28/12/2025 A Campbeltonian duo

Kilkerran 8yo b.2019 (57.1%, OB, Re-Charred Oloroso Sherry Casks, B#4, 15000b, 19/354): nose: initially fairly muted, with Verdigris and lichen on limestone, at a push. That slowly and timidly opens up to reveal chocolate-flavoured whipped cream and a dash of apricot nectar. Mind you, that apricot nectar is a little stained by the fruits' stones -- unless it is nuts? It may well be: oily macadamia or Brazil... soon joined by hemp and nut shells. The second nose is suddenly very tertiary, exploding with potting soil and wild mushrooms. We find mushroom-cooking water augmented with a few drops of pressed-prune juice and, at last, a minute sweetness that seems to come out of a spoonful of hoisin sauce. Mouth: punchy and winy, this has oxtail broth, Bovril, strong beef stock, Maggi sauce. It is as concentrated as tamarind concentrate, but savoury, at least to a point. Keeping it on the tongue for long enough adds melted chocolate, very concentrated again, which makes for a rather intense sensory experience. Chewing releases woody notes, oily exotic woods and Kluwak-nut broth. The second sip insists on those oily-wood notes; iroko, ebony, black walnut, African blackwood. It is a leeeeeeedle drying in the long run, yet surprisingly balanced, all things considered. Finish: a big, heavy Sherry maturation in the finish as well, with more melted dark chocolate mingling with beef stock, oxtail stew and tamarind concentrate. It is a warming finish, the kind one cannot shake off, which, once again, reminds me of Kluwak-nut broth. The second gulp, again, balances the darkness of nuts (Brazil, Kluwak) and wood (ebony, black walnut) with the gentle sweetness of prunes, now accompanied by raisins. It retains an earthy dryness without being desiccating. For those who like this sort of profile, this is hard to beat. Others will be entirely unmoved by it. I will have another dram to decide where I stand on the question. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

Springbank 8yo 2017/2025 (54.7%, OB Springbank Society, Fresh Madeira Cask, 1761b, 25/169): nose: well, the type of cask is not trying to pass for something else, here! We have a blast of grape juice, yellow wine, orange wine, but also cured peaches. It has whispers of rambutan trying to compete with a rising scent of magnolia and pink-grapefruit peels, followed by cured lychees and ethereal pickled pearl onions. Somehow, it then musters up memories of the men's changing room at a sports club, an indescribable mix of shower gel, deodorant, acrylic fabrics and leather from the trainers and kit, and sweat. In a way, this reminds me of the wave of Glengoyne bottlings at the SMWS that were all from Sherry gordas (even the pink colour points in that direction!), fruity, winy and oxidised, somehow. It is also remarkably different from the first time we had it: no farm-y note to speak of, today. The second nose is überperfume-y -- an explosion of magnolia, enriched with dried meadow flowers in a flower foam block. In a way, one may find this rustic, probably. 'Farm-y' or 'earthy' would be a dozen steps too far. Three drops of water increase the cured-lychee and magnolia scents, and add a faint whiff of hipster coffee -- the kind they describe on blackboards as having notes of lychee and peach. Mouth: soft and fruity, very much in the same vein as those Glengoynes again, it has grapes soaking in wine that is slowly turning into vinegar, pickled pearl onions, a pinch of earth at last, and cured lychees left in booze far too long. It is potent and softly astringent, yet that is not really a distraction. Chewing long enough adds a pinch of chalk, a trowelful of loamy soil, confirms the orange wine and magnolia, and pumps Bourbon-stave vapours via retro-nasal olfaction. The second sip is mellow and pillow-y at first, then develops a mineral aspect -- mostly limestone dust. It quickly returns to fruity acidity, with pink grapefruits, this time the flesh as well as the peels and pith, and cured peaches or nectarines, with perhaps a bit too much wine involved. Adding water somehow injects a micro-dose of cereals into this (toasted barley, toasted wheat puffs) and still allows lychee to come out on top, even if tempered by a minute bitterness. Finish: pretty winy again, this remains very pink. More magnolia and lychees, this time supported by white peaches (some cured, others not), wine-soaked pineapple, pink-grapefruit peels. Pearl onions, if present at all, are in the far back of the bus, and there is no mention of earth or peat whatsoever, interestingly enough. The second gulp has a boozy-pastry note, rum baba, crème caramel with a dash of liqueur, or liqueur chocolates. It is nowhere as sickly as Edle Tropfen; probably closer to milk chocolate with a Cointreau syrup core. One can even feel the bitter orange bark, in the long run. There is also a certain spiciness at play, likely cracked black pepper, that could be mistaken for a pinch of dry earth. However, it is syrup or liqueur that sticks to the gob, though it may as well be wine. In any case, it is balanced enough for tOMoH, who is not usually a big fan of wine or liqueur notes in his whisky. A few drops of water tone down the wine to help focus on fruits, it seems -- cured blush oranges join the peaches and lychee. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SOB)

