09/03/2024 Dune Part One

With the second film in cinemas since last week (BA and OB have already seen it, JS and I are seeing it tomorrow), now is an ideal time to use Frank Herbert's universe as a theme.

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Arrakkian Junkies

tOMoH presents: Tam-Dune.

Tamdhu 33yo 1969/2003 (40.5%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection) (tOMoH): the nose is elegant and fruity from top to bottom, with citrus-y custard. The palate is nicely spicy, yet balanced, while the finish has lovely stewed tangerine segments. My full notes are here. Today, I will upgrade it to 9/10

OB: "This next one is a blended malt. In French, we would call that a mélange." (An obvious nod to the spice mélange.)

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 40yo d.1977 (42.9%, Thompson Bros., Sherry Casks, 150b) (OB): nose: well-caramelised stewed tangerines, borderline shoe polish, blackened banana skins. It has a touch of liquorice too, and perhaps some panna cotta on the second nose, as well as an odd, very discreet whiff of hemp. Mouth: a tad drying, it has caramelised apricot stained by the stone. It turns fairly mineral, with quarry chippings, yet that is balanced by more fruit. The second sip is juicier, fresh and vibrant. Grape juice, augmented with drops of grapefruit juice. Finish: very pleasant, it has just the right oomph. A nice acidity of citrus, and a faint bitterness, like grapefruit peels. The following gulps are more caramelised, with barbecued honey-glazed grapefruit skins. I like it better than I remember. That is: I am convinced that I have tried this before, yet I cannot find any evidence 8/10

tOMoH: "It's growing on me, that mélange."
OB: "Your eyes are getting bluer."

BA cocked up his choice of socks

BA presents a whisky from Israel, which is in a desert, just like Dune.

Milk & Honey Classic (46%, OB, b.2021) (BA): nose: marzipan and frangipane, then candied tangerine segments, and newly-oiled birch shelves. It is distinctly woody, yet it is a honeyed style of wood. The second nose has a  serving of grated cedarwood sheet. Mouth: a vague woody bitterness, and, again, a lot of honey, slowly setting. It is slightly drying, after a while, but mostly velvety and unctuous. I love it more with every sip. Finish: warming and pleasant, with more setting honey, and creamy body butter. It is long and relaxing. I would have loved to hate this (because, really, who needs more temptation?), but it is, in fact, very good. 8/10

The soundtrack: Silence - IV

JS presents: a Dune Eideann bottling of Dune-glass.

Dunglass 22yo 1967/1990 (46%, Dun Eideann imported by Donato & C., C#1893-6) (tOMoH): nose: flowery (OB), soapy (JS), yet it retains a malty backbone (OB). I have pot-pourri, flowers and a lick of soap indeed. "This nose is not too offensive," says OB. Mouth: violet sweets, which works for me. Finish: boiled sweets and melted milk chocolate -- loads of it. It is very particular, but I like it. Much more than the first time, in fact (notes here).  JS is not a fan. 7/10

BA produces a bottle that is obviously an industry sample called Wolfcraig. Leftover from a competition, in which BA was a judge. He ventures that the logo looks a bit like the crest of House Atreides.

And indeed...

Wolfcraig 30yo Premium Blend (46.3%, OB) (BA): hot marzipan and crispy bacon. What? Next are minty wood splinters, then, suddenly, plasticine. It then has a touch of linen and warm oilcloth lining. A few cuberdons in the second nose, and some kind of blueberry paste. We find some wood too, and a chemical fruitiness I associate with bubble gum. Mouth: well, it is not soapy per se, but it does have a flowery note, part dried lavender, part pot-pourri, part heather, part melted chocolate again. How odd! Am I particularly sensitive to melted chocolate, today? The second mouth is astonishingly-more drying, with stone filings and ground olive stones. Finish: wide, it has chocolate, though lavender-infused chocolate. It has a great balance, some spices, and an enjoyable complexity. The second gulp has more chocolate, even. This is not blinding, yet one has to admire the skill of Richard Paterson for putting something like this together (credit to Ian Macmillan too, of course). JS finds it too round, while I, in the long run, bump it up one point. 8/10

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Travelling without moving

tOMoH unveils a Dallas Dune. Also, Dallas is in Texas, parts of which are deserts.

45.19 31yo 1975/2007 Foreplay whisky (45.6%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill Barrel) (tOMoH): nose: "rather good" (BA), polished oak (BA), "reminds me of Glen Mhors I have had" (BA). Old jams and smoky marmalade on the palate, very satisfying. It has a jammy and juicy finish, with a softly-austere touch. JS finds strawberry jam, while I have a drop of shampoo (much less than last time -- full notes here). I like it more today. I am tempted to go to 9, but will calm down. 8/10

BA shows the next bottle and explains: "This is in theme, because it's nice. I hope."
JS: "Also, your name is on it..."
BA: "Yes. And there is a mention of axles. Axles of Dune's battle tanks."
tOMoH: "Ballechin. Or ball aching, as I like to say."
BA: "Bally chin, too. Plus, a sponge soaks up water, and makes things dry. Dry like Dune, the sand planet."

