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Hi, you're in the Archives, November 2007 - Part 1 |
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November
14, 2007 |
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| DON
QUIXOTES IN MOTION
- in case you didn't find it yet,
we urge you to read Ian Buxton and
Charlie McLean's Rumour
Mill each time it comes
out. It's very well informed (no simple
PR micro-waving like at so many places
on the Web - yes, we get them too),
simply hilarious and well worth your
'Web time'. Probably quite as good
as the Scotch
Whisky Review, just shorter
but more frequent. SGP:999
- 100 points both ;-) |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| TASTING
– FOUR UNDISCLOSED YOUNG ISLAYERS |
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Hédiard Islay Single Malt 8yo
(43%, Hédiard, 2007) 
Hédiard
is a famous ‘high-positioned’
grocery store, place de la Madeleine
in Paris, they are Fauchon's main
competitor. Let’s see if this
whisky is really deluxe... Colour:
white wine. Nose: buttery, smoky,
porridgy... Yes, this one really smells
like ‘smoky porridge with slices
of bananas’. Not much else I’m
afraid. Mouth: more on the ashy, smoky
and grassy side, with also quite some
pepper and green tea. A lot of apple
peelings as well. Finish: rather long,
on smoke, ‘green peat’
and always bitter apples. Well, it’s
a bit rough at 8yo but unmistakably
a young Caol Ila. Not bad at all but
I think it would benefit from further
ageing to be honest. SGP:146
(wazzat?)
- 78 points. |
Born
on Islay 1997/2007 (43%, Wilson &
Morgan 'House Malt', casks #3973-3980)
Colour: full gold.
Nose: yes! Mint, lemon, sultanas,
smoke, wet stones, wax/paraffin, oysters,
ripe apples, smoked ham, smoked tea,
bitter oranges, apple peelings and
walnut skins. Everything we like...
Mouth: wide yet ‘focused’
at the attack. Liquorice roots, gentian,
peat, beeswax, bitter oranges, white
pepper, quince jelly, orange blossom
water and smoked ham. Plus a little
vanilla. Rather perfect balance and
complexity. Finish: long, more on
the peaty side now. Very good stuff
as always with W&M’s house
malts. SGP:256 - 85 points. |
| Badger
'Islay' 6yo 2001/2007 (46%, Milroy's,
cask #27, Bourbon Hogs, 398 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: exactly
the same as Hédiard’s,
with just a little extra-oomph thanks
to higher alcohol. Just as smoky,
buttery and porridgy... But it develops
a little further, on notes of parsley
and apple pie plus wet dog. Mouth:
sharper, more ‘crystalline’,
ashy and mineral now, which is good
news. Butter pears, pepper, Chinese
mushrooms (these large black ones
that usually come dried). Very good
smokiness and peatiness, getting earthier
and more liquoricy with time. Excellent
long finish, still crystal-clean,
very peaty and even a little salty.
Well, this one is quite better on
the palate I think but doesn’t
exactly taste like Caol Ila. Possibly
from another distillery... Wait, ‘Badger’...
Oh boy, they did this anagram thing
again! Okay, so it must be Laphroaig...
‘Good stuff’ at just 6
years of age. SGP:346 - 85
points. |
Breath
of Islay 14yo 1992/2007 (56,5%, Adelphi,
cask #5347, 278 bottles)
We liked the 2005 version a lot (90).
Colour: pale straw. Nose: again, more
or less the same with just more coffee,
probably from the alcohol. Also a
little fatter, oilier, ashier and
more mineral (wet chalk). Whiffs of
lamp petrol. Mouth: excellent, in
the same vein as the Milroys, with
an extra-mintiness and a little more
lemon but developing much further
after the attack, maybe more ‘Lagavulin’
than ‘Caol Ila’ now. Notes
of strawberries, marzipan, orange
blossom water, getting then earthier,
with even notes of fresh mushrooms
(not Chinese this time) and something
faintly resinous. Excellent peaty
whisky, really, bold and assertive
of not very complex. Long, clean but
very persistent finish on peat, liquorice
and dried pears. This one won’t
disappoint peat lovers! SGP:238
- 89 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: these guys of Gnawa
Diffusion will always
make me laugh. Granted, you have to
understand French to get it but if
you don't, well, you may like Gazel
au fond de la nuit.mp3 just for
the music... Please buy Gnawa Diffusion's
music... |
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November
13, 2007 |
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| CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
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JOHN
HIATT
The
Barbican, London
October
22nd 2007
Did
I ever tell you Serge, that I was
once taken to what I can only describe
as a counterfeit hotel? It was in
China – a Haiyatt
hotel – not to be confused
of course (and I’m sure it
wasn’t) with a Hyatt
hotel. I’d also observe
that the whisky they served in their
KTV bar was certainly not to be
confused with Johnnie Walker Black
Label. This is all a long way round
to saying that there’s certainly
nothing phoney about John
Hiatt. Here’s
an artist who really wears his heart
on his sleeve – warts (and
there have been quite a few of those
in his turbulent career) and all.
And he’s particularly exposed
tonight as he’s as unplugged
as any artist can be when they are
alone on stage with only their cables,
trailing from a succession of mouth-watering
Gibson acoustics, for company. |
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|
Now I’ll tell the truth. I’m
short of time. In a hurry. Too many
reviews to write. So I’m going
to keep this short. Because he simply
was quite awesome. Charming and engaging
(“Well” he said, surveying
an almost full Barbican auditorium,
“Well, this is a fancy place.
What the hell are we doing here?”),
warm and humorous in his reminiscences
(“We were lower middle class
… well, my father was a gambler,
so when he was up we were upper middle
class …) he had in the audience
in his grasp from the opening bars
of ‘Drive south’, accompanied
by his wonderfully rattly Gibson jumbo.
He occasionally complained of forgetfulness
as he stumbled over a few of his lyrics
(“Man” he said by way
of explanation, “when I was
young I really did some damage”)
but for the most part was word and
note perfect (in case you’re
not aware, Mr Hiatt can truly sing
as if blessed by the gods) –
and his guitar playing was hugely
accomplished – the way he filled
the stage and the theatre reminding
me of Roddy Frame’s excellent
gig at the Bush a couple of years
ago. |
| Hiatt
has songs a-plenty to sing for us.
Some – ‘I just want to
go on with you’ and ‘Thank
you’ (get a sense of some spiritual
contentment here?) are new, in the
course of being recorded for a forthcoming
album. Then there are classics from
his collaborations with Nick Lowe
and Ry Cooder such as ‘Thing
called love’ (apparently he’s
still benefiting from the royalties
accrued from Bonnie Raitt’s
cover version) in which he notably
rhymes “Queen of Sheba”
with “amoeba”. |
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| And
a litany of his top tunes –
including - ‘Tennessee plates’
(accompanied by an anecdote about
stealing cars – “Shit
– I can’t believe I was
so stupid as to do that”), ‘Riding
with the King’, ‘Memphis
in the meantime’, the astonishingly
powerful ‘Have a little faith
in me’ (sung at the keyboard),
‘Lipstick sunset’ (more
shades of Nick Lowe) and from his
latest album, the eponymous ‘Master
of disaster’. They’re
all great songs, but none so moving
as the deeply autobiographical ‘Crossing
muddy waters’ |
| Hiatt.
Fake? Phoney? Not a bit of it. Music
simply doesn’t get more brutally
honest than this. As the critics would
say – “a triumph”.
- Nick Morgan (photographs by
Kate, cartoon Jeff
Mallett) |
Many
thanks, Nick... That Chinese Haiyatt
Hotel... That's plain incredible!
Now, I'm wondering why they didn't
name it The Haiyatt Decency right
ahead while they were at it. Reminds
me of one of my favourite whisky
plagiarisms, the very infamous John
Bolt (India, early 1990's). But
let's cheer ourselves up with some
genuine rock and roll made in John
Hiatt now: this song you mentioned,
called Tennessee
Plates.mp3. - S. |
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TASTING
– THREE NEW INDIE BOWMORES |
Bowmore
2001/2007 (43%, Jean Boyer 'Best Casks
of Scotland', Sherry casks, 50cl)
Our friends at Jean Boyer found a
smart way of compensating for the
ongoing price increases (casks are
getting more and more expensive, when
you can find them), which is to issue
parts of their collections in 50cl
bottles instead of 70 and hence keep
them accessible to the average malt
drinker. Let’s just hope that
they won’t have to issue 35cl
bottles soon, and then 20cl, and then...
