15/12/2025 Mickey Mouse

Timorous Beastie 40yo b.2016 (54.7%, Douglas Laing, 1080b, L13 0816): because the timorous beastie in question looks like (and probably is) a mouse. Nose: nostril-tickling marzipan and a dash of grape juice. Behind that are flower petals (lily-of-the-valley, jasmine) and the flowers' delicate scent, perhaps a tapenade of green olives, and jellied pistachios. That all dissipates to leave woody tones, part acacia shelves, part honey. In fact, it is very much a cough-relief infusion with honey and cinnamon, maybe a pinch of herbs somewhere between thyme leaves and hawthorn. Nothing shouts, nothing is in one's face. The nose unveils its charms calmly, confident in its qualities. The second nose has more fruits, with dried apple slices, stale candied papaya cubes, and raisins that have lost all fragrance. We also have a cardboard box, the like of which one finds as cereal packaging. Only when tilting the glass does grape juice make a comeback and provides some vitamins. Mouth: measured, the attack has conifer honey to start with, and pine needles in a clearing growing in intensity. They make for an interesting palate that balances the acidity of pine needles with the spices of the tree bark. Chewing pumps chocolate into the mix, milky, a notch bitter, and comforting. It is kept intriguing thanks to its interplay with the citrus-y acidity of pine needles. It is as if someone had blended chocolate milk with a dash of génépi, a drop of lemon juice, and stuck a cinnamon stick in it. The second sip pops open a couple of jars of jams: one is a blackberry jelly (no pips), one is a lemon marmalade. It blends a lush sweetness with acidic and bitter components, bakes half of it and blends it back with the unbaked half. The result is delectable. It feels woodier in the long run, with cassia bark and ground cloves joining the berries from earlier (remember the jams). Finish: it kicks harder than one would anticipate and makes for a good breakfast: citrus juice, honey, chocolate milk. If looking with intent, one would find pine-needles-coated banana chunks, or a nutty granola augmented with blackcurrants. Indeed, it marries nutty-woody notes, caramelised cereal clusters and a berry bitterness. That makes for a lasting, if gentle, chalk impression that accompanies a dryish mouth. The second gulp may well be sweeter. Its berries or currants are certainly riper and, therefore, less bitter, if not entirely devoid of bitterness. Blackcurrants, blackberries, mulberries, some fresh, some in jam form, all served in a dunnage warehouse. This suddenly has dusty clay floors and stacks of old staves. And dried-pineapple shavings, of course -- one finds that in any warehouse. Not. Mind you, it also has a slice of panettone, with yeast and booze-soaked raisins. Delicious! 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, OB)

11/06/2023 Dog days of summer

Chilly temperatures lasted until the first weekend of June, when a morning run with gloves and a snood still held the promise of feeling like an ice cube by the end.

Fast forward one week, and we have hit thirty degrees, even though summer has not officially started yet.

To acknowledge this contrast, PS, cavalier66, JS and I meet up to have a tasting. BA sadly calls off in the morning, stricken with hay fever. The theme is simple: dog days of summer. Funnily enough, we do not meet in Barking.

cavalier66 has had breakfast, for once, but he still brings yummy nibbles.

PS introduces a blended malt with a dog on the label -- one bottled by Dog-las Laing. He says he keeps saying how good blends can be, so he decided he should start buying and sharing some.

Sweet Wee Scallywag (46%, Douglas Laing Small Batch Release, Sherry Butts & Bourbon Hogsheads, b. ca 2022) (PS): nose: caramel, pastrami, nail varnish, oily dark wood, and the promise of Chinese five spice. Mouth: the palate has the bitterness of dark wood, and the spices that go with it. Ground cloves, shaved cassia bark, ground mace. The second sip has its fair share of caramel too. Finish: cocoa powder, treacle-tarred cinnamon sticks, and caramel again. As PS says, the spiciness builds up over time, and turns pretty intense (JS). A pretty good blended malt. 7/10

We decide to skip the two collie-burns: there is so much to try, and it is discouragingly hot, already. The Copper Dog meets the same fate.

