01/02/2025 Artificial Intelligence

BA, OB, PS, JS, JMcD and cavalier66 join me for an oh!-so-timely tasting on the theme of what seems to be consuming everyone's thoughts, these days: Artificial Intelligence (AI).

cavalier66 brought food, as usual. In theme.

Comté: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, it is what computers do
Quince paste: because it tastes a little artificial
Lancashire: where Alan Turing was from, who led development of the Enigma machine
Malden Deep smoked salmon: for deep learning, or DeepSeek

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Exit the Dragon

Another brief line-up

BA also brought nibbles

PS presents Largedaig Language Model

Ledaig 20yo (43%, OB, 03/312 L16 3174 15.38) (PS): nose: spirit-y apple juice, suede moccasins, leatherette, and even a touch of urine. A couple of sniffs in, that turns into evaporated Indian tonic, chalky and bitter. JMcD finds citrus and pear. Mouth: waxy lemons (PS) for what cavalier66 calls a clean version of Ledaig. It has some musk (which suits the AI theme to a T) and scorched earth -- or is that baked rubber? cavalier66 then discovers really soft mandarine water. Finish: dark tar (BA), the beginning of soapiness (BA), and a rubbery bitterness, as well as a dose of plastic (cavalier66). 7/10

BA [about London water]: "It fights back a little when you drink it, and I like that."

As PS feared, the cork disintegrates

tOMoH presents pittyvAIch. In the chieftAIn's range.

Pittyvaich 14yo 1986/2001 (43%, Ian McLeod Chieftain's, Hogsheads, C#9519-22, 1074b, L1212BB 3 11 58) (tOMoH): "classic Pittyvaich," cavalier66 exclaims, which is a sentence not many people have ever heard. Nose: gooseberry and tins of raspberry (PS), hoppy fruitiness (BA). Next to that fruit, I find horse's hair, dusty wicker, hay bales, and fermented custard (cavalier66). Over time, the nose goes quieter. Mouth: chocolate-covered weed (OB), easter eggs and lots of chocolate indeed. Further sips have damson plums at various stages of unripeness, or a little bitter, in other words. Parmesan cheese rises, drying and butyric. Finish: milk and white chocolates in the style of those eggs (the ones with the toy inside, remember?) I will spend more time with this soon. In the meantime, I am enthusiastic about it. 8/10

tOMoH presents here come the rAIn agAIn.

Strathisla 1999/2010 Here Come The Rain Again (46%, La Maison du Whisky Belgique, C#45530, 247b) (tOMoH): we had this one not a year ago, but OB, JMcD and BA were not there. Nose: fresh (cavalier66), apples and lemons (PS), strychnine (cavalier66), a little herbaceous. Mouth: calm, mellow and still (JMcD), dark herbs (cavalier66). Finish: lively and fruity, it has plums and apricots, with just a very-small pinch of dried herbs. Full notes here. 8/10

BA: "What distillery is this?"
tOMoH: "Strathisla."
cavalier66: "strathAIsla."
tOMoH: "I thought of it, but it is a bit far fetched, even for me."
all: "Who are you? What have you done to tOMoH?"
tOMoH: "I've been abducted by AI."

PS [about Bell's decanters]: "They're made by a company called Wade..."
tOMoH: "Wade a minute!"
PS: "...and they..."
BA: "No. Stop. Give [the pun] a little space to breathe. There. Carry on."

PS presents a whisky matured in a sassicAIa cask.

Benromach 5yo b.2006  Sassicaia Wood Finish (45%, OB, 27mo Sassicaia Wine Casks Finish, 3000b) (PS): nose: shards of cedar wood and unlit incense. cavalier66 finds it more vulgar than the preceding dram, brash (PS). It does become a bit wine-y, with added crushed pine cones, roasted chicken breasts, and oily mahogany. Next is a wicker-clad open bottle of Valpolicella. Mouth: tannic, young, fruity, but not in a very-convincing way. It is also drying as a wine whose grapes have seen too much sun. Finish: long, grape-y, it has elderberry, decaying berries, and rancio as well. 6/10

JMcD presents Artificial Intelligens.

