22/02/2022 Fettercairn

This has not happened since 21022012 and will not happen again
until 20122102. It will then happen on 21122112,
then once more on 22122122, then never again! (at least, not AD)
Tuesday is also the 2nd day of the week

Fettercairn 11yo 2008/2019 (50%, Hunter Laing The Old Malt Cask 50°, Refill Butt, C#16646, 606b): nose: it is an entertaining nose, as only Fettercairn can make them; a mix of pickled onions, some porridge and vinegar poured onto otherwise-sweet grist. There may be a notch of cardboard, but it is a boldly cereal-y onslaught. Further on, we have a drop of yellow-fruit eau-de-vie (Quetsch, I would say) and a sweetened hay broth. Next, pencil and crayon shavings, gently waxy and dusty. That waxy note properly takes off, yet it is neither beeswax, nor furniture polish -- no, it is closer to makeup and sparkly wax. However, the same porridge soon comes back. The second nose has model paint (more Revell than Tamiya) and a dash of paint thinner in which paint brushes are soaking. Much later on, it has a distant whiff of dried herbs, crushed in a stone mortar (by a stone pestle, it goes without saying). Mouth: sharp and narrow, it shoots laser beams of hay and grist, dishes out porridge and colour-pencil lead. It does not taste of vinegar; that aspect is reduced to a sharpness reminiscent of pickled onions. Model paint comes back from the second sip onwards, supported by roasted-chicory granules (Ricoré) and Vanidene. I find it astonishingly granulated, all of a sudden, and I can obviously not explain why: it is liquid, of course, not grit! All the same, that impression persists. Finish: milkier than one could imagine, the finish sees roasted chicory again, chocolate milk and mocha flan. It feels silky and custard-y, leaves the palate coated with a thin, sweet layer that shouts warm oat "milk", drunk from a metallic mug. Indeed, the roof of the mouth picks up tiny notes of metal, now. A spoon used to stir coffee (or Ricoré). Original. In the long run, all that becomes more and more chocolate-y, which is always a bonus. This one really benefits from breathing. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, SL)

16/02/2022 Benrinnes

Benrinnes 33yo 1984/2018 (57.3%, Adelphi Limited, C#2032, 395b): nose: there is some wonderful, rich resin, in here, dark honeys, so dark they look like tar, and, naturally, the pine cones and needles that are the unmistakable trademark of this distillery. What is unexpected is how greasy it comes out. Aside from the resin cake, it has hemp oil and clean engine oil. Pretty soon, the pine notes come back, with Suc des Vosges and Gocce Pino so fresh they feel borderline mentholated. That is not all, however: further nosing unveils a delicate tangerine paste akin to a pulpy sweet marmalade. Even later, that morphs into a waxy nut paste -- cashew is my guess; when is Diwali, this year? Late October? -- and soft, decaying, rippled apricots. Perhaps there is even a faint whiff of fresh, oily tobacco, come to think of it -- far in the back of the nose, that is. As one thinks that is the nose wrapped up, prune-y plums come dispense the final slap in the face. The second nose has cigar leaves and hay, even though it does not fully do away with the honey. I now dream of honey-glazed haystacks, which might prove too expensive and wasteful to make happen. :-) Finally, we have tangerine-flavoured Tic-Tacs. Mouth: mildly, drying and biting at first, this turns juicy in seconds. Plums indeed, then, very quickly, pine resin and a menthol that flirts with peppermint. Oh! it is not tired in the slightest, this one. It has stem ginger, fresh lemongrass, pressed apricots, so dry they barely gave any juice, crushed pine cones... Fresh, juicy and woody, to summarise. The texture is surprisingly oily, with the resinous cake from the nose making a comeback, alongside dark, (almost) liquorice-y honeys, and a drop of engine oil. The second sip seems sweeter, with stem-ginger syrup and manuka honey poured on pine cones as they release their spores. Remarkable. Finish: it is in the finish that this one reveals all its magic: it is both fresh and warming/comforting at the same time. In more detail, it brings back the pine notes (Suc des Vosges, probably, although it really is a walk in a pine clearing), the dark pouring honey that is now borderline liquorice syrup, the oily resin and plum juice, a minuscule dash of engine oil, and rippled-apricot flesh. The wood seems less pronounced than on the palate, and appears to take on acidity, rather than bitterness -- again, pine wood, instead of, say, hazel. That means there is some ginger, yet pine cones are stronger. The second sip has chewy-pine-bark-meets-honey-lozenges, stem ginger and kaju katli. The death sees a lingering citrusness harking back to pulpy tangerine paste, partly acidic, partly bitter, partly sweet fruit, which cannot not remind me of marmalade. When swallowing more quickly, the whisky even hints at milk chocolate. This is amazing. I am in a generous mood, so it will be... 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, adc)

