30/10/2021 The horror

On this eve of Halloween and daylight saving, OB, JS and first-timer SOB join me for an afternoon of dramming. GL unfortunately discovers, twelve minutes before the start of the tasting, that Wales is a three-hour drive away from the capital, and that he will not make it on time. As for Cavalier66, his busy social life inflicted him a nasty cold that impaired his smell and taste. BA tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, and announced that he would not make it, clearly oblivious to the fact he had said two weeks prior that he was not free today. Ha! Even OB almost flaked out, he admits, unable to distinguish a Saturday from a Sunday. Luckily, it only makes for a good story.

Soundtrack: Ab Ovo - Empreintes

SOB and OB build the sequence

.

tOMoH presents: Hellrayrshire

Rare Ayrshire 34yo 1975/2009 (45.2%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Bourbon Barrel, C#558, 166b, b#115, 9/124): nose: delicate flower pistils, make-up powder and crushed biscuit (shortbread, probably). Later on, it is lemon drizzle and vanilla sugar. Mouth: unripe-banana peel (JS) and a gentle bitterness (JS). I find it soft, silky, with more shortbread and, indeed, a green, bitter touch, almost leafy. This is spring-like, but it is also fitting on this sunny October afternoon. Pomelo, soft lime and unripe calamansi appear, in the medium term, which all mean acidity, faint bitterness, as well as fruit aplenty. Finish: more lemon drizzle and macha-tea doughnut, lime zest and pomelo custard. The profile and ABV designate it to go first, but it is perhaps a shame, as the first dram in any line-up is de facto sacrificed. This is excellent and deserves to shine. 9/10

Soundtrack: Noizaddict - Synth-pop mix (20-01-2010)

SOB presents: American Werewolf in London

Bimber King's Cross St Pancras b.2021 (58.5%, OB The Spirit of the Underground, American Oak Ex-Bourbon Cask, C#129, 259b, b#160): a series dedicated to the London Underground stations. It could be long-lived... Nose: banana sweets and an unexpected, pronounced green note (dried sage, oregano, bay leaves, thyme). Over time, the green, herbaceous aspect turns almost metallic. Mouth: it has more bite than a werewolf (to paraphrase Colin Dunn). Seriously, it retains a strong metallic touch, which may start with sage and definitely ends with the back of a silver spoon. But there is also lovely, juicy grapes and custard -- oh! yes, it has a custard-y texture, this one. OB, on the other hand, finds it syrupy, sweet and sour, while JS thinks it is almost vinegar-y. Finish: warming, but not actually that hot, the finish has plantain, baked banana, and sage-sprinkled doughnut (again). It is a relatively short finish, in terms of flavours, yet the warmth stays on. 8/10

SOB: "If you take a picture of the QR code, they'll offer you a discount on your next purchase."
tOMoH: "They should offer you a Zone-3 travelcard on the Picadilly line."
SOB: "We'd use the cork to touch in!"

Soundtrack: Lamia Vox - Sigillum Diaboli

SOB presents: I Know Watt Whisky You Did Last Summer

SOB also has another pun for this, which I do not fully get (Impergerial?) He misses the obvious Vampirial, though.

Imperial 25yo 1996/2021 (53.6%, Watt Whisky, Refill Barrel, 214b): nose: deeper and richer, it is lively and feisty nonetheless. There is a lot going on, and it is all tightly interwoven. Certainly pepper, hot jack fruit, hot pineapple that melts into a pulp, fruity yoghurt, but also sumac. Mouth: oily! Orange-blossom-infused olive oil, to be precise. Then, a softly-drying touch of old wood appears to balance that mellowness with bitterness and spice -- satsuma, ground orange peel, ground red chilli. The second sip has more citrus, louder satsumas, veering towards oranges. Finish: mandarin peel and... It leaves me wondering a bit: it is so well integrated that I find it hard to pick flavours apart. White pepper sprinkled on hot citrus slices, hot, custard-y yoghurt, with pomelo wedges thrown in to enhance the acidity and the bitterness -- both of which are mild enough, yet they add complexity. Excellent. 9/10

tOMoH: "A friend from out of town has burnt out and is struggling to find out what he wants to do with his life. In this city, you can leave a job and walk straight into another one. And, of course, we pay dearly for it: he's done paying his home, and I have twenty years left on my mortgage."
SOB: "But we have nice stuff on our doorstep..."
tOMoH: "Yeah! If I want vegan Korean food, I can!"

