July 28, 2010

Happy 8th Birthday Whiskyfun!
My goodness, today little Whiskyfun is eight years old! I'm afraid I lost count of how many different whiskies I tried and scored since I registered the domain, probably around 7,000, have to check that!

I must confess I've often considered stopping all this madness but now that this very unlikely blog-alike website is 8, I'll hopefully manage to go on until it's 10 unless my liver tells me I should quit earlier.

July 27, 2010

Tasting two old Miltonduff

Milltonduff 1968/1998 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Green Label) Colour: amber (actually suspiciously orange ;-)) Nose: ah yes, I remember well this one, I already tried it a few times. It’s got a rather big fruitiness but it’s all coated with spicy oak, including tea, ginger and pine resin notes. Also quite some mint, ginger tonic, roasted nuts in the background, liquorice allsorts… One of the most mentholated drams ever, maybe that’s why they chose a green label for it ;-). Mouth: very old style, with some oak upfront and once again quite some mint and liquorice in the background. Also bitter oranges, light toffee, Cointreau, walnut liqueur… The whole is surprisingly big at just 40% vol. Finish: long, still on mint and eucalyptus drops. Underberg and Cynar (artichoke liqueur). A little lemon in the aftertaste – or lemon balm. Comments: a very fine old dram that goes for little money at auctions. SGP:451 - 87 points.

Miltonduff 30 yo 1980/2010 (49%, The Whisky Agency, bourbon hogshead, 196 bottles) The Whisky Agency keeps bottling some great drams in their Moonesque series. Colour: gold. Nose: no mint this time, rather a basketful of garden fruits such as apples, cherries and gooseberries. Also notes of muesli and oatcakes, tinned pineapples… The whole is very ‘natural’, without much oak influence so far. A little light honey. After fifteen minutes: it got much grassier. With water: even grassier. Cut hay after the rain. Mouth (neat): fresh and much fruitier now! Very zesty. Unexpected hints of tinned litchis, then grapefruits and lemons, maybe kiwis, with the same kind of grassiness as on the nose in the background. What’s sure is that it doesn’t quite taste like a 30yo malt, I guess the hogshead wasn’t too active, which isn’t always bad news. With water: excellent! Water didn’t change much on the nose but on the palate it really made this Miltonduff fresh and zesty, with only a little honey in the background. A fruit salad – but no fruit bomb. Finish: long, clean, fresh, fruity (garden fruits). A little resin in the aftertaste and just a few tannins and a little black pepper. Comments: this one is for lovers of 100% natural malts – I’m one of them. SGP:551 - 88 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: great 'new' groove by organist Larry Young around 1975, with this explosive and much pillaged Turn off the lights sung by Linda “Tequila” Logan (it was on the 'Larry Young's Fuel' record). Oh, and the great Moog!!! Please buy Larry Young's music.

July 26, 2010

Lagavulin 12 yo (43%, OB, White Horse Distillers, probably UK, early 1970s) Colour: amber with orange hues. Nose: ah yes! Rounded and rather on orange marmalade at very first nosing, but getting sharp and magnificently peaty after that. The kind of ‘mingled’ peatiness that you only find in very old bottles of Lagavulin or Laphroaig, more rarely in Ardbeg. That involves old tar liqueurs, various herbs, some coal, old car engine, the famous tarry ropes, some mint… Now, there’s rather less fresh tropical fruits than usual in this magnificent nose, let’s hope the palate is still in good shape. Mouth: but yes! Exceptionally tarry and peaty, smooth and sweet but firm, salty, resinous, leathery, coastal… Especially the notes of bitter oranges are exceptional here. But beware of maltoporn, better stop now. Finish: no comments. Comments: to be honest, this one seems to be a tad sweeter than other versions on the palate but it’s just as magnificent globally. Imagine they were struggling to sell it forty years ago! I’ve even heard that some distributors used to offer one or two bottles for free for each case of cheap rum that was bought. Insane times. SGP:557 - 94 points (with heartfelt thanks, Tom!)

