26/12/2021 Cutty Sark

This mini was rescued from a basement, during a recent trip to the States.

Cutty Sark Blended Scots Whisky (86 Proof, Berry Bros & Rudd imported by The Buckingham Corporation, b. ca early 1980s): nose: citrus, fragrant lichen and copper coins on their way to being eaten by verdigris. It has a strong smell of dust too, acrid and borderline incommoding. adc, who shares it with me, finds seaside gorse, but I do not agree, even if it has a vaguely-salty note akin to focaccia, as well as very dry hay, a dusting of desert dirt and, maybe, oily rags, dried into a parchment. Inexorably, the copper coins come back, though. The nose is rather deep, if not too complex -- that is to say: it hits the back of the sinuses, not just the nostrils. The second nose adds a pinch of milk-chocolate shavings to the mix. Mouth: despite the low ABV, the ancientness of the bottling and the low fill level, it is lively and a half on the tongue, with fierce ginger biscuits, crushed cloves and cinnamon-bark splinters. Perhaps crushed cardamom pods too. Behind the spices are strong salt, hot sawdust about to ignite, and the return of the copper coins. The second sip adds some sticky marmalade, close to a nigella-seed-augmented chutney, and even closer to a cast-iron pot. Boy! this is metallic alright. Finish: long, powerful, woody and dusty, with little of the saltiness surviving. All the same, it is a spectacularly-drying finish, this. There is some menthol, straw (adc), and heaps of hot, oxidised  metal -- more tin than brass, now, to be precise, although the verdigris remains; go figure! Further sips see a nuance of chocolate milk or chocolate custard with a drop of lemon juice, for good measure, but this is a pretty austere affair, on the whole. Appealing to a certain type of crowds, then. Fascinating old blend. 7/10 (Thanks DS and ME)

Happy birthday, MD, FH, JPH.

22/12/2021 Tomintoul

Tomintoul 16yo d.2004 (46%, OB, Sauternes Casks, 5094b): nose: The Gentle Dram in full effect, with confectionary sugar, manuka honey and chewy orange-flavoured sweets. All hints at mellow and easy-going, buttery shortcrust and shortbread. If we have fruit, it is of the candied variety, or hidden in a turnover -- perhaps apricot, though my suspicion is peach instead. Said turnover has a pinch of ground cinnamon and nuances of gingerbread. I would be tempted to detect custard, yet, really, it is more of a couque suisse than a custard tartlet. After tilting the glass, the back of the nose clearly picks up raisins and sweet crust, leaving no doubt as to the couque suisse. Mouth: unctuous, mellow, and quaffable, the palate is a direct continuation of the nose: here, we find the same manuka honey and the same candied peach, sticky in its pastry blanket. The cinnamon from the nose seems to have morphed into a bolder Bourbon-cask-wood tone, though it is very much balanced. A lick of timid chocolate, maybe. Raisins, caramelised by the oven, have released a rich, syrupy juice. The sugar becomes so strong it is close to pickle brine. Finish: one can feel the 46%, which work perfectly. An assertive Bourbon influence is clear, at this stage; toasted white oak, a drop of vanilla essence, and then, a juicy sweetness, probably added by the Sauternes finish. Repeated sipping increases the sweetness, dropping candied tangerine segments into mulled wine. Yup: emerging in the finish are a bay leaf, a cinnamon stick and a couple of cloves. Superb dram, even if I can see this turning sickly, when consumed in copious amounts. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SL)

20/12/2021 Ardmore

Ardmore 1977/2003 (45%, Samaroli 35th Anniversary, C#7631, 738b) : nose: why, this has a very interesting mix of sliced strawberries, drying in the sun, and ash -- as in: ashtray. Fruit tree, burnt on a campfire overnight, and reduced to smoky ashes by the morning, smoked-strawberry sweets, hot twigs, perhaps smoked banana skins... It goes quiet, after a few minutes. Let us come back to the nose later. ZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz... A bit of rest helps shy seafood pierce through, alongside the fresh-ish fruit; it is not Gaston Lagaffe's morue à la fraise (© Franquin), rather oysters or mussels with a strawberry coulis on top. Most amusing! The second nose seems more overtly berry-driven, deeper and darker, while the smoke appears to take a back seat. Mouth: it has an acidic attack, as if strawberry were a citrus. Strawberry it most definitely is, though, smoked strawberry, to be precise, which adds an acrid layer to complement the sweetness and acidity of the fruit. That smoke is potent indeed, unexpectedly so, with charred jams tarring up the bottom of the pan, itself licked by the flames of a fruit-tree fire in a dusty cottage. The reduction is felt, yet it does not feel weak in any way; 45% is perfectly fine. It may fare less well in different circumstances, as we saw the first time we had this. The texture seems thin and stripping to start with, but it thankfully turns sweet and sticky over a minute or so. Finish: the everlasting fight between strawberry and smoke continues, and it is hard to tell, at any moment, which of the two has the upper hand -- the fruit, or the smoke? It makes for a beguiling finish too. Seafood makes a timid comeback, still mussels or smoked oysters with a drop of lemon juice. The second sip has a more-pronounced smoke, even if it is not shouty, as well as jam made of darker, tarter berries: blackberries or blackcurrants. Let us call that smoked-berries jam. Efficient and a half. Oh! It keeps a spoonful of mussel cooking water or warm seawater until the end, discreet, sure, but adding complexity. 9/10

11/12/2021 Shyte Ur Bouquet

The email conversation in April 2019 went thus:

CD: "I hope that you guys are well!
I assume the title of this email [Bowmore Bouquet] peaked your interest?
I was asked if I want to participate in a bottle sharing of Bowmore Bouquet. I was asked if my friends would be interested, so naturally I'm reaching out to you."

Cavalier66: "I'd take a cl. Only q is whether I should take 2."

OB: "Assuming I have a sample what do I do with it? The only reasonable option I see is us three (four even as I assume JS probably wants this as much of not more than anyone else) doing a special Bowmore Bouquet tasting where we pull out or little bottles and drink their content. It feels weird not to share, and at the same time I'm not sure I would actually like to share."

A couple of days later, it was confirmed.

CD: "My friend went to Italy and opened the Bouquet. He said before that if for some reason the bottle is a fake (he just had it recently so knows what the real deal tastes like), though he had it professionally checked out, he wouldn’t accept any money from us. So he took a huge, personal financial risk [...]"

Ze real deal.

We then started discussing how we would despatch the samples .

CD "If you have someone going to Limburg, we can give them the samples there. Otherwise I will hang on to them and can give them to you when I am in London in June."

tOMoH: "Any of you going to Limburg, by any chance? A handful of samples to bring back, if you are and don't mind."

CB: "Only got hand luggage but should be able to bring sample bottles, just send me a list."

tOMoH: "CB has volunteered. How does he recognise your guy?"