We sadly all miss the obvious Gurney Hallec-hin.

Ballechin 15yo Second Secret Edition (48.5%, Decadent Drinks WhiskySponge Secret Edition, 121b) (BA): nose: hay bales, straw, bacon. It turns more farm-y, after a moment, with cow stables, horse saddles, and mud patties drying in the sun. OB calls some butyric action. The second nose has more bacon, and earth. In the back of the sinuses, something slightly medicinal appears, perhaps ether. Mouth: liquorice root (OB), swede (JS), caster-sugar-coated turnips, honey-cured bacon, baked clay. Ink and ash appear at second sip, with a chopped red chilli in tow. We also detect a few grains of toasted barley. Finish: long, balanced, it has roasted apples, charred apple cores, Verdigris, and lichen on staves. This one is not totally my style, yet it is good. I like that it is bottled at this low ABV, as opposed to some of the jaw-tearing Port Charlottes with a similar profile. 7/10

JS: "I recognise this... Hecker."
tOMoH: "Yup."

JS: "Tim?"

tOMoH: "Woody Wood P. Hecker."

Time for some kouign amann, courtesy of our in-house baker, OB

The soundtrack: Dune - The Alliance EP

OB presents a Clynelish bottled by Duncan Idaho Taylor.

Clynelish 23yo 1988/2012 (49.8%, Duncan Taylor Dimensions, Oak Cask, C#4546, 273b, b#163) (OB): nose: fruity white wine (Riesling?), maybe even Schorle. Indeed, although fruity, the nose is a little subdued, as if cut with water (which is known as Schorle in German). It is also rather mineral, and has a touch of exotic wood too (mahogany or teak). Waxy plasticine timidly takes off, after a bit. The second nose has smoky seal wax, and stale stamp glue. Mouth: citrus-y custard, custard-y citrus. Calamansi, oroblanco, pomelo, ugli fruit. It grows more acidic, over time, though still on the mandarin side of citrus. No fierce lime or grapefruit here. Finally, it gets stone dust, stuck in drying wax. The second sip feels sweeter. Finish: wide and warming, with a stewed-apricot note lingering on the tonsils. We also find warm peach slices, melting in the mouth, and coating the palate. In the long run, there is a faint metallic touch too. I enjoy this immensely, today, and will rate it accordingly generously. 9/10

The soundtrack: The Gesualdo Six / Owain Park - Byrd - Mass For Five Voices

BA: "Do you mind if I take a picture of this Clynelish to post it on our WhatsApp group?"
OB: "I don't mind you doing anything with the bottle, except finishing it."
tOMoH: "You'll notice he did not mention anything about inserting it in your rectal cavity..."
BA: "I was just about to say that."

Following International Women's Day, JS focuses on Dune's main female protagonist: Ardnamur-Chani.

Ardnamurchan 2015/2020 (59.5%, OB part of the Ardnamurchan first aid kit, ex-Oloroso Hogshead, C#AD/CK.670-16/10/15) (JS): JS finds it alright, yet pretty intense. I love it and give it the same generous score as before. My full notes are here. 9/10

Excellent little tasting with some original drams of high quality. And quality dodgy puns.

21/08/2020 The masked tasting

Confinement forces us to observe social distancing and wear masks whenever we get up, yet we do manage to meet up for a shindig -- yay!

Because everyone will arrive at different times, and because, until the last moment, the event is touch and go, we (I) decide to not have a theme and to have little or no structure. Freestyle.

adc, JS, sonicvince, ruckus, STL, red71, Bishlouk, dom666, kruuk2, Gaija, Psycho and PSc all drop by for a time, and it is a pleasure to see people in the flesh, after six months of no social activity.

Newcomers STL and red71 struggle with some names a bit. They insist on calling ruckus Patrick, which amuses me immensely.

adc brings cheeses, JS brings a chocolate-and-whisky cake, ruckus brings a home-baked loaf of semolina bread, sonicvince brings bread sticks and an apple tart, red71 brings home-made tapenade and leftover prawn crackers, STL brings home-made sushi, Gaija brings houmous (hexual) and grissini we will never touch, PSc brings various crisps. Everyone brings whisky, which is all the better. We will not try everything, however.

Glen Grant 21yo b.1996 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, IF/AFF) (me): please see my notes from yesterday. It seems to have pouring honey on top of what I wrote down then, especially in the finish. Very elegant. 8/10

Littlemill 20yo 1991/2012 (50%, Douglas Laing The Old Malt Cask 50°, Refill Hogshead, C#DL8481, 121b) (sonicvince): ruckus and I wonder if it is the same sonicvince poured last year, but he quickly puts it right: it is not. That one was 19yo. Nose: juicy pineapple, sink funk and Virginia tobacco, a pinch of dust (might it be ash?), milky cereals and daffodils. Mouth: lively, fruity, it has lots of pineapple, tinned peaches and a sprinkle of herbs, although I cannot decide if it is sage or dried parsley. Finish: long and fruity, it has that sink funk note that comes from tropical fruits gone off (mango, papaya, jack fruit), a gentle dryness and a herbal touch too. Excellent. 9/10

tOMoH: "ruckus, have you finished your Littlemill?"

sonicvince: "You don't hear him. He only eats and drinks. We'll call him Patrick McCain!"

