The 80s (Feb 25-27, 2011)

[Ras Mazunga]

Good afternoon/evening.
Because I'm in London at the moment I can't really join this live tasting.
I just have a few samples but not from the 80s.
Ealier this week I bought a Lintlithgow 26yo SMOS but I don't dare to open it yet.

[Ganga]

Oh yum. I really like the 81 K. Your description sounds like some of the best bourbon casked Laddies (no peat) yeat with something a little extra.

[Ganga]

Good afternoon/evening.
Because I'm in London at the moment I can't really join this live tasting.
I just have a few samples but not from the 80s.
Ealier this week I bought a Lintlithgow 26yo SMOS but I don't dare to open it yet.

Can we dare you to open it? Cheers Ras, SOI is open as well.

[Spirit of Islay]

How does this one grab you Willie ?

Expression - Karuizawa 1982 Cask #2748
Year - 1982
Age - 27yo
ABV - 56.1
Cask / Bottle No. - #2748 Sherry /
Colour - Bright Amber
Nose - A Huge Christmas Cake nose , Dried fruits , cake dough , dry sherry mixed in with menthol and Latte coffee , a nice whisp of smoke wafts around all the other smells . This is one of those malts you could smell all night but i'll not......
Palate - First thing that grabs you is a lovely dry sherriness , then smoke , spices (cloves , christmas cake....) , a huge incredible mouthfeel !
Finish - Very long , very dry , menthol , sherry , christmas cake , hint of orange and smoke .
Comments - Another one for the 10th Anniversary of The Whisky Exchange bottled in 2009 . Just where are TWE getting these incredible Japanese casks from ? A beautiful Single malt from the land of the rising sun , i'd put this up against anything from Scotland , Wonderful !

[Willie JJ]

Cadenhead's Glencraig 19yo 59.5% 1981, sherry cask

Nose: Fruity with lots of citrus, but its overwhelmed by the coconut. Really good.
Palate: A marvelous mixture of vanilla and coconut that has been laced with orange and lavender.
Finish: Long and absolutely delightful with waves of sweet floral flavours.
Comment: Magic. I bet they weren't thinking about whisky like this when they removed the Glencraig lomond still.

[Willie JJ]

Evening Ras.

How does this one grab you Willie ?

Expression - Karuizawa 1982 Cask #2748

[Ganga]

What's up for 1980?

[Willie JJ]

1980 now:

El Vino Highland Park 14yo 1980, sherry cask

Nose: Like watered sherry.
Palate: Urgh! Watery sherry, but its gone off.
Finish: What finish? Oh wait here it comes ... yugh!
Comment: Wtf is this stuff? This must be the worst thing I can remember tasting. Quick give me a glass of Wasmund's.

[Willie JJ]

[Willie JJ]

Thanks to Collector57 for that sample. I've had it for a while and on reflection I do believe he warned me about it.

[Ganga]

Worse than Loch Dhu? Glen Eden? Drumguish?

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - 7.51
Year - 1984
Age - 24yo
ABV - 57.4%
Cask / Bottle No. - Ex Bourbon Refill Hoggie / 1 of 184
Colour - Polished Gold
Nose - Ripe Bananas , bags of green fruits then chocolate orange , a dream of a nose .
Palate - Lemon and a load of spiciness , touch of chocolate orange later......
Finish - Very long , honey and spices .
Comments - A Longmorn Distilled in October 1984 . A superb Longmorn , as most SMWS one's seem to be !

[Willie JJ]

I was going to stop there, but can't leave it at that.

I have another old foe from the 80s so I'll have a go at that. It's going to seem pretty good after the HP.

[Willie JJ]

Worse than Loch Dhu? Glen Eden? Drumguish?

No contest in my opinion, although I've not had Glen Eden. Loch Dhu and Drumguish are at least drinkable if there's nothing else.

[Ganga]

Worse than Loch Dhu? Glen Eden? Drumguish?

No contest in my opinion, although I've not had Glen Eden. Loch Dhu and Drumguish are at least drinkable if there's nothing else.

Holy *$^#@! That is bad. I don't consider Loch Dhu drinkable although the other two I can choke down when better whisky is the reward. Loch Dhu is like licking an ashtray.

[johan brugge]

Hello guys. Time for me to join the party. I'll start with a Caol Ila 1984 (- 05/2007), 45 % Samaroli.

Nose: minerals, wet stone, some peat in the background, slightlly seaweedy and some faint citrus too.

Palate: salty peated citrus flavours gently merge with some smokeyness. No need to add water. This is very yummy!

Finish: very gentle, slightly salty with some peat.

Very very good!!

[Willie JJ]

Signatory Linkwood 13yo 43% 1988-02

Nose: Richly sulphured. Plenty of matches and burning rubber. I suppose there's some underlying fruit.
Palate: Rich sweet oranges and barley sugar. Lovely. Unfortunately it's all ruined by the rubber.
Finish: Long with lovely oloroso notes and RUBBER.
Comment: This would be great whisky if it wasn't ruined by the sulphur.

