27/06/2019 July outturn at Cadenhead's

It is that time of the month.

All blind and randomly selected (samples are labelled with a character only), with the names revealed after each flight of three. It is an overcrowded house, tonight, with around twenty people in a room that can fit fourteen at a push. Some brought their families and dogs, you see. I suspect entry will be more tightly restricted in the future, out of necessity.

Dram K
Nose: toffee at first, then green hazel and macadamia purée.
Mouth: acidic, but soft too; grapes and barely-ripe peach, as well as green banana.
Finish: chou dough, pastry and baking goodness.
I suspect a grain. A young Girvan. Well, partly right.
Cameronbridge 29yo 1989/2019 (57.8%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 432b) 7/10

Dram H
Nose: watercolour, putty and plasticine.
Mouth: mellow, it has more plasticine, a drop of olive oil and horsepower. Not too much going on, here.
Finish: yeah, olive oil, strong nut liqueur and juicy watermelon.
Glenrothes-Glenlivet 22yo 1996/2019 (49.7%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 966b) 6/10

Dram M
Nose: gorgeously fruity, it has tropical fruits all round, alongside varnished, precious wood.
Mouth: soft and fruity again, with mango peel and papaya, and just a whisper of pepper.
Finish: quite short, with similar fruity notes and a pinch of mud.
Once revealed, I note I like it much more than in Campbeltown. The actual picture is not available, as the bottle has not yet arrived to London.
William Cadenhead 45yo (43.1%, Cadenhead) 8/10

Break for the draw: six bottles of the Creations are allocated.

Dram A
Nose: leather, then a huge kick of alcohol in the nostrils. Others like it, but I do not. It opens up to reveal unripe grapes.
Mouth: better behaved, the mouth still suffers from what I find a shaky alcohol integration. It is grape-y, with a spoonful of custard.
Finish: unripe, fiery mustard, and fruit, not quite ripe.
This is not my thing.
Fettercairn 10yo 2009/2019 (57.3%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Barrel, 516b) 5/10

Dram J
Nose: old rags, a mechanic's workshop, clean engine oil, a toolbox, sandpaper. Everyone else says plastic. Bonkers!
Mouth: soft and a bit bland. I detect touches of custard.
Finish: yes, custard indeed, toasted coconut and a drop of grapefruit juice. It seems to become sweeter and sweeter with time.
This started well, but ended less convincingly for me.
Cambus 30yo 1988/2019 (46.1%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 300b) 6/10

Dram L
Nose: sweat and hard cheese. "Farm-y notes," says cavalier66, which sort of coincides with sweat and cheese, if it is a dairy farm. The milking alley at the Isle of Mull Creamery (it did not take long to use that one, eh?) Further, it has dark berries, currants, lingonberries. Nice!
Mouth: it is more traditional on the palate, berry-driven.
Finish: green hazel wood, hazelnut shells and a few berries (raspberry, now).
Interesting! The label tells us it is a blend of Ben Nevis, Blair Athol and Tomintoul-Glenlivet, bottled from a single cask in which they were vatted together in 2007.
Light Fruity Syrupy 22yo b.2019 (45%, Cadenhead Creations, B#1) 7/10

Break for the draw: six bottles of the second Creations are allocated.

Dram E
Nose: prunes and plums, scented plasticine and unidentified herbs.
Mouth: soft, plummy with a pinch of ginger.
Finish: more spicy plums, with also walnut stain and crayons.
Nice, if not blinding.
Benrinnes 18yo 2000/2019 (55.7%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 4 x Bourbon Barrels, 618b) 6/10

Dram C
Nose: leather, cactus, mud, then watercolour. It is a watercolour-y type of evening, you will see.
Mouth: soft, round and waxy.
Finish: bitter, now, it has rubber and very unripe, waxy plums.
Not my thing.
Glenburgie-Glenlivet 15yo (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 570b) 5/10

Dram G
Nose: ink, ink, ink and ink. Freshly-printed newspapers, warm, recycled paper, inkjet printer cartridges.
Mouth: watercolour (I told you!), a paint palette, old paint brushes. This is quite powerful and also slightly earthy.
Finish: violet boiled sweets, crystallised lavender, fresh laundry and only a pinch of earth.
This one is a nice surprise. Not a usual profile.
Glen Spey-Glenlivet 23yo 1995/2019 (57.3%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 222b) 7/10

