In all likelihood, this will be my last article of 2022.
Brechin 33yo 1970/2003 (52.4%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 479b): nose: such depth! All at once, we have old marzipan, lichen on fruit tree, dusty cardboard, dried apricots, melon-flavoured Gummibärchen, burnt wood in brine, and honey-glazed thyme branches and rosemary sprigs, caramelising in a pan. Next are Nic Nacs (which is to say biscuit and hard meringue), rancio and hawthorn. Yes, this nose turns botanical -- not as much as, say, Tullamore, yet it is certainly going the same way. Lastly, a whiff of oilskin caresses the nostrils. Is that sea breeze, on the second nose? It seems unlikely, but it is a little briny... Dry oyster shells? A pouch of Virginia tobacco? Fascinating stuff! Much later on, a gentle hand soap shows up, delicate and pleasant. With water, the nose produces warm jam (plum, apricot), and a discreet metallic touch. Mind you, I also envision those white-and orange (vintage French) Tupperware bottles and lunch boxes from the 1980s. Further nosing seems to add pan-fried earthy mushrooms to the mix, if for a second only. Mouth: acidic and assertive, it has a spoonful of apple-cider vinegar and mandarine peels staring at a dollop of wax take a bath in apple-and-lime juice. The second sip clings to the teeth like unsoftened water in a large European city (ever noticed the water is always harder in large cities?) The sides of the mouth pick up greengage -- not just the flesh, but the stone too. It turns juicy, after a minute, which is much more agreeable than the afore-mentioned limescale. We find ourselves fishing greengages out of the juice with green rubber gloves. Far from taming it, water seems to render the whisky more potent on the palate, with red-paprika powder sprinkled on juicy plums. Finish: unassuming, but actually very long and warming. It has a lick of faded leather, here, more apples (well ripe, this time), the dusty marzipan from the nose, and chunky wax beads floating in juice that may well be greengage again. There is a dusty dryness to it, a minute after the second sip, one that hints at dunnage warehouse. Each sip seems sweeter and fruitier than the previous, with greengage a definite staple. There may be a drop of mandarine juice too, but that is more subdued. The arrival is more explosive with water -- a short-lived explosion that peters out suddenly. It rises from the dead to warm the gob, though, brings back warm jam or compote, and adds stewed mandarine slices, and a pinch of herbs (rosemary, hawthorn). Simply excellent. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
Tobermory 24yo 1994/2022 (49.8%, C. Dully specially selected and bottled for Sansibar-Whisky, Sherry Butt, C#10942, 78b): the age statement makes no sense, when one looks at the distillation and bottling dates. It was probably stored in an inert container for a while. Also, it seems I missed this whisky birthday by six days -- it was distilled on the 14th December. Not that it makes a difference. Nose: we have heady wine to start with, then an earthy, game-y wine sauce served with venison -- unless it is coq-au-vin. That turns to clay, mud from a farm path at first, soon becoming pottery. Next are crayon shavings, waxy and colourful. Far in the distance are ripe fruits (apples, white peaches, physalis), yet they struggle to make themselves known, eclipsed by the clay, crayon shavings, and that huge, game-y, wine-sauce layer. The second nose goes back to the initial wine sauce, serving a glass of red alongside cured meat (pheasant or wild pigeon), and lingonberry compote, on a bed of roasted beetroot slices. It is all very crimson, really. There is a drop of lemon juice here too, now. Mouth: astonishingly, it is full-on crayon shavings upon arrival, with melted wax to boot. Modelling clay, interpsersed with grated coconut, waxy nectarine peels, and a generous serving of strong-but-clean wine. The second sip seems more mineral, with slate, dry stone walls, not exactly chalky, but drying all the same. A moment later, wine-y fruits appear, nectarine peels and red-apple slices, either soaked in wine, sangria style, or themselves fermenting into wine. The whole does not shake off a lick of wax -- or is it paraffin? Finish: gentle and mellow, it is mostly sweetness, part warm apple compote, part marzipan, or part marshmallow, part cane sugar. Perhaps shallow-fried nectarine slices too, and a puzzling droplet of brine. The second gulp is bolder without otherwise changing the profile significantly. It is not exactly bursting with flavour, much less multi-faceted; just a solid, enjoyable dram. The nose hinted at this not being my thing, but it ended up very good. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, CD)
Following on from the other day's Dunglass, the brief for the day is to bring bottlings from distilleries whose name contains at least three letters that also appear in the name of a popular celebration. And to make things more interesting, we will have them in alphabetical order of the celebrations they represent.
WhiskyLovingPianist, OB, Cavalier66, BA and JS join me for an afternoon of pfun.
The soundtrack: Olympic Pool Maintenance League - Projection Set
OB presents a 42.0% whisky for 4/20. Well, his bottle is 42%; he looked it up on Whiskybase, where it is recorded as 42.0%, from which he made 4.20%. The 20th April, or 4/20 across the Pond, is World Cannabis Day, by the way. You learn something every day. It is far fetched, strictly speaking, only two characters, but it is good enough to fly.
