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Hi, you're in the Archives, March 2007 - Part 2 |
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March
31, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– TWO ST. MAGDALENES |
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St
Magdalene 24 yo 1982/2006 (58.3%, Murray
McDavid Mission Gold, enhanced in
Vintage Port casks, 446 bottles)
From MMcD’s new Mission series,
all ‘enhanced’ as far
as the whisky’s concerned but
bottled at cask strength in the regular
bottles instead of the old taller
‘conical’ ones. Colour:
apricot. Nose: very spirity, with
quite some raw alcohol plus black
pepper and smells of fruit jelly ‘floating’
over it, the whole getting hugely
vinous. I’m not saying this
isn’t nice but it really needs
water. |
| So,
once it got reduced to roughly 45%:
good, it seems that we managed to
tame the Port. It gets much nuttier,
more on roasted nuts, toasted bread…
Then ashes and stones, but still quite
some blackcurrant jelly in the background,
as well as strawberry jam. Typical
winesky, even when diluted. Mouth
(neat): just like if you ate a spoonful
of icing sugar and gulped a few marshmallows
on top of that. And of course lots
of unreduced vodka. It’s quite
interesting, actually, but I feel
we’re quite far from malt whisky
‘as it used to be’, and
the distillery’s character is
rather absent here (if there was any
in the ‘neat’ spirit,
that is). But let’s not be utterly
conservative, this is quite quaffable
I must say, even when unreduced. With
water now: oh no, that didn’t
work at all this time. It got sort
of chemical and too much on the fruity
side (blackcurrant sweets and jelly).
This one swims like a flat iron. Finish:
long, more balanced now but still
as fruity as blackcurrant jelly, even
if the malt kicks back ‘at the
end of the finish’. A little
too late. Anyway, I really like the
Laddie gang’s work a lot but
if they really want to offer us variety
– which is great – they
should also go on with ‘un-enhanced’
whiskies like they did so brilliantly
in the past, and not only ‘enhancings’.
Please, please us… 78
points. |
Linlithgow
26 yo 1975/2002 (59.3%, Blackadder,
cask #30012, 328 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: just as strong
but much rounder and more noseable,
not spirity at all. Quite some paraffin
and apple skin as well as fresh walnuts
at first sniff, very clean, developing
on more floral notes and green tea
(really, it’s like when you
put your nose over a freshly opened
pack of green Yunnan). Lots of fresh
oak as well. With water: now it got
extremely cardboardy but in a very
pleasant way (smells like an old bookshop),
with the oak being even nicer. Even
the strong notes of green tea get
even more elegant. Really antique
in fact, unlike any other distillery
I know and not too far from the acclaimed
(at least by the Maniacs) 19 yo 1979
Rare malts. Great hints of lemon liqueur.
Mouth (neat): I like this attack,
even if there’s a lot of wood
and a heavy ‘greenness’
(chlorophyll, spearmint and something
like exercise book paper – remember,
at school?) It gets then waxy and
then quite lemony and sort of leathery
(not that I eat leather everyday).
A lot of oakiness indeed. With water:
well, this one isn’t a much
better swimmer I’m afraid, it
really got too cardboardy now. A tough
choice: either you drink this one
straight and it’ll probably
burn your palate, or you drink it
with water and it’s much poorer
and dryer. Finish (watered down):
long but cardboardy and too much on
paraffin, although the spiciness from
the wood is nice. Too bad. 85
points. |
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March
30, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– FOUR RECENT YOUNG MACALLANS
+ AN INDIE |
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Macallan 8 yo ‘Fine Oak’
(40%, OB, circa 2006)
A version exclusive to Italy –
theoretically. Colour: pale gold.
Nose: not shy at all, starting on
lots of apple juice and cider, with
hints of mint and getting then much
grainier and mashier (porridge, oatcakes,
mashed potatoes), with quite some
liquorice to spice the whole up. Certainly
pleasant as an everyday malt under
Italian climates. Mouth: the attack
is pretty nice (nice caramel and toasted
brioche) but it’s then very
weak and almost falls apart after
just two or three seconds, leaving
room for some tannins and not much
else. No middle and a very short finish,
with just these tannins. I don’t
know whether that’s a flaw but
it’s extremely harmless to say
the least. 70 points.
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| Macallan
'Distiller's Choice’ (40%, OB,
circa 2004)
This version was for Japan. Colour:
pale gold, just a tad darker than
the 8yo. Nose: very similar, just
a little less mashy but a tad oakier,
with a little more vanilla and warm
butter. Slightly rounder and more
caramelised – and civilized.
No comments on Japanese climate I’m
afraid but I like this better than
the 8 yo on the nose. Mouth: the same
happens on the palate, the attack
is quite nice, caramelized, nutty
and vanilled but it all falls apart
after that, with just these tannins
remaining, as well as a little cardboard
and a little salt plus hints of liquorice.
The finish isn’t quite as nonexistent
as the 8yo’s but frankly, there
isn’t much happening here. Certainly
not a samurai: 72 points.
Now, the good news is that you don’t
even need to rinse your glass before
you pour yourself another whisky. |
| Macallan
‘Whisky Maker's Selection' (42.8%,
OB, circa 2006)
A new version for duty free outlets.
Colour: gold. Nose: a little more
oomph here but also a different profile.
Grassier, more austere, oakier, more
‘Highlands’ than the two
other youngsters. Quite some spices
(nutmeg and cloves, white pepper),
butter and green bananas, newly cut
grass, liquorice, green apples…
Much less round and soft than both
the 8 and the Distiller’s Choice.
Very ‘natural’ –
quality spirit, no doubt. Mouth: yes,
this is clearly more substantial.
The attack is very pleasant, liquoricy
and candied, with quite some apple
compote, praline, caramelised nuts
(pecan pie) and vanilla crème.
The liquorice gets more and more dominant
after a moment, and I like liquorice
– it’s almost pure liquorice
after a while. Finish: medium-long,
caramelised, liquoricy, minty and
very clean, with a very enjoyable
oakiness. I like this Macallan that’s
got lots of presence. One of the best
recent Macs in my books. 86
points. |
| Macallan
'1851 Inspiration' (41.3%, OB, 2006)
This is not the older version for
Taiwan but a new version, packaged
in a simpler way (for Europe I believe).
Funny that an ‘inspiration’
whisky should be cheaper than a ‘replica’
(£75 vs £99). £24
for one simple word? Colour: gold.
Nose: again, it’s close but
maybe a little wilder, with a little
more tannins than the WMS and faint
traces of what could be peat –
or something phenolic, at least. It’s
also a tad more floral (dandelions)
and a little more honeyed for a while,
but it gets just as grassy as the
WMS after that, with also a little
parsley. Very ‘1851’,
I agree (pfff…). Mouth: extremely
close to the WMS now, it’s almost
the same whisky on my palate. Maybe
the same, in fact, so please read
above. 86 points.
(Why not do a Cerrutti-sponsored bottling
and call it ‘1881’ next
time?) |
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Macallan
8 yo 1998 (54.7%, Exclusive Malts,
cask #816, 261 bottles, 2007)
Colour: straw. Nose: this is a fresher
and even grassier version of Macallan
but the link with the ones we had
before is very obvious. Again, it’s
quality spirit, even if young. Malty
and minty, with hints of violets and
beeswax… Maybe a little shy,
I’d bet water will make it more
talkative. So, with water (amazing
how it got hugely soapy just after
I added water – which is normal,
always wait for one or two minutes
after having added water to your whisky)
we get a nice wax a la Clynelish,
even more violets, apples, quinces,
cranberry juice… It’s
quite talkative, after all! |
| Mouth
(neat): it’s just like a ‘1851’
at cask strength, which is amazing.
It seems that Macallan’s spirit
got hugely consistent since a few
years – not that it wasn’t
before, of course, but maybe the sherry
did sort of hide that consistency.
Excellent liquorice, vanilla and caramel,
mint, crystallized apples… Extremely
good at such young age, but let’s
try it with water again: yes, it’s
perfect, very, very compact, superbly
liquoricy just like the OB’s,
with a perfect oakiness and excellent
‘natural’ vanilla. And
the finish is just like the OB’s,
quite perfect – at just 8yo!
Congrats Mr Stirk for having sourced
this. 87 points. |
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MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: a little gypsy jazz again,
this time with the German wing and
Lulu
Reinhardt (although
Lulu is Alsatian, not German) and
Hans'che
Weiss doing Lulu
swing.mp3. Plain excellent again,
sehr gut guys. Please buy their
music! |
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March
29,
2007 |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
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TASTING
– TWO LADYBURNS (well, one,
actually)
Ladyburn
8 yo (40%, OB, circa 2000)
This was made by The Ladyburn Distilling
Company, a subsidiary of William
Grant & Sons, former owner of
the actual distillery. It’s
believed not to be genuine Ladyburn
but rather a vatting of various
undisclosed malts – NOT including
Ladyburn. |
| This
bottle has already been highly misleading
at auctions, like the ‘Ben Wyvis’
by Invergordon at McTears just was.
McTears sold one right yesterday for
no less than £360 + 15% fees
+ VAT whilst it’s barely worth
the 19.90 Euros they were still asking
for in Holland a few months ago (and
it’s not even good!). Bad move
if you ask me (and imagine McTears
estimated this ‘official fake’
at between £400 and £600!)
Anyway, there’s more about that
on Johannes’ Malt
Madness log (yeah, it’s
alive and kicking again, hurray!),
so back to our ‘Ladyburn’.
Colour: gold. Nose: very grainy, very
malty and very caramelly, even slightly
flowery, vanilled and minty but that’s
all. Not too bad I must say but totally
uninspired and uninspiring. Mouth:
weak, grainy and caramelly. No middle
and almost no finish, which means
it can’t be ‘bad’
whisky, but it’s really bland.
