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December 4, 2023 |
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A Triplet of Bracklas
We do enjoy sampling a few Bracklas from time to time; it's not a malt that's easy to categorise, so it's always a bit of a discovery…
Picture: new favourite maple syrup at Château WF, Escuminac Late Harvest from Québec
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Royal Brackla 1974/1999 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice) 
It's always a joy to taste one of those old 'new map labels' that we haven't tasted yet, thanks to some good friends who keep opening these bottles. In theory we should have had it last as it's old as the hills, but since the others were bottled at boisterous strengths, well… Colour: deep amber. Nose: oh, awesomely delicate, so un-modern, with amazing meadow flowers and honeys, biscuits, madeleines, very old sweet wines with a little camphor showing up, some mushrooms (simply fresh white buttons), then a little white chocolate and cappuccino. Rather geared towards precious meads after a few minutes, but remember mead was the drink of the Gods in ancient Greece. Mouth: absolutely ravishing even if a little light, with astounding coffees and teas, various syrups (cane, agave, barley of course, maple), rather a lot praline, a few raisins, then even more top-of-range maple syrup. Maple syrup isn't too common in France but I just love it and I've got some good Canadian friends (cheerio). Finish: not that short and I have the impression that there is even more maple syrup in this finish. Comments: a ravishing delight indeed. I'd have happily gone to 90 and above but in truth and TBH, those 40% vol. remain a wee tad frustrating. But it is a nectar of the gods.
SGP:641 - 89 points. |
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Royal Brackla 8 yo 2014/2023 (56.3%, Lady of the Glen, oloroso butt, cask #169, 49 bottles)
I believe this wee chunk of a butt was bottled for Tyndrum Whisky. Colour: reddish coffee. Nose: ooh, meats, Texan barbecue sauce, hoisin, grilled steak, teriyaki, umeshu, huge bag of prunes, chocolate truffles, lamb tagine… Well it was some butt, as it appears. An international butt! With water: the expected walnuts chiming in, black turon, quite some copper polish too, mosses, chervil, a little fenugreek, even leeks, bouillons, shiitake… Boy does this youngster speak. Was it a proper solera butt for once, by any chance? Mouth (neat): heavy, spicy, sweet concoction. It is some kind of sauce at this stage, but I believe no one's expecting anybody to try this crazy baby without any water. With water: the wood joining in, with some cedarwood, pencil shavings, then we rather have toffee, bitter marmalade, bitter oranges, curry leaves, caraway, pepper, clove, leather, tobacco… This one's really packed with action. Finish: anything bitter marmalade taking over. Wood extracts, peppers, capsicum, juniper… Comments: a real fighter. You won't gulp down 10cl just like that, for it is extreme, but I say everyone needs an insane bottle like this. Open. Now I know, they produced only 49 of them, but since it was from a butt, let's say the hunting season is open. See what I mean.
SGP:762 - 88 points. |
Good, I suppose something a bit closer to the original distillate would be in order too… |
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Royal Brackla 10 yo 2013/2023 (58.9%, James Eadie, re-charred hogshead, cask #302358, 285 bottles) 
A recharred hogshead? We're all for a circular economy, are we not. Colour: light gold. Nose: the calm that follows the storm. Some gentler vanilla, some good beers (proper Pilsner), some bread dough, some very fresh panettone, some shortbread… In truth it's a chamber music quartet after the Berliner Philharmonic (or after Mogwai, ha). With water: fresh croissants, various rolls, chalk, vanilla, pancakes… Mouth (neat): classic malty and fruity arrival, with apples and lemons plus peppery spices and a bit of white sugar. Not too sure, this time again I doubt anyone would drink this neat. With water: lovely, with oranges, cassata, many candied fruits, more pastries and some white pepper. Finish: medium, sweet and pleasant, with some nougat and oranges liqueur this time. Sweet apples, pastry dough and sweet beers. Comments: right, perhaps not the ultimate competition beast, after all, but it does the job rather to perfection.
SGP:541 - 85 points. |
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December 3, 2023 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Some more rums
With apéritif, as always (for the cause)…
Bits, pieces and scrappings at Bielle. Old pots, better soups, and all that. (Distillerie Bielle).
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Amrut 'Two Indies' (42.8%, OB, blend, +/-2023) 
Indeed, they make rum too at Amrut, but I think this is a blend of own and sourced juices rather than rum that they would have integrally distilled themselves, as the name would have suggested. Colour: light gold. Nose: it's pretty, it's slightly British (I hope they won't mind me saying) with hints of petroleum, leather, liquorice, and a subtly Jamaican touch. Then come the very ripe fruits, mango (in moderation), apricot, raisins, plus other very, very ripe fruits, and half a small olive to recall the Caribbean vibe. Really nice. Mouth: yes, it's good, it's truly a Navy-style blend, with these ultra-ripe exotic fruits and hints of hydrocarbon. There's even a salty edge. Finish: quite long and more on the salty liquorice and mango chutney. And our little olive is still there at the very end of the finish. Comments: nothing to add, this little fruity blend with a slight Jamaican twist is very well-composed, but that doesn't surprise us at all.
SGP:652 - 82 points. |
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Lazy Dodo (40%, OB, Mauritius, +/-2023) 
This is single-estate rum by Grays (New Grove). So, supposedly, a member of the aristocracy of spirits. It is molasses-based, so 'traditional', not 'agricole'. Colour: full gold. Nose: flowers, orange blossom, pastries, vanilla, ylang-ylang, quinces, mandarins and then just sugarcane syrup. Nice, easy, pleasant, does not feel tampered with. Mouth: sweet, a tad narrow perhaps, with some molasses, triple-sec, raisins… A Cointreau side, if you will. A little too sweet for me. Finish: short and sweet, if you could say that. Sugary aftertaste, as several other Mauritian rums are. Not my preferred side of Mauritius as far as rums are concerned. More triple-sec in the aftertaste. Comments: as I just said. A little disappointing, a legendary dodo would have deserved something with a little more oomph, I would say. With ice, perhaps?
SGP:730 - 65 points. |
Let's give Grays another chance… |
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Grays 11 yo 2010/2022 (51%, Dram Mor, Mauritius, bourbon barrel, cask #994, 444 bottles)
Said to be 'agricole', so not molasses-based this time. Colour: full gold. Nose: we'll find the oranges this time again, less flowers, more citrus, more fresh deepness, a higher precision, orange juice… With water: touch of gunpowder, touch of seawater, a few mussels and oysters, almond paste and indeed, just fresh cane juice. Im-pec-cable. Mouth (neat): very good citrus and flower jelly, bags of oranges, tangerines, touch of salty wax, mango jam, mirabelles… What's not to like? With water: spices, herbs, toffee, bitterer liquorice, café latte. Not an extremely thick mouth feel but it's still one of the heaviest lattes around. Ha. Finish: medium, on oranges, fudge, touch of salt. Comments: so much better al natural. One of the top Mauritians and truly rum for (and by) whisky people.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
Since we were having 'agricole'… |
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Longueteau 'Ambré' (40%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole, +/-2023) 
Matured for 18 months but sadly in ex-cognac casks, we would have preferred some pure Guadeloupean agricoleness. Let's see… Colour: bright straw. Nose: well, this is pure Guadeloupean agricoleness I have to say, even pure Longueteauness (ha, apologies to the brand owners). Think Chinese-anise-flavoured custard and heather honey, plus this kind of citrusy earthiness that's working so nicely. No cognac in sight, maybe was it just marketing spiel. Phew. Mouth: so epitomically Guadeloupe. Anise cookies, white mulled wine, citrons and indeed pure cane juice. Cinnamon rolls and a small salty touch. Say clams. Finish: a tad short but that's because we haven't got the Ambré at 45%, this is only the Diesel version. See what I mean. More anise, cinnamon, cane honey and oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: I love this distinctiveness. It's not uncommon for the 'simpler' versions to be better than those that are further 'enhanced' using extravagant casks. In any case, I like this one, I'll have to find the 45% version, or maybe I already have it in the WF boxes? We'll see about that later...