Invergordon 48yo 1972/2020 (42%, Thompson Bros., 3 x Refill Barrels, 260b): nose: coconut-y to the extreme, until the trademark blackcurrant rocks up. Cavalier66: "If you are going to market a coconut-flavoured nail varnish, you could do worse than make it smell like this." It has a lick of nail varnish indeed, candlewax (WhiskyLovingPianist), and fruity yoghurt. Mouth: buttery, oily, coating, it is mild, with a drop of wax. Soon, lots of blackcurrants and blackberries appear. Finish: blackcurrant goodness, with a minute bitterness -- a bitterness that grows. It does not remain the juicy thing that it could have been, showcasing tannins that will prevent a higher score. 8/10
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Got some candlewax." tOMoH: "Me too." WhiskyLovingPianist: "Really enjoying the bitterness, in the end." tOMoH: "'Bitterness' is the latest word I wrote down. Get out of my mouth. Hm. That did not come across the way I thought it would..."
A turkey flies in. Trust a turkey to know a good celebration!
WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's also my birthday, today." tOMoH: "Don't ruin the surprise!" WhiskyLovingPianist: "Sorry guys, next year!"
BA: "When Berry Brothers & Rudd introduced their current bottle shape, they sent two bottles to journos and influencers." tOMoH: "And which category do you fall into?"
BA [passes the bottle to WhiskyLovingPianist]: "You know how much whisky you want to drink before you fall over, yes?" Cavalier66: "Have you seen him at Whisky Show?"
BA presents Bunnahabhain for Advent ('a', 'n', and 'bh' for 'v' -- clever!)
Bunnahabhain 1989/2015 (43.4%, Berry Bros. & Rudd bottled exclusively for Billy Abbot imported by Richards Walford, Hogshead, C#5738, 115b): nose: toasted barley, dried staves, a whiff of light smoke, and then -- boom! Raspberries. Next are ripe pineapple slices, soft custard... and new dolls (JS). Mouth: juicy, with a fruit acidity, now crisp apple and unripe pineapple. This is lovely! Finish: an unlikely mix of wood shavings, vanilla custard, raspberries, and smoked pineapple. Wow! 8/10
BA [after talking about Enigma]: "I've got some questionable music in my collection." tOMoH: "Those are not questionable. The first four albums of Enigma are great." BA: "I have the second album of Deep Forest." tOMoH: "Ah."
Cavalier66 presents a bottle known as the ABC whisky, because it contains Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila. Cavalier66 is at pains to point out that ABC is an obvious anagram, clearly not aware of the difference between anagram and acronym. Fortunately for him, BA comes to the rescue an hour later with: "Always Bringing Christmas." Just as well, because Cavalier66's back-up plan, made on the hoof, was that this is 25yo and that Christmas is on the 25th December -- in another word: dire. Not long enough to qualify either. But especially dire. :-)
tOMoH: "Such a poor show." WhiskyLovingPianist: "Sorry, I missed the acronym. What is it, again?"
Robust Smoky Embers 25yo b.2016 (46%, Cadenhead Creations, Married in Sherry Hogshead, B#3): nose: dry and ashy, with a spoonful of cranberry compote, dry earth, kelp-covered rope, and that unmistakable Ardbeg barley. There is some ink coming up, and shellac too. Mouth: syrupy, sweet. We have some rancio and a lot of earthy sherry. Mind you, there is a bit of smoke and trampled clay, as well. It turns a little juicier with each sip, though. Finish: big, cloying, syrupy again, but this time, it boasts peppermint to boot. The dryness of the earthy side grows pretty strong, and leaves the palate as if covered in ashes. A good drop. 8/10
Different food selection. Cavalier66 went for mince pies and Stollen
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Why can't you teach puns to kleptomaniacs? Because they take everything -- literally." tOMoH: "I thought I was a kleptomaniac. Then I came here, found this cake, but it was, in fact, Stollen."
JS presents Benriach, which has five letters from Christmas ('r', 'i', 'a', 'c', 'h'), and five from birthday ('b', 'r', 'i', 'a', 'h'). And it is WhiskyLovingPianist's birthday, today! What a surprise!
Benriach 27yo d.1976 (46%, Direct Wines First Cask, C#9444, b#332, b. ca 2004): nose: cut mango and warm apricot, even if they are a little diffuse. Mouth: oily tropicality (Cavalier66). It is peppery, punchy, at 46% -- lively and fruity-acidic on the tongue, where it really shines. Finish: faint metallic bitterness, and mangosteen on a background of mango and peach juices. I feared the sequence (alphabetical order of the celebrations, remember) would do this a disservice, but if anything, it is even better than before. Full notes here. 8/10
Cavalier66 struggles to shoehorn his next offering into the theme, still humiliated by his poor first effort, and his misreading the theme (anagram != acronym, and no, it is not a festive tasting where "festive" means Christmas-y). I point out that his next bottle contains five letter in Christmas.
Cavalier66 presents Kilchoman for Christmas ('i', 'c', 'h', 'm', 'a').