50 points. |
| Rare
Ayrshire 31 yo 1975/2007 (47.5%, Signatory,
cask #554, 165 bottles)
This is Ladyburn! Strange that a genuine
one – albeit independent - cannot
use the name (legal issues with William
Grant I guess) whilst a ‘faked’
one – albeit official - can.
Colour: pale gold. Nose: quite demonstrative
at first sniff but we get mainly oak.
Interestingly, it gets then quite
hugely lemony, smelling just like
limoncello. Add to that a little fresh
mint and an interesting sourness from
the wood (it’s also a bit yoghurty),
then notes of heated wood (like when
you drill a whole)… A very clean
spirit where the heavy oakiness is
quite an asset. Mouth: impressively
creamy and thick, just as oaky and
lemony as on the nose. Little development,
that is, rather the oak growing bolder
and bolder but never drying. Finish:
medium long, oaky but not excessively
tannic, leaving your mouth quite fresh
– just like when you had lemon
drops? Maybe more legendary than truly
palatable but it’s not flawed
malt at all – especially the
nose is very nice. 78 points. |
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MUSIC
- BLUES - Recommended listening
- Geanie
Stout sings Prescription
for the blues.mp3 with husband
Kip Maercklein on bass. Raw but full
of energy (imagine Bessie, Billie
and Janis meeting in a small crappy
bar with an old detuned piano...)
Please buy Geanie Stout's music! (via
talking
blues) |
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March
28, 2007 |
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TASTING
– THREE BOWMORES
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Prestonfield
House Malt 10 yo (43%, Prestonfield,
late 1980’s)
Produced and bottled by Morrison’s
Bowmore Distillers. Colour: straw.
Nose: rather milky and a little porridgy
at first sniffs but some lemony and
peaty smells are soon to arise from
the glass. Notes of oyster plate,
fisherman’s net, hints of diesel
oil, then lots of grapefruits rubbed
lemon skin… Very pure and sharp,
it reminds me of the old Bowmore 12
in its brown dumpy bottle, but also
of the very good brand new one in
its broad-shouldered (and controversial)
new bottle. Mouth: we’re on
full-citrusy mode now, with lemons
in all states (candied, juice etc.),
then peat, smoked tea, black pepper,
grapefruit again… and a little
salt as expected. Finish: not too
long but very clean, coastal, salty
and lemony. An excellent young Bowmore,
clean and fresh like we like it. 88
points (and thanks, Fabrice). |
Bowmore
25 yo (43%, OB, 2007)
After the Legend/12/15/18 that we
had a few days ago, here’s the
brand new 25 with its shiny unphotographable
label. Colour: full gold. Nose: it’s
incredible how close to the 10 yo it
is, except for some added sherry notes.
Very, very maritime and lemony, with
something quite wild (rather wet hay
in fact and of course peat smoke).
Goes on with very ripe oranges, wet
dog (a clean one), a little mint,
oysters, hints of vanilla fudge, iodine…
And a rather superb freshness. Top
class as far as the nose is concerned.
Mouth: oily, thick like syrup, peppery
and ultra-candied (peppered liquid
caramel?) Lots of bitter oranges,
quite some nutmeg, apricot juice,
tangerine liqueur… We do have
slight geraniumy notes in the background
as well as quite some violet sweets
but in no ways they’re disturbing
here. Probably one of the best Bowmores
distilled in the late 1970’s
and early 1980’s that I could
taste. Especially the finish is most
enjoyable, not bold nor very long
but beautifully citrusy and lively
(a little icing sugar and lemon),
even pleasantly fizzy. A very, very
good new Bomwore - but I know some
other Maniacs don't like it at all.
Controversial, 90 points. |
| Bowmore
38 yo 1968/2007 (42.7%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #3827)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: unmistakenly
1968 Bowmore. That means an extreme
fruitiness, truckloads of passion
fruit, mangos and tangerines plus
a very subtle ‘coastality’
(sea breeze). These whiskies aren’t
extraordinarily complex I think but
they are so perfect in their own genre
that we do not need complexity here.
A true fruitbomb. Mouth: the attack
is quite soft, almost a little weak
but then the tangerines, lemons, passion
fruits and mangos do arrive, together
with salty touches and a very pleasant
spiciness brought by the wood (cloves,
soft curry, hints of pepper). Hints
of violet sweets, then it’s
almost like pure lemon drops. Finish:
longer and bolder when compared with
the attack, very citrusy and slightly
peppery/salty, with also these notes
of icing sugar that we already had
in the new 25. How could any whiskyfreak
dislike this? 91 points. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: let's have something bouncy
and seriously 70's today with Dexter
Wansel playing Latin
Love .mp3. Soul jazz at its best,
I'd say... |
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March
27, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– FOUR FINISHED BENRIACHS PLUS
ONE |
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Benriach
15 yo 'Dark Rum Wood Finish' (46%,
OB, 2006) 
Colour: pale straw. Nose: fresh, buttery
and flowery at first nosing, getting
then quite milky and slightly yeasty,
with notes of yoghurt. Hints of rum
indeed, fresh bananas… Gets
then quite grassy, with apple skins…
Nothing too special here but balance
is achieved. Pleasant but in no way
close to most excellent ‘un-tweaked’
Benriachs on the nose. Ha, fashion!
Mouth: nice attack, very sweet and
fruity, with the expected candy sugar
and various candied fruits (pineapple
slices, papayas…) A little caramel
and vanilla. Finish: not very long
but balanced, maybe a little sugary.
Very simple but quite quaffable. 80
points. |
| Benriach
15 yo 'Madeira Wood Finish' (46%, OB,
2006)
Colour: straw. Nose: a little hotter
at first sniffs, more vinous, obviously…
Madeira is the finishing I usually
like best (or dislike less) and this
is probably no exception. Nice notes
of fresh walnuts and vanilla fudge.
Less yeasty than the Dark Rum version.
Quite some raisins. Mouth: more presence
than the Dark Rum but the fruitiness
is a little more ‘unstable’
and less clean. Dried papayas and
bananas, coffee-flavoured toffee,
cappuccino… Maybe a little sweetish
now, less dry than expected. Finish:
a little longer than the Dark Rum
version’s, fruitier, even more
sugary (bubblegum). Simply quaffable
again. 79 points. |
| Benriach
15 yo 'Pedro Ximinez Wood Finish' (46%,
OB, 2006)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: less expressive
than both the Madeira and the Dark
Rum, vinous, fruity (ripe strawberries)…
Getting more and more vinous but never
bold or rich. A little vanilla. A
very simple but flawless nose in my
opinion. Ultra-clean. Mouth: closer
to the Madeira at the attack but gets
more vinous again (cooked strawberries,
blackberry jam). Candy sugar, nice
notes of sherry that prevent it from
getting too sweetish. Finish: again
a little longer and maybe more complex
than the Dark Rum and Madeira but
the vinosity is a little too obvious
for my tastes. 79 points. |
| Benriach
15 yo 'Tawny Port Wood Finish' (46%,
OB, 2006)
Colour: straw with salmony hues. Nose:
much, much weirder, as often with
Port wood. Oddly fruity, a little
acidic (lemon drops or ‘powder’),
with notes of blackcurrant jelly (rather
Jell-o), buds and leaves… Now,
it’s quite clean, somewhat cleaner
than the PX but really simple. But
again, no flaws here. Mouth: vinous
and a little more drying than the
others, with the wine staying more
apart. Ripe strawberries and blackcurrant,
jam, notes of hot red wine (like pure
Grenache from a ‘simple’
region). Finish: slightly shorter
than the PX’s fruity, with a
little fructose and fruit jelly again.
Simple pleasures again: 79
points. In a nutshell, all
these four new finishings work well
and are certainly well crafted (no
imbalance or ‘wrong’ tastes)
but I think they don’t add anything
to Benriach’s wonderful current
range. Now, there’s probably
a market for these Glenmorangish bottlings…
(who am I anyway?) And
oh, by the way, isn't it strange that
'Tawny Port ' or 'Pedro Ximinez' (wait,
shouldn't it be Ximenez?) are written
in much bigger letters than 'Scotch
Whisky' on these labels? |
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Benriach
12 yo 1994/2006 (58.9%, Signatory,
Château d'Yquem finish, cask
#06/143/33, 323 bottles)
This one is a peated version. Colour:
gold. Nose: amazing! This is a whole
new dimension, with the wine and the
whisky mingling perfectly well at
first nosing (yes, Serge speaking).
It all starts on unlit Havana cigar
and leather polish and then lots of
peat – and a great one. Beautiful
notes of Sichuan pepper, huge whiffs
of smoked sausages and ham, well-hung
game, hare belly (sorry about that
perfect example of maltoporn), apricot
jam… It gets then more academically
peaty, with notes of farmyard, wet
hay, ‘clean’ manure…
Hints of violets and hawthorn tea.
This is fantastic – I’m
not kidding. |
| Mouth:
oh yes, it’s great. The Sauternes
shines through more vividly at the
attack, with a lot of apricot jam,
hints of quince jelly, rose jelly,
then it’s pure peat rolling,
of the farmy kind again, with lots
of pepper and all-spices, a little
cardamom, hints of wasabi, smoked
tea… And these notes of smoked
ham again, although less bold. What
an excellent surprise! Finish: long,
compact, hugely peaty, tarry now,
peppery, with the Sauternes still
there but perfectly integrated. I
know I shouldn’t like this Lur-Salucian
malt too much but I’m sorry,
I do – but don’t worry,
I’m not ready to change sides
regarding finishings generally speaking.
