25/02/2018 Whisky Show Old & Rare (Day 2 -- Part 1)

7:30. Time to rise and shine go back to bed for thirty minutes. Shower, then breakfast. A full Scottish sorts me out, as usual. The haggis is disappointing, but the pink-grapefruit juice is excellent. I take no prunes, for once. cavalier66 has to leave: he is travelling back south this morning.

Very close to a 1966 Bowmore

Rhaaaaa!

The final countdown

The hour of free time between breakfast and doors-open is spent making a list of things that I do want to try today. Yesterday was a bit random, and I realise there are a lot of things that I will kick myself for not trying, if I do not plan a bit.
Once in the queue, I immediately spot CD's golden trousers. He went to bed at 21:30 last night, and is now in better shape. He missed the after-party, though, as did PG.

On to more important considerations.

Springbank 26yo 1965/1992 (46%, OB): it is remarkable how the S on the label has turned fluorescent green. CB, who I bump into just now, reminds me that it used to be golden -- go figure. Nose: cedar wood, soft liquorice, cut apples, freshly-picked mushrooms, leaves, honey and olive oil -- phwoar! Springbank only bows to Bowmore (see what I did, there?) Mouth: honey, mead, the dust in a carpenter's workshop and apple jam. Finish: a gentle bitterness of green wood, with a dominant cut apple. Wonderful. 9/10

vs.

Springbank 12yo 1971/1983 (46%, R.W. Duthie for Broadwell Vintners): nose: fresh! Kumquat aplenty, mango chutney, apple compote, rose water. This is buttery and fruity, not vulgar. Mouth: nigella seeds on mango chutney, spicy, not hot, tickling, not burning. Special. Acidic, with lime juice and pomelo. Finish: all the above otes play together in wonderful harmony, with fruit, acidity and spices. This is beautiful. Life does not suck, right now! 10/10

At last, I pay pat gva's stall more attention. The thing is: there are so many good things everywhere!

Strathisla 34yo d.1937 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice imported by Co. Import, b#594): nose: I die. This reeks of happiness: dunnage warehouse, marmalade, lichen, coal dust and yesteryear. Although, smelling it after the next one (head-to-head, innit), I find this one less expressive. Mouth: super-refined marmalade, spicy and juicy, with satsumas, mandarins and blue oranges. Finish: very long, full of spicy marmalade again, a pinch of dust, staves, soaked in rum. Amazing. I expected pat gva to deliver the goods with his favourite distillery and I am not disappointed. 10/10

vs.

Strathisla d.1937 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail, b.1970s): this reeks of happiness: dunnage warehouse, marmalade, lichen, coal dust and yesteryear. Déjà vu? Well, it is very close to the Connoisseur's Choice. Perhaps more straight-up marmalade and less spice, sizzling butter. Mouth: thinner than the previous, yet otherwise similar. It has satsumas and tangerines juice, rather than jam, with a pinch of bookshelf dust and a little spice. Finish: long and elegant, with more fruit juice, orange and satsuma, a old-school twist, but it feels to watery for top score. Great dram all the same. 9/10

We carry on with pairs.

Caol Ila 15yo d.1969 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail imported by Co. Import, b#102): nose: smoky and dusty, it has engine fumes. Mouth: soft, delicate and subdued -- I can hear the French cry that it is tired. Finish: varnish, smoke and engine fumes. Not very inventive a description for a cracking drop. 9/10

vs.

Caol Ila 15yo d.1965 (43%, OB): this golden decanter is pretty famous, and I have wanted to taste its content for a while. It is another pre-expansion Caol Ila, whose distillation date is confirmed by the Diageo guy. Nose: thick, coating coal dust, burnt wood, the engine room of a steamer, pencil. Mouth: hot, oily, coal-y, dusty and dirty. This is immense. As time passes, some flowers come through, gently. Finish: lots of soot and smoke, coal dust again, engine oil, diesel fumes, spent fireplace, roasted ham. Woah! Roasted nuts and the tiniest drop of fruit juice. This must be cask strength, as it is rather powerful. 9/10

I chat to Colin Dunn and pour him some of last night's Glenesk. He admits this is only his second Glenesk. His first was of course the Glenesk Maltings, at Gone, but never forgotten.

vs.