129.6 6yo d.2008 Peated candy (58.9%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 243b): we do not often have Kilchoman, and the SMWS ones dried up almost a decade ago. It is therefore a bit of an exciting sight. Nose: ink, fishing nets, drying in the sun, and a droplet of melted strawberry marshmallow. There is also a clear smoky hue (burning hay) and tarry ropes. It turns dusty, offering wheelbarrows of desert dirt. Mouth: immensely powerful, full of embers and juicy berries, or fruit yoghurt. The embers relentlessly dominate, however. Later on, we see simmering cranberry compote. Finish: more acidic fruit, with menthol and peppermint added in. The second sip has a full tannery, with faded handbags and drying leather. It becomes a little acrid, after a while. 8/10
BA presents Glen Keith for Advent ('e', 'n', 't'), Bethlehem (Crimbo reference, 'e', 't', 'h', 'l'), tinsel (Crimbo decorations, 't', 'i', 'n', 'e', 'l'), or turkey (festive food, 't', 'k', 'e'). "I get really bored on the tube," he adds. Take note, Cavalier66! ;-)
Glen Keith 29yo 1992/2021 (46.2%, Thompson Bros., 437b): nose: vanilla pods, candy necklace, crushed peach flesh. It turns bolder and bolder, with fruit more and more exuberant, in a confectionary way, flirting with red bootlaces. Mouth: mellow, it has just a sprinkle of ground pepper on red bootlaces, and a cocktail of strawberries and peaches. It is coming pretty close to mango, actually. The second sip seems more acidic, unripe grapefruit and nutmeg competing for the spotlight. Finish: ample, fruity, soft, teeming with pulped fruit (peaches, strawberries), and a copious dose of menthol. The second sip brings back the grapefruit, and becomes drying, desiccating -- in a good way, yet that stops the whole being the dram of the day. Still, what a great drop! 8/10
Cavalier66: "'Burning Fruity Embers'. I can make 'erotica' from that!" tOMoH: "Yeah, that was two whiskies ago." Cavalier66: "My reputation is ruined!" OB: "Your what?"
Cavalier66 presents Boozy Christmas Cake for Christmas ('c', 'h', 'r', 'i', 's', 't', 'm', 'a', 's'), thereby leading the race for who will have the most letters in an anagram -- and they are in the same order too!
35.97 10yo Boozy Christmas Cake (58.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask): amusingly, BA is sporting a Glen Moray sleeveless polar fleece (35 is Glen Moray, for clarity). Nose: bile, rubber. The bile dissipates, fortunately, and leaves an assertive sherry influence. There is nothing here that says 'whisky'; instead, it is a very strong sherry. Boot polish, beaver fur, castor oil. Mouth: celery (BA), litres of Oloroso, desiccating earth, rancio, and, well, strong sherry, with its musky-earthy profile. I can feel my teeth being covered in lichen and thick green ink or marker pens. Finish: big, unsubtle. Earth, decaying grapes, ground walnut shells, thick elderberry. It is cloying, intense, adding liquorice bootlaces, black cumin, and crushed nigella seeds. Not my style. 6/10
BA presents Dubh Glas Naughty for Pudding (as in Christmas pudding, 'u', 'd', 'n', 'g') or Balthazar (one of the three wise men of Christmas, 'b', 'l', 'a', 't'). Also, this was a Christmas release.
Dubh Glas Naughty (44.5, OB, C#D-006 & D-010217b): nose: packing cellophane (JS), raincoat lining (WhiskyLovingPianist). It is indeed a plastic-fuelled nose, with melted plastic, cut plastic-doll heads, melted sunglasses and industrial glue. Mouth: fresh, but plastic-y again. Cellophane, old plastic dolls, and oilskins. Then, thirty seconds in, eucalyptus cough drops and peppermint drops. Finish: fairly short, barley-like, with a lick of plastic, and quite a lot of fruit, now. Not bad, and certainly unusual. Lots of plastic, though. 6/10
Discussing a whisky festival after which no-one is allowed to drive: WhiskyLovingPianist: "Well, no-one drives after Whisky Show!" tOMoH: "Have you ever talked to HT?" WhiskyLovingPianist + BA: "Aaaaaaaaaah!"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "In A triathlon with a shark, you're gonna win the running, but lose the swimming. So, it's down to the bike."
Glasgow Blend Limited Edition b.2019 (49%, Compass Box Great King St Single Marrying Cask selected by The Wine Merchant Ltd imported by Compass Box USA, ex-Sherry Marrying Cask, C#35, 132b): nose: subdued. The smoke is honestly tame, at this stage, overshadowed by cereal. Perhaps it has smoked orange rinds? Mouth: smoked peach slices, even mango tatters, engulfed in smoke. The second sip has a lick of sponge. How unexpected and unusual is that!? Finish: in total contradiction to the nose, the finish is big, wide, smoky. We have smoked plantain and fruit juice with a dusting of soot. Full notes here. 8/10
OB presents Karuizawa for Hanukkah ('k', 'a', 'u', 'a').
Karuizawa 33yo 1981/2014 (54.5%, Number One Drinks Vintage imported by La Maison du Whisky, ex-Sherry Cask, C#152): we had this a year-and-a-half ago. WhiskyLovingPianist was jealous that he did not get to try it; here is his chance -- and an opportunity for everybody else to try it again. Nose: surprisingly sweet on the nose, with mincemeat (mince-pie stuffing), prunes, and a touch of faint rubber. Deeper nosing reveals polished oak, and tobacco leaves (BA). Later on, we have glitter-littered purple wax, and clean sherry (WhiskyLovingPianist). Mouth: fairly stripping (not by Karuizawa standards, mind), it rubs the teeth with wine-stained bits of cork. Decaying grapes and berry liqueur make a late appearance. Finish: long, rancio-y, warming, full of red wine, it presents light tannins and alcohol-soaked mincemeat. This is a great Karuizawa in that it tastes like whisky, not Listerine. 8/10
The soundtrack: noizaddict - Man 2 Men
It is all becoming blurry
WhiskyLovingPianist presents Laphroaig for Holi ('l', 'h', 'o', 'i', or all the letters).
