June 2012, Tasting

[Ganga]

Obscure Drams.

Trying to get away from the well explored distilleries and into some that have not been explored quite so much. Oddballs like Allt-a-bhaine, Caperdonich, Glenallachie. If you can, Ben Wyvis or Kininvie. You get the picture?

[johan brugge]

OK, I'll be the first one then. That's the first time too. hehe

Macduff 1997 Lord of the Drams 14yo, 50%, refill sherry cask.

Tasted blind (in two sessions):

Nose: Dough. Fresh made dough, so not the smell of warm bread. After a while I smell something sourish. It reminds me of sourdough. And let that be something I`ve never been a fan of. There is a slight trace of peat/smoke. Strange combination for a whisky. (smelling at the sample bottle is NOT very pleasant because of the strong sourish scents)
Palate: Almost identical to the nose, but the sour taste becomes more dominant. Fruity, like unripe currants and lemon zeste. But still that sourdough stays in my mind.
Finish: Well, uhm. It`s consistent with the nose and palate.

Pfooh, not my cuppa ... at all. Not a bad whisky (for some perhaps) but the sour notes really turned me off. My wife (who also likes the smell of whisky) said it smells like sour red wine ...


This is a refill sherry cask???

EDIT: in the blind tasting (on a whisky forum BTW) there were more people that found this one sour so it's not just me.

[johan brugge]

Glenturret 1977 Malts of Scotland, 34yo, 47.4 %. This is a real short note since I tried a mini sample blind in a whisky shop.

This is a very fruity whisky!! OMG!! The pineapples just jumped into my nose and into my mouth and danced around some more. You like pineapple with a dash of alcohol? Go for it.

[johan brugge]

A bourbon this time. Hope you guys don't mind. Kentucky Vintage 45 %.

Nose: from the moment I open the bottle I smell something familiar. After a few seconds it hits me. Bourbon, truck loads of bourbon, some bananas too. Soap??? Plastic??? Yuk, it`s sooo overwhelming. It reminds me of a Goldlys 1991 bourbon cask but this if far worse. At the second tasting session it was more of the same. Lots of bourbon, soap, detergent, paint and a bit of bananas. YUUKK!!

Palate: again a lot of bourbon. Bitter, soap again. Not good!! With or without water: no difference. At the second tasting session ( a few days later) there was no improvement what so ever.

Finish: unpleasant.

I had no idea what this was but this was just plain disgusting, foul. This is without a doubt (and with a big bright star) on top my S.H.I.T. list ! ! !

[johan brugge]

A Belgian single grain whisky for a change: Goldlys 1991 20yo bourbon wood matured 46 %.


I don`t know what to think of this one. I has matured for 20 years in a bourbon cask ... BUT ...
If there are Flemish or Dutch forum members who know the 1990 Vintage Jenever 43% by Filliers they`ll know what I mean. From the moment I popped the cork a very strong scent of bourbon filled my nose instantly. It resembled sooo much to this jenever that I think it must be the same cask. All I could taste were all the typical characteristics of bourbon. I might as well bought a bottle of real bourbon instead of this single grain whisky. It was way too dominant so I let the bottle breath for about 3 hours before closing it again. Now the bottle is about half full (no, not half empty) and the bourbon influences are less dominant. I can taste more `grain` flavours now, but still ... It`s a pitty that`s all. I wonder what the result would have been when this whisky was matured in a (refill) sherry cask.

[Onefortheditch]

Obscure Drams.

Trying to get away from the well explored distilleries and into some that have not been explored quite so much. Oddballs like Allt-a-bhaine, Caperdonich, Glenallachie. If you can, Ben Wyvis or Kininvie. You get the picture?

Ben Wywis is £1K a bottle in G&M!! An expensive tasting indeed!

[johan brugge]

Miltonduff 17yo 1991 Gordon & Macphail for Van Wees 60.9 % (refill sherry hogshead)

Nose: Hot, sweet. Ripe bananas. With some water I get more spices and herbs, some anise too.

Palate: Hot again, sweet too. With a few drops of water it's like a totally different whisky in my glass. A lot more spices, sweet fruit. Much better, oily. It dangerously quaffable. Even with all the spicyness it stays pleasantly sweet despite the high alcohol percentage.