(sonicvince refers to an ad for chips from the early 1990s -- link to the only version I can find)

red71's home-made tapenade

STL's sushi

Glendronach 26yo 1974/2001 (47.5%, Douglas Laing The Old Malt Cask 50°, 198b) (ruckus): ruckus claims we have had this in the past and I did not think much of it. He adds it was ten or fifteen years ago. I cannot remember it at all, nor can I find evidence on the blog. Funny that the label mentions a 50% offering, yet it is below that. Nose: toilet deodorant -- in a good way! :-) Génépi, pine freshness, Gocce Pino, Suc des Vosges, mountain-flower honey, melon skins, pomelo peels, toothpaste and menthol. Mouth: similar waves of pine-y sweetness (Suc des Vosges) and minty toothpaste, this time accompanied by galia melon and prickle-pear honey. Finish: big, fruity, minty and a little drying, it retains the pine notes. Later on, it has pine nut, beech nut and green hazelnut too. Excellent. It seems that breathing in an open bottle for a decade did wonders on this one, we all agree. 8/10

Bishlouk notes that he has not tried many Old Malt Casks in his life. More ancient members of the group look at him in disbelief, since that was more or less the only independent bottler we drank, for a long time.

Dailuaine 28yo 1983/2012 (47.3%, Archives First Release, Hogshead, C#865, 265b) (Bishlouk): nose: walnut flesh, walnut stain, wood varnish. A few minutes in, we have mint and thuja bark too. It is rather splinter-y, in all honesty. Mouth: it is minty on the palate as well, yet fruitier than the nose, with pomelo peels and cedar buds. Finish: the wood is more clearly felt here, with toothpaste (both the minty taste and the mouthfeel it leaves behind) eucalyptus and a drop of chocolate. Good, but woody. 8/10

Cheese board #1 and #2

Cheese board #3

Gaija: "This Glendronach is amazing! I get raclette..."
tOMoH: "Is your cheese board too close to your mouth?"

Pulteney 11yo 2006/2017 (55.8%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 570b) (red71): nose: musky and animal, this one has fox skin written all over it. Shortly thereafter, another pine wave floods me (there are days like this), before leather comes up, perhaps with a note of sea air. Mouth: sea-sprayed wood. This is really rather woody, despite the young-ish age, unexpectedly so. It is also very salty. Finish: long, big, it has a hefty dose of sea salt, brine, a lick of leather and orange peels. What a pile of salt! 7/10

Bishlouk's home-made mango sorbet

Bishlouk's home-made raspberry sorbet

Clynelish 23yo 1995/2019 (54.8%, Signatory Vintage for The Nectar of the Daily Drams, Refill Sherry Butt, C#11244, L19/472) (Gaija): nose: cola++ that attacks the nostrils a bit. Wood varnish, splinters, carbonyl and liquorice -- not in an aniseed way; more like toasted aromas. Mouth: perhaps a little monolithic, with dry sherry that desiccates the mouth. It is hot, earthy and root-y (coffee grounds, liquorice root, turmeric root). The second sip is noticeably sweeter, especially after the raspberry sorbet (great combination!) Finish: still drying, full of Oloroso/root-y markers. I find it a bit hard-hitting and still monolithic, but it is fair. Whoever thought of bringing sorbet had a genius idea, in any case. 7/10

Ballechin 12yo 2004/2017 (53.6%, OB specially selected by and bottled for Vinothek Massen, Tasttoe and Dims Dram, Sherry Cask, C#349, 237b, L17/235) (STL): nose: braised bacon, grenadine, caramelising in the sauce pan, barbecue grille and a distant whiff of sulphur (matchsticks). "Meat! Leather! Metal!" says red71, not realising his belt is too close to the fireplace. "It sounds very BDSM," replies dom666. Mouth: sweet, in a honey-glazed-cured-bacon sort of way, with spices added on top. Further sips become sweeter and sweeter. Finish: long, voluptuous, it has honey-glazed pork roast starting to caramelise, and the rind of which is turning into that dark, tarry, crackling layer. 7/10

dom666: "There are six people in my office, and only one bloke."
tOMoH: "Who's that?"
dom666: "Me."
tOMoH: "Ah..."

