01/08/2021 Man 2 Man

Second real-life tasting in a year (after the one in late June), and the first at tOMoH Central. This was supposed to be the theme for Burns' Night 2021, but, of course, it did not happen. Theme recycling is in order, then. Labels that have a man / men on them.

PS, BA, JS and OB join me for an afternoon of dramming.

Soundtrack: Ruptured World - Shore Rituals

OB is waiting for his laundry cycle to finish before joining us, and, considerate as we are, we wait for him to start. In that time, JS discovers that BA and I have the same notebook. In fact, we all discover that BA is serious and a half, when it comes to notebooks, fountain pens, fonts and more.

BA [about his notebook]: "They do quarterly releases and special editions."

Soundtrack: ASC & Inhmost - Dimensional Space

OB joins us at last. The festivities may start.

He is wearing his best Oreo socks :-)

St Magdalene 1980/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Centenary Reserve, IE/ABE) (me): the label sports an old-school picture of the Elgin shop's staff. BA joyfully tells us he tried this a couple of weeks ago in a London pub. I am well annoyed, but he says he loved it and is looking forward to trying it again. Nose: between hay and juicy grass. PS reckons it has a mustiness verging towards smoke. I find blueberries aplenty, purple plums, pressed blackberries and, perhaps, lichen (could that be the smoke PS is talking about?) Mouth: there is a soft bitterness on the tongue, but it is mostly fruits. Doyenné du Comice pears, berries' skins, blackcurrants, plums. Finish: this is gorgeously juicy, with more softly-bitter, sappy notes of cut flower stems -- not quite dandelion, rather tulip. Towards the death, there is a subtle dirtiness that could be taken for smoke. It is probably soot, though. BA says he likes it better than the one at the bar: that one had lost too much alcohol, more so than this one. My full notes are here.8/10

BA: "I'm waiting for a pen sack from India. It is made of polished hard rubber."
JS: "Polished hard rubber!?"
BA: "Yeah."
PS: "I wouldn't google that."

Tomatin 43yo 1965/2009 (41.1%, The Lonach Whisky Company Lonach imported by Preiss Imports) (JS): the label has a drawing of a bloke. Nose: tropical fruit and marzipan, maraschino cherries from a fresh tin, baked banana, mango slices and Turkish delights. Mouth: the banana is pronounced, and there is some pepper on a metal plate too. Finish: marzipan and metal it is. A little less marzipan, at this stage, actually, but it does not matter. It remains a cracking dram. full notes here. 9/10

Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit (45%, OB Small Batch): Bowman, geddit? BA could not recall ever having an American whiskey here, so he dared bring this pot-still Bourbon, half-worried it would be seen as a faux-pas. Not at all! Nose: woah! This is loud. It is also completely dominated by wood. Dried banana skins, white wood, heated to the max. And then, teak oil joins the party. Mouth: teak oil it is, banana skins again, aniseed; It has a distinct boiled-sweet quality to it, yet it does not feel sickly sweet. Finish: it is sweet, of course, but also a little woody (just a little, believe me), fresh and warming. Veal paupiettes make a late appearance (oiseaux sans tête, for those who know). 7/10

Pioneers alright

Crisps and popcorn appear

Soundtrack: Axiome - L'Avenir Est Un Cerf Teint

Deanston 35yo 1977/2012 (40.4%, The Whisky Agency & The Nectar, 253b) (JS): Dean is a man's name. Case in point, the distillery is so named, because it is in Dean's town. Nose: remarkably potent at this low strength. This is another fruity number, with apples and berries juice, augmented with a few drops of passion fruit. It has a lot of milk and buttery fruit, really. In fact, after a while, it smells of butter, even. Mouth: superb texture, slightly spicy in a mango-chutney sort of way. It has a strong oxidised-metal touch, at second sip, a mild, lichen-y bitterness, and hot apricot jam. Finish: amazing length and depth, this. It cranks up hot jams in metal tubs, and has a buttery-mango feel lingering on the tongue. I find it surprisingly metallic, without that being detrimental in any way. Full notes here. 9/10

Blend On The Run 29yo b.2020 (45.6%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Sponge, First Fill Sherry Butt for 13 Years, 314b) (BA): this label has a picture of nine men (including BA himself, in fact, who tells us one might be a woman). BA reminds us this is a compilation of samples sent to Signatory over ten or fifteen years that were poured in a Sherry cask for ten years of marrying maturation. Nose: black bun, mud, wine sauce. This has humongous quantities of rancio too. Mouth: meaty-earthy, wine-y, and quite dry at the same time. The Sherry very much smothers everything else. OB reckons it has Parma Violet, but I cannot see that. Lavender, at a (very) distant push. Finish: similar to the nose and palate, this is earthy, rancio-y, and has its fair share of dried fruits (prunes, raisins, figs). There is also a copious dose of nut oils, here, both in terms of texture and taste. Full notes here. 7/10

PS: "The one thing I am a big, big fan of..."
tOMoH: "..is money!"

