22/09/2022 Phil Storry x SMWS: Overlooked and under-appreciated

Our good friend PS is hosting a shindig at the SMWS again. This time, he will explore overlooked drams and under-appreciated distilleries. I guess no Brora tonight, then.

It is a strange feeling to see so many of the old faces, after more than a couple of years.

But enough about that.

It goes almost without saying that everything is served blind, with the reveal coming halfway into the dram. I do a first pass on all the drams, and come back to each of them in my own time.

Dram #1

For whatever reason,
we were asked not to post
pictures of the actual bottle

Nose: acetone, new-car interior (MSo), wood oil (some kind of pine essence), and a bit of leather polish too. From the first second, all identify a grain. PS is quick to put everyone right: he did not bring any grain tonight. Clearly, this is from the bar, rather than his collection, then.
Mouth: minty and peppery, fresh, woody, incisive. It has a slight bitterness too, but it is especially strong.
Finish: sharp, narrow and long, it has pine lacquer, wood glue (JS) and unripe-orange peelings.
Comment: I venture it could be a Girvan. As soon as the reveal comes, I bet it gives me a headache (it does not, but I will not be 100% functional tomorrow morning).

G8.10 29yo d.1989 A trumpet blast in a barrel (57.5%, Angus Dundee for SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 217b) 6/10

PS apologises to me profusely: he considered a Cambus of his own, then decided against it, because of me (how sweet, eh?), only for the staff to offer him another Cambus as a starter. Sincerely, I am glad to try something I have never had, be it a dram that gives me a headache.

Dram #2

Nose: well, it has a small notch of Sherry, but especially loads of flowers (jasmine, cherry blossom, lilac, magnolia), tinned peach (JS), and a pinch of earth, as well as confectionary sugar. Phwoarrrrr! Later on, we have white grapefruit, a lick of light pomelo, chlorophyll, and even blonde tobacco.

Mouth: mellow and welcoming, we have similar velvety flower petals, but also a pronounced bitterness (tulip stems). The texture is that of whole milk, or even milkshake, very pleasant. That bitterness will prevent a higher score, yet it is bearable.
Finish: long, sweet, this is teeming with confectionary sugar, peach nectar and apricot juice. 
Comment: amazeboulanger. The pinch of earth on the nose should have been a dead give-away, but I managed to not recognise the distillery all the same. PS explains he had earmarked it for a tasting in June, but brought something else in the end, a certain Girvan, because I enquired about it. Ah, well.

85.18 34yo 1971/2005 Oranges and blossoms (41.2%, SMWS Society Cask) 9/10

Dram #3

Nose: dark forest floor (DH), Cadenhead's tasting room (JS), which is to say black mould on walls. DH finds it does not have much of a nose, just dirty dishwater, or stagnant pool water... in a good way, he is quick to point out. It evokes rubber gloves in said dishwater to me. After a while, pine resin rocks up, as does white spirit. Later on, cardboard, papier mâché, and eggshells.
Mouth: woodworm, and lichen on tree bark, sprinkled with fierce chilli powder. This is hot and lively, yet also rather austere. Mushroom spores, Verdigris-eaten copper, unwashed laundry (JS). It certainly has some funk! Later sips are more floral, perhaps even a tad fruity.
Finish: long, riddled with woodworm, lichen on bark and more Verdigris than on the palate. The second sip has tons of sugar, which is surprising. Later on, it feels much more velvety, with fudge and caramelised squashed apricot. It turns more approachable with time, and ends up tasting like a nice curry (dhansak).
Comment: again, the reveals is a facepalm moment: how did I not see it coming? "The last Pittyvaich bottled by the Society," our host tell us. The smart-arse in me cannot shut the f*ck up and has to tell PS (and the room) that there was one after this, that seems to be exclusive to Switzerland. Anyway, I like this very much. It is divisive, as Pittyvaich tends to be. Once it is all over, DH will declare it his favourite dram of the night.

90.10 14yo 1990/2004 A game of two halves (57.8%, SMWS Society Cask) 8/10

Dram #4

Nose: now, this is very earthy, in a forest-floor way. Humus, dead leaves, pine needles, and fire-roasted red hard candy (could it be Brighton Rock?) Time reveals cocoa powder, and minty toothpaste. A strange combination made even stranger by the presence of a drop of vinegar. Later nosing gives a tiny dust, and bone-dry citrus peels.
Mouth: hot turnover filling (apple or apricot), with a minute drying bitterness. This is well fruity on the palate, with also honey (JS), and a pinch of herbs -- sausage seasoning mix. It turns milky, over time.
Finish: wow! This has chocolate milk, regular milk tainted by chocolate cereals, and a serving of pillow-y flower petals.
Comment: lovely!

106.16 20yo 1984/2005 Intense and moreish (57.9%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill Hogshead, 174b) 8/10

PS [replying to a comment about his booming voice]: "Yes, I have a voice for radio. I have a voice for silent movies too!"

