31/12/2020 Finishing off

As another year comes to an end, let me not look back and reflect on the past year. Only the drams for this blog, thank you!

Craigellachie d.1971 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b.1980s): nose: almost-auburn nail varnish and brine, for a moment. Seconds later, chocolate-coated cherries appear, cuberdons sweets, waxy on the outside, gooey on the inside, polished cherry-wood furniture, a whisper of new rubber, flat cola, lukewarm cola sweets and sticky toffee pudding. Treacle banana bread too, to finish with gently-burnt cake crust. I am ready to bet this bottle has caramel added to it. As I tilt the glass, the back nose has a faint note that reminds me of Cambus -- pineapple? Mouth: well, here is the answer to my question; the tongue definitely picks up pineapple, maybe with a few drops of pink-grapefruit juice thrown in for good measure. Next to that are caramel flan, butterscotch, whisky in mocha, burnt cake and liquorice allsorts. The dominant characteristics are indeed fruit acidity and toasted goodness. Roasted malt, a pinch of coffee grounds, cocoa powder, yet also treacle and burnt caramel. Repeated sipping cranks up the heat, with ginger powder, asa foetida and piment d'Espelette. Finish: to call it stripping or coating would be inaccurate, yet it it certainly leaves a lasting impression. Acidic tinned-pineapple juice shaves a layer of moisture off of one's jowls, which is as pleasant as it is surprising, for a 40% whisky that has been in an eighty-percent-empty bottle for... erm... six and a half years. The second sip welcomes a dollop of dark-chocolate coulis, perhaps dark-chocolate truffles, with lots of cocoa powder, and liquorice allsorts. The finish is rather spicy too, with similar piment d'Espelette and ginger powder, yet, this time, it is augmented with powdered cinnamon too. Very nice! 8/10

Craigellachie 13yo (46.3%, OB, b. ca 2018): nose: strong scents of marzipan and plasticine that immediately make me think of The Pogues. Watercolour, plastic buckets, rubber boots, all that before it thankfully evolves towards milk chocolate -- a white-wine-cured milk chocolate. Makes no sense? You don't make no sense, bruv! Pencil eraser, fudge, chewy chocolate praline (gianduja, probably?), toffee and warm logs by the fire (fruit tree, obviously). Mouth: candied pear slices, served alongside toffee, and a glass of fruity white wine -- it might even be a Maitrank, or Beaumes de Venise, actually. Chewy banana sweets, stewed pears... Say! This is rather fruity. That is before the pencil eraser catches up, and the plastic-y touches (rubber boots and plastic buckets) come back, baked, almost sulphury (bakelite). Then, grapefruit peels come clean up the mess, chewy, waxy and a little bitter. Finish: weird. The cooked fruits are here (pears, bananas), fruity wines too, but, all of a sudden, a burnt note storms the scene: scorched plastic, burnt rubber. Then, it goes back to the beginning, with plasticine and wax. The finish is shortish. It leaves a soft bitterness in the mouth, similar to that left by citrus zest. This is good, but it does not seem to have much in common with the previous dram, other than the plastic. 7/10

Craigellachie-Glenlivet 19yo 1962/1982 (80° Proof, Cadenhead): nose: well, it is a completely different story, but considering it is from the pre-reconstruction Craigellachie, it is hardly surprising; after all, we are virtually at a different distillery. First thing to note is that this is smoky. Oh! not the peat onslaught that one finds in today's Islay youngsters, mind. No! Delicate, refined smoke. It only works as a supporting act, here. Smoky jams (mirabelle plums, lemon marmalade) and compotes (pear, apple, pineapple). The juxtaposition of that fruity side and the smoky scent that comes from a cast-iron bucket of soot is fantastic. Char-grilled grapefruit segments -- wait! Out of nowhere, the (scorched-)plastic note we met in the previous two drams comes into play, mingling with the smoky lemon marmalade. What an amazing nose this is! Ashy, grapefruit-scented hand wash adds to the picture. Later on, hazel shavings join, and a faded soft-leather note too. Mostly, the star remains the smoky marmalade. Mouth: smoky lemon marmalade alright. Scorched plastic? Check. On the other hand, the soot is more pronounced, here -- much more pronounced. The mouth has a freshly bitter touch, even if it does not quite seem to be plastic -- Bakelite, perhaps? Electric cables? The texture is not particularly thick; one might even call it thin... until one realises one is still chewing on smoky, waxy grapefruit peels, after all that time. Or is that the leather pouch that carried the fruits home? In any case, it is excellent. Finish: very long, with an emphasis on that bitter note from the palate. It is Bakelite indeed, and it is not on its own: roasted aniseed spent coffee grounds and liquorice roots are to be found in this finish, and make for a toasty impression. Not only that, however: soot, smoked marmalade, smoked citrus (grapefruits, lemons and unripe oranges) all come back in full form to kick some bouteille. The permanent waltz of fruit, smoke and hard plastic is simply mesmerising. Ace, if my impression is seemingly quite different from our first encounter. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