The Balvenie 21yo PortWood (40%, OB, American Oak + Finished in Portuguese Oak Port Pipes, L3+P 4130 2402) (kruuk2): we all fear for this one. A 40% Speysider to follow a cask-strength Ballechin? The bottle is almost empty, so I cannot postpone trying it (again). Nose: lovely peachy nose, fruity and enticing. Tinned peaches and pineapple slices. Mouth: soft, velvety, choc-full of ripe-peach flesh. Finish: the peaches turn slightly rancio-y, at this point, which appeals to me very much. Short notes in unfavourable circumstances, but, if we all have varied preferences, we all agree it has not suffered much from being almost empty for all those years. Better than my memory of the 1989 vintage bottling from the same distillery. 8/10

Nikka Super (43%, OB imported by La Maison du Whisky) (dom666): dom666 explains he bought this blend out of curiosity, because it was cheap as chips. Nose: a little neutral alcohol and sugared water, perhaps barley water. Mouth: sugared water, barley water -- this has very little to say. Finish: more sugared/barley water with a touch of spices. Well, it is not disgusting. 5/10

Gaija: "Ah! There are bottles that are more interesting visually, then..."

Rosebank 12yo 1991/2004 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Bourbon Barrel, C#4710, 322b, b#49, 04/0638) (kruuk2): I recognise it as being one of two peaty Rosebanks, and the one floating Rosebank we had at a legendary tasting by Psycho's pool (before this blog existed). Another bottle that has been almost empty for ten years or more. Nose: pine branches, cedar needles, Suc des Vosges (again!) and a drop of vanilla custard. Mouth: fresh, custard-y in texture, it has more pine freshness and a citrus-y side, with pomelo and grapefruit pith. Finish: acidic and a little bitter, it displays tea leaves, grapefruit pith and pomelo segments. This is not at all as I remembered it, but excellent nonetheless. 8/10

sonicvince's breadsticks

ruckus's home-made semolina bread

dom666: "ruckus, you made this bread with a machine?"
adc: "No, with his hands."
ruckus: "With my feet."
Bishlouk: "As long as it's not with your dick..."
Gaija: "From a smell perspective, it's not that far..."
All: "???"

sonicvince's apple pie

Craigellachie 25yo 1994/2019 (56.1%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts Of Scotland, Hogshead, C#1063, 195b) (Gaija): nose: powerful AF, it takes a couple of sniffs to get over the high ABV. Once past it, however, it has spearmint and cut flowers. In the long run, it takes on a note of faint leather, then... pine cones (it's a pine-y day!) Mouth: liqueur, hazelnut polish and a hefty spiciness; ginger and lemongrass argue with spearmint and apple blossom, and then, out of nowhere, some milk chocolate appears. Finish: big and boisterous, yet also fresh and minty, it has apple mint, lemon mint and Madeira biscuits soaked in Bourbon. Cracking dram that would definitely require more time. 8/10

Longrow 14yo 2004/2018 (56.9%, Duty Paid Sample, Fresh Sherry Butt, Warehouse 15, Rotation 185, 1b) (Bishlouk): nose: the trademark farmyard, with tractor tyres, diesel, forgotten in a jerry-can for ages, paint, chipping off the tractor's mudguard, but also beef jerky and sweet biscuits -- apple biscuits, if that makes sense. Mouth: spicy and muscular, it has ploughed fields and scorched earth in similar measures, a dash of red wine, as well as something sweet -- probably dried apple slices, cane sugar and crushed biscuits. Finish: crumbly earth, dried fields, beaten down by sun rays. It retains a distinctly wine-y side too, dry and tannic... and a bit sickly, to be honest. Rancio and dusty staves, charred ribs or crispy bacon streaks. I like the nose. The rest feels less well integrated. 7/10

JS's chocolate-and-whisky cake.
I suggest it could replace the traditional cake from now on.
I meet resistance...

Blind pour from a hip flask: nose: a fruity/floral nose, with a peachy, marzipan-y mix to die for. In the far back, incandescent Virginia tobacco lingers. Mouth: minty paste, spread on baked peaches, velvety, mellow. It reminds me of Cotton-Candy grapes, soft and fluffy, dunked in green-hazelnut paste. Finish: short but fresh, minty and custard-y, not particularly complex, yet well efficient. After a few pathetic attempts, I narrow it down to the distillery. The exact expression comes as a surprise. Auchentoshan Select (40%, OB, b. early 2000) 7/10

Even this late, this humble dram holds itself together. All those years of drinking exclusive stuff, all those drams today, and a supermarket whisky that used to be 23 EUR a bottle still manages to seduce and surprise everyone.

Enough for today. Others have other whiskies, but it is late. Over and out.

15/12/2019 A few disparate samples

CD sent me a sample, a while ago. My intention was to review it before anyone else. I failed when whiskyfun.com posted a review for it. Nae matter. Time to try it regardless. Let us make it a session, whilst we are at it.

