CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
BLACK KIDS,
CUT OFF YOUR HANDS
ULU,
London
June 18th 2008
What
is it about black and bouncers,
Serge? I mean take my pal the six-foot-six
retired bouncer, who, ‘though
I’m sure he has never bounced
anyone in his life, always, but
always, wears black. And whether
it’s ‘sophisticated’
club or disco, we’re all used
to black tie, or faux black Armani
suit-attired, bull-necked giants
standing arms folded with barely-suppressed
menace by the door. But the stakes
have been raised recently by the
black paramilitary look, of which
I have seen no better exponent than,
well, we’ll just call him
Mad Ivan the Terrible, to spare
his blushes, at the ULU.
He’s
standing at the left-hand side of
the stage, patrolling the stage-door
and overlooking the crowd at the front.
Black-clad, knee-length boots, leather
gloves, he’s got some sort of
waistcoat on that seems to have every
sort of combat device imaginable –
cuffs, teargas, taser, first-aid kit,
stun-grenades, i-Pod, Captain Rock
cigars, RPGs, AWACs attached: you
name it – he’s got it.
He’s glowering over the crowd,
trying to spot cameras, but spends
must of his time gesticulating wildly
to an unknown person at the back of
the hall, sort of in time to the music.
Maybe it’s the new dance craze.
Do the Bouncer anyone?
His
mission is to guard Black
Kids, the new pop sensation
from the USofA, (Jackonsville, Florida,
to be precise) who are so hot, with
a debut album, Partie Traumatic, produced
by British guitar ace Bernard
Butler (“the musical genius
behind Suede” or so I read somewhere)
and a Glastonbury appearance this
weekend, that they’re almost
going into meltdown. However, before
they get a chance there’s (from
New Zealand) Collapsing Cities (whom
we missed due to Chinese Chow, not
a band, but our dinner) and Cut
Off Your Hands, who are
also preparing an album with the help
of Mr Butler. Cut Off Your Hands,
nice boys who look as though they
all must have gone to the same public
school, hit the stage at a pace and
volume that suggests that they’re
determined to blow the much-hyped
headliners off stage, and they almost
do. Singer Nick Johnston manages to
fall, punk-style, into the crowd within
a few seconds and ends the first number
singing from the top of the speaker
stacks. Waving madly, Ivan responds
by handing out Army surplus earplugs
to all and sundry; I find that despite
the pain, I’m tapping my feet
in a ‘quite pleasant really’
sort of the way by the time they leave
the stage.
Our
ears still buzzing, Black Kids arrive.
Apparently much of their appeal is
how they look – which is little,
large, black, white and unforgivingly
young, with all-eyes and pouting Ali
Youngblood and Dawn Watley on keyboards
and vocals on the right, Kevin Snow
on drums at the back, Owen Holmes
on bass to the left, and in centre
stage, all Hendrix hair Reggie Youngblood
on guitar and vocals. It’s really
a 2008 version of the Cure meets the
Archies, both in appearance and
sound. Very artfully put together
and well performed, but with about
as much substance as a cartoon character.
But the kids love it, particularly
at the front of the stage where the
moon-eyed girls drooling over Cut
off Your Hands have been replaced
by a reeling gang of frenetic bodies
– all boys, beer and acne –
whose cavorting during ‘Hurricane
Jane’ drives Ivan into a state
of apoplexy.
Black
Kids
As they try and throw each other onto
the stage he charges through the door,
knocks Youngblood to the side mid-song
and captures the centre of the stage,
baying at the audience, hands on hips,
neck muscles bulging, head turning
like a plasticine Hulk about to burst.
But it all settles down and eventually,
Bernard B. (wearing an impossibly
tight pair of jeans) takes the stage
to join them on his nice guitar for
some of their catchier tunes of the
night. When we leave they’re
encoring with something that sounds
remarkably like Orange Juice’s
‘Rip it up’, but as I’m
not an intellectual property lawyer
I’d better comment no further.
Good fun if you like to dance, but
as my old Mum famously said of the
Internet, “I’ll give it
twelve months …”. Wrong
on that score I have to admit, but
on this one she might just have been
right. - Nick Morgan (concert
photographs by Kate)
Bunnahabhain 1997/2007 (43%, Jean
Boyer, Best Casks of Scotland)
Colour: straw. Nose: quite a presence,
starting on a mix of peated barley
(just like when you’re visiting
a malting plant), porridge, coal smoke,
fresh putty and diesel oil (just faint
whiffs). A pleasant fruitiness hides
behind these peaty smells (pears).
Hints of pencil lead, then dill and
aniseed. Very fresh and balanced –
if not hugely complex. Smokier than
the official ‘Toiteach’
by any means. Mouth: very, very snarfable
even if one may have preferred two
or three extra-percents alcohol (this
is very smooth.) Peat and lemon peel,
hints of smoked fish, malt, faint
notes of ginger beer… Again,
some nice fruits in background (more
ripe gooseberries here.) Grows bigger,
with a better body over time, which
is rather unusual. Really picks up
steam. Finish: rather long, on rawer
peat and oatcakes. Comments: very
good, easily defeats the Toiteach.
Should also be excellent in a chilled
glass. SGP:327 - 85 points.
Bunnahabhain
10 yo 1997/2008 (58.9%, Signatory,
cask #5354, 576 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: much more sherry
here, which mingles with the peaty
freshness quite well. Putty, caramel,
marzipan, coal and hints of soft paprika,
then quite some mint just like in
the Jean Boyer. Hints of eucalyptus.
Very, very pleasant I must say. Wet
wool. With water: it’s the peat
that stands out now, the sherry being
totally dominated. It got much earthier,
almost rooty, leafy… Gentian
roots, chives, huge smokiness (both
coal and peat), sheep, wet dog, diesel
oil… A very wild little beast
on the nose. Mouth (neat): hugely
powerful, really invading! Ouch! We’re
no sissies but, well, let’s
add a little water right away (burns
your throat a bit.) With water: sweeter
and a tad rounder than on the nose,
very compact, with a perfect dried
fruits/peat combo. Peated caramel
fudge??? Peated pear spirit? By the
way, shouldn’t we be able to
peat ‘anything’, not just
cereals? Great young peat monster
anyway. Finish: long, compact, balanced,
all on peat, pepper and dried pears.
Comments: wham-bam but perfectly balanced.
A miracle? SGP:447 –
88 points.
June
27, 2008
CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
GNARLS BARKLEY
The
Carling Academy Islington, Islington,
London, June 14th 2008
You
may be surprised, Serge, that we’re
back so soon at a venue that I only
recently described as a shithole
after our unfortunate experience
there trying to watch Sparks. And
you’d be no more surprised
than I, as we were supposed to be
at Islington’s charming and
delightful Union Chapel just up
the road, rather than in this soulless
concrete box.
The
reason for the last-minute change
is a mystery (perhaps), but my anger
was palpable when I learned via e-mail
that the chance to see Gnarls
Barkley play a stripped-down
and ‘intimate’ gig at
the Chapel had been snatched from
me. But once my fury had abated, I
began to put in place a plan honed
with military precision to ensure
that, unlike our last visit to the
Islington Academy, we would be standing
somewhere vaguely pleasant with a
clear view of the stage. So, accompanied
by a six-foot-six ex-bouncer I hired
for the night and his feisty companion,
we set off North for an early supper,
a leading place in the queue and standing
places at the front of the upstairs
balcony. Mission accomplished, and
it’s only about seven o’clock
- but it’s an early gig that
will be followed by Club
de Fromage. And there’s
a more than engaging opening session
from the Shortwave
Set, who seem to be as surprised
as we are to be there so early, but
nonetheless persevere with their chirpy
little electronica-fuelled ditties.
Danger
Mouse, aka Brian Burton (L) and
Cee-Lo Green, aka Thomas Callaway
(R)
They
are here, I have no doubt, because
their new album Replica Sun Machine
was produced (or over-produced according
to some) by celebrity producer of
the moment, no, not Mark
Ronson, but Danger
Mouse, aka Brian Burton. He who,
when not making records for the likes
of Gorillaz, The Good the Bad and
the Queen, The Black Keys and Beck
(or pissing off EMI as he did when
he produced The Grey Album, an unofficial
remix of the Beatles’ classic
White Album) is one half of chart-topping
sensation Gnarls Barkley. The other,
significantly larger, half is rapper
and vocalist Cee-Lo
Green, aka Thomas Callaway. So
just to be clear, and particularly
for the benefit of the Bouncer (“I’ve
been looking up Miles Barclay on the
internet and can’t find out
anything about him”), Gnarls
is a band, not a bloke. And of course,
a band that took the world by storm
with their first single ‘Crazy’,
which technophiles might like to recall
was the first single to reach number
one in the UK charts as a result of
downloads only. The album from which
it came, St Elsewhere, was also a
massive hit. Now, strangely for artistes
of such repute, they seem to be suffering
from second album syndrome. ‘Crazy’
was so bouncy and compelling that
probably few took time to listen to
the dark sentiments that really drove
it along. In addition, the pair’s
on-stage personae, defined by wacky-themed
costumes (sometimes based on old movies),
have tended to suggest a light-heartedness
that is far from evident in their
songs (that’s not to say they
don’t have a lot of humour in
them, but it’s of a pretty adult
nature). Thus, being grown-up music,
grown-up lyrics and frankly quite
gloomy, is possibly why The Odd Couple
has stalled a little, and possibly
why the pair are in London to play
a few ‘intimate’ sets
for their “biggest fans”
with band member, multi-instrumentalist
and occasional Butthole
SurferJosh
Klinghoffer, “to reveal
the essence of the songs”.