21/11/2025 Another couple of peaters

Kilkerran Cask Strength Bourbon Wood (54.1%, OB Work In Progress, B#7, Bourbon Casks, 6000b, 15/211): nose: very-slightly peaty indeed. One would struggle to find much smoke of any kind in this. Instead, we have a musty clay floor covered in lichen, and stacks of old staves, slowly but surely turning to dust. Behind that, green gooseberries and unripe greengages wait for their turn to assail the nostrils. Those fruits ripen relatively quickly and morph into Mirabelle plums and apricots. With some imagination, one may spot someone smoking blond tobacco, somewhere, though it is categorically not in the same room, so subtle it is. The second nose has a cardboard box full of old papers ready to be used as fire starter (twisted, hey?) It is now dry alright, only enhanced by a drop of vinaigrette, and oily tobacco sprinkled with green-grape juice. Mouth: fruity and mellow, here are plantains, cut apricots and cured nectarines, with cured peaches lurking in the background. Keeping it in the mouth long enough will indicate how strong this is, yet it feels behaved for 54% -- tame, even. Honey-augmented toffee, Bourbon-y vanillin, a couple of leaves of peppery rocket, and a pinch of sawdust from a sawn oak that was covered in lichen. The second sip is juicier and presents green-grape juice similar to what we had on the nose. Chewing brings forth oily tobacco too, unlit, and a freshly-polished piece of wooden furniture. Finish: it has a bit of a kick, if not a bite, which likely betrays the age (it is a NAS, but Glengyle started distilling in 2004 and this was bottled in 2015; it is an eleven-year-old at most, likely younger). That aside, we have a beautiful Bourbon maturation at play, with louder wood than may be expected. More to the point, we see the greengages, Mirabelle plums and honey from before, a cloud of billowing Virginia-tobacco smoke, and toffee appears a little afterwards. The second gulp is fresher and stronger, reminiscent of peppermint, but much more pleasant. Perhaps it is apricots augmented with spearmint? In any case, it works. It offers lichen-covered oak branches at the death, which is nice. Very nice. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

3.244 19yo 1996/2015 Film noir (58.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 211b, L15 175): nose: surprisingly dirty for this distillery. This has muck, farmyard sludge and even septic-tank fumes. That dissipates a little and makes way for greasy earth from ploughed fields... aaaaand the septic tank comes back. In a perverted way, I think it works, but I can imagine it will not be a note universally seen as enjoyable. This nose seems to alternate between straw bales, farm paths and, ahem, organic waste, shall we say. There probably are some decaying fruits in the midst of all that, so taken over by decay that it is not worth trying to identify them. The second nose emits more tar scents than septic-tank fumes -- and, of course, if you see the double meaning in the expression "skid mark," you may find that logical. We turn back to dark earth soon enough. Mouth: redemption! If one did not care for the nose as much as tOMoH did, tOMoH cannot picture anyone disliking the palate for the same reasons. It remains farm-y, but now focuses more clearly on the earthy side of the farm (scorched earth, to be precise) and injects a bold serving of fruits -- bruised apples, overripe quince, white plums, maybe carambola (yay!) and a dollop of a peppery mint paste elevate the whole to new levels. Chewing gives a dirt-bike feel to the palate, where too quick an acceleration spurts mud from the studded tyres, yet fruits soon come back to reclaim the game. The second sip has green chilli to start with, juicy and fiery, then citrus foliage and sliced green bell pepper. It stays hot, though keeping it on the tongue for a minute revives the fruits and the earth, like peaches fallen into a ploughed field. Finish: ooft! Scorched earth, torched soil in planters, fruits licked by a flamethrower. Strawberry leaves try to speak and are only partly heard, soon in the shadow of a tarry race track. It is a never-ending finish too that warms one up and leaves the tongue throbbing, looking for fruits and finding nasty skid marks on tar instead. The second gulp is more or less in line, yet it adds lichen scraped off an empty vase kept by the fireplace. A bruised apple and a ripe greengage find themselves smashed in said empty vase, complemented by a fistful of earth. All that has been resting on the mantlepiece of the fireplace for a few hours. Ahhhhh! Bowmore. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

20/12/2024 DW's birthday bash at 3 Greek Street

The yearly bash is back for the first time since 2019 (not counting a virtual shindig in 2020). If you wonder why there has not been one for five years, it has to do with a certain pandemic.

Anyway, fifteen-or-so of us meet up at Milroy's 3 Greek Street (as it is now known) for an evening of libation. Some we know, others not, and exchanging business cards is high on no-one's list, tonight. So, beside a handful of the organiser's colleagues, whose names I do not catch, we have DW, YM, CDn, CBr, BA, JS, VK, JL, T&S, SW, and yours, truly. PS calls in sick and MSo never turns up.

We meet at the bar, surprised that it takes us over half-an-hour to be shown to our room. Being such a large group, we require a bit of manoeuvring to reach it too -- through the secret bookcase, down the staircase, close the bookcase, up the staircase, up another flight of stairs, here we are.

The room has changed a lot since we were last here in June: the tables and stools all replaced by sofas going around the room, and a couple of coffee tables down the middle. Bottles appear from bags, and, apparently, it is a free-for-all. DW initiates the proceedings.

DW: "I was a bit miffed that [tOMoH] panned my contribution, in 2020. So I chose this one for today. I looked on [his] blog, and saw [he] rated it 10/10, so I hope it ticks [his] box."

