15/05/2022 Belgium #5

With some help from the network, tOMoH dispatched samples at the latest Burns' Night, so as to have a chance to do a tasting with a faction of the Belgian contingent. We do not really see much of one another, these days.

Then, we spent several weeks trying to find a suitable date for a virtual shindig. Unfortunately, it became apparent there would not be one that everybody could make: ruckus often works weekends, while everybody else works during the week. We would therefore have it without ruckus.

Then Psycho called in sick. He is off the sauce until further notice, because it is incompatible with his medication.

Then, a couple of hours ago, PSc called in sick too. He has the plague. sonicvince did the same half an hour later; sinus infection for him.

adc, JS, Gaija, dom666 and kruuk2 join me, fortunately. So does sonicvince, who will stay for a bit, but will not drink.

dom666 is recovering from the plague and his senses are not yet back to normal (not to mention he has no taste to begin with). Gaija partied last night and has had little sleep. Even I am coming to the end of a minor sinus infection (it could be the plague; now the tests are no longer free, we will never know).

What a ragged bunch! All that planning, and we are all poorly all the same.

Faces red with illness! (no idea what happened, there)

Anyway.

Dram #1

Nose: mineral (adc), fruity (dom666 and kruuk2), powerful (Gaija). dom666 finds hints of sulphur, while I detect caramelised mandarin peels. The second nose has spices, according to Gaija -- curry and ginger. kruuk2 notes that it opens up with breathing and lets sponge-cake smells come out, something that Gaija mentions too.
Mouth: mineral again, says adc, who tastes slate. Gaija has quatre-quarts cake and exotic fruits, namely whispers of mango; adc reckons it is lemon instead. It is acidic and a little bitter, pushing forward a citrus-peel air. adc calls it lemon curd because of the smooth texture.
Finish: sweet and fruity for starters (adc), it turns more acidic (kruuk2), unveiling lemon curd again (adc) and leaving the mouth feeling a generally creamy texture (Gaija).
Comment: my co-tasters reckon it is a 16-or-18yo from the 1980s, bottled at 49-52%. After much overthinking, Gaija guesses a Glen Grant.

Coleburn 17yo d.1965 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by Co. Import for Giacinto Nicolai of the Club delle fattorie, Series 27, 120b) 8/10

Full notes here.

Dram #2

Nose: fresh and light, fruity and herbaceous. Gaija calls Haribo bananas, then kruuk2 asks if it is triple-distilled. I have leafy, flowery bushes, such as forsythia and fragrant magnolia.
Mouth: light, adc finds it unnoticeable, and dom666 inexistent. Gaija likens it to a half-limoncello, half-Bailey's concoction, triggering dom666 into an explanation of why such a combination is a bad idea. In that time, I note honey, honeysuckle, and diluted calamansi juice. Gaija, after being educated on the cocktail scene in Liège, says he notes flour. dom666, by this point, realises that his sense of taste is definitely not reliable, today.
Finish: sweet and full of blossoms of all sorts (honeysuckle or cherry blossom are the obvious ones that come to mind), but also apple mint and minty custard.
Comment: no-one dares guess anything.

Bladnoch 10yo b.1991 (43%, OB, L1H 270686) 8/10

Full notes here.

We talk about a miracle migraine cure that kruuk2's other half sometimes uses.

dom666: "It is not the first time a medication has been repurposed to do something else than what it was designed for. Take Softenon, for example..."
tOMoH: "...It is now being used to prevent pickpocketing!"

Dram #3

Nose: glue, plasters and a cattle farm (cow leather). There is also a fairly strong scent of young alcohol. adc says it has more of a bite, something kruuk2 confirms by saying: "cask strength!" The nose makes adc cry (because it is obviously so strong). For me, it presents a broth of cut yellow flowers. The second nose has a distinct smoke, which is strange, since I know what it is. adc calls it a charcoal kiln, and, while I think that is one step too far, I can see where she is coming from.
Mouth: citrus (dom666). It is powerful, with lots of lemon and leaves (bay or laurel). Gaija finds it very complex, going in all directions and covering many bases.
Finish: big and citric indeed, yet not bombastic. kruuk2 notes a hint of sulphur, and I have a touch of white grapefruit.

Hazelburn 9yo 2008/2018 (59.9%, OB Duty Paid Sample, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, Warehouse 15, Rotation #4) 8/10

Full notes here.

