26/04/2025 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 2: Maltbarn)

Last year, JS and I spent the whole Saturday socialising aimlessly. Only the following day did we discover some stands and their excellent bottlings. Some of which were sold out, by then. This year, our plan was to do the opposite: start with the things for sale, then socialise. Well, the whole morning has gone already, and we have been to two stands. Ahem.

MD, JS and I finally climb the stairs and head to Maltbarn. We can still get back on track.

Braes of Glenlivet 30yo 1994/2024 #15 (48.9%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 51b)

Nose: light and ethereal, powdery.
Mouth: it stays fresh, flowery now, with lilies-of-the-valley, jasmine and honeysuckle. Lovely.
Finish: soft, sweet and flowery, it has confectionary sugar and cosmetic powder.
Comment: excellent. This is very much in line with the Càrn Mòr bottling I know rather well. 8/10

Ben Nevis 28yo 1996/2024 #18 (48.6%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 39b)

Nose: wide, it has blush-orange peels, a touch of earth, and raspberry chocolate.
Mouth: strangely dry, it has a mere dollop of white-chocolate cream. Chewing releases the fruits.
Finish: plainly fruity, here, although it is decaying fruits, now.
Comment: very good too. The price tag, however, is somewhat prohibitive for tOMoH. 8/10

Glenlossie 29yo 1995/2025 Whisky's Calling (49.2%, Maltbarn, B#250, Bourbon Cask, 156b)

Nose: butterscotch. I spectacularly fail to take more notes.
Mouth: a little more punchy and acidic than foreseen, but mostly light and biscuit-y.
Finish: soaked biscuits, Custard Creams or Petits Beurres dunked in milk.
Comment: another good 'lossie. 8/10

[The initials of the head honcho are also MD, so he will be known as MM, the second M being for Maltbarn.]
MD: "You bottled shit again!"
MM: "I know."
MD: "I find you an importer and that is what you do."
MM: "Yeah, I know."
MD: "Always the same, with you. You always disappoint me."

Glen Moray 21yo 2003/2025 (53%, Maltbarn, B#249, Bourbon Cask)

Nose: oily white-wood shavings, then butterscotch and biscuits, then cured quince.
Mouth: citrus-y porridge, oily, a little neutral, yet it turns drying upon chewing.
Finish: classic Glen Moray citrus peels -- dried at first, then juicier. It has some spices too, ginger powder or such.
Comment: Nice. It leaves a pleasant mouthfeel. 8/10

Benromach 11yo 2013/2025 Glen Mosset (54.6%, Maltbarn, B#254, Bourbon Cask)

Nose: bandages (JS). I find it peaty, displaying very-dry sausage, perhaps smoked, or a worn-out game bag.
Mouth: light, bright, fruity, then suddenly very drying, with quarry dust and ground dried orange peels.
Finish: long and citrus-y, it is juicier than the mouth suggested.
Comment: not sure why they call it Glen Mosset, since Benromach is clearly written on the label. 7/10

Bruichladdich 21yo 2003/2024 (50.5%, Maltbarn, B#243, Bourbon Cask)

Nose: meringue, beaten egg white, a whiff of farmyard and some baby sick.
Mouth: fresh, light, a tad acidic. It may have some lactic acid, actually.
Finish: fresh again, perhaps cereal-y with a touch of fruit.
Comment: honest. 7/10

Strathmill 32yo 1992/2024 #17 (48.8%, Maltbarn The 26, Sherry Cask, 41b)

Nose: oranges or tangerines stored in a Tupperware.
Mouth: all sorts of citrus jams and marmalades -- tangerine, clementine, mandarine.
Finish: warming and marmalade-y again, with a lick of oily wood to boot.
Comment: competent, though it does not wow me. 8/10

MD [nosing his glass]: "What's that smell?"
tOMoH: "Is it arse?"

NH joins us.

