Malty's oddball evenings - Whisky for One

[Deactivated Member]

Also from the same fair, a review of two rather unusual Bladnochs.

1. JWWW (Jack Wieber) 'Auld' series, Bladnoch 16y, 50.1%, one of 120 bottles

Nose: Liquorice and vanilla with a strong scented bouquet of flowers

Palate: Vanilla, honey and cereal

With water: Much more honey. Almost lemon sponge cake with custard.

Overall Impression: I like it.



2. An old Italian Import; Bladnoch 8y, P. Mackenzie & Co. Ltd, Gradi 43%

Nose: Rose petals, hay and sea air

Palate: Oily, hydrangea (sp?) petals making a floral statement in a bed of sea air, malt and light toffee.

Overall Impresison: very good, but very different.

[Deactivated Member]

Whilst I am still writing about drams sampled at the 2007 MWF, I must recount a little story, or meeting, late in the afternoon.

The main hall had really quietened, many people had gone for the day and I was wandering around looking for perhaps a last dram (or two) before going home.

As I passed the Dalmore / Jura stand I noticed Richard Paterson on his own, behind the desk. At that moment he looked up and saw me, greeting me with "Hello Keith, I forgot, you live here don't you ..."
The conversation continued along the lines of how I like Munich and Bavaria for some time. He had finished at the festival and was awaiting his lift to the airport.

During the conversation he pulled an unmarked bottle from under the desk and poured me a very generous amount. Probably 4-5cl.

Just one quick nose told me exactly what I had suspected, or hoped!

Colour: Rich, dark sherry.

Nose: Strong dark fruits, sligthly citrus with marzipan and a faint hint of smoke.

Palate: Christmas pudding. All those rich dark fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, dark cherries), marzipan and nuts.

Finish: Long, but dry.

What was it? Well, the previous year I first met Richard at WL Glasgow and his Masterclass included the best whisky I tasted that year, the 40y Dalmore. When we sampled it at WL he said it was still cask strength but he would reduce it for bottling the following Spring.
He also expected the official bottling to run out around 1800 GBP per bottle

This dram at MWF was the 'official' one at 40% and really was excellent, still one of my favourite drams ever tasted, but I feel so priveleged to have tried the CS version as it was even better.

Thanks Richard!

[Deactivated Member]

Tomatin 30y, 45.6%, bottled for Limburg fair

Nose: Horse stables, nuts, sweet exotic fruits

Palate: Creamy ice cream, apricots and plums

Overall Impresison: A lovely dram which I also think would work at one of my gourmet evenings, served with a dessert of ice cream, apricots and peach sauce.

[Deactivated Member]

Millburn 1969, 36y, OMC 50%

Nose: Fresh, mint, apple crumble and a slightly floral perfume.

Palate: Spicy apple crumble with pears and custard.

Overall Impression: I like it.

[Deactivated Member]

My last retrospective addition (OK, you can all breathe a sigh of relief ) comes from one of my own tastings of some Islay offerings.

Rather than concentrate on the typical,. I chose some slightly different drams, OK, maybe not so diferent to us, but this was a tasting for a few people without a wide experience of single malts.

1. Bowmore 12y OB

Nose: Fruit and honey, but not overly sweet.

Palate: Vanilla, lime and honey

Overall Impression: OK, but not exceptional. I still think I prefer 'legend' to the 12y.



2. Bunnahabhain 17y, OMC, 1989-2006

Nose: Salt, sea-air, seaweed and malt. With a little kelp and even a hint of rubber dingy.

Palate: Another Islay jetty! Sea, smoke, sand. Slightly oily and woody.

With water: More salty with a hint of aniseed.

Overall Impression: Very nice and a very long, salty finish when a drop of water is added.


3. Caol Ila, JWWW 'Scottish castles' series, 15y 58.1%

Nose: Peat and smoke, that famous Yorkshire Dales chimney in Winter.

Palate: Deliciously smooth. Smoke, peat, leaves, moss and kippers.

With water: Even more smoke, getting smoother with a second drop or two.

Overall Impression: Istill say this is my favourite Caol Ila. It has everything I look for and hope for in a CI. In fact, this is the one which first reminded me of my beloved Yorkshire Dales in Winter! Just imagine, walking through the dales from Pen-y-Ghent to Ingleborough. Nothing! Desolation! Then you come over the brow of a hill and see one row of cottages, chimney smoking as they burn wood and peat. That one smell of fresh countryside, smoke and peat is exactly what is in this bottle!

