31/12/2020 Finishing off

As another year comes to an end, let me not look back and reflect on the past year. Only the drams for this blog, thank you!

Craigellachie d.1971 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b.1980s): nose: almost-auburn nail varnish and brine, for a moment. Seconds later, chocolate-coated cherries appear, cuberdons sweets, waxy on the outside, gooey on the inside, polished cherry-wood furniture, a whisper of new rubber, flat cola, lukewarm cola sweets and sticky toffee pudding. Treacle banana bread too, to finish with gently-burnt cake crust. I am ready to bet this bottle has caramel added to it. As I tilt the glass, the back nose has a faint note that reminds me of Cambus -- pineapple? Mouth: well, here is the answer to my question; the tongue definitely picks up pineapple, maybe with a few drops of pink-grapefruit juice thrown in for good measure. Next to that are caramel flan, butterscotch, whisky in mocha, burnt cake and liquorice allsorts. The dominant characteristics are indeed fruit acidity and toasted goodness. Roasted malt, a pinch of coffee grounds, cocoa powder, yet also treacle and burnt caramel. Repeated sipping cranks up the heat, with ginger powder, asa foetida and piment d'Espelette. Finish: to call it stripping or coating would be inaccurate, yet it it certainly leaves a lasting impression. Acidic tinned-pineapple juice shaves a layer of moisture off of one's jowls, which is as pleasant as it is surprising, for a 40% whisky that has been in an eighty-percent-empty bottle for... erm... six and a half years. The second sip welcomes a dollop of dark-chocolate coulis, perhaps dark-chocolate truffles, with lots of cocoa powder, and liquorice allsorts. The finish is rather spicy too, with similar piment d'Espelette and ginger powder, yet, this time, it is augmented with powdered cinnamon too. Very nice! 8/10

Craigellachie 13yo (46.3%, OB, b. ca 2018): nose: strong scents of marzipan and plasticine that immediately make me think of The Pogues. Watercolour, plastic buckets, rubber boots, all that before it thankfully evolves towards milk chocolate -- a white-wine-cured milk chocolate. Makes no sense? You don't make no sense, bruv! Pencil eraser, fudge, chewy chocolate praline (gianduja, probably?), toffee and warm logs by the fire (fruit tree, obviously). Mouth: candied pear slices, served alongside toffee, and a glass of fruity white wine -- it might even be a Maitrank, or Beaumes de Venise, actually. Chewy banana sweets, stewed pears... Say! This is rather fruity. That is before the pencil eraser catches up, and the plastic-y touches (rubber boots and plastic buckets) come back, baked, almost sulphury (bakelite). Then, grapefruit peels come clean up the mess, chewy, waxy and a little bitter. Finish: weird. The cooked fruits are here (pears, bananas), fruity wines too, but, all of a sudden, a burnt note storms the scene: scorched plastic, burnt rubber. Then, it goes back to the beginning, with plasticine and wax. The finish is shortish. It leaves a soft bitterness in the mouth, similar to that left by citrus zest. This is good, but it does not seem to have much in common with the previous dram, other than the plastic. 7/10

Craigellachie-Glenlivet 19yo 1962/1982 (80° Proof, Cadenhead): nose: well, it is a completely different story, but considering it is from the pre-reconstruction Craigellachie, it is hardly surprising; after all, we are virtually at a different distillery. First thing to note is that this is smoky. Oh! not the peat onslaught that one finds in today's Islay youngsters, mind. No! Delicate, refined smoke. It only works as a supporting act, here. Smoky jams (mirabelle plums, lemon marmalade) and compotes (pear, apple, pineapple). The juxtaposition of that fruity side and the smoky scent that comes from a cast-iron bucket of soot is fantastic. Char-grilled grapefruit segments -- wait! Out of nowhere, the (scorched-)plastic note we met in the previous two drams comes into play, mingling with the smoky lemon marmalade. What an amazing nose this is! Ashy, grapefruit-scented hand wash adds to the picture. Later on, hazel shavings join, and a faded soft-leather note too. Mostly, the star remains the smoky marmalade. Mouth: smoky lemon marmalade alright. Scorched plastic? Check. On the other hand, the soot is more pronounced, here -- much more pronounced. The mouth has a freshly bitter touch, even if it does not quite seem to be plastic -- Bakelite, perhaps? Electric cables? The texture is not particularly thick; one might even call it thin... until one realises one is still chewing on smoky, waxy grapefruit peels, after all that time. Or is that the leather pouch that carried the fruits home? In any case, it is excellent. Finish: very long, with an emphasis on that bitter note from the palate. It is Bakelite indeed, and it is not on its own: roasted aniseed spent coffee grounds and liquorice roots are to be found in this finish, and make for a toasty impression. Not only that, however: soot, smoked marmalade, smoked citrus (grapefruits, lemons and unripe oranges) all come back in full form to kick some bouteille. The permanent waltz of fruit, smoke and hard plastic is simply mesmerising. Ace, if my impression is seemingly quite different from our first encounter. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