Mackmyra Intelligens (46.1%, OB, ex-Bourbon + ex-Oloroso + American Oak + Swedish Oak Casks, B#AI02, b.2021) (JMcD): a recipe allegedly created by an AI. Nose: Gummibärchen, poached pear and baked persimmon. Jellied melon cubes too, and raspberry jellies. Mouth: There is a veneer of tropical fruits that is soon overtaken by pitch-black liquorice, then that morphs into juicy mango sprinkled with paprika. Finish: clean (JS), the whisky speaks for itself (JS, channelling her inner Quaker), long and fruity, Turkish delights, fruit jellies, candied papaya cubes, and a pinch of liquorice shavings. 8/10

cavalier66: "Can I share something interesting?"
PS: "That seems hugely unlikely, but go on."

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Man To Men

tOMoH presents AIlsa bay.

Ailsa Bay 7yo (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, ex-French Red Wine Cask) (tOMoH): nose: buttery nut paste. Mouth: chewy (cavalier66), thick (OB), this is almond paste dampened with syrupy red wine. Finish: vulgar (cavalier66), all cask and no spirit (cavalier66). My notes are here. 7/10

JS presents the Baller, which has a samurAI on the label.

St. George 3yo The Baller (47%, OB, Ex-Bourbon, French Wine Casks + Umeshu Finish) (JS): nose: orange fruit gum (PS), sage and thyme (PS). Mouth: Swiss herbal sweets (cavalier66), but also a lot of (artificial) fruits (plum, ripe apricot, citrus). Finish: hoppy (OB), génépi (cavalier66). My notes are here. 7/10

BA: "What's the stuff you put in beer?"
OB: "Hops?"
BA: "No, the orange stuff..."
tOMoH: "Irn Bru?"

SW cannot be with us, today, but he did manage to send a bottle our way for the occasion. An unmarked duty pAId sample.

Midleton d.2014 (unknown ABV, Duty Paid Samples, Double Charred Bourbon Cask) (SW): nose: "instantly recognisable as a pot still" (cavalier66), grapefruit (BA) and other fruits. I find it pink and yellow, with peach and ripe apricot. A little breathing time makes it woodier and drier. Mouth: cream (cavalier66), pink passion fruits coated in nail varnish. It has the texture of peach and mango melting on the tongue. Finish: long, powerful, a little spicy, while remaining very fruity. Persimmon, peach, nectarine, kumquat. Lovely. I hope to spend more time with this too. 8/10

Next up is OB. I ask the gang if they prefer a trou normand, or a trou-du-cul normand. Emphasis on the pun, here, since OB is obviously not a trou-du-cul (arsehole). BA, OB and JMcD opt for the trou normand. The fools. JS pours them a shot of bAIju, and they immediately regret it. Although BA lectures us all on baiju (starting with the pronunciation), so go figure.

With that prank behind, we move on to the trou-du-cul normand.

OB explains how the next whisky is made in a Coffey still with a rectifier. In neural networks, the rectifier, or ReLU… Bah! Who am I kidding? Check the Wikipedia page, if you need to know more.

Cambus 40yo 1975/2016 (52.7%, OB, Hogsheads, 1812b, b#0442) (OB): nose: ethereal, yet it seems a little less tropical than four years ago. Still: pineapple, buttery peach and creamy coconut. Mouth: incredibly creamy on the palate, and pumped with maracuja, sprinkled with cumin seeds. Finish: so creamy again, with mango and peaches drowning in coconut cream. It does sustain a clear bitterness too, yet that Is never a worry. I am perhaps a tad less impressed than the previous times, but yeah... 10/10

PS [paraphrasing]: "Grain is vile. Grain is disgusting and no-one should buy it."
tOMoH: "Quite right. This should never have been bottled."
PS: "Indeed. Don't push the prices."
JMcD [after trying it]: "This is amazing. I'd like to understand why tOMoH thinks it should not have been bottled."
tOMoH: "tOMoH is winding you up. This is tOMoH's favourite grain."

cavalier66 explains that the next dram was rated A⊕⊕ by BC, when he had a blog. That is as close to AI's perfection as is achievable for a human-made product. He adds that this is from ChatGPTeaninich.

59.54 32yo 1984/2016 Elegant, classy and simply beautiful (50.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 186) (cavalier66): nose: elegant, classy, rather good (OB), greener [than the previous drams] (cavalier66), and, indeed, pomelo, Ugli fruit and Kaffir lime are front and centre. BA finds it orange-y. He is wrong, but citrus foliage is a given. Mouth: very citrus-y again, with tangerine peels starting to turn blue with mould, and a drying chalkiness splashed with Indian tonic. Finish: a note of hay, fruit, and a lot of quinine-y Indian tonic. With water, corn flakes turn up (BA). It is a long, sparkling finish, citrus-y and a little bitter, borderline leafy. Excellent. 9/10

OB: "It becomes elegant with water."
cavalier66: "Maybe our definition of 'elegant' is different."
OB: "No. My definition is correct and yours is wrong."

cavalier66: "I was pulling on the wrong bit."
PS: "Erm..."
cavalier66: "No!"

