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Hi, you're in the Archives, December 2005 - Part 1 |
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MUSIC
– Highly recommended
listening - Brazilian superstar
Rita
Lee does Virus
do amor.mp3 live. She rules!
Please buy Rita Lee's music coz
you like it! |
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TASTINGS
- THREE EXCELLENT OLD GLEN KEITHS
Glen
Keith 33 yo 1971/2005 (51.9%, Jack
Wieber's Old Train Line)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: incredibly
winey at first nosing, almost like
an old Sauternes, with whiffs of
peat smoke (did they use their now
famous concentrated peaty water
at the time?) Some funny notes of
very ripe tomatoes, goulash, carrot
cake, maybe pumpkin soup…
It gets fruitier with time, developing
on overripe oranges and kiwis, balsamic
vinegar, old clementines, with something
toffeeish – and always these
whiffs of smoke. I say it’s
superb! |
| Mouth:
oh yes, this is a great sherried one.
Lots of vivacity, very playful –
not the ‘sluggish’, limpy
kind of sherry at all. Lot of dried
fruits, both tropical and ‘northern’,
fruit liqueurs, freshly squeezed oranges,
with also quite some rum-and-raisins
this time. Dunce, toffee, praline,
old sweet wine (more old Rivesaltes
than sherry). No peat that I can get.
Beautiful! The finish is rather long,
quite coffeeish and liqueurish –
wow, what a beauty. And it didn’t
get drying at all, hence my 93
points. |
| Glen
Keith 33 yo 1971/2005 (50.8%, Duncan
Taylor, Cask #8056)
I already had this one but couldn’t
take my time, so I thought it deserved
another go. Colour: amber –
brownish. Nose: oh yes, this is nice,
even if less fruity and less ‘different’
than the Wieber. The oloroso character
is more obvious, with quite some rum
and raisins, Xmas cake and chocolate.
Now I get some smoke as well but that
might be the power of my mind (not
that my mind is that powerful, that
is – don’t get me wrong)
Nice notes of lovage and soy sauce
after a moment, together with some
smoked ham and game. Very classical,
it reminds me of some Glenfarclasses.
Mouth: ah, yes, it’s a heavy
oloroso-influenced malt. Very toffeeish,
rumy and raisiny, sort of thick even
if it’s not unbearable at all.
Gets then sort of cardboardy, thanks
to the rather heavy, spicy tannins
which start to invade your mouth.
Nothing excessive, though. Some nice
and playful notes of tangerines, lemon
drops and fresh pineapple do come
through after a while, and sort of
re-balance the whole. Not one you
should taste while in a rush, no doubt,
as it keeps developing, gaining complexity
and vivacity… Very good! The
finish is rather long, still perhaps
a bit too drying but hey, 33 years!
Anyway, 90 points
for this very classical sherry monster. |
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Glen
Keith 1967/2003 (46%, G&M Connoisseur’s
Choice)
Colour: full amber. Nose: wow, what
a superb mix of sherry and sea air
(yes, I know where’s Glen Keith)!
Compact and complex at the same time,
with lots of dried oranges and kumquats
and a very nice smoke, developing
on flowers from the fields, a whole
basket of fresh fruits (lots of kiwis).
Perfect vivacity and no sign of over
ageing… Ah, and also my cherished
notes of old books, with a bit of
natural varnish and eucalyptus. A
great nose indeed. Mouth: creamy and
coating but elegant, starting on coffee
and Xmas cake, all sorts of dried
fruits… Alas, it gets then very
tannic, with quite some burnt notes
and also soy sauce. Rather drying
(just below the limit), becoming austere,
with a rather long finish on burnt
and rubbery notes. Well, nothing excessive,
that is, and the nose was tremendously
enjoyable, so it’s going to
be 87 points. |
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| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - RATIONALES FOR CHOOSING
GIFTS - part 3 |
 |
| Left:
Vat
69 Gold, Xmas 1972,
'The Gift of Gold - It's the season
to give Gold. Vat 69 Gold, the holiday
Scotch with the golden light taste.'
Yes, cheaper than jewelry, I
suppose... Right: Canadian
Club, Xmas 1982, 'Even
the person who has everything occasionally
runs out - Canadian Club "The
Best in The House". Twelve
bottles of Canadian Club! Wow, hard
to run out again after such a gift. |
| 16:12
PM - THIS JUST IN – GREAT NEWS!
