Whiskyfun Feis Ile 2006


June 03, 2006

PETE McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK are leaving the Islay Festival 2006


June 02, 2006

TASTING – INDECENT PROPOSAL: TWENTY-THREE ARDBEGS

Ardbeg 1978/1990 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail for Meregalli, 75cl) Colour: gold. Nose: very fresh and very maritime but rather discreet altogether, with hints of marzipan, kippers, fisherman’s nest… Very light in fact. Whiffs of peat smoke and oranges, hints of camphor, coffee and old books… Mouth: sweet and rather weak again… It’s almost a whisper. Otherwise we have lots of ‘discreet’ dried fruits, quince, earl grey tea, orange marmalade, maybe a little cardboard, with some rather drying tannins. The finish is rather short, slightly metallic and, again, tea-ish. The nose was nice but the palate is, or got a little too weak for my tastes. 80 points.
Ardbeg 1978/2000 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail for Meregalli) Colour: gold. Nose: quite discreet again and much less smoky and peaty, more on apple juice and tea, maybe a little varnish. Curiously grassier, with notes of green tea. Lots of orange juice. Did the peat vanish during the ten extra-years? Gets then quite caramelly and cereally. Whiffs of sea air after quite a long time. Mouth: the attack is a little more nervous, slightly more camphory, certainly even more cereally and caramelly but just as drying. Dried fruits, tea, propolis… A certain bitterness and grassiness. Lots of pepper as well. The finish is a little longer but bitterer and drier, with just hints of cough sweets. 80 points again.
Ardbeg 17yo 1965 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail CC old brown label) Colour: gold. Nose: this one is much more complex right at first nosing, starting on pipe tobacco and old orange liqueur. Gets very maritime, with lots of kelp, fisherman’s nest, fresh almonds, apple peels… Develops on the much expected medicinal notes such as camphor, bandages… Also quite some sandalwood, old style furniture polish, fudge, pu-erh tea… Not exactly bold but complex and delicate, lacking just a little more oomph to be a brilliant Ardbeg. Mouth: not too explosive, almost weak but with quite some oysters, cold tea, a little liquorice, smoky caramel… Too bad it’s too weak to be satisfying, especially the finish that’s more like a vanishing whisper. More interesting because it’s almost an historical piece than really thrilling, in fact. A collector’s item, 83 points.
Ardbeg 1975/2003 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail CC new map label) Colour: deep gold. Nose: this is a rather different profile! Starts extremely waxy and camphory, with also quite some coffee, creosote, pine needles, Quite some marzipan, hints of bay leaves, gentian roots and a little lemon. Bolder than the 1965 but definitely less complex. Mouth: curiously tired again even if certainly bolder than the 1965, starting on lots of mint flavoured tea but also something papery. Dried oranges, marmalade, honey… Gets really drying and caramelly after a moment. The finish is really drying… Too bad, the whole lacks complexity. A rather weak and too drying old Ardbeg in my opinion. 79 points.
Ardbeg 15yo 1975/1990 (46%, Cadenhead) Colour: straw. Nose: another one that isn’t overly expressive. Starts on quite some green apple but also oyster juice and lemon juice. Very fresh but very lightly peaty. Develops a bit on grapefruit and fresh almonds, hints of tin box, lemon marmalade, spearmint. Mouth: a fruity and spicy start with quite some oomph. Lots of crystallised oranges. Developing on cooked butter but also pineapple liqueur, bergamot, citrons, apple peel… Rather long, enjoyable, lemony and mineral finish… A very good one, even if it just doesn’t quite taste like an Ardbeg. 89 points.
Ardbeg 1976/1993 (46%, Duthie for Samaroli, 1020 bottles) Colour: straw. Nose: ah, now we’re talking! It’s not yet an overly expressive one but we certainly get more aromas, such as ripe pears (beurrée hardy), liquorice, orange juice, melon, hints of cologne, camphor and eucalyptus leaves… Little peat again, that is. Mouth: creamy, almost thick, probably more balanced and less raw than the Cadenhead. Yet, it’s powerful, superbly lemony (drops), compact… Lots of orange marmalade, herb liqueur, fir honey, grilled Japanese tea (Hochicha)… The finish is a little sweeter but nicely orangey and bitter (err, just like bitter oranges). Excellent, very satisfying even if it’s not really complex. 90 points.

