28/03/2020 Toto drinks whisky

Tormore 10yo (43 G.L., OB for Italy, b. ca 1970s): not sure which version this is, exactly, nor which Italian Importer. Minimalistic sample label. Nose: brine-y and pickle-y, it is also leafy, with ivy and green sticks (is that celery, I smell?), green tomatoes, gerania, lemongrass (the mosquito repellent, not the Southeast Asian spice), bay leaves, bergamot foliage... It even has unripe citrus peel, very subdued. It also smells powerful, considering it is 43% ABV and has been in the glass for over four decades. Flowering currants, sherbet and a notch of butter -- or ghee, to clarify. Ahem. Mouth: hard to tell if it is soft or lively. It remains leafy, with vine leaves, citrus foliage, drying pomelo skins, lilac leaves, but also nigella seeds, strangely enough. A bitterer side emerges, with aniseed and those nigella seeds. The second sip brings citrus-y yoghurt, creamy and lemon-y at the same time, which works a treat. Finish: vanilla custard joins the leaves, subtle. Mint leaves, mint tea, peppermint and a pinch of nigella seeds again. This finish sticks to the palate! The mint is augmented with yellow fruit (nectarine) and citrus (satsuma segments). Beautiful drop, even if I reckon I liked an earlier version even more. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Jolly Toper)

Tomintoul 45yo 1973/2018 Double Wood Matured (44.5%, OB Vintage, Bourbon Barrel + Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, C#OS1, 240b): nose: fruity caramel, with lush strawberry, fudge, banana rum, peach drops, ripe pear, a pinch of marijuana dust too, not unlike a 1953 Glenfarclas. Let us call it hemp. The more I nose this, the fruitier it becomes, with raspberry jelly, redcurrant jam and even some undecipherable exotic shades. Mouth: softly acidic, the palate sees a string of fresh fruits, both from here and from there: strawberry, raspberry, peach, but also dragon fruit and Chinese gooseberry, unripe pear, green banana, rhubarb and a pinch of grated ginger. Spearmint, apple mint and a decent serving of tannins confirm that this was in wood for a loooong time. Finish: managing an impressive balance of fruit and wood, the finish moves back and forth between raspberry, banana rum, pear and spearmint, ginger, sandalwood. The second sip does away with the woody side to focus on banana custard, smashed banana and creamy mint sauce, via retronasal olfaction. This one demands time and attention, but it will reward the patient taster. Gawjus juice. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Sadly, no Tomatin, today.

27/03/2020 A few peaty samples for International Whisky Day

Not really one to celebrate on an arbitrarily-set date for something as volatile as whisky, but it turns out I have time and desire for a few drams, none of which will be dedicated to Michael Jackson, whose birthday it is, today. No disrespect either. The fact I am having whisky today is purely coincidental is all.

Talisker 30yo 1987/2017 (45.8%, OB, Bourbon & Sherry Casks, 9078b): delicate-ish, but assertive, it is an iron first in a velvet glove. That means elegant and refined, yet it knows exactly what it is good at -- and that is cockles, warm sand, drying fishing nets, dried crab shells, sea water, mussels, kippers -- oh! it is kipper-y alright. Over time, the nose turns waxy, with candles, hot wax seals, even warm bakelite and electric cables. Behind all that, finely-ground black pepper, pencil shavings, desert dirt... Later, dried lime zest makes an appearance. Mouth: refreshing as a gust of seaspray at first, it soon unleashes the pepper that is the distillery's trademark. Not to worry: it does not last. The attack is powerful at 45.8% (so much for the widespread complaints that it is no longer bottled at cask strength), though it quickly becomes not just tolerable, but pleasant. At that stage, it is all matters of cockles, mussels and other shellfish, a bucket of sea water and soy sauce-- Scratch that! Fish sauce. Smoked tea, gunpowder and guaicol tickle the taste buds. The second sip brings some citrus to the fore, with grapefruit and lime, oysters and crab meat. Finish: a superb mix of peat smoke (peppery and earthy more than maritime, it seems) and fleeting tropical fruit (ripe-pineapple chunks and grapefruit zest). Sea water kicks in at the second sip, competing with the fruit and preventing a stratospheric impression. Still very good, mind! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, florian09)

