31/12/2017 NYE drams at Dornoch Castle Hotel

We think long and hard before ordering our final (few) drams of 2017 -- which, by the way, was a great year, in terms of ze W. If you do not believe that, please read the various entries on this very blog.

Clynelish 1972/2016 (42.2%, Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old, RO/16/07, 267b): great collection, this, but the RRP is a bit steep for a punt, especially for a distillery I am not a fan of. Nice, then, to have a chance to try it. Nose: heavy sherry, at first, with encaustic and roasted coffee beans. Soon, yellow fruits appear, joined by beeswax, honey and the most minute smoke. Shortly therafter, tropical fruits enter the dance -- carambola (caramba! Again!?) and unripe maracuja. But yeah, tons of lovely wax. Raspberry and squashed berries are here too, with roseberry and happiness. Mouth: dry-ish, with coffee grounds and dry earth. And then softness takes over, with ripe peaches, fluffy dried apricots, dried mango slices and, here too, gentle smoke. Finish: similar notes, with the smoke mildly more pronounced, dry earth on a peat fire and soft, new rubber. The fruity cascade soon resumes. Oh! it is not a 1960s Bowmore, but it has lots of fresh fruit nonetheless -- white peach, green grapes, carambola. Amazing Clynelish. Is it £800 amazing? That is for you to decide. 9/10

PT makes an entrance at last. A short one; he is still in distillery attire, and obviously taking a quick break before making more liquid at the distillery. We exchange a few words and confirm we will see him tomorrow for a bit longer.

Port Ellen 28yo 1978/2006 (56.1%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection for the Whisky Shop, Sherry Cask, 212b): nose: a walk on the coast, with cockles, fishing nets, oysters and smoked mussels. The smoke is akin to a stove in a mechanic's workshop, and then a warm bakery, and then the hot engine of a fishing boat in the harbour. Finish: salted water, salty clams, gentle wood smoke. It dies out with dark coffee, custard and salted caramel. Wow. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, PT)

Teasing dom666 for falling into the mud, earlier:
JS: "Pity you soiled your trousers, dom666. I did too, but not in the same way..."

dom666 has the Convalmore 16yo 1962/1979 (80° PROOF/45.7GL, Cadenhead) that JS and I tried last year. He will decide it to be his dram of the stay.

Time for a shower and getting ready for tonight. Indeed, tonight is the six-course gala dinner, during which we switch to water.

Canapés -- smoked salmon and black pepper, fish mousse and a type of bruschetta

Fried haggis balls

The food is superb -- and plentiful. Our table mates are pleasant, and we have lots of fun.

Pan-seared wood pigeon
Celeriac purée
Wilted spinach
Seasonal berries & red wine jus

Dornoch distillery gin-cured Scottish salmon
Butter-poached langoustine tails
Roast fennel
Pickle beetroot
G&T sorbet

Champagne & raspberry sorbet
Sliced sugared plums

Chargrilled Scottish venison fillet
Pickled red cabbage
Smoked parsnip purée
Crushed toasted hawelnuts
Curly kale
Blackberry jam & red wine jus

Scottish cranachan
Honey parfait
Whisky flapjack biscuits
Raspberry purée
Mini meringues & toasted oats

Selection of Scottish cheeses
Truffle honey
Grapes
Celery
Apricot jam & biscuits

At the table next to ours sits the piper in full regalia. The usual piper is off sick; this young lad, here, stands in as a replacement. We are told how this ex-army guy always dreamt of piping the new year in. Tonight is his chance.

With dinner in, we all go out on the street, as the bar closes for a moment. The piper appears on top of the tower and plays his tune -- which seems unfashionably short; did he skip half of it? In any case, he gets a lot of cheers before the countdown is sung by the choir of people on the square -- and goes from 17 directly to 3. Lots of hiccoughs, tonight! The fireworks start. Boom. No singing Auld Lang Syne until much, much later on either.

Epic conditions, though

Start as you mean to go on, we keep saying, when in Dornoch. We need something suitable to welcome the new year.

I go for...

