25/03/2017 Eurodance

Musical themes are great, yet they can be not pure enough. This time, we will focus on one specific genre that the youth of less than twenty cannot know, a genre that was as omnipresent in the early nineties as it is absent today: Eurodance.

BA calls off in the late morning and GL is tied up at work. That leaves Cavalier and JH with myself. JS makes a late entrance too. The low turnout allows for the inclusion of miniatures and samples, which is great.

Dr. Albyn - It's My Life

Glen Albyn 15yo (43%, Signatory Vintage for Master of Malt, 96/533, b.1996) (me): nose fruity and dusty, it opens up to reveal lemon sherbet, then marzipan and chalk, green grapes, green hazelnut and metal (brass, according to JH). It has the tiniest whiff of smoke and blood, if JH is to be believed (probably not). Mouth: soft and gently acidic (or is it bitter?) it has creamy nut paste and peppery honey. Finish: fruity again, with grapes, more nuts and a hint of flint. This is beautiful. Austere, not unwelcoming. 8/10

Cavalier has not had lunch (the fool). We attack on the nibblez: Serrano and Parma hams, two kinds of cheese (one hard cow one, one buffalo mozzarella), olives, artisan bread and dried sausages (herbes de Provence, tomato). All delicious.

Also, Cavalier thought it fit to get rid of his expired crisps.
Cheers, mate!

Glen Eskimos & Egypt - Fall From Grace vs. E-Rotic - Max Don't Have Sesk With Your Esk

Glenesk 12yo (40%, OB, b. ca late 1980s) (me): I had this ca 1993, when Eurodance was kicking booty; wonderful to get to try it again. Nose: cooked cabbage, salted cabbage stew (Cavalier, who is not keen on the nose), a chemistry experiment at school (JH). I get pickled pearl onions and not much else. Chlorine (JH), kimchee (Cavalier and JH). Mouth: oily, it has the texture of mayonnaise (yum!) and a pinch of mustard powder. Finish: a gentle alcohol kick, then earth and not much else. It leaves a texture in the mouth, rather than a taste. I want to rate it 7, yet if it were not a closed distillery, I would probably stick with 6/10

Glenesk 1984/2004 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, JD/DCG) (me): nose: earthy, with a few drops of lime juice, dried grapefruit peels, ginger powder and turmeric (Cavalier). Mouth: mellow, almost watery, with mustard powder and ginger, as well as saké (JH). Finish: faded leather, dried orange peels, a hint of rubber. This is lovely and unanimously declared better than the official bottling. 8/10

Cavalier -I was in a band in the '80s.
JH -Did you play the guitar?
tOMoH -What gave that away?
Cavalier -Are you a psychic-atrist?

Spring has descended onto the country. We proceed to the terrace.

Culture Beat - Mr. Bunnaha-Vain

Bunnahabhain 26yo (45.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 246b) (me): I am on a roll. Nose: dried dates (JH) -- in fact, this is mega-fruity! Apples, pears, orchard fruit in general, even apricot. Tart, with waxy lemon skins. JH notes peanuts and pencil sharpener too. Mouth: honeysuckle and apple, though it also has an unexpected bitterness to it; unripe grapes, perhaps. Finish: lovely orchard fruits again, with juicy pear the dominant, pear compote and pineapple. 8/10

OTT - I Can't Give You Anything But My Love

Here is a link, because I cannot find a video.

Irish 24yo 1991/2016 (46.8%, Master of Malt Single Cask Series, Bourbon Barrel, C#10691, b#004) (Cavalier66): the (stretched) connection is that OTT is (was?) an Irish boyband, and Irish whiskey is always over the top (OTT). Good effort from Mr. Cavalier. Nose: tropical-fruit explosion. Buttery mango, plain and simple. Fresh figs soon join the party (in late August, says Cavalier), as well as maracuja. Later on, it is dried leaves, though the fruit comes back like a fanfare. Mouth: buttery mango again, perhaps augmented with a pinch of ground cloves. The texture is milky, or rather, it is that of melted butter. Papaya is there and pencil-sharpener blade. Finish: fruity as hell, it has chocolate milk and culminates with a roundhouse kick of passion fruit in the teeth. An amazing fruit bomb, very intense. 10/10

Inter-Mission - Piece Of My Hart

Linlithgow 25yo 1982/2007 (51.4%, Murray McDavid Mission Gold Series, Bourbon Casks, Cognac Finish, 1800b, b#0553) (me): nose: big, full of dust and dunnage warehouse scents, ground fruit stones, cocoa powder (JH), cinnamon (JH). This still has a mildly hot nose, with a touch of mustard. Mouth: warm and gently drying. The Cognac influence is obvious, here, with characteristics of grape eau-de-vie. Finish: marvellously mellow, it has subtle chocolate. Cavalier reckons it is, "like drinking summer." 9/10

vs.

St.Magdalene 23yo 1982/2006 (56%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection imported by Marsalle Company) (JS): nose: this is dustier and rougher, whilst in keeping with the high quality. Musty, with wooden staves and a bit of plastic, before it turns grassy, herbaceous (aromatics). It even gives out plum eau-de-vie and beeswax. This is nice. Mouth: a pronounced fruitiness, mostly peach, and horsepower. Finish: the strength numbs the taste buds, but the fruit is wonderful, accompanied by more wooden staves and musty warehouse scents. Water lets vinegar emerge on the nose. Wonderful to try those back to back! 9/10

Inter-Mission (Gold Series) - Piece Of My Hart (Brothers)
Get it?