CD: "My guy knows  CB well, so I'll ask him to give him your samples (2x2cl+ 1x 1cl) at the show. The reason that he knows him well is that the guy hanging on to the samples at the moment is EG."

tOMoH: "Brilliant! It turns out you know the bloke to get the samples from: Dodgy EG. He has 2x 2cl + 1x 1cl of Bowmore Bouquet for us."

OB: "EG has the samples? So I guess now I'm looking forward to drinking his urine rather than the Bowmore Bouquet. I haven't had either yet so I guess it'll be an eye opener in any case."

Cavalier66: "As I am expecting some cat urine aromas in the Bowmore, and as he will have undoubtedly drunk it such that many of the volatile compounds will be excreted in the urine, and as he is undeniably feline, we may have some difficulty in knowing whether we are indeed drinking EG’s Italian wee rather the untainted Bouquet."

OB: "I reckon the former is probably more exclusive that the latter, so I'm getting more and more excited by the minute!"

JS: "I didn't get the joke about cat urine - then I stumbled randomly upon your tasting notes here, whilst doing "research":  https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/7697/bowmore-1968-sv

Is cat wee widely accepted as a 60s Bowmore marker?  I never noticed it in the midst of all the passionfruit."

Cavalier66: "When your taste buds are as refined as mine...

It's usually a sauvignon blanc hallmark. But I found it in that Bowmore."

CB: "Samples are back in the UK safe and sound for you! I have to be honest, I didn’t fully read your email [...] before the trip though, very precious cargo indeed!"

tOMoH: "CB has confirmed the samples are safe in the UK. He was a bit impressed [...]"

CB finally came to a tasting in July 2019. Cavalier66 and OB spent the rest of the year washing their hair. Then the pandemic happened, time passed, and we could not meet for months.

Cavalier66: "OB and I were hypothesising you’d drunk them all though. If not, we should drink them together for the full Bowmorgy effect."

It was September 2020 when I finally gave Cavalier66 his sample, while visiting the post office, passing Bowmore Bouquet on the pavement like a hustler passes crack to a junkie. OB had to wait until June 2021 before I could give him his, by which point, Cavalier66 had lost the hope of living to see another month, and had drunk his sample. It was the biggest disappointment of his life, he said. An uneventful whisky. Was it a spoiled sample? The consequences of his contracting COVID-19, several months earlier? A lack of taste? Or was it simply not all that in the first place?

Well, today, we find out. We need a starter or two, though.

The soundtrack: Barramundi - Dreamtime Planet - The Second Barramundi Sampler

Shyte Whisky (40%, Adelphi) (tOMoH): nose: nuts (the dried fruit), nuts and bolts, whiffs of old coins, caramel on Biscotte (Melba toast), smoked orange rinds, sugar-dusted cinnamon biscuits. It has some caramel too, toffee, a whisper of wood. OB finds a floral note he is less keen on. Mouth: cardboardy toffee, in which the toffee is stronger than the cardboard. It has the texture of a good blend, which is to say: chewy, a bit dusty, caramel-y. Old furniture wax and nut oil. Very pleasant. Finish: it is rather short, toffee-like, but efficient. A ladle of gravy, perhaps? Or bread sauce? In the long run, it turns full-on caramel and toffee, flirting with fudge, even. It remains an utterly pleasant dram that will not change the world, but is well worth the price of admission (which is pretty low). 7/10

OB: "We'll see if the Bouquet can top the first dram."

The soundtrack: The Spirit Of Wandjina - The Third Barramundi Sampler

OB [sniffing the second dram]: "I don't want to spoil it for you, but I think this is a step up from the previous one."

Glenury Royal 37yo 1973/2011 (43%, The Whisky Agency selected & exclusively bottled for The Nectar, ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 146b) (OB): nose: what an explosion! Fragrant flowers and lovely fruit. We have a mix of tulip and lilac competing with peach, guava, dragon fruit, persimmon and kumquat. This is amazingly fruity -- much more so than I expected. Unripe pineapple and coconut (OB) that morph into celery stalks over time (OB again), very fresh and slightly humid. Papaya, carambola, nougat... Phoar! Mouth: it is a tad shy, at this modest ABV. A pinch of ashes sprinkled over cut fruits. This time, we see blood orange, roasted guava, and grilled pomelo, including its charred peel. The texture is that of creamy coconut milk, and it has an odd bitterness, which might just be acrid smoke. It is probably close to (softly) sooty, in the long run, adding a level of complexity to this already superb palate. Finish: long and assertive, it has, again, this mix of refined smoke and lovely fruits. They feel more acidic, now, though not quite lime-like -- more pomelo again. Grilled quince, pan-fried papaya slices... I am a bit lost for words. This is a great, great dram. 9/10

We move on to the main piece. OB, the snake that he is, brought something to try alongside the supposed king of kings.

OB: "You can clearly see that the other one is going to be better, because it is darker."

Bowmore 18yo 1966/1984 (53° GL, RW Duthie imported by S. Samaroli Bouquet, 720b): this Bowmore is widely regarded as the best whisky ever bottled. We are a little excited, even if we try to manage our expectations. Nose: well, it is an immediate outburst of tropical fruits, veiled in smoke. Dragon fruit, white peach, lychee, carambola, crushed persimmon, buttery mango, slightly-smoked maracuja. It has a dash of coconut milk too, enticing and inviting. This nose reeks of balance and elegance, while remaining lively and fresh. After ten-fifteen minutes, it gains a tiny wood-polish tone, perhaps even some rubber. That being said, the fresh fruits soon come back with a vengeance and overtake it all again. JS is reminded of the Bicentenary bottlings: petrolic and gas-influenced. She is right too, though we are well above the Bicentenary, to be clear. Upon further nosing, the slap of mango remains amazing. Mouth: oh! boy, it is a symphony. It is notably stronger than those vintages usually are (the strength of youth, no doubt -- this is about half the age of its siblings we have tried). It has fruit, of course (more on them in a jiffy), yet what almost surprises me is the amount of rubber and tar that is well distinguishable. They morph into pomelo and pink-grapefruit peel: chewy, a bit bitter, yet still fruity. Each sip brings a renewed vigour, certainly imprinted by the ABV. Oh! The fruit. Imagine mango, carambola, jackfruit, snake fruit, canary melon, dragon fruit, but also strawberry, blueberry, lemon wedges, all sprayed with crude oil. Finish: caramba! It goes on forever. A thin veneer of inky rubber hardly conceals waves of fruit: pink grapefruit and pomelo are the stars, here, and they shine for their peel, which means bitterness. The second sip is fruitier and does away with the bitterness, to an extent: it becomes sweeter, without turning sweet. The rubber resurfaces, but much more subdued, and it is eventually joined by old copper coins. To cut a long story short (ahem): it is a winner. An exceptional dram, no doubt about it. 15/10 (Thanks for the opportunity and the logistics, Ix, CD, EG, CB, JS)

OB: "The nose blows that of the next one out of the water. It's really intriguing: how can a darker whisky be less good?"