44.53 22yo d.1989 Lip-smacking, chewy and chunky (51.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 279b): nose: despite being distilled almost twenty-seven years later than Cadenhead's dumpy, the similarity is striking, at first nosing. Soot, refined smoke and marmalade are the driving forces again, and they are forces to be reckoned with! In terms of fruit, this one has satsumas, clementines and kumquats added to the mix of citrus, all peppered with a pinch of coal dust. Moreover, this one has rose water, overripe persimmon, melting into a fruity goo, and some kind of gingery strawberry chalk, which is most unusual. Smoked-strawberry jam, cold cranberry compote (perhaps not as sad as it reads) and a sort of wood paste too. Time turns this nose deeper, with blackcurrant cough drops, haystacks and buttery pot-pourri (I know) in the back of the sinuses. The second nose reveals a definite woodier side, with wood paste and ginger yoghurt. Mouth: assertive, not aggressive, the mouth has green chilli, green pepper, green capsicum, and the same softly-smoked marmalade as the nose. The soot is present too, mildly bitter and probably desiccating, in the long run, balanced by peppermint-y blackcurrant cough drops -- or is it blackberry? Elderberry liqueur, smoked bog myrtles, bramble smoke from a gardener's bonfire, coffee grounds and liquorice roots, parchment foil, crumbling after it has been in the oven several times, ginger-powder-sprinkled slices of dried orange. Finish: here is perhaps where this dram loses steam, a little. It is a nice finish, with soot, liquorice laces and smoked elderberry; it simply does not attain the grandeur of the nose and palate (or of the previous dram). Smoked mint, ginger shavings, wasabi, aniseed, dried banana slices, dipped in spices. In fact, the more one sips it, the more the fruit re-appears: blood oranges, smoked satsumas, candied apples. It does not gain and kind of glorious exuberance, but that certainly gives it a welcome evolution, with even a faint bitterness, as if someone had sprinkled chopped green chilli on Bakelite, after dunking it in marmalade. I think I like this even better than previously. When it comes to scoring, it presents a challenge. I had it at 8, initially. Accepting that not everything is at its best at the same time (the nose shines brightest early on, the finish takes a while to reach its peak), I will go higher. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

Happy New Year!

26/12/2020 Clearing the shelf #29 -- 70 combined years of ABC drams

As every year, we have a triple birthday to celebrate -- this year with a triple theme. As every year, none of the birthday boys is here.

Ardmore 19yo d.1990 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines First Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#30109): nose: a delicate peat smoke that brings me back to the gardening days of my childhood; they invariably ended with a garden fire to burn leaves, cut grass and weeds -- before the world understood the risks and toxic effects of such fires, obviously. Smoked roots, weeds on the fire, burnt riverbanks, hay, grass, burnt by the scorching sun, earth by the hearth. Behind that, a fruity note grows, though I struggle to identify it... Smoked plums? Peaty Peach? Next up is a gentle lick of wood varnish, then mocha cream or crème brûlée. Mouth: moist. That is the first thing that comes to mind. Peach skins, dried apricots, papaya cubes, even. Oh! this is nicely fruity. A pinch of red-chilli powder gives a spicy touch that is so tame even PS would not complain. In the background and only coming through via retro-nasal olfaction, smoky wood appears, akin to cherry-tree logs in the fireplace. Even the smoke is fruity, on this palate. In the long run, a bit of vegetal smoke shows up, juicy weeds thrown onto the fire, roots included... yet fruit reclaims its rightful place. Finish: although it is reduced to 46%, it lacks no power. It is a combination of the smoky notes from the nose and the fruity tones from the palate. Peach, apricot and papaya come and go, letting scorched earth linger in the aftertaste, which gives a pleasant, toasted impression. Coffee grounds, the spent wick of a scented candlestick. What a wonderful drop! I liked it the first time, and still do. 8/10

Bruichladdich 25yo 1993/2018 (49.3%, Cadenhead Single Cask for the 25th Anniversary of Bresser & Timmer, Bourbon Hogshead, 240b): I loved this when STL introduced me to it. Will it live up to my memories? Nose: carambola, cucumber and candle wax, celery sticks and, amongst other things that start with 'c', violet stems. Carambola becomes more pronounced, joined by guava, prickle pear, mango skins and unripe persimmon. This really is becoming tropical and a half! Coconut fruit (the flesh around the nutshell), coconut yoghurt, then Kaffir lime leaves, pomelo peels -- phwoar! Cucumber peels too, come to think of it. Maybe this has something of a gin & tonic (without the horrible gin part, though -- would that merely be tonic?) Mouth: holy molly! It is as good as the nose: Guava, carambola, pomelo skins, coco, yoghurt, prickle pear -- this is full of win! It retains the freshness of cucumber (the taste, a little less), crisp celery sticks, and it also has some herbs (lemon mint, wild chamomile, which tastes like pineapple). Pineapple comes in to stay, in fact, foliage included. Yeah: it may be fruity, yet it also has herbaceous touches like that; Kaffir lime leaves and clementine foliage. Finish: it is the same debauchery here, with pomelo skins, guava, carambola and celery rubbing feathers with prickle pear and a notch of ground paprika. Yum! Peach yoghurt balances the acidity of the fruits, and there might even be an extremely-soft bitter nuance, which I associate with cucumber peel and lime leaves, or clementine leaves, covered in milk chocolate. This dram is a work of art. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, STL)

Secret Highland Malt d.1994 (47.78%, Cask Sample, C#11): this cask sample bears no age statement, but it was drawn in late 2020, which makes it a twenty-six-year-old. The other night, several wondered whether it was a Clynelish. That will be my C dram, even if it is not. Nose: bramble, honeyberry, faint pollen and lots of yellow fruits (mirabelle plum, papaya, jackfruit, butternut and quince jelly) and pineapple turnovers. The nose becomes more intoxicating as time passes, giving more waxy and furniture-polish-y notes than fruit, with the same effect as sniffing wax or furniture polish: intoxication. Do not try this at home, kids! Mouth: meow! this balance... Überjuicy fruits, with quince, ripe golden apple, mirabelle plum, white peach, waxy apricot and yellow watermelon. Perhaps canary melon too, but then splashed with rum. A drop of dark pouring honey augments the palate, blended with a dash of beeswax to boot. The texture is waxy, chewy and coating, leaving the mouth salivating. The yellow fruits are really something! The roof of the mouth ends up detecting tinned pineapple that has spent far too long in the tin -- that is fleeting, however. Finish: similar story, the finish sees a mixture of juicy yellow fruits and mouth-coating beeswax, alongside a spoonful of set honey, so sticky it is borderline drying. Further sipping transforms that into clear pouring honey, still sticky, apricot jam and marmalade, not quite bitter, yet one that has a tang alright. Tinned pineapple makes a comeback, as does fruity yoghurt. Wax-coated papaya is the last thing to rock up. Cracking dram! Hope it is bottled and released in the not-too-distant future. 8/10

Happy birthday, MD, FH, JPH.

