I would drink every day (and that is before taking the price into account), but it is enjoyable and interesting. Cavalier and I cannot not compare it to the 38yo Tullamore from March, though that one was even more terrifying. 8/10

This, on the other hand...
FOR LITTLE GIRLS!

What a session! Great drams, great food, good pace. The only thing is: because there were few of us, I was more involved in the conversation and had less time to write down anecdotes.

15 November 2018

11/11/2018 Three disparate official bottlings

Daftmill 12yo 2006/2018 Summer Release (46%, OB): the first Daftmill caused a bit of a stir, earlier this ear, receiving very positive reviews. I can only admire the approach, really: in a world of quick feedback, immediate returns and a constant need for cash, Daftmill was known to me as "that new distillery in Tayside that just started." Then, they release this and I realise that they have been at it for twelve years and have somehow managed to not leak anything in that time: no new-make, no-age-statement, or very-young whisky. They patiently waited for the whisky to mature until it was twelve years of age. The only potential downside to that, of course, is that there is little brand awareness, outside of geek circles. The quality will dictate whether that will correct itself. Nose: light and delicate, it has a whiff of malt, custard and porridge, cut flowers, coconut shavings, chicken-sausage mince, pine needles, soy milk, Chardonnay and a drop of Garnier's Respons shampoo (aka Ultra Doux) with chamomile and acacia honey -- though it has the scent, not the soapiness. All that is tame, almost too discreet. Mouth: remarkably in line with the nose, the mouth has cereals (oats and barley), coconut, blond-hair shampoo, milk with a pinch of ground cardamom, a broth of cut flowers and custard. The texture is gently oily, not too thick, yet also not awfully thin. There is a gentle, acidic touch that balances the whole; unripe-orange pith, unripe-lemon pith. Finish: here too, it is rather consistent, with coconut and cereal in milk, custard, yellow flowers, the freshness of pine needles, a drop of melted milk chocolate and a faint citric note that is really rather pleasant. Well, it was a risky bet to wait all that time before releasing anything, but I can really see this becoming popular. Ideal as an apéritif. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Tomatin 30yo (46%, OB, B#1, b.2018): this seems to replace the batches of 36yo, as well as the limited d.1988. Nose: light, ethereal and perfume-y, it has honeycomb and honeysuckle, lilac and gorse, conference pears, a little lichen and ground sage. The second sniff brings out a dollop of mud, and then citrus rises. Mouth: a few drops of grapefruit juice in custard, lovely cereals, peach drops, dried banana slices, lemon drops, a pinch of ground cloves, maybe ground cardamom too -- but one would be wrong to think this is spicy. Mango-and-peach juice. Finish: a bit more action, at last. It still has the custard-y and fruity notes, but this time, it also has a pinch of dry earth added into the mix. Fruity milk, even exotic fruit (carambola), at this stage. However, it is not an exuberant fruit storm; rather a subdued fruit salad, imported into the northern hemisphere. This is very good, but yeah! It does not have the ridiculous fruitiness of batches #1 and #3 of the 36yo. It is closer in style to batch #2. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Ardbeg Alligator (51.2%, OB, 11100435): nose: a different ride altogether, innit. It has ink (ooh! As did the 1965 by Cadenhead). lots of ink, in fact, fresh peat, thick and greasy, turf, boggy soil, farmlands after a storm; this is incredibly inky and earthy. I cannot remember it being thus when I first had it. That goes to show circumstance does a lot for one's appreciation of whisky and that is why small samples are not usually a good thing. One only has one shot (or two). Back to the notes: a sawmill in the Adirondacks, with freshly-sawn pine trees. Take it from a bloke who has never set foot in the Adirondacks; I just like the name. It is woody, though. Mouth: boggy and earthy, more than it is inky, on the palate, it delivers more moisture-gorged turf, peat bogs and damp earth -- rubber boots at the ready, folks! Brackish, stagnant water, worms, tar and then some forest fruit: raspberry, wild strawberry, bramble. Raspberry coulis on sticky toffee pudding. Finish: smoke makes its way at last and, unexpectedly, it is very dry. The air in a bothy, around the camp fire; it might be damp outside, but not inside. Hikers are roasting raspberries on the fire. Peat-reek, incense, exotic smoke, embers from exotic-wood logs, wild berries. This sort of makes me like Ardbeg again. Not bad at all. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, MSo)

Pot of Lucky Charms landed not far

10/11/2018 Three peaters on a cold November rain

Not that cold, but flipping wet!