Bowmore d.1956 (43%, OB, Sherry Casks) (OB): he brought the goods, our OB, did he not? Nose: coastal, it has sea breeze and sea spray, but it is also woody, displaying wood varnish and lacquer. Not a minute later, white tropical fruit happens: lychee and white peach, perhaps carambola too, all coated in posh furniture oil. Quite plainly, it is akin to sitting in a leather armchair, while receiving a shoeshine and eating fresh fruits. Much later on, behind squashed raspberries, we have fishing nets and crab traps. The second nose unveils some earth, then powerful ink. It is remarkable how this has evolved, over the space of one hour. Is that plasticine? Modelling clay? Something of that ilk. Mouth: thin smoked, leather, an empty pipe and, once again, fishing gear. There is a note of burnt wood too, quite subtle. And then fruits, of a darker type, now: prunes, figs, dried and fresh, dried apricots, soaked in red wine. Fear not: it has fresh tropical fruit too, mainly mango, augmented with blood orange. OB finds a soapy note that neither JS nor I detect. The texture is thick as fruit nectar, peach or mango. Finish: very long, cordial-like, it has more prunes, squashed raspberries and elderberry, maybe. It is now more aged and dignified than coastal, more chesterfield sofa than trawler The second sip becomes jammy: apricot jam and strawberry jelly. Lovely. Later on, that mutates into dark-cherry jam on crusty bread -- rhaaaa! 13/10

We talk about the eternal chase for that initial impression -- the revelation of trying a 1960s Bowmore for the first time.

tOMoH & OB: "It is like shooting up heroin. We were taught that users always try to reproduce the first flash."
tOMoH: "Many things are like that. Strangely enough, not sex. The first time is almost universally disappointing."
OB: "I'm not married, so I'm not qualified to talk about that."

Soundtrack: Best Of Techno - Volume One

I feel compelled to add something special to this already grand line-up...

Bowmore 40yo 1955/1995 (42%, OB, Bourbon Hogshead re-racked into Sherry Butt, 306b, b#176) (tOMoH): nose: surprisingly enough, this seems the most concentrated of all three. Pineapple, maracuja, grapefruit... It simply will not stop. Mouth: high-fruit-content fruit juice, plain and simple. It is pure maracuja juice on entrance, and it remains fruity in subsequent sips, perhaps with the addition of citrus pith or peel, though the resulting bitterness is much less pronounced than in the Samaroli. Finish: noble and elegant. It is not boisterous, and one might regret the low ABV, especially when compared to the Bouquet. Until one realises that, fifteen minutes later, it still clings to the walls of the mouth with no sign of fatigue, sending fruits dancing all the way to the end. My full notes are here. For tonight, suffice to say it is both exciting and impressive to see it fare so comfortably in this glorious company. Winner. 17/10

£100,000s' worth of whisky, at today's rate

OB: "The 1955 has slowly overtaken the Bouquet, I think. Samaroli was clearly first, initially..."

tOMoH: "Probably because of the higher ABV. It's more immediate. The 1955 says: 'Yeah, once you've tired of the others, I'll still be here.' In a festival setting, results may have been different.

We are very much in First-World-Problem territory, here, are we not?"

I text Cavalier66 who, as we saw, had a sample too, drank it and was disappointed.

tOMoH: "You're an idiot."
tOMoH: "Or at least, you have no taste."
tOMoH: "Or your sample was spoiled."
Cavalier66: "My sample was spoiled for sure.."
Cavalier66: "But extremely happy yours wasn't."
JS: "...he says with regret and resentment."

I am whiskied out. Drained. But life does not suck, right now.

08/12/2021 Jura

Jura 30yo 1990/2020 (46.4%, Thompson Bros. for The Whisky Find, Refill Hogshead, C#5317, 163b): nose: in no particular order, we have cedar wood, brine, nail polish, metal filings and dusty modelling wax. Behind all that, and a little later, delicate fruits appear too, tangerine segments, apple slices turning brown on a plate, as well as some sort of nut paste -- probably macadamia, rather than almond. The fresh fruit, however, seems to grow bolder, with the tangerine turning into a paste that feels almost like Turkish delights, in terms of intensity. In fact, that means nothing other than orange-blossom water, punctuated by a sprinkle of ash. The second nose is more openly waxy, with all sorts of wax sculptures, warmed by the summer sun, though some wood remains, upon which dark-grape juice has dripped. Mouth: boldly astringent, the palate sees vinegar, at first, then wood (cherry wood, to be precise), before bitter unripe fruits show up -- green hazelnuts and green apples. That bitterness is quite something! Behind it is a more timid fruity character, blending peach juice and nutty dry apricot. So timid, in fact, that it does not show up until the second sip. The fruit soon morphs into plasticine too, with vague tones of apple-flavoured chewing gum. Yes: it is rather waxy in the mouth too. Finish: acidic and strongly bitter, the finish retains the unripe apple, green grapes and hazelnut. This time, it is confident enough to add green-grape pips for shits and giggles. The whole thing is wide, warming and long, and that spells bad news if that flavour is not one's thing. Luckily, I like it. Even the welcome drop of milk chocolate (or chocolate milk, at that rate) comes loaded with hazelnuts and bitter almonds. Here too, a chewy, waxy aspect ends up in control, partly modelling clay, partly almond paste, entirely mouth-coating. That said, in the long run, it slowly but surely turns a little more abrasive, as if the chewy paste was made of sandpaper. That suggests the return of ash, albeit in tiny amounts. 8/10

07/12/2021 Saint Nicaol, one day late

Caol Ila 13yo 2007/2020 (50.9%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, ex-Ruby Port Hogshead): nose: a balanced marriage of peat and fortified wine. At first nosing, it seems as though the wine has the upper hand, though that may soon change... and, indeed, it sort of does: twenty minutes in, the nose has transformed into a muddy farmyard, with muck and mud happily mingling, hams, hung in the loft to dry, hay bales and barbecue sauce. The wine-y touch has not entirely disappeared, though, and, if we have lard, it is wine-marinated lard. Cured ham and pastrami slowly emerge, herbaceous and comforting. Later on, the nose becomes dryer and more coastal, those two aspects not being mutually exclusive. It showcases sea breeze and drying fishing nets, letting the distillery markers transpire at last. The second nose reveals roasted coffee beans and sun-baked rubber -- think: old tyres. Mouth: big, smoky and wine-y, this has barbecue written all over it, with wine-marinated meat slowly roasting on the grill, and attended by a bloke drinking copious amounts of heady red wine. The palate is also savagely earthy (again: red wine), tannic, drying, and not unlike tarmac. That earthiness very much takes the lead from the second sip on, and this taster is glad that red chilli pepper grows in intensity, so as to balance said earthiness a little, lest it becomes borderline too invasive. Finish: assertive, not cocky, it is unexpectedly petrolic, here, though more in a rubber or tyre sort of way than diesel or engine oil. Retronasal olfaction gives more smoke (burnt-rubber smoke, of course), scorched earth and a bonfire made of fishing nets, oilskins and a fisherman's rubber boots. This uncompromising finish is not for the faint of heart. The bold burnt rubber is a bit much and will probably only work in small doses for anyone who is not a NASCAR fan. The ex-Bourbon cask selected by Mark Watt was more to my taste (this one was selected by David Stirk). 7/10

