26/11/2019 SMWS x Billy Abbott

The SMWS has embarked on this original concept of giving "free reins" to a member. I say "free reins," because said member still has boundaries to conform to.
I did not attend the first of those sessions, mainly because I had no idea who the person was who was presenting. Also, I was not free that night.
This time, it is different: it is Billy Abbott's night, one half of Whisky Squad and a good friend (BA on this very blog).

The man.

DW, PP, PS, Dr. CD, GK, HT, CC, SOB, JMcC, JS and many other well-known faces are with me in the upstairs room -- he is popular, our BA! Six drams sit on a place mat: we will try them all blind.

For that, they need to puncture everyone's retinas...

Dram #1
Nose: shoe polish, melted marzipan, warm white wine, stewed peaches and baked pears. You can guess whether I like this (of course, I do!) The nose becomes "darker" over time, with stewed cherries and lingonberry compote. Mouth: soft, it has the zing of citrus and the softness of white wine, yet also squashed peach and a darker undercurrent of liqueur praline (Mon Chéri, I would say). Finish: strangely, a hint of coffee shows up, quickly overtaken by ripe peaches, overripe apricots, cherry liqueur and even almond liqueur. Nice! 35.226 32yo 1986/2018 Nocturne du Elgin en B flat minor (45.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 227b) 8/10

BA: "Nowadays, I don't come here very often, because PS is here." :-)))

Dram #2
Nose: a bit sharper than #1, but still sweet. Riesling? No: too mellow and sweet for that. It is closer to Gewürztraminer, or bubbly, with candied pineapple cubes and vanilla-ed staves, roasted coconut, augmented with a gentle meatiness. Mouth: some wood tannins, but it is mostly creamy and mellow. Macadamia-nut body butter, tinned syrup ("that maple-syrup shit they put in tins of pears," says another punter) -- it is fruity and metallic indeed, thick, though not quite syrupy to me. Finish: gently bitter, it has grape skins and some sweet cream, alongside green-hazelnuts' leafy envelopes. The second sip turns more bitter, which overshadows an otherwise stunningly fruity note. 26.120 13yo d.2004 Oil be drammed (52.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 198b) 7/10

I note that I like the above much less than the younger Clynelishes that have come out recently. Vintage differences?

BA: "I met a lot of cool people here, whom I could talk to about things. And PS."

Dram #3
Nose: rich, it has the smell of a drinks cabinet, varnish, walnut stain, walnut oil, macerated cherries, even maraschino cherries, soaked peaches. The second sniff brings more earth and prunes, dates, figs and a drop of old red wine. Mouth: prune juice, lingonberry compote, bubbling-hot plum jam, walnut oil, gently-drying wood stain -- that brings me back to my childhood, picking up walnuts in my grandmother's garden. Finish: a bit of rancio, here, with old red wine, vintage Port and elderberry jam. It is fruity, but also acidic and drying. It is OK, not blinding -- just a sherried whisky, innit. JS guesses the distillery and I guess the ABV (to the closest 0.5%) and age. We rule. 1.212 25yo d.1993 Beeswax on barrels  (55.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-PX Hogshead, 194b) 7/10

BA: "I reached Aviemore at 22:40, just twenty minutes after the pub near the station had closed."
JMcC: "It'll all change after independence!"

Not enough nuts for a table of four, guys!

BA: "The best Glenfarclas I ever had was at the distillery. It was the same day I was at Benriach and slept at Inverness station... Productive day!"

Dram #4
Nose: very fruity, with crystallised pineapple and sugar-coated apple drops. Confectionery sugar, citric powder, Haribo bananas. Mouth: soft and sweet, it has more of that Haribo-banana goodness and fizzy tropical-fruit juice. Finish: sweet, outstandingly fruity, with guava, persimmon, papaya and bubble gum. Perhaps not complex enough to reach the stratosphere, but sooooo instantly nice! 51.8 16yo d.2001 Funky flowers and tropical fruits (54.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 205b) 8/10

After my guessing the above was a Penderyn, BA starts talking about that distillery.

