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Hi, you're in the Archives, February 2006 - Part 2 |
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| TASTING
- THREE INDIE TOBERMORIES |
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Tobermory
9 yo 1995/2004 (46%, Murray McDavid,
fresh sherry, MM0420)
Colour: white wine, strange when considering
it’s a fresh sherry. Nose: rather
hot, expressive, with indeed a little
sherry but otherwise we have the expected
mashy, grainy and milky notes. Mashed
potatoes, hot milk, porridge, muesli…
Very simple and close to grain but
not unpleasant, especially because
it gets then interestingly fragrant,
with notes of Turkish delights, musk,
pear juice… Really youthful
– but where’s the sherry?
Ah, yes, we have hints of sulphur
coming though now… A ‘nice’
nose. Mouth: sweet and extremely fruity,
with rather explosive notes of orange
juice, pears again, apples…
A little fresh ginger, tea…
And that’s all. Extremely simple
and resembling a fruit eau-de-vie,
but flawless and very enjoyable, to
be honest. We don’t obligatorily
need to scratch our heads when tasting
whisky, do we? And the finish is long
and very… fruity. Good, I think!
82 points.
Tobermory
1994 (60%, Natural Color, France,
2005)
Colour: dry white wine - almost white.
Nose: punchier of course, thanks to
the alcohol, but more indistinct,
with just a little coffee (as often
in high-voltage whiskies), pear spirit
and whiffs of liquorice. But let’s
not be unfair and add a little water…
Right, now it gets also very mineral
and herbal (notes of fern), still
quite coffeeish, and then we have
the usual mashy and grainy notes.
Not too bad but it definitely needs
water (and you as well ;-). Mouth
(neat): extremely sweet and –
of course – powerful, with lots
of fresh coconut. A cask strength
Malibu? ;-) With water now: very,
very similar to the Murray McDavid
– so please refer to the above
tasting notes. And I won’t be
a snob just because it’s Tobermory:
82 points again. And speaking
of Tobermories for snobs, let’s
try the…
Tobermory
1972/1995 (50%, Moon Import ‘De
Viris Illustribus’, 600 bottles)
Colour: gold – of course. Nose:
another dimension as expected, although
it does smell ‘Tobermorish’
at first nosing. Hyper-bold notes
of fresh pineapples, together with
something very farmy and vegetal.
Fern, moss, hay, newly mown grass…
Peat? It does remind me of some superb
1972 Ledaigs indeed! Quite some smoke,
at that, matchsticks… And then
we have various herbal teas (mainly
hawthorns and rosehips, aniseeds)…
It gets smokier and smokier, and very
mineral, in fact! What a perfect compactness
– and great surprise! Mouth:
oh yeah! It’s clearly more different
from the 1972 Ledaigs I know on the
palate, and very unusual again. Quite
some liquorice sticks, mint tea, cough
drops… Gets then very peppery,
gingery and spicy… Something
meaty (smoked sausages), herbal…
Spearmint chewing-gums, mastic-flavoured
Turkish delights, cooked turnips (honest),
menthol fir honey sweets, honeydew…
Very, very special, that’s for
sure! And the finish is very long,
resinous and quite smoky… Haha!
Tobermory! Tobermory? Anyway, 1972
was a great year on Mull as well,
it appears. A kind of profile I l-o-v-e.
94 points. |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
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MUSIC
– Highly recommended
listening - It's bouncy, it's joyous,
it's perfectly produced and superbly
written, it's Massachusetts' Luke
Temple doing Someone,
somewhere.mp3. Excellent, very
honest music, I think! Please, please
buy Luke Temple's works, I'm sure
he'll go very far... |
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Lagavulin
12 yo (43%, OB, ‘White Horse’,
Carpano import, rotation 1973)
Colour: dark gold. Nose: starts very
delicately, with whiffs of burning
incense and ash tree smoke, hints
of smoked fish and a little camphor
and mint. Very unusual! Develops on
earl grey tea (bergamot), old style
perfume (Joy de Patou?), cocoa…
Very, very subtle and complex. It
gets then much fruitier but with always
quite some smoke in the background,
on bitter oranges, tangerines, grapefruits,
sangria… |
| It’s
really beautiful, with something feminine
(all delicacy) yet firm… And
then the incense is back, together
with a little cedar wood (cigar box)
and dried roses… Captivating,
really. Mouth: oh yes, it’s
superb! Sharper than expected, quite
bitter (nicely of course), slightly
sweet and herbal (candied angelicas,
mint leaves). There’s something
very citrusy, waxy and oily, with
notes of old Riesling and maybe hints
of caramel crème. The finish
is rather long, quite resinous and
smoky, with quite some salt remaining
on the tip of your tongue… In
short, a full-bodied old Lagavulin
with a very delicate nose and a bold
– and almost rough – palate.
Probably more extreme in its style
than the current 16 yo and certainly
less ‘polished’. Excellent,
in any case. 93 points. |
| Lagavulin
12 yo 1988/2000 (56.2%, Hart Bros)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: this one
starts amazingly different, extremely
smoky, almost acrid, although there
is a little incense again (Japanese
incense sticks). Lots of smoked tea,
garden bonfire, coal fire, burning
matchsticks (well, a whole box)…
Very extreme! It really smells like
genuine peat smoke. Also hochicha
(Japanese grilled tea). Hints of flowers…
A really massive and very impressive
Lagavulin, certainly smokier than
all its Kildalton neighbours. And
these ‘funny’ notes of
incense again! Mouth: bold, punchy
and very smoky and peaty again. Wow,
it’s quite a beast! Lots of
dried herbs, ‘grass juice’,
bitter almonds… Very vegetal,
a little hard to tame – not
that it’s too strong but certainly
too smoky (I’d never had thought
I’d write that one day). Let’s
see what happens with a little water
– I’m curious… Right,
it does get better indeed. More resinous,
a little sweeter, almost like one
of the ‘best’ cough syrups…
And the finish is very long, heady,
smoky and resinous… A beast
indeed. We’d love to be able
to taste more versions of Lagavulin
from time to time! Anyway, 90
points – well deserved
- for this crazy baby. |
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MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - An excellent mashup
by king of recycling Futuro,
called Breathe
with me till dowm.mp3. One ingredient
is Judie
Tzuke, the other one is... yes,
no need to tell you. Please, please
do whatever you can do with this
kind of stuff... (are there gigs
or something?) |
| TASTING
- TWO BRAES OF GLENLIVET
Braes
of Glenlivet 1989 (43%, Natural
Color, France, 2005)
Colour: white wine. Nose: starts
quite fragrant, heathery, with notes
of flints and wood smoke, getting
then quite smoky (smoked ham) and
also rather rubbery (tyre inner
tube). Not much maturation but the
result is nice, in my opinion. Notes
of lukewarm milk, smoked tea, porridge,
newly mown grass, hints of lily
of the valley… Quite a good
surprise, very ‘natural’
if you see what I mean. |
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| Mouth:
the attack is rather punchy considering
the malt’s strength, quite fruity
(Williams pears), very sweet, with
also notes of bubblegum and marshmallows.