44.53 22yo d.1989 Lip-smacking, chewy and chunky (51.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 279b): nose: despite being distilled almost twenty-seven years later than Cadenhead's dumpy, the similarity is striking, at first nosing. Soot, refined smoke and marmalade are the driving forces again, and they are forces to be reckoned with! In terms of fruit, this one has satsumas, clementines and kumquats added to the mix of citrus, all peppered with a pinch of coal dust. Moreover, this one has rose water, overripe persimmon, melting into a fruity goo, and some kind of gingery strawberry chalk, which is most unusual. Smoked-strawberry jam, cold cranberry compote (perhaps not as sad as it reads) and a sort of wood paste too. Time turns this nose deeper, with blackcurrant cough drops, haystacks and buttery pot-pourri (I know) in the back of the sinuses. The second nose reveals a definite woodier side, with wood paste and ginger yoghurt. Mouth: assertive, not aggressive, the mouth has green chilli, green pepper, green capsicum, and the same softly-smoked marmalade as the nose. The soot is present too, mildly bitter and probably desiccating, in the long run, balanced by peppermint-y blackcurrant cough drops -- or is it blackberry? Elderberry liqueur, smoked bog myrtles, bramble smoke from a gardener's bonfire, coffee grounds and liquorice roots, parchment foil, crumbling after it has been in the oven several times, ginger-powder-sprinkled slices of dried orange. Finish: here is perhaps where this dram loses steam, a little. It is a nice finish, with soot, liquorice laces and smoked elderberry; it simply does not attain the grandeur of the nose and palate (or of the previous dram). Smoked mint, ginger shavings, wasabi, aniseed, dried banana slices, dipped in spices. In fact, the more one sips it, the more the fruit re-appears: blood oranges, smoked satsumas, candied apples. It does not gain and kind of glorious exuberance, but that certainly gives it a welcome evolution, with even a faint bitterness, as if someone had sprinkled chopped green chilli on Bakelite, after dunking it in marmalade. I think I like this even better than previously. When it comes to scoring, it presents a challenge. I had it at 8, initially. Accepting that not everything is at its best at the same time (the nose shines brightest early on, the finish takes a while to reach its peak), I will go higher. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

Happy New Year!

26/12/2020 Clearing the shelf #29 -- 70 combined years of ABC drams

As every year, we have a triple birthday to celebrate -- this year with a triple theme. As every year, none of the birthday boys is here.

Ardmore 19yo d.1990 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines First Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#30109): nose: a delicate peat smoke that brings me back to the gardening days of my childhood; they invariably ended with a garden fire to burn leaves, cut grass and weeds -- before the world understood the risks and toxic effects of such fires, obviously. Smoked roots, weeds on the fire, burnt riverbanks, hay, grass, burnt by the scorching sun, earth by the hearth. Behind that, a fruity note grows, though I struggle to identify it... Smoked plums? Peaty Peach? Next up is a gentle lick of wood varnish, then mocha cream or crème brûlée. Mouth: moist. That is the first thing that comes to mind. Peach skins, dried apricots, papaya cubes, even. Oh! this is nicely fruity. A pinch of red-chilli powder gives a spicy touch that is so tame even PS would not complain. In the background and only coming through via retro-nasal olfaction, smoky wood appears, akin to cherry-tree logs in the fireplace. Even the smoke is fruity, on this palate. In the long run, a bit of vegetal smoke shows up, juicy weeds thrown onto the fire, roots included... yet fruit reclaims its rightful place. Finish: although it is reduced to 46%, it lacks no power. It is a combination of the smoky notes from the nose and the fruity tones from the palate. Peach, apricot and papaya come and go, letting scorched earth linger in the aftertaste, which gives a pleasant, toasted impression. Coffee grounds, the spent wick of a scented candlestick. What a wonderful drop! I liked it the first time, and still do. 8/10