Dram #5

Nose: dusty hay, farm-y tools, coal dust, says DH, who swiftly explains how rural New Zealand, where he grew up, was twenty or thirty years behind everyone else, and how he therefore had to go fetch coal in the basement, for heating purposes, which made him well acquainted with that smell of coal dust. I detect some porridge too, then oilskins, white-wood shavings, and... bile (in a good way). One could probably call it butyric, I suppose. Further nosing displays cosmetic powders of sorts.
Mouth: non-descript, for a second, before it releases pickled onions and carrots, pickled brioche (I know!) with the texture of cranberry seeds. The next sip is more mellow, with confectionary sugar, green-leaf salad and pickled beetroot.
Finish: somewhat drying, like oats, grape stems, and peach stone. Dried pineapple-cube shavings, grapefruit peels, ground into a dust.
Comment: a nice Braes, since that is what it is.

113.38 22yo d.1997 Welcomed with open arms (57%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 215b) 7/10

DW shares a dram from the bar, though he is not able to give us the exact reference. If only they could come up with a simple way to distinguish all their bottlings, the SMWS. I don't know, something like a unique number, you know?

Fortunately, I am resourceful and found it.

70.44 31yo d.1989 The loom of time (50.3%, SMWS Vaults Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 128b)

Nose: fruit-infused beer. This is overflowing with berries, rosehip, ripe strawberries and raspberries, even banana and overripe pineapple chunks. What? To some extent, it might even have after-shave balm, or children's toothpaste. At any rate, it is amazing. Rhubarb compote, warm fruit yoghurt, warm vanilla custard all feature too.
Mouth: it is an entirely different story, here, with soft plastic, oilskins, warmed by the sun, and half-baked chou dough. The second sip is both creamy and gently wine-y.
Finish: very grain-like, this has plenty of fruit (grapefruit segments, pineapple chunks, satsumas) and a pinch of grated chalk. Further sips have warm custard, augmented with squashed berries.
Comment: love it. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, DW)

Dram #6

Nose: ashy and a bit animal, in a cured-meat way. It is influenced by wine for sure, yet it is closer to pan-seared-mushroom juice than to actual wine. This has an intense umami vibe, with red-bean paste and miso sauce. The second nose is very earthy, sprinkled with hay dust.
Mouth: Ovaltine and chocolate milk on the palate, milky chicory infusion, and a drop of hazelnut liqueur to boot. The second sip seems stronger in alcohol. PS keeps mentioning lavender, but I cannot see that. I find it faintly fruity instead.
Finish: it has the gentle bitterness of milk coffee, or milky chicory infusion, with berries slowly added to the mix.
Comment: a smoky, sherried Tomatin is always a bit of a curiosity. This is good too.

11.29 7yo 2000/2008 Lavender smoky surprise (59.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 214b) 7/10

DH: "I'm passionate about hobbies."

GL and JMcG appear. We were talking about JMcG a second ago, so my incredulity reaches ridiculous levels. I try to summon heaps of cash, though that does not make it appear.

At the same time, one of our co-tasters (whose name I did not catch) offers a round.

42.82 14yo The Thing (58.2%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 272b)

Nose: farm-y, this has tractor tyres, farm paths, pastures. In other words: diesel, earth, leather saddle. It also evokes a smoky bothy on a rainy, muddy day.
Mouth: silt, vase water, mud, smoked turnips. This is a bit monolithic, and certainly uncompromising.
Finish: long, full of black tide, dark earth, cork, petrolic sand, and petrol-stained soil.
Comment: not really my style of drams, but I can see others loving it. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, generous donor)

A nightcap once all is done and dusted.

Springbank 26yo 1995/2022 Edition No. 60b (51.1%, Decadent Drinks for Whisky Sponge, Plain Oak Refill Hogshead, 249b)

Nose: a fruity number. After the Ledaig, of course, any smoke will seem subdued. We have lemon skins, grapefruit peels, and some warm paper.
Mouth: soft, fruity to an extent, though not mind-blowingly so. We have melon first, satsuma and persimmon, then pink grapefruit, loud and clear, even if they are not shouting.
Finish: pomelo and grapefruit. That grapefruit is a bit of a slap in the face.
Comment: I have too much whisky in me to take good notes, of course, yet this is amazeballs, I hate to say. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, DW)

What a great tasting! Fast-paced, loud, exciting and disorienting in equal measures. Thankfully, it does not happen every day!

26/04/2020 A dram to celebrate GN's birthday

GN is, of course, confined and not here with me. Will I have a dram to mark the birthday of everyone I know? Well, that whisky is not going to drink itself, you know.

