28/01/2023 Burns' Night 2023 -- Sideburns (Part 1)

Back in ze Heimat for the year's most ambitious tasting. And ambitious it is! This year's edition has the highest attendance, and possibly the longest line-up since we started celebrating Robert Burns, back in 2004.

Let them come!

The theme this year is Sideburns, which should provide plenty of fun.

The pace is fast, and the accent is on social interactions, rather than analytical note-taking. Ah, well.

kruuk2, Psycho, sonicvince and Mrs. sonicvince, red71, Bishlouk, STL, dom666, Gaija, ruckus, adc and JS join me for the occasion.

Psycho is sporting a bushy beard and long hair that earn him the nickname Glandaf Le Brun (it is not a typo).

STL takes it upon himself to build the line-up, before three others cast doubt in his mind and help him spend another thirty minutes polishing it.

How many engineers to build a line-up?

To help them do that, I pour...

Irish Mist (65° Proof, The Irish Mist Liqueur Co. imported by Heublein Inc., b.1970s): we had this last year, but with his sideburns, Brendan (yes, I christened the bottle/soldier) must make another appearance! He gets a very similar welcome to last year's.

Although more than one thinks it is
Hibiki 17yo, it is merely a repurposed bottle

Also, amuse-bouches

The soundtrack: ruckus - Side B(urns)

At last, we are ready to start

Knappogue Castle 12yo b.2015 (46%, Knappogue Castle Limited Release bottled exclusively for Vinothek Massen and Dram Brothers imported by Castle Brands, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 216b, b#125, L15 004 220) (red71): this does not fit in the theme in any way (boo!) Nose: hints of mint (Psycho), and juicy fruit (mango, mostly), some fresh herbs, penny walls, Earl Grey tea (Gaija), bergamot. It becomes more and more buttery as time passes, without losing its acidity -- something that is somehow accentuated by the appearance of pomegranate, usually not the butteriest of fruits. Mouth: an unexpected oomph, buttery fruit (in taste and texture -- think: mango), with a medicinal lick (Psycho). That texture is stupendous, buttery as smashed avocado. Finish: warming, fruity, here comes an onslaught of mango, bergamot and satsuma, in line with those older Irish beauties (not quite in that league exactly, of course). 8/10

adc: "The Knappogue ticks all my boxes."
tOMoH: "Would you say it's your favourite of the night, so far?"

Soup is served.

Carrot and orange

We talk about PSc, who could not make it tonight.
STL: "Who's PSc? Do you have a picture of him?"
tOMoH: "Yes, but there is a black circle in front."

Inver-Regal (43° Gay Lussac, J.H. Wham & Son (Largs), for testing purposes only, b. pre-1991): blended and bottled by Wham, both members of which sported beautiful sideburns, at some point. Nose: naphthalene and tar (Psycho). Everyone else agrees in describing it as a tad dirty. Gaija finds sriracha sauce, while STL declares fermented cabbage and garlic, and Psycho announces a late-coming, well-worn sock. Mouth: very floral, ripe with violets and nasturtium (STL and Gaija), which, red71 rushes to underline, is actually very pleasant. Finish: STL attributes it a Fino side. My full notes are here. 7/10

Andrew Ridgeley (of Wham fame)

George Michael (of Wham fame)
aka
Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου

red71: "I'm getting used to it."
tOMoH: "When you have it in the mouth, it's even better... Usually the case."
red71 [grins]: "Ça sent le vécu! (Sounds like experience talking!)"
STL: "Ça sent le vieux cul! (smells like old arse.)"

Main course enters. adc managed to source regular (as opposed to vegetarian) haggis locally, to complement the veggie one from the UK (turns out we brought veggie haggis last year too). It is McLoughlins, rather than Macsween -- uncharted territory. It is good, though much more-finely ground than Macsween's, and less spicy. No-one finds it better than Macsween's, but everyone agrees that between McLoughlins and no haggis, McLoughlins wins every time.

All three McLoughlins haggises explode in the oven

Potato-turnip-and-swede bake

Parsnip-apple-and-sage mash also on the plate. Delicious.

dom666: "How did you smuggle the veggie one in? Did you do like drug mules?"
tOMoH: "No, it's vegetarian and pre-cooked, so it's legal. But I could have."