Colour: white wine. Nose: it starts
mellower than expected, peaty but
rather discretely so considering it’s
a very young Bowmore, on notes of
mash and beer but the coastal elements
are soon to arrive (kelp and oysters).
Quite some vanilla as well, lemons,
and even hints of mangos like in some
much, much older versions. ‘Smoked
porridge’, coffee. Not youngish
at all. Mouth: starts very, very malty
and develops mostly on coffee, chicory,
tea and yes, here it is, sherry. Pleasant
dryness. Just like on the nose, the
peat isn’t explosive but on
the other hand, there’s a lot
of salt. Finish: medium long but incredibly
salty now, with also a certain grassiness.
Good Bowmore that really tastes older
than just 6 years old. And how salty
it is! One to search for if you don’t
have a very salty whisky in your bar,
it’s quite spectacular I think.
SGP:344 (wazzat?)
– 80 points. |
| Bowmore
16 yo 1990/2007 (46%, Signatory UCF,
casks #631+32, 669 bottles)
We know Andrew Symington likes this
particular bottling quite a lot, let’s
see if he has good taste ;-). Colour:
white wine. Nose: much rounder than
the 2001, much more on vanilla and
even less peaty. A bit silent I must
say, but then there’s quite
a mentholated blast, with also rather
big notes of linseed oil, wood smoke,
ashes, wet wood... Then it’s
lemonade, ginger tonic, wet wool...
And finally ‘peat’ as
such, making a late but much-noticed
arrival. This one got much more complex
with time. Mouth: excellent attack,
all on grapefruits, peat, pepper and
smoked tea. Excellent body at 46%.
Gets even more citrusy with time,
totally classic, with also, guess
what? Salt (albeit less than in the
youngster). Finish: rather long, compact,
satisfying, peaty and more orangey
now. And salty of course.
SGP:437 - 88 points. |
| Bowmore
21 yo 1985/2007 (59%, The Single Malts
of Scotland, cask #34027, 259 bottles)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: oh, this
is archetypical of this period, with
these notes of geranium and lavender
perfume above the peat. It’s
not as bad as it sounds, actually,
it’s just that I don’t
like this profile at all. Too bad,
the rest is pretty nice, with a very
pleasant mix of toffee and peat, ashes...
Also a little grenadine, beer, pepper...
The other good news is that these
‘perfumy’ notes get more
discreet with time, but they’re
still very noticeable when you compare
this one with its younger bros. Smells
like plain perfume at times. Mouth:
typical. These perfumy notes on the
nose now translate into something
more, say ‘chemical’,
like some supermarket lemon juices.
Also something like blackberry Jell-O...
Liquorice allsorts... Soap? Oh well...
Finish: medium long, a bit straighter
now but... Well, this is a slice of
History. If you ever wondered how
these ‘perfumy’ Bowmores
distilled in the late 70’s and
80’s tasted like, this one is
a must, kind of a historical bottling
(no, no 'e'). This kind of profile
disappeared at Bowmore in the early
1990's as far as I can tell, what’s
funny (sort of) is that it’s
Longrow that took up the torch for
a short period of time right at the
same moment it seems to me. Did they
transfer some equipment or something?
But this is a Bowmore and I’m
talking about Longrow, tsss tsss...
SGP:633 – 68 points. |
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November
12, 2007 |
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| CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan |
RICHARD
THOMPSON AND HIS BAND
The Roundhouse,
London
October 20th
2007
We’re
late. Partly it’s Jozzer’s
fault – he’s been costermongering
again and is late back from Borough
Market. But it’s mainly due
to the blocked streets from west
to north London – full of
beer-bellied, beef eating, red-rose
wearing, swing-low singing, pint-clutching
English rugby fans, pouring onto
the streets from pub doorways, straining
to get a pavement position and a
view of the garish TV screens inside.
It’s the rugby world cup.
England are the defending world
champions. Rugby’s coming
home. The Springboks are dead meat
fit only for a braai. Swing low,
sweet chariot. |
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| “Oh
no” I hear you say – “it’s
bloody Richard
Thompson again –
Whiskyfun’s almost-resident
reviewed artiste”. Correct.
And why bloody not? It certainly beats
watching a rugby match. Particularly
if you’re going to lose |
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Inside
the Roundhouse is almost a rugby-free
zone. Surprisingly seated (again),
our steward takes us on a guided tour
of the balcony (sorry folks –
his fault not ours) before landing
on our dead centre stage seats, immediately
below the bar that’s belching
burnt cheese toasted sandwich fumes
in our direction for much of the evening
(just as well I guess, given that
the abstemious Mr Thompson is a vegetarian).
|
| He’s
just finishing opener ‘Needle
and thread’ from his new album
Sweet Warrior – the title is
taken from a sonnet by Edmund
Spenser. "It's kind of a
war record” says Thompson, “not
just political war but also domestic
war or relationship war". Strangely
the album has received largely muted
reviews, but in the opinion of this
writer it’s one of his strongest
works for a long time – with
a characteristically acerbic take
on recent world events, all the more
interesting given Thompson’s
Sufi Muslim faith. There are some
cracking songs – ‘Dad’s
gonna kill me’ – filled
with common soldier’s slang
(the Dad in question is Baghdad) it’s
a no-holds-barred view of the war
in Iraq from the ground. Then there’s
‘Guns are the tongues’,
a tale of a woman who seduces young
men and turns them into suicide bombers,
and ‘Sunset song’, inspired
I assume by Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s
masterly Scottish novel of the same
name. Thompson plays all of these,
and in addition features ‘I’ll
never give it up’, ‘Mr.
Stupid’ and ‘Take care
the road you choose’, from the
new album. |
| ‘Take
care’ finishes with a wonderful
Thompson solo. Graceful and fluid,
he plays like a painter creating a
picture with a number of sometimes
apparently unconnected brush-strokes,
but ending with a perfectly conceived
canvas. Needless to say he’s
assisted more than ably by his band
– long-time collaborator Pete
Zorn is outstanding and tireless on
vocals, guitars, mandolins and horns.
On bass Danny
Thompson is as exceptional as
ever – particularly with the
resonant growling notes he produces
on numbers like ‘Sunset song’.
And drummer Michael
Jerome brings a contrasting blues
sensitivity to the band, in addition
to a driving rhythm. It’s a
great set – almost note perfect,
and in addition to his guitar playing
(enthusiasts will like to know that
he’s playing the light-blue
Danny Ferrington custom built ‘Ferringtoncaster’
guitar) it should be noted that Thompson’s
singing is as good – if not
better – than I’ve ever
heard it. In fact the whole thing
sounds so good that I wouldn’t
be surprised if it was being recorded. |
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This
possibly explains the urgency with
which the band work through a crowded
set, which in addition to the new
stuff features a trawl though Thompson’s
long career. It goes back as far as
Fairport’s Unhalfbricking, with
an acoustic version of Sandy Denny’s
‘Who knows where the time goes?’
(“Perhaps”, muses Thompson,
“when everyone’s got fed
up with Nick Drake they might give
Sandy Denny the attention she truly
deserves”). There’s ‘Bright
Lights’, ‘Wall of death’,
the scabrous fashionishta song ‘Bone
through her nose’, ‘I
still dream’, ‘Read about
love’, ‘Al Bowlly’s
in heaven’, ‘One door
opens’, and of course ‘1952
Vincent Black Lightning’. He’s
supported by Jozzer on vocals for
a lusty chorus of the wonderful ‘Mingulay
boat song’ from Whiskyfun’s
2006 Album of the Year, the piratical
Rogues’ Gallery, and finishes
the evening with a rampaging version
of the painfully cynical ‘Tear
stained letter’. |
| We
emerge just ahead of the Roundhouse
throng, smelling strongly of burnt
cheese. Outside the streets are silent.
The broken bottles, drunks slumped
in doorways, luminous pools of vomit,
all speak eloquently of a national
triumph narrowly (and thankfully)
averted. Well done Springboks. |
| But
no offence meant, there’s only
one trophy winner tonight –
and that’s Thompson and his
magnificent band. - Nick Morgan
(concert photograph by Kate)
|
| Thank
you Nick! So, Thompson is a vegetarian!?
