After not aging one day since 2019, dom666 turns three years older in one sitting -- and does so at adc's. The theme (or themes), as is increasingly customary for our esteemed guest, is all over the shop:
- The Qatar world cup, which will gather the best ballerinas of the 32 qualified countries, including an epic Belgium - Morocco that will certainly see kruuk2 sleep in the sofa for at least 12 nights (and is the reason our dear kruuk2 is not joining us, today)
- The Liège tramway before the end of the XXIst century (they are laying the tracks in front of our host's, and, since those are not made of copper, they have not yet been stolen)
- The energy crisis (please all bring a log for adc). Do not do as the Latvians, who have sawn the (wooden) benches of bus shelters
- Bad puns relating to songs (tOMoH is forbidden to recycle Cavalier66's pun from 2017; if he is to bring any Bowmore, it has to fit otherwise)
- Five UK Prime Ministers in eight years -- just one more, and they can pull Santa's sled, and at last make themselves useful
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| dom666 goes to the end of the joke and does, indeed bring adc a log. It will burn this afternoon |
Who? dom666, adc, sonicvince, Psycho, JS and tOMoH, who opens the dance.
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| Modest line-up of thirteen bottles |
tOMoH presents: one of the candidates to become Prime Minister in the most recent (July and October 2022) couple of beauty contests: Glen-ny Mhor-daunt.
Glen Mhor 8yo b.1989 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, HI/CAH): nose: fresh and metallic, with the cold lids of jam jars, marmalade, and hot fruit-turnover filling. Mouth: soft, not weak, the tongue catches similar notes -- marmalade, the metallic lid of jars, but also clove shavings. Finish: it feels more assertive than the low ABV suggested. It is velvety and warming, with warm marmalade and caramel scrapings that had stuck to the bottom of a pan. Full notes here. 7/10
sonicvince presents: a Czech whisky, certain that the Czech Republic is in the world cup. He is wrong: they did not qualify. But who cares?
Hammer Head 23yo 1989/2013 (40.7%, OB, Czech Oak Casks, L19178): talk about a curiosity! This. It was made at the Prádlo distillery, in the Czech Republic, or indeed in Czechoslovakia, since that was the country, at the time: it was distilled shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, at the request of the rulers of the day, who wanted something that could compete with Scotch, but that would be produced behind the Iron Curtain. It was allegedly found again when the land was sold upon which the distillery was located. History or fantasy? Does it matter? The truth is that here is a 23-year-old whisky from an unusual whisky-producing country. Nose: it smells like a nice grain, with corn syrup, and a pinch of herbs, sprinkled on top of melted marshmallow. Mouth: corn syrup through and through, crushed bay leaf, and custard, in a chocolate-éclair way. Finish: it is sweet, with salted caramel (adc), a lick of vanilla, fudge, dried apricot (sonicvince), overripe peach, Pandoro panettone and hazelnut paste. It is well convincing. A nice surprise. Dram of the day for adc. 8/10
tOMoH: "No."
dom666: They serve this eau-de-vie, in which they add cloves."
tOMoH: "Uhuh."
dom666: "It's not good."
tOMoH: "That's because you only work with women. They don't want to kiss you."
sonicvince presents a French whisky (albeit bottled by a Belgian company), because France is in the world cup. A bit of a one-trick pony, our sonicvince...
August 17th 3yo (40%, Wave Distil, ex-Port + ex-Cognac Barrels, 4250b): hard to tell when this one was bottled: the MMXIV mention seems to appear on all the yearly batches. Nose: eau-de-vie, grappa, Arquebuse. This smells very close to a white spirit, though it does have a lick of staves. adc finds cleaning fluids, "but not the ones that smell nice." Hawthorne completes the picture. It is not an enticing start. Mouth: it is very marked by the wood, here, even at this young age. There is a bit of hay-like vanilla, as if it were an éclair topped with a hay paste, instead of chocolate. But the custard is definitely there. Finish: short, neutral (Psycho), inoffensive. The eau-de-vie note is well balanced by a good dose of custard. 6/10
tOMoH: "Perhaps it's time you tried."
sonicvince: "To compare, see?"