Caol Ila 1969/1985 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail for Meregalli): nothing like a good trio to improve a pair of drams. Nose: coal and fumes, still, but also pickled onions an red-wine vinegar. This nose is more refined, with also anchovy oil and brine, even farm-y notes. Mouth: soft, it has acacia honey and pollen. Do not fear, though: the peat comes back in phull phorce! Finish: a dropkick of smoke, charcoal, peat smoke, dried cow dung, and it retains the honey tone too -- caramelised honey. 9/10

Someone brings two Longmorns for me to try: Longmorn 45yo 1966/2011 (47.5%, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve for Viking Line, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#283, 228b, AA/ADIB) and 7.2 13yo 1972/1985 (62%, SMWS Society Cask) (both 9/10).

Caol Ila 35yo 1982/2017 (58.4%, Cadenhead Small Batch for the Auld Alliance): nose: mineral, with lichen on limestone, some leather, barbour grease and moustache wax. Mouth: clean at first, then soot quickly comes out, coal dust, gravel, chalk, flower pistils, daisy petals. The heat grows to high levels! Finish: smoke, rocks, manuka honey. This is sharp as a blade, with salty oysters and, later on, a gentle sweetness. 9/10

vs.

Caol Ila 19yo 1977/1996 (60%, Blackadder Limited Editions, C#4, 360b, b#345): nose: ink, blotting paper, wet pencils, engine oil and char-grilled seafood. Mouth: sandy and gravel-y, it has more ink, chalk, Alka-Seltzer, red chilli powder and ground ginger. Finish: big, gingery and sandy, with ground shellfish shell. This is very mineral. Great, but I prefer my Caol Ila from the 1960s or 1980s. The 1970s are slightly less my thing, in general. 8/10

EG opens another bottle of Bowmore Bicentenary

Lunch. Same as yesterday. The Swissky announce it is worse than yesterday, if anything. I find it similar. Over-baked veggie lasagna and less-bland beef lasagna. It does the trick.

Benromach 19yo 1978/1998 (63.8%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#3537, LLXL000000012): nose: squashed anchovies, a thin veil of peat smoke, farmyard, soot, varnish on tractor tyres -- what!? Is this a Speysider? Mouth: very powerful, it continues to display similar notes (farmyard and seafood), then unleashes lots of flowers and burnt hay covered in honey. All the flavours are dancing a furious jig. Finish: wow. Massive finish, with burnt hay, peat smoke, farmyard, caramelised apricot compote and roasted apples. Excellent and fearsome. 8/10

My jizz in a bohhhh-ttle
Yeah

Longmorn 1965/2009 (43.9%, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve exclusive bottling for Japan Import System, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#69, 218b, b#28): ah! Japan Import System, also known as: J.I.S. (pronounce: JIZZ). Nose: gorgeously fruity, with juicy peach, apricot, quince, but also papaya and a few drops of mango juice. Mouth: ripe canary melon flesh, apricot, guava, satsuma and a drop of lemon juice to give it an additional dimension -- phwoar! Finish: ...and more fruity debauchery, with a sprinkle of added pink-grapefruit-peel bitterness. This is simply perfect. 10/10

Western Highland 45yo 1965/2010 (45.7%, The Whisky Agency Private Stock, Refill Hogshead, 98b): allegedly an undisclosed Springbank. Nose: so fresh! Mandarins in a net on the 6th of December, leaves and all. Lemon leaves. Mouth: similarly fresh, citrus-y, lemon-y, with lovely milk. The dominant is really that lemon-y freshness that is never too acidic or overpowering. Finish: much softer, here, with silky almond milk, the gentlest hint of lemon juice, calamansi and preserved lemons. Marvellous. 10/10

The Swissky pour some samples.