Soundtrack: Noizaddict - Synth-pop mix (18-01-2020)

JS presents: Warlockside

Lochside 21yo d.1981 (50%, Lombard Jewels of Scotland, Bourbon Cask, C#607): nose: peppery (OB) and almost devoid of the trademark fruity onslaught. It is a bit more nuanced, with lots of pepper fleetingly hiding chunks of mango, papaya and even maracuja. There is some hay too, subtle, and burnt gas (think of the smell of a natural-gas hob or stove). The second nose sees dry lichen, a pinch of dust, and a touch of wax. Mouth: velvety, comforting, then fruity AF. Lots of mango, smoked peach, dusty orange slices about to turn blue with mould. Finish: of a medium length, it has dusty fruit and a thin layer of pepper. Peach, sliced orange, satsuma, plum... This is beautiful. Better than I remembered it, if that is possible. 9/10

Food enters: St Felicien, Comté, St Nectaire, Mont Charvin dried sausage

JS [back from the hairdresser}: "SOB, I want to see your generous pour."
[SOB pours JS the Bimber]
JS: "Oh! That's enough!"
tOMoH: "That's a small pour! OB had more."
JS: "Would you have continued, if I hadn't stopped you?"
tOMoH: "The rim is the limit... Great title for a porno, that."
SOB: "Is that what you do, when you are not drinking your bottles?"
OB: "How do you think he can afford all this whisky?"

Soundtrack: Apocryphos - Stone Speak

OB presents: Ben Neviscerated

Ben Nevis 19yo d.1996 (51.8%, OB Single Cask, C#1424): nose: banane flambée, porridge, a dollop of damp earth, clay pots, dried plantain skins. Later on, it is pencil shavings and raspberry jam. I observe it is less dirty than some Ben Nevises that are so popular, at the moment. Mouth: oh! it is plenty dirty here, with oily rags, greasy knives and ink stains on peach slices. The second sip cranks up the fruit, yellow and juicy, plum-and-grapefruit juice, very nice indeed. Finish: custard, though it is also loaded with peach, ink and engine oil. Over time, that morphs into a bold tropical-fruit blanket, with warm mango and stewed persimmon bathing in lovely vanilla custard. Great surprise. 8/10

That is a bottle OB bought at auction, and it turns out Cavalier66 was bidding against him, after telling him how good it was.

OB: "This one is exactly how Cavalier66 described it to me..."
tOMoH: "What? Expensive and hard to get?"

Soundtrack: Soft Cell - Non-Stop Electric Cabaret

OB: "I'm not sure I've had a Pittyvaich before."
SOB: "Did you pour one at Coke Float?"
tOMoH: "Yeah, but neither of you was there."
OB: "So much virginity lost, today!"
tOMoH: "You won't be able to sit down for two weeks!"

Popcorn enters.

tOMoH presents: The Pittyvaich and the Pendulum

JS and I lament that GL is not with us; The Pittyvaich and the Penderyn would have been a great double-whammy.

Pittyvaich 14yo (54.5%, James MacArthur Fine Malt Selection imported by Pevarello, b. ca 1990): nose: a completely different ballgame, with cardboard and salted popcorn (or is that the popcorn?). OB finds it porridge-y, sour, full of fermentation aromas and crusty bread, a bit charred. I have hot cobblestones, while JS reckons toast -- we all agree on Biscotte/Melba toast, in the end, with even char and a thin veil of smoke. Mouth: hot, muscular, hairy, earthy, cardboard-y. It has stale porridge, flat cola, yet also piping-hot marmalade and hot compote. There is a dichotomy at play between the cereal and the fruit. Finish: caramelised apricots, roasted cereals, malt (OB), porridge stuck to the sauce pan. I love this, today. 8/10

OB: "We were flying at high altitude, but..."
tOMoH: "You don't like it? I know this one is very divisive."
OB: "I love it. Best, so far."

We talk about good tracks being always too short: if they are three minutes long, they should be six; if they are six they should be ten. To prove the case, I play the following record:

Soundtrack: 777 - Alpha Wave (Plastikman's Acid House Remix)

Then, I decide to follow that path.

Soundtrack: Plastikman - Sheet One

SOB presents: The Cage

Springbank 18yo 2002/2021 (52.8%, Duty Paid Sample, Fresh Port Cask, Warehouse 3, Rotation 843): a bottle bought from The Cage, a restricted-access cupboard in a back room of the Cadenhead shop, in Campbeltown, where one can pick up one-off bottles and other curiosities. Nose: charred maple syrup, toasted oak, charred chocolate that has been left too long in the microwave oven. However, there is also a touch of varnish, rubbing feathers with toast and overly-roasted peanuts. The second nose is vegetative, with natural gas and cooked-vegetable water. Mouth: sugary, in a caramelised-Demerara-sugar way, it has lots of smoke from the chimney of a coal stove. It is syrupy to a high level, giving away peaches, poached in reduced Port. It is powerful and turns rather tannic, in the long run. Finish: big, sweet, hot, gently smoky. It seems that the toasted notes have all gone, surprisingly enough, making room for maple syrup and caramelised manuka honey, treacle, almost. It leaves the gums a bit dry, as if covered in ash, but it does the trick. 7/10

OB presents: GlenDronachloween

OB also thought he would open the box, and I would look at the colour with horror.