Food enters
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Cheeses: Epoisse Calvados-cured camembert Soumaintrain Reblochon fermier Pavé de Savoie and a a cheese with nuts, but without nuts Puddings: White pudding Raisin pudding Leek pudding Green-cabbage pudding Foie gras and chanterelles |
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Pâtés: Creamy pâté Apple, pear and raisin pâté Sauternes-cured duck mousse Foie gras terrine with oyster mushrooms Saltufo |
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| JS goes for the one mega serving |
Psycho presents Guns 'n Roses - Knockando On Heaven's Doors
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| Also, he breaks the cork |
Knockando 25yo 1980/2005 (48.3%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#1908, 260b, b#10): nose: pure lemon (adc), limestone. Mouth: a bit dry and bitter, but in a perfect way. There is a bit of crushed bay leaf and pepper too. In fact, it feels surprisingly spicy, for something of that ABV. Finish: medium long, with hay again, and aromatic herbs. Short notes; this is a lovely drop that we know well. 9/10
adc explains that the current energy crisis started with the war in Ukraine, and therefore presents a Wolfburn bottled for Ukraine.
Wolfburn 7yo 2015/2022 (46%, OB supporting the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, ex-Bourbon Quarter Casks, 1550b): nose: it smells pastoral to me, with orchard fruit (heirloom apples abound) and honey-glazed baked potatoes. Psycho finds it aromatic, and I detect olive oil. Far in the back, we have squashed raspberries on a bed of hay. Mouth: lightly acidic, fresh (Psycho), balanced (Psycho). It is less successful than on the nose, since it cannot hide its brash youthfulness. Keep it on the tongue, and raspberries come back, this time accompanied by cherries, and desert-dry leather. Finish: dry, hay-like, here are brambles so dry they will crumble into a powder if one just looks at them. There is also an iodine note, at this point. 7/10
dom666 presents George Harrison - My Sweet Lord (of the Isles)
dom666 insists on emptying the bottle. I give him my glass... full of Wolfburn. Yay. Here is a Lord of the Wolfburn. :-(
Ardbeg Lord of the Isles (46%, OB, L3170 1209 4ML): nose: well, well, well, what have we here? Tarry ropes on a sailboat, ink, tapenade, briny anchovies, oilskins heated by the sun, Kalamata olives, age-old blotting paper, and docked trawlers, which is to say: fishing nets, diesel and crab cage traps. We even find oysters with a drop of lemon. The second nose welcomes hot sands and a coating of wax. Mouth: perfectly balanced. It is salty, briny, with cockles and mussels, jellied olives, ashes and honey-glazed cherry stems. In the long run, some fruit appears too. Finish: olive, tar, bitumen, menthol, and a pinch of ash. With exactly zero surprise, this is just amazeballs. It seems much better than the previous time we had it, and a good way to bid the bottle farewell. 9/10
dom666 reckons the Ardbeg goes well after a mouthful of Calvamembert.
tOMoH: "Tu as remarqué que ces whiskies passent bien après des fromages bleus, du chocolate noir, du chocolat au lait..."
dom666: "Au lait, au lait..."
Psycho: "Après le café..."
tOMoH: "...au lait, au lait... Au bal masqué..."
Psycho: "...au lait, au lait."
And, since we must:
Lord of the Wolfburn: nose: the Ardbeg easily dominates the Wolf, though berries emerge, that seem to be imparted by the latter. Mouth: mellow, it has a combination of seafood and custard powder. Finish: long, it is all berries, with a dusting of ashes. Another Serendipity as JS says. 8/10
sonicvince proves once and for all he knows nothing about football, and presents an Irish whisky, on the off-chance that they are in Qatar, for the world cup (they are not). That is why we like you, sonicvince!
The Whistler Mosaic (46%, OB, ex-Bourbon Barrels + finished in Sicilian Marsala Casks, L21/014 152, b.2021): from the Boann Distillery, in Co. Meath, this is another first for me. Nose: herbal liqueur, with a display of gentian, angelica and smoked thyme, alongside rosemary. Mouth: sweet, showcasing pouring honey, Lyle's Golden Syrup, maple syrup, corn syrup. This is borderline cloying, so sweet it is. Finish: long, powerful, it clings to the roof of the mouth, with lots of syrups of all sorts. 6/10
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| Dessert enters: pear tart and caramel/apple muffins, courtesy of adc |
adc presents the consortium that is developing the tramway in Liège: Tram'Arran (for Tram'Ardent, for the out-of-towners).
