PEAT FEST - Live Tasting - February 6, 2010

[Willie JJ]

That's me for tonight. I might come back to this one though; it's fun.

[dramtastic]

That's me for tonight. I might come back to this one though; it's fun.

Night Willie,

I've been trying to get Johan Brugge to invest in a bottle of the Yama Heavily Peated, hopefully if he reads this he will finally take the plunge.

[Wave]

-
Brand : Millburn Expression : Cask #1598
Nose : Peat and red fruits (cherries, raspberries etc) Palate : Mouth-coating and peaty, juicy fruits and late salt Finish : Spicy and lightly peated with medium length Comment : - Colour : Golden Score : 0
Age : 27 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 46% Bottler : Gordon & MacPhail	Type : Single Malt Region : Highland Water : none Ice : none Glass : Glencairn Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

Cheers!

[Wave]

-
Brand : Ardbeg Expression : 1977
Nose : Peat smoke and honey Palate : Peaty with some slight medicinal notes, spicy and honeyed Finish : Long, slowly fading peat smoke Comment : I love well-aged Ardbegs! Colour : wheat Score : 0
Age : 24 Years Old Vintage : 1977 ABV : 46% Bottler : OB	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : none Ice : none Glass : Glencairn Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

Cheers!

[Willie JJ]

I think I'll pop back in here again a few times over the next few days and add some more notes. That was really good fun last night.

[johan brugge]

That's me for tonight. I might come back to this one though; it's fun.

Night Willie,

I've been trying to get Johan Brugge to invest in a bottle of the Yama Heavily Peated, hopefully if he reads this he will finally take the plunge.

I'll get there DT. Believe me, I will.
I know I'm a bit late but like I told DT I didn't fancy a whisky last night. Here's a note from my latest Islay whisky. It's a Laphroaig 12yo straight from the cask (nr. 7002). I'll try to post the alcohol % later.

Nose:

It's a typical Laphroaig. Immediately I can smell the high alcohol %, but it's not overwhelming. I pick up scents of bonfire, BBQ, saltiness, iodine. Actually it reminds me of Laphroaig 30 or a Talisker 25. I can sniff this for hours. With some water it's even better. Now it reminds me of the Oogie. Can't be bad!

Palate:

Lots of peat, smoke, brine, seaweed. Some oak as well. It's not oily but very silky, sweet and smooth. This is a very good balanced whisky. Not as powerfull as the nose let me to believe. It's more subtle. With water is the same as on the nose. It's rich and full. It's like a QC but then + 7% vol. but with less wood influences.

Finish:

All the different flavours from the palate return. The saltiness sticks to my lips. The more sips I take the more I like it. I believe it's much better than the 18 I've tried last year.

[Willie JJ]

Evening Johan and Nick

I think I'll try a lighter peating level tonight.

Clydesdale Highland Park 11.92 - 09.06, 61.5% Sherry Cask

Nose: The characteristic honey is there, but the strength makes it a little spirity on the nose. Heather and a little mossiness coming through now. Smoke and tannins, like someone is burning tea-leaves. Slightly butyric.
Palate: Nice fruity delivery, although the dram seems quite closed. I think maybe this one merits a spot of water. Ah that's better. A couple of drops has cracked it. Now its fairly fizzing away with orange sherbet (its brought an orangeyness to the nose as well).
Finish: Brilliant with the water. Wave upon wave of flavour from little tarry spikes, through floral notes and into bursting juicy citrus.
Comment: I don't often say this but this one needs water. Once it has it the dram opens up and delivers some 1st rate sensations. Very nice stuff.

[Willie JJ]

That PE sounds wonderful Nick. I almost rushed upstairs to find some PE to try, but I'll restrain myself tonight. Lots of other things to try.

[Willie JJ]

So much for the lower peating level. You've put me in the mood for something more intense.