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
We're going to stay in France, I believe… |
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Rhum J.M 2014/2023 (48.6%, OB, Kirsch Import, Martinique, agricole, new American oak char 5, cask #210098, 252 bottles)
Don't start talking to me about 'char numbers' ;-), it's a bit too Buffalo Trace or Glenmo for me (smile). Colour: dark gold. Nose: well yes, we are in Bourbon territory, at least partially. Ripe banana, wood varnish, vanilla, a touch of acetone, a bit of melted caramel, fresh cane... Then well-ripe pineapple, which is less 'bourbon', I agree. Actually, it's a nose that's relatively uncomplicated but extremely precise and compact, which more than compensates for that feeling. As usual, the palate will have the final say... Mouth: ah yes! The same feeling of relative simplicity, but those bananas, that white chocolate, those varnishy touches, those oranges and that hint of salty liquorice mixed with vine peaches are working very well. After all, it is quite complex, you just need to give it a little time. Finish: quite long, with some sweetness, oranges, and always that slightly salty edge. The wood doesn't stand out that much, forget everything I told you about Buffalo Trace and Glenmo. Comments: it's great and it drinks extremely well (be careful, as a consequence it's a little hazardous).
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
Let's try a different charring level. (S. !) |
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Rhum J.M 2014/2023 (50.3%, OB, Kirsch Import, Martinique, agricole, old bourbon cask char 3, cask #162705, 259 bottles)
Colour: dark gold. Nose: It's very slightly less expressive, with less banana and varnish, but on the other hand, there's more of a focus on sugarcane, herbs, leaves, melon, peach... The vanilla is still there, though. With water: a freshness that's almost maritime. Martinique is an island, isn't it? Mouth (neat): I love it, it's a bit more complex, there's a lot of different citrus fruits (kumquats, bergamots, yuzu), mentholated and aniseed herbs, fennel seeds, coriander, but also plum jams, quince jelly, mild spices… With a few drops of water: it doesn't go as much towards the fresh and fruity side, instead, there are more dried figs and a touch of your choice of sweet-savoury sauce. Finish: quite long, with some chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg. And quince jelly. The cask is now speaking. Comments: these remain simple yet very effective rums. In my mouth and in this context, the word 'simple' is a great quality, expressing the precision of the distillation and aging. After all, you see, right... In any case, I prefer this cask but as usual, that's very personal.
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
Well, we just hope that the very best rum producers, like J.M, won't start promoting the idea that rum is primarily about wood or even wine flavouring, as many Scots do. Have you seen that there are now Scottish distilleries that offer nothing but malt whiskies 'finished / aromatised / arranged' in strange barrels? Saint Drostan, come save them! Good, and what if we went back to Guadeloupe? |
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Bielle 15 yo 2008/2023 (51.8%, The Auld Alliance and Famille Ricci, Marie-Galante, agricole) 
As you know, Marie-Galante is part of Guadeloupe but it is a different island. Colour: full gold. Nose: it's denser, almost thick on the nose, more medicinal for sure, with elements of bandages and tiger balm, and there's almost a hint of smoke, akin to that of L. on the south coast of Islay. It's very intriguing… With water: it's like old Laphroaig in a former Bielle cask, right? Of course, I'm joking, but not by much. Superb eucalyptus, and I do love eucalyptus. Mouth (neat): a massive aromatic explosion, with tons of coriander seeds and cumin at the start, then sea salt, pink grapefruit, and juniper. It's a bit mad, almost venturing out of rum territory with all that cumin. With water: be careful with water. Very pretty pink bananas, oranges, quince, guava, and... menthol, cumin, and juniper. Actually, is this a very old Caribbean gin, perhaps. Finish: the exotic fruits, tar, and caraway come back in full force. Comments: this is a sublime, explosive rum, a bit 'cross-category' or 'fusion' at times. Chartreuse? Islay? Juniper? Rum? Orange liqueur? All mixed together? Not sure we'll ever know…
SGP:662 - 91 points. |
One last one for the road… |
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Enmore 32 yo 1990/2023 (53.6%, Rum Sponge, Guyana, #24, 197 bottles)
Thinking about the western part of the country that's currently so heavily threatened by the Venezuelan dictator, who's really not that 'diplomatico' I'm afraid. This is a vatting of two casks. In theory… Colour: very dark amber. Nose: old wood and old cigars, pipe tobacco, coffee, candied clementines, clove, mandarin liqueur, meat sauce, teriyaki-flavoured beef jerky, camphor, and menthol... It's word for word what we were hoping for, you can't get more classic than this. With water: and boom and bam, juniper, cumin, and plant tar are back. We're talking about fir tar here. Mouth (neat): this salty, tarry, and mentholated aspect is very classic too. There's quite a bit of old wood and tobacco, but it's amusing to note that the menthol supports everything in the most beautiful way. What would we do without mint (and citrus), I ask you. Also chestnut honey. With water: It's very tarry and resinous, but it works incredibly well. Finish: almost eternal. I'm exaggerating again, but mint and tar go for a Page and Plant for quite some time (with nods to Bonham and Jones). Comments: these creatures are quite unstoppable. This Enmore and the Bielle echoed each other throughout this little session, it was very funny. So close, yet so far, so similar in terms of quality. But let's not forget that the Bielle was eighteen years younger...
SGP:572 - 91 points. |
We really hope that the growing political tensions in some countries won't throw an indescribable mess into the world of rum. And also that consumers won't start steering their choices based on these events. For example, Venezuelan rum producers or sugarcane growers have nothing to do with it if the highly disliked President Maduro now wants to annex two-thirds of Guyana because they found oil there. Granted, the capital Georgetown and thus Diamond Distillery are not part of it, but imagine if El Dorado were to become a Venezuelan rum one day! |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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Water and rum |
| Be careful with water; my humble experience suggests that rum is more sensitive to H2O than whisky, and consequently, it's always better to add too little than too much. I find that rum 'snaps' more quickly when you dilute it in your glass, so a drop-by-drop approach is essential. |
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December 1, 2023 |
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WF's Little Duos, today Allt-A-Bhainne versus Braeval |
In fact, these are malts of which we currently have only one expression not yet tasted in our library, and that we prefer to taste rather than wait for the arrival of a sparring partner. Do you see the idea? But here it works out well, as both distilleries, built at the same time, belong to Chivas/Pernod. |
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Allt-A-Bhainne 23 yo 2000/2023 (51.9%, Signatory Vintage for LMDW, New Vibrations, 1st fill oloroso sherry, cask #10, 689 bottles)
I love Pernod's underdog, it takes sherry extremely well. I could read on LMDW's website that they also do peat these days; well, I can't wait to try that version, but in the meantime... Colour: mahogany. Nose: It goes straight to prunes in Armagnac and Corinthian raisins, then on to sticky toffee pudding and a large pack of dried figs. I adore dried figs, within a single pack all the figs will be different, it's quite incredible. Have you ever noticed that? There is also some aged prune (from Souillac) and old Malaga wine, as well as sherry brandy rather than the pure and very dry oloroso. With water: ah yes, it's better, more complex, with herbs, rosemary, thyme, liquorice, even a few drops of pastis. You would say it's normal since the owners, Pernod-Ricard, are the world's leading pastis producers. Mouth (sans eau): very rich, almost sweet, it's as if they used what was once called 'oloroso dulce', which wasn't true oloroso but more a kind of cream sherry. Oloroso is as dry as a stick. Lots of liqueur chocolate, apricot jam, toffee, dried grapes, black nougat... With water: once again water works wonders (yes, this is WF here). Notes of ham, beef jerky, dark chocolate, espresso… with even a slight salty touch. Finish: rather long, with tobacco this time and sloe liqueur. The figs and chocolate come back in the aftertaste. Comments: a real beast heavily influenced by sherry. A few drops of water are almost mandatory. Those who are less fond of sherry than us will probably like it a bit less, but there you have it.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
So there's also this old Braes that we had in the boxes, let's taste it quickly and well… |
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Braes of Glenlivet 1975/2006 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, refill hogsheads) 
We used to call this one 'the new map label', but indeed, what was new in the year 2000 is not too new anymore. It was another era. What's to be remembered is that Braeval a.k.a. Braes of Glenlivet was built in 1973, so in a way, this 1975 was a brand new malt whisky. Colour: straw. Nose: tough boy, full of mashed turnips, old papers, cream cheese, carbon paper, Jerusalem artichokes, old coins and eggplants. 'You don't find them like this anymore'. Mouth: very bizarre, salty when it shouldn't be, all on stewed vegetables, leek, cabbage, potatoes, plus some candy sugar and a strange, alien spice mix. Very odd. Finish: medium, very earthy and rather perfumy, with not a single molecule seeming to be exactly in the right place. More vegetables, artichokes, Brussels sprouts and all that. A sweetish aspect at the end, as if some salsify had been cooked in honey and caramel. Don't tell me that's very good! Comments: truly a different era. Independents, rather than conforming to quality standards, might have sometimes preferred to offer very different malts from one another in order to highlight the great variety of Scottish whiskies, even if that sometimes meant overlooking the flaws of one or another. After all, it is also the flaws that make you different. Quite often, we liked the odd malts just because they were different, but as I said, it was another era. Today, I believe the malts are generally better, but on the other hand they are becoming more and more similar to each other while the casks they use are basically the same. It's the globalisation of Scottish whisky!
