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Hi, you're in the Archives, March 2007 - Part 1 |
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March
14,
2007 |
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Alambic’s
Special Islay (Laphroaig) 13 yo 1993/2006
(57.3%, Alambic Classique, 358 bottles)
Alambic Classique is a famous German
importer. Colour: gold. Nose: starts
on peat smoke and iodine (what else!?)
as well as soaked barley, wet hay,
oysters plate, kelp, flints and a
little humus. Nothing else but nothing
more, a flawless and classic relatively
young Laphroaig, probably slightly
above standards. The other day, a
friend told me that “once you’ve
tasted one of these young Laphroaigs
(or Coal Ilas), you’ve tasted
them all.” Not ‘quite’,
I think. |
Mouth:
a fairly simple but perfect attack
on peat, apple skin and lemon zests.
Quite some marzipan and smoked tea,
a little salt, nori (that Japanese
seaweed they use to make makis), grains…
Again, simple but flawless. Finish:
ditto (and very long, at that). Another
excellent young Laphroaig –
quite special indeed. Maybe after
20 years in its bottle it'll resemble
the one that's below... 86
points. |
Laphroaig
1970/1986 (54%, Duthie's for Samaroli,
75cl, 720 bottles)
A legendary bottling. Colour: full
gold. Nose: excuse me, but ‘wow!’.
Totally grand at first nosing, with
a stunning mix of fresh oranges and
olive oil plus a touch of honeydew
and a first part of development on
all citrus fruits on earth (tangerines
first). Then it’s the smoke
(peat, but also beech wood), then
a fantastic minerality (flints, wet
limestone), then it’s back to
the fruits, more like mangos and papayas
this time, then the smoke again…
And finally all these coastal and
medicinal elements such as seaweed,
iodine, camphor and all that jazz.
And lots of fresh almond milk. An
absolute stunner indeed and, I believe,
an excellent example of perfect bottle
ageing (everything is fantastically
mingled and I doubt it was like that
when it was bottled). Mouth: how fabulous,
this blend of citrus, wax and peat!
It’s smooth and delicate yet
full bodied, extremely satisfying
on the palate, with again tons of
fruits (mangos right away now, lemon,
quince, citrons…), fruity olive
oil again, my beloved argan oil, mastic
flavoured sweets, earl grey tea…
Okay, beware maltoporn, let’s
stop this right now but what’s
sure is that this is another absolute
masterpiece by Signore Silvano Samaroli.
95 points (and
thanks, Olivier) |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: in 2004 Mick
Jagger and Dave
Stewart (hardly artists
deserving wider recognition, I know)
have produced and sung part of the
soundtrack to the remake of the 60's
hit flick Alfie, with Jude Law. Here's
Jack
the lad.mp3. Please... |
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March
13, 2007 |
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CONCERT
REVIEW
by
Nick Morgan
SEAN
ONO LENNON
Bush Hall, London
4th March 2007
I
can’t imagine it’s easy
living permanently in the shadow
of your father. Nor can it be much
fun being regularly upstaged by
your mother. But if you’re
the son of the most famous Beatle
and the woman that Britain (still)
most loves to hate (or is that the
estranged wife of Sir Macca, Heather
Mills McCartney?) then there’s
simply no point running for cover
– there isn’t any. |
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Sean
Ono Lennon has just released
his second album Friendly Fire (prompted
by the break-up of his four-year relationship
with Bijou Phillips – daughter,
if you didn’t know, of the Mamas
and Papas’ John Phillips), a
pleasant enough piece of work, ‘though
by no means as remarkable as some
of the music press reviews would suggest.
However its reception was mainly muted,
and the fact that he’s in the
middle of a punishing tour of the
world – deliberately choosing
small lesser-known clubs and halls
rather than headlining venues has
largely passed the press by. His mother
however has just been lionised for
her new album Yes I’m a Witch
– a highly acclaimed (“a
compelling argument for righting a
historical wrong” said the Guardian,
reflecting on some of the more harsh
judgements of her musical talent)
collection of remixes and cover versions
of her earlier works. A second album,
Open Your Box, a collection of dance
remixes, is due out next month and
no doubt will take up a similarly
large amount of press space. But Sean
seems a nice enough sort of guy and
he doesn’t appear to let any
of it get on top of him. |
In
fact if anything he’s just too
nice. Long haired, bearded, thick
set (actually he’s rather plump)
with heavy round spectacles, he’s
nicely turned out in jacket and tie
(as are the rest of his band). It’s
all a bit foppish, and he looks something
like a seventies throwback. He “loves
us all”, tells us ‘we’re
all beautiful’ and is “very
thrilled to be in London” –
“yeah, my dad was English …
and he was a musician too” -it’s
in danger of being a bit too dippy-hippy.
All of this in a rather fey and possibly
irritating Californianese infused
accent (which is strange when he sings
with a slightly nasal tone as if he
sort of comes from somewhere in the
North of England). But he’s
fighting back against niceness –
“Hey, like some magazine said
I was like in a poll of the most disappointing
rock and roll children – well
I say …” (pause for dramatic
effect) “… suck my dick!”.
He stares at the crowd defiantly a
bit like a five year old who’s
said ‘poo’ in front of
his granny. And of course what he
doesn’t tell us that he came
tenth in a
poll that was topped by his sometimes
estranged half-brother Julian. Later
we get an unnecessarily expletive
infused account of his attempts to
book the Bush Hall “Like I said
I’m it’s fucking Sean
man and they said, well you can’t
fucking play here, and I said well
fucking fuck you …” But
the best rock and roll moment of the
night was when he walked onto the
cramped stage for the encore holding
a lit cigarette. “It’s
no smoking Sean” called out
one of the devotees at the front.
Within seconds it’s guiltily
stubbed out on the floor. Rock on! |

Yuka and Sean (any resemblence
is purely coincidential...) |
The
evening begins with the complex and
intense Italian band Joujoux
D’antan; “I just love
these guys and their music”
said Lennon as he joined them with
keyboard player Yuka Honda at the
end of their set. The pretty Bush
Hall is Sunday evening half-empty
and I keep on expecting it to fill
up, but it never really does even
though the gig is posted as ‘sold
out’. Maybe it’s fire
regulations, but there’s no
crowd of disappointed ticket seekers
and touts outside. Yuka Honda, by
the way, was a fellow member with
Lennon of Cibo Matto, and (along with
Beach Boy bonkers Brian Wilson) the
inspiration for his first album Into
the Sun, which she also produced.