I always say that I don't 'Score' whiskies. But if I did, this would get 11 out of 10.



4. Laphroaig 12y, 1992, OMC

Nose: Typical Laphroaig, peat, smoke and sea-air. But not in a medicinal way. In fcat, furhter nosing even identifies a little blue cheese.

Palate: Tingling peat and smoke, but less pungent than the OB 10y.

Overall Impression: A good Laphroaig which, as the age suggests, lies in taste between the OB 10y & 15y.

[Deactivated Member]

Thanks for tolerating my ramblings and retrospective tasting notes.
This is not a comprehensive list of all that I have tasted, but it is a history of those whose notes I can now read whilst sober

From now on I will add as I taste.
Enjoy!
MT

[les taylor]

Good stuff MT and I enjoyed your Richard Paterson story.

[Deactivated Member]

I have just poured my last of the Talisker sample:

Talisker 1955, 38y, G&M

Colour: Dark, liquid raisins

Nose: Raisins, prunes, rich old oak and a hint of molasses.

Palate: Wow! This is rich and smooth. It has everything promised by the nose, rich dark fruits like raisins, prunes and currants. It then expands into an unbelievable Christmas Pudding flavour. I want to say it also has nuts and marzipan, but not quite. Those can be delicate flavours but there is nothing delicate about this dram. It is FULL POWER, in your face and totally UN-subtle.

If I were given this blind, I would probably never guess it was a Talisker, but I would say it was old, maybe older than the 38y that it is. I have tried the 40y Dalmore and I may suggest this were a similar dram, but even older.

With water: Just a few drops of water in about 2cl brings out more oak on the nose. As for flavour; possibly even more intense, but smoother. It is almost burnt raisins!

Overall Impression: A real experience. Powerful flavour overload which fits the bill if you are not looking for subtlety, gentle floral flavours and delicacy.
In fact, when compared to rum, I would liken this to 'Wood's old Navy 100%', it's dark, rich and unbelievably powerful in flavour.

A bottle of this would currently cost around €400-€500 and although I have adored tasting this dram, there is no way I would pay that kind of price to enjoy it again. When I bought a bottle of this in 1993-4 the 35cl version was 50 GBP and if it were still available at that price, I may buy one to try again.

[Deactivated Member]

Tonight I am sampling my very last example of the iconic Ardbeg 17y, 40%:

Ardbeg 17y, 40%, OB

Nose: Slightly peated oranges and peaches with a tiny dash of sulphur.

Palate: An initial oily sensation quickly turning spicy (tingly and peppery) then fading back to an oily feel after a burst of citrus.

Finish: Quite long and oily.

Overall Impression: I love the Ardbeg 10 and earlier this year I had the pleasure of trying the 30y. This really does lie somewhere in the middle.
The typically pungent peat of the 10y is hardly detectable, although there is a hint of it in the background. The wonderful smooth fruit of the 30y is, maybe, just beginning to develop, but it has much yet to do.

As I type this I take another sip and suddenly feel an almost nutty sensation. Somewhere between almonds and chestnuts. Very nice.

Meanwhile, these bottles are now collectors' items and sell for around €200. A price I would not wish to pay if I were to open and drink a bottle.
But it is nice, I like it, but not to the point of €200.

[Deactivated Member]

I couldn't resist one more dram tonight.

Ardbeg Uigeadail, 54.2%

Nose: Peat and slightly smoked rubber wellies with just a hint of manure-coated raspberry.
(Sorry Ardbeg, it isn't unpleasant, but that's exactly what my nose tells me.)

Palate: Rich earth and peat. I do detect that slight element I called raspberry in the nose, but on the palate it isn't quite raspberry.
Or maybe it is, almost.

With Water: 5 drops of water in almost 5cl begins to open the nose, the peat and smoke are coming through much better now.
As for the palate, it's deliciously smooth, but a little more spicy and smokey.
Five more drops opens it further and the peaty smoke really comes through now.
This is getting more fierce with each addition of water.

Although it gets spicier (more peppery) with water, it also gets smoother on the tongue.

This is not a complex Ardbeg, but it is a jolly good one.

[Deactivated Member]

Who's a lucky chap then?

I came home today with three samples; an old 1980's bottling of Glen Garioch, Glenesk 26y, Bruichladdie X4 +1

[Deactivated Member]

Oh dear, what a disappointment


On hearing about the release of Ardbeg Blasda I was really hoping for something along the lines of Kildalton.
I remember Kildalton to be almost totally unpeated, extremely floral, quite complex and a wonderful treat.