PS stays on the blended-malt path, and introduces the Dog Star -- the Saint Seya fans will, of course, remember Sirius de Canis. I know I do.

From the best anime series of all time

Sirius 31yo 1988/2019 (43.1%, North Star Spirits, First Fill Bourbon Barrels, B#1, 3582b, b#1033) (PS): nose: seal wax, candle wax, and even spent wick. Out of nowhere, Turkish delights, chewy sweets, dusted with confectionary sugar. It is fruity and juicy, yet also waxy to the end. We see yellow fruits upon second nosing. Finish: waxy and coating, it has bits of spent wick floating in that excellent waxy-fruit bath. Full notes here. It feels perhaps even better today. 8/10

cavalier66 presents a Daftmill, "because dogs are daft, and they smell like they spent the day at the mill," I quickly add. No, it is because this is a summer distillation.

Daftmill 2010/2021 Summer Batch Release (46%, OB, 25 x First Fill Bourbon Barrels, 6250b) (cavalier66): nose: lemon bonbons (PS), sherbet (cavalier66), Mint Crumbles, spearmint leaf (PS), lemon mint, calamansi leaf -- it is minty and leafy, in other words. It even gives an impression of burnt-vanilla-flavoured edible paper, which is rather unusual. Mouth: fresh and actually refreshing, with pomelo juice, limoncello, lemon custard, it is unctuous without being cloying, creamy, not thick (single cream, then), and fruity and a half. Finish: long, fresh, lively, zingy, this is a perfect summer dram alright, clean, fruity, and plainly enjoyable, with a hint of caramel flan too. 8/10

JS presents a Glentauchers, a distillery that was designed by architect Charles C. Dog, famous for his pagoda kilns.

Glentauchers 24yo d.1976 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#7652, b#248) (JS): nose: old, Calvados-y, sour apple (cavalier66), tangy (JS). I find unripe plum, then Virginia tobacco, and green-citrus leaves. The second nose has pomelo and calamansi, oroblanco and yuzu. Mouth: strawberry (PS), tons of ashy warehouse floor. It is quite chalky, today, and gingery on the tongue (bone-dry ginger shavings). The second sip has industrial smoke from the 1800s. Finish: some funk in the back, fruity dung (cavalier66), "sourness turns to dung, as so often happens in life" (cavalier66). Long, citrus-y, and that means fruity, not particularly acidic. This hits the spot, today. Full notes here. 9/10

We talk about WhiskyLovingPianist, who recently moved to France.

JS: "Isn't it crazy? Moving to France with someone he met so recently?"
cavalier66: "Maybe he's at a time of his life when he wants to take a risk."
JS: "What's he got to lose?"
tOMoH: "Limoges. What's he got Limoges."

cavalier66 sings the Grease song Summer Nights:

Summer lovin' had me a blast
Summer lovin' happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be
Summer days driftin' away
To ah, oh, those summer nights
Uh well-a well-a well-a huh!
Tullamore, Tullamore
Did you get very far?

We all agree that a Tullamore would be entirely inappropriate in this heat, but make a mental note to reuse that one in future.

PS produces an SMWS bottling with 'summer' in the title.

G1.13 36yo d.1978 Summer Fete and flower shows (56.2%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 188b) (PS): nose: "afternoon tea, with jam scones, lemon cake, a vicar giving out raffle prizes, and a murder in there, somewhere, Agatha-Christie style" (PS). It is indeed full of lemon-drizzle cake. A bit later on, we have some oily tobacco too. It certainly has more horsepower than anything else we have had, so far. Dark currants appear, timidly. Mouth: vanilla-y lemon-drizzle cake, Mentos pudding (I imagine) and chalky (Korean) pear. Finish: oooh! It attacks the gums, very minty and gel-like in texture (minty gel, of course), limoncello and lime lacquer. It has a lovely grassy touch too. I like me a good grain, and this delivers. I am bound to have tried this when it came out, and indeed, I did. I seem to have been disappointed then, not today. 8/10

tOMoH presents Le-dog, distilled at Toby-mory distillery.

