24/11/2019 Numerology

Our yearly gathering in the Cité ardente. Bishlouk, PSc, Psycho, kruuk2, ruckus, MQ, JS and I join dom666 for this dramfest. adc will make a late appearance too.
The theme was a late announcement presented thus:

1. Distilled or bottled on a 24th November
2. Distilled or bottled in 1968
3. 1968 was 51 years ago, so 17, 34 or 51 years old
4. The date is the 24th, so 24 years old
5. It is November, eleventh month, so 11 years old
6. 1968 is 19 and 68, so 19 years old or 68 years old
7. This is the twelfth of those tastings in a row, so 12 years old
8. dom666 was 40 the first time the tasting was held, so 40 years old
9. The first took place in 2008, so 20 years old or 8 years old

In summary, the following age statements are approved: 8 - 11 - 12 - 17 - 19 - 20 - 24 - 34 - 40 - 51 - 68.

Git.

dom666 delegates building the line-up to me (he calls it: helping, but really, he does bugger all). I discard a handful of bottles we have already had to take us down to a more-manageable fourteen. Ahem.

Not the right day to stop drinking, then, eh?

Banff 34yo 1976/2010 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice, Refill Sherry Hogshead, AJ/AFGJ) (JS): because it is 34. Nose: dusty marmalade, polished-hazelnut dashboards, vanilla-and-chocolate pudding. Mouth: the slight bitterness of crushed hazelnut shells, hazel foliage, warm marmalade and strawberry chewing gum. I remember thinking the mouth was a bit weak, the other day -- not so, now! Finish: longer than I remembered, it feels stronger in alcohol too, which is good news. Marmalade, fresh tobacco leaves and cinnamon bubble gum. I loved this the first time. I like it even more, today. 9/10

Bishlouk: "Je ne le sens pas aqueux en bouche..."
tOMoH: "Tu ne sens pas la queue en bouche???"

Supermarket-whisky glass, WTF!?

Benrinnes 20yo 1997/2018 (46%, The Ultimate Whisky Company The Ultimate, C#9427, 253b, b#44, L18/56) (ruckus): a 20yo. Nose: pine needles, forest floor, then pine cones and soil. A typical Benrinnes, really. A hint of lemon juice joins orange peel, too. Later, it is tar, tobacco, lung cancer -- oh! no, that is Psycho, back from his smoking break. Jokes aside, dried tobacco leaves are present, crushed to bits. Mouth: mellow, soft, but also slightly bitter, with dried orange rinds and pulp. Excellent on the palate! Finish: more orange, with candied segments, marmalade, ... Crystallised oranges, in essence. The whole is perfectly balanced. Another corker from a distillery whose profile is firmly on the rise. 8/10

vs.

Benrinnes 20yo 1997/2017 (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Barrels, 408b) (Bishlouk): another 20yo. Nose: more closed, and, in fact, not very expressive at all. Perhaps dashes of melted milk chocolate? Much further back, it is the trademark crushed pine needles. Mouth: similar to the Ultimate's, it is mellow, though spices soon join in, with ground green pepper coming to the fore. The second sip brings more Bourbon-y character, with hard-boiled sweets and citrus, namely lemons. Finish: sweet and spicy, the finish sees more of that citric sweetness, with boiled sweets and citric powder. 7/10

A nice pair! My preference goes to the Ultimate, today

PSc: "I've never put anything in someone's drink."
tOMoH: "Oh! We know you live with someone!..."
PSc: "Yeah, alcohol! I made her drink alcohol. But nothing dangerous!"
tOMoH: "Alcohol is not dangerous? Pour me some more, MQ!"

The Glenlivet 16yo Nàdurra b.2012 (54.3%, OB, B#0512T, LF30635) (MQ): bottled in 20-12, which is taking some liberties with the theme, but well. I think we had this one previously -- nope, it was another batch. Nose: very much a Bourbon-driven whisky, soft and fruity, with dried pomelo skin, lime juice, lemon-drizzle cake and toasted vanilla pods. Mouth: similar, it has lots of cake and lime/pomelo. Fruity, a little bitter and acidic. The odd combination that comes out of dried citrus peel, really. Finish: it suddenly feels more pedestrian, here, with more bitterness. It still has citrus peel, but also woody yoghurt and hints of ginger. It feels more like a regular modern whisky, in the finish; oak-driven. It remains a great introduction to cask-strength whiskies, though. 7/10

dom666 serves watercress soup

Shortly afterwards, leaven rolls, cheeses and cold cuts enter.

It promptly turns into a dick contest, of course

Pâté crème, vegetable pâté, pâté ardennais, chanterelle pâté,
apple, pear and raisin pâté, Port-infused duck mousse,
Saltufo

Comté grande réserve, Gruyère des alpages, extra-mature red Cheddar
(why is Cheddar always red, on the Continent? Looks like a Leicester!)