[Willie JJ]

Hi Johan and Nick.

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - Glenfarclas 1987 "Quarter Casks"
Year - 1987
Age - 19yo ?
ABV - 46%
Cask / Bottle No. - Quarter Casks 3704 - 3707 and Quarter Casks 3859-3860 / 520 of 1299
Colour - Deep Amber
Nose - loads of sherry on the nose , typical christmas cake , dough , spices dried fruit etc .
Palate - Again bags of Sherry , orange Marmalade , spices and dried Fruits/ cake mix .
Finish - Long , dry sherry .
Comments - Quarter Casks 3704 - 3707 Distilled 3rd July 1987 , Quarter Casks 3859-3860 Distilled 11th Sept 1987 . Bottled April 2006 . For the German Market . An interesting Farclas though not as interesting as most of the regulars and Family casks.

[Spirit of Islay]

Think that's my lot for tonight may add a couple tomorrow .
goodnight all !

[Willie JJ]

Night Gordon

[pkt77242]

I am back

[johan brugge]

Next up is a Bruichladdich 15yo 1986 Murray McDavid (bourbon cask) 46 %.

Nose: Medicinal, peated saltiness, seaweedy but nothing is really dominant. There is a slitght fruityness to it as well (prunes). Perfect balance I'd say.

Palate: some cereals, peat that grows stronger and stronger, salt (but just a bit). Again a very good balance! It's quite an oily dram and I really like it.

Finish: very good and long enough, more on peat than in the nose.

Once I put some water in the glas when I finished this whisky and let it rest over night. The next morning, when I drank the water, I could definately smell and taste dried prunes. Quite extra ordinary.

[Willie JJ]

Woohoo! After 9 years I've finally finished the stinky Linkwood.

[johan brugge]

Rather you than me!!

[Willie JJ]

Hi Sean. How is Elmo?

[pkt77242]

Hi Sean. How is Elmo?

Gavin loved it. I think he has a man crush on elmo (if elmo is a boy, heck if I know).

A bourbon for me. Elijah Craig 18 single barrel. I will be right back with notes in a second.

[pkt77242]

Elijah Craig 18 single barrel distilled 10-27-89 barrel 2361 45%

N: Cherries, cooked orange, polished oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and a little mint.
P: Starts sweet with the cherry and oranges, then gets rather dry and oaky, with loads of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, saw dust and polished oak.
F: Medium length, on cherry, saw dust, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Very dry, with the saw dust and polished oak becoming very pronounced at the end.

Very good.

[johan brugge]

Clynelish 27yo 1982 51.5 % cask 5895 (very important detail because there are two single cask vintages but cask 5894 is apparently not that good).

Nose: very fruity, fresh, sweet and yet you can smell the bourbon influences. I find it hard to stop putting my nose in the glass.
Palate: hmmmm, again fruity, sweet, soft tannins, luscious. Dangerously drinkable at 51.5 %. The more I drink it, the more it's character changes, especially if water is added. I taste some peat too. Very very good again.
Finish: very long and powerfull, fruity again.

[pkt77242]

Clynelish 27yo 1982 51.5 % cask 5895 (very important detail because there are two single cask vintages but cask 5894 is apparently not that good).

Nose: very fruity, fresh, sweet and yet you can smell the bourbon influences. I find it hard to stop putting my nose in the glass.
Palate: hmmmm, again fruity, sweet, soft tannins, luscious. Dangerously drinkable at 51.5 %. The more I drink it, the more it's character changes, especially if water is added. I taste some peat too. Very very good again.
Finish: very long and powerfull, fruity again.

Sounds good Johan, you are making me thirsty.

[dramtastic]

Comments - Just where are TWE getting these incredible Japanese casks from ?

Karuizawa Japan I think.

[Willie JJ]

Ok I'm going to stop now because the antibiotics say that I shouldn't eat for a couple of hours before I take them and while I haven't eaten for hours I suspect that whisky may count. So, I'll see what everyone else is drinking for a while

[pkt77242]

Ok I'm going to stop now because the antibiotics say that I shouldn't eat for a couple of hours before I take them and while I haven't eaten for hours I suspect that whisky may count. So, I'll see what everyone else is drinking for a while

Great notes Willie, thank you for stopping buy.

My next whisky is Macallan 18 1988

[pkt77242]

Macallan 18 1988

N: big sherry (nuts,cherries, strawberries, etc), apple peel, cinanmon, a little coffee
P: Big sherry again, along with the apples and apple peels. A little coffee, and dough. A little thin.
F: Medium short on coffee, apples and sherry.

A little simpler than I remember but enjoyable.

[Willie JJ]

Sounds pretty good to me.