14/02/2022 Aberlover

Aberlour 10yo (40%, OB, L0145/L0146, b. ca 1990): nose: gentle and pleasant notes of caramelised orange rinds and stewing marmalade that are characteristic of every-day malts from that era. It has a whisper of toasted cereals, then candied tangerines and pink-grapefruit segments, as well as caramelised peel. Next up is a scent of fudge, then stale lemonade. This brings one back to one's grandparents, suggesting a simpler time with simpler -- but no-less-comforting -- tastes. The second nose is darker, more influenced by sherry, with beef-stock cubes and earthy fortified wine (Madeira?), if not middle-aged rubber. Mouth: soft and fruity, it is similar to the nose in its display of candied citrus, caramelised citrus peel and general comfy fruitiness. Marmalade features prominently, with fudge providing backing vocals. It has more butter than the nose hinted at, so fudge seems apt indeed. There is a distant wood bitterness, not at all a nuisance. The texture is really that of lemonade. The second sip adds some plastic to the equation -- it is like drinking lemonade from a black plastic bottle, of the sort they give away after organised races. Finish: lemonade here too, the finish sees the very distinct addition of butterscotch. Whereas it had oozed Sherry maturation through every pore to this point, it is more nuanced, here, and I reckon it is safe to say that at least some Bourbon casks were used in the mix: the clearly custard-y touch is a tell-tale. Caramel flan, spiked custard, a few drops of cola, (woops! That is the Sherry taking back control, innit). It is acidic, sweet and gently bitter, which means there is something for virtually everyone in here -- and that is kind of the point of this entry-level bottling, I suppose: nothing offensive to anyone. Still, if all entry-level whiskies had this level of quality, I do not think many would complain! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, adc)

Happy commercial day to all lovers.

10/02/2022 Bowmore

Bowmore 16yo 1996/2012 (46%, Morrison & Mackay Càrn Mòr Strictily Limited Edition, Sherry Butt, 844b): nose: well, generous, greasy peat is the first thing that caresses the nostrils. It is black sands, lapped by the sea, more than a black tide, mind. In no time at all, char-grilled orange segments join the dance; they are not obvious, underneath that thick layer of char, but they are there alright. Then, something fresher happens -- perhaps pomelo zest, mixed in with crushed mint. It keeps evolving, however: next is a blend of plum juice and wood lacquer. Finally, line-drying linen appears, after it has been laundered with a vaguely-citrus-y washing powder. What a ride! The second nose has dried apricot, peeking in the distance. Mouth: on the tongue too, the first, obvious thing is peat. It is gentle enough, but peat nonetheless. It goes from the croissant tray in a baker's oven to petrol-stained sand, which is to say charred buttery dough and a much more petrolic aspect. It feels strongly phenolic, at any rate -- charred oranges, roasted pomelos, grilled yellow plums. No shortage of fruit, here, though mostly charred. The second sip adds gentle spices to that: smoked cloves, toasted coriander powder, perhaps black cardamom shavings. The texture seems thin at first, until it becomes clear it clings to the palate alright. Finish: easy enough at first glance, it quickly demonstrates how bold it is by coating the palate, tongue and gums. The citrus fruit is now charred beyond recognition, the afore-mentioned croissant is reduced to a pile of parched, black crumbs on tin, and the petrol is as good as evaporated. The palate is left coated in char, chewy and desiccating, as if it had gone through a blackened Wensleydale-with-apricots toastie. The second sip is still char-y, yet it has burnt wood, competing with the charred fruit and pastry. It is rather elegant too: toasty-woody, gently-bitter aniseed morphs into roasted citrus and apricot. Very good. Funny how the peat dissipates rather quickly to make room for a charred-fruit profile. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, PSc)

05/02/2022 Partygate

At Cavalier66's suggestion, we are gathering to commemorate the recent scandal in UK politics (lockdown-breaking office parties involving the Prime Minister and many others).

BA, CB, OB, Cavalier66 and JS have all brought good bottles for the occasion.

Word.

Also: 1960s-Bowmore socks

And sexual-encounter-of-the-partygate-type shirt

The soundtrack: Pye Corner Audio - Entangled Routes

The English Whisky Company 8yo b.2018 (52.3%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Sauternes and Bourbon Casks, B#2, 845b, b#487) (Cavalier66): the picture, Cavalier66 says, is how the English feel about the Prime Minister, at the moment: they see flames because of all the lies; they see little dragons, because he is sexually incontinent; they want to split him in two with a sword. Nose: sweet and spicy -- oh! so spicy. It smells of smoked paprika, old oak (CB), prunes, and, perhaps, earthy sherry. It is quite meaty, reeking of beef jerky and coq-au-vin, before watercolour and crusty earth bring it back to the soil. Water allows flowers to emerge and makes it smell like an ancient blend. Mouth: meaty and earthy, it is also spectacularly spicy -- garam masala, is particularly punchy. There is a hint of spent matches (CB), though it does not become too sulphur-y. Water makes it softer. In fact, it is now too soft, with forsythia macerating in water. Finish: big and boisterous, it has dry earth and beef jerky. Water adds a flower broth, but I cannot help feeling that I have drowned it (with only a few drops). It does have a lovely ancient-whisky feel, but it is too diluted. 7/10

The soundtrack: Dead Melodies - Fabled Machines Of Old

We talk about Ralfy (of ralfy.com).