Now it’s a bit too simple…
Boxed peaches, boxed litchis, a little
caramel and cake, roasted nuts, praline…
Not to bad, in fact, and certainly
flawless, with a rather long, maybe
slightly too rubbery finish. No problems!
(OK, and no thrill). 79 points. |
| Braes
of Glenlivet 15 yo 1979/1995 (43%,
Signatory, Butts #16042-43)
We’ve had several excellent
young Braes of Glenlivet by Signatory
before, so I’m really curious.
Colour: pale amber. Nose: curiously
fresher at first nosing, despite the
obvious sherry (probably refill here).
Bold notes of hot caramel, sulphur
(a nice one here), espresso coffee,
roasted raisins and herbs… And
again something flinty in the background…
Very, very enjoyable, although not
too complex. Ah, simple pleasures…
Mouth: much creamier, oilier, almost
thick. Quite some sherry again, but
it’s not really of the greatest
kind now, I’m afraid. Very rubbery
and sulphury, mineral but not in a
nice way, getting very cardboardy
and chocolaty (a spoonful of Van Houten).
Notes of very dry liquorice (tar?),
over-roasted fruits (raisins), burnt
cake… No disaster here –
and the nose was great – but
the palate isn’t too enjoyable.
Add to that a rather bitter finish
and here you go: 75 points. |
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MUSIC
– It's
Sunday, we go (sort of) classical
with Philip
Glass' String
Quartet No.3.mp3.(a montage
from Mishima). I've always liked
Philip Glass (even if some wondered
why), especially since his brilliant
works with Ravi Shankar. Please
buy Philip Glass' works. |
| CRAZY
WHISKY ADS - RESPONDING TO JOHANNES'
SNEAKY ATTACK! |
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| You
may remember Johannes, the sneaky
Dutchman from maltmadness,
did declare an 'ad war' to whiskyfun
a year ago or so and finally asked
for a cease-fire. Well, I had hoped
he would keep quiet and concentrate
on more peaceful activities... Until
I saw that he just attacked us again,
on February 24 precisely. Maybe
you saw it, it was an ad for some
obscure tequila, showing a pair
of (probably fake) boobs and a piece
of lemon. Highly distasteful! Plus,
I was on a trip on that very day
and didn't have proper editing software
at hand, just my laptop and so I
couldn't respond properly. But we're
back now and instead of even chestier
starlets displaying their charms
for the sake of any cheap liquor,
I preferred to publish these very
rare, little-known ads for Glen
Close, a brand new high-end pure
malt. Don't look for bottles, even
on eBay, I've heard it's already
sold out ;-). Phew... |
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| CRAZY
WHISKY AD - WINTER SPORTS - A SHORT
HISTORY - Part 9 (and last) |
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Left,
Seagram's 7 Crown,
1980's: 'Seagram's 7 and six-in-a-tub.'
I agree, what's best is what
happens after the ski. But why did
they plant their skis next to the
spa?
Right, Crown Royal,
2003: 'There's nothing more impressive
than good stickhandling.' Brutes!
|
| TASTING
- TWO OLD 10 yo TORMORES |
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Tormore
10 yo (43%, OB for Dreher, Italy,
1970’s)
Colour: amber. Nose: rather discreet
at first nosing, a little grainy and
cardboardy (typical old bottle effect).
It then improves nicely after a little
breathing and gets rather ‘ample’,
with quite some dried oranges and
something nicely waxy. Mouth: it’s
much bolder now, powerful, almost
aggressive which is quite amazing
after 30 years in a bottle at 4% vol.
Lots of crystallised oranges and apricot
jam, with invading but soft tannins
and some nice resinous notes and a
rather long and satisfying finish.
In short, probably not the most complex
old whisky but lots of elegance and
body. 84 points.
|
| Tormore-Glenlivet
10 yo (43%, OB, 1980's)
Colour: gold. Nose: lots of light
caramel and cold tea, unexpectedly
powerful again but aromatically rather
inoffensive. Not much else to say.
Mouth: ‘quite nice’. It’s
quite caramelly again, with notes
of light honey, getting rather malty.
Rather long finish, getting maybe
a bit too sweetish. A good, simple
old malt in a flashy livery. 77
points. |
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MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - JAZZ - for serious aficionados
only although it's quite 'listenable'
;-) - I've been wanting to post
about the great, great Henry
Threadgill since I
started Whiskyfun but couldn't find
any good mp3. Great news, we have
one, thansk to Pi
Recordings! It's Don't
turn around.mp3 (with Make a
Move, from the recent CD Everybodys
Mouth's a Book). Please, please,
please buy Threadgill's music and
support jazz! |
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| TASTING
- FOUR MORTLACHS |
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Mortlach
1989/2004 (43%, Dun Eideann, France,
cask #2054)
Colour: white wine. Nose: starts rather
boldly for a 43% malt but also quite
spirity. Very grainy, with notes of
cut green apples and pears, hints
of orange juice but not much else.
Or maybe whiffs of wet stones and
violets (old style cologne). Gets
a little papery – also whiffs
of church incense. Not too interesting
but rather enjoyable, in fact. Mouth:
very, very sweet… Orange liqueur?
Banana liqueur? We have also hints
of fresh ginger, all sorts of fresh
fruits (strawberries, pears, grapes)…
It’s almost like an eau-de-vie
soaked fruit salad, topped with caramel
and a little vanilla crème.
Enjoyable – one to offer your
neophyte friends? The finish rather
long, at that, very fruity and nicely
balanced… The palate was much
nicer than the nose! It’s not
that often that you come across such
a fruity malt. 83 points.
Mortlach
1994/2004 (46%, Eilan Gillan, American
oak, France)
Colour: white wine. Nose: very similar,
even less expressive. Mineral and
rather grassy at first nosing, it
needs its time to develop. There’s
a phase where there’s quite
some beer and cider, and then quite
some flowery notes (lilac) and a little
green banana. But it’s no aromatic
wonder. Mouth: very sweet and fruity
again (yellow peaches and apricots),
with a rather nervous attack, but
it’s less ‘clean’
than the Dun Eideann, more herbal,
nuttier… Something slightly
disjointed (notes of paper, paraffin,
diluted caramel). Gets sugarish with
time, sort of sluggish and lacking
structure… I liked the Dun Eideann
much better. The finish is long, though,
but again too sweetish, leaving something
weird on the palate (salted liquorice
mixed with overripe strawberries).
Too bad, I quite liked the nose. 77
points.
Mortlach
13 yo 1991/2004 (46%, Signatory Un-chillfiltered,
butt #4810, 756 bottles)
Isn’t that’s a lot of
70cl bottles in a single butt? Colour:
dark straw. Nose: quite aromatic right
at first nosing, malty, with quite
some sherry, a very delicate one.
