Muskys Live Tasting - Fri 12 Oct 6.00pm GMT

[Muskrat Portage]

Leaping to the Ardbeg 10 yo bottle, so I don't fall too far behind...no salmon 'though!

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Ardbeg 10 yo 46% abv
Nose : Smoke initially then heather and honey undertones, followed by a hint of Iodine and the sea. There's also a slight "woody" quality there that I had to breathe in quite deeply to discern
Palate : Yes smoke first, breathing it out my nose while I keyboard, lots of nutty flavour there with malt and a hint of floral thrown in for good measure.
Finish : Cigarette-like smoke then spicy and peppery, again making me salivate at the prickliness of the alcohol
Comment : Maybe we should just climb into this bottle and stay there for a while! I find the OB 10 yo far superior to the IB that I own.

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Muskrat
edit; I added a bit of water to my dram to see what happens and a maraschino sweetness that wasn't there appeared in the palate before the smoke overwhelmed it in the end. Delightful!

[K-Mile]

What a great time for my internet connection to bail out on me

Luckily, I'm back, with notes of my Bowmore flight coming up. Great session so far!

[Matt2]

Ok, I'm taking a break for a bit before we go for the Lap and Lag, need to refresh a bit (and pay someone a bit of attention). Will pop back in an hour or so, and hopefully some more people will turn up as a sensible hour reaches the rest of the world... maybe they are all hanging out in the 'other' place.

Will probably revisit some of the above as well. Cheers everyone, good fun and be back soon.



Edit: Oh, welcome back K - maybe I should hang on in there till the end, back in 15 mins

[Muskrat Portage]

Ok, I'm taking a break for a bit before we go for the Lap and Lag, need to refresh a bit (and pay someone a bit of attention). Will pop back in an hour or so, and hopefully some more people will turn up as a sensible hour reaches the rest of the world... maybe they are all hanging out in the 'other' place.

Will probably revisit some of the above as well. Cheers everyone, good fun and be back soon.



Edit: Oh, welcome back K - maybe I should hang on in there till the end, back in 15 mins

Oh, pour her another glass of wine, tell her you love her and then leap back into the fray.
Musky

[K-Mile]

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Bowmore Dusk
Nose : Definitely red wine, lots of alcohol.
Palate : First impression a bit strange. Tingling on my tongue increases before I can determine what it is. After that there still is some red wine, but can't determine what to think.
Finish : Red wine, not that strong, and that same aroma that I cannot yet place properly (grapes? too obvious?).
Comment : This one will need some more tasting, that's for sure. I am not yet convinced.

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Bowmore Darkest
Nose : Licorice? If it is, it's too light. It has a unclear aroma that I cannot identify yet, but does not have good associations (like something old, thats too old, but the bottles were closed up until a minute ago). Might be the licorice like aroma's that are unfamiliar to me in whisky, though. On a second nose, it's a bit of sulphur.
Palate : Much better! The same thing as in the nose, but better balanced. No smoke?
Finish : Salty, sea like. Licorice again, but much more obvious. A little peatiness in the end.
Comment : Difficult. Better than the Dusk, but not an easy dram

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Bowmore Dawn
Nose : Very light, hard to identify the primary aroma's. A bit of the maltiness is here, unlike the other two. Also a lot sweeter.
Palate : This one really jumps at my tongue instantly. I like that in a whisky, more than the hesitating of the other two. This one has some smoke on the palate coming through, still develops after a while. Much richer than the other two.
Finish : Not that strong at the beginning. flavors continue to develop though, and here is a bit of saltiness as well, but much more pleasant than in the 'Darkest' expression.
Comment : At a first glance, my favorite of the three. But I have been wrong with Bowmore before, so I will probably need another try (some other time) to know for sure.

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[K-Mile]

Ok, I'm taking a break for a bit before we go for the Lap and Lag, need to refresh a bit (and pay someone a bit of attention). Will pop back in an hour or so, and hopefully some more people will turn up as a sensible hour reaches the rest of the world... maybe they are all hanging out in the 'other' place.

Will probably revisit some of the above as well. Cheers everyone, good fun and be back soon.



