The Olympics, Day 10


August 7, 2024

The Olympic Sessions, Day 10

Starting from, you may have guessed it…

Le Breuil 2020 (50.8%, Version Française, LMDW, golden promise, 270 bottles)

Glad to see some proper Golden Promise, the variety of barley that earned Macallan its reputation. They certainly emphasised its use (along with sherry casks, of course). Le Breuil/Château du Breuil aka La Spiriterie Française are primarily Calvados distillers from Pays d’Auge. They appear to have a strong commitment towards other spirits, whisky included. Colour: white wine. Nose: naturally, it’s hard to miss the sliced apple and pear, but what really stands out is the freshly cut hay, which we absolutely adore, followed by blue-green tea (super oolong), and a hint of quince and candle wax. It’s fresh, lovely, and quite close to nature. With water: lots of wheat flour and sourdough. Mouth: peat emerges, with seaweed and lemon. It’s an entirely different whisky than on the nose, though the apple remains present. Some slightly bitter green spices, cardamom, green pepper… With water: lovely peat, chiselled, precise, simple. Nothing to fault. Green lemon juice. Finish: fairly long, just tense enough, with a salty aftertaste. Vive la Normandie! Comments: significantly superior to a previous Version Française, a 2017. But that’s just a personal opinion, as always. Very charming little whisky, with a distinct identity, though not easy to define.
SGP:464 - 85 points.

Fary Lochan 2017/2022 ‘Rum Edition #03’ (48.5%, OB, Denmark, 333 bottles)

From some rum barrel. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: there’s that amusing ‘dirty’, chalky, and fermentative side, with thick cream, mashed potatoes, then baker’s yeast and a good Belgian beer, white but vigorous. The usual vanilla and some citrus candies come to complete the profile before more rum shows up without becoming a troublemaker. Mouth: I really like this blend of ink, very artisanal beer, plaster, sourdough bread, lemon, and perhaps sugar cane. It’s all melded together, you won’t say ‘oh, rum!’ Some bitter almonds and fresh wood add a slightly rough edge in the mouth. Finish: long, fermenting, lemony, with pleasant bitter notes quite present. It’s closer to fresh barley. Comments: there’s an artisanal quality I quite like, and above all, some personality.
SGP:561 - 84 points.

Beverbach ‘Mizunara Cask Finish’ (43%, OB, Germany, +/-2023)

From Hardenberg Distillery – established 1700, mind you! Even our German friends are getting into mizunara. You might say it's about the only way to impart a hint of Japanness to your whisky, apart from perhaps paying homage to artists like Kurosawa, Mishima, Sakamoto, Yamash’ta, Fujita, etc. I’d go for that. Colour: white wine. Nose: it's direct, simple but pretty, with cereals, bread, pastries, apples, and a hint of pine resin. Works. Mouth: perhaps more unusual, sweet and spicy, leaning a bit towards pine bud liqueur at times, the rest being more about orange peel and marmalade. Not bad at all, despite the low alcohol content. Finish: of medium length, still a bit sweet (like the apple liqueur they make in Spain) but not excessively so. Comments: not bad at all, this little samurai crafted near Göttingen, not far from Kassel. A form of contemporary art, in a way. We’ll be tasting more Beverbach, I believe...
SGP:651 - 82 points.

Bikkun (46%, OB, Spain, blended malt, +/-2022)

Best Spanish Blended Malt at the World Whisky Awards, how fantastic! I love these categories... There's malt from Basque Moonshiners in it, aged in Rioja casks (naturally). They seem to be steering a bit this blended malt, it appears. Colour: white wine. Nose: not bad! There's a lovely peat, which internationalises any whisky. Damp earth, porridge, peat, sourdough, green clay, bread dough, drops of mint and eucalyptus essence... All is well. Mouth: but yes, it's not bad at all, Scottish in style, very smoky, savoury, then with raisins and a bit of mead. Nice balance, nothing to fault, it's well constructed. Finish: medium length, very pleasant, mint, ashes, and honey, which works very well. A drop of anisette and wild strawberry in the aftertaste. Comments: and I, who hesitated for a long time to taste this seemingly odd baby. But it's well done, viva the Basque Country! Not sure it's truly fully Spanish though.
SGP:564 - 84 points.

A short trip to Ireland (while staying in Spain) ...

Bushmills 10 yo ‘Vino Dulce Reserve’ (43%, OB, Ireland, single malt, +/-2024)

A brand new expression of Bushmills, aged in bourbon and sherry, then finished in vino dulce. Now which vino dulce? They make some almost everywhere in Spain, from Catalunya to Malaga and indeed, Jerez. Should be PX… And we love Bushmills. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s more austere at the beginning than I would have thought, which is not bad news at all. Let’s not exaggerate, there’s still the traditional combination of tropical fruits, bananas at the forefront, and ripe apples covered in wildflower honey. Caramel and nougat follow, and finally, the raisins we were expecting: currants, muscat, sultanas... We’re definitely leaning towards Malaga. Mouth: this time the sweet wine takes the lead and doesn’t seem to let go. Consequently, it’s a bit like fortified wine, such as Pineau des Charentes or a splash of Champagne ratafia. And between us, it’s very good, rich but balanced... Finish: medium length, very sweet, honeyed, muscaty. Comments: if you fancy a wine with your dessert but prefer whisky, here’s the solution. It should be splendid over good vanilla ice cream. What’s also amusing is the exotic fruits of Bushmills singing in the background, a bit like Roxy Music’s backing singers (what?) I rather like that slightly decadent touch.
SGP:740 - 85 points.

Wee last one…

Wild Turkey ‘101’ (50.5%, OB, USA, OB, Kentucky straight bourbon, +/-2024)

The last time we sampled this expression was in 2013, and it still had the old label. It was a bit ‘plankish’ (overoaked), but things might have changed a lot since then. Colour: deep gold. Nose: there’s still that cedar and balsa wood side, but the fruity varnish and encaustic touches smooth things out, while a bit of ripe apricot and bruised apples add some more fruitiness. A hint of overripe fruits that I like, bringing a slight tropical aspect to the whole. In short, it’s simple but solid. Vanilla and popcorn join in later. With water: heading towards the classic, pancakes, maple syrup, cinnamon cake, coriander seeds… Mouth (neat): full-on lavender, rye, violet, liquorice, geranium, and even juniper. Plenty of honey and vanilla follow. With water: frankly, it’s very good. Even the water, which should bring out the ‘nasty tannins’, doesn’t. Finish: same. Comments: they must have tweaked the recipe a bit. Or perhaps they realised that, like in wine, ‘less wood is the way’. Very good bourbon at a very good price (especially when compared to an equivalent malt whisky).
SGP:641 - 86 points.

Current Medal Standing
After Day 10 (unchanged)

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) 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) 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)