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Hi, you're in the Archives, June 2006 - Part 1 |
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| June
14, 2006 |
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| TASTING
- ANOTHER TWO PORT ELLENS |
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Port
Ellen 26 yo 1979/2005 (53%, Old Bothwell,
cask #3198) 
A neww bottler I had never heard of
before. Colour: straw. Nose: very
clean, very natural but not wham-bam.
It really resembles a Caol Ila at
first nosing, with something quite
citrusy, almondy and even grassy.
Whiffs of wood smoke, garden bonfire,
burning straw… It develops on
oily and mineral notes (flints, lamp
oil), getting then quite maritime
and buttery at the same time. Also
apple juice. Sharp, a little austere
and not overly demonstrative but quite
classy. Something that reminds me
of the 1978 Rare Malts (the 20 yo
rather than the 22). |
| Mouth:
starts much sweeter than expected
but also waxier, with lots of herbs
(parsley, fresh spinach), almond milk
and then something slightly sweet
and perfumy (orange water, violet
sweets). And of course quite a lot
of peat. It gets then rather woody,
even tannic, with lactones, apple
and grape skins, lemon seeds…
Speaking of which, it does get very
lemony after a moment, but this palate
is less austere than the nose, and
certainly easier. The finish is long,
smoky and lemony, with just the right
dose of pepper. Another good one,
no questions a bout that.
90 points. |
| Port
Ellen 1979/1998 (61,1%, G&M, cask
series, casks #7238-7239)
Colour:
straw - gold. Nose: this one is really
different, much more buttery at first
nosing. Lots of green apples and candle
wax but otherwise it’s a little
closed. Water needed, probably…
Yes, that works, we do have the expected
tarry notes now, new tyres, tarmac,
linseed oil… Also something
quite farmy (hay) and mineral (wet
chalk), plus quite some pu-erh tea,
Belgian beer, pencil lead, motor oil…
Just great, a Port Ellen with lots
of Portellenity (what?) Mouth (neat):
yawn, what a beast! Lots of lemon,
lots of oranges and lots of peat but
water is needed again! Oh yes, that
works beautifully, with lots of dried
oranges and cough sweets plus again
that great Portellenity (will you
stop that!), with lots of mineral
‘stuff’ (not that I eat
stones too often), fir honeydew, propolis,
salty liquorice… Quite some
spices too, black pepper, cloves,
maybe a little mustard… And
again lots of lemon and grapefruit.
And the finish is long, mostly on
peat, pepper and lemon marmalade…
Just excellent, with lots of oomph
(even when diluted to roughly 45%).
92 points. |
| CRAZY
WHISKY ADS - ON FATHER'S DAY - PART
3 |
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USING
GRATITUDE
Left, Johnnie
Walker Black Label 1969
– ‘The scotch for
the father who scrimped and saved
all his life so you wouldn’t
have to.’ Bang!
Right, Johnnie
Walker Black Label 1993
– ‘Thank Dad for being
more proud than angry.’
Powerful hint at childhood memories...
For American kids, at least. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: I'm not too much into
folklore but I think this young
Gaelic singer from Asynt is bl**dy
excellent! Not just wood sawing,
if you ask me. Please listen to
James
Graham singing Mo
bhò dhubh mhòr/Puirt
(just add .mp3 when you've dowloaded
it) and then buy his CD! |
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| June
13, 2006 |
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| TASTING
- THREE RECENT CAOL ILAS |
Caol
Ila 12 yo (46%, Craigellachie Hotel,
circa 2005) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: quite punchy
at first nosing, very typical, starting
on peat smoke, sea air, iodine and
a little coal smoke. Perhaps peatier
than other versions. Goes on with
freshly cut apples, pears and something
slightly floral in the background
(hints of violets). A nice minerality
as well. Rather simple but flawless
and enjoyable. As close to ‘the
distillery’ as possible. Mouth:
sweet and nervous, starting on acidulous
fruits (limes, green gooseberries,
green plums) and fresh sorrel, rhubarb…
Very ‘funny’. Gets then
nicely smoky but even more citrusy
at the same time, with always a nice
freshnes. Something of a sauvignon…
Funny, really funny. The finish is
rather long, lemony (juice and zest)
and slightly smoky… A good one.
Simple but good and… er, funny.
84 points. |
| Caol
Ila 1993/2005 (46%, Murray McDavid,
sherry cask)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: this one
is different, fruitier and less sharp,
more on apple juice at first nosing
(plus peat smoke of course). Develops
on rather bold notes of sulphur, diesel
oil, paraffin, stones, with whiffs
of hot praline, caramel and barbeque
herbs. Notes of fino and toasted cake.
Probably more interesting but also
a little les clean… Mouth: more
sherry now, with notes of rubber,
wax, praline, sultanas blending with
more or less the same king of ‘citrusness’
as in the ‘Craig’ but
also a little salt. Really playful,
even if the finish isn’t too
long. But the spirit really dominates
the sherry now. Maybe trhat’s
good news. Anyway, another good one,
even if the sherry and the spirit
sort of stay apart and don’t
really create ‘a third dimension’.
I can’t wait to taste the new
Caol Ila official ‘Distiller’s
Edition’ which we should be
able to taste on Islay later on this
month. 84 points
for this one too. |
Caol
Ila 15 yo 1991/2006 (56%, Dewar Rattray,
cask #742, 318 bottles)
 Colour:
straw. Nose: a little less expressive
than both the ‘Craig’
and the Murmac versions, and also
less smoky and peaty. We do have kind
of waxiness but the dominant aromas
are more on fresh almonds, marzipan,
turpentine, even a little varnish…
More peat and pepper after a few minutes,
as well as hints of strawberries and
melon, even olive oil. Quite some
personality. Mouth: sweeter and bolder,
thanks to the higher ABV but the difference
isn’t that huge. Again we have
all these citrusy flavours that play
with your tongue plus quite some fresh
pineapple and a little guava…
It’s also spicier, with hints
of horseradish… The peat isn’t
overwhelming here but the whole is
very compact, very satisfying…
More peppery as well. Maybe it’s
a little closer to a South shore malt.