Lagavulin 1993/2009 'Manager's Choice' (54.7%, OB, cask #4477, 612 bottles) This one ex-Bodega sherry butt. Will it match the superb Caol Ila MC? Or the no less superb Lagavulins for Feis Ile? Colour: pale gold. Nose: wowie! I may well be the only drinker on this planet who loves good gentian spirit (hear, hear, Swiss people!) but all I can tell you is that there’s a lot of it in this Lagavulin. It’s got something very earthy, rooty and more medicinal than the usual Lagavulins, with distinct whiffs of a forest after a summer rain (cut the crap, S.!), moss, fresh mushrooms… Also traces of candy sugar but it’s otherwise quite dry. I’d say this is midway between the well-known annual 12yo CS and the Feis Ile versions – so far! With water: perfect. Mouth (neat): perfect again! Rather less sweet than other middle-aged Lagavulins and probably zestier and drier, with this earthiness again, something more medicinal than usual (gentian again?), a lot of lemon and… A full plate of oysters. The sherry is very, very discreet. With water: even more earth. How shall I put it? Let’s try this: this is high-precision peated malt whisky, kind of a Patek Philippe of the whisky world (as opposed to some very bling-bling Rolexes or APs). Finish: alas. Comments: quite curiously, I think it’s a Lagavulin that’s also a little ‘Laphroaig’. Now, let’s be serious, it hasn’t got the complexity of the old 12, but I’m sure it will after forty years in glass. Almost worth its very heavy price tag in my opinion. SGP:448 - 93 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: let's have some 'elementary electric powa blues' today, with the late Jessie Mae Hemphill and her You can talk about me. Isn't that what we just did? Please buy Jessie Mae Hemphill's music!

July 25, 2010

Tasting three Aberfeldy

I often get remarks regarding the fact that I do not taste ‘regular’ malt whiskies often enough. The worst part is that I agree! So I promise I’ll do my best in the future, starting right today with some Aberfeldies…

Aberfeldy 12yo (40%, OB, +/- 2009) Last time I tried the 12 that was in 2005. Five years! Colour: gold. Nose: I cannot think of any other make that’s so much on grains and garden fruits. Muesli, apples, soaked barley, pear juice… All that is nicely complemented with light floral notes (around dandelions and such). The whole is fresh and light, very pleasant and probably perfect for summertime. Mouth: easy, very easy. Light and rather simple, slightly nutty and honeyed, with a little vanilla and cake. There isn’t much to say, but it’s pleasant. Finish: a little short but clean. Comments: this one may well take ice very well. We’re close to good blends in style, the body isn’t big but it’s very drinkable. SGP:431 - 79 points.

Aberfeldy 10 yo 1999/2009 (45%, Exclusive Malts, cask #23, 419 bottles) Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re extremely close to the official 12! It’s just a tad oomphier and maybe a little more oaky – very pleasantly so. There’s a little more liquorice, for example, and a little more vanilla as well. Also hints of damp wood and porridge, damp chalk. Mouth: starts a tad strange, kind of slightly chemical (jelly), musty… Then we have notes of concentrated lemon juice… Also something aspiriny. Too bad, the nose was very nice. Finish: medium long, rather cleaner now, with notes of grapefruits. Comments: some strange tastes in my opinion, but it’s still globally all right. Now, all the other recent malts in this ‘Exclusive’ series that I could try were in a much higher league. I guess you always need an exception. SGP:241 - 72 points.