The GlenDronach 19yo 1994/2013 (58.4%, OB Single Cask, Oloroso Sherry Butt, C#101, 628b, b#396): nose: gas, boiled vegetables, sulphur-adjacent (OB, inventing words). Behind that is, of course, lots of wood varnish and wood lacquer. Water makes this more cardboard-y, with coffee spilled on a cardboard box. Mouth: ginger, cinnamon and liquorice root aplenty to accompany a strongly varnish-y accent. It also has lukewarm, flat Dr. Pepper and ebony. Further sips are sweeter, with Port, PX, and prune compote. Water makes it sickly sweet and syrupy as hell. A cola pouch, prior to being mixed with carbonated water. Anyone who has worked at a fast-food joint will see the reference. This is toasted and bitter to the extreme. Further sips add a note of dark sugars, but it remains very earthy, all in all. Water, again, turns it sweet and syrupy, although this finish stays spicy too, dishing out ginger and cinnamon drops. 7/10

Soundtrack: Front Line Assembly - Monument

Good times and a cracking line-up. Considering the hefty pours, it is perhaps a good thing more people did not turn up, after all. :)

Dram of the day:
OB: Pittyvaich, Lochside a close second
tOMoH: Lochside
SOB: Lochside
JS: Ben Nevis

04/04/2020 404 Error: distillery not found

Today is 4/04. It seems like a good day to have four drams. Why not make them four drams from closed distilleries? The weather is nice again*, so let us make those closed Lowland distilleries, since popular belief is that Lowlands rhyme with gentler profiles and are suitable for more clement weather.

* 19°C, today. It was 1°C three days ago. I was wearing a scarf indoors!

Kinclaith 1968/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, ID/DIB): we have been having this one a lot, lately, or so it seems. Time for proper notes. Nose: a whiff of old wood, with old books, old blotting paper and vaguely-humid bung cloth. Those hardly contain red and yellow fruits, however: dark cherries, soaked plums, prunes in syrup, strawberries. Soon, it takes on a fizzy note that is not unlike that of a sparkling red wine (that would be Fragolino, then). Furniture polish is next in line, rape seed oil, teak oil, and blotting paper, making a come-back. Pâtes de fruits, flat cola and stewed rhubarb complete the wonderful nose. Mouth: the palate continues the story started by the nose, picking up the pâtes de fruits and flat cola, adding a whisper of burnt wood, before fruit sweeps in -- raspberries, strawberries, watermelons, blood oranges, overripe peaches, rum toft, an old oak stave, covered in lichen and soaked in rum. The burnt wood mutates into charred cork, which is interesting and never becomes invading or unpleasant. The palate does, however, see a slightly bitter note of ground peach stone, mixed with ash, peppering the aforementioned fruit, which still dominates. Finish: burnt wood alright, gently ashy and, well, woody. It is softly bitter again, and, as a consequence, a little drying, without that ever becoming a nuisance. In the finish too, what comes out the most are the fruits: strawberries, smashed on toast, raspberry compote, peach, macerating in rum, and a maraschino cherry for good measure. Considering it is a 40% offering, it is also long and bold a dram. I love it. 9/10

Rare Ayrshire 34yo 1975/2009 (45.2%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Bourbon Barrel, C#558, 166b, b#115, 9/124): long time no see... Nose: well, whereas the Kinclaith was all about yellow and red fruit, this one is focused on yellow flowers and pastry. Vanilla custard, butterscotch, shortbread, vanilla sugar, croissant dough at room temperature, but also daffodil, forsythia, jonquil, magnolia and some pine-y/minty freshness, in the far back (Mentos?) Also to be tasted are fudge on the baking tray, gardening trimmings, cut lilac, (not quite in bloom, yet), eggshells, green tomatoes, persimmon foliage, celery leaves and raw peas. All is delicate, subtle and gentle, but, in case it is not clear, it is also amazing. Mouth: mint-flavoured milk, custard and shortbread, after only forty-five seconds in the oven, custard powder, mint sauce. On the palate too, it is an incessant ballet of flowers and pastry, with minty choux dough, cut daffodils, fir trees, ... It would be a stretch to call this woody, though: it is very much green. Mint and some spicy notes: yes; ginger and lemongrass: no. After thirty-four years, this discreet spirit has not at all been taken over by the wood. Finish: the modest ABV delivers enough power to wake one up, if needed. The finish has the acidity of pine needles (Gocce pino), the mouthfeel of almond milk, a few cork crumbs for bitterness and the flowery/bakery accents from the nose and palate, with glycerine, apple mint and laurel leaves meeting vegetable samosas, mint sauce, yellow-tomato pasties (yes, I know!), minty toothpaste, grapefruit turnover and lime juice. Exquisite. It seems much more vibrant than C#3421 which was bottled six years later -- six years too late, perhaps. 9/10