The finish is long this time, lemony
and peppery… A very good one,
no doubt. 86 points. |
| CRAZY
WHISKY ADS - ON FATHER'S DAY - PART
2 |
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USING
PRIDE
Top, left, Johnnie
Walker Black Label 1971
– ‘It will make your
father proud to know you can afford
it.’ Extremely effective,
beautiful picture, highly emotional.
This ad is a classic, one of my favourites.
Top, right, Johnnie
Walker Red Label 1974
– ‘Dear Dad…
Once I was the twinkle in your eye.
For the next 22 years I was the hole
in your pocket. Now that I’m
earning my own bed and board…
I hope this bottle of Johnnie Walker
Red makes me the twinkle in your eye
again. Your son, Andy.’
Another excellent Johnnie Walker ad.
You can borrow the body for your own
use, it should be a hit with your
dad! And was it Michael Caine?
Bottom, left, Chivas
Regal 1977 –
‘He taught you to appreciate
the finer things in life. Make him
glad he did.’ More or less
the same trick but drier.
Bottom, right, Chivas
Regal 2006 (in Chinese)
– ‘Chivas Regal 18
year old Scotch Whisky is a world
famous Scotch whisky brand. Representing
Experience, Inspiration and Patience.
That’s why, when Chivas decided
to create a new style of Scotch, they
insisted that the product had to match
with the Brand’s prestigious
image. How can I give this to my dad
as a gift if it was not a prestigious
brand? But how much should we drink?
Just a few sips would be good enough.’
Err, imagine this one running in Europe
or in the US! And the baby, he could
swallow the cap!!! A slippery slope…
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MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: blending sitar-like slide
guitar (or is it sitar?), blues,
country-rock, harmonica, entrancing
choirs and songwriting skills, Harry
Manx, who was born
on the Isle of Man, does Don't
take his name away.mp3. Very
good, if you ask me... 'Mysticssippi'
flavor indeed. Please buy his music
and go to his concerts! |
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| June
12, 2006 |
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| TASTING
- ARDBEG 1967, FOUR WONDERS BY SIGNATORY
(pale and dark) |
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| Ardbeg
28 yo 1967/1995 (53.7%, Signatory,
cask #575, pale oloroso)
Colour:
gold. Nose: very expressive, to say
the least. Starts extremely resinous,
with lots of camphor, eucalyptus,
bandages, getting then more and more
medicinal. Then we have the marzipan,
almond milk, and then all the sea
'stuff': fisherman's nest, shells,
oysters... All that is finally rather
delicate, not brutal at all. Really
brilliant! Keeps developing on orgeat
syrup, marzipan, whiffs of turpentine
and even tar, dried seaweed... Natural
mastic? Heck, let's say it: 'wow!'
Mouth: an extraordinary attack, powerful,
extremely thick and coating, on peat,
rubber and bitter oranges. Hugely
concentrated! Lots of mastic sweets,
beeswax, cough syrup, quite some herbs
(mostly chervil but also a little
dill), getting then quite lemony but
always resinous... So playful after
all these years! The finish is long,
waxy, almondy and peaty, with just
traces of wine. A perfect match! 95
points. |
| Ardbeg
29 yo 1967/1996 (52.3%, Signatory,
cask #576, pale oloroso)
Colour:
pale gold. Nose: this one is a little
more closed, shy, but also directly
maritime with lots of sea air, kelp,
hints of lobsters... It's also more
mineral, almost chalky, with notes
of lamp petrol... It does get very
smoky after a few minutes but it's
still far from being as oomphy as
cask #575. Gets then a little vegetal,
even grassy and slightly woody, waxy,
with quite some paraffin. Excellent
but a good two steps behind its sibling.
Mouth: again it's a tad simpler but
curiously more nervous, rather lemony
right from the start. Less different
than on the nose. Probably a little
bitterer, also more on grapefruit
and liquorice... Let's say it's more
a 'mainstream' old Ardbeg if that
exists. It's also rather spicy, with
notes of nutmeg and cardamom... And
always these bold citrusy notes (now
tangerines). Again a long finish,
more lemony and 'simply' peaty than
cask #575... 91 points. |
| Ardbeg
28 yo 1967/1995 (53.2%, Signatory,
cask #574, dark oloroso)
Colour:
deep amber - brownish. Nose: the sherry
is much more demonstrative now, the
whole starting on notes of toasted
bread and balsamic vinegar, prunes
and chestnut honey... It gets much
more complex after a while, with notes
of hot breadcrumb, cooked red cabbage...
And then something quite resinous,
fir honeydew, camphor, embrocations...
It's very smoky at that... And then
we have all sorts of herbal teas (rosehip,
hawthorn), then very old Bourgogne
red wine, then parsley, then empty
barrels (clean ones of course), then
hints of lovage, then..., then...
then... This nose is totally stunning.
Mouth: extremely playful and dry at
the same time, with lots of oloroso
but also a full basket of citrus fruits
again (oranges, lemons, grapefruits...)
as well as lots of medicinal notes:
cough syrup, iodine... also liquorice
sweets, tar liqueur, bitter chocolate...
Again just fabulous. The finish is
very long again, very satisfying,
rich, bold, peaty and chocolaty...
Near perfection, even if it's a rather
extreme whisky. 96 points. |
| Ardbeg
30 yo 1967/1997 (52.2%, Signatory,
cask #1138, dark oloroso)
Colour:
full amber. Nose: this one is more
on chocolate and raisins at first
nosing, probably simpler than the
divine cask #574... But that doesn't
mean it gave up... It does get more
complex with time, actually. Smoky,
toasted... It makes me think of a
peated rum if that could exist. Also
old rancio, faint whiffs of rubber
(bicycle inner tube), hot bread...
And we have also the raw, natural
malted barley, with also whiffs of
wet dog, pu-erh tea... Probably a
little fresh mint... This one is just
a tad less complex than the other
dark oloroso and maybe a tad winier.