16/11/2021 Glenturret

Glenturret 34yo b.2012 (47.6%, Berry Brothers & Rudd Selected by Berrys', Cask Ref 2): this is the one that started it all. Nose: it feels a bit faded, after spending so long in an open sample. It gives away cereals, gauze and timid fruits that, to be fair, grow bolder with each sniff. Satsuma, kumquat, bergamot, stewed apricot, dried mango slices. The gears shift pretty quickly, and poached quince and poached pear soon join the party, accompanied by a leafy touch that I suspect is clementine foliage. Further on, flowers take over, a combination of lilac and honeysuckle opening up for abundant jasmine. Shortly thereafter, the whole nose fades out, timid and reserved, if well conscious of what it once was. Orange peels then envelop it all, and it starts all over. The second nose brings a whiff of wood, stripped, not sanded, and shiny hot metal, maybe. Over time, a strong scent of candied fruit grows, simmering apricot jam or a marmalade made of satsumas or clementines. Mouth: part acidic, part bitter, this is reminiscent of the afore-mentioned orange peels, pith and all. It has got apricots, satsumas, unripe tangerines, and dried mango slices in a cardboard wrapper, all counterbalanced by flower petals, which is to say: bitterer than they look. Oh! it is velvety and soft, but it is not that sweet. The second sip is more outright fruity, displaying the same sweet citrus, riper than before, and held afloat by acidic clementine-peel sap. That is supported by a tiny-yet-distinct bitterness, in the long term -- likely the clementine foliage from earlier. Finish: long and unctuous. Aside from the obvious fruitiness, this has cinnamon cross buns, cinnamon doughnuts and... rust!? Yes. It provides the same feel as breathing in a cloud of rusty-metal sanding dust. How weird is that? Soon enough, said fruitiness takes control, bright and creamy. Come to think of it, if it has a squashed-mango-like buttery texture, it is closer to clementine-and-milk-chocolate custard than to marmalade or jam. The finish too is both acidic and bitter, although that is not meant negatively at all: it is induced by fruit, not by anything other. This triggered my appreciation of Glenturret. Almost a decade on, it still does not disappoint. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, adc)

13/11/2021 Back-to-Back Minis tasting

Cavalier66, JS and I start the session by discarding at least ten samples, because we have too many. JS and Cavalier66 build the line-up.

Immediately thereafter, Cavalier66 rocks out the cold cuts and bread to go with JS's cheeses.

Parma and Serrano hams (under wraps)
Chaource, Danish blue, Brie, Manchego, bread and olives

Soundtrack: The Unity Mixers - The Full Unity Megamix

Rosebank vs. Rosebank

Rosebank 12yo 1991/2004 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Bourbon Barrel, C#4710, 322b, b#49, 04/0638) (tOMoH): nose: candied vinegar (Cavalier66), sweet-and-sour pork (Cavalier66), perhaps pear drops. The nose is contained, in any case, a little waxy. Over time, a whisper of smoke appears, which is how I remember it from the very first time, before this blog existed. Mouth: prickly and seemingly strong (Cavalier66), and indeed: it has smoked paprika as well as roasted barley. Finish: delicate, but not soft, it has mild smoke here too, roasted barley and Weetabix. A poor literary effort from my part, but a good dram. Full notes can be found here. 7/10

JS: "It's not what I expect from a Rosebank. It's a good 5 or 6."
tOMoH: "What? This is post-war Rosebank? Well, it's even post-Gulf-war Rosebank."

Rosebank 21yo 1992/2014 (55.3%, OB Limited Edition, Refill American Oak, 4530b) (Cavalier66): nose: hot, peppery popcorn, some plastic, including, but not limited to, cellophane. Also lemon drops, of course -- it is a Rosebank, after all. Later, it is Turkish delights and powdered sugar, chewy sweets, full of sugar and -- wait for it! -- a water-soaked dish towel. Mouth: hot cardboard, lots of horsepower, pepper, all on top of lovely powdered sugar on custard-y pastry. It really is warm, almost hot, veering towards hot metal and fierce lemon juice. Finish: powerful and spicy, it stays on the tongue for a while, though one would be hard pressed to say much is happening beyond the heat. Preserved lemons, probably. JS likes it for its clarity: lemon-y, straight. 8/10

Soundtrack: Dave Clarke - Electro Boogie Vol. 2 -- The Throwdown

Littlemill vs. Littlemill vs. Littlemill

Littlemill 21yo 1991/2012 (50.6%, A.D. Rattray Cask Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, C#560, 290b) (Cavalier66): nose: bursting with tropical fruits, this nose has mango and persimmon, quickly joined by a clear bitterness -- aspirin, says Cavalier66, while I say cinchona bark, just to show off my newly-acquired vocabulary. Next up is a drop of varnish of sorts, but there is also drying wax and gritty plasticine. There is something that resembles a paste made of crushed forsythia flowers, which is pretty original, you will agree. Mouth: astonishingly rubbery. It is not at all akin to licking a new rubber joint, but it does have a warm-old-tyre quality; bicycle tubes, talcum powder and all. The second sip cranks up the lemon, and it is lemon detergent on rubber joints in a bathroom, amusingly enough. Finish: long and comforting, it is now pastry-like, with a notch of menthol cream. The second sip has more citrus, this time coming close to lime, maybe pomelo, yet sweeter than both. Not much of the rubber remains. Perhaps cleaning gloves? In any case, it is a citrus-y show, this finish! 9/10

Littlemill 21yo 1992/2013 (49.9%, The Whisky Cask, Bourbon Hogshead) (Cavalier66): nose: crushed aspirin tablets, quinine mixed with muddy clay. It has a certain freshness to it, without displaying any fruit. A minute later, white peach and conference pear make an entrance, then old rubber, tractor tyre that has sat in a sunny field for years meets rubber catsuit. Then, it is porridge, with a tiny spoonful of honey. Mouth: bitter and peppery, heaving with crushed aspirin and quinine, crushed Kaffir lime leaves, Indian tonic residue in an empty glass, sawdust sprinkled on oiled crackers. Finish: a bit of melted chocolate, augmented with crushed leaves. That subsequently turns into chocolate pudding (thick custard). I like this, even though Cavalier66 calls it more intellectual than good. I guess that makes me an intellectual. I better buy slightly-larger glasses. 8-) 8/10

Littlemill 33yo 1967/2000 (49.1%, Iain Mackillop Mackillop's Choice, C#668) (tOMoH): full notes are here. Nose: precious wood, noble lacquers, fig relish, dried dates, nuts in syrup, nut liqueur. Much later on, unlit mentholated cigarettes, mint paste and even a whiff of soft smoke. Mouth: full-bodied, slightly syrupy, it has more fig relish, this time punctuated with liquorice shavings. The second sip seems oilier, silky. Soon, speculoos spice mix appears, brown-sugary, gingery and cinnamon-y, yet balanced. Finish: warming, sweet and harmonious, this is full of gingerbread and speculoos, prior to baking. The second sip is very creamy, dishing out loads of chocolate pudding and banana bread. Water does not change it much. I love this. 9/10

Cavalier66: "[...] flatus."
JS: "Flatus? What is that?"
tOMoH: "Farts."
Cavalier66: "Gas, winds."
JS: "Can you bottle it? Can you put it into a balloon?"
tOMoH: "Give it to the youths in the park?"

