31/05/2020 Port Ellen day

There is no official Port Ellen day, but we have Port Ellen, so might as well.

Port Ellen 37yo 1978/2016 (55.2%, OB Annual Release, 2940b): leftover from the Special Release tasting in 2017. How time flies! Nose: the most interesting part of this Fèis Ìle at home is to witness, once again, that peat is not at all a one-size-fits-all. It takes many varied guises. Case in point: this Port Ellen focuses on seashells, smoked mussels, smoked anchovies and mackerel, as well as the diesel for the trawler that caught the fish. Not quite an oil slick, yet it certainly has a petrolic note to it. Smoked sardines, rollmops, kippers, served with fresh strawberries. Then, it has meringue, powdered sugar and daffodil broth, which I did not see coming. Pineapple drops, timid crystallised kiwi slices, orange-flavoured boiled sweets, then back to the coast, with fishing nets, smoked crab shells, smoked halibut and squeezed lime from a Ritter Citro squeezer. The longer it sits in the glass, the fruitier the nose becomes, with more and more citrus zest. The last things to caress the nostrils  are a huge waft of kerosene and a puff of smoke (from a mix of diesel and wood combustion). Mouth: big, peppery and smoky, the mouth also has some fruit: charred peach and nectarine slices, lime and pomelo zest, smoked bergamot. The kipper-y notes are now more distant and subtle, with smoked-halibut fillets, smoked oysters, smoked jellied eels and smoked-cranberry jam. On the other hand, the palate sees more charred wood too, with burnt cassia-bark sticks, exotic smoke and smoked tea. Exhaust fumes, spent fireworks, smoky fruit infusions, smoky chamomile, if such a thing exists. The third sip brings its lot of sweetness (tangerine segments) and bitterness (tangerine pith). Finish: all the above is there; the fruit, the toasted wood, the petrol, the seafood, the infusions. Smoked pineapple chunks, smoked grapefruit, lime zest and kippers, a jerry can of kerosene, smoked red-fruit tea and caramelised jams (peach rather than cranberry, this time). Cocoa powder, dark-chocolate butter, sticky toffee pudding and orange segments all deliver too. The death has a mildly rubbery lick that tat displays a soft bitterness, without taking away the fact that this is a terrific drop, much fruitier and more complex than I remembered it. 9/10

This is a Ritter Citro squeezer. You're welcome.

It is a good exercise, this virtual festival. It reminds me of one of the reasons I do not attend Fèis Ìle: it is long, intense and dangerous: it is one thing to try a couple of drams a day alone and at my pace; it is another one altogether to go for seven consecutive days of heavy dramming, with temptation at every corner. It represents a lot of work and a lot of whisky. And that is right off the Campbeltown festival, so it really is eleven consecutive days. Hard.

30/05/2020 Ardbeg day

The end is in sight.

Ardbeg 26yo 1993/2020 (53.7%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 240b, 20/16): nose: how I love aged Ardbeg. It loses the relentlessly-loud peat to become less boisterous and, therefore, more elegant. This one has ink and blotting paper, dry earth, roasted malt and dried raspberry slices. That raspberry evolves into a full-on fruity custard, with vanilla, cut peach and, well, raspberry, all that without fully shaking off traces of smoke -- smoked tea and burning hay. Paper paste, papier mâché, moist cork. Later on, it is banana slices and smoked  plantain. Mouth: the palate is remarkably in line, with creamy fruits (banana, peach flesh, maybe even mango, this time) in yoghurt, dried raspberry, still, and a drop of lemon juice, here. The smoke seems a tad bolder, with guaicol and spent fireworks, dirty shotgun barrels, burnt incense and coffee grounds. Spices develop with repeated sipping; black cumin, sumac, maybe ground cloves, roasted cassia-bark powder. Finish: seemingly rather short and timid, the finish sees the same toasted notes  of coffee grounds, as well as burnt cake and bonfires, gunpowder and spent matches. Grated extra-bitter chocolate, warm, black ink and liquorice allsorts. Not much fruit comes out in the finish: it is strictly a smoky-woody affair, which is perhaps more typical of the distillery character, these days. Still excellent, mind. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Ardbeg 31yo 1972/2004 (44.2%, OB Single Cask for Belgium, Bourbon Hogshead, C#3038, 148b, b#71): nose: I remember comparing the previous dram to a 1970s distillation, the first time I tried it. Today, we can really compare... and it is unfair for the poor 1993. To boot, this is from 1972, when Ardbeg was still floor-malting all its malt on site. This has ink too, hence my comparison, the other time, but it is the finest China ink under the sun, only used for calligraphy by emperors. That ink is blended with a generous serving of ashes and manure. It is very farm-y, in fact, in a cattle-farm way. with cow stables reeking of cow dung, muck, muddy fields, muddy pastures, cattle feed, but also newly-tarred roads and ash. It is quite a combination! I find virtually no sea influence here, however -- all farm-y peat, rather dry. Perhaps something salty? At a push, smoked oysters, but I think i am trying so hard to smell that that my brain is playing tricks on me. Perhaps it has a gentle medicinal note instead (germoline, TCP). Mouth: milk in texture, it is also ashy and earthy, with scorched earth, burnt hay, hot ink, tar,scorched leather and pipe tobacco, slowly consuming. The second sip brings a softer, sweeter side (my money is on smoked plums), which balances the farm-y/earthy aspects quite well. Pencil erasers, covered in a veil of ash, ashy peach slices, distant menthol, brewing smoked tea, and, at last and far back, fleeting dried shellfish. Finish: surprisingly milky and quaffable, it has more ash. However, the finish also sees roasted malt, which, I find, is the trademark of these single casks, and, to me, what prevents them from reaching top score (don't hate me cos I'm beautiful). Warm embers, the ashy remains of a bonfire, then, later on, dried raspberry slices, charred on the barbecue. This finish leaves the mouth fresh, despite the ashes. Still, I cannot call it menthol any longer. Perhaps it is mentholated tobacco? Smoked oysters? What is certain is that the distinct cattle notes from the nose have now gone away, making room for gently medicinal ones. The ashiness still dominates this fantastic dram from beginning to end, though. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, kruuk2)

29/05/2020 Bunnahabhain day

Bunnahabhain 25yo 1964/1990 (46%, The Master of Malt Limited Edition, c#4852-6, 500b, b#121, 15039309): nose: immediately, creamy fruit jump out of the glass, with peaches (white and, er... regular), nectarines and plums, but also citrus (kumquat, satsuma, calamansi) and more tropical ones -- persimmon and carambola leading the way. A copious dose of white pepper suggests that the 46% will be more than enough... It soon calms down and allow leafier scents to bubble up -- cut grass, laurel leaves, ivy, apple mint, maybe even fir trees. Nougat, pine paste (remotely akin to Gocce Pino, though much more subdued), pine cones, perhaps honeydew melon (the green one). The carambola becomes the dominant aroma, in the long run, supported by hints of an old-school wood glue I have not smelled in decades. Odd! Mouth: the freshness and bitterness of leaves (ivy leaves, green-tea leaves, laurel leaves and apple mint again) for a second, quickly joined by creamy fruit -- oh! it is creamy in texture alright. Next to mint lozenges, this one offers calamansi, white peach and carambola, much to my delight. Mint-laced custard cream, green hazel branches, splintered from the tree, apple mint, Suc des Vosges (which suggests more pine tones) and white-peach juice. The strength is ideal, tickling the gums without taking the attention away from the flavours. Finish: the finish sees a similar freshness, with more mint lozenges, the same white peach-calamansi-carambola combination that made the mouth such a winner, and a more-pronounced sweetness than on the palate (caster sugar). A faint bitter note remains, a strange mix of flowering currant and laurel leaves. It keeps it entertaining, rather than being a nuisance. Splendid dram! 9/10