Laphroaig 13yo 2005/2019 (48%, Ian Macleod Distillers Chieftain's Limited Edition Collection, Butts, C#900159-900160, 1502b): nose: natural gas, vegetative, burnt lawns, dried kelp, smoked kelp, ash, lichen-strewn pear-tree. Mouth: juicy barley water, and pronounced burnt wood, cured grape stems. The second sip is fresh and fruity, with cold smoky apple compote. Finish: long, ashy, it sucks every bit of moisture from the mouth. The second sip has bits of burnt cork. A decent Laphroaig, innit. 8/10
WhiskyLovingPianist presents François Peyrot for Pyrotechnic Art Festival, in Cannes ('f', 'r', 'a', 'n', 'ç' for 'c', 'o', 'i', 's', 'p', 'e', 'y', 'r', 'o', 't'), and obliterates the pun competition. Respect.
François Peyrot Lot 60 1960/2021 (42%, OB Héritage imported by Drenth International): nose: well, it is superbly fruity, with some plasticine added for good measure. Wax, Cognac (no shit, Sherlock!), then a whiff of natural gas. Laphroaig residue in the glass? Perhaps. Mouth: juicy grapes, mirabelle plums, nectarines. The grapes are becoming clearer and clearer, juicy, fruity, acidic, and a bit sweet too. Finish: long and fruity again, slightly darker, yet still full of grapes -- now a mix of green and dark. There is a subtle crushed-grape-pip bitterness, not at all distracting. Excellent Cognac. 8/10
BA: "My knee is dodgy. When I'm standing up, I can't bend it like this." WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's an amazing bend, though."
tOMoH presents Port Dundas for Thanksgiving ('t', 'n', 'a', 's'). My co-tasters point out that it would also qualify for turkey ('r', 't', 'u'), Easter ('r', 't', 'a', 's') and Sunday ('d', 'u', 'n', 'a', 's').
Port Dundas 10yo (60.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection World Whiskies, 318b, b. ca 1998): nose: metal and distant coffee. Mouth: Bakelite, warm rubber. WhiskyLovingPianist reckons it smells sugary, with a sourness to it too. Finish: strangely, it is warm Bakelite and hard rubber. Short notes for today: it is late. Full notes are here. I like it better today, I think. 8/10
Excellent times as always. Silly bantz and nonsense, bags of fun.
If you think the fact that "Dunglass" and "St Nicholas" have four letters in common is a coincidence, think again.
Dunglass 22yo 1967/1990 (46%, Dun Eideann imported by Donato & C., C#1893-6): nose: we have all sorts of confectionary (sherbet, flying saucers filled with citric powder, edible wafer paper), but also crayons, and chamomile hand cream. A minute of breathing pushes it towards flowery perfume, with white lilac, kerria Japonica, wilted lavender, liquid laundry detergent and paper paste. I can already see why this has such a reputation... Further nosing reveals shampoo (Garnier Ultra Suave, which, incidentally, is also chamomile-scented), old-school hand-soap bars, the likes of which have not been found anywhere since everyone who was a grandmother in the 1980s has left this world. On the late tip, we return to confectionary, this time with chemical-tasting, chalky lemon-mint crumbles. It is really flowery shampoo that dominates, though, and for anyone who dislikes that, this will be way over the top. The second nose has traces of a faded-leather handbag (one with fringes), picks up some heat, yet soon comes back with shampoo. It feels as if wax had been added to the shampoo, yet that hardly makes a difference, really. Melted plastic and a drop of diluted nail varnish on white wood round off this nose. Mouth: Jacob Ree-ZOMG in a tutu! This is soapy and hilarious. Here are the shampoo and liquid laundry detergent from the nose, flowery and soapy, in which someone would have poured a cup of confectionary sugar. Weirdly, that makes it almost tolerable. Lemon-mint crumbles, flying saucers, lavender powder, crushed chamomile pistils, furniture polish from a spray can, golden nail lacquer (Mabelline Bold Gold), and, well, minty shampoo. Between the Garnier Ultra Suave and golden nail lacquer, it is very much a yellow whisky, to my mind, in line with a 1972 Edradour, perhaps slightly less, *ahem*, difficult. It has got some spiciness too, though it is hard to tell what. Ground mace? Sumac? Repeated sipping displays a rubbery-plastic note. Finish: long and coating, the finish reignites the Garnier Ultra Suave mood, and has less sugar than the palate -- although there is still some. The second gulp adds crushed malaria tablets, such as Nivaquine or Paludrine, which probably spells quinine. It seems cut with a pinch of sugar, and that makes it slightly less vile than those tablets. Perhaps it is Alka-Seltzer gratings, after all. In any case, it is entertaining! Retro-nasal olfaction welcomes a pinch of ash, which seems apt: if Fight Club has taught the world anything, it is that soap is made of human fat and ash. Last but not least, the ash reverts to (discreet) burnt hazel wood. Unexpected. Right, this is not that bad, but it is also not good. It does, however, procure a lot of fun. I really, really enjoy this sort of nonsensical whiskies, from time to time. :-) 5/10 (Merci St Nicolas)