Mouth: again, this one is a bit oomphier
than cask #574 but maybe also a trifle
simpler, more classical. Quite some
rum now, Corinth raisins, chocolate,
cappuccino, toffee as well as something
quite medicinal again but the whole
is a little less elegant. Yet, we
do have these citrusy notes again
but also a little more rubber, toasted
bread etc. Maybe it's in this one
that the sherry is the most obvious,
not saying it overwhelms the spirit,
that is. The finish is long again,
quite lemony but also rather dry,
with a nice 'vinosity' and kind of
a sourness like in balsamic vinegar.
Also notes of pine liqueur... Another
fabulous one, no doubt. 93
points. |
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CRAZY
WHISKY ADS - ON FATHER'S DAY - PART
1
Advertisers
have always been struggling with
the fact that many people only buy
whisky as Christmas presents and
hence have tried to suggest whisky
may be presented at many other occasions
around the year. This 1978 ad for
Chivas Regal (left) is a good example
of an ad trying to catch several
birds with one stone while suggesting
several ‘undated’ occasions,
i.e. occasions that can happen any
day (birthdays, various thank-you
etc.) |
| Now,
there’s also the famous Father’s
Day in June (it’ll happen on
June 19th this year here in France
– hint, hint) and most ads addressing
that very topic are quite interesting
because they often try to handle transactional
analysis tricks, either knowingly
or unknwoingly. In other words: ‘give
you father our whisky and he’ll
be proud of you – at last!’
We’ll post a few interesting
examples with the coming days, starting
with… |
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USING
GUILT
Left, Dewar’s
1974 – ‘On
Father’s Day, think well of
the man who always thinks of you.
When the thought is genuine the Scotch
should be too.’ Easy and
rather direct but effective.
Middle, Johnnie
Walker Red Label 1977
– ‘Would Crown Prince
Joseph of Austria have given his father
a mini-van? Your father should expect
only the very best from his heir.
Give him the Scotch that will more
than meet his expectations: Johnnie
Walker Black Label. It takes twelve
long years to create just one bottle
of this great Scotch. It has every
right to be expensive.’
Right but twelve years for one single
bottle? That should make it even more
expensive than that golden carriage!
Right, Seagram’s
Crown Royal 1983 –
‘Remind your father he didn’t
raise a cheap-skate. Crown Royal about
$14. Cheap skate not included.’
Same resort here but with more humour
that should sweeten the feeling of
guilt. |
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MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
new cat from England Lilly
Allen sings Smile
(it's on the page). Easy but brilliant,
brilliant but easy ska-ish music.
Please buy her album as soon as
it's out! |
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| June
11, 2006 |
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TASTING
- TWO TULLIBARDINES
Tullibardine
1988 (46%, OB) 
Colour: straw. Nose: rather inexpressive
at first nosing, with just grains,
vanilla and hints of stones. But
let’s be fair and give it
a little time… zzz…
zzz… zzz… Right, it
gets even more mineral and slightly
metallic but that’s all. I’m
sorry but it’s an anti-aromatic
malt. |
| Mouth:
quite sweet now, almost sugarish,
on sugared cereals and a little ginger,
white pepper and vanilla. That’s
a little better. It doesn’t
lack body but it’s very, very
simple. What else? Err… Nothing,
sir, except ‘spirit’.
The finish is rather long though,
sugary and maybe a little almondy.
Well, I guess you can’t always
have your malts doing the peacock’s
tail. 68 points. |
Tullibardine
1987/2005 (46%, Helen Arthur, remade
hogshead, 350 bottles) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: not extravagant
but more expressive than the OB, with
grains again but also quite some paraffin,
diesel oil, fresh almonds… Hints
of hazelnut oil, wet stones, chalk…
Also some flowers (not aromatic ones,
rather tulips and so on). An unusual
profile generally speaking, close
to marzipan. Not unpleasant at all,
although it gets very vegetal after
a moment. Mouth: the differences are
quite similar. More wax, oil, minerality
and kind of a smokiness (smoked salmon)
plus quite some almond milk. Hints
of Turkish delights and lavender sweets,
with something Bowmore-ish (not all
Bowmores). The finish is rather long,
oily and frankly almondy… The
whole isn’t extraordinarily
good but certainly interesting. Quite
similar to the old official 10 yo
(with the green twistcap). 78
points. |
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| June
10, 2006 |
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| TASTING
- TWIN FETTERCAIRNS |
| Fettercairn
13 yo 1980/1994 (43%, Signatory, cask
#2001-2002, 750 bottles)
Colour: amber – bronze. Nose:
quite vibrant, starting on old rancio,
bitter oranges and chestnut honey.
Whiffs of peat, quite some liquorice,
all kinds of nuts coated with caramel,
rum, Smyrna raisins… And finally
lots of small, very ripe fruits such
as strawberries or raspberries. Hints
of parsley and chervil, even fresh
mint. Very complex! |
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| Mouth:
sweet, coating, with quite some roasted
nuts, burnt cake, toasted bread and
lots of bitter chocolate. Raisins
again, rum, and then blueberry pie…
Really excellent, even if the palate
is a little less complex. A slight
smokiness. The finish isn’t
too long but balanced and very ‘full’.
Truckloads of pleasure with this Old
Fettercain. 90 points. |
| Fettercairn
14 yo 1980/1994 (43%, Signatory, cask
#2003-2004, 680 bottles)
Colour: amber – bronze again.
Nose: a little more closed and less
sweet and fruity. More rubbery as
well, with also something a little
mineral. Whiffs of pepper and cloves,
also a little meatier (notes of ham).
Less demonstrative and more discreet,
but almost as complex. Mouth: closer
to the 13 yo now but maybe more compact
and surprisingly sweeter. Quite some
herbs (oregano), switching to chocolate
again and getting then quite peppery.
That’s funny, it’s oomphier
than the 13 yo actually. Quite some
rubber, hints of thyme, prunes with
armagnac, and a rather long, peppery
and chocolaty finish. Another excellent
surprise, 90 points. |
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| June
9, 2006 |
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Longrow
'Manzanilla Wood' (46%, OB, for the
shareholders, 60 bottles, Xmas 2005)
This is a full-maturing, not a finish.
Colour: gold. Nose: starts quite aromatic,
on obvious notes of ‘jaune’
(or fino), fresh walnuts, toasted
bread, caramel and bitter oranges.