Ardbeg 26yo 1975/2002 (46%, Wilson & Morgan, anniversary selection) Colour: white wine. Nose: superbly fresh at first nosing! Now we’re really talking! Superb wax and fabulous notes of high-end pu-erh tea mixed with pure oyster juice. Extremely classy. Notes of fresh butter, freshly cut apples, Nepalese incense, orange flowers, lilies of the valley… Not really extravagant but so nicely clean and elegant. Mouth: a sweeter and fruitier attack than expected, maybe a tad weakish and too liquoricy but it’s still an excellent whisky. Notes of toffee, cereals, oatcakes… Develops on peppered cooked apples, vanilla crème and bitter oranges… Smoky but not too much. The finish is rather long, liquoricy and slightly cardboardy. Very good but the nose was much more interesting I think. 89 points.
Ardbeg 1973/2004 (49.5%, OB, Manager’s Choice for Italy, cask #1146) Colour: gold. Nose: much more classically Ardbeg, with lots of tar, peat smoke, liquorice, wet hay and wet dog plus a little eucalyptus and camphor as well as lemon juice and fresh almonds. Very bold and sort of electric. Huge notes of new tyres, coal smoke… This is just ‘Ardbeg’. Fab stuff. Mouth: a superb attack again, on espresso coffee, chestnut honey and of course lots of peat. Peated malt (grains), salted liquorice, hints of cloves and nutmeg plus some great oaky tones… Gets very medicinal… and a long finish on chlorophyll, peat, liquorice and a pinch of salt… Yes, just fab and, again, dangerously drinkable. 95 points.
Ardbeg 13yo 1991/2004 (55.1%, Acorn, Japan) Colour: gold. Nose: very caramelly at first nosing, also on cereals and cooked apples, vanilla sauce, all that mixed with peat smoke and sea air. Notes of chocolate and praline with hints of spearmint and lemon balm and also a little camomile tea. Not too complex but oomphy, balanced and enjoyable. Mouth: punchy, sweet, caramelly and very smoky, almost aggressive. Gets quite tarry and medicinal in the background, also rather hot, almost burning. Develops on cooked apples and pepper… Maybe a tad simple but rather coherent, with a long, invading finish and maybe just a little too much sweetness. 87 points.
Ardbeg 25yo 1976/2002 (50%, Silver Seal, 280 bottles) Colour: gold. Nose: quite powerful and a little spirity at first nosing, on cooked strawberries mixed with peat smoke, a little tar, gooseberries and kiwis. Unusually fruity for an Ardbeg. Then we have all the maritime cavalry (sea air, shells, seaweed), apple skin plus quite some sherry. Hints of liquorice root. Rather bold and expressive but not extremely complex. Mouth: a rather smooth start with a nice creaminess and lots of dried oranges plus cough sweets and resin drops. Sweets, hints of marshmallows and Turkish delights. Maybe a tad sugarish but the finish is rather long and very balanced, with a lingering peat. A good one, no doubt. 88 points.
Ardbeg 27yo 1975/2002 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC for the US, 180 bottles) Colour: deep gold. Nose: starts on lots of resins, mastic, propolis, camphor, bandages… Notes of horseradish, mustard, curry… Lots of body! Gets then very tarry and medicinal before some huge notes of roasted nuts arise as well and finally bunches of tropical fruits (tangerine, mangos, citrons). Much more complex than the Silver Seal. Brilliant. Mouth: explosive, extremely resinous again as well as quite chocolaty and minty. I love this profile. Lots of salty liquorice, tea, lemon drops, lemon balm, Italian lemon liqueur and then herb liqueur, with a superb bitterness that give it lots of elegance. Gets then quite spicy, with notes of cloves and juniper, bitter oranges… The finish is very long, very balanced although slightly drying, on peat, resins and dried fruits topped with all kinds of spices including Chinese anise… A great one, no doubt. 94 points.
Ardbeg 13yo 1975/1989 (54.8%, Intertrade, 75cl) Colour: straw. Nose: rather spirity, punchy, powerful, getting extremely medicinal with lots of camphor, bandages, embrocations, iodine, mercurochrome… Amazingly straightforward, almost sharp, austere… Gets very mineral, flinty… Hints of grass. Really sharp like a blade., getting also quite almondy Just great. Mouth: yes, a fabulous attack, creamy, resinous, lemony, peaty, smoky, lemony, peppery, salty. What a fabulous whisky! No need to go any further, this one is as close to perfection as it can get. 96 points.