Bowmore 17yo 2002/2019 (53.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 294b): nose: it could hardly be more different from the Talisker. This one reeks of peat bogs and soggy earth, moss water and humid bread. Perhaps a farm-y touch (ploughed fields) and a soft whiff of raspberry. The second sniff unveils mortar, newly applied and drying, and distant manure. Far away, very, very far, raspberry jam is simmering in the cauldron. Mouth: assertive in terms of strength, it is nonetheless gentle, in terms of taste. Raspberry is here, in the form of jelly in a hot jar (tin cap). Retronasal olfaction gives more peaty tones (burning cinnamon sticks, bog myrtle, burning wood). In fact, the wood note grows in intensity, with cherry-tree floorboards, just laid down and oiled, polished dashboards and wood panels. Finish: it falls a bit flat, here, with the raspberry all but disappeared, leaving dry earth, stagnant water and silt to fight for the scraps. Not that that is bad; it simply does not play in the same category as the nose. The final impression, after a while and via retronasal olfaction, is that of fruit-tree-fire smoke (apple tree, cherry tree). Redeeming to a point. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

And a blind sample.

Dram #3
Nose: but, but, but!... This is fruity!? Cut apricots rub feathers with gardening tools, drying in the sun. Dusty, musty cellars and pear trees, taken over by lichen. Limestone dry walls and overripe, wild pears (Packham or Limonera). I am back at my childhood house, which had pear trees growing next to a limestone wall. This nose has a whiff of burning candle and spent wick, before oilskins also appear. Leafy laurel leaves or ivy, sprinkled with white wine (Sauvignon blanc). This is fresh, complex, fruity and just a little smoky for good measure. Hell! It even has methane, in the back. Mouth: white wine alright, and it is still Sauvignon blanc, fruity and rather dry. It retains a certain mineral character (limestone wall, innit), though not so much the lichen. If pear there is, it has turned out to be unripe and chalky. In the long run, grapes join in for some welcome sweetness. A minute drop of (unripe-)apricot juice completes the picture. Finish: it kicks one in the gut without one's noticing, dim-mak style. Only after a few seconds does one realise it has punched a hole in one's stomach. Dry and fruity, this could as well be a brandy, were it not for the remotely-smoky touch. More mineral notes  (limestone, brimstone) alongside drying pine wood, burning pear-tree wood, acidic pear drops. Boy! Every sip makes me feels like I have swallowed a brick. This is good, interesting and challenging too. I cannot see myself drink more than one dram at a time, though. I venture a Glenlochy. Caol Ila 33yo 1979/2012 (53.7%, The Whisky Agency & The Nectar, Refill Hoghead, 241b) 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Gaija)

Upon revealing, Gaija will admit he gave me his only sample of that Caol Ila, meaning he has never tried it, which is more generous than it is silly, all things considered.

22/03/2020 A dram to welcome spring

Great weather, today. It is chilly outside, but warm, at tOMoH Central. That calls for tequila whisky!
We will have a modest ten-year-old Miltonduff, yet it is special anyway. How so? Well, Cadenhead selected three Bourbon hogsheads, vatted them together, then poured the result into nine sherry firkins*, and bottled those nine individually, one for each of the Cadenhead shops. In other words, they are nine variations on one theme.

* If you do not know what a firkin is, it is a fifty-litre cask, named after an Archibald Theodore Julian Macfirkin, third Earl of Sunderland, Viscount of Gloucester, who frequently drank his weight in fortified wine, and ended up in a very sickly condition the following morning -- what is now known as a firkin' hangover. But do not quote me on that.

Miltonduff-Glenlivet 10yo b.2020 (53.4%, Cadenhead specially bottled for Cadenhead's Whisky Shop London, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads re-racked into 1 x Sherry Firkin for 6 months): it has turned rather murky and cloudy in the open bottle, which reminds me of the unpleasant experience from last month with Black Bowmore. Nose: loads and loads of chocolate, dark and bitter, chocolate coulis, dark pralines, roasted cocoa beans, cocoa butter, yet also Brazil-nut oil, teak oil, teak furniture, a drinks cabinet, roasted pecans, perhaps a touch of olive... This is quite wine-y, yet rather elegant at the same time. The second sniff feels dryer, with rancio and beef stock. Mouth: pretty powerful, it has hot coffee, piping-hot sticky toffee pudding, fudge, straight out of the oven ... The chocolate is still there, but slightly less obvious, a bit smothered by the alcohol. Brazil-nut butter appear, melted dark chocolate, chocolate cream, chocolate pudding, chocolate sauce -- do you see where I am going, with this? That is right: the chocolate is back, once the taste buds are accustomed to the strength. Finish: meow! The chocolate is loud and clear, with dark-chocolate truffles, dark-chocolate coulis, creamy and balanced, poured onto sticky toffee pudding, dark-chocolate brownie, even oxtail broth and shiitake cooking water, cocoa butter is the lingering note that sticks, after a few sips. I forget to try it with water. This one does not play too many notes, but the few it does play, it plays really well! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