Aberfeldy 21 yo (40%, OB, +/-2010) Another OB that I haven’t tried since five years. Colour: gold. Nose: ah, this one is in another dimension, with a much bigger complexity, around various honeys and very ripe fruits. Apples, melons, peaches… And heather honey (even more than in old HPs), orange blossom water, then lilies and lis, herbal teas, earl grey… It’s all very, very nice and complex, in a fairly undemanding style. Mouth: excellent, complex, spicy and fruity, with masses of honeys, light dried fruits (no heavy raisins, for example) and even hints of bananas, a little Bushmills-style. Also nice spices, a little tobacco, praline, rosehip tea, apple juice… Finish: medium long but good, clean and fruity. Comments: I’m sure this would be winning malt whisky at 46% vol. At 40%, it’s just a bit on the skimpy side. But great profile. SGP:541 - 86 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: more punchy rock-blues with Lonnie Mack's Riding the blinds (that was on his live CD 'Attack Of The Killer V'). Please buy Lonnie Mack's music!

July 23, 2010

Tasting two easy young Bruichladdich

While the weather is still quite hot at time of tasting let’s have too supposedly easy and refreshing Bruichladdichs. I already tried both but never wrote any proper tasting notes – now’s the time, as Charlie would say (Parker that is, not MacLean).

Bruichladdich ‘Waves’ 46%, OB, +/-2010) Colour: straw. Nose: a very fresh and pretty clean spirit without any obvious woody notes but a faint farminess that gives it a pleasantly grassy profile. Hints of watermelon, just ‘ideas’ of horse saddle and touches of asparagus peelings. Also quite some curcuma and even cumin and finally notes of plum spirit (quetsche). Nice personality so far. Mouth: it’s fruitier on the palate, starting on pears and pepper plus hints of tangerines. Once again it’s very clean spirit. Goes on with a little liquorice, lemon squash and indeed something faintly salty (but once you’ve read the word ‘waves’, you just cannot not find a little salt, can you!) Good dram with a presence. Finish: medium long, with the liquorice a little more to the front. Comments: it’s not exactly one of these easy drams that you may sip without even thinking about them. Again, it’s got some personality. Very clean distillation, would probably go very well with oysters. SGP:441 - 82 points.

Bruichladdich ‘Rocks’ (46%, OB, +/-2010) Colour: pale apricot. Nose: we aren’t too far from the Waves except that this one is a little rounder and maybe a little less fresh and clean. Same notes of horse saddle (not really sweat!) plus something delicately earthy. Hints of blackcurrant buds – kind of Médocan so to speak. I tend to like the Waves a little better on the nose. Mouth: same as the Wave, only with more fruits. Notes of raspberry spirit and maybe even pisco (just had a few at a friend’s who’s just back from Peru). It’s rather less fresh and playful than the Waves. Finish: medium long, with a vinosity in the aftertaste (grapefruits and raspberries). And some liquorice again. Comments: it’s a fresh and flawless, well-composed dram but I liked the Waves’ crispiness a little better.  SGP:541 - 80 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: feeling lazy and depressed today? Abnormally slow? Have a slice of Calgary's Huevos Rancheros doing the very speedy What A Way To Run a Railroad and everything should get back to normal. Please buy the Huevos Rancheros' music.

July 21, 2010

A new blog about Canadian Whisky
My Malt Maniacs compadre and dear friend Davin de Kergommeaux has just launched a brand new blog that's all about Canadian whisky. As expected, it's beautifully done, with much meticulousness and dedication.

More globally, as I already told several guys who were willing to start a whisky blog and were seeking advice, I believe specialised blogs represent the future now that there are more than 200 different 'general' whisky blogs in English alone - some great - out there that publish more or less the same kind of thing. Go read canadianwhisky.org

Rumfun, tasting five rums from Guadeloupe

The French Guadeloupe gathers a good ten distilleries, mainly on two islands: the attached Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre and the beautiful Marie-Galante.

