20/12/2024 DW's birthday bash at 3 Greek Street

The yearly bash is back for the first time since 2019 (not counting a virtual shindig in 2020). If you wonder why there has not been one for five years, it has to do with a certain pandemic.

Anyway, fifteen-or-so of us meet up at Milroy's 3 Greek Street (as it is now known) for an evening of libation. Some we know, others not, and exchanging business cards is high on no-one's list, tonight. So, beside a handful of the organiser's colleagues, whose names I do not catch, we have DW, YM, CDn, CBr, BA, JS, VK, JL, T&S, SW, and yours, truly. PS calls in sick and MSo never turns up.

We meet at the bar, surprised that it takes us over half-an-hour to be shown to our room. Being such a large group, we require a bit of manoeuvring to reach it too -- through the secret bookcase, down the staircase, close the bookcase, up the staircase, up another flight of stairs, here we are.

The room has changed a lot since we were last here in June: the tables and stools all replaced by sofas going around the room, and a couple of coffee tables down the middle. Bottles appear from bags, and, apparently, it is a free-for-all. DW initiates the proceedings.

DW: "I was a bit miffed that [tOMoH] panned my contribution, in 2020. So I chose this one for today. I looked on [his] blog, and saw [he] rated it 10/10, so I hope it ticks [his] box."

Gelston's Old Irish Whiskey 26yo b.2017 (54.2%, Halewood, Bourbon Cask, 300b, b#165) (DW)

Nose: tropical fruit splosion.
Mouth: it has not yet completely opened up (DW popped the cork tonight). Several minutes in, it is spritzy and peppery, though the main act is that avalanche of tropical fruits.
Finish: surprisingly powerful and stupidly fruity.
Comment: well, how could one go wrong with this? Have we peaked too soon, perhaps? 10/10 (full notes here)

How does one follow that? Oh! An aged Glenkinchie…

Glenkinchie 27yo b.2023 (58.3%, OB Special Releases 2023, Refill American & European Oak Barrel & Butts) (BA)

Nose: cut plums, cured apricots, and fruit stones. There is a delicate grassy touch too. It is heavier than BA remembered it, and, indeed, it does not lack wood. Further nosing piles on the sandalwood.
Mouth: oily and mineral at the same time, which is unusual and makes it both lubricating and drying.
Finish: almost murky, here, thick as gel, fresh, it offers a serving of chocolate with a lemon filling. It becomes creamier with time, adding crushed hazelnut and mocha custard. 8/10

CDn tells how, when famous warehouse manager Pinky retired from Lagavulin, owner Diageo did not even know who he was. How he tried to convince them to throw a party in his honour, only for that idea to be mooted. How he then called Pinky's friend to find out what would make him happy. How he convinced a London whisky outfit to throw a charity tasting, the proceedings of which helped fund the purchase of a gift for Pinky -- a bull, no less. How he went to Islay to present Pinky with the bull, as said Pinky came out of the distillery for the final time. How they embraced, emotional, on the car park. How the charity tasting raised more money than necessary, and how CDn used the remainder of the bounty to invite Pinky and his wife to London (date TBD). How Diageo, well after the facts, realised their faux pas, and invited CDn to Islay to present Pinky with their very-own parting gift -- a cask of Lagavulin. How, on the day, Pinky gave CDn bottle number 2 of said cask. It is yet another of CDn's tales that capture an audience, and leave no-one cold. How does he do it?

JS starts pouring her St. George Single Malt Whiskey Lot 17 (43%, OB, B#SM017, b.2017). I do not try it, tonight. Full notes here.

VK passes me a bottle.
VK: "I thought I'd bring this, because you have not had a chance to try it at the [Campbeltown] festival."

How thoughtful are our friends?

Kilkerran 20yo 2004/2024 Open Day 2024 (49.2%, OB Single Cask, 10 years Fresh Rum Cask + 10 years Refill Bourbon Hogshead, 432b) (VK)

Nose: it starts off almost ashy, and frankly woody, then turns into ground fruit stone in the space of ten minutes. Later, we have jelly capsules and plastic caps that have been used to store saffron. Then, an earthy, farm-y side emerges, driven by baked mud patties.
Mouth: a muddy, earthy number with fruit stones (apricot) and crushed fruit tatters. The second sip is more drying -- the fruit stones, probably.
Finish: ginger biscuits topped with marmalade, resting on an earthy undercurrent.