25/12/2020 Two Christmas drams

To celebrate Jesus's supposed birthday, let us have a couple of adequate whiskies. In this country, where Christmas dessert is understood to be two trowels of cement and raisins, left to macerate in a bucket for 364 days, a Christmas dram has come to mean anything chock-a-block with dried fruits. Mostly, that translates into something matured in a first-fill sherry, Port of Madeira cask.

Anyway, back to Jesus's birth, now, because, since the Big Lebowski, one should know that "Nobody vucks wit za Jesus."

Blend On The Run 29yo b.2020 (45.6%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Sponge, First Fill Sherry Butt for 13 Years, 314b): we had this two nights ago, but if not now, then when again? Nose: despite what I said the other day, the first think that gets to me tonight is rancio. Musty, clay-floored warehouses, drums of Madeira, rows and rows of stacked Madeira drums, earthy prunes, and a whiff of musk -- picture a cat who spent the day outside. Dried dates and figs are in the background, somewhat hidden behind roasted chestnut shells, then distant coffee. Maybe there is a dollop of caramelised cranberry compote too, yet it is as subtle as they come. In fact, the whole nose is subdued. Mouth: juicy on the tongue, sweet and warming, it has gently-burnt apricot compote, soon taken over by prunes, plum liqueur, rum baba, and a clear note of rancio, which flirts with damp earth, now. That last one turns into peachy coffee, almost desiccating. It really is fruity and drying at the same time, and that works a treat. Repeated sipping reveals a juicier profile, still earthy and fruity in equal measures. Finish: oh! It is definitely peach coffee, freshly ground and toasted. The more one sips it, the fruitier and less dry it becomes, with hazelnut and dried raspberry joining the peach. Earth is still present, whilst coffee... Well, if it is, it is very much in the back seat. Instead, it is closer to a tiny sprinkle of grated, ridiculously-dark chocolate -- we are talking above 95% cocoa content. It is certainly a sherried whisky, but I would not call it a Christmas dram as I understand that to mean. It is pleasant alright, even great to sip. Yet the nose is a tad too tame to thrill this taster (how many words in 't' can you align in a sentence? I just did seven). Indeed: 7/10

Bunnahabhain 11yo b.2020 (54.2%, OB Hand-Filled Exclusive, Manzanilla Cask, C#3212): nose: dusty marmalade, puff pastry, quince paste, candied apricot, candied pineapple. It smells sweet, yet also quieter than the other night. The temperature, perhaps? It is noticeably colder tonight... Still: pressed sultanas in custard become more evident. Shortbread, crushed into a powder. Caramelised apple compote. In the long run, the nose turns more caramelised and toasted, even displaying toasted malt and coffee grounds. Mouth: 'ere we are! On the tongue, it is sickly sweet, with conference pears so ripe they melt out of their own accord, vanilla custard, blended with overripe pears, sultanas, golden raisins, Smyrna raisins, İzmir üzümü (look at me! Look at me!), dried apricots, quince paste, dried dates that have somehow remained juicy as fook. Then, a gently bitter note appears, almost rubbery -- odd, but a pleasant respite from the sugary onslaught. Finish: mellow and soft, while also very sweet. Membrillo, Lyle's Golden Syrup, sweet Moscatel sherry, Beaumes de Venise, Gewürztraminer vendanges tardives, in which the producer would have dumped tons of confectionery sugar. Is this sweet? You bet! Wheelbarrows of sultanas (Smyrna, Izmir), golden raisins and dried dates, punctuated with cooked blood oranges, rinds and all. And a pinch of coffee grounds to boot! This is a Christmas dram, as they say. It is not for everyone, though. It is not my personal preference today more than it was last week. If that is one's thing, one might want to consider drinking sherry. 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, PF)

23/12/2020 Thompson Bros & Guests Xmas (Part 2)

It started here.

Blend On The Run 29yo b.2020 (45.6%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Sponge, First Fill Sherry Butt for 13 Years, 314b) (brought by Angus MacRaild): we are told this is from Signatory's reserve, and somehow related to a 1997 blended malt called Signatory Supreme. Nose: softly-smoked prunes, dried dates, soaked raisins. Mouth: a bit nuttier on the tongue, with oily chestnuts in their roasted shells. Finish: teak oil, pressed prunes, figs, ripe blueberries. Others say rancio, but I do not think so. It is certainly juicy, sweet and fruity. 7/10

Parafilm did not
prevent a
minor leakage

Glen Mhor 8yo (57%, Gordon & MacPhail, b. mid-to-late 1980s) (introduced by John Beach and Arthur Motley): honestly, this is the one I am looking forward to most. Nose: feisty industrial-revolution scents, with hot metal, coal fumes, lichen, limestone and burnt bread crust. Mouth: big and muscular, the palate welcomes a fruity note of peach, intertwined with lichen and limestone. Finish: imposing, austere, metallic. More limestone, diesel fumes and gorgeous fruits. Well, my expectations are met. 8/10

PT: "JB, it sounds as though you researched for thirty minutes this afternoon, for this..."
JB: "Err, yeah. Isn't that what I was supposed to do?"