25.66 23yo d.1990 Bette Davis doing DIY (57.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 157b): nose: strangely quiet at first nosing, it seems to only give away jellied cucumber. Soon, a huge, grassy note appears; cut grass, cooking broccoli, laurel leaves. The nose turns strangely quiet again, though. Orange drops, perhaps? Tomato chutney? Tomato stems? Let us give it a bit of time... After a few minutes, it opens up to deliver pink pepper and daisies, quince and fig relish. The shift in ABV is very noticeable, with this one tickling the nostrils much more than the previous two drams. Water makes it more fragrant and grassier, with tomato stems, sherbet, courgettes, rhubarb leaves, dried parsley, bulrush in bloom, gorse bushes, saxifrage. A beautiful nose that requires attention. Mouth: a bit more talkative here, showcasing what most people associate with the Lowland character: honey, meadow flowers (dandelions, daisies, buttercups) and orchard fruits (a combination of ripe apples and peaches). It is also rather powerful, with a generous sprinkle of ground black pepper, a minute pinch of nigella seeds and sandalwood, seasoned with orange liqueur. It has a soft acidity that is subtle, but present. The texture is that of orange juice, with some pulp, but not much. With water, the palate is more bitter. It feels as though all the flowers have released their sap, and that makes for a slightly less convincing palate altogether. The pink peppercorns are louder, adding to the perceived lack of balance. Water not recommended. Finish: ooft! It is in the finish that this one really shines. Here are nigella seeds in honey, caraway seeds, peach slices on toasted bread and sprinkled with black pepper, celery sticks, goat's cheese, pink peppercorns, all together in a meadow full of flowers (daisies, dandelions, poppies). A basket of orchard fruits was brought to the picnic: apples, quinces, peaches. With water, the finish is a lot more expressive, welcoming a jammy take on the above, but adding the same sappy bitterness that almost ruined the palate. I like it, but I find it borderline too bitter. Careful with water! 9/10

Linlithgow 25yo 1982/2008 (59.2%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection for La Maison du Whisky Collectors' Edition, Wine-treated Butt, C#2201, 388b, b#313, 8/513): nose: this one has a depth that the previous three did not have, with lichens, musty warehouses and dusty clay floors. It becomes more mineral pretty quickly, with flint, granite and the berry bushes that would grow in the cracks of a granite cliff. The limestone layer of a deep canyon, sprayed with squashed blueberries, blackcurrant jam, spread onto rock-hard bread -- by the way: mould is starting to form on that bread. There is a fleeting sulphury note in the corner of the nostril, before smoke appears, reminiscent of the period when man discovered fire (I was still a young boy, then). Myrtles, brambles, plaster band and gauze timidly pop in as well. Not an easy or obvious nose, this, but it rewards the patient noser. Mouth: berries here too, with myrtles and blackcurrant smothering the blueberries, fresh figs, blackberries, preserved strawberries, all on a bed of stone -- limestone, this time. The depth of the fruitiness is no less than staggering, and it is supported by lichen on rum-soaked stave, Patras wine, made from sun-drenched grapes. This is warming, to say the least. A bush fire, lit bracken, cherry tree, burning in the fireplace. Finish: long and assertive, the finish welcomes back the berries and the mineral side, the strong Greek wine, and grassier tones too, at this point. Myrtles, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, slate, limestone, flint, dusty clay, yet also black-tulip leaves and petals, violets, viola, purple primrose. Of the medicinal notes, none noticeably subsists, and there is no smoke to speak of. On the other hand, the considerably-higher ABV is integrated to perfection, yet after a few sips, one realises how strong it is: it leaves the taste buds very numb, as if one had chewed on chalk. Not as grassy as other St Magdalenes, but beautiful. I was not a fan, in the beginning, however. I must rejoice that ten years in an open bottle did such wonders. 8/10

11/03/2020 The London Whisky Club -- Closed distilleries

The London Whisky Club is a growing name in town, with many events and a rather large following. If they put up a tasting with bottles from closed distilleries, who would I be to not attend?
JS and MSo are also there, and it turns out I know quite a few of the attendees from elsewhere too. Small world, this.