Cavalier66: "Some sperm-clinic owners substitute donors' sperm for their own and stuff like that."
tOMoH: "What a bunch of wankers!"

Soundtrack: Fuse Presents Hell

StilL 630 vs. StilL 630 vs. StilL 630

StilL 630 15mo 2015/2017 X-7 Mesquite Smoke (50%, OB Experimental, C#15-66, b#177) (JS): nose: roasted nuts and baking clay, old leather boots and faded belts, bread and porridge (Cavalier66). That cereal character translates into slightly underbaked dough, even. Mouth: caramelised puffed wheat, roasted malt, crusty bread, now baked for too long, the crust having turned black. Finish: dark cocoa beans, mildly roasted, chocolate pudding, spread onto steamed wholemeal bread. 7/10

StilL 630 24mo 2015/2017 X-8 Chocolate RP (50%, OB Experimental, C#15-38, b#47) (JS): nose: sewers (Cavalier66, obviously still under the aftermath of COVID-19), coffee (JS), coffee liqueur, kahlua. However, this is also very sweet, almost sickly. There is varnish, corn syrup and hand cream. Mouth: very, very sweet, it has coffee-flavoured toffee (Caramella Mokatine), kahlua ice cubes. Over time, the coffee taste becomes bitterer. Finish: long and coffee-laced, with roasted coffee beans and coffee-flavoured toffee, caramel and mocha. This one is definitely for coffee lovers. 7/10

StilL 630 16mo 2015/2017 X-9 Cherrywood SMB (50%, OB Experimental, C#15-65, b#161) (JS): nose: Christmas cake, marmite (Cavalier66), Parma ham (Cavalier66), and some bread too. The sweet and the savoury compete in a fascinating fashion, here. Mouth: honey-cured ham, oily Serrano ham and Parma ham. We are eating those hams, yet that has nothing to do with our perception of this dram: it really is that savoury. Finish: tamer than the other two in the finish, it has hints of X-8's coffee, in which ham would be soaking. The last thing to come to attention is, again, Mokatine, the coffe-flavoured toffee. All these are solid efforts. Amazing to find such a result after only one-to-two years in wood. 7/10

Ten minutes in, glasses shift, and it turns out we have no idea which is which, so take the above with a pinch of salt. We will try them again another day.

Sountrack: Xymox - Subsequent Pleasures

Brora vs. Brora vs. Brora

Brora 20yo 1982/2003 (58.1%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#5382) (tOMoH): we tried this a while ago (full notes here), but it feels like the right opportunity to share the remainder. Nose: wax and spent wick, sulphur-y jute sacks, stacks of limestone blocks in the rain. This is more mineral than I remembered, becoming almost chalky, in the long run. The second nose sees, if anything, more spent wick, and adds soot and caramelised marmalade. Mouth: boom. A pinch of soot, hot candle wax, grated limestone, heated almost into a paste. This palate has spent wick until you die. The second sip displays ground black cumin, on the other hand. Finish: ash, stewed apricots, hot wax, spent wick again... My notes are a bit repetitive, I know. The flavours are loud, but seamlessly integrated. One thing that comes out is blow-torched marmalade, the top of which is turning into a crusty skin. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, pat gva)

Brora 25yo (56.3%, OB, b.2008, 3000b, 7th Release) (Cavalier66): nose: let us crank up the wick, and even the chalk. Next, watered-down marmalade or quince jelly becomes dominant. The lower ABV seems palpable, but the markers are there: the wax (scented candlewax), the marmalade, the farm-y touch (even if it is less manure than clean hessian sacks used to carry hay). Over time, a dry, dusty-earth note grows, as do verdigris and dry lichen. Finally coffee sweets turn up (again!?) Mouth: the palate is a lot farmier, yet, here too, it is pronounced hessian sacks and sulphur-sanitised jute bags, as well as limestone blocks and lime fertiliser. The second sip is very peppery. Finish: long and assertive, it is rustic and balanced. Spent wick, soot, dark ash spread over dry, crusty earth, burnt Sienna earth. 8/10

Brora 13yo 1982/1996 (59.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection) (tOMoH): there is not enough left in this one to make three parts, and I prefer sharing with those who have not yet had it, so my notes are de facto short. Full notes here. Nose: the farmiest of the three noses, it has the trademark ploughed fields, alongside hessian sacks, disinfected with sulphur. That said, this nose is mute, compared to the other two. Mouth: hot. Candlewax, hot limescale, a few grains of soot, and hair balls. Perhaps there are a few dried mint leaves too. Finish: Cavalier66 finds manure. For me, it is the freshest of the lot, almost minty, lemon-y, and long, if quite narrow. 8/10

tOMoH: "The 25yo is growing on me. It's an 8/10, but still good."
Cavalier66: "Is the Rare Malts a 9?"
tOMoH: "No, an 8 too. I like it better than the 25yo, but only by a hair. They're on a similar level."
Cavalier66: "What kind of hair?"
tOMoH: "A pubic hair?"
Cavalier66: "It's a horse's hair! Full of manure..."
tOMoH: "Pubic hair can be full of manure too..."

Excellent tasting. It is good to share and clear up some samples.

11/11/2021 One dram at SMWS

Quick stop at the SMWS to say hello to PS. He lets me try his dram.

31.38 32yo d.1988 Slippers by the fire (43.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Cask Finished in First-Fill ex-Sauternes Barrique, 124b): nose: fruity and sweet, teeming with prune syrup and pressed dried dates. The nose has a lick of nail varnish too, albeit in a secondary role. Mouth: syrupy, sweet, it is obviously an active sherry cask, though not of the earthy type. Dried dates, prunes, figs, apricots, all slathered in thick syrup. There is also a gently bitter note of wood spices. Finish: the wood is louder, here, spicy, toasted, borderline liquorice-y, yet the dried fruits are still present as well, thick and jammy. This spent twenty-seven years in a Bourbon cask!? The Sauternes finish clearly messed it up metamorphosed it. Not much of the distillery character survives, if any. That said, it is far from bad; a nice £75 bottle to sip. Trouble is: the introduction price is £425... 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, PS) 

08/11/2021 Banffire Night 2021

I was hungover on the 5th, hence the delay. Get over it.

