26/04/2025 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 3)

Back in from my errand, I rejoin my fellow festival-goers.

Auchentoshan 24yo 1999/2024 (52.1%, The Whisky Agency, Barrel)

Nose: light, minty and custard-y to a point, it has shortbread.
Mouth: bright, it offers dried pineapple slices. Chewing pushes cardboard forward, and Merbromin.
Finish: long, peachy and inky, with the ink taking the upper hand, after a while. We also have blackberry cough drops at the death.
Comment: a good 'toshan. 7/10

Look! It is our friends from Cask Trade.

Highland Park 25yo 1999/2024 "Old Orkney" (50.3%, Cask Trade, Refill Hogshead until 2018 + 1st Fill Butt)

Nose: a soft smoke and leather pouches. Is it bad that I list HP's trademark aromas? Ah, well.
Mouth: a tad sharp, drying and bitter, this is clearly marked by the wood. That, and a whole burning bush of heather.
Finish: yeah, sharp and a little too dry for me.  It has nice added notes of lavender boiled sweets, but the bitterness is less pleasant.
Comment: decent, not my favourite. 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, HT)

Glenturret 29yo 1987/2017 (48.4%, Cask Trade, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel)

Nose: roasted apples followed by sugared almonds. Mint, chocolate, almonds.
Mouth: initially mellow, it is teeming with apples so roasted they are melting.
Finish: more roasted apples, a lick of the knife that cut them open, and heated quince jelly.
Comment: full of charm. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, HT)

Back to The Agency.

Tullibardine 30yo 1993/2023 (47.6%, The Whisky Agency 15th Anniversary, Rum Barrel, 197b)

Nose: orchard fruits, probably baked pears and Golden Delicious apples.
Mouth: tight and acidic, it has crisp apple juice augmented with a dash of lemon juice.
Finish: it is custard-y, here, with added pineapple and cut apricots.
Comment: what an underrated distillery Tullibardine often proves to be! 8/10

Bowmore 26yo 1997/2023 (51.1%, The Whisky Agency The Perfect Dram, Barrel, 124b)

Nose: it is a lot peatier than expected, with a copious dose of tincture of iodine too.
Mouth: ashy, earthy and typically fruity, it has orchard fruits that have fallen into the mud and subsequently been heated.
Finish: phwoar! Earth, baked fruit, sea water and a drop of diesel.
Comment: Bowmore, innit. We are told this was part of a parcel that was earmarked for Macau, unpaid for a couple of years, then the client decided they did not want it after all. 8/10

Across the hall to KB, GB and BvG.

Clynelish 33yo 1973/2006 (54.3%, The Prestonfield Whisky Co. Prestonfield Highland, ex-Sherry Oak Cask, C#8912, 405b, b#32, 6/0637): JS chooses this as a surprise dram. A what a great surprise too! I make no note, since we had it at length a while ago. Still an essential 'lish. 9/10

Tamdhu 28yo (86º Proof, George Strachan, b.1970s)

Nose: old bottle effect screams at me. It has some metal and very-concentrated marmalade.
Mouth: big and metallic, lightly bitter but welcoming, full of hot tin lids.
Finish: long and full of OBE again; tin lids, brass buttons. We also find bread.
Comment: excellent. Glad to finally try this. 8/10

JS offers her Glenlivet 26yo 1968/1995 (52.1%, Signatory Vintage selected by, bottled for and imported by Whyte & Whyte for The Spirits Library, Barrel, 95/137) to BvG who turns around, extends his arm, and pulls this, which we had spotted from the corner of our eye.

Caol Ila 17yo d.1974 (43%, Signatory Vintage selected by and bottled for Whyte & Whyte for the Spirits Library imported by S & M Wine & Liquor, Oak Cask, 94/619)

Nose: earthy beach sand, a hint of kippers, and lemon. Archetypal Caol Ila.
Mouth: full, smoky, yet it is somewhat jammy too.
Finish: long, jammy, it has a touch of bitterness. Perhaps steamed asparagus? It may read horrible, but it tastes excellent.
Comment: killer. The bottle code suggests a 1994 bottling, which contradicts the age statement. Bah. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, BvG)

Several people have directed us to Whisky Jury, over the course of the day. Time to pay them a visit.