Littlemill 28yo 1990/2019 (50.7%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b): this one, I did manage to get my hands on, before it was sold to someone else by mistake, much to my disappointment. At least, I get to try it. Nose: watercolour and waxy fruit (apricot), yet that quickly disappears to make room for a herbaceous touch that harks back to bottlings of Littlemill from fifteen-twenty years ago. Geraniums (should be gerania, really), flowering currants, green tomatoes, Kafir lime leaves and agave. The second nosing brings creamy cheese to the fore -- cheese made from cow's milk, that is. Mouth: fresh and rather leafy (with ivy, agave again, laurel), it still has the acidity of citrus, ripe lemon, to be precise, accompanied by lemon mint (mentha aquatica), apple mint and pear pulp. Perhaps the palate sees some pine influence -- Douglas fir, in that case, lemon-y and fresh. Finish: here is where it is at, with a discharge of sweet fruits: kumquat, persimmon, yellow peach, greengage, Chinese gooseberry and grapefruit, in the back, gently bitter, on top of the acidity associated with the fruits. Even further back, a drop of mocha seems to materialise, which is as pleasant as it is unexpected. The whole gets creamier with every sip, giving fruity yoghurt. Yum! The nose and palate suggested a slightly-lesser Littlemill. The finish brought it all back in line. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

Fettercairn 30yo 1988/2019 (56.9%, Signatory Vintage for C. Dully Selection, Hogshead, C#2007, 219b): nose: oooh! Old nuts! It has polished dashboards, linseed oil, crushed Brazil nuts, roasted peanuts, walnut oil, hazelnut paste -- this is nutty, nutty, nutty! The second sniff brings more floral and herbal tones, such as Marigold tagetes, gorse bushes, tomato stems, and a pinch of soil. Lastly, a mix of satsuma foliage and spinach enter the scene, as well as mercurochrome. Odd, but it works. Much later, it is unripe apricot that rears its head. Mouth: a distant bitterness of plant stems (dandelions) and foliage. That only lasts for seconds, though, as ginger is quick to take control -- not intrusively, but assertively. Orange zest, sandalwood, pistachio shells, and a tiny glass of dry white wine (Riesling). It warms the tip of the tongue, this one! The second sip is more bitter, with ivy leaves (back to herbaceous, then). Finish: nuts, here too, with lots of walnuts (skins on), almonds (skins on), crushed Brazill nuts (skins on), butterscotch, treacle, even, and still a leafy note; not quite sure if it is ivy or Virginia creeper, but it brings complexity and originality. The second sip welcomes more wine-y notes: fino sherry, Pedro Ximénez or Port, sweet, syrupy and fruity. Not an easy one! It can feel all over the place, even shaky. However, if one is not looking for an obvious malt that plays one loud note, this is hugely interesting and, ultimately, rewarding. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, CD)

The next one blind.

Nose: the bouquet of a well-aged Burgundy. Earth, leather and dried grapes. Soon, it morphs to reveal farm-y tones -- farm paths, tractor saddles, dry fields, hay bales under the August sun. Salt then joins in and it it is focaccia, with sea salt and rosemary. Next up are cardboard, old books and blotting paper. It could very well be the library in an old Italian farm, in the kitchen of which the farmer's wife has been making focaccia. Three sniffs in, it becomes a blend of ink and merbromin, softly medicinal, on top of being farm-y and literary. Mouth: the attack is subtle and I have a hard time believing it is north of 60% (the ABV is written on the label). It has apple juice, hessian sacks, strong wine, Madeira style, though much dryer. Baked potatoes, sea salt and timid smoke -- Lapsang Souchong, bonfires, gunpowder. Finish: the supposed pedigree (remember: I am trying it blind) is more obvious, here, with a lot of dry, ashy peat (Ardbeg?) and noticeable horsepower. It is by no means overly peaty; quite balanced, on the contrary, with very-dry earth, hay, spent incense, fishing nets (Caol Ila?) and hot sand. Maybe a little coal gas, with a drop of diesel, exhaust fumes, cordite and an old tractor's engine, rusty and smoky. This might very well be from Campbeltown, actually. Ballechin 12yo 2005/2018 (61.5%, Signatory Vintage The Un-Chillfiltered Collection selected for the Whisky Barrel, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#160, 291b) 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Gaija)

26/01/2019 Burns' Night 2019 -- Jeckyll and Hyde

We have already had duos of expressions from the same distilleries during Oddities and Comparisons. This time, we will do the same for distilleries which have produced different types of spirit, e.g. peated and unpeated.

Haggis monsterous

The suspects: adc, JS, kruuk2, dom666, sonicvince, ruckus, Psycho and myself.

dom666 and kruuk2 are late, so the rest of the guests have a drop of Ardmore 19yo 1978/1998 (46%, Cadenhead Original Collection) and seem to like it. No Ardlair to pair it with, unfortunately.

adc serves some nibbles (pigs in a blanket, halibut-and-gherkin toasts and Orkney cheese), whilst JS takes care of the music.

Soundtrack: Michael Nyman - Drowning by Numbers

When the Liège pair finally join, it is time to move to the table for food. We can start the tasting, at last.

