17/07/2026 Savoureur’s surprise birthday party

In April when JS and I bumped into PH, she invited us to come back to Limburg today to celebrate Savoureur’s milestone birthday -- unbeknownst to him. Here we are, then, with thirty-or-forty others, some of whom are familiar faces, but mostly new acquaintances to meet.

When Savoureur and PH make it to the venue and he spots us all, he is genuinely surprised and enthusiastic at the idea of spending an evening with friends.

Savoureur: "Thank you all for joining us here, some from outside of the EU, even!"

PH: “I booked dinner for forty people. Some have forgotten to come, but I did not cancel their food. You may have to help eat their share.”
tOMoH [to himself]: “Mission accepted.”

We all enjoy a glass of prosecco before proceeding to the real stuff. It quickly turns into an open bar and I do not know who brought what; notes are scant and I cannot always attribute the bottle to its owner.

James Martin’s V.V.O. (40°, James Martin imported and distributed by Distillerie Riunite di Liquori)

Nose: old-bottle effect, tin lids, jars of marmalade and copper coins.

Mouth: soft, mellow, it still presents hazelnut shells and a lick of copper.

Finish: nutty, timidly leathery, it serves scoops of caramel-and-hazelnut ice cream.

Comment: perfect apéritif.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, T)

Clynelish 22yo 1995/2018 (56.7%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams, Sherry Cask, L18/420)

Nose: musky and husky, it promises dryness and animality. It is a Clynelish, after all. Fox’s skin, dried windfall, nutshells. Deeper sniffing makes it seem a little sweeter.

Mouth: dried dates, dried rugs and super-dry raisins. It is well marked by the Sherry, if not overpowered. There is a bit of rancio and elderberry compote oxidising in a cellar.

Finish: extraordinary balance, here, dry yet elegant, with a dried-fruit touch (prunes, Medjool dates, figs) and a faint animal aftertaste. It is fairly tannic, in the long run.

Comment: good effort. I prefer Clynelish in Bourbon casks, but hey!

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, MG)

Antipasto misto

Flatbread

Ireland 26yo 1989/2016 Volume 6 (53.8%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams Anniversary Edition for 10 Years The Nectar)

Nose: phwoar! An explosion of tropical-fruit custard, with no surprise and for maximum enjoyment. It starts with mango, continues with banana, grapefruit, apricot, berries… You get the picture!

Mouth: sweet and bitter, big, glue-y. It has lots of glue, in fact. Chewing releases an avalanche of fruits, cantaloupe and mango leading the pack.

Finish: citrus flesh, citrus bark, chopped mango in yoghurt, served in a copper goblet. Phwoar!

Comment: this is excellent.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks, F)

White Horse (unknown ABV, White Horse Distillers, b#8734189)

Nose: extremely fishy, it has crayfish, fish sauce, dried fish, salt cod, fish oil sprayed on hay bales. It turns drier and less original with breathing, but the initial impression is gobsmacking. It picks up pickled antipasti, perhaps, though that may be the food interfering.

Mouth: a tad weak at the knee, after two cask strengths, but it holds together. Machine oil, engine grease, sardine tins with a drop of oil still in it. It is really tinny, actually.

Finish: soft, if long, it sticks to the gob surreptitiously, like engine great or petroleum jelly. There is a bit of smoked chocolate at the death, and not much fish left.

Comment: interesting and original. It does not turn me into a White Horse aficionado, though. The tax seal reads 'ministerio', but there is no importer information.

Score: 7/10 (Thank, Savoureur)

Schweine Steaks mit Champignon's sauce [sic]
dazu Gemuüse und Rosemarinkartoffeln
(me)

Putenbrustfilet mit Pfeffer Sauce
dazu Gemüse und Rosemarinkartoffeln
(JS)

Littlemill 13yo 1990/2004 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Oak Cask, C#2974, 449b, b#64, 04/099)

Nose: hay, lemon zest, Aspirin, a drop of hot Merbromin. It also has hot set custard and peach blended into yoghurt. The second sniff brings strong rubber.

Mouth: creamy. No! Milky. It has pulped peach, persimmon (though not as thick), yoghurt, a sprinkling of grated Aspirin, and crunchy heritage apples with a rough skin. It is chalkier and chalkier with time.

Finish: more creamy, custard-y goodness with grated Aspirin peppered on it. Is that a medicinal touch? Perhaps! Medicine tablets. Some whole, some grated, jelly caps full of herbal preparations -- woah!

Comment: very good Littlemill that reminds me of another Signatory bottling we had recently.

Score: 8/10

Glenturret 30yo 1982/2013 (46%, Meadowside Blending The Maltman, Fresh Bourbon Cask, C#258, 242b)

Nose: a mix of strawberry bubble gum, inflatable beach balloons and cat sick. Is that weird or what? It smells like a grain gone wrong -- in a good way! Pineapple and melted plastic having an argument. The second nose is ridiculously fruity (unripe white peach and pineapple) in a chemical way.