Bruichladdich 25yo 1993/2018 (49.3%, Cadenhead Single Cask for the 25th Anniversary of Bresser & Timmer, Bourbon Hogshead, 240b): I loved this when STL introduced me to it. Will it live up to my memories? Nose: carambola, cucumber and candle wax, celery sticks and, amongst other things that start with 'c', violet stems. Carambola becomes more pronounced, joined by guava, prickle pear, mango skins and unripe persimmon. This really is becoming tropical and a half! Coconut fruit (the flesh around the nutshell), coconut yoghurt, then Kaffir lime leaves, pomelo peels -- phwoar! Cucumber peels too, come to think of it. Maybe this has something of a gin & tonic (without the horrible gin part, though -- would that merely be tonic?) Mouth: holy molly! It is as good as the nose: Guava, carambola, pomelo skins, coco, yoghurt, prickle pear -- this is full of win! It retains the freshness of cucumber (the taste, a little less), crisp celery sticks, and it also has some herbs (lemon mint, wild chamomile, which tastes like pineapple). Pineapple comes in to stay, in fact, foliage included. Yeah: it may be fruity, yet it also has herbaceous touches like that; Kaffir lime leaves and clementine foliage. Finish: it is the same debauchery here, with pomelo skins, guava, carambola and celery rubbing feathers with prickle pear and a notch of ground paprika. Yum! Peach yoghurt balances the acidity of the fruits, and there might even be an extremely-soft bitter nuance, which I associate with cucumber peel and lime leaves, or clementine leaves, covered in milk chocolate. This dram is a work of art. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, STL)

Secret Highland Malt d.1994 (47.78%, Cask Sample, C#11): this cask sample bears no age statement, but it was drawn in late 2020, which makes it a twenty-six-year-old. The other night, several wondered whether it was a Clynelish. That will be my C dram, even if it is not. Nose: bramble, honeyberry, faint pollen and lots of yellow fruits (mirabelle plum, papaya, jackfruit, butternut and quince jelly) and pineapple turnovers. The nose becomes more intoxicating as time passes, giving more waxy and furniture-polish-y notes than fruit, with the same effect as sniffing wax or furniture polish: intoxication. Do not try this at home, kids! Mouth: meow! this balance... Überjuicy fruits, with quince, ripe golden apple, mirabelle plum, white peach, waxy apricot and yellow watermelon. Perhaps canary melon too, but then splashed with rum. A drop of dark pouring honey augments the palate, blended with a dash of beeswax to boot. The texture is waxy, chewy and coating, leaving the mouth salivating. The yellow fruits are really something! The roof of the mouth ends up detecting tinned pineapple that has spent far too long in the tin -- that is fleeting, however. Finish: similar story, the finish sees a mixture of juicy yellow fruits and mouth-coating beeswax, alongside a spoonful of set honey, so sticky it is borderline drying. Further sipping transforms that into clear pouring honey, still sticky, apricot jam and marmalade, not quite bitter, yet one that has a tang alright. Tinned pineapple makes a comeback, as does fruity yoghurt. Wax-coated papaya is the last thing to rock up. Cracking dram! Hope it is bottled and released in the not-too-distant future. 8/10

Happy birthday, MD, FH, JPH.

25/12/2020 Two Christmas drams

To celebrate Jesus's supposed birthday, let us have a couple of adequate whiskies. In this country, where Christmas dessert is understood to be two trowels of cement and raisins, left to macerate in a bucket for 364 days, a Christmas dram has come to mean anything chock-a-block with dried fruits. Mostly, that translates into something matured in a first-fill sherry, Port of Madeira cask.

Anyway, back to Jesus's birth, now, because, since the Big Lebowski, one should know that "Nobody vucks wit za Jesus."

Blend On The Run 29yo b.2020 (45.6%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Sponge, First Fill Sherry Butt for 13 Years, 314b): we had this two nights ago, but if not now, then when again? Nose: despite what I said the other day, the first think that gets to me tonight is rancio. Musty, clay-floored warehouses, drums of Madeira, rows and rows of stacked Madeira drums, earthy prunes, and a whiff of musk -- picture a cat who spent the day outside. Dried dates and figs are in the background, somewhat hidden behind roasted chestnut shells, then distant coffee. Maybe there is a dollop of caramelised cranberry compote too, yet it is as subtle as they come. In fact, the whole nose is subdued. Mouth: juicy on the tongue, sweet and warming, it has gently-burnt apricot compote, soon taken over by prunes, plum liqueur, rum baba, and a clear note of rancio, which flirts with damp earth, now. That last one turns into peachy coffee, almost desiccating. It really is fruity and drying at the same time, and that works a treat. Repeated sipping reveals a juicier profile, still earthy and fruity in equal measures. Finish: oh! It is definitely peach coffee, freshly ground and toasted. The more one sips it, the fruitier and less dry it becomes, with hazelnut and dried raspberry joining the peach. Earth is still present, whilst coffee... Well, if it is, it is very much in the back seat. Instead, it is closer to a tiny sprinkle of grated, ridiculously-dark chocolate -- we are talking above 95% cocoa content. It is certainly a sherried whisky, but I would not call it a Christmas dram as I understand that to mean. It is pleasant alright, even great to sip. Yet the nose is a tad too tame to thrill this taster (how many words in 't' can you align in a sentence? I just did seven). Indeed: 7/10