Gelston's Old Irish Whiskey 26yo b.2017 (54.2%, Halewood, Bourbon Cask, 300b, b#165) (DW)

Nose: tropical fruit splosion.
Mouth: it has not yet completely opened up (DW popped the cork tonight). Several minutes in, it is spritzy and peppery, though the main act is that avalanche of tropical fruits.
Finish: surprisingly powerful and stupidly fruity.
Comment: well, how could one go wrong with this? Have we peaked too soon, perhaps? 10/10 (full notes here)

How does one follow that? Oh! An aged Glenkinchie…

Glenkinchie 27yo b.2023 (58.3%, OB Special Releases 2023, Refill American & European Oak Barrel & Butts) (BA)

Nose: cut plums, cured apricots, and fruit stones. There is a delicate grassy touch too. It is heavier than BA remembered it, and, indeed, it does not lack wood. Further nosing piles on the sandalwood.
Mouth: oily and mineral at the same time, which is unusual and makes it both lubricating and drying.
Finish: almost murky, here, thick as gel, fresh, it offers a serving of chocolate with a lemon filling. It becomes creamier with time, adding crushed hazelnut and mocha custard. 8/10

CDn tells how, when famous warehouse manager Pinky retired from Lagavulin, owner Diageo did not even know who he was. How he tried to convince them to throw a party in his honour, only for that idea to be mooted. How he then called Pinky's friend to find out what would make him happy. How he convinced a London whisky outfit to throw a charity tasting, the proceedings of which helped fund the purchase of a gift for Pinky -- a bull, no less. How he went to Islay to present Pinky with the bull, as said Pinky came out of the distillery for the final time. How they embraced, emotional, on the car park. How the charity tasting raised more money than necessary, and how CDn used the remainder of the bounty to invite Pinky and his wife to London (date TBD). How Diageo, well after the facts, realised their faux pas, and invited CDn to Islay to present Pinky with their very-own parting gift -- a cask of Lagavulin. How, on the day, Pinky gave CDn bottle number 2 of said cask. It is yet another of CDn's tales that capture an audience, and leave no-one cold. How does he do it?

JS starts pouring her St. George Single Malt Whiskey Lot 17 (43%, OB, B#SM017, b.2017). I do not try it, tonight. Full notes here.

VK passes me a bottle.
VK: "I thought I'd bring this, because you have not had a chance to try it at the [Campbeltown] festival."

How thoughtful are our friends?

Kilkerran 20yo 2004/2024 Open Day 2024 (49.2%, OB Single Cask, 10 years Fresh Rum Cask + 10 years Refill Bourbon Hogshead, 432b) (VK)

Nose: it starts off almost ashy, and frankly woody, then turns into ground fruit stone in the space of ten minutes. Later, we have jelly capsules and plastic caps that have been used to store saffron. Then, an earthy, farm-y side emerges, driven by baked mud patties.
Mouth: a muddy, earthy number with fruit stones (apricot) and crushed fruit tatters. The second sip is more drying -- the fruit stones, probably.
Finish: ginger biscuits topped with marmalade, resting on an earthy undercurrent.

Comment: JS is not a fan. I like it. 8/10

CDn brought a rather-exclusive Clynelish. It will take me a while to get to it. In the meantime, I am intrigued by JL's claim it has a holy smell.

Sanmi-Ittai The 1st Edition (57.6%, Toachuzo imported by Atom Supplies, B#9585, L.10.18) (YM)

Comment: I try this in JS's glass. It is fresh, minty and vanilla-ed, pretty good al round. 7/10

One of DW's unnamed colleagues talks about this little blog. However, unlike DW, he did not check it to see what whisky tOMoH gave 10/10. He read it, and then decided, all curious, to buy that Glen Scotia. He confirms it is not good (I have to ask, of course).

Dimple 15yo Original (40%, John Haig, b. 2020s) (JL)

Nose: dusty old blend. Old cardboard and newspapers, stale toffee.
Mouth: a bit thin on the palate, of course. Dusty toffee aplenty.
Finish: yeah, toffee to the max, dusty or not.
Comment: Honest blend. Linkwood, Glenkinchie, Caol Ila, says our host. And Cameronbridge, CDn tries to make us believe. He has no idea, and explains that, at the time this was made, it could have been any grain from Diageo's portfolio. 6/10

Chichibu London Edition 2022 (51.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt imported by Speciality Drinks, 1861b) (unnamed colleague)

Nose: airy and ethereal, it has confectionary sugar, flowers (jasmine or cherry blossom), and soft bakery shenanigans. Perhaps sugared corn flakes too.
Mouth: light apricot tea -- or is it jasmine infusion?
Finish: long, pretty ashy, it has burnt fruit stones, and, increasingly, peach flesh.
Comment: allegedly nine ex-Bourbon casks, including one peated (my ashy impression reads less ridiculous, now, eh?), finished in ex-Sherry casks. Satisfying to tick this box. Very good whisky too. 8/10

Clynelish 15yo 1992/2007 Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year (46%, The Whisky Exchange for Salt Whisky Bar, Bourbon Barrel) (CDn)

Nose: dry, fruity and floral at first, it turns waxy-and-three-quarters in mere minutes. I can see why JL thought it smelled like church candles.
Mouth: ooft! Incredibly waxy, coating, peppered by a lick of wick. Past that candle action, we note plump apricot, (Mirabelle) plum, and nectarine skins. YM detects salty sea water, undoubtedly influenced by the name of the bar this was bottled for, while JS tastes banana.
Finish: long, waxy, it is teeming with minty custard.
Comment: this is extraordinary. My dram of the night, if we except the Gelston. Perhaps I am being overly enthusiastic, but hey! 9/10

tOMoH [to JL]: "You're drinking your Dimple again?"
JL: "Yeah. I really like it."
tOMoH: "You make me think of this French joke: how do you recognise a Belgian in an orgy?"
JL: "How?"
tOMoH: "He's the only one shagging his own wife. Similarly, you come to a tasting like this, and you drink your own bottle."