Mouth: the bubble-gum-rubber hallucination continues, with melted wellies and torched strawberries. More plastic appears upon chewing (beach balloons), and the dryness that comes with that. Sweeter and even more chemical at second sip, with more bubble gum and Gummibärchen.

Finish: it scrapes a beach ball along the tongue and leaves it all burnt -- or tender, at least. It stays warm and plastic-y in the long run.

Comment: So original, but… it is a little too weird. Very, very particular.

Score: 7/10

Springbank 12yo 1999/2023 (46%, OB Norddeutscher Kaufmann, 236b)

Nose: a weird mix of rubber and farm-y notes. That will be tractor tyres, then, surely. Exhaust fumes, garden fire, faint manure, smoked roasted cereals.

Mouth: Creamy? Dry? It is chocolate pudding is what it is. Chewing brings back the smoked cereals, nice, sweet clusters, augmented with a dash of fortified wine. Breakfast of champions.

Finish: dry, mineral, it has smoked cereals mixed with quarry dust and bone-dry earth patties fallen off a tractor tyre.

Comment: pretty good. Well, it is a Springbank, innit. It is expected.

Score: 8/10

Dessert is served.

Tiramisu [sic]

 

A pause during which I try a Port.
Warre Tercentenary 1970 (unknown ABV, imported and bottled for Percy Fox)
It is very good, despite all the vegetables
sinking to the bottom of my glass.

A waiter brings an unclaimed tiramisu. Guess who claims it!

Me.

Ledaig 10yo 2004/2015 Edition No. 1 The Fat Cat End Bottling(58%, The Scots Whisky Forum imported by Brühler Whiskyhaus, First Fill Sherry Butt, C#15/740)

Nose: super leathery and mineral, yet there is also lychee behind it all (“Lychee or Lydaig?” JS asks) -- or is it rambutan? We have pickled pearl onions, onion relish spread onto lychees… How ancient is this? It smells like a 1970s bottling. Cocoa powder is sprinkled on top, and a dollop of shoe polish adds to the magic.

Mouth: pickled onion alright, sharp, vinegary and, actually, very nice too. Chewing unleashes a torrent of smoke, followed by a nearly-medicinal heat, which is a tad numbing. The second sip adds a spoonful of piping-hot marmalade.

Finish: strongly coffee-like, teeming with mocha and cocoa powder. It is earthy, dry, still good, yet no longer as elegant.

Comment: that nose was a strong 9. The mouth and finish are a little behind.

Score: 8/10

Cake is served.

Baumkuche, or tree cake

Bowmore 28yo 1996/2025 (50.3%, Malts of Scotland Rare Casks hand selected and exclusively bottled for The Whisky Dreamers, Caribbean Rum Cask, C#MoS25039, 155b, b#44)

Nose: pineapple-and-coconut juice with a. Lick of smoke. Next is washing-up liquid (with zero soapiness, mind), citrus and ash.

Mouth: mild, fruity, it has lemon, calamansi, grapefruit, pomelo. Chewing increases that and splashes it with Indian tonic water. There is more and more ash, to a point it is a little desiccating. The citrus stays on top, also desiccating.

Finish: acidic and ashy, it takes a few seconds to turn lemon-y, grapefruit-y, with acidic juice poured onto smashed glass.

Comment: very excited to try this one. It is very good, but I much prefer it the 2004 by the same bottler we tried in January.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, F)

Springbank 1997/20017 (55.2%, OB Vintage, Re-Charred Sherry Butts, B#1, 07/155)

Nose: a blend of shoe polish and mint paste, toasted coconut flakes and smoked caramel — just a wisp of soft smoke, you know. Some decayed pineapple bark rocks up at second nose.

Mouth: creamy, coating, it has melted tar, black shoe polish, rubber soaking in blush-orange juice, a touch of liquorice. Chewing adds desiccating ashes, lint and hardened tar. It is overly rubbery at second sip.

Finish: menthol, tar, lint, dried citrus peels, liquorice root. That combines at second gulp, long, tarry, rubbery, and the liquorice moves from root to allsorts and bootlaces.

Comment: decent.

Score: 7/10

Out of my bag comes 18.15 35yo 1966/2001 Curry powder and dark rum (67.5%, SMWS Society Cask Old Masters Collection, Sherry Cask)

Comments: “It’s like a cannon shot on squirrels or something,” says T. “Intense? Yeah, one could say that!” MG tells us, who will drink it fifty-fifty whisky and water. “It is intense, but also very dry,” F says. Whether they like it or not, I rejoice that I brought something that gets the tongues wagging. Everyone has their own taste; this is unforgettable. Full notes here.

The one-upmanship begins.

76.22 11yo 1989/2000 Quark cream cake (58.5%, SMWS Society Cask, Butt, 498b)

Nose: super-dry and mineral. Quarry dust, chalky sandstone. Maybe Sauvignon blanc and crushed plum stones.

Mouth: it has some fruit juice, but it is mostly desert-dry orange zest more than the fruit’s juice.

