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Hi, you're in the Archives, August 2012 - Part 1 |
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August 13, 2012 |
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Losing the knack for a
short while
Hi. Maybe you’ve noticed that WF is a tad sluggish these days, with less updates than usual since two or three weeks, and some friends have been wondering what was happening. |
Well, that comes from the conjunction of various ‘incidents’: hot weather over Alsace, a lot of travelling in summer (no I don’t bring whisky samples with me everywhere) and the fact that I managed to burn my lips and my palate with a stupid hot dog. Well, I was even more stupid than the beast. Anyway, nothing too serious, but that does not go very well with cask strength whiskies, which can cure many things but not that ;-). We expect to resume normal service pretty soon.
PS: whisky lovers, careful with hot dogs! |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in St Tropez |
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August 9, 2012 |
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Tasting two slightly difficult Tobermory |
Having said that, not sure Tobermory is always easy… |
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Tobermory 15 yo 1995/2011 (46%, Blackadder, Aberdeen Distillers, ABD 1001, 164 bottles)  Colour: white wine. Nose: pure, textbook Tobermory, with just the right amounts of porridge, leaven or baker’s yeast, yoghurt sauce and raw barley at first nosing, then baked apples, fudge and vanillin. It’s a style, as they say… Maybe also a little charcoal smoke that may hint at Ledaig. Mouth: rather narrow, sweeter this time, with some tea and melissa tea, then this slight dirtiness that I often found in this make, between cardboard and black pepper. Slightly sour, as the nose already suggested. Then more plain sugar, cane syrup… Finish: rather short, on icing sugar, a little cinnamon and a bitterish earthiness in the aftertaste. Comments: it’s not an easy whisky in my opinion but it’s got something ‘honest’. I know what I’m trying to say… SGP:341 - 77 points. |
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Tobermory 18 yo 1994/2012 (50.7%, Whisky-Doris, sherry hogshead #5401) Colour: amber. Nose: it’s one of these very chocolaty and coffee-ish sherry monsters at first nosing. Rather dry than sweet, developing more on pipe tobacco and a mustiness (old wine cellar) plus a little heating oil and struck matches. With water: more matches, more leather, more earth. Mouth (neat): I don’t know if the distillate is any cleaner than the 1995 but the sherry may mask it, which could be good news. Having said that, it’s not really clean whisky, with all these peppery notes, the cloves, old walnuts, black raisins, chicory, Marmite… Quite some bitter oranges too. With water: becomes sweeter and kind of cleaner. Orangeade. Finish: rather long, mainly on raisins, pepper and cloves. Some kind of smoke in the aftertaste. Comments: not bad, not bad at all, it’s just that it’s a little difficult again in my opinion – and yes it's a matter of taste. SGP:452 - 79 points. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in St Tropez |
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August 6, 2012 |
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Bladnoch 1992/2011 (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask #2159)  Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re midway between sweet porridge and lemon here, although I’d rather say it’s a barleyish Baldnoch. Always stays on that fragile balance between both worlds, it never becomes fully citrusy and never completely barleyish. But does that work? It does, it’s all pretty fresh and ‘natural’, without becoming complicated (you may read complex). Mouth: sweet and easy! Litres of apple and lemon juices, tangerines, maybe hints of strawberries..; It’s all sweet and easy indeed and pretty uncomplicated again. One to quaff just like that. Finish: medium long, very clean. Fruit cocktail (with vitamins!) Comments: a very easy one, I’d say for summertime. How convenient! SGP:641 - 84 points. |
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Bladnoch 21 yo 1990/2012 (54,4%, Malts of Scotland, bourbon barrel, Cask #MoS 12019, 115 bottles) Colour: straw. Nose: starts extremely butyric; I think I haven’t come across such a butyric nose since… ages. Really strange, with also a lot of butterscotch and mashed potatoes, cider vinegar, baker’s yeast… Curious about what water will do to it. With water: some kind of pineapple wine and amaretto, Bailey’s... And then gets gradually ‘pure Bladnoch’. Time is on its side – it’s just un-rushable. Mouth (neat): there are traces of those vinegary notes on the palate as well but it’s globally cleaner. I get vanilla fudge, Werther’s Originals, maybe hints of Swiss cheese and then more lemon as expected. Less weird for sure. With water: ha, ha, ha, ha. And now we have a classic, clean, almost perfect Bladnoch. Finish: long, citrusy, slightly candied. Comments: this whisky played dirty tricks on me, I hated that! Seriously, it’s no whisky, it’s like a soap opera (without soap). Very hard to score! SGP:552 - 84 points (but could have been 81, could have been 89, I’m just kind of lost here). |