Pesto-filled brie, Calvados-cured camembert, Gorgonzola cremoso

Back to work.

Glencadam 34yo 1977/2012 (56.8%, Douglas Laing Old & Rare A Platinum Selection, Sherry Butt, 287b) (dom666): another 34yo. This one, we have had, and I know how good it is. :-) Nose: dark chocolate, wood lacquer, with precious wood and the softest hint of coffee. It smells like a drinks cabinet in an old mansion. Mouth: soft and precious, it has a dose of spices (ginger) and a lick of liquorice -- something I do not think I ever detected before. Finish: long and comforting, loaded with dark wood varnish and melted dark chocolate. I wish I could spend an hour with this, dissecting it, but I am behind. It is a perfectly-fine sherry maturation, in any case. 9/10

Auchentoshan 17yo 1999/2016 (55.5%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 498b, 16/199) (Psycho): 17yo. Nose: hot custard, hot lemon custard, even, stewed rhubarb, hay. PSc finds raspberry and cherry, which is fair enough. Mouth: very citrus-y, sharp, blade-like. The palate has a certain dose of spice and sawdust accompanying oats. Finish: big, herbaceous, it has the bitterness of cut dandelion stems and a gentle acidic touch. Excellent. It feels as good as the first time, if not better. 8/10

Cooley 11yo 2001/2012 (55.9%, A.D. Rattray Cask Collection imported by Pacific Edge Imports, Barrel, C#3443, 210b) (tOMoH): it is 11yo. Nose: soaked staves and loads of fruit (plum, apricot and peach) augmented with olive oil -- wow! Mouth: lively, the palate sees apricot turnovers, marmalade, apricot jelly and other fruits. Finish: man! This is very fruity. Squashed peach, apricot and some toffee to boot. Magnificent. I still have a little bit left and will take more detailed notes soon. 8/10

Don't try to break a cork at home.
PSc is... professional Russian

Highland Park 12yo b.2012 (46%, Adelphi Fascadale Highland, B#3, Refill Bourbon Casks, 1152b) (PSc): 12yo. Leather, seaspray, brine, merbromin. It is coastal, which I remembered, but also medicinal, which is new to me. Mouth: soft, it has similar brine and seaspray, basking in a tub of honey. Archetypal Highland Park, really. Perhaps, it is missing the heather. Finish: iodine and seaspray, with a soft medicinal touch to complete the picture. Simple and efficient. Hard to acknowledge we had this one seven-and-a-half years ago! 7/10

Dessert is served: the mighty chocolate bomb

kruuk2 has a special edition: the chocolate BUM

Inchgower 2006/2017 (55.1, Malts of Scotland, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#MoS17040, 250b, b#103) (kruuk2): bottled in 20-17, here is another shoehorned bottle. :-) This is a distillery we do not regularly have, with this group. Nose: leather and hairballs, Virginia tobacco, stale ale, old shoes and seaspray. Man! The sherry influence here is not easily accessible. Mouth: salty, it has saline water, then mustard -- strong and powerful Dijon mustard, probably borrowed from Banff, not far down the road. Finish: more brine, leather belts, hairballs and lots and lots of salt. Salted black olives, anchovies, capers. This is most peculiar. The colour does not betray how strongly the sherry comes out. As for distillery character, well, Inchgower is reputedly salty. 7/10

Oban 19yo b.1995 (59.8%, OB The Manager's Dram) (JS): a 19yo. "Have we found a good Oban," says Bishlouk, before admitting he has not had many. Nose: a wonderful mix of seaspray, quince and gentle smoke, interlaced to perfection. Smoky jams, quince jelly -- so much quince! And a hint of lemon. Mouth: mellow (at 59.8%!), it has a softly-soft touch, with brine and lots of jams. Finish: salty and huge in the finish, with a similar fight between seaspray, soft smoke and baked fruits. Meow! This is my favourite of the lot, so far -- the Manager's Dram Obans, that is. More accessible than the austere 13yo, and I find it even better than the mighty 16yo. Now, to try the rarer 19yo at 59.24%... 9/10

Ardmore 2009/2018 Heavily Peated (46%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection imported by Rossi & Rossi, C#706405/60/66/68/69/97, 1923b) (MQ): distilled in 20-09; that is the link, presumably. Nose: farm-y peat and ink. Mouth: drying, ash-y, with farmyard aplenty. Finish: super-dry, it has loads of charred wood and bitter ink. Simple, but efficient. 6/10

As the notes for the Ardmore suggest, I am starting to struggle. Long day, of course, but the dessert was probably what tipped me over. And there is still marzipan to eat...