Ardbeg 15yo 1973/1988 (53.4%, Sestante, clear glass yellow/green label) Cololur: straw. Nose: a little more discreet at first nosing, probably smoother and sweeter. It smells a little clumsy after the fab Intertrade. Lots of apple juice, sugared smoked tea, spearmint and cold camomile tea. Also rather grainy, on porridge, cereals… Little peat here, at least when compared to the Intertrade. Not very ‘Ardbeg’, strangely, like if it was a finish (chenin?) Mouth: sweeter but very great as well. Maybe a tad more on vanilla, fruitier, more on apple skins and walnuts, waxier, maybe a tad greener but what a great one again. Not quite as perfect as the Intertrade, though. 92 points.
Ardbeg 24yo 1965 (54.4%, Cadenhead, dumpy white label) Colour: white wine. Nose: oh, this is very different, starting on lots of metal, fishy smells and old Riesling as Olivier points out. Very complex, really a malt for wine freaks. A superb austerity! Fisherman’s nest, spring water, kippers, hints of camphor again, iodine (yes it’s medicinal), rubbed lemon skin… Another fab one, it seems! Mouth: a superb attack, resinous, camphory, with dried apples, lots of lemon juice, green pepper, quite some salt, candied oranges. Gets very spicy, with some chilli, white pepper, a little wasabi, thyme… A very long, waxy, camphory and peppery finish. Excellent, too bad the palate doesn’t quite fit the nose although are superb. 93 points.
Ardbeg 18yo 1974/1992 (54.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, 150th anniversary) Colour: white wine. Nose: this one is quite expressive, starting on whisky-topped porridge and olive oil, getting then very maritime (kippers, seashells, dry kelp, salt march) and then quite lemony. A very wild one, raw and powerful but really superb. Hints of bitter oranges and smoked tea, citrons, un-sugared rosehip tea, lemon-scented candles… I love it for it’s so extreme and wild. Mouth: nervous and powerful, with lots of lemon juice, oranges, candied lemons, lemon fudge, wax, peat, smoked tea. Very lively, sort of acidulous, with a long, peaty and lemony finish. Another one that I simply adore. 95 points.
Ardbeg 18yo 1974/1992 (57.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, 150th anniversary) Colour: gold. Nose: much more sherry influence, with quite some dried fruits, coffee, hints of sulphur, overripe oranges… Also chocolate, something very farmy… The sherry then fades away and leave room for quite some salted liquorice, pipe juice (yes), tar, shoe polish… Hints of balsamic vinegar and ham. After a few minutes this one starts to resemble the first one more and more… Another perfect one anyway. Mouth: creamy, bold, invading, incredibly complex, probably wider than the first one, with a little more honey, pistachios, very old rum... And a fab peat in this fab Ardbeg. The finish is just indescribable. 96 points.
Ardbeg 18yo 1974/1992 (57.7%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, 150th anniversary) Colour: gold. Nose: it seems that there’s more sherry here. A little more caramel and chocolate. It’s also a little more animal, more reductive. Nice skunk (says Davin), game, dried beef (Grisons beef), horse stable… Anyway it’s simply another fab one. Mouth: roughly the same profile as the one we just had, just a tad simpler, lemonier and less fresh but it’s another brilliant Ardbeg, no doubt. Okay, 94 points. We should get a tax controller to squeeze a few more drops out of the glass, says Olivier.