Luc’s call has
been heard all over the world, and
after quite a few red herrings, we’re
happy to report that the stolen glasses
have just been found in Rome. Picture:
one of the missing glasses being delivered
by two locals to chief of the Roman
carabinieri Alberto Quellochetrova.
The glasses will then be handed over
to the Belgian ‘politie’
in Antwerp. Phew! |
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| |
| 10:07
AM - THIS JUST IN -
It is a sad, very sad story. The kind
of sad story that often happens during
Christmas time, when a part of the
world rejoices and feasts (we know
some don’t, shouldn't we do
something about that?) Indeed, ‘somebody’
just stole Belgian Maniac Luc’s
set of three professional tasting
glasses. Luc just issued a call and
Whiskyfun is happy to help. Luc’s
own words: ‘Dear Whiskyfun
reader, I’m desperate, the three
tasting glasses were very important,
without them, even the rarest Glenfarclas
tastes like Loch Lomond. If you ever
spot my glasses at auctions or anywhere
else, please advise, I have prepared
a reward. They are genuine Bohemian
crystal cut glasses, 37cm and 2.3kg
each, three different colours: ultramarine
blue for my coastal malts, viridian
green for my inland malts and burnt
sienna for my beloved Glenfarclasses.’
Picture: an inconsolable Luc obliged
to taste an old Clynelish 12 yo 100°proof
for Giaccone from the neck at a very
recent Mara
tasting. |
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TASTING
- FOUR STRATHISLAS
Strathisla
35 yo (40%, G&M for Sestante,
75cl, 1980's)
Colour:
gold amber. Nose: the attack isn’t
particularly punchy but it’s
very ‘present’, with
a beautiful mix of flowers from
the fields, nectar, beeswax and
lots of tropical fruits (although
they’re less demonstrative
than, say in the old Bowmores or
Clynelishes). Quite some smoke –
this one must have been distilled
in at the turn of the 1950’s,
marzipan, walnut skins… Goes
on with some bold notes of very
ripe peaches, before it switches
to something slightly metallic and
quite some saltpetre. Quite flinty
as well, with also a little linseed
oil. A beautiful old whisky, not
tired at all. |
| Mouth:
sure it’s a bit weak now, and
probably less complex than the nose
but there are some superb, yet discreet
notes of fresh oranges, light honey
and olive oil. Develops on a little
marzipan, getting slightly waxy, minty
and a little papery… Maybe a
little liquorice and praline –
just a little - and then it almost
vanishes in a whisper… Hello?
There is no finish whatsoever! Right,
I guess this one lost quite a few
degrees in its bottle, and the palate
is just a gentle caressing wave, but
what a stunning nose! 86 points. |
Strathisla
36 yo 1969 (54.6%, Cooper's Choice,
2005)
Colour:
dark amber. Nose: extremely fragrant
and demonstrative at first nosing,
with some bold oloroso, lots of old
rum and raisins. Almost explosive!
Lots of dried oranges and caramel,
coffee liquor, Grand-Marnier, bananas
flambéed… Then it gets
much fresher and fruitier, on strawberries,
very ripe pineapples… Also quite
some dunce (chocolate and raspberries),
before it starts to smell cooked cabbage
and chestnuts! Strange but enjoyable,
I must say… Keeps developing,
on gravy, fresh parsley, wine sauce…
Yes, almost a sauce! Also whiffs of
crushed mint leaves. Mouth: lots of
oomph! This one seems to have been
sort of concentrated; it’s not
the alcohol, it’s the flavours!
They really invade every part of your
mouth with quite some rubber, concentrated
fruit juices, highly reduced wine
sauce, apricot jam, overcooked gravy…
Maybe it was a solera cask? Lots of
notes of burnt cake as well, strong
liquorice… |
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| Let’s
try it with a little water now…
(while the nose got mintier)…
Yes, it gets smoother and more drinkable
– you can reduce it down to
20% ABV or so and it’s still
very rich – but the profile
doesn’t change much. Let’s
say it got fruitier, with much more
spearmint and chlorophyll. Anyway,
this one is an authentic sherry monster,
no doubt. Spectacular! 90
points. |
 |
Strathisla
35 yo 1969/2005 (56.3%, Whisky-Doris,
sherry cask #2516, 90 bottles)
Colour:
dark amber. Nose: starts much more
classically ‘oloroso’,
less extravagantly and more on chocolate,
roasted nuts… but then it gets
even meatier (smoked ham, sausages),
on gravy with onions, hints of oxtail
soup, cooked mushrooms and garlic…
quite ‘nourishing’! Keeps
developing with some much fresher
herbs, citronella, fresh mint, mullein,
lemon balm… Also soy sauce,
salted butter caramel… Whiffs
of smoke and tar… Very old white
wine, praline… Perfect, very
rich and complex. Not a clumsy kind
of sherry at all. Mouth: bold and
very thick, rich and creamy again,
extraordinarily coating and liqueur-like.
