We struggled to find a date for last tasting in 2023, on account of everyone having plans for the festive season. Tsk. OB had one available slot today, and we decided to have a few drinks, without a theme. When he produces his goods, it appears that the 3Ts (Talisker, Tullibardine, Tomatin, rather than the vulnerability management acronym) could have worked, and we joke we should have gone for a Tormore, a Teaninich, or a Tamnavulin to complete the line-up. But we do not. We actually have a Tamnavulin, as it turns out -- only an undisclosed one.
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| Not that we do not already have enough anyway... |
Ben Bracken 12yo (40%, Scotch Whisky Company for Lidl, b. ca. 2007) (tOMoH): drier butterscotch, with some lichen and dried mosses. Dry white wine on the tongue, some nuts (green hazelnut, mostly). OB finds it a floral note too. It has a long, chocolate-y finish -- light milk chocolate, says OB. Full notes here. 7/10
The soundtrack: Rupture World - Xenoplanetary
Glen Grant 25yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, b.1980s) (tOMoH): seeing OB had brought a Glen Grant, I thought we should have a second one for comparison. OB could not remember having had this, so we chose it. It is strawberry jelly sprinkled with dust. Tame passion fruit emerges, with a lick of metal. It has a bit of rancio too, then a long and pleasing finish, lush with fruit, cherry-flavoured chocolate, and jammy compote. It was a solid 8, when we had it previously. Today, it is 9/10
vs.
Edition N° 72 19yo 2002/2022 (51.2%, Decadent Drinks WhiskySponge, Refill Hogshead, 228b) (OB): an undisclosed Glen Grant, obviously. Nose: thyme, génépi, Haribo banana (OB), chartreuse (OB). He is right, our OB: it is a Pisang/Chartreuse cocktail, this. Gentian is there too, and new hiking boots in a Penderyn style. Mouth: lively and drying, we would taste dry white wine, if white wine were strong enough to tickle the tongue in this way. It has vague hints of tropical fruits (maracuja), and, again, hiking boots -- the ones with metal rings for the laces. Finish: marshmallow (OB). Right again! Gentian-flavoured marshmallow it is. Very good. 8/10
The soundtrack: Undirheimar - Heljarrúnar
Tomatin 38yo 1976/2015 (47%, OB for Whisky Hoop, C#31, 190b) (OB): OB says he hesitated to bring this, as he did not want to offer the same things again and again. On the one hand, we only had this once, over seven years ago; on the other, something of that calibre, we may have every day. Nose: fruity chocolate in a PiM's way, some decayed tropical fruits, beyond fruitiness, and soft tan leather or suede. Over time, it becomes acidic, cranberry-style, verging towards pomegranate seeds, then passion fruit -- more and more pronounced with time. Mouth: soft as peach nectar. It is not too exuberant, but welcoming as a kiss. Chewing reveals a milky fruitiness, a blend of mango and avocado, turning more acidic (yellow maracuja), though it also has almond skins. It is strippingly acidic at second sip, like tinned pineapple gone haywire. It regroups around lush fruit, fortunately. Finish: one of those rare gigglefests. Maracuja sorbet, coconut (OB), piña colada (OB), yet I find much more pineapple than coconut. OB astutely describes this as relentlessly fruity. OB: "The passion fruit beats you up, makes you fall to the ground, and continues kicking you mercilessly." I am so pleased he procured this bottle that we were both bidding on. In French, one would call this a 'tuerie'. It is worth 9 immediately, but after some time breathing, this masterpiece weighs... 10/10
vs.