Well,
the Islington Academy may be small,
but it’s not what I’d
call intimate. And what we have on
stage is a full band decked out like
college kids: drums; percussion; bass;
two guitarists (one is the energetic
Mr Klinghoffer, who also plays keyboards);
Mr Mouse on Hammond organ with the
addition of some neat electronic effects,
and of course, the imposing Cee-Lo.
They hit the stage like an express
train, with ‘Charity Case’
and ‘Surprise’ from the
new album, both very powerful, built
on top of a sixties-sounding rhythm
- I was strongly reminded of older
Tommy
James and the Shondells stuff
like ‘Mony mony’. It’s
very carefully packaged and put together
(as you would expect), right down
to the sound of the children’s
xylophone, and at the heart of things,
Mr Mouse’s Hammond, which as
the Photographer put it, was artfully
weaving everything together. Mr Mouse
was so busy at his keyboard that we
barely got a glimpse of him, but Cee-Lo
was a more-than-adequate front man.
For all the menace in his lyrics and
(some might think) his appearance,
he captivated the audience with his
commanding voice (at its best when
pushed into a blues or gospel vein,
as on the first encore ‘Save
my soul’). He’s absolutely
engrossed in the moment when singing,
but apart from the fact that he obviously
bought the watch with the extra diamonds,
there’s nothing ostentatious
here. Between songs, in what little
time there is, he exhibits the irresistible
charm of a naughty schoolboy.
It’s
played out at a breathless pace: fifteen
songs in an hour, each around three
minutes long. They end with a rousing
version of ‘Smiley Faces’,
again driven by a classic sixties
bass line (think ‘You can’t
hurry love’ by the Supremes,
backed by the Funk Brothers). Altogether
a great set, the highlight of which
was a slowed-down, almost gospel version
of ‘Transformer’ when
Cee-Lo’s voice was simply stunning.
The Photographer loved it, the Bouncer’s
feisty companion loved it, I loved
it, but the Bouncer insisted “that
they weren’t quite there”,
in his estimation.
And even if the Carling Academy isn’t
the best venue in the world, from
our vantage point we were as close
to the band as you could ever wish
to be, and it’s got to be a
lot better than the sort of stadia
that Gnarls Barkley normally occupy.
Second album syndrome? On this showing
not a bit of it, although it’s
just possible that they might have
outgrown the mass audience who made
‘Crazy’ such a massive
hit. - Nick Morgan (concert photographs
by Kate)
TASTING
– TWO 1973 LONGMORNS
(warning, maltoporn ahead)
Longmorn
33 yo 1973/2007 (49.4%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #8913, 192 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: first we get whiffs
of linseed oil and wax, then even
hints of olive oil, and then it progressively
shifts towards rounder and fruitier
aromas, such as quinces (very obvious),
figs, dried apricots and even lychees
(with also hints of old roses). All
that is coated with hints of wood
smoke and something slightly mineral
(wet limestone). Also a little mint
and verbena. Rather magnificent, with
a balance and a complexity that are
close to perfection. And how elegant!
Mouth: starts marvellously soft (honey)
but gets then really nervous and vibrant,
with a very wide assortment of fruits.
Oranges, apricots, dried bananas,
dried guavas… gets more honeyed
and a little waxy after that (mid-almondy,
mid-waxy in fact). Also excellent
notes of lemon zest that give it a
superb bitterness that really balances
the huge fruitiness. A work of art
if you ask me. Finish: rather long,
with the spices entering the equation
now (ginger, nutmeg). Comments: very
great, less ‘luscious’
than other old Longmorns, and maybe
a tad (even) more assertive. Now,
it’s true that old Longmorns
seldom miss their targets… SGP:643
– 92 points.
Longmorn
1973/2007 (54.4%, Gordon & MacPhail,
Cask, First Fill Sherry Butt, cask
#3649)
Colour: mahogany. Nose: holy crow!
The same figs/quince/smoke notes as
in the Duncan Taylor but with an added
layer of the driest and most wonderful
kind of sherry. Chocolate, macchiato
and prunes. Even more smoke than in
the Duncan Taylor after a while. Also
a wonderful tar (and strong black
liquorice), and finally mint and hints
of eucalyptus, that make it a little
medicinal (embrocations). Wowie! Mouth:
this is an immense whisky, no doubt,
even if it’s huge concentration
may put off a few newbies. Where to
start? The jams (strawberries, raspberries,
blackcurrants)? The spices (cardamom)?
Herbs (coriander and dill)? Dried
fruits (prunes)? Chewing tobacco?
Salmiak? Old orange liqueur? Else?
A headache, I tell you. Fantastic
mouth feel provided you’re not
afraid of, well, concentration. Where
some malts taste a bit, err, bombastic,
Longmorn always stays high-class.
Rolex vs Patek if you see what I mean.
Finish: very long, on various fruit
liqueurs. Old Port. Comments: another
wonder. G&M already had several
wonderful old Longmorns and this one
does perpetuate the tradition indeed.
SGP:654 – 93 points.
June
26, 2008
TASTING
– BEST OF THE EIGHTIES: FIVE
XLNT CAOL ILAS
Caol Ila 1989/2004 (43%, Jean Boyer,
Best Casks of Scotland)
From a recoopered hogshead. Colour:
white wine. Nose: not ‘hugely
big’ but ultra-clean, smoky,
peaty and mineral. Wet stones, wet
wool, oysters, iodine, fusel oil and
fresh walnuts. That’s pretty
all but it’s already more than
enough. Very straightforward. Mouth:
unexpected oomph at 43%! Peat, oysters
(really, it tastes like peppered oysters),
liquorice… Very enjoyable hints
of fudge and even café latte,
vanilla crème… Not very
obvious but well here. Finish: rather
long, saltier but also less ‘coastal’.
Dates? Maraschino. Comments: very
good, reminding me of the official
18yo in a certain way. Half wild,
half civilised. SGP:446 -
87 points.
Caol
Ila 1984/2007 (54.1%, Scott’s
Selection)
Colour: full gold. Nose: fantastic
at first nosing and quite unusual.
Beautiful mix or freshly baked orange
cake with peat and fresh almonds.
Gets very complex after that, on earl
grey tea, putty, argan oil (make that
olive), gunflint, figs… Then
camphor and eucalyptus, beeswax, orange
blossom… What an amazing nose!
Not quite a surprise, but still…
Much more complex than the Caol Ila
1984/2006 (53.5%, Scott's Selection)
we had last year. Mouth: what a big
whisky! Very unusual for sure, starting
on something resinous and metallic
at the same time (works here), then
milk chocolate and mint, kumquats,
quinces (lots)… The peat is
very big! Cough medicine, ginger,
cardamom… Even hints of sweet
mustard – and a lot of pepper.
Perfect and doesn’t need water
at all. Finish: ultra-long, compact,
peaty and orangey. Somewhat simpler
than before and maybe a tad bitter
in the aftertaste, but no big deal.
Comments: big, big and excellent.
SGP:537 – 89 points.
Caol
Ila 26 yo 1982/2008 (56.3%, Alambic
Classique, cask #8416, 139 bottles)
From a bourbon cask. Colour:
straw. Nose: this one is a sharper
and more austere one, almost Calvinistic
when compared with the 1989 and 1984.
Freshly cut green apple and straight
peat smoke, gaining complexity after
a few seconds but staying always beautifully
sharp. Walnut skin, fresh queen scallops,
linseed oil, lamp oil, ink, hay, shoe
polish (preferably black – kidding.)
Hints of fresh lemon juice. Quite
superb – another ‘rieslingesque’
Caol Ila. With water: even more ‘rieslingesque’.
Peated lemon juice than ran over granite
for centuries – or something
like that. Spitzenklasse. Mouth (neat):
huuuge attack, with more wood influence.
Heavily infused green tea (say, rolling
clouds), liquorice sticks, apple peelings,
walnuts, fresh almonds… Frankly
grassier and wilder than the two previous
ones when naked (hope my wife doesn’t
read Whiskyfun). With water: I wouldn’t
say water made it any smoother or
rounder. More pepper, that’s
all. Finish: long, sharp, peaty, peppery
and earthy. Comments: a big Caol Ila
that may well overshadow many Islayers
from the south shore. SGP:357
– 90 points.
Caol
Ila 26 yo 1982/2008 (61.3%, The Whisky
Trader, Germany, cask #2723, 142 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: just the same
as the ‘Alambic’. Hard
to find any differences. Maybe just
a slightly bigger fruitiness, but
that may come from the higher ABV.
All that is good news of course. Please
read above. With water: oh, now it
diverges from the ‘Alambic’.
More almondy and oily, somewhat rounder
and a little more ‘candied’.
Butterscotch and lemon pie. Certainly
not less beautiful! Mouth (neat):
yet again, it’s almost the same
whisky as the ‘Alambic’.
Maybe a tad rounder (no, it’s
certainly not round whisky.) With
water: no, it isn’t any rounder.
Very similar indeed. Finish: same.
Comments: same. SGP:357 –
90 points.
