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Hi, you're in the Archives, July 2009 - Part 2 |
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July
31, 2009 |
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| CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
ORNETTE COLEMAN
The Royal Festival
Hall, London
June 21st 2009
Did
I ever tell you, Serge, about the
time I met Tony
Bennett? I have to say it was
something of a nerve-wracking experience.
We were promoting his concert in
Edinburgh a few years ago, and after
an opening set from Diana
Krall, were invited ‘backstage’
to meet the artists. Ms Krall was
larger than life. Mr Bennett, on
the other hand, and much to my dismay,
seemed like a shrunken figure in
a trench coat. Charming though he
was, I spent our five minutes or
so of conversation looking at him
and thinking that there was no way
he could possibly be able enough
to perform on stage; like a drowning
man I saw a career-condemning disaster
pass before my eyes.Back in my seat,
I watched with gloom and resignation
as the diminutive figure in the
Burberry appeared at the back of
the stage; his band already in position
playing a warm-up tune. |
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| What
happened next was simply magical,
almost out of the greatest tradition
of British
pantomime. One of Mr Bennett’s
people gently removed his coat, and
as he walked, at first unsteadily
towards the stage, he was transformed,
from old man to superstar, towering
in the glow of the footlights, the
audience eating from his hand. |
| I
had a similar experience with Ornette
Coleman. Reports from
earlier Meltdown gigs were not good.
He played briefly with Yoko Ono, didn’t
show up for Moby, and was carefully
helped onto the stage during the Patti
Smith gig to say a few quiet words
before being helped off again. And
when he took to the stage for this
last of his Meltdown gigs, featuring
‘Reflections’ on his groundbreaking
1960 album This is Our Music, my fears
might have been confirmed. Nattily
dressed, but slight and frail, he
didn’t seem set for a powerful
performance. |
| But
one should never underestimate the
greatest of great musicians, and after
a wobbly start, which featured mainly
new material, Coleman’s playing
grew in both strength and verve until
he dominated the stage just as Tony
Bennett had done that night in Edinburgh.
Now I’m not a great jazz man,
but let me say that at its best, Coleman’s
playing was electric, mixing moments
of well-rehearsed melodic phrasing
with unexpected staccato and plaintive
outbursts, accompanied by the occasional
turn to his trumpet and violin. Listening
to his playing, engrossing ‘though
it was, it’s hard to understand
now why he caused such a furore back
in the 1960s. What was revolutionary
then seems almost mainstream today,
harmolodics and all, and there was
so much structure to the tunes that
it’s difficult to know where
the description ‘free jazz’
(apart from being an album title)
came from. |
|
L
to R: Tony Falanga, Ornette Coleman,
Denardo Coleman |
| At
the backbone of this performance,
providing the canvas for Coleman’s
brush, were a prodigiously powerful
trio: Tony Falanga on double bass;
Al MacDowell on electric bass (which
he played for much of the evening
like a lead guitar) and Coleman’s
son Denardo on drums. Falanga and
MacDowell played in pretty much perfect
harmony, questioning and answering
each other with increasingly complex
rhythms and riffs. Denardo, who has
been playing with his father (and
polarising critical opinion) since
he was ten, was a noisy and sometimes
sloppy counterpoint. But when the
three clicked, the sound they created
was almost overpowering. And when
they were joined by Red
Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea,
the foursome took on the character
of a funk-fuelled express train heading
down the track towards the audience
at breakneck speed. And all respect
to Mr Flea, who demonstrated himself
more than capable of standing in such
exalted company. In fact he was, as
the phrase goes, ‘on fire’
when the band were joined by the horn
and drum-wielding Master
Musicians Of Jajouka, (or at least
one
version of the performers who use
that name) whose repetitive and
hypnotic playing formed the backdrop
for a gloriously cacophonous improvisation:
three thundering bass players; unwieldy,
crashing drumming and Coleman’s
saxophone crying and wailing above
it all. It was a moment, almost as
exhausting for the audience as the
musicians, that few who were present
will forget. |
| Not
that Coleman didn’t have one
more ace up his sleeve. A perfectly-constructed
encore which brought long-time collaborator,
bassist Charlie
Haden to the stage for ‘Lonely
woman’, a wonderfully delicate
composition where both performers,
supported by a remarkably restrained
Denardo, pulled off that magical trick
of expressing as much with the notes
that they didn’t play, as with
the ones that they did. It was a tender
and gentle contrast to the frenetic
moments earlier, and left the audience
on their feet as it ended. Then Coleman,
walking like a man who’s shed
more than a few years during the performance,
returned to the stage to shake the
hands of his many admirers in the
crowd and was still doing so as we
left. - Nick Morgan (photographs
by Kate) |
Dear
Nick, I’ve long stopped adding
silly comments to your reviews as
I felt they were like adding capers
to a glass of '72 Brora but frankly,
vicarious pleasures work only up
to a certain point where they turn
into an implacable envy-generator.
I'm green, merdre alors! Can’t
we rather have a review of a Susan
Boyle gig next time? - Serge
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TASTING
– TWO OLD OLD FETTERCAIRN
by some great 'almost Schwowe' (don’t
bother, just a silly private joke)
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Old
Fettercairn 33 yo 1975/2008 (58.3%,
The Perfect Dram, 143 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: it’s
not really explosive at very first
nosing but that’s probably the
high alcohol. ‘Careful perseverance’
enables us to get notes of vanilla
custard over a strawberry cake and
quince jelly, quite some beeswax and
hints of fresh putty. Faint sourness
(sauvignon). With water: amazing how
it got sort of Clynelish-esque (or
is it Clynelish that’s Fettercairn-esque?)
with more wax and certainly more lemon.
My type, despite the notes of vanilla
crème that develop after a
while. Who can be against vanilla
crème? Mouth (neat): creamy
and exuberantly fruity, starting on
marshmallows and Turkish delights,
all that balanced with something slightly
resinous. Eucalyptus drops. Then tangerines
and citrons and the oak starting to
kick in. Also limejuice, Campari,
ginger wine. With water: more orange
zests, marzipan, a little maraschino
and quite some ginger. The marshmallows
and such have disappeared. Finish:
long, almondy. Amaretti!!! Comments:
a perfect example of some great spirit
aged for a long time in a good, yet
not overly active cask. The kind of
magic that no quick oak/wine doping
will ever manage to replace. Thank
god! SGP:552 - 91 points. |
| Old
Fettercairn 34 yo 1975/2009 (57%,
The Whisky Agency, Bourbon hogshead,
132 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: we are very
close to the ‘other one’
but this one is a tad grassier, with
more notes of fresh walnuts and greengages
and then limoncello. Kind of fresher
yet a little less fruity actually.
With water: more resinous and waxy
than the 33yo, that is to say even
more Clynelish-esque. Also fresh hazelnuts,
a little paraffin, green apples and
dried pears. And more and more nutmeg
and ginger. Mouth (neat): slightly
thicker and oilier than the 33yo but
otherwise very close. Maybe a tad
spicier too (more ginger and much
more pepper). Rather beastly, this
one! With water: we’re still
close to the ‘33’ but
this time it’s a tad grassier,
maybe a little more complex, with
more various spices and a little smoked
tea. A tad less ‘focused’
as well. Finish: long, with a little
more lemon this time. Lemon pie and
white pepper. Comments: rather protean,
this one! Very interesting and certainly
old school. Same high quality as with
the 33. SGP:562 - 91 points.
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MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
Summer's finally here, time to listen
to a very, err, stellar The
Sun by Alice
Coltrane (from Astral
Meditations – The Music Of
Alice Coltrane). Please buy Alice
Coltrane's music. |
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July
30, 2009 |
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TASTING
– THE NEW KILKERRAN AND HAZELBURN |
Kilkerran
'Work in Progress' (46%, OB, 2009)
From Glengyle Distillery and not from
Springbank unlike what I’ve
read here and there – but indeed,
Glengyle belongs to Springbank. According
to some sources this one is 4 years
old and according to other sources,
it's 5 years old. Does that really
matter? Colour: white wine (no heavy
wood treatment, great!) Nose: dammit,
this is superb! An exceptional clean
and fresh yet fatty and oily spirit
that smells very old Highlands in
y opinion. Wax, lemon, wet rocks,
linseed oil, motor oil, cut grass,
whiffs of ‘clean wet dog’
(not just any street mongrel) and
just hints of cider apples (faint
sourness) plus a little vanilla from
the oak. Gets fruitier and maybe a
tad lighter over time, with notes
of orange squash. Mouth: probably
a little simpler than on the nose
but pretty perfect at just 4 yo (or
is it 5?), with a big personality
and, quite amazingly, a ‘Springbankiness’
indeed, that translates into some
very peculiar orangey notes (very
different from the oranges that one
may find in, say Dalmore). Oily, fat,
gingery, waxy/soapy (again, not a
repulsive soapiness at all, a soapiness
that’s closer to almond milk
or marzipan – yes I’ll
have to find a better descriptor).