Highland Park 14yo b.2023 (63.8%, OB Distillery Exclusive, Refill Butt, C#6571, 638b) (CBr)

Nose: I want to say burnt heather, but not really. It is hugely alcoholised; it presents flavoured alcohol, rather than neutral, surgical stuff. In any case, it is nostril destroying, in the long run.
Mouth: very powerful, it has sphagnum moss and lichens of all sorts. Later on, we find strawberry jam, boiling on the hob.

Finish: at last, the Highland Park DNA comes out, with smoked-heather sweets, and chewy cough syrup minus liquorice.
Comment: difficult. More interesting than really good. It is hard not to compare it to the 18yo distillery exclusive we tried a couple of years ago; that one was more to my liking. Funny how the ABV and the outturn match, though (63.8 vs. 638). 7/10

CDn reminisces about his early days in London, during which he would spend time with the Milroy brothers.

CDn: "We would start in this room, then go out, and go to private clubs. You wouldn't believe what went on, then. Then, we would come back here, usually in the basement, to finish the night."
JS [pointing at the picture on the back wall]: "Did you drink from those glasses?"
CDn: "Possibly. Are those wine glasses?"
tOMoH: "I believe they are buckets. I saw some like those. In a fire station!"

It feels the right time to start pouring my own contribution. Port Dundas 10yo (60.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection World Whiskies, 318b, b. ca 1998). Full notes here.

Bowmore 22yo 1996/2019 (50.8%, Aberdeen Whisky Shop Islay Reserve, C#901271) (DW)

Nose: wet, fruity peat through and through. The fruity side grows, yet the whole remains earthy.
Mouth: very-fruity mud, dotted with peaches and nectarines.
Finish: long, it delivers more fruit, as well as earth and mud.
Comment: my notes do not do it justice; it is a nice dram. 8/10

JL makes it abundantly clear we are to vacate the room. We can carry on at the bar downstairs (with whiskies from the bar only), but we are essentially evicted.

BA hurriedly pours me his Malört (35%, Carl Jeppson) -- "the worst thing you will try tonight/this year/ever," he says. Could not agree more. It is a drink to dare your foes with. No pleasure here, other than laughing at the reaction of someone who tries it for the first time. I have to down olive oil and a Krispy Kreme doughnut to clear the taste. Well, at least, it is not Baiju. 3/10

Downstairs, we finish our conversations and try another couple of things without taking notes.

Causeway Irish Whiskey 31yo 1991/2023 (47.8%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Bourbon Barrels, C#RC649+650+651+652): on par with, if not better than the mighty Gelston from earlier. Total, pornographic fruit bomb. 10/10

YM leaves a barely-touched dram of Glenglassaugh 12yo 2011/2023 (55.3%, Milroy Soho Selection, PX Hogshead) behind. It is rich, earthy, borderline meaty, and not subtle at all. A generic sherried whisky, well made, perhaps, but rather generic. It is also pretty strong. "So good my colleague bought two bottles," the bar lass tells everyone. She can have my allocation. 6/10

DW: "I plan to do something similar around Easter. I don't know what it will be called, yet. Perhaps Eastermas."
JS: "Surely, if this is DWmas, doing it at Easter should make it DWster?"
tOMoH: "Yeah, you're not moving Christmas to Easter..."

Time to call it a night. This place has the potential to become dangerous. Tomorrow will be a trifle difficult.

Happy birthday, DW!

31/05/2023 Kilkerran

Kilkerran 8yo b.2018 (58.4%, OB Open Day 2018, Recharred Sherry Cask, 18/228): nose: 'robust' is the term that immediately comes to mind. In no particular order, we have wood oil, a thin veil of dark smoke from a wood stove, oily nuts (roasted peanuts), iodine and sea breeze. Further on, we have soft, rubbery tree bark (mulch), a scent that is always a hit with tOMoH, then a whisper of matchstick tips, perhaps more saltpetre than sulphur. An earthier note emerges behind all that, part rich soil, part scorched earth, certainly imparted by the Sherry cask. Matchbox strikers  lurk in the shadows, never unpleasant. The second nose adds juicy berries to the mix, almost a paste of blueberries, myrtles, and/or cherries -- and a spoonful of plasticine, just for fun! A drop of water introduces rosehip to the nose, wine-soaked clementine segments, discreet Turkish delights, and chewy fruit sweets. Mouth: matchbox strikers on the attack too, and the least one can say is that this is hot; fiery, even! Amchur, a pinch of chilli powder, ground cloves, ginger powder all form a choir around overtly-woody notes of old bookshelves, sandalwood, and spiked prune juice, augmented with white pepper and ground cardamom. The second sip is fruitier than the first, with currants and candied orange segments, and those fruits almost match the spices. Almost. A few loops around the tongue allow elderberry to show up in all its earthy glory, propelled by the gingery spiciness. Water makes this mellow -- too mellow, in fact. We detect fruit sweets, such as melon Sugus (Opal Fruits, for our British readers, Starburst for the Americans), but, apart from a warm-wood bitterness in the back, it seems to have lost all complexity. Finish: although it is fairly close in character to the nose, the finish comes as a surprise, after this palate. Here are braseros on a ship's deck, (which is to say: embers, dark smoke, and salty sea air), rancio, bitter earth, and dusty shelves. Minutes after swallow, the spices from the mouth operate a comeback, and we have Chinese five-spice and ground cassia bark join the afore-mentioned ground cloves, ginger and amchur. Once again, repeated sipping adds a welcome fruity layer, this time dried currants, dried figs, prunes, and a drop of elderberry cordial. Once again too, all that is gingery alright, and a lick of balsa wood will not let us forget where those spices came from (wood, innit). They turn borderline desiccating, actually. Water works well on this finish. It sheds enough of the spices for one to now be able to focus on the rest, and that is crystallised clementines, chewy fruit sweets that come close to wine-soaked Haribo Bananas. Strangely enough, there is virtually no maritime influence left, at this stage; just confectionary goodness. Nice. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, STL)