Strange that the incredible Mr. Schott
didn’t list him in his Food
& Drink Miscellany, alongside
Adolf Hitler, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rainer
Maria Rilke or Steve Jobs. Now, there
are Sir Paul, Sting, Whitney Houston,
Madonna or Brigitte Bardot, so rock
and roll is well represented, isn’t
it? As for Mr. Thompson’s music,
which piece shall we choose this time?
Ha ha, why not Mutton
street.mp3...- S. |
| TASTING
– TWO YOUNG BEN NEVIS |
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Ben
Nevis 8 yo (43%, Duncan Taylor Battelhill,
2007) 
Colour: straw. Nose: rather expressive,
very fruity at first nosing. Pears,
pineapples and ripe apples. More warm
caramel after a moment and then rather
big mashy notes, porridge, hot yoghurt
sauce like they have in India. A bit
raw but not uninteresting. Ah, youth!
Mouth: rather fruity again, caramelly,
candied, with less porridgy notes
but more grass. A slightly weakish
middle. Finish: rather short, nuttier
at this point. Not bad at all actually,
I guess it does what the price tag
says. SGP:581 (wazzat?)
- 74 points. |
| Ben
Nevis 1996/2007 (43%, Jean Boyer 'Best
Casks of Scotland', single cask)
A single cask bottling from a re-coopered
hogshead. Colour: white wine. Nose:
this one is much cleaner, rather more
elegant, less extravagantly fruity,
better balanced, with a pleasant smokiness
in the background and hints of meat
sauce. More complex and better balanced.
Mouth: again, not too much oomph I’d
say but the excellent balance really
saves it all. Notes of honey-coated
nuts, caramel again, tarte tatin (caramelised
apple pie), a little nougat, ripe
apples and pears (butter pears)...
Toasted. Finish: a tad longer than
the 8yo’s, maltier but also
fruitier again (tinned pineapples).
Honey and caramel. Good dram for everyday,
it won’t make you scratch your
head but the nose was interestingly
phenolic. SGP:435 - 80 points.
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November
11, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– THREE LAGAVULINS |
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Lagavulin 1990/2006 Distillers Edition
(43%, OB)
As usual, this one was finished in
PX casks. Colour: deep amber. Nose:
oh well, this is the kind of nose
that should make me think again about
what I, err, think about finishings
generally speaking. Just a perfect
blend of rather heavy smoke with chocolate.
That’s it, smoked chocolate.
What’s amazing is how dry this
one is, to the point where we’re
wondering if it’s really Pedro
Ximenez that was used here. Or maybe
Lagavulin is big enough a whisky to
tame it? (Ippon!) Other than that
it’s a cortege of soot, strong
espresso (ristretto), coal, beef stock
and strong liquorice. It’s like
if the wine had made the spirit smell
even peatier. Mouth: just as dry as
on the nose, very coffeeish and liquoricy,
with notes of bitter toffee, malt
and stout. And peat, of course. Also
hints of coriander. Maybe a tad smoother
than on the nose, I’d say, but
the dryness is still perfect. Just
the finish is slightly weaker and
shorter (the profile is perfect, though)
but that should come from the ABV.
At 45 or 46%, this would be ultra-big!
SGP:148 (wazzat?)
– 89 points.
|
| Lagavulin
14 yo 1984/1999 (51.7%, Acorn, Japan)
Colour: white wine. Nose: this one
is closer to ‘nature’
I’d say. More farmy peat, more
fruits (notes of pears and apples
but also oyster-plants) and more mashy
notes (mashed potatoes, porridge,
soaked grains). Deeply farmy, I’d
say, this one really smells like a
working malting plant (Port Ellen
Maltings, for that matter). Also whiffs
of horse dung. Mouth: very good attack,
even if there’s something drying
(chalk, flour). Quite some salt assaulting
your palate right at this point. Other
than that it’s nothing but a
true peat monster, drier, smokier
and more extreme than any of its well-known
neighbours. The cask was rather inactive,
that is. Finish: very big, very long
and ultra-smoky and ashy. Bang! SGP:059
- 87 points. |
| Vanilla-Peat
1994/2007 (56.8%, Taste Still, 223
bottles)
Not sure this is Lagavulin as with
such a name, it could well be a peated
Tamnavulin, couldn’t it? Okay,
let’s not be an ass... Colour:
white wine (slightly darker than the
1984). Nose: this is really bigger
now, extremely smoky, ashy, mineral,
certainly less fruity and sharper
than other young Lagavulins we could
try (including its new make). Extremely
flinty. Notes of burnt matchsticks,
chalk, wet limestone, getting then
lemonier, very zesty. Mouth: big,
big, big. Smoke, lemon juice, peat,
pepper and reversely. Finish: same
but with a little salt as well. SGP:039
– 88 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
imagine a string quartet playing the
Cure... Like the David
Stout Quartet doing Lovecats.mp3.
Yes that works! Please buy all these
people's excellent music... |
| |
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November
10, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– EMPTYING THE ARRAN COMPARTMENT |
 |
Arran
10 yo 1996/2007 (46%, Duncan Taylor
NC2) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: mashy, grainy
and beerish – not bearish. Nice
notes of linseed oil. Also fusel oil,
fresh butter. I like the dryness of
this one, even if it’s a little
austere. Mouth: notes of apples and
pears (including peelings) and a little
oak. Vanilla. More tannins at the
finish. Simple but not unpleasant.
SGP:260 (wazzat?)
- 77 points. |
| Arran
8 yo 1996/2005 (53.6%, OB for Verviers
Festival Belgium, cask #16/161, 258
bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: the very
same whisky, only at cask strength.
Maybe a little more fruits (ripe apples)
and faint whiffs of smoke. With water:
same plus notes of beer (gueuze).
Mouth (neat): yes, more fruits. Very
drinkable. Vanilla and oak, grains,
cereals. With water: a little more
liquorice. Finish: medium long, vanilled,
porridgy and slightly liquoricy. Not
much character but no flaws either.
SGP:361 – 78 points. |
| Arran
10 yo 1995/2006 (57,6%, SMWS 121.1
'Golden Syrup')
Colour: pale gold. Nose: very close
to the ‘Verviers’, just
a bit more vegetal, grassy and less
fruity. With water: same, just a tad
yeastier (bread crumb). Mouth (neat):
good body, oily and creamy. Vanilla
and oak, grains and cereals. Very
natural. With water: same. Finish:
good length, vanilla and grains. SGP:370
– 78 points. |
| Arran
NAS Calvados Finish (58.9%, OB, bottled
2003)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: not much
difference with the ‘native’
versions. A tad more buttery and,
okay, notes of ripe apples. Pleasant
I must say. With water: grassier and
even grainier. Mouth: much more interesting
than on the nose. Bubblegummy, notes
of cherry-flavoured beer (Kriek) this
time. Spanish apple liqueur (manzana
verde). Or should I say ‘calvados’?
With water: it got really good now,
creamy, fruity and jammy ala Balvenie.
Good, medium long finish on the same
flavours. SGP:560 –
81 points. |
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| Arran
NAS Cognac Finish (59.5%, OB, bottled
2005)
Colour: straw. Nose: even more buttery
and grassy. Austere. With water: funny
notes of cheese coming through (comté,
gruyère). Some would say ‘gym
socks’, that is. Mouth (neat):
hot, sweet, vanilled, as bubblegummy
as the Calvados but a tad less complex.
With water: simpler again and slightly
dryish. Medium long finish on grains,
vanilla and quite some oak (pepper).
SGP:470 – 77 points. |
| Arran
NAS '1er Cru Sauternes Cask Finish'
(56,2%, OB, Bottled 2006, 310 bottles)
Nose: farmy and vinous. Mouth: sweet,
quite clean but aromas of distillation
and a little soap. SGP:670
- 69 points. |
| Arran
NAS '1er Cru Bourgogne Cask Finish'
(56,5%, OB, Bottled 2006 for USA,
75cl)
Nose: much more oak but a nice one.
Farmy and animal. Mouth: sweet and
fruity, playful, this one works. Strawberry
sweets (tagada). Very funny.