SGP:571 - 69 points. |
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November 2023 |
Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Talisker 45 yo 'Glacial Edge' (49.8%, OB, Xpedition Oak series, 2,455 bottles, 2023) - WF 93
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Blair Castle Whiskey 1833/1841 (61.3%. OB?, Believed distilled 1833 / believed bottled 1841, rebottled 1932) - WF 93
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Old Pulteney 10 yo 2012 'Flotilla' (46%, OB, 2023) - WF 89
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Jamaica Rum 15 yo 2007/2022 'JMC' (64.3%, The Whisky Blues, hogshead, cask #18, 248 bottles) - WF 93
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Smögen 9 yo 2014/2023 (59.8%, Wu Dram Clan, 1st fill ex-Four Roses barrel, cask #14, 222 bottles) - WF 91
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
Ron Cristobal 'Pinta' (40%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2023) - WF 50 |
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November 30, 2023 |
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Just two or three Littlemill
It seems that independent bottlers have been offering us marvellous Littlemills distilled around the turn of the 1990s for several years now, whereas previously, the reputation of this very, very old distillery had been, let's say, more hit-and-miss. Littlemill was dismantled in 1997 and the remaining buildings were destroyed by fire in 2004. I still remember the bottles we used to find in our supermarkets here in France; they were rather 'low shelf' offerings. While we had indeed tasted its version called 'Dunglas/Dunglass' in the past, their other variant, the peated Dumbuck, has unfortunately never crossed our path. A young aperitif, if you please… |
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| A 2 litre bottle of Dunglass for Italy, 1970s. Not too bad (WF 72 in 2004). |
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Littlemill 12 yo 1990/2002 (43%, Signatory Vintage, cask #2964, 436 bottles) 
These young Littlemill whiskies didn't have a very high reputation... The same was true for their cousins Glen Scotia and Loch Lomond, but fortunately, times have changed... Colour: white wine. Nose: Ah, I remember. Initially, it's quite enticing, with notes of soot, candied turnips, mushy peas, boiled salsify, as well as an ultra-fermentative side, like boiled milk, aubergines, and soaked newspapers... Some aspects are really nice, others less so, but it'll all come down to the palate… Mouth: It starts with lemon Schweppes, and I've nothing against lemon Schweppes, but then it moves on to carbon paper, burnt plastic, modelling clay with tenfold intensity, cod liver oil… I think we'll stop there. Finish: Quite a long and very challenging finish. Notes of burnt cardboard, with a plasticky smoke aspect... Comments: typical of this style, and I've always been amazed that the current batches of these vintages are so splendid at 30 years of age. There must have been miracles. In any case, the independent bottlers are not to be blamed; wasn't their mission to offer the full variety of Scottish malts? Moreover, these bottles were really not expensive. 70 points for the nose, 10 points for the palate.
SGP:172 - 40 points. |
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Littlemill 23 yo 1992/2015 (57%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, for Charles Hofer Switzerland, cask #506)
Already part of the better series, for some reason. Colour: straw. Nose: ah indeed, this one has much more of an herbal tea character, with chamomile, dandelion flower, jasmine, peach, as well as exotic fruits, passion fruit, pink grapefruit... This is a Littlemill as we like them, with that slight Irish twist. With water: even more of a herbal tea essence, lotus, jasmine, green tea, with a hint of lavender... Mouth (neat): very fruity, as expected, with lemon and grapefruit at the start, followed by not completely ripe gooseberry and kiwi. A herbaceous aspect, with bison grass, hay... With water: excellent, fresh, deliciously fruity, with a return of barley in the background. Very fruity barley indeed! Finish: of medium length, reminiscent of lemon or rhubarb tart. I know, they are quite different, but you see what I mean. Comments: Honestly, we were very surprised when these hyper-fruity batches started coming out about a decade ago. They are quite irresistible, it must be said.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
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Littlemill 30 yo 1989/2023 (53.1%, La Maison du Whisky, Artist, Spirits Shop Selection, New Vibrations, hogshead, cask #29, 238 bottles)
In fact, it's 'over 30 years old'; this very artistic range never bothers with overly precise age statements, the figures are always rounded. Downwards, of course. Colour: straw. Nose: well, we find that slightly cardboardy aspect that we had in the first Signatory, except that here the citrus and mangoes do their job and the whole seems to be quite sublime. Exceptional notes of white Graves wine, it particularly reminds me of the Laville Haut-Brion that our friend Christophe is so fond of. For the record, the chateau actually became Mission Haut-Brion Blanc starting from 2009. Superb notes of honeysuckle. With water: woollens, brioche dough, candied lemon… Mouth (neat): truly magnificent. Age has given it a bit of richness (as it has to some good friends too, ha-ha) but the citrus notes continue to soar towards the stars. It's really superb. A few small hints of ham and coffee, as well as a tiny drop of genuine Val-de-Travers absinthe, or from elsewhere. With water: an abundance of floral teas, and still the most wonderful blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. And fresh barley, of course. Finish: Not extremely long-lasting, but the tartness of the citrus lingers with green apple. That always works. A bit of fresh blackcurrant in the aftertaste, and why not some Aligoté to make a real kir. Comments: blindfolded, one would really not imagine that this Lowlander with its freshness and fruit is 33 or 34 years old. Sorry, 30 years old. To think that this sublime Littlemill comes, I believe, from Signatory Vintage, like the first Littlemill we tasted today. Just goes to show... (goes to show what, S.?)