Port Ellen 19yo 1982-3/2001-2 (43%, Douglas McGibbon Provenance): I do not have the cask number, or indeed the exact pedigree, for this one. There seem to be four offerings in that range with that age. Nose: it warms me up immediately, with ashes and hot wax, charred nail varnish, burning cinnamon sticks, extremely-dryd fishing nets, left in the sun for months, dry kelp on pebbles, smoked cockles -- this is phantastically peaty and in-your-face, considering it is reduced to 43%. I find it very ashy and smoky, if never really losing that waxy/nail varnish-y touch. Shellac, maybe? I would say engine fumes, but it is more coastal than that; if anything, it is the boiler room of a trawler at sea, eaten by rust and seaspray. Distant bakelite or warm plastic, too. At second sniff, the smoke takes a back seat (the back seat of a diesel bus) and lets the wax drive. Mouth: it still has a bite, but here, the 43% show and feel: it is rather light and thin. The mouth is a lot sweeter than the nose suggested, with pear drops and a minute soapiness, bubble gum, cinnamon sticks and, surprisingly, almost none of the peaty and ashy elements from the nose. Maybe a distant smoke, though I put that down to suggestion. The second sip, strangely, showcases the smoke a bit more, it seems, with ashes and gunpowder, incense and menthol. Finish: amazingly sweet, with all sorts of crystallised fruit (kumquat, pear, pineapple), a pinch of earth and a thin veil of smoke. How unexpected! Also in the finish is more menthol, which I usually do not like, but it is kept in check. The coastal notes have completely disappeared, bar a saltiness that balances the sweetness well. Based on previous, similar experiences associated with the 1983 vintage, I presume this is Port Ellen 19yo 1983/2002 (43%, Douglas McGibbon Provenance, C#DMG 2736), which seems to be the only 1983 bottled by the company. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Longrow 16yo d.2001 (49.1%, cask sample, Warehouse 5, Rotation 508): this was brought and poured at the after-party in June, though I never got round to trying it. CD kindly left it behind. Nose: it is always such an eye-opener to have peaty whiskies from various parts of Scotland back to back. Campbeltown is a stone's throw from Islay, yet this Longrow has little in common with with the Port Ellen, in terms of peat flavours. This one is much, much dryer, with sunny farm paths, dried mud, cow dung, diesel fumes and maybe, just maybe, dried seaweed. One can perhaps find the coastal influence, yet it is so subdued it is more less-than-twenty-kilometres-from-the-coast than made-by-the-sea. All in all, this nose is very comforting. Far in the back, we have bergamot, unripe mandarin and its foliage, scented candles, warm plasticine and blue Pelikan glue sticks. Mouth: soft and mild, it grows bigger, with some metal, apricot flesh, spent matchsticks, smoked teas, scorched earth. Amazingly, the fruit sort of dominates the peat, here, which is unexpected. Cream soda, cardamom pods, a pinch of ground cloves, ginger powder... It is quite spicy! The second sip is even numbing. Finish: it all turns smokier, here, but again, fruit-driven. Well, fruit- and mushroom-driven! It leaves the mouth a bit dry, with ground peach stone, spent wick, hot candle wax, spices, diesel fumes and a good dose of fruit -- unripe bergamot and mandarin. Nice! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, CD)