SGP:661 - 86 points. (that’s
maybe a little too much but I liked
the fun!) |
| Arran
NAS 'Lepanto PX Brandy cask from Gonzales
Byass Finish' (59,4%, OB, Bottled
2006)
Nose: farmy and animal, wine barrel.
Porridge. Mouth: sweet, balanced.
Not much wine influence. Cider apples,
hints of cinchona. SGP:573
- 79 points. Just between
us, why Arran didn’t start its
life by making a peat monster (even
a gentle one) still escapes me... |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: Is this funky of what!?
It's Master Dennis
Chambers and he's doing
Roll
call.mp3 with a whole bunch of
slingers (the Breckers, Matt Garrison,
Jim Beard...) Please buy the great
drummer's music, please... (via
Pow-wow
central) |
 |
| |
|
November
9, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
- TWO NEW YOUNG LAPHROAIGS |
 |
Laphroaig
8 yo 1998/2007 (46%, Douglas Laing
Provenance, Autumn/Spring)
Colour; very white wine. Nose: ultra-pure,
ultra-clean, not very mature it seems
but all edges have already been smoothened
over. Whiffs of peat smoke, wool,
wet stones, lager beer, hints of tar...
A very good peated vodka? Little fruits
if any. Mouth: totally classic. Peat,
hints of pear juice, tar, big smokiness,
pleasant bitterness (green tea), getting
quite grassy but with little medicinal
notes this time. It is not impossible
that Laphroaig’s output got
less medicinal at the end of the 1990’s...
Finish: medium long but very, very
smoky and ashy. Yes, prototypical.
SGP:147 (wazzat?)
- 85 points. |
| Hag
Rap Oil 9 yo 1998/2007 (56.7%, The
Nectar, Daily Dram, 450 bottles)
Only mad souls could have written
this on a whisky label: “This
wild and peaty beauty comes from the
Isle of Islay. Rumours say that the
most beautiful witches make heavy
use of it when organising their annual
Kildalton Cross Sabbath on Feis Ile’s
Tuesday night, that’s why we
named it the ‘Hag Rap Oil”.
Very mad indeed, but let’s try
this young Laphroaig now. Colour:
white wine. Nose: take the same notes
as in the 8yo and add a little vanilla
and nutmeg, probably from a more active
cask and you get a very, very good
peated vodka. Wait, it keeps developing,
with hints of linseed oil, soot, liquid
tar, slight hints of bandages, embrocations...
Also hints of kirsch, black olives...
Much more complex than we first thought.
|
 |
| Mouth:
punchy and wild like a bunch of witches
(sure, Serge, sure...), maybe a tad
spirity at the attack but then it’s
a blast of peat and tar, with a profile
that’s very similar to the DL’s
this time, with maybe just a little
more salt. Also maybe a tad less dry.
Finish: very long, very peaty, very
ashy and very smoky, with even a little
aniseed. The trap is that it’s
very drinkable... Witch stuff indeed.
Frightening. SGP:249 –
89 points. |
| MUSIC
– Very
recommended listening: The great late
French jazz pianist extraordinaire
Michel
Petrucciani playing his
famous composition Looking
up.mp3 con mucho gusto. Please
buy his music (may I recommend his
works with Lee Konitz?) |
 |
| |
|
November
8, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– TWO NEW 1967 STRATHISLAS |
 |
Strathisla 40yo 1967/2007 (48.8%,
Duncan Taylor, cask #1894, 162 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: well, it’s
not a fruity explosion that happens
here, quite unexpectedly, but rather
a very soft and kind of understated
layer of nougat, caramel crème
and vanilla that unfolding. Not big,
for sure... And then there’s
something like unlit hash, olive oil,
resin, all that mixed with overripe
apples and beeswax. No woodiness whatsoever
but the whole is kind of shy I’d
say. |
| Mouth:
much fruitier at the attack (crystallised
lemon), quite creamy, but getting
a little grassier and bitterish after
that (apple peelings). Actually, it’s
very good but rather simple and youngish
for a 40yo Strathisla, which is a
little strange. Maybe this one would
have made it ‘till 60yo without
batting an eyelid – and then
they could have sold it for big money
in a crystal decanter presented in
an ebony case with a golden padlock
(and a free iPhone) – but Duncan
Taylor aren’t into that sort
of thing, are they? Finish: well,
there are quite some tannins (and
nutmeg) at this point but it’s
still quite ‘simple’ and
youngish. In short, this is very good
whisky for sure but 40 years old,
are you sure? Ah, the mysteries of
whisky maturing... SGP:563
(wazzat?)
- 85 points. |
Strathisla
1967/2007 (50%, Gordon & MacPhail
for LMDW, cask #6112)
Colour: gold. Nose: the profile is
more or less the same as the Duncan
Taylor’s, juts much bolder,
much more expressive. First, lots
of fruits, both dried and fresh. Tangerines,
figs, citrons, lemons, dates... Then
it’s the resinous notes that
play their solos, such as mastic,
putty and pine needles... Then a little
humus (and moss, mushrooms), with
a pleasant mouldiness (wine cellar)
and then notes of old white wine (chardonnay,
old white Bourgogne, Madeira, walnuts)
and shoe polish (and leather) and
smoke. All that is subtler than it
sounds, very, very elegant. Very perfect
balance – and again, no woodiness
as such. Mouth: superb, just superb.
What’s striking is the balance
between the fruits, the wood and its
spices and the ‘phenolic’
(or ‘secondary’) notes
that come in waves. At complete random:
crystallised lemons, cough syrup,
argan oil (yum-yum), roasted pine
kernels, apricot jam, yellow Chartreuse
(Tarragona better), Turkish delights,
quince liqueur (my!), soft liquorice...
And God knows what else. What’s
really striking here is the mix of
both complexity and balance. Finish:
just a long (but not very long) extension
of the palate, which is pretty good
news. And an amazing compactness.
Well, the guy who selected this cask
deserves the Malt Maniacs Golden Cross.
SGP:666 (devlish
indeed) - 93 points. |
| |
|
November
7, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
- FOUR OFFICIAL ABERLOURS |
 |
| Aberlour
10yo (40%, OB, circa 2007)
Aberlour 10 is a very heavy seller
here in France, its owners Pernod-Ricard
pushing it quite heavily. Colour:
full gold with orangey tones. Nose:
a very malty, caramelly and toasted
start, developing more on crystallised
oranges, toasted brioche and hot
honey-coated nuts. There’s
also a little smoke in the background
as well a a little sherry and hints
of fresh mint. Rounded but certainly
not toothless despite the 40%. Mouth:
well, it’s a bit weak now,
malty, candied and toasty but other
than that it really lacks oomph.
Almost no middle and a whispering
finish. It’s good in fact,
just too thin for hardcore malt
freaks I’d say. SGP:422
(wazzat?)
– 79 points. |
| Aberlour
16yo (43%, OB, Sherry, Double cask
Matured, circa 2007)
We quite liked an earlier batch of
this one (84). Colour: amber. Nose:
more body but it’s globally
more mellow, deeply honeyed, floral
and fruity (dried fruits). Dandelions,
ripe apricots, orange marmalade, maple
syrup, candy sugar, pastries, mint...
Really luscious, thick and sort of
perverse, I’d say. Mouth: the
attack is a bit less thick (I was
afraid it would be lumpish) but still
very honeyed, malty, jammy and toasty.
Notes of sweet sherry and quite some
fresh and dried fruits (headed by
dates, then very ripe bananas, sultanas...)
Good oakiness that keeps it ‘structured’.
Finish: not really long but nicely
honeyed and candied. Very good malt
that should please anyone from your
mother-in-law to your friend who’s
heavily into single malts. SGP:833
– 85 points. |
| Aberlour
22 yo 1980/2002 (43%, OB, 4500 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: this is very different.
Probably more elegant and much cleaner,
more on leather, herbal teas, tobacco
and big flowery notes (dandelions,
jasmine tea) as well as a lot of soft
honey, fresh mint leaves, crystallised
lemon, hay, straw... Quite superb
and sort of the opposite of the 16,
maybe better balanced. Mouth: a little
thicker now, almost oily, but still
with a fresher profile. We have a
little mint striking right at the
attack, then rosehip tea, Turkish
delights, quite some vanilla, tinned
lychees, oranges... Something oriental.