Time for OB's exquisite Galette des Rois
I will find the trinket tomorrow in the last piece (and almost break a tooth)

OB tells us the next one was bottled for WhiskyNerds, and reminds us that AI was developed by nerds. In parallel, BA tells us that The Whisky Exchange's code for Loch Lomond is LLM -- which is short for Large Language Model, the basis of current AI.

Inchmurrin 14yo 2003/2017 Law Bottling (56.2%, OB Single Cask specially selected by WhiskyNerds Trias Usquebaugh, Refill Sherry Butt, C#17/169-1, 260b) (OB): very tropical, it has buttery mango, cured peach, cherimoya, persimmon, and pressed dried dates in warm turnovers. On the late tip, we get water-chestnut purée. Mouth: this is mango and lychee in a cup of coffee, served with dried dates on the side. Finish: a lot earthier in the finish, it has black cardamom, liquorice-root shavings, and green-grape juice, as well as smashed lychee. I bet it would gain a point after it has had some time to open up in the open bottle. 8/10

vs.

Loch Lomond 15yo 2009/2024 (55.2%, Decadent Drinks Decadent Drams, 2nd Fill Hogshead of Loch Lomond + 1st Fill Hogshead of Inchmurrin) (BA): a blend of Loch Lomond and Inchmurrin, which is a funny concept. This is the juice before reduction, rather than the one that was commercially available at 53%. Nose: banane flambée (cavalier66), mulled wine, gingerbread (loud and clear), banana bread. We will call it a gingerbread-and-banana sandwich. Mouth: There is a more-mineral touch at play, here, with a mix of quarry dust and lichen on stave, ground peach stone turning green with lichen. Finish: long and fruity, it has a dash of mandarine juice and peaches, greengages, tangerines, and just a shake of Sherry cask (whatever that means). 8/10

cavalier66 stands up to leave (as usual, he is double-booked). He generously offers to change the line-up to have his last contribution now. The cleverer thing to do was to pour and let us have it in the right order, but the attendees are apparently drunk enough to throw cleverness to the wind, and spoil their palates with this.

cavalier66 quotes his mentor, Jim Murray, who said of this very bottling: "I have been tasting Talisker for 28 years, this is the best bottling ever. Miss this and your life will be incomplete." cavalier66 argues that, today, our lives are incomplete without AI. He adds that this is PS's most-hated distillery, and PS is the furthest a man can be from AI. He concludes by saying this Talisker is Chat-G-Peaty. Groan. Laugh.

OB: "That was the best [pun] to-date."
tOMoH: "Not meant as a compliment."

cavalier66: "That's not the original cork. That one went soft. tOMoH gave me one."
PS: "Are you saying tOMoH's cork is soft?"

BA: "Can I say this? It's going to sound bad, but it's not meant in a bad way. It reminds me of the baiju."
Room. Gasping. For. Breath.
cavalier66: "Do you know how much this cost me at auction?"

cavalier66 departs. I have not yet touched my dram of Talisker, because I know better.

BA: "This is Lagavulin 16. You may have heard of it. It's just Lagavulin 16."

BA asked ChatGPT: "I need to bring a bottle of whisky to a tasting on the theme of AI."

ChatGPT said: "Lagavulin 16," amongst other random suggestions.

Lagavulin 16yo (43%, OB, b. ca. 2023) (BA): nose: smoked lemons, preserved lemons, skimmed milk, and, after a while, horses' stables. Mouth: mellow (at 43%, how could it be otherwise?), full of chargrilled sweet yellow citrus, grapefruit and pineapple. Finish: long, big, briny and ashy. It is warm, drying, and gives one the voice of Annie Girardot in a matter of seconds (think early-2000s Marianne Faithfull for an English-speaking comparison). There is little Sherry to find, here, which makes sense once one knows Lagavulin 16 has not been aged in Sherry casks for years, contrary to popular belief. Hard to believe how well this fares, so deep into the line-up. 7/10

BA presents a Longrow from a chardonnAI cask.