Ledaig 6yo 1972/1979 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice) (tOMoH): nose: cereal dust (PS) and peppermint (PS). I have coal dust and crumbly peat, though it turns farmyard-y over time -- a dusty farmyard in the summer, that is. Mouth: cavalier66 finds the plastic element he still finds in modern Ledaig. It is vegetal and metallic, with Verdigris and some perfume (JS picks up lavender and violet). The texture is rather thin ("not at all oily," says cavalier66), and it certainly has vase water. Finish: metallic (cavalier66 + JS), bicycle clips (PS), disintegrated medicine capsules (JS). I have algae, and steel boilers full of soot and coal dust. JS notes a metallic sweetness, and is not taken by it, today. Neither is cavalier66. I am. Full notes here. 9/10

PS [about a recent SMWS Inchgower]: "'Onion tart and young white wine,' which is either an SMWS name, or Nigel Farage's new kink."

cavalier66 brought the next one because it is a thirty-year-old, and, yesterday, we hit thirty degrees for the first time this year.

Jura 30yo 1990/2020 (46.33%, Thompson Bros., Refill American Oak Hogshead, 186b) (cavalier66): nose: I immediately picture fruity sweets and plush cushions. It smells oily (cavalier66), it has quite a bit of funk, with some leather and brown, dried citrus peel. That citrus develops, and we have plump tangerine, then plasticine. Further nosing reveals a whiff of black smoke too. Mouth: pink-peppercorn shavings on tangerine segments, and -- what is this? Tropical fruits! Mango, papaya, kaki come storming in. Later on, that turns into mango skins and plasticine, which is to say: still fruity, but also waxier. Finish: it gives me a bit of a buzz, at first. Over time, we see buckets of fruits, or wheelbarrows, actually, with the galvanised steel appearing loud and clear. Then, tropical fruits grow more and more prominent. This is amazing, today! Better than the first time we had it, we all agree. 9/10

cavalier66 [about the next dram]: "The 1977 were heavily shevi-... Herrily shev-... Heavily sherried! How many times does it take me to say it?"
tOMoH [singing to the well-know Modern Talking tune]: "Heavy sherry lady."

cavalier66 explains that the Baby-Boomers constantly reminded us that it was already warm (or warmer, they claimed) in the 1970s. [Let us clear up any doubt: today's climate is warmer and drier than it was in the 1970s -- or indeed in human history.)

A Speyside Distillery 38yo 1977/2015 (47%, Whisky-Doris, Sherry Butt, C#25, 578b) (cavalier66): nose: transport-cask Sherry (PS), leather, tobacco pouches (PS), rolling tobacco, marmalade spread on a slice of wood (watch your teeth!), a bunch of twigs, porridge, with a dollop of pan-seared honey. Mouth: melted butter, salted caramel, toffee, caramelised lemon cake and pound cake all ride on an oily texture. Finish: "a moment of sherbet" (PS), a drop of nail varnish, or wood oil, and glazed ripe berries. It is distinctly bitter too, if not overpoweringly so. From the second sip onwards, orchard fruits and mud appear faintly. 8/10

PS [citing South African government advice that, in fact, originated in California]: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."

We skip the Convalmore Rare Malts. It is already a stretch, as far as I am concerned, and we all start to feel the combined effects of heat and alcohol. At least, I do -- I am exhausted. One more.

JS brings a light dram into the spotlight: a Link-woof.