Edit: Oh, welcome back K - maybe I should hang on in there till the end, back in 15 mins

Oh, pour her another glass of wine, tell her you love her and then leap back into the fray.
Musky

Or pour her a dram or two as well

[Matt2]

Ok then, left her with my Connemara, won't see that again
Still enjoying the Ardbeg and salmon, where are you upto K-Mile?

And yes, water is something I always add, really believe it can bring out alot in a good whisky.

[K-Mile]

Ok then, left her with my Connemara, won't see that again
Still enjoying the Ardbeg and salmon, where are you upto K-Mile?

And yes, water is something I always add, really believe it can bring out alot in a good whisky.

Good to see you still around. Just finished my notes on the 'Darkest', about to move on to the 'Dawn'.

Then it's Ardbeg (my first!) and Laga DE (also my first!)

[Matt2]

Great notes, I remember getting a bottle of Dawn a few years ago when I didn't really understand whisky - hated it and gave it away. Foolish days! We'll let you catch up with the Ardbeg, but take your time

[Muskrat Portage]

Now, you have to remember that I'm flipping between two sets of distilleries here, so bear with me as I reset my tastebuds...and I've been at this for two hours now...

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Bowmore Dusk 50% abv
Nose : Definite wine notes along with the expected malty and floral notes.
Palate : Different, sweet heathery notes and a wine sweetness from the claret
Finish : Warm and not aggressively so, a hint of perfume in the start, then spreads into a spicy and slightly warming afterglow.
Comment : Again, there is the pinkish tone to the glass and bottle, the claret finish I expect. As a dram, I would enjoy this on occasion but wouldn't make it a regular dram. More of a novelty for me.

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Edit:
May as well toss the Dawn in here, eh?

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Bowmore Dawn 51.5% abv
Nose : The Port is very noticeable as is a hint of floral heather sweetness. I also notice that the malt is quite noticeable and maybe a hint of dark chocolate...
Palate : Strong spicy attack, almost made me gasp, which is attributable to the higher abv.Almonds and honey in the second taste with perfume coming in close on it's heels again, the lavender hints. Part of the heather I sensed in the nose, perhaps?
Finish : Fiery finish after the strong spicy attack, stays with me for a long time, the tingle is in the middle of the tongue and the higher alcohol makes me salivate a bit. A medium long finish that fades into a slight biterness near the back of the mouth.
Comment : Colour appears to be almost PINK in the glass. Now I look at the bottle, it too appears the same colour - 200 ml bottle...

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Bowmore Darkest 43% abv
Nose : Definite sherry, nectar as opposed to heather sweetness there is also a hard caramel flavour there for me.
Palate : Sherry in the beginning followed by a hint of malt and oak wood with just a hint of spice.
Finish : A medium finish, not overwhelming with a nice spicyness like nutmeg followed by a warm tongue tingle. The finish stays at the fore of the tongue and doesn't graduate to the back
Comment : I owned a bottle of this once before and loved it so much, it's gone. I still enjoy it but the dark flavours I loved don't seem to be there anymore. It used to be like a "Balvenie on steroids" to me, now it's a rather pleasant but unassuming dram.

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[Muskrat Portage]

Good to see you still around. Just finished my notes on the 'Darkest', about to move on to the 'Dawn'.
Then it's Ardbeg (my first!) and Laga DE (also my first!)

Which Lagavulin DE do you own? Mine's and older 1979 edition at 43% abv. And it's poured...
Muskrat

[K-Mile]

Great notes Musky. I have just updated my set in my posting above, so have a look there as well.

Funny how you explicitly identify some of the flavors I was looking for. We are not all that far apart on these three, judging by your notes. I still have a lot to learn

Will clear my head, nose, and tastebuds for a couple of minutes, we still have quite the evening ahead of us, and I don't have a Laph to throw in the party.

Good to see you still around. Just finished my notes on the 'Darkest', about to move on to the 'Dawn'.
Then it's Ardbeg (my first!) and Laga DE (also my first!)

Which Lagavulin DE do you own? Mine's and older 1979 edition at 43% abv. And it's poured...
Muskrat

It's the most recent one, 1990 - 2006. Just got it two-three weeks ago (as with all the other bottles, as a matter of fact)

[Matt2]

Looks like I will have to do the Laphroaig notes, oh what a shame..

