May 2011 - BACK TO BASICS

[Ganga]

Well, it was discussed and we thought we would do standard bottlings of a modest price range.

The Rules of the Game:

1. Must be 12 yo or younger
2. Modest price ($60 US, $100 Aus, 35 GBP, etc)
3. Whisky cannot be finished
4. No restricions on location
5. No independent bottlings
6. Blended whiskies are fine

I'm sure that some of the guys will chip in with things I've forgotten.

Day: Any day for the month of May (Seeing as many folks are tied up with festivals here and there)

Time: well anytime but 7PM British Time on Saturdays for congregating and discussing the whiskies.

Examples: Glenlivet 12, Glenfiddich 12, Jack Daniels Old No. 7, JW Red Label

[pkt77242]

Will be back with some Speyside 12 soon.

[dramtastic]

Will be back with some Speyside 12 soon.

Is that a threat?

[dramtastic]

Bit of an oddity to start but this is from a working distillery that happens to be the oldest commercial whisky distillery in Japan(1919) and this one can be purchased in Europe.

White Oak(Eigashima) Distillery SM Aged 5 Years. 45 per cent alcohol.

Nose: The colour is honey and the nose follows suit. Is this only 5 years old? No roughness at all! Also soft oak, tinned apricots, pear, treacle and fresh dough. Smooth and balanced.

Palate: Honey and treacle on crumpets, soft oak, pear, dough, nutmeg and ginger.

Finish: Nicely spicy, yet also creamy, with good length. Some mineral-like qualities and lingering.........lingering smoke.
Really fantastic for the age.
Rating: 86/100

[pkt77242]

Will be back with some Speyside 12 soon.

Is that a threat?

A promise

[pkt77242]

Speyside 12

N: Bitter caramel, brazil nuts, apple juice and some slightly rotten apples.
P: Bitter, bitter caramel, nuts, grass and some apples that are a little to old to eat but not quite rotten.
F: Medium on bitter caramel, bitter nuts and apple juice.

Please, if you think about buying the Speyside 12, run away. RUN AWAY.

[dramtastic]

Yoichi NAS 43%

Nose: Quite chunky malt for a young'n. Some pine and big bowl of diced stone fruits of apricot/peach/nectarine.

Palate: Fairly light and smooth to start. Malt, bubblegum, a little salt, some nuttyness then a some pepper.

Finish: Short/medium with pepper, nuts, malt and chocolate.
You'd drink this every day for the 10-12 bucks you pay for it in Japan
81/100

[Ganga]

Sean's just trying to save it for himself.

Ok, I can be encouraged to add one...the one most handy.

Old Pulteney 12 (from Xmas gift box-2010)

Nose: gristy sea air, heather honey, peaches and cream
Palate: sweet bread (not sweet breads), honey, honeydew with sprinkled salt
Finish: long, salty and sweet

Really is the best OP 12 I've had. The aromas and palate just POP.

[pkt77242]

Sean's just trying to save it for himself.

Ok, I can be encouraged to add one...the one most handy.

Old Pulteney 12 (from Xmas gift box-2010)

Nose: gristy sea air, heather honey, peaches and cream
Palate: sweet bread (not sweet breads), honey, honeydew with sprinkled salt
Finish: long, salty and sweet

Really is the best OP 12 I've had. The aromas and palate just POP.

No, please run out and buy all of the Speyside 12 for yourself.

nice notes on the OP 12. Sweet bread? I know what Sweet breads are but what do you mean by sweet bread?

[dramtastic]

Miyagikyo NAS 43%

Nose: Is grassy, toffeed, citrussy and floral(cherry bloosoms?). Well balance and quite delightful.

Palate: Nicely creamy texture. Bubblegum(like the Yoichi NAS), sweet flower petals, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, malt, then a little grassy again.

Finish: Is short-medium, sweet with bubblegum malt and spice.

Prefer this to the Yoichi NAS.

83/100

[Ganga]

Ever had Mexican sweet bread? Think of baked bread and then top it off with a sweet or sugar coating.

[Ganga]

Miyagikyo NAS 43%

Nose: Is grassy, toffeed, citrussy and floral(cherry bloosoms?). Well balance and quite delightful.