The concept is that of a club, with a membership fee, and members bringing their own bottles, rather than someone presenting and curating a line-up. Each member introduces their own bottle, when the time comes.

(Elaborate) nibbles are served at the start, which is great, considering it is dinner time, but quite awkward too: fried things make one's fingers greasy for the rest of the tasting, and they are very fatty when cold.

Cold cuts, toasted bread, olives, roasted almonds, hoummous and what looks like a pide

Onion rings and chips
There were cheeses as well

The programme

Rare Ayrshire 40yo 1975/2015 (47.1%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection Rare Reserve, Bourbon Barrel, C#3421, 166b, b#162): nose: honeysuckle, jasmine, cut lychee -- this is super-fragrant, perfume-y, ester-y, with also Turkish delights and powdered sugar. This nose is plainly exquisite. Mouth: slightly bitter honey, with dandelion, Turkish delights again, and rose-petal jam. It is a little thin, which causes zero issue. Ginger grows in intensity to give a spicy, tannic note, subtle, but definitely present. Finish: extremely floral and perfume-y, though it has a bitterness that is a bit off-putting (too long in wood?) Certainly a woody touch, with lemongrass and ginger shavings. Lovely drop and the nose is exceptional, but I fear the finish is past its prime. For that reason, I will downgrade it from 9 to 8/10

Littlemill 28yo 1990/2019 (50.7%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b, 19/207): I reviewed this at length previously, but am excited to try it again. Nose: fresh and fruity, it has peach, soaked apricot and mango skins. Mouth: powerful, but gentle at the same time (that will be assertive, then), it has cut pears, cut peaches, white peaches and whole black peppercorns. Finish: long and creamy, with squashed papaya and hints of passion fruit (yay!) It seems less exuberantly fruity than the first time, but it is beautiful all the same -- and time in the glass does make it fruitier. 9/10

Ardbeggie, on my left hand side, brought a bottle to share. The group goes off piste to try it now. It is Millburn 25yo 1975/2000 (61.9%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#6095), which I know very well. I am surprised at the move, considering the furious ABV, when the next dram in the line-up is 43%. I carefully keep the Millburn for later.

Banff 34yo 1976/2010 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice, Refill Sherry Hogshead, AJ/AFGJ): I reviewed this for last year's Banffire Night, though I am more than happy to try it again. Nose: dunnage warehouse, nut oil, berries, currants, juicy and plump greengages, clementines, soaked in sangria, perhaps a drop of ink, dust. This is marvellous. Mouth: soft and mellow, it has more of the currants, ripe and juicy, hazelnut-and-raspberry vinegar, pressed green grapes. The second sip brings dark grapes, skins included, which makes the palate remotely bitter. Finish: quite big, at 43% (remember I have not yet had the monstrous Millburn), it has a dunnage-warehouse feel to it, with clay floors and lichen on staves, stagnant green-grape juice and happiness. This really benefits from spending time in an open bottle, apparently. 9/10

Imperial 23yo 1995/2019 (53.1%, Thompson Bros., Bourbon Barrel, 166b, CBSC5 06093): nose: barley and porridge, plastic and warm soap bars, soap boxes, warm cereals. It becomes fruity, after a while: apples, poached pears, then juicy peaches. Do I detect a whisper of smoke, too? Mouth: juicy alright, with candied chestnut, pan-fried pears, roasted apples, elderberry, warm cigar leaves, roasted papaya. Water increases the creamy feel. Finish: huge, with mud and sink funk, browned peach, browned pear (as in: decaying), a touch of cork, elderberry and rancio, almost. Water, unfortunately, makes it more watery (duh!) and plain. Not a swimmer. 8/10

AO'H [talking about another tasting led by a well-known bottler]: "I am not saying all their whiskies are shit, but all the whiskies they brought to the tasting were shit."