She was his ‘long-time live-in
girlfriend’, is (as her name
would suggest) Japanese, and though
of indeterminate age is probably almost
old enough to be his mother. |
No
comment. She holds together a very
tight band (sadly mostly anonymous)
– but they’re all clearly
there to support Lennon – they’re
all watching his every move, accommodating
his whims and fancies. |
The
songs are all from Friendly Fire with
the exception of a new composition
‘Smoke and mirrors’. I
could be wrong but it seemed that
even the most devoted fan winced at
the start of this such was its similarity
to ‘Because’ (or was it
‘I want you’?) from the
Beatles Abbey Road. Anyway, we also
had ‘Mystery juice’ from
his 1998 solo debut Into the Sun (“the
first decent song I wrote”)
as the second encore. I’m afraid
that it goes without saying that most
of the songs have a late-sixties Beatles
feel about them – not that there’s
anything wrong with that – some
bands have made a living out of it.
It’s not helped that Lennon
is most like his father when he addresses
the microphone to sing – the
resemblance at that point is uncanny.
As I said – all nice enough
tunes, but all pretty one paced, even
if they are rocked up for the evening.
Lennon plays acoustic guitar to start
and then takes up a Stratocaster for
‘Falling out of love’.
The sound was already being pumped
up during the previous (and nice)
‘Friendly fire’, but it
got far too loud towards the end.
‘Would I be the one’,
a Marc Bolan song, which finishes
the main set is long and noisy with
an over-long, unpersuasive and totally
self-indulgent guitar solo from Lennon
to finish. Even his guitarist look
rather pained. |
There
was an odd mixture in the crowd. Some
loquacious Scotsmen who were veterans
of his Glasgow gig in November were
lovingly loud and amusing (“No
Sean, I’ll suck your dick”)
– earnest young Japanese took
digital photographs and videos, a
few adoring girls stood at the front
adoring. But, like the guitar solo,
like the rock-and roll posing, and
like the album and its hugely expensive
DVD bonus disc (full of frankly juvenile
and over-produced video accompaniments
to each of the songs) the evening
was at best unpersuasive. But all
I can suggest is that you buy his
album and make your own mind up. -
Nick Morgan (concert photographs by
Kate) |
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Thank you, Nick. Sean Lennon just
went on the offensive in France as
well, and it seems that quite a few
18 years old girls have been conquered,
including at home – and there’s
no ‘progenism’ involved
as most barely know who was John Lennon
(a shame). Music: Dead
meat.mp3 (it's on 'friendly fire'). |
TASTING
- TWO SPRINGBANKS |
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Springbank
14 yo 1979/1993 (46%, OB, France)
Colour: gold-amber. Nose: rather hot
at first nosing, with an obvious sherry
but also quite some caramel and hints
of iron, mint and parsley. A little
soy sauce. Rather rougher than expected,
wilder… Gets rather vinous after
five or six minutes, with notes of
strawberry jam and liqueur, blackcurrant
jelly, also ham and leather, shoe
polish. Kind of a slight ‘dirtiness’.
|
Gets
even more minty and herbal after fifteen
minutes. This one really improved
after three or four months of breathing
in the opened bottle. Also something
animal (game). Mouth: a bold attack,
jammy, caramelly, orangey… Develops
on Bailey’s and fruit liqueurs
(it’s quite sweet), ripe pineapples,
dried bananas, coconut liqueur (you
know which brand)… Gets almost
thick, not exactly cloying but…,
let’s say invading. Quite some
bitter chocolate, getting a bit drying.
Still quite rough. Finish: rather
long, now frankly on liqueur-filled
chocolate and hot praline. A strong
Springbank with lots of sherry, for
amateurs of the genre – probably
hard to find, that is. 89
points. |
Springbank
28 yo 1969/1998 (52.3%, Signatory,
cask #2382, 490 bottles, sherry)
Colour: gold-amber. Nose: a little
more discreet for a start but otherwise
it’s pretty much the same kind
of Springbank (although they aren’t
alike as two peas). Lots of sherry,
wax polish, fruit jam, blackcurrant,
funny hints of cooked peas or mashed
chestnuts. Even wilder than the 14 yo
in fact, but that may come from the
higher strength. Gets quite peaty
after a while, smoky and farmy (whiffs
of horse stable). Another rather rough
and beastly Springbank. Hints of coal
and whiffs of camphor, massage oil
developing after fifteen minutes.
Slightly more complex than the 1979.
Mouth: really thick, bold and rich
at the attack, mostly on orange marmalade
and Grand-Marnier, with something
smoky. The sherry itself takes a larger
control after that, with more raisins,
cooked strawberries and chocolate.
Also quite some salt and parsley,
even cardamom. Truly concentrated,
almost fat, but just like the 1979,
it’s no salon whisky. Long,
excellent finish, sweet and still
very rich, with a little fructose
that plays with the back of your mouth.
Maybe not pure magic but a very, very
good (excellent, actually) old sherried
Springbank. 91 points
(and thanks, Pierre.) |
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March
12, 2007 |
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TASTING
- THREE INDIE BOWMORES FROM THE 1980s |
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Bowmore
24 yo 1980/2005 (51.4%, Signatory for
Vinothek St. Stephan Vienna, cask
#8056, 208 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: an extremely nice
sharpness at first nosing, typically
Bowmore, with a rather beautiful smoke,
lots of iodine and discreet hints
of violets. Develops on ‘the
distillery’, with a little mash,
peated malt, lapsang souchong tea,
oysters, other kinds of seashells
(sorry I’m no expert), ashes…
Also hints of fresh apple juice and
quite some freshly squeezed lemons…
Perfect ‘rather recent’
Bowmore, as pure as one can get. Little
wood influence. Mouth: excellently
peaty and maritime, much closer to
Islay’s south shore malts. Crystal-clean
peat, pepper, salt and lemon. That’s
all but that’s a lot, considering
the perfect balance. Long, very peaty
finish. Not complex but just perfect.