Finish: Very warming. Long and persistent with again lots of spices (a bit of mint there on the background too??)

[AdamMY]

I hope I understood the theme properly.

97/12 SV Blair Athol UCF Cask 2295

Color: In the class a very light straw.

Nose: Hello Flowers, think malted grain cereal, with added honey, right next to a field of wild flowers. Beneath that there is a nice touch of red apples, mango and kiwi.

Taste: I am having the hardest time describing the taste of this one, I want to say floral, and sweet, but its also got a strong white pepper note, and everything kind of fights each other so much its almost lifeless on your tounge, all while burning it.

Finish: Floral perfume, and a heck of a lot of it.


I sure hope this gets better.

[Ganga]

Obscure Drams.

Trying to get away from the well explored distilleries and into some that have not been explored quite so much. Oddballs like Allt-a-bhaine, Caperdonich, Glenallachie. If you can, Ben Wyvis or Kininvie. You get the picture?

Ben Wywis is £1K a bottle in G&M!! An expensive tasting indeed!

I said...."if you can". I do happen to have a littel Kininvie available.

[AdamMY]

99/09 GM Dufftown Cask 8787 56.4% ABV.

Nose: Tropical Fruit Punch, ( Mango, pineapple, oranges, coconut heck of a lot of sugar). Slight vanilla character, with a touch of caramel, and malt.

Taste: Tropical fruit candies, with a touch of citric acid. Lots of caramel, hint of cream, and vanilla extract.

Finish: Tropical Fruit Candy syrup, coats everything and leaves a wonderfully sweet taste coating everything.

[AdamMY]

96/13 SV Glen Elgin Cask 2338

This has the added bonus of being matured in a Virgin Oak Barrel.

Nose: Butterscotch on top of vanillia icecream. With a heck of a lot of malted grains. Also nice touch of Bubblegum

Taste: Matches the nose almost perfectly, with it being a bit heavy on the vanilla, also a nice touch of other spices. Almost like mixing bourbon cask Scotch with a bit of young bourbon, but about 1/3rd or less bourbon to scotch.

Finish: Bubblegum, and spices, with a good bit of butterscotch.

[johan brugge]

Glentauchers 35yo 1975 The Whisky Agency 47.3 % bourbon cask.

Nose: Very soft and sweet. Lots of ripe fruit, some varnish and waxy notes (but not in a negative way!) that becomes slighty acid after a while. With water: add ripe bananas.

Palate: Again a lot of sweet fruit. Terribily soft whisky with yet a firm body (almost oily). It's dangerously quaffable! With water: peppery, but for the rest it stays the same. I like it better without the water.

Finish: Long and sweet (again)

Once you let it breath for about 30 minutes it becomes really really good.

[johan brugge]

Glenburgie 16yo 1991 Gordon & MacPhail 58.2 % refill sherry hogshead.

Nose: First impression is varnish and wax. Hot, slightly sweet but the waxy notes are a bit dominant. After a while I smell nuts. Only for a second. With water: not much different.

Palate: Wow, sherry. And lots of it. Hot pepper, very sweet like honey and a bit fruity. With water it's a lot better. Less on pepper and more on sherry.

Finish: Long, sweet, peppery. With water it's a lot better, even longer and sweeter.

[AdamMY]

95-15 SV Imperial Bottle Only

Cask 50314

Heavy grains on the nose, with a decent bit of wood tannins. A bit of sweetness, mostly coming across as a very well toasted marshmallow. With a bit more time I am getting a little bit more fresh green apple. The taste is very very sweet, but again heavily laden with grains and the toasted marshmallow. It also has the green apples, which in the finish become very prevalent, with a slight hint of cherries too.


A good sweet whisky, not the most complex, but there is nothing offensive or foul about it. A very solid whisky.

[pkt77242]

Signatory UCF Brora 1981 21yo

N: mint, wood smoke, wet hay, crushed rock, salt and a little peach.
P: Mint, wood smoke, some beautiful soft peat, wet hay, wax, stone fruits (think a slightly waxy peach and a hint of nectarine) and salt. Slightly minerally.
F: Medium on mint, soft peat, stone fruits and salt. A little crushed rock and a hint of wax again at the very end.