What’s sure is that Kilkerran
is a rather big distillate and that
it’s clearly in the Springbank
family. Finish: long, with more smoky
grass now and a green bitterness that
goes very well with the rest. Comments:
this is a distillate that’s
much to my liking and that won’t
need any heavy woodwine treatment
in my view (but who am I?) I can’t
wait to be ten years older…
SGP:352 – 86 points. |
| Hazelburn
12yo (46%, OB, 3900 bottles, 2009)
This brand new version was distilled
in 1997. Colour: amber. Nose: much
more cask influence than in the Kilkerran,
obviously, but I do not detect any
offbeat or cloying notes in this baby,
even if the notes of orange zest and
liqueur are big. Orangeade as well.
A rather unusual whisky actually,
getting kind of oriental, with whiffs
of incense and sandalwood, cedar wood
(brand new humidor), leather…
And even more oranges plus notes of
metal after a while (old aluminium
pan). Kind of the opposite of the
Kilkerran in style despite the common
orangey notes. Mouth: goody-good,
much more to my liking than the first
8yo. More polished, more classical,
smoother but certainly not numb, with
excellent spices on top of quite a
lot of marmalade and ginger tonic.
Speculoos. Gets then more peppery
and gingery, with also the same kind
of ‘pleasant soapiness’
that I found in the Kilkerran. Yup
I’ll really have to find another
word for that! Finish: long, very
orangey and gingery. Zests. Comments:
the casks were ‘bigger’
than the Kilkerran’s whilst
the spirit is probably lighter but
balance is achieved in this Hazelburn.
Same rating, but at same ages and
cask treatment, Kilkerran may well
crush Hazelburn in any tasting session
– in my view of course. SGP:541
– 86 points. |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
The crazy and fabulous French scatman
André
Minvielle
Title: Canto
Conte
From: ¡ Canto !
Please buy the great André
Minvielle's music. |
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July
29, 2009 |
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| TASTING
– FOUR OLD OFFICIAL BENRIACH |
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Benriach 33 yo 1976/2009 (46.2%, OB
for the Whisky Fair, hogshead, cask
#3550, 103 bottles)
There’s already been several
fabulous 1976 Benriachs, such as one
for the Craigellachie Hotel and one
for La Maison du Whisky. Colour: full
gold. Nose: as expected, this one
screams ‘fruits!’ Actually,
it’s a superb combination of
tropical fruits with lightly resinous
and mentholated notes. Tangerines,
passion fruits, papayas, dried grapefruits,
plain lemon and mangos coated with
‘natural’ vanilla and
lemon honey. Medium oakiness (nutmeg
and ginger), astounding freshness
at 33 years of age. Enough said. Mouth:
fantastically fruity and candied,
amazingly fresh. Let’s be short
for once: it’s the best grapefruit
syrup I ever drank, and indeed one
of these stunning 1976 Benriachs in
style. Finish: very long, on lemon
marmalade and liqueur. Comments: not
sure there are vintage effects in
single malt whisky but if there are
(of course there are), 1976 is THE
vintage at Benriach’s. SGP:831
- 92 points. |
| Benriach
33 yo 1976/2009 (47.4%, OB for the
Whisky Fair, hogshead, cask #3558,
162 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: this one is less
emphatic, less ‘wham-bam’
than cask #3550 and probably a little
oakier and more on vanilla. A little
more mentholated as well. Now, after
five or ten minutes, the exuberant
fruitiness does come out indeed, a
little more on zests and skins than
cask #3550. Fresh walnuts. Let’s
check the palate, things can well
go upside down. Mouth: we’re
closer to cask #3550 now, yet more
vanilled and honeyed/candied and less
exuberantly fresh. Other than that
we have the same big fruitiness, coated
with something such as butter caramel
and vanilla sauce. Werther’s
Originals. Finish: oakier but beautifully
so, with quite some ginger and white
pepper plus quite some spearmint in
the aftertaste. And mucho grapefruit!
Comments: hard to say which of these
two casks for The Whisky Fair is the
best – sorry, my favourite.
This one has a little more oak but
it’s in no way drying oak. Right,
let’s declare it’s a tie,
the differences aren’t worth
one point in my view. SGP:741
- 92 points. |
| Benriach
34 yo 1970/2004 (51.2%, OB, hogshead,
cask #4005, 254 bottles)
Colour: dark amber. Nose: well,
if it’s a hogshead it’s
a sherry hogshead because this one
bursts with parsley and soy sauce
at first nosing, as well as notes
of old Rivesaltes (rancio), leather
and raisins. Truly superb but less
“Benriach” than the 1976s
and more like some well-aged sherry
brandy. Also prunes, hints of raspberry
jam and fruit ganache, then whiffs
of cherry wood, cedar and cigar tobacco.
A humidor full of Habanos. Gets more
vinous and dry after fifteen minutes.
Mouth: extremely concentrated and
very oaky attack, but it’s superb
oak, displaying a wide array of spices
that combine well with the spirit.
No need to list them all but cloves
and nutmeg are very obvious. Then
a lot of walnut liqueur (Nusswasser
that my grandma used to make). Tannic
but not excessively so. Dried figs
and dates. Finish: long, not as drying
as I had feared, with a little mint
in the aftertaste. And our beloved
grapefruits! (your late, grapefruits).
Comments: I tend to prefer the 1976s
(who wouldn’t) but this is great
whisky. SGP:571 - 90 points.
|
Benriach
38 yo 1966/2004 (50%, OB, hogshead,
cask #2382, 158 bottles)
Colour: full amber. Nose: certainly
not the most expressive of them all,
this one starts more on marzipan and
bitter oranges, with much more wood
extracts but no obvious tannicity.
Whiffs of old turpentine, olive oil,
old furniture, then satay sauce, game
and old walnuts. The fruitiness is
deep down inside, very discreet. Another
superb whisky but it lost the distillery’s
main characters. Mouth: ho-ho, the
beast wasn’t dead! Amazing array
of dried fruits and the liqueurs and
spirits made thereof combined with
dark strong honey (chestnut) and pepper
and cloves. Gets just a tad drying
and slightly bitterish (grape pips).
Finish: long, oaky for sure but still
clean if not exactly fresh. Quite
some tannins, the finish isn’t
the nicest part. Comments: totally
fab until it got frankly drying at
the finish, which, as usual, will
prevent it to fetch 90+ points. Dura
lex, sed lex. SGP:471 - 89
points. |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK on holidays
in St Tropez |
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| We
know, an old rotten joke... |
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July
28, 2009 |
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| HAPPY
BIRTHDAY WF. We registered
whiskyfun.com on July 28, 2002 which
seems to mean that this website is
seven years old today, even if its
'tasting diary + music reviews' part
was started a little later, on February
1, 2004. Nothing as old as our beloved
Malt Maniacs (1997) but maybe something
to celebrate. We'll see tonight...
Anyway, heartfelt thanks to whiskyfun's
growing audience, I know that you're
all great, passionate people. Santé!
- Serge |
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TASTING
– TWO 1971 CLYNELISH by DOUGLAS
LAING |
| Clynelish
36 yo 1971/2007 (44.6%, Douglas Laing,
Old Malt Cask, 191 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: well, it
is a fruit monster as expected and
well within the magical square (Benriach
Bowmore Clynelish Lochside –
no geography here). Starts as citrusy
and ‘tropical’ as it can
get, on an avalanche of tangerines
and tinned pineapples but the trademark
waxiness is well here as well, as
well as a little honey and whiffs
of damp clay or chalk that kind of
prevents it from getting too exuberant,
too easy and too, well, enticing.
There is some ‘Clynelish austerity’
in there and that’s always good
news. More and more on grapefruits
and lemon tree honey. Only faint hints
of ginger tonic. Mouth: the oak is
more present at the attack, distilling
hints of white pepper and faint floury
notes right from the start and making
the whole maybe a tad chalky, but
the rest is as excellent as usual,
with a lot of beeswax, bitter oranges,
marmalade and hints of ginger. More
white pepper and a little pepper and
cinnamon in the development, as well
as a very faint cardboardiness. Finish:
long, on bitter oranges and cake,
with quite some white pepper once
again and just hints of peat. Comments:
the oak starts to talk a bit loud
here but we’re still in the
very best territories, as often with
these old ‘new’ Clynelishes.
SGP:551 - 88 points. |
| Clynelish
38 yo 1971/2009 (47.9%, Douglas Laing,
Old Malt Cask, 145 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: we’re well
in the same category but with more
vanilla, fudge and hints of butterscotch,
maybe from the extra-two years (probably
not, in fact). A marginally more rounded
version, but still a tireless big
fruity old malt. Hints of sandalwood
and rosehip tea and finally big notes
of freshly squeezed oranges. Delicate
oakiness in the background (new cupboard).