28/01/2023 Burns' Night 2023 -- Sideburns (Part 2)

Follow-up to Part 1. 

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Another Brick in the Wall

The next one is a well-known whisky for this group (even if we appear to not have had it for a bloody decade). Psycho chose it, because we call it the Francorchamps grand-prix, owing to its smell of burnt rubber. Psycho tells us that that led him to race pilots, who are likely to perform burn-outs.

Auchentoshan 17yo d.1987 (61.5%, OB Individual Cask for Belgium, C#1659, 552b) (Psycho): nose: much less sulphur and rubber than in previous encounters. It still has roasted coffee beans and rubber, but they are much less prominent than before. Now, we have pastrami, roast beef, and an unexpected dash of lactic acid. The roast beef is slow to come (about thirty minutes to appear) and introduces a slightly sulphur-y note. On the side are sangria-soaked orange rinds. Mouth: strong coffee flavours, and melted mocha chocolate. Finish: balls of fiery hairs! Mocha, coffee, yes, yet virtually none of the burnt rubber from our memory. Instead, hot stout, and a long, drying impression, with root-y galangal. Lastly, cola shows up. 7/10

17th August 10yo b.2022 W.12 (55.3%, Wave Distil Rare Cask Edition, 7 years Port/Cognac Casks + 2 years Sauternes Cask Finish + 1 year Tawny Port Cask Finish, B#WD-SP/001-2022, 302b, b#111) (sonicvince): the bloke on the label has sideburns. Nose: filled to the brim with apples, and turning waxy after a short while. We also have green hazel leaves. The second nose sees bergamot and herbaceous marzipan. Mouth: fruit jellies, orange gummy sweets, and a pinch of discreet sawdust. Finish: sweet marzipan and ripe satsumas. This is lovely. 7/10

Look at those sideburns!
Use your imagination!

Gaija cries into his notes

red71 pours his Glenfarclas before leaving with STL. He says there is no connection to the theme, but sonicvince is quick to point out that Lord Farquaad, from Shrek, has sideburns.

Not really, but the pun (Glenfarquaad)
is bad enough to roll with it

Glenfarclas 11yo 2004/2015 KPT Devil (62.3%, OB Vintage Limited Bottling for Anam na h-Alba / Kirchhellener Private Tasting Circle, Sherry Casks, 1019b, b#953) (red71): known as the Devil's cask, because it is limited to 666 bottles. Yet, this one clearly states 1019 bottles, of which this is #953. Hm. Nose: oilcloth and unripe-citrus peels. In fact, it is fairly fruity, with wafts of smoked bergamot. There is a dryness too, cocoa powder, and fancy, fruity nail varnish. Mouth: hairy horsepower. I find this one warm and challenging, with fierce ginger, progressing towards hot, chewy cherry sweets (Twin Cherry Gummies). Finish: surprisingly balanced, considering the fearsome ABV, the finish has white-chocolate powder and fudge. Nice. 8/10

sonicvince and Mrs. sonicvince leave around this time.

Gaija notes that one could easily abbreviate 'sideburns' with SB. But in the whisky world, SB stands for Springbank. So he brought one.

dom666, always the geography expert, notes that Campbeltown is on the tip of Kintyre -- the dick of Scotland, he says. The afore-mentioned 'rouflaquette' (French slang for sideburns) contains the word 'quette,' Belgian slang for 'dick'. So he brought Springbank too, seeing as the distillery is in the "dick" of Scotland (yes, it is far fetched).

dom666 pre-emptively asks me for a spare cork, sure that one of his will break when he tries to open it. As it turns out, the cork put the previous hours to good use, and spontaneously broke off! It is now lifelessly floating in the bottle.

Corkicide

Springbank 12yo b.1994 (46%, OB, 94/216) (dom666): nose: WD-40, engine grease, and mashed mango, as well as bolts in custard. Later on, it becomes drier, and displays faded leather. Mouth: pretty dirty, we have engine grease on mangoes. The latter becomes more obvious, the longer one spends with it. Finish: incredibly powerful at 46% (even after the monstrous 'farclas), it has quite a bit of pepper to cap off fleshy fruit. Oily tools hint at the engine grease from before. Subsequent gulps are juicy as fook, still with a lick of engine oil or grease. Amazeballs. 9/10

vs.

