14/06/2021 The Munro's Part 2

Number 2

Ben Challum Blended Whisky (40%, Lambert Brothers The Munro's): nose: I feared it was going to be the same as the first one we had, but the nose, at least, is different. This is briny, and it is only the tiniest drop of honey and a minimal soft-wood influence that iare left to counter pickles, green olives and, well, brine. It also has some dust and some wood varnish, though they take a while to develop. Old cardboard boxes becomes more assertive and a growing floral touch appears, several minutes in, in the form of buttercups. In the end, however, the briny cardboard dominates, and, if I do not find it unpleasant, one has to not mind that. Mouth: dissonant with the nose, the palate has a pronounced sweetness not unlike Golden Syrup, yet also fierce ginger, which makes for an interesting combination. Stem ginger, one could call it. Strong peppermint is hot on their trail and, soon, it feels like drinking grenadine whilst sucking on a Fisherman's Friend. Most unusual. The second sip seems to incorporate the ginger more seamlessly, though that impression is fleeting: the heat comes back numbing the mouth once again. Some dry wood shows up, probably wooden palettes, as does pine resin. Finish: like Stob Coir' an Albannaich the other day, this is sweet and three quarters. However, that powerful gingery, peppermint-y heat from the palate is in the finish too, making the sweetness more tolerable. In the long run, we see toasted notes: aniseed, liquorice and black sesame seeds. All are under control and balanced. After a moment, cardboard re-appears. The mouth is left in the same state as after sucking on a Fisherman's Friend, or gargling strong Listerine: numb, refreshed, yet also bitter. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

09/06/2021 Watt Whisky & Friends Zoom catch-up

This is an informal catch-up session for those who could not attend at least three virtual tastings (one Watt Whisky tasting, one Electric Coo tasting, one Campbeltown Whisky Company tasting).

Only six of us join Mark and Kate Watt. Since we are all drinking different sample sets, it is a complete free-for-all. JS and I are having the samples from the Electric Coo tasting that took place on the 29th May, that we could not attend.

By the way, The Electric Coo Series was created by Mark and Kate Watt (of Watt Whisky and Campbeltown Whisky Company) and David Stirk (formerly of Creative Whisky Company). Watt is an SI unit of power, often linked to electricity; a stirk is a cow, male or female, between one and two years old. Electricity. Cow. Electric Coo.

Together, they bottle under CWC, which stands for both Campbeltown Whisky Company (the Watts) and Creative Whisky Company (Stirk's old company). Half the releases were selected by Watt; the other half by Stirk. MW tells us they would not have bottled something that the other did not approve of. Other than that, "David went for the crowd-pleasers."

MW: "I met David Stirk in 1998. I realised you either like him or you don't."
KW: "A bit like you!"

Blended Scotch Whisky 27yo 1993/2020 (41.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, Refill ex-Sherry Butt) (selected by MW): this comes from Edrington stocks, we are told, and it was already blended when they bought the cask. No-one knows what it contains. Nose: cracked black pepper sprinkled on raspberries, mildly rubbery peaches. Then, out of nowhere, an unexpected whiff of ox-tongue stew appears, and leather boots with rubber soles. Maybe pencil erasers too. Mouth: peppermint, chewy dried mango slices. Finish: pleasant. Not hugely long, but perfectly balanced, with dried apricots and more dried mango slices. Good start. 7/10

Invergordon 32yo 1988/2020 (50.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, finished in ex-Brandy Butt) (selected by MW): nose: lots of ginger, but the obvious background is pineapple and hair lacquer. There might even be some new shoe laces, somewhere. Mouth: ester-y, mentholated and varnish-y, this is certainly fresh and a little heady. Finish: fleeting. It quickly comes back, full of lacquer and grapefruit zest, which is to say: a little bitter. 7/10

On how they divide the tasks in the business:
KW: "He does the accountancy. As soon as I see a spreadsheet, I switch off."
MW: "Which is odd, because, in the house, I don't even have access to our bank account."
KW: "You do. You've just forgotten your login."

