01/09/2019 My precious!

This was an old-ish idea and it felt the right time to realise it. Bronze, silver, gold, platinum, jewelry, gems and other precious stones, treasures, guineas, doubloons or sovereigns will all be accepted. Yens, dollars and euros are fine too. Keep yer sterling, however, as that's as good as Monopoly notes, these days. Or toilet paper. The Scottish poond is fine, at a push. ;)
Since today is a Sunday, I am hoping for a seven-or-eight-bottle sesh, but that is forgetting that this is a school night for three people only. We end up with a monstrous line-up worthy of a Saturday morning.

The intercom is out of service, my phone decides to die an hour before guests are supposed to arrive, yet everyone manages to make it in, woo.
The suspects: JS, PS, BA, WhiskyLovingPianist (the artist formerly known as jazzpianofingers, who, during his fifteen-month hiatus, changed identity), LR (first appearance), Gaija and tOMoH.

His identity may have changed, but this stayed

Richie Hawtin - Pete Namlook - From Within I is playing when they arrive.

LR: "I acquisitioned this..."
BA: "Acquisitioned!?"
LR: "I don't pay for anything. Ever."

Dimple (70° Proof, John Haig & Co., b.1970s) (BA): this one is "bound in shiny, precious gold," says BA, jubilantly. Nose: fragile and delicate, it has a distinctly flowery nose, with honeysuckle, jasmine and lots of dust. A pinch of tobacco, perhaps? It is all very integrated and hard to pick apart. Mouth: marvellously soft and pillow-y, it has flower petals, honeysuckle sap, morning dew in jasmine blossom, and a very gentle tobacco feel to it. Finish: I love this. It has dust and even ash, peppered on a similar flowery profile, next to a beehive. Excellent and a perfect opener. It is hard not to think blends, especially the cheap ones, were better in the past. 8/10

Awld skewl

Soundtrack: Axiome - Ten Hymns For Sorbetière Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Freezer

Balmenach 1980/1999 Hogmanay Dram (43%, Undisclosed Bottler for Members of The Malt Whisky Association, 100b, b#94) (WhiskyLovingPianist): WLP showed me this in Campbeltown, but I cannot remember having tried it. The connection to the theme is simple: Hog-money. Eyes roll. Eyebrows raise. Sighs are emitted. I am loving it. Nose: grass, herbs and a touch of gentle metal, straw, flint, verbena, oregano and citrus foliage. Mouth: mellow, meadow-like, it has lush pastry, though not much sweetness -- fluffy dough, unseasoned doughnuts, the acidity of lime peel, not overpowering at all and, in fact, very balanced. Finish: yep, a very pleasant affair, with shortbread, custard powder and a little citric action. 8/10

The Arran Malt 1999/2012 The Golden Eagle (46%, OB Limited Edition, Bourbon Barrels + Sherry Hogsheads) (BA): gold-en eagle, innit. This collection is colloquially known as Icons of Arran, of which this is bottling number 4. None of that appears anywhere on the packaging, however, so it does not belong in the formal description. Get over it. Nose: fresh pineapple, Champagne (LR), olive pits in brine (I know). It is fresh , fruity (orchard fruit) and welcoming. A typical Arran, in other words. Mouth: balanced, honeyed, with honeysuckle sap, crushed meadow flowers and the associated pillow-y lushness and plant bitterness. It delivers some peppery power, regardless of the modest ABV. Finish: well, it is a modern malt, with plenty of vanilla, quince, lemon jelly, lemon-y custard and lots of fun. A very good Arran -- but is there another sort anyway? (do not mention ze Var the Fixin). 8/10

BA breaks the cork and pours it from a jug

Nibbles enter.

Cheeses (Applewood cheddar, scamorza),
crisps (sea salt and cider vinegar, posh prawn cocktail),
dried sausage, sourdough bread and houmous

Soundtrack: Keosz - Ava

37.107 14yo d.2003 Running through a field of wheat (60.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 254b) (PS): PS explains the interview to Gaija, in which Theresa May admitted running through a field of wheat as a naughty child and how this bottling is a hint to that. We manage to dodge the B-word conversation, however. Mostly. I spot the connection immediately: fields of gold. "I am a Sting fan," I claim. Not really, but that song is nice. Although, fields of barley, not wheat. Nose: sweet, it has forsythia, barley sugar, cold wort, plum and raspberry (LR). Mouth: assertive, bold, even (at that ABV, no wonder!), it has the sweetness of the nose, with green capsicum, crisp and peppery. Finish: big, with a touch of chocolate on chopped capsicum. Hot and crisp. I like it. 7/10

