Our good friends at Cask Trade are hosting the preview of the Phillips' 20th Century to Now collection, which is being auctioned in a couple of days. Why would they do that? Well, to cross-pollinate, probably: whisky enthusiasts will be exposed to paintings and sculptures that they might otherwise be unaware of, and art buffs will have a chance to try whiskies offered by a company that sells casks. It is a good way to bring investors from two separate worlds together.
But enough with those considerations! tOMoH and JS are here for the whisky. The art pieces are a nice visual support only. The delicious canapés represent more of a pull for me.
By the way, we are standing and socialising, so notes are brief.
Indiana Rye Whiskey 4yo b.2022 (56.7%, Cadenhead World Whiskies, Oak Barrel, 240b, 22/56): nose: tree-bark syrup, Irn Bru, an odd sort of wood glue, but also melting rubber. Without claiming familiarity with Rye whisk(e)y, this is in line with what little I know of that category. Mouth: ginger and nutmeg power this intense Irn Bru concoction. That said, there is also orange wine and dill (JS). Finish: this kicks like only American whiskeys do; bright, sharp, and long-lasting, it leaves a quaint blend of dill and orange wine in the mouth. 7/10
Ardnamurchan 6yo 2015/2022 (60.4%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 228b, 22/152): nose: immensely peaty -- dry peat, with crusty earth and smoked ham, rather than any cattle-ranch shenanigan, or maritime nuances. Mouth: it is much more palatable than the nose suggested, displaying Cotton Candy grapes trampled into mud. Past the initial and fairly mellow impression, it also gains a hefty dose of red-chilli powder. Hardly surprising, considering the ABV. Finish: long and warming, it stops just short of being fiery. 7/10
Bunnahabhain 40yo 1980/2020 (45.2%, Gleann Mór Rare Find, Refill Sherry Butt): nose: timid banana purée, squashed raspberries, and nail-varnish remover. Perhaps we also pick up stem ginger, in the long run, though it is delicate. Mouth: it seems mellow, with a creamy texture that carries steamed plantain and caramel flan. Finish: long, quaffable, a conveyor belt of smashed banana and delicious custard, augmented with a drop of Irn Bru. 8/10
Ben Nevis 8yo 2013/2022 (57.1%, Regent Street Cask Bottlers, Octave, C#3114): nose: plasticine, cake dough, toothpaste. It gains in sweetness and minty character with time, and there is a whiff of rose petals and mild coffee too. Mouth: marzipan-y and Cognac-y in equal measures at first, it opens up to hot pineapple paste and delicate stem ginger. Finish: long, assertive, characterful, without being a hairy mess, like so many Ben Nevises. Souped-up white wine, lychee shavings, and rose petals in a cup of joe. 7/10
Speyside 23yo 1992/2015 (56.8%, Milroys Soho Selection, ex-South African Fortified Wine French Oak Butt, C#1, 300b): the initial whiff is big, hairy, musky in an animal way, and obviously powered by a boisterous wine cask. That disappears after ten minutes, though Patras wine makes a later appearance. In the meantime, we have ginger powder sprinkled on custard. Why would you? Well, because it works. It has a drop of heady perfume too that is pleasant indeed. Papier mâché is next, before the nose eventually lands on custard. Mouth: creamy, custard-y, yet spicy too. Only a couple of seconds on the tongue and it starts shining. It is not long before burnt toffee rocks up. Finish: massive, ripe with unsubtle rancio, fortified wine, and hair balls. Further sips have toffee, which makes the whole easier. This deserves 7/10, but the complexity and bonkers aspects push me to give it 8/10
Cambus 32yo 1988/2021 (45.1%, Regent Street Cask Bottlers, Bourbon Hogshead): nose: tinned pineapple in custard, apricots, and peaches. It smells enticing, yet I will not go further for fear of jeopardising tomorrow with a headache.
Glenrothes 20yo 1997/2018 (54.4%, Master of Malt, Refill > Oloroso Hogshead > Octave, 95b, b#33): released in 2023, this is one of MoM's rebottlings of Boutique-y whiskies, presumably. Nose: it is a buttery one -- a modern Glenrothes, yet it does not lack in the pepper department either. There are even crushed juniper berries. Smashed strawberries come later on. Mouth: big and hot, full of cured ginger and hot cranberry compote. The spices become almost unbearable, so hot they are -- like biting into peppercorns, or juniper berries. Finish: buttery, spicy, even hot, it is showered in herbs (oregano, sage), and dried-chilli flakes. 7/10
Union 5yo b.2022 (58.4%, Cadenhead World Whiskies, Bourbon Barrel, 258b, 22/203): first Brazilian whisky, here -- yay. Nose: astonishingly peaty, musky, loaded with silt and mud cakes. Mudflats, river banks. It is not particularly refined, but I know many people will love this profile. Mouth: surprisingly approachable, it quickly adds a fiery galangal paste to an otherwise plasticine-like texture. This is chewy and a half, like mud cakes on steroids. When the spices calm down, not much occurs, bar all the mud. Finish: muddy, boggy, peaty, and a little ashy. Here too, it is rather unsubtle, but it does the trick like a young Staoisha, even if it is not really my preferred style. The second sip brings about cured meat. 6/10
What a nice opportunity to try confidential bottlings and admire artworks!
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