26/04/2025 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 1)

Pastries from Bäckerei Huth

The day starts with a little scare: as the front door to the building closes behind me, we realise the key is still in the flat's front door... and one needs the key to open the building door. Quick call to the landlord... to find out his number does not work. Ahem. Fortunately, the first-floor flat is inhabited, and the resident is home. A quick explanation, and she kindly buzzes me in. Phew.

We stop for a hot beverage at Generale Caffè e Specialità and watch the pope's funeral on the telly. It is a grandiose and solemn affair that moves tOMoH's soul more than he imagined.

JS: "Think what you will of the Catholics, they know how to put on a show!"

Off to the venue and into the queue... where I realise I left my notebook and lanyard at home. It takes a lot of work to be this absent-minded! Grr. Fortunately, the accommodation is but a short walk away. Not even ten minutes later, I am in the queue again.

Last year, we spent a long time in the wrong queue. One would think that we would have learnt from that experience, but no: wrong queue again. We are in the one for people who do not have a ticket yet. Fortunately, this year, it does not take us too long to realise and correct. Shortly thereafter, we are in.

In the sweatbox on the ground floor, we immediately spot the Catawiki team, whom we now know better, after spending time with them in Bologna. It is the morning, so a breakfast dram is in order.

Littlemill 21yo 1992/2013 (50.2%, The Whiskyman Age Matters)

Nose: orchard fruits and pomace brandy.
Mouth: here too, it is pomace brandy -- marc de Gewürztraminer, to be precise, -- upon which one would have sprinkled ashes.
Finish: lots of fresh fruits and a faintly-drying note, either quarry dust or ashes.
Comment: perfect start to what is shaping up to be a kwazy weekender. 8/10

In the same corner in which we met them last year are pat gva, elskling and Savoureur. Hugs, laughs, drams. It feels homely already. elskling pours this:

The Glenlivet 25yo b.1977 (70º Proof, Gordon & MacPhail to commemorate The Queen's Silver Jubilee)

Nose: old mushrooms, potting soil, and decaying orchard fruits in a wooden crate.
Mouth: mineral, it has infused milk and old leather.
Finish: long, earthy, metallic, it revives the leather from the mouth.
Comment: wonder what George & J.G. Smith thought of G&M's usage of the definite article on this bottling. Anyway, glad to finally tick off this box. A good 'livet, though it is easy to understand why it commands a fraction of the price the Talisker in the same series does. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, elskling)

JS pours her Glenlivet 26yo 1968/1995 (52.1%, Signatory Vintage selected by, bottled for and imported by Whyte & Whyte for The Spirits Library, Barrel, 95/137) for comparison. It is universally liked. One does not try a Whyte & Whyte bottling every day.

pat gva is next:

Dalwhinnie 22yo 1957/1979 (80º Proof, Cadenhead imported by Soc. Auxil)

Nose: old bottle effect to the max, as well as ashes and mould-covered orchard fruits.
Mouth: quarry dust, musty warehouses and peach skins.
Finish: it has quite a kick, with gravel and orchard fruits rubbing shoulders with a lick of metal and soot sprinkled on peach slices
Comment: are we peaking too soon? 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, pat gva)

Let us have another 1957/1979 dumpy bottle by Cadenhead. My own Glenlossie-Glenlivet 21yo 1957/1979 (80° Proof, Cadenhead imported by Mario Rossi, Sherry Cask). I brought this at elskling's request. Little did we know someone else brought it to a dinner he attended last night. Ah, well. (pat gva brought a Black Bowmore 29yo 1964/1993 (50%, OB, Oloroso Sherry Casks, 2000b) to the same dinner, for perspective.)

pat gva taking a photograph of elskling's photograph of JS's photograph of my bottle.
Can anyone spell 'meta'?

elskling steps in with yet another dumpy

Ord 24yo 1962/1987 (46%, Cadenhead)

Nose: old, dusty marmalade and the tin lids that go with it.
Mouth: peppery and metallic. It is so obvious that it almost eclipses the undeniable fruit underneath (greengage).
Finish: long, a tad peppery and choc-full of marmalade, augmented with the tin lid of jars of jam.
Comment: classic dumpy liquid. Gorgeous. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, elskling)

