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Hi, you're in the Archives, March 2008- Part 2 |
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March
31, 2008 |
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TASTING
– THREE OLD STRATHISLAS |
Strathisla 35 yo 1968/2004 (43.2%,
Duncan Taylor, cask #2773, 218 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: all floral at
first nosing, starting on yellow wild
flowers (dandelions and the likes),
then more fragrant flowers (lily of
the valley), then some very fresh
minty notes (as well as a little eucalyptus)
and finally vanilla and very soft
spices as well as a little honey.
The balance is excellent here, the
wood perfectly tamed, and the overall
profile subtle and delicate yet very
expressive. An excellent alternative
to the sherried Strathislas by G&M
methinks. Oh, and whiffs of wood smoke.
Mouth: sweet, fruity and rounded attack
on all things ‘yellow’
but alas, the oak is soon to get much
louder than on the nose. Not exactly
‘plankish’ but there’s
quite some tannins, cinnamon and white
pepper as well as a little nutmeg.
Ginger. Now, it’s still very
good old whisky but you have to like
oak. Finish: quite long but as expected,
a little drying and sort of ‘mate’.
Comments: very nice nose, palate a
little drying... The 37yo (47.6%,
cask #1332) is still my favourite
old Strathisla by DT. SGP:561
– 83 points. |
Astral
Hits 40 yo 1967/2008 (47.2%, The Nectar,
Daily Dram, 120 bottles, Strathisla)
Yet a funny anagram by The Nectar!
Colour: gold. Nose: we’re pretty
much is the same vein here, as far
as the nose is concerned, except that
this one is a little less aromatic
at first nosing, but also a little
more complex. Added waxy and mineral
notes as well as something slightly
grassier (or is it fresh almonds?)
Gets wilder with time, now more on
cigarette tobacco (unlit, eh!) and
smoked tea (lapsang souchong), also
a little oakier. This oldie still
has lots to say. Mouth: it’s
interesting that despite being quite
older, this one displays much less
oakiness. Or rather that the rest
is big enough to compensate for the
oakiness. Orange marmalade, dried
ginger, apricot jam, hints of cough
syrup, then quite some pepper and
cloves, then a little mint... Very
solid. The oak comes out a little
more towards the finish (even more
pepper) but it’s more ‘structuring’
oak than plain tannins and lactones.
Finish: very long, very peppery now.
Big oak indeed but again, no flaw
here. Comments: if you’re looking
for a whisky that displays a rather
heavy oakiness on the palate while
still being very, very good, watch
this one. SGP:561 –
91 points. |
| Strathisla
40 yo 1963/2003 (57.7%, JWWW Old Train
Line, cask #2745, 180 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: this one
is much ‘louder’, and
it’s not just for the higher
alcohol. Notes of sherry, apricot
jam, plum jam (greengage), then the
same kind of tobacco as in the Nectar
(still unlit, eh!), leather polish,
then all these beautiful flowery notes
(remember, dandelions), vanilla fudge,
butterscotch, old sweet white wine
(old Sauternes mixed with old white
Port or something like that –
no crime, it’s all virtual here),
white chocolate... Gets a little shyer
after all that but water may give
this one a second life. With water:
indeed, it’s a second life.
Cigar box, camphor, lemon balm, old
Chartreuse, pineapple liqueur, old
rum... Superb! Mouth (neat): yeah,
this is loud! Resembles the Nectar,
only much more powerful, which makes
it a little hard to enjoy when naked
(Serge!) Concentrated tannins. Quick,
water: oh yes, that worked! Superb
mint, smoked ham, eucalyptus sweets,
liquorice, mastic, argan oil, marzipan,
macadamia nuts, vanilla fudge... Very
exciting I must say. Finish: maybe
not exceptionally long but bringing
extra-flavours (more praline, vanilla,
white pepper.) Comments: very great
but don’t forget to add water
or the palate will be a little ‘too
much’. SGP:672 –
92 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening.
Do you remember Curved Air?
Almost thirty years later lead singer
Sonja
Kristina does a revised
version of one of their hits: Melinda
(more or less).mp3 (it's on
the CD 'Songs from the acid folk').
Please buy Sonja Kristina's music! |
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March
28, 2008 |
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| ONLINE
PETITION against
the use of the wording 'Blended
Malt Scotch Whisky' for
vatted malts to be found there.
If you're ever prompted to make a
donation to the website, it is not
obligatory and your vote will be recorded
even if you discard the donation. |
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TASTING
– FOUR 1977 ARDMORES |
| Ardmore
26 yo 1977/2003 (45%, Samaroli, 35th
Anniversary cask #7631, 738 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: very amusing,
this one starts on rather big notes
of olive oil (Italiano, ma!) before
it gets much more typically Ardmore,
mixing coal smoke, ripe peaches and
something like cooked rhubarb. Hints
of candle wax. A little less peaty
than expected but there’s a
perfect balance. Also hints of bitter
oranges, fresh putty, fresh almonds
and lemon marmalade. Mouth: a very
classy attack, at perfect strength.
Excellent body and mouth feel. Starts
on smoked tea, liquorice, pine resin
and salted butter fudge, getting then
more classically peaty, smoky and
mineral. Extremely compact, precise
and yet complex. Superb notes of buttered
apple pie – but butyric it ain’t.
Finish: medium long but again, very
precise and compact. Peat, cooked
apples and almonds. Comment: warning,
this is way too drinkable. SGP:555
(wazzat?)
– 90 points. |
Ardmore
30 yo 1977/2007 (50%, Douglas Laing
OMC, sherry, 427 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: this one is certainly
peater and more marked by the oak
– in a perfect way here. Old
furniture, cigar box, coal smoke,
peat smoke, walnuts, charcoal, old
pu-erh tea and vanilla plus a dash
of aniseed powder. And wet limestone.
Impeccable balance between peat and
a beautiful oakiness. Motor oil. Mouth:
Wait! Wazzat? Very, very bizarre...
I loved the nose but I’m afraid
I really dislike the palate. Glue,
varnish, plastic, rotting oranges,
lavender sweets, soap and ginger tonic.
Finish: more of the same. Comment:
this is flawed I think. Maybe it’s
a cork problem, I’ll have to
try some from another bottle when
I can. If it’s its ‘original’
profile, SGP:282 – 45
points but let’s say
that does not count. |
| Ardmore
23 yo 1977/2000 (58.1%, Signatory,
cask #1183, 306 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: this is
much more closed, austere, too flinty,
too oily and too spirity I think but
water should help. Big peatiness it
seems, though... With water: it becomes
a little lactic for a while, and then
funnily vegetal (raw cabbage, raw
asparagus – not cooked! –
fennel, dill...) Also whiffs of farmyard
after the rain – or something
like that. Mouth (neat): almost a
peat blast happening at the attack,
this could easily be mistaken for
an Islayer, albeit a younger one.
Peat, lemon and pepper – raw
power. With water: same comment, this
could easily be a rather young Ardbeg.
I think. It is good! Finish: long,
peaty, lemony, peppery... With kumquats.
Comment: very good whisky but don’t
forget your jug of water. SGP:367
– 84 points. |
Ardmore
17 yo 1977/1995 (59.6%, Cadenhead)
Colour: white wine. Nose: I cannot
make any differences with the Signatory
at this stage. Maybe just a tiny tad
sharper and more almondy. Quick, water:
just like the Signatory, gets a little
lactic but develops then more on coconut
and vanilla crème, with less
peat smoke. Gentler, in other words.