Bunnahabhain 27yo 1978/2006 (55.6%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Sherry Butt, C#2542, 509b, b#84, 6/0098): nose: this one is very woody and earthy from the off, with dried earth, roasted aniseed and toasted liquorice root, old cardboard, parchment and old scrolls. Rusk, Krisprolls, then a wave of toasted cereals comes crashing in. Treacle, cappuccino, mocha chocolate, dry clay floors, dusty casks, years after they have been emptied. Later on, prunes seem to appear alongside dried dates. The longer this spends in the glass, the earthier it becomes, with rich soil stealing the spotlight from the dry, crusty earth. Mouth: lots of prunes, here, soaked in cold coffee, dried dates again, a dollop of melted mocha chocolate, hot soil. Of the old wood from the nose, not much sticks out. It might have a gentle metallic note, on the other hand. Treacle, grated liquorice root... That last one brings a bitterness that I called rubber, the first time I tried this; it is more subdued, today. The obvious profile is a toasted one (toasted bread, burnt cake, liquorice and coffee grounds) with some chocolate and a pinch of earth. Finish: powerful in a tranquil-force sort of way, it comes in successive waves, starting with liquorice, then coffee grounds, then dark chocolate, then bone-dry prunes, then chocolate again, then rich soil, then dark chocolate, at which point, it seems to settle. The softly-bitter note of liquorice stays present, a reminder of the second wave, basking in a river of (bitter) dark chocolate. Now, this is by no means too bitter. It certainly has some bitterness to it, though. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

28/05/2020 Bowmore day

No Kilchoman in stock, hence yesterday's hiatus. Of course, no Ardnahoe for today either, so we will only have Bowmore. Should be alright, should it not? By the way, I have a hard time understanding why Fèis Ìle has a day dedicated to Kilchoman, but Bowmore shares its day with Ardnahoe.

Bowmore 16yo d.1972 (43%, OB for Prestonfield House The Prestonfield, Sherry Casks, C#1036-1039, b#8264): nose: encaustic, varnish, precious woods and wood lacquers. Actually, it has a nose that reminds me of aircraft modelling: the paint, the glue, the varnish, the decals -- all is there. Oily teak, oily mahogany, drinks cabinets, a glass of tawny Port, all that before spices arrive (ground mace, turmeric powder)... and then fruit. Nectarine, white peach, lychee. It is quite earthy on the nose as well, with dry earth and fishing nets, right out of the water. That earthy character soon smothers the fruit with vase water, lichen on the riverbank and cabbage water. Later on, pickle onions and red-wine vinegar seem to show up. Mouth: a good, mild attack that quickly reveals a meek palate, in terms of strength. It does have a pinch of ginger powder, but the dilution is rather obvious, unfortunately. Regardless, what comes out most, here, is the wood. Tannic and borderline plank-y, in some respect, it is bitter, with dried orange peel, old sawdust and dusty bookshelves, old newspapers. In the back, a veil of sooty smoke seems to prevent any fruit from shining -- cooling embers, spent matches, charred wood. At second sip, preserved plums and a drop of red-wine vinegar also appear, sweet and rather pleasant. Madeira? Port? Finish: earth, though scorched earth, this time, charred wood again, smoky red wine, tannic and strong, smoked cranberries, maybe, even a brine-y pickled-onion touch. Toasted notes turn up-- not quite roasted coffee, more burnt cake and liquorice allsorts, as well as mint, turned black after staying too long in the refrigerator. Repeated sipping gives a better balance quickly: the scorched-earth, tannic cranberry (if it does not exist, I just invented it) and vinegar-y-smoky profile makes this quite nice. But again, it feels watered down and a bit flat. Nowt wrong with it; simply, the pedigree made me hope for something else. 7/10

Fill level not
tooooo bad

Cute how they name
Sheriff as the proprietor
(not the case since 1963)

Bowmore 14yo (80° Proof, Cadenhead, b. late 1970s): no date on this, but likely a 1965 distillation. Cadenhead had a parcel of those casks (we had a stunning example of those at pat gva's last year), and this livery was used from 1977 to 1979. Nose: the first nose is perfume-y, whilst still shy. Lilac that has not yet bloomed, lily of the valley. Time seems to only make it more floral, with gorse, magnolias, buttercups, tulips, pink roses and icing sugar; OK, then! Further nosing brings timid orange-blossom water, chive flowers, edelweiss, forsythia, primroses and even timid violets. That is all kept together by an underlay of vanilla custard. Unexpected, but pleasant. After the first sip, pencil shavings appear. Mouth: The custard cream is definitely there, and it is spiced up with ginger powder. The texture is milky, the heat is adequate. It has glycerine and flower-flavoured glucose syrup, but it is magnolia all the way (or forever, as one should say), on the palate, honey-glazed magnolia and mead. Something greener shows up at the second sip, likely plant stems -- and I would love to say magnolia stems, but I do not go around licking magnolia trunks. Some downplayed fruit, somewhere in the far back (papaya) and a pinch of salt. Finish: how unexpected again! A kick of smoke at first, then honey, coconut yoghurt and magnolias, then a distinct soapiness! Honey-and-magnolia Dove shower gel it is. It does not bother me, but I can see it disturb others. Further sipping brings out some fruit too: papaya again, but smoked papaya, this time. Flat mead, flat perry, made syrupy, one way or another, thick papaya custard and a paste made with Chinese gooseberries, fresh figs and a drop of shampoo. How quaint! I wonder if this is spoilt -- lowish fill and a damaged cap, so it is not impossible. In any case, I was hoping for more -- for Bowmore. Ah! well. 8/10

26/05/2020 Laphroaig day

Laphroaig 14yo 2004/2019 (56.5%, Adelphi Selection, Refill Bourbon Cask, C#700170, 322b): remnant from a tour at Ardnamurchan, last year. Again, I was driving, so could not try much. Nose: ha! ha! What is not to like? Dry earth, mud, dried to a crust, desert dirt, the end of an evaporated cup of vase water bog myrtle and, of course, the trademark TCP. This has quite the dose of iodine, does it not? Surgical spirits, stencil machine, purple xylene and an oilskin, so dried up it is scaling, peeling and crumbling. There is a certain fruitiness behind the peat, yet it is subtle; squashed blackberries, fermenting pear and elderberry juices... and a bit of soft leather. Super-dry cow dung, crumbling to dust. Mouth: well, the fruit is much bolder here, with, indeed, blackberries, elderberries and pears, all carried by an alcohol-fuelled juggernaut. Yes! It is powerful and a half. Fresh peat and boggy water are next on the list, shortly joined by an onslaught of dry smoke. Burning Christmas trees at the end of the season, burning hay, burning incense and fragrant dry things, like pot-pourri chucked onto the fire and aromatic tobacco. That will be exotic smoke, I guess. It anaesthetises the tip of the tongue. Honeyed- hibiscus infusion shows up at third sip as a welcome refreshment. Finish: huge, with similar fruit, though covered in ashes, this time. Spent fruity incense, fruit-tree embers, surgical spirits and more spicy notes, such as lemongrass. This finish is dry, dry, dry, absorbing all the moisture in my mouth, as if all the bones in the Paris catacombs had been ground to a powder, burnt to ashes, then funnelled into my gob. Further sips bring back some of the fruit (and a bit of thin juice) and the medicinal notes, mainly disinfectant. Very good drop. 8/10

29.83 20yo d.1989 Kissing a Balrog's bum (52.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Sherry Butt, 561b): nose: amazing the difference a cask can make. At first sniff, this is all ester-y, fruity, with grapefruit and lime juices, and ripe strawberries, wrapped in cellophane. It has some dryer fruits too, dried dates leading the march, sweet and chewy, dried apricots and smoke dried mango slices, then smoky redcurrant jelly, raspberries on the barbecue grille, roasted quince, smoked-quince paste, smoked kumquats and cherry liqueur. I had a fleeting note of Ferrero Rocher filling (that would be Nutella, I guess), but it only lasted for half a second; just as well too: palm-oiled-stuffed shite. After the first sip, the smoky side seems more present on the nose, yet it remains refined. Mouth: the hazelnut paste is less fleeting on the palate than in the nose, and it is accompanied by smoked citrus (grapefruit and lime, now in a marmalade form) and berries, stewed into compotes. The alcohol bite is certainly present, if not unpleasant, and I am sure it is smoky, but compared to its younger compadre from Adelphi, it is very mellow. This one feels woodier and fatter, though; teak and teak embers, mahogany oil and exotic smoke, as well as treacle. The more one sips it, the fruitier it becomes, with lots of unsweetened jams and jellies. The smoke is reduced to a wood stove at the neighbours'. Finish: velvety at first, it evolves to unveil fruits (currants, elderberries) and smoke at last. Oh! still faint, but smoke nonetheless. Smoked-quince paste, smoked-prickled-pear jelly, smoked dulce de membrillo, dried dates, sultanas, soaked in hot water. The stove from the mouth is now firmly at home, and it is a tad sooty. Perhaps it is time to call the chimney sweep. :-) I like this one even more. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, PS)

25/05/2020 Caol Ila day

Following on from yesterday, let us have a dram from the Islay distilleries I have stock of.

