30/12/2018 Southeast Asia

Well, well, well. It was difficult to gather many people for this one, but considering how few tastings took place in 2018, it seemed fitting to hold one anyway. Also, no trip to Dornoch, this year, and that meant an additional three days to sip whisky elsewhere -- at tOMoH headquarters, for example.

JS, GL and OB join me for a selection focusing on Southeast Asia. An excuse for good puns, of course. :o)

It takes me an hour to find the first bottle. I am ready to give up when I finally locate it, stuck at the very back of a broom cupboard.
Fortunately, I have poured GL Inchmurrin 20yo (40%, OB imported by T.A.C., b. late 1990s). To keep him hydrated, you understand.

But we have real work to do!

Grand Royal Special Reserve (43%, International Beverage Trading Company, LM006/0281N 6027) (tOMoH): it appears this is the best-selling whisky in Burma, Myanmar, or however one wants to call it (current official name is Myanmar, though that has changed more than once in my lifetime). FN spent a holiday there, a few years ago, and brought this back as a souvenir for me... for shits and giggles. The bottler is a Thailand-based group, it is bottled for the Burmese market, yet the label clearly states that it is blended by a Scottish master blender. Nose: a bit of spirit, a bit of varnish, a bit of perfume, plum liqueur (JS), umeshu (OB, showing off his own latest travels), and the tiniest hint of polished wood alongside fresh butter. This is inoffensive, if not very interesting. Mouth: prune juice with a hint of wood and a gentle alcohol bite. It is round and inoffensive again. I can see the local populace sipping this on ice, in the humid heat of the land (which, I should add, I have never set foot in). Finish: soft, round and short, this is really neither challenging, nor very good. However, it is also not very bad. It tastes of whisky, the sort of which one would get in a pub, upon ordering "a whisky." GL reckons  a high-grain content, whilst I am simply happy it does not seem toxic. 5/10

GL: "It's not paint-stripper."

OB: "At least, it is proper whisky."

OB refers to what passes as "whisky" in Laos, which, apparently, has nothing in common with the amber liquid. He is well-travelled, our OB!

Inver House Green Plaid (40%, Inver House Distillers for Portugal, L0:292:510 12:22:00:06904, b. early 1990s) (GL): GL brought this because Inver House is now owned by Thai Beverages, a large conglomerate. Nose: green-tea leaves, a hint of metal, a pinch of salt. Even less is happening here than in the Burmese one; neither good, nor bad. Mouth: candied lemon, pomelo zest, barley sugar. It is a tad more complex, here, with some tongue-dancing citrus. Finish: yup, barley sugar, lime drops and muscovado sugar. Simple, but pleasant alright. Historically interesting too; plus, there is a chance that this is a single blend of Garnheath and Glenflagler -- though the salty note makes the boys think of Pulteney instead, which is also in Inver House's portfolio, these days. 6/10

Food. Home-made caramel shortbread and Christmas cake. Yum!

Lady-boy-burn 20yo 1966/1987 (45.7%, Cadenhead) (JS): they are a bit of a cliché and the subject of jokes, in Europe, but those who have been to Thailand assure us that lady boys are really a thing there, and such a part of the culture that they are mainstream. In any case, far from passing judgement, we are only after a good pun. Nose: we are shifting gears. Fantastically deep, the nose has a combination of controlled wood and lovely fruit; apricot turnovers in a rustically-furnished kitchen, dusty tangerines, overripe, dusty satsumas. Mouth: fresh, fruity, it has satsumas, mandarin juice, ripe-orange flesh and a lot of zing. I love this. Finish: citrus, milk chocolate, a drop of lime juice -- scratch that! Pomelo juice. A pinch of dust. Superb dram. I hope to spend more time with it soon. 9/10

South-East Village-ia 44yo 1973/2017 (47.4%, East Village Whisky Company Jack's Finest, Sherry Butt, 142b, b#125) (OB): a Jack Wieber bottling in disguise? Nose: extremely floral, with jasmine, honeysuckle, snowdrop, thrush, hyacinth, honey and cut red apple, as well as dead leaves... This nose is stunning! It develops earthy tones and daffodil as well. Mouth: raspberry coulis, cut strawberries -- phwoar! Apricot compote and a pinch of spices. This is very, very good! It later becomes dryer, with dried daffodil stems. Finish: mellow, it has caramel and chocolate, apple and strawberry. This does not have the depth of the Ladyburn, but it is a great drop too. 9/10

OB: "It is good enough, if you want to Asia-culate."