CB: "I prefer his fitness channel."

tOMoH: "You're joking, right?"

CB: "Yes."

BA: "No: he really has a fitness channel." :-O

BA produces his bottle.

Cavalier66: "What is the connection to the theme?"

BA: "I drank a lot of this in the office."

Benrinnes 20yo b.2016 (50%, Speciality Drinks Edition Time II, 280b) (BA): nose: boiled sweets (Cavalier66), pine needles (everyone agrees with me on that), wax (BA), a little note of wedding dragée, vanilla lozenges and pine-y custard. The second nose brings a soft coffee note, as well as tarragon (JS). Mouth: ooft! Madeira-infused vanilla sponge cake, Gocce Pino's pine-y filling, toothpaste. The second mouth seems spicier, with something reminiscent of Fisherman's Friend -- that would be peppermint, then. Finish: excellent, full of mentholated vanilla custard and Gocce Pino filling. This is the highlight, so far. 8/10

JS introduces Tor(y no )more. Because after all these scandals,
the Tories will likely not come back to government for a while.

Tormore 29yo 1984/2013 (53.9%, www.whiskybroker.co.uk, Barrel, C#3674, 107b) (JS): nose: a pinch of yeast (Cavalier66 and OB call it Marmite, but that is far fetched), honeysuckle or jasmine (CB), engine oil in the background (BA), Flump (BA). I get toffee and strawberry. "It's not beach-chair-y, it's armchair-y" (Cavalier66). There is a note of soft menthol too, but mostly toffee and strawberry, in my view. Mouth: ginger biscuits replace the toffee from the nose. It has a tiny bitterness too, green-tea leaves, I would wager, and a growing spiciness (ginger most prominent). Finish: marvellous, this is mentholated and custard-y, with a minuscule hazelnut-y bitterness, hazelnut paste. Full notes here. 9/10

Cavalier66: "It was so funny: it became better and better with time, but the Marmite note stayed."

tOMoH: "It was a love it or love it whisky!"

Islington saucisson, ham and salami, Comté, Manchego,
olives, artisan bread, foccaccia and kouign-amann,
plus a selection of plantain crisps and Serious Pig snacking cheese

The soundtrack: Boccaccio Life (the foccaccia Cavalier66 brought makes me think of this, so...)

OB presents Loch(down)side. He adds that the Prime Minister was ambushed into a surprise birthday party, and OB opened this bottle for his own birthday party (which did not happen during lockdown).

Lochside 37yo 1981/2018 (48.6%, The Whisky Agency, Butt) (OB): nose: cut persimmon, cut peach, yellow plum, mirabelle plum. After a while, some earthier, gently meatier sherry notes come to the fore. That translates into burnt wood, at some point, very faint. Mouth: soft, mellow, it is silky, coating and fruity, with just a tiny note of moss on slate or lichen on stave that does not at all conceal juicy plum and persimmon soaked in sangria. Excellent. Finish: long, syrupy, full of currants. Some pine sap, maybe? Yes, it is less tropical than the nose had us hope, but it remains a treat. 9/10

BA: "I used to buy bottles from 1981 for my brother, because it is his vintage. I always forget he's teetotal."

tOMoH: "It is cut fruit and flowers in mud. It is fantastic."

OB [who is disappointed with his own bottle, today]: "You're probably right, and I'm probably wrong, but..."

tOMoH: "What did you say?"

OB: "Shut up."

Cavalier66 notes that partygate made the Irish question worse. Facing complaints that that is not funny enough, Cavalier66 explains that the Irish like a good party, and that is why we are having Irish whisky."

Gelston's Old Irish Whiskey 26yo b.2017 (54.2%, Halewood, Bourbon Cask, 300b, b#238) (Cavalier66): this time, the unbelievable fruitiness is joined by a pronounced herbaceous note (verbena, sage) that reminds me of 117.3. It also is much louder than I remembered it. Let me be brief, because I am behind: it is really ridiculously fruity. Mouth: bold fruit -- jackfruit, says Cavalier66, persimmon, pomelo (BA), yellow peach, crushed apricot and peach pulp. Finish: a tropical-fruit explosion. Let us leave it at that. Full notes here. 10/10

tOMoH: "Have you tried this before, CB?"

CB: "I think I tried it at the Whisky Show..."

tOMoH: "I have to correct you: you tried it at Whisky Show."

CB: "I was about to add: it was probably not the best context."

Cavalier66: "It was probably not best context."

The soundtrack: Boccaccio Life 3 -- The Classics

The Old Man Of Huy presents: Partygate, fast becoming Glen-Keir's Treasure (for Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition).