Caol Ila 36yo 1980/2016 (52.3%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 210b): nose: medicinal, kipper-y and smoky, it has bandages, fishing nets and Yarmouth bloater s(did you know they are sometimes called Billingsgate pheasants? Ha! Ha!), as well as a drop of ink on old scrolls (the Irish Sea Scrolls, certainly). Coffee grounds, hessian sacks, a camp fire on boggy marshlands, then hot sands and mahogany ashes. It has a bog-water aspect, yet it is kept in check, and it is spongy moss over domestic drain anyway, so nae bother. Later on, it turns salty in a salty-meadows sort of way, with whelk and kelp sharing the picture with grazing sheep. That salt becomes almost chalky, over time... and then smoky tones come back. Mouth: very much in line with the nose, teeming with smoky bonfire ashes, kippers, salty meadows, burning incense and cinnamon sticks. The wood has almost disappeared, with aniseed the sole remnant. This time, however, it has a definite sweetness to it. Sweetened Lapsang Suchong, fruit-tree ashes, honey-glazed smoked mussels, mentholated disinfectant, warming ointment, neoprene. It seems to become sweeter and fruitier as time passes, not quite venturing into jammy territory, but not too far off that. Stewed rhubarb, maybe? Finish: long, sweet and mentholated again, with germolene, burning incense yet also spearmint, flowering currants, gauze, iodine, liquorice-root ash. Once more, further sipping means more fruity sweetness, with acidic stewed rhubarb, banana rum and lime drops. The whole is smoky and kipper-y first and foremost, however. Smoked sea shells and that feeling of drinking sugar-cane juice on the seafront, splashed by the sea spray. Excellent. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, CD)

Caol Ila 34yo 1984/2018 (57.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 162b, 18/228): nose: this one feels more powerful (and indeed, it is) and a little fresher, as in: fresh water. It has turf, fresh peat and freshly-cut grass, still juicy in the lawn mower's grass box. Soon, it is cut grass left out on a heap, on a sunny day, tomato plants in a green house, and then cooked vegetables storm the scene... and leave as swiftly as they appeared. Mild smoke settles, with bonfires on marshlands, or, more poetically, a camp fire by a riverbed -- earthy, muddy and smoky, vaguely medicinal, with carbolic soap and Iso-Betadine. The whole still allows some fruit to come through, though: cranberry jam, stewing apricot jam, caramelising in the cauldron. Later on, the nose seems to take on a more farm-y cloak, with muddy farm paths in the sun. Mouth: the attack  is soft and fruity, though the strength quickly grows to reach quite an intensity. Fruit-tree embers, burning cherry-tree logs, charred cranberry jam, smoked berries. The texture is that of melted butter, mellow and unctuous, and the fruity aspect is a welcome surprise. Rest assured it is totally cooked and stewed fruits, with baked apple and poached pear joining the various compotes listed above. The second sip is sweeter -- imagine all the above coated in Golden Syrup. The heat is quite obvious, with red-chilli powder reminding one that the ABV is in the high fifties. Finish: immense, wide, the sort of finishes that call for silence and contemplation. Salty, ashy, smoky, fruity, it has, in no particular order, incense ash, smoked fruit tea, cut nectarine, spearmint, gorse bushes, burning cassia bark, a dollop of strawberry-chocolate butter (make that melted, strawberry-paste-filled milk chocolate), smoked hibiscus infusion, pineapple drops, crystallised kiwi slices, soaked sultanas, aniseed and mixed peel. This is amazeboulanger. I am tempted to go for top score, but will contain myself for today. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, Gaija)

Class acts!

24/05/2020 Bruichladdich day

If Fèis Ìle had taken place this year, today would have been Bruichladdich day. SLT wanted to do a remote tasting (it is his favourite distillery, so I suggested today), but, unfortunately, the samples have not yet reached tOMoH Tower. Luckily, I have a couple of Bricks to take notes for.

Bruichladdich 15yo (43%, OB imported by F.Ili Rinaldi Importatori, b.1981, 900b): I had always thought this was a 1980s bottling, but the "26.4 fl. ozs." mention on the box suggest an earlier offering. It makes no sense: Rinaldi started importing Bruichladdich into Italy in the mid-1980s. Probably an older box from previous stocks. I also do not think Bruichladdich used this livery for very long after Rinaldi became their importer. [27/02/2021 Edit: it would seem this originally came with a leaflet explaining it is a 1981 import limited to 900 bottles] Nose: a wonderful freshness that combines sea spray and cantaloupe. It has a citric side too, with peel zest, pineapple drops, crystallised tangerine segments and flat lemonade. I detect very dry wine (Sauvignon blanc, obviously), but also baked floury potatoes, faded Virginia tobacco, pine essence and dried banana slices. The melon was cantaloupe at first, yet it might just have turned into canary, now, crisp, juicy and fresh -- boy! is it fresh. And a little salty. Mouth: silky as a silk glove, it suddenly displays the salt from the nose, almost out of nowhere. That salt cannot prevent the fruit coming through, though, with cantaloupe, nectarine, mirabelle plum and even pineapple chunks. The back of the mouth feels more "regular" or "whisky-like", with toffee and butterscotch, the sorts one can find in many blends. That is not at all negative, by the way; simply surprising. Finish: toffee! Quality Street's Toffee Penny, overripe cantaloupe melon showing some bitterness, the same way it does when one scoops a bit of melon skin, or a patch that is clearly starting to rot. Bitter chocolate butter, roasted Brazil nuts, walnut oil and a spoonful of fudge. What shines brightest are the fruits, still, even though they are in an unusual state -- decaying kiwis, brown bananas, bruised apples and melons, alongside a note of ripe nectarine and satsuma peel. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

Bruichladdich 28yo d.1989 (53.5%, cask sample, 1st Fill Bourbon Cask, C#44, Rotation 12/174): we tried this in the distillery warehouse, almost three years ago. I loved it then, but I was driving, so could not do more than wet my lips. JK saved the day by producing an empty container. Woo! Nose: oh! dear, it is even fruitier than the 15yo, and the fruits are in better shape, this time: canary melons, blood oranges, softening strawberries, fresh figs, honey-glazed baked apples, re-hydrated sultanas and maraschino cherries. Then, the nose becomes more floral, with sherbet, flowering currant, scented roses and almost honeysuckle, but fruitier and less fragrant. Mouth: velvety peach nectar, smashed Chinese gooseberry, pineapple chunks, smashed into a pulp. It has a tiny green note in the back, mandarin leaves or something of that ilk, but it is mostly very fruity. Fruity yoghurt with chunks, fruity custard, syrupy sugar-cane juice. The alcohol is so well integrated it feels dangerous. A multi-vitamin cocktail juice that can floor you in a few drams. Finish: it is a bit woodier here, with custard and doughnuts in the making, then almond paste and milk-chocolate mousse. The fruit is there, but it has morphed: raspberries, wild strawberries, blueberries; even the cherries are now fresh and wild, rather than maraschino. Perhaps the finish has persimmon, even, though its flesh is blended with melted milk chocolate, in that case. A'swish! 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, JK)

24/05/2020 Another couple of disparate samples

Caperdonich 20yo d.1996 (48.9%, cask sample): nose: coconut yoghurt, melted marzipan and cake icing float on a trickle of wine influences (white Port, brandy). The nose also gives linseed oil, sunflower seeds (and the associated oil, probably), then cocoa butter, shea butter, new teflon-coated denim and so much brandy I am wondering if the sample was mislabelled (it was not: I was there when the sample was made and I tried it on the spot). Soy milk, rice milk, vanilla rice pudding. The longer one noses it, the darker the Port becomes (white turns into tawny turns into vintage). Mouth: creamy and very much brandy-like, it has a little of the nose's coconut, more of the sunflower seeds, linseed oil and white Port, though this time, it also has milk-chocolate pralines. I would say with a ganache filling, but what do I know? Cocoa butter, hot rice pudding, rice tart (hi there, readers from Huy!), and, perhaps, dried dates and all-natural apple juice. Finish: a lovely, creamy finish, full of milk-chocolate pralines with a hazelnut-paste filling, a drop of hazelnut liqueur, brandy, yet also fudge, dark toffee, Brazil-nut butter, shea and peanut oil. The finish is definitely on the vanilla-wood side of the park, with a mere splash of brandy / liqueur to keep things interesting without turning sickly. Dark grapes, decaying apples and an undecipherable citrus-y note -- is it Curaçao, maybe? 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, TE)

And a blind second.