Now, this Benriach by Signatory is
very more-ish to say the least. Oh,
I even forgot to try it with water…
91 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: let's have more soul funk
today with the excellent Sharon
Jones and her Dap-Kings
playing Got
a thing on my mind.mp3. James
Brown's sister? Please buy her music. |
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March
26, 2007 |
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| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
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TASTING
– THREE 1981 ROSEBANKS
Rosebank 1981/2006 (43%, Daily Dram)
From a new Belgian series by Mario
Groteklaes’. If I remember
correctly, this a cask strength
bottling. |
| Colour:
straw. Nose: indisputably very Rosebank
at first nosing, with lots of citrus
fruits (lemons but also oranges and
tangerines). What’s unusual
is that there are also lots of other
tropical fruits (mangos and passion)
and hints of peat. Gets quite minty,
slightly camphory and resinous (pine
needles, moss, fern) and also a little
maritime (sea breeze). This is truly
beautiful but, err… excuse me
but it smells like an old Bowmore!
Mouth: excellent attack, more citrusy
this time but still a little old-Bowmore-ish.
Lots of grapefruit and tinned pineapple,
citron, green tea, green apples, a
little kiwi… Lemon drops, dry
white wine (high-end Sauvignon)…
It seems that there’s still
a little peat in the background, even
if less than on the nose. Gets more
candied with time but always very
pure and clean. Excellent. Finish:
quite long, on lemon marmalade, mangos
and, yes, a little salt. Well, wasn’t
it an ex-Bowmore cask? A great, great
dram in any case: 90 points. |
| Rosebank
20 yo 1981/2002 (62.3%, Rare Malts)
Colour: straw. Nose: ouch! A high-octane
malt, with a little lemon indeed but
so strong that you can’t really
nose it just like that, unless you
want to ‘suicide your nostrils’.
So, with water (at roughly 45%): lots
of lemon indeed (including rubbed
zests), fresh mint, moss and fern
just like in the Daily Dram, a little
paraffin and lamp petrol, wet stones…
There’s also a little apple
juice, beeswax, heather honey…
Quite austere and a little ‘rigid’
but very elegant. Excellent but maybe
not for everyone. Mouth (neat): more
drinkable than noseable at such high
strength, very lemony, but let’s
not play with our palate. With water:
yes, it’s excellent, very elegant,
very close to the Daily Dram now.
Maybe a little spicier, with more
pepper, and certainly less ‘tropically
fruity’. Great, long finish,
on lemon and high-end green tea, with
quite some pepper. Another excellent
Rosebank, just a tad less complex
than the new Daily Dram. 88
points. |
| Rosebank
1981/1997 (63.9%, Flora & Fauna,
Cask Strength)
Colour: straw. Nose: same comment
as with the Rare Malt – they
are extremely similar at this stage.
With water (+/-45%): similar to the
Rare Malts but a little fruitier and
maybe more vanilled, with also a little
cardboard. A little less clean and
less elegant – more of a riffraff
Rosebank. Hints of coffee, chicory,
grass. Mouth (neat): too explosive
for proper assessing. With water:
same thing s on the nose, this one
is sweeter and more sugary but much
less complex. Grainier. Nice lemon,
though, and a little fructose that
plays with your tongue. Finish: very
long, better than the middle, more
purely lemony and candied. Good, no
doubt, but they should have written
‘handle with care’ on
the label. Don’t try this without
water! 81 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: strange news on their website:
The
Beautiful South have
split up due to musical similarities.
LOL! Time to listen to their rather
funny Perfect
10.mp3, and to buy their music... |
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March
25, 2007 |
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TASTING
- TWO WOODY INCHGOWERS
Inchgower 37 yo 1969/2006 (46.2%,
Duncan Taylor, cask #6129, 184 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: wow, this is
pure menthol and eucalyptus! It
really smells like Vicks, or maybe
also thuya wood like they use to
make boxes in Morocco (picture).
It gets then meatier (lots of hot
ham), with also various vegetables
(celeriac, salsify, lovage). Extremely
unusual, I think I never had a similar
profile before. Goes on with pastis,
artemisia, maybe even absinth…
Are they sure they used oak for
this one at the time? There’s
even pine resin coming through together
with a little mustard. A very ‘funny’
malt, for sure… |
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| Mouth:
a little more classic at the attack
but those concentrated vegetal notes
do quickly invade your palate. I’m
not too sure I like this… Something
like varnish, resin, kind of wood
extract, pipe juice (err…),
tar, chocolate sauce… Did some
visitors drop a few cedar balls into
this cask, thirty years ago? Goes
on with strong green tea, quite some
tannins, chlorophyll (cough syrup
for bad boys?) It does get a little
more ‘classical’ after
a moment but the heavy woodiness never
disappears, especially at the long
but truly concentrated finish (oak,
resins, mint and eucalyptus drops
and quite some salt – oyster
juice). Maybe they did use cedar,
after all… 80 points
(conservative rating). |
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Inchgower
1990/2006 (56.8%, Mackillop’s
Choice, cask #31030)
Colour: straw. Nose: punchy but much
more neutral, spirity, grainy and
grassy, with a little smoke but that’s
more or less all. Hints of vanilla,
tea, sour cream, burnt cake…
Ashes. Funny how it wakes up after
a good fifteen minutes, though, with
much more coconuts, marzipan, praline,
nougat… This one really develops
in two steps. Interesting provided
you don’t forget to take your
time. Mouth: ultra-sweet, powerful,
hugely fruity and again quite oaky.
Quite some pear juice, green apples,
orange drops, developing on liquorice
and lemon marmalade… Better
than on the nose I think, almost as
concentrated as it’s elder brother.
Goes one with notes of marzipan, pineapple
jelly, crystallised fruits…
Good. Finish: long, fruity, orangey,
with quite some oak now but also a
little resin (much less than in the
1969, that is) and Inchgower’s
trademark salty signature. Excellent,
punchy palate. 82 points. |
| |
|
March
24, 2007 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– TWO BLAIR ATHOLS
Blair
Athol 8 yo (70°proof, OB, Bell’s,
1970’s)
The versions bottled in the
80’s weren’t to my likings,
too grainy. Colour: straw. Nose:
grainy indeed but with more oomph
than I remembered. Then it gets
quite superbly fruity, with lots
of freshly squeezed oranges and
apples, before it switches to something
more ‘tertiary’ like
shoe polish, metal cleaner, new
leather… Also notes of mint-flavoured
tea, cigar box. Finally goes back
to mash, cereals, slightly stale
beer… An obvious bottle age
in this one. |
| Mouth:
hmmm, it’s got a little of these
tea-ish and cardboardy tastes that
go with bottle age when it went wrong.
Then we have something a little weirdly
bubblegummy and then it gets just
better and better, with more complexity.
Praline, smoked tea (peat?), cake,
roasted hazelnuts, earl grey tea…
And then a little mint and liquorice…
Gets truly bolder with time, candied,
smoky. Nowhere near an old Glen Garioch
but it’s got something of it
in the profile, once the weird ‘bottle’
tastes have vanished. Finish: not
too long but compact and slightly
salty, with quite some praline and
caramel. Excellent – partly,
at least – but you have to be
patient. 85 points.
|
| Blair
Athol 1993/2006 (43%, Gordon &
MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice)
Colour: white wine. Nose: this one
smells just like plain fresh apple
juice. Okay, maybe a little pear juice
as well, and of course the skins,
and also a little fresh butter but
that’s pretty all. One of the
simplest noses of recent time –
but it’s so clean and pure that
it’s truly enjoyable. Mouth:
exactly the same feeling. Apple juice
and a little tea. Maybe a little weak
when compared with the old OB. Finish:
guess what? But it’s quite long,
with also quite some candy sugar.
Extreme simplicity can be enjoyable,
it seems. 80 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: the funny guys of Tr yo
are doing Désolé
pour hier soir.mp3 ('Sorry about
last night' - a story about repentance).
Please buy Tryo's music. |
 |
| |
|
March
23, 2007 |
|
|
CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
STEVEN SEAGAL
AND THUNDERBOX
Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London,
March 18th 2007
I
don’t really watch a lot of
TV, and when I do it’s mostly
in hotel rooms scattered around
the world at some awful time in
the morning when I can’t sleep
(why – I’m in one now).
The strange thing is that wherever
I am, and no matter what time it
is, there’s always what seems
to be the same Steven
Seagal film showing.
You know. It’s the one where
Mr
Seagal karate-chops and kicks
his way up and down a train, (and
along the roof and quite possibly
underneath it too) packed with nasty
guys who want to destroy the world,
or some such. They’ve also
kidnapped his daughter (or was that
another film?), which as I recall
turns out to be a pretty dumb thing
to do as that just makes him mad.
And you wouldn’t want to see
Mr Seagal mad would you? I mean
he’s a pretty serious aikido
black belt, and he’s also
a reincarnated Tulku, which is something
to do with nirmanakaya and puts
him on the same level of consciousness
as the Dalai Lama. Oh yes –
and in addition to all of that he’s
a blues guitarist, with a band with
the unfortunate name of Thunderbox.
