April 2012 Live Tasting - Spring Cleaning

[pkt77242]

Jefferson 10yo Rye.

Not open that long (2-3 months) but rather nice for $28. Some citrus, rye spices and rye husks. Good and I will probably buy again but not right away.

[Ganga]

Inverarity NAS. Nice balance of waxy grains and smokey peat. Probably been around for 12 years.

[lockejn]

Secret Stills Bowmore 1991/2007. Preferable to the OB Legend and 12y. Started off a bit too woody, as the others, but has really mellowed nicely. A bit more on the coal side of peat, which is nice.

[lockejn]

WhistlePig Rye. A very good rye, one of the better I've had. But it's just too pricey. There are other greats at $10-$20 less. I'd drink it again, but probably wouldn't buy again.

[AdamMY]

Just killed my 4th or 5th bottle of Kirkland Signature Bourbon. This is also the longest a single bottle of KSB I have had has been opened, so it will show the most change I have seen from a single bottle yet.


For its price for a 1L bottle, KSB is a long standing favorite. Its always rich and flavorful, with a sizeable ABV to back it up. This is just about the only bourbon I have had yet that I occasionally get those orange cider flavors, but mostly its a heck of a lot of spices, and hints of maple syrup.

I will need to replace this bottle.

[pkt77242]

Kilchoman Summer 2010 Release. Not a bad whisky but overpriced. Didn't change a whole lot over the time it has been open.

[Ganga]

Wathen's 8 yo, single barrel.

Been around awhile. Good not sure that the price is justified. Lots of green vegetation but not overly negative. The vanilla and caramel notes more than make up for it.

[pkt77242]

Macallan 18 1991. A very nice Macallan 18yo. Glad I have another 375ml bottle hanging around. Definitely worth a purchase.

[pkt77242]

Highland Park 1986t 19yo for Beltramos.

A very good to great whisky that will be sorely missed. But it was it's time to die. Just wish I had another bottle of it.

[Willie JJ]

Another sample:

Signatory North British 14yo 1997-2011 43%

Nose: Toasted cereals, faint grapefruit, banana toffee and slightly burnt butter tablet.
Palate: Vaguely citrus again, but mainly vanilla, spirit and a slight metallic tang.
Finish: Drying grainy and short.
Comment: Very easy to drink although not overly complex.

[Willie JJ]

End of a bottle:

Johnny Walker Green Label

Nose: The initial burst of fruit and flowers is quickly caught up by the oily shellfish and gentle smoke. The peated malts certainly dominate, but the speysiders make their presence felt too. Nice but like most vattings its not the easiest thing to sort out.
Palate: sweet smouldering ash with a salty/sweet interplay and light white fruit juices and burnt malt.
Finish: Plenty of salty, ashy character here and much less sign of the Speysiders.
Comment: This is great fun to drink, but it doesn't have the poise of a great single malt. Incredibly good value though.

[Ganga]

Recently finished bottle

Springbank 14, Madiera Butt 07/`178-02, d: 6.97
58.6

This was a very good bottle from Springbank. I don't think it is nearly as good as the Springbank 12, 56.4 that was released last fall. Not something I think I would try to replace but was fun while it lasted.

[Ganga]

Another recently finished bottle

G&M Rosebank 1991
cask 1536
59.3

Think light, airy, grassy. A very lovely Rosebank that is worth replacing.

[Ganga]

Last one finished recently

Berry Bros Linkwood
1991-10
57.1

This was a beautiful Linkwood. Light for a Linkwood but you just want to keep coming back for more. Definitely worth purchasing if found again.

[Ganga]

Sample kill

from Sean

Old Forrester 75th Anniversary.

N: vanilla, caramel, green vegetation from a meadow, some buttercream
P: vanilla extract, crushed greens, creamy texture, slight grainy notes
F: grainy and green, nice and long.

[Ganga]

Another Sean sample kill

Weller 2011

N: creamy vanilla notes...almost cake like, some rye notes
P: blended fresh greens, lots of fresh rye
F: long, hot summery

[Ganga]

Black Eagle is still a pour away from finishing which will come in about 20 minutes. But some thoughts.

It is pretty simple. Think bubble gum. Lightly grainy on the nose and a touch of powder sugar found on some bubble gum. Palate is Bubblicous. It is sweet and cheap so very replaceable.

[Ganga]

Isle of Skye NAS. This is an older bottling. Thinking lat 80s or early 90s.

Heavy waxy peat. Grain component comes off as much older and lower part of the mix than in todays blends.

[Ganga]

And another one's gone.....

Dew of Kilkarren

This bottle is at least 30 years old.

it has some very interesting things going on. Little bit of waxy peat and polished wood. How about some corn stalks? I won't say great but it is interesting.