Macduff 12yo 2008/2020 (55.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, Sherry Butt) (selected by DS): nose: caramel and cured meat, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and a bottle of red wine. This is a very nicely-balanced wine maturation, so far. That surprises me, truth be told. I am not a fan of those. Mouth: dry, earthy, it soon shows dark berries and currants (elderberries and blackcurrants, mostly). Finish: oh! This is lovely. Teeming with dried currants, it is earthy, almost rancio-y. Dried elderberries, dried cranberries. 8/10

SL [from the audience]: "You say you don't turn down many samples. Well, neither do I. You say you have a list of whiskies that you want to buy. Well, so do I. It is just on a different scale."

KW explains that the coloured labels on the Watt Whisky bottlings are the colours that MW smells when tasting the whisky. KW says it is weird, but I can relate: I have had yellow and green whiskies before. Also, SMWS Categorise their styles with colours too, these days.

NWW [from the audience]: "Composers have it. They hear music and they see colours."
tOMoH: "Isn't that the acid, though?"

MW: "We didn't want to do the regions, because everyone does it. Speyside is green; islands is red; Islay is usually blue; Campbeltown... tends to be brown."

Croftengea 13yo 2007/2020 (52.2%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, Hogshead) (selected by DS): nose: gingery bubble gum, timid peat of the vegetal kind (as in: it smells of moss, not meat), and a whisper of bacon. Lovage seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, mukhwas also feature. In the long run, all that freshness is augmented with a gentle note of sulphur. Mouth: spicy, lively, it has mentholated ginger bubble gum that remind me of Boules Magiques. The peat, here, is very subtle. It does turn a little chalky, in the long run. Finish: not much of the trademark roast chicken, but there is some lovely, chewy, earthy clay, as well as dark raisins. 8/10

MW: "If we'd had to go to Japan, Taiwan, Belgium..."
tOMoH: "Love how you put Belgium on the same level as Japan and Taiwan. Just as far from Campbeltown, is it?"
KW: "It's further to go from Campbeltown to Glasgow than from Glasgow to Belgium, so it might as well."

MW: "Funny how company expenses change when it's your own company."

Caol Ila 13yo 2007/2020 (50.9%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, ex-Ruby Port Hogshead) (selected by DS): nose: right! Here is bacon, baked earth, fine ash. In the long run, ink and seaweed cakes too. Mouth: warm, warming, peaty and comforting. I find it closer to teriyaki and barbecue than seafood, but that is OK. Perhaps kippers. Definitely kippers, actually. Finish: long and bold, it is full of teriyaki tofu and barbecue sauce. I half-wanted to hate this, but it is great. MW says the same. 8/10

MW: "Sauna flavours."

Caol Ila 12yo 2008/2020 (54.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, STR Barrique) (selected by MW): nose: powerful. Fierce. Almost brutal. It certainly clears the nostrils. Faded leather, bacon rolls, tins of dark-blue paint, hot clay pots, straight out of the oven. Perhaps a smidge of ink too. Mouth: lots of ink, now. Royal blue. Finish: another assertive one, it has ink poured onto a burning haystack. It is a very long finish, with clay amphorae being shaped on the potter's wheel. This is excellent. My favourite tonight, rather unexpectedly. 8/10

MW: "When I was at Royal Mile Whiskies, there was a piper across the street -- the worst piper in the world. I was dreaming of winning the lottery, buying all the Bell's decanters and throwing them at him."

Chilled session. We clock off much later than is reasonable, but good times were had. And good whiskies. Well done, CWC!

09/06/2021 The Munro's Part 1

The Munro's are a wee collection by Lambert Brothers to celebrate the Munros (and the illicit use of apostrophes). Lambert Brothers were wine and spirits merchants and blenders from Edinburgh who bottled the Piper, Talisman and The Monarch blends. According to the national archives, they were active from 1901 to 1993.

As for the Munros, a Munro is a Scottish mountain taller than 3,000ft. (around 1000m, for anyone who realised that the 1970s have long gone).