Five people drinking three dumpy bottlings by Cadenhead

Savoureur has been pushing to pour me his Dallas Dhu 23yo 1979/2002 (46% Murray McDavid Mission Series One, First Fill American Oak, 600b), but he loses patience with my pace and ends up leaving -- ha! ha! The same goes for his Blended Malt 27yo 1994/2021 (47.5%, Le Gus't Selection for Nanyang Whisky, Bourbon Hogshead, C#3525, 240b). He kindly leaves me the sample of the latter, so we will try it, at some point.

MD joins us.

Irish Single Malt 26yo 1988/2014 Special Release Number Two (50.4%, Ramseyer Whisky Connection, 175b)

Nose: this bursts with tropical fruits.
Mouth: big mango-y mouth.
Finish: a kick of white pepper, but it is mostly ridiculously fruity.
Comment: even blind, one cannot mistake the provenance of this. Delicious Irish beauty. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, MD)

Bowmore Deluxe (43 G.L., OB Duty Free for Exportation only)

Nose: cat piss, funk, and butyric-coated tropical fruits. A waste of fruits? Well, it works.
Mouth: acidic, this is citrus-y-and-a-half.
Finish: the butyric recedes and it is all tropical fruits from then on, bursting on one's face. Mostly citrus again.
Comment: they fluctuate, but they are never wrong. A strong 8/10 (Thanks for the sip, MD)

3.115 7yo 1998/2005 Undeniably masculine (55.7%, SMWS Society Cask)

Nose: cured meat and prunes.
Mouth: rancio-y and acidic. It is indeed sticky. "You have to clean your palate afterwards. With rubbish," says MD.

Finish: long, vinegar-y (in a good way) and full of rancio. We also have cured, braised meat and musty warehouses.
Comment: it is very sherried, of course, but Bowmore can take it. This is only 7 years old? Wow! 8/10 (Thanks for the sip, MD)

Glenlossie 16yo d.1972 (57.7%, Sestante)

Nose: more rancio, vinegar and prunes. It is almost Mortlachian, so thick and sauce-like it is. We wonder if it adds hard-boiled eggs to the equation.
Mouth: full-on earthy rancio. Time on the tongue gives it a twist of the pepper mill.
Finish: blackberries, jelly drops, it is chewy and extremely well balanced.
Comment: MD seems to intend to hose us with good whisky. Is anyone complaining? Ich don't think so! 8/10 (Thanks for the sip, MD)

MD: "There's more fruitiness on the nose than on the palate."
JS: "Really?"
MD: "That's why I'm older."

The "best t-shirt of the festival prize" goes to...

Continue reading here.

15/03/2025 EG's birthday bash

EG is not one to celebrate his birthdays, but, for some (welcome) reason, he decided to do it, this year. He announces early on that this is (and I paraphrase) "no more than an informal meeting with a group of friends to try some interesting whiskies."

EG introduces us to the world of whisky

When that group of friends covers around ten nationalities and as many uprooted folk, it can perhaps be informal, but not casual! Amongst those in attendance, we count MW & Hk, KCF & EF, JKr, AH, CB, PG, JS, TM, NH, Ar, and a handful of EG's colleagues (Em, An, Cl, Da). NF makes a brief early appearance, then vanishes like a ghost at dawn. Ha! Ha!

First, let us fix the lighting

Local Mortadella (EG), and aged Gouda (Em) that most (tOMoH)
confuse for a mature Parmesan

Beside nibbles, EG has concocted a line-up of whiskies all distilled in the same year. As many whiskies, in fact, as years he has spent working in the industry. Several of us have known the energumen for all those years.

That's a lot of years, yo!