Dram D
Nose: mildly acidic, the nose morphs into putty, moves towards watercolour, before settling on macadamia nuts.
Mouth: mild and fruity, it soon sees a growing acidity. Guava and mango gone off and turning very acidic.
Finish: overripe fruit and milk chocolate, then a touch of mango.
Very nice, this. Dram of the night, for me, though I am perhaps a little(mill) generous with my rating, here.
Littlemill 28yo 1990/2019 (50.7%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b) 9/10

Break for the draw: two bottles of the Littlemill are allocated.

Dram B
Nose: sunflower seeds and lime peels. How original!
Mouth: porridge-y, now, with almond milk and soft cereal, alongside squashed banana.
Finish: I was expecting bananas here too, but it is citrus that shows up -- grapefruit and lemon.
A good every-day drinker, this, with a few unusual notes.
Dailuaine-Glenlivet 14yo 2004/2019 (46%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 696b) 7/10

Dram F
Nose: green fruit, particularly green satsumas, then pencil shavings.
Mouth: mild, with almond milk taking centre stage here too.
Finish: burnt wood and citrus-y custard, lemon curd, even.
An interesting combination of flavours, this one.
Strathmill 27yo 1991/2019 (46.1%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 204b) 7/10

Dram I
Nose: overly-baked marzipan, scorched earth, then watercolour and waxy plum.
Mouth: peach liqueur, caramelised apricot compote.
Finish: long, it has unripe walnuts and, unfortunately, a nuance of dishwater.
It has its good bits. Others are more enthused than I am.
Miltonduff-Glenlivet 11yo 2008/2019 (56%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 4 x Bourbon Hogshead, 1116b) 7/10

Dram N
Nose: peat and mud, earth after the rain, ink.
Mouth: similar, with soft peat, mud, watery earth and a drop of ink.
Finish: heavy peat, here.
This last one is one-dimensional as fook, yet it is very good at the one thing it does (same impression as in C'town, where we also had it). It is simply not my profile, tonight.
Bunnahabhain 5yo 2013/2019 (58.9%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Barrels, 720b) 6/10

The gang disbands, as a couple of bottles are produced -- Ardbeg Drums, which I confuse for Ardbeg Grooves and, therefore, do not try, and the following.

Clynelish 10yo 2008/2019 57.4%, Signatory Vintage The Un-Chillfiltered Collection for The Whisky Exchange's 20th Anniversary, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#800139, 237b): nose: watercolour and wax. I kid not. That is the most recurrent note, today! Stagnant water is also at play. It is a bit late for notes, but this does the trick. Mouth: crayons, dry wax, seal wax that has been on parchment for decades, putty. Finish: it has quite a kick. Ashes on wax, crayon shavings, drying paintbrushes (for modelling), preserved apricot. This is very, very good! 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, SM)

(Thanks for the missing pictures, SW and the Campbeltown crew)

22/06/2019 Drams in Switzerland (Part 2)

Dinner has calmed me down a bit. pat gva points out that we still have a lot of work to do. He is right.

Inchgower 19yo 1959/1978 (80° Proof, Cadenhead) (selected by me): again, the dates are not on the miniature. Nose: old, greasy, metallic tools, a faint hint of apple and acetone. Mouth: crisp, it has apple and stripping acetone again, a whisper of metal, but it is not greasy, this time. Finish: apple-forward custard and horsepower. This tastes a little spirit-y, with alcohol at a less-than-optimum integration level. 7/10

Glenrothes 35yo 1968/2004 (40%, Duncan Taylor) (selected by pat gva): nose: hair lacquer, a minuscule lick of butter, pencil shavings and shortbread, shortcrust pastry, powdered sugar. All that is refined and elegant. Mouth: fresh and vibrant; pat gva finds it soapy -- he is clearly drunk. The palate also has a pinch of white pepper and flower petals. Finish: pastry, custard tartlets and a foamy soap drop that does not bother me at all, but is too much for pat gva. Even JS likes this, and she usually hates Glenrothes. :-) 8/10