Dram #2
Nose: farm-y peat, with obvious farm paths, dried mud, caked onto tractor tyres, guaicol, lint, almost-mint-y tar, and quite simply put: an immense earthiness. Burning fruit-tree wood (pear tree), dried crab shells, capers, patted dry with kitchen paper, smoked capers, smoked tea... Then it turns a little vegetative, with stagnant water, cabbage water and spent matches, alongside exhaust fumes, cordite and matchbox strikers. Later on, sharp vinegar turns up, unannounced -- white-wine vinegar or alcohol vinegar, not particularly noble or anything. Mouth: it starts off with a surprisingly soft attack, and it is rather peachy. It soon unleashes some spices (ground coriander, ground cumin, ground cinnamon sticks), before the stagnant moss water comes back, with spent matches and fireworks as backing vocalists. Marsh gas, bogs, but also guaicol and burning cinnamon sticks. Smoked tea (Lapsang Suchong, to name the obvious one), cooked turnips and peat-reek. Finish: the finish is big and smoky / sulphury, with an interesting combination of exotic smoke and spent matches, exhaust fumes and dead marshes, stagnant water and brackish gas all in equal measures. Turnips turn up (that is a cool phrase!), gently sweet, swedes, and mentholated germolene, brackish lint, tar, spent-and-cooled-down fireworks, incense ash, burnt apple pips... In fact, the more one drinks this, the less stagnant water and the more roasted apple pips this displays. Nice. The BenRiach 20yo 1995/2015 (51.8%, OB specially selected and bottled for Premium Spirits Belgium, Oloroso Sherry Butt, C#7377, 636b) 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Gaija)

21/05/2020 81 combined years of maturation

The Campbeltown festival was supposed to take place now. Let us pretend we are there with some Cadenhead bottlings.

Burnside 27yo 1991/2019 (43.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Barrel, 168b): nose: floral, fragrant and greenhouse-like, the nose presents gorse, elegant cologne, budding honeysuckle, sherbet, green tomatoes, mirabelle plums, passionflower, magnolia and pollen. In the long run, something a bit dryer comes out, hay or rosemary, yet it is timid. Well, it does not stay timid for very long. Not only is it dry, it is also salty and a tad brine-y; a spoonful of capers and a pinch of sea salt. The flowers quickly come back, though. After the first sip, the nose seems to take on a honeyed note, which is very pleasant. Mouth: it is definitely salty on the tongue, with capers, salty meadows, dried rosemary, foccaccia seasoning, fleur de sel. The texture is oily, and one cannot not think of warm pouring honey. Clover honey in the back of the throat, hay, gorse bushes, maybe dried flowers (kerria Japonica or forsythia). It is much less floral than on the nose, surprisingly, but it is not an issue. Finish: a green touch at first, despite the venerable age, with green tomatoes, cut grass, sappy vine leaves and clover honey. It leaves the palate refreshed like a cold beer or a bowl of cider, and more flavours emerge, cereals and fruits: iron tonic, oats, dried hops, unripe mandarin, guava or carambola, and even a faint metallic note. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Glenburgie-Glenlivet 27yo 1992/2017 (48.9%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 222b): nose: unexpectedly wine-y, close to meaty, with cold gravy, marinating diced beef and horseradish sauce. Once the meat dissipates, the collection of additional aromas is almost puzzling, with magnolia and wooden cutting boards rubbing feathers with butterscotch and peanut oil. Linseed oil, wormwood, bruised apples, decaying in the sun, fresh paint, cellophane, dry fortified wine... This thing is all over the place! Even plasticine makes an appearance. Weird nose, yet one cannot fault its complexity and originality, that is for sure.  Mouth: soft and silky at first, it has warm plasticine again, warm, cola-flavoured gum, chai (spiced mint tea, for those who live under a rock), blackcurrant-flavoured sweet jelly, and that is before chocolate appears -- and appear it does! Buttery chocolate filling for mass-produced sponge cakes, buttery chocolate mousseline from a Paris-Brest cake, chocolate-y gravy (someone should really look into that!), the sauce of that Mexican chocolate chicken recipe that I make. Bay leaves, ground cloves, a pinch of ground cardamom; all that is in the background, however. Finish: after an initial and fleeting impression of spice (ground cardamom, ground clove, crushed bay leaves), chocolate shines, slightly bitter-sweet and creamy as a milkshake. Not much else is happening, now, but with this quality, who needs more? 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Strathmill 27yo 1991/2019 (51.2%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 678b): nose: cooked fruit, chiefly stewed red apples and stewed rhubarb. In fact, it is borderline rotten fruits. Solvents too, namely cellophane, fresh paint and American cream soda. Menthol-cigarette smoke turns up, softly, then cherry liqueur and pine needles. Roasted macadamia and nut oil, are next in line, then a combination of wines that makes me think of dry, very old Burgundy and yellow wine from Jura. I suppose that spells a dusty dryness and an impressive fruitiness at the same time, but it certainly feels odd. Menthol and fresh tobacco are definitely present, as is damp cardboard. Behind all that, an extremely shy, yet promising note of tropical fruit hardly comes out. Mouth: the stewed fruits from the nose are here, starting with red apple and its peel and moving towards rhubarb, augmented with the sweetness of apricot jam. Paint and cellophane still here, not at all inconvenient, but the mouth sees the addition of citrus too (calamansi, tangerine) and yellow fruits (peach, nectarine). Golden Virginia tobacco floats mid-palate and there is a softly husky side to the mouth. The texture is silky, yet it has a fresh spiciness to it as well. Finish: satisfying. More stewed fruits (apples and rhubarb), apricot jam, peach and nectarine flesh all still dancing around a sack of tobacco. There is a minty twang to this too, fresh and lively... and  a bit root-y. All things considered, it might be liquorice root, instead of mint, but I reckon it is a bit of both. Milk, past its prime, natural yoghurt, kefir, and more spices, the more one drinks it: ground cardamom, ground caraway and fennel seeds. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Good little session!

