3/05/2018 Discovering the Ugly Ducklings

Bishlouk kindly invited JS and me to a tasting at his. The concept is a little different in that he opens his own bottles exclusively, while the other attendees bring nibbles. At least in theory.
Bishlouk is used to serving Littlemill, Caol Ila, Clynelish or Springbank, yet this group is less accustomed to off-the-beaten-path distilleries. This session is an introduction to those. Everything is poured blind, so as to focus on the character of the whisky, rather than the label. Of course, we all try to guess which distillery it is anyway, but the focus is on the liquid all the same.
The suspects: Bishlouk, red71, JS, SL, WH, CL and myself.

Before anyone arrives, JS, Bishlouk and I make a fatal mistake: pizza

Dram #1
Nose: soft, custardy, with lemon, limoncello, waxy lemon skins, hints of a cereal field in the sun, and even strawberries. Mouth: unctuous on the palate, mellow, it has dandelions and delicate wax. It is mildly drying, fresh and zesty. Finish: warming, with golden fields of cereals, soft cheese rind, dry hay and chap stick. A lovely drop, this, which I shall miss. Indeed, the first rule of this tasting is that I break the first rule of this tasting: this is my bottle. Allt-A-Bhainne 16yo 1991/2007 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, Refill Bourbon Barrels, JG/BAB) 8/10 (tOMoH)

Food enters. A collection of artisan breads, cheeses and a selection of cut meat, mostly dried sausage, but also mortadella and cured ham.

An Inchmurrin for Spain
alongside Spanish sausage

Dram #2
Nose: fresh, floral, spring-like (Bishlouk). It has malt and onions in brine, toffee and a whisper of latte. Some venture it could be Dailuaine, a Lowlander, or Inchmurrin (red71). The wood is more assertive after a while (galangal paste), then grass and wet plank (CL). Mouth: powerful, more so than the ABV (which has not yet been revealed) will suggest, though the underlying is soft and round, with maybe a touch of soap. Finish: milk chocolate, soft tablet, daffodil broth and dried roots. Inchmurrin 20yo (40%, OB imported by T.A.C., b. late 1990s) 7/10 (mine too, well done, red71)

Considering the age of those bottles, I am asked how long they have been open. The answer is between five and ten years.
Bishlouk: "tOMoH is an open-bottle conservative."

Dram #3
Nose: soaked staves, sangria, peach skins, nectarine juice, candle wax. It actually smells like a soap shop or a candle shop. Marmalade comes up at second nosing. Mouth: warm, it has the dryness of hay, warm custard -- no, it is something else. I will never find out what. Finish: pastry-like, though it is also softly drying, with the nice bitterness of marmalade. Wonderful drop, especially the nose. Glentauchers 41yo 1976/2018 (42%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 126b) 9/10

Dram #4
Nose: farm-y, it has horse's hair, tractor tyres and farm paths, then nail polish and coarsely-ground steak pepper. The second nose has more marmalade and less farmyard -- dust and old oranges. Mouth: bay leaves (CL), juniper berries, cassia bark, black cardamom and ginger. Spicy, or what? At second sip, it is candied ginger, mixed peels and crystallised fruit cubes. Finish: cloves, lots and lots of wood, shaved ginger and crushed galangal. This one is very spicy, very woody, but also pretty good. Funnily enough, this is the same bottling I delivered to red71 when I met him for the first time. Dailuaine 28yo 1983/2012 First Release (47.3%, Archives, Hogshead, C#865, 265b) 7/10

Dram #5
Nose: sulphur, vinegar, some dust, pickled onions, coal dust, soot. It is faded, yet dirty (red71). Mouth: sugar, then the same coal dust as in the nose. This is better than in my memories (it is mine), though it still does not live up to what the label promises. SL finds it salty and acidic. He says it reminds him of Ardmore. Finish: spirit-y, dusty, ashy, sooty, vinegar-y. All of that is under control. Ashy and sweet, neither very fruity nor peaty and, actually, pretty difficult. Decent, not blinding. I brought it because I thought it was interesting, more than good. And it is the perfect time: it spent twenty years in the cask, then twenty more years in the bottle. Regardless, I will likely not replace this one. Ardmore 19yo 1978/1998 (46%, Cadenhead Original Collection) (tOMoH) 6/10

Dessert is served: macaroons and chocolate brownies with a tahini topping.

Dram #6
Nose: milky at first, it soon becomes syrupy. Hazelnut liqueur with a hint of sulphur. Mouth: walnut, crushed hazelnut. It is thick in the mouth, cloying, anything but subtle. It was bottled for Deutschland, after all, where the local palate seems keen on syrupy juice. Intense and peppery, this. Finish: hazelnut liqueur, frozen raspberry shavings, soft and fruity. It is assertive, but enjoyable. Inchmurrin 14yo 2003/2017 (53.3%, OB selected by Destillerie Kammer-Kirsch, Sauternes Hogshead Finish, C#16/303-8, 288b) 7/10

Dram #7
Nose: jam, marmalade. To be more specific, it is rose-petal jam. Red sweets, fruit jellies, cuberdon (SL), then the softest whiff of blotting paper. Mouth: sweet again, it has Haribo bananas, some wood and Fraises Tagada (I promise I am not sponsored by Haribo -- but I will take donations). This is insanely sugary, in a slightly chemical fashion. The back of the mouth has a touch of burnt wood. Finish: those banana sweets again, alongside gingery heat. Alright. Benrinnes 20yo 1997/2017 (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Barrels, 408b) 7/10

Dram #8
Nose: cedar wood, moth-killing spray (CL), the dryness of a pine-wood forest, pine cones, pine needles. Later on, it is hard plastic, food-container style. The plastic pitches its tent at some point, obfuscating all other flavours. Mouth: lively, wild, all over the place, even. It is soft and round, but pretty spicy too, in turns. Indomitable. Finish: overly woody, ginger- and galangal-driven, with added cassia bark and ground masala. This is over the top for me. Bishlouk explains he bought it at Limburg's Whisky Fair, a couple of years ago. Hope he still likes it; it is not something I would buy, and I do not find it particularly representative of the distillery character. Tamnavulin 1993/2016 (55.2%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead, C#MoS 16013, 162b, b#72) 5/10

Time to try this lovely home-blended-whisky-infused Stilton

Dram #9
Nose: dried banana slices and fruity yoghurt. Mouth: fruity. Massively fruity. Pineapple slices, barbecued pineapple and Chinese gooseberry. Finish: Chinese gooseberry indeed, roasted pineapple... in fact, it is pure pineapple juice. This is right up my alley. When Bishlouk tells us what it is, I am afraid I will change my score in the morning, as whisky from this distillery tends to strip my tongue and dehydrate me to ridiculous levels. Not this time: I am fine the following morning (except for the lack of sleep). Cambus 25yo 1991/2017 (58.5%, The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. The Cooper's Choice, Sherry Cask, C#61983, 360b) 8/10

After a quick clear-up and wash-up, the group disbands. A very nice evening it was!