La Rouget de Lisle 8yo 2007/2016 (46%, OB, ex-Vin Jaune Burgundy Barrique, 144b): nose: it feels surprisingly deep, for something that is eight years old. Oh! It is no forty-year-old Strathisla, of course. Encaustic, cardboard, dark shoe polish, dark floor wax... The emphasis is on the word "dark", really: it is seal brown or kobicha, with layers of patina encrusted in every pore of the wooden floor, in every seam of the shoes; it is a dark brown that could pass as black, depending on the lighting. Worcestershire sauce augments a spoonful of tamarind paste. The latter confers a sweet scent that grows in intensity, over time. The second nose sees a grated stock cube, dried paintbrushes (for modelling rather than decorating), and nigella seeds sprinkled onto a pot of strawberry yoghurt. Mouth: the least one can say is that the wine influence is palpable. It is fruity to an extent, in a gently-tannic way, syrupy but not cloying, and earthy-woody. We have that unmistakable combination of old stave and cork that can only be associated with wine. It feels a little light and fruity to be a claret, and actually hints at orange wine, I reckon. The second sip is thin and cool, yet the wine notes quickly sing again. There is an odd butter-cider-vinegar-and-wine-sauce dimension as well. Finish: well, that is unusual! Velvety on the way down, it radiates Sherry for a while afterwards, but also mushroom broth; the water lost by pan-fried mushrooms, or shiitake cooking water. The second gulp somehow adds baked apple to the mix, yet it is not very sweet all the same; more of a baked apple covered in savoury stock-cube crumbs. It is not exactly meaty, yet also far from sweet -- umami. Original. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Steph2A)
After not aging one day since 2019, dom666 turns three years older in one sitting -- and does so at adc's. The theme (or themes), as is increasingly customary for our esteemed guest, is all over the shop:
The Qatar world cup, which will gather the best ballerinas of the 32 qualified countries, including an epic Belgium - Morocco that will certainly see kruuk2 sleep in the sofa for at least 12 nights (and is the reason our dear kruuk2 is not joining us, today)
The Liège tramway before the end of the XXIst century (they are laying the tracks in front of our host's, and, since those are not made of copper, they have not yet been stolen)
The energy crisis (please all bring a log for adc). Do not do as the Latvians, who have sawn the (wooden) benches of bus shelters
Bad puns relating to songs (tOMoH is forbidden to recycle Cavalier66's pun from 2017; if he is to bring any Bowmore, it has to fit otherwise)
Five UK Prime Ministers in eight years -- just one more, and they can pull Santa's sled, and at last make themselves useful
dom666 goes to the end of the joke and does, indeed bring adc a log. It will burn this afternoon
Who? dom666, adc, sonicvince, Psycho, JS and tOMoH, who opens the dance.
Modest line-up of thirteen bottles
tOMoH presents: one of the candidates to become Prime Minister in the most recent (July and October 2022) couple of beauty contests: Glen-ny Mhor-daunt.
Glen Mhor 8yo b.1989 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, HI/CAH): nose: fresh and metallic, with the cold lids of jam jars, marmalade, and hot fruit-turnover filling. Mouth: soft, not weak, the tongue catches similar notes -- marmalade, the metallic lid of jars, but also clove shavings. Finish: it feels more assertive than the low ABV suggested. It is velvety and warming, with warm marmalade and caramel scrapings that had stuck to the bottom of a pan. Full notes here. 7/10
sonicvince presents: a Czech whisky, certain that the Czech Republic is in the world cup. He is wrong: they did not qualify. But who cares?
Hammer Head 23yo 1989/2013 (40.7%, OB, Czech Oak Casks, L19178): talk about a curiosity! This. It was made at the Prádlo distillery, in the Czech Republic, or indeed in Czechoslovakia, since that was the country, at the time: it was distilled shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, at the request of the rulers of the day, who wanted something that could compete with Scotch, but that would be produced behind the Iron Curtain. It was allegedly found again when the land was sold upon which the distillery was located. History or fantasy? Does it matter? The truth is that here is a 23-year-old whisky from an unusual whisky-producing country. Nose: it smells like a nice grain, with corn syrup, and a pinch of herbs, sprinkled on top of melted marshmallow. Mouth: corn syrup through and through, crushed bay leaf, and custard, in a chocolate-éclair way. Finish: it is sweet, with salted caramel (adc), a lick of vanilla, fudge, dried apricot (sonicvince), overripe peach, Pandoro panettone and hazelnut paste. It is well convincing. A nice surprise. Dram of the day for adc. 8/10
dom666: "Have you been to this restaurant in Prague?" tOMoH: "No." dom666: They serve this eau-de-vie, in which they add cloves." tOMoH: "Uhuh." dom666: "It's not good."
dom666 [talking about the consequences of COVID-19]: "No-one is kissing hello at work, any longer." tOMoH: "That's because you only work with women. They don't want to kiss you."
sonicvince presents a French whisky (albeit bottled by a Belgian company), because France is in the world cup. A bit of a one-trick pony, our sonicvince...
August 17th 3yo (40%, Wave Distil, ex-Port + ex-Cognac Barrels, 4250b): hard to tell when this one was bottled: the MMXIV mention seems to appear on all the yearly batches. Nose: eau-de-vie, grappa, Arquebuse. This smells very close to a white spirit, though it does have a lick of staves. adc finds cleaning fluids, "but not the ones that smell nice." Hawthorne completes the picture. It is not an enticing start. Mouth: it is very marked by the wood, here, even at this young age. There is a bit of hay-like vanilla, as if it were an éclair topped with a hay paste, instead of chocolate. But the custard is definitely there. Finish: short, neutral (Psycho), inoffensive. The eau-de-vie note is well balanced by a good dose of custard. 6/10
adc: "Not that I have tried cleaning agents..." tOMoH: "Perhaps it's time you tried." sonicvince: "To compare, see?"