Bold notes of coffee, dark toffee,
old rum… Really hot despite
its old age. Apricot jam, something
resinous (propolis), wine sauce again…
Bitter caramel… |
| Okay,
let’s try to add some water
as well now… (while the nose
got mintier as well, but always as
meaty)… Funny, it really resembles
the Coopers’ more and more,
with just the same bold minty flavours
and, perhaps a little more pepper.
But it’s also quite drier and
definitely more tannic. Anyway, we
have another spectacular, genuine
sherry monster here. 90 points
(tie between the two 1969’s!) |
| Strathisla
17 yo 1987/2005 (46%, Signatory Unchillfiltered,
cask #2372, 324 bottles)
Colour:
white wine. Nose: very fruity at first
nosing, on boxed pineapples and candied
pears. Gets then quite rubbery, with
also some rather nice notes of hot
ham, melted paraffin. Not too complex
but rather enjoyable, I must say,
getting sort of bolder after a few
minutes, with quite some eucalyptus
(Vicks). Mouth: very fruity again
but maybe too sharp and lacking ‘broadness’.
Notes of crystallized citrons, with
a little salt but the middle is quite
wimp, almost nonexistent. Yet, there
quite some wax and paraffin gain.
Gets slightly bitter (lemon seeds).
The finish is rather short and a little
metallic. Not too unpleasant but nothing
too special. The nose was nice, hence
my 80 points. |
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| CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - RATIONALES FOR CHOOSING
GIFTS - part 2 |
 |
| Left:
Ambassador,
Xmas 1968, 'give Ambassador
Deluxe - New York's largest selling
Scotch, America's fastest growing
Scotch, The World's Lightest Scotch
- Watch your favorite friends light
up with knowing smiles when you give
them a gift of Ambassador Deluxe.
They know that there's nothing finer
than the World's Lightest Scotch (...)
Give Ambassador - the gift that will
be remembered long into the New Year!'
Right: Johnnie
Walker, probably early 1970's,
'Give Johnnie Walker Red, the
world's best selling Scotch. Why fool
around?'. Did it already occur
to you that the fact that a product
is a very heavy seller makes it an
ideal gift? |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
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TASTING
- THREE RECENT PORT ELLENS
Port
Ellen 27 yo 1978/2005 (52.3%, DL
for The Whisky Fair, 198 bottles)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: this is
an unusual Port Ellen, as there’s
no bold smoky, tary, tyre-like notes
but rather a clean farmy peat with
quite some lemon and wood smoke
that makes me think of the heavily
peated Ardmores or of the cleanest
Bowmores. Rather sharp and very
straightforward, with whiffs of
coal smoke and fresh herbs (a little
dill, celery, mintleaves), as well
as wet stones and clean wet dog.
Ah, also hints of aniseed, liquorice,
roots and fresh butter. It is, indeed,
a kind of profile I like –
a Riesling-malt? |
| Mouth:
bold and coating, almost thick which
is also quite unusual. Very bold,
nicely sweet but wonderfully peaty
and smoky, with some gentian, lemon
juice and marmalade, sweet pepper
and a little quince jam. Gets quite
liquoricy, rooty, with quite some
violet sweets in the background, a
little cough syrup, fir honey…
Extremely enjoyable! The finish is
long, very ‘invading’
and warming, mostly on herbs sweets
(do you know Ricola?) It’s really
perfect – not extraordinarily
complex but perfect and, above all,
extremely drinkable. Which makes me
think of these poor souls who, five
years ago, started to say there would
be no more good Port Ellens brought
to the market. Crap! 92 points. |
Port
Ellen 1981/2005 (57.7%, Scott's Selection)
Colour: straw. Nose: yes, this one
is more typical, with much more tar
and notes of brand new tyres right
at first nosing but those are not
as bold as in the, say official Rare
Malts. Quite some lemon as well, together
with some nice farmy notes (hay) and
something slightly caramelly that
makes this one quite rounder. Quite
some vanilla and oak, which is unusual
with most UDV – Diageo malts,
especially the Islayers. A little
coffee as well. Anyway, the balance
is perfect, even if we’d have
liked a little more ‘wildness’.
