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Hi, you're in the Archives, September 2007 - Part
2 |
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September
30, 2007 |
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TASTING
– TWO UNUSUALLY SHERRIED BALVENIES
Balvenie NAS (43%, OB, flat bottle
with flags, 1980’s)
Here’s the funny bottle that
we sometimes call ‘the tennis
racket’. The 18yo version
is more common I think, and less
sherried. |
| Colour:
full amber. Unusually dark for Balvenie.
Nose: starts extremely sherried whilst
most official Balvenies we know are
much more floral and fruity. Very
powerful, almost too sharp and violent
at just 43%. A lot of game, lovage
(or Maggi plant), much closer to an
old Macallan I’d say. Quite
some nougat and praline. Gets closer
to the usual Balvenies after a while
(a lot of honey, dandelions, nectar)
but there are also hints of smoke.
Mouth: really powerful, extremely
honeyed, with also a lot of bacon
and notes of peppered strawberries,
yet it’s quite perfectly balanced.
Bold sherry, nothing to do with the
current Balvenies I must say. Finish:
‘as long as a day without bread’
(or without whisky?), mostly on strawberry
jam and maybe a little cherry liqueur.
Totally amazing power. Love this.
90 points. |
Balvenie
17 yo ‘SherryOak’ (43%,
OB, 2007) 
This brand new Balvenie was fully
matured in Oloroso sherry casks. Colour:
deep amber with bronze hues. Nose:
starts immediately dry, mostly on
coffee and bitter cocoa, which is
certainly unusual for Balvenie, but
rather beautiful. Gets even more coffeeish
(all kinds of coffee, from espresso
to café latte) and rather perfectly
spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of
star anise), and then more ‘antique’,
with old leather, wax polish, old
furniture... Discreet whiffs of soy
sauce, but not meatiness here. I really
like this one, very cleanly dry. Mouth:
a slight weakness at the attack due
to the low strength but it’s
soon to take off, on these coffeeish
and chocolaty notes again, prunes,
Corinth raisins, the same spices as
on the nose and a slight, pleasant
tannicity (not bone-dry). Maybe the
middle is a bit weakish again but
the finish is longer again, rather
full, clean, still very dry, with
pleasant tannins and an aftertaste
on cooked blackcurrants and prunes.
A success I think. 88 points. |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
Some compositions just stay in your
mind even if you listen to them only
once every ten years. Mason
Williams’ Classical
gas.mp3 (recorded in 1968) sure
is one of them... Yes WF is eclectic!
Please buy Mason Williams' music. |
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September
28, 2007 |
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| TASTING
- TWO PORT CHARLOTTES |
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Port
Charlotte 2001/2007 ‘PC6’
(61.6%, OB, 2007)
Here’s the brand new Port
Charlotte! We’ll also have
a glass of the PC5 at hand so that
we can compare both. Colour: straw
(the PC5 is rather pale gold, that
is to say darker). Nose: it’s
obviously the same make, except
that the PC6 is straighter at first
nosing, more directly on smoke and
less on pears and kirsch. |
| But
then I detect something fruitier (apricots,
very ripe melons) and a rather distinct
vinosity, but I wouldn’t say
this is ‘winey’. Whiffs
of peonies, clean wine barrel, then
warm butter and mashed potatoes, hot
cake... More towards pastries than
the PC5, with maybe a little less
smoke. Gets more demonstrative with
time, more ‘raw’ (wool,
‘clean’ manure, porridge,
new leather, soaked grain). Other
than that it’s close to the
PC5, with just these added faint winey
hints that may (or may not, I have
no info at hand) come from time spent
in good wine casks. But it certainly
doesn’t smell like wine-finished
whisky as such. With water: now it
got much nicer than the PC5. Indeed,
it’s straighter, all on peat
and whiffs of a farmyard in a hot
summer day, and without a single winey
notes left. The hints of mint and
curry that we got in the PC5 disappeared
as well. Very, very ‘Islay’,
and an excellent swimmer it seems.
Mouth (neat): again, starts cleaner
and better balanced than the PC5 as
well as rather more peppery and spicy
and, again, less kirschy. But it does
need water... So, with water: still
powerful and, again, cleaner than
the PC5 (I’m not meaning the
latter was dirty of course). More
fresh fruits (butter pears) and a
perfect peatiness, with also notes
of ginger tonic and gentian spirit.
Very, very good, maybe marginally
closer to the Islays from the south
shore than the PC5, that is. And indeed,
no winey notes on the palate. Finish:
long, peaty, fruity, very clean, with
notes of plum spirit. Rating? I’d
say two points above the PC5, which
means 88 points. |
| 09/29/2007
- Added comments – I just learned
that this PC6 was partly matured in
Madeira casks. Well, all I can say
is that it worked well and that it
was only relatively obvious to me
on the nose that some 'not too vinous'
wine was involved ihere. At least
we’ve got the answer now . |
| Port
Charlotte 5 yo 2001/2006 (60.6%, Private
Bottling Gerold Vincon, refill sherry
bloodtub #R42, 41 bottles)
Will this one be as good as our friend
Gordon Homer’s stunning PC?
Let’s see... Colour: amber.
Nose: much closer to the official
PC’s and less marked with sherry
than Gordon’s cask, but quite
outstanding again, with a huge complexity,
unusual considering its young age.
Superb notes of burgers topped with
brown sauce, honey, old sweet white
wine (something like straw wine from
Jura – not the island), various
herbs (sage, coriander), then raspberry
jam... Gets then closer to the PC6,
with similar notes of mashed potatoes.
The smoke is truly fantastic. With
water: it’s amazing how that
worked. Almost like with Gordon’s
cask, this young Port Charlotte smells
like 20yo whisky. Great flinty notes
and even the mashed potatoes got even
better (Robuchon’s recipe, half-potatoes,
half-butter.) Hints of fresh crushed
mint leaves this time. Mouth (neat):
fantastic! All on vanilla fudge, praline
and smoky nougat (wait, I don’t
think that exists in real life...)
with several crystallised fruits and
a little resin. But it’s hot
whisky at 60%, let’s add water
again straight away. That made it
more toasted, smoky and dry, almost
ashy and very flinty again. Add to
that hints of our beloved chestnut
honey and you get a truly amazing
whisky again. Finish: very long, wonderfully
balanced, smoky and toasted, maybe
more on coffee now. Not far at all
from Gordon’s wonder that I
had at 94 (Olivier had it at 98, imagine!)
Okay, let’s display our very
Gallic sense of logic now and give
this one 93 points.
(and many thanks, Gerold) |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
Yet another fantastic oldie, with
blues shouter
and ‘loud-talking, fast living,
womanising, hard-drinking, shrewd,
witty and generous son of a gun’
Wynonie
Harris singing the Drinking
blues.mp3 in the 1950’s.
Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey! Harris
also performed with Duke Ellington
or Tommy Dorsey. Please buy his music. |
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September
27, 2007 |
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TASTING
- TWO NEW OFFICIAL LAPHROAIGS
Laphroaig
25 yo (40%, OB, 2007) 
Here’s the
new large batch Laphroaig, unexpectedly
bottled at 40%. A bit strange when
you know the difference that just
3 more percents can make to the
regular 10yo. Colour: straw/pale
gold. |
| Nose:
starts on distant whiffs of wood smoke,
garden bonfire, tarmac and bandages,
with little sweetness if any. Gets
a little more buttery after that but
there are also added notes of antiseptic,
and tiger balm (camphor). Certainly
one of the most medicinal Laphroaigs
I could nose. Also notes of marzipan
and almond milk. Very good balance
except that the whole is sort of subdued.