Loch Lomond 21yo 1997/2018 (52.5%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Barrels, 378b, 18/227): this was nice, when it came out. I remember thinking it was a Croftengea in disguise. Loch Lomond have become iffy about their brand names. Nose: again, another style of peat, completely! This is fresh peat, turf, bog myrtle, muddy tracks -- really, it reminds me of a hike in the Highlands, under the proverbial rain. The peat here is greasy, dark and moist, and joined by a faint amount of scented wax used to seal love letters. The nose is not particularly complex, if I want to be critical, but it is good at what it does. There might be a herb mix in there, yet not enough roast chicken for a Croftengea -- I now reckon it could also be an Inchmoan. Not that it matters, really. Mouth: waxy and coating, it soon delivers mucho plums, chilli and Romano pepper, ripe-tangerine peel, fresh fig, crayons and a spoonful of mud. The peat and mud seem a lot tamer than in my memory, but that is no flaw. It is a gently-peaty dram with much more to offer. Finish: Oh! my, the fruit is now amazing! Squashed plum, fresh fig, tangerine segments, all augmented with a splash of soaked earth. Banana relish appears, hot candle wax, nail varnish (Barry M's Bright Purple), pine honey, hand lotion, crayons, Chinese gooseberry -- a lot of that, in fact. Excellent Loch Lomond. That distillery is going through a massive shift in perception and it is likely to be one of the future great names. Whiskies like this one certainly contribute to that! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

8 November 2018

07/11/2018 Two Ben Nevis

Should that be Ben Nevises?

Ben Nevis 21yo 1996/2018 (52.9%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 210b): I remember liking this a lot, when it came out in May, then having a top-up to confirm and being less convinced. What luck to have an opportunity for another go. Nose: a whiff of fruit, not in a particularly good shape -- decaying apples, overripe pears, strawberries past their prime. There is also a more "traditional" Ben Nevis touch, with stagnant water and cured meat. The decaying apple is quite something! It makes me think of a cider fermentation vat. It also has dust and ground stones; quarry dust, in other words. The faintest touch of wood varnish, overripe peaches and old oilskin.  The back of the nose is softly peaty, too. At second sniff, the fruit is fresher, more in line with the mouth. Mouth: good balance, with the texture of acacia honey, a pinch of red chilli powder, plums, apricots and candied apples. The fruit is now very pleasant, surprisingly enough. The mouth is coating and sweet, really a mix of honey and fruit. It is as if it were a completely different dram, when compared to the nose! A lick of nail varnish, maybe, but the dominant is that sweetness. Boy! is this sweet. Finish: holy cow! This is a fruit bomb! Assertive kick of yellow plum, apricot and juicy peach, all coated in a wonderful fruit syrup, sweet and softly acidic. That is complemented by a minor note of cedar wood and ginger shavings. Phwoar! What a surprise! The nose made me question my initial impression again, and I was expecting the worst. But this is very, very nice. If only the nose were not almost off-putting, I would score it higher. I now regret not buying it a little. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Ben Nevis 27yo 1990/2018 (58.9%, Le Gus't Sélection XV, Port Pipe, C#5): I tried (and hated) this in Zürich, in June, a few days after it was bottled. Nice to try it in more relaxed circumstances. I do not usually comment on the colour, but this is between tawny and frankly pink. It reminds me of the Port-casked Glengoynes from the SMWS. Nose: there seems to be little of the Port influence, here; it is mostly earth and chocolate-coated cherries, which I am all in favour of! That is shortly joined by petrol and lamp oil, then a drinks cabinet from the 1970s -- it contains all sorts of old-school bottles, such as liqueurs and fortified wines, few spirits. A mix of squashed raspberry and crushed walnuts enters the dance, sprinkled with Port. There we go. Later on, the trademark Ben Nevis meat shows up too, taking it down a notch for me. Mouth: the texture is thinner than expected and it has the pinkness of the appearance (whatever that means). Again, it reminds me of the SMWS Glengoynes, with Corsodyl (a pink-looking, antibiotic mouthwash) and diluted fruit juice. Not too agreeable to me, this. It is also rather hot! Anaesthetising, just like Corsodyl is. The colour, the taste, the mouthfeel... All points to the mouthwash, which I am not a fan of. Finish: some nuts, some wine, loads and loads of corks. Old corks, new corks, damaged corks, dry corks, soaked corks, crumbling corks, and a fair amount of spices. I find this awfully cork-y, to the point it seems flawed. It leaves the mouth very dry and a bit bitter, which latter point is actually increased by the minute nuttiness, despite a few dark fruits. This one is really not my thing. I might try it with water another time. 4/10 (Thanks for the sample, Steph2A)

6 November 2018

03/11/2018 Pre-Bonfire Night drams

SW invited me to share a mini of his favourite whisky of all time, which PP kindly offered him. Do I say yes?