Caol
Ila 19 yo 1981/2000 (62.6%, The Bottlers,
cask #519, refill sherry butt)
Colour: full gold. Nose: quite
exceptional! It’s got the same
kind of ‘purity’ as the
two 1982’s but with an added
roundness from the sherry, although
that doesn’t quite make it any
‘rounder’, quite the contrary
(is that understandable?) Superb notes
of verbena, almonds, metal (copper
– but of course), seashells
marzipan… Granted, it’s
a bit hot at 62+%... So, with water:
exceptional. Call the anti-maltoporn
squad asap, will you? Reminds me of
some 1967 Ardbegs and Laphroaigs –
and this is no joke. Mouth (neat):
superb. In spite of the very high
ABV, we’re catching glimpses
of butter pears, mint flavoured tea
(Moroccan of course), eucalyptus sweets,
and liquorice/lemon sweets. And Chartreuse
(Tarragone, of course). With water:
stunning. All kinds of resins, teas,
rare liqueurs and spices. Finish:
as long as a Fidel Castro speech.
Comments: you’ll need to spend
quite some time with this one but
that’ll really be worth it.
The Bottlers (aka Raeburn Fine Wines
of Edinburgh) sure know how to select
a cask – too bad there are so
few in the market. A shame if you
ask me (hint, hint). SGP:357
- 93 points.
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: probably one of the most
beautiful living jazz voices, and
certainly one the most original
(which may be a pleonasm actually)
Andy
Bey
sings River
Man.mp3 (from his CD 'Shades
Of Bey'.) Luv'it. Please buy Andy
Bey's records.
June
25, 2008
TASTING
THREE
MIDDLE-AGED OFFICIAL HIGHLAND PARKS
Highland Park 15 yo 1990/2006 (53.6%,
OB for Beltramo's, cask #10146, USA
Bottling, 75cl)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: a bit rough
and brutal at first nosing, with loads
of strawberry jam, litres of kirsch
and a little rubber. Gets then a tad
rounder and softer, with pleasant
honeyed and almondy notes (marzipan,
putty.) slight dustiness. Whiffs of
newspaper ink. With water: the rubbery
notes do come out even more, but also
very pleasant vegetal (chlorophyll,
parsley – a lot) and smoky touches.
The rubber gets much shier after a
while, which is great. Give this one
time! Mouth (neat): really nervous
and very much influenced by both the
sherry and the oak itself. Huge spiciness
(a lot of black pepper), orange marmalade,
dried figs, strong honey (chestnut
and the likes), liquorice and again
something slightly rubbery. With water:
very good now, even if still a bit
rough around the edges. Orange zests,
strawberry jam and still something
a little rubbery. Finish: long, but
on the same notes. Comments: a HP
we like but there are ones that we
like much better. Maybe it’s
the rubber. Now, the nose is quite
beautiful after addition of a few
drops of water. SGP:463 –
84 points.
Highland
Park 16 yo 1990/2006 (58.7%, OB for
Maxxium, cask #5831, 1272 bottles,
35cl)
Colour: amber. Nose: almost the same
whisky as the 15yo, just a tad more
powerful, thanks to the higher ABV.
With water: now we’re talking.
Orange blossom, mushrooms, old books,
fresh mint, heather honey, leather,
almonds… Quite superb on the
nose but really needs water. Mouth
(neat): really hot at full strength
albeit somewhat rounder and more candied
than the 15yo. Less pepper, less rubber,
more fruits (oranges), less winey
notes. With water: more of the same.
Not much changes, just more drinkable
– which may be the whole point.
Finish: long, orangey and peppery.
Comments: very, very good, full-bodied,
middle-aged Highland Park. SGP:563
– 88 points.
Highland
Park 12 yo 1995/2007 (60.6%, OB for
Oddbins, cask #1555)
Colour: amber. Nose: powerful again
and a little less on the ‘strawberry’
side at first sniffs. A little varnish
as well. The strawberries really jump
out of the glass at the development,
as well as very big notes of grenadine
(and something like cranberry juice.)
Unusual but I quite like this, even
if this one smells a bit like if they
had done a ‘secret’ finishing
on it (which, most probably, isn’t
the case.) With water: certainly more
peat here. Got also more organic.
Roasted nuts, pollen, various honeys…
And always these funny notes of pomegranates.
Mouth (neat): once again, this one
is fresher and better balanced than
both 1990’s, despite it’s
almost inhumane strength (right, Serge,
don’t make a fool of yourself,
please!) Very punchy but pretty lovely,
orangey, gingery and spicy (quite
some Chinese anise, pepper). With
water: more of the same, with added
citrusy notes (even icing sugar, fructose).
Very lively! Finish: long, nervous,
fresh yet very ‘full’,
with more peat at the aftertaste.
Comments: A lovely dram, as they say.
SGP:644 – 89 points(and thanks for this session,
K.)
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: neo-Brazilian artiste
Arto
Lindsay (he's
American actually) does his rather
famous piece Anima
animale.mp3. A rather wonderful
blend of Caetano Veloso-style tunes
with noisism. Well, sort of. Please
buy Arto Lindsay's music.
June
24, 2008
TASTING
THREE
RECENT
PORT ELLENS
Port
Ellen 25 yo 1982/2007 (51.1%, Alambic
Classique, cask/ref #71032, 120 bottles)
From a bourbon cask. Colour: pale
straw. Nose: this one starts very,
very zesty, lemony, with the smoke
beneath. Goes on with porridgy and
slightly yoghurty notes (lemon flavoured
yoghurt), icing sugar, Riesling and
wet stones (maybe even chalk and ‘pleasant
plastic’). Salpetre. Very ‘natural’,
with little wood influence it seems.
Also a little liquorice and mint as
well as slightly animal notes (faint
whiffs of ‘clean’ hutch.)
More peat smoke comes through after
a while. Mouth: sweet and just as
zesty as on the nose at first sips.
The peat is big. Good ‘austerity’
but we do get more fruit after that
(tangerines) as well as lemon peel
and a little brown sugar. Keeps developing
with more pepper on top of the now
rather huge ‘peaty/lemony’
notes. Very, very good, everything
getting more and more amplified. Really
punchy but perfectly drinkable. Finish:
long, still punchy, lemony, peaty…
Maybe a tad rounder now, though. Pleasant
notes of orange drops. Comments: a
very good Port Ellen that’s
punchy but rather approachable, thanks
to its fruitiness. Quite perfect for
anybody who never tried Port Ellen
before (and of course for all other
peat lovers). SGP:647 - 88
points.
Port
Ellen 24 yo 1982/2007 (51.1%, Bladnoch
Forum, cask #2462, 156 bottles)
This one from a butt. Colour: pale
straw. Nose: a rather similar profile,
without any obvious sherry. A tad
more expressive, though, with what
seems to be a slightly bigger ‘farminess’
(more notes of hutch ;-)). Also added
hints of kippers – well, maybe.
Otherwise we’re really in the
same family and the different kind
of cask didn’t seem to change
much to the spirit. Mouth: again,
it’s a very, very similar whisky,
even if there seems to be a little
extra-quick here. Splitting hairs,
really. Finish: same comments. Maybe
just a tad punchier and a tad grassier
(with a little less fruits –
or, say less tangerines and more grapefruits).
Comments: let’s not even try
to decide between both. The sherry
butt almost didn’t change one
iota of this one. SGP:647
– 88 points.
Port
Ellen 1981/2008 ‘Feis Ile 2008’
(54.7%, OB, cask #1301)
This one is already legendary. Sold
for a very fair price (£99.something)
but in very limited quantities, it
provoked quite a queue when it was
sold at Caol Ila Distillery on the
morning of may 26th and of course
a few vampires were quick to put it
on eBay, where it was soon to fetch
something like £700. Better
than petrol. There's even 'a gentleman'
in Bowmore who's currently asking
for £800+ a bottle. Ah, the
charming Ileachs, soooo romantic,
aren't they! Colour: pale gold. Nose:
this is different. More polished,
rounder at first nosing, even if the
notes of smoked fish are well here.
Vanilla custard. Develops on unusual
floral notes (dandelions, flower nectar),
then whiffs of brown coal, pu-erh
tea, matches, hints of dry white wine
again, a little more liquorice…
More notes of kippers as well, maybe
even sardines. Hints of fresh almonds
and gingerbread. This one gets more
and more complex, and rather wilder
too over time. Very interesting development
from ‘almost smoothness’
to ‘wild coastal peatiness’.
Mouth: once again, it starts quite
smoothly (well, considering it’s
Port Ellen), on orange marmalade and
lapsang souchong (smoked tea), but
it really becomes a hard-hitter after
that, with quite a lot of peat, lemon
peel (and squash), orange peel, coriander,
brown sugar again… The grassiness
gets bigger too (interesting notes
of sorrel mingling with the lemon)
but there are also quite some ‘candied’
notes (crème brûlée,
caramel custard, even rum.) A big
dram that started smoothly but grows
wilder and wilder. Tricky, in a certain
way. Finish: very long, but quite
interestingly, it sort of softens
(hints of pineapple drops and honey
– honey in Port Ellen!) whilst
keeping its beautiful profile. Comments:
another punchy but most approachable
Port Ellen. Certainly more complex
and more multifaceted than the ‘average’
Port Ellen (albeit less austere/sharpish),
provided you give it a little time.
If you’ve got one bottle of
this, please don’t bull, open
it, it’s really worth it. SGP:637
- 91 points.
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: from what was probably
one the best jazz records ever,
here's the very famous Stolen
moments.mp3 (with nobody else
than Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard
and Bill Evans) by saxophonist and
arranger extraordinaire Oliver
Nelson. Please buy
Oliver Nelson's music.