Bruichladdich 25yo 1965/1991 (53.5%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength, C#5525/4430/5531) (selected by JS): this is rather ashy, with scorched earth and Danish pastry (pat gva). Soon, a layer of camphor overpowers the rest, which I find annoying. Even later, kaffir lime leaves appear, barely hiding a whiff of dunnage warehouse. Mouth: big and powerful, it has freshly-tanned leather, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves again, ginger, galangal, cinnamon -- it is pretty spicy. Finish: long and assertive, without being intrusive, it has ginger and cinnamon, bubble gum (those brown Boules Magiques, for those who know), cassia bark. It becomes drying at second sip. This one is good, though borderline too woody. 8/10

Glenglassaugh 13yo 1977/1991 (59.8%, Cadenhead) (selected by pat gva): nose: damp dogs (pat gva), mint and petrichor (damp forest floor, after a few drops of rain), thuja bark, "motor oil," says pat gva. "Castrol, or Motul?" I ask. "Castrol. More refined taste." I will give him engine oil, though it is subtle. Mouth: mint and watermelon, mojito style. Oh! and lots of power as well. This kicks booty with cinnamon and green chilli. Finish: not at all in line with the nose and mouth, the finish has less spice; it is replaced by butterscotch and peppery shortbread, which is nice. However, it is also a little short and alcohol-y. Too much to score higher, in fact. 8/10

Glenugie 31yo 1966/1998 (53.(%, Signatory Vintage Silent Stills imported by Monnier, C#5082, 206b, b#190, 98/684) (selected by me): nose: what I can only describe as dunnage warehouse on steroids. This nose has clay, damp staves, sweet fruits (carambola, dragon fruit, liqueur-soaked lychee) and freshly-cut grass. Win. Mouth: juicy and fruity, it has even sweeter fruit (lychee and persimmon, chiefly), an earthen floor and wood shavings. A touch of ginger grows in volume too. Finish: never-ending, with similar fruits, a drop of nail varnish, and happiness. This is poifect. 10/10

Benriach 50yo 1966/2016 (54.3%, Gordon & MacPhail for La Maison du Whisky's 50th Anniversary, 1st-Fill American Hogshead, C#606) (selected by JS): nose: well, the wood is there, but the fruit is louder. Underripe grapefruit, Chinese gooseberry, strawberries in punch, blackberries and others. Mouth: soft and juicy, this is pure fruit juice, now. The second sip sees more woody tannins, yet they are under control. The wood also brings a pinch of ginger and hot cinnamon -- nothing too intrusive. Finish: a sprinkle of black pepper, then loads and loads of fruit (veering towards mango and maracuja), with cassia-bark shards thrown on top for good measure. This is lovely. The notes are short, because the night is well under way, but what a dram! 10/10

Time to call it a night. End in a bang we did. What a session! Thanks for all, pat gva. Five stars on Tripadvisor! :-)

22/06/2019 Drams in Switzerland (Part 1)

pat gva invited JS and my good self to Switzerland for a gastronomical extravaganza and, in between two meals, we shy away from the outside world for a few pedestrian drams.
pat gva tells us to each select whatever we want to try from his boxes of treats. We barely manage to limit ourselves to fifteen or so. Once they are on the table before us, we take turns choosing one.

Caol Ila 1966/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Centenary Reserve, IE/ADB) (selected by JS): well, we have to start somewhere, do we not? This is the most ancient Caol Ila I have had. My two companions confide it is for them too. It is difficult to find ones that have been distilled earlier -- the same bottler had two 1965, but that is it. Nose: leather, soot, cold ashes. pat gva reckons a freshly-emptied ashtray, whilst I detect cooked broccoli and a drop of shoe polish. Mouth: mild shoe polish here too, carried by wafts of carbohydrates, but also liquorice and plastic buckets full of soot. Finish: beef jerky, ashes and burnt leather, sweet shoe polish (whatever that means!) and gently farm-y notes. I love this. 9/10