Glen Grant 40yo 1966/2006 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail): nose the first nosing is all sandalwood and cigar boxes, but the second whiff focuses on juicy fruit: melon, mango, pink grapefruit and cut pineapple. What a start! I remembered this being a big, woody, sherried number. Will it have changed that dramatically in the open sample? (Of course not: I am confusing with another Glen Grant that MV brought that night -- that is why I take notes!) It has stewed plums and baked bananas too. Soon, that changes again and makes room for nail varnish, pear drops and 7Up, lime peel and bran, Irn Bru, then back to cigar boxes. Most interesting. Mouth: citric to a sin, the palate sees grapefruit, lime, unripe pineapple and Chinese gooseberry. It is very acidic indeed. Lemonade comes out quite bold, and there is a softly bitter touch on the sides of the tongue. I detect a whisper of sandalwood, but it is minute. The modest ABV makes it a perfect candidate for these torrid afternoons (low twenties outside, twenty-nine degrees Celsius at tOMoH Castle). Finish: the citrus circus continus (ha! ha!) with limoncello, calamansi, Chinese gooseberry, barely-ripe mandarin and lemonade. It does feel sweeter in the finish than on the palate, as that list of fruit may suggest. A sprinkle of ground white pepper, melted milk chocolate (or is it cocoa butter?) and, at the third sip, something woodier, something like ink on hessian sacks, as well as sticky toffee pudding. An entertaining one that covers a wide spectrum of aromas and flavours. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, MV)

106.18 27yo d.1984 Bottled essence of summer (52.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 197b): after pouring this, I realise I was ogling two Scapas and thought: another time. That would have been perfect, seeing as it is GN's favourite distillery... Ah! well. It is not as if he were here anyway. Nose: leafy and floral in the first instance, it turns into a tobacco plantation in Virginia, after a few minutes, sun-drenched and oily Virginia-tobacco plants. It then switches back to greenhouse floral, with jasmine, tagetes, cut green beans, pea pods, celery sticks and green tea. Mouth: green and lively on the tongue, it has lemonade, pomelo segments and green beans again, pea pods, yet no celery that I can detect. Some kind of flowery bush (gorse? Periwinkle?) and a certain heat rises, if it does so gently -- this is not fiery in a the slightest. Lemongrass and lime zest, not chilli nor ginger. Perhaps pine needles? It certainly has a certain freshness, as well as something between almond oil and capers -- what the deuce? Finish: very lemonade-y, almost tonic-like, though sweeter than expected, with brown sugar dissolved in water with Kruschen Salts. In the long run, that is joined by something oilier and nuttier -- peanut butter or Brazil-nut butter, crushed olives (though not salty like tapenade). After a few sips, the green, floral character shines brightest, with honeysuckle sap, sherbet, pine sap and pine cones. This is pretty and perfect, on a sunny day like this. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

29/02/2020 Whisky Show Old & Rare (Day 1 -- Part 2): The perfect collection by Mr. Richard Gooding

For those readers who are not aware, a big collection came to the market, recently, after the death of its owner. Full story here.
The people involved in repatriating and auctioning the collection picked a few bottles and built a line-up for this masterclass. What a great idea!

dom666 [seeing seven 1920 blender's glasses on the place mats]: "Those fucking glasses!"

Ta-da!

Jonny McMillan and Iain McClune are presenting. Well, should be presenting: McClune is not here -- and we will never be told exactly why.

Old Vatted Talisker 10yo (44%, OB, b. ca 1905): if you're gonna smoke, smoke, right? Nose: dusty marbled cellars, sea rocks and eternity. This seriously smells like the entry hall of a R'lyeh palace. Crushed seashells, pebbles, long-faded pepper, distant brine -- rhaaaaaa! Later on, it turns farm-y, with mud and ploughed fields. Mouth: peppery, coastal, soft, but it also has an old-school dirt, soot and coal dust. Finish: long, with sooty notes in the background. We are reminded it is from the triple-distilled era at Talisker (prior to 1928, then), but is actually a fifty-fifty blend of Talisker and something else. In any case, this is amazeboulanger. Quite emotional. 10/10

Glen Grant 1954/1970 (70° Proof, Berry Brothers & Rudd): nose: super brine-y, with cucumber peels and candied celery (I know, I know). The second sip brings out citrus-flavoured boiled sweets. Mouth: jammy, jammy and bloody good. Everything is integrated to perfection. The palate is vaguely drying, in the long run. Finish: lovely Seville-orange marmalade (read: bitter), complemented by cinnamon sticks and cassia bark. What to say? 9/10

JMcM: "Take you time, no rush. No-one is rushing you. Do you feel rushed?"
tOMoH: "You're bullying us!"

Glengrant 15yo (86° Proof, Mackintosh imported by M. Lehmann, b. ca 1940): interesting lack of a space between Glen and grant, on this label. Nose: the sherry influence is undeniable, much more present, with precious wood and dark toffee, Scottish tablet, wood lacquer and varnish. Mouth: soft and balanced, it has chocolate custard, chocolate coulis, milk-chocolate mousse and toffee. Finish: treacle, toffee, chocolate brownie, chocolate coulis and lacquered wood. The finish has an overblown drinks cabinet note that is a bit invading. 8/10

JMcM: "They'd organised a concert of their favourite country singer, called Mac Davis [I think], who's quite famous, apparently. If you're a cowboy."