|
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| Mouth:
quite sweet at first sip but growing
quite punchier and, once again, sort
of ‘invading’. More citrusy
(and less lemony), with quite some
orange marmalade, candied grapefruit,
kumquats, quince jelly and lots of
smoky, tary flavours. Gets then quite
peppery, almost a la Talisker…
It stays very creamy and almost liquor-like,
though, with a little salt starting
to play with your tongue after a moment,
and the finish is long ‘as a
day with no bread’, very sweet
and peppery. Excellent! The palate
is as nice as the Whisky Fair’s,
in fact, and probably bolder and even
creamier – but the nose is a
little less pure, so it’s going
to be ‘only’ 91
points. |
 |
Port
Ellen 21 yo 1983/2004 (50%, Douglas
Laing OMC, DL 1572, sherry, 435 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: aha! Lots of crispy
bacon at first nosing and loads of
brand new tyres, as often. Quite funnily,
there’s quite some sherry sort
of strengthening these feelings. Some
beautiful coastal notes and quite
some fuel oil (it starts to smell
like an old fishing boat). Quite some
peat but it’s rather discreet.
Yet, what a superb nose! Mouth: creamy,
sweet and firm at the same time, with
a beautiful peat, rather medicinal
this time. Also quite some candied
lemon, smoked ham, cocoa… It
gets then meatier and meatier (and
smokier) and the finish isn’t
too long but goes back to fried bacon.
One for breakfast? Too bad I can’t
usually swallow anything but coffee
and croissants! Anyway, 90
points for this excellent
Port Ellen from last year. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - Lots of fun in there indeed!
Santana? Steely Dan (eh, Peter?),
Nuyorican soul? No, it's Los
Mocosos and they are
doing Mi
barrio loco.mp3. Like their record
company writes: 'If America still
prides itself on being a melting pot,
then this just might be the ultimate
American band'. Please buy their music! |
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| TASTING
- SIX CLYNELISHES |
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Clynelish
32 yo 1972/2005 (49.9%, Single Malts
of Scotland, cask #15619)
Colour: white wine – very pale
for such an old malt. Nose: oh yes,
again one of these wonderful 1972
Clynelishes, with their trademark
tropical fruits. Quite some mango,
quite some passion fruit and a little
fresh pineapple, topped with caramel
and vanilla sauce plus a dash of white
pepper. It develops on sea air, smoke
(bonfire), with also quite some apple
and walnut skins (a kind of wax in
fact), a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon,
fresh mastic, a little olive oil…
All that is less explosive than in
other ‘old new Clynelishes’
but maybe more elegant and a little
subtler. Very, very nice. Mouth: oh
yes, it’s perfect – although
everything comes at the same time.
Orange juice, wax, smoke, resin, mango,
caramel, pineapple, pepper, a little
cardboard, notes of camphor, cough
syrup and that’s all. There’s
little development precisely because
it’s so bold and ‘abundant’
right at first sip. And the finish
is long and resiny, with also quite
some bitter oranges. XLNT. 92
points. |
| Clynelish
22 yo 1972/1995 (58.95%, Rare Malts,
75cl)
A version for the US, I believe…
Colour: white wine. Nose: punchier,
less ‘tropical’ at first
nosing, more on cake and pastries.
Quite some praline and some huge waxy
notes emerging after a moment. Really
on beehive, paraffin and all sorts
of oils (colza, olive…) plus
a little incense. It gets then smokier
and smokier (white wood smoke) and
a little resinous, before… yes,
there, the tropical fruits arrive.
It’s more sort of ‘skinny’,
with rubbed orange zests, bananas,
tangerines… Quite some walnut
liquor as well. Another more than
perfect old new Clynelish that has
quite some similarities with the ‘genuine’
old Clynelishes (before they were
christened ‘Brora’). Mouth:
how punchy and powerful, and how drinkable!