Glenlochy 1965/2002 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old, JB/AGE): I think this is my first 1960s Glenlochy. Nose: austere, old-school, with flint, gravel, tobacco and less-than-austere, lovely fruit. Time helps it reveal juicy fruit (peach, apricot, tangerine), though the austerity remains. Mouth: sparkly fruit juice, it has tangerine, blood orange, pink grapefruit, pomelo and marmalade. Finish: a subtle bitterness that reminds me of Alka-Seltzer and lots of fruit juice. Again, tangerine, pink grapefruit, blood orange and a drop of peach nectar too. The flinty note has all but gone, now. Killer dram, this! 9/10

JS has...

Tomatin 19yo 1976/1996 (55.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection): nose: ho-ho-ho! Exuberant tropical fruit (mango, avocado, papaya), overripe, almost decayed, with the acidity that goes along. Mouth: strong, peppery, still fruity, but also drying. The alcohol is frightening, and reminds me that, at a time, Cadenhead issued lots of things in which the alcohol was not so well integrated. Finish: peppery, strong, earthy, a little foxy and... Wham! Mango-juice kick in the teeth. Wonderful. 9/10

dom666 has Springbank 1993/2010 (46%, Moon Import, 236b), for which I take no further note: we had it last night.

Start as you mean to go on

The bar is very busy, and we retire to the lounge to savour our drams. Two of our table mates arrive. I offer them a dram of 125.55 10yo 2001/2011 Nursery Tea (60.4%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 304b), which they seem to like (ND and PT had it earlier too). They offer Isle of Jura 16yo (40%, OB). They apologise profusely for the difference in calibre, but really I like it quite a bit.
We have a lovely chat and share impressions of the night. We decide we need a refill, at some point around 1:45... and discover the bar is closed! What the deuce? In terms of "start as you mean to go on," let us hope that does not forecast a year of aborted tastings! :-)

Boom!

30/12/2017 Pre-NYE drams at Dornoch Castle Hotel

Third year in a row. \o/
dom666 has joined JS and me on this trip.

It has been a good day, we round it off with a few drams.

dom666 has Caperdonich 14yo d.1968 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice), which JS and I had last year.

Putachieside 12yo (43%, Cadenhead, b.1980s): oddly, I have never had a Putachieside before. Time to right that wrong. Nose: old-school scents, such as cork, lichen rotting wood and wild mushrooms. A drop of coffee and fox's skin complement that, yet the nose is rather subdued. Melted caramel grows in intensity and is joined, much later on, by discreet mango. Nice and subtle. Mouth: melted caramel, dark honey, yellow-flower broth. It becomes vaguely drying, behind the caramel. Perhaps it is salted caramel. Finish: caramel, walnut flesh, wax. This is nice! It would score one more point if it was a little more expressive. 7/10

Springbank 1993/2010 (46%, Moon Import, 236b): nose: not many things beat an old Springbank. This has Chinese gooseberries, carambola, perhaps a hint of jasmine, fresh, untanned leather (the fringed-jacket type). So fresh, this! Mouth: salty-fruit-juice debauchery. Acidic Chinese gooseberry, unripe pineapple, sliced carambola. Excellent indeed. Later, a creamier mouthfeel settles in. Finish: the same fruity extravaganza is now joined by custard and creamy butterscotch. It still has the vague acidity or bitterness of unripe fruit (carambola, this time), but this dram spells out 'perfection' almost, well, perfectly. Almost. 9/10

Canapés are served: salmon and black pepper on crackers and fried haggis balls.

Oban 13yo b.1990 (62%, OB The Manager's Dram, Sherry Cask): my own bottle of this was lost in transit a few years ago, so I welcome this opportunity to try it, after all. Nose: old-school richness with a mix of encaustic, white fruit and a gentle austerity. It has dusty books and orange rinds, then pear yoghurt, custard, brine and sugar. The nose is tentalising, but where is the sherry? Is this a seventeenth refill? Mouth: powerful, peppery, annihilating. It has citrus and pepper, and certainly does not live up to the nose. At second sip, dried apricot appears, but the pepper is huge, cloaking. Finish: enormous, earthy and coastal, with fishing nets, sea salt and an undeniable alcohol kick (no, seriously). Cork and dried apricot both show up. The alcohol burn dissipates and leaves dry sherry dryness. Enthralling nose, the rest is less convincing. But the nose!... 8/10