MWBH Caol Ila 10yo 66.9%

Nose: Really strong. I can't put my nose into the neck of the glass or I just get spirit. Standing back a bit there's a classic Caol Ila aroma in the air. Calomine, lint, sticking plasters, I could be in an old fashioned hospital (one that got cleaned I mean). Loads of vanilla and salty sea shells from the beach as well. Really nice.
Palate: Salt, vanilla, salt, sugar, salt, vanilla, salt, .... I can't believe it! Two in a row that need water. Suddenly its bursting with juice like a bitten lemon segment, but sweet. Still incredibly strong even with a couple of drops of water. More water softens it and brings the sweetness to the fore and makes it smell like lemonade.
Finish: At full strength it just numbs the senses, but brought down a bit it has a long, chewy and quite delicious fruit sweet thing going on.
Comment: A monster that needs taming, but reduced this is a charming dram that would be easy to drink all night.

[Willie JJ]

I really ought to send you some Willie, before it's all gone.
It's a question of memory - I seem to forget these things.
Right, I'll put it in Outlook!

The Outlook is bright. That's a kind thought Nick.

[Willie JJ]

Cadenhead's Caol Ila 13yo, 1995 - March 2009, 60.4%, Sherry butt.

Nose: Like a christmas cake doused in Cointreau, dusted with peat and set on fire. Simply wonderful
Palate: Plenty of peat, like chewing a small chunk, then the marmalade coats it with sweet orange and lemon before it bursts into flame once again.
Finish: The maritime character emerges here, with dried sea salt and shell-fish and it goes on and on.
Comment: I got a pair of these from Cadenhead's and this is the last of the first bottle. It's pretty rare to see Caol Ila in a sherry cask and one of this quality is rare indeed. I wish I had bought more. Yum Yum.

[Willie JJ]

Ok I better call it a night there. Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow.

Night Nick

[orangedogofglory]

Slightly late to the party, but just finished up my bottle of Caol Ila 18.

Caol Ila 18 notes

[Willie JJ]

Tomintoul Peaty Tang 40%

Nose: Very malty. Barley, draff and porridge all wrapped in a delicate smoke.
Palate: Nothing delicate about this. There's a burst of malt and lemon followed by a thump of peat. Coal tar and lemon fizz; a surprisingly pleasant combo.
Finish: Long sugary fizz. Very nice.
Comment: What a revelation. Tomintoul 10yo is a very tame dram and the peated variant called Ballantruan has singularly failed to impress me in the past, but this stuff is lovely. And cheap! I must get in a wee stock of this.

[Willie JJ]

Golden Cask Caol Ila 82-09 54.4% cask #cm149

Nose: Mmmm, old Caol Ila. Honey, vanilla, dry carbolic, iodine and an underlying maltiness. Gentle and inviting.
Palate: Lovely texture that spreads across the tongue like a slow motion exploding peat fireball. The sweetness, malt, vanilla and salt are all there but its the sensation that captivates.
Finish: The explosion rolls on leaving little sugary sparklers on the tongue. Mmmm old Caol Ila.
Comment: This distillery can do no wrong in my experience and this is typical of the stuff from this era. The big peat has mellowed into a really gentle thing that delights the palate.

[Ganga]

Willie, I think you've summed up my experience with Tomintoul as far as the peat thing goes.

I'd love to send out my compliments to everyone on bringing in a very diverse set of peated whiskies. Thank you all.

[pkt77242]

Sorry to have missed the tasting this weekend but I had a stomach virus that made keeping down food (let alone whisky) difficult.

So I will post mine over the next couple of days.

Today will be young peat and middle aged peat (15-18).

So first up is Mccarthy's.

[pkt77242]

Mccarthy's
Brand : McCarthy's Expression : W08-02
Nose : leaf fire, mint, herbal, and eucalyptus. Palate : peat, and mint. The eucalyptus and pear make a showing as well. maybe some apple skin. Finish : medium-short finish. on peat, pears and mint. Comment : A very nice whisky, especially at 3 years old. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 0 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 0% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Oregon Water : None Ice : None Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

I would say 82 points.