You can all make your own jokes
about that. And maybe a bit like
this nirmanakaya stuff, when he
plays guitar he transcends his corporeal
being and transmutes into the Mojo
Priest (which happens to be the
title of his new album). And as
we’re reminded for much of
the evening – Steven Seagal
is THE Mojo Priest. |
 |
| Actually
despite the queues outside, the Bush
is less than half full. It turns out
that the queue is made up of ‘competition
winners’ – that old last-minute
way of trying to give away tickets
to fill a theatre. And the previous
night’s gig in Oxford had been
cancelled and ticket holders urged
to travel to London instead –
free buses laid on too. Inside there
are some of Mr Seagal’s diehard
fans – middle-aged Mums and
daughters mostly – (and whom
I bet weren’t expecting THE
Mojo Priest), together with, I have
to say, some pretty weird types (more
nirmanakaya perhaps). Almost half
of the seats in the first balcony
(the upper two are dark, silent and
closed) is reserved for guests –
many remain empty – but TMP
does take time out to tell us that
one of them “someone who I was
very privileged to meet this afternoon”
is Yusuf
Islam. I thought Mr M. Priest
was taking the piss, but no, he’s
there opposite us, furrowed brow,
chin on hand, looking very perplexed
as the band’s two singers genuflect,
bow and scrape in the presence of,
well THE Mojo Priest. I wouldn’t
have thought Yusuf was really a fan
of Mr Seagal’s almost pornographically
violent action flicks, and can’t
imagine he’s too keen on worshipping
false gods and graven images (and
with his wooden bearing TMK could
definitely be classified as the latter)
so his presence ‘till almost
the very end was a mystery. |
|
Super
Chickan (left) and Magic Slim (right) |
| A
pleasant surprise was Clarksdale blues
veteran Super
Chickan – “won’t
somebody shoot that thang” -
who turned in a enjoyable and engaging
novelty/blues set to open the night
featuring his wonderful home made
guitars that you can buy (I nearly
did) here
should you visit. It was all a bit
too jokey – “won’t
somebody shoot that thang” -
but the
Chickan is a much better player
and singer than the comedy routine
suggests and worthwhile seeking out.
Another surprise was the presence
of legendary Chicago bluesman Magic
Slim, one of the last exponents
of a traditionally gritty roadhouse
blues, who joined THE Mojo Priest
towards the end of his set and eventually
managed to make his Flying V heard
over the din. Not perhaps the best
way to hear one of the last greats,
but it’ll do. |
|
Magic
Slim and THE Mojo Priest |
| And
what of the main event? Well –
it was like a real concert. All the
kit’s got “Steven Seagal”
stencilled on it. Thunderbox, name
notwithstanding, are an accomplished
band, no slouch among them, and Mr
Seagal, or should I say THE Mojo Priest,
clearly takes the band, the music,
and himself, very seriously. His impassive
features are etched with concentration
as he takes solo after solo (really
I think the good work is being done
by the two guitarists in the band)
and I have to say that insofar as
one could tell over the pretty rough
mix, he’s not bad – he’s
certainly better than me. He sings
with a growl, struggles with high
notes and relies on his two excellent
singers to carry the hard work. I
was instructed not to mention his
purple tunic and bulging biceps. There’s
a camera crane on stage and at least
two other mobile cameras, fixed cameras
on both sides of the balcony and another
mobile. It’s big money rock
and roll DVD time. Which is why the
two singers are working so hard (they
deserve to have been paid overtime)
to try and make the audience appear
to be enthusiastic – which to
be fair some of them are. |
|
However I think even the most ardent
Seagal fan must have cringed when
he came out with a southern swamped
version of jive talking. He certainly
didn’t learn to talk like that
when he was brought up in Michigan
or California – and living in
Louisiana doesn’t really give
him the right to affect such a ghastly
and embarrassing parody of the real
thing. First of all it was something
about alligators down on the Bayou
in Louisiana (this, I think, to introduce
‘Alligator ass’, with
the memorable lyric “Someone
took me to a restaurant and I had
to eat something fast, I ordered me
some chicken, they gave me alligator
ass”). Later he introduced ‘We
gotta quit’ (I think) with an
even more excruciating “Ahhh
wuzz waulkn daan Beale Street the
other day and this chick hit on me
…..” Oh dear, oh dear.
I swear even Yusuf had his head in
his hands at this point. Oh yes, and
if we’re on the subject of lyrics
(which we’re not really, but
what the hell) then what about this
from ‘Gunfire in a juke joint’:
“I call my mama, I tell her
I'm hot as a pistol, she say baby
you better come on home you know,
I'm wet as a whistle”. Hmmmm. |
| Vanity
rock and roll? Well it’s hard
not to think so really – but
some people seem to like it. The Priest
was even given an award for all the
records he’s sold in France
by a fellow who looked alarmingly
like a greying Alain Prost. And I
know it’s easy to take a big
slow moving target and deliberately
tear it to shreds. Which I’m
not even going to think of doing,
because Mr Seagal, and Mr Priest,
are both much bigger and tougher than
me. No, instead I’m going to
light up some of Mr Seagal’s
organic Red Crystal incense, keep
track of my mantra recitations with
a Seagal Mala Prayer Counter, and
crack open a can of Steven Seagal’s
Lightening Bolt, which “contains
the secrets of true energy that martial
arts master and actor Steven Seagal
discovered in his travels all over
the world”. Maybe it will help
me get my nirmanakaya back. -
Nick Morgan (concert photographs by
Kate) |
 |
| Well,
many thanks, Nick. It seems that Steven
Seagal is on the verge of getting
cult, just like Jean-Claude Van Damme
used to be cult (and Chuck Norris
never was). Why, I don’t know,
but there’s maybe kind of an
uncontrolled phenomenon going on,
more and more ‘aware’
people liking what the majority dislikes,
which makes that they become the majority
and so on. Now, as for that ‘award
for all the records he’s sold
in France’, that’s weird…
Nobody in the house knew that Mr.
Segal was doing anything else but
kicking a few bad boys’ teeth
in on commercial TV – preferably
around 2am indeed. And I didn’t
even manage to find a mp3… Maybe
that’s good news, more room
for Super Chickan doing What
ya see.mp3 and a Taj-Mahalesque
Ain’t
nobody.mp3. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
 |
Longmorn
16 yo (48%, OB, 2007)
Here’s the brand new bottling
with a small metallic ear on the neck
(weird anatomy if you ask me). It
replaces the popular 15yo. Significant
efforts have been put into the strength,
48% and not ‘just’ 46
like more and more of their colleagues.
Colour: straw. Nose: spirity and very
green at first sniff. Also lots of
oak… Green apples, not too ripe
kiwis, lime, grapefruits, green tea.
Hints of cedar box, shoe polish…
And more and more tannins, not of
the silky kind. Freshly broken limestone.
This is quite wild and certainly not
sweet. Curiously austere for a flagship
bottling… |
| Mouth:
quite strong, very lemony and oaky,
fizzy, green… Not complex at
all but quite acid, which isn’t
a flaw here. Sauvignon blanc, anyone?
Also a little vanilla from the oak
but that’s pretty all. Finish:
rather long, lemony as expected, just
a tad drying. Well, we can’t
say they tried to come up with a sexier
vatting with this new expression,
rather the opposite, but I sort of
like its straightforwardness. It’s
a little acrid, though. 79
points. |
| Longmorn
14 yo 1990/2004 (55.3%, Dewar Rattray)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: exactly
the same, just a little sharper, thanks
to the higher ABV. Huge notes of freshly
squeezed lime, extremely citric. Not
much to add. Mouth: again we’re
in the same vein as the OB’s,
except that the acridness and acidity
are much less bearable than in the
new OB. Gosh this is bitter and harsh,
even with water. Especially the finish
is hard, with an ever-going pungency.
Sawdust, grass and lime marinated
in raw alcohol… Now, some extreme
amateurs may like this. 70
points. |
| |
|
March
22, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– FOUR NEW BOWMORES
|
 |
| Bowmore
'Legend' (40%, OB, 2007)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: rather hot
and slightly spirity at first nosing,
but truly ‘maritime’,
with notes of kelp and seashells.
It gets then more floral, with hints
of geranium and violets and also hints
of grenadine syrup and fresh strawberries.
Nice spiciness (hints of soft curry)
but these ‘geraniumy’
notes are slightly excessive for my
tastes, although it’s not what
you think at all. Mouth: malty and
peaty at the attack but less maritime.
A little salt, café latte,
liquorice, grilled tea (Japanese hochicha)…
The middle is a little light but I’m
sure a version at 43% will do the
trick. Finish: not too long but rather
balanced, caramelly and truly salty,
iodized… Just a tad cardboardy
at the end. Not bad at all, I’d
say. 78 points. |
| Bowmore
12 yo (40%, OB, 2007)
Colour: gold. Nose: much, much cleaner
than the Legend, flinty and very,
very coastal, medium-peaty. Very nice
notes of passion fruits, oranges and
mangos just like in some much older
versions. Great freshness and most
enjoyable smokiness, with faint hints
of wet dog. Huge progress when compared
with earlier batches – Bowmore
12 is truly back as far as I can tell.
Bravo! Mouth: ah yes, this is excellent.
Perfect ‘medium’ peatiness,
lots of salt, notes of candied oranges,
vanilla fudge… Again a slight
slump at the middle – the 40%
again, I guess – but the finish
is better again, with a nice bitterness
(green tea). Typically a gentle peat
monster and no floral or perfumy notes
whatsoever. 85 points. |
| Bowmore
15 yo 'Darkest' (43%, OB, 2007)
Finished for two years in oloroso
sherry. Colour: amber. Nose: this
is completely different, starting
on loads of crystallised oranges,
caramel, toffee, praline and roasted
nuts. The balance is quite perfect,
there are also hints of bananas flambéed
and cooked strawberries, with a slight
meatiness and a little smoke. No disturbing
flowery notes here, rather a nice
peat underlining the whole after a
moment. So much nicer and more elegant
than both the earlier Mariner and
Darkest! Mouth: excellent attack,
with a great balance between the smokiness
and the vinosity. Goes on almost like
smoked salted caramel… Excellent
body – yes, the 43% make the
difference. The finish is also quite
longer than the 12’s, candied,
peaty and quite peppery. Excellently
made, this new 15yo, and again, much
better than the older Darkest or Mariner
in my books. 87 points. |
| Bowmore
18 yo (43%, OB, 2007)
Colour: amber. Nose: hmmm, this is
bizarre I think. It hasn’t got
the 12 and 15’s cleanliness,
more kind of notes of rotting oranges
and sawdust, perfume, something chemical
(‘artificial’ orange juice),
marshmallows, cooked fruits, sweet
white wine, soapy water, wet newspaper…
The smoke barely comes through, except
for something like smells of wet dog.