Gets quite meaty (mostly on ham),
peaty, almondy… The blend of
a peaty malt with the manzanilla produces
also something quite resinous (pine
needles, mastic) but also something
slightly ‘chemical’ (marshmallows,
bubblegum). Good and interesting.
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| Mouth:
sweet, toasty, winey and salty, with
an unusual character (lots of manzanilla).
Quite some butter caramel and liquorice,
dried bananas and coconuts, salmiak,
kippers… Very, very interesting,
with a also a little apple vinegar
and soy sauce… And the finish
is rather long, compact, very salty
and liquoricy. Lucky shareholders!
89 points. |
| Longrow
9 yo 1992/2001 (57.2%, Cadenhead,
354 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: punchy but quite
austere, starting on peat, iodine,
sea air and lots of mineral notes
(chalk, limestone), with again something
faintly chemical (Fanta, Schweppes).
Really sharp, with a few fruity notes
such as not too ripe gooseberries
and green apples, getting also quite
lemony, buttery and a little liquoricy
and then quite grassy (newly cut grass,
bracken…) Rather complex! Mouth:
we’re more in known territories
now, with lots of peat and pepper
(something Taliskerish indeed), apple
juice, cider… It isn’t
too complex but nicely compact and
‘coherent’. Quite some
liquorice, herbs (parsley, even chive),
a little vanilla… Again, simple
but very good, with a very long finish
on liquorice and salt. Yes, salmiak.
A good Longrow with lots of oomph,
even, if it hasn’t got most
of its ancestors’ complexity
(from 1973 to 1987). 89 points. |
And
also Longrow
1993/2003 (46%, OB)
A nice peat but also lots of caramel
and quite some cooked strawberries
on the nose, while the palate is maybe
a tad weakish. Not too bad but the
whole is a bit limp and sweetish.
Not too bad but arlier versions had
much more backbone. 80 points. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
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| June
8, 2006 |
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Bowmore
18 yo 1971 (40%, Sestante)
Colour: pure amber. Nose: oh, it’s
fabulous! Starts on a blend of caramel
(Werther’s) and sea breeze,
very expressive and not tired at all.
There is something sulphury but those
notes are rather pleasant - not disturbing,
in any case. |
| It
really smells like honeyed oysters
(does that exist? Maybe!), with also
great notes of earl grey tea, very
old Sauternes wine (yes, like an Yquem)…
Keeps developing on notes of other
wines that are made out of concentrated
grapes (straw wine, Aszu Tokaji)…
And always these superb coastal notes
that balance the whole (but there
isn’t any peaty sensation I
should add). It gets then even more
concentrated, with lots of sultanas…
Just superb and the sulphury notes
have now vanished. Mouth: oh, very
sweet, probably a little fragile at
the attack but starting on very old
high-end sweet wine again (no list,
that would be oenopornography). The
smoky notes are quite discrete…
Quite some chocolate and mocha, Oriental
pastries… Gets then spectacularly
spicy, on white pepper, cloves, even
a little paprika and quite some cinnamon.
What’s surprising is that it’s
gaining power after a few seconds…
And we have also lots of ripe blackcurrants,
raspberries and even blueberries (watch
your teeth). Really exceptional, I
must say. Probably more aerial than
the OB’s from the same era,
yet showing quite some oomph…
The finish is very long, at that,
perfectly balanced, on candied fruits,
spices and old sweet wines (again).
I think it deserves no less than 93
points (and it’s a
40% whisky!) |
| Bowmore
13 yo 1992/2005 (46%, McGibbons’
Provenance, Winter distillation, cask
#1786)
Colour: straw – white wine.
Nose: ho-ho, it makes think of the
famous 1993 by Berry Bros that was
so rightly successful. Starts on a
blend of lemon juice and paraffin.
There is some peat but little, just
enough to give the whole structure.
Goes on on cornflakes, cereals, getting
then very maritime, with sea air,
kelp and oysters… Oysters with
lemon juice, this time! This Bowmore
is rather simple in fact but extremely
clean and fresh, very enjoyable if
one doesn’t seek complexity
at any cost. Mouth: sweeter and more
delicate than expected, starting on
fresh notes of lemons and pepper,
with something farmy (wet hay). But
it’s very lively… Peatier
as well, rather simple but so perfectly
balanced. The lemony notes grow then
stronger, with also notes of white
currants, and the finish is long and
quite powerful now, on pepper and
white fruits. A fairly recent Bowmore
that confirms that the distillery
made much better whisky again (my
opinion) from the early 1990’s
on. Again, it’s simple but very
excellent! 89 points
(lacks just a little extra-complexity
to make it to 90+ in my books). |
Bowmore
1989/2003 (57.3%, James MacArthur,
cask #1966) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: relatively
close to the McGibbons’ but
even simpler, mashier and rather less
maritime at first nosing. It’s
really on porridge at the start, with
also notes of salted butter caramel
and vanilla crème. Also nice
notes of lemon flavoured caramel and
something farmier. This is also a
nice Bowmore, even if it’s less
impressive and demonstrative than
the McGibbons. Mouth: oh, we do have
some of the McGibbons’ flavours
in this one but also some rather disturbing
notes of perfume and soap that I didn’t
get on the nose. Too bad, the rest
is really nice but… err…
And the finish is long but really
on lavender and getting soapier and
soapier… Well, maybe it’s
not totally flawed - and the nose
was pretty nice – but I’m
sorry, it’s hard to give this
one more than 70 points. |
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MUSIC
– JAZZ - Heavily recommended
listening: the soulful English sax
player Andy
Sheppard (another
favourite , I discovered him with
Carla Bley) playing live with Kuljit
Bhamra.mp3. The sound isn't
too good but it gives you a good
example of Sheppard's excellent
playing and sense of improvisation.
Please buy his music! |
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| June
7, 2006 |
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CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
THE TIGER
LILLIES Soho Theatre, London,
June 3rd 2006
“You’re
not lawyers are you?” asks
a concerned Adrian Huge, who only
five minutes earlier had propelled
much of what passes for his drum
kit onto the lap of the Photographer.