By now, dom666, tacitly acknowledging he has no taste, seems more interested in talking about what is happening in Liège than about the whisky. The others either encourage him, or dare not/cannot steer the conversation in another direction. Notes become sparser.

Dram #4

Nose: Golden apples, bergamot, cologne and vetiver (Gaija). As I get a fleeting, but very clear wave of cashew paste, Gaija asks: "am I being ridiculous, or do you also get that note of cucumber?"
Mouth: hay for adc, chives for Gaija. adc finds the texture akin to a thin bechamel sauce, prompting dom666 to note nutmeg.
Finish: long, sweet, fruity and a tad tainted by verdigris or lichen.
Comment: I love this one. kruuk2 says it reminds him of a Glen Scotia we had "a while ago" (he is talking about Glen Scotia 17yo (40%, OB, L4/332/97 402), which he has not had for over a decade -- notes are not even on this blog). I can see why, now that he says so. He says he was not taken by that one, and he is not by this one either. Astonishingly, he has the right distillery.

Glen Scotia 12yo Full Proof (54%, A. Gillies imported by F&G, b#0983, b.1980s) 9/10

Full notes here.

Dram #5

Nose: dense wood, gunpowder, flint, a dash of lemon juice. adc finds it industrial, with burnt tyre (or Nürburgring, as she calls it). Gaija says it reminds him of the 35yo Strathisla bottled for the bicentenary of the distillery. I have ginger paste, Gaija has muck and camphor, something kruuk2 agrees with.
Mouth: the ginger paste carries on, soft and dough-y, and it has a lot of wood spices to boot. Pine cones, pine needles, roasted grapefruit skins and tons of peppermint.
Finish: huge, anaesthetising. Peppermint comes through again. It is bold to a point adc finds it invasive. There are indeed big doses of wood spices, namely nutmeg, ginger shavings, cinnamon bark, apple mint, and even a lick of liquorice root. adc detects dried cow dung as well.
Comment: with no surprise, dom666 likes this. It is powerful enough to ruffle his taste buds, even in their current state of underperformance. JS nods admiratively too, while Gaija and kruuk2 wax lyrical about it. adc is less enthused. Each to their own.

Strathisla 24yo 1972/1997 (62.6%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength imported by Giuseppe Meregalli, C#7534-7536, AG/AIJ) 8/10

Full notes here.

Reassuring to see that, even years apart, even in a different sequence, I rated everything the same as when I tried them previously.

In order of preference:
adc: Glen Scotia, Hazelburn, Strathisla, Coleburn, Bladnoch
Gaija: Strathisla, Coleburn, Hazelburn, Bladnoch, Glen Scotia
kruuk2: Strathisla, Hazelburn, Bladnoch, Coleburn, GlenScotia
tOMoH: Glen Scotia, Strathisla, Coleburn, Bladnochm Hazelburn,
JS: Strathisla
dom666: Strathisla, Strathisla, Strathisla, Strathisla, Strathisla

Good times. Pity about the call-offs, hope they get better soon.

11/05/2022 Strathclyde

This one meets a huge success every time JS pours it. Only the most entrenched grain-haters see little charm in it, while more than one grain-tourist (occasional grain drinker) reckon it is a very good thirty-something dram, only to be baffled by its relative youth.