I am not sure when this was bottled. Judging by the style of the label and the little information on it (capacity, ABV), I would say 1980s, but do not quote me on that. Each label celebrates a distinct Munro and gives the altitude in metres, suggesting the Lambert Brothers were a rather modern outfit (it is now 2021, and some still use imperial measurements, believe it or not). I am also not sure how many of these exist. There are two hundred and eighty-two Munros in Scotland, but I have not seen that many of these bottlings -- to be honest, I have not looked very hard either.

Anyway, here are six. We will have them over several days, in reverse alphabetical order, because we need some kind of order, and the last one in alphabetical order has the lowest fill of the bunch. Might as well start with that.

Why the differently-coloured glass, labels and screwcaps,
we will probably never know.
Whatever was cheapest at the time, presumably?

Stob Coir' an Albannaich Blended Whisky (40%, Lambert Brothers The Munro's): nose: it starts out as an inoffensive blend, with notes of toffee and Scottish tablet, as well as a bowl of golden breakfast cereals. This must contain a high proportion of grain whisky, because it soon gives nail polish and hair lacquer -- in acceptable doses, mind. The nose, overall, is dessert-like, sweet with crème brûlée, caramelised custard and golden apricot turnovers. There is also a soft, woody touch -- varnished wood. The second nose has lemon-scented kitchen cleaner in a stainless-steel sink, which is unlikely, but actually not unpleasant. Mouth: a remarkable continuation of the nose, perhaps a little more acidic than expected. This, here, has marmalade on toast, crusty apricot turnovers, varnished wood (especially via retro-nasal olfaction, where it is almost gingery), and a little OME -- that briny, pickled taste that sometimes shows in old miniatures. There is a dose of caramel too, of course. The second sip reminds me of spicy tomato chutney, in that it is sweet, spicy and acidic at once. It works. Dried cucumber peel rocks up too to add some bitterness; that makes for a nice balance. Finish: woah! This is sweet. Muscovado sugar melted in a bain-marie, torched caramel, crunchy sugar icing, some kind of syrup (probably maple). It is borderline too much for my taste and a recipe for a headache, in all likelihood. One gets accustomed to the sweetness with repeated sipping, which helps detect other flavours, such as fizzy lemonade, dried cucumber peel again, and, in the long run, candied citrus peel. A peppermint heat grows over time, leaving a gentle tingle in the front-teeth area. 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

06/06/2021 Passport

June is the month of holiday for many -- at least, when there no pandemic. To travel abroad, one often needs a passport, so here goes.

Passport Scotch 100% Scotch Whiskies (43° G.L., William Longmore & Co. Japanese import, b. ca. early-1980s): nose: mocha cream, burnt caramel and sticky toffee pudding that would have spent too long in the oven. The nose also has a thin layer of warm leather. Soon, the soft freshness of menthol appears, unless it is pine resin; in any case, it is discreet, fleeting, quickly almost stifled by the burnt caramel and sticky toffee pudding aromas. There is even a last-minute whisper of bicycle tube. The second nose has an air of oil and citrus, perhaps orange-infused oil with an undertone of barley, left out to dry for years and which, subsequently, has lost most of it scent. Lastly, sunburnt grass emerges. Mouth: inoffensive at first, it soon unveils a mild cinnamon-y, gingery spiciness alongside pine drops, Gocce Pino style. A copious dose of caramel remains, here, yet it is more than matched by the juicy freshness of the pine syrup in those Italian sweets. The pine-y journey continues with resin, tree bark, menthol (is there Benrinnes, in this?) The second sip has barley syrup, barley snaps, loaded with a tad too much burnt sugar. Repeated sipping puts the spotlight on the dilution (it is watered down to 43%, after all), though nothing too detrimental. Overall, this is very much a caramel custard or crème brûlée affair. Finish: some pine notes remain, yet the finish has more wood (old bookshelves and all) and bitterness -- though no trace of mocha, this time; more likely, it is aniseeds, lovage seeds or caraway seeds. The finish is of medium length, a little drying, if perfectly pleasant. The burnt sugar seems just too bold here too, yet it is not too bad either. If one likes crème brûlée, one should be enthused by this. As it turns out, tOMoH only tolerates crème brûlée(*), so this is merely OK. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, DH)

(*) With the exception of Tantrum Dougnuts, of course, where Crème brûlée is tOMoH's favourite.

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