Sean

[pkt77242]

Kilchoman Inaugural
Brand : - Expression : -
Nose : Gumdrops. pear, apple, lemon and raspberry. After a minute or so a whiff of smoke. Palate : starts of on lemons and peat but then a rough spot (paint thinner, and varnish). feinty. Finish : medium finish. still the paint thinner but with some smoke and peat. Comment : Starts of nice and falls apart in the middle. You can tell it is young but it has potential. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 0 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 46% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : none Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

74 points but has loads of potential. Needs a couple of more years in wood.

[pkt77242]

Bowmore 15 Mariner
Brand : Bowmore Expression : Mariner
Nose : Lavender, violets, slight smoke and some salt. Palate : Salt, loads of lavender, violets and some soft peat. Finish : medium short. very floral. Comment : Shockingly it is less floral then when I first opened it. Still not to my taste. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 15 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 43% Bottler : -	Type : - Region : - Water : none Ice : None Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

76 points.

[pkt77242]

Laphroaig 15
Brand : - Expression : -
Nose : Salt, lemon, tangerines, cedar, and some peat. Palate : Smoked citrus, brine, and peat. Finish : Medium on briney lemon juice. Comment : I am going to miss this whisky when it is gone. I really like the smoked citrus. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 15 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 43% Bottler : -	Type : - Region : - Water : none Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

86 points.

[pkt77242]

Lagavulin 16
Brand : Lagavulin Expression : -
Nose : Just wonderful. Smoked oranges, walnuts, and soft peat. Palate : slightly weak. Smoked oranges and walnuts are still there but taste a little watered down. Peat shows up after a second or two. Finish : medium-long finish. Peat, and slight sherry. also a dash of salt. Comment : One of the best standard whiskies out there. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 16 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 43% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : None Ice : None Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

89 points. Just great.

Sean

[pkt77242]

Ardbeg Beist
Brand : Ardbeg Expression : -
Nose : Coal, tar, lemons, and salt. Smoked fish. Palate : Lemons and smoke. oil, and salt. Tar, and grapefruit. Finish : Long finish on lemons, smoke and salt. Comment : This is growing on me. I found it just ok at first but the more I have of it the more I like it. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 0 Years Old Vintage : 1990 ABV : 46% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : None Ice : None Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

88 points.

[pkt77242]

Signatory Laphroaig 15yo
Brand : - Expression : -
Nose : vanilla and peat. very little medicinal notes for a Laph. salty as well. Lemon. Salted peated vanilla yogurt with a splash of vanilla. Palate : Loads of vanilla, lemon and peat. Salt crashes the party after that. Finish : medium long finish. very salty. Comment : An interesting take on Laphroaig. Much less medicinal but with some nice vanilla notes. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 15 Years Old Vintage : 1991 ABV : 53.8% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : None Ice : None Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

85 points. could be more complex but still enjoyable.

That is it for tonight. Good night and I will post more later this week.

Sean

[pkt77242]

Oops, forgot one last 15-18yo.

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1001
Brand : Lagavulin Expression : -
Nose : raisins, walnuts, and some slight smoke. Very nice sherry and peat combo. Palate : raisins, and peat. Smoked sherry? Some salted oranges and walnuts. Finish : medium length. peaty oranges. salt lingers on the palate. Comment : Very nice. Sweeter than the 16 but not quite as peaty. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 0 Years Old Vintage : 1991 ABV : 43% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : None Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

89 points.

Sean

[Ryguy]

Nice notes everyone on such a wide range of peated whiskies! I have been battling an awful cold and I can't taste or smell anything right now. As soon as it's gone away I have some goodies to taste myself.

I hope you enjoyed the SMWS samples Ganga, nice notes!

[Ganga]

Very much indeed Ryan. They are to be shared around with the guys through the year. Also a thanks to Macdeffe for the Ardbeg sample.