Talisker 17yo b.2011 (55.2%, OB The Manager's Dram, b#1011): this being dom666's favourite (supermarket) distillery, he wants to try it now and be done with it. Nose: very coastal, with drying fishing nets, smoked mussels, peat smoke -- much more than in the regular offerings, in fact. Mouth: another big one, it has lots of horsepower, peppery honey, peppery pepper, burning charcoal. The lick of honey is really welcome. Actually, it is what keeps it interesting, in my opinion. Without it, that would be a peat burner. Finish: big, long, honeyed and peppery. It has some of the smoked mussels, a touch of peat, but not much. It is a good Talisker, but shhhh! Do not tell dom666 I said that. 8/10

The bar manager (NB) gives us a sip of Glen Garioch 21yo d.1973 (43%, OB), which he calls the poor man's Brora. It is in the same vein as my own, screen-printed bottle, that looks more recent, but maybe is not. This one here makes no sense: it is a 1994/1995 bottling, but 750ml, which suggests it is for the US market; however, the strength is in % ABV, not in US ° Proof. Puzzling.

After that interlude, we have supper, then resume our activities.

Chicken-liver parfait	Salmon salad
Sweet potato and coconut soup
Chicken suprême with smoked ham	Roasted salmon
Selection of cheeses. The blue on the right is called: blue murder.	Sticky toffee pudding

Springbank 30yo 1967/1997 (52%, Blackadder, C#1561): nose: as the earlier Moon Import, this is bursting with fruit -- Chinese gooseberry, carambola, even raspberry, here, -- and then ash and soot show up. The carambola dominates, though -- that is starfruit, for those who do not remember. Mouth: a fruity number here too, with finely-ground white pepper, sawdust, pulped carambola and gentle marmalade. Finish: again, a fine mix of fruit (fresh and jammy), sawdust and milled pepper. It is quite strong, making the finish very, very long. 9/10

vs.

Springbank 1950--1978/1996 (54.7%, Thompson Bros, 47b): most will know the story of this, by now. In a nutshell: the sons of the hotel's proprietors bought a flagon of Springbank, which contained a vatting of different vintages between 1950 and 1978. All came from the Springbank distillery, and they had all the documentation to prove it. What the Scotch Whisky Association thinks of those dates being written on the label matters little: after all, this is not available for sale. Nose: an unsubtle sherry influence, with coffee, old leather, dry earth, walnut oil and walnut shells. Soft fruit lies behind all that (soaked prunes, dates and figs), but the dominant is the dryer sherry influence. With time, the coffee quietens down. Mouth: woody, drying, acrid, bitter. All the same, it is not bad. It retains the coffee (as in: coffee-stained earth), dried fruit and leather (recently-polished shoes). It is a bit too much for me, though. It is also rather strong and heavy on the pepper. Oxidation helps prunes and soaked sultanas come out more. Finish: prunes and dried fruits, wood lacquer, coffee and, well, drying wood. Lots of time seem to make it fruitier. This is past its prime, to me. Interesting, maybe emotional for some, but taken over by the wood and the sherry. Pity. Forty-five minutes of breathing does it good, though, and improves the score. As is, it is 6/10

This year, we spot a Baltimore oriole.
Probably lost on his migration path.

I ask what the music is that is playing. The waitress tells me Cigarettes After Sex. Probably a bit premature, considering she just met me. :-)

