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

It started here.

Dram #13 (JMcC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time for some millionaire shortbread!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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