Notes of caramel and smoke, ashes,
milk chocolate… Quite some tea
as well, bananas flambéed…
It’s rather sharp in fact, lots
of presence even if it’s not
precisely complex. Whiffs of newly
broken limestone, iron… also
a little calvados, manzana verde (Spanish
green apple liqueur)… Mouth:
lots of body! Creamy, oily, almost
thick, with something sweet and sour
(orange wine, wine sauce). Quite some
sulphur and rubber (like when were
chewing rubber bands at school) –
a slight feeling of ‘dirtiness’
but it’s still enjoyable. Develops
of ‘very cooked’ coffee,
chocolate liqueur, over infused tea…
It gets then quite drying, ‘sticky’,
nutty (also bitter almonds, marzipan).
A sugared Calvados? Long, bold, coating
finish on caramel and smoked herbs…
Rather extreme on the palate, I’d
say, despite the 46%. But it’s
still a very nice Mortlach. 82
points.
Mortlach
15 yo 1990/2005 (55.4%, Dewar Rattray,
cask #3701, 332 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: much less
expressive than the Signatory, almost
closed. Hey-ho! Notes of apple skins,
grass, malt, grain, green barley…
Maybe a little biscuit, cider…
And again something slightly mineral
but that’s all. Let’s
try to break it open with a little
water… Yes, that sort of works,
the malt getting more mineral, more
elegant, with something ‘delicately’
farmy, hay, clean dog… Good
news! Mouth (neat): almost overpowering
and extremely fruity (apples and pears),
getting rather bitter… We need
water… Okay, it does improve
again. Much more complex, with quite
some liquorice, toffee, caramel, mocha,
Cointreau… It gets even very
good! Amazing what a few drops of
water can do, sometimes. The finish
is long, balanced (with water), on
pastries and milk chocolate. It’s
the winner, thanks to the water! 84
points. |
| |
 |
MUSIC
– Very strongly
recommended listening - Especially
if you're in an adventurous mood,
innovative guitarist Nels
Cline doing an extremely
energetic (OK, and noisy) Suspended
Heat.mp3 with his Nels Cline Singers
- no singers here. Play it loud and
enjoy! Now, if you're more into Enya
or the Bay City Rollers, I'd understand
you hate it ;-). But what a f*****g
superb player he is! Please, please
buy his music... |
| TASTING
- TWO INDIE 18 yo BRUICHLADDICHS |
| Bruichladdich
18 yo 1970/1989 (46%, Signatory, casks
#20354-20359, 1400 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: starts very fruity,
smooth but firm, extremely appealing.
Yummy! Very bold notes of apricot
jam, very ripe mirabelle plums and
melons, vanilla crème, coconut
milk… Good, very good, it really
reminds me of the quite recent official
1970 (44.2%) that was so brilliant.
|
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| Lots
of tarte tatin as well (caramelized
apples and butter), bananas flambéed,
whiffs of soft spices, Indian cashews
sauce… And maybe something maritime
(sea air) but that may be the power
of mind. A malt for gluttons? Mouth:
now it’s less sweet and rounded
than expected, starting quite herbal,
with notes of pepper, green tea, liquorice
and caramel. Something bitter, probably
from the casks but that adds quite
some structure to the malt. The notes
of very ripe yellow fruits are well
here, as well as something quite gingery
(Schweppes) and peppery. It’s
almost as if you chewed a liquorice
stick! Something chocolaty as well
(not unlike Spain’s Sampaka
100% cocoa chocolate, very bitter
but flavourful). And we have a long,
rather sharp and nicely bitter finish.
A very interesting malt that goes
from a very fruity and rounded nose
to a sharp and sort of austere finish.
88 points. |
| Bruichladdich
18 yo 1979/1997 (55.8%, Cadenhead)
Colour: gold. Nose: starts more powerful,
almost spirity, which sort of blocks
its development for a while –
juts a while. It then takes off beautifully.
Probably not as extravagant as the
Signatory but just as enjoyable. The
fruits are fresher (and less cooked)
but they are more or less the same:
apricots, mirabelle plums and melon,
spices, maybe a little ginger, caramel
sauce… Quite honeyed, at that,
with also little whiffs of camphor.
Slightly rougher, sharper, but not
less enjoyable, and certainly very
elegant. Another classy Laddie. Mouth:
now it’s this one that’s
the fruitiest. Mirabelle plums again,
watermelon jam, pomegranates…
And, should I say ‘of course’,
melons… We have also, again,
a great bitter structure and quite
some spices such as white pepper,
cloves, nutmeg, a little cumin and
a pinch of salt… Very interesting
again but there’s a little too
much alcohol, let’s add a few
drops of water… Right, it gets
a little mintier, with also more liquorice,
chlorophyll chewing-gum… And
there’s an excellent, rather
minty finish. Another excellent, quite
complex Bruichladdich for aficionados
who don’t only believe in peat
and sherry. 88 points
(tie - and thanks Pierre and Nikos). |
| CRAZY
WHISKY AD - WINTER SPORTS - A SHORT
HISTORY - Part 8 |
 |
Left,
Canadian Club, 1975:
'If you Space Ski Mount Asguard...
before you hit the ground, hit the
silk!' A very worthy piece of
advise! And here's another useful
ad by Canadian Club...
Right, Canadian Club,
1975: 'Skibobbing the Trockener
Steg is really exciting. In fact,
it lifted Sandy right out of her seat!'Poor
Sandy! But the ad tells us that luckily,
the only thing bruised was her ego...
|
|
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - Innovative (although
not on this piece) musician Frank
Lenz does Bullets
in the wall.mp3. Quiet, nicely
crafted and as good as Neil 'Harvest'
Young or James Taylor? Maybe...
Anyway, please buy Frank's music,
it's very cool! |
 |
| TASTING
- THREE CLASSY DALWHINNIES |
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Dalwhinnie
15 yo (40%, OB, probably late 1970’s)
Colour: gold. Nose: fresh, slightly
waxy and rather malty, with lots of
‘light’ caramel and fudge.
Some very enjoyable and unusual smoky
notes, with even something maritime
(!). It gets then a little resinous…
The whole isn’t too bold but
no weakness here. Certainly more phenolic
than the current versions. Mouth:
nice attack, rather herbal, with lots
of marzipan and bitter almonds, developing
on rhubarb pie, smoked tea, praline…
The finish is quite long, unexpectedly
smoky and tea-ish. A very good Dalwhinnie,
no doubt. 86 points. |
| Dalwhinnie
15 yo (43%, OB, mid 1980’s)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: certainly
maltier, and even more full-bodied
than its elder sibling. Really punchy
and again quite smoky, developing
on simple but enjoyable notes of hot
praline, pastries, light toffee, cappuccino…
It gets quite fruity, at that (bananas,
rum soaked pinepapples), with also
notes of dried coconut and again something
resinous (pine needles, fir liqueur).
