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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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October 29, 2021 |
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I mean, Glen Keith, but wondering if dear Keef ever tried Glen Keith. Isn't Glen Keith the secret to longevity? Let's (partly) empty the box randomly… |
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Glen Keith 21 yo 1995/2017 (51.5%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, refill hogshead, cask #DL 11647, 257 bottles) 
Colour: light gold. Nose: all on fresh barley, sunflower oil, fresh bark, custard, marzipan, lamp oil, linseed oil, maize bread… I find this rather complex and very elegant, if a notch unnoticeable (beware absent-minded tasters). With water: same, oils, putty, barley… Mouth (neat): much tighter and very citrusy, as many Glen Keith are. Limoncello aged in oak, many roasted nuts (macadamia), more raw barley, touches of sweet buckwheat… With water: goes towards a good pilsner but never forgets the citrus. Citrusy hoppy IPA. Finish: of moderate length, on the same flavours. Comments: unquestionably very good, if indeed a little 'unnoticeable'. Oh well, it's simply not 'in your face' malt whisky.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Glen Keith 23 yo 1995/2018 (52.1%, The Whisky Fair, bourbon hogshead)
I they ever cancel next year's Limburg Whisky Fair once again, I believe I'll slaughter the whole population of a small city. Hold on, I'm fine as long as I don't publish this on Facebook, am I not? Colour: white wine. Nose: pure barley and any kind of beer made thereof. Only shaped by time in refill wood, no other flavouring/aromatisation in sight. With water: same. Oily barley water and a little fresh putty and oil paint. Mouth (neat): we're very close to the DL, with a similar citrusy profile and something very beery/washy. With water: same. Very good. Finish: longer, focused, tight, barley-y and oily. Comments: natural malt whisky, as in natural, in malt, and in whisky. No quibbling to be done. So, can we have the Fair next year?
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Glen Keith 24 yo 1995/2019 (49.5%, Elixir Distillers, The Single Malts of Scotland, cask #171272, 250 bottles)
Good, 'they' did their (brilliant) show this year in London, so presto, et voilà, one more point! Are you sure I am joking? Colour: straw. Nose: same as the Whisky Fair, word for word. These whiskies are undistinguishable in the glass. Mouth: indeed. Excellent 100% natural malt whisky from Speyside that's filled many an excellent blended Scotch. Perfect barleyness. Finish: same. Lovely aged-limoncello-y feeling in the aftertaste. Comments: which leads us to that seminal issue, 'in malt whisky, is consistency really an asset?'
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Glen Keith 22 yo 1995/2018 (49.2%, Claxton's, hogshead, cask # 1833-171290, 311 bottles)
I have this strange feeling… Colour: pale straw. Nose: same as that of the TSMOS. Mouth: more or less the same as that of the TSMOS. Finish: pretty much the same as that of the TSMOS. This one's probably a tiny-wee notch grassier, but there. Comments: the question is, do you prefer flat square bottles or do you like the regular round tall ones better?
