01/06/2025 Masters of the Juniverse

It seems to be harder and harder to find a date that works for a tasting, but we still manage, albeit more rarely than I would like.

When we do have a date, it is perhaps as challenging to find a theme -- not for lack of ideas; rather for inclusivity reasons: it needs to be a theme that inspires guests, and one that is wide-ranging enough to allow rummaging in one's collection without the need for a new purchase.

JS observed that June is here, and, with remarkable flair for a good pun, she suggested Masters of the Juniverse.

JS, YM, OB, BA and MJ join me for an afternoon of dramming. JMcD calls off, unfortunately.

Just as I hoped, someone brings a figurine.
Just as I predicted, that someone is BA.

YM presents: Masters of the Jenevers (or Masters of the Junipers).

Jenever spelled with a 'g'

Zuidam 15yo 2008/2023 (38%, OB, American Oak Barrel, C#55, 284b, b#150): nose: pleasant and fruity, Bourbon-y (OB), it has similar notes to "that beer brandy that I actively hate, but I like this" (BA). This has citrus zest too. The second nose introduces a whiff of coffee. Mouth: a slap of honey, really. It is very Bourbon-y before revealing plenty of gin spices. All the same, those spices are well behind the Bourbon influences (vanilla, toffee). Finish: delicate, ripe with toffee, a hint of vanilla and mint drops. In the long run, juniper ends up peeking through as well. I like this better than the first time, I think. 7/10

tOMoH presents: Miodulok

Miodula Presidential Blend (40%, Mundivic, Oak Barrel, C#256, b#268): short notes for this. YM detects chocolate and nuts, MJ has holly, OB calls it sweet, while BA and I compare it to mead. Full notes here. 7/10

JS introduces: Prince Glenc-Adam

And if you think that sounds familiar, it is because JS used the same pun for another tasting in 2022. When the juice is so good, who cares that the pun is recycled?

Glencadam 14yo 1964/1979 (45.7%, Cadenhead): nose: YM says it smells nice (clearly inspired, our YM), while OB observes we are definitely switching gears, and calls out bruised apples (OB). Mouth: weedy and hoppy (BA), leafy and herbal, almost soapy, though it stays on the right side (OB). Finish: OB confirms the hoppy note in the aftertaste. My full notes here. 9/10

YM, when he read the email with the theme, wondered what a Juniverse is. He typed it into a search engine. One of the first results was a weird Japanese-anime blog of sorts. so he brought a Japanese whisky. Or, at least, a whisky sold by a Japanese company: none of us knows what it actually contains, yet we all reckon the marketing stories are hardly believable.

Kaiyō Japanese Sakura Wood (Cherry Blossom) (54%, OB Exclusive Single Barrel hand selected by Binny's Beverage Depot imported by Park Street Imports, Japanese Sakura Wood Cask, C#9921): nose: very fragrant, especially after the Glencadam (OB). It smells like the back of a lawnmower (BA), freshly-cut grass (BA), lilies (MJ). All that converges towards incense and somehow "reminds" me of a temple or a shrine in Japan, even though I have never been. It waltzes from ashy to leafy, from grassy to burnt wood. Later on, it pushes wafts of cask scents in a musty warehouse. Mouth: sharpish attack, with parched yuca leaves, dried bunches of flowers and incense ash. BA finds a certain sweetness that he attributes to the Sakura cask. "Damp wood, which is less my thing" (YM). The second sip has more ashes, and that gives it a clear bitterness. Finish: flower nectar, rather sweet. Perhaps honeysuckle sap? It retains a little of the ash of the nose, but it hardly compares. Wood dust and old, decaying staves come up with the second gulp. Another UFO from YM, really interesting, and, for me, enjoyable. 7/10

BA presents: The Adam Malt.
He adds that the bottle bears Sorceress-like wings, which is perhaps less far-fetched.