True to Laphroaig’s legend but
more whispering than wham-bam, getting
even slightly dusty, cardboardy and
pearish after a moment (but interesting
whiffs of wet wool do arise at the
same time). Mouth: well, this is different,
relatively weak right from the start,
with quite some peat but also notes
of tea, stale pepper, lager beer,
light caramel... Not much happening
on the palate I think, except for
some rather pleasant notes of grapefruits
and kumquats like in the 15yo. Yes,
this 25 is close to the 15 as far
as the profiles are concerned, but
it’s also weaker and gets a
little too cardboardy. Not much happening
indeed. Finish: medium long, slightly
sweeter and also a little candied,
with notes of crystallised oranges
but little ‘Laphroaigness’
other than that. Well, all I can say
is that I like the 15, 30 and 40 better.
Much better. Too bad... Again, it
would probably have displayed more
oomph and zing at 43%. But the nose
is pretty nice I think, despite its
shyness. 84 points. |
| Laphroaig
27 yo 1980/2007 (57.4%, OB for LMDW France, 972 bottles)
Just like the latest Black Bowmore,
this one is a vatting of five oloroso
sherry casks. Colour: deep amber with
brownish hues. Nose: a magnificent
sherry and peat combo! Exceptional
tarry notes, ‘good’ sulphur
(no cooked eggs), very beefy as well,
developing on an amazing number of
aromas coming out in waves. At random,
we have superb camphory and resinous
notes, sea water and seaweed, fresh
mint and verbena, soy and plum sauces,
coffee and toffee, slightly burnt
caramel, brandy-soaked prunes, oranges,
hints of hare belly or well-hung pheasant,
caramelised wine sauce, hints of old
rancio, strong Dutch liquorice, chocolate...
Yes, what a bunch. Truly exceptional
to be honest. And god knows I’d
have loved to be able to bash this
one because of its insane price...
No luck, it is exceptional indeed,
even if it wanes a wee bit after fifteen
minutes or so. Mouth: what a big,
fat, oily, hugely concentrated attack!
Did they cook it for hours or what?
Amazingly thick indeed, yet not inelegant
at all, all on bitter chocolate, prunes
and peat (no big bold peat, that is),
with also loads of spices starting
to storm your palate. Cinnamon, cloves,
heavy liquorice, paprika... Also espresso
coffee, armagnac (I know people who
would think this is a great old cask
strength armagnac). Some kinds of
‘tannins’ like in unstemmed
grape brandy, certainly pleasant here
even if they are quite drying. Grape
pips. Orange liqueur. Again, how,
fat, how thick, how bold! Finish:
long, very drying but not unpleasantly
so, mostly on something like orange
liqueur in which you’d have
let liquorice and all kinds of roots
infuse. Maybe even ginseng. Oh, and
there’s quite some old plum
brandy in the aftertaste... Well,
this is not for everyone, and it’s
not only because of its frankly over
the top price tag (around 680 euros
– no typo). I found the 1974
from two years ago to be better balanced
and more elegant, but this incredible
Hulk of a Laphroaig sure is a great
sherried Islayer. But again, you really
have to like your whisky black. No
wonder they chose an unusual (and
very Cadenheadian) black label for
it. 92 points. |
| YET
A LITTLE SHOPPING
- It's amazing what one can find on
the Web (no kiddin'!) For instance
a Chinese whisky named Ikusa,
with 'Special taste for Chinese
food' (USD 36.00 a 12b case)
or another one, a Scotch this time,
named SKL, about
which the wholesaler wrote 'Finest
whisky in Scothland, Tasted like Chivas
(maybe better)' offered with
'Free trial available in Singapore
& KL, Malaysia to witness its
unique functions'. A little dearer
though: wholesale price USD 10.00
a bottle, retail price USD 40.00 (yeah,
sure!) Now, the good news is on the
backlabel: 'It's probably the
finest whisky of this century.' That
makes all the difference, doesn't
it! |
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MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
game for some good, honest, America-like
country-rock today? So, let's have
Grevious
Angel doing Down
by love.mp3 and then buy their
music... |
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September
26, 2007 |
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TASTING
- THREE OLD BOWMORES
Bowmore
42 yo 1964/2007 ‘Black’
(40.5%, OB, 827 bottles)
A vatting of five oloroso sherry
casks, from Bowmore’s first
distillation using indirect steam
heating (vs. direct firing). We
absolutely adored the first edition
of the older Black Bowmore (96)
but found the second and the ‘final’
(at the time) editions slightly
lumpish and too much on the ‘blackberry
jam - chocolate’ side, the
final edition being even a bit tannic,
but they were still great whiskies
(both 91). No need to say we’re
very curious about this Black Bowmore
Reloaded... |
| Colour:
very deep amber. Nose: yes! It all
starts on an extreme and stunning
fruitiness like with most Bowmores
from the 1960’s, but with many
added layers. I’d say the first
impression mixes squashed oranges,
chestnut purée, milk chocolate
and mint but there’s much more.
It gets more frankly fruity after
that wonderful attack, with the expected
tangerines, blood oranges and papayas
(but no passion fruits this time)
and then more maritime, with a little
iodine, dried kelp, fresh clams...
The mint strikes back together with
a little camphor and eucalyptus, then
quite some dried fruits (prunes, figs,
also ginger), and we’re finally
back on crystallised tangerines, with
also quite some heather honey. Oh,
and also notes of oxtail, even Parma
ham. Not a single hint of over-ageing
and no excessive oakiness whatsoever.
Mouth: more obvious oak now, liquorice,
strong black tea, dark chocolate and
orange zests. I find it rather bitter
but it’s pleasant bitterness.
Notes of spearmint chewing gum, green
tea, un-sugared coffee, apple skin,
orange zest, bitters... Very nice
dryness I must say but you have to
like that. Maybe not as luscious as
on the nose, nor as complex, but that
almost always happens after 30 years
of age I think, not to mention after
40 (who said it’s just like
men?) Finish: probably not excessively
long but the citrus fruits are back
alongside the chocolaty notes. Quite
some walnuts too and a rather gingery
aftertaste. Well, I’d say that
the most interesting part of this
new BB is the nose (maybe 80% of the
whole happens there actually) whilst
the palate is probably a little less
remarkable, but the whole is a very
great whisky, no doubt. So, is it
worth the roughly £2,000 it’ll
cost? Probably more so than the Ardbeg-1965-with-white-gloves
from two years ago, in any case (more
about that one in the coming days).
91 points. |
| Bowmore
31 yo 1957/1988 (40%, Hart Bros)
This one wasn’t reduced with
water, the 40% being ‘natural’
and was still distilled using direct
firing. Colour: dark gold. Nose: pretty
different but we’re in the same
family. Fresher and fruitier than
the Black at first nosing but less
complex. More on crystallised oranges,
with hints of marzipan and a bigger
‘coastality’ (sea breeze).
Also something slightly milky and
mashy, which could be a bit bizarre
in such an old malt. We suddenly get
huge notes of freshly opened coconuts
and it then definitely stays on that,
with just a little more mint adding
even more freshness to the whole.
Not as entertaining and complex as
the Black but still very, very nice.