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Glen Keith 18 yo 1996/2015 (54.1%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 294 bottles)
Oh, a Cadenhead from the good old days! Colour: white wine – and I mean very white. Nose: it's one of those 'very refill' bottlings that Cadenhead used to do, for the better or the… even better, as long as you're a sucker for distillate-focussed malt whiskies. Not obligatorily kerosene, this one's very 'neutral' indeed but I really enjoy porridge and muesli in my malts. So, porridge and muesli. With water: and raw wool, aspirin tablets, limestone, and even more porridge. Mouth (neat): lovely pure barley-y malt, with some barley syrup indeed and just a few zests and slices of granny smith. Touch of mercurochrome, perhaps. With water: raw malt whisky of very good quality, A.K.A. a perfect filler. Citrus up. Finish: same. Comments: bwah, they are the same as the 1995s, just a notch grassier. I mean, this one's a notch grassier.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
Bored? Feels a bit like a Korean series about the Wehrmacht on Netflix, doesn't it… So let's make every effort… (hey, love Korea!) |
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Glen Keith 29 yo 1992/2021 (46.1%, Oxhead Whisky Company, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #34260) 
This m.i.g.h.t. be a little different. Colour: light gold. Nose: hurray, fruits! Not just apples or lemons, also oranges, passion fruits, papayas, then acacia and lime honeys, beeswax, patchouli, old Roussanne/Marsanne (wine freaks special), touches of spearmint, perhaps pistachio syrup… Well this is just another dimension. Mouth: but how good is this? A few woody tones here and there (piney oils in the way) but the rest is awesome, with bananas, honeys, really big chunks of ripe papayas, perhaps hints of avocado, and then just an impeccable barleyness. Very very good. Finish: medium, rather fat. Piney oils and banana skins. Comments: not totally faultless but those tiny faults can be seen as assets, like anything related to oak. I mean, in malt whisky. Pretty brilliant, in truth.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
Wouldn't we quickly try more Glen Keef?... What do you say? |
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Glen Keith 20 yo 1995/2015 (48.6%, Liquid Treasures, Travel to Mars, bourbon hogshead) 
Travel to Mars? Do Musk, Branson and Bezos own shares of this lovely wee whisky company? Colour: white wine. Nose: this is rather different from the other 1995s as it noses younger, especially more on cut pears. Other than that, it is barley bonanza. Mouth: very good for a while, I think I even like it a tad better than the others, for it is a little fresher. But it is rougher as well, with even some kinds of notes of peat smoke that just shouldn't be here. Finish: long, even more on raw williams pear spirit. Sadly, there's a little varnish too, not too sure that's welcome at this point. Comments: Mars? Not too sure. Let's move on.
SGP:561 - 82 points. |
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Glen Keith 21 yo 1992/2014 (51%, Ramseyer's, bourbon, 118 bottles)
I agree we're very late here. Mea maxima culpa, I'm afraid I owe beers or riesling or Brora to many people on this tiny planet. Colour: light gold. Nose: rather on the fragrant side and indeed we're closer to the new Oxhead 1992. More tropical fruits, mangos, bananas, plus oils (linseed) and a little plasticine. H2O should do much good to this little one… With water: no, water closes it down and makes it grassy. Mouth (neat): extremely good, fat, oily, slightly resinous, with perfect fruit skins and dry eaux-de-vies. Not easy to describe but there sure is a feeling of fullness here. Tantric whisky? With water: water works better on the palate than on the nose, but I'm not sure it was needed. Let's say 'no'. Finish: medium, on nice citrusy fruits. Pink grapefruits. Comments: very good, with awesome fruits, but careful with water. Remember, water can be the enemy (that too won't go to f*****g Facebook).
SGP:561 - 86 points. |
I'd have loved to find a 90-Glen Keef for Keef, but I doubt we'll manage. Good, a very last try only for our common cause… |
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Glen Keith 17 yo 1997/2014 (52.3%, Chapter 7, bourbon hogshead, cask #72627, 309 bottles)
This is Swiss, right, which means that it's serious, as we are here in neighbouring Alsace (but of course). Colour: white wine. Nose: ah, peaches beyond pears and citrus! Perhaps a touch of oily rubber too and even a little washing powder, but let's see… With water: cancel that, we're rather finding something subtly Thai now. Coriander? Lovely nose that loves water. Mouth (neat): perfect naked, fully on barley, sweet and oily spirit, with touches of liquorice and mint. Which, in the end of the day, will always win it. With water: a tad more uncertain, perhaps a little wee bit too piney. Finish: long, green, on resins and bee propolis. Comments: this was an older sample. Still very good, but please do not keep spirits in smaller containers while hoping they'll keep forever. I know what I'm talking about, I've got several thousands. That's just another costly myth, eternal youth, whether parafilmed or not, does not exist. Drink and enjoy, don't keep, that'll never work anyway unless you're using liquid nitrogen. And even then…
SGP:471 - 85 points. |
Sorry Keef, no utter winners and no bad losers either today, but there's some new OBs around too, no? Bah, some official Scottish distillers are scared of their own shadows and are still living in the 20th century anyway. Barely. Like, hey, there's this new band from Manchester, The Smiths, watch your Telefax… |
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