Not before building the line-up, however

Parsnip-and-apple soup

The soup is very popular

Glencraig vs. Glenburgie -- Glencraig was the whisky made in Glenburgie's Lomond stills from 1958 to 1981.

Glencraig 31yo 1974/2005 (40%, Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare, C#2930, 262b, b#067) (dom666): this is an old acquaintance, but it always a pleasure to try it. Nose: light and dry, close to white wine in character, with additional sawdust. This is subtle and needs to be early in a line-up, I would imagine. Mouth: very soft, yet still characterful, mildly acidic, with crisp apple, cut pear and vanilla custard (the taste, not the texture). Finish: wonderful, long, despite the low strength, with soft milk chocolate and vanilla custard, pear and yoghurt. I still love this to bits! 9/10

vs.

Glenburgie 19yo d.1995 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines First Cask, 3 x Hogsheads, b#197) (Psycho): nose: sweet and fruity, this has marmalade and all sorts of yellow-fruit jams (apricot and peach) that soon bring more acidic notes as well. Mouth: pure jam, at this point. This is amazingly fruity, with bags of apricot, caramelised apple and caramelised peach. Finish: milk chocolate and wonderful fruit, plump and juicy, with peach and apricot leading the dance. Is there a bad First Cask? 9/10

Soundtrack: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call

Main course is served.

Exploded haggis (argh!)

Neeps and tatties

Potato-and-butternut gratin

Potato-and-mushroom gratin

Full plate \o/

Soundtrack: Tindersticks - Tindersticks

Tobermory vs. Ledaig -- the names were used more or less interchangeably in the past, but today, Tobermory is the regular whisky, while Ledaig is its peaty sibling.

Tobermory (40%, OB ceramic decanter, b.1980s) (tOMoH): curious about this one! Many tonight find something not quite right with it, without being able to articulate what. What is not quite right is probably everyone's lack of taste. Of course, I destroy the cork. Nose: ashy and shy. It is not extremely expressive, but still ashy and dusty, with charred dark wood (ebony). With some time, the nose turns deeper and nuttier. Is that a hint of vinegar? Rolling tobacco appear, later. Mouth: baked apples, caramelised apples, burnt apricot compote, a hint of vinegar again. This is surprisingly bold and assertive on the palate, ample and nice. Finish: sweet and fruity, it is, again, full of caramelised apple. The third sip has more tobacco as well. I find this excellent, but it is very divisive. 8/10

vs.

Ledaig 1974/2000 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old, JJ/CB) (tOMoH): nose: the shy nose from the newly-opened bottle opens up: after thirty minutes, it is waxy as hell, with lots of citrus peel and mirabelle plum, peach stone and purple nail polish. Fruit develops in a big and waxy way and contributes to an amazing nose. Mouth: a very soft note of farm-y peat, though the dominant remains the yellow fruit (peach and plum). This is rather soft, of course, at 40%, but beautiful regardless. Finish: again, farm-y tones, much bolder, in the finish. The second sip brings about fantastic fruit, in keeping with the nose and mouth. An excellent Ledaig, with the perfect balance of fruit and farm peat. 9/10

1980s driven cork in full effect

Destroyed

It is a miracle it held together in the bottle

Soundtrack: Xorcist - Nomad

Tomatin vs. peaty Tomatin -- they call it Cù Bòcan for their official range, but the indies of course call it Tomatin. And Tomatin has been making peaty stuff for a bit, though it never reaches Laphroaig levels of peat, naturally.

Tomatin 1976/2001 (43%, John Alexander's Collection exclusively distributed by S.L. Major) (sonicvince): after the huge tasting last June, sonicvince decided that great whiskies were meant to be shared and that he would therefore share this one tonight. What a good thought! This is the second half of the cask bottled by James McAllister that we all loved so much in 2011. Nose: exuberantly fruity, it has passion fruit, guava, mango, jackfruit, perhaps overripe satsuma and lychee. Blueberry makes a late appearance for shits and giggles. Mouth: mellow and fruity, the palate has mango yoghurt, grapefruit juice, crushed passion fruit, fresh fig, ... Woah! Finish: long and tropical, fruity. Pure pleasure in a bottle. Fingers crossed sonicvince manages to not empty the bottle too soon and shares it with us again. 9/10

vs.

Tomatin 23yo 1994/2018 (47.4%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, 234b, 17/591) (JS): I remember liking this when it came out, but not being impressed enough to buy a case of it (it is an expression). I also note it was released in 2018, but the bottling code suggests a 2017 bottling. Nose: surprisingly fruity too, though slightly less tropical, it has citrus and heavily-fragrant peaches; later, it is nail varnish and subtle smoke. The smoke grows and grows, augmenting the whole thing without ever smothering any of the other aromas. Mouth: chewy, the sherry influence is felt, but it still has lots of fruit, with dates, figs and soaked sultanas. Tobacco smoke, black tobacco and wood lacquer. Finish: warming, with more of those wonderful, lush fruits and elegant smoke. A-ma-zing. 9/10

Soundtrack: Mentallo & The Fixer - Where Angels Fear to Tread

Amrut vs. peaty Amrut vs. blended Amrut -- the Bangalore-based producer makes peated batches, but also blends other whiskies for its domestic market.