Goes on with hints of grapefruits
and lemons plus a little oak. Gets
more and more citrusy, especially
at the rather long finish that’s
all on orange and lemon marmalades.
A very good variation on Aberlour.
SGP:652 – 87 points. |
| Aberlour
'A'bunadh' Batch #20 (60.5%, OB, 2007)
One of these famous malts that make
us lesser mortals tremble. Batches
#11 and 15 have been my favourites
so far, let’s see if #20 will
join them in the pantheon. Colour:
deep amber with brownish/orangey hues.
Nose: oloroso galore! Very big notes
of raisins, chocolate, prunes, cherry
liqueur, cloves... All that is nicely
dry and even a tad smoky but that
may well come from the alcohol. With
water: it gets a bit more herbal and
slightly wild as well as meatier.
Is that English brown sauce? Mouth
(neat): very powerful of course but
not undrinkable, quite astonishingly.
Big sherry, big raisins, hints of
mint and chlorophyll, litres of kirsch
(just like when you put your nose
over a demijohn)... But let’s
not tempt fate – so, with water:
gets more herbal again, with notes
of thyme and rosemary, sage, bay leaves...
Also quite maltier and even a little
smoky. Finish: long, coating, elegant
(yes) and spicier (pepper and ginger).
Shoo, to the pantheon! SGP:
634 – 90 points. |
| APOLOGIES
– No, we did
not inadvertently pour a bottle of
Brora 30yo onto our computer! Due
to an unusually high number of requests,
the reason of which is still unknown
to us, Whiskyfun was temporarily unavailable
on Nov. 6 from 15:00 on, Paris time
(error 503). Should that happen again,
please don’t lose hope and come
back later, we’ll upgrade our
hosting services as soon as possible. |
MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: well, if the new world
of whisky (and website shutdowns)
makes you nervous, you may have a
listen to
Asha Bhonsle and Ali
Akbar Khan and their
wonderful Guru
Bandana.mp3. Let's call that a
'2007 raga for whisky lover'. Please
buy this wonderful music...
Update
by MM's Krishna: Asha
Bonsle along with her two sisters
Lata Mangeshkar and Usha Mangeshkar
ruled Indian Film Industry as playback
singers (mostly hindi) for nearly
half a century. |
 |
| The
piece of music is a Classical rendering
of Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan (I am too
samll a person to write anything on
him) on Sarod with Asha Bhonsle and
it is a sacred relationship of Guru
with Sishya (meaning disciple).
- K. |
| |
|
November
6, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– FOUR PORT ELLENS |
 |
| Port
Ellen 11 yo 1983/1994 (40%, The Whisky
House Bologna)
The Whisky House is a line by the
Kik Bar in Bologna, Italy. I haven’t
seen a new bottling since a long time
I must say. Colour: white wine. Nose:
ah, young Port Ellens! Even at only
40%, this is big whisky, with loads
of tar, notes of brand new tyres (not
burning ones), matchsticks and maybe
something more delicately floral (lilies).
It gets then rather mashier and porridgy,
like many young whiskies that didn’t
see much active oak. Notes of yoghurt
sauce and always a big peat smoke.
Also coal. Mouth: big punch at 40%,
with a lot of lemon juice, pepper
and salt plus something resinous.
Big peat again, tar, strong salted
liquorice, cough syrup... Not the
most complex peaty palate ever but
the whole really delivers. Finish:
rather long, resinous, tarry and salty,
getting maybe just a tad cardboardy,
which is the only flaw this one has
got. Too bad, it would have made it
above 88 points (SGP:149)
(wazzat?)
|
| Port
Ellen 1976/1995 (43%, Dun Eideann
for Auxil, France, casks #4763-64,
760 bottles)
This bottling was done by Signatory
Vintage. Colour: gold. Nose: well,
this is as expressive as Port Ellen
can get, especially at 43% ABV. Starts
slightly buttery but also immensely
tarry and smoky, with a lot of coal
smoke, peat smoke, brand new tyres,
tarmac... Even hints of burning plastic
(which I find pleasant here - don’t
ask). Behind all this we have also
notes of ‘a freshly opened pack
of mint drops’ plus quite some
grilled bacon. Really hyper-expressive
, a true monster. Superb – and
what a smoke! Mouth: maybe a bit gentler
now but still very powerful. ‘Pleasantly
pungent’, very smoky, with strong
notes of pear sweets this time, or
even pineapples. Gets also more peppery
and quite salty, with heavy notes
of salmiak, salted liquorice. The
smokiness is permanent. Finish: long,
smoky and salty, and always very liquoricy.
One of the most wham-bam low-strength
Port Ellens I ever came across I think.
SGP:139 - 91 points. |
| Port
Ellen 21 yo 1973/1998 'Port Ellen
Maltings’ (58.4%, OB)
No need to say this is a legendary
bottling! Thanks to the Lindorables
for having sourced this one that I
had never tried before. Colour: straw.
Nose: wild, very wild, starting on
an unusual way, very much on smoked
ham and bacon but evolving very quickly
towards more typical notes of tar
and new tyres. Notes of hot butter,
nougat, peated malt... Gets then very
flinty, mineral, chalky, lemony...
And then quite animal, almost like
with some old sherry monsters (but
no traces of sherry here). Also raw
wool, hare belly, porridge... Rather
fantastico but let’s see what
happens with a few drops of water...
Great things! The lemony notes get
rounder and probably more approachable,
then there are Turkish delights, faint
hints of bubblegum (very funny here),
strawberry sweets (it’s probably
the first time I get notes of strawberries
in Port Ellen), hints of antiseptic,
smoked tea... And lots of micro-things
that we won’t bother to list
here. Superb. Mouth (neat): amazingly
assertive indeed! Even bigger than
on the nose, superbly lemony and peaty,
wild, beautifully bitter (strong liquorice),
with touches of salt on the tip of
your tongue. Also something camphory
(cough sweets). Ultra-big notes of
lemon marmalade. A bit too big to
be enjoyed neat I must say, lets add
water again. Right, now it’s
a little less complex than on the
nose but there a big notes of grapefruits,
tinned pineapples, candied lemons
and added hints of blackcurrants.
Finish: long and more classic now,
pretty much in the genre of the Rare
Malts 20 and 22yo’s, that is
to say much straighter now. Anyway,
a stunning whisky, not just a rarity
for collectors who are ready to hand
out 2000+ euro’s for a single
bottle. SGP:789 - 94 points. |
| Port
Ellen 24 yo 1982/2006 (59,4%, Chieftain's,
Hogshead #1513, 300 bottles)
I hope this one won’t have a
hard time after the PE Maltings. Colour:
straw. Nose: less expressive at first
sniffs, with a lot of sulphur this
time, paper (new book) and even a
little soap. All that settles down
after a moment, leaving room for flintier
notes, quite some smoke, lemon, hay...
Very grassy. Water should help here...
Oh, this is extravagant! Very big
notes of old roses and lychees like
in a gewurztraminer (really!) as well
as the same kind of bubblegummy notes
as in the PE Maltings. Also perfume
(Joy de Patou springs to mind), orange
blossom water, strawberries again
(!) and then various spices and hints
of coriander. Entertaining, to say
the least. Mouth (neat): Aha! This
one is really far from paling into
insignificance beside the PE Maltings
at this stage. Actually, it’s
pretty similar, maybe a tad less lemony
and a bit sweeter but it’s ultra-big
again, with lots happening (we get
dill, crystallised lemons, pepper,
curry, nutmeg, green tea, liquorice
roots...) With water: maybe it falls
back into line now, getting much grassier.
The lemony notes are still there,
that is, and so is the big peat. Finish:
very long, very grassy, very lemony
and very peaty, with good bitterness,
especially at the aftertaste. Well,
maybe this one isn’t quite as
majestic as the PE Maltings globally
but some parts of it really do bear
comparison. SGP:768 - 91 points. |
| MUSIC
– Heavily
recommended listening: the terrific
Richard
Hawley certainly is WF’s
current best rock and roll artiste
(thanks again, Nick) so let’s
have one of his most beautiful songs,
The
nights are cold.mp3 (acoustic
recording for the website) and then
buy his fantastic latest CD –
or any of his CD’s for that
matter. (see also Nick's recent concert
review) |
 |
| |
|
November
5, 2007 |
|
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
 |
TASTING
– THREE AUCHENTOSHANS |
|
Auchentoshan
1991/2007 (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd,
cask #480)
We already had cask #481
and it didn’t quite impress
us – maybe we’ll find
this one to be better. Colour: white
wine. Nose: this one starts extremely
zesty, all on lemon and fresh butter.