JMcC: "But it's Welsh!"
BA: "It's almost as if whisky outside of Scotland could be good, chum!"

Dram #5
Nose: shifting gears, in terms of ABV. A grain? Baking scents, pastry, softly metal-tainted croissant, herbs -- is it parsley? Fresh sage? Tarragon? Menthol or camphor? No! It is coriander; yes: coriander-fuelled apple turnover, with the metallic edge of the sharp knife that just cut it open. Mouth: mellow and fruity, it has hot turnovers again. The second sip brings more industrial notes, such as rubber and engine grease. Have I been fooled? Finish: long, big... and quite simple. It has hot fruits (pineapple and pears) and a touch of rubber. This dram starts out really nice, then becomes rather boring. The audience reckons a rum. Sure enough. R8.6 19yo d.1998 WD40 dunderfunk (68.9%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 264b) 6/10

68.9%! Same as the 38yo Tullamore, that. :-)

BA: "Just wondering if people have opinions... Just realised what I said!"

Dram #6
Nose: charred meat in a field of mud, "walking past Smithfields market" (DW), caked, crusted mud on a tractor tyres, dirty ink and ashes. It even has a gently-medicinal note. Mouth: ink-y, earthy, tarry, with fishing nets in a bowl of plum-y fruit. Finish: ash, fishing trawlers, greasy earth and slices of juicy fruit -- peach, most prominently. Not in the mood for this today, but it is not bad, I suppose. 53.280 6yo d.2012 Morning glory (61.8%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 267b) 6/10

Very good night. The drams were a decent showcase of what the Society is about (all are current-ish) and touched on a broad flavour spectrum. BA also shines when he presents. Hard not to realise that he does that for a living and quite often: it was the perfect blend of facts, anecdotes and banter.

Occasionally, he turns his back to the room

24/11/2019 Numerology

Our yearly gathering in the Cité ardente. Bishlouk, PSc, Psycho, kruuk2, ruckus, MQ, JS and I join dom666 for this dramfest. adc will make a late appearance too.
The theme was a late announcement presented thus:

1. Distilled or bottled on a 24th November
2. Distilled or bottled in 1968
3. 1968 was 51 years ago, so 17, 34 or 51 years old
4. The date is the 24th, so 24 years old
5. It is November, eleventh month, so 11 years old
6. 1968 is 19 and 68, so 19 years old or 68 years old
7. This is the twelfth of those tastings in a row, so 12 years old
8. dom666 was 40 the first time the tasting was held, so 40 years old
9. The first took place in 2008, so 20 years old or 8 years old

In summary, the following age statements are approved: 8 - 11 - 12 - 17 - 19 - 20 - 24 - 34 - 40 - 51 - 68.

Git.

dom666 delegates building the line-up to me (he calls it: helping, but really, he does bugger all). I discard a handful of bottles we have already had to take us down to a more-manageable fourteen. Ahem.

Not the right day to stop drinking, then, eh?

Banff 34yo 1976/2010 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice, Refill Sherry Hogshead, AJ/AFGJ) (JS): because it is 34. Nose: dusty marmalade, polished-hazelnut dashboards, vanilla-and-chocolate pudding. Mouth: the slight bitterness of crushed hazelnut shells, hazel foliage, warm marmalade and strawberry chewing gum. I remember thinking the mouth was a bit weak, the other day -- not so, now! Finish: longer than I remembered, it feels stronger in alcohol too, which is good news. Marmalade, fresh tobacco leaves and cinnamon bubble gum. I loved this the first time. I like it even more, today. 9/10

Bishlouk: "Je ne le sens pas aqueux en bouche..."
tOMoH: "Tu ne sens pas la queue en bouche???"

Supermarket-whisky glass, WTF!?