Finish: dry, borderline herbaceous, this has lichen on metal pipes.

Comment: never know what to expect from a Mortlach, especially an SMWS Mortlach. This is not a winy beast, but neither is it a fruit deluge like the series bottled around 2011-12. It seems it may have been a Switzerland special, though no access to the bottle means I did not see an importer label.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, T)

Glen Elgin 31yo 1986/2018 (48%, Signatrory Vintage The Un-Chillfilitered Collection Specially Selected by and bottled for The Belux Tour 2018, Hogshead, C#2526, 215b)

Nose: grapefruit peels and zest. There are splashes of yoghurt, but it is mostly a zesty number, with citrus zest on a baking tray.

Mouth: juicy as hell, with citrus and marmalade leading to liquorice allsorts.

Finish: fruity, it has chewy sweets, candied papaya and pineapple cubes.

Comment: fantastic drop.

Score: 9/10

Mortlach 25yo b.2021 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Distillery Labels imported by Kirsch Import, Sherry Casks, 210181)

Nose: cured meat, marinated cutlets, and nuts. Perhaps there are sandstone chippings?

Mouth: woah! It is a meaty yoghurt. Rosemary, roast beef, blush-orange rinds and a drop of wine, very dark and musky.

Finish: lots of blood oranges and rosemary, oil -- it is marinated orange wedges, really. It also has distant cinnamon sticks. The second gulp is drying and makes the gums throb.

Comment: works well.

Score: 8/10

The GlenDronach 20yo 1995/2016 (54.4%, OB Single Cask, bottled exclusively for Whisky-Museum Kyrburg Kirn, Pedro Ximenez Puncheon, C#3805, 662b, b#381)

Nose: Madeira wine or Sherry. It is extremely winy. That opens up to give melting dark chocolate in a Glendronach fashion, roast beef, and other cured meats in the background. It is a little fresher at second nose, with minty cotton candy and onion relish.

Mouth: very-dark chocolate melted into a puddle. A little musky at second sip, it sees a fox rolled in melted chocolate and sprinkled with dust.

Finish: ink, liqueur chocolate, it comes a bit too close to Edle Tropfen for my taste, but narrowly escapes sickly disaster.

Comment: JS detects soy sauce and everything she does not care for in official Glendronachs. It is not bad, but less my profile.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks, Savoureur)

Time to go. I have eaten so much I am about to explode.

As we depart, Savoureur insists we smell two drams. He tells us both are Macallan 2006/2020 (57.3%, Gordon & MacPhail Speymalt, C#9672, 294b). One is one of the guests', the other is his own bottle that he brought to London last month and has, therefore, matured for three additional days in the UK. Geekery aside, they do smell different. How much of that is due to the fact one was open a month ago, the other today, and what is the result of one spending three days in the UK is, of course, anyone’s guess. Full notes here.

Happy birthday, Savoureur!

01/12/2025 The GlenDronach

The GlenDronach 19yo 1994/2013 (58.4%, OB Single Cask, Oloroso Sherry Butt, C#101, 628b, b#396): nose: same distillery, bottler and supplier as yesterday's, yet it could hardly be more different a dram. This is full-on drinks cabinets, mahogany cases, teak chests, polished dashboards and walnut stain. It is an elegant Sherry maturation, to put it in other words. Behind all that are a pinch of quarry dust and a brush still wet with varnish for scale modelling. Whoever is building those plastic aircrafts is sipping flat cola and munching dried figs and oily chestnuts, from time to time. The second nose adds dark tree bark, mulch and beef-stock cubes. There is not enough camphor or liquorice to call cough syrup; instead, the lasting impression is that of Oloroso and coffee poured on potting soil and prunes. Further nosing unveils dark fruits and berries stored in a black plastic container. Mouth: coating, vinous in a fortified-wine way. Mushroom water, or water used to rehydrate dried mushrooms and raisins. It is dark and earthy, yet keeps a certain sweetness too, closer to currants than to prunes. A soft bitterness emerges (the earthy side, certainly), that could be associated with mocha, or a frying pan of mushrooms deglazed with a dash of Oloroso. The second sip welcomes dried dates in a cup of coffee, sultanas and dried apricots. The earthy coffee is thinned with a generous dose of plum liqueur. Then, we find pearl onions, poached and coated in tar-black honey. Oddly, it works. Finish: a big earthy kick of Oloroso, here. It is a tad overwhelming at first, cloying. Treacle, prune syrup, old Corinth raisins clustered together, mocha custard so thick one could plant a spoon in it and it would stand vertical, and a pinch of cocoa powder. The second gulp is earthier still; caffè corretto rectified with liqueur rather than grappa, pressed raisins augmented with a pinch of soot-y earth, ground cloves sprinkled on dried dates, and cocoa powder dusted on a bowl of beef stock. We find a similar dark-honey tinge as we did on the palate, towards the death. Black sesame seeds coated in dark amber honey round all that off. Wow! This is not necessarily my preferred profile, but it is very well made. I like it better than the first time. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, OB)