Very good! Mouth: smooth, sweet, very
malty and unexpectedly winey now,
almost like a sweet white wine (Cérons,
Cadillac). It does grow bolder, with
quite some liquorice (liquorice stick),
smoked tea, roasted nuts and even
something slightly minty. The finish
is very long, at that, perfectly balanced,
both fruity and caramelly. 86
points again. |
 |
 |
Dalwhinnie
20 yo 1963 (40%, G&M Connoisseur’s
Choice old brown label)
Colour: gold. Nose: starts much more
restrained, with something papery,
but it’s soon to take off, getting
much more herbal, resinous and minty
than the OB’s, and then very
phenolic. Not exactly ‘peaty’
but there is quite some peat, obviously.
Great notes of forest (wet moss, fern,
mushrooms). Very fresh, in fact, with
also hints of turpentine, linseed
oil, marzipan… Rather impressive!
Mouth: wowie! Very lively, incredibly
waxy and fruity at the same time.
Beeswax, fresh almonds, marzipan,
fruity green olives, spearmint, hints
of lemon balm… And again these
peaty (not exactly smoky) notes, with
a great bitterness. Alas, it gets
sort of weak after a few minutes,
all flavours seeming to vanish after
a little breathing. It then gets cardboardy
and a little drying, with a finish
that’s quite tea-ish but with
still traces of peat and wax. A great
surprise – this one would have
made it to 90 points with a little
more ‘durability’.
87 points. |
| CRAZY
WHISKY AD - WINTER SPORTS - A SHORT
HISTORY - Part 7 |
 |
Left,
White Horse, 1968:
'What are good guys made of? White
Horse, the Good Guys' Scotch.' The
main character looks like Jean-Claude
Killy, who won three gold medals at
the Winter Olympics in 1968 but it's
not him. Ah, the playboys' golden
age...
Right, Seagram's V.O.,
1971. 'For people who want the
best that life has to offer.' Or
winter in Gstaadt (and summer in Saint-Tropez)...
Very 1970's! |
| |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - Lol again! As they say,
'wanna have some fun today?' Then
listen to Mexican - Argentinean wizards
Faca
'playing' Nightshot.mp3.
Then play it again, and again... (OK
three times will be enough). I guarantee
you'll feel better! And yeah, there's
a lot of sun outside! And please buy
Faca's music if you can find some! |
 |
| TASTING
- THREE RECENT GLENGOYNES |
 |
Glengoyne
10 yo 1994/2005 (61.9%, OB, rum finish,
cask #9093, 264 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: really amusing!
It starts on lots of candy sugar and
yes, rum, with some heavy notes of
sultanas. It’s almost rum and
a rather enjoyable one. If you’re
into rum, that is… And the mouth?
It’s just the same: rum. Very
sweet with a very creamy mouth feel,
with also quite some salt and pepper
and perhaps hints of smoked ham…
But it’s almost pure rum! (I
know I insist). Interesting, in any
case, and I do like good rums. Let
me try to let some friends taste it
blind one day, should be funny! Anyway,
84 points for this
very Caribbean Glengoyne. |
| Glengoyne
8 yo 1996/2005 (56.7%, Scotch Malt
Whisky Society 123.2, 317 bottles)
Colour: amber with reddish hues (thigh
of a moved nymph, would say a 18th
century painter). Nose: punchy, with
a big, bold sherry. Lots of cooked
red fruits (strawberries, blackberries,
raspberries) and prune jam…
Getting fruitier and fruitier (fresh
strawberries, boxed litchis and pineapples).
It really starts to smell like a good
Beaujolais (Juliénas) after
a moment, with notes of fresh pastries,
butter croissants… Faint whiffs
of smoke and flowers (peonies). Very
fresh indeed, nothing to do with the
usual sherry monsters (no rum-raisins-chocolate).
Mouth: quite spirity, much less clean
now. Starts like a fruit eau-de-vie
(kirsch, plums), with something quite
rubbery. Gets quite sour and somewhat
acrid at the same time, with the rubber
getting bolder. Something bitter as
well… Fruitcake, wine and caramel
sauce… Not my favourite kind
of profile, probably too vinous for
my tastes. The finish is rather long
but a little bitter and sugarish at
the same time. Too bad, the nose was
truly great. 80 points. |
 |
Glengoyne
14 yo 1991/2005 (57.4%, OB, claret
finish, cask #90474, 324 bottles)
Colour: just the same. Nose: interesting!
We have the same kind of profile but,
indeed, closer to a Bordeaux in a
certain way. More on blackcurrants,
a little bell pepper… Also much
more vinous, although it’s not
excessively so. Not as clean but still
quite fresh and lively. Now, it’s
rather simple and lacking a little
definition, but we do have the fresh
red fruits coming through after a
while, as well as quite some kirsch
again and cake. Rather pleasant, in
fact, even if quite far from ‘Scotch
whisky’. Mouth: now it’s
this one which is cleaner. Bold, hot,
extremely fruity (this palate would
fit the SMWS’ nose better!)
on strawberry jam and caramel, getting
very honeyed. Very sweet and nervous
at the same time! Something toasted…
Crystallized fruits (oranges)…
Getting quite spicy and gingery, with
quite some (soft) tannins. And the
finish is long, still punchy and remaining
a little hot, on strawberry jam. A
good finished one, no doubt. 84
points. |
| CRAZY
WHISKY AD - WINTER SPORTS - A SHORT
HISTORY - Part 6 |
 |
Left,
Canadian Club, 1963:
'Even my heart turned over when I
tried upside-down skiing.' Yet
another 'extreme sports' ad by canadian
Club.
Right, Three Feathers,
1966. 'Smooth take-off.' Rather
weird, but we've seen stranger things
in the old Three Feathers ads... We'll
post more! |
| |
|
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - This is good, this is
very good methinks: drummer Scott
Amendola and his band
doing Buffalo
bird woman.mp3. A wonderful
development from jazz to country
through blues, some very funny hints
(at Giant Steps, at the Floyd's
Money, at Jefferson Airplane etc.)
In short, please buy his music! |
 |
| TASTING
- FOUR INDIE 1974 ARDBEGS |
 |
Ardbeg
19 yo 1974/1993 (43%, Signatory, casks
#4375-77, 980 bottles)
Colour; white wine. Nose: wow, lots
of oomph for a 43% whisky. It starts
unusually citrusy (citrons, lemons,
grapefruits) and mineral, almost like
one of the best Alsatian Rieslings
(from the Riquewihr-Hunawihr region).