Not my cup of malt this time. Mouth:
it’s a little better now but
we do have these dominating perfumy
notes at the attack, something like
rose jam, violet sweets or light muscat
wine. This sweetness is really ‘too
much’ for my tastes and it doesn’t
go too well with the peatiness. Not
completely unbalanced but truly bizarre
(some recent Longrows do follow the
same path I think). Finish: quite
long and better balanced but the strange
mix of ‘florality’, overripe
oranges and peat is still strikingly,
well, strange. But I know, tastes
and colours… Anyway, I like
the 12, the 15 and even the Legend
much better. 75 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: let's go just a little
more 'tropical' today with Brazil's
fantastic Egberto
Gismonti and his trio
playing Don
Quixote.mp3 (long excerpt). Gismonti
has been on my top shelf since decades,
(sometimes despite the ECM sound).
Please buy his fabulous music. |
 |
| |
|
March
21, 2007 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE RARE OLD OFFICIAL
LAGAVULINS
From
left to right, bottled 1958, bottled
1973, bottled early 1980's
|
| This
will probably be remembered as ‘the
Verviers verticale’, as it’s
at Whisky Live Belgium that these
rare drams have been poured. The session
was chaired by the honourable fellow
Malt Maniac Charles MacLean. There
was also an excellent recent 12 yo
cask strength in the line-up but we’ll
not comment on it this time. |
Charlie checks that some whisky
sticks to the bottom. It does, it's
definitely not a fake! |
| Lagavulin
12 yo (43%, OB, White Horse Distillers
for Montenegro in Zola, cork cap,
early 1980’s)
Another go at this excellent Lagavulin
that I like a lot, even if I liked
the first 16yo’s even better.
Interesting comments on the label:
‘Lapped by the warming Gulf
Stream, the Atlantic rain washes through
the peat producing soft pure water
that gives Lagavulin its special taste.’
So it was all about water… |
| Please
note that Lagavulin probably still
had its own floor maltings when this
was distilled, the maltings having
been closed in 1972. Colour: amber.
Nose: big and bold, meaty and almost
fat, starting on quite some sherry
mixed with oxtail and seashells (queen
scallops). Then we have parsley and
lots of mint (mint jelly) before it
switches to strawberries and pears
cooked in red wine. Excellent signature
on camphor and embrocations, with
maybe just a little cardboard and
oiled paper as well as a beautiful
oakiness (and notes of cedar wood).
Keywords: mint and meat bouillon.
Mouth: starts very resinous, quite
peaty and very dry, on cocoa and something
like mastic-flavoured tea (if that
existed). Quite some bitter chocolate,
lots of liquorice, woodiness, ginger,
orange marmalade, cinchona…
Grows bolder by the minute, thick,
coating… Quite some tannins
and something nicely green and bitter
(propolis, green tea). The finish
is very long, peppery and nicely bitter,
with also a little quince jelly and
bitter oranges. Very excellent, even
if, again, maybe not as great as the
16yo’s, including the recent
ones once they’ll have aged
a bit in their bottles ;-). 90
points (up 1 point). |
| Lagavulin
12 yo (43%, OB, White Horse Distillers
for Carpano in Torino, twist cap,
rotation 1973)
Another one that we already had, thanks
to fellow Maniac Luc. The stills were
still direct-fired when this was distilled
(they stopped direct-firing in 1965
at Lagavulin). Colour: amber. Nose:
immediately more complex than the
one from the 80’s, starting
much more on tar and tinned mangos
but developing on lots of mint again,
passion fruit, milk jam and used fireworks.
Keeps going on (should we say ‘walking’?)
with kumquats and bergamots, a little
musk, Havana smoke, incense, lemon
balm, flints, pine needles…
Hugely complex! What a stunning nose…
Mouth: absolutely stunning, excellently
bitter and resinous, fat and oily
but not cloying at all, starting on
high-end Chartreuse (and other kinds
of great herbal liqueurs) and orange
marmalade and developing on mint sauce,
beeswax and cough syrup. The balance
is absolutely perfect after all these
years… We have also quite some
liquorice, butter caramel, resin-flavoured
sweets, kumquats… Just fab.
Finish: quite long, coherent, satisfying,
on orange marmalade and mint, with
a little salt and hints of mustard,
just a tad drying. A great one again,
no questions, and a (pricey) must
in any serious collection. Legendary.
94 points. |
Here's the spring cap |
Lagavulin
(75°proof, OB, White Horse Distillers,
spring cap, rotation 1958)
An amazingly rare Lagavulin, one of
the only two known bottles still existing
today, the whisky having probably
been distilled before Second World
War. I’m sure opening this one
has doubled the value of the one and
only remaining bottle! It was closed
with a spring cap (spring caps were
called ‘nail breakers’
at the time said fount of knowledge
Charlie). The label tells us that
“Scotch whisky,” says
Grayson Madders, F.R.G.S., in an article
upon “How Scotch Whisky is manufactured,”
“cannot be made in a town. It
is a physical impossibility. Mountain
air, moorland peat, and moss water
direct from the hills, free from any
intercepting contamination, are indispensable
conditions of success in the flavour
of the spirit.” It is for this
reason that we have chosen the Lagavulin
Distillery for the subject of the
present sketch.’ |
| Right,
enough literature, let’s taste
this ‘sketch’ now…
Colour: amber with bronze –
greenish hues. Nose: very different!
Very expressive but much mustier and
extremely meaty (even more than the
version from the 1980’s), with
notes of Chinese chicken soup, oxtail
and hot smoked ham. It gets then quite
metallic (aluminium pan, oven), with
also something like wet fabric or
old clothes in an old wardrobe, and
then much cleaner, more on pine needles,
mastic, honeydew (probably ex-peatiness)…
It’s finally back on meat bouillon
and mushrooms, beef marrow, sandalwood,
praline and something like very old
rum… Also faint hints of chervil,
celeriac, turnips, very old wine...
Beautiful and moving, even if lacking
a little freshness (obviously). Mouth:
the attack is a bit dry and tannic
but much less than when I had my first
sip of it, two days ago. To be honest,
it was a little disappointing but
now it isn't anymore, quite the opposite.
A little air did it some good it seems,
the spring cap having been so perfectly
airtight for fifty years. So, what
do we have? A little nougat and praline,
that meatiness again (meat bouillon),
mint and chlorophyll, dried ginger,
liquorice, peat (there’s more
peatiness than in the 1973 rotation),
dried pears, lemon balm – it’s
even a bit fizzy (sort of) -, chervil
just like on the nose, liquorice stick
and gentian, maybe hints of celeriac…
Truly excellent. Finish: not extraordinarily
long but beautifully waxy, resinous
and minty, getting just a tad drying
but that’s normal after all
these years (a bit tea-ish). This
one is maybe not quite as perfect
as the ‘1973’ but it’s
still fabulous, especially after all
these years. Too bad I’ll probably
never have the opportunity to try
it again… sob… 92
points. |
| It’s
particularly interesting to check
the differences between these old
Lagavulins and old Laphroaigs. The
Lagavulins are probably meatier, fatter
and oilier, whilst the old Laphroaigs
are rather fruitier and slightly lighter.
Different evolutions of peat? Anyway,
many thanks to all who made this fantastic
session possible (thanks Hubert,
Luc and Giuseppe). |
| |
|
March
20, 2007 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
- FOUR GREAT LONGMORNS +2
|
| Longmorn
1990/2005 (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd,
casks #30111/30112)
Colour: straw. Nose: starts much punchier
than expected, and also less fruity.
Very smoky and ashy at first nosing,
with also something slightly metallic
(nicely) and candlewax. Lots of plants
in the background, roots, green tea,
bergamot, coffee flavoured toffee,
mushrooms, mint… Very complex,
to say the least. This one needs time
but it’s brilliant whisky. Mouth:
it’s all in keeping with the
nose, maybe a just a tad on the drier
side. Lots of tea and various herbal
teas, praline, bitter oranges (Seville),
pistachio oil, quite some saltiness,
marzipan, bitter almonds, walnut skins,
grapefruit… Phew, a whole dictionary.
Another ‘rather young winner’
by Doug McIvor it seems. Finish: very
long, citrusy and spicy, with just
that woody tang in the background
that prevents it from getting a little
cloying. Extremely good – probably
a B-F-Y-B malt. Hope it’s still
available somewhere. 92 points
(and many thanks, Luc). |
| Longmorn
1976/2006 (54.3%, Mackillop’s
Choice, cask #5879)
Colour: full gold. Nose: yes, it’s
fantastic as well, bold, vibrant,
complex, rooty, earthy, with an avalanche
of various aromas from all sectors
of the ‘wheel’. Juts to
name a few: bananas, old pu-erh tea,
leather, cigarette tobacco, ‘clean’
dog, gravy, beeswax, rubbed mint leaves,
Chinese anise, camphor… Amazing
whisky, as often with Longmorn. Extraordinarily
coherent and even ‘compact’,
yet so complex! Mouth: what a blast!