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| Mouth:
more body and more freshness than
in the BB this time, with a big fruitiness
(oranges, passion fruits, mangos)
and a little coffee and caramel. Little
peat and little ‘coastality’,
that is. Picks up steam with time,
getting more and more on fruit eaux-de-vie
(plums). Maybe not an immense old
Bowmore but it’s good. Finish:
rather long, on oranges and spices
(pepper). Very good but there are
more demonstrative old Bowmores, including
the official 38yo 1957. 88
points. |
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Bowmore
1965 (43%, OB, France, Auxil, typed
vintage, late 1980’s)
We’re wondering if this one
will be different from the totally
stellar 1965 we’re used to (well,
that’s a bold statement), on
which the vintage was printed and
not just ‘re-typed’. Colour:
dark mahogany. Nose: well, it’s
very close to the ‘regular’
1965 but maybe a tad wilder. Hints
of horse sweat, changing-room. Other
than that it’s all on citrus
fruits (all of them, grapefruit being
the leader) and seawater, plain salt,
iodine, burning heather, liquorice,
pepper, cinnamon... And always these
wild sweaty notes. Certainly not ‘de
salon’. Mouth: marginally simpler
and less sweaty (hopefully) but truly
magnificent. Loads of grapefruit,
cinnamon, salt... Incredibly salty
actually. To cut a long story short,
just a stunning Bowmore from the 60’s,
bottled at its peak. 95 points. |
| Warning,
anorak stuff ahead ... |
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Bowmore
1965 'Islay Pure Malt', regular printed
vintage (for Italy etc) |
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Bowmore
1965, 'Islay Single Malt', typed vintage
(Auxil, France) |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
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MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
Quiet, very quiet, but Winter
took his life (how
weird a band’s name can be...)
and their whisperer Susanna Brandin
from Gothenburg, Sweden, make rather
beautiful music I think. Try Time.mp3
and thenp lease buy it.
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September
25, 2007 |
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| TASTING
– FOUR OLD STRATHISLAS |
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| Strathisla
40 yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail,
circa 2000)
Colour: amber. Nose: starts on fantastic
notes of roasted hazelnuts, mint leaves
and milk chosolate. Goes on with a
superb ‘vinosity”, extremely
elegant. Keeps developing on game,
pepper, ham and all kinds of wild
mushrooms. Extremely classy. Mouth:
yes, superb, roasted, candied but
quite nervous. Also lots of fresh
fruits (oranges but also strawberries)
and quite a dash of cinnamon. Perfect.
Finish: surprisingly long but maybe
a tad too oaky now. Very enjoyable
smokiness in the background. State
of the art as far as low strength
malts are concerned. 90 points. |
| Strathisla
1963/2005 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail)
Colour; amber. Nose: it’s a
rather different story. This one starts
more on bananas flambéed, coconuts
(Malibu) and a beautiful oakiness.
Also quite some game, ham, mint sauce
(yeah we tried this one in the UK).
Gets more similar to the 40yo after
a moment but maybe a tad more complex.
We have the same kinds of wild mushroom.
Mouth: more classic, maybe a little
woodier. Dried bananas, crystallised
apricots. Loses a little steam with
time but never gets weak. Finish:
quite long, much spicier than before,
getting very peppery. In short, another
great old Strathisla, somewhat in
the style of an old cognac. Too bad
the middle was slightly on the slow
side. 89 points. |
Strathisla
21yo (40%, Sestante, late 1980’s)
This one gathered mixed comments from
other MM’s, let’s see
what gives. Colour: gold. Nose: rather
silent I’d say, and very dry
at the same time. Hints of OBE staring
to appear (metal polish). Also hints
of toasted bread, herbal tea (chamomile,
which can be great but also quite
dreadful like here). Still quite malty,
that is. Not unpleasant in fact, just
a bit too weakish and dry. Mouth:
weak indeed, almost watery. Too bad
because the ‘elements’
behind are rather perfect (nice maltiness,
roasted nuts, even a little smokiness)
but it’s just like somebody
had reduced it down to 25 or 30°%.
Finish: not much, not much…
But let’s not slam this one,
again, the profile is very nice, just
way too slim, at least for contemporary
drinkers. 78 points. |
| Strathisla
1937 (70 Proof, G&M Licensed,
mid 1970’s)
No need to say that it’s a thrill
to be able to try a pre-war malt!
Colour: amber. Nose: granted, it’s
probably not very explosive but the
‘antiquated’ smells are
truly beautiful. It’s all on
old furniture, wax polish, rosehip
tea, pollen, old leather, tobacco…
Goes on with slightly overripe strawberries
(great to find fresh fruits in such
an old malt), old books, attic, a
little marzipan, buttered toffee…
Then it’s the metallic notes
that we find in many old bottles (metal
polish), clay. There’s even
flowers (mostly peonies). A very moving
old whisky, an ode to age. And I no
way it’s weak, or even slightly
weakish. Wonderful, even if we already
know that the palate won’t probably
match the nose. Mouth: it’s
got ten times more zing than the Sestante!
Amazing notes of pipe tobacco, crystallised
oranges, several kinds of honey (mostly
orange honey), very old white wine…
Something delicately resinous…
And the peat, you may ask? Yes it’s
quite peaty – more than more
modern versions at least – smoky…
I’d say ‘smoky-candied’.
The body is really impressive, it
gets almost hot after a while. Absolutely
no weakness from the attack to the
finish. Speaking of which, it’s
long, candied, honeyed, finely smoky,
orangey… In short, a thrill,
thanks to the Scottish grandpas who
made this beauty. 91 points.
I’m sure it would have made
it up to 95, had it been bottled at
45+%. (and thanks, Roland) |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
Let’s
have some classic soul rock today
with Al
Wilson and his hit The
snake.mp3. It seems that he escaped
a fire at home earlier this year,
but that he sadly lost many of his
master tapes. Please buy Al Wilson’s
music. |
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September
24, 2007 |
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| TASTING
- THREE DALLAS DUDES (err, Dhus) |
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Dallas
Dhu 34 yo 1971/2005 (52.1%, Blackadder
Raw Cask, cask #1060, 276 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: starts all on
apple juice, warm butter and wood
smoke, getting then rather grassier
and waxier. Notes of something like
‘grassy marzipan’ (?),
old walnuts, vase water... Gets more
on dairy cream after that, yoghurt,
with the oakiness also taking off
(white pepper, nutmeg and ginger).
Very dry, pleasantly so, although
we do also get hints of plums and
maybe not too ripe apricots. It doesn’t
seem to need water so let’s
drop it. Mouth: punchy, fruity and
very peppery attack, I’d say
in the ‘rough Highlands style’.
Overripe oranges and lemons, cider
apples (a little bitterish), vanilla-flavoured
toffee, vanilla, sage... A lot of
oak and ‘bearable’ green
tannins. Also notes of grape skin,
lemon peels... Rather wild and rough
I’d say. Finish: long but frankly
tannic now, drying. The funny thing
is that this ‘flaw’ is
rather pleasant here, it gives this
Dallas Dhu a big backbone. I quite
like it. 85 points. |
| Dallas
Dhu 26 yo 1981/2007 (55.7%, Duncan
Taylor, cask #432)
A brand new bottling. Colour: gold.
Nose: a rather similar profile but
it’s all much cleaner, straighter,
purer... With also added whiffs of
cologne. And a very faint soapiness
that’s soon to disappear. Other
than that it’s all walnuts and
almonds, wax, vanilla-flavoured yoghurt,
fresh coconut (very obvious here).
