03/10/2015 The Whisky Show 2015 (Day 1 -- Part 2)

The story started here.



OB comes back from the Gordon & MacPhail masterclass with goodies. We get to nose:
Mortlach 12yo (70° PROOF, Gordon & MacPhail, b.1960s): amazing width, a massive punch of smoke in the forehead. I do not think it too risky to guess this was made in the direct-fired stills era.
Mortlach d.1938 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, b. mid-1980s): this is too woody, acrid, splintery.
Mortlach 1954/2012 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail): nice, balanced, with wood (duh!) and smoke.
Mortlach 75yo 1939/2015 (44.4%, Gordon & MacPhail Generations): an astonishing freshness and a humbling depth. This is majestic, absolutely not tired.The full experience is so complex I cannot even understand what is happening to me. 12/10

Even with the minute quantities, all of them are moving, with the 75yo being the absolute cream of the crop. Thanks OB for sharing that moment with us.



Since we are at the Signatory stall, we carry on -- a difficult act to follow, you will admit.

Glen Keith 22yo 1992/2015 (54.9%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Bourbon Barrels, C#120568+120572, 357b): nose: hazelnut ice cream. It is extremely clear, we all agree. Mouth: green chilli, some fruit; nothing exuberant. An unidentified, yet intense, parasite smell kills my focus. Finish: milk chocolate, flower sap. Nice, this. 8/10

Glenlivet 33yo 1981/2015 (52.2%, Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#9468, 154b): nose: bamboo, green wood, butter, vanilla. Mouth: mellow, with faint notes of faded leather. Finish: hot, now. Warm custard. 7/10

Balmenach 26yo 1988/2015 (51.1%, Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange, Hogshead, C#3242, 192b): nose: slightly overbaked dough. Mouth: easy and gentle, with the bitterness of apricot stones. It gets slightly austere, in truth. Finish: rougher, rich, with cherry stones. Very good. 7/10

Aberlour 10yo V.O.H.M. (43°, OB Italian market): nose: a forkful of meat, with farmyard scents and fruit (JS). Mouth: gentle and easy (yes, I am becoming repetitive). Finish: much bigger than the mouth suggested, with meat and dark vinegar and soy sauce. Nice. 7/10

Bushmills 21yo (40%, OB, Oloroso Sherry/Bourbon/Madeira Casks, b.2013): nose: an explosion of tropical fruit, with a hint of varnish. Mouth: unadulterated fruit juice. Finish: more overripe-fruit shenanigan. Amazing. 9/10

While we are in Irish territory...

Finest Irish 22yo (51.8%, The Whisky Exchange, b.2015): nose: peat and exotic fruit. OB says it is herbal peat, not earthy peat. The nose is exuberant again, teeming with overripe fruit (clogged sink scents, aye?) Mouth: initially tramples the tongue, then it is a flood of smoky, barbecued exotic fruit. Finish: tropical fruits, straight from the barbecue. Magical. 9/10

Time for lunch. And a dram to accompany it. I get the latter from Gordon & MacPhail's, where the guy recognises me. He has pull that trick on me every year, meaning I believe him, now. Nice touch. We chat for a bit, then I join the group for a bite.

We hope that the hordes of famished tasters will have disappeared (it is 15:10); tough luck! The queue is humongous. The canteen is up the stairs, on what feels like an observation platform for fancy corporate cocktails. It is a nice spot and allows one to see the rest of the venue. At the same time, it is definitely not suitable to sit 500 people for lunch. The round tables are also way too large, making moving around very difficult, especially for the staff. The consequence is piles of plates everywhere and impracticable tables.

Fortunately, the queue is quick and we manage to find a table too. The food (fish pie, lamb navarin, cannot remember the vegetarian option, with purée, vegetable mix and Yorkshire pudding) is delicious and warm enough. We get everything in one serving too, which is a massive improvement on last year. The portions could be a bit bigger for us, yet considering some are leaving loads of food behind, it is easy to understand why the staff errs on the side of caution.



Glen Mhor 1980/2011 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Refill Sherry Butt): kudos to GMP for constantly bringing interesting stuff. It goes without saying this is the only Mhor at the show. Nose: old books, balsamic vinegar and pickles. Mouth: ach! Wood! This is really bitter, not really balanced. It gets better at second sip. Finish: better than the mouth. The balsamic speaks louder than the wood, here. Still not a great Mhor. 6/10

With the Glen Mhor, the desserts are pear crumble or chocolate brownie. Lovely again.

And JMcG is here!