Food enters
Cheeses:
Epoisse
Calvados-cured camembert
Soumaintrain
Reblochon fermier
Pavé de Savoie
and a a cheese with nuts, but without nuts
Puddings:
White pudding
Raisin pudding
Leek pudding
Green-cabbage pudding
Foie gras and chanterelles
Pâtés:
Creamy pâté
Apple, pear and raisin pâté
Sauternes-cured duck mousse
Foie gras terrine with oyster mushrooms
Saltufo
JS goes for the one mega serving
Psycho presents Guns 'n Roses - Knockando On Heaven's Doors
Also, he breaks the cork
Knockando 25yo 1980/2005 (48.3%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#1908, 260b, b#10): nose: pure lemon (adc), limestone. Mouth: a bit dry and bitter, but in a perfect way. There is a bit of crushed bay leaf and pepper too. In fact, it feels surprisingly spicy, for something of that ABV. Finish: medium long, with hay again, and aromatic herbs. Short notes; this is a lovely drop that we know well. 9/10
adc explains that the current energy crisis started with the war in Ukraine, and therefore presents a Wolfburn bottled for Ukraine.
Wolfburn 7yo 2015/2022 (46%, OB supporting the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, ex-Bourbon Quarter Casks, 1550b): nose: it smells pastoral to me, with orchard fruit (heirloom apples abound) and honey-glazed baked potatoes. Psycho finds it aromatic, and I detect olive oil. Far in the back, we have squashed raspberries on a bed of hay. Mouth: lightly acidic, fresh (Psycho), balanced (Psycho). It is less successful than on the nose, since it cannot hide its brash youthfulness. Keep it on the tongue, and raspberries come back, this time accompanied by cherries, and desert-dry leather. Finish: dry, hay-like, here are brambles so dry they will crumble into a powder if one just looks at them. There is also an iodine note, at this point. 7/10
dom666 presents George Harrison - My Sweet Lord (of the Isles)
dom666 insists on emptying the bottle. I give him my glass... full of Wolfburn. Yay. Here is a Lord of the Wolfburn. :-(
Ardbeg Lord of the Isles (46%, OB, L3170 1209 4ML): nose: well, well, well, what have we here? Tarry ropes on a sailboat, ink, tapenade, briny anchovies, oilskins heated by the sun, Kalamata olives, age-old blotting paper, and docked trawlers, which is to say: fishing nets, diesel and crab cage traps. We even find oysters with a drop of lemon. The second nose welcomes hot sands and a coating of wax. Mouth: perfectly balanced. It is salty, briny, with cockles and mussels, jellied olives, ashes and honey-glazed cherry stems. In the long run, some fruit appears too. Finish: olive, tar, bitumen, menthol, and a pinch of ash. With exactly zero surprise, this is just amazeballs. It seems much better than the previous time we had it, and a good way to bid the bottle farewell. 9/10
dom666 reckons the Ardbeg goes well after a mouthful of Calvamembert.
dom666: "Les whiskies d'Islay vont bien après les fromages a pâte molle." tOMoH: "Tu as remarqué que ces whiskies passent bien après des fromages bleus, du chocolate noir, du chocolat au lait..." dom666: "Au lait, au lait..." Psycho: "Après le café..." tOMoH: "...au lait, au lait... Au bal masqué..." Psycho: "...au lait, au lait."
And, since we must:
Lord of the Wolfburn: nose: the Ardbeg easily dominates the Wolf, though berries emerge, that seem to be imparted by the latter. Mouth: mellow, it has a combination of seafood and custard powder. Finish: long, it is all berries, with a dusting of ashes. Another Serendipity as JS says. 8/10
sonicvince proves once and for all he knows nothing about football, and presents an Irish whisky, on the off-chance that they are in Qatar, for the world cup (they are not). That is why we like you, sonicvince!
The Whistler Mosaic (46%, OB, ex-Bourbon Barrels + finished in Sicilian Marsala Casks, L21/014 152, b.2021): from the Boann Distillery, in Co. Meath, this is another first for me. Nose: herbal liqueur, with a display of gentian, angelica and smoked thyme, alongside rosemary. Mouth: sweet, showcasing pouring honey, Lyle's Golden Syrup, maple syrup, corn syrup. This is borderline cloying, so sweet it is. Finish: long, powerful, it clings to the roof of the mouth, with lots of syrups of all sorts. 6/10
Dessert enters: pear tart and caramel/apple muffins, courtesy of adc
adc presents the consortium that is developing the tramway in Liège: Tram'Arran (for Tram'Ardent, for the out-of-towners).
Lochranza 8yo (unknown ABV, blend of cask samples, ex-Sassicaia Casks): I tried this earlier in the week, so minimal notes, today. Sweet and bitter, like a sharp cocoa custard. I love it. So do most of, if not all the others. 8/10
JS reminds the tasting that, between 2016 and 2019, Teresa May was Prime Minister in the UK. May happens to be peak puffin-breeding season. And look...