17/05/2020 Miltondufftown (38yo + 180b) x 2

Miltonduff-Glenlivet 38yo 1978/2017 (46.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 180b): nose: vegetal and mineral, it has garden herbs (sage, marjoram), distant ivy or vine and gravel/pebbles. The gravel is starting to be covered in moss, but then it is underneath leafy trees (oaks and beeches). A few acorns hint at more woody things to come, and -- would you know it? Here they are: cask bung, old, dry staves, greasy newspapers, even ink, though only from the newspapers, not a bucketful of it. A gentle, waxy tone appears, after a while, with candle sticks, rapeseed oil and cashew-nut oil. Pencil shavings show up in the back as well. Mouth: with a lively and tense attack, the lowish ABV presents a perfect strength for me. Cinnamon sticks and ginger shavings allow a milky note to shine, almond milk, butterscotch, toffee, and roasted coconut flesh (fresh, not desiccated). Green-chilli slices topping a hazelnut paste, green hazelnuts, green olives in oil. The mouth is not overly complex, but it oscillates between nuts and chocolate-y wood, which I find excellent. Finish: long and comforting, the finish sees the same milky and chocolate-y notes from the mouth; toffee, butterscotch, cinnamon powder, sprinkled over caramel, Scottish tablet. It has a pinch of grated bitter chocolate to complement the dominant milk chocolate, and green hazelnut comes back too, next to macadamia nuts. Lovely. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Dufftown-Glenlivet 38yo 1978/2017 (44.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 180b): nose: strongly citric, this exhales lemons, preserved lemons, mandarins, limoncello, bergamot foliage, fresh pineapple chunks and Chinese gooseberry slices. A delicate note of plywood then joins in on the fun, dry hazel sticks and hazel leaves. Later, it is uncut melon and tagetes, gerania, and the return of the citrus. What a lovely nose this is! Mouth: all softness and elegance, it has little bite, but much citrus again, with orange marmalade, candied mandarin segments, cut satsumas and ripe, juicy tangerines. Limoncello, fresh, clean, fruity and a little drying from the acidity. It feels like sweetened limoncello, though: despite the acidity, it is sweet alright. The texture is that of pulpless orange juice and has the perfect mouthfeel and weight. Finish: an infernal gig of citrus, tonic water and a few leaves, thrown in for good measure (and added bitterness). The tonic brings saltiness, aside the bitterness, the leave (bergamot or mandarin, if they are to be identified) give a green and gently bitter side, whilst the citrus, well, shines. Orange rinds, tangerine segments, not-so-ripe satsumas all balance the Schweppes to make the best gin-and-tonic in town. You know: the one without gin. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Ah-swish!

16/05/2020 Dufftown vs. Pittyvaich

Dufftown is, of course, one of the original Seven Stills of Dufftown. Pittyvaich is the distillery that was built in 1974 to increase Dufftown's capacity. It closed in 1993, making it the fourth-shortest operation in recent history, as far as I can tell (after Ladyburn, Ben Wyvis and Kinclaith).

Dufftown-Glenlivet 11yo 2007/2018 (51.6%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Hogshead): nose: it is all blackcurrant cough drops and a little camphor, minty, sappy gel and crushed pine needles. Stewed fruits appear after that, with rhubarb, rum-toft and prunes in syrup, crystallised blood oranges, perhaps baked apples. It is not particularly sweet, or at least nothing above the fruits' natural sugar. Hoisin sauce, marinating Peking duck, barley snaps -- say, the (natural) sweetness increases, does it not? Later, dusty logs, ready for the fire, and eaten spare ribs, meaning the bone with bits of charred marinated pork meat left on it. Mouth: perfect continuation of the nose, with hoisin sauce and prunes in syrup, but the palate sees some acidity come to the fore, and the strength is rather clear. Next to that, wooden chairs, varnished in the past month, unripe peach, rum-spiked punch, blueberry pancakes, hot off the pan and re-hydrated dried cranberries. Finish: here, the stewed fruits take a back seat and allow melting chocolate to speak, Brazil-nut paste, cashew-nut paste, and a pinch of ground green hazelnut. Cranberries make a comeback,, gooseberries, blueberries... Make that blueberry-filled chocolate bars! Oats, berried muesli with a drop of milk-chocolate coulis and a soft note of cardboard. The finish is long and comforting, pleasant, and invites one to refill one's glass. A simple pleasure. I remember this being unremarkable. It is crazy what seventeen months in an open bottle will do to a whisky! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, JMcI)

Pittyvaich 14yo (54.5%, James MacArthur Fine Malt Selection imported by Pevarello, b. ca 1990): nose: leather and cured ham, biltong, faded moccasins, suede jackets, cowhide, digestive biscuits. All that slows down, allowing draff and poultry food to emerge, with ground corn. Later on, a note of gherkin appears, very distant. Chaff, dried hops, stale chewing tobacco, old newspapers. Behind all that is an old and dusty gravel courtyard. I would say a single beach, but it has no maritime influence whatsoever -- this is all farmland countryside. Mouth: equally cereal-y on the palate, it has chaff, hops, draff and ground corn. The leather and suede re-appear too, though much shyer. This time, a timid drop of red wine is present too, dry aged, dusty and earthy. Fusty bung cloth, old books (calf-leather-bound, of course), old maps. Digestive biscuits are still there, though they are soaked in some kind of liqueur, this time -- my money is on redcurrant. Finish: big, leathery, wine-y, almost corked, the finish has wet cardboard, old and oily newspapers, a drop of red-wine vinegar, redcurrant liqueur, a pinch of aniseed, blotting paper, busy swallowing all that liqueur. Seriously, it is Edle Tropfen without the chocolate! Pot ale, draff, dreg, dark-grain syrup and liqueur. A big, woody, cereal-y and feint-y dram with a wine-y touch. I like it for its intrinsic qualities, though I will admit it is probably more interesting than incredibly good. 7/10

16/05/2020 Two 30yo Tormore

Tormore 30yo 1988/2019 (43.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 132b): nose: quite textile and herbal at first sniff, it has linen bags, dusty curtain lining and hessian sacks full of herbs (dried oregano, bay leaves). Perhaps it even has gauze, embrocation and old bandages. The second sniff brings newly-unrolled linoleum, oddly enough. The third sniff is earthier, with a dry herbs garden (the garden is dry not the herbs; read again) and drying gardening tools -- yup, a faint metallic touch. The whole ancient garden shed is there. I was  expecting a floral and chocolate-y nose, but it is not that at all! Elegant, but rustic. Very rustic. Mouth: oily texture that carries some of the flowers I expected in the nose. Herbs are here, fresher, but shyer (fresh oregano, marjoram and sage), gardening tools (with less earth and more metal, this time), then something toasted, in the back of the throat, though it is more burnt toast, overdone cake and pipe tobacco than coffee grounds, I am relieved to note. Perhaps it has a gentle sweetness, as in: smoked-plum compote. Finish: creamy and a little chocolate-y, the finish brings more of what I expected, with bitter dark chocolate, crushed Brazil nuts (skins included), brown mustard seeds and a drop of coffee. The first time I tried this, I had rubber in the finish, but not today. I suppose that the toasted wood is hard to miss, and liquorice root is distant but present, but earthy chocolate comes out more, with a serving of prunes on the side, dry, softly drying, and very good. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Tormore 30yo 1988/2019 (47.9%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 462b, 19/27): it turns out that I took detailed notes for this one last year. Let me see... Nose: at first, it feels like a different whisky altogether, much bolder, boisterous, even, with floral notes by the wheelbarrow -- honeysuckle, lilac, heather. And then, I realise that is the hand cream. :-) Removing the hand-cream factor, this is the same whisky as in June. See notes from last year. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

That was a bit of a damp squib. Might have to do another one today...

14/05/2020 Glen! Tauchers! Leave us kids alone!

Hope you enjoy the Rolling Stones reference.* ;-)

(*) Yes, I know it is not them.