[pkt77242]

3 NAS whiskies tonight.
After that, I will only have two groups left, the 9-12yo and the 21+yo.

First up

Talisker 175th
Brand : Talisker Expression : -
Nose : Slight sherry, sea breeze, and some pepper. Faint whiff of peat rolls in. maybe a hint of apple peel. Palate : salted cooked fruits. apples and a little orange. Some nuts and some soft peat hits late on the palate. Finish : medium length finish on brine and apples. Some pepper shows up at the very end for a very nice finish. Comment : An extremely complex Talisker. Not the wham bam 10 but still quite amazing. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 0 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 45.8% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Island (non Islay) Water : none Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

91 points.

Thank you for the sample Jeff (oh and also thank you for the Kilchoman Inaugural sample from yesterday).

[pkt77242]

Ardbeg Corryveckan
Brand : Ardbeg Expression : Corryveckan
Nose : lots of brine, lemon, loads of peat and diesel. Some nice tar shows up after a minute. Palate : lemon tar? Tarry lemon? diesel and peat, but still loads of lemon. Very peaty on the palate. A nice dash of salt as well. Finish : long finish on salted lemons and peat. Comment : Not perfectly balanced but still very enjoyable. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 0 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 0% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : none Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

88 points.

[pkt77242]

Last one of the night.

Ardbeg Uigeadail
Brand : Ardbeg Expression : Uigeadail
Nose : sherry (raisins, nuts,), hints of lemon and some tar. faint peat in the background. Palate : orange, raisins, and very nice tar and peat. Just a hint of lemon and plum. Finish : Medium-long finish. briney peat, and orange. Comment : This might be my fav Ardbeg. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 0 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 0% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : None Ice : None Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

91 points.

Sean

[pkt77242]

Tonight 9-12yo 40-46%. So Five whiskies are up tonight.

Talisker 10
Brand : Talisker Expression : -
Nose : Black pepper, sweet chili pepper. Slight sherry notes and some salt. Palate : pepper, salt and soft peat. sweet smoke. Finish : medium finish. on slight sherry, black pepper and salt. Comment : Very nice. great pepper notes and slight sweetness Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 10 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 45.8% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Island (non Islay) Water : none Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

88 points.

[pkt77242]

Signatory UCF Peated Bunna 1997 10yo
Brand : Signatory Expression : -
Nose : charcoal, coal, and some lemon. Loads of peat. Wet hay, and wet sheep. Palate : Loads of coal, charcoal, wet hay and slight lemon. Finish : medium-short finish. on coal. Comment : Not very well balanced. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 10 Years Old Vintage : 1997 ABV : 46% Bottler : -	Type : - Region : - Water : None Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

78 points.

[pkt77242]

Signatory UCF Peated Bunna 1997 9yo
Brand : Signatory Expression : -
Nose : coal, wet hay, light plum and hints of lemon. Palate : coal peat, light plum, strawberry and lemon. wet dog/hay? Finish : medium finish. on coal peat and lemon. Comment : Much nicer than the 10yo. Hmm. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 9 Years Old Vintage : 1997 ABV : 46% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : None Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

83 points.

[pkt77242]

Benriach 12 Heredotus Fumosus PX Finish
Brand : BenRiach Expression : Heredotus Fumosus
Nose : raisins, plums, hints of soft peat (earthy hay peat). brazil nuts and almonds. Palate : raisins and plums are there along with the peat. Nuts, and dry grass. Finish : Peat gets stronger on the finish and muscles the sherry out of the way. Medium-long finish. Comment : A very nice whisky. Not the most complex but very enjoyable. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 12 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 46% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : - Water : none Ice : none Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

85 points.

[pkt77242]

Last one for the night.

Ardbeg 10 L7 221
Brand : Ardbeg Expression : -
Nose : lemon and peat. Kerosene and some smoke. Palate : lemon, slight vanilla, and some loads of peat and smoke. salt and tar make a late showing. Finish : medium finish on lemon yogurt and smoke. Comment : Very nice. more complex than I remember it. Colour : - Score : 0
Age : 10 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 46% Bottler : -	Type : Single Malt Region : Islay Water : None Ice : None Glass : - Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

87 points.