Royal Brackla 60yo 1924/1984 (40%, OB) (selected by me): aye, that is the one of which they made only sixty-two full bottles. This is from a miniature, but that does not make it any more common. Nose: fresh and herbal, with window-sill planters of tagetes and dill. Next is smoky vanilla (pat gva), tarragon-y yoghurt, bergamot leaves and crushed, dried sage. This is so vibrant, after all those years! It makes me think of the really old Knappogue Castle bottlings, in a way. Mouth: quite fresh, with herbs (sage and tarragon first, then marjoram) and ether. Finish: meow. At 40%, it has the perfect balance, with herbaceous custard, camphor (pat gva), and a slight dryness. It is still led by the herbs -- verbena and sage, now. What a treat! For once, I wonder what it would be at cask strength. Must be the proximity of the French border... 9/10

Caol Ila d.1969 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. mid-1980s) (selected by pat gva): there are a few of these in their mid-teens. This is a miniature, and those do not come with an age statement. I suspect it might be the same I had a few years ago, of which I keep very fond memories. Nose: unmistakable pre-reconstruction Caol Ila, with loads of soot, charcoal, burnt tyre carcasses, all harmoniously presented. This is the 1939 German army: fantastically brutal, but clad in elegant Hugo Bass uniforms. It has got old ink, parchment and gentian for the best effect. Mouth: it is more mellow, here, though it remains big -- read: assertive, not aggressive. The mouth sees honey, burnt wood, ashes, chimney brooms, soot and a fishing trawler in the harbour, burnt to the hull. Finish: pat gva finds it very salty, I detect vague touches of honey, burnt hay and heaps of sooty buckets. This is amazing. It matches my memories and my expectations exactly. Still love it. 9/10

Springbank 32yo 1971/2004 (46%, OB, Refill Sherry Casks, 2400b) (selected by me): a famous bottling that, oddly enough, I have never had before. Nose: milky and herbaceous, it has almond milk and fern, dried fern, reeds, hazelnut skins, but also pressed grapes and rosewood (pat). Mouth: oily and mellow, it has almond milk written all over it. The texture is silky and gentle, though it is kept alive by a minute pinch of paprika. Finish: more almond-milk goodness, some grapes, grape pips and the associated mild bitterness. Superb. 9/10

Springbank 17yo (80° Proof, Cadenhead, d. ca 1957, b.1970s) (selected by JS): melon, yellow tomatoes, persimmon, dragon fruit, lychee -- rhaaa! It has some burnt wood in the background, but it is mostly fruit. Mouth: more fruity debauchery. It even becomes more exuberant on the palate, incredibly. Melon skins and persimmon shine particularly strongly. Finish: fruity too, it also has fresh tobacco leaves (pat gva) and Virginia tobacco. Well, this would require a lot more time to analyse properly, but at first encounter, it is mind-boggling. 10/10

MacPhail's 50yo 1937/1987 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, N°222) (selected by pat gva): nose: old hemp, old flannel, fresh linen and hessian, fresh out of the laundry. Funny how it goes from old to fresh fabric in twenty-odd minutes. Mouth: soft, fruity and earthy, it has some tannins and chocolate (pat gva), though I find it more drying that chocolate-y. Finish: fresh and spritz-y, it has candied ginger, dry rose-petal jam and a dash of ground pink pepper. Very nice. pat gva first declared it a Macallan, but JS and I think of a Dalmore more. So does pat gva, in the end. 9/10

Highland Park (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail, b.1970s) (selected by me): nose: OME in full effect -- pickles, vinegar, pickled onions. Let us wait a bit. After a while, black cumin appears, alongside nigella seeds (at breakfast, we discussed the difference between the two -- not the same!) Mouth: mellow, much more mellow than anticipated. It has jasmine honey and jasmine tea. Finish: soft and rather delicate, with the trademark Highland Park honey, though not much heather fire. It retains some black cumin, very tame. We all agree it is a quality dram, but it performs less well today than it could. 8/10

Black cumin seeds

Nigella seeds

Bowmore 13yo 1965/1978 (80° Proof, Cadenhead) (selected by JS): the dates are not written on the miniature; we deduce them from data on the big bottle. Also, they are meaningful to two of us. :-) Nose: Life. Rules. I giggle instantly. An explosion of tropical fruits -- persimmon, dragon fruit, lychee, snakehead fruit, papaya, pomelo, perhaps hints of carambola and raspberry vinegar. Bada-bing! Boom! Mouth: rhaaaaa! Perfect balance for this total fruit bomb. It gathers all the fruits under the sun. How the F- did they do!? Finish: sweet and super-fruity again, it has cane sugar, overripe mango, decaying persimmon, peach, rose-petal jelly and a myriad of other things. Another dram that would deserve spending six hours with, but I do not want to delay the evening and prefer giving in to emotions -- and boy! are they overwhelming. It is superlative. 12/10

Need a break. Someone has Bowmore eyes and how do you follow that anyway? We go for dinner at l'Auberge du Chasseur.