Springbank 1965/2002 (46%, Lombard Jewels of Scotland) (me): jewels, of course. Will this be a gold-plated tart with too much make-up on, then? Well, I know it is not, as I have had this before. Nose: rhaaaaaaa! It is still a killer, this. Carambola, crisp pear, greengage, plum, grapes and a whisper of rubber. Mouth: juicy and fruity to the max, brimming with seedless green grapes, carambola, and the freshness of sea breeze. This is amazing. Finish: huge fruitiness again, with lots of green grapes, a pinch of ash (WhiskyLovingPianist), wax (Gaija), darker grapes too, ripe plum, prune juice. The fruits are less tropical in the finish, yet not any shyer. This is amazeballs. Longer notes here. Now it has opened up in the bottle (this is pretty much the last drop), it gets top score. 10/10

Soundtrack: Tan Dun - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Bache Gabrielsen 1971/2016 (40%, OB, b#1539) (WhiskyLovingPianist): this is a coin-gnac, says the owner. More eyes rolled. He is on fire, he is! Nose: very brandy-like (no shit, Sherlock), with grapes and tinned-prune juice. It is relatively simple, yet "bloody alright" (WLP). Soaked cork, Pineau des Charentes, maybe even vin jaune from Jura. Mouth: velvety, fruity, soft and... I cannot decide if it is sweet or acidic. What I do decide is that it is excellent. Finish: very, very fruity. Plums, prunes, grapes and a touch of almond skin. With a little more complexity, it would do even better. As it stands, it is a strong 8/10

We take advantage of the nice weather and proceed to the terrace.

...aaaaaand life does not suck

Cambus 25yo d.1991 (52.1%, Claxton Single Cask, Refill Sherry Butt, C#1725-103028, 571b, b#496) (WhiskyLovingPianist): "Bureau de Change" -> "Cambio" -> "Cambus." The boy is unstoppable! First Claxton for me and a sherry-matured grain (which is the exception, rather than the rule). I will only have the tiniest drop, as I fear a rerun of Thursday's experience. Nose: a whiff of metal and lots of pastry. Mouth: bitter metal, thyme, some distant pastry. Finish: now, you're talking! Croissant dough and more pastry. I like this enough, though it is a little more austere than I expected it to be. The following morning, no headache, but my tongue is stripped, despite the ridiculous amount (half a sip); it loses a point, because of that. 6/10

Diamond 9yo (Port Mourant Still) (55.9%, That Boutique-y Rum Company, B#1, 461b, b#265) (WhiskyLovingPianist): yes, he did bring four bottles. Diamond is forever, of course. Rum is interesting. Distilleries exist, but sometimes, they will use a travelling still to make a run -- imagine a lorry with a still in tow going from one distillery to the next and helping producers make something completely different. Enmore is one of those, Port Mourant is another. Nose: boat varnish (LR), industrial plastic, industrial glue, wallpaper and cucumber peels. It later emits scents of cabbage and pak-choi leaves. Mouth: warm and spicy, very spicy, with nutmeg, cracked green pepper and cinnamon cross buns. This is a bit too powerful for me. Finish: glue, caramelised cane sugar, hydrocarbons and a touch of chocolate, towards the end. It is OK. Not my thing much. 6/10

Longmorn 29yo 1985/2015 (51.9%, Hunter Laing Old & Rare A Platinum Selection imported by DJK Imports for K&L Wines, Refill Hogshead, 251b, b#139) (JS): JS rocks out the platinum card, ha! I remember being slightly puzzled, the first time we had this. Good, not blinding. Naturally, the packaging sets expectations, and I thought they were not totally met. Nose: sharp, blade-like. There is citrus, flint and... to be honest, not much else comes out. Shy. It does settle on lemon marmalade and unripe green grapes and blueberries, with a side of orange pith and black cumin. Mouth: acidic and spicy, with grapefruit skins, unripe currants, white pepper, sawdust and lime skins. The second sip brings dry and bitter Seville orange segments, so dry and bitter. Finish: surprisingly creamy, with a lot of wood and orange-y tones aplenty -- pith, peels and segments coming back. I like it better than the first time, but it still does not quite match the flashy packaging, I think. I am tempted to go for 7 because of that, though I think it really is worth 8/10

Sweet-teeth of the world rejoice. Here comes Orsatti Pampapatto di Ferrara (Thanks, SB)

LR explains: "It entered the masters competition and won master. Not bronze, or silver, or gold. Master."
tOMoH: "The only thing that is not a precious metal."