Benrinnes 20yo 1997/2018 (46%, The Ultimate Whisky Company The Ultimate, C#9427, 253b, b#44, L18/56) (ruckus): a 20yo. Nose: pine needles, forest floor, then pine cones and soil. A typical Benrinnes, really. A hint of lemon juice joins orange peel, too. Later, it is tar, tobacco, lung cancer -- oh! no, that is Psycho, back from his smoking break. Jokes aside, dried tobacco leaves are present, crushed to bits. Mouth: mellow, soft, but also slightly bitter, with dried orange rinds and pulp. Excellent on the palate! Finish: more orange, with candied segments, marmalade, ... Crystallised oranges, in essence. The whole is perfectly balanced. Another corker from a distillery whose profile is firmly on the rise. 8/10

vs.

Benrinnes 20yo 1997/2017 (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Barrels, 408b) (Bishlouk): another 20yo. Nose: more closed, and, in fact, not very expressive at all. Perhaps dashes of melted milk chocolate? Much further back, it is the trademark crushed pine needles. Mouth: similar to the Ultimate's, it is mellow, though spices soon join in, with ground green pepper coming to the fore. The second sip brings more Bourbon-y character, with hard-boiled sweets and citrus, namely lemons. Finish: sweet and spicy, the finish sees more of that citric sweetness, with boiled sweets and citric powder. 7/10

A nice pair! My preference goes to the Ultimate, today

PSc: "I've never put anything in someone's drink."
tOMoH: "Oh! We know you live with someone!..."
PSc: "Yeah, alcohol! I made her drink alcohol. But nothing dangerous!"
tOMoH: "Alcohol is not dangerous? Pour me some more, MQ!"

The Glenlivet 16yo Nàdurra b.2012 (54.3%, OB, B#0512T, LF30635) (MQ): bottled in 20-12, which is taking some liberties with the theme, but well. I think we had this one previously -- nope, it was another batch. Nose: very much a Bourbon-driven whisky, soft and fruity, with dried pomelo skin, lime juice, lemon-drizzle cake and toasted vanilla pods. Mouth: similar, it has lots of cake and lime/pomelo. Fruity, a little bitter and acidic. The odd combination that comes out of dried citrus peel, really. Finish: it suddenly feels more pedestrian, here, with more bitterness. It still has citrus peel, but also woody yoghurt and hints of ginger. It feels more like a regular modern whisky, in the finish; oak-driven. It remains a great introduction to cask-strength whiskies, though. 7/10

dom666 serves watercress soup

Shortly afterwards, leaven rolls, cheeses and cold cuts enter.

It promptly turns into a dick contest, of course

Pâté crème, vegetable pâté, pâté ardennais, chanterelle pâté,
apple, pear and raisin pâté, Port-infused duck mousse,
Saltufo

Comté grande réserve, Gruyère des alpages, extra-mature red Cheddar
(why is Cheddar always red, on the Continent? Looks like a Leicester!)

Pesto-filled brie, Calvados-cured camembert, Gorgonzola cremoso

Back to work.

Glencadam 34yo 1977/2012 (56.8%, Douglas Laing Old & Rare A Platinum Selection, Sherry Butt, 287b) (dom666): another 34yo. This one, we have had, and I know how good it is. :-) Nose: dark chocolate, wood lacquer, with precious wood and the softest hint of coffee. It smells like a drinks cabinet in an old mansion. Mouth: soft and precious, it has a dose of spices (ginger) and a lick of liquorice -- something I do not think I ever detected before. Finish: long and comforting, loaded with dark wood varnish and melted dark chocolate. I wish I could spend an hour with this, dissecting it, but I am behind. It is a perfectly-fine sherry maturation, in any case. 9/10

Auchentoshan 17yo 1999/2016 (55.5%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 498b, 16/199) (Psycho): 17yo. Nose: hot custard, hot lemon custard, even, stewed rhubarb, hay. PSc finds raspberry and cherry, which is fair enough. Mouth: very citrus-y, sharp, blade-like. The palate has a certain dose of spice and sawdust accompanying oats. Finish: big, herbaceous, it has the bitterness of cut dandelion stems and a gentle acidic touch. Excellent. It feels as good as the first time, if not better. 8/10

