Whisky Flights

[Ganga]

HP 12, flask style 43%
Glencairn
orangey gold
Nose: orange blossom honey, pencil shavings, cinnamon, parafin, cedar, heather/dry grass
Palate: smokey honey, orange Xmas cider, dried herbs
Finish: Xmas cider with a dribble of honey

[pkt77242]

HP 12 Round shoulders

N: flapjacks and a little maple syrup to start but it then opens to slightly bitter oranges, cashews, honey and caramel.
P: Caramel apple, a hint of peat, some of the flapjacks and maple syrup and a little of the bitter oranges.
F: medium lenght finish on caramel apples and honey. A faint bitterness shows up at the very end.

[Ganga]

HP 12, round shoulder, 43%
glencairn
reddish gold
Nose: cedar pencils with the "lead", unripe oranges, bitter walnuts with salt, almond blossoms
Palate: beeswax with a touch of honey, bitter cocoa, tangerines, crushed walnuts
Finish: mildly sweet, with tangerines coated in cocoa

PS. Well afterwards there is this cigar tobacco note that comes in.

[Ganga]

HP 12, slanty shoulder (read 1990s), 43%
glencairn
pale Newcastle brown ale
Nose: Caramel covered Bit o' Honey, overripe oranges, cinnamon, underlying waxiness, mixture of bay and eucalyptus leaves, dried bananas, stewed red apples
Palate: leather, fresh sweet tobacco, honey, wisps of smoke, caramel covered red apples, Valencia oranges and rind
Finish: luxurious and relaxed, honey, cinnamon and mixed fruits

[pkt77242]

HP 12 Slanty Shoulders

N: a little orange marmalade(sp), some oak, vanilla and walnuts. A little cinnamon, honey and brown sugar. Hints of salt and peat.
P: A little fino sherry, some oak (saw dust) and walnuts. Salted peat and cinnamon. A little orange maralaide as well.
F: Medium length on oak (saw dust, pencil shavings etc), walnuts and some salt. Salted orange with some cinnamon drizzled on it.

Hmm damn good.

[Ganga]

HP 30, round shoulder, 48.1
glencairn
reddish gold
Nose: Cinnabon, orange rind mixed in dough, cinnamon coated red apples, fresh cedar
Palate: Cinnamon raisin bread, dried orange rind, dried apples, cinnamon sticks
Finish: long, spicey (cinnamon dominant)

OMFG. Yes, it's that good.

[pkt77242]

Highland Park 30

N: oak shavings, vanilla, mint, camphor, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and some light sherry. Hints of salt and peat.
P: Very oaky. Oak shavings, polished oak, wood polish, cinnamon, fino sherry, eucalyptus, mint and salted peat. A little orange and tangerine.
F: Crazy long. loads of oak (shavings and polished) and vanilla. Some of the mint, cinnamon and oranges.

A little oaky but crazy enjoyable.

[Ganga]

I would like to thank Sean. And I should note for all of you that Sean received pours from my bottles so we are not talking about different bottles but rather differences in our experience tonight.

[pkt77242]

I would like to thank Sean. And I should note for all of you that Sean received pours from my bottles so we are not talking about different bottles but rather differences in our experience tonight.

I would like to thank Gaga, as I would not have gotten a chance to try these samples without him. A great experience and very interesting how 2 different people can taste similar things but still be very different.

[Ganga]

I'm going to have Benromach tonight. First up is the Benromach 10, 43%

stemless tulip
Nose: malty, little bit salty (not something I generally associate to this distillery), little crisp citrus
Palate: bread dough with a sprits of lemon juice
Finish: rich maltiness but short

I'm finishing this pour off now (25 mls) and the last swig is peppery which continues into the palate.

[Ganga]

Benromach Organic, 43%

Nose: old grain (think silo), some roasted grains now, very rich aromas
Palate: tangerines and roasted nuts, overbaked buns
Finish: long and malty

[Ganga]

Benromach 21, 43%

Nose: undercooked cinnamon buns, lemon rinds, some old oak
Palate: lemon pledge, old cinnamon sticks, bun dough rising outside on a warm summers day, summer grasses
Finish: huge, bold, rich...lots of dough and cinnamon

[Ganga]

Benromach 25, 43%

Nose: fresh buns, lemons and tangerines, glue, light spices
Palate: Rich fruitiness...oranges and figs, walnuts, some rubberiness (it works well), some ground grains
Finish: rich and lingering, dark fruits and grains

[Ganga]

Tonight will be a flight of Glenfiddichs. We'll see how far I get. First up is the Glenfiddich NAS from the 90s. All will be in a large brandy glass.