Longrow 16yo 2001/2018 (56%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Chardonnay Cask Finish) (BA): very medicinal, with jelly capsules, and... Is it marzipan? Later on, it acquires those chalky candy necklaces. Mouth: oooh! The Chardonnay is more obvious, here, with squashed raspberry, and glimpses of lychee, perhaps. Chewing reveals a firm chalkiness which dehydrates the inside of the lips. It takes even more chewing for strawberry sherbet to rock up. Finish: plums and prunes, peach skins, and wine-cured fruit stones. JMcD calls it juicy and sweet, but also meaty and savoury. This should absolutely not work, but somehow does. 8/10

Talisker 20yo 1981/2002 (62%, OB Limited Edition, Sherry Casks, 9000b, b#5117): and now, the Talisker. Actually, I do not feel like it. BA, OB, PS and JMcD all leave together, and I have had enough. It is hard to believe the hiccoughs around this bottling. dom666 brought it to his birthday tasting in November -- only to realise he took the wrong bottle in the right box. He brought the right bottle to Burns' Night in January, but we had so much else to try we skipped it. cavalier66, who also has a bottle, read that on this little blog and decided we had to try it in February (today). By the time we reach its position in the line-up, I am whiskied out. Bah! I have transferred my dram of it to an airtight container and will have it another day.

Great times.

01/06/2021 Lockdown dramming in G-town

Glasgow is under Level-3 lockdown, due to a couple of hot pockets, south of the Clyde. One would never know, seeing Glaswegians go about their normal business, though. The only difference, if one pays close attention, is that alcohol is not served indoors and, to avoid having to manage that indoor/outdoor restriction, some places have decided not to open at all (SMWS, Bon Accord, Pot Still).

Residents are not allowed to leave the city, nor are visitors supposed to enter it. Instead, the latter must return home as soon as they can. Since, for tOMoH, that means a train journey down south from Glasgow Central Station, going through town is kind of inevitable.

That is where JS and I meet MR, who has been a Weegie for the last couple of years. More specifically, we are at Singl'end for lunch.

It is a place for the youth: order and pay via an app or online, the staff brings the food accordingly. Fortunately, MR navigates that like a pro, because I am lost amongst those technological "advances".

JS's veggie croque-monsieur

My falafel wrap

MR's poached eggs on toast

JS's orange juice in the back
My Cure Yer Heid smoothie

Since no place will serve us whisky, we decide to have our own at the hotel. En route, we stop for doughnuts at Tantrum Dougnuts'.

The choice is difficult

Let us get to work.

MR tries the remainder of JS's Sandy Macnab 5yo. Not enough for me to try it again, but you can find notes here.

MR brought the goods, though. The idea is of a friendly catch-up for the first time in a couple of years, not to take detailed notes.

Mackmyra 12yo 2008/2020 Liten Brun Hund (49.8%, Little Brown Dog Spirits, Virgin Oak Cask, 380b): nose: woah! Cut mangoes, crystallised pomelos, lychee, canary melon. Mouth: a whole lot of metal complement a tart sweetness and a citrus-y leafiness. Finish: long, comforting, warming. This radiates great, comforting waves of sweet, pink citrus. It is lovely and completely unexpected. 8/10

Linlithgow 26yo 1975/2001 (50.2%, Scotch Single Malt Circle, C#96/3/15): MR's boss apparently brought that to the office and told her to try it whenever she wanted. She brought a sample for us to try it too, which is hugely appreciated. Thanks to both. Considering the cask number, it is a sister cask to those bottled for Direct Wines Ltd.'s First Cask range, and, therefore, one could rather safely assume that it comes from Signatory Vintage's stocks. Nose: hairy and meaty like a wet dog. This is musky as fook, slightly mentholated, and there is just a whisper of flint or limestone. Over time, the wet dog slows down, and lichen on slate remains. Mouth: crisp apple, sprinkled with a blend of sugar and lots of salt. Metal joins the party, copper pipes, bronze plaques, brass plates. Finish: big, rolling waves of metal and a softly bitter herbaceous aspect too. Complex and unique. 9/10

Arran (58.7%, Cask Sample, Champagne Cask): nose: vanilla, banana bread, topped with smoked raspberries. Suddenly, a pleasant mustiness comes up -- cork, dusty staves, clay floors. Mouth: dry grapes (not raisins), fruit-juice-soaked biscuits. Finish: long and fresh, fruity, perhaps a little nondescript, yet it seems perfectly balanced and has all in the right places. 8/10