30/11/2025 The GlenDronach

The GlenDronach 9yo 2002/2011 (57.8%, OB Single Cask specially selected by The Nectar, Virgin Oak Hogshead, C#4522, 317b): nose: a woollen mill full of Harris tweed. This has the type of warming breath that feels logical on a late-autumn day. It soon gives a waxy vibe and that means the promise of a chewy texture more than the smell of furniture polish, in this case. Dried peach slices, dried mango slices and physalis are slowly joined by a growing flowery perfume. Lily-of-the-valley turns into jasmine, then lilac, more and more fragrant, without ever reaching heady levels. All of a sudden, it stabilises and focuses on wood -- untreated white-wood shelves, to be precise. The second nose has chocolate straight away, caramel flan, fruit squash augmented with lemon-thyme leaves and orange segments, almost too dried to eat. Wood comes back later on, with cask staves. Mouth: delicate for a second, it swiftly reveals a punchier profile in which wood stain takes over the initial peach note. Chewing pours carbonyl on chopped green chilli and red-chilli flakes, and that, in turn, makes room for relentless young wood. A quick look at the label confirms what we may have guessed: virgin oak. That reminds one why not many producers use those casks, and why those who do bottle the resulting whisky young: the wood overpowers the distillate in no time. Here, we have round white pepper, ground galangal, and ginger powder blended with a pinch of asafoetida. It takes a couple of minutes on the palate for the taste buds to finally spot a custardy touch -- a spicy custard, mind. The second sip has a puff of cigarette, then dusty old radiators in full swing. This has its share of dried orange peels, partly crispy, partly blue with mould. Again, keeping it in the mouth stirs the spices, and they become vibrant and louder than anything else. Finish: strong and spicy, it is less woody and, thankfully, fruitier. We have dried peach slices, dried physalis and dried papaya cubes, distinguishable, if coated in ground white pepper, ginger powder and grated nutmeg. It has mixed peel too, shy and seasoned with the same spices. Indeed, it is a warming, spicy number, this one! The second gulp seems a lot fruitier, with orange rinds, juicier than the ones we found earlier, and used as decoration on top of a thick caramel custard. There is sweetness on display alright, yet the dominant, now, is a pleasant bitter note imparted by orange and caramel. Not to be fooled, however: the finish still has ginger powder, asafoetida and even grated lemongrass. Simply, they are no longer as boisterous as they were, upon repeated quaffing. This is good. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

06/09/2024 Glendronach

Prompted by WhiskyLovingPianist's recent article about plastic samples, I feel an urgency to get rid of revisit those samples. We had today's whisky almost four years ago, so it is certainly time for another go. Blind, too; the samples are labelled 1 to 6, and it feels more interesting to not look at what those numbers mean before trying the whiskies again.

#4: nose: beautifully woody, with encaustic, beeswax, and glossy ultramarine paint (RAL 5002). Further, we find walnut oil, perhaps cashew oil -- it is an oily affair alright; I had mahogany oil, the first time, which is fair enough. Deeper nosing rolls out a carpet of thick apricot jam, punctuated by smashed physalis, and washed down with a sip of Cognac Fin Bois. Indeed, it has a grape side as well, subtle, mostly hiding behind well-maintained wood furniture. The second nose has melted chocolate littered with smashed blueberries. Soon, apricot jam returns to prominence -- and who is complaining about it? Suddenly, and out of nowhere, some kind of soda tickles the nostrils -- Ricqlès comes to mind, for a reason I cannot explain. Old steel nuts and bolts appear too. Mouth: here, the wine influence is unmistakable. It has to be a Sherry cask or another, probably a sweet one. We find cured orange rinds, raisins injected with chilli-infused water, lychee shavings, grape juice blended with wood oil, and even a dash of paint thinner. Chewing insistently reveals a woody side too, shaved vine or orchard tree, and unripe myrtles. The second sip has a faint metallic note, copper, brass, or bronze, that reminds one of copper coins dipped in grape juice. It takes some furious chewing for any wood to come back out in the shape of Cognac Fin Bois. Finish: dignified, long, woody and fruity. Wood-haters need not worry, for it is far from plank-y or bitter. Instead, we have vine snippings, dark-grape pips, black olives. That aside, we note prunes, apricots caramelised beyond recognition, and berries, stewed with cloves and a cinnamon stick. Mulled wine this is not, yet it bears some resemblance for they who want to see it. Interesting fruits come out at the second gulp: dragon-fruit cubes and rambutan dunked in prune juice, augmented with a few drops of dark maple syrup, and pecans. Softly bitter after all, then. Phew! This one seems intact. My suspicion is it is an aged Glendronach -- and indeed, it is. It may well score higher on another day. Glendronach 30yo d.1990 (47.2%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Cask re-racked into First Fill Sherry Cask in 2013) 8/10

29/06/2024 Drams in Paris

Knowing that tOMoH would be visiting the City of Lights, elskling kindly put a tasting together with some friends. aphex, ben_whisky, cosinus, Garobidou, Piazzolla, Piksi, JS and I meet up with for an evening of libations.