Hints of aniseed. Mouth (neat): more
different from the Signatory than
on the nose. A little less of a peat
monster, something rounder and creamier,
fruitier (green apples)... Well, that’s
just for a moment because it gets
quite ‘monstrous’ as well
after a few seconds. Cough, cough!
With water: we tamed it! A little
less ‘Islay’ than the
Signatory, spicier and fruitier at
the same time (grapefruits and pepper.)
Finish: long and a little earthier.
Gentian, salt, ginger. Comment: in
the same league as the Signatory,
may a tad more complex. SGP:366
– 85 points. |
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March
27, 2008 |
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NEWS
- Hans Offringa
proposes to make this very day,
March 27, the International
Whisky Day from now on,
as it's Michael Jackson's birthday
(the great man would have turned
66 right today). We think it's a
very good idea, so let's all join
Hans and raise a dram or three to
the memory of Emmdjay! (picture:
poster that was made for Michael
in San Francisco. It used to hang
on the wall of his office in Hammersmith.) |
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| TASTING
– FOUR TALISKERS |
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Tactical
18 yo 1988/2006 (50%, Douglas Laing
OMC, Refill Hogs, Ref 3220, 325 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: rather punchy
but unusually feinty at first sniffing,
with notes of sour cream, ‘natural’
yoghurt, lime juice and even grass
juice. Raw and acidic, with something
twisted. The peat is of the mineral
kind (excuse me Mr botanist). Sweat.
Mouth: better than the first time
I tried this one, maybe it needed
quite some breathing. Big peat mixed
with orange cake, ginger and pepper.
Good sweetness – maybe a tad
excessive, that is. Notes of marshmallows
and strawberry sweets. Gets then very
salty, which may not work too well
with the very sweet notes. Finish:
long but a bit ‘too much’,
thick, slightlyu cloying. Yes, that
salt plus sweetness thing again. Comments:
a good Talisker but there are many
better (and better balanced) ones
around I think, including ones by
Douglas Laing. SGP: 646 –
80 points. |
| Talisker
NAS 'Special Vatting' (53.9%, OB,
Distillery only)
This one was for visitors only. Colour:
straw. Nose: big, clean, sharp and
austere. Lamp oil, wet stones, thyme,
seashells and paraffin, sheep, and
finally the expected black pepper.
Not really multidimensional but exactly
what one would expect from a young
Talisker, I’d say. Mouth: zing!
Clean, pure, straightforward Talisker,
all on peat, salt, pepper and crystallised
lemons. Very, very salty, actually.
Finish: long and even saltier. Comments:
a simple but totally flawless Talisker,
for Talisker lovers. You may pass,
should you dislike salt in your whisky.
SGP:347 - 87 points. |
| Talisker
25 yo 1975 (59,9%, OB, Bottled 2001,
6000 bottles)
The first limited official Talisker
I believe. I always liked it but never
took proper notes. Colour: full gold.
Nose: it seems that there’s
kind of a fight between the spirit
and the sherry here, at least for
a while, but both mingle together
pretty nicely after a few seconds,
and do create an ‘extra-dimension’.
Something like peated and peppered
Seville oranges. After that it’s
all on orange cake, vanilla fudge
and chestnut honey (a very aromatic
honey), with the maritime side coming
out but not too much. Lovely anyway.
With water: more sherry, of the beefy
kind. Barbecued steak, stout beer
and smoked ham as well as dried kelp.
More complex indeed. Mouth (neat):
ultra-big, starting more on bitter
oranges and something like icing sugar
than on the expected peat-pack. Something
slightly ‘unbalanced’
(orangeade) but let’s try it
with water. Great news, these disturbing
‘chemically orangey’ notes
vanished and we’re all on dried
mushrooms, Havana tobacco and dried
ginger now. Something like lychees
and guavas as well – yes, that
was unexpected. It got truly beautiful.
Finish: long, balanced, sort of ‘appeased’,
both fruity and peaty/peppery. Comments:
I had this one at 88 until now but
I’ll happily add two more points.
SGP:536 – 90 points. |
| Talisker
15 yo 1981/1996 (64.2%, Scotch Malt
Whisky Society, 14.5)
Colour: full gold. Nose: not peat
and pepper at first nosing, rather
very bold notes of spicy vanilla crème.
The rest seems to be blocked by the
high alcohol level so let’s
add water right away. With water:
amazing how this one got medicinal.
Antiseptic, pine resin, eucalyptus,
wet newspapers, raw wool, stones...
Still quite sharp, even at 45% ABV.
Very flinty. Mouth (neat): forget
about it. Extremely oily but extremely
hot as well. Okay, water please: wow,
that worked! Extremely ‘Talisker’,
all on crystallised lemons, peat,
salt and pepper. Close to the ‘NAS
for visitors’ but a little sharper
and more brutal, that is. Finish:
long and very peaty, ending with peppered
orange zests. I’ll try that
in real life one day. Comments: what
a brute! SGP:237 – 86
points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening: remember
The
Real Kids? True rock
and roll in disco times. Let's listen
to My
Baby’s book.mp3r from
the album 'The Real Kids and then
buy The Real Kids' music! |
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March
26, 2008 |
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TASTING
– FIVE GLEN GRANTS from the
70’s |
Glen
Grant 23 yo 1977/2001 (45%, Signatory
Vintage, Stills of Scotland, hogshead)
A series for La Maison du Whisky.
Colour: white wine. Nose: starts pretty
yoghurty and feinty. Lemon-sprinkled
porridge, hay, sour cream, old barrel
(wet, mouldy wood). ‘Not a winner’
as they say. Mouth: a little better
but also a little too ‘chemical’
(Aldi lemonade), ginger tonic... A
little cardboardy as well. Gets better
after a while, more ‘cleanly’
gingery and spicy (pepper, cloves).
Finish: medium long, now more on walnuts
and orange juice, with these feinty
notes still lingering. Comments: not
a very pleasant old Glen Grant in
my book – does Glen Grant always
need sherry? SGP:251 –
71 points. |
| Glen
Grant 30 yo (46%, Single Malts of
Scotland, cask #188, 241 bottles)
From a sherry butt. Colour: amber.
Nose: starts on the same feinty notes
as in the Stills of Scotlands, but
with added layers of stale wine. Also
cooked cabbage, ‘old’
ham and walnut liqueur, gym socks,
bitter oranges... Not that it’s
completely flawed I think but the
overall profile is rather weird. Perverse?
Mouth: really better than on the nose
now, even if there’s something
‘chemical’ again. Oranges,
orangeade, roasted nuts, mead, old
walnuts... Not a big body. Finish:
its at this stage that it gets really
better, with pleasant notes of peppered
ripe strawberries. A little too late...
Comments: there’s been some
much, much better Glen Grants in this
series, especially the 1972 bottled
2007 at 54.9%. SGP:363 –
74 points. |
| Glen
Grant 30 yo 1977/2007 (46%, Coopers
Choice)
Colour: mahogany. Nose: this is much
more classically sherried. Perfect
dryness, prunes, bitter chocolate,
Corinth raisins, grilled beef, balsamico,
tobacco, shoe polish and old walnuts.
Extremely classic. Mouth: superb attack
on walnut liqueur and old rancio,
then mastic, orange drops, fudge and
coffee-schnapps. No need to say more.