Ardbeg 1976/2000 (53.2%, OB, Committee Reserve, cask #2394, sherry, 446 bottles) Colour: amber. Nose: ah, yes, this is sherry! Starts on huge notes of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, lovage, smoked ham, crispy bacon, grilled garlic then Smyrna raisins, old rum… Then we have all the usual resinous ‘stuff’, hints of camphor and embrocations, herbs (thyme). Ardbeg’s ususal markers are sort of toned down here but the result is still beautiful. Superb notes of walnuts and chestnut honey, slightly burnt cake, myrte… Superb again. Mouth: creamy, powerful, rather nervous, probably not as complex as on the nose but highly drinkable. Gets minty, with notes of cough sweets, ripe pineapples, banana liqueur… And then the resin and finally the peat and the pepper that won the fight, with a very long and bold finish on tar and peat. Excellent, especially the nose. 93 points.
Ardbeg 1976/2001 (55.5%, Douglas of Drumlanrig for Scotch Single Malt Circle) Colour: amber. Nose: even more sherry but it’s rather simpler, more on the usual chocolate, rum, raisins and dried oranges. The spirit is quite overwhelmed here although it’s very nice whisky of course. Hints of resin, camphor, mint with chocolate, coffee, dried apricots. Extremely chocolaty in any case. Mouth: very creamy, very fruity and resiny, on bitter chocolate and lots of wood, coffee, dark toffee, getting lightly vinous and hugely peppery. Again a good one but the sherry and the wood really dominate the whisky here. 88 points.
Ardbeg 25yo 1975/2001 (58%, John Milroy, sherry butt) Colour: gold. Nose: quite some sherry but the whole isn’t overly expressive. Quite some torrefaction, roasted nuts, barbecued beef, coal… Then we have lots of apples, light honey, a little wax. Quite some pipe tobacco, prunes, caramel… Gets a little dusty but nicely so. Whiffs of seawater… Most enjoyable. Mouth: very powerful, sweet but not clumsy at all, very spicy and peppery. Lots of cloves and juniper, old white wine, bold peat… Gets a little hot and almost burning but the finish is long and quite lively, on ripe fruits (strawberries), peat and vanilla. Very good balance. 91 points.
Ardbeg 1975/1987 (57%, Samaroli, 648 bottles) Colour: white wine. Nose: oh, this is bizarre. Starts with asparagus cooking water, stale beer, cabbage, tin box and goes on with rotting fruits, turnips, old oysters, wet cat. Err, this one is really strange. It’s not completely flawed but maybe there were one or more rusty nails in the cask? Mouth: this is better now but there’s still something bizarre… Overripe oranges, wax… gets sweeter and sweeter with time, even waxier but also quite lemony. ‘Chemical’ orange juice? Something slightly dirty in the background, very grassy and curiously sugarish. Quite some muesli as well… The finish is long but sharp, green, very lemony… More a curiosity but one worth trying, even if isn’t exactly ‘good’ in my books. 80 points.
Ardbeg 11yo 1978/1990 (59.4%, Sestante) Colour: straw. Nose: powerful but not overpowering, not too aromatic, starting farmy on wet hay, notes of pu-erh tea, coffee, grains, grapefruit juice… A little closed in fact, let’s try it with water… It gets much cleaner and peatier indeed, with hints of coal, dill and anise, wet cardboard, matchstick… Quite some lemon again, hints of wet dog, notes of peated malt indeed…. Very, very good but don’t even think about trying it without water. Mouth (neat): sweet and lemony, liquoricy, also quite green. Quite hot and hard. With water: much more complex, with very nice notes of crystallised oranges and quinces, dried pears, smoked tea, fresh pineapples… Keeps developing on seafood… The finish is very long, still a little spirity even at less than 50%, on apples, pears and tarry, smoky notes… A very good Ardbeg again but it’s maybe not the total wonder I was expecting – this one has a huge reputation. Or is it me? 91 points, still.
Ardbeg 16yo 1977/1993 (62.5%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 33.19) Colour: white wine. Nose: pungent, mineral and lemony with also apple and pear juice but water is desperately needed here. Almost no phenolic smells whatsoever without water. So, with water: indeed we have a little more peat, almonds, orgeat syrup, lamp oil, olive oil… But the whole stays simple and curiously very young. Very little phenols globally. Mouth (neat): very sweet and lemony again, almost like a mixture of apple and lemon juices plus a little pineapple. It’s the alcohol, obviously… Let’s try to wake the peat up! With water: still very simple but more phenolic indeed, very lemony, farmy… It’s simple peat, the whole tasting just like some 6 or 7yo Ardbeg. Good but, again, simple. No real thrill. 82 points.
Alright, we made it! Now, we didn’t taste all these Ardbegs in a row, don’t worry… We took very, very large breaks!