June
21, 2008
PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK -
June 21, 2008
TASTING
– FIVE WHISKIES DISTILLED
IN COLUMN STILLS
North
British 15 yo 1991/2007 (53.6%, Signatory,
cask #259476, 659 bottles)
This one was fully matured in a Californian
sherry cask (wazzat?) Colour: gold.
Nose: frankly, this smells like wood
matured vodka, or maybe Zubrovska.
It’s not that it’s bad,
quite the contrary, but it does not
resemble whisky. Maybe hints of sultanas.
Let’s see what happens after
the addition of a few drops of water…
Oh, it really changed, as it got a
lot more vegetal and ‘tertiary’,
with unusual notes of lovage and parsley,
hay, cured ham, beef bouillon…
I guess it’s the ‘Californian
sherry’ that comes out. Dare
I say ‘pemmican’? Very
unusual and very interesting in any
case. Mouth (neat): it’s completely
different and extremely coffeeish.
Kalhua at ‘cask strength’
this time? Coffee-schnapps. With water:
doesn’t change as much as on
the nose, still on coffee liqueur
but also on prunes and plum pudding.
Finish: long, fruity and coffeeish
again – and in a very nice way.
Comments: I feared this was just raw
grain spirit at first nosing but then
it never stopped improving and getting
more complex and assertive. Worth
trying, and not only if you’re
into grain whisky. SGP:450
– 86 points.
Carsebridge
29 yo 1979/2008 (56%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #33032)
These Carsebridges by Duncan Taylor
are always good. Colour: gold. Nose:
very close to the North British, maybe
just a tad fruitier at first nosing,
but then it gets rather more complex,
very vanilled and ‘coconutty’,
with extremely nice whiffs of carpenter’s
workshop. Quite superb as a single
grain, with a lot of freshness. Archetypical.
With water: more of the same, which
is good news. Warm oak sawdust plus
subtle hints of moss and wet leaves.
Gets even smoky after a moment (pine
wood smoke). And minty. Mouth (neat):
Malibu at ‘cask strength’!
Immense notes of coconut indeed…
If you like that, you’ll love
this. With water: very classy and
classic old grain whisky matured in
a perfect cask. Vanilla, coconut,
apricot jam, a little ginger, a little
strawberry jam… Finish: long,
clean, fruity and… coconutty.
Comments: again, I’m not into
grain too much but I’ll admit
that this is very, very good spirit.
SGP:550 – 89 points.
Port
Dundas 10 yo (59.6%, Cadenhead, 276
bottles, bottled 1998)
From a bourbon hogshead. Funny that
this one was bottled in the ‘World
Whiskies’ series. Colour: white
wine. Nose: I’m sorry, but this
is undiluted vodka. With water: regular
vodka with a little wood and a little
grass. Very simple. Mouth (neat):
alcohol, plain apple spirit (not cider
spirit, that is to say Calvados and
the likes, eh). Not unpleasant but
really simple. With water: ditto,
with even more raw alcohol. Finish:
medium long. Comments: the world deserves
better whisky. SGP:210 –
65 points.
North
of Scotland 1964/2008 (44.9%, Scott’s
Selection)
This is a bit of mystery, as some
people (including the German importer
of this range) claim that North of
Scotland was still distilling malt
in column stills in 1964, whilst some
Maniacal sources say that the distillery
stopped distilling malt and switched
to grain as early as 196X. A third
source says that they were still using
malt and grain alternatively. Well,
I tend to believe Maniacal sources,
but let’s see whether this is
grainy or not… Colour: gold.
Nose: well, there’s the usual
oaky/vanilled character of grain whisky
but there’s something else indeed,
that’s more or less in the same
aromatic category as the diluted North
British (lovage, parsley, sage, maybe
mother-of-thyme...), only less clean
and less, well, ‘defined’.
Hints of redcurrant jam, bubblegum
and ripe strawberries. Frankly, it
does smell like grain whisky, and
maybe not one of the best, even if
the oak is in no way overwhelming
despite the 44 years… Now, after
quite some breathing, there are also
rather beautiful notes of thuja wood,
pine resin and caramel. Water not
needed. Mouth: ha-ha, now we’re
talking! Still not malty but the ‘bubblegummy’
notes got really spectacular. Add
to that notes of Turkish delights,
marshmallows, butter and baklavas
and you get… right, a cake ;-).
Seriously, this is very demonstrative
and rather unlike anything I tried
up to now. Arrak, raki (or ouzo –
aniseed liqueur.) Big sweetness and
something rather decadent. Finish:
long, more and more on date liqueur,
with also a little pinch of salt.
And coconuts. Comments: hard to say
whether this is malt or grain…
I’d vote for grain. SGP:730
– 84 points.
Nikka
12 yo ‘Single Coffey Malt’
(55%, OB, 3027 bottles)
This is genuine malt for sure, only
distilled in column stills like grain
whisky. Colour: gold. Nose: well,
I’m not impressed, this one
seems to be much closer to grain than
to malt actually, which stresses the
stills’ importance over the
raw material. Plum spirit, vanilla
and maybe something unusually perfumy
(rosewater). Orange blossom. With
water: it’s the wood that came
out. A little methanol, wood alcohol.
Mouth (neat): very spirity (pear spirit)
and very sweet. Bourbon. With water:
a little better, resembling a medium-range
grain whisky and maybe also some Irishes.
Vanilla, dried bananas, coconut liqueur
and oak (nutmeg). Finish: medium long,
very linear. Comments: rather pleasant
on the palate when diluted but otherwise
slightly disappointing I think. Now,
it’s only an experiment I think,
so let’s not complain, especially
since many other malt aficionados
seem to adore it. SGP:620
– 77 points.
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: there's whisky and music
and there's wine and music... And
gospel. Please have a try at the
wonderful Andy
Sheppard and Steve
Lodder playing a soul-infused
piece called Chablis.mp3
(from 'Moving Image)... With a glass
of Grenouilles in your hand, of
course (no, not frogs.) And then
please buy these wonderful musicians'
music.
June
19, 2008
TASTING
– MEHR (CLYNE)LICHT
Clynelish
16 yo 1983/2000 (43%, Cooper’s
Choice)
Colour: straw. Nose: very fresh, seaweedy
and waxy. Huge notes of paraffin and
linseed oil but also something a little
too porridgy and even plastic-like
developing after a moment. Lemon fizz,
wet limestone, ink, wet newspaper…
Loses its freshness and gets then
more and more grassy. Argan oil (which
is great) but also fermenting hay,
which isn’t too great here.
Lacks definition – this time.
Mouth: certainly better now, the plastic
notes having vanished, leaving room
for quite some salt, olive oil and
sweetened porridge. Pleasant spiciness
(paprika), a little horseradish, even
canned pickles… And finally
a little lemon. Not the greatest but
it’s rather interesting –
unusual at least. Finish: medium long
but simpler again. Salted lemon juice?
Tequila? Mustard? Comments: an unusual
Clynelish, probably a little less
to my liking than most of its siblings.
SGP:262 – 78 points.
Clynelish
15 yo 1993/2008 (57.8%, Alambic Classique,
cask #7539, 120 bottles)
Gosh, whiskies from 1993 are already
15yo – time flies! Colour: straw.
Nose: this one is much wilder and
more austere at the same time. Ultra-big
waxy notes again but also cactus juice,
almond milk, green tea, fresh butter,
pine needles, a little peat…
Little fruits here, if any (maybe
a little lemon that gives it a slight
sourness). Quite zesty in fact but
maybe not as ‘ultra-focused’
as other versions. Maybe water will
help… With water: it’s
the wax and the wet stones that really
stands out now. Greatest of news!
Also something slightly resinous,
and our beloved wet dogs?
Mouth
(neat): extremely rich, oily, thick
and coating, almost too hot actually.
Chilli liqueur? Pepper liqueur? Brutal
and hard to swallow I must say, almost
burning. Fizzy. A peppermonster? With
water: amazing how water works here.
Not that we really managed to tame
it – it’s still a bit
uncivilised - but it really got more
classic. A lot of wax, chlorophyll,
not-to-sweet olive oil, rocket salad,
bitter almonds, honeydew… One
of the grassiest whiskies I tried
recently. Finish: long, austere and
dry. And grassy. Comments: great Clynelish
for Clynelish lovers but don’t
even consider sipping it without water.
Jansenistic. SGP:173 –
87 points.
Clynelish
1982/1995 (64.2%, Scotch Malt Whisky
Society, 26.4)
Colour: gold. Nose: ouch! Very butyric
and very cardboardy, truly plactic-like
this time, despite the rather pleasant
notes of seawater and fresh almonds
in the background. Highly unusual
in fact, but let’s not take
chances with our nostrils at 64+%
and add water straight away. With
water: completely changes directions,
getting much more on candy sugar,
rum, cigar box and even patchouli.
Too bad there’s an added soapiness
in the background. Very, very ‘different’.
Mouth (neat – yeah, I made out
my will): well, I must say it’s
sort of ingestible! Sweet, waxy and
lemony like many Clynelishes, with
hints of salt. Now, the alcohol does
mask the rest indeed. With water:
it works but the result is a bit curious,
what appears to be sherry indeed not
mingling too well with the spirit.
Something like heavily peppered wine-poached
pears or something like that. It got
also very, very mustardy now. Finish:
long, a bit cleaner and better focused
now, with huge citrusy notes at the
“end”. Comments: well,
this one isn’t easy! ‘A
variant of a variant’ –
interesting but not essential. SGP:352
– 80 points.