Lochranza 8yo (unknown ABV, blend of cask samples, ex-Sassicaia Casks): I tried this earlier in the week, so minimal notes, today. Sweet and bitter, like a sharp cocoa custard. I love it. So do most of, if not all the others. 8/10
JS reminds the tasting that, between 2016 and 2019, Teresa May was Prime Minister in the UK. May happens to be peak puffin-breeding season. And look...
Orkney 15yo 2006/2022 (57.1%, Thompson Bros. bottled for Milroys of Soho, 280b): had this one not long ago too, so short notes again. Caramel butter, half-baked fudge, butterscotch, chicory granules, and even coffee. 7/10
Psycho presents: Michel Sardou - Les Lacs du Caol Ila. And since we can, JS presents: Philippe Timsit - Henri, Porte des Caol Ila
Caol Ila 36yo 1982/2018 (54.4%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 120b) (Psycho): nose: shrimps, mild coffee, fine ash, maraschino cherries and dusty furniture. Much later on, a faint fruitiness comes up, supported by a minute touch of sulphur. Mouth: a strong attack, acidic, with unripe pears, ashes, fishing nets, and oyster shells. The second sip is much more acidic, and earthier as we go on: rich dark earth. Finish: wide, generous, salty and smoky. Here are smoked dried-pear slices, barbecued cockles, and pineapple slices. This is never-ending and all-enveloping, it warms up one's soul! 9/10
Caol Ila 35yo 1984/2020 (47.5%, The House of Macduff The Golden Cask Reserve, C#CM260, 204b, b#128): nose: amazingly more sandy than Cadenhead's, it has salted caramel poured on cotton candy, wet swimming costumes after a sunny day at the beach, smoked marshmallow, and old gauze. Despite those old-school notes, it does not want for freshness. The second nose adds a tiny drop of coffee. Mouth: mellow, but full, with honey-glazed ashes, smoked fudge, Reflex spray, and gauze. The second sip has sweeter notes of peaches, but chargrilled peaches, with a spoonful of cocktail sauce. Meow! Finish: tarry ropes, smoked mackerel, charred pineapple, roasted apples and happiness. I like it better than the Cadenhead bottling -- by a nostril hair. JS disagrees, but, of course, she wants what she does not already have. :) 9/10
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| Chilling |
dom666 presents: AC/DC - Islay to Hell
Bunnahabhain 16yo b.2007 (54%, OB Limited Edition for Feis Ile 2007, Oloroso Sherry Cask, C#276, 190b): a bottling that needs no introduction, really. Nose: cork and dust (adc), blackberry compote, dark plasticine, dark shoe polish, leather belts, rich earth, polished dashboards. It is hugely powerful, nostril-cleansing, even. Chocolate coffee, mocha custard. Mouth: big, full of dark honeys, wood varnish, polished mahogany, shiny leather, blackcurrant jam, and a huge dose of cracked black pepper, which I do not recall feeling in the past. We also have bone-dry orange rinds. Finish: outstanding Oloroso maturation, a masterclass of balance. It is leathery and spicy, with loads of leather tatters and cracked black pepper, harmoniously combined. The death sees rich earth and berries, where elderberry complements dark cherries and blackberries. Masterpiece. 9/10
dom666: "I'm like an old yoghurt jar: the expiry date has long passed, which means I am dangerous."
tOMoH presents something that tastes like burnt peat, to mark the energy crisis
Undisclosed Islay ~3yo b.2020 (~57%, cask sample, Cognac + Armagnac Casks): I do not try it, tonight. It seems appreciated, but I have had enough, and the Bunna was a great ending.
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| The long-haired bunch goofing around |
Excellent tasting, with a wonderful balance of glories and curiosities, delicious (indulgent) food, and great company (aka good banter).
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| Special guest Jim Murray made a brief appearance |
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