Linkwood 11yo 1984 (60.5%, James Mac Arthur Fine Malt Selection) (JS): nose: straw and faded leather, pineapple chamomile. It has rubbing alcohol, on top of the leather, and unripe apple, after a while. Even later, as one tilts the glass, overripe persimmon pokes its head. Mouth: powerful, but also very fruity, this is like an apple-flavoured engine grease applied onto a steel plate. It grows so strong it feels as though it will pull teeth out of their sockets. Subsequent sips are more tolerable, and just as fruity. Finish: again, orchard fruits, a lick of cold, bitter metal, and crystallised raspberries. This is really good. Looking forward to spending more time with it soon. 8/10

The clock shows a reasonable time, the temperature is also more reasonable, now, but I am rinsed. We disband.

26/06/2021 1981 vs. 40

For this first proper in-person tasting since December 2019, OB and Mrs. OB are hosting a shindig at theirs. We are celebrating an anniversary, you see.

The requirements were simple: "Bring your smile and your good mood, we will supply the rest."

It is therefore armed with our smiles and our good mood that JS and I arrive at OB Central some five minutes ahead of schedule. No-one answers the doorbell, at first: we will later find out that OB is still in the shower.

After a few minutes of wondering if he has heard us, OB lets us in -- in several episodes, as we manage to get stuck in the airlock.

We are led to the terrace, where we will be spending the whole time, even though the weather cools down pretty substantially, in the middle of the afternoon.

Whilst waiting for Cavalier66 and JfromTWE to join us, I produce my beautiful smile. It has the shape of a Knockando 20yo 1974/1995 Quincentenary (43%, OB specially selected for Aberdeen University) and makes for a pleasant apéritif.

Chilling with the Bs

Finally, the other guests arrive, and we start the real tasting. OB serves everything blind.

Dram #1

Nose: light, floral, this has hay too, and I even find it gently pine-y. It is not all, however: perfume soon joins the dance, and some kind of sweets: pineapple drops, pomelo drops. In the long run, the nose turns a little gravel-y, strangely enough. Mouth: this is mellow. Gummibärchen, pomelo drops again, mixed peel, a pinch of cinnamon powder. It has a soft sweetness and an acidic freshness that work a treat. Finish: mellow, fruity, in a gummibärchen / fruit-drops sort of way, it also has a remote chalkiness and white wine -- not Riesling, certainly not Sauvignon blanc. Cavalier66 comes to the rescue and calls it Chenin blanc. I agree. Comments: after I heroically determine the vintage in one single attempt, OB clumsily exposes the label, which means I identify the bottler and the collection. Cavalier66 finds the distillery after only 131 guesses. Glentauchers 25yo d.1981 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#1051, b#86) 8/10

We need some kind
of contraption to
distinguish the glasses

JfromTWE: "It is archery, tomorrow. It's the long session: you have to book and go in very early."
tOMoH: "Is there a ballot system?"

JfromTWE: "For the Whisky Show..."
tOMoH: "Tut-tut-tut! Whisky Show! No definite article."
OB: "It's becoming the running gag of the day. Or is that, 'running gag of the day'?"

Dram #2

Nose: dried dates, prunes, dried figs, perhaps some leather, though that last one is very faint. Further are mild chocolate, cherry cake and exotic woods (mahogany, teak). It smells sweet. After a while, the nose welcomes shredded mint. Mouth: super mellow, elegant, the mouth brings back the dried dates and figs (especially figs), and augments them with cola sweets. There may be a vague tannic side, but nothing offensive. Finish: liquorice, nutshells and dried fruits aplenty (figs, dates, prunes). The finish is a little on the woody tip, yet it remains perfectly acceptable. Comments: hard to believe this is not a sherry-matured whisky. Another pathetic attempt at finding the distillery from my part. JS ends up guessing right. I do get the age immediately, on the other hand. Tomatin 40yo 1967/2007 (42.9%, OB Limited Edition, 7 Bourbon Hogsheads, 1614b) 8/10

I remember trying that Tomatin years ago at Whisky Show and again a little later. This, today, is a newly-opened bottle and I find it much, much better than both those times. Not sure if the other one was a dud, if bottle ageing goes that quickly, or if my taste has evolved, but it is remarkably different to how I remembered it. Better.