Tomato-and-avocado salad (all)	Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru 1978 (mis en bouteille par Leroy)
Omble chevalier et écrevisses du lac Léman (JS)	Mrs. gva's whole lobster
Irish lamb rack with aubergine mousse (pat gva and me)	Creamy barley and home-made ketchup (pat gva and me)
Chocolate fondant with passion fruit jam and a scoop of passion-fruit ice cream (me)	Coconut ice cream with cream-filled chocolate croquant (JS)
More post-bill sweets

17/06/2019 Pre-breakfast drams

Because I am awake, and because these things do not drink themselves!

Rieclachan 12yo (40%, Eaglesome Campbeltown Commemoration, b. ca. 1985): this is the one I could not open in Campbeltown. At home, I have better tooling. Nose: a dusty and compote-y profile, with apricot jam on dried bread. Next is blotting paper or cardboard, distant roasted malt, toasted bread crumbs, then potato skins, mashed potatoes and malted milk. The nose is rather shy. Hopefully, it is not entirely spent -- the bottle has been open for two weeks... A few moments later, it becomes more mineral, with flint and slate; a slate roof after a summer rain. The second nosing brings honeyed water in a metal spoon. Mouth: apricot at first, followed by a fleeting-but-sharp bitterness. That thankfully disappears to leave apricot stones and rock-hard, dried leather -- dryer than a saddle. The apricot is still there, though it takes a bit of work to decipher it. Warm, metalic cutlery and slate reappear. Finish: the finish is the best feature, with caramelised compote, roasted walnuts and a distinct and tenacious old-school smoke that carries a vaguely bitter or acrid note. The death is all smoky, Bourbon-infused marmalade. Boss. It has its whacky moments, this one, but all in all, it is another corker! 8/10

Glen Garioch 21yo (43%, OB, b#14980, L131 0652): the bottle's last hurrah. Nose: it is all subtle, yet the nose is smoky, with heather thrown onto the fire, bushes of lavender, burning on the hill, dry logs and old hessian, jute bags that have been used to carry hay. Surprisingly, the next note is that of pebbles at the bottom of a waterfall, then washing-up-liquid foam, unscented or nearly. It also has dry-ish forest floor, empty jars of jams left in the sun, glass-y and still tainted with sugar and fruits. Mouth: a fleeting bitterness quickly makes room for juicy pears, crystallised pineapple, lime zest -- no! Blood orange zest. Blood orange segments, actually. I would love to say smoked blood-orange segments, but of the smoke, nothing much comes through. After a few sips, elderberry cordial starts shining. Finish: the smoke comes back alright, gentle, but present, with a hint of lavender handwash (just a hint, in no way a distraction), burning hay, currant cough drops, smoked elderberry jam and soaked, smoked sultanas. It is a long, gentle and comforting finish, very controlled and very good, mostly balancing the elderberry jam and the refined smoke. What a dram! 9/10

30/05/2019 When in Tobermory, do as the Tobermorians do

Mull, once home to nineteen illicit stills, only ever counted one legal distillery: Tobermory. It also went by the name Ledaig, which is now the name of the peated make from Tobermory. Said peated make has been made under that name since 1972.

The Tobermory museum is well worth a visit, btw

Frustratingly, the distillery is shut for refurbishment/extension for my third visit in a row. No tour, then.

