19/06/2022 Silence is Golden

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not gather in 2020 to ask Everybody knows the answer, but what is the question?, so we did yesterday. Time did not stop, however, and it is now 2022, meaning, we have more things to celebrate. Because organising for guests from several continents to be in the same room is challenging on many levels, it makes sense to maximise the use of their presence. That means a second ambitious tasting on the second day of the weekend.

Soundtrack: Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons - Silence Is Golden

The theme, Silence is Golden, is a nod to all things shiny that so many producers seem to enjoy so much: gold is likely the most common colour on a whisky label, after black and white. But then, some go overboard with the bling. Those are the ones we will focus on today.

The eve of the war

adc, JK, sonicvince and JS admire the work to-date

After setting up the venue, half of us have lunch at The Eagle.

PS and WhiskyLovingPianist are already there
and they finish eating before our food is served
(steak and chips for PS)

adc and I have the slow-cooked pork belly

JS has the nut roast

WhiskyLovingPianist has the nourish bowl
(yes, there are lots of jokes about nourishing and being nourished)

More guests arrive. We go back to the venue to finish setting up (one more dram to pour) and start.

More ambitious, today

We spent more time than foreseen at The Eagle, and some guests turn up a little late, so no time for the planned apéritif, unfortunately.

Another time, eh?
(Glenmorangie Nectar d'Òr)

The suspects: adc, JS, JK, sonicvince, PS, WhiskyLovingPianist, WK, JH, Gaija, ruckus, MV, AV, SW, Cavalier66, BA, and a surprise entrance by OB, who got over COVID-19 in less than a week. Someone else drops off at the last minute, so that is handy: no need to rush to pour one more set. Yay.

They brought cheeses, bread, chocolate, cakes, sweets, biscuits and others. I stupidly take no picture of any of it. I do, however, remind everyone that, in the run-up to this weekend, I invited the Belgians and the Swiss to bring chocolate, so as to decide once and for all which one is the best (the Belgian). I also observe that adc did bring Belgian chocolate, but none of the Swiss even made it here. One would easily conclude they were too embarrassed by the inferior quality of their product. WK reminds us he is half Swiss, and JH announces he is fully Swiss, not merely a Swiss resident (he shows his passport to prove it, which is well funny). JH quickly adds that he finds Belgian chocolate superior. That is settled, then. :-)

Sountrack: Beyoncé - Goldmember

Dram #1

Nose: cardboard and brine. Gaija thinks it smells spirit-y, while adc finds it grainy and sonicvince metallic. There is some dust at play, here, and jerky. Odd, lightly austere, but it works.

Mouth: adc finds cashew nuts and honey, sonicvince says it is light. BA notes a lighter back end with a blend feel, then he calls it sweet, sour and ashy. I am starting to taste honey.

Finish: fruitier in the aftertaste (Gaija), and it has grainy notes without the acetone of a grain (PS). It develops toffee, dust and caramel, a bit like an old Quality Street Toffee Penny, superficially stale yet not entirely lost to the aeons.

Comment: many guesses, most of blends (Johnnie Walker Gold Label is the most common guess, with people trying to decide whether it is the 18yo or the NAS). It is indeed almost blend-like; a lovely drop from the past that one would be hard-pressed to find an equivalent to in the whisky world of today. Or indeed as interesting a current Glenturret.

Connection to the song: in the film of the same name, villain Goldmember has an irrational love of gold, and is surrounded by bling. This decanter is suitably tacky and would fit in the film perfectly.

Glenturret 1966/1987 (43%, OB ceramic decanter, 500b) 7/10

It was a bit challenging to open.
JS did it expertly, with the help of JK's newly-delivered cork-extractor device

SW cannot help showing off his entirely-coincidental golden top

WhiskyLovingPianist [pointing at the gold decanter]: "Have you tried rubbing it?"
tOMoH: "I did! And you appeared!"

Soundtrack: DAF - Goldenes Spielzeug

Dram #2

Nose: honey and pinches of earth. JK calls it very fruity, yet not a fruit bomb. Apple blossom (PS), peach-tree sap (minus the bitterness), a whiff of smoke (JK), varnish (Gaija). BA thinks it is pretty concentrated.

Mouth: acidic honey, if that makes sense, with dry earth to boot, balsamic vinegar and herbs (Cavalier66).

Finish: meaty and leafy (BA), it has roasted cocoa beans (JK). Indeed, it is somewhat root-y and toasted. Cavalier66 finds it tannic, though he says water opens it up.