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 (55.5%, OB for the Whisky Bars of Scotland, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, C#068/2008, 160b) (presented by Jonny McMillan): nose: confectionery sugar and hand wash, jasmine, sourdough, then crushed Aspirin tablets. Mouth: powdery, I swear this has flour and crushed, mentholated Aspirin tablets. Finish: menthol again, supported by unripe apples and tonic water. 7/10

JMcM: "I work for Berry Brothers, who have been selling overpriced bottles since before I joined them. We've been paying way too much for casks for over a century."

Connal Mackenzie talks about the Ardnamurchan he selected for this shindig -- or that he did not select, as it turns out he wanted one, a peaty make matured in sherry, but, following a mix-up, ended up with another, a non-peaty make matured in Bourbon. Looking at the miniature whilst typing this, I realise it is a peated Ardnamurchan from an ex-Oloroso cask. Either I misunderstood, or the mix-up was Connal's. Unless, of course, not everyone received the same juice. We will never know. Does it really matter?
I am starting to feel tired and annoyed, so I skip it for now. For reference, it is:

Ardnamurchan 2015/2020 (59.5%, OB, ex-Oloroso Hogshead, C#670)

Final dram.

Laphroaig 24yo 1996/2020 (51.8%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, ex-Jack Daniel's Cask, C#1-104, 217b) (presented by Oliver Chilton): nose: well, peat smoke, obviously. Iodine, bandages and Reflex spray. Mouth: some juicy fruit balances the peat, in the long run, yet I fail to identify it. Bog water and mud meet apricot turning mouldy. Finish: boggy, medicinal peat, with lots of tincture of iodine. Pear and apricot develop after a while too, which is most welcome. 7/10

PT calls upon Marcel van Gils, an authority on Laphroaig, to dissect this one. From where I stand, it appears as though MvG summarily executes the dram for being from the 1990s and therefore not as fruity as the earlier makes. Others protest that they can smell/taste fruit in this. I certainly can. Perhaps it is not a 1974 distillation, but then it does not claim to be either.

I call it quits. I am exhausted, and not good company. No point insisting and tarnish others' enjoyment.

With more than sixty people in attendance, this is definitely not a format that suits my preference. Next to the now-usual lurkers, who switch the camera off two minutes in and say nothing throughout, only six to eight vocal individuals talk. The atmosphere quickly turns very clique-y. As with most cliques, the rest is then divided between those trying to join the clique and those who cannot be bothered. The important takeaway from that is not chicken tikka masala; rather that most (including myself) do not seem to engage at all.

Good to swap a few words in private with people we have not seen in a year, on the other hand (e.g. CB and GB). And lovely whiskies to boot!

23/12/2020 Thompson Bros & Guests Xmas (Part 1)

Dornoch is sadly a no-go area for tOMoH, this year, but cyberspace allows for virtual gatherings with the Dornoch crew.

This session tonight is meant to feature old and rare bottles. The line-up was announced a few weeks ago, and there were a few interesting things indeed. The event also has guest hosts: not all the whiskies are from the Thompson collection; instead, several of their friends have selected a whisky and will present it.

We do start with drams selected by the twins, however.

Dornoch d.2019 (62.16%, Cask Sample, C#182): this is an experimental peaty batch, of which we are told there are two casks. Nose: flinty and mineral, the nose has slate-y smoke (think: smoke coming out of a chimney in a slate roof?) The second nose has smoky, rubbery leaves. Mouth: now we are talking! Lots of mineral notes again (slate), and smoked vegetation. Several people say agave and tequila, and I can see why. It has got that mezcal-y smokiness. Finish: warming, the smoke mutates, now turning into coins (some nickel alloy?) BA mentions 50p coins, which seems spot-on. He is good, our BA. 7/10

AMcR: "I don't have the samples in front of me, but does this taste like a green-dumpy, 1970s Glendronach?"

Jura 30yo 1990/2020 (46.4%, Thompson Bros. for The Whisky Find, Refill Hogshead, C#5317, 163b): this is the latest of a small series of 1990ish casks of Jura that have received praise from everyone who has tasted them. Nose: Fruittella, dried pear slices (adc), as rubbery-chewy as they are fruity. Mouth: pear drops, boiled citrus sweets. This is fresh, lively and resolutely fruity. Finish: long, big and very fruity, in a chemical way, this has mixed peel and candied angelica, on top of the fruity sweets. Ace. 9/10

Secret Highland Malt d.1994 (47.78%, Cask Sample, C#11): this one may be a Clynelish, though PT explains nothing was written on the cask and, therefore, he does not know himself. Nose: mentions of wax and fruit fuse from all sources, and indeed: seal wax, oily-plant leaves, then white wood and nail polish. Mouth: despite the modest ABV, it feels robust. It is also rather fruity (plums, mirabelle plums, apricots), the fruitiness being counterbalanced by a mild, leafy bitterness. Finish: waxy plums, waxy apricots, dark grapes and more tropical fruits (someone ventures starfruit, and I agree). Very nice. 8/10

The inevitable discussion about names takes place: if it is this good, does it matter what it is? From a pricing perspective, of course, it does. Different people buy different whiskies for different reasons, and not stating the name, for whichever reason, removes a proportion of the customer base. That dictates how much a bottle can be sold for, which, in turns, prescribes the maximum cost of the cask.

Chichibu London Edition b.2020 (53.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt, ex-Bourbon Casks, 1736b) (presented by Billy Abbott): nose: warm pastry, smoky ovens, then spices (chiefly turmeric). Mouth: very sweet, here, it has warm croissant and hot rosemary-like menthol. Finish: it is long, warming, yet also menthol-fresh. Further, one spots fruits and focaccia. Great balance, great strength, great integration. This is annoyingly enjoyable. Annoyingly? It might be neither old, nor rare, yet it is certainly not cheap! 8/10

Read on here.