Comment: JS is not a fan. I like it. 8/10

CDn brought a rather-exclusive Clynelish. It will take me a while to get to it. In the meantime, I am intrigued by JL's claim it has a holy smell.

Sanmi-Ittai The 1st Edition (57.6%, Toachuzo imported by Atom Supplies, B#9585, L.10.18) (YM)

Comment: I try this in JS's glass. It is fresh, minty and vanilla-ed, pretty good al round. 7/10

One of DW's unnamed colleagues talks about this little blog. However, unlike DW, he did not check it to see what whisky tOMoH gave 10/10. He read it, and then decided, all curious, to buy that Glen Scotia. He confirms it is not good (I have to ask, of course).

Dimple 15yo Original (40%, John Haig, b. 2020s) (JL)

Nose: dusty old blend. Old cardboard and newspapers, stale toffee.
Mouth: a bit thin on the palate, of course. Dusty toffee aplenty.
Finish: yeah, toffee to the max, dusty or not.
Comment: Honest blend. Linkwood, Glenkinchie, Caol Ila, says our host. And Cameronbridge, CDn tries to make us believe. He has no idea, and explains that, at the time this was made, it could have been any grain from Diageo's portfolio. 6/10

Chichibu London Edition 2022 (51.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt imported by Speciality Drinks, 1861b) (unnamed colleague)

Nose: airy and ethereal, it has confectionary sugar, flowers (jasmine or cherry blossom), and soft bakery shenanigans. Perhaps sugared corn flakes too.
Mouth: light apricot tea -- or is it jasmine infusion?
Finish: long, pretty ashy, it has burnt fruit stones, and, increasingly, peach flesh.
Comment: allegedly nine ex-Bourbon casks, including one peated (my ashy impression reads less ridiculous, now, eh?), finished in ex-Sherry casks. Satisfying to tick this box. Very good whisky too. 8/10

Clynelish 15yo 1992/2007 Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year (46%, The Whisky Exchange for Salt Whisky Bar, Bourbon Barrel) (CDn)

Nose: dry, fruity and floral at first, it turns waxy-and-three-quarters in mere minutes. I can see why JL thought it smelled like church candles.
Mouth: ooft! Incredibly waxy, coating, peppered by a lick of wick. Past that candle action, we note plump apricot, (Mirabelle) plum, and nectarine skins. YM detects salty sea water, undoubtedly influenced by the name of the bar this was bottled for, while JS tastes banana.
Finish: long, waxy, it is teeming with minty custard.
Comment: this is extraordinary. My dram of the night, if we except the Gelston. Perhaps I am being overly enthusiastic, but hey! 9/10

tOMoH [to JL]: "You're drinking your Dimple again?"
JL: "Yeah. I really like it."
tOMoH: "You make me think of this French joke: how do you recognise a Belgian in an orgy?"
JL: "How?"
tOMoH: "He's the only one shagging his own wife. Similarly, you come to a tasting like this, and you drink your own bottle."

Highland Park 14yo b.2023 (63.8%, OB Distillery Exclusive, Refill Butt, C#6571, 638b) (CBr)

Nose: I want to say burnt heather, but not really. It is hugely alcoholised; it presents flavoured alcohol, rather than neutral, surgical stuff. In any case, it is nostril destroying, in the long run.
Mouth: very powerful, it has sphagnum moss and lichens of all sorts. Later on, we find strawberry jam, boiling on the hob.

Finish: at last, the Highland Park DNA comes out, with smoked-heather sweets, and chewy cough syrup minus liquorice.
Comment: difficult. More interesting than really good. It is hard not to compare it to the 18yo distillery exclusive we tried a couple of years ago; that one was more to my liking. Funny how the ABV and the outturn match, though (63.8 vs. 638). 7/10

CDn reminisces about his early days in London, during which he would spend time with the Milroy brothers.

CDn: "We would start in this room, then go out, and go to private clubs. You wouldn't believe what went on, then. Then, we would come back here, usually in the basement, to finish the night."
JS [pointing at the picture on the back wall]: "Did you drink from those glasses?"
CDn: "Possibly. Are those wine glasses?"
tOMoH: "I believe they are buckets. I saw some like those. In a fire station!"

It feels the right time to start pouring my own contribution. Port Dundas 10yo (60.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection World Whiskies, 318b, b. ca 1998). Full notes here.