The Arran Malt 1999/2010 (54.6%, OB Anniversary Bottling for the 15th Anniversary of the Isle of Arran Distillery, Bourbon Casks finished in Amontillado Sherry Casks, 5640b): nose: it is almost game-y, wine-y, with sauce grand'veneur and oil cloth, none sickly, thankfully. Mouth: citrus-y, it has a clear orange-y note (YM). "I feel like I should get orange" (MJ). Discussion follows about suggestion from the orange box. Blush orange, wine-cured orange, dried orange peels. BA finds it flinty. The citrus-y elements really take off in the long run, not just zesty, but acidic too, with fresh oranges. Finish: long, warming, zesty and summery. This has a remarkable balance. It has more citrus upon repeated quaffing, and a sprinkle of white pepper. 8/10

JS [about K-pop]: "In the early acts, nobody could dance. It was pathetic and I loved it."

OB presents: Skeletormore

Tormore 27yo 1992/2019The Dram With The Mash Tun Tokyo (44.6%, The Whiskyfind, C#101154, 276b): a bottle OB opened in 2022, but we did not give enough attention, then. Nose: metallic chocolate. This has hazelnut spread on a tin knife. The metallic bit is almost perfume-y, spirit-y, with a whiff of Teflon-plated baking trays. With time, it gains chicory infusion and waves of passion fruits. Mouth: mellow in a similar way to pouring honey left on a metal tray. Then, fruits start to grow, with cut peach slices and smashed apricots. It is a little warmer at second sip, yet still juicy, metallic, and amazingly fruity. Finish: long and fruity as hell. Here are warm mangoes, smashed apricots or apricot compote. It is a jammy, juicy, lush number, and it is excellent. I immediately think of the other beautiful expression we had recently. OB is as glad as I am to try this again in a setting in which it shines brighter than in 2022. 9/10

Family picture

MJ looks over his shoulder, spots the SMWS bottle that comes next, and asks if it would be appropriate for him to step in. He reveals an additional bottle from, he explains, a distillery that thinks it is the Master of the Universe.

24.156 12yo d.2008 Utterly unctuous (63,7%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts finished in 1st Fill American Oak ex-PX Hogshead since 2018): nose: wine and chocolate, oily teak. One can also feel the relentless power under the bonnet. From that point onward, it is leather and burnt chocolate, as well as torched blush-orange peels. Mouth: drying, Oloroso-style, but also fairly fruity, with more of the same blush-orange peels. It is powerful, yet not ridiculously so, despite what my co-tasters of the day say. Perhaps there is a small note of fried egg at second sip, weird, but not a bother. Finish: long and powerful, it is also very, very bitter. Oh! not bitter as if sucking on a dandelion stem (do not try). No, it is orange peels, cured grapefruit rinds, mixed peel and Seville marmalade. 7/10

MJ talks about ortolan buntings that were part of François Mitterand's last supper.

YM [to OB]: "Have you had it?"
OB: "No. It's illegal."
tOMoH: "...and no Frenchman would do something illegal."

YM presents: Encounter of the exotic, which, he says, seemed to fit the He-Man universe. He adds that this was bottled for the Japanese branch of the SMWS, which was good enough a connection to the J-universe.

68.44 8yo d.2011 Encounter the exotic (57.3%%, SMWS Society Cask imported by Japan Import System, Re-Charred Oak Hogshead, 262b): nose: crazily, it feels punchier and stronger than the Macallan that came before. We have white wood and wood dust. Not much else. YM finds gooseberries. He is clearly inebriated. BA says he could drink this as a cordial. It has a strong metallic note, after a moment. Water somehow makes it even more neutral, with wood shavings soaking in water. Mouth: lemon zest mixed with vanilla shavings. Perhaps notes of golden grass? It feels as though the ABV prevents this from telling all its story. Let us add water, then... It turns fruitier, yet also bitterer. Finish: warm, dangerous, close to grainy in that I can see this going to one's head. The more one drinks it, the more sweet mint drops (dragées) come out. Water gives it an Indian-tonic vibe, with a similar balanced bitterness and tame fruit. This is good. 7/10

MJ departs (with a sample of the last dram).

tOMoH presents: Man-at-Ardmore

Ardmore 1992/2010 (49.4%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Barrel, C#5014, 158b, b#169): nose: soft leather, smoked raspberries, and the same Bouvier-des-Flandres scent I mentioned in relation to a Balblair, a while ago. Well, this is closer to the house that dog lived in than to the dog himself, but still. It is very farm-y, this, farm paths and mud patties. Mouth: mellow, creamy, it has raspberry-filled milk chocolate and a square of dark chocolate on the side, which adds a slight bitterness. Finish: phwoar! Smashed raspberries and dark chocolate. Lovely. Full notes here. 9/10