Glentauchers-Glenlivet 28yo 1990/2019 (46.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 114b): nose: spirit-y and seemingly young, it emits a note of char, burnt incense, as well as roasted cereals and surgical alcohol. The most minute fruitiness struggles to emerge in the form of white wine, as dry as the Atacama desert. Time seems to mellow the nose down, with mint paste, eucalyptus, pain-relief gel, and blackcurrant skins. Later, it is plasterboards, slightly damp. Around ten minutes in, it is finally more behaved and tamed. and one can detect fragrant tones in this nose: tulips, irises, daffodils, then minty custard. Even later, the nose takes an unexpectedly citrus-y appearance, with ripe lemons and tangerines. Mouth: milky texture, a certain spiciness to it (ground cumin) as it hits the sweet spot between 40 and 50% naturally. The flavours are concentrated, yet also packed together so tight they are hard to pick apart. Pine sap, curry leaves, walnut shells, avocado oil, bergamot juice, tangerine juice, augmented with a drop of lemon juice and a teaspoon of milky cocoa butter. Skinless Brazil nuts, cashew nuts and sesame oil. Finish: oily and nutty, with avocado oil, almost sesame oil, a drop of walnut vinegar and chocolate. An almost-metallic earthiness is also there. The citrus acidity is less obvious, but there are remnants of the tangerine/lemon combination from before, maybe even bergamot. It leaves the mouth quite dry, softly charred. There was a bit of cask sludge in my glass; that might be the cause. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Glentauchers-Glenlivet 10yo 2009/2019 (59.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 330b): nose: certainly related, this one has more of a greenhouse scent to it, with gerania, tomato plants, cucumber and courgette, dry white wine and flint. It might even be marble, cooling off at dusk, after a very sunny day. Behind all that, dry walls and wallpaper glue (it is as weird as it reads), stones, cereals and ink. _Red ink, as becomes clear later. Hot candlewax, spent wick and a distant whiff of burnt incense. All that is well refined. Mouth: interestingly enough, the attack is less aggressive than that of the old one. Chilli paste quickly appears (sriracha sauce, harissa), but it seems mild, especially when considering the significant jump in ABV. Paprika-seasoned pumpkin soup, swede mash, baked courgette, baked green-tomato flesh and a drop of hot chocolate coulis. Finish: sweet and surprisingly soft, it has milk chocolate, hazelnut spread, shea butter and stay sauce. The finish is relatively simple, but remarkably efficient. What a lovely every-day dram this is! 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Those are both good, but I think that, as was the case when they came out, I prefer the young one.

10/05/2020 Four Glenlochies

I realised too late that I should have done Four decades of Glenlochy. As it stands, there are two from the 1960s. Unfortunately, I doubt I can do a similar session any time soon...

I was worried about the level.
Clearly, no damage incurred.

Glenlochy d.1968 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. early 1980s): Gordon & MacPhail bottled a 14yo and a 15yo in this livery. The miniatures bear no age statement, but it is relatively safe to assume that this is one of those two. Nose: OME (old miniature effect -- you read it here first, remember), as is almost guaranteed with these old GMP. That spells brine-y caramel. Soon, it is old books, damp cardboard, bung cloth and clean hessian sacks, hot linen bags and a drop of white wine, fruity, dry and crisp. The third sniff confirms the white wine and adds limestone into the mix. Ah! Glenlochy and its mineral austerity... Next up are rusty nails, old gardening tools and a cellar full of archive documents. Even later, the nose mellows out, with prunes and apricots, macerating in liqueur. After the first sip, the nose takes on a coffee-grounds touch, as well as verdigris and emerging pine cones. Mouth: syrupy caramel in texture it packs a punch and feels much higher than 40% ABV, with chilli powder, ginger gratings and white pepper. Behind the spices, it is drying and acidic, with bone-dry orange peel, ground to dust, roasted malt, nigella seeds, mango powder, coffee grounds, maybe black cumin, though that might be a step too far, more toasted than it really is. It is toasted, though. The longer it stays on the palate, the creamier it becomes, what with it causing incessant salivating. That brings it back to macerating fruits, namely apricot and tangerine segments, augmented with crushed mint. Finish: bold and long, the creamy side is there, competing with the drying touch of coffee grounds and crushed nigella seeds, and, again, mint -- peppermint, in fact. The spices that this delivers at this modest strength are mind-boggling. It is as numbing as an anaesthetic shot from the dentist -- peppermint-y, gingery, cassia bark-y, mango powdery. And palate-tingling. New wood appears in the finish as well, with notes of pine cones, sandalwood, candied orange peel, nutty peach stones and tannins. This is the right kind of woody for me, yet I am sure others would find it splintery. In any case, it takes no prisoners. 8/10

Glenlochy d.1974 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. ca 1989): Gordon & MacPhail bottled versions of this in 1989, 1991 and 1993, at least. This has no bottle code, which suggests a 1989 bottling, as I think that is the year they started printing those codes. Nose: much lighter on the nose, this one is also more mineral. Flint, warm granite, shingles, clean laundry, line-drying in the warm wind. Next to all that is a green quality -- not quite fennel, but celery sticks, perhaps, courgette, laurel leaves and chives. Suddenly, soft, exotic smoke wafts out of the glass, part incense, part smoked fruit tea. Oh! it is timid, but it is there. Preserved lemons and lemon curd, before a note of matchbox striker seems to bring a sulphur-y note to the game. I cannot tell if GMP used less E150a in this one, or if the previous dram was from a sherry cask, but they are very different, that is certain! Mouth: silky, softer than its more-ancient sibling, it is also more citric from the off, with lemon zest in custard, lemon curd, acidic and mouth-coating all at once. A pinch of coal dust. That smoky feel comes out again, though less timidly, now, and more Industrial Revolution in its coal usage. Burnt wood, charred cinnamon sticks, spent matches... I am wondering if it is smoky or sulphur-y, now. Probably a bit of both, I suppose. Curd turns into cream as the whole remains citrus-y, smoky and, above all, delicious. Finish: in the finish too, the citric/smoky/mineral combination prevails, with preserved lemons, dirty shotgun barrels and brimstone all present in equal proportions. That strangely leaves the mouth dry, salivating and coated in smoky/sweet flavours, which makes no sense whatsoever, yet happens regardless.  Spent matches? Check. Lemon zest? Check. Limestone? Check. There might even be smoked tomato stems to make the picture even more confusing. Confusing and satisfying. This is a challenging malt without a doubt, which also makes it rather rewarding. 8/10

Glenlochy 49yo 1952/2001 (43%, Douglas Laing The Old Malt Cask 43°, 311b): yup, this is the one that will prevent a repeat of such a sesh. 1950s malts are hard to come by, but 1950s Glenlochy? Well, I know of one other and it is even harder to obtain. Nose: a completely different kettle of fish! This has waxy fruit written all over the nose, with quince, apricot, smoked apricot, satsuma, yet also leather-bound books and teak furniture (or is it mahogany?) Sweetened rhubarb compote, baked banana slices (not plantains) and something greener and more akin to cucurbitaceous, such as sweet courgette or butternut, coming out of the oven. A pinch of herbs (sage or marjoram), waxy laurel leaves, ripening bergamot, perhaps nectarines -- if so, they are part of a bake. Later on, vanilla aromas make their way to the sinuses, with custard, fudge, shortbread dough, toffee, yet that never completely overshadows the citrus: calamansi and limoncello. Beeswax, lemon honey spread (thick in texture, light in colour)... Phwoar! Much later on, tea chests and black cardamom add a gentle, smoky dimension to the nose. Mouth: soft and mellow, satin-like, it has the texture of apricot juice, whilst the taste is in line with the nose -- sweet, waxy, citrus-y. Tangerine flesh, teak oil, beeswax, honey, laurel leaves, calamansi, cut quince, toffee and fudge, as well as something more astringent that is not immediately citrus-y... Is it lichen on staves? Squashed banana, green banana skins, crushed lovage seeds, dried-mint dust. With the second sip, the mellow, satin-like texture morphs into green-tea bitterness. It is perfectly brewed, which means it is not unpleasant, yet it is bitter all the same. Finish: meow! A continuation of the nose and palate, with waxy apricots, smoked quince, bay leaves (yes! That is the astringency), tangerine pith, unsweetened limoncello. Thinking about it, the main difference in the finish is the virtual absence of sweetness. It is acidic and bitter instead, with the bay leaves taking the top spot, ahead of citrus and wax. This finish is certainly not as long as the previous two drams', inasmuch as the taste peters out, yet the mouthfeel stays a while, bitterly herbaceous. Again, it is never overpoweringly bitter, but it is almost all that remains. Custard powder, smoked mirabelle plums -- yes, it gains a little smoke in the finish; not a total surprise, as peat would almost certainly have been used to dry the barley, at that time. It is a great dram, quite an emotional one, at that (I have been willing to try this for over a decade), but the bitter, green-tea-leaves note will prevent me from giving it the top score. 9/10

Glenlochy 26yo 1969/1995 (58.8%, OB Rare Malts Selection for South Africa, B297, b#0394): leftover from the RMS tasting three and a half years ago. Nose: austere as fook, gravel-y, it has coffee, spilled onto limestone. Once that has passed, more welcoming things appear: blueberry and blackcurrant squash, dried prunes, and something almost wine-y, not unlike a sauce grand'veneur. Coq au vin, made with cheap, heady red wine. That does not last: soon, the mineral notes are back, this time more flinty, with granite and other igneous rocks. Suddenly, white wine appears, dry and fresh, accompanied by butter lettuce. After the first sip, brown crayons and chocolate sponge rock up as well, timidly. Mouth: this hits like a hail of stones flying left, right and centre. Brimstone, flint, granite chippings, sandstone, metal filings and papier mâché -- the whole seems to suck all moisture away from the mouth. The second sip is still very drying, though it seems to follow course with melted milk chocolate too, soft and chewy. It reminds me of Yes or Thorntons Triple Layer Chocolate Cake. Amusing how such an austere dram can turn into chocolate cake over two sips only! Finish: unexpectedly, the finish is all about melted chocolate from the first sip. Oh! it is served on a slate slab and the cutlery used to handle the chocolate has stained it with a metallic note, but chocolate nevertheless. Hazelnut spread, buttery chocolate, soft, spongy tree bark (the kind they put in plant beds), mulch, soft and elastic like cork, hot cocoa, milky coffee and... chocolate cake. Entertaining and unexpected. 8/10

Enough for today.

