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.