15/03/2025 EG's birthday bash

EG is not one to celebrate his birthdays, but, for some (welcome) reason, he decided to do it, this year. He announces early on that this is (and I paraphrase) "no more than an informal meeting with a group of friends to try some interesting whiskies."

EG introduces us to the world of whisky

When that group of friends covers around ten nationalities and as many uprooted folk, it can perhaps be informal, but not casual! Amongst those in attendance, we count MW & Hk, KCF & EF, JKr, AH, CB, PG, JS, TM, NH, Ar, and a handful of EG's colleagues (Em, An, Cl, Da). NF makes a brief early appearance, then vanishes like a ghost at dawn. Ha! Ha!

First, let us fix the lighting

Local Mortadella (EG), and aged Gouda (Em) that most (tOMoH)
confuse for a mature Parmesan

Beside nibbles, EG has concocted a line-up of whiskies all distilled in the same year. As many whiskies, in fact, as years he has spent working in the industry. Several of us have known the energumen for all those years.

That's a lot of years, yo!

Glen Grant 5yo d.1985 (40%, OB, 1l): nose: light and spirit-y, it focusses on few things, and does them with precision. Pear and distant raspberry provide a little fruity entertainment. Mouth: soft, thin, pear-like, it also has a lemon-y perfume (JS). It remains precise, then, akin to limoncello, at times. Finish: clean, lemon-y, filled with limoncello. It even has almond cream in the long run. It is fairly simple, but a designated starter. We all agree it feels a lot bigger than 40%. 7/10

Glen Avon 5yo 1985/1990 (40%, Avonside Whisky Selected and Bottled Exclusively for P.A.I.S.S.A. imported by Sestante): many discussions and assertions about this. An undisclosed Glenfarclas, all reckon. In any case, it is the most-recent vintage bottled under this name. Nose: very plastic-y, with flexible rubber and cured meats, electric cables and wire insulation (jacket insulation), PVC ducting and plastic-doll heads. Mouth: pickled-pearl-onion brine, dusty cured meat, charred bits off a barbecue grill... Meaty? Yes, a little. Finish: spirit-y, if wider than the nose hinted at, it is somewhat chalky, then adds some roast beef, and a drop of brine. 7/10

S & E Wedding Reserve 1985/2021 (unknown ABV, Nadi Fiori): if you think that NF dropped off a one-off bottle before he buggered off, you are right. He made this blended malt exclusively for EG's wedding. Nose: warm wool with pearl onions in milk. Mouth: odd. Perhaps plastic? Old rubber? Finish: here, an unexpected note of liqueur chocolate rocks up. How original! Here is a dram that works better in large sips, by the way. 7/10

Strathmill 11yo 1985/1997 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Oak Cask, C#2342, 480b, b#196): nose: this is a step-up in quality, it seems. Orange bark, cassia bark, bitter orange liqueur and limestone gratings. The second nose welcomes pot-pourri. Mouth: it is quite woody on the tongue, with slabs of oak, yet it remains juicy to complement the mild bitterness. Finish: citrus-y, it has orange rinds and dried-up plasticine. A divisive dram, for some reason. Some say it is the best Strathmill they have had (the best of two, you understand), others care less for it. I like it a lot. 8/10

Bruichladdich 12yo 1985/1997 (46%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection): nose: very mineral, this is like granite torched with a flamethrower. It surprisingly progresses to give dried strawberries and dried peach slices. Mouth: CB finds it charred, whereas it is mellow and a tad mineral for JS. Strawberry yoghurt, cassia-bark shavings and eucalyptus bark. Finish: mellow again, it has a dash of orange juice and cassia bark. This is my favourite so far. 8/10

MW, KCF and EF meet outside of
a festival, for once -- or an airport!

JS [about the nibbles]: "That mortadella!..."
EG: "Do you want me to move it?"
PG, JS and tOMoH: "Put it away!"

PG [grabs the toolbox]: "Later, I'll come to your room to do some plumbing."

The Macallan 15yo d.1985 (43%, OB Greek import, Sherry Oak Casks): nose: it smells like a spectacular Pedro Ximénez maturation: sweet, bold, and darkly fruity. Prunes, dried figs, hazelnut paste. More and more smoked dried fruits come out, as does cured orange. Mouth: it is more mineral and drier here, and hints at a Fino. Oily roasted chestnuts, wine-cured lychees and green grapes. The second sip is earthier and drier, with quarry dust and tree bark. Finish: long, sticky as cough syrup, it has camphor and liquorice, but also sweet prunes and dried figs. 8/10

TM: "This group has had more-exclusive Macallans, single casks and all, but this really does the trick."