Glen Grant 5yo d.1985 (40%, OB, 1l): nose: light and spirit-y, it focusses on few things, and does them with precision. Pear and distant raspberry provide a little fruity entertainment. Mouth: soft, thin, pear-like, it also has a lemon-y perfume (JS). It remains precise, then, akin to limoncello, at times. Finish: clean, lemon-y, filled with limoncello. It even has almond cream in the long run. It is fairly simple, but a designated starter. We all agree it feels a lot bigger than 40%. 7/10

Glen Avon 5yo 1985/1990 (40%, Avonside Whisky Selected and Bottled Exclusively for P.A.I.S.S.A. imported by Sestante): many discussions and assertions about this. An undisclosed Glenfarclas, all reckon. In any case, it is the most-recent vintage bottled under this name. Nose: very plastic-y, with flexible rubber and cured meats, electric cables and wire insulation (jacket insulation), PVC ducting and plastic-doll heads. Mouth: pickled-pearl-onion brine, dusty cured meat, charred bits off a barbecue grill... Meaty? Yes, a little. Finish: spirit-y, if wider than the nose hinted at, it is somewhat chalky, then adds some roast beef, and a drop of brine. 7/10

S & E Wedding Reserve 1985/2021 (unknown ABV, Nadi Fiori): if you think that NF dropped off a one-off bottle before he buggered off, you are right. He made this blended malt exclusively for EG's wedding. Nose: warm wool with pearl onions in milk. Mouth: odd. Perhaps plastic? Old rubber? Finish: here, an unexpected note of liqueur chocolate rocks up. How original! Here is a dram that works better in large sips, by the way. 7/10

Strathmill 11yo 1985/1997 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Oak Cask, C#2342, 480b, b#196): nose: this is a step-up in quality, it seems. Orange bark, cassia bark, bitter orange liqueur and limestone gratings. The second nose welcomes pot-pourri. Mouth: it is quite woody on the tongue, with slabs of oak, yet it remains juicy to complement the mild bitterness. Finish: citrus-y, it has orange rinds and dried-up plasticine. A divisive dram, for some reason. Some say it is the best Strathmill they have had (the best of two, you understand), others care less for it. I like it a lot. 8/10

Bruichladdich 12yo 1985/1997 (46%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection): nose: very mineral, this is like granite torched with a flamethrower. It surprisingly progresses to give dried strawberries and dried peach slices. Mouth: CB finds it charred, whereas it is mellow and a tad mineral for JS. Strawberry yoghurt, cassia-bark shavings and eucalyptus bark. Finish: mellow again, it has a dash of orange juice and cassia bark. This is my favourite so far. 8/10

MW, KCF and EF meet outside of
a festival, for once -- or an airport!

JS [about the nibbles]: "That mortadella!..."
EG: "Do you want me to move it?"
PG, JS and tOMoH: "Put it away!"

PG [grabs the toolbox]: "Later, I'll come to your room to do some plumbing."

The Macallan 15yo d.1985 (43%, OB Greek import, Sherry Oak Casks): nose: it smells like a spectacular Pedro Ximénez maturation: sweet, bold, and darkly fruity. Prunes, dried figs, hazelnut paste. More and more smoked dried fruits come out, as does cured orange. Mouth: it is more mineral and drier here, and hints at a Fino. Oily roasted chestnuts, wine-cured lychees and green grapes. The second sip is earthier and drier, with quarry dust and tree bark. Finish: long, sticky as cough syrup, it has camphor and liquorice, but also sweet prunes and dried figs. 8/10

TM: "This group has had more-exclusive Macallans, single casks and all, but this really does the trick."

Pineapple cake, courtesy of KCF and EF

Yum!

EF shows tOMoH how to eat the cake like a local

Aultmore 14yo d.1985 (60.1%, Adelphi Distillery Limited imported by High Spirits, Sherry Cask, C#2900, 612b): nose: this is super-dry, chalky, overflowing with quarry dust. Grated limestone, and piles and piles of chalk. It certainly does not hide its provenance -- Aultmore tends to be chalky; this is but an extreme example. Mouth: PG finds sulphur, and, indeed, it has something of an old-school sulphur-y limestone fertiliser, were it heated. Just another side of chalky, really. Finish: burnt rubber (PG). I get none of that, but quicklime instead. Chalky and hot, and, if that reads repetitive, so be it. There are some flashes of pineapple, though that might be a remnant of those pineapple cakes from Taïwan. In any case, this stays hot on the palate for a long time. It is also the most-disliked dram today by everyone present. 6/10

TM: "The Aultmore smells shit, tastes good."

