19/05/2022 Belgium #6

Another virtual tasting with another group of Belgian friends. red71, STL, Bishlouk, Gaija, JS and myself, tonight. JS and I have distributed blind samples to everybody for maximum surprise effect.

Dram #1

Nose: unexpectedly and amazingly fruity from the outset, with distinct mandarin peels, borderline dusty. "It smells nice," says Bishlouk, prompting stopping everyone in their track. Rice tart, milk rice, and a whisper of smoke, much later on (STL).
Mouth: Gaija and Bishlouk find it lacks horsepower. It is milky, woody and gently fruity to me, though certainly old school. I admit it was bottled at 40%, and probably lower, now.
Finish: a bit dry and austere (Gaija), with a lick of lacquered wood that gives it a strong bitterness (red71).
Comments: Gaija ventures it could be an Inchgower.

Glen Mhor 8yo b.1989 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, HI/CAH) 7/10

Full notes here.

Bishlouk: "It smells nice!"
STL: "Make a note! Bishlouk opened the evening with a compliment!"
tOMoH: "Well, his cat has been waving her arse under his nose for twenty minutes, so..."
Bishlouk: "I could scratch it..."
tOMoH: "Please don't. It's funny on [1990s Belgian programme] Strip-Tease, not with people I know."

Dram #2

Bishlouk: "The nose is lovely. This is my trip."

Nose: banana and very-ripe plantain (Gaija), "I thought this might be the Littlemill, but now, I think it is Irish instead" (Bishlouk). "The nose is almost rum-like" (red71), banana bread (Gaija). STL notes it smells more powerful, a little boisterous, even. red71 finds it exuberantly fruity, almost too ripe. Standing green wheat (Bishlouk), porridge (Gaija). On my side, I detect butter and fudge.
Mouth: Bishlouk says it is very, very different, dry and bitter, with fruit peelings, not the fleshy fruit of an Irish or a Littlemill. The second sip, on the other hand, puts the spotlight firmly back on the fruit, he says.
Finish: the gang agrees it leaves a distinct dryness in the mouth, except Gaija, who sees a lovely fruitiness all the way. STL reckons the markers are compatible with a rum cask, i.e. punch, arranged rum (Gaija), coconut. There is a big bitter touch at the end that is gently drying.
Comments: "if the cask has done its job well, it could even be a very good grain, knowing the hosts..." (Gaija) The big reveal will make all jaws drop. :-)

Grand Royal Special Reserve (43%, International Beverage Trading Company, LM006/0281N 6027) 6/10

Full notes here.

This is the sound of jaws dropping

We are all glad the above was served blind. The boys all agree they would have judged it more harshly and dismissively, had they known what it was. Trying it blind was a revelation. As for JS and I, we are delighted that it caused such confusion and enthusiasm. Something that would have been unattainable without the surprise effect.

Dram #3

Nose: "Am I obsessed, or is this a grain" (Gaija). Acetone, sesame (Gaija), pineapple skins, wallpapering glue (STL). A few seconds onward, I note squashed strawberries and coconut cream in the midst of that glue.
Mouth: "typical grain, with wood spices" (Bishlouk). STL finds it more austere on the tongue. Gaija enjoys the palate very much, as does Bishlouk, who says it is better than the nose. STL, on the other hand, finds that the mouth is the right continuation of the nose.
Finish: pineapple and grapefruit pudding, lots of coconut-y custard, and just extreme goodness, we all agree. Amusingly enough, no blackcurrant.
Comment: the audience guess virtually every active grain distillery (and a few inactive ones), though Gaija dismisses Invergordon as unlikely. The fool.

Invergordon 37yo 1972/2009 (46.6%, Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel CC#60478/63675, 259b, b#236) 9/10

Full notes here.

Dram #4

Nose: "very, very industrial," says Bishlouk, with solvents (Bishlouk) and hazelnut oil (Gaija). red71 agrees it smells quite chemical, with a tin of paint and decking stain, strawberry bubble gum (Gaija and me), artificial flavouring (STL). Gaija finds it a Glenisla touch, while red71 notes liquorice roots. For my part, it is limoncello-infused fudge. Water adds wine gums to the mix.
Mouth: stripping (Bishlouk), teeming with violet sweets (red71), specifically the chewy Agent de change. This whisky clings to the mouth. Water brings spring over the party, with jasmine (Gaija) and sangria.
Finish: bitterness and lots of nutmeg. Button mushrooms (Gaija), turpentine (Gaija), limestone in a Bladnoch way (Gaija again, who turns more and more lyrical -- the alcohol going to his head, certainly), dry white wine, Sancerre style (Gaija), saké (Gaija).
Comments: Gaija suggest it could be a Mortlach, before claiming it is a Bladnoch, or maybe a Springbank. Bishlouk doubts the Springbank hypothesis very much. "This cannot be a Bladnoch at any rate" (red71).

Bladnoch 20yo 1990/2011 (60.6%, The Scottish Liqueur Centre for Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#30005, 194b, b#131) 8/10

Full notes here.

Needless to say Gaija is ecstatic to have recognised his favourite distillery.

STL observes that Gaija specialises in early-1990s Bladnoch: he brought one to this year's Burns' Night. A narrow niche indeed.

I underline that Gaija specialises in Bladnoch distilled on 26/01/1990, an even narrower niche.

Dram #5

Nose: tapenade, loud and clear, capers, rancio, and lots of earth, of both the dry and the greasy kinds. It starts out with a whiff of sulphur (Gaija), ash, and clay floors. The nose evolves a lot, shooting in all directions, covering all bases (Bishlouk). Gaija has chicken broth, I have ground ginger. Further nosing reveals cork shavings and lots of earth.
Mouth: subtle cork indeed, clay floor, and an explosion of spicy mandarins (a generous dusting of cinnamon powder). Gaija finds it oily, with peanuts and cashews. It is voluptuous, coating, full of flavours, but they are caught up by a slightly-ill-integrated alcohol (Bishlouk).
Finish: a faint note of liqueur (red71), resin (STL), a drop of cough syrup. Water makes the mouth more balanced, but it weakens the nose a bit (Bishlouk).
Comments: Bishlouk likes this a lot; he calls it complex and complete. As for myself, well, it is the masterpiece I know it to be.

Linkwood 26yo 1975/2002 (56.1%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#5373) 9/10

Full notes here.

Excellent session. Well pleased with how well the drams were received. Most, I liked more today than previously. Poor JS is the opposite. Nothing tasted as good for her.