01/10/2017 The Whisky Show 2017 (Day 2 -- Part 1)

The story starts here.

First, breakfast. We go back to The Modern Pantry and all have the Dhansak veal mince omelette. I had it yesterday and loved it. Instead of the green juice, I take the orange one. Full of carrot, ginger ad other healthy stuff. The whole sorts me out.

A quick walk takes us to the venue, where the queues are already long, but they are made enjoyable by some sharing souls (chiefly PS who brought the 6th release of Brora and other bits and bobs). I pour my Benriach 1976/1991 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice) to whomever cares to try it, and we are in in no time at all.

We never made it to the Loch Lomond stand, yesterday, so it feels right to start there, today. GM recognises me from the previous years and teases me for not joining them yesterday. Fair enough. There is a lot of work, here.

JS asks OB, dom666 and me if we want to attend a mini tasting in the Secret Garden on the theme Japanese whisky. OB dares not join -- after all, he cannot place Japan on the map. dom666 and I say yes. A chance to sit down and relax. With Dave Broom.

I manage to catch the very Dave Broom for a second and exchange a few words, mostly about our surreal encounter on Islay, this summer. We will see him on Wednesday for another shindig. He confirms the content will not be the same. It is a yes for the Secret Garden, then.

Back to Loch Lomond.

Glen Scotia Double Cask (46%, OB, 15121F/15120B, b. ca 2017): nose: cut apples, apple crumble and a minimum of smoke. Mouth: hot custard poured on apple crumble. Can you tell I am looking forward to dessert? Finish: slightly dry, it has roasted apples, tarte tatin and a drop of caramel. 7/10

Glen Scotia Victoriana (51.5%, OB, 19121F/19121B, b. ca 2017): nose: this is manlier, with petrol, metallic tools and lime, maybe cold, diluted coffee. Mouth: apple compote on a cast-iron stove, metal and smoke. The whole is gentle, though. Finish: long, with warm compote and hot iron, as well as dark chocolate and a drop of black coffee. This reminds me of the fabulous 12yo we had in Dornoch. 8/10

Glen Scotia 25yo (48.8%, OB, American Oak Barrels, b.2017, 16122F/16122B): nose: butterscotch, shortbread, sweet and salty, with caramelised honey and sea-salted caramel. Mouth: soft, creamy, with lots of salt and shortbread. Finish: salty shortbread and pastry. This is great. 9/10

Inchmoan 12yo (46%, OB Island Collection, 15531F/15530B, b. ca 2017): this Inchmoan is made in three different types of stills (pot, Lomond and Coffey), matured separately, then married together. Nose: lots of bandages, coal and smoke from a stove. Mouth: soft, velvety and milky. Finish: peat, burnt wood, honey and roasted corn. I like this. 7/10

Inchmoan 1992/2017 (48.6%, OB Island Collection Vintage Release, Refill Bourbon Barrels): this one, we are told, is made in two types of stills only (pot and Lomond, I think), then matured separately and married. Nose: gentle, with peach and heavily-faded leather. Mouth: it is a bit more acidic here, but still soft and gentle, with unripe mirabelle plum. Finish: finally, some peat appears, mild and pleasant, with a tiny bitterness. 8/10

Yes, good products again, at Loch Lomond. dom666 falls for their single grain, which is only called that because it is distilled in a Coffey still: it is in fact a silent malt -- 100% malted barley distilled in a Coffey still. The Japanese call that a Coffey malt, not bound by the SWA's rules.

Hunter Laing, here we come!

Tormore 28yo 1988/2017 (50%, Hunter Laing The Old Malt Cask, Sherry Butt, C#13189, 391b): nose: green hazelnut, unripe medlar, thin and spirit-y. Warm wood joins the game, alongside sweet green grapes. Mouth: yup, it has the sweetness of green grapes. Finish: nice, with the fruitiness and the sweetness of white wine, yet it feels a bit green for my liking. 7/10

Time for the Secret Garden, which is soon rechristened the Whisky Jungle. I immediately wonder if it is such a good idea after all. It is too early for me to need to sit down, and, let us face it, Japanese whisky is not exactly my bag. Nothing wrong with it; I simply have no time, money, or shelf space for it.