22/12/2020 Another random pair

Clynelish 24yo 1993/2018 (48.1%, Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#11214, b88b, b#37): nose: oooh! This is waxy. Beeswax, honey, royal jelly, rose-petal jelly and a ton of yellow fruits -- mirabelle plum, peaches, apricots. Then, polished dashboards, quince jam and honey-glazed crème brûlée. This wax is amazing: it has nought of the candles and platicine that often appear; no! It is all bee-related goodness. Racks, pulled from a hive and dripping with honey and wax. It goes from light, pouring honey, acacia style, to much darker, thicker, richer honey, mountain honey from sappy pine trees. The third nosing lets milk coffee emerge (latte macchiatto, I would say, if I knew anything on the subject). Mouth: the first hit is that of copper coins, loud and clear. Wax soon joins in, alongside the freshness of mountain pines, pine cones, sappy and woody. It is woodier on the palate than expected, the wax only providing a backdrop, here. Copper cutlery, used to spread honey on crusty golden cake, yeah! This pine aspect recedes with the second sip, restoring the honey. Finish: long, calming, reassuring, full of beeswax, furniture polish and moist sponge cake. It might even have melted milk chocolate in the mix. A whiff of encaustic appear through retro-nasal olfaction, delicate and charming. A couple of sips in, hot cocoa, very clear, now, and it is corretto -- my guess is: with a dash of Amaretto and a drop of gooey caramel. Lovely! 9/10

Sonoma County West of Kentucky Bourbon N°2 2014/2016 (56.5%, OB, Barrel, C#14-0224, b#246): nose: woody as hell, this has oily teak, Sumatran rain forest, set alight to make room for palm-tree plantations, meaning: oily tropical wood, releasing its sap under the effect of fire (palm oil is the cause of deforestation and of the decline of the orang-utan). Avocado oil, oily Brazil nuts, chestnut liqueur, rum-spiked panna cotta, slightly overdone banana bread. Mouth: corn syrup, of course, oily chestnuts again, teak cabinets, Brazil-nut oil... Suddenly, the alcohol catches me by surprise: it is rather pungent and spicy, with a dose of preserved galangal shavings and ginger. Toasted banana bread is present here too, the crust slightly too toasted. Aniseed, perhaps, mocha. This toasted aspect is well pleasant, since it is very much under control. Newly-cut wooden planks, still warm from the contact with the circular saw that cut them. Finish: here, it is closer to a "regular" Bourbon, with bananas, custard, caramel flan, wood shavings and so on. It is a very creamy finish, with gooey caramel, more than hardened fudge, warm sticky toffee pudding and, after a couple of sips, a clear alcohol kick. It is sweet, but not overly so, toasted, yet not too much. It is simply a pleasant sipper. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

21/12/2020 A random pair

D.town 33yo d.1979 (56.3%, Cadenhead Cask Ends, 3rd Fill Bourbon Cask, 1b): possibly a re-labelled Chairman's Stock, though I cannot identify it more precisely. Nose: hazelnuts, dusty fruits, lichen, glazed chestnuts, forest floor. Then, it turns to flowers, with dried roses, dried tulips, pot-pourri, dried gorse leaves. Some desiccated dried dates, almost wooden, faded marmalade on stale toast. It may read horrible, but it is full of diaphanous charm. Much later, it is daisies, canola oil and rapeseed that suitably complement the dried flowers, then ground black pepper and ground coriander. Mouth: the palate has much more bite than the nose suggested, with ginger, cinnamon sticks, maybe peppermint. It is lively, that is for sure! A schitckle of menthol -- oh! Definitely peppermint, now. There is a fleeting impression of strawberry bubble gum, at some stage, fighting the cinnamon and the ginger. It feels like a whisky from another era, with wood varnish and encaustic in an old-school way. Chocolate makes a delayed entrance (milk chocolate), sprinkled with chilli powder. Finish: warm and nutty, it has Brazil-nut butter, cocoa butter, chestnut shells, and a spoonful of melted dark chocolate. It stops short of unveiling mocha (just), and seems devoid of the peppermint that was so obvious on the palate. The cinnamon and ginger are still there, even if one needs to look hard for them. Indeed, the finish is a nutty affair and a half, augmented by a drop of strong liqueur, not unlike Edel Tropfen. 8/10

Hazelburn 9yo 2008/2018 (59.9%, OB Duty Paid Sample, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, Warehouse 15, Rotation #4): nose: white wine, plum eau-de-vie, Alka-Seltzer tablets... This is dry, mineral and rather austere, very much unlike the mental image most people would paint of Hazelburn, I would wager. Gin-based toddy, hot tea. The back of the nose feels rougher, with industrial stripping fluid and... nappy glue!?!? Unripe-mandarin peels too, what a relief! Much later on, a timid, burnt-wood smoke tickles the nostrils, oddly enough (Hazelburn is completely unpeated). The plum eau-de-vie attempts a takeover, but fails. With water, it becomes much jammier, with peach jelly, apricot compote and flayed tangerine segments, cloaked in what reminds me of faint stove smoke. Hazelburn may not be smoked, yet I swear it is there. Or is it chilli relish? Smoked-chilli relish? Mouth: surprisingly soft and juicy, it has juice from the nose's mandarins, augmented with a drop of lemon juice, minty gel (think: Mentos filling) and tinned-pineapple chunks. The alcohol takes off and, if it does not corrode the gums too harshly, it is clear we are far above 40%. With the second sip comes a certain bitterness, harking back to the Alka-Seltzer tablets. Repeated sipping puts the emphasis on the citrus, though the bitterness never completely goes away -- let us call it citrus peel. Water underlines the tangerine segments alright, not much else. Finish: citrus juice here too, mandarin, calamansi, a few drops of sweet grapefruit. Crystallised tangerine segments grow sweeter and harder, to a point where the finish is overwhelming with citrus-y boiled sweets. After a while, blackcurrant drops join the dance, which makes for a lovely fruity-sweet-come-bitter experience. With water, it is now pure citrus debauchery, with mandarin drops, crystallised clementines, candied tangerines and sweet grapefruit marmalade. No trace of the bitterness is left. Good drop, but the (neat) nose is a bit of a let-down that prevents it from scoring higher. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

20/12/2020 Dornoch postponed

Scotland is shut again. The yearly trip to Dornoch is therefore cancelled. Or 'postponed' as the hopefuls will prefer to say. Some drams at home to drown the sorrow, then.