Clydeside 3yo Stobcross (46%, OB, b.2021, CBSCS 09845) (JS): Clydeside, geddit? Nose: fruit, banana bread (Gaija) and warm custard. Mouth: something earthy or floury (Gaija). Everyone is astounded at the quality, especially given the age. Bishlouk goes from "it is very good" to "it will be very good when it's ten or twelve," but then he drinks labels. It is very good as is. My full notes are here. Tonight, it is... 7/10

Rhosdhu 26yo d.1979 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#3236, b#163) (tOMoH): this one is obviously for Rhosdhu-flaquettes (from 'rouflaquette,' French slang for sideburns). Nose: anchovy paste, i.e. dry and salty (Psycho), soy sauce (Psycho), kroepoek (Psycho, still ruminating last night's Chinese takeaway). For me, it is exuberant mango. Mouth: génépi, Chartreuse (Gaija), smashed grapefruit, as well as avocado, guava and papaya. Finish: a strong alcohol presence (Gaija, STL, red71), makes for a long finish that some say could be better integrated. For me, it is papaya, guava, and mellow citrus (bergamot? Satsuma?) Full notes will follow. This is tOMoH's bag. Funnily enough, it is also the longest-aged whisky of this line-up. 9/10

Glentauchers 21yo b.2018 (47.1%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, B#8, 803b, b#63) (ruckus): look at those sideburns! Nose: citrus all at once, with white grapefruit, pomelo, shaddock (Psycho says orange), then crystallised angelica and stem ginger, candied fruit, Gummibärchen, and citrus-y Douglas fir. Mouth: a touch of wood, and ripe-grapefruit peels. Finish: a touch of bitterness, and lots of citrus-y goodness (grapefruit), as well as a pinch of herbs. The evening's surprise, which seduces everyone, tonight. 9/10

Will you look at those sideburns!?

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Sideburns

STL demonstrates an impressive cake-cutting technique

Psycho [looks at the next bottle]: "It is a... Ha! Glenlivet. Same as mine, then."
tOMoH: "Aberlour-Glenlivet?"
Psycho: "Well, they're both made with the same water of the Livet river. Same whisky."
tOMoH: "Mmmmmkay."

Glenlivet d.1951 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail, b. 1970s) (adc): same as Aberlour 16yo, indeed. :) The lion on the label has great sideburns, does he not? Nose: some interesting sherry notes, here, with coffee (Gaija), engine grease, leather, citrus juice peppered with some shoe polish. Minutes in, we have a soft, smoky note, and a nuance of metal gutters. Coffee grows in intensity, though never overpowers -- imagine tiramisù. Mouth: dirty! Here are shoe polish, old leather, cow dung, even. The second sip pumps up the leather, and adds chicory infusion to the mix. Finish: cured meat from the barbecue, and roast beef. There is no charred note, to be clear; just a lovely cured-meat cloak. It develops a sweetness, in the long run. It treads a tight, borderline sulphur-y rope, but that is so subtle and balanced it is hardly noticeable. In fact, it is really bloody good, and I hope to get to try this again. A strong, strong 8/10

Check out those sideburns!

sonicvince wanted to find something to relate to Magazine - Shot By Both Sides (because he reckoned being shot by both sides must burn), but ended up bringing something he simply felt like bringing.

Tomatin 1976/2001 (43%, John Alexander's Collection exclusively distributed by S.L. Major): it feels like we had this a few weeks ago, but it has in fact been four years, and that hurts. Nose: unbelievably exuberant, ripe with tropical fruit -- mango, maracuja, and, later on, lychee. Mouth: (very) acidic, it has more tropical fruit than one can shake a stick at, namely pronounced lychee, and sauced-up mango. What is there not to like? Finish: beside the obvious mango, it takes on an additional complexity with the emergence of plaster, crushed Aspirin, and crushed mango stone -- in other words: bitterness. Still, amazingly fruity, though. 9/10

The first cake does not last long.
The second hardly longer.

The next bottle appears. JS tells us about La Ribambelle, a classic series of comic books by Roba, the creator of Boule & Bill. One character in La Ribambelle, is Scottish: Archibald Mac Dingelling. In one episode, they go to Scotland, where we meet his uncle Angus, and other clansmen, all of whom sport impressive moustaches. Naturally, the Mac Dingelling have a rival clan, the Mac Klangbang, recognisable for their green tartan, and massive sideburns. In one strip, there is a bar brawl involving one member of each clan. The Mac Klangbang representative's Christian name is Murchinson, and his sideburns are typical of his clan. Thereby leading to... Ardna-Murchinson.