22/12/2017 Two Cameronbridge a quarter of a century apart

Cameronbridge 30yo 1954/1985 (46%, Cadenhead, Sherry Wood): nose: immediately, it is noble wood aplenty. Teak cabinets, mahogany chests of drawers, teak oil, wood varnish, resin. Then, some fruit makes it through: blood-orange peels, drying away in a warm room. It is woody, but not spicy; more sap-like. It reeks of sophistication, like an artisan carpenter's workshop. Brazil nuts appear, oily and generous, with rapeseed oil, fresh tobacco, and more fruit: squashed banana, orange, coated in chocolate, stewed rhubarb, Christmas cake... Wow! This nose has so much happening! Several minutes in, strong wood glue shows up, puffed-rice cakes and banana-bread crust. Mouth: roasting beans (coffee or cocoa), a touch of warm earth, ground hazelnuts and that refined woody tone, still (teak oil, wood varnish), orange rinds in a pot-pourri, cocoa butter, crystallised oranges, raspberry-flavoured boiled sweets, dried tangerine segments... this even has candied pineapple cubes. In the background, the teak notes remind you they are there. A mulled-wine spice mix in custard and caramelised honey. It works! Finish: woah! Long, comforting, it has a good balance of wood and fruit, again, with teak and mahogany, as well as crystallised orange and pineapple. It seems a little drying, for a second, just enough to realise how mellow and fruity it really is, rather than dry. Mince pie, dried apricots, Smyrna raisins, a dollop of custard and caramelised honey again. It is always nice to try something from another era, and this is no exception. Cracking dram, although the score might be a little emotional. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

G4.1 29yo 1979/2008 Mellow menthol (53%, SMWS Society Cask): an old friend, this, and the star of many a session. Time to give it the attention it deserves. Similar age, but distilled as the previous was reaching its bottling date. Nose: much less fruity, at first nosing. The wood is there, though it is much drier wood. Then it opens up and bears an obvious affiliation to the Cadenhead offering. Cocoa powder and cocoa butter, wood varnish, wood glue, crumbly brownie, chocolate pudding, sticky toffee pudding, high-chocolate-content pralines, crushed almonds. Not so much fruit, and little of the advertised menthol, but then I am not very sensitive to that. Much, much later on, cooked potatoes seem to appear, too, softly sweetened. Mouth: mellow, custard-y and, yes, mildly mentholated. The ABV is perfectly controlled, as is the wood. Sure, there are spices (pepper and nutmeg), but nothing invading. Milk chocolate, sandalwood, fudge, cloves, cinnamon, bird houses, recently glued together and scented pencil eraser. Finish: mentholated chocolate, dried lime segments, Chinese gooseberry, milk-chocolate coulis, pineapple drops, mixed peel. Interesting that the finish is now pretty fruity indeed, despite the start being noticeably less so than the first dram. Pear drops, even lemonade, perhaps, though the whole is hidden behind that mentholated chocolate. In fact, could it be a crossing between a mojito and a gin & tonic, augmented with crushed After Eight? That would not be too far off, though it has wood, naturally. Excellent drop, this. It will be missed. 9/10 (Thanks again, PS)

14/12/2017 DW's birthday bash at Cadenhead's

It is that time of the year. DW invited a collection of friends to the tasting room for an evening of socialising with whisky. MSo, JS, BC, PP, PS, Cavalier66, EC, WK and several other regulars are here for the occasion, with SW running the show, whilst RO (who built the lineup) JL & JMcI stand quietly in the corner.

All the drams are poured blind from bottles concealed in jute bags (or hessian sacks, for the posh), including the extra ones brought by the audience. On top, we have the traditional fruits, cheeses and chocolates, all of which are mighty fine.

SW is a little unsettled by the number of people in attendance. DW kindly underlines that two or three were not invited by him. They quickly reply that they felt a bit out of place, not getting all the private jokes flying across the table, but promise they will behave, and are enthusiastic about the whiskies to come, whose quality has already been hinted at. It is unclear whether they showed up on the wrong day, or if someone booked them in tonight, despite the tasting being private. In any case, they are made to feel welcome.

The notes are brief. The pace is frenetic, and it is more about sharing the moment with friends than reflecting on drams for hours.

Auchentoshan 25yo 1992/2017 (44.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Barrel, 198b): nose: lime, cucumber peels, glazed cocktail glasses (with the rim covered in sugar). Mouth: unctuous, milky and softly bitter -- almond milk. Finish: lots of tropical fruit. The big reveal comes and I am reminded how much I liked it when it came out. 8/10

WK: "Are we trying the new Highland Park?"
SW: "We do actually have a Highland Park. In Scotland. In a cask."