The Arran Malt 19yo 2000/2020 (52.2%, OB Limited Edition in celebration of Whisk-e Ltd's 20th Anniversary, Refill ex-Islay Hogshead, C#1097, 243b, b#243): nose: mellow roasted barley, and is that a wee bit of smoke? It does smell like it, at any rate. Smoked slices of dried strawberries. Next is marzipan, melted marzipan, if you please, and grapefruit zest on crème brûlée. Mouth: peeled charred capsicum, capers, brine, black olives, smoky dried raspberries. Later on, it turns to dried olives too. Finish: long, smoky, where the smoke is an undercurrent, not the main actor. It also has fruit, barley and, well, brilliance. Further sipping cranks up the citrus peel in the finish as well, still grapefruit, yet also pomelo, this time. The whole is increasingly juicy and fruity, whilst the smoke goes down in intensity. In my opinion, this becomes more enjoyable with every sip. 9/10

Lagg 1yo (62.4%, Cask Sample, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Cask): nose: wafts of smoke, heathery peat and barbecued ham supplement ash, and there is puffed wheat breakfast cereals too (the ones with the frog on the box). Mouth: fruit, at first, then bitter stainless steel, then smoke and roasted apple. In the long run, it settles for burnt fruit-tree logs. Meow. Finish: golden apple and a butter knife left by the campfire, half-consumed broomsticks in the very campfire, and burnt apple pips. It ends with bicycle tubes. Good nose, finish too. The palate has yet to be ironed out by the wood, but this is promising! 6/10

It dawns on me that MR has developed a Glasgow accent, which is a cute addition to her innate Neapolitan intonation.

Pistachio & Hibiscus Ring

19/11/2019 A few drams at SA's

detachedblue, SW, ZC, JS and a handful of others join me at SA's for drams and nibbles. As it turns out, a lot of each. :-)

Boom.

Fettercairn 30yo b.2005 (45%, OB The Stillman's Dram, b#000061) (J): nose: juicy peaches, buttercups, mountain-flower honey, pollen and light furniture wax. Spectacular nose that has me entranced already. Mouth: creamy, with a touch of nuts, walnut shells, and cut flowers -- including the bitterness of the flower stems. It has the wonderful texture of manuka honey and would be perfect without that faint-yet-present bitterness. Finish: long, assertive, it is very elegant. More wood and nut shells than the nose suggested, and the gentle bitterness prevents it from becoming legendary -- but that nose is something! 8/10

The GlenAllachie 29yo 1989/2018 (60%, OB Single Cask specially bottled for the UK, Sherry Butt, C#100073, 525b, b#525) (SA): nose: a hefty dose of sherry, in this one, with wood lacquer and nail polish, as well as wood -- quite a bit of it, in fact. Mouth: mellow and coating, it has melted chocolate, squashed cherries and ginger shavings. This is lively, spicy, but woody too. Later on, strawberry or raspberry shows up, which is welcome. Finish: lots of wood, here, with ginger fire, galangal shavings, crushed clove and ground cardamom. The final impression is that of raspberry custard. Nice, though I was probably hoping for better, seeing the pedigree. 7/10

Inchmurrin 9yo 2007/2017 (58.4%, OB Single Cask selected by Michael Henry, Chardonnay Wine Yeast Fermentation, C#5834, 276b) (ZC): nose: bread flour, yeast... I can sense this is about to go all tropical, but it is a bit smothered. Barley sugar, wet paper -- this nose is most particular! Mouth: sweet and soft, silky, even, it has the texture of peach nectar, with the taste of fruity yoghurt. Finish: oh! Fruit is now bursting, tropical, with persimmon and dragon fruit. I am loving this finish! 8/10

Others have Inchmurrin 19yo 1996/2016 (49.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 318b) (me), but I skip it.



JR: "Did anyone see Winston Chruchill's 1930 doctor's note?"
Other J: "Bizarrely enough, no."