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Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Nose : Peaty, oil, tar, tcp, with a gentle sweetness, slightly fishy?
Palate : Big creamy hit, with the obvious smoke, peat, tcp etc, again nice sweetness balances it
Finish : Long, ever lasting, bit harsh and dry
Comment : Always like Laph, and an interesting cask experiment, but I am left thinking...Why? The standard 10 year old offers all this and a bit more refined, maybe the QC is a bit dryer which isn't bad

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Edit: Theres a real caramel note on the nose, sweet biscuits

[Muskrat Portage]

K-Mile
Very nice notes, I like the reference to the sulfur, which has been discussed in the past on the Forums. I seem to remember it was attributed to the charring of the casks, however if I'm incorrect someone (Mr Picky) will provide the proper response and the thread to follow. (Wish you were here Bruce...enjoying Scotland?)
Muskrat

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Lagavulin DE (1979) 43% abv
Nose : Smoke, iodine some sweetness from the cask as well as cereal maltiness.
Palate : Smoke in the start with a sweetness and a tingle that is smooth and not harsh at all
Finish : Definite charcoal flavour there, like standing on the footplate, inhaling the coalsmoke while you shovel. Follows up with a caramel like sweetness on the tongue tip which gradually moves to the centre of the tongue while a spiciness starts and then moves to the back in a gentle caress. Not at all bitter in the end and the tongue continues to tingle
Comment : A very fine whisky from another decade which is reaching the redline for me (1/4 full) and so deserves to be put out of it's misery before oxidation destroys what's left.

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[Muskrat Portage]

Looks like I will have to do the Laphroaig notes, oh what a shame..

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Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Nose : Peaty, oil, tar, tcp, with a gentle sweetness, slightly fishy?
Palate : Big creamy hit, with the obvious smoke, peat, tcp etc, again nice sweetness balances it
Finish : Long, ever lasting, bit harsh and dry
Comment : Always like Laph, and an interesting cask experiment, but I am left thinking...Why? The standard 10 year old offers all this and a bit more refined, maybe the QC is a bit dryer which isn't bad

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Yes, I'm quite upset about that, as I know there's a bottle of QC around somewhere, but I can't put my hand on it! Matt thinks the bears have it and are having a roaring good time in my garden, tromping on the flowers and pooh-ing (an "injoke" for Canucks and Christopher Robin fans) on the lawn.
As for the "why" it's simple, reduce the amount of 10 yo, replace it with a 5-6 yo which is aged faster and jack the price up by $10-20 due to the "new" and advanced method of aging. yeah, I'm a bit pouty over the 10 yo being eliminated for Canadian markets and it's being replaced by a dearer and less loved replacement.
Musky

[Muskrat Portage]

Gentlemen, it's coming on 4:00 pm over here and I should have a quick nap before I kick in again at 2400 GMT. Morning came far too early and it's been a long day. Thank you to everyone who participated and especially to the visitors who watched from the sidelines. I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
Remember, the Forums are not only for the expert whisky drinkers but also for those of us who are still using training wheels. Nearly all of us are gradually learning ourselves and sound better in print (after we've had the opportunity to review, edit and mull over our postings) than we really are.
Again, thank you for now and we'll see you again in two hours.
Muskrat

[Matt2]

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Lagavulin 16 Year Old
Nose : Peat, smoke, etc, but with a deep rich sherry and fruit, big smack of oranges that I've never got before
Palate : Very gentle but full bodied, theres a real balance between the peat/smoke and fruity wood, something burnt but nice in the background
Finish : Dry, fruitiness goes to leave the smoke and peat, sea air and light salt
Comment : A fine example of classic Islay, seems that peat brings out the dry sherry/fruit

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[Mr Fjeld]

It's great to see you all battle your way through the whiskies. It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it
Great notes by the way! I suppose you'll all get up early tomorrow and make breakfast to your loved ones......say at 0800 sharpish!

[Matt2]

I agree Peter, but I don't mind experimenting and even profiting from it as long as the core range, which after all put them in the position to do these things, isn't affected. Innovation is good, but it can go too far as we have all seen from certain distilleries.

Forums are not only for the expert whisky drinkers

Too right, I've just sat here for a few hours making up stuff, its all about what you think and taste at the time and no one can argue with that. Finding the words is the hard bit and quite often I'm left with the same 10 in a different order. Don't be shy, just tell us what you think. Often 'newbies' will come out with some excellent notes that get everyone talking.