Incredible that one can swallow this
one just like that, without a single
drop of water – or is it me
again? It starts on bitter oranges,
lots of wax as expected (mastic candies
– and the kind of Turkish delights
they make using mastic), developing
on smoked tea, butterscotch, bergamot,
quince jelly… Again it gets
smokier, with also more and more tea
(notes of old pu-erh), liquorice sticks,
hints of Smyrna raisins (I’m
sorry, not any other kinds of raisins
here)… Maybe it’s getting
just a bit too tannic (you can feel
it on the back of your tongue) but
that’s a detail here. The finish
is very long as expected, waxy, orangey
and resinous. Just superb –
even if I may be a little partial
to Clynelish. 93 points
(and thanks to the Plowedsters.) |
| Clynelish
10 yo 1994/2005 (54%, Exclusive Malts,
David Stirk)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: rather grainy,
coffeeish and mineral at first nosing,
with whiffs of coal smoke. Hints of
burnt bread, sharpening stone, earl
grey tea (bergamot). Not exactly aromatic.
Gets then rather yeasty and mashy,
with some notes of porridge, steamed
potatoes and muesli. Also some rather
nice flowery notes (flowers from the
fields). It gets nicer and nicer with
time, it’s one for lovers of
‘natural’ whiskies –
which I am. Mouth: extremely sweet
and curiously fruity, almost like
kirsch or grappa. Maybe it lacks a
little ageing… Bold notes of
peaches and strawberries with a little
caramel sauce, getting then very vegetal
(tealeaves, sorrel, spinach) and rather
bitter… Raw propolis, green
pepper, lots of wax… Not totally
enjoyable, rather extreme as far as
bitterness is concerned. Long and
very bitter finish, on cloves - almost
anaesthetizing (and it’s not
the alcohol). One dentists should
use, perhaps (Peter?). Anyway, 80
points, because I quite like
bitterness. |
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 |
Clynelish
11 yo 1994/2005 (58.9%, Single Malts
of Scotland, sherry butt, cask #4011)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: not extremely
different but it’s a little
cleaner and smokier at the same time,
less yeasty and also more on hot butter
and pastry, plus Clynelish’s
usual ‘waxiness’. And
yes, it’s much smokier, definitely.
I liked the ‘Exclusive Malt’
– I like this one even better,
for it’s much more ‘Clynelish-esque’.
Mouth: hot and spirity, with the sherry
adding another layer compared to the
‘Exclusive Malt’. It then
calms down a bit, letting some nice
notes of dried oranges and wax coming
through, as well as, again, cloves
and pepper – even chilli and
harissa. But it doesn’t get
as bitter… Now, it does need
a few drops of water otherwise it’s
too burning (Tabasco is easier to
drink, err…). Let’s go…
and while the nose got even smokier…
Ah, yes, it got much more enjoyable,
with lots of fruits (overripe melons,
sugared apples) and quite some Turkish
delights, rosewater, oriental pastries…
And always these bold way notes. The
finish is long, quite bitter again
even with lots of water, but like
I said, I like bitterness. A very
good young Clynelish for big boys.
87 points. |
| Clynelish
17 yo 1987/2005 (55.3%, Signatory,
refill butt #990326)
Colour: gold. Nose: quite powerful
and surprisingly peaty and farmy for
a Clynelish, not very different from
a 1980’s Brora. There come the
usual waxy notes, with something quite
mineral instead of fruits (although
there are a few notes of bitter oranges).
Some rather bold notes of rubbed lemon
skin, fireplace, used coins, silverware
and, this time again, mastic. Probably
one of the nicest young Clynelish
noses I ever came across, with kind
of an austerity I always liked. Almost
perfect – and it gets smokier
and smokier, not unlike the best Ardmores.
Mouth: superb! Sharp like a blade,
extremely lemony and waxy at the same
time, with also these ‘stony’
notes I cherish and quite some peat.
A perfect compactness, with lots of
other various citrus fruits then giving
it quite some extra-complexity: candied
citrons, tangerines, crystallized
oranges. Add a pinch of salt and a
little ginger and you have a rather
simple, yet perfect Clynelish, with
a long, rather peaty finish. I love
it. 90 points. (and
thanks, Pierre) |
 |
 |
Clynelish
17 yo 1983/2000 (43%, Dun Bheagan)
Colour: yellow gold. Nose: rather
closed at first nosing, then developing
on notes of old emptied wine cask,
cooked fruits and quite some perfume.