Orkney 15yo 2006/2022 (57.1%, Thompson Bros. bottled for Milroys of Soho, 280b): had this one not long ago too, so short notes again. Caramel butter, half-baked fudge, butterscotch, chicory granules, and even coffee. 7/10
Psycho presents: Michel Sardou - Les Lacs du Caol Ila. And since we can, JS presents: Philippe Timsit - Henri, Porte des Caol Ila
Caol Ila 36yo 1982/2018 (54.4%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 120b) (Psycho): nose: shrimps, mild coffee, fine ash, maraschino cherries and dusty furniture. Much later on, a faint fruitiness comes up, supported by a minute touch of sulphur. Mouth: a strong attack, acidic, with unripe pears, ashes, fishing nets, and oyster shells. The second sip is much more acidic, and earthier as we go on: rich dark earth. Finish: wide, generous, salty and smoky. Here are smoked dried-pear slices, barbecued cockles, and pineapple slices. This is never-ending and all-enveloping, it warms up one's soul! 9/10
Caol Ila 35yo 1984/2020 (47.5%, The House of Macduff The Golden Cask Reserve, C#CM260, 204b, b#128): nose: amazingly more sandy than Cadenhead's, it has salted caramel poured on cotton candy, wet swimming costumes after a sunny day at the beach, smoked marshmallow, and old gauze. Despite those old-school notes, it does not want for freshness. The second nose adds a tiny drop of coffee. Mouth: mellow, but full, with honey-glazed ashes, smoked fudge, Reflex spray, and gauze. The second sip has sweeter notes of peaches, but chargrilled peaches, with a spoonful of cocktail sauce. Meow! Finish: tarry ropes, smoked mackerel, charred pineapple, roasted apples and happiness. I like it better than the Cadenhead bottling -- by a nostril hair. JS disagrees, but, of course, she wants what she does not already have. :) 9/10
Chilling
dom666 presents: AC/DC - Islay to Hell
Bunnahabhain 16yo b.2007 (54%, OB Limited Edition for Feis Ile 2007, Oloroso Sherry Cask, C#276, 190b): a bottling that needs no introduction, really. Nose: cork and dust (adc), blackberry compote, dark plasticine, dark shoe polish, leather belts, rich earth, polished dashboards. It is hugely powerful, nostril-cleansing, even. Chocolate coffee, mocha custard. Mouth: big, full of dark honeys, wood varnish, polished mahogany, shiny leather, blackcurrant jam, and a huge dose of cracked black pepper, which I do not recall feeling in the past. We also have bone-dry orange rinds. Finish: outstanding Oloroso maturation, a masterclass of balance. It is leathery and spicy, with loads of leather tatters and cracked black pepper, harmoniously combined. The death sees rich earth and berries, where elderberry complements dark cherries and blackberries. Masterpiece. 9/10
dom666: "I'm like an old yoghurt jar: the expiry date has long passed, which means I am dangerous."
tOMoH presents something that tastes like burnt peat, to mark the energy crisis
Undisclosed Islay ~3yo b.2020 (~57%, cask sample, Cognac + Armagnac Casks): I do not try it, tonight. It seems appreciated, but I have had enough, and the Bunna was a great ending.
The long-haired bunch goofing around
Excellent tasting, with a wonderful balance of glories and curiosities, delicious (indulgent) food, and great company (aka good banter).
Lochranza 8yo (unknown ABV, blend of cask samples, ex-Sassicaia Casks): leftover from that tasting, last June. Nose: very quiet, though it still manages to emit a delicate sweetness, something between peach tea and satsuma foliage. 'Foliage' seems too strong a word, at first, but a couple of sniffs reveal exactly that: citrus foliage. And, here it is: rich Italian wine slowly-but-steadily wraps all of the above in a growingly-heady bouquet that spells part earth, part fruit. Overripe quince, grape stems, clay, and still that peach tea, in the background, now coming closer to peach jelly than before. The second nose has a dusty layer coating everything else, probably sawdust or dried orange peel, ground into a powder. That almost masks a soothing note of flowery tea -- some kind of fruit blossom. Mouth: resolutely acidic, it strips the teeth clean without further ado. We have crushed peach stone, which brings a newfound bitterness, grape stems, grapefruit pith, and a pinch of earth. Digging deeper, one may detect chocolate too, closer to roughly-crushed cocoa beans than to pralines. The second sip welcomes oil cloth, an unexpected waxy cloak that wraps the citric character, and proves an adequate pairing for those cocoa beans. Finish: ooft! The finish definitely has cocoa beans, and they are supplemented with citrus zest -- yuzu or oroblanco would be my guesses. It is acidic in a fruity way, and that works very well to tame the root-y bitterness of the cocoa beans, which, by the way, become clearer with each gulp. Repeated sipping also enhances the citrus side; it is no longer zest alone, but whole segments (orange, grapefruit, pomelo), fresh and crystallised. What a wonderfully successful wine maturation! 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, MR)