Soundtrack: Lustmord Karin Park - Alter

Loch Lomond (Inchmurrin) 29yo 1974/2003 (54.4%, Cadenhead Chairmans Stock, Bourbon Barrel, 210b) (OB): OB brings out the Chairmans from the Dead (we had this many years ago), and it is only today that we note the missing apostrophe in the collection's name. Here is a candidate for a typo tasting! Nose: sink funk, immediately. But then, it also has bold leather, rancio, "metal, almost OBE" (BA) and hiking boots. Mouth: earthy and nutshell-like, this even has some ink. The more I sip it, the sweeter it becomes, with Demerara sugar and melted caster sugar. Finish: "meatier than expected" (BA), it is rather hairy, full of sink funk. "What do you call sink funk?" asks JS. Well, the ball of hair clogging a sink that grab everything that passes through -- toothpaste, saliva, soap et caetera. I find the smell tends to converge with that of overripe tropical fruits. I enjoy this dram a lot, even though my notes may not reflect that very well. 8/10

BA: "I joined, because they offered an engraved metal plate."
tOMoH: "Would they engrave... A FOUNTAIN PEN?"
BA: "NEVER engrave a fountain pen. I did consider it. Anyway."

PS presents: Mango 2 Mango

46.49 23yo d.1992 Mango Colada (52.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Virgin Heavy Toast Medium Char Oak Hogshead, 276b): nose: cream, hot copper and apple compote. It is an odd mix -- and, of course, I love it. Over time, the metal grows, whilst the apple morphs into a more-tropical variant called mango. Mouth: citrus and wheat-flour-based pastry, custard powder, sawdust, grapefruit zest, mango skin, perhaps. Most of the tropical nuances are now toned down, and it is more of a woody dram -- in a good way! After a moment, ginger yoghurt rises, both the texture and the heat. Finish: long, pastry-like and -- oh! The mango is back. It is a custard-y type of mango, less impacted by the sawdust, here. Excellent, excellent Glenlossie! 8/10

vs.

117.3 25yo 1988/2013 Hubba-bubba, mango and monstera (58.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 199b): just this morning, JS joked that someone might bring 117.3. I said I hoped not, since we have had it so many times. "Considering the quality of the juice, I am prepared to live with that disappointment," JS said. And here it is. Nose: well, this is an old friend, and, unsurprisingly, it is ridiculously fruity. At the same, time, because it is from a freshly-opened bottle, it is also pretty metallic: old coins, copper, lichen hand in hand with the immense mango. It also has pineapple, papaya, grapefruit... It is just teeming with fruit Mouth: oh! Man, this is so fruity. It still has a bold, metallic side, in the shape of lead pipes and silver spoons, but that is submerged by fruit, mango and peach. In the long run, a dusting of pepper is added on top. Finish: huge, mango-laden, bursting with tropical fruit. Hot chocolate rocks up too, hardly a match for the buttery mango juice that dominates this masterpiece. 10/10

Total winnage

PS: "The Glencairns are, shall we say, robust."
BA: "You can use them in the bathroom, yes."

Soundtrack: Phelios - Astral Unity

tOMoH: "We brought these Maltesers for you, PS."
OB: Could you distil them?"
tOMoH: "Probably. It's full of sugar. It would be single Malteser whisky."
PS: "You'd have to make it in Malta, though."

BA: "I do not like geese."
tOMoH: "Greylag? Egyptian? Canadian?"
BA: ...
tOMoH: "Oh! All of them, then?"
BA: "Swans, I'm not fond of either. Privileged geese."

G5.2 17yo 1993/2011 Strumming the strings of the soul (65.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Virgin Toasted Oak Hogshead, 248b) (OB): I wonder if this is in theme because of InverGordon, but no: OB explains it is because of the manly strength ("I do not condone that kind of language," he quickly adds. He is woke, our OB.) Nose: boom! This is explosive. It has industrial glue, blackcurrants to the brim, but it is also nose-stripping. Hot banana, or indeed plantain. The second nose has grapefruit peels. Mouth: huge, bombastic, full of industrial glue again. There is a little of the trademark blackcurrants, but I find the whole is completely possessed by that glue, which, by the way, is now close to stamp glue. The more I sip it, the bolder the glue comes out. Finish: glue, still, but now, the blackcurrant starts  coming through more pronouncedly, spread onto heavily-buttery pastry and shiny croissants. I like it less than the first time. Whether that is the sequence, the fact it is a new bottle, the obscene ABV or the fact I have not had this much whisky in one sitting for a year is unclear. Still very good, mind. 8/10