[Ganga]

Dickel is going out the door

It has the corn character of bourbons but there is this huge influence of charcoal....in terms of coal/anthracite....

Very strong whisky. And it will be replaced.

[Willie JJ]

End of a bottle:

An Cnoc 16yo 46%
Nose: Honey and lemon cough sweets, star anise, light and refreshing. Grassy with lemon refreshers. There's some dried oak there. Like a carpenter's workshop in the summer, with a pile of malted barley in the corner. Clean as a whistle and quite charming.
Taste: Zingy lemon refreshers, surrounded by a multitude of tiny popping spice bombs. The honey is there on the palate too, but it's finely spread and delicate. Sugar sparkles in the background amongst more light oak.
Finish: Seems like it dies quite quickly, but then it begins to wash your palate with brown sugar, cinammon and chewed pencil. The more you drink the woodier the finish gets, but it remains delicate.
Comments: For years I've been trying to get folk to notice this stuff. It's not going to startle you in a festival amongst all those big hitters (although I've always thought it was good), but sit down with a bottle of this and you won't regret it. This was the last dregs of the bottle and another one will have to come soon. I hope the current batch is as good.

[Willie JJ]

Another end of bottle:

G&M Exclusive Teaninich 16yo 1995 50%
Nose: Milk chocolate, cocoa powder and english breakfast tea. Malted barley sugar, with demerara sugar, coffee grounds and cinnamon.
Taste: Masses of cocoa and cinnamon wrapped in peppery sugar. Traces of lemon and malt creep gently through the intensity of the sherry notes. Plenty of chocolate here too.
Finish: Initially dry before a big hit of espresso, cocoa, cinnamon and light peppery sices. Very gentle and quite charming.
Comments: This is a real chocaholics dram. A perfect cask with not a hint of sulphur that delivers a delicacy of sherried character that marries beautifully with the fine clear Teaninich malt. Excellent whisky.

Fortunately I have another

[Willie JJ]

Another bottle end:

Cadenhead's Glenivet 30yo 1976 57.1% sherry butt
Nose: Black coffee and a basket of tropical fruit. Light chocolate powder, pineapple, guava, pear and sandalwood. Pears in chocolate custard. Creme caramel and dark bitter oranges. A super clean sherry cask. A few drops of water lifts the fruit and turns it into apricot jam and orange marmalade. Strawberry jam too.
Taste: Chocolate and coffee explosion. Dark Oxford marmalade with heaps of cocoa powder and coffee mixed in. A couple of drops of water turns it into pure milk chocolate. Yummy.
Finish: Sizzling bitter oranges heavily seasoned with caramelised sugar. Lot's of oak influence, dry and softly spicy. Water makes it drier, but brings cinnamon sugar and a host of warm spices.
Comments: Top drawer whisky. It really can take water and its fun to play with.

Sadly I do not have another of these

[AdamMY]

95/16 SV Linkwood Cask 649 Binny's Beverage Depot.

I hate to say this about any bottle, but this one just got worse as it has been opened. When I first got it it was quite sweet, and had a very odd herbal flavor that I actually quite liked. As it aged the herb flavor subsided, and while it is still a good whisky, it now tastes quite a bit more run of the mill.

[johan brugge]

Caol Ila Moch. I'm really sad to see this one go. Bang for your buck kinda whisky!!

[johan brugge]

Lagavulin 12yo 5th release. Good whisky but I expected more from this one. I thought I'd be blown away by it but unfortunately that's not the case.

[johan brugge]

Laphroaig 11yo 2000 The Ultimate Selection by Van Wees (sherry butt). Very powerfull and excellent stuff, but my Laphroaig 1999 Daily Dram is even better.

[Ganga]

Both of those sound very nice Johan.

Killing the Vat 69 tonight. Think lemons with a ton of grain alcohol.

[Ganga]

Mmm. Talisker 10, L5 bottling code. This one has a nice waxy note smothered in spices and cracked black pepper. Alas we knew thee well bottle.

[AdamMY]

Compass Box Asyla.

Opened up and fulled out while the bottle was open. Earlier on it was a little bit bitter and rough, though still enjoyable. I think I would rather explore their other offerings or get another bottle of Great King Street before repurchasing Asyla, but it is not a bad whisky, just prehaps a little expensive for what it is.

[Willie JJ]

Still going eh? I think I'll need to join in again later

[johan brugge]

The last bit of my Caol Ila Moch.

[johan brugge]

I also finished my Brora 1981 27yo Duncan Taylor. Now that bottle has really grown on me over the last few years.

[Ganga]

KOpper Kettle, Virginia whiskey. Oi. A very poor whisky. It's like rotten copper. Thank goodness it is done.

[Ganga]

Battlehill Jura 11. I'm not a huge fan of Jura but I found this one pleasant. It was earthy, with a fair bit of malty sweetness contrasted against sour lemons.