Cambus 26yo 1993/2019 (55.4%, James Eadie, Sherry Butt, C#48094, 617b, b#525): this is allegedly the last distillation at Cambus. Nose: pickles aplenty, pickled onion, onion relish, ... soaked sandalwood? Mouth: big and spicy, with onion relish and candied ginger. Finish: long, pickled, combining leathery vinegar-y, sherried notes. This is most unusual (of course, all sherry-matured grain whiskies are, to an extent). I hope it is not one of those headache-inducing Cambuses (tomorrow morning, I will be dehydrated, but not too badly). 7/10

Caperdonich 18yo (48%, OB Small Batch Release, B#CP/001, b#03536, LKRN 2032, b.2019): nose: lovely refined smoke, with burnt hay, roasted sausage, horse's hair, farm paths under the spring sun. It feels like a subdued Longrow -- I am loving it! Mouth: fresh, juicy and subdued, it has apple juice, little of the smoke, quince and hay broth. The second sip is a little dryer than the first, enhancing the impression of a Longrow in disguise. Finish: a kick of smoke that is unexpected, considering the mouth had hardly any! Tractor tyres, mud, caked on to the tyres, soot, diesel and graphite. This is very nice indeed! 8/10

Old Guns (40%, Low Robertson & Co. imported by S. Cobianchi, b. ca 1970s): a blend that allegedly contains 66.66% of Port Ellen -- a stance I have a hard time believing, but hey! Nose: dusty, pickled vinegar, dusty apple, stale lemonade, faint smoke. Mouth: soft, weak and out of sequence, unfortunately. Shame, because it has a pleasant fruity/dusty profile; mineral too, with dry lichen, limescale and dirty linen. Finish: dusty apple, old linen and old newspapers. It feels really weak, now, which is a pity. The potential is there. I call sequencing mistake. 6/10

I then have the Millburn 25yo 1975/2000 (61.9%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#6095), which I previously reviewed here. (Thanks for the dram, Ardbeggie)

MSo brought some goodies too, and I have this

Blended Scotch Whisky 21yo 1998/2019 (44.6%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Butt): nose: beautiful sherry maturation, with gorgeous horse's hair, wine, dust, elderberry, tobacco and extremely-dry fir bark. Mouth: soft, too soft to shine, it has berry, poached apples, a drop of pickled vinegar and shoe polish. Finish: big, sherried, with more berries and a lick of chocolate coulis. 8/10

More drams do the round. I politely decline most (it is a school night, after all) and take no notes for those I do try.

A pleasant evening, with good drams and good company. A couple of sequencing mishaps, in my opinion, but all in all, a cracking night out.

26/10/2017 Three Lowlanders

This could fit under "clearing the shelf," but since they form a cohesive whole...

Rare Ayrshire 35yo 1975/2010 (45.5%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Bourbon Barrel, C#553, 150b): I tried this a few years ago and liked it a lot. The circumstances were very different, though. Nose: candle wax, crayons and honey, primary-school glue (the white stuff in pots with a small, oar-shaped spoon), custard cream biscuits and milk chocolate. It even has a distant whiff of latte. A few minutes later, the glue becomes more heavy-duty (or heavier-duty; will the Grammar Police please send suggestions in the comments section), and it is joined by tame shoe polish. The biscuits are soon back, though. Doughnut batter. Coming back to it after the next dram, gentle incense is also to be found. Mouth: soft and mellow, it has more custard cream biscuits, doughnut batter, chocolate milk, almond milk. This is silky as silk. Not hugely complex in the mouth, but pleasant, it is. Finish: again, it is soft, milky, with a touch of chocolate, crushed almond, custard and raw doughnut batter, as well as late ashes from a spent incense stick. Agreeable and dangerously easy to drink. 8/10

Ladyburn 27yo 1973/2000 (50.4%, OB for the USA, Bourbon Cask, C#4467): first official Ladyburn on this blog. Strangely, official bottlings of this ill-regarded distillery are always expensive. Nose: it is stronger and that feels. Metal polish and powerful glue. It also has crushed herbs (gentian, bay, marjoram, maybe sage). This nose is much less welcoming than the Signatory's, yet it works for me. It might have some berries, but they are hidden behind the alcohol. Timid apricot compote ends up appearing, yet one has to look for it. Tree bark is here too, warm and dry. Much later, candle wax shows up. Mouth: milder than expected, it displays similar characteristics as the Signatory's -- raw doughnut batter, custard and bakery shenanigans, augmented with crushed herbs (the same as in the nose, with the sage more assertive) and a metallic edge (or is that the sage again?) The texture is milky and would be silkier, were it not for the metallic bitterness. I can see that metal bothering some (hi, SW!), not me: I like it. Finish: similar odd mixture of custard, pastry and crushed herbs. This is not very far from some grains' profile. The metal note lingers on and on, obfuscating fruit that is really too shy to be properly detectable. The finish then move to fish scales and sardines off a tin, and the blade used to gut them can still be tasted. This is one for metal fans only. If the hardest you like is Bon Jovi, avoid. Works for tOMoH. Less immediate pleasure, more cerebral. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Vit and RO)