Pineapple cake, courtesy of KCF and EF

Yum!

EF shows tOMoH how to eat the cake like a local

Aultmore 14yo d.1985 (60.1%, Adelphi Distillery Limited imported by High Spirits, Sherry Cask, C#2900, 612b): nose: this is super-dry, chalky, overflowing with quarry dust. Grated limestone, and piles and piles of chalk. It certainly does not hide its provenance -- Aultmore tends to be chalky; this is but an extreme example. Mouth: PG finds sulphur, and, indeed, it has something of an old-school sulphur-y limestone fertiliser, were it heated. Just another side of chalky, really. Finish: burnt rubber (PG). I get none of that, but quicklime instead. Chalky and hot, and, if that reads repetitive, so be it. There are some flashes of pineapple, though that might be a remnant of those pineapple cakes from Taïwan. In any case, this stays hot on the palate for a long time. It is also the most-disliked dram today by everyone present. 6/10

TM: "The Aultmore smells shit, tastes good."

Emergency cork-removal skills required.
At least, we know it is not a fake!

EG goofs around with the next bottle, pretends to take a swig straight from the bottle, and ends with a generous sip of whisky in the gob, much to his uncomfortable surprise (and our amusement).

PG: "Can you pour it straight from your mouth [into mine]?"

Ord 10yo 1985/1995 (56.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection imported by Rossi & Rossi, Oak Cask): nose: ooft! We have a rich mix of minerals and fruits, with cut mango and pineapple rings served on slate. Granite chippings show up, and it appears at last that this is very strong. The second nose has cigarette smoke, grist, and a flour millstone. Mouth: phwoar! Papaya, tamarind, stewed jackfruit. After chewing, hot metal joins the dance (copper, brass). It is warm, but tolerable, despite the furious ABV (it is actually less strong than it feels). The second sip has cracked black pepper wrapped in ciggy smoke. Finish: long, full of smashed heated fruits. Smoke appears, in the long run, and it becomes quite the robust dram. 9/10

PG: "Proper dram for real people. [Grabs the toolbox] Now I can get some shit done!"

EG distributes vouchers to all.

KCF: "Give me ten, man!"

54.2 9yo 1985/1995 (58.2%, SMWS Society Cask): nose: leather grease, old leather coats that have just ben waterproofed again. Then, we move on to jams and marmalades slathered on hot boilers (dusty cast iron). Water makes it nuttier and woodier, with a stack of extremely-dry oak logs. Mouth: chicory infusion... and quite some power! This is hot, from a time before the Society discovered water. Hazelnut spread, almond butter, chestnut purée. The desiccating second sip sucks all moisture. Water renders it sharper and more chiselled, almost grappa-like, so sharp it is. Finish: hot, dusty metal mingles with hazelnut and almond spread, perhaps chocolate, and chestnut purée again. The hot metal is incisive, though. Very bold. It is all darker and warmer at second sip, chocolate-coulis galore. Water brings out grapes and keeps it sharp. 7/10

Pittyvaich-Glenlivet 15yo 1985/2000 (59.1% Cadenhead Authentic Collection imported by Arnolfini Trading, Bourbon Hogshead, 240b): nose: initially very briny, it turns into roast beef and crushed sand. With time, it is geranium stems, and, slowly, earth and potting soil, augmented with cork shavings. Mouth: hot tomato sauce, musk (JS). This has meaty elements -- cold gravy, mortadella, -- and retains the cardboard. Finish: it turns hot again, earthy, flowers trampled into mud. 7/10

CB: "This is a technical whisky."
PG: "One of my top-100 Pittyvaich."

tOMoH [to AH]: "I didn't realise you were a big The Cure fan. JS told me: 'Are you kidding? He's rocking a Siouxie and the Banshee t-shirt!'"
AH: "It's Suze. My Cure t-shirt is wrapped around [a bottle of] olive oil I just bought."

Glenlivet 10yo 1985/1996 (57.9%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection Cask Strength imported by Rossi & Rossi, Sherry Hogshead, C#19.765, 271b): nose: dry polished wood (AH), a bold Sherry cask indeed, but one that brings one a lot of squashed fruits (figs, dates), and a bit of earth too. Mouth: thick, rich, Sherry-matured whisky that exhibits raisins, prunes, and figs. It is thick, coating, rich, and fairly strong too. Last to strike are heated lychee shavings. Finish: dark fruit, stewed, juicy, lovely. The second gulp brings cured lychee too. This is very good. 8/10

We pick up the pace for the final couple, which makes for scrambled notes.