09/05/2020 One lonely dram

Someone, somewhere (in the summertime) is turning half a century, today. A toast to them!

Secret Speyside Distillery 50yo (40%, Master of Malt Secret Bottlings Series, 1st edition, b. ca 2010): this is not from Speyside distillery and it is not one of the recent "Speyside Region" -- though it might very well be from the same distillery. Anyway, Master of Malt did this series for people obsessed with numbers, rather than names, the same way Gordon & MacPhail did. It is not impossible that it helped kick start the wave of undisclosed, aged Speyside whiskies that have landed on the market, over the past years, but I suppose we will never know for sure. The pricing of this was very buyer-friendly, even taking into account it was a decade ago: less than 350 GBP for a full bottle of 50yo whisky, imagine!... Nose: an unexpected amount of candlewax and brine-y olives. That clears the picture quickly, though, leaving room for wild berries (blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, wild strawberries, myrtles). Aside that fruitiness, it has gun oil, wood briquettes, ink-stained blotting paper, earthy potatoes, crusty cake base and dried vine leaves. It is vaguely nutty, though with olives drying in the sun, rather than hazelnuts; it definitely has roasted peanuts and even peanut oil, on the other hand. Dark berries resurface, as does the candlewax, closing the loop. All of that is subdued, tamed. Perhaps it is the age, perhaps it is the 40% ABV, probably it is a combination of the two. The second sniff sees the wax turn almost citric, with waxy mandarin peels, tangerine and satsuma peels. Far back in the nose, it seems to have a whiff of smoke, yet one really has to pay attention. Mouth: it feels dilutes, but not that much, actually: it still has a bite. Silky in texture, polished, it feels almost brandy-like in how it balances fruit, wood and alcohol strength. Dark grapes, blackcurrants, warm wood by the fireplace (it is not in the fire yet), wood-panelled libraries. The wood grows in loudness, with treacle and some tannins, although nothing over the top. Crunchy toast, roasted malt... until the the berries take over completely, with blackberries and blackcurrants wearing their most seductive attire. Aromatic chewing tobacco, dried meadow flowers, minty blackcurrant and brambles. Finish: big and woody, here, it has burnt wood, charred toast and scorched earth. It comes across as vaguely smoky in the finish too, and considering this is a 1960 distillation at the latest, it is very possible. Possible? Well, even if no peat was used to dry the malted barley (it probably was), chances are that, in 1960, coal was still used to fire the stills, regardless of which distillery this was made at. I find this has a coal note too, in fact. Black tar, smoked treacle and blackcurrant jam, simmering in a cauldron, over a coal fire, hot cranberry relish to accompany the venison spit roast in the fireplace and charred beetroot. This is nice enough. I can see it not commanding high prices, based on taste alone. Good of Master of Malt to not milk it more than they should have. 7/10

Happy birthday!

07/05/2020 Bishlouk's birthday bash

A jit.si meeting, this time. Zoom is bad.

The things one sees on jit.si are not always great... ;-)

Bishlouk had invited several people to a physical tasting this weekend, but he had to re-arrange his plans to follow government advice (in other words: confinement). Change of date, change of line-up, change of guest list, but it is taking place. JS, Red71, STL and I virtually join Bishlouk for this session on a school night. Well, in Belgium, it is a school night.

Dram #1
Nose: encaustic, furniture polish, beeswax, cut fruit (quince), peach stone, browned orange peel and a little butter which makes me guess Glenrothes immediately. Incorrectly, it goes without saying. Mouth: Soft, fruity and as buttery as the nose, it has fluffy plum and peach flesh, with perhaps an added note of ash, drying and rough -- though to a point it is almost not worth mentioning. Finish: pleasant and warming, it has the bitterness of peach stone, apricot stone and the fluffiness of peach flesh again. The finish has a slightly bitter note of fresh rubber and new bicycle tyres. Blended Scotch Whisky 20yo 1998/2019 (44.6%, Cadenhead Cadenhead's Club, 1 x Sherry Hogshead + 1 x Sherry Butt, 500b) 7/10

Dram #2
Nose: honeysuckle, budding lilac, a freshly-ploughed field, vaguely damp, perhaps clover. The second nose is a little fruitier, but it is unripe fruit. Apple sherbet and apple mint. Mouth: soft and balanced, the palate sees distant berries, greengages, and the warmth of a kitchen fireplace. The second sip has a more apple-centric profile, with sherbet and apple mint again. Finish: wonderful length, with a pinch of fresh herbs (is it tarragon?) The finish is long and a little drying, in the long run, with a touch of aniseed and that timid fruitiness to round it off, as well as a touch of chocolate. It still is a bitter, herbaceous affair, all in all. Glen Keith 25yo 1991/2016 (46%, The Ultimate Whisky Company The Ultimate, Bourbon Barrel, C#73635, 234b) 8/10

Dram #3
Nose: I recognise this! It makes me think of 117.3 -- fresh mangoes and almost-metallic bergamot. It is not as exuberant as 117.3, but I am puzzled when Bishlouk says this is not Irish. This one has what seems like a tiny veil of smoke, buttery smoke. Overripe peach and apricot, running away on their own, so ripe they are. A touch of caramelised custard and crushed blueberries, lily of the valley and a few grains of pollen. Mouth: punchy to a degree, it turns very fruity very quickly, with physalis, apricots, yellow plums, but also more tropical tones, with buttery mango and papaya cubes, pineapple chunks and white kiwis. Finish: long, exuberantly fruity, with tons of juicy yellow fruits and a touch of bitter rubber or liquorice laces that will prevent me from scoring this higher. It is still the dram of the night, as far as I am concerned. Red71 pinpoints the distillery, which, in hindsight, is bleeding obvious. Inchmurrin 14yo 2003/2018 (50.3%, OB Single Cask specially selected by 't Woest Genoegen & The Whisky Mercenary, Bourbon Cask, C#2231, 230b, L8/059/18 cask#121) 8/10

Dram #4
Nose: Kirsch (STL), heavily-polished leather. This is walking a tightrope, when it comes to sherry influence, but it stays on the right side of it. Caramel, praline, dark chocolate, chocolate coulis, crushed dark cherries. Further on, black cardamom, crushed cloves, roasted cinnamon sticks, chocolate-flavoured chewing gum. It remains very elegant, though. Mouth: the crushed cherries truly shine, here, coated in dark chocolate, with a pinch of ground cloves for giggles. The mouth soon sees a hint of rancio, high on the inner-cheeks, which is not a bother. The texture is chewy, and the dominant taste is chocolate-y, with pralines and chocolate-coated cherries. Finish: long, it has a hint of liquorice and bitter chocolate. Again, it could very easily go overboard, but it does not: that chocolate coulis is quite something, augmenting hazelnut paste and Brazil-nut butter to make something that reminds me of chocolate brownie. Long, quaffable, lovely. Top-shelf Glendronach, this. The GlenDronach 12yo 2004/2016 (56.9%, OB Single Cask specially selected and bottled for Vinothek Massen, Sherry Butt, C#6629, 666b) 8/10