Basseterre 1997/2006/2008 (49.2%, Velier Italy, Guadeloupe) This is a blend of rhum agricole (distilled from cane juice) and rhum traditionnel (distilled from molasses), both from Distillerie Carrere/Montebello, that's been married in large casks for two further years. Basse-Terre is the name of the island. Colour: deep gold. Nose: very classy, complex yet assertive, not too round or dull… This is rum! Many soft spices, cardamom, Chinese anise, dried bananas, something faintly metallic, herbs, wormwood, varnish, newly sawn oak, chestnut honey, soy sauce, Japanese oyster sauce… I like this a lot, it’s rum that’s quite close to single malt in style. No water is needed, apparently, so let’s pass… Mouth: well, it’s certainly rounder and more ‘lumpish’ on the palate but otherwise it’s quite perfect, albeit simpler than on the nose. A lot of honey, wee touches of chilli (can we use the word ‘wee’ for rum?), banana liqueur, tangerine liqueur (Mandarine), maybe a little coffee, quite some liquorice… Very approachable, very easy to drink. Finish: long but clean and not cloying at all, on more liquorice and honey (and even more liquorice – and a little mint – in the aftertaste). Comments: very, very appealing. This will please many malt drinkers in my opinion – including this very one. SGP:840 - 87 points.

Basseterre 1995/2006/2008 (58.2%, Velier Italy, Guadeloupe) Colour: pale amber. Nose: much less aromatic than the 1997, much more closed and maybe a tad more on roundish rummy notes (honey sauce, cane sugar syrup, something slightly resinous from the oak, cinchona). Nothing wrong of course and water will probably put this one straight. With water: it’s the oak that comes out, with some vanilla, lactones and this feeling of pencil shavings that us malt lovers now only too well. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is far from being ugly. Mouth (neat): bigger and bitterer than the 1997, with much more wood influence. Varnish, heavy spices, cloves (bags!), strong honey… Also hints of lemon and apple liqueurs. Limoncello. Not quite sure about this one yet. With water: better but these notes of pencil shavings are pursuing us. Finish: long, rather simple, with quite some oak extracts. Vanilla galore! (I mean, ¡arriba vanilla!). Comments: it’s very good rum (especially when compared with many thick and heavy dark ones) but I think that, just like the whisky makers, the rum makers or bottlers should be careful with fresh oak. SGP:730 - 80 points.

Damoiseau 1991/2000/2006 (56.3%, Velier Italy, Guadeloupe) These rums are 'double-aged', that is to say re-racked into large casks named foudres. The Damoiseau distillery lies on the Guadeloupean island of Grande-Terre. Colour: amber/bronze. Nose: we’re very, very close to the latest Basseterre in style, only with maybe added earthy tones. Wet leaves, humus... Also mint and eucalyptus. With water: it’s amazing how water works well here. Many many extra-aromas are brought out, including notes of old roses, old-style orange liqueur, liquorice, hints of burnt oak, rosemary… A little coconut as well. Mouth (neat): powerful but rounded, very ‘rhum agricole’ in style, with grassy notes and many spices. Aniseed, liquorice, maybe a little tobacco… Not too complicated at this point. With water: better, balanced, not too sweet, not too grassy, not too fruity, not too oaky… But very ‘rhum’ indeed. Finish: long, with perfect balance and a very stylish style (wot?!) Quite some liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: not the utter marvel but simply very, very good. For malt lovers: a good first step towards boutique rum in my opinion. SGP:641 - 85 points.

Dom de Courcelles 1972/2003 (42%, Velier Italy, Guadeloupe) The Domaine de Courcelles distillery on Grande-Terre is inactive since 1972, so these are the very last batches. These casks had been forgotten in a warehouse until a merchant bought them all in 1998, and vatted them into a 'foudre' to stop evaporation until they were bottled in 2003. Domaine de Courcelles used to make rhum traditionnel (from molasses). Colour: brownish gold. Nose: hey hey! Very aromatic yet not thickish at all, with notes of green bananas, chestnut purée, spearmint, something unexpectedly coastal (seaweed – yes) and just hints of saltpetre and fresh mushrooms. A little caramel as well and touches of aniseed (pastis) and mint. Wonderful nose, quite complex. Mouth: great! Maybe not as complex as on the nose but I like these spicy and grassy notes in the attack, all covered with honey, mint and liquorice. Gets then more ‘classic’, with some cane sugar, dried bananas and even more liquorice. Maybe hints of big fat prunes. Excellent. Finish: medium long but quite sumptuous, silky yet firm, balanced, elegant… Comments: I love this one and have stocked up. SGP:640 - 90 points.