17/03/2020 One Irish dram for St Patrick

Everyone is working from home because of the pandemic, and still, I barely have time for one dram!
Today is St Patrick, however, and I do make an effort.
This is what we are having. We had some from another bottle recently, which was very good. Let us see if we are as lucky tonight... :-)

A job and a half in the making

Not too bad...

Oh! blimey.

The juice (on the right)

19th Century Spirit, probably Irish Whiskey (unknown ABV, unknown bottler): nose: the most remarkably pungent peat aroma I have smelled in a beverage -- certainly an Irish one. Sphagnum, moss, bogs, wet campfire, burnt cork (the cork smelled exactly like the whiskey, by the way, but more concentrated. A forest after a wild fire, extinguished by torrential rains, stagnant water, slimy silt. Behind all that, I can smell delicate apple juice (so delicate I fear for the strength) and ink. Old scrolls, covered in fungus, rotting away, spent fireworks on a rainy night. Mouth: watery, it has little alcohol, but plenty of the peat-bog notes from the nose: stagnant water, silt, bogland, sphagnum, decaying plants... This is very vegetal, but it retains that apple touch, in the back, almost smothered by mud, gorged with water. Later, it is parsley-topped hoummous. Finish: vegetal, it showcases stagnant water again, green with slimy silt, then cigar ends -- banana-leaf cigars! All sorts of mosses, decayed sugar in water (is that a thing?), before the finish morphs to unveil ashy earth and burnt grapefruit skins. What a pity! This one had potential, but it is clearly spoiled by the low ABV. The murkiness gives it away, I suppose, but in that funky bottle, it was impossible to see before opening. Ah, well. What a fantastic opportunity, anyway! Tempted to go for 6 to mark the historical interest, but will not. 5/10

Happy confinement, Ireland!

11/03/2020 The London Whisky Club -- Closed distilleries

The London Whisky Club is a growing name in town, with many events and a rather large following. If they put up a tasting with bottles from closed distilleries, who would I be to not attend?
JS and MSo are also there, and it turns out I know quite a few of the attendees from elsewhere too. Small world, this.

The concept is that of a club, with a membership fee, and members bringing their own bottles, rather than someone presenting and curating a line-up. Each member introduces their own bottle, when the time comes.

(Elaborate) nibbles are served at the start, which is great, considering it is dinner time, but quite awkward too: fried things make one's fingers greasy for the rest of the tasting, and they are very fatty when cold.

Cold cuts, toasted bread, olives, roasted almonds, hoummous and what looks like a pide

Onion rings and chips
There were cheeses as well

The programme

Rare Ayrshire 40yo 1975/2015 (47.1%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection Rare Reserve, Bourbon Barrel, C#3421, 166b, b#162): nose: honeysuckle, jasmine, cut lychee -- this is super-fragrant, perfume-y, ester-y, with also Turkish delights and powdered sugar. This nose is plainly exquisite. Mouth: slightly bitter honey, with dandelion, Turkish delights again, and rose-petal jam. It is a little thin, which causes zero issue. Ginger grows in intensity to give a spicy, tannic note, subtle, but definitely present. Finish: extremely floral and perfume-y, though it has a bitterness that is a bit off-putting (too long in wood?) Certainly a woody touch, with lemongrass and ginger shavings. Lovely drop and the nose is exceptional, but I fear the finish is past its prime. For that reason, I will downgrade it from 9 to 8/10

Littlemill 28yo 1990/2019 (50.7%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b, 19/207): I reviewed this at length previously, but am excited to try it again. Nose: fresh and fruity, it has peach, soaked apricot and mango skins. Mouth: powerful, but gentle at the same time (that will be assertive, then), it has cut pears, cut peaches, white peaches and whole black peppercorns. Finish: long and creamy, with squashed papaya and hints of passion fruit (yay!) It seems less exuberantly fruity than the first time, but it is beautiful all the same -- and time in the glass does make it fruitier. 9/10

Ardbeggie, on my left hand side, brought a bottle to share. The group goes off piste to try it now. It is Millburn 25yo 1975/2000 (61.9%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#6095), which I know very well. I am surprised at the move, considering the furious ABV, when the next dram in the line-up is 43%. I carefully keep the Millburn for later.