Hard to say which I my favourite,
it’s probably on the palate
that it’ll all happen. Mouth:
mucho bigger than the 36yo, many times
richer and certainly of a higher quality
in my opinion. Just imagine a blend
of many jams and spices plus a little
honey and herbs… The oak is
perfect. Pink grapefruits, tangerines,
lemons, beeswax, soft ginger, Szechuan
pepper… State of the art old
new Clynelish. Finish: extremely long,
extremely clean and extremely well
balanced. A little more peat than
in the 36yo. Comments: superlative,
congrats to Douglas Laing. SGP:662
- 93 points. (with many
thanks to Angus du Rangen de Thann) |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
long time no blues so let's listen
to the very great Al
Kooper doing the 12:15
Slow goonbash blues (from the
Kooper Sessions, 1969) with the
15 year old - yes - Shuggie
Otis on guitar. Please buy Al
Kooper's music. |
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July
27, 2009 |
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TASTING
– TWO UNUSUAL SPRINGBANKS |
| Springbank
1974/2000 (44.9%, OB, Private bottling,
cask #153, 234 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: a lot of wood
influence in this one that starts
on cooked butter, cream sauce and
a blend of herbs such as chives and
parsley. Very unusual but pretty interesting.
The sourness grows bolder and comes
now along some faint metallic notes
as well as a little porridge, lemon
juice and big notes of white wine
(sauvignon, I’d say). There’s
also quite some smoke (garden bonfire)
in this very, very unusually dry Springbank.
Grass. Little fruits, no coconuts,
no honey. Really improves after a
good fifteen minutes, getting more
honeyed and raisiny, with also some
beautiful whiffs of crushed tropical
fruits (mangos, passion fruits) and
marzipan. Incredible development,
this two-step malt should not be rushed.
Mouth: excellent attack, much more
focused, on honey, raisins and other
dried fruits. Figs, dates, pineapples
and all that jazz. The problem –
well, is it really a problem? –
is that it stays on these beautiful
flavours and just wouldn’t develop
any further. Maybe a little vanilla
crème. Finish: long but guess
what? Yet again on honey and dried
fruits. Comments: a funny old Springbank,
a true maverick that wouldn’t
keep quiet on the nose whilst it’s
very monolithic on the palate. Monolithic
but excellent, a very entertaining
whisky globally. SGP:542 -
91 points. |
| Springbank
1996/2008 (52.9%, OB for Lateltin
Switzerland, oloroso sherry butt,
cask #266)
Colour: dark gold. Nose: a completely
different profile although I wouldn’t
say this one is more ‘Springbank’
than the 1974. The cask seems to do
all the talking, with huge notes of
fudge, caramel, dates, warm brioche,
butterscotch, raisins and figs and
strictly no vinous notes so far. Quite
some vanilla too, which could suggest
this was double-matured but I’m
most probably plain wrong. A little
sulphur too, I must say. With water:
water reveals big notes of rubber
and sulphur. Cooked cabbage, asparagus
and new bicycle inner tube. Gets then
quieter and rather on leather. Mouth
(neat): punchy and rich, starting
right on these very sulphury notes
that I sometimes got in a few fairly
recent ‘heavily casked’
Springbanks and Longrows (and not
at all in the superb large-batch officials
such as the 18yos, nor in the ‘Barolo’,
‘Madeira’ and such), that
is to say notes of rotting oranges
and even stale ginger tonic. Now,
these notes aren’t as ‘excessive’
as in other bottlings, and they may
well add some charm to this whisky,
provided you like them (again, they
might come from burning of sulphur
in the casks). With water: much better,
this time water killed these odd notes.
Earl grey tea, Seville oranges and
orange drops. Finish: long, in keeping
with the palate. Orange liqueur. Comments:
oh well, that was some battle! Once
again, a very funny cask that I liked
much better neat on the nose, and
diluted on the palate. Better than
the other way around, I guess. Anyway,
anything but a boring whisky. SGP:652
– 86 points. |
| STEPHANE
THE MAD MALT MIXOLOGIST |
|
proposes
his Summertime malt cocktails
"Return
of the King!" |
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Pour
into a shaker, with ice :
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 6 cl Glendronach 15 yo Revival 46%
- 2,5 cl Chambord liqueur
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass,
decorated with berries, a lemon slice
and a sprig of mint. |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
the good old Captain
doing his Party
of special things to do (it's
on Bluejeans and Moonbeams). Please
buy Captain Beefheart's music and
why not his paintings (under his
real name Don Van Vliet). |
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July
24, 2009 |
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| TASTING
– FOUR 1974 ARDBEGS + ONE +
A 1975 |
| Sometimes
I’m feeling like trying a bunch
of great whiskies, even if none of
them is really available anymore,
instead of the average brand new shinytastic
Glen Tommamorin 6yo Zinfandel finish.
Please excuse me for being a tad selfish,
but my only goal with whisky is having
a bit of fun. And what could be more
fun than a few 1974 Ardbegs?... (a
few Broras! - Ed) |
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| Ardbeg
19 yo 1974/1994 (43% Dun Eideann,
for Donato, Italy, cask #4396)
Colour: white wine.
Nose: ultra-classical oily and almondy,
lemony and peaty old style Ardbeg,
displaying all of the trademark coastal
and farmy notes. Diesel oil (that
story about fishermen and their boats),
wet wool (or rather sheep), wild herbs,
camphor, oysters, ‘walks on
the beach with Sonia and the cocker
spaniel’… whatever…
Again, a classic. Brilliant, of course,
even if not really ‘big’.
Mouth: yes, yes and yes. What strikes
me first is the balance between the
phenolic notes and the fruity ones
(mostly lemon and green apples). And
then an avalanche of peat, spices,
salt, clams, herbs. Gets then superbly
mushroomy and minty at the same time,
and finally even more lemony. Finish:
maybe not the longest but totally
delicious. Comments: state of the
art middle-aged old Ardbeg by Signatory
Vintage (the original bottler here),
at just 43% abv! SGP:467 -
94 points. |
| Ardbeg
24 yo 1974/1998 (51.3%, Signatory,
Dumpy, cask #657-658, 306 bottles,
US Bottling, 75cl)
Colour: full gold. Nose: oh my! What
a f*cking fat oily costal peaty resinous
camphory almondy mineral citrusy phenolic
Ardbeg! Err, excuse me, I got carried
away. The most amazing here is that
it’s also extremely elegant,
complex, ever-unfolding and totally
majestic, maybe less ‘concentrated’
than most of the OBs but sort of more
sophisticated (unlike these poor tasting
notes). Most whiskies are pictures
whilst this one is a movie on the
nose, if you see what I mean. With
water: all kinds of damp things and
an immense ‘coastality’.
Enough said. Mouth (neat): enormously
lemony, zesty and then, of course,
peaty. Kind of a peat/spices/custard
tart/lemon pie combination that may
not sound great but that is. Exceptional
compactness. Oh god this is good…
With water: please call the anti-maltoporn
brigade. Finish: long of course, getting
unexpectedly gingery and just a tad
‘new-oak style’ at the
end. Comments: an exceptional Ardbeg.
Only the odd oaky tones at the end
of the end of the finish will prevent
it to reach the 95-mark in my book.
Yup, splitting hairs. SGP:457
– 94 points. |
| Ardbeg
18 yo 1974/1993 (52.3%, Wilson &
Morgan, cask #4385, 255 bottles)
Cask #4374 by the same bottler and
from the same era was fascinating,
so, if all goes well… Colour:
straw. Nose: oh no, when will it stop?
We aren’t far from the Signatory,
only a tad rougher and more spirity
but otherwise we have the same kind
of everlasting development –
another movie star. And can one peat
quinces? With water: that’s
funny, now it smells exactly like
the Dun Eideann. Aren’t we good
at reducing whisky? Mouth (neat):
big and orgasmic – that’ll
do. And immensely peaty. With water:
ooh-ah. Very classy. Lemon flavoured
marzipan and white pepper. Maybe just
a tad less majestic than the Signatory,
though. Very, very faint dustiness.
Finish: not eternal but superb, more
on lemons and grapefruits. Comments:
just another very great one. Those
were the years… SGP:356
– 93 points. |
| Ardbeg
27 yo 1974/2001 (52.3%, Douglas Laing,
Platinum, Japan, 224 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose:
ah, a certain drop here, this is rather
less expressive, much more restrained
and rather kind of cardboardy (cardboard
can sometimes be close to marzipan/almonds)
even if we’re still very ‘1970s
Ardbeg’, that is to say very
high in quality. Gets much earthier
than its bros (damp earth). With water:
nicer for sure. Peated almonds and
lemons plus osiers and clams. And
a bag of langoustines. Very faint
cheesiness. Mouth (neat): once again,
this one is a tad less exceptional
than its brothers, maybe a tad more
unbalanced. Notes of orange drops
and squash that, in my view, do not
go too well with old Ardbegs but other
than that, it’s still great,
great whisky of course. A certain
earthiness once again, also more medicinal
notes. With water: these odd orangey
notes get even bigger. Finish: rather
long. Grape skins and lemon zests,
earthy and medicinal. Comments: excellent
and unusually earthy but maybe not
the most serious candidate for the
Brorardbeg Olympics that we’ll
organise one day - maybe. SGP:366
– 90 points. |
 |
And
also Ardbeg
1974/2006 (53.5%, OB, Italy, bourbon,
cask #3328, 76 bottles)
A very little outturn. Nose: fantastic
attack on fresh walnuts and then plain
peat smoke. Really explodes after
that, on camphor, eucalyptus, soft
spices and lemon. And olive oil. And
lemon. And marzipan. And beeswax.