Bunnahabhain 11yo b.2020 (54.2%, OB Hand-Filled Exclusive, Manzanilla Cask, C#3212): nose: dusty marmalade, puff pastry, quince paste, candied apricot, candied pineapple. It smells sweet, yet also quieter than the other night. The temperature, perhaps? It is noticeably colder tonight... Still: pressed sultanas in custard become more evident. Shortbread, crushed into a powder. Caramelised apple compote. In the long run, the nose turns more caramelised and toasted, even displaying toasted malt and coffee grounds. Mouth: 'ere we are! On the tongue, it is sickly sweet, with conference pears so ripe they melt out of their own accord, vanilla custard, blended with overripe pears, sultanas, golden raisins, Smyrna raisins, İzmir üzümü (look at me! Look at me!), dried apricots, quince paste, dried dates that have somehow remained juicy as fook. Then, a gently bitter note appears, almost rubbery -- odd, but a pleasant respite from the sugary onslaught. Finish: mellow and soft, while also very sweet. Membrillo, Lyle's Golden Syrup, sweet Moscatel sherry, Beaumes de Venise, Gewürztraminer vendanges tardives, in which the producer would have dumped tons of confectionery sugar. Is this sweet? You bet! Wheelbarrows of sultanas (Smyrna, Izmir), golden raisins and dried dates, punctuated with cooked blood oranges, rinds and all. And a pinch of coffee grounds to boot! This is a Christmas dram, as they say. It is not for everyone, though. It is not my personal preference today more than it was last week. If that is one's thing, one might want to consider drinking sherry. 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, PF)

23/12/2020 Thompson Bros & Guests Xmas (Part 2)

It started here.

Blend On The Run 29yo b.2020 (45.6%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Sponge, First Fill Sherry Butt for 13 Years, 314b) (brought by Angus MacRaild): we are told this is from Signatory's reserve, and somehow related to a 1997 blended malt called Signatory Supreme. Nose: softly-smoked prunes, dried dates, soaked raisins. Mouth: a bit nuttier on the tongue, with oily chestnuts in their roasted shells. Finish: teak oil, pressed prunes, figs, ripe blueberries. Others say rancio, but I do not think so. It is certainly juicy, sweet and fruity. 7/10

Parafilm did not
prevent a
minor leakage

Glen Mhor 8yo (57%, Gordon & MacPhail, b. mid-to-late 1980s) (introduced by John Beach and Arthur Motley): honestly, this is the one I am looking forward to most. Nose: feisty industrial-revolution scents, with hot metal, coal fumes, lichen, limestone and burnt bread crust. Mouth: big and muscular, the palate welcomes a fruity note of peach, intertwined with lichen and limestone. Finish: imposing, austere, metallic. More limestone, diesel fumes and gorgeous fruits. Well, my expectations are met. 8/10

PT: "JB, it sounds as though you researched for thirty minutes this afternoon, for this..."
JB: "Err, yeah. Isn't that what I was supposed to do?"

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 (55.5%, OB for the Whisky Bars of Scotland, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, C#068/2008, 160b) (presented by Jonny McMillan): nose: confectionery sugar and hand wash, jasmine, sourdough, then crushed Aspirin tablets. Mouth: powdery, I swear this has flour and crushed, mentholated Aspirin tablets. Finish: menthol again, supported by unripe apples and tonic water. 7/10

JMcM: "I work for Berry Brothers, who have been selling overpriced bottles since before I joined them. We've been paying way too much for casks for over a century."

Connal Mackenzie talks about the Ardnamurchan he selected for this shindig -- or that he did not select, as it turns out he wanted one, a peaty make matured in sherry, but, following a mix-up, ended up with another, a non-peaty make matured in Bourbon. Looking at the miniature whilst typing this, I realise it is a peated Ardnamurchan from an ex-Oloroso cask. Either I misunderstood, or the mix-up was Connal's. Unless, of course, not everyone received the same juice. We will never know. Does it really matter?
I am starting to feel tired and annoyed, so I skip it for now. For reference, it is:

Ardnamurchan 2015/2020 (59.5%, OB, ex-Oloroso Hogshead, C#670)

Final dram.