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
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November 29, 2023 |
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WF's little duos, today indie Deanston
(further up) |
Deanston has become one of many enthusiasts' favourites, I'm even wondering if they're not about to overtake The Macallan these days. All they would need is a Deanston Damien Hirst Edition and presto, voilà! Or maybe a Gilbert & George Release? |
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Deanston 11 yo 2011/2023 'Magnificent Desolation' (57.5%, The Whisky Barrel, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #TWB1033, 242 bottles)
The words magnificent desolation have nothing to do with this wee whisky, they were what Buzz Aldrin said while on the moon in 1969. In any case I'm glad to have a pure BB Deanston today. Colour: white wine. Nose: this is almost kirschwasser. You even get the stones, then lemons in all their guises and just a few drops of seawater. Or an oyster. With water: apples and gooseberries chiming in, that's all. In essence, a malt whisky sculpted with surgical precision. Mouth (neat): At this stage, it's ultra-precise on the lemon and green apple. A hint of dark chocolate in the background but otherwise, that's it and it's quite something. With water: it becomes fruitier, with pear and cranberry, and also a bit more rounded, with a touch of nougat. But aside from that, it remains meticulous. Finish: medium, still fruity, in a straightforward and honest way. Apple, pear, peach, and lemon. Comments: Tasting this simple yet extremely delightful malt (ah, that fresh peach in the finish), one understands why the distillery owners are experimenting with all sorts of finishes. They clearly know what they're doing... In any case, this little lunar Deanston is absolutely excellent.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Deanston 1997/2023 (51.6%, The Whisky Jury for The Antelope, Macau, refill hogshead, cask #1966, 257 bottles)
We're now almost at the Rijk with The Whisky Jury. However, I do hope they've made sure that all these historical figures on the labels were not fiercely abstinent in their time. Ha. Colour: straw. Nose: It's a very similar style, naturally, perhaps a bit more floral this time, with little hints of lavender (but not like Bowmore 1985) or violet (but not like Bowmore 1985) and orange blossom water, like in a freshly made panettone since the season is almost upon us. Very nice candied citrus fruits. With water: more on the barley, cut hay, and dried flowers. Mouth (neat): superb cask. Candied mandarins, star anise, beeswax, liquorice, myrtle liqueur and a mouthfeel that is absolutely perfect… Wow wow wow. With water: swims like a champion and becomes more mineral, with chalk and a sensation of slate and oyster shell. It's perfect. Finish: not so long, but as fresh as it is rich, which is a little miracle, let's admit. A drop of green Chartreuse at the very end of the finish. Comments: what a beautiful distillate! I wonder if those enthusiasts I mentioned in my very modest little introduction might not be entirely right. Well, to catch a bottle of this little wonder, you'll have to go to Macao. Fortunately, Singapore Airlines flies there from Charles-de-Gaulle, and so does China Eastern, so all is well. China Eastern is much less expensive, of course. Grand little Deanston in any case.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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November 28, 2023 |
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Another little bag of five shh whiskies
That's right, part two. Does what Dali said about wine also apply to whisky? You know, the idea that 'He who knows how to taste does not drink wine but savours secrets.' In that case, these secret malts should no longer pose a problem... almost. |
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Secret Speyside 25 yo 1997/2022 (46.9%, Whisky AGE, barrel, cask #SP002, 209 bottles)
Always good selections at Taiwan's Whisky AGE. Oh, and it's not because they put slices of oak trunk on their labels that their whiskies are just about wood, quite the contrary. Colour: straw. Nose: awesome floral start, with some clear wisteria and lilies of the valley. Then it continues with citrus, orange blossom water, fresh mango and banana, natural vanilla, fennel seeds, sweet woodruff... All of this is incredibly classy, even a bit feminine, as we would have said about a decade ago. Superb barrel. Mouth: excellent, very fresh, still very citrusy with apple and pear peels, then more on exotic fruits, especially papaya and a bit of passion fruit. Only a few slightly green tannic notes prevent me from going up to 90. Dura Lex, sed Lex. Finish: rather long, this time with grapefruit. The wood marks the aftertaste, with notes of over-infused green tea and pepper. Comments: a soft, fruity, floral, fresh and rather airy Speyside, only the finish is, for this humble taster, a tad too marked. It is said, 'tough love is still love'.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
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Secret Speyside 12 yo 'Sirens' (52.7%, Whic, bourbon hogshead, maple syrup cask finish, batch 4, 568 bottles, 2023)
A maple syrup finish? Tremble mere mortals, because the End is near… Having said that, I'm rather fond of maple syrup… Colour: straw. Nose: Nose: it is true that we often find notes of maple syrup in our whiskies, so it is not surprising that we do not really detect any dissonances for now. It's more about fresh brioche, almond croissant, marzipan, cassata, hazelnut liqueur... All of that. So, all is well for now. With water: touches of Starbucks coffee latte. We shall survive. Mouth (neat): wow, or how to add sugar to a whisky without adding it directly. To be honest, I like these tastes, I told you, I like maple syrup. I also find notes of late-harvest Riesling, from Alsace or the Rhineland, it doesn't matter. In short, this mixture is very nice and we are not in the territory of the awful rums Bumbu, Don Papa or other quasi-lethal concoctions that should simply be made illegal. With water: it's fine. A bit of cane sugar. Finish: medium length, a bit sweet but not too sugary. It's okay, we stay okay, it's not a sugar bomb. Comments: I don't know if the goal was to offer a whisky for breakfast. Maybe, they do pour lashings of it into porridge, in some parts of Scotland. In short, it's really nice but maybe the world could do without producing millions of extra litres of this kind of good but unlikely experimentation. Next up, redcurrant liqueur?
SGP:641 - 82 points. |
There are those who say it's better to offer an almost unknown Speyside distillery as a 'secret distillery' and let the somewhat naive enthusiasts (so not you or me, right?) imagine that it could be M., or GF. etc. I think that kind of conspiracy theory is utterly despicable, really. Not in whisky! |
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A Speyside Distillery 13 yo 2009/2023 (56.1%, Watt Whisky, hogshead, 348 bottles)
In general, and to bring ourselves up to the level of Ozzy Osbourne's poetry, at the Watts' place, they really crank up the volume (S., you should be ashamed). Colour: straw. Nose: it's a pristine young Speyside, full of fresh bread, apples, barley, acacia honey, white chocolate and, hmm-hmm, maple syrup. Nothing to say, except that it's quite perfect and simple. A tiny bit of wet cardboard (a silly Amazon delivery in rainy weather). With water: no more, no less. It's very good as is. Mouth (neat): superb. Malt, orange liqueur, lemon balm, Jaffa Cakes, a bit of hops, black cherry liqueur, and hints of juniper berry and coriander seeds. Yummy. With water: as is often the case, it becomes a bit more lemony. I also detect marvellous notes of woodruff syrup, which I adore. Finish: long, more malty, with dark beer but also, and above all, even more woodruff. Comments: you know, Campbeltown, home of Watt Whisky, is so far from the rest of the world that they can sometimes engage in particular practices without anyone else sticking their nose in. For example, adding woodruff herbal tea to their casks. Of course, I have no proof, but on the palate, it seems very obvious to me. Yes, indeed. Apart from that, I adore this young Speyside.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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A Secret Speyside 19 yo 2003/2022 (51.2%, Whisky Sponge #72, refill hogshead, 228 bottles)
Rumour has it that this would be lightly peated Glen Grant. That wouldn't surprise me as I do know that the Sponge is a lover of old Glen Grant, while old Glen Grant could be rather peaty. Colour: straw. Nose: it's quite fermentative, more on wash and mashed celery and turnip, also with very ripe apple, plums of all sorts and all very ripe too, as well as grapefruit. However, I am not sure that the rumour was right, to be honest, I do not find this malt very peaty. But water can change everything... With water: yes, in any case, it becomes much more mineral. Old fabrics, engine grease, an old charterhouse, mild liquorice... Are we sure Mr. Sponge didn't just buy two hundred old bottles of Glen Grant at auction, to pour them very temporarily into an old hogshead for some marriage? Mouth (neat): oh, it's tense, oh, it does resemble an old Glen Grant indeed! I mean a young or middle-aged Glen Grant distilled in the 40s or 50s, really. Here, it is magnificently rich without ever becoming cloying, and the little citrus fruits play their role as a quasi-spice to perfection, a bit as if they were pink pepper. A few touches of camphor and eucalyptus add even more complexity, with a medicinal aspect that often then leads to peat. Let's check that, if you will… With water: I'm not sure I'm finding peat, but everything else remains true, it's old-school Glen Grant. There's also a bit of orange wine. Oh, and manzanilla. Finish: rather long, with a return to the fermenting side. Pink grapefruit and wax in the aftertaste. Comments: really, what is this thing? Let's see, what happened in Scotland in 2003, apart from a visit from the Malt Maniacs?…
SGP:562 - 91 points. |
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Secret Speyside 10 yo 'Sirens' (51.9%, Whic, ex-Amarone puncheon, batch 2, 823 bottles, 2023)
Amarone! One of the heaviest un-fortified red wines in the world. Amarone is a kind of vin de paille or straw wine, this means that they let the grapes dry a bit before pressing them. Like everything, amarones have their ardent supporters and some fierce detractors. That said, I've never seen amarones that had been aged in puncheons. 'Blessed is he who is able to know the causes of things,' as Lucretius said. Colour: slightly apricotty. Incredible, the whisky isn't even remotely pink. Nose: it seems that some form of control was exercised here, since this nose does not totally explode with raspberries and strawberries, but it is true that grenadine remains quite apparent. It's not bad, it remains balanced, we are not completely in the territory of wineskies. With water: the malt puts up some resistance. Notes of Belgian kriek beer. Mouth (neat): here we are really in wine-based cocktails. It bursts with red fruits of all kinds, including dried goji berries, the luck we have is that the famous puncheon itself did not add the characteristic bitterness of some wine casks used for whiskies, like Bordeaux barriques for example. In short, no blasting bell pepper or fig leaf or tomato. With water: it rebalances, phew, but the fruity wine remains present. Finish: quite long, but not suffocating. Blood orange and bubblegum sign off the whole. Comments: what is amusing is that the whisky is very marked by the fruity concentration of the wine, while its colour let on nothing. Generally, if you stain your shirt while drinking amarone, you can throw it in the bin. Or almost. Well, it's far from being my favourite style of whisky, but we stay well above the waterline, I would say. I know that many enthusiasts love this style and I would never cast stones at them. So, well done, Whic!