Millburn 11yo 1983/1994 (59.7%, Cadenhead): the big bottle is in the Authentic Collection range, but this miniature does not mention it. SW often tells people this is his favourite whisky -- time to confront the beast! Nose: musty dunnage warehouse, with old dust, dry clay, left untouched for decades, ground nuts, rancio, and old staves, decomposing under tons and tons of aeons-old dust. Later, it reveals old ropes, ashes, still warm in the hearth grille. Oh! The ashes turn to embers, with also boiler rooms and old casks -- is this old school, or what? Mouth: ooft! that is hot. Hot wax, burnt cork, a grille on the fire, freshly-stamped seals... It has a little fruit too: dark grapes, plums, prunes, blackberries. The dominant is hot-cauldron action, however: white-hot cast iron, a rack and pinion above the fire, very hot water... In fact, that hot-water impression stays for good. It feels close to drinking hot water -- although, in this case, that is much more pleasant than it reads or sounds! In any case, this is not a whisky for beginners (he said pretentiously). It is  challenging dram alright. Finish: phwoar! Industrial-age action, with hot wax cylinders, hot boilers, flames, fire, hot engines, melted wax, then prunes, stewed rhubarb and boiled sweets. I absolutely adore this sort of long-extinguished profiles. 9/10 (Thanks SW and PP)

Of course, I could not show up empty-handed.

Millburn 25yo 1975/2001 (61.9%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#2423): nose: this one is clearly affiliated, whilst also very different. It is much less dry, and it is woodier, with polished dashboards, dusty, leather-bound books on a teak shelf, very dark chocolate, aromatic herbs, thrown onto the hob -- and that is where the high strength finally makes itself obvious -- ooh! it is pretty hot, this. Stewed walnut flesh, stewed prunes, apricot compote... and scorched earth. What a combination! And it works! The longer it spends in the glass, the stronger it seems to become, causing zero problem: it remains well-balanced throughout. Mouth: spicy, though actually rather mellow -- this is the chicken goa of the whisky world, tonight. Yellow plums, peaches, cold apricot compote -- wait! the heat is rising! (The past is calling! -- for those Who know) The plums are now barbecued, the peaches are caramelised, and there is a lick of warm staves too. It has a distinct sweetness ("Turkish delights," says SW). Sugar exuding through staves, lichen, crystallised sugar. Finish: huge, ballsy, with hot, juicy, yellow fruit (baked peaches and warm apricot jam), a dash of smoke, warm wood, Turkish delights (SW was right), crystallised sugar on wooden staves, and candied orange rinds. This is simply amazing. It has never felt this sweet before and that is also wonderful: a whisky that changes every time one tries it. Why did I not buy a second bottle of this when I had a chance? 9/10

Two related-but-different profiles, both amazing drams.

05/11/2018 Banffire Night 2018

Guy Fawkes, Parliament bombing, blowing stuff up, yippee-ki-yay, boom. Time flies.