Cooley 11yo 2001/2012 (55.9%, A.D. Rattray Cask Collection imported by Pacific Edge Imports, Barrel, C#3443, 210b) (tOMoH): it is 11yo. Nose: soaked staves and loads of fruit (plum, apricot and peach) augmented with olive oil -- wow! Mouth: lively, the palate sees apricot turnovers, marmalade, apricot jelly and other fruits. Finish: man! This is very fruity. Squashed peach, apricot and some toffee to boot. Magnificent. I still have a little bit left and will take more detailed notes soon. 8/10

Don't try to break a cork at home.
PSc is... professional Russian

Highland Park 12yo b.2012 (46%, Adelphi Fascadale Highland, B#3, Refill Bourbon Casks, 1152b) (PSc): 12yo. Leather, seaspray, brine, merbromin. It is coastal, which I remembered, but also medicinal, which is new to me. Mouth: soft, it has similar brine and seaspray, basking in a tub of honey. Archetypal Highland Park, really. Perhaps, it is missing the heather. Finish: iodine and seaspray, with a soft medicinal touch to complete the picture. Simple and efficient. Hard to acknowledge we had this one seven-and-a-half years ago! 7/10

Dessert is served: the mighty chocolate bomb

kruuk2 has a special edition: the chocolate BUM

Inchgower 2006/2017 (55.1, Malts of Scotland, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#MoS17040, 250b, b#103) (kruuk2): bottled in 20-17, here is another shoehorned bottle. :-) This is a distillery we do not regularly have, with this group. Nose: leather and hairballs, Virginia tobacco, stale ale, old shoes and seaspray. Man! The sherry influence here is not easily accessible. Mouth: salty, it has saline water, then mustard -- strong and powerful Dijon mustard, probably borrowed from Banff, not far down the road. Finish: more brine, leather belts, hairballs and lots and lots of salt. Salted black olives, anchovies, capers. This is most peculiar. The colour does not betray how strongly the sherry comes out. As for distillery character, well, Inchgower is reputedly salty. 7/10

Oban 19yo b.1995 (59.8%, OB The Manager's Dram) (JS): a 19yo. "Have we found a good Oban," says Bishlouk, before admitting he has not had many. Nose: a wonderful mix of seaspray, quince and gentle smoke, interlaced to perfection. Smoky jams, quince jelly -- so much quince! And a hint of lemon. Mouth: mellow (at 59.8%!), it has a softly-soft touch, with brine and lots of jams. Finish: salty and huge in the finish, with a similar fight between seaspray, soft smoke and baked fruits. Meow! This is my favourite of the lot, so far -- the Manager's Dram Obans, that is. More accessible than the austere 13yo, and I find it even better than the mighty 16yo. Now, to try the rarer 19yo at 59.24%... 9/10

Ardmore 2009/2018 Heavily Peated (46%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection imported by Rossi & Rossi, C#706405/60/66/68/69/97, 1923b) (MQ): distilled in 20-09; that is the link, presumably. Nose: farm-y peat and ink. Mouth: drying, ash-y, with farmyard aplenty. Finish: super-dry, it has loads of charred wood and bitter ink. Simple, but efficient. 6/10

As the notes for the Ardmore suggest, I am starting to struggle. Long day, of course, but the dessert was probably what tipped me over. And there is still marzipan to eat...

Tiramisù marzipan

Amaretto marzipan

Glazed-chestnut and pistachio marzipans

Orange-and-chocolate and coconut marzipans

Ledaig 11yo 2008/2019 (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Hogsheads, 336b) (tOMoH): another 11yo. Nose: ash-y coffee and scorched earth. Mouth: pretty coffee-like again, with earth and coarse pepper. Finish: long, it has loads of that scorched earth, burnt cow dung, ploughed fields and coffee grounds. This is not my thing at all, today. 5/10

It is pretty clear I am fried. I dip my lips into the Kilkerran 8yo that Bishlouk left behind and decide it is time to stop. No Auchentoshan 1987 either, then.