Laphroaig 24yo 1996/2020 (51.8%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, ex-Jack Daniel's Cask, C#1-104, 217b) (presented by Oliver Chilton): nose: well, peat smoke, obviously. Iodine, bandages and Reflex spray. Mouth: some juicy fruit balances the peat, in the long run, yet I fail to identify it. Bog water and mud meet apricot turning mouldy. Finish: boggy, medicinal peat, with lots of tincture of iodine. Pear and apricot develop after a while too, which is most welcome. 7/10

PT calls upon Marcel van Gils, an authority on Laphroaig, to dissect this one. From where I stand, it appears as though MvG summarily executes the dram for being from the 1990s and therefore not as fruity as the earlier makes. Others protest that they can smell/taste fruit in this. I certainly can. Perhaps it is not a 1974 distillation, but then it does not claim to be either.

I call it quits. I am exhausted, and not good company. No point insisting and tarnish others' enjoyment.

With more than sixty people in attendance, this is definitely not a format that suits my preference. Next to the now-usual lurkers, who switch the camera off two minutes in and say nothing throughout, only six to eight vocal individuals talk. The atmosphere quickly turns very clique-y. As with most cliques, the rest is then divided between those trying to join the clique and those who cannot be bothered. The important takeaway from that is not chicken tikka masala; rather that most (including myself) do not seem to engage at all.

Good to swap a few words in private with people we have not seen in a year, on the other hand (e.g. CB and GB). And lovely whiskies to boot!

23/12/2020 Thompson Bros & Guests Xmas (Part 1)

Dornoch is sadly a no-go area for tOMoH, this year, but cyberspace allows for virtual gatherings with the Dornoch crew.

This session tonight is meant to feature old and rare bottles. The line-up was announced a few weeks ago, and there were a few interesting things indeed. The event also has guest hosts: not all the whiskies are from the Thompson collection; instead, several of their friends have selected a whisky and will present it.

We do start with drams selected by the twins, however.

Dornoch d.2019 (62.16%, Cask Sample, C#182): this is an experimental peaty batch, of which we are told there are two casks. Nose: flinty and mineral, the nose has slate-y smoke (think: smoke coming out of a chimney in a slate roof?) The second nose has smoky, rubbery leaves. Mouth: now we are talking! Lots of mineral notes again (slate), and smoked vegetation. Several people say agave and tequila, and I can see why. It has got that mezcal-y smokiness. Finish: warming, the smoke mutates, now turning into coins (some nickel alloy?) BA mentions 50p coins, which seems spot-on. He is good, our BA. 7/10

AMcR: "I don't have the samples in front of me, but does this taste like a green-dumpy, 1970s Glendronach?"

Jura 30yo 1990/2020 (46.4%, Thompson Bros. for The Whisky Find, Refill Hogshead, C#5317, 163b): this is the latest of a small series of 1990ish casks of Jura that have received praise from everyone who has tasted them. Nose: Fruittella, dried pear slices (adc), as rubbery-chewy as they are fruity. Mouth: pear drops, boiled citrus sweets. This is fresh, lively and resolutely fruity. Finish: long, big and very fruity, in a chemical way, this has mixed peel and candied angelica, on top of the fruity sweets. Ace. 9/10

Secret Highland Malt d.1994 (47.78%, Cask Sample, C#11): this one may be a Clynelish, though PT explains nothing was written on the cask and, therefore, he does not know himself. Nose: mentions of wax and fruit fuse from all sources, and indeed: seal wax, oily-plant leaves, then white wood and nail polish. Mouth: despite the modest ABV, it feels robust. It is also rather fruity (plums, mirabelle plums, apricots), the fruitiness being counterbalanced by a mild, leafy bitterness. Finish: waxy plums, waxy apricots, dark grapes and more tropical fruits (someone ventures starfruit, and I agree). Very nice. 8/10

The inevitable discussion about names takes place: if it is this good, does it matter what it is? From a pricing perspective, of course, it does. Different people buy different whiskies for different reasons, and not stating the name, for whichever reason, removes a proportion of the customer base. That dictates how much a bottle can be sold for, which, in turns, prescribes the maximum cost of the cask.

Chichibu London Edition b.2020 (53.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt, ex-Bourbon Casks, 1736b) (presented by Billy Abbott): nose: warm pastry, smoky ovens, then spices (chiefly turmeric). Mouth: very sweet, here, it has warm croissant and hot rosemary-like menthol. Finish: it is long, warming, yet also menthol-fresh. Further, one spots fruits and focaccia. Great balance, great strength, great integration. This is annoyingly enjoyable. Annoyingly? It might be neither old, nor rare, yet it is certainly not cheap! 8/10

Read on here.