June 01, 2006

YESTERDAY WAS JURA DAY! Davin reports...

Thank God Serge decided not to shave! Otherwise we would have missed the ferry to Jura and lost out on one of the most entertaining distillery visits and some of the tastiest cask samples of Feis Ile. Visitors to www.feisile.org have already voted Jura the best distillery tour of past festivals. This year the good Jura vibes began as soon as we boarded the ferry and were told passage was free for distillery visitors. Nice touch boys. The weather had changed dramatically by the time we reached the distillery; just compare the picture at the left with the one we posted from Port Askaig yesterday morning!...

Our visit began with the mandatory distillery tour where we learned that Jura’s stills are among the largest and tallest in Scotland. The real action, however, took place in a stores room where we sat down to some of the most wonderful old Jura samples. If there’s one thing we’re learning on this trip it’s that there are lots of superb casks lying quietly in Scotland’s warehouses, and Jura’s are no exception. We began with a 58.9%, 16yo that had spent its life in an oloroso sherry cask absorbing notes of sweet Christmas cake and spices. Next up was another marvelous 16yo, this time one that had spent all but 6 weeks of its maturation in a bourbon cask. The rich spices, manager Michael Heads told us, came from a six-week period spent in a virgin Limousin cask. The French Limousin oak had laced the citric whisky with cloves and cinnamon. This was truly an outstanding dram, reminiscent of the festival bottling of two years ago (and still available, if you ask, for a temptingly low 50 pounds).
This year’s festival bottling was a bit of a surprise. I rated it 90 points, and I was not the most generous among us. It’s a young, peated, single cask Jura, distilled in January 1999. Most of its life has been spent in refill American oak with 6 months in a solera cask and another 6 in Methuselah (i.e. ancient) sherry. If the PLOWED guys are reading this, there’ll be a bottle at Ardbeggeddon VIII. Meantime, I’ll let Serge tease you with his tasting notes below.
Tutoured tastings over, we moved on to a vatting competition. Four more splendid old cask samples were set out and we were invited to create our own vatting, the best of which was to be awarded a bottle of the festival malt. In true Maniacal fashion we tried our damnedest, but judges Michael Heads, Willie Tate and Willy the brewer did not come through for the Maniacs. Oh well, we took home enough prizes from the nosing competition; I guess they wanted to share the wealth!!

The morning ended (somewhere around 1:30) with an auction of a professional vatting of the four malts we had vatted ourselves. Our judges, along with master blender Richard Patterson had got together earlier to create a batch of eight bottles, each signed, which they were auctioning off for local charity. When Willie cut the bidding off, our own Serge was the lucky winner. More fun than e-Bay and guaranteed not to be a fake. A bottle was sold yesterday and there’ll be another on auction on Thursday and Friday. What’s happening with the other four we’re not sure, but as we left, Olivier put in a long-distance bid on tomorrow’s auction.
If you’re at Feis Ile as you read this, make a point of getting over to Jura. It’s a sleeper of a distillery and when they start bottling more single casks like we tasted today they’re going to become quite collectible. Meantime their special bottlings are going at bargain basement prices even though they really are quite special.

With Jura manager Michael Heads and that auctioned rare bottle that will now rejoin the Alsacian maniacal vaults.