It’s got everything again (please
see above) and loads of salt. Granted,
you have to like salt in your whisky,
but then this one’s just a stunner.
Immense Longmorn, bold, punchy, rich
yet balanced. ‘Wow’, if
I may say so. 94 points. |
| Longmorn
31 yo 1972/2003 (58,3%, Premier Malts,
cask #1099)
Colour: full gold. Nose: ah, now it
seems that the wood took its share.
More drying and ‘matt’
at first nosing, more on green bananas
and tapioca, getting then more ‘classically’
fruity with the usual cortege of ripe
bananas this time, oranges, passion
fruits, guavas, mangos… Not
completely unlike some old Lochsides
/ Clynelishes / Bowmores / Benriachs
or, yes, Longmorns. Goes on with hints
of nutmeg but also a little flour,
cardboard and something chalky. Very
nice but not totally beautiful, I‘d
say, and less entertaining than both
the 1990 and the 1976. Mouth: oh,
now it got extravagantly fruity, with
huge mangos, passion and pink grapefruits…
Excellent I must say, even if not
too complex. It gets then spicier
– but not too woody –
with notes of cloves, white pepper,
chilli… Gets extremely peppery
with time, which goes well with the
fruits. Finish: it’s all pure
peppered grapefruit now, although
I should confess that I never tried
that. Anyway, a superb palate on top
of a nice nose. Excellent Longmorn
again. 89 points. |
| Longmorn
30 yo 1976/2006 (59.7%, Kingsbury,
bourbon cask)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: powerful
and a little spirity at first nosing,
certainly less smooth and 'marmalady'
than many of its siblings. We have
lots of smoke (unusual!), peat, bitter
ale, chlorophyll freshly cut grass,
hay… Lots of cinchona as well
(Campari), tonic, green pepper…
Gets even more herbal after a few
minutes, with also quite some beeswax,
liquorice and mint, soft curry…
Hints of icing sugar and lemon drops
as well as old books. It's also still
a little feinty after all these years,
mustardy and porridgy. So much less
fruity than its colleagues, but what
a wonderful oakiness and what a beautiful
austerity! (Isn’t that an oxymoron?)
|
 |
| Mouth:
now we have lots of lemon mixed with
oak, pepper and a hint of horseradish.
The icing sugar is here again, together
with mustard and even more pepper
after a moment… Develops on
candied citrus fruits, lemon drops
again, gin fizz, tequila and cactus
juice. Goes on with lime, chilli,
peat, a little mint… Mojito,
anyone? Finish: long, peppery, spicy,
and superbly bitter, with a very lemony
aftertaste. In short, a very different
old Longmorn, very frank but that
takes no prisoners - a great old Highlander,
armed to the teeth. 91 points
(and thanks, Patrick) |
 |
And
also
Longmorn
18 yo 1987/2006 (50%, Douglas Laing
Old Malt Cask, 314 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: much more bourbony,
grassy, woody… And much less
expressive than its comrades, or than
most Longmorns we know for that matter.
Mouth: sweeter now, mostly on pear
spirit and candied fruit paste. Gets
almost sweetish after a while and
then a little acrid, quite bizarrely.
An okay Longmorn but not more I think.
78 points. |
| Longmorn
1990/2006 (46%, Wilson & Morgan,
Rum Finish)
Colour: straw. Nose: rather neutral
and ‘natural’, with little
rum influence that I can get. Mostly
on grain, porridge, caramel, vanilla
and a touch of mint. Mouth: sharp
attack on caramel, cornflakes and
candy sugar (from the rum I guess).
Slight taste of distillation, malt
and overripe apples. Finish: quite
long, a little neutral (cereals),
with a little bitterness. Quite standard
but not bad at all, with little rum
notes. 79 points. |
| |
|
March
17, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– FOUR TYRCONNELS AND FOUR CONNEMARAS
(plus a bonus at the end...) |
 |
| Tyrconnell
NAS (40%, OB, 2006)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: fresh and
clean, starting rather on the grain
and mashy side when compared with
the very fruity Bushmills. Quite some
milk and mashed potatoes. Goes on
with pineapples and pears and then
hints of fresh mint and aniseed (fennel?).
Also a little caramel. A clean and
fresh malt. Mouth: slightly toasted
at the attack but also much fruitier
than on the nose (ripe melon and pineapple).
A little vanilla crème, a little
liquorice, a little caramel…
The finish is rather long (although
not bold), slightly sugary, on quince
jelly and with a faint waxiness…
The whole is clean and close to flavoured
vodka – a very good one, that
is. Much more body than earlier versions
I think and another perfect summer
dram that should stand ice: 77
points. |
| Tyrconnell
10 yo (46%, OB, Madeira Cask finish,
2006)
Colour: gold with salmony hues (the
back label states ‘prehistoric
amber’ – Lol!). Nose:
quite lively at first nosing, fruitier
than the regular Tyrconnell, starting
on notes of Beaujolais nouveau (raspberries
and strawberries, grenadine syrup)
but getting more malty and ‘normal’
after that. Very nice whiffs of farmyard
just after the rain, freshly squeezed
oranges, pineapples, rosehip and hawthorn
teas… Maybe this kind of rather
light malt is a much better basis
for finishings than some more vigorous
Highlanders? This nose is very enjoyable.
Mouth: frankly, I’m surprised.
It’s thick, rich, creamy like
a good liqueur at first sip. Sensual,
not unlike a Mandarine Imperiale (tangerine
liqueur), with quite some dried apricots,
quince jelly just like in the regular
bottling, pineapple liqueur, ripe
strawberries… Sure it’s
not really complex but it’s
all pleasure, again developing on
maltier, caramelly and toasted flavours,
with just a slight oakiness to prevent
it from getting a bit too sultry (it
isn’t at all but it could have
been). Finish: long, just as thick
and rich as the attack, like a vanilla-flavoured
plum jam. An excellent surprise. It’s
no secret I’m no fan of silly
finishings but this is truly ‘yummie’
as some friends would say. 85
points. |
Tyrconnell
10 yo (46%, OB, Port Cask finish, 2006)
Colour: salmony – at Cooley’s
they wrote ‘antique copper’.
Nose: certainly more marked by the
wine at first nosing but, most curiously,
less demonstrative than the Madeira.
More on blackcurrant buds, apple juice,
leaves, then spices such as very soft
white pepper. Hints of new leather
and again that farmyard after the
rain. Rather inoffensive and not as
talkative as the Madeira but maybe
a little more elegant. Mouth: much
closer to the Madeira now. Not creamy
but very rich again, sweet, fruity
and candied, reminding me of tawny
Port indeed. We have strawberry jam
(all sorts of jams actually, including
cherry), then cake, then it switches
to malt and candy sugar, caramelized
cornflakes, honey… I’m
sorry but I like this too! Especially
the finish is perfectly balanced,
richer again, long, coating, sweet…
Maybe a tad decadent. Just like the
Madeira, it’s not complex whisky
but it’s dangerously drinkable,
even if you’re a hardcore Scotchfreak.
84 points. |
| Tyrconnell
14 yo 1992 (46%, OB, cask #3179, rotation
K 92/25, 2006)
No finishing this time, just ‘oak’.
Colour: pale gold. It’s a little
hard to go back to ‘normality’
after the extravagant finishings but
let’s try – and hard.
Nose: very ‘natural’ when
compared with the finished versions,
maybe more Scottish than Irish. Or
let’s say just between both
(isn’t that Islay? Err…)
Starts on mashed potatoes, oats, muesli,
rather similar to the regular Tyrconnell,
just bolder and a little more on vanilla.
The added complexity comes after that,
with mirabelle plums, chestnut crème,
tea, quinces, white cherries…
A little caramel as well and faint
hints of cologne. Close to mashed
sweet potatoes, globally. Mouth: quite
satisfying at the attack, compact,
sweet but not sugarish, with a lot
of apple compote, vanilla crème,
fudge and all-flowers honey. Not much
character, I’d say, but the
balance is here and there are no flaws
whatsoever. A good spirit, full bodied
and highly drinkable but without that
zing that both finishings had. Finish:
long, compact, coherent, sweet, honeyed
and grainy. Like they say on the back
label: ‘not overly complex’,
but certainly very drinkable. 80
points. |
 |
| Connemara
NAS (40%, OB, Peated single malt,
circa 2006)
Colour: gold. Nose: starts on a fresh
mix of pear juice, smoked tea, wet
hay and drying kelp, getting a little
simpler after that, mostly very lemony.
Not a peat monster, maybe a little
less peaty than the first batches,
but balance is achieved. Mouth: a
little more ‘bizarre’,
starting with notes of rotting oranges
and pepper plus kind of a dustiness.
Quite some body but the middle is
weaker, more on cold tea, before it
takes off again at the finish (both
peppery and ‘papery’).
75 points. |
| Connemara
12 yo (40%, OB, Peated single malt,
circa 2006)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: this one
is obviously peatier and much closer
to a classical Islayer. Less ‘fruitily’
Irish than the no age version. It’s
also a little more mashy and slightly
yeasty, with hints of fresh wood and
apple skin. Quite simple again but
the peatiness is enjoyable, as well
as the freshness. Mouth: it suffers
from its low ABV but the profile is
very nice, much more on barley and
peat than the NAS, with also a little
coffee, kiwi juice, oak and a good
deal of nutmeg that joins the pepper,
especially at the longer finish. A
good introductory peaty malt to pour
to your ‘non-whisky’ guests.
