At the risk of repeating myself, adc, JS and I are back in Dornoch for Hogmanay, after last year's (forced) hiatus. The whisky selection seems to not have changed much, in that time period, which is maybe good news -- I have no plan to knowingly drink from the same bottles, however amazing they were the previous years, but that may also prevent total bankruptcy.
We arrived last night, so no rest needed, this year. After a nice hike in the morning, we have a replenishing lunch.
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| Chargrilled Chicken Burger and Jenga chips for adc |
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| Battered Haddock for JS |
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| Confit Duck for me |
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Loaded Jenga Chips for sharing
(they bring the unloaded chips to begin with, much to my ire) |
Once that is done, we hit the bar. There is a welcome gin-based drink in a few hours, that we will miss -- with COVID-19 restrictions, people are ushered from the bar to the restaurant in less time than it takes to spell -19.
No matter. We have serious beverages instead.
Glen Moray 38yo 1971/2010 (48.7%, Duncan Taylor, C#7032, 256b, b#155): nose: a lovely sherry influence, subdued, but clear. It has cold tobacco, noble leather sofas, barely concealing rose petals and juicy tropical fruits -- roasted lychee, grilled mango, toasted papaya. There is a constant interplay between toasted notes (it never goes as far as liquorice) and fruity shades. Beautiful. The second nose has dark honey, almost black, setting heather honey and prunes in syrup. Mouth: the moderate ABV makes this the perfect starter, and the toasted fruits from the nose are here in full form as well. It has a pronounced woodiness, with wormwood, rustic old tables, a lick of varnish two hundred years old, then a bit of sawdust and pollen, which coincides with the return of honey. The second sip becomes more drying, closer to lichen on limestone. The dark honey soon comes to the rescue, mind. Finish: wide, dark, it has toasted bread and raisins (that would be toasted kramiek, then), and also sumac, ground black cumin and ground cloves. It is so covered in honey that it never becomes drying. At a push, this may flirt with liquorice bootlaces, but it is more to my liking than they. Lovely dram. "I have no plan to knowingly drink from the same bottles, however amazing they were the previous years," he said, then manages to start the session with a dram he already had. 9/10
Glenlossie 35yo 1975/2011 (52%, The Whisky Agency, 212b): nose: on the surface, it is wood, wood, wood; digging deeper, however, this has green apple by the shovelful -- baked apple, candied apple, apple pie (JS), apple compote. All that apple is doused in cinnamon powder. Even deeper, one could find heather-laced hot custard. There is a little tartness too; JS reckons rhubarb, and she is on point (as so often). I am reminded of the gravy-like consistency of crumble -- an apple crumble with marzipan chunks and a drop of heather essence. Further nosing brings out toasted brioche too. Later still, warm sawdust enters the scene. Mouth: it seems very sweet on the tongue, with candied apples and maraschino cherries in hot crumble. Coating and viscous on the first sip, it becomes more metallic and drying later, with verdigris on hot copper, verbena, or perhaps sage. Finish: long, sweet and a bit flowery, this has violet sweets and heather sprinkled on crumble. It feels thick and sticky without being sickly. The second sip feels dryer, warming, with hot wool. Let us be generous, because this is a great dram. 9/10
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| A cedar waxwing in search of a cedar to land in |
Wardhead 22yo 1997/2019 (54.7%, Morrison and Mackay for R/Scotch, Refill Hogshead, C#40, 319b): nose: white wood, dry and dense, balsawood sawdust, then an unexpectedly medicinal wave, with plaster glue and bandages. From there on, we have crushed juniper berries, dried rowanberries and bay leaves. Next are hay, straw bales, and a pinch of Moroccan spices, as well as ground mace. The second nose adds a layer of black paint, as surprising as it is funny. Mouth: a lot juicier than the nose suggested, it has a mix of grapefruit and pineapple juices to complement a strong woodiness (sawdust, wood sap, resin). This one has quite a bite! adc finds it violent, even. Cracked pepper. The second sip is milder, if not mild. Cough lozenges, powerful and softly fruity. Finish: pine-scented candles, pine drops, roasted pine cones, pine honey, a drop of menthol. This is really fierce and woody. It is gingery, not splintery, but it has a hefty dose of sawdust. Repeated sipping allows elderberry drops to emerge, cough lozenges of the chewy variety. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram and happy birthday, AB)
adc: "[...] unless you have planned another birthday cake and ceremony."