Banff 24yo 1976/2001 (55.8%, Signatory Vintage, C#2251, 284b, 01/665): this is one of the now-famous velveteenies. Nose: it starts off delicately, with warm cloth, line-drying linen and hay. Soon, spices arrive: pepper and mustard powder. The mustard becomes increasingly assertive, though never invading. It is joined by an earthy, root-y quality, dry and fragrant; Japanese mayonnaise, horseradish, mild wasabi. Smokier things come through: incense, dry fishing nets, dry crab shells, even. This is surprisingly peaty for a Banff, yet that is welcome, when it is this refined. Dry bung cloth, Lapsang Suchong, bonfires (good timing, eh?) and cigar boxes. Not much fruit to note -- perhaps remnants of barbecued grapefruit slices. The second sniff brings out wax and heated metal stamps (for the wax, see?) Mouth: gentle and balanced, tame, even, it has a little of the barbecued grapefruit, alongside incense ashes, iodine, salty cockles and dry hay bales. It feels confusingly tame, given the stated ABV. Charred cassia bark is there, dried shellfish too, and a rather thick veil of smoke -- thick as in: omnipresent; it is refined, cigar smoke, still with that coastal touch, much like smoked seafood. Finish: meow: the finish is a continuity of the nose and mouth, with ashes, incense, cigar boxes, dry bung cloth, bonfires, smoked, gunpowdered black tea, smoked crab shells and cigar smoke, shortly joined by warm cigar leaves. The second sip helps grapefruit emerge, though, again, it is barbecued grapefruit. The tingle on the tongue stays long after swallowing, oscillating between that lovely-if-distant grapefruit, cigars and smoked crab shells. This is exquisite. 9/10

1 November 2018

31/10/2018 November outturn at Cadenhead's

Last one of the year, despite there being three releases in December. The staff tell us they simply cannot organise three consecutive tastings in the week leading to Christmas... which we all disagree with, of course. :)

Author/photographer Jon Purcell is with us, sampling the whiskies, and presenting his wonderful book The Art of Whisky (Spiorad Publishing), which can be found here, and which, at around seven kilogrammes, is a great read for the City commuter. ;-)

It grabs attention indeed

AND WHISKY!

Everything is poured blind an in small doses, as per usual. That means short notes.

Dram #1
Nose: plummy, flinty (MSo), acetone-y (cavalier66), with a note of cream soda (AH). Mouth: very sweet, with a pine-y note. Finish: cough lozenges and Goccepini. I guess Benrinnes, but am wrong, as usual. Auchroisk 12yo 2006/2018 (55.3%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 534b) 6/10

cavalier66: "It move towards Fisherman's Friend."
JB "Do you know... I just sucked on a fisherman's friend."

Dram #2
Nose: ethereal, mineral with pine-forest notes again. Mouth: more coating and more aromatic, in a herbaceous way. Finish: fruit is quite loud, here, with mulberry and medlar. Deanston 10yo 2008/2018 (56.2%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 576b) 7/10

Dram #3
Nose: leather and nuts, with also a slightly coastal facet. Mouth: salty, leathery, coastal, nutty and nice, with, as soon as TE reads it out, a note of rhubarb. Finish: long, with a soft veil of smoke, definitely present, but discreet. Benrinnes 14yo 2004/2018 (55.4%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 864b) says the label. We all reckon it is mislabelled. 7/10

MSo: "I've been so good at forgetting everything you say...."
cavalier66: "That's because you preload before you come."
JB: "Ewwwww!..."

Dram #4
Nose: Haribo sweets, tropical fruits and shaving cream. Mouth: soft, it has honey, royal jelly and squashed mango. Finish: super-fruity, with Haribo sweets and dried mango slices. Unexpectedly exquisite. Glen Grant-Glenlivet 25yo 1992/2018 (50.4%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Barrel, 144b) 9/10

Benrinnes 14yo 2004/2018 (55.4%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 864b): SW was as astonished as all of us regarding Dram #3. He opened a bottle to confirm what we all suspected: not the same whisky. We still need to try it, then! Nose: butter and soft, fragrant resin, nuts, body butter. Mouth: a gentle bitterness and a lovely pine-related fruitiness. Finish: here come the pine needles and resin. Not bad, but also not very interesting. 6/10

Dram #6
Nose: precious wood, varnish and drying putty. Mouth: soft, with more varnished wood. JP says tinned-pineapple juice; I am not convinced. Peppermint. Finish: peppermint again. Not taken, by this. In fact, it is a disappointment. Glenlossie-Glenlivet 24yo 1993/2018 (53.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 240b) 7/10

At last, I manage to secure a bottle through a draw (names in a hat), and I am not convinced. Ah, well.