TASTING - SIX OFFICIAL ISLE OF JURA by Serge

Isle of Jura 8yo (40%, OB, Charles McKinlay, late 1970’s) Colour: straw. Nose: starts on big bold notes of passion fruits, guavas, lemon juice… Incredibly fruity. Develops on ‘arranged’ rum (with pineapple), banana flambéed, getting quite peppery (white pepper) with also a little cactus juice, tangerines... What a great surprise! Mouth: not too powerful but superbly orangey and spicy (cloves, pepper, nutmeg) and then very tropical again (mangos). The finish is rather long and quite peppery… Wow, Jura! Excellent. 89 points.
Isle of Jura 10yo (40%, OB, late 1980’s) Colour: gold. Nose: much grainier and more caramelly, with notes of roasted nuts and light honey. Hints of dried oranges… Lots of malt as well, cereals… Extremely different. Mouth: weaker than the 8yo, very grainy and, to be honest, too light. Sugared tea? The finish is very short, grainy and a little nutty. In short, not much happening in there. 75 points.
Isle of Jura 10yo (40%, OB, 1990’s) Colour: white wine. Nose: quite discreet again but fresher and cleaner than its older sibling. Mashy again but also nicely fragrant (lilies). Lots of grain, porridge, oatcakes and a little sea air. Fresh and enjoyable but not complex. Mouth: sweet, malty and grainy, with lots of cereals, sugared tea, herbal tea, cake… A good mouth feel. Gets also saltier than its brothers, especially toward the medium long, malty finish. Not one that will make you starch your head but it’s most drinkable. 80 points.
Isle of Jura 10yo (40%, OB, circa 2005) Colour: gold. Nose: much farmier, wilder, on soaked grain but also a little peat, wet hay, porridge, beer, boiled cereals… Much less gentle than the other ones but also more interesting I think. Hints of liquorice and violets. Mouth: creamier, with thicker mouth feel, starting on liquorice, muesli, light toffee… Definitely better, with a finish that’s also longer, bolder and spicier. Good! 83 points.
Isle of Jura 10yo (40%, OB, 2006, new presentation) Colour: gold. Nose: quite in the same vein but there’s probably a little more sherry and notes of dried oranges, more honey, more liquorice. It’s almost a bold whisky with lots of presence. Mouth: yes, much better, creamier, with quite some body. Lots of liquorice, gingerbread, chestnut honey, cloves, then quite some orange marmalade. They must have increased the amount of sherry casks in the vatting, and that worked beautifully. The finish is long, satisfying, compact, spicy and honeyed. Very good, excellent progress I think. Watch Jura! 86 points.

Isle of Jura 1999/2006 ‘Feis Ile 2006’ (58.4%, OB, cask #5000, 500 bottles) A new extravaganza by the Jura crew, finished for six months in a solera cask and six further months in Mathusalem sherry. Colour: gold. Nose: starts quite smooth and honeyed, tarry, gingery, rather syrupy. Notes of dried oranges, getting then nicely vinous and animal (game, gravy, cow barn). Hints of liquorice. Gets beautifully resinous, with hints of eucalyptus and camphor, old Chartreuse, toffee… Very complex considering it’s young age. Mouth: nervous, starting on heavy liquorice and salt. Creamy. Quite explosive and very rich. Goes on with salted caramel, resin, fir honey, cough syrup, crystallised oranges and lemons… Lots of peat but it’s nicely integrated. Gets spicy, on cloves and pepper. Long finish on lemon balm and smoked tea. A very rich one and a finishing that really succeeded I think. 89 points.

PETE McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK at the Islay Festival 2006

HIGH AND LOW SPIRITS by Serge

Davin trying to cheer up a pour guy who spent all his hard earned money on Festival bottlings, near Finlaggan.

Almost all distilleries are now offering special Feis Ile bottlings but whereas some seem to try to price them fairly and not to milk the cow too much, some others clearly go as far as they can in remorselessly bilking the pour souls like us who go to Islay because it’s ‘a friendly place’ and wish to bring back souvenir bottles. Well, yes, Islay is probably friendly but beware, there are more and more traps around the corners. A short study let us find out that you have on one side the distilleries that sell their one-offs for more or less £10 a year (£299.00 for a (OK, rare and excellent) 30yo Ardbeg or £60.00 for a 6yo Bowmore that they wouldn’t even let you try before you buy one bottle or more – that one, they can…).

On the other side you have the sort of ‘fair’ prices such as £100.00 for two 18yo valinches at Bruichladdich, £45.00 for an excellent peated 7yo Jura, £65.00 for a 12yo Bunnahabhain or £50.00 for a 12yo Laphroaig (the best deal if you ask me)… But hey, if you want to bring one of each back home you’ll still have to throw exactly £619.00 into the ‘local’ business. That's more or less the current price of a Brora 22yo 1972 Rare Malts! Or twice the price of a night with a Glaswegian girl, says Davin... Or one night with an Edinburghian one, adds Olivier (or one full year with a sheep on Islay). Err…


May 31, 2006

We're off to Jura this morning. As you can see on this picture taken 'live' by Davin while we were waiting for the ferry at Port Askaig, the weather can change dramatically here (in the background, the famous Paps of Jura). Fortunately, the current is strong enough to prevent the water from freezing, so the ferry will run.We do worry a lot about Jura's famous palm trees, that is... We hope they won't freeze.