tOMoH: "It'll be a floor-to-ceiling cake with a stripper inside. He'll wear a kilt . A mini-kilt that just about covers his you-know-what. In English, they call that a testikilt."
Secret Stills 02.03 32yo 1978/2011 (45%, Gordon & MacPhail Secret Stills, Sherry Butt, C#4962, 400b): nose: a strong (and successful) mix of pot-pourri and mild tobacco. It has a certain dryness to it, dusty haybales and old blankets in the loft. Then, it is berry juice in a metal timbal that does not seem precious enough to be a quaich -- it is old pewter, not shiny silver. Behind all that is a gentle jasmine scent and a floating odour of scented hand sanitiser that is pretty bothering. Still, that does not stop a faint sootiness coming out, shy, trying hard not to be noticed. The second nose reveals yellow-orange flowers (daffodils, irises, amaryllises) and dried orange peel. Mouth: a bit thin, at first contact, it has a pinch of the same soot as in the nose (not as clear as in 02.02) and caramelised marmalade. In fact, it is so caramelised it tastes burnt. The second sip is softer and more citric, with orange peel again (bitterness included). Finish: oh! this is toasted alright, even if it stays on the side of black cumin, without venturing into nigella-seed territory. Again, further sipping enhances the citric aspect very much. Mandarin peel and bergamot. Lovely drop, though not quite at the same level as earlier vintages, of course. 8/10
Imperial 25yo 1975/2000 (40%, The Highlands & Islands Scotch Whisky Co. for Jack Wiebers Whisky World Scottish Castles, 180b): nose: a very distinct brand of cooked cereal -- Ebly wheat salad with chopped red onions, crushed cashews and cashew-nut oil. This is very particular! I wonder if it is not a bowl of chopped chicory salad, after a while. Over time, it becomes more conventional, yet it stays interesting. Dried cranberries, says adc. JS finds some funk. Mouth: with zero surprise, due to its being 40%, it is fairly light and inoffensive, with some honey vinaigrette, in which the vinegar grows bolder, if it remains civilised. Following that comes a jelly of mentholated fruit; peach pulp with mint leaves would be my guess. Finish: a completely different story, here. The finish has honey, thin custard and pressed dried apricots. It is not overly sweet (in fact, it even has a soft bitterness), but sweet it definitely is, now. Very good! Coming back to it after the following dram is a mistake (this one here is much lower in alcohol): it tastes watery, sadly. Careful with the sequence. 9/10
Mystery dram: nose: lemon drizzle and yellow flowers, loud and clear, wood pulp and custard. It becomes sharper and sharper, with gingery custard taking centre stage. JS finds marshmallow and powder puff. Fleetingly, I have a whiff of coffee. It is so fleeting I wonder if they are making coffee at the bar (they are!) Mouth: mellow and full, it has mocha custard, treacle, chocolate pudding and fudge. There is a gentle nuttiness to it, more hazelnut paste than anything fiercer, and JS detects buttered popcorn. It is more velvety with each sip, almost buttery in a cocoa fashion. Finish: long and vibrant, it has more mocha and chocolate fudge or chocolate pudding. I am not a fan of mocha, but this works a treat. This finish is very long and coating, leaving a layer of sticky tar on the walls of the mouth. It is balanced though: it is liquorice and menthol, not rubber. There is also a dollop of macadamia-nut paste and thick pouring cream. I guess a Glendronach. Wrong. Annandale 3yo 2015/2018 (61.1%, A.D. Rattray Cask Collection imported by Three Rivers selected & bottled for Shinanoya, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#155, 264b) (Thanks for the dram, AB)
We break up momentarily (to the whole aviation industry in the USA: it means for a moment, not in a moment) to freshen up and dress up. Unfortunately, that means we are back in the lounge a minute late: the welcome speech is finished when we arrive, the welcome drinks have been distributed, everyone is sitting at their table. We have missed all of it.