Just a great Brora.

[pkt77242]

Littlemill 8yo OB bottled in the early 2000's.

N: All types of lemons (overripe, not quite ripe, etc) with some lemon pledge and turpentine. After a couple of seconds you get a big smell of envelope glue. A little grains and apple juice.
P: lemons, lemon pledge and envelope glue. Some barley, watered down apple juice and turpentine.
F: All lemons, lemon pledge, turpentine and envelope glue.

I don't particularly enjoy this whisky but it has greatly improved since it opened (when first opened it was only turpentine, lemon pledge and envelope glue).

[AdamMY]

1990 G&M Glentauchers 40%

I have no clue as to the year it was bottled. That piece of information is not on this miniature bottle my parents got for me at Loch Fyne Whisky.


N: Very potent, too much alcohol for 40%. Caramel, almonds, and green apples.

T: A lot smoother, though odd to categorize, a hazelnut coffee creamer.

F: Oddly the hazelnut coffee creamer fades into a highly creamed coffee finish, with a hint of the hazelnut persisting through the finish.

Balance: Besides the over powering nose, quite well balanced, but not that complex.

[pkt77242]

Hazelwood Reserve (Kininvie) 1990 17yo 52.5%

N: Big sherry, walnuts, and a touch of balsamic vinegar. A little apple, cinnamon and brown sugar.
P: Big sherry, apple skin, a little oak, and come cinnamon.
F: Cinnamon, sherry and brown sugar. Some nuts and wood spice as well. The wood spice grows and becomes dominant at the very end.

An interesting whisky. Very sherried, and hard to tell what the spirit actually tastes like.

[pkt77242]

AD Rattray Balmenach 1983 26yo bourbon cask 48.2%

N: flintstones vitamins (the mineral smell), vanilla, barley, white stone fruits, a touch of caramel, some floral note and some polished oak.
P: Flintstone vitamins (mineral flavor), vanilla and white stone fruits. There is a fair amount of polished oaks, and some caramel. Just a hint of wood smoke.
F: flintstone vitamins (the mineral flavor), vanilla and polished oak. A little peaches and wood smoke.

The mineral flavor of the flintstone vitamins actually works really well. A tasty and enjoyable dram.

[pkt77242]

Karuizawa 1985 24yo cask 7017 60.8%

N: Gun metal, gun powder, big sherry, walnuts, beef jerkey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, a little rubber and cherry. Vanilla extract and brown sugar.
P: Big gun metal, sherry and walnuts. Some gun powder and soy sauce with a touch of balsamic vinegar. Cherry and rubber with a meatiness.
F: Starts on cherry, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Some walnuts and balsamic vinegar. Then the Gun metal comes through and drowns everything else out.

A very good and complex whisky that has a lot of sulphur. I rather enjoy it but it is not for everyone.

[Ganga]

Hazelwood Reserve (Kininvie) 1990 17yo 52.5%

N: Big sherry, walnuts, and a touch of balsamic vinegar. A little apple, cinnamon and brown sugar.
P: Big sherry, apple skin, a little oak, and come cinnamon.
F: Cinnamon, sherry and brown sugar. Some nuts and wood spice as well. The wood spice grows and becomes dominant at the very end.

An interesting whisky. Very sherried, and hard to tell what the spirit actually tastes like.

I have to agree with these notes. I was quite surprised at how good it really was. Though I wonder about the type of cinnamon notes on the palate....

[dramtastic]

Karuizawa 1985 24yo cask 7017 60.8%
has a lot of sulphur.

Typical of most sherry matured Karuizawa. Give me their non sherried any day!

[Ganga]

I've been remiss in adding to the "June" thread. I thought I would add some tonight and Willie approved Mortlach.

Signatory
Mortlach
9 yo
1988
Butt 2622
43%
glencairn

Nose: cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, cooked red delicious apples, cedar shavings
Palate: used cinnamon sticks, toffee, Valencia oranges, touch of fresh oak
Finish: long but tis first whisky, lots of cinnamon and caramel

This is a lovely young Mortlach. Yes, I'd love to have it at cask strength but it still is very nice.