Cardhu 26yo 1974/2000 (50.3%, Signatory Vintage Rare Reserve imported by DIME Group International, Sherry Butt, C#3614, 420b, b#207): nose: a noticeable shift in ABV, or so it smells, with dark treacle, liquorice and tar. Later, fruit appears -- lychee and dragon fruit. Mouth: sweet, cola-like ("Pepsi," says Cavalier, referencing the fact Gooding was involved with the food giant), flat cola, prunes. It becomes drying after a few sips, with cold coffee. An ex-Oloroso cask, maybe? Finish: long, sweet, it has coffee grounds, but also a good serving of prunes, dates and figs. This is an amazing dram, provided one really likes sherry. 8/10

JMcM: "Who ever got excited by a Cardhu?"

Well, our table, actually.

Glendronach 20yo 1970/1990 (56%, Signatory Vintage, Sherry Casks, C#513--518, 3800b, b#1913): nose: quite similar to the Cardhu on the nose, with liquorice, coffee grounds, tar, but also black tea and leather. The nose suggests an ex-Oloroso cask alright, even more so than the Cardhu's. Mouth: spicy, it has ginger, lemongrass, cassia bark, cloves, sandalwood, and a lick of chocolate coulis, plus a dollop of maple syrup. Finish: it is so hot! Coffee grounds, liquorice, smoked lemons, dried mace, chewy and fierce. JS says it reminds her why she does not like Glendronach. I find it interesting, but I would not buy a bottle of it for myself. 8/10

Cavalier66: "It is like in Mongolia, where you have fermented horse's milk."

JMcM: "Let's move to dram #6, and here, everyone's favourite will be the Bowmore. It is a 1968, which is an unusual vintage. Usually, it is '64 or '66 but there are not too many '68 around. ED? pat gva?"
ED: "Yes, '65, '66, '69, less '68."
pat gva: "'55 also..."
JMcM [tongue-in-cheek]: "Yes, of course, pat gva, '55. Everyone knows them. A round of applause for pat gva, please."

We all look at each other in disbelief. I know more 1968 Bowmore than 1965 and 1969 put together, and online resources seem to agree with me. Not quite sure where JMcM's observation comes from. Anyway, the whisky.

Bowmore 32yo 1968/2000 (46%, Signatory Vintage imported by DIME Group International, C#1428, 248b, b#48): funnily enough, this was distilled on a 28th February. It was its birthday yesterday. Nose: what to say that is not blatantly obvious? Flowering currants, pomegranate seeds, and of course, the fruity cavalcade that I expected: mango, lychee, dragon fruit, guava, jackfruit, persimmon, kaki, physalis (Cavalier66)... Oh!? Is that Bowmore eyes? But of course. Mouth: creamy, with peach flesh, mango purée, galia melon, canary melon, pressed lychee, guava -- lots of guava! Finish: very long, with the same debauchery of fruit, tropical and fresh. I think my opinion of this is clear. 10/10

Life does not suck, right now!

Cavalier66: "Pepsi is more herbal than Coke."

Glen Garioch 37yo b.1997 (43%, OB 1797 to 1997 Bicentenary, 200b, b#111): nose: horse stables, with horse's hair and leather saddles. Next up is black shoe polish, then pepper (lots), a white-hot furnace and a drop of fruit (white peach, to be precise). Mouth: it is hot and peppery, with lots of earth, scorched earth, leather and horse's hair. This is powerful to the point it is almost drying. Unexpected, considering this is the lowest ABV on display at this tasting. Finish: blackcurrant aplenty and damp earth. The more one drinks it, the juicier it becomes, with plums and prunes. This poor Glen Garioch is occupying the death seat (the Bowmore is a tough act to follow), but manages to make a strong impression regardless. Cracking dram. 9/10

We collect a few of our glasses that still hold liquid to share upstairs.

Rather sober presentation, with good info and pace, but it was a little heavy with private jokes with friends and about Berry Bros. Perhaps worth explaining you work for them, JMcM. In a room of forty, not everyone will know you.

14/07/2019 All-day breakfast session

You will have noticed we are not celebrating Bastille Day. Oh! no.

PS, JS and CB join me for an all-day breakfast party. JS suggested the theme whilst having breakfast at Café Bluebell, earlier this year. We thought it would be fun to, say, have a cup of tea-ninich with a little-millk.

tOMoH: Toast, Butter, Morels (works better in French, yet: toast, beurre, morilles)

Transferred into this.
See actual bottle
opposite

Tobermory (40%, OB, b.1980s) (me): nose: floral and gently earthy, it has distant honeysuckle and, perhaps, dusty apples. Time brings overripe apples and pear on a pewter plate. The nose turns more and more floral ,the longer it is in the glass. The second nosing pushes forth lacquered wood as well. Mouth: mildly acidic, it carries on with apples, augmented with dried sage (it is a tad metallic) and dried cork. Dark plums arrive next, soft and juicy, velvety, thick. The palate has more softly bitter wood. The alcohol bite is more pronounced than expected too. Finish: excellent mix of dusty fruit, metal-tainted apple, plum skins and nectarine stones. At the death, dry raisins show up, giving an impression between Oloroso and PX. Very nice! 8/10

PS: "It's fresh."
tOMoH: "Exciting."
PS: "It's fresher than Jimmy Saville at a children's ward."