Banff 34yo 1976/2010 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice, Refill Sherry Hogshead, AJ/AFGJ): I reviewed this for last year's Banffire Night, though I am more than happy to try it again. Nose: dunnage warehouse, nut oil, berries, currants, juicy and plump greengages, clementines, soaked in sangria, perhaps a drop of ink, dust. This is marvellous. Mouth: soft and mellow, it has more of the currants, ripe and juicy, hazelnut-and-raspberry vinegar, pressed green grapes. The second sip brings dark grapes, skins included, which makes the palate remotely bitter. Finish: quite big, at 43% (remember I have not yet had the monstrous Millburn), it has a dunnage-warehouse feel to it, with clay floors and lichen on staves, stagnant green-grape juice and happiness. This really benefits from spending time in an open bottle, apparently. 9/10

Imperial 23yo 1995/2019 (53.1%, Thompson Bros., Bourbon Barrel, 166b, CBSC5 06093): nose: barley and porridge, plastic and warm soap bars, soap boxes, warm cereals. It becomes fruity, after a while: apples, poached pears, then juicy peaches. Do I detect a whisper of smoke, too? Mouth: juicy alright, with candied chestnut, pan-fried pears, roasted apples, elderberry, warm cigar leaves, roasted papaya. Water increases the creamy feel. Finish: huge, with mud and sink funk, browned peach, browned pear (as in: decaying), a touch of cork, elderberry and rancio, almost. Water, unfortunately, makes it more watery (duh!) and plain. Not a swimmer. 8/10

AO'H [talking about another tasting led by a well-known bottler]: "I am not saying all their whiskies are shit, but all the whiskies they brought to the tasting were shit."

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019 (55.4%, James Eadie, Sherry Butt, C#48094, 617b, b#525): this is allegedly the last distillation at Cambus. Nose: pickles aplenty, pickled onion, onion relish, ... soaked sandalwood? Mouth: big and spicy, with onion relish and candied ginger. Finish: long, pickled, combining leathery vinegar-y, sherried notes. This is most unusual (of course, all sherry-matured grain whiskies are, to an extent). I hope it is not one of those headache-inducing Cambuses (tomorrow morning, I will be dehydrated, but not too badly). 7/10

Caperdonich 18yo (48%, OB Small Batch Release, B#CP/001, b#03536, LKRN 2032, b.2019): nose: lovely refined smoke, with burnt hay, roasted sausage, horse's hair, farm paths under the spring sun. It feels like a subdued Longrow -- I am loving it! Mouth: fresh, juicy and subdued, it has apple juice, little of the smoke, quince and hay broth. The second sip is a little dryer than the first, enhancing the impression of a Longrow in disguise. Finish: a kick of smoke that is unexpected, considering the mouth had hardly any! Tractor tyres, mud, caked on to the tyres, soot, diesel and graphite. This is very nice indeed! 8/10

Old Guns (40%, Low Robertson & Co. imported by S. Cobianchi, b. ca 1970s): a blend that allegedly contains 66.66% of Port Ellen -- a stance I have a hard time believing, but hey! Nose: dusty, pickled vinegar, dusty apple, stale lemonade, faint smoke. Mouth: soft, weak and out of sequence, unfortunately. Shame, because it has a pleasant fruity/dusty profile; mineral too, with dry lichen, limescale and dirty linen. Finish: dusty apple, old linen and old newspapers. It feels really weak, now, which is a pity. The potential is there. I call sequencing mistake. 6/10

I then have the Millburn 25yo 1975/2000 (61.9%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#6095), which I previously reviewed here. (Thanks for the dram, Ardbeggie)

MSo brought some goodies too, and I have this

Blended Scotch Whisky 21yo 1998/2019 (44.6%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Butt): nose: beautiful sherry maturation, with gorgeous horse's hair, wine, dust, elderberry, tobacco and extremely-dry fir bark. Mouth: soft, too soft to shine, it has berry, poached apples, a drop of pickled vinegar and shoe polish. Finish: big, sherried, with more berries and a lick of chocolate coulis. 8/10

More drams do the round. I politely decline most (it is a school night, after all) and take no notes for those I do try.