[Ganga]

Battlehill
Balmenach
9 yo
43%
glencairn

Nose: honey, butterscotch, straw
Palate: dry heather, hard candies, little bit green, freshly baked buns
Finish: moderate, sweet

This is young but entertaining. Probably would be nicer with a couple of more years and certainly a little bit stronger.

[Ganga]

Signatory
Benrinnes
11 yo
1997
for Binny's
cask 93
59.3
glencairn

Nose: buttery, pine sawdust, butterscotch, straw, vanilla
Palate: cut green grass, alfalfa hay...kinda rough yet still sweet, butterscotch
Finish: long, sweet gristiness

This is a tasty beverage.

[Ganga]

Cadenhead
Benrinnes
12 yo
1988
59.2
glencairn

Nose: drying grass, dried mint, crayon, overbaked bread
Palate: green mint, cut grass, green wood/oak
Finish: long, bitter wood and minty

This is not as good but is more interesting.

[Ganga]

G&M
Dailuaine
11 yo
cask
46
for Maxwell Street Trading
glencairn

Nose: pencil shavings (graphite), dry heather, cinnamon
Palate: cinnamon, figs (kind of a pickled fig)
Finish: long and figgy

It's been a long time since I've had this one. It is so unusual for me that even though I don't normally like things like figs, I enjoy this whisky.

[Willie JJ]

I've been remiss in adding to the "June" thread.

Not as bad as me, but better late than never:

G&M Coleburn 29yo 81-10 43%, refill sherry

Nose: Rice pudding and fennel soaked in white wine. Candlewax, cream and milk chocolate. Tangerines and apricots offset by mustiness and sour bung cloth. Great complexity, although it's not subtle and jumps around a lot.
Taste: Fruity and winey with a pleasant delivery before the woodspice roars in. There's a lovely moment when the wine and oak are balanced before the oak overwhelms it.
Finish: It's all about the oak here. Pencils and cigar boxes, woody bitterness and dry spices.
Comments: The cask has taken over, but the nose is great fun.

[Willie JJ]

G&M Glenesk 24yo 1984 43%, refill sherry hogshead

Nose: Almonds and apricots, Dundee cake and Madiera cake. Fruit toffees and old oak furniture, faint woodsmoke, mustiness and menthol.
Taste: Gentle dried fruits, dried apricot, some eucalyptus, barley water and spice.
Finish: peppered oak and light ash. Long and warm with a stewed gooseberry finish.
Comments: Some signs of impending age, but still enough life to make this gentle dram a pleasurable experience.

[Willie JJ]

G&M Pittyvaich 1993-11 43%

Nose: White wine, allusions to fruit, metallic and redolent of damp straw. Cornflakes and orange juice.
Taste: Malted cardboard, light toffee and barley sugar. Maybe some pears.
Finish: Cardboard and spice. A little hot.
Comments: Not a great distillery, but I've had worse than this.

[Willie JJ]

Cadenhead's Tormore 25yo 1984 58%, bourbon barrel

Nose: An intense, dusty maly barn. Pear drops, apple pie and a bit of nose prickle. Water brings grapefruit, refreshers, licquorice and barley water.
Taste: Sugar coated malt grains, vanilla and ground black pepper. Much softer and less aggressive with water. Barley sugars are released and the pepper is dismissed.
Finish: Long, sizzling and peppery. Water lengthens it, encourages mouth-watering and calms it nicely.
Comments: One of those rare drams that really appreciates a drop of water.

[Ganga]

Very nice notes Willie. I feel like I've tried those drams now.

[Willie JJ]

G&M Craigellachie 13yo 1987 40%

Nose: Fresh plaster of paris, kiwi fruit, cucumber, pear tart and smoky pepper. Pretty strange and not all that promising.
Taste: Still some plaster, but much more of the sweet fruity cooked pear followed by lots of dusty spice.
Finish: Dry and dusty, but sweet, spicy and warm.
Comments: Craigellachie is often challenging and there's no difference here. Some nice sweet fruit, but a lot of less pleasant notes.