The Olympic Sessions, Day 11


August 8, 2024

The Olympic Sessions,
Day 11

For once, we're going from somewhere else. Oh, look, it's been so long since we've tasted this little one...

(Jack Daniel's magazine ad, circa 1998. Damn right! Except maybe at the Olympics.)

Jack Daniel's 'Old No.7' (40%, OB, USA, Tennessee Whiskey, +/-2024)

Each time I see a bottle, I can’t help but think of Keith Richards, and wonder if he couldn’t afford something a bit better. Surely, he must have had contracts, dear Keef… Colour: gold. Nose: not much going on, but nothing offensive either. Hints of coconut, nougat, brioche, popcorn, vanilla, and pancake syrup. It's very mild. Mouth: quite drinkable, as they say in wine. Caramel, popcorn, touches of caramel and nougat, a slight hint of violet liqueur, and a very light structure. The caramel aspect builds up but, in the end, it all remains drinkable. Finish: rather short and more on the plank, alas. Just a bad moment to get through. The aftertaste is somewhat cloying. Comments: it’s not “good,” but I don’t think it’s the absolute horror some occasionally mention.
SGP:730 - 72 points.

In the same vein, while we’re at it…

Jameson (40%, OB, Irish blend, +/-2024)

The last time we tasted this entry-level bottling was in 2011 (I won’t mention the score). Since then, we've only sampled older bottles of Jameson’s or more prestigious versions, sometimes excellent. Colour: pale gold. Nose: nothing, absolutely nothing, there is no nose. Perhaps a hint of grass. They could call this cuvée ‘the Cuvée of the Sphinx’. Mouth: better than the nose, of course, but more in the style of a Havana Club or Bacardi. Sugar syrup, vanilla, tea, hay, ethanol. If you could pass me some ice cubes, that would be nice... Finish: what finish? Joking aside, you find cheap supermarket black tea and sugarcane syrup. Comments: does anyone drink this little Jameson without ice, orange juice, Coca-Cola, ginger tonic or just Perrier? It’s not totally catastrophic, but it’s a rather empty spirit. By the way, they say 'triple distilled' on the label, which might mean there’s no grain, at least nothing distilled continuously. Bizarre.
SGP:320 - 60 points.

Let's be serious, this is Whiskyfun after all...

The Wiseman (45.4%, OB, USA, Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, +/-2023)

This by Kentucky Owl. Love this line on the label: ‘Guided by wisdom and crafted with knowledge’. Is the brand owned by some politicians? Also love the 1910-style label and the fact that this baby was made from four Kentucky Straight Bourbons. Colour: gold. Nose: not bad at all, not a bourbon ooh-ha, we're rather on liquorice and damp earth, even mint leaves and peaches that are very, very, but very ripe indeed. Quite ‘wise’ in effect. Also some light tobacco touches and a hint of leather. Mouth: it's good, easy, slightly sweet, with jams, corn syrup, then peanut butter and finally some slightly drying spices around cinnamon. Quite classic. Finish: rather short, rather honeyed, with touches of fruity rye. Comments: very nice, really does the job. Very ‘wise’, so a bit the opposite of us at WF.
SGP:640 - 82 points.

We're jumping from one style to another...

Cotswolds 5 yo 2016/2023 (62.4%, OB, New Vibrations LMDW, England, 2nd-fill bourbon barrel, cask #932, 285 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: highly alcoholic and brimming with rose petals and orange blossom water, one might think we’re in a safe place in the Middle east. Quick, some water... With water: all sorts of brioche from every corner of the globe. Mouth (neat): very creamy, ultra-fruity, with the famous mango-banana combination. It’s reminiscent of virgin US oak. Well, it’s very good... With water: white chocolate, akin to white Toblerone. A small-size model will suffice. Finish: good length, very fruity, very modern. Pink grapefruit in the aftertaste. Comments: not much to say, it’s all about the wood and mastery of molecules. It’s a marvellous whisky, no doubt, I just hope the entire planet doesn’t start making the same bourbonised (yet good) whiskies.
SGP:641 - 84 points.

Let's return to Japan, via Hong Kong...

Mars Tsunuki 6 yo 2017/2024 ‘Yakushima Aging’ (58%, OB, Japan, for Tiffany’s New York Bar and AF Trade, sherry hogshead, cask #2094, 252 bottles)

Ah, here we have the renowned maturation on Yakushima Island, where the climate is decidedly warmer. The whisky itself utilises barley peated to 50ppm. Colour: amber. Nose: I daresay the notion of umami was conceived for this whisky. Exhaust fumes, soy sauce, fine chocolate, tar, glutamate, sauna oils, overripe raspberries, miso, black and white truffles... It veers off in multiple directions yet maintains a certain ‘oneness’, akin to a fine old Pomerol, if you will. With water: aged balsamic from Modena, black earth (basalt), pumpernickel, and virgin wool... Mouth (neat): a whisky that delivers three slaps before politely asking you to add water. And we comply. With water: an astounding arrival of bergamots and kumquats cloaked in honey and liquid caramel. An indulgence. Finish: not eternal, but splendidly on prunes and large raisins, even a touch of rustic Armagnac. Though, are not all Armagnacs rustic? Comments: dare I say, we prefer the bourbon or refill versions, yet this one comes very, very close. A rather mad Tsunuki, overall.
SGP:641 - 88 points.

I'm not a big fan of the widespread bourbonisation of malt whiskies, yet it's what I prefer. Yes, it's a bit complicated, let’s say I prefer refill...