Aberfeldy 21yo 1996/2017 (54.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 270b): nose: all sorts of ripe fruit, citrus, blood oranges and lemon. The mouth is soft, with a discreet acidic touch. The finish has the vague bitterness of nut shells. I declare this to be a 13yo Dufftown, but SW assures us it is a 21yo Aberfeldy. I note RO's cunning: he obviously emptied a bottle of Aberfeldy 21yo, and refilled it with Dufftown 13yo. You don't fool the Old Man of Huy! 6/10

Glenburgie-Glenlivet 25yo 1992/2017 (54.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 240b): nose: slightly ashy, it also has green-grape pips. The mouth is strong and citrus-y, while the finish is mellower, with more fruit and, in this one too, a vague bitterness. BC guesses the distillery, teacher's pet that he is, and I observe I like it less than the first time (perhaps because it is actually not the same -- duh). 7/10

Undisclosed Distillery d.1960s (38.9%, private cask, 1 bottle): from the fabled Mayfair stash, this might be from an Inverness distillery, but definitely not Mhor or Albyn. Nose: musty, it has cloves, teak shavings and heavy wine. In fact, orange slices, macerated for hours in sangria, under the hot sun. Mouth: a mix of leather and red wine (have you seen Can't Buy Me Love?) Musty, still, with also decaying grapes and a touch of smoke. Finish: much smokier, here, with red wine, still clamouring about. The legend says that this cask was stored alongside wine casks and that transpires. Highly interesting, educational, even, emotional, considering where it comes from, the era it is from and the story around it, but ultimately, it is a masterclass in how whisky goes wrong when allowed to. 6/10 (at least one point of which is emotional) (Thanks for the experience, SW)

Glen Grant-Glenlivet 22yo 1995/2017 (57.2%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Refill Sherry Butt, 486b): nose: strawberry stems, a hint of farm-y smoke and rose petals. Mouth: creamy fruit, melted butter, squashed mango, paprika. Finish: peppery fruit in a puddle of melted chocolate. This is good. 8/10

Ben Nevis 21yo 1996/2017 (51.1%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 240b): nose: Cavalier finds it very fruity. He is obviously wrong: it is very meaty. This smells of rotting carcasses. Mouth: the mouth is thin, tea-like in texture and leafier than the nose suggested. It has rancio, too. Finish: bitter, with rancio, dusty concrete, rotten fruits. Meh. This is popular (Campbeltown's own JMcI's favourite), but not my thing at all. 5/10

Aberlour-Glenlivet 17 2000/2017 (52.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 258b): nose: subtle strawberry, almond cake, laundry detergent (what?) The mouth is soft and sweet, while the finish is really akin to licking teak. 6/10

SW observes that one of the guests has not yet shown up.
SW: "CC is obviously not coming..."
EC: "He messaged a while ago. He's got train problems."
SW: "He needs to stop driving them."

Auchroisk 29yo 1988/2017 (44.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 180b): nose: hazelnuts and bursting fruit -- berries, peaches, even tropical fruits. Mouth: soft and silky, with a pinch of red chilli. Finish: gentle, elegant and fruity, slightly drying, but lovely. The lashes of fruit are superb. Dram of the night for me. Funnily enough, it was also an Auchroisk that won my preference, last year. 8/10

SW has one more from his secret reserve, a smoky affair, but now is the time for me to interject and pour Bladnoch 23yo 1977/2001 (53.6%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#0565) blind. DW guesses the distillery. I take no notes and, in fact, I get none of the liquid myself. Bah, there is half a dram left in the bottle, notes will follow. :o)

Now that I have derailed the course of the tasting, goodies are coming out of many bags. I do not try them all. I lack time to try DW's Springbank 21yo b.2017 (46%, OB, 17/173) and BC's Glenburgie 29yo 1985/2014 (55.3%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, C#95/36/10, 222b) and Pulteney 25yo 1990/2016 (50.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 180b): too busy socialising. I do try the following, though. Blind, of course.

128.5 9yo 2006/2015 As purple as Prince! (60.2%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 215b) (Cavalier66): nose: überfruity, with a whiff of hiking boots and buttery mango. Mouth: rancio, fruit, and hiking boots (remember that is close to decaying tropical fruit). It has the texture of milk and lots of spices. The finish is extremely fruity too. I guess it is Irish, but am pleased when Cavalier puts us all out of our misery. As good as I remembered it, if not better. 9/10

Another bottle is passed around in a hessian sack. I palpate it.
PS: "Bringing SMWS bottles in..."
FH: "Here is another one."
DW: "Weird move."
FH: "I was just feeling the shape and the girth of the bottle."
All: "Ha ha!"
DW: "What was that?"
JS: "He said he was feeling the shape, the sack..."
PS: "You're making it worse!"