The Hakushu Distiller's Reserve (43%, OB imported by Morrison Bowmore, LX7 ALA): nose: super elegant, with jasmine and honeysuckle, honey and powdered sugar. Fresh. Mouth: delicate, custard-y and flowery. Finish: again, subtle, fruity, with flowers (jasmine) and honey. We had this last year, in this very garden, as part of a tasting on the theme peat. I detect no peat, this time. Broom claims there is a little of it, but I think he is on the sauce. 7/10

Hibiki Japanese Harmony (43%, Suntory Whisky imported by Beam Inc. UK): nose: very grain-like, with lots of chou dough and a touch of Virginia tobacco, soft chocolate and lychee. Mouth: creamy, velvety, with custard and milk-chocolate coulis. Finish: soft, sweet, dough-y, with chou dough, flower paste and jam. Succulent. 8/10

Nikka From the Barrel (51.4%, OB imported by La Maison du Whisky, 5-4-31, ?1506): the HRMC sticker is on the bottle code, hence the question mark. Nose: dried fruits (figs, dates) and a slightly medicinal note. Mouth: very velvety, with spices and nuts, hazelnut paste. Finish: nuts and overripe red apples. This is still not totally my style, but it is drinkable. 7/10

DB: "This is a bottle that fits in your hand. I'm from Glasgow. We don't always tend to use a glass."

Mars Komagatake (52%, Hombo Shinshu Nature of Shinshu imported by Number One Drinks Company): now, this is new to me! A whisky from Osaka. It is not imported into Europe, which explains. Courtesy of Dave. Nose: more farm-y, it is still elegant, with decaying red grapes. Mouth: more powerful, spicy as hell, whilst remaining a fruity type. Finish: big, powerful, with a subtle farm-y note and nuts. 7/10

DB: "This is a raucous, boisterous night out in Osaka!"

Nikka Coffey Malt (45%, OB imported by La Maison du Whisky, 6/08F38001): nose: lemon pie, custard and toffee. Mouth: pastry, toffee and a little custard. Banoffee pie is what it is! Very creamy. Finish: lots of grain character -- custard, banoffee pie, banana sponge cake, vanilla. 8/10

Chichibu 2012/2016 The Peated (54.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt imported by Number One Drinks, Bourbon Barrels, Sherry Butts, Hogsheads, 76350b, b#5200): nose: farm-y, in an elegant way. Mouth: custard, toffee, shortbread and a hint of smoke. Finish: hot custard, toffee, brownie, roasted beans -- though I do not think it is coffee. 7/10

DB: "The smoke is like cow breath." AND HE IS RIGHT!
tOMoH: "How do you know that?"

Well, it was a brilliant time, after all. Good whiskies, a nice presentation and some quiet tasting, rather than frantic elbowing at the stands.

We join up with the rest of the gang and imagine the bouncers touting: "Mitsubishis? Supermans? Masterclasses?"

We go for lunch. That mini-tasting had hefty pours and the water came late. I am not my usual self.

Read on here.

30/09/2017 The Whisky Show 2017 (Day 1 -- Part 2)

The story starts here.

I have the roast haddock, then the lamb shoulder (yes, two meals), then the apple crumble. The vegetarian option is depleted, so I cannot try it.

Lamb shoulder

Apple crumble with supermarket-whisky-custard

Back to Whisky.Auction, where we recognise N, whom we met at the Campbeltown festival.

Tomatin 10yo (70° PROOF, OB, 26²/³ Fl.OZS, b.1970s): nose: jammy fruit. Mouth: velvety and very good, jammy, fruity, with a hint of pepper. Finish: wonderful, soft, sweet and fruity. Love it. 8/10

The Glen Garioch 8yo (40%, OB, b.1980s): been willing to try this for a while. Nose: vinegar, jute bags, humid earth. Mouth: soft, but a bit acidic too. dom666 finds it sulphury. He is obviously drunk. Finish: peat smoke, farmyard. This is nice and interesting, though it still has too much vinegar to be a real winner for me. 7/10

We scramble to find more things to try -- preferably on our to-do list.

Benromach.

Benromach 15yo (43%, OB, b. ca 2017): nose: caramel and sherry sweetness, with a timid nuttiness. Mouth: nutty sherry, perhaps a bit too bitter, but it is ok. Has it smoke in the back? Finish: big, smoky and nutty -- roasted, caramelised chestnuts. 7/10

Whisky.Auction

Linkwood 14yo 1972/1987 (61.6%, Gordon & MacPhail, 246b): nose: dusty and acidic, vinegar-y, with a super-long finish. This deserves more time, as it is a challenging dram. It does not shine immediately. 6/10

Elements of Islay/Single Malts of Scotland, where we discover that MR is leaving her job at the end of the year.