And at the end of the day it is all about enjoying a nice drink, getting a bit drunk (in a responsible drinking way of course), meeting people and having some fun. Never take any of it seriously.

I'm feeling nicely merry and have enjoyed this alot. Cheers to everyone who joined in on round one and lets see what happens later. (Watch out for more to come as well)



Hey, K-Mile are you still with us, hanging in there... you've got the La's to do

[K-Mile]

Gentlemen, it's coming on 4:00 pm over here and I should have a quick nap before I kick in again at 2400 GMT. Morning came far too early and it's been a long day. Thank you to everyone who participated and especially to the visitors who watched from the sidelines. I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
Remember, the Forums are not only for the expert whisky drinkers but also for those of us who are still using training wheels. Nearly all of us are gradually learning ourselves and sound better in print (after we've had the opportunity to review, edit and mull over our postings) than we really are.
Again, thank you for now and we'll see you again in two hours.
Muskrat

I might be having a 'nap' myself in two hours, but we'll see. Thanks for your opinions so far, I am very interested in how this topic advances the coming few hours. You are very right Peter on your observations. I am just a starting whisky drinker myself, but even in the past two tastings my enjoyment in the dram, and confidence to participate in tastings like these and in the future, have grown enormously. That's entirely thanks to some great participants, and I can only encourage the ones on the sidelines to have a dram as well the next time around (which I'm sure will be very soon). I am very much looking forward to all these peoples opinions on a couple more fine drams.

I am about to pop my Ardbeg TEN open, so..

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Lagavulin 16 Year Old
Nose : Peat, smoke, etc, but with a deep rich sherry and fruit, big smack of oranges that I've never got before
Palate : Very gentle but full bodied, theres a real balance between the peat/smoke and fruity wood, something burnt but nice in the background
Finish : Dry, fruitiness goes to leave the smoke and peat, sea air and light salt
Comment : A fine example of classic Islay, seems that peat brings out the dry sherry/fruit

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Matt! Give me a chance to catch up will ya Just kidding, again, will read your notes once I had a dram myself..

[K-Mile]

I will steadily continue, on my own if I have to

So, next up:

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Ardbeg TEN
Nose : Spicy! Peaty as well. Salt. A hint of nuts, hidden deep somewhere.
Palate : Starts out gentle but then turns into some peaty dram! Salty. Nice, balanced development of flavors. Second sip is more powerful on the tongue.
Finish : Like a walk on the beach. Salty, a little grass or peat, but way too short.
Comment : Really good. I like this one. This is how I supposed an Islay dram should taste, and apparently it does! There is something sulphury that could be a little bit less, though.

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[Matt2]

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[Deactivated Member]

Hi everyone (anyone?), Malty's here now.

Firstly, I've had a quick peruse of this thread and my first comments are about the Bowmores:
I used the Dawn / Dusk / Darkest in a tasting last year and my recommendation would be to keep the Darkest until last!
It's definitely the strongest flavour (thanks to the sherry) and I fear the other two could be overpowered by it if drunk afterwards.

Anyway, as usual I will tend to do things my own way and a little differently.......


I have brought two bottles to the table. They are both excellent drams which have very pleasantly surprised me over the last year or so.

1. Milford 10 from New Zealand
2. Glenfarclas 1987 "Quarter Casks"

Both have delicious colouring in the bottles. The Milford being the lighter of the two, but offering a lovely warming glow. The Glenfarclas is dark, rich and promises much.

Oh boy, I am going to enjoy these.


Anyway, who's around?
MT

[Matt2]

I think Muskys asleep in the corner, I'm staggering around in the car park, and K-Mile is propping up the bar wondering where everyone went....the party goes on regardless

[K-Mile]

Hi everyone (anyone?), Malty's here now.

Firstly, I've had a quick peruse of this thread and my first comments are about the Bowmores:
I used the Dawn / Dusk / Darkest in a tasting last year and my recommendation would be to keep the Darkest until last!
It's definitely the strongest flavour (thanks to the sherry) and I fear the other two could be overpowered by it if drunk afterwards.

Anyway, as usual I will tend to do things my own way and a little differently.......