StilL 630 4yo Missouri Straight Bourbon b.2019 (45%, OB Bill 266, B#10, b#177): nose: one may be hard-pressed to spot a Bourbon, so much it resembles an old herbal liqueur -- Chartreuse, Becherovka, Bénédictine, Brancamenta, Génépi. It has a strong wood presence, with charred oak, toasted and scraped, old shelves that have just received a lick of varnish. At last, more traditional markers appear in the shape of corn syrup and wood lacquer, reminiscent of a grain whisky -- which, of course, this would be, were it following the Scottish nomenclature. Herbs do not stay far away, mind: pine liqueur comes back with a vengeance, now spilled on golden toasted bread. The second nose adds a note of autumn fruit, though it is difficult to tell which -- walnuts, perhaps? The drupe, not the shelled kernel. It does develop a musky tone too, at any rate, as well as mulch. Mouth: more pine goodness and toasted wood. In fact, we have toasted pine cones, oozing delicate sap. Delicate? Well, not for long! Soon, we have fierce menthol, acidic pine needles, Gocce Pino, and a minute note of rubber, unless it is mulch again. The second sip is in line, the texture walking a tightrope between acidic and chewy, and the whole achieving a remarkable freshness, despite being clearly influenced by wood. That small note of eucalyptus, perhaps. Finish: much more behaved than the mouth suggested, it does not break with the tradition; here are strong pine-forest tastes, menthol, old shelves, and an overall rubbery impression (the texture, more than the bitter taste). Corn syrup and wood lacquer are virtually absent, strangely enough, as is vanilla. Repeated sipping brings eucalyptus oil to the fore. Solid Bourbon. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
Clydeside 34mo (unknown ABV, cask sample, re-racked ex-Sherry Cask + ex-Bourbon Casks): nose: it has an allure of eau-de-vie (it is exactly what this is, after all), wrapped in a fruity blanket; apricots, mirabelle plums, nectarines. Soon after that, it puts on the scent of the wines aisle at Colruyt or Delhaize (oddly, the wines aisle of supermarkets in the UK do not smell the same -- it must be the screw caps). Then, we have vin de paille, a couple of cut daffodils, and a sip of Maitrank, before we return to yellow fruits, this time with a splash of ether. The second nose turns the youthful brashness into unexpected flint and a hazelnut liqueur so dry one could think it is a hazelnut spirit. If that does not exist, then why not? Finally, clean socks appear, as an afterthought. Water unleashes tutti frutti on damp blotting paper, as pleasant and entertaining as it is weird. Mouth: there is a strange dichotomy at play, here; on one hand, it is fiery, rough, and eau-de-vie-like, as one might expect of a spirit from this age; on the other, it balances that with yellow fruits and a comforting warmth that is seldom achieved by a spirit of this age. Plums, nectarines, Golden apples, soaked in eau-de-vie, a dollop of vanilla custard via retro-nasal olfaction, and a shot of fruit-flavoured pékèt on top. The second sip has a bitterer edge, almonds or barely-ripe hazelnut. Keeping it on the tongue adds a cereal taste as well -- barley, oats, spelt. Water takes the edge off, pacifies it, almost, leaving tutti frutti here too, and a droplet of rubbing alcohol. Finish: it is a winner, now, with vanilla custard perfectly ironing out the asperities of youth. It is not just vanilla, however: we also have a spoonful of sirop de Liège, which is to say caramelised apples and quinces, mashed into a sticky spread. Repeated sipping welcomes a note of menthol that becomes so fierce it feels as though it will melt the teeth. Not sure water works as well, here; it adds milk chocolate to the vanilla custard, but also mocha, which is less my thing. This is very promising, yet also very good as is! 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, kind donor)
Brechin 33yo 1970/2003 (52.4%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 479b): nose: such depth! All at once, we have old marzipan, lichen on fruit tree, dusty cardboard, dried apricots, melon-flavoured Gummibärchen, burnt wood in brine, and honey-glazed thyme branches and rosemary sprigs, caramelising in a pan. Next are Nic Nacs (which is to say biscuit and hard meringue), rancio and hawthorn. Yes, this nose turns botanical -- not as much as, say, Tullamore, yet it is certainly going the same way. Lastly, a whiff of oilskin caresses the nostrils. Is that sea breeze, on the second nose? It seems unlikely, but it is a little briny... Dry oyster shells? A pouch of Virginia tobacco? Fascinating stuff! Much later on, a gentle hand soap shows up, delicate and pleasant. With water, the nose produces warm jam (plum, apricot), and a discreet metallic touch. Mind you, I also envision those white-and orange (vintage French) Tupperware bottles and lunch boxes from the 1980s. Further nosing seems to add pan-fried earthy mushrooms to the mix, if for a second only. Mouth: acidic and assertive, it has a spoonful of apple-cider vinegar and mandarine peels staring at a dollop of wax take a bath in apple-and-lime juice. The second sip clings to the teeth like unsoftened water in a large European city (ever noticed the water is always harder in large cities?) The sides of the mouth pick up greengage -- not just the flesh, but the stone too. It turns juicy, after a minute, which is much more agreeable than the afore-mentioned limescale. We find ourselves fishing greengages out of the juice with green rubber gloves. Far from taming it, water seems to render the whisky more potent on the palate, with red-paprika powder sprinkled on juicy plums. Finish: unassuming, but actually very long and warming. It has a lick of faded leather, here, more apples (well ripe, this time), the dusty marzipan from the nose, and chunky wax beads floating in juice that may well be greengage again. There is a dusty dryness to it, a minute after the second sip, one that hints at dunnage warehouse. Each sip seems sweeter and fruitier than the previous, with greengage a definite staple. There may be a drop of mandarine juice too, but that is more subdued. The arrival is more explosive with water -- a short-lived explosion that peters out suddenly. It rises from the dead to warm the gob, though, brings back warm jam or compote, and adds stewed mandarine slices, and a pinch of herbs (rosemary, hawthorn). Simply excellent. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