Discreet whiffs of wet dog. The cologne
vanishes as well, leaving more room
for the oak and quite a grassiness
again. Bizarrely, it gets more silent
after a few minutes. With water: yes
it’s revived but it got ‘just’
a little farmier, which often happens
when you add water. The rest is similar
to the attack. Mouth (neat): well,
as much as I found the nose okayish,
I find the palate really interesting.
The attack is all on pepper and Turkish
delights, as if it was something like
very good fruit liqueur matured in
oak for a long time. Funny. Strawberry
sweets and pepper, banana sweets and
cloves, ripe kiwis and ginger, squashed
oranges and cinnamon... Highly entertaining!
Let’s drop water this time again,
it doesn’t need it on the palate
I think (okay, I couldn’t help
trying it with water, it’s more
of the same, only smoother and maybe
a tad more ‘melted’).
Finish: long, with the fruitiness
winning the fight this time, which
is rather good news. Excellent resinous
touch. Highly drinkable, at that.
90 points. |
| Dallas
Dhu 13 yo 1974/1987 (59.6%, Gordon
& MacPhail for Intertrade)
Colour: straw. Nose: much sharper,
rather spirity, waxy and grassy again.
Water really needed here I guess.
With water: well, it got much grassier
and more globally vegetal, with whiffs
of asparagus soup, cabbage cooking
water, artichokes, manure, horse dung...
My, this is wild! Not really to my
liking I must say. Mouth (neat): powerful,
coffeeish and sugary like many high-strength
malts. With water: phew, this is better.
The same kind of fruitiness as in
the 1981 but less oak or spices for
the structure I’d say, even
if it gets very peppery and even quite
peaty after a while. Big pepper actually,
but the rest is a bit average. Finish:
long and nice, very peppery, getting
even bitterish (lemon skin) but in
a rather pleasant way. Crystallised
oranges. The finish was the best part
I’d say. 78 points. |
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SHOPPING
- It's all about China buying whisky
these days but why not try to be
smarter and buy whisky FROM China?
Frankly, this bottle looks fantastic
and they are capable of supplying
us with 120,000 pieces a month.
The name is 'Blueblood'
and here's what they are writing
to convince us even further: '
Features: 1) Blueblood 12, Blueblood
18 and Blueblood 21 whisky are deluxe
whisky brewed from cereals and malts
and underground water from narrow
valleys at unique natural climate.
2) Rich wine quality, pure, aromatic
and smoky tastes are maintained.
3) Has been sharing good reputation
of "Soul of Whisky" for
decades. 4) Ingredients: water,
barley, wheat, pure malts. 5) Concentrate
source: Scotland U.K.. 6) Alcohol
volume: 40% vol. 7) N.W.: 700ml.
Now, it is to be wondered if '12',
'18' and '21' are really related
to this beverage's age... But what's
reassuring is that the company was
'established in 1578'!
B.C.? |
 |
| Oh,
and maybe it'll be interesting to
read another very true story about
whisky on Blueblood's website: ' “Blueblood"
is a symhol lf noble in English,meaning
the blue blook vessel hiding in the
white skin of a nobleman.When Elizabeth
I came to ascend throne in 1558,London
citizens,standing on the both sides
of a street,gave a warm welcome to
their great and admirable queen. The
Scotland people brought their queen
whisky made by themselves. Later,the
queen had been cherishing memory of
the wine whisky and assigned a minister
Francis Delex to produce the wine
and named it “Blueblood"
tha means wine for noble.Then,Delex
had firece conflicts with the local
aboriginals in a round-the -world
sail. They were robbed of what they
had except whisky for the aboriginals
had no idea of the liquid in the wine
barrel. Therefore,the whisky was left
fortunately. Delex and his crews were
in a sail on the sea for more than
forty days,surviving with the rest
wine whisky blueblood? None of them
starved or even felt sick. From then
on, Blueblood became well known in
a night,and regarded as"water
of life"or"the God's Blessing".
Ah, History with a huge H! |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
We’re great admirers of the
fantastic Sarah
Jones and we already
had her 'Your Revolution' on WF, but
here’s her version of the same
song with Russia’s DJ
Vadim. Please buy these
people’s music... |
 |
| |
|
September
22, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– FOUR SPEYBURNS |
 |
Speyburn
10 yo (40%, OB, circa 2006)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: hello! Is
there anybody in there? Ah yes, quite
some orange marmalade, a little tea,
a little cardboard, a little nougat
and gingerbread and also a little
mint. All that is very soft, the whole
getting more malty after a moment.
Not unpleasant. Mouth: round, very
cereally and very malty, with quite
some liquorice. Good body at 40%.
Tea. Not complex but good. Finish:
medium long, even maltier. Good whisky,
reminding me of a blend with a good
proportion of malt. 75 points. |
| Speyburn
1967/1988 (46%, Moon 'The Sea', cask
#1198, 360 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: this is very
different. Obvious but excellent OBE
to start with, with some rather big
notes of tiger balm (camphor, eucalyptus,
thuja box) and then bitter almonds
and wax. Rather dry. Goes on with
notes of shoe polish, coal, paraffin,
wet newspaper... Calms down after
a while, getting more simply grainy,
but there’s still a little camphor.
Mouth: very good attack, not too bold
but very resinous, with exactly the
same kinds of flavours as on the nose.
Excellent dryness. Finish: quite long,
more candied, really on cough syrup
now, with an oakier signature and
more liquorice. 90 points. |
| Speyburn
21 yo 1979/2002 (60.2%, OB, cask #1132)
Colour: full amber. Nose: interesting.
Very close to the Moon at first nosing
(mostly on wet newspaper and camphor
as well as mint) but a very dry sherry
is soon to take control. Hot bread
crust, toasted brioche, roated nuts...)
Gets more winey after that (red wine)
but more minty at the same time. Slight
dustiness. With water: it gets more
animal and meaty. Hare, wet cat, oxtail...
Same hints of camphor as in the Moon
but less elegant ones. Mouth (neat):
hot, spirity, much more sherried than
on the nose. Quite some rubber and
pepper as well but it gets burning,
water is needed. With water: it got
more tea-ish (earl grey) and nuttier,
the malt coming out as well. Lots
of candy sugar as well. Finish: long,
very liquoricy now, malty, very dry.
Maybe a bit raw in fact but the whole
is very good heavily sherried malt.
85 points. |
Speyburn
26 yo 1980/2006 (61.3%, Signatory,
cask #110, 598 bottles)
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: this
ones seems to be much younger than
it is, spirity, immature, grainy,
with no fruity notes that I can get.
Really raw. Water does bring a few
more fruity notes but nothing really
entrancing (pears). Mouth: sugary,
very spirity, all on pear eau de vie
and sugar. Even more pears with water.
Finish; long but sugarish. It’s
amazing how immature this one is,
I guess the cask wasn’t in its
prime. But it’s sort of interesting
to try old whisky that hasn’t
really aged. 69 points. |
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
This is fun, it's made by Barcelona's
Pinker
Tones and it's called
Love
Tape.mp3 (from their CD The
Million Colour Revolution). Please
buy their music (via the excellent
False
45th) |
 |
| |
|
September
20, 2007 |
|
|
| SHOPPING
- WORTHY ALTERNATIVES TO SCOTCH
(what
dear old MJ used to call malternatives
says Davin) |
 |
| Stil
Vodka comes from New
Zealand and recently had a very cheeky
'Win a Russian Bride' promotion. The
winner was offered a trip to St Petersburg
to search for a wife and bring her
home. The company added, 'For
the single Kiwi bloke who might not
be an All Black or very good looking,
this is a chance to get hooked up
with somebody pretty hot.' A
lot of buzz was hence created, although
not always very positive, as anticipated.