We talk about feta and cavalier66 explains 'feta' means 'slice.'
cavalier66: "My Greek is not bad."
tOMoH: "I know, I've met her!"

Dram #7
Nose: stewed pears and butter, crayons. Mouth: soft, round, with more crayons and a healthy dose of plasticine. Finish: bitter, here, with lots of putty, plasticine and crayon shavings. I do not care for this one at all, and unsurprisingly, it is a distillery that usually leaves me cold. Glenrothes-Glenlivet 17yo 2001/2018 (53%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 528b) 5/10

Dram #8
Nose: after-shave, cologne, wood varnish. Mouth: soft, plasticine-filled and waxy as a Clynelish. Finish: more wax action and lots of walnut stain. Many reckon it is a grain. Wrong. Inchgower 9yo 2009/2018 (56.5%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Sherry Hogsheads, 582b) 7/10

Dram #9
Nose: floral, with a bit of Crayola action, pencil shavings. Mouth: grassy, flinty -- really grassy, actually. Finish: long, warming, with grass and plant-sap bitterness. This reads a bit like a St Magdalene profile, but most guess it is Ord 13yo 2005/2018 (56.5%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead + 1 x Butt, 954b) 6/10

During nosing:
TE: "Must be the Ord."
tOMoH: "Not flinty or grassy enough to be the Ord."
MSo: "Not shitty enough to be the Ord."

An uncalled-for comment, but each to their own. Last time I was in the shop, someone told me they thought Bowmore was a bottom-tier distillery that had never produced anything great.


cavalier66: "You think this is the Ord?"
tOMoH: "I thought it wasn't, but now I think it might be."
cavalier66: "You're on the fence."
tOMoH: "I'm the Jeremy Corbyn of Glen Ord."


Dram #10
Nose: varnish, solvent and paint thinner. Mouth: turbo-charged with solvents. Finish: wood lacquer and solvents. This is, of course, the grain, and I liked the 28yo much more. Strathclyde 29yo 1989/2018 (55.7%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Barrels, 330b) 6/10

Dram #11
Nose: dead carcasses, rotting flesh, oiled teak. "Send a bottle to Theresa May," says JB. Mouth: soft and much more enjoyable than the nose Finish: super fruity, now, it redeems itself, somewhat. Speyburn-Glenlivet 10yo 2008/2018 (46%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 348b) 6/10

Dram #12
Nose: lots of honey, heather, honeysuckle. Mouth: soft, frail, with droplets of honeysuckle. Finish: very delicate, honeyed, here too, and subtly smoky. We all guess it is the HP. Highland Park 29yo 1989/2018 (40.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 198b) 8/10

Dram #13
Nose: very farm-y with added meat cuts. Mouth: hot embers, ashes and burnt rubber. Finish: hot again, with embers and caramelised honey. This one is a blend of Longrow, Kilkerran and Invergordon. Light Creamy Smoky 10yo b.2018 (60.5%, Cadenhead Creations) 7/10

Dram #14
Nose: ashy as fook, with dried mud, dried cow dung and shards of burnt wood. Mouth: hot, ashy, it has caramelised Mars bars (yup). Finish: lots of fruit and lots of burnt wood. A soft, medicinal touch leads us to think it is the Islay, but we are quickly proven wrong. (Paul) John 6yo 2011/2018 (56.6%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead + 1 x Bourbon Barrel, 564b) 7/10

Dram #15
Nose: super ashy, it has roasted barley, plastic bottles and a cold barbecue grille.. Mouth: grapefruit juice, pressed over barbecue ashes. Finish: barbecue grille again and dried grapefruit. Lovely, if you like that profile. Laphroaig 20yo 1998/2018 (54.3%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 474b) 7/10

SW tells us that J & A Mitchell are phasing out Campbeltown Loch, with only a small outturn, next year. Soon at an auction near you...

Cavalier66 and I go for a nightcap -- he needs to tell me about his recent Japan escapade.