The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - 24th January - 7pm GMT

[Spirit of Islay]

Distillery - Glenfarclas
Region - Speyside Spey
Expression - 1.129
Year – 1965
Age – 40yo
ABV - 55.1%
Colour - Pale Amber
Nose – For it's age and strength it still makes the nasal hairs stand up ! bags of Vanilla , woody but in a good way , Almost Bourbonish . touch of Orange .
Palate - Wow hot and peppery ! Takes your breathe away , again a touch of Orange and Vanilla .
Finish - Long and Vanilla , hot , warms you up nicely on the way down......
Comments - Distilled March 1965 , Bottled Sept 2005 . Another wonderful old Farclas , a credit to the Distillery !

[Gilles Deleuze]

-
Brand : The Macallan Expression : -
Nose : Caramel, Oranges, Spices, and nuts. Unmistakably Macallan, but richer, with some burnt sugar and waves of attractive nuttiness. Palate : Very characteristic Macallan. Additionally, chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Sherry and toasted nuts with some burnt vanilla sugar. Finish : Medium-long, very mouth-warming, with sweet sherry. Comment : A very nice Macallan. This was my introductory bottle, recommended by Ryguy! Colour : Rich, deep gold Score : 0
Age : 16 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 0% Bottler : SMWS 24.96	Type : - Region : - Water : - Ice : - Glass : Glencairn Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Ganga]

25.45
53.5%
16 yo
large brandy glass

Nose: estery initially. Boiling barley and straw, old barn hay.
Palate: Sweet but raw grains, cut green grasses
Finish: firey, bitter grasses

I have to say the other glass presented this better. Some water brings back memories of the other glass. Sugars are richer, bitterness is basically gone.

[Spirit of Islay]

Distillery - Bruichladdich
Region - Islay
Expression - 23.52
Year – 1986
Age – 19yo
ABV - 55.9%
Colour - Pale Gold
Nose – Typical Laddie , Green Fruits (apples , pears , gooseberries) , Lemon .
Palate - Fresh , Again Green Fruits Dominate but also Martimey (ozone , Seashore...) also a touch of pepper .
Finish - medium , warming and a little bit of pepper .
Comments - Distilled Dec 1986 , Bottled Dec 2005 . Not a wee bad little dram of Laddie !

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - 10.61
Region - Islay
Year – 1997
Age – 10yo
ABV - 57.1%
Colour - Amber
Nose – Menthol , Peppermint , cherries , Confectioners Sugar .
Palate - Very Dry Sherry , peppermint , a Sweetness i can't put my finger on .
Finish - Long , Dry sherry and sweet (confectioners sugar)
Comments - Distilled April 1997 , Bottled March 2008 . A really nice young Bunnahabhain , about right for a sherry casked Bunnie .

[Spirit of Islay]

well i think that's me whack for tonight , enjoyed revisiting some bottles i haven't had for a while . Hope a few more post notes by the time i return.....

Thanks to Nick again for popping in and don't forget you can post questions that he'll answer on his next visit .

[Reggaeblues]

Only two bottles±

Same as whisky angel - the sherried Laphroaig 29.67

Love the nose.Not as medicinal as usual. the sea breeze is tempered by a hint of toffee, spongecake just out the oven, and a hint of floor polish, which is most likely the sherry.

Last time I had this, the sherry burst in and swaggered about like it owned the place, then the typical Laphroaig character started to seep through. My 89 YO father, a malt lover, didn't even think this ws an Isaly!!But tonight, being first dram, the ozone is there from the start! But with each sip it becomes sweeter. Maybe as my bottle has got lower the two opposing camps, sherry and peat, have integrated, because they seem more in tandem tonight, rather than one following the other. Now it could almost be a dry batch of Abunadh!Oh, but once again I'm "lost in the ozone!" And the sherry just lurks in the background, adding a sweetish hint to the usual long, clean south Islay finish...

a most entertaining dram, and one I shall be sorry to finish. Love how it moves from sweet to dry, via a molasses - y note.

[Reggaeblues]

53,115

Caol Ila 15 YO, bottled July 07. 52.6% "Frivolous whisky" it says here...

the nose reminds me of the Laphraoig, but more balanced, and rounded.
This is gorgeous and makes me want to sniff the marrow out of the glass!
Same initial sea and sweetness...like eating a vanilla ice-cream with flake by the seaside. now I'm getting cherry glace, or is it...whoops! bubblegum? Is this the reason for its alleged frivolity I wonder? then, next sniff, a whiff of raw peat. go figure...

T: VERY sweet! But also dry and smoky...like a good Ardbeg! This lacks the famous CI oiliness...feels dry in the mouth, not very viscous...hence the Ardbeg likeness I reckon. Boy does it behave like an Ardbeg! indeed...like Uigeadal, with extra fruit topping, even a sprinkling of icing sugar...and that kiddies cherry-ade flavour in the background...

F. Still Ardbeggish. lingering, and a burst of pepper and spice on the fade. long and...clean, clean, clean!

I send my dad nameless samples to his home in Lausanne, and he reports back. He'd say this was an Ardbeg! I love it. It was my introductory whisky to the SMWS, and possibly the best so far. But then the best is usually the one i'm drinking! This is just a touch more classy than the Laphroaig. Outstanding.

Goodnight folks. that's me done. gotta play geetar in church at 9AM. Better take my flask of Laphroaig 10...take away the taste of that sickly communion
wine!

P.S. i just burped. a gorgeous, smoky, fruity, Islay "repeat!"