Bowmore 22yo 1996/2019 (50.8%, Aberdeen Whisky Shop Islay Reserve, C#901271) (DW)

Nose: wet, fruity peat through and through. The fruity side grows, yet the whole remains earthy.
Mouth: very-fruity mud, dotted with peaches and nectarines.
Finish: long, it delivers more fruit, as well as earth and mud.
Comment: my notes do not do it justice; it is a nice dram. 8/10

JL makes it abundantly clear we are to vacate the room. We can carry on at the bar downstairs (with whiskies from the bar only), but we are essentially evicted.

BA hurriedly pours me his Malört (35%, Carl Jeppson) -- "the worst thing you will try tonight/this year/ever," he says. Could not agree more. It is a drink to dare your foes with. No pleasure here, other than laughing at the reaction of someone who tries it for the first time. I have to down olive oil and a Krispy Kreme doughnut to clear the taste. Well, at least, it is not Baiju. 3/10

Downstairs, we finish our conversations and try another couple of things without taking notes.

Causeway Irish Whiskey 31yo 1991/2023 (47.8%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Bourbon Barrels, C#RC649+650+651+652): on par with, if not better than the mighty Gelston from earlier. Total, pornographic fruit bomb. 10/10

YM leaves a barely-touched dram of Glenglassaugh 12yo 2011/2023 (55.3%, Milroy Soho Selection, PX Hogshead) behind. It is rich, earthy, borderline meaty, and not subtle at all. A generic sherried whisky, well made, perhaps, but rather generic. It is also pretty strong. "So good my colleague bought two bottles," the bar lass tells everyone. She can have my allocation. 6/10

DW: "I plan to do something similar around Easter. I don't know what it will be called, yet. Perhaps Eastermas."
JS: "Surely, if this is DWmas, doing it at Easter should make it DWster?"
tOMoH: "Yeah, you're not moving Christmas to Easter..."

Time to call it a night. This place has the potential to become dangerous. Tomorrow will be a trifle difficult.

Happy birthday, DW!

23/02/2019 Whisky Show Old & Rare 2019 (Day 1 -- Part 2)

After lunch, I join the Swissky Mafia at Skinner's. They cannot believe the quality of the selection and the reasonable prices. They are right. It is the third year running that Skinner shows up and I have to admit overlooking the stall each year. Old blends, Bourbons and Ryes are all good, but when there is so much else on offer, it is difficult to make the time. This time, we do.

Dallas Dhu 13yo d.1969 (80 US Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by John Cross and Co.): dry, dusty and lichen-y, it also had cut quince. Love it. 8/10

St Magdalene 18yo d.1964 (80 US Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by John Cross and Co.): an amazing nose, all bursting with cut fruit. I take no further note (trying it in CD's glass), but I remember being very impressed by Volanne's too, a few years ago. It turns out to be the exact same pedigree, though this one has a US importer. 10/10

Black Barrel (43%, Berry Bros imported by The Buckingham Corporation): this is from before Rudd entered a partnership with Berry, circa 1910. A pre-war blend, then. Pre-First World War, that is. Nose: holy cow! this is dirrrrrty! Oily rags, engine rooms, soot, crispy bacon and diesel, hot metal and spent matches. Mouth: soft, mellow and honeyed, it is oily in texture and retains just a little of the smoky dirtiness of the nose. What a contrast! Finish: marmalade, sticking to the bottom of the cauldron, heated on an open flame. Stunning! The nose is even dirtier than the mighty Glen Scotia 12yo. 9/10

Dallas Dhu 17yo 1970/1987 (58.3%, Sestante): nose: lots of young wood, ginger and oaky tannins, gentle hazelnut, strong mint and paper paste. Mouth: some bitterness, pronounced wood, peppermint, grated ginger and horsepower aplenty! Finish: it is now almost mojito-like, with sweetness, the freshness of mint and an acidic fruitiness (lime, I would wager). This is woody, but I like it. Or as CD would put it: "I like wood." A strong 8/10

First venture to David Stirk's stand. Nice to see him again. He admits very openly and candidly that he sold off his business, because access to good casks became nigh-on impossible.