St. Magdalene 26yo 1982/2009 (59.1%, Douglas Laing for The Whisky Shop Glenkeir Treasures Cask Strength Selection, 144b) (tOMoH): nose: a mix of currants, flint and warming wood by the fire, with also grape-pip oil. Mouth: some pepper, flint again, pebbles. It is not an easily-accessible Maggie. It is drying and austere (if not the most austere of them), with just a drop of pressed currants. Later on, it comes up with a stack of menthol too. Finish: huge, flinty, acidic, ripe with decaying currants. I will take longer note another time. The only thing I will say is that it is one to spend time with. Drink it too quickly and it will hurt you. 9/10

CB presents the prorogation of Parliament. On 28 August 2019, the Parliament of the United Kingdom was ordered to be prorogued by Queen Elizabeth II upon the advice of the Conservative Prime Minister, advice later ruled to be unlawful.

The GlenDronach 21yo Parliament b.2020 (48%, OB , Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry Casks, LP11163) (CB): nose: dark cocoa powder, cola (Cavalier66), pressed raisins (BA). Honestly, it has a touch of sulphur too. "This is like a classy Dalmore," says CB. Mouth: a bit thin, after the previous high-ABV drams, but it has watery chocolate, it seems. Finish: prunes and Corinth raisins, dates, figs, and Caramella Mokatine. Pretty good. 7/10

The soundtrack: R.I.C. - Distance

OB: on the 13th November 2020, the Prime Minister allegedly hosted a party, and his wife Carrie allegedly played a song by Abba-rlour.

Sinking to new lows. Love it.

Aberlour 17yo 2003/2020 Single Cask Edition (58.5%, OB The Distillery Reserve Collection, 1st Fill Butt, C#9034, 900b, b#799, LKNP1534) (OB): nose: beef stock, beef-stock cubes, in fact: it is dry, salty and crumbly. Maybe there is a drop of Worcestershire sauce in there, somewhere. Oilskins appear too. Water makes it musty and a little more flowery. Mouth: distinct sugar arises in a sea of beef stock. Water does not change it much. Finish: big, it has oxtail broth and cocoa powder mixed in with dark beef stock again. There is a gentle bitterness of liquorice as well, but what dominates the finish is cocoa. Water turns it into cola with a pinch of coffee grounds. 7/10

BA introduces the next bottle: "This Arran was bottled for a Lynn. There is a Lynn in every office who makes sure that everything runs ok. She makes sure there is booze for all office parties, for example."

Lochranza 21yo 1996/2018 (50.2%, Undisclosed Bottler for Nigel & Lynn Arnold, C#1511) (BA): nose: sweet pine drops, pine bark. Thirty minutes in, the nose sees Haribo banana sweets, marzipan, melting and caramelising in a pan. It comes close to pine cones and unripe pineapple, with time. Mouth: liquorice bark, cedar resin and sumac. Finish: this is long, pine-y to a point it is borderline citrus-y, with candied pine cones and pine needles. There is a pinch of sumac again, then the sweetness of figs and dried dates -- or is it concentrated tamarind, perhaps? 7/10

My co-tasters have the Ardbeg Fermutation (49.4%, Duty Paid Sample). I am behind, so I ask to have it later (it was supposed to be next to last anyway), then run out of time. Ah, well.

Cavalier66 and OB leave.

CB: "The party arguments have felt like a long row."

Longrow 13yo 1989/2002 (53.2%, OB, Sherry Wood, 2350b) (CB): nose: fresh, it has herbs, dried toothpaste, then farm-y scents -- muddy, earthy paths, mud, caked onto tractor tyres, ploughed fields. There is a lovely, subdued orange-peel note as well. Mouth: mentholated citrus, bitter orange, blush orange, pink-grapefruit peels and something really sweet. Not much of the farmland subsists, other than a pinch of dirt. Finish: long, assertive and elegant, fresh, citrus-y. In one word: excellent. 8/10

CB: "The Prime Minister is a bit of the Laph-ing stock of the political world."

Laphroaig 21yo 1998/2020 (59.9%, Douglas Laing Old Particular, Refill Sherry Butt, C#DL 14020, 228b) (CB): nose: roar! Mud and roasted cereals, immediately. It smells surprisingly balanced, with a film of bacon fat rubbed onto it, and embers. Oh! the bacon is growing quite bold, now, and it is joined by leather. Much later on, a gently waxy touch appears too; drying watercolour, I would say. At a push, there are dry tropical fruits, albeit shy ones. Mouth: savagely peaty, full of varnish and syrupy cherry juice. It is drying like lichen on liqueur-soaked staves, peppered with ash -- or maybe they are still embers. Dark cherries, stewed at very high heat, blackcurrant jam, still warm from the pot. Finish: long and powerful, this bulldozes all in its path. At first, it is hot blackcurrant and dark-cherry jam, then dried mud and crumbly peat take over, though that never completely eclipses the dark fruits. A very good Laphroaig, this. Not medicinal at all. 8/10

We finish around 20:20, after an excellent afternoon.