Goes on with beautiful floral notes
(jasmine, lime blossom) as well as
whiffs of turpentine and linseed oil.
Also hints of rhubarb and gooseberries.
Perfect balance and huge freshness
and purity. Mouth: good news, it is
better than cask #481 in our books.
Granted, it’s in no ways as
pure and clean as on the nose but
the mix of orange juice, vanilla and
soft spices (nutmeg, cloves, chinese
anise) works well here. More and more
orange with time. Finish: medium long,
orangey and vanilled. Maybe this one
lost its zing on the palate but it’s
still a rather good Auchentoshan.
SGP:540 (wazzat?)
- 78 points. |
| Auchentoshan
16yo 1990/2007 (46%, Milroy's, cask
#17284, Hogshead, 329 bottles)
Colour; pale straw. Nose: quite different
from the 1991. Less clean and more
marked by the cask, which means more
vanilla but also more porridgy and
grainy notes. It gets then rather
smoky and flinty, with again notes
of fresh butter and also overripe
apples. Faint whiffs of mint and dill.
Mouth: extremely close to the 1991at
this stage, almost identical. Please
read above, thanks. SGP:451
- 78 points. |
| Auchentoshan
50 yo 1957/2007 (49.5%, OB)
At roughly 3,000 Euros, this doesn’t
come cheap but hey, what a superb
bottle! (please note that we’re
‘working’ on a sample,
not the full bottle). Colour: gold
– amber. Nose: an expected beautiful
start on ‘good’ varnish,
bold notes of fresh and nicely ripe
strawberries, vanilla and marzipan.
Then it’s the leather, Havana
tobacco (unlit cigar – I don’t
know why, this reminds me of cigars
by La Gloria Cubana that we used to
smoke fifteen years ago – but
no more cigars these days), quince
jelly, pecan pie, peanut butter...
Gets then a tad resinous (eucalyptus,
menthol, cough syrup, thuja wood).
Also sandalwood and a little incense...
And then it’s back on ripe strawberries
and the jam made thereof. An amazing
old whisky, incredibly fresh and lively.
Very, very high class. Mouth: well,
there’s much more oak now but
it’s okay, really. Quite some
green tannins, that is, and strong
tea... Things settle down after a
while, leaving room for beautifully
candied and orangey notes. Then we
have various herbal teas (chamomile,
cherry stems, blackcurrant leaves)
and then more resinous ones (eucalyptus
sweets, chlorophyll gum, pine sweets).
The whole is much drier than on the
nose, to be honest. Finish: not very,
very long but what’s interesting
is that it’s not too tannic
and woody, and rather herbal, minty
and resinous again. Alright, this
one is maybe more a nosing malt but
the palate is anything but flawed
considering its age, and certainly
not ‘too old’ no too woody.
The nose was out of this world, which
is enough to grant this 50yo Auchentoshan
a very high score. SGP:555
– 93 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: it was about time we checked
whatour friend Finian
McKean was up to these
days, and we found out that he's really
kicking, as Dropping
roses.mp3 should testify. Please
buy Finian's music and go see him
live. |
 |
| |
|
November
4, 2007 |
|
|
 |
TASTING – TWO 1991
BRUICHLADDICHS
Bruichladdich
1991/2007 (46%, Berry Bros, cask
#2277) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: classy!
All of Bruichladdich’s trademark
fruits are well here, melons and
peaches first, then gooseberries
and pears... Then a slight meatiness
that you also sometimes get when
you distil fruits (believe me, I’ve
been distilling fruits for almost
twenty years) and finally a little
porridge and warm milk. Little cask
influence but a very clean spirit.
|
| Mouth:
again, a very fruity attack. Lots
of fruits, apples, melons, peaches,
pears... Add to that quite some pepper
and even hints of mustard. Finish:
medium long, spicier now, but the
fruits are still there. A good Bruichladdich,
even if it tastes rather younger than
it actually is. SGP:661 (wazzat?)
–
83 points. |
| Bruichladdich
14 yo 1991/2005 (56%, Cadenhead's
Auth. Coll., 318 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: this one
is much more on vanilla, vanilla and
vanilla, as if the cask had been much
more active than in the BBR. Now,
it also sort of masks the fruitiness
here. Hints of smoke and, once more,
a little porridge. Faint soapiness.
Mouth: better at the attack, very
fruity but some notes of violet and
lavender sweets do appear after a
moment. Hints of cologne (again, I
don’t drink cologne but it’s
easy to guess how it would taste,
isn’t it?) Finish: long, with
even more fruits and a little honey
but also these slightly disturbing
notes of cologne... SGP:442
– 70 points. |
| |
|
November
3, 2007 |
|
|
 |
|
|
MALT
MANIACS NEWSFLASH
WHISKY SPRINGBOKS CELEBRATE
We
were so busy mourning Les
Bleus’ failure at the
rugby World Cup that we forgot
to congratulate all our South
African friends for their
splendid victory in Paris.
|
 |
Let’s
put things right with this picture
of MM’s very own Joe Barry
toasting to his compatriots’
amazing success at Whisky Live
Cape Town with a bunch of friends
and bro. Once more, kudos to
the Springboks! - S. (photograph
Martine Nouet) |
| OTHER
GREAT NEWS
Malt
Maniacs' very own Ho-cheng
just translated Michael Jackon's
famous book 'Whisky' into
Chinese. This new edition
was launched right yesterday
and of course, Ho-cheng and
the editor were very sad about
the fact that the great man
passed away just a few weeks
before the event and couldn't
attend it. Anyway, you may
buy this masterpiece here
(website in Chinese of course) |
 |
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE TOMINTOULS |
|
Tomintoul Glenlivet 17yo (40%, OB,
Whyte and Mackay for Marks & Spencer,
1980's)
Colour: full gold. Nose: fresh, floral
and fruity like Tomintoul can be,
with notes of ripe apples, light honey,
warm butter and brioche. Soft maltiness,
hints of shoe polish that may come
from early OBE. Exactly what we could
call a pleasant dram, nicer than most
supermarket malts we could try. Mouth:
well, this is more weakish, alas,
probably more on blend territories.
Toasted, malty, grainy and caramelly,
with just hints of salt. It’s
not that it’s bad, it’s
just a bit uninteresting as far as
the palate is concerned. Finish: a
little short, very toasted, nutty
and caramelly, with also quite some
vanilla. SGP:552 (wazzat?)
- 80 points for the
very nice nose. |
| Tomintoul
1989 (43%, Whisky-Doris The Dram,
120 bottles, 2007)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: this one
is a little less fruity and floral
and more on roasted nuts, toasted
bread, malt and honey at first sniffs,
but gets fruitier over time (papayas,
tangerines)... Good oomph. More honey,
pollen, nectar after a while, with
faint hints of smoke and leathery
notes. Not far from absolute aromatic
balance. Mouth: much more oomph than
in the 17yo, even if once more, this
one is very toasted, caramelly and
nutty. Maltier than on the nose, with
also a little liquorice, resin and
honey. Very ‘Speyside’
I’d say. Finish: medium long
but again, very balanced, on malt
and caramel. This one should please
any dedicated good blend drinker willing
to change categories. SGP:654
- 84 points. |
| Tomintoul
1976/2007 (49,6%, Mackillop's Choice,
Sherry wood)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: now, this
is a true fruitbomb. A whole basket
of papayas, guavas and bananas, and
the ice creams made thereof, with
a very Irish side. Develops more on
butter toffee, butterscotch, honey,
praline, nougat... The wood is very
discreet at such old age and the whole
is a wonderful, soft dram. Oh, also
a little spearmint as well as chamomile
tea. Mouth: bold and punchy attack,
with the fruits upfront but also hints
of rubber, quince jelly and bitter
almonds. A little wilder than we had
thought after nosing. Gets then a
little more resinous and grassy, with
an even bigger grassiness and maybe
green tannins. Finish: very long and
really marked by the oak now, as well
as mint and even more bitter almonds.
