For this first proper in-person tasting since December 2019, OB and Mrs. OB are hosting a shindig at theirs. We are celebrating an anniversary, you see.
The requirements were simple: "Bring your smile and your good mood, we will supply the rest."
It is therefore armed with our smiles and our good mood that JS and I arrive at OB Central some five minutes ahead of schedule. No-one answers the doorbell, at first: we will later find out that OB is still in the shower.
After a few minutes of wondering if he has heard us, OB lets us in -- in several episodes, as we manage to get stuck in the airlock.
We are led to the terrace, where we will be spending the whole time, even though the weather cools down pretty substantially, in the middle of the afternoon.
Whilst waiting for Cavalier66 and JfromTWE to join us, I produce my beautiful smile. It has the shape of a Knockando 20yo 1974/1995 Quincentenary (43%, OB specially selected for Aberdeen University) and makes for a pleasant apéritif.
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| Chilling with the Bs |
Finally, the other guests arrive, and we start the real tasting. OB serves everything blind.
Dram #1
Nose: light, floral, this has hay too, and I even find it gently pine-y. It is not all, however: perfume soon joins the dance, and some kind of sweets: pineapple drops, pomelo drops. In the long run, the nose turns a little gravel-y, strangely enough. Mouth: this is mellow. Gummibärchen, pomelo drops again, mixed peel, a pinch of cinnamon powder. It has a soft sweetness and an acidic freshness that work a treat. Finish: mellow, fruity, in a gummibärchen/ fruit-drops sort of way, it also has a remote chalkiness and white wine -- not Riesling, certainly not Sauvignon blanc. Cavalier66 comes to the rescue and calls it Chenin blanc. I agree. Comments: after I heroically determine the vintage in one single attempt, OB clumsily exposes the label, which means I identify the bottler and the collection. Cavalier66 finds the distillery after only 131 guesses. Glentauchers 25yo d.1981 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#1051, b#86) 8/10
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| We need some kind of contraption to distinguish the glasses |
tOMoH: "Is there a ballot system?"
tOMoH: "Tut-tut-tut! Whisky Show! No definite article."
OB: "It's becoming the running gag of the day. Or is that, 'running gag of the day'?"
Dram #2
Nose: dried dates, prunes, dried figs, perhaps some leather, though that last one is very faint. Further are mild chocolate, cherry cake and exotic woods (mahogany, teak). It smells sweet. After a while, the nose welcomes shredded mint. Mouth: super mellow, elegant, the mouth brings back the dried dates and figs (especially figs), and augments them with cola sweets. There may be a vague tannic side, but nothing offensive. Finish: liquorice, nutshells and dried fruits aplenty (figs, dates, prunes). The finish is a little on the woody tip, yet it remains perfectly acceptable. Comments: hard to believe this is not a sherry-matured whisky. Another pathetic attempt at finding the distillery from my part. JS ends up guessing right. I do get the age immediately, on the other hand. Tomatin 40yo 1967/2007 (42.9%, OB Limited Edition, 7 Bourbon Hogsheads, 1614b) 8/10
I remember trying that Tomatin years ago at Whisky Show and again a little later. This, today, is a newly-opened bottle and I find it much, much better than both those times. Not sure if the other one was a dud, if bottle ageing goes that quickly, or if my taste has evolved, but it is remarkably different to how I remembered it. Better.
Dram #3
Nose: nail varnish that quickly becomes a strongly fruity character (mango, dragon fruit) with also a dollop of shoe polish. The fruit quickly overpowers that last note, and comes back on top, boisterous. Mouth: oh, my word! This is mellow, it has a delicate leathery touch, but mostly juicy fruits (mango and dragon fruit again, snake fruit). There is also a minimal amount of very tame spices. Finish: creamy, amazingly fruity, with the same fruits and lychee on top, at just the right strength. Comments: "Here is the first 9/10," I say, to which my companions reply with a top score. We are on the terrace, and it is chilly. Perhaps under different circumstances, I would agree with them. Many guesses, among which another Tomatin. Either JS or Cavalier66 calls the distillery, after several attempts. Lochside 37yo 1981/2018 (48.6%, The Whisky Agency, Butt) 9/10
OB: "Snakehead fruit!? What is that?"
tOMoH: "It's a fruit."
After that masterclass in exotic fruit, OB realises he cocked up the line-up: we should have had the following one between the Tomatin and the Lochside. tOMoH is about to walk at such poor organisation, but he backs down, out of respect for Mrs. OB.
Also, food has appeared, and tOMoH has the munchies.