Emergency cork-removal skills required.
At least, we know it is not a fake!

EG goofs around with the next bottle, pretends to take a swig straight from the bottle, and ends with a generous sip of whisky in the gob, much to his uncomfortable surprise (and our amusement).

PG: "Can you pour it straight from your mouth [into mine]?"

Ord 10yo 1985/1995 (56.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection imported by Rossi & Rossi, Oak Cask): nose: ooft! We have a rich mix of minerals and fruits, with cut mango and pineapple rings served on slate. Granite chippings show up, and it appears at last that this is very strong. The second nose has cigarette smoke, grist, and a flour millstone. Mouth: phwoar! Papaya, tamarind, stewed jackfruit. After chewing, hot metal joins the dance (copper, brass). It is warm, but tolerable, despite the furious ABV (it is actually less strong than it feels). The second sip has cracked black pepper wrapped in ciggy smoke. Finish: long, full of smashed heated fruits. Smoke appears, in the long run, and it becomes quite the robust dram. 9/10

PG: "Proper dram for real people. [Grabs the toolbox] Now I can get some shit done!"

EG distributes vouchers to all.

KCF: "Give me ten, man!"

54.2 9yo 1985/1995 (58.2%, SMWS Society Cask): nose: leather grease, old leather coats that have just ben waterproofed again. Then, we move on to jams and marmalades slathered on hot boilers (dusty cast iron). Water makes it nuttier and woodier, with a stack of extremely-dry oak logs. Mouth: chicory infusion... and quite some power! This is hot, from a time before the Society discovered water. Hazelnut spread, almond butter, chestnut purée. The desiccating second sip sucks all moisture. Water renders it sharper and more chiselled, almost grappa-like, so sharp it is. Finish: hot, dusty metal mingles with hazelnut and almond spread, perhaps chocolate, and chestnut purée again. The hot metal is incisive, though. Very bold. It is all darker and warmer at second sip, chocolate-coulis galore. Water brings out grapes and keeps it sharp. 7/10

Pittyvaich-Glenlivet 15yo 1985/2000 (59.1% Cadenhead Authentic Collection imported by Arnolfini Trading, Bourbon Hogshead, 240b): nose: initially very briny, it turns into roast beef and crushed sand. With time, it is geranium stems, and, slowly, earth and potting soil, augmented with cork shavings. Mouth: hot tomato sauce, musk (JS). This has meaty elements -- cold gravy, mortadella, -- and retains the cardboard. Finish: it turns hot again, earthy, flowers trampled into mud. 7/10

CB: "This is a technical whisky."
PG: "One of my top-100 Pittyvaich."

tOMoH [to AH]: "I didn't realise you were a big The Cure fan. JS told me: 'Are you kidding? He's rocking a Siouxie and the Banshee t-shirt!'"
AH: "It's Suze. My Cure t-shirt is wrapped around [a bottle of] olive oil I just bought."

Glenlivet 10yo 1985/1996 (57.9%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection Cask Strength imported by Rossi & Rossi, Sherry Hogshead, C#19.765, 271b): nose: dry polished wood (AH), a bold Sherry cask indeed, but one that brings one a lot of squashed fruits (figs, dates), and a bit of earth too. Mouth: thick, rich, Sherry-matured whisky that exhibits raisins, prunes, and figs. It is thick, coating, rich, and fairly strong too. Last to strike are heated lychee shavings. Finish: dark fruit, stewed, juicy, lovely. The second gulp brings cured lychee too. This is very good. 8/10

We pick up the pace for the final couple, which makes for scrambled notes.