Huge notes of fireplace, gunflint,
fir wood smoke… It gets then
more ‘classical’, with
quite some apple juice, compote, peat
smoke, getting then rather medicinal
as expected (bandages, iodine). And
it keeps developing, with whiffs of
marzipan, almond milk, fresh hazelnuts…
Just beautiful, perfectly balanced
and bloody enjoyable. Mouth: the attack
is a tad weak but that doesn’t
last for long. Some nutty and smoky
notes are soon to take control, with
a very nice bitterness (lemon and
grape seeds). Develops on old turpentine,
old-style cough drops (I think there
was natural tar in them), zabaglione,
grilled argan oil, bitter almonds…
It’s sort of delicate but not
weak at all anymore. Maybe a little
mint and certainly quite some forest
honeydew. The finish isn’t extraordinarily
long but very smoky and waxy…
Just excellent! 92 points.
Ardbeg
28 yo 1974/2003 (50%, Douglas Laing
OMC, 264 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: starts much more
violently, quite austere, extremely
mineral and grassy. This one makes
you almost regret the Signatory’s
43% ;-). We have – of course
– roughly the same package in
the background (citrus fruits, smoke,
stones) but the resinous and camphory
notes grow bolder here after a few
minutes. Eucalyptus-aromatized candles,
marzipan, linseed oil, paraffin…
It’s certainly rougher but it’s
still a very nice baby! Mouth: oh
yes, now it’s ‘very superb’.
Creamy, almost thick, perfectly bitter
(propolis, paraffin, chestnut honey,
almond skins…), with a taste
that I would describe as ‘Ardbeggish’,
I’m sure you get what I mean.
Smoky of course. What’s remarkable
is that it’s not complex at
all, even simple, very simple, but
it’s so compact, so bold, so
‘full’. Not too far from
the most perfect simplicity (and God
knows I cherish complexity). And the
finish is very long, very satisfying,
very Ardbeggish. Excellent again:
91 points - it would
have needed a little extra-complexity
to fetch more than that. (and
thanks, Konstantin)
Ardbeg
23 yo 1974/1997 (51.2%, Signatory,
dumpy, casks #1063&1065, 386 bottles)
Colour: pure gold. Nose: wow, it seems
we have another beautiful variant
here. Smokier and peatier than the
OMC, probably rounder, and less mineral
and grassy. More fruit as well, such
as quinces, apricots, even bananas
(unusual in Ardbeg, I think). The
profile is closer to the ‘low-strength’
we had before. More balanced, more
seductive, subtler. It develops mostly
on paraffin, waxed paper and pink
grapefruit, with whiffs of incense
smoke and seawater. Superb as well,
no need to say! Mouth: now it’s
much, much closer to the OMC, although
a tad rounder and waxier. Bold, even
grand, really invading… It’s
a perfect blend of smoked herbs, crystallized
fruits (quince) and resin-flavoured
sweets (and alcohol, of course). Again
it’s not as monstrously complex
as, say a very old Brora or even Laphroaig
or Lagavulin, but it’s got its
very own kind of compactness –
that I like a lot, no need to say.
Very long finish, superbly bitter
again (and perhaps just a tad too
drying). Wow. 92 points.
Ardbeg
18 yo 1974/1993 (54.6%, Wilson &
Morgan, 285 bottles)
Colour; straw. Nose: aha! It seems
that we have an austere Ardbeg again,
pretty much in the OMC’s genre,
regarding the profile. But quite funnily,
it’s the strongest of the bunch
but it’s also the most reserved,
and probably the most elegant. It
starts on wet stones and ashes, wet
chalk, goes on with something delicately
medicinal (if that’s possible)
and develops on smells of the forest
after the rain, mushrooms, fern, moss,
pine needles… hay, smoked tea,
almond milk… light tobacco,
orange peel, a little camphor…
Really magnificent. Mouth: oh yes,
this palate just matches the nose,
despite the fact that it’s certainly
more ‘restless’ and probably
rougher now. Lots of tea jelly, smoke,
all sorts of herbs, a little toffee…
Less sweet (some would say sexy) than
the Signatory we just had and again
more austere. And the bitterness is
perfect! The finish is long like a
day without bread, on cough syrup
and liquorice… But enough maltoporn,
this one is a 93 points
malt (again, it lacked just a little
extra-complexity to make it to 94
or… more!) (and thanks,
Bert) |
| |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
|
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - One of best psych-rock
tunes ever and it's French (honest):
Serge
Gainsbourg doing En
Melody.mp3 (on Histoire de Melody
Nelson, 1971) with girlfriend Jane
Birkin laughing rather hysterically...
Would have made a nice soundtrack
for Easy Rider, in the cemetary
- what do you say, Polo? Anyway,
please buy that great Serge's music! |
 |
| TASTING
- A GREAT AND A NOT SO GREAT GLENBURGIE |
 |
Glenburgie
35 yo 1966/2002 (40.5%, Hart Bros)
Colour: white wine – surprisingly
pale at 35 yo . Nose: very delicate,
fruity but not excessively so, flowery
(flowers from the fields, buttercups),
developing a little on light honey
and whiffs of nutmeg but otherwise
not much happening here. Hints of
tea, butter croissants… Maybe
a little litchi and rose… Mouth:
a rather weak attack, I’m afraid,
with an obvious lack of body. Quite
funnily (well), the malt goes directly
to its… aftertaste! We do have
hints of fruit pie (apricot, quince)
and maybe some spices (nutmeg, hints
of cinnamon) but otherwise there’s
just a little tannins. Almost no finish,
just a little pepper in your throat…
Well, this one went over the hill,
obviously, and probably a rather long
time ago. Now, it’s far from
being totally unpleasant… 75
points. |
| Glenburgie
1966/2005 (45%, Gordon & MacPhail
for
LMDW France,
cask # 11693)
Colour: mahogany – coffee. Nose:
a superb, rather dry sherry assaults
your nostrils. Lots of coffee and
lots of mint and coriander. Wow! It’s
a little unusual (it’s not oloroso,
was it?) Whiffs of smoke – all
sorts including fir tree, burning
beeswax candles… Develops on
beehive, furniture polish, linseed
oil… Notes of old high-end rum.
It gets then maybe a little less compact
and coherent, getting a little too
vinous and ‘sweet and sour’
but it’s still beautiful. Hints
of balsamic vinegar and Guinness,
caramelised meat sauce… A very
classy nose, in any case! Mouth: the
attack is bold, creamy and very dry
– a pleasant dryness here. Quite
some coffee again, caramel, rum, raisins
and lots of dried ‘oriental’
fruits such as dates and figs. Lots
of tannins as well, probably from
both the wood and the sherry but these
tannins are rather silky and (almost)
perfectly integrated. Also a little
camphor, very ripe black sherries,
prunes… An amazingly concentrated
sherry. The finish is long, on fruitcake,
fresh mint and old red wine, again
quite drying but nothing excessive.
An excellent old sherry monster. 92
points. (and thanks,
Olivier) |
| CRAZY
WHISKY AD - WINTER SPORTS - A SHORT
HISTORY - Part 5 |
 |
Left,
Seagram's V.O., 1960:
'Spectators' favorite at winter olympics.