Check out those sideburns!

From Roba, La Ribambelle en Ecosse, Dupuis

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2020 (46.8%, OB, 65% Bourbon & 35% PX & Oloroso Sherry Casks, B#AD/09.20:01, 15978b, b#13122) (JS): nose: refined smoke, roasted barley and cigarette ash, then a touch of strawberry toothpaste. Mouth: sandy, salty earth, warming and comforting. Finish: ashen and long, with a lick of dark cherry. Full notes here. Excellent young whisky. 7/10

Bishlouk gets up and gives everyone a piece of paper with an equation. tOMoH quickly decides it is too complex for tonight, and leaves it to the scientists to try and decode. A vain effort, as it turns out, because Bishlouk has no clue what the equation means. He does think, though, that it is odd maths, as is the next dram, a Kilkerran, which is triple distilled, rather than the usual double distillation operated at Glengyle. The odd equation is known as Burnside's theorem. Boom.

Boom, indeed.

Kilkerran 11yo b.2017 Triple Distilled (60.3%, OB Open Day 2017, 17/202) (Bishlouk): triple-distilled Kilkerran. Who woulda thunk? Nose: torn metal and warm thyme. Mouth: hot, it has some vanilla to round off hot metal, and a pinch of herbs in conversation with hot sugar. It is balanced and pleasant, in terms of flavours, but hot. Finish: long and warming, it delivers caster sugar in a way that makes me think of grain whisky -- or rum. 7/10

Aberlour 16yo (43%, OB Double Cask Matured, Traditional Oak Casks + Sherry Oak Casks) (Psycho): a-Burns-lour, says Psycho, who adds that this was stored on the right side of his cupboard. Ahem. Nose: heavy sherry at a low strength -- which shows: it is somewhat subdued, after the hard-hitting Kilkerran. We have leather belts, shoe polish, for one second, that soon morphs into cola. Mouth: mellow, soft, filled with chocolate custard and paste-like pudding. Finish: quaffable, easy-going. We see cola and maple syrup make up a dram that is well pleasant, even though it will not change the world. 6/10

The closest whisky name to 'Sideburns' is 'Burnside,' which is allegedly a blend(ed malt). Bishlouk therefore brought a blend.

Blended Scotch Whisky 20yo 1998/2019 (44.6%, Cadenhead Club, 1 x Sherry Hogshead + 1 x Sherry Butt, 500b, 19/250) (Bishlouk): nose: strong coffee, a notch of sulphur (Gaija), perhaps. But really: coffee, and mocha chocolate. Mouth: this has a huge mouth presence, explosive and toasted, with nigella seeds, toasted bread and flat cola, or Dr. Pepper. Finish: truly a fifty-fifty blend of cold coffee and flat cola, sprinkled with a pinch of ground black cumin. 6/10

Bishlouk departs, still unwilling to grasp or admit that Burns' Night is an all-nighter.

Continue reading here.

10/12/2022 Partial anagrams

Following on from the other day's Dunglass, the brief for the day is to bring bottlings from distilleries whose name contains at least three letters that also appear in the name of a popular celebration. And to make things more interesting, we will have them in alphabetical order of the celebrations they represent.

WhiskyLovingPianist, OB, Cavalier66, BA and JS join me for an afternoon of pfun.

The soundtrack: Olympic Pool Maintenance League - Projection Set

OB presents a 42.0% whisky for 4/20. Well, his bottle is 42%; he looked it up on Whiskybase, where it is recorded as 42.0%, from which he made 4.20%. The 20th April, or 4/20 across the Pond, is World Cannabis Day, by the way. You learn something every day. It is far fetched, strictly speaking, only two characters, but it is good enough to fly.

Invergordon 48yo 1972/2020 (42%, Thompson Bros., 3 x Refill Barrels, 260b): nose: coconut-y to the extreme, until the trademark blackcurrant rocks up. Cavalier66: "If you are going to market a coconut-flavoured nail varnish, you could do worse than make it smell like this." It has a lick of nail varnish indeed, candlewax (WhiskyLovingPianist), and fruity yoghurt. Mouth: buttery, oily, coating, it is mild, with a drop of wax. Soon, lots of blackcurrants and blackberries appear. Finish: blackcurrant goodness, with a minute bitterness -- a bitterness that grows. It does not remain the juicy thing that it could have been, showcasing tannins that will prevent a higher score. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "Got some candlewax."
tOMoH: "Me too."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Really enjoying the bitterness, in the end."
tOMoH: "'Bitterness' is the latest word I wrote down. Get out of my mouth. Hm. That did not come across the way I thought it would..."