Glenkinchie 33yo 1975/2008 (50.7%, Jack Wiebers Whisky World Old Train Line, Bourbon Cask, C#6396, 210b, b#009): three of my favourite things: a Glenkinchie (rare with the independent bottlers), an aged Glenkinchie (rare, full stop) and a Jack Wieber bottling (rare in this country). Nose: porridge and custard, with added ginger shavings. Mouth: warmer on the tongue than expected, it still has the so-called Lowland softness, with coconut cream and custard, as well as a pinch of ginger. Finish: long, custard-y, gently spicy with a hint of rubber. Well, it is gorgeous. 9/10

Longmorn 37yo 1972/2010 (51.3%, The Perfect Dram & Three Rivers, Refill Sherry Wood, 231b): rather non-descript on the nose, it has a good, coating palate and a killer fruity finish. 9/10

Strathisla d.1937 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Duty Free Sample, C#903, sample #9159, drawn 1970s): GMP have brought the goods, this year. Seriously upped their game. This is super-concentrated, with lots of wood and associated spices. 8/10

Glenlossie 42yo d.1938 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice): what a treat! I tried the 43yo recently (no notes), so this one is exciting alright. Nose: loads of dust and old, dusty bookshelves, with orange slices thrown on top. Mouth: mellow, but also sooty, dusty, it has old books and old-school-smoke action. Finish: long, fruity and dirty, dusty. This is elegant. My notes are a bit rubbish; this is superlative, really. 10/10

12.22 35yo 1983/2018 35 and still alive! (43.9%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 204b): honeyed and fruity, elegant and quaffable. 8/10

Coleburn 26yo 1983/2010 (48.6%, Creative Whisky Company Exclusive Malts, decanter): one of very, very few decanters the company made. Watching the bloke pour from the decanter is a slapstick skit in itself. Nose: spearmint-y freshness and a little mud, in the back. Mouth: creamy and fruity, with an almond touch to it. It also has dried fishing nets or hessian, however. Finish: creamy, nutty and peachy. This is really well made. Possibly one of the best Coleburns around. 9/10

The decanter looks good, too

Ardbeg 1974/1994 (40%, Speymalt Whisky Dist. Spirit of Scotland Celebrating 500 Years of Scotch Whisky imported by Jacques Vins et Spiritueux, b#849, ID/BDJ): nose: dust, coal, soot and charred oak. Mouth: ashes, dried, charred wood, charred oak. Finish: long and drying, it is ashy and fruity at the same time (strawberry). I cannot not think of the Port Ellen Dovr-Tvtes-Mares. A beauty. 9/10

Rosebank 19yo 1990/2009 (52.9%, Acorn Natural Malt Selection for Whiskymanufaktur, Sherry Cask): nose: big, wide, fruity, almost boisterous, but in a softly-spoken way, if that makes sense. Mouth: spicy peach and apricot, black pepper, paprika. Finish: big, muscular, but also fruity and light -- simply high-strength and high-flavour, not invasive. I like it. 8/10

Imperial 17yo 1995/2013 (51.2%, Creative Whisky Company The Tony Koehl Series, C#50079, 279b): "You will have to tell me about the Tony Koehl Series tomorrow, when you are less busy," I tell Stirk. "Good, yeah. It will take a whole two seconds," he replies. :-) Nose: pollen, honey, lilac, concentrated apricot. Mouth: apricot compote, physalis, honey water (if that is a thing) and soaked lilac. Finish: assertive, fruity and light. Excellent. 8/10

Time for one more. Make it count

Coleburn d.1968 (46%, Cadenhead, b.1980s): PT bought the bottle without the neck tag, so it is a NAS. :-) JS is convinced we had this in Dornoch, but she is confusing it with a Convalmore. Nose: an interesting mix of pine, honey, dusty books and honeysuckle. Mouth: balanced, peppery (not too much), dusty and orange-y (dusty oranges), with lots of sugar, too. Finish: again, perfect balance at 46%. A gentle rubber bitterness, waxy cut quince, juicy oranges and a bit of brown acid sugar. Nice. I first had it at 8, but I will go up to 9/10

Phew. We survived the first day (almost) unscathed.

To be continued.

09/04/2016 London MkII

Considering how many brilliant ideas came out of London MkI, it would have been a pity not to explore the same theme again. First tasting of the spring, then, and the turnout promised to be high. Until MS and OB cancelled a couple of hours before it started. Their loss.

That leaves JS, MR, EG, TR and myself -- five is pretty good anyway.