29/01/2022 Burns Night 2022 -- Man to Man (Part2)

Continuing on from Part 1.

The soundtrack:

Crikey! Another broken cork!

The Old Man of Hoy 10yo b.1995 (43%, Blackadder International, 95/2319) (adc): the bottle code suggests it was bottled by Signatory for Blackadder, while the golden stopper foil hints at Cadenhead instead. Nose: amazingly bold, this has scorched earth, heather roots, smoked lavender and parched soil. This is soooooo earthy! Later on, some glue comes up too -- carpet glue, to be precise. The second nose is all about stone chippings and ground pepper, glazed in honey. Mouth: soft, driven by honey, this has a lick of acidity, alongside citrus zest and liquorice shavings. Finish: long, assertive, if not bold, it has a bit of smoke, a lot of earth and then some honey. This is excellent! 8/10

Psycho marvels at Blackadder's bottling a whisky for this blog, seventeen years before it existed. A long explanation ensues of what the Old Man of Hoy is (a sea stack in Scotland) and why my blog is called the Old Man of Huy (I am an old man, I am from Huy, I drink whisky and I like bad puns). Despite adc's and my efforts, he never seems to register. adc goes to bed, exhausted by the exchange.

Next is Bishlouk with a vi Clinchelish di Hu worthy of EG's Macallan 1962 or kruuk2's Varran Malt.

Bishlouk: "C'est du vieux gaélique wallon."
vî = old
clinche = incapable
clinchelish is a contraction of clinche and Clynelish
di = of
Hu = Huy

26.137 8yo d.2011 Chasing chameleons (58.6%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 244b) (Bishlouk): nose: oooh! This is remarkably fresh, full of metal and cut fruit (apples), perhaps a bit of musk (or is that autosuggestion because I know the distillery?) It feels quite close to the gel-like paste in a Mentos. Mouth: a soft woody bitterness takes off (hazel), as does a growing spicy heat that serves lemongrass stalks all round. Apricot develops; so does the bitterness of apricot stone. Finish: big, mentholated, fresh and quite woody. This tastes a lot older than it actually is. It has a soft note of cork, in the end, though not in a bad way. 8/10

Gaija demonstrates his fencing skills
on a second cake, because, let us face it, one is a pittance

Glendalough Calvados XO (42%, OB Single Cask, French Oak Calvados Cask Finish, C#RC1232, 700b, b#022) (ruckus): nose: astonishingly marked by the Calvados. It is so pronounced it seems closer to that eau-de-vie than to whisky. Apple and metal, before lichen rocks up, hand in hand with verdigris. It is very much an apple eau-de-vie that smells a bit like a grain whisky. Mouth: soft, almost weak... for a second: it quickly grows back to stand up on its own feet, and has cider brandy oozing through every pore. It has a clear sweetness, but also a fruity-woody structure. In the long run, the sweetness becomes significantly more assertive. Finish: apples and nuts, with just as much sweetness as nuttiness. The sweetness ends up being a bit much, in the long run, but this is a more-than-decent drop all the same. 7/10

Not content with arriving two hours late, Bishlouk and STL have to leave early: like Cinderella, the Mogwai, they must not be out after midnight o'clock. They try the Bunnahabhain and the Ardbeg out of sequence (and out of time) before departing. A shame too: they will miss some spectacular drams.

The cork may not break, but
it needs to be replaced, as
the level hints at

The Cally 40yo 1974/2015 (53.3%, OB, 5060b, b#3642) (group): nose: nose: phwoar! Pine cones, pine sap, furniture polish, tins of toffee, then blackcurrant Lots of blackcurrant. Invergordon levels of blackcurrant. Mouth: one for the sweet teeth of the whisky world, without a doubt. It is very sweet indeed, even if it does not lack in the metallic and herbaceous departments, which is to say the taste buds detect a clear bitterness. The berries soon come back, blackcurrants or blackberries. Finish: long and sweet, it has raw shortbread dough, blackcurrant turnovers, berries-stuffed waffles and all sorts of pastries. This is magnificent, better even than I remembered it. 9/10

There is a piper on the label

ruckus: "'Kali' means 'black' in Hindi."
tOMoH: "In Greek, it means 'good'. 'Kalymera for 'good morning,' 'kalyspera' for 'good evening,' 'kaly aurexi' for 'bon appétit,' 'Kaly Ma Shakti De' for 'good death, little prick'...

dom666 struggled to find a bottle with the picture of a man on it, and resorted to the poor man's solution of going for an officially-bottled Bunna. He only has one. Considering it is one of the top Bunnas, we are tremendously disappointed -- not. He tells everyone how he received it for a birthday and laments that time is not standing still.

tOMoH [to dom666]: "You did not celebrate your birthday in 2020 or 2021, so you are still [the age you were in 2019]."
dom666: "As you wish. My body will probably tell me to go fuck myself..."
Psycho: "Ah! Your body is finally in agreement with us!"