Tamnavulin 40yo (40.6%, Speciality Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland Director's Special): had this one last year, but cannot resist having it again. Nose: mint an honey -- this is so beautiful! Flowery and sweet, with powdered sugar and Turkish delights. Mouth: soft, yet strangely bitter -- imagine crushed, dried sage on pastry. Finish: very fruity, with still lots of pastry. Good! 10/10

Ben Nevis 20yo 1996/2017 (53.7%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Sherry Butt, C#1528, 466b): it would seem Speciality Drinks is now called Elixir Drinks. Nose: jammy. Mouth: jammy. Finish: super fruity. This is an excellent, most unexpected Ben Nevis! 8/10

Glen Grant 25yo 1992/2017 (57.2%, Elixir Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Barrel, C#35957, 153b): nose: herbaceous fruit, sage and berries. Mouth: strong, with souped-up jam. Finish: strong, with quite a bit of smoke and squashed berries. 8/10

Glengoyne 40yo (56.8%, Speciality Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland The Director's Special): nose: liquorice, peppermint, sherry and fruit. Mouth: woody, but goody, with liquorice, mint, ginger. Finish: tar and liquorice. Well made, though a bit much for me. 8/10

dom666: "You want to try?"
OB: "What is it?"
dom666: "Talisker Skye."
OB: "Talisker Skye!? Ha! Ha!... Sorry."

;-)

Laphroaig 20yo (53.8%, Speciality Drinks The Single Malts of Scotland Director's Special): nose: soft and peachy, pretty sweet. Mouth: peaches and Turkish delights. Finish: the most delicate smoke and loads of fruity sweetness. 8/10

At this point, an Aussie girl and her Italian partner enter the conversation in French. They seem nice enough, but also quite heavily imbibed. He asks me what I am having.

tOMoH: "Laphroaig."
him: "Maaaaaaah, you cannot have a Laphroaig now. There is nothing but peat in that. It is not good."
tOMoH: "Well, I find it nice."
him: "How old is it?"
tOMoH: "Twenty."
him: "Maaaaaaah, that is pointless, not good. It is only wood. A whisky is only good between twelve and fifteen. After that, it is only wood."
tOMoH: "Ma tu, non sai niente al whisky, vero?"
him: "Seriously, after fifteen years, it is only wood. That is not worth drinking. Throw it away."
tOMoH: "OK."

Fortunately for me, unfortunately for dom666, said dom666 announces he is of Italian descent. It turns out his ancestors were from a village... next to this bloke's. They become best buddies (at least, one becomes the other's best buddy), while I can finish my tasting.

The world's newest best friends

Glenburgie 18yo 1998/2017 (59.5%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Hogshead, C#751399, 252b): nose: pepper and squashed fruit, with a hint of coffee. This smells strong. Mouth: hot, with fruit, sizzling in butter. Finish: wonderful compote and fruit jam. Excellent 'burgie. 8/10

This is a finger.
That is also a finger.

Time to go; we are kicked out, as usual. I try to locate kiwi DH and Ingvar Ronde, who both said they would come to the after party (dom666 and I met Ingvar at TWE, yesterday). No trace of either, nor of OF, whom I also want to invite. Tough luck.

JS, dom666 and Cavalier make it. It is a gentle session with no notes, during which we have:
Benriach 1976/1991 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice)
Glenesk 1984/2004 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, JD/DCG)
Lochside 22yo 1966/1989 (43%, Signatory Vintage, C#7253--55, 800b, b#444)
Bladnoch 23yo 1977/2001 (53.6%, OB Rare Malts Selection, 6000b, b#0565)
Cameronbridge 25yo 1979/2005 (59.9%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#3523, 194b, b#92)
Exotic 4.3 Cognac (40.3%, Old Brothers, 528b)
Laphroaig 27yo 1980/2007 (57.4%, OB, 972b, b#29)

I observe that it was perhaps too leisurely a day, that I did not make the best out of it, trying only ten or twelve whiskies. And then I count and notice it was actually twenty-nine. Hm. Good thing we had an after-party to break the thirty barrier. ;-)

Read on here.