At this tiny corner of the world in
the whole world's gaze, thousands
cheer champions of thirty nations.
This is the great adventure, the grand
spectacle, cause for celebration -
and, finally, Canada's internationally
esteemed whisky is poured in toasts,
its balance is faultless, its savor
is exceptional, its pleasure is universal.'
That's all perfect again, except
that most spectators are very busy
taking photographs now, instead of
enjoying their drams....
Right, Teacher's,
1961. 'In skiing... experience
is the great teacher - In Scotch...
Teacher's is the great experience.'
Teacher's got it finally, they
managed to talk about skiing 'directly'. |
|
MUSIC
-
It's Sunday, we go classical with
Germany's Falko
Hönish singing
Hugo Wolf's short Opus
Harfenspieler II.mp3. Not really
a very 'classical' voice but certainly
a very nice feeling. Please go and
listen to him! |
 |
 |
TASTING
- TWO SIMPLE BRORAS
Brora
13 yo 1982/1995 (43%, Blackadder,
cask #430)
Tasting a young Brora is interesting
but too bad there has never been
a young Brora from the first years
– I think the youngest ever
was the 1972/1992 Connoisseur’s
Choice. |
| Colour:
white wine. Nose: very, very ‘young
Clynelish’ right at first nosing.
Not too bold and extremely grainy
and cereally, in fact. Bold notes
of mashed potatoes, dairy cream, vanilla
crème… Whiffs of paraffin,
flowers from the fields, lilac…
Very, very fresh, clean and pure but
not extremely expressive. Hints of
rain water, fern, moss… beer,
cider… And then we do have something
phenolic indeed (wet straw, new cow
litter…) Hints of ginger ale.
Enjoyable. Mouth: not too bold and
rather grainy, with quite some tannins
(apple skin), grape juice, getting
rather bitter (un-sugared tea, lemon
juice, paper). Not much else…
And the finish is quite long but drying
and quite MOTR. A lower-shelf Brora,
I’m afraid… 72
points. |
| Brora
23 yo 1981/2005 (46%, Signatory Un-chillfiltered,
cask #05/147, 408 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: less fresh and
more indefinite. Sort of mineral and
cardboardy at first nosing, getting
then very vegetal (newly mown grass,
lettuce). Whiffs of cake but other
that that, not much happening in there…
Maybe a little bland. Mouth: now it’s
better, punchier and tastier than
the Blackadder. Rather nervous, starting
quite waxy and resinous, on smoked
tea, toasted bread and walnut skin.
Notes of cider apples, apple juice,
getting quite peppery and gingery,
with traces of sherry – just
traces. The finish is rather long,
compact, nicely bittersweet…
A nice Brora, especially on the palate,
but it’s definitely not a member
of the leading squad. These Broras
from 1981 and 1982 may sometimes need
a little sherry – yes, Serge
speaking. 80 points. |
| CRAZY
WHISKY AD - WINTER SPORTS - A SHORT
HISTORY - Part 4 |
 |
Left,
Seagram's V.O., 1959:
'International salute to flawless
form. At this moment you are a spectator
at the North American Ski Championship
at Squaw Valley, California. You watch
the skiers' dazzling speed in the
downhill race... and then join the
crowd in toasts and celebration. The
choice of whisky: Seagram's V.O.,
internationally esteemed for its flawless
form, its exceptional flavor and balance.'
That's all perfect, except that
the girl in leopard arorak just doesn't
watch the skiers, she's too busy talking
to the ski monitor... Always the same
story...
Right, Canadian Club,
1959. 'Jump this crevasse or it's
a long way down.' From Canadian
Club's famous 'extreme' series. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - "Dad, can't you post
about genuine rock and roll on your
blog (it's not a blog, son) from time
to time? And why let Nick do all the
rock and roll work?" said Arthur
the other day... Well, I thought I
did post about rock and roll but okay! |
 |
| So,
why not have a little Belgian rock
and roll, like dEUS
doing If
You Don’t Get What You Want.mp3?
Not too bad, don't you think? Please
buy their music if you can find it
where you live... (Photo Kristien
Dirkx) |
CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
RAY DAVIES AND HIS BAND,
Shepherds Bush Empire, London, February
11th 2006 |
| Not
that he knows it, but Ray
Davies and I go back
to the late winter of 1965. He was
playing in a band called the
Kinks, and I was in the audience
at a recording of a famous British
TV music show, Thank Your Lucky Stars,
watching them perform ‘Till
the end of the day’. My Mum
and Dad were less than impressed by
this gang of leather-jacketed leering
louts, preferring instead the vocal
charms of their favourite valley-boy
Tom Jones, singing ‘Thunderball’.
We met Tom afterwards – he’d
returned to the studio rather than
run the gauntlet of over-excited knicker
throwing Brummies (no Mum, I don’t
mean you), but I never saw Ray again
‘till the other night. We’re
both a bit older – but I have
to say that Ray exudes a youthful
charm and enthusiasm for what he’s
doing, even if his songs reflect a
somewhat world-weary melancholy. And
given the way he jumps, writhes and
dances round the stage you would never
think he was only recently seriously
ill having been shot in the leg in
New Orleans. |
 |
| He
says he’s delighted to be here,
this most vaudevillian of performers
on one of London’s last remaining
great music-hall stages, and the almost
permanent grin on that long Joker
meets Robert de Niro face suggests
he’s telling the truth. |
Gordon Brown |
It
seems to be an odd coincidence, sitting
here, sipping at over-iced cool beer,
and listening to Davies singing tales
of drunkenness and cruelty, so soon
after our evening with Billy Bragg.
For here are two songwriters apparently
obsessed with national identity, Englishness,
Britishness, or whatever. But while
Bragg’s world is a romantic
fairytale of make believe gardeners
growing vegetables together in the
cause of solidarity, Davies sings
of a world we seem to have lost, but
can somehow all fondly remember –
village greens, dance halls, tea and
cakes, football matches, Blackpool
Beach and steam trains. Oddly I can’t
help thinking that British Chancellor
and Prime Minister to be, Gordon Brown,
famous socialist thinker and decent
historian that he is, the latest politician
to urge that we all fly the Union
Jack in our gardens, would somehow
prefer Davies’s world to Bragg’s.
But I didn’t see him in the
audience. What I did see was a hugely
diverse audience – from granny
(90 plus I reckoned) to grandchild
– all having a whale of a time. |
| I
can’t quite remember when the
singing started. Probably not during
‘I’m not like everybody
else’, the pointed starter to
the evening. But Ray had certainly
got his choir in action by song number
two, ‘Where have all the good
times gone’, and called upon
it at will throughout the evening.