Other than that, fine tasting. Good fun, as always.

19/11/2019 A few drams at SA's

detachedblue, SW, ZC, JS and a handful of others join me at SA's for drams and nibbles. As it turns out, a lot of each. :-)

Boom.

Fettercairn 30yo b.2005 (45%, OB The Stillman's Dram, b#000061) (J): nose: juicy peaches, buttercups, mountain-flower honey, pollen and light furniture wax. Spectacular nose that has me entranced already. Mouth: creamy, with a touch of nuts, walnut shells, and cut flowers -- including the bitterness of the flower stems. It has the wonderful texture of manuka honey and would be perfect without that faint-yet-present bitterness. Finish: long, assertive, it is very elegant. More wood and nut shells than the nose suggested, and the gentle bitterness prevents it from becoming legendary -- but that nose is something! 8/10

The GlenAllachie 29yo 1989/2018 (60%, OB Single Cask specially bottled for the UK, Sherry Butt, C#100073, 525b, b#525) (SA): nose: a hefty dose of sherry, in this one, with wood lacquer and nail polish, as well as wood -- quite a bit of it, in fact. Mouth: mellow and coating, it has melted chocolate, squashed cherries and ginger shavings. This is lively, spicy, but woody too. Later on, strawberry or raspberry shows up, which is welcome. Finish: lots of wood, here, with ginger fire, galangal shavings, crushed clove and ground cardamom. The final impression is that of raspberry custard. Nice, though I was probably hoping for better, seeing the pedigree. 7/10

Inchmurrin 9yo 2007/2017 (58.4%, OB Single Cask selected by Michael Henry, Chardonnay Wine Yeast Fermentation, C#5834, 276b) (ZC): nose: bread flour, yeast... I can sense this is about to go all tropical, but it is a bit smothered. Barley sugar, wet paper -- this nose is most particular! Mouth: sweet and soft, silky, even, it has the texture of peach nectar, with the taste of fruity yoghurt. Finish: oh! Fruit is now bursting, tropical, with persimmon and dragon fruit. I am loving this finish! 8/10

Others have Inchmurrin 19yo 1996/2016 (49.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 318b) (me), but I skip it.



JR: "Did anyone see Winston Chruchill's 1930 doctor's note?"
Other J: "Bizarrely enough, no."

Mackmyra Skogshallon b.2019 (44.4%, OB Moment, ex-Bourbon ex-Swedish Raspberry Wine Casks, 1511b, b#0875) (SA): nose: super sweet, it has barley snaps, raspberry and sunflower seeds. I fail to take more notes, but I do find it sweet indeed. Mouth: mellow, silky, sweet... it is strangely mildly drying, but crazy silky, with peach flesh and mushroom purée. A texture whisky, this! Finish: very powerful, in a grain sort of way, with lots of soft pastry filling and a distant metallic note. 7/10

Inchgower 38yo 1965/2003 (50.4%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 432b) (detachedblue): nose: brine, pickled onions, seaspray and burnt caramel. It is a dusty nose, like an old, ancient thing (ZC). An ancient thing akin to prune juice, then, salty prune juice. The second sniff brings dry earth -- ZC finds it dunnage-y, with an earthy sheen. Mouth: big, sherried, dry and salty. JS finds it mushroom-y. A fantastic Oloroso (I guess) number. Finish: long, tainted by the sherry, it is also quite woody, with lots of old wood and leather. This reminds me strongly of the Tobermory 42yo. Good sherry-matured whisky that some will find over the top. 8/10

Kavalan Amontillado (56.3%, OB Solist imported by King Car Germany, C#AM110314029A, 517b, b#068) (SA): nose: sulphury, brine-y, with olive brine, pickle vinegar and... not much else, really. Big and boisterous, yes, but complex, it is not to these nostrils. Mouth: nutty, varnish-y, but also acidic and prickle, with lots of tannins. Finish: huge, coating and everlasting, it has shoe polish, old, polish-y rags, shoe brushes and hair lacquer. Not my thing, this. 6/10