MaQintosh Silver Edition (42.8%, Amrut Distilleries Delhi Exclusive, B#61, b.2016) (ruckus): and this is the blend. Nose: a thin veil of smoke, caramel and roasted hazelnuts. Nothing else. It smells like any old blend, really, a bit generic, but also not repulsive. Mouth: yup, a rather simple blend, with caramel and a bit of smoke. It is well made, probably with a level comparable to that of the Striding Man's. Finish: a cloak of smoke over caramelised apples. Again, not overly complex, but well pleasant. 6/10

vs.

Amrut 4yo 2009/2013 (62.8%, OB Single Cask for Europe, Bourbon Cask, C#3448, 161b, b#134) (ruckus): nose: solvents, citrus juice, a vaguely farm-y note. This is nice. Water helps chocolate emerge. Mouth: powerful, big, it is full of lime, leather, hot hay, red embers. This is huuuuuge. Finish: the long and hot finish carries a lot of wood. 7/10

vs.

Amrut Peated b.2016 (46%, OB, B#55) (ruckus): nose: dried mud, loud and clear, manure, more subtle. A one-trick pony, truth be told, but it does its trick well indeed (provided one likes mud and manure, of course). Mouth: soft, it has mandarins and dried mud. It is now fruity, yet still muddy. It works. Finish: a dash of coffee, dried mud, farm paths, wood splinters -- in fact, it is pretty woody. A good entry-level whisky. 7/10

Dessert makes its way in.

ruckus: "The cake was very good. I hope there is another one!"

Fluffy

Soundtrack: Project Pitchfork - The Early Years (89-93)

Laphroaig vs. unpeated Laphroaig -- Psycho has a bottle he calls the UFO, seeing as it has "virtually no peat."

Laphroaig 18yo (48%, OB, 1LAPH18F01) (Psycho): nose: unctuous, it has copious doses of juicy fruit, but then it also has leather and distant peat. Mouth: leather and mandarins. I am way behind and am rushing my notes in a bid to catch up. Finish: long, it has burnt wood and fruit juice. This is good, but it suffers from the sequence. It does not have the calibre to follow all those great drams. 7/10

vs.

Laphroaig 8yo 2001/2009 (46%, Signatory Vintage The Un-Chillfiltered Collection, Refill Butt, C#629, 853b, b#346, L09/242) (Psycho): nose: diluted ash, despite Psycho's claim this one has no smoke or peat. It is very ashy, with sun-drenched leather, ink, old engines and old copper coins. Mouth: rather soft at 46%, it has lots of farm-y notes, (it is the day, is it not?), with tractor tyres, farm paths and a touch of fruit (ripe pear, I reckon), as well as a dash of lime juice. Finish: big and ashy, with perhaps a touch of vinegar, pickled gherkins and a weird mix of sugar-coated seafood. 6/10



Soundtrack: Download - III

JS clocks off, soon followed by adc. We boys soldier on at a leisurely pace.

Loch Lomond vs. Inchmoan -- Loch Lomond distillery makes in excess of ten different whisky styles with its varied pieces of kit. Inchmoan is one of them that has been enjoying its time in the spotlight, lately.

Loch Lomond 1814 Finest Malted Barley (46%, OB, L2/266/16 09 36, b. ca 2017) (dom666): Loch Lomond makes grain whisky, but this is not really it: it is made of one hundred percent malted barley (which usually makes single malt), but distilled in a column still; the SWA declared a long time ago that that was not allowed to make single malt, so it has to be called a grain whisky. In the 19th century, it would have been called a silent malt. Nose: sweet custard, coconut, pomelo juice and icing sugar. Mouth: super soft, sweet, it has custard and fruity yoghurt. Finish: big, sweet and custard-y, a cracking silent malt, even if it is late for good notes. This one pleases the grain heads we are. 8/10

vs.

Inchmoan 10yo 1994/2005 (54.8%, OB exclusively selected for The Whisky Fair, C#646, 210b, b#10) (dom666): Inchmoan has enjoyed a renaissance, over the last couple of years. It is one of the peaty expressions made at Loch Lomond; it is distilled in their Lomond still, which has seen its rectifying plates either removed or rendered immobile to please the SWA. Nose: sulphur and vinegar, baked rotten fruit, sea water (sonicvince), sweaty feet (Psycho). I find the nose entertaining, but everyone else hates it with a passion. Mouth: salty-sweet, it has algae and caramelised oysters (yes), combined with drying embers. It is hot indeed. Finish: it becomes amazing, here, with grass, fruit, embers and perhaps roasted chicken. An interesting enough dram, with a terrible nose and an excellent finish. Drama of the day for most. 6/10

Psycho: "Ah! The one that smells like feet!"
(sonicvince adds water to it)
Psycho: "Now, it smells like wet feet!"