5.57 18yo 1999/2017 Strawberry summer flan (51.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill Toasted Oak Hogshead, 88b) (DW): nose: hawthorne. The nose is very herbaceous, in fact, with a hint of flowers too. Mouth: mellow and caramel-y, it has squashed fruit as well. Finish: herbs and chocolate. Very good. 8/10

We are properly evicted, and rightly so: it is late. I still have a couple of glasses that need emptying.

Undisclosed Islay 35yo (unknown ABV, private cask, Sherry Butt) (SW): from the Mayfair stash? I cannot remember. In any case, no point calling; this is not available and wil not be. We are told immediately it is not Port Ellen. That leaves half a dozen possibilities. Nose: jute bags, farmyard, tractor tyres, then the coastal character opens up and fishnets join the party. Mouth: hot, pepper and leathery. Finish: balanced, with hessian and farm paths. Lovely drop, likely an active distillery on south-coast Islay that is not Lagavulin or Ardbeg. 8/10

Excellent evening. I managed to embarrass myself a few times, most notably during a toast, but all in all, great whiskies, great company and good times. Happy birthday, DW!

Another time, baby

9/12/2017 The Italian job

Last tasting of the year at tOMoH towers with this lot. MR is soon flying to Soot Murka for an extended trip, we want to send her off on a high. It has to be an Italian theme, seeing as MR is from the boot of Europe. I wanted to craft a selection of Italian music, but never had the time. It will be only remotely Italian, then.

The suspects: MR, OB, PS, GL, JS, BA, Cavalier66 and Mrs. Cavalier, and yours, truly. You will notice MR is popular: it is an overfull house.

Mystery Dram #1 (MR, pouring blind): an unmarked sample, how exciting. Nose: custard and olive oil (the Italian connection), engine oil, balsamic vinegar, then fine ash and cardboard. Mouth: probably under-strength, as it feels a little weak. It is nice anyway, with cold custard, gentle vinegar and orchard fruit. Finish: gently ashy, dry, it has custard, still, cardboard and olive oil. Odd, but quite pleasant. 7/10

Food for and from everyone

Soundtrack: Various - Pronto Pronto ??!! A New Generation Of Italian Dance Hits

Coleburn 17yo d.1965 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by Co. Import for Giacinto Nicolai of the Club delle fattorie, Series 27, 120b) (tOMoH): an odd one. There is another version not for the Italian importer, but completely similar in all other aspects. Seeing as this one is limited to 120b, one gets to wonder whether they are the same liquid. Perhaps 120b of it made its way to Italy? Anyway. Nose: slightly metallic and fruity (OBE?), dusty, gently musty. Later, leather and a tame wood stove come through, then squashed raspberry. Mouth: the texture is milky and mildly bitter -- almond milk, then. Perfect balance at 40%, even after all that time in glass. It even has a twist of the black-pepper mill. Finish: an old-school touch, with mild coal dust, cracked black pepper on squashed raspberry. Love it. 8/10

PS (about the next dram): "Pretty bottle. It looks like a perfume bottle. It looks like it was advertised by David Beckham's great grandfather."

Tomintoul-Glenlivet 8yo (43%, OB distributed by Liquorama, b.1980s) (BA): Liquorama was (is?) a spirits distributor in Milan. Nose: nice, it has dusty vinaigrette and macerated red onions. Mouth: stronger than expected, with more vinaigrette and gentle cardboard. Finish: milk chocolate, then soft vinegar. Pickled gherkins and onions. 7/10

Sountrack: Wolfsheim - Spectators

We have the next two in parallel.

Mosstowie 18yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail for Sestante, SC999) (me): if you read this, you must know Mosstowie was the Lomond-still output from Miltonduff, between 1964 and 1981. Nose: odd mix. It is very light, with a drop of caffè macchiato. Amaretti, slightly-burnt cake crust (MR). This is wonderful. Artichokes, says Cavalier. Mouth: light, ethereal, milky, citrus-y and even mildly herbaceous. Finish: light and fresh again, with the gentle bitterness of almonds, chives, a notch of cocoa and milk chocolate. This is elegant and clean, lovely. 8/10

vs.