SGP:741 - 80 points. |
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November 27, 2023 |
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A little bag of five shh whiskies
Secret ones, vattings, blends, brands, funny ones, great ones… Who knows what's inside these bottles? What's more, we'll pick them up at random… |
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A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky 15 yo (52.5%, The Whisky Exchange, single malt, sherry casks, 2023 Edition, 1,800 bottles)
For me, an old-fashioned malt is a Glenfarclas, a Glenlivet, or a Macallan, don't you agree? But purely gratuitous speculations… Colour: gold. Nose: It has chocolate, roasted malt, a bit of soot, hints of stout, a dash of sweet mustard (the sherry) and nuts (the sherry again), currants, plum pudding... In short, it's Christmas. With water: as is often the case, more wet wool, porridge, pancake batter... Mouth (neat): classic indeed, with mulled wine, assorted spices, nutmeg, beer, sultanas, caraway, green walnuts, almonds, orange marmalade... The whole is relatively mild and generous, with a nice sherry, ultimately quite tight as well. With water: little change, perhaps a bit more bitter orange. Finish: of medium length, tighter, more focused on green walnut and mulled wine spices. Pleasant bitterness in the aftertaste. The circle is complete. Comments: we're far from woke culture and deconstruction; here we are back to the Christmases of yore. All that's missing is the nativity scene and the Magi. And Mr. Bean at Harrods. We want a double magnum under the Christmas tree!
SGP:461 - 86 points. |
Well, one always ends up finding some logic in it… |
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Secret Speyside 15 yo (51.8%, Tiffany's New York Bar, Hong Kong, 120 bottles, +/-2023)
We've already tasted some rather fine whiskies offered by this Hong Kong bar that always reminds us of Audrey Hepburn. Colour: white wine. Nose: it's very fresh, taut, with a strong emphasis on fresh barley and wet chalk, it almost feels as if this youngster hails from the Northern Highlands. Beautiful notes of lemon and green apple. Nothing to discard. With water: some mentholated and aniseed notes rise to the heavens. I mean, to our nostrils. Very nice notes of bread dough and brioche. Mouth (neat): excellent, lemony, refreshing, with splendid bitters, some fatness, a hint of polish, grapefruit and mandarins, and still that chalk and limestone. A dry Loire white wine, perhaps a dry Vouvray. With water: it continues on the same notes. A very natural malt, I love it. Finish: of medium length, this time with a very slight saltiness, one could almost mention mezcals once again. Very fine bitters in the aftertaste. Comments: it's just very, very good, pure, without artifice, in a most glorious nakedness (if you catch my drift). Bravo Hong Kong.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
Since we are in Hong Kong… |
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A Secret Speyside Distillery 13 yo 2010/2023 (51%, HK Whisky, Chinese Yellow Wine finish, cask #1)
Our friends say this is experimental and that is was 'aged in Hong Kong', in that case it is not Scotch malt (anymore). First time I'm hearing of 'Chinese Yellow Wine' I believe. That said, it has nothing to do with the Jura's yellow wine; according to Wikipedia, it's more like Huangjiu, a kind of rice and millet wine. It seems that it can also be fortified with baijiu. Colour: dark gold. Nose: oh, how amusing! Honestly, it doesn't really smell like whisky, it's more reminiscent of chestnut liqueur or walnut wine, but with a very pronounced fermentative aspect, not too dissimilar from a very strong Trappist beer (like 12% alcohol by volume). I really must get around to studying Chinese spirits; I remember, over thirty-five years ago, buying a litre bottle for 1 US dollar on the spot. Of course, it was illegal, but there should be a statute of limitations by now. I hope! With water: not much change, maybe a bit of mead. Mouth (neat): ah yes, it really is funny, and even quite to my taste, but anyone who could identify a Speyside malt would deserve as a reward the complete discography of Mariah Carey, autographed by the artist. There's a hint of aged gouda, balsamic vinegar, chen-pi, chestnuts and walnuts again, sour beer, even a bit of buttermilk... With water: this is where it starts to resemble whisky more. Also notes of dried beef and a little bit of gunpowder. Finish: long, spicier, still with a fermentative quality. Perhaps a touch of dried fish, otherwise nuts and a bit of mustard. Pencil lead in the aftertaste. Comments: truly a first for me. It's very amusing and not bad at all in my humble opinion, even if it remains quite unlikely. Take my score with a pinch of salt, it doesn't mean much.
SGP:462 - 80 points. |
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Secret Speyside 29 yo 1992/2022 (44.8%, Vintage Bottlers, Secret Series, ex-bourbon, 266 bottles)
It's all secret here, shh… Colour: straw. Nose: a buttery aspect like an old Burgundy Chardonnay, followed by some very ripe banana and apple tart, tarte tatin, hints of orange, quince, gooseberry and, indeed, melted butter. There are some really lovely citrus notes in there, all remaining gentle, increasingly reminiscent of an orange cake. Mouth: there's a pronounced bourbon character, with plenty of coconut water to start, then hints of vanilla yoghurt, elderflower fritter, and very ripe apples and pears… The cask has probably started to dominate a bit as the whisky loses some power, but this exotic wine aspect remains very pleasant. And as often is the case, the citrus notes underpin everything. Finish: a bit short, with similar notes. Soft woodiness and coconut in the aftertaste. Comments: perhaps it is its fragility that makes it charming. It somewhat reminds me of old Tomintoul from the late '60s. Charming, indeed.
SGP:441 - 86 points. |
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An Iconic Speyside 2010/2020 (54%, Duncan Taylor, for Singapore, Octave, cask # 2925436, 80 bottles)
The finishing in that small cask called an octave lasted 6 months here. I had thought there were more notes than that in an octave! Colour: white wine. Nose: it's predominantly about wet plaster and porridge at first, before the usual lemon and green apple join the fray. Also some green melon, and greengages. There's not much more to say, the small octave cask has been rather reticent in this instance. With water: not much change, some pizza dough, raw wool, a bit of papier-mâché… Mouth (neat): yes, a very classic malt, lemony and chalky, with a bit more fresh wood than usual. Green banana and a few hints of mango ripened on the ship, probably from the cask. It's good. With water: notes of blackcurrant, which is nice. Finish: of medium length, not too woody, with lovely garden fruits, notably apples and plums. The lemon returns in the aftertaste. Comments: nice little malt without pretension, does the job well. The small barrel remained elegant.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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November 26, 2023 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Yet another flight of rums |
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| The small stills at Samai in Phnom Penh (Samai) |
Starting this with two apéritifs (for the price of one!) |
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Ron Cristobal 'Pinta' (40%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2023)
This brand seems to be all about Christopher Columbus, in this very case about one of his famous ships. It seems that the names of these caravels were actually those of ladies of easy virtue well known to the sailors. Are the makers of this rum aware of that? Colour: deep gold. Nose: a little ethanol, some coconut, some sweet tea, orange squash, some rather pleasant jams (kiwi jam) and some ripe strawberries, a little pineapple and some vanilla. Fine, really fine. Wasn't La Pinta the fastest of all of Columbus' ships? Mouth: sadly there's too much sugar in there, the caravel on the nose became almost a wreck on the palate. Palm syrup, plain sugar, cane syrup… It's really too much for me, I'm sorry. Or we'd need tons of ice. Finish: short but extremely syrupy. Easy molasses honey. Comments: this is sad, I really enjoyed the nose, but the palate is almost of Don Papa/Bumbu quality, dulce madre de dios!