Finish: medium long, in the same vein
except for a few tannins starting
to play on your palate as a signature
(tea). Comments: really classic, really
excellent and very drinkable. SGP:253
– 90 points. |
Glen
Grant 27 yo 1972/2000 (50%, Douglas
Laing OMC, 510 bottles)
Colour: dark amber. Nose: another
classic sherry monster but with more
exuberance and a bigger fruitiness.
Loads of prunes, fruitcake, sangria,
big notes of dried figs, orange cake,
strawberry jam... And a little smoke,
a little gunpowder and a little mint.
Good balance. Mouth: just like on
the nose, the attack is very fruity
(all kinds of dried fruits and a few
overripe ones). Big figs again. Actually,
it’s amazing how this one tastes
exactly like dried figs! Finish: long,
fig-like, with just a little more
spices. Comments: do you like figs?
I do... SGP:541 – 88
points. |
| Glen
Grant 35 yo 1972/2008 (57.7%, Duncan
Taylor, cask #3890)
Colour: pale amber. Nose: this one
is a little more restrained it seems,
but that could be the higher alcohol.
On the other hand, it’s maybe
a tad more elegant. Walnuts, dried
figs, something like buttered tea
(only had that once so I may well
be wrong here), oranges, wet hay...
Also a little more vegetal (fern,
moss, mushrooms) as well as a little
nuttier. With water: no big changes.
Maybe a little more orangey. Mouth
(neat): keyword balance. Assertive
and fruity, resinous and waxy. Quinces,
prunes, maple syrup, walnuts, toffee,
strawberry jam. XLNT despite a slight
sugariness. With water: jammier, more
candied, and just like on the nose,
more orangey. Finish: quite long,
clean, fruity, orangey and candied.
What a good jam! Comments: keyword
oranges. Excellent whisky. SGP:531
– 89 points. |
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NOTE
- The other day
I noticed that I had just written
my 200th tasting note for an Ardbeg,
so I quickly checked which other
distilleries I had tried most. The
figures were as follows: Ardbeg
(201), Caol Ila (182), Highland
Park (167), Bowmore (151), Macallan
(129), Port Ellen (124), Springbank
(121), Laphroaig (113) and Bruichladdich
(111). Now, I only tried Ben Wyvis
twice and am still waiting for samples
of Malt Mill, Stromness and Parkmore.
Come on, friends!
While
I'm at it and because
some have asked, we've got strictly
nothing to do with a rather recent
commercial website named whisky-fun.de,
but we fermly believe that whisky
and fun are all about sharing...
So why not website names? |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening: simply
Mr BB
King doing Playin’ with my friends.mp3 (from the
album Lucille and friends.) Please
buy BB King's music! |
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March
25, 2008 |
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MALT
MANIACS NEWSFLASH
The SWA/DEFRA Consultation
On
December 31, 2007, the SWA
(Scotch Whisky Association)
launched a new ‘Consultation
on proposals for Scotch Whisky
Regulations 2008’. |
| Frankly,
we don’t know whether
that consultation was aimed
at ‘simple’ consumers
or not but various friends,
including within the whisky
industry, suggested the Malt
Maniacs should send/publish
their own views. |
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As
the deadline for doing so
was right today, March 25,
well, here there are:
In
truth, there
has been hot debates regarding
this or that aspect of the
draft (the latter is available
here)
but the part that really pulled
a consensus within the MM’s
(minus one vote, actually)
was the now famous ‘Blended
Malt’ appellation,
that should replace the wordings
‘Pure Malt’ or
‘Vatted Malt’,
i.e a vatting of malts from
two malt distilleries or more.
Like the vast majority of
people we could talk to, whether
consumers or industry people,
we thought that the appellation
‘Blended Malt’
was misleading at best, and
came up with this proposition
instead (the suggestion first
came from Malt Maniac Lex
Kraaijeveld): |
SWA
Proposition
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Blended Malt Scotch
Whisky --->
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
--->
Blended Scotch Whisky |
Malt
Maniacs Proposition
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Malt Scotch Whisky
Grain Scotch Whisky
Blended Scotch Whisky |
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CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
NEIL YOUNG
Hammersmith Apollo, London, March
14th 2008 |
| Neil
Young has something of
a reputation for being a truculent
performer – but he’s certainly
not reluctant. Tonight was supposed
to have been the first of a two-night
stint at the Hammersmith Apollo, but
such was the demand for tickets that
four more nights were squeezed in
here (all sold out I believe) between
trips to Edinburgh and Manchester.
Such is the appeal of a timeless elder
statesman of rock, who has of course
only recently survived a brief encounter
with mortality. But despite his rather
(possibly contrived) shambolic demeanour
he doesn’t look (or sound) the
worse for it. And by his own standards
he’s very engaged with the audience,
enjoying a sort of grumpy badinage
throughout the two halves (acoustic
first, electric second) of a three
-hour-plus set. Maybe that’s
because long time collaborator Tim
Pope is here making a film. Or
maybe that’s just how he likes
it. |
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| The
stage is decked out like a film studio,
and at the back roadie and sometime
artist Eric Johnson is working on
a series of canvases (apparently it’s
‘conceptual’). There are
film crew everywhere, and I’m
glad not to be seated too close to
the front of the stage where their
presence is clearly unavoidably intrusive.
But Mr Young is protected from them,
and the audience, by a comforting
circle of instruments, seven guitars
and a banjo. There are at least three
Martins and a couple of big twelve
strings. As he moves in and out of
the circle to the pianos on either
side of the stage he does that thing
which all people do if you have guitars
in the house, which is just run your
thumb along the strings close to the
top of the fret board. It’s
a gesture of affection as much as
anything else, because guitars are
more than just guitars, they’re
friends. “You’re not listening”
says Young to a song-calling crowd
as he strokes the twelve strings,
each in a different open tuning. “You’re
not listening. These guitars are getting
on real fine” He picks up one
of the Martins, “Now this one
really turned on me last night…”
and plays (as I recall) ‘Love
art blues’ before returning
the guitar to its stand with a caress
of real affection. He’s just
as fond of his pianos, slowly stroking
the side of the ‘psychedelic’
baby grand before playing a haunting
version of ‘A man needs a maid’. |
| It’s
a wonderful hour and a half: starting
with ‘From Hank to Hendrix’
and finishing with ‘Old man’,
he delivers in between a thoughtful
selection of his moving (‘Don’t
let it bring you down’) and
sometimes funny (‘Old King’)
songs. His harmonica playing is exceptional
and his voice achingly vulnerable
– if the passage of time has
done anything to his singing it’s
made it a better vehicle for his songs
than it was. The audience are loving
it – this is what the majority
of them have come for – and
even the song-shouters give up their
griping towards the end. Indeed I
note that a number of the crowd leave
after this first set – no doubt
because they know only too well what
to expect in the second. I can see
that those who don’t, who have
somehow managed to keep the Neil Young
of Crazy Horse out of their minds,
are frankly shocked as the second
half begins, with Johnson introducing
each song – music hall style,
with a canvas on the right hand side
of the stage, and Young launching
into some mayhem guitar on his old
black Gibson Les Paul. |
Les
Paul Classic |
| It’s
not quite Crazy Horse, but with Ralph
Molina on drums, Rick
Rosas on bass, and Ben
Keith on guitars it’s close
enough (Young’s wife Pegi, who
opened the show, joins occasionally
on vocals and glockenspiel, as does
Anthony Crawford on vocals and keyboards).