Glen Garioch 16yo 1985/2001 (51.9%, OB Individual Cask Bottling for The Whisky Exchange, Sherry Butt, C#1585): nose: lavender (EG). There is some, as well as sultanas, raisins and violet candy (I am not talking about Parma Violet, but the superior Continental variation; Verquin's, for example). Mouth: oh! This is so full of hard-boiled violet sweets it is hilarious. Of course, everybody hates it. Everybody but me -- I like it. :) Finish: dirty earth and a lot of violet sweets. So much violet it is extremely entertaining. 8/10

Bowmore 16yo 1985/2001 (50%, Silver Seal Special Reserve, Sherry Cask, 480b): nose: a notch of peat and mud make way for a roasted-nut paste. We then have faint shoe polish and distant pot flowers. Mouth: mellow and earthy at first, shoe polish develops, spread onto the softest leather. Flowers are nowhere to be found, here. Finish: earth-soaked violet sweets -- and the earth is certainly easier to spot than the violet. Later on, hazelnut spread becomes more and more obvious. I try this on the spot, later on in the evening, and again the following morning and love it each time. 8/10

PG: "The Garioch is more 1980s Bowmore than the 1985 Bowmore!"

Ar: "The best thing about the Bowmore is that it was not the Glen Garioch."

Bodegas del Mundo Nuevo 40yo (84 Proof, OB imported by Schroeder Bros.)
Em brought this Brandy de Jérez.
I will never get around to trying it.

10/03/2025 Mystery sample #4

Nose: a clean peat smoke, with warm sands, hot clay pots in a greenhouse, and crusty earth so dry it is all crackled. One would struggle to find moisture or maritime character, here. It is all dry and barren, with (dry) ground seashells the only possible connection to the sea -- a sedimentary connection. With time, merbromin appears on the horizon, and burnt hazelwood -- burnt, not charred, curiously. The tenacious taster may discover age-old strawberry chewing gum kept in a wooden cupboard for decades, undisturbed. Yes, the dry, earthy peat is slowly complemented by a thin haze of strawberry, as if strawberry gum were wrapped in gauze. The second nose has a spoonful of custard cream, stem ginger, and a pinch of spices (ground cinnamon, nutmeg), joining the warm sand. Mouth: ooft! The attack is sharp and overtly medicinal. TCP, antiseptic, tincture of iodine, rubbing alcohol, burnt sand. Sharp, precise, hot. The nose made me think of Ardmore, whereas the palate hints at Laphroaig. It is numbing as xylocaine, and chews like soft wood mixed with strawberry gum -- though one will need a magnifying glass and an open mind to find the gum. The second sip is just as sharp and precise, shards of glass ground into dust, and mixed with fine earth, sand, and ginger and cinnamon powder. More chewing brings back the strawberry gum, and adds apricot-square cereals. Odd. Finish: beside the warm sands, we now find stagnant water full of floating vegetal debris, and burnt-wood gratings (now closer to char). A salty-crunchy impression stays on the tongue, which suggests ground seashells again, were they sprinkled with a disinfectant or another. Long, big and earthy, the finish begs to be experienced on a cold evening in a coastal village. The second gulp is windier and airier, if that makes sense, still numbing, saltier and more medicinal. We find cinnamon paste, before it dies with a whisp of smoke via retro-nasal olfaction, sharp, clean, warming.

Ardnamurchan AD/Cask Strength (58.1%, OB, American Standard Barrels + Peated Casks + Oloroso Casks + Pedro Ximénez Casks, b.2023) 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online)

07/03/2025 Mystery sample #3

Nose: here is an unusual nose, with warm, chewy plastic, and age-old capsules that once contained saffron. Then, it is old, wide elastic bands, warm bicycle inner-tubes, jelly capsules -- it has a borderline-medicinal aura, thanks to that latter, -- and a spot of vegetal... something. Might it be spurge stems? Or daffodils in a vase of warm water? It triggers memories; tOMoH has come across this sort of profile before. But what was it? The more time passes, the more succulent plants rise: cactus, yuca, one crassula or another. Tilting the glass releases some freshness, somewhere between limoncello and salmiak. Against all prejudices, it is rather pleasant. The second nose confirms the saffron-capsule note, adds faded oilcloth, and a milk pot of gellified mocha custard. It has Bourbon-cream biscuit filling too, if one is on a mission to find that. Mouth: very thick at first, full of succulent-plant saps and leaves, it soon proves slightly bitter (dialled-down liquorice allsorts) and rooty-herbal (salmiak). Chewing reinforces a succulent-plant impression, more eucalyptus or laurel than anything much thicker. One may claim to distinguish chocolate, though that would be a stretch. The second sip sees Bourbon-cream spread that would be made out of almonds. Indeed, if it is sweet as a biscuit filling, it is unmistakably bitter too. Not unpleasantly so. Finish: here, on the other hand, we definitely have chocolate. Mint and chocolate lozenges of so specific a kind that I have to use the French word 'dragée' to describe it accurately: that hardened-sugar shell with a chocolate filling. It is neither powerful, nor big, yet it is a long finish that sticks to the tonsils and the uvula in particular. A little creamy, it dies like a chocolate mousse. The second gulp is very much in line. Creamier, probably. I doubt this has a high ABV; it merely tickles the tip of the tongue after three sips. Pleasant enough drop.