A very contrasted whisky, displaying
a very fruity nose but a much bitterer
and grassier palate in my opinion.
Probably one of the limits of our
SGP system, as nose and palate are
so different. Still, SGP:851
- 84 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
We had inexplicably deleted Brian
Auger’s fantastic
Tiger.mp3
(1966) a while ago so here it is again,
back in its full glory. Rule Brian
Auger! Please buy Brian Auger's music!
(picture by Kate: Brian Auger with
an unknown grinning fan ;-)) |
 |
| |
|
November
2, 2007 |
|
|
| IMPORTANT
- A NEW WHISKY PROFILING SYSTEM THAT
WORKS, FOR ONCE |
| We’ve
been playing with the idea of coming
up with quick profiles for each whisky
we taste for quite some time now.
We’ve considered mappings, bar
charts, wheels, figures, pictograms...
We’ve also considered using
David Wishart’s cluster system,
or Thierry Benitah’s earlier
profiling system using stars, no to
mention several original systems that
all crashed when confronted with real
life tastings. Phew! Yet, we knew
we had to come up with something a.s.a.p.,
something that would allow our distinguished
readers to get an overall feeling
about this or that whisky, more precise
than just dry and simplistic scores
but quicker to read than our sometimes
lengthy – and quirky - tasting
notes. But ‘everything’
was still on hold when I got a very
interesting press release from Diageo’s
(press releases from the industry
are usually utterly boring and uninteresting,
and almost always simple requests
for free advertising for this or that
very exciting new bottling.
I must confess we almost never read
them, which may explain why we never
publish them – not even after
careful microwaving.) |
| So,
what was up at Diageo’s? Well,
with the help of the excellent Dave
Broom, they just sort of dropped the
‘regional classification’
of their malts and moved a few steps
forward by building a very simple
yet very efficient new way of classifying
whiskies: a two-dimensional Flavour
Map. As Dave put it, that Flavour
Map was designed to ‘help
consumers gain a greater understanding
of this magnificent spirit.’
Further, 'the Flavour Map doesn’t
pretend to be a comprehensive description
of each malt, or to take the place
of detailed tasting notes. It sets
out to inform consumer choice by showing
the differences between standard expressions
of malt whiskies.' Well, I personally
believe that it will also work quite
well with less standard expressions... |
 |
Diageo's
new Single Malt Flavour Map with
a few examples |
| So,
how does this Flavour Map work? It’s
very simple (KISS!), you simply place
any whisky you try on that map where
it fits, depending on two simple scales:
the Y-axis goes from ‘delicate’
to ‘smoky’ and the X-axis
from ‘light’ to ‘rich’.
Sure that’s extreme simplification
but I quickly tried the new Flavour
Map with several whiskies and it really
worked. Frankly, we could discuss
at length the fact that it’s
very simple (and maybe even simplistic)
but this system’s main asset
is that it works, whereas many much
more accurate systems seem to fit
the complexity of malt whisky much
better but... don’t work (usually
because they take too much time or
because as they are quite precise,
you’d like them to be even more
precise). So, once again, the better
was the enemy of the good and it seems
that Nick Morgan and gang wisely opted
for the good. |
Now,
you guessed it, I immediately wondered
how I could use the Flavour Map myself
on WF and I’m afraid I didn’t
find a satisfying answer, alas, mainly
because I think it works best when
graphically expressed whilst WF is
already very heavy and loaded with
images. So, here’s what I finally
came up with: a flavour profile that’s
expressed using only 3 figures, each
ranging from 0 (minimum) to 9 (maximum).
It’s very close to the Flavour
Map in spirit (I hope!) albeit probably
less ‘immediate’ and sexy,
but on the other hand, it’s
even quicker to build. I’ll
call this three-figure profile the
‘SGP’:
S
for the Sweet/Fruity scale (honey,
fruits, candy, raisins, vanilla, flowers
etc.)
G
for the Grainy/Grassy scale (porridge,
yeast, grass, malt, wax, beer etc.)
P
for the Phenolic/Smoky scale (farm,
peat, sea, tar, spices, liquorice,
meat etc.)
Of course any dedicated whisky freak
will immediately feel the need to
subdivide these three simplistic scales
into dozens of subscales but once
again, I think it’s better to
have a simple system that works rather
than a huge labyrinthine system that
we’ll never manage to handle
properly since what we always lack
is time (no, not whisky). |
| So,
with this new system, plain water
would get an SGP of 000 whilst a careful
vatting of young cask strength Ardbeg,
Macallan and, say Clynelish would
possibly get an SGP of 999. What I
propose is that we try to use the
SGP system for a few weeks on WF and
if it works (i.e. if we get thousands
of laudatory comments – okay
hundreds – okay, dozens), we’ll
institute it definitely and maybe
do some bit of reengineering on our
older tasting notes when time permits. |
|
Anyway, bravo! to the mighty Diageo
for having made this very clever move
and hence for having helped us coming
up with a quick and easy profiling
system that's much inspired by it.
Kiss! |
| Okay,
let's try the SGP now, with... |
| Benriach
22 yo 1984/2007 (53.2%, The Single
Malts of Scotland)
From a newly bottled single cask,
details to come (but we may well forget
to add them). Colour: pale gold. Nose:
ah, yes, this one comes from the now
legendary heavily peaty batches it
seems. Peat, hot butter and pepper,
plus toasted bread, charcoal, matchsticks
and hints of smoked bacon. Really
straightforward, very classy. Trademark
notes of grapefruits and tangerines
coming through after a while, as well
as a slight farminess (wet hay) and
faint whiffs of mercurochrome. A bit
‘rigid’ but it’s
the kind of rigidity we like (no hidden
meanings of course). Mouth: excellent,
nervous attack on a honey, caramel
and ‘peppery peat’ combo
that’s rather unusual, even
on Islay methinks (except, maybe,
in some Lagavulins). Develops on crystallised
lemon zests and marmalade, with an
impressive ‘smooth bitterness’.
Notes of strong herbs liqueur and
even a little tar. Finish: obviously
long, maybe a little smoother now,
leaving a pleasant sensation of cleanliness
– but the peat fires back at
the aftertaste. This is very good.
SGP:438 – 91 points. |
 |
Benriach
30 yo 1976/2006 (53%, OB for LMDW,
cask #3557, 222 bottles)
We’re still wondering why we
never gotten around to trying this
one before, such is our love for Benriach
(will that do?) Colour: gold. Nose:
much, much less peat if any, and a
superb fruitiness instead, mixed with
the same kinds of vegetal hints as
in the 1984. ‘Wet un-smoked
pipe tobacco’. At the fruits
department we have the same notes
of tangerines and grapefruits but
also bold notes of passion fruits
and mango. Quite some vanilla as well,
light honey, flower nectar, ham...
The oak is quite present but works
as an underlining (carpenter’s
workshop). The whole is very demonstrative,
for sure, not quite an old fruitbomb
but... And again hints of wet hay.
|
| Mouth:
starts very nervous, uberfruity (as
much passion fruit doesn’t exist
in the whisky world I think), with
also orange squash, grapefruits (truckloads),
soft spices and less oak than on the
nose it seems. It doesn’t really
develop I think but the attack was
that great that it’s not a problem
when it lasts until... the finish,
which is long, still on these bold
fruity notes of course but with maybe
more spices, notably pepper and also
something slightly resinous. Reminds
me of Sauternes ‘at cask strength’
(which is plain stupid) – or
maybe Marc d’Yquem? (brandy
made out of Yquem’s dregs -
that should exist.) SGP:932
– 92 points. |
| Comments.
So,
how did the SGP system
work with these two Benriachs? See
the new figures just before each score.
The first figure (S) clearly indicates
that the 1976 is extremely fruity
(S=9). Both are mildly grainy/grassy
(G=3) whilst the 1984 is very phenolic/smoky
(P=8) and the 1976 displays just hints
of such notes (P=2). A quick glance
at both SGP's should clearly indicate
to any of our distinguished readers
how different these two malts are,
even if they both come from the very
same distillery. Err, does that work? |
| SHOPPING
(RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS ONLY, THANKS) |
| Imagine
you’re a relatively famous whisky
company and you want to catch as much
free publicity as possible to push
one of your brand names. Which options
do you have? Quite a few actually,
here are some examples among others: |
- Improve
the product so that the consumers
notice it. Hmm, that’s costly
and often impossible to do, not
to mention the fact that it may
not be noticed at the end of the
day.