Since some are earlier than the announced starting time, they start with rum. I have a few, but skip several in a vain attempt to catch up. The numbering below is mine only. elskling's overall tally is higher (three units higher, to be precise).

New Grove Royal Rum Blend (45.6%, Grays Inc., 800b, b#8, b.2016, D131/16) (brought by?)

Nose: a whiff of rubber and liquorice, then it turns very sweet, with dark sugars of sorts.

Mouth: it has a certain bitterness, liquorice again (black bootlaces), that precedes a strong woody fruitiness reminiscent of lychee husk, or suchlike.

Finish: sweet, bitter, we find more liquorice bootlaces, and a spoonful of dark sugar. 6/10

Neisson 11yo 2004/2015 (45.4%, OB Single Cask bottled for La Maison du Whisky, 498b, b#409) (brought by?)

Nose: marzipan and chou dough, which is a good start.

Mouth: sea water paves the way for burnt caramel and tyres.

Finish: yeah, it has a strong bitterness of rubber, lightly burnt. 6/10

From here on, all drams are served blind.

Dram #3 (elskling)

Nose: lots and lots and lots of rubber again. I seem to be very sensitive to it, today.

Mouth: very strong on the tongue, it presents cured orange rinds and tyres.

Finish: tyres, tyres, tyres.

Isautier 10yo Apollonie Edition 2023 (58%, OB) 5/10

Dram #4 (brought by?)

Nose: sweeter than its predecessors, this one has sugar-coated apricots.

Mouth: aaaaaand we go back to rubber, this time with a dollop of glue.

Finish: powerful, heavy-handed with the cured apricot, though it has more rubber at the death.

New Grove 2010/2020 (55%, Grays Inc. exclusively bottled for France, Limousin Oak Cask, C#256, 164b, b#104, D095/20) 6/10

Dram #5 (elskling)

Nose: another one that has rubber, this one has a lot of menthol too. Then, we find apricot liqueur.

Mouth: soft, it is balanced by an almond-y bitterness.

Finish: very short and indistinct. Pity.

Isautier 13yo Antoinette Edition 2023 (58%, OB) 6/10

Dram #6 (aphex)

Nose: beside the now-expected rubber, we have mace, hay, and softly-smoky cane sugar.

Mouth: wow, it becomes hugely smoky on the palate, with dry-peat smoke pointing a finger towards darker, moister, earthier peat too.

Finish: warming, this has lots of smoky goodness. Apple compote stewed in a smoke-filled bothy.

Comment: a rum for whisky drinkers, if anything. Some online complain about that, but for this whisky drinker, it is this rum's saving grace.

Diamond 11yo d.2008 Kill Devil (60.9%, Hunter Laing, Port Ellen Cask Finish, 690b) 7/10

Dram #7 (brought by?)

Nose: some rubber (argh!) soon makes way for sundried tomato... and glue.

Mouth: this burns a little. Once past that sensation, we have a sugary sweetness.

Finish: long, syrupy and fruity, it only has a tame bitterness.

New Grove 12yo 2010/2022 (65.2%, Grays Inc. Collection Antipodes selected by La Maison du Whisky, Limousin Oak Cask, C#550, 427b, b#339, D140/22) 7/10

Much to everyone's relief, we leave the rums behind to focus on "real drinks" (© Garobidou). I do like to remain open-minded, but a session like this reminds me that rum is simply not for me.

Dram #8 (Garobidou)

Nose: phwoar, this smells pre-war, with the tin lids and jammy marmalade that betray a long sojourn in glass.

Mouth: delicate, fruity, jammy, it also has gunpowder and oxidised tin lids.

Finish: excellent, still as old school as the nose promised, jams and brass buttons.

Comment: we are under the spell, but stumped with regards to what it is. I venture it could be a Banff, but no.

Ballantine's 30yo (43° G.L., George Ballantine / Son imported by C. Salengo, b. ca. 1965) 8/10

elskling: "Why did you split this?"
Garobidou: "Yeah, perhaps I should have kept it all for me."
Piksi: "If you ever see me split something good, stop me!"

Piazzolla takes the lead for a string of six drams.

Dram #9 (Piazzolla)

Nose: melted dark chocolate, a dollop of mocha, then fruits take off: prunes, figs, raisins, with billowing Gitanes smoke in the background -- welcome to France.

Mouth: chocolate again, prunes, and something very earthy, pushing coffee grounds.

Finish: long, chocolate-y, coating. We have treacle and molasses.

Comment: we talk about a blended malt containing Glendronach, Caperdonich and Balvenie in the Sailing Ships collection. Piazzolla will correct later. It is in fact...

Glendronach 20yo 1970/1990 Araby Maid 1868 (43%, Signatory Vintage Sailing Ships Series No 1, Sherry Casks, C#546-558, 1200b) 8/10

Dram #10 (Piazzolla)

Nose: extremely jammy, here is peach jelly with a dollop of menthol.