Benriach 28yo 1976/2005 (56.9%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Sherry Butt, C#9442, 426b, 5/0244) (tOMoH): dusty-fruity nose, with spots of decaying fruit and very-clear black-cardamom shavings. Funny: I did not spot that, earlier in the week. I fetch the tin of black cardamom to double check, and OB agrees it is spot on. The mouth is filtered apricot juice, and the finish has a light, sapid bitterness. I trip on 'sapid', and OB specifies he means it in a mouth-watering sense. OB detects a fleeting point of clove in the finish. 9/10
Benriach 5yo 2014/2020 (60%, A.D. Rattray, Bourbon Oak Barrel, C#100, 258b) (tOMoH): astonishingly, it is far from laughable, even after the previous glories, even if it is obviously not on the same level. This has some fruits and bandages, today, and is still as quaffable as the other day, despite the fierce ABV. There seems to be much less citrus than last time, which is unexpected. 7/10
The soundtrack: Keosz - Neven
Tullibardine 42yo 1965/2007 (41.8%, OB, Hogshead, C#2337, 112b) (OB): nose: wow! What a slap of buttery mango in the nostrils! How unexpected! The second whiff is full of berries jam (rasp or straw), and there is a thin veil of smoke too, before we resume our flight with mango in our wing. The juiciness of this thing is fucking ridiculous. Fruity debauchery. There is a bit of cardboard via retro-nasal olfaction that remains pleasant. Mouth: thin, acidic, and juicy. It is not berries, here, but maracuja and dragon fruit, guava and Korean pear, maybe even kaki. It loses a bit of steam in the second sip, from an alcohol perspective (we reckon it is the effect of the 5yo Benriach that is finally kicking in), yet it remains deliciously juicy. Finish: it is not powerful without being weak, but oh! so delicious. Juicy persimmons, kumquats, satsumas. The lasting impression is of a lukewarm fruity custard, or yoghurt. Incredibly good. 9/10
Glen Garioch 21yo d.1965 (43%, OB imported by AUXIL) (OB): nose: the most beautiful refined smoke, lichen and Verdigris, dusty clay floors (fusty, is it?), soot (OB), woodworm and wood dust -- not sawdust; wood so old it is falling into dust. Old cushions, or cabriolet armchairs so old the upholstery is ripped and falling apart. Smoke all but disappears, after a while. Mouth: well, the smoke is definitely back on the palate, albeit in a subdued form. We have lichen-covered trees (beech, apple tree), and fruit preserves (apple, quince, maybe physalis, with some imagination). It is thinnish, probably, yet does not seem to lack anything. Hay-based mulch, cereals, maybe. Finish: more of the same for a bit (apple, smoke), then, ten seconds in, and out of nowhere, the sternum catches fire from a heat explosion. We note a faint dry bitterness upon repeated sipping, with talcum powder sprinkled on bicycle tubes. It later becomes mellower, and produces a dollop of mocha custard and pulped pineapple, yet it is not that fruity. This is great, but does not reach the brilliance of the previous dram. Sequence mistake, perhaps. 8/10
The soundtrack: Axiome - Rmx (By Aluviana)
Talisker 20yo 1982/2003 (58.8%, OB, Refill Bourbon Casks, 12000b, b#11171) (OB): he brought the goods, did he not? tOMoH is the only one in the room who has had this, but not since 2005. Unbelievable! Nose: faint ground white pepper, and not much else, at first. I know it is akin to saying a Laphroaig tastes like TCP, yet I am not making that up. Let us give it a moment. A cloud of thick black smoke soon casts a shadow on all else, sooty, sticky, and acrid. That becomes somewhat peatier, with air-dried peat bricks stacked up by the fireplace. It smells robust and rustic, and works a treat for us country boys. The second nose has rusty, dusty metal that make tOMoH think of La canonnière du Yang-Tsé (aka The Sand Pebbles). Mouth: ha! There is a maritime element on display, here, with seaweeds soon joined by sea air and sea spray. In no time, we are munching norii in the smoky cabin of an old trawler, throwing cracked black pepper at one another. This has a rocky side too, with pumice and lava stone, quarry chippings and flint (OB, reminiscing his childhood days as a flintknapper). Finish: huge and long, yet not flashy or showy. As expected, it has pepper and smoke (and smoked pepper), but the whole is wonderfully controlled. We also see dried herbs (oregano? Sage?), and a creamy note of cold crème brûlée. OB adds that one can steel feel the butane flame of the torch in the background. This is a beautifully naked Talisker. A fat 8/10
Excellent session with a fantastic selection.
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