Dear reader, you may remember that dom666 and his proverbial delicate dexterity broke the cork when he first opened the bottle.

Bunnahabhain 16yo b.2007 (54%, OB Limited Edition for Feis Ile 2007, Oloroso Sherry Cask, C#276, 190b) (dom666): nose: phwoar! This is another earthy number, with a clear walk through a damp cellar; rancio through and through. There are some berries and lichen growing on an old leather sofa too. It does not stay there, though: it has pastry and baked plums as well. Still, the earth is never far. Mouth: cola and greasy, greasy soil and coffee. It is sweet and bone-dry at the same time, which is quite impressive. Imagine an earthy cola. It may read off, but it works perfectly. Finish: ooft! This is so dry, tonight. It is akin to munching a fistful of desert dirt, washed down with Chinotto or flat cola. It really is a masterpiece. 9/10

Gaija [referring to 135.11]: "C'est du dégueulasse flamboyant!"

We move to the sofas and stoke the fire. ruckus is trainspotting.

ruckus: "Nena?"
tOMoH: "Yes, but not alone. She is joined by one of the nicest creatures of all time."
ruckus: "Demis Roussos?"

I thought we would have tons of Chieftain's
but it is only now we have our first -- and last.

Caol Ila 10yo 1996/2007 (46%, Ian Macleod Distillers Chieftain's, Rum Finish, C#90361/90366, 2016b) (ruckus): nose: this one has a chiselled peaty profile, with peat bogs over a hard bedrock, but also a lot of citrus. Lemon juice, granite. Soon, dried-mud cakes appear, so do dried algae. It becomes rather petrolic, with oil-tainted sands and oil spills. Mouth: lots of mud, then fishing nets, followed by a very unexpected fruitiness. Peaches, sweetened jams and cold apricot compote. Finish: there is a lot of fruit, here -- smoked peaches (and I mean heavily smoked). It has peach slices in buckets of soot, char, embers, and it even tips over to ashes. 8/10

dom666: "I did not finish a dram only twice."
tOMoH: "Only twice has dom666 not finished a dram. One I do not recall; the other one was my Tamdhu in the Dun Bheaghan range. You dumped it in sonicvince's planters. As you can see, I still have not swallowed it."
dom666: "Well, neither have I."

Ardbeg 15yo 1990/2006 (58.6%, Taste Still Selection, C#2900, 271b) (dom666): dom666 cheated for this one. He broke the cork and replaced it before travelling here, saving himself the embarrassment of doing it in front of us all. Nose: stagnant water, silt, peat bogs, but then also a much dryer side, with scorched earth, burning hay and ink -- oh! it is subtle, mind. The very back of the nose is full of ashes and burnt-paper dust. Mouth: hot, it has lemongrass, ginger, burning hay and a lot of peat. In the long run, it develops a note of strawberry to complement the peat. That berry sweetness grows with time, which is great. It almost overshadows the fierce burning hay -- almost. Finish: big, hot, a bit rough, honestly. This finish sees a lot of dry peat, now, smoked-clam shells and farm paths. Eventually, the berries extend to the finish, although they are very much scorched berries. This does not work that well for me, tonight. 6/10

Psycho: "Being dead is like being stupid: it is more painful for others."

dom666: "Knowing that homo sapiens all have African ancestors..."
tOMoH: "No, no, no. I am hetero sapiens, so it does not concern me."

Gaija calls it quits and goes to bed. The lightweight. Time to pull out the good stuff. JS, dom666, ruckus, Psycho and I have this staple:

Port Charlotte 14yo 2002/2017 (60.1%, The Creative Whisky Company The Exclusive Malts, Sherry Hogshead, C#1140, 228b) (group): it is strong, earthy, root-y and surprisingly sweet, tonight, cola-like. The width and power are simply flabbergasting. This remains a killer. 9/10

Psycho [about his martial arts prowess]: "Even when I shut my mouth, I get bullied. The sensei take liberties with me that they would not with others."
dom666: "Of course, battering the six-year-olds in your class would be frowned upon..."

We hang up the gloves just after 6:00.

Dram of the day:

Psycho: Ardbeg
adc: Glenmorangie Cellar 13, Tomatin for La Confrérie, The Old Man of Hoy
ruckus: Glenmorangie 1963, Glenmorangie Cellar 13, The Cally
dom666: Glenmorangie 1963, Tomatin 43yo
JS: Glenmorangie 1963
Gaija: Glenmorangie 1963, The Cally
tOMoH: Glenmorangie 1963

29/01/2022 Burns Night 2022 -- Man to Man (Part 1)

At last, we are back in Huy for the traditional Burns Night celebration. The Plague is still on, even if restrictions are mostly manageable, now. Regardless, Red71 calls off, as he does not want to risk giving his missus something he might pick up tonight (considering adc is still recovering from COVID-19, it is not that wacky an idea), kruuk2 and PSc are travelling soon and need a clean bill of health, so they are not coming, and sonicvince and his missus have enough school-age children to guarantee an endless supply of COVID-19 at home (sonicvince has it now).