Comment: for some reason, this does not seem to garner as much enthusiasm as it usually does. I blame the lack of taste of the guests: it remains a cracking drop, in my opinion, but perhaps, it requires more attention than this lot is capable of giving it, right now. My full notes are here.

Connection to the song: this song was meant for another bottle, but then a better song came up for that one, so this is an emergency shoehorning. :)

Glen Elgin-Glenlivet 30yo 1978/2009 (49.1%, Cadenhead Chairman’s Stock, Bourbon Hogshead, 234b) 9/10

Soundtrack: Tina Turner - Goldeneye

Dram #3

Nose: all-encompassing (Cavalier66). Here are honeysuckle, peach blossom, apple mint and candied pear drops. WhiskyLovingPianist reckons it has both tropical and orchard fruits, then calls it flamingos in a herbs garden. It turns mango-y to the max, with also cherry blossom and shoe polish (SW). MV decides to be original and smells cheese in this. Trying hard to agree with him, I decide it may well be confectionery sugar, though that is as close to cheese as it goes for me.

Mouth: oily and ripe with mango (Cavalier66), candy sugar (MV and AV), apricots, mango, and a dusting of white-pepper powder, mango and mango. I believe the time has come to spell P-H-W-O-A-R.

Finish: ginger (MV), pomegranate molasses (adc), fruity sweets, candied mango cubes. It is refreshing (Gaija), yet also pretty spicy, with white pepper, sawdust, a pinch of ground cinnamon, ginger paste, and minute peppermint.

Comment: amazeboulanger. After what he saw as a slow start, ruckus has fits of giggles. adc brought this with her three days ago (it was bought in a country that does not ship to tOMoHland), and it certainly was worth the hassle!

Connection to the song: who plays James Bond? "Pierce Brosnan!" they reply. Then, yes, but who does now? "Daniel Craig." Cavalier66 then derives the distillery pretty easily.

Glencraig 44yo 1975/2020 (54.2%, Gordon & MacPhail 125th Anniversary Edition, Refill American Oak Hogshead, C#9686, 110b) 10/10

JS [about Cavalier66]: "We shouldn't invite this guy anymore."
tOMoH: "How rude is this bloke!?"
JH: "We know who's not coming to the 50th!"
tOMoH: "That's because he'll be dead by then!"

Soundtrack: Sting - Fields Of Gold

Dram #4

Nose: old school and syrupy, with cuberdons (which, incidentally, Gaija brought and I convinced WhiskyLovingPianist to try just yesterday, to give him a flavour reference -- you are welcome, WLP) and Cent Wafers. Raisins, dates and old stuff (MV). Sweet at first, it moves towards mushrooms, with an umami side (Cavalier66), greasy, damp earth (Gaija), and the sweat of a peasant who just brought his hay in (adc).

Mouth: sweet at first (déjà vu?), it develops a gently numbing profile that feels a bit metallic, while remaining unctuous -- an adjective that is bandied about a lot, for this dram. PS describes it as going from coal to tinned peaches.

Finish: big, long and assertive, with souped-up Cent Wafers and alcoholised fudge. Long and a little smoky (MV), yet a smoke that probably comes from the cask more than from the distillate (MV).

Comment: wow. Likely the most recent distillate, today, but it does not pale in comparison with the others. In fact, several of the attendees call it old school, before they know what it is. Lovely sweetness, and enough complexity to play in the big boys' league.

Connection to the song: fields evoke terroir. Which Scottish distillery harps on about terroir?

Bruichladdich Golder Still 23yo 1984/2008 (51%, OB, Bourbon Squat Hogsheads, 4866b, b#3090) 9/10

I tell the audience how Blacker, Golder and Redder Still (the triptych in that collection) paint the Belgian flag, and how it appealed to me because of it. I then remind them they actually came out Blacker, Redder, Golder, painting ze Djerman flag instead. Bruichladdich missed a trick, there! :-)

Soundtrack: Noel - Silent Morning

Dram #5

Nose: green apples and apple crumble (SW), elemental sulphur (tame, but detectable), petrol and bubble gum (BA). AV thinks it does not smell of much, but tastes great. "When she can't smell anything, I think of COVID!" says MV. Honey, lemons (MV), Quality Street Toffee Penny (adc), hazelnuts picked from the ground (WK), old books (Gaija), hay and dust (adc).