90 points. |
Bowmore
19 yo 1987/2007 (52.1%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #18052, 263 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: a little rounder,
more buttery and fruity, much less
nicely sharp as the 1980. More on
apple juice, pepper, geranium, grenadine,
maybe raspberry jam… Gets fruitier
and fruitier, less peaty, smoky and
maritime than the 1980 and certainly
smoother and rounder. No ‘wrong’
notes, that is, just a very different
profile, more on flowers and fruits.
The distillation regime is clearly
different, you can really feel that
they diminished the smokiness and
peatiness in favour of these ‘sweetish’
notes. Mouth: yes, this is clearly
something different. Again we have
these heavy notes of raspberry jam,
grenadine, rose-flavoured Turkish
delight, violet sweets… There’s
quite some peat and pepper of course
but the ‘fruits and flowers’
are almost violent. The whole is as
exuberant as a gewürztraminer.
Despite the ‘different’
profile balance is achieved and especially
the finish has a nice mix of peat
and fruits. I don’t like this
profile too much but this far from
being flawed, quite the contrary.
I’m sure many Bowmore freaks
will love this prototypical Bowmore
from the 1980’s. One to put
into your reference library. 83
points. |
Bowmore
1982/2006 (54.7%, Taste Still Selection,
cask #85027, 207 bottles)
Back to the early 1980’s…
Colour: straw. Nose: quite sharper
again at first nosing but more vegetal
than peaty or fruity. Notes of newly
mown lawn, developing on green apple,
gooseberry, lemon zest or even lime.
Markedly acidic and woody (green wood).
A few drops of water give it notes
of orange soda and soluble aspirin,
with also hints of grenadine. Mouth
(neat): an even more lemony attack,
a little acrid, with a slightly chemical
note that’s quite typical of
some Bowmores from that time. Grape
pips, bitter almonds, grapefruit,
violet flavoured sweets… With
water: gets a little rounder but it’s
still very lemony. The tannins are
also more present (long infused green
tea). Finish: quite long, still very
lemony and a little acrid (and green).
A version of Bowmore that’s
lightly peated but rather sharp and
quite acid like some white wines (some
muscadets). Very dry in any case,
for lovers of the genre. 78
points. |
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March
11, 2007 |
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TASTING
- TWO GLENDULLANS
Glendullan
34 yo 1966/2003 (46.8%, Douglas Laing
Platinum, 217 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: very expressive,
starting on full banana-mode with
a superb oakiness and lots of vanilla,
angelica and a slight smokiness.
Like often with the best very old
Speysiders we get also whiffs of
forest, mushrooms, pine needles…
Gets even oakier with time but never
'plankish'. |
Mouth:
rich, 'wide' and oily, with even more
oak but still a great one and lots
of fresh mint and various herbs (parsley,
thyme, rosemary, dill, chives…)
Green bananas. Long finish, lemony,
minty and peppery (the oak's white
pepper). Just excellent - good news
that many aficionados focused on the
Ardbeg and Brora from these first
Platinum series, this great Glendullan
is still available (I think). 91
points. |
Glendullan-Glenlivet
25 yo 1965/1991 (51.1%, Cadenhead’s
Authenctic Collection)
Not that it will change anything to
the state of the world, but this one
shouldn’t be mistaken for the
‘1990’ version, black
label, bottled at same strength. Colour:
pale gold. Nose: sprirty and grassy
but in a very nice way, with also
lots of paraffin, ‘new’
cardboard and something meaty (cured
ham). Something raw but also something
‘authentic’, whatever
that means. Much less fruity than
the Platinum. More and more oak (freshly
sawn plank) but that’s more
than okay (aren’t you fed up
with my cheap alliterations?). Hints
of fresh butter and vanilla crème
and something slightly metallic, even
lamp petrol. A little old bottle effect
sarting to appear. Mouth: bold, invading,
rather sharp. Much more fruits but
again these tannins that gently bite
your tongue. Other than that it’s
very but still nicely grassy (reminds
me of cactus juice), getting then
quite liquoricy and peppery. Lots
of oomph. Hints of mint. Finish: rather
long, tannic and grassy again…
A Glendullan that’s not ‘d*ll’
in any way. Excellently… err,
authentic. 87 points. |
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March
10, 2007 |
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TASTING
– TWO NORTH BRISTISH (grain)
North
British 28 yo 1978/2006 (51.6%, Duncan
Taylor, cask #239966, 119 bottles)
North British Distillery have a
modest yet nice little website there
. Colour: white wine. Nose: spirity
and sort of malty for a grain whisky.
Typical notes of varnish at first
nosing, a little cologne, developing
on quite some coconut and notes
of muesli. Also a little nougat
as well as green tea. As often,
grain whiskies with little wood
influence are aromatically a bit
shy and this one is no exception.
|
Mouth:
extremely sweet, much richer than
on the nose. Hyper-bubblegummy, with
also strawberry sweets, marshmallows,
canned lychees… Also more woodiness
and quite some soft spices (ginger
and a little cinnamon). It’s
good grain whisky but it’s quite
simple. Not comparable to those superb
older grains by Duncan Taylor (like
the Invergordons). Finish: not exceptionally
long but sweet and balanced, even
slightly nutty. Pretty drinkable!
80 points. |
North
British 21 yo 1979/2000 (57.8%, Cadenhead’s,
228 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: very, very
similar, just more spirity and with
a little more wood influence (more
vanilla and even more coconut). Kind
of an ueber-Malibu? Mouth: punchier
and woodier than the 1978, with more
oomph and more complexity. The huge
coconut notes dominate the whole for
a while, then we have tea tannins,
very ripe butter pears, vanilla crème…
Gets a little drying… Finish:
longer than the 1978’s but a
little less clean and smooth and slightly
rough. And you really have to like
coconuts! 78 points. |
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March
9, 2007 |
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TASTING
- TWO 1965 GLEN GRANTS
Glen
Grant 33 yo 1965/1998 ‘As we
get it’ (56.9%, Private Bottling,
Big Market Berlin, dark oloroso)
After the fab 1964 we had yesterday,
time for some 1965’s. This
one’s very rare and was bottled
for the 33 years of Berlin’s
shop Big Market. |
Colour:
mahogany. Nose: big bold sherry
as expected but a rather dry one,
starting mainly on bitter chocolate
and developing on rather heavy winey
notes (blackcurrants and peonies)?