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| Parma ham, Bresaola, Salchichon Iberico bellota |
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| Excellent bread -- but of course, we are almost in France In the background, Puglie artichoke, Nocellara olives |
Dram #4
Nose: a very fresh number again that has some vanilla, then grapes and sultanas. Further: wax, plasticine, perhaps, yet it retains the fruit of a good, mellow white wine. Pineapple (JS) and, in the long run, raspberries bring a sweeter, juicier note. Mouth: drier and sharper than expected, the mouth sees marzipan (Cavalier66), a certain vinegar-like acidity, even if it is a tame vinegar. The more one sips it, the drier it becomes, rocking Chenin blanc all the way to gravel, even. Finish: marzipan alright, as well as a definite acidic touch, clearly a blend of grapes and plasticine. Comments: we suck at this guessing game. Timorous Beastie 40yo b.2016 (54.7%, Douglas Laing, 1080b, L13 0816) 8/10
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| Cheeses magically appear around that time. Saint Nectaire, Vieux Comté, Napoléon, Selles-sur-Cher and a killer Truffle Brie that does not live long |
Dram #5
Nose: another sherried number! ("I am French, after all," says OB) Mushrooms, forest floor (Cavalier66), smoked meat. It becomes almost ember-like, with charred leather and burnt wood. In the long run, sticky toffee pudding takes over, slightly crusty. At this stage, Cavalier66 guesses the distillery. Mouth: intense, yet tame for this distillery. It has burnt lacquered wood, smoked horse meat, smoked Ardennes ham, maple-syrup-laden cake... It turns pretty drying, over time, not quite splinter-y, but well woody all the same. Finish: long, big, toasted and a half. This now has a lot of liquorice, nigella seeds, black cumin seeds, ground sumac, then back comes the burnt wood. Comments: very nice, truth be told. Karuizawa 33yo 1981/2014 (54.5%, Number One Drinks Vintage imported by La Maison du Whisky, ex-Sherry Cask, C#152) 8/10
JS: "This is an easy-drinking Karuizawa."
I would agree with that.
Dram #6
Nose: yet another assertive sherry, this one is even sulphur-y. Tons of cured meat, enough gunpowder to blow up the Houses of Parliament, decaying blackcurrants, black olives, matchbox striker, and even boiled eggs, over time. Some fruits appear, after a long while -- dark, tart fruit. It even emits durian, ginkgo berries, or something else with a comparable smell. Mouth: woah! Big again, it has lots of sulphur on the palate too: matchbox striker, exhaust fumes, shotgun barrels, charred meat, charred blackberries, heavily-charred pineapple. It is very powerful stuff too. Is that liquorice? Probably. Finish: challenging! This presents lots of gunpowder and other sulphur-y shenanigans. It is very, very drying, in the long run, with smoked elderberry alongside the now-expected matchbox striker and exhaust fumes. It does turn juicier with repeated sipping to evoke a distant balance. Comments: frankly, I should hate this: it has all sorts of things I do not care much for, and, after the distillery is revealed (Cavalier66 get it, on the very late tip), I venture it might be Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, which I normally dislike very much. Today, for some bizarre reason, this profile simply works for me. Perhaps it is the fact that it is so assertive it shines brighter than others, on this chilly terrace; perhaps it is the company, the combination with the food, or, or, or... In any case, I adore it. It is a treat, yet far from an easy one. Port Ellen 19yo 1981/2000 (59.4%, The Bottlers, Refill Sherry Butt, C#1550) 9/10
Mrs. Cavalier and other guests start to arrive for the second part of the day -- less whisky tasting, more relaxed time with friends. Of course, the non-drinkers are curious about what we are having, and the subject of price comes up: should an expensive bottle be opened? When is it good enough an occasion?
OB: "I don't know. It's my first time."
He has a trick up his sleeve, our OB, and he pours another mystery dram.
Dram #7
Nose: a lick of nail varnish leads to waxy fruit (chiefly mango skins), marzipan and lichen. There may be some jasmine perfume to boot, though it is hard to recognise. Mouth: a hint of rubber at first, and lots of fruit -- mango, papaya, pink grapefruit, pineapple skins, cucumber flesh (!) Yeah, there is a soft bitter touch, but most of what comes to the fore is fruit. Finish: big, fruity, very fruity. Lots of mango again, pineapple, guava, papaya. It is long and full of pleasure. Comments: one sniff and I recognised it. It is as good as I remembered it. It starts off a bit closed (OB opened the bottle a few minutes ago), much to Cavalier66's disappointment, but it opens up rather quickly. Cavalier66 will never know: patient as he is, he necked it in one gulp (not really). :-) Cambus 40yo 1975/2016 (52.7%, OB, Hogsheads, 1812b) 10/10
Superlative tasting. What a way to get back on the saddle!
Oh! There is a bonus dram?
Bunnahabhain 16yo b.2007 (54%, OB Limited Edition for Feis Ile 2007, Oloroso Sherry Cask, C#279, 190b): OB bought this on the back of my comments. I take no notes. Suffice to say it is still stratospheric. 9/10
Bottles start appearing. Although I am reaching capacity, this one, I want to try (again).
Brora 27yo 1981/2009 (51.3%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#291, 330b, b#76): short notes. Nose: a subdued fruitiness (dry grapes, dried-out apricots, dried mango slices) and refined ash. Mouth: the palate is very similar to the nose, with bone-dry green grapes, dried apricots, ash and white pepper (JS). Once the pepper is identified, it is pretty much all one can taste. Finish: very peppery. It does have a collection of white and yellow fruits in the background, but it is pepper's show. 8/10
OB has put almost all his open bottles onto the small table. I really have had enough, but since he insists, I go for another Cambus 40yo 1975/2016 (52.7%, OB, Hogsheads, 1812b). Some of the new-joiners have one too and seem impressed with it.
Excellent drams, perhaps more influenced by the context than usual (we are outside, it is chilly, I munch like it is my last meal).
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| Homemade couscous |
But OB is full of tricks, today: as darkness envelops our group, he announces dinner is ready. He made enough couscous to feed the street, and bought dessert too. Although I am already stuffed, I do make a point in trying everything. And it is worth it.
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The company eventually disbands around 23:00. What a day!
Happy birthday, OB!
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