The idea for this theme came after watching, in no particular order, Cobra, Hokuto no Ken / Fist of the North Star, Bloodsport. The 1980s macho film had its own, virile often hair-metal soundtrack. JS and I thought it would be a lot of fun to have a tasting, in which we would have only bottles that sport men on their labels (or women -- it is 2022, after all). That was meant to happen in 2021. The Plague stopped that, and we recycled the theme for the London crew. Now that we can travel again (with acceptable caveats, that is), let us do it in Belgium.

With lots of whisky!

The suspects: adc, ruckus, Psycho, dom666, Gaija, JS, Bishlouk, STL, me.

This year saw pressure to start earlier than previous years; guests start arriving at 17:05 or so. By 18:30 or thereabout, kitchen preparation are advanced enough and we have enough people to start. Also, we are thirsty.

I improvise a very short speech. It is our first get-together in fifteen months, and I want to share how excited I am that a decent number made it. More importantly, I want everyone to be there when I introduce...

This.
Of course, the cork breaks

As expected, the welcome is incredulous at first, then raucous. The decanter is so kitsch it hurts. It also makes no sense unless one knows the legend of Irish Mist: take a seat, I will give you a summary.

Irish Mist is a traditional Irish heather-wine recipe, that is to say herbs macerated in alcohol.

As a result of the Williamite War of the late XVIIth century, many Irish Jacobites fled to France where they formed the country's Irish Brigade; others were arrested and sent to serve in the Austrian--Ottoman War, as part of Austria's own Irish Brigade. Allegedly, those Irishmen (nicknamed the Wild Geese) took the recipe with them.

Ireland then embarrassingly forgot how to make Irish Mist. They tried, but could not replicate it. Until, after the Second World War, a liqueurist from Continental Europe (possibly Germany), but of Irish ancestry, came back to the Gaelic Heimat and taught the locals how to make their own liqueur again.

Because one should not let historical accuracy get in the way of a nice story, and because, let us be honest, establishing a precise timeline of events stretching over three hundred years is difficult at best, let us believe the official claim that the liqueurist in question was, in fact, a descendant of a Wild Goose who served in the Austrian army's Irish Brigade. This ceramic figurine-decanter is that very soldier.

A lot of fun to pour, that is

Bishlouk and STL arrive as we try it. Clearly, they do not know the difference between 17:00 and 7:00pm. Ah well, they are here in the end.

The full line-up

Irish Mist (65° Proof, The Irish Mist Liqueur Co. imported by Heublein Inc., b.1970s) (tOMoH): nose: a bit of metal, verbena, sage, and a sweet aspect. The second nose seems dustier, with lots of hay (STL). Mouth: honey and sweetness galore. This is sweet, but actually very pleasant. I cannot say how much I could drink of it before finding it sickly, mind. Finish: sweet, pleasant, milky, creamy. The finish is long and sweet, close to Bailey's. 7/10

The soundtrack: noizaddict - Man to Man (not online yet)

Split-pea velouté (with crispy coppa -- not in the picture)

Who are these strange people?

St Magdalene 1980/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Centenary Reserve, IE/ABE) (tOMoH): yes, I used this one in the London tasting too. Get over it. Nose: a hint of musk, then flowers and cut yellow fruits. Peach, drying on the radiator. Mouth: hay, soft and mellow yellow fruit. It has a softly-drying touch, as well as, well, yellow fruit, which is juicier. Finish: a notch of burnt wood complements the yellow fruit. This is excellent. The lack of power is less and less an issue, the more I try it. Full notes here. 8/10

There is a collection of blokes
on the box too

dom666: "One day, my mother said, 'What did I do to God to end up with with a boy like you?' I said, 'You had drunken sex!'"
tOMoH: "How did she take it?"
dom666: "Pretty well. She said it was not false. The staff of the catholic college I said it in were less thrilled."

No haggis, this year, thanks to Brexit. Sausages enter. And vegetarian haggis. Only meat and dairy seem to be problematic.

Sticky sausages, thyme and apple bake

Veggie haggises

Warm Brussels-sprout salad

Modest portions

Dalwhinnie 15yo (43%, OB, L5164CM000 02076773) (Psycho): nose: wide and generous, it has something vaguely nutty too. Further is a drop of grape juice and cut apple. Mouth: assertive, it has a touch of metal to complement apple pips. The texture is reminiscent of custard, though it feels more metallic. Finish: more straightforward, here, with nutty butter and, again, a metallic side. Pretty good. I always find it useful to try those flagships once in a while. It reminds one why they are flagships in the first place. 7/10

There are three Highlanders on the box...
...if one looks really hard

The soundtrack:

As we tend to do, we improvise a duel with two expressions from the same distillery.