Mouth: soft, mellow, jammy again, we now find smoked pineapple.

Finish: much more powerful than the mouth suggested, and also Woodier. It remains a fruity number, but it is pineapple peels (bark?), now, rather than the flesh.

Comment: they call it Mr. Bombastic.

Longmorn 1971/2011 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, AA/JAEA) 9/10

Piksi [to ben_whisky, about another Longmorn he owns]: "Yours wasn't as good."
ben_whisky: "Shut up."

Dram #11 (Piazzolla)

Nose: fruits, yet, this time, they are augmented with pickle or red-onion brine. That spells an ancient bottling, probably.

Mouth: a little pickle juice again, but it is mostly jammy in an old-school way, much to tOMoH's delight.

Finish: long, very jammy, it produces a tin-lid note akin to those we found in the Ballantine's.

Comment: amazeboulanger.

Longmorn 1974/1988 (46%, Brae Dean Int. imported by Moon Import The Sea, Butt, C#7729, 360b) 9/10

Dram #12 (Piazzolla)

Nose: mentholated and fruity, this has a lot of cured fruits too (carambola, no less). In addition, we detect some herbs (marjoram?)

Mouth: jammy, metallic, slightly herbaceous (marjoram indeed, perhaps sage), it has soft wood at second sip.

Finish: big and powerful, it shouts about minty fruits and (unidentified) flowers.

Linkwood 36yo 1973/2009 (49.7%, The Whisky Exchange 10 Years Online, Bourbon Cask) 9/10

Dram #13 (Piazzolla)

Nose: prunes in coffee (why!?), some old-school jam, and tin lids. The latter are almost totally overwhelmed by the previous notes.

Mouth: thick, syrupy, and increasingly earthy, pushing coffee grounds to the fore.

Finish: coffee, mocha chocolate.

Comment: well made, but too much coffee for me. Funny, this definite article in the pre-Billy Walker era (note the absence of capitalised 'D').

The Glendronach 18yo 1977/1995 (43%, OB, Seasoned Oak and Sherry Casks) 7/10

Dram #14 (Piazzolla)

Nose: earthy fruits, mostly dried figs, though perhaps dates too. It also has a whiff of metal.

Mouth: dried figs.

Finish: fruits dunked in chocolate, and an extreme earthy dryness, in the long run.

Longmorn 44yo 1967/2011 (48.3%, Gordon & MacPhail The Dram Takers exclusively bottled for La Maison du Whisky, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#592, 133b) 8/10

Everyone complains about the quality of that flight, and wonders how to follow that. Until...

Dram #15 (Garobidou)

Nose: not exuberant, but fruity all the same, somewhat understated, delicate, and elegant.

Mouth: here, on the other hand, it is an explosion of tropical fruits. Mangoes, pineapples...

Finish: much fruit again, it still has a minor bitterness that hints at herbs and liquorice allsorts.

Comment: note the typo in Sauternes.

Teeling 24yo b.2016 (46%, Teeling Vintage Reserve Collection, Sauterne & Bourbon Cask, 5000b) 9/10

Dram #16 (Garobidou)

Nose: acidic, fruity, it projects Haribo banana, and an almost plasticine-like, plummy waxiness.

Mouth: unctuous, full of plump apricots, blueberries, and a sprinkle of herbs.

Finish: maracuja jelly, plain and simple. Over time, milk-chocolate praline also develops.

Comment: Irish beauties. How beguiling they are!

Irish Malt 28yo 1989/2017 (49.3%, Antique Lions of Spirits, Bourbon Cask, 209b, b#49) 9/10

Dram #17 (Garobidou)

Nose: vinegar or brine, poured on chalk. Later, we find preserved fruits, mildly salty -- preserved lemons, maybe.

Mouth: mellow, velvety and warming, it has a nutty vibe too -- walnut spread is my guess.

Finish: big, chocolate-y, and lovely.

Aultmore 13yo 2006/2019 Collective #3.3 (48%, La Maison du Whisky Artist Collective, 2 x 1st Fill Sherry Butt, 1548b) 8/10

Dram #18 (aphex)

Nose: this one has a faint smoke, hardened wax, and old-school jams.

Mouth: desiccating, here are dusty hot metal and hay bales about to ignite.

Finish: long, farm-y, and ashy, dominated by crusted earth.

Brora 1978/2013 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old, B#RO/13/05, 218b, AC/ADID) 9/10

Dram #19 (JS)

Comment: I skip this one. It stumps everyone, and more than one tell us they have not had more than a few expressions from this distillery. Notes here.

Tormore 29yo 1984/2013 (53.9%, www.whiskybroker.co.uk, Barrel, C#3674, 107b, b#87)

Dram #20 (ben_whisky)

Nose: peach and apricot on the subtle tip. Then, it becomes a hot moka pot filled with tame tropical fruits.

Mouth: slightly earthy, with a metallic bitterness, it presents a gentle fruity explosion.