Glen Mhor 8yo b.1989 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, HI/CAH): nose: ancient and young, at the same time, this smells like an ancient blend, with encaustic, furniture wax and wood patina. It has a glorious mix of copper coins and vaguely-smoky marmalade, old tools in a metal box and a wood stove. It does not manage to shake off the image of a meek blend -- of course, it is only 8yo... Time increases the impression of smoke and brings a tiny amount of verdigris to the copper. Mouth: more smoky marmalade, distant copper coins, metal tools and an old stove too. It is mellow, not too far under 40% (the fill level was bad and it has suffered a little bit), but definitely not powerful. Repeated sipping makes for a more metallic palate, discarding most of the marmalade. Verdigris-covered copper again, a dash of furniture patina. Finish: lovely burnt wood, overshadowed by marmalade-glazed knives. This is simple, yet lovely, rustic, and unlike anything that is bottled these days, I reckon. Warming encaustic and black pepper increase that impression. One might regret that it is so "traditional," meaning what one used to expect whisky to taste like in 1989. 7/10

Single Malt from No.3 Bond (57%, Cadenhead for Covent Garden Whisky Shop, b.31/12/1999): nose: this one has a wealth of aromas that the previous could only dream of. Deep mint, pine sap, smoked ham, rancio and rich, syrupy wine (Madeira, tawny Port, dry sherry). The back of the nose might intercept a minute note of smoke, or ancient wood dust in a deceased carpenter's workshop. Later on, it is lichen on dry staves, mouldy bread, cherry jam and a teaspoon of mustard. What a ride! It turns earthier and sootier with time. Mouth: spritzy, pepper and lively, this tickles the taste buds alright. Ginger biscuits and fresh, sappy notes. Keeping it on the tongue enhances the woody notes, of which there are plenty -- cassia bark, galangal shavings, caraway seeds, black cumin seeds, almost nigella seeds (almost). All the while, it remains sweet. Sweet and gel-like, sappy like pine drops. Finish: welcoming and warming, the finish sees peppermint, cassia, galangal, smoky blackcurrant jam, myrtles, ore pine sap and, perhaps, a touch of liquorice and whispering aniseed. Yes! Aniseed it is. The sweetness is still there, though it is so tightly coupled with the aniseed/liquorice that it is not distracting. The finish is probably the weak part of this dram, but it is good, on the whole. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

19/12/2020 DW's 2020 Christmas bash (Part 2)

It started here.

Dram #13 (JMcC)

Nose: this smells a bit unripe, and it has an odd alcohol integration. Walnut stain, walnut oil, furniture wax.
Mouth: walnut oil indeed, wood lacquer, poultry feed.
Finish: ah! A grain. Wood varnish and pineapple.
Comment: pity that the nose is not at the same level as the finish, or it would score much better. It is also not a grain.

112.54 18yo d.2001 Uncle Monty goes burgling (54.2%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Red Wine Barrique, 264b) 7/10

Dram #14 (SD)
Nose: pine sap, mint, then nougat and crushed nuts. Metal, candied apple, in the end.
Mouth: the metallic edge now surfaces more boldly, then the growing heat of green chilli.
Finish: tonic water, crisp green apple. It becomes juicier, the more one sips it, yet it fits together oddly.
Comment: not terribly convinced by this, tonight. What were the odds of having two different makes from the same distillery back to back, though?

G15.1 9yo 2008/2017 Lead us to temptation (58.6%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 268b) 6/10

Dram #15 (DW)
Nose: this displays quietly growing funk and musk. Wet cat, old cork. It is very subdued, mind.
Mouth: shy, it pushes forward some kind of chillied grapes, currants, peppermint.

Finish: strong, but, in terms of taste, I find it rather nondescript.
Comment: once revealed, I am pleased to add another expression from that distillery to my kill board, but it is not an experience I will actively seek to reproduce.

Royal Lochnagar 19yo 2000/2019 (55.5%, Edition Spirits The First Editions, Refill Hogshead, C#HL16350, 384) 6/10

Dram #16 (PS)
Nose: barbecued meat, barbecue sauce, cranberry compote.
Mouth: chewy, barbecued again, the palate sees a new note of blueberry.
Finish: barbecued berries alright.
Comment: Nice enough.

Longrow 7yo 2000/2008 (55.8%, OB Wood Expressions, Refill Bourbon / Gaja Barolo Finish, C#12120) 7/10

Dram #17 (Cavalier66)
Nose: meadow-like, it has hay and dried flowers, pot-pourri, even.
Mouth: cut fruits on a slate -- blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, all barely ripe.
Finish: a strange dry-and-fruity combination, with hay and cut currants again.
Comment: most interesting. It turns out I have tried this before. Upon hearing the clue, I immediately start singing Haddaway. :-)

Bowmore 12yo 2001/2013 (58.5%, Blackadder Raw Cask, Oak Hogshead, C#20063, 312b, b#21) 7/10

Time for some millionaire shortbread!