Tiramisù marzipan

Amaretto marzipan

Glazed-chestnut and pistachio marzipans

Orange-and-chocolate and coconut marzipans

Ledaig 11yo 2008/2019 (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Hogsheads, 336b) (tOMoH): another 11yo. Nose: ash-y coffee and scorched earth. Mouth: pretty coffee-like again, with earth and coarse pepper. Finish: long, it has loads of that scorched earth, burnt cow dung, ploughed fields and coffee grounds. This is not my thing at all, today. 5/10

It is pretty clear I am fried. I dip my lips into the Kilkerran 8yo that Bishlouk left behind and decide it is time to stop. No Auchentoshan 1987 either, then.

Other than that, fine tasting. Good fun, as always.

08/07/2012 K-Ka-Ca

In the midst of a hectic weekend, there was no way I could efficiently and credibly cook for ten. I appointed dom666 to do just that, while Psycho and I took care of dessert, which, with a theme like that, was quite an obvious choice, though cannot be documented online for fear of offending the PC police.
What theme? Looking for something original and suitably offensive (always the mischief, me), I settled for K-Ka-Ca. Before anyone imagines a group of hooded white supremacists (we considered it for a laugh, of course), that is whiskies whose names contain 'K', 'Ka' or 'Ca'.
Having said that, food preparation started long before the guests arrived. With such hard work ahead of us, we decided to have a prequel with off-theme things, so as to still enjoy the later line-up. Well, to be perfectly accurate, Psycho was there the night before, so we started even earlier, but well...

The suspects: Psycho, dom666, adc, JS, myself.

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): nose: not as wine-y as previously, which is a good thing. A bit of vanilla, some herbs, thatch after rain, cheese crust (Psycho). Mouth: a touch of chilli powder, paprika leeks. Finish: paprika, more herbs (oregano, bay leaves), furniture wax (Psycho). It leaves the tongue very dry and rough. I like it more than before, but it remains my least favourite StM. 6/10

Ben Wyvis 31yo 1968/2000 (51.5%, Signatory Vintage, C#687): nose: woody, varnish. Mouth: round and mellow, still as agreeable. Finish: wood again and dark chocolate, with a hint of orange (Psycho), vanilla and even some coconut (adc). 9/10

vs.

Ben Wyvis 31yo 1968/2000 (57%, Signatory Vintage, C#685): nose: woody, with a bit of bacon, Bindenfleisch / Viande des Grisons (Psycho); wider, in any case, with a little smoke and sugar cane in the back. Mouth: woodwork, sawdust, wood glue, varnish, none of which is overpowering. Finish: wax, polished furniture and a bit of chocolate (there will be lots of that today, causing my fellow tasters to recurrently extract the urine) with ginger (?), verbena, wet forest. JS finds both too bitter, while dom666 thinks they are both too discrete to form an opinion. 8/10

The rest of the guests arrive from 12:30 on: ruckus, kruuk2, P, JD + K (yep, she is in theme), Psycho, dom666, adc, JS, myself.

Knappogue 12yo (40%, Terra) (brought by ruckus): nose: flan, lemon, butterscotch (?), custard, cut grass. Mouth: lemony, though more the feel than the taste -- acidic? Finish: custard and vanilla with a whiff of herbs. Wonderful. I reckon this edition is a Bushmills. 8/10

Enter the food (traditional spaghetti Bolognese).

Knappogue 36yo 1951/1987 (40%, Terra) (brought by adc): datz right, we are making history again by tasting one of the oldest Irish whisky ever bottled. This is to be one of the tasting's stars, of course, though the anticipation is perhaps unfounded, as no one has ever tried Tullamore before (and that is Tullamore distillery, that shut in 1954, not Tullamore Dew). Nose: flint, metal, some herbs, pine tree forest before the storm, after a few drops have fallen already, resinous. Mouth: soft and smooth. Finish: mint chocolate, verbena. Great dram, if not the most complex. 8/10

Black Swan 10yo (40%, José Estévez) (brought by JD): this blended malt was bought in Spain and seems to be pretty much exclusive to that market. Nose: flint again, sheep's skin (adc), herbs -- are we having the same dram over and over? Mouth: smooth and liqueur-like. Finish: caramel and more herbs. Unpretentious yet very honest dram. A bargain for 14 EUR. kruuk2 jokes that, for a Spanish whisky, it lacks in the final department... Spain won the latest world cup -- gettit? :-) 6/10

Glen Breton 10yo (43%, OB Specially Handcrafted Collection) (brought by kruuk2): another curiosity; this one is Canadian, therefore in theme, and was made famous when the SWA objected to its 'Glen-' name. It is made at Glenora distillery. Nose: marzipan, pink pepper, then plum after a time. Mouth: quite oily, with white pepper. This is nice indeed. Finish: more almond paste, nutmeg, Tiger Balm, green mint (kruuk). Another nice surprise from a dusty shelf. 7/10

Knockando 1989/2001 (43%, OB) (brought by Psycho): I do not spend too much time on this, but it as nice as usual. 8/10

Cardhu 12yo Single Malt (40%, OB) (before scandal) (brought by PSc): as most whisky drinkers are aware, Cardhu stopped producing a single malt in 2003. The new product, with similar labels, was a Blended ('Pure') malt. They resumed single malt production in 2006. This is the single malt from before 2003. Nose: wood (cedar, according to adc), lemon detergent. Mouth: aniseed (PSc), mellow, with a slightly sparkly feel. Finish: hint of chocolate. Not blinding, but very decent malt. 5/10

vs.