As Kildalton was supposed to be lightly peated, I was hoping that this 'lightly peated' Blasda would be a similar experience.
Unfortunately, it wasn't.

I sampled the Blasda a couple of days ago and found it to be much more peated than expected.
Yes, it has some floral pretensions, but these are always over-ridden by the peatier notes making it neither a well-peated Ardbeg, nor a truly floral one.

It is as if it can't make up its mind what it wants to be, so sits on the fence somewhere inbetween as a failed compromise.

Sometime in the next week or so I will get another sample and give you the full tasting notes here.

[Deactivated Member]

Just a quick note to say I tried an initial sample of this last night and unlike the Blasda, it exceeded expectations.

A very good dram, full of flavours which included violets.

I knw todays GG's as being full of toffee and smooth rich flavours, this one was much lighter, more complex and an absolute delight.

I still have a large sample which I shall re-visit and post full tasting notes from.

[Deactivated Member]

Last night I had another small glass of the Glen Garioch and although I didn't discern the violets this time, it is a very nice dram.

I have plenty left for an official tasting with notes later this week.

I also sampled just a tiny drop of that Bruichladdich x4 +1 and have to say, it is totally mind-blowing. It is extremely strong and much lighter in flavour than the normal 'laddies.
I have heard this likened to a great grappa and in many ways it is very similar to one.

I will have to be careful with this one, it is called the perilous whisky and I can confirm, that name is quite accurate.

[Deactivated Member]

Interesting C57, I have seen it offered as a '2005 Futures" but also "2006 Futures" so I don't really know when it was distilled and filled, but I thought it would be just about the required 3 years.

But maybe I'm wrong and it's still not whisky.

Anyway, it's bloomin' good.
MT

[Ganga]

Nick/Malty:

What do you call that period following new make but not 3 years? At 3 years it can be called scotch whisky. Can it be called whisky according to the laws? If not, what is it when it doesn't qualify as either of the other two?

[mikeymad]

I believe it's just called "spirit", Ganga

x2

[Deactivated Member]

Firstly an update on that Glen Garioch which is a very good whisky.
Sadly this one is no longer available as it was an 80's bottling and, like so many whiskies, it has changed almost beyond recognition when compared to todays offerings.
Glen Garioch is a whisky which I always enjoy, but this one was special. Much more floral / perfumed in character to the current ones and certainly without the toffee flavours of the current ones.

The nose on this one was quite light, slightly perfumed and a little more malty than todays.
The palate was delicious. Quite light, very floral / perfumed, not so complex, but still far from one-dimensional. To be honest, it was more like a Speysider, not too rich and a delight to drink.

[Deactivated Member]

Secondly, back to the Blasda:
I really am trying hard to like this one, but it still isn't fully winning me over.
If only it was less peaty!

OK, I know, it's an Ardbeg.
Ardbeg 'do' peat .....

But beside this, I have revisited it over the last couple of days and I must say that yesterday, after a couple of drams and about 2 hours, I did warm to it a little.

However, I was totally surprised when I awoke the morning after.
No, not in that way.
I left the empty glass on my bedside table and the following morning, the aromas coming from the (Spiegelau) glass were delightful!
Not so peaty, quite light, quite floral ..... if only the dram tasted like this!

[Deactivated Member]

I have a rare treat tonight:

Glenesk, 26y, Duncan Taylor Once again thanks to Pit for this super sample, a 26y Glenesk from Duncan taylor. It's rich, dark and obviously heavily sherried. I also think it's somewhere around 54% ABV.

Glass: Spiegelau
Nose: There's something very slightly pungent in the background. Something a little medicinal or phenolic. But that's only hinted at in the distance. In the fore is a wonderfully rich sherried dram. There's Oak, currants, toasted prunes (can you toast them?) and even a slight hint of rubber.

Palate: Initially silky and rich, turning into a slight burn as the alcohol kicks in. The initial flavour is creamy caramel, but this soon opens into almost everything described in the nose, plus hints of nuts and even a slight suggestion of molasses.
This is good, creamy, silky, rich and one for my Christmas list if I can find one!

Finish: Loooooooooooooong, very long.

Overall Impression: An excellent sherried dram. These days, when we talk of sherried we often think A'Bunadh, but this one is much more approachable and less in your face than the Aberlour. It's also more rounded and slightly more complex than a Mortlach.
I like it!

Dear Santa .....................

[Deactivated Member]

With just 5 drops of water in a good 2cl, this really livens up.
Still smooth, still creamy, but now much more lively with a tingle on the tongue and an even longer finish.