JS says a full-English breakfast always has a baked tomatin on the plate

The Tomatin 15yo (40%, Sestante, b.1980s) (JS): nose: baked berries, dark-cherry coulis, decaying pears, toffee and oranges (PS), candied citrus peel. A super-enticing nose that fills me with excitement! Mouth: peach, dark plum, ripe fig, and an unusual mix of persimmon and carambola. The second sip is more bitter, but treads carefully. It is orange zest, not rubber. Finish: long, lingering, coating. It perpetuates the orange zest, alongside dark plums, figs and juicy dates. Spectacular dram. 9/10

CB: on a Sunday, I like to have a long-morning breakfast.

Longmorn 1983/2014 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail) (CB): nose: the first sniff is muscular and sweaty. As soon as I say that, it turns very citrus-y, with heaps of lemon zest. The lemon zest grows in intensity too, supported by orange blossom and mint lozenges, fragrant honeysuckle and... basil. Superb. Mouth: ooft! Orange nectar, mixed with peach nectar. This is amazeballs. The bitterness of Seville-orange marmalade develops and provides a wonderful balance to the unabashed fruit. PS claims it gets more tannic -- and he is right, I am annoyed to admit. Finish: more marmalade goodness, a pinch of ground cinnamon (JS) and sandalwood (PS). It does become gently woody, though never over the top. Excellent. I had doubts at first (the Mortlach-like sweaty muscle of the nose), but this quickly becomes an all-round winner. 9/10

Sourdough bread
Mackerel pâté
Houmous
Ashen goat's cheese
Italian dry sausage

CB: how do you like your eggs? Card-boiled.

Cardhu 21yo 1991/2013 (54.2%, OB, 6000b, b#4653, L3169LS000 00041606) (CB): nose: boiled sweets -- lots of them! Crystallised fruits, then warm straw and jellied coriander leaves. Much later on, pencil eraser shows up, mellow, marzipan-y custard. Love this. Mouth: a pinch of pepper and apricot, apricot compote, apricot jam, nigella seeds. Peach flesh, squashed mango, even. Finish: big, punchy and super-fruity. This is full-on apricot compote with nigella seeds sprinkled on top of a ladle of custard. We do not get to try many Cardhu, unfortunately -- we even joke that we would pass one, unless it is called Cardow. This one here, proves that we should try more (not that there are many to try, mind!) 8/10

CB: "The only thing flat-earthers have to fear is sphere itself."

PS: "There was a flat-earther conference somewhere, after which they claimed to have had visitors from around the globe."

PS could not find a link with the theme, but wanted to bring the following anyway. After a moment, I declare the full Scottish breakfast to be generally ri(o)ch. We will not find or look for a more suitable pun.

Glen Garioch 1994/2011 (53.9%, OB, North American Oak Barrels, B#32, 118 112172) (PS): nose: leather and dry hay, dried mudflats. After a while, more floral notes appear -- heady violet, purple viola; we talk about FWP, although there is none here. Earth and peat also appear, very softly. A dash of wine vinegar? Check. Water leads the nose towards ink calligraphy on cardboard. Mouth: robust, it has leather and scorched earth, as well as nuances of elderberry and squashed blackberry, sprinkled with mild spices. Water tones down everything but the spices and cranks up the ink instead. Finish: very nice, refined peat, warm straw and hay again, touches of violet and elderberry jam. This is remarkably good and more than a little complex. The nose is not totally my thing, but the palate and finish easily make up for that. 8/10

PS: "You can't get rid of Bell's decanters They're the cockroach of the whisky cellar."
CB: "They're very good for clay-pigeon shooting."

tOMoH: the waitress asked me what I wanted for breakfast. I told muffin.

Miltonduff 15yo 1995/2011 (56.3%, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve imported by Classic Wines Imports for Park Avenue Liquor Shop, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#9461, 198b, b#120, AH/ABBB) (me): hint: it is an anagram. Nose: oh! metal and sulphur are the first things that spring to mind, unfortunately. It has loads of floral notes, but one has to work a bit to find them, initially. They do overcome the sulphur, eventually, and are joined by jammy peaches. PS finds boiled sweets and barley water; CB concurs. Mouth: pungent and biting, it has iron filings, hot peach jam and wax. No sulphur to note, here, which is much more pleasant. It is powerful, on the other hand! Finish: long, powerful and jammy, it has peaches and nectarines, sherbet, candied and crystallised berries, cut raspberry, with the taste of the steel blade still tainting the fruit. Pity about the initial sulphur-y note. It was not there when I opened the bottle. Other than that, it is a slightly-challenging, but nice dram. 7/10

Once again, PS could not find a connection with the theme for the following dram. JS points out that the label notes read, "maple syrup on pancakes." Very breakfast-y!