We then spend some time at the food-pairing stalls... for food and to socialise. The chocolates from The Chocolate Experience are very nice (dark choc hazelnut and walnut/marzipan work particularly well for me, though the ginger ones are good too).
The Ibericos de Huelva stall next to it has some killer hams (some cut in real time) and sausages. Love them.

Fancy a jamon sammich?

MS answers my text enquiring where he is -- he bought tickets. He cannot find them and the event is not in his calendar. He forgot about it. I promise I will enquire whether his name is on the list for tomorrow (it is).

Caol Ila 31yo 1983/2015 (48.1%, Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange, Hogshead, C#5294, 255b): nose: smells old, with old books, leather belts. Mouth: noble and vaguely animal. Finish: exactly as a small batch Ardbeg from the 1970s. Wonderful. 9/10

Look! A magical box of blue light!

Trip to the Will Grant stand, where I am surprised to discover that JE works, now, after leaving TWE.

Kininvie 23yo d.1991 (42.6, OB, B#003): at long last, a chance to tick that box. Nose: citrus, flowers. This is really inoffensive. Mouth: crisp and fresh, with more citrus. Finish: again, crisp and citrus-y. 7/10

Ghosted Reserve 26yo (42%, William Grant & Sons): a blend of Inverleven and Ladyburn. Nose: vanilla, sugar rolls, custard. It has a floral quality to it as well. Mouth: gentle, with a kick of red chilli to spice things up. Other than that, it is floral. Finish: milk chocolate with custard, butterscotch and liqueur praline. Pleasant enough, yet pricey. 8/10

While we are trying blends...

Lost Distilleries Blend (49.3%, The Blended Whisky Company, B#6, 534b): a blend of Port Dundas, Port Ellen, Brora, Mosstowie, Glenisla, Glen Mhor and Imperial. Nose: a chimney fire, clay-floored bonded warehouses and lots of fruit. Mouth: spring berries and old stoves, both kept in a warehouse. Finish: wow! Same old, same old. It works particularly well.

Worth noting that the staff is more interested in convincing people to tweet on the big screen and giving them samples than trying to talk about whisky. How I dislike the way whisky is heading!

Also, the labels are... err... interesting?

I do try this and find it interesting,
slightly peaty.

Back to Grant's.

Girvan 25yo Launch Edition (42%, OB, 500b): nose: custard and vanilla. Not very expressive. Not at all, in fact. Mouth: watery, with drops of custard. Finish: tame, metallic, uninteresting, without being bad. Extremely disappointing. 5/10

We take a stroll on the terrace, where someone obviously had one or two too many: he is puking in the river.
Gorgeous weather, though. :-)

Last pour. I run to Bruichladdich, as I promised the guy there to do just that.

Octomore 6.3 5yo Ochdamh-mòr (64%, OB, P/141765 15/056): nose: heavy smoke (no shit!) and a touch of sulphur (dom666). Mouth: big, powerful, smoky and peaty. Finish: long and invading, full of smoke. I find it rather nice, actually. It seems the right time for this. 7/10

The first day went by in a flash. I checked my watch at 13:15 and thought it had just started. A minute later, they were announcing last pour.
At the same time, we tried most of what we wanted to already, which means tomorrow *should* be a bit more laid back...

Stressful day in London

Carry on reading here.

03/10/2015 The Whisky Show 2015 (Day 1 -- Part 1)

It is scary how quickly the year flew by. The Whisky Exchange's Whisky Show is here again. Different venue, this year: the show crossed the river and is now held in Old Billingsgate. How that works with regards to the shop, we will soon find out. Remember The Whisky Exchange, organiser of this event have a shop in Vinopolis, previous venue for this event.

dom666, OB, JS and I make it there thirty minutes ahead of schedule. The queue already stretches quite far -- hundreds of people waiting eagerly. Many known faces in the queue; this will be a social event, I can feel it.

Phone zombies

Once the gates open, the building absorbs the crowd swiftly and efficiently. Soon, we are in. The staff have different views on how to tie a wristband, what with OB's choking his wrist to death, mine that I can remove at will and dom666's that is stuck to his fur. JS's is fine. Sexism, innit.

First stop is Bruichladdich. We have come prepared, you see: the list of interesting (to us) drams is printed and we know better than to leave dream drams for last.
If you have not followed the previous years' adventures, a dream dram is a dram that is not freely available to taste. Show attendants have to "pay" one or several tokens, depending on the calibre of the bottle. One token is given each day to each visitor, more can be purchased for a fair amount.