Mouth: full-bodied, it is almost gravel-y, ashy, with burnt hay, hot straw. It is powerful and rather drying (Gaija).

Finish: amazingly, this is the warmest, thus far.

Comment: for technical reasons, I am rushing a little, hence the brief notes. Here is the second dram that does not fully conquer the room, surprisingly enough. Probably the pacing, unfortunately. I love it, but then I know what it is, and reviewed it recently.

Connection to the song: it is a silent distillery that is special to me. Seeing as the collection has Gold in the name, I could not not include it in this line-up.

Linlithgow 25yo 1982/2007 (51.4%, Murray McDavid Mission Gold Series, Bourbon Casks + Cognac Finish, 1800b, b#0553) 9/10

Soundtrack: East 17 - Gold

Dram #6

Nose: banana (PS), red apple (PS), dirty sherry (Cavalier66), miso (WhiskyLovingPianist), raisins (JH). Dessert-y and fruity (JH), honeycomb (JH).

Mouth: extractive and herbal (Cavalier66), oily and tarry, it has got a hairy, musky side too that works well for me, like wet cats sleeping by boilers.

Finish: lovely soot (WhiskyLovingPianist), sooty pipes and engine oil. It has a bit of brine too, and gherkins, fermented berries and spent wine.

Comment: sonicvince's favourite. A bit puzzling for some to start with (those wet cats, no doubt), but when it opens up, it turns into yet-another Glen Phwoar indeed.

Connection to the song: the distillery is not actually in the Eastern Highlands, but certainly East of the Great Glen.

Glen Mhor 44yo 1966/2011 (52.1%, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve exclusively bottled for van Wees, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#3690, 133b, b#79, AA/JGIF) 9/10

Soundtrack: Alphaville - Forever Young

Dram #7

Nose: white pepper and ginger powder hardly cover an underlying tropicality, with carambola and pulped papaya providing the backdrop. It has wax and walnuts too (sonicvince), polished mahogany furniture (PS), popcorn and roasted almonds (Gaija), loads of fruit and the good side of wood (Gaija).

Mouth: ZOMG. Peach, papaya, carambola and a spoonful of mango all squashed together in a Renault 4, with a drop of wood varnish, drying enough to keep this from becoming too sweet. It has super-dark chocolate (JK), the bitterness of cocoa (JH) and a pinch of ash.

Finish: O.M.F.G. Spellbinding. Mesmerising. So much so it leaves me speechless, but chuckling like a prepubescent schoolgirl. Perfect by all accounts. JK finds a bit of cheese, while AV has herbs. adc notes dried cranberries, and JK, after a minute thinking, shouts salted black liquorice.

Comment: amazeballs. A total gigglefest. ruckus, not the most expressive chap in the world, is excited as a puppy chasing squirrels. JS proposed this because it has the word Golden on the label. It seemed tenuous a link, but then it also seemed like the right group to open this with. It did not disappoint.

Connection to the song: the singer of Alphaville is Marian Gold, and the song contains the verses: "Can you imagine when this race is won / Turn our golden faces into the sun." Which distillery is always drenched in sunshine when we go? (during the festival) Springbank!

Springbank 30yo b.1996 (50%, Signatory Vintage for Milroy Associates The Milroy Selection Golden Strength, 96/1731) 10/10

Soundtrack: The Stranglers - Golden Brown

Dram #8

Nose: smoke, grilled meat, cured meat, generally a salty tone (Gaija), with anchovies. Mind you, it also displays raisins, then old gauze and bandages.

Mouth: erm, I take no notes. Woops.

Finish: it is long as hell, and it shows ash.

Comment: I am trying hard to stick to a schedule, and paranoid that I am doing a bad job of it. I am partly attempting to enjoy the moment, partly trying to make sure those who have a train to catch do not miss it. I am also starting to dread the come-down. Instead of failing at all of that, I prioritise sticking to a schedule. It is a shame, because this dram is top, but then I am comforted in the knowledge I can try it again at another date, whereas the train will only leave once.

Connection to the song: tOMoH associates peat with the colour brown. This is peaty.

Caol Ila 35yo 1984/2020 (47.5%, The House of Macduff The Golden Cask Reserve, C#CM260, 204b, b#128) provisional 9/10

The end is upon us. The chatting is intense and it takes some effort to say thank you and good-bye. People are welcome to stay, but one man has to leave.

But before he does, tOMoH has a trick up his sleeve (of course).

Soundtrack: Gold - Les Îles d'Aran

Pointing at my polo shirt, I reveal the pinnacle of the tasting...