Actually I don’t think he could
stop it, and although I don’t
know where they came from, it was
just like we all had the words inside
us somewhere, just waiting to come
out. I’ve never heard such a
joyous racket in the Bush. Why I’m
sure we were singing ‘Dead end
street’ so loud that even the
bloke selling the Big Issue outside
could hear us. |
| It
was a great set – a bit of a
teaser really. Very old songs at the
start, then recent, like ‘London
song’, “which has got
a new meaning since what happened
last July”. ‘Twentieth
century man’, the pretty ‘Oklahoma
USA’ (written, Ray told us in
one of his many digressions, about
his sister’s love affair with
the cinema, which in turn was the
start of his love affair with the
United States), a selection from Village
Green Preservation Society –
“the most unsuccessful album
of all time” said Davies, but
now of course regarded as his Kinks
masterpiece – an impromptu snatch
from Harry Rag (Serge – it’s
Cockney rhyming slang) and ‘Sunny
Afternoon’ (more raucous singing).
Then the difficult bit – the
new songs – the reason for the
gig – the new songs from Ray
Davies’s new album, astonishingly
his first official solo offering,
Other people’s lives. It’s
the part when we’re supposed
to shuffle our feet, look at our shoes
in embarrassment, nip out to the bar
or the gents, and generally hope that
it finishes soon, very soon. |
 |
 |
But
not tonight. We get five cracking
tunes – ‘Next door neighbour’
(“about the people I grew up
with”) ‘Creatures of little
faith’ (“people in relationships
never trust each other”), ‘After
the fall’, ‘The tourist’
(with pleasing musical references
to ‘See my friends’) and
‘Stand up comic’ –
the latter not being sung by Davies,
but by his alter ego, who according
to an interview I read somewhere is
called Max, and from what I could
see is obviously something of a troublesome
yet loveable, rough diamond, cockney
‘Jack the lad’. These
are all powerful songs, addressing
themes often found in Davies’s
work, but with, it seemed to me, a
slightly harder, perhaps more jaded
edge. |
| That
was certainly true of ‘Tourist’,
a very cynical appraisal of Brits
(and perhaps everyone) abroad. I kicked
myself that I didn’t buy a copy
of this new album from the merchandise
store – it’s not released
yet – but when it is I urge
you to give it a listen. You can download
‘Tourist’ now from a number
of sites. |
| And
then it’s back to the hits –
‘Long way from home’ ‘Tired
of waiting for you’, ‘Set
me free’ and ‘Days’.
Davies told us how record companies
hated the Kinks rasping guitar sound
– Dave Davies playing through
a very small amplifier and speaker
– “sounds like a barking
dog” said one – and to
demonstrate he then barked the introduction
to ‘All day and all of the night’
– “woof woof, woof woof,
woof woof woof woof” –
go on, try it ! The first encore is
‘You really got me’ with
a nice slow introduction while Davies
told the story of how the song was
written (“we thought we were
an R&B band” he laughed)
and the timeless ‘Waterloo sunset’,
followed by a final encore of ‘Lola’.
Davies is happy and relaxed –
he even has time to say some nice
things about recently ill brother
Dave with whom he has famously feuded
over the years. He talks to his audience
like an old friend, and as you would
expect is candid and honest. He’s
also passionate about his work, new
and old. “I’m proud of
these songs” he tells us, “that’s
why I play them, because I like them”.
Quite right too. It’s hard to
think of Punk Rock or Brit Pop without
Ray Davies, and it’s absolutely
clear that unlike almost everybody
else from his era, he hasn’t
finished yet. - Nick Morgan (concert
photographs by Kate) |
Max, Ray Davies' alter ego
|
| Many
thanks, Nick. I should confess I only
really caught up with Kinks with 1977's
controversial (too mainstreamish,
say many) LP 'Sleepwalker', which
I just exhumed from my basement. Maybe
1977 was too late but good memories
at my end anyway! By the way, I just
saw that Ray Davies' new album 'Other
people’s lives' is out now.
I also bought The Tourist from a well-known
download service (no names but starts
with an 'I' and ends with 'tunes').
It's really excellent, thanks for
the tip. And just for the youngsters
who are reading this, we have a few
seminal anthems by The Kinks: Lola.mp3,
Victoria.mp3
and (of course), the much pillaged
You
really got me.mp3 and its infectious
riff and solo. But please buy Ray
Davies' music! |
Nose:
wow, it’s superb! A very elegant
sherry, starting on peaty and minty
notes (spearmint), lots of crystallised
fruits, fireplace smoke, oriental
pastries… It gets then very
‘leguminous’ (cooked cabbage,
turnips – for Baldrick –
very strong notes of raw celeriac).
Just stunning! Goes on with carrots
and gets then rather earthy, rooty…
Also some cough syrup, camphor, and
lots of lovage. Superb indeed. Mouth:
oh yes, it’s almost as stunning
on the palate, very coherent, perhaps
just a bit dry. We have the usual
notes of chocolate, cocoa and bitter
orange, all that being more playful
than usual. Earl grey tea, coffee
toffee, hints of clove, thyme, and
of course all sorts of dried fruits.
The finish is long, perhaps a tad
too drying now, with loads of coffee.
Yes, superb, too bad it’s a
little too drying to make it over
90 points.
Glen
Grant 31 yo 1969/2001 (57.1%, James
MacArthur)
Colour: mahogany. Nose: much simpler
at first nosing, perhaps a bit lean
and too dry, with lots of cocoa but
it does get more complex with time.
There again quite some vegetables,
more camphor and some very nice notes
of cherry liqueur (guignolet), strawberry
jam. It hasn’t got the Signatory’s
complexity but it’s still a
very nice sherried Glen Grant. Mouth:
creamier, punchier and also very salty
(Olivier said it’s perhaps an
osmotic mouth reaction?) Now we have
a truly beautiful sherry, with lots
of vegetables again, salted liquorice,
cake, dried fruits (prunes in Armagnac),
getting very coffeeish. Lots of body
and oomph – a perfect sherry
monster indeed. The finish is rather
stunning, on caramelised fruits and
salted liquorice. This palate was
hugely concentrated, probably a little
better than the Signatory’s,
but the latter had a nicer nose. So,
it’s going to be 89
points for this MacArthur
(I had it at 88 before). |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| TASTING
- THE TWO FACES OF MACALLAN |
 |
Macallan
10 yo ‘Full Proof’ (57%,
OB for Italy, Giovinetti, 1980’s)
Colour: full amber. Nose: starts really
powerful, very chocolaty and quite
smoky. Surprisingly phenolic for a
Macallan. Lots of liquorice as well,
coffee, dried fruits… Rather
complex, and definitely full-bodied.
Wow! Mouth: ample, powerful, invading,
nervous… There is sulphur but
it’s far from being a problem
here. It gets surprisingly lemony,
citrusy, and also quite salty (salted
butter caramel, salted liquorice).
The sherry gets bolder and bolder
then, the whole getting a little vinous.