Soundtrack: Gridlock - Trace

Mannochmore 18yo b.1997 (66%, OB The Manager's Dram, Refill Sherry Casks, 1800b, b#1207) (tOMoH): two men on the same label -- ha! (Mannochmore and Manager.) Had this one at Dornoch and liked it enough to procure it. Nose: I spot toffee and candied apple, whilst BA finds it petrol-y. To me, it is sweet and caramel-y, but I will gladly admit I am beyond notes, at this point. Hot metal, hot espresso machine (the machine, not the coffee). I can even feel smoke, in this. Mouth: it is warm, but the 66% feel strangely tamed. Here are orange peels, dried to cardboard, then ground into a powder, toffee and caramelised marmalade, aniseed and a touch of liquorice. Finish: big, yet tamed enough, once again. There is a bit of mocha and an earthy side. In the long run, however, what comes out most is the sweet profile -- candied apple, toffee and poached pear. A lovely drop. I am looking forward to trying it again and giving it more time. 8/10

Ten whiskies. Only two of those I had not had before. It was good to try those I had had again, and the newcomers did not pale in comparison.

Excellent afternoon. Tomorrow will prove that I am out of practice indeed. Ah, well.

25/12/2020 Two Christmas drams

To celebrate Jesus's supposed birthday, let us have a couple of adequate whiskies. In this country, where Christmas dessert is understood to be two trowels of cement and raisins, left to macerate in a bucket for 364 days, a Christmas dram has come to mean anything chock-a-block with dried fruits. Mostly, that translates into something matured in a first-fill sherry, Port of Madeira cask.

Anyway, back to Jesus's birth, now, because, since the Big Lebowski, one should know that "Nobody vucks wit za Jesus."

Blend On The Run 29yo b.2020 (45.6%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Sponge, First Fill Sherry Butt for 13 Years, 314b): we had this two nights ago, but if not now, then when again? Nose: despite what I said the other day, the first think that gets to me tonight is rancio. Musty, clay-floored warehouses, drums of Madeira, rows and rows of stacked Madeira drums, earthy prunes, and a whiff of musk -- picture a cat who spent the day outside. Dried dates and figs are in the background, somewhat hidden behind roasted chestnut shells, then distant coffee. Maybe there is a dollop of caramelised cranberry compote too, yet it is as subtle as they come. In fact, the whole nose is subdued. Mouth: juicy on the tongue, sweet and warming, it has gently-burnt apricot compote, soon taken over by prunes, plum liqueur, rum baba, and a clear note of rancio, which flirts with damp earth, now. That last one turns into peachy coffee, almost desiccating. It really is fruity and drying at the same time, and that works a treat. Repeated sipping reveals a juicier profile, still earthy and fruity in equal measures. Finish: oh! It is definitely peach coffee, freshly ground and toasted. The more one sips it, the fruitier and less dry it becomes, with hazelnut and dried raspberry joining the peach. Earth is still present, whilst coffee... Well, if it is, it is very much in the back seat. Instead, it is closer to a tiny sprinkle of grated, ridiculously-dark chocolate -- we are talking above 95% cocoa content. It is certainly a sherried whisky, but I would not call it a Christmas dram as I understand that to mean. It is pleasant alright, even great to sip. Yet the nose is a tad too tame to thrill this taster (how many words in 't' can you align in a sentence? I just did seven). Indeed: 7/10

Bunnahabhain 11yo b.2020 (54.2%, OB Hand-Filled Exclusive, Manzanilla Cask, C#3212): nose: dusty marmalade, puff pastry, quince paste, candied apricot, candied pineapple. It smells sweet, yet also quieter than the other night. The temperature, perhaps? It is noticeably colder tonight... Still: pressed sultanas in custard become more evident. Shortbread, crushed into a powder. Caramelised apple compote. In the long run, the nose turns more caramelised and toasted, even displaying toasted malt and coffee grounds. Mouth: 'ere we are! On the tongue, it is sickly sweet, with conference pears so ripe they melt out of their own accord, vanilla custard, blended with overripe pears, sultanas, golden raisins, Smyrna raisins, İzmir üzümü (look at me! Look at me!), dried apricots, quince paste, dried dates that have somehow remained juicy as fook. Then, a gently bitter note appears, almost rubbery -- odd, but a pleasant respite from the sugary onslaught. Finish: mellow and soft, while also very sweet. Membrillo, Lyle's Golden Syrup, sweet Moscatel sherry, Beaumes de Venise, Gewürztraminer vendanges tardives, in which the producer would have dumped tons of confectionery sugar. Is this sweet? You bet! Wheelbarrows of sultanas (Smyrna, Izmir), golden raisins and dried dates, punctuated with cooked blood oranges, rinds and all. And a pinch of coffee grounds to boot! This is a Christmas dram, as they say. It is not for everyone, though. It is not my personal preference today more than it was last week. If that is one's thing, one might want to consider drinking sherry. 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, PF)

23/12/2020 Thompson Bros & Guests Xmas (Part 2)

It started here.