Dram #3

Nose: nail varnish that quickly becomes a strongly fruity character (mango, dragon fruit) with also a dollop of shoe polish. The fruit quickly overpowers that last note, and comes back on top, boisterous. Mouth: oh, my word! This is mellow, it has a delicate leathery touch, but mostly juicy fruits (mango and dragon fruit again, snake fruit). There is also a minimal amount of very tame spices. Finish: creamy, amazingly fruity, with the same fruits and lychee on top, at just the right strength. Comments: "Here is the first 9/10," I say, to which my companions reply with a top score. We are on the terrace, and it is chilly. Perhaps under different circumstances, I would agree with them. Many guesses, among which another Tomatin. Either JS or Cavalier66 calls the distillery, after several attempts. Lochside 37yo 1981/2018 (48.6%, The Whisky Agency, Butt) 9/10

tOMoH: "This is turning into dragon fruit and snakehead fruit."
OB: "Snakehead fruit!? What is that?"
tOMoH: "It's a fruit."

After that masterclass in exotic fruit, OB realises he cocked up the line-up: we should have had the following one between the Tomatin and the Lochside. tOMoH is about to walk at such poor organisation, but he backs down, out of respect for Mrs. OB.

Also, food has appeared, and tOMoH has the munchies.

Parma ham, Bresaola, Salchichon Iberico bellota

Excellent bread -- but of course, we are almost in France
In the background, Puglie artichoke, Nocellara olives

Dram #4

Nose: a very fresh number again that has some vanilla, then grapes and sultanas. Further: wax, plasticine, perhaps, yet it retains the fruit of a good, mellow white wine. Pineapple (JS) and, in the long run, raspberries bring a sweeter, juicier note. Mouth: drier and sharper than expected, the mouth sees marzipan (Cavalier66), a certain vinegar-like acidity, even if it is a tame vinegar. The more one sips it, the drier it becomes, rocking Chenin blanc all the way to gravel, even. Finish: marzipan alright, as well as a definite acidic touch, clearly a blend of grapes and plasticine. Comments: we suck at this guessing game. Timorous Beastie 40yo b.2016 (54.7%, Douglas Laing, 1080b, L13 0816) 8/10

Cheeses magically appear around that time.
Saint Nectaire, Vieux Comté, Napoléon, Selles-sur-Cher
and a killer Truffle Brie that does not live long

Dram #5

Nose: another sherried number! ("I am French, after all," says OB) Mushrooms, forest floor (Cavalier66), smoked meat. It becomes almost ember-like, with charred leather and burnt wood. In the long run, sticky toffee pudding takes over, slightly crusty. At this stage, Cavalier66 guesses the distillery. Mouth: intense, yet tame for this distillery. It has burnt lacquered wood, smoked horse meat, smoked Ardennes ham, maple-syrup-laden cake... It turns pretty drying, over time, not quite splinter-y, but well woody all the same. Finish: long, big, toasted and a half. This now has a lot of liquorice, nigella seeds, black cumin seeds, ground sumac, then back comes the burnt wood. Comments: very nice, truth be told. Karuizawa 33yo 1981/2014 (54.5%, Number One Drinks Vintage imported by La Maison du Whisky, ex-Sherry Cask, C#152) 8/10

JS: "This is an easy-drinking Karuizawa."

I would agree with that.