G5.4 18yo d.1993 Sweet treats (65.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, New Toasted Oak Hogshead, 247b) (PS): did you see that ABV? Phwoar! This is one of the very few I have not yet tried in that parcel of casks that produced the legendary G5.2 and G5.5. PS knows me well! Nose: Scottish Bourbon (PS). It is teeming with blackcurrants and blackberries on a metal plate. You can still smell the steel blade on this one too ("there is no place like chrome," says CB). Mouth: the blackcurrant hits immediately, shortly joined by a hint of metal... and a high-horsepower steamroller. Once the delirium-inducing ABV dissipates (a bit), it turns into blackcurrant juice through and through. Finish: huge, but not in a way that it floors you as, say, an old Tullamore would. It has the alcohol kick, of course. What comes out the most, though, is the blackcurrant again. The reader will understand that it might not be the most complex whisky in the galaxy, but it is amazing at what it does. This is totally my style. 9/10

We wrap up. Seven drams seem enough before a school day, especially when the last one is that strong.
Excellent afternoon.

PS's pet wombat was well-behaved

31/03/2019 The Brexit tasting

If you have not lived under a rock for the past two years, you will undoubtedly know that the Great Kingdom of England was supposed to leave the European Union on the 29th March 2019. In the end, that departure was postponed. It did not stop us meeting up to mark the damp squib occasion. Still no politics, here, mind; simply light-hearted puns. And were the lot inspired, too! Usually, it takes a team of experts to shoehorn a bottle into a theme; this time, said team came up with ten theme links in addition to the one chosen by the bottle owner.

The suspects: Cavalier66, GL, PS, BA, JS and myself. Cavalier66 arrives last, and obviously had lots of fun, last night. He is unusually quiet for a time. :-)

Whilst waiting for everyone to arrive, the soundtrack is: Urawa - The Most Boring Thousand Years Of My Life

Provisional line-up

By the time everyone is there, soundtrack is: Shrine - Celestial Fire

Shyte Whisky (40%, Adelphi) (me): this is for Brexshite, of course, which is the nickname given by many Remainers. Nose: earthy, salty and muddy, it reminds me of mudflats. Mouth: soft toffee, caramel, salty mudflats again, salted caramel. Finish: more salt and mud, soil, clay. This will never change anyone's life, but it is pleasant. 6/10

Glen Albyn 1975/2006 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, JF/BAE) (BA): BA disappears for a year and a half, then he rocks up with this. "I've decided to rejoin society." "Springbank Society, or Scotch Malt Whisky Society," I ask (of course). If he is going to bring this sort of things, he can disappear again. Anyway, he chose it, because 1975 was the year of the first referendum on the European Economic Community. Also, Glen Albyn was demolished and replaced by a B&Q; that did not thrive and became a discounted B&Q, before shutting down permanently. BA tells us he went on the site and found the place empty, with all windows smashed, sure-tell sign that the situation was better before -- one of the arguments of Brexiteers. Nose: old school from the word 'go', it has brine, old bookshelves, old newspapers, musty corks and bung cloth. All the way in the back, tinned pineapple appears as well. PS insists it is the tin more than the pineapple, to which I object that one has to lick the tin to extract all the pineapple juice from it, especially from the rippled bit of the tin. BA observes that licking the top of the open tin leads to other results. We all shrug at the thought of pineapple juice on a flesh wound... on the tongue. Mouth: jammier than anticipated, it has marmalade and apricot jam. Cracked black pepper shows up, mild chilli (jalapeño) and ginger. The whole remains juicy, mind. Finish: long, lovely and peppery, it has an excellent combination of peach jam, rose-petal jelly and dusty cardboard, a Glen Albyn trademark. 8/10

I recommend a particular expression from 1983 (another distillery).
BA: "1983 seems to be a good year."
PS: "Lots of distilleries tried to justify their existence!"

Soundtrack: Roxette - Tourism

Balmenach 25yo (43%, Glenkeir Whiskies Glenkeir Treasures The Gold Selection, 213b) (me): because Brexit has proven to be both a complete Balls-up-menach and a Ballache. I had initially selected another Balmenach, but the fact this one could be related to Glen Keir Starmer was too good to pass. Starmer is emerging as a more moderate Labour representative than the party leader, in case, again, you have been living under a rock, or managed to not witness a slow-motion car crash, over the past months. Speaking of car crash, I break the cork upon opening it. There is another Brexit allegory there, somewhere, I am sure. Nose: more rose-petal jam, but this time, it is joined by Virginia tobacco, mentholated tobacco, and candied peach. Mouth: fresh and jammy again, though it is probably a sequence error and should have come before the Glen Albyn. More menthol on the palate, as well as galangal shavings. Finish: rich and fresh, it has the same jam and menthol alongside a distinct wood influence that stays under control. A lovely Balmenach, this! 8/10

GL produces the next bottle, Optimism, which is heavily scrutinised by all.
Cavalier66: "The Brexiteers are seeing the glass half full; is that what it is?"
tOMoH: "You need a bit of optimism in hard times is what it is."
Cavalier66: "You have to believe?"
PS: "No, that's fairies... Or, if you're Grayling: ferries!"