I know the lads are busy people. They have cleared their agenda and are up for the next challenge, though. We already used that pun a while ago, but it was a different crowd and the combinations are endless anyway.

Captain Hollywood Project - Mor And More And More

76.117 25yo d.1988 A grand old lady in the piano shop (48.4%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 248b) (me): for those who are not au fait with Society codes, this is a Mortlach. Leftover from a tasting. Nose: this is flowery, with waxy fruit (apples?) until milk chocolate shows up. Mouth: mellow, with chocolate milk and aromatics. Finish: soft, fruity, with lots of milk. Lovely and so far away from the meaty, official house style. 8/10

vs.

Dalmore 25yo 1990/2016 (56.3%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Sherry Butt, 474b) (me): nose: tobacco leaves, embers, drying wood stain, dust and rancio (quite pronounced). Mouth: rancio to the max. It has notes of old sherry and old rum. Peppery and intense. It feels like chewing on an old cigar. Finish: noble furniture, wax (Pledge), dark fruit with a drying touch. 8/10 (thanks SW for the sample)

vs.

Mannochmore 16yo 1977/1994 (61%, Cadenhead) (me): nose: pepper (JH), cedar wood. This is very strong. Hot galangal, pickled gherkins, pencil shavings. Mouth: mellow at first, it grows to frightening intensity. Hot. It does retain honey and resin nonetheless, vanilla sprinkled on chilli. Finish: surprisingly short. The heat remains, not much else else. Perhaps fleeting wood and honey. 8/10

JH: "It is insanely strong."
Cavalier: "It whacks you!"
tOMoH: "It is not a Clynelish. It does not wax you."

Springbank for Hitler

A reference to Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden in Mel Brooks' comedy: The Producers.

Not Eurodance, yet sufficiently funny (and far-fetched) to warrant inclusion.

Springbank 12yo 2000/2012 (52.7%, OB Wood Expressions, 6y Refill Bourbon Casks + 6y Fresh Calvados Casks, 9420b) (JH): nose: "it is a dirty Springbank," says Cavalier. Farmy, yet also full of engine oil. A car mechanic's. This is austere and complex, with metallic tools, old furniture, almost falling apart (that will be sawdust and wormwood). JH tells us about an "abstract smokiness," which Cavalier translates as "conceptual smoke." "Dreamy smoke" and "ethereal mist" soon follow. Silly geese. Mouth: this is actually quite balanced, though it grows in intensity. Hot pepper, Szechuan pepper, walnut stain and engine oil. Finish: peaty and farm-y, it has soot, coal dust, barley, farmyards, cold ashes (JH) and maybe fruit from the Calvados. The distillate pretty much destroys the Calvados maturation, though. 8/10

Haddaway - What Is Love? (Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, Bowmore)

Bowmore 12yo 2001/2013 (58.5%, Blackadder Raw Cask, Oak Hogshead, C#20063, 312b, b#21) (Cavalier66): I am delighted by the puns on display, today. This one might just take the bisquit. Nose: huge peat, with also brine and much horsepower. Milk appears, almost turned sour, growing fruit (tangerine) and, eventually, tropical fruit (mango), as well as fishing nets. The fruit is quite something, in fact. Mouth: hot, smoky, with lots of apricot compote on a coal stove. Finish: very powerful, with a wonderful smoky/fruity profile (pineapple, pink grapefruit, lychee) and crushed mint. This might be worth 8, but tonight, it feels like a 9/10

Off-tasting, Cavalier offers this, which I cannot refuse.

Caol Ila 27yo 1983/2011 (46%, The Whisky Talker Mo Òr Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, R#48, C#4824, 400b, b#389) (Cavalier66): nose: the refined peat that is so typical of those early-1980s Caol Ilas, complemented by melon cubes, dust, satsumas, barbecued grapefruits. Wow. Mad fruitiness, interlaced with smoke. It also displays dry mud on an old shovel, oscillating between fruity and farm-y notes. Mouth: it feels much warmer than 46%. Farmyard is in the background, with also coal dust (or is that caol dust?) Finish: this is ridiculous. Überfruity again (grapefruit, pineapple, melon, Chinese gooseberry), it has the same delicate smoke as the nose and palate. Perfect. 10/10

I pour my comrades Glen Mhor 21yo d.1976 (43%, The Whisky Shop Glenkeir Treasures The Gold Selection, 299b), which they seem to like enough.

During the course of the day, we hear:

2 Unlimited - Get Ready
The Unity Mixers - Dance Computer 1993
The Unity Mixers - Dance Computer Vol. 2 (Intermission - Piece Of My Heart plays right as I present the two St Magdalene, casually)
The Unity Mixers - Dance Computer Vol. 3

And some 1980s synth-pop mixes, as the attendance is exhausted by the bombastic Eurodance mixes. Pf.

Brilliant tasting, as usual. Nice way to send JH out of the country, since he is emigrating. Fare well, JH!

I wear this only as a wink to IR, who could not make it, today.
Sash! - Edradour