A pleasant evening, with good drams and good company. A couple of sequencing mishaps, in my opinion, but all in all, a cracking night out.

01/03/2020 Whisky Show Old & Rare (Day 2 -- Part 2)

The restaurant today is a nightmare of discipline and tight-arsedness (limited items, restricted items, ... I leave with TWO rigatoni). I am the proud owner of multiple food coupons, however, and my second serve is much better. I even have a smile from the staff (I think). Completely different experiences, even though the same people are serving.

One quiche, two rigatoni, a couple of salad leaves...
"I'll try not to choke on that!"

The bread in round two is less good, though

Of course, there are people who still do not finish their plate. Humankind is doomed.
Back to the main floor.

Port Ellen 27yo 1982/2010 (62.6%, The Whisky Agency, ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 168b): ashy, sweet. I guess a 1983 Port Ellen: close enough. :-) 9/10

Laphroaig 40yo 1960/2000 (42.4%, OB Vintage Reserve for Oddbins, 300b, b#138): first time I have the vintage version, which, let us be clear, is the same juice as the 40yo.
Nose: minty, sooty, fruity.
Mouth: jammy, with quince jelly and poached pears. Almost weak.
Finish: a little tired, with diluted orange juice. 8/10
Comment: another Gooding bottle? Twice that this particular stand offers expensive bottles at seemingly friendly prices, and the juice turns out to be shot. Once may be an accident. Twice seems borderline dishonest.

To make up for it, dom666 has this

Another reference with no notes:

North Port 30yo d.1974 (49.2%, Private Bottling, Bourbon Cask) 8/10

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 28yo 1947/1975 (75° Proof, OB imported by G.F. Ferraretto)
Nose: dusty pears and apple slices.
Mouth: slightly drying, fruity, ashy and cork-y.
Finish: lovely, super fruity, with an old-school, dirty character. 9/10

At last, I choose a dram from my initial shortlist.

Brora 1972/1993 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, IC/IF)
Nose: hot radiators, faint smoke, a pinch of soot, then loads of fruit -- roasted satsuma, smoked peach. Peat reek grows to become quite intense. The mix of smoke and fruit is crazy!
Mouth: juicy, very juicy, it has litres of peach nectar, apricot juice, yet also scorched earth, dry hay and a pinch of chives.
Finish: huge. Whorls of smoke, diesel, tractor exhaust fumes, and juicy fruit aplenty.
Comment: I love this. Same level as the 1972/1992 we had in May. 10/10

JS using a d!ckh3ad glass

Coleburn 21yo 1979/2000 (59.4%, OB Rare Malts Selection): sweet and fruity, with undeniable heat (a RMS, innit!) Industrial revolution stuff with a butyric note. 8/10

Mortlach 21yo 1970/1991 (56.7%, Gordon & MacPhail distributed by Turatello, IA/AGC) 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Glen Grant 45yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, b. ca 1981): one of the many that got away, during the recent Gooding auction.
Nose: soaked sultanas, prunes, figs, dark cherries and smoky stoves.
Mouth: soft, almost too soft, mellow, with soaked sultana juice, prune juice, a notch of rancio and a lick of teak.
Finish: contrary to what the palate made me fear, it is massively assertive, with lots of soaked, dried fruit (sultanas and prunes, mostly).
Comment: it tapers down rather quickly and it is a little too drying to score higher, but it falls just short of fabulous. 8/10

Port Ellen 20yo 1982/2003 (61.2%, Scottish Single Malt Circle, Sherry Cask): farm-y, with a burnt-hay note. It is also very powerful. 8/10

Glenmorangie 23yo d.1963 (43%, OB Oloroso Sherry Casks Finish)
Nose: old-school, ethereal jam and jelly, teeming with elderflower and honeysuckle.
Mouth: soft and quaffable, stuffed with rosehip and rose-petal jelly, augmenting cut peach.
Finish: ooft! Juicy, fruity, with more rosehip, honeysuckle, and, this time, physalis. 10/10

Lochside 37yo d.1981 (48.6%, The Auld Alliance)
Nose: acidic, the nose provides passion fruit and some funk.
Mouth: creamy, jammy, fruity (satsuma), it has crystallised mandarins and a gently drying texture.
Finish: amazingly timid. Once I can focus on it, I detect maracuja paste and mango purée, as well as some pepper.
Comment: excellent. 9/10

Cavalier66 comes back from the other stand where they offer Black Bowmore (for a higher price) and comes back rather annoyed.
Cavalier66: "I was told a Chinese guy brought a lot of money and bought the rest of the bottle."