Strathclyde 13yo 2001/2014 (64.4%, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Editions, B#ST 13 002): nose: hot mandarine segments, tangerines, clementines, warm pastry on a baking tray, straight out of the oven. Next are pineapple chunks, sprinkled with some herb (is it sage? Verbena?) The high ABV shows and gives a feeling of warmth, though it does not turn heady, in this instance. Herbs seem to gain ground, maybe joined by thyme, now, lemon thyme, to be precise. Nevertheless, it is the pineapple that vibrates the most. There is a lick of seal wax too. The second nose has chou dough that has only been baking for a minute, and still that pineapple -- pulped, this time. Further nosing brings a sweetness to the fore, and fresh-egg biscuits -- ladyfingers such as Madeira or Boudoir. Water increases the fruit and makes jam out of it. It actually takes me back to the smell of sweet shops from the early 1980s, with their mix of flying saucers, red bootlaces, edible paper sheets, cuberdons and candy canes of various colours, none natural. In the summer, in those wonderful days before shops throughout Europe became air-conditioned nightmares, the smells were amplified. Well, this is that combination of smells. Mouth: wide and fruity for a second, it turns into a blade in no time, splitting the tongue in half, and pouring citrus juice into the open wound. Here are grapefruit, mandarin, orange and calamansi juices, in which a few clementine leaves have macerated. Said juices are warm, by the way. The strength is noticeable, though one would be hard pressed to guess it is that strong. The second sip is still strong, not spicy, and, on the tongue  too, frankly sweet. A bowl of caster sugar heated in the oven, not melted into caramel. Hints of citrus remain (clementines, tangerines), but it takes a much longer while to detect the bitterness of citrus foliage, now. With water, we have boiled sweets here too, and a more pronounced bitterness. Nothing bothersome, but it is there, as if the pineapple had been turned into a pulp before it was fully ripe. Finish: a fairly similar story, at this stage, in that this goes down in a puff of fruity esters, then comes back up with a massive warmth. It leaves the tongue slightly numb and swollen, anaesthetised, which I connect to a metallic touch, or lemon-juice-infused verbena. Repeated sipping cranks up the sweetness, yet it does not entirely do away with a tiny bitterness. A metallic bite subsists, which gives the whole an added complexity. The alcohol still hits, but it is perfectly tolerable. Strangely enough, water fleetingly puts the emphasis on the alcohol kick, before the mouth is left with a sugary-water coat. Candied pineapple cubes emerge from that, dusted with icing sugar. In the long run, sweet clementine segments join the party, as does clementine foliage for an added bitter touch. Well, I love it to bits. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

09/05/2022 Bladnoch

Bladnoch 20yo 1990/2011 (60.6%, The Scottish Liqueur Centre for Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#30005, 194b, b#131): nose: a big alcohol kick that, for some reason, reminds me of a Marc de Champagne. A whiff of green grapes, perhaps? Then, we swap that for a dusty cigar box and old cardboard, both of which quickly morph into soft-leather jackets. Papers, warmed by the sun, and a grassy eau-de-vie (not gin) appear a tad later on, as do roots of one kind or another. There is something spicy and gently fruity trying to pierce through the slab of alcohol, hardly detectable. The second nose adds a drop of rosewater, yet it struggles to make itself known. Meadow flowers show up here and there (daisies, buttercups). A couple of drops of water really help this open up: it suddenly dishes out corn flowers, periwinkles, blue flax and other blue meadow flowers, maybe apple mint too. Further nosing gives this an almost jammy or marmalade-y touch that is most pleasing. Mouth: flowery pastry, if such a thing exists -- and if it does not, why not? We then have the typical Bladnoch-of-the-era markers, which is to say plant sap (vine, ivy), flower bushes (forsythia) and meadow flowers (dandelions), as well as a drop of milk chocolate, mocha Mignonnettes, to be accurate. It is also pretty potent! The second sip sees a blend of peach and fierce lemon juices, nectarine slices with pepper sprinkled on top, all surfing on a milky texture. Water turns the palate more overtly fruity, with peaches, calamansis, Korean pears, not-totally-ripe clementines -- yes, there is citrus, still, though nowhere near as powerful as it was before reduction. Repeated sipping cranks up the jam on the tongue too, sweet and fruity like a good tangerine paste. Finish: bold and muscular, it is nonetheless elegant, with lilac and chocolate custard working hand in hand. Although it remains as powerful as the ABV promised, it is well integrated. Warming: yes; numbing: no. It keeps the acidity of pressed citrus, yet the texture that sticks to the mouth remains milky, somehow. Lactic Acid? Woody notes develop, subtle, yet present alright, and we have ginger yoghurt, galangal shavings and turmeric root. Without surprise, water tones down the alcohol and allows more milk chocolate to come out in the form of clementine-infused chocolate custard. Very pretty it is too! Further sips bring back some mocha, a fading memory, more than a dominating colour. Beautiful. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