Maybe we'll soon see a 'Win a Scottish
bride' promotion... |
 |
TASTING
– TWO OFFICIAL
GLEN ELGINS
Glen
Elgin 12yo (43%, OB, circa 2006)
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: a very malty and ‘roasted’
start with also a good deal of wood
smoke (or barbecue). Gets then more
honeyed but the loads of roasted
nuts are still here, as well as
quite some mocha. Very nice nose,
not complex but assertive and very
pleasant if you like (cold) coffee.
|
| Mouth:
a rather weaker attack, still quite
malty but with much less overall character
than on the nose. A little honey,
a little toasted brioche, a little
caramel crème… Add to
that a touch of salt and you’re
done. No flaws but not much thrill
I’d say. Finish: not excessively
long, still quite malty and ‘roasted’.
A perfect example of a 75
points malt in my books,
or what I’d call ‘a super-blend’. |
| Glen
Elgin 19yo (60%, OB, Limited Centenary
Bottling, 750 bottles, 2000)
Nose: this is a completely
different story. Huge punch and beautiful
compactness on the nose, hugely grassy
and rummy at the same time, with lots
of coffee of the best breed. The best
coffee-shnapps premix I ever smelled
;-). Mouth: starts all on caramelised
cereals, extremely bold and assertive.
Superb but needs water. So, with water:
excellently compact again, all on
coffee and caramelised nuts this time.
And a super-long finish, as compact
and ‘direct’ as a malt
can get. High pleasure but certainly
not for the oversensitive. 91
points (and thanks, Donald) |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
always more jazz and blues by brilliant
ladies on WF! Today it's Marva
Wright from New Orleans
and her soulful Let's
make love.mp3. Please buy her
music. |
 |
| |
|
September
19, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– FIVE OLD GLEN MHORS |
 |
Glen
Mhor 31 yo 1975/2007 (42.6%, Duncan
Taylor, Rarest of the Rare, cask #4031,
258 bottles)
Colour: amber with bronze hues. Nose:
lots happening in there it seems!
First we have rather beautiful notes
of fresh walnuts and old pu-erh tea,
then pencil box, ‘new’
leather, beef stock, artichoke liqueur
(do you know Cynar?), cider apples...
There’s well Glen Mhor’s
usual ‘twisted’ profile.
Keeps developing, this time more on
lemon marmalade, hops. A box of Havana
cigars that you just opened... No
need to say this is fantastic. Mouth:
a true oak infusion now. Walnut skin,
dried morels, chalk, peanut skin,
toasted bread, overinfused coffee
and tea, very bitter chocolate (at
least 85%)... Well, you really have
to like oak to enjoy this brew but
it’s so, err, ‘different’
that I quite like it, but the nose
was much greater I think. Finish:
very long but very oaky, dry and drying,
all on bitter chocolate and liquorice.
And dried mushrooms! 86 points
for the stupendous nose. |
| Glen
Mhor 20 yo 1979/1999 (56.5%, Dun Eideann,
cask #697)
Colour: amber. Nose: more brutal,
but that could just be the alcohol.
Bold chocolate and coffee as well
as the same notes of walnuts as in
the 1975 – just older walnuts.
But it’s also very grassy, quite
rough I must say. With water: gets
a little more leathery but we’re
in the vein here... For a while. Indeed,
it gets much nicer with time and water),
very ‘Gen Mhor’, meaty,
animal... Whiffs of ‘moss +
mushrooms + humus’. And lovage.
Mouth (neat): a more classic sherried
malt but again, lots of wood, chocolate,
cocoa, coffee, roasted pecans, heavily
infused black tea (Russian), walnuts...
With water: oh yes, it developed tremendously.
Even better balanced, beautifully
nutty, candied, slightly salty, with
also great dried fruits (bananas,
dates). Finish: long, dry, roasted,
leathery and meaty. High-class, bottled
at perfect age. 90 points. |
lovage |
 |
Glen
Mhor 35 yo 1965/2001 (59.2%, Signatory,
Silent Stills, cask #3932, 643 bottles)
Colour: colour pale straw –
unusually pale for such an old malt.
Nose: amazingly young, almost immature.
Grains, porridge, rice pudding, tinned
pineapples. Hints of violets. Develops
on whiffs of lemon soda, ginger tonic,
cardboard, tequila. Just hints of
varnish. Gets milkier with time. Mashed
potatoes with a lot of butter. Well,
Glen Mhor wasn’t always great
but what’s sure is that there’s
always something happening in your
glass. With water: wazzat? Plastic?
Chalk? Rotting pigeon? I’m joking
but this is very ‘twisted’
indeed. Mouth (neat): very, very,
very bizarre. Is this lemonade? Limoncello?
Extremely unusual (I know I use that
word very often but this one IS unusual).
Paper, Campari... Gets as bitter as
lemon skin. Maybe water will help.
With water: oh, this is very bizarre
again. Salted plastic? Smoked mushrooms?
Tequila and lemon? Frankly, this is
a very funny malt but it’s not
for the academy. 70 points
(organoleptically less but, well,
fun...) |
| Glen
Mhor 30 yo 1967/1997 (60.1%, Gordon
& MacPhail, 30th Anniversary of
Barmetro, 199 bottles)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: yes this
is beautiful Highland-born sherried
malt. Very complex right at first
nosing, going simultaneously in three
main direction: coffee/chocolate,
meat/animal and tea/leather. But I
can’t tell you more because
of the high strength. With water:
oh yes, it’s a procession. Leather,
walnuts, coal smoke, sage, cardamom,
old amontillado, dried beef, whiffs
of horse sweat, cocoa, hare belly,
curry... Fantastic with water (and
I’ll spare you the hundreds
of other aromas any trained nose may
find in this beauty.) Mouth (neat):
a good example of heavy dry sherry
meeting a rather savage whisky from
the northern Highlands. Chocolate,
kirsch, smoked ham, something resinous...
But at 60%, water is really needed.
With water: simpler than on the nose
but perfectly balanced, orangey, lemony,
candied, spicy (cloves), herbal (coriander)...
Exceptional complexity, but don’t
forget to add water to this one. Finish:
very long, sweeter, lively (fructose)
and fresher than expected. Superb
selection by Mr Giorgio D’Ambrosio
- an encyclopaedia of aromas and flavours
indeed. 94 points. |
 |
 |
Glen
Mhor 8 yo (57%, Gordon & MacPhail,
late 1980’s)
Colour: pale gold (we’ve seen
much darker vattings of this classic).
Nose: all of Glen Mhor’s ‘twistedness’
is here. Oil, paraffin, oxtail, birch
smoke, matchsticks, coffee, green
tea, newly cut grass... But also plastic,
aspirin, wet newspaper, wet chalk,
new tires... Phew, this is entertaining
but certainly not classic, nor clean.