Ladyburnum Grove

Ladyburn 20yo 1966/1987 (46%, Cadenhead) (JS): for the few who are not aware, this is not something one sees every day. Cadenhead stopped doing dumpy bottlings in the early 1990s and the format reached cult status since, never selling for cheap. Ladyburn is one of the rarest distilleries to appear anywhere, really, especially in this collection. This is the last and oldest one Cadenhead ever bottled. For the record, the distillery was a set of stills within the Girvan complex. It operated between 1966 and 1975, making it potentially the shortest-lived malt distillery in Scotland. This is then one of the first distillations of Ladyburn too. To make it even more special, very few Ladyburns have been bottled under that name: Wm. Grant, the proprietor, is protective of its brands. Only the official bottlings bear the name, except for a couple of miniatures bottled by James MacArthur, three bottled by Blackadder (who usually do not give a rat's arse), and five bottled by Cadenhead (who can do whatever they want, because, well, they really can). We try this blind. Nose: a dusty library. Let us give it some time to open up. Dry olives, now! MR explains the various types of olive oils and how they are made. No-one else can follow, since none has ever been involved in olive-oil making. Cereal dust (EG relates it to grain), ground cloves. This is fresh and increasingly fruity. Mouth: velvety at first, yet it becomes powerful and acidic, with a distinct grassy note. It is slowly becoming a beast, as far as power is concerned. Dried mangoes, dried apricot, compote and a generous dash of salt. Finish: long and rich, with more dried fruit and a slightly metallic, herbaceous note (verbena, basil, mint). It has a vaguely rummy edge to it -- sweet and a bit brash simultaneously. This is amazingly complex and surprisingly good. I hoped for it to be good, I did not expect this good. Excellent. I could even go to top score (dram of the day for me). 9/10

Glenkinchieveley Road

Glenkinchie 1986/1999 Double Matured (43%, OB The Distillers Edition, Amontillado Sherry Finish, G/273-7-D) (MR): hot off the delivery belt (EG brought it for MR): we had a Glenkinchie DM a while ago. This is the first-ever edition, so it is rather special. It is the 12yo finished in Amontillado casks. Nose: prunes, dried figs, soft leather. Later on, it gives scents of humidor, cigar leaves. Mouth: the palate starts out with warm velvet, then evolves towards crushed macadamia nuts. Gentle spices start appearing, after a bit. Finish: it is now full-on mulled wine, with ginger, cloves and cinnamon sticks. JS has gingerbread cookies, while I still detect the controlled bitterness of cigar leaves, perhaps dried tea leaves, even. Not overly complex, a bit polished, compared to single casks (after all, Diageo goes for consistency over originality), yet it is very pleasant. 7/10

MR brought a spaghetti frittata which we all partake in.

Royle Locknagar Building

Royal Lochnagar Triple Matured (48%, OB for Friends of the Classic Malts, b.2013, 3000b) (TR): TR went straight for it on his first tasting with us, choosing a specific building in a residential area and combining it with the assumption that one would be able to see a lock from that particular building (one can indeed: it is near the lock between Crystal wharf and Hanover Primary School). Even without that, we try Lochnagar so seldom, it is always interesting. This one is rather exclusive to boot, yay. Nose: rich and spicy, with faded leather coats and distant whorls of smoke. Then, suddenly, candy floss emerges, as well as wormwood. TR is disappointed: he was told it smelled of the queen's armpits and now doubts whether it actually does. Mouth: shallow and narrow, it turns warm and spicy, with red, hot chilli pepper. Finish: short, though the chilli heat stays present. 7/10

MR: "Happiness is true only when shared"

TR: "No, happiness is seeing someone who is worse off than you."

We said: the queen's armpits, not a queen's armpit!

EG brought lupin beans. A long demonstration takes place to explain how to eat the beans while getting rid of the skin. I say f- that and eat the skin. It is full of vitamins.

