26/05/2018 Campbeltown Festival 2018 (Day 4) After-party #3

VK, DM, Bishlouk, CL and JS join me for a final hurrah. It is relaxed and leisurely.

Dalaruan 12yo (40%, Eaglesome Campbeltown Commemoration, b. ca. 1985) (me): it seems fitting, considering we are on High Street, which is a continuation of the street named Dalaruan. Nose: soaked Smyrna raisins, dried apricots and dried mangoes, Turkish delights. Mouth: soft, velvety, and then it has the bitter and drying characteristics of grape pips. Finish: a pinch of soot in apple juice, a slice of pear and bitter grape skins. This is softer than yesterday's again, weirdly; that is now the second in a row that has such a different profile. Love it. 8/10

Kinloch 12yo (40%, Eaglesome Campbeltown Commemoration, b. ca. 1985) (me): nose: another fruity one, it has plums and peaches. Very fresh! Mouth: peach juice, a hint of nut shells and verdigris. Finish: long and soft with fruit and a little dust. 8/10

Balvenie-Glenlivet 12yo 1979/1992 (59.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 150th Anniversary) (me): nose: oil, pearl onions, mustard; this is hard and difficult a nose. It also has forsythia and honeysuckle in the far back, as well as wood dust. The whole is rather pickled. CL detects sap and wax, long afterwards. Mouth: ginger, wood shavings, aniseed (CL). Later, it turns more fruity. Finish: hot, with soft and sweet notes too, burnt caramel. I would like to spend more time reviewing this one. It is a challenging beast (Bishlouk cannot finish his) and these notes do not do it justice. 7/10

JS pours the next two blind.

Glencadam 14yo 1964/1979 (45.7%, Cadenhead) (JS): I do not try this one, tonight. It is popular. DM notes that the font is the same as on the Tintin covers.

Littlemill 28yo 1985/2013 (50.5%, Robert Graham Treasurer Selection, C#99, 230b) (JS): nose: boom! Tropical fruit to the brim -- nectarines, mangoes, purple passion fruits, carambolas, papayas. There is also a pinch of coffee grounds and mango peels. Mouth: total acidic fruit juice. Bliss. Magnificent, juice-bursting, tropical fruit. Finish: all sorts of tropical-fruit jams -- an explosion of them. This is unbelievable, better than previously, if anything. Oxidation suits it well. I still firmly believe this is the best Littlemill ever bottled. 10/10

The evening is still young. Bishlouk and CL have an early start and leave; JS goes to bed, but VK, DM and I carry on.

Longrow 12yo (40%, Eaglesome Campbeltown Commemoration, b. ca. 1985) (me): we have the hardest time opening this one. Fortunately, VK finds pliers in the kitchen. We damage the cap, but the bugger is open alright! Nose: tractor tyres and nail varnish, farm paths, shoe polish. It seems to have more to it than the current Longrow (according to the label, this is not the Springbank-distilled, heavily-peated version made since 1973, but a blended malt). It also has rhubarb and a hint of rubber. Mouth: soft and velvety, if quietly powerful. A tranquil force, really. The shoe-polish note comes back to the fore. Finish: long, sherry-driven, with dried dates, nuts and walnut stain. Excellent. 8/10

Toberanrigh 12yo (40%, Eaglesome Campbeltown Commemoration, b. ca. 1985) (me): nose: faded leather, nut liqueur, apricot stone, furniture polish, the dashboard of a Jaguar XK140. Mouth: more of that lovely walnut liqueur, with the syrupy sugar associated. Shoe polish again? No! Furniture polish and walnut paste. Finish: slightly sweet, with candied nuts, syrup, caramelised fig relish and char-grilled chestnuts. Another fantastic dram. This collection is amazing! 8/10

That concludes our Campbeltown adventures for this year. Tomorrow is the MOK Run (I do not take part), and the day after, the thirteen-hour journey back to the big city.

In terms of high-/lowlights, it is striking that what I enjoyed most this year were the after-parties and the off-festival drams (that Littlemill!!!) What worked least for me was the Springbank Malt Barn dinner: the cask selection, the food and the atmosphere in general were less impressive than last year. I suppose it is all subjective, however.