-
Do a bit of guerrilla marketing.
Like, inviting a retired Mongolian
cosmonaut to your distillery and
do a special bottling for the
occasion. Hmm, well, the problem
is that there aren’t that
many Mongolian cosmonauts around...
And it may be good for your PR
but not obligatorily for your
positioning...
-
Put an old bottle of yours on
auction and buy it back anonymously
for an insane price, while making
sure that there are many journalists
around when that happens. Hmm,
well, the trick is so overused
that all you may pull is mockery.
Variant: wait for an old bottle
to appear in the auction houses’
catalogues. Problem: that may
take a long time.
-
Launch a new very old bottling,
very limited, and put an insane
price tag on it. No need to sell
it, what you seek isn’t
a little extra-money, remember,
it’s free publicity. So,
the dearer the better, as long
as it doesn’t look plain
ridiculous.
|
| Okay,
the latest trick is well known, and
it’s probably one of the industry’s
favourites. But even there, you have
several main options: |
- Do
a Pétrus finishing on it.
-
Do a luxurious packaging. Crystal
decanters are a must in this case,
even better with a famous name
on it (Daum, Lalique, Baccarat...)
- Or
create a crazy bundle, by adding
gloves, leather cases, fountain
pens, plain silver hipflasks,
guns, iPods, VIP trips to the
distillery, whatever.
|
| Right,
there is a problem: how will the consumer
link this crazy new bottling to your
core range? After all, a fantastic
hyper-deluxe Lalique decanter does
not look like your regular 10 years
old at all, so no ‘Audi effect’
here (spot an A8 and you’ll
feel the urge to buy an A3, shouldn’t
you have the dough for the A8). Well,
it seems that Dalmore have resolved
the dilemma, by doing exactly this: |
| 
|
1.
Decide on a very limited series.
Like, two bottles only. Just one
wouldn’t make for a series
whilst three or more would be useless.
Imagine you’ll maybe have
to buy them back at some point,
that would be stupid.
2.
Select a very old malt. Remember,
the older, the better. 64 year old
will do (coz you already had a 62.)
3.
Use crystal. Lalique already have
dealings with a competitor? Baccarat
will do. But make sure your new
bottle looks like your core range
(more or less). Remember, Audi.
4.
Add all you need, hand calligrapher
certificates (not too much work,
remember, only two bottles –
cheaper than going to the printer’s
after all), wax seals, a few goodies
(corkscrew etc.)...
5.
Hmm, there’s something missing...
|
|
Right, a case! So, use the most exclusive
materials, like, why not, Sterling
silver! Hold on, that won’t
look like your core range, will it?
Well, that depends on the shape of
that case. Actually, there is a solution,
and that solution is shown on our
picture. No, this isn’t a joke!
Oh, by the way, RSP is £100,000.
No further comments needed, I guess,
except that what's sure is that Dalmore
are on top form these days... |
| MUSIC
– Recommended
listening: simply Shannon
McNally, doing Geronimo.mp3.
So beautiful... Please buy Shannon
McNally's music, thank you. |
 |
| |
|
November
1, 2007 |
|
|
 |
TASTING
– THREE (almost) OFFICIAL
BENROMACHS
|
| Benromach
1968/2007 (43%, OB)
Colour: mahogany. Nose: starts exactly
as you’d expect from a heavily
sherried whisky, with coffee, prunes,
fruitcake and cocoa/chocolate. It’s
quite smoky at that, not exactly peaty
but quite, developing on dried oranges
and a whole bunch of meaty and spicy
aromas (brown sauce, game, soy sauce,
lovage, parsley, hints of camphor...).
More classic sherried whisky does
not exist I think. Mouth: more of
the same, maybe a little drier and
spicier, with quite some oak and tannins,
but the rest is perfect. Again, coffee,
toffee, Seville oranges, Xmas cake,
roasted almonds... And then hints
of spearmint and even a little aniseed.
Perfectly dry. Finish: not exceptionally
long but very clean for a ‘sherry
monster’, all on coffee and
praline. Less drying than feared at
this stage. Perfect old sherried malt
and in these days when any dodgy make
is priced at unlikely levels, certainly
a BFYB bottle (less than 200 Euros).
Congrats to the owners. 90
points. |
| Benromach
2000/2007 (60.4%, OB for LMDW, cask
#724, 241 bottles)
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: powerful but certainly not unbearable,
starting amazingly ‘Islayian’
even if there’s not a huge lot
of peat (but there is quite some peat
in this, no doubt). Goes on with notes
of soaked malt, raw wool, motor oil,
a little tar, almonds, marzipan, linseed
oil... Even hints of dried kelp. The
smokiness grows bigger with time,
at that. Very Speyside... Not! Not
far from the recent ‘Peat Smoke’
version I ‘d say, just bigger
and maybe a tad more complex. A surprise.
With water: (just like the ‘Peat
Smoke’, it got as opaque as
milk! What did they put into this???)
it gets even closer to nature, all
on dead leaves, humus, mushrooms and
peated barley. And really a lot of
linseed oil. Mouth: big, bold, sweet
and even peatier than on the nose,
really on ‘Islay levels’
now. Fruitier than most Islayers,
though, and maybe a tad less ‘precise’
as far as the palate is concerned.
But this is very hot, let’s
see what happens with water: well,
it’s good, simple, peated whisky.
Maybe no thrill but no flaws either.
Interesting kind of sweetness (gentian
liqueur such as Suze if you know it).
Finish: long, sweet and peaty, keeping
your digestive track ‘warm and
serene’. 84 points. |
| Benromach
1982/1996 (63%, G&M Cask, casks
#1335/1341)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: a little
sulphur at first nosing, soon to vanish,
and then it’s a cascade of wood
and coal smoke, bitter oranges, strong
honey, mirabelles... Just before it
gets wilder and rougher. Leather,
cigarette tobacco (unlit Camel), shoe
polish, smoked tea, wet dead leaves.
Gets really hot after a while (63%,
mind you) so let’s ad a little
water to it. It got wonderfully resinous
and candied, with loads of vegetal
aromas such as crushed eucalyptus
leaves, mushrooms, moss, fern, mint,
dill and God knows what else. Brilliant,
provided you don’t forget to
add water. Mouth (neat): forget it!
You can feel it’s great whisky
but it’s as hot and burning
as kerosene (I would imagine). With
water: oh yes, it is great whisky.
It’s all very similar to what
happened on the nose, with a lot of
notes of cough sweets, parsley, crystallised
angelica, dried pears, mastic drops,
aniseed... Perfect! Finish: long,
complex, thick, rich, candied but
not clumsy at all (quite the contrary),
with added notes of quince jelly.
And always dried pears. I’ve
never been really disappointed with
G&M’s Cask series, and many
are even stunning. It’s not
this one that will make me change
my mind. But as always, water is obligatory.
90 points. |
 |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
American blues shouter (and one of
the inventors of rock and roll)
Wynonie Harris again
does Quiet
whiskey.mp3. Any resemblance to
any person living or dead is purely
accidental... (via Joie
de vivre) |
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:
Aberlour
'A'bunadh' Batch #20 (60.5%,
OB, 2007)
Auchentoshan
50 yo 1957/2007 (49.5%, OB)
Benriach
22 yo 1984/2007 (53.2%, The Single
Malts of Scotland)
Benriach
30 yo 1976/2006 (53%, OB for LMDW,
cask #3557, 222 bottles)
Benromach
1968/2007 (43%, OB)
Benromach
1982/1996 (63%, G&M Cask, casks
#1335/1341)
Port
Ellen 1976/1995 (43%, Dun Eideann for
Auxil, France, casks #4763-64, 760 bottles)
Port
Ellen 21 yo 1973/1998 'Port Ellen Maltings’
(58.4%, OB)
Port
Ellen 24 yo 1982/2006 (59,4%, Chieftain's,
Hogshead #1513, 300 bottles)
Strathisla
1967/2007 (50%, Gordon & MacPhail
for LMDW, cask #6112)
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