Glen Garioch 16yo 1985/2001 (51.9%, OB Individual Cask Bottling for The Whisky Exchange, Sherry Butt, C#1585): nose: lavender (EG). There is some, as well as sultanas, raisins and violet candy (I am not talking about Parma Violet, but the superior Continental variation; Verquin's, for example). Mouth: oh! This is so full of hard-boiled violet sweets it is hilarious. Of course, everybody hates it. Everybody but me -- I like it. :) Finish: dirty earth and a lot of violet sweets. So much violet it is extremely entertaining. 8/10

Bowmore 16yo 1985/2001 (50%, Silver Seal Special Reserve, Sherry Cask, 480b): nose: a notch of peat and mud make way for a roasted-nut paste. We then have faint shoe polish and distant pot flowers. Mouth: mellow and earthy at first, shoe polish develops, spread onto the softest leather. Flowers are nowhere to be found, here. Finish: earth-soaked violet sweets -- and the earth is certainly easier to spot than the violet. Later on, hazelnut spread becomes more and more obvious. I try this on the spot, later on in the evening, and again the following morning and love it each time. 8/10

PG: "The Garioch is more 1980s Bowmore than the 1985 Bowmore!"

Ar: "The best thing about the Bowmore is that it was not the Glen Garioch."

Bodegas del Mundo Nuevo 40yo (84 Proof, OB imported by Schroeder Bros.)
Em brought this Brandy de Jérez.
I will never get around to trying it.

03/04/2024 Glen Ord

Glen Ord 25yo 1978/2004 (58.3%, OB, 3600b): nose: most peculiar! It is at once austere and welcoming: we spot black peppercorns, and chipped flint alongside pressed raisins. The latter really takes off too, and the juicy sweetness turns to dried dates and figs, currants and prunes, though the strongest note is one of golden sultanas. It is hard not to think of a Fino Sherry, or a Manzanilla. And then, the austere side comes back: Verdigris, quarry dust, ground pepper. Later still, woody tones surface, a sea captain's chest, dry from centuries in a museum, driftwood kept indoors for many decades, and a piece of sticky-toffee pudding in the room next door. Perhaps we have warm sand too. It is probably closer to a heap of sand on a construction site than to a beach under the tropics, yet here it is, loud and clear. Magically and surprisingly, dried fruits come back strong, sultanas, dates, dried tangerine segments, dusted with a blend of 50% confectionary sugar, 50% quarry dust, 50% ground white pepper, 33% mathematical incompetence. Imagination may pick up génépi-flavoured chewing gum too. Three drops of water, a bit of swirling around and a brief marrying time reveal boiled sweets, still warm, and not fully hardened yet. Also Turkish delights stored in the sun, dripping with sugar, and, in the back, Mokatine, which comes as a complete surprise. It still has some quarry dust, but that is now very much in the background. Mouth: quite the attack, this! Cough syrup on steroids, maple syrup mixed with quarry dust, pepermint cough drops (yes, that means Fisherman's Friends), dried ginger gratings, and thuja bark. This is really rather brutal, without the crescendo of heat of a preceding half-a-dozen drams! Pepper emerges, carried by leaves (holly or rhododendron -- it is not as if they were edible, so how should we know, eh?) The second sip has quarry chippings splashed with a syrup of sorts; instinct says maple, but it is too herbal for that. Unless it is herbs macerated in maple syrup? Why not, after all? It is waxy leaves, in any case: ivy, rhododendron, laurel, and a spray of furniture wax, sprayed by someone wearing rubber boots. All that is covered in quarry dust and ground white pepper. There is the most minute whisper of smoke, extremely fleeting. It stays powerful with water, but becomes a lot sweeter. It has boiled sweets here too, crystallised red grapefruit, crystallised myrtles, and redcurrant-flavoured Sugus or Starburst. A minute on the tongue unveils a pronounced bitterness, more unripe currants than green hazelnuts. Repeated sipping pushes forward an oily woodiness, mahogany or walnut, almost heady. Finish: as expected after that big mouth (strikes again), the finish is huge too, dusty, peppery, and peppermint-y. It has dried ivy leaves, crushed into little more than a powder, and remnants of of a herbal eau-de-vie -- grappa, génépi, aguardiente de hierbas). Hell! this even has aniseed (thankfully not as sickly as in Ricard) or lovage seeds. Sweeter at second gulp, it has crumbly mint drops, spearmint, and crystallised bergamot. It feels more approachable, it it remains frankly herbal and pretty strong. Gentian, candied angelica, fresh marjoram, lemon mint that comes pretty close to being metallic. With water, it is a myrtle-and-blackberry cordial diluted in gin rather than water. It works excellently too! The death has something interestingly earthy, drying, with dried potting soil, hardened mulch, and bay leaves. Further sips shine a light on the same oily-wood aspect as it did on the palate. Never a bother, that underlines a soft, lingering bitterness. Phwoar! Excellent drop. Only a matter of personal taste prevents me from going to 9. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

