24/05/2019 Campbeltown Festival 2019 (Day 2 -- Part 1) Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting

jazzpianofingers shows me this, which he poured yesterday

This year's warehouse hike is hosted by Mitch Graham, who proudly boasts that he has recently been promoted (well done, Mitch!) and spends a lot of time laying down a disclaimer for his ridiculously booming voice. The zenith of that disclaimer is when he tells us someone once said he sounded like James Earl Jones and asked him to say 'power' in a solemn fashion. Giggles all round.

Follow me to the Dark Side

MG: "The more you drink, the less annoying my voice becomes!"

It is not annoying, Mitch! We are simply all jealous that you command so much attention with it.
The Frogs, the Swiss, the Swisskies, the Postman-EC Brigade are with JS, adc and myself on this, and we are ready to roll!

MG valinches out of the casks or pours from pre-filled bottles (because the casks are in different warehouses and we do not have climbing equipment for such an expedition). The valinched ones are marked 'cask sample', while the bottled ones are given their full bottling reference. Everything is poured blind, of course.

Aultmore 12yo d.2006 (56.7%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Hogshead, C#308071): nose: grapes and lukewarm porridge with soaked sultanas. It smells exactly like the breakfast whisky MG will tell us this is. Many might shrug at the idea of having a 56.7% dram as a starter, but we are seasoned. Mouth: lively, grape-y, a touch acidic and spicy. Finish: nice, vibrant, fruity and chocolate-y. Good, though MG cleverly and accurately confirms that the first dram is always more or less sacrificed. pat gva finds it utterly uninteresting and I can see his point. This is definitely not something I would buy for its challenging character, yet it is perfect as lubricant to ease one into a tasting. 7/10

MG: "I'm not gonnae telle ye hoo tae drink yer whisky, cos most of ye've been drinking whisky for longer than I have. Legally." (MG's accent emphasised for comedic purposes)

Benrinnes 23yo 1995/2019 (52.9%, Cask Sample, Hogshead): there is a discrepancy between the ABV on the cask and the ABV on the label. MG confirms that 52.9% is the right ABV. Considering 53.5% is written on the label, it is possibly entirely certain that he is wrong, but I will not contradict such a fine gentleman (especially not one who has Darth Vader's voice). Nose: mint (JS), sulphur (adc), prunes (me) and pine needles (the dead give-away that makes me guess the distillery correctly, bringing fame and glory on to tOMoH's name in front of all the warehouse geeks -- yay, me). Mouth: peppermint, aggressive spices, despite the creamy texture (adc). Finish: nice, here, with raw plums, unripe peaches, liquorice, Gocce Pino. Nice and sweet, despite the spicy mouth. I find it quite similar to the 23yo Small Batch offering from a few months ago, which I apparently have no notes for. 8/10

MG: "Drink it the way you want. As long as it has 'Cadenhead' or 'Springbank' written on it, it pays my wages."

Blended Scotch 38yo 1980/2019 (45.3%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Oloroso Butt): since this is part of the warehouse tasting, it falls neither under the Creations label, nor under the William Cadenhead range (the bright coloured ones with the Colonel Kentucky bust on them). MG announces a blend of Macallan, Tamdhu, Invergordon, Highland Park and Glenrothes. I had guessed not a whisky, which makes me lose all credibility. Nose: Christmas cake and guano (!), as well as prunes and figs. Mouth: coating, chock-full of dark fruit and liquorice allsorts. The cask influence is immense. Finish: similar notes of woody sherry cask -- liquorice, burnt wood. I would like to enjoy this one more, but I do not. Far from bad, it simply does not push all my buttons. 8/10

MG: "You can buy all the bottles at the end. I'll tell you the prices once you're a little more drunk."

Tormore 30yo d.1988 (48.1%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Hogshead, C#15944): nose: sawdust, cereals, hay, straw and rhubarb. Mouth: soft, with herbs on vanilla custard. Finish: long, custard-y, with another pinch of herbs and lichen on fruit. I am a sucker for an old Tormore and this is no exception. 8/10

MG: "When I say 'herbal', it sounds like 'hairball'."

Loch Lomond 12yo 2007/2019 (55.7%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Refill Bourbon Hogshead): nose: a hint of leather, farm-y notes, horse's hair, and rosemary-buttered chicken. Mouth: salty roast chicken, then mud, clay and, well, peat. Finish: very peaty, here, with wet bogs, marshes and power -- this one does not sleep! Loch Lomond are now all sensitive about others using their brands, but we all suspect a Croftengea (the roasted chicken note a dead give-away). 8/10

Springbank 14yo 2004/2019 (54.4%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Hogshead): we finish with a theoretical bang. Nose: farm paths and cola, sulphur (stf92 and pat gva -- I agree), prunes. Mouth: this is too sulphury for me. Remains relatively agreeable, but not blinding. Prunes and sulphur. Finish: prunes, rubber, dried figs and licking a tyre, really. No doubt this will sell out and end up at auction next week. I find it a bit meh. As far as I am concerned it does not deserve the popularity it will almost inevitably enjoy. 6/10

That is that for this one. The bottles are not sold here, but under the tent in Glengyle's courtyard, and only to those who wear a wristband -- which is cut as soon as a purchase is made, so no chancer going for all the bottles. Pity that it has to come to that, but good to see that the organisers are trying their best to satisfy as many people as possible, as opposed to satisfy one group a lot and frustrate the rest.

The lesser-spotted dunnage-warehouse puffin
had a cracking time