The Lost Distilleries Blend (51%, The Blended Whisky Company, B#10, 1041b, b#91) (LR): "this is my precious," states LR. I discovered this series a while ago with B#6 and loved it. It was my first contact with That Boutique-y Whisky Company, I think. This edition contains Port Dundas, Caperdonich, Rosebank, Imperial, Mosstowie, Glen Mhor, Glenisla, Glenlochy, Craigduff, Brora and Port Ellen. Nose: this is quite a mix. See breeze, candied lemons, strawberry drops. It is subtle, though. Very shy. Even going back inside to avoid the wind, one has to work hard to decipher much. Old-school smoke and a clear mineral character. Mouth: very balanced, with slightly-bitter oranges and a few thyme leaves. Smoke is only a shadow, here, and it is pleasant. Finish: elegant and long, with the tiniest note of coal-stove smoke; most of what is displayed is strawberry bubble gum. I like this, but it is a bit too timid. 8/10

We move back inside.

Soundtrack: FUSE: Dimension Intrusion

Clynelish 20yo 1997/2018 (55.9%, Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, ex-Bourbon Hogshead, C#6526, 310b) (LR): the label only reads Woolf/Sung -- the company behind this collection. This one is gold in colour. :-) Nose: fresh, with lots of waxy citrus peel, burning herbs and a touch of ash. It has its share of minerals too, though are they precious stones? Granite, more like it. Mouth: honeyed, beehive-y, it is very coating, ashy, while also sweet. I can almost feel the bees' wings around my nose. Finish: long, it has similar notes: wax, of course, ash, granite and yellow fruits. Beautiful Clynelish, but I am too far behind to spend much time with it. 8/10

3.284 14yo d.2001 Salt and smoke (56.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 186b) (PS): PS explains how salt used to be precious indeed (look up the origins of the word 'salary', if you need to be convinced). Nose: wow! FRUITY! It has a lot of satsumas, more than mangoes, gently wrapped by a soft layer of smoke. The fruitiness is immense, though. Lemon and pink grapefruit are loud. It has a whiff of clogged-sink funk, but it is quite simply gorgeously fruity. Farm paths end up emerging, subtle enough. Mouth: meow. Juicy mango, roasted over a charcoal barbecue. This is ridiculously juicy. The second sip is enormous, with horsepower, tractor diesel and hair balls (hi MG!) Finish: big, long, with the vague bitterness of grapefruit skins. Here too, the fruitiness is flabbergasting, with pink grapefruit kissing mangoes in a ploughed field, Wow. Just wow. Leave this in a cask for another twenty-thirty years and we are in 1966 territory, I believe. Tempted to give it top score, but I will contain myself. 9/10

Caol Ila 34yo 1984/2018 (57.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 162b, 18/228) (Gaija): presented for its shiny golden label. Nose: another odd mix, with melon, ash and dunnage-warehouse dust. Tantalising! Crushed, dried raspberry, crushed hazelnut shells, cedar-wood sheets. The fruit grows in intensity. Water turns it into something more intense, with an almost toothpaste-like freshness and pine needles. Mouth: perfect balance, despite the undeniable strength. I get a clear strawberry-bubble gum tack and a lick of liquorice (a lick-o-rice?) It dries the mouth a bit, that lick-o-rice, with its sidekicks cinnamon and ginger, yet not quite aniseed. With water, the palate turns more mellow. It retains some of the fruit, whilst the cinnamon remains the clearest note. Finish: elegant as hell, with lots of berries here too, a bit of woody spices (ginger, cinnamon and, this time, aniseed) and strawberry pulp. Water makes it a little more drying, ironically Ginger and cinnamon are the main characters of this story, though the dried raspberry and pepperminty-strawberry bubble gum are still there alright. I love this. 9/10

LR: "I am getting swimming pool. But nice swimming pool."

LR: "Cow poo -- in a good way!"

Bond villain stroking his pet

Soundtrack: X-102 - Rediscovers The Rings Of Saturn

JS: "Who's Terry?"
tOMoH: "It's a Miss Terry."

We are a couple of hours behind the projected closing time. One last one? But of course!

Caledonian 28yo 1987/2016 (52.3%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 246b, 16/196) (me): you may recall (you may total recall) that I poured this a couple of weeks ago, but did not have it myself for lack of time. Obviously, it is a gold label as well. Nose: hugely metallic, with lots of aromatics (hawthorn and rosemary, mostly), and, behind that, pastry. The second whiff brings almost an anaesthetic touch to this. Medicinal? Well, it is homeopathy, rather than chemistry. Mouth: creamy, with custard-y goodness, milk chocolate, βανίλια, yoghurt and flan. This is seriously good on the tongue, after a few years of being open. Finish: meow! A touch of metal, a pinch of herbs and creamy vanilla-custard happiness. Liquid pastry. I love it. 8/10

Epic session, considering today was a Sunday. Excellent drams, terrific music, good weather and company... What more could one want?