Finish: very nice, fruity, a bit bitter, and earthy. It is also a tad coffee-like, which will prevent a higher score (personal preference).

Comments: when we tried a sister cask, a couple of weeks ago, it was likened to this here dram. That one seemed a lot fruitier.

Teeling 27yo b2018 (49.8%, Teeling bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange, Sherry Cask, C#6838, 180b) 8/10

Spotting an opportunity, elskling steps in.

Dram #21 (elskling)

Nose: this is rather mute. Some shoe polish, maybe?

Mouth: silky, mellow, unctuous. We have some fruit, but this is a texture story, rather than taste-driven.

Finish: good, long, powerful, it has a dose of fruit hidden by a pronounced Sherry influence.

Comments: this is a more-heavily-Sherried affair. Perhaps it is oxidation, but this makes me think of 117.5 more than anything fruitier.

Teeling 29yo 1991/2020 (46.3%, Teeling bottled exclusively for Celtic Whiskey, Refill Sherry Cask, C#6759, 216b) 8/10

Pizzas are delivered. They will help absorb some of the alcohol. What? Wine? Well, go on, then.

L'Anglore 2022 (Piksi)

Savigny-les-Beaunes 2015 (cosinus)

Dram #22 (elskling)

Nose: blow-dried hair.

Mouth: it feels a bit watery, despite the food-induced respite. One should probably bear in mind the ABV and the number of things we have ingested already. Dried blackberries, dried cranberries, and a dash of brine.

Finish: fairly long.

Comment: shit notes. I am too busy trying to identify the whisky to write much. I fail too, and that is embarrassing, because we had this one in April.

Bruichladdich 15yo (43%, OB imported by Moon Import, Sherry Wood, 2400b, b.1980s) 8/10

pouring generously

Dram #23 (elskling)

Nose: mineral and not a little smoky. It also has musk, on a background of fruit.

Mouth: mud, smoked red onions, pearl onions, and a dash of brine.

Finish: long, big for the actual ABV (when revealed), and musky, although it remains quite mineral.

North Port 14yo d.1968 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by Co. Import for Mauro Orlandi of the Club delle fattorie, Series 16, 120b) 8/10

Dram #24 (elskling)

Nose: old ink and earthy jam.

Mouth: this is rather acrid, sooty, but also jammy. A tell-tale sign of yet another ancient bottling.

Finish: yes, the soot remains, jammy and simply impressive.

Comment: we are going fast, hence the short notes. The quality is ridiculously high. I am tempted to score this one higher, but I have to admit it would be an emotional number, rather than a deserved one.

Linkwood 1984/1995 (50%, Brae Dean Int. imported by Moon Import De Viris Illustribus, Oak Cask, 750b, b#322) 8/10

Dram #25 (elskling)

Nose: minty, full of herbs and weeds of all kind. Rocket, mint crumbles, then, suddenly, strawberries take over.

Mouth: mint crumbles are confirmed, augmented with basil and marjoram.

Finish: milky, creamy, it has lemon mint as a focus point.

Comment: the shape of the bottle makes me guess the Talisker bottled by GMP in 1977 for the Queen's Jubilee. Wrong.

Glen Avon 25yo (40%, Avonside Whisky imported by "Il Sestante - s.n.c.") 8/10

Dram #26 (elskling)

Nose: cleaned bathroom -- as in: squeaky-clean wash basins, not soap. This is extremely elegant.

Mouth: mineral, it has limestone, limescale, lemon juice, and smoked rubber, whatever that means.

Finish: distant burnt wood dunked in water, and unripe hazelnuts.

Comment: motherfucker. This is amazing.

Talisker 25yo b.1977 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail bottled to commemorate The Queen's Silver Jubilee) 9/10

Dram #27 (elskling)

Nose: very deep, we find jams and mint chocolate introduce mentholated tobacco.

Mouth: it has this characteristic note of jam, soot and metal that can only be found in ancient bottlings.

Finish: velvety and surprisingly punchy at the same time, this has "crushed mint crumbles" written all over it.

Comment: look out for the screen-printed flowers.

Strathisla 15yo (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Deluxe Quality imported by Co. Import, b.1970s) 9/10

Dram #28 (Piksi)

Nose: lemon-y and mineral, it has a dollop of mustard (or is that post-reveal suggestion?)

Mouth: super fruity, here, with green grapes, at once acidic and mineral. More citrus rock up, calamansi, and pomelo, as well as cardboard via retro-nasal olfaction.

Finish: almond cream (cosinus) and orangettes (chocolate-coated candied orange rind).

Comment: Piksi admits he had a hard time containing himself when I suggested the first may be a Banff.

Banff 29yo 1975/2004 (46%, Berry Bros. & Rudd Berrys' Own Selection, C#3323) 9/10

Dram #29 (elskling)

Nose: we have got fruit in a wooden crate, left in a farmyard.

Mouth: malty, spritzy, and a tad mineral, this gives a whiff of soot, after time on the palate.