79 points. |
| Connemara
NAS Cask Strength (58,8%, OB, Peated
single malt, circa 2006)
Colour: white wine. Nose: much more
austere but also more elegant, sharper,
kind of ‘authentic’ if
I may say so. Also farer from a typical
Irish than the reduced versions. Simple,
farmy peat and fresh almonds, smoked
tea, oysters, hay... Then we have
fresh fruits, mainly strawberries
and apples. Not aromatically bold
but very clean. Mouth: even simpler
and very sweet, starting mostly on
green apples with the peat lingering
in the background and then coming
to the front, with quite some pepper
and a little cloves. Gets more bubblegummy
after that, with also lemon drops…
The finish is quite long, now frankly
lemony and peppery. A few drops of
water make it fruitier and even simpler
(pear juice). This one will not make
you scratch your head but it’s
certainly very well made. Highly drinkable.
80 points. |
| Connemara
14 yo 1992/2006 (58.9%, OB for Corman
Collins, cask #K92/34 4183)
Colour: gold. Nose:
much more marked by the wood at first
nosing, even more austere and more
grassy although less peaty. It’s
all on liquorice stick, vanilla, yeast
and walnuts, getting even grassier
with time (horseradish, chives). Interesting
notes of high-end green tea and freshly
crushed mint leaves with also a little
mustard and hints of paraffin. Quite
some vanilla-flavoured tea as well.
Very interesting profile but certainly
not ‘Irish’ in style.
Mouth: sweeter and peatier, powerful
but not pungent at all. Lots of apple
compote before it gets very spicy
and oaky, even sort of prickly. Lots
of pepper! Then the rather huge peatiness
takes control, truly Islay-style.
I don’t know if these first
batches were actually peatier at Cooley’s
but they certainly taste like if they
were. Goes on with notes of quinces
and an little cinnamon… Very
excellent. Finish: very long, peaty
and waxy, with notes of bitter oranges
now… It’s an excellent
cask, no doubt, certainly in the same
league as most middle aged Islayers
from the south shore. Or something
of Caol Ila? 85 points. |
 |
BONUS
- THE NEW ARDBEG
Ardbeg
1998/2007 ‘Almost There’
(54.1%, OB, 2007)
Here we go, after the two 1998 ‘Very
Young’ (for discussion and
‘Committee approved’),
that I found too harsh and lacking
complexity (79 points) and the 1998
‘Still Young’, that
was already quite better I think
(83 points), the trilogy is now
complete with this ‘Almost
There’ that’ll be available
in April. Let’s compare it
with a perfect benchmark whisky,
the popular Ardbeg Ten (this one
bottled around 2004) that everybody
knows. |
| Colour:
white wine (slightly paler than the
Ten). Nose: certainly closer to the
Ten than both the VY and the SY, cleaner
than the Ten and a little harsher
(and that’s not only the alcohol).
We’re also closer to the mash
and grains (it smells like the distillery)
but certainly peatier, more medicinal
and more neatly maritime (a full plate
of fresh oysters, with kelp and all
that). Slightly milky as well. Less
fruity (less apples) than the Ten,
less sweet, cleaner and fresher but
a little less complex. Indeed, it’s
maybe ‘not quite there’
but the profile is ultra-clean. Mouth:
ah, it seems to me that the palate
is ‘closer’ to maturity
than the nose was. No harshness anymore
and quite some balance, with a striking
pepper – even more pepper than
in the Still Young and much more than
in the Ten. It seems that a part of
the Still Young’s fruitiness
disappeared (less ‘new make’
character) and was replaced with that
pepper and, curiously, even more peat.
Sure it’s no truly complex whisky
(yet?) but the cleanliness and ‘purity
of style’ is quite spectacular.
I’d really love to see what
this would give in sherry (but do
such sherry casks exist?) Finish:
long, balanced, peppery and now also
lemony, and of course very peaty.
Main difference with the Ten on the
palate: more peat and pepper, less
apples and liquorice. And it’s
cleaner whisky, even if, of course,
the Ten is very far from being dirty.
Another step forward I think (although
there’s probably less difference
from the SY than there was between
the SY and the VY). Will this be as
striking as the Ardbegs from the seventies
when it’ll be 20 years old?
That’s really possible, ‘if
wood permits’. 85 points
(btw, this Almost There is fab
with chocolate - and thanks, Jean). |
| |
|
March
16, 2007 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– TWO OLD IRISH FROM THEIR
ORIGINAL DISTILLERIES
Jameson
(40%, OB, ‘Bow Street Distillery
Dublin’, bottled 1970)
This one comes from the old Dublin
distillery, Jameson being now distilled
at Midleton in Cork. |
| Colour:
pale gold. Nose: we have an obvious
OBE, but more of the caramelly kind
although there’s quite some
mustiness and something slightly metallic.
The caramel grows even huger with
time, with also caramelized peanuts…
It gets also more mashy, starting
to smell almost like Guinness (which
takes the biscuit!) Also hints of
very ripe oranges, the whole switching
progressively to dustier and more
tea-ish notes (with maybe hints of
lavender and geranium). Well, it’s
very interesting but maybe not really
enjoyable, even if it’s not
even nearly tired. Mouth: extremely
sweet, nutty and cereally and not
weak at all, even powerful despite
the 40%. Very caramelly again, candied,
even a little coffeeish, malty, with
notes of burnt cake and overcooked
praline. Gets then quite liquoricy
and finally more tannic and dry, the
medium long finish being mostly on
bitter chocolate mixed with fresh
apple juice. In short, an unusual
style, much less fruity and more cereally
and chocolaty than the current Irish
but that may well come from bottle
age – or from the use of more
sherry casks. 78 points. |
| Power’s
Gold (40%, OB, John Power & Sons’,
bottled 1960’s)
From Jameson’s old rival distillery
in Dublin. Colour: pale gold. Nose:
this is much, much less caramelly
and toasted as well as closer to Scotch.
OBE is less obvious as well, the whole
being very grainy, developing then
mainly on cornflakes and candy sugar.
It gets then more complex, slightly
phenolic, with a little eucalyptus,
mint, lemon balm, wax and hints of
shoe polish. Less demonstrative than
the Jameson (even if we have a growing
and nice meatiness) but better balanced
on the nose, Mouth: a little weaker
than the Jameson, but with a closer
profile than on the nose. Grainy,
candied and cereally, more malty than
on the nose as well as fruitier (crystallised
oranges and a little coconut). It
gets bolder after a moment, liquoricy
and a little chocolaty (but less than
the Jameson). The finish is a little
shorter than the Jameson’s and
a little dustier but there’s
a nice signature on candy sugar. A
little better. 80 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: we're going Irish again
with the obligatory drinking song
Bugger
off.mp3. I'm sorry, I don't know
who's singing it here... |
| |
|
March
15, 2007 |
|
|
TASTING
– ELEVEN BUSHMILLS
There’s little Irish whiskey
on WF – a shame, agreed - but
St. Patrick’s Day (its on March
17th) is a good occasion to have a
go at a few (well, quite a few in
fact) versions. So, today we’ll
have eleven Bushmills including an
antique, tomorrow it’s going
to be two very old Irish whiskeys
(some original Jameson and Power’s)
and finally, on the 17th, we’ll
have eight new Tyrconnels and Connemaras
from Cooley’s. |
 |
| Bushmills
NAS (40%, OB, Blend, Ireland, circa
2006)
This is a blended whiskey. Colour:
pale gold. Nose: not too expressive
but nicely grainy and nutty, with
lots of freshness, developing on the
trademark banana notes as well as
a little apple and grape juice. Also
a little toasted cake, hints of mastic
and a very faint smokiness. Very inoffensive,
round and ultra-clean. Mouth: fruity,
direct, cereally and again very fruity.
We have mostly bananas, dried pears,
coconuts and cornflakes. Not weak
at all, with a finish that’s
medium long, still very fruity and
also slightly caramelly. I think I
like this better than most regular
Scottish blends, for it’s cleaner
and livelier. A perfect summer aperitif.
75 points. |
| Bushmills
NAS 'Black Bush' (40%, OB, circa 2006)
Black bush is matured entirely in
sherry casks. Colour: gold. Nose:
grainy again but also more influenced
by the wood, with quite some vanilla
and a little coffee. Probably less
extravagantly fruity than most other
Bushmills I already tried. Slight
hints of glue, roasted nuts, rum,
cake... A little less clean than the
regular version, which I like for
its cleanliness, precisely. Mouth:
maybe too ‘blendish’ this
time. It’s got a little more
body than the regular version but
just like on the nose, it’s
less youthful and clean. Quite caramelly,
toasted, with indeed a little sherry
in the background… The finish
is also a little longer but again,
less fresh. The whole isn’t
bad at all of course, just less…
err, fresh. And flawless. 72
points. |
| Bushmills
Malt 10 yo (40%, OB, Matured in two
woods, Oloroso & Bourbon, circa
2006)
Now it’s malt whiskey. Colour:
pale gold. Nose; very sweet and fruity,
starting on tons of ripe bananas and
quite some pear liquor. It gets frankly
bubblegummy after that, with also
nice notes of acacia honey and hints
of passion fruit and tangerines. Fruits,
fruits and fruits here, with maybe
just hints of grass and cut flowers.
Mouth: very sweet, very honeyed and
a little oaky, with notes of coconut.
Not too far from a pina colada, I’d
say. Or maybe a sweet young Muscat
wine like Beaume de Venise, to which
you would have added a little nutmeg
and cinnamon. The finish is rather
long very sweet and fruity as expected
but also slightly drying. 74
points. |
| Bushmills
Malt 12 yo ‘Distillery Reserve’
(40%, OB, circa 2006)
Colour: full gold. Nose: this one
is immediately more complex, with
lots of fruits of course but other
aromas as well, such as vanilla, fresh
butter, old books… Other than
that it’s the bananas again
but also gooseberries, apples (and
their skin), fresh almonds and walnuts…
More complex than the 10yo. Mouth:
yes, it’s certainly another
league. A better mouth feel, lots
of body, quite some spices upfront
(nice gingery notes), caramel, vanilla
fudge, bananas (but of course)…
And white pepper, cinnamon…
And always lots of ginger. Very good,
and the finish is rather long, on
something like bananas dipped into
cinnamon sauce and rose jelly…
Muscat? I like this one, it’s
a bottle to have in your summer bar.