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: she's been one of our
favs for a long time, yes, German
organist extraordinaire Barbara
Dennerlein. Today she's
playing Fly
away.mp3 con mucho gusto (from
her album Take Off!) How many almbums
by Barbara Dennerlein do you already
own? Please buy more...
June
18, 2008
CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
THE BONZO DOG DOO-DAH
BAND
The
Astoria, London, June 6th 2008
A
seriously long queue snakes around
the side of the old Pickle Factory
(aka London’s doomed Astoria
Theatre) into leafy yet carbon monoxide-filled
Soho Square. We’ve been waiting
for a long time. Since the twenty-second
of December, to be precise, when
this gig should have taken place.
Inexplicably
cancelled, then rescheduled, this
gig is a belated launch of the Bonzo
Dog Doo-Dah Band’s
new (er, 2007) album, Pour l’Amour
des Chiens. I’m sure I wasn’t
the only person to regard a ‘new’
Bonzos album with some degree of trepidation
– in fact, I left it on the
shelf for a very long time before
plucking up the courage to play it.
Truth be told, it’s not bad
at all. It probably has the stamp
of pianist, singer and songwriter
Neil Innes’ solo work stamped
on it a little hard but is none the
worse for that. Like Innes, there’s
a lot of the ‘grumpy old man’
in evidence but thinking about it,
the Bonzos were probably always grumpy
old men before their time. And there
are some genuinely funny moments.
But of course, no one has queued for
six months to listen to new songs
– it’s the old stuff that
everyone’s expecting (praying
for?) as this unlikely mixture of
septuagenarians and sextuagenarians
continue their unlikely revival, which
began here at the Astoria back in
January 2006. And as fate would have
it, I’m in almost the same seat
surrounded by the most unlikely bunch
of grey balding oldsters, young stylish
things-about-town, dads and daughters,
mothers and sons, you name it –
they’re here.
In
case you’ve forgotten, this
version of the Bonzos is comprised
of survivors of various incarnations
of the band from the sixties and early
seventies: Neil
Innes (piano, vocals, guitar);
Roger Ruskin Spear (saxophone, trumpet,
trouser press, robots); Rodney Slater
(saxophones, clarinet, washboard);
Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell (vocals,
saw, banjo, ukulele); Sam Spoons (er…spoons,
drums and flower pots); “Legs”
Larry Smith (as himself) and Bob
Kerr (trumpets and teapot). In
addition, comedians Adrian Edmondson
and Phill Jupitus - the latter for
only one song late on after he’d
performed in a play round the corner
- but both now members of the band,
apparently. Behind them is musical
director Mickey
Simmonds, who, along with his
bass player and drummer, somehow manages
to keep things going in the face of
even the greatest adversity. Pretty
prime contender is Roger Ruskin Spears
- messing up the cues and interrupting
from the very first song, he rampages
through the two halves of the set
in an anarcho-syndicalist world of
his own, talking away to himself and
the audience, much to the obvious
annoyance of Innes, who by comparison
almost seems like an obsessive-compulsive.
It’s a wonderful spectator sport.
The
Bonzos have chosen to be sponsored
by a fictitious retail chain - Fiasco
– a considered choice as they
stumble through songs old and new,
and jokes, mostly old. Highlights
from the established cannon were the
classic ‘Jazz, delicious hot,
disgusting cold’, played with
a robustly tuneless gusto, Edmondson
singing ‘I’m Bored’,
‘Hippocratic oaths’ and
‘My pink half of the drainpipe’,
a wonderful ‘Trouser press’
and Jupitus’ encore, ‘Canyons
of your mind’. Of the new songs,
‘Hawkeye the Gnu’ (it’s
a Scottish thing), ‘Beautiful
people’, ‘Stadium love’
and Sam Spoons’ ‘Tiptoe
through the tulips’ (with percussive
flowerpots) all stood up well. Bohay-Nowell,
who should know better for a man of
his age, performed show-stealing party
pieces ‘Falling in love again’
and ‘Andrew’s engine’,
and “Legs”
Larry Smith told a joke about
flowers on the piano and tulips on
the organ, which I promised not to
mention. Ah yes – and the robots
were fully functional, as was the
trouser press.
It’s
really just a wonderful few hours
of chaotic innocent nonsense, humour
largely from another age that still
has a deep resonance with those of
us who were brought up on it, and
obviously those of us who weren’t
(the two rather cool twenty-something
boys next to us were almost wetting
themselves in a most uncool way by
the end of the show). And really,
as you can see, the pictures tell
the story just as well as I can. Except
for the fact that, as I write, the
old buggers have just announced another
tour for nine nights in November,
so if you’ll excuse me, I’m
just off to buy some tickets... -
Nick Morgan
TASTING
THREE
OLD BUNNA- HABHAINS
Bunnahabhain
32 yo 1976/2008 (40.7% Villa Konthor,
Limburg, Germany)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: starts fresh
and briny, with whiffs of sea air
and something like kiwis and not too
ripe bananas. It’s also rather
lemony… Quite unusual and much
more ‘nervous’ than expected.
Goes on with even more lemon (zests)
and then notes of fresh mint and dill.
Very slight dustiness (flour, old
books.) No obvious woodiness that
I can smell but there’s also
something faintly porridgy. Mouth:
as soft and rather silky attack on
ripe bananas (not drops etc) and vanilla
crème, with also a little liquorice
(sticks) mixed with mint. Falls a
bit at the middle, getting also a
little kirschy, but remains very pleasant
and soft. Silky tannins coat the whole
and give it a good structure. Finish:
medium long, very balanced, getting
pleasantly spicy (white pepper and
cinnamon) with a rather oaky aftertaste.
Comments: a rather harmless –
and maybe not really characterful
- but very drinkable old Bunnahabhain.
SGP:341 – 86 points.
Bunnahabhain
35 yo 1967/2002 (40,5%, Hart Bros.
Finest Collection, 378 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: a very big
fruitiness here, with notes of tangerines
and mangos, and even a little passion
fruit that reminds us of some of its
cousins from the shore of the Loch
Indaal. Also a little orange honey
for a while, and then litres of fresh
orange juice. Very pleasant hints
of roasted nuts and toasted bread
complement the whole. A beautiful
nose for sure, even if it doesn’t
quite speak ‘Bunnahabhain’.
Slight dustiness just like in the
1976. Mouth: in the keeping with the
nose, which is great news. Oranges,
marmalade, mango chutney, honeydew
and quince jelly. Quite superb I must
say. Shifts towards bigger oakiness
and spiciness (cinnamon, ginger and
cloves) after a few seconds in the
mouth but the excellent fruity notes
do remain, which makes the whole very
compact and precise. Very excellent,
even if it gets a little tired and
dry at a certain point. Finish: not
too long, alas, and much drier now
(orange peel, grape skin). Comments:
a beautiful oldie to sip straight
ahead before the wood can have its
say! SGP:741 – 89 points
(for the wonderful fruitiness.)
Bunnahabhain
37 yo 1968/2006 (42.1%, Duncan Taylor
Rare Auld, cask #7010, 350 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: this one is frankly
different, less fruity and more candied,
honeyed and vanilled. Granted, there
are some very nice notes of dried
pears and figs and even a slight ‘coastality’
but other than that it’s rather
a rounder and softer kind of old Bunnahabhain,
with also a little more oak and marzipan
(almonds) than in its colleagues.
Maybe faint hints of kelp. Mouth:
starts all on green bananas and oak
and stays there for a long time, before
more complex aromas manage to come
through. We have nutmeg, ginger, vanilla,
camomile tea, pepper… All thing
woody, probably, but it’s not
drying wood at all. Finish: rather
almondy now, just like on the palate.
Medium long. Comments: a little more
of a nosing whisky but it’s
still far from being tired I think.
SGP:541 – 87 points.
June
17, 2008
TASTING
A
GLEN GARIOCH EXTRAVAGANZA (sponsored
by Bert, Pat and Konstantin)
Glen
Garioch 21 yo 1965 (43%, OB, light
vatting)
It’s certainly not the first
time we try this one but since we
always adored it, let’s try
it again, this time H2H with a darker
version. Colour: straw. Nose: what
a beautiful sharpness and what a beautiful
minerality! Extremely elegant, zesty,
flinty, waxy and mineral, with a profile
that really resembles some Clynelishes’
(not all). Say, the best 1983’s
for example. The peat takes off only
after a few minutes, together with
wood ashes, coal oven and hints of
mint and eucalyptus. Ah, yes, and
a little grapefruit. Truly grand!
Mouth: sweet but very nervous, with
quite some peat, bitter oranges, liquorice
and mint. Cough medicine. OBE staring
to show off. Gets a little more peppery
and citrusy (more oranges, tangerines,
lemons.) A tad less complex than on
the nose but still pretty stunning.
Finish: amazingly long at 43% ABV
and after all these years in its bottle,
even if it’s a bit ‘narrower’
at this point. Comments: we had this
wonder at 93 before and won’t
change that. SGP:565 –
93 points.
Glen
Garioch 21 yo 1965 (43%, OB, dark
vatting)
Colour: amber. Nose: this is just
as stunning. All what’s in the
lighter version, only toned down and
mingled with chocolate, macchiato,
prunes and, well, cognac, the whole
creating a bigger feeling of ‘smokiness’.