Tomatin 14yo Port Casks (46%, OB, Tawny Port Pipes, b. ca. 2024) 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online)

03/03/2025 Celebrating St David

Of course, we do it like Belgians. Two days late. Bah!

What else than a Welsh whisky to celebrate the patron saint of Wales, eh?

128.18 9yo d.2012 Dragon's lipstick (59%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead + 1st Fill Ex-Ruby Port Barrique Finish, 271b): nose: just as it did from the freshly-opened bottle a month ago, it starts out relatively earthy, with mushrooms and their juices in a frying pan. That is followed by a lick of encaustic and wood varnish. Covering the glass for a few minutes elicits ginger powder and tree-bark splinters, likely cassia bark, albeit less sweet. The second nose is lighter and more spring-like, as if blossoms finally managed to peek through the earthy layer. We have jasmine, faded lily-of-the-valley, and saxifrage, all timid, barely hiding a growing sense of ripening berries served on a hot metal plate, and lichen. Mouth: the attack is syrupy and wine-y, tannic and very viscous. The strength is as evident as the wood spices; we find ourselves with cassia bark and cloves on the palate, chewy, sweet, and immensely flavourful. We also have dried juniper berries, mace, and a drop of plum juice. Chewing adds some berries in the way a fortified wine would have them, so it is not really a fruity number, this. The second sip is sweeter and juicier, now unfolding cured peach slices, cured plums, and currants soaked in wine, sangria-style. It is still spicy, yet it now tickles the gums with spearmint, beside a pinch of cinnamon powder. With some imagination, one can picture fleeting tropical fruits in the background (purple maracuja) -- with imagination and work: they do not shout. Finish: it is softer than expected, yet still robust. Chewy tree bark, mulch, and potting soil pave the way for stewed plums augmented with a drop of wood varnish. A drying finish it is that turns the tongue into a piece of dried-out leather basking in mushroom juices. The second gulp is creamier and fruitier, full of ripe nectarines and peaches, soaked in wine for good measure. Indeed, even now, it is hard to escape the wine finishing. It is well made, but it overshadows the trademark exotic profile Penderyn showcases when matured in a more-neutral cask. Regardless, this is good. And it shines brighter with each dram. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

Happy birthday, EG!

28/02/2025 Mystery sample #2

The second (in random order) in a series of samples received as part of recent purchases.

Nose: juicy plums, oily mahogany, and elegant drinks cabinets. We also find stains of melted milk chocolate on a beige leather sofa, and pressed dried dates. Despite the light colour, those notes suggest a beautiful Sherry maturation, with even gum drops and a dash of tame coffee. The second nose seems earthier, with pan-fried mushrooms and clay floors, spring humus and amchoor powder. The fruits and chocolate collide to give us oily pralines, but that is subdued. Mouth: here, it is suede, soft and velvety, yet accompanied by a subtle strength. Indeed, underneath that veneer of suede, we see cured plums, oily mahogany, and teak, and the pale bitterness that comes with the latter two. The second sip has decaying cubes of Galia melon, as well as a pine-flavoured gel (even if it is far from Gocce Pino levels) or liqueur. It has a faintly-bitter lick of green-citrus peel too, once more pretty subdued, and lime-filled milk-chocolate-glazed PiM's. Finish: Fino-like, perhaps? No, it is less dry. Fruity and mineral, it is also sweeter and darker than a Fino, in the finish. Amontillado, maybe? Irrespective, the finish has off-dry green grapes (Thurgau or Müller, to say something), yet also fresh pasta filled with Ricotta, alongside pressed prunes, sultanas, and white-wine-soaked nectarines. Repeated sipping brings about a strong sense of gulping lime-flavoured PiM's again, something that ends up in the spotlight, hogging all the attention. Green grapes come back towards the death ((Dry) Chenin Blanc), hand in hand with blanched hazelnuts and a delicate cigar (Petit Corona Blond). This is a delicious sipper.

Tomatin 12yo (43%, OB, Bourbon & Sherry Casks, b. ca. 2025) 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online)