I have brought two bottles to the table. They are both excellent drams which have very pleasantly surprised me over the last year or so.

1. Milford 10 from New Zealand
2. Glenfarclas 1987 "Quarter Casks"

Both have delicious colouring in the bottles. The Milford being the lighter of the two, but offering a lovely warming glow. The Glenfarclas is dark, rich and promises much.

Oh boy, I am going to enjoy these.


Anyway, who's around?
MT

Welcome, and sounds good!

I agree with your observation on the Bowmore's. The lightness of the 'Dawn' is probably because I had that one last, right after the 'Darkest'. Was still good nonetheless.

Updated my notes on the Ardbeg TEN.

BTW: Matt: I get a message that I am not allowed to view attachments to your message. I have seen it before sometimes... Is that intentional (or is it just me )

[Mr Fjeld]

I think Muskys asleep in the corner, I'm staggering around in the car park, and K-Mile is propping up the bar wondering where everyone went....the party goes on regardless

We're proud of you guys

[Deactivated Member]

I first discovered the Milford late last year when I put together an "international" whisky tasting, this was by far the great discovery and I distinctly remember a wonderful hint of banana when the bottle was first opened.

So, let's see if this one is the same .....


ohhhh YES!!!
Turn the screw top, open it gently with great anticipation of what will soon follow, stick the old (well, maybe not sooooo old) nostrils over the neck of the bottle and ........ there it is!

It's not quite banana, but the best way I can describe it is to liken it to when you pick up a bunch of bananas at the supermarket or fruit store and break a few off the bunch because you don't need them all. That one action gives off a distinct type of banana smell ....... that is what I get from the Milford, along with hints of toffee, or more accurately toffee apple ...... I remember now, this Milford reminds of childhood bonfire night (don't worry, this is an English thing). A cold evening, a big bonfire in the garden, toffee, toffee apples .... mmmmm .......... delicious and I haven't even poured it yet!

[K-Mile]

I first discovered the Milford late last year when I put together an "international" whisky tasting, this was by far the great discovery and I distinctly remember a wonderful hint of banana when the bottle was first opened.

So, let's see if this one is the same .....


ohhhh YES!!!
Turn the screw top, open it gently with great anticipation of what will soon follow, stick the old (well, maybe not sooooo old) nostrils over the neck of the bottle and ........ there it is!

It's not quite banana, but the best way I can describe it is to liken it to when you pick up a bunch of bananas at the supermarket or fruit store and break a few off the bunch because you don't need them all. That one action gives off a distinct type of banana smell ....... that is what I get from the Milford, along with hints of toffee, or more accurately toffee apple ...... I remember now, this Milford reminds of childhood bonfire night (don't worry, this is an English thing). A cold evening, a big bonfire in the garden, toffee, toffee apples .... mmmmm .......... delicious and I haven't even poured it yet!

Great description there! I can imagine what you mean. There must be so many great drams in the world, and too little weekends

[Deactivated Member]

Here we go ........

I haven't quite got the hang of clever Matt's BB thingy (I always thought that was lead shot for fishing and guns?), but I'll post anyway.....


The nosy bit:
Childhood bonfire night!
Toffee, toffee apples, banana, lots of rich dark fruit with the lightest tinge of something fresh, possibly like aniseed. Now this is strange, I really dislike aniseed, but this is good and I never detected this in previous bottles I opened.

The drinky bit:
A lovely gentle tingle on the front middle of the tongue lingers and lingers, then repeats, then lingers more ......
The banana and toffee are still there but so is quite a refreshing amount of citrus fruit. This time around, this particular bottle seems to be offering far more flavours then the two I previously opened.
The third sip (hic) is now showing more signs of the banana which I love.

The finishy or lingering bit:
A lovely long finish which repeats the banana, toffee and some of the citrus fruit.

The impressiony bit:
My final comment here is that I love this whisky, but having just brought this one bottle directly from my cellar, I feel it may be just a little too cold. It is below normal room temperature and I am certain it would benefit from a few more degrees. But nevertheless, this is a fine dram which is a little different from most Scottish offerings, but it can easily stand alongside any of them and fight its own corner. Who would have thought that a little known dram from New Zealand could compete with the best.

The last word:
I love this dram.

[Deactivated Member]

Hi K-Mile, glad to see still around and humouring Matt by laughing at his jokes.