Amazing, getting more and more medicinal
after the first ten minutes. Mouth:
one of the powerful ones, starting
on bitter almonds, developing on more
and more quince and cough drops. Also
more vanilla than usual. Long finish,
rather rounder and candied. Magical!
SGP:567 – 94 points. |
 |
And
also - yeah I know, not a 1974 - Ardbeg
1975/1988 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail
for Auxil, 75cl)
A rare old bottling from the Harry’s
Bar’s stock. Nose: very medicinal
and tarry, with also a lot of burnt
caramel. Goes on with some mint liqueur
(Get 31), Parma ham, camphor and whiffs
of bicycle inner tube. Some flat-leaved
parsley in the background. Mouth:
rounded and syrupy, with quite some
mint once again. Some caramel too
and notes of bitter almonds. Comments:
great nose, palate a little more mundane
but extremely sippable. SGP:346
– 87 points.
(with thanks to these great men
named Bert V., Geert B., Konstantin
G., Tomislav R. and all the cool people
at Paris’ Harry’s Bar)
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK on holidays
in St Tropez |
| |
|
July
23, 2009 |
|
|
 |
SPEED
TASTING – FIVE 1974 GLEN GRANT
Another session involving only sister
casks, and maybe another brain-teaser.
As often, water may stress the differences,
if there are any. A pipette is needed
so that you can reduce the whiskies
similarly in this case, or any differences
may come from different dilutions
instead of from the whiskies. |
Glen
Grant 31 yo 1974/2006 (49.8%, Duncan
Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #16569)
Colour: straw. Nose: starts on quite
some smoke and notes of toast from
the wood, gets then much grassy, with
whiffs of sawdust, then porridge and
cereals. Austere and far from the
luscious old sherried Glen Grants.
Shy-ish. With water: gets a little
more complex at first (leather, hay)
but gets then almost ‘aromatically
silent’. Mouth (neat): good,
rather simple fruitiness, with a pleasant
spiciness in the background. Green
apples, tangerines, lemons, cloves
and pepper. More and more lemon. With
water: pleasantly fruity. Finish:
medium-long, a little fruit salad
with ginger and cinnamon. Comments:
the cask wasn’t very active,
this one could just as well have been
fifteen years old in my humble opinion.
But it’s good whisky. SGP:431
- 83 points. |
Glen
Grant 34 yo 1974/2009 (48.4%, Duncan
Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #16576) 
Colour: straw. Nose:
much shier than cask #16569, actually
almost silent. Hints of apple juice
and just a little wood smoke again.
With water: nada. No developments.
Mouth (neat): more wood and more grass
than in the 31yo, a little more bubblegum
too. Not unpleasant, les shy than
on the nose. With water: more fruit
drops. Finish: shortish and a little
tea-ish. Comments: not the most interesting
old Glen Grant, including by the same
excellent bottler. SGP:341
- 78 points. |
Glen
Grant 34 yo 1974/2009 (52.2%, Duncan
Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #16578)
Colour: straw. Nose: almost
the same as cask #16576 when undiluted.
Maybe a tiny-wee bit more mineral.
With water: works this time. More
fruits, marzipan, tangerines…
Good news! Mouth (neat): same as the
previous one. Maybe a tad more lemony.
With water: more lemony indeed. And
orange drops. Works. Finish: medium-long,
on orangeade and ginger. Comments:
a good one but less complex than the
31yo. SGP:431 - 82 points.
|
| Glen
Grant 34 yo 1974/2009 (54.5%, Duncan
Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #16577)
Colour: straw. Nose: same when
undiluted. Maybe the wood’s
a little bigger. With water: indeed,
a little more coffee and cocoa powder.
Cinnamon, ginger. Mouth (neat): once
again, very close. It seems that there’s
a little more clove and ginger. With
water: it’s the oakiness that
comes out this time. Finish: medium,
a little tannic. Comments: not bad,
but no thrill IMHO. SGP:341
- 80 points. |
| Glen
Grant 34 yo 1974/2009 (55.6%, Duncan
Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #16574)
Colour: straw. Nose: very close
once again, maybe a tiny tad more
buttery. Gets then a little fruitier
(apples, a little lemon). With water:
becomes a little beer-ish this time.
Water doesn’t work too nicely.
Mouth (neat): same again, more or
less. A tad more on kirsch. With water:
same, not much development. Maybe
more orange juice and tea tannins.
Finish: medium. A little tannic again.
Comments: well, not the most inspiring
old Glen Grant, but it’s pretty
drinkable, of course. SGP:351
- 79 points. |
| Conclusion,
they all taste a bit like oak-matured
fruit eau-de-vie in a certain way.
Little differences between all these
casks when undiluted but water bring
out obvious differences, which is
rather interesting to follow. All
these unsherried old Glen Grants are
perfectly all right I’d say,
but in no way near the very excellent
1970s and 1972s by Duncan Taylor.
Having said that, they’re all
very fairly priced. Speaking of which… |
|
Glen
Grant 36 yo 1972/2009 (45%, Duncan
Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #8950)
Colour: straw. Nose: hell, now we’re
talking!!! An amazing honey/jam combo
at first nosing, together with whiffs
of well-aged Sauternes, figs, apricot
pie, beeswax and… More beeswax.
Superb. Mouth: oh yes, impressive
attack on honey again, apple pie,
more honey, fudge, a little salted
liquorice, marmalade, just a little
Muscat wine and finally big notes
of baklavas (honey and orange blossom
water). Finish: long, with the oak’s
spices being a tad louder at this
point. Cinnamon, ginger and a little
nutmeg. Comments: another world. I
wouldn’t swap one bottle of
these 1972s for ten bottles of 1974.
Yes, a bold statement. SGP:641
– 91 points. |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening
for a cool Summer evening:
The now very kitschycultish Egyptian-born
Lebanese singer Bob
Azzam
Title: Viens
à Juan les Pins (Grand
Prix du Disque in 1960!)
Please buy Bob Azzam's music. |
 |
| |
|
July
22, 2009 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE ROYAL LOCHNAGARS |
| Royal
Lochnagar 'Selected Reserve' (43%,
OB, 4710 bottles, 2007)
A no-age-statement bottling that,
in its earlier versions, never really
pulled excellent comments from the
anoraky hordes. Colour: amber. Nose:
good presence at first nosing, combining
marmalade, honey and malty notes with
a smoky/toasty profile, even a little
coal and something such as wet fabric
and rocks. Faint peatiness. Gets then
a little more leathery, with also
hints of melon, peach and walnuts.
And we’re finally back on marmalade,
with always these faintly mouldy/damp
notes. Hints of sherry. Mouth: maybe
a little bizarre and ‘undecided’
at first sips, hesitating between
some rather luscious orangey/honeyed
notes and a ‘leathery waxiness’
that’s maybe not the cleanest
ever. That could only generate conflicting
feelings ;-). Evolves more towards
coffee and Cointreau and as much marmalade
as on the nose, but there’s
also a slightly drying woodiness in
the background. A tad gritty. Finish:
medium long, maltier and even more
on sugared coffee. Very faint soapiness.
Comments: mixed feelings here. On
the one hand, it’s not ‘commercial’
at all, and on the other hands, it
may lack definition. Oh well, just
an opinion… (maybe the influence
of nearby Balmoral castle where the
royal family is often spending its
holidays?) SGP:442 - 83 points. |
| Royal
Lochnagar 22 yo 1986/2009 (53.8%,
Duncan Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #951,
256 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: more powerful,
less rounded, in other words straighter
than the OB. The mouldy notes are
much less obvious whereas the smokiness
is even bigger. Notes of cut apples,
a little linseed oil and rather graphite
instead of plain coal. With water:
some peat comes out, hints of motor
oil, even tarmac. It’s funny
how some ‘natural’ Lochnagars
display some of Port Ellen’s
usual descriptors. I wrote ‘some’,
eh!. Mouth (neat): raw but neat and
clean, fruity, maybe a tad varnishy.
Gets then grassier but superbly lemony,
with also hints of olive oil. Assertive,
as they say. With water: fab at first
sipping, more on quince jelly, marmalade
and figs, getting then rather grassy
and lemony again. Takes water well
but gets back to normal after a few
seconds. An elastic profile, how interesting
is that? Finish: long, clean, all
on lemon pie. Comments: a funny, very
interesting and very good, kaleidoscopic
Lochnagar. Very entertaining with
water. SGP:561 - 88 points. |
| Royal
Lochnagar 22 yo 1986/2009 (56.9%,
Duncan Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #948,
258 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: this sister
cask is much less fruity but woodier
and grassier, the oak having been
more active. More vanilla, ginger
and plain sawdust and a faint sourness
(yoghurt). The most austere of the
three. With water: even more austere
and grassy. Chives, mint, lawn, a
little dill. Mouth (neat): ah yes,
now it’s my favourite, very
old Highlands style, with that great
fruits/minerals combo that’s
hard to describe. Resinous honey,
lemon marmalade, cough drops, pepper…
And it’s all really big. With
water: more of the same, but big time.
Probably a little less complex and
‘entertaining’ than cask
#951 but maybe even more satisfying
for its great compactness. Finish:
long, fully on marmalade. Something
like rosemary in the aftertaste. Comments:
two whiskies in one, nose and palate
being very different. But it’s
pretty fantastic Lochnagar! Recommended.