Port Charlotte10yo b.2013 (63%, OB selected by U. Pähler and N. Sparding for www.islayscotchandmore.drittler.de, 312b) (detachedblue): nose: dusty bacon, roasted over a wood fire, crispy bacon. A bit one-dimensional, really. It reminds me why I am seldom enthused by Port Charlotte. Mouth: it tickles the tongue, with mustard-y ham, mortadella and cured Serrano. Finish: big, dusty and brimming with bacon. The finish also sees acidic vinegar, which is less welcome. It is a Trump whisky: huge and orange. Not my style, but decent. 6/10

Mystery sample (JR): nose: it smells like Oloroso, blended with new make, ZC and I agree. Dark, with lots of cardboard. Mouth: big, hairy and leathery, none in a good way. Finish: hairy (as in: akin to ingesting a hairball), inky. Intense, and not my thing at all. JR giggles as he reveals the £19 mystery bottle. Diamond Navy Rum (57%, unknown bottler) 4/10

Port Charlotte 8yo PC8 Ar Dutchas (60.5%, OB, 30000b, b. ca 2010) (SA): nose: very strong, it has horse's hair, leather belts, lots of ink and funk. Mouth: enormous on the palate, chocolate-y, with sink funk and milk chocolate. I find it quite sharp, all in all. Finish: a steamroller dose of ink-y chocolate. Lots. Of. Ink. I am too tired to take decent notes. This is not for me today, despite the seasonal cold outside. Still, I like it better than the other Port Charlotte, tonight. 7/10

Exhausted. Good evening, though!

Not much will remain of those, when we leave

Killer banana bread made by JS

17/11/2019 Low Filledity

Cavalier66 posted pictures on social media of bottles that he noticed had lost a few centilitres, over the years. Funnily enough, the day before, I had looked at some of my bottles and observed that their respective fill levels were not too good either, and I noted that I should probably open them and drink them before the angels do it. JS put the pun together, as the John-Cusack fangirl she is. :)

GL, PS, Cavalier66, JS and I will then have bottles with low fill levels. PS and GL end up bringing open bottles with little left in them, while the other three have dodgy-levelled-yet-unopened bottles to share.

The soundtrack: Ruptured World - Exoplanetary

North of Scotland 1964/2007 (45%, Robert Scott Scott's Selection) (PS): nose: barley sugar, sweet corn, brown sugar, teak and caramel. PS reckons this was distilled from 100% malted barley, though it is hard to tell, as it came from a continuous still. There is a sweaty smell to this as well, which is funky. Mouth: thick and coating, it has coffee, toffee, slightly bitter and cloying, invasive, even. Precious woods, wood lacquer -- even hair lacquer, to be honest. Finish: in line with the nose and mouth, with flat cola, Chinotto, ebony, hair lacquer -- yes! it has a mild bitterness. 8/10

Linlithgow 22yo 1975/1998 (51.7%, Signatory Vintage Silent Stills, C#96/3/01, 335b, b#243, 98/0632) (JS): nose: an amazing mixture of citrus (bergamot, smoked lime, tangerine) and tobacco leaves. The nose also has very-shy dunnage warehouse, flint, crushed, dried sage and... cold roast beef. Mouth: the gentle bitterness of fresh tobacco leaves, fresh sage, lichen on staves, and lots and lots of citrus, augmented with a spoonful of honey. Finish: long, citrus-y, it has bergamot foliage and dried lime peels. This is so clean and beautiful! 9/10

The level, for reference

The soundtrack: Creation VI - Beringia

GL: "This is Turkish delights and dark chocolate."
Cavalier66: "Is this Rosebank?"
tOMoH: "No, not Scottish delights! Turkish delights! Rosebankoglu."