Is that Musky I hear snoring over on the sofa?

[K-Mile]

Hi K-Mile, glad to see still around and humouring Matt by laughing at his jokes.

Is that Musky I hear snoring over on the sofa?

Hi MT. Good to have you on board as well. Good notes on the Milford, fun to see some personal associations mixed in as well.

Musky should be up in an hour or so, for the final round. I don't know if I will make it that far. I will go for the Laga DE in a while, might just be around long enough to see the others (if any, assuming Peter wakes up on time ) come in. We'll see how it goes from there.

Now off to get something to satisfy my stomach without disturbing my senses too much (although I can imagine the 5 drams of the past three hours might have played their part in that as well...)

[Deactivated Member]

As my thoughts leave New Zealand and return to Scotland, I look at the Glenfarclas and feel great sorrow that there are / were so few of this particular bottle.
This QC is a special bottling of only 1299 and I am about to open No. 49

This is a 1987 vintage which spent its whole life (about 19 years) in a Quarter Cask, unlike some who only finish in them for a few months.

I still define this particular whisky as one of my all-time favourite Christmas drams, mainly for the rich flavours which it usually offers .... but more of that soon.

So, as I say a fond farewell to New Zealand, I look forward to a hopefully delightful Scottish experience:

[Deactivated Member]

Glenfarclas 1987 Quarter Casks, bottle No. 49 of 1299:

The Nosy bit:
I can honestly say that I have just poured the definitive English Country house into my glass. Or, more accurately, the definitve English Country-House Library into my glass.

Imagine, you walk into an Olde Country House and look for the study / library.
Upon opening the solid oak door you are slapped in the face by the aroma of wood, polish, dust and musty (no, I said musTy not musky!) old books.
The pervading luxury of wood and leather....
The feelings of times-gone-by ......

My goodness, I have all this in my glass right now!

There's even a very slight hint of the bottle of Remy Martin XO left open on the leather-topped oak desk by His Lordship.

Just close your eyes, breathe deeply and you are standing right in the middle of this luxurious setting.



The Drinky Bit:
After that last description this may even be too good to drink!
(But I'll give it a go)

Everything promised on the nose is delivered smoothly and effortlessly to the mouth. Slowly, gently, softly, but very surely are all the promised flavours and luxuries transported to the palate.
They don't pervade or rush, they just gently unfold.
Oak and leather with generous helpings of luxurious sherry gently flow over the palate leaving just a soft tingle and lots of luxury.


The Impressiony Bit:
This is still one of my mostest favouritest sherry drams. Possibly because it delivers so much more than just sherry.
I have never experienced that wood and leather from any other of the renowned sherried drams. In fact, this has depths that I just wouldn't expect from such a dram.

This whisky is still my undoubtedly preferred Christmas dram. In fact I feel it is THE DEFINTIVE Christmas dram.
Just imagine you are sitting in lovely surroundings having just enjoyed a wonderful and rich Christmas lunch.
Don't reach for the cognac, give this a go instead.
Lots of sherry over hints of very rich dark fruits and all wrapped in luxurious antique wood and leather and all thanks to Mr. Glenfarclas!


The last Word:
Sheer Luxury, pleasure and delight!

[Deactivated Member]

.... and now ......

As with all of my tastings, I like to offer a little extra at the end and in this case, I will offer myself a further dram of my preferred one from the tasting.

This is quite a hard choice; do I go for a childhood bonfire night or another Christmas Day?

The evening and night weather is getting colder, so in that respect, either would be appropriate, but after some deliberation, I really have to favour December 25th over November 5th.


Now pass me that Glenfarclas!


To our friends in the rest of the world, about to descend back upon this board, I wish a good evening and a happy extended tasting. May your drams not only promise, but deliver as much as I feel my two have. This has been just a short interlude by me, but a most enjoyable one which I look forward to repeating in the near future.
But as I now look forward to one of the craziest and possibly busiest days in my pub tomorrow, I fear I must retire for the evening and wish you all a Merry Christmas (oooooooooops, more like goodnight methinks).

Slainte,
Keith (aka MT)

[K-Mile]

Great notes, MT (or, Keith ). Have a very good night, which I am sure will work out fine with two such fine whiskies.