A turkey flies in. Trust a turkey to know a good celebration!

WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's also my birthday, today."
tOMoH: "Don't ruin the surprise!"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Sorry guys, next year!"

BA: "When Berry Brothers & Rudd introduced their current bottle shape, they sent two bottles to journos and influencers."
tOMoH: "And which category do you fall into?"

BA [passes the bottle to WhiskyLovingPianist]: "You know how much whisky you want to drink before you fall over, yes?"
Cavalier66: "Have you seen him at Whisky Show?"

BA presents Bunnahabhain for Advent ('a', 'n', and 'bh' for 'v' -- clever!)

Bunnahabhain 1989/2015 (43.4%, Berry Bros. & Rudd bottled exclusively for Billy Abbot imported by Richards Walford, Hogshead, C#5738, 115b): nose: toasted barley, dried staves, a whiff of light smoke, and then -- boom! Raspberries. Next are ripe pineapple slices, soft custard... and new dolls (JS). Mouth: juicy, with a fruit acidity, now crisp apple and unripe pineapple. This is lovely! Finish: an unlikely mix of wood shavings, vanilla custard, raspberries, and smoked pineapple. Wow! 8/10

The soundtrack: U Can Dance (900 Years Of Utrecht Dance Music, Volume 1)

BA [after talking about Enigma]: "I've got some questionable music in my collection."
tOMoH: "Those are not questionable. The first four albums of Enigma are great."
BA: "I have the second album of Deep Forest."
tOMoH: "Ah."

Cavalier66 presents a bottle known as the ABC whisky, because it contains Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila. Cavalier66 is at pains to point out that ABC is an obvious anagram, clearly not aware of the difference between anagram and acronym. Fortunately for him, BA comes to the rescue an hour later with: "Always Bringing Christmas." Just as well, because Cavalier66's back-up plan, made on the hoof, was that this is 25yo and that Christmas is on the 25th December -- in another word: dire. Not long enough to qualify either. But especially dire. :-)

tOMoH: "Such a poor show."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Sorry, I missed the acronym. What is it, again?"

Robust Smoky Embers 25yo b.2016 (46%, Cadenhead Creations, Married in Sherry Hogshead, B#3): nose: dry and ashy, with a spoonful of cranberry compote, dry earth, kelp-covered rope, and that unmistakable Ardbeg barley. There is some ink coming up, and shellac too. Mouth: syrupy, sweet. We have some rancio and a lot of earthy sherry. Mind you, there is a bit of smoke and trampled clay, as well.  It turns a little juicier with each sip, though. Finish: big, cloying, syrupy again, but this time, it boasts peppermint to boot. The dryness of the earthy side grows pretty strong, and leaves the palate as if covered in ashes. A good drop. 8/10

Different food selection.
Cavalier66 went for mince pies and Stollen

WhiskyLovingPianist: "Why can't you teach puns to kleptomaniacs? Because they take everything -- literally."
tOMoH: "I thought I was a kleptomaniac. Then I came here, found this cake, but it was, in fact, Stollen."

JS presents Benriach, which has five letters from Christmas ('r', 'i', 'a', 'c', 'h'), and five from birthday ('b', 'r', 'i', 'a', 'h'). And it is WhiskyLovingPianist's birthday, today! What a surprise!

Benriach 27yo d.1976 (46%, Direct Wines First Cask, C#9444, b#332, b. ca 2004): nose: cut mango and warm apricot, even if they are a little diffuse. Mouth: oily tropicality (Cavalier66). It is peppery, punchy, at 46% -- lively and fruity-acidic on the tongue, where it really shines. Finish: faint metallic bitterness, and mangosteen on a background of mango and peach juices. I feared the sequence (alphabetical order of the celebrations, remember) would do this a disservice, but if anything, it is even better than before. Full notes here. 8/10

Cavalier66 struggles to shoehorn his next offering into the theme, still humiliated by his poor first effort, and his misreading the theme (anagram != acronym, and no, it is not a festive tasting where "festive" means Christmas-y). I point out that his next bottle contains five letter in Christmas.

Cavalier66 presents Kilchoman for Christmas ('i', 'c', 'h', 'm', 'a').