They invented the word ‘complex’
for this. Mouth: same thing. Even
bigger than the ‘light’
version, with more peat, more coffee,
more chocolate, more eucalyptus, more
spices… More, more more. Finish:
as long as a June day. Comments: a
stunning old Glen Garioch. The sherry
didn’t really add to the complexity
on the nose but really did so on the
palate. SGP:666 (is
that dark enough, K.?) –
94 points.
Glen
Garioch 1971/1997 (43%, Samaroli,
cask #1239, 300 bottles)
Not to be mistaken for the extraordinary
Glen Garioch 1971 (59.6%, Samaroli,
2280 bottles, sherry, 75cl), nor for
the fantastic 1971 for Oddbins. Colour:
gold. Nose: this is very different,
much more organic. Less peat but maelstroms
of wet leaves, all kinds of teas,
resins, mint, oils (notably olive)…
Then something magnificently beefy
(angus? ;-)), animal (hare belly –
I insist, not Halle Berry!)…
Also fresh putty, old books, almonds,
pistachios… And loads of tobacco
(newly opened Camel pack). Fantastic,
as expected. Mouth: slightly less
nervous than both 1963’s at
the attack, maybe just a tad shier,
but then develops on rather superb
notes of resin (all kinds), chlorophyll
chewing-gum, peat, bitter oranges,
cinchona/Campari… Picks up steam
constantly. Finish: quite shorter
than the very long 1963’s and
maybe a tad more mono-dimensional
(resin/grass/peat/pepper) but still
beautiful. Comments: let’s not
split hair, this one is another fantastic
Glen Garioch. SGP:254 –
91 points.
Glen
Garioch 32 yo 1967/1999 (56.1%, The
Bottlers, cask #664)
We already tried this but never wrote
any proper tasting notes. Colour:
gold. Nose: more closed, more austere
and even more waxy/mineral than all
the other ones. Some peat but not
too much. Quite some grapefruit as
well, but also some slightly disturbing
notes of ‘chemical’ orange
juice (Fanta). Growing fizziness.
Moss and fern. With water: it’s
the herbal notes that stand out now,
together with even more resin, fern,
moss, pine needles etc. The ‘fizziness’
disappeared. Mouth (neat): punchy,
compact, bittersweet and gingery.
Hints of icing sugar on peppered bitter
orange marmalade (well.) Grows more
resinous and herbal after a while,
as well as hugely spicy (pepper ahead).
Quite some ginger as well, and more
peat than on the nose. It hasn’t
got its bros’ complexity, far
from that, but it’s still very,
very good whisky. With water: oh,
now it’s the peat that grew
bolder, together with the pepper and
other spices. Improves! Finish: rather
long, maybe just a tad bitterer. Comments:
very good, even if not quite in the
same league as the OB’s and
the Samaroli. An excellent example
of a heavily peated Glen Garioch in
any case. Almost made it to 90 in
my book. SGP:265 - 89 points.
McLelland’s
Highland 1979/1991 (55%, OB for Scotch
Single Malt Circle, cask #540, Glen
Garioch)
A 1975 in the same series was fab
(93) so we have high expectations
here. Colour: straw. Nose: this is
really different from all the other
ones, as if it didn’t come from
the same distillery at all. A little
‘duller’, so to speak,
much more porridgy and ‘simply’
fruity (apples and pears). It’s
rather fresh and pure, even sort of
‘crystalline’ but nowhere
near its older bros. Also hints of
old roses and grenadine syrup. Mouth:
same profile here. Big fruitiness
(tangerines, apples, pears) and something
slightly bitterly grassy as well (apple
peeling, walnut skin). Big waxy notes
as well but Glen Garioch’s ‘previous’
personality is lost. Finish: long,
fruity, somewhat kirschy. Comments:
Glen Garioch clearly became a different
whisky after 1975 – and changed
again around 1985 I believe. This
is excellent whisky for sure but maybe
not why we’re into Glen Garioch.
SGP:621 – 85 points.
Glen
Garioch 29 yo 1968 (57.2%, OB, Hogshead
#625)
Colour: dark amber. Nose: ultra-big
but also hyper-subtle sherry here.
First we have figs and dates (truckloads),
then superb tarry, rubbery, liquoricy
and smoky notes (bicycle inner tube),
then strawberry and quince jam, then
plain prunes dipped in milk chocolate,
then balsamic vinegar and cured ham
(Parma)… In short, fab again,
and I don’t even feel like I
should add any water despite the high
strength. Mouth: please call the anti-maltoporn
squad. This is immense and, to tell
you the truth, even a bit scary ;-).
Finish: sorry, we haven’t got
enough time. Comments: none. Except
that this is probably the best cask
of the large series of 1968’s
that they issued around 1997 in my
book (maybe together with cask #7).
SGP:567 – 95 points.
Highland
15 yo 1973/1988 (60.5%, Slim Cowell’s
personal selection III, Glen Garioch)
A 1975 was marvellous - more about
Slim Cowell here. Colour: dark gold.
Nose: oh, this is different again!
Uber-organic, I’d say. Starts
on ‘rubbery’ peat (if
you see what I mean) but gets then
fruitier (grapefruits, passion), with
big notes of coal smoke and caramel
in the background. Develops more on
orange marmalade and then patchouli,
wet tobacco (pipe), orange juice and
leather. Truly excellent, just a tad
‘below’ the 1963-1971’s.
With water: it got much wilder and
more organic – yet! ‘Natural’
porridge, ‘good’ yeast,
bread, dead leaves, Havana cigars,
old leather, old hessian… How
complex! Mouth (neat): thick and oily
but also as nervous as a youngster.
More directly appealing than on the
nose, extremely compact. Crystallised
oranges mixed with cough syrup (don’t
tell your doctor), peat and pepper.
Superb punchy profile. With water:
gets more complex once again, but
this time more towards gentian spirit
(hi, Juergen), salt and liquorice.
Finish: long and in the same beautiful
vein. Comments: frankly, all these
pre-1976 GG’s are all wonderful
whiskies but alas, they will all pass
the snarf test with flying colours!
What’s the snarf test, you may
ask? Well, the answer is in Glenn’s
Blather Bar on Facebook’s MM&F
group. SGP:465 – 91
points.
And
also Glen
Garioch 19 yo 1989/2008 (54.8%, Alambic
Classique, cask #8430, 120 bottles)
Yes, it’s very hard to follow
old stunners like the ones we just
had but I’m sure this one has
the guts. Colour: pale gold. Nose:
the attack on the nose is much more
medicinal here (eucalyptus, antiseptic)
for a short while and gets then more
rounded and sweet (butterscotch, vanilla
fudge), with clear hints of nutmeg
in the background. Goes on on fresh
strawberries, sweet apples (golden
delicious) and finally whiffs of sea
air. Very, very likeable. Mouth: very
fruity attack (pineapples and pears),
with quite some body. Switches then
directly towards spices (mainly white
pepper and ginger) and stays on these
flavours until the finish. Finish:
long and exactly on the same flavours.
Comments: one of the fruitiest Glen
Gariochs I could try. Pears and pineapples
galore! SGP:732 – 86
points.
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: very swet, very cool,
even if she hasn't got a 'true'
jazz voice... She's Beverley
Staunton and she's
doing the standard Lush
Life.mp3 (from her 2001 CD 'Here's
To You'.) Please buy Beverley Staunton's
music!
June
16, 2008
CONCERT
REVIEW
by Nick Morgan
KINKY
FRIEDMAN
The Jazz Café
Camden Town, London
June 3rd 2008
No
matter what happens to it (apparently
someone recently tried to burn it
down), and no matter how gentrified
many of its streets have become, Camden
Town remains a wonderfully seedy part
of North London. So, prior to this
gig I had a fifteen-minute wait, sheltering
from the warm summer rain under scaffolding
outside the iconic and always grubby
Camden Town tube-station. There were
a few of us there, usurping (much
to their obvious annoyance) the pitches
normally occupied by drug dealers,
hustlers and their hangers-on. It
was entertaining enough to watch them
play out a street-scene imitation
of Lou Reed’s ‘Dirty Boulevard’,
but depressing to think that young
people find themselves drawn into
hopeless dead-end fantasies rather
than fulfil the potential that lies
inside them somewhere. Anyway, I discovered
that with the wisdom that age and
maturity brings, Jozzer and Trizza
were somewhere nearby fulfilling themselves
with the half-pints of wine that serve
as regular measures in London bars
these days, so with the Photographer
in tow, headed off to the Jazz Café
to meet them.
They
have the dining thing worked out to
perfection here – short and
simple menu, good food, sure fire
service and by and large, tables cleared
before the main artist hits the stage.
Just
as well on this occasion, as the hilarity
generated by former Texas gubernatorial
candidate, and (according to him)
the State’s only Jewish cowboy,
Kinky
Friedman, and his compadres,
Lebanese blue-grass guitarist Washington
Ratso (“together we’re
the best hope for peace the world
has got”), and pianist Little
Jewford (“he’s a Jew
and he drives a Ford”), would
have been enough to give any diner
serious indigestion. Friedman is a
polymath of extraordinary proportions
– his lineage in country music
goes back to his 1970’s band
Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys,
who provoked admiration, angst and
anger with provoking satirical songs
such as ‘They ain't makin' Jews
like Jesus any more’.