07/05/2022 Daftmill

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 Summer Batch Release (46%, OB, Bourbon Casks, C#056+058+060+062+065+066, 1760b): nose: oatmeal and warm porridge, caramel flan and butterscotch. The sweetness dissipates, making room for dry cereal, hot straw bales and hay. That newfound dryness veers towards dusty cardboard, which is not half surprising, considering it was caramel-y only minutes ago... And, actually, the caramel comes back too! Along with it are marinated apricot slices (subdued, mind) and, ultimately, chocolate. The second nose adds a dusting of vanilla sugar on all of the above, and a spoonful of ground almonds. Mouth: mellow and sweet to start with, it soon blends the cardboardy caramel from the nose with the initial silk. Butterscotch joins the dance too, making this a little heady. The second sip brings in fudge, Scottish tablet, and so much butterscotch it feels borderline nutty (Brazil nuts). Finish: butterscotch and caramel in the finish again, as well as warm porridge and a twist of the peppermill. Puzzlingly, it combines an overly-sweet side with a softly bitter and drying one, which, I suppose, could make one think of white-chocolate liqueur praline, to an extent, unless it is latte (lait russe) or hazelnut milk. In any case, it feels very different to the first time I had it. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, DC)

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 (55.5%, OB for the Whisky Bars of Scotland, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, C#068/2008, 160b): nose: maybe a bit darker, with pot ale and toasted oats, or black sesame seeds. A minute in, chocolate-y tones appear, and we have Rolo and Toffifee. A little later, crumbly mortar appears, dry stone walls, and a polyester watering can, baked by the sun. And then, it comes back to a profile similar to that of its predecessor: dusty cardboard, hay and straw bales. The second nose has cut quince and Korean pear, fruity and a little floury, sprinkled with confectionary sugar. Mouth: a fruity and acidic entrance, with crystallised pineapple and orange boiled sweets, quickly joined by gently-bitter mixed peel, grapefruit skins and candied angelica. The second sip reiterates, with a sprinkle of ground white pepper and ginger powder to boot. The pepper, especially, is coming through retro-nasal olfaction, cloaking all the other flavours, after a while. They are still all there, simply pacified by the (relatively-gentle) pepper. Finish: a citrus-y number in the finish as well, it is now augmented with cereal dust (the kind that remains at the bottom of a breakfast-cereal bag), and a spoonful of honey on porridge. Repeated sipping seems to make this fruitier, interestingly enough, and ripe peaches join the pineapple and citrus. Citrus, which, by the way, is sweeter, now; calamansi or yuzu, rather than the earlier grapefruit. Pepper grows in intensity, over time, yet it never feels as coating as it did on the palate. I like this one better than the first time I tried it. In fact, I like it better than the other. 8/10

I still cannot understand the hype around Daftmill. It is good; I do not question that. But good enough to guarantee every release sells out before it is actually released? Ich don't think so.

06/05/2022 Cragganmore

37.64 30yo 1985/2015 A real charmer (51.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 188b): nose: flowery and a half from the off, this is full of honeysuckle, irises, daffodils and yellow tulips. Sappy flowers, then. Almost immediately, that is met by juicy yellow fruits (peaches, mirabelle plums) and beeswax. Yes, this smells waxy alright. In fact, soon enough, that is the dominant aroma, with encaustic, waxed rustic chairs and oiled shelves. A bit further on, flowers come back, more pink, this time (peach flowers, oleander, hydrangea), then a leafy canopy appears, before it starts all over again. The second nose is overtly waxy, maybe with quince and Golden-apple skins thrown into the mix, though that does not disturb the encaustic and patina-covered dining chairs. Flowers still tickle the nostril from the sideline, now predominantly white (deutzia, white azalea). Mouth: juicy and sappy in texture, the mouth has a soft leafy bitterness to support yellow fruits (mirabelle plums and peaches again, perhaps physalis too). Waxy wood subsists, though it only becomes clearer after thirty seconds or so swirling around the mouth. Sappy flower petals grow in intensity at second sip, which is to say there is a gentle bitterness at play, not at all offset by a pinch of caster sugar. Repeated sipping underlines the freshness of the palate -- a perfect spring-morning drop. Finish: powerful, yet elegant. Cracked green pepper augments the now-expected yellow fruits and tulip petals. Some juice survives this far, more acidic than previously. The second sip is a little sweeter, still very much on a yellow-flower tip without that ever being too much. Each sip seems spicier and warmer than the previous, bringing cedarwood and banana-leaf cigars to the table. All the same, it never loses its freshness or spring-like character. Come to think of it, that might be apple mint, lively, yet fruity and fresh. Very, very good. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, adc)