Dom de Courcelles 1972/2003/2005 (54%, Velier Italy, Guadeloupe) Not sure about what happened here, maybe it was re-racked in 2003 for two further years of maturing. Colour: gold/copper.

Nose: this is much more closed than all the other ones, with notes of tinned pineapples and lemon balm but not a lot of other aromas so far. Some obvious cumin and liquorice, though. A little roughish for its age, I’d say maybe the influence of the re-racking. Water should help… Wait! After fifteen minutes, we get mega-huge notes of coconut. That doesn’t spoil it but… With water: ha! Suntan oil, dried coconut and marshmallows. Feels like if you were watching a softporn movie from the good old 70s. Sylvia Kristel anyone?

Mouth (neat): nah! The same weird notes of coconuts are there right from the start, together with something perfumy. Turkish delights, marshmallows (truckloads), strawberry syrup, liquorice allsorts (bags and bags and bags)… Not quite sure I like this, I feel it’s ‘very too much’. With water: a little better but it tastes like some premix by some international conglomerate. You know, litchi or passion fruit liqueurs and all these swills. Finish: medium long and… a little more reasonable. Comments: I guess this one came from the same vat as the 1972/2003. Well, in that case, it’s a good example of wood technology gone mad. Any similarities to one or several Scottish brands or distilleries would be purely coincidental (yeah, right). SGP:930 - 69 points.

MUSIC - Recommended listening: some very excellent jazz by Montreal's Alex Bellegarde Quintet. It's called Pawnshop and it's on 'Alex Bellegarde Quintet Live'. Please buy Alex Bellegarde's music.

July 20, 2010

TASTING THREE PANATELAS and THREE LEGENDARY BOWMORE

It is summer time. I am not in the mood for big cigars. Panatelas sounds perfect to start this month of July. Panatelas are so elegant. I love their size.  Let's try two panatelas and one grand panatela, all from 2005 boxes.

For the pairing, I want some juicy fruits, the fruit season has just begun, hasn't it ? Some Bowmore from the 1960's should be perfect ! The old Bowmore before the 1970's were exceptinally fruity (exotic fruits, mango). I have three samples found on the now famous website of our friend Luc Timmerman. They have all been highly rated by Serge. Frankly speaking it is the first time I have had the opportunity to try them. I am like a child eager looking forward to trying his christmas gift!

Cigar tasting info: it is very important not to smoke panatela sizes too fast or when they are too humid.

QUAY D'ORSAY Panetelas (Cuba)

Length: 178 mm   diameter:   13.1 mm (Cepo 33)
Format: Panatelas
Vintage: 2005

The wrapper: claro, mat
Dry Smoke: woody, light vanilla and burnt wood notes
Draw: excellent
Combustion: perfect, grey-dark ash. The cigar is very steady and does not require to be rectified or relit.
Strength: light
Aromas: woody, almond notes, the same burnt wood notes as during the dry smoke. Not a rich aromatic evolution but remains pleasant, never boring.

The three thirds: 1) soft, gentle with a nice volume of smoke 2 / gains in body and keeps its sweetness 3 / remains balanced up to the end with no bitterness.

Conclusion: not very complex but exactly what I needed, a gentle smooth cigar well balanced with a good construction. A very nice summer’s cigar.
84/100 (the rating of a cigar can only be the evaluation of a unique cigar smoked at a unique moment.)