When
(as might perhaps have been predicted)
fame and fortune failed to come knocking
on his door he reinvented himself
as a crime-writer, and has a shelf-load
of novels to his name. He fought the
2006 election for Governor of Texas
as an unaffiliated libertarian candidate,
coming fourth in the poll (out of
five candidates), and may run again
in 2010, ‘though he noted that
“God probably couldn't have
won as an independent”. He runs
a cigar
business, has his own range
of salsas for sale, saves homeless
animals, and still tours with
his band. He is, as our American cousins
sometimes say, ‘a piece of work’
It’s
a gentle show. We get songs from the
Texas Jewboys days, such as ‘We
reserve the right to refuse service
to you’, ‘Homo Erectus’
(which even managed to feature former
Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta), ‘Get
your biscuits in the oven and your
buns in the bed’, ‘Waitret,
please waitret’ (a satire on
Texan accents, which includes the
unrepeatable line, “Waitret,
please Waitret, come sit on my fate”)
and ‘Asshole from El Paso’,
all full-on jaw-droppingly politically
incorrect humour.
Kinky Friedman
But
it’s mixed with more tender
songs such as ‘Rapid City South
Dakota’, ‘Sold American’,
‘Farewell first lady of the
air’ (a ballad about Amelia
Earhart’s last flight’),
the Carter Family classic ‘Rambling
boy’, Woody Guthrie’s
‘Pretty Boy Floyd”, and
the song that Johnny Cash made famous,
‘The ballad of Ira Hayes’.
Then there’s ‘Ride ‘em
Jew boy’, sung as a tribute
to “the Hillbilly Dalai Lama”
Willie Nelson, who recorded the song
on Friedman’s 2007 album, ‘Why
the hell not?’, a collection
of classic Friedman compositions performed
by artistes including, in addition
to the Dalai Lama, the likes of Lyle
Lovett and Dwight Yoakam.
Some
of the songs are funny enough, but
of course it’s Friedman’s
shtick, the jokes, reminiscences and
stories, and particularly his interaction
with ‘idiot savant’ Jewford
that provoke the laughter. Jewford
has an exaggerated TV presenter’s
voice that he uses partly as an echo,
and partly as a one-man Greek chorus
to Friedman’s comments and observations
(“You’re welcome Kinky”).
It’s anarchic and somewhat surreal,
and as the evening wears on, painfully
funny. Added to this, of course, are
Friedman’s political tales about
his failed campaign. Holding a pint
of Guinness in one hand and a cigar
in the other, he tells us about ‘Guinnessgate’,
the incident during his campaign when
he was spotted with an open can (a
violation of the criminal code) of
the black stuff in the back of a car
during his campaign – his plea
"I was drinking it ... but I
did not swallow." He even reads
an extract from his latest book, You
Can Lead A Politician To Water But
You Can't Make Him Think; Ten Commandments
For Texas Politics, which like almost
everything else is for sale at the
end of the show (“I’ll
sign anything but bad legislation”).
And in a truly libertarian gesture,
he scandalously steps to the back
of the stage and lights his cigar,
taking a few illicit puffs before
letting it burn out. A committed man
indeed.
Kinky
Friedman and Little Jewford
I’ve no doubt he and the boys
go through the same stuff each night,
but if you haven’t heard it
before it’s vastly entertaining.
And even if you have it’s still
a good show – I reckon more
than half of the people in the very
mixed audience have seen him before.
The show ends with ‘Asshole
from El Paso’ (“We don’t
wipe our asses on Old Glory, God and
Lone Star beer are things we trust.
We keep our women virgins till they’re
married, so hosin’ sheep is
good enough for us”), after
which the ‘encore’ is
performed in one-on-one encounters
with the very long queue of fans who
wait to meet the Kinkster and get
one of those promiscuous signatures.
It simply goes without saying, should
you get a chance, go and see this
man perform. - Nick Morgan (concert
photographs by Kate)
Here's
an old video of 'They Ain't Makin
Jews Like Jesus Anymore'...
TASTING
TWO
OLD GRAINS
Alloa
43 yo 1964/2008 (46.1%, Alambic Classique,
cask #8312, 121 bottles)
I believe Alloa is the other name
of North of Scotland Distillery, that
famous distillery that experimented
with distilling malt in continuous
stills. Please see also here. There’s
been previous versions by Alambic
Classique, Jack Wieber and Scott’s
Selection.
Colour: full gold. Nose: fragrant
wood (sandalwood, cedar) and vanilla
are the first aromas to spring out.
Then we have more oak (fresh sawdust),
orange marmalade and quite some ginger
and white pepper, together with hints
of nutmeg and maybe faint whiffs of
rosewater and very ripe strwberries.
Little coconut this time, but a rather
beautiful freshness at such old age.
Mouth: plenty of body at the attack,
with a pleasant sourness (muesli,
cooked apricots) and then lots of
spices (Chinese anise, cinnamon).
Gets fruitier after that (pineapples,
pears) as well as quite almondy (marzipan).
Ganache. Finish: long, a prolonging
the palate, with just a little more
pepper. Comments: really excellent,
tireless old grain whisky, somewhat
different (fruitier and more vibrant)
that most other very old grains. Maybe
an old grain for people who…
aren’t into old grains? SGP:640
- 88 points.
Port
Dundas 30 yo 1973/2004 (59.3%, Duncan
Taylor Rare Auld, mini)
Not sure this one has ever been bottled
in full bottles as a 30yo. Colour:
amber. Nose: less plain oak and even
more vanilla here. Chocolate, roasted
nuts and dried figs. Sherry? It’s
also a little more bubblegummy and
‘coconutty’ like many
old grains, but let’s see what
gives with a little water. With water:
it gets much more varnishy, but in
a nice way, and then rather vegetal
(infused tealeaves) and finally very
fragrant. Musk, amber, old roses…
Espresso coffee (what else?) Superb
complexity in this one, but water
is needed. Mouth (neat): thick and
rich, almost oily, starting more on
soft curries this time, with bunches
of spices from the wood. Heavy notes
of clove, pepper and nutmeg and a
big sweetness from the alcohol –
or so it seems. Maybe a tad too burning,
let’s add water now. With water:
it got really excellent, first smooth
and then sweet and spicy like a Thai
dish. Indian korma, honey, milk chocolate.
Kept its oiliness. Finish: only medium
long but silky and mildly spicy. Comments:
excellent and complex – very
different but in the same league as
the Alloa as far as ‘global
quality’ is concerned. SGP:551-
88 points.
June
15, 2008
TASTING
– A BUNCH OF AMERICANS
(useless
tasting notes by a perpetual newbie)
Hudson Whiskey ‘Four Grain Bourbon’
(46%, OB, batch #3, 2007)
Made in New York with corn, rye, wheat
and malted barley. Colour: gold. Nose:
oh well, we’re lost here –
already! Notes of lemon-sprinkled
porridge, paraffin, warm sawdust,
cut grass, hay, orange juice and caramel…
What’s sure is that it’s
far from being unpleasant! Mouth:
sweet and maybe a tad dusty at the
same time at the attack but it gets
rather pleasant after a few seconds.
Juniper, cinchona, bay leaves and
cloves – too bad the wood isn’t
integrated too well (notes of flour,
tapioca, cinnamon.) Other than that
it’s rather interesting spirit,
kind of an American Campari? Finish:
medium long, even more on gin, ginger
and cinchona. Comments: this isn’t
too close to my usual tastes but I
must say I liked ‘the spirit
of it.’ SGP:350 –
75 points (conservatory).
Hudson
Whiskey ‘Manhattan Rye’
(46%, OB, batch #3, 2007)
Colour: gold amber. Nose: this is
very fruity, sweet and bubblegummy
at first nosing, gaining balance after
that. Toffee and ginger tonic mixed
with Haribo bears, then porridge and
‘pleasant baby puke’ (sourness).
Rather mashy but enjoyable, partly
because it’s so different. Whiffs
of hot raw oak (having just been sawn.)
Pleasant combo, no doubt, albeit a
bit youngish. Mouth: I’m completely
lost now, I think I never tried something
like this. Something of its sibling
(the notes of juniper) but also more
oak and more pepper. Peppered cranberry
juice mixed with ginger ale and Dutch
jenever? Oh well, better not try too
hard… Finish: medium long, on
the same flavours. Comments: again,
this isn’t within my usual paradigm
(come on!) but I sort of liked it.
Please don’t take my rating
too seriously, I have little references.
SGP:440 – 75 points
(conservatory).
A.H.
Hirsch 16 yo 1974 (45.8%, OB, bourbon,
Mitchell’s Distillery)
An old favourite but we never wrote
any proper tasting notes. Colour:
gold – orange. Nose: starts
on rather immense notes of marzipan
and fresh vanilla mixed with argan
oil and fresh putty. Goes on with
even more high-end vanilla and hints
of rosewater and tinned lychees and
finally bananas, coconuts and pineapples.
All that is extremely enjoyable and
perfectly balanced. Mouth: perfect
attack, quite multidimensional. Oak,
bananas, vanilla fudge and orange
blossom water. Develops more on spices
(cloves, cinnamon, caraway) and gets
then maybe just a tad too woody (slight
bitterness). Finish: long, better
balanced again, with the wood fading
away. Comments: perfect whisky, one
of these bourbons that aren’t
too far from the best SMSW’s.
Classic. SGP:541 – 87
points.