Ledaig 6yo 1972/1979 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice): this is then one of the first distillation runs, bottled at a very early age indeed -- in fact, it might even be the youngest Ledaig distilled in 1972. All these black label Connoisseur's Choice at 70° Proof were bottled in 1979. Nose: straight from the bottle, it has remotely-smoky orange-blossom water and rose water, as well as candied banana. After that, the most refined smoke wraps orchard fruit aplenty -- pear, apple, quince, peach. Nothing extravagantly boisterous -- it is much refined. All sorts of shells arrive at second sniff; whelks, cockles, queenies, barnacles, some soot and charcoal, fishing nets -- woah! Mouth: soft, not weak, with slightly-more-affirmed soot and charcoal that fail to completely hide crisp apple and lemon juice. Ripe quince and ripe peach also come through, alongside muddy hay. Orange blossom is there too, as well as mildly-bitter pith, left on the stove to dry. Finish: the dilution can unfortunately be felt, at this stage. It still is a cracking dram, with soot, burnt wood, caramelised apples and pears, and char-grilled grapefruit, as well as blackened hay and scorched earth. The impression at the death is that of honey-coated orange blossom and shrimp crackers. Amazing if fragile dram. Do not let it breathe too long, as the fruity tones quickly lose steam. 9/10 (Thanks for the opportunity, Savoureur)

Tobermory 42yo (47.7%, OB, Sherry Casks, 650b, b.2016): they had a funny scheme at the distillery shop, whereby one pays a modest amount for a sample pack of Tobermory/Ledaig and one of the packs (only one in thirty or so) contains this. I had no luck choosing, so I bought this on its own for a much higher price. Where else was I going to have a chance, eh? Nose: very concentrated coffee grounds, leathery sherry, roasted oats, black tea, Marmite on toast. The cask influence is enormous, leaving (almost) nothing of the distillate to reach one's nostrils. In terms of sherry-cask maturation, though, it is great. I can imagine it seducing many German enthusiasts. Melted chocolate, roasted cocoa beans, dark tobacco, Oloroso-sherry-soaked old staves, warm-but-unlit cigars -- this is good! Mouth: strong and spicy, with quite a lot of tannins, chilli-Marmite butter, galangal shavings, warm leather and coffee. It is borderline drying, but walks the straight and narrow. Black tea, coating Oloroso, chewing tobacco. Finish: super-dark chocolate, bitter, but again, on the right side of bitter. Gunpowdered black tea, chilli-infused molasses, thick Marmite, yeast extract. The chocolate comes in many waves, and it is quite superb, accompanying dark pipe tobacco and dried tea leaves. This is clearly very strongly cask-driven and will not please everyone. For my taste, though, it is never plankish. It is not necessarily my favourite profile, hence why it will not score higher, but it is undeniably a good whisky. And what a treat to have a chance to sample it! 8/10

I had another one in mind, but not today.

31/05/2019 When in Tobermory, do as the Tobermorians do MkII

Ledaig 6yo d.1972 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice, b. late 1970s): we had this yesterday. It is the same fragile mix of soot and fruit on the nose, and follows with a consistent mouth and a fruity finish that seems to pack more punch than yesterday. Still an amazing dram. 9/10

Ledaig 42yo 1972/2015 Dùsgadh (46.7%, OB, Oloroso Sherry Casks Finish, 500b): yup, another sample from the distillery. The very last sample, in fact. The oldest Ledaig ever bottled, and from the same distillation year as the above. Virtually sister casks, bottled thirty-six years apart. How interesting is that? Nose: impressively deep, it has furniture polish, dark honey and the wood-panelled smoking room of a gentlemen's club. Next are candied honeysuckle and pollen. Next to those soft touches, it also has old rope, damp hessian, polished soft leather, warm soil and fortified wine, in the distance (more Manzanilla than Oloroso, mind). Mouth: mellow and honey-like, it still tickles one's tastebuds with cigar leaves, cigar ashes and the wooden frame of an open fireplace. Next in line is caramelised apricot, honey-glazed caramelised apricot, honey-glazed, overripe quince slices, wood smoke -- rhaaaa! I love it. Wood smoke, coal smoke, even. None of that petrol malarkey; only old-school goodness. Finish: similar here, with several  types of honey on smoked fruit and ash, refined cigar notes, wood panels and caramelised cassia bark. The second sip brings more fruit, verging on tropical, fresh and enticing (mango, dragon fruit, snakehead fruit). Amazeboulanger! It has an indistinct-but-long-lasting bitter, woody tone that I will use as an excuse to avoid top score, but that might very well be this dram's only flaw. I remember finding it extravagant, when it was released, both in terms of price and presentation (the copper used to ornate the case and the bottle supposedly come from the dismantled old stills), but after tasting it, I can see why they gave it such special treatment. It is special alright! 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

Family portrait: Ledaig 6yo d.1972, Tobermory 42yo
and Ledaig 42yo d.1972 in front of the distillery

08/06/2019 June outturn at the SMWS

CD, GK and PS are there, and JS joins us. It is busy, but bearable. The point of complaint are those ridiculously-cumbersome, ridiculously-uncomfortable sofas!