I cut the 'laddich lad in his marketing track and go straight for the dream dram. "Which one?" You only have one, mate. He struggles to find it, struggles to open it, breaks the cork, spends time with his colleague fishing it out, then is finally ready. My tasting mates lose patience and fetch something of their own. I have:

Bruichladdich 36yo 1966/2002 Legacy I (40.6%, OB, American Oak Hogshead, 1500b): nose: delicate and light, with honey, flowers, hints of herbs and vanilla. Mouth: fruity (melon) and honeyed, with a delicate note of smoke. Finish: long, wide, bold and good. 9/10

anCnoc 1975/2014 (44.2%, OB, 3 American Oak & Spanish Oak ex-Sherry Casks, 1590b): I hoped this would be available -- it is! Nose: sherry and a bit of sulphur. Not a brilliant start, this. Mouth: mellow and gentle, before it becomes a bit drying, with notes of cured meat. Finish: long, wide, bold and actually very good. I suppose I expected more out of it, yet it is a cracking dram. 8/10

OB comes back from his dream-dram expedition with:

Bowmore 40yo 1970/2010 (51.5%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Oloroso Sherry Butt, C#4686, 252b): nose: cheese rind, loud and clear! It seems as though under the influence of Port. Syrupy wine and cooked fruits. Mouth: walnut flesh, elegant wood polish. It turns rather drying. Finish: more noble wood, perhaps even tropical wood (teak) before a timid explosion of tropical fruit appears in the background. Bowmore rules. 10/10

Teeling Whiskey Single Grain (46%, Teeling, Wine Casks Finish, b.02/2015): nose: butter, custard and vanilla. Mouth: mellow and easy, a bit flat, even, with vanilla. Finish: bakery flavours, sugar; a nice grain that would benefit from more power. 7/10

A drop of this too

Glenglassaugh 30yo (44.8%, OB, B#2, b.2015): after trying the first batch again last month, it is exciting to try this one. We had it at the Fringe, not knowing at the time that there were two batches. Now that we do, we will be able to pick up the differences. Nose: light and fruity, perfume-y, even. Mouth: here too, we are in delicate territory. Flowers and peaches come out most. Finish: a subtle woody influence (mild spices) and juicy peaches. Lovely. 8/10

Rosebank 21yo Edition One (55.1%, SD, 498b): a new Rosebank is always something to look forward to. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth that this one is a dream dram, yet where else would we try it? Nose: very discreet, floral and light, so delicate it is almost absent. Mouth: honey, velvety fruit, happiness. Finally waking up, this one. Finish: sweetened custard, apple pie, crumble. Honestly, this is unchallenging, easy, simple, perhaps. Pleasant, though. 7/10

Longmorn 24yo 1990/2015 (53.7%, SD The Single Malts of Scotland, Hogshead, C#191954, 216b): nose: clogged sink (JS), old leather shoes. Urgh. Mouth: hot tart, lemon curd. Finish: sulphur, leather and sugar, with a touch of fruit. Unbalanced. Meh. 4/10

Linkwood 24yo 1991/2015 (53.8%, SD The Single Malts of Scotland, Hogshead C#586497, 268b): nose: cut-flower stems. Mouth: sweet and subtle until pepper kicks in. Cast sugar shines through after a minute. Finish: overly present alcohol, with lots of sugar -- melting white sugar. 6/10

Clynelish 19yo 1995/2015 (57.8%, SD The Single Malts of Scotland, Hogshead, C#932013, 254b): nose: very animal -- skinned fox. Mouth: the texture of apricot juice, though the taste is subtle, with a dash of black pepper. Finish: unbalanced, it oscillates between plant sap and wet dog. Not my thing. 5/10

Caperdonich 18yo 1995/2014 (46%, BBR Selected by Berrys', C#95076): nose: floral and girly. Mouth: again, it is light and floral, easy and pleasing. It has a gentle, acidic bite, still. Finish: hazelnut cream, now. 7/10

Aultmore 17yo 1997/2014 (46%, BBR Selected by Berrys', C#3591): nose: well-blended mix of custard, toffee and fruit. Mouth: fresh, lightly fruity and sweet. Finish: light, with bakery things -- croissants in particular. Lovely, this! 8/10

RW pours us something that is not whisky from under the desk: nose: Chinese radish (JS), cabbage, wax seals, grape and apple in the back. Mouth: radish (JS), apple peels. Finish: notes of apple compote. It is a Calvados 1965/2012 42% 8/10

Mosstowie 35yo 1979/2015 (48.4%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Bourbon Barrel, C#5042, 112b): how do they even do it? How many casks do they still have? Between the Glencraigs, the Craigduffs and the Mosstowie, SV prove they will please the ghost hunters for a while longer. Nose: another delicate dram. I cannot decide whether there is an air flow or if the air conditioning is too strong, yet I cannot smell much, to be honest. Apples? Coconut shavings? Mouth: more punch here, though it remains gentle and easy, with coconut, vanilla etc. Finish: soft and enticing, with white chocolate and a subtle bitterness. I love it. At the same time, I firmly believe I would find it less good if it bore a different name. 8/10

The tables are a nice addition

Continue reading here.