SGP:820 - 50 points. |
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Infernal Rum No. Five (40%, OB, Guatemala, +/-2023)
Just like the Cristobal, this baby was found in one of those nifty advent calendars that often help me to activate, test and massage the lower end of the 100-scale – and to demonstrate that the whole scale is indeed useful. Mind you, these rums would never come our way otherwise. Which reminds me, we must do a large 'los cheapos' whisky session again. Colour: white wine. Nose: of light Cuban style, rather between the entry-level Havana Clubs and Bacardis. Not much at first, then a few flowers (rather dandelions), a drop of pancake sauce, some very soft honey, and faint whiffs of wood smoke. Make that cigars, for more cachet. Very light, and not unpleasant, because it couldn't be. Mouth: no added sugar this time, I think, rather grasses, hay, sugarcane, touches of vanilla, a touch of lemon… Once again, not unpleasant, 'it couldn't be' as it's so thin. Finish: short, but clean. Probably not a bad mixer. A touch of sugar in the very short aftertaste. Comments: what's supposed to be infernal in this little rum?
SGP:440 - 60 points. |
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Cambodia 5 yo 2018/2023 (56.5%, La Maison du Whisky, Flag Series, cask #SAM18BNI)
We've only ever tried one rum from Cambodia, a Samai made in a small new distillery in Phnom Penh. We had thought it was surprisingly excellent (WF 84 at only 41% vol.), but naturally, we have no proof that this is the same juice; apart from the fact that the cask number here starts with 'SAM'. Can't be Samaroli… Colour: straw. Nose: milder Jamaican style, towards lighter Long Pond I would say. Fermenting cane juice, coal tar, chalk and crushed slate, rainwater, gherkins, rotting pineapple and banana, bits of thick camphory balms, bidis and eucalyptus, some yoghurt sauce… With water: similar but with emphasis on olives and lemon. Ready for a martini. Mouth (neat): excellent, salty, tarry, full of liquorice and with a few olives and gherkins, with a feeling of smoked syrup of some sort. That would be a hit in mixology, no? Or does that already exist? A drop of chilli liqueur. With water: absolutely. Rather more citrusy, estery, with a little tar once more, the usual olives, plus capsicum and pepper. Finish: a notch shorter and thinner than the Jamaicans, but we're splitting hairs once more. Comments: absolutely dazzling. By the way, who's remembering Kim Wilde's song 'Cambodia'? I know, useless comment… I'd like to see how the Fijian rums compare…
SGP:563 - 87 points. |
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Secret Fiji 8 yo 2014/2023 (62%, Dràm Mor, Fiji, bourbon, cask #22, 271 bottles, 2023)
Some secret South Pacific, probably. Dràm Mor already had an excellent 2004 last year. Oh and by the way, did you see the Fijians at the rugby world cup? Colour: gold. Nose: as expected, a similar style, but this Fijian is a little fatter, perhaps thanks to the bourbon wood. It's also rather more on petrol, engine oil and all that, seawater, crushed slate, brine, ointments (that rugby folks often need)… Now it would make the yoghurt part in the Cambodian stand out by comparison. With water: chalkier, less acetic, less yoghurty indeed. Mouth (neat): they are really close now, this one just burns a little more, and needs more water, consequently. A lot of pepper and even jalapenos, it seems. With water: rather sweeter, rounder, fruitier. Bananas at the helm, some pretty overripe though. Finish: long, salty, very nice. A little syrup in the aftertaste. Comments: amazing Fijian, these Jamaicans from the Pacific are always very surprising. Did the British Navy use them too in its rums? Remember Fiji is part of the Commonwealth – although they seem to be coming and going.
SGP:653 - 86 points. |
Didn't we mention Long Pond just a few minutes ago? |
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Long Pond 17 yo 2006/2023 (68.1%, Tamosi, Jamaica, Wiwakalaymay)
Not too sure about what 'Wiwakalaymay' means, but what's sure is that the word would score big in French Scrabble. Bur watch this one, did you see the strength? Colour: amber. Nose: funky toffee with some rubber and some tar, would I say, but we do not want to burn our nostrils. With water: awesome bouillons, fresh Cuban cigars, shoe polish, snail butter (as we say over here), garlic pasta, h*sh*sh, bourbon … This is a whole rock and roll band on tour! Mouth (neat): creamy, relatively fudgey and gentle this far but I'm sure that's the very high level of alcohol. With water: no high marque, it remains pretty gentle – relatively speaking – with some smoky oranges and some mild brine. Finish: medium, pretty gentle indeed, but with a loud and clear Jamaicanness. Some margarita and olive oil in the aftertaste. Comments: loved this slightly disconcerting LP that needs you to be a king/queen of the pipette if you do not want to miss a large part of it.
SGP:552 - 87 points. |
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Jamaica Rum 15 yo 2007/2022 'JMC' (64.3%, The Whisky Blues, hogshead, cask #18, 248 bottles)
Do I spot Beethoven, Bach, Schubert and Mozart on the label? Were they playing the whisky blues? Lovely label, in any case. Colour: white wine. Nose: high-ester-count Hampden. That is to say carbon dust, olives, glues, acetone and lanoline. With water: very high-precision bacterial, acetic and gluey wonders, with ripe bananas laughing out loud in the background. Mouth (neat): holy Suzy! Perfection in a bottle. Unless you hate glue, lemon, olives and tar. With water: but who would hate ripe bananas? Finish: long, immaculate, Dadaistic, abstract rum. Comments: I'm usually more in favour of 'average' marques at Hampden, but in this very case, I just have to bow. And curtsy.
SGP:573 - 93 points. |
Do we have much choice left?... Or do we take risks and try a lighter Hampden? |
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Hampden 7 yo 2016/2023 'OWH' (60%, Habitation Velier)
This is actually the lightest marque at Hampden, but we've often noticed that all this is never totally constant and linear… What's more, we made sure to take a good break between the estery wonder and this one. Colour: deep amber. Nose: ravishing, still quite a bit 'funky' (we'll really need to find another terminology – no, 'mucky' is awful!) and rather coastal, almost in an Islay way, with anchovies and oysters, seaweed, mint leaves, thyme tea, verbena, dill… You'd almost swear you spot the Paps of Jura in the distance. With water: some gentle rubber chiming in, also even more seawater. Mouth (neat): esters! I mean glue and varnish, tar, petrol, plus a little cassis and celeriac. It almost reminds me of when they launch the first batch of unpeated Caol Ila after months of a very peaty regimen, there is still quite a bit of echo, even when all the pipes were well cleaned. With water: indeed, this is fully salty, varnishy, lemony, slightly piquant/spicy. Finish: long. There is not light Hampden. Comments: maybe we should just stop worrying about marques/marks altogether. Love this wee OWH (didn't we just say we'd stop worrying about marques?)
SGP:463 - 91 points. |
Why wouldn't a distillery on Islay, say Ardbeg, do various 'marques' too, like 5ppm peat, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70… What pipes?... |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
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November 25, 2023 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
A big pile of Bowmore: part I
Every so often I end up accumulating a large pile of samples from one particular distillery. The latest of these is Bowmore, so we'll go backwards through the vintages in some kind of orders. There's a large stack of them, so we'll do it in two parts. We'll visit every decade from the 2000s - 1950s, without fear! |
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Bowmore 17 yo 2003/2021 (54.9%, Elixir Distillers 'The Single Malts of Scotland', cask #93, barrel, 172 bottles) 
I'm very late. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: dry and chalky peat smoke with that familiar Bowmore 'fragrantness' which suggests softer coastal things like sandalwood, beach pebbles and coastal flowers. Then some lime and grapefruit notes start to announce more familiar Bowmore fruitiness. Typical and pretty excellent. With water: gets rather focussed on saltiness with seawater, brine and lemon juice on fresh oysters. Also more lime juice and white flowers. Mouth: a little more power and oomph on arrival than the nose suggested, lovely mix of seawater, cornichon brine, a slightly acrylic smokiness and then things like fabrics, hessian, natural tar and smoked olive oil. Again, very excellent, chiselled and dry. I can't help but think of the old neck labels for some very old Sherriff's Bowmore bottlings that used to borrow the language of white wines and deployed descriptors like 'bone dry' and 'mineral' - more innocent times. With water: dry, smoky, salty and giving off some serious Margherita vibes with these wee impressions of celery salt and agave distillate. A few glimmers of citrus rinds and more chalky pebbles and mineral notes. Finish: good length, going back towards those softer peat smoke notes we initially found on the nose and also more dried seaweed and lemon rind. Comments: excellent, if slightly uncompromising modern Bowmore.