[Reggaeblues]

Last word.

just revisited the sherry Laphroaig. Rougher than the CI for sure!
Darker in colour and flavour. Less refined, but still great fun. some chocolate in there that wasn't there earlier...also a brief sweet lemon(or melon?)note on the fade. And when I open my mouth and breath in, Pure peat on the palate!

[Ryguy]

Thanks again to Nick for participating and answering our questions, greatly appreciated! Excellent notes everyone, very well done! Gordon, nice run, and what a great range. I see you even threw in a Springer too!!

I'm getting things together now, better late than never I suppose. I have a few really good ones to taste tonight. Starting with a dram of 125.15.

[Ryguy]

Expression - 125.15
Region - Highlands
Year – 1995
Age – 13yo
ABV - 56.9%
Colour - Light Gold
Nose – Sweet and orangey, candy-like, with a hint of vanilla and light fruits.
Palate - Starts really sweet and smooth, candied fruits and a bit of spice.
Finish - Long and tasty, more sweet fruits, vanilla and a strong amount of pepper towards the very end.
Comments - This is a very nice dram, not anything like the OB's from Glenmorangie.

[Ryguy]

Expression - 27.44
Region - Campbeltown
Year - 1989
Age – 10yo
ABV - 54.9%
Colour - Light Gold
Nose – Sweet initially, then it becomes a tad salty.
Palate - Wow, really sweet and oily, oh so good. It's all about the caramel and toffee, and overall wonderful sweetness!
Finish - Long sweet and a bit salty finish, that just leaves me wanting more!
Comments - Very nice Springbank here! Thanks again to Nick (C57) for this sample!!

[Ryguy]

Expression - 49.9
Region - Lowland
Year – 1982
Age – 16yo
ABV - 63.5%
Color - Pale Gold
Nose – Very full with hints of mocha and some toffee.
Palate - This just explodes on the palate! It starts sweet, then goes on to become light and fruity and really drying with still more fruits.
Finish - Long and everlasting, after the dryness leaves, it becomes sweet again and even more tasty!
Comments - Great expression from St. Magdalene here. It's really too bad we won't be seeing anymore like this. Many thanks to Nick (C57) for this wonderful sample!!

[Ryguy]

Expression - 53.121
Region - Islay
Year – 1997
Age – 58.7%
ABV - 10yo
Color - White wine
Nose – Oh wow, based on the nose here, I can tell I'm going to love this one. It's actually a bit floral and fruity, but the smoke is still in the background.
Palate - Hmmm, this one starts a bit sweet, then becomes fruity with pipe smoke in the background.
Finish - Long and tasty, somewhat drying, hints of salt, but mostly sweet smoke.
Comments - Another really nice cask selection of Caol Ila by the SMWS here. I'd have to say, each one I've been very impressed with. It was a 10yo CI from the Society that got me hooked on CI at CS. After opening and tasting this bottle for the first time tonight, I had to look back at the cask type. From a bourbon barrel, much different from some other CI's I have, but yet very good!!!

[Ryguy]

Expression - 29.71
Region - Islay
Year – 1996
Age – 11yo
ABV - 58.2%
Color - White wine
Nose – Powerful with lots of maritime notes and some saltiness.
Palate - Hints of sweetness, then smack you in the face peat smoke.
Finish - Long finish with iodine and smoke lingering.
Comments - This is definitely a powerful young Laphroaig, yet still very tasty. It seems to change everytime I try it, it's far from a one dimensional dram.

[Jobi]

I've got time to jump in for a (very) quick couple of tastes, so I'm going to try a couple samples that I've neglected up till now. First up, courtesy of Ryan:

Tormore 105.10
21 yo
9/1983 - 8/2007
57.2%

This is my first and only Tormore, so I have nothing to compare against.

On the nose: stewed fruit and clay, along with hints of taffy. Very pleasant.
The taste is dominated by the fruit. Just the right amount of spirit at full strength.
I really enjoy this. Thanks to Ryan.

[Jobi]

Next up, courtesy of Nick:

Aultmore 73.20
23yo
4/1982 - 1/2006
57.0%

Nose: fresh, very clean, somewhat soapy
Taste: mostly clean, astringent

Overall an interesting and different whisky for me, but not one I would jump for in the future.

Thanks to Nick for the opportunity to try this distillery.

[Ryguy]

I meant to open this bottle the other night, but I just never got around to it, so here goes.

Expression - 50.35
Region - Lowland
Year – 1990
Age – 17yo
ABV - 56.2%
Color - Light gold
Nose – Nice and sweet on the nose, lots of vanilla, a hint of milk chocolate, and also a bit of heather.
Palate - Very rich and mouth filling, nice and oily, more vanilla, toffee and some oak.
Finish - Very pleasant and smooth but long. Rich and overall very pleasant.
Comments - Now I know why the SMWS named this Bladnoch "Caramel, Chocolate and Coffee".

[Spirit of Islay]

A late one Courtesy of Ryan......

Distillery - Glenmorangie
Expression - 125.15
Year – 1995
Age – 13yo
ABV - 56.9%
Cask / Bottle No. - First Fill Bourbon Hogshead
Colour - Bright Gold
Nose – Loads of Vanilla initially , Slight Lemon and Buttery pastry .
Palate - Again loads of Vanilla , Banoffee pie , light pepper .
Finish - Long , sweet , Vanilla and a touch of Pepper .
Comments - Distilled June 1995 , Bottled June 2008 . Bottled for the SMWSA , Another Stunning Society Glenmo ! Really nice and refreshing . Thanks to Ryan for the Sample .