The Gainsbourg of whisky? Mouth: very
punchy, sweeter than all its brothers,
a little sulphury alas, peppery, coffeeish,
getting much drier with time. Also
pear spirit, plum spirit... Gets a
bit sugarish and indefinite. Less
complex and much sweeter than all
its older bros, obviously. Mouth:
compact, sweet, leathery, like a brief
summary of the 1967. Mushrooms and
spices. Maltier too. Raspberry eau
de vie. Finish: very long, still extremely
compact, maybe a tad more cardboardy.
Meatiness and dryness. Very, very
good and a bang-for-your-buck malt,
at the time. 86 points. |
| PEOPLE
- A real stir amongst all Highland
Park lovers! All sherried 1967’s
had suddenly disappeared from the
market, now we know who sneaked them
all from eBay, McTear’s or Whisky
auction: it’s Avril Lavigne!
And look at the glass she’s
using... |
 |
| MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
Again something that Michael Jackson
sort of 'gave' us - while I was browsing
the Web for some Dylan Thomas (his
favourite poet I've learnt) I came
across Portland's Dylan-Thomas
Vance and his Old
man devil.mp3. Excellent, please
buy his music. |
 |
| |
|
September
18, 2007 |
|
|
| SHOPPING
- WORTHY ALTERNATIVES TO SCOTCH
Yes, we got
seriously fed up with (some of) the
Scots' totally insane new price policy
- and so are many WF readers acording
to the reactions we get - so we decided
to have from time to time a closer
look at some much funnier - and much
much more sensibly priced - spirits. |
|
For instance, with 32 yo Ardbegs or
27yo Laphroaigs priced at 650 Euros
or even more, we start to feel that
it'll soon be much cooler (and more
rock and roll) to sip Hendrix
Electric Vodka, especially
since it's 'an ultra-premium spirit
offering the smooth flavor and purity
of true vodka, hand crafted by Master
Distiller Bill Scott of Idaho’s
Distilled Resources, Inc. This 100%
grain vodka marries the finest selection
of corn and rye from Idaho and Utah
with natural Rocky Mountain spring
water. Distilled through four pristine
stainless steel columns, Hendrix Electric
Vodka is filtered through carbon and
crystal, resulting in true vodka of
unparalleled flavor and purity'.
Even the gibberish isn't any worse
than the Scots! Price $30. |
 Recipe
of the Purple Haze cocktail:
1-1/2 oz Hendrix Electric Vodka,
1/2 oz Bols Bohemian Black Raspberry
Liquor, Splash of Pineapple Juice,
Shake and strain, Garnish with kiwi
slice. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| |
|
|
MUSIC
– Recommended listening:
We’re in 1959 and Sandy
Nelson does his very
famous drums-based piece called
Teen
beat.mp3. As they say, ‘seminal’.
Please buy Sandy Nelson’s
music, he’s still around. |
|
| |
| |
| TASTING
– THREE LOCHNAGARS |
 |
| Royal
Lochnagar 29 yo 1977/2006 (50.4%,
Norse Cask, hogshead #QW863, 140 bottles)
Colour: pale amber. Nose: this one
isn’t extremely expressive at
first nosing (except for quite some
coffee) but it develops nicely, switching
from coffee to tea (both black and
green) and orange cake. Faint hints
of mustard but also quite some floral
notes in the background (peonies).
Also eucalyptus. Mouth: sweet and
grassy attack, getting then very tannic,
‘green’ (apple peelings,
grapefruit seeds) and lemony. This
one tastes stronger than it is, let’s
try it with a little water: it’s
all in the same vein, just more ‘drinkable’.
Grapefruits. Very faint cardboard.
Mint-flavoured liquorice. Finish:
long, getting very grassy again, with
always this liquorice. In short, a
rather raw malt, for experimented
big boys I’d say. 84
points. |
| Royal
Lochnagar 29 yo 1977/2005 (55.6%,
Blackadder Raw Cask, 209 bottles,
cask #512)
Colour: gold. Nose: this one is more
expressive and much, much more on
coffee, caramel and praline, and then
on olive oil and sunflower oil. Very
unusual. Bold vanilla as well. With
water: just more of the same. Mouth
(neat): big punch and big ‘herbality’
this time (grass, green tea, raw French
beans). Then a lot of nougat, vanilla,
mocha, liquorice... With water: sunflower
oil again as well as more tobacco,
more herbal teas and more sweet mustard.
Finish: long, very close to the Norse
Cask now. Big grassiness. Same rating:
84 points. |
Royal
Lochnagar 1998/2006 (58.1%, Jean Boyer,
Best Casks of Scotland)
Colour: white wine. Nose: punchy,
on very strong liquorice and violets.
Cologne? Orange blossom water, grapefruits...
And then litres of acacia honey. Faint
whiffs of wet dog. With water: the
fruits have vanished and now we have
grass, grass and grass (plus grass).
Definitely grassy. Mouth (neat): very,
very strong... We get lemons and marshmallows,
liquorice allsorts... But it’s
too hot when naked (pfff). With water:
quite funnily, it didn’t get
any more herbal but rather even fruitier
(strawberry liqueur). Pears. Finish:
long, maybe just a tad youngish now
but just as fruity, with just touches
of oak. Good quality spirit. 81
points. (Picture: 43% version) |
| And
also Royal Lochnagar
28 yo 1977/2005 (58,5%, Blackadder
Raw Cask, Hogshead #310, 260 bottles)
Nose: great marzipan and oak, fresh
nuts. Really powerful. Mouth: simpler
but coherent. Spices, wood, smoke,
apples. Very good. 85 points. |
| |
|
September
17, 2007 |
|
|
| All
is well in the new whisky world! Seriously,
this is pathetic, pitiful and laughable.
A lower alcohol content, more bottles,
and a silly finishing at that, and
presto, 401 more Euros within one
year (not just 400, 401!). We know
that there's a sucker born every day,
but... (via Mike at the excellent
French speaking whisky-distilleries
forum, both prices spotted at
the same very reputable French online
retailer.) |
 |
|
|
BREAKING
NEWS!
THE
MALT MANIACS TOO ARE GOING
FOR PREMIUMISATION!
Brand
new Premium Deluxe Edition
of the Malt Maniacs Malt Monitor
now available! |
 |
Just
like some distillers who seem
to have decided to gouge as
much money as possible from
their loyal customers, we too
now have a deluxe version of
the MM Monitor. Regular version
still free, premium deluxe edition
- 675 Euros per download.
Get in now!!! Only on line for
two weeks. Please click HERE! |
|
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
| Very,
very inspired by his excellency Dave
Broom |
 |
TASTING
– TWO OLD TEANINICHS |
| Teaninich
1971/2006 (45%, Samaroli, Expression)
Colour: gold. Nose: this one is all
on fruits, overripe apples, butter
pears, ripe gooseberries, melons,
white peaches... Also faints whiffs
of smoke, black tea of good quality,
hay, hints of white chocolate, mint...
Balance is perfect. Lots of pleasures.
Mouth: exactly the same flavours but
with a very pleasant oakiness underlining
the whole (soft spices, vanilla).
Hints of smoked ham. Another one that
won’t make you scratch your
head but that’s very delicious.
Finish: rather long, less fruity and
oakier now, with a little white pepper
shining through? Gets slightly tannic
at this stage. A good old malt, not
particularly thrilling but pretty
flawless. Typical 85 points
malt in my books. |
| Teaninich
30 yo 1975/2006 (60.8%, Dewar Rattray,
cask #9419, 486 bottles)
Colour: rather spirity
but still balanced, similar in style
to the Samaroli, just with 25% extra-alcohol.