SGP: 466 - 88 points. |
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Bowmore 17 yo 2003/2021 (57.8%, Elixir Distillers 'The Single Malts of Scotland', cask #81, barrel, 209 bottles) 
Colour: pale white wine again. Nose: leaner and greener! I get a little more gassy 'roughness' that incorporates some vegetal smokiness, ashy peat smoke, beach pebbles and sandalwood once again. Possibly even more austere and 'brittle' than #93. With water: hints of dried sage, anchovy sauce, rice wine and even a single artichoke in smoked olive oil. Mouth: hugely salty and coastal, full of seawater, dirty martini, gherkin juice, muddled citrus juices, touches of aniseed and even a little petrol. A blade, as Serge might say. With water: preserved lemons, distant kippers (what?) and various suggestions of miso, soy sauce and pickled ginger. Sushi whisky I would suggest. Finish: long, very salty, pin sharp smokiness and tiny notes of grapefruit amongst a lot of raw seawater and minerals. Comments: even more austere than its sibling, the very height of sophisticated un-sexiness. That being said, I preferred the ever so slightly clearer fruitiness of #93.
SGP: 366 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 19 yo 2002/2021 (50.4%, Cadenhead 'Authentic Collection', bourbon hogshead, 180 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: again this beautiful sense of softness that I often find in these vintages of Bowmore. Sandalwood, silky peat smoke, driftwood, dried seaweed, tiny herbal notes and aromas of smoked teas and subtle dried exotic fruits. With water: impeccably dry and salty, with salted fish, sardines in olive oil and rock pool vibes! Mouth: again a slightly sharper, drier and more coastal and mineral profile. Dried seaweed, sandalwood, salted liquorice and aniseed once again. Also a few things like shellfish and dried tarragon. With water: full of seawater, some grapefruit, a little tart rhubarb and cut green apple acidity, then pickling juice vibes and green olive. Finish: good length, with a little deep peat smoke, tiger balm and gentian eau de vie. Very long, salty aftertaste. Comments: I love this absolutely classy and bone dry profile, it's just that I tend to end up craving a little more fruit. I like my Bowmore fruity!
SGP: 456 - 88 points. |
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Bowmore 17 yo 2002/2020 (54.9%, The Character of Islay Whisky Company 'The Stories of Wind and Wave') 
An exclusive bottling for LMDW I believe. Colour: white wine. Nose: same feeling that we have a rather unimpeachable, dry and mineral profile Bowmore, that also starts with some very aromatic and enchanting wispy peat smoke, coastal aromas, smoked teas such as lapsing souchong and even Earl Grey, and also the usual lime and grapefruit notes. With water: lovely, developing in some interesting directions like lanolin, squid ink, bandages and charred limes. Mouth: wonderful arrival, that also manages to include a little more overt fruitiness and tartness, things like gooseberry, crushed nettle, a touch of dried mango and papaya and then smoked olive oil and mineral oil which adds to the send of texture wonderfully. There's also a rather creamy but still nicely drying smokiness in the background. With water: superb! Creamy, oily and with a more pronounced and peppery peat smoke flavour, but also kippers, brine, anchovy paste and Maggi! Even a few herbal cocktail bitters and pithy grapefruit peel. Terrific breadth and complexity! Finish: long, herbal, peaty, coastal and with a great sense of fruitiness and maturity while still retaining this salty, drying edge into the aftertaste. Comments: tip top! Everything works in harmony here and 'we have the fruit'!
SGP: 555 - 91 points. |
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Bowmore 16 yo 2001/2017 (54.8%, Cadenhead '175th Anniversary' for Whisky Shop Baden, hogshead, 294 bottles)
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: we're back to another of these lean and sharp ones that is immediately very coastal and fresh. Freshly laundered linens, crisp wood smoke, sandalwood and crushed seashells. Also a tiny bit ashy and rather mineral. Same dry and precise profile as some of those 2003s. With water: still very salty, with impressions of beach sand and dried seaweed. Also perhaps a little umami ramen broth and tart rhubarb. Mouth: rather on soft peat smoke, caraway, aniseed and salted liquorice. Also seawater, ashes, brine, lemon juice and boiled shellfish. With water: green acidity, more salted liquorice, soy sauce and preserved lemon in brine. Finish: quite long, very salty, precise, sharp and coastal. Comments: excellent, highly precise distillate, but again I'm left wanting a few fruits to balance this side out.
SGP: 356 - 88 points. |
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Bowmore 18 yo 2001/2020 (50.8%, The Character of Islay Whisky Company 'The Stories of Wind & Wave', refill bourbon barrel, cask #11715)
Colour: very pale straw. Nose: a more exuberant and exotic style straight away! Tropical fruit teas, dried mango, papaya, a much more laid back and ethereal smokiness with a very gentle thread of peat running throughout. Also touches of eucalyptus and tea tree oil. With water: pina colada galore. With a few additions such as hessian and jasmine tea. Mouth: really, superbly fruity! Mango, passion fruits, papaya and guava - the usual suspects! Also a terrifically 'full' and creamy texture in the mouth. Captured at a perfect age I would say, there's a touch of coconut from the wood, but it melds perfectly with this overarching tropical/creamy profile. With water: the same, but adds a slight tension of coastal and salty freshness that is really quite compelling. Finish: there, passion fruits and mango galore! Also long and alighting on being rather salty and stunningly fresh. Comments: once again we are left to scratch our heads and puzzle as to why the owners are not regularly releasing such juice. A dazzling wee gem of a Bowmore.
SGP: 655 - 91 points. |
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Bowmore 18 yo 2001/2020 (55.4%, The Character of Islay Whisky Company 'The Stories of Wind & Wave', refill bourbon barrel, cask #11714)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: a little gentler than its sibling, softer, more coastal, gently peaty with this familiar wispy and ethereal peat smoke note. Beach pebbles, dried seaweed, Maggi and in time more of these tea tree oil and exotic fruit tea combinations that are really charming. With water: same hypnotic and brilliant development, only this time it goes more towards fruits to arrive at roughly the same profile as its sibling. Mouth: more power, more saltiness and more brittle, drying smokiness, but there's still this tropical fruit abundance as in the sibling cask. Smoked cereals, dried pineapple, papaya and mango once again. More smoked teas, more dried herbs and more of these salt-baked fish notes. With water: brilliant! Mentholic, mineral, fruity and even waxy and oily in texture now. Perfectly mature and gushing with distillery character and purity. Finish: long and brilliantly fruity, salty and bright! Comments: a notch drier overall perhaps, but this is still the same ballpark in terms of overall quality.
SGP: 566 - 91 points. |
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Bowmore 21 yo 2001/2022 (51.6%, Douglas Laing 'XOP' for The Whisky Exchange, #DL16464, refill sherry butt, 514 bottles)
Colour: coffee / amber. Nose: quite the gear shift! Very much on herbal bitters, salted dark chocolate, aged orange muscat and rather a lot of this familiar gamey and leathery sherry note. The saltiness of the sherry and the Bowmore go well, even though the whole feels a little tense and nervous. Opens up with a nice umami and herbal profile which keeps developing positively. With water: very nicely on camphor, tar and herbal tonic wines now, feels globally more cohesive with water. Mouth: very salty and umami focussed, lots of game meats, tobaccos, preserved black cherries in kirsch, tar extracts, wormwood and various smoked dark beers. A heavy profile that may prove slightly divisive. With water: gets superbly tarry and camphory once again, drilling into all this leathery, peppery, gamey, umami and salty sherry goodness! Finish: rather long, on earthy dark teas, smoked plums (do they actually exist?), more tar extracts and herbal bitters. Lovely thick peaty flavour in the aftertaste. Comments: I wasn't too sure at the start, but it won me round in the end. I think it gains a lot with a few drops of water.