Quite a beast, let’s try it
with a few drops of water: right,
the profile doesn’t change much,
maybe it gets a little drying now…
Anyway, an excellent, beastly Macallan
– for big boys? I like it a
lot. 91 points. |
| Macallan
16 yo 1989/2005 (51.3%, Dewar Rattray,
cask #2492, 248 bottles)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: oh, this
is really ‘the other side’
of Macallan. No traces of sherry,
rather a bold fruitiness (cider apples,
green pears, boxed pineapples) mixed
with some bold mashy and grainy notes
(muesli, yoghurt, mashed potatoes).
Very fresh but not exactly clean…
Gets then rather herbal and sour (sour
wood, beer, ginger ale) and slightly
minty (freshly crushed mint leaves).
Not exactly my kind of profile but
I wouldn’t say it’s flawed.
Just, maybe, a little immature despite
the 16 years. Mouth: now it’s
nicer. Certainly less sour and feinty,
although very grainy again and rather
spirity. Notes of toasted bread, apple
pie, lavender sweets, dried apples…
|
 |
| It
gets rather hot after a moment, with
something burning. Strange, 51% isn’t
that high, is it? Very little cask
influence that I can get, in any case.
The finish is very long but spirity
and sort of bitter… Not my cup
of tea, definitely, but some might
like it. A Macallan for blending?
79 points. |
 |
MUSIC
– Strongly recommended
listening - Haruko Nishimura's Degennerate
Art Ensemble is a 'post
modernist performance company' from
Seattle that breaks all conventions
and that I'd love to see coming over
here in the near future. In the meantime,
we can listen to Dreams
From Wounded Mouth.mp3 (a much
easier piece than usual) from their
latest CD 'The Bastress'. Please let's
buy their music and go to their performances! |
| TASTING
- TWO FAB GLEN ORDS |
Glen
Ord 30 yo (58.7%, OB, 2005)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: wow, extremely
aromatic! It starts on bold notes
of beehive and ‘yellow’
wild flowers (dandelions, buttercups…)
and gets then very, very fruity, mostly
on quince jelly, apricot pie, mirabelle
plum jam, fresh tangerines. The balance
is superb, We have then something
really fragrant (musk, patchouli,
maybe a little sandalwood) and finally
quite some almond milk, coconut, dried
pineapples… Nice whiffs of oak.
Really superb, very expressive yet
elegant. If the palate matches this
classy nose, we have a winner. |
 |
|
Let’s see… Mouth: very
sweet, bold, rich but clean…
Yes, it’s superb. Very fruity
again, with quite some pink grapefruit,
smoked tea, something waxy…
Lots of dried fruits as well (bananas,
small oranges, crystallized quince)
and a very nice bitterness, probably
from the wood, that keeps it very
‘structured’. Notes of
camphor and eucalyptus, cardamom,
chlorophyll chewing-gum… Really
full-bodied! Excellent, with a very
long finish, both fruity (lots of
Williams pears) and gingery, with
always this beautiful bitterness (lemon
skin). There’s not only peat
and sherry in life! 93 points. |
| Ord
1962/1984 (58%, Samaroli ‘Bouquet’)
Colour: pure gold. Nose: oh, we have
another winner here, it seams. Quite
similar globally, but a little less
fruity and certainly more resinous
(close to almond milk and propolis
here) and nutty. Lots of marzipan
as well, roasted peanuts, beeswax,
furniture polish… And then we
have more or less the same superb
notes of sandalwood… Another
amazing nose, impossible to say which
one is the nicest. Both are simply
wonderful. Mouth: an extraordinary
attack, even punchier than the new
OB, and also creamier and sweeter.
It’s the same distillery, obviously…
Again a little less fruit and freshness
and more waxy and resinous flavours.
Notes of cough syrup, marzipan, lots
of dried ginger and smoked tea…
Sort of a bitterness (dried herbs)
and a long finish again, waxy and
on lemon skin again. In short, this
one is extremely good again, but it’s
maybe just a tad less balanced and
complex than the OB. I said 'a tad'…
92 points (and
thanks, Bert) |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| CRAZY
WHISKY AD - WINTER SPORTS - A SHORT
HISTORY - Part 3 |
 |
 |
Top,
left,
Johnnie Walker, 1956:
'Born 1820... Still going strong.
Meat a great Scot!.' After having
shown up in all sorts of countries
and all kinds of situations, good
ol' Johnnie couldn't miss the winter
sports, which were getting more and
more fashionable at the time.
Top, right, Canadian Club,
1956. 'Snow Snakes - In Canada,
'strike' at 2 miles a minute!' Part
of a famous series where it's always
good to have a glass of Canadian Club
after having taken part in various
weird, little known local activities
from all over the world - sometimes
extreme, sometimes not. Our fellow
Canadian Maniacs told me it's an Inuit
game. It's not part of the official
Olympic sports, as far as I know...
Left, Teacher's Highland Cream,
1956. 'Photography as changed
since 1830... but the good taste of
Teacher's never changes!' Funny
that Teacher's sort of stole Dewar's
baseline here ('never varies') and
adapted it to skiing in a rather strange
way... Why doing a detour via photography? |
|
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening - JAZZ - Blossom
Dearie is a sweet,
clever and admirable little person
and I've got many of her records
on my shelves (and err... in the
basement). Try for instance the
great standard Manhattan.mp3
and you'll see why I love her -
and her silly, poppy little tunes
too. Please buy Mrs Blossom Dearie's
records or attend her concerts -
she's still alive and kicking! |
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Check
the index of all entries:
Whisky
Music
Nick's Concert
Reviews |
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Best
malts I had these weeks - 90+
points only - alphabetical:
Ardbeg
18 yo 1974/1993 (54.6%,
Wilson & Morgan, 285 bottles)
Ardbeg
19 yo 1974/1993 (43%, Signatory, casks
#4375-77, 980 bottles)
Ardbeg
23 yo 1974/1997 (51.2%, Signatory,
dumpy, casks #1063&1065, 386 bottles)
Ardbeg
28 yo 1974/2003 (50%, Douglas Laing
OMC, 264 bottles)
Glenburgie
1966/2005
(45%, Gordon & MacPhail, cask # 11693)
Glen
Grant 25 yo 1964/1990 (46%, Signatory,
sherry casks #10717, 18, 19, 1300 bottles)
Ord
1962/1984 (58%,
Samaroli ‘Bouquet’)
Glen
Ord 30 yo (58.7%, OB, 2005)
Lagavulin
12 yo (43%, OB,
‘White Horse’, Carpano import, rotation
1973)
Lagavulin
12 yo 1988/2000 (56.2%, Hart Bros)
Macallan
10 yo ‘Full Proof’ (57%,
OB for Italy, Giovinetti, 1980’s)
Tobermory
1972/1995 (50%, Moon Import ‘De
Viris Illustribus’, 600 bottles)
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