...

Arran Gold Malt Whisky Cream Liqueur (17%, OB, b. ca 2022)

The welcome is lukewarm and the crowd is quickly distracted again.

Connection to the song: Isle of Arran / Îles d'Aran, geddit?

No time to let it sink in too much, though. Of course, it is a joke.

But there is a final dram. One that causes a little more of a stir.

Soundtrack: Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence

Gold Bowmore 44yo 1964/2009 (42.4%, OB The Trilogy, 3 x Bourbon Casks + 1 x Oloroso Sherry Cask, 701b, b#620)

tOMoH: "There is a glass of Gold Bowmore for all the boys, and a glass of Arran Gold for all the girls... I'm kidding! The boys can have Arran Gold too."

The reactions are exactly as you would expect them to be. :-)

Nose: heather and moorland (adc), mango and pineapple (everybody else).

Comment: Bowmore eyes. Goosebumps. More another time. #Life.Does.Not.Suck.Right.Now. Provisional 16/10

Connection to the song: I knew this was going to cause a bit of a ruckus, then bring silence upon the group. It delivered. I enjoyed it. :-)

Over the next hour or so, I will observe what I can only relate to the climax in Patrick Süskind's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, in which (SPOILER ALERT) Jean-Baptiste Grenouille creates a perfume that makes everyone lose their mind; the crowd, which had gathered to the town square to see his execution ends up in a large-scale orgy, whilst he walks free, despite being sentenced to death. This Bowmore would probably push one to do things that would appear that irrational or unreasonable.

OB [about the Bowmore]: "It's smooth."
OB: "It's missing some complexity."

I remain focused. My priority is to make sure everyone has a dram (even Martin Luther King), then see sonicvince out. Before he goes, he gives a kind speech to express how much he enjoyed the weekend and thank everyone for putting up with the faster pace today. Then, he hits the road.

And we finish for real

Final slide: "See you in 2024!"
OB: "What happens in 2023? I want my money back!"

The afterparty is epic. PS latched on to a comment I made last night and dug out a bottle of Girvan 48yo TWA/TWE -- and I will not even try it tonight, sadly. Many others have brought spectacular bottles too, and the mood is homely.

Girvan 48yo 1964/2012 (49.5%, The Whisky Agency joint bottling with The Whisky Exchange, ex-Sherry Butt, 487b) (PS)

G8.7 27yo 1989/2016 Caribbean banana fritters (59.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Sauternes Cask, 240b) (PS)

Cameronbridge 40yo 1982/2022 (50.1%, Whiskybroker.co.uk, Bourbon Barrel, C#8277, 215b, b#137) (WhiskyLovingPianist)

Kilkerran b.2022 (58.3%, OB Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive) (WhiskyLovingPianist)

Ardbeg 20yo 2001/2021 The Phenolic Phantom  (51.4%, Elixir Distillers Adventures In Flavours for Whisky Show 21) (WhiskyLovingPianist)

Tormore 27yo 1992/2019The Dram With The Mash Tun Tokyo (44.6%, The Whiskyfind, C#101154, 276b) (OB) 8/10

BA brought beer...

...and cider

Sadly, I am now pretty stressed out. I try to get as much cleaning and tidying out of the way before settling down, and end up neglecting the company and the whiskies. I hope we can try those things again on a less-hectic day.

The party slowly fades out, the venue is ready to be returned, and I am ready for bed. What a weekend!

Also, Essy likes humping bottles

Lessons learnt:

• Two consecutive days is too ambitious for tastings like these. They require a lot of planning and careful synchronisation, it ends up being taxing. One day of planned tasting and one day of freestyling through bottles is more adequate an agenda. Blame the two-year pandemic
• Eight drams + bonus is a lot. Each of the drams we had would easily demand one spend an hour with it. The increase in pace (to allow sonicvince to catch his train) did not allow that -- an increase in pace that would have been less necessary, had we had fewer of them
• I really need to learn to take pictures of the nibbles!
• I, as the host, have to acknowledge and accept that my biggest enjoyment in such a setting will be my guests'. I will enjoy the whiskies another time. For clarity, I had a great time regardless, just less relaxed
• I find it harder and harder to take notes while hosting, or indeed, in company. That is something that the pandemic has made even worse, seeing as I had no chance to practice multitasking for two years
• Ultimately, it does not matter. If the guests enjoyed the event, mission accomplished

Roll on the next one!