It gets then sort of dusty, with also
some notes of overripe oranges and
reminds me of the Edradour 10 yo (the
previous owner’s ‘bulky’
bottles). Not easy to enjoy, getting
frankly vinous after a few minutes.
Notes of hot toddy, café latte…
Well… Mouth: starts on Cointreau
and coffee liqueur, cooked sweet wine,
a little rancio… Goes on on
crystallized oranges and ginger, toffee,
hints of soy sauce. Yet, the finish
is rather long and more balanced than
expected. Luckily, this palate really
saves the rather weird nose. 78
points. |
|
MUSIC
- It's Sunday, we
go classical with Yugoslavian cellist
Viktor
Uzur playing the Sonata
in D Minor.mp3 by Dmitri Shostakovich
(St. Petersburg, 1906– Moscow,
1975). Please buy Viktor Uzur's
recordings and go to his concerts. |
 |
 |
CRAZY
XMAS WHISKY ADS - CARTOONS
After
Mr Jenkins and Brock Savage, yet
another fictionnal character is
telling us small truths about life
(cartoon ads are hot this year all
over Europe, it appears). This time,
it's the Balvenie
guy! What's amazing is the fact
that he always drinks his Balvenies
in a tumbler and on ice. Yes, even
the 21 yo PortWood! A maverick,
indeed... in spite of his de rigueur
bow tie. |
| TASTING
- THREE NEW UNUSUALLY HEAVILY PEATED
MALTS |
| Ardmore
11 yo 1994/2005 'Heavily Peated' (60.8%,
Single Malts of Scotland, cask #121011)
From The Whisky Exchange’s brand
new series of ‘private’
bottlings. Colour: pale straw. Nose:
wow, lots of peat in there! I’ve
had many rather peaty Admores but
this one is the peatiest ever. Very,
very vegetal and grassy, even mineral.
Quite some diesel oil, fusel oil,
coal… Freshly cut grass…
Gets then very smoky, and then there’s
these notes of gunflint, wet calcareous
stone. Notes of citrus fruits (mostly
grapefruits), a little dill, wild
carrots, wet hay… Something
of the old Broras, even if, of course,
it’s less complex. Ardmore never
fails to amaze me! Mouth: wow, it’s
even nicer than on the nose. Very
sharp and compact, with something
very unusual, unlike any other peaty
malt we know. Much more tea (both
green and smoked) and very little
fruity and/or farmy and/or maritime
notes. It gets also very waxy and
resinous (bold notes of propolis),
very bitter but in a perfect way (Campari
and un-sugared lemon juice). And how
clean it is, even if, again, it’s
not too complex! The finish is long,
mostly on smoke, lemon and grapefruit
juice. Excellent phenolmenal surprise,
congrats Sukhinder and gang. 90
points. |
 |
 |
Caperdonich
1997/2005 (43%, Jean Boyer, Best Cask)
This one of the peaty batches Seagram
did in the past at Caperdonich, just
like they did at Glen Keith and Benriach.
It’s the first peated Caperdonich
I ever had. Colour: almost white.
Nose: oh yes, it’s very peaty!
It almost smells like a young Laphroaig,
with lots of smoke, quite some iodine,
sea air and lots of fresh fruits:
pears, strawberries, melons, tangerines.
Hey hey, it’s a very nice one!
Extremely clean and fresh… Also
quite some liquorice. Anyway, no need
of the sea to get some coastal aromas,
it appears… |
| Mouth:
sweet and peaty, very compact and
perfectly ‘coherent’.
Maybe a little simple but not dull
in any way. Some bold notes of pear
juice, gentian liqueur, getting
very rooty, with also lots of chlorophyll.
Something of Laphroaig’s new
make in the background… The
finish is rather long, bold, mostly
on smoke. An excellent peaty Speysider,
maybe a little simple but that will
fear no Ileach baby on the tasting
table. I’m sure we’ll
see several other peaty Caperdonichs
soon. 87 points.
Ballantruan
2001/2005 (62.1%, McKillop’s
Choice, cask #14339)
Another ‘deviant’ peated
Speysider, distilled at Tomintoul
this time, and another first for
me. Colour: white wine. Nose: extremely
powerful and coffeeish, on pear
and grapefruit juice, very close
to new make. Some peat smoke, no
doubt, but it’s partly masked
by the alcohol. We’ll try
it with some water. |
 |
Mouth:
unexpectedly drinkable despite the
high strength. Very sweet, with lots
of fruity notes (apples, ripe kiwi,
pineapple), getting then very citrusy.