Nose: apples, barley, wood shop
Palate: big straw, cracked barley grain, light spices, underripe oranges, wood shavings
Finish: long but soft, moving from the oranges to the wood shavings

[Ganga]

Next up, the Glenfiddich 12 from early 2000s. Still using plastic screw cap at this point.

Nose: malty, cinnamon, apple crisps
Palate: apples/fruit salad, whipped cream, light maltiness
Finish: not as long, still soft, fruity

[Ganga]

Another Glenfiddch 12. This one was purchased around Christmas.

Nose: red delicious apples, more cinnamon, hardwoods
Palate: cinnamon sticks, apple pie
Finish: boldest of the three so far, bit of wood and apples

[Ganga]

late 1990s 15 Cask strength

Nose: bitter apples (crab), green grasses, barley grist, salted honey dew
Palate: sliced apples-red, nutmeg, cinnamon, straw, little fresh oak and maybe some green birch
Finish: moderate with spiced apples

[Ganga]

15 cask strength duty free (NZ) from about 2007/08.

Nose: very cinnamony, green apples, Cinnabon
Palate: more cinnamon, red apples, icing
Finish: sweet and apply

By far my favorite of the group. That's all. Anyone else have anything they would like to add? Snow Phx, 15, 18, 21?

[Ganga]

Benromach 25, 43%

Nose: cinnamon and butter on toast, fleshy fruits
Palate: polished oak, butter, cinnamon over sliced fruits.
Finish: cinnamon and oak

[Ganga]

Benromach 21, 43%

Nose: big spices, bready, light gluey notes
Palate: waxy, honey, used cinnamon sticks, old oak
Finish: spicey-cinnamon

[Ganga]

Benromach Organic, 43%

Nose: dried coconut, parafilm, dried/ground spices
Palate: cinnamon raisin Cinnabon, dried oranges
Finish: spiced dried fruits

[Ganga]

Benromach 10, 43%

Nose: peated honeydew (earthy), salt air
Palate: roasted nuts, toasted earth
Finish: more of the palate

[Ganga]

Bourbon takes flight tonight.

It is three from the Ancient Age series. They are an Ancient Age 375 from back in the day of tax stamps , Ancient Age from earlier this year and the Ancient Ancient Age10 from around the late 80s.

[Ganga]

First up is the Ancient Ancient Age 10 from the 80s. I will be using a brandy snifter throughout.

Nose: maple sugar, raw grain, vanilla, salted peanuts
Palate: hazelnuts, maple wood, vanilla extract
Finish: big maple and vanilla, long but it is the first thing tonight

[Ganga]

Next up is the Ancient Age from tax stamp era.

Nose: This is very similar but actually more "refined". Everything seems to be "delicate". In addition a slight mintiness. Grains are not as coarse, rather ground.
Palate: Again, seems more refined. It is weaker but it is a delicate balance on the flavors.
Finish: really soft in comparison.

[Ganga]

The current Ancient Age...

Nose: peanut butter, thrashed rye with husks and straw, butter, pepper?
Palate: peanut brittle, vanilla beans, brown sugar
Finish: forward like the AAA but sweeter, less raw graininess.

[Ganga]

I'm thinking that I have 2 flights that can be done: 4 Roses and Talisker. Any suggestions? Anyone want to join in?

[Ganga]

Still want to do those other two flights. But today it will be a pair of young Bowmores. The Battlehill Bowmore 8 and the Bowmore Legend. Battlehill was opened on Monday, Legend today. Glencairn for tasting.

[Ganga]

First, the Legend

Nose: wood smoke and lavendar
Palate: oak charcoal, heather, some bready character
Finish: moderate, smoke and brine

This one is so much better than the previous bottle which was perfumey. Let's see how this compares to the Battlehill.

[Ganga]

Battlehill Bowmore 8, 43%

Nose: citrus blossoms, very light wood smoke, meadow
Palate: oak campfire, citric (green oranges), heather
Finish: moderate, briney heather with a touch of citrus (lime?)