Nibbles!
Cavalier66's bread, olives, cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella
My dried sausage

Optimism b.2009 (44%, Compass Box, American and new French Oak Casks, b#124) (GL): it would seem Clynelish and Laphroaig are big components of this blend. Nose: medicinal, salty and coastal with bitter orange rinds. Mouth: more medicinal stuff -- I have a blister inside my lip, and this one disinfects it alright! Acidic orange, coupled with a splash of lemon juice, wood stave. Finish: smoke and soft soot, sea spray and burning cinnamon sticks. Perhaps ink and blotting paper, too. This is nice. Possibly my favourite Compass Box offering. To think this was a last-minute one-off for a festival!... 8/10

Littlemill 24yo 1990/2014 (50.6%, Maltbarn No. 28, 158b) (JS): the gang tries long and hard to find the connection. It is only when I mention the EU's chief negotiator that all find Maltbarnier. Of course, we push further and find it also works for Little-Englander-mill. Nose: creamy and milky, almond milk, to be precise. A few seconds later, the mad fruity gig starts off: peach, mango, papaya, mango skins, then a touch of crushed quinine tablet also appears, ground Aspirin and pickled chilli slices. Mouth: powerful, surprisingly peppery and fruity (the same as on the nose). Finish: big and fruity in a tropical way, peppery, still (is this a Littalisker?), and very, very dusty. 8/10

Soundtrack: Atrium Carceri - Codex

Cavalier66's turn. He immediately stops and claims we cannot have only one of those Speyside Region casks, reaches into his rucksack and pulls another bottle out. Both work on the same level: distilled 1973, when the UK joined the EEC and bottled at 43yo, ca. 2016, when the UK voted to leave the EU.

Speyside Region 43yo d.1973 (51.6%, Mancarella Limited Edition, Sherry Cask) (Cavalier66): we had this one a while ago (last time BA was here, actually) and I remember liking it, but finding it spicy. Nose: tantalisingly syrupy, it has golden syrup, candy floss, jasmine and Cologne. Fragrant, in one word. Mouth: hot golden syrup, quite simply. This is soft and sweet in taste, but intense in flavours and not without its share of spices. Finish: the finish is fiery, with red-chilli powder in honey and souped-up golden syrup. Same impression as last time: good, but spicy. I am surprised PS likes it as much as he does, considering his usual intolerance for all things spicy. 8/10

vs.

Speyside Region 43yo 1973/2016 (49.2%, The Whisky Agency, Sherry Butt, 324b) (Cavalier66): nose: this one is even sweeter, with jelly and golden syrup again, sweetened plums, overripe peaches and manuka honey poured on yellow fruits. Mouth: wider and rounder than its sibling, it has squashed cherries, ripe plums and peaches; some spices too, but they are softer than in the Mancarella. Finish: phwoar! Full-on berries, here, blackcurrants leading the charge, supported by a pleasant note of oak. 9/10

Cavalier66 stops us again. He brought two more bottlings and organises a referendum to decide which one to try. The options on the ballot are:

• 51.9 15yo d.2002 Sinful indulgence (54.2%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b)
• Glen-leave-it 38yo 1973/2012 (48.6%, Berry Bros & Rudd Selected by Berrys', C#10658)

51.9 is chosen by 51.9% of the voters. Or indeed three to one. Cavalier66 forgets to vote, while I do not take part: being an EU national, I am barred from referenda in the UK.

Last-minute development, however: Theresa May's solution is a third option: Glenallachie 39yo 1973/2013 (48.9%, Maltbarn #13, Bourbon Cask, 51b). This one has a butterfly on the label, which Cavalier66 informs us is the symbol of the chaos theory, which is exactly how the negotiations have gone, over the past years. The majority sticks with 51.9 all the same, proving once and for all that it does not matter how much facts change, the voting public tends to not change their mind with more evidence. JS consistently voted for the least popular option.

51.9 15yo d.2002 Sinful indulgence (54.2%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b) (Cavalier66): on one hand, 51.9% of the voters voted to leave the EU, on the other, this is the Irish Backstop™. One could also observe that Brexit is the Brexiteers' sinful indulgence. Nose: candy floss, talcum powder, powdered sugar, then a little pinch of Virginia tobacco. After fifteen minutes, it mellows out further to give doughnut. Mouth: soft, full of bakery goodness, it is also warm! Candy floss, powdered sugar and pickled gherkins. Finish: flowery, sweet and bakery-influenced, the finish has talcum powder and flower stems. Very nice. 8/10

tOMoH: "CONtroversy or conTROversy?"
Cavalier66: "I switch."
JS: "Why?"
tOMoH: "He's a switcher."