PS has been here for seven hours or so, and is in a generous mood.

88.18 9yo d.2009 All-purpose wasp repellent (52.9%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 222b): the SMWS leaflet reads, "Jan Birch's all-purpose wasp repellent." Another inside joke by AMcR, who seems to more and more use his gig at the SMWS as a platform to remind the world he knows people. It would seem someone else at the SMWS did not think it in great taste, considering the bottle itself does away with the Jan-Birch namedrop. Nose: nuts and vinegar, Brazil and macadamia oils, argan oil, linseed oil, a drop of citrus juice, medlar, sawdust and stripping alcohol. How strong is this? Mouth: nutty and pickled, it has more medlar, oily macadamia and almond skin. Finish: boom! Strong, nutty and oily, it has waxy grapefruit peels thrown into the mix. This is adequate. 7/10

93.107 7yo d.2007 Flexing the mussels (59.6%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 237b): nose: surprisingly gentle, this is an official-like Glen Scotia, all covered in honey and sweetness. Rather fruity, it displays soft pear, crushed raspberry, nail polish, quince jelly, honeysuckle and loads of honey. Initially, it had waves of tool oil, watch oil etc., a mechanical touch that was interesting, if promptly lost. Mouth: in line with the nose, it has honeysuckle, quince jelly, rose-petal jelly and honey. The clockmaker's oil makes a shy come-back too. Finish: so much honey! It gets darker, here (wood honey), and even has a metallic edge of new tools and nickel coins (or watch cogs). Nice! 8/10

46.72 25yo d.1992 Jungle slippers (53.8%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 275b): nose: is it tropical fruit, or is it bike-tyre tubes? Well, it is both! Rubber and talcum powder alongside exotic fruit of the non-exuberant type (guava, papaya). Mouth: mellow, velvety, it has the texture of fleshy fruit -- papaya and guava again, maybe quince too. Finish: long, juicy and fruity, the finish has similar notes, with all the fruit in jams. Lovely. 8/10

39.175 29yo d.1989 The chocolate and wine diet (49.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill Bourbon Hogshead + finished in PX Cask for 6y, 225b): nose: a little subtle, but it does have what seems like marzipan, pickles, crushed Brazil nuts and a dryer note. Roasted chestnut and tobacco complete the nose. Mouth: tobacco, peach-stone oil, peach juice (not nectar), peach skins. It seems very soft, but it does have power. Finish: noticeably different to the nose and mouth, with more yellow fruit (apricot, peach), some kind of jam (apricot, presumably) and a gently bitter note. This is nice, but not a patch on sister cask Starry starry night. 8/10

Cheeses are served

112.37 23yo d.1995 Teasing and Enticing (53.2%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 115b): nose: deep and woody, with mahogany, hazeltree, then apple juice, apple-tree wood, squashed plum and nuts, in the back of the nose. Mouth: polished dashboards, teak oil, baked apples and shallow-fried quince slices. Finish: what a kick! Once the alcohol dissipates, the finish explodes into a similar mix of orchard fruit and woody tones. Water brings out more tropical fruit. Excellent. 8/10

66.146 21yo d.1997 Sensational sweet smoky 'noble rot' (51.9%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 244b): nose: fried butter and pencils -- an unexpected combination... that sort of works. Grilled marshmallows, an old-school, wooden churn, and then it peters out to become very shallow and buttery. Rancid butter, to be accurate. Mouth: mildly ashy (because I know to look out for that), mostly creamy and actually rather soft, with almond milk and fruit drops. Finish: fruit drops alright. This one is very fresh, with almost-tropical fruit, oily tones (raspberry oil) and a slightly-too-pronounced bitterness. This feels like an Ardlair (unpeated Ardmore). Nice enough, but easily the weakest of the day. 7/10

Time to go home.