Palate: Nicely creamy texture. Bubblegum(like the Yoichi NAS), sweet flower petals, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, malt, then a little grassy again.

Finish: Is short-medium, sweet with bubblegum malt and spice.

Prefer this to the Yoichi NAS.

83/100

This almost sounds like a sherry finished Bladnoch

[pkt77242]

Ever had Mexican sweet bread? Think of baked bread and then top it off with a sweet or sugar coating.

baked bread with powdered sugar? or something along that line?

[Ganga]

Tomatin 12 (it was handy)

Nose: nutmeg (is this from reading notes above), cinnamon, banana nut bread
Palate: pumpkin, all spice, oranges, cedar shavings
Finish: bold, rich and spicy

[Ganga]

Ever had Mexican sweet bread? Think of baked bread and then top it off with a sweet or sugar coating.

baked bread with powdered sugar? or something along that line?

Well, not so much powdered but rather baked onto the bread

[Ganga]

Powers Gold Label

Nose: little bit of malt, fermenting fruits, estery
Palate: apricots and peaches sprinkled to cocoa
Finish: short with a little bite and then grilled apricots

[dramtastic]

Tomatin 12 (it was handy)

Nose: nutmeg (is this from reading notes above), cinnamon, banana nut bread
Palate: pumpkin, all spice, oranges, cedar shavings
Finish: bold, rich and spicy

Sounds allright G!

[dramtastic]

Hakushu 12 43%

Nose: Very fresh. Ultra clean black pepper, banana, vanilla custard, lemon tart, soap flakes, peat. Invigorating.

Palate: Pepper as if it's straight from the shaker into the malt but balanced. Earthy peat, banana over oats, toffee, cream, some orange and lemon.

Finish: Is medium length, with peppery spice and underpinned by clean malt and lingering earthy peat.

Recommended

87/100

[Ganga]

Glenfiddich 12, bought in early 2011

Nose: malt, green apples, light dry spices
Palate: cinnamon over sliced Granny Smith apples, cracked barley, straw
Finish: Moderate, but the maltiness builds.

[Ganga]

Early Times

Nose: sweet bourbon notes, charcoal, nuts
Palate: beer batter, charcoal filter
Finish: almost hoppy with lots of anthracite

[johan brugge]

Glenfiddich 12, bought in early 2011

Nose: malt, green apples, light dry spices
Palate: cinnamon over sliced Granny Smith apples, cracked barley, straw
Finish: Moderate, but the maltiness builds.

I couldn't have said it better than you, Rich! I totally agree with the Granny Smith apples. I think it's even quite dominant at first when you've just openend the bottle.

[johan brugge]

Sean's just trying to save it for himself.

Ok, I can be encouraged to add one...the one most handy.

Old Pulteney 12 (from Xmas gift box-2010)

Nose: gristy sea air, heather honey, peaches and cream
Palate: sweet bread (not sweet breads), honey, honeydew with sprinkled salt
Finish: long, salty and sweet

Really is the best OP 12 I've had. The aromas and palate just POP.

Nice notes, but I have kind of a hard time with the sweet bread. It's sweet(er) yes, but bread? Hmm ... It is indeed quite salty, soft and delicate. I never owned a OP12, but about 2 years ago I bought one for my father-in-law. And of course I helped him finish the bottle, although he did a pretty good job himself. He claimed there must have been a tiny crack in the bottle as it was emptied kinda fast.

[johan brugge]

Chivas Regal 12yo.

Nose: kinda softly fruited (apples?), flowers, honey too with some fress hay. Some gentle sherryness pops up.

Palate: oily body, a tiny bit peppery and spicy. The fruityness stays more on the background.

Finish: middle long, but some more fresh fruits like in the nose this time.

[johan brugge]

Lagavulin 16yo OB

Nose: very peaty and smoky with some sherry sweetness to it. A little briny too with some salt. And yet I can smell some burnt plastic too.

Palate: pretty much the same as in the nose (exept for the burnt plastic). But then there is some more ash kind of taste that comes along.

Finish: powerfull, peaty and smoky again.

[johan brugge]

Ardbeg Ten this time. My absolute favourite 'basic' Islay whisky.