Mackmyra Skogshallon b.2019 (44.4%, OB Moment, ex-Bourbon ex-Swedish Raspberry Wine Casks, 1511b, b#0875) (SA): nose: super sweet, it has barley snaps, raspberry and sunflower seeds. I fail to take more notes, but I do find it sweet indeed. Mouth: mellow, silky, sweet... it is strangely mildly drying, but crazy silky, with peach flesh and mushroom purée. A texture whisky, this! Finish: very powerful, in a grain sort of way, with lots of soft pastry filling and a distant metallic note. 7/10

Inchgower 38yo 1965/2003 (50.4%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 432b) (detachedblue): nose: brine, pickled onions, seaspray and burnt caramel. It is a dusty nose, like an old, ancient thing (ZC). An ancient thing akin to prune juice, then, salty prune juice. The second sniff brings dry earth -- ZC finds it dunnage-y, with an earthy sheen. Mouth: big, sherried, dry and salty. JS finds it mushroom-y. A fantastic Oloroso (I guess) number. Finish: long, tainted by the sherry, it is also quite woody, with lots of old wood and leather. This reminds me strongly of the Tobermory 42yo. Good sherry-matured whisky that some will find over the top. 8/10

Kavalan Amontillado (56.3%, OB Solist imported by King Car Germany, C#AM110314029A, 517b, b#068) (SA): nose: sulphury, brine-y, with olive brine, pickle vinegar and... not much else, really. Big and boisterous, yes, but complex, it is not to these nostrils. Mouth: nutty, varnish-y, but also acidic and prickle, with lots of tannins. Finish: huge, coating and everlasting, it has shoe polish, old, polish-y rags, shoe brushes and hair lacquer. Not my thing, this. 6/10

Port Charlotte10yo b.2013 (63%, OB selected by U. Pähler and N. Sparding for www.islayscotchandmore.drittler.de, 312b) (detachedblue): nose: dusty bacon, roasted over a wood fire, crispy bacon. A bit one-dimensional, really. It reminds me why I am seldom enthused by Port Charlotte. Mouth: it tickles the tongue, with mustard-y ham, mortadella and cured Serrano. Finish: big, dusty and brimming with bacon. The finish also sees acidic vinegar, which is less welcome. It is a Trump whisky: huge and orange. Not my style, but decent. 6/10

Mystery sample (JR): nose: it smells like Oloroso, blended with new make, ZC and I agree. Dark, with lots of cardboard. Mouth: big, hairy and leathery, none in a good way. Finish: hairy (as in: akin to ingesting a hairball), inky. Intense, and not my thing at all. JR giggles as he reveals the £19 mystery bottle. Diamond Navy Rum (57%, unknown bottler) 4/10

Port Charlotte 8yo PC8 Ar Dutchas (60.5%, OB, 30000b, b. ca 2010) (SA): nose: very strong, it has horse's hair, leather belts, lots of ink and funk. Mouth: enormous on the palate, chocolate-y, with sink funk and milk chocolate. I find it quite sharp, all in all. Finish: a steamroller dose of ink-y chocolate. Lots. Of. Ink. I am too tired to take decent notes. This is not for me today, despite the seasonal cold outside. Still, I like it better than the other Port Charlotte, tonight. 7/10

Exhausted. Good evening, though!

Not much will remain of those, when we leave

Killer banana bread made by JS

25/07/2019 August outturn at Cadenhead's

Yes, another outturn. Yes, two days in a row. We rush through the drams four by four before being told what they are. The quantities are minute, so notes are short.

Balmenach-Glenlivet 14yo 2004/2019 (49.7%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 210b)
Nose: crisp apple, apple compote and a dash of leather.
Mouth: pepper on apple compote.
Finish: crisp apple, apple compote and even cider.
Comment: this is lovely. I guess it is the Glen Scotia, but it is not.
Score: 8/10

Aultmore-Glenlivet 12yo 2006/2019 (56.4%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b)
Nose: wet straw, white fruit and eau-de-vie.
Mouth: gravel-y, rocky, with unripe stone fruit.
Finish: a bit drying, it has wet straw and soaked stave. It turns bitter and acrid, at the second sip.
Comment: not my thing.
Score: 5/10

Girvan 9yo 2009/2019 (61.4%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, Pinot Noir Finish, 294b)
New livery for the grains. This has the traditional Authentic Collection label, even if it looks like it has spent too much time in the washer.
Nose: dark wine and rancio.
Mouth: syrupy, Port-like, whilst pine-sap-y and strong.
Finish: tannic, wine-y, with notes of liquorice towards the death.
Comment: I recognise the Girvan from the festival. I do not enjoy it more tonight. Others do.
Score: 5/10