Banff d.1974 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. ca 1990): there is a version of this mini with the code IJ/AJA. This has no core. Not sure if the juice is the same. Nose: a warm, fuzzy combination of brine (Old Mini Effect -- OME) and pressed apricots. We have encaustic, oiled furniture, mild gherkins, lukewarm apricot jam with hardly any sugar in it. At some point, a vague metallic hue seems to emerge, even if it is tin knives, rather than anything more noble. Obviously, it is a knife that has been used to spread apricot jam onto Melba toast. That is right: the pickled, woody notes given by the OME turn into dry, toasted bread, over the space of a couple of minutes. It is now noticeably more cereal-y, with Horlicks and Ovaltine. Perhaps a dollop of engine grease rubs feathers with burnt pizza dough, at second nosing. Furniture oil resurfaces, later on. Mouth: it remains pickled on the palate, if not overly so: cucumber in brine and mild gherkins (not the sweet-and-sour kind, however) frolic with bold cereals and Melba toasts, overly-toasted crusty bread, malt, Weetabix and Horlicks. If there is any jam left, it is closer to shrivelled, unsweetened fruit than to juicy compote; apple slices so dried up that they have taken in some of the pips' taste -- yes: one could call that bitter. The second sip has a wave of fruit-tree-fire smoke, discreet, but distinctive. It is rather bold, for 40%, and the texture is thinnish, if clingy. Finish: at last, amongst the malty notes, a spoonful of jam re-appears, sweetening the finish somewhat. It is a very small spoon, though, and whatever sugar there is cannot really compete with the drying, desiccating cereals. A layer of ground white pepper rises, fine and ashy, and it takes control, over time, like sawdust will suffocate everything else, in the right amount. The long-lasting impression is that of a blend of fruit-tree-fire smoke and very-hard, overly-baked Biscotte (Melba toast). Next step: the water fountain! Probably the worst Banff I have had, which is not saying much, as all the others have been excellent. 6/10

30/10/2021 The horror

On this eve of Halloween and daylight saving, OB, JS and first-timer SOB join me for an afternoon of dramming. GL unfortunately discovers, twelve minutes before the start of the tasting, that Wales is a three-hour drive away from the capital, and that he will not make it on time. As for Cavalier66, his busy social life inflicted him a nasty cold that impaired his smell and taste. BA tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, and announced that he would not make it, clearly oblivious to the fact he had said two weeks prior that he was not free today. Ha! Even OB almost flaked out, he admits, unable to distinguish a Saturday from a Sunday. Luckily, it only makes for a good story.

Soundtrack: Ab Ovo - Empreintes

SOB and OB build the sequence

.

tOMoH presents: Hellrayrshire

Rare Ayrshire 34yo 1975/2009 (45.2%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Bourbon Barrel, C#558, 166b, b#115, 9/124): nose: delicate flower pistils, make-up powder and crushed biscuit (shortbread, probably). Later on, it is lemon drizzle and vanilla sugar. Mouth: unripe-banana peel (JS) and a gentle bitterness (JS). I find it soft, silky, with more shortbread and, indeed, a green, bitter touch, almost leafy. This is spring-like, but it is also fitting on this sunny October afternoon. Pomelo, soft lime and unripe calamansi appear, in the medium term, which all mean acidity, faint bitterness, as well as fruit aplenty. Finish: more lemon drizzle and macha-tea doughnut, lime zest and pomelo custard. The profile and ABV designate it to go first, but it is perhaps a shame, as the first dram in any line-up is de facto sacrificed. This is excellent and deserves to shine. 9/10

Soundtrack: Noizaddict - Synth-pop mix (20-01-2010)

SOB presents: American Werewolf in London

Bimber King's Cross St Pancras b.2021 (58.5%, OB The Spirit of the Underground, American Oak Ex-Bourbon Cask, C#129, 259b, b#160): a series dedicated to the London Underground stations. It could be long-lived... Nose: banana sweets and an unexpected, pronounced green note (dried sage, oregano, bay leaves, thyme). Over time, the green, herbaceous aspect turns almost metallic. Mouth: it has more bite than a werewolf (to paraphrase Colin Dunn). Seriously, it retains a strong metallic touch, which may start with sage and definitely ends with the back of a silver spoon. But there is also lovely, juicy grapes and custard -- oh! yes, it has a custard-y texture, this one. OB, on the other hand, finds it syrupy, sweet and sour, while JS thinks it is almost vinegar-y. Finish: warming, but not actually that hot, the finish has plantain, baked banana, and sage-sprinkled doughnut (again). It is a relatively short finish, in terms of flavours, yet the warmth stays on. 8/10

SOB: "If you take a picture of the QR code, they'll offer you a discount on your next purchase."
tOMoH: "They should offer you a Zone-3 travelcard on the Picadilly line."
SOB: "We'd use the cork to touch in!"

Soundtrack: Lamia Vox - Sigillum Diaboli

SOB presents: I Know Watt Whisky You Did Last Summer

SOB also has another pun for this, which I do not fully get (Impergerial?) He misses the obvious Vampirial, though.

Imperial 25yo 1996/2021 (53.6%, Watt Whisky, Refill Barrel, 214b): nose: deeper and richer, it is lively and feisty nonetheless. There is a lot going on, and it is all tightly interwoven. Certainly pepper, hot jack fruit, hot pineapple that melts into a pulp, fruity yoghurt, but also sumac. Mouth: oily! Orange-blossom-infused olive oil, to be precise. Then, a softly-drying touch of old wood appears to balance that mellowness with bitterness and spice -- satsuma, ground orange peel, ground red chilli. The second sip has more citrus, louder satsumas, veering towards oranges. Finish: mandarin peel and... It leaves me wondering a bit: it is so well integrated that I find it hard to pick flavours apart. White pepper sprinkled on hot citrus slices, hot, custard-y yoghurt, with pomelo wedges thrown in to enhance the acidity and the bitterness -- both of which are mild enough, yet they add complexity. Excellent. 9/10

tOMoH: "A friend from out of town has burnt out and is struggling to find out what he wants to do with his life. In this city, you can leave a job and walk straight into another one. And, of course, we pay dearly for it: he's done paying his home, and I have twenty years left on my mortgage."
SOB: "But we have nice stuff on our doorstep..."
tOMoH: "Yeah! If I want vegan Korean food, I can!"

Soundtrack: Noizaddict - Synth-pop mix (18-01-2020)

JS presents: Warlockside

Lochside 21yo d.1981 (50%, Lombard Jewels of Scotland, Bourbon Cask, C#607): nose: peppery (OB) and almost devoid of the trademark fruity onslaught. It is a bit more nuanced, with lots of pepper fleetingly hiding chunks of mango, papaya and even maracuja. There is some hay too, subtle, and burnt gas (think of the smell of a natural-gas hob or stove). The second nose sees dry lichen, a pinch of dust, and a touch of wax. Mouth: velvety, comforting, then fruity AF. Lots of mango, smoked peach, dusty orange slices about to turn blue with mould. Finish: of a medium length, it has dusty fruit and a thin layer of pepper. Peach, sliced orange, satsuma, plum... This is beautiful. Better than I remembered it, if that is possible. 9/10

Food enters: St Felicien, Comté, St Nectaire, Mont Charvin dried sausage

JS [back from the hairdresser}: "SOB, I want to see your generous pour."
[SOB pours JS the Bimber]
JS: "Oh! That's enough!"
tOMoH: "That's a small pour! OB had more."
JS: "Would you have continued, if I hadn't stopped you?"
tOMoH: "The rim is the limit... Great title for a porno, that."
SOB: "Is that what you do, when you are not drinking your bottles?"
OB: "How do you think he can afford all this whisky?"

