30/09/2017 The Whisky Show 2017 (Day 1 -- Part 2)

The story starts here.

I have the roast haddock, then the lamb shoulder (yes, two meals), then the apple crumble. The vegetarian option is depleted, so I cannot try it.

Lamb shoulder

Apple crumble with supermarket-whisky-custard

Back to Whisky.Auction, where we recognise N, whom we met at the Campbeltown festival.

Tomatin 10yo (70° PROOF, OB, 26²/³ Fl.OZS, b.1970s): nose: jammy fruit. Mouth: velvety and very good, jammy, fruity, with a hint of pepper. Finish: wonderful, soft, sweet and fruity. Love it. 8/10

The Glen Garioch 8yo (40%, OB, b.1980s): been willing to try this for a while. Nose: vinegar, jute bags, humid earth. Mouth: soft, but a bit acidic too. dom666 finds it sulphury. He is obviously drunk. Finish: peat smoke, farmyard. This is nice and interesting, though it still has too much vinegar to be a real winner for me. 7/10

We scramble to find more things to try -- preferably on our to-do list.

Benromach.

Benromach 15yo (43%, OB, b. ca 2017): nose: caramel and sherry sweetness, with a timid nuttiness. Mouth: nutty sherry, perhaps a bit too bitter, but it is ok. Has it smoke in the back? Finish: big, smoky and nutty -- roasted, caramelised chestnuts. 7/10

Whisky.Auction

Linkwood 14yo 1972/1987 (61.6%, Gordon & MacPhail, 246b): nose: dusty and acidic, vinegar-y, with a super-long finish. This deserves more time, as it is a challenging dram. It does not shine immediately. 6/10

Elements of Islay/Single Malts of Scotland, where we discover that MR is leaving her job at the end of the year.

Tamnavulin 40yo (40.6%, Speciality Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland Director's Special): had this one last year, but cannot resist having it again. Nose: mint an honey -- this is so beautiful! Flowery and sweet, with powdered sugar and Turkish delights. Mouth: soft, yet strangely bitter -- imagine crushed, dried sage on pastry. Finish: very fruity, with still lots of pastry. Good! 10/10

Ben Nevis 20yo 1996/2017 (53.7%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Sherry Butt, C#1528, 466b): it would seem Speciality Drinks is now called Elixir Drinks. Nose: jammy. Mouth: jammy. Finish: super fruity. This is an excellent, most unexpected Ben Nevis! 8/10

Glen Grant 25yo 1992/2017 (57.2%, Elixir Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Barrel, C#35957, 153b): nose: herbaceous fruit, sage and berries. Mouth: strong, with souped-up jam. Finish: strong, with quite a bit of smoke and squashed berries. 8/10

Glengoyne 40yo (56.8%, Speciality Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland The Director's Special): nose: liquorice, peppermint, sherry and fruit. Mouth: woody, but goody, with liquorice, mint, ginger. Finish: tar and liquorice. Well made, though a bit much for me. 8/10

dom666: "You want to try?"
OB: "What is it?"
dom666: "Talisker Skye."
OB: "Talisker Skye!? Ha! Ha!... Sorry."

;-)

Laphroaig 20yo (53.8%, Speciality Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland Director's Special): nose: soft and peachy, pretty sweet. Mouth: peaches and Turkish delights. Finish: the most delicate smoke and loads of fruity sweetness. 8/10

At this point, an Aussie girl and her Italian partner enter the conversation in French. They seem nice enough, but also quite heavily imbibed. He asks me what I am having.

tOMoH: "Laphroaig."
him: "Maaaaaaah, you cannot have a Laphroaig now. There is nothing but peat in that. It is not good."
tOMoH: "Well, I find it nice."
him: "How old is it?"
tOMoH: "Twenty."
him: "Maaaaaaah, that is pointless, not good. It is only wood. A whisky is only good between twelve and fifteen. After that, it is only wood."
tOMoH: "Ma tu, non sai niente al whisky, vero?"
him: "Seriously, after fifteen years, it is only wood. That is not worth drinking. Throw it away."
tOMoH: "OK."

Fortunately for me, unfortunately for dom666, said dom666 announces he is of Italian descent. It turns out his ancestors were from a village... next to this bloke's. They become best buddies (at least, one becomes the other's best buddy), while I can finish my tasting.

The world's newest best friends

Glenburgie 18yo 1998/2017 (59.5%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Hogshead, C#751399, 252b): nose: pepper and squashed fruit, with a hint of coffee. This smells strong. Mouth: hot, with fruit, sizzling in butter. Finish: wonderful compote and fruit jam. Excellent 'burgie. 8/10

This is a finger.
That is also a finger.

Time to go; we are kicked out, as usual. I try to locate kiwi DH and Ingvar Ronde, who both said they would come to the after party (dom666 and I met Ingvar at TWE, yesterday). No trace of either, nor of OF, whom I also want to invite. Tough luck.

JS, dom666 and Cavalier make it. It is a gentle session with no notes, during which we have:
Benriach 1976/1991 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice)
Glenesk 1984/2004 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, JD/DCG)
Lochside 22yo 1966/1989 (43%, Signatory Vintage, C#7253--55, 800b, b#444)
Bladnoch 23yo 1977/2001 (53.6%, OB Rare Malts Selection, 6000b, b#0565)
Cameronbridge 25yo 1979/2005 (59.9%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#3523, 194b, b#92)
Exotic 4.3 Cognac (40.3%, Old Brothers, 528b)
Laphroaig 27yo 1980/2007 (57.4%, OB, 972b, b#29)

I observe that it was perhaps too leisurely a day, that I did not make the best out of it, trying only ten or twelve whiskies. And then I count and notice it was actually twenty-nine. Hm. Good thing we had an after-party to break the thirty barrier. ;-)

Read on here.