SGP:551 – 89 points.
|
| STEPHANE
THE MAD MALT MIXOLOGIST |
|
|
proposes
his Summertime malt cocktails
"Pornic
Bay" |
 |
Pour
into a highball :
- 6 cl Auchentochan Classic 40%
- 3 cl strawberry liqueur from Pornic
"La Fraiseraie"
- finish with pink grapefruit juice
Add two ice cubes, stir, and decorate
with a strawberry.
If you do not have strawberry liqueur
from "La Fraiseraie" (shame
on you!) try to substitute it with
another strawberry liqueur from Bretagne. |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
Some old skool salsa with Puerto
Rico's Willie
Rosario
Title: La
Mitad
Please buy Willie Rosario's music. |
 |
| |
|
July
21, 2009 |
|
|
 |
SPEED
TASTING – FOUR NEW 1990 IMPERIALS
Trying
four sister casks is always very
interesting and pushes the taster
to his limits, looking for tiny-wee
differences. It’s also sometimes
quite hard… As always, we’ll
sort this Imperials by ascending
strengths. |
| Imperial
19 yo 1990/2009 (53.1%, Duncan Taylor,
Rare Auld, cask #445)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: fresh and
honeyed, floral, vanilled and orangey,
with a medium but obvious creamy oakiness.
Very clean, getting emphatically fruity
after a few minutes. With water: gets
a little more complex, with more herbs
and a little vanilla crème.
Hints of fresh coriander and maybe
sorrel. Coffee and chocolate. Mouth
(neat): rich, extremely fruity and
slightly peppery. Acacia honey, orange
juice and pineapple and lemon drops.
Excellent body, gets just a tad drying/woody.
With water: back to full fruitiness
and spices. Finish: medium long, clean,
just as fruity. Comments: one of these
excellent Imperials, fresh and vibrant.
SGP:641 - 86 points. |
| Imperial
19 yo 1990/2009 (53.4%, Duncan Taylor,
Rare Auld, cask #449)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: extremely
close to cask #449, a tad oakier and
a tad less fruity, these differences
getting bigger and bigger. Less exuberantly
fresh. With water: we’re now
closer, with more fresh fruits and
a faintly muscatty profile. A little
ginger. Mouth (neat): even closer
to cask #445 on the palate but once
again a little oakier, getting even
a tad bitterish. With water: same
differences. More tannins, nutmeg,
strong tea. Finish: medium long, with
quite some oak. Comments: another
good one, but less juicily fruity
than cask #445. SGP:551 -
83 points. |
| Imperial
19 yo 1990/2009 (53.7%, Duncan Taylor,
Rare Auld, cask #446)
Colour:
pale gold. Nose: extremely close once
again, somewhere between casks #445
and 449, which makes sense according
to the cask numbers, doesn’t
it? With water: now it’s the
fruitiest. Hints of butter pears and
spearmint. Mouth (neat): same as cask
#445, with maybe even more fruits
at the attack. Full-bodied, very orangey.
With water: now we’re somewhere
between #445 and 449 once again. Finish:
not far from #449 in its dryness.
Comments: very good, but once again,
less emphatic as #445. SGP:551
- 84 points. |
| Imperial
19 yo 1990/2009 (55.7%, Duncan Taylor,
Rare Auld, cask #448)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: almost the
same as cask #446. With water: same.
Mouth (neat): same as cask #446 once
again when undiluted, maybe even fruitier.
Orange drops and limejuice galore.
With water: the fruitiness is bigger
now. Peppered oranges. Finish: long,
maybe the most citrusy of them all.
Sweets, liquorice allsorts, acacia
honey. Comments: very good once again.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
| Conclusion:
casks #445, 446 and 448 are extremely
similar in their big intense fruitiness,
cask #449 is more marked by the oak
and a little less fresh. Water brings
out more differences and #445 really
became my favourite. #448 is very
good too. |
| |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK on holidays
in St Tropez |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
Artist: the extraordinary Ellen
McIlwaine
Title: Jimmy
Jean
From: We the people
Please buy Ellen McIlwaine's music. |
 |
| |
|
July
20, 2009 |
|
|
| APOLLO
XI - BREAKING NEWS! THIS JUST IN |
 |
| From
an undercover source: This is the
true, authentic picture of the event,
before it was photoshopped by the
NASA. Amazing... |
| |
 |
TASTING
– OLD YOUNG AND NEW OLD TOMINTOUL |
| Tomintoul-Glenlivet
12 yo (43%, OB, Whyte & Mackay,
blue ceramic, 37.5cl, early 1980s)
From a funny old still-shaped decanter.
Colour: full gold. Nose: what’s
obvious at first nosing is that this
one hasn’t suffered from all
these years in a usually fairly porous
decanter. Good glazing! Starts malty
and mentholated, rather toasty as
well, with a little smoke (or burnt
cake) and notes of earl grey tea getting
then more butterscotchy and honeyed.
It’s smooth but somewhat dense
and rather complex. Very nice floral
notes too (fresh chamomile). Also
a little liquorice. An excellent surprise
beyond the fancy bottle. Mouth: sure
it may have lost a bit of its firepower
but the attack is still firm, just
as malty as on the nose but maybe
also more caramelly. Hints of bubblegum
and marshmallow plus a little grenadine,
honey-coated nuts, violet sweets,
vanilla fudge. And more and more caramel
that may well not have been fully
‘natural’ in this one.
But it’s globally very good.
Finish: rather medium-long, malty,
grainy and fudgy, somewhat in a style
that reminds me of some good old aged
blends. Comments: a perfect all-rounder
that didn’t lose much steam.
Very good! SGP:432 –
85 points (and
thank you, Lawrence) |
| Tomintoul
40 yo 1967 (47.9%, Artworks, extra
matured in Rum Wood, cask #2, 2008)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: starts rather
less expressive than the old 12yo
and rather grassy, the notes of rum
being well there but not invading.
Slowly takes off after that rather
discreet start, with more barley sugar,
hints of overripe bananas, marmalade,
vanilla fudge and once again a little
mint. Quite some crème brûlée
too and finally various herbal teas.
Liquorice tea, hawthorn. Oh and a
rather beautiful earthiness. Roots,
celeriac… Interesting and unusually
fresh considering its age. Good work
with the cask. Mouth: a little more
rum influence at very first sipping
and a profile that’s maybe not
too precise/focused but it’s
pleasant. Barley sugar and herbs,
light ‘American’ coffee,
crystallised oranges and even more
barley sugar. Orange cake, crystallised
cherries. Good fruitiness and no overwhelming
wood at 40yo. Finish: rather long
and more on spices such as cloves
and dried ginger. Comments: good old
whisky, the rum having probably enhanced
it indeed. I liked the unusual notes
of cherries on the palate. SGP:541
- 83 points. |
 |
And
also Whyte
& Mackay’s 8 yo Supreme
(43%, OB, blend, late 1970s)
This one poured by the great Valentino
Zagatti last time we visited him in
Italy. Beautiful skittle-shaped bottle.
Nose: dry, smoky, on pencil lead and
pine resin, rather typical of the
era. Verging on cough syrup. Mouth:
refined, more on strawberry drops
and liquorice plus a good smokiness.
Notes of lemon squash. Very nice palate.
A salty yet balanced finished. SGP:433
- 82 points. (and thanks,
Valentino) |
| STEPHANE
THE MAD MALT MIXOLOGIST |
|
|
proposes
his Summertime malt cocktails
"Blas-ter"
|
 |
Pour
into a shaker, with ice :
- 6 cl Ardbeg Blasda 40%
- 2,5 cl Jägermeister
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
If you do not have this great liqueur
(Jägermeister), you can find
it on internet, or you may substitute
with another plant liqueur (Izarra,
Chartreuse...) but the taste will
never be the same than the "Jag"'s
one. |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
Artist: Mexico's iconic Chavela
Vargas
Title: Paloma
Negra (how much pathos in this?)
Please buy Chavela Vargas's music. |
 |
| |
|
July
18, 2009 |
|
|
TASTING
– OPPOSITES ATTRACT
TWO
GLENFARCLAS AND TWO PORT ELLEN |
 |
The
crazy Belgians at the Lindores Whisky
Society are celebrating their 5th
birthday right this Saturday afternoon
and have done their own ultra-limited
bottlings, one Glenfarclas and one
Port Ellen, 11 bottles only each.
So, will these tasting notes be completely
useless? (who said once again, who?)
Not, because these two whiskies will
also be available for tasting at the
LWS’ next Whisky
Fest in Oostende. In true Whiskyfun
fashion, we’ll now oppose them
to some of their siblings. |
| Glenfarclas
1967 (43%, Natural Color, France,
+/-2005)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: toffee and
dried fruits galore at first nosing,
pretty much what one would expect
from an old Glenfarclas. Dried figs
and dates, Xmas cake, huge notes of
pipe tobacco and liquorice, even a
little wood smoke (maybe pine cone),
the whole developing more towards
a little rancio and big notes of walnuts,
apple peelings and dry sherry, getting
finally superbly dry and leathery.