Dram #18 (PF)
Nose: super sweet and syrupy from the off. Pedro Ximénez, pressed sultanas.
Mouth: sweet and syrupy, here come the rain sultanas again, Smyrna raisins, dried dates.
Finish: sickly sweet.
Comment: favourite dram tonight for more than one. For me? Great in small doses, but sooooo sweet! If this were my tipple, I would drink sherry instead.

Bunnahabhain 11yo b.2020 (54.2%, OB Hand-Filled Exclusive, Manzanilla Cask, C#3212) 6/10

Dram #19 (BA)
Nose: dry wood, dried pine cones, then cinnamon (EC).
Mouth: ginger and cinnamon, a small dose of peppermint, not quite Fisherman's Friend, but not far off.
Finish: more cinnamon extravaganza that brings ginger and peppermint along to the party.
Comment: I am whisky-ed out.

Bimber 3yo 2016/2020 Oloroso Cask (51.4%, OB Small Batch, Oloroso Casks, B#01/2020, 950b) 6/10

Dram #20 (DW)
Nose: another nondescript nose. Corn syrup? In the long run, a light smoke develops.
Mouth: discreet to a flaw. I find no character to this at all.
Finish: a hint of walnut oil, gun oil.
Comment: a bit meh, this. Is my palate fried?

Springbank 17yo 2001/2018 (50.1%, OB for Nick Walker, Fresh Port Hogshead, C#123, 234b) 6/10

Dram #21 (BC)
Nose: fruit stones, seal wax and a faint note of smoke.
Mouth: jammy, it has baked quinces and baked apples.
Finish: softly smoky jam and baked apples again.

Springbank 15yo 1997/2013 (56.5%, OB Springbank Society, 10y Refill Bourbon Hogshead + 5y Fresh Madeira Cask, 600b) 7/10

EC: "BC, what makes an important whisky?"
tOMoH: "Its importance, obviously!"

Dram #22 (MSo)
Nose: souped-up butterscotch. This is in your face to the point of being vulgar.
Mouth: toffee, butterscotch, Coca Cola (Cavalier66).
Finish: fortunately, it is less loud here, though the toffee still prevails.
Comment: I guess a Rampur for its lack of subtlety. PP and AN tell the audience how they lived in India and used to go to the army barracks on a regular basis to blag a bottle of booze. This very booze, it turns out. Rum, aged in the Himalayas.

Old Monk 12yo Gold Reserve (43%, Mohan Nagar) 5/10

WK: "Do we all agree that BC's was an important dram?"
CC: "If BC's was important, MSo's was very important!"
PS: "Elite!"

Dram #23 (CC)
Nose: ink, crayons, pencil shavings -- this is dry and austere. Clay makes a late appearance, then plasticine, toning down the austerity a notch.
Mouth: drying, it has saliva-sucking plasticine and crayon shavings.
Finish: ooft! This is dense, with dark chocolate and more crayons.

Smögen 6yo 2011/2018 (64%, OB Single Cask, American White Oak + Sherry Hogshead, Edition No. 5, C#51/2011, 422b) 7/10

PF: "I still have have enough of these that I can go back to the beginning."
tOMoH: "I hope you don't mind if we don't watch you do that!"

Dram #24 (JB)
Nose: butterscotch, Boudoir biscuits, buttery shortbread, millionaire shortbread.
Mouth: sharp and herbaceous, borderline medicinal, this one is aromatic to the full.
Finish: warming, it feels like a thyme-based grog, with a spoonful of honey. A hot toddy, in other words. It becomes sweeter and better with time.

Comment: the nose is totally disconnected from the mouth and finish.

Bruichladdich 10yo (61.7%, OB Private Single Cask for The Whisky Shop Bowmore, Syrah Cask, C#117)  6/10

PS: "JB's is misplaced. I know it is 61.7%, but after the peaters I've been having, you know..."
EC: "So you're blaming DW [who planned the sequence, based on everyone's clues around a blind line-up]."

Dram #25 (PP)
Nose: super strong, it has grainy notes of glue and wood, then industrial cleaning agent.
Mouth: a touch of fruit and a juggernaut of ginger that assaults the gums.
Finish: softer than expected, here, it has currants and lots of esters.

Comment: let us face it, I am way past taking meaningful notes.

Balcones Texas Single Malt 3yo (67.4%, OB Single Cask for Nichols & Perks) 6/10

it is 23:00. Amazing. We made it to the end alive. It was too long for me, but it was lots of fun, all in all. Strangely enough, we only had one true single grain (G15 is a silent malt).
Some carry on until 3:00. There will be some sore heads, in the morrow (not mine \o/)

19/12/2020 DW's 2020 Christmas bash (Part 1)

With Cadenhead's tasting room closed, the traditional yearly gathering is obviously virtual, this year. That removes some limitations: DW went crazy and invited even those people he only half likes. The bill was simple: send DW as many blind samples as there are participants and he would take care of the dispatching. How many people is that? Twenty-two? AN, BA, BC,Cavalier66, CB, CC, DC, DW, EC, EMcG, JA, JB, JS, JW, JMcC, MSo, PF, PP, PS, SD, WK, tOMoH, as well as BB, who ends up not making it. adc is in town, so she comes and goes.

Holy cow! That means half a litre of whisky per person, assuming that everyone sticks to 2cl samples... Naturally, PS could not resist sending two samples, and DW did not want to be outdone by one of his guests, so he prepared three.

What could possibly go wrong?

I join late and miss the first dram altogether -- JA's Dalmore 15yo (40%, OB).

The pace is fast and it is more of a social do than a deeply-analytical tasting. Notes are brief.