Molina is awesome, but I imagine that
having played with Young for so long
he’s always able to second guess
where he’s going, particularly
during the frequent and prolonged
denouements to each song. Young’s
guitar playing, I wrote in my little
black notebook, ‘combines gravitas
with a barely concealed adolescent
fury’ particularly during his
lengthy solo on ‘No hidden path’,
much of which is spent facing up to
a huge yellow light on the right of
the stage. |
| It’s
a wonderfully hit and miss style,
fuzzy and feedback fuelled, it’s
raw, raucous and thoroughly self-indulgent,
just the sort of stuff we’d
all like to play in our living rooms
if our neighbours would let us. And
although it is loud, it’s nothing
like the volume of his set with Crazy
Horse at the Fleadh seven years ago,
when I swear I thought it was impossible
for so few people to make so much
noise. But everything gets the noise
treatment, even if there are some
delicate moments – ‘Too
far gone’, ‘Powderfinger’,
it’s noise all the way through
to encores ‘Cinnamon girl’
and ‘Tonight’s the night’. |
| Did
I mention the ovation that Young got
when he took the stage at the start
of the show? It was huge – almost
overwhelming I would have thought.
It was even bigger when he left about
three and a half hours later after
an almost flawless performance (bearing
in mind, of course, that flaws define
Young’s approach to both recording
and performance). |
He’s
playing in continental Europe later
in the summer, and will be back
for some festivals in the UK –
so should you have a chance I would
urge you to go and see him. Forget
what the cynics say about ageing
rock stars – here’s
a man at the top of his game. -
Nick Morgan (concert photographs
by Kate)
Music:
Neil Young's MySpace
page |
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| TASTING
– TWO NEW 1988 GLEN GARIOCHS |
|
Glen Garioch 19 yo 1988/2008 (53.1%,
James MacArthur, sherry, cask #1536)
We already had cask #1535 by Kames
MacArthur (bottled 2003) and really
liked it (88). Colour: full gold.
Nose: hot and really punchy! Starts
on big notes of rubbed orange skin
and plum spirit plus vanilla crème
and honey and is soon to get rather
superbly resinous after that. Thuja
wood, eucalyptus, pine resin, camphor,
liquorice... And cigarette tobacco,
mint, cedar wood... Add to that rather
heady (pleasantly so) notes of ripe
strawberries and you’ll get
a nose that’s pretty beautiful.
Very little peat that I can get but
indeed something phenolic. Very nice
oakiness as well. |
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| Mouth:
very thick, very creamy, with almost
the same mouth feel as a liqueur’s.
Big fruitiness (orange liqueur, strawberry
sweets) with also notes of milk chocolate
and mint, liquorice allsorts, honeydew
(pine tree ‘honey’), more
peat than on the nose, Turkish delights,
soft spices, pepper... Gets more and
more enjoyable and drinkable. Finish:
long, fruity, still ‘vigorous’
after quite some caudalies (a caudalie
is one second, as you may know). Comment:
pure pleasure! SGP:634 –
88 points. |
| Glengarioch
19 yo 1988/2008 (55.5%, Duncan Taylor,
cask #1560)
A sister cask, possibly from the same
lot. Colour: pale gold. Nose: as often,
this one is very similar but the sherry
and the fruitiness are less obvious,
as if it was a refill cask that had
contained its first whisky for a much
longer time than cask #1536. A bit
more mineral and ashy, as well as
more vegetal (raw rhubarb, sorrel).
It also seems that there was more
peat in this one – or rather
than the peatiness is less masked
by the wood. What’s sure is
that it’s a beautiful nose again.
Notes of fresh oranges develop over
time . It’s great to be able
to check the difference that a more
– or less – active cask
imparts to the very same distillate.
Mouth: this is now the same whisky
as the James MacArthur, with maybe
just a little more resinous notes
and a slightly bigger pepperiness.
Does that mean that a more active
cask is more noticeable on the nose
than on the palate? Finish: same as
above. Comment: did I already say
‘pure pleasure’? SGP:544
– 88 points. |
 |
And
also Glen
Garioch 29 yo 1968/1997 (55.9%, OB,
cask #624)
From The Timmermans 40-session. Nose:
rather beautiful sherry despite a
heavy meatiness. Big notes of cigar,
game, tyres, pipe juice, peat... Very
thick on the nose. Mouth: ultra-concentrated
indeed but balanced, which is quite
an achievement. Peat, orange liqueur,
chewed cigar, Mandarine Impériale,
gentian spirit. Comment: extremely
rich - spectacular! SGP:744
– 90 points. |
| |
March
23, 2008 |
|
|
| TASTING
– 16, 17, 18: THREE BLACK DUMPY
GLENLIVETS |
 |
Glenlivet
16 yo 1974/1990 (54.3%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy)
Colour: straw. Nose: hot, spirity
and grainy, with whiffs of smoke,
getting rather soapy after a while.
Very soapy, actually, hard to enjoy.
With water: gets grassier but never
quite enjoyable. Farmyard. Mouth
(neat): big, punchy but very ‘new’.
Alcohol, kirsch, apple spirit. With
water: it got more drinkable but
the overal profile didn’t
change much. Finish: long, fruity,
spirity, simple. Comments: one of
the last dumpies – not the
nicest ones for sure. SGP:541
(wazzat?)
- 72 points. |
| Glenlivet
17 yo 1972/1990 (55.7%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy)
Colour: straw. Nose: even more spirity,
with even notes of acetone and then
pear spirit after the very varnishy
notes have vanished a bit (are we
good at cheap alliterations or what?).
Raw alcohol. With water: way nicer.
Gentle, rounded fruitiness, rhubarb
pie and fresh ripe strawberries. Mouth
(neat): very spirity and fruity, just
like a mixture of various fruit eaux-de-vie.
Apple, pear, kirsch, plum... With
water: even more of the same. The
rubber got bigger. Finish: long but
still fruity/rubbery, not unlike quickly
distilled tutti-frutti alcohol. Comments:
a tad better than the 1974 in my book.
SGP:542 - 74 points. |
| Glenlivet
18 yo 1972/1990 (53.7%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy)
Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re
really on nail polish this time, and
then on strawberry liqueur and newly
sawn oak plank. Gets better (smoother)
with a little time, more on apple
peelings and tinned pineapples. With
water: whiffs of ginger tonic and
even more oak plank. That didn’t
work. Mouth (neat): fruit eau-de-vie
again plus a little rubber. Harsh
and much oakier than its siblings.
With water: it’s the pepper
from the wood that strikes now. Better
balanced than its bros. Finish: long,
peppery and grassy. Comments: another
one for people who’re not afraid
of... raw spirit. What’s sure
is that anything that’s black
and dumpy isn’t always great
as far as whisky’s concerned.
Oh well... SGP:451 - 74 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening.