ARDBEG DINNER YESTERDAY, Olivier reports...
The drive from port Charlotte to Ardbeg yesterday evening was pure magic: fabulous cloudless blue sky, magical scenery, Loch Indaal revealing its pure white sands at low tide, Bowmore lit up by a beautiful sunset… That’s all nice, but what also cheered us up, was the knowledge of having a dinner prepared by food and whisky expert – and fellow maniac - Martine at Ardbeg, with, hopefully, some interesting malts…

Martine chose recipes to suit the malts chosen by Stuart Thompson, and she is very good at this! Adding the right spices and bacon to accommodate the soup with the vigorous Still Young Ardbeg, herbs and sweetness to fight the rich wood influenced Glenmorangie Truffle Oak 1993, honey and vanilla to pair the sweetness of the Glen Moray 16yo and the cream & Stilton mousse to go with the classic Ardbeg 10yo.
The star of the evening was most surely then Ardbeg 1972/2003 (49,9% OB for V.E.L.I.E.R Italy, 246bt, cask 2782): magnificent pure aromas of camphor, iodine, creosote, almost medicinal, smoke, all in a very elegant combination. The cask must have been quite neutral as it let the distillery express its true character: forceful, intense, rich and very long on the finish, showing the textbook smoky character of Ardbeg unspoiled of any wood expression. True class and dangerously drinkable. 96pts. Thank you for the treat.
Oh yes, none of this would have been possible without Jackie. As Stuart says, she’s the real boss! Scottish women….

PETE McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK at Ardbeg

A GLORIOUS MORNING AT BUNNAHABHAIN YESTERDAY... Davin reports.

Craig may call Bunnahabhain one of the best Speyside distilleries, but Burns Stewart prefer “The gentle taste of Islay.” Gentle yes, but powerful too as we found touring one of the warehouses Tuesday morning where we tasted (sorry, nosed) four sublime whiskies from 1969, 1971, 1976, 1977, and a terrific peated 1997 in a PX cask.

There is no end of first-fill sherry butts and puncheons racked two high in the dunnage warehouse and manager John MacLellan took great pride in presenting some of his very best. All excellent, brilliant even, the peated was, of course, a surprise and we were delighted to learn they have been putting away peated stock every year since 2003.
John credits much of this quality to the long-standing policy of filling first-fill sherry, and to the fact that the distillery does not run at capacity which allows a little more time each step of the way. Years in the warehouse may bring quality to the maturing spirit, but so do just a few extra hours of hours mashing and distilling and John takes full advantage of the leisurely pace to maximize the quality. The stills are tall allowing lots of head room for a refined spirit and Bunnahabhain emphasizes this by filling the stills to about 40% capacity extending the head space even further.
It wasn’t open day when we toured, so we missed the Bunnahabhain burgers, but the wonderful smells of balsamic, mushrooms and old wood that greeted us as we entered the warehouse made up for that. With any luck Friday we’ll be back for more.

TASTING - SEVEN BUNNAHABHAINS by Serge

Bunnahabhain 1967/2002 (40.5%, JWWW Prenzlow Collection, 120 bottles) Colour: amber. Nose: not too powerful but quite fresh at such old age, starting on lots of dried bananas and apricots, acacia honey and heather, maybe a little kiwi and pineapples. A very nice, smooth sherry. Something a little resinous, waxy… Whiffs of sea air. Very pleasant but not extravagant. Mouth: much more powerful than expected but also a little drying. Gets then immensely minty but the tannins really take control then, with lots of cinnamon… gets frankly cardboardy the finish being really drying and sort of green and too tea-ish. Too bad but alas, that happens with many old whiskies. 80 points (or more if you favour the nose a lot).

Bunnahabhain 25yo 1964/1990 (46%, Masters of Malt, cask 4852-6) Colour: straw. Nose: starts very fruity, on a mix of vanilla crème and tangerines, ripe kiwi, getting then quite waxy (shoe polish, furniture polish, beeswax). Develops on apple juice, caramel crème, with also a little oak. Hints of bread crust, getting then a little grassy, with quite some tea. Mouth: quite punchy, starting on marshmallows, Turkish delights, crystallised fruits, notes of icing sugar… That’s a little too much, I must say. Gets then a little dirty, with some cheap fruit liqueur, orange drops… Really too sugarish. The finish isn’t too long but slightly cloying, on all these overripe fruits. Too bad, the nose was quite nice. 78 points.