Finish: earthy, chalky, with a minor muskiness.

Comment: this one was JS's favourite at Aurora Brorealis. A decade later, it still slaps.

Brora 35yo b.2012 (48.1%, OB Natural Cask Strength distributed by Diageo Italia, 1566b, b#0498, L2142LS000 00036105) 9/10

Dram #30 (aphex)

Nose: super farm-y on the nose. We see a procession of raw hides and cow's behinds. Later on, it becomes full-on citrus -- lemon, calamansi, Buddha's hand.

Mouth: soft and elegant, we have some sugar and lots of citrus. Sugar-coated candied lemon segments.

Finish: smoky-and-a-half, relentless, but also balanced. More citrus in this finish to ease the effect of the smoke.

Comment: phwoar!

Glen Garioch 1971/2011 (43.9%, OB Single Cask specially selected by The Whisky Exchange for Whisky Show 2011, North American Oak Cask, C#2038, 194b) 9/10

Piazzolla announces his imminent departure. elskling will not have it.

Dram #31 (elskling)

Nose: vinegar-y chocolate, pickled onions and lots of India ink.

Mouth: this is kicks-like-a-mule chocolate in cream. It is entirely-desiccating, 163%-cocoa chocolate, cocoa powder and coal dust. They call it chocolate, but one might as well lick a piece of charcoal.

Finish: amazing finish, again, incredibly chocolate-y, and super dry. It dies with candied fruits coated in dark chocolate.

Comment: I have been eyeing those aged bottlings for a while. Good to try some and confirm they are not really for me. Too much vinegar on the nose, and too desiccating on the tongue. Fans of the style will disagree. I will live.

The GlenDronach 41yo 1972/2013 (51.7%, OB Limited, B#9, Oloroso Sherry Butt, C#702, 448b, b#238, LG71062) 8/10

Piksi [to Piazzolla]: "Thanks for leaving, or we would not have had tried the Glendronach."

Having a good time

I pour mine.

aphex, cosinus, ben_whisky:"Ooft! This one has horsepower!"
Piksi: "It's balanced in that it burns everywhere the same."

Dram #32 (tOMoH)

Comment: I skip this. We had it multiple times (notes here). Tonight is its swan's song: the bottle is empty.

Glenlochy 17yo 1977/1995 (61.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection imported by Preiss Imports, 95/250)

Dram #33 (aphex)

Nose: dry earth, some smoke, ashes, fishing nets and sand dunes.

Mouth: rancio, ginger, smoked plums.

Finish: undergrowth, petrichor, smoked raspberries, chocolate plums, in the end.

Comment: it is hard not to notice that the RRP (~450 EUR, 540 EUR at time of writing) is laughably disconnected from the quality of the juice. Price aside, it is a solid drop, though. Sadly, I take no picture of the bottle.

Laphroaig 18yo 2004/2022 (50.1%, Douglas Laing Old Particular imported by La Maison du Whisky, Refill Barrel, C#DL15857, 270b) 8/10

Gimme some more!

Dram #34 (brought by?)

Nose: monolithic Sherry maturation. Here is a huge slap of leather. We are at a ranch, stacking hides in a barn.

Mouth: big, it has smoked dark cherries. It becomes drying, earthy, with blackberries and elderberries. It is actually desiccating, after a short while.

Finish: again, very dry, earthy, a dusting of ash on dark cherries.

Comment: not too taken by this one.

29.260 19yo d.1999 A visceral, elemental experience (56.9%, SMWS Society Cask, First Fill Spanish Oak Oloroso Cask, 507b) 7/10

The above triggers a twenty-minute discussion about profile change and conservation.
ben_whisky: "I didn't throw up."

Dram #35 (cosinus)

Lovely dry earth and oily nuts. Others find a lot of peat -- they are clearly drunk. 

Comment: a UFO that makes me think of the Wire Works that we had recently. Very interesting.

Hellyers Road 6yo New Vibrations (70.1%, OB for La Maison du Whisky, American Oak, C#16315.10) 7/10

Perhaps cosinus is a bit too enthusiastic about his own bottle...

elskling decides we cannot finish on "that thing [that] should not be in the line-up."

Dram #36 (elskling)

Nose: some earth, sea dredging, and slowly-decaying blueberries.

Mouth: fresh, sweet, fruity. Blueberries, raspberries, and some concrete dust. An unexpected combination, but it works.

Finish: dark and fruity, long and wide, this has crunchy peach and smoked blueberries, with a spoonful of greasy earth.

Comment: this is amazing. Love it. Who would have thought this distillery could produce anything good, eh?

Bowmore 26yo 1995/2021 (50.4%, The Nectar 15 Years The Nectar) 9/10

Good to see some friends for the first time in ages, and meet others for the first time full stop. It is always useful to put a face on a name you know from online.

It was a few more drams (and different alcohols) than I am usually comfortable with (no sore head in the morning, mind), and the pace was a tad frenetic for me. Regardless, good times were had.