There are approximately two hours to go. Selling ends of bottles after a festival is one thing; doing so in the middle of the day is frustrating for others.
As a side note, said Chinese guy has been doing the rounds for two hours, buying up all the big-ticket bottles from all the stands. Sure, I am jealous not to have that kind of cash, but that is not the point. Buying and bidding with thirty minutes to go: why not? A good way to make people happy (one party leaves with a new bottle, the other does not have to carry an almost-empty bottle home). The same move two hours before the end, I find it hard to agree with the exhibitors doing. Next year, I plan to buy all the bottles ten minutes into the festival and force it to an early end!

Let us try to find a final dram. I am hitting a wall anyway. Ahem.

Glen Mhor 20yo 1965/1986 (92° US Proof, Cadenhead, Sherry Wood): dust, cork, fruit. I love. 9/10

Springbank 25yo d.1993 (47.3%, Creative Whisky Company The Exclusive Malts, 1b, b#1): fruit, the mildest smoke and hints of rubber, in the back. 8/10

DS, previously from Creative Whisky has a bottle of Coleburn 1983. I ask if it is the same juice as last year's decanter. DS answers it is: he grew tired of pouring from that very heavy decanter. :-)

Glen Keith 30yo 1971/2001 (51.6%, Private Bottling, Bourbon Cask)
Nose: herbaceous and a bit shy, with flowering currant.
Mouth: mellow, milky, it has fruity yoghurt and a non-negligible acidity.
Finish: peachy, nutty, fruity, lively and a bit bitter. Limescale, maybe? 8/10

Littlemill 25yo d.1988 (51.9%, Creative Whisky Company The Exclusive Malts, 1b, b#1)
Nose: pine-y, chock-full of pine needles, then juicy fruit.
Mouth: gravel and fruit juice, quite simply. The fruit turns tropical on the palate, with hot mango and hot metal.
Finish: more mango, hints of metal, dirty metal, juicy and mineral.
Comment: this is good, but not the best alcohol integration I have experienced. 9/10

And, finally:

Glenlochy 27yo 1980/2008 (53.9%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#2823, 231b, b#165, 08/411): quite fruity and juicy, with an austere aspect -- it is a Glenlochy, after all. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Time to wrap up. The long good-bye round starts, I make a couple of bids for bottles (with limited success), then it is time to go home, where dom666 and I have another Caperdonich 16yo 1977/1994 (58.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Sherry Cask) for which I take no note.

A few words about this festival in its new location.

In terms of good drams, well, no complaint. Plenty of 8, many 9, a few 10. There were more lower score than in the previous years, or so it seems, but that is what one gets for trying things off the beaten path. Plus, those were often offset by the emotional value of trying something from a century ago or more. On the other hand, the two legendary-but-dead drams were a very, very nasty surprise. I will make sure not to go to that stand in the future (I did not go myself, this year, and avoided it the previous years too). I know I am not the only one who will.

On the practical side, thirty-six pages of notes, seventy-two drams (sixty-six as part of the show itself), a great afterparty and a general good time. The one masterclass I attended was also thoroughly enjoyable.

On the low side, the whole undertaking has now become too big for my liking (read: overwhelming). Too many exhibitors, too many drams, too many people. I spent two days in constant fear of missing out, not knowing where to go next and counting my beans. And that is not really down to lack of preparation. If I am correct, I stopped at thirteen stands out of twenty-two. That is a lot of stands I did not even visit (some out of choice, as said previously). There are dozens of whiskies I wanted to try that I did not have a chance to (Skinner's comments this morning suggest I was not the only one in that case).

Moreover, that enormous offer of good whiskies leads to whisky fatigue, wherein everything becomes blurry and all those fantastic drams are reduced to "just whisky". A pity, considering the quality on display.

On a more egotistical level, and despite my "complaining" on the first year that it was in Glasgow, the fact it is now in London makes it more accessible to many. I like being ahead of the game, so I am irritated that others are now competing with me. Irrational, but that is how childish I can be.

As a side note and considering the apparent success this year, one wonders why it was ever in Glasgow in the first place. In fact, I wondered that from the first year.
Now, I have heard rumours of it becoming even bigger next year, which worries me, as that would amplify the negative sides, in my opinion.