Miltonduff 1974/1988 (46%, Brae Dean Int. imported by Moon Import The Birds, C#1538, 600b, b#103) (JS): nose: strong fruit and fragrant flowers, cut peaches and Virginia tobacco. Even later, blood orange and orange rinds. Mouth: balanced, juicy, fruity, it has lychee, white peach, shaved, green peppercorns. Finish: warm custard, pepper, lots and lots of juicy fruit (lychee) and a pinch of dried bergamot. Perhaps milk-chocolate ice cream, too? Badalapuppi! 9/10

Cavalier's shirt, also bottled for Moon Import's The Birds

Soundtrack: ClockDVA - Buried Dreams

Caol Ila 13yo 1978/1991 (40%, Speymalt Spirits of Scotland imported by Taverna degli Artisti, IA/AGA) (BA): nose: smoky seaweed, peppered with nutmeg (MR), fish sauce, then soot and coal dust. Oysters are next in line. Mouth: soft, it has more of that elegant smoke and oyster freshness, kelp. Finish: long, sooty, ashy, with quite a strong bitterness. Magnifico. 8/10

Bruichladdich 15yo (43%, OB imported by F.Ili Rinaldi Importatori, b.1981, 900b) (JS): nose: melon, loud and clear. Pink grapefruit, fresh olives. Mouth: bitter custard (!), crushed amaretti, melon skins and -- what is this? Mint? Finish: lovely custard again, melon smoothie and the bitterness of melon skins. Great, if a little less impressive than the first time. 8/10

Cavalier (pulling out his contribution): "Tell me how this is Italian."
tOMoH: "Certainly not the Spanish tax stamp..."
PS: "Is that it has a tax stamp, but no tax was ever paid on it?"

Soundtrack: Various - Cold Waves + Minimal Electronics Volume One

Corkastrophe

Springbank 12yo (46%, OB imported by Jabur, b. early 1990s) (Cavalier66): this Springbank's label contains all the colours of the Italian flag. Well done, Cav. Bizarrely, the label is the green thistle, whilst the box has the red thistle. Mismatched box? Nose: heavily sherried, with a rain of leather, stewed prunes, farmyard. In fact, despite the sherry, this is very Springbank-y. Mouth: dry prunes, rancio, tanned leather, dark tobacco, dried figs and that great smell of horses' stable. Finish: stewed prunes, hay, varnished wood. The finish is mostly fruity, and that is for the best, if you ask me. Che bello! 8/10

Wonder if this offer to buy a 50yo Springbank
for £500 is still valid...

G7.2 27yo d.1984 Fascinating and inspiring (60.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 270b) (PS): the label of this mentions "Italian sponge." Nose: cake indeed, with also sharp citrus, cleaning agent, baking bread and herbs, sage and dried basil. Mouth: citrus-y, quite stripping and sweet at the same time. Finish: citrus aplenty, crushed sage and lots of horsepower. This is very sweet and not completely unlike mouthwash. It works. 8/10

50.71 25yo 1990/2015 Alfresco brunch (58.2%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 165b) (GL): Alfresco brunch is, of course, the connection. Incredible that this came out two years ago already. Nose: honeysuckle and jasmine. This is subtle and light, easy on the nose, despite the rather high ABV. Mouth: more gentle flowers (jasmine and forsythia), Turkish delights and a soft, metallic bitterness. Finish: soft, sweet, with sage in powdered sugar, even chocolate. And then the bitterness of metal or sage comes back, tame. 8/10

BA (about the Bladnoch): "It is a bit hot for me."
me: "That's because you have the Dyson blowing hot air on the back of your head."

Speyside Region 43yo d.1973 (51.6%, Mancarella Limited Edition, Sherry Cask) (Cavalier66): nose: watermelon, strawberry bubble gum, sweet, rich and fruity. Mouth: fruity, but also hot, bitter and, frankly, slightly off-balanced. Finish: back to a wonderful mix of fruit (overripe apricot), metal and gentle sage. Excellent Speysider, likely from a Grant-family distillery, likely a Fino cask. Only the mouth is noticeably weaker. 8/10

Garlic quiche

Cavalier66: "How can it taste like a Swiss cheese plant?"

