Tim Roberts, Wayne and Harrison Ormerod of WOA are joined by Lee "Connas" Connor to present this tasting that focuses on Direct Wines Ltd.'s First Cask range. Connas (an unfortunate nickname for anyone hoping to find success in Francophonia) tells us all about First Cask: "It was set up as a subscription thing by Direct Wines, in the same fashion Laithwaites do with wine: one paid £25 a month to receive a bottle by post -- it could be an Aberfeldy or a Port Ellen, amongst others. They were ahead of their time. So much so that it did not last very long. That's about all there is to say about it."
If I was hoping to learn more about how the casks were selected, who the people behind it were, when they started or where they were based, that is my dreams crushed. Connas does tell us that some of the stock came from Signatory, but nothing that I did not already know. Ah well. They were based in Reading, by the way. ;-)
On to the whiskies. I have minute quantities and save some for more detailed notes at another date. I want to enjoy the company and the banter too, tonight.
Auchentoshan 15yo d.1981/1996 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#1159): nose: a pinch of chalk, macerated herbs and a scrape of limestone. It also has distant sweets. This is simultaneously assertive and welcoming. Mouth: lime juice, limescale, grass and grapefruit on chalk, then bergamot foliage ("That's a good note," says Connas -- flattery will get you nowhere, but thanks for trying). It feels green, in a good way, acidic, and a tad mineral. Finish: acidic, herbaceous (quite strongly so), it carries citrus leaves, namely mandarin, bergamot and grapefruit. Long-ish, pleasant finish. Provisional score of 7/10
Royal Brackla 24yo 1975/1999 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#5447, b#267): nose: waxy, meaty and sweet. The meat completely vanishes after a second, and makes room for chestnut sweets and avocado oil. It has bruised fruits too; apple, probably. Mouth: beeswax, beard wax, hair grease and, well, wax. Waxy grapefruit skins too. A musty palate, this! Finish: long, coating, waxy as apricot or tangerine skins. Short notes that do not do this justice. It is lovely, and one of the best Bracklas I have had. It will remain my favourite of the evening, against all odds. 9/10
WO: "It was mostly down to price, to be honest. We could not have the Port Ellen, the Ardbeg and the Linlithgow in the same line-up, as it would have pushed the admission price higher than what our regulars are used to."
Glenlivet 24yo 1974/1999 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#5131): nose: plums, overripe grapes, bursting with sugar. There is also a drop of lamp oil, or walnut oil. Mouth: sweet and nutty in taste, oily in texture, it shows a soft bitterness that makes me think of green-hazelnut custard. Finish: sharp and oily, if that makes sense, it has a definite fruitiness too -- mostly plum. There is also walnut liqueur, some avocado oil and Bourbon-cream biscuits. Another terrific dram. 8/10
Balvenie 20yo d.1972 (46%, Direct Wines (Windsor) Limited First Cask, C#14734): we talk about how rarely Balvenie is seen at the indies'. Connas ventures that maybe even SMWS has not bottled it -- they have (it is #40); seven times, but not for a long time. Independent Balvenie is certainly rarely seen under that name, these days. This must be one of the earliest First Cask offerings, considering the date. Pictures found online also suggest a different livery and company name to all the others. Nose: I find it remarkably close to the Auchentoshan, with chalk, faint menthol and a hefty dose of fruit (plump citrus, tangerine segments, grapes and waxy plums). Mouth: a mix of grapefruit and canary melon, juicy as fook. Behind that is also pomelo and tame lime, alongside tinned pineapple. It is acidic with a softy-softy bitter touch. Finish: super creamy, it now has fruity yoghurt and citrus-y custard. Tangerine segments dance to the swan's song. Towards the death, the drying chalk makes a comeback as well. 8/10
Aberfeldy 15yo d.1978 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#7799): nose: assertive, bold, even, it has tiger balm and melting limestone, with acid poured onto it. I really want to say nuts, but it is really closer to shoe polish. Later on, it turns into lemonade, bringing back the acidity, yet without the face-melting bite, this time. Mouth: nut-and-citrus juice, at once oily and acidic. An unexpected mix, I must say. It tastes wonderful, though. Sweetened orange tonic and more lemonade. Finish: wow! A lick of dark pot ale, almost coffee-like, but much more subtle. Dark chocolate? Chocolate-y stout? Yes, that and pomelo jelly. Another excellent surprise! 9/10
Glen Grant 24yo 1976/2000 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, Sherry Cask, C#2886): nose: gingerbread, ginger Hobnobs, cramique, Selkirk bannock, baked for slightly too long, a faint touch of suet, in the back, rancio, and even old cork. Crumbled speculoos appears too, much to my ecstasy (it spells cinnamon, mostly). Tilting the glass brings sauce grand'veneur under the spotlight too. Mouth: rancio and old cork again. This has been hugely influenced by the wine (the colour leaves little doubt about this being matured in an ex-Sherry cask); it has soaked prunes and sangria talking loudly. Finish: speculoos through and through, with the wine coming back for an encore (more sangria), and fruit as a supporting act: plum, prune, wine-soaked orange. Excellent. 8/10
Port Ellen 18yo d.1976 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#4778): nose: earth and clay, then some old modelling wax and pencil shavings. A mocha coffee pot, cleaned, yet still tainted by the indelible content. After a second, cockles and shellfish start to appear. Crushed seashells. Finally, cashew paste tickles the nostrils. Mouth: ooooh! Salty, coastal, but also sweet, like a dessert pasty filled with a salty mussel sauce and warm sand, washed down with cola. Finish: watery at first, it soon delivers similar sweet/salty flavours rolling on coastal notes of seafood that would be sprinkled with cinnamon and cassia powder, and served with a holly-berry compote. Lovely drop, even if it is the first one tonight in which the dilution is felt a little too strongly. Provisional 9/10
Good fun and great selection. I particularly enjoyed the no-frill approach. No fanfare around the Port Ellen, as other hosts might have done -- in name, it is the only one that sticks out. In fact, it is a rather iconoclastic group: WO explains that they opened the Port Ellen 12yo for the Queen's Visit for Whisky Show Old & Rare 2018 and were utterly underwhelmed by it. It is only the most expensive and highest rated Port Ellen (or, indeed, whisky) in some circles.
Down-to-earth people who love whisky and sharing it without feeling the need for inflated marketing bullshit. Roll on Part 2!
No comments:
Post a Comment