Gets more and more ‘cooked’
(strawberries) as well as a little
sourish. Also lots of rum-soaked
sultanas, toasted bread and orange
liqueur, finishing on eucalyptus,
mint and dried mushrooms (like boletus).
Very, very classical. Mouth: ouch!
Houston we have a problem…
Now it’s hyper-mega woody,
extremely dry and drying, pungent,
biting… More tannins than
anything else but maybe water will
make it bearable, let’s try…
(while the nose reveals lots of
sulphur)… Oh, it got almost
killed! Less tannic (but they got
just diluted) but weirdly orangey
(Fanta?) and cordboardy… Not
a swimmer, for sure. The finish
is marginally better, with quite
some ginger but also flour –
and the drying tannins are back.
Below par, this old Glen Grant,
but the nose was more orthodox.
74 points. |
Glen
Grant 40 yo 1965/2006 (56.8%, Signatory,
cask #5543, 283 bottles)
Will this one match the fantastic
new 42 yo 1964? Colour: very deep amber
with red hues. Nose: this is a little
sharper and wilder, less polished
and more exuberant. The vinosity is
more complex, with blackcurrants and
peonies again but also blackberry
jelly, apple compote and cherry jam.
Then it’s the usual Seville
oranges, raisins, old rum, a little
shoe polish, toasts… It’s
also smokier than the 33 years old,
maybe even a little flinty. We have
less mint and eucalyptus, that is,
but it keeps developing for a long
time, more on both milk and bitter
chocolate, praline, and faint hints
of balsamic vinegar. Slightly sulphury
as well. At the end it’s rather
dryer than the 33yo, whereas it started
‘sweeter’. Mouth: much
sweeter and rounder than the 33 yo
(that wasn’t hard to achieve)
but still a bit harsh at the attack.
You can almost chew it! Powerful,
tannic (even peppery), hugely concentrated…
But also beautifully fruity, with
lots of prunes, dates, blackcurrant
liqueur, bilberry pie (that makes
your teeth blue), nougat. Notes of
varnish (not that I sip varnish every
day), a little salt… Let’s
try to add water to this one too (while
it got very animal on the nose –
almost civet-cat!)… Right, it’s
smoother and more disciplined now
(nice ripe strawberries) but the tannins
are more present here… Anyway,
it’s an excellent old sherry
monster. Finish: sweet and spicy,
balanced, with lots of fruit jams
and a very mentholated signature.
In short, maybe not the 1964’s
magic but still a very good old Glen
Grant. But beware the sherry, it’s
really big. 90 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening (not, actually): Polysics
doing Married
to a Frenchman.mp3. They sound
like Cherry Vanilla at Max's Kansas
Cityt, vintage 1976... Of course I
chose this tune for its name, but
why not buy Polysics' music? (hum). |
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March
8, 2007 |
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TASTING
- TWO OLD GLEN GRANDS (I mean, Grants)
Glen
Grant 1959-1960/1986 (40%, Gordon
& MacPhail, Marriage of Andrew
and Fergie)
After the version for Charles and
Diana, that I didn’t quite
like (the Glenburgie was much better),
here’s the version for HRH
Prince Andrew and Miss Sarah Ferguson.
Yes, old Glen Grants do not bring
good luck to the Royal family, it
seems. |
Colour:
gold with bronze hues. Nose: oh,
but this is superb! A hugely fruity
start with lots of mangos, passion
fruits and tangerines and then quite
some freshly crushed mint leaves
and great notes of camphor. What’s
more, it’s almost as complex
as an old Glen Garioch, with quite
some smoke, coffee flavoured toffee,
hints of sea breeze, parsley, lovage
and chives… Also something
tarry, the whole getting more and
more phenolic. Mastic, kumquats,
wax, bicycle inner tube… And
more and more smoke – and
more and more parsley and even soy
sauce. What a great surprise! Amazing
complexity. Mouth: it’s not
exactly bold but this attack is
anything but weak, smooth, excellently
caramelised and on hot praline,
rum and all sorts of dried and crystallised
fruits (marzipan-filled dates, figs,
bananas, coconut…) We have
also brioche, sultanas, something
slightly muscaty, chocolate-coated
pears, candied apricot halves like
they make in Provence (right, right…),
and also lots of honey and fir honeydew.
Just superb and perfectly balanced.
Only one problem, though: it’s
really too drinkable, almost like
the best liqueur. Finish: not too
long but still beautifully candied,
with something delicately phenolic
and salty. A royal masterpiece (this
time!) 93 points. |
Glen
Grant 42 yo 1964/2006 (52.8%, Signatory,
cask #2632, 255 bottles)
Colour: dark amber - brownish. Nose:
now we’ve just entered an antique
shop! First we have big, bold notes
of cellulose varnish, beeswax, eucalyptus
and camphor plus the lady-dealer’s
perfume (Chanel, preferably)…
It’s really big whisky! Then
these extravagant notes calm down
and let some subtler ones go through,
such as Seville oranges, Smyrna raisins
and ripe bananas (just any), dried
figs, dates, caramel liqueur, praline,
apricot pie… And then we have
the fab sherry itself – more
like a very old Banyuls actually.
It keeps developing on “coffee-schnapps”,
bigaroon cherries, blackcurrant liqueur…
Something of a big bold old Chambertin
from a first class winemaker’s.
A rather fabulous old sherried Glen
Grant that will make us regret that
so many of its siblings have been
reduced to 40 or 43% in the past.