Springbank 21yo b.2000 (46%, OB imported by Fourcroy) (dom666): what? No bottle code? Nose: fresh like a mix of toothpaste and shoe polish. This is sherry maturation at its best, really. Beautiful rancio, with prunes and rehydrated raisins. It grows dirtier with time, closer to a mechanic's workshop, and adds a whiff of tobacco, then flat cola. Mouth: rancio, clay floors. It is softly drying, with potting soil and ground sumac. Finish: long, earthy, drying. Darker tobacco shows up, at this stage, perhaps pipe tobacco (Semois). It is a very long finish too, with nuts and dried fruits. Amazeballs again, though less my bag than the 12yo. 8/10

vs.

Springbank 21yo b.2016 (48.2%, OB exclusively available for The Nectar 10 Years, Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, 342b,16/266) (Gaija): nose: this one is much more austere and mineral, despite a lemon-juice note -- lemon juice on limestone, you see? Time makes it dirtier, if still fruity/acidic, and certainly punchier than the other two. Mouth: the underlying current of fruit juice is balanced by a beefed-up mineral side. The second sip cranks up the the acidic fruit juice with pink grapefruit. Finish: long, juicy, it retains a strong mineral profile. In the long run, that grows to become plaster-y. The second sip is in the same vein. This one may just be my favourite of the three, tonight, despite the illustrious competition. 9/10

Tonight's Holy Trinity

Psycho [about USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier-museum in NYC]: "I'm one of two people here who have touched a Blackbird."
ruckus: "Blackbirds are not on carriers..."
tOMoH: "Nor are Concordes on submarines!"

Kilkerran 8yo b.2018 (58.4%, OB Open Day 2018, Recharred Sherry Cask, 18/228) (STL): STL left hours ago, so we will never know the connection -- if there is even one. Nose: lukewarm bread, drying plaster, hay, and linen about to catch fire. Mouth: hot jam, stuck in a hot tin pot, which signifies hot metal and apricots pulp. It feels pretty hot indeed. Finish: a drying aspect that goes with the nosebleed metal. Proper dreary notes, I know: it is late. It is good whisky all the same. 7/10

ruckus [about tonight's music]: "Well, I'm an old fart talking, but..."
Gaija: "I can't stop you saying that."

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Man to Men

St. Kilian Bud Spencer - The Legend Rauchig b.2021 (49%, OB, ex-Bourbon Casks & ex-Amarone Casks, B#2) (kruuk2): here is an unusual whisky if we ever knew one! Bud Spencer has a beard, rather than sideburns, but that will do for tonight! Nose: roasted barley, farmyard, dry earth, caked on tractor tyres, perhaps lit cigarettes too. It has smoked citrus to boot (Buddha's hand? Oroblanco? Yuzu?) Mouth: ha! Yes, dried barley and lightly-smoked malt. Finish: long, replenishing, fulfilling. More toasted barley and light smoke. It is perfect for this time of night. 7/10

Technically, that is a beard

Psycho: "Actors used to do other things. Harrison Ford used to be a carpenter."
tOMoH: "That is why he was good in The Last Crusade: he knew how to find the cup of a carpenter."

Chilling

We retire to the lounge for an after-party; others have Bowmore 16yo 1996/2012 (46%, Morrison & Mackay Càrn Mòr Strictily Limited Edition, Sherry Butt, 844b), but I pass (notes here).

On the other hand, upon confirming that Gaija has never had a Banff, we all accompany him with Banff 35yo 1975/2011 (42.4%, Douglas Laing An Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 158b, b#149) Full notes here. For tonight, suffice to say that it effortlessly asserts its dominance over the twenty preceding drams. As JS says: when one is in the presence of glory, one knows it.

We finally call it a night around 6:45.

The following day, Edge decides to translate
Soundcloud from French to English
turning "Favoris" into "Sideburns".
Clearly no coincidence!

28/01/2023 Burns' Night 2023 -- Sideburns (Part 1)

Back in ze Heimat for the year's most ambitious tasting. And ambitious it is! This year's edition has the highest attendance, and possibly the longest line-up since we started celebrating Robert Burns, back in 2004.

Let them come!

The theme this year is Sideburns, which should provide plenty of fun.

The pace is fast, and the accent is on social interactions, rather than analytical note-taking. Ah, well.

kruuk2, Psycho, sonicvince and Mrs. sonicvince, red71, Bishlouk, STL, dom666, Gaija, ruckus, adc and JS join me for the occasion.

Psycho is sporting a bushy beard and long hair that earn him the nickname Glandaf Le Brun (it is not a typo).

STL takes it upon himself to build the line-up, before three others cast doubt in his mind and help him spend another thirty minutes polishing it.

How many engineers to build a line-up?

To help them do that, I pour...

Irish Mist (65° Proof, The Irish Mist Liqueur Co. imported by Heublein Inc., b.1970s): we had this last year, but with his sideburns, Brendan (yes, I christened the bottle/soldier) must make another appearance! He gets a very similar welcome to last year's.