Soundtrack: Apocryphos - Stone Speak

OB presents: Ben Neviscerated

Ben Nevis 19yo 1996/ (51.8%, OB Single Cask, C#1424): nose: banane flambée, porridge, a dollop of damp earth, clay pots, dried plantain skins. Later on, it is pencil shavings and raspberry jam. I observe it is less dirty than some Ben Nevises that are so popular, at the moment. Mouth: oh! it is plenty dirty here, with oily rags, greasy knives and ink stains on peach slices. The second sip cranks up the fruit, yellow and juicy, plum-and-grapefruit juice, very nice indeed. Finish: custard, though it is also loaded with peach, ink and engine oil. Over time, that morphs into a bold tropical-fruit blanket, with warm mango and stewed persimmon bathing in lovely vanilla custard. Great surprise. 8/10

That is a bottle OB bought at auction, and it turns out Cavalier66 was bidding against him, after telling him how good it was.

OB: "This one is exactly how Cavalier66 described it to me..."
tOMoH: "What? Expensive and hard to get?"

Soundtrack: Soft Cell - Non-Stop Electric Cabaret

OB: "I'm not sure I've had a Pittyvaich before."
SOB: "Did you pour one at Coke Float?"
tOMoH: "Yeah, but neither of you was there."
OB: "So much virginity lost, today!"
tOMoH: "You won't be able to sit down for two weeks!"

Popcorn enters.

tOMoH presents: The Pittyvaich and the Pendulum

JS and I lament that GL is not with us; The Pittyvaich and the Penderyn would have been a great double-whammy.

Pittyvaich 14yo (54.5%, James MacArthur Fine Malt Selection imported by Pevarello, b. ca 1990): nose: a completely different ballgame, with cardboard and salted popcorn (or is that the popcorn?). OB finds it porridge-y, sour, full of fermentation aromas and crusty bread, a bit charred. I have hot cobblestones, while JS reckons toast -- we all agree on Biscotte/Melba toast, in the end, with even char and a thin veil of smoke. Mouth: hot, muscular, hairy, earthy, cardboard-y. It has stale porridge, flat cola, yet also piping-hot marmalade and hot compote. There is a dichotomy at play between the cereal and the fruit. Finish: caramelised apricots, roasted cereals, malt (OB), porridge stuck to the sauce pan. I love this, today. 8/10

OB: "We were flying at high altitude, but..."
tOMoH: "You don't like it? I know this one is very divisive."
OB: "I love it. Best, so far."

We talk about good tracks being always too short: if they are three minutes long, they should be six; if they are six they should be ten. To prove the case, I play the following record:

Soundtrack: 777 - Alpha Wave (Plastikman's Acid House Remix)

Then, I decide to follow that path.

Soundtrack: Plastikman - Sheet One

SOB presents: The Cage

Springbank 18yo 2002/2021 (52.8%, Duty Paid Sample, Fresh Port Cask, Warehouse 3, Rotation 843): a bottle bought from The Cage, a restricted-access cupboard in a back room of the Cadenhead shop, in Campbeltown, where one can pick up one-off bottles and other curiosities. Nose: charred maple syrup, toasted oak, charred chocolate that has been left too long in the microwave oven. However, there is also a touch of varnish, rubbing feathers with toast and overly-roasted peanuts. The second nose is vegetative, with natural gas and cooked-vegetable water. Mouth: sugary, in a caramelised-Demerara-sugar way, it has lots of smoke from the chimney of a coal stove. It is syrupy to a high level, giving away peaches, poached in reduced Port. It is powerful and turns rather tannic, in the long run. Finish: big, sweet, hot, gently smoky. It seems that the toasted notes have all gone, surprisingly enough, making room for maple syrup and caramelised manuka honey, treacle, almost. It leaves the gums a bit dry, as if covered in ash, but it does the trick. 7/10

OB presents: GlenDronachloween

OB also thought he would open the box, and I would look at the colour with horror.

The GlenDronach 19yo 1994/2013 (58.4%, OB Single Cask, Oloroso Sherry Butt, C#101, 628b, b#396): nose: gas, boiled vegetables, sulphur-adjacent (OB, inventing words). Behind that is, of course, lots of wood varnish and wood lacquer. Water makes this more cardboard-y, with coffee spilled on a cardboard box. Mouth: ginger, cinnamon and liquorice root aplenty to accompany a strongly varnish-y accent. It also has lukewarm, flat Dr. Pepper and ebony. Further sips are sweeter, with Port, PX, and prune compote. Water makes it sickly sweet and syrupy as hell. A cola pouch, prior to being mixed with carbonated water. Anyone who has worked at a fast-food joint will see the reference. This is toasted and bitter to the extreme. Further sips add a note of dark sugars, but it remains very earthy, all in all. Water, again, turns it sweet and syrupy, although this finish stays spicy too, dishing out ginger and cinnamon drops. 7/10

Soundtrack: Front Line Assembly - Monument

Good times and a cracking line-up. Considering the hefty pours, it is perhaps a good thing more people did not turn up, after all. :)

Dram of the day:
OB: Pittyvaich, Lochside a close second
tOMoH: Lochside
SOB: Lochside
JS: Ben Nevis

28/10/2021 red71's surprise birthday bash

As said on Tuesday, it was red71's birthday, this week. That calls for a tasting.

Gaija, Bishlouk, STL, JS and I join birthday boy red71 for a virtual sesh. Blind, of course. Even the theme is only revealed at the end.

Dram #1

Nose: "it doesn't smell bad, this," says Bishlouk. I find banana, fudge and loud pomelo, while everyone else sits in stunned silence. First dram of the night on a cold crowd, probably.
Mouth: a bit more austere and less accessible than the nose suggested (Gaija and Bishlouk). Bishlouk reckons it is not the the easy starter that goes down on its own. red71 finds it rather hot, while I detect a certain bitterness.
Finish: total custard onslaught.
Comments: Gaija thinks of a Lowlander, perhaps a Bladnoch, while red71 ventures it could be an Ardmore.

Mosstowie 33yo 1975/2008 (48.4%, Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare, C#5816, 184b, b#008) 9/10

Full notes here.

As soon as I paste the reference in the chat, Bishlouk shouts 'Mosstowie.' Gaija is extremely impressed, oblivious to the fact Bishlouk merely read the answer, not guessed it. Lots of teasing (of both) ensues.