Ord 14yo 2005/2019 (54.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 300b)
Nose: sweaty feet. Topical (38 degrees, today), but not necessarily a good thing. Crystallised berries appear later, and a bit of wood.
Mouth: chewy and slightly cola-like.
Finish: long, fresh and woody, it has spearmint.
Score: 7/10

Benrinnes 18yo 2000/2019 (58.7%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 186b)
Nose: dry hazel wood, extremely dry blood-orange peels.
Mouth: warm apple, cracked black pepper and cloves.
Finish: soft, with pepper and warm mead.
Score: 8/10

Fettercairn 10yo 2007/2019 (57.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 312b)
Nose: musky and meaty, leather -- scratch that! It is a full tannery.
Mouth: leather, seal wax, faded leather sofas.
Finish: similar, with a touch of berries to sort of save it.
Comment: despite the finish, I still do not like this.
Score: 5/10

Glen Spey-Glenlivet 17yo 2001/2019 (54.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 294b)
Nose: chalky and warming.
Mouth: a bit indistinct, it has shy yellow fruit and chalk again.
Finish: big, chalky. It leaves the mouth well dry.
Comment: meh.
Score: 6/10

Glentauchers-Glenlivet 12yo 2007/2019 (59.3%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 270b)
Nose: crushed walnuts, dark berries (elderberry, I reckon).
Mouth: soft, velvety, with rancio and walnut skin. This is bitter, like.
Finish: prune stones, bitterness.
Score: 6/10

Springbank 24yo 1994/2019 (50.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Refill Barrel, 312b)
Nose: greengages and roasted carambola.
Mouth: juicy, it has barbecued greengages, grilled plantains and smoked carambola.
Finish: juicy fruit and soft smoke, prunes and bakewell tart.
Comment: this is lovely alright. MSo and I guess rightly that this is the star of the night. It impresses me much more tonight than last night (I was lucky enough to smell it ahead of schedule). "Is it £420 lovely?" is the question bandied about, tonight. It is all allocated via a draw anyway.
Score: 9/10

Tomatin 10yo 2009/2019 (59.1%, Cadenhead Wine Cask, Chilean Red Wine Cask, 294b)
Nose: rather fruity, wine-y, one can almost spot the grape skins, floating at the surface.
Mouth: soft and velvety, with grapes and gentle wine.
Finish: wine. Sauce grand'veneur.
Comment: meh.
Score: 6/10

Mackmyra 11yo b.2019 (49.5%, Cadenhead World Whiskies, Bourbon Barrel, 258b)
Nose: mineral orchard fruit, if it makes sense. Lichen on limestone.
Mouth: light and sweet.
Finish: blackberry, blueberry and raspberry.
Comment: this is nice. A couple of guesses point at the Swede. Rightly. Cadenhead's first Mackmyra.
Score: 8/10

Glen Scotia 27yo 1992/2019 (45%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 150b)
Nose: corpse, dead rat, monkey's arse. Hm!
Mouth: soft and velvety, it has flint and ground fruit stone. Quite a contrast with the nose. The texture is velvety, regardless of the taste. Most bizarre.
Finish: yup! Monkey's arse.
Comment: wow. There are even fewer bottles of this to allocate than of the Springbank. It is an oddball to perplex friends at a tasting!
Score: 4/10

Dalmore 18yo 2001/2019 (51.7%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Cask, 246b)
Nose: rancio, flat cola and Chinoto.
Mouth: flat cola, Chinoto and wine.
Finish: sweet as hell, with Chinoto and flat cola.
Comment: a complete one-trick pony, though it remains sippable. We guess a grain. Incorrectly.
Score: 7/10

Cameronbridge 30yo 1989/2019 (57.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 222b)
Nose: fresh salad leaves. It is not very characterful.
Mouth: sweet, honeyed and gently metallic.
Finish: honey, royal jelly and honeysuckle sap.
Comment: this is the grain.
Score: 7/10

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 21yo 1997/2019 (57.1%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Butt, 510b)
Nose: vaguely mineral, with butter, buttercups and a hint of leather.
Mouth: acidic, full of yellow flowers and candied ginger shavings.
Finish: sweet, liquorice-y, pillow-y and minty.
Comment: I tried this last night and find it very different.
Score: 7/10

Good fun, as always. Lots of silly banter, whiskies covering a wide spectrum of tastes, temperatures coming down a little. Phew.