In the dining room, two fiddlers are playing live music. It is a nice touch, though the music is a bit loud for supper time and make conversation at the table uncomfortable. Probably a mistake stemming from a good intention.
The food is amazeballs, on the other hand. There is too much of it, but hey! it is not Hogmanay every day.
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| Mini Goat's Cheese and Tomato Tart as amuse-bouche |
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| Game Terrine for adc |
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| Cream of Cauliflower Cheese Soup for JS |
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Mac & Crab for me.
I manage to drop half my macaroni into a glass of bubbly.
Sharing is dangerous. |
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| Salmon Fillet for adc |
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| 12-Hour Braised Pork Belly for JS |
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| Duck Breast for me |
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| Sticky Toffee Pudding for adc and JS |
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| Chocolate Tart for me |
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My chocolate tart is hard as rock.
Perhaps the lowlight of the stay, in terms of desserts. |
Tomintoul 18yo 1967/1985 (40%, A.B.C.): nose: lots of Old Bottle Effect (OBE): old coins, brine, as well as some fruit; quince jelly is my hunch. The old metal is never far away, with old, oxidised cutlery, old coins and old jam-jar lids. The nose is not exactly exuberant or complex, but it is full of charm. The second nose is more appealing, with lemon drizzle. Breathing does wonders and awakens timid fruit that actually grows bolder: white peach, lychee... Oh! it has gone. Mouth: it feels ancient on the tongue, exuding brine and -- guess what! -- copper coins again. Cider vinegar might just be the closest this comes to being fruity. The second sip seems strongly acidic without shaking off the metallic touch completely. Finish: a whisper of coffee, some brine, the bitterness of metal, and coins of all types, made of various alloys, and sharp verbena growing on it all. Further sips unlock lime and a rather herbaceous aspect that I cannot identify. This is not devoid of interesting tones, but I can see why it does not fare better at auction: it just is not that good. JS says it "tastes like an old whisky gone off because it was not stored properly." Speaking of interest, it is funny to see and try something that would no longer class as a single malt Scotch whisky, since it was aged and bottled in Ireland. 6/10
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| This Tomintoul keeps an Ardbeg in its dungeon |
Auchroisk 27yo 1994/2021 (51.9%, Thompson Bros. UK Exclusive, Refill Hogshead, 218b): nose: well, it could hardly be differenter. This one has jelly, as well as candlewax or lip balm. Further than that, not much. It does few things. Arguably, it does them well enough. Water really does not change it in the slightest. Mouth: mellow, not weak, it has corduroy, heated to a point it could ignite. Apricots by the wheelbarrow, very hot too, and their stones ground to a dust. By that, I mean it has a distinct bitterness. The second sip is less bitter, not not bitter. Water improves the balance a bit, without changing anything else massively either. Finish: the initial impression, again, is that of hot apricots, warm, plush and fluffy. Then, as it comes back up the oesophagus, it radiates warm herbs and hot metal, as well as ground apricot stones. In other words: it is fucking bitter. Further sips bring back the candlewax, but the mouth inexorably ends up dry and bitter. Meh. This is from a new bottle, so it might change with air contact. As it is: meh. Water gives an orange-liqueur profile that is more noticeable. Whether that is a good thing or not is down to personal preference, though. Disappointment. 6/10
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This Mizunara-matured 30yo secret-Islay cask
comes highly recommended.
Perhaps another time |
Time to hit the sack.
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