Oh, did I mention the notes of well-hung
game and balsamic vinegar? Mouth:
get this: it’s even better on
the palate than on the nose. Extremely
firm, compact, without one single
ounce of tannins - or ‘cardboardiness’
for that matter. Majestically candied,
mentholated, caramelized and spicy
(like a great fruitcake with cloves,
chinese anise and cinnamon). Also
all sorts of jams (all, really) and
armagnac-soaked prunes… Plus
what may well be peat, liquorice,
and tar liqueur (I swear, I had some
once! It was made in France until
fifty years ago). What’s incredible
is that it’s never too heavy,
not to mention cloying. Finish: very
long, very coherent, without one single
goose note. (end of maltoporn). An
extraordinary old Glen Grant. 94
points. (we’ll have
some 1965s soon) |
|
March
7, 2007 |
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TASTING
- TWO 1966 BUNNAHABHAINS |
Bunnahabhain
37 yo 1966/2004 (40.1%, MMcD Celtic
Heartlands, 276 bottles)
From an oloroso sherry butt and with
fantastic hyperbolical tasting notes
by Master Jim (“for sherry
matured single malt lovers this is
your Armageddon – total decadence
– you will never see its likes
again”). Excellent! Colour:
full amber. Nose: soft but expressive
at first nosing, starting right on
acacia honey, figs, oak and soft sherry
(loads of sultanas). Much fresher
than expected and less ‘simply
fruity’. Develops on the same
beautiful fruitiness (also dates and
dried bananas) mixed with liquid caramel,
praline and milk chocolate and hints
of wood smoke that grow bolder with
time. Notes of roast chestnuts and
rosehip tea, with a faint peatiness
in the background and just hints of
nutmeg and white pepper. Not really
bold but not tired either –
great balance and lots of pleasure.
Mouth: not too bold at the attack
but certainly not thin, without any
of the assaulting tannins that we
could find in some other very old
whiskies that were around 40% ABV.
Starts mainly on slightly burnt caramel,
bread crust and candy sugar, with
quite some sherry but not that much.
Goes on with a little brioche, rum,
very ripe bananas… The middle
is perhaps slightly weakish but nothing
to be ashamed of considering this
one’s pedigree. Never gets drying
but certainly spicier towards the
finish (quite some nutmeg), the latter
being richer again, quite long (the
rather silky tannins are now in front
of the stage) and even a little salty.
But no peat on the palate. In short,
another great old Bunnahabhain that’s
still got all of its teeth. 90
points (and thanks, Pierre). |
Bunnahabhain
40 yo 1966/2006 (40%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #4878, 193 bottles)
Duncan Taylor already
had some excellent 1966 Bunnahabhain
matured in white Port casks but I
believe this one isn’t. And
yes, it’s cask strength (barely)
whisky. Colour: straw (very pale for
a 40 yo malt). Nose: completely different!
Even fresher and much more on a waxy
and mineral line a la old Clynelish.
We have a lot of fresh butter and
quite some freshly cut grass, green
tea (reminds me of rolling clouds)
and then a whole basket of fresh fruits
like pineapples, mangos (not bold
mango notes like in other old stunners),
bananas (oak), white peaches and melon.
We have also the same kind of faint
peatiness as in the 37yo, with also
hints of metal (aluminium pan) and
then it’s back to the fruits,
more on tangerines, pink grapefruits
and gooseberries this time. It’s
amazing that it smells more like a
malt that aged in a bottle than in
a cask – I mean, for a part
of its life. What a superb freshness!
Mouth: bolder, more powerful than
the 37 yo and certainly rougher and
wilder, with more tannins upfront
as well as more spices (white pepper
and nutmeg as usual). We also have
the same kind of grassiness as on
the nose, with a lot of green tea
again, something like cooked celeriac,
apple skin, chervil, even bay leaves…
Sure there’s a lot of oak but
it’s truly a beautiful one.
Good news because it probably does
most of the job here (quite some green
bananas as well as fresh coconut).
Gets sweeter after a moment, though,
with a little vanilla crème,
something like sweet corn, liquorice…
Finish: long, still oaky and kind
of green as well as very spicy (lots
of white pepper i.e. tannins) but
I feel this is a rare example of an
old malt where strong oakiness brought
structure and kind of balance. And
pleasure! 92 points. |
 |
MUSIC
– JAZZ
- Recommended listening: l remember
a whisky friend saying that I'd never
post about Cecil
Taylor on WF. He was
wrong, here's I
love Paris.mp3 (of course). I
know, this is the easy Cecil Taylor,
but please buy his volcanic music. |
|
March
6, 2007 |
|
 |
PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
TASTING
- TWO GLEN KEITHS |
 |
Glen
Keith 1993/2005 (46%, Gordon &
MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: at first
nosing it's rather grainy and porridgy
but in a quite nice way, with lots
of freshness and 'naturality'. Interesting
notes of very fresh butter cream and
hints of gooseberries as well as butter
pears. Goes on with oaky tones (quite
some lactones), tapioca, porridge
and mashed potatoes... Also whiffs
of 'fresh' sawdust and powdered vanilla.
Not much personality actually but
a nice profile, even if it's maybe
a little too neutral. |
Mouth:
pretty much in line with the nose.
Sweet, oaky, vanilled and 'simply'
fruity (apples and pears). Muesli
and dried papayas, white pepper, earl
grey tea, white pepper, a little cardboard
and flour.... . Goes on with more
spices (hints of nutmeg, soft paprika,
cloves). Quite some salt(iness) as
well. . Finish: rather long, sweet
and oaky, getting slightly drying
and 'mat', with notes of liquorice
stick. A good malt, with a very clean
distillation and a nice oakiness.
Not thrilling but very drinkable.
80 points. |
Glen
Keith 1971/2006 (51.8%, Jack Wieber’s
Cross Hill, 371 bottles)
Colour: full amber. Nose: starts on
full 'old Sauternes' mode, with tons
of sultanas, very ripe strawberries,
dried flowers (pot-pourri), whiffs
of patchouli and oak. Very demonstrative
like most of these old sherried Glen
Keiths. Goes on with a little smoke,
burnt bread, 100% cocoa chocolate
and whiffs of torrefaction. The smokiness
gets bolder by the minute, with also
roasted nuts, old rum, crystallised
oranges, lemon fudge. Slight meatiness
(oxtail, chicken bouillon with fresh
parsley and chives. Lots happening,
another old Glen Keith that's close
to perfection (I think the guy who
was responsible for selecting these
great casks deserves no less than
the Victoria Cross - I hope he's still
alive!). Mouth: very special! The
attack is superbly spicy and fruity,
powerful, assertive, invading. Very
oriental, with lots of curry, pepper,
cardamom, caramel, crystallised oranges,
mangosteen, rosewater... Also Tabasco?