Tomatin vs. Tomatin

Tomatin 11yo 2009/2021 (54.9%, Le Gus't for La Confrérie du Whisky, Bourbon Barrel, C#262, 217b, b#36) (STL): nose: a big, bold Bourbon-cask influence. It is a little woody (white wood) and super buttery. Mouth: white pepper on peach slices and a drop of wood varnish. This is hot, but balanced. Hot apricot, chilli and hot avocado -- the texture is precisely that of hot avocado flesh. Finish: long and spicy, it has sawdust, more avocado and hot apricot compote, peppered with ground white pepper. This is very good. An unusual bottling that is more than a curiosity. 8/10

vs.

Tomatin 43yo 1965/2009 (41.1%, The Lonach Whisky Company Lonach imported by Preiss Imports) (JS): nose: funnily enough, it is quite similar to its younger sibling, yet if it is obviously much tamer, it also cranks up the fruit to the max: marmalade and peach jam with a metallic edge. The metal flirts with minty toothpaste, even. Mouth: mellow, super fruity, it has mango, cut peach dripping sweet juice, and a sprinkle of dust. Finish: amazing, fruity, dusty. Full notes here. It is the best whisky, so far. Of course, the night is young. 9/10

JS [about the track currently playing]: "Ah! It is this thing with Sting."
ruckus: "It's not Sting."
JS: "It sounds like him."
tOMoH: "Money For Nothing?"
ruckus: "Eberhard Schoener, from East Germany."
JS: "Who?"
tOMoH: "Was that Sting's name before he fled to the West?"

After that uneven duo, we have another. Glenmorangie vs. Glenmorangie. Because the juice is crafted by the Sixteen Men of Tain, of course. Annoyingly enough, that tag line appears on neither of our bottlings, tonight! The connection to the theme is therefore very Tain-uous... But since they are there, it would be rude to stow the bottles away.

 Of course, the cork breaks.

Glenmorangie 10yo Cellar 13 (43%, OB, First Fill Casks, B#2) (Psycho): nose: ahem. I do not take any note for the nose. :( Mouth: a wee bit bitter, it has a soft metal-blade aspect. Finish: milky, a tad butyric, while also rich with minty freshness. Pathetic notes, I know. I am trying to catch up. It is a cracking dram. 8/10

vs.

Glenmorangie 23yo d.1963 (43%, OB distributed by Wilmerink & Muller, Oloroso Sherry Casks Finish) (group): nose: "if you are wondering what 'rancio' means, this is it!" states Bishlouk. I do not spend half enough time as I should with this one, still playing catch-up. All the same, it is balanced, very elegant, with balsa wood and eucalyptus interwoven in all that rancio. Mouth: thin and ethereal, it still has lots of things to say. Liqueur-laced coffee, Kahlúa, Amaretto, wet coffee grounds -- wet with almond liqueur, of course. Finish: earthy, this has greasy soil to the hilt. It is rich, sweet and bitter in equal measures. Bishlouk finds it more bitter than he would like, after a couple of sips. He would not know beauty if beauty kicked him in the groin. This is a superlative dram, in line with what I remembered of it, and when I finish my dram at the end of the night, it still shines like Saint Elmo's fire. I cannot wait to spend more time with it in the future. 10/10

Poor Psycho has been hit by the same thing twice in a row: in 2020, it was his Strathisla 12yo that was easily topped by the group's Strathisla 35yo. This time, same configuration with the two Glenmorangies.

From one Oloroso maturation to another...

Arran 18yo (46%, OB, Sherry Casks, b.2019) (Bishlouk): nose: a mix of marzipan, melted chocolate, ginger paste and ginger peel. The second nose has more fruit (white peach) and a touch of coffee. Mouth: chocolate and Marmite, crushed liquorice bootlaces. It is root-y and earthy without being too drying. Finish: it seems huge for 46%. Still earthy, but also fruity and a half -- caramelised apricot compote and marmalade. Psycho finds it acidic. This recent version is as impressive as the one we had in 2018. No mean feat for a core-range entry from a young distillery. 8/10 (could easily go up to 9, when not following a legend like the 1963 Glenmorangie)

Oh! This is the theme connection. Bishlouk dared it.

That cake

Bladnoch 26yo 1990/2016 (47.2%, Sansibar for Spirit Shop' Selection, Sherry Cask, 117b) (Gaija): yes, it is a strangely-positioned apostrophe. Nose: it smells like a tannery, though it is more for the strong presence of polish and leather than meat and blood. Then, it turns woodier and displays a lovely freshness -- mint and paper paste. Mouth: dry as fook, but it is not annoying. Dusty bookshelves, old books, ground galangal, perhaps a dollop of dark chocolate. It does not lack in terms of spices, really. Finish: long and woody, it has loads of dust and spearmint. Yes, the mint is pretty fierce -- in fact, it is menthol. 8/10

Continue reading in Part 2.