Dram #5
Nose: dry peat, fishing nets, smoked oysters, crusty earth, warm and salty earth, warm hay, Virginia tobacco, dried raspberry slices. The earth turns dusty, almost into desert dirt -- almost. Mouth: this feels like a different dram altogether, much muddier and less dry, in which the dried raspberry slices are dunked into mud. Raspberries and bog myrtle -- it feels pretty fruity, behind the boggy tones. Finish: much earthier in the finish and much less dry than the nose suggested, it almost has mud, as well as a little sea influence, with seaweed and sea water. I prefer the nose of this one. The mouth and finish become a little more generic. We all guessed the distillery at the start. Bishlouk is predictable, like that. Caol Ila 12yo 2005/2017 (54%, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve exclusively bottled for Vinothek Massen, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#301553, 210b) 7/10

STL leaves. We decide to have a nightcap. Everyone chooses a Littlemill, funnily enough. Bishlouk has Littlemill 24yo 1988/2012 Sympathy for the Whisky (54.2%, The Whiskyman, 159b), Red71 has Littlemill 26yo 1988/2015 (52.5%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection Cask Strength, Sherry Butt), whilst JS and I have:

Littlemill 16yo 1991/2008 (50%, Douglas Laing The Old Malt Cask 50°, Refill Hogshead, C#DL4064, 276b): nose: creamy mango, then a metallic/herbaceous note of verbena, maybe sage, before it comes back to tropical fruit, this time persimmon. Of the hazelnut that dominated the dram upon opening the bottle, virtually nothing remains. Mouth: juicy, fruity, it has peach, papaya and distant persimmon. Later, a drying note of Demerara sugar appears, oozing through lichen-covered staves. Finish: lovely tropical fruit once more, sweet to the point it is drying, with dark molasses, caramelised persimmon and roasted peach. This is lovely. 9/10

The time is for socialising, rather than long notes. We talk about everything and nothing for a wee while, before calling it a night.
Excellent tasting. It felt much more intimate and therefore led to more interactions than last night's tasting (also online). Good fun, cannot wait to do it again!

06/05/2020 The London Whisky Club -- Adelphi

A Zoom meeting, since everyone is confined. Connal Mackenzie is hosting from his home, his office, or wherever he is. Around seventy people join the event, which is rather scary, considering TLWC is not even two years old.

Let us cut to the chase. CMK has a nice slideshow about Adelphi and Ardnamurchan (Adelphi's relatively new distillery), but I am focusing on the whiskies and my notes. It will be difficult: seventy people with five drams each tend to chat.

The Glover 4yo b.2020 (54.7%, Adelphi, 1st Fill Bourbon Casks, B#5, 1008b): CMK explains that this is a blend of two casks of 4yo peated Ardnamurchan, two casks of 6yo unpeated Chichibu and six bottles of Linkwood. The blending took place at St George Distillery, in England, and HMRC would not allow casks of Scottish single malt to leave Scotland (if it leaves Scotland, it ceases to be a single malt Scotch). When HMRC stopped Adelphi's convoy, they popped the Linkwood bottles open and poured them into the casks. It was not single malt any longer: HMRC allowed them to travel beyond the border. Nose: leather purses and linen shopping bags. Further, a drop of nail polish and warm cardboard. It is mostly warm and subdued, Native-American style. Clay pots, dry straw, straw mats. The second sniff brings a whiff of custard and raw cereal. Mouth: gingery and full of red chilli powder, this is spicy and relentless in the first sip. The second one is a little more mellow, though still gingery, with custard powder and a milky texture. Spicy sawdust remains, though. Finish: warm, it has straw and hay, as well as raw cereal, in the back. Is that a whisper of distant smoke? Maybe. Decent, but I find it simple and boring. 6/10

Dalmore 21yo 1998/2019 (57.2%, Adelphi Limited, Refill Bourbon Cask, C#8217, 132b): the label reads Sherry, but we are told it is a Bourbon cask. The colour leaves no doubt about that. Nose: ah! This has a little bit of character, at least. Dark peach juice with walnuts, macerating in it. This nose is juicy and welcoming, with overripe oranges, apricots turning brown, but also butterscotch and a serving of fudge, as well as peach skins. Mouth: seemingly weaker than the Glover, the significantly-higher ABV allows orange pith to come through, tangerine segments and browned peach slices. Over time, the orange turns gingery. Finish: immediately darker, it presents a drop of tar and berry liqueur (elderberry is my guess), liquorice root and still a citrus-y touch, with orange pith, juicy segments (blood orange, actually) and the bitterness associated with blood-orange peels. 7/10

Isle of Jura 21yo 1998/2020 (54.2%, Adelphi Limited, Refill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, C#2146, 265b): nose: very wine-y, meaty, it also has lots of earth (mud, even). But what dominates are those huge notes of cured meat, toasted bread and hard-boiled egg. Treacle comes in and out, with burning cinnamon sticks in its trail. It might be vaguely smoky, but it is rather woody without a doubt. Window putty, says CMK. I agree with him. Mouth: mellow, it has charred meat and thick wine sauce, a touch of rancio, lingonberry compote, scorched rubber, melted plastic buckets... This is divisive. I can see it doing well in Germany. Earthy, mouldy and meaty, in a cured-meat sort of way. Finish: yes, lots of lingonberry compote, roast beef, a horseradish kick and earth -- burnt Sienna, to be precise. Rubber is present, and it is brand-spanking new, this time. The finish is long, mildly drying and earthy. Oloroso indeed! 7/10

Benrinnes 13yo 2006/2019 (55.5%, Adelphi Selection, 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, C#305385, 267b): nose: a mix of marzipan and crushed pine cones, cigar boxes, gently-spicy custard, blackberries, raisins, and something softly minty, reminiscent of aniseed, drowned in something else... Dry pine needles, barely fragrant, and mango powder (amchur). Mouth: oh! yes, pine sap, pine-sap-filled chocolate, spearmint. The pine sap takes on an impressive strength, fresh and juicy. Maybe some pink-grapefruit zest, or blood-orange peel. That is right: there is an acidic side, as well as the pine influence. Finish: mint-y, pine-sappy chocolate, with a huge freshness. Spearmint, crisp apple, green sticks, fir trees, lovage seeds, a touch of liquorice, crushed cassia bark. Funnily enough, the finish has a certain sweetness to it, which is a bit of a relief, lest it might be considered (too) woody. As it stands, it is a remarkable dram, and the audience's favourite by far, tonight. 8/10

Caol Ila 13yo 2007/2020 (50.8%, Adelphi Selection, 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask, C#301264, 309b): not to be confused with a Caol Ila 13yo 2003/2016 from the same bottler and bearing the same cask number. Nose: dry peat, with drying fishing nets, a hot engine room (rusty metal, boilers, old metal tools), drying brown paint, iodine and mossy bogs (not so dry, after all?) Barbecue sauce, barbecue-flavoured crisps (Grills or Frazzles). Further in the back, ink comes out, baking clay, and soft-water algae, dried and ready to eat with sushis. Mouth: surprisingly mellow, raisin-y, sweet and soft. There is virtually no peat here that I can taste; it is all syrupy sweetness. Dark chocolate, melting on the tongue, sweet blackcurrant drops, Demerara sugar, lichen on stave, verdigris... and then salt!? Finish: sweet, the finish comes up with cough lozenges. The peat comes back -- dry peat again; scorched earth, dry, burnt straw, cigar swirls, a minute quantity of rubber and Bakelite. Finally, warm liquorice laces, elderberry and blackcurrant cough drops. 8/10

That is a session. It is nice to be able to tune out and focus, rather than take part in whatever debate, or indeed join the discussion, as the case may be. It is also nice not to have to travel to and from the event and to attend in pyjamas. But for all the pros of such a setting, it also has cons; namely, that it almost completely misses the social aspect, which is the point of a whisky tasting, in my opinion. And it also fails in that I feel I would have enjoyed trying those samples on my own as much (if not more). No disrespect meant to CMK: I am simply more easily distracted when the presenter is remote and did not pay much attention to his presentation.