Littlemill 22yo 1992/2014 (53.8%, Hunter Laing Old & Rare, Hogshead, C#HL 10882, 194b): nose: a little closed at first, it seems to make a promise of overripe, tropical fruits. It better deliver, now!... and it does! Jackfruit, mango, papaya, Chinese gooseberries are all there and have spent much time in the sun, as has that bowl of sangria, next to the fruit. It is not all, however: nail varnish is in the picture, and so are apricot turnovers. Mouth: warm and peppery, with the skin of the fruit from the nose, not so much the flesh, here. Powerful white pepper, a vague touch of wood (the wooden crates they sell six bottles of wine in). It is a bit of a let-down, compared to the nose, to be honest. Finish: this has a hefty dose of bitter wood (even thickly-lichen-covered staves), yet also a reminder of the tropical fruit from earlier -- jackfruit, papaya. Unfortunately, the wood is too loud and bitter to allow the fruit to shine and, therefore, the score is not higher than 8/10

That's a wrap!

18/02/2017 The Whisky Show Old & Rare (Day 1 -- Part 1)

Here I am.

To say I did not want to be here would be an understatement. A dream-dram-only Whisky Show? In Glasgow? It is one thing to try the best dream drams at an all-in festival, when it is within walking distance; paying for travel and accommodation for the privilege of, then, paying to get into what is essentially a large pub is another.
In other words: I did not like the concept. Irrespective of the lobbying by the Swissky Mafia, JS, BA, EG, MR, I would not go. There. That is how childish I can be.

That said, it turned out I had to be in G-town around the date. It probably would not hurt for it to be that weekend. I could then catch-up with friends outside of the show. Not inside -- no way!

And then, they announced the exhibitors. And then, what each of them would bring. It was not until the very last few weeks, though, that they started putting price tags on those drams that would be available. It started making some kind of sense.

I still felt annoyed at the arrogance of organising up north, far from London, where so many enthusiasts seem to reside. I would only consider going one day -- the quieter Sunday. Tickets were not selling fast anyway.

And then, BA told us a few weeks ago that there were few tickets left for the Saturday. Scarcity creates desirability, for tOMoH.
Tickets were bought. I would go on the Saturday and, if it turned out to be good (I knew it would not), Sunday would still be an option.

And then pat gva announced he was going. At last, a chance to meet him.

And here I am. JS and I took the 6:05 train into Glasgow, which we reached at 10:59. We barely had time to drop our baggage at the hotel, then straight into the queue.

Meet thy neighbours

Here I am indeed, against my will, with an empty stomach, and giddy with anticipation and lack of sleep. The Swissky Mafia boys are right in front of us in the queue. The parade starts: MR, BA, EG, ST, PT and others pass us by and say hello. The atmosphere is relaxed. So relaxed it takes me another thirty minutes to realise that I left my camera in my suitcase. Good start.

Once in, I observe how small the venue is. Away with Old Billingsgate's corporate-fair feel. This is a cosy Victorian reception hall in a once-grand hotel. The attendance is also probably ten-to-twenty percent of London's. And the geekiness reaches levels I have never seen outside of the Bowmore masterclass, last year.

The Skinner stand

But we have work to do. This is a festival. Notes will be short. MR brings this.

Laphroaig 15yo d.1968 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice): I take no clever notes other than it is very good, delicate and refined, obviously a 1960s distillation.

We spend time with EG and try this.

Highland Park 22yo 1957/1979 (45.7%, Samaroli, 360b): nose: caramelised marzipan. Mouth: velvety, with caramel sweetness. Finish: wet, burnt wood emerges. The finish kills this otherwise good dram. 7/10

While sniffing the HP, I notice a group of two or three on my right. One is a proud Scot (kilt, yellow-arctic-fox-skin sporran and all), but I recognise the other. As I prepare my opening line, he pulls a bottle from his bag. I almost faint.

'We have not even met yet and you are already showing off!' I tell pat gva. We shake hands and he promptly offers me a pour.

Jura 20yo 1966/1996 (86 U.S. Proof, R.W. Duthies selected for Corti Brothers imported by Pellegrini Imports): this is only the most desirable Jura ever bottled. I never thought my flasks* would rival whatever pat gva would bring, but this is humbling. :-D Nose: holy cow! Fruit, chocolate, marzipan, then light tobacco. Mouth: drying and fruity at the same time. Mango. Finish: leather, mud, and lots of fruit. 10/10 (Thanks pat gva)

* I pour the following from my flasks all weekend:

G4.1 29yo 1979/2008 (53%, SMWS Society Cask, 236b)
Scapa 14yo 2000/2014 (53.9%, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Edition, B#SC 14 008)
Longmorn 19yo 1992/2012 (46%, Acorn Friends of Oak, 120b)

That was a decent start!