BA [about the new Dornoch distillery]: "It's in Dornoch. Nothing is more than ten minutes away [from anything else in Dornoch]."
tOMoH: "Ten minutes is even stretching it."
BA: "Dodgy knee, mate!"

tOMoH and JS present: Evil-Lynlithgow -- two of them, so that is Two Bad covered too. :-)

JS's was distilled in June to boot.

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) (tOMoH): nose: sooty-and-a-half, it soon picks up a faint note of wine. Mouth: och! meow. It has yellow flowers, cut peaches, white plums... Phwoar? Finish: sooty fruits, mostly white peaches, and even passion fruits. Full notes here. Today, it is 9/10

vs.

Linlithgow 22yo 1975/1998 (51.7%, Signatory Vintage Silent Stills, C#96/3/01, 335b, b#243, 98/0632) (JS): nose: orchard fruits, roasted apples and nut liqueur. Mouth: it displays the St Magdalene austerity, combined with the fruits of the Lowlands. Extraordinary. Finish: sweet soot. Incredible orchard-fruit juice spilled over soot-y gravel. Phwoar again! Full notes here. 9/10

OB and YM prefer the 1982, while BA and I vote for the 1975. Both are phantastic. To think I used to not like mine that much...

tOMoH [to OB]: "I was sure you'd had the one for LMdW, but my blog says you haven't. But if you're sure you've had it, give it to someone else."
OB: "No. I'm not sure."

BA: "Neither of them is stabbing me behind the eyes, which is the effect many St Magdalene have on me."

BA: "How hard life is!"
OB: "How much does it suck, right now?"

BA presents: Orko-ney

An Orkney 16yo 2004/2020 ((59.1%, Campbeltown Whisky Company Watt Whisky specially bottled for Watt Whisky Buds, 2 hogsheads married together in a Brandy Butt, 290b): nose: mud patties, cured apples, leather, and no wine stain whatsoever. Dried peat comes out later, as does crackly-dried plasticine. Mouth: strong, it is fresh, but also earthy. It has a generous dose of cracked black pepper. Chewing unleashes some fruits that I identify as blackberries. Finish: bog myrtles trampled into the mud. BA and YM find tinned peach, nectarine and artificial orange drink (YM). BA specifies it is Raspberry-Ripple Irn Bru. 8/10

We talk about undisclosed distilleries. YM jokes about the whiskies that are marketed as made at a distillery on the isle of Jura.

tOMoH: "There are two distilleries on Jura."
BA: "Yeah. Lussa makes gin exclusively."
tOMoH: "That's right. Still a distillery."
BA: "If you go to the hotel, the other building on Jura, you can taste it."

OB flatteringly announces that JS and tOMoH are the Masters of the Universe, so he brought a bottle he opened with us on the weekend in which he made that opinion.

Port Ellen 22yo 1978/2000 (60.5%, OB Rare Malts Selection, 4580b): nose: this is super mineral, brutal and relentless. It has leather, berries squashed in moccasins. Ashes too, elevated by chocolate, in the long run. Mouth: immediately austere, full of quarry dust, stone chippings and rusting tools. It is desiccating, sandy, and, at this strength, how could it be otherwise? At the same time, it is also strangely sweet, like only Port Ellen can be. That carries over at second sip. The mix of austerity and sweetness is simply staggering. It is saltier at second sip, with cockles and beach sand mixed with a sweetness reminiscent of brown sugar. Finish: huge, and it proves a timebomb, in that it starts off sweet, then blows up on the way back up the oesophagus. Earth and crème brûlée emerge at second gulp. It becomes saltier upon repeated sipping, but the overall mood does not diverge too much. It does gain a lick of chocolate, however. This is what one might call a killery. Like Killery Linton. Tonight, top score. 10/10

After that intensity, everyone is whiskied out. Another excellent afternoon has been had.

Happy birthday, JS!