Blend On The Run 29yo b.2020 (45.6%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Sponge, First Fill Sherry Butt for 13 Years, 314b) (brought by Angus MacRaild): we are told this is from Signatory's reserve, and somehow related to a 1997 blended malt called Signatory Supreme. Nose: softly-smoked prunes, dried dates, soaked raisins. Mouth: a bit nuttier on the tongue, with oily chestnuts in their roasted shells. Finish: teak oil, pressed prunes, figs, ripe blueberries. Others say rancio, but I do not think so. It is certainly juicy, sweet and fruity. 7/10

Parafilm did not
prevent a
minor leakage

Glen Mhor 8yo (57%, Gordon & MacPhail, b. mid-to-late 1980s) (introduced by John Beach and Arthur Motley): honestly, this is the one I am looking forward to most. Nose: feisty industrial-revolution scents, with hot metal, coal fumes, lichen, limestone and burnt bread crust. Mouth: big and muscular, the palate welcomes a fruity note of peach, intertwined with lichen and limestone. Finish: imposing, austere, metallic. More limestone, diesel fumes and gorgeous fruits. Well, my expectations are met. 8/10

PT: "JB, it sounds as though you researched for thirty minutes this afternoon, for this..."
JB: "Err, yeah. Isn't that what I was supposed to do?"

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 (55.5%, OB for the Whisky Bars of Scotland, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, C#068/2008, 160b) (presented by Jonny McMillan): nose: confectionery sugar and hand wash, jasmine, sourdough, then crushed Aspirin tablets. Mouth: powdery, I swear this has flour and crushed, mentholated Aspirin tablets. Finish: menthol again, supported by unripe apples and tonic water. 7/10

JMcM: "I work for Berry Brothers, who have been selling overpriced bottles since before I joined them. We've been paying way too much for casks for over a century."

Connal Mackenzie talks about the Ardnamurchan he selected for this shindig -- or that he did not select, as it turns out he wanted one, a peaty make matured in sherry, but, following a mix-up, ended up with another, a non-peaty make matured in Bourbon. Looking at the miniature whilst typing this, I realise it is a peated Ardnamurchan from an ex-Oloroso cask. Either I misunderstood, or the mix-up was Connal's. Unless, of course, not everyone received the same juice. We will never know. Does it really matter?
I am starting to feel tired and annoyed, so I skip it for now. For reference, it is:

Ardnamurchan 2015/2020 (59.5%, OB, ex-Oloroso Hogshead, C#670)

Final dram.

Laphroaig 24yo 1996/2020 (51.8%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, ex-Jack Daniel's Cask, C#1-104, 217b) (presented by Oliver Chilton): nose: well, peat smoke, obviously. Iodine, bandages and Reflex spray. Mouth: some juicy fruit balances the peat, in the long run, yet I fail to identify it. Bog water and mud meet apricot turning mouldy. Finish: boggy, medicinal peat, with lots of tincture of iodine. Pear and apricot develop after a while too, which is most welcome. 7/10

PT calls upon Marcel van Gils, an authority on Laphroaig, to dissect this one. From where I stand, it appears as though MvG summarily executes the dram for being from the 1990s and therefore not as fruity as the earlier makes. Others protest that they can smell/taste fruit in this. I certainly can. Perhaps it is not a 1974 distillation, but then it does not claim to be either.

I call it quits. I am exhausted, and not good company. No point insisting and tarnish others' enjoyment.

With more than sixty people in attendance, this is definitely not a format that suits my preference. Next to the now-usual lurkers, who switch the camera off two minutes in and say nothing throughout, only six to eight vocal individuals talk. The atmosphere quickly turns very clique-y. As with most cliques, the rest is then divided between those trying to join the clique and those who cannot be bothered. The important takeaway from that is not chicken tikka masala; rather that most (including myself) do not seem to engage at all.

Good to swap a few words in private with people we have not seen in a year, on the other hand (e.g. CB and GB). And lovely whiskies to boot!