Another Hammond Ogranist extrardinaire,
Rhoda
Scott. This time she's
playing the standard Never
let me go.m3 from her album
Summertime. Please buy
Rhoda Scott's music! |
 |
| |
March
21, 2008 |
|
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
 |
TASTING
– THREE 1979 PORT ELLENS |
| Port
Ellen 22 yo 1979/2002 (43%, Signatory,
cask #5745, 345 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: not a wham-bam
PE at first nosing but a rather typical
one, pretty much on tar, new tyres
and sea air. Gets then even more ‘coastal’,
with notes of fisherman’s net,
seashells, iodine (a lot) and kelp,
getting finally sort of mentholated,
earthier and rootier (humus). Maybe
just a tad lactic as well but the
general feeling is rather fresh. Mouth:
good mouth feel at just 43% ABV, salt,
peat, almonds, pepper, lemon and something
slightly waxy and resinous (mastic).
Very drinkable! Finish: rather long,
balanced, more lemony and a tad saltier.
The best alternative to tequila? Comments:
good and more drinkable than many
Port Ellens. SGP:337 –
86 points. |
| Port
Ellen 25yo 1979/2005 (50%, Douglas
Lain OMC, sherry finish, DL2016, 425
bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: bizarre,
very bizarre, and not much ‘PE’
at first sniffing. Vanilla crème,
warm milk, orange cake... Gets nicer
with time, that is, more maritime,
peatier and smokier but I find the
whole to be aromatically weakish.
Wet wool. Keeps hesitating between
‘a lactic sweetness’ and
the expected tarry smokiness. Mouth:
more ‘PE’ now but there’s
this odd sweetness that remains on
your tongue. Icing sugar? As if someone
had added sugar to a good, ‘regular’
Port Ellen. The funniest thing is
that it’s far from being unpleasant.
After gin fizz, here’s Port
Ellen fizz! Finish: rather long and
very lemony now. Peated lemonade?
Comments: on the one side, it’s
sort of a made-up Port Ellen, but
on the other side, it’s quite
good, so let’s not be a silly
purist. SGP:436 – 84
points. |
Port
Ellen 26 yo 1979/2006 (50%, Douglas
Laing OMC, Rum Finish, 342 bottles)
Another one that was oddly
finished. ‘Why?’ Colour:
white wine. Nose: it’s roughly
the same that happens here. Half-sugary,
half-peaty/smoky. Good news, the sweetness
vanishes rather quickly here, leaving
more room for ‘Islayity’.
Wet wool, sea breeze, kelp... And
a little pepper on fresh butter. Rather
nice, the distillery’s character
not being masked by the finishing
too much. Maybe refill rum? Mouth:
sweeter and more sugary than the ‘sherry’.
Candied peat. Less balanced than the
‘sherry’, frankly too
sugarish for my taste. Unusual notes
of very ripe kiwis and dried oranges.
Gets bitterish after a while (leaves,
rocket salad). Finish: long but even
bitterer now (chlorophyl) as well
as cardboardy. Comments: from excessive
sweetness to excessive bitterness
on the palate. A rather weird Port
Ellen in my opinion, but it’s
still rather good whisky. SGP:566
– 79 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening.
Blues-rock hitman Steve
Earle and his Dukes
play a very rough and roaring Breed.mp3.
Excellent! Please buy Steve Earle's
music! |
 |
| |
March
20, 2008 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE KNOCKDHUS
Knockdhu 12 yo (43%, OB, mid-1990’s)
The official Knockdhus were named,
err, Knockdhu before they were changed
to An Cnoc because of some possible
confusion with Knockando, but the
labels were kept similar for a while.
Colour: straw. Nose: very malty,
milky and yeasty at first nosing,
not unlike a whisky-sprinkled plate
of warm porridge. Hints of wet newspaper.
Gets then more flowery (buttercups
and other ‘yellow’ wild
flowers), with also notes of vanilla
cream and rice pudding. Not very
bold... |
| Mouth:
very sweet attack, very malty, caramelly,
vanilled, grainy... Reminds me of
some blends. Candy sugar, pineapple
sweets and dried apples. Not bad at
all I must say but lacks character
for my taste. Finish: medium long,
malty and caramelly, with maybe just
a small pinch of salt. Comment: average
but very drinkable. Good introduction
to malt whisky? SGP:341 (wazzat?)
– 79 points. |
| An
Cnoc 1993/2007 (46%, OB)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: much more
happening than in the old twelve.
Much fruitier (red apples, pears,
peaches) and more flowery as well
(same notes of wild yellow flowers,
heather). Flower nectar and pollen.
Whiffs of farmyard behind all that
and finally vanilla crème.
Very pleasantly assertive (as they
say). Mouth: creamy, rather rich,
compact, with a very special fruitiness.
Ripe strawberries, bananas flambéed,
honey and vanilla crème. Good
pepper that sustains the whole. Finish:
medium long, maltier. Comment: good
whisky, much less in blend territory.
Very pleasant honeyed notes that give
it something of Highland Park. SGP:442
– 83 points. |
| Knockdhu
14 yo 1989/2003 (52.9%, Cadenhead’s,
282 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: hard! Extremely
yeasty, porridgy, yoghurty... Almost
feinty in fact. Unusual notes of burned
heather and thyme, paraffin, plastic,
motor oil... Not repulsive as such
but unless you’re really looking
for something, well, unusual, you
may pass... Mouth: better now, at
least at the attack. Much less yoghurty
and much fruitier. Rather hot. Plum
spirit and cornflakes. Like in the
1993, quite some pepper coming through
after a while. Malty and liquoricy.
Finish: long but with a bigger bitterness.
Tickles your throat a bit. Comment:
very average I think. Not much to
say... yawn... SGP:241 –
70 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening.
Sadly forgotten soul
diva Valorie Keys
(very rare!) does Eddie Harris’
Listen
here.mp3 in 1966. It's on the
the album Funk Soul Sisters. Please
buy Valorie Keys' (and all the sistas')
music! |
 |
| |
March
19, 2008 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE YOUNG OLD MACALLANS
No contradictions here, in WF vocabulary,
‘young old’ means a
recent bottling of an old whisky.
‘Old young’ means an
old bottling of a young whisky.
‘Old old’ and ‘young
young’ mean... well, you got
it i’m sure. |
| Macallan
38 yo 1969/2007 (40.4%, Duncan Taylor
Rare Auld, cask #6846, 176 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: it seems that
this old Macallan is a very fruity
one. Starts on some rather beautiful
notes of ripe apples and strawberries,
goseberries and even raspberries,
and gets then much spicy/oaky (ginger,
cinnamon, aniseed). Its also a little
bubblegummy, which is sort of funny.
Keeps developing for quite some time
after that, getting more ‘acidulated’
(lemon, kiwi, tangerines), with also
quite some vanilla. Very pleasant,
let’s hope the palate won’t
be too drying and woody. By the way,
no sherry whatsoever in this one.
Reminds me of the times when we had
to rely on independent bottlers to
be able to try unsherried Macallans.
Mouth: very good news, this one isn’t
too oaky despite its age and the very
low strength. No tannins infusion,
rather some beautiful notes of dried
oranges, dried ginger, figs, quince
jelly (luv’ that) and marzipan
plus crystallised lemon zests and
vanilla fudge. A few tea-ish notes
from the wood but it’s more
an asset here. Excellent old whisky.
Finish: medium long but rather complex,
a bit woodier now, faintly sour but
also more candied and toffee-ish.
Comment: very, very good. Only the
rubber and the slightly sour finish
prevent me from going up to 90+. SGP:651
(wazzat?)
