24/04/2019 May outturn at Cadenhead's

Quick fire, blind pours, short notes, lots of banter. Full house, tonight.

Dram #1
Nose: plum eau-de-vie, marc de Champagne, cologne (cavalier66). Mouth: mineral, it has aspirin, quinine and acidic lemon. This is spicy on the tongue. Finish: a few not-very-ripe hazelnuts, spices and leaves. Good starter. Deanston 10yo 2008/2019 (56.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 276b) 6/10

Dram #2
Nose: chalky bubble gum, plaster bands, gauze. Mouth: yup, gauze, plasters, plant-stem broth (nettle, I would say) and a certain sweetness. Finish: sweet, it has liquorice and an unexpected, rubbery bitterness. Benrinnes 11yo 2007/2019 (58.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 216b) 6/10

Dram #3
Nose: tree bark, olive stones and newly-dyed denim (that is original!) Mouth: milk chocolate and a green bitterness. Finish: chocolate again, hot cocoa. Teaninich 10yo 2008/2019 (57.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 276b) 6/10

Dram #4
Nose: animal funk, musk, leather, rotting plums, the rubber joints of a new car, matured Parmesan. Mouth: almond paste, baby sick (cavalier66), milk-chocolate coulis. Finish: acidic, bitter, ivy, butyric acid. This will remain the least favourite of the audience, today -- and mine. Dailuaine-Glenlivet 10yo 2008/2019 (60.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 294b) 5/10

Dram #5
Nose: toffee, tablet, caramel, fudge and a lick of a block of metal. Mouth: much better balance than the first four, with fudge and tablet again, chocolate mousse, a pinch of spices. Finish: soft chocolate and, really, lots of fudge and tablet, as well as millionaire shortbread. Glentauchers-Glenlivet 10yo 2009/2019 (59.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 330b) 7/10

Dram #6
Nose: wooden dashboards, green hazelnut, bubble gum, galangal. Mouth: gingery custard, pickled onions (cavalier66). Finish: long, bitter and onion-y. Fettercairn 10yo 2008/2019 (56.6%, Cadenhead Wine Cask, New Zealand Pinot Noir Cask since October 2017, 264b) 6/10

Dram #7
Nose: flowers and candy floss, very shy. Mouth: soft and subtle on the palate too, shy as fook. Mead, perhaps? Finish: sweet and nice, unpretentious, with rose petals. It does the trick. Dufftown-Glenlivet 11yo 2007/2019 (54.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b) 6/10

Dram #8
Nose: acetone (cavalier66), walnut flesh, walnut stain, polished dashboards. Mouth: Brazil-nut paste, marzipan, jellied walnut and a pinch of red chilli. Finish: long and sweet, marzipan-y, it also has... Aspirine Junior (children's aspirin that does not seem to be made, anymore). Royal Brackla 10yo 2008/2019 (56.3%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 294b) 7/10

Dram #9
Nose: dunnage warehouse, pressed sultanas, warm wood, sweet-corn fritter (cavalier66), tamarind (AN). Mouth: soft and balanced, with a gentle curry flavour (coronation chicken, which we all talk about, now). Finish: long, subtle, noble, with a hint of lichen. Glenrothes-Glenlivet 24yo 1994/2019 (47%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, 1st Fill Sherry Wood since June 2015, 234b) 8/10

That was the best Glenrothes this side of the 1970s, from my point of view!

Dram #10
Nose: hay, purple flowers, freesia (AN), Merbromin, chalk in the back -- or a recently-cleaned black board, as someone else says. Mouth: soft, vaguely bitter, it has butterscotch. Finish: farmyard and apple compote. It is a bit subtle for this late in the line-up, but holds itself regardless. Glentauchers-Glenlivet 28yo 1990/2019 (46.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 114b) 7/10

From a quality-to-price ratio, we all agree the 10yo Glentauchers above is more impressive.

Dram #11
Nose: berries, tobacco pipe, sink funk, metal, a whiff of smoke, even, and overripe plum. Mouth: soft, with sweet barley, sweet corn and barley snaps. Finish: malty, it has boiled sweets and a hint of rubber. Tormore 30yo 1988/2019 (43.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 132b) 8/10

cavalier66: "This is a bit weak. It is low in ABV, which makes me think it is the low-in-ABV one."

Dram #12
Nose: wow! Cola, kola kubes, frozen Dr. Pepper, clove, shoe polish, fresh blue ink, star aniseed, toothpaste. Mouth: anonymous at first, then mildly bubble gum-y. Finish: bechamel (SW), cloves, black cumin, mouthwas without the kick, blackcurrant lozenges. This is very original a drop. Bladnoch 30yo 1989/2019 (40.8%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Hogshead since June 2015, 144b) 8/10

Mixed bag, tonight, with something to please everyone but the peat heads. Unfortunately, no sample was sent of the Strathclyde 29yo. We also try a couple of rums, for which I take no notes.
Cracking night.

(Thanks for allowing me to use the pictures, whiskytastingroom.com)