30/09/2017 The Whisky Show 2017 (Day 1 -- Part 1)

A month has gone by without a tasting, and a year has gone by since the previous Whisky Show. Hard to believe, but here we are. The whole whisky world converges to Old Billingsgate again for a weekend of dramming and socialising. tOMoH is there too, with OB, JS, dom666, Cavalier, jazzpianofingers, PS, GL, MR, MS, OF, BC, BH, DW, EC, kiwi DH and many, many others. The only noticeable absents are the Swissky Mafia.

dom666, JS and I have breakfast at the Modern Pantry prior, where I devour a dhansak spiced veal-mince omelette and doughnuts. dom666 has eggs with grilled chorizo, slow roast vine ripened tomatoes, plantain fritters, while JS has toasted brioche bun, poached eggs, yuzu hollandaise, toasted seeds.
From there, it is a relatively short walk to the venue. And then a long queue. We are there thirty minutes before opening time, but will not make it in until thirty minutes past opening time.

Short notes, of course. It is a festival.

First stop: That Boutique-Y Whisky Company.

Caledonian 33yo (50.3%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, B#1, 144b, b#52): nose: pineapple, coconut, custard, lovely guava. Mouth: roasted pineapple, custard, grapefruit. Finish: again, lovely fruit, pineapple and grapefruit, mostly. 8/10

I pass the Loch Lomond stand and tell the guys I will be with them in twenty minutes. Then we rush to Bowmore, before it is too late. What we want costs more tokens than we have, however, and dom666 and JS end up queueing for tokens for an eternity (seriously, it was close to thirty minutes).

Bowmore 1964/1979 (43%, OB Bicentenary): one would be excused to think we had this last year; one would be mistaken, though: this one is the very rare vintage version, while the other did not mention the distillation year. Also, that one was available as a dream dram last year for one token, versus five tokens today. Wow. Nose: phwoar! Dust, coal, candle wax and many tropical fruits appear, louder and louder. Mouth: light and elegant, fruity, viscous. Finish: wonderful, fruity, with coal dust. Very elegant, yet, to be honest, last year's seemed even better. 9/10

The Whisky Show bottlings.

BA pours me something from an unlabelled bottle: nose: exuberantly fruity, with berry jam oozing from every drop. Mouth: pineapple, citrus, decaying pears. Finish: again, extravagantly fruity, with mango in chocolate milk and a slight clogged-sink impression. I guess it is Irish and am right: it is one of the two Irish whiskeys bottled for the occasion. Irish 26yo 1990/2017 (unknown ABV, The Whisky Agency and The Whisky Exchange, Barrel). They have not yet received the labels. I tried the other one at the shop yesterday, and prefer this one, here. 9/10

It will likely look like this

Someone gives me the following:

North British 25yo 1991/2017(58.5%, A.D. Rattray Cask Collection, Sherry Butt, C#262058, 533b): nose: vanilla, butter. Mouth: a tiny metallic note appears, dried herbs, grappa. This is drying. Finish: sage, metal, vanilla. It is a bit austere, for a grain. Not too taken by it. 6/10

Time to note A.D. Rattray's first Show appearance. I was excited to visit their stand -- so much so that I will never do it the whole weekend! Bad planning, I guess. At least, I tried some of their products (another one further).

I finally manage to catch Colin Dunn's attention, at Diego's.

Convalmore 32yo 1984/2017 (48.2%, OB, 3972b, b#0455): a new Convalmore is definitely something I am interested in. According to rumours, this bottling here is why Diageo were a little upset at Cadenhead's releasing a 40yo Convalmore of their own, earlier this year. I still have not tried that one, after putting it into a sample in Campbeltown. Nose: elegant, floral, with a bit of honey and a whiff of smoke. Mouth: an old-skool Highlander, slightly drying, comforting with a dash of honey. Finish: big, dry and austere, rather smoky, yet it also has berries and a dollop of honey. Excellent. 9/10

MS arrives. He is pissed off: because of works on the Northern line, he missed his first masterclass.

Whisky.Auction.

Manager's Dram style

Glen Ord 1969/1993 (60%, OB for the 25th Anniversary Glen Ord Maltings): nose: baked marzipan and bandages. Mouth: band-aids, bandages, gauze, black pepper and lots of chilli -- this is hot! Finish: hot and drying. Fiery, in fact. 8/10

With nothing revealing on the label

Springbank 1965/1993 (53.8%, Adelphi): nose: orchard fruit, wax, flowers and honey, with the faintest hint of smoke. Mouth: not many things beat an old Springbank. This is no exception; great. 9/10