– 89 points. |
| Macallan
30 yo 'Fine Oak' (43%, OB, circa 2007)
Colour: full gold. Nose: similar ‘in
spirit’ to the 1969 but other
that that, quite different on the
nose. Maltier and grainier and rather
less fruity. Added hints of sherry
as well, albeit very discreet ones.
Also a little more flowery (rather
big notes of pollen, that is). Dandelions
and roses, cedar wood, oranges, spicy
honey (ginger) and a very faint soapiness.
Rather aromatic as a whole but less
so than the 1969. Mouth: rounder,
softer and creamier than the 1969
and much maltier as well. A lot of
vanilla crème, gingerbread,
roasted nuts and caramel. Gets more
caramelly by the minute, that is.
The sherry grow bigger as well. Also
notes of apricot pie, apple pie...
More happening on the palate than
on the nose I think. Finish: rather
long, mainly on candy sugar and gingerbread.
Comment: I like this one a little
better than last time I had it (from
earlier batches). Now, is it worth
the 500 Euros price tag? SGP:541
– 85 points. |
| Macallan
19 yo 1988/2008 (53.3%, Duncan Taylor
Rare Auld, cask #8426, 271 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: more, much
more happening here, even if the whole
is rougher. Big notes of espresso
coffee, very ripe oranges (and zests),
rather big smokiness (pine wood smoke
– unusual in whisky), rubber
bands (a whole pack) and eucalyptus.
Also Turkish delights, orange blossom
and rosewater. A big, very expressive
Macallan, very likeable as well provided
you’re not against rubber in
your whisky – on the nose. Let’s
see what happens with a little water:
the malt comes out more, as well as
tar and tealeaves. More liquorice
as well. Mouth (neat): very thick
and very creamy – and directly
oriental, with loads of figs (and
the liqueurs made thereof), oriental
pastries (baklavas, orange blossom
water), and liquorice. Very big –
and good news, no rubber this time.
Slight saltiness. With water: again,
it’s the liquorice that grows
bigger. Maltier as well. Finish: long,
malty, honeyed and salty. Comment:
one of the biggest lightly sherried
Macallans I ever came across I think.
Recommended! SGP:643 –
88 points. |
| And
also Macallan
18 yo 1968/1986 (43%, OB)
From the Timmermans 40-session. Nose:
complex and balanced. Ham and prunes,
milk chocolate, rhubarb pie, praline,
espresso coffee and cardamom. Superb.
Mouth: again, complex and ‘antique’
yet rather fresh. Sultanas, ripe strawberries,
marshmallows and bubblegum (unusual
in old Macallans), orange cake. Less
sherried than other versions but still
at the top. Also slightly medicinal.
Brilliant whisky ‘anyways.’
SGP:632 – 91 points. |
 |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening.
Country - blues wonder Ry
Cooder plays the Theme
from Southern Comfort.mp3; that
rather amazing movie where National
Guards on a training weekend (thanks,
N.) get lost in Louisiana's bayou.
Please buy Ry Cooder's music! |
 |
| |
March
18, 2008 |
|
|
CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
THE ZOMBIES Shepherds Bush
Empire, London, March 9th 2008 |
| It’s
the time of the season. There’s
one mother of a millennial storm forecast
for the UK, and London is red on the
map, 60 per cent chance of severe
damage and disruption says the risk-averse
Met
Office. Recommendation? Stay at
home, lock your doors, keep away from
windows, buy candles, drink hot drinks.
Well, it evidently hasn’t worked
for everyone, as the Shepherds Bush
Empire is almost bursting with brave
or foolhardy adventurers who’ve
all come out, forty years on, to witness
a piece of 1968 that never quite happened.
|
| It’s
the
Zombies (well almost,
as Keith Airey is taking the place
of the late Paul Atkinson on guitar),
the great lost band of the sixties,
performing in its entirety their now
much-lauded album Odessey and Oracle.
Now don’t let the spell checker
fool you, Serge – the story
is that the guy who designed the long
player’s suitably ‘psychedelic’
cover couldn’t spell Odyssey,
and by the time the error was discovered
it was too late to fix it. Anyway
it’s a piece now regarded as
a landmark album – straddling
the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson on
the one hand and the Beatles and Lennon
and McCartney (sorry Sir Paul, I mean
McCartney and Lennon) on the other. |
 |
| Listening
to the album I wouldn’t quite
agree – the songs aren’t
as strong overall as their counterparts,
and the album lacks the coherency
that others – notably Sergeant
Pepper, offered. But that’s
not to say that it isn’t very
good. And as the band had split up
before it was released (no-one will
quite say why, but they were clearly
hard-up and there was probably some
jealousy between the guys who had
the song- writing credits - organist
Rod
Argent and bass player Chris White
- and those that didn’t, Atkinson,
drummer Hugh Grundy and stellar vocalist
Colin
Blunstone), the opportunity to
see it performed live is too hard
to resist. |
| That’s
not that the Zombies haven’t
toured of late – Argent and
Blunstone, both of course with their
own successful solo careers, have
been fronting a Zombies ‘touring
band’ – I suppose a sort
of self-tribute outfit - for a few
years, with Kinks veteran Jim Rodford
on bass, his son Steve on drums, and
Airey on guitar. |
| And
this is what kicks the evening off
with a rather eclectic and not entirely
satisfactory selection of songs like
‘I love you’ (a long-forgotten
B-side from 1965), Ray Charles’
‘Sticks and stones’ (one
of the R&B standards that had
made up much of their original repertoire)
and even ‘What becomes of the
broken hearted’, during which
the audience positively flinched when
asked to sing along (at 8.30 on a
Sunday night?). Blunstone was then
accompanied by Argent and a string
quartet through some of his hits –
and by this time it was obvious that
this most deliberate of singers was
really starting to find his voice
– notably with the gorgeous
‘Misty roses’. I can’t
actually believe I wrote that because
I used to detest the then impossibly
tight-trousered Blunstone when I was
at school, but his voice was simply
magical, and you could, as they say,
have heard a pin drop when he sang
this and, of course, ‘Say you
don’t mind’. Argent then
had his turn, finishing predictably
enough with ‘Hold your head
up’. |
|
Colin Blunstone |
| To
be honest the first half probably
left a few of us wondering if we might
not have been better advised to follow
the advice of the Met Office and stay
at home – but we shouldn’t
have worried. The Zombies, and Odessey,
was introduced by Al Kooper, famous,
amongst other things, for his Hammond
organ part in Bob Dylan’s ‘Like
a rolling stone’, and with respect
to this evening, for getting the album
released in the United States, where
‘Time of the season’ became
a huge hit, ending up, as many of
us will remember, on The Rock Machine
Turns You On, the first sampler album.
They took the stage to an ovation,
Blunstone looking nervous and like
a Brand Ambassador for Grecian
2000, Grundy invisible behind
his drums, a greying but hirsute Argent
bouncing with the enthusiasm of a
schoolboy, and a portly White defiantly
shouting his sixties credentials by
having an Esso
tiger’s tail hanging from
his bass. Assisting on keyboards and
vocals was Darian Sahanaja, sometime
Musical Director to Brian Wilson and
leader of ‘Powerpop’ band
the Wondermints. |
| Well,
apart from a few guitar notes I didn’t
notice a fault with the performance,
and the harmony parts if anything
sounded better than they do on the
album. Blunstone’s voice just
continued to amaze and his presence
managed to make even the weaker material
on the album transcend a sixties time-trap.