There is some peat but rather less
than in the Caperdonich. Not much
else for the moment but let’s
try it with some water now. As often,
the nose got farmier – and peatier.
The palate got nicer as well, with
quite some caramel, smoked tea, and
some very creamy notes of apricot
juice and plum syrup. The finish is
rather long, with some rather bold
notes of exploded gunpowder (not that
I ever ate some, but I guess it must
taste like that). It hasn’t
got the Caperdonich’s purity
and ‘rectitude’ but it’s
still a very nice peaty youngster.
I guess they bottled it because it’s
kind of a first, thus probably committing
an infanticide, but it is promising
indeed. 82 points. |
| MUSIC
– JAZZ - Recommended
listening - Good, this is not just
for any ears, but if, like me, you
like Miles' In a silent way period,
plus Gil Scott-Heron, plus the Art
Ensemble, you'll probably love the
underground Norwegian combo Wibutee
and their entrancing piece called
Attempt.mp3.
Please, please buy their music! |
 |
Bottle
#145 – Colour:
straw. Nose: lots of peat in there!
Almost like the peatiest Caol Ilas,
with an even deeper smoke. Rather
clean and fresh, with notes of caramelized
apple pie, vanilla crème and
apple compote. Rather simple but much
enjoyable. Mouth: powerful and fruity,
with quite some citrus fruits, peat,
a little liquorice and lots of apple
juice. It really tastes like an Islayer
– a simple but flawless one.
One of the peatiest Ardmores I ever
had, very enjoyable. 85 points.
Bottle
#179 – Colour:
straw. Nose: again, the peat is well
here but it’s more subdued this
time, even if more maritime. Quite
some iodine and seaweed, but also
some farmy notes. Very clean again
but clearly different from the previous
bottle. Mouth: powerful, quite sweeter
than bottle #145, nervous, with lots
of citrus fruits (grapefruit). Very
peaty and oily, with something of
Lagavulin. The finish is beautiful,
on gentian eau-de-vie. Really different
indeed, but both were very good! 87
points. |
| Ardmore
13 yo 1992/2005 (55.6%, Signatory
Straight from the Cask for Corman
Collins, Alsace Pinot Noir finish,
cask #1395)
Good, someone had to do it one day:
use a cask of Alsace wine. It’s
pinot noir, which is quite normal
as the Alsatians never use any barrels
for their whites - which account for
more than 90% of their global production,
that is. Let’s taste it now
and check if it tastes any ‘Alsatian’.
Colour: pale gold (no pinkish colours).
Nose: rather discreet at very first
nosing, but getting then quite peaty
like all recent Ardmores I could taste,
with something sulphury and rubbery.
Nothing excessive, though. Goes on
with both mineral and meaty notes,
with some wet limestone and smoked
ham, getting then quite vegetal (whiffs
of horseradish, celeriac). Hints of
brunt matchsticks, fireplace…
Rather sharp and austere in fact,
with no obvious winey notes I could
smell, which may be good news. Mouth:
rather powerful, sweeter than expected,
again a little rubbery. Some distant
notes of wine do emerge now, together
with quite some gingerbread, fruit
cake, eau-de-vie (Alsatian, of course).
Notes of ripe strawberries, blackberries,
icing sugar, cake… It’s
very, very tasty, in fact, and far
from being as unbalanced as I had
feared (I usually don’t like
wine-finished peaty malts). It keeps
developing, getting a little peppery
and unbilievably salty (salted liquorice).
The finish is long and bold, on fruit
eau-de-vie and salt… Very interesting,
I’ll let my Alsatian friends
who are winemakers taste it in the
coming days, I’m curious about
their reactions. 85 points. |
| Ardmore
1977/2003 (58.1%, Scott's Selection)
Colour: white wine. Nose: rather more
expressive right at first nosing,
with quite some peat smoke again (but
it’s more subdued here, I guess
Arsmore increased its peat level at
the turn of the 90’s), some
very nice mineral notes again but,
mostly, much more fruits (peaches
and melons) and waxy notes. Beehive,
mastic, tar, fresh crushed almonds…
Gets also a little resinous, with
whiffs of fresh oak, vanilla, maybe
fern… And always a superb smoke
(rather white wood smoke). Excellent.
|
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