HOYO de MONTERREY Le Hoyo du Gourmet (Cuba)

Length: 170 mm   diameter: 13.1 mm (Cepo 33)
Format: Panatelas
Vintage: 2005

The wrapper: colorado, mat
Dry Smoke: chocolate, caramel, nice creaminess
Draw: excellent
Combustion: perfect, grey-dark ash. Does not require to be rectified or relit.
Strength: medium
Aromas: woody, Caramel, toffee then some light herbal, medicinal notes, orange zest and almond

The three thirds: 1) nice start with medium body and strength. Slightly dry on the palate. Generous smoke. 2) becomes more creamy ( creamier), the dryness disapears. More Hoyo style. 3) turns a little bitter. Needs two or three more years to be more refined on the finish.

Conclusion: a very good cigar. Will still improve with time.
88/100

PARTAGAS Serie du Connoisseur No 1 (Cuba)

Length: 192 mm   diameter:  15.08 mm (38 Cepo )
Format: Grand Panatela
Vintage: 2005

The wrapper: claro, mat
Dry Smoke: leather, woody, vanilla
Draw: excellent
Combustion: perfect, nice white-grey ash. Does not require to be rectified or relit.
Strength: strong
Aromas: earthy, woody, spicy then turns more creamy (creamier) on caramel, nuttiness (macadania), liquorice

The three thirds: 1) beautiful start, rich, balanced, full bodied 2) More unctuous, consistant 3) richer and stronger but with no agressivity, still classy. Smoked with great pleasure up to the very end.

Conclusion: A true classic and one of my favourite cigars.
92/100

PAIRING WHISKIES / CIGARS

Bowmore 7 yo (43%, OB, Sherriff, COGIS Milano, 60’s): rating by Serge 95/100. To tell you the truth I was not impressed by this sample. Very different from Serge's tasting notes. As he told in his own tasting notes, two old bottles from the very same batch can taste completely different after twenty, thirty or forty years of 'glass maturing. However this Bowmore is a good whisky but not very complex, especially compared to the two following ones.  I expected much more. 
On the Quai d'Orsay: some similitudes in aromas on almond notes. The strength of the cigar and the whisky are very well balanced. A good pairing. 4/5
On the Hoyo: nice pairing, bring more creaminess, some buttery notes. The cigar slightly overpowers the whisky. 3.5/5
On the Partagas: the pairing of the aromas doesn't match. The cigar overpowers the whisky. 1.5/5

Bowmore 18 yo 1966/1984 (53%, Samaroli ‘Bouquet’, 720 bottles): rating by Serge 97/100. The legend is still alive. A truly amazing whisky ! So pure, very deep, long, complex. The fruitiness is impressive. The whole is so elegant and balanced. A must.
On the Quai d'Orsay: great pairing on the third third of the cigar.  The samaroli gives to this pairing a truly exciting experience. The cigar is smooth, not too strong and complex and as such respects the beauty of the whisky. 5/5
On the Hoyo: The fruitiness is still there. Very good balance on the strength. However the Samaroli doesn't  fully express its complexity. 3.5/5
On the Partagas: very nice on the second third of the cigar (more creamy / creamier), the whisky can express all its complexity and brings the cigar to another level of enjoyment. A great pairing. 4.5 /5

Bowmore 'Bicentenary cask strength' (98.8°proof /56.2%, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, Italy, cubic bottle, bottled 1979): rating by Serge 91/100.  Smokier and more powerful than the Samaroli. Quite dry, complex and with some nice fruity notes. A great whisky.
On the Quai d'Orsay: the strength is not as balanced as the Samaroli. The whisky more powerful is very concentrated and dryier.  The cigar needed more creaminess and body for this whisky. 2.5/5
On the Hoyo: nice liquorice notes appear. The smoothness of the cigar balances the dryness of the whisky. A very good pairing. 4 /5
On the Partagas: nice match but a little bit unbalanced. Brings some interesting white chocolate notes. 3.5 /5

Conclusion:  I was a little bit worried to "waste" the Samaroli with some cigars. In the end it was the most suitable with different style of cigars, from light to strong. - Emmanuel Dron, Singapore

July 19, 2010

A Scotch-soaked nation?
Dear all, the weather is still too hot for doing proper tasting sessions. It's all right for freewheeling dramming but not for carefully assessing a few good old single malts, especially since I think that cooling them down a bit can change their aromas and flavours quite significantly. So, let's rather post these recent figures about us crazy Frenchmen (population 62,277,432)...