82 points. |
| Old
Bushmills ‘Special Old Liqueur’
(75°proof, OB, 1950’s)
Colour: pale amber. Nose: wow, there
certainly is the ‘Bushmills
character’ (the bananas are
very present) but the whole is much
more candied, even smoother, and more
complex than the recent versions.
All these additional aromas do come
from bottle maturing, as they are
close to what we get with old Scotch.
Actually, this old Bushmills is closer
to Scotch Malt whisky than its younger
brothers. So, besides the bananas,
we have lots of coffee (more sherry,
for sure), leather polish, metal polish,
beeswax… And then it’s
a little camphor, mint and eucalyptus
like often with old bottles. No mustiness,
though. A superb nose. Mouth: much,
much closer to the current versions
at the attack, which makes sense,
as old bottle effect is usually much
stronger on the nose than on the palate.
So, we have bananas (right), caramel,
nougat, cereals, ginger, fudge…
Then maybe faint hints of metal…
Lots of tea after a moment, tannins…
Gets weaker and a little drying, especially
at the not too long finish, which
is more fragile and slightly indefinite
now. In a nutshell, a great, great
nose but a palate that’s more
so-so and that all youngsters dominate
HtoH (but it’s not worn out
at all despite the 50 years in glass).
78 points (the nose
is worth 85+). |
 |
| Bushmills
Malt 16 yo (40%, OB, Matured in two
woods, Oloroso & Bourbon, Finished
in Port Pipes, circa 2006)
Colour: full gold. Nose: much more
‘serious’ than the younger
Bushmills, also more austere, more
‘Scottish’ whatever that
means. Quite malty, with quite some
coffee, roasted nuts and cornflakes...
Raisins, very ripe apricots…
Then we have notes of farmyard, wet
wood, moss, mushrooms… Gets
rounder and smoother after a while,
with notes of, yes, bananas (but flambéed
this time). Most pleasant. Mouth:
sweeter again, closer to the regular
10 yo but better balanced and a little
less sweetish, although we have a
lot of that long yellow fruit starting
with a b.. Also oakier, with notes
of ‘arranged’ rum (rum
with slices of that fruit). The finish
isn’t too long but nicely sweet
and rummy (just a tad drying), the
whole being very enjoyable and very
drinkable whisky. 82 points. |
| Bushmills
21 yo Madeira Finish (40%, OB, circa
2006)
Nose: much nicer than last time I
tasted this ‘expression’
(I didn’t like it when I first
had it, a few years ago, but I remember
I had some Scotch before and I don’t
think Scotch and Irish go well together).
Nice notes of farmyard just like in
the 16 yo as well as smoked tea. Truly
a fino character. Gets drier, and
maybe a tad sour (old cask) but that’s
nice here. Also hints of walnut bur
and something that resembles peat.
Gets also fruiter and even flowery
with time (roses, lychees, Muscat).
Mouth: it’s roughly the same
profile as the 16yo’s (very
sweet) but there’s much more
wood in the background. So, besides
the Haribo sweets, the very ripe pineapples,
the lychees and that yellow fruit,
we have quite some white pepper, cinnamon,
just a little nutmeg and hints of
liquorice. Also a nice nuttiness and
a little coffee. The finish is also
longer than the 16yo’s, spicier.
This 21 yo is more exuberant than the
16 yo but I like the latter a tad better.
So, 81 points for
the ‘21’. |
| Bushmills
‘sherry - bottled 2002’
(53.7%, OB, cask #7427)
No age or vintage statement on this
one, which is weird. Colour: plain
gold. Nose: this ones starts straight
on oak and vanilla, with little sherry
at first nosing. It gets then quite
fruity but not overly so, with quite
some bananas (of course), butter pears
and notes of pollen. The wine wakes
up after a while, but it’s rather
of the muscaty kind, with something
that reminds me of some fresh sweet
muscat from Corsica. Then it’s
back on freshly sawn oak, with also
hints of lavender honey (which doesn’t
quite smell like lavender, don’t
worry). A very clean and straightforward
nose. Mouth: now it’s much sweeter
and fruitier, with even lots of fructose,
icing sugar, kiwi and mandarins…
Very spicy as well, with lots of white
pepper. Somewhat hot but very drinkable,
slightly bourbonny. The sherry is
very, very discreet. Finish: very
long, dryer and maybe a little too
spirity (kirsch) but with a welcomed
bitterness that sort of cuts the sweetness
off. Very good and globally quite
dry. 86 points. |
| Bushmills
1984/1996 (57%, OB for Celtic Whisk(e)y,
cask #11758)
From a dark sherry cask. Colour: mahogany
with bronze hues. Nose: it’s
the sherry that takes control right
from the start here, and we may well
have been near Ballindalloch or Elgin
– there’s little ‘Bushmillness’
here. Now, it’s a rather fantastic
dry sherry, with lots of walnuts,
wax polish, leather and Smyrna raisins,
coffee… And then the expected
meatiness (game) but no mint and no
eucalyptus that I can get. But bananas…
(flambéed with rum). Very excellent,
it seems that Bushmills is an excellent
base malt for heavy sherry maturing,
I hope it’s not a thing from
the past. Mouth: a rather fantastic
attack, with that mix of fruitiness
from the spirit with the huge sherry
that make it taste like a great old
cognac (or maybe rum). We have all
kinds of raisins, dates, prunes, chocolate
and praline, orange liqueur, with
a nice waxiness and notes of coffee-flavoured
toffee. Very excellent at just 12yo.
Finish: very long, very sherried,
not drying at all and certainly not
cloying… (although I wouldn’t
say it’s ethereal). Maybe the
best Irish I ever had, and it’s
not only thanks to the sherry. 90
points (many thanks,
Konstantin) |
| Bushmills
‘rum - bottled 2000’ (54.4%,
OB, cask #7111, 153 bottles)
Fully matured in a rum cask. Colour:
straw. Nose: much more discreet at
first nosing but maybe more elegant,
with the usual fruitiness being sort
of tamed by the rum – or so
it seems. Apples, bananas and pears
with a little candy sugar and an unusual
grassiness as well as something delicately
mashy (heavily buttered mashed potatoes
like Joël Robuchon did in his
older Parisian restaurant, 50% butter
and 50% potatoes). We have also quite
some flowery notes, pollen, light
honey and hints of vanilla crème…
Rather dainty, I’d say. Mouth:
excellent attack, again with maybe
more balance and delicacy despite
the huge fruitiness (you see what
I mean, don’t you). Nice notes
of bergamots and candy sugar, caramel-topped
pears, nougat, halva… And a
long finish, maybe a little more MOTR
now, more simply sweet and fruity.
Much closer to a ‘regular’
Bushmills than the 1984 of course
and very good. 85 points. |
| Bushmills
1993 ‘bourbon’ (56.5%,
OB for LMdW Paris, cask #298, 2006)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: more concentrated
and certainly much oakier on the nose.
Lots of vanilla and that yellow fruit.
Gets truly fragrant with time, with
lots of caramel and immense notes
of pollen and coconuts. Cask strength
Malibu? Not complicated at all and
hugely expressive, with something
‘modern’. ‘Parkerised’
whiskey? Mouth: the huge coconut notes
are here again, as well as quite some
bubblegum and marshmallows. Extremely
exuberant, with lots of sweetness
both from the spirit and from the
cask, clearly bourbonny but even sweeter
than most bourbons. Truly a fruitbomb
(or a coconutbomb). Hints of ginger
as well… And did I mention bananas?
Finish: not as long as it’s
siblings and also a little simpler,
with the above mentioned fruits and
quite some lactones on the tongue.
A wham-bam Bushmills – warning,
it’s hugely drinkable despite
the 56.5% (and despite its slightly
optimistic price, 145 Euros). 84
points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: of course it's Irish (inspired)
music today and they are The
Frame playing One
Irish rover.mp3. Please buy their
music... |
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Check
the index of all entries:
Whisky
Music
Nick's Concert
Reviews
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Best
malts I had these weeks - 90+
points only - alphabetical:
Benriach
12 yo 1994/2006 (58.9%,
Signatory, Château d'Yquem finish, cask
#06/143/33, 323 bottles)
Prestonfield
House Malt 10 yo (43%, Prestonfield,
late 1980’s)
Bowmore
25 yo (43%, OB, 2007)
Bowmore
38 yo 1968/2007 (42.7%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #3827)
Bushmills
1984/1996 (57%,
OB for Celtic Whisk(e)y, cask #11758)
Lagavulin
12 yo (43%,
OB, White Horse Distillers for Montenegro in
Zola, cork cap, early 1980’s)
Lagavulin
12 yo (43%, OB, White Horse Distillers
for Carpano in Torino, twist cap, rotation 1973)
Lagavulin
12 yo (43%, OB, White Horse Distillers
for Montenegro in Zola, cork cap, early 1980’s)
Longmorn
1990/2005 (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd,
casks #30111/30112)
Longmorn
30 yo 1976/2006 (59.7%, Kingsbury, bourbon
cask)
Longmorn
1976/2006 (54.3%, Mackillop’s
Choice, cask #5879)
Rosebank
1981/2006 (43%, Daily Dram)
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