Chilli sauce? A lot of clove, juniper
berries, unlit Havana cigar (well
chewed), prunes, caraway... Impressive
and very entertaining despite the
oak that gets a little dominating
a moment. The finish is long, hugely
spicy and fruity like some Thai dishes
(kind of a spicy red sauce spring
to mind). Just excellent and truly
playful. 92 points.
|
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: simply Django
Reinhardt and his Daphné.mp3
(with the Hot Club de France and
compadre Stéphane Grappelli).
Probably still the best. |
 |
|
March
5, 2007 |
|
 |
TASTING
- FOUR 1975 ARDBEGS |
Ardbeg
1975/2006 (54.2%, OB, sherry butt,
cask #1375, 522 bottles)
I think this was a bottling for Christmas
2006. It’s still available on
Ardbeg’s website but you’ll
have to pay out £399 to get
a bottle… Well, maybe that’s
why it’s still available, the
sky is not the limit, it seems. Colour:
amber. Nose: really full and assertive,
very ‘old Ardbeg’, with
huge camphor and iodine notes but
also quite some caramel, vanilla fudge,
milk chocolate and smoked tea as well
as something like bilberry jam. Alas,
it gets then a little cardboardy,
almost dusty, together with notes
of green fruits (greengages, not too
ripe gooseberries or papayas). Really
looses stamina after a few minutes,
which is unusual with these 1972-1976
Ardbegs. What’s more, the sherry
is rather discrete, it brings just
a slight sourness to the bouquet –
but if you like to nose camphor, this
one’s for you (although camphor
may be less expensive). |
 |
Mouth:
again it’s quite unusual, starting
boldly on bubblegum and liquorice
allsorts mixed with chocolate, peat,
prunes and quite some fructose (or
lemon drops or icing sugar). Goes
on with cough syrup, over-infused
green tea, pepper, mustard, raspberry
jam… Gets even spicier with
time, with quite some nutmeg and cloves…
Finish: very long, this time on pineapple
jelly, pepper and chocolate, with
a huge sweetness. Well, this one is
a very good Ardbeg but it’s
very far from being in the same league
as most of its brothers from the same
year, including the delicious fino
for Feis Ile 2006. I think it’s
a little too thick and Falstaffian
for a 1975 Ardbeg. 87 points,
still. (and thanks, Pat) |
 |
Ardbeg
18 yo 1975 (43%, Signatory, decanter,
casks #2464-67)
Colour: straw. Nose: quite discreet
at first nosing, with faint hints
of slightly rancid butter and old
nuts, but it gets quickly quite
nicer. Rather soft and lemony, maritime
but discreetly so. Something bizarrely
metallic in the background…
But the rest is excellent, with
the usual coastal notes (shells
and seaweed), notes of lemon balm
and spearmint, oysters, whiffs of
diesel oil, cider… It’s
lightly peaty, that is – maybe
it’s the decanter that provokes
a quicker fading? |
Mouth:
the attack is rather weird I must
say, with a strange mixture of salt,
cardboard, tea, turpentine, pepper
and smokiness, with quite some rotting
oranges as well. Something lavenderish
and soapy like in some versions of
a certain other distillery. Not bad
but lacking ‘cleanliness’
and complexity. The finish is ok,
that is, once everything mingles into
something quite nicely peaty and peppery…
77 points. |
Ardbeg
1975/1990 (57%, Duthie for Samaroli,
Flowers, 480 bottles)
Already had this one but it didn’t
convince me, so this is second try.
Colour: straw. Nose: extremely mashy
and farmy, porridgy, almost cheesy…
Very organic, to say the least. Goes
on of peppered yoghurt (wazzat?),
all kinds of herbs, then bunches of
various spices such as black pepper
and green curry, and of course wet
dog. One of the wildest and most organic
Ardbegs I could taste. Mouth: sweeter
but very peppery, yeasty, hugely spicy
and kind of ‘natural’.
Lots of porridge again, soaked grains,
oatcake, smoked trout, rollmops, green
pepper… The peat is rather huge
and very, very farmy just like on
the nose. Not maritime at all. |
 |
The
finish is very long, just as peaty,
peppery and porridgy, the whole being
maybe a little ‘youngish’.
I’m on the side of the people
who think that Ardbeg needs time to
get truly great (and God knows it
does when it’s fully mature!)
87 points, still,
much higher than when I first had
it (never published those notes). |
 |
Ardbeg
13 yo 1975/1988 (54.2%, Gordon &
MacPhail for Intertrade, sherry wood)
Colour: amber. Nose:
starts on a super sherry and a peatiness
that’s les farmy and more maritime
now. A rather fabulous sharpness,
with notes of wet stones, flints,
furs (not game nor meat), black pepper,
cloves… Exceptionally sharp
in fact, powerful, ‘direct’,
very dry and pure. Austere but very
classy despite its young age (yeah,
I know). Exactly my cup of malt. Goes
on with the sherry, black toffee,
dry oloroso… Superbly dry and
elegant. Mouth: first it’s a
little sweeter and candied but then
the great sharpness and peat are back.
Goes on with a little maple syrup,
pepper, balsamic vinegar, orange marmalade,
tar… really thick, almost fat
yet sharp and elegant. A fabulous
mix of a great sherry and a typical
south shore Islayer, classic top-shelf
stuff. Finish: long, invading, mainly
on peppered chocolate. Wow, I’d
have loved to try this one with ten
more years of ageing! Anyway, no less
than 92 points here. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: ready for some early psychedelia?
Let's have The
Soft Machine then, with
Why
are we sleeping.mp3 (typical preoccupation
at the time) recorded in 1968, Kevin
Ayers being the singer. Please buy
Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and Mike
Ratledge's music... (and Daevid Allen's
while you are at it). |
 |
|
March
4, 2007 |
|
 |
TASTING
- TWO CONVALMORES BY DUN BHEAGAN |
 |
Convalmore
15 yo 1983/1998 (43%, Dun Bheagan Collection)
Colour: gold. Nose: lots of presence!