All in all, I spent two days in a sort of nightmarish dream, where the best rubbed feathers with the worst, where my enthusiasm was only matched by my stress levels. I do not know how I feel about that.

01/03/2020 Whisky Show Old & Rare (Day 2 -- Part 1)

We are a little tired, today. Partying on the other side of town meant we only came home after midnight. And dom666 has to get up and leave early to make the Springbank masterclass at 11:00. As it turns out, we will be well on time for it, but he will still be ten-fifteen minutes late, as he takes a long time touching up his makeup.

Before we go anywhere, however, food. Ozone again.

JS's red and my Orange pressed

JS's veggie brekkie

JS orders chips with aioli -- which I use to paint my woolly jumper, of course :-(

Mushrooms on toast for me

My side of hash browns and dom666's granola

A short tube ride later, we are back at the Institute of Civil Engineers.

WhiskyLovingPianist is already there

It is a beautiful day, today

dom666 joins the masterclass (I buy him some time with the bouncer, since he is late). JS and I proceed to the main floor.

First things first: let us grab a table!

A quick round and I select my first port of call (Skinner) and a dram. The bloke is complaining to someone else that he did not have a good day, yesterday, that many came to his stand to take pictures, not to order whisky, that everyone is chasing big names and closed distilleries. In the meantime, I have been standing there for five minutes and been given zero attention. When he finally does acknowledge my presence, the experience is as welcoming as a bearded grandmother's kiss. Ah, well. :-)

Burke's Fine Old Irish Whiskey (45%, Edward & John Burke, b.1910s): nose: faint metal, old coins, soup tins or beans tins, maybe even used aluminium foil, perhaps a thin veil of smoke. Nothing sticks out much, apart from the metal. Mouth: jammy, with tinned apricots, pineapple drops and tinned satsuma segments -- the tin has bled onto the fruit a bit. Finish: super delicate and very fruity, it has pineapple, satsuma and a lick of tin. Lovely, if subdued. 8/10

This being the second day, Cavalier66 is on a Bowmore crusade.

Cavalier66: "I've had more expressive Bicentenaries."

Locke's Kilbeggan 34yo 1946/1980 (42.3%, The Uisge Beatha Malt Whisky Co., 480b, b#333): This is from the last known cask of Kilbeggan, long before the distillery re-opened. Nose: apple chutney, cucumber relish, some old-school stove, smoked jam, nigella seed. As usual with those ancient things, the smoke is nothing like the modern peaters. It is much dirtier, greasier and sootier.
Mouth: fresh at first, it soon brings back the nigella seeds, chutney and smoked relish/jam from the nose. Finish: long, fruity, jammy, with only hints of spices, here it is mostly creamy fruit and fruity custard. I adore this. 10/10

Cavalier66 comes back puzzled, with a murky-looking dram. I immediately identify it as the Black Bowmore from Gooding's collection. Cavalier66 knows I had this bottling last year and asks me to confirm it tasted like this.

Black Bowmore 29yo 1964/1993 (50%, OB, Oloroso Sherry Casks, 2000b): this looks muddy and smells really tired. It turns out to be a tannic, tarry, liquorice-laced affair with the palest shadow of fruit. Completely ruined by years in an opened bottle, probably stored in terrible conditions ("Under the sink," said JMcM yesterday). A mere 7/10

Great to bring this so people can try it, but I find it lamentable to pour it for £100 a centilitre (a relative bargain, considering a freshly-opened bottle on the other side of the room sells for £170 a centilitre) without a word of warning. Other exhibitors are offering tired whiskies too, but they all point that fact out, or the price reflects it (£5 or £10, not £100). This incident will be the talk of the festival for a while. We explain it to others, some of whom take their chance regardless of our warnings, and are bitterly disappointed.

dom666 comes back from the Springbank masterclass with three drams.