129.6 6yo d.2008 Peated candy (58.9%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 243b): we do not often have Kilchoman, and the SMWS ones dried up almost a decade ago. It is therefore a bit of an exciting sight. Nose: ink, fishing nets, drying in the sun, and a droplet of melted strawberry marshmallow. There is also a clear smoky hue (burning hay) and tarry ropes. It turns dusty, offering wheelbarrows of desert dirt. Mouth: immensely powerful, full of embers and juicy berries, or fruit yoghurt. The embers relentlessly dominate, however. Later on, we see simmering cranberry compote. Finish: more acidic fruit, with menthol and peppermint added in. The second sip has a full tannery, with faded handbags and drying leather. It becomes a little acrid, after a while. 8/10

BA presents Glen Keith for Advent ('e', 'n', 't'), Bethlehem (Crimbo reference, 'e', 't', 'h', 'l'), tinsel (Crimbo decorations, 't', 'i', 'n', 'e', 'l'), or turkey (festive food, 't', 'k', 'e'). "I get really bored on the tube," he adds. Take note, Cavalier66! ;-)

Glen Keith 29yo 1992/2021 (46.2%, Thompson Bros., 437b): nose: vanilla pods, candy necklace, crushed peach flesh. It turns bolder and bolder, with fruit more and more exuberant, in a confectionary way, flirting with red bootlaces. Mouth: mellow, it has just a sprinkle of ground pepper on red bootlaces, and a cocktail of strawberries and peaches. It is coming pretty close to mango, actually. The second sip seems more acidic, unripe grapefruit and nutmeg competing for the spotlight. Finish: ample, fruity, soft, teeming with pulped fruit (peaches, strawberries), and a copious dose of menthol. The second sip brings back the grapefruit, and becomes drying, desiccating -- in a good way, yet that stops the whole being the dram of the day. Still, what a great drop! 8/10

Cavalier66: "'Burning Fruity Embers'. I can make 'erotica' from that!"
tOMoH: "Yeah, that was two whiskies ago."
Cavalier66: "My reputation is ruined!"
OB: "Your what?"

The soundtrack: In The Nursery - L'Esprit

Cavalier66 presents Boozy Christmas Cake for Christmas ('c', 'h', 'r', 'i', 's', 't', 'm', 'a', 's'), thereby leading the race for who will have the most letters in an anagram -- and they are in the same order too!

35.97 10yo Boozy Christmas Cake (58.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask): amusingly, BA is sporting a Glen Moray sleeveless polar fleece (35 is Glen Moray, for clarity). Nose: bile, rubber. The bile dissipates, fortunately, and leaves an assertive sherry influence. There is nothing here that says 'whisky'; instead, it is a very strong sherry. Boot polish, beaver fur, castor oil. Mouth: celery (BA), litres of Oloroso, desiccating earth, rancio, and, well, strong sherry, with its musky-earthy profile. I can feel my teeth being covered in lichen and thick green ink or marker pens. Finish: big, unsubtle. Earth, decaying grapes, ground walnut shells, thick elderberry. It is cloying, intense, adding liquorice bootlaces, black cumin, and crushed nigella seeds. Not my style. 6/10

BA presents Dubh Glas Naughty for Pudding (as in Christmas pudding, 'u', 'd', 'n', 'g') or Balthazar (one of the three wise men of Christmas, 'b', 'l', 'a', 't'). Also, this was a Christmas release.

Dubh Glas Naughty (44.5, OB, C#D-006 & D-010217b): nose: packing cellophane (JS), raincoat lining (WhiskyLovingPianist). It is indeed a plastic-fuelled nose, with melted plastic, cut plastic-doll heads, melted sunglasses and industrial glue. Mouth: fresh, but plastic-y again. Cellophane, old plastic dolls, and oilskins. Then, thirty seconds in, eucalyptus cough drops and peppermint drops. Finish: fairly short, barley-like, with a lick of plastic, and quite a lot of fruit, now. Not bad, and certainly unusual. Lots of plastic, though. 6/10

Discussing a whisky festival after which no-one is allowed to drive:
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Well, no-one drives after Whisky Show!"
tOMoH: "Have you ever talked to HT?"
WhiskyLovingPianist + BA: "Aaaaaaaaaah!"