30/09/2015 Blitz at Berrys' #10

You know the score. Whisky Show at the weekend, Berrys' very near, why waste the staff's time over the weekend when a portion of what they offer is available already?

New staff and very little change on the shelves, really. Nothing from 2015, most from 2014, with a few bottlings from 2013, still. Unexpected, yet that will help keep this session brief. And the notes.

Westport 18yo 1996/2014 (56.7%, BBR Selected by Berrys', C#2503): plum eau-de-vie immediately jumps at me, followed by gentle citrus. Finish is long and lukewarm. Easy and inoffensive, like a typical Glenmor@ngie can be (this is the Tain distillery, teaspooned with Glen Moray, if you are not aware). 7/10

Tomatin 20yo 1994/2014 (51%, BBR Selected by Berrys', C#6393): crisp green apple, soon followed by white chocolate. The label talks about "a smoky edge." Now they say so, I can see where that is coming from. I will challenge anyone to detect smoke without reading the notes prior, though. 7/10

Blair Athol 22yo 1991/2014 (46%, BBR Selected by Berrys', C#7279): this one comes recommended by the vendor. I have to admit it is not something I would have picked up myself. Lemon balm and fruit -- the label is right about green melon. It is creamy and fruity, light, delicate, with very well-integrated alcohol (cut to 46%). It might be the second best Blair Athol I have drunk (the RMS is still the first). 8/10

Auchentoshan 21yo 1992/2014 (46%, BBR Selected by Berrys', C#7757/8): another novelty: this one is not single cask. I believe it is a first, or at least it has not been seen in a long time. After an initial herbaceous impression, I identify an amazing note of tzatziki, shouting into the nostrils. Diced cucumber and fresh yoghurt. Oh! That and lemongrass. Odd to say the least. The latest Auchentoshan BBR released was a cascade of violet. This one is tzatziki. What next? Caviar? Tarama? Cuberdons? 8/10

27/09/2015 Belgian French-speaking Community celebration. In Frenchlandia.

An opportunity to do a little Heimat-pimping. Well, an occasion to drink drams, really. For the record, this has nothing to do with the French expats in Belgium and everything to do with the French-speaking part of the country.

As a recovery for yesterday's feast, we go out for brunch and stop by JML's for a quick session afterwards. Yay.

The master of ceremony behind his goodies

Glenglassaugh 38yo 1975/2014 (40.7%, OB, Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, C#7301, 215b) (JML): nose: light coffee, mild Virginia tobacco, mint or verbena. Mouth: some wood, ginger warmth, mint, light caramel. Finish: the sherry influence is under control, though it is also not shy. Stewed plums, balsamico, dark raisins, cocoa powder. Nice dram. 7/10

Glenglassaugh 41yo 1973/2014 Massandra Connection (44.5%, OB, Sherry Puncheon, 388b) (JML): a lot fruitier, this: yellow pears, starking or Flemish beauty (not really the day for that, is it?) and quince. Mouth: citrus juice, perhaps a drop of peach, white pepper. Finish: fresh, light, spicy and woody, with distinctive notes of dessert rice. It is rather long, pleasant and laid back. 8/10

Glenglassaugh 39yo 1972/2012 (57.2%, OB Selected by Andrea Caminneci for Germany, Refill Butt, C#2896, 516b) (JML): nose: banana yoghurt, rice pudding, custard, pear roasted in butter. Mouth: ample, syrupy, with peaches in syrup (the sort one uses to make pêches au thon), squashed mandarins. Finish: long and wide, bold, muscular, with hot custard and white pepper. Wonderful. Better than 21.28, in my opinion. I still prefer 21.27, yet it is the same sort of level. 9/10

Spot the geek

Caledonian 1963/1989 (40%, Moon Imports Costumes, Butt, C#3369) (JML): nose: caffè macchiato, raisins (JS), shaved coconut, plums (JS). Mouth: milky coffee, woody tones, coconut shells and some dark caramel. Finish: big and powerful, with more caramel. It has the bitterness of coffee beans, yet it remains balanced. Well made, this. 8/10

Superb afternoon.

In other news, a well-known bottler is branching under a localised name