A classic! Mouth: the relatively low
strength is no problem here, it’s
rather big and powerful whisky. Starts
very caramelised and rather coffeeish
(sugared expresso), very malty as
well, nutty, with the more and more
notes of toasts, roasted nuts and
fudge, getting finally drier once
again. Also a little pepper and cloves.
Amazingly lively and even vibrant
at such old age, but a tad less complex
than on the nose. Finish: long, malty,
very roasted. Kalhua. Comments: quite
a gem within a little known and usually
not ueberstellar range. Great nose,
palate less complex, standing a bit
back. SGP:562 - 90 points. |
| Glenfarclas
1968/2009 (51.2%, OB for Lindores
Whisky Society 5th anniversary, cask
#699, 11 bottles)
One would expect Mr Timmermans, a
patented Glenfarclas collector, would
select a good cask for his club. Colour:
deep gold. Nose: right, this is exceptional
indeed. It’s got everything
that the 1967 had plus an extremely
luscious yet complex fruitiness that
reminds me of the first 1965 Family
Cask. Probably more various fruits
than a costermonger would know and
also some wonderful whiffs of beehive
(minus the stings) and a little vanilla
fudge. Perfect balance. With water:
gets fantastically dry and elegant,
very stylish, with whiffs of precious
wood (wouldn’t a new Rolls-Royce
smell like this?), steak and various
herbs. Water truly brings another
dimension. Mouth (neat): extremely
big, dense and assertive, tasting
higher than +/-50%, starting very
liquoricy and with notes of Mandarine
Impériale and maybe a little
raspberry eau-de-vie. Very concentrated
and without one single sign of overaging,
it’s almost a little rough when
unreduced! Hints of grape skins. With
water: less development than on the
nose but that’s not uncommon
at all. More prunes, raspberry jam
and soft spices. The oak comes through
a bit. Finish: very long, even more
on orange liqueur and pepper. Faint
peatiness. Comments: big, big whisky.
As they say, ‘I want to marry
this whisky’. And one would
almost wish to acquire the Belgian
nationality! SGP:662 - 93
points. |
 |
Port
Ellen 24 yo 1983/2008 (52.5%, Norse
Cask, hogshead, cask #CM016)
Colour: gold. Nose: starts big, fat,
oily and rather phenolmenal, as tarry
as Port Ellen can be but pleasantly
coated with ‘sweet’ elements
from the oak, such as vanilla and
marzipan. Whiffs of diesel oil and
new leather jacket (or Moroccan leather
shop, err…) Gets then rather
citrusy, with hints of lemon liqueur
and quite some fresh ginger. Also
spearmint. It got much less ‘tarmacky’
after a few minutes but there’s
also more gunpowder. |
| With
water: superb! Wet dog (worry again,
dogs), unlit Havana cigar (pick your
favourite brand), tar and new leather.
Mouth (neat): big and thick, bursting
with pepper, peat and wood extracts
(faint ‘bourbonness’,
unusual in Port Ellen) but getting
then smoother, quite liquoricy and
softly spicy. Big peat. Some dried
fruits after that (figs, pears) and
the same kind of gingery lemon notes
as on the nose. With water: even richer,
with many spices and more dried fruits
as well as notes of herbs of Provence
(thyme, rosemary…) Finish: drier
and even spicier. I get lots of clove.
Comments: this Port Ellen was rough
and a bit dirty when I first opened
the bottle but after a good month
of breathing, it got more ‘polished’
and complex yet still very big. It
seems that most of the 1983s were
filled in rather active wood! Anyway,
a great one, bravo Denmark. SGP:467
– 93 points. |
Port Ellen 29
yo 1979/2009 (52%, Old Bothwell for
Lindores Whisky Society 5th anniversary,
cask #1654, 11 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: this is much,
much more austere and flinty/zesty
than the Norse Cask, hence more in
line with most OBs including the Rare
Malts. Starts on fresh almonds and
olive oil, linseed oil and orange
blossom water, growing then farmier
and more coastal. Cow stable (a clean
one! Say a Swiss one…) and wet
hay. Slowly unfolds, with more soft
spices and lemon, a little gingerbread,
a little butter (but it’s not
butyric as such) and whiffs of clay.
Brilliant and extremely natural. With
water: even more lemon, with a most
pleasant ‘sourness’ (cider
apples, dry chenin blanc). Mouth (neat):
once again, a straight, peaty, lemony,
peppery and mineral Port Ellen, with
the saltiness kicking in later on
together with quite some black pepper
and a little chlorophyll. Also a superb
grassiness that keeps it kind of Riesling-esque.
With water: archetypical now. Bitter
almonds, lemon marmalade, ginger cookies,
herbs and seashells. Finish: long,
a little more mineral and lemony again.
Comments: a very clean, natural Port
Ellen with much less wood influence
than in the 1983, but more complexity
than in other ‘naked’
bottlings. Pretty much in the same
league once again. SGP:367
- 93 points.
And now, please pass the shrimp croquettes!
(with thanks to Carsten-H and
Luc) |
CONCERT
REVIEW by Luca Chichizola
NICK CAVE
AND THE BAD SEEDS
Traffic Free Festival,
Venaria Reale, Torino, Italy, July
9th 2009 |
|
What
is better than a Nick
Cave concert? A free
Nick Cave concert, of course. It seems
that the cultural department of the
city council in my hometown of Torino
has good taste in music, according
to the artists which have been invited
to the Traffic Festival since its
first edition in 2004: Iggy Pop and
the Stooges, Shane MacGowan, Aphex
Twin, New Order, Franz Ferdinand,
Gogol Bordello, Manu Chao, Lou Reed,
Daft Punk, Arctic Monkeys, Patti Smith,
The Sex Pistols and many others. |
 |
|
This year, the main attractions were
our beloved Australian bluesman/rocker
with his very talented band, and electronic-music
wizards Underworld. Nice thing about
this festival is that, as I said,
it’s completely free and it
involves other cultural events, too:
for example, since Nick Cave was in
town, the Museum of Cinema also dedicated
a retrospective to his works as writer,
screenwriter and film music composer.
I personally didn’t see the
exposition, but I have had positive
reports. |
| Anyway,
I was very curious to see the Bad
Seeds live after enjoying a couple
of their concerts on DVD. Not so much
because of the slightly modified lineup
(Mick Harvey left the band and was
replaced by Ed Kuepper), but because
I had read that their experiences
with their latest album and especially
the Grinderman side-project seemed
to have brought a new fresh approach
to the live performances, too. |
 |
| This
year the music events of the Traffic
Festival took place not in a park
in Torino, but at the “Italian
Versailles”, the recently restored
Reggia
di Venaria. A magnificent setting,
just half an hour from the center
of Torino. And again, I must express
my congratulations to the organization,
because it was impeccable: easy to
reach, easy to find parking, and with
a sufficiently large open-space area
dedicated to the event without risk
of damage to the beautiful gardens
of the royal estate. Acoustics were
decent, and the volume was good and
loud (at times even a bit too loud,
at least judging from the slight buzz
I’m having in my left ear today).
OK, maybe the support bands could
have been better, since they ranged
from the moderate dullness of the
three never-heard-before local bands
which occupied the stage during the
first hour, to the downright annoying
performance of St. Vincent (one of
those boring “alternative”
bands which cover their lack of personality
and charisma with tiresome outbursts
of grating noise): judging from the
general lack of interest, it was rather
obvious whom most of the audience
had actually come to hear… Well,
maybe that should have been obvious
from the start, judging how many people
around me were wearing Nick Cave or
even Einstürzende Neubauten T-shirts:
sure, there were also some young people
who clearly looked like they had never
heard of Nick and had come to the
Festival just to have some beers and
spend a night out, but they definitely
were the minority. |
| So
my wife Silvia and I patiently waited
for the supporting acts to finish
their show, and at around 22:30 Nick
Cave and the Bad Seeds finally arrived
on stage. Usual black dress with white
pointed collar shirt for Nick (luckily
without the cheesy moustache that
he had been sporting recently), and
similar sober attires for the rest
of the band… except for the
usual weirdo hair and beard sported
by Warren Ellis, who as time goes
by looks more and more like a bum
picked up from the street (but boy,
how great a musician he is!). |
| It
is immediately evident, from the first
songs in the setlist (“Papa
won’t leave you Henry”,
“Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”,
“Red right hand”, and
a thundering “Tupelo”)
that, as predicted, the Bad Seeds
have received a new injection of vitality,
power and raw grittiness from the
Grinderman experience. Mr. Cave seems
to have discovered that strumming
on the electric guitar is more enjoyable
than sitting at the piano, and while
he isn’t the most technically
proficient or refined player of a
six-strings that I have heard in my
life, he certainly compensates that
with energy, passion and sheer wildness.
The setlist of the gig favoured the
rockier and grittier songs from the
extensive catalogue of the band, and
even the few ones that in the albums
used to be quieter, subtler or with
more complex arrangements, were often
played in radically different versions:
stripped to the core, tight, fast,
grinding, absolutely mean and hard-rocking.
It looked like the Bad Seeds were
on a wild spree, and the sheer power
of some songs was breathtaking: perhaps
too much for the ears of some in the
audience, as every time the band unleashed
one of their ferocious and sudden
outbursts of feedback-distorted aural
assault at least a dozen of older
folks went away with perplexed faces… |
 |
| For
those like me who already knew what
to expect, it certainly wasn’t
a problem… on the contrary,
it was rather fun, very energetic.