This is more interesting. I like each for what they have to offer. I think Bowmore fans would enjoy the contrast between the two, at least those that like young Bowmore.

[Ganga]

Just returning to the Legend. It is clear that there is a big burning wood thing here and lavendar as opposed to the citrus.

[Ganga]

Ok, vatting the remenants of these two together. It's about 1:1.

I think this might be even a little bit more enjoyable than either. A little bit of lavendar, citrus/citrus blossoms, wood smoke.

[pkt77242]

Battlehill Bowmore 8, 43%

Nose: citrus blossoms, very light wood smoke, meadow
Palate: oak campfire, citric (green oranges), heather
Finish: moderate, briney heather with a touch of citrus (lime?)

This is more interesting. I like each for what they have to offer. I think Bowmore fans would enjoy the contrast between the two, at least those that like young Bowmore.

To buy or not to buy?

[Ganga]

For you, I would recommend it. I would also recommend getting one of the younger OBs and do some comparisons.

[MaltMartyr]

Last night, I compared Old Charter 10 and 12. I found 10 to have the viscosity and feel of a rivalry similar to Macallan 10 and 12. In that shoot out, I am partial to neither the ten or twelve for the drinkability. The same rivalry goes to Old Charter 10 and 12, but in both Macallan and Old Charter, the slightly more aged 12 year olds have more wood character from the barrel due to aging. When comparing apples to oranges, it really comes down to what you prize in a 10 year old.

Today, I varied the theme and went with Early Times 354 Bourbon. It is a 40%ABV that is priced at $14.99 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulleit prices out at about almost double depending upon the retailer. The Old Charter 12 year old, if you can find it is priced at $21.99.

On the Bulleit, I get a vanilla brown sugary honey scent that moves to spearmint then I can sense the wood aging on the nose. It is a 45%ABV that mellows a bit if you let it sit a spell. The taste brings honey spearmint to peppermint spice. It dries a bit from the wood char typical of bourbon. The spearmint peppermint spice feel provides a mouth feel that lingers at just the right tempo. This bourbon is reputed to be a bit stronger than others. Younger, not young, bourbons share these characteristics.

On the Early Times 354 Bourbon, it has a lower 40%ABV. Definitely more honey vanilla on the nose with a orange citrus like scent. More pepper than mint turning into fresh poundcake. As a younger whiskey, I get a more of an H2O feel as the vanilla honey moves to the younger oak wood notes. The spirit is not dry, but drier due to the newer char. Again, this is typical of Bourbon based upon the method. I can only hope that ET is allowed to age some casks in an effort to show how this spirit can evolve. A quite affordable and reasonable bourbon that does not have the sex appeal, since it is looked upon as being too young to win the dance with the stars.

Old Charter 12 year old is a lost icon in bourbon. A sought after, yet once common bourbon, its label is now under the control of Buffalo Trace. BT has decided not to reintroduce Old Charter 12, but focus instead on creating and marketing other brands. The nose is pure brown sugar. I can just hear Mick Jagger singing in the background; oh, it tastes so good, but I haven't tasted it yet. The vanilla follows and I get a bit of newly tanned leather at the end. This also has a bit of peppermint on the nose, as well. The taste starts like mint honey, but has similar feel to the Bowmore 18 y.o. on the finish. It lacks the bit, but the tannin char like finish brings out something similar on the mouth feel. One of these days, I am going to read someone describe exactly what I got in both the Bowmore 18 and Old Charter 10 finish.

Buffalo Trace - Binny's Selection 2009 - 45%ABV - mint honey vanilla with a hint of Lapage's Mucilage glue. The taste is more vanilla honey and almonds than the others. It is no wonder why Hansell praised this whiskey in 2005, which was the year after I visited the distillery. This bottle is a bit over three years old, but was stored well. This is a single barrel selection, I believe, but not cask strength. The mint spice char mouth feel is what bourbon drinkers expect. However, it is not as smooth as the more aged expressions. Its character and complexity are more appreciated after a nip of the Early Times Bourbon.

After samples of all four drams, the limitations of the taste buds are more pronounced. I noticed more almond on the Bulleit after drinking the others.

Summary: I prefer the Buffalo Trace Binny's Select Cask. However, it is unclear whether this selection is from 2005 or 2009. It was purchased in 2009.