Nose: smoky, brine, seaweedy, peaty (of course), ashes but there is something 'sharp' to it. I's not a soft, sweet nose.

Palate: do you like a peated and smoked smack in your face? I do. Brilliant whisky.

Finish: peaty and smoky and everything else I like about Islay whiskies.

Damn good whisky this is. I haven't tasted a bad batch so far. (touch wood ...)

[Ganga]

Chivas Regal 12yo.

Nose: kinda softly fruited (apples?), flowers, honey too with some fress hay. Some gentle sherryness pops up.

Palate: oily body, a tiny bit peppery and spicy. The fruityness stays more on the background.

Finish: middle long, but some more fresh fruits like in the nose this time.

I usually have found some fresh oakiness to the Chivas. Is there any of this that is apparent.?

[Ganga]

Pop! Glenmo 10 Original 1.75 L

Nose: Lots of straw, rough grains, Pledge wax
Palate: roasted barley, lemons, bakery, gristy
Finish: moderate, sweetish barley notes and citrus

This is good but previous bottles were better.

[pkt77242]

Glenfiddich 12 bought around Christmas 2010

N: cinnamon apples, granny smith apples, spices, a little barley and some vanilla. A touch of oak.
P: Dutch apple pie with a touch of vanilla. Apples, apples and apples, cinnamon and maybe a touch of brown sugar.
F: medium short on apples, vanilla, cinnamon and some barley.

Much better than my bottle form 4-5 years ago. Not a great whisky as it lacks complexity but rather enjoyable.

[Ganga]

Glenfiddich 12 bought around Christmas 2010

N: cinnamon apples, granny smith apples, spices, a little barley and some vanilla. A touch of oak.
P: Dutch apple pie with a touch of vanilla. Apples, apples and apples, cinnamon and maybe a touch of brown sugar.
F: medium short on apples, vanilla, cinnamon and some barley.

Much better than my bottle form 4-5 years ago. Not a great whisky as it lacks complexity but rather enjoyable.

Just checking your notes versus mine. Note the apples in both...green apples. I like the fruitiness of the 12 compared to the malty structure in had 10 years ago.

[Ganga]

Dalmore 12 43%, new vatting purchased October 2009.

Nose: red berries, vanilla, dry bbq spice rub, polished wood, sawdust-pine, some resin notes, old leather-tobacco pouch?
Palate: fresh pine 2x4 studs - not the kiln died but resiny, cooked berries, mahogany, bitter green oranges, currants, some light anise in the background
Finish: long and drying, oranges becoming a little less bitter and more sweet

[pkt77242]

Ardbeg Ten this time. My absolute favourite 'basic' Islay whisky.

Nose: smoky, brine, seaweedy, peaty (of course), ashes but there is something 'sharp' to it. I's not a soft, sweet nose.

Palate: do you like a peated and smoked smack in your face? I do. Brilliant whisky.

Finish: peaty and smoky and everything else I like about Islay whiskies.

Damn good whisky this is. I haven't tasted a bad batch so far. (touch wood ...)

Nice notes Johan, I love how the Ardbeg 10 smacks you in the face with it's peatiness. Did you get any citrus from it?

[Ganga]

I usually get melons like honeydew within Ardbeg.

[Ganga]

HP 12 43%, flask, purchased early 2009

Nose: honey, smoke, heather, freshly oiled leather, raspberries (strange, never noted that before)
Palate: clover honey, whisps of smoke and sea air, Valencia oranges, dark chocolate, cocoa
Finish: lingering, smoke and honey just keep coming

[pkt77242]

Old Pulteney 12

N: Salted mango, melons (honeydew), a little barley and just a hint of smoke.
P: Salted melons, some mango, papaya, and the faint taste of smoke. Almost a touch of meatiness like smoked pork. A little barley
F: Medium on loads of salt, melons, some smoke and some barley.

A very nice whisky. Great for people just starting out.

[Ganga]

Talisker 10 from around 2009

Nose: very sweet maltiness, some parafin, light dried spices, black pepper-ground
Palate: big vanilla and pepper hit, some lemon but not that sour, pizza dough, bee's wax with honey
Finish: kind of short but big, pepper vanilla lemons