The Inchmoan suffers from a ridiculously bad cork

Soundtrack: Xorcist - Insects & Angels: Differences & Indifferences

The second cake enters. It will last a whole ten minutes. adc and JS will be rightly annoyed tomorrow to not have tried it.

...much to ruckus's amusement

(untranslatable)
Psycho: "Je suis en train de déveloper une allergie aux mèches à métaux."
me: "Elles te trouent le cul?"

Bunnahabhain vs. Moine/Margadale -- the latter being peated Bunnahabhain, when their usual output is only two or three ppm.

Bunnahabhain 28yo 1989/2018 (43.5%, The Nectar of the Daily Dram for The Whisky Fair 2018) (adc): nose: überfruity from the word 'go,' it has green grapefruit, fruity yoghurt and pineapple slices. Mouth: acidic, yet custard-y at the same time, with pineapple and grapefruit slices. Finish: again, fruity, light, it has fruity yoghurt and tropical fruit (pineapple, grapefruit, dried-mango cubes). This is lovely. Hope to try it again in the future. 9/10

vs.

Bunnahabhain 25yo XXV (43%, OB, 78413/78415) (kruuk2): we had this a few years ago (2011?), and I remember liking it a lot; a sherried, unpeated Bunna, if I remember well. Nose: raspberry, a whiff of pickled vinegar, cut grass, cassia bark... God! The raspberry is assertive. Coming back to it after the next dram, much more smoke comes up -- farm-y smoke, with diesel and mud, rather than seafood. Mouth: it seems a little watery, but it has a nice sherry influence, with raspberry coulis and a soupçon of wood splinters. It is a bit acidic, too. Finish: yes, a mix of raspberry coulis, wood yoghurt and peach pulp, complemented with hints of cocoa. Woah! What a dram! 8/10

vs.

Bunnahabhain 27yo 1978/2006 (55.6%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Sherry Butt, C#2542, 509b, b#84, 6/0098) (JS): JS poured this years ago (how time flies), and had mixed feelings about it. She is no longer here to enjoy it, but we will. :o) Nose: one can smell the woody and smoky sherry influence; it has mint, cinnamon and ginger powder. It grows fruitier, with peach in wine and Fino sherry. Mouth: big, leathery, full of horse's hair, dry hay, drying and nutty sultanas and prunes. This is close-to-perfect sherry maturation. It appears to have lost all the bitter rubber it used to have. Finish: rhoo! This is nice, with lots of dried fruits -- Smyrna raisin (all guns blazin'), dried prune and, finally, a distant touch of drying rubber, with perhaps a whiff of smoke. 8/10

What an awesome trio!

Soundtrack: kruuk2's compilations #1 and #2 from a previous edition (2010?)

Ballechin 13yo 2004/2017 (55.2%, OB / Signatory Vintage The Un-Chillfiltered Collection specially selected by and bottled for Tasttoe and Vinothek Massen, Port Cask, C#197, 292b, L17/216) (kruuk2): kruuk2 brought this as a sparring partner for an Edradour... but no-one brought an Edradour. For the record, Ballechin is the peated whisky made at Edradour. He brought it, we might as well taste it. Nose: once again, a peaty whisky that smells very farm-y, with shoe polish, earth and ashy embers. Mouth: big mouth (strikes again), drying earth, burnt orange skins. This is really drying. Finish: huge finish, earthy, with more embers, farm paths and ash. This is very good and a pleasant surprise. But it is late for meaningful notes. 8/10

ruckus: "I was a teenager..."
Psycho: "You were a teenager? Were there still dinosaurs?"

We all retreat to the sofas, in front of the now-roaring fire (to think adc struggled to get it going earlier!) The after-party is spent with the traditional...

North British 45yo 1963/2009 (50.7%, Signatory Vintage Rare Reserve, Hogsheads, C#117362 + 117363 + 117365, 290b, b#19)

117.3 25yo 1988/2013 Hubba-bubba mango and monstera (58.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 199b)
We never get to the Port Charlotte

Psycho and dom666 succumb to slumber, kruuk2 stops drinking, victim of a burnt oesophagus. ruckus and I are relatively awake, but decide to call it a night. It is 6:24. I tidy up a bit before turning and tossing in the bed for a couple of hours. Tomorrow, the lack of sleep will be felt.

What an epic night! The first six impressed me most, but all were good and interesting.

Dram of the day by suspect:
tOMoH: Tomatin 1976 or Ledaig
JS: Tomatin 1976
adc: Tobermory and Glenburgie
Psycho: Bunnahabhain 27yo Signatory
ruckus: Bunnahabhain 27yo Signatory
dom666: TBC
sonicvince: both Tomatin
kruuk2: both Tomatin