MUSIC - Recommended listening: probably the most successful combination of an acoustic guitar with a roaring bass - of course it's Hot Tuna's famous Water Song from 1971 (that was to be on their great Burgers LP later on). Please buy Hot Tuna's (and Jorma's and Jack's) music!

July 16, 2010

It's still very hot here in Alsace and proper tasting sessions are hard to organise. Let's hope it'll all become a little cooler next week! In the mean time, here's a rare old picture of some Scottish women playing hide-and-seek at an unknown whisky distillery in Speyside (circa 1910).

July 13, 2010

CONCERT REVIEW by Nick Morgan
ERIC BIBB
The Bloomsbury Theatre, London, May 10th 2010

I decided that I had better look up the meaning of ‘nice’ in my Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, and was surprised to learn that it had so many meanings, ranging from ‘tender’, through ‘stupid’, ‘trivial’ and ‘coy’.  Of course it’s the colloquial meaning that we all think of, which is ‘agreeable’, or ‘delightful’.  Fellow Whiskyfun Reviewer and sometime whisky expert Dave Broom hates me using the word when I’m tasting Scotland’s midnight wine, but sometimes it sums things up perfectly.

Think of a pleasant May evening in leafy Bloomsbury, one of the very nicest parts of London (where I used to work, but that’s a different matter altogether), and home of course, to Virginia Woolf and her famous Bloomsbury Group.  To be honest I’ve never thought of Virginia as being particularly nice, more like hopelessly self-obsessed and a ghastly middle-class snob (like most of those people who still adore her and her circle I suspect), but that doesn’t detract from the niceness of the place, with University College London, the dissenting Dr William’s Library, and at one time the wonderful Courtauld Institute all close to hand.  And I should not forget the Bloomsbury Theatre, true a building of indifferent architectural merit, but one of the nicest theatres in London with a broad range of shows appealing to a wide cross-section of audiences, and one of the few (albeit occasional) music venues to sell both fruit gums and fruit pastilles, both as nice an example of traditional English confectionery you could wish for.  As you struggle along the rows to find your place the audience are terribly nice and accommodating, helpfully moving their walking sticks and Zimmer frames, to allow one to pass.  And the folks sitting in our seats are so nice, that once they’ve moved we become the best of friends, exchange addresses for Christmas cards, and even talk seriously of the possibility of a shared camping holiday in Tenby.

He has a wonderfully fluid and apparently effortless guitar style, but not lacking in attack.  In fact part of the niceness of his sound comes from the ferocity with which he addresses the strings.  Another interesting thing is that every now and again his blues playing is infiltrated by nice touches and flourishes in the style of the great British folk guitarists of the sixties and seventies (and in some cases, I’m very glad to say, the two thousand and tenties) , such as John Martyn or Bert Jansch, giving it a very cosmopolitan feel.  His voice is nice, full and strong, whether he’s singing with a gusto that matches his guitar work, or chatting, which he does nicely between songs.

He may as well be talking to a room full of nice friends, as the audience are clearly mostly devotees, with an extensive knowledge of Mr Bibb’s catalogue.  Bravely he gave  them a few old songs, thanked them for their nice loyalty, but then went on to focus on material from his very nice new album,  Booker’s Guitar, inspired by an opportunity he had to play the guitar of Delta slide-guitar legend Bukka (or properly Booker) White.  I’m not sure how nice Mr White was; he did of course, famously serve time in Mississippi’s notorious Parchman Farm prison, which he celebrated in song (“Judge give me life this mornin' down on Parchman Farm”).  He was committed for life for murder, although he actually served only a couple of years, which, given the conditions in the jail, has to be considered a nice outcome. 