23/03/2024 Dune Part Two

Part One was so much fun that we decided to have a Part Two with mostly different actors. If Villeneuve did it, why could we not?

CB, OB, cavalier66, and JS join me for this sequel. GL calls off last minute for a work-related emergency.

The soundtrack: Sabled Sun - 2146

cavalier66 opens the game with a Japanese whisky, because Japan is an empire, just like the universe of Dune (known as the Imperium).

Rare Old Super (43%, Nikka Whisky) (cavalier66): nose: grainy and dirty (cavalier66), sweet and grainy (CB), a bit dusty, cardboard-y, it has crunchy pears slowly eaten by lichen. Mouth: stringent (cavalier66), apple and pear (cavalier66), dusty-sweet indeed, with dust and caramel on Golden Syrup. Finish: not too much happening. It is grainy, with an increasing amount of pressed grapes. This is inoffensive. 5/10

OB unveils a blended malt for the spice mélange (again!). He adds that 1969 is when Dune Messiah was published, because this is a 1969 underproof blend that was beefed up with Dornoch distillery's octave C#0 from 2017, and some eleven-year-old undisclosed Islay.

Super Groovy Blended Spirit Drink 6yo 1969 and 2017/2023 (40.1%, Thompson Brothers) (OB): nose: cavalier66 reckons it smells a bit like a blend (many years of university made him clever, our cavalier66), while CB says it is close to a Calvados. It has a funky side, in any case, a bit of sludge, pressed prunes, and damp dead leaves. Perhaps even a hint of hemp. CB finds artificial strawberry coulis to boot. That turns harder, and points at plasticine, waxy prunes and blueberries. Mouth: a certain earthiness emerges, prunes, dried dates, and a drop of juice. It has a tropical streak too, unidentifiable, and mushroom water caramelising in a frying pan. Finish: it is rather Cognac-y in the finish, with indistinct dark fruit. It feels chewy and earthy, with a mix of dark grapes and blueberries. 7/10

Cheese and breads, courtesy of the man who
never has breakfast before a tasting

cavalier66: "It is a funky nose."
tOMoH: "A groovy nose."
cavalier66: "It does not taste integrated."

The soundtrack: Dune: Dune · Der Wüstenplanet (Original Soundtrack Recording)

cavalier66: "That was not unpleasant."
tOMoH: "Remind me: which country were you born in?"

JS presents a Tillibardune bottled by Dewar Rattraydes, a double-barrelled connection to the theme, which is odd, for a single cask.

Tullibardine 33yo 1972/2006 (43.1%, Dewar Rattray Cask Collection, C#2597, 141b) (JS): nose: oh! ah! (cavalier66), honeyed and floral (CB). "I always think of bread, when I have a Tullibardine, and this has some of that bread" (cavalier66). It has a fattiness to it (CB), egg whites, old oak from the 1970s (CB), candied apricots, and a lick of peppery passion fruit. Mouth: some oak wood (cavalier66), but it is mostly a tropical number, here, with loads of candied apricots and preserved maracuja. Finish: long, acidic and fruity, juicy, jammy. Meow. I adore this whisky. Full notes are here. 9/10

cavalier66 observes that Dune is the ultimate film about a galactical empire. He therefore brought an Imperial in The Ultimate collection.