Dram #2

Nose: fresh going fresher, it develops apple mint, tarragon, wax and smoke (Bishlouk), then soot and tiger balm. Bishlouk and Gaija find it very refined, while STL (who has been on a call for the past ten minutes) detects strong banana and Haribo's banana sweets. Later on, he finds sweat and wet newspapers too.
Mouth: Bishlouk reckons it is shot, spent. Gaija concurs in that he feels no alcohol whatsoever. For me, it still retains bitterness, a distant-but-acrid smoke, marmalade and orange peels. Bishlouk agrees that it has a bit of wood, though he claims it lacks complexity and flavour, despite its lemon peels and woody tones. Gaija falls into the sea and comes out with melted plastic and seashells.
Finish: Gaija finds it thin or refined, and sushi-like, while red71 thinks it is bitter. Gaija confirms umami and raw fish.
Guesses: red71 reckons a Springbank, Bishlouk guesses a Brora, then a Bruichladdich, Gaija thinks Glenisla, then Glen Garioch; STL, wiser than the others, decides not to cover himself with ridicule.

Ledaig 1974/2000 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old, JJ/CB) 9/10

Full notes here.

Bishlouk: "Well, when I said Brora..."
tOMoH: "Don't even try. You failed, like all the others."

With the alcohol flowing, the tongues start going. Guesses become bolder and the conversation more feisty and saucy.

Dram #3

Nose: "festive and fruity," says Gaija. red71 finds plant stems, which Bishlouk corroborates with the terms 'industrial' and 'herbaceous'. I find it deliciously fruity, but, of course, I do not have a terrible sense of smell. :-) Bishlouk then finds it fresh; red71 seems to agree, who calls it a Littlemill nose. Gaija looks towards Ireland, noting strawberry and raspberry jams.
Mouth: Bishlouk calls it very Littlemill-y, though admits it could be a Glen Keith. Gaija finds chamomile, while it is full of citrus (calamansi) and citrus foliage, as far as I am concerned. red71 compares the mouth to sucking on rocks to illustrate the mineral side.
Finish: custard and caramel flan, fudge, mocha pudding, yet with a mineral, chalky side too (Gaija).
Guesses: after establishing it is no Littlemill, Gaija ventures Balblair, then Aultmore, while the others decide not to make fools of themselves.

Deanston 35yo 1977/2012 (40.4%, The Whisky Agency & The Nectar, 253b) 9/10

Full notes here.

red71: "Well, maybe Bishlouk messed up my samples, because I do not recognise anything you all say."
Bishlouk: "It should smell of urine. They are Monday-to-Friday urine samples."
red71: "It tastes like your lady's urine indeed."

Dram #4

Nose: fruity and pastry-like (Bishlouk), green bananas (Bishlouk), "very-active Bourbon cask that has imparted young wood" (red71). I find it gravel-y and a tad austere, personally. Gaija thinks it is beautiful, with very clear fruit. I agree on mandarine, though insist on varnish, gravel and wood glue. Suddenly, it becomes more herbaceous, emitting sage, salsaparilla and oregano. Now, the trademarks are starting to appear. But of course, I know what it is.
Mouth: STL notes that it is powerful -- Gaija confirms it must be around 52%. Bishlouk calls it noble and refined, which Gaija approves, listing varnish and precious woods. red71, for his part, senses that it is much higher in alcohol than the previous, and full-bodied. I find polished fruit stones, with a pronounced-but-perfectly-fine bitterness.
Finish: long, warming like a radiator, a bit herbaceous and mineral, close to white-hot limestone. Gaija talks of pineapple and varnish again, and I correct into charred pineapple. STL tells us he detects a spritzy pinch of salt.
Guesses: Gaija thinks of a Glenburgie, as does red71; Bishlouk and STL side with Glenlossie, Bishlouk proudly claiming it is obviously a Bourbon cask. When told no-one is even in the right region, Gaija suggests it may be a St Magdalene, thereby scoring the first (and last) point of the evening.

Linlithgow 25yo 1982/2008 (59.2%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection for La Maison du Whisky Collectors' Edition, Wine-treated Butt, C#2201, 388b, b#313, 8/513) 9/10

Full notes here.

Gaija: "Sometimes, this sort of profiles smells a bit like gas."
Bishlouk: "That's because you've just farted."

Bishlouk: "I get what you're saying with gas in the nose..."

tOMoH: "Your nose is too close to your mouth!"

Bishlouk: "The theme cannot be whiskies from the 1970s. This is from the 1980s. Red labels, perhaps?"
Gaija: "All distilleries that have had different names?"
red71: "All bottled in the 2000s?"

Dram #5

Nose: "and now, for something completely different" (Bishlouk). This is refined and complex (Bishlouk), yet it has some sulphur (Gaija) and cooked cabbage (STL, who refers to brewing as well, particularly mashing). Gaija notes garlic cloves, and red71 settles on matchsticks.
Mouth: Bishlouk feels like he has entered a factory, the whisky being industrial and oily. red71 goes along with the factory theme, and adds liquorice to the mix. Gaija then lists limestone, gravel and earth too.
Finish: "this one kicks like a mule," says STL. Gaija finds it austere and the antithesis of charming, even if he likes it: no fruit, no sugar. Gaija and red71 agree it is an extremely long finish, with red71 stating it is borderline peaty. I am surprised no-one mentions burning hay, but, hey! (pun intended) who am I to judge others' (wrong)  perceptions?
Guesses: Gaija says Springbank, then Banff; Bishlouk reckons a Mannochmore, while it makes STL think of a Lochindaal. red71 carefully stays silent, showing all that he is the wise man.

Glendullan 16yo b.1998 The Centenary Bottling (65.9%, OB for the distillery's centenary, b#000210)

Full notes here.

tOMoH: "I thought of red71, when I selected this last one. I thought it might be his profile."
red71: "That's right!"
STL: "You thought of him?"
tOMoH: "He likes virile, hairy whiskies."

Bishlouk: "Do you score all your wanks?"
red71: "Of course! With detailed notes and all."
tOMoH: "And samples."
Gaija: "That's something to make you run out of rows in Excel..."

Time to reveal the theme. All the attempts at discovering it have miserably failed, of course.

It was pretty instinctive, really.

red71 asks for more information about Burns' Night. I explain the (relatively) set menu and the occasion to try lots of whiskies. I lament that B****t may make it harder to serve haggis in the future.

tOMoH: "A Burns' Night Supper without haggis is like a wank without Excel."
red71 and Bishlouk: "What is next year's theme?"
tOMoH: "Probably the same as the theme for 2021 [which was cancelled]: Man 2 Man -- anything with a man on the label; a woman works too."

red71 and STL tease Bishlouk about his liking Golden Carolus whisky.

tOMoH: "Have you tried baiju? It's a Chinese alcohol distilled from rice. If you're offered it say 'no'! It'll make you burp fermented rice for a week afterwards."
red71: "But... is there a man on the label?"

Great evening with lots of banter and fun. A bit crass, at times, perhaps. :-)