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Bladnoch 18yo 1988/2007 (53.5%, Bladnoch Forum, Cognac finish, cask #2643, 234 bottles) This baby spent two years in cognac wood. Remember cognac casks must be either new, or ex-cognac. No ‘importation’ is allowed. Colour: straw. Nose: this baby’s isn’t overly expressive when neat, it’s even a tad indistinct, between limejuice and damp papers, limestone, violets (the flowers, no confectionery or cosmetics)… Water may be needed. With water: oh no, now it’s this one that gets butyric/buttery. And in the background: coconut oil. Probably from the oak. Mouth (neat): lemon squash, orange squash and other squashes – tanker loads! Extreme Bladnochness, to the point where it’s all getting a tad ‘too much’ for this little taster. I do not get any cognacqy notes. With water: classic Bladnoch once again, with added pineapple juice and coconut. Pina colada, muchacho! Finish: medium long and… still no cognac. Or are these hints of brown sugar from the cognac? Comments: not that as a Frenchman, I would ask for more cognac but where is it? Other than that, it’s a great dram at times, and sometimes it just becomes weirdish. Entertaining for sure. Same ballpark as the 1990. SGP:541 - 84 points. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in St Tropez |
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Today: JAZZ FUSION. Performer: Nguyên Lê. Track: Whole Lotta Love (yes, that one). Please visit Nguyên Lê's website and buy his music! |
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August 2, 2012 |
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Tasting two Craigellachie |
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Craigellachie 1991/2011 (55.8%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask #2715)  Colour: white wine. Nose: starts quite smoky, which isn't unusual with Craigellachie in my experience. Garden bonfire, green apples, rocks, touches of chalk, leaves, a little mint, cut grass… All that is pleasantly sharp and clean, nervous, fresh… More and more green apples after a few minutes. With water: we're closer to raw sweet barley, sweet mash… Notes of melon as well, with a side that reminds me of Bruichladdich. Mouth (neat): perfect fresh, creamy, fruity dram. Barley sugar and pepper, sweet apples and more pepper. Ginger liqueur. With water: it became pleasantly syrupy. Barley water, orgeat, cane syrup, limoncello… Very quaffable, very clean. Finish: rather long, zesty, clean, fresh. Comments: no otherworldly whisky in my opinion but it's very 'natural', barleyish and very drinkable. SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Craigellachie 21 yo 1982/2003 (57.7%, OB for Craigellachie Hotel, cask #1416, 474 bottles) Scott's Selection had a wonderful 1982 around ten years ago. Colour: white wine. Nose: same-ish, really. Apples, smoke, grass, flints, clay and then funny whiffs of fresh fish. Say… trout? Also a little ink (newspaper of the day), mushrooms, earth... Nicely austere, I'd say. With water: just like the 1991, it went closer to raw sweet barley, butterscotch, also fern, pine needles… Mouth (neat): once again we're extremely close to the 1991 (no wonder, ages and wood type are similar), this one has just a little more lemon, and just as much pepper. With water: same. A little more liquorice and mint-flavoured green tea. The big lemon and pepper make it very nervous. Finish: long, lemony, peppery and gingery. Comments: very similar style and quality, I see no reason to give this baby a different score. All good. SGP:551 - 85 points. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK in St Tropez |
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Today: JAZZ FUSION. Performer: Weather Report. Track: Freezing Fire (Wayne Shorter, from Tale Spinnin', 1975). Please buy Weather Report's music! |
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Check
the index of all entries:
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Music
Nick's Concert
Reviews
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Best
malts I had these weeks - 90+
points only - alphabetical:
None
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