Caol Ila 1978/1988 (50%, Samaroli 20th Aniversary, 540b): they brought the goods, did they not? :-) Nose: roasted barley and refined smoke. Mouth: silky, with almond milk, a little acidity, and the thinnest veil of smoke -- just because we know it is Caol Ila. Finish: the smoke is more pronounced, here. The finish is long, noble, and gives a burnt-peat aftertaste. Magnificent. 10/10

dom666 gives me Cameronbridge 25yo 1991/2017 (52.4%, Douglas Laing Old Particular, C#11644, 534b). I take no note, yet rate it 8/10

Bunnahabhain 30yo 1987/2017 (48.3%, A.D. Rattray Vintage Cask Collection, C#1298, 243b): again, someone gives me this, which means I never make it to Rattray's stand. Nose: marzipan, squashed pears, custard? No, something else... shortbread! Mouth: balanced, acidic, apple-y, banana-y. Finish: long, comforting, wonderful, with orchard fruit. This is brilliant, yet I decide to pass when I hear the price. 9/10

Signatory Vintage.

Bowmore 42yo 1974/2017 (49.6%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection Rare Reserve, Hogshead, C#4435, 183b, b#183): nose: fruity pastry, quite simply put. Mouth: melted marzipan, also known as: magmarzipan, custard, fresh fruit juice. The texture is milky and slightly drying. Finish: mellow, with fruity pastry. Terrible notes, I know. This is outstanding. 10/10

North Port 40yo 1977/2017 (50.4%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection Rare Reserve, Hogshead, C#3887, 194b, b#194): nose: apricot and polished dashboards, crushed dates. Mouth: lukewarm, with unripe berries, crushed fruit stones, and gentle tropical fruit in the back. Finish: an avalanche of fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines), long, with a green woodiness and lots of boiled sweets. 10/10

Sukhinder Singh stops by and chats for a minute. He recommends the Scotchwhisky.com bottlings. I will only ever get to try one -- but it is worth it!

Glenlivet 12yo (80 Proof, OB, b.1960s): nose: old bottling effect, with coal dust and ground orange peels. Mouth: oranges, all kinds of oranges, ground orange peels, orange pith. Finish: and yet more dusty orange peels, ground to a powder. Lovely, this. 9/10

Someone brings:

Worst
bottle
shot
ever

Highland Park 1957/1977 (70° Proof, Berry Bros & Rudd, 26 2/3 FL.OZS.): nose: old bottling effect again, with barley, a little smoke, gherkins and coffee, in another room. Mouth: soft, luscious, velvety. Finish: short, but nice, with grapefruit skins and lemon juice. 8/10

Gordon & MacPhail's.

Longmorn 1967/2015 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Refill Sherry Hogsheads): nose: dried fruits (sultanas, smyrna, figs), gingerbread, sponge cake, cloves, cinnamon. Mouth: soft and silky, with cinnamon, ground clove, dried oranges. Finish: more gingerbread and dried-fruit goodness. Another great, old Longmorn (is there another kind?). 9/10

Glen Grant 1954/2014 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail): nose: deep, fruity mahogany, polished dashboards and pressed raisins and dried peaches. Mouth: quite soft, sweet and coating, with prunes, prune syrup, dried peaches, sultanas. Finish: thick, coating, never-ending, it has tarry prunes, pressed dates, figs and all. This is unbelievable. 10/10

Glen Grant 1949/2014 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, 1st Fill Sherry Butts, C#2200 & 3185): nose: orchard fruit, jasmine, cut apples, a hint of wood. This feels Springbank-y (from the 1960s). It also has a hint of leather, then more exotic fruits take off, alongside Virginia tobacco. Mouth: the best mix of honey, Virginia tobacco and juicy mango, all peppered with a little bit of spices. Amazing. Finish: this is totally a 1960s Springbank, fruity, lively, zingy and simply superb. 11/10

MS and Cavalier come back from the Mizunara tasting with one dram. It is an unreleased Yamazaki d.1969 Mizunara cask. Great varnish-like nose, with an over-the-top woodiness in the finish. Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory's Chief Blender, brought this to illustrate what leaving whisky in a cask for too long does to the content.

JS: "Have you tasted the Glen Grant?"
OB: "No."
JS: "Here. This is the 1954."
OB: "A bit young... [Sips] Not bad, despite its youth."

Signatory Vintage.

Carsebridge 34yo 1982/2017 (49.9%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Refill Sherry Butt, C#74603, 169b, b#145): nose: toast. heavily-roasted coconut and toasted bread. Oregano? Marjoram? Mouth: much fruitier, here, with pineapple, dunk in custard. Finish: pineapple, vanilla custard and gently gingery wood. 8/10

Time for food.