Sountrack: A Cryo Chamber Collaboration - Azathoth

9.51 6yo Summer holiday dram (62.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 244b) (PS): double whammy, this: summer holiday in Italy, and Glen Grant is the best-selling malt in Italy, and has been for decades, owing to its affiliation with Campari. Nose: warm and ashy, splintery and hot. Mouth: warm, simple, but decent, with hot marzipan tart. Finish: invading, warming, with an almost musky character. It does not work terribly well in the sequence. What a mistake-a to make-a! 6/10

Soundtrack: Jacques Brel - Brel

Mrs. Cavalier joins us as MR leaves, prompting Cavalier to produce two more bottles -- it was limited to two a pop, you see. Shit just got real. I will not try one of them (37.81).

Glen Grant-Glenlivet 23yo 1992/2016 (53.1%, Cadenhead Small Batch, Bourbon Barrel + Bourbon Hogshead, 414b) (Mrs. Cavalier): of course, this is because Glen Grant is the best-selling malt in Italy. Nose: is this slightly smoky? That is unexpected, but yes, it is. A Gentle barley note, hay, cold green tea and citrus complete the bouquet. Speaking of which, why did no-one bring the Glen Ord, or the Bowmore Bouquet? Bottled by Italian maestro Samaroli, after all... Mouth: sweet, it has corn flakes, hay and bay leaves. It is hot, too. Finish: roasted barley, slightly smoky, with a hint of lemon tart. Good. 8/10

Inchmurrin 14yo 2003/2071 Trias Usquebaugh (54.6%, OB Single Cask specially selected by WhiskyNerds, Sherry & Bourbon Cask, C#17/171-1, 495b) (OB): for Inchmurrimini, no less. :-) I will let you research why this is a single cask. Nose: lots of dried fruit, dates, figs, sultanas, prunes. The fruit becomes fresher, with mango and maracuja, even. Mouth: more powerful than expected, it has lots of ground chilli on dried fruit -- prunes, mostly, pressed sultanas and dried dates. Finish: warm, extremely fruity, long and lovely. All the dried fruits are there, alongside mango, apricot and others. Amazing. 9/10

Ar8 (54.3%, Elixir Distillers Elements of Islay) (MR): MR has left, but she gave us the connection to the theme before disappearing: orange, melon and Parma ham -- all Italian things. Nose: it smells like a more ancient Ardbeg -- one from the 1970s. Roasted barley, then horse's hair, farmyard, farm paths and refined smoke. Mouth: soft, milky, with more horse's hair and farm paths. This is subtle, though, again, not unlike an older Ardbeg. Finish: big, with lots of roasted barley and old-school smoke, soot, coal dust. A subtle touch of fruit, too. 8/10

Caol Ila 35yo 1982/2017 (53.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask 175th Anniversary, Bourbon Hogshead, 156b) (OB): for Caol Italia -- boom-tschhh. Amusing to see Cadenhead still use the black, Small Batch labels for those single casks, as opposed to the golden ones, but have now changed the text to read "Single Cask." Nose: wow. It has smoke which is even more refined than the Ardbeg's, lots of fruit -- Fraise Tagada, Chinese gooseberry, white peach -- and also farm paths. Crayons, cantaloupe melon, green tomatoes. Mouth: superbly balanced, with elegant smoke wrapped around fresh fruit. It also gives out metal, as in: hot machinery. Maybe a distant rubber note? Finish: ashy fruit, smoked orange slices, hot engine, hot metal plates. A dusty, hot, cast-iron fireplace comes to the fore. Wow again! Amazing Caol Ila. A few drams in, so my notes are probably not the best, but Fraises Tagada and gentle smoke sum it up quite well. This is probably the best of the early-1980s Caol Ila that Cadenhead released over the last couple of years. At least of the ones I have tried. 9/10

What a tasting again! What a selection! Not twice did we have the same Italian name. Only Glen Grant was here twice with the same connection to the theme.
Fare well, MR, see you soon.

The awakening was a bit of a surprise