Dram #2 (PS)
Nose: fresh, hay-like, with a touch of fruit.
Mouth: pastry-like, lemon pie and some blackcurrant (once PS has revealed what it is, it is so obvious).
Finish: full-on blackcurrant indeed.
Comment: lovely Invergordon.

Invergordon 45yo 1964/2009 (43%, Forbes Ross & Co. Private Cellar Cask Selection) 7/10

From here on, DW organises us in breakout rooms of three to five people to drink two or three drams at a time. It makes the whole seem less frenetic, and allows quieter people a chance to talk (rather than be drowned by PS). The groups change every time, which means one gets to catch up with virtually everyone. Clever.

Dram #3 (tOMoH)
Comment: this one is mine, so I take no note. See here. 

Glenesk 1982/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by La Maison du Whisky, IE/BDB) 8/10

Dram #4 (EMcG)

Nose: super farm-y, this one has hints of smoke, tanned leather, drying mud cakes. The whole is flirting with fruit.
Mouth: quite a bite to it, chilli punch, mud again, hazelnut vinegar.
Finish: muddy, punchy and fruity.
Comment: the reveal explains why I like it so much, even if it seems different from the first time.

Cooley 11yo 1992/2016 Open Day "Big Tasting" 2019 (53.4%, Cadenhead Malt Festival, Barrel) 8/10

Dram #5 (AN)
Nose: acetone, ether, citrus-y esters.

Mouth: acidic custard, sharp, blade-y, still citrus-y, then slate-like.
Finish: blade-sharp again, citrus-y, with a bit of lichen. It turns vegetal (JS), with carrot foliage and lemon-tree leaves.
Comment: not convinced by this one. Another one I have tried before and was not more convinced by then.

Aberfeldy 22yo 1996/2018 Jenna's Choice (52.2%, Cadenhead Malts Festival, Hogshead) 6/10

tOMoH: "You are right. Acetone. That's bang on!"
DC: "Thanks, that means a lot."
tOMoH: "..."
DC: "I don't say that sarcastically."
tOMoH: "I didn't mean it condescendingly either."

Dram #6 (DW)
Nose: custard, paper dust (adc), citrus.

Mouth: nondescript, then, strangely, it turns into a poultry fest.
Finish: grainy, this now has pineapple and sweet corn.
Comment: the finish redeems it.

Magic Cask b.2020 (46%, Compass Box, 92% First-Fill Bourbon Casks + 8% Oloroso Sherry Casks, 5538b, L 11.03.20) 7/10

EMcG explains he used a syringe to fill his samples; a syringe he used only once before -- to stuff chicken. He is worried that the taste of gravy has tainted the whisky.
WK: "No, tOMoH would have spotted it."
tOMoH: "Crispy chicken wings..."
WK: "He would have called it 'jus', though."

Dram #7 (WK)
Nose: soft vanilla notes. In fact, all is softness in this nose. Mirabelle plums, raspberries.
Mouth: soft and sweet, very quaffable.
Finish: gentle, vanilla-y, custard-y.
Comment: this is too easy to drink, just lovely.

Burnside 26yo 1991/2018 (46.7%, Cadenhead, Bourbon Barrel, 174b) 8/10

Dram #8 (DC)
Nose: distinct strawberry bubble gum. Simple, but efficient.
Mouth: mellow, pastry-like, the palate sees more strawberry bubble gum, as well as custard pie.
Finish: lots and lots of berries for a creamy finish.
Comment: well, that is pleasant, innit?

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 Summer Batch Release (46%, OB, Bourbon Casks, C#056+058+060+062+065+066, 1760b) 8/10

Dram #9 (CB)
Nose: wine-y, this one smells like soft-leather bags at first, then develops to unveil hay and nuts.
Mouth: porridge and berry jam.
Finish: some tannins from the wine, cough drops (AC), syrup.
Comments: I can see this one being quite divisive, because of the wine influence. And indeed, several tease CB for choosing a wine cask, though CB claims it is 50/50 sherry and Bourbon casks. Also 50/50 malt and grain. Yes, it is a blend.

Black Bull 12yo (50%, Duncan Taylor, Sherry and Bourbon Casks) 7/10

Dram #10 (JW)
Nose: perfume, cosmetic powder, vanilla. If this is not a Bourbon cask, I will eat my hat.
Mouth: peach, magnolia and confectionery sugar.
Finish: similar notes of peach, shortbread and vanilla.
Comment: efficient, quite simply.

Bunnahabhain 22yo 1991/2014 (47.2%, Whiskybroker.co.uk, Sherry Hogshead, C#801580, 206b, b#4) 8/10

Dram #11 (BB -- who could not make it tonight)
Nose: dry (as in: floury), powdered sugar and soap. Shortly thereafter, peach and banana slices grow in intensity.
Mouth: mellow, it has grilled banana slices, sprinkled with confectionery sugar and hand wash.
Finish: more ashy soap, banana slices, a certain chilli kick... and a timid slap of tropical fruits (maracuja and papaya).
Comment: nice. We all guess a Japanese. All wrong.

Blended Scotch 39yo 1979/2018 (53.3%, Berry Bros & Rudd exclusive to Royal Mile Whiskies, Sherry Butt, C#4, 385b) 7/10

Dram #12 (EC)
Nose: grated grapefruit, confectionery sugar, professional hair gel. The second nose has hints of smoke too.
Mouth: pure pineapple juice (JS) and a pinch of herbs.
Finish: long, soft, yet assertive, it has lots of sweet fruits (peach and pineapple).
Comment: Love this one. Probably my favourite of the session. In other circumstances, I may be convinced to rate it higher.

Imperial 22yo 1998/2020 Monologue (52.1%, Chapter 7 A Whisky Anthology for Europe & Asia, Bourbon Barrel, C#104355, 218b) 8/10

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