Whiffs of coffee as often with very
strong whiskies. With water: even
more coffee, vanilla fudge (isn’t
that rock and roll?) and even more
fruits as well as whiffs of rotting
hay (‘clean’ manure).
Maybe not remarkable but just like
the Samaroli, very pleasant. Mouth
(neat): hot, uber-fruity, very candied,
with hyper-bold notes of bubblegum
and marshmallows. Is that the strong
alcohol? With water: as sweet and
fruity as it gets. Less on bubblegum
and more on fresh fruits actually
(papayas, pears). Slightly resinous.
Good oakiness, less tannic than the
Sam. Finish: long, persistent, much
spicier now (pepper), with also notes
of gentian, ginger and liquorice sticks.
Yes, very good, even if, again, not
highly interesting. Let’s say
86 points. |
| |
|
September
16, 2007 |
|
|
| TASTING
– FIVE OLD INDIE SPRINGANKS |
 |
| Springbank
17 yo (80°proof, Cadenhead, late
1970s)
Colour: pale straw. Nose: grassy,
grapefruit, cold metal, grass, sage.
Gets grainier with time. Slight mint.
Nice OBE. Maybe a faint soapiness.
Greengage. Mouth: slightly bitter
but pleasant, dried apples, crystallised
angelica, a little pepper. Sweetened
mustard. Resembles some of the old
10yo’s black label. Finish:
medium long, getting a little waxy
and just a tad cardboardy. Classically
good. 87 points. |
| Springbank
21 yo (46%, Cadenhead, big S)
Colour: gold. Nose: bolder, oakier,
more bourbonny. Gets then quite earthy,
developing on fresh almonds, marzipan
and quince jelly. Wet earth, humus,
hints of camphor and turpentine. Fantastically
complex and a very long development.
Hints of well-hung game. Mouth: very
rich, fruity and candied. Corinth
raisins, vanilla fudge, orange marmalade,
hints of salt, cloves, slight peat,
old first class rum. Extraordinary
old Springbank, full bodied and complex.
A grand cru indeed (at the time).
Just the finish is slightly rough
and maybe a tad drying. 93
points. |
| Springbank
30 yo 1965/1995 (55%, Milroy’s,
sherry cask #1297)
They wrote ‘pearl of Kintyre’
on the label. Colour: gold. Nose:
very nicely toasted, with hints of
coal and grilled meat. Then venison,
old turpentine, armagnac-soaked prunes,
orange liqueur, old books, fir liqueur,
honeydew. Also something maritime,
quite some iodine, salmiak, pinetree…
A true masterpiece of the highest
order. Mouth: maybe a tad too powerful
and candied at the attack but then
it’s a maelstrom. Thick and
hugely concentrated (what a beautiful
sherry), orange liqueur again, cough
syrup, Irish coffey, mint , toffee,
coffey, mint drops… Oh well,
this is just pure magic. Fantastically
complex, with an endless finish. 94
points. (and thanks,
Olivier) |
| Springbank
21 yo 1967/1989 (46%, Signatory, cask
#3137)
Colour: pale amber. Nose: full maple
syrup this time, beehive, bananas
flambéed and toffee. Pecan
pie, cooked butter, coconut liqueur.
Slight smokiness. Macaroons. Old papers.
Another great one, no doubt. Mouth:
quite punchy, again very sweet, fir
liqueur, crystallised apricots, caramelised
bananas… Just as concentrated
as the Milroy’s, maybe a tad
less ‘Springbank’. Finish:
very long, still very concentrated,
a tad less complex but maybe more
drinkable. Legendary anyhow. 93
points. |
| Springbank
23 yo 1965 (50%, Duthie for Samaroli,
ageing monography, 660 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: very different,
starting mainly on raw beeswax and
ink rubber. Gets then more resinous,
with also hints of motor oil and quite
some linseed oil and waxed paper.
Very different but extremely pleasant
albeit more austere than the sherry
versions. Mouth: just as rich as the
‘sherries’ but more resinous,
waxy, mineral and slightly peppery
and cardboardy. Excellent bitterness.
Finish: long, mostly on lemon marmalade
(bitterness again) with just faint
hints of sweet mustard. Less sweet
but certainly not less exciting. 92
points. |
| MUSIC
– JAZZ - Recommended
listening: tenor sax David
Murray (ex World Saxophone
Quartet, together with Arthur Blythe,
Oliver Lake and Hamiett Bluiett) just
stormed the Colmar Jazz Festival.
He was magnificent and the local press
even mentioned Trane. Let's listen
to his Mbizo.mp3
(Live in Cracow; 2003) and buy his
music. |
 |
| |
|
September
15, 2007 |
|
|
 |
CONCERT
REVIEW by Nick Morgan
RICHARD HAWLEY
The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm,
London September
5th 2007
“Fookin’
heck lads, give me a bit of room”.
It’s Maurice Michelin Man,
who edges past a puzzled Photographer
(“lads”?), clutching
two pints of beer in his hands,
and heads for his chum, Maurice
Michelin Man II, and his seat. For
some unfathomable reason we’re
seated in the balcony of the Roundhouse
– the mysteries of on-line
ticket booking I suppose –
but to be frank, after another day
of strikebound gridlocked London
it’s nice to have a seat.
We’ve got a fine view across
the stage and the sound is as good
as it is down on the floor. |
| On
the stage it’s fookin’
this and fookin’ that as an
animated Richard
Hawley slips into a Northern
pub comic routine (“This fookin’
fella went to the fookin’ doctors,
and the doctor said, ‘Look,
you’ve got to stop fookin’
wankin’ – ‘Stop
fookin’ wankin’ –
why?’ ‘Because I can’t
fookin’ examine you ‘till
you do’”) that most Northern
pub comics would be pretty embarrassed
by. He’s also in reminiscence
mode, telling us about playing guitar
in his uncle’s band in Sheffield,
clubs, wedding, bar mitzvahs and funerals.
He’s very rude to someone in
the audience from Ipswich (so rude
that I daren’t repeat it lest
someone from that fair Anglian city
might read my words) – and in
fact immediately apologises after
his next song finishes – “You
know I went all the way through that
song feeling guilty about what I just
said about Ipswich”. And he’s
generous in his thanks to what can
only be described (certainly by the
end of the night) as an adoring audience
– once that is he’s stopped
goading them with unfavourable comparisons
to the crowd he played to on the previous
night in Brighton. Of course like
Hawley almost everyone in the audience
seems to come from Sheffield. “Fookin
heck lads, stand aside” Oh yes
– it’s Maurice Michelin
Man again, (or is it Michelin Man
II?) on what becomes an astonishing
number of journeys to bar and urinal.
Fookin’ heck. |
 |
| It’s
just as well Hawley has Sheffield
– it’s provided the backdrop
for the four solo albums he’s
recorded since the turn of the century.
Before that of course he played with
Pulp and his pal Jarvis Cocker (you
can just imagine the conversation:
“Fookin heck Jarvis” “Fookin’
heck Richard”) and before that
the Longpigs. And in between all of
this he has gained a reputation as,
as they say, an “in demand”
session man for his very unique style
of playing. Coles Corner, his 2005
album, named after a famous meeting
place in Sheffield, was widely acclaimed
and nominated for a Mercury Prize.