Rittenhouse
Rye 21 yo (50%, OB, Heaven Hill)
Colour: gold – orange. Nose:
extremely expressive, almost exuberant
at first nosing, starting both on
vanilla fudge and all kinds of herbs
(big notes of cumin and curcuma, parsley,
dill) as well as fresh varnish and
mint. The development happens more
on quince jelly, candied oranges and
orange cake and the whole is absolutely
excellent. Love the mint in there
(Kools?) Mouth: not too far from the
Hirsch but with more punch and more
wood/tannins. A bit drying and even
acrid, that is, so let’s see
what gives with a little water: it
got fruitier and pretty much in line
with the nose. Mint, quince and liquorice.
Excellent balance now. Finish: rather
long, very clean, fresh and vanilled.
Comments: ‘probably state of
the art’. Again, I’m an
anti-expert as far as US whiskeys
are concerned (less than that, actually.)
SGP:531 – 87 points.
(Thanks Pierre)
Evan
Williams 1989 (149.2 proof, OB, for
Whisky Live Paris, cask #3865176)
If I’m not mistaken, this was
bottled at a whopping 74.6% ABV (as
the proof scale in the United States
is simply equal to twice the % alcohol
by volume – is that useful or
what?) Colour: amber – orangey.
Nose: this is much drier and much
more marked by the wood it seems,
but the high alcohol may mask it.
Vanilla. With water: wood, vanilla
and rum (cane sugar, ultra-ripe bananas.)
Far from being unpleasant but so much
simpler than Scotch malt I think!
Mouth (neat): it seems that it’s
good whiskey indeed but it’s
too damn hot for our fragile palate
(call us sissies if you like)! So,
with water: it got extremely sweet
and extremely oaky. Not unlike a mix
of melted bubblegum and sawdust. Right,
I may exaggerate a bit. Finish: long,
but sort of plankish. Comments: sorry,
this is very far from my references
so I won’t even try to score
it. SGP:550.
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: hey, why not a little
disco today- but good disco (is
that possible?) with Jean
Carn and her very Philly-sounding
Free
Love.mp3. Not sure the tune
is good, but the band sure is, even
the violins! Please buy Jean Carn's
music... (next disco tune on Whiskyfun:
April 27, 2027)
Colour: straw. Nose: quite a presence,
starting on a mix of peated barley
(just like when you’re visiting
a malting plant), porridge, coal smoke,
fresh putty and diesel oil (just faint
whiffs). A pleasant fruitiness hides
behind these peaty smells (pears).
Hints of pencil lead, then dill and
aniseed. Very fresh and balanced –
if not hugely complex. Smokier than
the official ‘Toiteach’
by any means. Mouth: very, very snarfable
even if one may have preferred two
or three extra-percents alcohol (this
is very smooth.) Peat and lemon peel,
hints of smoked fish, malt, faint
notes of ginger beer… Again,
some nice fruits in background (more
ripe gooseberries here.) Grows bigger,
with a better body over time, which
is rather unusual. Really picks up
steam. Finish: rather long, on rawer
peat and oatcakes. Comments: very
good, easily defeats the Toiteach.
Should also be excellent in a chilled
glass. SGP:327 - 85 points.
Colour: gold. Nose: much more sherry
here, which mingles with the peaty
freshness quite well. Putty, caramel,
marzipan, coal and hints of soft paprika,
then quite some mint just like in
the Jean Boyer. Hints of eucalyptus.
Very, very pleasant I must say. Wet
wool. With water: it’s the peat
that stands out now, the sherry being
totally dominated. It got much earthier,
almost rooty, leafy… Gentian
roots, chives, huge smokiness (both
coal and peat), sheep, wet dog, diesel
oil… A very wild little beast
on the nose. Mouth (neat): hugely
powerful, really invading! Ouch! We’re
no sissies but, well, let’s
add a little water right away (burns
your throat a bit.) With water: sweeter
and a tad rounder than on the nose,
very compact, with a perfect dried
fruits/peat combo. Peated caramel
fudge??? Peated pear spirit? By the
way, shouldn’t we be able to
peat ‘anything’, not just
cereals? Great young peat monster
anyway. Finish: long, compact, balanced,
all on peat, pepper and dried pears.
Comments: wham-bam but perfectly balanced.
A miracle? SGP:447 –
88 points.
Colour: gold. Nose: first we get whiffs
of linseed oil and wax, then even
hints of olive oil, and then it progressively
shifts towards rounder and fruitier
aromas, such as quinces (very obvious),
figs, dried apricots and even lychees
(with also hints of old roses). All
that is coated with hints of wood
smoke and something slightly mineral
(wet limestone). Also a little mint
and verbena. Rather magnificent, with
a balance and a complexity that are
close to perfection. And how elegant!
Mouth: starts marvellously soft (honey)
but gets then really nervous and vibrant,
with a very wide assortment of fruits.
Oranges, apricots, dried bananas,
dried guavas… gets more honeyed
and a little waxy after that (mid-almondy,
mid-waxy in fact). Also excellent
notes of lemon zest that give it a
superb bitterness that really balances
the huge fruitiness. A work of art
if you ask me. Finish: rather long,
with the spices entering the equation
now (ginger, nutmeg). Comments: very
great, less ‘luscious’
than other old Longmorns, and maybe
a tad (even) more assertive. Now,
it’s true that old Longmorns
seldom miss their targets… SGP:643
– 92 points.
Colour: deep amber. Nose: a bit rough
and brutal at first nosing, with loads
of strawberry jam, litres of kirsch
and a little rubber. Gets then a tad
rounder and softer, with pleasant
honeyed and almondy notes (marzipan,
putty.) slight dustiness. Whiffs of
newspaper ink. With water: the rubbery
notes do come out even more, but also
very pleasant vegetal (chlorophyll,
parsley – a lot) and smoky touches.
The rubber gets much shier after a
while, which is great. Give this one
time! Mouth (neat): really nervous
and very much influenced by both the
sherry and the oak itself. Huge spiciness
(a lot of black pepper), orange marmalade,
dried figs, strong honey (chestnut
and the likes), liquorice and again
something slightly rubbery. With water:
very good now, even if still a bit
rough around the edges. Orange zests,
strawberry jam and still something
a little rubbery. Finish: long, but
on the same notes. Comments: a HP
we like but there are ones that we
like much better. Maybe it’s
the rubber. Now, the nose is quite
beautiful after addition of a few
drops of water. SGP:463 –
84 points.
From a bourbon hogshead. Funny that
this one was bottled in the ‘World
Whiskies’ series. Colour: white
wine. Nose: I’m sorry, but this
is undiluted vodka. With water: regular
vodka with a little wood and a little
grass. Very simple. Mouth (neat):
alcohol, plain apple spirit (not cider
spirit, that is to say Calvados and
the likes, eh). Not unpleasant but
really simple. With water: ditto,
with even more raw alcohol. Finish:
medium long. Comments: the world deserves
better whisky. SGP:210 –
65 points.
This is genuine malt for sure, only
distilled in column stills like grain
whisky. Colour: gold. Nose: well,
I’m not impressed, this one
seems to be much closer to grain than
to malt actually, which stresses the
stills’ importance over the
raw material. Plum spirit, vanilla
and maybe something unusually perfumy
(rosewater). Orange blossom. With
water: it’s the wood that came
out. A little methanol, wood alcohol.
Mouth (neat): very spirity (pear spirit)
and very sweet. Bourbon. With water:
a little better, resembling a medium-range
grain whisky and maybe also some Irishes.
Vanilla, dried bananas, coconut liqueur
and oak (nutmeg). Finish: medium long,
very linear. Comments: rather pleasant
on the palate when diluted but otherwise
slightly disappointing I think. Now,
it’s only an experiment I think,
so let’s not complain, especially
since many other malt aficionados
seem to adore it. SGP:620
– 77 points.
Colour: gold. Nose: ouch! Very butyric
and very cardboardy, truly plactic-like
this time, despite the rather pleasant
notes of seawater and fresh almonds
in the background. Highly unusual
in fact, but let’s not take
chances with our nostrils at 64+%
and add water straight away. With
water: completely changes directions,
getting much more on candy sugar,
rum, cigar box and even patchouli.
Too bad there’s an added soapiness
in the background. Very, very ‘different’.
Mouth (neat – yeah, I made out
my will): well, I must say it’s
sort of ingestible! Sweet, waxy and
lemony like many Clynelishes, with
hints of salt. Now, the alcohol does
mask the rest indeed. With water:
it works but the result is a bit curious,
what appears to be sherry indeed not
mingling too well with the spirit.
Something like heavily peppered wine-poached
pears or something like that. It got
also very, very mustardy now. Finish:
long, a bit cleaner and better focused
now, with huge citrusy notes at the
“end”. Comments: well,
this one isn’t easy! ‘A
variant of a variant’ –
interesting but not essential. SGP:352
– 80 points.
Made in New York with corn, rye, wheat
and malted barley. Colour: gold. Nose:
oh well, we’re lost here –
already! Notes of lemon-sprinkled
porridge, paraffin, warm sawdust,
cut grass, hay, orange juice and caramel…
What’s sure is that it’s
far from being unpleasant! Mouth:
sweet and maybe a tad dusty at the
same time at the attack but it gets
rather pleasant after a few seconds.
Juniper, cinchona, bay leaves and
cloves – too bad the wood isn’t
integrated too well (notes of flour,
tapioca, cinnamon.) Other than that
it’s rather interesting spirit,
kind of an American Campari? Finish:
medium long, even more on gin, ginger
and cinchona. Comments: this isn’t
too close to my usual tastes but I
must say I liked ‘the spirit
of it.’ SGP:350 –
75 points (conservatory).