Cardhu 12yo Scotch Whisky (40%, OB) (after scandal) (brought by PSc): this is the post-2006 single malt. Nose: more alcohol, herbs and unpleasant flowers. Mouth: some sulphur here; it is thicker, but also more drying. Finish: flat, dry and a rather boring. Not bad, but definitely the weakest of the day. Bottoms-up, it feels like a bland blend: short, flat and uninteresting. Maybe Diageo should have stuck with the blended malt after all, if they could not carry on with their original recipe. 6/10

Caperdonich 12yo 1997/2009 (46%, Douglas McGibbon Provenance, Refill Hogshead, C#DMG5569) (brought by moi): nose: full of herbs, with some lemon, not very different from a camomille infusion. Mouth: watery, with some honey and a hint of pepper. Finish: honeysuckle with more herbs (really a herbs day!) 7/10

I believe this is where we cut the cake (and eat it).

Highland Park 12yo b.2012 (46%, Adelphi Fascadale Highland, B#3, Refill Bourbon Casks, 1471b) (brought by PSc): nose: Tiger Balm (that is a warming ointment, by the way), lightly medicinial. Mouth: quite smoky, though not to the levels Highland Park usually reaches. Finish: herbal with a bit of smoke, then white pepper. This is more akin to last week's Highland park than the typical house style. It seems less peaty. Decent. 6/10

Cameronbridge 25yo 1979/2005 (59.9%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#3523, 194b) (brought by myself): nose: sugar, wood, varnish, so nice, this. Ginger bread, cake, loverly. Marzipan. Mouth: coating, varnishing. Finish: wood juice, innit. Verbena? There is a distinct taste I cannot place. Herb? Chewing gum? It used to be a bit of a curiosity, but nowadays, every grain we try gets a round of applause, even from those who have never had a grain before. We seem to be turning into grain heads. Now there is an idea for an epic tasting... :-) 8/10

Another cake, left over from yesterday makes a quick appearance.

Nikka Coffey Grain 1992/2006 No. 19 (63%, OB, C#139296) (brought by dom666): nose: varnish, lacquer. Mouth: desiccant. Too much for me, actually -- at 63%, this is also the highest ABV today. Finish: very hot. Peppery, grassy. Nice one, though not as much so as the Cameronbridge. 6/10

Bowmore 16yo 1996/2012 (46%, Cárn Mòr Strictly Limited Edition, ex-Sherry Butt, 844b) (brought by PSc, who is in generous mode, today): this one is from Cárn Mòr -- the first bottling we have had from that collection or bottler. Nose: switching gears on the peat level, with a very little bit of white fruit. Mouth: it has the texture of a light fruit juice (no pulp). Finish: smoke, smoke and unripe white fruit (apple, grape, white peach). A bit of a disappointment, actually. We will need to try it again under different circumstances. 6/10

Caol Ila 25yo (43%, OB, b. ca 2010) (brought by Psycho): nose: less peaty than the Bowmore, bizarrely enough. Hay, summer heat. Mouth: mellow, oily, slightly peppery, with some honeysuckle. Finish: peat smoke at last, some barley, which is unexpected from a 25 year-old. Quite like this one. 8/10

Exquisite tasting once again. So nice and refreshing to see we mostly manage to dodge the widespread snobbery by rating cheap and common bottlings rather highly. Well, the highest-rated dram today was also the most expensive, but it was not unanimous at all, as shown by the list below.
Some geeky conversations about phones and music apps (JD to ruckus, 'Your music? On MY Google Music? I don't think so!' :-) ), impressions about Scotland, mountain biking, climbing the Old Man of Hoy, GPS devices and silly nonsense -- we banned sterile political discussions.
Pity we had to disband on the early side to catch the last train home. The few hours were loaded with quality, though.

Dram of the day by suspect:
dom666: Cameronbridge.
JD: Fascadale.
K: Knappogue 12.
P: Knappogue 1951 and Cameronbridge.
kruuk2: Knappogue 1951 and Cardhu before scandal.
ruckus: Cameronbridge and Knockando.
JS: Fascadale.
adc: both Knappogues.
myself: Knappogue 1951.