Although more than one thinks it is
Hibiki 17yo, it is merely a repurposed bottle

Also, amuse-bouches

The soundtrack: ruckus - Side B(urns)

At last, we are ready to start

Knappogue Castle 12yo b.2015 (46%, Knappogue Castle Limited Release bottled exclusively for Vinothek Massen and Dram Brothers imported by Castle Brands, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 216b, b#125, L15 004 220) (red71): this does not fit in the theme in any way (boo!) Nose: hints of mint (Psycho), and juicy fruit (mango, mostly), some fresh herbs, penny walls, Earl Grey tea (Gaija), bergamot. It becomes more and more buttery as time passes, without losing its acidity -- something that is somehow accentuated by the appearance of pomegranate, usually not the butteriest of fruits. Mouth: an unexpected oomph, buttery fruit (in taste and texture -- think: mango), with a medicinal lick (Psycho). That texture is stupendous, buttery as smashed avocado. Finish: warming, fruity, here comes an onslaught of mango, bergamot and satsuma, in line with those older Irish beauties (not quite in that league exactly, of course). 8/10

adc: "The Knappogue ticks all my boxes."
tOMoH: "Would you say it's your favourite of the night, so far?"

Soup is served.

Carrot and orange

We talk about PSc, who could not make it tonight.
STL: "Who's PSc? Do you have a picture of him?"
tOMoH: "Yes, but there is a black circle in front."

Inver-Regal (43° Gay Lussac, J.H. Wham & Son (Largs), for testing purposes only, b. pre-1991): blended and bottled by Wham, both members of which sported beautiful sideburns, at some point. Nose: naphthalene and tar (Psycho). Everyone else agrees in describing it as a tad dirty. Gaija finds sriracha sauce, while STL declares fermented cabbage and garlic, and Psycho announces a late-coming, well-worn sock. Mouth: very floral, ripe with violets and nasturtium (STL and Gaija), which, red71 rushes to underline, is actually very pleasant. Finish: STL attributes it a Fino side. My full notes are here. 7/10

Andrew Ridgeley (of Wham fame)

George Michael (of Wham fame)
aka
Γεώργιος Κυριάκος Παναγιώτου

red71: "I'm getting used to it."
tOMoH: "When you have it in the mouth, it's even better... Usually the case."
red71 [grins]: "Ça sent le vécu! (Sounds like experience talking!)"
STL: "Ça sent le vieux cul! (smells like old arse.)"

Main course enters. adc managed to source regular (as opposed to vegetarian) haggis locally, to complement the veggie one from the UK (turns out we brought veggie haggis last year too). It is McLoughlins, rather than Macsween -- uncharted territory. It is good, though much more-finely ground than Macsween's, and less spicy. No-one finds it better than Macsween's, but everyone agrees that between McLoughlins and no haggis, McLoughlins wins every time.

All three McLoughlins haggises explode in the oven

Potato-turnip-and-swede bake

Parsnip-apple-and-sage mash also on the plate. Delicious.

dom666: "How did you smuggle the veggie one in? Did you do like drug mules?"
tOMoH: "No, it's vegetarian and pre-cooked, so it's legal. But I could have."

Clydeside 3yo Stobcross (46%, OB, b.2021, CBSCS 09845) (JS): Clydeside, geddit? Nose: fruit, banana bread (Gaija) and warm custard. Mouth: something earthy or floury (Gaija). Everyone is astounded at the quality, especially given the age. Bishlouk goes from "it is very good" to "it will be very good when it's ten or twelve," but then he drinks labels. It is very good as is. My full notes are here. Tonight, it is... 7/10

Rhosdhu 26yo d.1979 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#3236, b#163) (tOMoH): this one is obviously for Rhosdhu-flaquettes (from 'rouflaquette,' French slang for sideburns). Nose: anchovy paste, i.e. dry and salty (Psycho), soy sauce (Psycho), kroepoek (Psycho, still ruminating last night's Chinese takeaway). For me, it is exuberant mango. Mouth: génépi, Chartreuse (Gaija), smashed grapefruit, as well as avocado, guava and papaya. Finish: a strong alcohol presence (Gaija, STL, red71), makes for a long finish that some say could be better integrated. For me, it is papaya, guava, and mellow citrus (bergamot? Satsuma?) Full notes will follow. This is tOMoH's bag. Funnily enough, it is also the longest-aged whisky of this line-up. 9/10

Glentauchers 21yo b.2018 (47.1%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, B#8, 803b, b#63) (ruckus): look at those sideburns! Nose: citrus all at once, with white grapefruit, pomelo, shaddock (Psycho says orange), then crystallised angelica and stem ginger, candied fruit, Gummibärchen, and citrus-y Douglas fir. Mouth: a touch of wood, and ripe-grapefruit peels. Finish: a touch of bitterness, and lots of citrus-y goodness (grapefruit), as well as a pinch of herbs. The evening's surprise, which seduces everyone, tonight. 9/10

Will you look at those sideburns!?

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Sideburns

STL demonstrates an impressive cake-cutting technique

Psycho [looks at the next bottle]: "It is a... Ha! Glenlivet. Same as mine, then."
tOMoH: "Aberlour-Glenlivet?"
Psycho: "Well, they're both made with the same water of the Livet river. Same whisky."
tOMoH: "Mmmmmkay."