Soundtrack: Wolfsheim - Spectator

44.73 25yo d.1990 Long live the difference (52%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 312b) (GL): this is 52%, close to 51.9% enough, and is the 73rd cask of distillery #44 the SMWS released -- the UK joined the EEC in '73. Nose: buttercups, forsythia and truckloads of smoke from a fruit-tree fire. It might even have wax. Is this a misstencilled cask? I declynelish to comment. Mouth: very waxy, now, with candlewax, beeswax, caramelised apricot compote, caked to the bottom of a cauldron. Finish: old-school smoke, hot wax, piping-hot apricot slices. We have had a few sister casks, presumably from the same parcel, and they were all good. This is no exception. 8/10

Soundtrack: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Best Of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

We take a break with a Cantillon Iris that BA brought. Because Cantillon is in Brussels, capital of the EU. There is another reason, but I cannot remember it. Very nice.

Cavalier66: "You think it is phonetic, but it's not."
tOMoH: "Funny. Brits learning French complain that it's not phonetic..."
Cavalier66: "Greek is phonetic."
tOMoH: "What you mean is: it's phoneticos."

106.18 27yo d.1984 Bottled essence of summer (52.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 197b) (JS): it has been ages since JS last brought this to a tasting. She really wanted to illustrate the consequences of an 'ard Brexit, but has no Ardbeg, Ardmore or Ardnamurchan. A C-'ard-hu Brexit it was going to be, then. And then, when the distillery is revealed, the boys remind everyone that, in every negotiation, the UK was supposed to always hold all the card-hu-s. Ha! Nose: ivy and lots of herbaceous notes, tree foliage and citrus (bergamot, lemon, satsuma leaves). Mouth: mildly aromatic, but still very herbaceous, it retains the citrus foliage and adds citrus juice into the mix. This is fantastic! Finish: big, flowery, long and citrus-y, it has the same bergamot and, this time, calamantsi. 8/10

Speculation regarding the previous bottle.
"75cl. Is it a US bottling? Once we've left, we can go back to UK measures."
"27yo. There are 27 other countries in the EU."
"Summer. We voted to leave in the summer."

In a Kafkaesque moment, PS and Cavalier66 inquire: "Who is this Jack Hughes fella?"

I announce the following dram.
tOMoH: "I didn't plan to pour this, but I found it in the morning and thought I would get rid of it share it."
PS: "Unplanned, palmed off on us... Brexit!"
tOMoH: "Brack-xit, innit."

Royal Brackla 20yo 1992/2013 (52.4%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, 180b): nose: rancio (BA takes the path of least resistance to agree). The sherry influence is undeniable; it has roasted-hazelnut shells and distant cured meat. Mouth: hot and tongue-tingling, it has cured ham and nuts again, never overpowering. It develops to reveal chocolate and hazelnut paste (none of that palm-oiled Nute**a shite, though). Nice. Finish: more chocolate and hazelnut paste, a soft note of smoke or toasted rye bread. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, RO)

BA: "Do not drink the inside of glowsticks. You will not have a good time."
PS: "Still better than Edradour Tokaji cask."

Cavalier66 asks about cask maturation.
Cavalier66: "Someone's done a sake whisky!?"
tOMoh: "Probably Suntory."
PS: "Symington released one and it was sarky whisky!"

128.3 5yo d.2006 Chestnut purée and new hiking boots (61.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 229b) (PS): PS chose this, because the Welsh voted for Brexit. Nose: chestnut purée and hiking boots. One of the most accurate SMWS names ever. I have had this several times and love it each time. It has that clogged-sink-funk-come-tropical-fruit touch that I love and loathe in equal measures. It also has hazelnut paste, and a bright warning sign that the ABV is high. Mouth: sharp. It is bakery delight, sweet and fluffy, with hot apple turnovers, but it is also strong (and stable?) Finish: huge, warm and light, with milk chocolate, hazelnut paste, chestnut purée, maybe, fruit, not so much, here. I still love it. 8/10

PS: "Do me a favour: stretch over there and hit him."
Cavalier66: "That would give him pleasure."
PS: "Astute observation. Well done."
tOMoH: "He's a psychiatrist. He cheated."

Soundtrack: This Mortal Coil - It'll End In Tears

93.31 16yo 1992/2008 Cigar boxes and fish crates (65.5%, SMWS Society Cask) (PS): most people find Springbank the best distillery in Campbeltown. PS reckons this one, Glen Scotia, is, so he brought it. That is a minority opinion succeeding -- like Brexit. Nose: oooh! it is a dirty one, with diesel, boiler rooms, fishing trawlers, fishing nets, refined smoke, pickled lemons and, lastly, eggs. Lastly? No! Merbromin also appears, in the back. Mouth: hot Lemsip, lemon tea, braised thyme and hot rapeseed and linseed oils. Finish: it surprisingly combines all the notes from the nose and mouth, adding hot baked potato and hair balls to the lot. A funky Scotia. I love it. 8/10

JS: "There's a lot of scrolling going on..."
tOMoH (to PS): "Does it hit your scrollum?"
Cavalier66: "I feel sick just saying it!"

Soundtrack: Gary Numan - Sacrifice (Extended Mixes)

We end at 20:20 instead of the 18:00 hard stop, which represents only a short extension to our initial plea (being a school night).

Excellent tasting! Lots of funny nonsense and great drams.