I shrugged. “And what were
you writing in that little black
book?”. “Just stuff”.
“That’s it”, said
Martyn Jacques, still in his make-up
and speaking a sort of Dickensian
mockney, “he’s a lawyer
alright”. |
| We’re
leaving the Soho Theatre after a late
night show by the inimitable Tiger
Lillies (who are very
kindly signing a disc for Serge),
described by one writer as an “anarchic
Brechtian blues trio”. Like
many people my awareness of the Tiger
Lillies began through their association
with the award winning musical (‘junk
opera’) Shockheaded
Peter, which I must have first
seen seven or eight years ago. This
horror tinged black comedy, based
on the German children’s stories
(or perhaps more properly cautionary
tales) The Struwwelpeter, will be
best remembered by anyone who has
seen it for the bizarre falsetto singing
of accordion player Martyn Jacques
(who wrote all the songs) supported
by drummer Huge, and bassist Adrian
Stout. |
| Now
there isn’t much that hasn’t
been said about Jacques, who tonight
with pierrot make up and pigtail,
permanent scowl (except when he laughs),
strangely shuffling gait looks like
a cross between a string less puppet
and a matelot doll. So I’m not
going to try and add any more. Instead
I’ll share the contents of my
little black book, which I think will
tell you everything you need to know. |
|
|
 |
 |
Reviewer to barman: “I say barman,
may we take a bottle of your finest
claret into the theatre?”. Barman
to Reviewer: “Yes, but only
in a glass”. Pints of wine.
Camera battery flat! Drum kit –
rubber chickens, children’s
toys. Songs. ‘Dribble down your
chin’. ‘I’m a swine’.
‘Masturbating Jimmy’ (no
need for any further explanation there).
‘Maria’ (prostitution,
rape, anal sex, murder, dismemberment,
necrophilia and vampirism). ‘Freakshow’.
‘Piss on your grave’ (biblical
mass murder and grave pissing). ‘I
killed my mother’ (he killed
his mother etc. – audience silent
at end). ‘Sheep’ (not
sure if this is the right title –
it’s about sheep shagging. Clockwork
sheep on piano). ‘One further
morning’ (? title – drowning,
mournful. Stout is playing saw, Huge
using hacksaw blade for drumstick).
‘My tin shack’ (seven
days of drug taking and mystical experiences
in a tin shack). ‘I’d
kick a little baby’ (Huge playing
drums with baby’s head, Jacques
playing nice ‘National Steel’
ukulele). ‘Murder is easy’.
‘Bumhole’ (how did they
manage to get the Rainbow Warrior
into a song about bumholes???). ‘ABC’.
‘Snip snip’ (“that
great long legged scissor man”
– ace!). ‘I’m terrible’.
‘I’m banging in the nails’
(Crucifixion song, Huge destroying
drum kit with plastic hammers, drum
kit lands on front-row Photographer
and Reviewer).
Need I say any more? Of course like
certain whiskies we could mention
it’s a love it or hate it sort
of thing. We love it. Oh and by the
way, I’m not a lawyer, but my
sister is. - Nick Morgan (support
by Kate) |
| Editor
to reviewer: thank you. Interesting.
Have to listen to collaboration with
Kronos Quartet. Music by the Tiger
Lillies: Russians.mp3
(from The Brothel to the Cemetery).
Signed CD much awaited. Thank you.
Over. |
| Scapa
1989 (43%, Natural Color, 2002)
Colour: white wine. Nose: rather fresh
and clean, although quite spirity…
Starts on tinned pineapples and pears,
heather… Develops on lemon juice
and something both slightly smoky
and maritime (sea air, iodine), a
little vanilla and light honey…
Grapefruits, orange fizz… Quite
friendly and nicely focused. Flawless,
in any case. Mouth: sweet and very
coherent with the nose, with again
these notes of grapefruits and pineapples
but no more ‘coastality’,
alas. Apple juice, lemon cookies,
butter caramel, cereals… Not
overly interesting but flawless again,
with a rather short but balanced finish
on cake and lemon. It’s good,
no doubt 80 points. |
 |
| Scapa
1993/2005 (46%, M&H Cask Selection,
bourbon, 330 bottles)
Colour:
white wine. Nose: very similar ‘of
course’, a tad more on vanilla
and caramel and maybe a little less
fresh… Less lemony and more
on gooseberries and strawberries,
and also spicier and woodier (quite
some pepper and ginger). Hints of
lavender and violets, as well as heather
again. Maybe a little less ‘easy’.
Mouth: more nervous than the ‘NC’,
and also sharper now. I liked its
sibling’s nose a little better
but this is much, much better on the
palate. Lots of vivacity, on starting
on lemon and grapefruit juice, fructose,
fruit Jell-o, bubblegum… Notes
of nougat and praline, candied angelica,
Sevilla oranges… Good, very
good if not too complex. A little
liquorice as well, orange marmalade…
And the finish is rather long this
time, compact, on pineapple, grapefruit
and candy sugar as well as a little
salt. Good-good! 86 points. |
|
|
| June
6, 2006 |
|
|
 |
CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
RODDY FRAME
Shepherd’s Bush Empire,
London, June 2nd, 2006
It’s
a warm Friday night in London, and
the Bush is strangely only half
full. The restive audience chat
their way through support Martha
Tilston’s set, and become
even noisier during the interval.
With a single microphone stand up
front and in the middle it looks
like a big old stage, and I’m
beginning to wonder how anyone can
really fill it just by themselves,
let alone command the attention
of this increasingly boisterous
bunch. I shouldn’t have worried.