Springbank 12yo (80° Proof, OB, b. ca 1978): powerful and minty on the nose, with a jammy, fruity palate. The finish is big, with juicy fruit, metal and wood smoke. 9/10

Springbank 12yo 100° Proof (50%, OB, b.1996): funny how 100° Proof became 50%, over time (100° Imperial Proof is really 57%). Smoky peaches on the nose, jammy again in the mouth, jelly-like, almost, and with a touch of smoke in the finish -- smoked peaches. 8/10

Springbank 39yo 1969/2008 (57.8%, Ian Macleod Chieftain's, Butt, C#794, 150b): a different beast, unsurprisingly. Lots of brown sugar on the nose, complemented by floral scents, fir and pine needles. The mouth is acidic, with pine-tree bark and needles again. The finish is huge, though the alcohol is well integrated, showing notes of pine needles and resin. Wonderful. 10/10

Irish 27yo 1990/2017 (51.3%, The Whisky Agency & The Whisky Exchange, Barrel)
Nose: ripe mango, underripe passion fruit and something more herbaceous.
Mouth: pine cones, juicy fruits, then black pepper, sprinkled on quince.
Finish: good and warming, for a second, then a thunderslap of exotic fruit lands on me like a ton of bricks -- mango, persimmon, happiness.
Comments: I was going for a 9, but that finish!... 10/10

Scotch Whiskey 1885/1890 (unknown ABV, unknown bottler imported by M. E. Bellows' Son): I know, right?
Nose: industrial varnish, carbonyl esters.
Mouth: watery, here, flat, with some solvents and not much action.
Finish: spent. Dusty water, diluted varnish, diluted hair lacquer, ash.
Comment: educational, no longer good. But it was £10, not £100. 6/10

North of Ireland 27yo 1988/2015 (47.6%, The Whisky Agency & Acla da Fans Acla Selection, Barrel, 201b)
Nose: pollen, honey, beeswax, hot metal.
Mouth: thinned orange juice, cut satsuma, then the volume is turned up, gradually but surely.
Finish: and, once more, a debauchery of exotic fruits come dancing on the tongue.
Comment: the nose is a bit behind, but the finish -- what a killer! Is this the new norm, or what? 10/10

Talisker 1979/1992 (64.9%, Cadenhead Cask Strength, C#6, b#56, 92/300)
Nose: smoke, smoked pepper, seashore pebbles.
Mouth: soft, a little peppery, with smoky jam. It grows in intensity and becomes quite big, actually. Hardly a surprise, once I am told the ABV!
Finish: a mix of brine-y sea air, peppery jam and pepper ashes.
Comment: nice. 8/10

Linlithgow d.1982 (65.4%, Cadenhead Cask Strength, C#2839, b#284): no code on the back of the label, suggesting it is one of the very first bottlings with that livery. 1991?
Nose; flinty, fruity and a little herbal, with smoked thyme.
Mouth: sage on marmalade, peach and apricot.
Finish: assertive, but also delicate and fruity, with tame bitterness -- verbena and tarragon. 9/10

pat gva pours me more of that killer Ledaig from yesterday. JS smells it and brings the following for a back-to-back sesh.

Ledaig 27yo 1974/2001 (51.3%, Private Cask, Bourbon Cask, C#IS 371)
Nose: smoky as fook, sooty, it has smoked crabs, hot fishing nets, smoked shells, hot sands.
Mouth: soot, ash and lots of nigella seeds in jam, as well as peat smoke.
Finish: in line with the palate, sooty and smoky.
Comment: very different to Cadenhead's Ledaig from yesterday, but very good too. 9/10

Cavalier66: "we've got to give him food: his jokes are getting worse!"
tOMoH: "I'm flattered you thought they were of a higher level before."

Talisker d.1964 (100° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice, b.1970s)
Nose: cut yellow fruit, flint -- it has that magical austere/fruity combination that I like so much. Soot, smoke.
Mouth: chalky, ashy, but also generally fruity.
Finish: quince, peach, soot, ash and dirty smoke.
Comment: I bet this would be even more my thing at 70° Proof. 8/10

More of JS's pairing adventures.

County of Antrim 24yo 1991/2016 Special Edition No. 5 (47.8%, Acla Selection, Sherry Wood, 158b): super fruity. 9/10

vs.

Hera Domus 24yo 1991/2015 (55.8%, Adelphi selected by Maximilian Bosse for Hotel Essener Hof Historic Series No. 4, 289b, b#40): much woodier on the nose, but with a fruitier finish. 8/10

MD appears and distributes more (Swiss) chocolate. I have to pretend I enjoy it. ;-)

Port Ellen 16yo d.1969 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice)
Nose: peat reek and cut orchard fruit.
Mouth: sweet and fruity.
Finish: that sweet smoke and fruit, reminiscent of the Dovr-Tvtes-Mares. 9/10

Food.