Some of the songs, ‘Changes’
and (of course) ‘Time of the
season’ really stood out, as
did the anti-war ‘Butcher’s
tale’, very well sung by White,
with a resonance for 2008 that he
could not have imagined when he wrote
it. It’s a short album, so it’s
a short set, even if Argent is allowed
a slightly self-indulgent (but thoroughly
enjoyable) solo on ‘Time of
the season’. |
| The
encores, ‘Tell her no’
and ‘She’s not there’
were simply a prelude to a long, and
much-deserved standing ovation for
these surviving pioneers of pop. And
as we ventured out into a windswept
west London one thought continued
to puzzle me: where did these songs
come from? What transformed a pretty
good R&B covers band into mould-breaking,
and mould-shaping, musicians? Just
what happened forty-odd years ago
to open a Pandora’s box of beat
music and redefine the face of popular
music? And to help you find the answer,
I suggest you wear a pretty floral
shirt, put a nicely-scratched copy
of Odessey on your Dansette
record-player, pour yourself a large
Scotch and soda, light up a slim panatella,
and ponder. - Nick Morgan (concert
photographs by Kate) |
 |
| TASTING
– BALBLAIR, A (very) SHORT RETRO-VERTICALE |
 |
Balblair
34 yo 1965/2000 (40.1%, Douglas Laing
OMC, 169 bottles)
Will this one be as fruity as its
sistas from the same years? Colour:
full gold. Nose: yes the big fruitiness
is well here, albeit it’s not
quite an immense fruitiness such as
the famous (and adorable) official
38yo 1966. Bananas, tangerines, beeswax,
then mint and hints of camphor, then
we’re back on coffee and wax
polish as well as dried oranges, toffee...
A classic old Balblair but with an
interesting added smokiness instead
of it being a true fruitbomb. Whiffs
of hay as well. No signs of overageing.
|
| Mouth:
more wood influence, obviously. The
oak and the fruits are fighting each
other at the attack and even if bananas
and peaches never completely die,
it’s the wood that wins as often
in old whiskies, especially when the
strength dropped quite a lot. Green
tea, herbal teas (I get cherry stems),
grape skin, apple peelings... And
finally huge notes of walnut liqueur.
Gets rather better with more time
– once you got used to the oakiness
;-). Finish: pretty long despite the
low strength, better balanced than
‘at the end of the middle’.
Bananas (including skin), tea and
praline. Comment: as often with these
old whiskies, a great-great nose and
a ‘very okayish’ palate.
SGP:561 (but more
like 741 on the nose alone) –
86 points. |
Balblair
22 yo 1975/1998 (46%, Dun Eideann,
cask #98/1359) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: very strange!
White tequila and parsley plus lovage
and soy sauce. It smells like a Chinese
restaurant at rush hour, if you see
what I mean. Very metallic as well,
wet chalk, dust... And caramelised
beef. Highly unusual, it could be
great, it could be quite a disaster...
Let’s see what gives on the
palate. Mouth: well, it’s not
a disaster but it’s certainly
not something ‘good’ as
such. The first thing that comes to
mind is these cheap fruit liqueurs
that one can buy at tourist shops
all over the world. Longans? Strawberries?
Oranges? Something cooked as well,
Jell-O... Then burnt cake, overcooked
coffee, cooked sweet wine... Rather
exuberant in fact but enjoyable? Not
really... Finish: long, with something
slightly chemical now. Orange liqueur,
‘industrial’ orangeade,
caramel, black pepper. Comment: weird
whisky, which is strange as there
were very great ones within this series.
SGP:443 – 67 points. |
| Balblair
16 yo 1991/2007 (55.2%, Dewar Rattray
for Jack Wieber for Monnier, cask
#3289, 60 bottles)
60 bottles, quite a garage bottling,
eh! Or is this one to be found behind
other liveries as well? Colour: gold.
Nose: we’re rather close to
the Dun Eideann but without the odd
notes. A more obvious sherry as well.
‘Good’ rubber, gunpowder,
coffee, milk chocolate, praline, caramel,
chocolate-dipped orange zests... But
none of the beautiful fruity aromas
that we usually find in older versions
of Balblair. Rather pleasant, though.
Good mintiness coming through after
a while. Mouth: starts on a much heavier
sherry – and rubber. Chewed
rubber band (yes, you really have
to be starving), cherry liqueur, over-infused
tea, ginger, kumquats, cloves, pepper...
All that is a little too much for
my taste, even if I like it better
after it could rest a bit. Gets more
liquoricy and rounder at the same
time. Chocolate-covered liquorice
and strawberry jam. Yes, ‘thick’
even if it’s no sherry monster
as such. Finish: long, more orangey.
Something slightly hot – and
heavy liquorice. Comment: liquid liquorice
on the palate, really. SGP:542
– 82 points. |
 |
| |
March
17, 2008 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE HIGH-STRENGTH DALMORES
from the 1970’s |
| Dalmore
28 yo 1974/2002 (57.9%, OB for Japan,
cask #5083)
Colour: gold. Nose: as expected, this
one starts boldly on oranges, oranges
and oranges. Dried, fresh and crystallised
oranges as well as orangey perfume,
orange-scented soap and orange-flavoured
yoghurt. Let’s see what gives
after the addition of a little water.
With water: it got quite superb, with
more tropical fruits such as passion
fruits, mangos, pomegranates... Partly
reminds me of old Bowmores in a certain
way. Lemon tree honey. Yes, this is
superb! Not only oranges ;-). Mouth
(neat): very big, very sweet, very
fruity. Notes of apple brandy (calvados),
tangerine liqueur, Grand-Marnier (or
competitor Cointreau), then honey,
milk chocolate and caramel... Very
pleasant, less in need of water than
on the nose. Still, let’s add
water again: well, it’s maybe
not quite as stunning as on the nose
after reduction but still, it’s
superb whisky. Beautiful oak and its
spicy cortege (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg,
cardamom) plus both white and milk
chocolate. And let’s not forget
the oranges! Finish: long, mostly
on ginger/pepper/dried oranges. Comment:
something that reminds me of the fantastic
50yo. Excellent Dalmore provided you
don’t hate oranges – who
does?, but don’t forget to add
water! SGP:742 (wazzat?)
– 90 points. |
| Dalmore
28 yo 1976/2005 (58%, Blackadder,
cask #BA0244, 348 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: fresher (more
on, ahem, squashed oranges) and more
winey. Probably from a second fill
sherry cask but I’m not sure.
Goes on with crushed strawberries,
dry white (riesling), cooked blueberries
and a little rubber. Maybe a little
too heady and spirity, let’s
add water. With water: definitely
less fruity than the OB, but maybe
more multidimensional. More on guavas,
ginger, coriander, chestnut honey
(please try that honey when you can,
if you never did), soft curry, maple
syrup... Again, a beautiful nose,
very assertive. Mouth (neat): excellently
round, fruity and spicy. Closer to
the OB at this stage but also even
more satisfying. More candied. Ripe
kiwis, cloves, icing sugar and strawberry
drops. It’s frightening how
easy to drink this one is –
at 58% ABV. With water: still big,
even at roughly 40% ABV, still thick
and creamy, but a little simpler this
time, quite curiously. Not that it
doesn’t swim but there’s
something slightly too rubbery that
came out and that never disappeared.