Imperial 1976/2005 (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd Berrys' Own Selection imported by Charles Hofer, C#10171) (JS): a big part of of Southeast Asia formed Indochina, which was a result of French Imperial-ism. Nose: it is initially very musty and leathery, which surprises me a lot. Then, it calms down and moves towards squashed raspberries and humid hay, thatch, even. The leather comes back, with mud, then bandages, hospital lint, cigar ash, gummi bears in alcohol, paint and linseed oil. This is most unexpected. Mouth: punchy and hay-like, it has wine gums, lots of drying lichen and dried moss. Next is gentle-if-acidic fruit. Finish: earth and smoke, surprisingly -- rather bold, too. The general impressions are red wine, moss and a distant note of fox's skin. Crikey! The earthiness is strong, in this one! I love this. After breathing in the bottle for a while, it will probably score higher. For now, it is 8/10

Mekong-valmore 22yo 1984/2007 (52.%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#1538) (me): nose: ink and flint, very dry hazelnut shells, some sort of nut oil, hazelnut vinegar, currant juice, grape juice. Later on, raspberries show up as well. Mouth: nutty and sherried, with a bit of rancio, pressed raisins, strong red wine, tawny Port, jellied hazelnut and a pinch of earth. Finish: more of that hazelnut and raspberry combination, which works a treat. The finish is creamy and lovely, fruity, punchy, yet also light and well balanced. Great dram. 9/10

OB: "I have yet to become a Convalmore fan, but this is better than I expected."

Glenflagler 23yo 1970/1994 (50.1%, Signatory Vintage, C#1260+7861, 350b, b#119, 94/923) (me): same story as the Green Plaid: Glenflagler was part of the Moffat complex, owned by Thai Beverages -- although, really, I only selected it for GL, who is from Airdrie, where the distillery used to be. This, by the way is one of the rarest malts in Scotland, and only my second Glenflagler. I am not a little excited. Nose: a dusty cellar, dunnage warehouses, mint, lime leaves. A minute in, it has aerosol, vaporised scents, ozone. Later still, hazel tree comes through, Brazil-nut butter and milk chocolate. Wow. Mouth: mild, sweet and fruity, the palate showcases squashed raspberries (a recurrent, today!), raspberry yoghurt, nutty body butter and a pinch of spices. Finish: super fruity, with loads and loads of raspberry, a hint of hazelnut and pineapple yoghurt. Amazeballs! Who would have thunk, eh? 9/10

Glen Moray-Glenlivet 25yo 1991/2016 (55.8%, Cadenhead Small Batch for The Whisky Hoop, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 240b) (OB): The Whisky Hoop is a bar in Japan; Japan, of course, is in Asia (albeit not Southeast). As soon as JS sees Whisky Hoop, she remembers the fantastico Tomatin that OB brought a while ago. Nose: warm wool, then it becomes generically fruity (which means I cannot clearly identify which fruit it is), with, perhaps, old peach and walnut stain, warm cigars, traces of ink, hot tarmac... Then it settles for blotting paper. This is surprisingly old school, but what a lovely nose. Mouth: mellow, with peach flesh. Pepper grows quickly and intensely: cracked black pepper and lots of plump, fluffy peach. Finish: the finish is very peppery again, and remains peachy. Superb mixture of fruit and spices. The third sip is very nutty. This one is not too complex, but it is nice. JS now compares it to Bladnoch 23yo RMS, and that is a fair point. 8/10

OB sadly has to leave.

Springban-gkok 1965/2002 (46%, Lombard Jewels of Scotland) (me): a weak pun, and one that I have used in the past, but I stop at nothing. Also, I really want to pour this. I reviewed this at length elsewhere, so short notes. Nose: it is still fruity as fook, with cut apple, carambola, bubble gum and plasticine. Mouth: juicy fruit, coated in honey, waxy apricots, plums, and memories of metal shelves. Finish: walnut stain, crushed peach flesh, rhubarb compote and happiness. This is a capital dram. I might easily be convinced to give it top score, but I will stick to my previous. 9/10

Garnheath 42yo (44.3%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, B#1, 120b, b#49) (GL): Airdrie boy in full swing! This grain made at Moffat was owned by Thai Beverages too, before it closed, in 1986. Nose: wood varnish, nail polish, polished mahogany or chestnut, with an undercurrent of custard. A new chessboard, with new pieces; the queen is shiny with wax. JD would hate this with a passion. Coconut soon follows, then caramelised hazelnut and hazelnut paste (none of that palm-oil-rich Ferrero shite). Mouth: full-on coconut yoghurt with a good dose of pepper. In fact, coconut and custard. It is milky and fresh, zesty and herbaceous. Finish: toasted coconut savings, waxed furniture and a lot of wood. It is a bit plank-y, even, drying and bitter in the aftertaste. 8/10

44.98 15yo d.2002 Umami of smoke (58.3%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-PX Hogshead, 238b) (GL): umami is a very Asian concept, hence why GL brought this. Nose: very chocolate-y, it has hot pain au chocolat, pine cones, roasted chestnut shells, toasted cocoa beans, chestnut butter and a hint of mocha. Mouth: rich and sherried, it has polished dashboards, walnut stain and (very) hot chocolate coulis. Ginger comes in, hot, grated over sultanas. Finish: long, warming and syrupy, it displays elderberry, dark chocolate and gentle coffee. This is good, if cloying. Glad we have it as the last whisky.  7/10

We finish with a PX sherry that feels like sultana juice -- and it is very nice.

Great one, as usual.