So, the show went on with classics
like “Henry Lee” (very
wonderful), a blasting “There
she goes my beautiful world”,
and two oldies which are always great
fun like “Deanna” and
“The mercy seat”. “Nature
boy” was another fine moment,
although in a rockier and stripped-down
version compared to the richer one
played during the Abattoir Blues Tour
(they had backing female gospel singers
there…), while “The ship
song” provided a slightly quieter
break. The quieter moment of the concert,
anyway, was the sparse and touching
“Love letter”, and this
was the only song played by Nick at
the piano: I would have hoped for
more, but as I said before…
if he’s happier to play the
guitar and occasionally bash some
keys on the electric organ, there’s
nothing wrong with me; if I want to
hear some more of the “crooner”
Nick, I’ll simply pick up one
of his older live recordings, or one
of his late ‘90s albums… |
| Other
fine moments of the show, again of
the “raw&rockier”
kind, were a version of “We
call upon the author” which,
in its sheer aggressiveness, could
put some of Nick’s Birthday
Party stuff to shame, a fine performance
of “Midnight man”, and
the usually lovely “The weeping
song”. The only bit that left
me a bit puzzled was “Stagger
Lee”, which (apart from the
final outburst of noise) was a bit
less rhythmically irresistible that
the original recording. Probably this
partly has to do with Nick’s
style of live singing, which often
could be considered more of a “freeflow
narration”: but if you know
him, you also know that if you want
the best vocal performances you have
to go for the studio albums because
he has quite a habit of using a different,
more laid-back delivery on live shows. |
| The
concert ended with a very rocky performance
of “Get ready for love”,
and a very good one of “Moonland”
- one of my favorite tracks from their
latest album - which was dedicated
to that “big fucking yellow
disc up there”. |
| Overall
it was a very nice show. I appreciate
it when artists try to offer a live
experience which differs from what
can be heard in the studio albums,
otherwise what would be the purpose
of going to see a live performance
when one can hear exactly the same
stuff at home with better quality?
|
| And
from this point of view, the show
was very satisfactory: again, it’s
hard to describe with words how loud,
aggressive, energetic and raw the
Bad Seeds can be on stage. Kudos in
particular to Jim Sclavunos for the
explosive drumming, and to Warren
Ellis for his absolutely weirdo behavior
on stage: whether he’s standing
with his back to the audience, or
rolling on the floor like possessed
by a demon, or making strident noises
with his violin, he almost constantly
steals the show from Nick. And coming
to Nick, well, he was his usual self:
quite relaxed and at ease, and even
smiling a lot, but always capable
of sudden bursts of quirkiness and
his trademark jerky “rock postures”
and jumps. And, miracle of miracles,
he only smoked ONE cigarette in more
than one hour and a half! |
 |
| Personally
I was worried that Silvia would kill
me for bringing her to this gig, since
she only had explored the softer side
of Nick Cave so far (albums like “The
boatman’s call”, “No
more shall we part” and “Nocturama”),
but she enjoyed the concert very much,
even the louder and grittier moments
of it! And this was no small achievement
at all: another testament to the great
personality and captivating power
of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. -
Luca Chichizola |
| |
|
July
17, 2009 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
ANOTHER
TWO TOMATINS |
| Tomatin
1964/1991 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail,
Connoisseurs Choice, Old Map Label)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: starts wonderfully,
mostly on ‘a freshly opened
pack of liquorice drops’ and
notes of apricot pie (and warm brioche),
with quite some fruits but less than
in other old versions from the mid-1950s.
More raw oak coming through after
a while, as well as whiffs of mocha
and straight malt. Also hints of parsley
and even chives. Slight dustiness
in the background, and finally no
more fruits, which isn’t very
‘old Tomatin’ to say the
least. Mouth: nice, smooth, mid-oaky
mid-fruity, with again quite some
coffee and praline and maybe even
caramel. A little ginger as well,
dried figs… Gets then drier
and drier, maybe a tad papery. A little
pepper as well. Maybe slightly ‘narrow’
but it’s nice old whisky. Slight
OBE. Finish: not really long, with
quite some dried pears and maybe a
little tapioca (that floury feeling
that you sometimes get in some old
malts). Comments: good old Tomatin,
different from most old fruitmonsters
from the same stills. SGP:341
- 84 points. |
| Tomatin
19 yo 1989/2008 (57.6%, Master of
Malt, bourbon)
The Master of Malt are back with a
new line that seems to have already
pulled quite some positive comments
elsewhere. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s
the oak that talks first, somewhat
in the ‘Glenmorangie/New oak’
style, with also quite some vanilla,
cut grass as well as whiffs of dried
flowers. Little fruits but it’s
probably the high strength that blocks
them. Let’s see… With
water: very nice development on banana
skin and oranges, with a summery profile
that’s well, err, seasonable.
The ‘new oak’ profile
remains in the background, with faint
touches of coconuts, ginger and nutmeg.
Oh, and malt. Mouth (neat): hot, powerful,
rather fruitier than on the nose when
undiluted, with faint notes of strawberries
and marshmallows. Something slightly
kirschy and quite some oak (ginger)
again. Rather rougher than the usual
middle-aged Tomatin so far. With water:
funny how the slightly eau-de-vie-ish
profile gets even bigger with water.
Quince? Williams pear? Plums? A little
salt too, liquorice wood, nutmeg,
white pepper, cornflakes… Even
with water, it’s rather bigger
than the usual Tomatin. Very good
stuff. Finish: long, once again a
tad ‘exotic’, with notes
that remind me of… date arrak?
A little tar in the aftertaste? Comments:
very, very good, the big oakiness
‘melting’ particularly
well once water is added. In other
words, the good life without sherry,
without table wines and without peat,
but not without oak. SGP:362
- 88 points. |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
the Gil
Evans Orchestra playing
Jimi Hendrix' Voodoo
Chile in 1974. Highly controversial
and a bit unlikely, isn't it? Butt
please buy Gil Evans' music. |
 |
| WF
BONUS about Jimi:
Our friend Hans Offringa (writer of
Whisky & Jazz) sent us this little
'ditty': |
Foxy
Whiskey
After a successful promotion tour
of Whisky & Jazz in Charleston
SC in the month of June we found ourselves
on a plane direction Seattle, to enjoy
a well-earned holiday and visit relatives.
Apart from climbing Mount Rainier
we planned to visit the grave of Jimi
Hendrix, in Renton, one of Seattle
sub-urbs. While driving to his last
resting place we turned on the radio
and to our joy and amazement, immediately
Hendrix' Foxy Lady blasted through
the speakers in the car. His grave
turned out to be quite a mausoleum
where, among other relatives, Jimi's
mother is buried. Apparently the Hendrix
familiy has room for more, as can
be read on the little sign behind
the monument. We shared the moment
with one of my favourite bourbons,
Ridgemont Reserve 1792, a small batch
8-year old beauty. - Hans |
 |
| |
|
July
16, 2009 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– TWO 15yo JURA |
| Isle
of Jura 15 yo 1992/2008 (55.4%, The
Single Malts of Scotland, cask #8054,
290 bottles)
From a hogshead. Colour: white wine.
Nose: a typical grassy and flinty
Jura, with hints of ale and cut apples
and then quite some fresh almonds/marzipan.
Damp clay, a little ginger tonic.
With water: more ginger, oranges and
a little mint and liquorice. Nice
(yeah I know that’s not a very
precise adjective but ‘nice’
it is). Mouth (neat): powerful and
extremely sweet and fruity, with little
oak influence at first. Apple liqueur,
limoncello, maybe even kiwis. The
oak kicks in after the attack, with
quite some ginger and nutmeg and something
slightly drying/tannic (strong tea,
toasted bread). A Jura that’s
got quite some character. Gets then
a little earthier, even a little rooty.
With water: Seville oranges and orange
cake. Orange blossom water (or so
flavoured brioche). Finish: medium
long, sweet… Quince eau-de-vie?
Comments: I’m sorry but I repeat:
it’s nice malt whisky. SGP:541
– 83 points. |
Isle
of Jura 15 yo 1990/2005 (50%, Douglas
Laing, OMC, Sherry, 718 bottles)
Even if it’s ‘lighter’
in alcohol – so to speak, I
preferred to try this one after the
‘naked/hogshead’ version
because of its probable high sherry
content. Colour: golden amber. Nose:
the same kind of mid-austere profile
as in the 1992 but with an added layer
of tobacco, shoe polish and gunpowder
as well as a little marmalade. More
whiffs of struck matches and brown
coal coming through after a while,
gets also just a little spritzy-fizzy.
With water: more struck matches, unlit
Habano. Mouth (neat): good start on
quite some marmalade on top of the
trademark grassiness. Slight vinosity,
then some smoked tea and quite some
toasted bread. A little flour (dryness)
and maybe touches of some kind of
sulphur (truffles, strong coffee).