Benromach 5yo b.2006 (45%, OB, Finished in Hungarian Tokaji Wine Casks, 2000b) (GL): nose: a touch of sulphur, pork sweat, barbecued bacon, then maraschino cherries and lingonberry compote. Have we found a Tokaji finish that works? GL and PS claim so... Mouth: thinner and more mellow than I expected, it seems perfume-y. The wine notes appear, softly-softly, accompanied by a dose of spices (ground ginger). Finish: oooh! That is interesting. The wine influence is there, but it is quickly matched by a soft smoke and a note of burnt cork. A serving of pickled onions and a drop of vinegar also appear. It would seem as though PS and GL are right. This whisky does showcase a Tokaji maturation that works. 7/10

What is potentially the last-ever Italian sausage we will get enters the scene. My source might just have dried up, much to my dismay.

Cavalier66: "So, PS is not coming to Old & Rare?"
PS: "Unlikely, no."
Cavalier66: "Can I say: 'you're an idiot'?"
PS: "Not sure why you need my permission. You've done it before."

The soundtrack: Neuractive - Morphology

Clynelish 11yo 1994/2006 (53.3%, Creative Whisky Company Exclusive Malts, Sherry Butt, 362b) (GL): nose: bacon-y, with a pinch of leather, horse's hair, smoked cherries, scorched earth and pencil shavings. Mouth: chocolate and liqueur pralines, dark cherries, leather saddles and varnished wood. It is a great sherry maturation, this. Finish: a high-flying kick of alcohol, with a touch of cork, varnished wood and fortified wine. Well, that is all well, though the distillery character struggles to surface. 7/10

vs.

Clynelish 22yo 1972/1995 (58.95%, OB Rare Malts Selection) (tOMoH): I did not know what to choose, when the guests arrived. I thought having a second Clynelish might be fun, though I was worried it would not be a fair match. Nose: mirabelle plum, apricot, marmalade in a cast-iron cauldron, over a wood fire, mist, more than smog (ozone, perhaps?), honey -- phwoar! Diesel engines and soot are also to be found behind the honey-glazed, fruity marmalade. Mouth: mellow and honey-filled, with also yellow flowers and more marmalade, stewed plums and apricots -- this is both fruity and old-school, with a twist of black pepper for good measure. Finish: big and appealing, with a pinch of salt, honey-glazed apple, caramelised over a wood fire. Wow. This is exceptional. I am looking forward to spending more time with it. It was not at all a fair match. I had this one at 9, but coming back to it after everyone has left, it seems to shine even brighter. So... 10/10

Making little wom-bottles

The cork of the next bottle disintegrates. GL, JS and I operate a corkscrew, skewers and a vacuum cleaner to salvage it, rather successfully, I might add. :-)

Pressed-orange-whisky

The soundtrack: Atrium Carceri & Cities Last Broadcast - Black Stage Of Night

Benromach 7yo 2000/2008 Lat 57° (57%, OB to celebrate the Clipper 07--08 Round the World Yacht Race, First Fill Sherry Hogshead, C#580, 330b) (GL): GL is in a Benromach mood, is he not? Nose: very cask-y, almost plank-y, with dry staves, ginger bread, cherry liqueur and dark chocolate, as well as dry sherry, Oloroso style. Mouth: woody, almost splinter-y, it has lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, yet also some ginger, dry sherry and Jägermeister. The cask influence is huge. Finish: lots of chocolate, here, with a hint of dry smoke, galangal and cork, dry wood, bung cloth, hessian sacks and very old walnuts. This is huge, coating, drying, yet comforting too, because so warming. Another stonking sherry cask from GL. 8/10

JS: "I really like where it is in the line-up, with the sausage."