Grant Dermody

And then, to the delight of the audience, he ended the show with a jolly nice singalong, as if Bloomsbury had met with Blissdale Mississippi, if you will.

It was a thoroughly nice evening, and Mr Bibb’s playing and singing was as nice as nice can be.  I just couldn’t help thinking that ‘nice’ wasn’t what got Charley Patton, or Robert Johnson, or Muddy Waters, or the diabolical Sonny Boy Williamson II into the blues hall of fame.  It was their flaws that filled their personalities with colour, their work with resonance, just like the flaws that gave Bukka White his life sentence in Parchman Farm. Somehow, or so it seems to me, you need something more than niceness, no matter how considerable your accomplishments. – Nick Morgan (photographs by Kate)

Listen: Eric Bibb on myspace (nice!)

Rumfun: tasting three very sweet Dominicans

The Opthimus (Opthima?) and Quorhum are blended rums from soleras. That may mean, but I'm not sure, that the age is actually the age of the oldest rum in the solera, not the youngest as is customary (well, legal) in Scotland. They are said to be Cuban-style rums, all distilled from molasses.

Opthimus 18 yo (38%, OB, Oliver & Oliver, Dominican Republic, 2009) Colour: full gold. Nose: smooth and rounded but rather complex and delicate, starting on some chestnut honey and whiffs of toasted wood, with notes of sugar cane and maple syrup in the background. More sultanas , marzipan and putty after that, the whole being kind of a typical 'average' rum, only more complex and elegant. Very nice even if a little too 'rummy'. Well, I know what I'm trying to say ;-). Mouth: extremely sweet, rounded, probably a little weakish and too liqueurish for malt freaks. Banana liqueur, cane syrup, pineapple liqueur… This fruitiness is very pleasant but there's this 'weak' feeling that spoils it a bit. Almost more a liqueur than a spirit. Finish: medium long, sugary and caramelly. Comments: very nice nose but the palate doesn't quite deliver. Too sweet and weak. SGP:830 - 76 points.

Opthimus 25 yo (38%, OB, Oliver & Oliver, Dominican Republic, 2009) Aged in ex-bourbon barrels. Colour: amber. Nose: ah yes, this is a huge improvement over the 18. Much more on tar and liquorice, with quite some smoke, hints of burning tyres, orange liqueur, maple syrup, little hints of juniper, korma sauce, roses… Very complex, with a very long development, quite thrilling to follow. Very expressive too. Whiffs  of damp earth as well, the whole getting fresher and fresher over time. Mouth: this is just as sweet as the 18 but it's also packed with flavours, which makes it globally much bigger. Fruitcake, orange liqueur, orange blossom water, sweet curry sauce, roasted cashew, mango chutney… Indeed, something Indian. Raisins. Finish: medium long, a little  simpler, sweet, with a little vanilla crème and crystallised oranges. Comments: excellent, imagine this at 46% vol. instead of the measly 38%! But warning, this is extremely drinkable, watch the refills! SGP:830 - 88 points.

QRM 23 yo solera (40%, OB, Oliver & Oliver, Ron Quorhum, Dominican Republic) Colour: full amber. Nose: this one is even more emphatic than the 25 on the nose but probably less complex, more on molasses, raisins and corn syrup. More burnt caramel as well, Cointreau, coffee liqueur… Faint whiffs of smoke just like in the Opthimus 25. Pleasant grassy notes in the background but tends to fade away quite quickly. Mouth: it's funny how the extra-2% make a difference. Yet, this is less complex than the Opthimus 25 and, frankly, much too sweet for my taste. Almost cloying. Honey, aspartame, maple syrup, rosewater and pineapple syrup blended together. Finish: medium long, sugary and caramelly. Comments: it's not bad at all but frankly, this uebersweet profile is too much for my taste. Is this a natural drink? SGP:820 - 75 points.  (May I remind you that notes and scores are all a matter of taste, and that drinkers who love extremely sweet spirits may hence adore this?)