SGP: 576 - 89 points. |
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Bowmore 16 yo 1998 (59.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 3.236 'Heathery smoke drifting by the shore', refill barrel, 141 bottles)
One of the more feasible sounding SMWS names perhaps? Colour: straw. Nose: it is possibly the power of suggestion, but I do detect heathery smoke drifting by a shoreline. Also more cut green apple and sharp gooseberry, limes and grapefruit, along with the wonderfully familiar soft, wispy peat smoke that seems to characterise these vintages. Then more coastal things like crab sticks and wet beach pebbles. Lovely nose! With water: geraniums! Also wood ashes, bandages, kelp and one additional gooseberry. Mouth: rather powerful arrival, dry, ashy peat smoke paired with black pepper, kippers, lemon juice and tiny hints of passion fruit and mango. There's also a lovely, taut mineral side as well. With water: settles excellently now, a touch of salted honey that bring some sweetness, smoked olive oil and exotic fruit teas. Finish: long, drying, salty, with a deeper smokiness and more black pepper and camphor notes. Comments: from an excellent parcel of casks that the Society seems now sadly to be out of. Although, I had 3.290 even higher on WF91!
SGP: 566 - 89 points. |
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Bowmore 23 yo 1997 (43.7%, Club Qing 'Fairy Tale Series', sherry butt, 189 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: very gentle, leafy and exotic. There's sherry but it's elegantly shy and quite subtle, it makes obliging space for quite a lot of classical soft Bowmore peat smoke and assorted exotic fruit vibes. Also waxy lemon rinds, dried mango and herbal teas. Soft and gentle but highly charming and still with some nicely clear distillery character. Mouth: extremely easy with a soft layer of peat smoke alongside salty, slightly earthy and gentle, dry sherry. Subtle tobacco leaf, dried mango once again, overall a clearer exotic fruit flavour I'd say, and hints of quince and mirabelle. Nice tension between the fruits and the saltier, sherry notes. Finish: medium and nicely on dried exotic fruit chunks, delicate saltiness and background peat smoke. Comments: effortless Bowmore that you could probably assimilate a litre of without noticing. I'm sure I shouldn't be writing or suggesting such things, but there you go. Simple and gentle, but highly pleasurable.
SGP: 644 - 88 points. |
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Bowmore 29 yo 1992/2021 (44.5%, Claxton's, bourbon hogshead)
Colour: white wine. Nose: shut the fridge door! Smashed kiwis, lime blossom, overripe mango, passion flower, dried herbs and distant trails of peat smoke. Also a stunning fragile coastal element that makes you think of rock pools, seashells, pebbles and the like. I adore this fragility combined with fruity abundance. It doesn't make sense, and yet, it exists - like Donald T. Developing some further notes of orange peel and cut grass. Mouth: beautiful fruitiness again, with a nice tartness too and more of these fragile coastal aspects. Feels ever so slightly underpowered, but it's really being nit picky. More of these sharp green and exotic fruit notes with more kiwi, some gooseberry and star fruit. Another hyper easy, naturally low ABV Bowmore that you could easily mistake for diluting juice. Finish: medium, full of more sharp, tart and tropical fruitiness, some grape must, delicate notes of bandages and tiny medical tinctures. Comments: Outrageously quaffable and pleasurable, only this slight tendency towards fragility will prevent it hitting the 90 hurdle, but it's really a technicality thing. Love this fruit juice.
SGP: 644 - 89 points. |
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Bowmore 18 yo 1993 (61.6%, The Whisky Exchange 'Masterpieces', refill hogshead, 195 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: sandalwood, ashes, beach pebbles and this sense of rising exotic fruitiness that slowly but surely starts to involve pink grapefruit, passionfruit and papaya. Tiny green aspects such as grassiness, crushed nettles and gooseberry in the background too. Lemony and flinty peat smoke inflections. With water: becomes almost mechanical with bigger and more emphatic oily qualities, toolbox rags, hessian, smoked olive oil and fir wood resins. Still a pin-sharp, pristine coastal freshness over everything. Mouth: superb power, the full force of this cask strength but you do not 'feel' the alcohol in that sense, rather just a wonderful wall of flavour. Oily, textural peat impressions, with tars, embrocations, bandages, tinctures of iodine and mineral salts. Then tangerine, blood orange, crystallised citrus peels and hints of exotic fruit teas and dried mango. With water: outstanding! Perfectly lemony, tropical, smoky and salty. Brilliant, potent and perfectly tense Bowmore! Finish: long, sharply salty, citric and with beautiful subtle peat smoke and medicine notes along with a background of exotic fruits. Comments: no quibbles here, a brilliant Bowmore that remains deserving of its already lofty reputation.
SGP: 656 - 91 points. |
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That's a good place to leave it I think. Next week, we'll dive directly into the notorious 1980s! |
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November 24, 2023 |
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Two quick French malt whiskies |
Busy-busy these days. This will be a short session with only two French whiskies. Dozens to come, it is a buoyant category, with some good wheat and quite some chaff too (thin spirit in heavy oak/wine). |
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Blavier 2003/2023 (55%, La Maison du Whisky, Version Française)
Blavier is actually the name of an old still, handcrafted by a coppersmith in the 1930s, featuring three pots more or less in series and two columns, the second of which includes ceramic rings shaped like honeycomb cells instead of trays, which are supposed to further purify the alcohol from the heaviest elements. This still is installed at the Revermont Distillery, in the French Jura. I'm not quite sure what to expect, to be honest… Colour: mahogany. Nose: very marked by burnt wood, old furniture, old walnut and, above all, oxidative notes similar to those of an amontillado (half-fino, half-oloroso). Maybe this old whisky from the Jura had been aged in a yellow wine cask? With water: hints of liquorice, mint, anise, and curry. Mouth (neat): it speaks! Notes of old sherry quite similar, it rather reminds one of a Jerez brandy that hasn't been, like most of them alas, drowned under sweet matters. Walnut skin, tobacco, a bit of mustard, paprika, a lot of bitters… With water: bitter oranges, old wine and always a lot of nuts. Finish: long, quite tight, and tremendously Andalusian. Wood and bitter chocolate mark the aftertaste but, well, it's okay. Comments: a nice bitterness in this old sherry. I mean this old whisky. Very difficult to score, we're quite outside the norm but I quite like it. And it's very rare.
SGP: 272 - 84 points. |
Since we're in the northeast of France... |
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St Wendelin 'Le Souffle Volcanique' (46.2%, OB, Uberach, France, cask #413, 1,028 bottles, 2022)
Eight years in new oak, then two years in a cask having sheltered some Alsatian wine from Rangen de Thann, in the extreme south of our little region. The Rangen is a volcanic grand cru, hence the name of this whisky made by some of the pioneers of Alsatian – and French – whisky, with their master blender extraordinaire Jean Metzger. It's carrying the recent 'Whisky d'Alsace' Geographical Indication (which stipulates that you have to say 'hoppla' every time you fill a barrel – joking). Colour: gold. Nose: gentler, with once more some paprika, quite some pink pepper, some ham, caraway, blood oranges, chen-pi, then rather a lot of gingerbread, Läckerli (Basel is not far from the Rangen), Alsatian anis bredala… Well it's well an Alsatian matter indeed, the GI was deserved! Mouth: great fun. Bags and bags of gingerbread and even more of those anise cookies, plus Italian bitters and vermouths (did you know there was a Fernet Branca factory in Alsace? It's become a superb modern art museum). Finish: long, more on citrus, tangerines, grapefruits, touch of myrtle. Clove and green oak honey in the aftertaste. Comments: loved their Souffle Marno-Calcaire earlier this year, love this one just as much, despite or perhaps thanks to its 'accentuated idiosyncrasies'.
SGP:561 - 86 points. |
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November 22, 2023 |
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