Linkwood 33yo 1988/2021 (47.5%, The Whisky Jury, Refill Hogshead, C#2334, 176b)

Nose: blushing starfruit, dried papaya cubes and dried pineapple slices.
Mouth: effin'eck! This is really good. Bright, acidic, a touch citrus-y.
Finish: long, acidic, fruity, augmented with wood spices. 
Comment: love it. 8/10

"This whisky is a hoot!"

Ben Nevis 27yo 1996/2023 (48.8%, The Whisky Jury, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, C#912, 211b, b#145)

Nose: wood and lychee. It is fruitier with each passing second, full of guava, persimmon, and peach.
Mouth: fruity, acidic, here comes carambola, very crisp, very light. The following sips are even more pleasing, acidic, pumping carambola straight into the brain.
Finish: long, brisk, overflowing with crisp orchard fruits.
Comment: amazeboulanger. 8/10

A pour of JS's Glenlivet unlocks access to an under-the-counter bottle.

Bunnahabhain 35yo 1973/2011 (49.4%, La Maison du Whisky Artist, B#013, Sherry Butt, C#12153, 426b)

Nose: it has an unmistakeable wine-y dirtiness, as well as squashed berries and rich soil.
Mouth: rich, earthy, dripping with red-onion juice, and softly drying in the long run. Perhaps we find mushrooms too.
Finish: big and punchy, even now, minutes before the last pour.
Comment: less my thing, I must say. The dates and age make little sense too. 7/10

Oh! Port Ardbeg! A few words and a promise to meet up tomorrow. We never will. Go find someone in a festival like this without a clear meeting point and time! Ha! Ha!

Oh! GN! What is this? Well, go on, then.

Aultmore 12yo (70º Proof, OB, SC295)

Nose: old bottle effect again, with the usual marmalade and tin lids, this time sprinkled with a pinch of soot.
Mouth: cool, fresh, enhanced with squashed raspberries.
Finish: light, jammy, a little sooty.
Comment: very enjoyable. 8/10

We somehow find NH, or he finds us, strong with the knowledge we hold his beers hostage. JS, he and I head to Gasthaus Burgkeller for dinner. To put it bluntly, we crash the rhumauction.com dinner. They appear to welcome us as if they had been waiting for us. The food seems more refined than last year, and I like it even more.

Spargelsuppe (tis the season)

Bunter Spargelsalat mit Himbeerdressing (tis the season)

Kartoffel-Bärlauchstrudel mit Gorgonzolasauce

Sitting across me are an exhibitor from a stand that specialises in Armagnac and a pair of Americans (AH and VW). It all makes for interesting conversation (we do not talk about politics).

All are too tired (and/or drunk) to prolong the festivities. We promise to meet tomorrow, and finally go our separate ways. It is just NH, JS and me, then. I quickly compute how much of each beer each of us will have to ingest (per person -- if you know, you know) and worry a little. No need: NH, helped by wireless technology, is already talking to his former colleagues. I hear: "sour beers," and "we are coming." Two minutes later, JKr and Ar are with us. Suddenly, we are down to 75cl each (per person), which is more manageable.

"Can I find this on Untappd?"

Mûre de Rullquin (6%, Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles)

Thrills Barrel Aged Wild Ale b.2022 (5.8%, OB)

Fruits of Labour b.2023 (6.1%, OB in collaboration with and exclusively for Catawiki, B#1)

Burning Sky Through the Fields (5.7%, OB)

Cantillon Sang Bleu b.2024 (6%, OB)

Chilling. Dutching.

The rest of the evening (night) is full of silly nonsense, faked Swiss-Belgo-Dutch rivalry and pretend-nationalism. We have a lot of self-deprecating fun. Yet nothing tops the moment JKr breaks into the rap of Ice Ice Baby, somehow keeping a straight face. Classic.

I cannot believe that the Dutchmen, once we finish the beers, plan to carry on at Villa Konthor. I know better than to follow them. A bad night's sleep awaits. :-)