A bit grainy and cereally at first
but then it gets quite minty, with
notes of mint-flavoured tea, smoked
tea and also used good quality oak
barrel. Nice maturity. Also quite
some liquorice, gentian roots, hints
of peat, parsley, chicken soup…
Lots happening. Maybe a tad soapy
as well but the cask was very good,
obviously, probably refill sherry.
|
Mouth:
maybe a tad too soft at the attack
but the development is most enjoyable.
Lots of caramel and roasted nuts s
well as metallic hints, very old style.
Nice peatiness and quite some salt,
probably from the cask. Goes on with
nougat, liquorice, getting then a
little minty. Nice sherry and a slight
OBE (faint mustiness and that metallic
taste). The finish is quite long despite
the law ABV, with lots of caramel,
cooked butter and liquorice. A pretty
excellent old Highlands style malt
supported by a great sherry cask,
even if probably only refill. I even
had it at 91 points for a while but
further tasting brought it down to
89 points. (thanks
to the Whisky-distilleries forum) |
Convalmore
28 yo 1975/2004 (44.9%, Dun Bheagan,
cask #3756, 252 bottles)
Colour: straw (much paler than the
15yo). Nose: much sharper and more
austere than its younger brother and
very grassy. Hints of paraffin. Also
a nice sourness from the cask, hints
of yoghurt, green tea, crushed leaves
and walnut skin… Not very sexy
but not flawed either, and rather
elegant. Mouth: that ‘old style’
is here again, with more waxiness
this time, smoked tea, hints of peat,
mint-flavoured nougat like they sometimes
make in Montélimar, France.
Goes on with quite some salt, candied
oranges, pepper, then some rather
bold notes of apples, tea, a little
cinnamon. Very very good again and
much more demonstrative than on the
nose. Finish: long, salty, peppery,
candied and lemony, with a balance
that’s still quite perfect.
Another very good Convalmore by Dun
Bheagan / Ian McLeod, too bad the
nose was a tad too calm. Funny that
we had quite some excellent Convalmores
recently (the 28 yo OB is great) -
a late comeback? 87 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: it's Sunday, we go classical
with Russia's totally amazing Anna
Netrebko singing an excerpt
of Prokoviev's War
and Peace.mp3 (third tableau)
at the Met in 2002. She's absolutely
stunning, you should for instance
buy the DVD of the controversial (but
utterly brilliant) 'Salzburg Traviata'
(Carlo Rizzi, Deutsche Gramophon),
it just blew me away. |
 |
|
March
3, 2007 |
|
 |
TASTING
- TWO ISLAY MISTS |
 |
Islay
Mist 8 yo (43%, OB for Bonfanti, blend,
early 1970’s)
Islay Mist used to be a blend by the
owners of Laphroaig and the versions
of the latter for Bonfanti are legendary,
so we have high expectations. Colour:
gold. Nose: we’re on Islay right
away, with Laphroaig well at the centre.
Seaweed, iodine, fisherman’s
net, apple juice… Hints of bitter
beer. There’s the grain as well
but it’s just here to complement
the whole. Nice notes of violets and
lilac, butter caramel, chamomile…
Obvious OBE (hints of iron). Gets
even smokier with time, with also
hints of ham. |
Mouth:
it’s extremely punchy for a
whisky at 43%, strong, peaty and caramelly,
with quite some apricot syrup but
also pepper, cloves, a little toffee…
Creamy mouth feel. It seems that there
were quite some sherry casks in the
vatting. More and more quince jam
and caramel with pepper… Incredibly
thick. Finish: very long, peaty and
jammy, extremely satisfying, with
a, even peatier aftertaste. A blend
that used to be much punchier than
many malts we know. 87 points
on my ‘maltoscale’. |
Islay
Mist 17 yo (43%, OB, Mac Duff International,
1990’s)
Mac Duff (nothing to do with the distillery)
have bought Islay Mist in the 1990’s
and although it does still contain
Laphroaig, it is believed that there’s
more of other malts nowadays. Colour:
gold. Nose: indeed, this is much less
peaty and smoky than the old 8yo,
rounder and smoother, but it’s
not less nice, with Laphroaig still
very present in the background –
and coming to the front after a while.
Nice mint and camphor and again these
notes of violets. Not the 8yo’s
zing but it’s, err… ‘nice’.
Mouth: too bad, now we have some cardboardy
and badly waxy notes as well as something
a little soapy (lavender?) It is to
be wondered if there isn’t certain
batches from a certain Islay distillery
in there… The peat is bolder
than on the nose, that is, and there’s
also lots of pepper but the whole
lacks balance. Finish: long, sweet,
less cardboardy and soapy now but
strangely bitter and rubbery. Also
a little coconut. Bitter caramel?
Really too bad, I quite liked the
nose. 68 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: do you remember the years
when it was impossible to escape from
this song? This time it's 'the' Dwight
Yoakam, ex Mr. Sharon
Stone who's doing I
want you to want me.mp3 (and no
it's not one of the cheapest tricks
- but yes the end is strange). Please
buy his music... |
 |
|
March
2, 2007 |
|
 |
 |
TASTING
- TWO SINGLE GRAINS FROM LOCHSIDE
Lochside
42 yo 1963 (44.1%, DL Clan Denny,
grain, cask ref HH2239, 2006)
Hunter
Hamilton (Douglas Laing) has bottled
several casks of this Lochside single
grain, one of them (at 45.2%) doing
wonders at the MM Awards 2006. This
is another cask. Lochside had both
pot stills and a continuous one
for grain until 1970. |
Colour:
‘vibrant’ gold. Nose:
rather expressive, maybe a little
less fruity than the ‘Awards’
version and more on praline, toasted
oak and caramel-coated roasted hazelnuts.