Bunnhabhain 12yo (86° proof, OB, US import, late 1980’s or early 1990’s) Colour: gold – amber. Nose: just superb at first nosing, on quite some coffee and tea, orange marmalade and banana skin. An ideal breakfast malt? Superb notes of toasted brioche, smoked tea, apricot jam. Quite some smoke in the background, burnt wood, graphite, iodine… Really superb. Mouth: again a superb attack, with lots of sherry (much more than in the current versions) and lots of salt, a little chlorophyll, dark toffee, espresso… As good as it gets! Goes on with notes of apricot pie, chestnut honey, herbal tea (camomile), salted liquorice and a very fine tannic structure with lots of spices. The finish is unexpectedly long, smoky, gingery and honeyed… Just perfect. 91 points.

Bunnhabhain 20yo 1979/1999 (50%, Douglas Laing OM, 358 bottles, sherry matured) Colour: deep amber. Nose: a very classical sherry, perfectly balanced. Quite some coffee, rum, Smyrna raisins, toasted bread, getting quite waxy, with some rubbed orange skin, spearmint… Gets then quite chocolaty and flowery at the same time (nectar and pollen, buttercups…) Light honey, faint whiffs of eucalyptus and finally the wine (all sorts of crystallised fruits). Excellent. Mouth: creamy and very expressive but maybe a tad too rubbery. Fruitcake, liquorice and a little salt, salmiak… a little tarry… Hints of over-infused tea but that’s easily bearable. The finish is long, creamy and salty, on roasted apricots. Very good! 89 points (it would have made it to 90+ points, hadn’t it been just a little too rubbery for my tastes).
Bunnahabhain 1983/2003 (57.5%, Scott’s Selection) Colour: gold. Nose: rather expressive but simple at first nosing, starting on quite some ginger, vanilla, tannins… Quite spirity as well. Pear spirit, porridge, getting very coffeeish (the high alcohol). Not much maturation here. With water: gets even rougher, grassy but also nicely farmy. Notes of gentian, roots… It’s better with water. Mouth: bold attack again but lots of oak and lots of fresh fruits (pears and apples). A rather obvious lack of maturing again. A little drying. With water: that works again. A finer liquorice, notes of fudge, café latte, cooked apples… Gets also more peppery, the water draws out the spices. A rather long but maybe rough finish, on wood again. Thank God somebody invented water. 79 points (but my friends really disliked it I must say).

Bunnahabhain 14yo 1992/2006 (52.6%, OB for Feis Ile 2006, 761 bottles, finished in Pedro Ximenez casks for 2 years) Colour: deep amber. Nose: amazingly fruity and liqueur-like, starting on banana liqueur, cherry liqueur (guignolet), kirsch, apricots, Grand)Marnier, getting then quite gingery (ginger tonic, Campari). Fresh bananas, walnuts… Develops on wine cellar, empty barrels, gingerbread. Extremely marked by the wine but, quite curiously, the balance stays almost perfect, even if I would say it smells like ‘whisky’ as we all know it. Mouth: extremely creamy attack, with a nice bitterness (quite like Maraschino), lots of orange liqueur, white Port, apricot liqueur. Not quite as complex as on the nose but still very well integrated. Very sweet. The finish is long but maybe a little too bubblegummy, almost sugarish. An unusual ‘product’ in any case, that reminds me of the new Caol Ila DE for it’s not really whisky anymore I think, but the end result is enjoyable. A very nice winesky. 84 points.

Bunnahabhain 1997/2004 (57.8%, Scotch Malt Whisky Circle, cask #5665) This one comes from the heavily peated batches they made at that time (and which they are making again since 2003 I believe). Colour: white wine. Nose: lots of peat but also lots of purity that may come from the tall stills (what’s more, the spirit stills are 60% empty when they distil, hence creating an even higher ‘neck’.) Much less oiliness than in an Ardbeg or a Laphroaig – it reminds me of Port Charlotte. Not too complex but very close to ‘green’