With water: more of that. Roasted
chestnuts. Finish: fairly long put
these ‘roasted’ notes
are even more there. Comments: I would
not call this a ‘sulphury whisky’
but these notes of struck matches
do sort of dominate the whole, ‘though
it’s not unpleasant whisky.
SGP:462 - 79 points.
PS: I really find it strange that
nobody ever did a Jura Jura finish
(wine from the French Jura region) |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
Best of blues today, with Big
Bill Broonzy and his
Backwater
Blues
Please buy Big Bill''s music. |
 |
| |
|
July
15, 2009 |
|
|
| TASTING
– ANOTHER BOWMORE EXTRAVANGAZA |
| I
usually try to pair similar whiskies
but this time and just for fun we’ll
stretch the thing to the max, from
a recent young bourbon Bowmore to
an old black sherry monster via a
finished official and a prestigious
old 30yo. Let’s see if that
will work… (we’ll forget
about the late 1970s/1980s if you
don’t mind.) |
| Bowmore
15 yo 'Laimrig' (50.3%, OB, Sweden,
4500 bottles)
This one was matured for 10 years
in bourbon and then re-racked for
5 years into sherry. What does ‘Laimrig’
mean? Frankly, we don’t care,
do we? Colour: amber. Nose: it seems
that we’re rather closer in
style to a 100% sherry maturation
than to a finishing, as things are
prettily integrated. Starts with whiffs
of gunpowder (no sulphur as such)
and dark chocolate, with a surprisingly
big salinity in the background. Goes
on with a lot of fresh walnuts and
apple peeling and a little leather,
with the peat coming to the front
after that. Also notes of sultanas
and dates. Gets finally seriously
medicinal (bandages), with also whiffs
of old wine barrels. No traces of
odd floweriness. Very nice nose. Mouth:
it works surprisingly well (I say
surprisingly because of the finishing
but is it still a finishing?) A lot
of tar and a lot of heavy liquorice
(Swedish indeed), then sultanas and
cloves, prunes, peat, a little green
apple, tobacco and finally ginger.
Slight bitterness in the background
(grape pips). Finish: very long, with
just hints of plain wine now (strawberries)
but also a beautiful ashy smokiness
and a lot of spices. Comments: balance
is perfect. Very assertive. Big and
very, very, very well made. Water
isn’t obligatory. SGP:557
- 90 points. (thank you
Geert and thank you Sweden! ;-)) |
| Bowmore
10 yo 1998/2009 (59.8%, The Whisky
Fair, bourbon hogshead, 266 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: super-clean
new-style Bowmore, sharp, clean, zesty,
beautifully maritime and smoky. Same
notes of fresh walnuts as in the Laimrig,
quite some grass too. Linseed oil,
graphite. With water: we’re
on Islay, right after the rain, close
to the sea, walking in the meadows
amongst (wet) sheep. Fist class spirit.
Mouth (neat): in style, the opposite
of the Laimnlemrindshigg – whatever
– but in the same league as
far as quality’s concerned.
Huge zing but also huge power, so
let’s add water. With water:
sure it’s no complex whisky
(yet?) but once again, the profile
is perfect. Maybe still a little too
much pears (and the spirit made thereof)
but otherwise the big peatiness plus
the salt work very well. Finish: long,
peaty and still a tad on pears. Comments:
I would be curious to see what would
happen after two or three more years
of maturation, but this is already
much to our liking. SGP:447
- 87 points. |
| Bowmore
30yo 1963/1993 'Anniversary Edition'
(50%, OB, 600 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: ha-ha, there’s
no fruity explosion at all (we’re
not in 1968), rather some huge medicinal
notes combined with wood and coal
ashes. There’s quite some camphor,
whiffs of crushed eucalyptus leaves,
mentholated cigarettes (remember Kool?)
and, once again, quite some fresh
walnuts. Are fresh walnuts the missing
link between antique and new-style
Bowmores? With water: more tropical
fruits and more manure. It became
even ‘wider’. Fab! Mouth
(neat): fantastically medicinal, with
something that really reminds me of
the stupendous old pear-shaped 8yo
(the bottle was pear-shaped, not the
whisky). Cough drops, oysters, tangerine
zests, walnuts (yes), almonds, salt,
liquorice, mint, kippers… And
loads and loads of other flavours.
Sorry, the anti-maltoporn brigade
is here, let’s stop it. It doesn’t
need water on the palate anyway. Finish:
magnificently medicinal and resinous.
Comments: probably the most medicinal
old Bowmore I could try. A work of
art. SGP:456 - 94 points.
(and thanks to the Gentlemen du
Whisky!) |
| Largiemeanoch
12 yo 1967 (54.2%, Howgate Wine Co.,
Bowmore, casks #2655/6/7, +/- 1979)
A very rare old indie Bowmore, pretty
much introvabile these days. It was
our travel dram last time we went
to Italy with some Malt Maniacs and
friends. It’s said that it was
bottled by Cadenhead’s. Colour:
dark mahogany. Nose: the kind of combo
that only old Bowmore plus great sherry
can produce. Hard to describe, but
I’d say it’s not unlike
the first Black Bowmore, with less
fruitcake but more smoke and peat.
Listing the thousands of aromas that
we get (Serge, don’t brag, two
dozens will do) would be painful so
let’s just mention dried tangerines,
leather, pinewood smoke and, should
I say of course, passion fruits and
mangos. With water: oooooh yess! Black
olives, a cellar in Jerez, a bootmaker’s
workshop… It’s amazing.
Mouth (neat): the most astonishing
combination of tropical fruits and
all things resinous /smoky /spicy
I ever tasted. An absolute masterpiece.
With water: I’m about to faint.
Finish: life is unfair. All whiskies
should be like this one. Comments:
it was already great when we opened
the bottle but now that it could breathe
a bit, it became totally glorious.
What’s the role of bottle ageing
in all this? Hard to say but I can’t
see how a Bowmore could be that fabulous
after only twelve years in a sherry
cask. We also noticed that almost
all our favourite whiskies were around
twelve years old when bottled and
then spent at least thirty years in
glass. No science but hey! SGP:557
- 97 points. |
| STEPHANE
THE MAD MALT MIXOLOGIST |
|
|
proposes
his Summertime malt cocktails
"Evergreen
Witch" |
 |
Pour
into a shaker, with ice:
5 cl Bunnahabhain "Moine"
Jean Boyer Witc’s Bottling 62.1%
2 cl Midori (or another green melon
liqueur)
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
A little tribute to "the two
Jean Marie" and the excellent
Whisky In The Church event that takes
place in Den Haag every year. |
MUSIC
- Recommended listening:
If you went to Bunnahabhain during
Feis Ile a few years back, you'll
probably remeber the excellent Blazin'
Fiddles and their Swedish
piece.
From:
The Old Style
Please buy the Blazin' Fiddles'
music. |
 |
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: a heavy month!
Ardbeg
18 yo 1974/1993 (52.3%,
Wilson & Morgan, cask #4385, 255 bottles)
Ardbeg
19 yo 1974/1994 (43% Dun Eideann, for
Donato, Italy, cask #4396)
Ardbeg
24 yo 1974/1998 (51.3%, Signatory,
Dumpy, cask #657-658, 306 bottles, US Bottling,
75cl)
Ardbeg
1974/2006 (53.5%,
OB, Italy, bourbon, cask #3328, 76 bottles)
Ardbeg
27 yo 1974/2001 (52.3%, Douglas Laing,
Platinum, Japan, 224 bottles)
Benriach
33 yo 1976/2009 (47.4%, OB
for the Whisky Fair, hogshead, cask #3558, 162
bottles)
Benriach
33 yo 1976/2009 (46.2%, OB for the
Whisky Fair, hogshead, cask #3550, 103 bottles)
Benriach
34 yo 1970/2004 (51.2%, OB, hogshead,
cask #4005, 254 bottles)
Bowmore
15 yo 'Laimrig' (50.3%,
OB, Sweden, 4500 bottles)
Bowmore
30yo 1963/1993 'Anniversary Edition' (50%,
OB, 600 bottles)
Clynelish
38 yo 1971/2009 (47.9%, Douglas Laing,
Old Malt Cask, 145 bottles)
Glenfarclas
1967 (43%, Natural Color, France, +/-2005)
Glenfarclas
1968/2009 (51.2%, OB for Lindores Whisky
Society 5th anniversary, cask #699, 11 bottles)
Glen
Grant 36 yo 1972/2009 (45%, Duncan
Taylor, Rare Auld, cask #8950)
Largiemeanoch
12 yo 1967 (54.2%, Howgate Wine Co.,
Bowmore, casks #2655/6/7, +/- 1979)
Old
Fettercairn 33 yo 1975/2008 (58.3%,
The Perfect Dram, 143 bottles)
Old
Fettercairn 34 yo 1975/2009 (57%, The
Whisky Agency, Bourbon hogshead, 132 bottles)
Port
Ellen 24 yo 1983/2008 (52.5%,
Norse Cask, hogshead, cask #CM016)
Port
Ellen 29 yo 1979/2009 (52%, Old Bothwell
for Lindores Whisky Society 5th anniversary,
cask #1654, 11 bottles)
Springbank
1974/2000 (44.9%, OB, Private bottling,
cask #153, 234 bottles)
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