Imperial 20yo 1995/2015 (46%, Signatory Vintage selected by The Ultimate, Hogshead, C#50234, 281b, b#44, L15/1482) (cavalier66): nose: fruit, citrus, photocopier, petrichor (cavalier66), fresh summer rain (cavalier66), the plastic case of a newly-bound photocopied book (takes me back to my student days). Sour citrus (CB), pot-pourri pouches (CB). For me, it is closer to the dried residue os a citrus tonic in the glass. Mouth: slightly rough edges (cavalier66), dirty (OB), bergamot tea via retro-nasal olfaction (cavalier66), acidic, with crates full of crisp (Golden) apple, and dry green grapes. We have more and more hay and lemon thyme with time. Finish: a bit more robust, here, with linen (cavalier66) and mulch, alongside bergamot and kumquat. In the long run, it acquires a dry bitterness like the palate, but goes one step further by bringing forth Alka Seltzer. Excellent Imperial. 8/10

OB: "To think you wanted to swap it for another bottle..."
cavalier66: "I'm not disappointed."
tOMoH: "Mate! You're sooooo British!"

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - The space navigator

CB confesses he had to think hard to fit something into the theme (that he owns). In the end, he went for something he wanted to bring, and then the link dawned on him: this is a Chani-nich.

Teaninich 33yo 1983/2017 (46%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, C#6739) (CB): nose: "there is quite a bit of spice going" (CB). cavalier66 is quick to point another connection to the theme, here. Spice indeed: ground mace (ensues a fascinating discussion about nutmeg and mace), lemon mint intertwined with hay, dried spearmint, aniseed (CB), or (I think) lovage seeds, pomelo foliage, and a sprinkle of ashes. Mouth: acidic, lemon-y, this has loads of lemon thyme and lemon mint, Swiss lemon sweets full of mountain herbs (cavalier66, talking about Ricola). This is excellent. On the late tip, we discover kumquat to supply some candied sweetness. Finish: in the same vein, we have lemon mint, citrus foliage and hay. It is fruitier with each sip, much to my delight. 9/10

Also: hailstorm

Both cavalier66 and tOMoH brought an Arrankis. cavalier66 adds that David Lynch directed the first film adaptation of Dune; he also directed Blue Velvet, starring Italian actress Isabella Rossellini; also Italian is Arran's global Brand Ambassador, our good friend MR. LOLz. Love a stretched connection.

Arran (49.1%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, B#1, 211b, b#66) (cavalier66): nose: washing powder, baking stuff (CB), freshly-baked croissants (CB), detergent. Then, later on, cinnamon bark, dried fruits, panettone, black bun (JS). The ABV feels noticeably higher. Mouth: hot fruit (boiled citrus zest), a mild bitterness, orange-flower water (CB). It turns chalkier at second sip, then reverts back to fruits, this time it is apricots. Finish: some bitterness again, very orange-y, pithy, with citrus skins, and grated Aspirin tablets -- in a good way. Yes, even when it eventually settles for juicy, it is pressed orange with a bit of Aspirin. 8/10

vs.

Arran 17yo 1997/2014 (51.6%, The Whisky Agency & Acla da Fans Acla Selection specially selected for Whisky-Schiff Zürich 2014, Refill Sherry Cask, 120b) (tOMoH): nose: shaving balm, a faint hand-soap smell that grows in prominence, clean towels. Mouth: a clear note of detergent in hot water. Finish: big, almost boisterous, it has stewed apricots and hot compote. Full notes here. 8/10

Time to check TikTok

I find them to be both on a similar level, in terms of quality, but they have extremely-different profiles.

CB: "The Boutique-y is hotter."
cavalier66: "It's the spice."
tOMoH: "Would you say the mélange was not well integrated?"

CB takes us to the dark side, to explore the machinations of the Bunna Gesserit. In the same move, three of us discover how to pronounce the name of the bottler (weems, not weh-miss; it is written on the back label).

