This is an informal catch-up session for those who could not attend at least three virtual tastings (one Watt Whisky tasting, one Electric Coo tasting, one Campbeltown Whisky Company tasting).
Only six of us join Mark and Kate Watt. Since we are all drinking different sample sets, it is a complete free-for-all. JS and I are having the samples from the Electric Coo tasting that took place on the 29th May, that we could not attend.
By the way, The Electric Coo Series was created by Mark and Kate Watt (of Watt Whisky and Campbeltown Whisky Company) and David Stirk (formerly of Creative Whisky Company). Watt is an SI unit of power, often linked to electricity; a stirk is a cow, male or female, between one and two years old. Electricity. Cow. Electric Coo.
Together, they bottle under CWC, which stands for both Campbeltown Whisky Company (the Watts) and Creative Whisky Company (Stirk's old company). Half the releases were selected by Watt; the other half by Stirk. MW tells us they would not have bottled something that the other did not approve of. Other than that, "David went for the crowd-pleasers."
KW: "A bit like you!"
Blended Scotch Whisky 27yo 1993/2020 (41.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, Refill ex-Sherry Butt) (selected by MW): this comes from Edrington stocks, we are told, and it was already blended when they bought the cask. No-one knows what it contains. Nose: cracked black pepper sprinkled on raspberries, mildly rubbery peaches. Then, out of nowhere, an unexpected whiff of ox-tongue stew appears, and leather boots with rubber soles. Maybe pencil erasers too. Mouth: peppermint, chewy dried mango slices. Finish: pleasant. Not hugely long, but perfectly balanced, with dried apricots and more dried mango slices. Good start. 7/10
Invergordon 32yo 1988/2020 (50.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, finished in ex-Brandy Butt) (selected by MW): nose: lots of ginger, but the obvious background is pineapple and hair lacquer. There might even be some new shoe laces, somewhere. Mouth: ester-y, mentholated and varnish-y, this is certainly fresh and a little heady. Finish: fleeting. It quickly comes back, full of lacquer and grapefruit zest, which is to say: a little bitter. 7/10
KW: "He does the accountancy. As soon as I see a spreadsheet, I switch off."
MW: "Which is odd, because, in the house, I don't even have access to our bank account."
KW: "You do. You've just forgotten your login."
Macduff 12yo 2008/2020 (55.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, Sherry Butt) (selected by DS): nose: caramel and cured meat, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and a bottle of red wine. This is a very nicely-balanced wine maturation, so far. That surprises me, truth be told. I am not a fan of those. Mouth: dry, earthy, it soon shows dark berries and currants (elderberries and blackcurrants, mostly). Finish: oh! This is lovely. Teeming with dried currants, it is earthy, almost rancio-y. Dried elderberries, dried cranberries. 8/10
SL [from the audience]: "You say you don't turn down many samples. Well, neither do I. You say you have a list of whiskies that you want to buy. Well, so do I. It is just on a different scale."
KW explains that the coloured labels on the Watt Whisky bottlings are the colours that MW smells when tasting the whisky. KW says it is weird, but I can relate: I have had yellow and green whiskies before. Also, SMWS Categorise their styles with colours too, these days.
tOMoH: "Isn't that the acid, though?"
MW: "We didn't want to do the regions, because everyone does it. Speyside is green; islands is red; Islay is usually blue; Campbeltown... tends to be brown."
Croftengea 13yo 2007/2020 (52.2%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, Hogshead) (selected by DS): nose: gingery bubble gum, timid peat of the vegetal kind (as in: it smells of moss, not meat), and a whisper of bacon. Lovage seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, mukhwas also feature. In the long run, all that freshness is augmented with a gentle note of sulphur. Mouth: spicy, lively, it has mentholated ginger bubble gum that remind me of Boules Magiques. The peat, here, is very subtle. It does turn a little chalky, in the long run. Finish: not much of the trademark roast chicken, but there is some lovely, chewy, earthy clay, as well as dark raisins. 8/10
tOMoH: "Love how you put Belgium on the same level as Japan and Taiwan. Just as far from Campbeltown, is it?"
KW: "It's further to go from Campbeltown to Glasgow than from Glasgow to Belgium, so it might as well."
MW: "Funny how company expenses change when it's your own company."
Caol Ila 13yo 2007/2020 (50.9%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, ex-Ruby Port Hogshead) (selected by DS): nose: right! Here is bacon, baked earth, fine ash. In the long run, ink and seaweed cakes too. Mouth: warm, warming, peaty and comforting. I find it closer to teriyaki and barbecue than seafood, but that is OK. Perhaps kippers. Definitely kippers, actually. Finish: long and bold, it is full of teriyaki tofu and barbecue sauce. I half-wanted to hate this, but it is great. MW says the same. 8/10
MW: "Sauna flavours."
Caol Ila 12yo 2008/2020 (54.1%, CWC The Electric Coo Series, STR Barrique) (selected by MW): nose: powerful. Fierce. Almost brutal. It certainly clears the nostrils. Faded leather, bacon rolls, tins of dark-blue paint, hot clay pots, straight out of the oven. Perhaps a smidge of ink too. Mouth: lots of ink, now. Royal blue. Finish: another assertive one, it has ink poured onto a burning haystack. It is a very long finish, with clay amphorae being shaped on the potter's wheel. This is excellent. My favourite tonight, rather unexpectedly. 8/10
MW: "When I was at Royal Mile Whiskies, there was a piper across the street -- the worst piper in the world. I was dreaming of winning the lottery, buying all the Bell's decanters and throwing them at him."
Chilled session. We clock off much later than is reasonable, but good times were had. And good whiskies. Well done, CWC!
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