From the moment Roddy
Frame walks on stage
he has the audience in the palm
of his hand – at times the
quiet is astonishing (during a very
hushed lull between songs a fan
shouts out, earning the rebuke “Look
man, can’t you just enjoy
the silence, it’s beautiful
man”). Frame calms down a
fight at the front of the crowd,
takes a love poem from an outstretched
hand, begins to read it, begins
to critique it (“one blue
would have been enough man”)
and then refuses to finish it –
“just buy her something expensive
man”. He tells a wonderful
joke about nut roasts, and a familiar
apocryphal Glaswegian story about
knife wounds. |
| Altogether
he’s engaged and engaging, and
when, right at the end of the show
he says “I’ve had a lovely
time playing for you” you know
it’s true. You almost felt you
could have been sitting at home with
Roddy on the sofa playing and chatting
while his pal the wonderful Edwyn
Collins (who was sitting not far from
us) retuned all his guitars into unplayable
tunings (another funny story). |
| And
all that despite the fact that Frame
is un peu pissed off. He knows why
the place isn’t full –
we all do. “Who’d have
thought the two laziest, most shiftless
poets in Scotland would end up playing
in London on the same night”
he complains. He’s talking about
Paul Buchanan, who with what’s
left of Blue Nile is playing at the
Barbican as he speaks. Now it’s
true that between 1983 and 2006 Frame,
as Aztec Camera or solo has only produced
nine albums, but that compares poorly
to Blue Nile’s four albums over
a similar period. Moreover, whilst
Frame is a relatively regular visitor
to the Capital’s stages Buchanan
and the band tour only rarely and
are guaranteed to sell out. In fact
I cursed myself having bought tickets
for Frame when I later saw that Buchanan
was going to be in town, and even
more so when I saw the five star reviews
he picked up for the three nights
they played in Glasgow. But I should
have had a little more faith in Roddy. |
 |
Born
in that monument to Scotland’s
post-war planning frenzy, East Kilbride,
young Roddy was something of a prodigy,
and was only nineteen when Aztec Camera
registered their first hit with ‘Oblivious’.
Initially stable mates with Collin’s
Orange Juice, Aztec Camera were at
the forefront of a marvellous mini-renaissance
in Scottish rock and roll. While the
band lasted through ‘till 1996
it had for many years been nothing
more than a showcase for Frame’s
song writing skills, with a restless
throughput of musicians. Since then
he’s been a ‘solo’
performer, receiving rave reviews
for his ‘solo’ acoustic
album Surf (2002) and deservedly for
the recently released Western Skies.
|
| And
tonight he’s performing a set
of songs largely from this later period
but with a fair helping of older material
– particularly most of the Camera’s
hit tunes from the 1983 album High
Land, Hard Rain. Now in case you don’t
know you shouldn’t expect anything
earth shattering in Frame’s
subject matter – his songs are
largely about love, unrequited love,
lost love, guilty love, the pleasures
of love, the pains of love and, err…
more love. But he twists this well
trodden path round with wonderfully
constructed lyrics, never too clever
or contrived, but perfectly crafted,
with the help, I observe, of a great
deal of well chosen weather and sea
related imagery. |
| Frame
has three lovely acoustic guitars
(one a monster of a twelve stringer)
whose sound is fantastic. He moves
easily between finger picking and
plectrum styles, with hints of flamenco
thrown in for good measure. He stalks
around the stage, full of energy,
covering as much ground as a five
piece band and his voice is almost
perfect (listen to his singing on
Surf or Western Skies – it’s
as good as that). Kicking off with
‘The sea is wide’ from
his first solo effort ‘North
Star’, we get ‘Small World’,
‘Black Lucia’. ‘Dry
land’ and then “two songs
that didn’t make it onto the
Surf album, but I think they’re
better than anything that did”,
‘Your smile can’t stop
the hands of time’ and ‘Crossing
Newbury Street’. A little later
we get a handful of tunes from the
new album, ‘Rock God’
(“I started writing this song
when I was watching a television programme
about Marc Bolan”), ‘Western
Skies’ and ‘Worlds in
Worlds’, and then the truly
memorable ‘How men are’.
|
 |
| The
tempo rises as he moves into hit mode
with songs like ‘Oblivious’
and ‘Somewhere in my heart’
as his first encore, but he finishes
with two from North Star, ‘Hymn
to Grace’ and ‘Reason
for Living’. The audience don’t
want him to go, but after 22 songs
and an hour and a half of heavy duty
guitar playing I think the guy deserves
a rest. |
|
This was a truly impressive show with
everything that you could have wanted.
And afterwards I began to think, how
would you score it? To be sure there’s
the immediate sense of pleasure, the
visceral feeling that only live music
can give you, there’s a bit
of emotion, pathos and laughter, a
few thought provoking lyrics. And
that might get you up to an immediate
score in the high eighties. But that’s
not really a true reflection of the
impact of the evening. There’s
only a week and an Islay Whisky Festival
between them, but I’m still
thinking about Josh Rouse’s
great gig at the Bush as if I’ve
only just left. And of course if I
care to I can easily conjure up the
sense of awe that Nick Cave and the
Bad Seeds generated at Brixton Academy
or for that matter can put myself
in a seat in Birmingham Town Hall
watching Family back in the 1970s.
So there’s another criterion
to think of – the gigs that
give something that never leaves you.
And I think you can tell at the time
which ones they are – like Roddy
Frame tonight. And you know, you simply
can’t give enough points to
that, or put a value on it. But I
know it’s worth a lot more than
a fifteen quid ticket. Thanks Roddy.
- Nick Morgan (photographs by
Kate) |
 |
Bowmore
37 yo 1968/2006 (40.5%, Ducan Taylor,
cask #3822, 145 bottles)
Colour:
pale gold. Nose: ah yes, this one
is on full passion fruit and tangerine
mode. It really smells like fruit
juice, developing on something waxy
(rubbed lemon skin, lamp oil) and
also gin fizz. It’s also quite
buttery but the wood is very discreet
despite its old age. Just faint whiffs
of ginger and vanilla… It becomes
very grapefruity after a moment. The
whole isn’t too complex but
very, very enjoyable if you like acidulous
fruits. |
| Mouth:
phew, what a relief… It’s
not woody or tired in any way, quite
on the contrary. We do have all the
fruits again (citrus fruits, tropical
fruits, the whole shebang) and a fine
tannic structure that keeps the whole
quite vibrant. It then focuses on
fresh pineapples with a little caramel
and ginger… Yummie, as our Belgian
friends would say. The finish isn’t
too long, naturally, but compact and
focused on fruits, with just a little
pepper arising now. Anyway, an archetypical
1968 Bowmore in all simplicity. Not
complex but almost perfect. 91
points. |
| Bowmore
31 yo 1968/1999 (44%, Signatory Millenium
Edition, cask #5820, 252 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: more or less
the same profile here but it’s
a tad less demonstrative and maybe
a little more mineral. More on lemons
than on oranges, which makes it a
little more austere and maybe rigid.