Bunnahabhain 1987/2018 Chestnut & Apple Chutney (46%, Wemyss Vintage Malts Wemyss Malts, Butt, 628b) (CB): nose: leather, shoe polish, date syrup, some turpentine, and prunes take off. Mouth: a nice balance, this is obviously a very-sherried whisky, but at 46%, it does not overwhelm the taste buds at all. Shoe polish, diluted with prune juice. Finish: treacle, date syrup, burnt sugar, molasses, cranberry molasses. Later on, we see a river of melted chocolate too. This is excellent, and better with each sip. 8/10

This calls for tart!
(OB's apple tart)

OB: "The Thompson are now enforcing the three-month free-storage thing, which is annoying."
JS: "Well, not for everyone: BA had things there for years."
cavalier66 [hinting at the royal family's recent health scares]: "But BA is royalty. Let's hope he doesn't have cancer, like the rest of them."

tOMoH: "I still see that picture in my head, every time I see the king -- a picture of Prince and Prince Charles, with the caption: 'There may be two princes, but there is only one king. And his name is Prince.' And, indeed, Charles waited for Prince to die before becoming king."
JS: "Every time you tell that, I think of Spin Doctors."

The soundtrack: Zenith - The Flowers Of Intelligence

With help from JS, tOMoH presents an oft-tasted bottle: Silent Stilgar-nheath.

Garnheath 27yo 1972/2000 (59.4%, Signatory Vintage Silent Stills, C#386516, 190b, b#182, 00/81) (tOMoH): full notes here. Today, I sip it relaxed, and enjoy it immensely. 9/10

JS asks if anyone ever played the Dune video games. Yes all round. The second? OB acquiesces. What was noteworthy in that one? There were three houses, OB remembers correctly. He cannot remember the name of the third, though. It was House (Glen) Ordos.

Glen Ord 25yo 1978/2004 (58.3%, OB, 3600b) (JS): I will take proper notes another time. We had this with OB nine years ago, and not once since. Time flies. Nose: austere, rocky, it reminds me of a grain millstone, lichen on limestone, tatters of green grapes and oroblanco, before a veil of refined smoke emerges from the deep, as clear as the sea is wet. Speaking of the sea, this may have iodine and a vague saltiness too. The second nose has a refreshing minty touch too. Mouth: rocky, gravel-y, drying, it is a whole quarry, in there. That aside, it has crushed walnuts. The mood changes with the second sip, which is dominated by acidic citrus, though there is a slight herbaceous touch too. Finish: long, acidic, mineral. Provisional 8/10

House Ordos deposing the Emperor

The soundtrack: Sabled Sun - 2148

As the final dram, OB fulfills the prophecy, and shows us the Kwizats Hadronach.

The GlenDronach 20yo 1993/2013 (53%, OB Single Cask, Oloroso Sherry Butt, C#5, 645b, b#418) (OB): nose: a thick layer of chocolate spread, mixed with Marmite, on a pepper-and-onion beigel. It has a hint of cardboard too, and then it develops a more-floral facet, behind the chocolate -- magnolia? The Marmite all but disappears, amusingly enough. Earth joins the dance, dark, rich, and even burnt, in places, a bit like scorched earth after the rain. The second nose has pickled lychee and blotting paper, roasted cocoa beans and star anise. Eh? Mouth: surprisingly thinner than anticipated, its earthiness is more pronounced than on the nose: torrefied coffee and chicory-infusion granules, as well as mocha-flavoured chocolate. It is slightly drying in the long run, like a high-percentage chocolate can be, or cocoa powder. Time makes this more peppery. Oh! it is no Talisker, obviously, but the chocolaty profile is augmented with cracked pink peppercorns. Finish: fairly short, it has more chocolate, and some herbs (chiefly oregano). OB thinks it does not have much chocolate and calls it a Glendronach for those who do not like Glendronach. I enjoy it. 8/10

OB: "It's the Johnnie Walker of Glendronach."
JS: "The Billy Walker of Glendronach."

Super tasting, once more. Surprisingly, it is the second time we use this theme, and no-one brought anything from Speyburn, Pulteney, Knockdhu, or Balmenach, all particular for their worm tubs. We may re-use the theme again when the next film comes out!