Elgin Crescent

Glen Elgin 1971/1985 (50%, Duthie for Samaroli, 1200b) (EG): ha! Nose: hot sandstone, this is austere alright, before a bit of shy fruit emerges (cherries?). Earth, dry consolidation paths, then a whiff of caramelised meat in the back. Shall we call it a barbecue party in the countryside? Water makes it closer to a wood undergrowth, again, with a minute amount of fruit. Mouth: this is powerful, very powerful, packed with gingery heat. Water turns it into something more bearable, earthy, with fresh ginger shavings. Finish: spicy, woody, gingery again, with cassia bark and lemongrass sticks. Water renders it long and mellow. Challenging malt. Better with water, though still not my favourite. A lovely opportunity to try it all the same. 7/10

Broradway Market

Brora 21yo 1982/2003 (46%, Direct Wines First Cask, C#279) (me): I think this is the first Brora of mine that I open. I am rather excited. Nose: cut quince, candle wax and a hint of smoke. MR finds Danish pastry and reckons, "this is more of a marrying whisky, not a take-it-for-a-ride one," which amuses us a lot. A hint of rose water on this nose. Mouth: it starts slowly, with gentle wax, then grows and grows, delivering lots of gingery heat and hot candles and spent wick. Finish: soft, yet long, with more wood influence (ginger, wood shavings). This is a soothing and comforting dram, unanimously liked (dram of the day for TR and JS). 9/10

EG, while trying to mix air into his whisky, manages to spit half of it onto the carpet.

Campione del mondo!

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Greville St

?.1 20yo b.2003 (56.9%, SMWS Society Single Cask) (MR): MR simply wanted to bring this for kicks. We shoehorn it into the theme, because we all want to try it. An interesting one. The distillery is undisclosed and seems to have been forgotten by everyone. There is no additional information about it anywhere to be found. We reckon this might well be an older bottling rebottled into 10cl containers for gifts and such. Nose: dusty old books with brine in the back, pickled onions. It becomes dry, very dry, with drying plaster, plaster boards, dry walls and vinegar. Mouth: dry and powerful, with a welcome touch of fruit in the back. Finish: big, powerful, long, with a light bitterness. This is nice! 8/10

MR asks me for recommendations on books about whisky. We take a look at the bookshelf and she is amused to see In Viagio nelle Valle del Whisky. From the other room, EG interrupts his conversation and shouts the name of the author, the town he used to live in and the name of his house. He apparently went there and saw his collection, though did not manage to convince the son to sell anything. He posts a picture of the book to Instagram. Seconds later, someone asks him if it is for sale. Hm. :-)

Lots of research went into that one

North Port 23yo 1971/1995 (54.7%, OB Rare Malts Selection) (me): we tried this one for Burns' Night and were less than impressed. Today? Nose: pineapple, apricot, empty casks and dusty books. It also smells of dried banana skins and perhaps even clogged sink. Bathroom detergent too. Mouth: big and bold, muscular, uncompromising (RMS, innit). It feels very peppery, today. Finish: long, immense, with more pepper and dried herbs. Much better than the first time. I reckon air did it good (dram of the day for JS, at a draw). 8/10

This is not a sleeveless shirt

tOMoH "Colin and Dave do that all the time, every day. They are probably not as passionate about it as they used to be, or as we are."

TR "That's why I'm not a prostitute."

MR and EG have to leave, unfortunately. EG leaves two bottles behind, though. Woo.

Frogs in London

Laphroaig 10yo b.1987 (43%, OB, 87251) (EG): the French have always been in London, but there seems to be more and more of them (yes, shoehorning again). Nose: the smoke is there, refined, but it does not smother the rest: melon skins, grapefruit peels, lime and sugar-cane syrup. Is this beautiful, or what? Barbecued melon, barbecued grapefruit. Woah! Mouth: again, the medicinal peat is very much in the back seat and leaves a lot of room for grapefruit and green melon to express themselves. This is mellow and lush. Not exactly what one typically associates with this distillery. Finish: the peat is at its most prominent, here, yet still much more discreet than in more recent versions, allowing the fruit to shine further, with acidic grapefruit and tinned pineapple thrown onto the barbecue. 8/10

Ardbeg Dark Cove (55%, OB Committee Release, Ex-Bourbon Casks & Dark Sherry Casks, b.2015) (EG): just because. Nose: a cow's behind, farm-y paths, perhaps lemon juice, stone. This is sharp and to-the-point. Shoe polish and anchovies show up later. Mouth: big, bold and peaty, with a touch of vinegar and green chilli. Finish: barley, now (Ardbeg-style), it has the sweetness of cereals, yet also some coal dust. Probably not the most complex dram ever, still enjoyable. 7/10

TR has a Port Dundas 23yo Vom Fass when he tells me how he was convinced to start drinking whisky by a 21yo Mannochmore. We finish off with a dram of 64.40 to celebrate.

Excellent tasting, as usual.