Also whiffs of the farm (hay etc.),
apple peels, the whole being a little
more complex than the Ducan Taylor.
But it’s also less of a fruitbomb!
Mouth: a little closer to the DT now,
and maybe a little more complex. Granted,
we do have the citrusy/tropical cavalry
but also some interesting waxy, almost
resinous notes, almond milk, orange
zests, lemon marmalade… Funny
hints of tequila (not because of the
lemon), dried ginger, curacao…
Very good, and the finish is longer,
bolder and waxier… In short,
another excellent 1968 Bowmore. 92
points. |
|
|
| June
5, 2006 |
|
|
| CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan |
 |
JOSH
ROUSE Shepherds Bush Empire,
London, May 25th 2006
I
have to confess that I was dismayed
to learn that Josh
Rouse had released
a football record. I know that we’re
going to be inundated with soccer
nonsense over the next month whilst
a certain tournament mondial goes
on in Germany, but Josh Rouse? |
[Editor’s
Note: open the following links at
your own risks! ;-)] I’m not
surprised by Sham 69’s ‘Hurry
up England’ (‘though
I’m dismayed that I can remember
the original, with Jimmy Pursey’s
thought provoking lyrics “Hurry
up Harry we’re going down the
pub”), or that Tony Christie
has put together ‘Is
this the way to the World Cup?’.
I did think Whiskyfun favourite Wreckless
Eric might have done better than release
a World Cup version of ‘Whole
wide world 4 England’ (ouch
Eric). And I suppose we all could
have predicted offerings like Stan
Boardman’s ‘Aye
aye ippy, the Germans bombed our chippy’,
or the ToneDef Allstars’ (featuring
among others ‘They think it’s
all over’ Geoff Hurst) ‘Who
do you think you are kidding Jurgen
Klinsmann’. Yep – all
part of a nation’s sporting
shame. But Josh Rouse, whose last
album Nashville was almost close to
a masterpiece? And then I’d
realised I’d misread the title,
not Subbuteo, but Subtitulo. Phew!
[Editor’s Note: culturally disorientated
readers, confused by this longwinded
and apparently meaningless joke, might
wish to look here
or here]
If you don’t know Nashville,
written both as a homage and farewell
to the city where Rouse had spent
ten years honing his song writing
skills, was one of the albums of 2005.
Yes I know it’s poppy, but beneath
that there’s huge depth, deeply
personal lyrics, some great Brit-pop
style guitar driven tunes, some wonderful
lyrics (check out the Smiths tribute
‘Winter in the Hamptons’)
and just a few touches of Nashville
steel guitar. With its release, and
a collapsed marriage behind him, Rouse
set off for Spain, and it’s
there where the new album was conceived
and partially recorded. I guess you
could say it’s more of the same,
intimate, confessional, reflective
– all that good old singer songwriter
stuff. But it’s carried off
with great aplomb – and it’s
clear that even if he hasn’t
written their World Cup song Rouse
is very much at home in soccer mad
Spain. |
| He’s
equally at home on the stage of the
Shepherd’s Bush Empire. In fact
from the moment he strides onto the
stage (well, actually it takes off
during his whistling solo half way
through opener ‘Quiet town’)
he owns the place. It really turns
out to be a remarkable gig –
full of confidence this guy fills
the theatre; strong voice, great guitar
playing, powerful harmonica, teasing
rock and roll moves, the occasional
amusing anecdote, a really personal
touch (“turn up the lights,
I want to see you all so I can tell
my Mom you were here”) –
he’s got the lot. He also has
a fantastic band – drummer Marc
Pisapia (who does a sturdy job as
backing vocalist) and a very groove-driving
bass player James Haggerty –
together these two were the nucleus
of the band on Nashville. The noise
they make for a three piece is remarkable
(and for the Bush very well balanced)
– they even have a Crazy Horse
moment during instrumental ‘La
Costa Blanca’. And just to make
up the set there is also an occasional
string quartet lending support. |
| The
Bush is packed. Audience mixed. The
crowd are surprisingly raucous (“We
love you Josh” growls some crafty
cockney between each song, much to
the singer’s amusement), passionate
and enthusiastic. I think they even
take Rouse and his band by surprise
with their warmth and appreciation
– but the band enjoy every minute
of it. In return they give a set largely
drawn form Subtitulo and Nashville.
‘Quiet Town’, ‘Giving
it up’ and ‘It looks like
love’ kicking off from the new
album. Highlights of what follows
are ‘Winter in the Hamptons’,
‘His Majesty rides’, ‘Wonderful’,
‘Summertime’, ‘Carolina’,
‘Streetlights’ and to
finally finish ‘It’s the
nighttime’. All compact songs
perfectly executed. And at the end,
after a short encore, he left the
stage with a wave and the audience
shrieking for more, amongst them the
sceptical Photographer, whose doubts
had faded during ‘Giving it
up’ and who subsequently pronounced
the evening “The eat my words
gig of the year’. Sophisticated
pop paradise with a twist of attitude,
and all this for £15 –
far less than the price of a World
Cup ticket and more than twice the
fun. Why watch football when you can
buy Josh Rouse’s records, or
even go and see him if you get the
chance? - Nick Morgan (photographs
by Kate) |
 |
| Many
thanks Nick! Ah yes, the World Cup!