WhiskyLovingPianist: "In A triathlon with a shark, you're gonna win the running, but lose the swimming. So, it's down to the bike."

tOMoH presents Glasgow Blend for Halloween ('l', 'a', 'o', 'w', 'l', 'e', 'n').

Glasgow Blend Limited Edition b.2019 (49%, Compass Box Great King St Single Marrying Cask selected by The Wine Merchant Ltd imported by Compass Box USA, ex-Sherry Marrying Cask, C#35, 132b): nose: subdued. The smoke is honestly tame, at this stage, overshadowed by cereal. Perhaps it has smoked orange rinds? Mouth: smoked peach slices, even mango tatters, engulfed in smoke. The second sip has a lick of sponge. How unexpected and unusual is that!? Finish: in total contradiction to the nose, the finish is big, wide, smoky. We have smoked plantain and fruit juice with a dusting of soot. Full notes here. 8/10

The soundtrack: Michael Nyman - Drowning By Numbers

OB presents Karuizawa for Hanukkah ('k', 'a', 'u', 'a').

Karuizawa 33yo 1981/2014 (54.5%, Number One Drinks Vintage imported by La Maison du Whisky, ex-Sherry Cask, C#152): we had this a year-and-a-half ago. WhiskyLovingPianist was jealous that he did not get to try it; here is his chance -- and an opportunity for everybody else to try it again. Nose: surprisingly sweet on the nose, with mincemeat (mince-pie stuffing), prunes, and a touch of faint rubber. Deeper nosing reveals polished oak, and tobacco leaves (BA). Later on, we have glitter-littered purple wax, and clean sherry (WhiskyLovingPianist). Mouth: fairly stripping (not by Karuizawa standards, mind), it rubs the teeth with wine-stained bits of cork. Decaying grapes and berry liqueur make a late appearance. Finish: long, rancio-y, warming, full of red wine, it presents light tannins and alcohol-soaked mincemeat. This is a great Karuizawa in that it tastes like whisky, not Listerine. 8/10

The soundtrack: noizaddict - Man 2 Men

It is all becoming blurry

WhiskyLovingPianist presents Laphroaig for Holi ('l', 'h', 'o', 'i', or all the letters).

Laphroaig 13yo 2005/2019 (48%, Ian Macleod Distillers Chieftain's Limited Edition Collection, Butts, C#900159-900160, 1502b): nose: natural gas, vegetative, burnt lawns, dried kelp, smoked kelp, ash, lichen-strewn pear-tree. Mouth: juicy barley water, and pronounced burnt wood, cured grape stems. The second sip is fresh and fruity, with cold smoky apple compote. Finish: long, ashy, it sucks every bit of moisture from the mouth. The second sip has bits of burnt cork. A decent Laphroaig, innit. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist presents François Peyrot for Pyrotechnic Art Festival, in Cannes ('f', 'r', 'a', 'n', 'ç' for 'c', 'o', 'i', 's', 'p', 'e', 'y', 'r', 'o', 't'), and obliterates the pun competition. Respect.

François Peyrot Lot 60 1960/2021 (42%, OB Héritage imported by Drenth International): nose: well, it is superbly fruity, with some plasticine added for good measure. Wax, Cognac (no shit, Sherlock!), then a whiff of natural gas. Laphroaig residue in the glass? Perhaps. Mouth: juicy grapes, mirabelle plums, nectarines. The grapes are becoming clearer and clearer, juicy, fruity, acidic, and a bit sweet too. Finish: long and fruity again, slightly darker, yet still full of grapes -- now a mix of green and dark. There is a subtle crushed-grape-pip bitterness, not at all distracting. Excellent Cognac. 8/10

BA: "My knee is dodgy. When I'm standing up, I can't bend it like this."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's an amazing bend, though."

tOMoH presents Port Dundas for Thanksgiving ('t', 'n', 'a', 's'). My co-tasters point out that it would also qualify for turkey ('r', 't', 'u'), Easter ('r', 't', 'a', 's') and Sunday ('d', 'u', 'n', 'a', 's').

Port Dundas 10yo (60.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection World Whiskies, 318b, b. ca 1998): nose: metal and distant coffee. Mouth: Bakelite, warm rubber. WhiskyLovingPianist reckons it smells sugary, with a sourness to it too. Finish: strangely, it is warm Bakelite and hard rubber. Short notes for today: it is late. Full notes are here. I like it better today, I think. 8/10

Excellent times as always. Silly bantz and nonsense, bags of fun.