Glenlivet d.1951 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail, b. 1970s) (adc): same as Aberlour 16yo, indeed. :) The lion on the label has great sideburns, does he not? Nose: some interesting sherry notes, here, with coffee (Gaija), engine grease, leather, citrus juice peppered with some shoe polish. Minutes in, we have a soft, smoky note, and a nuance of metal gutters. Coffee grows in intensity, though never overpowers -- imagine tiramisù. Mouth: dirty! Here are shoe polish, old leather, cow dung, even. The second sip pumps up the leather, and adds chicory infusion to the mix. Finish: cured meat from the barbecue, and roast beef. There is no charred note, to be clear; just a lovely cured-meat cloak. It develops a sweetness, in the long run. It treads a tight, borderline sulphur-y rope, but that is so subtle and balanced it is hardly noticeable. In fact, it is really bloody good, and I hope to get to try this again. A strong, strong 8/10

Check out those sideburns!

sonicvince wanted to find something to relate to Magazine - Shot By Both Sides (because he reckoned being shot by both sides must burn), but ended up bringing something he simply felt like bringing.

Tomatin 1976/2001 (43%, John Alexander's Collection exclusively distributed by S.L. Major): it feels like we had this a few weeks ago, but it has in fact been four years, and that hurts. Nose: unbelievably exuberant, ripe with tropical fruit -- mango, maracuja, and, later on, lychee. Mouth: (very) acidic, it has more tropical fruit than one can shake a stick at, namely pronounced lychee, and sauced-up mango. What is there not to like? Finish: beside the obvious mango, it takes on an additional complexity with the emergence of plaster, crushed Aspirin, and crushed mango stone -- in other words: bitterness. Still, amazingly fruity, though. 9/10

The first cake does not last long.
The second hardly longer.

The next bottle appears. JS tells us about La Ribambelle, a classic series of comic books by Roba, the creator of Boule & Bill. One character in La Ribambelle, is Scottish: Archibald Mac Dingelling. In one episode, they go to Scotland, where we meet his uncle Angus, and other clansmen, all of whom sport impressive moustaches. Naturally, the Mac Dingelling have a rival clan, the Mac Klangbang, recognisable for their green tartan, and massive sideburns. In one strip, there is a bar brawl involving one member of each clan. The Mac Klangbang representative's Christian name is Murchinson, and his sideburns are typical of his clan. Thereby leading to... Ardna-Murchinson.

Check out those sideburns!

From Roba, La Ribambelle en Ecosse, Dupuis

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2020 (46.8%, OB, 65% Bourbon & 35% PX & Oloroso Sherry Casks, B#AD/09.20:01, 15978b, b#13122) (JS): nose: refined smoke, roasted barley and cigarette ash, then a touch of strawberry toothpaste. Mouth: sandy, salty earth, warming and comforting. Finish: ashen and long, with a lick of dark cherry. Full notes here. Excellent young whisky. 7/10

Bishlouk gets up and gives everyone a piece of paper with an equation. tOMoH quickly decides it is too complex for tonight, and leaves it to the scientists to try and decode. A vain effort, as it turns out, because Bishlouk has no clue what the equation means. He does think, though, that it is odd maths, as is the next dram, a Kilkerran, which is triple distilled, rather than the usual double distillation operated at Glengyle. The odd equation is known as Burnside's theorem. Boom.

Boom, indeed.

Kilkerran 11yo b.2017 Triple Distilled (60.3%, OB Open Day 2017, 17/202) (Bishlouk): triple-distilled Kilkerran. Who woulda thunk? Nose: torn metal and warm thyme. Mouth: hot, it has some vanilla to round off hot metal, and a pinch of herbs in conversation with hot sugar. It is balanced and pleasant, in terms of flavours, but hot. Finish: long and warming, it delivers caster sugar in a way that makes me think of grain whisky -- or rum. 7/10

Aberlour 16yo (43%, OB Double Cask Matured, Traditional Oak Casks + Sherry Oak Casks) (Psycho): a-Burns-lour, says Psycho, who adds that this was stored on the right side of his cupboard. Ahem. Nose: heavy sherry at a low strength -- which shows: it is somewhat subdued, after the hard-hitting Kilkerran. We have leather belts, shoe polish, for one second, that soon morphs into cola. Mouth: mellow, soft, filled with chocolate custard and paste-like pudding. Finish: quaffable, easy-going. We see cola and maple syrup make up a dram that is well pleasant, even though it will not change the world. 6/10

The closest whisky name to 'Sideburns' is 'Burnside,' which is allegedly a blend(ed malt). Bishlouk therefore brought a blend.

Blended Scotch Whisky 20yo 1998/2019 (44.6%, Cadenhead Club, 1 x Sherry Hogshead + 1 x Sherry Butt, 500b, 19/250) (Bishlouk): nose: strong coffee, a notch of sulphur (Gaija), perhaps. But really: coffee, and mocha chocolate. Mouth: this has a huge mouth presence, explosive and toasted, with nigella seeds, toasted bread and flat cola, or Dr. Pepper. Finish: truly a fifty-fifty blend of cold coffee and flat cola, sprinkled with a pinch of ground black cumin. 6/10

Bishlouk departs, still unwilling to grasp or admit that Burns' Night is an all-nighter.

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