I could see, while in Scotland, that
there's much more in the UK press
than here in France, I guess that
should say long about our respective
teams' chances to win. I'm not even
aware of any French song about it,
but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist
(alas). As for the excellent Josh
Rouse, why not listen to Love
Vibration.mp3 or Flair.mp3? |
| TASTING
- SEVEN INTERESTING MALTS TASTED ON
ISLAY |
 |
Port
Charlotte 2001/2005 (61.4%, Gordon
Homer, 39 bottles, bloodtub #R23)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: very bold
and expressive, starting on huge notes
of pipe tobacco and horse sweat, then
coffee and coal smoke plus bitter
chocolate. Very unusual but very nice,
I must say, incredibly mature at such
young age. Gets then a little farmier,
on hints of cow barn. Lots of shoe
polish as well, Barbour grease, Rather
amazing. Mouth: very rich, almost
thick, on tons of beeswax, praline,
bitter chocolate, chestnut honey…
Then truckloads of salted liquorice,
pipe tobacco again, dried oranges…
Extremely concentrated but certainly
not unbalanced. Amazing indeed, this
one reminds me of some of the best
sherried Port Ellens (rather than,
for instance, Ardbegs). Gets even
more tarry, spicy, concentrated after
a moment… And the finish is
very long, salty, caramelly and honeyed,
with also plums. The peat is perfectly
integrated and doesn’t stay
apart from the sherry at all despite
its young age. Gordon, you lucky b….
94 points. |
 |
Bruichladdich
1990/2006 ‘Drambusters’
(56.9%, OB, valinch)
This one is soft and very fruity on
the trademark melon, strawberries
and peaches plus kiwi and tangerines.
Highly drinkable, offers lots of pleasure.
86 points.
Bruichladdich
1988/2006 ‘Mayor of Islay Peru’
(58.5%, OB, valinch, sherry)
More on cereals, caramel, praline,
sherry… More oak as well and
hints of spearmint. Another good one,
salud! 85 points.
Bruichladdich
1989/2006 ‘Côtes du Rhinns’
(53%, OB, valinch)
Finished in a Guigal Hermitage cask.
Pink colour. Much more marked by the
wine, a little sulphury, metallic
and animal (the syrah). Raspberries.
The palate is sweet, rubbery and a
little hot, with lots of strawberries.
80 points. |
| Bruichladdich
‘125th anniversary’ (46.3%,
OB, 1 bottle)
Only one bottle of this one, presented
to Duncan McGillivray. We could taste
a sample on Bruichladdich’s
open day. Colour: amber. Nose: lots
of melon and coconut, peach skin,
vanilla crème. Hints of ginger
and cinnamon and quite some oak (freshly
sawn oak) but it’s all well
integrated. Mouth: apricots and melons
again as well as all sorts of spices,
ginger… Creamy and slightly
salty. Develops on white pepper, caramel
crème, acacia honey. A rather
long finish, very full, on ginger,
apricots and plum jam. An excellent
Laddie, too bad there’s only
one bottle. Psss, Duncan, if you ever
open it, please drop me an email…
;-) 90 points. |
| Trilogy
1967/2006 (40.7%, Murray McDavid Mission)
A vatting of 1968 Bowmore, 1968 Bruichladdich
and 1966 Bunnahabhain to be launched
sooner or later. Colour: amber-bronze.
Nose: it seems that Bowmore shows
off first, with lots of tropical fruits,
passion, mangos, guavas… Then
we have light caramel, heather honey,
apricot, ripe melon (Bruichladdich?),
oranges… Little oak or tannins…
Brilliant but probably dangerously
drinkable. Mouth: creamy but playful,
very coherent with the knows. Not
sure the Bowmore steals the show but
there’s lots of passion fruits
again as well as camomile, white wine
(sweet chenin from the Loire), oranges,
pink grapefruit… Extremely fruity!
We have a little tannins now but they
rather bring some structure than dryness.
Superb. The finish isn’t too
long but balanced, with aa little
rum and ripe bananas. Well, that’s
excellent! Probably not very powerful
but so sippable and not tired at all.
A flagship ‘blended malt’,
for sure but beware, one could down
a bottle just like that. 92
points. |
| Laphroaig
1994/2006 ‘Feis Ile 2006’
(56%, OB, 600 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: sharp, clean,
powerful, maybe just a little closed
at first nosing. Unusually floral
(lily of the valley), quite grassy
with not much peat at first nosing
but lots of maritime elements (sea
air, oysters, shells). Rather austere
I’d say, with also some very
nice notes of fern and moss. Mouth:
powerful and much smokier now, almost
hot. Lots of apple juice, hints of
fructose, violet sweets, liquorice…
Gets then as medicinal as one can
get and nicely camphory. The finish
is long, a little hot but balanced,
on full peat and green apple mode
with again quite some liquorice. In
short, the whole is a tad rough but
very good and ‘not compromising’
indeed. 90 points. |
 |
Check
the index of all entries:
Whisky
Music
Nick's Concert
Reviews |
|
|
|
|
| |
Best
malts I had these weeks - 90+
points only - alphabetical:
Ardbeg
28 yo 1967/1995 (53.7%,
Signatory, cask #575, pale oloroso)
Ardbeg
29 yo 1967/1996 (52.3%, Signatory,
cask #576, pale oloroso)
Ardbeg
28 yo 1967/1995 (53.2%, Signatory,
cask #574, dark oloroso)
Ardbeg
30 yo 1967/1997 (52.2%, Signatory,
cask #1138, dark oloroso)
Bowmore
18 yo 1971
(40%, Sestante)
Bowmore
31 yo 1968/1999 (44%, Signatory Millenium
Edition, cask #5820, 252 bottles)
Bowmore
37 yo 1968/2006 (40.5%, Ducan Taylor,
cask #3822, 145 bottles)
Bruichladdich
‘125th anniversary’ (46.3%,
OB, 1 bottle)
Fettercairn
13 yo 1980/1994 (43%,
Signatory, cask #2001-2002, 750 bottles)
Fettercairn
14 yo 1980/1994 (43%, Signatory, cask
#2003-2004, 680 bottles)
Laphroaig
1994/2006 ‘Feis Ile 2006’ (56%,
OB, 600 bottles)
Port
Charlotte 2001/2005 (61.4%, Gordon
Homer, 39 bottles, bloodtub #R23)
Port
Ellen 1979/1998 (61,1%,
G&M, cask series, casks #7238-7239)
Port
Ellen 26 yo 1979/2005 (53%, Old Bothwell,
cask #3198)
Trilogy
1967/2006 (40.7%, Murray McDavid Mission)
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