Port Dundas 20yo b.2011 (57.4%, OB Limited Edition, ex-Sherry & First Fill American & Charred European Oak Casks, 1920b, b#1824) (PS): I tried this one at Whisky Live! 2011 and remember liking it, but being puzzled by the price, in a day and age when the same amount bought you a 1960s grain. Nose: ginger bread aplenty, baking croissant dough and caramelising golden syrup. Mouth: soft on the palate, it is rounded, but also full-bodied and complex, with cassia bark, crushed aniseed, chocolate, cinnamon and dead leaves. Finish: wow! Long, cinnamon-laden, with ginger-bread man, speculoos, hazelnut paste and chocolate spread (not the kind that has more palm oil than anything else). This is excellent indeed. What a treat to try it again! 8/10

PS: "I was being far too kind to you."
tOMoH: "The word to remember in that phrasing is: 'fart'."

Cavalier66: "I'm oozing. That's what I do. My friends make me ooze."
tOMoH: "That's because you married a Greek. She got you hooked on ooze-o."

PS: "When did you last buy Brora? About £800 ago."

57.4 15yo 1979/1994 (63.1%, SMWS Society Cask) (JS): another broken cork. This one becomes a floater, so that will require a more elaborate salvage operation. First, let us try it. Nose: nostril-consuming, this one, clearly from before the SMWS discovered water. It has ethereal orange segments, lemon juice -- no! Pomelo juice, a hint of almond paste and hazelnut paste. The second sniff brings a bit of a leafy touch to the picture -- tobacco leaves, perhaps? PS finds it hay-like, with straw mats. He is not wrong. Mouth: crisp, acidic and lemon-y, with limescale and grapefruit... Wow! This is extremely big, bold, with apple, pear and Chinese gooseberry (PS calls it kiwi fruit, the pleb he is). Dry hay mats here too, though the overall impression is fruity. Finish: muscular, lemon-y and sharp, zesty, with lots of citrus and dry-as-fork hay. This is nice, but fierce. I can feel my head growing and growing! I am oscillating between an 8 and a 9. For tonight, it will be ... 9/10

Cavalier66: "Glen Mhor through a strawr."

JS: "We'll need to fish out the cork."
tOMoH: "That's ok. I'm not scared of that any-mhor."
Cavalier66: "The ECT. Emergency Cork Team."

The soundtrack: Various - Dark Pleasures

PS: "Do not google Dark Pleasures!"

Talisker 20yo 1981/2002 (62%, OB Limited Edition, Sherry Casks, 9000b, b#5117) (Cavalier66): fourteen-and-a-half years later, I get to try this again. It has gained quite a reputation, in the meantime. Justified? Nose: sherry. Very elegant, with wood polish, liquorice, brine, pickled onions, shoe polish -- there is not much Talisker, in this, which is probably a good thing from my perspective. :-) Shiitake-mushroom paste and leather belts. Mouth: big (you don't say!), gently drying, coating, it has all sorts of precious woods, drinks cabinets, crushed Macadamia nuts, almond skins and dried fruits (mostly dates). Finish: it is all leather and smoke and pepper, here. Not the gross pepper from the 10yo, no -- much more refined than that. The finish is really impressive. It also has precious, lacquered wood, all sorts of polishes, burnt caramel, dried figs, dried dates and -- Talisker finally appears, here -- swirls of smoke and smoked pepper. The amazing part is how well-integrated this is. At 62%, one would expect it to chew one's tongue off. Against all odds, it does not burn much. I feel the reputation is a little overdone (there are better drams around, and better Taliskers), but still. Cracking dram, probably closer to Secret Stills 01.01 than any other Tal I know. 9/10

Dram of the day:
JS, GL: Linlithgow
tOMoH, Cavalier66: Clynelish RMS
PS: Cannot choose.

This one stood the test, strangely enough

In my tipsy good will, I manage to spill a dram's worth of 57.4 whilst transferring it out of and in to the bottle to remove the broken cork, then draw a forty-centimetre scratch on the wall while turning the sofa cushions. AAAAAARRRRGHRHHHHHHH!!!

Excellent afternoon. Additional credit to Cavalier66, who had a serious bike accident a few days ago and made it, despite his injuries (hence the straw), with a promise that we would not make him laugh. We were never going to keep that one, were we? ;-)