Big saltiness as well. Finish: long
and salty. Very, very salty! Comment:
amazing changes on the palate after
reducing. Interestingly, water makes
wonders on the nose but doesn’t
work too well on the palate with this
Dalmore. Excellent whisky anyway.
SGP:652 - 89 points. |
| Dalmore
1976/2007 (59.9%, Jack Wieber, The
Cross Hill, 110 bottles)
Another one that’s very high
in alcohol at around 30yo. Colour:
straw. Nose: we’re well in the
same family here. Fresh oranges and
a little rubber, strawberry liqueur
and kirsch. No winey notes, though,
rather a bigger oakiness. More butter
and more vanilla. With water: this
is getting boring, it’s another
superb nose! Full oranges, ginger,
sandalwood and incense. Mouth (neat):
well, this one is too hot and powerful
to be enjoyed when naked (I mean,
the whisky of course). More oak than
in its siblings, that’s for
sure (green tea). With water: that
worked this time, but it’s quite
different from its bros. More on wax,
bitter oranges and ginger, as well
as various spices (I get cardamom
again, cinnamon, white pepper...)
Finish: long but maybe a tad oaky
now. Strong tea, ‘sawdust’,
apple peelings – other than
that it’s great. Comment: another
excellent old Dalmore, just a tad
too oaky for my taste. Well, it was
oakier than both the OB and the Blackadder.
SGP:542 – 87 points. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: the marvelous pasionnaria
Brigitte
Fontaine (born 1939)
sings Rue
St-Louis en L'île.mp3.
Her friends Sonic Youth describe
her as 'France's secret weapon of
avant-garde amour et sortie'. Yeah
well, please buy her music. |
 |
| |
March
16, 2008 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– TWO DEVILISH 25yo GLENTURRETS
Glenturret
25 yo (43%, OB, Globe Decanter,
+/- 1995)
This one has quite a reputation...
Erm... Colour: pale gold. Nose:
right, right... Is that wood alcohol?
Methanol? Wet paper, ink, ginger
tonic, new plastic, burning tyres,
fermenting hay... Bizarre, very
bizarre... Not totally unpleasant,
that is, it’s just that you’ve
got to be a bit perverse to enjoy
this I think. But interesting it
is! Mouth: yawn! Something like
orange wine mixed with caramel,
soap and glue (the one that’s
behind postage stamps, you know...)
Another planet indeed – well,
I guess it’s all a matter
of references. Finish: medium long
but much soapier. Comments: something
must have gone wrong here. SGP:161
- 49 points. |
Glenturret
25 yo 1965/1990 (52.4%, Cadenhead,
black dumpy) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: perversity
at cask strength, I’d say. All
what was found in the ‘globe’
plus rotting oranges. And ginger beer?
What’s sure is that no-one can
remain immune to Glenturret’s
‘charm’, so to speak.
Another planet. Mouth: harsh and spirity,
gingery, papery, peppery, bitter...
But better than the ‘globe’,
no doubt, thanks to rather pleasant
lemony notes. Finish: long, peppery,
lemony and cardboardy. Comments: still
one for Dr. Evil in a certain way.
SGP: 361 - 66.6 points
(of course). |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: Frenchman Pierrejean
Gaucher and his band
are doing Frank Zappa's Heavy
duty Judy.mp3 live (that was
on Gaucher's 'excellent Zappe Zappa'
album.) Please buy these people's
music! |
 |
| |
March
15, 2008 |
|
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TASTING
– TWO RATHER DIFFICULT 1993
ARDBEGS
Ardbeg 1993/2007 (56.3%, Jack Wieber,
The Cross Hill, 303 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: raw alcohol
at first, then new plastic and varnish,
then rabbit dropping, cider vinegar,
riesling from a not-so-sunny vintage,
rubbed lemon zest, bitter almonds,
motor oil... Yes, I know, that doesn’t
sound too appealing, does it? Let’s
give this one more time... zzz...
|
| Well,
now it got much more on fusel oil
and coal, soot, raw asparagus, medicinal
alcohol... And peat of course. Very
austere to say the least. With water:
switches towards an even bigger grassiness.
Aniseed, cooked cabbage... And our
good friends the wet dogs (sorry again,
dogs). Actually, water doesn’t
seem to work too well with this one,
it rerally starts to smell like the
inside of a plastic bag after a moment.
Mouth: much more a classic, typical
young Ardbeg. Peat blast and all that
jazz. And then lemon... Complex? Not,
but perfectly ‘profiled’.
‘Funny’ chemical notes
(plastic, lemonade) as well but that
should disappear with water. So, with
water: much better. The off notes
have disappeared. Classic young Ardbeg.
Finish: long and saltier than usual.
Comment: a tricky one. Very interesting
but only if you’ve got several
other versions on your shelves in
my opinion. SGP:168 –
81 points. |
| Ardbeg
8 yo 1993/2002 (59.8%, SMWS, 33.48,
280 bottles, 'May flowers and Swarfega')
What the hell is Swarfega? ‘A
degreasing and vehicle cleaner’
they say... Scary, isn’t it?
Colour: white wine. Nose: no, I’m
sorry, this one doesn’t make
it. Too harsh, too acidic (gym socks),
too raw... Young whiskies are fine
when they matured extremely well but
otherwise they really lack complexity
– and whisky’s all about
complexity, isn’t it! But maybe
water will help... With water: now
it got nicer, with a whole bunch of
‘mineral’ aromas. Coal,
graphite, pencils, chalk, limestone...
And yes, maybe ‘Swarfega’.
Mouth: very peaty and pleasantly sweet.
Almonds. Iodine. Not much else –
as simple and straightforward as a
young ‘modern’ Ardbeg
can get I guess. Lacks ageing, obviously.
With water: just the same. Finish:
long, just the same, with more salt.
Comment: good but too young. Worth
it but again, only if you need to
have a good example of a very young
(immature) Ardbeg on your shelves.
SGP:258 – 82 points. |
 |
It’s no secret that we at Whiskyfun
believe that Single Malt and Rock
and Roll gang tegither, so let’s
clap to this wonderful new venture:
two extraordinary guitars and one
bass made by Italian maestro and whisky
aficionado Andrea ‘Manne’
Ballarin out of one cask of Lagavulin
1991. The whole story is on Manne
Guitars’ website. Yes, Whiskyfun
was in on it and yes, we'll spare
you silly jokes involving that
song by Deep Purple. |
|
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: We're in 1944, Woody
Guthrie is doing This
land is your land.mp3 (it's
on the recent CD Original Folkways
Recordings). Seminal, as they say.
Please buy this legendary 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:
Ardmore
26 yo 1977/2003 (45%,
Samaroli, 35th Anniversary cask #7631, 738 bottles)
Astral
Hits 40 yo 1967/2008 (47.2%, The Nectar,
Daily Dram, 120 bottles, Strathisla)
Dalmore
28 yo 1974/2002 (57.9%,
OB for Japan, cask #5083)
Glen
Garioch 29 yo 1968/1997 (55.9%,
OB, cask #624)
Glen
Grant 30 yo 1977/2007 (46%, Coopers
Choice)
Macallan
18 yo 1968/1986 (43%, OB)
Strathisla
40 yo 1963/2003 (57.7%, JWWW Old Train
Line, cask #2745, 180 bottles)
Talisker
25 yo 1975 (59,9%, OB, Bottled 2001,
6000 bottles)
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