Dram #6

Nose: yet another assertive sherry, this one is even sulphur-y. Tons of cured meat, enough gunpowder to blow up the Houses of Parliament, decaying blackcurrants, black olives, matchbox striker, and even boiled eggs, over time. Some fruits appear, after a long while -- dark, tart fruit. It even emits durian, ginkgo berries, or something else with a comparable smell. Mouth: woah! Big again, it has lots of sulphur on the palate too: matchbox striker, exhaust fumes, shotgun barrels, charred meat, charred blackberries, heavily-charred pineapple. It is very powerful stuff too. Is that liquorice? Probably. Finish: challenging! This presents lots of gunpowder and other sulphur-y shenanigans. It is very, very drying, in the long run, with smoked elderberry alongside the now-expected matchbox striker and exhaust fumes. It does turn juicier with repeated sipping to evoke a distant balance. Comments: frankly, I should hate this: it has all sorts of things I do not care much for, and, after the distillery is revealed (Cavalier66 gets it, on the very late tip), I venture it might be Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, which I normally dislike very much. Today, for some bizarre reason, this profile simply works for me. Perhaps it is the fact that it is so assertive it shines brighter than others, on this chilly terrace; perhaps it is the company, the combination with the food, or, or, or... In any case, I adore it. It is a treat, yet far from an easy one. Port Ellen 19yo 1981/2000 (59.4%, The Bottlers imported by T's The Vintage Selection, Refill Sherry Butt, C#1550) 9/10

Mrs. Cavalier and other guests start to arrive for the second part of the day -- less whisky tasting, more relaxed time with friends. Of course, the non-drinkers are curious about what we are having, and the subject of price comes up: should an expensive bottle be opened? When is it good enough an occasion?

Cavalier66: "It's his birthday! How many times do you turn forty?"
OB: "I don't know. It's my first time."

He has a trick up his sleeve, our OB, and he pours another mystery dram.

Dram #7

Nose: a lick of nail varnish leads to waxy fruit (chiefly mango skins), marzipan and lichen. There may be some jasmine perfume to boot, though it is hard to recognise. Mouth: a hint of rubber at first, and lots of fruit -- mango, papaya, pink grapefruit, pineapple skins, cucumber flesh (!) Yeah, there is a soft bitter touch, but most of what comes to the fore is fruit. Finish: big, fruity, very fruity. Lots of mango again, pineapple, guava, papaya. It is long and full of pleasure. Comments: one sniff and I recognised it. It is as good as I remembered it. It starts off a bit closed (OB opened the bottle a few minutes ago), much to Cavalier66's disappointment, but it opens up rather quickly. Cavalier66 will never know: patient as he is, he necked it in one gulp (not really). :-) Cambus 40yo 1975/2016 (52.7%, OB, Hogsheads, 1812b, b#0442) 10/10

Superlative tasting. What a way to get back in the saddle!

Oh! There is a bonus dram?

Bunnahabhain 16yo b.2007 (54%, OB Limited Edition for Feis Ile 2007, Oloroso Sherry Cask, C#279, 190b): OB bought this off the back of my comments. I take no notes. Suffice to say it is still stratospheric. 9/10

Bottles start appearing. Although I am reaching capacity, this one, I want to try (again).

Brora 27yo 1981/2009 (51.3%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#291, 330b, b#76): short notes. Nose: a subdued fruitiness (dry grapes, dried-out apricots, dried mango slices) and refined ash. Mouth: the palate is very similar to the nose, with bone-dry green grapes, dried apricots, ash and white pepper (JS). Once the pepper is identified, it is pretty much all one can taste. Finish: very peppery. It does have a collection of white and yellow fruits in the background, but it is pepper's show. 8/10

OB has put almost all his open bottles onto the small table. I really have had enough, but since he insists, I go for another Cambus 40yo 1975/2016 (52.7%, OB, Hogsheads, 1812b, b#0442). Some of the new-joiners have one too and seem impressed with it.

Excellent drams, perhaps more influenced by the context than usual (we are outside, it is chilly, I munch like it is my last meal).

Homemade couscous

But OB is full of tricks, today: as darkness envelops our group, he announces dinner is ready. He made enough couscous to feed the street, and bought dessert too. Although I am already stuffed, I do make a point in trying everything. And it is worth it.

Saint-Honoré	Saint-Honoré slice
Etretat	Etretat slice

The company eventually disbands around 23:00. What a day!

Happy birthday, OB!