It’s also curiously a little
meaty (ham) but other than that it’s
not too far from a bourbon. Hints
of violets and faint whiffs of smoke,
probably from the wood. Then it does
get fruiter, mostly on bananas and
coconut. Not too exuberant but the
balance is pretty perfect despite
the heavy woodiness. Mouth: very sweet,
full bodied and certainly not overly
woody. Sure there’s lots of
nice oak but also honey, pollen, ripe
bananas, again these caramel-coated
hazelnuts, crystallised oranges, guavas…
Really playful. Quite some tannins
arise after a moment but they never
make the whole drying. Okay, quite
some cinnamon and white pepper…
Slightly rougher than expected after
the middle. Finish: long considering
it’s a grain whisky, caramelly,
vanilled and oaky like some bourbons,
with just a few tannins starting to
stick to your tongue (not too ripe
bananas, tea). In short, another excellent
old grain whisky. 89 points. |
Lochside
27 yo (60.5%, James MacArthur, grain,
late 1980’s)
This one was probably distilled in
the very early 1960’s. Colour:
gold. Nose: extremely spirity at first
sniff, not too far from raw medicinal
alcohol. Hints of almond milk, apple
spirit, grass… Much less (good)
oak than in the Clan Denny, although
there is a little vanilla, as well
as cologne. But water will probably
make it more aromatic… With
water (at roughly 45%): no, that didn’t
work, it almost killed the whisky
– or, at least, made it almost
silent (something to try with Mariah
Carey?) We have just a few coffeeish
notes developing. Mouth (neat): nicer
than on the nose when neat but very
hot, with the tannins assaulting your
tongue right away. Something like
caramel-flavoured cask strength vodka.
Water is obligatory here. So, with
water: oh, it got extremely sweet,
not unlike banana liqueur or parfait
amour. The tannins got also stronger
and rather drying. Lacks mellowness.
Finish: long but frankly drying and
to sugary despite the pleasant notes
of violet sweets that come as the
signature. 79 points. |
|
March
1, 2007 |
|
 |
TASTING
- THREE YOUNG ABERLOURS |
 |
Aberlour
1994/2006 (45%, Samaroli ‘Coilltean’,
cask #8418)
The label states that this one was
matured in new American, medium toasted
oak cask. Colour: white wine. Nose:
very fresh but extremely aromatic,
although a little milky and yeasty.
Huge notes of overripe apples, with
an unusual sourness. Lots of aniseed,
fennel… And we have the oak
and, indeed a rather bold ‘toastiness’,
caramel, vanilla custard… Also
violets. Quite different from most
Aberlours we know, including the ones
that used to mature in bourbon wood.
Almost as aromatic as a grappa! (I’ll
spare you useless jokes about grappa/Italy
– lucky you.) |
Mouth:
very sweet and hugely fruity (but
simply so, mostly on apples and pears),
with quite some tannins after that,
pepper, cinnamon, vanilla. You can
really get plain wood, almost like
in some ‘new’ oaked Chardonnays.
The whole is pretty simple. Finish:
not too long, but vanilled and still
quite oaky. Okay, not a total wood
bomb but… 78 points. |
Aberlour
A’bunadh batch #13 (59.8%, OB,
2004)
Colour: amber. Nose: hot, very caramelly
and markedly vinous (lots of cooked
blackcurrant, kirsch), a little sourish,
getting even a little acetic after
a while. With water: now it got much
more on mint and liquorice, with also
a little varnish and newly sawn wood.
The sourness and vinosity got less
dominating. It’s much nicer
with water! Mouth (neat): bold and
powerful but bearable. Lots of toffee
but again this sourness. Not unpleasant
I must say but it gets also a little
rubbery and slightly drying. With
water: better again, although the
rubber’s still here. Also sweeter…
But the tannins get really bold after
a moment, and so does the pepper.
Finish: rather long, toffeish, with
still that faint rubbery notes. Still
very good but certainly not the nicest
batch of A’bunadh I could try
in my opinion. 83 points. |
Aberlour
A’bunadh batch #16 (59.6%, OB,
2005)
Colour: amber. Nose: just as hot and
caramelly but much less vinous/sour.
Cleaner, with more coffee, toffee,
praline etc. Maybe less extravagant
but the sherry’s better integrated.
Kind of smokiness, faint hints of
soy sauce, coal… More wood as
well (nice tannins). With water: superb
development, with even more oak (a
great one) and a slight meatiness
that gives it more complexity. Hints
of violets like in the Samaroli. Mouth
(neat): again it’s much better
than batch #13. Maybe a little hotter
but much cleaner, developing mostly
on the trio coffee/toffee/raisins.
Classic, I’d say. With water:
develops on lots of nuts, caramel,
a little vanilla fudge, cloves, rum…
Perfect. Finish: long, better balanced
than batch #13, nutty and caramelly.
Very good this time! Incredible how
different these two batches were.
88 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: new artiste from Austin,
Texas Sparrow
House aka Jared van
Fleet sings this nice little ritornello
called When
I am gone.mp3. More than just
a New Whisperer I think, please
buy his music. |
 |
Check
the index of all entries:
Whisky
Music
Nick's Concert
Reviews
|
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Best
malts I had these weeks - 90+
points only - alphabetical:
Ardbeg
13 yo 1975/1988 (54.2%,
Gordon & MacPhail for Intertrade, sherry
wood)
Bowmore
24 yo 1980/2005 (51.4%,
Signatory for Vinothek St. Stephan Vienna, cask
#8056, 208 bottles)
Bunnahabhain
37 yo 1966/2004 (40.1%, MMcD Celtic
Heartlands, 276 bottles)
Bunnahabhain
40 yo 1966/2006 (40%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #4878, 193 bottles)
Glendullan
34 yo 1966/2003 (46.8%, Douglas Laing
Platinum, 217 bottles)
Glen
Grant 1959-1960/1986 (40%, Gordon &
MacPhail, Marriage of Andrew and Fergie)
Glen
Grant 40 yo 1965/2006 (56.8%, Signatory,
cask #5543, 283 bottles)
Glen
Grant 42 yo 1964/2006 (52.8%, Signatory,
cask #2632, 255 bottles)
Glen
Keith 1971/2006 (51.8%, Jack Wieber’s
Cross Hill, 371 bottles)
Laphroaig
1970/1986 (54%, Duthie's for Samaroli,
75cl, 720 bottles)
Springbank
28 yo 1969/1998 (52.3%, Signatory, cask
#2382, 490 bottles, sherry)


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