The spanking new Lady’s Bridge
(named, you guessed, after a bridge
in Sheffield) went straight into the
charts last week at number six. Not
everyone likes it – Hawley’s
style is polarising and some apparently
find it bland and insipid. You see
he’s a crooner – or so
they say – and apparently this
offends people because it makes him
lightweight, not worthy of serious
consideration. Well, first of all
the bastard encyclopaedia Wikipedia
tells me that among current top crooners
are Neil Diamond, Chris Isaak, Leonard
Cohen and Tom Waits, and that’s
not such bad company to be in. Secondly
it’s not just about his singing,
but also about musical arrangements,
and Hawley’s recorded work is
occasionally what one might call heavily
orchestrated country schmaltz –
hardly likely to be highly regarded
by musical know-it-alls in the UK.
It’s a shame because you can
hear everything from Pat Boone through
Johnny Cash to Nick Lowe in Hawley’s
work. And I would admit that on disc
Hawley’s individuality does
get a little lost in the complexity
of the arrangements, which can be
cloying. Sometimes it’s hard
to see through the pastiche. Delightfully
on stage what you get is down-the-line
Hawley; although the performance is
almost studio perfect it’s stripped
of some of the overwhelming studio
sound thus allowing the songs, and
Hawley’s quite distinct vocal
style, to shine through. |
| I
guess you really need to go and listen
to some of Hawley’s albums to
get the point, but believe me, his
songs, which like all songs should
be are about love, loneliness, leaving
and returning, are very strong and
very twenty-first century. And on
stage Hawley doesn’t sound like
any one (well, apart from his wonderful
Nick Lowe false-teeth whistle) other
than Hawley. The set list goes something
like this: ‘Valentine’,
‘Roll river roll’, ‘Just
like the rain’, “Fookin
heck, move tha’ legs boys”
(it’s Maurice Michelin Man again),
‘Dark Road’, ‘Coles
Corner’ – hang on, like
Berlin this means nothing to you.
Just let me say this was a most excellent
set. With really touching songs like
‘Darling wait for me’
(“We wrote this for our wives.
We must be as soft as a bag of tits”),
the wonderful ‘The sea calls’
(I’m sorry Serge, if you haven’t
noticed I’m a sucker for sea
songs) and ‘Born under a bad
sign’. No, it’s not Albert
King, it’s a Hawley original.
“This is a song about getting
pissed all the time. Actually I read
an article about alcohol the other
day and I was shocked by what it could
do to you. So that’s it for
me. After tomorrow, … no more
…reading”. And as an encore,
after one of the best and warmest
ovations I’ve heard all year,
‘Tonight’ and then a wonderful
version of ‘Ocean’ which
only served to remind us, if much
of the evening hadn’t, what
a brilliant guitarist Hawley is too. |
| Yes,
as you can see Serge, like everyone
else here I really enjoyed this. And
I should mention the excellence of
Hawley’s band who played his
deceptively simple songs with an economic
precision, and particularly (although
this is invidious) guitarist Shez
Sheridan, who moved between a bewildering
number of guitars and lap guitars
and played to a very subtle point
of perfection. And Mr Hawley, ramblings
aside (“I know a talk a lot
of fookin’ shite but I’d
just like to thank you all for being
here, really…”) played,
posed with his Gretsch guitars and
shiny suit, and sang to a point that
must be somewhere slightly east of
Coles Corner, and west of Lady’s
Bridge. Very, very good. Take a listen.
Fookin’ heck … - Nick
Morgan (concert photographs by Kate) |
Coles Corner |
| Thanks
a bunch, Nick, and putain de bordel
à queue (my own free translation
of fookin’ heck), Hawley is
brilliant indeed. Besides, there’s
a lot of fantastic
mp3’s on his website...
Check them out while they last! And
we hereby declare that Richard Hawley
is now one of Whiskyfun's favourite
artistes. - S. |
| TASTING
– TWO ‘FOREIGN’
WHISKIES |
 |
Mackmyra Preludium:03 (52.2%, OB,
Sweden, 9,096 bottles, 2006)
This malt was smoked over juniper
and peat and matured in sherry cask.
It seems that there’s been very
heavy PR and viral Web use by Mackmyra
and its notoriety is very high today,
yet it pulled mixed feelings amongst
aficionados, Swedes included. But
as always, in aqua vitae veritas,
so let’s try this Bruichladdichly
packaged malt. Colour: straw. Nose:
quite clean, porridgy, vanilled, with
unusual fruity aromas (from juniper?)
Also quite buttery. Smells more and
more like genever. Definitely youngish
but no foul aromas in this one. The
peat isn’t very bold. A few
winey notes after a while (more like
dry white wine). |
| Mouth:
well, this is definitely young but
also very woody (‘plank juice’).
The juniper is well here, a little
mustard, pepper... and sunflower oil,
grains, peat smoke... Again it starts
to taste like Dutch genever after
a while. Not too bad I must say but
very far from Scotch. Finish: rather
long but the ‘genever’
makes it a bit unbalanced, drying
and rawish at this stage. Oaky aftertaste.
Well, not really my cup of aquavit
I must say but I wouldn’t say
this is flawed. And, after all, I’m
no Swede (alas?) 70 points. |
| Waldviertler
Whisky (54.2%, OB, Austria, 35cl,
circa 2007)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: very, very
bizarre... Lots of old books, wet
newspaper, warm candle wax... and
also lettuce, cabbage, asparagus...
Very, very funny and unlike any other
whisky I could try up to now. Good
oakiness, ginger... Interesting. Mouth:
really punchy, fruity, kirschy, tasting
like American rye, with good oak and
good balance. I like this one’s
straightforwardness (or should I say
candour?) The oak is a bit dominant
after a moment but nothing really
excessive. Finish: long, on plum spirit
and oak plus ginger and a little horseradish,
still with good balance. Good ‘foreign’
whisky, not trying to mimic Scotch,
really well made I’d say. Congrats
Austria! 78 points. |
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:
Balvenie
NAS (43%,
OB, flat bottle with flags, 1980’s)
Bowmore
1965 (43%, OB, France, Auxil, typed
vintage, late 1980’s)
Bowmore
42 yo 1964/2007 ‘Black’ (40.5%,
OB, 827 bottles)
Dallas
Dhu 26 yo 1981/2007 (55.7%, Duncan
Taylor, cask #432)
Glen
Elgin 19yo (60%,
OB, Limited Centenary Bottling, 750 bottles,
2000)
Glen
Mhor 20 yo 1979/1999 (56.5%, Dun Eideann,
cask #697)
Glen
Mhor 30 yo 1967/1997 (60.1%, Gordon
& MacPhail, 30th Anniversary of Barmetro,
199 bottles)
Laphroaig
27 yo 1980/2007 (57.4%,
OB, 972 bottles)
Port
Charlotte 5 yo 2001/2006 (60.6%, Private
Bottling Gerold Vincon, refill sherry bloodtub
#R42, 41 bottles)
Speyburn
1967/1988 (46%, Moon 'The Sea', cask
#1198, 360 bottles)
Springbank
21 yo (46%,
Cadenhead, big S)
Springbank
21 yo 1967/1989 (46%, Signatory, cask
#3137)
Springbank
23 yo 1965 (50%, Duthie for Samaroli,
ageing monography, 660 bottles)
Springbank
30 yo 1965/1995 (55%, Milroy’s,
sherry cask #1297)
Strathisla
40 yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail,
circa 2000)
Strathisla
1937 (70 Proof, G&M Licensed, mid
1970’s)
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