Kavalan 2014/2024 (61%, OB for Malt, Grain & Cane, Port, cask #O140201019A, 186 bottles)

We’re in Singapore this time. Bad news, this is Port. Good news, Kavalan usually manage to make Port not too Porty (no dull red berry liqueurs in our whiskies!) Colour: red amber. Nose: bags of roasted nuts, some cigars, some charcoal, deep-charred hamburgers, prunes, black raisins, black nougat, miso and… a lot of alcohol. So: with water: potting soil, leather polish, pumpernickel, tamarind jam… Mouth (neat): heavy rums and cognacs, heavier brandies de Jerez (without the sugar they usually add) and fifty tons of bitter chocolate. Corinth raisins as the foundation. With water: we’ve almost recreated some lovely heavy/deep sweet wine. You can reduce it a lot while it wouldn’t falter and wouldn’t give up. Finish: long, sweet, liqueury and extremely chocolaty. Comments: some kind of chocolate-and-raisins concentrate, not sure the base distillate is of any importance (whisky, rum, brandy…) All the sliders are almost at max, Nigel.
SGP:762- 87 points.

(Thank you, Lars)

Current Medal Standing
After Day 11

92 - Gold
	TTO Trinidad Distillers Limited 14 yo 2009/2024 'Edition N°1' (62.9%, The Colours of Rum, Up Spirits Club, bourbon cask, cask #106, 259 bottles)
91 - Gold
	JPN Shizuoka 2019/2023 (65.2%, Asta Morris, Japan, peated, pot still K, bourbon barrel, cask #1222, 302 bottles) JPN Shizuoka ‘United S - Summer Edition 2023’ (50.5%, OB, Japan, first-fill bourbon) JPN Yamazaki 18 yo ’Suntory 100th Anniversary’ (48%, OB, Japan, Mizunara, 2023) FIJ South Pacific Distillery 11 yo 2012/2023 (57.5%, The Whisky Jury, Fiji, refill barrel, cask #12, 292 bottles)
90 - Silver
	JPN Hakushu 18 yo ‘Suntory 100th Anniversary’ (48%, OB, Japan, 2023) NED Millstone 26 yo 1996/2022 (47.7%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, Netherlands, American oak, cask #1372, 264 bottles) JPN Shizuoka 2018/2024 (46.6%, OB, Sushi + Soul Munich, Japan, KS+WS, bourbon, cask #939) TTO Caroni 25-year-old 1998/2023 (60.1%, Impressions by The Colours of Rum, Trinidad, cask #8, 120 bottles)
89 - Silver
	FRA Alfred Giraud ‘Une Odyssée’ (52.9%, OB, France, Collection Singulière, cognac cask, 459 bottles) GBR Bimber ‘Stratford’ (58.5%, OB, England, The Spirit of the Underground, Fino cask, cask #267/16, 325 bottles, 2024) AIN Caribbean Rum 30 yo 1993/2024 (60.5%, eSpirit, Liquid Treasures, 15th anniversary, barrel, 282 bottles)
88 - Bronze
	GBR Bimber ‘Wimbledon’ (56.6%, OB, England, The Spirit of the Underground, Vino de Naranja cask, cask #310/5, 298 bottles, 2024) JPN Chichibu 2017/2023 (65%, OB for ePower, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #8279, 176 bottles) USA Copperworks 3 yo 2018/2022 (56.8%, Whisky-Facile, USA, Black Cat Series, virgin oak, cask #287, 239 bottles) ITA Exmu ‘Spirit of Sardinia’ (45.5%, OB, Italy, bourbon, +/-2024) JPN Kanosuke 2019/2023 (61%, OB, for ePower, Japan, oloroso sherry, cask #19421, 281 bottles) JPN Mars Tsunuki 6 yo 2017/2024 ‘Yakushima Aging’ (58%, OB, Japan, for Tiffany’s New York Bar and AF Trade, sherry hogshead, cask #2094, 252 bottles) GBR Penderyn 13 yo 2010/2023 (59.5%, OB, Wales, LMDW New Vibrations, second fill bourbon, cask #313/2010) JPN Shizuoka ‘Pot Still W Japanese barley First Edition’ (55.5%, OB, Japan, Japan exclusive, 2,500 bottles, 2023) JPN Yoichi 10 yo (45%, OB, Japan, Edition 2022) GUY Diamond 20 yo 2003/2024 'SVL' (51.6%, The Roots, Guyana, bourbon cask, cask #23, 174 bottles)
87 - Bronze
	GBR Bimber ‘Germany Edition 2023’ (59.2%, OB, Kirsch Import, sherry, cask #456, 280 bottles) NED Kalkwijck 2019/2023 ‘Higgledy Piggledy Rye’ (44%, OB, The Netherlands, American oak, 480 bottles, +/-2023) TPE Kavalan 2014/2024 (61%, OB for Malt, Grain & Cane, Port, cask #O140201019A, 186 bottles) FIN Kyrö 'Malt Rye' (47.2%, OB, Finland, +/-2023) NED Millstone 2019/2024 (57.3%, OB for The Whisky Jury, refill PX hogshead, cask #2547, 319 bottles) GER The Westfalian ‘Masterpiece Peated’ (64.1%, OB, Germany, ex-Macallan sherry hogshead, cask #TW74, 238 bottles) AIN Ron Colon ‘Salvadoreno High Proof’ (55.5%, OB, blend, +/-2022)