Glen Spey 29yo 1995/2024 #16 (54.1%, Maltbarn The 26, Sherry Cask, 42b)

Nose: fresh, light, and probably a little indistinct.
Mouth: vaguely woody (white wood), it dishes out cinnamon and ginger shavings.
Finish: narrow, precise, it remains rather indistinct.
Comment: a fair drop that lacks personality. It is too middle-of-the road to make us enthusiastic. 7/10

MD [whose wife and daughters are dress-shopping for a wedding]: "My credit-card-bill notifications are coming in fast!"
NH: "Your net worth is falling faster than Elon Musk's!"

Real Diver's Whisky 12yo (unknown ABV, unknown bottler with the compliments of Sub Sea Services & Divex)

Nose: effervescent, bubbling with fruity Alka Seltzer and some baby sick kept in a plastic bottle, and cold cuts.
Mouth: strangely watery with a little hay infusion. I would say porridge, but it is much thinner.
Finish: indistinguishable orchard fruits and a pinch of dust.
Comment: NH reckons Glen Garioch. tOMoH is not so sure. Great opportunity to try something this exclusive. Love the shameless Cadenhead look. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, NH)

Longmorn 16yo 2008/2025 (53.4%, Maltbarn, B#253, Sherry Cask, 177b)

Nose: this smells buttery, with ripe apricots and peaches, as well as, well, butter. Avocado, maybe? It has something almost metallic to it too. Softer and more fragrant with water -- "it presents itself with spread legs," says MD.
Mouth: a lot more acidic, here, it offers orange juice augmented with pressed maracuja.
Finish: wow! Some wood under control, and a lot of fruits, 1992 style.
Comment: cracking dram. 8/10

MD [about backpacks]: "That's why I wear a man bag. It's slim. Like everything else on me."
tOMoH: "I hear your credit card bill isn't."

NH, MD and tOMoH debate the chocolate of their respective Heimats. tOMoH argues that chocolate-making is a legacy of empire, and becoming the best chocolate-maker required having colonies that produce cocoa.

NH: "Well, we grow all our cocoa beans in the Alps, so..."
tOMoH: "...grazed by purple cows."

Caol Ila 17yo 2007/2024 (54.2%, Maltbarn, B#245, Sherry Cask)

Nose: pitch-black ink, torched fishing nets and dried lichens.
Mouth: smoked-ham-infused sea water, cockles, ink and sand. Smoke rises boldly in the long run.
Finish: more of the same -- ink, tarry sands, burnt fishing nets.
Comment: this is really good, if perhaps not overly interesting. 7/10

An Islay Distillery 24yo 2000/2024 (51.8%, Maltbarn, B#251, Sherry Cask, 175b)

Nose: super earthy, if not one bit medicinal. It turns almost bret-y with time.
Mouth: dark, inky, earthy, and drying when chewing.
Finish: huge, inky, sandy (hot sands), it has dark chocolate emerging over time.
Comment: reliable 'froyg. 7/10

MD [to JS]: "I just looked at [my] picture of your Glenlivet. I'm stunned that, even back when this was bottled, they were already warning people about the [American] government!"

JS: "That's close to... Why is my memory so bad?"
NH [looking at the whisky]: "I wonder why..."
tOMoH: "It's the same when she's sober."
JS: "You're mean."
tOMoH: "That's okay. You won't remember tomorrow."

Port Charlotte 22yo 2002/2025 (55.2%, Maltbarn No. 252, Bourbon Cask, 186b)

Nose: ooft! cigarette smoke and ash.
Mouth: this is desiccating, exuding scorched earth bathing in sea water. Phwoar! I need a litre of fresh water!
Finish: huge, inky, ashy and chocolate-y. In fact, it is cocoa powder through and through.
Comment: impressive. 7/10

Time to close this Maltbarnathon and grab a bite to eat. It is only a biscuit (Mulino Bianco's Macine), but it feels good to sit down for a second. Short respite, however: NH's sour beers are in need of a refrigerator. A trip to the accommodation awaits me.

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