Lochside 20yo d.1965 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice): nose: rubber and lots of fruit. Mouth: drying rubber, more fruit. Finish: fruit, fruit, fruit. There is still a small hint of rubber that does not detract from the fruity goodness. 9/10

Meet Thomas Krüger of whiskyauction.com. I advise him to try the Bowmore SLTN -- remember we tried that in December. He says it is going to be a fruity Bowmore from the 1960s, full of papaya and mango and that he does not need that. If he wants fruit, he will drink fruit juice, thank you very much. We need more people like him in the world!

Lion's stand

Meet Menno, whiskybase.com owner and Littlemill collector, who just got a glass he does not care for. He lets me try it.

Dunglass 1967/1988 (46%, Brae Dean Int. imported by Moon Import The Animals, C#3447-050, 600b, b#10): I find lots of dusty fruits in this. The soapiness everyone complains about is there, yet it certainly does not bother me, nor does the distant smoke. In fact, I like this a lot.

St Magdalene 20yo 1963/1984 (92° U.S. PROOF, Cadenhead): nose: it has the flintiness of a traditional St Magdalene, combined with lots and lots of fruits... and plasticine. Mouth: pencil shavings, then plasticine again, hot wax, varnish, plums. Finish: long and passionate like a young-lovers kiss, it has more wax and plasticine. 10/10

Dallas Dhu 1962/1979 (92° U.S. PROOF, Cadenhead): nose:an explosion of fruit -- ripe apricot, apple compote, gooseberry. Mouth: milky and fruity again. Finish: long, fruity, with greengages and apricots. Crikey! those dumpies. 10/10

Bowmore 35yo 1966/2001 (43.7%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection): the notes are not on this blog, but it was another HB that opened my eyes to the wonders of 1960s Bowmore -- a 34yo from 1966. Trying this is almost akin to confronting memories of early emotions. Will it live up to the expectation? Nose: fucking hell! Of course, it does. Pink grapefruit and mango bring tears of bliss. Mouth: pink grapefruit juice and a subtle hint of rubber. Finish: pure pink grapefruit juice. This is humbling. Probably the dram of the show, for me. Meow. 10/10

Rare Ayrshire 40yo 1975/2015 (47.1%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection Rare Reserve, Bourbon Barrel, C#3421, 166b, b#6): Signatory Vintage, in pure Signatory-Vintage fashion, brought out the goods. A Glenisla, a Craigduff, a Glenlochy, a Ladyburn (this one), a Glen Mhor, an old Caol Ila... Having tried most of them previously, I go with this Ayrshire. Nose: buttery and flowery, it opens up to reveal peach flesh. Mouth: hotter than expected, with a burning stew of yellow flowers. Finish: ink, pencils, and lots of buttery fruits. 9/10

Aberlour 25yo 1964/1989 (43%, OB, 10000b): I have been curious about this one for a while. Nose: dark chocolate, cocoa, gentle coffee, Jaffa Cakes -- no! PiMM's. Mouth: unctuous, with chocolate and orange -- PiMM's again, then. Finish: chocolate cake, easy and simple. Beautifully made. 9/10

pat gva, on a mission, introduces me to everyone I do not already know. Right now, it is Italy's turn. Most notably, I meet Nadi Fiori, of Meregalli, Intertrade and High Spirits fame. In a way, the man who invented single cask, cask strength whisky -- though it is unclear whether he or Silvano Samaroli was the first.

Ardbeg d.1974 (46%, La Réserve, C#3345, b#0037): nose: ink, old grease, metallic tools and a farmyard. Mouth: inky as fook. Finish: this is an ink explosion, old ink from a fountain pen, or even nibs dunked in an inkwell. Most interesting. 8/10

As a side note, pat gva is excited about another Ardbeg. Imagine! He has tried it before, but this is... the American bottling! :-)


Convalmore-Glenlivet 30yo 1962/1993 (46.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection): nose: hazelnut, balanced wood, old oil, old vinegar. Mouth: velvety and nutty -- chestnut purée? Finish: nutty and fruity, with wonderful notes of vinaigrette. 9/10

JS tries this. I only nose it.

Time for food. I have not eaten for over ten hours and we all reckon it would be foolish to carry on without fuel.

Continue reading here.

This picture is not staged.