Glen Cawdor d.1976 (57%, R.W. Duthies imported by Samaroli, 960b): nose: crazy mix of vinegar, earth and sulphury grappa. Over time, however, only dry earth remains, with super-dry Japan hay and ashes. Mouth: powerful, it mows you down . It has earth, boiling seal wax, candle wax, scorched earth and crushed buttercups. Finish: long and invading like a German Panzerdivision, it has more earth and sweet caster sugar. Phew. 9/10 (Thanks, R)

Talisker 100° Proof (57%, Gordon & MacPhail): I smelled pat gva's bottle yesterday: it was good. CD passed this around after dinner, last night: I had no glass and missed out. Great to catch up! Nose: rancio, sulphur, musty casks, clay-earthen warehouse, dry cork. Later, leather takes over. Mouth: powerful but not peppery. It is milky in texture and has plum eau-de-vie, apricot juice and... a pinch of chilli pepper, after a bit. Finish: a pinch of pepper indeed. 9/10 (Thanks, CD)

CS passes me his Glengoyne 1972/2012 (55.5%, Malts of Scotland Diamonds, Sherry Hogshead, C#12044, 254b), which I rate 9/10.

Springbank 25yo (43°, OB imported by A Sutti, 32.3cl Decanter): nose: much dirtier than today's earlier Springbanks. It has coal dust, soot, smoke and, shortly afterwards, soft fruit emerges. Mouth: soft, delicate and sweet, with rose-petal jam. Finish: excellent combination of that rose-petal jam and the smoke of a coal stove. Amazing dram, this. 10/10

CD: "The fact that you have Serge [of whiskyfun.com], Ralfy [of ralfy.com] Charlie McLean and the Old Man in the same room says it all. Only [Jim] Murray is missing"
tOMoH: "Murray doesn't have a blog."

It is the last sprint. There are a few things on my list, such as a Caol Ila by Intertrade that I do not want to pay the price for. SMWS reportedly have a Convalmore, except they do not. I want the Aberfeldy Manager's Dram, but it is empty (BA kindly gifts me the empty bottle later on -- "Do me a favour: don't refill it," he says, as if I were EG). I spot an SMWS bottle at Finest Whisky's stand that I remember is also on my list.

112.4 31yo 1966/1997 Cricket bats and linseed oil (54%, SMWS Society Cask): nose: fruity bubble gum, but also unsuspected earth, plasticine, crayons, gouache, watercolour, Chinese gooseberry, orange slices. Mouth: soft balance of earth, subdued, chemical strawberry and a bit of chilli. Crayons appear in the distance. Finish: wow! another winner, innit. Watercolour, dried plasticine, crumbly Chinese gooseberries, even pineapple. Amazing. Again. 9/10

N from Brighton passes me a dram: "this is whisky with a lower-case w." It is in fact Glenfiddich 37yo 1964/2001 (58.7%, Ian Macleod, Sherry Hogshead, C#10791, 200b, b#64), which I rate 8/10.

Time for one more. I remember that EG has a nice decanter.

Glenlivet 49yo d.1938 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail imported by Sestante, crystal jug): nose: hawthorn, nutmeg, cinnamon, crystallised ginger and candied angelica. Mouth: soft and mellow, though in no way weak. Thyme, hawthorn, honey and lemon tea. Finish: more herbaceous goodness, with soft and sweet honey. The bloke near me at the stand when I got this promised lemon tart, and he was wrong. This is an oddball. A great oddball. 8/10

MV managed to purchase the leftovers of a bottle he has his eye on and pours it for us.


Glen Garioch 10yo Chapter VI The Mash (40%, OB, b#000030): nose: very dry earth, dried cow dung, a heap of dried manure, a whisper of fruit (dried quince). Mouth: gentle vinegar, more farmyard action, flower cordial and milk chocolate. That is a stark contrast with the nose indeed. Finish: paprika and farmyard notes again -- manure, earth, hay bales, as well as juicy peach and a drop of vinegar. This probably suffers from its place in the sequence. 7/10

Conclusion: apart from the obvious cost and the mild frustration at not being able to try everything on offer, this is a great excursion for whisky geeks. Even more than the drams, the socialising part is wonderful. If I can afford it, I will likely come back next year.

In text exchanges with cavalier66, he says that all in all, he thinks spending that much money on a festival makes more sense than spending the same on (one) bottle(s). I mildly disagree, in that bottles allow for sharing at home, during the show and at the after-parties. Unfortunately (from a monetary perspective), both make sense and are probably complementary.

We never go back to that Strachan line-up, after all

Continue reading here.